Just thinking to myself after reading a good bit of late.
I get a kick from old Newt. You may have seen the Newtster call Gobomber an "anti-colonialist". Well, IF our current president actually IS an American, he had damn well best be an anti-colonialist.
Now, unlike old Newt, I have no doubt that the good people who stop by the old corner to check on my rants ARE aware of American history. Yes, I am certain that you good folks know that this country once was a group of colonies. You all know, unlike Newt, that we were colonies of Great Britain. So, for an American president to be anti-colonial is just being a real American. Our ancestors DID kick off the colonial yoke of the king of England and became the United States of America. Oh, count me as an anti-colonial also.
I have seen much rumbling on "left" blogs/web sites where they are in a near panic over some "tea party" candidates winning some recent primaries for the elephant gang. It is so "bad" that even old KKKarl Rove, aka "Bush'e brain" "trashed"a certain Ms. O'Donnell. From what I have read, even Faux Noise is now critical of poor old KKKarl (aka turd blossom) for not being supportive of this person. Looks like the crew that KKKarl helped to create is turning against him. One one hand I could laugh and say good deal, the monster he created has come back to bite him. Of course this very same monster just could become very dangerous for us all.
Of course many of the web sites and blogs all say the same old tired donkey gang crapola. We "must" vote for every "democrat" or else the "tea party" nut balls might win the election. Yes, we have heard this all before, like in every election in recent memory. Every election it is the same old story, vote for the donkey or the mean old elephant will win. NO! Damn it all. Stop for just one small moment and think. We DO have other options. If it is legal for you, write in the candidate of your choice. Here in Louisiana, we cannot do that. We do have other options though. There are usually alternate parties who have candidates to vote for in most offices up for election. Try voting for a "third party" candidate, or, as I sometimes call them, minor party people. My choice in most elections when I lived in southern California was to vote for the candidate from the "Peace and Freedom" party. Look for an independent person to vote for. We are not restricted to the two "major" parties folks. We have options.
Back to old KKKarl and the "tea parties". I find it very interesting and maybe even amusing how he is now in trouble with Faux Noise over the mess he is in with the O'Donnell deal. It IS fun to see the right wing nut balls eat their own. Great fun for all. Pull up a comfy chair and grab the popcorn. It could be a good show.
Of course we do face the very real prospect of this blowing over way too soon. Yes, KKKarl will wake from his nightmare and remember very soon where his checks come from and the "feud" will be over almost as soon as it began. Nuts. But, maybe not. Maybe, just maybe it will go on for some time and we might get a few laughs from them tearing each other down. Maybe even "saint" Glenda of Beckdom will join in. This could be loads of fun.
Actually it could be a lot of fun, IF the idiot donkey gang doesn't make a mess of it. Another reason not to ever trust that gang. After the last election, it really did look like the elephant gang was done for. I remember reading more than a few articles around the web that the elephant gang was on its last legs and would soon be gone. Aha, but then, the donkey gang came to the rescue. Yes, the donkey gang actually did rescue the elephants from certain doom. No doubt they just might still be dumb enough to do so again this time.
American politics for our time, just when you think we will seem some real progress, it gets pulled away from us. As soon as we begin to have some real fun, they tell us the day is done and we have to go back to the "old ways" again. So, you see, I DO have some faith in the donkey gang. No doubt they will do all they can to save the elephants from destroying themselves, again. Nuts.
You see, I would enjoy watching Rove and Faux Noise fight each other. I know that I would read the web sites that report this sort of thing. Hell, I might even actually get tempted to watch Faux Noise. Well, I did say tempted, not actually watch it for real.
Seriously, the "tea party" clowns like this Ms. O'Donnell and failin' Palin are very dangerous. They have limited, if any, real brain. They have a very distorted "belief" in god and Jesus. They are, at heart, actually very anti-American when you look at what they say and try to slog through their "political platforms".
Yes, we do have a serious immigration problem in this country, but America IS a nation OF immigrants. These anti-immigration folks are the end result OF immigration themselves. Are they prepared to "go back where they came from"? Of course not. They got here, legally or other wise and damn it all, they WILL stay here. Ah, but to even think of allowing anybody else to come here, well, that IS a very "different" story. Two faced, is what my parents generation called that, double standards is what I call it. Bigots and liars is what they are.
This applies to the attitudes of the anti-gay stance also. Many times we have seen that the most vocal anti-gay people are themselves gay. Self hatred drives many people unfortunately.
Not all the "tea party" folks are bigots and/or racists, but the vast majority seem to be older and "white". As more than one article has said recently, they are "mad" at something. Well, from nearly 63 years of personal experience, it is easy to get "mad", but it takes some real work to make things better.
I want to ask the "tea party" folks what are they going to DO to make the country a better place for us all. What is their plan for a better country? Do they even have a plan? Oh, and telling me to vote for their candidate is NOT a plan. We all need to think on that. Just what are WE prepared to do to make the country a better place for all? WE need to start with ourselves on this one folks. It all begins with us. We all need to try and be polite to others. We need to act like sane, decent human beings toward each other. We need to set, decent, common goals and then actually work towards those goals. Come on, you are not hearing this for the first time. This is just common knowledge people! We all know this. Or at least we should.
I get a lot from music. Always have and still do. Maybe because musicians are artists and I like good art. Maybe it is just the way music makes me feel and some times, it makes me stop and think. Either way, I want to leave a bit from a song I have liked since I first heard it. It is by John Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Nick St. Nicholas, and Larry Brown. It was recorded by Steppenwolf and the song is titled "Monster". The last verse is what I am setting down here now as it really does say what we need today, maybe more than ever.
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster
We need America. We need it more than we did when this song was new. Back then we were stuck in the imperial war in Vietnam. I was there, as part of the 5th Marine Regiment. Now, we are stuck in Afghanistan AND Iraq. YEs, the "combat" troops have left Iraq, but our troops are still there and being killed there. We are stuck in and idiotic, endless war on terror. This is a war that can never be won, no matter how many wedding parties, funerals, or villages we bomb. Terror is not something that can be fought with bombs. Terror is a weapon that is used by the powerless against the very powerful. The "war on terror" is as foolish and as stupid as the damn fool war on drugs or the war against poverty.
We need America to wake up and see this truth. We need America to join the fight against the monster that is trying to enslave the world with its greed and money and wars. We need America to start acting like decent, honorable human beings. We need to stop creating ever more enemies and to live in peace with each other.
I have been to their damn wars. There is no "glory" there, only death and suffering and destruction. Nobody ever "wins" any war. We are going broke if we aren't there already. Just how do "we" expect to pay for these damn fool wars?
We need an America that doesn't "need" to have some sort of "war" on something all the time. As a country we seem to always be at "war" with something or somebody. War on poverty, war on drugs, war on terror, war on cancer, etc. Endless damn wars. ENOUGH! End all the wars and get to work making the country a decent place for all of us. We don't need to have any more wars.
Yes, I still believe in some of those old ideas from the 60's. Things like peace and an end to wars. Hell, maybe I am a dreamer.
semper fi
15 comments:
Dream on brother, dream on.
The United Corporate States of America needs turmoil, and chaos.
It is what feeds the MIC beast.
The Masters of War never sleep.
The people [us] [we] are to blame for our own down fall.
America is entering the lost decade or 2 or 3.
We no longer need a bigger boat, we need a bigger paddle for our survival canoe.
The Krazy Kleptocracy Krew is putting the petal to the metal when it comes to our freedoms.
Enjoy it while you can.
Teach your children well.
RZ, very true.
Most definitely, do teach your children well. Lest they have to "learn" from the likes of Faux Noise.
Another great song that still holds meaning.
RZ, very true.
Most definitely, do teach your children well. Lest they have to "learn" from the likes of Faux Noise.
Another great song that still holds meaning.
disregard my double post. fingers rebelling tonight
You may have seen the Newtster call Gobomber an "anti-colonialist".
I missed that. I always miss Newt and plan to keep doing so. I cannot imagine what he's getting at, how he can spin "anti-colonialist' into something bad, but he must be doing so. He and Obama are in "opposing" branches of the elephant-donkey gang.
But Obama is an imperialist. An imperialist is not "anti-colonial". An imperialist is a colonialist on steroids.
The "mainstream" Republicans have decided they are seeing Barry Goldwater for President all over again in the T-Parties. True-blue (ok, red) Republican knuckle-draggers turn out en masse for primaries when "normal" Republicans stay home and nominate candidates that the "pros" think are going to be sure losers in the general election.
I agree certainly, that a vote for a member of the elephant-donkey gang is wasted. Think about the "law" in LA that makes it "illegal" for you to write-in the name of your choice for Senator or President or Representative on your ballot Charlie... can you explain to me how that "law" can possibly be "legal"? I can't see it as being "legal" at all and think it ought to be challenged in the courts as far as it has to go before it's struck down as the unconstitutional piece of arrogance that it is. Of course with the Supremes we've got it might not be struck down... but that doesn't make it any less unconstitutional. LA is not the only state with such a law. Many others don't count write-ins if the candidate written-in has not paid the state thousands, often tens of thousands, of dollars to have his votes counted. In the absence of such an extortionate payment the write-in votes of American citizens are simply classed as "write-ins" and discarded. That is surely unconstitutional as well.
This is how the elephant-donkey mob stay in power. I hope that the lights will finally go one in our brains and we will realize that we're being played for fools, that the system is stacked against us, that we have to get out of line if we want to regain control of our government. Writing-in candidates on a massive scale is a way to do that. When more candidates' names are written-in on ballots than are cast for elephant-donkey "made men and women" then a runoff election will have to be held... and then we can unite behind the pick of the litter of write-ins and finally free ourselves from donkey-elephant slavery.
On religion and T-Parties... I just saw a film from 1955, "The Night of the Hunter". It is a good film... its most salient characteristic in my eyes was its straightforward casting of a "preacher" as vicious murderer. We Americans knew a lot more about self-proclaimed moralists in the 1950's, about their utter hypocrisy and duplicity. The distance between the America we all knew and loved and this rogue, pseudo-religious, terrorist beast, continues to grow larger everyday.
Good points all Charlie. Always look forward to your posting.
I agree certainly, that a vote for a member of the elephant-donkey gang is wasted. Think about the "law" in LA that makes it "illegal" for you to write-in the name of your choice for Senator or President or Representative on your ballot Charlie... can you explain to me how that "law" can possibly be "legal"? I can't see it as being "legal" at all and think it ought to be challenged in the courts as far as it has to go before it's struck down as the unconstitutional piece of arrogance that it is. Of course with the Supremes we've got it might not be struck down... but that doesn't make it any less unconstitutional. LA is not the only state with such a law. Many others don't count write-ins if the candidate written-in has not paid the state thousands, often tens of thousands, of dollars to have his votes counted. In the absence of such an extortionate payment the write-in votes of American citizens are simply classed as "write-ins" and discarded. That is surely unconstitutional as well.
This is how the elephant-donkey mob stay in power. I hope that the lights will finally go one in our brains and we will realize that we're being played for fools, that the system is stacked against us, that we have to get out of line if we want to regain control of our government. Writing-in candidates on a massive scale is a way to do that. When more candidates' names are written-in on ballots than are cast for elephant-donkey "made men and women" then a runoff election will have to be held... and then we can unite behind the pick of the litter of write-ins and finally free ourselves from donkey-elephant slavery.
On religion and T-Parties... I just saw a film from 1955, "The Night of the Hunter". It is a good film... its most salient characteristic in my eyes was its straightforward casting of a "preacher" as vicious murderer. We Americans knew a lot more about self-proclaimed moralists in the 1950's, about their utter hypocrisy and duplicity. The distance between the America we all knew and loved and this rogue, pseudo-religious, terrorist beast, continues to grow larger everyday.
Good points all Charlie. Always look forward to your posting.
I'm sorry about the double post as well. Initially the complaint was that it was to long... so I cut it in two. Then it published the "too long" part anyway. Sorry.
Indeed, Charlie, I have become less afraid of Republicans coming back into power. The Democrats have presided over my job being outsourced and my health insurance premiums skyrocketing, and now they're coming after my social security. How much worse could it be under the Republicans? The Democrats seem more effective when they are in opposition than when they are in power. I'll be voting third party in November.
Just re-read my previous post and it sounds excruciatingly self-serving. While Democrats have actively supported policies that have devastated me personally, I am deeply concerned about what's happened in this country under both parties, particularly with regard to our civil liberties. I'm appalled at the ongoing wars. We should have learned our lesson in Viet Nam about nation building; it can't be done. We've left a wasteland in Iraq, and accomplished nothing. The ruins that are left will be a wonderful breeding ground for terrorism. And as some of us know, Afghanistan isn't called the graveyard of empires for nothing.
' Just re-read my previous post and it sounds excruciatingly self-serving. '
Not to me it doesn't... more people need to take off the rose-colored glasses and realize that there really ain't a dime's worth of difference between the two sides of the elephant-donkey coin.
Yes... billions are spent on PR to make it appear there is a difference... some people can be convinced that there's a difference between Neww! Blue Cheer and All... bu there isn't. It's soap suds in a box. And that's what the elephant-donkey gang is... pain and betrayal in a box. New! Blue Cheer or All... makes no difference.
We all have to stop voting against ourselves and against our own interests.
John,
I try to miss old Newt myself. I didn't catch him directly. I read that on another web site.
As far as I know, it has never been legal or OK to rite in a vote in Louisiana. I have only lived here for just over ten years. We usually have some "minor" parties to vote for, that will have to do for me. If there isn't that alternative for a certain office, I just leave that blank.
"Night of the Hunter". Good movie that I have not seen in many years.
As to the "tea party", films like "Elmer Gantry" and the one with Andy Griffith as "Lonesome Rhodes" is another that fits this crew, or at least those who "lead" it. Art imitating life or life imitating art? You decide.
gesneri,
Great comments. You did NOT sound "self serving" to me. Hey, this entire blog could be said to be self serving for me. I just post what I think about whatever topic I choose to post about.
You got the whole deal right. Both wings of the war party have screwed the American people. They both are bought and paid for by the "too big to fail" gangs and of course the Zionist entity and their minions.
As Mr. Palast said, We have the best government money can buy".
IF the Congress critters cared at all about "we the people" they would not have allowed all the high skilled jobs to be shipped off shore to the cheapest wage countries. We would not be running around the planet claiming to be "indispensable" or any other damn fool BS. We would have been maintaining our infrastructure, not letting it all rot, as it has been for decades.
It may have started earlier, but I still think it went downhill fast ever since our "acting" president won back in 1980. Good old "saint" Ron of Raygun really let the place go to pot. And not the helpful sort of pot either.
I think you must agree though, Charlie, that making a citizen's right to choose for whom he or she votes illegal... is unconstitutional.
But we are speaking of out of conviction that the constitution ought to guarantee our right to vote.
The Supremes don't think it does :
No Affirmative Right to Vote
' In Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000), the Supreme Court noted that, "The individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States," a logical conclusion given the history of the Electoral College. States do not have to extend suffrage to ex-felons, nor do they have to allow citizens to register and vote on Election Day. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld voter ID laws, claiming that the states had an interest in deterring voter fraud. While the Supreme Court has stated that the right to vote and the right to be a candidate are connected, they have often upheld state laws that make it difficult for independent and minor party candidates to be included on the election ballot. '
So see not only the R2I Amendment, not only the CF Amendment, but also the UE Amendment.
Democracy is a DYI project
John,
Great comment.
Yes, I think it is crap that we are not allowed a write in vote in Louisiana. As you make clear though, the nine clowns who "decide" much in the old USA have allowed state laws to stand even if they seem to violate the US Constitution.
Until this gets a successful challenge nothing will change here.
The powers that be are very content to leave things as they are for now at least.
So we need... what I've termed the Uniform Election Amendment... an explicit affirmation of our right to vote.
And we need to clean up "pay to play" politics... what I've termed the Campaign Finance Amendment. The Supremes just knocked the teeth out of any laws limiting corporate "rights" (corporations have NO rights... that's another one...) with regards to campaign expenditures and they will continue to do so until their wings are clipped in the Constitution itself... since they can affirm or negate other law at will.
But amending the constitution is hard. And that is where Mike Gravel's idea comes in : make it possible for we the people to amend it directly.
Mike's insight is invaluable... go through the pain of forcing our political class to amend the constitution one more time (actually Mike just wants to amend by acclimation, but I don't think that will fly) and do it to assert our rights to amend it again whenever a MAJORITY (again Mike thinks a plurality is good enough, not me though. Check out Prop 8 and others in California), of the people decide it's necessary.
And I add Recall and Referendum to the Initiative that Mike calls for. And eliminate a sort of committee, nanny layer between the law and we the people as well.
All that sounds radical, and it is radicle in the sense of getting to the roots of our problems... but that's what is required.
Anything else is terminal pissing and moaning... forever. Because nothing is going to change until we get out of line and change it ourselves.
We're the only ones here. It's up to us.
My ideas are the starting point, not the end point. They need a lot of work... so help! That is the real power of democracy. The Grateful Dead used to say the faster we go the rounder we get... well, the more hands shaping and polishing our legal conceptions the more simple and elegant they'll get. It'll work if we work it so let's work it.
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