"Bitter: angry, hurt, resentful, because of one's bad experiences or sense of unjust treatment." Webster's Dictionary.
I am a bitter man. I admit it. I'm neither proud or happy about it. But it's not my fault, either.
Eight years ago I was annoyed, but I wasn't bitter. Being annoyed with government is the natural state of the governed. It's the catalyst that keeps politicians paranoid about what we're up to out here while they, hopefully, try to do enough things right to get our vote next time around, even if resentfully.
But bitter is a different kind of catalyst. It's the emotion that freed these former colonies from Britain. It's the emotion that motivated American blacks to come together in the 1960s and demand an end to segregation, once and for all. At the turn of the century in Russia bitterness caused the Russian people to put an end to careless, self-indulgent, wasteful monarchy. Before that, in France, bitterness among the peasantry caused a whole lot folks to loose their heads -- literally.
In short, bitterness is a motivator -- maybe the motivator when it comes to the forcing of social tipping points.
So, while I'm bitter that this administration has turned me bitter, I am crystal clear on the reasons why I'm bitter:
I am bitter because this administration led my country into a completely unnecessary war. A war they justified on flawed, and what history will surely eventually prove, entirely fabricated intelligence.
I am bitter that this administration has soiled, not just America's image, but it's very soul by resorting to the kind of brutal treatment of prisoners for which we once tried, convicted and executed enemy commanders.
I am bitter that after the hard lessons of Vietnam, a war that took the lives of over 50,000 of my generation, that this administration repeated those mistakes, costing the lives of over 4000 of this generation's best and brightest -- so far -- and counting.
I am bitter that the only reason our kids must continue dying in Iraq is soley to buy time for this administration to get out office next January leaving the mess and clean up to the next administration.
I am bitter that this administration mismanaged the only justifiable military action they took -- the invasion of Afghanistan -- allowing the men actually behind 9/11 to escape capture and punishment, and to continue to spread their twisted ideology and murderous activities.
I am bitter that this administration gutted our national treasury, pissing away a $5.2 billion surplus by lavishing tax breaks on the already wealthy and then, once out of money, putting an additional $4.5 trillion on the national credit card.
I am bitter that this administration has so bankrupted my nation that we can't provide health coverage for nearly 50 million of us but instead continue to borrow $12 billion a month to fund operations in Iraq.
I am bitter that our students continue to be "left behind," to test below average -- often far below average -- when compared with students in other developed nations, and that we have neither the money or will to do a damn thing about it.
I am bitter that, thanks to this administration's cynical manipulation and suppression of scientific evidence, that my children and grand children will spend their entire lives battling the potentially deadly effects of global warming.
I am bitter that this administration has engage in the same kind of religious fundamentalism for which they criticize in Islamic nations. That they can't or refuse to recognize the inherent contradiction in their support for such things as prayer in public schools and other government-funded "faith-based" programs and Islamic government funded madrasas they condemn in countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Stephen Pizzo has been published everywhere from The New York Times to Mother Jones magazine. His book, Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans, was nominated for a Pulitzer.
What a valuable contribution to the conversation. I only hope for your sake this is some kind of joke post and not a true reflection of the author's grasp on either reality or the English language.
by
Stephen Pizzo (81 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 23 comments)
on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:58:57 PM
regarding the hlg post, I must deal with both, in my job
as an esl teacher in China. It makes you wonder where-ever did some come up with such notions, and trying to make sense of what they want to convey can be extremely challenging.
Be bitter when the need arises, but don't let it harden your heart. Which is difficult to do with the choice of candidates we have to choose from.
That's why I'm voting for Mike, the congressman from Alaska, who is the only one promising to pull out of Iraq when elected.
by
Stanimal (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 324 comments)
on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 5:22:27 PM
bitterness is thought of as something abnormal in American society and, indeed, it once was when there were jobs to support a modest lifestyle on one wage.
But Washington has contrived to do away with the warmth and support of a middle-class life and they have been well paid to do it. Now they're angry and lash out at Obama as 'elitist' for noticing. He was on Chicago's south side while others were elsewhere. He is absolutely correct on the issue of bitterness.
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Jim Freeman (108 articles, 40 quicklinks, 157 diaries, 327 comments)
on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 6:24:13 PM
Yep, bitter am I also, and, truth be told, so are most of the folks I know.
Bitter that I was too poor last year to qualify for the rebate for the 'poorest of the poor'.
Bitter that Social Security effectively goes down each year due to manipulating the inflation figures, upping the medicare charges and needing a supplemental policy just to hope to cover things.
Bitter that there are only no physicians within 200 miles of where I live who will accept medicare
Bitter about cronyism over qualified leaders.
Bitter about drugs in the public water supplies and a degrading environment.
Bitter about shrinking food kitchens.
So? So, I'll remember.
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Christopher Wright (16 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 29 comments)
on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 8:54:33 PM
I'm bitter that the Republicans taught the American public that if the government creates laws and regulation to enable big corporations to make ever larger profits that these busisnesses will hire more Americans that will bring prosperity to everyone.
I'm bitter that this administration enabled the big corporations to take over the main stream media in order to control what information the public sees and hears. The media was used as the propaganda machine to sell the American people and the Congress on a war against terrorism; and then to use that "war against terrorism" as justification for all sorts of evil purposes.
I'm bitter that this administration has tried to censor scientific reports to deny that global warming is happening; putting the world in severe danger in order to keep big oil, big coal, big energy, and big automobile companies from being threatened.
I'm bitter that Congress has sold out to big coorporations so that they are no longer a Government of the people; instead a Government of the big corporations.
I'm bitter that big corporations care only about profits and are acting in ways that cause the American worker to loose their jobs, homes, health care, pensions, and even safe food and clean water.
I'm bitter that the President said he doesn't care what the American public thinks nor what the Congress thinks; that he is the decider and will do whatever he wants.
I'm bitter that we the people elected our representatives to Congress with a mandate to end the war in Iraq; and nothing happened. Our Congressional representatives are not listening to the American people.
Most of all I am bitter that the Bush administration has smeared the reputation of the United States of America. America is seen throughout the world as The Evil Empire trying to take over the entire world. Attempting to gain control over the oil resources of Iraq (and threatening to do the same in Iran) by military force. The Bush administration did not care that the UN inspectors found NO weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The bush administration does not care that intelligence has found NO evidence that Iran has a necular weapons program. That the Bush administration is the only country that refuses to sign the accords to limit greenhouse gas emissions. I used to be proud to be an American; but because of Bush my country's reputation has been ruined; and I am bitter about that.
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Philip Pease (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 106 comments)
on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 9:15:51 AM
I am bitter and fighting mad...it is time for REAL American's draw a line in the asphalt in the beltway and if need be run the streets red with blood once again...otherwise we will be the new slaves to the old republic.
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Michael Morris (16 articles, 0 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 293 comments)
on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 10:00:22 AM
It is not about this administration, it's every administration since the founding of the Trilateral Commission in 1973 that has led us down the globalized path of free trade, and sent American jobs abroad. They have turned a productive economy into a financial services economy, which creates GDP growth with a credit-market-debt bubble that is profitable to the CEO's on Wall Street but does not do much for the real economy and the working class who live in it..
Bush's mission, after the previous 30 years of dismantling constitutional government has been to ruin the image of America as a benign or even a good superpower, show the world why democracy can not be relied on the protect human rights (look what happened in America), and to ultimately bankrupt America and plunge the world into a global depression, if not another world war , and set the stage for one world totalitarian government by the same monsters who rule us today, pulling the strings of those provisional leaders while hiding behind the curtain. His ability to do so was facilitated by his image as a man of god to dupe the Christian Right into support for policies that are more in line with Satan, much as the German policies his grandaddy helped finance 60 years earlier.
Obama, Hillary or McCain will just continue the destruction. Backing Obama are TLC members Volcker and Brzezinski. Backing McCain is Kissinger, Greenspan and Lieberman. Backing Hillary is Albright, Richard Holbrooke and Robert Rubin. There is no change here. All of these people are responsible for the last 35 years of wars, crony capitalism, and the destruction of the American middle class, to be followed by Americas sovereignty. Kissinger was said to have remarked in the 2007 Bilderberger meeting that in America they consider those against globalization to be the terrorists. Thats because he knows that when people wake up and find out what that globalization is all about, we might have Homegrown Terrorism, because it is going to mean a drastic lowering in standard of living for Americans. Thats why they have set up a global police state apparatus. They are not worrried about terrorism, they are the terrorists.
They justify it publicly over the need to preserve resources and protect the planet. Peak oil and man made global warming are both hoaxes, brought to you from the globalization movement, which is directly responsible for the food crisis today. Oil and Food prices are high because the Oil and agribusiness cartels, assisted with the financial speculators in our finance industry cartel and a government that looks the other way, because they want a global financial and food crisis to get people to accept Global Government and fulfill their neo-malthusian goal to depopulate the world. Thirty years ago Kissinger predicted that "Americans will one day welcome UN troops in LA" to provide security and stability. As Bush might say, Mission almost Accomplished.
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pft (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 220 comments)
on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 3:54:39 AM
"More reasons for being bitter...that the Bush administration has smeared the reputation of the United States of America. America is seen throughout the world as The Evil Empire trying to take over the entire world. Attempting to gain control over the oil resources of Iraq (and threatening to do the same in Iran) by military force..."
kind of reminds me of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) (http://www.newamericancentury.org). I've never come across that term in the mainstream media - only on the web. Note who the members were(are). Makes you wonder...
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truthsearcher (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 3 comments)
on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7:38:15 AM
I am so glad that Stephen wrote the piece, and others of you have supported his positioin with your own reasons for bitterness.
And, I want you to consider this: There are a lot of us out here, who are long ago retired, worried to death now about having enough to eat, trying to pay our taxes, keeping our homes warm and buy medicine, and we've moved beyond the bitterness, to an even worse position. We are now overwhelmed and heartsick, because we no longer have the physical stamina, and in many cases, the mental ability, to get out on the front lines and do battle with the selfish idiots who run our country through big money, big corporations, big religion and big government - now, unfortunately, the dominating crowd.
So, we suffer in silence. For all of us who fall into this never-talked-about group,(and you may be surprised to know how many of us there are) we only hope you will know that we are with you, as best we can be. And, in our golden years, we are sad - very sad - that what we worked so hard for, has now all gone to the rich and powerful elite.
We long for an America again, where folks really care for each other.
by
im4unity (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 38 comments)
on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 1:36:27 PM
