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Weird Times March 21 at 2:27 PM

On most days I live on my computer. Since I don't leave during the day, average time spent is pretty much every hour of every day minus times eating and going to the bathroom. When I do watch TV it is usually over at Ellie's. And that's about it. In any given week I might watch 3 to 4 hours of TV. My TV, which is in the other room, gets turned on vary rarely, and really only if Ellie is over here.

But now things have changed in my TV watching. I've watched it all day. I watch it all day every day. When you watch 24 hour news for as long as I have, you hear everything 20,000 times. I watched the “shock & awe” a little while ago when Baghdad was set ablaze. I know what the incoming siren sounds like in Kuwait City, as well as the siren that gives the all clear. I know every reporter can't give their exact location. I know that the first American/British casualties of the war were 4 Americans and 12 (now they say 8) British Commandos when their Sea Knight went down in Kuwait at 3:00AM. There are a million little facts I know that I can’t think of off the top of my head.

I am so isolated. I feel like I've been watching for days. The old debates over the war seem so far away. The current anti-war protests seem so odd and useless. Even Bush's deadline speech seems like it happened a week ago.

I can't explain it all except to say it's surreal. I'm not apathetic anymore now that I see it actually happening. If you think about it, whatever your feelings were about the war before doesn’t matter anymore. Political protests a month ago might have helped if there were 100,000 more of them. Who knows? But right now I am living with what is happening, something that it not going to change no matter what.

I live in a shitty world with a lot of shitty people. The shittiness will remain until the day I die. Maybe by realizing that fact many of the anti-war protesters might stop protesting. I still to this day can't trust Bush, but watching this I can't think of a world where Saddam should live. If this war - against all of my predictions - turns out perfect (few or no civilians killed, oil belongs to the Iraqis, they are free and they can remain peaceful, there are tons of bio & chem weapons found), will the "peace lovers" of this in hind-sight be on the wrong side? So what if Bush has a personal grudge against Saddam? I'm starting to believe that every person who believes in peace should have a grudge against Saddam. The guy is the definition of a complete piece of living shit. To let him remain in control is a crime against humanity.

With that said, I still do not like Bush. I strongly don't agree with pre-emptive war, and after this I think we should really back off policing the world.

Diane Mar 21, 2003 5:00 PM

Yes. Except the Bush part. I think he is as honest as you can be in his situation. We have had much worse. He isn't the great communicator some previous presidents have been, but I think he does have intelligent, experienced people around him. Who knows? I wish I could go forward in the future and look back to today.

Anyway. Keep thinking.
Linus Mar 21, 2003 5:13 PM

"Few" civilians killed is far from perfect. One civilian killed is a failure. Go ahead and call me a fucking tree hugger.
Steve Mar 21, 2003 5:34 PM

Tree Hugger!!

But seriously, I know what you feel like because the civilian issue was a big part of my anti-war stance as well. But remember, Saddam kills his civilians all the time. Who knows how many he has killed in the past week or month, but they know that he's killed 100,000+ total. It's hard to say that innocent deaths can be justified, but today I was watching TV and marines were rolling by civilians that were waving to them, apparently extremely happy. They want their freedom. Sometimes that comes at a cost.

I know if I had the choice I would rather die in the attempt to be liberated rather than be killed because an insane dictator didn't like me.
Steve Mar 21, 2003 5:55 PM

I agree with you about Bush to a certain extent; he had very intelligent people around him. But because they are intelligent makes them all the sneakier. Like lawyers. They understand the system and can take advantage of that system. Maybe nothing is going on, but I'm still very untrustworthy of the whole administration.

Also, everyone argues he made the right decision in this situation. How did he do that? If I remember correctly, he started the situation. He was looking to pick a fight since the beginning, and all he decided was when to start swinging.
Dave Mar 21, 2003 10:47 PM

I agree with many of the points that you make, especially, "The guy is the definition of a complete piece of living shit." Vintage Steve right there. I too have been glued to the TV and am starting to get sick of it. I can only hope that this idiocy comes to a swift end. What worries me is that if the American war machine gets some momentum, what is to stop us from going into North Korea?
paul Mar 22, 2003 2:38 AM

this pre-emptive shit has got me worried about canada. we have 1/4 of the world's fresh water supply, so once oil is over and done will, the US will be coming after us and our great lakes next! we'll kick their asses 1812 style though, don't fear.
Steve Mar 22, 2003 4:44 AM

Yep, and just like the Iraqi desert, we are going to start in a place nobody (including the rest of Canada) cares about: Newfoundland.
Steve Mar 22, 2003 4:59 AM

All indications to me seem that we are going to stay away from North Korea. They got pissed off pretty quickly, and I think America just wants to hold back and see if they can't cool off a bit on their own.

Really, all they want is aid, and I have no idea why they think that this is the best way to go about it.
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