Everybody Up!
Perhaps I wrote my rant about how much I hate flying a tad too soon...Now I'd have a LOT more to complain about. Damn.
A friend and I were discussing the recent bomb plot that was stopped just days before execution in Heathrowe Airport, London. The whole thing stinks. I'm no conspiracy theory lover, and I'm not trying to insinuate that it has a bigger purpose or that there were any government backings...but think about it. It is rather timely. Bush's rating polls have dropped like a brick from the CN Tower (or the Empire State Building for my non-cultured American readers), so he needs to garner more support for himself and his groupies. Yes, he cannot be re-elected. Yes, they are trying to get brotha Jeb to run. And yes, even if Jeb doesn't run...it's still best for Bush to try and gain support for his party. I'm no Political scientist, but I did take 6th Grade Civics. (What's the President's Cabinet?) Even if a member of his family doesn't run, the Republican party will most likely follow the same platform basis. And therefore, the "Global War On Terror" will almost assuredly be on the slate. The sudden arrests of alleged terrorists that planned to execute a plot that "would rival that of Sept. 11th in destruction and chaos" (as the local newspaper put it) at the very last minute looks great. Not only that, but it scares the public shitless. Now people are freaking out like chickens with their heads cut off. Everybody is afraid for their lives...which makes Mr. George "The Protector" Bush appealing once again because he's a leader that is willing to take on the very thing that scares them the most. Terrorism. In fact, even here in Canada I've overheard a man saying something along the lines of "It's a good thing Bush has all his assets focusing on stopping these freaks. Otherwise we might all be dead!" It made me want to puke, then punch the aforementioned idiot.
On top of all this, a lot of people...Americans in particular...have been getting all nostalgic and therefore sentimental with this bloody "World Trade Center" movie. Not only can the not spell Centre correctly, but we DON'T NEED TO SEE A GOD-DAMN MOVIE ABOUT IT! We all lived through it AND the aftermath ONCE, we don't need a tearjerker rescue flick about it...even if it has Nick Cage in it.
So...after forming, then ranting about this idea, we got onto the topic of "Freedom". Because of all this paranoia, people are no longer allowed to take liquids, gels or things of the like onto flights. In fact, all flights arriving at and departing London-Heathrowe aren't allowed to have carry-on luggage. You're not even allowed a book. All you can have is your passports and boarding passes...in a clear-plastic bag. It's ridiculous. The idea is to treat all people flying as if they're criminals. It's like strip-searching a person who wants to visit someone who's out on bail...It's bloody ridiculous. I know the idea is to screen 100% of people so as to catch any would-be terrorists...But think about it. That's just for airplanes. The only reason it's like that is because the Sept. 11th involved airplanes. But look, people freaked out after the London Underground bombing, but there's absolutely NO security on subway systems. Hell, half the time I ride the local subway system I don't even buy a ticket. That's how lax the security is for things like that. Do we screen every single automobile parked on the street after a car-bomb goes off in Iraq? No. Do we put up metal detectors inside buses to make sure that there are no more London Bus-type bombings? No. Do we wave everyone down with magnetic wands when they enter the mail-office to prevent anymore mail-office hostage situations? No! There are inumerable ways to enact terrorist plots...but do we make it harder for people to do things like that? No. You know why? Because if we did, it would "restrict the God-given freedoms that people in North America enjoy". Oh really...Well what about the lady in the airport that nearly made me take off my pants because the little gromets that attach the corners of the pockets were making her magnetic-wand beep even after I'd emptied everything in my pocket? What about the guy who patted me down (or felt me up...depends on how you want to see it...)because he didn't believe me when I said I didn't have anything else in my pockets? Is that not restricting my freedoms? For example...Freedom from having a grossly overweight man in his late 40's grope my legs and feel up my crotch...which is nowhere NEAR my pockets.
If we employed the same measures on other methods of transportation and things of the like...it would essentially be a state of martial law. Which goes against the idea of Democracy, of Freedom. Well, my friend told me something today. He grew up with his father in Chicago. He also told me that his father is cheaper than a free airline ticket (pardon the pun), and therefore...they lived in the slums. He motioned to the world around us and said to me: "This...this is not freedom. This is an illusion, a capitalist utopia that is furnished to keep people buying and selling so that they are entertained. This is not freedom. You want to know where I saw real freedom? The Ghetto. In the slums of Chicago, especially the latino section...it's what a lot of people would call Hell. Poor, Run-down, Grimy...and because of that, people are aggressive. Therefore, you could do whatever you want...and nobody would care. It was every man for himself. You could shoot, you could kill someone, you could burn a car...Hell, you could stack tires 7 feet in the air and burn them until they were 4 inches off the fuckin' ground, and nobody would do a fuckin' thing. That, my friend, is true freedom. I guess what some people would call Anarchy. It's not pleasant...no, it's nothing admirable...but it's honest-to-God freedom. No illusion."
If you think that my friend is lying. If you think that he's just trying to play a Gangsta...you're wrong. He may not be black. He may not have been shot 9 times. He may not have come from the bottom of bottoms to the top of the pops. But he's been there. He's seen it. You'd best believe it.
This goes along with my rant about peace. Nobody will really understand it in it's entirety, except me and Chris (AKA DJ Dice)...because we were there talking about it. I just want people to think outside the octagon. (ToTO) Now, it's rather late. I think I'll catch up on some well-deserved sleep.
(C) 2006 Sean Slater. (Thanks Chris!) All Rights Reserved, All Wrongs Justified. SEASE Productions. Just remember...Nothing is permanent. Not even KRink...
