That's right. They hate democracy. Jackasses.

The U.S. has threatened to cut aid to nations that don't sign on to the immunity accords that protect it from prosecution for war crimes. This falls on the heels of a decision to not ban small arms sales in Africa. And the refusal to ban biological weapons.

I think I will mention this to the next American who says that anyone not goose-stepping their way to the front on the War on Iraq "hates American freedom."

For the record, I'd like to say that I don't believe in the giant right-wing conspiracy manipulating our media. To be honest, I think that's giving them way too much credit. Do you have any idea what kind of coordination you'd need to pull something like that off? They can't even secure 380 tonnes of plastic explosives in a freakin' war zone. That they manage to show up to work without their suits on backwards is a major accomplishment.

To be honest, I think the "they're so big and powerful" line of reasoning is used by certain would-be activists as an excuse to not do anything. The sad and depressing truth is that most people honestly don't give a damn where their taxdollars are going. In turn, it's a lot easier to blame the woes of the world on the all-powerful Illuminati than it is to disapprove of a drinking buddy who thinks that the Sudan is something you drive.

But neither should people think that because things are this way now, they're always going to be this way. Think about thirty years ago, the kind of ideas that were in common belief that now we view as "quaint." Unequal salaries for men and women in the same profession. Homosexuality as a mental illness. Rampant, open racial discrimination. Bombing peasants in the Stone Age back into a different Stone Age because they might be Communist.

What ideas will we look back on twenty years from today and think, "Wasn't that silly..."?

Things can change. But first the vast majority of people needs to believe - not think, but honestly and truly believe - that by being knowledgeable about what's going on in the world and making those thoughts known to the people who run the show, that things will change. If people voted based on foreign policy, you'd better believe that MPs will pander to that. If people voted based on dwarf tossing, MPs would pander to that. MPs like to pander. But it's up to us to ensure they pander for the right reason.

That's it. If you need me, I'll be in my new Sudan.