Black Boys on Mopeds

One of my older Latino relatives was heard recently saying that 'If that Nigger gets in the White House, I'm taking the RV and moving to Mexico."

Old School.

This wouldn't be the first time someone said this. Didn't one of the Baldwin's say he'd emigrate if Bush got in? Alec? And I remember Sinead singing she was leaving England so her boy wouldn't have to know grieving. Suppose Alec left for England and Sinead left for the US...seems like they'd just cancel each other out altogether.

I'm guessing Barack's worst demographic is elderly whites, followed closely by older Latinos. Racism is so strong in these demographics that the usually clean Democratic and Republican separations are blurred. A Latino over 45 voting Republican? It would have been unheard of four years ago. But the times they are a 'changin. I think there's enough of us younger people who've never known the pre-civil-rights-era to counter such thinking.

This morning the news was abuzz with Scott McClellan, former Bush press secretary, a defector from Bush's inner sanctum. I didn't follow it but for one quote -- "that I had such high hopes for this administration, and that we thought we could do so much good...I was disappointed."

Thinking about Obama who will likely be put up; he stands an excellent chance this fall in part due to himself and in part due to consecutive Republican fumbles at the 2 yard line. If he makes it to the Big Dance...do you think he has any chance of following through on withdrawing from our overseas engagements? Or will his press secretary be saying the same thing McClellan did in 3 years time? There is such a strong correlation to our actions abroad, to our failed energy policy, and to our failed behaviors at home...although I don't presume any mendacity of tanking into Iraq for their oil. But what will Obama do? Will he be able to sever the bungee cord between energy and war?

It only takes one disgruntled Nigerian in a Jackalberry dugout and an RPG to raise world oil prices another 5 bucks; a mad Arab with 10 pounds of Semtex and a camel, 10 bucks; a Palestinian hijacked airliner into Ras Tanura, 25 bucks. What would the price be if Iraqi oil production languished because we sucked ourselves out of there and the country couldn't self govern? What would be worse for you...an extra $75 cents a gallon because we ended the war early and Iraq imploded...or no price increase, but mired in a perpetual war paid for by others?

I know America's answer. Things were just fine 18 months ago, weren't they; when energy was cheap, the war ignored and payments for it deferred, food bountiful, homes pricier, and the economy plugging along plenty good enough. Oh, to return to such normalcy!

Although I have a preferred outcome, I really don't give a shit how it all turns out -- so long as my son never gets conscripted. I have a right to be selfish about this because I've done more than enough to wean myself off foreign oil. We have enough domestic supplies to keep a sustainable, no growth economy working. We wouldn't need imports if more of us Americans were diagnosed with the big C -- conservation. Iraq would have the same significance as Rwanda. That is, we could afford not to give a shit.