Okay, so...

...I've finshed some of the updates on the blog. I still have to revise my whole blog roll, because some of them are probably dead links by now, and I've also spotted a few embarrassing typos. I've been adding them since November 2004. It seems like an eternity sometimes... I began all this as a reaction to the awful Bush presidency, and now that presidency is winding to a close, and it feels as if we have been through political hell. Or, a hell of a political ride, at least.

I was a contributor to three different blogs at one point. One is defunct, one carries on, and mine sometimes feels, well... I mean, look at some of those links. 9/11 stuff, Bush stuff. Less and less relevant as time goes by, which is sad to say, because the events of the Bush administration represent some of the most significant crimes against this country, and the world, and they are fast slipping from public memory. Treason in the face of apathy and acceptance equals success for the plutocratic bastards of the neocon Bush/Cheney regime.

But I digress. As I think about blogging; the act of blogging, that is, one thing really stands out to me. That is the impact it has had on the establishment and the way some politicians have demonstrated such a fear of bloggers. Right-wingers in particular (well, it's true) tend to condemn bloggers with such enthusiasm that it is almost funny to watch, if it weren't so sad (how many times have I had to type that phrase over the last four years?). It's so painfully obvious how afraid the rightwing is of "common people" having such a powerful voice in current affairs. Even though they gain power by pandering to the masses, they never reliquish their power to those masses - they use them and toss them aside, and maintain their deathgrip on all of us who exist only to be used by them in their ongoing quest for more money and power.

But when blogging came along - Bam! All of a sudden, the rest of us had a voice that the establishment had not yet learned how to supress. And they still haven't, although they are learning, and they ultimately will shut us up one way or another. Until that time, we will have made a hell of a mark. Like the underground countercultures that have come before, and changed the world, bloggers have dealt a blow to the powermongers that was really felt. Ha. I'm glad. For a while, at least, we can say we had a positive effect on the world.

Because we can't win, you know? We can't. Progressive movements change the direction of society for a few miles on the highway of history, but ultimately the powerbroker class wins and crushes us until the next uprising. America itself is a good example. It began as a progressive revolutionary rebellion against the established ruling class, but soon corruption reared its ugly head and became an intrinsic part of American government, and once again the same old rich and powerful ruling class were in control. See, progressives are usually content to fix a hole in a boat, relax and sail on in the knowledge that the problem was a one-off and all is well from here on out. Optimism. The power-elite estabishment, on the other hand, conservatives will keep punching holes in that boat until they sink it, no matter how many holes the progessives fix, the conservatives will not rest until the boat has sunk. As they boasted in 2004, they are "resolute." We won't have to worry about what to do with our newly-won democracy and benevolent leadership anytime soon, I'll bet.

This is a rambling and depressing post, isn't it? At least there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is minor regime change coming along, so that's something. I'm looking forward to seeng who corporate America selects to "lead" the country. In the meantime, I'll dream of a planet where domocratic leaders are elected through direct elections by a popular vote with verifyable results and runoff elections to ensure majority rule. In other words, more crazy rambling.