Political Perusals
Monday, May 29, 2006
Another "Post-Script" to my last perusal... Two of the major factors in the recruitment of Iraqi "Insurgents", are #1... the evidence that America wants to control all of Iraq's oil production (as it currently is), and #2.... the evidence that America plans a large, permanent occupation (which is currently underway).... We are viewed as "invaders", and "occupiers".... and every day, more Iraqis become "Insurgents". Most Americans hear about "Troop-withdrawls", thinking that soon we will remove our forces from Iraq. History's lessons have illustrated that NOT to be true. How long have we had troops in Germany? How about Japan? Korea? The Phillipines?NOT ONCE has the Bush/Cheney "crime-family" denied plans of long-term comittments and military presences. On the contrary, Bush has recently unveiled plans for FOURTEEN military bases in Iraq, and an embassy LARGER THAN THE VATICAN!!! the largest foreign-embassy EVER BUILT!!(Exactly WHO does Bush think is going to PAY for all of this? Contracts to be awarded "no-bid" to Halliburton & Bechtel... I'm sure) Such occupation is prime"recruitment-fodder" for the insurgents. Write or call your Congressman.... DEMAND their vote which supports the resolution to stop this insanity. A bill is currently being sponsored to "give ALL control of Iraqi oil-production to Iraq, as well as stopping the construction of the 14 military installations by our government." This bill will do more to fight the "insurgency" than thousands of dead American troops.
If ever there was a "sign" that a war was descending into chaos, it's when the "good-guys""flip-out" and massacre innocent, un-armed civilians. Such has been the case, recently in Iraq. American soldiers are suffering "record-numbers' of "Post-Traumatic-Stress-Syndrome", suicide-rates among soldiers are at an all-time high. An American General, after having served in Iraq has stated that the chaos and death there is the result of MASSIVE failures of the Bush administration to "plan" for the aftermath of the invasion. Bush appeared frequently on television, saying we must "Stay the course", when he OBVIOUSLY had none. The disbanding of the Iraqi army was the most catastrophic failure by Bush/Cheney.. These Iraqis were largely "conscripted" into the military. With the exception of the "Republican Guard", most were friendly to the American invasion and were the BEST source of "security" in post-war Iraq. The Bush/Cheney philosophy was to "throw-vast-sums-of-money" at the problem and hire "security-contractors", instead of hiring the Iraqis. (Who had MUCH more experience and linguistic-skills) These same "dis-enfranchised" Iraqi military are now SO "fed-up" with the American invasion that many are now joining the "insurgency" or various "militias" simply to protect themselves or their families. Either the Bush/Cheney "course" was INCREDIBLY STUPID, or a calculated plan to allow the profiteering of chaos. Either way, it is criminal. Recently, the deadline to "sign-up" for various Medicare plans has passed. Millions of American "seniors" failed to sign-up; many were too-confused and many others probably recognized it for the "shell-game" that it truly is. Have you noticed all of these new companies which CONVENIENTLY appeared to 'administer" the new Medicare plans?? Some of them bought expensive motorhomes, brightly painted and filled with "advisors" to "help" the seniors select a new drug-plan. Just WHO do you think PAYS for these motorhomes, advisors, and barrages of television commercials??? YOU & I, AND EVERY "SENIOR" WHO BUYS PRESCRIPTION-DRUGS!!! Frequently, a "drug-plan" has a lower price for ONE drug, while raising the price of many others... the result is that NO plan ACTUALLY saves anyone money!! The pharmeceutical companies have carefully arranged their pricing structure, so that a "cholesterol-drug" may be cheaper, but the "blood-pressure drug" which is ALSO required ends up costing more. How is it POSSIBLE that Medicare has just enacted ANOTHER LAYER of "bureaucracy" and red-tape; yet claims to be Saving-money"???? Meanwhile, they are NOT allowed to "negotiate" quantity-discounts, much the way that state governments and the Veteran's Administration do?? THE WHOLE THING STINKS!!! AND IT SMELLS LIKE REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION!!Don't forget, that ALL of the major Pharmaceutical companies are represented on the list of "Top Twenty Republican Contributors"!!! I guess that "G.O.P." stands for: "Greed Opressing People"!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Whenever I hear mention of the "Christian-Right", I am reminded of a quote by Mahatma Ghandi:...... "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.....They are , so often NOT like Christ". A "Christian-Right-To-Life" governor/president is now responsible for the deaths of 2600 American soldiers, the deaths by "collateral-damage" of an estimated 50,000 Iraqi civilians, as well as executing 143 "Death-Row inmates" while governor of Texas. Just WHOSE "family-values" does this man represent???? THE "MANSON-FAMILY"????
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Visit a site called: "opensecrets.org " for an interesting look at the "Hard-money" contributions to the Republican & Democratic parties. One of the top-five contributors to Republicans is ENRON, another is the N.R.A.; further down the list are ALL of the phamaceutical manufactures, and appearing at #2 is A TOBACCO COMPANY! A similar comparison of Democratic Party contributions reveals that SEVEN OUT OF TEN are unions!! (You remember them... those organizations of WORKING Americans, who try to protect themselves from corporate-greed!!) This list CLEARLY illustrates EXACTLY WHO the president and the Republican Congress ACTUALLY WORK FOR!! Is it any wonder that new layers of bureaucracy (and cost) have been added to the Medicare program?? Is it any wonder that ENRON intentionally manipulated the "rolling-blackouts" in California, to usurp the Democrat Governor andreplace him with a Republican "puppet"? These figures are the BEST argument for "Public-funding" of all Federal elections!!
Re: "Immigration reform".... "Dubyuh-Dumbass" has issued another "Red Herring" ; another "Gay-marriage", "Right-to-Life", "Flag-Burning" distraction from his dismal failures. He now wants to give government contracts to build fences, and vehicle-barriers across 4 states which border Mexico. Shouldn't MEXICO be required to PAY for half of their costs?? I would BET MONEY, that the contracts will be "no-bid", and go to a Neo-Con/ Republican insiders like Halliburton, or Bechtel!! The "Immigration-Problem" is NOT lack of fences... NO amount of new fences will deter those who are desparate for better lives. The current FAILURES of government "enforcement" are the TRUE source of the massive influxes. In the last two years, ONLY THREE PROSECUTIONS OF EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE "ILLEGALS" HAS OCCURED!! In That same period, ONLY SIX PERCENT OF APPREHENDED "HUMAN-SMUGGLERS" HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED!! This recent clamor for "border-security" has been turned into another reason to award lucrative construction contracts, and National Guard "support"contracts to Bush "insiders". In recent meetings with Mexico's president Vicente Fox, Did Bush DEMAND better border security on the Mexican side? Did he DEMAND economic reforms to enable Mexicans to stay in their own country? Did he DEMAND the investigationof all of the crimes which have occured along the borders (including hundreds of murders)? Did he DEMAND investigation into the rampant corruption of Mexican officials, who frequently are involved in drug-cartels???? It would seem that his "policy-meetings" with Fox were nothing more than "photo-ops" and opportunities for them both to re-group their "power-bases", and look good on television. Bush has also proposed a "guest-worker" program.... simply another name for "Indentured servitude".. a convenient source of cheap labor for the Republican corporate-contributors!! Cheap, and "legal" imported labor, which eliminates the remaining American jobs that haven't already been "outsourced". WE MUST demand accountability of this administration; WHY have only three companies been sanctioned for hiring "illegals"?? WHY are only six percent of apprehended "coyote"/human-smugglers prosecuted?? In many cases, it is the corporate-contributors of Washington, who profit from the "illegals". Does anyone HONESTLY think that huge-corporate donors in the "agri-business" ACTUALLY WANT STRICTER BORDER-CONTROL? As Ricky Ricardo said: "You got some 'splaining to do!"
Monday, May 15, 2006
Attention!.... Read a book by Greg Palast called: "Armed Madhouse"... Author of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy", Palast details how the Neo-Con Fascists manipulated the 2000 and the 2004 presidential elections; offering evidence of how Bush actually LOST the election in such pivotal states as New Mexico and Ohio, and illustrating exactly how they manipulated the results in Bush's favor. He also warns that they ARE ABOUT TO DO IT AGAIN IN 2008!!! Since virtually NO election-reform has occured to stop it, the Republican/Neo-Con "dis-enfranchisment" is now targeted at the Hispanic vote, having already stolen vast portions of the "Black-vote".. (Is it any wonder that "progress" and re-settlement of New Orleans is not occurring?)... tens of thousands of mostly-Democratic black voters are no-longer able to prove "residency", and therefore cannot vote. Is the latest "immigration-reform" another ploy to "dis-enfranchise" vast numbers of Latino voters?? We know that it is not only a "red-herring", to divert scrutiny away from incompetance and failure; It is surely a form of "pandering" to the Bush-"base"... those ultra-"conservative" right-wing fanatics whose support, and money, Bush has always required. The most frightening parallels have recently been made of the Bush strategies, compared to those of Nazi-Germany. The rise of the Nazis didn't occur "overnight". Adolph Hitler was ELECTED to power. His control of "Media" was complete. His parliament granted him absolute-power.. by passing the "Empowering-Act" (Remind anyone of the "Patriot-Act"??).... allowing Hilter to be exempt of all laws. His Secret-Police kidnapped ("rendered") anyone that dissented, to be imprisoned in unknown locations, tortured and killed. (Remind anyone of the C.I.A. "renditions"" to foreign prisons or Guantanamo?) The Nazi Germans also had vast data-bases to control and monitor dissidents, "gays", Gypsies, and Jews. These were complied from thousands of census-lists and administered by "punch-card" machines....SOLD AND OPERATED BY I.B.M.!!!!! This is why the Jews were required to be tattooed. This is why "Gays" were required to wear yellow-triangles. This is why Jews had to wear "The Star of David" on their clothes!! The Bush/ Neo-Con strategists have grabbed "absolute-power", with NO Congressional "Balance-of-Power", NO judicial "balance-of-Power", and frequently justify their crimes by saying that "If the president does it, it MUST be legal!" Today, A.B.C. News revealed that the N.S.A. wiretaps and "dragnets" were being conducted on all "Major" media reporters who ever made "over-seas" telephone calls. Under the excuse of "The Valerie Plame-leak investigation", administration spokespersons argued that they have the "right" to wire-tap and investigate reporters, without Senate-oversight, and without warrants!! It is historical fact, that George W. Bush's grandfather was prosecuted for violating the "arms-embargo" against Nazi-Germany. It is also historical fact, that George Bush (Senior), Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld were DIRECTLY responsible for the sale of the nerve-gas sold to Saddam Hussein, which killed thousands of Khurdish Iraqis. I also heard today, that U.S. aerial attacks have been made within the country of Pakistan by "R.O.V.s"... those remotely-operated-vehicles which fire missles into Pakistani villages. Let's see: ...... Invade a "sovreign-nation", install a "puppet-regime", manipulate elections, control the media, kidnap and torture "dissidents", "wire-tap" and conduct covert surveillance, establish vast data-bases for political and military control, pilfer and steal from the invaded-nation, award vast no-bid contracts to war-profiteering cronies..... Sounds a lot like Nazi-Germany??? WAKE UP!!!!! IT'S HAPPENING IN AMERICA...RIGHT NOW!!! What's that famous quote by Edmund Burke???"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"???............BE GOOD....... DO SOMETHING!!!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Rebulicans Congressman today prepared to "extend" tax-cuts previously enacted, which were scheduled to expire. These are those infamous "Tax-cuts for the rich".... A person who makes less than $50,000 per year will receive almost NOTHING, while a person who makes more than a Million dollars anually will get a "Tax-break" of almost $42,000!!!! The bill also have stripped requirements that allow deductions by teachers who buy their own school-supplies, and deductions for school-tuition, as well as those for payment of State and local taxes.; Hardly the acts of an administration who claims to "support education"!! Remember also the rampant Fiscal-deficit which faces many future generations, and one can only wonder "what the hell are they thinking"?? This failed administration is SO desperate for some sort of "accomplishment", that the are now trying to "spin" this as something "positive". NEVER has ANY president "cut-taxes" in a "Time-of-war"!!! NEVER have Americans who actually HAVE jobs complained about "paying their fair share". The Culture of Crime in Washington defies all logic and reason.
The Reuters news agency has reported that 50% of American Teachers quit after two & one half years. These teachers are leaving their chosen careers citing bureaucratic stress and low pay, and nearly all have "masters-degrees". Many are not able to pay-off the ever-ecscalating costs of student-loans with the poorly paying teaching jobs. A comparably-educated College-graduate generally earns about 15% more in "The private-sector" than they do teaching. It's easy to "coin a phrase" like "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND", it's quite another to actually DO something about America's education-crisis. Meanwhile, America's ability to produce scientists and engineers is in a "death-spiral", causing increasing numbers of "technical" jobs to be "outsourced" to foreign countries.... All that "Dubyuh" has to say is: "It's hard work"!! On a related note: a 10-year-old girl in Florida was prepared to sing a song in her school's "talent-show". It was a song by the singer known as "Pink", called "Mr. President" It's lyrics make reference to it being "Hard Work" to raise a family on minimum-wage, being "Hard Work" to make a home from a cardboard-box, etc. The obvious lyrical barbs directed at "King George" seemed too controversial for the school administration, and she was denied the right to sing it. It seems that "political-expression" and the rights of "free-speech" are not guaranteed in Florida... Much like the case of one Albuquerque high school teacher named Alan Cooper; Mr. Cooper was fired from his teaching job when he would not remove "anti-war" posters which had been hung by his students. Alan Cooper allowed both "pro-patriotism" and "anti-war" posters to be hung, but in the "post 9-11 " fanatacism his Constitutional rights were trampled, and his "voice was silenced. It's fortunate, that Alan Cooper was not "of Middle Eastern descent"; He would probably have ended up in Guantanamo Cuba, or some foreign prison as the result of a "rendition" by the C.I.A.!!Is this the "Democracy" for which SO many Americans have died?? Is this the "Democracy" which we hope to export to the rest of the world? George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are TURNING OVER IN THEIR GRAVES!!! George Bush II has signed over 700 "Executive orders" since he stole the presidency. Many of these allow him to flagrantly ignore and violate laws passed by Congress. In one such case, he "over-ruled" a law which makes it illegal to seek reprisal against any "whistle-blowers" who disclose the wrong-doings of Federal agencies. Is this not ILLEGAL??? Is he exempt from ALL law? What ever happened to "balance-of-power"? Is the president allowed to IGNORE laws which he doesn't like? The list of such "Executive-orders" is mind-boggling... a clear indication of his dictatorial, fanatical hubris. Remember when he said that "it would be a lot easier if this were a dictatorship, as long as I'm the dictator"???? It appears that he IS a dictator!! (not a "uniter" or a "decider")
DIsclaimer: The opinions expressed in this "Weblog" are purely those of it's author. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, not all "facts" have been "researched", & readers are encouraged to investigate everything and anything. No guarantees of "Political-correctness" are made, and no subversive agendas are being promoted. ( a little note to BIG BROTHER)
DIsclaimer: The opinions expressed in this "Weblog" are purely those of it's author. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, not all "facts" have been "researched", & readers are encouraged to investigate everything and anything. No guarantees of "Political-correctness" are made, and no subversive agendas are being promoted. ( a little note to BIG BROTHER)
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
So you think it's not difficult enough for "Small Farmers" to "stay-afloat"??? It has now "come-to-light", that Corporate-farmer/chemical companies are conspiring to run them out of business. After securing exclusive "patents" on "G.M.O.s" (Genetically Modified Organisms), companies such as Monsanto, have sued small farmers for "patent-infringment" when THEIR OWN crops inadvertantly pollinate small-farmers crops. These chemical companies seize the suspect crops and conduct D.N.A. testing to determine if the "G.M.O." crops are present. When they find such plants, they sue the farmers, in-effect bankrupting them with MASSIVE legal costs. These crops know no-such thing as "property-lines", and their pollen is often carried miles away by insects and the wind. With "corporate-lawyers" on their payrolls, the "small-farmers' cannot defend themselves from the litigation. These are the SAME chemical companies who so-generously contribute to the Republican coffers. This is nothing but a clever scheme to consolidate agriculture and eliminate competition, much the way that oil-companies have done. Dave
Monday, May 08, 2006
George W.'s latest pig-headed belligerence is now escalating relations with Iran to new, more volitile level. After 50+ years of American interference, is it any wonder that Iranians don't trust American Foreign-Policy? The pursuit of cheap oil goes back nearly one hundred years, with American Foreign policy being nothing but an excuse to swindle and steal to power our economy. Remember the "Iran-hostage-crisis"?? It was the direct result of the American C.I.A.'s covert overthrow of the ELECTED president of Iran!! W.W.II fighting in the Balkans, The Phillipines, and Africa were ALL based quests for cheap oil. (For a detailed account of the history of American policy failures based on "oil", go to: TIME Magazine.... May 19, 2003... an Article called: "The Oily Americans, Why the World Doesn't Trust the U.S. About Petroleum: A History of Meddling". This story details how (The Republican Party's FAVORITE President) Ronald Reagan secretly supplied arms to Saddam Hussein, during the Iran-Iraq war..... It seems obvious, that the latest bravado and posturing by Iran's president is based on a long history of American transgressions. Perhaps a better method of "de-fusing" this dangerous situation would be to OFFER nuclear-technology to Iran.. HELP them to build their reactors, and enrichment facilities; all the while, illustrating the "two-sides" of this "sword". Take Iranian officials to Chernobyl, to "Three-Mile-Island", to the Hanford Nuclear facility (home of the MOST dangerous , expensive, and radioactive environmental hazards in America) Let them interview the cancer-ridden survivors of Russia's nuclear failures. Teach them about the costs of "spent-fuel" storage and containment. Illustrate the "hidden" costs of "securing", guarding, and ultimately destroying weapons which CANNOT be used. Tell them about the nuclear-plant owned by P.N.M..... which is opperating AT A LOSS TO STOCKHOLDERS!! Show them the environmental risks of this dangerous technology. Meanwhile, STOP refering to an "Axis of Evil".... unless it refers to the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld trio. A wise man once said that "The best way to get rid of your enemy is to make him your friend". The Iranian populace is "prime" to become a democracy, to buy American products, to overthrow their "fundmental" mullahs and particpate in a global economy. The Bush philosophy of confrontation and "Stay-The-course" is un-enlightened, short-sighted, and ultimately provocative in nature. It CANNOT create a "safer" America, or world. Dave
The Watergate hotel has recently been the site of a NEW scandal; certain "Military-Industrial" contractors are being investigated for possible bribery of C.I.A. and Pentagon officials... involving "Poker-Parties" held at the Watergate hotel. The "poker parties' have been said to have included free food, drinks, and "prostitutes". No names of the alleged-prostitutes have yet surfaced, but the investigation has included hotel employees and employees of the "limo-service". It now has "come-to-light" that the owner of this "Limo-service" is a convicted-felon, with a VERY long list of criminal convictions and arrests. It has also been discovered, that this same "Limo-service" has received a Multi-million-dollar contract from F.E.M.A.and the Department of Homeland Security(worth more than 23MILLION DOLLARS)!!!!!! Where is the "mainstream" media coverage of this?? Has FOX news "aired" this latest scandal in "OUR" so-called-democracy?? Perhaps it is no coincidence that The C.I.A. now has a NEW director??? Where is the Congressional "Ethics-Comittee?"....(You remember... the comittee which CHANGED it's own rules to avoid investigating Tom Delay and Bill Frist!!) These LYING, THIEVING bastards HAVE GOT TO GO!! It has "come-to-pass", that being a politician in Washington has become a "License to steal, and lie!"... The ONLY way to stop such corruption, is to DEMAND "Public-funding" of ALL Federal elections. The cost of such funding is FAR less than the hidden-costs of such corruption, and the costs involved in investigating, indicting, and prosecuting their crimes. WRITE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!! DEMAND THAT SUCH REFORM BE LAW!! DEMAND THAT CANDIDATES IN THE UP-COMING CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS PURSUE SUCH CHANGES!! MAKE "PUBLICALLY-FUNDED ELECTIONS" PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC-PARTY-PLATFORM!! This is an issue which an "average" citizen can "sink-their-teeth-into", not some phony "red-herring" like "Gay-Marriage", "Social-Security-investment-accounts", or "Stem-cell research"!! The fiscal incompetance and corruption of the Republican Neo-Cons affects EVERY American, for GENERATIONS TO COME!! Democrats are NOT exempt from the "corporate-kleptocrats"" Lobbyist and "consultant" money corrupts ALL phases of Federal Government, at all levels. NO progress is made when the ONLY "'driving-force" in government is corporate-greed. No "enlightened-policies" ever become reality when the "profit-motive" outweighs logic, reason and "common-sense". It's time that "common-sense" was a little MORE "COMMON"!!
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
In case you missed it, ANOTHER incident of American troop's attrocities against Iraqi civilians has recently surfaced. Claiming "Collateral-damage" in a "fire-fight with insurgents", numerous Iraqi women & children were shot at "close-range", with " exectution-like-precision".... as revealed in photos of their dead bodies. These same women & children casualties were then stacked in piles, separted from the "men" casualties. It seems that we have another attrocity, one which makes the tortures of Abu Graib "pale" in comparrison; An execution comparable to the "Mi Lai Massacre" of the Viet Nam war, and which , inevitably will serve to incite and recruit MORE insurgents! This is but the latest of the MASSIVE policy and administrative failures by the Bush/Cheney "crime-family". This incident will SURELY be "featured" on EVERY Muslim television network, including Al Jazeera. The incompetance and bungling of the Bush government is staggering. Meanwhile, the Republican "Talking-Head", "Feel-The-Rush Limbaugh" has entered re-hab. This "begs-the-question": "How much of Limbaugh's drug-addled rhetoric can be believed?" How much of his radio "talking-points" came from his drug-induced stupor? We always suspected that he was a bigotted liar; it has now ben proven that he was "under the influence" as well. It's about time that we ALL demand his radio-show be "cancelled". Do you think that Howard Stern would still be "on the air", if he were convicted of drug-crimes?? Bringing a new definition to the phrase "spin", it now seems that it was Rush's BRAIN was actually SPINNING!!
