The Political Therapist

Who is the Real Enemy of the Middle Class?

2010-01-01T10:12:00.004-05:00

China's been benefiting almost exclusively from the stupidity of American trade policy. We seem to be subsidizing an entity that appears to be more of a predator than a partner. In the process, all we have created is a monster, it seems.

But a closer look reveals an even more sinister process. I would argue that American business, with the complicity and support of a terribly myopic and corrupted American government, seems to be content to cut its own throat in the long run for the benefit of short-term gains.

By allowing such trade policy to continue, the U.S. economy continues to take body blows, particularly to its middle class, the true economic engine of the American economy. It can reasonably be argued that the only people who have benefited by a free trade policy combined with an unrestricted and unparalleled corporate globalization effort are the business owners who have opted to abandon America's middle class for personal profit. Is this the "American way"?

Like the various investment bubbles that have blown up in our collective faces recently, this trade bubble will explode as well when American businesses realize that the products that they used to manufacture in the good old US of A are no longer being bought by American consumers in the numbers that they projected -- because the purchasing power of the American middle class has been dramatically reduced through corporate globalization and the resulting exportation of American manufacturing jobs.

China is not alone in hurting us economically. China is being enabled or empowered by both American business owners and our very own government who are working against the best interests of its very own citizens. By allowing corporations to freely send our jobs to China and places elsewhere, they are endorsing myopic policies that are principally motivated by personal greed. And which political party has supported these efforts? Answer: the Republican party.

When have you heard Republicans complain about globalization and outsourced manufacturing? Answer: You haven't -- because they have openly embraced these policies from day one. Since when have Republicans been on the opposite side of an argument with big business? They haven't and they won't. Remember, it's the "invisible hand of the free market" that Republicans put so much faith and trust in. History has shown that they reflexively react against any intrusion by government into the private affairs of the business community.

If the Democratic Party is smart, they will work to reverse these devastating trends and position themselves in opposition to the Republicans on the "globalization" initiative. Then Americans -- who are most concerned about JOBS and EMPLOYMENT -- will remain loyal in the upcoming elections.

I think we need to get very tough with China by becoming MUCH MORE PROTECTIONIST. And, in my opinion, it can't happen fast enough.

The Axis of Ignorance

2009-04-18T09:29:00.001-05:00

Perry, Bachmann, Palin, Steele, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, and many others who account for the hateful, reactionary rhetoric that seems to be filling such airways as Fox News and right-wing hate radio, have all become part of what can best be described as the "Axis of Ignorance".

The Axis of Ignorance spontaneously manifested itself in a fitful eruption of unchecked hate and venom directed specifically at Barack Obama during the presidential campaign. It continues to this day due largely to the fact that these people only seem to embrace democracy when it rigidly aligns with their notions of truth and justice or how things should be done. Loyal opposition? Forget it with these types. This is the "all or nothing", the "us and them", the "with us or against us" crowd whose philosophy seems anchored in a sort of moral absolutism -- fixed and unforgiving. Very unChristian in my view.

These people are deliberately inciting violence because the world no longer dances to their particular music. They are anything but patriotic and seem to lack a fundamental understanding of what it means to be an "American". No grace, no dignity in defeat, they are dangerous and seem to exhibit fascist tendencies. One glaring example of this is the Republican congressman who recently claimed to know of the existence of 17 "socialists" in Congress, a very McCarthy-like maneuver.

One thing is certain. The Axis of Ignorance needs to be mercilessly exposed for the toxic brew that it is.

On David Brooks' Editorial - Taking a Depression Seriously

2009-03-10T10:53:00.001-05:00

Mr. Brooks, while on the whole, I am in agreement with your thoughts and sentiments regarding the pathetic, counter-productive, and toxic approach to this financial crisis that the Republican party has embraced, I have to say that your criticism of President Obama's pursuit of a social agenda in the midst of this financial crisis, I find fundamentally objectionable.

First of all, let's first recognize and acknowledge that this financial mess that we are now mired in is largely the direct result of misguided Republican policies and initiatives. Specifically, aggressive pursuit and endorsement of deregulation, in combination with Bush's profligate spending (and the Republican party's rubber-stamping of said spending), have all contributed mightily to our present financial crisis.

So, what you are essentially asking is that the newly elected Democratic majority, who have been patiently waiting for several decades to finally be in a position toexert its influence in the public arena, forgo its plans to address some of the obvious and glaring social inequities and political deficiencies that have resulted from years of a Republican-imposed perspective and political posture on social, economic, and environmental matters.

You are essentially asking us to sacrifice the one opportunity that we've finally earned to make a difference on the political stage in order to -- once again -- fix the problems that your party played an instrumental role in creating. Is that the gist of it, Mr. Brooks?

Well, let me be brief with my answer. "No!".

We are sick and tired of having to clean up the messes that your party leaves behind which only serves to inhibit our ability to pursue policies and social programs that benefit the greater majority. One can easily begin to think or suspect that these inherited deficits that your party seems to have a special and unique affinity for producing is actually nothing more than an effort on your party's part to make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for the Democratic successors to implement a Democratic agenda.

So, you are asking us to sacrifice universal health care, and a much needed green technological revolution, so that we can exclusively focus all of our time, effort, and money on fixing an economy that you party left in tatters (after having inherited a surplus from us)?

And if we were to follow your advice, what guarantees will we have that we'll ever again be in a position to exert the considerable political power that we now enjoy (largely as a result of Republican greed and incompetence, I might add) in bringing about a much needed progressive, social agenda again?

The simple answer is that you can't guarantee it. So, in the absence of that guarantee, we've decided to walk and chew gum at the same time. It's really not that difficult if you are committed and resolute...sort of like your Republican party's single-minded commitment to obstructing anything and everything that the Democratic party pursues -- only in the case of the Democrats, it's for the public good and not for political power for political power's sake, alone.

Unusual Times Call For Unusual Measures

2009-01-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

Why some people can't see the foolishness of emphasizing tax cuts over public investment as a means of stimulating an economy on life support is beyond me. Political ideologies can often blind us to the obvious.

Two types of tax cuts are being proposed -- one which benefits the average taxpayer, and the other which benefits the business sector. As far as the average taxpayer is concerned, more than likely, if they don't use it to pay off personal debt, they'll end up using it to buy products that are made somewhere other than the USA. In the case of the latter, the only people benefiting would be the actual store in which the items are sold and the employees who work there (by virtue of the store's profit margin). The purchases, for the most part, will not benefit American manufacturing and, therefore, American jobs. (Just read the labels on the items that you purchase at your local merchants. It is becoming a rarity to see "Made in America" anymore.) Given this reality, I assume that President-Elect Obama is supporting this measure to simply fulfill a campaign promise. (And should this tax cut be implemented via lower tax deductions on our paychecks, the extra money will largely go unnoticed for the most part.)

On the business side, history has shown that tax cuts have done very little to spur economic activity in any meaningful way. During periods of economic downturn, businesses are very reluctant to take risks or make those types of investments that would yield increased employment or economic activity. On the contrary, the bulk of business investments occur during economic upswings when there is little to no risk involved. Even with targeted tax cuts, e.g. $3,000 tax credit for each new employee hired, I doubt that such an incentive will prove fruitful given the current state of the economy.

We are far, far better off with an aggressive public investment program that will definitely create jobs while simultaneously producing those types of needed investments that will have long-term benefits for everyone concerned, including the business community. And, as Mr. Krugman suggests, if we extend that investment program over a period of years as opposed to months, we are much more likely to positively effect a favorable outcome given what will likely be a growing perception or sense of economic stability and security in the minds of businesses, workers, and consumers alike.

In this scenario, the public sector will prove to be a valuable partner to the private sector in restoring stability and faith in capitalism as a means of serving the public need. Unusual times call for unusual measures. Both parties can work together for the common good. We shouldn't allow ideological preconceptions blind us to practical solutions.

The Ravaging of Our Middle Class Augurs Chaos

2008-12-20T12:57:00.001-05:00

Globalization and outsourcing have been singularly responsible for the decimation of our middle class. The only people benefiting from such arrangements are the business owners who are free to relocate their manufacturing operations abroad (typically China, India, or Mexico to name a few) and then are free to export their foreign produced goods back into the U.S. "duty free". This is known as "free trade". And it is also a prescription for disaster insofar as more and more businesses conclude that they also must "globalize" in order to remain competitive.

Meanwhile, the once vaunted purchasing power of the middle class (the real engine behind our economic success), is being savaged. Before long, there won't be anyone left who can afford to buy the goods produced overseas. Nor will there be anyone left to purchase our way out of a recession. The gulf between the rich and the poor has never been wider since the Great Depression.

It is imperative that our society and culture recognize that it was average Americans that helped to fight communism during the Cold War era and have always stood ready to fight enemies of a free and independent America. It was their taxes and hard work that served to preserve, protect, and defend America against its enemies abroad. And with those threats all but eliminated, this is the way they are being rewarded for their efforts -- by having their jobs shipped overseas?!

A society will only exist so long as the short- and long-term interests of its citizens -- its people -- are respected, nurtured and protected. Otherwise, what reason would there be to sustain an ongoing relationship?

If those at the top of the food chain continue to look past those who helped to put them at the top of the food chain, there will be great social upheavals and deep resentments. The writing is on the wall.

The Ghosts of GOP Campaigns Past: A Historical Perspective

2008-10-20T07:49:00.002-05:00

I remember when Nixon invoked the "Silent Majority" as part of his campaign theme. At the time, there was a political cartoonist who worked for the Boston Globe. His name was Paul Szep and his political cartoons were wonderful, always seeming to capture the essential political message in real but comical and amusing fashion. (He later won a Pulitzer prize for his political cartoons.)

There was one political cartoon that he did that I will always remember. At the time, the Republicans were perfecting their new "silent majority" idea when the country was at war with itself over the Vietnam war. More than half of the country was opposed to our involvement and there were massive protests that generally took place around university settings, initially consisting of largely students and faculty against the war . (At the time, the military draft was still a part of American life.) Anyway, Paul Szep did this caricature of a citizen with a very exaggerated muscular physique that resembled a champion weight lifter on steroids. What was so unusual about this "perfect American" -- this new representation of the "silent majority" -- was that this figure was conspicuously missing a HEAD!

So you had this male human specimen with a complete, very athletic, muscular physique but no head, which is to say, no brain -- and that was your Republican's idea of the perfect American. (Not much has changed in the intervening years, wouldn't you say?) It conjured up images of the stereotypical "dumb jock" or the blue collar worker who wasn't inclined to read or think about matters of deep social significance, whose physicality and ego dominated his response to social challenges. And, ladies and gentlemen, this person - this perfect American -- this new cultural metaphor for the "silent majority" -- was to later morph into what has popularly become known as the new "Reagan Democrat".

So even during the Vietnam war, the Republicans were using their patented "divide and conquer" techniques to political advantage. Only back then they were pitting the young and educated - the "effete snobs" as Spiro Agnew would refer to them -- against the huge, union dominated, blue collar working class who culturally embraced an "America. Love it or Leave it" bumper sticker mentality.

Needless to say, that cartoon was hilarious and managed to capture the hypocrisy and lunacy of Republican attempts to win the "cultural wars" which always seemed to take place during political campaigns.

And so, what was the case then applies equally well 25 years later with the Republican party's continued embrace of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove-style political campaigns. In the absence of an objective record of political accomplishment, Republican politicians opt to run deeply divisive politcal campaigns aimed at dividing the electorate into warring factions. And with the help of a largely complicit media, they were very successful in creating new and disgusting ways to destroy their political opposition.

Top Down or Bottom Up? How Psychological Factors Impact Economic Results

2008-09-28T21:28:00.001-05:00

Given the current state of our economy, we have all been subjected to several theories as to how best to proceed out of this economic storm. John McCain and the Republican Party continue to push their "top down" approach by emphasizing tax cuts to the wealthy. Barack Obama and the Democratic Party prefers an economic philosophy where a "bottom up" approach is embraced.

This posting is an attempt on my part to expose the underlying elements at play that have consistently proven that the Republicans' "top down" approach has been a consistent and dismal failure -- that there is an inherent imbalance in such an approach that will consistently produce disastrous results. And I am absolutely convinced that the Republican party, given its philosophical prejudices is incapable of governing in a fair and even-handed manner and certainly does not deserve our trust, loyalty, or our votes. Let me explain.

Having been an active and passionate observer of politics for the past forty years, beginning with the Johnson administration in '64, I have been witness to a number of Republican administrations, beginning with Nixon's in '68, followed by Ford (after Nixon's impeachment and resignation), then Reagan, Bush (#41), and lastly, the worst of them all, George W. Bush (#43). And what I take away from these decades of Republican stewardship (28 years in all), is their uncanny ability to shrink economic activity -- by virtue of a predictable and obvious favoring of the interests of a wealthy few over the interests of the vast majority. It's a selfish philosophy that seems to be fueled by a belief, conscious or not, in the "Scarcity Principle".

The Scarcity Principle holds that what is "perceived" to be scarce is generally held to be more valuable. Conversely, what is perceived to be "abundant" is inherently less valuable. This perspective translates into a mindset within certain circles that only a "chosen few" can realize the "American Dream" -- that wealth can only be achieved or realized in a limited fashion. A specific example of an economic policy, or an offspring of this philosophy, is what has become popularly known as "trickle down" economics. Such an approach is repulsively aristocratic, archaic, elitist, and only serves to suffocate or stifle economic activity.

We are now, in 2008, once again beginning to witness a historic and unprecedented contraction of economic activity due to the unmitigated corruption of a system borne largely from the tapestry of Republican greed, a greed that incapacitates those afflicted from seeing the forest above the swamp of their selfish lust for money, a greed that blinds them to the pain and suffering of those regarded to be disposable pawns on the chessboard of life.

Given such a culture, how could they possibly hope to govern in a manner that elicits trust and understanding and an expansive type of inclusion. Their selfishness and greed suffocates any spirit of growth or dynamism that might yield positive results. So, I say, vote all Republicans out of office. They don't deserve our trust and certainly don't deserve our votes.

John McCain exemplified this type of mindset by his selfish lust for power, as demonstrated by his surprise visit to Washington, D.C. to "rescue" the government's bailout process at a most sensitive and critical juncture in the process. Apparently impervious to, or unconcerned about, the potential risk of economic disaster by such a disruption, his actions reveal a stunning and blind ignorance of the "greater good" and highlight a selfish inclination to pursue personal goals or ambitions first.

Chaos in Iraq Planned

2007-09-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

The chaos in Iraq was part of the plan. The Bush administration understood that as long as there was chaos in Iraq, America would have a reason to maintain a military presence.

We all saw the Cheney video segment recently when he was Defense Secretary under Bush #41 where he lucidly explained why it would NOT have been in our best interest to march into Baghdad as part of Desert Storm. He outlined exactly why it would be disastrous. And everything he described has in fact taken place during our current invasion and occupation of Iraq under Bush #43's nose.

It is also important to note that, in addition, our military planners had also identified likely scenarios in the event we were to fully engage and occupy Iraq. There were, in effect, no surprises. None. Zippo. Nada.

So, why didn't the Bush administration, given its prior knowledge of the likely outcome, ignore the advice? The answer is simple: They wanted to establish a permanent military presence and "chaos" was an important part of the justification for doing so.

Also, it should be clear to everyone that the reason why the Bush administration is avoiding any kind of diplomatic initiative to bring stability to Iraq in the region is because they know that Iraq's neighbors would not stand for a permanent U.S. presence in Iraq. Therefore, the Bush administration has chosen to avoid any serious attempts at resolving this crisis diplomatically with Iraq's neighbors. Hasn't Condoleezza Rice's absence through all of this been rather peculiar? I'm sure it is also why the Bush administration downplayed the significance of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations in the Fall of 2006 as well!

So, there you have it. The lying, deceptive and treasonous administration continues to ply its wares on America and the world. You would think that by now, given the significant unpopularity of this president and his administration, Congress would be more aggressive in exposing Bush as the complete fraud and traitor that he is.

Bush shouldn't be given the time of day. He is completely undeserving of any respect. He has lost all credibility. And his policies are a major liability to our security and strength at home. It's as if he is deliberately attempting to encourage and magnify the hate directed at us. It's imbecilic.

STOP THIS INSANITY!

Dems Vote To Restore Habeas Corpus

2007-06-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

Well, it's about time! Habeas Corpus goes to the essence of who we are as a people and is fundamental to the organizing principles that our Founders established as the working blueprint for America.

It speaks to our identity as a people and sustains and renews our national soul. It is the essential light and beacon that leads us out of darkness and into the light of truth and freedom.

And, most importantly, it forms the basis for all of the other rights and privileges that too many Americans have foolishly taken for granted. For the truth is, without Habeas Corpus, we have nothing but a set of nice sounding words that lack the force to produce and sustain their promises.

All who oppose reinstating Habeas Corpus should be publicly condemned in the most public and embarrassing manner legally possible. It is unconscionable that a congressman or woman, who has taken the oath to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution of the United States of America, would want to suspend or nullify Habeas Corpus. They should be literally tossed out on the street and told to "Get lost. We don't need your kind here.".

Legislators: A Time for Principled Action on Iraq is Now

2007-05-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

"Key Democrats To Vote Against Bill That Excludes Iraq Timetables"

There is a time when principle should trump or overwhelm any inclination or propensity to embrace some "calculated compromise" approach. And this is it.

I am sure that before the Dems caved to Bush, the leadership was looking ahead to the 2008 elections and what the impact would be. It's obvious that they were more concerned over how their refusal to fund Bush's war of choice would go over in the public's eye. And with the type of mainstream media that we have at the moment, I really don't blame them for thinking that way.

But this is a clear example where one has to assert one's principles and do what is fundamentally right. The people respect difficult decisions that are made on the basis of "authentic" considerations. They disrespect those made for purely "practical considerations" when those considerations trump a more principled course of action. The latter shows true leadership. The former, a type of crass political calculation.

It's time the Democratic leadership show some authentic leadership. Regrettably, our politicians have shown an alarming and increasing inability to connect with their primary constituency over the past several decades as corporate influence has outstripped fundamental principles of democracy...And it's very, very depressing.

Will Republican Attempts to Pass Blame for Iraq Succeed?

2007-04-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

And how long will we hear that tired, pitiful, hypocritical refrain from the Bush Republicans -- that the Democrats are "cutting and running" and are defeatist?

Let's revisit the facts, shall we? First of all, this was not a "war of necessity". It was a war of "choice", the reasons of which were completely fabricated by a deceitful and devious Bush administration. Our focus should've remained on capturing or killing Osama bin Ladin and destroying his al Qaeda network in Afghanistan. Instead, our idiot president, at the urging of Darth Cheney and his neocon cohorts, pushed for an invasion of Iraq. Not only did we invade a country unnecessarily, but the effort was so badly mismanaged, that our doom was sealed -- not by the Democrats -- but by the architects and supporters of the invasion -- the Bush administration and his cadre of Republican supporters! It is they who created the condition of defeat by their arrogance and gross mismanagement.

Remember when Colin Powell told Pres. Bush, "This war will be "your baby" ...Be ready to accept the consequences"? Well, it's time that Bush accepts his responsibility and stops trying to pass the baton of his failure on to future presidents.

Here it is, now four years later, and we are suffocating in a quagmire of Bush's making. And here they are -- the Bush Republicans -- trying to attach the blame for their monumental failure on the Democrats.

It appears that Bush Republicans seem more concerned with their party's prospects in the next election than in what is best for the future of America! Once again, "image" over "substance".

So, Republicans, stop your nonsense. The truth couldn't be any clearer. You've made a historic blunder. Instead of further depleting our national treasury and ruining countless more lives on this failed "experiment", show some courage and admit the mistake and make an earnest effort at mitigating what has become a national nightmare.

Ultimately, it is not the Democrats who will be judged as "unpatriotic". No, It will be those Republicans who cynically cling to the notion that they can pass the blame to the Democrats for the failures of their president.

Bush Administration To Face True Measure of Justice

2007-03-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

Please allow me to wax philosophic for just a bit. We all recognize that certain injustices have occurred within the Bush administration. In this context, let me share with you the philosophy behind my unshakable belief that these injustices will ultimately be dealt with in a convincing, thorough, and satisfactory manner.

Yes, justice will be served. This optimism or idealism that I am about to speak of is born of a certain metaphysical or spiritual understanding -- a sort of "Tao of Physics" as applied to principles of justice -- a cosmic merger of spirit and science. It is in this "natural law" that I firmly believe and place my trust.

Justice will prevail. Universal justice is a force, much like gravity. An autonomic, self-governing force completely free of corruptive influence. It is inescapable and inevitable. Where there is imbalance, a force ensues to restore the balance. It is as water, perfectly filling the emptiness or void. It completes what needs completing. It heals that which has been unjustly violated, in perfect measure and with perfect timing. It restores order, balance, and harmony in the universe. This is the nature of things. It is the inherent beauty of existence.

Universal Justice is a perpetual process or force that is applied without equivocation and with perfect symmetry and mathematical precision!

Bush, Cheney, Rove, Gonzales, et al -- are not immune from the justice principle. No one is. They will not escape. It is inescapable. It applies to all without prejudice. Yes, all of us. This is the true Dept. of Justice.

So, it is incumbent upon all of us to be mindful of what we think, say and do. There are consequences. And they are unavoidable. So while we clamor for justice within our normal political reality, take a certain amount of solace from the fact that ultimately, justice will be served in perfect measure.

Allegiance to GOP in Decline

2007-03-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

Is anyone really surprised by this shift? The only statistic that continues to defy logic in my mind is the 35% of so-called Americans who continue to give their allegiance to the Bush regime.

After all of the idiocy, corruption, incompetence and betrayal to our constitutional principles that this administration has displayed, you would think that those who continue to be loyal to Bush would be just his ultra-elite base -- the wealthiest 2% of so-called Americans. Clearly, the other 33% are clueless about the real thrust and direction that Bush has taken our country or, perhaps, they simply philosophically prefer a closer approximation to fascism as their national identity.

Certainly, those outside of the 2% ultra-elite, the remaining 98% of our population are not being served by this Administration's focus, philosophy, or policies.

This administration has demonstrated itself to be anti-thetical to everything that Americans have traditionally held dear -- freedom, privacy, fairness, rule of law, civil rights, liberties, habeas corpus, checks and balances, three separate but equal branches, etc., etc., etc.

America, as a whole, has suffered greatly at the hands of president Bush and co-president Cheney. History will record these "Bush/Cheney years" as one of the darkest periods in our nation's history.

Bill Gates Shows No Allegiance to U.S. Roots

2007-03-08T06:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a man, Bill Gates, who made his billions largely as a direct consequence of the opportunities, benefits, rights, and priveleges that are derived from American citizenship.

His citizenship enabled him to solicit and enlist the support and cooperation of his fellow citizens in helping him to create and market his products to an American market comprised of American citizens who purchased his products in huge numbers.

And now, 25 years later, after having become the wealthiest person on the planet, he wants to make it more difficult for those same American citizens to enjoy the same benefits and priveleges that helped to catapult him to unparalleled levels of financial success?!

So watching him lobby Congress for the right of American businesses to hire from an immigration pool of "unlimited SKILLED workers" created within me a growing sense of disgust and despair -- despair over the increasing plight of American workers in this new age of "corporate globalization".

More and more I am finding myself feeling less like a citizen and more like a "unit of production" hopelessly embedded in a market-based economy with no national boundaries and no sense of national sovereignty. Where is a sense of national pride? More importantly, where is our sense of national "self-preservation"? It seems to be quickly vaporizing in Corporate America's lustful quest for profit maximization on a global stage.

The sense of a "national identity" and of having a vested interest in American citizenship is quickly being supplanted by a growing and looming sense of hopelessness and despair amidst a culture dominated by corporate greed and malfeasance.

More and more I feel as though our very lives and dreams have little to no significance as they are officially subjugated to the needs and desires of a corporate elite that has no sense of community, allegiance, or gratitude to the country of its origin. There is no patriotism in this paradigm. It is vapid and soulless

The war on the middle class rages on. It's an outrage and a shame. And, to put it bluntly, it sucks!

Will Bush Be Exposed As A Total Fraud?

2007-03-07T05:23:00.000-05:00

Of course, everyone knows about Pres. Bush's promise to fire anyone found to have been involved in the leak of Valerie Wilson's identity. And now we hear that conservatives are pressing for a presidential pardon?! What total trash! These are the very same people that would have loved to have lynched Pres. Clinton for lying about a personal relationship! The hypocrisy is unbelievable!

The bottom line is that Pres. Bush will not only not fire those who have already been exposed as co-conspirators in the leak, but he'll probably pardon Libby to protect himself and others within his administration from prosecution.

And let us once again be reminded that this is all from the president who in 2000 campaigned on the promise that he would "restore honesty and integrity to the Oval office". What a load of shit! What a sad and pitiful joke. What a sad and pitiful man. What a sad and pitiful administration. But it is we -- Americans -- who are paying the price for their treachery and incompetence! Our legislators need to hold these people to account!

Americans have been living a national nightmare ever since Bush/Cheney stole the election in 2000, and then again in 2004. This group of toxic, incompetent miscreants seem to be doing everything within their power to destroy all that Americans hold dear.

I am confident that historians will conclude that the Bush/Cheney administration is, without a doubt, the absolute worst administration to have ever served this country.

Don't let the little weasel, Pres. Bush, slither away without having to face the tragic consequences of what he has done to America. Hold him accountable! His daddy, along with a pathetic army of conservative enablers, should not be allowed to rescue the little misfit from having to face the truth about the real and tragic consequences that his poor judgements and decision making have had on the nation, Iraq, and the world at large.

And as far as Faux News is concerned, who cares? We all know that they are a joke and not to be taken seriously.

Iraq War: Mission Accomplished!

2007-02-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

The Iraq War is over. Saddam is dead. There were no WMDs. Mission accomplished.

It is not our responsibility to militarily negotiate the outcome of a civil war. That would be outside the purview that Congress had established for our involvement in Iraq. Certainly, our politicians can understand that a conditiion for "victory" would presuppose that we have won the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. I don't believe that can be accomplished at the end of a barrel of a gun. That conversion methodology would more accurately qualify as "duress", wouldn't you agree?

At last report, 80% of all Iraqis and close to 70% of all Americans want us to disengage from what has become a tragic quagmire. Isn't that message strong enough? Republicans, do what's right and good for America: Leave Iraq.

Bush Commitment in Iraq "Open Ended"

2007-02-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

In Bush's press conference of today, he was asked if his commitment in Iraq was open ended. In reply, he said no, that it wasn't but clarified what constituted the conditions for victory in Iraq. In answering this question, he said that Iraq would have to be relatively free of violence, stable, and not a safe harbor for Al Qaeda or terrorists from abroad. This, of course, yields a largely "open-ended" result because none of this will be accomplished in the short term. He also volunteered while attempting to explain the extent of our involvement by saying that victory in Iraq will not be one where we formally sign a peace treaty between warring parties. In other words, this is effectively tantamount to the presently unbounded "war on terror" in which we are now engaged, ostensibly for an indefinite period of time. Given that we have already constructed thirteen military bases in Iraq, it seems rather obvious that the president envisions our military involvement in Iraq on a long-term basis -- decades and not in months or years.

If I were to extrapolate, it would appear that Pres. Bush's idea of prosecuting the war on terror involves establishing a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq from which future military projections can be made to various trouble spots throughout the region. This is pure speculation on my part, but when I hear both the president and other Republican leaders say, "Well, would you rather fight them here in the U.S.?", it would logically lead one to believe that no, they would rather fight them over "there" by forcing them to confront us "there" and not "here". However, such reasoning assumes that they (the terrorists) can't chew gum and walk at the same time. In other words, what would stop the terrorists from launching terrorist acts in the U.S. while also attacking our forces in Iraq? The answer is "nothing".

Isn't it ironic that in his rush to invade Iraq, Pres. Bush created the conditions or the basis by which chaos ensued in Iraq, thereby enabling the terrorists to attract large numbers of new recruits while simultaneously establishing a foothold of their own where none had existed before. If that doesn't constitute a catastrophic failure, what does? President Bush has effectively become the most successful recruitment poster figure for Al Qaeda and other haters of America.

Congratulations, Mr. President. Helluva job.

GOP Blames Dems For "Status Quo" On Iraq

2007-02-14T10:35:00.000-05:00

The Republicans are desperately trying to get the Iraqi monkey off their back and onto the Democrats. However, none of their ploys will work because everyone knows that it was the Republicans who pushed hard for this war, rubber-stamping everything that Bush wanted to do and did, and without any of the oversight that is customary for such significant sacrifices of life and treasure. And, of course, we all also know that it was a Republican administration that doctored and fabricated the evidence to support the invasion of Iraq.

So, Republicans, there is nothing you can do to detract from the central fact that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS WE ARE IN. It's high time that you and your administration be held clearly accountable for your misleadership, mismanagement and gross dereliction of duty. So, stop this silly nonsense of trying to "cut and run" from your responsibility. It just won't work.

Bush Quote: "I Made A Name By Being Compassionate."

2007-02-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview on CSPAN, I heard President Bush say: "I made a name by being compassionate." I immediately thought to myself, "What?! Are you kidding me?! He really is delusional.."

This whole Republican idea of "compassionate conservatism" has turned out to be nothing but an empty campaign slogan. Remember, it was George HW Bush (#41) that coined that phrase when he ran against Clinton in '92. To me, it has proven to be just a cynical, calculated attempt on the part of Republicans to "soften their image" in hopes of garnering more votes. It's just another shallow example of the Bush administration's use of positive sounding words and phrases to sway public opinion, as though it's somehow sufficient for the public to simply hear the words spoken without the need for an equivalent or corresponding action that would yield the results that the words imply. The Bush /Cheney regime seems to have embraced an Orwellian approach to politics.

In this vein, another example of their Orwellian approach to government is their tendency to name their legislative proposals with positive sounding phrases that reasonable people would readily embrace or accept on the surface. For example, Bush's "Blue Skies Initiative" has a very appealing title, wouldn't you agree? I mean, how many of us would be against "blue skies". It readily evokes images of pure, clean, fresh air and a pristine environment. But the truth about this legislation is that it was a calculated and cynical attempt by the Bush administration to reverse years of environmental progress made during the Clinton-Gore years. And, of course, let's not forget to mention the most obvious example of them all: "The Patriot Act". Need I say more?

So in the final analysis, the positive phrases that they use have no actual correspondence whatsoever to the final results or the intended impact. In fact, the actual results often are the complete reverse of what one would naturally think to be the desired result. Again, they're just cynically designed to give people the surface impression that good works are being done on their behalf when in actuality just the opposite is the case. (Tony Snow, with a straight face, said in a recent press conference that Bush has a good record on environmental issues. I almost puked when I heard that one.)

So, to me, the Bush administration has been anything but "compassionate". They've been a deceitful, hateful, fear-mongering, heartless bunch of subhumanoids whose primary efforts have been designed to concentrate wealth and power at the very top while savaging the middle class through outsourcing, globalization and ridiculous trade policies.

At this point, I wouldn't be all that surprised to learn that a majority of compassionate conservative Republicans would endorse decaptitation as a remedy for those headache sufferers who can't afford health insurance. Hopefully, I'll never hear the words "compassionate conservative" again. The two just don't seem to mix.

Global Warming: The Time For Immediate Action Is Now

2007-02-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Earth In The Balance
Richard Nixon was praised in the early 70s for having the vision to start the Environmental Protection Agency. It was viewed optimistically as an acknowledgement that industrial societies must be sensitive to the environmental imbalances and damage that is wrought from modern industrial processes.

Unfortunately, the early efforts to draw attention to environmental pollution remained largely symbolic as American industry reneged on its social responsibility to rectify and reverse the damage done by virtue of its normal industrial operations.

Given this reluctance and irresponsibility on the part of American industry, the world now stands at the brink of an irreversible trend towards global suicide. How can Americans, or for that matter, the world, embrace industrialization if we know that to embrace it is to accept suicide -- on a global scale. It is utterly insane for industrial societies to continue in this course that leads to a dead-end. To be sure, the future of humanity, and the earth, lies in the balance.

It is high time for political forces to muster the vision and the courage to confront industry and demand, through legislation, that urgent and corrective measures be taken immediately to reverse that which will ultimately kill us all. There is simply no more time for delays or postponements. Clearly the time is now.

Unless industry reforms itself in environmentally friendly ways, there is no future for the industrial revolution. The world should, in the absence of reform, reject industrialization out of hand. It should realistically be seen as a metaphor for the individual hooked on cigarettes -- it will kill him.

How can we possibly raise our children in good faith to believe that industry and science are beneficial to society when we are confronted by our ultimate demise through its embrace?

We need a radical and unparalleled world effort to uncover, discover and implement solutions for our industrial ills. In this effort, hopefully science will play an essential role. For absent an environmental healing, we will continue to look into an increasingly darkening mirror that portends no real hope for the future of humanity and the earth.

Are Bush Republicans And The Fed Playing Dirty?

2007-01-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

The Fed decided today to not raise interest rates. It is my belief that it will limit rate hikes under Bush for as long as possible and will likely be more willing to raise rates with greater frequency should the next president be a Democrat. (Yes, I'm beginning to think the Fed plays politics.)

Clearly, the U.S. is swimming in a deep, deep sea of red ink, the result of irresponsible policies of the Bush administration and, what once was, his lackey Republican majority in Congress. So, not only will Bush attempt to pass off his colossal failure in Iraq to the next president, but all of that red ink as well.

I am convinced that Bush and the Republicans in Congress had intended to create so much debt and red ink so that Democrats would be forced to make huge cuts in various social and entitlement programs. That way the cowards don't have to go on record as opposing FDR's New Deal legislation and other popular Democratically inspired programs.

Bottomline: Republicans suck -- "BIG TIME".

Sen. Kerry Calls Bush White House An International Pariah

2007-01-27T12:41:00.000-05:00

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry levelled some serious criticism at the Bush administration during a speech in Davos, Switzerland where experts and decision makers from around the world have gathered to consider the important challenges and trends facing the world today. Sen. Kerry expressed his view that the Bush administration has caused the United States to become "a sort of international pariah."

He went on to say, "So we have a crisis of confidence in the Middle East — in the world, really. I've never seen our country as isolated, as much as a sort of international pariah for a number of reasons as it is today....We need to do a better job of protecting our interests, because after all, that's what diplomacy is about," he said. "But you have to do it in a context of the reality, not your lens but the reality of those other cultures and histories."

I agree completely with Sen. Kerry. Those looney tunes in the White House have done great harm to the United States both at home and abroad. The level of stupidity, arrogance and incompetence seems almost incomprehensible to me...to think that such stupidity and mismanagement could be even a possibility to the degree that we've witnessed in this day and age is shocking. These people are dragging the country into the ground on so many levels and with such ferocity that one begins to wonder whose interests they are representing. It has reached a point now where two out of every three Americans have lost faith and trust in the Bush administration to successfully represent and promote our strategic interests both at home and abroad. Congress and the Judiciary needs to quickly assert its status as co-equal branches of government and hold this administration accountable for its actions!

During Interview, Cheney Calls CNN's Wolf Blitzer's Line of Questioning "Out of Line"

2007-01-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

During a recent interview on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Cheney accused Wolf Blitzer of being out of line for having the audacity to ask him about his lesbian daughter's pregnancy.

"Out of line"? If anyone has been "out of line", I think the overwhelming consensus, outside of the White House and its enablers in Congress and in the media (Fox News), is that Cheney holds a monopoly on being "out of line". His rather lengthy record of spewing lies and deceit in promoting the war in Iraq is shocking, abhorrent and disgraceful to the extreme. What makes it so shocking is his alarming persistence in repeating and spreading his program of lies despite having those pronouncements irrefutably exposed as blatant lies and deceptions.

If justice were served both Cheney and Bush would help patrol the streets of Baghdad so that they could play a more definitive role in executing their Iraq policy and witness, first hand, the wisdom of their policies.

Did Bush Escalate the Escalation Process For the "Surge"?

2007-01-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

Speaker Pelosi's Criticism Hit The Proverbial Nail On The Head

Yes, the escalation has begun. In fact, Bush escalated the escalation process when confronted by the real possibility that Congress would withold its approval and funding of the "surge". Bush pretended for two months to be weighing his military and diplomatic options in Iraq. Turns out, he knew all along that he wouldn't listen to anyone outside his inner circle. His mind had already been made up. During this phony deliberative stage, plans were already being executed to mobilize the "surge" -- before Congress would have an opportunity to stop it.

What Nancy Pelosi said is true: Bush rushed to put the extra troops in play for Iraq to avoid having to finally listen and conform to others' points of view. His play for time was merely an attempt to convey a false "image" that he was deeply considering others' opinions. Image over substance -- PR and spin over truth and reality -- These will be known as the earmarks of this Bush administration.

The truth of the matter is that he felt that he already had all the answers and to hell with everyone else. His stubborness, a euphemism for stupidity, manifested itself again to the dismay and consternation of most observers within the United States. Once again, he domonstrates that he is impervious to reason and logic when it differs or conflicts with his own.

One could reasonably ask if Bush is a "dictator". And the shocking truth is that one can reasonably answer the question in the affirmative. The argument by some against such a label or definition is that Bush is merely executing his authority as "Commander-in-Chief". This argument, however, loses its appeal in rather dramatic fashion when viewed in the context of his history in office. Domestic spying, "Signing Statements", Patriot Act, Rendition, Habeas Corpus -- all these point to an alarming centralization and concentration of power in the Executive branch. And this is just the short list. There are many other examples of constitutional overreach. The point is that Congressional and Judicial oversight has never been more important in our nation's history. The integrity of our constitutional democracy weighs heavily in the balance. The results of the midterm elections confirm this analysis. People are concerned. And justifiably.

George Bush: Dr. Strangelove, Part Deux?

2007-01-19T12:43:00.000-05:00

The time has come for Americans to assert their independence and shout, "What the hell?!" when confronted with the possibility that Bush will actually take that next step and move to enlarge his colossal mistake in Iraq by making an even larger, super-duper colossal mistake by expanding the area of conflict to include both Iran and perhaps Syria and, ultimately, maybe even the entire Middle East. That would certainly make for a Texas sized humdinger wouldn't it?! Heeyah! Rock 'em. Sock 'em. Go get em! Heeyah!!!

The image that comes to mind is a scene from the movie, "Dr. Strangelove". In that movie, a pilot of a nuclear-armed B52 is tasked with delivering a nuclear hit on the then Soviet Union in retaliation for what turns out to be just an imagined or fictitious nuclear launch on us. And at that point when his plane is just about to reach its target and run out of fuel at the same time, this cowboy pilot (who actually wears a Stetson-like cowboy hat) manages to hop on the back of a nuclear missile, as if hopping on the back of a wild bronco. As the nuclear missile drops from the belly of the plane, we see this pilot waving his cowboy hat wildly with one hand as he grabs the missile with his other and yells, "Heeyah!!!" as he urges his missile on to its final target as if riding a bronco in some kind of old Western bronco-busting contest.

Does this sound ridiculous? It should. But the real tragedy is that it is actually a believable metaphor for what could happen, given the mindless stupidity of the current occupants of the White House.

Now is the time when America and the world needs real leadership here in the United States. Will we and the world be rescued from the mind-numbing recklessness of the Bush administration? Congress and the Courts need to stand firmly together to reign in this wild bronco that appears to be suffering from some sort of rabid ailment. God help us.

Domestic Spying Seriously Threatening Our National Identity

2007-01-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

History has taught us that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The recent spate of revelations of domestic spying involving various governmental agencies is alarming and represents a serious threat to the idea of America as a land that cherishes and promotes freedom and liberty as valuable national ideals to be protected and preserved.

Those individuals who seem to be in favor of such spying activity need to ask themselves if they've given any thought to the fact that hundreds of thousands of their countrymen have paid the ultimate price to protect and preserve our freedoms guaranteed to us under our Constitution. It is essential that the sanctity of our Constitution not be subverted in order to protect us from tyranny in its many guises. And yet so many seem so willing to so easily and quickly surrender their constitutional rights! Their silence on this subject is deafening and disheartening. All Americans should be outraged with this serious violation of our Constitutional protections!

In my view and in the view of many of my countrymen, the Bush Administration has exceeded its authority and has gone too far in their overzealous efforts to prosecute the war on terror. It only serves to change the face and dynamic of our country in ways that are abhorrent to freedom loving people.

Our system of checks and balances, which has served us well since our country's birth, includes the absolute necessity of having a free and independent press. It plays an essential role in keeping all of the players honest and our system free and open. This system seems to have gone awry in the Bush administration's quest to assimilate, consolidate and concentrate an unprecedented amount of power in the Executive branch. Of course, this accumulation of power comes at the expense of the legislative and judicial branches. (Whatever happened to the concept of three separate but equal branches?!) This is simply too high a price to pay for patriotic Americans.

Why are people so willing to quickly surrender their freedoms for the sake of what essentially amounts to an infinite, unending war on terrorism? Isn't it understood that collectively we are being asked to permanently sacrifice our freedoms? It is useful and imperative that we put this "War on Terror" into some kind of reasonable context. Important questions need to be asked so that we don't become the unwitting victims of our own efforts to protect our country and our way of life from our enemies. Important questions need to be asked in order to put the "War on Terror" into proper perspective: "What are the conditions of victory in this War on Terror? How do you determine when this war has been won? Who makes that determination? Are we sacrificing our national identity in our quest to prosecute this seemingly unbounded war?" These are all critical and necessary questions that need to be asked in framing this war in a national context. It is an important dialogue that needs to take place. Communications must remain free and open. It is also important that all points of view be freely given a public airing as dissent and debate have always played a pivotal role in protecting and preserving a healthy democracy.

If we are not vigilant, we will awaken some day soon to find that the net result of all of this domestic, anti-terrorist activity has only served to create an all-powerful, secretive, Soviet-style central government. We will have lost this war and not from enemies outside our borders but more accurately from those proponents within our own borders who argue for more security. Do we really want "totalitarianism-lite" and the real possibility of tyranny and dictatorship that are its inevitable result? All of our elected officials have taken a solemn oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Apparently, it is more solemn to some than to others.

As loyal and patriotic Americans, it is our essential duty to ensure that these Constitutional guarantees remain in full force. For it is that document and that document alone that defines who we are as a people and a country. Without that document, and the spirit that it represents, we are nothing but a group of several hundred million people inhabiting a piece of the North American continent. But with that document guiding our thoughts and actions, we are AMERICANS!

Protect liberty. Contact your congressmen and insist that they take action against this outrageous spying program. It is an alarming and deeply disturbing assault on the essential freedoms and system of government that have served us so well since our nation's infancy when our Founding Fathers had the wisdom, intelligence and spiritual insight to codify that wonderful document into our nation's identity -- our political DNA.

Bush to Use Failure in Iraq as Pretext for "Plan B"

2007-01-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Plan B: Engage Iran and Syria in a Major Escalation of the War
While listening to MSNBC after Bush's statement on Iraq last night, both Brian Williams and Tim Russert said that they, along with a group of other news anchors, etc. were given a surprise visit by Pres. Bush. When Pres. Bush was asked about what the U.S. would do in the event of another failure, he said that he didn't want to get into the details of "Plan B". I worry that the idiot in the oval office, who is a dictator by all definitions, will attack both Iran and Syria and engage the entire Middle East in a conflagration that will make our current folly in Iraq seem insignificant by comparison. This man is dangerous! He has planted his own seeds of self-destruction through what amounts to a self-fulfilling prophecy. His blatant incompetence and stupidity has set the stage for "Stage 2" or "Plan B" as he likes to refer to it. This occupier of the Oval office is marching headstrong into the abyss of another colossal failure that will make the war in Iraq seem like a minor skirmish. He will use his own failure in Iraq as a pretext or reason to launch "Plan B". It has now fallen upon Congress to save America from any further harm from this man! Impeach, isolate, ostracize or minimalize this man, but do something and quickly please.

U.S. Bottom Line in Iraq: U.S. Oil Companies to Control 75% of Iraq's Oil Production

2007-01-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday (Jan. 9th), I was listening to an NPR interview with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and was stunned to hear what appears to be a little known fact concerning our involvement in Iraq. I was stunned insofar as this fact has not been made very public and not given the degree of attention that it so richly deserves. The first time that I heard it mentioned from what can be regarded as a highly respected source was just yesterday. That it hasn't been given the range of public airing that it so richly deserves is astonishing. To paraphrase Speaker Pelosi, the little known but HUGE fact is simply this: the Bush administration has stipulated or mandated that the Iraqi government must grant U.S. oil companies control of 75% of Iraq's oil production as a fundamental prerequisite or requirement. Let me repeat this because it is stunning: U.S. oil companies must be granted the rights to control 75% of Iraq's oil production.

We've all heard so many different reasons or justifications for our involvement in Iraq from the Bush administration over the past four years that by now, many of us forget what our original "official motivation" for intervention was. Well, the original officially sanctioned motivation promulgated by both the Bush administration and the very compliant mainstream news media was to depose the despot Saddam Hussein and destroy his arsenal of "weapons of mass destruction" before the despicable tyrant had a chance to use them against us. The original motivation could then be summed up as "self-preservation". (Remember the Condi Rice comment to the effect that it was imperative for us to act quickly against Saddam's Iraq or that smoking gun may very well turn out to be a mushroom cloud.) Such preposterous nonsense. It's despicable. Yes, Bush's Orwellian Ministry of Mistruth has been working overtime, hasn't it.

Turns out that what many suspected all along is the real reason behind our involvment -- our "pre-emptive" invasion of Iraq was motivated by just plain, good old fashioned greed. Yep, Black Gold. Texas Tea. All of those noble ideas about democratizing Iraq as a precursor to regional democratization and stability was just a possible side-effect and not the primary reason for our involvement. And let's not forget one of Bush's most recent arguments against leaving Iraq in the lurch anytime soon: Iraqi rebels will use the money derived from its oil reserves to finance hostilities against the U.S. and its allies.

Questions for Pres. Bush
What's next, Mr. President? What does the next chapter hold? More looting of our public treasury perhaps? More American lives needlessly lost because of your poor judgement and your administration's gross ineptitude and foolish arrogance? Do you plan to pass your Iraqi Baton of Failure on to the next president of the U.S. and by so doing hope to avoid personal responsibility for your unspeakable failure?

Clearly, any window of opportunity for victory in Iraq has long since closed. The simple truth is that without the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, there can be no victory. When more than 70% of the Iraqi population would not mind seeing U.S. soldiers killed, it becomes rather difficult to regain their trust and support, don't you think? Or, Mr. President, are you arguing for an extended stay in Iraq where we will militarily enforce our will on the Iraqi people? Does might make right, Mr. President? Are we now to subjugate the soverign interests of the Iraqi people to the political and economic interests of the United States? (Where's the democracy in that?) How will the rest of the Middle East respond to such a posture? My suspicion is "not very well". It will only serve to buttress, support and bolster the recruitment efforts of various and sundry terrorist factions and organizations in the region. It will only serve to make the U.S. far less safe and far less secure, and not the opposite. You will have created a new group of enemies for us to worry about. Was that your secret goal Mr. Bush?

Is it your goal to perpetuate the "war on terror" so that the "Patriot Act" will become the new operational document or instrument by which our country is organized and motivated? Are we to toss the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights aside as quaint documents of the past that have outlived their usefulness? No, Mr. President, Americans will not stand for such treason by allowing our sacred freedoms and way of life to be so easily swept aside by a crass, manipulative culture of fear and oppression. For it would only serve to motivate a nation of true Patriots to Act against such vile attacks to their integrity and sense of purpose. Give me liberty or give me death or, as they say in New Hampshire, Live Free or Die will continue to resonate strongly with true Americans -- true Patriots.

110th Congress to Combat Republicans' Class Warfare Agenda

2007-01-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

What can or should the 110th Congress do to combat the Republicans' Class Warfare agenda? A good place to start would be on establishing legislative controls on corporate America's efforts to outsource the American economy to foreign interests. Also, any rational and intelligent debate will reveal that just about all of our "free trade" deals have been nothing more than a free pass for foreign economic interestes to rape and pillage the American economy. Certainly, Fair Trade must be given pre-eminence over Free Trade if America is to regain its economic strength domestically.

I was pleased to see that Sen. Reid will be pushing serious "Lobbyist reform" early on in the 110th Congress. I was also heartened to hear that Democrats will also tackle campaign finance reform as well, with public financing of campaigns a legislative goal.

All of these efforts will benefit the average American citizen, negating the self-destructive trend where corporations were allowed to rule America with few constraints. Finally, average Americans will have "their" interests represented in Congress.

Corporate Greed and the Threat of Communism

2007-01-08T00:48:00.000-05:00

What I find so troubling is the fact that it didn't take American corporations very long to dump the American worker, along with his family, after the threat of Communism was removed in the 80s. The American family stood tall and strong against the corrosive tide of Communism, playing a pivotal role in helping to finance our military effort to curb and control its spread. The American corporation of course, representing our sense of individual freedom, was the primary beneficiary of this protection. And now with this threat removed, the American family -- the American middle class -- is being tossed aside without so much as a second thought. Where is the dignity in this?! Where is the fairness? Where is the sense of shared community?! Is this and corporate globalization our reward for defeating Communism?!

Where is the gratitude for having stood shoulder to shoulder in helping to nurture, build and defend our concept of freedom from those that would seek to userp and control? Where is the gratitude for those who paid the ultimate price in its defense? Do you honestly think that our sons and daughters gave their lives so that corporate America could export jobs overseas so that a few could profit at the expense of the many? Is this the kind of society that we've fought and died for?

In my view, "corporate globalization" spells the end to an America that we all came to believe and trust in. It is destroying that which we all labored so hard and so long to build over the years. The fundamental principles and allegiances which we all shared during the "Cold War" years -- that sense of American patriotism and unity -- has been discarded and tossed aside on the altar of corporate greed.

Yes, the middle class is shrinking while sustaining a continuing series of economic body blows delivered by a corporate mentality that justifies its actions on the basis of "global competitiveness". If this process is allowed to continue unabated, there will be disastrous results within our economy as we will no longer have a middle class -- the true engine of our economic prosperity -- to rely upon to pull us out of our inevitable recessions. We are already beginning to see this happening.

The American dream is fading fast. And the Bush administration, along with a compliant congress, seems completely apathetic to this disturbing process, opting instead to unwittingly embrace this culture of economic and societal self-annihilation. The American "way of life" that we have all come to know and love is rapidly disappearing, a sacrificial lamb on the altar of corporate greed. It's a sad, sad time in America and we need to do something about it. And it has to begin with our political system.

We need to bring sanity and a sense of fair play back to the political discourse. We need to replace words and slogans with actions that produce a healing of sorts. We need our politicians to restore a sense of sanity and fair play where the larger good and concern for our traditional American "way of life" is given priority over corporate and personal greed. We must establish firm rules and guidelines, free of loopholes, that help foster and promote that which will serve to protect and defend the American citizen -- the American family -- against the onslaught of corporate greed and globalization. For if we fail in this effort, the world will no longer know the kind of America characterized by generations of its citizens who worked, fought and died to protect and preserve the principle of "liberty and justice for all".

These fundamental principles, which served to inspire America and the world, are quickly becoming just empty political slogans -- a fading memory of a time where we all stood together in strong defense of freedom and justice against its enemies. Yes, we are losing a sense of cherished sovereignty -- as corporate greed exercises its formidable political leverage to recreate a world of markets devoid of societal and political integrity. This is very, very WRONG!

Our national soul and spirit is being whittled away by corporate greed. We need to nurture and cherish those principles that have been the bedrock, the foundation stone, to our society. We need a society of informed and enlightened citizens where principles and fairness stand head and shoulders above a crass, market-based culture that is dictated by corporate greed. For if we fail, it most certainly spells our doom -- both personally and collectively.

Little did we know that while fighting to preserve freedom and democracy against communism that another threat would emerge within our own borders -- a threat inspired by personal greed and characterized by selfishness and ignorance. God help us.

Bush to Pass His "Baton of Failure" in Iraq

2007-01-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

Many political observers, including myself, are of the opinion that George Bush's intent is to deliberately burden the next president with the weight of his political mistakes so that the blame for failure in Iraq can be assigned elsewhere -- to the next president and not to him. To any serious student of George Bush, this is just one more manifestation or example of a serious character flaw that surfaces when he is confronted with or challenged by unwanted or undesirable consequences of his personal actions or behavior. His entire life has been one of escaping personal accountability, in many cases through the explicit assistance and help of others -- his enablers. Unfortunately, it appears that he never really learned how to deal with his mistakes in a manner that would foster personal growth and build character. The consequence to the United States of this personality deficiency or character flaw has proven to be monumental and tragic.

What I find most disturbing is the apparent fact that this president is willing to go so far as to be willing to sacrifice more American lives on the battlefield in Iraq just so that he doesn't have to make a personal admission of failure. His personal ego is more important in his mind than the actual lives of our sons and daughters -- of our men and women in uniform. This is outrageous and points to a clear and undeniable lack of leadership, both moral and otherwise.

There have been recent reports in the media that some in the Bush administration have privately acknowledged that the war in Iraq is lost -- that it cannot be won militarily, that only a political solution should now be pursued to achieve some level of political stability in the region. If this is true and Bush's subsequent actions are merely to prolong the Iraqi engagement until he can pass his personal baton of failure to the next president, then Congress must once and for all take it upon itself to hold this man accountable for his actions and misdeeds by forcing closure on this colossal mistake. Congress must do what others were apparently reluctant or unable to do during Bush's formative years: force Bush to acknowledge his mistakes or errant ways, demand a sincere apology, and take appropriate corrective measures to ensure that such irresponsible behavior is not repeated. In other words, George Bush must be publicly scolded and held to account.

It is incumbent upon Congress not to be another in a long line of Bush enablers by forcefully taking a strong leadership position in this matter so that America will not be made to needlessly suffer any further as a consequence of yielding to this man's ignorance and personal flaws. For to do otherwise would be an act of tacit compliance in helping to perpetuate this crime against America and, let us not forget, the Iraqi people (who clearly have suffered the most).

Paperless Electronic Voting Must Go!

2007-01-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

This morning I signed a petition dealing with election reform that will be circulated to members of Congress in an effort to provoke official action by highlighting the extreme importance of restoring integrity to the election process concerning how our votes are registered, counted and tabulated. Our democracy, after all, begins and ends with the election process. If you would like to participate in this important process, the online petition can be found at the following URL:

http://www.wethepatriots.org/HAVA/requestbyvoters.php

Americans no longer trust in the outcome of our elections. It has reached a point where reasonable men and women are demanding a more transparent and verifiable approach to ensuring that their vote counts in the manner in which they intended. Electronic voting has been responsible for creating this distrust as there is no effective way to validate, verify or confirm vote counts in a way that would restore complete faith and trust in the process. In this period of high tech, where our elections are concerned, Americans are far better served by low tech -- by restoring the pre-eminence of the paper ballot. After all, the paper ballot cannot be fraudulently modified or altered without easily being detected. It can be counted, and recounted, in a very precise manner that would go a long way in restoring unwavering faith in the integrity of our election process.

Election alarm bells are ringing loudly when historically accurate exit polling data is no longer corresponding with the voting results as tabulated largely by electronic voting machinery. We must aggressively and quickly enforce corrective measures so that Americans can once again honor and respect the results of the people's voice. Yes, Americans must once again trust in the election process -- that their voices are being registered and heard accurately. For absent this, our democracy is nothing but a sham, where the interests of a powerful few trump, silence, or veto the voices of the majority. And such a scenario is certainly not a democracy but, more accurately, a dictatorship.

End of Cold War Ushered in Corporate Excess

2007-01-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

It seems obvious to me that once our principal enemy was defeated in the mid-80s - the Soviet Union (Communism) - corporate America no longer felt the necessity to compete for the minds, hearts and souls of those within its purview. Consequently, the shift to the right has been steady and staggering on a societal scale. What we are left with is a corporate elitism that serves a different master -- a "global economy" with a global citizenry (consumers) -- and not one normally served by the more traditional body-politic, namely - you and me.

Such a social arrangement as described above is devoid of those essential elements that constitute a viable, vigorous, and enduring nation-state. Specifically, where's the spirit, that sense of shared community? There is none in such a vapid social compact. It's a harsh way to live and strips away our sense of national identity, pride and purpose. Our revered allegiance to those principles enunciated in our foundational documents -- our Constitution and Bill of Rights -- are being tossed aside like a cheap, dime novel, under the guise of prosecuting an unending global war on terror.

The political and economic changes that have been wrought from this corporate elitism is so very anti-thetical to the spirit and meaning of our Constitutional democracy. We seem to be devolving into a two-class system consisting of a "ruling elite" and a lower class. The middle class is being swept aside in a rush for corporate profits on the global stage.

Americans must awaken to the threats that these new trends pose and forcefully reassert their fundamental beliefs and sense of identity as espoused in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We must communicate our concerns to the new Democratic Congress in no uncertain terms. Hopefully, the new Democratic majority in Congress will forcefully and eloquently resist these elitist trends and work to once again embrace all Americans in a quest to restore "liberty and justice for all".

Real Political Reforms Desperately Needed

2007-01-03T10:39:00.000-05:00

As a democrat, I was delighted with the results of the past congressional elections. My first thoughts were that finally we'd have some real oversight in Washington. The Republicans would no longer be able to shove their elitist agenda down our throats or sweep their unmentionables under the rug. They would finally have to face reality and deal with their gross mismanagement, corruption, and abuse of power -- both on the Executive and Congressional levels.

Clearly, the recent period of Republican rule proved the age-old theory of "absolute power corrupts absolutely". Only in this particular stretch of time, most notably the past six years, the abuse of power was dramatically more insidious than in previous incarnations -- even more so than those chronicled during the Nixon/Watergate era of the 70's.

To be complete, there are so many areas within our government where reforms are urgently needed. Our democracy is in peril, the result of years of abuse, many recently authored by the Bush administration and his rubber-stamp Republican congress.

For purposes of this post, I'll focus my comments and suggestions on what I regard to be a top priority -- Election Reform. For absent election reform, our democracy will become a pointless sham (if it hasn't already). Many thoughtful Americans are of the belief that the past two presidential elections were stolen and not the true representation of the people's will. As a result, America and the rest of the world are suffering the political and economic consequences of this treachery.

1. Election reform - The strength of our democracy depends upon fair and open elections that are tamper-proof. Uniform standards are needed that insure voting integrity and accuracy. Let's start with dumping electronic voting. Restore paper ballots to a pre-eminent position as our exclusive voting technology. Also, impose severe criminal penalties for those who attempt to, or have tampered with, the integrity of the voting process.

2. Lobbyist reform - We need public financing of our elections. Let's admit the obvious: we will not have fair and transparent elections so long as K St. runs the show. We must find a way to remove lobbyist money from the political equation. Our elected representatives are forced to focus too much time and attention to building a campaign treasury for the next election cycle. And in so doing, their true constituencies suffer the consequences as their representatives must first satisfy the demands of corporations and their hired lobbyists rather than address the real needs and aspirations of their constituency -- the average citizen. The consequence of this arrangement with respect to the average Joe is "taxation without representation". We need public financing of our elections.

Also, and very importantly -- new rules must be implemented that prohibit former legislators and/or their staff members from joining lobbyist groups for a period of at least five years after leaving their prior position. Among other things, this hideous process has been largely responsible for selling out America to foreign interests. In such a scenario, greed and self-interest often take precedence over what is truly in the best interest of America. This must be stopped. There are, of course, many other areas that scream out for real reform. Future posts will address these areas in equal measure.

I realize that many of you will conclude that my suggestions will never be pushed, that I'm being impractical or idealistic. And all I can say to those of you who share that perspective is that such a view does not in any way diminish or alter the fundamental truth of the matter and that is simply that without the reforms highlighted above, the vast majority of Americans will continue to be disenfranchised both politically and economically.