Thursday, June 29, 2006 | And as for Stanley HELLO. I've just finally returned to Brussels late last night after more than six weeks on the road. So I'm going to save the story of the Depanneur in Quebec (mentioned yesterday) for Friday or Monday, and instead, print this little joke, sent by Yasmin Boland. Here goes: George Bush goes to a primary school to talk to the kids to get a little PR. After his talk he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and George asks him his name. "Stanley," responds the little boy. "And what is your question, Stanley?" "I have four questions: First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes? Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don't have health insurance?" Just then, the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs the kids that they will continue after recess. When they resume George says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?" Another little boy puts up his hand. George points him out and  asks him his name. "Steve," he responds. "And what is your question, Steve?" "Actually, I have six questions: First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes? Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don't have health insurance? Fifth, why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early? And sixth, what the hell happened to Stanley?" --- Very funny, you say. Consider this reader comment, from Carrie Harrington: Quoting my blog the other day: "Political movement is one of them, but most people find activism boring and unsatisfying, and frustrating because the results take nearly forever and are easily squashed..." She comments:   There's also a huge subconscious deterrent. Have you not wondered where the Ghandi's or Martin Luther King's or the Malcolm X's or any of the charismatic leaders of today are? The subconscious deterrent is that the people that are not so busy fighting just to survive are afraid they will be gunned down or jailed or persecuted like too many of those political movement people were. The secret prisons, the torture, the hidden building of interment camps, all these "leaks" in the news are not uncovering some secret the government wants hidden. Nope, these "leaks" are perfectly timed to keep us terrified of rising up and getting active. The hidden message is, keep quiescent or you may get branded a terrorist and hauled away and tortured.     We all know it in our deep subconscious, though people I talk to will not even acknowledge this fear.  They pretend not to know what I am talking about. Even so, where are the charismatic leaders?  Where are the youth taking to the streets? The illegal immigrants felt safe enough to do that because they were not inculcated with the fear from childhood by our media. They lived in their little villages and towns in the Latin countries with no TV and no idea how our government uses TV to instill fear in all of us. And they were not marching to change the power structure of our government. To march to change the power structure of our government is to commit personal suicide...at least that's what our government and media would have us believe. And who among us is willing to see our loved ones harmed, lose our children, lose our families, lose our lives?     It isn't just about activism being boring and unsatisfying. It is about fear, plain and simple.   Carrie