A Simple Explanation, in Three Parts Part Three: What to Do?

We’ve seen from the DEBIT MAP who basically runs our government. We understand the dynamics of the Myths of Liberalism and the Cult of Conservatism that keep the corporatocracy in power. It’s a daunting situation facing the Americans who want some real democracy in their government.

The bottom line is hope for real change and progress lies with “we the people”. If we don’t do it, no one else will do it for us.

Work needs to be done to elevate the public consciousness and conscience. This can be done. Over the years Americans have slowly become more aware of environmental issues and grew to accept re-cycling, and energy conservation. They are learning more about global climate change. Especially since the Bush Administration’s muzzle on climate science has been removed.

American citizens are becoming less enthused about our endless wars and occupation. We can still have the most powerful military in the world, even with a massive shift of funding to education and health care.

Education must be accompanied by motivation for the people to understand their part in the process of democracy. Along with math and science, Americans need to learn more history and civics. Instead of posting the Ten Commandments in city halls and courthouses, let’s put the Constitution there instead. If conservatives insist on a pledge of allegiance to the flag, maybe we should insist on a pledge to the Bill of Rights, especially from public officials.

The public must be made aware that their vital interest in government lies in their Constitutional rights. They need to know they are entitled to their general welfare clearly stated in the “We the people” introduction. Also, section 8 of the Constitution provides Congress the power to “collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States”. How can there be general welfare without education, employment, and health care, along with the protections of the entire Bill of Rights? Next time you see a tea bagger griping about taxes, ask them if there‘s a Constitutional basis for all that oppressive taxation they suffer. They likely won’t know, of course. Then you can inform them, and ask why they hate the Constitution of the United States of America.

Democracy is not given to us. We need to fight for it, take it and hold it. Americans have been lulled by corporate media and the Cult of Conservatism into an unconsciousness of this need for the maintenance of democracy. Voting for one corporate candidate over another corporate candidate does not make a democracy.

This brings us to a scary word. But there’s no real reason for anyone to fear this word. Due to the Cult’s lies and deception, many Americans tremble in anger and trepidation over the very word socialism. The Cult’s demonization of socialism must be challenged as the propaganda it is.

They freely interchange socialism with communism to the point where the Cultists think they are the same thing. They are not. Remember, communism is a system of single party rule. You know, like we had under Bush. Democrats are too diverse to rule with the lockstep ruthlessness of the Republicans.

Millions of people are living happily in socialistic democracies. Every socialized program in the US is wanted by the public.

We have a socialized military, socialized law enforcement agencies, and socialized fire departments. The V.A is socialized medicine vital to the well-being of veterans. Medicare is socialized medicine. Our interstate highways and bridges are a socialized transportation infrastructure. The Postal Service is socialized mail delivery. Why should we be afraid of the mailman? Why should we be afraid of Social Security?

In fact, everything run by government is socialistic. That means the public has ownership. Imagine if every government service was privatized, the taxpayers would have zero input and control. Who would be the first to receive police, fire and health care protection? Well, the “free market would decide” on that. And we all know the market decides in favor of the wealthiest, first and foremost and always.

Americans need to understand democracy can exist and even prosper under socialism; it cannot exist under unregulated corporatism.

Democratic socialism allows civil liberties and freedoms intolerable under the fascistic trajectory of a corporatist national security state. The Bush/Cheney Cartel built the foundation of a police state. Their violations of law must face judgment and their deeds undone. To the degree the rule of law does not apply to its leaders, the US Government is a rogue regime.

We must have an educated and active public that participates in the process of democracy. As Thomas Jefferson said, “No country and no people can be free and ignorant at the same time. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”

It can’t be made any clearer than what old Tom said. The lessons and consequences of ignorance and apathy, not to mention the antiquated Electoral College, were made quite clear by the Bush years.

We know how to reverse the DEBIT MAP corporate lock on power. Democracy’s requirements are not secrets. Well, not yet, anyway. There are some ways to promote democracy without radical change. Having proportional representation, hard copy ballots, and instant runoff elections would help. And dumping the Electoral Collage would be an improvement to the situation. But, there are deeper issues.

To restore the process of democracy, we need to take four crucial corrective measures:

1. No more legal corporate personhood. A corporation is not a human being.
2. No more “too big to fail” financial institutions. They are toxic to our economy.
3. No more media monopolies. More voices and views, not fewer, are needed.
4. No more corporate money, and no more union money, going to federal
election campaigns. We need publicly financed federal elections…NOW.

These four big issues are beginning to get more attention than ever. Here’s one example. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced new legislation in just two pages called the “Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act”. It calls for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to “submit to Congress a list of all commercial banks, investment banks, hedge funds and insurance companies that the Secretary believes are too big to fail.”

It then says, one year after the law is enacted, the Treasury Secretary would be required to “break up entities included on the Too Big To Fail List, so that their failure would no longer cause a catastrophic effect on the United States or global economy without a taxpayer bailout.”

This is the beginning of a good idea, and word of this idea needs to be spread.

The Cult of Conservatism has been spreading misinformation and outright lies for a long time. It’s time to join the battle for truth.

The corporate media monoliths can be countered with a reinstituted, corporate-free, truly Public NPR/PBS style journalism. So we don’t have to rely on just the “internets”. The surviving print media needs to hear from us.

Progressive talk radio is finally becoming more established. They should reach out more to find common cause with those conservatives who may agree to some dialog other than dueling sound bites. This can be done. Thom Hartmann often has conservatives on his show.

New legislation on corporate personhood and public finance of federal election campaigns can be accomplished if enough people push the politicians hard enough. The people just need to participate in the process.

It’s time to bring to the public discourse the urgent need for real democracy. It’s time to identify, promote and elect representatives who understand the need for these measures. And it’s time to remove the corporatist politicians.

What can we ordinary citizens do to make a difference?

First of all, vote. We can still vote, and the more of us that do vote the better.

Second, be informed.

Follow the corporate money that buys their politicians’ services at opensecrets.org.

Follow the politicians’ misbehavior and help hold them accountable with the watchdogs at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

There are organizations of free thinkers and real optimists out there who work hard for the cause of democracy. Two important filters of truth and fiction in the swirling media madness are Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting and Media Matters for America.

Besides the more well known Daily Kos and Huffington Post, good sources of vital information and thoughtful progressive views are offered by Buzz Flash, Common Dreams, Democracy Now, TPM (Talking Points Memo), and Truthout.org.

Support them and share their information.

And here’s what I think is very important. As long as I have a nickel to spare I will contribute to the ACLU. Their tireless defense of our Bill of Rights needs all the help we can afford to give. They are doing what is most important. We all owe a debt to the ACLU for bringing to light the torture and warrantless surveillance crimes of the Bush Administration. It would take far more than this Simple Explanation to discuss all they do for us. Please help them. Remember, freedom can’t defend itself.

And third, be active.

We need citizen participation in a strong social and political movement for democracy in America. Don’t tell me there’s nothing progressives can do outside the system. Let’s remember when Beck called Obama a racist. It was not the reaction of his fan base that pulled the advertisers by the dozens out of his hour. Let’s remember Lou Dobbs. He and/or his bosses felt the heat from progressives and now he’s off to spew his anger in radical right wing radio or Fox.

Advertisers listen to the public and corporate media listens to advertisers.

We need to unite and motivate American citizens to call, write, e-mail, call again, and face their politicians. They won’t do anything until we rattle their cages and let them know we’re mad as hell and sick of corporatism. We want our Bill of Rights back. Even educated traditional conservatives do.

I know this may sound futile and even foolish to the more cynical types.

Since third parties cannot gain sufficient access at the federal level, and democracy is not a spectator sport, we need to infiltrate and reclaim the Democratic Party. Ordinary people need to rise to the challenge. There is no other way to gain representation of the public interest. The republican wing of the Democratic Party needs to be purged. We cannot survive with both parties owned entirely by Big Money.

Check out Democracy for America. They are promoting progressive values and politicians who share those values within the Democratic Party.

People can actively work to restore American Democracy. Left to themselves, politicians will, at their best, do nothing to change the status quo; and at their worst, they facilitate more corporatism. We the people need to remind them they are supposed work for us. We pay their salaries. And we need to push them to do their real job and represent the people’s interests.

Let’s turn the focus from the corporate tea bagging shills and stooges. If they get all the attention, we deserve to be shut out. There are plenty of Americans other than the Foxsuckers cheering republican obstructionism. In fact, we are a larger group than they are. We just don’t get the corporate money to bus in the masses to a rally. The Anti-war rallies in 2003 were far larger than any Tea Parties, but they were ignored because they were not corporate sponsored and media fed.

We are not helpless and doomed to slide into the subclass of corporate servitude. We have the numbers to support our cause. What we lack is organization, communication and coordination of purpose.

As I said we need a vast shift of consciousness. This is happening. Even conservatives are starting to think something is wrong. Their problem is they are listening to Republicans. Liberals have voted Democrats into a majority. Yet, they know something is still wrong. Their problem is they are listening to Democrats.

Liberals need to talk with conservatives and reach the realization that this is not about Left versus Right. This is not capitalism versus socialism. This is corporatism versus democracy. Some conservatives are waking up to the fact that the Republican Party is not working in their interests. Liberals are waking up to the fact that the Democratic Party is not working in their interests.

Remember, there are traditional conservatives out there who want the Bill of Rights to stand. There are conservatives who opposed the Neocons’ war agenda and the Bush/Cheney surveillance state. Not all conservatives are of the Cult.

Just recently some of these conservatives addressed the trial of Gitmo detainees in New York City. The Cult is screaming as if a bloody Armageddon of terror will sweep over us if we dare bring the terrorists into our country for trial. Former congressman and presidential candidate Bob Barr, American Conservative Union chairman David Keen, and Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist are actually supporting the administration’s decision to try and imprison terrorists in the U.S., and even wrote, “The scaremongering about these issues should stop.”

We liberals need to tell these non-Cult conservatives we are with them on some important issues. This will require civil and diplomatic relations between camps. Someone has to be the first to advance this alliance. It may as well be us. We need them to understand we are on THEIR side, not Limbaugh’s, Hannity’s, and Beck’s. The multi-millionaire media Cult leaders are proven liars. We have the truth on our side and the truth can set them free from their Cult.

It’s time working class conservatives and liberals realize they have many common concerns and agree that both parties work for Big Money. If liberals and enough non-indoctrinated conservatives come to understand they have both been betrayed by the two parties’ corporatist ways, maybe they can cooperate in efforts toward democracy.

Where there’s unity for democracy there’s real hope.

Yes, this notion can be called nothing more than a dream. It may always be just a dream. But, it’s not just my dream. Some dreams come true. Some dreams grow into greater human consciousness and eventually into a movement.

Think of democracy as a supply and demand commodity. There will be no supply unless we demand it.

If enough of us work together and educate and motivate enough of the public, we can still nurture the American Dream. And just what is the American Dream? Is it about acquiring as much wealth and power as we possibly can? I don’t think so. That would be corporatism.

One of the few great Republicans told us what the American Dream is. “That this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Now this sounds like the American Dream our founders fought and died for. This is what we must struggle for in our time, and in our lives. It’s the American thing to do. It’s the patriotic thing to do if we love freedom.

We have to believe it’s not too late to accomplish these things without a civil war and reconstruction; without systemic collapse and restructuring. It could very well be past the point of no return for American Democracy if we fail to actively participate in revitalizing what’s left of our democratic process. Democracy won’t happen on its own accord. It is up to we the people.

While it is true much of America’s struggle for freedom has been through armed conflict, America’s greatness cannot be measured only by victories in wars.

It is measured by how we preserve and protect freedom and democracy. War should be only the last resort for this purpose. Much is also done through the determination and commitment of citizens to follow the moral imperative that our cause of liberty demands here at home.

It is for all freedom loving Americans to rise to the struggle, and devote our efforts to advance, preserve and protect freedom and democracy

Our history has been a long fight for freedom. We are a part of this history. And we are part of the future. We carry on the fight for freedom, for ourselves, for our families, for our communities, for our nation, and for our future.

Crossposted at Freedom Rants.

Sphere: Related Content

wake up america

i haven’t been writing much lately- haven’t had much to write about.  news continues to be grim and no one really wants to be reminded of that fact- least of all me.  but i do read.  i read around the blogosphere and in the facebook now.  and, i felt i should point out something because it’s something many are still not aware of

the government does not answer to the people.  should i repeat?  they are not listening because they answer to their corporate overlords.  it really is that simple.

look, it isn’t ineptitude- it’s greed.  these folks wanted power and the only way to get it is to crawl in bed with the folks who have the money.  we are being distracted by the ‘wrangling’ for votes in congress for a watered down, worthless health care bill.  why?  because in the end, they aren’t going to change anything anyway.  really.  our country has not changed much since 2006 when the so called left took over congress.  americans across the board overwhelmingly booted out incumbents and republicans in the last election– to send a message.

and take a look at the way things are now.  i am not saying folks shouldn’t fight back- i am simply saying that it’s useless to tilt at windmills.  you have to know what you are fighting in order to fight it effectively- and that’s where most on the left lose it.  many americans cling to the idea that we have an american system.  that was gone with globilization hate to break it to you.  we are now, one world and one world order.  it’s called ‘multinational corporatocracy’  seriously.  make no mistake, there is no democracy in america.  how can there be with a police state in force?

we all hear the news.  we all hear about the raids and the security drills and they are going on in our own home towns.  i see it here in my little upstate new york city.  these are unnecessary for the country’s security from outside forces- but gets us used to seeing it and believing it’s a normal part of our democracy.

there are not enough people to who are ready, willing or able to start fighting this.  there are still too many people in denial and the cognitive dissonance is deafening.  to be honest, it isn’t worth it to me to fight because there aren’t many who would do the same for me in this country.  we are losing our freedoms on pace with the arctic ice shelf melting and folks are still sleeping.  perhaps the next generation will fight to reclaim what we have simply ceded.

<a href=”http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/09/23/notes092309.DTL&amp;type=printable”>mark morford</a>
<p style=”font-weight: bold;”>”The real truth is, we are not immune to those very things we were essentially convinced we were immune from. It’s the lesson we try to avoid at all costs: the more you think you can control even a fraction of the system and the more you try to block out at least a few of the potential calamities, the more the system reveals that it’s no system at all, and is actually a slapdash madhouse tinderbox of careening laws and makeshift rules and barely controlled chaos no one really understands. Neat! </p><p style=”font-weight: bold;”>No matter. We do it anyway. We carefully set up all these mechanisms, all these banking systems and savings plans and financial strategies, all these cartoonish religious beliefs and social contracts and ridiculous tribal allegiances, all to give us the illusion of stability, the false sense of security and place. How cute we are. </p><p style=”font-weight: bold;”>And we grip these illusions more and more tightly, absolutely refusing to believe what we already know, deep down: that when you finally open up your hand, there’s actually nothing there. Ain’t it grand?”</p><p style=”font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”><a href=”http://www.truthout.org/092209L”>robert reich</a>
</p><span style=”color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”> “In other words, the Dow is up despite the biggest consumer retreat from the    market since the Great Depression because of the very thing so many executives    are complaining about, which is government’s expansion. And regardless    of what you call it – Keynesianism, socialism, or just pragmatism -    it’s doing wonders for business, especially big business and Wall Street.    Consumer spending is falling back to 60 to 65 percent of the economy, as government    spending expands to fill the gap.</span> <p style=”color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”>    The problem is, our newly expanded government isn’t doing much for average    working Americans, who continue to lose their jobs and whose belts continue    to tighten, and who are getting almost nothing out of the rising Dow because    they own few if any shares of stock. Despite the happy Dow and notwithstanding    the upbeat corporate earnings, most corporations are still shedding workers    and slashing payrolls. And the banks still aren’t lending to Main Street.</p> <p style=”color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”>    Trickle-down economics didn’t work when the supply-siders were in charge, and    it’s not working now that — despite all their cries of “socialism”    — big business and Wall Street are very quietly in charge.”</p><p style=”color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”><a href=”http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1037218″><span style=”color: rgb(51, 51, 51);”>right wing declares war on net neutrality</span></a></p><p style=”color: rgb(0, 153, 0);”><a href=”http://www.alternet.org/world/142824/why_the_u.s._is_a_warfare_state?page=entire”><span style=”color: rgb(51, 51, 51);”>the american war machine</span></a>
</p>

Sphere: Related Content

the world turns- and burns

i have been thinking a great deal about being an american in light of the struggles of folks around the world. i guess i never really thought that much about it before- i think probably most folks don’t. i look at myself as a new yorker- or a ‘northerner’- but not so much as a part of the big picture. sure, i know i live in america and that i would have to identify myself as such if i went out of the country- but unlike newt gingrich, i see myself as a world citizen.

i guess if i allow myself some introspection, i have never really felt like i belonged anywhere. oh, sure, i have lived within a 50 mile radius of where i was born- for most of my life, but i never really felt like i fit anywhere. perhaps many americans feel the same way and perhaps that lack of cohesiveness- that connection and shared culture- is why we haven’t taken to the streets en masse to preserve our democracy.

the folks in iran- whether the cia was involved in pushing the protests or not- have a strong sense of common culture. it has withstood milennia of invasions and infusions by other cultures and the proud persian people still put their culture ahead of even islam. americans only seem to rally around blowing other folks to smithereens and obliterating cultures in the pursuit of the only other rallying cry- profit!

i don’t know how the iranian demonstrations will turn out. from what i have seen even in this country- dissent doesn’t sit well with the folks in power. it makes them nervous- and then people get ‘disappeared.’ i hope that mousavi is genuine because if he is not- many people will have sacrificed themselves for naught. as for america, well, i certainly hope for the best for us- but i continue to prepare for the worst. the rethugs aren’t done yet- and the dumbocrats aren’t done assisting.

Sphere: Related Content

if you don’t read joe bageant…

you should.

the system is the problem

“I have to pretend more or less that I think it can be fixed, that some politician can be elected who will turn around 200 years of observable social trajectory. People say, “Well, at least some people are trying to fix the problem from within the system. And I want to scream: THE SYSTEM IS THE PROBLEM! IT’S RIGGED, YOU DUMB FUCKERS!

I wish I could at least call this denial. But if people are incapable of even perceiving the facts because of state conditioning, serving up the facts is useless. Which is why all that powerful truth out there on the net has no real effect. It exists outside our indoctrination’s reference framework. Therefore it does not exist. What exists is the system. The ward on which we all live and secretly fear Nurse Ratchett. But it is still the system and the U.S. is still a ward in which the citizen patients are carefully observed and managed to best result for the corporate state. Best result meaning economical producers and consumers for (allegedly) free market capitalism. And every patient and affinity group has a cherished unreality which allows them to live in denial. For instance, there is the cherished notion among liberal and left leaning Americans that all this is recent, and sprang up simply because George Bush was elected. I don’t think so friends. No one man can establish cruelty in 300 million people in eight years. He can only heighten it by squeezing the people harder, encouraging fear and alienation and coldness of spirit.”

i feel the same way. i try really hard not to talk to people anymore. they don’t really want to hear the truth. some on the left claim that they want to hear the truth- but i think that they recent primaries debacle pitting obama against clinton was clear enough evidence that people don’t want the truth. americans don’t want the truth- they want someone to fight. i am disgusted at myself for getting caught up in all of this nonsense. i am disgusted with myself for allowing myself to think america could perhaps buy itself some time. but i keep forgetting- american is about the people. right? we, the people,- americans are proud of being americans. but i have to agree with george carlin on this one:

at any rate, i have made my personal decision to withhold my vote. it is my form of protest against a system that is corrupt and rigged and essentially useless. i am also not going to blog anymore on any of the presidential candidates- or their running mates. i see no point. i am one one of those people who sincerely hope that this country can eke out a few more years of holding it together- until i pass away or am too old to care if i die. selfish? yep. i didn’t ask for this america. it isn’t the america i was told i lived in. it isn’t even close. the generations before mine fucked me over in a big way- and now, they don’t care. so, i am going to hunker down and enjoy my life as best as i can in spite of the stupidity and ignorance that surrounds me and i am going to learn what i need to do in order to survive. survival in a corporatocracy is a whole new life for me. i was told i was born free.

Sphere: Related Content

question of the day

how much truth can we handle?

i used to rail against people who were happily in denial. you know the folks who are still rah, rah for america and who believe that we are a democracy spreading democracy around the world. i am beginning to think i should let them be. the truth seekers have lost. most folks believe that this upcoming ‘election’ in america will be about change. i don’t believe it will be. everything i thought i knew about america; everything i learned in my history and social studies classes- was lies. lies and propaganda. i thought i was beyond caring about that these days but apparently, i am not.

knowing that america fought in world war 2 against hitler’s brutality and torture- and hirohito’s brutality and torture- and then came home and was a part of that very brutality and torture in other countries- makes me so unbelievably sad. the realization dawning on me that the cold war was indeed about differing ideologies- but it had more to do with corporate interests and less about human rights- makes me so unbelievably sad. the fact that our country spawned the likes of milton friedman and the chicago school of economics that partnered with the right wing to cause do very much misery and suffering around the globe in the mid 20th century- and the same players are doing the same thing today in indonesia, south america (again) and now the middle east- makes me so unbelievably sad.

the fact that the tactics used then and now around the globe- the police state tactics- are being used here in america- well, the realization of that has brought me low. i know what’s coming. these people don’t have independent thought- they recycle from the past and what has worked for them- and the techniques that worked in indonesia and latin america- are being put into play in the middle east and now here- on the streets of america. people don’t want to believe that. they want to believe that we can change it through our votes. and we can’t. the corporations worked with the cia during the kennedy administration- covertly. he was killed because he couldn’t be bought. it wasn’t the mafia- it was big corporate interests. they came into their own under nixon- that era spawned the seeds for what we see today. and if you think things ended well for the left wing during that time period- well, i have swampland to sell ya.

make no mistake- these databases and whatnot are not for security. at least not in the sense that they are being touted. they are keeping tabs on the people who are most likely to try and fight back- rage against the machine. these folks will be rounded up in raids or with a knock on the door- and spirited away to be tortured with drugs and shock therapy at the very least. many will die. and the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer and the earth will finally have enough. whether big corporate likes it or not- their gravy train of profits will end. global climate change is real.

so, i picked the scab off the old wound of grieving for a country that never actually existed. go an dread naomi klein’s ‘the shock doctrine’- if you haven’t already.

Sphere: Related Content

wow. just wow.

this is probably as good a description of upstate new york as i have read. it is an absolutely beautiful place- naturally speaking- but as for humans- not so much. the small cities and towns that used to look like mayberry in the 1930′ through the 1960’s- well, let’s just say that nothing was really built here since. no, that’s not true- the strip malls and mcmansions on the hills were constructed- but mostly it looks old and tired. like folks gave up. i think that there was a saying a long time ago- ‘rode hard and put away wet’ well, that describes upstate new york.
you know- the place where hillary clinton allegedly lives? the place she conveniently conducted a listening tour of in 2000 and hasn’t been back to since because she gets her love from the clintonistas.

new york is a beautiful state but it is no different than any other state these days. everywhere you look- the orgy is coming to an end. we didn’t prioritize the important stuff- infrastructure and investing in our communities in meaningful ways- instead focusing on hedonistic, consumeristic pleasures. we were on a binge- and now, we are crashing down from our high and realizing that we have to get back into reality. cold turkey.

Sphere: Related Content

‘when in the course of human events…’

if there is one thing i have gotten out of the last 8 years or so of well- whatever this has been- it is a healthy appreciation for the written word. ha! that isn’t what you expected me to say i am a reader. i love words- and i love well written words. when it comes to the written word- no one has anything over the founding fathers. ‘we, the people, in order to form a more perfect union…’;

‘when in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.’

and here we are full circle. we dissolved the union between us and the mother country in order to form a more perfect version- and here we are now- dissolving into a nation separated from itself and the rest of the world. the only one i have heard speaking of uniting anything- barack obama. everywhere in this nation- we are walling people out physically through actual walls; through laws; through cliques and discrimination. it doesn’t matter who they are- if they aren’t exactly like us- we want them separate. and yet, we say we love america. we love our country. all of the shredding of our precious constitution and declaration of independence- has been done in the name of ‘insuring domestic tranquility and providing for the common defense.’ i guess it isn’t as important to ’secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.’

dusterella and i email back and forth occasionally (someone has to keep this blog functional- and it’s her and we have some good asides. this last exchange i told her why it was i was scaling back on blogging and giving a shit about what happens here. i tend to be longwinded- so i will paraphrase

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

no joy in mudville

i am not even really sure what to write about these days. oh- don’t get me wrong- when i say that, i inevitably end up writing 3,000 words anyway my mind is in a bit of turmoil and i don’t know that it’s quite spring fever because it isn’t a happy sort of feeling. i am disappointed that the democratic party has chosen to continue playing politics as usual within the corporatocracy because i honestly thought we had a shot at beginning to change things. but no. i guess i shouldn’t be surprised when the democratic party is made up of ‘crossovers’ from camp clinton and the blue dogs like lieberman. so- i am truly going to change my affiliation to independent. i have no desire to be affiliated with the democratic party any longer. in fact, i fully intend to send in my membership renewal (sans cash of course) with a nice letter explaining to howard dean, et al, where exactly they can shove that renewal and why. and so it goes. i feel very andy rooneyish today. i am also bitterly disappointed that we, the people, haven’t fought harder to save our constitution. we, the people, collectively decided to roll over and play dead while the pnacers took over our country. they effectively control everything and no one will make any kinds of moves to stop them. in the news recently:

bush ignores foia requests

fbi wants palm prints, eye scans, tattoos…

the government reads your mail- oh, and your emails and browser searches, and blog sites, and listens to your phone calls….

police taser use on rise- death toll mounts

americans can be detained indefinitely and tortured- cause bush says so

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

FYI

no good news here in mudville today- just more lies, deceit and corruption. and no i am not talking about the renzi scandal no- i am talking about the amount of heat al gore has taken over global climate change. a couple of articles for your amazement and amusement:

There was no consensus about global cooling in the ’70s, says study

“The supposed “global cooling” consensus among scientists in the 1970s – frequently offered by global-warming skeptics as proof that climatologists can’t make up their minds – is a myth, according to a survey of the scientific literature of the era.”

usa today

and—

pentagon tells bush: climate change will destroy us

“A secret report, suppressed by US defence chiefs (emphasis mine) and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a ‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.”

but never fear- the same folks who don’t believe in evolution are the ones who don’t believe in global warming. and the skeptics are just common folks with no hidden agenda either. guess they have egg on their faces now.

Sphere: Related Content

same mistake

[youtube]vuBo4E77ZXo[/youtube]

video preview of zeitgeist above

james blunt’s new song from his latest album kind of feels like where we are right now- at least i am. (complete lyrics here)

‘ I’m not calling for a second chance,
I’m screaming at the top of my voice,
Give me reason, but don’t give me choice,
Cos I’ll just make the same mistake again

And maybe someday we will meet
And maybe talk and not just speak
Don’t buy the promises ’cause
There are no promises I keep,
And my reflection troubles me
So here I go’

many folks don’t know that i started my own blog- life’s journey- in 2006. i have a former friend who is a computer geek extraordinaire- and she introduced me to my love of the internet. another thing many don’t know is- i became a political blogger and activist because of my mom. she was my partner in crime- so to speak. she used to be a junkie- watching news shows and the agriculture shows- she even listened to limbaugh’s radio show to get intel. any of the good posts i have done- i usually credit mom. so- she got me researching the things we found to be strange about the whys and whos and the how comes- and it opened my eyes. and i have been grieving ever since.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

NBC uninvites Kucinich to the Vegas debate

This is the media’s attempt to marginalize Kucinich and it’s wrong on every level. Thank You Corporate media..you are running true to form.

NBC un-plugs Kucinich from Presidential debate
Re-writes criteria to exclude candidate with ‘dissenting’ positions

Less than 44 hours after NBC sent a congratulatory note and an invitation to Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich to participate in the Jan. 15 Democratic Presidential debate in Las Vegas, the network notified the campaign this morning it was changing it announced criteria, rescinding its invitation, and excluding Kucinich from the debate.

NBC Political Director Chuck Todd notified the Kucinich campaign this morning that, although Kucinich had met the qualification criteria publicly announced on December 28, the network was “re-doing” the criteria, excluding Kucinich, and planning to invite only Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards.

The criteria announced last month included a fourth-place or better showing in a national poll. The USA/Gallup poll earlier this month showed Kucinich in fourth place among the Democratic contenders.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

thoughts

on why i am not writing about the bhutto murder. i am a woman and i recognize that bhutto’s stint as prime minister in an islamic country was important. her role as a strong leader among men was as important as golda meir and margaret thatcher’s were in paving the way for women everywhere. however, i am someone who believes that people are equal. men and women are equal even as they are different physiologically. that bhutto was murdered is newsworthy because she was an opposition leader backed by america to disrupt a nuisance who doesn’t want to toe the mark. that doesn’t detract from her former accomplishments or what her future could have held. but is her life any more newsworthy or precious than any number of iraqis or kurds or palestinians or sudanese or rwandans? or anyone else on the planet? in my mind no. she was a daughter and wife and mother- just as countless other women are. she suffered loss just as any number of women have. she was special only because she moved up the ranks of power- something that many women can’t do.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

Blue Dogs and Greenbacks..

Reprinted from TomPaine.com-It’s worth your time….this is why the Dem’s are fast becoming my former party.
Al Meyerhoff
November 15, 2007
An attorney in Los Angeles, Al Meyerhoff is co-counsel for the class in the Enron shareholder litigation.

Perhaps Ralph Nader was right.

The leadership of the Democratic party recently had the rare opportunity to significantly recast the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It was a highly watched choice in certain quarters-and in many boardrooms. Which Democrats would show up? Those favoring broad and systemic reform of our nation’s markets? Or “Blue Dog” business Democrats, happy with shifting campaign contributions and seeming more like Republicans every day? Unfortunately for the country, it was the Blue Dogs by a mile.

Created as part of the New Deal, the SEC, with future Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas as its Chairman, was the ultimate Depression era watchdog-safeguarding the public from the fraud and dishonesty that so characterized Wall Street in those sad times and in these times too. For the better part of 70 years, the Commission did its job, but as markets changed and expanded, the Commission’s powers often proved insufficient. Its role also lessened-especially during the roaring 90s, when deregulation reigned supreme. Happy to fill this regulatory gap, the fraudsters came out from under their collective rocks at Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, HealthSouth and elsewhere.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content