Over a hundred years ago the United States decided to flex its ambitions for empire building. After decimating the native populations in near genocidal wars, Uncle Sam scanned the horizon for new conquests.
Sam saw a lot of Spaniards in juicy little foreign hot spots sitting ripe for resource exploitation.
All Sam needed was a good excuse to start up the new war for glory and empire. As luck would have it, in 1898 the battleship USS Maine happened to be anchored in port in Havana. Kaboom! There was a massive explosion and the ship went down, killing many American sailors.
The cause of the blast was later found to be accidental, but the Spanish were conveniently blamed.
The Hearst corporate media cheered, "Remember 9-11...er the Maine!"
And very much like our neo-con imperialists of today, who eagerly anticipated the 9-11 attacks to trigger their war for glory and empire, the budding military industrial complex urged President McKinley to declare war on Spain.
Interestingly, both triggers for the Iraq War and Spanish American War had nothing to do with the countries we attacked. We wanted war and that’s what we got. And since God is always on America’s side, who cares about the little details?
After we whipped the Spanish we moved in to occupy the newly “liberated” Philippines. Imagine our shock when we were not actually greeted as liberators. We occupied their country and began to impose our rule on them. Of course we generously offered to set up a friendly and compatible government that suited US interests.
Well, son of a gun, those Philippine ingrates went and started an insurrection against us. Soon over four thousand American troops were dead.
The American imperialists were shouting “Stay the course”, or whatever the equivalent phrase was a hundred years ago. It doesn’t take much imagination to infer that those Americans who didn’t share the enthusiasm for the counter-insurgency were probably called appeasers, or un-patriotic, or other applicable contemporary appellations.
But patriotism took another form, too.
There was a courageous American writer who stepped forward to fill the vital role of conscientious dissent.
That man was Samuel Clemons. Here is what Mark Twain had to say about this particular foreign misadventure.
“There is the case of the Philippines. I have tried hard, and yet I cannot for the life of me comprehend how we got into that mess. Perhaps we could not have avoided it -- perhaps it was inevitable that we should come to be fighting the natives of those islands -- but I cannot understand it, and have never been able to get at the bottom of the origin of our antagonism to the natives. I thought we should act as their protector -- not try to get them under our heel. We were to relieve them from Spanish tyranny to enable them to set up a government of their own, and we were to stand by and see that it got a fair trial. It was not to be a government according to our ideas, but a government that represented the feeling of the majority of the Filipinos, a government according to Filipino ideas. That would have been a worthy mission for the United States. But now -- why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation.”
"A quagmire," he says! Why that..that LIBERAL!
We can imagine what Republicans would have to say to Mr. Clemens if he were here today. “They hated us for our freedom! We had to fight the Philippine Insurgents over there so we didn’t have to fight them over here in our towns and cities! Why do you hate America?”
It never ends.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Dear Senator Obama
Like many of you, my wife and I called both of our senators to plead for a no vote on Bush’s new FISA bill.
Mrs. Dubya also emailed the Obama people with the earnest request that the senator do the right thing.
Here is the reply from Obama and his campaign staff.
-----
Dear Friend,
Thank you for contacting us and sharing your strong feelings about this important issue. Please find a statement from Senator Obama below.
We appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Obama for America,
----
Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. There is also little doubt that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of major telecommunications companies, has abused that authority and undermined the Constitution by intercepting the communications of innocent Americans without their knowledge or the required court orders.
That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past.
After months of negotiation, the House passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act. Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance - making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future.
It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I voted in the Senate three times to remove this provision so that we could seek full accountability for past offenses. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act.
It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the liberty - of the American people.
-------
I had to respond with this open letter to Barack Obama.
******
Dear Senator Obama,
Thank you for wanting to protect our lives and liberty. As far as your support for the FISA bill is concerned, let me just say you've done a “heck of a job”.
There is nothing in the new FISA law that stops Bush from continuing everything he has been doing. It allows illegally obtained surveillance to be used as evidence against American citizens.
What you are saying is "Trust them. They will monitor themselves by their hand picked Inspectors". Yeah, that's the ticket.
Just like the Office of Professional Responsibility in the Justice Department has yet to catch one errant lawyer. And if it did find any misconduct, it would, of course, be their little secret. And their required annual report has just come for fiscal year 2005.
Yes, we can trust them... to do what they do.
And you are also saying "Trust me, I'll take care of the secret operation later as I see fit...if I am elected"
I have another idea. Let's trust the Bill of Rights.
Senator, few would argue that you are not a brilliant man. Voting for the FISA bill was a reasoned calculation and an intelligent political move. I think I understand the motivations for your vote. What I do not see is the wisdom of it.
You have allowed them to get away with crimes! Any time they, and you, Senator, speak of the rule of law; you will be tainted by the hypocrisy of your elitist double standards. No one else in America has the luxury of bending the law to fit their wrongful behavior.
Sadly, you have also lost the opportunity for desperately needed leadership in defending our Constitution.
The day will come when you may find yourself sharing the same sense of shame as Colin Powell feels for his pre-invasion war mongering at the UN. You will share the disgrace of abetting the crimes and rogue presidency of George W. Bush.
I had wished that you would not be reduced to selling your soul for the job you seek. I had once, briefly, held onto the hope that you would keep it.
You probably know that having a soul, or a conscience, is not necessary to be president. The current gang in the White House has proven that, at all our expense.
Undermining the Fourth Amendment is the kind of change George Bush believes in.
Removing the corporate foxes from the public’s henhouse is the kind of change most Americans believe in.
I continue to hope that it is your desire and goal that the United States will once again have a government of laws and not of men
Hopefully yours,
Dave Dubya
******
Mrs. Dubya also emailed the Obama people with the earnest request that the senator do the right thing.
Here is the reply from Obama and his campaign staff.
-----
Dear Friend,
Thank you for contacting us and sharing your strong feelings about this important issue. Please find a statement from Senator Obama below.
We appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Obama for America,
----
Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. There is also little doubt that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of major telecommunications companies, has abused that authority and undermined the Constitution by intercepting the communications of innocent Americans without their knowledge or the required court orders.
That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past.
After months of negotiation, the House passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act. Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance - making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future.
It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I voted in the Senate three times to remove this provision so that we could seek full accountability for past offenses. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act.
It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the liberty - of the American people.
-------
I had to respond with this open letter to Barack Obama.
******
Dear Senator Obama,
Thank you for wanting to protect our lives and liberty. As far as your support for the FISA bill is concerned, let me just say you've done a “heck of a job”.
There is nothing in the new FISA law that stops Bush from continuing everything he has been doing. It allows illegally obtained surveillance to be used as evidence against American citizens.
What you are saying is "Trust them. They will monitor themselves by their hand picked Inspectors". Yeah, that's the ticket.
Just like the Office of Professional Responsibility in the Justice Department has yet to catch one errant lawyer. And if it did find any misconduct, it would, of course, be their little secret. And their required annual report has just come for fiscal year 2005.
Yes, we can trust them... to do what they do.
And you are also saying "Trust me, I'll take care of the secret operation later as I see fit...if I am elected"
I have another idea. Let's trust the Bill of Rights.
Senator, few would argue that you are not a brilliant man. Voting for the FISA bill was a reasoned calculation and an intelligent political move. I think I understand the motivations for your vote. What I do not see is the wisdom of it.
You have allowed them to get away with crimes! Any time they, and you, Senator, speak of the rule of law; you will be tainted by the hypocrisy of your elitist double standards. No one else in America has the luxury of bending the law to fit their wrongful behavior.
Sadly, you have also lost the opportunity for desperately needed leadership in defending our Constitution.
The day will come when you may find yourself sharing the same sense of shame as Colin Powell feels for his pre-invasion war mongering at the UN. You will share the disgrace of abetting the crimes and rogue presidency of George W. Bush.
I had wished that you would not be reduced to selling your soul for the job you seek. I had once, briefly, held onto the hope that you would keep it.
You probably know that having a soul, or a conscience, is not necessary to be president. The current gang in the White House has proven that, at all our expense.
Undermining the Fourth Amendment is the kind of change George Bush believes in.
Removing the corporate foxes from the public’s henhouse is the kind of change most Americans believe in.
I continue to hope that it is your desire and goal that the United States will once again have a government of laws and not of men
Hopefully yours,
Dave Dubya
******
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Who Cares?
Has anybody noticed what's in the news today? Or should I say, what's NOT in the news today? Neither of today's online editions of the New York Times nor the Washington Post had an article on Bush's new FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) victory. Yesterday most of the same people who swore to protect, defend and uphold the Constitution overwhelmingly betrayed it.
The Bush Administration and its corporate telecom buddies have succeeded in snatching their get out of jail free card from Congress.
It's the new American way. Break the law, and then bully your way to make it legal retroactively.
This is troubling in many ways.
It is more than possible that a significant number of the surveillance targets of the Administration are Democrats. J. Edgar Hoover proved this to be a useful tool of the American Reich. That could account for such a massive rollover.
And of course, there's all that telecom money going into the politicians' re-election funds.
Maybe the American people learned about this travesty by watching the news on television.
Or more likely they did not.
Corporate media TV hardly covered this destruction of the Fourth Amendment any better. They found an old story about a murdered white girl to be more important and vital to the nation's interest. The same formula works every time. Isn't America better off now that we know who didn't kill that little girl?
The FISA capitulation is a sad indication of what Obama would do if he somehow wins the election. (I still believe the fascists will steal the presidency again.) Obama would be pressured by his own party to stay on the corporatist reservation. He will be pressured by the Reich wing to continue expanding the police state. If Obama is elected and wants to keep his job, he will have to be a company man. He will be a corporatist or face consequences.
The corporate media will be the pit bulls dogging him to comply with their masters.
We can only hope Obama can delay the fascist bastards. I don't know how he can reverse the damage, especially if the Bush Administration's crimes are not called out as crimes. The new FISA is all about covering up and "legalizing" Bush's crimes of illegal wiretapping. And congress is covering up its own complicity as well.
You say FISA is only about snooping on foreigners? So we can trust them, right?
THEY ARE CROOKS!
The best case I see is revocation of some of Bush's worst directives, and maybe appointing moderate Supreme Court nominees. This is, now more than ever, of crucial importance.
The creeping fascism is becoming institutionalized and will follow its track unless it is disclosed and checked.
Bush's cronies illegally hired only loyal right wingers into the Department of Justice. US Attorneys were fired for not following the Reich wing political agenda. The Justice Department is dragging their feet when it comes to Rove, Meirs, and others' contempt of Congress. It is corrupted for a long time and we cannot expect much "justice" from them.
Loyalty and unaccountability are apparently their only rules.
It's bleak when 90% of the Republicans and 50% of the Dems are going along with the police state agenda.
It's only more difficult when the corporate media are in cahoots with the corporate government. They will suppress the obvious truth of the criminal behavior. With their "fair and balanced" style they give the lie as much time as the truth. Then they suggest that the truth must be "somewhere in the middle". Journalism is dying under the thumb of right wing corporatism. Propaganda is now their business.
The media NEVER say Bush committed crimes. As if his bloody eternal war is not evidence of his war crimes...
The indifferent lack of reporting on the FISA sham only helps prove that big media are also in bed with the telecoms. And big business is in bed with the government. There you have it. Combine this power with aggressive militarism and that's fascism, by definition.
And do American citizens even care?
Are we too stupid, intimidated and complacent as a population?
Are Americans no different than the “Good Germans” of the 1930's?
*****
Update:
The Washington Post earlier featured a FISA article, but was buried away from the headlines. Stories were posted later at both the New York Times and Washington Post.
But again, who cares?
The Bush Administration and its corporate telecom buddies have succeeded in snatching their get out of jail free card from Congress.
It's the new American way. Break the law, and then bully your way to make it legal retroactively.
This is troubling in many ways.
It is more than possible that a significant number of the surveillance targets of the Administration are Democrats. J. Edgar Hoover proved this to be a useful tool of the American Reich. That could account for such a massive rollover.
And of course, there's all that telecom money going into the politicians' re-election funds.
Maybe the American people learned about this travesty by watching the news on television.
Or more likely they did not.
Corporate media TV hardly covered this destruction of the Fourth Amendment any better. They found an old story about a murdered white girl to be more important and vital to the nation's interest. The same formula works every time. Isn't America better off now that we know who didn't kill that little girl?
The FISA capitulation is a sad indication of what Obama would do if he somehow wins the election. (I still believe the fascists will steal the presidency again.) Obama would be pressured by his own party to stay on the corporatist reservation. He will be pressured by the Reich wing to continue expanding the police state. If Obama is elected and wants to keep his job, he will have to be a company man. He will be a corporatist or face consequences.
The corporate media will be the pit bulls dogging him to comply with their masters.
We can only hope Obama can delay the fascist bastards. I don't know how he can reverse the damage, especially if the Bush Administration's crimes are not called out as crimes. The new FISA is all about covering up and "legalizing" Bush's crimes of illegal wiretapping. And congress is covering up its own complicity as well.
You say FISA is only about snooping on foreigners? So we can trust them, right?
THEY ARE CROOKS!
The best case I see is revocation of some of Bush's worst directives, and maybe appointing moderate Supreme Court nominees. This is, now more than ever, of crucial importance.
The creeping fascism is becoming institutionalized and will follow its track unless it is disclosed and checked.
Bush's cronies illegally hired only loyal right wingers into the Department of Justice. US Attorneys were fired for not following the Reich wing political agenda. The Justice Department is dragging their feet when it comes to Rove, Meirs, and others' contempt of Congress. It is corrupted for a long time and we cannot expect much "justice" from them.
Loyalty and unaccountability are apparently their only rules.
It's bleak when 90% of the Republicans and 50% of the Dems are going along with the police state agenda.
It's only more difficult when the corporate media are in cahoots with the corporate government. They will suppress the obvious truth of the criminal behavior. With their "fair and balanced" style they give the lie as much time as the truth. Then they suggest that the truth must be "somewhere in the middle". Journalism is dying under the thumb of right wing corporatism. Propaganda is now their business.
The media NEVER say Bush committed crimes. As if his bloody eternal war is not evidence of his war crimes...
The indifferent lack of reporting on the FISA sham only helps prove that big media are also in bed with the telecoms. And big business is in bed with the government. There you have it. Combine this power with aggressive militarism and that's fascism, by definition.
And do American citizens even care?
Are we too stupid, intimidated and complacent as a population?
Are Americans no different than the “Good Germans” of the 1930's?
*****
Update:
The Washington Post earlier featured a FISA article, but was buried away from the headlines. Stories were posted later at both the New York Times and Washington Post.
But again, who cares?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Glug, Glug, Glug
Is anyone paying attention to what’s been happening?
Will Bush and Cheney ever be held accountable for anything?
Will justice never tie the bloody hands of the corrupt Regime
As their crimes of nascent fascism destroy what we hold dear?
While they wage illegal war for power and profit,
You want to blame the Democrats for that $5 gallon of gas?
Appeasing neo-con imperialism was the Democrats’ real failure.
Helping the Republican’s shred the Bill Of Rights is their shame.
The cost of willful and media-fed mass ignorance is coming due.
Americans finally have the government their stupidity deserves.
Excuse me, this ranting is making me thirsty.
Thank you, let me drink some of that kool ade.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Wait, what am I saying?? What kind of American am I?
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Ahh. Now I'm feelin better. My brain aint so crowded no more.
Hey, ya know what? Bush never lied. An them librools sure are dum.
Rush was right all along. They aint real Amurakins at all,
Now I’m a true believin born again ditto head.
Now I know just about everthin that I ever gotta know.
I know we gotta vote fer Johnny Bomb Bomb I-Ran McCain.
Johnny knows them I-Ranians are trainin Al Kida.
He'll teach them I-Ranians fer goin nukular, or not, even.
Just like Bush gave them I-Raqis payback for 9-11.
Since them I-Ranians wanna attack us an all,
I reckon we kin afford us another little war.
Specially since we don't ever hafta pay fer it.
Cause we know taxes is bad, an killin fer freedom is good.
Hey! Gimme another glassa that kool ade.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
An don't fergit, they aint no ignernce like Amurakin ignernce.
You know, the self-reich-us ignernce what makes us proud.
An cause they’s both Republican war heroes,
In Bush we trust, an in McCain we believe.
So fill that glass an let’s drink to another long good war.
Then let’s keep on drinkin to victory, even if it takes ferever.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Will Bush and Cheney ever be held accountable for anything?
Will justice never tie the bloody hands of the corrupt Regime
As their crimes of nascent fascism destroy what we hold dear?
While they wage illegal war for power and profit,
You want to blame the Democrats for that $5 gallon of gas?
Appeasing neo-con imperialism was the Democrats’ real failure.
Helping the Republican’s shred the Bill Of Rights is their shame.
The cost of willful and media-fed mass ignorance is coming due.
Americans finally have the government their stupidity deserves.
Excuse me, this ranting is making me thirsty.
Thank you, let me drink some of that kool ade.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Wait, what am I saying?? What kind of American am I?
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Ahh. Now I'm feelin better. My brain aint so crowded no more.
Hey, ya know what? Bush never lied. An them librools sure are dum.
Rush was right all along. They aint real Amurakins at all,
Now I’m a true believin born again ditto head.
Now I know just about everthin that I ever gotta know.
I know we gotta vote fer Johnny Bomb Bomb I-Ran McCain.
Johnny knows them I-Ranians are trainin Al Kida.
He'll teach them I-Ranians fer goin nukular, or not, even.
Just like Bush gave them I-Raqis payback for 9-11.
Since them I-Ranians wanna attack us an all,
I reckon we kin afford us another little war.
Specially since we don't ever hafta pay fer it.
Cause we know taxes is bad, an killin fer freedom is good.
Hey! Gimme another glassa that kool ade.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
An don't fergit, they aint no ignernce like Amurakin ignernce.
You know, the self-reich-us ignernce what makes us proud.
An cause they’s both Republican war heroes,
In Bush we trust, an in McCain we believe.
So fill that glass an let’s drink to another long good war.
Then let’s keep on drinkin to victory, even if it takes ferever.
(Glug, Glug, Glug)
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The New Center
Once upon a time the system of government we lived under was called a liberal democracy. Liberal democracy. Both words ring hollow these days, since our government has been bought and/or seized by the military industrial complex and other corporate entities. Can anyone remember when the last real liberal legislation was passed in Washington DC? You might have to go back to the 60’s to find it.
There may have been a few environmental measures passed in the 70’s, but there is nothing really liberal about conservation, is there? Oh, that’s right, conservatism hates conservation. It’s too much like that dirty word, environmentalism. And environmentalism is the enemy of conservative corporate interests; at least the short term interests. After all, short term bottom line profits are their primary interests.
Remember when the rule used to be that the pendulum would always swing back and forth between the left and the right? Anyone paying attention now would see that the pendulum swings to the far right and back to the moderate right. It does not go to the left anymore.
I can’t see it even going to the center. It’s broken. Democracy is broken. Every branch of the US government is now beholden to the Big Money corporate interests.
Congress is bought and paid for by Big Money.
The White House is in service to Big Money.
The Judiciary is now voicing the final word for Big Money.
And did I mention that Big Money is not liberal?
Politically speaking, the left is out of the picture in US politics. But where is the center?
This is the question that came to me when I was reading the New York Times today. I was in luck. I read a couple articles that cleared that up for me.
The first article was about Obama’s flip on the FISA bill. He has decided that Fourth Amendment protection does not apply to communications between an American at home and someone outside the US. He also believes that telecom corporations deserve immunity for their actions that violate those protections.
I learned that these Constitutional rights are no longer of interest to the right wing. The Fourth Amendment is now a leftist liberal concept.
Here is what I read in the “liberal” New York Times today.
Senator Barack Obama’s decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants has led to an intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters…. They are calling on Mr. Obama to reverse his decision to endorse legislation supported by President Bush to expand the government’s domestic spying powers while also providing legal protection to the telecommunication companies that worked with the National Security Agency’s domestic wiretapping program after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Wiretapping without warrants” is illegal, you know. Well, it WAS illegal under the Constitution. But that was back when the Bill of Rights was not some wacko liberal document.
Now we learn that those quaint notions are leftist ideology.
Several activists and bloggers predicted that Mr. Obama’s move toward the center on some issues could sharply reduce the intensity of support he has enjoyed from liberal activists.
See. Now the Fourth Amendment is not even at the center anymore. The center now allows the president to tell Big Money telecoms to violate the Fourth Amendment, to spy on Americans without a warrant.
And that’s not all. Another New York Times article today explains the center even further to me. The center is now all about faith based government programs. Yup. Obama has now embraced the centrist idea of giving tax dollars to religious organizations.
Senator Barack Obama said Tuesday that if elected president he would expand the delivery of social services through churches and other religious organizations, vowing to achieve a goal he said President Bush had fallen short on during his two terms.
“The challenges we face today — from saving our planet to ending poverty — are simply too big for government to solve alone,” Mr. Obama said outside a community center here. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach”.
Here is how Obama explains how our tax dollars go to the centrist churches.
“If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them — or against the people you hire — on the basis of their religion,” Mr. Obama said. “Federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples and mosques can only be used on secular programs.”
Well, there you go. Churches would never preach their views to the poor desperate souls seeking aid, would they?
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming!
Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of "Spiritus Mundi"
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
-- William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"
There may have been a few environmental measures passed in the 70’s, but there is nothing really liberal about conservation, is there? Oh, that’s right, conservatism hates conservation. It’s too much like that dirty word, environmentalism. And environmentalism is the enemy of conservative corporate interests; at least the short term interests. After all, short term bottom line profits are their primary interests.
Remember when the rule used to be that the pendulum would always swing back and forth between the left and the right? Anyone paying attention now would see that the pendulum swings to the far right and back to the moderate right. It does not go to the left anymore.
I can’t see it even going to the center. It’s broken. Democracy is broken. Every branch of the US government is now beholden to the Big Money corporate interests.
Congress is bought and paid for by Big Money.
The White House is in service to Big Money.
The Judiciary is now voicing the final word for Big Money.
And did I mention that Big Money is not liberal?
Politically speaking, the left is out of the picture in US politics. But where is the center?
This is the question that came to me when I was reading the New York Times today. I was in luck. I read a couple articles that cleared that up for me.
The first article was about Obama’s flip on the FISA bill. He has decided that Fourth Amendment protection does not apply to communications between an American at home and someone outside the US. He also believes that telecom corporations deserve immunity for their actions that violate those protections.
I learned that these Constitutional rights are no longer of interest to the right wing. The Fourth Amendment is now a leftist liberal concept.
Here is what I read in the “liberal” New York Times today.
Senator Barack Obama’s decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants has led to an intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters…. They are calling on Mr. Obama to reverse his decision to endorse legislation supported by President Bush to expand the government’s domestic spying powers while also providing legal protection to the telecommunication companies that worked with the National Security Agency’s domestic wiretapping program after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Wiretapping without warrants” is illegal, you know. Well, it WAS illegal under the Constitution. But that was back when the Bill of Rights was not some wacko liberal document.
Now we learn that those quaint notions are leftist ideology.
Several activists and bloggers predicted that Mr. Obama’s move toward the center on some issues could sharply reduce the intensity of support he has enjoyed from liberal activists.
See. Now the Fourth Amendment is not even at the center anymore. The center now allows the president to tell Big Money telecoms to violate the Fourth Amendment, to spy on Americans without a warrant.
And that’s not all. Another New York Times article today explains the center even further to me. The center is now all about faith based government programs. Yup. Obama has now embraced the centrist idea of giving tax dollars to religious organizations.
Senator Barack Obama said Tuesday that if elected president he would expand the delivery of social services through churches and other religious organizations, vowing to achieve a goal he said President Bush had fallen short on during his two terms.
“The challenges we face today — from saving our planet to ending poverty — are simply too big for government to solve alone,” Mr. Obama said outside a community center here. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach”.
Here is how Obama explains how our tax dollars go to the centrist churches.
“If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them — or against the people you hire — on the basis of their religion,” Mr. Obama said. “Federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples and mosques can only be used on secular programs.”
Well, there you go. Churches would never preach their views to the poor desperate souls seeking aid, would they?
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming!
Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of "Spiritus Mundi"
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
-- William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"
Monday, June 23, 2008
George Carlin
George Carlin is gone now. His heart finally gave out. Considering he survived a number of heart attacks, we’ve been lucky to see him make it to 71 years.
George Carlin was one of America’s greatest voices for freedom. His famous seven words you can’t say on TV illuminated the hypocrisy of the American media’s Puritanism. Violence, blood and gore were ok, but not those naughty words.
George was one to call ‘em as he saw ‘em. He called ‘em when it wasn’t pretty. He faced the ugliness, the madness and dark seediness lurking in our politics and culture. He could get us to laugh at the kind of stories that should make us cry.
His last TV special was one of his best. See “It's Bad for Ya” and you’ll agree he was in top form.
Last October George was a guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Keith was kind enough to re-broadcast that interview on tonight’s show. I’d like to share the post I wrote about that event back then.
******
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
What George Carlin REALLY Said
“Nothing you see on the internet is mine unless it came from one of my albums, books, HBO shows, or appeared on my website.” – George Carlin
Most of us have received the e-mail forwards. They usually feature someone ranting about taxes, welfare, social issues, and such. Some of the most popular of these were credited to George Carlin and were titled, “Gas Prices Solution,” “Paradox in our Time in History”, “Bad Republican,” or “Bad American.” It might start out saying, “I like big cars, big cigars…” Then it would usually go on with typical right-wing complaints like, “I don’t celebrate Kwanza, I think I’m better than the homeless, I am not tolerant of others because they are different, I think global warming is junk science,” and something about Ronald Reagan being his hero.
You get the idea. It just feels good for people to have someone famous; someone they want to believe who sees things as they do.
Not all are specifically or politically conservative. There is one that reads like a sentimental little sermon. The one titled “Paradox in our Time” contains bits like, “We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.” When the piece gets to, “…watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.” Those of us who know Carlin is an atheist get suspicious.
With only a little investigation, we learn that none of these were actually written by Mr. Carlin. I am still a fan of the guy, even though his material seems to be getting a little too morbid and depressing. As such are the times, I must admit.
I was happy to see George featured as a guest on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” last Tuesday, October 23rd. So, for the curious, here is what George Carlin REALLY had to say.
After his introduction by Olbermann, Carlin noted appreciatively, “This is the best news show ever…unparalleled.”
Referring to George Bush, he said, ”He’s Governor Bush, because that’s the last elected office he held legally in this country.”
Expanding his observations, he commented about the illegal wiretapping by the Bush Administration.” Power does what it wants, and now they’re just more naked about it. Now they just put it right out front and say, ‘This is what we’re doing to you folks’. It’s, you know, this country is finished. It’s been sliding downhill a long time. And everybody’s got a cell phone that makes pancakes, so they don’t want to rock the boat. They don’t want to make any trouble. The people have been bought off by gizmos and toys in this country, and no one questions things anymore.”
He concluded with, “Seriously, that’s what I love about your show. I mean you bring the thing right to them, and that’s the only way to do it.’
There you have it. George Carlin wants us to watch “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.”
******
George Carlin was one of America’s greatest voices for freedom. His famous seven words you can’t say on TV illuminated the hypocrisy of the American media’s Puritanism. Violence, blood and gore were ok, but not those naughty words.
George was one to call ‘em as he saw ‘em. He called ‘em when it wasn’t pretty. He faced the ugliness, the madness and dark seediness lurking in our politics and culture. He could get us to laugh at the kind of stories that should make us cry.
His last TV special was one of his best. See “It's Bad for Ya” and you’ll agree he was in top form.
Last October George was a guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Keith was kind enough to re-broadcast that interview on tonight’s show. I’d like to share the post I wrote about that event back then.
******
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
What George Carlin REALLY Said
“Nothing you see on the internet is mine unless it came from one of my albums, books, HBO shows, or appeared on my website.” – George Carlin
Most of us have received the e-mail forwards. They usually feature someone ranting about taxes, welfare, social issues, and such. Some of the most popular of these were credited to George Carlin and were titled, “Gas Prices Solution,” “Paradox in our Time in History”, “Bad Republican,” or “Bad American.” It might start out saying, “I like big cars, big cigars…” Then it would usually go on with typical right-wing complaints like, “I don’t celebrate Kwanza, I think I’m better than the homeless, I am not tolerant of others because they are different, I think global warming is junk science,” and something about Ronald Reagan being his hero.
You get the idea. It just feels good for people to have someone famous; someone they want to believe who sees things as they do.
Not all are specifically or politically conservative. There is one that reads like a sentimental little sermon. The one titled “Paradox in our Time” contains bits like, “We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.” When the piece gets to, “…watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.” Those of us who know Carlin is an atheist get suspicious.
With only a little investigation, we learn that none of these were actually written by Mr. Carlin. I am still a fan of the guy, even though his material seems to be getting a little too morbid and depressing. As such are the times, I must admit.
I was happy to see George featured as a guest on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” last Tuesday, October 23rd. So, for the curious, here is what George Carlin REALLY had to say.
After his introduction by Olbermann, Carlin noted appreciatively, “This is the best news show ever…unparalleled.”
Referring to George Bush, he said, ”He’s Governor Bush, because that’s the last elected office he held legally in this country.”
Expanding his observations, he commented about the illegal wiretapping by the Bush Administration.” Power does what it wants, and now they’re just more naked about it. Now they just put it right out front and say, ‘This is what we’re doing to you folks’. It’s, you know, this country is finished. It’s been sliding downhill a long time. And everybody’s got a cell phone that makes pancakes, so they don’t want to rock the boat. They don’t want to make any trouble. The people have been bought off by gizmos and toys in this country, and no one questions things anymore.”
He concluded with, “Seriously, that’s what I love about your show. I mean you bring the thing right to them, and that’s the only way to do it.’
There you have it. George Carlin wants us to watch “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.”
******
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sinners
Hey, did you hear this stuff? It's all over the "internets".
Right Wingers are fervently passing along juicy tidbits of shocking, just shocking, examples of liberal evil committed by Barack Obama. The big conservative corporate media goons and their kindred bloggers are out in force with a concerted effort to smear Obama.
Gosh, those sanctimonious, self proclaimed God-fearing conservative types would never lie, would they? Isn't that against some rule in a book somewhere? Isn't there something about lying in that dusty book they rarely read because it doesn't have pictures in it? There's also some crazy stuff about loving your fellow human beings, but that part isn't worth their trouble reading. Yet they love to whip it out and thump it on the table when they want to demonize some liberal.
Well, maybe they are liars as well as hypocrites. Let's see if we can get to the truth. To borrow a phrase from the book they use for their persecutory and political ends, perhaps they can be judged by the fruit they bear.
Here's a few samples of some of the fruits they offer.
Barack Obama is a Muslim. Barack Obama attended a radical madrassa. Senator Obama was sworn into the US Senate using the Koran.
Barack Obama won't put his hand over this heart during the pledge of allegiance. Barack Obama won't say the pledge.
And what about his wife, Michelle? According to Rush Limbaugh a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the word “whitey” from the pulpit of Trinity United.
So, the simple equation we face is this. If these statements are not true, then somebody's sinning against their own professed theology.
I'd like to share a link to a site that takes these accusations and holds them to the light.
It's all here at fightthesmears.com
I guess that would make our Righties gone wrong not only liars and hypocrites, but sinners as well. And here we thought only those darn liberals were the sinners!
Right Wingers are fervently passing along juicy tidbits of shocking, just shocking, examples of liberal evil committed by Barack Obama. The big conservative corporate media goons and their kindred bloggers are out in force with a concerted effort to smear Obama.
Gosh, those sanctimonious, self proclaimed God-fearing conservative types would never lie, would they? Isn't that against some rule in a book somewhere? Isn't there something about lying in that dusty book they rarely read because it doesn't have pictures in it? There's also some crazy stuff about loving your fellow human beings, but that part isn't worth their trouble reading. Yet they love to whip it out and thump it on the table when they want to demonize some liberal.
Well, maybe they are liars as well as hypocrites. Let's see if we can get to the truth. To borrow a phrase from the book they use for their persecutory and political ends, perhaps they can be judged by the fruit they bear.
Here's a few samples of some of the fruits they offer.
Barack Obama is a Muslim. Barack Obama attended a radical madrassa. Senator Obama was sworn into the US Senate using the Koran.
Barack Obama won't put his hand over this heart during the pledge of allegiance. Barack Obama won't say the pledge.
And what about his wife, Michelle? According to Rush Limbaugh a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the word “whitey” from the pulpit of Trinity United.
So, the simple equation we face is this. If these statements are not true, then somebody's sinning against their own professed theology.
I'd like to share a link to a site that takes these accusations and holds them to the light.
It's all here at fightthesmears.com
I guess that would make our Righties gone wrong not only liars and hypocrites, but sinners as well. And here we thought only those darn liberals were the sinners!
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