Meltdown time

It seems like most of the world is just plain disgusted. And no wonder. No wonder at all.

The ugliness has been visible to everybody since "Shock and Awe." But now a new cancer seems to surface under the spotlight every day. U.S. torture stations uncovered in "friendly" countries. Clear evidence that chemical weapons, specifically white phosphorous (which burns human flesh right down to the bone), were used last year in the ferocious attack on Falluja. (First they denied it, then they said it was legal to use it against combatants--who of course were sitting amongst a multitude of civilians. Is this equal-opportunity devastation?) FEMA sending displaced Katrina families into the streets. One Bush-crony scandal after another. New revelations in the Plame affair. while prosecutor Fitzgerald makes it clear that his investigation is not closing down. (Will it get to Cheney?) Afghanistan thriving as a global heroin store, while president Karzai has to be protected by 100 U.S. guards and the Taliban are thriving. And in the meantime, ongoing efforts to give the super-rich more tax breaks and the corporate raptors less rules.

At least - finally - a majority of Americans are coming out of their stupor. Lots more bombast will continue to come out of the White House of course. But the people ain't gonna be fooled no more. It is just sad, profoundly sad, that the wake-up has taken so long.