Renewal of Patriot Act blocked in Senate!

Politics. It’s something I’ve never really had an interest in, nor is it something I ever intended to talk about on this blog. But here I am, about to discuss my political views.

For starters, I honestly don’t consider myself all that politically aware. The whole US political system is still very foreign to me (as was the Canadian system for that matter). I’m not quite sure why my interest in the subject has grown over the years… Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older and I now see the affect it has on my life. Or maybe it’s my increased consumption of The Daily Show, or the number of documentaries I’ve been getting from NetFlix (oh NetFlix… how I love you). Or, it could be the apparent act of god that allowed someone so inept to be voted into power TWICE. Whatever it is, I seem to be following US politics far more closely than I ever have.

I’m not a Democrat, Republican, Liberal or Conservative. I’m not fully left, nor am I fully right. I’m somewhere right in the middle… admittedly with a slight left lean. But describing my political orientation isn’t what interests me – It’s the sociological aspects of politics that keep me coming back for more. Quite frankly, I’m enamored with the administration’s ability to control the public, and appalled with the publics seeming inability to stop and question what it’s being fed.

How can massive groups of people have such blind faith in someone who clearly has no clue what he’s doing?

Why do so many people focus so intensely on “Support Our Troops!” instead of “Why Are We Fighting”?

How can people support a war that was clearly waged on lies, and why aren’t The Powers That Be being held responsible (I think the death of 30,000 Iraq people and 2,000 US Soldiers is a bit worse than, say, penetration with a cigar).

How can people so blindly believe what they see on TV, especially what it’s clearly not “Fair and Balanced®”

How can people not see the multiple conflicts of interest?

And so on… there are so many factors of human nature that fascinate me, and politics seems to be the vehicle at the moment. Remarkably, the closer I look at politics, the more similarities I see between it and organized religion. I’ve opened one can already, so there’s no need to open another… this topic will have to wait for another day. But don’t think it’s a coincidence that politics and religion are the two things you’re not supposed to talk about at the dinner table.

Anyway, getting back on track. This is by far the best news I’ve seen in a while:

Renewal of Patriot Act blocked in Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday and blocked legislation to renew the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

What? How can this be? I thought this was for our own good? No?

Wait for it… I’m sure Fox News will be running this in the six o’clock news “US Senate Anti-American”.

Here’s to hoping we can actually stop the insanity, and get this country back on it’s feet.