Oh ₤µ€λ!

How the hell did this happen?

On the bright side, the US finally has an elected president after four years. Apparently, he got a serious chunk of the popular vote, too.

It is said that in a democracy, we get the government we deserve. I think that's a mean thing to say about all those who voted Republican.

Who are these people?

Perhaps they're afraid? Perhaps thay see the spectre of Osama and his continuing and unfortunate presence in the world as the only issue of note?

More likely, judging by the deliberate and systematic stripping of even the prospect of gay rights from a further 11 states, they are the "Christian Right". My argument seems increasingly borne out by the systematic autopsy of this election.

Let me explain something--there is rarely anything Christian about them. In my experience, the CR, especially the politically active element, are smug, greedy, self-absorbed white people who derive their entire satisfaction from their alleged moral superiority. They fear and loathe change, so much so that the word "Liberal" is currency amongst them for "Murderous Traitor".

I was raised in a Christian church, Catholic, in fact. Yes, I know, some of the CR consider Catholicism second only to satanism, and revile what they address as "Mary Worship". The CR frequently speak in capital letters, by the way, and the audible expression of this can be heard on every Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage show.

During my upbringing, I was taught that there is no faith without scholarship and study, without mercy and compassion, and without meditation and reflection. Never mind how much effort I put into it, I rarely thought I was somehow better, or more entitled, because of my faith.

The Evangelicals of the American Christian Right (and much of the Canadian), in all of my experience, are self-satisfied Nationalists, convinced that they are right, and that this is verified by their "experience of God's grace". This they believe in spite of knowing nothing of the Bible save John 3:16 and Leviticus 18:22, and even less about history. They're happy to let you go to hell in your own way, unless it conflicts with their "values" (a loose collection of cultural prejudices, possibly in direct contravention of their self-professed "faith") in which case they will make laws to stop you from doing things that do not harm them.

With rare exceptions, I would rather spend two weeks in Abu Ghraib than ten minutes trapped in a lift with one such. And now they've managed to temporarily elevate one of their own.

Tonight, Daniel Pink said on the CBC that the US Democrats simply failed to understand the massive magnitude of the political swing towards Evangelical Christianity. Last election, 50% of all those who voted for Him were EC's (from The Economist).

How sad.

I wish there was an inspirational message to leave people with. But I suspect we'll all soon be too busy surviving this mockery of a chieftan. If I may risk an irony: God help our world.

1460 days to go. Barring an act of some god. A-hem.

I'm slightly incoherent tonight with frustration and anger. I hope my writing and my words may become sharper, stronger and better, and therefore more worthy of the task of carving up the continued international nightmare I have the gross misfortune to live next door to. And it helps only a little to realize that countries as far away as oh, say, Iraq, are not immune.

Let us oppose the Executive at every turn. Let us offer him co-operation in direct proportion to the consideration we get from him. Let us offer him mercy and kindness as often as he shows it. And most of all, let us laugh at this facile buffoon, this capering monkey. Laughter will defend us against the darkness until 2008.

To quote Dave Allen: Good night, and may your god go with you.