Borat v. Bush
Okay.
So I read about this incident this morning but have absolutely no idea where. It might have been through AlterNet. Even if it wasn't, AlterNet's a great site so now you have another link to it.
So, this evening I end up at The Aristocrats, another site worth your perusal, in my humble opinion. Contributor Blue Gal has posted the video posted there of Borat Sagdiyev (aka Ali G, aka Sacha Cohen) holding a "press conference" in front of the embassy of Kazakhstan in Washington, DC.
(Aside: check out AdmiNet...a wonderful resource for information about governments around the world.)
Anyway, here is the video, from YouTube:
Oh my God, is it funny. I love how the officious security service-type person comes out and removes the Kazakhstani flag. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
What struck me most, however, was the scene which took place at the very end of the video, where Borat tries to deliver a note to the US President at the White House. After Borat is rebuffed, he walks away. Do you know what my overriding emotion was at that point? Fear. I half expected a black van to pull up at that point and whisk Cohen off to some secret interrogation room or spirit him away to another country for processing...like Kazakhstan...despite his protests that he'd be mistreated there.
Seriously, I began to fear for Cohen's safety and wondered how much further he'd have to proceed before he did attract the attention of the Secret Service.
Do you remember the days when a million people would congregate on the Mall in DC to protest the actions of our government. In those days, what the government was doing was wrong and the people were outraged about that and expressed it. Why are we not seeing million-person protests in DC nowadays? Surely, our country has more to hang its collective head in shame about right now than at any other point in our history within my recollection (which stretched to the early 1960's).
They have made us afraid. Afraid of strangers coming like boogeymen with bombs and weapons and explosives strapped to their waists. They have made us afraid of each other...will my neighbor rat me out...will the secret forces come spirit me away in the night? Remember what these fears were related to in Chile...they called it disappearing.
They don't really have to disappear us to be effective, though. They just have to threaten to do it, which they have been, and erode enough of our basic human and civil rights away to make disappearing a genuine possibility, which they've also accomplished.
Do you really want to live in a country like that? In a police state? In constant fear? Not me.
Who is working hardest to instill terror in us? Who are the real terrorists?
If you haven't already, please register to vote and exercise your right to vote.
Kudos to Countdown with Keith Olbermann. God, I love this man!
tags: fear / fundamental conservatism / government / hegemony / terrorism / US politics
posted by Cheryl @ 12:00 AM
4 Comments:
It's just a grand piece, isn't it. On a more serious note, if you haven't seen the Barry Goldwater documentary, it's worth a hardy view. I covered the Senate when he was there and though I didn't agree with him, the documentary clearly conveys the roots of serious conservativism, as well as the dedication of politicians to their constituents back in those days. Goldwater actually went back to Arizona to meet with his constituents, rather than simply to raise money. Now, if someone would just do a similar piece on Proxmire, who never spent more than a couple of hundred bucks on a campaign...take care.
I know I should have watched the Goldwater piece. I was just feeling so lazy that evening. Besides, it's HBO so it will be repeated and repeated...
Thanks for the tip, RfR!
Thanks for the linky love for me and the Aristocrats. You and I are on the same wavelength tonight (see my post for Sunday.)
Thanks again.
My pleasure, Blue Gal.
You have a great post over there, on which I'll comment. Thanks for dropping by!
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