i leave for 2 months and it turns to shit. well not quite that bad but...

so here i am merrily working. things are fine. i go to a major new zealand newspaper web site to do some research as part of my job and i come across the first headline ("bush budget cuts hit poor hardest, say campaigners") and think 'what the fuck is going on in america?! looks like someone has to go back to america and kick some bush ass. if there will even be an america for me to return home to!'

this president is such an idiot. one of the biggest embarrassments of our entire nation's history--and that's saying a lot. he had a SURPLUS budget when he came into office (thanks clinton) and no matter all the things one does not have control over that eat away at the budget, he should've had something fairly decent or at least a couple dollars in the bank to take everyone to dinner or something. but instead he's reached record DEFICITS. and he hasn't even come up with a decent way to get us out of this mess. instead, cut out funding for things that essentially destroy any possible hope for a future for the country. fuck you mr. bush.

of all things to cut from a budget, let's brush aside health care and retirement and all that sort of stuff. i cannot understand why to cut those sort of programs but let's just say that we all agree that it is ok to cut funding for such programs. somehow you are supposed to be afforded those things by your employer and not your government to whom you pay all your taxes to. let's cut all that shit out of the picture. let's just look at one element that was cut from the budget, one thing that time and time again seems to get cut and i do not understand why this thing: education.

how can you justify cutting spending on education? our nation is increasingly more in trouble in this particular area than anywhere else, i think. have you not noticed schools being forced to scrimp and save and even then closing? not universities. i mean basic education like elementary schools. if our nation's children cannot even get the basic education to be considered having a basic intelligence (enough wits to read, write, and balance a checkbook), how in the hell will this country have any future?

i thought it was horrible enough when i was in high school and other high schools in los angeles country were known for being so poor that they did not have enough textbooks or classroom space for all their students. but now i think the state of education in america is really quite bad. very sad situation. cutting education is only increasing the margin between the very well to-do and the very poor. eventually it will bite us in the ass. maybe in 10 years? maybe in 20? think about it. please think about. plot along in your mind what happens when money is removed from the education system. when there are not enough books and not enough classrooms and not enough teachers. then the schools start to close down. you have less people eligible for the workforce. all workforces. less people to check your health, to do your taxes. maybe even less people to do even the most menial tasks because they can't read the instructions on the bottle of cleanser. it's extreme but please ponder that the president is cutting funding for education!

there are certain priorities in life. no matter how bad things are, you must always set aside money to take care of these basic priorities. food and shelter for living creatures. you pay the rent, you buy some food. you might let your utilities cut out. you might even have to forgo housing and live in your car or other non-traditional spaces (without using the word homeless). but so often families and individuals claw at getting an education. even when they are in less than standard housing facilities. they know how important education is. i sincerely think education is one of those top priorities for a nation. a nation must maintain the well being of its people. you can argue what the means, if it includes health care and so forth. but how many would exclude education? very few. at the rate things are going, there won't be any public education left. that is why i think that bush is a detriment to our country.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

YES YOU WHO VOTED FOR HIM!

how the hell could you do this? AGAIN!

weighing the pros vs. cons in voting for political candidates is how many go about it. this was perhaps never more true of an example than the most recent presidential election. i have heard of many, even republicans, who did not favor bush but because of 1 or 2 issues, voted for him. these 1 or 2 issues were the deal breakers. well, was it really worth it, hmm? so you don't like all of the things that the opponent candidate stood for. or if you were smarter you looked at opponents, plural! but the list of cons for bush was so ridiculously long with the list of pros so ridiculously short.....

i am exasperated.

this time spent in new zealand has made me think that america might possibly be the only place i could live. more like california perhaps. or a really big city in america with decent weather and good vegan food, hint hint. but time and time again the political climate and moral majority sort of bullshit is something about america that i CANNOT stand.

our country has basic rules. these are our founding principles and they are constantly violated for fuck's sake! (the first that comes to mind is separation of church and state!)

shame on you who voted for bush.

there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve your existence, your country. but it seems that america has equated 'wanting to improve' statements by individuals with disrespect, traitorhood, and other negative associations. constructive criticism is positive, not negative. wanting to improve is a good thing. trying to improve is even better. the nation's forefathers were fed up with their country and formed a new one. do you criticize that? they were traitors to england. now we have america. make the most of it.

i am fed up with how some politicians treat the treasury. i want change. alas it aludes me as to how it will come about. it's not just looking at the numbers of how many votes bush received. it doesn't matter if they are true or doctored. look at the media. it doesn't matter if it's run by the right wing or left wing, the republicans or bush himself. the media is not all that free. they, the mainstream outlets, really don't seem to question things. an unnamed publication named an unnamed individual as person of the year, which is quite disgusting. clearly i can never take that publication seriously again for their soul has been bought and paid for. but all this does not matter. because you have to turn to the people. turn to your neighbors. listen to what their parents say. listen to what their children say. look around you. absorb. i did that for about 6 months before taking off to new zealand. what my antenna picked up was so disheartening. i just don't know what to do.

it is too exhausting to change the world, to even change 1 person's opinion. i don't mean change like brainwash. i mean, to expand one's outlook, one's territory of knowledge and awareness. to inform them, to have a civilized conversation where you debate this and that and both parties come to understand the other. it is quite taxing on the soul. and there are so many people who could use a good conversation.

i know that some parts of this is ranting and raving while other parts are a bit more coherent. that is because i wrote this in the heat of passion. then cooled down and went back over it and added cool-headed bits. then got sucked up into the passion again. it would probably be wise for me not to voice any opinion for the allies/supporters of those i speak against are many. if anything, i am speaking to them. i hope to at least. it is taxing on the soul. quite. but what is going on in their heads, i still can't figure out the reasoning. come, let us dine together, play games, and understand each other. mr. bush and cabinet, won't you have dinner at my place? i got a killer edition of ren and stimpy uno. you can bring the spouses and children.

old cemetery off symonds street