JWL.Freakwitch.net

The Ultimate Fetish

OK, my political commentary in this personal forum has been much lighter as of late. There are many reasons for this. In general, all activists have to take time to recharge. One cannot be an activist, full-time, for years at a time without completely draining themselves. In addition, my creative output has been totally focused on music recently. I just don't have enough energy to focus on political ranting. Besides, putting energy into my music is probably the most effective way I can enact change in my reality. Music has a power that is undeniable to change public consciousness.

Having said that, I just read the following in Time magazine:

When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol?

The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the President privately by some of the troops who played a key role in ferreting out the old tyrant. Though it was widely reported at the time that the pistol was loaded when they grabbed Saddam, Bush has told visitors that the gun was empty--and that it is still empty and safe to touch. "He really liked showing it off," says a recent visitor to the White House who has seen the gun. "He was really proud of it."

Now, how can an intelligent, psychologically aware person take this? It is, in many ways, the perfect symbol for what is wrong with this administration. This is an object of violence, that GWB is fetishizing. Moreover, it is a symbol of his obsession with Saddam Hussein. One wonders that if Saddam somehow is killed "resisting" the guards (wherever he is now, who knows...), that GWB would have Saddam's penis cut off and stuffed. I wonder if he'd be as proud of that, showing it off.

I wonder if GWB has a bigger pistol than Saddam?

posted by JWL at 4:08 PM |