What's Really Important Cmon "Leadership" - Give (Us A) Break!
We’ve been told for the last several years the economy is doing just fine. Who still believes that? Who still believes a tax cut benefiting mostly the top one percent of the wealthiest people in the United States, and during a time of war and already costing $800 billion and lasting longer than Vietnam, is a good thing? Who believes the middle class is not under attack, or at the very least, seriously damaged, as money flows into the war machine while much needed social programs for healthcare, education and the like, languish while the Administration suddenly has a very belated awakening to the need for fiscal responsibility?
Our economy is threatened with rising deficits and national debt, the fall of the dollar on the world market, rising inflation, the outsourcing of jobs to other countries, a housing market in recession and the impending foreclosure of a record number of homes across the nation, decreased pay and benefits for American workers, a full blown healthcare crisis, huge gas prices as the price of a barrel of oil rockets toward a record high $100, and the outrageous out of control importation of toxic food and toys from China.
This situation has been powerfully enabled by the appointment of various political cronies, appointed for their political affiliations rather than their competence, to positions of high government leadership. This list includes the now infamous Michael Brown as head of FEMA, Lorita Doan as the Administrator of the Government Services Administration, and Nancy Nord, the controversial acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
One can only begin to imagine how the rapidly rising cost of oil and gasoline will effect inflation. All consumer goods, as well as products of any sort delivered to hospitals, businesses and industry, or anywhere, must all be transported, and that means the use of gasoline, diesel fuel and oil. Add to this the cost of traveling via airlines, railroads, buses, boats and cars, and the cost of heating homes and buildings of all types and uses as winter rapidly approaches.
We all know the price of doing business will be passed on to the consumer; it always is. God forbid that a business or corporation should ever make a little less when prices rise. I envision a lot of people hurting, and soon -- not the very wealthy of course, they are conveniently isolated and safe. I don’t begrudge them that except when they start bitching about taxes and social legislation created to help those who are less fortunate, even as they have enough money to support themselves and all their friends and relatives for the next ten lifetimes!
I apologize, but I must once again interject my second favorite quote, one by Charles Dickens: "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" An awful lot of people had better sure hope there is not a a Day of Judgment!
One last word (I hope) on waterboarding and torture: Malcolm Nance, author of “The Terrorists of Iraq,” and former a U.S. Navy Interrogation instructor says that waterboarding is definitely torture. He went as far as to state on MSNBC's Countdown that it is misnamed, saying it has long been known in the field as the “drowning torture.” He also mentioned a navy seal that underwent the process claiming, it is “sheer pain and panic.” It appears from all I have seen and heard in various news sources over the past several weeks that those personally familiar with the technique don’t believe it to be simulated drowning so much as actual drowning (drowning is a process). This appears in curious contrast to what I heard a Republican pundit on TV refer to awhile back as “splashing some cold water on someone.” Do you think that person would be willing to try it out personally, just to confirm his hypothesis?
Many believe the United States should torture terrorists. I actually heard this from more than one Wally Herger constituent on a town hall conference telephone call a couple of weeks ago, and I didn’t hear our Congressional Representative disagree. Someone needs to remind them that the Geneva Conventions were created with the purpose of protecting soldiers on both sides from torture. And even though I heard Wally Herger himself say that they (the terrorists) already torture our troops, using as his example beheading, I’d remind him that is a form of execution, and not torture being used as an interrogation technique. People who are so glib about the use of torture should remember the consequences for our troops in the field.
As a footnote, I repeat once again, shame on Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the Senate (mostly Republicans) for confirming Judge Michael Mukasey as Attorney General of the United States. I have no doubt he is a very qualified judge and decent individual, however I question the veracity of anyone, especially a judge, who is unable to judge for himself if waterboarding is torture. So much for creating an atmosphere of truth and no politicking in the office of the Attorney General, recently decimated by the tenure of Alberto Gonzales!
Comments
again all we do is set back and watch.we all need to wake up and react in some dam way.
You get the same order of criminality from any government to which you give the power to exercise it.
nice article as usual Steve
wake them up brother
Posted by: Ray | November 17, 2007 05:42 PM
Thanks Ray, and I continue to appreciate you dedication to "the cause" of truth.
Posted by: Stephen | November 17, 2007 07:45 PM
Well Steve here we are again, postering to something over which we have no powers....
I do believe the wealthiest may be the only ones surviving. Seeing ahead, is like going back to ancient times. The man at the top rules. For his entertainment men were thrown into a theatre
to fight to the death. This was amusing to the those who sat in the stands. We are either in the stands or waiting to be thrown into the theater to fight for our life.
All in this Bush regime have been sitting there watching the kills. We have thousands of dead to prove it.
The ruler thinks nothing of it's people, dead or alive as long as he rules and gets his way.
------we have known of many so called rulers who were insane.Makes you wonder, eh?
With the essence of world, contamination in our face, we are imprisoned more with the lies and told to shut up. He will veto against the people.
With Bush throwing us all into the killer ring we are watching the falling of a kingdom.
As far as money.......they had it made of gold..we have paper that we can see shrinking in value to the point that it could dissolve.
When people cannot afford food because their ruler has saved the money to fight his false war to please his father.
Too Late! The father no longer has the respect of the son even though he gave him his crownseat.
I fear, I worry,I cry, I see the blood in the battle fields,it must stop.
enough said?
Steve, no matter how we twist and turn the picture, we the people, worry as you do. There is a sick Ruler at the top who will spend the money for the people's of his kingdom to show he wins this war. He will kill the children, let the starve, lose their homes,have no medical.....Too bad the 2nd in command is even worse.
The Bush should be burning?
Many would like to start the match...
Written: Unknown.....
Posted by: BENITA | November 18, 2007 03:07 PM
The big difference Benita, between now and the past age of monarchies and kings, is that now hundreds of millions of the "peasants" are educated and informed. They/we are in contact with each other via the Internet, the telephone, and a media, that however compromised, still broadcasts enough of the truth to inform.
Though there is much to be cynical and skeptical about, there is also much to be optimistic about as well. The people of this nation are caught in a comfort zone that has created an apathy that has once again allowed the greedy and inherently unloving insecure few to command positions of power. But, this time it will be different. The cork of ignorance is out of the bottle, and however long it takes the sleeping multitude to awaken, they will eventually rise up and lay claim to what is theirs. The present "chaos" just might be that dark "before the new day dawns." It would behoove the powerful few to recall those much-touted words from the bible, "the meek shall inherit the earth," and change their act while they still can.
Posted by: Stephen | November 18, 2007 05:06 PM
We each have our opinion.
The meek are dying, by murder at war, fighting to survive.
I don't think a bible is going to help.......if it did ... it would have worked already.
That was a long response back steve....reason?
Posted by: BENITA | November 20, 2007 11:05 AM
Benita, if you are referring to my response to your first comment being long; it was actually short for me. You well know how long winded I tend to be. Writing has felt very creative lately.
You know I'm not a bible thumper, and I certainly think it's a form of insanity to take any such reference book literally. I don't even understand why so many attach to the structure of religions, rather than simply learn from the messages of great teachers. Too often the teacher gets worshipped while the message pretty much gets tossed as far as actually living it is concerned. I surmise most people aren't much in charge of themselves as yet, and certainly not yet prepared to take on the responsibility of crucifixion (dying to one lower self) and rebirth (transcending to a higher Self).
I understand what you are saying, and I have also become cynical and skeptical about current events, and the state of the world. And yet, I still harbor the hope, and the inner knowledge that we are simply seeing that "dark day, before the new day dawns." One knows the shit often hits the fan before things get better.
We are talking about growth of the soul, as animated by Spirit. And you more than most know how difficult that is. Birthing is never easy.
In the words of an immortal T-shirt I once bought "when one door closes, another always opens, but those hallways are sure a bitch."
Posted by: Stephen | November 20, 2007 05:41 PM