timgatto's blog

Afraid of the Truth

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:51:03 -0800

I think that people in this country are so afraid of realizing the truth about what is happening to this country that citizens are choosing to continue to believe in the rhetoric of the incoming administration rather than see it for exactly what it is, another chapter in America’s slide toward fascism. I do not agree with the people that claim Obama is not getting a fair chance to prove he is any different than the man he is replacing. I understand the fear and frustration that drives these people to continue to hope against hope that he will deliver the change he promised in his campaign. The very idea of admitting that we are facing another four years of corporate socialism, of ignoring the plight of the Middle Class, of unchecked power in the Executive Branch and the prospect of more military adventures by a nation that has squandered its resources on the concept of an open-ended “War on Global Terror” is too much to contemplate for most of us.

Still, hiding from reality will not change the situation we find ourselves in. Denial will not stop this nation from continuing on this path of self destruction. Some may believe that I am exaggerating the problem, I don’t believe I am. There is just no way that we can continue to fund the military at the present rate.

“Of all the enemies to public liberty… war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare”.
— James Madison, Political Observations, 1795

Aside from the loss of freedom that continual war engenders, the economy in its present fragile condition simply can’t continue to fund this warfare. Middle Class Americans have seen their income shrink while the top 10% of American families have increased their wealth. The top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980. LINK.

This does not bode well for the political well-being of our nation. As the disparity of wealth between the rich and poor increases, so does the resentment of the people that cannot afford to enjoy the benefits of living in one the richest economies on the planet. It seems that we are being prepared for civil unrest with reports that are circulating on the web about the closed session of Congress this year that threatened martial law and the rounding up of dissidents The attachment of a brigade of the Army’s 3rd Infantry to NORTHCOM had also raised concerns by Naomi Wolfe and others that see this as a prelude to martial law LINK. The threat of martial law if Congress did not support the bailout was voiced by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Ca) and can be seen on YOUTUBE.

Are all of these concerns justified? In a word, Yes. This could be the reason why so many otherwise intelligent Americans could be hoping against hope that Obama will change direction and bring the change he has promised. My primary concern is that most people don’t realize that while Obama promised change, he never specifically revealed what that change would consist of.

We really need to draw a collective breath and figure out what it is that we expect of Obama. We also need to understand that the President is not the only agent for change in this country. The President is a servant of the people. It’s only common sense that unless we speak with a unified voice, the corporations, with their political and economic clout will drown the voices of the people. The Congress needs to understand that this country is not only facing a grave economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression, but a political upheaval that has not been seen since the Civil War.

Our priorities are being reevaluated like never before in recent history and I don’t believe that anyone in this nation wants a confrontation between the people, the military and the government. We need to stop believing in hyperbole and conjecture and start dealing in reality. The choices that Obama has made so far for his cabinet don’t bode well for any type of real change and we must take it for what it is worth. On the other hand, we must not overreact either. We are all walking a thin line in America. We are in crises and the only way we are going to stop a collapse is by dealing in reality and making wise decisions. The people must speak out and the government must understand that it will ignore the people at its own peril. These wars must be revaluated as should the corporate bailouts. We can’t do everything for everyone, we just cannot afford it. We must choose our priorities and make our choices known. We can’t operate as if we have a fire hose and start spraying water on thousands of fires individually without a plan to control the source of the fires. Is this simplistic? Yes, but its one analogy that accurately portrays the situation. We need leaders that are not afraid to speak the truth and accurately access our limitations instead of blindly stating that we can continue to operate in the same irresponsible manner while expecting different results.

Transparency and the Federal Government

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:00:03 -0800

The nightmare of the Bush Administration that brought us eight long years of neo-con rule is almost over. I can honestly say that the United States was closer to losing its way than I have ever seen it in my lifetime. When I say “losing its way” I’m talking about operating outside the rule of law, and having our government basically ignore its responsibility to be honest with the American people and to at least consider the American people’s wishes in its decisions both foreign and domestic.

I’m not naïve. I realize that our nation has often ignored the wishes of the American people and has operated outside the rule of law many times, not only in recent history, but throughout our history. I believe at times it was necessary and I also believe at times, it was not. As I get older, and as revelations emerge as to what has transpired over the years about specific events, I understand to a greater extent how many times our government has kept information from its people, and how many times our government has lied to the people. Sometimes I believe it may have been in the best interests of the nation, and sometimes it was not. In fact, there were times that the government acted illegally and recklessly, and made decisions and performed actions that were definitely not in the peoples best interests. At times these things were done out of a genuine desire to do the right thing in the long run, and sometimes they were not. Either way, we are still here with our representative form of government, somewhat injured, but nevertheless, intact.

If we look at what has transpired during the last eight years in an honest, forthright manner, I believe that our nation has been extremely fortunate that we didn’t lose all of our rights after the savage attack on the Constitution by Bush/Cheney, Addington, Gonzales and all the others that seemed to believe that government administration belonged to the people of privilege. This was reflected by the obvious distain they held the Middle Class in by ignoring labor laws and refusing to increase the minimum wage for nine years until they couldn’t pass up a compromise in estate taxes that the Democrats offered.

Nothing happens in Washington for altruistic reasons. To believe otherwise is to ignore the obvious. When I mention this in conversation, or I write about the lack of morality displayed by those in government, I am reminded that it has always been this way. I maintain that because it has always been this way, it should be expected, and that the government continues to operate not because of its corruption, but in spite of it. I’m sure everyone would agree that if corruption was eradicated, the cost of government would be lower, and that the system would be much more efficient. I am told that this is wishful thinking. All governments throughout history had some level of corruption and that stopping corruption is impossible. While I agree that this is the case, I also believe that reducing the level of corruption is entirely possible. The problem is that before any problem can be corrected, the problem must be recognized and diagnosed. In medicine, the doctor cannot cure a patient no matter how many cures science had discovered. Unless it is acknowledged that the patient has a certain disease or condition, they cannot be effectively treated. The knowledge of how a patient contracted a disease may help to cure the disease, but it is not absolutely needed in most cases, it is usually enough to know what disease is that someone has in order to treat it.

The very same principle applies to government corruption. Transparency is absolutely essential in order for the public to oversee our political process and operations. It’s just commonsense when you think about it. Unless you have all the information available, supporting a certain piece of legislation or a policy, solving problems or offering constructive ideas, voicing opposition or suggesting alternatives all become very difficult. The truth is that we need all the information we can get in order to participate in government. Just as those that occupy a position in government rely on being fully informed, citizens should also demand that they are provided all the information they require. All too often, we hear that certain information cannot be shared with those outside the government because of “national security” issues. When Congress requested that they be briefed on Presidential Directive 51 (Continuity of government), the executive branch refused to honor the request due to “national security issues”. I’m sure that more than a few Congressmen and Senators’ are eligible to upgrade their security clearances in order to be properly informed. This one reason, “national security” has been used far too often in order to keep information away from government officials and the public alike. Therefore, in the interests of “national security”, and also in order to appraise those that feel they need more information than the government is willing to part with, I am offering a few suggestions.

Suggestions for the Obama Administration on Transparency in Government

1. Establish an Office of Transparency in Government (OTIG).

The Federal Government should set a policy whereby members of the government, both State and Federal, as well as American citizens themselves, can access all manner of information to include, but is not limited to proposed legislation, sponsors and co-sponsors of legislation, promises made in furtherance of legislation, campaign contributions from interested parties to any pending or recent legislation, political appointments of government officeholders or Federal workers, gifts to Federal employees or officeholders, visits or meetings with corporate representatives or lobbyists, employment of family members or appointments to corporate or private industry boards or advisory councils or groups. In addition, all officeholders and Federal employees must disclose their investments in order to determine if there is any conflict of interest between business interests and official duties. Scholarships and educational grants to family members, officeholders or Federal employees and any other potential conflict of interest issues must also be disclosed.

2. The Office of Transparency in Government (OTIG) shall exercise final

Determination of information access.

The office will determine if information will be withheld from Federal employees

Because of national security considerations. If there is a reasonable determination

information should be classified, the office will determine what can be disclosed

in order that the interested party has all of the information that can safely be

disclosed.

3. The Office of transparency in Government (OTIG) insures that the media

receives all information on new or pending legislation and any information that the Secretary believes should be disseminated involving operations of the federal government.

There also will be a meeting of an oversight council of members of the OTIG to determine if there is any other information that should be disclosed that the Secretary has not released or has missed.

4. The Office of Transparency in Government (OTIG) will report to the Attorney

General (AG) and be free of Executive Branch control.

This is a watchdog agency and will be relatively free from political or partisan control. The employees of OTIG will be subject to transparency itself and any possible conflict of interest will be disclosed immediately. If there is any redundancy in the Federal system, the OTIG will determine jurisdiction and responsibility for decisions. (This is in case any Federal agency rules differently on release of information).

These are some ideas that I believe will restore precious integrity to the Federal government. Of course, all of these ideas are only a guideline that came off the top of my head, I’m sure that there are many issues that an agency such as this would cover that I missed. I think that this is an idea that is long overdue. Transparency in government is essential if we are to keep our representative form of government. The demise of newspapers, smaller and fewer news outlets have caused the information flow and coverage about the workings of the government in Washington to decrease. Independent journalists that write about politics in Washington could use an agency such as this. Independent journalists work on a shoestring budget, yet they have never been as important as they are at this juncture in our history.

The people of this country need to understand who is behind legislation and they also need to know where any future conflicts of interests and possible trouble spots may occur. The people need to regain a measure of trust in government. This could go a long way to promote these things.

Where is our Country Heading?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:56:49 -0800

I may be disgusted and tired of the current paradigm in Washington and the nation, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to throw in the towel and accept the fact that my government is following the only path available. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. The American government is hell-bent on its own world agenda and feels that there is nothing in this world that can stop them from realizing its goals. They are pursuing world hegemony at the expense of all other nations and their own people. “Peace in our time” is an illusion, for the government seeks no peace, only more power that is bought at the end of a gun.

There are many examples that can be brought to bear when examining our policies. The American economy is collapsing around us but the right of center government in Washington calls for massive “defense” spending; the phrase “defense spending” is a complete oxymoron. Who are we defending ourselves against? Is it the Arabs we are so afraid of? Are the Russians just waiting for a chance to loose their weapons of mass destruction on our soil? We have almost daily incursions into Pakistan. We threaten Iran at every opportunity. Governments that work for the people in Latin America like Chavez’s Venezuela and Evo Morales’s Bolivia have become targets of both the Bush and Obama camps.

Our government is on a mission to bring every nation that doesn’t accept the United States and its policies into line. The right of center capitalistic predatory institutions such as the IMF and the WTO must call the shots in order to bring American hegemony to all the nations of the world. We set out to lend enourmous sums to fledgling democracies knowing that they can not pay back the loans with their usurous interest rates. This is part of the plan. We call in the notes and when these nations cannot pay, we take their resources at pennies on the dollar.

Four nations have stood up to the United States. They are Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba. These nations are anathema to our government. They refuse to play our game. Panama was also against the status quo and we invaded them and jailed their leader on trumped up drug charges. Read “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” by John Perkins to see the cover of the U.S global empire blown. This is serious stuff and this book alone should disgust everyone that believes that the United States is a “beacon of light” in the world.

There is hope however small it may be. The rejection of the Neo-Conservatives that made up the Bush administration and tried to ingratiate themselves in the McCain campaign have been totally rejected by the people. Those that want a return to sanity and desire that our government start meeting the needs of the Americans that put the Democrats into office are in for a rude awakening. There will be no dramatic “change” as witnessed by the people that Barack Obama is surrounding himself with. We will continue to be a proxy for Israel and its policies of ethnic cleansing. We will continue to rattle our sabers toward those nations that reject American hegemony. Russia, Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia will be targets for black ops and propaganda. The New York Times published an article last week where they proclaimed that it was the government of Georgia that started the hostilities, still the United States blames Russia for unleashing war.
I belong to the left. I believe that many others will follow suit. I am not a “progressive” I belong to the liberal/left. Many young people that will become disenchanted with the centrist/right policies of the political “messiah” will also gravitate to the left. There is so much that we could accomplish by stating the truth and ridding ourselves of the greedy robber barons that are hell-bent on destroying not only the economic well-being of this country, but the very nation itself. This is where the real battle is. The real battle is the people of America against the corporate banking interests of those that have no allegiance to this county. Profit is their only consideration, and if they must rape the population to stay in business, that is a small price for them to pay.

I believe in nationalizing those corporations that have mismanaged themselves into bankruptcy. The bailouts should include a majority of their stock to their workers. The promise of employee-owned corporations is attractive, to say the least. They should be accountable to the Federal government that gave them the capitol to stay in business. The only people that will get hurt are the people that have been skimming off the top. The chief officers of these corporations that make the majority of the salaries while the companies run in the red. The profits and debts of these corporations that are running in the red should be shared by all the employees, not just the blue-collar worker trying to feed their families.

One good example is the steel industry. We have just about outsourced our steel manufacturing to other nations where they can produce it much cheaper. We have thousands of automobile scrap yards with millions of pounds of steel that can be recycled that rusts away from the elements. Why not get some older steel mills refurbished to recycle that steel? We could be self sufficient by making our own steel in employee owned factories. This would be cost effective and employ American workers. Where has the entrepreneurial spirit gone in this nation? So many opportunities and so little initiative is what is killing our economy.

One thing before I end this, we can’t just sit in our living rooms watching the corporate dominated media tell us what to believe. We must start talking with our neighbors and start questioning authority, the sooner the better. When this country spends over 50% of the total military spending of the entire world, one must ask the question why. Who are we afraid of exactly? It time that this nation sat down and had a long conversation with itself.

When Good People Believe Bad Information

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:47:41 -0700

In the last five years, the media has become the stomping ground for corporate mouthpieces that not only own most of the media outlets, but also control the advertising revenues that keep these television, radio and newspapers afloat. This is a direct result of the “fairness doctrine” being scrapped by the FCC and also the placement of Michael Powell (the son of Colin Powell) to head the agency. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 also added fuel to the fire. According to Network:

The Telecommunications Act of 1996. Under the 1934 Communications Act, everything was clear and precise - there was NO option but to regulate - and the Commission did what the Act instructed it to do. The 1996 Act, however, introduced the so-called forbearance doctrine, where the Commission could, on its own initiative, refrain from regulating an industry segment. That's when things began to collapse. In its haste to create local exchange competition, the FCC went either too far or not far enough in the early days. Three methods of local competition were introduced: (1) Local resale, but the discounts were not deep enough and so hardly anyone chose that option; (2) Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs), where discounts were probably too deep, so everyone jumped in; and (3) Facilities based competition, which has not taken off because of the UNE discounts. Chairman Powell, who strongly favors facilities-based competition decided to "fix" the problem by moving too far too fast in the opposite direction by essentially deregulating UNE price regulation for the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers. The result: Policy disarray and chaos!

The sordid truth is that too few owners dominate the media, and therefore too few points of view are presented to the public. This has led to the media short changing the people on vital areas of information that they have a right to receive.

On the other hand, the government has interfered with the people’s right to know information vital to them by intimidating the press. The Bush Administration once said that “You are with us, or against us” in this so-called, “Global War on Terror”. This GWOT, much like the “War on Drugs” is an open-ended attempt to solve a problem that will never be contained solely by passing laws that effectively limit American Citizen’s rights under the Constitution nor will the objectives ever be reached. Terrorism and drugs are unfortunately never going to be eradicated completely. Education in the case of drugs and a more benign foreign policy towards the rest of the world will go a long way as far as eliminating the causes of terrorism from abroad.

There is so much information that is omitted from the media that the information the average American receives is insufficient to make informed decisions about who to vote for, what policies they should support and whether this nation is heading in the right direction. One case in point is the recent military confrontation between Russia and Georgia. In this particular example, if one were to completely rely on the mainstream media for their information, it would appear that Russia invaded Georgia in order to flex their military might, to intimidate the former Soviet Republics that desire alignment with NATO, and to secure the oil pipeline that runs through the country and supplies Western Europe. The truth is that while Russia could conceivably desire all of these things, it was the South Ossetia’s “peacekeepers” and Georgia that initiated hostilities. Common sense would dictate that Russia would have destroyed the pipeline when it had the chance, yet the pipeline still exists and is still pumping oil. The facts are that Russia has many pipelines entering Europe and the pipeline that runs through Georgia would not be sufficient to fuel Europe in the event Russia ceased delivering fossil fuels to them.

Another false story that appears in the “mainstream media” is that the missiles that are being installed in Poland are “defensive” in nature. The truth is that like many “defensive” weapons systems, they can also be used as “offensive” weapons. The pitch that the government is using, claiming that these missiles are for the protection of Europe from Iranian missiles is a complete fabrication; Iran doesn’t have missiles that can reach Poland. It will be many years before they will. The truth is that these missiles which are just a few hundred miles from the Russian border will prevent Russia from responding to a nuclear attack on them by the Untied States and leave them vulnerable.

These are just two items that I mention to expose just how fraudulent the mainstream media really is. At this time in history, when news can come to us from every corner of the world in seconds instead of days, the networks are actually cutting their news staffs in offices around the world, depending on wire services for the bulk of their reporting. This chain of events, from the deregulation of the media, the reporting of only news that follows the American governments policies and the reliance on just a few wire services for the bulk of its stories, leaves most Americans out in the cold when it comes to honest, accurate reporting of the news. Most people in this nation don’t even realize that this is happening. This is not just a problem that the media faces; this is a problem that affects every one of us.

I have met people, good people, from all walks of life and from just about every educational level, from every economic class. I’ve talked to janitors, doctors, lawyers and business owners. The one thing that the majority of them have in common is their basic ignorance of what is really happening in the country and the world. When I mention events that have transpired, they are unaware of any view other than that of the mainstream media. I inevitably ask where they get their news and the answer is always the same, from reading the newspaper and watching television. The truth is that if I only read the newspaper and watched television, I would be just as ignorant as they. Most people don’t have the time that I have to actually take the time to go to alternative media sources. When I mention alternative media sources, I’m usually referring to the internet, where one can get a left-wing view, a right-wing view, a view from another nation, or from a website run by magazines that I couldn’t possibly afford to subscribe to.

Today, in this nation, everyone should take some time from their busy day to actually ferret out the truth. One pressing problem that needs to be faced, and faced quickly, is who to vote for in this Presidential election. We have heard so much from both political parties that release information disguised as fact. We hear from the so-called “independent” media that really isn’t independent at all, most networks have a bias towards keeping the status-quo. Most people don’t really understand that there are views that might be more to their liking than the ones that Democrats and Republicans have. Unless the candidates are Democrats or Republican, they are virtually ignored by the media. There are many people in the United States that decry this two-party corporate duopoly, but they don’t stop and think about why it is so difficult to have a third or a fourth political party that actually can win elections. They don’t realize that the game is rigged. Unless publicity is given to candidates outside of the mainstream political parties that have for all intents and purposes morphed into one corporate party with two divisions, the problem will never be properly addressed. The truth is that both McCain and Obama have stated that they will continue to field armies to battle the “Muslim Fundamentalists”. This has been the policy of the Bush Administration and it will continue under both the Democrats and the Republicans.

Americans are not aware that many of the Bill of Rights that are part and parcel of what most people believe is the bedrock of a “free society” have been completely negated under The patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act of 2006, The John Warner Defense Bill (the revamped “Insurrection Act”) and the recently restructured FISA Bill that was just passed with the help of Senator Obama. The government can spy on and wiretap Amertican citizens, designate them terrorists or terrorist sympathizers and therefore take away any Constitutional rights that are left, and force newspapers to “sit” on stories on violations of law that the government initiates in the name of “national security”. Everything I have written about here is easily verified.

The crux of the matter is that I believe that if more Americans actually knew what has been taking place, they would be outraged! The truth is that most Americans “trust” their media, and this is the root of the problem. Most Americans “trust” their government too, and this is something that they should re-evaluate. The media, from its abysmal performance in the last 8 years, and the federal government in the last decade, has proven over and over again that the citizens of the United States are not their main priority. The facts are that there are so many Congressmen and Senators that have investments in war-related corporations; they are getting rich through their connections! The average median income for a Representative is $675,000.00 a year and a Senator’s median income is $1,200,000.00 a year. This should be fodder for every news outlet in the country, yet they choose to ignore this (http://opensecrets.org). The question is why? The truth is that the very same people that own the media and advertise on their networks don’t want this information public. This is what is meant when critics call this government and media the oligarchy.

If Americans really knew what is being done in Washington with the help of corporations that have as their only motive profit and power, they would demand that government reform the FCC and take power away from the few groups that control the information being fed to them as “news”. The majority of what they label “news” isn’t news at all; it’s pure propaganda being spoon-fed to a population that looks upon dissenters as “unpatriotic”. This un-patriotic “dissenter” spent almost 21 years in the United States Army. Go figure.

Commonsense on the Russo-Georgian War

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:20:38 -0700

Let me start this article with a supposition. How long do you think it would take Russia to conquer Georgia if that were their intent? I believe that if the war started at say midnight, than the next midnight, Georgia would cease to exist. They might last a little longer if it was a spur of the moment decision, but if Russia was earnestly trying to take over little Georgia, it would have already been a done deal.

Now for all of you Americans that get your news from the American media, you don’t have a clue to what’s really going on. I’ve decided to tell you what I know from what people on the ground are writing. Before you get into that though, let me say that the Bushmaster and his little statement that he will not allow the Georgians to be defeated, is a little like the Captain of the Titanic saying he won’t let his ship go down. He doesn’t have a chance in hell of altering the circumstances. Especially when NATO doesn’t want to get involved and we are fighting a two-front war in the Middle-East.

From what I’ve read, from those that know a great deal more than I do about the situation in Georgia, is that the Bush Administration, along with the nation of Israel has been selling weapons and sending thousands of military advisors to Georgia for the last few years. Georgia has spent, or has been given credits of over 3 Billion dollars to bolster its military.

On the other hand, the Russians have been acting as peacekeepers in the two regions that have been virtually autonomous of Georgia to keep the Georgians out. These provinces’ of Abkhazian and South Ossetia are Russian speaking provinces. It’s true that Russia gave them Russian passports, but that was a matter of convenience for people, as their relations with Georgia were practically non-existent.

I happen to side with the Russians so far. They have shown a great deal of restraint in not invading Georgia proper. That’s all subject to change. Meanwhile, America has no business arming Russian Border States. That’s the long and short of it.

Political Parties, Corporations and the Truth

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:06:55 -0700

In this article I am going to make an attempt to clarify my views on this presidential race, U.S. foreign policy, the economy and what we are experiencing in this new era as far as our civil liberties, the constant threats (real and perceived) to our “security” and the increasing gap between the rich and the not so rich in this country. One could write a book about each of these subjects, putting everything in one article is a daunting task. I’m not an expert nor am I an economist, diplomat or a military genius. What I am attempting to do is separate fact from fiction as I see it. I’m sure that many will take exception to what I have to say and that’s understandable, we all can’t be mirror images of each other. I ask your indulgence beforehand.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has emerged as the leading superpower. This is not because we are better or smarter than other nations; it is because we have basically been on a war-footing since World War II and have outspent more on our military than the next 20 countries combined. When the Soviet Union fell, we had no reason to continue to fund our military at Cold War levels, but our economy was so dependent on our Military Industrial Complex. The United States could have shifted its focus from producing weapons and funding our huge military machine to projects like rebuilding our infrastructure and finding alternative energy sources to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The problem with changing our focus from military spending to a peacetime economy was that the defense industry sector was a key player in our political structure. The influence of right wing conservatives that made up the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) that called for projecting American power throughout the world and installing friendly democracies in key strategic regions warranted continuing the high level of military spending.

During the Clinton and then the Bush administrations, the Federal Government basically took the hands-off approach as far as regulating business. Huge mergers, predatory lending practices, free-trade agreements and tax breaks to companies that were outsourcing their labor force to other nations led to decreased competition and contributed to rising unemployment. The practice of cutting benefits and pay cuts as cost saving measures while CEO’s and other top echelon executives were paid in the hundreds of millions, even though their companies were running in the red, faced little opposition from labor unions that had lost much of their clout while others worked hand in hand with management. The disparity between the rich and the poor increased so that now, the 10% of the wealthiest families in the U.S. hold 71% of this nation’s wealth, leaving 29% of wealth to be distributed by the remaining 90%.

Some sectors of the economy, Big Oil, the Pharmaceutical Industry, Banking and Investment, Insurance companies, the Defense industry and Lawyers made heavy contributions to politicians, gaining unprecedented clout in regard to influencing government policy. Huge contributions to political campaigns became essential if a politician wanted to keep his or her job. Campaigns became more expensive and many elected officials realized that corporate support was a necessity. The media was bought up by corporate entities and the large networks were bought up five or six corporate groups. The era of networks owned by networks ended. The large media groups were now owned by corporate entities, mostly owned by the defense industry, primarily GE and Westinghouse, two of the largest defense contractors in the country. This and “corporate-personhood” that guaranteed corporations first amendment rights, meant that much of the content in the mainstream media, was controlled by a few select industries. Self-censorship of network content in order not to incur the wrath of owners or advertisers became paramount to the network executives. The United States gradually entered a phase of corporate influence that some call the “Corporacracy”. The government eventually became not a “Government by the people and for the people”, becoming a “Government by the corporations and for the corporations”.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 ushered in The Global War on Terrorism. This became the replacement for the Cold War and justified the huge expenditures for the military, keeping the defense industries and the stock market thriving. Eisenhower’s warning to “Beware the Military-Industrial-Complex had become a reality. The largest slice of the nation’s discretionary budget is spent on the defense industry. The fall of the Soviet Union meant a larger NATO, and many more overseas military bases for the Armed Forces. We immediately invaded Afghanistan, holding Osama Bin Laden responsible for 9/11, even though, to this day, a criminal investigation has never been done. The ultimate result was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the largest agency created since the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt.

The GWOT ushered in many new laws to protect the security of the United States. New laws such as the Patriot Act have been passed, which allows the government to search a citizen’s home without their knowledge or presence, and with no obligation to even tell the person after the fact, if he or she happens to be unfortunate enough to be deemed a “terrorist suspect” or a “terrorist sympathizer”. There are many more provisions such as a “No-Fly List” that prevents a suspected terrorist, or a terrorist sympathizer, from flying on a commercial airliner. Passports are now required to enter or come in from Mexico and Canada as well as other nations that previously did not require a passport. The new passport now carries a chip that contains much of your personal information. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 allows the Federal Government to arrest anyone without a warrant, and to hold them indefinitely without counsel, and to try them in a military tribunal. Extraordinary Rendition is a practice of seizing individuals suspected of terrorism and flying them to nations that practice torture so as to extract information vital to “national security”.

The John Warner Defense Bill (the re-vamped Insurrection Act) allows the President to federalize State National Guards and use them as law enforcement in any US State or territory over the objections of the State Governor. This effectively repeals Posse Comitatus that was passed in 1867 that prohibits Federal troops from acting as law enforcement in order that the military could not be used to effectively promote a dictatorship. These laws that were designed to promote the security of the country against terrorists, but these laws have also drastically reduced the civil liberties of American Citizens. The writ of Habeas Corpus has effectively been eliminated; this is the right to be presented with the evidence of a crime, and the right to be tried by a jury of peers, and the right to have a swift speedy trial that was written into the cornerstone of English and American common-law, the Magna Charta in 1215.

Other violations of civil liberties such as American citizens being subject to electronic surveillance and wiretapping without a warrant have also taken place. In violation of the law which established the FISA Court which requires the Federal Government to request a warrant at least 72 hours after the fact, were ignored. Presidential Directive 51 which establishes continuity of government in the event of a “national emergency” declared by the President has been written. This document, which basically gives dictatorial power to the President without authorization by Congress, has parts of it that are classified as “secret”. This directive is so secret, that members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees that possess the highest security clearances have not been allowed to see it. What could possibly be so secret that members of Congressional Intelligence Committee members can’t see it?

Many Americans disapprove of many of the decisions by the Executive Branch and Congress. The Bush Administration has been seen by many as an advocate of executive power and a danger to civil liberties. Allegations of torture and admissions of water-boarding, sleep depravation, sensatory deprivation, subjecting suspected terrorists to extreme heat and cold, slapping them around, being threatened by dogs and many other examples have surfaced. International Law on the treatment of prisoners has been broken. Many people around the world, and some people in America, expect the International Court to eventually file charges against members of the U.S. Government, to include President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. Impeachment articles against President and Vice-President have been introduced in Congress.

Everything written in this article has been illustrated to underscore the issues that we currently face as a nation. We are coming up on a Presidential election that will determine who will succeed this President. We are faced with a world that believes the allegations of torture by our government. We invaded Iraq on the premise that Saddam had WMD’s which proved to be false, killing over a million Iraqi’s and displacing another two million. We have almost destroyed their infrastructure. We have used over two hundred fifty tons of depleted uranium in our ordinance that is still on the ground emitting radiation that has caused the level of childhood leukemia to rise by 600%. Deformed children and the increase in all kinds of cancer have been reported. American soldiers have been exposed to radiation from DU and this affects their DNA and is responsible for many babies born in the US that fail to thrive and many children that have suffered their hearts exploding at 4 to 8 month of age (www.BeyondTreason.com). The economy is crippled by rampant capitalism and deregulation. American citizens are losing their homes to foreclosures due to predatory banking practices and the government is bailing out the banks and ignoring the homeowners. People are losing health benefits due to unemployment, firms that hire on a part-time 35 hour work week, and cost-cutting measures. 42% of Americans have either no health insurance or are under-insured. Unemployment has reached a 25 year high.

The Republicans are offering up Senator John McCain for the presidency. By all that has been said so far, he earnestly expects to “win” in Iraq without even proposing what the definition of “winning” is. He has said that he will follow the economic policies of George W. Bush. That means more “hands-off” behavior when it comes to regulating certain business practices that are hurting the economy. With a McCain presidency we can expect more Federal bailouts for banks and other industries, and no relief for the middle-class. We can expect to see more tax breaks for the wealthy, so that the divide between the Middle-Class and the wealthy, is even greater. We can expect more free trade agreements that could lead to more out-sourcing. We can look forward to more of our civil liberties lost to “protecting national security”. We can look forward to a continuation of the Global War on Terror and continued defense spending at the current rate as our economy becomes even more crippled and we stay dependent on fossil fuels that are heading the causes of global warming.

The Democrats are offering up Senator Barack Obama. This is a junior Senator with no executive experience. The Democratic presumptive nominee has already committed another two Army Divisions to the war in Afghanistan while leaving a “residual force” in Iraq, thus continuing this premise of the GWOT. He has not committed to lowering the defense budget. He has reneged on his opposition to strike immunity from prosecution for illegal electronic eavesdropping on American citizens by the telecoms. He has not come forward in opposition to the Patriot Act and the other draconian acts committed by the Bush Administration. He has pandered to AIPAC by threatening Iran with attack and supporting Jerusalem as the Israeli Capitol under Israeli control. He has threatened to invade Pakistan to fight the Taliban thereby increasing the scope of the war. The corporate control of the media and the body politic has not been addressed. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party has been virtually ignored. Senator Obama snubbed his nose at Netroots Nation, the so-called “Progressive” bloggers of Democrats and liberals. Senator Obama claims that he receives most of his financial support from small donations of middle income supporters. This is a not exactly the truth. Investment bankers and hedge fund managers are among his largest donors. “Bundled” contributions are the bread and butter of the Obama campaign.

The world see’s the United States as the biggest supporter of Israel’s right-wing government. Israel continues to build settlements on the West Bank and keeps the inhabitants of Gaza in a virtual “lockdown”. Bulldozers still raze homes in Gaza and unarmed young men are shot on a regular basis by the Israeli Defense Force. The J Street Coalition of liberal Jews claims to represent 60% of Jews in America. AIPAC, which J Street claims only represents 30% of Jewish Americans is the target of Senator Obama’s affection. Why? What is it about AIPAC that draws politicians in like moths to a light? The answer I come up with is money. Money and the fact that Republicans that lean hard right support AIPAC along with religious zealots like Rev. Hagee who seems to believe that once Jerusalem is entirely in Israeli hands, God can then fulfill the Bible’s prophesy and start the “rapture” and Hagee and his followers can enter the kingdom of heaven. I wonder if they’ll meet the Muslim suicide bombers and their 72 virgins hanging out at St. Peter’s gate.

The two corporate political parties have their two corporate candidates. I see Cynthia McKinney as the favored candidate of the true left in America. She has ballot access and she isn’t afraid to condemn the loss of civil liberties in America, nor does she hesitate to criticize the pandering of both corporate politicians to the military industrial complex. She is highly critical of Israel and also speaks out on the corporate controlled media. The Greens, which in my mind are born-again feudalists’, are extremely lucky to have her. She just might qualify for matching campaign funds for the Green Party. Brian Moore of the Socialist Party is, in my opinion, the best candidate… but only intellectually. The lack of ballot access for the Socialists, and the hangover from the Cold War, leaves many Americans afraid of the name Socialist. I believe that if the same corporate control of the two political parties, that are essentially not too different from one another continues, those Americans that find the divide between the rich and middle class (if we still have a middle class), will find the message of the Socialists more attractive than at any time in the past. Their support of strong unions and a return to a peacetime economy will become much more attractive. While Senator Obama gets the Democrats misty-eyed with his talk of change and tearing down walls, in reality, change will be the last thing we’ll see in an Obama presidency, and the walls of distrust between the corporatists, the wealthy and the rest of us, will be higher than ever. Until real limits are legislated on campaign financing, the corporate money will continue to rule the two major political parties, along with the corporate media that will promote them.

Unless Americans start to look past the hype that the mainstream media provides to their myopic vision of this so-called two-party system, the future seems bleak indeed for the average middle-class citizens. To get a clear understanding of modern politics today, one needs only to follow the money in the political arena to see who will emerge as the victor in this particular election. It seems to me the cruelest joke that is being played today is on all of the young people in this country that see a champion in Barack Obama and his mantra of “change”. I believe that the disillusionment that they will feel when the changes they are hoping for fail to materialize, it will bring a backlash of epic proportions. Maybe then the Socialists will start looking pretty good in a world separated by those that have and those that don’t.

My Country Right or Wrong...My Country

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:40:40 -0700

Those words…so haunting, seemingly harmless and benign, I love my country whether it’s right or wrong. That’s what the phrase means, right? To some it may mean that, but to me, it means something entirely different.

“My country right or wrong”, that part is entirely correct. The Egyptians, the Spartans, the Romans, the Spanish and the English all supported their nations, whether they were right or wrong. What most people don’t realize is that the last two words of that phrase changes the meaning so completely; “my country”.

The truth is that it is your country whether your country is right or wrong. It’s still your country. That makes you part and parcel of what is done in your name. “My Country” is the damning part of that phrase. Yes, it’s your country, and what your country does reflects on you. The truth may be that you have no real power to move your country in a different direction, but that doesn’t take away the fact that you are complicit. What your country does, what it stands for, or doesn’t stand for, is certainly part of your responsibility. You may only be one voice in the wilderness, but you still have that voice.

The truth is that all Americans are responsible for what their nation does in their name. This war in Iraq was “sponsored” by the majority of Americans. The war in Afghanistan is “sponsored” by the majority of Americans. The entire foreign policy of the United States is brought to you, courtesy of its citizens. We can bemoan the fact that this administration is run by people that don’t reflect the majority of its citizens. We can broadcast to other nations that we are NOT part and parcel of this nation’s foreign policy. The truth however, is that the majority of our countrymen are indeed complicit.

If we were not complicit, we would be marching in the streets with tens of millions. We would be attending rallies and knocking on our representative’s doors. We would be demonstrating and lying down to be carried away by the police. We would be boycotting sponsors of the mainstream media that feed us lies everyday. We would speak in one voice, one that corporate money couldn’t silence. Instead, we write about how down we feel on the internet with like-minded folks and decry those that claim to be part of the solution, but who really collaborate with the two major political parties that got us into the mess we find ourselves in. Sites like daily Kos, TPM Muckracker and other so-called “Progressive” sites that continue to support the other corporate party that colludes with the party in power. We all realize that the corporate parties are just different sides of the same coin.

The truth is that many of us KNOW everything. You don’t need me to tell you about what you know and what you don’t. You have a brain and a capability to reason with that brain and most of the people reading this don’t need to be told right from wrong. They know what imperialism is. They know what torture is. They know how our constitutional rights have been flushed down the proverbial toilet. They know why we attacked Iraq (I’ll give you a hint; it wasn’t to bring the Iraqi’s democracy).

You can all talk about what a predicament we find ourselves in and continue to fund and believe in this corporate make-believe world that is offered up on a silver plate, or you can dig into your soul and decide that you have had enough and become part of the solution instead of part of the problem! The crap that passes for reality on the television and in the mainstream press is enough to make a thinking person want to vomit! You know its true and I know it true. So what do we do about it?

We can refuse to fund the corporate parties. We can demonstrate. We can, like Emeril says, “Kick it up a notch” and start raising hell. I know I’m reaching people. Some of the people reading this have demonstrated with me in the ‘70’s. It’s time to do it again. Will it work? Who knows? Did we think it would work before? The truth is that one never knows until one tries. We all need to try.

Our country, right or wrong…our country.

Laissez Faire to Netroots Nation

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:01:18 -0700

I didn’t go to “Netroots Nation”, mainly because I can’t afford to travel to Austin right now. If I could have gone, I would have, if only to raise questions that the other so-called “Progressives” won’t ask. You see, I have quite a different “take” on things that most “Progressives” accept as business as usual in politics.

The difference between the people attending “Netroots” and myself is that I don’t trust the Democrats as much as I don’t trust the Republicans. Of course, being a realist, we have to accept that the Republican and Democratic Party duopoly will continue to keep the power in Washington. There is no real threat or challenge to them. The thing that bothers me the most however, is how quickly and totally the members of “Netroots” fall on their swords for Obama, even after he voted FOR telecom immunity on the FISA Bill. This type of behavior enables the politicians to take the Left for granted.

We know that there are Progressive/Democrat “Gatekeepers” on many of the Democratic leaning websites. To openly criticize the Democratic Party will usually get you bounced out as fast a neo-con at an ACLU meeting. Some “Progressive” websites equate not towing the Democratic Party line with being a far-right Republican. What many so-called Liberal/Progressives don’t realize, is that there are people that lean more to the Left than they do. The sad thing about the Left caving so completely at “Netroots” is that it enables the Democrats not only to pander to the right, but it allows so many “Conservative Democrats” that voted with the Bush administration to capture support in their election campaigns.

Some of the people that I’ve seen interviewed at “Netroots” seem to be completely convinced that the Democratic Party is only leaning right to capture the presidency.
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=1914 . Other people like Matt Stoller of MyDD (A site where I still haven’t been kicked off of yet) say that there aren’t enough people on the Left Blogosphere to influence the Democratic Party. http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=1913 . I completely disagree. I believe that there are enough people that subscribe to Progressive/Left websites to change the results of an election. This admission of impotency by Matt Stoller hurts rather than helps the left. I’m not blaming him for speaking what he believes is the truth that is what I expect of him. What I don’t agree with is his opinion, and why he even mentioned that the Left didn’t have the numbers to matter. If one were truly politically savvy, a person wouldn’t admit their particular demographic was too small to matter.

I believe that there are many more people that are dissatisfied with the rampant capitalism and the corporate welfare that this administration has practiced. Americans are tired of the “hands off” attitude towards regulation of certain key industries that are actually stealing from them. The pharmaceutical industry, the oil industry, and the entire military industrial complex are unregulated and overcharge Americans to and beyond what the market will bear. Corporations that pay their CEO’s hundreds of millions of dollars while the companies that they run are in the red, and end up cutting salaries of the workers and cutting their benefits and blame it on “cost cutting”. The same corporations are outsourcing their factories overseas and adding to the unemployment rolls here in America, while still receiving tax breaks. You would think that the so-called “Progressive” movement would speak with a louder voice at “Netroots”.

What this election will do, if as it seems Obama stays right of center (at least in my estimation), is that many who call themselves Democrats will eventually tire of corporatism run rampant and embrace the Socialist Party. I say that because I myself see aspects of socialism that are preferable to “laissez faire” capitalism. When the many sacrifice for the few, changes start to take place. Progressive/liberals may take a back seat in this election, but I believe that soon they will be a force to be reckoned with.

1985 in 2008

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:27:14 -0700

An editorial in The New York Times, No Friend of the Workers, today http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/opinion/18fri2.html?ref=opinion was a scathing indictment of the Labor Department. Now I don’t want to lecture anyone about what they should be paying attention to, but this one was too hard to ignore. The editorial was spot-on in it’s reporting, and that was gratifying in itself. The New York Times has published a number of editorials that could come under the banner of “dissent”.

In the article, there were clear indictments of the Labor Department. In one paragraph of the editorial the Times stated:

“President Bush has filled top posts across his administration with people who do not agree with the missions of their organizations. His Environmental Protection Agency has failed to protect the environment; his Justice Department has promoted injustice.”

This has been apparent since the early days of the administration. It is unfathomable why so many Americans have put up with this regime for so long. The truth be known, almost every agency in the Bush administration has turned out to be an oxymoron. The Defense Department has become the Offense Department. Homeland Security has become Homeland Insecurity. The list goes on and on.

The American worker has been the target of drawbacks and benefit reductions for the last decade. On the backs of the workers, the top 10% of American families control 71% of this nation’s wealth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_of_wealth. This leaves 29% of this nation’s wealth to share among the rest of the 90%. Does this make any sense? Meanwhile, while workers aren’t getting paid their last paychecks and are being paid below minimum wage, and disabled kids are being paid in cash to operate heavy machinery in clear violation of child labor laws, the Labor Department does nothing.

The Times also said this about the Department of Labor:

“The G.A.O.’s findings suggest that the government is not doing its job of going after employers who “cheat their employees out of their hard-earned wages,” said Representative George Miller, the California Democrat who chairs the committee that held this week’s hearing.”

The NY Times ended their editorial with this note:

“The first step in getting the nation’s laws enforced again will be entrusting enforcement to people who believe in them. We hope the next president will do that.”

Gee, swell, we hope so too. Hoping that an agency of the Federal government will do the job that it was created for is a travesty! This is clearly and eerily similar to George Orwell’s 1984, where the Department of Love was really the Department of Hate. The situation we have been living with only proves that the American people are compliant as well as complicit in allowing governmental abuse to continue for as long as it has.

Some well-meaning people have tried to tell me that socialism will never work in America. I’m here to tell you that rampant capitalism isn’t working either! These times have workers doing two jobs in order to stay employed after drastic “downsizing” of their workplaces. Unions are ineffective. The Department of Labor is deaf and dumb. If this is capitalism at its best, socialism, or at least portions of it, is defiantly more desirable.

Make no mistake, the Democrats and Republicans that feed out of the corporate trough will not change the plight of the American worker. I can’t believe I just wrote that, it is such a hackneyed and overused statement. Still, it is the truth. Maybe that’s why we have heard it so often.

Don't Expect the Democrats to Stop an Attack on Iran

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:30:48 -0700

It’s very early in the morning and I’m here writing about the possibility of my country attacking another nation in the Middle East for no real reason except to put some capitalistic fears to rest. The major reason that the United States desires to attack Iran isn’t because they believe that they will build an atomic weapon, it is the fear that Iran will switch from the dollar and embrace the Euro which will send our currency into free fall and bring about a possible recession or depression in this country as our dollar becomes worthless.

Make no mistake about why wars are fought. The central reason is almost always about resources, markets or threats to an economy. The rhetoric that precedes a war is usually never about the real reasons a nation desires to attack another. The reasons for war are veiled in talk about freedom or principles, but warring nations usually have neither. This nation, built on a system of values called capitalism or a market economy is always ready to use its armed forces as a means to force their economic needs on other nations.

The simple truth is that other nations usually allow the United States to succeed in their aim of basically influencing the world economy in their favor. The one exception to the rule if the last 50 years has come from our neighbors to the south, Latin America, the victim of American economic and military aggression has finally refused to be intimidated. Nations in Latin America are embracing aspects of socialism in their quest to raise their people’s living standards and to throw of the yoke of American Imperialism and Western Hemisphere hedgeonomy.

The first nation in Latin America to rebuke the US, Cuba, has managed to continue its Marxist doctrine despite American attempts to isolate the nation from the rest of the world. Venezuela is another country that has battled back from an aborted coup staged by the United States in 2002 and has managed to raise the standard of living of their people and institute industrial and agrarian reforms. Brazil has become the nominal head of the South American organization that is in the process of replacing the US led OAS called MERCOSUR. This organization does not accept free trade agreements (FTA’s) with the United States. Brazil as well as Venezuela are both modernizing their militaries to protect themselves from American domination. This has caused the US to revive its 4th Fleet in the wake of military modernization by Latin America. The prospect of US “gunboat diplomacy” is rearing its ugly head in the 21st Century.

Meanwhile, while nations scramble for strategic advantages over one another, especially to protect themselves from the world’s premier superpower, the American people are focused on its government’s moves towards Iran. Many American citizens are counting on the supposed “opposition” party of the Democrats to stop the right-wing Republicans from engaging in an unprovoked attack on Iranian nuclear reactors, filled with nuclear fuel. Their confidence in expecting that the Democrats in Congress will halt an attack by the Bush Administration is totally unwarranted. The Democrats have yet to stand up to Bush on anything.

Americans are realizing that the policy and substance of American foreign policy is doing great damage as far as other countries view of the American agenda. There are many Americans that would like to put an end to the cowboy diplomacy of the Bush administration but they are powerless to stop it as long as the Democrats and the Republicans are colluding with this administration in Congress. Americans are still placated by Democratic promises to return to a more benign foreign policy, and this hope is one of the fundamental causes of why the American people are not out en masse in the streets protesting the policies of the Neo-Cons.

The answer to avoiding more bloodshed and horror as missiles tear into Iranian nuclear reactors filled with nuclear fuel and contaminating large areas of Iran while getting into the atmosphere and doing environmental damage to the entire planet is up to the American people. Citizens of America can no longer accept the premise that the Democrats or any other political party will stop the future carnage in the Middle East. The time for protests and demonstrations replete with examples of civil disobedience on the scale of the protests of the early 1970’s is called for. We should understand that the professional, corporate-led politicians in Congress will do nothing to stop an attack on Iran. That’s just the way it is.

Give Immunity AFTER the Crimes Are Committed!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:37:12 -0700

I’ll bet that George Bush and Dick Cheney are tap dancing together today. There is nothing better than getting your way when most of the people in the country are absolutely disgusted with the FISA Bill and the immunity it gives for the telecommunication industries fir knowingly breaking the law Must be a sweet deal for AT&T that gave ALL of its telephone messages in the west coast to the government.

Barack Obama was a real patriot too. He flew in to Washington just so he could give a free pass to all those that broke the law! Some country we have here. Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd were magnificent in their caving in on their supposed filibuster. Yeah, kudos all around the Senate for showing that they believe in the rule of law, as long as it’s the citizens that break it. The Government apparently is above the law. This bodes well for Bush when (and if) he ever gets charged for breaking the FISA Statues.

We really need to get the whole lot of them out of there, Republicans, Democrats and especially everyone that voted for the FISA Bill. This has ceased to be funny. We have no rule of law, not when it can be changes by Congress after the crime has been committed.

Real Independence for All Americans

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:23:13 -0700

I have been wondering of late where it is on the political spectrum that I would feel comfortable? There was a time when I considered myself to be a Democrat. This wasn’t because I believed in the party’s platform; it was because I disagreed with the Republican point of view. The last seven years have reinforced my view of Republicans, but at the same time my fondness for the Democrats has also waned. The truth is that frankly, I don’t see much of a difference between the two; both the Republicans and the Democrats are financed by the same entities.

Who are the people behind the curtain, so to speak? Well, they are basically the same people and organizations that have always ruled in this country (with periodic breaks from time to time). These are the captains of industry and the bankers that back them, and lately, religious groups (that pop-up occasionally). The government claim that the people are behind the government and they are responsible for electing their government is patently untrue. The only thing that the people are responsible for is rubber-stamping the candidates that are selected for us. The two political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, seem to be the only game in town, so to speak. While it is true that this nation has other political parties, in national elections, there are basically only two parties that matter.

There is a trend that is occurring, its cause is probably frustration with the two major political parties, and that trend is that many people are now calling themselves Independent. The failure of the Democrats to initiate any real oversight of the executive branch, the failure to stop the war in Iraq, the collusion between the two parties in Congress and many more examples of political ineptness have caused many Democrats to reevaluate their political affiliation. The Republicans, many of who are embarrassed by the two terms of the Bush/Cheney regime and the scandals that have plagued the GOP, are also double-thinking their political allegiance. The mantra of “Change” that Obama is voicing seems to have struck a nerve with many people.

The problem for Obama is that unless he delivers on his promise of change, his campaign could run into serious problems. Americans are frustrated with the status quo and they are looking towards the Democrats to change the direction of this country. If his support of the FISA Bill is any indication of things to come, it appears that an Obama presidency will be more business as usual in Washington. This early in the race for the presidency has already left many of his supporters shaking their heads, bewildered by his about face on telecom immunity. It appears that a few more turns like that would seriously erode his support from the people left of center.

Changing positions and trying to appeal to the conservative voters that Senator McCain believes he has locked up isn’t all that bold on Obama’s part. The truth of the matter is that the left leaning voters in the United States really have nowhere to go if they don’t support Obama. The alternative, supporting McCain, would be much worse. So again we have the familiar “lesser of two evils” conundrum.

Alas, this is where I find myself. It seems like the stakes in this election are probably higher than any election I can remember, and it appears that we have two candidates that don’t have a clue as to what the real issues are. It’s either they don’t have a clue, or don’t want to address the real issues. I have yet to hear either McCain or Obama address the loss of our civil liberties. The two candidates have yet to comment on our imperialistic foreign policy based on securing the natural resources of other nations. The cost of maintaining our military machine has devalued the dollar and has thrown us into uncharted waters as far as the size of our national debt. They don’t mention that the United States bases its economy on the Military Industrial Complex, and that we have had this country on a war economy since 1940. The candidates also forget to mention that 10% of the wealthiest families in America control 71% of its wealth, leaving the other 90% of our people to divide the other 29% between each other.

The simple facts are that most Americans are not really aware of the real problems we face. The same old issues that are brought up every four years are being discussed now; healthcare, taxes and education. Nothing is really done about these issues and the same things will be brought up again four years from now. Most Americans have no idea that their civil liberties have been confiscated. They seem not to be bothered that the federal government has been eavesdropping on their phone calls and looking into their computers. They are oblivious to the fact that the attacks of 9/11 have not been investigated and that nobody has been charged, or that members of the governments of Japan and Germany and Italy among others have questioned the government’s 9/11 Commission findings. Americans are unaware of many things, mainly because the mainstream media does not report on them.

We have a “soft censorship” in this country. The majority of people that get their information from the major networks and newspapers are unaware that they are only given part of a story. Television is the prime offender when it comes to censorship. This censorship comes not from the government, but from the networks themselves. News that might be contrary to the views of corporate sponsors simply doesn’t air. One only has to sit through a Sunday morning watching the political talk shows to see who these sponsors are. They usually consist of Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, the coal industry, the oil companies and the pharmaceutical industries. These are industries that the owners of the networks have invested in. The conflict between who makes the news and who delivers the news has never been more apparent than it is today. It is no wonder why the majority of Americans don’t always receive the complete story when it comes to news stories. In order to be well informed one must turn to the internet and search out the real stories behind the headlines. Foreign news outlets usually tell us much more than domestic news outlets.

How do we change the situation that we find ourselves in? Well, one must realize that we didn’t get into this predicament overnight and that we won’t get out of it overnight either. The solution is to put people in government that aren’t connected to the military industrial complex. This means electing people that aren’t sponsored by the two major political parties. The only reason that the Democrats and Republicans have a “lock” on the political scene in this country is because we the people gave them that power. Americans have to believe that we can take that power that we ceded to them away. A total boycott on both major political parties is the only way we can break the lock that they have on America. When we get rid of major party politics, we go a long way to breaking the hold of lobbyists and the MIC. Another way is to pass legislation that would rid the networks of corporate interests and allow them to report the news free of corporate influence. The people of this country cannot make well-informed decisions if they are not well-informed; it’s as simple as that!

Another way to get this country back on fiscal track is to diversify the industries that bring work and capital into the US. We cannot rely on arms sales to bolster our export market. We must also broaden trade and start competing with the rest of the world. This “Empire Building” has got to stop. No empire can last. The United States was not founded on dreams of empire. The majority of Americans just want to be free to raise our families and make a decent wage while having the privilege to speak our minds.

This can be a genuine Independence Day. We can declare our independence from the two political parties that have a stranglehold on our republic. The time for party politics has come and gone. Let the party bosses do what they will, if enough people just refuse to be sucked into their corporate web that exists for the enrichment of the wealthiest in America, we can usher in a new golden age. This is one movement that could make a difference for all Americans. The two political parties that now hold all the power have abused that power. Their collusion in Congress to support this administration speaks volumes. The latest incantation of their collusion, the resolutions that give this president the power to put an embargo, an act of war, on Iran has definitely stepped over the line. Declare yourself independent of the two self-serving political parties. Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. It can.

Obama: Walking a Thin Line

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:13:03 -0700

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 Politics;

“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.

Obama Should Filibuster FISA Bill!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:51:31 -0700

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.

Kristol Pandering Again

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:25:01 -0700

William Kristol must believe that he is extraordinarily sanguine and the rest of us extraordinarily stupid when he wrote his column in the New York Times today. The column entitled “Someone Else’s Alex” was in response to a Move-On.org ad that showed a mother with a one-year old baby named Alex. and saying that her son would not be available for Senator John McCain’s 100 Year War in Iraq.

According to Kristol;
“I’m not persuaded. Having slandered a distinguished general officer, MoveOn has now moved on to express contempt for all who might choose to serve their country in uniform.”

Kristol goes on to defend McCain and insists that Alex would only be 9 years old after John McCain finishes his second tour. He also defends McCain’s statements about a prolonged occupation in Iraq citing the long presence that the US has had in Japan, Germany, Korea and Kuwait.

Just yesterday I had a conversation with my brother’s nephew-in-law who asked me about the Army. He’s 20 years old and since he was asking, I remembered the Army policy of giving two thousand dollars to any retiree that was responsible for an enlistment of anyone outside the family. Since this young man was outside my family I mulled it over. You see. I’m a former Army Recruiter and this young man was not my immediate family member. I tossed the idea back and forth in my head and then looked at him.

“Did you ever hear of stop-loss?” I asked.
No, he did not. I explained to him how the Army could keep you beyond your original enlistment if it met the needs of the Army.
“Do you know that some of the guys in Iraq are spending their third or fourth tour in Iraq?”
Again, he did not, so I explained how some of the guys in the Army only spend about 12 months home before they rotate out again to a combat zone.
“What’s that doing to their families?” He asked me.
“Well it’s causing a lot of hardship and in this country about 200 veterans take their own life every week according to a story on CBS.”
“That’s cold!” He said before he walked off shaking his head.

So much for my $2,000.00 bonus, I guess he won’t enlist. Still, according to Kristol; everything is just rosy for our all-volunteer Army.

“But it is surely relevant to point out that the United States has an all-volunteer Army. Alex won’t be drafted, and his mommy can’t enlist him. He can decide when he’s an adult whether he wants to serve. And, of course, McCain supports the volunteer army.”

One must come to realize sooner or later, that some former service members, even former recruiters won’t be helping to meet the Army’s enlistment objectives anytime soon. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that the Army in this day and age is not the “Deal of the Century”. They might make a young person “Army Strong”, but they could just as easily make a young person “Army Dead” too. The sad fact is that as soon as they are medi-vaced to Germany, if they die, once in the air, they are no longer counted as a fatality of the war, since they didn’t die in Iraq. We don’t want to advertise the real number of deaths, do we?

So Kristol, defend your candidate and your all-volunteer Army as much as you wish. You have your opinion and I have mine. The facts are very simple in this matter, I know what’s going on and you just don’t care. These kids are just cannon-fodder to you chicken-hawks anyway, right? I wonder how many of your offspring served in the military. Go on and attack Move-On, I don’t care for them too much anyway. I will say this though, this time they happen to be right on the money.