9-11 changed America and the world. Obama's jobs speech will change little in the economy. But that won't stop the change that's already happening on its own.
September 11 anniversary, meet Obama’s jobs speech.
First attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, meet worst economy since the Great Depression.
Day of rememberance, meet forgettable presidential address. A few bold gestures, but no FDR or JFK moment. And nothing on the energy crisis that caused the recession in the first place.
Occasion for mourning and humility hijacked to score political points, meet touching and sad attempt of the smart kid to reason with schoolyard bullies on their turf with ideas for mild Keynesian stimulus that won’t do much to keep corporations from continuing to ship American jobs to China.
(Yet, there’s no harm in telling Congress “We need jobs, not cuts.” Obama’s plan is certainly better than nothing.)
Meet me in Baghdad
Excuse for a permanent occupation of Iraq and open-ended quagmire in Afghanistan, meet a conspiracy of silence on how foreign wars that suck our blood and explode our treasure cost American jobs.
Needless tragedy abetted by the criminal negligence of a complacent Bush White House, meet unstoppable economic decline from shopaholism and debt quickened by the bottomless greed of billionaires.
Political blowback from America’s addiction to Middle Eastern oil, meet economic blowback from America’s addiction to depleting supplies of that same oil.
Presidential call to consumers to show their patriotism by shopping, meet confirmation from stony-faced Congressional majority that consumers will never make enough money to do that kind of shopping ever again.
End of the Bill of Rights, meet end of the American Dream.
Meet me in Rome
Attack by the barbarians, meet citizens massing at the city walls to demand that the guards throw open the gates to the barbarians. Could living under the long-beards — not played-out Al Qaeda, but any one of a hundred other Emmanuel Goldsteins – be any worse than groaning under the oppression of our own clean-shaven patricians, gorging themselves on wine and courtesans but deaf to the cries of the plebs for bread?
Beginning of imperial collapse, meet beginning of industrial collapse.
Freedom from having to garrison the world, meet freedom from having to buy a new car every two years.
War crimes trials (Dick Cheney), meet Wall Street trials (Goldman Sachs).
Calling out hateful lies of war profiteers and tyrants, meet standing for the truth of Americans who wear headscarves and crucifixes living together in love.
Meet me in St. Louis
Troops coming home, meet work coming home.
Victory parades (why don’t we have those any more?), meet Victory Gardens.
Money saved on wars of choice, meet investment in local communities.
A big America that nobody ever wanted, meet many little Americas that we can love and cherish.
– Erik Curren, Transition Voice
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