Chomsky

I enjoy reading Noam Chomsky and AlterNet has published an interview by Michael Shank which you can read...

Right here

Here is a sample quote:

"Seventy five percent of the population here favors improving relations with Iran, instead of threats. But this is disregarded. We don't have polls from the business world, but it's pretty clear that the energy corporations would be quite happy to be given authorization to go back into Iran instead of leaving all that to their rivals. But the state won't allow it. And it is setting up confrontations right now, very explicitly. Part of the reason is strategic, geo-political, economic, but part of the reason is the mafia complex. They have to be punished for disobeying us."

'bout time

One thing that always bugged me about Donald Rumsfeld was his callous disregard for the welfare of his own soldiers. He sent them into battle without proper training and with insufficient armour, then made excuses rather than commitments to our boys and girls.

I hated that about him. I hated the way he had a machine sign letters to the families of the fallen. And I especially hated hearing how our wounded soldiers were treated.

However, until now I haven't seen signs that Robert M. Gates was any better, and if you don't understand this you don't understand anything. The one thing a potential recruit should ever hear is that his commitment to serve is a one-way commitment.

Unless Mr. Gates is full of hot air, which is always possible in this do-nothing-right Bush administration, then at long last our wounded will be treated with the respect they earned.

"The men and women recovering at Walter Reed and at other military hospitals have put their lives on the line and paid a considerable price for defending our country," Gates said. "They battled our foreign enemies. They should not have to battle an American bureaucracy."

Good words Mr. Gates. May you live up to them.

Full story: Click here

Peace is not the question...

"The searing truth is that in the 20th century, more than 100 million members of the human community, most of them civilian noncombatants, perished in wars. At the dawn of the 21st century, violence seems to be an overarching theme in the world, encompassing personal, group, national, and international conflict. It now extends to the production of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction for use on land and sea, in air and outer space. Real and anticipated conflict is accepted, even glorified, as intrinsic to the human condition, with few questions about whether the structures of thought, word, and deed that we have inherited are relevant to the maintenance, growth, and survival of our entire civilization. Our national policy dialogue is infected with war metaphors: the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on illiteracy, the war on this or that. Our children are immersed in video war games. Our sports are rife with war talk. Our media often glorify war. How did we as a society develop such an ardor for arms? Our Founders, while providing for the Common Defense, did not envision America as a land of conquistadores. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the beginning of World War II, encouraged steadfastness among the American people: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." As the war wound down, FDR aspired to ending the beginning of all wars: "Today we are faced with the pre-eminent fact that, if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships, the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together in the same world, at peace." As we stand on the threshold of a new millennium, it is time to free ourselves, to jettison our illusions and fears and transform age-old challenges with new thinking. We can conceive of peace as not simply the absence of violence but the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution of human awareness, of respect, trust, and integrity. Of peace, wherein we all may tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions that impel or compel violence at a personal, group, or national level toward creating understanding, compassion, and love. We can bring forth new understandings where peace, not war, becomes inevitable. Can we move from wars to end all wars to peace to end all war?"


- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich -

Source: Imagine - Essay on Government

Osama who?

Larry Johnson over at No Quarter points out that while Iran is working with many Shia groups inside Iraq that it is the Sunni that are primarily responsible for killing US troops.

He also analyzes why it is a bad idea to alienate Moqtada al Sadr, rather than try to use him as an ally.

Article: Iran in Iraq

It is an interesting read and it clarifies many aspects of the war in Iraq. It also clarifies how war with Iran would make the situation in Iraq much more deadly for our own troops.

And so it begins...

Border skirmishes with Iran?

Joe Biden once delivered the biting line, "There is no potential for education in the second kick from a mule."

That is all that needs to be said on the subject of attacking Iran.

Progress is progress

One of the first things the Bush administration did when coming into office was scrap the hard work done by former president Bill Clinton on the Korean peninsula. Soon after the president labeled North Korea a member of an "axis of evil" and has refused talks ever since.

The upshot has been that North Korea developed a nuclear bomb amidst Bush's bluster.

Somewhat belatedly someone at the whitehouse arrived at the conclusion that a nuclear-armed North Korea is contrary to US interests. This someone must have decided to eat a little crow, and we sat down with North Korea and hammered out an agreement that essentially restores the Clinton-era policies.

Source: Clinton vindicated

This is a stunning turn of events, since it means that somehow the Bush whitehouse is willing to abandon the perfect (as they see it) for the good. This also means that the whitehouse is willing to change a course that isn't working.

I find this very encouraging news and hope it is the beginning of a new trend, since there are more than a few courses initiated from the whitehouse in need of change.

On this day in history

On this day in history, (February 12, 2006), Vice President Dick Cheney shot Harry Whittington in the face while quail hunting.

Source: People shootin' people

Welcome to corporatocracy

Here's a link to a Liberty News cartoon that promotes a progressive tax code (Windows Media Player required):

Enjoy the fun

On fate if you will

If you believe that there is a supernatural micro-manager in the sky that controls every facet of reality, then that leads to some interesting conclusions.

For instance, there are those that argue that if a thing has happened it must have happened because it was God's will. After all, the logic goes, God is all-powerful and all-knowing. He set the whole works in motion and his will is directing the show.

I suppose you cannot hold that view without believing, then, that the fate of every life is pre-determined and the outcome unavoidable.

Doesn't that mean, then, that thought is inconsequential to action?

After all if you are in the process of raping and murdering a child, say, you must be doing it because it is God's will since it is happening.

Do I have the logic right?

If I do, then wouldn't it be wrong to punish the child molesting rapist in the above scenario since he is carrying out God's will, and furthermore potentially suffers greatly if he is alarmed by his actions yet unable to control them (since they are predetermined by God)?

To use a milder example, aren't the overweight being force-fed by God?

I'll wager that fundamentalists would find this ridiculous, yet how can it be refuted unless an admission is made that the will of Man has meaning?

Would they say that, like the rapist, when they throw him in jail they are also following God's will?

If so that takes some of the nobility out of your deed doesn't it?

If you are to get into Heaven by accomplishing good deeds, however can you point one out that isn't pre-determined and therefore not admissable as morally relevant?

Rene Descarte, discarding everything he was uncertain of, said "I think, therefore I am".

Perhaps God will judge us by our thoughts, then, and not our actions since I am told he is goodly in nature.

This would mean that a child-molesting rapist, who was repulsed by his actions, would receive entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

This would mean that a child-molesting rapist, who delighted in his actions, would receive for his wickedness eternal burning sensations.

What would it mean for the man that delighted in the act, yet knew it was wrong and made sure the molester was jailed, and therefore prevented from harming others?

Why that person would be considered wicked by a morally consistent deity would he not?

I suppose if you hold these views then one way to view the world is as an ethical video game. Your spirit is placed into different scenarios and you are viewing the action but unable to direct it. You score points when repulsed by wickedness and lose points when you enjoy wicked deeds. Perhaps you also score points when delighting in Good deeds and lose them when repulsed by good deeds.

When the game is over perhaps you and God will laugh and laugh at all the silliness you went through (har, har, a bleedin' idiot was your president - how'd you like them apples?).

I wonder what kind of a score you need to have Saint Peter pat you on the back.

The I word

“The degree to which this President continues to take steps to go to war against Iran without consulting with the full Congress is the degree to which he is increasingly putting himself in jeopardy of an impeachment proceeding,”

Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
Source: Old Tricks


If Mr. Kucinich is serious about impeaching the president, then I humbly offer to illustrate "The degree to which this President continues to take steps to go to war against Iran without consulting with the full Congress":

Presidential threat escalation

Vice presidential threat escalation

When you corner a fighter you must either knock them out or combat a desperate attack.

The time for action is short.

John Edwards '08

John Edwards spoke at Riverside Church on Martin Luther King Jr. day. He offers his way forward, interjected with the stunning line, "It's time for America to be patriotic about something other than war."

If he keeps speaking from the heart like this, rather than being manipulated by handlers into a zombie-like parody of himself, he may take Hillary to the woodshed.

John Edwards

Root causes

Much of the trouble in America today can be boiled down to a few root causes.

America, like every nation on earth, is led by the rich and the powerful, or the elites. That is not surprising and it is not alarming. How could anybody be considered powerful unless they were in a position of leadership?

But, America's elites have heretofore ceded power to the judgement, or will, of the American people. They have willingly done this on the strength of two assumptions:

1. That the American people are generally decent, and if given access to honest information will do what is good and what is right.

2. That doing what is good and what is right leads to happiness and Justice for all.

Somehow these assumptions have lost their appeal and we are in a position where the elites, hungering for the spoils of war, have lied to the American people in order to encourage them to support an unjust war for ignoble reasons.

This explains why America is in it's last throes of international respectability, and why we have broken laws we promoted. It explains why we have tortured and renditioned.

Our elites must have lost their faith in strength through Goodness, influence through Goodness, and perhaps even happiness through Goodness.

At home they have robbed from the poor to give to the rich using trickle-up economics packaged as privatization. They are very likely not so stupid as to think their schemes will become a tide to rise all boats, yet they do not seem so smart as to realize their schemes will not secure liberty for themselves or happiness for their families.

Isn't it obvious to everyone that the Bush twins are unhappy? Isn't it obvious that Condi Rice is searching for happiness in shoe stores (as if Imelda Marcos were her guru)? Isn't it obvious that Dick Cheney suffers poor health and that a grimace is as close to a smile as he is likely to get?

When "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, it was about more that playing with a Wii console and watching Oprah on TV. It was a commitment to live for the Good, since experience taught that goodness and happiness were indivisible companions.

Money is a paltry dividend for an investment of happiness. You cannot buy-back one single life lost in Iraq with all the gold in the world.

When you have everything, and yet nothing, that is a life not worth living, and a way of life not worth holding onto.

I can see the suffering of the rich and know full well their response to it is to lash out bitterly at a world that rewarded all their hard work with emptiness.

They need only see their purpose, their talents, are not meant to be a tool to prey on the weak. They are meant as a source of hope, a helping hand towards enlightenment.

They are not, to speak in metaphor, drowning. They are fish.

Charlie Chaplin made a film called "The Great Dictator" to insult Hitler at a time when most of the world viewed him favorably. But, he did much more than insult. He put forward ideas for leading fish to water.

Excerpt from the final speech of The Great Dictator, which you can read here: Link

"The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge as made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in man; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all."

I hope you do not swallow the hook, line, and sinker the next time some salesman comes along peddling privatization schemes and domination strategies. Look first at what is lost and what is gained.

Is your money that good?

Democratic response to State fo the Union 2007

Video of Jim Webb's response to State of the Union Address. Delivered on Jan. 23, 2007.

J.W. to G.W.

Here is a link to a transcript of Senator Jim Webb's response to George Bush's State of the Union Address (SOTU). It makes for good reading, I sez:

We will be showing him the way

I wouldn't hold your breath while waiting for a spirit of bipartisanship to overtake the president.

Here is Bill Sher's analysis of the SOTU and Jim's response:

Heartening Response

Creation

Whenever I make something I try to visualize what the thing ought to be before I begin. This actually applies to more than the making of things, and I have come to use it in the making of myself.

This is why the, "What Would Jesus DO (WWJD)" mantra has appealed to me. For what is it other than thinking about how a thing should ideally be done, and then trying to live up to it?

Other ethical step-ladders along the same lines are, "Be a hero to yourself," or, "Above all to thine own self be true," or, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Well, when the founding fathers were making a nation and they sat down to declare their defiance to a king they wrote The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

I found that I could not reread that document without being ashamed of the United States' actions towards Iraq, since the list of grievances reads like a laundry list of Bush administration activities today.

But, the thrust of this post that I want to address is this: When the founding fathers wished to proclaim their Idea for America they formed a vision of it in their minds and described it in the greatest legal document of all time, The United States Constitution

It is the preamble which still burns with power when I read it even now:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

When president Bush speaks tonight I ask you to ask yourself if he speaks like a man that wishes to...

Form a more perfect union or sow disharmony.

Establish Justice or feed injustice.

Insure domestic tranquility or divide Americans by class, by race, and by religion.

Promote the general welfare or promote minority (monied, neocon, corporate) interests.

Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves or grab power for himself.

The vision of what America has been and should remain exists for all to read and to appreciate. I hope everyone keeps it in mind when the president speaks tonight, then finally the bonds of a long night can be broken.

"Impeach!", sez I

President George W. Bush deserves to be impeached and the reasons keep piling up.

Here is a new one:

The lawyer purge

Is aiding and abetting the destruction of the Constitution a new vote-getting strategy cooked up by democratic strategists in Washington D.C.?

What is the point of waiting to impeach?

Hands together

President Bush has issued his "New Way Forward" in Iraq. It is an idea that seeks more destruction, more killing, more debt, more inhumanity, and more of the same writ larger.

I hope humanity does not follow this apostle of violence, this decider of doom, this false prophet of the apocalypse.

There is an old Chinese proverb which says that if you do not change your direction you will go where you are headed.

Well, where are we headed in this moment?

Are we headed for a world of violent conflict or a world of peaceful coexistence?

Are we headed for a world of economic justice or economic injustice?

Are we headed for a world that meets the needs of the least among us, or a world that is blind to suffering?

Are we headed for a world that seeks gold or the golden rule?

Where are we headed?

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. day of remembrance let us not simply recall his past accomplishments out of habit, but rather revive his live dream for humanity out of hope. Let us revive his work and his philosophy and his dream.

The person in our time which most closely resembles Dr. King in spirit is a white Congressman from Ohio named Dennis Kucinich. If you wish to see how far we are from Martin's dream, watch this speech by Dennis and feel just how many obstacles to his message are erected in your own heart and your own mind to his way forward:

A new dreamer

Where are we headed when such a dreamer with such a message is marginalized by cynicism in our own hearts?

Is it towards that mountaintop that Martin saw?

Go see and hear Dennis speak if you get the chance. You've got to feel his presence to recognize the truth of this, that Martin's dream is not dead and neither is the dreamer.

But a dream needs believers to become reality.

Good music

I think that music is the language of emotion. You cannot describe what it means to be "happy" or "sad" or "in love" to someone that hasn't experienced them, can you?

However, you can get a person to experience happiness simply by playing the right music. At least I know that is true for myself.


Well, for some reason I found a lot of really good music this year, albums I can listen to again and again. Here are a few of my favorites:


If you like folk/bluegrass music and you don't have O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show, then you are missing out on string-band music that is energetic and joyful. They can sing about cocaine killing their honey dead and make it fun. I can't think of a better way to follow up the Bush shenanigans than a song from O.C.M.S.

Take 'em Away

Another folk music gem in my opinion is We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springstein. He takes songs that have been done for decades and reinvigorates them with forceful performances that maintain their dignity. One of my personal favorites is Pay Me My Money Down, which Bruce updates to include a verse for Bill Gates.

How Can I Keep From Singing?

While traveling in the south, specifically in Clarksdale Mississippi at Cat Head, they had a blues artist I hadn't heard of named Precious Bryant from somewhere in Georgia. They had a listening station and I put in the CD and I couldn't believe how good she was. She reminded me of Memphis Minnie and sings just a bit behind the beat in an easy style, which is refreshing after hearing too many female blues artists forced to mimic Mellisa Ethridge and/or Koko Taylor.

Her album is called "The Truth" and I think you should buy it if you want cotton-country blues in an elecro-gadget world.

Timeless and terrific

Another blues artist I listened to and had to have while at Cat Head was Robert Belfour. He had an album there called Pushin' My Luck that was about as simple and honest as blues music gets. Mr. Belfour takes his time and tells us his troubles, mostly involving women and alcohol or a combination of the two, and brings to life the experience of blues.

I Got My Eyes On You

When I first started this blog I wanted to help you face the curtain with a bow, and I hope this is a payment on that debt.

Peace and Love,

U.M.

ATTN DEMOCRATIC LEADERS !!!

Steven C. Clemons of The Washington Note writes:

Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran.

Full story

And Joshua Micah Marshall writes:

More story


And I continue to write, "If president Bush were a traitor or a spy you'd have to admire his competence."

Now do you understand?

While I commend the objectives of Nancy Pelosi in her first 100 hours, as a political strategy I'd say it is an abject failure.

How can I say such a thing?

So far the new Congress has:

A. Reinstated Pay-As-You-Go.
B. Passed corruption legislation.
C. Passed the 911 Commission recommendations.
D. Increased the minimum wage.

Now, as promised, they are forwarding a Stem Cell research bill.

Here is legislation that is going to improve people's lives, which is what good politics is all about.

Here is a story in which a politician makes a promise to voters and then immediately acts to uphold it.

Yet, a perusal of the news indicates that Posh and Beck get more attention.

It is Iraq war withdrawal and opposition to president Bush that the American people want. Until you deliver on that your activity is invisible, no matter how praiseworthy.

To put it metaphorically, it is nice to have a clean bathroom, even on the Titanic. It would be more useful, however, to change the friggin' course and maybe even bring a new captain on board.