Bombs Ove Baghdad (Or, The New Normalcy)

We continue to endeavor towards normalcy at the MTV. That is, in addition to publishing three war-related updates and a fistfull of military emails every day (these are actually emails from kids “in theater,” as they say), we’re posting news on Snoop, J. Lo, and the likes.

REM has a protest song (see “Lenny Kravitz, R.E.M. Record Anti-War Songs”) which I don’t love (musically), but I appreciate (politically).

Despite our best efforts at work, though, there is no normalcy now. In a brainstorming meeting today, everyone jumped when the window washer’s ropes slammed against the windows. We’re all a little gun shy.

I lobbed a few ideas out at the brainstorm. During a discussion on the cost of this war, I suggested we quantify the price in ways our audience can better appreciate: the number of CDs it would buy, the years of tuition it could pay for. The truth is, I find it difficult to fathom $75B. Best of all, it would appear that my tubthumping about the so-called ‘Project For A New American Century’ (see ‘The President’s Real Goal in Iraq.’) has taken root in, of all people, my supervisor, who suggested further investigation. We’ll see what happens.

It seems to me that, below the surface of this “pre-emptive anti-terror” campaign, the Bush Administrations has apparent ambitions in colonize the world, sowing the seeds of democracy and (more importantly) capitalism with its invincible military. What I have admitted to only a select few, however, is the occassional thought — occassional — that maybe it’s not such a bad idea. I mean, I buy coffee at Starbucks, I rent movies at Blockbuster, I work for Viacom — do I think I’m exempt? Innocent?

That said, I’d rather see the $75B (how many super-seized value meals would that buy?) spent on aid to Africa, or the education system, or space travel, or at least on somehow pump-priming the U.S. economy — but maybe that’s what this is anyway. I guess I don’t really know. I just know that we’re “closer to the beginning than to the end.”

And that, as the E-bombs fall on Baghdad, it all makes me feel sad, scared, and in possession of a little less hope.