Sometimes I wonder how journalists can remain so calm when biting their tongues. I’m sure that the pain would be excruciating, especially when you consider how many times the tongue biting occurs during a typical Washington day. Last month must have been a terrible ordeal for the reporters covering the daily Presidential press briefings at the White House. Time and time again, the President or his press secretary stated that Russia invaded Georgia for no apparent reason. What exactly is the protocol when a ridiculous fabrication is told to a large group that understands completely that they are being lied to and millions of people are watching? In the days before Bush, a reporter could actually expose the lie being told, but in these new days of living under the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the enhanced FISA law when one could conceivably have their phones tapped or their computers hacked and also the No Fly List, where does an aspiring journalist stop using their tongue for forming words and instead use it for “speech control” between the teeth?
When the administration reiterates that Iran should not, and will not acquire nuclear weapons, why don’t reporters mention that Israel possesses hundreds of warheads? Is that information supposed to be a “state secret”? When the government proposes that the taxpayer provide between six hundred billion and one trillion dollars to bail out investment banking firms and financial corporations that seem to be on the wrong end of a Ponzi scheme that went bad, why is it that nobody brings up the fact that while bailing out the firms that made the bad loans, the taxpayers that are providing the funds for this bailout, and they are losing their own homes and the government isn’t doing anything to help them? Why don’t the reporters in the briefings ask why, since the taxpayers now are in effect their new employers, don’t the CEO’s and upper management be paid in the same manner as other government employees?
The government isn’t the only entity that walks a thin line when it comes to the truth. Why it is that Senator Obama constantly derides “Washington insiders” even though his running mate has been in the Senate for over thirty years? When Senator McCain uses his imprisonment and torture by his jailers in Hanoi as a symbol of his patriotism, when is the media going to point out the fact that he voted for the torture of enemy combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan? When the government decries the so-called “invasion” of Georgia by Russia as a violation of international law, what then is their justification for incursions into Pakistan by the United States military?
The media has changed from being a stalwart defender of the public’s right to know the truth, into a timid, vacillating entity that for all intents and purposes, censors itself. A few months ago, the ACLU requested documents of meetings between former military officers that served as “military analysts” for the television networks, and briefings that were conducted at the Pentagon. The documents that were requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) revealed that the Pentagon had briefed these “analysts” and actually gave some of them scripts and talking points to use when working for the networks. The documents was handed over to the ACLU late Friday evening. The volume of paper that was presented to the ACLU entailed days of reading, yet when The New York Times discovered that the documents had been given to the group of lawyers, that Sunday, The NYT ran an eight page article about the Pentagon’s involvement in “framing” the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The article appeared the very next day in the Sunday New York Times. How long did the paper know of this deception by the Pentagon? It hardly seems possible that an eight page article was written in less than twenty four hours and without the documents that were supplied to the ACLU. How long had the Times been sitting on the story?
The situation that came out of the investigation of torture at the Abu Graib prison also begs the question of why (besides the Army reservist Major General) only junior enlisted soldiers were charged and tried for the abuses that occurred there. What kind of Army is it when only a few specialists and a buck Sergeant were held responsible for what happened? Where were their Platoon Sergeants and their squad leaders while the abuse happened? What about the company commander, the First Sergeant and the battalion commander? Did the lower ranking enlisted people have free reign over the entire prison? The entire investigation was seriously flawed and an impossible scenario for anyone with an understanding of how the military operates, yet not a question was raised by the media.
I would like to illustrate how the media has been reduced from what it once was, exemplified by reporters like Woodward and Bernstein when they released the Pentagon Papers that illustrated how the government deceived the American people. The news media has morphed into something unrecognizable from what it once was. When Pope John died, the Vatican convened the College of Cardinals to choose a successor. The deliberations took place and the signal that a new Pope had been selected was white smoke coming from the building they were occupying. If the Cardinals had not reached a decision, black smoke would signal no selection. I was sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed occupied by my wife, recovering from a stroke. A few days passed without a decision and the black smoke would rise from the chimney. That afternoon, I remarked to my wife that the smoke was white and that meant they had selected a new Pope. The newscaster, to my surprise, stated that the smoke was black and there was no selection made. I changed the channel to see what was being said. When I looked at the smoke it was white, I thought that maybe I was mistaken, maybe the angle I was looking in may have made the smoke appear to be white. The announcer on a different network confirmed that the smoke was indeed black.
I watched for almost fifteen minutes, flipping through the channels. Even from different vantage points on different channels, to me, the smoke appeared to be white. My wife agreed with me, yet the newscasters all agreed that the smoke was black. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I saw white, the media saw black. After fifteen minutes, one of the announcers remarked that maybe the smoke wasn’t black after all. I distinctly saw white. I switched to another station and heard this announcer state that maybe the smoke wasn’t black at all; maybe a new Pope had been elected. I switched channels again and heard the newscaster reevaluate his observation. After about three or four minutes, they all agreed that the smoke was indeed white, a new Pope had been selected. I looked at my wife and told her that the news people were afraid to step away from the crowd and change their observation, even though they knew that the smoke was white. It wasn’t until almost twenty minutes later someone had the nerve to discern what was in plain sight, they were that afraid of being wrong, of having a different point of view. I believe that this little scene exemplified the entire media, and that they truly can’t tell black from white.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Obama: Walking a Thin Line
I can’t remember a time when the political landscape has been as bleak and littered by crackpot ideas than it is now. The two representatives of the duopoly that share power in this nation have consistently changed positions and both have endorsed the use of force (including first-strike nuclear attacks) on nations that are opposed to U.S. foreign policy. These positions would have been anathema to a presidential race just a few years ago, but now statements supporting pre-emptive nuclear strikes are talked about with hardly any eyebrows being raised, or indignation expressed.
This presidential race has become a “gotcha” fest of the lowest moral caliber. Instead of portraying themselves as morally worthy of holding the highest office in the land, the two major party candidates have consistently raised the bar of what is considered acceptable to Americans. Time and time again, ideas and policy statements that would have been unthinkable in the 20th century are now commonplace rhetoric on a planet that has seemingly forgotten the horrors of nuclear warfare, and now has become inured to scenes of death and destruction of civilian populations in the name of bringing “democracy and freedom” to the corpses that litter the streets and back alleys of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American people are asked to accept pandering to the right by both candidates in the name of a “winning strategy” that will enable their candidate to win the election. Time and time again I hear the words “political expediency” when supporters of either candidate brings up the question of the use of force. We are consistently told that in order to win the presidency the candidates cannot seem to be soft on terrorism or soft on defense for that would show them as “spineless” and cost them dearly on Election Day. These types of arguments are given to the so-called liberal/progressives that make up a big part of the alternative media that is called “the blogosphere”. The reality of the situation is that both Obama and McCain both seem to have veered sharply to the right of their previous positions when they weren’t looking to win the White House.
One must wonder why, when some pollsters claim that over 70% of the American people want to withdraw from Iraq, they consistently pander to the 20-30% of Americans that support this war. It would seem that a winning strategy would to embrace the 70% of Americans that want an end to this protracted war that has cost this country almost a trillion dollars and over 4,000 dead American soldiers. That would make better political sense than aligning with the 30% that want to continue the war. Why aren’t both major candidates doing that in the name of political expedience?
One can only surmise the intentions of both Obama and McCain. Saber-rattling and posturing towards attacking Iran would seem to be counter-productive to reaching the 70% of the voters that cast their votes in November. If both candidates don’t care about alienating this 70% than there must be a good reason, the facts behind their behavior are fairly obvious, that is, if one simply follows the money.
Here is a sampling of donor information pulled from The Center for Responsive Government;
“Wall Street seems to have selected Barack Obama for its own major investment this election cycle. Traditionally an industry that gives to Republicans, securities and investment companies have been pouring money into the coffers of both the Illinois senator and former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, giving nearly $15 million combined to the two, according to Reuters, citing data from CRP.”
“Overall, 57 percent of this industry's contributions to the race (including all candidates who have run) have been to Democratic candidates. Since the start of 2007, Obama has received $7.9 million, with Clinton only about $800,000 behind. Should Obama continue to be this industry's financial favorite, it will become the first time since 1994 that the Democrats will have brought in more Wall Street donations than the Republicans. In the 2004 election cycle, President Bush collected nearly twice that of Democrat John Kerry from the securities and investment industry--$9.2 million compared to $4.8 million. This cycle, Republican candidate John McCain, who would likely be less tough on trade and regulation than Obama, still falls short with a mere $4.1 million.”
Could the practice of wooing the 30% of the population that supports the war in Iraq have anything to do with campaign financing? If you consider that even though the country is facing recession, the Dow still manages to post gains. When you consider that many trust and pension funds contain oil companies and defense contractors in their portfolios, it’s no wonder that the Obama Campaign supports the minority because that’s where the money is. In my opinion, to come out of the gate appearing hawkish is good for Obama’s bottom line. This can always be rectified later, after contributions by bundlers are collected. Once the money is in he can always shift his focus to the 70% that helped him win the nomination, in other words, practical politics.
While so many Americans cling to the promise that there can be “change” and chant “yes we can!”, maybe it’s time that the liberal/progressive faction of the Democratic Party stop choking up and also dry the tears of joy that mist their eyes. So far in this campaigning before the conventions we can see that practicality seems to overshadow ideals and conscience. It’s back to business as usual in this presidential campaign, another example that illustrates that money does indeed make the world go ‘round. I’m convinced that the only real change we’ll see in the Obama Campaign is that the sainted Democratic Senator from Illinois will not accept public campaign funds. Why should he when you consider that he is being funded from both ideological sides of the fence? Nice strategy…as long as it doesn’t backfire.
This presidential race has become a “gotcha” fest of the lowest moral caliber. Instead of portraying themselves as morally worthy of holding the highest office in the land, the two major party candidates have consistently raised the bar of what is considered acceptable to Americans. Time and time again, ideas and policy statements that would have been unthinkable in the 20th century are now commonplace rhetoric on a planet that has seemingly forgotten the horrors of nuclear warfare, and now has become inured to scenes of death and destruction of civilian populations in the name of bringing “democracy and freedom” to the corpses that litter the streets and back alleys of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American people are asked to accept pandering to the right by both candidates in the name of a “winning strategy” that will enable their candidate to win the election. Time and time again I hear the words “political expediency” when supporters of either candidate brings up the question of the use of force. We are consistently told that in order to win the presidency the candidates cannot seem to be soft on terrorism or soft on defense for that would show them as “spineless” and cost them dearly on Election Day. These types of arguments are given to the so-called liberal/progressives that make up a big part of the alternative media that is called “the blogosphere”. The reality of the situation is that both Obama and McCain both seem to have veered sharply to the right of their previous positions when they weren’t looking to win the White House.
One must wonder why, when some pollsters claim that over 70% of the American people want to withdraw from Iraq, they consistently pander to the 20-30% of Americans that support this war. It would seem that a winning strategy would to embrace the 70% of Americans that want an end to this protracted war that has cost this country almost a trillion dollars and over 4,000 dead American soldiers. That would make better political sense than aligning with the 30% that want to continue the war. Why aren’t both major candidates doing that in the name of political expedience?
One can only surmise the intentions of both Obama and McCain. Saber-rattling and posturing towards attacking Iran would seem to be counter-productive to reaching the 70% of the voters that cast their votes in November. If both candidates don’t care about alienating this 70% than there must be a good reason, the facts behind their behavior are fairly obvious, that is, if one simply follows the money.
Here is a sampling of donor information pulled from The Center for Responsive Government;
“Wall Street seems to have selected Barack Obama for its own major investment this election cycle. Traditionally an industry that gives to Republicans, securities and investment companies have been pouring money into the coffers of both the Illinois senator and former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, giving nearly $15 million combined to the two, according to Reuters, citing data from CRP.”
“Overall, 57 percent of this industry's contributions to the race (including all candidates who have run) have been to Democratic candidates. Since the start of 2007, Obama has received $7.9 million, with Clinton only about $800,000 behind. Should Obama continue to be this industry's financial favorite, it will become the first time since 1994 that the Democrats will have brought in more Wall Street donations than the Republicans. In the 2004 election cycle, President Bush collected nearly twice that of Democrat John Kerry from the securities and investment industry--$9.2 million compared to $4.8 million. This cycle, Republican candidate John McCain, who would likely be less tough on trade and regulation than Obama, still falls short with a mere $4.1 million.”
Could the practice of wooing the 30% of the population that supports the war in Iraq have anything to do with campaign financing? If you consider that even though the country is facing recession, the Dow still manages to post gains. When you consider that many trust and pension funds contain oil companies and defense contractors in their portfolios, it’s no wonder that the Obama Campaign supports the minority because that’s where the money is. In my opinion, to come out of the gate appearing hawkish is good for Obama’s bottom line. This can always be rectified later, after contributions by bundlers are collected. Once the money is in he can always shift his focus to the 70% that helped him win the nomination, in other words, practical politics.
While so many Americans cling to the promise that there can be “change” and chant “yes we can!”, maybe it’s time that the liberal/progressive faction of the Democratic Party stop choking up and also dry the tears of joy that mist their eyes. So far in this campaigning before the conventions we can see that practicality seems to overshadow ideals and conscience. It’s back to business as usual in this presidential campaign, another example that illustrates that money does indeed make the world go ‘round. I’m convinced that the only real change we’ll see in the Obama Campaign is that the sainted Democratic Senator from Illinois will not accept public campaign funds. Why should he when you consider that he is being funded from both ideological sides of the fence? Nice strategy…as long as it doesn’t backfire.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Obama Should Filibuster FISA Law in Senate!
It seems as if we have been debating the FISA Laws forever. It isn’t a difficult task in understanding how the thing is supposed to work. The original law was fine as it was, and I believe that the President circumvented the law because of his arrogance, not because the law was too unwieldy. The intent, I believe, was to make the FISA Law that way so any Federal Agency that wanted to eavesdrop on American citizens had to go through the mechanics of justifying the act.
Apparently the Bush Administration thought that the law was outdated for this day and age, so they circumvented the FISA statutes. This is typical of this administration, if you don’t like the law, just go ahead and break it. God forbid you work to change the law, break it first and after you have done this deed, ask a compliant Congress to cover-up the crime by changing the law to suit the administration’s needs.
The granting of immunity to the telecom industry sets the precedent to grant the President immunity, according to some. That’s outrageous! Why should we as a nation allow this administration to break any law it chooses? Where is the “Rule of Law” in this nation? The presumed Democratic nominee took no issue with the House when they changed the law to fit the administration’s needs and with that, granted immunity to the telecom industry for breaking the law, along with the executive branch. Senator Barack Obama told the nation that he will remove the immunity provision when it gets to the Senate. What I would like to know is how can Obama insure that the immunity provision of the bill is rescinded? It would be a neat trick if he were the sitting President, but being a junior Senator, the prospect of providing a veto-proof rescission of the immunity clause is a hell of a thing to tout. If he can even stop the bill from passing through the Senate with the immunity clause intact that would be enough.
The only way that he could stop this bill from becoming law, due to the compliant House and Senate, would be to filibuster this piece of legislation. This one act of courage on the part of this Senator would insure that he gets my vote in November. The facts are that to do anything less is tantamount to letting the Executive Branch of the federal government permission to break the law at will. Senator Obama, as a constitutional scholar, should know and understand this. When the Senate votes on this bill this week, I expect to see a filibuster if it looks as if the bill will pass through the Senate intact. This is what the American people expect from a genuine leader, not vague promises of “change”, but concrete steps to return to the rule of law in this nation. He must understand that he doesn’t have to be president to make this happen; he can show his courage right where he is.
Apparently the Bush Administration thought that the law was outdated for this day and age, so they circumvented the FISA statutes. This is typical of this administration, if you don’t like the law, just go ahead and break it. God forbid you work to change the law, break it first and after you have done this deed, ask a compliant Congress to cover-up the crime by changing the law to suit the administration’s needs.
The granting of immunity to the telecom industry sets the precedent to grant the President immunity, according to some. That’s outrageous! Why should we as a nation allow this administration to break any law it chooses? Where is the “Rule of Law” in this nation? The presumed Democratic nominee took no issue with the House when they changed the law to fit the administration’s needs and with that, granted immunity to the telecom industry for breaking the law, along with the executive branch. Senator Barack Obama told the nation that he will remove the immunity provision when it gets to the Senate. What I would like to know is how can Obama insure that the immunity provision of the bill is rescinded? It would be a neat trick if he were the sitting President, but being a junior Senator, the prospect of providing a veto-proof rescission of the immunity clause is a hell of a thing to tout. If he can even stop the bill from passing through the Senate with the immunity clause intact that would be enough.
The only way that he could stop this bill from becoming law, due to the compliant House and Senate, would be to filibuster this piece of legislation. This one act of courage on the part of this Senator would insure that he gets my vote in November. The facts are that to do anything less is tantamount to letting the Executive Branch of the federal government permission to break the law at will. Senator Obama, as a constitutional scholar, should know and understand this. When the Senate votes on this bill this week, I expect to see a filibuster if it looks as if the bill will pass through the Senate intact. This is what the American people expect from a genuine leader, not vague promises of “change”, but concrete steps to return to the rule of law in this nation. He must understand that he doesn’t have to be president to make this happen; he can show his courage right where he is.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Imitation "Change" Flavored Kool-Aid
It’s amazing how ideas that were rejected just a year ago are flying through cyberspace as well as real-space, at the speed of light. I’m talking about two things here. The first I’ll mention is the idea that both the Democrats and the Republicans’ are pawns of the corporate power structure in this country. It will probably seem hard to believe now, but just a short time ago I was called all sorts of things for bringing that up. Since 2004, I have been writing about campaign financing and the need for reform. This one issue is the basis of corporate control along with the “good folks” on K-Street that staff 70 lobbyist’s for every legislator we have on Capitol Hill. Gee, what a great system we have up there (for the legislators and the lobbyists). I can’t wait to run for office myself so I can get in on those goodies they’re passing out (only kidding), this can’t last forever…or can it?
It doesn’t seem possible that Americans will let this travesty go on, but then again, we all know how short of an attention span the American voter has. Because of people like Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel and Ron Paul, we are being told how the money game in Washington is being played, but the question to be asked, is whether this knowledge will influence voters. The idea that people are armed with knowledge doesn’t actually mean that they’ll use it. We know that Bush has committed International War Crimes and has lied to the American public repeatedly, but armed with that knowledge, what do we as a nation do? The answer is absolutely nothing. The same goes for the corporate politicians that serve the Military Industrial Complex, we may know what the game is all about, but will we act on it?
The reality of the situation is that the Democrats have gotten themselves wrapped around the axle, so to speak, with their two main candidates. This isn’t something that just happened. In my suspicious mind, this was planned all along to get people to look the wrong way. It’s a classic example of misdirection. It’s political sleight-of-hand. Get people involved in meaningless jargon, and they won’t look at the main issues like who’s funding these people and who is running their campaigns. If people really want to know the truth about these two corporate players that the Democrats are holding up as “change”, go to www.opensecrets.org and see who is giving, and who is getting, around the corporate trough. See who the investment bankers and hedge fund managers and defense contractors are giving to and then ask ,why? It’s pretty apparent. Hello? Are the lights on yet?
So why use this scare tactic about voting third party? That is readily apparent also. A vote for Mike Gravel is a vote that can’t be used against John McCain. Isn’t that the mantra? Well how’s this, a vote for Mike Gravel or another strong third party candidate is a vote that the corporacracy won’t get. The point of this exercise of your right to think for yourself will mean that the two parties that make up the political duopoly in this country will start to think twice about what they are doing. The worse thing a politician can face is rejection. If 30% of the people in this country turn their backs on the status-quo and corporate-complicit and corporate-compliant political parties, we just might make some headway in solving the real issues that are driving this nation to moral and fiscal bankruptcy.
So, on this note, just let me say that I believe wholeheartedly with the Democrats when they promote the word “change”. The only thing that separates the DNC’s views from my views is that the change I’m seeking is change away from the Democratic Party. The sad part of this entire fiasco that is called the 2008 Presidential Election is that the Democrats are desperately trying to remain at the center of American politics. The reality is that they have no idea where that center is. While Clinton and Obama and McCain debate how we should fight the wars in the Middle East, the rest of the country are looking for a way to end these misguided wars. While the Democrats argue about trade agreements, many Americans are working two part-time jobs with no benefits just to pay their mortgages and put food on the table and keep their lights on, thanks to prior “free-trade agreements”. While they talk trash about religion, people are talking about the Constitution and how we are going to get our rights back and get rid of religious interference in the government. While they bowl and knock back shots at the bar, Americans that are out of work are thinking about when they too could do the same without giving up their food and prescription dollars.
The time for change is really here. It’s time to change the direction of this country by changing the directors. The Democrats helped get us into this mess by supporting the wars, supporting NAFTA, supporting every dime the Chimp has asked for and supporting AIPAC. The Democrats seem to believe that supporting Israel and their quest to kill every Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip is somehow “patriotic”. Remaining quiet when Israel bans President Carter from going to Gaza speaks volumes about the Democrats. Israel’s insistence on refusing to negotiate with Hamas, and the Democrats refusal to back Carter when he takes on the job of doing it himself, also exposes the Democrats lack of conviction to real peace in the Middle-East. Embracing change doesn’t mean that half of the people that run the Clinton and Obama campaigns should be members of The Council for Foreign Relations. Check that little tidbit out for yourselves.
So with this article I guess I’ll be thrown off more so-called “progressive” websites. I’m getting used to it. I’ve been thrown off some of the biggest sites on the web. God-forbid I call the Democrats on their pro-corporate, pro-military, pro AIPAC stances. Just call me a rabble-rouser and a misfit because I won’t drink that Democrat flavored Kool-Aid of “change”.
That’s the way I see it. (Although I wish it weren’t so)
It doesn’t seem possible that Americans will let this travesty go on, but then again, we all know how short of an attention span the American voter has. Because of people like Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel and Ron Paul, we are being told how the money game in Washington is being played, but the question to be asked, is whether this knowledge will influence voters. The idea that people are armed with knowledge doesn’t actually mean that they’ll use it. We know that Bush has committed International War Crimes and has lied to the American public repeatedly, but armed with that knowledge, what do we as a nation do? The answer is absolutely nothing. The same goes for the corporate politicians that serve the Military Industrial Complex, we may know what the game is all about, but will we act on it?
The reality of the situation is that the Democrats have gotten themselves wrapped around the axle, so to speak, with their two main candidates. This isn’t something that just happened. In my suspicious mind, this was planned all along to get people to look the wrong way. It’s a classic example of misdirection. It’s political sleight-of-hand. Get people involved in meaningless jargon, and they won’t look at the main issues like who’s funding these people and who is running their campaigns. If people really want to know the truth about these two corporate players that the Democrats are holding up as “change”, go to www.opensecrets.org and see who is giving, and who is getting, around the corporate trough. See who the investment bankers and hedge fund managers and defense contractors are giving to and then ask ,why? It’s pretty apparent. Hello? Are the lights on yet?
So why use this scare tactic about voting third party? That is readily apparent also. A vote for Mike Gravel is a vote that can’t be used against John McCain. Isn’t that the mantra? Well how’s this, a vote for Mike Gravel or another strong third party candidate is a vote that the corporacracy won’t get. The point of this exercise of your right to think for yourself will mean that the two parties that make up the political duopoly in this country will start to think twice about what they are doing. The worse thing a politician can face is rejection. If 30% of the people in this country turn their backs on the status-quo and corporate-complicit and corporate-compliant political parties, we just might make some headway in solving the real issues that are driving this nation to moral and fiscal bankruptcy.
So, on this note, just let me say that I believe wholeheartedly with the Democrats when they promote the word “change”. The only thing that separates the DNC’s views from my views is that the change I’m seeking is change away from the Democratic Party. The sad part of this entire fiasco that is called the 2008 Presidential Election is that the Democrats are desperately trying to remain at the center of American politics. The reality is that they have no idea where that center is. While Clinton and Obama and McCain debate how we should fight the wars in the Middle East, the rest of the country are looking for a way to end these misguided wars. While the Democrats argue about trade agreements, many Americans are working two part-time jobs with no benefits just to pay their mortgages and put food on the table and keep their lights on, thanks to prior “free-trade agreements”. While they talk trash about religion, people are talking about the Constitution and how we are going to get our rights back and get rid of religious interference in the government. While they bowl and knock back shots at the bar, Americans that are out of work are thinking about when they too could do the same without giving up their food and prescription dollars.
The time for change is really here. It’s time to change the direction of this country by changing the directors. The Democrats helped get us into this mess by supporting the wars, supporting NAFTA, supporting every dime the Chimp has asked for and supporting AIPAC. The Democrats seem to believe that supporting Israel and their quest to kill every Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip is somehow “patriotic”. Remaining quiet when Israel bans President Carter from going to Gaza speaks volumes about the Democrats. Israel’s insistence on refusing to negotiate with Hamas, and the Democrats refusal to back Carter when he takes on the job of doing it himself, also exposes the Democrats lack of conviction to real peace in the Middle-East. Embracing change doesn’t mean that half of the people that run the Clinton and Obama campaigns should be members of The Council for Foreign Relations. Check that little tidbit out for yourselves.
So with this article I guess I’ll be thrown off more so-called “progressive” websites. I’m getting used to it. I’ve been thrown off some of the biggest sites on the web. God-forbid I call the Democrats on their pro-corporate, pro-military, pro AIPAC stances. Just call me a rabble-rouser and a misfit because I won’t drink that Democrat flavored Kool-Aid of “change”.
That’s the way I see it. (Although I wish it weren’t so)
Friday, April 18, 2008
"Progressive" Kool-Aid
The reality is that the so-called “Progressive” websites, you know, the ones that beat up Bush and the Neo-Cons and tell you they are on the “Cutting Edge” of Liberal/Progressive politics, sites like Daily Kos, OpEdNews.com, TPM Muckracker and others, well the fact is while they are throwing around terms like Neo-Con “Kool-Aid”, they are serving up nothing but a different flavor of the same Kool-Aid that they abhor, this time its Corporate Democrat flavored Kool-Aid.
In fact, if you look closely at these sites, you will hardly even be able to tell that only six months ago, these very same sites were running articles from Progressives that were castigating both parties. Like clockwork, the majority of the “radical” Progressives fell in line behind their Jackass Party to vote and campaign for the “lesser of two evils” as in so many elections before. Don’t blame the writers, at least not all of them; blame the “gatekeepers” of the Progressive wing of the DNC. Blame those that have foisted the idea that these sites were somehow “alternative” and were somehow outside of the conventional duopoly of this American political system. See how far any writer gets that criticizes the sainted Barack Obama and calls him out on the bundled campaign donations totaling millions that he has taken from investment bankers and hedge fund managers. See if your articles see the light of day when you write how he turned his back on his Arab-=American constituency in Illinois to embrace the principles of AIPAC. Watch how fast you are branded anti-Semitic if you question our loyalty to a radical regime in Tel-Aviv that can’t be discerned from the neo-cons in Washington.
This country needs more Democrats in Congress and in the White House like another War in the Middle-East. Doesn’t anyone remember what Pelosi did with her new-found majority in Congress? She stated as one of her first objectives that “Impeachment was off the table”. Impeachments off the table, what the hell were they thinking when they came up with that? Since then we have been spied on, we have increased the number of troops in Iraq without an end in sight, we have dropped another 100 tons of depleted uranium on the country of Iraq, pissed off the Russians, saber-rattled on Iran, and tortured an untold number of human beings! Are these gatekeepers of the Democratic Party really so naive that they believe that writers who have been speaking truth to power for so many years are going to follow them blindly into another corporate political party trap? Apparently a number of writers already have. Some writers that I have always respected have gone willingly to the DNC with their keyboards sheepishly in their hands. I’ve been personally vilified for not falling into line. It’s a bitch when you see sites that once headlined your articles promoting the same political propaganda that you’ve been fighting against for years.
So call me a radical. I guess when push comes to shove, that is exactly what I am. I realize that if you are going to write what you believe in this once great nation, there is bound to be blowback. I just never expected it to come from the direction that it’s been coming at me. I’m not surprised at the people that have again taken the Democrats to heart; I just never expected that there would be so many of them. I guess the American people can be fooled over and over again because they are so busy waiting for their rebates so they can buy the newest type of cell-phone so they can text their friends.
When genuine alternative candidates emerge, they are marginalized by the corporate mainstream media and kicked off debates without a word being said by the masses. Meanwhile they cheer when the comedian George Carlin tells them how F**ked they really are! You figure it out. Seems like the American People have lost the art of critical thinking to the point that they will believe anything as long as Daily Kos and OpEdNews and other “Progressive” sites say it’s OK to become screwed again. This is the total definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I know what Barack Obama is; he is a politician. He may be a good politician, but he is just another politician just the same. At this particular juncture of American history, with all that is on our table, with all that has happened in the last decade, we need another politician like a collective hole in our heads. We need a Statesman, not another damned politician.
People can continue to drink that Kool-Aid they are serving from the “Progressive Media” but I’ll have none of it. I’ve seen what happens to people that drink that Kool-Aid. I’ve seen what happens to the people around them. I’ve seen this country raped for everything that we hold dear, like our manufacturing jobs, out budget being poured into the sands of the Middle-East, the deaths of our Sons and Daughters for profits that go to the defense contractors and their shareholders. The word “Progressive” to me is just another word for Democrat. There is nothing “Progressive” about the Democratic Party, just as there is nothing “Conservative” about the Republicans’, it’s all the same type of hyperbole that we have been assaulted with for decades. My biggest fear is that when Americans finally get around to giving a goddamn about what is happening to their freedoms and their country, that it will be too late, if it isn’t already. If and when that happens and people are dragged away screaming and protesting about those “rights” that are being usurped at the time they are taken away, I don’t want to hear it. Those “rights” that they think they have are almost gone now. This country needs a political revolution and I don’t see the Democrats figuring in it at all. This I sincerely believe is our last chance to turn this republic around.
I believe that Jesse Ventura will run with Mike Gravel on the Libertarian ticket. You don’t need to be a Libertarian to vote for them. You only need to be able to see the forest for the trees. We need to rid ourselves of the corporate influence that has permeated our political system. The stench from the MIC is not only hazardous to our republic, its killing hundreds of thousands around the world. Write Jesse Ventura at http://www.voters4ventura.com. Ask him to run with Mike Gravel on the Libertarian Ticket. Make a difference and quit drinking the Kool-Aid these corporate parties are serving. Do it for yourself, do it for your planet. Don’t listen to people when they tell you that voting for Gravel and Ventura will put McCain in the White House, it will put Gravel and Ventura in the White House.
In fact, if you look closely at these sites, you will hardly even be able to tell that only six months ago, these very same sites were running articles from Progressives that were castigating both parties. Like clockwork, the majority of the “radical” Progressives fell in line behind their Jackass Party to vote and campaign for the “lesser of two evils” as in so many elections before. Don’t blame the writers, at least not all of them; blame the “gatekeepers” of the Progressive wing of the DNC. Blame those that have foisted the idea that these sites were somehow “alternative” and were somehow outside of the conventional duopoly of this American political system. See how far any writer gets that criticizes the sainted Barack Obama and calls him out on the bundled campaign donations totaling millions that he has taken from investment bankers and hedge fund managers. See if your articles see the light of day when you write how he turned his back on his Arab-=American constituency in Illinois to embrace the principles of AIPAC. Watch how fast you are branded anti-Semitic if you question our loyalty to a radical regime in Tel-Aviv that can’t be discerned from the neo-cons in Washington.
This country needs more Democrats in Congress and in the White House like another War in the Middle-East. Doesn’t anyone remember what Pelosi did with her new-found majority in Congress? She stated as one of her first objectives that “Impeachment was off the table”. Impeachments off the table, what the hell were they thinking when they came up with that? Since then we have been spied on, we have increased the number of troops in Iraq without an end in sight, we have dropped another 100 tons of depleted uranium on the country of Iraq, pissed off the Russians, saber-rattled on Iran, and tortured an untold number of human beings! Are these gatekeepers of the Democratic Party really so naive that they believe that writers who have been speaking truth to power for so many years are going to follow them blindly into another corporate political party trap? Apparently a number of writers already have. Some writers that I have always respected have gone willingly to the DNC with their keyboards sheepishly in their hands. I’ve been personally vilified for not falling into line. It’s a bitch when you see sites that once headlined your articles promoting the same political propaganda that you’ve been fighting against for years.
So call me a radical. I guess when push comes to shove, that is exactly what I am. I realize that if you are going to write what you believe in this once great nation, there is bound to be blowback. I just never expected it to come from the direction that it’s been coming at me. I’m not surprised at the people that have again taken the Democrats to heart; I just never expected that there would be so many of them. I guess the American people can be fooled over and over again because they are so busy waiting for their rebates so they can buy the newest type of cell-phone so they can text their friends.
When genuine alternative candidates emerge, they are marginalized by the corporate mainstream media and kicked off debates without a word being said by the masses. Meanwhile they cheer when the comedian George Carlin tells them how F**ked they really are! You figure it out. Seems like the American People have lost the art of critical thinking to the point that they will believe anything as long as Daily Kos and OpEdNews and other “Progressive” sites say it’s OK to become screwed again. This is the total definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I know what Barack Obama is; he is a politician. He may be a good politician, but he is just another politician just the same. At this particular juncture of American history, with all that is on our table, with all that has happened in the last decade, we need another politician like a collective hole in our heads. We need a Statesman, not another damned politician.
People can continue to drink that Kool-Aid they are serving from the “Progressive Media” but I’ll have none of it. I’ve seen what happens to people that drink that Kool-Aid. I’ve seen what happens to the people around them. I’ve seen this country raped for everything that we hold dear, like our manufacturing jobs, out budget being poured into the sands of the Middle-East, the deaths of our Sons and Daughters for profits that go to the defense contractors and their shareholders. The word “Progressive” to me is just another word for Democrat. There is nothing “Progressive” about the Democratic Party, just as there is nothing “Conservative” about the Republicans’, it’s all the same type of hyperbole that we have been assaulted with for decades. My biggest fear is that when Americans finally get around to giving a goddamn about what is happening to their freedoms and their country, that it will be too late, if it isn’t already. If and when that happens and people are dragged away screaming and protesting about those “rights” that are being usurped at the time they are taken away, I don’t want to hear it. Those “rights” that they think they have are almost gone now. This country needs a political revolution and I don’t see the Democrats figuring in it at all. This I sincerely believe is our last chance to turn this republic around.
I believe that Jesse Ventura will run with Mike Gravel on the Libertarian ticket. You don’t need to be a Libertarian to vote for them. You only need to be able to see the forest for the trees. We need to rid ourselves of the corporate influence that has permeated our political system. The stench from the MIC is not only hazardous to our republic, its killing hundreds of thousands around the world. Write Jesse Ventura at http://www.voters4ventura.com. Ask him to run with Mike Gravel on the Libertarian Ticket. Make a difference and quit drinking the Kool-Aid these corporate parties are serving. Do it for yourself, do it for your planet. Don’t listen to people when they tell you that voting for Gravel and Ventura will put McCain in the White House, it will put Gravel and Ventura in the White House.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Democrats Need a Good Spanking
This has been coming for a long time. I’ve been watching the politicians in Washington very closely to see exactly how they intended to manage an administration that is so extremely neo-conservative that they are dangerous to this country and the world. I’ve seen heroic stances by some like Dennis Kucinich, Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy, Russ Feingold and even Ron Paul. However, this is not enough. We’ve seen Cynthia McKinney disenfranchised as well as others that have stood up to tyranny and war. Meanwhile, while all of this has taken place, the Democratic Party has been split down the middle and has offered no protection or support to any that oppose the horrendous regime in Washington.
Now the Democrats tell us that they will end this war in Iraq, yet no candidate will agree to pull out of the country, telling us that we will have a “presence” there for years. The Democrats have fallen short of every stated goal that they promised during the 2006 Congressional Elections. They have supported funding at every request from this administration for more useless carnage in Iraq. The Speaker of the House took impeachment “off the table” and it’s still off the table, even though this President declared that he authorized torture in violation of US and International Law. The Democrats have played politics with the revisions of our basic Constitutional rights as witnessed by the Patriot Act 1 and 2, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 that negated Posse Comitatus, the law that was written to prevent the President or anyone else from using the military for law enforcement inside the US, unless mandated by Congress.
Those examples of the breakdown of Constitutional Government are just a few of the draconian measures that have been put forth since this phony ‘Global War on Terror” started on 9/11/2001. To this day we have not positively identified who was responsible for the attacks. The government tells us who did it, but no formal investigation and charges have been made, while the Democrats have sat on their hands in fear. This behavior from Democrats has been going on for the last seven years. Now we are embroiled in a General Election and they have the audacity to ask us to support their corporate controlled candidates.
Corporate control, or should I say the Military Industrial Complex, are the puppet masters behind the scenes of both major political parties. So far the candidates have spent $586.1 Million and raised $791.8 Million dollars for their political coffers. This is before the General Election segment of the race for President. The cost of becoming President will run into the Billions for the first time in American history. Meanwhile, candidates that don’t tow the corporate MIC line are marginalized and thrown off debates. This has been happening for decades now, and neither party has addressed this issue of corporate money in politics save John McCain and Russ Feingold that introduced a campaign reform bill that was too little, too late.
I know what the Republicans that control their party want. They are very vocal about what it is that drives them. Although they have outspent every prior administration in history they claim that they want “fiscal responsibility”. They also believe in faith based initiatives, something that is actually prohibited by our Constitution that proposes a separation of church and state. The majority of Republicans actually support this war in the Middle East, although I believe not as many as the GOP thinks. Still, the Republicans are forthright in what they stand for. I may not agree with them, but I understand them.
Not so the Democrats that say they that they are against the war and want to restore the Constitution. I believe nothing of what they claim to stand for when I see the people that work for the two Democratic contenders. I see their campaign donations and I realize that they are backed by the same MIC that backs Republican candidates. “Republican Light” is not just a clever description of the Democratic Party. It is a cold hard fact in this 21st Century. The Democrats pander to the liberal/left, but they will not support anything that we propose. They mollify us in the hope that we will dutifully back the “lesser of two evils”. This type of reasoning has also gone on too long. I believe that Americans that believe in Liberal principles are totally fed up with the political machines that run Washington, and their collusion with lobbyists and their backing by the MIC.
The Democrats have dug their own grave by inaction and a lack of decisiveness on almost every issue that is presented to them. John Conyers is a perfect example of a stooge. He calls for impeachment and asks for co-sponsors on his bill, and when he gets the number that will co-sponsor the bill, he raises the ante and claims he needs more. Is this the “checks and balances” that the American people expect from the opposition party? Meanwhile, our President is guilty of a multitude of crimes that are considered by our laws to be treasonous. The Democrats have voted for every military appropriations bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democrats have voted with the Republicans on almost every bill that shreds our Constitution.
Now, when election time draws near, they finally stand up to the Administration on the FISA Bill that would give immunity to the telecommunications companies that illegally wiretapped American citizen’s on the Federal Governments say so. They call this a brave stand, but they won’t indict the President for authorizing the illegal wiretaps of his citizen’s in the first place! Why do Americans continue to support a political party that claims to be the “opposition” party to the neo-con regime we have in power, and colludes with them on almost everything?
I was a Democrat for over 50 years. It pains me to write the things I’m writing, but I would rather speak the truth than to comfort myself with the idea that this nation will be better with Democrats controlling the government. I would ask every citizen to forget about the two parties and vote your conscience. Vote for the person with the most integrity and not because he has a jackass for a political symbol. Vote Green, vote Independent, vote for the best candidate that will end these wars and restore the Constitution. It is a fallacy that only a Republican or a Democrat can win the Presidency. The two parties recite that mantra along with the corporate owned mainstream media until the masses believe it. Ross Perot received 24% of the vote when he ran. The Libertarian Party has ballot access in 48 States and will have all 50 before the election.
I’m not telling anyone who to vote for, all I’m asking is that you revue the work of the Democrats for the last seven years and make your decision on whether you trust them to change anything. Political parties should be a thing of the past. Having a Democratic majority in Washington won’t change things or restore our Constitution. Truthfully, I’d be ecstatic to see Democrats turning their backs on the Democratic Party. They deserve to be spanked, and spanked hard, especially by Liberal/Progressives.
That’s the way I see it.
Now the Democrats tell us that they will end this war in Iraq, yet no candidate will agree to pull out of the country, telling us that we will have a “presence” there for years. The Democrats have fallen short of every stated goal that they promised during the 2006 Congressional Elections. They have supported funding at every request from this administration for more useless carnage in Iraq. The Speaker of the House took impeachment “off the table” and it’s still off the table, even though this President declared that he authorized torture in violation of US and International Law. The Democrats have played politics with the revisions of our basic Constitutional rights as witnessed by the Patriot Act 1 and 2, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 that negated Posse Comitatus, the law that was written to prevent the President or anyone else from using the military for law enforcement inside the US, unless mandated by Congress.
Those examples of the breakdown of Constitutional Government are just a few of the draconian measures that have been put forth since this phony ‘Global War on Terror” started on 9/11/2001. To this day we have not positively identified who was responsible for the attacks. The government tells us who did it, but no formal investigation and charges have been made, while the Democrats have sat on their hands in fear. This behavior from Democrats has been going on for the last seven years. Now we are embroiled in a General Election and they have the audacity to ask us to support their corporate controlled candidates.
Corporate control, or should I say the Military Industrial Complex, are the puppet masters behind the scenes of both major political parties. So far the candidates have spent $586.1 Million and raised $791.8 Million dollars for their political coffers. This is before the General Election segment of the race for President. The cost of becoming President will run into the Billions for the first time in American history. Meanwhile, candidates that don’t tow the corporate MIC line are marginalized and thrown off debates. This has been happening for decades now, and neither party has addressed this issue of corporate money in politics save John McCain and Russ Feingold that introduced a campaign reform bill that was too little, too late.
I know what the Republicans that control their party want. They are very vocal about what it is that drives them. Although they have outspent every prior administration in history they claim that they want “fiscal responsibility”. They also believe in faith based initiatives, something that is actually prohibited by our Constitution that proposes a separation of church and state. The majority of Republicans actually support this war in the Middle East, although I believe not as many as the GOP thinks. Still, the Republicans are forthright in what they stand for. I may not agree with them, but I understand them.
Not so the Democrats that say they that they are against the war and want to restore the Constitution. I believe nothing of what they claim to stand for when I see the people that work for the two Democratic contenders. I see their campaign donations and I realize that they are backed by the same MIC that backs Republican candidates. “Republican Light” is not just a clever description of the Democratic Party. It is a cold hard fact in this 21st Century. The Democrats pander to the liberal/left, but they will not support anything that we propose. They mollify us in the hope that we will dutifully back the “lesser of two evils”. This type of reasoning has also gone on too long. I believe that Americans that believe in Liberal principles are totally fed up with the political machines that run Washington, and their collusion with lobbyists and their backing by the MIC.
The Democrats have dug their own grave by inaction and a lack of decisiveness on almost every issue that is presented to them. John Conyers is a perfect example of a stooge. He calls for impeachment and asks for co-sponsors on his bill, and when he gets the number that will co-sponsor the bill, he raises the ante and claims he needs more. Is this the “checks and balances” that the American people expect from the opposition party? Meanwhile, our President is guilty of a multitude of crimes that are considered by our laws to be treasonous. The Democrats have voted for every military appropriations bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democrats have voted with the Republicans on almost every bill that shreds our Constitution.
Now, when election time draws near, they finally stand up to the Administration on the FISA Bill that would give immunity to the telecommunications companies that illegally wiretapped American citizen’s on the Federal Governments say so. They call this a brave stand, but they won’t indict the President for authorizing the illegal wiretaps of his citizen’s in the first place! Why do Americans continue to support a political party that claims to be the “opposition” party to the neo-con regime we have in power, and colludes with them on almost everything?
I was a Democrat for over 50 years. It pains me to write the things I’m writing, but I would rather speak the truth than to comfort myself with the idea that this nation will be better with Democrats controlling the government. I would ask every citizen to forget about the two parties and vote your conscience. Vote for the person with the most integrity and not because he has a jackass for a political symbol. Vote Green, vote Independent, vote for the best candidate that will end these wars and restore the Constitution. It is a fallacy that only a Republican or a Democrat can win the Presidency. The two parties recite that mantra along with the corporate owned mainstream media until the masses believe it. Ross Perot received 24% of the vote when he ran. The Libertarian Party has ballot access in 48 States and will have all 50 before the election.
I’m not telling anyone who to vote for, all I’m asking is that you revue the work of the Democrats for the last seven years and make your decision on whether you trust them to change anything. Political parties should be a thing of the past. Having a Democratic majority in Washington won’t change things or restore our Constitution. Truthfully, I’d be ecstatic to see Democrats turning their backs on the Democratic Party. They deserve to be spanked, and spanked hard, especially by Liberal/Progressives.
That’s the way I see it.
I Like Mike
Voting for the lesser of two evils is a cowardly act. Vote your conscience or forever hold you piece. Mike Gravel is the best candidate to turn this nation around. This is whether you are a Libertarian or not. Vote with your head and your heart.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Am Open Letter To Those Who Care About The Constitution
This letter is addressed to every individual in this country that has managed through their own perseverance and hard work to reap the benefits of the American Dream. The accumulation of wealth is not a means to an end however; the accumulation of wealth is only that, an accumulation of wealth. What one does with that wealth is the true measure of a person. I realize that many wealthy people in this nation have done great things with the fortunes they have accumulated, and this is one of the great reflections of the American spirit. There is unfortunately, a crisis that we are facing in our nation. This crisis has come about due to the way wealth has been distributed and used in the political arena. The sad truth is that the people of this nation no longer control the political landscape. We no longer enjoy a free, unfettered election process that is free of special moneyed interests. The media is controlled by a small number of corporations, and the major political parties are controlled by corporate donations that dwarf the donations that are made by average citizens.
This has resulted in candidates that are indebted to special interests. You can observe the way the Democratic Party has selected their candidates. It is readily apparent that those who have not curried favor with the media and corporate interests were effectively shut out of the political process. The candidates that have refused to take corporate money and money from PAC’s and lobbyists have found their candidacies bankrupt. The sad truth is that those candidates that have, because of their principles, have been forced to leave the field and this nation has suffered because of it.
This is not just a political problem, it is a moral problem. The idea that a grassroots campaign can take root in this day and age without seed money is naïve. The money to make the videos and start the campaign must come from somewhere. These is a candidate, former Senator Mike Gravel, that has the right answers for the questions of the times He is the only one that is questioning the validity of the draconian measures that this administration has passed with the complicity of a Congress that no longer answers to the American people. These measures that have been passed directly affect every American.
The Military Commissions Act of 2006: This Act effectively eliminates The Writ of Habeas Corpus from American law. The Act states that anyone deemed to be a terrorist, or anyone “suspected of aiding terrorists” are not to be given the rights of ordinary American citizens. They are not guaranteed a jury of their peers, they are not able to select an attorney of their choice, they don’t have to be told of the charges against them, and they do not have a right to a swift trial. They may be held indefinitely with no charges and they don’t have to be provided access to the outside world. People that have been charged with this have been subjected to torture and some have been held for years, and are no closer to a trail than when they were first captured.
The Patriot Act: This 1,000 page document was written before the events of September 11, 2001 when the attacks on the United States allowed the political climate in this country to be favorable for passage of these restrictive laws. The Patriot Act contains measures that make it legal for the government to search a citizen’s home without a warrant and without the knowledge of the individual whose home is being searched. The government can search a house when nobody is home and not disclose that the house was searched. The Patriot Act also allows the government to maintain lists of suspected terrorists and dissidents to be used for “no fly lists”. There are many in the Senate and the House of Representatives that have never read this document in its entirety before they authorized it or since then.
Neither Senator Obama nor Senator Clinton has mentioned these bills in their campaign. Senator Edwards, Senator Dodd, Representative Paul and Representative Kucinich as well as Senator Gravel have all spoken out against them. To date only Senator Gravel is still actively pursuing the nomination. His voice is the only voice that speaks out against these unconstitutional laws that threaten the very fabric of our Constitutional values.
He has also stated that unless he can get support from an established political party and financing for his campaign by August of this year. He may be forced to abandon the only campaign that holds any hope of restoring democratic principles in America. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. The Bush Administration will have drastically changed the political landscape of this nation forever, with the complicity of the 109th and 110th Congress. We only have a short window of time to keep this issue in the minds of the American people. This is why I am asking all Americans that care about Constitutional law to donate to Senator Gravel’s campaign. I am especially directing this plea to Mr. Warren Buffet and to Mr. Bill Gates and other men that have profited from doing business in America. When an issue of this magnitude is presented, I feel that I should do everything in my power to insure that the American people have a fighting chance to rectify such a horrendous wrong that has been perpetrated on the American people, even if it means begging for money from people I don’t know.
So beg I will, if that’s what it takes. You may donate to the Gravel Campaign here: https://gravel2008.us/donate_now . If you wish to become involved with The Liberal Party of America you may go here: http://liberalpa.blogspot.com/ . If you are influential in any political party that may support Senator Gravel, you can contact him here: http://thinkmike.us/. Anything you could do to keep Sen. Gravel in the race and help America beat back fascism would be greatly appreciated.
That’s the way I see it.
This has resulted in candidates that are indebted to special interests. You can observe the way the Democratic Party has selected their candidates. It is readily apparent that those who have not curried favor with the media and corporate interests were effectively shut out of the political process. The candidates that have refused to take corporate money and money from PAC’s and lobbyists have found their candidacies bankrupt. The sad truth is that those candidates that have, because of their principles, have been forced to leave the field and this nation has suffered because of it.
This is not just a political problem, it is a moral problem. The idea that a grassroots campaign can take root in this day and age without seed money is naïve. The money to make the videos and start the campaign must come from somewhere. These is a candidate, former Senator Mike Gravel, that has the right answers for the questions of the times He is the only one that is questioning the validity of the draconian measures that this administration has passed with the complicity of a Congress that no longer answers to the American people. These measures that have been passed directly affect every American.
The Military Commissions Act of 2006: This Act effectively eliminates The Writ of Habeas Corpus from American law. The Act states that anyone deemed to be a terrorist, or anyone “suspected of aiding terrorists” are not to be given the rights of ordinary American citizens. They are not guaranteed a jury of their peers, they are not able to select an attorney of their choice, they don’t have to be told of the charges against them, and they do not have a right to a swift trial. They may be held indefinitely with no charges and they don’t have to be provided access to the outside world. People that have been charged with this have been subjected to torture and some have been held for years, and are no closer to a trail than when they were first captured.
The Patriot Act: This 1,000 page document was written before the events of September 11, 2001 when the attacks on the United States allowed the political climate in this country to be favorable for passage of these restrictive laws. The Patriot Act contains measures that make it legal for the government to search a citizen’s home without a warrant and without the knowledge of the individual whose home is being searched. The government can search a house when nobody is home and not disclose that the house was searched. The Patriot Act also allows the government to maintain lists of suspected terrorists and dissidents to be used for “no fly lists”. There are many in the Senate and the House of Representatives that have never read this document in its entirety before they authorized it or since then.
Neither Senator Obama nor Senator Clinton has mentioned these bills in their campaign. Senator Edwards, Senator Dodd, Representative Paul and Representative Kucinich as well as Senator Gravel have all spoken out against them. To date only Senator Gravel is still actively pursuing the nomination. His voice is the only voice that speaks out against these unconstitutional laws that threaten the very fabric of our Constitutional values.
He has also stated that unless he can get support from an established political party and financing for his campaign by August of this year. He may be forced to abandon the only campaign that holds any hope of restoring democratic principles in America. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. The Bush Administration will have drastically changed the political landscape of this nation forever, with the complicity of the 109th and 110th Congress. We only have a short window of time to keep this issue in the minds of the American people. This is why I am asking all Americans that care about Constitutional law to donate to Senator Gravel’s campaign. I am especially directing this plea to Mr. Warren Buffet and to Mr. Bill Gates and other men that have profited from doing business in America. When an issue of this magnitude is presented, I feel that I should do everything in my power to insure that the American people have a fighting chance to rectify such a horrendous wrong that has been perpetrated on the American people, even if it means begging for money from people I don’t know.
So beg I will, if that’s what it takes. You may donate to the Gravel Campaign here: https://gravel2008.us/donate_now . If you wish to become involved with The Liberal Party of America you may go here: http://liberalpa.blogspot.com/ . If you are influential in any political party that may support Senator Gravel, you can contact him here: http://thinkmike.us/. Anything you could do to keep Sen. Gravel in the race and help America beat back fascism would be greatly appreciated.
That’s the way I see it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Liberal Party of America
I am sending out feelers on about starting back this party with Senator Mike Gravel as our party's candidate. This means that we will work with the Gravel team as well as have our own. What we need is people from every State to chair the State and get petitions signed. Then we need to incorporate. The third step is to have a convention, we can have an e-convention. If I could get enough people that have had it with the two corporate parties and ineffective third parties that don't really conform to being "Liberal" or "Progressive", we could, along with Senator Gravels Team, organize and be effective by election day.
http://liberalpa.blogspot.com
This could be a dream, but one that I would willingly go for. I believe that there are enough people that are dissatisfied with the situation politically that we could actually pull this off. If Unity '08 makes Mike Bloomberg their candidate, or the GOP splits because of McCain, this could be a four party race.
Anyone interested? You only live once, might as well do it trying to do what you believe in. Take a look at the platform in this blog, it was taken off our old website. All is subject to change when and if we have a Convention. BTW, Check out the videos.
That's the way I see it.
http://liberalpa.blogspot.com
This could be a dream, but one that I would willingly go for. I believe that there are enough people that are dissatisfied with the situation politically that we could actually pull this off. If Unity '08 makes Mike Bloomberg their candidate, or the GOP splits because of McCain, this could be a four party race.
Anyone interested? You only live once, might as well do it trying to do what you believe in. Take a look at the platform in this blog, it was taken off our old website. All is subject to change when and if we have a Convention. BTW, Check out the videos.
That's the way I see it.
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Gravel/Nader Ticket? You Say You Want A Revolution?
I received an e-mail from the Gravel campaign and in it was a petition to start a Gravel/Nader or Nader Gravel ticket. I signed that petition. I realize that many people believe that Nader is a “spoiler” but I think differently. The problem lies not with Ralph Nader, but with the Democratic Party. The way I justify my argument is that if the Democrats would stop presenting us with the Military Industrialist Complex candidate “du joir”, then we could rally around a candidate we could all support.
I know that the Democratic candidates cannot appear too “liberal”, as it would alienate many from the party that are more moderate. The problem for me is that I can no longer consider myself a Democrat, mainly because the Democrats represent issues that don’t appeal to me at all. I must be one of those “crazy lefties” you read about in the MSM, even though I served in the military for almost 21 years. Think about that. Is it me that has gone so far to the left, or is it our nation that has gone too far to the right?
I believe 9/11 was connected to others besides al Qaeda, if that group was ever involved at all. You have to ask yourself “Cui Bono?” or who benefits? The Project for a New American Century said that we needed something on the order of a new Pearl Harbor, and Bingo!, we have 9/11. I have my doubts about the way the towers fell and the pulverized concrete. I saw the jet fuel burn when the planes hit the towers “outside” the towers. I saw black smoke coming out of the towers. I know that jet fuel burns at 1200 F and that the beams were supposed to hold to 2400 F. Black smoke means that the fire needed more oxygen and means a cooler fire. You figure it out. I’ve already done my homework and things don’t add up. So call me a “conspiracy theorist”. We are talking trillions of dollars for the MIC. Who benefits?
I believe that a slate with Nader and Gravel would be a team we could absolutely trust in the White House. These are people that are not tainted by corporate money. They both share most of the same views. I know that for myself, I would have a government that I could trust, not in the others that would embroil us in never-ending war for the sake of expanding America’s military might and influence.
I realize that many out there believe that they wouldn’t have a chance. Before you make that claim, think about everything the Democrats have done for our country since we voted in 2006. If that’s not enough to get your dander up, I don’t know what else will. Time after time, and promise after promise, we have seen the Democrats cave to the Republicans. Do you really want a Democratic President? They promise to “reach across the aisles”, frankly, except for three of four Republicans, I wouldn’t bother. I’m tired of watching this government sell off our country a parcel at a time. I didn’t stay in the military to get out and watch this country being sold off to the highest bidder. Most of our National Parks are either corporate-owed or sold off to the UN. Don’t believe me, check it out for yourself. Our industries are being sent overseas so that the bankers can maximize their profits and the industrialists can get slave labor, putting thousands of proud Americans out of work. You know it and I know it. Do you believe the Democrats with their “Special Interest” bundlers will change anything?
You say you want a “Revolution”? Well alright here it is. Let the powers that be know that we will accept nothing but the truth, wherever that may lead. Tell them that you don’t believe in war. Tell them you don’t believe in them period! Let them know we want to rescind the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and all the FISA shenanigans that this government has pulled. Tell them we want to trade with other nations, not to coerce them into supporting our view of how the world should be. These aren’t far-left views, they are purely American views. Let the world go its way and let this country go ours. We should stay out of foreign entanglements; the business of America is business. This is what our founders believed and this is what I believe. This is also what Gravel and Nader believe.
So, if you really want the “change” everyone is talking about, then stand this country on its ear and let the voice of true Progressivism ring out. Don’t go the way of the establishment and do what you are “supposed” to do and vote for the two-party system that has merged into one. The only ones that can make this happen are the American people. Don’t let them fool us all again. It’s all up to you. Either you want real change badly enough or you don’t. It all starts with one person at a time. Let that person be you.
Here is the link to the petition:http://www.PetitionOnline.com/granad08/petition.html
That’s the way I see it.
I know that the Democratic candidates cannot appear too “liberal”, as it would alienate many from the party that are more moderate. The problem for me is that I can no longer consider myself a Democrat, mainly because the Democrats represent issues that don’t appeal to me at all. I must be one of those “crazy lefties” you read about in the MSM, even though I served in the military for almost 21 years. Think about that. Is it me that has gone so far to the left, or is it our nation that has gone too far to the right?
I believe 9/11 was connected to others besides al Qaeda, if that group was ever involved at all. You have to ask yourself “Cui Bono?” or who benefits? The Project for a New American Century said that we needed something on the order of a new Pearl Harbor, and Bingo!, we have 9/11. I have my doubts about the way the towers fell and the pulverized concrete. I saw the jet fuel burn when the planes hit the towers “outside” the towers. I saw black smoke coming out of the towers. I know that jet fuel burns at 1200 F and that the beams were supposed to hold to 2400 F. Black smoke means that the fire needed more oxygen and means a cooler fire. You figure it out. I’ve already done my homework and things don’t add up. So call me a “conspiracy theorist”. We are talking trillions of dollars for the MIC. Who benefits?
I believe that a slate with Nader and Gravel would be a team we could absolutely trust in the White House. These are people that are not tainted by corporate money. They both share most of the same views. I know that for myself, I would have a government that I could trust, not in the others that would embroil us in never-ending war for the sake of expanding America’s military might and influence.
I realize that many out there believe that they wouldn’t have a chance. Before you make that claim, think about everything the Democrats have done for our country since we voted in 2006. If that’s not enough to get your dander up, I don’t know what else will. Time after time, and promise after promise, we have seen the Democrats cave to the Republicans. Do you really want a Democratic President? They promise to “reach across the aisles”, frankly, except for three of four Republicans, I wouldn’t bother. I’m tired of watching this government sell off our country a parcel at a time. I didn’t stay in the military to get out and watch this country being sold off to the highest bidder. Most of our National Parks are either corporate-owed or sold off to the UN. Don’t believe me, check it out for yourself. Our industries are being sent overseas so that the bankers can maximize their profits and the industrialists can get slave labor, putting thousands of proud Americans out of work. You know it and I know it. Do you believe the Democrats with their “Special Interest” bundlers will change anything?
You say you want a “Revolution”? Well alright here it is. Let the powers that be know that we will accept nothing but the truth, wherever that may lead. Tell them that you don’t believe in war. Tell them you don’t believe in them period! Let them know we want to rescind the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and all the FISA shenanigans that this government has pulled. Tell them we want to trade with other nations, not to coerce them into supporting our view of how the world should be. These aren’t far-left views, they are purely American views. Let the world go its way and let this country go ours. We should stay out of foreign entanglements; the business of America is business. This is what our founders believed and this is what I believe. This is also what Gravel and Nader believe.
So, if you really want the “change” everyone is talking about, then stand this country on its ear and let the voice of true Progressivism ring out. Don’t go the way of the establishment and do what you are “supposed” to do and vote for the two-party system that has merged into one. The only ones that can make this happen are the American people. Don’t let them fool us all again. It’s all up to you. Either you want real change badly enough or you don’t. It all starts with one person at a time. Let that person be you.
Here is the link to the petition:http://www.PetitionOnline.com/granad08/petition.html
That’s the way I see it.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Why Another Blog?
What's this all about, anyway? Why did I create another blog when I already have Liberalpro? I guess the answer is that first of all, I felt like it. Second of all, this blog, at least until November of 2008, is going to be mainly devoted to the Presidential election (like we don't have enough already) and to the quest of getting Mike Gravel elected.
This will be a difficult job, so I figured that the effort should have its own blog. It should be easy to get Senator Gravel elected, look at who his rivals are. On the Democratic side you have two corporate financed politicians that have no concrete plans to dis-engage from Iraq, and when it comes to reversing the damage that George W. Bush has done to this country, they really haven't a clue on where to start. Both Obama and Clinton have no real experience in stopping a war, but plenty of experience in helping to start one. The Republicans are still pursuing the Bush dream of conquest and empire, still believing that might and firepower are greater weapons than the truth. I believe that by the time November rolls around, the situation in Iraq will be so untenable, that the Republican nominee won't even be a factor in the race.
I also believe that Mike Gravel is the only truly sane person that is running for President. The constant posturing by Clinton and Obama, the constant re-invention of themselves and their policies, have left them not even knowing who they are anymore. It's a good thing Obama has a strong partner in marriage that can remind him every so often who he is and what he formerly stood for before this election got him turned inside-out. When it comes to Hillary however, her husband lost track of who he was the minute he started calling Bush Sr. "Dad". Poor Hillary is probably too old to last through the amount of psycho-therapy she needs to find herself again.She's apparently a lost cause, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
Senator Gravel however knows exactly who he is and he hasn't changed one iota since throwing his hat in the ring. I believe that he will be the only one still gaining the trust and support as an independent come fall. That's the beauty of running an honest campaign based on true values. Later on you don't have to remember what lies you told to whatever group you are speaking to. On November 3rd, people will be shaking their heads in disbelief at the two candidates of the major corporate owned parties. Its exactly like the old saying; "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time". In this modern information age with all of the tools at our disposal, we can track every lie that comes out of a politicians mouth, something that was impossible for an ordinary person to do a decade ago.
The main reason I support Gravel is because he is a realist. He sees things exactly the way they are, and he is not afraid to talk about it. This is something of a miracle in this age of trying to be all things to all people. This is the path that many people in this election year have tried to do. Romney, Rudy, Dodd, Biden and Richardson tried that. Some were good people, but lost their way when they tried to please the polls instead of their conscience. Mike has not gone down that road. He knows the difference between right and wrong and is not shy about telling us about it. I have not been able to find a conflicting statement in anything I've heard him say.That's truly an amazing feat in this day and age of instant public opinion.
I'm ready to go to work for Mike. I can write about him and I have a radio show on Blog Talk Radio where he can get his message out on. I want a return to basic constitutional law. I want an America with a conscience. I want an America that doesn't put business and money over its people. I want an America that doesn't look all over the world for a fight, an America that looks after it's people and it's interests, but still manages to stay out of the affairs of other nations. I believe that this is what most people want. We want an honest government that tries to bring Americans a better life. I want to leave this nation's young people an America that was better than the way we found it. This is the American dream. I believe Mike Gravel supports that dream, so I support him
That's the way I see it.
This will be a difficult job, so I figured that the effort should have its own blog. It should be easy to get Senator Gravel elected, look at who his rivals are. On the Democratic side you have two corporate financed politicians that have no concrete plans to dis-engage from Iraq, and when it comes to reversing the damage that George W. Bush has done to this country, they really haven't a clue on where to start. Both Obama and Clinton have no real experience in stopping a war, but plenty of experience in helping to start one. The Republicans are still pursuing the Bush dream of conquest and empire, still believing that might and firepower are greater weapons than the truth. I believe that by the time November rolls around, the situation in Iraq will be so untenable, that the Republican nominee won't even be a factor in the race.
I also believe that Mike Gravel is the only truly sane person that is running for President. The constant posturing by Clinton and Obama, the constant re-invention of themselves and their policies, have left them not even knowing who they are anymore. It's a good thing Obama has a strong partner in marriage that can remind him every so often who he is and what he formerly stood for before this election got him turned inside-out. When it comes to Hillary however, her husband lost track of who he was the minute he started calling Bush Sr. "Dad". Poor Hillary is probably too old to last through the amount of psycho-therapy she needs to find herself again.She's apparently a lost cause, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
Senator Gravel however knows exactly who he is and he hasn't changed one iota since throwing his hat in the ring. I believe that he will be the only one still gaining the trust and support as an independent come fall. That's the beauty of running an honest campaign based on true values. Later on you don't have to remember what lies you told to whatever group you are speaking to. On November 3rd, people will be shaking their heads in disbelief at the two candidates of the major corporate owned parties. Its exactly like the old saying; "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time". In this modern information age with all of the tools at our disposal, we can track every lie that comes out of a politicians mouth, something that was impossible for an ordinary person to do a decade ago.
The main reason I support Gravel is because he is a realist. He sees things exactly the way they are, and he is not afraid to talk about it. This is something of a miracle in this age of trying to be all things to all people. This is the path that many people in this election year have tried to do. Romney, Rudy, Dodd, Biden and Richardson tried that. Some were good people, but lost their way when they tried to please the polls instead of their conscience. Mike has not gone down that road. He knows the difference between right and wrong and is not shy about telling us about it. I have not been able to find a conflicting statement in anything I've heard him say.That's truly an amazing feat in this day and age of instant public opinion.
I'm ready to go to work for Mike. I can write about him and I have a radio show on Blog Talk Radio where he can get his message out on. I want a return to basic constitutional law. I want an America with a conscience. I want an America that doesn't put business and money over its people. I want an America that doesn't look all over the world for a fight, an America that looks after it's people and it's interests, but still manages to stay out of the affairs of other nations. I believe that this is what most people want. We want an honest government that tries to bring Americans a better life. I want to leave this nation's young people an America that was better than the way we found it. This is the American dream. I believe Mike Gravel supports that dream, so I support him
That's the way I see it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)