Revelations

I dreamed a dream: 2004 was 1984
The president was a little boy with a brand new toy -- us. The Vice President was Moriarity lavishing favors on his corporate criminal cronies. The Secretary of Defense was Napoleon swatting mosquitoes with cannon balls, succeeding only in stirring up the swamp and spreading the infestation. The Attorney General was Joe McCarthy, protecting our civil liberties by taking them from us and locking them up someplace safe. The Supreme Court was the Pope, giving legitimacy to a President already duly elected by the people. The Congress was Marie Antoinette, contemptuous of common people while turning over the nation’s prosperity to America’s aristocracy.
And the Christian Church was Candide singing, “This is the best of all possible Presidents. It is the right thing to do to impoverish the country. Our children and grandchildren will thank us for frittering away their inheritance. Working long and hard to pay just the interest on this overwhelming debt will make them stronger, more industrious, and more appreciative of the little things in life.”
I knew this was a dream because the President is only elected for four years. If he were incompetent, the people would replace him at the end of his first term. How much harm could he do in such a short period of time? I knew this was a dream because the Vice President has no power. His only job is to replace the president if the president should die while in office. A Rasputin he might be, but certainly not Moriarity. I knew this was a dream because the Secretary of Defense serves at the pleasure of the president. Should he attempt to do such a rash and foolish thing, he would quickly be replaced with someone more competent. I knew this was a dream because the Attorney General’s job is to protect our civil liberties, not take them away from us. I knew this was a dream because the Supreme Court merely interprets the law according the Constitution. It would never interfere or even express an opinion during an election. I knew this was a dream because Congress passes laws for the benefit of all citizens, not just for a select few.
And the most powerful proof that I was dreaming was the suggestion that the Christian Church would become involved in deceiving people by claiming all is well if the powerless, the poor, the defenseless and especially tomorrow’s children were being impoverished spiritually, emotionally, or economically.

I woke up.