h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last night was the night of disturbing discussions in room 221 of Floyd. Roommate had been sent a link to this site that had a lot of pictures of the last Peace Rally in Washington, DC - and she therefore sent it to me. Some of the signs were great (I loved the one saying: "for sale: US Congress"), but it's creepy. That many people saying so much, so obviously opposed, and yet we still have an apparent like 80% approval rating for Bush? I mean, of course that wasn't 80% of the population of the US there, but still!! There's obviously a lot of people who think the president and congress are being a bunch of big, fat, stupidheads (to quote from Boy Meets World - I love that phrase), so why on earth is all of this dissent doing nothing?

We can write letters to the editor - and be lucky if they're printed - and make art that just smacks the stupidity of this situation in the faces of officials - but they'll never see it - we can protest for hours - but no one will look except people who want to. It's so completely worthless, it seems. It's cause the people really have no say anymore. We "elect" people to elect people to run our country, but the actual power chain is so convoluted that I doubt no one even in the upper echelons knows who's really running the show now or how they got there. It all just seems so completely helpless. It's no longer a democracy for the people and by the people. It's an oligarchy, for big money, by big money.

I don't blame Bush (jr). I don't think he's even in on what's going on. He can't even say nuclear, for God's sake. There's a frightening amount of powerful undertow in the people he "selected" for his cabinet members, though. Not to mention the fact that the majority in Congress is now Republican also. It makes me sick.

It's no good to go back and figure out what we did wrong except as a depressing history lesson. Yes, we need to learn from history, but unfortunately very few of the epiphanies about what has caused this situation can be fixed at this point in the game. We've dug our hole - now we have to climb out.

It gives me hope that we're still part of the UN, even if Colin Powell did get booed out. He deserves it. We deserve it. We're trying to run the world and we have absolutely no right to. But even then - at least we're not the only ones worried about what sort of weapons Hussein has - especially after what's happened this past week.

*sigh*

I did figure out, however, that this whole situation has very little to do with actual world events. They have sparked a lot and undermined a lot of things that have been hidden for a long time. The really worrying thing for me is not going to war. It's the fact that people have so little say in our country. Or rather, if we do, so many people are so apathetic that they're not even trying to get at any kind of truth in the situation. So they don't bother to ask themselves if this is right or wrong. You should have been here on campus when we had a little Peace Rally last week. And I mean little. No more than 50 people. This is a campus of 9000. I heard someone saying later that the people in the rally "didn't know what they were talking about." That's the most blind, apathetic thing I've heard recently. Maybe something that was said was inaccurate - but even then, at least we're exercising our supposed right as Americans to be discontent with what our government is feeding us.

I think we have two choices. Either America goes to war and either inflames the situation further or finally does remove a nasty dictator - or we have our own revolution right here at home. We need one. Not a physical war-type one. But soemthing more along the lines of a revamping of the governmental processes, because they really don't work as well as they used to.

Some days I'm embaressed to live here.

*waits for the men in the black suits with the ear pieces to come and take her away*

Amy, if they do that, I swear I'll come and try to get you out again.

Your country needs you!

Thanks, hon, that means a lot to me.

I think it's really sad but the prospect of war does up politicians approval ratings. Everyone was desparate for WW1, the war that would be over by Christmas, and everyone says that Margaret Thatcher went into the Fauklands war because her support in this country was waning.

But you know history. Personally I think it's important that people like you (and me) keep trying to make our voices heard no matter how deaf the regime seems to them, and I also think that when it comes to seeing American soldiers being returned to the US in body bags, public approval of the Bush regime may falter. Maybe that might wake people up a little. But I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that.



I wish I knew what the truth of the whole situation is at the moment. On the one hand it seems like my government follows wherever yours leads, but then people say that Tony Blair is trying to keep the US and the UN in sync, so I get very confused...

Precisely how I feel...

I wish I knew how to make it more obvious to the leaders how many people are opposed to their ideas. It surely can't be that hard.

Kate Adie is a war correspondent for the BBC I think. She said of meeting Americans abroad, that they are surprised to find that there is such a place as abroad.

I'm not well travelled and I don't really *know* an awful lot about the US really, but that for me it's hard to imagine that the US is the size of Europe, and as I have no idea what's going on in say, Denmark, it seems unreasonable for an American to even know what's happening on the other side of the country, never mind in Europe or Iraq.

But still, I guess the best you can do is for the apathetic people out there, mention that you regularly have conversations with people who don't live in the US, and there is a world out there, who may have reasons not to appreciate them or their government.

And for your politicians, write them letters, I guess. And make a pact with your friends to do so too... and keep going to rallies and stuff because then even if you can't make a difference, you know you tried damn hard.

Even then people should want to be informed.

Gonna do as much as I can, I suppose.

A more coherant reply now - I was on the phone with my sister when I typed that other one.

I will agree with what the correspondent said - sometimes it's hard to believe there's more to the world than the tiny slice of our country we've been exposed to. I'm not sure if the size of this country is to blame or it's just human nature à la Truman Show. I know that it was a bit odd for me to really realize that England was like this totally separate culture until I met Rich in the flesh, and I'm sure it'll be even more revealing when I actually go over there this coming summer.

But even then that's no excuse not to keep up with goes on in the world. There's too much information too easily available. Not that I claim to be a news junkie, but I do attempt to stay somewhat well informed.

I do try to talk to people who have differing views than I do here - my band conductor and I are actually polar opposites politically, but we do have occasional discussions on forgien policy and so forth. It's just a bit scary in my particular instance because this area is *so* conservative. I seriously think there might be only a few liberals here - and they were all at the peace rally this past Wednesday. (Actually, I'm not really a liberal either, but I get labeled as such because I think the conservatives are just being blind). I also try to mention to people that I've come across people in other countries who can pinpoint why they don't like us. They just don't like to hear it, I guess.

I'm actually more afraid for my reputation when I travel this summer - people will know I'm American by the way I dress and speak. I so hope they won't think I'm as arrogantly ignorant as the stereotype is likely displayed.

*sigh*

I'm moving to the moon, I think. Anyone with me?

we meet a lot of nice Americans over here. Never underestimate the human capacity for making an exception.

"I hate Americans."
"What about Amy? You like her, and *she's* American...?"
"Well... she's different"

Honestly, anyone who accuses you of being arrogantly ignorant needs their head checking.

But if you want I can tell you the irritating things "Americans do" and how to avoid them I'm sure there's a thread about it in Askh2g2 somewhere...

I think I was born in the wrong country.

And how about a quick run-down of things for me *not* to do... just in case.

board a flight which has you disembarking at 'glazg-ow'

Seriously, I think one thing that sticks in my mind was when we dug out that atlas/ map thingy and I think Shorty was surprised to realise that the U.K was on the same latitude as Canada. (and my mumurings of my "cold, frigid little island" were more than just mere hyperbole.)

Well *yes*.

I rather liked the time we all sat down and became s and figured just now little time it'd take to drive all over the UK in comparison to the US.

"If you drove for that long in a straight line over there - you'd fall off the edge!"


*wipes away a mirthful tear.*

And you thought maybe you could get west while you were visiting..

Next time.

hmm... yes I did din't I?


A case of WAGONS!!!...staying right here, thank you very much.


We did make some progress northwards for a little bit.

True. And you got to see bits of Maryland most people miss. Though there's a reason.

Next time: DC, *real* mountains down in this area, and somewhere further west too, if possible.

Or we could just sit in my basement.

decisions...decisions.....

we could always take it with us...

You busy otherwise? Cause I got an hour before my next class...

dinner alas and scuba diving.


however dad's probably gonna have to quit it cos he got a bit of bad news from the docotr this week, his blood pressure has rocketed back up. which is odd 'cos he's probably living the healthiest he has ever.

Still we'll be finding more soon. Seeing as it was a massive heart attack that saw of my grandad and with dad's high blood pressure, I'm starting to wonder if this is one of those family things..more insentive to loose the waist line.