SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

"Support Our Troops." Used early in the invasion and occupation of Iraq as a counter to the growing anti-war movement, this patriotic slogan has since undergone a metamorphosis. As the scores of injured and mentally disturbed soldiers return from the battle fields to their home-towns and try to re-integrate into society, their friends and families are learning that no amount of support can ever heal the psychological wounds that soldiers suffer.

Although I have respect for people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others, I believe heroism should be associated with a just cause. The illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq has caused such widespread destruction that any glory claimed from taking part in cleaning up the mess, should be carefully examined. Don't tell me they are fighting for my freedom, because in my opinion that is pure garbage! The war was sold to the American people with lies and propaganda. Even among the right-wing there are few who will now deny that the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have had much more to with energy resources and geopolitical strategic posturing than anything else.

There is no justification for the illegal, immoral invasion and occupation of a peaceful country.

State Of The Union Address

During the President's speech tonight I noticed something that surprised me. Although, I always thought that illegal immigration was one of the right-wing's favorite personal peeve's, when the President talked about reforming our county's immigration policy, very few of the Republican attendees stood up to applaude; conversely, nearly all of the Democrat attendees were on their feet clapping immediately. The Republican side of the gallery only grudgingly stood up when the President spoke of ending the war in Iraq: why do Republican's love war so much?

Although it has long been my position that both parties have been ripping off the American public for generations, it has been demonstrated that the Democrat's policies lead to a healthier economy and a freer society. It is clear that the right-wing's bottom line is always profits; they appear to be against anything that might threaten corporate profits.

The President's speech was strong and well delivered; he made a lot of sense. By contrast the Republican rebuttal was weak: The Republican's complain a lot about the President's ideas, but they always seem to forget that it was their irresponsible fiscal policies that led to the economic disaster the world is now facing.

SUPREME COURT THROWS OUT LIMITS ON CORPORATE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

The United States Supreme Court shocked the nation yesterday, when it decided to overturn it's own 1907 decision limiting corporate spending in political elections. This decision essentially puts the United States government securely in the pockets of the biggest corporations in  the country! 


It may not be a coincidence that the Court has done this at a time when corporate oversight is more crucial than ever: Health care reform is big in the public's mind and it is no secret that the insurance and drug companies have a lot to lose; Wall Street has been asked to return the money that our "government" gave them just before Bush left office, and they have given most of it away already in executive bonuses; also, it is imperative that we take action globally to prevent the pollution that has led to global warming and could possibly destroy human life on Earth.


With the Supreme Court's latest ruling, any efforts to curb harmful corporate activities can easily be squashed by corporations that feel such efforts will interfere with their profits. Elections will be decided by corporations, who will install whatever politicians best favor their interests.


Democracy in this country is now only a dim memory, if it ever really existed at all...  

World War III, Get Both Sides Of The Story

After reading books such as George Orwell's, 1984, or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and seeing movies with the same general message like Brazil, THX-1138, Wag The Dog, etc., I have had little trust in the mainstream sources for world news. Accordingly, I spend a lot of time looking for alternative information sources whenever I am trying to find the truth on global political matters.

The PAK-ALERT PRESS stands out as an excellent source for independant stories and articles out of the Middle- East and especially with respect to the situation in the region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The photos and stories that I find there, give a realistic perspective to the stark reality of a distant war that most Americans are insulated from by our sterile and impotent media giants.

Here is the article that inspired me to write this: The Anatomy Of America's Defeat In Afghanistan

Blue Man Group On Global Warming

Just for funzies!

A Muse Yourself

Life begins at forty I have heard, but I could be mistaken. Maybe it was "life begins at fired". Both these occurred within about three weeks of each other so my actual delivery date is ambiguous. As far as work is concerned, I can't say I'm really "missing" it. I graduated with a romantic desire to work in some new green technology. My enthusiasm collided with a faltering economy and I ended up working for a Dutch software company writing code to simulate oil field production. OK, I did it for the money. Somewhere between graduating and the job that would kill my passion, someone told me that true responsibility lied in a steady paycheck, health insurance (see Flu as a pre-existing condition), and giving up my bicycle as transportation for a car. I became a proper consuming, polluting, and productive member of society. This is what happens when you do not follow your muse.
First, what exactly is your muse? What they don't tell you is that there are more than one. There are, in fact, nine muses according to the Greeks or Romans. Your choices range from Calliope (epic poetry) to Melpomene (tragedy) and variations in-between possibly involving dancing or playing the flute. I believe we could create more modern versions of these muses such as: Blogonia (politics), Yogaerpe (holistic health), or Ployspamnia (web development). We may even create hybrid muses for specific interests, such as: Thaliablogonia (political humor). One kind of muse you will not find is one centered around social stability or the pursuit of money which brings me back to my last employment.
My boss decided to task me with scheduling lunch hour lectures. My co-workers grew to hate me as my task turned into cajoling them into standing in front of the entire company and talking instead of eating. The upshot was we could talk about anything we wanted with special butt kissing points awarded to anyone who could make our miserable job look exciting. My own lecture was on the compelling topic of "peak oil". For those who are unaware of what this means, it's when the easy oil is taped out and the remaining oil fields become economically unfeasible to develop (think tar sands). The term develop is actually a misnomer. oil is not developed but removed from the ground and replaced with seawater, but developed sounds more creative and innovative. The United States hit peak oil back in the mid seventies. That's why we import so much now. Anyhow, my lecture, complete with graphs and figures, comes to an end and all I see are stunned co-workers and supervisors. "So what you are saying Charley is we are in a dying business?" I hate to give happy go lucky geeks bad news but I thought it might be important. To the main boss this was almost treason. Lectures were meant to raise moral, rally the troops, and to develop a sense of guilt and servitude toward the company. Whatever reason my boss had for terminating my contract doesn't really matter. The point is that I am free. I can only blame myself if I get into another working situation that drains the hemoglobin from my vitals. I might do better becoming a carbon neutral street performer or following the muse of Ecobuskina .

Privilege of Anonymity

Although it is repugnant for me to do so because it has a chilling effect on free speech, I had to change the posting requirements for this web-page. Of course, I am happy to receive any and all comments here, and I will only censor spam (i.e., repetitive duplicate posts), hate speech, or obscene material. I believe the privilege to publish one's opinion anonymously is central to any functioning free society. Nevertheless, as this blog becomes more popular, it becomes increasingly difficult for me to moderate appropriately. I hope the new policy doesn't discourage too many people from posting here. Anyone who is interested in becoming an official contributer to this forum please feel free to send a writing sample to my email address.

Bloggers, please feel free to leave links with your comments.

As always, I am grateful for your participation!

World War III

How does one make a distinction between "occupation" and "invasion"? It should be obvious right? Most would immediately say that an occupation is temporary and an invasion permanent.  But, let us look more closely at these words.

My Encarta Dictionary tells me that the first definition of "occupation" is "1. the job by which somebody earns a living." That makes sense when I think about what the United States is doing in the Middle-East. But wait, we're talking about a military action, right? The traditional military use of  the word "occupation" according to Encarta, is "4. MILITARY the invasion and control of a country or area by enemy forces."  Hhmmn, there is nothing there about leaving the invaded country...

The order by which Encarta lists the definitions for any given word are supposed to be representative of the commonality of their usage, so I was not surprised when I looked up "invasion" to find that the first definition was perfectly military in its application, "1. a hostile entry by an armed force into a country's territory, especially with the intention of conquering it."  Again, there is nothing here about leaving the invaded country. I like this word better for a description of what our country has done in the Middle-East; there is no deception with this word.

Of course our troops in the Middle-East are planning to leave...just as soon as they are done building a few more permanent military bases. Just like in Viet Nam, our presence there will eventually change the culture into a more "American friendly" place to be. The US military never had a plan for "leaving" Iraq, because that is not what an "invasion" is all about.

Let us use words that convey the true meaning of our actions in the Middle-East when we talk about our "enterprises" there. And let us not pretend that we are conducting "police actions" or "occupations"--this is not a "war on terror." We are in the middle of nothing less than World War III! How many nations are involved in this global power struggle? I think they all are...

Please leave your comments below.  Especially if you disagree with me!

Israel Admits Stealing Organs From Palestinian Corpses

Apparently, after some hemming and hawing the Israeli government has finally admitted to stealing organs from the corpses of dead Palestinians. Why is this not surprising to me? The Israeli government has committed countless war crimes against the Palestinians, and they show no signs of changing their ways. This story has barely been reported in the United States, so I thought I would make a point of mentioning it here.

As always, I welcome your comments.

DeGeneres To Palin On Gay Marriage Ban

Although I see her as one of those "centrist" liberals, I fully agree with Ellen DeGeneres on this subject.



If there are still conservatives who will debate with me that the right-wing is the enemy of freedom in the United States, I would love to hear your comments on this...

Wedding Photographer Ordered to Pay Same Sex Couple

It appears that the photographer, a Christian, felt that it was against her religious beliefs to photograph a same sex couple who later brought a civil suit against her for discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Taos judge agreed and ordered the photographer to pay the couple $6,600+. The case is on appeal, of course.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/judge_upholds_ruling_against_photographers_who_declined_work_at_homosexual_ceremony/