Hank Osborne's Blog

Hope

Hank William Osborne — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:26:18 EST

There is real hope for the new administration waiting in the wings.

The fresh promise that an Obama presidency offers our nation does bring solace to many.

The media has reported concerns about the prospects of recovery from the current crisis, when we must at the same time cope with a transition in government at the highest level and all that entails.

This is real.

I remember when Watergate forced Nixon to suddenly resign in 1974 - the concerns were salient in all quarters in those dark days. I think confusion about leadership can be a problem at times in this country. There was the debacle in the media from Alexander Haig's suggestion that he was "in control" after Reagan was hospitalized because of the assassination attempt.

We as a people are in this together, and we have an investment in working together to make our nation all the things we know it can be.

Keep the faith and work together, no matter what. Let's live with, and through, our hope.

HWO

Time to roll-up those sleeves

Hank William Osborne — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:44:24 EST

Now is the time to begin the work helping our new president with this new administration. You can help - you only need to ask.

You only need to glance around to see that hearts and minds are changing in this great nation.

Words actually failed me as I am writing this post to my blog - quite a rare happening if you know me.

What can I say?

Well, I remember being in the local Democratic HQ of our town, standing there on that warm night in November with my fellow volunteers, listening intently to Barack's speech - truthfully it seemed too intense an experience at times - and I was reduced to a child-like state.

And for me the only practical thing at 11:55 PM on November 4th was to remain to be quiet and take it all in. I just stood there exchanging good vibes with those in the crowd - letting it be as it was and unfold as it should.

So there we were in Mansfield, Ohio near the public square and city park, looking at the TV monitors in those rooms at the Democratic headquarters, and I realized some of us older supporters (I.m 55) began to remember history. Right then at about midnight I think millions were seeing the outlines forming of a better America - a better society - seeing the better part of us.

We are seeing already what good might come, and we know that there is work to be done.

HWO

Who Owns the Economy?

Hank William Osborne — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:55:34 EDT

This is not a rhetorical question. Who owns our economic system - our economy?

If it is the US worker, then she/ he will take the day in the next three weeks or so. If it is the old-hat paradigm of banks/ bankers/ systems of market appreciation-depreciation which own our economy, then a crippling recession and hyperinflation-deflation scenario will rule, and 95 percent of us will suffer very bad consequences. If the old ways dominate we may truly see the return of Depression-era events.

Look at the history of the 1930’s – read the history – and see for yourself. It’s very sad.

But I am hopeful for a real change in our nation – but you, me, all of us – we need to act.

I’m 55, the child of parents that saw the gritty after-effects of the Great Depression; and I heard my parents tell in graphic terms about scenes of foreclosures; and heard them report what massive unemployment in actual fact means for families. I listened to my mother’s account of being forced to sell personal belongings, how there was a loss of family treasures because of economic need; and so I was made to understand how American families had to make the long march back from the brink. I have heard real people tell about what it means when folks suffer in this way; and what the practical consequences are for individuals when a nation suffers economic melt-down.

You don’t want to go there – believe me.

GM stock trading at a 1950’s level reveals the truth in having the tail-wag-the-dog schemata in place today. Under George Bush we have seen the strengths of this nation’s economy and industry gutted by an overweening concern for maintaining the false-promise of unbridled greed; and we have witnessed the consequences of having the current administration sitting on its haunches the last eight years. Today we have Billionaire tycoons and CEO’s riding along on their Golden Parachutes while they reign supreme on Wall Street. On television I see people in suits constantly applauding at the end of the day – they smile and clap every single time at the close of business on the NYSE – even when there is an almost 3000 point drop in less than two weeks.

When a woman making minimum wage sees her retirement savings nearly wiped-out in a fortnight, is that reason to smile? No way!

Some say the world economy cannot be seen with any level of competence or accuracy – it is talked about sometimes like a Sphinx or occult mystery that will take us inexorably to some hidden future.

No, no, no. We are not pawns in some unknown and unknowable future. This is not acceptable.

We can make our own future, our own history – right now.

Let’s make history, you and I, millions of us, by voting with our heart and minds for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I voted already: the Obama-Biden team has my vote in the bank as it were.

Let’s not allow this time around for the GOP to take us down a road to perdition and perfidy using illusory practices and constant kowtowing to free-market ideology; but instead let the US worker and the People of the United States to make the White House a place for good people, smart choices, and honest-brokering; and no longer allow the highest office in our nation to remain a place of flippancy and lies-within-lies.

Vote for Barack Obama – it is in your hands – today.

Hidden messages...

Hank William Osborne — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:20:24 EDT

Each day we encounter signals from others; just little messages in the air we snag from fragments of conversations we are necessarily connected with. In the United States almost every kind of conversation seems available for reading things into; and those words can often be used for ill by strangers hearing tidbits of what is said from a distance.

It's like a constant little game of figuring out what's going on: I heard that she/ he was not happy about xy, or she/ he became ecstatic when they heard xyz. In the political world, right now, this year more than ever, it is the unsaid but not unknown things that circulate around that do harm to the vital political process where we will elect a U.S. President.

Buckle-up, strap-in, get ready, and in every place, on every day, we must push-back the lies and half-truths about our candidate. Never give in, never surrender to the waves of pernicious words and outpouring of slander.

Senator Barack Obama is a good man, a great leader; and his shining light of honesty and hope can help us working within the campaign to continue to "do the right thing" - to remember to keep going out as honest folk trying to make progress every single moment - and so we encourage each other to go all the way until November 4th.

Then, after November 4th. we will have made a mighty, humane, progressive, socio-political movement that will give us what I think we really desire; access to that deep-seated yearning for human connections, open doors to an amazing diversity in our lives, and most of all, we will be well on the way to succeeding in finding paths of reconciliation in the oldest conflicts.

These are the best days of our lives.

Words...

Hank William Osborne — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:56:03 EDT

Why little words and almost any snippet of discourse will now cause very odd, even magical, effects in this political season, might simply be due to the high-noise level and onslaught of information we are subjected to by media wonks and politico-specialists. This communication environment is unusually harsh; and often we are forced to give nearly automatic replies to what they are hearing. Let's consider making sense of things; and avoid resorting to kneejerk response and reactionary thinking.

Why, just why?

Hank William Osborne — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:24:57 EDT

The questions are perennial ones.

Why does it matter, and what difference does it make if Barack Obama wins rather than McCain?

Our answers as supporters and faithful progressives can be posed as counter-questions, such as: how could it not matter, and why are you unaware of the importance of this election?

These 'answers' seem to suggest the message is not quite getting through (in Ohio anyway).

But I believe that is illusory; and that what we do does matter; and yes we can get the message out in time.

Today is the start of the rest of our lives - live the day - seize the time - garner inspiration from Barack - and make a difference.

HWO