A House Divided

It’s a famous quote from Abraham Lincoln, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” That’s what I feel like I am living in as a US citizen. “A house divided.” Our country has become do partisan and stubborn that neither side is willing to listen to the other. In many cases, one side or the other is not willing to compromise on any idea that isn’t completely in line with stated policy, no matter how much sense the rogue idea makes.

Take the front page of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal: there’s a compelling article about the billions of dollars that have gone unaccounted for (most likely embezzled, but in any case GONE) in the rebuilding of Iraq. Now, in any other circumstance, someone would have to answer for that kind of waste. After all, where is the money coming from? It’s coming from the American people. They are taking it out of our paychecks every week, and will continue to do so for generations.

Anyway, the guy who uncovered the accounting discrepancies is Stuart Bowen, who actually came up through the ranks of the Bush administration starting when W. was governor of Texas. You would think that coming from a Republican, other Republicans would listen, take note, want to get to the bottom of the scandal. But instead, fellow Republicans are trying to discredit Bowen, claiming that he knows nothing about “postwar chaos” and shouldn’t expect general accounting rules to apply in a postwar situation. These criticisms are coming from people like Newt Gingrich…an expert on postwar situations? NOT.

Why can’t they just say there’s something wrong with the situation? Why can’t they say that the awarding of no-bid contracts or the hiring of some companies to do work without so much as a contract is probably a bad idea? Why don’t they want to get to the bottom of the corruption rather than continue to feed a vicious animal?

The other thing about the house divided is — you know it didn’t happen all at once. The Civil War was coming for years. Lincoln made that speech in 1858, like three years before South Carolina seceded from the Union. I’m not saying that’s where we’re going, but my point is, you’ve got to look for the signs along the road, and if you are on the wrong one, you’ve got to find your bearings and the right one.

Ugh.

Anyway, right before bed last night, I watched this documentary called “Bush’s Brain” about Karl Rove. I swear to God, I don’t think any movie has given me nightmares like that since “The Exorcist”.

MOVIE LINE OF THE DAY
(From “Glenngarry Glennross”)

RICKY ROMA: You are here to help us…not to fuck us up.