Star power

Here are several more terrific reads, courtesy of writer Star A. Decise at The Enigmatic Paradox. Ms. Star (the designation she prefers) weighs in on...

-- Chronic inequities in our judicial system, which are not so much the sole doing of the rich and powerful as they are a consequence of the "Royalist" tendencies that run strong beneath our collectively imagined facade of democracy. Money quote:

We tend to give great lip service to The Founding Father's elegant jingoism that everyone is created equal and is equal before the law. But we've never quite believed those fine sentiments. Underneath our democratic petticoats, we are royalists. We make more fuss over the British monarchy than the English do. And we don't miss many opportunities to create our own royals even if we call them by the more common title of Celebrity instead of Your Majesty.

-- The WaPo/Deborah Howell debacle, in which a paper that should be one of the nation's stalwart Generals in the battle for free and accurate information, made an inexplicable decision to censor and then refuse reader comments regarding a misleading, wholly inaccurate story. Ms. Star writes:

This isn't the time to discuss The Post's rightward editorial drift, its endorsement of Bush or its excusing of inexcusable conduct by the administration. But it's noteworthy that the paper appears to be a victim of osmosis, absorbing Washington's governing ethos.

-- And another shocking instance in which our government is not supplying our men and women in uniform with the readily-available equipment they need to survive in the field. Ms. Star asks:

Do we really need another nuclear attack submarine? Another boomer? Both cost over $1 billion a copy... [T]here's enough cash in cutting any one of those programs to buy body armor and helmet upgrades for any soldier who wants them.

At a total cost for this headgear of what would undoubtedly be less than $25 million, coupled with upper body armor that wouldn't top $50 million, you're absolutely goddamn right that there'd be enough to cover the cost. And then some.

Be sure and check out the link provided to Operation Helmet, and contribute if you can to help provide our troops on the ground with this life-saving equipment. And as you're doing so, ask yourself just how pathetic it is that you should even have to.

Mr. Bush has made quite a show of "supporting the troops" for many years now, while simultaneously and consistently accusing his critics of causing our servicemen and -women real harm, of stabbing them in the back, of jeopardizing their very lives.

But even with several budgets to choose from that are so bloated with pork and outright waste they should be an embarrassment to a government that claims to be at "war," our Miser in Chief has not taken the simple step of ensuring that American soldiers automatically receive the best equipment on the market.

Who's betraying the troops now, Mr. President?