Posts with the tag society

Love Translation by Joan Cartwright

Diva JC — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:32:15 EST

This video says all I can think of.

http://www.youtube.com/user/divajc#p/u/14/28KppgdX4qc

Love and music,

Diva JC

Yes, the public option is a Trojan Horse, but it will do the trick!

Maria B. — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:42:28 EDT

I sometimes wish that public radio would not give air-time to the conservatives whose comments border on stupid. Today a Texas doctor emotionally argued that people should have health savings accounts. I suppose he should be allowed to make a fool of himself, but what a waste of time -- we need to moving the debate forward.

Most thinking Americans know that a single-payer system is the only good answer. However, I think it's pretty clear that our country cannot handle that right now, for many reasons, not the least of which is the large segment of the economy that would be decimated by the elimination of the medical insurance companies. Yes, a public option is a Trojan Horse. President Obama has almost said as much when he challenges the insurers to compete with a government system.

But we must try a system where the insurers continue to play, and remember that it is only a first step. It won't be long before people vote with their pocket-books, and cut the insurance system down to size. My prediction is that they will eventually be regulated like a public utility. (They are already the contracted administrators of Medicare.)

We need to acknowledge that our current "health care system" does not deliver health care to Americans, it delivers profits to corporate investors. Insurers have stolen our nurses to sit at computers to evaluate hospital length-of-stays. They have frustrated our physicians in numerous ways: removing their decision-making ability; limiting the time they can spend with patients; reducing their income by administrative costs.

I have long said that "if every person who wears a suit took care of one person we would not have a problem." The only people working in our health care system should be care-givers.

In a successful society health care is a right, not a privilege. Americans are smart people; we already understand that profit-making on people's illness is morally wrong.

Let's put profit-making where it belongs -- making "things" that improve lives. If health care is provided to all people we will have a work-force that's truly capable of meeting the real challenges we face, and an economy of substance, not smoke and mirrors.

Sincerely,
Maria Buatti, MPH.

Jon Stewart spoofs and doctors warn: avoid GMOs

Nj from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:00:22 EDT

Last night on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart's brilliant mockery of genetically engineered wheat puts the only humorous twist on an otherwise serious health risk that now concerns the American Academy of Environmental Medicine: genetically modified foods.

On May 8th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.” Their position paper stated, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. AAEM states, “GM foods have not been properly tested” and “pose a serious health risk.” They conclude, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation,” as defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.” AAEM called for a moratorium, long-term independent studies, and labeling.

A second US medical association is currently drafting a similar resolution, and more and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. “I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods,” says Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist. Ohio allergist John Boyles says “I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it.”

According to AAEM, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation” as defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.” Some experts go a step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, world renowned biologist Pushpa. M. Bhargava concluded that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.

Pregnant women and babies at great risk

Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that “children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems” related to GM foods. Similarly, the UK Royal Society recommends that GM foods be rigorously researched before being fed to pregnant or breast-feeding women and babies. Tragically, not a single human clinical trial has been published. Dr. Schubert says without adequate studies, the children become “the experimental animals.”

The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.

When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller normal.

Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Most of the Indian buffalos that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.

In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.

Food designed to produce poison

GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt—produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the plants do the killing.

The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.

Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room.

The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India, from handling Bt cotton. In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, “Victims of itching have increased massively this year . . . related to BT cotton farming.”

GMOs provoke immune reactions

AAEM states, “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation,” including increase in cytokines, which are “associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation”—all on the rise in the US.

According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are “a consistent feature of all the studies.” Even Monsanto’s own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.
GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.

Animals dying in large numbers

In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence “strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin.” In a small follow-up feeding study, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.

In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.

Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.

In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto’s own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist, G. E. Seralini.

Worst finding of all—GMOs remain inside of us

The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.

When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.

Denials, attacks, and hijacked regulators

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests. But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists’ concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto’s vice president.

Dangerously few studies, untraceable diseases

A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the “potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants” revealed “that experimental data are very scarce.” The author concludes his review by asking, “Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?”

Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, “The experiments simply haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.” He adds, “Anyone that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying.”

Dr. Schubert points out, “If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop.” If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.

This is precisely what happened during an epidemic in the US in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.

If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the largescale introduction of GM crops, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.

To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their “members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health.”

Citizens shouldn’t wait for the results before acting responsibly. It’s time to take the doctors advice: Avoid GM foods. That principally means staying away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless it says organic or “non-GMO.” There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, in natural food stores, and in many doctors’ offices.

When even a small percentage of people conscientiously choose healthier non-GMO brands, the food industry will respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM ingredients. Consumers are at the top of the food chain, and we can join the doctors by writing a prescription for change.

International bestselling author and independent filmmaker Jeffrey M. Smith is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception is the world’s bestselling book on the subject. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, identifies 65 risks of GMOs and demonstrates how superficial government approvals are not competent to find most of them. He invited the biotech industry to respond in writing with evidence to counter each risk, but correctly predicted that they would refuse, since they don’t have the data to show their products are safe.

future society????

Joe Vega — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:27:26 EDT

I've noticed several things. First is that this society is a game-Lets make money-monopoly meets reality.The elders finished playing and don't know what the fuck to do with your life cuz ur tired of work and get to an age where life begins to take things away rather than giving them. The youth don't know what they're doing, lost and looking for some sence of direction. And the people in the middle are well either wining or loosing-getting rich or going broke. Doesn't matter because the gov. is soposed to take care of the elderly l8tr on anyways 60+. Well there are aslo several habbits that this society gives it's members-internet,tv,radio,sports,and narcotics-all are addictive activitie to help regular citizens escape their own mizery-WORK.If you don't work you're on the road to either homeless on being imprisoned (jail or nut house) or somewhere in between. The Gov. said we were grant freedom-but the ones who have the real freedoms are the corperate conglomerates-wealthy (beyond rich) and powerful.They fill our homes with useless crap that fills us with joy-whatever sence of that word-to make our miserous existance a little bit more comfortable-forgetting that those appliances will eventuall breakdown/become outdated, because they were designed to be flawed to continue increasing their all-important revenue-get money-While enslaving everyone who buys their products.The companies were give all the real freedoms because they pay politicians to do what they feel to be benefitial to thier wealth-oh yeah-and everyone who isn't in control of such company is only getting crumbs from the plates from which those C.E.O.'s eat.

The second thing I relized is that this game is pointless, without actual meaning, except tricking us into believing some sort of sence of personal achievement-success---fancy cars,clothes,mansions-the works-are really all meaningless because they serve the same perpose as thier less expensive counterparts.We put value into things like fasion,and cliche American Dream-go from nothing to everything-when we should put our focus into the preservation of mankind and increase our potential so we can someday reach a Utopian society-Shangri-la-Heaven on earth.
We must move away from this game, and move twards a society revolving around an economy and start developing a society that is education-based-we still work but without personal gain, but gain for the community-not just to "keep the world turning" but to keep the world moving--enineering and inovative invention are essental to humankind as a whole, not because a better looking plasma tv is entertaining-but because a hologram video game, where you can actually interact with a 3-d environment would be better. Forgetting about entertainment for a minute, what if Mankind is face with some sort of destructive outside force-an asteroid, sun burning out or alien attack-we won't be able to face such a catastrophy if we're too busy trying work endlessly at Mickey-D's or tryin to see Britney Spear's new croch-shot. Seriously-we'd be utterly fucked.
If we moved past the ideals of the past and started creating ideals of the future the possibilities would truely be endless.
Emagine a world, with free housing, free food, free schooling(including college), free energy(rechargeable energy already exists-a house can be powered by a tiny 9 volt battery and Joseph Newman's machine,but gov. won't allow it be public because-they will loose MONEY!!!!) free transportation(CARS THAT RUN ON WATER), and a limmited amount of required work per day- a couple of hours daily. Think about how much could be accomplished with people who have enough time and resources. We can help end hate,murder by removing the factors that produce such problem-substances and impoverty. Hell, Cloning could be perfected,disease could be done away with, we could even have a robotic work force. Even conquer death by fusing human bodies with robotics-a human brain inside of a robot body-fucking robo-cop--but everyone.We would be immortality=eternal life.plus we could move from waring with one another, to protecting our planent with our advanced weponry- posibly then exploring further into the galaxy-like star trek or some shit. But we can only get there by changing our way of life now. I don't know how this change can happen overnight-possibly a revolution of thought-or a youthful revolution against the foundations of both capitalist and communist societies-to branch into a Progressive society but can only be born through example, not through hate and violence-the revolution itself,on the otherhand,can only be won through, well, some violence. Necisary only to prove to those who are in power, that the rest of us reliquish their power over us.All you need to know is that you have the give up trying to conform to the societies of the past-that have FAILED might I remind you-And believe that you can not only choose and create your own future, but you can take part in the future of man kind.-Joe Vega-AZREAL-P.S. gimme any feedback or kudos cuz i wanna know if there's anyboy else who feels the same...

Discontent Within America

Tom Awtry — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:14:10 EDT

Over the past eighteen years I have resided, as an expat, in a country where a modern unspoken “Class Society” as existed. I use the word “modern” to empathize what is currently transpiring within the small social economic middle class and much larger segment of society, the lower income earners.

Recently, since 2002 these two aforementioned groups of individuals have experienced opportunities of social advancement in the country by its elected government, which understood; the uneducated, the economically disadvantaged and the hardcore unemployable would only compound this nation’s problems and bring the country more into an unfavorable focus within the international community, thus limiting foreign investment and international trade.

It is difficult for me to believe the country I departed eighteen years ago, America, has digressed to the standards of the country I came to live in and this new country is currently in the process of eliminating its former “class structure” policies and attitude towards its citizens.

America is my home country, my first and always will be the country I recognize as a loyal citizen of, but when I read and follow up on articles I’ve posted, such as, “Our American Society’s Shameless Crime”, I question where our country lost its meaning, to itself and the world community.

We are a huge land, a continental nation, rich in resources with a core belief that your talents and drive can take just about anyone anywhere. “In America, at least, we don’t resent the rich … we want to be rich,” said President Barack Obama.

A recent article authored by Jeff Greenfield on CBS News online points out some interesting observations, which are worthy of note and a large amount of self reflection upon ourselves, here is one of many excerpts from his writing’s entitled “Drawing The Battle Lines Of Class Warfare”

There is a powerful current of anger that runs from Main Street to the Halls of Congress. And it’s raised once again an argument that’s almost as old as the Republic: Is too much wealth and power concentrated at the top? Should the government try to redress that balance?

We see the excesses of wealth afforded to those on Wall Street, corporate executives, professional sports figures and entertainment celebrities. I guess I have to paraphrase a saying somewhere spoken in a movie I once saw where I actor said “How much, is enough?”

My personal feelings are a person should not be limited by the money they earn for their respective talents, but more so, how our elected officials manage the taxes collected from their wages.

Or is that idea nothing but “class warfare”?

Two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson denounced “bankers and speculators” as the biggest danger to the Republic.
President Andrew Jackson waged war against the Second Bank of the United States, and the “elite circle” of financiers.
And Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his Presidency by indicting the “money changers” who he said had caused the Great Depression:
“The rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence,” FDR said in his first inaugural address in 1933.
“There was a great deal of cultural as well as political resentment at the rich, for having gotten away with murder in effect for too long,” said Princeton historian Sean Wilentz. “One certainly saw that in the 1930s. You can’t look at a popular movie from the early 1930s and feel that palpable sense that the rich, personified by a fat guy sitting on moneybags with a cigar clenched in his mouth … that they are the enemy.”

Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown feels this way regarding corporate America and we the people:

“I think there’s no question that the government sings with an upper class accent,” he told workers in Ohio.
“The government has too often sided with the people with great advantage against the least privileged,” Brown said. “In the last three decades, the five percent at the top have done much, much better than the rest of society.”
Populists like Senator Brown argue that, according to recent data from the Economic Policy Institute, the top one percent of Americans have more than 22 percent of income, a number that hasn’t been matched since 1929.
“Those who have done very well under this system, those who have made huge, huge, huge profits, and not shared those profits with their workers, why should they not pay a higher tax rate?”

While Republican Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona is a mirror opposite of Senator Brown:

“When you have the top one percent roughly 35 percent of all income taxes,” he said, “it’s tough to make the case that those at the top aren’t paying their share of income taxes.”
America may have a more unequal distribution of wealth than other nations, Flake says, but that misses the point:
“Look eastward to Europe: You have a so-called fairer distribution of income there,” he said. “But it’s a lower income, and it’s a lower quality of life than we have here. And I think it would be tough to argue otherwise.”
But Flake is no apologist for the Wall Street players who put the global economy in danger:
“They knew full well at some point, it would not last. They knew full well at some hint of a bubble bursting in the real estate market that they were gonna be in trouble. But they went ahead knowing they could get theirs and then go away, I guess. And so I think people were justifiably outraged, and still are.”

Again I insert my own personal feelings about the changes occurring in America and will continue to change until a more equal balance is achieved between “rich” and “poor”. The following are my observations of how we as Americans have divided ourselves into classes:

Over the past thirty years we have accept homelessness on our streets and walk by the homeless as if they weren’t there.
Accept our elected political leaders as being corrupt by nature, which is acceptable.
Given our children hundred dollars bills, which in turn are given to their favorite sports stars for their autographs.
Accepted illegal immigrates into our society to perform the work we deem to degrading for us to do.
Became more interested individual interests instead of family interests or values.

These are but a few, but I do believe a change in coming and even if it might be difficult to accept, we will all be better off over time.

The following 1957 video represents our class system as it was before when we were a nation of people, not individuals.

1957 Social Classes in America

Social Class In America (1957)
Sponsor: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.
Producer: Knickerbocker Productions

Sociological discussion of ascribed status, achieved status, vertical mobility and horizontal mobility in America. We follow the lives of three men from high school on through their professional lives. Rather pessimistic conclusion on the possibilities of movement across class boundaries.

“These three babies are equal under the law, but they are not equal in terms of class…” This sociology lesson breaks educational film taboo by speaking directly about social class, shocking the ears with its frankness.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

...a world without Islam...

The Ranting Dream — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:57:46 EST

…quoting Graham Fuller’s thought provoking article which asserts that the ’terrorism’ that our corrupt goons in politics so desperately want us to believe as being at the ‘root’ of Islam, isn’t about Islam at all - it is about Western imperialism and oppression, and had Islam never existed, the world would look about the same as it does today…

Before Affirmative Action

Ivan from Christiansted, VI — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:57:21 EST

I can remember growing up in the 50’s, when our communities were more self-sufficient. To me, Affirmative Action divided and destroyed what semblance of togetherness we had as a people. Affirmative Action was designed to Window Dress, creating a crabs in the barrel black society.

Affirmative Action is kinda like the Pyramid schemes. Most of those educated and skilled, who understood the scam, took advantage of the opportunity. They were the ones, who were serving as role models, that began moving on up and out of the neighborhoods.

When Malcolm talked of self-sufficiency, he was accused of separatism. The reality is that within the 50 states we are many nations in one nation. During this presidential campaign it was made clear that family and social values were paramount in connecting with candidates. We African Americans are a family and it is time that we begin working toward our own families’ interests. “Charity begins at home”, is not separatism nor selfishness. The neglecting of ourselves and relying on others to provide for us, nurtures that negative perception other families have of our community.

Until we as a people take ownership of our own financial, political and social destiny we will be seen as not deserving of others’ respect. Today it is not a whole lot about fighting for our rights: it is more of how we should exercise our rights. For one, making sure that we are being treated fairly with the allocation of government contracts, loans, grants, scholarships, etc. and with the contracting of capital improvement projects. With a unified voice some of these infrastructure projects will be developed and buil[t]d by us in our communities.

This new world market, which can only expand, provides opportunities that abound; we have family and in-laws around the world, and when the companies and industries begin finding that potential clients and customers are looking to patronize businesses that are more reflective of their family members, those qualified will be in high demand and will be represented from the top executives to the receptionist.

Those of us who are more fortunate should become entrepreneurs in revitalizing our communities. We as a family need to get out of debt and pool our resources, and make our children, our elders and the legacy of our Ancestors, Proud!

Ivan Butcher II

...is peace out of reach???...

The Ranting Dream — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:30:17 EST

From CBS' 60 Minutes:...has peace in the Middle East become nothing more than a pipe dream? As Bob Simon reports, a growing number of Israelis and Palestinians feel that a two-state solution is no longer possible...

We Have A New President!!

Ani — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:53:48 EST

Barack Obama transformed himself from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a President putting the nation in our hands, as his partners. I muse today just how I may transform my self from a believer that a new day will come to an informed citizen dedicated in loving service to my neighbors, country and world in this new day that has come.

…a letter to the official opposition party of Canada…

The Ranting Dream — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:09:52 EST

...I have yet to see a single politician muster the courage to do the right thing and to 'tell the "TRUTH" like it is' - they've chosen to silently side with the 'spin' and let the status-quo be - either they're afraid of consequences to their political careers, or they're simply corrupt, or they're just plain stupid - or all of the above (and beyond) - whatever the reason, while I'm not shocked or surprised at the behavior of the puppet morons in politics, I'm disgusted at their complete lack of integrity and conscience...and to not have a SINGLE one of them telling the 'real' story behind this attack on humanity is just ticking me off...

The Somali Pirates Rant

The Ranting Dream — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:28:19 EST

I’ve also posted this blog entry on my blog: http://www.theparadigmshiftshere.com

I'm sure you're all familiar with the sensational 'war' declared by the wealthy and the mighty on the pirates (mostly) from 'Somalia'...if you're not, view THIS article for the big 'spin' served to you courtesy of massive sponsorship by some very wealthy 'special-interest' groups...

Now for 'a' truth about the matter...

...the 'German's point of view on Islam' rant...

The Ranting Dream — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:54:03 EST

I’ve also posted this blog entry on my blog: http://www.theparadigmshiftshere.com

...we all need to dig much deeper - in unity, compassion, tolerance, forbearance, understanding, generosity, and respect - to first understand one another and then to realize and accept that we are essentially from the same 'mold' - if we are divided today, it isn't because of anything other than our own ignorance and choosing...

...it's very easy to point fingers and lay blame, but extremely difficult to take ownership...

...I am very tempted to rant on this in my trademark 'tongue-in-cheek' style, but in re-reading Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope', I'm beginning to resonate with his wise choice of speaking the language of inclusion, of conversation rather than confrontation...so, here's my humble attempt...

...as The Aga Khan eloquently pointed out in an interview: "...Rather than shouting at each other, we should be learning to listen to each other..."

The sins of our parents...

Lawrence — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:13:13 EST

The sin of our parents is the opportunity and challenge of our today, the hope of our children's children, and the legacy of our generation to stand in the gap and fight for the land for a better tomorrow. We have already been admonished to “first go, and be reconciled, one to another...”

21st Century STD and HIV/AIDS Cure

Humanitarian R&D Specialist — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:17:04 EST

There's a movement of citizens inspired by the presidential campaign who are now submitting ideas for how they think the Obama Administration should change America. It's called "Ideas for Change in America." See the latest idea for a 21st Century STD and HIV/AIDS Intervention Cure called, S.A.V.I.O.R.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

Abandon the Retirees and save todays workers ?

Richard Owl Mirror — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:28:41 EST

The Rationale for allowing the US Auto Industry to fail ~ Can it be applied the US Federal Government?

Republicans Kill $14B Rescue Plan in effort to dismantle UAW Union

Within the above article is a discussion and a point of view I find interesting and wish to explore how people feel about it and it's implications.

Stu P., "The only way the Big 3 can compete with Toyota, etc. would be to get out from under the massive pension and related obligations to retired and soon-to-be-retired UAW workers."

Richard, Given the plight of the economy and the Debt incurred by the American Taxpayer, should the US Government rescind the benefits of US Service men and women? Revoke the health benefits and retirement of the millions of individuals in order to make the Federal Government a more financially viable entity ?

Let's start with those costly Survivor benefits
http://www.militarytimes.com/benefits/family_resources/online_hbml06_payandbenefits_otherbenefits1/

Then we can move on to money for housing and Education benefits.
http://www.militarytimes.com/benefits/

Imagine a leaner Federal Government without Military Veteran OBLIGATIONS to burden them.
http://www.militarytimes.com/benefits/health/

~@~

Given the tremendous debt out government is carrying and which the American citizen is libel to repay w/interest, I'm wondering if these Senate Republicans would be prepared to rescind the benefits to each and every Military veteran in an effort to trim the wasteful spending by our Government?

If it works for GM, Ford and Chrysler, wouldn't it also translate into a cost-savings effort by the Federal Government?

I really think these Senate Republicans are on to something, throw out any promises of care for services rendered and allow the former employees to fend for themselves.

After all those 300,000+ Auto Retirees are most likely service members from WWII, Korea, Veitnam who are drawing these Federal Benefits as well as Pensions from working their entire lives in the factories. If America is willing to toss them under the bus, why not go the whole way and assist the Federal Government in relieving itself of this burden?

Tad W. said, That's brilliant! When can we start?!

I'm afraid this measure would be met with resistance, calling it unjust because they earned the rewards of Health and Retirement benefits by their service.
I just wonder why those same people can't apply this measure to the Retirement costs burdening the Big 3?

I don't know the financial answers to these problems but, our entire social fabric was paved by people such as these 300,000+ retirees. People who fought in World War Two, returned and went to work creating the US Middle Class. Others remained behind and worked in those factories building the needed equipment for the war Effort, then continued working their whole life, retiring with dignity and financial security.
They were the pioneers of citizen involvement of the Stock Market. Their pension funds built the vast wealth which makes up the majority of investments.

Why are some so willing to throw them under the bus ?

I find it shameful and appalling. Republicans Kill $14B Rescue Plan in effort to dismantle UAW Union

Failed Bailout Batters Asian Stock Markets
Auto Bailout Bust Fuels Wall St. Anxiety
New Unemployment Claims Reach 26-Year High
White House May Ride To Detroit's Rescue

"The current weakened state of the economy is such that it could not withstand a body blow like a disorderly bankruptcy in the auto industry," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

The Senate's rejection of the $14 billion rescue plan and further evidence of a deepening global recession made world stock markets plunge. U.S. stock index futures pointed to a big sell-off later on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average was projected to drop 278 points, or 3.2 percent, to 8,292, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index was forecast to fall 33.80 points, or 3.9 percent, to 840.70.

"This is a colossal failure in leadership," Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said on The Early Show. "It puts the economy closer to the cliff and I think we see that already in the reaction."

"I find it highly ironic to have Congress people lecturing the UAW about cutting their wages," Bernero told the The Early Show. "Why don't we put Congress people and senators on merit pay and see what they would be making. What has their productivity been? Give me a break."
Am I to understand that the approximate "332,000 retirees whose health care is covered by generous benefits negotiated since the end of World War II. " should simply lose those benefits in order to afford the current workers retain their jobs? Eliminating those benefits, would GM be competitive? Is that the solution. Kick all 332,000 retirees to the curb and tell them the promises made are null and void ? Imagine the effect on our economy when these 81,000 active UAW workers and 332,000 retirees default on their mortgages and file bankruptcy ? Add to that all the small businesses that depend on the local economy that these 81,000 active UAW workers and 332,000 retirees and their extended families frequent?
Those who believe they will be untouched by the failure of these three companies are in for a rude awakening. When the supply chain fails, those companies also supply Toyota, Honda and the others. Will Toyota, Honda have a supply problem leading to worker lay-offs in Alabama too ? Given the plight of the economy and the Debt incurred by the American Taxpayer, should the US Government recind the benefits of US Service men and women? Revoke the health benefits and retirement of the millions of individuals in order to make the Federal Government a more financially viable entity ?

Let's start with those costly Survivor benefits

Then we can move on to More money for housing and Education benefits.
http://www.militarytimes.com/benefits/

Imagine a leaner Federal Government without Military Veteran OBLIGATIONS to burden them.
http://www.militarytimes.com/benefits/health/ I think we need to cut off all benefits for every veteran.
After all, they got paid while they were employed, why should the Federal Gov. continue paying them after they quit or retired ?The Federal Government is the largest employer in this Nation, it too operates in a huge and ever expanding deficit. If We, the people were to eliminate this OBLIGATION, wouldn't OUR Company function better? Do US autoworkers really make $70 or more per hour in wages and benefits ?

Contrary to an often-repeated myth, UAW members at GM, Ford and Chrysler are not paid $73 an hour. The truth is, wages for UAW members range from about $14 per hour for newly hired workers to $28 per hour for assemblers. The $73 an hour figure is outdated and inaccurate. It includes not only the costs of health care, pensions and other compensation for current workers, but also includes the costs of pensions and health care for all of the retired workers, spread out over the active workforce. Obviously, active workers do not receive any of this compensation, so it is simply not accurate to describe it as part of their "earnings." Here's a very Partial list of media e-mail addresses.
Use it to contact the media.
http://www.opednews.com/mediacontact.htm

Elegant nature: Why election bliss went global

Angel Garet — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:37:20 EST

No matter for whom or if you voted, a new rung in the ladder of human evolution is beneath your feet. For Americans who have lived long enough, election night 2008 may have produced the first palpable change felt in forty years. The monumental sense of loss that seemed to last forever after the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King has suddenly waned, allowing us to reflect on how we changed during a time when changes were too insignificant to feel or we were too numb to feel them.

In the interim, and not by coincidence, science has observed in nature a self-correcting mechanism responsible for the evolution of all that we know. Breakthroughs in cell biology and fractal geometry and mathematics have revealed a universal pattern of branching toward balance and perfection in a nonlinear yet persistent manner. It is present in galaxies as well as the systems of every living thing, and it tells us we are born stewards of the planet, wired to be receptors and processors of nature’s input.

INSPIRED BY OBAMA

MEDISEN — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:20:11 EST

FROM ASTROLOGY EVOLVED ASTRONOMY

FROM ALCHEMY EVOLVED CHEMISTRY

FROM RELIGION EVOLVED PHILOSOPHY

FROM POLITICS EVOLVED MIRACLE

Perhaps the world would not have witnessed the woes of social illness and sickness of poverty.

Eear of unacceptance is the greatest fear.

Barack Obama spells hope not only to AMERICA but for the multitude of millions of human beings allover the world who believe in themselves , trust others and hope for betterment of world.

I AM INSPRIED BY YOU MR OBAMA.

AND I AM PROUD TO BE YOUR CONTEMPORARY INHABITING THIS PLANET IN YOUR TIME.

DO NOT GIVE UP , BE VALUE BASED, CHERISH, HUMANITY, GOVERN WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

THE IMMINENT THREAT OF THIE ECONOMIC CRISIS MIGHT LOOM LARGE BUT YOU CAN

YES YOU CAN

for now it is not JUST AMERICA BUT THE WHOLE WORLD THAT YOU HAVE WON OVER WITH GOOD WILL AND CHARM

YOU CAN

YOU WILL

YOU MUST

STRIVE NOT TO BE THE THE BEST BUT BE JUST

WITH LOVE AND GOODWILL ON BEHALF OF MORE THAN A BILLION INDIANS

DR SENTHIL KUMAR SANRAN

Would you like to understand the Pakistan/Afghanistan culture better ?

Richard Owl Mirror — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:06:04 EDT

Hello everyone, I just wanted to pass along a link to a discussion that has become quite interesting. I wrote an article named: Seems Obama's broadcasting of intentions has gotten the Pakistan Government to Act

"Troops Take Town In Tribal Border Region Described As "Mega-Sanctuary" For Fighters"

Two Muslim's have joined the conversation, one individual having a detailed understanding of Pakistan, being a Pakistani and also Pashtun by blood.

If you are the type of person who strives to understand world affairs and why we are fighting and dying around the world, click this LINK and read the conversation. If you join Gather.com you can join in if you like.

.gather.com/MyGather#comments

Political Views on Society - Equal Rights and Discrimination

ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:34:56 EDT

By Matthew Nalett
ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com

Hopefully after Obama is in office he could address a few of these things for the better. Sure i know not everything can happen over night but it would sure be great. My Prayers go out to Barack Obama's Family at this time, i hope she feels better and everything is okay.

In todays society of starbucks, on demand tv, hybred cars, Internet, Internet Radio and other social mental stimulators.

you have a downside to society one of hate, racisim, neglect, abuse, shootings, stabbings, discrimination and other social violent things, how are we to stop all this and be a nice happy society? Possibly i can shed some light and possibly you can understand my point of view.

For Gays and Lesbians for Legal Marriage

So you got 2 guys or 2 girls who want to get married and share equal rights, not really a big deal its not like they are effecting you in any aspect most gays and lesbians own business(s), run business(s), are corporate managers, movie stars, musicians, poets, house designers, clothing designers, police officers, fire department personel and parents, the list can go on and on. Now alot of the gays and lesbians you would not know right off the bat some of your Best Friends could be gay or lesbian and you would never even know unless it came to that part of a conversation and or if they felt confortable telling you about it.

The Right Wing's and also Church Interest Groups have twisted gays and lesbians to be a "bad" thing however back in the roman Empire days you should see some of the photos and other literature that shows alot of same sex things, It was very open back then why cant it be now? Sure you have adam and eve, but i do belive IF adam and eve were suppost to be a certain way or whatever i dont belive they would have ate the apple, or done other things to defy god and do "worldly" things, Otherwise we would all be butt naked living in tents and fighting with rocks. But since thats really not how things turned out, its called human nature everyone has a right, there own mental train of thought and can decide for themselfs what they want to do or be.

Did you know most highschool teens are bisexuals and also as well its a "socially" accepted thing in most bigger highschools around the united states, as for the boys well its a bit more difficult for them to come out to the general peers due to gangs, violence, shootings, stabbings and just getting your butt kicked in general, cant people be free?

For Immigration Deportation and Hate in General.

Yes the 911 attack is something no one can ever forget or forgive to some degree, however just because a person is a diffrent ethnic culture or background does not intitle them to being hated or people thinking they have a bomb strapped to themselfs and are going to blow up your local wallmart or some other institution. Did you know after the september 11th attacks alot of people got hurt just because they were a diffrent culture, i find it very odd that people can just think oww wait there is someone who is muslim lets go beat him up, send him to the hospital since he might be one of the terrorists or something else. Very Pathetic.

As for Immigration i do belive in some aspects its okay to send a few of them home we got enough headache of our own to take care of let alone take care of another countries problems, however when it comes to circumstances where they have a family here (kids born here) i belive there should be some lee-way especially if both parents have jobs, rent or have a home, pay taxes, and contribute to the way of life and the economy. To just go around and scoop everyone up i belive is a bit pathetic and sad since what happends to the kids and mother or whoever gets deported? Dont you think it would cause some social and mental impact on how they feel about the united states in general and also as well the mental stress the kid has to go thru since well the government just deported mommy and daddy but yet since you were born here you are now into a foster care unit and you will be adopted by some american person that is legally able to live here. Or you can go with your parents and hopefully wont get raped, or killed or sold in some child trafficking network to make ends meat.

Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians to Adopt Kids

Okay this subject is very interesting to me, alot of states i have noticed have banned or dis-allowed gays and lesbians to adopt kids and or teenagers, i feel thats a stupid and retarted approch, especially when IF they can provide the kid or teen a confortable home, a good school to attend and possibly make it in society instead of being in a foster home and or shelter for most of their childhood life and not having a childhood its a bum deal. The Government and other agencys bitch about how many kids and teens are in shelters or need adopted yet they do have people who want to adopt and dont care if the kid is a diffrent race or culture they might just be a Gay or Lesbian Couple who wants to adopt them, not really a big issue. IF you personally were in a group home or shelter would it really bother you to go to a nice home and environment and be in a normal society and be able to live a real life? If it was me and if i was a kid or teen i would not care who the adopted parents were i would just want to get out of a shelter or government ran environment its like Jail for kids or teens. I have seen some of these group homes and i must admit it makes me sad since they got say 5 beds in 1 bedroom possibly 3 dressers not really any privacy and or nothing its very sad.

The War In Iraq and Other Countries

No telling how many other countries the united states has their hands dipped into and is low profile about it but as for the war on iraq i belive that should be a done deal, the people over there have been fighting for centuries and also as well it will never end and with us being there its only making a sore issue alot more painfull since its not our country and we dont really have any business being over there. Sure when Bush first went to Iraq and said we are going to find Weapons of Mass Destruction everyone was Gun Ho since the 911 attacks had just happend so everyone wanted to go to war and go stomp boots on some iraqies, however now that we have sufficiently made parking for other countries by blowing everything up and removing all sorts of buildings, people and landscaping i belive we should just let the iraqie government handle their own problems and possibly they might be able to get thru it some day.

HIV & Aids and other STD's

This is not a situation that is directed to 1 gender, race or lifestyle this is a global issue, it bugs me sometimes that people think that Oww that person is gay they must be dying soon of aids or some other sexually transmitted disease.. Yall need to wake up. Lets see here from what i hear this person from africa had sex with a monkey came to the states had sex with both a guy and a girl, transmitted the disease and it exploded from there, i think they were both prostitutes so thats why it spred so dramatically. There is many diffrent ways you can get that situation, Needle Sharing, un-protected sex, blood transfers, fluid transfers (if you have a open cut), Some people have gotten hiv and aids due to blood transfusions where the blood was not screened or tested before it was issued to the person who needed it and well they survived from one issue just to be diagnosed with another issue, some people shared needles with someone who was infected either a male or female and they had got into contact with the disease due to blood contact transfer, some people got it thru un protected sex. The odd thing about aids and std's are back a long time ago it was called the "skinny" disease it was very abundant in the gay and lesbian community so the social standards just marked it as a Gay or Lesbian Disease and that was pretty much it.

However if it was just a gay and lesbian thing how is it all the straight people have it as well? IF someone did not have sex with someone who was infected by it? Good question, Human nature is hell when it comes to sex and well If a person is lacking in that department they will have sex with the other gender to fullfill a need in their life. So its not just a gay and lesbian situation its a global situation where people just need to be more aware and take procaution on who they do business with and or share drugs with. Or make sure the blood you are getting from hospitals have been tested and or screened before you get it.

Internet and Home Privacy

Well i really dont know how to approch this subject since there is alot of things going on with this subject and it sorta bug's me and sort of does not bug me, since i dont have anything to hide. However when it comes to internet privacy you know the government, ISP Providers and other agencys can actually jump into your internet connection and grab "packets" and see what you are doing on the internet, Yup thats right so say you are downloading some mp3s or movies off the net well the agencys who help the government track down certain headaches can track what you are doing at anytime, They use the whole patriot act or some other act to make it legal however its just a form of privacy breach. However when it comes to Preditors and other things on the internet i feel its great they have this thing available so they can lock into their computer and see what they are doing but as for normal people who are not doing anything wrong and or have any type of record i belive this thing should not even be around. The ISP's are required to give certain law enforcement departments a record of all packet transmissions and ip address(s) and user information every month i feel thats a issue as well.

Music and legal downloading and RIAA & Record Labels (My Special Point of View)

Back in the early 1990's the internet was just popping off and Dialup was just getting introduced to high speed (Yuppie), well all these websites came out for mp3 downloading and file downloading i felt that was a great concept since people from around the world could exchange music and files, something where you can send a photo of chicago and someone can send a photo of spain or whatever your pleasure was. As for the Music Scene that was also Awsome since people could trade and zap music back and fourth from talent they might not have ever heard before. Now i do understand that the RIAA was mostly attacking local colleges and major computer servers that held 100's or even 1000's of mp3s and files, yes i can see them shutting the systems down but as for putting Lawsuits against college kids and teenagers and some adults for hundreds or even thousands of dollars i belive that was a bogus deal.

Especially when alot of that music was first cycled out either by the Recording Studio or Label as a Promo Song to cycle it to the Club Djs and other people who drop songs and or mixes to get the talent some exposure and or build a Buzz. So the Producer sends out the mp3 to the Record Pools, The Record Pools send out the Music to the DJ's the DJ's sends out the mp3 to the Promoters the Promoters send the mp3 out to the people who are tastemakers and other affilates and the list goes on and on then it cycles down thru consumers who find the song either thru a contact or a friend who got the mp3 to start with and then they send it off to their friends and so fourth and so fourth. So now you got a song that is pretty much on every machine thats getting zapped out daily and so pretty much that song is done.

The Talent they make money on people attending shows and events, selling some cds and also as well company or corporate sponsors. However the Record Labels wanted a chunk out of this whole deal since they pay the Talent a "budget" and well the talent has to use that "budget" to fund their shows, events, radio or tv advertisements, cd covers, graphic's, websites, and a bunch of other things and the Artist technically the money the record label gives them is not theres technically it all has to be paid back in some aspect so who is really winning in the long run? Sure you see the artists with the fancy cars, jewelry and bling but thats a front they have to its a social standard where its expected of them. They might have a contract for the rest of their lives but its apart of the industry.

So my final thoughts on this subject i belive alot of music should be free it was technically free when they sent it out to promoters, record pools, tastemakers and other people to build or gain buzz or some type of publicity for that artist now i also do belive the talent should make money as well and the record labels and other agencys should not dip their hands in too far since technically the talent has made you rich in alot of aspects, sure you got him famous however he still made you rich since without that song or track you would not have anything. Also alot of record labels require the talent to have so much sales, buzz and other things even before they are signed so its sorta a double jepardy sure they will sign you and then once you have that contract your pretty much screwed so to speak.

Cwrdd a Obama/Meet Obama - Bilingual Welsh & English

Welsh Dave — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:40:56 EDT

Welsh/Cymraeg

Cwrdd a Obama

Gafodd Barack Obama ei eni yn Hawaii yn mis Awst 4, 1961, i Ann Dunham, yn wreiddiol o Kansas a Barack Obama,Sr,yn wreiddiol o Kenya. Ar ol raddio o Prifysgol Columbia, symudodd Barack i Chicago, ble weithiodd gyda Asiant Eglwysig i gwella bywyda ardaloedd tlawd Chicago a gafodd ei chwalu a'r ol cau lawr nifer o Gweithdai Haearn yn yr ardal.

A'r ol ychydig o blynyddoedd fe wnaeth Barack i Ysgol Gyfraith Harvard, a daeth yn Affrican American gyntaf i fod yn Arlywydd y "Harvard Law Review". Wedyn aeth yn nol i Chicago, I weithio fel Cyfreithwr hawliau dynol, darlitho yn gyfraith cyfansoddiado a dechrewyd ymdrech i rhestru 100,000 o pleidleiswyr newydd. Yn ystod y cyfnod yma fe wnaeth cwrdd a Michelle ei wraig. Mae nhw rwan efo dwy ferch: Malia 9, a Sasha, 6.

Dilyn ei waith eiriolaeth gafodd ei ethol i Senedd talaith Illinois, ble roedd yn gwasanethu yr pobol am 8 mlynedd. Yn ystod y blynyddoedd yma daeth y Democratiad a Gwerinaethwyr at ei gilydd i ffurfio llywodraeth a fydd yn gwella bywydau teuluoedd Illinois. Fe paswyd $100 milliwn mewn toriadau trethi i teuleuoedd gweithiol. Wthiodd tyfiant mewn rhaglenni addysg plant oed babanod. a gallu ehangu y system iechyd i dros 150,000 mwy o blant a oedolion. Fe newidiodd system cosb eithaf a oedd wedi lladd 13 o pobol di euog. Hefyd gweithiodd gyda y ddwy blaid i gwthio trwadd newidiau yn y maes moeseg mewn 25 o flynyddoedd.

Yn 2003, fe wnaeth Barack rhedeg am sedd yn y Senedd, ble roedd yn sefyll arwahan o holl ymgeiswyr eraill yn erbyn y rhyfel yn Iraq.

Yn yr senedd, fe Wnaeth Barack Obama rhoi y sialens ymlaen o dod a syniadau newydd i Wleidyddiaeth a ddim derbyn canlyniadau siomedig traddodiadol y Senedd. Daeth yn canolbwint o fiown ei blaid i dod a newidiadau moeseg mwya ers digwyddiad Watergate. a cyd weithio gyda Seneddwr Gwerinaethol Dick Lugar cadeirydd y pwyllgor perthynas Tramor i pasio gyfraith a fydda atal rhai o arfau mwya beryglus y byd i disgyn i dwylo terfysgwyr. Yn y maes tlodi a gafodd dipyn o sylw a'r ol Katrina neu yr hil-laddiad yn Dafur, neu y role mewn ffydd mewn gwleidyddiaeth, Mae Barack Obama yn cario ymlaen i siarad a'r materion llosg a fydd yn dylanwadu a'r America yn yr 21 ganrhif, credwr fod angen newid yr wlad a'r gwleidyddiaeth. Mae'n rhaid i ni dod at ein gilydd fel Americanwyr i ymateb i'r holl problemau sydd ein wynebu.

Ewch i BarackObama.com am mwy o wybodaeth!

Ewch i My.BarackObama.com i cysylltu efo cefnogwyr agos i chi. Os fydda chi hoffi mwy o wybodaeth am Seneddwr Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, neu syniadau yr Seneddwr ond ddim efo gallu mynd a'r y we, ffoniwch 866-675-2008

English/Saesneg

Meet Obama

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, to Ann Dunham, originally of Kansas, and Barack Obama, Sr., originally of Kenya. After graduating from Columbia University, Barack moved to Chicago, where he worked with a church-based organization to improve living conditions in Chicago neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plant closings. After a few years, Barack went to Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. He then returned to Chicago, where he practiced as a civil rights lawyer, lectured on constitutional law, and started a voter registration drive that registered 100,000 new voters. During this time, he met and married his wife, Michelle. They now have two daughters: Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6.

Barack's advocacy work culminated in his election to the Illinois State Senate, where he served for 8 years. During these years, Barack brought Democrats and Republicans together to make government work for Illinois families. He passed $100 million dollars in tax cuts for working families. He pushed through an expansion of early childhood education programs, and was able to expand health care coverage to 150,000 more children and parents. He reformed a death penalty system that had sent 13 innocent people to death row. And he worked with both parties to pass the first major ethics reform in twenty-five years.

In 2003, Barack launched his improbable race for the U.S. Senate, where he stood alone among all the candidates in opposing the invasion of Iraq.

In the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama has focused on tackling our challenges with fresh thinking and a new kind of politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. He was his party's point person on passing the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, and he's worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, to pass a law that will prevent some of the world's most deadly weapons from falling into terrorist hands.Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century, believing that in order to change our country and our politics, we must come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.

Visit BarackObama.com for more information.

Log on to My.BarackObama.com to connect with supporters near you. If you would like more information about Senator Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, or the Senator's ideas but don't have internet access, call us at 866-675-2008.

McCain/Palin altering famous quotes?

EMC — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:41:28 EDT

Did I hear correctly that Palin or the Mccain Campaign said something like "Society can be judged by its treatment of those not able to stand up for themselves"???? It was used in reference to their position on abortion.

Did anyone else hear this? What is the actual statement they made?

If I'm not crazy, they have "plagiarized" the famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Vote? ~ Will Dress Code Affect Your Right To Vote?

Richard Owl Mirror — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:53:36 EDT

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Vote? ~ Will Dress Code Affect Your Right To Vote?

(CBS/AP) In Pennsylvania, two Pittsburgh-area elections officials are suing to permit a dress code at polling places, after a Pennsylvania Department of State memo advised counties last month that voters' attire doesn't matter.

In Virginia, where backers of both Barack Obama and John McCain are pushing for registration of college students in this battleground state, many students were wrongly advised by officials that registering could adversely affect their parents' taxes.

In Michigan, campaign officials are suing to prevent lists of foreclosed homes being used to prevent voters from voting at their local precinct.

And in Ohio, a legal skirmish over same-day registration and voting has not prevented hundreds from casting absentee ballots a month before Election Day, even though they do not plan on bring out of state come November 4.

Across the country, voter registration leading up to a highly-anticipated presidential election has been up, but so are concerns that bureaucracy, misreadings of election law, or just plain stupid mistakes may cost many Americans their right to exercise their vote.

continued . . .

~@~

Interestingly, the four states mentioned are states that Senator Obama is leading in the Polls.

Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Ohio

Pennsylvanian Sue Nace thought election volunteers were joking last spring when they told her she would have to remove her T-shirt to vote in the U.S. presidential primary.
But it was no laughing matter to the poll workers-turned-fashion police, who said Nace's Barack Obama shirt was inappropriate electioneering - and made her cover the writing before casting a ballot.
At least four states - Maine, Montana, Vermont and Kansas- explicitly prohibit wearing campaign buttons, stickers and badges inside polling places, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and state officials.

In Kentucky, elections officials last month told poll workers they should admit voters decked out in campaign apparel, after e-mails circulated warning that Obama supporters would be turned away if they wore shirts and pins.

Sorry, You've Been De-Registered

To obtain an absentee ballot, an absentee application form may be submitted. Because of a printing error on an application form sent out by the McCain campaign in several states, thousands of voters who requested absentees were rejected if the voter failed to check a box that needn't have been on the form in the first place.
http://www.canivote.org/
http://www.votersunite.org/info/RegInfo.asp

Lost Your House, Lost Your Vote?

Michigan election officials say they will remind local clerks that home foreclosure lists are not sufficient to challenge voting status.
State elections director Chris Thomas said foreclosure lists alone aren't enough to contest a voter's residence. A person whose home is in the foreclosure process still could be living at the address on the foreclosure list.
The notice could ease an ongoing flap about disputed allegations of possible challenges to Michigan voters in Macomb County, considered a possible key area in the presidential contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.
The Obama campaign filed a lawsuit to prevent the Michigan GOP from using foreclosure lists as a residency challenge.
Marion County GOP Chairman Tom John told the Indianapolis Star that while his party has no plans to pursue such challenges, he wouldn't rule it out.
"I think it would be a solid basis for asking someone to vote provisionally," John said.

Old Enough To Vote, But Not Here?

In late August, a notice by a Montgomery County election official aimed at clarifying the voter registration process for Virginia Tech students actually mislead potential voters, creating a firestorm. It read in part,

"The Code of Virginia states that a student must declare a legal residence in order to register. A legal residence can be either a student's permanent address from home or their current college residence. By making Montgomery County your permanent residence, you have declared your independence from your parents and can no longer be claimed as a dependent on their income tax filings."

The statement also warned that students could lose their scholarships as the result of an address change.

After the IRS disputed the tax claims, the official released another notice which clarified some aspects but still caused concern that students would not be allowed to vote, in part because of the vagaries of declaring an "abode" and a "domicile."

~@~

Who in their right mind, anywhere in the United States could vote for a candidate who will resort to such tactics as trying to keep citizens from voting through deception? I hope you will pass along these tips to inform people who might be affected as well as letting voters know the lengths the Republican Party and John McCain are willing to go in preventing them from their Constitutional Right to Vote.

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/news.php

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/states.php

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/topics.php

The Subtle Truth Behind the Financial Crisis

Bill from Mahwah, NJ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:20:58 EDT

The subtle truth behind the financial crisis is that the reason it is so difficult to reach consensus is because of the financial disparity in our society. We have consistently heard how the net savings rate is zero and the middle class has disappeared. There are some people who have worked hard and build their retirement savings by foregoing current consumption, but the vast majority of the population has been either unable or unwilling to save for their future. Everyone was surprised during Katrina to learn how many people are living literally pay check to pay check. If you’re living pay check to pay check you don’t have much concern about what is happening on Wall Street, especially after you’ve heard about the multimillion dollar annual salaries, which exceed your own potential lifelong earnings. That is the reason congress has been overrun with so many “nay” e-mails.

No one has shown that the rescue plan is not for the Wall Street tycoons. Someone has to take the time to give the general population an economics 101 course to explain that the credit markets are not the same as Wall Street and are in fact more important to them than they realize. Besides, the individuals who earned all the exorbitant salaries have already left the scene and are looking for new careers in law. I don’t like the idea anymore than anyone else, but as one of those who has tried to save for his retirement I don’t want to see my savings disappear. What kind of message does this send to the next the generation for their perspective on saving for the future? About the only thing I can say to it right now is thank God we did not turn over Social Security to Wall Street.

Longer term we have to reduce the disparity, without a financially secure middle class a vibrant democracy is impossible. There was a time when a public education enabled the average kid to make a decent living. To some extent, this has been disappearing over the past forty years. Now, it takes two incomes to support a family and if you want to do it alone you must have at least a master’s and often a doctorate degree. But even a great education and innate intelligence are not enough in a world where the internet “cloud” spreads information instantly. Corporate consolidations and the continued improvement of technology have pushed productivity to the point where too few people are needed to produce finished goods. Perhaps a little less efficiency and more employment are what we need to sustain the American Dream.

E-Verify program @ the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security and it's effects on immigrants and refugees

Richard Owl Mirror — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:35:09 EDT

~@~ National Security Debate ~@~

There are many facets which make up National Security and Immigration, I would like to focus on the E-Verify program @ the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security and it's effects on immigrants and refugees.

E-Verify (formerly the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program) is an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Participating employers can check the work status of new hires online by comparing information from an employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases. More than 69,000 employers are enrolled in the program, with over 4 million queries run so far in fiscal year 2008.

E-Verify is free and voluntary, and is the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.

~@~

Employment Eligibility Verification and Antidiscrimination Protections

NILC Advocacy and Services
Since 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) has been dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of low income immigrants and their family members. In the past 20 years, NILC has earned a national reputation as a leading expert on immigration, public benefits, and employment laws affecting immigrants and refugees. Our extensive knowledge of the complex interplay between immigrants' legal status and their rights under U.S. laws is an essential resource for legal aid programs, community groups, and social service agencies across the country.

WHAT WE DO
Policy Analysis & Advocacy.
Impact Litigation.
Building Coalitions & Capacity.
Technical Assistance.
Trainings and Conferences.
Publications.

NILC's Website.
Our website contains NILC memos and analyses, articles from our newsletters indexed by topic, community education materials, and links to key organizational and government web sites.

http://www.nilc.org/immsemplymnt/ircaempverif/

~@~

http://www.cato.org/videohighlights/index.php?highlight_id=84

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10X7BO6uvPo
Fact-checking Glenn Beck

~@~

Immigration of individual human-beings across imaginary borders has occurred throughout mankind's existence. Hunters and Gatherers crosses into competitors fields and farms. Industrious human-beings create commerce opportunities, which in turn demands the employ of a workforce. I believe my description is an example of a basic human right.

This function within any society should not be impeded yet, it must be managed due to National Security concerns. It is obvious that the one requirement necessary to manage such a function is the ability to identify all individuals who are within our National borders. With the advent of technology, this task has become easier. The core problem with implementing such a program so it functions efficiently is cooperation by all parties.

I do not believe the millions of people who cross over our border, under extremely dangerous conditions are all criminals. It's simply the method of least resistance due to the rules for application of entry to our country is impossible for most to comply.

I have advocated that using technology such as an Identification card which can be produced as easily as we obtain our drivers licenses, preferably one-day service which would be valid for a 6-month employment stay could relieve this problem.

This identification card could also be used as the holders Employment ID card at their place of employment. As easily as an ATM card, the user slides it when they are clocking in and again when clocking out at the end of the day. This way, the government can verify constant employment and be alerted if the individual is not complying with the agreement for obtaining the entry card.

Most immigrants come to America to work as seasonal workers, therefore I believe a 6 month time-frame would be an agreement those seeking entry would voluntarily comply with. Cooperation is the key to success.

I believe granting honest, hard-working people the opportunity to purchase this entry card for $183 plus a background check, would relieve much of the problem of illegal immigration. Employers would be more able to be in 100% compliance with the Immigration laws because they need only opt-in to using the Immigration Time Clock system. Naturally there would be penalties for non-compliance yet, I believe companies would welcome such a solution as a safeguard against improperly being accused for hiring illegal workers. Perhaps we could also collect $1.00 for every hour worked by a migrant worker rather than them paying into Social Security. This money could be designated towards a specified program or budgetary need.

~@~

What have the candidates said about resolving the National Security implications of Immigration ?

http://www.barackobama.com/ vs. http://www.johnmccain.com

Let's be clear: John McCain is offering nothing of substance

Richard Owl Mirror — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:16:15 EDT

Senator Obama will strive to provide tax cuts for the middle class, affordable health care, and a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs. He will seek to end the war in Iraq responsibly, focus on defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban, and restore America's standing in the world.

Senator John McCain offered no solutions for the challenges Americans are facing in their daily lives. Nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies at home and abroad that he has supported more than 90% of the time in the Senate.

An example of how failed a Leadership role John McCain would bring to the Presidency is Obama's assertion that McCain "said the other day that he would not meet potentially with the prime minister of Spain, because he -- you know, he wasn't sure whether they were aligned with us," a reference to McCain's repeated refusal -- during an interview with Radio Caracol WSUA 1260 AM in Miami -- to say that as president, he would refuse to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. As evidence of the truth for this claim, McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann reportedly wrote that "there is no doubt Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred" and that McCain in fact "refused to commit to a White House meeting with President Zapatero in this interview." Indeed, during the debate, McCain did not assert that he "misspoke" during the Radio Caracol interview, but rather responded to Obama by saying, "I'm not going to set the White House visitors schedule before I'm president of the United States."

Questions exist, whether McCain forgot which country Zapatero leads, got confused about Spain's geographic relationship to Latin America, or confused Zapatero with the Zapatista rebels from Mexico. In either instance, this incident reveals a danger of possible confrontation could explode due to his complete lack of understanding World Leaders and events.

During the debate Obama said, "Senator McCain mentioned Henry Kissinger, who's one of his advisers, who, along with five recent secretaries of state, just said that we should meet with Iran -- guess what -- without precondition. This is one of your own advisers," and, "When we talk about preconditions -- and Henry Kissinger did say we should have contacts without preconditions -- the idea is that we do not expect to solve every problem before we initiate talks." During the debate, McCain repeatedly purported to correct Obama by saying Kissinger would not support presidential-level talks with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Each time, Obama made clear that was not his contention -- that, instead, he was accurately saying Kissenger supported talks between the United States and Iran at levels below the president.

Was John McCain simply confused or was he attempting to provide a misdirection because Senator Obama clearly showed how Senator McCain doesn't even understand what his own Advisors are advising ?

Obama's comments during the debate accurately reflected Kissinger's comments during a September 15 forum. Kissinger said, "Well, I am in favor of negotiating with Iran. And one utility of negotiation is to put before Iran our vision of a Middle East, of a stable Middle East, and our notion on nuclear proliferation at a high enough level so that they have to study it. And, therefore, I actually preferred doing it at the secretary of state level so that we -- we know we're dealing with authentic -- with authentic proposals." Asked by CNN's Frank Sesno, "To put at a very high level right out of the box?" Kissinger responded:

Initially, yes. And I always believed that the best way to begin a negotiation is to tell the other side exactly what you have in mind and what you are -- what the outcome is that you're trying to achieve so that they have something that they can react to.
Now, the permanent members of the Security Council, plus Japan and Germany, have all said nuclear weapons in Iran are unacceptable. They've never explained what they mean by this. So if we go into a negotiation, we ought to have a clear understanding of what is it we're trying to prevent. What is it going to do if we can't achieve what we're talking about?
But I do not believe that we can make conditions for the opening of negotiations. We ought, however, to be very clear about the content of negotiations and work it out with other countries and with our own government.

One final observation I have regarding John McCain

McCain Suspends Campaign to Work on Wall St Plan

The Arizona senator announced he would suspend his campaign, pull television advertising, halt fundraising and return to Washington on Thursday to try to help negotiations over a stalled $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street.

"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved," McCain said, urging Obama to join him.

~@~

I believe Senator John McCain made a strategic blunder in his forcefully and public move in going to Washington DC for discussions on the Financial crisis. John McCain used Bluster to place his actions into the limelight and boxed himself in to a retraction. I believe if he had true concerns as a servant of the people, he could have silently traveled of his own accord to Washington DC and offer his assistance toward solving a problem, then not having acheived his objective, simply call and cancel his participation in the debate at the last moment.

This shows me a lack of thoughtful planning and leads me to view his actions as reckless. It's akin to someone going out publically and making sure their neighbors see them praying to God or announcing they have performed good works, all the while seeking the approval of those witnesses alone.

A senior McCain adviser made clear McCain would not attend a Friday debate unless a congressional rescue deal was sealed.

"If the package is reached and the country is saved, there will be a debate," the aide said. "But if there's no deal, how can you get on a plane . . . for a debate?"

Is this the type of Leadership America wants or deserves ? I think not !

Let's be clear: John McCain is offering nothing of substance in his political rhetoric, same as his running to Washington even though he had nothing of substance to add in resolving the crisis.

He is what my Grandfather would call a Flim-Flam Man

LEHRER: Afghanistan, Senator McCain?

MCCAIN: First of all, I won't repeat the mistake that I regret enormously, and that is, after we were able to help the Afghan freedom fighters and drive the Russians out of Afghanistan, we basically washed our hands of the region.

And the result over time was the Taliban, al Qaeda, and a lot of the difficulties we are facing today. So we can't ignore those lessons of history.

The Geneva accords of 1988, which ultimately led to the withdrawal of the Soviet forces in early 1989, left the Afghan government in ruins.

Senator John McCain said he would not repeat the mistake made by Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush ? I thought both of these Leaders were his Hero's and mentors ?

Have you folks heard the latest news out of Alaska ?

September 26, 2008
Palin should step down, conservative commentator says

(CNN) – Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is "out of her league" and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.

The criticism in Parker's Friday column is the latest in a recent string of negative assessments toward the McCain-Palin candidacy from prominent conservatives.

It was fun while it lasted," Parker writes. "Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who is clearly out of her league."

~@~

McCains claim of taking out Bin Ladin

**Senator McCain said it most concisely in June.***

"Look," he said. "I know the area. I've been there. I know wars. I know how to win wars. And I know how to improve our capabilities so that we will capture Osama bin Laden. Or put it this way, bring him to justice. We will do it. I know how to do it." Sen. McCain seems to be quite serious, that he and he alone, not the CIA, nor the U.S. Military, nor the current President can capture bin Laden. Thus we must take him at his word that this is no mere ludicrous campaign boast. We must assume Sen. McCain truly believes he is capable of doing this, and has been capable of doing this, since last January. "We will capture Osama bin Laden. We will do it. I know how to do it."

If John McCain knows how to accomplish this task, why hasn't he told anyone how to implement his plan of action NOW rather than waiting until he is elected Commander in Chief ?
Does he simply want all the Glory and Praise for himself ?

Leadership at Home

Kate from Westborough, MA — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:58:20 EDT

Today, I watched the replay of the much-maligned former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina telling the public that none of the candidates, presidential or vice, could run a large company. Her bigger-picture point was eclipsed by McCain's fury at her, and that was: leading a large corporation is not the same as leading the United States, contrary to popular Republican belief.

Of course there are similarities. As President or CEO, you have to be smart, you have to know how to negotiate, you must ingrain thrift at all levels, and you must inspire everyone that you are leading to do their best.

But a CEO's job, though tough, is actually quite simple: it is to maximize shareholder value ("eradicating greed" as John McCain says he'd do, is not an option as any adult member of the human race will tell you). A President, on the other hand, can't focus on a few financial metrics to gauge success. A President must be thoughtful, weigh options, and link policy to results (an area in which we can make great gains with ever-advancing data mining technologies) in order to make ours a country of peace, prosperity and equal opportunity (after all, if you want peace, work for justice). As Robert Kennedy said:

“Gross National Product measures neither the health of our children, the quality of their education, nor the joy of their play. It measures neither the beauty of our poetry, nor the strength of our marriages. It is indifferent to the decency of our factories and the safety of our streets alike. It measures neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our wit nor our courage, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worth living. It can tell us everything about our country, except those things that make us proud to be a part of it.”

Dealing with Dirty Tricks

Change O'8 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:35:40 EDT

Don't let McCain, or Palin, get under your skin. Stay positive all the time, but strike hard.

Don't let the digust of same-old GOP tactics steal your toungue. Expose them, and communicate it with all levels of society.

An Open Letter to Senators Obama & Clinton

Unknown user — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:14:37 EDT

PROFESSOR HOVHANNESS I. PILIKIAN, B.A. in Eng. Lit. (American Uni of Beirut),

B.Sc. Hons. in Psych. (Open Uni), M.A. in Soc. Anth. (Sch of Oriental & African Studies),

Gulbenkian Foundation Scholar in Econ. (LSE) (London Uni),D.A.A.D-Fellow (Uni of Munich),

D.G.G.B, Dip. Th. Pr. (R A D A), Cert. Hum (Open),

Adamian Award (Ministry of Culture – Armenian S.S.R.), F.R.A.I.,

Contributor to Encyclopaedia Britannica

10th August 2008

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

Dear Senators Clinton and Obama,

You may like to know that my personal letter (dated 1st July, copy below) to your good selves is now an Open Letter published on the Web on

http://www.gibrahayer.com/index.php5?&page_id=21&path=29,21

My letter contains (1) A new Theory of History – that History advances by mindset-shifts,

(2) A radical historical interpretation of Warmongering – that it manifests masculinist obsessions contingent on the rape of women and the murder of ‘their’ children, and finally

(3) A proposition for a new socio-economic paradigm – universal CHILD-WELFARE, for all, to achieve global peace... with the sound-bite;

All For Child-Welfare and Child-Welfare For All

Yours truly

Professor Hovhanness Israel Pilikian.

***

Initially Exclusive to the Addressees 1st July 2008

Entirely Private and Totally Confidential

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

713 Hart Senate Office Building

District of Columbia 20510-1305, Washington DC

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

780 Third Avenue Suite 2601

New York, NY 10017

Dear Senators Clinton and Obama,

If only the two of you would join hands, there can be no reasonable doubt that you two shall win the forthcoming presidential election, from that moment onwards ... and assuming that you shall resist all electoral fraud from the Republicans – for the very good reason that, with baited breath, the whole world expects America to change. The horrendous neo-Cons succeeded not only destroying Iraq, with Depleted Uranium bomb-winds blowing towards the Israeli nation they pretended to defend ... the inhuman neo-Cons destroyed as much America’s good name, dragging it into the sewage of History. The American people deserve desperately your healing powers to pull them out of History’s murderous mires of genocidal sludge.

Senator Obama is absolutely right that America is ready for change – and Senator Clinton has the right idea for that change – hence this letter to provide the clinching philosophical argument and deep conceptual grounding of your cause to make it irresistible for the whole world to adopt.

I think Human civilization evolves by paradigmatic shifts in Mindset – by which I mean that a nation’s mind – meaning the communitarian-brain – is re-wired through the processes of social relations and modern communications-media into certain ways and patterns of communal thinking.

Mankind’s History hitherto, alas, has manifested the Primates’ barbaric survivalist mindset of crude brutal power for its own sake. It took millennia for the parochial Italian Renaissance humanism to follow, and several centuries for the French Revolution to reflect and universalize by then the re-wired mindset of the Renaissance humanism. The American Revolution earlier for the first time in history had affected an ethical mindset shift by exemplifying the concept of Power-To-do-Good, and not for its own crude sake. Unfortunately the neo-Con Bushites wished to revert to the Malthusean-Hobbsean Jungle Law, demeaning the principles of the American Revolution. Thus, overall, human history hitherto (even at its best with the American Revolution, never mind now in the genocidal dumps with the Bushists) has manifested the humanoid Darwinist mindset of the proto-fascist (and Nazi) masculinist brain-wiring, set on the oppression and rape of women and children, and the elimination of ‘useless people’...

I shall propose to you a new paradigm to wire-up a new mindset to evolve in our post-modern human brain, if only the United States of America, as the dominant world-power, would agree through yourselves to pioneer its globalization ... Like a panacea, it shall solve all socio-economic problems, including all dangers from Climate change, which must be turned into the single most important issue of international politics. And it is this, and where Mrs Clinton already possesses the inkling by virtue of her maternal instinct – CHILD-WELFARE – pure and simple, it must be made the single slogan, the cornerstone of ALL complex policies held together in consistency. In the immortal words of Britain’s Silver Poet, Alexander Pope – “The Child is the Father of Man”.

History hitherto has been the ruthless product of bi-gender competitiveness, the male always oppressing, dominating and ultimately raping the female – well-proven by antique myths – females, be they divine or mortal, are always ‘ravished’ against their will – and endless modern warfare – even today, now, women are being raped in ... Zimbabwe, and everywhere else where genocidal wars are active, stretching back in time to Herodotus – the first Historian who lived in the 5th c. BC, and whose very first paragraphs record the gang-bang by Phoenician sailors of the free ‘feminist’ women of Argos – thus, according to the Herodotusean historical record, the very first of the countless series of world wars have begun with a ... gang-bang, literally, a group rape by foolish men of a group of innocent women!

The only way this awful bi-polar human stupidity can be eliminated once and for all from the disturbed human psyche and sexualized Freudian mindset is by creating a focus on a deeper perspectival third-dimension ; the child-and-its-welfare.

Both genders must focus all life-force on tending a healthy child, literally and metaphorically, in a healthy geophysical and social environment – it can become the measuring stick and guideline for all ethical human behaviour and action, individually, on the micro-, and politically on the macro-levels.

Marriage throughout history and in all cultures is played out as a power-game for the benefit of the adults in the game – Divorce in the West consequently, has been riddled with adult partners’ power-obsessive narcissism – their children as mere inconvenient extensions of their egos. In Britain, child-welfare is a byword for corrupt legal practices, and serving equally as political football for governmental publicity stunts.

A new categorical imperative in the style of Emmanuel Kant, one of the great thinkers of all time, in my proposed new paradigm would be – Do nothing that will shame your children, and you in their eyes - Adopting this as the cornerstone of all social and couple relations – it may reduce Divorce, one of the great Western social ills hitherto based on parental narcissism and gratification rather than the needs of child-welfare. And Hollywood film-industry shall produce less public nudity, if actors considered the shame of their children felt at their parental pornographic exposure.

Thou shalt not do anything that harms a child – which ensures that paedophilia for example, never takes hold of society – there are serious high-powered post-modern attempts in Anglo-America to render it acceptable ... And the British American Tobacco (BAT) company would be stopped immediately from the crime of selling tobacco to African children!

Thou shalt not kill children, or their mothers, can serve as grounds for all wars all over the world to be stopped – a good reason to dismantle globally the military-industrial complexes, against the inhuman dangers of which President Eisenhower first of all so wisely warned the American nation back in the 1950’s. A very simple undeniable post-modern historical fact is that America is armed to its teeth and ... toes with thousands of nuclear bombs - it simply does not need more of any ordenance! You need not waste a cent more on further armaments - instead, release all those trillions onto societal health and well-being!!! According to the Bible, Peacemakers are the children of God – I can never understand how and why an American Christian can ever be a warmonger.

Child-welfare must force the realization of Mrs Clinton’s humanitarian policies of universal health-insurance for the people of America – the first and only one of its kind (overdue) in American History. And according to the new paradigm I am proposing, Thou shalt not kill children and their mothers, now add to it – and their fathers, and grandparents – We all are the children of God!

And now to the ultimate problem of all global problems – Climate Change, which is a deceptive turn of phrase to camouflage the horrendous evil truth of destroying the very Oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere we need to breathe second-by-second ... Never mind polar ice-caps melting, oceans rising, we are (like the foolish individuals who smoke cigarettes on the micro-level) as nations destroying on the macro-level by-the-second the very Oxygen we need to survive and live by! Such destruction is evidence of sheer human cultural stupidity – dumping each year 7 billion tonnes of pollutants in the atmosphere of this sweet little child-planet.

Even the Nobel-prize winning Mr. Al Gore won’t dare speak the truth – the global car and aviation industries are satanic evils that need be controlled, transformed and absolutely rationalized, not-expanded. There can be no stupid glee and Big Business hand-rubbing in the lunatic economic predictions that China shall be helped to have ... 900 million cars in the next decade.

Hitherto, the planet Earth was conceived as a ‘mature woman’ – Mother Earth/ Mother Nature – and messed about, abused and finally ‘proudly’ raped by the Macho-male-warmonger-idiot. At the odd occasion in history when a Woman had acquired such power – Queen Elizabeth the First of Britain, and Catherine the Great of Russia – they have strangely morphed into the macho-male paradigm – with Ms Madeleine Albright, the elder Bushite lacking any female nurturing instincts, declaring infamously to the world that the death of half a million Iraqi ... children is a price worth paying for the discomfiture of one male idiot – the banana-tyrant Saddam Hussein, ex CIA operative and ordained murderer of Abdul Karim Kassem, his predecessor.

If one conceives of this planet – a grain of dust in the vastness of the universe – as yet another little child of the great Creator – then the politicians must do EVERYTHING to save it from the violent stupidities of bi-gender power-obsessed politics, as my noble wife Clarice puts it, “child-planet is precious, in need of care and protection, like all children”.

All for child-welfare – and Child-welfare for all should be the hub of the new neural network out of which the new mindset of the future mankind can and must be wired before we destroy ourselves through sheer stupidity – narcissistic greed and waste of our planet’s resources.

Only thus, dear ... President Obama, and Vice-President Clinton, can you change America, and the rest of the world, into a new order and Pax Americana, not by genocidal warmongering all over the world that is reducing day-by-day the very Oxygen we need to breathe merely to live as God’s little children!

Yours truly

Professor Hovhanness Israel Pilikian.

8th July 2008.

P.S. Please forgive me for the awkward lay-out, as I do not know enough computers to have done a better job ...

Re: Israel's Great Multi-racial, Multi culture, Cosmopolitan society

Natalia from Acampo, CA — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:59:06 EDT

Re: Israel's Great Multi-racial, Multi culture, Cosmopolitan society

... Next, Harrison looks at definitions of fascism. The phenomenon is not confined to the political Right, since the USSR was as fascist as the Third Reich. Nor is it absent in the Third World. The inability to distinguish between people and their leaders is a fallacy often made by patronising Western intellectuals. As for the [racist Arabs'] accusation that Israel is a "racist, apartheid" state, the author argues that it is instead a nearly textbook example of a multicultural society. There are Black Israelis and Arab Jews and anyone can convert to Judaism. In Israel the holy places and right to worship of all religions are respected, which is not the case over vast areas of the planet.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Resurgence-Anti-semitism-Liberal-Opinion-Philosophy/dp/0742552276

-------

ISRAEL'S NEXT TOP MODEL (you can't get more multi racial, more multi color than that)

This year (2006) marked the second season of the reality tv competition searching for Israel’s Next Top Model (the show is a knock off of Tyra Bank’s program “America’s Next Top Model”). The three finalists are depicted in this picture. All are Israeli young women. Two are Jewish, one is Muslim. Kristine, the blond model was born in Russia. Mimi, the black model was born in Ethiopia.
Her family belongs to the group of courageous Ethiopian Jews who braved starvation, exposure to the elements, wild animals, brutal marauders and exhaustion to escape Ethiopia by WALKING to the Holy Land. Niral, the brown haired beauty on the left, was born in Israel to a Muslim-Israeli family.
Niral won the competition and is now , Israel’s Next Top Model.

See more at: Israel the GEM!

Thorn in my flesh?

Daniel from Raleigh, NC — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:11:18 EDT

In the book of 2 Corithians of the Bible Chapter 12 verse 7, Paul refers to a "Thorn in the flesh." Things that will continue to overshadow and hinder us from acommplishing our goals. The thorn in my flesh my felony. Even it's been over ten years, I never went to prison (only county jail), was a drug conviction (Even though it was caught in my possesion) but I was honest enough to tell the officers that I was selling. I feel as if I commited murder. Both candidates talk about change in the economy, jobs, Iraq...but what about the system? What is being done about felons who have turned their lives around? The first thing that comes out is that we blame society...that we have a choice to do the right or the wrong thing.

Okay, well I paid my debt to societ, turned my life around because I chose to do the right thing. So now, what choices does society have? To choose to continue to keep me austracised because of a mistake that was done ten years ago, or choose to give us an opportunity? Does anyone know how difficult it is to even rent an apartment with a felony? My wife has to be on the lease because if it was up to me, we would either be homeless or living in the slums, which is not the kind of life we want to live. What about a career? If you wanted to become an insurance agent, you cannot apply for licensing because of a felony regardless of how far back it has been. It seems that felons will only qualify for low paying jobs and live in the slums until a true change is made. True, there are felons that will never change, but shouldn't that be up to the individual and not society?

The only thing that keeps me going is that on verse 9 of chapter 12 of 2 Corithians, God responds to Paul by saying: "My Grace is sufficient for the: for my strenght is made perfect in weekness". What God says to me there is that regardless of what you have done in the past is irrelevent to what your future holds.

Motivational Note

Friends of President Barack Obama — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:19:02 EDT

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.

Stay on track.

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

I Have A Dream of America…

MoorAmerican — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:59:56 EDT

Iraq was conquered and defeated. Its time to call it victory and set a time horizon time table to regroup and redeploy fresh troops in Afghanistan. Russian invasion of Georgia. Just what Saddam tried in Kuwait – failed mission. Russian fought in Afghanistan and failed. We won’t lose in Aghanistan. Just go in with full overwhelming force and destroy the heroin crop then recrop and invest in building productive facilities for economic development. Taliban are locked in. Alquaeda? Terrorist? Defeated. Military troops return victorious - redeployed for Homeland Security. Borders, ports, and transprotation terminals are secure.

On November 4, 2008, National Election Day. The American Revolution and Civil War of 2008 will be fought. This world’s First Nation Republic will remove the Bush Administration and the Republican brand of conservative political party organgstupid organgnaziisznation of malpractice and high crimes against humanity forever to form a more perfect union. On that day the commonwealth will win - there will be a change. We will be united.

The American people’s President of the United States of America will be elected to office after a long and open debate about what kind of America it will be for the next four years. A free and brave people’s sovereign citizenship duty and human right; to lock and load their mind with the knowledge of the truth with love for their fellow Americans and this great country to elect the one. The American citizen that will solemnly swear to serve and protect the United States of America. A new leader of the free world. The one from among over 300 million people chosen to serve all through the office of the Presidency of the United States of America. A new young leader with the spirited word – the faith of Christ. A lions heart. A fighting spirit of a superhero.

The $600 trillion USD derivatives market has collapsed. Financial sector and housing industry are in a stagflated depression. Americans respond to the pending economic crisis with a national savings program to pay the national budget and the national debt; to increase the monetary supply of cash currency circulating in the economy – a permanent cash money supply with store value, deferred payment, and unit of account – issued by the United States Treasury Department in proportion to trade and commerce: representing the human activity of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the American society.

The free sovereign commonwealth of America is a more perfect union. It is engaged in nation building and striding towards energy independence. There is universal healthcare. The educational complex of childcare, public schools, colleges and universities is the best in the world. Every worker can afford to buy a house and make a home in America. There is no unemployment. There is no homelessness. There is no hunger. There is no social economic inequality. There is individual self-reliance and productivity. The American society is debt-free. There is mutual aid and cooperation. There is charity at home and abroad. The homeland of America is safe, secure, strong – indivisibly one nation under God we trust – God Bless America!

!!! WE DON'T OWN IRAQ !!!

Wain — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:34:59 EDT

1!. IRAQ JUNE 1ST, 2009

The activities of the Defense Department have been taken Over by the State Department. As we return to a state of diplomatic independence, we will support Iraq in every way we can except militarily.

The transfer of the field operation from the Department of State to the Department of Defense Can and Will be Transferred Back. If I am able to have the full co-operation of the Senate and the House of Representatives, I will be well on my way to bringing home Our sons and daughters, husbands and fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, nephews, Aunts, and uncles back to our wonderful home, the Unites States of America

2!. The effort to increase our presence as diplomacy rather than military power will begin with this posting. I see no improvement in Iraq when I read of suicide bombings in downtown Bagdad. However I would like to see how well the Iraqi people can settle down and restart their lives that the United States of ?America? destroyed since our invasion in 2003.

3!. I would like to see more co-operation and exchange between the Arab nations and our own and the Arab nations including Iran interchanging ideas amongst themselves. Here’s how far left I am:

I think we being the world are fortunate that a religion is the main basis for the lives of the families who rule the countries where most oil is found. I have visited Muslim countries and I find Islamic people very kind and peaceful, not at all like the images being painted on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

4!. Tribalism is foreign to us as Americans. It is the norm in much of the Middle East. We need to learn how to respect and deal with tribes and their leaders. It is much different than Corporationalized Democracy. We need not despair if other tribes and other nations do not cling to Democracy as we Americans do. Democracy is oversould.

5!. However, the Government in Iraq now should be occupied with the repairs of buildings, roads, water lines, and electric power lines. Surely the location of the Garden of Eden is near there. That is to be respected. Otherwise, the economic and social structures of an urban civilization should be the area of our investment in Iraq, not deciding who and how the operational government shall be seated in power.

It’s none of our business except we as a growth economy must have MORE OIL!

My Support!

Jim — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:55:32 EDT

I remember when I was just a young man at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN. An election was going to be held and it had Bill Clinton on the ticket. I remember walking around campus and seeing the College Replublicans and their booths, but nothing for Clinton. I went to the admin. office and asked only to find out that the college Democrats had not had any affiliation in years. I started researching, and slowly started this going. I went to local Democratic offices to get bumper stickers and pins (only to find out I would have to pay for them in advance). I was upset b/c I didn't have money. I took a small class and learned how to register people to vote. I kept going to the local Democratic office and showed them overything I had done. They then loaned me stickers and pins with the promise I would pay them around 80% back. We sold a lot of merchandise; but even better, we registered over 3,000 students within several months. My biggest memories was meeting Hillary Clinton twice. She was so kind! I also met Tipper Gore, Al Gore (2x) and then got to see Bill Clinton because someone had sent my name in and I got an offical invitation to the inauguration. As a college student, like I said, I didn't have any money. However, I got a friend of mine and we drove to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration! It was SOOOOOO cold! We saw the concert on the plaza with James Earl Jones, Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Diana Ross, etc. etc. etc. Then the day I got to see Bill accept being the President of the United States was huge for me. I remember crying. That was a long time ago! George W. stole an election and we have all had to pay for it for 8 years now! I will do EVERYTHING that I can possibly do to see Barack become our next President! When I saw him speak at the convention 4 years ago, I knew he was a man of power! I am a middle aged white male that has more respect, commitment and compassion for Barack Obama than any other candidate that I have ever known! I'm here to help! Let me know what I can do!!!!!

ObamaTube

Wizzdom-Information� — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:47:41 EDT

To all Barack Obama supporters, did you know? You can now add regulary updated videos to your iGoogle page. You can also help promote the Barack Obama cause by adding a widget to your website, Blogger, Typepad, WordPress, Ning or even your Facebook pages.

What Causes Apathy in Society?

Ms CYPRAH — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:13:55 EDT

Apathy is a direct by-product of fear, disappointment and neglect. It exists when people's values are not reflected, their desires are unfulfilled within society and they feel a sense of alienation from what is happening around them. It is difficult to feel involved and included if we do not feel a part of our social milieu, if we believe there is nothing in it for us and if we feel excluded from the outcomes. In such situations there is no feeling of attachment or association and so there is likely to be detachment in the form of an apathetic response to prevent further hurt or disappointment and to dampen expectations.

Are Role Models the Answer to Young People's Deviance?

Ms CYPRAH — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:29:02 EDT

A Conservative shadow minister in the UK, Chris Grayling, has warned of a "Jeremy Kyle generation" of irresponsible, alienated and socially inadequate young men making their presence felt in society. His answer is to promote more 'positive role models' but I have never felt that an emphasis on role models is the necessary answer to our young people's problems.

Understanding the Real Causes of Aging

Ms CYPRAH — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:05:26 EDT

For me, there are three main causes of ageing. First and most important is the brainwashing people have from society and the media around the ageing process. As soon as we are born, we soon learn about the negative things we can expect from being older, because of society's fear around ageing. There is nothing positive associated with ageing, so everyone is directly and indirectly taught to fear it mainly because of its connection with ill health, physical degeneration, compulsory retirement and exclusion from the wider society. Not surprisingly, people come to dread the ageing process and precipitate it in more negative ways through their attitude. I bet if we were told we would live forever when we are born we would have a different mindset about ageing!

SOUND SERVICE IS ORDERED BY THE KING

Firm Foundations Literary Ministry — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:14:27 EDT

SOUND SERVICE IS ORDERED BY THE KING
A gift for your family's voting enjoyment.

Why is it that an African American man can create the first clock made in the United States (Benjamin Banneker) that all people use to tell time..

But unbelieving people don't think it is time for him to run a country?

Why is it that an African American man can design a place for the high authorities to meet and a place for the President to live (The Capitol and the White House: Phillip Reid {a slave} and Pierre L'Enfant)…

But thought not good enough to lead these meetings or live in this home himself?

Why is it that an African American man was brilliant enough to do the first open heart surgery (Dr. Daniel Hale Williams) and show the world how to get and preserve plasma (Dr. Charles Dre...

But thought not good enough to put a program in place where everyone can afford this surgery?

Why is it that an African American man was creative enough to design an instrument (traffic light - Garrett Morgan) to bring multiple people (traffic) to a halt...

But thought not wise enough to design a plan to halt some of this unnecessary and worthless fighting between countries?

Why is it that an African American man could create shoe soles (shoes - Jan Matzeliger) that people walk on everyday…

But thought not brilliant enough to fill the shoes of an unpopular President?

Why is it that an African American man was brilliant enough and brave enough to teach himself (Fredrick Douglas and Thomas Fuller - both slaves) and others how to read, write and/or calculate math…

But not seen brilliant enough and bold enough to calculate a platform to be President to a country that sure needs a fruit-bearing Christian President sitting in the Oval Office.

So you see citizens of America, let us not forget our past, which led us to our present and, if we now allow God to lead, it can definitely be the backbone to our future.Millions of Christian Caucasian brothers and sisters, Latinos and members of all the diverse groups that make up the family of faith have joined Barach and Michelle Obama and will continue to join this fight to defend their own future and ours.

We were good enough, brilliant enough, creative enough, and bold enough then, so let's give Mr. Obama the chance to show that we are still these things--a highly anointed people of God.

We all are as strong as our weakest link, so don't be that weak link that denies any American that chance to show we can still operate in God's will to OVERCOME hatred and BRING THE BEST MAN TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THIS TIME IT HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO LEAD THIS COUNTRY.

Why is it that an African American man can create a tiny object called a filament (electric light - Lewis Latimer) that allows people to see in the dark…

But haters see him unfit to lead a country under the True Light?

REGISTER YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE TO VOTE: http://www.registrationbyworkingassets.com/register/?source=homedropdown&api_key=gQKGZ9xr0iTIct4XGnRHB1ALGT4

Historical excerpts taken from an uncredited blog on June 12, 2008.

Obama & Family Visit "Historic Butte America" On Nations Birthday!

Al — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:02:37 EDT

My 'Hood' In Butte Mt. Great Great Grandma Johannas' "Glenn House"...Red Roof Behind The Tall Tree (I Planted 1974) On Right.
I've now lived in Seattle for over 30 years. I've lived here but I still consider my birthplace and childhood home of Butte, Montana my true home. So when friends asked why Mr. Obama would want to visit Butte Montana for the 4th...while an obvious choice for anyone knowing Buttes significant history, not so much for the average American.

Most feel that Montana's electorate would never be numerous enough to greatly affect national politics, but what the state lacked in quantity, it has more than made up for in the effectiveness of it's elected representatives. Always politically conscious and demonstrative, Butte, itself, has entertained and imposing number of presidents and candidates. Many of them appearing in Buttes wonderful 4th of July festivities. Among those, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Howard Taft, Warren Harding, Eisenhower and JFK and Mrs. Kennedy.

So why was Butte Montana a required stop on the road to the White House? We'll in a word, mining. The mines of Butte always have been the true essence of Butte. Most who have lived in Butte were unusually dependent on the mines in one way or another. Butte copper played key roles in the industrialization of America. My own family lived in Butte since 1860 and all Irish immigrants from Cork Ireland. Most although not all of them were hard rock miners. As the people of Butte created a unique lifestyle of the great mining camp, so did the mines create the lifestyle of the people.

Most aren't aware that the "Richest Hill On Earth" is also known as "The Gibraltar of Unionism". Butte has been a union town since June 13, 1878 when the Butte Workingman's Union was organized. Since that time, there have been strikes, violence, solidarity, and dynamiting's! One of the many union disputes occurred on June 23 rd 1914 when bout 100 men opened rifle fire from Union Hall upon thousands of miners gathered around the building. The miner's returned the fire causing the Union president and others to ultimately flee the building. The attacking miners then took cases of dynamite from the nearby mines and blew up the hall! Whatever the changes in union alignments may have been, one fact is clear: Butte has always been a union town!

Coming full circle Butte is now the site of the largest superfund cleanup in the country. The people of Butte are working diligently to ensure that the the mining that occurred in the last 140 years, does not have adverse effects on Montana's pristine ecology. Their efforts are impressive. They have completed a ground water treatment facility which removes the toxic minerals from existing mine water and it is then returned to nearby Silver Bow Creek safe for fish and wildlife.

So when Mr. Obama visits Butte on Friday to appear in the parade, no doubt, this history played a significant role. Butte is a prime example of what is important to America...Families, Immigrants, Industry, history, and of course politics and the environment.

The theme of this years celebration is "Family Business".

The campaign made a smart choice for the Obama family. One that I believe will put Montana firmly in the Obama war chest of growing former republican strongholds.

Happy Birthday America! Happy 10th Birthday Malia!
(At Butte's Freedom Fest Parade 2008 AP Photo)

Unity Day

George — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:56:24 EDT

What is “Unity Day?” A day to show that there is more that unites than divides us – there are less Republicans, Independents and Democrats than Americans who share the same basic values. There are less Americans who value a particular issue than those who support the idea of a nation that allows us to freely express it. There are less who feel that privilege, status, materialism, and power than those who believe in freedom, equality, compassion, and charity. Less those who feel we should keep people out and more who feel that we will always welcome the weak, the tired, the oppressed, and persecuted. In short, we believe that all Americans, regardless of background, ethnicity or social status have equal opportunity to share in the American dream; that you can always rise to the level of your potential, your ambition and your effort. That we all have an equal stake in the American Dream and that it cannot be realized without being equally shared. The last seven-plus years have seen the unraveling of the social fabric, an alarming widening of the disparity between the few and the rest of us, the rising dominance of greed as opposed to social concern and commitment. Working men and women have seen their wages either rise insignificantly, remain stagnant or completely gone. At the same time corporate executives, of failing as well as successful corporations, are receiving all-time highest compensation and bonuses. We have seen the erosion and breakup of unions, the dismantling of civil service, the outsourcing or outright elimination of middle-class jobs. Millions of Americans are without health insurance, in the richest nation not only in the world but world history, and millions more are under-insured, while the rest of us are watching as our insurance costs dramatically increase. Health insurance coverage is becoming more of a discount than an insurance program. We have been engaged in a war in Iraq in which we have lost thousands of our bravest men and women, injured thousands more, killed, injured and dislocated a tragic amount of the Iraqi people we aimed to liberate, seriously stretched our military reducing or military preparedness and capability to deal with the conflict in Afghanistan, and cost over a trillion dollars. We have failed to cooperate with the goals of international groups committed to reduce global warming and have even, until recently, led a propaganda war that even disputed global warming even existed. Our government suffers from a lack of core competency from its highest to lowest levels which has been borne out by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the current catastrophe in the Midwest. Here, in Gouverneur, small farmers have been forced to sell their farms and lose their livelihoods while corporate farms are given subsidies. Here, in upstate New York, where we pay over four dollars a gallon for gas and soaring home fuel costs, we have the land and the resources to deal with this crisis by using our land for growing corn to create ethanol and wind farms to address our energy needs. With some forward thinking, we already have a railroad line that links us with all of New York State and beyond; by upgrading this line we can shorten the distance between us and New York City to only several hours time. We have the highest property tax burden in the nation; with some vision, we can create “green” jobs that will contribute to the revenue base and relieve this tax burden. But, we can only do this with the right leadership, we have such a candidate but, most importantly, we need you to join in this campaign for change.

Hello

gadgetfreak147 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:37:58 EDT

Hello. This is my first post(obviously) and I'm not sure what to write. So, I will randomly comment on the campaign. First, about the "bitter" comments.(the following is a joke, so don't take this too seriously.) Everyone, including the poor people who he[Barack Obama] called bitter, freaked out. He was called an elitist. Do you know who was really being elitist? The poor people. You can't deal with being called bitter? You haven't heard what some extreme conservatives have called you? Worthless drains on society, stressing public systems and polluting the earth, contributing to global warming? "Oh no, he said we cling to guns and religion" Sorry, you do.

gadgetfreak147

The Corporation (Film/DOCUMENTARY)

matthias — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:24:38 EDT

See how the Corporation is directly originated from racial inequality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pin8fbdGV9Y&feature=PlayList&p=FA50FBC214A6CE87&index=0

"When it's time to Quit" It's time for us to make a Civil Society.

Liz from Brooklyn, NY — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:44:31 EDT

Greetings,

I'm a Declarationist. I believe that we are all created equal, and are entitled to the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Based on that, I also believe that Barack Obama is the best person for the job of getting our country back to what our founding fathers dreamed of.

I would like to share with you all some of the reasons why I believe this. A lot of them can best be summed up with little bits of my mom's book about what makes a happy human and a civil society.

"When it's time to quit, Confessions of a Supermom" by Cynthia Morse

from chapter 14 - Society:

Society has always been a part of human civilization. A civil society is a group of people working and living together for the benefit of all the people. A non-civil society is a group of people working and living together for the benefit of only some of the people. Examples are dictatorships, oppressive regimes, and slave states. Only civil societies are acceptable to me. I believe none of us are truly free until we’re all free. I’ve never understood the fear people have of letting everyone reach their potential. I think peace will never come until all humans are treated with equal respect regardless of circumstance.

A true civil society has responsibilities. The first is to respect the rights of individuals equally. Equality requires individuals must have opportunity for education, food, shelter, employment, water, and consequences for their choices. People who consistently make choices benefiting themselves and society should be rewarded. People who choose to do harm to the society should be held responsible for their actions. Society should understand individuals make mistakes but can learn therefore it should be compassionate.

Civil society has a responsibility to never reward or overlook certain behaviors or they will always be part of the human experience. Violent crime is one. There should be no violent crime. We should continue to find ways to identify how society has failed to the point where one individual would so disrespect another they would choose to cause physical harm.

Another behavior society should never condone is intimidation. Society must not submit to bully tactics. If they never worked they wouldn’t be prevalent. Until we consistently support those individuals who are being forced to do things they would not choose on their own we will live in fear.

Every time society does not recognize acts of cruelty and deceit as unacceptable they continue the current problem we face in this world and we all lose. Hate is unacceptable. Children should not be taught or encouraged to hate. Instead they should be taught that all people are unique. Some they will like, others they won’t. That’s normal. Spending most of their time with the ones they like will make them happy. Understanding they will not like everyone will teach tolerance.

Unless society stops ignoring or condoning inequality, deceit, violent crime, intimidation, cruelty, and hate they will always be a part of life and we will not be civil.

HOW DARE YOU AND SHAME ON YOU!

Mary — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:10:55 EDT

Racism alarms Obama's backers Candidate's foot soldiers encounter name-calling, vandalism, bomb threats

Article in link at the end.

My comment to Hillary Clinton is: HOW DARE YOU AND SHAME ON YOU!

I can't see how anyone who is feminist would willingly vote for HRC when you consider the onslaught that she has likely brought through statements like: "I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me." I've seen Hillary make claims of Obama being divisive but she has used the most divisive whopper in history by generating hate and race and bias and ignorant stupidity to win an election. I cannot believe that she will support the equal rights of gays, or ethnic groups including asian, latino, african american, or any other than white. It is unhumanitarian to use those kinds of terms and I don't believe for a moment that Hillary just accidentally mis-spoke those vindictive, venomous filled words. She always says exactly what she intends and means, or if you are going to excuse her because she blunders over memory loss including Bosnia, then she's not competant to serve in the Oval Office. I've lived 51 years and much of it in the South but also in the north and I've seen the racism and classism in my time, enough of it to make me sick to my stomach and enough to feel ashamed to be white. Hillary heaped coals on when she used those words to stoke the fires of every ignorant white biased person out there. She also ignited the fears of those who are white who feel somewhat fearful of cultures that they can't always relate to or understand, the one's who don't necessarily hate other races but feel uncomfortable. Don't tell me she didn't do it because she did, she pulled out the biggest gun against her opponent and used it and that is shameful and just turns my stomach. Any little amount of respect that people have for her should have faded with that comment. Read the article below and see what people who try to campaign for Obama are going through and then try to justify what Hillary said if you still can. Shame on Hillary Clinton!

I feel conflicted and double drawn

Mary — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:23:37 EDT

I hear what Rev. Wright is saying, and I hear what Obama is saying and I see the media stretching it from both ends. I think about other issues that the media has raked over coals like Don Imus's remark and firing from the business. I see the racial tension and I try to avoid it because, well I'm white and white people often feel afraid to say their observations about other races because we don't want to appear biased or racist, we don't know because we aren't that race and so it's often hard to judge from the other side. But as a general observation I do believe that Rev. Wright is doing several things. He's appealing to his audience which is the black community and appealing to society because the media to sound bites out of context. Don Imus got similar treatment in calling the basketball players nappy ho's. I've heard the words nappy and ho all over the place, and have called people or even my own shaggy dog nappy when she was unkept but not derrogatorily, moreso just using a word I've heard on mainstream media and out in public. Now everybody says things that they wish they wouldn't have said, or hadn't have said, or even what they shouldn't have said. Maybe they meant it and maybe they didn't and it's unclear at times to discern the difference.

I think personally some of this jumping on Rev. Wright may be burried in the undermining of Don Imus. People who were not black often publically were against Imus saying, "He shouldn't have said that." but privately angry that Imus was fired for something that seemed a blurb turned into a molehill. I personally thought that I've heard MANY radio hosts say things that were derrogatory but they weren't fired and was somewhat surprised that such a large majority of the community, black and white demanded he be fired. Now comes Rev. Wright and I think that his saying that the birds come home to nest fits well in this situation. I personally believe that there is a part of community that is doing an "AHa! You said something socially unacceptable! You should be dragged through the mire like Imus!" I might be wrong but I wonder if this isn't in some way a backlash of coverted biggotry.

More long rambling as I am thinking stuff.

HERE COMES THE SUN

Oregon Artists 4 Obama '08 — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:13:47 EDT

HERE COMES THE SUN - THE OBAMA MOVEMENT OF HOPE
From a Hippie's Perspective
..............................................................................

I was a full tilt Flower Child, married to a rock musician in the 60's. There were definite factions of the hip movement back then - (1)political activists; (2)repressed creative people; (3)escapests & partiers; (4)humanitarians; (5)journalists & anthropologists; (6)many other groups.

When years passed & the culture shifted to rap music bringing anger, hostility, disrespect, and agression into our daily lives full force, the love and gentility of the 60's was but a haunting echo in the hallways of time. I created a website in tribute to the 60's era, with a quote from John Lennon in 1971 that said,

"....Young people are apathetic.

They think there is nothing worthwhile to do and everything is finished. They want to take refuge in drugs to destroy themselves. Our work is to tell them that there is still hope and still a lot to do.
We have to change their minds. Things can change and just because flower power did not work
it doesn't mean that everything is finished.
It is only the beginning.
The revolution has only just begun."

Obama Speech Should Win Him Votes Not Cost Them

C from Everett, MA — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:18:21 EDT

Remember as noted in an article I read: Nuts come in many colors!!!!!!!

Why isn't the anti-Catholic, misogynistic, gay-bashing preacher John Hagee hurting John McCain, who sought Hagee's support, got it, and appeared on stage with him? Answer: McCain and Hagee are white. When whites see a white nut, they dismiss him as fringe. But a black nut? Hold on, pal.

White preachers say the darndest things. Pat Robertson: "Just like what the German Nazis did to the Jews, so liberal Democrats are doing to evangelical Christians."

According to his son, when evangelical pioneer Francis Schaeffer "called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with Presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr."

The late Jerry Falwell blamed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on American pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, and lesbians.

For more on the double standards in our society, especially when it comes to race read the full article: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/03/20/the_race_card_is_the_wild_card?p1=email_to_a_friend

It is a shame that Obama is being punished for having the courage to speak the truth! Unfortunately, one can’t spell America without the R-A-C-E. If race was not an issue, why all this uproar when you finally have someone from both sides of the fence speak objectivity and eloquently about it? I guess it is the same reason some people follow their race related statements with the line, “But, it’s not about race” - to try to foolishly convince themselves and others that their statements were not racist. No wonder racism and discrimination are still alive!

Furthermore, if you think the American society is not embedded with racial overtones look at the following statement: It is either wrong or right, black or white. According to the order, black is wrong. The term black is often used as a negative (i.e., black market, black magic, blacklist, blackmail, etc.) and its dictionary definition contains phrases like soiled, harmful and without moral light or goodness. So, we should thank Senator Obama for putting an articulate face on this problem instead of an artificial one like his competitors who never had to face discrimination because of their skin color or are afraid to say anything because they do not want to lose votes!

Policy 11: Society

Roberto David de Steele y Vivas — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:18:26 EST

Universal service (first month all together, then split voluntarily to

+ Armed Forces

+ Peace Corps

+ Homeland Service

Universal free public health care

Preventive medicine

English required for citizenship & extended residence

One Week 4/19/07

ObamaMama — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:41:49 EDT

It has been a week of unending change in our country: between the Imus comments, the bombing in the Green Zone in Iraq, and the Virginia Tech tragedy (also worth noting are the two important anniversaries that happened in the past week as well - that of Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier in baseball and the end of the federal law's ban on interracial marriage). Having all of this occur in one week really makes me want to take a deep breath and try to get some perspective and relativity. I can only hope that this pattern of upheaval will lead to an awakening in America as a whole. I do think, however, that history shows us that time will be the only thing to make people realize the significance of our current events: it seems impossible for people to be aware of change while we are actually going through it. In a way, it reminds me of what I know about the late 60's: did society at the time realize and understand the monumentous corrections it was making upon itself? Was it self-aware enough to know that the work, tragedy and transition were all part of a greater societal evolution? I just hope that our country is now engaged enough to know that everything we are going through right now is significant and life-changing: it's the stuff that leads to a transformation in norms, to legislative action, and to a minority being elected President of the United States. I came across video clips of two women speaking beautifully about our current times. I want to add that these are African American women...noting this because it's worth it to point out that in some ways we have made progress from our past and there is hope for us to learn something from this time of seemingly increasing coarseness, divisiveness, and rage. 1. Rutgers players and Coach C. Vivian Stringer: Link 2. Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni: Link Take a look at each video and pass them on to women you know. Let's all try to take the contemporary events in our country as inpiration to move forward, toward a place of understanding, inclusion, and reconciliation.

Rebuild our schools, rebuild our cities

Eric — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:01:12 EDT

We have yet to address the core issue of education reform - funding for schools. Today most education funding comes from the local property-tax base, so rich communities have far better schools than poor communities. The result: It takes 10 generations for lower-class families to move into the middle-class.

As a society, we have a responsibility to reform education such that ALL children receive a good education. This means shifting the education tax base from communities to the state and federal governments.

The debate over this issue has tended to focus on ensuring that no one pays more in taxes than they are willing to pay, rather than on the real purpose of education taxes: to educate children!

As one neo-con (where "neo-con" refers to those who dismiss the common good and see all issues through an economic prism by which the rich can benefit at the expense of their social responsibilities) think tank argues, "A family that wishes to invest a high share of its income in educating its children is willing to pay more for a house in a highly perceived school district...They pay more for their house, but they get to send their children to a high-quality school." But why should education - a social "common good" if ever there was one - be treated as an economic good? And what about parents who value education but cannot AFFORD to buy houses in districts with good schools? Are they condemned to generations of socio-economic stagnation until they can one day pay the price of admission to their own society? We live within a society and share an interest in the common good. We are not just consumers of economic goods - we are parents and we are citizens. The common good requires that every American child - rich or poor - have access to a good education, no matter where he or she lives.

Doing so may also revitalize our cities, many of which have been in decline for decades despite countless "urban rebirth" programs. Young parents often move out of the cities because only in the wealthier suburbs will their children be educated. These are people who would PREFER to live in cities, but cannot do so without sacrificing their children's education. Thus, if we shift our education tax base from local to national, we can improve education in our cities and induce more middle- and upper-class families to stay.

In the presence of opposing interests, progress requires leadership. Our leaders must reaffirm the notion of membership in a society that extends beyond our economic transactions. They must point us in the right direction and push us to make the compromises required to improve our society. In education reform, this means more than paying bonuses to good teachers and creating summer school programs for poor kids. To reform our schools we must reaffirm our commitment to ALL American children, not just those in our own neighborhoods, and follow that commitment with real action.