* Joke of the Week ~ A pig in a $3000 suit is still a pig – President Obama, members of congress, cable news pundits and editorials across America bemoaned what Wall Street has done or not done with the $350 billion they received in a financial bailout several months ago. My local newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, said in an editorial titled Rewarding the Bad Guys, “Wall Street still doesn’t get it” as it was learned that these financial firms handed out $18.4 billion in bonuses this past year as their firms were reaching economic critical mass.
I am surprised and shocked that everyone is shocked and surprised. The financial collapse resulted from greed on steroids by financial institutions and head-up-their-butt government oversight. And the financial collapse changed nothing. Congress gave Bush and his Treasury Secretary $350 billion to bail out the Appalling Street of Financiers. These two geniuses then handed over the cash to the guys in fancy suits like drunks lusting for a lap dance at a gentlemen’s club - no enforceable guidelines, no strings attached, no oversight and the salacious alcohol-induced fantasy that the cash recipients will perform as desired. Now everyone is stunned that the money was not used intelligently, as intended, as naively hoped for. Like drunks with empty pockets and lust unfulfilled we gird for the morning-after hangover. Wall Street has given prostitutes a bad name and our government has once again proven to be hapless schmucks.
* Quotes of the week - The following two quotes are from the same article:
PBS Journalist Bill Moyers – “So here's the lens through which I see things. From my days in President Johnson's White House onward, I have defended Israel's right to defend itself, and still do. But killing innocent people is wrong, whether in Vietnam, Israel, Iraq or Gaza. Sometimes a candid critic is a country's best friend.”
Former Israeli soldier turned journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, wrote in the NY Times this week – “Hamas cannot be bombed, nor cajoled, into moderation. Tanks cannot defeat deeply held beliefs. No. Waging war on an entire population guarantees one thing: the radicals get what they want, and the innocents, on both sides, suffer.”
The lessons identified above have been hard learned but remain elusive as the errors are repeated over many decades and in many locations. The loss of innocent lives is but one of the tragedies that taint the past 50 years.
The same noted article includes an exchange between Moyer and Abraham Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League. It is a read I highly recommend for anyone attempting to seek clarity or a moral footing relative to Israel’s recent invasion of Gaza. To take a position that our own government or an ally can do no wrong is naïve and belies the evidence. I recall the pushback to protestors who were against the Viet Nam War being told, “America, love it or leave it.” This same mentality is exhibited by orators on the Fourth of July recognizing the brave men and women who gave their lives defending American democracy but then too often want to deny democratic expression when it does not suit their politics. How quickly we have forgotten the era of McCarthyism and the lives destroyed as Congress looked for Communists behind every curtain and every word spoken. Was this same political ploy not used by Bush and Republicans in the lead up to and execution of the Iraq war? Opposition was labeled as unpatriotic. Opposition was tainted as un-American. I would suggest that if the citizens who loved America enough to criticize their own country did not stand up we would indeed have a country and political system worth leaving.
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ ta da, Rush Limbaugh – This is not the first time the blunderbuss of talk radio has received this ignominious “award.” His recent exploits are so well documented that I will forgo the usual quote or explanation that usually accompanies this segment. I will simply say that this airwaves sewage pump is the Derriere Orifice of the Week because he is an unmitigated asshole. And, most fitting, he is now the spokes model for the Republican Party.
* Good News of the Week ~ hurray for less frequent mail – The Postmaster General has said it may be necessary to reduce the number of days that mail is delivered from 6 to 5 days. Personally, I could use an extra day of not receiving all the ad and solicitation mail that I did not request and do not want. The last time that there was a postal increase I had the thought to keep the rates lower by delivering the mail every other day. I will get over the disappointment of delaying for one day the receipt of the menu at the local Chinese restaurant, the next mattress sale or the discount coupon to have my chimney swept.
While on the subject of mail I suggest that the postal service be barred from increasing the cost of sending a letter by only one or two cents. I have a drawer full of odd stamps and I do not know what they are worth any more. I have to believe that when the cost increases by such insignificant amounts the post office winds up losing money given the cost of the transition and the millions of inquiries it must address relative to new postage rates. Like many departments in our government administration an upgrade in management skills would be a blessing.
* Comment of the Week – In an interview this week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that Bush was a burden on the Republican Party. McConnel failed to note that he and the other Senate GOPers marched lock-step for eight years supporting George W. Bush and his failed policies. Republicans are full shareholders in the disastrous Bush years. Now they are rat-like abandoning the ship of fools. The American people have not been fooled as they have voted Republicans into minority status and given the White House to the Democrats. Unfortunately, it took a crushed economy, devastating foreign policy and further debilitating of the federal government by Bush and Republicans for the American people to fully grasp this failed leadership. Fortunately, you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
* Election of the Week ~ meet Michael Steele – The former lieutenant governor of Maryland and long-time conservative commentator on FOX News has been elected the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). What do we know about the man selected to lead the Republican Party out of purgatory? When Steele ran for the Maryland senate seat two years ago he ran a campaign “worthy” of his party. His backers went to Philadelphia and hired 300 poor, mostly unemployed African Americans and put them on Trailways buses bound for Maryland. They were deployed to African American communities and given fliers to hand out to residents. “They spent Election Day handing out glossy fliers headlined "Democratic Sample Ballot" or "Official Voter Guide." The fliers employed the phrase "Ehrlich-Steele Democrats." And they featured images of prominent African Americans, such as former Democratic congressman and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume, above the words: "These are our choices."
Mfume was not supporting Steele and Steele was running on the Republican ticket. The group Progressive Maryland described Steele’s campaign as one of "Lies, Dirty Tricks, and Fraudulent Fliers Designed to Deceive African American Voters." Steele lost the election but apparently shored up his Republican credentials. Yes, Michael Steele meets most of the qualifications to be the leader of the Republican Party – the one exception being that he is an African American. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the almost last stronghold of the Republican Party – the Land of Dixie.
* This is the 100th post of Stephen Views the News. What began as a brief email to 15 friends in June 2007 soon became a forum to address issues I deemed of national concern and to publicize the machinations and failures of the Bush administration that I came across, often in less than mainstream media. By almost any standard this blog is narrow in influence and yet it has enabled me to feel I have made a small contribution to readers’ awareness on a broad range of subjects. The writing of SVN has resulted in making new relationships across our country and the resulting dialogue and feedback has contributed to shaping my views and opinions. In addition to my own web page SVN is posted at barackobama.com and the national website of Democracy for America where it is made available to hundreds of local DFA affiliates. It is impossible to know how many people read my work at these other sites. I do know that several thousand individuals have visited SVN, coming from 42 countries and nearly 1000 cities. The internet is truly an amazing gift and the newest tool for shining a bright light on our leaders.
* “It may well be that our means are fairly limited and our possibilities restricted when it comes to applying pressure on our government. But is this a reason to do nothing? Despair is nor an answer. Neither is resignation. Resignation only leads to indifference, which is not merely a sin but a punishment.”
Elie Wiesel (born 1928) Holocaust survivor, Jewish writer, professor, political activist and Nobel Laureate
Showing posts with label Bill Moyers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Moyers. Show all posts
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, May 17, 2008
* Germany’s shame remembered ~ vigilance is not optional – May 10th marked the 75th anniversary when, a little more than 3 months after Hitler was appointed chancellor, students around Germany burned thousands of books deemed to be “un-German.” Marking this anniversary were remarks last week by Germany’s President Horst Koehler. “The destruction faced little resistance at the time and left room for no illusions about the way Nazi-run Germany was headed, coming after a boycott of Jewish businesses weeks earlier… It was only a small step from the ostracism of Jews to the burning of their books, and again a small step from the burning of books to the burning of human beings." Wishful thinking contributes to the hope that another Holocaust not be repeated. That is not the world’s reality. Holocausts have since occurred in places such as China, North Korea and Rwanda. More recently we have seen it in Darfur and this week it is evident in Myanmar as the ruling Generals of that country block and hoard emergency aid to millions of its citizens left sick, homeless, starving and diseased from the recent cyclone that devastated the country.
Man’s inhumanity to fellow man at times seems limitless. Man’s desire for power is always a threat to freedoms. It is imperative for a democracy that those who achieve power not be allowed to abuse it. Checks and balances on the three branches of the U.S. government was part of the genius of the writers of the U.S. Constitution. The Bush administration found loopholes in our system resulting in the centralizing of power, avoidance of oversight, broad expansion of domestic spying powers and the empowering of religious right orthodoxy in the political sphere. America is not on the verge of a holocaust but the seeds that have been planted are not organic to a free society. We all share responsibility to elect leaders that will take seriously the oath to protect the Constitution. The alternative is a continuation of this dismal era in American history.
* Candidate for Vice President? - Media coverage of John McCain appearances suggests that Joe Lieberman accompanies him almost as often as McCain’s wife Cindy. The former Democrat and current Independent has a Bush Republican mentality and voting record. Lieberman’s ties to special interests, his neocon position on the Iraq war and his being on the losing ticket as a Vice-Presidential candidate in 2000 make him the perfect selection as McCain’s running mate this year (sorry Condi). One senses that Joe Lieberman would dance the Hora for another chance at the Super Bowl of politics. McBush almost rolls off the tongue but, McLieberman? Oy vey!
~ Speaking of Cindy – Mrs. McCain was very busy this week selling over $2 million in business investments in Sudan because her holdings had become public. Yes, that Sudan - the one committing genocide in Darfur. It is believed that she disembarked the Straight Talk Express to give her broker a sell order.
* Ludicrous Lieberman – Joe Lieberman appeared on CNN, functioning as McCain’s attack dog. Lieberman implied that because a Hamas spokesperson would welcome the election of Senator Obama proves that McCain would be the better choice to protect America. When Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Obama also labels Hamas a terrorist organization, making his position the same as McCain's, Lieberman said, "that's true," adding that Obama "clearly doesn't support any of the values and goals of Hamas." And Lieberman clearly doesn’t support an honest discussion of the real issues. His attempt to disparage Obama by associating him with Hamas is typical of the hateful and divisive politics Republicans and closet Republicans have used to stain the political landscape in recent years. One reason why I want to see the Democrats increase their majority in the Senate is so that Lieberman is further marginalized, is removed from committee chairs and slithers away to oblivion with his fellow Republicans as America recovers from their devastating tenure.
* Supporting Breast Cancer Research – This past Sunday 45,000 people took part in the Philadelphia walk raising funds for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The event included more than 6000 breast cancer survivors! Similar walks are taking place across America to fight a disease that affects one in eight women. Donations to the Komen Foundation can be made at this link. Another way to help women fight breast cancer is visiting The Breast Cancer Site. Just one click a day and there is no cost to you. Each day that you visit the site a contribution is made by advertisers to fund breast exams for disadvantaged women. It will make you feel in the pink.
* Media redefined – At one time if one were interested in in-depth news analysis major newspapers, news magazines and occasionally television were reliable sources. The corporate takeover/consolidation of media has led to agenda based news analysis and a reduction in quality reporting. Fortunately, the internet provides viable options. An excellent example of this is the quality work by various writers this past Sunday at dailykos.com. The following were well-researched subjects worthy of attention: smintheus discusses George Bush’s recent secrecy directive ostensibly intended to protect sensitive information but in fact reducing government transparency; DemFromCT contrasts John McCain and Barack Obama on issues and their run to the white House; DemFromCT also does a study on the under-capacity of many of our hospitals to deal with current volume and the choices that will have to be made in the face of another Katrina or pandemic disease reaching our shores. The choices will include triage decisions to abandon the very elderly or the very critical; BarbinMD discusses the nuclear posture of the United States, paying particular attention to Hillary Clinton's recent remark about obliterating Iran and her repeated comparisons of today's foreign policy climate with the Cold War; DHinMI discusses how US miscalculations may be a factor in the possible eruption of a full-fledged civil war in Lebanon. Meaningful news analysis is still available but it requires more than a remote control.
* Media blackout – Bill Moyers is one of the best journalists in America today. Keith Olbermann interviewed him about corporate media, their biases and their ignoring critical issues and their influence in the general election. Moyers said, “I think it means for all of them (corporate media) that they won’t really get to the deep, profound structural problems that we face as a country. We’re not going to have a discourse in this campaign over the fact that the great American wealth machine is benefiting only those at the top. We’re not going to get to the fact that 10% of the people own 60% of the wealth and 70% of the people have no net worth. We’re not going to get to the issues of how do we rebuild the infrastructure, the sewer, the water, the highways, all that. We’re just going to be constantly in this battle of bumper stickers.”
* Media malarkey – We recently learned that supposedly “independent” retired military officers giving their views on the Iraq war and the U. S. military were in fact briefed by the Pentagon on what to say. These “experts”, many with ties to defense contractors, willingly regurgitated Pentagon propaganda. The website Media Matters for America studied the situation in more depth and reports that this problem was more widespread than initially indicated. “A Media Matters review found that since January 1, 2002, the analysts named in the Times article collectively appeared or were quoted as experts more than 4,500 times on ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR.” This link provides a statistical analysis of the 4500 appearances by these mendacious media darlings. It is not known whether the alphabet broadcasting networks knew their “experts” were compromised. It is telling that the outing of these “experts” received very little mention in subsequent broadcasts..
* Media consolidation ~ a victory for you and me –Bush’s Federal Communications Commissions (FEC) recently ruled in favor of big business. The FEC would allow media conglomerates to continue to swallow up local media. On Thursday night the Senate voted to throw out the FEC decision. The organization Stop Big Media considers this a major victory as the issue moves on to the House. At their web site you can find specific reasons why media consolidation is a bad idea for a democracy and what is at stake. Additional information is available at freepress.net. Common Cause has available a petition you can send to your Representative urging that the FEC rulings be nullified. Barack Obama’s comments concerning media consolidation and diversity are available at this link.
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ saving the world and ruining lives ~ no, not George Bush (okay, him too) – Meet Daphne Beasley. She is a Memphis, TN high school principal who is living proof that an education does not leave one idiot-proof. The website Consenting Adult brought this holier than Swiss cheese moron to my attention. On a web site Principal Beasley is outing her students that she “hears” are gay. The basis of her condemnation is word-of mouth from teachers and students. Proof is not asked for nor required. The consequences for the “outed” students have been teen bullying and ruined lives. The ACLU has involved itself in the situation. Shame should be shared by the Memphis School Board for not outing/firing Beasley and for the school’s faculty for their compliance. If they think that they are doing God’s work they should apply for unemployment.
* Intelligent federal legislation (this is not a misprint) – “Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges.” One of the biggest obstacles to prosecuting rape cases is that a victim is so traumatized just after the attack that she does not press charges. If the woman waits for a period of time before accusing her attacker it is usually too late. “Beginning in 2009, states will have to pay for Jane Doe rape kits to continue receiving funding under the federal Violence Against Women Act, which provides tax dollars for women's shelters and law enforcement training.” Congratulations to Congress for this much needed support of victims of rape.
* Is Bush going out with a bang? – The end of the Bush presidency is on the horizon. There is no legislation or initiative that has been or will prove to be a high-water mark. These last months will continue to be a defensive posture marked by attempts to keep its over-reaching, dishonest and criminal actions from public view. The only deviation that could depart from this period closing with a whimper is Iran. And it could prove to be a big deviation. I have no illusions that Iran is one of the good guys. However, can America and its military afford another war front? The answer is a resounding NO. At best America can tread water until an adult takes over the White House and an intelligent multi-national approach to the Iran problem can be implemented. Yet, people connected with Bush continue to beat drums for attacking Iran. This week General Petraeus claimed that “Iran's involvement is the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq." The General failed to mention that within Iraq the sects hate each other and factions within the sects hate each other and that this hate is backed up with violent acts against each other and American troops. He also failed to mention that the corruption within the al Maliki government has undermined reconstruction, basic services such as electricity and potable drinking water and that the U.S. government has made every attempt to cover up this corruption. These are some of the realities that do not bode well for democracy in Iraq or for the safety and freedom of the Iraqi people. The organization TrueMajoriy.org provides a petition to congress that you can sign urging the passage of S. Res. 356 that states, "Any offensive military action against Iran must be explicitly approved by congress." Some may find this legislation unnecessary since the U.S. Constitution specifies that only Congress can declare war. Others will say it is necessary because the current President and Vice President of the United States do not feel compelled to follow the laws of the land.
* “The current perception I get from the evening news is that the world is dominated by human failure, crime, catastrophe, corruption, and tragedy. We are all tuning in to see how the human mind is evolving, but the media keeps hammering home the opposite, that the human mind is mired in darkness and folly.”
Deepak Chopra, Self Help Author
Man’s inhumanity to fellow man at times seems limitless. Man’s desire for power is always a threat to freedoms. It is imperative for a democracy that those who achieve power not be allowed to abuse it. Checks and balances on the three branches of the U.S. government was part of the genius of the writers of the U.S. Constitution. The Bush administration found loopholes in our system resulting in the centralizing of power, avoidance of oversight, broad expansion of domestic spying powers and the empowering of religious right orthodoxy in the political sphere. America is not on the verge of a holocaust but the seeds that have been planted are not organic to a free society. We all share responsibility to elect leaders that will take seriously the oath to protect the Constitution. The alternative is a continuation of this dismal era in American history.
* Candidate for Vice President? - Media coverage of John McCain appearances suggests that Joe Lieberman accompanies him almost as often as McCain’s wife Cindy. The former Democrat and current Independent has a Bush Republican mentality and voting record. Lieberman’s ties to special interests, his neocon position on the Iraq war and his being on the losing ticket as a Vice-Presidential candidate in 2000 make him the perfect selection as McCain’s running mate this year (sorry Condi). One senses that Joe Lieberman would dance the Hora for another chance at the Super Bowl of politics. McBush almost rolls off the tongue but, McLieberman? Oy vey!
~ Speaking of Cindy – Mrs. McCain was very busy this week selling over $2 million in business investments in Sudan because her holdings had become public. Yes, that Sudan - the one committing genocide in Darfur. It is believed that she disembarked the Straight Talk Express to give her broker a sell order.
* Ludicrous Lieberman – Joe Lieberman appeared on CNN, functioning as McCain’s attack dog. Lieberman implied that because a Hamas spokesperson would welcome the election of Senator Obama proves that McCain would be the better choice to protect America. When Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Obama also labels Hamas a terrorist organization, making his position the same as McCain's, Lieberman said, "that's true," adding that Obama "clearly doesn't support any of the values and goals of Hamas." And Lieberman clearly doesn’t support an honest discussion of the real issues. His attempt to disparage Obama by associating him with Hamas is typical of the hateful and divisive politics Republicans and closet Republicans have used to stain the political landscape in recent years. One reason why I want to see the Democrats increase their majority in the Senate is so that Lieberman is further marginalized, is removed from committee chairs and slithers away to oblivion with his fellow Republicans as America recovers from their devastating tenure.
* Supporting Breast Cancer Research – This past Sunday 45,000 people took part in the Philadelphia walk raising funds for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The event included more than 6000 breast cancer survivors! Similar walks are taking place across America to fight a disease that affects one in eight women. Donations to the Komen Foundation can be made at this link. Another way to help women fight breast cancer is visiting The Breast Cancer Site. Just one click a day and there is no cost to you. Each day that you visit the site a contribution is made by advertisers to fund breast exams for disadvantaged women. It will make you feel in the pink.
* Media redefined – At one time if one were interested in in-depth news analysis major newspapers, news magazines and occasionally television were reliable sources. The corporate takeover/consolidation of media has led to agenda based news analysis and a reduction in quality reporting. Fortunately, the internet provides viable options. An excellent example of this is the quality work by various writers this past Sunday at dailykos.com. The following were well-researched subjects worthy of attention: smintheus discusses George Bush’s recent secrecy directive ostensibly intended to protect sensitive information but in fact reducing government transparency; DemFromCT contrasts John McCain and Barack Obama on issues and their run to the white House; DemFromCT also does a study on the under-capacity of many of our hospitals to deal with current volume and the choices that will have to be made in the face of another Katrina or pandemic disease reaching our shores. The choices will include triage decisions to abandon the very elderly or the very critical; BarbinMD discusses the nuclear posture of the United States, paying particular attention to Hillary Clinton's recent remark about obliterating Iran and her repeated comparisons of today's foreign policy climate with the Cold War; DHinMI discusses how US miscalculations may be a factor in the possible eruption of a full-fledged civil war in Lebanon. Meaningful news analysis is still available but it requires more than a remote control.
* Media blackout – Bill Moyers is one of the best journalists in America today. Keith Olbermann interviewed him about corporate media, their biases and their ignoring critical issues and their influence in the general election. Moyers said, “I think it means for all of them (corporate media) that they won’t really get to the deep, profound structural problems that we face as a country. We’re not going to have a discourse in this campaign over the fact that the great American wealth machine is benefiting only those at the top. We’re not going to get to the fact that 10% of the people own 60% of the wealth and 70% of the people have no net worth. We’re not going to get to the issues of how do we rebuild the infrastructure, the sewer, the water, the highways, all that. We’re just going to be constantly in this battle of bumper stickers.”
* Media malarkey – We recently learned that supposedly “independent” retired military officers giving their views on the Iraq war and the U. S. military were in fact briefed by the Pentagon on what to say. These “experts”, many with ties to defense contractors, willingly regurgitated Pentagon propaganda. The website Media Matters for America studied the situation in more depth and reports that this problem was more widespread than initially indicated. “A Media Matters review found that since January 1, 2002, the analysts named in the Times article collectively appeared or were quoted as experts more than 4,500 times on ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR.” This link provides a statistical analysis of the 4500 appearances by these mendacious media darlings. It is not known whether the alphabet broadcasting networks knew their “experts” were compromised. It is telling that the outing of these “experts” received very little mention in subsequent broadcasts..
* Media consolidation ~ a victory for you and me –Bush’s Federal Communications Commissions (FEC) recently ruled in favor of big business. The FEC would allow media conglomerates to continue to swallow up local media. On Thursday night the Senate voted to throw out the FEC decision. The organization Stop Big Media considers this a major victory as the issue moves on to the House. At their web site you can find specific reasons why media consolidation is a bad idea for a democracy and what is at stake. Additional information is available at freepress.net. Common Cause has available a petition you can send to your Representative urging that the FEC rulings be nullified. Barack Obama’s comments concerning media consolidation and diversity are available at this link.
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ saving the world and ruining lives ~ no, not George Bush (okay, him too) – Meet Daphne Beasley. She is a Memphis, TN high school principal who is living proof that an education does not leave one idiot-proof. The website Consenting Adult brought this holier than Swiss cheese moron to my attention. On a web site Principal Beasley is outing her students that she “hears” are gay. The basis of her condemnation is word-of mouth from teachers and students. Proof is not asked for nor required. The consequences for the “outed” students have been teen bullying and ruined lives. The ACLU has involved itself in the situation. Shame should be shared by the Memphis School Board for not outing/firing Beasley and for the school’s faculty for their compliance. If they think that they are doing God’s work they should apply for unemployment.
* Intelligent federal legislation (this is not a misprint) – “Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges.” One of the biggest obstacles to prosecuting rape cases is that a victim is so traumatized just after the attack that she does not press charges. If the woman waits for a period of time before accusing her attacker it is usually too late. “Beginning in 2009, states will have to pay for Jane Doe rape kits to continue receiving funding under the federal Violence Against Women Act, which provides tax dollars for women's shelters and law enforcement training.” Congratulations to Congress for this much needed support of victims of rape.
* Is Bush going out with a bang? – The end of the Bush presidency is on the horizon. There is no legislation or initiative that has been or will prove to be a high-water mark. These last months will continue to be a defensive posture marked by attempts to keep its over-reaching, dishonest and criminal actions from public view. The only deviation that could depart from this period closing with a whimper is Iran. And it could prove to be a big deviation. I have no illusions that Iran is one of the good guys. However, can America and its military afford another war front? The answer is a resounding NO. At best America can tread water until an adult takes over the White House and an intelligent multi-national approach to the Iran problem can be implemented. Yet, people connected with Bush continue to beat drums for attacking Iran. This week General Petraeus claimed that “Iran's involvement is the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq." The General failed to mention that within Iraq the sects hate each other and factions within the sects hate each other and that this hate is backed up with violent acts against each other and American troops. He also failed to mention that the corruption within the al Maliki government has undermined reconstruction, basic services such as electricity and potable drinking water and that the U.S. government has made every attempt to cover up this corruption. These are some of the realities that do not bode well for democracy in Iraq or for the safety and freedom of the Iraqi people. The organization TrueMajoriy.org provides a petition to congress that you can sign urging the passage of S. Res. 356 that states, "Any offensive military action against Iran must be explicitly approved by congress." Some may find this legislation unnecessary since the U.S. Constitution specifies that only Congress can declare war. Others will say it is necessary because the current President and Vice President of the United States do not feel compelled to follow the laws of the land.
* “The current perception I get from the evening news is that the world is dominated by human failure, crime, catastrophe, corruption, and tragedy. We are all tuning in to see how the human mind is evolving, but the media keeps hammering home the opposite, that the human mind is mired in darkness and folly.”
Deepak Chopra, Self Help Author
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
* Alzheimer’s, stupidity or Cheney Machiavellism? – On three occasions last week McCain claimed that Iranian operatives were "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back." With no evidence to support this claim the first time he said this it was considered a slip of the tongue. The second time it was said Mr. McStraightTalk was reading from a prepared statement. The third time he said this Joe Lieberman whispered into his ear and McCain corrected himself. This is not unlike the Bushites’ claim that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction about to be launched at the U.S. causing a huge mushroom cloud to hover over America or that Saddam was in some way connected to al Qaeda. None of it true. Is John McBush preparing us for an attack on Iran or is he like the eccentric uncle at the family dinner table mumbling between belches until anesthetized by a nap? As Obama and Clinton battle for the Democratic nomination McCain is advancing in the polls. Do the American people suffer from Alzheimer’s or stupidity as they even remotely consider an extension of the Bush years?
* When the word “so” begins with a capital “F” and ends in a lower case “u”- I have not commented on remarks from White House Press Secretary Dana Perino for quite some time. Like her predecessors Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan, she produces so much inane pap from the podium that it becomes like the drone from a room air conditioner that is soon not heard. When Dick Cheyney was told by a reporter that “two-thirds of Americans say” the Iraq war “is not worth fighting,” he responded, “So?” That of course was no surprise. When Perino was asked about Cheney’s comment she responded that the last time the American people were heard was the 2004 elections. Her observation ignored the 2006 elections that in many ways was a repudiation of the Iraq war as the Republican War Party was soundly defeated. Of course when Bush and Cheyney treated their election and re-election as coronations, mid-term elections became marginal. From one perspective they are right. In 2004 the American people had the opportunity to reject/evict these disingenuous imperialist warmongers. So, we didn’t.
*Quote of the week - "At 11:00 on a Tuesday, a prominent politician spoke to Americans about race, as though they were adults." This was said by Jon Stewart of the Dailey Show, referring to Barack Obama’s speech on March 11, 2008. The speech can be seen and heard at: Barack Obama: Change We Can Believe In His Own Words
* Observation of the week –Cynthia Tucker, syndicated columnist and editorial page editor of The Atlanta Constitution, said about Obama’s speech, “That high-minded appeal has drawn its share of skeptics, and for good reason. One of the more puzzling, yet persistent, features of the American political landscape has been the success of politicians who seize on racial tensions and long-simmering resentments to win over working-class white voters -- even while supporting policies that betray the economic interests of that same group.” Ronald Reagan and George Bush are examples of the politicians Tucker references. It is unfortunate that the quote from 1961 at the end of this post remains, in part, a hope. There has been progress but, it is a road slowly traveled.
* Did you get your letter from the IRS? - Last week I received notification that following an evaluation of my 2007 tax return I may receive a rebate check (intended to stimulate the U.S. economy). Unfortunately, there are cynics out there that do not believe this Bush fix for the economy will fix much. A reader sent me the following:
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will all go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will all go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will all go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (for some reason Chile was left off the list), if we purchase a good car it will all go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will all go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep that money here in America, so the only way to keep that money here at home is to buy prostitutes, beer and visit Indian casinos, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
* Disquieting quote of the week ~ improving the U.S. balance of trade - "I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society." So said Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council pontificating on behalf of the religious wrong. These are the same people that support Bush and will reluctantly support McCain since he is the closest thing to Bush that they can get this election cycle (and he is getting much closer – see below “Reality of the Week”). They are as wrong for America as the corporate and financial “geniuses” whose greed-driven policies have wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy.
* A full plate and an empty coffer - Not making a hybrid car like the Prius (Toyota) was a "mistake," General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz told a group at last week’s NY Auto Show. Despite GM losing billions of dollars over the last couple of years and Toyota making a profit this gaff can be excused. GM and its lobbyists were too busy opposing higher gas mileage standards.
* Context and furor – The recent media frenzy and citizen reaction to comments by Obama’s minister after the 9/11 attack on America do have a context beyond the YouTube sound bites. Rev. Wright based one of his comments about “chickens coming home to roost” on an interview he had heard on FOX News with Ambassador Edward Peck, “retired, white, career U.S. diplomat who served 32-years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was chief of the U.S. mission to Iraq under Jimmy Carter.” Wright said, “A white ambassador said that yall, not a black militant, not a reverend who preaches about racism, an ambassador whose eyes are wide open and is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice... the ambassador said that the people we have wounded don't have the military capability we have, but they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them...” The “dangerous precipice” reference was the consequences of decades of myopic U.S. foreign policy, which, as most of us realize, has further deteriorated since 9/11. I am not aware of any violence committed by Rev. Wright nor have I heard of any violence committed by anyone as a result of Wright’s words. Speaking of Wright’s words he has said, "Violence begets violence, hatred begets hatred, and terrorism begets terrorism." And that leaves little to disagree with.
* Buying the (Iraq) War – PBS’ outstanding journalist Bill Moyers produced a program that asks the questions, “How did the mainstream press get it so wrong... How and why did the press buy it, and what does it say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda?" The program can be seen at this link. Walter Pincus of the Washington Post concludes, "More and more the media become, I think, common carriers of administration statements and critics of the administration. We've sort of given up being independent on our own." I believe that the lesson to be taken is that to be informed citizens we must go beyond the six o’clock news, traditional print media and Sunday morning pundit sound bites that we have relied upon. It is a lesson of a democracy manipulated and a Fourth Estate surrendering its role in a democratic society. Not much has changed in the last six years.
* On Easter Sunday the 4000th U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq. 97% of these deaths (3860) occurred after President Bush’s Mission Accomplished speech announcing the end of “major combat” in Iraq on May 1, 2003.
* Repenting support for the Iraq War – Andrew Sullivan has a conservative perspective and writes for The Atlantic. A recent article closely examines his initial support for the Iraq war and dissects why he was wrong on a number of levels. It is worth a read. He concludes, “I know our enemy is much worse. I have never doubted that. But I never believed that America would do what America has done. Never. My misjudgment at the deepest moral level of what Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld were capable of - a misjudgment that violated the moral core of the enterprise - was my worst mistake. What the war has done to what is left of Iraq - the lives lost, the families destroyed, the bodies tortured, the civilization trashed - was bad enough. But what was done to America - and the meaning of America - was unforgivable. And for that I will not and should not forgive myself either. Thanks to the web site The Sideshow for bringing this article to attention.
* Separation of Church and State – Last weekend many internet sites featured the theme Blog Against Theocracy. This is not a stand against religion but a reminder that the Government should keep out of religion, and Religion should keep out of the government. One might find it interesting and informative surfing some of the links.
*Myth of the Week ~ John McCain supports the troops – Contrary to McCain’s stance that what you see is what you get, another carnival mirror of distortion is broken. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is sponsoring legislation that would offer benefits to veterans similar to those benefits offered military personnel following Word War II. I recently had seen a study that estimated for every dollar the U.S. government had spent on G.I. benefits following WWII the government received in return seven dollars in taxes from increased wages earned. Webb has called on McCain to co-sponsor the bill but McBush has yet to do so. It must be a Republican thing that appearing to spend money is verboten in their political circles – contrary to actually spending money over the past 7 years that blew through our surplus and created unimaginable deficits. For the Republicans currently in power “supporting the troops” is a marketing term for a product that does not exist. Of course, if we keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, as McCain has suggested, we will not have to give them educational benefits – only bomb-resistant walkers. Democratic presidential candidates Clinton and Obama are among the 51 co-sponsors of the bill that does include nine Republicans.
* Reality of the Week ~ McCain’s draconian (for most Americans) tax and healthcare agenda - The Center for American Progress Action Fund's (CAPAF) Robert Gordon and James Kvaal issued a report on "the Bush-McCain-Norquist Tax Agenda," which found that Sen. John McCain's tax plan would cost $2 trillion over the next decade and would deliver 58 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent of taxpayers. McCain's plan to "reform the tax code to eliminate the bias toward employer-sponsored health insurance" would cost $206 billion in 2009 alone -- an amount of spending that "is double that proposed by Obama or Clinton's plan." Moreover, "McCain and Bush's plan would make it harder for people with health issues to obtain affordable health insurance." From the report’s summary: “In the final analysis, we conclude that the McCain tax plan is essentially a continuation of the agenda articulated by Norquist and others to achieve piecemeal but radical changes to the U.S. tax code... These changes require huge spending cuts, shift the tax burden away from capital and onto labor, and come “at the expense of lower- and middle-income Americans.” When I refer to McCain as McBush, substance far outweighs sarcasm.
* "I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one, with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions." Martin Luther King Jr., Dec. 11, 1961
* When the word “so” begins with a capital “F” and ends in a lower case “u”- I have not commented on remarks from White House Press Secretary Dana Perino for quite some time. Like her predecessors Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan, she produces so much inane pap from the podium that it becomes like the drone from a room air conditioner that is soon not heard. When Dick Cheyney was told by a reporter that “two-thirds of Americans say” the Iraq war “is not worth fighting,” he responded, “So?” That of course was no surprise. When Perino was asked about Cheney’s comment she responded that the last time the American people were heard was the 2004 elections. Her observation ignored the 2006 elections that in many ways was a repudiation of the Iraq war as the Republican War Party was soundly defeated. Of course when Bush and Cheyney treated their election and re-election as coronations, mid-term elections became marginal. From one perspective they are right. In 2004 the American people had the opportunity to reject/evict these disingenuous imperialist warmongers. So, we didn’t.
*Quote of the week - "At 11:00 on a Tuesday, a prominent politician spoke to Americans about race, as though they were adults." This was said by Jon Stewart of the Dailey Show, referring to Barack Obama’s speech on March 11, 2008. The speech can be seen and heard at: Barack Obama: Change We Can Believe In His Own Words
* Observation of the week –Cynthia Tucker, syndicated columnist and editorial page editor of The Atlanta Constitution, said about Obama’s speech, “That high-minded appeal has drawn its share of skeptics, and for good reason. One of the more puzzling, yet persistent, features of the American political landscape has been the success of politicians who seize on racial tensions and long-simmering resentments to win over working-class white voters -- even while supporting policies that betray the economic interests of that same group.” Ronald Reagan and George Bush are examples of the politicians Tucker references. It is unfortunate that the quote from 1961 at the end of this post remains, in part, a hope. There has been progress but, it is a road slowly traveled.
* Did you get your letter from the IRS? - Last week I received notification that following an evaluation of my 2007 tax return I may receive a rebate check (intended to stimulate the U.S. economy). Unfortunately, there are cynics out there that do not believe this Bush fix for the economy will fix much. A reader sent me the following:
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will all go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will all go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will all go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (for some reason Chile was left off the list), if we purchase a good car it will all go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will all go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep that money here in America, so the only way to keep that money here at home is to buy prostitutes, beer and visit Indian casinos, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
* Disquieting quote of the week ~ improving the U.S. balance of trade - "I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society." So said Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council pontificating on behalf of the religious wrong. These are the same people that support Bush and will reluctantly support McCain since he is the closest thing to Bush that they can get this election cycle (and he is getting much closer – see below “Reality of the Week”). They are as wrong for America as the corporate and financial “geniuses” whose greed-driven policies have wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy.
* A full plate and an empty coffer - Not making a hybrid car like the Prius (Toyota) was a "mistake," General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz told a group at last week’s NY Auto Show. Despite GM losing billions of dollars over the last couple of years and Toyota making a profit this gaff can be excused. GM and its lobbyists were too busy opposing higher gas mileage standards.
* Context and furor – The recent media frenzy and citizen reaction to comments by Obama’s minister after the 9/11 attack on America do have a context beyond the YouTube sound bites. Rev. Wright based one of his comments about “chickens coming home to roost” on an interview he had heard on FOX News with Ambassador Edward Peck, “retired, white, career U.S. diplomat who served 32-years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was chief of the U.S. mission to Iraq under Jimmy Carter.” Wright said, “A white ambassador said that yall, not a black militant, not a reverend who preaches about racism, an ambassador whose eyes are wide open and is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice... the ambassador said that the people we have wounded don't have the military capability we have, but they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them...” The “dangerous precipice” reference was the consequences of decades of myopic U.S. foreign policy, which, as most of us realize, has further deteriorated since 9/11. I am not aware of any violence committed by Rev. Wright nor have I heard of any violence committed by anyone as a result of Wright’s words. Speaking of Wright’s words he has said, "Violence begets violence, hatred begets hatred, and terrorism begets terrorism." And that leaves little to disagree with.
* Buying the (Iraq) War – PBS’ outstanding journalist Bill Moyers produced a program that asks the questions, “How did the mainstream press get it so wrong... How and why did the press buy it, and what does it say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda?" The program can be seen at this link. Walter Pincus of the Washington Post concludes, "More and more the media become, I think, common carriers of administration statements and critics of the administration. We've sort of given up being independent on our own." I believe that the lesson to be taken is that to be informed citizens we must go beyond the six o’clock news, traditional print media and Sunday morning pundit sound bites that we have relied upon. It is a lesson of a democracy manipulated and a Fourth Estate surrendering its role in a democratic society. Not much has changed in the last six years.
* On Easter Sunday the 4000th U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq. 97% of these deaths (3860) occurred after President Bush’s Mission Accomplished speech announcing the end of “major combat” in Iraq on May 1, 2003.
* Repenting support for the Iraq War – Andrew Sullivan has a conservative perspective and writes for The Atlantic. A recent article closely examines his initial support for the Iraq war and dissects why he was wrong on a number of levels. It is worth a read. He concludes, “I know our enemy is much worse. I have never doubted that. But I never believed that America would do what America has done. Never. My misjudgment at the deepest moral level of what Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld were capable of - a misjudgment that violated the moral core of the enterprise - was my worst mistake. What the war has done to what is left of Iraq - the lives lost, the families destroyed, the bodies tortured, the civilization trashed - was bad enough. But what was done to America - and the meaning of America - was unforgivable. And for that I will not and should not forgive myself either. Thanks to the web site The Sideshow for bringing this article to attention.
* Separation of Church and State – Last weekend many internet sites featured the theme Blog Against Theocracy. This is not a stand against religion but a reminder that the Government should keep out of religion, and Religion should keep out of the government. One might find it interesting and informative surfing some of the links.
*Myth of the Week ~ John McCain supports the troops – Contrary to McCain’s stance that what you see is what you get, another carnival mirror of distortion is broken. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is sponsoring legislation that would offer benefits to veterans similar to those benefits offered military personnel following Word War II. I recently had seen a study that estimated for every dollar the U.S. government had spent on G.I. benefits following WWII the government received in return seven dollars in taxes from increased wages earned. Webb has called on McCain to co-sponsor the bill but McBush has yet to do so. It must be a Republican thing that appearing to spend money is verboten in their political circles – contrary to actually spending money over the past 7 years that blew through our surplus and created unimaginable deficits. For the Republicans currently in power “supporting the troops” is a marketing term for a product that does not exist. Of course, if we keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, as McCain has suggested, we will not have to give them educational benefits – only bomb-resistant walkers. Democratic presidential candidates Clinton and Obama are among the 51 co-sponsors of the bill that does include nine Republicans.
* Reality of the Week ~ McCain’s draconian (for most Americans) tax and healthcare agenda - The Center for American Progress Action Fund's (CAPAF) Robert Gordon and James Kvaal issued a report on "the Bush-McCain-Norquist Tax Agenda," which found that Sen. John McCain's tax plan would cost $2 trillion over the next decade and would deliver 58 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent of taxpayers. McCain's plan to "reform the tax code to eliminate the bias toward employer-sponsored health insurance" would cost $206 billion in 2009 alone -- an amount of spending that "is double that proposed by Obama or Clinton's plan." Moreover, "McCain and Bush's plan would make it harder for people with health issues to obtain affordable health insurance." From the report’s summary: “In the final analysis, we conclude that the McCain tax plan is essentially a continuation of the agenda articulated by Norquist and others to achieve piecemeal but radical changes to the U.S. tax code... These changes require huge spending cuts, shift the tax burden away from capital and onto labor, and come “at the expense of lower- and middle-income Americans.” When I refer to McCain as McBush, substance far outweighs sarcasm.
* "I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one, with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions." Martin Luther King Jr., Dec. 11, 1961
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