March 2005: Families, Valued (Or Not)

This appears in the women's room at work... Can the arrival of $1 store Spring décor be far behind?

I return with an inter-office envelope; slip the jar inside while hoping no one opens the door; bring the concealed object back to my desk; scan it when the others have left for the day.

More of the label:

Angelic™
Raspberry Cordial
Creme Pour Le Corps
Angelic™ presents a heavenly hand and body moisturizer, especially formulated…for the feel and touch of silky elegance... [followed by a list of not so heavenly chemical-laden ingredients]
Mostly Memories™ Ozark, MO
An Angel will whisper the right way in your ear

A product that promises to make you hear voices? Jesus' Best Administrative Assistant needs no additional help with that...

And this will keep doctors away? We have quite a few "doctors" here—is this wish not subversive?

The arrival of March each year since 2003 means yet another anniversary of the horror that is the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Marking 3/19 last year was Bush's "no WMD under here" performance.

Early this month, U.S. military open fire on the car of released hostage, Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena.The circumstances are highly questionable, like everything about the occupation.

First published in Year One of the "war," Harper's posts Sam Smith's "The revision thing: A history of the Iraq war, told entirely in lies"—compiled from quotes by Administration officials and assorted henchman.

And not to forget the earlier "war on terror" front, there is this 3/19 account of random disappearance, torture, and death of civilians in Afghanistan, 'One huge US jail'.

In Shock and Awe measures for the home front, Republicans—along with enough hopeless Dems—are about to pass the bankruptcy bill. It's another win in the class war of the rich against the rest of us, and another step toward what Paul Krugman calls "The Debt-Peonage Society".

Then, there's the Schaivo exploitation circus. Juan Cole looks at the Republicans' "disturbing tendency to make private, intimate decisions matters of public interest and then to bring the courts and the legislature to bear on them." It's the "Islamization of the Republican Party," says Cole, and it brings us "closer to theocracy on the Muslim Brotherhood model."

As Bush interrupts his vacation to sign grandstanding legislation, a breathing tube is removed from the infant son of a non-white Texas mother —against her will. The treatment of that particular mother is the result of legislation signed in 1999 by life-lovin' Governor George W. Bush—a law that allows hospitals to remove life support from patients, against the wishes of their guardians.

And in a bizarre piece of timing: the moment Schaivo becomes the big media story, Jesus' Best Administrative Assistant is in the midst of family dicussions about an elderly aunt just placed on life support.

The medical verdict is that the situation is hopeless, and the uncle consents to ending support. Jesus' BAA complacently wears her "All Is For The Best And Is In Heaven's Plan" look.

Then, there's some business about a resident talking—Bible in hand?—to the uncle... Most of the family—including Jesus' BAA —are upset at the resident's interference, but the uncle decides to continue life support.

About ten days later, I see Jesus' BAA with her most Rapture™ ready expression: she says tells me she is on her way to buy a get-well card for her aunt, who has come out of the coma.

The unexpected development is wonderful, of course. What is not so wonderful is the smugness of Jesus' BAA's new position: All Is For The Best And This Was Heaven's Plan All Along. Also not wonderful is the inevitable next step: she now considers herself an expert on a situation like Schaivo's.

One encouraging thing about the larger issue: the Republicans' gambit backfires, as normal people find they resent the political intrusion into such a difficult private matter.

Interestingly, Cruella tries talking sense to Jesus' BAA about Schaivo. Which she does by laying on some fundie-speak very unlike her usual manner: "Just look at your Bible! It says the wife follows the husband!"

Funny in itself, but the real howler is the idea of Cruella's not being the boss in that marriage!

The pitch goes nowhere with Jesus' BAA.

But at a later date, she lets the holiness slip long enough to reveal a little of the ol' Sin Of Jealousy. While Cruella is away for a week in Vegas, Jesus' BAA bursts out to the student helper: "I don't know how she has a disabled husband and can afford to go, and my husband works and I can't afford a trip!"

Clever Sister reacts:

ha ha! why can't she use her tax cut to go on a trip?
or go into debt & help the economy!

Cruella's trip is a Family Values get-together with her mother and her daughter [the good daughter— not the other, overly independent one].

Not only do the three generations get to commune with each other, but they do it in a truly magical setting—where "liberal" is a good thing, seeing as it precedes "slots."