Sunday, July 08, 2012

Droning on

I read the Albuquerque Sunday Journal in 16 minutes this morning.  I managed to keep my breakfast down and switched over to the Times.  90 minutes of great writing and information.

 
There were some great articles in the Times Magazine today.  One of them was about Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo.  It was chronicling the training of Air Force Drone pilots who carry out the war from the comfort of being thousands of miles away from combat.  Much of this nation's drone program is located there on the outskirts of White Sands.  Who knew?

Another story was about American corporations secretly and invisibly sending tens of millions of dollars to right wing political candidates.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will fund to the level of $50 million before they are finished.  Who specifically gives that money is a secret.  Who will ever know?

So, these CEO's and Boards are much like drone pilots.  They are invisible but the nature of their work is deadly.  Drone pilots kill mostly bad guys(and more than a few innocents.)  And corporate America kills democratic institutions through secret and corrupt funding of candidates who will vote as instructed.  Where does this leave our American Citizens?  We will know in a few years.

2 comments:

Ok, then said...

Great analogy!
Agreed also: Albuquerque Journal reading time is 15 minutes or less. I refuse to subscribe, but read my sister's copy when I visit.

Anonymous said...

Excellent.

I clicked on the Facebook link and sent your commentary sailing off into cyberspace, I think and I hope. I agree with the previous commenter and am glad they knew how to spell analogy.

I just keep wondering whether the current polls will mean anything at all once all those millions start showing up as vicious TV attack ads designed to drive up Obama's negatives.

I feel as if there's a lynch mob coming, and dread waking up the morning after.

I was seriously convinced I wouldn't let the Republicans frighten me into voting for a Democrat again, now I'm seriously frightened that they might.