5 Years Later and Where are We Now?

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So, yeah, this is a September 11th blog. 5 years ago today... we all know what happened... or do we? I'm not going to debate that. A lot of opinions to be had. I'm not endorsing any opinions here, just making some observations.

So, 5 years later...

Osama Bin Laden... still somewhere... still out there... maybe. Maybe he died of the renal failure already. Maybe his videotaped messages were recorded 3 years ago. Do we know? Will we ever?
Saddam Husein... captured... deloused... standing trial before a jury of his peers? Who are his peers anyway? Well, there's one less Jerry Garcia look-alike in power in the Middle East. That's a good thing, right?

And that brings us to Iraq... still there. I think we just found a WMD... no that was just a Pepsi can from the last time we were over there. The Right still argues that we need to be there... The Cradle of Civilization is the Cradle of Terror. The Left still argues against... Bush knew there was no connection... where are the WMDs? I don't know... if this war is really about oil, why am I paying 3.07 a gallon?

Positive effect: Sales of American flags at their highest point since World War II.

Negative effect: I haven't seen an American flag flying at the top of its pole in 5 years.

And of flying... oh let's please talk about air travel. I so love flying barefoot and parched. My sandwich was confiscated as I might have used Enriched Uranium peanut butter and explosive jelly. I wanted to wash it down with a Gatorade. Sorry. My luggage is still being sent to the wrong coast, but now when I get of the plane I have to have long fingernails, unmanageable hair, and bad breath. But I feel so much safer after being harassed and having my $200 suitcase destroyed by the highly trained members of the TSA.

TSA, DHS, NSA, ICE. Yes ICE. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Formerly 2 different organizations: INS and Customs. One about Immigrants, legal and otherwise, and one about taxation. Now we've combined the both into one super-agency... all under the control of Homeland Security. Both simultaneously checked and balanced, right?

Homeland Security took over FEMA too. So glad. September 11th proved that all disasters are caused by terrorists, right? And because terrorists caused Hurricane Katrina, the new Homeland Security run FEMA was incredibly prepared to handle the situation. See, the system works.

The Patriot Act works, too. So many terrorists have been caught because they borrowed "Al Quaeda's Guide to Terrorism" from their local libraries.

I'm beginning to feel that my right to Patriotism no longer exists. The original patriots of this nation spoke out against the things that didn't like in the existing government. If I do that, I'm called unpatriotic. Hmmm... My head is getting sore from scratching it. Sometimes I think the Constitution has been tossed out the window. But we did elect Mr. W; he represents the opinions of the majority. Right? I think so. In 2 more years we get to elect another monarch... sorry, President. Anyone but Cheney, 2008. The mantra of the politically disaffected. Voting in the negative. Kerry because he's not Bush, even if he looks like lurch from the Addams Family. I could end up voting for Steve-O from Jackass just because he's not Dick Cheney. I'm sorry, but I don't think the 2 party system adequately represents the political consciousness of my generation. Know what? I'm voting Whig!

5 years later... still not sure if it was a plane or a missile that hit the Pentagon.

5 years later... not sure if the whole event was foretold by the proper folding of a $20 bill.

5 years later... Toby Keith still wants put a boot up my ass.

5 years later... half my friends list is inundating me with video bulletins about how George Bush is a Nazi in league with the Pope and Emperor Palpatine, while the other half is sending me pictures of the Statue of Liberty flipping off terrorists.

5 years later... where are we? Afghanistan? Iraq? Lebanon? Korea? The most powerful nation in the world or the largest terrorist nation in the world? Maybe we're just as the movie put it... Team America: World Police.

I don't know, and I don't think I care anymore. I don't think it matters. If Al Gore is right, we'll all be under water in 10 years anyway.