Today's Politics.

I try to avoid politics. Politics, any politics, is so fleeting as to be almost pointless. I generally consider politics to be the games fools play while the truly dedicated and intelligent work behind the scenes.

Think about it. Name a single politician who has really changed the world. I bet you anything you'll be able to count them on one hand. Now name scientists who have changed the world. You're gonna' need a whole lot of hands.

As to politics ephemeral nature, think about the great poltical debates of ten years ago? No one remembers. No one cares. No one even thinks about the fact that Bill Clinton got a bit freaky in the Oval Office, but scientific work that has long been superceded, say, Newton's Laws, continue to get discussed. No matter how important whatever subject the local politicians are raging about seems now, it will be incredibly unimportant in a few years.

It's for this reason I don't usually get involved with politics. It's just too short-lived for me to care. Unfortunately, our current government is acting in ways that can have far-reaching and dangerous effects. I consider the gravest duty of any government to be the protection of freedom. Freedom from fear, danger, and oppression. Instead of protecting us, our current government is using all three as tools and propaganda in ways rarely seen before.

Today, it is our government that is taking our freedom. And that can not be abided. The rampant limp-dickery in the media as it desperately attempts to not insult anyone has been sickening. Over four years of lies, anguish, corruption, and failure has seemingly gone unnoticed by wide swaths of the US. This apathy is leading to ever deeper intrusions into our privacy and our freedom. There is NO safety that is worth the surrender of fundamental freedom. I consider this freedom so crticially important because science, and thus all of humanity, can not advance without it.

All throughout history, poets, artists, politicians, firebrands, and revolutionaries have said that there are worse things than death. I say a life without freedom is the worst thing of all, because while we may draw breath, we can hardly be called alive. I would rather fear injury from my fellow human than fear my government.

Finally, the media appears to have grown a set of balls. I'm not talking about bias, I'm talking about having a position at all. Instead of living perpetually in this nether realm of "just delivering the news," and actually providing insight into the events for those too oblivious or too stupid to figure it out for themselves.

This video is fantastic. We finally have a voice against this horrid administration outside of Comedy Central. I'm very proud of MSNBC. Good boy.

Keith Olbermann Delivers One Hell Of a Commentary on Rumsfeld (Via CrooksAndLiars.com)

Also available here. (Via YouTube)