This is an interview with San Diego Assistant District Attorney, Steve Walter from the local Public Broadcasting Service's local station.
(A link to the original source, which includes an audio version can be found after the full text.)
MAUREEN CAVANAUGH (Host): Now what constitutes the difference between a drug dealer and a legitimate provider of medical marijuana?
WALTER: It’s a very difficult question. The law itself, when I say the law I’m talking about Prop 215, SB-420, and the AG’s guidelines, as well as the case law. In essence, you have to be either a user or a qualified patient or a caregiver for such a patient.
Wow. So according to the San Diego District Attorney's Office, "a user" is "a legitimate provider of medical marijuana." That's really disturbing as I have obtained/do obtain all of my medical cannabis from Medical Cannabis Caregivers/ Legal Patients. These are the ones that Walter himself oversaw the aggressive arrests of. I guess going on the above quote, he believes that any one ELSE, just so long as they 'use marijuana' is a responsible, law abiding, trustworthy source for the medication I use for my healthcare. Great.
Terrorist Attacks On Medical Cannabis Patients Continueby 921 » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:34 pm Unfortunately it appears that despite her claim to care about "Medical Marijuana Patients", San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and her armed militia continue to wage war on San Diego's most defenseless...I received this report from an anonymous Medical Cannabis Patient/ Co-Op Member just today:A narcotics officer came in last night and demanded the administrators personal information. he would not leave until we gave it to him. he said he was getting all admins personal info for records and that the "task force" was going to be sending letters, that's why he needed it. I know he went to Mother Nurture and a couple others in SD. I feel it is a ploy to get their personal info so they can raid their houses along with their businesses. If you could post this all over for me, it would help others.I fear that those suspicions may be correct. In addition to above report and what I perceive are truly medical cannabis patients asking for help, I have noticed a whole new influx since 9/9/2009's raids. People I have never met or even "chatted with online" are emailing me asking where to get medical cannabis, asking where I live and telling me about buying marijuana off the street. People are posting "reviews" on the BCC section on WeedMaps insinuating that the Collective was anything but a legitimate Medical Collective. I post about BCC possibly opening back up and the suspicious emails increase instantly and the forum is hit with what I assume are links to possibly illegal, pornographic websites. And even though I've done countless hours of volunteer work to support local law enforcement families & officers and even though I may not live to see next year thanks to Cirrhosis (and other currently fatal health issues) - I am afraid that at any moment the door to the apartment I can't afford will be kicked in and I will be put in a jail cell even though I have not knowingly broken any California State Law.If this is how Bonnie Dumanis CARES for me and other Medical Cannabis Patients, I'd rather she ignore us, because she's far worse than any of the diseases that are killing me.~ "921"
Terrorist Attacks On Medical Cannabis Patients Continue
by 921 » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:34 pm
A narcotics officer came in last night and demanded the administrators personal information. he would not leave until we gave it to him. he said he was getting all admins personal info for records and that the "task force" was going to be sending letters, that's why he needed it. I know he went to Mother Nurture and a couple others in SD. I feel it is a ploy to get their personal info so they can raid their houses along with their businesses. If you could post this all over for me, it would help others.
http://www.sandiegobcc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50
As a member of society, I vote in this country as it is my right. I do my civic duty when I am called for Jury Duty; its a responsibility to our fellow citizens that we all should serve when called.
I believe that just like jury duty, public servants such as senators, governors and members of the house have a civic responsibilty to their fellow citizens. However, these days the elected officials are answering to citizens of a different kind, the corporate citizen. They are doing this to the detriment of the people in this country who need protection the most, the average citizen. I used the word protection in the previous sentence for a reason. Many times the corporate citizen's desires are in opposition to the average citizen's desires and basic rights. The average citizen needs protection from the corporate citizen. If a mutualy beneficial coexistance cannot be obtained, then it is the corporate citzen who should suffer, and not the real American Citizens for whom this republic was founded.
I want my elected officials to do what is right and proper for humanity, not what is wrong and profitable for greed! We need to change the lobbying rules and what is allowed to go on in this realm of politics. What ever happened to serving your country because you loved it and loved the poeple? What happens when greed, like a parasite kills it's host? Where will the citizens be left then?
We simply need to put our people first in everything that we do, and I hope that this simple message reaches those who would represent us. Simply take all the extraneous things out of the process of making laws, and focus on one thing - the people. With everything you do, ask yourself does this hurt or help our people, and if the answer is help people, then do it. If the answer is hurt people, don't do it no matter how much the greedy corporations want you to.
The election is over, the innaguration actually happend and now it is time to work.
The change that so many worked for, will only take place if the American people change the way they see this country and the world. We cannot sit back and watch as things spiral out of control and expect the President to "fix" everything. As citizens of this great land, we must stay engaged in our communities from HOA's all the way to the Federal Government. The greatest injustice in this country is the lack of understanding that citizens have of how our country HAS operated, so that we can dictate how we SHOULD operate.
As the economic crisis come to light, people are going through great lengths to protect secrets that keep us misinformed and divide us. The greedy do not want to see anything change, because there is nothing wrong in THEIR world. So they use citizens that are afraid of change, even if change is in their best interest, to do their bidding.
For example, how many CEO's, corporate raiders and extremely wealthy people participated in the tea-bag movement? If anyone is going to be affected by the change in tax policy, they will. But intstead, the rank and file citizenry are the ones protesting (in fact, many had to take off work, imagine that) when the reality is that the President's policies will help them in the long run.
There is nothing wrong with protesting or voicing an opinon about out government, but I always wonder if that is a real solution? No one ever suggest alternatives and if you asked people what they want, many could not give you a coherent answer.
Critics of the President often say that our "Change" slogan was a facade for him to get elected, yet they don't realize that the fact that we know what he is doing is a big change and that change is a two-way street. If we want to sit back and let our leaders to change the country for us then we need to establish a Monarchy. I personally do not plan on taking that course of action, I figuring out what I am going to do and then do it!
(On another note if Jeb Bush becomes President one day, we may have to re-define our "free-democracy)
Dear President Obama: I am concerned. I am concerned that the "compromise" that is going to emerge from the congress will come up way short largely because the funds are just not there to give our economy the jolt that it needs. I know that you hold bipartisanship way up on your list as one of the noble principles to adhere to. But lets look at the facts. The people who are cutting this legislation short are the very same people who have screwed up this country time after time - the Repubs and the Blue Dog Dems who are Repubs Lite. Now what do you think they are going to say when our economy continues to fail because the soon to be current stimulus fails and possible fails dismally?As citizens continue to loose their lives they will start turning for new answers and guess who is going to step up and promise them "solutions." The very same "jackals" who are hamstringing the bill.You must call this for what it is immediately and explain to the Citizens of this country who have put their faith in you (including myself) how and why this bill is just a first step and that there will be numerous and necessary follow-up bills that will be necessary in the immediate future that will address our severe economic problems.If not, the "Jackals" will most certainly attack you and claim that your failures are due to your policies, not their policies. Your approach is the right approach if it is executed as intended. I think that bipartisanship is secondary to making sure that things get done right. The Repubs are all about making sure that it get done wrong. We can not afford that.
Your Loyal Supporter and Concerned Citizen
Eben Goresko
It’s time for a serious economic conversation in the United States. We hear politicians all over the news on both the Democrat and Republican sides, but it is time for the citizens of the America to think for themselves and stop believing everything that they see on the news. What’s going on in the Congress, the DNC and the RNC right now are political games to put it politely.
We elected for change… but we must remember that a large percentage of people that voted in the United States also voted against Obama. The RNC is on its last leg and there is only one way for them to survive… that is to make Obama a failure. They are seeking to destroy Obama’s creditability as quickly as possible (You can tell the name of the game by watching Fox News or Hannity). At the same time there are big power struggles going on in the DNC to keep Obama in line with whatever they want. Remember, Obama never really got support from the Democratic Party (for the general election the DNC hardly raised a dime for the Obama campaign, even when the RNC raised millions for John McCain)…. His success came out of a support from the people (internet contributions and donations from the famous and rich). Because famous people supported him the media supported him…, but the media never really like him. The truth is that Obama’s policies threaten the powers-that-be in Washington (because when ordinary people begin to exert their power that upsets the social Darwinism philosophies that most power-players operate on). Companies that spend most of their time buying politicians have to subdue the Obama administration in order to bring-in projects and money from the government on the backs of the every day citizens.
When these politicians talk about their different methods for fixing the economy they all use words that never helps the average person understand what will or won’t help in the end.
What is the National Debt? It is the money barrowed from either another country or itself from future income from taxes from its citizens’ children.
What is the real solution to the economic crises? Companies’ are playing big games with the lives of normal people (social Darwinism at its best). To defeat the power they have average citizens have to do what Kind did with the civil rights issues and boycott certain companies that are playing these games and then redirecting their support to either companies that will support job production or give their support to smaller businesses that exist and do the same things the big companies do (this will catapult the small companies into the major leagues of the stock market and force the other companies to compete by conforming to the people’s needs or buy the new companies out keep the same pro-American job policies).
The other goal is to push Congress to create and support laws that will help job creation within the United States and aid those who have lost their jobs because of these political games. Let’s have no misunderstanding here… the United States doesn’t lack productivity, workers, or finances. There are 360,000,000 million people in the United States, we have a 20 percent unemployment rate which depending upon the work force. If the work force is half of the population, then the number of unemployment is 72,000,000. The stimulus plan just reached $925,000,000,000 billion dollars which if given to every unemployed worker $12,847 is enough to re-stimulate the economy in a heart beat. Those who have credit card and mortgage debts will repay them… those that without debts will put there money in banks (thus supplying them with investment money) and others will spend the money in the auto industry (solving that problem by busting the companies and creating jobs), create small businesses that will give lower income families money and the final group will invest the money into the stock market (at least 128 shares of a 100 dollar stock per investor) and cause the NASDAX to skyrocket. So the real power is in the hands of the people to solve their economic troubles and politicians (the people’s reps) to support them.
Many will jump to say that this is a socialist philosophy, however, the government giving companies money and calling it a bale-out is a socialist philosophy.... one that Republicans had no problem supporting before. Yet when it comes to saving the jobs of thousands of Americans and aiding those hurt by the recession they say it is un-American... when that is the most patriotic thing we can do.
"I occassionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world and yet I ask you: Is not a alien force already among us?" President Ronald Reagan
"The Third World War has already started. It is a silent war, Not, for that reason, any less sinister. The War, is tearing down America, Latin America, Brazil and practically all the Third World. Instead of Soldiers loosing their lives, Civilians are loosing their jobs, their homes and their money. It is a war over debt and one which has its main weapon, INTEREST, a weapon more deadly than a laser beam, more shattering than the Atom Bomb! This weapon, if it is not curtailed in its infancy will perpetuate until Future generations will wage war against indefinitely. Counter-measures must be established immediately so this minion of a virus does not become an unstoppable juggernaut."
If you doubt this statement or believe its some far-fetched idea, examine how Wallstreet, GM and select banks failed and were bailed out by the Treasury Department as the Federal Reserve stood helplessly aside as these banks and lending institutions were purchased by larger banks? Why didn't the Federal Reserve bail out its greatest ally Wallstreet? How could it stand quietly by when failing banks NEEDED their 'Reserve' funding? The answer . . . Big fish eat small fish and with that in mind, remember what President Thomas Jefferson once said "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." Is this idea being manipulated and realized through the use of interest?
Economics have been deliberately neglected throughout our education system, particularly among the public education system and many institutions of higher learning also avoid teaching Monetary Theory. Educating the masses about Money and the Banking system is extremely important and can be helpful for many people that are purchasing high priced products, starting their own businesses and planning the future for themselves and their families. The world awaits a new leader in Washington. A leader that will be the active representative of the people of America through a Global perspective. The decisions our new President will bring and the causes he will support & impliment will be closely scrutinized by other Countries and Nations. The reactions of the people will also be viewed and publicized globally.
The way we address and support the Nation of Isreal will be crucial because OPEC nations will be watching particularly close and will deal with us based on how we relate with them. Therefore, the American People must be resolute and have a primary, collective view of Israel as well for us to better support our President's decisions.
Q: What is the PRIME cause of debt?A: Interest & Usury laws
Q: Why do governments need to borrow money when it can create interest free money itself?A: Banking system is creating digital money out of thin air from loans.
Q: How can we create money that circulates permanently, so it doesn't have to be paid back with interest?A: By increasing the value of the item money is being spent on, so that interest is reversed onto the borrowers favor.
Q: Is there currently a way to build a sustainable economy today?A: By discarding the application of Usury and the laws that banks currently use to offset the balance through interest.
Q: HOW CAN WE REPAIR THE NATIONAL BUDGET/DEBT?
To accomplish this goal we must duplicate & employ methods and measures that have worked in the past under similar circumstances.
In 1694, International Banker William Patterson obtained the Charter for the Bank of England when he proposed raising the 1.25 Million Pounds to be lent to the British government. Only 750,000 pounds was received and the newly formed Bank of England began lending money to the government shorly afterwards.
They secured the debt by direct taxation of the people.The government had no fixed period to repay the loan and interest would be paid in perpetuity. Patterson & the government agreed that "The Bank has benefit of interest on all loans". This was the big mistake England would later regret and many countries fell into this same trap. England then bagan financing and repaying War debts and also Borrowing more money again and again.
At first the Colonies avoided this trap by using Colonial Script (a totally Fiat currency) and exchange worked reasonably well until this same principle was applied.
Today. . . . With the advent of the mybarackobama.com donation accounts currently being used for fundraising, the general Public has access to finance the election of the President; the next step would be to provide for Public Works and Means.
If the funding for these multiple accounts were combined into One PRIME account (Universal Citizen's Dividend), OR, if a small of each account was continually added to a SINGLE account that could still be monitored by everyone, Government spending could become better controlled and waste could be prevented, likewise, the People could regulate where the needs would be best applied. Communities could increase "their" VALUE by adding more to their local committees or programs as these funds are directed towards that means.Taxes Federal & State, Social Security, Treasury, Donations, etc., if monitored properly would reduce frivilous spending. The people would be more incline to pay or donate because they would receive the BENEFITS. Perpetual Debt would be converted to sustainable income to maintain a functional society and the rate of forclosure would be lowered. This would also assist with the failing Social Security system and the Treasury would control the amount of money in circulation while the Federal Reserve notes are being replaced with Treasury items (Notes, Bills, Bonds, Etc.).
I would welcome any suggestions you have of possibilities that may fill in any gaps with this theory, after all, The more Great Minds are working together, the better the outcome.
Together, we can make change happen.
Thank you for your support!
I hear a lot of talk about citizen participation and public engagement, such as enabling citizens to track government decision-making and comment on it.
I'd like to offer some useful distinctions between
A colleague sent this letter to congresspeople and made a suggestion that I post it to the Barack Obama and Joe Biden supporters.
Dear As a member of Common Ground NYC I would like to propose an amendment to the very unpopular $700 Billion Bailout Bill that was passed by the U.S. Senate on October 1, 2008 and which will provide assistance to ailing financial institutions during this current economic crisis we all face. The purpose of this amendment would be to equitably distribute the cost of the bailout to every taxpayer as a citizen's dividend in the form of equity in those institutions for which the citizens of the United States will be providing this most needed assistance. The following is my proposal: • Any financial institution receiving Federal assistance as a result of the passage of the bill will, in return for that assistance, liquify all of its stock. • The Federal Government will then issue and distribute the value of the bailout given to each financial institution to every individual and joint tax filer as of April 15, 2008. • The method of distributing this citizen's dividend will follow a procedure similar to the stimulus package that was recently received by all taxpayers. The difference will be that this distribution will be in the form of stock in the financial institutions for which U.S. citizens have provided assistance. • Every joint tax filer of record will receive twice the amount of equity as an individual tax filer. • No citizen despite his or her income level will receive more or less than any other citizen. • The stock may be sold immediately upon receipt or held at the sole discretion of the stockholder of record to be sold or traded at a later date. In closing I would like to say that I believe that this proposal will make the passage of this bill appear more fair and palatable to the majority of United States citizens and that your willingness to promote it will benefit your career in politics. Respectfully, Harvey Newman 700 Columbus Avenue Apt. 3D New York, NY 10025 212-666-8956 hl_newman@yahoo.com
It is essential during these tumultuous economic times that the opportunity not be lost to take a new, citizen-focused approach to American economic poiicy.
Since Ronald Reagan and for almost 30 years, the economic policy of the United States has been to assist and aid BIG BUSINESS at all costs. Whether it be the Savings & Loan debacle of the early 80s, or various financial industry bailouts, the Republican philosophy is that ORDINARY PEOPLE must work, but be limited in their access to capital. So for years, big business has siphoned all of the available capital from society by paying extraordinarily low wages to workers in order to retain maximum profits and through enjoyment of a shift of tax breaks from regular working people over to large corporations and the wealthy. With this huge pot of capital, big business has taken to investing it NOT in America, but in risky hedge funds, overseas expansion and each other.
Obama and the democrats need to lead a new economic policy movement that does not shy away from asserting that capital must be shifted back into the hands of ordinary Americans. Despite the Republican elitist theory that only the rich should be entitled to handle and invest capital, economic history shows that the country is far more stable when ordinary Americans collect, retain and invest capital. Small businesses, family-owned investment real estate, retirement accounts and stock investing by individuals is a powerful economic force and comprises the majority of the annual gross national product of this country. It is not safe for any country to centralize its capital into a few banks or a few insurance companies or a few communications companies or a few giant discount retailers.
We've seen what happens when the economy is turned over to elitists and grotesquely overgrown companies who are out-of-touch and inefficient. Furthermore, no small business owner enjoys the prospect of zero risk, of socialized bailout if they fail. When a small business fails, the owner is held accountable and severely punished in the market and by the government.
Take this 700 billion dollars and run it through the Small Business Administration. Start a trust, start an SBA lending bank--whatever it takes. 700 billion dollars given to the PEOPLE will strengthen the economy a lot more than saving malignant and corrupt organizations that have already proven themselves unworthy of existence. We should not be afraid of their failure and we should not feel sorry for them. They failed, that is the way it is in a free market. Return taxpayer money back to the taxpayers and in doing so, you will revive the American dream, you will restore the entrepeneural spirit in this country and you will restore the economy.
Even if that 700 billion was used for the sole purpose of establishing socialized health care, it would still serve to take the "bad debt" of millions of Americans owing medical bills and shift it to the government. With the money Americans no longer have to pay for health care, they could invest, obtain educations, purchase things and revitalize the American economy that way. ANYTHING is better than spending that money on these failed, greedy, corrupt financial institutions. How could anyone think that the only way to save our economy is to give MORE money to companies which had all of the money they could want, but still squandered it? Drug dealers cannot be nominated to get people off of drugs and financial institution officers cannot be nominated to fix the financial crisis.
Senator Obama and democrats must redefine what is going on in today's markets and start leading the charge to return capital back to citizens. Just like Jack crawled up the beanstalk to retrieve the people's hoarded wealth and defeat the giant, we must reach up through this rare opportunity of a presidential race coinciding with historic economic rehabilitation and snatch back conservatorship of the capital generated by the efforts of the American people.
Read more: Ettringer Media Blog
Even though it may not look like it or feel like it, you are making progress.
Continue working towards progress instead of perfection.
Nothing or no no one is perfect.
Just keep taking steps.
Keep making those phone calls.
Continue following your plan.
Remain focused on your goal.
Do what you have to do right now to get to the next level.
Complete every task.
Keep every promise and commitment.
Don't look back.
Let no one weaken your walk of faith and determination.
Remain teachable.
Place yourself in a blessing position by associating with people on-the-grow.
Talk with teachers.
Walk with winners.
Climb with champions.
Study successful people.
Something great is about to happen for you!
Start giving thanks right now before you can even see the outward manisfestation of your prayers and desires.
Everything you do from this day forward will take you further away or closer to your potential for successful living.
-by Dr. Jewel Diamond Taylor, Motivational Speaker & Author
The movie I.O.U.S.A. boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. As the Baby Boomer generation prepares to retire, will there even be any Social Security benefits left to collect? Burdened with an ever-expanding government and military, increased international competition, overextended entitlement programs, and debts to foreign countries that are becoming impossible to honor, America must mend its spendthrift ways or face an economic disaster of epic proportions.
Coming to a threatre near you on August 21, 2008. Check the trailer out!
http://www.iousathemovie.com/
A must see for all voters who care,
Marie
PS. Now for our commerical break in Accuracy and Truth: please click the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgF39TRCPPE
In a word, YES, for a variety of reasons, not least the following:
1. Everyone, no matter who they are, would be eligible to do service for the country. It would be expected, accepted and be part of the national fabric of society. Drafting is good for building character, instilling discipline, self esteem and the confidence to lead others and also to take directions. It is a golden opportunity for young men to train to be more effective and socially aware people, which would lessen the emphasis on the current 'me' culture. It also helps each soldier to be more socially skilled at a younger age, especially in a multicultural group, and should help to break down interpersonal barriers much earlier in life.
2. Currently defence of the nation rests mainly on the shoulders of volunteers, men and women who are prepared to give their lives for their country, risking the ultimate for their beliefs etc, often with little thanks for that loyalty and patriotism. That is an unequal burden that keeps the number and availability of service manpower at the mercy of those who wish to take up the armed forces as a career. This is not the best situation for such a large country as the US, especially in times of conflict. It also encourages resentment among those whose sons and daughters are dying and the rest who have not contributed as much to keeping the country safe.
3. By having the draft back, everyone will be encouraged to participate in a shared purpose of national defence, while being encouraged to be better citizens. Most families will have greater understanding of the sacrifices involved and, above all, youngsters will be given a greater sense of purpose from an earlier age which should improve social behaviour, personal development and personal perception relating to their own value in the scheme of life, especially in relation to their peers.
“The topic today is an adversary that poses a threat, a serious threat, to the United States of America. This adversary is one of the world’s last bastions of central planning. It governs by dictating five-year plans. From a single capital, it attempts to impose its demands across time zones, continents, oceans and beyond. With a brutal consistency, it stifles free thought and crushes new ideas. It disrupts the defense of the United States and places the lives of men and women in uniform at risk. Perhaps this adversary sounds like the former Soviet Union, but that enemy is gone; our foes are more subtle and implacable today. You may think I’m describing one of the last decrepit dictators of the world. But their day, too, is almost past, and they cannot match the strength and size of this adversary. The adversary is closer to home: It’s the Pentagon bureaucracy.” “An average American family works an entire year to generate$6,000 in income taxes. Here we spill many times that amount every hour by duplication and by inattention.” “Our financial systems are decades old. According to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions.” “We must change for a simple reason – the world has – and we have not yet changed sufficiently. The clearest and most important transformation is from a bipolar Cold War world where threats were visible and predictable, to one in which they arise from multiple sources, most of which are difficult to anticipate, and many of which are impossible even to know today.”
“The topic today is an adversary that poses a threat, a serious threat, to the United States of America. This adversary is one of the world’s last bastions of central planning. It governs by dictating five-year plans. From a single capital, it attempts to impose its demands across time zones, continents, oceans and beyond. With a brutal consistency, it stifles free thought and crushes new ideas. It disrupts the defense of the United States and places the lives of men and women in uniform at risk. Perhaps this adversary sounds like the former Soviet Union, but that enemy is gone; our foes are more subtle and implacable today. You may think I’m describing one of the last decrepit dictators of the world. But their day, too, is almost past, and they cannot match the strength and size of this adversary. The adversary is closer to home: It’s the Pentagon bureaucracy.”
“An average American family works an entire year to generate$6,000 in income taxes. Here we spill many times that amount every hour by duplication and by inattention.”
“Our financial systems are decades old. According to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions.” “We must change for a simple reason – the world has – and we have not yet changed sufficiently. The clearest and most important transformation is from a bipolar Cold War world where threats were visible and predictable, to one in which they arise from multiple sources, most of which are difficult to anticipate, and many of which are impossible even to know today.”
Spoken by Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense, in an address that announced an end to the S.O.P. of waste and fiscal mismanagement at the Pentagon, delivered on September 10, 2001; the day before the 911 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. What would have been an excellent, long-called-for policy shift (from a most unexpected quarter), tossed out with the ‘Ba’ath’ water, so to say.
In the days immediately following, George W. Bush called for $20 Billion to fund the ‘War on Terror’. Since then, he has demanded and gotten a blank check for debacle after debacle, all sanctified by ‘them-or-us’, anti-terrorist bluster and approved by a spineless, bi-partisan, rubber-stamp Congress.
(The cowards in Congress just approved another $257,000,000,000 (two-hundred-fifty-seven billion dollar) emergency supplement to fund the wars through the end of Bush’s term. )
(Any wonder there is no money for universal health care, education or infrastructure projects such as reinforced levees on the Mississippi River? That astronomical figure – more than a quarter of a trillion dollars - is only to help pay for the next 7 months of these hateful wars which so rapaciously destroy lives. Someone should check the Congress for drugs or implants. )
From being on the verge of tightening federal purse-strings to the current open-vault-door policy of hysteria-driven defense spending - financing the building of new nuclear submarines to counter the non-existent Al-Qaeda navy and new super-sonic jet fighters to combat the air force that Al-Qaeda doesn’t have – was a most fortuitous swing of events for the Pentagon and its contractors. This catastrophic bit of malevolent serendipity is what author and journalist, Robert Scheer refers to as the ‘gift of 911’ to the military-industrial complex.
The military-industrial complex; since Eisenhower used that cumbersome phrase in his farewell speech, it has seen plenty of use. Though its initial axiomatic power still resonates, it’s a stock phrase, shop-worn. Moreover, from its inception it has been inadequate. Its failing, despite its power as an axiom of unalloyed truth, is that it hides the people who operate this complex and extremely profitable relationship between government bureaucracy and big business.
It is time to put a face on these people in the Pentagon, in the Congress and in the Defense Department. It is long past time to strip the mask of anonymity from leaders of the arms industry, their lobbyists and their agents. What is needed is a more pertinent, personalizing epithet which exposes the active players of the military-industrial complex.
Pentacrats (noun) 1. The autocrats and oligarchs of the Pentagon bureaucracy, Congress and the defense and arms industry who in concert advocate robbing the taxpayer to fund boondoggles, pork-barrel spending and bloated defense budgets for personal profit and political gain. 2. Their agents and functionaries.
Pentacrats (noun) 1. The autocrats and oligarchs of the Pentagon bureaucracy, Congress and the defense and arms industry who in concert advocate robbing the taxpayer to fund boondoggles, pork-barrel spending and bloated defense budgets for personal profit and political gain.
2. Their agents and functionaries.
Pentacrats have usurped the power of the citizenry to influence policy and thus the course taken by the ship of state, in order to enrich themselves at the direct expense of the citizens of the United States; deeply effecting, most deleteriously, nearly every aspect of the daily lives of the American people. Furthermore, the effect of Pentacratic policies on the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and every other country around the world where armament and weaponry contracted and manufactured by Pentacrats, furnished and financed by the Pentacrats in Washington are used to violently suppress democratic movements, insurgencies and up-risings, is even more dire. A maleficent mélange of death, terror and suffering is what those people get on a daily basis.
Pentacrats.
What the precepts of Pentacracy boil down to is the super-rich getting richer by many other, much poorer men, women and children dying bloody, horrible deaths. To paraphrase the old song, ‘the rich get richer and the poor get murdered.’
The American citizenry must demand that this complex be dismantled, boondoggle by boondoggle, pork barrel by pork barrel, until the Department of Defense and Congress answer once again to the voice of the true, absolute, constitutionally recognized and affirmed rulers of our republic: the people of the United States of America. This demand must be constant and unrelenting, not solely reliant on participation in general elections, but rather with consistent, perennial involvement from the grass-roots to the Belt-way and the National Mall.
Defeating the agenda of the Pentacrats - and in so doing, returning control of the nation to its rightful rulers - is the gift we can bequeath, not only to the children of America but to the children of the world.
It is the right thing to do, Senator Obama.
While I don't know the answer, I do know that the question we should each be asking is: HOW DO WE WIN PENNSYLVANIA? I don't for a minute believe that Hillary winning Pennsylvania is a foregone conclusion. To do so would be to buy into the mass media hype. Barack has overcome double digit leads in several states. He will do that in Pennsylvania, with our help. SO - HOW DO WE ALL CONSTRUCTIVELY UNITE BEHIND 2 OR 3 POSITIVE TACTICS FOR HELPING SENATOR OBAMA, IN THE COMING WEEKS? Now, this isn't about doing busy work. As is the case with most things, 20% of what we do will give 80% (or more) of our desired results. The rest of what we do will be negligible.
The trick is to find those things that actually will make a difference in the minds of Pennsylvania voters.
Here are the 4 media that I believe most influence lower income voters in Pennsylvania:
And here is what the Clinton camp is counting on (and has proven to be effective):
Now. The meat and potatoes.
Here are 10+1 ways for us to win Pennsylvania.
Read more...
I realized last night as I was putting out "pithy and witty" blog entries that I was falling right into an old trap of "fighting" and negativity.
Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result. This behavior (the fighting, the mud slinging, the being oh so offended) is insanity.
The answer is to stay above the fray, to remain positive to respond with only the things that are good and true about this campaign and the next President Barack Obama. Engaging gives energy to the annomosity and building annomosity never builds coalitions. We need those Hillary voters in August and beyond, we want them...we welcome them...they ARE us. They are interested, they are concerned, they want what's best for their lives, their family, their neighborhood, their community, their state, their country, their world. The only difference is the way they're viewing these things.
This DOES NOT MEAN that we don't write the powers that be; that we don't point out what needs to be corrected. WE just stick to the facts when we do so and don't fall into the trap that Geraldine Ferraro did herself with her statements.
This is not intended to be lecturing on any level...I write it primarly as a reminder to me as to why/what I'm doing here and I thought it might be a good thing to share.
PEACE!
Some people would think that my opinion, one of a teenager without the right to vote, is entirely meaningless. I may not be able to cast my vote, but I still have the power of words. I may not be able to vote, but people in the world around us can. Even as a teenager, I believe my opinion matters in this election, and I can use what is available to me to support Obama, even without the power of voting. By my words, by our words, we can make a difference.
