Some good news from America

Well, we have some good news here in the US of A finally.
The deputy Attorney General from Indiana, one Jeffrey Cox, yes, the very person who said the police should "use live ammunition" on the protestors in Wisconsin, has lost his job. About time is all I can add. Actually, this person(?) should not only have lost his state job, he should remain unemployable for a few years. Yeah, let this clown stand in the unemployment lines for a while. Let him see just how "cushy" it is to be without a job. No doubt he won't be without an income for long though. He will likely get some nice job from some right wing outfit soon. Why do I think so? Have you ever heard the phrase about "thicker than thieves"? Yeah, that one.
All this anti union sentiment from the governor of Wisconsin and Faux Noise could set the country back to the 1890's/early 1900's. The bad old days when unions were struggling to get organized. Back to the really nasty, brutish days of Ludlow, Colorado. Back to the time when old mister Rockefeller paid the Colorado National Guard to go into the camps of the striking miners and kill a number of unarmed women and children.
While surfing the net this weekend, I ran across a bit of arrogant comment from a former US official. I found this to be typical of the "ruling class" of America today. A certain Mr. Daniel Oliver, who was an official of the administration of "saint" Ronnie of Raygun said that "...however great the interest of the Egyptian people in their own freedom and human rights, it is eclipsed, even if they don't realize it, by the national security interest of the United States......"
Now this is about the absolute height of arrogance in my own opinion. Notice I did NOT say my own "humble" opinion. Screw being humble. Humble has got us nowhere. No, I do NOT advocate arrogance, but being humble now will only get us stomped on, again.
I wonder how the Egyptian people think of their own personal human rights are "less" than the "interests" of America. Arrogance doesn't even begin to describe such a comment, by anybody. American "interests" trump ALL else in this world? And the "rulers" in D.C. are unable to understand why so much of the world despises the USA? Get a clue folks, it is precisely because of such comments and attitude that the US was attacked on 9/11. This is why people in other countries burn the US flag during protests at our embassies.
America needs to step back and allow other people in their own countries to try and get the form of government they want. The US needs to stop meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
Oh, some will say, "we" need to have "favorable" foreign leaders. We need the resources they have. Well, guess what folks? All oil producing countries will continue to sell that oil to the highest bidder. Why? Because nobody can eat oil. Iran would like to sell oil to the USA, legally. No doubt we do buy oil from Iran. Probably, we never stopped buying their oil. It all gets sold on the world market after all.
Back at home, the protests in Wisconsin continue. Maybe, just maybe, there might finally be a true national strike here. There have been such actions in France and Italy, in particular, in the past. When will that happen here? Maybe very soon.
As I said in my last rant here at the old corner, the world is changing. We had best let the world do as it chooses. Any interference by us will only add to the backlash against us. Hands off the world America.
It is way past time for our government to take care of things here and let the rest of the world manage itself. Our founders said it best. Fair trade with all, entangling alliances with none.
semper fi

The world IS changing

The world is changing folks. Anybody who has even, in passing caught the "news" even on Faux or CNN can see that.
The changes are not to the liking of the rulers in D.C or NATO. No, the world is changing and the changes are being accomplished by the regular people, the working class, students, small business people, and the unemployed. In short, the "rulers" in many countries are no longer in control. 
Just look at Tunisia and Egypt for the truth to that fact. The people of those two countries have forced the former rulers to flee. In Bahrain and Libya, the people are working towards the same goal, to rid themselves of their rulers.
Even here in the old US of A we are seeing "people power" in Madison, Wisconsin. YES, in the state where I was born some 63 years ago, the people are protesting the government! Good old Wisconsin, the home of radicals since at least the 1960's and the Vietnam War protests. No doubt the governor of the Badger state will not cut and run as the "leader" of Egypt has done. No, he will likely stay till the bitter end. After all, this is America, not some foreign dictatorship. The governor of Wisconsin does have his helpers though. Yep, a deputy Attorney General from Indiana has said that the protestors should be met "with live ammunition". Wow! THAT is some statement from an official of government in the USA. 
I wonder, IS Indiana really a part of the United States of America? Or is it some foreign country, ruled by some sort of dictator? 
No doubt this same deputy Attorney General would like to see those like me who are permanently disabled and on Social Security just sit down and die. Most likely he would like every person who collects Social Security to just die. That way he would no longer have to support us with the taxes he and every working person pays into the Social Security funds. 
Well, ALL of us who ever held a job here in the US HAVE paid into Social Security. Yes, I am drawing from that fund. I became permanently disabled from an injury I sustained while AT work. Yes, I got hurt on the job. 
While this poor excuse of a human being who believes that those who are protesting in Madison should be met "with live ammunition" no doubt thinks of us who are on Social Security and/or unemployed are useless "welfare cheats", I have never wanted to end up like this. While I have been disabled for longer than I care to admit, not a day has passed that I have not wanted to be at work. Being disabled and on Social Security is NO picnic. 
In my own, unscientific survey of other disabled people over the past few years, an overwhelming majority of those who are disabled have told me they would rather be at work than to be disabled. We are not freeloaders by any means. None of us enjoys being unemployable. 
With the likes of that deputy Attorney General from Indiana, can a revolt here in the US be far off? How much more of that type of abuse are we going to take? 
semper fi

This is how the "tea party" supports the troops

Well, I had planned to take some time off from this corner. It is time for the racing season to get started and I wanted to put this blog on hold. After checking my usual web sites today, that is not possible.
What has me so fired up? Well, it is the looney tune idiot bimbo from Minnesota. She has "decided" that the government should cut funds to the VA for veterans health and compensation for injuries sustained while on active duty. Yes, this ass clown "thinks"(??) that we should CUT medical care for the wounded troops. How the bloody goddamn hell is THIS supporting the troops?
Remember, it is the idiotic "tea party" that is always running around shouting "support the troops". Well, I think that all of us should hunt down every member of the "tea party" we know and shove this idiot bimbos' statement in their faces. Make them tell you how this sort of goddamn bullshit "supports the troops". 
This is so typical of the politicians of America. They want all the troops they can get to go and fight some damn fool war, but when the troops get wounded, they don't want to pay for their care! Can you say hypocrite? Yes we can!
This is a stab in the back of those who have given service to the empire. If she gets her way and the Va funds are cut, then ALL veterans who have been wounded in any of our wars will face a decline in their medical care. Yes, there are even some old veterans of World War Two who are still under VA care.  I know of some Korean War veterans who get Va care on a regular basis. These people have earned that care. It is part of the contract they signed when they entered military service. To cut that care now when they most need it is a total denial of their service and the contract they had with the US government. 
No doubt the government will act as if it can do whatever it wants, any time it wants.
If this does pass, I would hope to see ALL veterans revolt against this betrayal.
We all need to let this moron Bachman know that we all oppose her betrayal of our veterans. 
semper fi

Killing, at home and abroad

No doubt you have all heard of the US Congresswoman, Gabriella Giffords (D-AZ) who was shot yesterday, 8 January 2011.  Six others who were shot at her meeting with her constituents have died. The last I read, as many as 19 people were shot. Among the dead are a 9 year old girl and a Federal  judge.

Funny, the reactions of people on the web. At many "left" leaning web sites, the "story" is that the shooter, who is in custody, was a Nazi who had read Mien Kampf.  Some have even suggested that he was a member, or at least a follower, of the "tea party".
On the "right" leaning sites, they say he was a communist, or at "best" a socialist. They claim he read Karl Marx.
Well, I have read both Marx and Mien Kampf.  What does that make me?  Back when I read them, I thought it made me curious. Yeah, imagine that, being curious about things and then getting a book or two to read. Yes, to satisfy my curiosity I read.  I still do, though now, my reading includes many web sites.  You could say that I am still curious, and that is very true.  In fact, I hope I never lose that curiosity. It makes for a more interesting life, just my opinion of course.

What really bothers me is that only now, with the shooting of a Congresswoman and the deaths of a child and a judge, do Americans come out to protest.
Yes, we have seen "political" killings in the recent past here in America. In just my own life time I have seen the killing of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert. Also the killing of Malcolm X and Dr. King. At least four very high profile political killings, right here in America.
The question here is why aren't the people who are so upset about this shooting yesterday protesting the day in and day out killings of innocent children in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan?  Where are the protests and outrage over those killings?  Or, is it that "we" do not protest the killing of innocent children when those children are killed by the US military?  Yes, the death of the young girl from the shooting in Tucson yesterday is terrible.  But, is her death that much more different from the deaths of children in the above named countries?  How many children do "our" troops kill every day in the current idiotic, useless, damn fool wars of choice that "we" are fighting?

These are very valid questions.  It IS fair to make this comparison. The "excuse" that there is a war going on in Afghanistan and the border area of Pakistan/Afghanistan is not valid.  Why is there a war there? Because America invaded Afghanistan as a reaction to the terrorist attack of 9/11.  The people who planned and carried out that attack were not in Afghanistan. None of them were Afghans. They were mostly Saudis.
Yes, the shooting yesterday is very sad. Consider though, America IS a very violent society. I don't have the statistics, but I would bet that America is either number one, or very close to it, for the number of shooting deaths per year. Our major cities are very violent places. The murder rate for New York city, Detroit, Los Angeles, and other major cities is high.  The most popular video games and movies are violent. Death, and in particular, shooting is very popular in the USA.
The president said in response to the shooting yesterday that violence has no place in a free society. OK, I agree, then when is he going to call and end to the damn fool wars of choice? When will the elephant gang call out the likes of Rush, Beck, O"Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, etc and Fox News and "talk"(hate) radio? And I DO lay those folks at the door step of the Republican party as the just mentioned gang are very much right wing/Republican. Of true, the Democrats are also to blame. They should have called for a halt to the hate long ago.  Where has our president been since he took office? Why has he not used the bully pulpit of the presidency to call for and end to the hate? The "idea" that it will go away if you ignore it is totally wrong.
BOTH major political parties share the blame for the hate and violence that is rampant in our country.  We all need to demand more of our "leaders". Our elected officials need to demand an end to all the hate. NOT with any new laws, we have more than enough laws as it is. What is needed is some honest enforcement of the laws we already do have. The same goes for any new gun control laws. We don't need any, just enforce the existing laws.
We should all email, phone, communicate in some means to our elected officials and tell them that we want an end to the hate and violence that has swept over our country. Remember, these elected officials work for us. If we all let them know that we are sick of the hate and violence, they will have to take notice. When communicating with theses officials, make sure to let them know that we want an end to the damn fool wars also. Killing is against most every religion in the world. America claims to be a "Christian" nation, well, killing is against that religion. It is time for the people of this country who keep telling us all that America is a "Christian" nation to stop the killing. Live up to their own religion or stop telling me that "we" are a "Christian" nation. This goes double for the Congress critters who most all of them make some claim or other to being so religious. Put up or shut up.
We will not end the killing and other violence in America until we stop the damn fool wars of choice. It is time for this country to end the senseless violence that we do around the world. It is time to treat ALL people the way we want to be treated ourselves. Stop the killing. Stop the wars.  It is time for all decent people to stand up and shout ENOUGH!!!!!
semper fi

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

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

Just another rant

Oh bother!
Well, it is my own damn fault. Yeah, I went and looked in on one of the "left wing" web sites this morning. Why oh why do I keep doing this? Good grief. There are a whole gang of these "lefties" who are still blaming Nader for the election loss by Gore/Lieberman in 2000! No kidding folks. Amazing, simply goddamn amazing. How can anybody even claim to be remotely "progressive" or even "liberal" and still blame Ralph for the moronic campaign that Al (never my pal) Gore ran back in 2000? They may "think"(??) they are "progressive" but to be totally honest, I seriously doubt that these folks actually think. 
How can one claim to have a functioning brain and still(!!) say that they hate Nader since he caused Shrubbie to win. Oh, yeah, they sure as hell have totally forgotten that Al (never my pal) Gore picked the worst possible excuse of a "liberal" to be his running mate. Yep, I am talking about Joe "Israel uber ales" LIEberman. That "choice" alone lost any "electability" that Gore had in my opinion. OK, so I didn't want Gore any way, but his "choice" of running mate sure ended any possible hope/prayer/etc that he might have dreamed of to get my vote.
All this has come about since it now looks like Gobomber  "may" get another member of the donkey gang to take a run at him in the primary in 2012. 
OK, OK, I know, that election is almost two years away. Still, the way Gobomber has been "working out" (or not working out) since he took office has a bunch of folks thinking that he may have a serious challenger in the next presidential primary season. The last time a sitting president from the donkey gang had such competition was old Jimmy Carter. Remember, back then Ted Kennedy gave Carter a run for the money during the primaries. Carter got the nomination, but he also got a bit of a fright from the Kennedy clan.
I do think that Gobomber needs to be challenged. Not just in the primaries either. Yes, I would like to see a full blown "third party" challenge. That would be much better for us all, as a primary challenger from his own party would not do much good. Anybody who makes it to the primaries in either wing of the war party will already have been bought and paid for. This is why Gobomber has turned out to be what he is. He was "vetted" before the first primary vote was cast. It will be the same if some other member of the donkey gang rises(?) to challenge him in 2012.
A possible candidate for this could be the former senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold. Or, it could be Mr. Nader, again, although he is getting a bit old and may not be physically able to run again. Maybe Ms. McKinney might make another run. Hey, I voted for her last election. I was going to vote for Nader, but she "won me over" and I would be happy to vote for her again. Man, talk about change, imagine the US of A electing a black woman as our president. 
True, she would have a very rough time getting elected, but it is still legal to dream in the states. Or, has Gobomber made that a crime? He is on record as claiming the "right" to kill anybody, even American citizens, if he deems that person a threat to our "security". 
Of course the dedicated followers of the donkey gang are nearly wetting themselves at the prospect of failin' Palin actually winning that office. Man, they are nearly as delusional as the "tea party" clowns who worship at the altar of the moose burger bimbo. Yes, these "Palin lovers" (freaks) are the same folks who only get their "news" from Faux Noise, but come on people! President Palin? Not even in your worst nightmare. It will not happen. No way. I don't care how much Faux Noise, Glenda Beckie, Rush Limpburger, or any of the other run off at the mouth about their new "goddess". That moron will never be president. I seriously doubt that she would even run for that office. Why should she? Look at all the money she would miss out on. She would not get upwards of $100,000 for giving campaign speeches.  No, the moose burger bimbo is making too much money with her book signings and her speeches to the choir who worship her. 
It used to be that while both wings of the war party would screw the public, at least the donkey wing made you feel half way OK about it. Now, with Gobomber, and even Billy Bob Bubba to a great extent, that has gone out the old window. Since Billy Bob Bubba, even us poor folks who might be tempted to vote for the donkey gang have been screwed as bad and as fast as the elephant gang has done and wants to do again.  No, there really is no choice at all between the two "animal" wings of the war party.  A pox on both their houses, which in reality is the same damn house. The house of the "too big to fail" folks. Yes, we used to say that there was barely a "dimes worth of difference" between the "two" parties. As recently as 2000, I was saying that they were just the opposite sides of the same damn coin. Well, even that is no longer true. They are just the two wings of the war party. Neither is any much "better" than the other, if you are working class or poor that is. And if you are among the top 2% in wealth in the US of A, well, what "differences" that may exist don't matter much. Just look at the tax cuts that Gobomber gave to the top wealthiest. What "fight" did he put up over this? Oh, did I mention "fight" in reference to Gobomber? Silly old me. Anybody with brains, eyes, and ears KNOWS that there is NO fight in Gobomber. Well, there IS, IF you are an Afghan, Pakistani, or Iraqi. Hell, he just might be "willing" to show the world that he has some "fight" for the iranians if old Nutty-yahoo can sway him a bit. 
Sorry there Gobomber, but you are a one term president. I do not see any way for this bought and paid for clown to win a second term. IF he comes back towards the center, they are all yakking on some "lefty" web sites. LOLMAO!!!!!! No way Jose! The guy is NOT going to even think about dreaming of moving anywhere near "left". 
I also get a kick from some of the posters on those sites who feel "cheated" by Gobomber. They say he "mislead" them during the campaign. What??? Mislead? How? Did they even listen to any of his campaign speeches? I mean REALLY listen? They could not have done so and now feel that he has "failed" them. Gobomber was NEVER anti-war. He never said he was going to actually DO anything for the working class and the poor folks. He voted FOR the huge bank "bailout" (aka legal robbery) when Shrubbies' Secretary of the Treasury, the vile Paulson, "demanded" the Congress give away the entire store to the "too big to fail" gang. Gobomber has NOT cut the "defense" budget. Before his first week in office he authorized drone strikes on Pakistan! In his, just less than two years in office, he has authorized MORE drone strikes against Pakistan than Shrubbie did in EIGHT years as president. True, Shrubbie didn't have any wars until late in 2001 and that was "just" his initial invasion of Afghanistan. The "real" war for Shrubbie didn't start until March 2003 with the invasion of Iraq.
Notice, also, how Gobomber put up no, or next to no, "fight" for any sort of public option for health care. He sold out to the big insurance companies as easily as Shrubbie would have. And this was back when he has majorities in BOTH houses of Congress! Hell, if he could not or would not fight for what the country needs when he had that going for him, just what do any
of these "left wing" folks think he can do now with the elephants controlling the House?
Seriously, just what the hell good would I be as a leader, if I had a majority in BOTH houses of Congress. Suppose MY party controlled BOTH houses and I had the presidency and yet(!!) I got zero, nada,nothing at all for the people who were my base and got me elected? I would think that even my own family would have to admit that I was a very piss poor leader in that circumstance. Well, that is what Gobomber has done. He had majorities in BOTH houses and got absolutely ZERO for the working class and the poor folks. Oh, they "gave"him an extension of unemployment benefits.  Aha, but at what cost? The "cost" was to let the tax cuts for the top 2% of the wealthiest remain in place for the next two years. Like it will be so "easy" to let them expire or end them at that time. Yeah, and I hear there is still a bridge for sale in New York city. 
While I despise Faux Noise, Limpburger, failin' Palin, Glenda Beckie, and that whole crew, including most of the "tea party", I have no love for the donkey gang either. All these supposed "left wingers" and so-called "progressives" had best wake up and damn soon. The next election cycle is getting close. What America needs is a real third party. Not as an alternative, but as a permanent fixture in our political system. This "two party" farce needs to end. 
It will not be easy. It will take hard work,but my Dad taught me that anything worth having was worth working for. Time for us to get busy.
semper fi

More reactions to Wikileaks

Yeah, here I am again. Yes, the topic is still Wikileaks.
Well, I just read a great article on this over at Counterpunch. Here is the link to the article. I think it is very worth your time to read this one. Mr. Johnson gives a good view of the latest leaks and illiteracy. A very good article and a fresh point of view.www.counterpunch.org/johnson12092010.html

OK, another article that I recommend to you folks. I agree that the leaks and literacy go together. If you cannot read, the leaks don't mean anything much to you. If you are unable to read, you would never be here in fact. While you might play video games, you surely would not ever check many web sites. Without being literate, you would be severely handicapped. In fact, you would be on par with the likes of Beck and failin' Palin in my opinion. Those tow may be able to read, well, not much serious reading, but I would bet they are both able to get through things like the readers I had back in my grade school days. You older folks know what I mean. They went like this "See Dick. See Dick run. Run Dick, run". Yep, sort of a Forrest Gump type of deal. Hey, it worked, well, it got me reading any way.
By keeping so many documents classified, we are kept from having that information. In effect, the classifying of so much information, makes us some what illiterate. That is a very good reason to support Wikileaks, as if we needed another. Yes, governments DO have a very legitimate need to keep some things secret. However, the US government has gone way over board, my opinion. We classify far more than you might think. Read the article I linked to above. The number of classified documents on a yearly basis will surprise you. And that is just what the US government has done in a given year. Here is a clue. The number of classified documents exceed the total number of published documents by the US, UK, China, Russia, and Germany!  No kidding, read the article. Told you it was a surprise. A huge amount gets classified, and most for no "real" reason other than because they CAN do so.
George Carlin is supposed top have said that if you have an illiterate and greedy population, you will have illiterate and greedy politicians/leaders. No kidding. 
Outfits like Wikileaks do us all a great service. As far as I have seen, there are no persons named who are in any danger from the leaks. They did not expose the true names of any spies, to the best of my knowledge so far. From what I have seen of the newest leaked documents, all that they released are basically gossip and other basically trivial things. That "we" disrespect our counter parts in other countries should be no new news to them nor us. Americans ARE, as a group, very arrogant. The book The Ugly American is more or less true. It was when it was published, and I would bet that it is even more true today. "We" have become ever more arrogant than ever. "We" claim to be the ONLY" indispensable country". And that was back in the days when Billy Bob Bubba was president and his Secretary of State, yep, old Mad-ass Al (not so)bright was saying things like the 500,000 dead Iraqi children due to US imposed sanctions was "worth it"! Imagine, had that been a foreign person saying such, how America would have reacted to such a statement. No doubt "we" would have put on our very best "excuse me" face and demanded that person apologize and then be fired and/or jailed for such an indecent comment on a national news program. Oh, but it was an American Secretary of State and "we" are oh so nice and all that bullshit. Yeah, sure "we" are.
Don't  get me wrong, as individuals, Americans can be and are some of the nicest, most caring, and giving people you could ever meet. As a country, or government, well, that is a very different story.  Just look at New Orleans after hurricane Katrina came through the Gulf area. Yeah, and that was a city and area in our own country! And now, how can anybody seriously believe that "we" don't bad mouth the diplomats of other countries? Please, give me a break. Or, maybe I could interest you in a bridge in New York perhaps?
Wikileaks is a needed group. No, maybe not the very people who are running it, but an organization and people like them ARE needed. We need those who are able to pull back the curtain and let us all see that the "wizard" is just some small man behind the big curtain. Yes, there will always be some things that governments DO need to keep secret. What we do need is better access to information. Not every communication/document from the government needs to be classified as "top secret" or even secret. Of course the government will continue to withhold as mush as they can. Knowledge IS power and they want it all for themselves. What Wikileaks did, and this really pisses off the powerful, is to have given knowledge to us common folks. And that gives us power. Those who have it never, ever want to share any of their power. We need Wikileaks and more folks like them, now and into the future.
semper fi

Wikileaks and other topics

By now most everybody knows that Wikileaks has dumped a whole truck load of emails, cables, and other information on the internet. Good for them, good for us also.
First, let me share a couple of "reactions" to this latest data dump by that organization.
The first one is from our least favorite former half-term governor. Yep, the failin' Palin wants Mr. Assange to be "hunted down" as if he were some member of al-Qaeda or some other "terrorist" outfit. The other "reaction" I want to share with you is from a "man of god". Yep, it is from another former governor, this time Arkansas though. I refer you to one Mike Huckster-bee. This supposed "man of god" said that Mr. Assange should be exterminated. Wow, some "god" old Huckster-bee believes in. I was told, back in my youth, that Christians said that god was a god of love. Well, maybe Huckster-bee is thinking more along the lines of "tough love".
Other reactions to this latest data dump have called Mr. Assange a "traitor". Now this is very odd. How so you ask? Well, Mr. Julian Assange is NOT a citizen of America. Nope, I believe he is Australian. Now he could not be guilty of being a traitor to the United States as he is NOT an US citizen. Only a citizen of this country could ever be guilty of being a traitor to it. A foreign citizen cannot ever be a traitor to America. He CAN be classified as an enemy of America, no doubt that has already been done by some clown in "our" government. There is a Interpol arrest warrant out for him on some charge or other. No doubt related, again, to a rather discredited charge in Sweden. Well, no doubt there will be more on this in the next few days. Stay tuned to the net for further updates.
Mean while, back in the US of A, we have the "wonderful" elephant gang signing a letter to Gobomber that they will refuse to vote for ANY legislation of ANY sort until they get the tax cuts for the very rich passed. Yes, the "patriotic" elephant gang are holding the country hostage until the tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the country are passed and signed off on by Gobomber. And this is the very same gang who are allowing the unemployment benefits for 2 million(!) families expire. What a "nice" Christmas gift to those folks. Makes one wonder just how can we ever "thank" these elephant gang folks. I have an idea, how about we, the people vote their nasty asses OUT of office next election, IF there is one that is. The way this "security state" is progressing, I am beginning to wonder if we will have many more elections here in the US of A.
Face it folks, America IS becoming a police state and it gets worse by the day.
WE have an ever increasing "security" regime being pushed onto us, been to an airport recently? I have not, and I refuse to fly any where. The airlines want to play along with this bullshit, well, screw them. If I cannot drive to where I want to go, I just will not go there. There are even internet sites that are organizing "no fly" actions. About time in my opinion. I quit flying years ago. It was after a major back surgery. I had to wear a back brace for six months after that surgery. Well, we decided to fly to lost wages (Las Vegas) for a short vacation. We usually drove as it was a nice drive from southern California and I like to drive. We were going with another couple, the wife worked with the wife of the other couple. Any way, we all decided to fly this time. Going through the airport in Ontario was no problem. Coming home was though. As I was approaching the gate in the Vegas airport, a "security" clown decided that I looked suspicious. Well, my sweater may have been a bit bulky, but I was wearing a back brace. He decided that he needed to "inspect" the brace. Now this was done right there, at the gate, in full view of the world. I told him what it was and could we go to anther room. Nope, right here, right now.  It really was no big deal, I had a t-shirt on under the brace so nobody "saw" anything. The whole incident however ended with me and my wife deciding that we would never fly anywhere again.  That took place in 1984 and I have not been on any aircraft since. What passes for "security" today is even more intrusive and it is not needed. That fact has been proven by others who have "beat" security checks even since the latest "improvements" to airport "security".
In short, a determined terrorist will find a way to beat,cheat, or by pass any security measures.
Fact, every  new security measure that is introduced today, for example, is already in the process of being defeated. I know this as a fact. I worked for a few years for a company that made "Stinger" missiles. Before the first production run was even started, we were working on an updated version so that when the first edition was able to be "cheated" we would have a newer one that could defeat the counter-measure. This is just the way the world works folks. As soon as the newest lock comes on the market, somebody is working to break it. In short, we can never have anything even close to "perfect" security.
Life has risks associated with it. That is just the way life is. We should minimize the risks, like wearing seat belts when we drive our cars and trucks. Wearing a helmet when you ride a motorcycle or ATV is a good idea. Same when you ride a bicycle. There is no such thing as perfect security. Even if you stayed in bed you are not "totally safe". Nope, there could be a nasty thunderstorm in your area and the roof may fall in on your bed.
In short, we can minimize some of the risks in this life, but we can never be totally secure, such a thing does not, cannot exist.
The larger problem, my view, is that by giving in to this over-hyped "security" we lose our liberties. Each new security measure is an affront to our personal liberty. As old Ben Franklin is supposed to have said; "those who give up their liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security".
We must not allow ourselves to become a nation of cowards, hiding behind the false "security" of the TSA, NSA, CIA, or any of the countless "security" agencies that are supposedly working for us. They do not work for us, they work for the elites, the banksters and the politicians and their paymasters.
By giving in to this "security" crap we are basically letting the government treat us all as criminals. How so? Well, the intrusive "security" checks at the airports do violate our Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment says; "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against which unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." There you have it, a word-for-word quote of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Now, just what "probable cause" do any of you folks present to the TSA when you want to fly some where? Is the very act of buying an airline ticket now "probable cause" to search you and your person and effects? If so, then by all means, go and fly and "enjoy" the back scatter X-rays and/or the intrusive "pat downs" by the TSA. If not, then quit flying. Oh, and write letters, make phone calls to the airlines and let them know why you refuse to fly.
When we give in to this "security" at the airport, we are basically letting the TSA and, by extension, the government, to treat us as criminals.  I don't know about anybody else, but for myself, I did NOT serve honorably in the Marine Corps for four years with a  tour in Vietnam just to "allow" some agency or other to treat me as a criminal just because I may want to fly to some other city. Screw that shit, I'll take my chances on the road thanks all the same.
semper fi

Turkey day thoughts

Well, I hope that all you folks had a nice, safe Thanksgiving.
We all know that may not have been easy this year, what with the economy, or what passes as such these days, is in very poor shape. Jobs are still being lost here in America. Home foreclosures are still going up, the dollar is still barely holding on and gold prices are still rising. In short, things here look very grim.
Our wars are not going all that well either. We recently have heard that the "Taliban leader" who was in negotiations with General "king" David Patraeus has turned out to be an impostor. Yep, the supposed "Taliban leader" is a fake. On the one hand it strikes me as hilarious. Here we have an ordinary person who was able to fool our intelligence and military people AND he got paid a good bit of money as well.  Now, most people would think that our military and intelligence types would have checked into the guy before they paid him much money and/or swallowed his story.  It just further proves the old bit about an oxymoron such as "military intelligence" doesn't it? 
Of course one could look at this from another view point.  It sort of strikes me as being in that old American spirit of pulling off a neat little stunt. Hey, give the guy some credit. He decides one day to fake being a senior member of the Taliban and sits for "peace talks" with US military and diplomatic types and gets them to pay him for coming to these talks. Personally, I think it took guts to do this. No doubt there will be all sorts of "reasons" why he was able to fool our people. Can you say cover up? Of course you can. No way will our people ever admit that they got totally taken in by this guy. There will be plenty of excuses for this, and none of them true. No doubt also, that the elephant gang will be demanding that he be punished to"the fullest extent of the law". Yeah, politicians and law don't exactly go hand-in-hand in my opinion.
Continuing with our wars, I highly recommend that you all take the time to read the article at Counterpunch by Mr. Brian Cloughley this weekend. Here is the link;www.counterpunch.org/cloughley11262010.html  Mr. Cloughley is a veteran and a writer and has earned my highest respect. He points out better than I ever could how "we" have dropped so very low with our "remote control" warfare". The use of drones to bomb people in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to say nothing of the other countries where "we" are using these drones to kill our fellow human beings. This killing by remote control is obscene. As if "normal" warfare isn't obscene enough, "we" now use remotely controlled aircraft to do our killing. And remember that even in face-toface meetings, our intelligence types did not know that they were being fooled when they had the above mentioned meetings with a "senior Taliban" guy. How likely is it, do you think, that "we" can be certain that "we" are bombing the "right" folks by remote control? I would have to say, not very likely at all.  No doubt this all falls well inside the "margins for error" that "our" military and intelligence types make plenty of allowances for. Obscene is how I see it. Immoral and unethical come to mind as well.
Another excellent article that caught my attention this weekend is also at Counterpunch. Please take the time to read the latest by Missy Beattie. Here is the link;www.counterpunch.org/beattie11262010.html  As we all celebrate Thanksgiving and prepare for the next holiday, please take the time to remember that ALL of us human beings are on this planet together. We are all in this folks. None of us are really alone here. We all need to try and get along with each other. Take the time to help those who really need it. It is easy, just treat others the way you want to be treated. Trust me, it will make your days much nicer. You'll be surprised just how much a simple act can make a big change in others.
And as we are now well and truly into the "holiday shopping season", check the article, also at Counterpunch by Mr. Saul Landau. The link is;www.counterpunch.org/landau11262010.html  Yes, the very same companies that have laid off their workers and off-shored those jobs are trying like mad to get those same folks to buy the newest products.  Now just how the people who lost their jobs and are close to having exhausted their unemployment benefits can even hope to buy the newest "goodies" is beyond me, but they sure as hell are trying to get them to buy, buy, buy. And just what are those folks supposed to use for money? Beats me.
What passes for an economy in America is ever more a joke. More people are out of work than a year ago. Home foreclosures are still going up. Credit is still tight and most people in the country are barely able to meet the monthly bills and have food to eat. And yet, the advertisers are bombarding us with ads that tell us the we "need" this or that newest gadget. Don't believe me? Just watch the TV for an hour or so. The ads come fast and furious. This is THE prime shopping season folks. 
More reading that I recommend. I have just finished two books that I am glad to have read. The first I highly recommend to all. It is "Idiot America" by C.P. Pierce. It is a relatively new book as he covers the election of Gobomber, not in detail, but enough to let you know that the book was recently written. He does a good job of providing some background in to the "tea party" and that line of "thinking" or as it seems most days, not thinking.  I found it to be very worth reading and it gave me some more insight into the mentality of the "tea party" types.  The other book I just finished is "Voices of protest" by Alan Brinkley. This book is a very interesting look into the lives of two very extraordinary men. Huey P. Long of Louisiana and Father Coughlin. They both came into fame as it were during the "great depression" of the 1930's. Now, in my opinion, the very best book about Huey Long is the one by T. Harry Williams titled "Huey Long".  I say this because in my opinion, he covers the entire life of Huey and he does it with little or no bias at all. Mr. Williams does not come out either "for" nor "against" Huey. That alone makes his book on Huey worth reading. Most every other book on the man is either "for" or "against" the man. Mr. Williams stays neutral.
Back to the other book though. Mr. Brinkley covers both Huey and Father Coughlin during the 1930's. well until 1935 for Huey as he was killed that year. Considering that economically, we are now very close to how it was during the 1930's. it makes me wonder if we will see the rise of another national figure like either of them. No, I do not think that either Rush Limburger nor Beck are any way close, yet. They may both, individually, have larger audiences than either Father Coughlin or Huey had, but as yet, neither seems to have the influence that either of those men had. 
Also, one must remember that there was no Social Security in the 1930's and that the people had a much different view of what the job of government was then as opposed to now. Also, it was much closer, in time, to the end of a major world war as well. The attitude of the people towards government was very different from what it is now.
One more comment on the economy and the "tea party".  Some of the newly elected Congress critters who ran as "tea party" types have said publicly that they ran on a promise to not vote to raise the national debt ceiling. Recently, some senior members of the elephant gang who will hold leadership positions in Congress have told these new members that they need to start "acting like adults", particularly with regards to raising the debt ceiling. Now that strikes me as absolutely hilarious. How so you say? Well, consider it just on its face. Here we have members of the "party of NO" telling its newly elected members to"act like adults". Well, call me a cynical, sarcastic old guy, but I find it much like the pot calling the kettle black. Or, if you'd rather, do as I say, not as I do (have done since January 2009). Yep, hypocrites. But, why not? It IS politics after all, and hypocrites are what they all are. Yes, even Gobomber himself. Anybody remember that campaign promise of his to close GITMO by the end of his first year in office? Yeah, THAT campaign promise. Well, he has been in office almost two years and GITMO is STILL open for business, as it were. Yes, calling a politician a hypocrite IS much like saying that fire is hot, I know, I know. Some times I just feel like stating the obvious.
It should be quite fun to see how the vote, which no doubt will happen early next year, to raise the debt ceiling will play out. Supposedly, the "tea party" members who were just elected have made a promise to vote NO. The elephant gang leaders are telling them they have to vote yes. IF they do break down and vote yes, will the folks back home rebel? Will they demand a recall? Will there really be repercussions for the "tea party" Congress critters is they DO vote to raise the debt ceiling? So many unanswered questions. So many possibilities. IF they vote to raise the debt ceiling and the constituents get angry, that could be a good thing for the donkey gang members, not the politicians, but the regular donkey gang voters. How so? Well, if the "tea party" get upset for their candidates breaking campaign promises, it just could, maybe, get the donkey gang voters to put real pressure on not only Gobomber, but the Congress critters who belong to the donkey gang to honor(!!) their campaign promises. Wow, can you even imagine that? I am trying to, but I admit that it isn't easy. Not just emails, phone calls and such, but REAL protest. Yeah, marching to the White House and/or Congressional offices, in D.C and back home. Man, now that brings back some memories of the 1960's doesn't it? Well, John Lennon DID write and sing the song.......Imagine..........And I certainly DO imagine. We all should, and then we should work towards a common goal of making this world a better place for ALL people and other living critters. Oh, don't forget the plants either. 
I honestly think we can do it. Seriously. Just start out by treating everybody else the way you like to be treated. Nothing complicated. If we all do this, I really do think the world can change. We don't need any leaders. We can each of us just try every day, in small ways, be nice to each other. It just might catch on, and then, maybe, some day, hopefully not too far off, we just might end the damn stupid useless wars of choice. We could demand of our leaders that even they remember that there are only two reasons for war. To defend OUR homes and to defend the Bill of Rights. And that EVERY other "reason" for war is a damn racket. Hey, I can still dream, it is still legal, as far as I know. Any way, give it a try. You just might be that spark that sets things in motion and the world just might be a better place for all.
semper fi

Post election blues

Yeah, I am a bit depressed. Why? Well, as expected old Rodney Alexander is still secure in his House seat. This time around his "challenger" didn't even put out any campaign signs! No kidding, I never saw a single one. Even worse, yes, it does get worse. Vitter has been re-elected. No kidding folks, the clown who was involved with the "DC Madam" and has been linked to hookers in New Orleans has been re-elected. What will it take for the people of this state to wake up and see that this clown is a disgusting example of the worst type of politician? Well, his wife has stuck with him all through his "troubles" so I suppose he will stay in office as long as he wants to. Unless his wife dumps him, then, maybe, just maybe we will get somebody else as our Senator. Maybe.

From what I have read, the folks who were endorsed by the moose burger bimbo didn't all win their elections. Some folks in this area I talked to before the election told me they didn't care at all for her. A small bit of good news or at least a mark of some sanity. Too bad so many still voted for Vitter. Well, one cannot have everything. A new Senator sure would have been nice though.

That Gobomber supposedly "lost" this time is no surprise. The guy brought it on himself. Just what has he done for us common folks? The poor and working class people have not seen anything for their benefit from the man who sold us "hope" and "change" in 2008. If you were one of the "too big to fail" crew, you made out quite well since Gobomber took office. The rest of us, not so much. The way this country looks from where I stand, the working class and the poor folks are worse off than we were two years ago. Unemployment is still way up. IF we were honest in counting the unemployed, the rate is over 15%.  Of course we stopped giving a true count of the unemployed back in the days when "saint" Ronnie was our "acting" president. Yes, we no longer count as unemployed the folks who have run out of unemployment benefits. Funny, most of them are still unemployed, but as they no longer get their unemployment checks, we no longer count them as unemployed. Neat way to "cook" the books. Only the government can get away with that sort of thing.
The foreclosure rate is still high and most likely going to get much worse in the near term. The banks are still holding homes off the market in hopes they will be able to get better prices for those they have already foreclosed on.
While the banks are not making very many new loans with all that money they got from us, the tax payers, they are still giving huge bonuses to the top management and others who work for them.  Neat trick there, claim you are going broke and need a government bailout, then use that money to pay huge bonuses. And they are not facing criminal prosecution nor jail time. Only in America.

Our two (yes, Iraq is still a war zone) wars are not going well. Oh we have pulled our "combat" troops from Iraq, but the killing continues in that poor country. "We" have not restored utilities for the citizens of Iraq yet either. Yes, seven years after we invaded, the Iraqis still have unreliable electric service, if they get any at all. The water and sewer systems are still as broken as the day we ended the initial invasion, or as Rummy called it "shock and awe".  Iraqis are still being killed on a daily basis. We have about 50,000 troops still in Iraq along with something over 100,000 mercenaries. I refuse to call them "contractors". They are mercenaries, plain and simple, so we should call them what they are.

The war in Afghanistan is not going well, as usual. In fact, that war still threatens to spill over into Pakistan big time. While we are still bombing across the border into Pakistan, we have yet to stage a full scale invasion. Note I said yet. Also, still "on the table" is a possible war with Iran. Of course Yemen is also very close to being "on the table" even though we have done some bombing there just as we occasionally drop bombs on Somalia.

Well, I suppose the current Pentagon "thinking" is, if you have two wars that are going poorly (to put it very, very mildly) well, just start another war to take the public mind off the wars that are not going so well. Now, you might think that when your war is not going well that you might end it. Oh my friends, that is not how the Pentagon works(??) today. No sir/ma'am as ever the case may be. No, not by a long shot. You see the end of war, commonly called peace, is NOT good for business. Particularly when war is your biggest business. In the Amerikkka of 2010 warIS very big business indeed. Why, if peace were to "break out" how would corporations like Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Colt Arms, or even companies like Blackwater (aka Xe) make a profit? Why it would be damn hard to break even if we were to have peace in this world.  Lord knows we cannot have that. No way, no how. Why the god(s) demand war. er, um, that is  um, profits.  Yes, you see, profits must be had, and not just plain ordinary profits, but nice big, huge profits. So, the wars go on and on, and the money just keeps rolling in and the profits rise ever higher and the bonus checks get bigger and bigger. Oh, well, the dead keep dying and the maimed keep getting maimed, but well, that is just part of war, collateral damage you know.
Well, I say enough. Enough war. Enough killing, maiming, and dying. Stop the goddamn wars. We are not fighting wars that need to be fought. Our wars, all of them since World War Two, have been wars of choice. We have not been attacked by another military since 7 December 1941. Our homes have not been threatened by any other military force since then. We have not had a single declared war since 1945 when World War Two ended. Yes, every war we have fought since 1945 have been undeclared wars. Ask you "tea party" friends who supposedly "love" the US Constitution about that. The Constitution says that only Congress can declare war. The last time that Congress did that was 1941 when we declared war against Japan and Germany.
Think back, Korea has been called a "police action", Vietnam was called the "Vietnam conflict". Our "small" wars like when we invaded Panama had code names and even poppy Bush's war with Iraq was only called "Desert Storm" and was not a declared war either.  Of course we would never be allowed to ask the moose burger bimbo about how she would square that with the Constitution, it would be considered a "gotcha" question. No doubt even Gobomber would agree. Oh you say, Congress voted to "give" W. Shrub the "authority" to use military force. Sure, which also means that Congress ducked their Constitutional responsibility! Cowards!!!!! Damn cowards!!!!!
If that pisses you off, tough shit. It is true and at some point, this country is going to have to deal with that truth.
Of the "tea party" people who won their election this week, how many of them care enough about the Constitution to bring this fact up in either house?  How many of them will not vote for more money for the current wars? How many will vote to support the troops once they come back home with VA benefits and housing? How many will vote funds to find shelter for the homeless veterans? According to one report I have seen recently, one in four homeless people is a veteran of the US military. Just how in hell is that "supporting" the troops?

Yes, I am a bit depressed. It isn;t just the election this week. It isn;t just the damn fool wars. It isn't just the rotten excuse of an economy we have today. It isn't just the fact that there will be no raise in Social Security for the second year in a row, or that Medicare premiums are going up and the Part D premiums are going up. It is all that and more. Our country has been waging war in Afghanistan for going on ten years now, with no end in sight. We are making war like noises at Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, and who knows how many other countries. The United States is broke and yet old "helicopter" Ben is going to print more funny money.  The future looks very dark from where I sit.
semper fi

Another day, another rant

Yes, I am ranting on, again. Or should that be still ranting? Either way I am disgusted, still, yet, again, take your pick.
Numerous articles recently tell me that Gobomber is "upset" with his "base" there is an "enthusiasm gap". Say what? Shades of the old cold war crap about the supposed "missile gap" or any other fake "gaps" that were created out of thin air back in the cold war days.
Well, I have a question for Gobomber and his crew. Just what the bloody damn hell are "we" supposed to be so enthusiastic about? The economy? Sure thing pal, as soon as the people get decent paying jobs. The wars we are still bogged down in? Don't think so, they are not going so very well. When even "king" David tells the media that the Afghan war is one that our children will be fighting, well, that makes it damn hard to be "enthusiastic" about that war. Iraq? Well, no, sorry, the fake pulling out of "combat" troops was just a ploy. Any human with a functioning brain was able to see that the relabeling of the troops in Iraq as "advisors" or "trainers" from being "combat" troops is a scam.  Hey, they got away with that sort of thing during the Vietnam war, so they tried it again. Well, it failed this time. Too many people DO have a sense of history after all.
So, again, I ask Gobomber and his crew, just what are we Americans supposed to be so enthusiastic about? Maybe he thinks we should all be so very happy that his administration is NOT going to slow down the home foreclosures. Maybe he thinks we should be "thankful" for the horse manure called "health care reform"? Yeah, sure thing.
When the only folks who are making out like bandits ARE bandits, the "too big to fail" types, well, there sure doesn't seem like much to get all "enthused" about.
Maybe if I were to sit back and knock down a few beers, I might see something to be "enthused" about. Probably not. Mixing alcohol with my pain meds would just get me an over priced trip to the emergency room. I'll pass on that one.

Another "pet peeve" has surfaced. Well, not so much surfaced, more like it is grating on me. Just as the term "homeland" when used to describe America is bothersome, the term Af-Pak is beginning to really grate on me. Af-Pak? OK, it is shorthand for Afghanistan-Pakistan. The thing is, when shortened to "Af-Pak" it seems to me to be a degrading term. Shorten the names of the countries involved and you sort of cheapen them both. Maybe it is just me, but I am starting to detest the term "Af-Pak" no matter who uses it.  It all fits right in there with calling the Afghans names like "sand nigger" or "rag heads". It belittles the country and the people. Yep, just like Vietnam where the "bad guys" were "gooks". "dinks", "rice burners" or other derogatory names.
Well, no wonder we are losing the wars. When you fail to show any respect to the "enemy" you have lost. Not that "we" could ever "win" this war in Afghanistan any way. We are the invaders, and history has shown that invaders go home at some point. The Afghans have a very long history of waiting out the invaders, they will be there long after we leave also.
Yeah, I know, there I go again, telling folks that history does matter. Explaining that by reading and learning from history we could avoid a great many mistakes that we are still making today. Yes, reading and learning. Oh joy, didn't you just "know" that old charlie would be hauling out that crap again. Well, I did, so either read and learn or continue to fail when you go off on the next fools errand.
No doubt some will take my criticism of the term "Af-Pak" as a minor revolt against the "new" information age, things like "Twitter" or "Facebook" where everything is abbreviated. Well, maybe that is the case. Maybe I am a reactionary in some respects. I still think that by shortening the country names, calling the other people by derogatory names is not the way to succeed. Maybe just call me old fashioned.  I still think that people have the right to be respected and treated as fellow human beings.
Well, enough of me for now. I need to find something to get "enthused" about.
semper fi

State spying operations

You may have seen recent news reports that the famed photographer of the Civil Rights movement has been "outed" as an FBI informer.  Yes, Ernest Withers was a paid FBI informer who not only documented the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. He was a close friend (?) to the likes of Dr. King and the other main players of the struggle for equal rights in America. He was there the day that Dr. King was killed.
That such an intimate of the struggle for civil rights was at the same time an FBI informant should not be a great surprise to us now. We have become much more cynical since that time. At least I certainly have. The 60's was a time of great change in America. It was the height of the Vietnam war and the protests over that imperial war. It was a time of great struggle for equal rights also.
That the FBI had informants in just about every group is now common knowledge. That the same outfits, and now the newer ones, use informants should not be a surprise to any who actually read the news. No, not the idiot box we call the TV set, but real news. By real news, I mean the news one has to search out on the internet since even the "real" newspapers today in America no longer report the "news".
What should bother us all is that the Feds are using informants in any group that even mildly protests anything now days. That they have infiltrated such :organizations" as Quaker anti-war groups should be highly disturbing to any true American. Dissent IS patriotic. Yes, that is a bumper sticker, but it IS the truth also. Even such a "great" leader as Teddy Roosevelt made the statement that it was OK to not support the president in everything. I don't have the exact quote handy.
The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees us all the RIGHT to freedom of speech. It is not un-patriotic to oppose any war.
Another misuse of informants by the Feds and various state governments is the use of such people to infiltrate groups who oppose the drilling of the  Marcellus Shale for the natural gas that may be in that strata of our soil in New York and Pennsylvania.  Why spy on these folks? Well, it now seems that the State, at ALL levels, is going to spy on any group who may interfere in the profit of big corporations. Yes, the government is going to try an shut down any and all protest against big business and the profits that big business might make. Protest a corporation and you are now subject to government spying. Welcome to the "new" America.
Not only does the government spy on us and our groups, they have these informants push these groups into actions that might be unlawful.  Yes, the government informers are, at times, instigators of violence.
I would suggest that this method could have serious long term effects on free speech and any sort of protest, no matter how non-violent the group is. When have the Quakers ever been violent in recent memory?
As a former US Marine and a veteran of the imperial war in Vietnam, I refuse to allow any government to limit my freedom of speech. I will, however, be wary of  those who want to take any protest I am involved with to a level of any physical violence. I refuse to throw rotten eggs at a sign or any other such actions. Throw an egg, go to jail. Even talk of throwing that egg could get one extra surveillance by some agency of the government today.
If a member of your group starts to advocate any physical actions, tell that member they are no longer welcome in your group. Keep the protests peaceful. No doubt that may not be enough to keep from being reported to the Feds, but it still seems to be the best way to go.
Carry signs, talk to everybody, write letters and emails to your representatives, but keep it non-violent. Of course one could end up under investigation any way. Since we now live in the "post 9/11" world, we are all at risk of government interference at any time. The reasons for this? Well, just because "they" can. Since "9/11 changed everything", any reason, even one that is made up, will do. I honestly think the government IS paranoid.  Don't think so? OK, then explain to me why we have TWO defense departments then.
YES, I said TWO defense departments. WHat else is the Department of Homeland Security if NOT a defense outfit? Until 9/11, one would have thought that the "defense" of the United States of AMerica was THE main job of the Defense Department. Well, what the hell did I ever know about such things? Not much it would seem. No sir, we now have a second department of defense. All thanks to 9/11, al-Qaeda, bin Laden, and W. Shrub and his crew of Constitution shredders. All the better to increase the obscene profits of the "defense" contractors, of course. Oh, and never, ever, forget the "too big to fail" crew. THEY must have their piece of the pie, naturally you know.
Any way I look at recent events, all I see is increasing surveillance of the "average" person in our country. We ARE well on the way to becoming a police state.
The other day, I was at the doctor to check on my sinus trouble. In the waiting room, they had the TV set on, it was actually NOT tuned to Faux Noise. Wow, imagine that, a station other than Faux. Well, that was a nice change, they had CNN on the tube. Nearly as bad, but still better than Faux.
The "story" they were reporting on was some school district that was thinking of using finger prints of the school kids in order for them to get their school lunches! What!??!! The kids were going to be fingerprinted so they could have school lunches??!!?? Since when was that a part of the American way of life? I was totally surprised by that story. Unfortunately, I was called back to the exam room before the report was finished, so I missed the school district that was "thinking(??)" about this vile action. Need to do a search of that no doubt. Call me lazy, as I have not done so yet.
Being cynical old me, I had a "second" thought about that story on the tube. That thought was, why not do this? Sure, the kids would suffer the indignity of being fingerprinted, but hell, it is for their own good. Yep, it would keep the "bad guys" from sneaking into the lunch line to get free lunches. Can't have them getting away with "free lunch" ya know. Got to teach them early that there is no "free lunch". The earlier the better.
Also, by having to be fingerprinted before you get your school lunch, you get an early indoctrination into Police State America. It sure as hell looks to be on the way folks. Informants all around us, fingerprinting school kids, being arrested for taking holiday snap shots, all manner of police checkpoints for various reasons. Welcome to the "new" post 9/11 America.
For the record, I am not paranoid about any of this. I will continue to exercise my freedom of speech. If that gets me a visit from the "authorities", well, they will be in for a long session. Ask anybody who has known me for a long time, I can talk for days on end about most any subject. As for giving up names, well, let me see, there is always the likes of "dead eye" Dick, W. Shrub, etc to give to the feds. Let them slog through interrogating me. They will get very frustrated, long before I get tired of talking. That what I would say would be of little or no "real" use is their problem.
In short, resist the coming police state. Do not allow yourself to be silenced because the Feds use informants. If you suspect you have one in your group, feed that person some false information and wait to see what happens. If you have proof that you have an informer in your group, well, out the bastard. Just please, do not stop protesting, do not let anybody silence you. Don't get so paranoid that you quit, if you do, they win, and that would be a huge loss for us all.
A good article on this subject can be found at;
www.tomdispatch.com/post/175303/tomgram%3A_stephan_salisbury%2C_keeping_an_eye_on_everyone/#more
Mr. Salisbury shows just how far we have come towards being a police state. I highly recommend this article to all. Pass it around to your family and friends, it is that good, my opinion.
semper fi

forgot to add

Sorry for this addition. I forgot to add the link to another good article that helps to explain the "tea party".
The next-to-last paragraph really hits the target in my opinion.
Well worth your time. The comments are quite good as well.www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_09/025733.php

semper fi

More random thoughts

Just some more of my "just thinking" after reading the "usual" web sites plus a few links to other information.
What has got the "left" all excited is the win by Ms. O'Donnell in Delaware recently. Yes, she is even nuttier than falin' Palin. Still we need to take a serious look at what drives the "tea parties" today.
They say they are angry, but it seems to me, their anger is either mis-directed or it is not directed at all. I don't see much of this anger being directed in any useful way.
Why are they so angry? Well, for one thing they see the world and particularly, America is changing. Change is frightening to them. Hell, change is sometimes scary to all of us at times. Change isn't always easy either.
A very good article on the change facing America is the article by Mr. Dilip Hiro over at the always outstanding TomDispatch web site. You can find the article here; www.tomdispatch.com/post/175299/tomgram%3A_dilip_hiro%2C_the_waning_of_america_#more
The "tea party" folks see this sort of thing, the loss of American influence in the world and it frightens them. It shakes their core belief of America as the "indispensable" nation, as a certain "Madass" Albright has said of our country.  OK, I admit, I mis-spelled her name, on purpose.  Her comment that the deaths of the Iraqi children from the god-awful sanctions imposed by her, at the time boss, Billy Bob Bubba still make me sick. Anybody who could say, on a national TV program that those deaths were "worth it" has to be a total "madass" in my book.
Back to the decline of America as the "sole superpower", the "tea party" people see this and they don't like it one bit. They bought into the lies about our great "strength" as a nation. They bought into the "idea" that America had some sort of "god given" right to rule the world. That "we" could make the world in our image as it were.
Well, that is not working out so well for us now. True, they refuse to see that it was their "hero" W. Shrub who made the current mess. They DO, for the majority, see somebody "other" occupying "their" White House now. That "other" doesn't look quite like them either. Change. Big time change. Frightening change even.
They don't even need to read sites like TomDispatch to see the changes. Even their "precious" Faux Noise has let them see that the US economy, or what passes for an economy today, is in bad shape. Again, they don't see, don't even want to see, that it all really got the start downhill fast for them began with "saint" Ron of Raygun. They refuse to admit that W. Shrub increased the national debt even more and spent the country into the poor house.
They are willfully blind to the truth. This is due mostly to Faux Noise, where the elephant gang will never be held to account. The TV channel where the donkey gang can do no good. Well, that isn't too far from true as I see it. But the "idea"(??) that the elephant gang is blameless is beyond belief. Or it should be if you have a functioning brain.
The "tea party" folks see how things are not going well for themselves or their family members. They see few decent paying, high skill jobs available here at home. They know that much of the good paying manufacturing jobs have been sent off chore. No, they don't get the truth that the big corporations did this to them, and those same corporations fund their "beloved" elephant gang more than they fund the donkey gang. That is something Faux Noise holds back.
Faux Noise being to real news what the WWF is to real sport, well, that is just those of us who are the "professional" left see things. Yeah, a friend told me that I am a part of that "professional" left. And here I had thought I was more middle of the road. Can I still be any sort of "professional" since I am permanently disabled?
The folks like Limburger, Beck, Hannity, falin' Palin, etc all prey on this fear. They feed the fear of these folks.  Yes, the Koch brothers are behind the "tea party" or so I have read more than once. With the win by Ms. O'Donnell, they just may be wondering if they can maintain control over the creature they created though. So far, her strategy(?) seems to be to follow the "advice" of falin' Palin and only speak on/to Faux Noise. Well, Ms. Angel out in Nevada has used that channel as a fund raiser. Now, I am not a lawyer, don't even play one on TV, but I don't think that is legal. It sure does not seem ethical. But, then, ethics is a foreign language to the likes of Beck, et al.  Just ask all the folks who fell for the "Gold Line" commercials that run on his TV show.
The "tea party" people are very frightened. Hell, they have a right to be so. The country is still in a very deep recession, with no real relief in sight. The influence of America in the world is in decline.  Iran still is defying our demands regards their nuclear reactors. China and Russia have deals with Iran. Even India has defied our demands for stronger sanctions against Iran. Hell, India is supposed to be on "our side".  Remember, W. Shrub made that sweetheart nuclear deal with them and got our bought and paid for Congress to approve. Pushed it through the international nuclear regulatory agencies even. Now India is making energy deals with Iran! Holy crap Batman.
Look at Pakistan. We provide them with all sorts of aid. True, the aid is mostly military, but even so, they don't exactly shoot every Taliban they come across. In fact, Pakistan has long term agreements with the Afghan Taliban.
Home foreclosures are still setting records in America. Jobs are leaving still. People are having to depend on food stamps in ever larger numbers. Homelessness is increasing. Sure, people are very frightened today. With good reason.
If only the progressives could channel this fear and anger into something for good. Oh, wait, yes, I know, stop dreaming. Well, sorry, I will continue to dream. We need to talk with the "tea party" folks and tell them the truth. It may not be easy, they have been indoctrinated by Faux Noise.  Not all these folks are out in the far fringes though. Don't get discouraged if you don't succeed the first time either.
On a more positive note. I found out that some places in America DO have an "instant runoff election" this year even. The story on that is at the following web site.www.inthesetimes.com/article/6434/instant_election_reform
See, there IS some good news out there people. You just need to look for it.
semper fi