Stephen Views the News

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:35:00 +0000

The Short and Not So Long of Rovian Politics

Karl Rove was back in the news last week. He was testifying before a congressional committee investigating the firing of eight Assistant Attorney Generals in 2007. There has been much speculation about Rove’s role in the firings while a key White House political operative. The firings reeked of political maneuvering and compromised the integrity of our legal system. Prosecutions and decisions not to prosecute surrounded the politicization of the Justice Department during the Bush years, especially during the tenure of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. It remains to be seen whether Rove will at some point have to answer for his involvement in this travesty as well his likely role in the compromising of a CIA undercover operative in the Valerie Plame case. Other cynical machinations abound that were intended to provide cover for the Bush administration’s questionable to illegal activities and to assure the domination of the Republican Party for years to come.

Rove has been widely credited for his role in bringing George W. Bush to the White House. It was a strategy that brought together the moneyed class of America and the working class of the Christian religious-right under the umbrella of the Republican Party. Rove came to be known as Bush’s Brain. The early successes of this political merger led to predictions that the GOP would dominate national politics for perhaps decades. How has the Rovian Strategy played out? One assessment would be that the legacy of Bush’s Brain is an inoperable tumor.

The election of African American Barack Obama to the presidency of the USA would not likely have occurred if not for the backlash against Bush, Rove and their minions. This backlash has also been seen in the Congress where the Republican Party now finds itself in the minority in both the Senate and the House. The number of registered Republicans has substantially declined. A significant number of long-standing Republican congress people are not seeking re-election, as they see the writing on the wall. The Republican Party’s strength is now limited to a few southern states and a couple of western states characterized as the “Mormon Corridor”. The heart of the GOP is now a narrow political base bottom feeding on fringe ideas. Their mantras are anti-abortion, anti-gays, questioning Obama’s birth certificate and bemoaning the fate of the White man. Their heroes are the likes of pundits Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and politicos Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich. The common theme of these “conservative” voices is fear, divisiveness, negativity and more fear. At a time when this country desperately needs ideas to overcome much of the damage that this group has wrought, they have little to offer. Their strategy is to oppose everything but their narrow failed vision. This is the state of the Party that rumbled into town on the Rove Express. What happened to the projected political dominance so giddily anticipated just a few years ago?

Certainly the divide and conquer Rove strategy proved short-term successful in the sense that they gained entrance to the White House. Bush did not win the popular vote in 2000 and it took a questionable decision by the Supreme Court to get seated in the Oval Office, but they got there. They then proceeded to politicize virtually every aspect and department of government, break rules of accepted procedure and ignore the warnings of an imminent terrorist attack that resulted in 9/11. Bush and VP Dick Cheney subsequently used this attack to misleadingly justify the Iraq War where the safety of troops and treatment of wounded took a back seat to the imperialist focus of the Neocons. They broke national and international laws with respect to human rights and torture. They broke national laws with illegal wiretaps, allowed the special interests of corporations to take precedence over worker and product safety and they ignored and secreted scientific reports on the damaging effects of global warming.

As busy as the Bushites were they found time to inject the catechism of the religious-right throughout the federal government while ignoring the constitutional requirement of the separation of church and state. By the end of the Bush administration the average American was significantly worse off in 2008 than in 2000. The focus of the Republican Party under Bush was to be the advocate of special interests and by the presidential election of 2008 the majority of Americans were seeing that the Republican Party was as naked as the king in the children’s parable.

In a democracy, lies, manipulation and misdirection can lead to short-term political success. But unless such an effort actually destroys that democracy, incumbency will be short-lived. We may never know all of the details about how our country was derailed by Rovian tactics but for the time being we have survived. In a free society, a political philosophy that does not ultimately serve the interests of the majority of the populous cannot gain long-term traction. The ultimate failure of Karl Rove to achieve Republican Party dominance bodes well for the future of our country, if we can first survive the mess left behind.

Farewell, At Least for a While

In June 2007 I began offering my unsolicited view of the news, otherwise known as a blog. It was my way of expressing displeasure with the abominations perpetrated by the Bush administration and the terrible leadership exhibited by our national legislators. What I originally believed would be a few short notes to friends blossomed into 125 blog posts. Although Stephen Views the News has been a very small voice in the world of blogging it is gratifying that my comments have been visited by people from 46 countries, almost 1100 cities and you. This adventure has been a labor of love, an interesting challenge, a vehicle to learn more about my country and how it functions and a venue to participate in the dialogue. New friends met along the way have been a special bonus. The positive feedback I received has been an encouragement and the criticisms an impetus to further evaluate my positions and better understand opposing points of view. What could be healthier in a free society?

I share these thoughts because recently I have felt it is time for a break. This current post encompasses much of what I have written about these last two years and therefore serves as an apropos dénouement.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:03:00 +0000

* Just love them Golden Oldies – There are so many great songs that I fondly remember from the 1960s. There is Devil with A Blue Dress, Johnny B. Goode, Hang on Sloopy, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, Heatwave, Mustang Sally and so many more. However, my very favorite song is the one sung by a group that is still as active today as 45 years ago – The Conservatives. The song is titled, “Medicare Will Result in the Rationing of Medical Care.” Members of this doo wop group included, Ronald Regan, Bob Dole, George H. W. Bush and Barry Goldwater. Actually, the song was off key then and the current version is equally dissonate.

Time and energy does not permit linking to every absurdity The Conservatives have put forth in opposing healthcare and health insurance reform but examples include: every American already has good health coverage; reform will result in the euthanasia of the elderly; a government bureaucrat will decide what treatment a patient will be allowed; America already has the best healthcare in the world; we must protect the health insurers; reform will result in the rationing of health care. It reminds one of “The Twist” by Chubby Checker.

Medicare is a government-sponsored health care program that provides health coverage to virtually all of the nation’s elderly and a large share of people with disabilities. While the program is not perfect, as Igor Volsky notes at ThinkProgress.org, “it has dramatically improved access to health care, allowed seniors to live longer and healthier lives, contributed to the desegregation of southern hospitals, and has become one of the most popular government programs.” The fears and lies promulgated by the forces that oppose healthcare reform today are a cabal of conservative Republicans and some Democrats who are in the pocket of the insurance industry and are fueled by millions of dollars in spending by the health insurance industry intent on protecting their monopolies and profits. It is a familiar tune but inaccurate history and terrible policy for the majority of Americans. As a participant in Medicare I have never experienced interference in my choice of doctors, medical facilities or treatments. I have seen no evidence that supports such claims. Perhaps some of the old songs are not as good as I would like to recall. At the same time, if intelligent healthcare reform is not enacted soon, many people will be left with that groovy song from the Temptations - “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

Although I believe that President Obama waited too long to become forcefully involved in the healthcare and health insurance reform discussion, he said in a speech in North Carolina on Wednesday, “First of all, no one is talking about some government takeover of health care. Under the reform I’ve proposed, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. And if you’re one of the 46 million Americans who don’t have coverage today, you will finally be able to get quality, affordable coverage…. the truth is, we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn’t always work well for you. What we need, and what we will have when we pass these reforms, are health insurance consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and insurance companies are held accountable… We will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage because of your medical history… We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms, colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost not only lives, but money… And we will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime.” We are now “In the Midnight Hour” (Wilson Picket) with respect to healthcare reform. We should not let the naysayers do “Somethin’ Stupid” (Frank and Nancy Sinatra).

* How does the Republican leadership feel about their Party? – An interesting post by Markos Moulitas at dailykos.com notes that “Republicans flee congress in droves.” Seven of the 41 Republican senators have announced they will not seek re-election and Arlen Specter has switched parties. There is somewhat of a satisfying feeling seeing so many of the legislators who rubber-stamped Bush policy that resulted in so much pain for this country leaving the national scene for lucrative lobbying jobs or to bask in the comfort of their government–provided retirement plans and healthcare coverage. I am reminded of the song by Vanilla Fudge, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”

* Speaking of sounds – Over the last few weeks my ears have begun hurting from one of the ugliest sounds imaginable - the sound of racism. No, I did not expect meanness, hatred and divisiveness from those who harbor racism to disappear with the inauguration of Barack Obama. I also did not believe that such maliciousness that we currently see could gain its current traction in the 21^st Century in the United States of America. Once again my naïveté causes me to blush. Or is that redness on my face anger?

Free speech does not allow the silencing of Glenn Beck and fellow conservative talk shlocks who spew racist rhetoric in order to appeal to a wacko listening core. Free speech does not allow the muting of the bile excreted by a rejuvenated white supremacist coven in this country. At the same time, decency requires that we speak out about such outrages. And while on this subject, I say to CNN’s Lou Dobbs, who is giving voice to and exposure to the idiots who have been termed “birthers” (those who question the validity of Obamas birth certificate), I find your “journalism” to be as appealing as afterbirth.

Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a major force in the fight against racism said, “But Dobbs is playing a dangerous game. By promoting paranoid conspiracy theories that originate in extremist circles, he's fanning the flames of racism among a segment of society that can't accept a black man in the White House. And we've already seen a wave of violence committed by racial extremists since Obama was elected.” The SPLC is sponsoring a petition to CNN titled, “Tell CNN to Stop Peddling Racist Propaganda.”

Criticism should vociferously be directed at CNN for allowing Dobbs to play a ratings game that appeals to the lowest instincts and divides our country. This is not intelligent discourse and certainly does not serve the interests of this country. More than enough of such crap is already available on FOX News. At a time when our country is overburdened with problems and challenges the network that bills itself as the best source for political news has made itself a source of a problem. Although Dobbs knows no shame it is a shame on CNN.

In a “man bites dog moment” you have to love this video clip made available at CrooksandLiars.com where Bill O’Reilly (Faux News, of course) and Bernie Goldberg theorize that the Birther controversy is a plot by liberals to make the conservatives look nutty. Memo to Bill: You do not need our help.

* “People are asking me about the race problem.... I know of no race problem. The great problem that confronts the American people to-day is a national problem -- whether this great nation of ours is great enough to live up to its own convictions, carry out its own declaration of independence, and execute the provisions of its own constitution.”

Spoken by Frederick Douglas in the year 1893

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:34:00 +0000

* The Buchanan Watch, aka, the White Man’s Burden – Keeping an eye on Pat Buchanan is not especially challenging since his more-than-weekly public comments expressing a depressing level of racism and Caucasian entitlement continues unabated. During his recent conversation with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC Mr. Buchanan said that white men built this country. I am not sure what the implication is for today’s world but I would point out that a good portion of the white man’s early success was predicated on slave labor. That is not exactly a white feather in the white bonnet of the white man. Since it was slaves who physically built the White House perhaps it would be more accurate to call it the Black House.

Buchanan and his ilk are fond of thumping their pathetically selective interpretation of the bible so it seems appropriate to quote the bible: In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God (Genesis 5:1). Now there are some who make the arrogant assertion that it is white, conservatively Christian American folks that are God’s image. I wonder if God was having a bad hair day when creating blacks, Jews, Asians, American and Indian Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Australoids, Cao Dais and atheists? One wonders if God has a hernia from laughing at these fools and red eyes from crying over their ignorance, self-absorption and diminishment of the human spirit.

* The alarm has sounded but we remain somnambulant – As healthcare reform dominates the news our society continues to keep a closed eye to health. In an article “The High Cost of Cheap Food” by Megan Nix that was first published in the Denver Post she notes that 27% of children are obese (a category beyond just being overweight) and, for the first time in 200 years, today's children have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Food processors and agribusiness are dominated by a few corporations whose business model is dominated by profitability – a formula that ignores the welfare of the individual and the common good. The result is over-processed foods too often lacking sound nutrition. The result is livestock pumped with antibiotics resulting in humans becoming immune to antibiotics and leading to the emergence of superbugs (more virulent strains of bacteria). The raising of livestock in unsanitary conditions is leading to the threat of super strains of E-coli, amongst other dangers. Yes, America is facing many challenges and many of them are not yet on the radar screen for the vast majority of its citizens. At a time when Conservatives call for less government the exact opposite is desperately needed because we have allowed food production to be concentrated in too few hands and at the same time reduced the oversight of these operations.

An article in the Brattleboro (VT) Reformer offers a case in point of how concentration (monopoly) in the dairy industry and an antiquated and complicated national pricing system is resulting in the demise of small dairy farmers. A good example of the negative effects that occur when a mega-corporation is permitted to expand its influence unabated is Dean Foods. Silk is a brand of soy milk that developed a strong customer base by producing a product made from American grown organic soy. Silk was committed to supporting domestic organic farmers. The “organic” designation for American grown product requires strict growing standards resulting in a higher cost. Once Dean Foods acquired the company: “Multiple Midwestern farmers and farmer cooperatives in the heart of American soy country were told by Silk they had to match the rock-bottom cost of Chinese organic soybeans -- a price they simply could not meet. Organic agriculture is labor-intensive, and China's edge comes largely from its abundance of cheap labor.” I would add that Chinese produced products too often have proven to be unsafe and too often lack the oversight of production and efficacy. Examples include toys, ingredients for baking and pet food, wallboard, pharmaceuticals and food products.

Silk has since abandoned even the “organic” element of their product since it is even cheaper to use soybeans that in some cases are processed with the neurotoxin hexane. “The use of hexane poses risks to workers in the plants and possibly the consumers of the product and is listed as an air pollutant by EPA. In Illinois alone, 5 million pounds of hexane are released into the environment by food processors Bunge, Cargill and Arthur Daniels Midland.” And, irony of ironies, “hexane-processed soymilk can still be labeled "natural." It is enough to drive a health-conscious person to drink!

* American suicide bombers (this is not a typo) - Meet Glenn Beck, Bill Kristol, John Bolten, Jim DeMint and a host of other Republican-Conservative legislators and commentators who are so intent on Obama failing that the American people can go to hell. They perform as winsome cheerleaders advocating and rooting for his failure. Their myopic pandering to their narrowing base is, in fact, wishing for America to fail. We are seeing the culmination (and demise) of a political, social and economic philosophy that brought America to its knees during the Bush Administration. They have little constructive to offer and find comfort in the wounds inflicted upon America by their policies. As Obama and the American people attempt to recover from their influence these cheerless “leaders” bloviate and prance as patriots hoping that their treason-like rhetoric is seen as something else. “Despicable” is their coat of arms.

* When inmates reform the prison – Who is one of the leaders of healthcare reform in the Senate? Meet Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Unfortunately, at a time when intelligent healthcare reform needs a man of and for the people we have a shill for the health insurance industry. “Health-related companies and their employees gave Baucus's political committees nearly $1.5 million in 2007 and 2008, when he began holding hearings and making preparations for this year's reform debate.” According to an email this week sent by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), “Health insurance premiums have doubled since 2001, while health insurance industry profits have soared 428% in that same time.” Baucus is their advocate, not ours. No one can predict at this time what form health reform will take. The odds against meaningful reform are substantial given that the so many of the decision makers are owned by the elements in the health care system whose economic interests oppose reform.

In a grand idiosyncrasy in the design of the American democratic system, Senator Baucus represents a state that contains three-tenths of one percent of the country’s population but 100 per cent of the health insurance industry.

* Headline of the Week – “Obama may have to wait for health care package.” Perhaps a more accurate headline would have been: Tens of millions of Americans may have to wait for health care!

* Achtung! – As our military continues to dismiss openly gay troops (12,500 in the last 15 years), the Army is impotent in addressing the growing number of white supremacists among its ranks. “Army policy states that commanders can take disciplinary actions, including reclassification of soldiers who are active white supremacists. They cannot, however, dismiss them. The heaviest penalty a commander could impose is to bar reenlistment.” A report in the military publication “Stars and Stripes” noted that dozens of active-duty personnel can be found on a Neo-Nazi site characterized as Facebook for the fascist set. What do these storm trooper wannabees reveal? Favorite book: Mein Kampf. Favorite movie: the Nazi propaganda film “Triumph of the Will.” Dislikes: “anyone who opposes the master race.”

Last month Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) attached an amendment to the 2010 defense authorization bill that would expressly ban the “recruitment, enlistment or retention” of anyone tied to an extremist group. Hastings noted: “The problem is that in many instances, recruiters and commanding officers are looking the other way. The US Government should not be providing the highest quality of military training in the world to individuals who hope to use that training in a ‘race war’ or in an effort to overthrow the United States Government.” Ya think?

* Well, how is that working out? – The effects of George Bush’s evangelically-driven sex education policy are becoming evident. They can be characterized as an itchy and oozing eruption in the groin area. The Center for Disease control reports, “years of falling rates of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease infections under previous administrations were reversed or stalled in the Bush years… birth rates among teenagers aged 15 or older had been in decline since 1991 but are up sharply in more than half of American states since 2005… number of teenage females with syphilis has risen by nearly half after a significant decrease while a two-decade fall in the gonorrhea infection rate is being reversed. The number of Aids cases in adolescent boys has nearly doubled.” I suggest we pass on the Kool Aid and pass the condoms.

* “Sure there are dishonest men in local government. But there are dishonest men in national government too.”
Richard M. Nixon

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:01:00 +0000

* When “black” was more beautiful – In the 1950s and 1960s an organization of black churches and ministers forged the way for the civil rights movement for African Americans. This historic and game-changing force was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy and Andrew Young. Freedom loving Americans will always remember and honor their leadership and their sacrifices. Against long-held prejudice and less-than equal rights they believed that nonviolent civil disobedience could help end segregation and foster social justice for blacks. Their diligence and persistence led to legal decisions and legislation that finally provided African Americans the rights granted to white males when our country’s founders declared independence from England in 1776 and formed a less-than-perfect union that would take 200 more years for its stated freedoms to be all-inclusive.

I note this background because today the SCLC should be the target of sit-ins and marches for what has become its civil-rights hypocrisy. While fighting for the equal rights of African Americans the SCLC has decided to incarnate as George Wallace when it comes to equal rights of gay Americans. The SCLC is “seeking to remove the president of its Los Angeles chapter,” Rev. Eric P. Lee, in response to his role in organizing opposition to California’s same-sex marriage ban, Prop. 8, last fall. The cry for freedom during the civil rights movement for African Americans was “We Shall Overcome.” I suggest they change their rallying cry to “One and Done.”

* Was it good for you? – NY Times columnist David Brooks wrote about sitting next to a Republican senator at a dinner. Brooks claims the senator had his hand on Brooks’ inner thigh throughout the dinner. When asked the name of the senator Brooks declined to reveal his identity. It seems reasonable to inquire why Brooks did not just get up from the table. Either he was secreting his tumescence or he did not want to miss dessert.

* You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink – I thought about this adage listening to Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) remarks during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The senator related how her parents had purchased the Encyclopedia Britannica in order to enhance her education as Sotomayor’s mother had done for her and her brother who would later become a doctor. The stories resonated for me because my parents had also purchased a Britannica set for me and my brother. My mother had completed high school but my father did not, having to leave school to help support his family. Fortunately for me and my brother our parents realized the need to be proactive in our learning. I was the first in my family to attend college. There is no question in my mind that this would not have occurred without the diligence and encouragement of my parents to ensure my intellectual development.

My understanding of the importance of a parent’s role in the education of their child was further broadened when I worked as a substitute teacher to fund my graduate work. Some of this work was in neighborhoods where parent involvement in their child’s education was too often minimal to none. It did not require an advanced degree to comprehend rather quickly which students received parental oversight in their studies. Probably the most important element in the education process, the role that parents play, is the one receiving the least attention in attempts to improve grade school learning. As I follow reports on the problems and failures of education in America the system is to blame, teachers are to blame, lack of funding is to blame along with television, movies, electronic games and the bogeyman. It is doubtful if any combination of educational programs and teacher incentives will achieve success in educating children if the parents are absent from the equation. What I observed over 40 years ago is as pervasive, if not more so, today.

* The Buchanan Watch – For the third week in a row Pat Buchanan has managed to catch my attention with his insidious and harmful remarks. Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Buchanan said, “Todd Palin, ought to take Levi down to the creek and hold his head underwater until the thrashing stops.“ Buchanan was criticizing former almost son-in-law Levi Johnson for his remarks about Sarah Palin. Mr. Buchanan once again joins fellow pundits Limbaugh, O’Reily, Savage and Beck on the Psycho Babblers Express. I say shame on the house of MSNBC for continuing to give Buchanan a forum.

* From ThinkProgress.org:
"I will not vote for -- and no senator should vote for -- an individual nominated by any president who believes it is acceptable for a judge to allow their personal background, gender prejudices, or sympathies to sway their decision in favor of, or against, parties before the court." -- Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), 7/13/09

"When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account."-- Judge Samuel Alito, 1/11/06, during his Senate confirmation hearings as nominee for the Supreme Court. Sessions voted to confirm Alito as a Supreme Court Justice

I watched with interest as Sotomayor did attempt to explain to Sessions that she feels it important to be aware of her experiences and prejudices when hearing a case to ensure that this background does not impact her decisions. It is not a concept requiring membership in MENSA to understand but Sessions did not get it. Maybe his parents did not provide him with an encyclopedia in his formative years.

* Speaking of Senator Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions – I get a warm, fuzzy feeling when a U.S. Senator is actually qualified to be interrogating someone appearing before his committee. When Sessions accused Sonia Sotomayor of being a racist he brought to the discussion considerable experience. You can read details at the link but one example that tells you all you need to know about the senator from Alabama: “Sessions had called a white civil rights lawyer a ‘disgrace to his race’ for litigating voting rights cases.” It is interesting that one man’s idea of “disgrace” is another’s idea of nobility.

* Real heroes – A reader sent me a copy of Ben Stein’s final column “Monday Night at Morton’s.” I am not that fond of Stein’s comedic and acting endeavors and even less so of his politics. However, he offers a wonderful commentary about what is important in life and that the real heroes in our society are not the movie and sports stars. It is a highly recommended read available at this link.

* “Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.”
William Sloane Coffin, Jr. (1924 – 2006) Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist with international stature

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:43:00 +0000

* A time to grieve, but for whom – If anyone other than his family is grieving at the death of Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1967, I suggest stripping off the black cloth of mourning. This once head of Ford Motor Co. and eventual president of the International Monetary Fund proved to be one of the best and brightest but also one of the worst leaders in American history. He intentionally misled then President Lyndon B. Johnson and the American people about a North Vietnamese attack on American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin – an attack that never occurred. McNamara’s deception led to the bombing of North Viet Nam and resulted in the escalation of a war that would claim over 58,000 American lives, 350,000 American casualties and untold numbers of Asian lives. For many of the American military personnel who survived Viet Nam tragic lives followed from loss of legs and arms, mental illness, joblessness, homelessness and a host of illnesses from exposure to the chemical known as Agent Orange. I for one do not wish that Mr. McNamara rest in peace. I suspect that in the future the same will be written about several members of the Bush administration for their criminal and immoral role in the Iraq War. Amen.

* If you reside in Pennsylvania the foul odor assaulting your senses is not environmental, it is political. Former state senator Vincent Fumo was recently found guilty of a long list of crimes (137 to be exact) and he is about to be sentenced. The Philadelphia Inquirer featured an article about the well-connected pols who have stepped forward pleading for leniency at the Fumo sentencing. Below is my letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Tuesday’s front page article “Rendell lends support to Fumo” epitomizes the stench of Pennsylvania politics and failed leadership. Vincent J. Fumo is the poster boy for and has been found guilty of pay to play politics, fraud, misuse of office and funds and destroying evidence among a list of crimes that is longer than his years of “service.” There is no question of his egregious and criminal acts. Now that he is about to be sentenced, who steps up to ask for mercy? There is the governor of PA, U.S. Rep. Robert A. Brady, and former PA Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen A. Zappala. The “good old boy network” is not good for the citizens of PA and it has gotten very old. The aphrodisiac of power knows no shame!

* Un-American – This is a term we have heard quite often this decade. It is an accusation usually hurled by Republicans/Conservatives at critics of an unprovoked war, individuals who support the rights of gay citizens, citizens that believe torture is immoral, and lovers of freedom offended by the government spying on citizens. I thought about this when reading of Switzerland’s opposition to its international bank UBS disclosing data to U.S. tax authorities on 52,000 Americans who are holders of secret Swiss bank accounts. If one were hiding money in a Swiss bank it seems reasonable to conclude it is being done to avoid taxes, to avoid paying one’s fair share. It is clearly an un-American act and yet I have not heard the lapel flag pin faux patriots offering their outcry. Maybe some of them are waiting until they move their hidden accounts to the Cayman Islands.

The Swiss claim that such revelations would break their banking laws. Not reporting money to the IRS to avoid paying taxes breaks U.S. law so in a very real sense the Swiss are aiding and abetting criminal activity by U.S. citizens. In response to the Swiss intransigence perhaps the U.S. should impose a 500% tariff on Swiss cheese and watches. The other alternative would be to follow the propensity of our Neocon brethren and drop a bunker bomb on the Swiss vaults.

* Speaking of what it means to be an American – Conservative icon Pat Buchanan offered this interesting perspective in an interview this week: “I put democracy far down the line. I think a devoutly Christian, conservative, traditionalist country—even if it’s a monarchy—is fine with me.” I guess that being a real conservative means never having to say you are sorry for ignoring the Constitution of the United States of America or the history of what brought settlers to the new world - fleeing the religious persecution that took place under a monarchy. It is obvious that being extremely intelligent does not preclude one from being a fool.

* Speaking of big cheeses - A report in the Washington Post offers an interesting insight into the lobbying efforts of the healthcare industry to influence or impede legislation on healthcare reform. In this historic battle you and I are David versus Goliath:

~ The healthcare industry is spending $1.4 million per day as it attempts to influence legislation.
~ “The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues… At least three of every four major healthcare firms have at least one former insider on their lobbying payrolls”
~ “The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) doubled its spending to nearly $7 million in the first quarter of 2009, followed by Pfizer, with more than $6 million.”

It will require a great deal of citizen action to overcome the mountain of resources being utilized by the folks that have brought us the current state of affairs in healthcare and who wish to maintain the status quo. Seventy-six percent of Americans want a public option to healthcare. As overwhelming as this statistic may be the healthcare industry and their friends/advocates/hired guns in Congress stand in the way. Change will only happen if we the people assert ourselves.

Health Care for America Now has a petition you can sign that will be forwarded to your Representative at this link. Change.org offers a letter to your Senator about healthcare reform at this link. If you want to contact your elected officials directly Project Vote Smart, at this link, provides the tools to locate your congressmen’s contact information to let them know your vote will depend upon their actions. If you want to become more active in the effort to achieve healthcare reform Organizing for America has a site where you can sigh up for an event to make phone calls or canvass door-to-door at this link. If you wait for the next increase in your health insurance premium or co-pay it may be too late.

In case you are accepting the band aid solutions the health insurance industry claims it will institute to improve healthcare and control costs a Senate committee report noted the following: “Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid.” Insurers have systematically underpaid for so-called out-of-network care. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo described the underpayments “as a scheme by health insurers to defraud consumers by manipulating reimbursement rates." Who do you trust?

Some resources on healthcare reform:
~ Physicians for a National Health Program
~ California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee
~ Health Care for America Now
~ The U.S. House's Health Care Reform Discussion Draft
~ National Health Care Policy Study Group

* “One reason the Kennedy and Johnson administrations failed to take an orderly, rational approach to the basic questions underlying Vietnam was the staggering variety and complexity of other issues we faced. Simply put, we faced a blizzard of problems, there were only twenty-four hours in a day, and we often did not have time to think straight.”
Robert S. McNamara, “In Retrospect” (a memoir), 1995

Postscript: One wonders if this week Mr. McNamara is explaining to his maker how he did have the time and mental acuity to intentionally mislead his country into an unnecessary escalation of war marked by death, destruction and tragedy for millions of human beings?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:22:00 +0000

The Conservative Perspective – Political Pornography

As I troll, surf and stalk what is happening in the news I often stumble upon such absurdity by so-called Conservatives that I do a check to ensure I have taken the correct medication for the day. In a clear-headed world such lewdness of logic could not be taking place. More often than not I ignore such offense to reason. When I have noted these mental burlesques they have been featured in a segment designated Derriere Orifice of the Week. This was indeed a special week!

* Senator John Ensign (R-NV) and Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), advocates of family values, opponents of gay rights and pontificators of how others should conduct their lives, were exposed for extra-marital affairs. Perhaps these disgraced icons of the holier-than-thou movement should pay more attention to what their own sexual organs are doing. Republican sexual indiscretions have become so prevalent that TalkingPointsMemo.com has developed a Sex Scandal Flow Chart, where all roads must lead to hell. Truth be told, I would not care less what happens in the private lives of politicians if not for those instances where their hypocrisy is palpable. The sanctity of marriage begins with one’s own zipper remaining in the up position. And what does it say about Senate Republican leadership that during their regular Tuesday luncheon meeting, following Ensign’s mea culpa apology to them, they showered him with applause. Good job John, another notch on the chastity belt!

* Noted natural healer and airwaves polluter Rush Limbaugh offered an alibi for Sanford’s love tryst in Argentina. Limbaugh said, “Sanford flew out of the country to have an affair because ‘President Obama drove him over the edge’.” The background of “over the edge” involved Sanford opposing the acceptance of desperately needed money provided in the Stimulus Plan for South Carolina. Sanford lost this fierce battle with his state legislature as he desperately attempted to establish his conservative credentials for a presidential run in 2012. The Limbaugh Prescription: committing adultery is the homeopathic approach to dealing with stress. Whatever bothers you, just get laid and blame it on the President.

* Right-wing anti-tax activist Grover Norquist offered an interesting perspective on recent Republican adultery. Norquist said, “It does indicate that men who oppose federal spending at the local level are irresistible to women.” Oh to have had this knowledge when I was single. Who would have thought that approaching a woman in a cocktail lounge as a tight-assed, anal-retentive bible thumper with a Shirley Temple in hand would have her disrobing and fogging up my eyeglasses?

* One of Maryland’s most prominent Republican organizations, Republican Women of Anne Arundel County, issued a letter by the organization’s President, Joyce Thomann. Her letter began “Dear Friends” and went on to say, “Obama and Hitler have a great deal in common in my view. Obama and Hitler use the “blitzkrieg” method to overwhelm their enemies. FAST, CARPET BOMBING intent on destruction. Hitler’s blitzkrieg bombing destroyed many European cities – quickly and effectively. Obama is systematically destroying the American economy and with it AMERICA.” I do have issues with Ms. Thomann’s grammar but, more importantly, this is a good example of what happens when rain closes the country club golf course. Idle hands are the devil’s tools.

* Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) is the poster child for Attention Deficit Disorder and the mindless meanderings of a mercury-tainted cerebral hemisphere. Her malapropisms and malcogitation (sic) are legendary and the congresswoman from Minnesota is a frequent flyer on the Derriere Orifice express. She has announced that she will break the law by not filling out her 2010 Census questionnaire. Her explanation included that the Census led to the internment of Japanese Americans in the 1940’s. This link attempts to analyze Bachmann’s irrationality and historical to hysterical errors. I suggest two aspirin one hour before reading. One wonders if the citizens of her district should be interned for electing her to congress. If one guessed that her public display of idiocy took place on FOX News you are exempt from completing your census form. And what does it say about your assertions when right-wing nut Glenn Beck thinks you have lost your census?

* Eight Supreme Court justices ruled that a school’s strip search of an Arizona 13 year old girl accused of having prescription-strength ibuprofen was illegal.” The eight justices range in philosophy from liberal to moderate to conservative. But there are nine SC justices and the ultra conservative and reactionary Justice Clarence Thomas offered a dissenting opinion. Thomas said, “the court was making a “deep intrusion” into the administration of public schools and their efforts to fight the scourge of drug abuse.” Yes, the eternal challenge for a democracy is finding that elusive balance between the common good and individual freedoms. Someone should explain to Justice Thomas that “No Child Left Behind” had nothing to do with students baring their behind by lowering their Calvin Klein underwear.

* Just when you thought that Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher’s career as spokesperson for the conservative mind was over he floats to the top of the septic tank. At a speaking engagement to Americans for Prosperity in Wisconsin “The Plunger” said more than once, referring to Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), "Why hasn't he been strung up?" Ah, the voice of Conservatism – cogent, articulate and erudite while conveying the ideals and principles of American freedom and democracy. I expect that Joe’s next appearance will be in Anne Arundel, Maryland at the annual Spaetzle Cook Off.

* Let my people go – Republican Representatives John Culberson (TX), Peter Hoekstra (MI), and David Dreier (CA) all compared their minority status in congress to the plight of the Iranian protestors. With the exception of living in a democracy and not being shot at or bludgeoned for their views their analogy is spot on. I suggest that they will feel better if they take the advice of the leader of their Party, Rush Limbaugh, and just get laid.

* Recall Republicans going ballistic when President Obama said that one of the characteristics his Supreme Court nominee should possess is empathy. Some would say that Republican opposition stemmed from the fact that they do not understand the meaning of the word. Well, there is some evidence that at least one Republican can express empathy. Meet Missouri state representative Cynthia Davis. As chairwoman of the Missouri House Special Standing Committee on Children and Families she was critical of a government program that provides food during the summer for thousands of low-income Missouri children who rely on the school cafeteria for free or reduced-price meals during the regular school year. “A report by Feeding America found that one in five Missouri children currently lives with hunger.” Here is where the empathy thing comes in. Ms. Davis extolled the virtues of hunger because “hunger can be a positive motivator.” Rumor has it that Ms. Davis has been selected Woman of the Year by the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County.

* Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) signed the US Senate vacancy bill which takes away the governor’s power to appoint someone to a vacant US Senate seat. Rell said, “this bill gives directly to the people of Connecticut the decision on who would fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate… Since taking office as Governor, I have done everything in my power to make Connecticut a model for all states when it comes to openness, transparency and citizen participation in government." “Republican lawmakers had called the bill a "power grab" during lengthy debates in both the House and the Senate.” Lacking empathy and the concept of democracy, Republicans conclude that giving the citizens the right to elect their officials “is a power grab.”

Who then is sane? He who is not a fool.
Quintus Horatius Flaccus, aka, Horace (65 BC to 8 BC) Roman lyric poet

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Some Disappointments in Obama

Readers of this blog may find this heading surprising in light of my support of Barack Obama as a candidate in the Democratic primary contest, in the presidential election and in the early days of his presidency. I have no doubt that his election over John McCain was to the American advantage. There is much that I approve of since Obama has taken occupancy of the oval office. Previous blogs have praised a number of his decisions including that the U.S. will no longer allow torture, closing Guantanamo Bay prison, making healthcare reform a major priority, upgrading consumer product safety, reigning in the abusive tactics of credit card companies, returning the concept of “protection” to the Environmental Protection Agency and bringing back diplomacy to America’s international relations.

I never expected that I would agree with everything that the Obama administration does. There is a full understanding that most of what Obama attempts will be strongly opposed by Republican congressmen from the viewpoint of ideology, appeal to their hardcore base or attempts to simply save their political derrieres by re-writing history and blaming every ill on the Democrats and Obama. Joining Republican obstructionism is a considerable number of Democrats who, regardless of the state they come from, reside in the pockets of special interests. Obama faces formidable foes and the circumstances of an economy and financial structure in crisis, war on two fronts and countries such as Pakistan, Iran and North Korea that present daunting challenges. Has a President ever taken office in the U.S. inheriting so many challenges?

My problem with Obama involves policies and decisions that did not have to be so weak. There have been decisions that have gone against campaign promises, that have contradicted positions previously taken and in some cases have mirrored George W. Bush’s egregious policies. The vast bulk of Obama’s presidency is yet to unfold. Some areas of improvement that I would like to see:

* Transparency – Open government was a mainstay of the Obama candidacy. “Transparency” was a signature issue on the campaign trail. There have been a number of instances where the Obama Justice Department argued in federal courts to block the release of information about torture and other issues and, like the Bush administration, blocked public access to the White House visitors’ log – especially when it came to secreting the names of the coal industry’s representative visitors, not unlike Secret Dick Cheney’s meetings with oil and gas interests. The downside to secretive government was made evident in the last administration. Public trust can only be established through consistent and responsible behavior by its elected representatives. Only a fool would blindly trust a politician or anyone else for that matter. A democracy best functions in the daylight. When Bush secreted his activities behind opposition to the Freedom of Information Act and the bleat of “state secrets” I had had enough. For Obama to do the same is appalling. McClatchy news services offers examples of Obama emulating Bush. Michael Isikoff of Newsweek authors an article, “Obama Closes Doors on Openness.” During his second day in office Obama promised "a new era of openness in our country." One can only hope that the “new era” will still be in the early stages of his presidency.

* Wiretapping-Spying on American citizens – Many wise legal and constitutional minds cautioned against the provisions of the Patriot Act in spite of government assurances that there are safeguards in place to protect the rights and privacy of citizens. As it became evident under Bush and as it is playing out under Obama, these safeguards are as effective as the Abstinence Only program to protect against teen pregnancies. A recent NY Times article titled “E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress” demonstrates that individuals working in these eavesdropping programs regularly spy on citizens without legal justification and even former president Bill Clinton was illegally spied on. There once was a game show titled “Who Do You Trust?” Today’s answer would be, “No one.” When Obama was a senator he said that warrantless wiretapping was illegal. Does the lofty view from the White House change one’s principles and beliefs? Recall in the first days of his presidency George W. Bush gushed about the importance of following the rule of law. We all saw how that played out.

* Gays in the military – Returning to the Obama campaign trail, his comments and positions on gay rights matters would belie what has taken place since Obama took office. He has not stopped the military’s dismissal of gay service people under the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” At a time when their services are more needed than ever gays in the military are being fired. Obama has the authority to suspend such activity until congress changes the law. He has remained silent.

* Gays not in the military – There has been a rising tide of anger and frustration by the gay community with Obama “slights and deferred promises.” First his Justice Department argued in a legal brief, “The brief insists it is reasonable for states to favor heterosexual marriages because they are the “traditional and universally recognized form of marriage.” In arguing that other states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages under the Constitution’s “full faith and credit” clause, the Justice Department cites decades-old cases ruling that states do not have to recognize marriages between cousins or an uncle and a niece.” Conclusion, gay marriages are equivalent to incest! During his candidacy Obama declared he would work to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). During his presidency his legal office is defending a law that deprives a segment of our population their equal rights.

* Shadow Army – When the Bush administration realized that it could not fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with the existing size of the U.S. military it began hiring contractors to perform traditional military responsibilities. The waste, abuse and illegal activity that ensued is well-documented. And the paramilitary presence of Department of Defense (DOD) contractors continues to grow. In a recent report by Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) there are now over 240,000 DOD contractors in Southeast Asia – including 132,000 in Iraq and 68,000 in Afghanistan. The report also raises concerns about the poor or inadequate training some of the (contractor personnel) receive, particularly Third Country Nationals hired to guard US bases and facilities: “Poorly trained and ill-equipped contractor employees providing security for our operating bases put American forces at increased risk of harm.” Some fresh thinking is required and old habits changed. Recall that there have been too many instances of these contractors committing rape and murder, building shoddy military facilities that have resulted in the electrocution of U.S. military personnel, and supplying our troops with tainted food and water.

This is not change we can believe in.

* Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama speech, February 5, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:58:00 +0000

* There are more noble people in the world than me – The Washington Post reports that the white supremacist responsible for murdering Holocaust Museum security guard Stephen T. Johns was being treated at George Washington University Hospital by a staff that includes Blacks, Jews and Middle Easterners. I would have a difficult time working to keep this poor excuse for a human being alive. If I had been driving the ambulance carrying the wounded shooter James W. von Brunn to the hospital I would have stopped at Five Guys for burgers and fries – not to go.

* Heavens to Betsy ~ a hell of a story - Texan Leonso Canales Jr. has convinced the Kleberg County commissioners to unanimously designate "heaven-o" as the county's official greeting. The reason: "hello" contains the word "hell." Who says that Texans are not a thinking breed? I believe that Mr. Canales, with an apparent DNA connection to the Italian pastry cannoli, has come upon something. Using cannoli logic; deviled eggs should be removed from American menus; Green Goddess is the only dressing allowed at salad bars; everyone living in Wisconsin should be excommunicated; Lady Godiva should be nominated for sainthood (if she puts on some clothes); and as an alternative to heaven-o we can use the word “goodbye” when coming and going. If we really want to be closer to the Almighty perhaps we should all sneeze more often.

* Calling a spade a spade – Watching Pat Buchanan on MSNBC one sees an articulate and irascible spokesman for the conservative point of view. When on cable news Buchanan takes relative care to mask his racism. Off camera he is the promoter of the Great White Hope mentality that yearns for the days when white folk dominated America’s culture. Buchanan’s true colors can be seen when observing the activities of his group American Cause (you have to love such patriotic sobriquets). At the upcoming American Cause conference the guest speaker will be white nationalist and anti-immigration website editor Peter Brimelow. According to Think Progress Buchanan has appeared at least twice on a Neo-Nazi radio show. This link provides a photo of Buchanan appearing with fellow hate mongers Filip DeWinter and Frank Vanhecke. Perhaps it is time for MSNBC and Chris Matthews to stop back patting Pat and allow him to ooze to the fringe of society where he is most compatible. To supplement any lost income Mr. Buchanan can make appearances at white supremacist rallies as the Pillsbury doughboy.

* Calling a predator a bank – Former loan officers for Wells Fargo Bank are signing affidavits that for a decade, Wells Fargo systematically singled out blacks in Baltimore and suburban Maryland for high-interest subprime mortgages. Loan officers pushed customers who could have qualified for prime loans into subprime mortgages. The affidavits provide the first detailed accusations of deliberate racial steering into subprimes by one of the nation’s top banks. The attorney generals for both Illinois and New York have raised similar questions about lending practices at Wells Fargo. “Loan officers received cash incentives to aggressively market subprime loans in minority communities.” Such practices have taken a “great toll on customers” by adding three points to such mortgages and adding $100,000 to the repayment of a $165,000 loan. When will “esteemed” financial executives begin going to jail for their deceit, dishonesty and criminal behavior and the havoc they caused to the American economy and American citizens. Smoke a joint and get three years in jail. Stink up the joint and get another parking spot at the country club. Welcome to the American Dream constructed on nightmares.

* Take 2 aspirin because healthcare reform will be a bruising battle – The American Medical Association (AMA) has made statements that it opposes a public option for health insurance. There has been the perception that this iconic organization speaks for a broad base of physicians in this country. According to Healthcare.Change.org the AMA represents only about 20% of medical doctors and only about half of its members are practicing physicians. I have heard it stated in an interview on NPR that the AMA does not even poll its members. So when the AMA makes a policy statement who is it speaking for and to what end? How many private health insurers and pharmaceutical companies are influencing the policy stances of the AMA?

A more representative group of physicians is Doctors for America, an organization representing doctors in all fifty states. They recently issued a statement in support of a public health insurance option. This link offers a summary of the state of healthcare in America today and the group’s position on a number of issues important to all of us.

* The myth of “clean” coal – Producers and users of coal are spending millions of dollars to convince Americans that coal is a clean energy source. It reminds one of the attempt by credit card companies to convince Americans that they are looking out for the welfare of consumers. Putting aside the fact that the burning of coal is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, the coal ash resulting from the burning of coal creates a major environmental hazard as well. In January I commented on the mythology of clean coal following the sludge spill of coal ash in Tennessee: “In 2007 the plant’s byproducts included: “45,000 pounds of arsenic, 49,000 pounds of lead, 1.4 million pounds of barium, 91,000 pounds of chromium and 140,000 pounds of manganese. Those metals can cause cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, among other health problems.”

This week the Department of Homeland Security reported to a Senate committee that the coal ash situation is so bad “the committee can't publicly disclose the location of coal ash dumps across the country… The pollution is so toxic, so dangerous, that an enemy of the United States -- or a storm or some other disrupting event -- could easily cause them to spill out and lay waste to any area nearby.” There are now 44 sites across America (out of several hundred) deemed by the Environmental Protection Agency to be high hazard.” Between domestic right-wing extremists and malfeasant environmental oversight al Qaeda can retire. Clean coal my ash!

And if the burning of coal were not sufficiently destructive there is the matter of mountaintop removal coal mining, a practice that allows the coal industry to dynamite the tops off of mountains to get at the thin coal seams underneath and bulldoze the remaining rubble into the valleys below. According to the organization Earth Justice the real price we pay for this type of coal mining is, “ … the hundreds of flattened mountaintops ... poisoned drinking water ... thousands of miles of buried streams, and American landscapes that now more closely resemble desolate moonscapes than the lush wilderness they were just a generation ago.” The next time you see one of the bucolic ads on television promoting “clean coal” it would be good to remember that there is no such thing.

* “Politicians fascinate because they constitute such a paradox; they are an elite that accomplishes mediocrity for the public good.”
George F. Will, columnist for the Washington Post

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Diplomacy, Hegemony and Terrorism

During President Barack Obama’s historic 55 minute speech in Cairo he received a standing ovation one dozen times. It seems to me impossible for one to shoot a rifle while forcibly bringing one’s hands together in applause. Unlike the trigger-happy Neocon derriere’s who had beat the drum for invading Iraq and, most recently, called for the U.S. to bomb North Korea and Iran (hello Bill Kristol and Brit Hume of FOX News) intelligent diplomacy gives America at least a chance to bring about a better situation while reducing the threat to American military personnel and civilians. If a time would come when military action is required it is also more likely that having first taken the diplomatic route America would garner meaningful international support – not what George W. Bush had in Iraq. For the sophomoric Neocon tough guys such as Cheney and Kristol who always want to go to war as long as they can continue to avoid serving in the military themselves, I suggest masturbation. It will relieve the pressure generated by overactive male hormones. Like most men walking around with a missile silo between their legs being macho leads to more harm than good.

And let us not forget that the United States was responsible for the overthrow of the elected government in Iran in the 1950’s that inserted the Shah of Iran into power – a puppet of American foreign “policy.” He ruled with a despotic heavy hand that was supported by a secretive and brutal police force. Two decades later the Iranian people rebelled and the result was the U.S. Iranian embassy hostage situation. And who can forget the unprovoked U.S. invasion of Iraq. America’s hands in the Middle East are far from clean (and covered in oil) yet few in America readily accept this reality and its effect on current political relations. It is refreshing and encouraging to have an adult in the White House.

Some voices in America, especially the conservative choir, bemoan Obama’s approach to a new diplomacy that they conclude is an apology. Perhaps standing up and taking responsibility for previous action is an anathema to conservatives since it was their approach that contributed to so much damage in the world. In a cowardly fashion they try to rewrite history rather than acknowledge their culpability. This past week, across the cable news networks, we saw Dick Cheney and daughter Liz making appearances and lying through their gritted teeth about Bush’s justification to invade Iraq and the illegal and immoral use of torture. I have never been waterboarded but I can relate to being tortured while watching these apologists for failed policy try to re-make their brand. Adding to my extreme discomfort is the general failure of interviewers to confront the Cheney family and like-minded phonies with the hard facts of recent history. The media proved to be complete failures in the lead up to the Iraq invasion and they continue to demonstrate their inadequacy today.

There are forces in America that want to demonize all Muslims because of the actions of murderers who call themselves Muslims. There are 1.5 billion people in the world who embrace the Muslim religion. Yes, there are some who claim to be Muslims and who have bastardized the teaching of Muhammad for their own political agenda. This does not justify the condemnation of the entire Muslim world. This past week we saw the murder of George Tiller, a doctor in Kansas who performed legal abortions, being justified in Christian religious terms. At Tiller’s funeral on Saturday anti-abortionists demonstrated with signs saying, “God Sent the Killer.” These are the actions of terrorists and murderers who call themselves Christians. What would Jesus say? Probably, “Oy vey.” It is this short-circuiting of a connection to the Almighty that demeans all that is holy. The bombers of abortion clinics and shooters of physicians are the immoral equivalent of the al Qaeda terrorists who struck the World Trade Center. The long history of man on planet Earth is wrought with acts of inhumanity premised on religious canards. It is a lesson that man is apparently not fated to learn.

* “Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave.”
Muhammad (570 – 632), Prophet of Islam

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:44:00 +0000

A note to the graduating class of 2009

News shows this past week broadcast excerpts of speeches given by well-known individuals at college commencement ceremonies. The wisdom and insight of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Laura Bush, Robert Gates, Colin Powell, Ellen DeGeneres, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and others reigned down upon graduates as they are about to embark on life as adults. Below are some thoughts and observations that these esteemed speakers may not have noted in their addresses.

Graduates who have followed the news on CNN, MSNBC, FOX or Comedy Central have seen a very clear choice as to how to conduct one’s life. Regardless of whether one agrees with the policies of President Obama his embrace of civility and nobility is in marked contrast to the narrow sewer politics of Limbaugh, Gingrich and Cheney. Obama’s adherence to veracity is in marked contrast to the lies and twisted logic of these icons of failed leadership under the banner of conservatism. The college graduates of 2009 may have the clearest examples in American history of how poor leadership can weaken America, how greed on steroids can destroy an economy and how ignoring the environment and the health of its citizens can put our society and communities at great risk. Everyone we are exposed to in life is our teacher. Some people show us to what to do and some show us what not to do. Rarely have such choices for graduates been in sharper focus.

For decades the message to graduates has consistently been to make the world a better place as one seeks their place to pursue dreams, hopes and aspirations. Today’s graduates will begin careers and soon start families under the umbrella of a political system that is flawed – a system that in recent years has yielded more impediments than opportunities for individuals to participate in the American dream. It is a system where our elected officials must raise large sums of money to fund political campaigns that ensure re-election. Elected officials are lured into serving the needs of the special interests that provide campaign and other funds and the officials must devote an inordinate amount of time to fundraising, which reduces the time available to deal with issues important to citizens. This will only change with the public financing of elections because self-policing by elected officials is an American pipe dream. For the most part, today’s elected officials are owned by corporate interests of energy, finance and banking, pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations. The sellout led to de-regulation of financial markets, a reduction in product safety, a reduction in competition and blockage of sound energy policies that would have reduced dependence on foreign oil and more responsibly protected the environment.

Today’s graduates will have to bide their time until there is once again a viable two-party political system in America. The current version of the Republican Party (Conservatism) became the voice of corporate interests, the religious-right and the Neocons, also known as the warmongers. The GOP was embarrassed in the elections of 2006 and 2008. As the current version of conservative politics continues to lose support in almost every demographic, 2010 will likely be even more devastating to the Republican Party. Following repeated defeats I expect the GOP will seek candidates more moderate, more inclusive and more reflective of a society rejecting the narrow issues of abortion and gay marriage, more demanding that elected representatives actually represent their interests which include fair wages, intelligent broad-based healthcare, sound energy policy, verifiable voting apparatus, renewal of our infrastructure, reliable mass transit and improvements in education.

We can only trust that this year’s graduates will reject the lies that the conservative/GOP cabal continue to spew. Examples include: gay marriage will destroy traditional marriage and lead to pedophilia and bestiality; the U.S. will be endangered if prisoners at Guantanamo were housed in federal high security prisons on American soil; Obama is a Fascist and his policies will result in a socialist state; oversight of capitalism will result in a socialist state; evolution is not valid; the world was created a) 3000 years ago, b) 5000 years ago, c) 15000 years ago; torture is justifiable in our society and the use of torture made Americans safer; Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat to America.

Finally, this note to graduates should not be construed as an endorsement of the Democratic Party. Over the past decade its record is not seen as horrendous only because it is compared to the Republican Party. Democrats are also subject to the influence of special interests and their lobbyists, they participated in the reigning in of regulation and reduction of oversight and they were silent and impotent in opposing the invasion of Iraq and subsequent funding of the occupation. Both political parties governed out of fear and a cynicism in the American political system and the American people. You are the next generation and you can do better.

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:12:00 +0000

* The conservative agenda ~ or lack thereof – Today a Washington Post article was titled, “Gay-Marriage Issue Awaits Court Pick, Same-Sex Unions Supplant Abortion As Social Priority for Conservatives.” Despite no evidence that same-sex marriage has a negative influence on the institution of marriage or the fabric of our society the conservative movement has hitched their Trojan horses to this empty wagon. Imagine the benefits to the American people if the full force of the conservative movement, be they social or anti-social conservatives, actually advocated for meaningful issues that include:

~ Affordable, quality healthcare for all citizens (as is the case in most industrialized nations)
~ Energy and environmental policies that protect the air and water essential to human existence and the food supply to sustain that existence
~ Responsible inspection of imported and domestic food and products
~ Workers rights that assure fair wages and reasonable and safe working conditions
~ Limitations on interest rates that have now reached levels that qualify as usury and were at one time outlawed in America
~ Public financing of elections so that special interests do not override the real interests of the people

Perhaps God should be recruited to the policy-setting committee for the conservative agenda. Rumor has it that She cares about the actual well-being of people.

* Romancing a Sheep – Religious-right leader Pat Robertson says, “The ‘ultimate conclusion’ of legalizing same-sex marriage would be the legalization of polygamy, bestiality, child molestation and pedophilia.” As the religious-right apprehensively watches its relevancy wane, its inflammatory rhetoric increases in intensity and absurdity. Appropriate responses to such nonsense would be “Nah” and “Baa.”

* Ignorance is bliss ~ or, just ignorant – John McCain has returned to the Sunday talk show punditocracy. These days he is weighing in on the military’s policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). If one is in the armed forces and is gay, just don’t admit to it and you are permitted to face a Taliban sniper or the possibility that the family jewels will be blown off by an al Qaeda operative or Sunni insurgent. McCain says that the policy is working. A fair question would be, “What are the results of inserting one’s head in the sand on this issue?”

From ThinkProgress.org: Since 1994, DADT has resulted in the discharge of more than 13,000 military personnel across the services, including approximately 800 with skills deemed “mission critical,” such as pilots, combat engineers, and linguists. According to a 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office, “the cost of discharging and replacing service members fired because of their sexual orientation during the policy’s first 10 years totaled at least $190.5 million — roughly $20,000 per discharged service member.

With war on two fronts and a military extremely over-extended Senator McCain says that the system is working. At a time when the strategic goals in Iraq and Afghanistan critically require personnel with Arabic language capabilities many have been dismissed. At a time when many military personnel have received deployment to combat zones four and five times because of a shortage of trained soldiers, this has resulted in very high numbers of military personnel with stress disorders. McCain would have us believe the system is working. Appropriate responses to such nonsense would be “Nah” and “Baa.”

* Seeing the obvious ~ when it is right in front of you – “Census data from the Mexican government indicate an extraordinary decline in the number of Mexican immigrants going to the United States.” I guess one could say that the U.S. government’s effort to stem the flow of illegal immigrants across our borders is finally working. Nah and baa. “If jobs are available, people come,” said Jeffrey S. Passel, senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington. “If jobs are not available, people don’t come.” The recession is proving more effective in reducing illegal immigration than incompetent and malfeasant U.S. policy.

Something we have always known is that the attraction for people to enter our country illegally was the availability of jobs. Something we have known all along is that it is illegal to employ undocumented workers. Something we have known all along is that said law was not enforced. Why? One reasonable guess would be that politically influential farmers, food processors, manufacturers, builders, landscapers… convinced the powers that be to look the other way. There was too much profit to be relinquished if they could not use these immigrants who work for low wages, no benefits, no worker rights and protections. Now that the not-so-secret “secret” is out, how will this affect enforcement of existing law and the formulation of new laws going forward? The answer depends upon the balance of power in this country between the special interests and the interests of the American people.

* “Power always thinks it had a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak, and that it is doing God's service when violating all His laws.”
John Adams (1735 – 1826) second President of the U.S. (1797 – 1801)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:32:00 +0000

* A Mountain of Sermons does not make a Sermon on the Mount – Catholic Bishops across America are criticizing Notre Dame University for inviting Barack Obama to speak at its commencement and receive an honorary doctorate degree on May 17, 2009. “Obama’s abortion rights record clashes with a fundamental church teaching.” There has been no mention of Obama’s core principles on programs that help the poor, the sick, the less educated, civil rights, individual freedoms and his stance against torture. It is another case of out of the womb, out of mind. It is another case of one-issue leadership in a multi-issue world. Please let me know if I missed the Catholic Bishops position paper on the more than 100,000 post-womb lives aborted as a result of the Iraq invasion.

* Speaking of religion 1 – In a Pew Research Center survey that I found startling, “More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified.” Perhaps devoted study of the bible does not allow sufficient time to understand the laws of the United States of America or the context of humane behavior. Perhaps “study” does not necessarily lead to “understanding.” There was a time when I felt that organized religion contributed to the humanizing of the individual. There also was a time when I believed the Tooth Fairy left money under my pillow.

* Speaking of religion 2 – Something that all of us should find disturbing is a just released video from Afghanistan “showing that U.S. military forces in Afghanistan have been instructed by the military’s top chaplain in the country to "hunt people for Jesus" as they spread Christianity to the overwhelmingly Muslim population. Soldiers also have imported bibles translated into Pashto and Dari, the two dominant languages of Afghanistan.” Perhaps ironic but certainly pathetic and disgusting, the video was recorded at the huge U.S. base in Bagram “one of the main sites used by the U.S. military to torture and indefinitely detain prisoners.” First the U.S. initiates the Iraq war on false pretenses and then conducts a war in Afghanistan with a religious element. As if our military did not have enough problems in the Muslim-dominated countries where it currently battles, we are now making these wars Crusades. In 1950 historian Sir Steven Runciman wrote a resounding condemnation about the Crusades: "High ideals were besmirched by cruelty and greed … the Holy War was nothing more than a long act of intolerance in the name of God.” I would suggest that history, far from being a straight line, is a vicious circle fueled by stupidity and myopia. God save us!

* Pandemic cable news – World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Gregory Hartl noted that the public may misunderstand the word "pandemic." The term refers to where an illness spreads, not its severity. Recall that 36,000 Americans die each year from the flu. No one knows at this time what the future holds for the H1N1 (Swine) flu but one healthful health tip may be to watch less television “news.” This prescription would reduce pandemic panic.

* A Democratic financial virus in the Senate – A bill introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to allow homeowners in bankruptcy to renegotiate mortgages with banks was defeated last week. Fifteen Democratic senators voted against the bill that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to mediate adjusted mortgages. Some senators may have legitimately felt that a contract should not be altered. Some senators may have felt that it would give judges too much power. And some senators may be too beholden to the financial industry, having received campaign contributions from this powerful sector. Following the defeat of this legislation Durbin commented, “And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place.”

The Center for Responsive Politics, at their website opensecrets.org, lists some of the Democratic senators that voted against the bill and the amount of money they have received over their career from the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Sector:
Max Baucus (D-MT) $4.6 million
Thomas Carper (D-DE) $2.2 million
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) $1.1 million
Tim Johnson (D-SD) $3 million
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) just under $1 million
Ben Nelson (D-NB) $2.7 million
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) $2.4 million
Mark Pryor (D-AR) $1.3 million
Arlen Specter (D-PA) $5.7 million

When a legislator’s pockets are filled by special interests how are we to know whether a vote was cast based on principle and philosophy or a result of fulfilling the interests of the donor. Do the legislators even know any more? Until there is public financing of elections this conflict of (our) interest will infect the democratic and legislative process.

* Speaking of Nebraskan Ben Nelson – Last week he said that he would oppose legislation that would give people the option of a public health insurance plan. Last week a poll released by Consumer Reports National Research Center showed that 66 percent of Americans back the creation of a public health plan that would compete with private plans. So what is Nelson’s problem with a public plan? Are you sitting down? Nelson’s opposition is that the public plan would be too attractive and would hurt the private insurance plans. "At the end of the day, the public plan wins the game," Nelson said. Including a public option in a health plan, he said, was a "deal breaker." Conclusion: Ben Nelson puts the interests of private insurance companies over the interests of the people of Nebraska and the people of the other 49 states. One wonders how much money the health insurance industry has spent to ensure Nelson’s support. As a Senator, Nelson already benefits from an excellent publically funded health care plan. His derriere is covered. Can you say, “Public financing of elections?”

* Viral lies by the energy industry ~ what is that odor? – The economic interests of oil and gas companies, as usual, override the health and welfare of the American people and the planet that supports our survival. “For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming… But a document filed in a federal lawsuit demonstrates that even as the coalition worked to sway opinion, its own scientific and technical experts were advising that the science backing the role of greenhouse gases in global warming could not be refuted.” My conclusion: For the past almost two decades energy industry propaganda talking points, supported by politicians in their pockets, were knowingly based on fossil bullshit.

* The specter of Specter – I have yet to encounter anyone in my state of Pennsylvania excited about Arlen Specter sprinting from the Republican to the Democratic Party. Specter fled the GOP after he saw the strong polling numbers of his likely primary opponent, conservative Pat Toomey. Everyone does agree that the move was a survival maneuver by Specter to prolong his political career. Regardless of party affiliation, something that Specter cannot run from is his voting record that includes: failing to cast votes against torture and unauthorized wiretaps, voting for the Patriot Act renewal, backing the costly Bush tax cuts for the well-to-do and paving the way for Bush appointees to the Supreme Court. It remains to be seen whether opportunistic Arlen gets a free ride on Democratic coattails to another term in office.

* Priests are no more necessary to religion than politicians to patriotism.”
John Haynes Holmes (1879 – 1964) a prominent Unitarian minister and pacifist, noted for his anti-war activism.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:39:00 +0000

* Patriotic sadism ~ if at first you don’t succeed… - Former VP Dick Cheney and his chain gang claim that waterboarding works. That being the case one would think that after one or two or three or even unbelievably ten waterboardings a suspect would provide the information sought. Okay, it wasn’t a lucky interrogation for the inquisitors. Let’s try it 20 times on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. How about 30 or 40 or 50 times? That should cover it. But then again, maybe the guy is an encyclopedia of information. Let’s try waterboarding him 80 or 90 or 100 times. Nah, this is America with a documented work ethic and a penchant for going for the gold. Let’s waterboard the SOB 183 times. Maybe the interrogations ceased because they ran out of water.

* The Ticking Bomb ~ The Catastrophic Fallout – Defenders of torture generally begin the debate by saying, “Torture methods are necessary to get information from a detainee who has information about a bomb about to go off that will take American lives.” Seemingly compelling, one wonders whether this scenario applied to any of the hundreds (or more) of detainees “harshly” interrogated at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and untold secret sites? Even more telling of this blanket reasoning is the recently released report by the Senate that abusive techniques were used to try to produce evidence of ties between al Qaeda and Iraq. To summarize: detainees were abused to extract evidence of a relationship that never existed, except in the necon planet of the Bush administration. This may be the greatest lesson to be learned from the Bush years: the dangerous and self-defeating consequences of believing your own lies.

* Bombastic rhetoric – I find it interesting that those folks defending the actions of the Bush administration at Guantanamo et al reply that critics of such behavior can only be found in the political far left. I guess this means that citizens on the near left, moderates and conservatives (near and far) believe that torture is acceptable. Except for the majority of conservatives the majority of Americans are against the use of torture. Look at the polling. For as long as I have been on this planet, at least until seven years ago, I was under the impression that AMERICA AND AMERICANS DO NOT TORTURE. That being said, Defenders of the Bush Administration would have us believe that what took place at Guantanamo et al was not torture. John McCain strongly disagrees with his fellow conservatives and stated on Face the Nation that under George W. Bush the U.S. violated the Geneva Convention. FBI director Robert Mueller told his agents who had observed and reported back CIA enhanced interrogation techniques, "No, you can't do that. That violates our own rules. That violates our understanding of the law. You have to step back." Both the inquiries yet to take place and history will condemn this period and note that torture, even when wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, is still torture.

* Two misunderstandings have gained widespread attention concerning Barack Obama and his approach to dealing with the torture issue. Contrary to many media pundits, it is not Obama’s decision to seek or not seek investigations into the commitment of torture. It is the decision of the Attorney General, the person designated to oversee the legal interests of the American people (contrary to how Alberto Gonzales interpreted this position).

The second area that requires further thought is when Obama said that he was immunizing CIA personnel from possible prosecution for committing torture. Recall that we function under the laws of the U.S. AND international law that our country has signed on to. From Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com: “After President Obama announced last week that he opposes prosecutions of CIA officials who tortured detainees in reliance on OLC memos purporting to legalize that conduct the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, announced that Obama's policy of immunizing CIA torturers violates international law and, specifically, the clear obligations of the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture (signed by Ronald Reagan in 1988).”

For those macho guys (and gals) who want to treat waterboarding as a day at Wet N Wild, they should be reminded that, “After World War II, we convicted several Japanese soldiers for waterboarding American and Allied prisoners of war.” They were hanged or sentenced to 15 years in prison. Apparently the Bush lawyers who wrote justifications for the use of waterboarding were ignorant of or ignored history and the law.

If you have the stomach the LA Times offers 10 just-released photos depicting treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib. We may never know to what extent abusive American actions contributed to the further recruitment of terrorists but it is safe to say that what are known as “enhanced techniques” did little or anything to make us or our troops in Iraq safer. If anything, such actions increased the threat to American troops and citizens.

And let us not forget the complicity of some Democrats, if the claim is correct that a small number were informed of the program. And let us not forget the pathetic lack of opposition by the Democratic Party as the enhanced techniques became publicly know. This is not a political party issue. It is a humane issue, a legal issue and strikes at the heart of what this country stands for. It matters not to me, and hopefully other citizens, whether an individual politically affiliates with an R or a D. If they knowingly enabled or did not vociferously oppose the use of torture, the light of shame should be shone upon them.

For the record, a new poll out today by the New York Times and CBS found that 71% of Americans consider waterboarding to be a form of torture. It is interesting to note that 26% said it was not torture, about the same percentage of Americans that approved of George W. Bush as he left office. I will leave it to the political scientists to draw conclusions.

* The Party of smaller government ~ until government is needed – The recent outbreak of Swine Flu is a reminder that we are susceptible to pathogens that result in widespread illness or worse. Rightfully so, Obama’s original stimulus packaging contained $870 million for flu pandemic preparedness. In order to gain the support in the Senate needed to pass the stimulus bill, Republicans Susan Collin and Arlen Specter demanded that this money be cut from the spending bill. Perhaps these esteemed Senators did not feel it necessary to prepare for viral outbreaks since they benefit from an excellent government-sponsored health plan. For the rest of the citizenry, let them eat cake.

Last week tough-as-a-longhorn Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, stood on a soapbox and suggested that Texas could secede from the union. It is a good thing that secession takes time because this week, “Gov. Rick Perry has asked for 37,430 courses of anti-viral medicine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of the swine flu outbreak.” It reminds one of the child who runs away from home but returns in two hours because it is getting cold and dark.

* Swine Flu conundrum – The Center for Disease Control says, “If you have a fever and you're sick or your children are sick, don’t go to work and don't go to school." The National Partnership points out: “nearly half of private sector workers in the United States don't have a single paid sick day. It's even worse for low wage workers. And nearly 100 million workers don’t have a paid sick day they can use to care for a sick child. “

* “The layman's constitutional view is that what he likes is constitutional and that which he doesn't like is unconstitutional.”
Justice Hugo L. Black (1886 – 1971) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court 1937 to 1971

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Tea and Torture on a Spring Day

* The prestidigitation of the political right – There was much ado about very little with last week’s tax day Tea-Bagging protests about taxes and an assortment of sometimes hate-filled accusations. Although it was billed as a populist movement of significant proportions it was neither populist nor populous.

The event was repeatedly promoted by FOX News. While some consider FOX News a news station what it has demonstrated over the last 10 years is that it is the public relations arm of the Republican Party. FOX silence was telling on the subject of federal spending during the years that Bush and Republicans blew through the Clinton budget surplus and proceeded to build huge deficits. Who were the other movers and shakers behind Tea-Bagging?

Americans for Prosperity – a right wing think tank funded by billionaire David Koch. Koch Industries was fined $35 million dollars in 2000 for oil spills resulting from eroded and broken pipelines. “During the 1990s, the firm's faulty pipelines were responsible for more than 300 oil spills in five states, prompting a penalty of $35 million. In 1996, a flawed pipeline caused an explosion outside of Dallas in which two teenagers were killed. In a lawsuit related to the deaths, a trial court returned a judgment of $376.69 million against the company. Now there is a populist face to put on your tea bag tag.

The Independence Institute – This very conservative think tank is funded by the Coors Foundation’s Castle Rock Foundation both of whom advocate for the wealthy interests and their privileged needs. Just because they supply beer to the masses does not mean they are interested in the masses beyond the purchase of the next six-pack.

FreedomWorks – An organization that supports and promotes the interests of lobbyist Dick Armey. Those interests include Bristol-Myers Squibb, the insurance industry, and oil interests. Armey opposes health reform that would cut into the profits of branded drugs, works for deregulated life insurance reform and supports the status quo reliance on fossil fuels. Not to go unnoticed, none of these issues are in the interests of the American people.

The funders of the Tea-Bagging movement are to populism what the Republican Party was to the religious right. It is the illusion of representing the interests of a broad segment of the citizenry while in fact representing the interests of a select few. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had the appropriate response to the Tea-Bagging magical mystery tour. “The president, he stressed, had just recently passed a ‘tax cut that covers the most people in the history of this country’…The president promised significant tax relief for working families of this country, and in the first month of the administration delivered that to the American people.”

What are the facts concerning U.S. tax policy? A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Federal Tax Burdens for Most Near Their Lowest Levels in Decades” concludes: Overall Federal Tax Burdens Are Low by Historical Standards; Federal Individual Income Tax Burdens Have Fallen Significantly; and Tax Burdens Have Dropped Most Sharply for the Highest-Income Households. I would suggest that this is what the Tea-Bagging rallies were about. It involved the wealthiest of society protecting their privileged tax concessions which they manipulated through congress in recent decades. And the sly shysters at FOX carried their water. What is being touted as a grassroots movement is little more than an assroots movement ensconced in deception and illusion.

John Perr at Crooks and Liars compiled a list of 10 Republican Tax Day Lies. They are listed below and the link provides fuller explanations:
1. President Obama will raise taxes on small businesses.
2. The estate tax devastates small businesses and family farms.
3. 40% of Americans pay no taxes.
4. Tax cuts always increase revenue.
5. The GOP is the party of fiscal discipline.
6. Ronald Reagan was the greatest tax cutter of all time.
7. FDR caused the Great Depression, or at least made it worse.
8. Obama's cap-and-trade plan will cost each American family $3,100 a year.
9. Obama's tax proposals will undermine charitable giving.
10. The rich pay too much in taxes already.

* The Torture Memos –Obama’s release of Bush’s Justice Department torture memos showed courage and at the same time focused attention once again on some of the moral and legal issues these memos engender. It required courage to go against the national security community, some of his advisors and the bulk of the political right. These memos broke laws and their release exposes the shrewd but amoral reasoning used by the Bush appointees who concocted these “justifications.” And make no mistake! U.S. laws and international laws were broken, as pointed out by constitutional lawyer Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com. How many times in the last two decades have we heard conservatives lecture about the rule of law, at least until the law is an inconvenient truth? Our laws, including international treaties, exist apart from political party or political perspective. They exist regardless of issue or circumstance.

My ambiguity about the CIA interrogators empowered by these memos uncomfortably surfaced when Obama said that CIA operatives would not be prosecuted for committing torture. This is a difficult subject to embrace from either side. From one standpoint if one thought that they were following the law they should be free of prosecution. And yet, the Nuremburg trials concluded that this was not a satisfactory defense. This is not an attempt to equate the widespread inhuman acts of the Nazi regime against innocent and defenseless people to what occurred at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and secret prison sites. It is a question of where one draws the line. It is my strong feeling that the line must not be subject to situational ethics. It is also a matter that these operatives were burdened with directives that stemmed from the Bush administration’s strained attempts to circumvent the law. It is interesting that when Obama said that CIA personnel involved in these interrogations would not be prosecuted there was no mention of a pass for the people that designed and authorized these programs. Perhaps there will be consequences but in either case we are at least addressing this difficult and challenging subject. Democracy and morality are not always easy and the fact that we question our actions in an open forum only adds gravitas to the proud claims we proclaim as a nation.

* Quotes of the Week:

~ Richard Armitage, second in command at the State Department under George W. Bush, said in an interview (about the torture of detainees), "I hope, had I known about it at the time I was serving, I would've had the courage to resign,"

~ “The image of the United States of America throughout the world (committing torture) is a recruiting tool for Islamic extremists.” John McCain 4/20/09

* “The healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers”
Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) Swiss psychiatrist

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0000

* Derriere Orifice of the Week - Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) announced that he has compiled a secret list of 17 members of the House of Representatives who are SOCIALISTS. He would not reveal their names because, “they are a secret.” Responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request I admit that I also have compiled a secret list of members of Congress. It is made up of those legislators entitled to be called ASSHOLES. Through threat of waterboarding I have reluctantly agreed to admit that Mr. Bachus is on the list.

* Speaking of secrets – “The CIA no longer operates any secret overseas prisons, Director Leon Panetta said yesterday, and has not detained anyone since he became chief in February.” Under Bush the claim was made that the prisons or “black ops sites” as they were called, did not exist and even if they did exist the torture of detainees in these non-existent prisons did not take place. The apparent existential contradiction can be easily explained by, “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” It also makes a joke of any oversight Congress pretends to have over the spy agencies and the Executive branch of our government.

* Speaking of more secrets ~ The Hypocrite Oath - “Medical professionals working for the CIA played a central role in the "ill-treatment" of terror suspects in U.S. custody overseas, according to a previously confidential report by the International Committee of the Red Cross” (conducted in 2007). One may ask why a person trained and sworn to protect life would willingly participate in the torture of another human being. The Nazis were infamous for their medical experimentation on concentration camp prisoners and eventually answered for their despicable inhumanity at the Nuremberg trials. But here we are talking about Americans – the good guys in war movies, the standard for international behavior. We are accustomed to instances of having scumbag politicians, spies, businessmen, religious leaders, teachers, police and bloggers. Scumbag medical professionals assisting in torture breaks new ground in the demise of the American dream that has led to this American nightmare.

* No secret – To be a Republican politician requires having the common sense of overcooked white rice. Texas State Rep. Betty Brown (R) said that Asian-Americans should change their names because they’re too hard to pronounce. “Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” I have an idea! Asian Americans males should begin changing their names to George Bush 1, George Bush 2, George Bush 3 and so on. Females can be Betty Brown 1, Betty Brown 2 and so on. I cannot wait to pick up my Chinese takeout tonight and greet the young lady behind the counter with “Hello Betty Brown 324,119.” I intend to convince Ms. Brown 324,119 to change the name of Chow Mein to Texas Chile and Sumei Dumplings to Turd Blossoms.

* Feel better about yourself ~ you are worth more than you think – The company Innovative Research’s website says it provides the research community with quality biomedical products. I was stunned at the breadth and price of their products. For example, 50 ml of Human Saliva is priced at $275, Human Breast Milk $275, Human Semen $375 and Human Urine $75. This will certainly bring about a change in my behavior. No more will I sell a pint of my blood for a mere $25 and a jelly donut.

* The wrong defense – On FOX News last Sunday Brit Hume attempted to defend former president George W. Bush. Hume said that Bush did indeed believe in Global Warming. If that is the truth, how much more egregious is the Bush administration’s complete lack of action relative to Global Warming? It opposed higher gas mileage standards, did little to nothing to encourage green technology and ignored the Kyoto agreement of world powers to address warming. I had concluded that President Bush just did not get it – remember, science was involved. If Hume is correct, Bush is even more culpable than previously thought. We lost eight years in addressing potential disasters that may result from the warming of our planet - world-wide flooding and famine that could lead to world-wide war.

* The wrong war ~ a time to mourn – James Dobson is stepping down as leader of the religious right organization Focus on the Family. “Dobson conceded that evangelical conservatives had lost most of the recent so-called “culture war” battles… Humanly speaking, we can say that we have lost… the nation is now “absolutely awash in evil.”

On what is a rare occasion I agree with Mr. Dobson that the culture wars of the religious right are being lost and evil permeates our society. I would suggest, however, that the wrong battles were being fought and to some extent contributed to the greed that is at the core of our current economic travails. In an attempt to foist their “religious” agenda on our non-sectarian society the religious right forged an alliance with the Republican Party. In convincing their members to support Republicans, Dobson, Jerry Falwell and their brethren helped elect Republican legislators that were pro-business and anti-regulation, pro-deficit spending while reducing taxes for the wealthy. The Republican allies of the religious right, Bush and company, swept us into an unprovoked war leading to the loss of over 100,000 lives and the displacement of millions of Iraqis. Imagine if their broad influence had been directed to the business and political segments of our society to promote integrity, fairness, workers rights and protection of the environment. The religious right lost a generation of meaningful influence while being used as pawns by the GOP. It is indeed a sad eulogy.

* Love is a Many Splendored Thing – “A Saudi judge has refused for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man.” Anyone in our culture would be appalled at this nuptial pedophilia. However, the judge was not as radical as it would appear on the surface. He granted that the child could apply for a divorce when she reaches puberty. And isn’t it almost always about money? “The girl's father, according to the attorney, arranged the marriage in order to settle his debts with the man, who is ‘a close friend’ of his.” On a social note, the wedding festivities will be held at Chucky Cheese and then the newlyweds will leave immediately for Disney World.

* On the lighter side ~ of heavy – All is “normal” in the land of Governor Sarah Palin. Her pick for Alaska Attorney General, Anthony Ross, is a racist, a writer of several manifestoes attacking Martin Luther King, Jr. as a communist subversive, a homophobe and anti-environmentalist. And to think that we almost had the opportunity to call her Madam Vice-President. The backlash to this nomination may result in Palin withdrawing the Ross nomination. As if Sarah did not have enough on her plate with the backbiting between her and former almost son-in-law Levi Johnston, her sister-in-law Diana Palin was arrested for twice burglarizing a house, during which she was accompanied by her 4-year old daughter. They will not be going to Disney World any time soon.

* Today is U.S. Tax Day – two views:

“I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue.” Thomas Paine

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:40:00 +0000

* Fashion News ~ enough of politics, economics, war and unemployment – The more important question is, “How was Michelle Obama’s couture received in Europe?” At least three times the FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) wore the designs of lesser known designer Jason Wu. Can you imagine? Women’s Wear Daily asks where the love has gone for big name designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren.

Iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta took off the Gucci kidskin gloves to assess Michele’s choice of wardrobe. "American fashion right now is struggling." Concerning the outfit worn to meet Queen Elizabeth he said, “You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.”

Well-known designer Vera Wang offered less edginess in her observations and more pleading: "I love seeing young designers and their vision and how they grow and all of that," she says. "On the other hand, of course, I wish she would consider some of us, because I think we also have contributions to make."

Liberal blogger and author Arianna Huffington, appearing on CBS, offered this observation: "Even if you don't terribly like that particular outfit," she said of Mrs. Obama's fashion sense, "you know it is what she loves and what she looks good in."

Progressive blogger Stephen Weinstein noted, in an interview with himself, that he was not crazy about the black coat Mrs. Obama wore with the purple stuff all over it.

* Hot Toddy replaces Scotch on the Rocks - “Arctic sea ice is melting so fast most of it could be gone in 30 years. A change in the amount of ice is important because the white surface reflects sunlight back into space… When ice is replaced by dark ocean water, that sunlight can be absorbed, warming the water and increasing the warming of the planet.” Also disappearing is the common sense of global warming deniers. Just because Fargo got two feet of snow does not mean the planet is not warming. The dynamics are apparently too complicated for the agenda-driven and scientifically challenged. The next thing they will be telling us is that evolution is a sham.

* Keeping abreast of trends – The swelling numbers of enhanced breasts that dominate television, cinema, magazines, fashion and pop culture is perhaps a metaphor for the U.S. in the early years of the 21st Century. Victoria’s Secret is no longer a secret. Phoniness has become de rigueur both in leadership and feminine allure. The inflexibility and grandiosity of the manufactured female breast is representational of much of our society – more pump than circumstance.

* Speaking of breasts – National Cleavage Day was celebrated on April 3rd, thanks to the initiative of the makers of Wonderbra. I look forward to the day when Jockey will produce miracle under ware for men, such as a MrWonderThong. In any case, Wonderbra brand manager Samantha Paterson said, "It gives women a chance to be beautiful and glow in the furtive, yet appreciative, glances their cleavage evokes from men." The last time I looked my furtive glances were not especially appreciated but, in support of this national day of pride, I remained furtive, committed and focused.

* A fading American trait ~ Integrity – This is a societal issue that runs broad and deep. We are experiencing a period where money and power have trumped and overwhelmed the common good and a sense of community. At every level of government investigations and corruption convictions dominate the news. Police corruption and abuse stain the landscape with regularity. In Pennsylvania two judges of Juvenile Court accepted bribes from the operators of juvenile detention centers. The judges encouraged accused youths to forgo legal representation and then found the youths guilty, resulting in incarceration. The FBI is so burdened by a broad range of investigations that they are overwhelmed. We look down upon Mexico and many other countries for the corruption that has rotted their political and legal systems but shrug at what is taking place in our own country. Oh well.

* Equality – The word has always been synonymous with America but for many it has also been an antonym. African Americans and Gays can attest to this reality. The good news is that gains have been made and these gains are marshalling momentum. The election of Barack Obama did not obliterate racial prejudice but certainly can be seen as a milestone. Three very recent events will be of import for gay rights. The Supreme Court of Iowa validated legal rights for gay relationships as did the legislature of Vermont which overrode their Governor’s veto of legislation recognizing gay marriage. The D.C. Council voted to recognize other states’ gay marriages. The religious right has every right to advise its members on sexuality. It has no right to infringe on the rights of citizens who choose a different course. That is the heart of freedom and one of the many reasons why we have separation of church and state. As former Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair said in a recent interview about gay rights, “Equality isn't political correctness, it's just justice.”

* Not a good week for the religious right ~ and that is good news – First their eyeballs were spinning with the news from Iowa and Vermont concerning gay marriage. This was capped by the President of the United States having the “audacity” to say in a speech in Turkey that America is a secular nation. Unlike his predecessor, President Obama must have read the U.S. Constitution.

Today the Obamas are hosting the first Seder ever held at the White House. The Passover holiday dinner remembers the Jewish exodus from slavery under Pharaoh over 3000 years ago. Yes we can in this country recognize each others religious beliefs while not imposing one group’s beliefs upon another. “Diversity” is not a four-letter word, nor is “respect.”

A reader forwarded a YouTube Video “20 Things To Do With Matzah” for those challenged with leftovers.

* Self-Euthanasia – May I take your order please? – MSNBC listed “The 19 worst drive-thru foods in America.” I was especially impressed with Hardee's Monster Thickburger. The sandwich contains 1420 calories, 108 grams of fat of which 43 grams are saturated fat, 2770 mg of salt and 230 mg of cholesterol. Put in perspective it is the caloric equivalent of 6 McDonalds hamburgers, the saturated fat of 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon, and the sodium equivalent of 84 saltine crackers. As we say in the fast food business, “Have It Your Way.”

* Warts that won’t go away – Former VP Dick Cheney recently made the media rounds where he had the opportunity to again preach about the justification of torture. He continued to emphasize its value in protecting Americans. We have heard this theme from other former Bush administration players as well as some Republican congressmen and right-wing media miscreants. Having closely followed this circus of situational ethics I have yet to hear of one instance where the use of torture saved one American life. You can bet your ass that if weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq we would know about it. You can make a similar bet that if a terrorist plot against America was thwarted because of information garnered from the use of torture it would have made headlines for days. It may be human nature to believe your own lies but it is neither good foreign policy nor moral.

* Call me proud, Mr. President – It has been quite a while since the leader of our country was welcomed with open arms, applauded and respected in a foreign venue. On his just-ended visit to Europe President Obama, our representative to the world, spoke in complete sentences. He answered unplanted questions openly. He renewed the concept of diplomacy and international cooperation. The last U.S. President’s foreign policy was predicated on megalomania, nation building and myopic militarism. The current challenges are more daunting because of previous policy but the possibility of resolution has substantially increased. The Progress Report reviews the substantive accomplishments of Obama’s European trip. Call me proud and hopeful.

* “You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.”
Oscar de la Renta

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:01:00 +0000

A positive take during worrisome times:

* Remembering what we have – The following is an excerpt from an email exchange with a reader: There is also a positive side to our discussion. At the present time you and I, our family and friends, enjoy a standard of living and peaceful (safe) existence far better than 99% of the people that have walked this planet. We do not know what the future holds but there is merit in remembering what we do have. In large part it is the result of those who came before us and it is a responsibility I believe we now have to those who will follow - to continue to make this a better place in terms of freedom, health and standard of living.

* A helping hand – “Drugstore operator Walgreen will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year, providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments through its walk-in clinics - though patients will still pay for prescriptions… Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don't have insurance of their own.” The linked article provides details of this offer. Some cynics have commented that Walgreen is only doing it to build business for its Take Care clinics. I do not know if the claim is accurate but I do say that an initiative that helps people in need is worthy of praise. If Walgreen benefits in the long-term by building a sound business model it has the ring of intelligent capitalism. We have not seen much of it in recent years but there is promise.

* Helping the land – “President Barack Obama signed legislation on Monday expanding and protecting US public parks and wilderness areas from oil and gas development, billed as the largest US conservation measure in more than 15 years… The legislation - backed by members of both parties -- is "among the most important in decades to protect, preserve and pass down our nation's most treasured landscapes to future generations.” It is certainly a breath of fresh air seeing Congress and the White House acting responsibly with respect to our natural resources and environment. This is a role of government abdicated in recent years.

* Helping the country – USA Today reports: “The early federal stimulus money appears to be hitting its target, paying for new projects and creating jobs… Most early spending is flowing, as planned, into "shovel-ready" projects — a new bridge over a Louisiana bayou, the widening of a mountain road in Colorado — that wouldn't have occurred this year without stimulus money.” The $750 billion stimulus package is being used in part to create jobs and fix a crumbling infrastructure. Some of these funds will go into education, health care and tax cuts over the next two years. It is a win-win situation.

* Helping the world – “President Obama plans to open negotiations to draft a new arms control treaty that could slash the American and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals by about a third and possibly lead to even deeper reductions, according to administration officials… Just setting a new limit would send a signal to the international community in general that the United States is getting serious about its disarmament commitments again,” said Peter Crail, an analyst at the Arms Control Association, a Washington advocacy organization.” This is not to suggest that America does not need a strong defense. But, like intelligent capitalism, it is beyond time that America strongly consider intelligent defense. For too long we have funded defense systems that are impractical, outmoded and economically crippling and unsustainable.

* Another Republican icon vaporized ~ again – This may not be positive news for the general populace but it sure is a lot of fun. An anti-union conservative group benignly calling itself Americans for Prosperity has been funding Joe the Plumber traveling to various sites to speak out against the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Joe has become one of the faces of the Republican Party. He has also become one of the asses of the Republican Party.

Appearing in Harrisburg, PA to campaign against EFCA, people in the audience began asking Joe questions about the proposed legislation and why he was against it. “Pressed on the specifics of the law, Mr. Plumber repeatedly refused to answer, and finally lost his cool, telling his questioner: “Drop it, brother, drop it. I never said I was an expert, man.” Following some enthusiastic heckling Joe flushed his scheduled appearance in Philadelphia.

* The best news of all ~ the Republicans are no longer in charge – On April 1st congressional Republicans released their alternative budget to what Obama and the Democrats have proposed. The title of this Republican budget should read “Same Crap, Different Day” or “Dumb and Dumber” or “April Fools Meets Ship of Fools.” Some of the lowlights include:

~ The GOP plan would rescind the recently-enacted economic stimulus package, which would cause America—and the world—to spiral into Depression.
~ The GOP plan would hand over nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts to the rich.
~ The GOP plan would freeze non-defense, non-veteran spending for five years.
~ The GOP plan would privatize Medicare.

Not only is this an alternative to what Obama is proposing it is the antithesis of what is needed in a damaged economy and unconscionable given the state of this nation. How absurd is this Republican proposal? “The marquee item, however, in the Republican plan is their inexplicably regressive tax cut for the super rich. Wealthy Americans in the top three tax brackets would see their tax burden cut to a flat 25 percent from previous rates of 35, 33 and 28. According to the Center for American Progress, CEOs from any of the top 800 corporations would receive a tax break of around $1.5 million a year. Meanwhile, if you earn $15,000 a year, your tax break will be around $0 a year.”

In the land of Uranus, where Republicans reside, the only focus is protecting those who least need protection or support. The American people are awakening to the dismal and incompetent Republican message as the GOP continues to transition from a once vital and proud political party to a re-run of Hee Haw.

* Darfur – I received a broadcast email message from Ruth Messinger of the American Jewish World Service. On Monday she had attended a meeting with President Obama at the White House on the subject of Darfur. Messinger reports that the administration understands the need to ensure the restoration of international aid groups into Darfur. “The President also clearly indicated that finding a political solution to end the conflict is a top priority.” The full press release is available at the above link. In every generation, in multiple locations, the worst of humanity forms a puss-filled boil over a group of people. The world community has never been able to prevent it but there is a long history of overcoming man’s inhumanity to man. Let us hope that Darfur can be brought back from hell.

* America – Few would argue that a core problem burdening our nation is the inextricable link between money and politics. The high cost of running a federal level election campaign has two very specific downsides: it forces candidates and incumbents to seek funding that too often comes from the deep pockets of special interests; it forces the incumbents to be in almost constant fundraising mode thereby reducing the time they devote to actually representing constituents. Regardless of who wins the election we are the losers. It is the inordinate influence of special interests that has contributed to a degrading environment, reduction in product inspection and safety, reduction in oversight that allowed financial institutions to go over the cliff and a host of other problems that we now must deal with. It is beyond time that our country addresses how federal elections are funded and there is good news on this front.

“Fair Elections Now” is a set of bills just introduced in both houses that would fundamentally transform Congressional fundraising. The bipartisan bill is being sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.) and Walter Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.). It is based on key elements that have been successful at the state level in Arizona, Connecticut, Maine and North Carolina. The Public Campaign Action Fund provides details of this legislation and links to a number of non-partisan organizations that support this bill. If one sincerely wants to change the dynamics of what is a broken electoral system, action should be taken to contact one’s Senators and Representative and demand that this bill be supported. VoteSmart.org provides contact information for Senators and Representatives. Democracy is a participation sport!

* If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.
Aristotle

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:36:00 +0000

* Each new administration brings with it catch phrases to sell its programs as aggressively as a pharmaceutical company convincing large portions of the population that they suffer from fibromyalgia or erectile dysfunction. From “The Great Society” to “Global War on Terror” to “Abstinence Only” both good and bad policies are wrapped in sound bytes that are the envy of Madison Avenue. The Obama administration is no different.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates tells us that the troops we are leaving in Iraq will no longer be called “combat brigades.” The new term for these military forces will be “advisory and assistance brigades.” Since change is good the Defense Secretary did not stop there. The U.S. Command in Iraq will be re-designated "transition force headquarters" after August 2010. The Army must have felt that the Secretary needed an upgrade in sophisticated phrasing. Instead of "Advisory and Assistance Brigades" the Army is using the term "Brigades Enhanced for Stability Operations" (BESO). This may be progress linguistically but falls far short of Obama’s campaign promise to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by the middle of 2010. There is no word yet on how the Iraqis feel about re-labeled combat troops being in Iraq after the already agreed upon removal of U.S. troops by June 2010. My guess is that they are still trying to translate "Brigades Enhanced for Stability Operations" into Arabic.

Presidential administrations also tend to be competitive in some respects with previous administrations, especially if they represent a different political party. The Obama team is no different. In a recently leaked e-mail to Pentagon staff, Dave Riedel of the Department of Defense's office of security review wrote: "This administration prefers to avoid using the term 'Long War' or 'Global War on Terror'" -- a message he asked recipients to "please pass on to your speech writers." The preferred catchphrase is “Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO).” Some may say that OCO sounds more like an emergency appendectomy while visiting Uzbekistan but I kinda like it. “Global War on Terror” is a bit neoconnish for my taste and not very stealth. Using “Overseas Contingency Operation” allows us to sneak up on those terrorist bastards before they know what hit them.

As I observed this creative use of language I began to think of other phrases or terminology that do not contribute squat to solving problems but at least distracts one from the burdens of the day:

~ Instead of noting 700,000 job losses per month we should call them “interim disemployment economic adjustments” or IDEA. Somehow, 700,000 IDEAs has a much more positive connotation than “jobless” and will more quickly restore the confidence that we are told the economy needs.

~ Much of the economic tsunami that has enveloped our country can be attributed to Wall Street’s invention and abuse of derivatives. These are instruments made up of mortgages that often should not have been granted, then packaged and re-sold to other financial institutions with the intent of further re-selling them to other geniuses. When the housing bubble burst (home values precipitously fell) the weakness of these “financial instruments” became apparent and the proverbial shit hit the fan. Perhaps a derivative should have been called “Duck!”

* Protecting the Troops ~ and other works of fiction - I have commented on a number of occasions about the shoddy and incompetent work private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan committed while building facilities for US troops. At least 18 military have died from electrocution. Years have passed as this problem has been ignored and covered up. “Task Force Safe” has now been instituted to inspect these buildings. Their findings: “Thousands of buildings at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan have such poorly installed wiring that American troops face life-threatening risks, a top inspector for the Army says... Of the nearly 30,000 buildings the Army's "Task Force Safe" has examined so far, Childs said more than half "failed miserably." And 8,527 had such serious problems that inspectors gave them a "flash" warning, meaning repairs had to be completed in four hours or the facility evacuated.” More than 70,000 buildings in Iraq have yet to be inspected. More than half of the less-than-inhabitable structures to date were constructed by Dick Cheney’s best buds KBR, using cheap and inexperienced foreign labor. Among the many disgraces that history will associate with Bush’s Iraq invasion will be the Bush administration’s abandonment of the troops and the screwing of the American tax payer by private contractors.

* If you cannot afford your prescriptions there is a solution ~ eat more fish – A pilot study funded by the EPA found that, “Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and depression. The next time I need a re-fill prescription for Lipitor I’ll ask my physician for a fishing license. I will lower my cholesterol for free with the added advantage that the relaxation of fishing will help me avoid the need for blood pressure medication. Perhaps a degrading environment is not as bad as those liberal fear mongers make it out to be.

* What do the financial gurus under Bush and Obama have in common? They have strong ties to the financial world they are supposed to oversee and they opposed oversight and regulation of the financial services industry as it greedily spun out of control. They were given responsibility to police their friends and a broken system they helped create. That does not leave me with a great deal of confidence in Geithner and Summers and the team Obama has chosen to navigate the shark-infested waters of this economic crisis. It is not change I can believe in.

* Laboring for fairness - When an issue is complicated how does one know whether to be for or against it? In the case of the Bush presidency I learned that if Bush was for something, I was against it. This was not a purely partisan Pavlovian response. It was a result of observing failure upon failure upon incompetence. In the case of unions I strongly believe that it is time for the labor movement to be stronger as part of the renewal of America’s economy and to keep the middle class from facing extinction. My contrarian Bush principle applies to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) - a measure intended to make it easier for American workers to form unions. Who is against this Act? AIG, Citigroup, Bank of America, FOX News, Wal-Mart, The Heritage Foundation and a host of other major corporations and organizations on the right of the political spectrum – a movement designed to protect and enhance the well-to-do royalty of our society at the expense of the overwhelming majority of Americans. What do the EFCA naysayers have in common? Their actions and philosophies are at the very core of what bankrupted the American economy and the capitalist soul. Capitalism is a proven viable economic system, IF, it is tempered with government oversight and an empowered labor force.

* “It is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic nation that it have free and independent labor unions.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.”
John F Kennedy

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:53:00 +0000

* Beware the Ides of March ~ or when the earth was flat – Although the ides refers specifically to the middle of the month, there were a lot of bad days in March for the Vatican. First the Vatican official newspaper tells woman that a washing machine was responsible for liberating women. This week Pope Benedict declared that condoms were not the answer to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and even contributed to the problem. I was just about to toss in the trash my extra-large, fruit-flavored, lubricated, glow-in-the-dark, latex sheaths when I came across this statement by the Center for Disease Control: "Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS." As much as reactionary forces in the 21st Century want us to ignore science I suggest that to avoid HIV Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases, Wrap That Rascal! For the record some 22 million people live with this infection in Africa.

Closer to home a recent study found that at least 3% of the residents of Washington D.C. are infected with the AIDS virus. “That translates into 2,984 residents per every 100,000 over the age of 12 -- or 15,120 -- according to the 2008 epidemiology report by the District's HIV/AIDS office.” Many consider this a rate of epidemic proportions since the numbers are actually much higher. The study only reflects people who have been tested.

There are numerous factors that contribute to this AIDS catastrophe in America and one is federal policy. Recall that George W. Bush used the same philosophy as Pope Benedict to address the issue of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The program was marketed as Abstinence Only. If “only” it had worked! Virtually every study conducted since the program was instituted found it to be a failure. Teen pregnancies and STD are on the increase. Teaching responsible sexual behavior must include responsible sex education. Abstinence Only makes every date a blind date. Now that we have tried an approach that denies science and biological urges it is time to say no to the influence of the religious right as it affects national policy. AIDS is a preventable disease when approached within an intelligent and enlightened framework.

* Quote of the Week ~ by Frank Rich, NY Times columnist – “What has happened between 2001 and 2009 to so radically change the cultural climate? Here, at last, is one piece of good news in our global economic meltdown: Americans have less and less patience for the intrusive and divisive moral scolds who thrived in the bubbles of the Clinton and Bush years. Culture wars are a luxury the country — the G.O.P. included — can no longer afford… In our own hard times, the former moral “majority” has been downsized to more of a minority than ever.” A read of Mr. Rich’s column provides a historical and sociological perspective of the first decade of the 21st Century. He notes that we are entering a period similar to the 1930s which was described by author Frederick Lewis Allen in his book “Since Yesterday,” - the new American faith was the “secular religion of social consciousness.” Can I hear a secular “Amen?”

* Speaking of Rascals ~ a catastrophic failure of federal government – There is much outrage directed toward financial institutions and especially the bonuses paid to AIG executives following billions of dollars doled out by taxpayers to these goniffs (crooks). I would suggest that the greatest outrage should be directed to the Government of the United States of America. Indifference, incompetence and collusion are the operative words of how the interests of the American people were abdicated throughout the federal bureaucracy.

One lowlight of this failure was outlined in a report this week: “Banking and securities regulators identified weaknesses in how certain large financial institutions monitored risk in recent years but they failed to take strong action until after the financial crisis took hold, the Government Accountability Office found in its latest report… The report specifically focuses on how the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Securities and Exchange Commission oversee risk management practices at large financial institutions.” A reasonable query would be, “What the hell were they doing and why?”

* Teflon-coated Congress – Many, many Americans are suffering from the torpedoed economy, disintegrating health care coverage, and imploded retirement plans. Many, many ask, “Why isn’t Congress more in tune with conditions constituents face and doing something about it?” Part of the answer is that members of Congress have over the years provided themselves with golden parachutes. They have a GOVERNMENT FUNDED HEALTH PLAN, a retirement plan that is in effect after only one term of service and they receive automatic pay increases. This year senators receive an automatic pay increase of over $4000. We all have to tighten our belts should read, most of us have to tighten our belt. The decision makers and overseers are doing just fine. It is interesting that they debate whether plebian citizens should have government funded healthcare. It is pathetic that they take no responsibility for not overseeing the financial industry that destroyed the economy, jobs and retirement plans. Speaking of rascals.

* Not so happy Anniversary – Today is the sixth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Like so many of its predecessors it is a war that will live in infamy, as will its initiators. As we begin to leave Iraq I was struck by the observations of Lorelei Kelly writing at The Huffington Post. “Now that America's exit from Iraq is on the horizon -- we need to begin the long overdue conversation about how we got ourselves into this war… We need to talk about the civic and cultural reasons for getting into Iraq, because it will reveal a new way for Americans to understand national security. Blame the Bush administration. Fine. Blame the media. Okay. But "we the people" need to take a few hits as well.” Sometimes it is not easy to look at oneself but it is a necessary growing pain. A reading of Ms. Kelly’s article proves an insightful guide.

* At last, Good News – I was listening to NPR this week when I heard an interview with the founder and editor of Good News Network. With so much bad news surrounding us it struck me that this is a website I should often visit. It specializes in identifying good news. Yes, there is some and it is refreshing.

* The real test for environmentalists ~ putting one’s ass on the line – When I go to the store to buy toilet paper (TP) I bear a mandate that is unequivocal and non-negotiable. It must be Charmin, it must be double thickness, it must be double rolls and it must be soft. I thought of this directive while reading about the devastating effects such intimate products are having on the environment. An article in the NY Times noted: “Fluffiness comes at a price: millions of trees harvested in North America and in Latin American countries, including some percentage of trees from rare old-growth forests in Canada. Although toilet tissue can be made at a similar cost from recycled material, it is the fiber taken from standing trees that help give it that plush feel, and most large manufacturers rely on them.”

For the most part recycled TP is rejected in the U.S. More than 98 percent of the toilet paper we use is from virgin forests - forests that soak up carbon emissions, prevent flooding and play a major role in the interconnected and inter-related world of ecology. While cogitating about the condition I characterize as “Soft TP Fixation” I decided to conduct a market research survey. I learned that females feel they need a particularly soft wipe for their uniquely sensitive area. This led me to the following solution in my effort to find environmentally friendly alternatives in our daily lives:

Recycled or partially recycled TP should be designated for use in BACK.
Virgin material TP should be designated for use in FRONT.
This idea will help our weak economy by significantly increasing the sales of TP holders (even though most holders are likely manufactured in Asia). Another suggestion would be for Americans to become tougher.

* “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?”
Robert Redford (b. 1937) actor, director, producer, philanthropist and environmentalist

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:47:00 +0000

ACRONYMS and Abbreviations

* IWD ~ OMG – March 8th marked the 98th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Sue Katz, at her blog Consenting Adult, offers insight and history of this annual event celebrating women’s independence economically, politically and socially. The Vatican, OTOH (On the Other Hand), offered a SNL (Saturday Night Live) viewpoint of a woman’s place. “The Vatican had a novel message for the women of the world: give thanks for the washing machine. This humble domestic appliance had done more for the women’s liberation movement than the contraceptive pill or working outside the home, said the official Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano.” One reaction to such reactionary hyperbole is Oh My God! I was equally disappointed in the short-sightedness of the Vatican’s remarks. The contributions of the clothes dryer and laundry detergent with optical brighteners were totally ignored. Perhaps this faux pas will be rectified when the individual who invented the CWD (combination washer-dryer) is nominated for sainthood.

* ONUG ~ One Nation under God – I thought of this patriotic-spiritual slogan while reading a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Apparently not all Americans have read the press release about the US of A being spiritually unified. The SPLC has identified 926 active hate groups in our nation, a 50% increase since 2000. California “leads” the nation with 86, followed by Texas with 66 and Florida with 56 hate groups. Interestingly, the linked map shows that Hawaii and Alaska have zero, which leads one to several conclusions: The two most recent states have not been members of the confederation long enough to develop really good hate; extensive surfing and sledding channels positive energy; these states are too hot or too cold for hate groups to hold their outdoor cross burnings to really get the group vitriolic thing going; or, the groups in the nascent states are more stealth than their continental execrators.

* TIM - When is a tax cut for 98% of American tax payers called a tax increase? It is when the spokespeople for the other 2% generate a disproportionate amount of the rhetoric. The TIM (Tax Increase Myth) is spun by some congressmen, some ideologues on the right, organizations that serve the interests of the wealthy and some media. The TIM was created by the amalgamation of interests we can identify with the acronym GUITPOM (Got Us into This Pile of Manure).

* HUOA – This is not a US Marine shout out. It is descriptive of American foreign policy in recent years where large numbers of troops and U.S. treasure were committed to an effort before reason and strategy were promulgated. This Head Up One’s Ass approach has caused unnecessary American loss of lives, loss of treasure and loss of international credibility and stature. It is important that President Obama keep such folly in mind as he deals with the situation in Afghanistan. The caution flag has been raised since he has committed 17,000 more troops (for a total of 35,000) to this incredibly troubled region BEFORE any statement of objective, goal or strategy. This is reminiscent of the BA (Bushed Approach).

In an October 2008 article in the Christian Science Monitor, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says, “We need to ask: After seven years of war, will more troops help us achieve our strategic goals in Afghanistan? How many troops would be needed and for how long? Is there a danger that a heavier military footprint will further alienate the population, and, if so, what are the alternatives? And – with the lessons of Iraq in mind – will this approach advance our top national security priority, namely defeating Al Qaeda?” A read of this article offers a better understanding of the dynamics of one of the significant challenges of our times. LBWL (Looking before We Leap) will help prevent FOOA (Falling on Our Ass).

* PMS – The concept of “win” in context with Iraq was achieved within the first week of the Iraq invasion. Since then HOBSH (Hanging on By the Short Hairs) is the operative phrase. It is due to Patriotic Message Syndrome (PMS) that certain interests continue to misleadingly discuss “winning” the war in Iraq where, as in Afghanistan, there is no military solution. This is not to say that there is no role for the military in protecting American lives and interests. It means that like feminine PMS, national PMS can cloud judicious decision making.

* LOL – In email and text messaging shorthand LOL means Lots of Love. In political parlance, rather than a warm emotional connotation, LOL (Look Out for Liberals) embodies fear, hatred and dread. What are those Commie bastards trying to do to our country? Repair bridges, roads and ports that enable commerce and the working population access to jobs. Fix a healthcare system that excludes almost 20% of the citizens (48 million uninsured) and where increasingly high costs dramatically reduce adequate care for many millions more whose insurance is inadequate. Improve education as a means for young people to achieve a meaningful life and contribute to society. The fact that previous efforts have underachieved is not reason to legislatively play hooky. And with great audacity the CMSL (Commie Meets the Socialist Libralator) want The Haves (TH) to pay a fairer share of the cost for these and other programs. Incomes for the average citizen have been flat or declining for three decades while the wealth has continued to grow and concentrate in the wallets of a few. This trend occurred because TH not only controlled the economics but also the politics. The average American has become SOL.

* EIT – Enhanced Interrogation Techniques is one of the most creative marketing terms devised by the Bush administration and this is considerable praise given that they tossed the BS better than all previous presidencies. This sophisticated nomenclature was used to mask the illegal and immoral use of TORTURE. I have noted in a previous blog that I would not be surprised if a world court addresses such inhumane and treaty-breaking acts, even if our own country proves not to have the courage to investigate this appalling period in our history. By “own country” I refer to President Obama, Congress and the Department of Justice. One of the ways that the CIA attempted to get off the hook for its role in torturing was to destroy 92 tapes, many depicting EIT. SE (Situational Ethics) is a societal malady that has afflicted politics, business, government and a broad swath of individuals. TAQ (There Are Consequences). Some we are experiencing and some yet to be encountered.

* OK ~ OMG – In the state of Oklahoma the corn may grow as high as an elephant’s eye but objective truth is experiencing a severe drought. State representative Todd Thomsen has introduced legislation that would deny the “teaching of the theory of evolution at the department of Zoology at the University of Oklahoma.” Rumor has it that the next step is to move the Department of Obstetrics from the med school to Zoology in order to study the role of the stork in delivering babies. Research will also include pre-natal cabbage patches. One wonders if the nickname “Sooner” means AH (Asshole) in Cherokee.

* ??? ~ OMG – I have been critical of the religious right for some of the stands they have taken on gay rights, women’s rights and their penchant to tell others how to live their lives. I cannot wait to see how they will deal with this one. Female Iron Chef Cat Cora is pregnant and her female wife Jennifer is also pregnant. Both women utilized the same sperm donor, NPA (Now Pay Attention), the same donor for the first two children that the ladies have. NPCA (Now Pay Closer Attention). For the first two children Cat carried Jennifer’s embryo and Jennifer carried Cat’s embryo. Phew. I could certainly use an IVF (In vitro Fertilization) flow chart. Regardless of how it occurred I wish the women and their offspring well. To members of the 700 Club I suggest Xanax, a proven treatment for panic disorder

* WIVO – One of the reasons Why I Voted for Obama concerned his predecessor’s politicization of science and objective fact and an unsound policy that negatively impacted the wellbeing of citizens. Obama campaigned to reverse such foolishness. This week Obama announced a dramatic change in the federal government’s support of stem cell research and he went even further by reaffirming the importance and integrity of science. An excerpt from his speech at the announcement: “It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology." The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) provides an A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science. The link for the full text of Obama’s Memorandum: Scientific Integrity

* BTDT – The bigger they are the harder they fall. Competition results in better performance. Absolute power leads to abuse of power absolutely. All of these well-used expressions came to mind as I read about the merger deal between mega pharmaceutical companies Merck and Schering-Plough. Been There Done That (BTDT) describes America’s historical experience with industry consolidation that leads to monopoly or oligopoly within an industry. It rarely serves the common good. This was realized almost 100 years ago when a more intelligent/alert Congress enacted laws to prevent such consolidation. In recent decades such wisdom has been lost on the conventional wisdom as dominating companies have emerged in energy, drugs, agriculture and finance while our legislators experienced ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). We are all going to need regular doses of ASA (aspirin).

* TAFNF – That’s All for Now Folks

* “I'll be scared later. Right now I'm too mad.”
Bugs Bunny

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:28:00 +0000

* Sitting Shiva – This is not a reference to one of the supreme Hindu gods, often depicted meditating in the lotus position. The term is used in the context of Jewish tradition. It denotes a one week period of grief and mourning following the burial of a deceased, when family members gather in one place and receive visitors. I thought of this tradition as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its annual coven in Washington D.C. last week. What is now the heart, core and soul of the Republican Party gathered to… well, I am not sure. Some of the leading speakers included Ann Coulter, Joe the Plumber and the whining star of the gathering, Rush Limbaugh, spokes model for the Republican/Conservative movement in America. The CPAC attendees desperately cling to an ideology launched in the Ronald Regan years that ultimately imploded during the George W. Bush years. The most recent incarnation of conservatism has been abandoned by the vast majority of the American people. The abandonment was not capricious. It earned its demise by yielding utter and complete failure. Let me count the ways:

Anti-unionism, unregulated free markets, deficit spending stapled to tax cuts for the wealthy, denial of science, ignorance of the needs of a deteriorating infrastructure, unconstitutional merging of church and state, abandonment of the needy and less fortunate in our society, policies that encourage greed and corruption, encouragement of a neocon philosophy that preaches preemptive war and imperialism and the promulgation that health care is a privilege, not a right. This is by far a complete list. I am confident that history will write a more comprehensive account of this movement that we now mourn and which has left us with considerable grief and bereavement.

How wide is the disconnect between CPAC ideologues and Main Street America? The Republican response to President Obama’s address to congress is telling. The person chosen to present the “other side” was Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Frank Rich, writing for the NY Times, made the following observation: “But like all zealots, Jindal is oblivious to how non-zealots see him. Pleading “principle,” he has actually turned down some $100 million in stimulus money for Louisiana. And, as he proudly explained on “Meet the Press”, he can’t wait to be judged on “the results” of his heroic frugality. The state of Louisiana ranks fourth in children living below the poverty line and 46th in high school graduation rates. The well-being of the majority of Americans was never a consideration of Reagan or Bush or Bush. The well-being of the “royalty” of society was the premise and the policy. The ultimate widespread failure of the policies is apparent to almost anyone not part of the CPAC clique. Governor Jindal, you are far from being a hero AND you do not walk among heroes.

* The Guiding Light of hypocrisy ~ I was against it before I did it even though I am against it – Few can forget the homophobic Colorado mega-church pastor Ted Haggart resigning in disgrace when it was revealed that he was having a homosexual affair. It is even easier to remember vocally anti-gay Idaho Senator Larry Craig attempting to drop his Fruit of the Looms in a public restroom. It should come as no surprise that a recent study found that conservative states in the union, the Red states that want to ban the sale of vibrators, dildos and sexually explicit material, have a higher incidence of visiting pornography sites on the internet than the citizens of the heathen Blue states. “Those states that do consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption, the study finds… Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's presidential election.” I have often wondered how the holy rollers know what I should not be doing in the privacy of my own home. They certainly cannot be accused of not doing their homework. Now, just shut up and take a cold shower!

* Cynics of Green Energy ~ naysayers say no more – If anyone still believes that green energy solutions are impractical, unaffordable or unrealistic the prophets of profitability, also known as the Mafia, have spoken. “Italian police… arrested mobsters, businessmen and local politicians who allegedly used corrupt practices and bribes to gain control of a project to build wind farms in Sicily… Police in Trapani said the local Mafia bribed city officials in nearby Mazara del Vallo so the town would invest in wind farms to produce energy.” When the Mafia assumes the roll of lobbyist it is pretty certain that the business venture makes cents (sic). We are not talking about pie-in-the-sky idealists. Where is America’s own Al Capone when we need him?

* Drug efficacy ~ serious side effects – Last week, and on many previous occasions, I have noted evidence of congressman selling their vote to special interests. This week we learn about another hooker in pinstripes and silk cravat posing as a U.S. Senator. “The pharmaceutical industry that long has benefited from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch´s (R-UT) legislative efforts has directed large sums of money to a charity he helped found - and still raises money for - while also hiring the Republican lawmaker's son as a lobbyist.” This week our government begins exploring ways to reduce the outrageous cost of health care in America. Unless the decision makers such as Hatch are publicly and broadly exposed for their financially symbiotic relationship with the special interests that play a significant role in the high cost of health care, the American healthcare system and the economy will remain on life support. Ostensibly, Hatch represents the citizens of Utah. Among his extra-state constituents are pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Schering-Plough Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Barr Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca Pharm LP, and Sepracor. Other Hatch “constituents” include medical equipment suppliers and health care providers. I suggest that the next time you want to write a letter to your congressman, drop it off at your pharmacy. It will get there faster.

* Taxpayers ambushed ~ the cavalry is coming – It was announced this week that the Obama administration will overhaul how government contracts are awarded that would save about $40 billion dollars a year. The new rules “would make it more difficult for contractors to bilk taxpayers and make some half-trillion dollars in federal contracts each year more accessible to independent contractors.” This would be a refreshing change to no bid, no oversight contracts. Such policy reached its nadir in Iraq where billions of U.S. dollars were funneled through insider private no-bid contractors – much of it unaccounted for, much of it wasted on projects never completed or completed projects that are unsafe and in disrepair. To complete the picture, many of these same private contractors are U.S. companies that set up off-shore corporations to avoid paying U.S. taxes. If Obama can have an impact on what we now know has been a pervasive breakdown in our federal government, my November vote will have been well cast.

* We can have a lead role in oversight ~ the audition is now – “For every foreclosure in a neighborhood, home values drop by an estimated 1%. Credit Suisse says that if judges have the ability to write down mortgages, it will stem the tide of foreclosures by 20% and it won't cost the taxpayers a single dime… President Obama says that allowing bankruptcy judges to write down mortgages is an important part of his plan to arrest the downward spiral of the foreclosure crisis.” HOWEVER, corporation-favoring Republican and Democratic members of Congress and bank lobbyists are trying to stop that. The banks want to unload their bad loans on taxpayers. We should not let this happen. The website Firedoglake.com is providing a petition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding that bankruptcy judges be allowed to write down mortgages. Pelosi and congress gave in to the banks and their lobbyists in 2007 when this idea was first proposed. If more and more citizens voice their opposition to “Congress for Sale” there is some chance that our democratic process will avoid total bankruptcy. If we do nothing, then nothing is what will be accomplished. Below is the comment I made on the petition that I signed:

It is beyond time that citizens take back our government - a government that our elected representatives sold to the highest bidders. If you refuse to represent the interests of the American people then we will work to ensure that you experience the unemployment line. Yes - that long line that your sellout to special interests helped create. Congress is draped in disgrace and the American people are suffering the consequences. Perhaps it is poetic justice since we elected you. Shame on all of us!

* Being our own lobbyists - President Barack Obama said: "the special interests and lobbyists ... I know they're gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: So am I." One of the tasks and great challenges that Obama is taking on is health care reform. The special interests and lobbyists present major opposition and will attempt to influence the Obama administration and congress. One of the ways that the American people’s interests and voices can be heard on health care reform is through petition. Congress must know that we are paying attention and have expectations. MoveOn.org is providing a petition that will be sent to your representative and senators. Over 200,000 concerned citizens have already signed the petition. If you are concerned about the state of your own health care, the future health care of your children as well as the tremendous drain that the current system has on our economy, you may want to add your name. Consumers Union provides a similar petition.

* It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.”
David Brin

“Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoubtedly are today”
Mahatma Gandhi

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:49:00 +0000

* When the cards are stacked against you - Capital One just sent me a “Dear Stephen” notice informing me that outstanding credit card balances can now be charged a 24% interest rate and that they have first rights to my testicles. Some credit card companies are charging up to 32% interest on outstanding balances. I pay my credit card balances in full so fortunately, I do not to need to pay their exorbitant interest rates, rates that should be illegal in any sane and reasonable society. When such loan rates are charged outside of the hallowed banking industry the loaner is generally associated with the word “mob.” The question is, “How much longer are we as a nation going to stand for such usurious and abusive acts by the financial industry?” The financial crisis that embroils our nation is part and parcel of this under-regulated, unconstrained and free-wheeling industry. Left unchecked, the greed of the financial industry damaged all of us. The greed was so great and so widespread that ironically, it has even led to its own destruction.

What has taken place in the financial world reminds me of a rare disease that inflicted the brother of someone I know. He has a disease known as Prader-Willi syndrome. One aspect of this disease is that it does not allow an individual to feel full when eating and results in eating binges. “Parents of children with the syndrome often have to lock the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator to restrict the child's access to food.” Perhaps we can characterize what has inflicted the financial community as the Prader-Willie Sutton Syndrome.

How did the financial deterioration of our nation occur? Can you say “special interests?” The Wizards of Wall Street hired sophisticated influencers of congress (lobbyists) to convince OUR representatives to enact laws and regulations that benefitted only the interests of the financial industry. An example of this special interest inter-marriage with elected officials is the likes of former Senator Phil Gramm. It was Gramm who spearheaded much of the legislation that contributed to the easing of restrictions on the financial industry and that subsequently contributed to the financial crisis we face today. When Gramm left “public service” he took very lucrative jobs lobbying for members of the financial industry. One such interest he represented was Swiss bank USB, up to its Swiss cheese in deceptive practices. In a settlement last week with the U.S. Justice Department USB agreed “to pay a fine of $780 million and to disclose about 250 names of U.S. clients it said had committed tax fraud.” USB also agreed to provide information about 19,000 other accounts held by U.S. citizens. Gramm is not an exception to how special interests corrupt the fiduciary responsibility of elected officials. They fund their political campaigns, hire family and friends and further reward such officials with lucrative positions when they leave congress. It is especially prevalent in the fields of banking, energy, telecommunications, insurance and defense. It has proven especially damaging to the country.

The financial crisis in America was no accident. It was an accident waiting to happen. The core had been rotting for some time and eventually the structure had to collapse. Both Democrat and Republican politicians are culpable. They allowed themselves to be bought like prostitutes who hawk their wares on street corners. I offer an apology to prostitutes for associating them with politicians who too often exhibit less veracity and integrity in plying their trade than hookers. I expect that we will see reforms since they usually follow crises that reach critical mass. A call for reform has already begun. European Union leaders have met and called for sweeping financial regulations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at this meeting of Europe’s largest economies, "All financial markets, products and participants including hedge funds and other private pools of capital which may pose a systematic risk must be subjected to appropriate oversight or regulation." The U.S will soon follow - as it did after other financial debacles like the Market Crash of 1929 and the savings and loan failures in the 1980s.

Some say that “it is the way government works” and “politicians are always in the pockets of the privileged.” I will accept the reality that the privileged will have more influence than the working stiffs but one cannot accept the overabundance of influence they exerted over our government representatives for the last two decades. If we as a nation accept such a reality, a reality that plagues third world countries, we deserve no better. And let us not totally excuse ourselves. To be a member of a democracy, by its nature, requires responsibility on the part of citizens. We keep re-electing too many leeches. Perhaps we are too busy with our Blackberries, DVDs, Hi-Def wide screens, Blu-Rays, Ipods and Face Books to pay attention. As the ability to communicate has increased, our communication seems to have decreased. It would certainly make for an interesting sociological analysis to graph the ability to communicate with actual communication. How prescient is Verizon’s long-standing tagline to their commercials, “Can you hear me now?”

While on the subject of credit card companies it is worth noting that their possible failure could be the next financial disaster facing the American economy. One of the best articles I have read on the subject was penned this week by Arianna Huffington at the Huffington Post.

Late last year congress passed a weak credit card reform bill that does not even go into effect until the middle of 2010. Once again congress offers us too little too late. Consumers Union is providing a petition to congress urging them to pass credit card reform legislation NOW. At the site consumersunion.org one can click on the tab Take Action to sign the petition.

* Obama Watch ~ transparency - Contrary to conservative opinion a very pro-active program is needed to reverse the economic downturn crippling our country. Despite virtual unanimity among Republican congressmen who oppose the legislation, coupled with their usual plethora of untruths, the legislation has passed and we await its influence. I have followed the comments by a large number of economists who feel the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act takes us in the right direction. Regardless if one is pro or con relative to the legislation, the public will know what is happening. And unlike the machinations of the previous administration, the stimulus bill is open to public view. Details can be found at recovery.gov. The oversight will be spearheaded by a former Secret Service agent and recent Inspector General of the Department of the Interior who exposed mismanagement, non-management and illegal activities at Interior during the Bush administration. Earl Devaney will be chairman of the new Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board. Vice President Joe Biden also will be given a role coordinating oversight of stimulus spending. Such actions can only enhance a democracy that in recent times has exhibited more pomp than circumstance.

* Reining in the Pentagon ~ a formidable foe – We have seen much written recently about the billions of dollars the Pentagon spends on weapons and systems that only benefit the defense industry and their lobbyists, not U.S. security. Congress is finally holding hearings on the tremendous cost to and waste of America’s over-extended financial resources. TruMajority.org is providing a petition to congress urging the elimination of such unnecessary bloating of the federal budget. Already an army of well-funded defense lobbyists and defense contractors are descending on Washington to ensure their cash cow is not endangered. It is time that our votes and voices be cast against the power of the greenbacks that have been shaping the conversation.

"The moneychangers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization." Franklin D. Roosevelt, from his 1933 inauguration speech

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:23:00 +0000

* “Unsafe sex” ~ getting screwed by conservatives – The heavy petting began with Ronald Regan’s Reaganomics – cut taxes for the wealthy, build up deficits but hide some of the deficits by stealing from Social Security (SS) surpluses. I call it stealing because it was dressed in the alluring lingerie of borrowing that was never paid back – about $200 billion per year. “Each time the government dipped into the Social Security trust fund this way, it issued a legal obligation to pay back the money with interest whenever Social Security needed it to pay benefits… That moment of reckoning is approaching. Uncle Sam owes these trillions to Social Security retirees and has to pay it back or look like just another deadbeat. That risk is the only "crisis" facing Social Security.” The Congressional Budget Office says SS is not broke. It can sustain its obligations for another forty years if nothing changes. Conservatives call SS an “entitlement program.” I suggest that each reader look at their SS statements to see what they have actually paid in to this program. Taking into consideration how much this money would have earned if kept in a private account, it is not likely we each will be paid out what we paid in.

I bring this to readers’ attention because there is a backroom move afoot. Being characterized as fiscal reform some conservative think tanks and influential wealthy interests are pushing for what amounts to the misappropriation of trillions of SS dollars. I urge anyone who will be eligible to receive SS to read this article in The Nation by William Greider, author of the book Come Home, America. We all should be alert to any suggestion to reduce SS benefits and the deceit and lies that accompany such suggestions. It is a Ponzi scheme that dwarfs Bernie “The Goniff” Madoff and directly affects all of us.

* The Fairness Doctrine – This was a federal regulation abandoned in 1987 that required broadcasters to present opposing views on public issues. “More and more Democrats in Congress are calling for action (to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine) that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.” I have mixed feelings about renewing such a law. As much as I abhor the hate, divisiveness and prejudice of Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage and like savages the principle of freedom of speech calls for free speech. I do not think open-mindedness can be legislated. Those who achieve tumescence from hateful talk radio have the same rights as people who want to watch porn or listen to the progressive views of Rachel Maddow. Porn and liberal broadcasters may be less harmful to one’s well being but in a free society it is not our place to restrict viewpoints. And although the majority of radio stations are owned by conservative interests the internet is providing balancing points of view that were not available when the regulation was in effect. There are many situations where government involvement is necessary. I do not think that this is one of them.

* The Unfairness Doctrine – I will leave it to others to determine how disingenuous ideologues reach the pinnacle of mainstream media voices. They are given positions in major newspapers or seats on major television news broadcasts. Much of America relies on their punditocracy in spite of their being either ill-informed or intentionally misleading or in some cases both. Case in point is long-time Washington Post columnist George Will. In his Op-Ed column on February 15, 2009 Will attempted to demonstrate that concern about global warming is misplaced. Supporting his argument Will made the following reference; “According to the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center (ACRC), global sea ice levels now equal those of 1979.”

Hours after the column appeared ACRC posted the following response on its website: “We do not know where George Will is getting his information, but our data shows that on February 15, 1979, global sea ice area was 16.79 million sq. km and on February 15, 2009, global sea ice area was 15.45 million sq. km. Therefore, global sea ice levels are 1.34 million sq. km less in February 2009 than in February 1979. This decrease in sea ice area is roughly equal to the area of Texas, California, and Oklahoma combined… It is disturbing that the Washington Post would publish such information without first checking the facts.”

Thanks to TPMMuckraker for bringing this to our attention and for providing greater detail about errors in Will’s column. I would suggest that the greatest value of this Washington Post piece is that it can be used to wrap mercury-laden fish that probably smell better than Will’s “journalistic” effort.

* Generational Theft – This is the new Republican buzz slogan prognosticating the effect of the stimulus bill. It speculates that the enormity of the U.S. deficit will burden future generations with untold consequences. We did not hear this swan song when Reagan started the deficit ball rolling. In 2001 Dick Cheney said, "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." And from 2002 to 2007 few if any of these same Republicans decried the deficit spending they voted for, doubling the deficit from $5 to $10 trillion. Now that they are in the minority, deficits matter. Like many citizens I share concern about deficit effects on subsequent generations so I found an article by economist Ann Pettifor at the Huffington Post of particular interest. At some length Ms. Pettifor describes that this stimulus bill will pay for itself and “not cripple us long-term… when the government invests the bulk of $789 billion in real, productive economic activity - it always gets its money back - plus some.” Since mainstream and cable media are not providing a balanced look at the effects of the stimulus package a read of this article may prove enlightening.

* Get serious Sirius - One of the least talented “entertainers” on the planet is foul-mouth and teenage-horny Howard Stern. He certainly is not to be blamed that Sirius satellite radio offered him a 5-year $500 million contract. Nor is he to be blamed that Sirius is about to file for bankruptcy. Who would not take the windfall? At the same time it is not surprising that financial problems beset a business model that included paying a half a billion dollars for a questionable asset. It reminds one of the many “leading” banks and financial institutions in America and around the world desperately seeking bail (hand) outs from governments.

* Pomp and a great deal of Circumstance – Wes Yoder’s company Ambassador Agency is a publicist for the fundamentalist preacher, author and anti-gay activist Reverend Rick Warren. Just added to the covey of Yoder’s clients is Nadya Suleman. She is the single mother of six that showed America how a stimulus package works when her fertility doctor powered her up to give birth to octuplets. Said doctor can probably use a publicist as his proficiency sans ethics is stimulating the call for regulations and oversight of gynecologic breeding farmers.

* What’s It All about Alfie? – It seemed strange enough when the 13-year old British boy Alfie Patten made the news for fathering a child with his 15-year old friend Chantelle Steadman. British observers described the schoolboy as another symbol of “broken Britain.” Alfie will have to be a part-time dad since he cannot move into the Steadman household until he is 16. In the mean time he has helped change the baby’s diapers before immersing himself in video games.

The saga gets stranger as two other teenagers, one 14 and one 16, claim they may have fathered the child. Generally, when a girl gets pregnant, potential inseminators experience paternus interruptus. Those Brits know how to maintain a stiff upper lip, among other appendages. Alfie’s dad Dennis, no stranger to fathering children, has advised that his son submit to a DNA test. Dennis is the father of eight but two years ago split with Alfie’s mom when he was caught having an affair with a 19-year old. There was no mention in related articles whether the Patten family is philosophically opposed to rubbers, incapable of comprehending the concept(ion) of sex education, or are forming a new cult that will eventually seek to revise inbreeding made infamous by British aristocracy in days of yore. I expect Alfie and Chantelle will headline a new reality show, “The Young and Defiant… and Stupid.” In the first episode the young couple will get home from school and share milk and cookies with their infant and then take turns burping each other. Alfie may have been quoted as saying that when he grows up he wants to be a freshman.

* "My husband and I have decided to start a family while my parents are still young enough to look after them."
Rita Rudner (born 1953) American comedienne, writer and actress

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:22:00 +0000

* When God rolls Her eyes - Blogger friend Ruth Deming raised an interesting question. Why do people such as Bishop Richard Williamson, who I spoke about last week, and actor Mel Gibson deny the Holocaust? I have observed with irritation and consternation such deniers. I imagine it has a strong element of anti-Semitism but belies widespread, objective truth. Perhaps it speaks to the blinding power of prejudice. So often said deniers claim to have a strong connection to their particular religious faith. But does not denying the murder, enslavement and degradation of millions of human beings undermine one’s sense of humanity or claim to a spiritual connection?

* Calling an electrician when the commode does not flush - Given the central role that Republican policy and leadership played in the implosion of the U.S. economy why does the mainstream media genuflect to Republican McConnel, Graham, Pence, Kyle, Cornyn and company for solutions to fix the economy? Especially troublesome is the fact that these “experts” are calling for some of the same policies that helped create the current recession that threatens to become a depression. These are the same legislators that approved tax cuts for the wealthy and rubber-stamped Bush’s debt-exploding budgets while insisting on avoiding oversight of financial institutions. Giving credence to Republicans to fix the economy is analogous to consulting a rectal specialist to do a tax return. Tax returns may feel like a colonoscopy but they require a sharp-penciled accountant.

* Humor of the Week - I had quite a chuckle when Republicans opposed Obama putting a cap on compensation (in the amount of $500,000) for executives whose companies accepted federal bail-out funds. Their reasoning was that these companies would lose the best talent. WHAT TALENT? These are the same incompetents who brought their companies to their economic knees. Rather than worry about losing them the first priority should be to fire the bastards.

Another good laugh occurred watching two Bush rubber-stamp Republicans, Lindsay Graham and John Boehner, crying and whining on virtually every cable news channel about what is wrong with the stimulus bill. I usually do not laugh at pathos but one must remember that we are dealing with thespians relegated from center stage to the supporting cast. YOUR PARTY LOST THE ELECTION(S). Republican policy, greed and hypocrisy were demonstrably rejected. While you wet your pants about the stimulus bill the vast majority of the American people are for it. Now go to your room and no TV.

* Not so funny ~ where did we put that damn rifle? – The Washington Post reports: “Tens of thousands of assault rifles and other firearms in Afghanistan are at risk of being stolen because U.S. officials have lost track of them, according to a congressionally ordered audit that warns that some weapons may already be in Taliban hands… There were no reliable records showing what ultimately happened to an additional 135,000 weapons donated by other NATO countries.” Not only are American troops jeopardized by such incompetency but the American taxpayer is paying for U.S. troop weapons and, in part, the enemy’s weapons. I would call this foreign aid gone awry.

* Not so funny ~ where did we put that damn computer? – The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), operated by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, is one of the largest science and technology institutions in the world. Much of their work is highly classified. This week we learn: “the Lab admits that 67 computers are currently 'missing', and that 13 have been lost or stolen in the past year alone… The magnitude of the security risk that the missing computers pose to LANL is unknown to DOE at this point.” A LANL BlackBerry was recently lost in a "sensitive foreign country." I am sure that there are many competent and conscientious people that serve in our federal government. It also seems that sometimes they all must be on sabbatical. Maxwell Smart meets Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who once said, “There is a time to laugh and a time not to laugh, and this is not one of them.”

* When is a politician a blowhard? ~ almost always - Case in point is Sen. Bill Nelson (D-NE). He is one of the “centrists” responsible for reducing the size of the House stimulus bill. A noted and respected writer for the NY Times, Paul Krugman, said the centrists made the bill weaker and worse. Nelson was asked for his response to Krugman and said, “Well, first of all, they’re not cuts. Let’s just get that up front. These are adjustments downward from numbers that were offered by the House in their version and by the Senate in its version.” The acuity required to make such subtle distinctions does not mask odiferous policy

Nelson and sister centrist Susan Collins (R-ME) exhibited typical political demagoguery when they touted the stimulus bill they helped reduce as being a benefit to education. Matthew Yglesias at Think Progress points out that Collins and Nelson brokered cuts, er, “adjustments” that reduced funding to the Head Start program, school construction and state funding that would contribute to education programs. In an interview on MSNBC Collins argued that what was not reduced from the spending for education was a benefit because some called for no spending. Perhaps there is some merit to such politic speak but it is also misleading in that it excuses not meeting the substantial needs of education in this country.

* When is a Presidential public appearance not public? - Almost every “public” appearance made by former president George W. Bush was staged in front of a specially selected group of people who were aggressively screened for their political/philosophical allegiance. Contrast that with Obama’s appearance at a town hall meeting on Monday in Elkhart, IN. The audience was seated on a first come, first serve basis in a community that strongly supported McCain in the November election.

I also found interesting the fact that under Obama, for the first time, a blogger was issued a White House press pass. During Obama’s first press conference Monday night blogger Sam Stein of the Huffington Post was called on to ask a question. It upset Faux (FOX) News and some reporters that work for traditional news organizations and that is a good thing. During the Bush years it was Huffington Post, TPM Muckraker, dailykos, Think Progress, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, americablog, Emptywheel and many other blogs that held Bush accountable while too often mainstream media was satisfied with Bush administration talking points and lies.

* When it’s sick, cure it ~ healthcare - There will be an increasing chorus in America demanding healthcare reform. The current system cannot be sustainable while remaining viable for the majority of Americans. “More and more employers are cutting or dropping health insurance coverage as the economic meltdown gains steam… A growing number of workers in 2009 will pay more for health benefits -- and in some cases receive less coverage… "The Corporate Executive Board found in its survey that a quarter of officials from 350 large corporations said they had increased deductibles an average of 9 percent in 2008. But 30 percent of the employers said they expected to raise deductibles an average of 14 percent in 2009.” The cost of healthcare and protection in America is reaching critical mass. In spite of strong lobbying from health insurers, health providers and the pharmaceutical industry the American people will finally demand reform. I anticipate that Congress will be hard-pressed by constituents to institute healthcare reform programs. The environment that favored special interests is approaching a toxic stage, making candidate Obama’s platform on healthcare more and more viable.

* The next expose – Most readers will recall a number of Michael Moore’s films that included devastating looks at General Motors, the Bush administration and healthcare in the U.S. An email this week from Mr. Moore spoke of a film he is currently producing that examines Wall Street. The note included an appeal to people working in the financial industry: “I am in the middle of shooting my next movie and I am looking for a few brave people who work on Wall Street or in the financial industry to come forward and share with me what they know. Based on those who have already contacted me, I believe there are a number of you who know "the real deal" about the abuses that have been happening. You have information that the American people need to hear. I am humbly asking you for a moment of courage, to be a hero and help me expose the biggest swindle in American history.”

* Evolution ~ despite Orwellian efforts to deny its validity – Today marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and this year is the 150th anniversary of the publication of his work On the Origin of Species. I found of particular interest a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer by Frank Hartzell. He said, in part, “For ideological and religious reasons, political forces have repeatedly attempted to subvert or prevent the teaching of evolution in our public schools. They are intended to create doubt among students, when none exists among scientists.” The Bush administration pandered to influences that denied the validity of science and such narrow thinking was injected into policy throughout the federal government. Many of us are hopeful that the policy of anti-intellectual governance left Washington on the same plane that returned Bush to his ranch.

In a Gallup Poll about evolution conducted February 6 and 7, 2009 I was quite surprised to see the following results: 39% believe in evolution, 25% do not believe in evolution and 36% had no opinion either way. With only 39% of Americans believing in evolution maybe I am missing the proverbial boat and need to brush up on the tenets of Intelligent Design. Perhaps it is more than an ergonomic bathroom sink faucet.

* Quotes by Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882):

“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”

“I fully subscribe to the judgment of those writers who maintain that of all the differences between man and the lower animal, the moral sense of conscience is by far the most important....It is the most noble of all the attributes of man.”

“If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.”

Stephen Views the News 2/5/09

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:01:00 +0000

* Get out the metal polish – Obama’s “change you can believe in” has rapidly developed a coat of tarnish as ethics questions surrounded Obama selections Richardson, Daschle, Geithner and Killefer. It reminds one of the Grouch Marx quote: “There's one way to find out if a man is honest - ask him. If he says, 'Yes,' you know he is a crook.” Obama has said he was not looking for “yes men” to serve in his administration. In one respect that is what he is finding.

* A note to President Obama ~ remember Howard Dean – With Daschle dashed you need a solid replacement to guide America into a new era of health care. Howard Dean has the qualifications and expressed interest. He is a medical doctor, the former six-term governor of Vermont and the recent leader of the Democratic Party where his dedication and intelligence played a vital roll in Democrats having huge successes in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Rumor has it that your Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, has issues with Dean stemming from disagreements over past political strategies. Mr. President, as you bend over backwards to accommodate Republicans, please do not ignore valued Democrats. May I suggest that you take the time to seriously consider Dr. Dean to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He is a individual partially responsible for your reaching the White House, he has impeccable credentials and he should not be ignored because of petty internal politics.

* Maintaining the shine ~ campaign promises being fulfilled – On the positive side of the nascent Obama administration one can note:

~ Passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that helps ensure redress for women that did not receive the same pay as men doing the same job in a firm. Many Republicans/conservatives are lamenting that this will open the door to lawsuits. I often wonder why these GOPers are rarely concerned when employees are screwed over by the firms that employ them. These same screwees were once embryos.

~ On Wednesday Obama signed the Children's Health Insurance Program, granting 4 million more children access to affordable health care. Former President G.W. Bush twice vetoed this legislation. With so much on his special-interest plate he probably forgot that these 4 million children were also once fertilized eggs. Warning to embryos: do not leave the womb lest Republicans/conservatives will abandon you.

~ On January 23rd President Obama repealed the Global Gag Rule, which prohibited family-planning programs in other nations receiving U.S. aid if the programs were pro-choice. I find it curious that conservatives genuflect to smaller government and less regulation until it comes to regulating other peoples’ lives. “Abstinence only” is absence of effectiveness in preventing pregnancy, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and especially the spread of HIV AIDS that is decimating large segments of populations in Africa and is inflicting tragedy throughout the world. I suggest that if one bears an ideology that harms people, cryovac it in a condom.

~ “The Obama administration has asked the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to cut the Pentagon's budget request for the fiscal year 2010 by more than 10 percent -- about $55 billion.” I recently saw a statistic that the U.S. spends more on defense than the next 40 countries combined. I have read articles that billions are being spent on Pentagon projects that are outmoded or have little chance of being operational. The Pentagon and the defense industry enjoy a tremendous influence on the decision-making process of how our society allocates it resources. It will take strong leadership from Obama and Congress to assess and rein in these powerhouses that Dwight D. Eisenhower, over 50 years ago, termed the military-industrial complex. It has achieved a momentum and life of its own that many feel is substantially beyond reason and practicality. It is my sense that we are in a hostage situation to these forces.

~ The Bush administration and the EPA consistently blocked California and 13 other states from setting stricter automobile emission standards. President Obama will direct federal regulators to re-evaluate the Bush decision to reject California’s application and it will likely lead to the Bush policy being reversed. Auto makers and their lobbyists will balk but it is well beyond time to direct our attention and resources to rehabilitating our environment. Our once pristine planet is close to being on life support. Its potential demise is not likely to occur in my lifetime but do we not all have a responsibility to the embryos that will follow?

~ The Times of London is reporting, “President Obama will convene the most ambitious arms reduction talks with Russia for a generation, aiming to slash each country’s stockpile of nuclear weapons by 80 per cent.” Nuclear weapons reduction was a core element in Obama’s candidacy. The 1991 US-Soviet Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), which expires in December, had reduced each country’s stockpiles from 10,000 to 5,000 weapons. It is felt that further reductions by these two powers could assist in influencing countries such as Iran to not develop nuclear weapons. It seems to me that reducing the number of nuclear weapons is critical. From one standpoint their existence has been primarily a deterrent between the two powers since no country benefits by using such weapons given the assured retaliation it would generate. The greater danger today is that the larger the number of weapons in existence, the greater the danger of such a weapon getting into terrorist hands. Such radical ideologues/idiots do not fear retaliation. And that is a very dangerous enemy.

* The nuance of language - The federal judge overseeing the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy has been charged with assault and arrested for hitting his wife. Many have called for tougher judges but it appears that Judge James M. Peck has misinterpreted the intent of “tougher”. According to the NY Times article, “Judge Peck is known for his patience in handling matters as complex as the Lehman case.” Apparently his “patience” did not extend to his complex marriage. If the pecker keeps this up he may find himself patronizing his own courtroom. It will look like an Abbot and Costello routine as da judge bounces between da bench and da defendant’s table.

* Reality issues – I am 6’ 9” tall with biceps too large for my body. George W. Bush and Ronald Regan vie for the title of Best President in the history of the U.S. Paris Hilton is Obama’s nominee to oversee his Abstinence Only program. Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson is historically correct in denying the existence of Nazi gas chambers. While none of these absurd assertions have merit, Williamson does in fact maintain his position concerning the Holocaust. This came to light because he had been excommunicated by the Church in 1988 and last month this moral moron was reinstated by Pope Benedict XVI. I imagine the Pope has some down time between Christmas and Easter and was looking for a way to keep busy. May I recommend macramé?

Since the reinstatement there has been global outrage and the Vatican was forced to issue a statement that Williamson “must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Holocaust, or else he would not be allowed to serve as a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church.” Congratulations to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, several prominent figures in the German Catholic Church and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for condemning Williamson and in some cases criticizing the Vatican. The NY Times observes: the fact that the Vatican issued a statement is a clear indication that the Vatican was facing nothing less than an internal and external political crisis. The reality is that when good people stand up and speak out about institutional and individual ignorance, altered behavior can result. This is a wonderful lesson for us in America where leadership at all levels of government and across society permitted the Bush administration to intimidate any expression of criticism.

* When the brass is AWOL - Another U.S. service member has been determined to have been electrocuted in a shower in Iraq, and Navy criminal investigators are investigating. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cedergren, 25, of South St. Paul, Minn., died Sept. 11, 2004, while showering. His family was told he died of natural causes. Cedegrens’s death is among 18 electrocution deaths (16 were U.S. service members) under investigation for improperly installed or maintained electrical devices. I have noted on many occasions the damage perpetrated by the no-bid contractors such as KBR, hired by the Bush administration for supplying the troops and rebuilding Iraq. Among the many disgraces that pall the tragedy known as Bush and Cheney’s Iraq war the abuse of America’s service people and the abuse of taxpayers’ money is yet to be fully told. Recall the drinking water tainted with human fluids, inadequate body armor, overly extended tours of duty, insufficiently plated vehicles, inadequate medical and psychological care upon the return to the states… To the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Generals, the Admirals and other military leaders I ask, “WHERE IS YOUR OUTRAGE?

* “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.”
Edward R. Murrow (1908 – 1965)