Bill Hicks (1961-1994) was an American comedian who, besides being one of the funniest men who ever lived, is best known for his relentless pursuit of the truth in his stage-act. He was, in truth, as much a preacher as a comedian and his untimely death in ’94 deprived the world of a much needed voice for reason and hope.
His material on the first Gulf war was priceless and what he would’ve made of all that’s happened in the years since would, no doubt, have been even better.
Given Hick’s hatred for Bush Snr, we can only imagine the extent of his criticism of George – I can barely string a sentence together without confusing myself – Bush Jr, who was beyond question the most inept and ridiculous choice for a world leader history has EVER seen (and that’s including all the dictators).
Hick's would’ve likely agreed that if Saddam deserved to be hanged – and he did – then George Bush Jr and Tony Blair should’ve been there right alongside him for starting an illegal war under false pretenses, all the while doing their utmost to con the public.
And what about today? This writer will freely confess that he was too much of a cynic to believe for one second that Obama would become President elect. Oh, how sweet to be proven wrong.
Barack Obama is Elected the 44th President of the United States
Okay, so this article is a thinly veiled attempt to voice a personal opinion on last night’s incredible American presidential election (and Bill will be given a better treatment in due course), but this reviewer fervently believes that Bill Hicks would be proud of America today – which he wasn’t for most of his adult life to the extent that he was ostracized in his own country for expressing his opinions, only finding real acceptance, it seems, in England, which is something the English can be proud of.
We may be a bureaucratic mess led by incompetent aristocrats, but at least the common folk are reasonable, having some sort of grasp on the world outside their national borders and insight into the neverending torrents of [insert expletive] that is political spin and manipulation.
Politics make no difference here in England. It’s very much a case of vote for the puppet on the left hand or the puppet on the right hand. The brain and body behind them is equally decrepid and defunct. That’s not necessarily so with America. Of course, under the Bush administration, politics haven’t mattered one jot and the word Democracy has not only been meaningless, but made an absolute mockery and hopelessly corrupted.
Barack Obama is the man to make Democracy mean something again and America’s so-called ‘foreign policy’ (i.e: subject and rape the world) might finally take a break under Obama, even if it is for only 4 or 8 years.
The Needed Success of Barack Obama’s Democratic Campaign
Throughout the campaign, Obama proved that he wasn’t just a great public speaker. He proved that he was honest, open, and a genuine leader the likes of which America needs more than ever. Meanwhile, the Republican campaign was a political insult.
What furious invective would’ve come from ol’ Bill if he saw a recent interview with an American woman who, as a supporter of McCain, bemoaned the fact that Obama didn’t always have an American flag flying in the background and wasn’t always saying ‘God Bless America’ – on which she seemed to base the entirety of her decision to vote for the Republican candidate. Well done that woman for exposing how profoundly and terrifyingly moronic most Republican supporters seem to be.
McCain meanwhile based the majority of his campaign on character assassination and the same old ‘America is great’, ‘America is blessed’ rhetoric that had his gatherings chanting “U.S.A! U.S.A!” in likeness of a WWE crowd watching the evil foreigner wrestling their heroic American patriot.
Yes, McCain’s concession speech was eloquently and honourably delivered, but then he would’ve seemed much more honourable a man had he not adopted such below-the-belt tactics in the last days of his campaign.
And Finally: An International Message of Gratitude
Bill Hicks would’ve surely echoed the following list of thanks that goes to states like Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New Jersey (Go Devils!), Maryland, Maine, Illinois, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, Iowa, Washington, California, Virginia, Oregon, Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and the rest.
Many of the usually democratic states amongst these are the way forward for America and every single person who voted for Obama should be abundantly proud of themselves and their county/state (even those who voted for Obama in states that ultimately tallied for McCain).
For many Americans there was and is a strong issue of race at the heart of all this. For the rest of the world, it’s as much an issue of sanity, and if this morning the world actually seems like a slightly better place, it’s not because there’s a black man heading to the White House, it’s because there’s a good man, a charismatic and inspirational man, heading to the White House.
No one here expects miracles from Obama, but last night was a great start and a truly historic and moving development in world affairs. This reviewer has never put the following words on paper before, but is glad to do so now: Thank you America.
And thank you Barack Obama. Bill Hicks would be proud of you.
