Monday, February 27, 2006

Hunting with Dick Cheney

All things considered I hope Dick C invites Dubya out to hunt.

The latest bit of arrogance is the President's insistence on overriding a congressional bill, before it is written or passed, that interferes with his corporate brothers. Even if they are Arabs indistinguishable from the masses demonstrating and bombing and raging by any means other than their bank accounts.

We have a corporate oligarchy running our country. That was at least acceptable when the owners of the corporations were Americans. But now the corporations seem to be owned by others. Corporate decisions do not consider the people of this country as anything more than fodder. They suck our blood like vampires and laugh at our efforts to contain them.

Walmart, the quintessential American trading company, forces American companies to close their facilities in the US and open them in China so they can buy the goods cheaper. And it's a good thing they do that. With all the people underemployed in this country there isn't anyplace to stretch a buck like Walmart. Is it in Walmart's best interest to make sure everyone lives in trailer parks? Probably.

Maybe we deserve to be treated like mindless fools, manipulated by the press, told what's best for us by a patriarchal government, watched like mice by the NSA and the FBI, and fed upon by corporate vampires. If we had the guts and the independence of our ancestors, we'd stand up all together and say "No more. This is our country. These are our lives. If we are free, let us be free. While we live, let us live."

Consider the question of capital punishment. The latest fiasco is whether or not lethal injection is a humane enough way to kill somebody. Why do we care? The person in question didn't care when he committed his crime. Let's look at the improvements in execution over the years.

Stoning: A little primitive, very painful and very cruel. Still practiced today in parts of Africa.

Lopping off the criminals head: Another ancient practice made popular by the Hebrew government about the time of Christ (John the Baptist). Usually performed with a sword or ax. Pretty swift and painless form of execution, unless the edge is dull or the blade twists. Apparently the Japanese officers practiced on Chinese prisoners during WWII until they could drop a head with a single blow, instead of hacking the victim's head off like chopping a tree. This method of execution was improved on with the French Guillotine. As long as the edge was sharp the heads were separated so quick they barely knew they were dead.

Hanging was another interesting method of execution. In it's more primitive form (used right up until the KKK lynchings) the culprit is simply left dangling from a rope until he strangled to death. Very nasty. The government improved on this with the advent of the gallows trap. The sudden drop was supposed to break the villain's neck and therefore kill him before he strangled. It worked most of the time.

In recent times certain groups have developed really efficient execution techniques. The Russians in particular would put two small caliber bullets in the back of the victim's head. Probably the most humane method of execution I've heard of. Wouldn't even know you were dead.

So what's the fuss with lethal injection and the gas chamber and old Sparky? Take a lesson from Beria. If a criminal has been convicted by legitimate evidence so there is no doubt he is responsible for a capital crime, put two bullets in his head, drag him out into the woods and let the animals eat him. End of problem.

Or send him hunting with Dick Cheney.