A New Way - Rationing To Support The Troops

This is the sixth of a series of articles
exploring the creation of
The Independence Party ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For six years we have heard an endless stream of lies and misrepresentations emanating from the White House concerning virtually every aspect of American life. From 9-11 to Afghanistan, from photo free zones in Dover, Delaware, to "Free Speech Zones" in New York and Seattle. President Bush is described as a sociopath, even a "Psychopathic Liar". Certainly a man who lies as frequently as does our president does so either as a result of deep psychological disorders, or as an intentional ploy to achieve a political end game of some kind.

It is clear that the candidates for both parties, at least those who can plausibly claim a chance of election to the presidency, have raised the horizon for re-deploying our troops out of Iraq. This week it became clear that even the Democrats decline to commit to a timeline, ... any timeline for quitting that nation.

The People of America spoke in November of last year, but the pols seem to feel they know better, ... about Iraq, about Habeas Corpus, about our Constitutional protections of free speech, from illegal search and seizure, and freedom from the imposition of Religion upon the State.

And so, it seems we must speak first to those who have the ear of the politicians, namely corporate and special interest lobbyists. I do not expect Big Oil, or Pharma, or Insurance to listen to me directly, ... why should they? We need to speak a language they will understand, clearly and unequivocally. I will speak to them by denying them my money.

Let me explain a bit. This approach was suggested to us all a while back by our president when he said "... I encourage you all to go shopping more" as the best way to conduct ourselves in the wars he had entangled us in. Many have since called upon our leaders to request sacrifices of the American People, akin to those of our parents' and grandparents' generations, ... rationing, victory gardens, ... self-denial. No such requests have come in the end, and it occurred to me that the major reason that was true is that the wars and entanglements in which our president has engaged us require cash, ... taxes, donations, ... a steady flow, billions every month. The domestic war in which the president is engaged, the destruction of the middle class, requires even more of our hard-earned cash, ... as inflation, fuel, housing interest costs, healthcare costs, and tightening credit all clamp down upon our stagnating incomes.

The corollary to Bush's cynical suggestion that we can buy our way into victory, is to save our way into reclaiming our government. We can ration ourselves, buy only essentials, travel only as absolutely necessary, and consume only that which we require, rather than desire. In another time this might have been called a Boycott. In the spirit of our parents, I prefer to think of it as Rationing to Support the Troops! It is for their safety and the security of our Nation that we will undertake this change in how we live our lives.

What effect might this have on government? After all, ... taxes feed the "Beast" that the Neo-Liberals and Neo-Conservatives cynically claim to want to kill. And yet they ARE the government. Like a ten year old behind the wheel of a Semi-Trailer, these imbecilic children are driving us headlong over a cliff, both political, legal, and economic.

The engine of that truck, by nature of the fools behind the wheel, and those behind them, is the corporate base in America. Without the constant feeding of our cash to corporations, the truck would stall, and be forced away from a worse fate.

And so my car will stay parked. I will buy my needs in bulk. For the Holidays, I will give my children and grandchildren simple things and cash. My thermostat will be set low, as will the lights, ... not to black out our neighborhood against an imagined enemy overhead, but to send a clear message to those who have seized our Nation that they MUST and WILL be forced by the American People to give it back. I will send their corporate lobbyists to deliver the message, with empty pockets.

And when the troops come home again, only then will I open my pockets to buy frivolous things. When I hear that we have spent our money in Iraq to provide light, and fresh water, rather than to pay murdering mercenaries, I will spend my money again on trinkets. And when I hear candidates assure Americans that they will NEVER strike another people again who have not attacked our People first, ... That is when I will take part in the economy to which these Corporations are so addicted.

And so it maybe that the best way to save Our America is to make her leaner, and at least mean enough to lay seige to these criminals who are leading us to destruction. We are, America, a drunken glutton, ... staggering through the World, taking what is not ours, and laying waste to People and Lands who posess what we desire, ... but should not require, to survive ourselves. The reputation of America is in ruins, Her economy in peril, and Her future is dark. There is no one who can nor will save Her, except the American People ourselves.

And so it begins.