warning: now OT political (was "Bridge Collapse")

[spewey at comcast.net (Spewey)]

I'll just stick all this in here.

First off, I'm not very political.  We'd all like to be somewhere in 
between.  We used to be in the olden days.  A little of this, a little 
of that, government keeps on ticking.  Ever since the 
Uniter/Decider/Commander Guy came along it all went to shit.  Nobody can 
talk rationally anymore.  Why is that?

He's not a Uniter, he has divided the whole world.  He's not a Decider, 
the Generals have to do that.  Who fired the US Attorneys who serve at 
"the pleasure of the President?"  No one will admit to it.  It's like 
the book Catch 22, an ancient military strategy of blaming underlings if 
you don't want to take credit and gloating if you do.  Read Dilbert, 
it's done all the time.  He is the CIC but when things go wrong, it 
wasn't his decision.  Fire some 3-stars and get new ones in that play along.

What I can't figure out is why 1 in 3 Americans still defend this shit. 
  Let's look at McCain.  He thinks we will be fighting Islamofascists 
for a freaking century.  Who can accept that?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/016313.php

Ask any one in our town if replacing that bridge in 2020 was too late 
and last month they just would have shrugged, "I guess not."  Now Gov 
Pawlenty (R and chief of McCain's election cmte) has back peddled to 
accept a 5 cent gas tax.  5 freakin' cents like it doesn't vary by a 
dollar a month anymore anyhow.  Some of our biggest treehuggers are 
gun-totin' truck-drivin' rural republicans who have learned that kicking 
in for a deer stamp or walleye license allows for rational management of 
resources they like to hunt and kill.  Even they want safe bridges.

Meanwhile, the cost of The War (or, as I like to call it, Drive Around 
And Try Not To Blow Up) could pay for a new monster freeway bridge every 
day.  $400M/day for four years could pay for oodles of smaller bridges.
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/infrastructure-is-patriotic.html

And MN is doing well in the bridge department--only 1 in 8 is scary. 
People in Oklahoma have to avoid 1 in 3.
http://www.bts.gov/publications/state_transportation_statistics/state_transportation_statistics_2006/html/table_01_07.html

The country is run by lawyers.  You all are the jury and they have 
convinced you of all manner of malarkey.  Ask your doctor which pill may 
be right for you.