ADDITONAL TOUGHTS, 1 FEB 2003
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THE TRIUMPH OF STUPIDITY OVER DEMOCRACY

The Fall and Decline of the American Empire as Engineered by the Bush Imperium

Regarding the British announcement of the unknown whereabouts of the Al-Quaida dirty nuclear bomb before September 11.

4. invitation and provocation of terrorist attacks on US soil, of ever increasing magnitude

· minor attacks; buildings, roads, minor biological/chemical, EMP bombs

· infrastructure; economy, damns, power grid, communications, internet, water supply

· major biological/chemical attacks on large population centers

· dirty nuclear bombs in major cities

· nuclear

· nuclear with missile delivery

An Historical Metaphor

Athens decided to conquer Syracuse for no good reason other than Imperial conquest, a show of supremacy and control over resources. It was the most powerful state on the planet at the time, and it was a democracy too boot. The democratic electorate was easily swayed and/or purchased by demagogues such as Alkibiades, who was an egotistical and aristocratic bully with pretensions of imperial grandeur. (Although Alkibiades was, arguably, far more intelligent than the current American leadership.) Athens had numerous client states and allies, a coalition in fact. It assembled the largest armada and most powerful army of the day and sailed off to humble Syracuse, which was considered to be easy pickings.

Thanks to stupidity, bad luck, stupidity, betrayal, stupidity, overconfidence, stupidity, incompetence and stupidity Athens suffered a total, brutal, costly and humiliating defeat. It never recovered. Three generations later it ceased to play any significant part in world affairs; forever.

How stupid can you get? We, America for one can get at least that stupid. Athens at least had the excuse of having little historical precedence on which to base a critical decision. America has 3000 years of historical stupidity it chooses to ignore. Stupidity has conquered democracy before.

Stupidity has now conquered American democracy and the remnants of the American republic no longer have any legal means or the popular will to correct itself and to chart the course of its own destiny. Syracuse, here we come.

Such a catastrophic path does not require conscious planning or a conspiracy. In defense of the Bush Imperium, they are too stupid to think much beyond their own immediate greed and short term gains. It will all happen simply by adhering to what free market fundamentalists believe in, unregulated cultural, political and economic forces.

All that is necessary for the victory of the law of the jungle is that intelligent regulation not be applied.

All that Armageddon requires is that good men do nothing.

Michael Andrews, 1 February 2003

Postscript, The Space shuttle Columbia, Saturday morning, 1 February 2003

As I finish this the space shuttle Columbia, with six American and one Israeli astronauts, has disintegrated in the atmosphere, scattering debris over Texas.

Just before sailing to attack Syracuse, the Hermae (most homes in Athens had a sacred statue of Hermes) were destroyed by vandalism. This was considered to be an extremely bad omen for Athens and for the invasion. And, indeed, it was. Throughout history bad omens, evil portents and unfavorable signs have often been noted before catastrophic events. No doubt the significance of these are skewed by selective hindsight and are essentially meaningless. Unfortunately however, portents, signs and omens have been taken seriously by the large masses of populations most of the time, and used unscrupulously by egomaniacal conquerors.

The fact that the crew was only Israeli and American and that the debris rained down over Emperor Bush’s home state will, no doubt, be noted by the hysterical and weak minded among that vast majority of the human species that already hates America. It will no doubt be cynically used and no doubt there will be many who will declare this to be a sign from Allah.

The real danger for every human on the planet is that it will distract serious attention from preventing war just at the crucial moment. And as the world grieves the death of seven unfortunate human beings, the machinery of annihilation will grind inexorably toward Armageddon and the wholesale slaughter of millions of human lives.

alea iacta est

Michael Andrews

02-01-2003