Friday, October 5, 2012

Tell me, again, who is it I’m voting for?

                                                                                                                                       10/6/2012

A year ago, I was excited about this coming General Election Day. I thought it was going to be the culmination of a lot of people working very hard to get the “PEOPLE’S” message heard and acted upon by our Representatives in Washington, D.C.

The list of advocates for the common folk was impressive:
The Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, Emily’s List, The War Resistors League, Common Dreams, The Root, Color of Change, United Republic, Center For American Progress, MoveOn.org, Upworthy, The Huffington Post, The Opinionated Liberal, Quiet Mike, Lester and Charlie, The Common Sense Coalition, Mined in America, The Coffee Party. These, and more, seemed to making their collective voices heard all around the Nation. It was like manna from Heaven. The skies were going to part and WE THE PEOPLEwere to be blessed with a truly democratic government.

The folks listed above, and many, many more, are still ringing their bells and blowing their horns; all with great causes that are aimed at giving us the Country we have long dreamed for. Sadly, however, it seems that things we thought were on their way to being changed for the better have either stalled out, or have taken a trip South for the Winter. It’s beginning to sound like we’re still wallowing in a great big pile of doo-doo with no relief in sight.
Why is it that we insist on electing absolute numb-nuts to run our Country for us? Why do we even consider the incredible con men as an alternative? There has to be someone out there that knows how to do this government thing. Someone must have a block of time available to stand up, tell the Press where to stick it, tell Corporate America to keep their hands out of the cookie jar, and run this Nation as it is supposed to be run.

Think for a minute, if you will, about such entities as the Supreme Court and the entire National Justice System. It is a complete joke. A black Woman from the inner city gets thirty years in prison for an ounce of marijuana, but a White Male Murderer from the Mid-West gets eight to twelve years in prison, with the possibility of parole in four years. Crap, that makes sense to me! Who’s running this dog and pony show? Are you, perhaps, thinking of running for the local school board in, say, Broward County, Florida? That will cost you a measly little $200,000.00 just to get in the mix. When I heard this, from a friend in the know, my jaw not only dropped, it became unhinged (I know; to the great pleasure of many.) Stories like these only confirm our need to erase the entire structure of our government and start over, from scratch.
A great place to start is with the Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our Emancipation Proclamation. Hell, throw in the Federalist Papers for good measure. And then, we need the Second American Revolution to become a reality. Everything under the sun is fair game: our economic structures, our justice system, our social safety net programs, our legislative system, our education system, our Military structure and mission, and our presumed role in international affairs. Only after this is accomplished will the United States of America, once again, be fulfilling its promise to all its citizens.
So, what the heck, are we all up for a little Revolution? Anybody?




A little http://wethepeeps1.blogspot.com is good for the soul.

 

Monday, October 1, 2012

The Audacity of US Policies



by Julian Assange


'It is time for the US to cease its persecution of WikiLeaks, to cease its persecution of our people, and to cease its persecution of our alleged sources.'


 
Commentary:

As I read this Article and the ensuing Comments, I am heartened to see that there is still an active undercurrent of doubt and questioning in the United States regarding government policies and direction. I’m afraid I don’t agree with Julian Assange’s divulgence of what borders on Military classified and secret documentation of our execution of wars in the Middle East. I have experienced the United States Military and I get a little upset that what Mr. Assange is making public has the potential to result in unnecessary harm to our Men and Women in Uniform.

I think I understand what Mr. Assange was trying to do. I am also aware the in the “information age” there is the potential to unleash volumes of information before you realize what impact it may have. Certainly, Bradley Manning had absolutely no right to gather and pass Government documents of any kind. That is treason, and, under The Code of Military Justice, treason is  punishable by death.{Enough said!}

If, indeed, we are speaking about the cessation of persecution, let us not dwell solely on Mr. Assange and his Wikileaks fiasco. We desperately need to engage in a discussion, and come to some conclusions, regarding the way the United States treats foreign Countries, both friend and foe. One of the first misconceptions of Foreign Policy is the theory of “Nation Building”. Nobody seems to be asking the question; “Whose Nation are we building?” Under close scrutiny, one would tend to think we are intent on building our own Nation on Foreign shores. This, to me, sounds a lot like Colonialism. If my History lessons were correct, Colonialism works for a while, then comes tumbling down around you more often than not in violence (ref. The American Revolution.)

There must be a better way for both the short-term and the long-term. Instead of rushing headlong into the fray of Foreign Affairs, it may be prudent to do a little homework first. We live in a fairly intelligent society, and we should be able to study people, places, and things, with a bit more diligence than we have shown in the past. This concept is made vastly easier with the “information age” upon us; we have every bit of information we need virtually at our fingertips.

This year may be just the right time to shake that “etch-a-sketch’ clean and start over from scratch. Why this year, you may ask? The truth is that we may not have the opportunity to do this with the leadership of one Hillary Clinton, for quite some time. The woman is strong, intelligent, very highly regarded around the World, and it would be a damn shame to miss the chance of having her lead the way.

I know I’ve packed a lot of food for thought into a short space, but there are just some things this Country can do now to give our future generations a chance at life. Right now, the reality is that their lives are not going to be nearly as stable as ours has been. The United States’ run as a really great society may have to bottom out and start the long climb back up the hill to prosperity and prominence. Let’s get the old ball rolling, eh!

#3 - Poll: President Obama better for middle class

By KEVIN ROBILLARD | 10/1/12 6:28 AM EDT
A majority of Americans believe President Barack Obama would be better for the middle class than Mitt Romney, according to a poll released Monday, while three-quarters believe a Romney presidency would benefit the rich……..
Read more:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/81848.html#ixzz285QJe6TE


#2 - Aurora shooting survivor offers debate topic

By KEVIN ROBILLARD | 10/1/12 7:34 AM EDT Updated: 10/1/12 3:01 PM EDT

A survivor of the July massacre in Aurora, Colo., is appearing in a television ad airing nationally this week to press the presidential candidates to discuss their plans to stop gun violence at the first debate……..
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/81856.html#ixzz285PCFGVB

#1 - Report: 'Furious' guns in massacres

By KEVIN ROBILLARD | 10/1/12 7:05 AM EDT

Guns linked to the failed Fast and Furious gun-walking operation have been linked to at least two brutal massacres in Mexico, according to a report that found 57 previously unidentified guns at Mexican crime scenes………
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/81852.html#ixzz285O6Bpw5