After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?

One of the problems with being an inquisitive S.O.B. is that sometimes, having acquired certain knowledge, you find yourself bearing a responsibility for spreading the word, alterting people to the danger, or otherwise communicating your knowledge in a meaningful way. To do otherwise, sometimes, is to become a guilty bystander (read G.K. Chesterton if you're not familiar with the term and its implications).

So it is with this blog. Having discovered the ugly truth that lurks behind the G. W. Bush smirk, I felt a responsibility to start this blog and publicly protest my outrage. Having started the blog, I felt impelled to continue documenting the unravelling daily news (which will hopefully one day be useful as evidence) that is hidden behind the bland mainstream acceptance of the Bush cabal.

But I must say it has been an increasingly surreal undertaking. Those who seek to alert the world to the dangers of global warming must experience a similar sense of absurd frustration. Here is this daily unfolding disaster, impacting on all our lives, and yet the vast majority of people are either totally indifferent or - inexplicably - vigorously opposed to the facts!

Today both BuzzFlash and Molly Ivins have columns expressing just such a sense of bewilderment. Here are the warmongering Republicans, dressed up as mutton at the GOP Convention, telling one lie after another after another. And not only are the media diligently reporting it all without any attempt at serious analysis, not only are folks on the convention floor applauding manically, but Bush actually gets a huge poll bounce across the nation as a result.

Unbelieveable...

There's a documentary on ABC TV tonight about a man who treks single-handed across the Australian outback. I saw an advert last night where he gestures at the empty horizon, squints at the camera and says "This is reality!"

Perhaps he's right.