07 January 2011

When will we get pissed off?

A question for all Americans. When will you all, or at least a majority of you get really pissed off? How much crap are you going to take from "our" government? How many lies are you willing to believe?
I ask this because we should all be very pissed off by now. Pissed off at the damn fool idiotic wars of choice that consume untold amounts of money. Remember this, "we" are fighting these damn fool wars with borrowed monies. Yeah, the US government is borrowing the money to conduct the wars. China holds some where in the neighborhood of $1 Trillion dollars worth of US government bonds. Yep, "we" have in truth borrowed one Trillion(!!) dollars from communist China to conduct the wars we are still stuck in, with more yet to come. Even now, we are expanding these idiot wars. We have been bombing Pakistan and no doubt, ground troops in that country cannot be too long in coming.
Iraq, where despite the pronouncement of Gobomber, we are still at war. Afghanistan, Pakistan (drones only so far), Yemen (drones and no doubt "advisers"), Somalia (drones and who knows what else), and other countries in Africa for certain. 
This does not even take into account our "ally" Israel where it could be any day that the IDF will be back in action in either Gaza or Lebanon, maybe both. Of course the IDF is paid for by the US tax payer, remember that the Zionist entity gets approximately $1 Billion every year from old Uncle Sammy. Are you pissed off yet?
The "new" Congress is set to make all sorts of cuts to the federal budget. Not any at all to "defense" though. THAT is "off the table". Yep, while the country goes broke faster and faster each day, "we" will NOT cut any "defense" funds. Now any of the "entitlements" CAN be cut. Things that people really need, like Medicare, Social Security, education, health care, Medicaid, housing, and unemployment benefits. Those things, "our" Congress seems quite willing to cut., but NOT the "sainted" military. No way, nope, never gonna happen. 
Now are you pissed off? The items that "our" Congress is so willing to cut are things that actually help Americans. The programs to be cut are even needed by our fellow Americans. And yet, "we" cannot even talk about cutting the "defense" budget, let alone talk about honestly ending any of the damn fool, idiotic wars of choice that "we" are stuck in or in the process of starting. Remember, North Korea is "still" a charter member of the "axis of evil" and we need to remember that Iran is among that "axis" and they still refuse to give up their legal rights to process uranium for use in civilian nuclear power plants. Why, how dare they! How dare the Iranians demand that they be allowed to do what is legal according to international law? Just who do they think they are? Why, they are acting like an independent country, a sovereign nation! How dare they? 
Imagine that, foreign nations who dare to act in the best interests of the citizens of their own nation! Why, it smacks of heresy! Don't they know that they need permission from the Empire in Washington D.C. for everything? How dare they to act independent of the clowns in D.C.? Why, the entire world must bow down to and comply with every whim of Washington. Quaint relics like the U.N., the Geneva Conventions, and the rule of international law are just that, quaint old relics that the folks who "run" the world give lip service to every so often, when it suits their purposes.  Yes, they must be taught a lesson, that the folks in D.C. (and by extension, in Tel Aviv) rule the whole world. 
Now are you pissed off? The infrastructure of America is crumbling, but there is no money to repair/maintain our roads, bridges, railroads, airports, dams, and other needed infrastructure. There is no money for these things because "we" MUST fight this war OF terror all around the globe. Why it is the very "duty" of 'Merikkka to shoulder this burden. If "we" don't do it, why, who will?
Well, the short answer is NOBODY!  Nobody would be so damn stupid as to even think of a "war on terror". Terror is a tactic NOT a being or even a thing that can be fought. Terror is one of the last resorts of the oppressed, the outnumbered. It can be a tactic of guerrilla war, similar to what the colonists did against Britain during the American Revolution. You cannot fight a "war against terror" as terror is just a tactic. Even our own military leaders have acknowledged that for every civilian we kill in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Pakistan, we create many more "terrorists". This is because every one that "we" kill has family who want revenge. 
Just as in Vietnam, "we" have gone into wars with peoples and cultures "we" do not understand.  "We" do not understand what family means to these peoples. Their families matter greatly, even their extended families.  Kill one of these peoples and they have parents, children, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.  Now look at how many enemies that one death made for us. And realize that I am greatly underestimating that extended family in my example here. I was just giving the broadest of outlines. No doubt the actual situation is worse in the number of "new" enemies that "we" create with every person killed by US and/or NATO troops/drones. Now are you  pissed off?
We "need" more and more money for these damn fool wars, yet "we" are going to cut social programs that actually benefit honest, hard working Americans. You should be very pissed off by now.
Indeed, every American should be highly pissed off at the bullshit "our" government has thrown at us over the last decade. Actually since "saint" Ronnie of Raygun, but I'll confine this to the recent past, since 2000 just to keep it more manageable, easier to remember. 
Shrubbie has now come out and stated clearly that he authorized torture of the "enemy combatants". A US president who said out loud that he authorized torture. Yeah, I did repeat that, I want you to think long and hard on that. America is supposed to be better than that. Torture is against US law, it is against international law. And yet, a former US president  has said out loud that he authorized the use of torture! THAT should get every decent human being highly pissed off. Oh, but it gets worse folks, much worse. Our current president, old Gobomber, does not think that our former president who authorized torture, should be prosecuted! Our current president has said, out loud, in public, that "we" should look forward and not backward.  Yep, just like "we" have let the "too big to fail" banksters get away with causing the near total collapse of the world economy with their slice and dice "investments" that were just a huge scam. You remember what I am talking about, the "liar loans" and the "mortgage backed securities"  and all the other "instruments" that Wall Street found suckers to buy. And then "we", the tax payer HAD(?) to bail these very same crooks out of their own folly!
Man, it sure must be nice to be that rich. Only in America do the very rich get to pull off a scam like Wall Streeters did and have the government bail you out of your losses. Other countries put criminals in jail. Just look at Russia, where they sentenced one of their own super rich to real jail time for assorted crimes. When will America even prosecute the Wall Street crooks?
These same Wall Streeters still got huge bonus checks, even this year. These folks nearly cause the entire global economy to tank, they get the tax payer to bail them out, and they still get a huge bonus? Wow, only in America. Where the rich get away with every sort of crime and the tax payer foots the bill to clean up the mess. Just as we, no doubt will be paying to try and clean the Gulf of Mexico. Oh, you think BP will be paying for that? LOLMAO. Sure, they may pay some small amount for a short time, but, in the end it WILL be the US tax payer who will fund the clean up of the Gulf.
Now  you should be very pissed off.  And I have not even mentioned the odd die off of birds, fish, and crabs in the recent last few days. So far, nobody has any idea what caused these die offs. Still trying to figure this one out. No doubt there is more than one reason as the areas where the dying occurred are wide  spread and there are different species involved. Where is Sherlock Holmes? We sure could use his help.
 There is another item I want to touch on before I end this post. I read a good bit most every day. There are some web sites that I check every day and I even read the comments on more than a few. Recently I have noticed that some folks ARE getting very pissed off at what is being done in our name. The only fly in that ointment is that they are afraid of what the government may do to them if they speak out too loudly. To that I say bullshit. No way should we be afraid of the government. I believe it was old Tom Jefferson who said that government should fear the people, never the people should fear their government. Yes, I am getting "on" in years, I hit 63 recently. I survived the imperial war in Vietnam. I have managed to continue after becoming permanently disabled. I refuse to let the government frighten me though. Oh, some will say, be careful what you say, they might put you in jail. What? For exercising my First Amendment RIGHTS? Well, they can try whatever they decide no doubt. I will fight that. I was born in America, I still love this country, but I refuse to be silenced. I do not want violence. I do not want insurrection. I want the government to start being accountable to us, the people of America.  I want our money to be spent taking care of America and Americans. End the damn fool wars. Bring ALL the troops home and let them defend America.  Close all those bases "we" have in foreign countries. I want Americans to remember that Congress works for us, the citizens of America.  Yes, THEY work for US, we do NOT work for them. Every election is basically a job interview. EVERY elected official works for us, the people of this country. they are NOT our "betters" in any way. Yes, they DO act as if they are, but that is wrong, they work for us.
Now a change of pace. This entire post has been about many of the things we all should be highly pissed off about.  And I DO think we should be pissed about these things. However, I don't want to end this on a negative note.
I am asking each of you who read this post to try something.  The next time you go anywhere, try to treat all the people you come in contact with the way you would like to be treated. Just do simple things, like say "hello" to them. Maybe give them a smile or some friendly gesture. You just may be the only one who does this to them. You just might make somebody very happy, if only for a moment. It might even make you feel nicer. In fact, it may feel so good that it could become second nature to you. Any way, give it a try.
semper fi

02 January 2011

Another year, another mess

Well, it is a new year folks. Yep, old 2010 is gone. Welcome 2011. 
Big deal. Yeah, I know, where is they "happy new year" from the old cynic? Well, what is there to be so happy about? We are still stuck in endless damn fool wars of choice with the very real prospect of more endless damn fool wars to come. The economy is still in the dumps. 
Oh there has been a bit of "good" news of late. Since I now have had TV since late May, I catch a bit of what now passes for "news" on the tube every so often. According to one "news" item a few days ago, we should all be happy as the new jobless claims are down. Well of course the new claims are down, there are so few who have any jobs now. Most businesses have cut their staff to the bare minimum so that means fewer folks still employed and fewer to be laid off or fired. Just wait a week or two, those temp jobs to get through the "holiday" shopping season will be unemployed so the new claims will go up soon.
Oh yeah, Gobomber gave a "new years" speech where he claims he will now be working for the "middle class" this year. Oh joy, where the hell was he the last two years? Working for the rich? Well, he sure aided them getting a totally un-needed tax break. Oh joy. I see where some of the "left" are over joyed at the speech and are saying things like "here is the president we voted for". Sure, just count me a skeptic. I'll believe that he is working for the real people when I see some serious actions. I remember being told many times as a kid that actions speak louder than words. I will hold Gobomber to that same standard. 
How am I to be expected to seriously think he is now for the working class? The elephant gang now has control of the House. When dear leader had large majorities in BOTH houses of Congress, neither he nor his own party managed to get anything worth while passed. Where is a decent national health care program? Not in America. 
How many of the banksters who caused a global economic melt down are even charged with any crimes? Only in Russia, where Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been sentenced to serious jail time. It seems that the Russians are the only folks who have the guts to go after the banksters and other super rich crooks. On the subject of high level criminals, when will we see any investigations into the war crimes of Shrubbie and his administrations?  Best not hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Remember, Gobomber said he doesn't like to "look back". Yeah, just let those who are guilty go free, no trial, hell, not even a charge nor an investigation. And yet we really think the country can recover without this? Somebody explain to me how this country can ever seriously recover if we allow criminals to go free. this sure blows what I was taught as a kid out of the water. I was taught that you had to pay for your crimes. Now it seems that if you have a high enough rank, you do not have to even admit to any crime, let alone get punished for the crimes you commit. America, what a country.
When we allow those in a high ranking position to escape any punishment, any investigation, we send a message to the world. We even send that message to our own people, if you have any power, you can get away with anything. Wow, what sort of morality is this? Some lessons we are "teaching" to our children. And still, a large number of Americans keep telling me that this is a "Christian nation"?  Yeah, well, it looks like I will continue to be a heathen/pagan then. 
I'd really like to be able to sit here and write about how this new year will be so much better than last year was. I'd seriously like to believe that. Well, I do not live in a fantasy, I live in the real world and the new year does NOT look so grand. It looks like more of the same old bull crap that we have had since the days of "saint" Ronnie of Raygun. And by the way, this year marks the 100th birthday of the dear sainted Ron. Yep, I caught that bit on some web site early today. No doubt we will be bombarded with a flood of programs telling us how "great" a man the guy was. What a "great" president he was. Sure, he WAS our very first acting president is what he was. End of story. During his time in office, the country really started the downhill run we have been on ever since. Thanks loads there Ron. I mis the guy like I miss the plague, not at all. 
The only bright spot regards Ron is that his birthday is in early February so maybe we will not have to endure much of the crap about him after early March, I hope. 
How could 2011 be better than 2010? Well, for starters, Gobomber could pull ALL troops AND mercenaries out of Iraq. Yeah, I know, he pulled the "combat" troops out last year. Big deal. "We" still have over 50,000 troops plus many more mercenaries (aka contractors) still in Iraq. Speaking of which, the new prime minister wants all our troops gone by the end of this year. No doubt Gobomber will find at least one excuse why that cannot happen. Bets are that they already have a few on hand now. Got to be prepared you know. Yep, smoke and mirrors. Some things never change, like government lying. Yeah.
Funny, the environment is a mess. The economy is in the toilet, we have no decent health care. All these are as they are because we have no money for those things. And yet, "we" always seem to find plenty of money for damn fool, useless wars of choice. 
Well, there isn't much profit in a decent national health care system.  There is no profit in schools that teach our children to be critical thinkers. There is no profit in cleaning the environment. There is no profit in decent unemployment benefits. Ah, but there IS big time profit in war. Huge profits indeed. Just grab a copy of War is a racket by old Smedley Butler. Now, he was talking about the profits made by various businesses in World War One.  Even the companies that made socks and under wear made money. Well, sure, those troops need clothing. And food, and vehicles and all sorts of tools, blankets etc. The list goes on and on. War is big business and until we figure a way to take the profits out of war, we will, unfortunately, have more wars. And yet, some folks still tell me that America  is a "Christian nation".  Yeah, "we" sure do follow that commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" don't we? 
I honestly do think that if each of us would try and treat everybody else as we want to be treated, that we can make a difference. Just give it a shot. Next time you go out, any where at all, just try it. Treat all you come in contact with the way you would like them to treat you. No, there won't be a great uplifting, no flash of light, no clap of thunder. Nope, no "special" effects at all. But, maybe, just maybe, you might feel a bit better for it. Hey, you might even make some other person feel a bit better also.
I keep reading different comments on various sites. Some folks are looking for a "magic bullet" or something to change the world. Some think we need a new leader, a new Gandhi or some such. I don't buy that. WE are the change that we are looking for. It has to start with each of us. True, nothing much will change any time soon, but if we all just try, it could be a nicer place for all of us. Maybe I am totally wrong here, but I refuse to be completely negative.  Yes, I am very cynical and very sarcastic at times. Still, I think that each of us has the ability to make this a better place for all. It won't be easy. Not everybody will respond positively, but don't quit. Hell, failin' Palin is a quitter.  
Have the best possible year you can have.
p.s. Please stop by a blog I found. I think you may like it. It is "Dangerous Creation". The blog is by David G. and he really has much worth reading. The link is in the link section on the right side of this blog.
semper fi