Random Thoughts
I'm way behind here. Seems like life keeps getting in the way.
Pete Stark was forced to apologize. That is sad. He said nothing that wasn't reasonably true. I guess the wingnuts were incensed most about the “getting their heads blown off for the Presidents pleasure” or some words to that effect. Gee, I remember back in the old days when the President attended the White House correspondents dinner. He was joking, with film and all, about “nope, no wmd here, nope no wmd there.” Even Barney went hunting. So he lies us into a war, or being overly fair, got us into a war where the rationale turned out to be wrong. Our young men and women were getting their heads blown off over it and he was making jokes about it. That would be his amusement to me. Not much of anything else Stark said was even debated. What Pete said was not out of line at all and I am wildly upset with the so called leadership for forcing him to recant. The fact that the Democrats let the reactionary conservatives stomp all over them over and over again makes me ashamed to call myself a Democrat. I have been promising to change my registration for some time now and if I could still vote in a primary I would do it tomorrow. I am sick of the weak kneed people in the Democratic party. That would be the entire leadership sans Howard Dean. They talk big and roll over damned near every time.
The SCHIP program continues to be debated. The best I can figure the plan from the right is: There is nothing in it for me so I am against it. ..Either that or ,every man (and child) for himself. This is honestly how they feel. I was talking about this with Dianne, my calmer half, the other day. She made the point that the “rugged individualism” is deeply ingrained in US culture. She is absolutely right. The problem, to me, is that this is not the wild west anymore. A family farmer can't grow his own food and support his life and family(monetarily) on the farm anymore. Corporations have taken over. You can't make a living as a hunter or trapper. You can't stake a claim on land and mine gold or other ores and make a living. Things are far different today and circumstances insist on a sense of community and working together to survive. Many will say that the liberals with all their laws and regulations are what “ruined” things. Yes it does sometimes get excessive. The fact is we would have never survived as a country minus much of it. Lazzie- Faire capitalism would have resulted in wage slaves(we are nearing that again) Monopolies(we are nearing that again) and dirty water and air with death and disease rampant. We would have an aristocracy ruling the surfs(we are nearing that again). The Constitution is meant to protect all the people and not just the ones with money. I believe in health care not just for kids but universal care for all. Every other major and some many minor countries have it. Many say people come here to get health care. The fact remains that the overwhelming majority in all these countries get their care in country. If you did a poll you would find they wouldn't trade their health care system for ours, ever. Mainly because they are just like most of us. They couldn't afford it. I have heard the cons make arguments that universal health care would be more expensive. Their arguments are wildly easy to dispute and hold water about as well as a screen door.
I saw a story the other day that said over a billion dollars was missing from the Dynacorp contract. This is far from the first billion that is unaccounted for. It has been my belief from the beginning that this is the primary reason for this war. Make a whole bunch of money turn up missing. I have said to people, some in the know some not, they are robbing you blind. And in so many ways. Some get it some don't. Some think the tin foil hat is on but the facts are out there for all to see. Follow the money. At least the money you can account for. Ask Republican Dwight Eisenhower about it. He could tell you what's up.
More from the war front. Bush wants tens of billions more. He says, in so many words, give me my money or you will all die. I am so tired of this fear and guilt mongering I could strangle somebody. I'm not afraid and I have absolutely no guilt about my position. I wish more democrats in power would think and act like that. The President has additionally said that the Turks should not invade Iraq. That is ironic on its face. Especially after the Turks were actually attacked by people living in Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that they share a border. I guess we are the only country that is right to invade other countries.
Finally, I am so tired of the line the right throws out that the congress is more unpopular than the President. They say it like they have no idea why. If the Democrats weren't doing exactly what the Republicans want them to do(in the final vote) they would be far more popular. That stat says nothing except the stance of Republicans, which the congress, democratic control or not, has voted for over and over again, is extremely unpopular.
Yes there is much more. Hopefully we will get to it soon. Keep fighting for the citizens of the United States.
posted by Ron at 12:44 AM
4 Comments:
Regarding Startk: He was my congressman for 25 years. My brother worked for him. That said, the "for the president's amusement" line was a poor choice of words and was a natural for the reaction it got from the right. It gives them yet another excuse to make THAT the issue instead of real issues.
The S-CHIP program is simply an ideological cause for Bush. He says it when he calls it a step on the road to socialized medicine. He fails to mention that millions of Americans already have medical insurance and services provided by the government: medicare, military, VA, congress, government employees. It's purely ideological.
Furthermore, it proves that the talk of self-reliance and individual accountability is simply empty talk. The Frosts have done everything the right asks people to do, yet they can't make it through a catastrophic medical issue without assistance. For the right, this "does not compute" so they attack the same hard-working people they champion.
If anyone wonders why the US won't get out of Iraq, all they have to do is watch "The Selling of Iraq". Corporations are making billions of dollars in Iraq, with little if any accountability on their part or the government's. Why would people who get campaign money from giant corporations want to do anything that would stop the war profiteering. If you want to know why we are still at war, "follow the money."
I agree about the popularity of the congress. However, the Democrats need to stop being pussies and worrying about getting re-elected and actually challenge the president. And not cave.
Glad the kids are OK, Ron. I suppose it was a teenaged daughter vs Mom thing, as so often happens. Keep trying...maybe a job in CO will finally happen for you someday and with another talkshow, too. :-)
If Kitty Kelley got in right in her book, the Bush Family hated FDR and his New Deal, hated LBJ's War on poverty, etc. and would like nothing more than to dismantle the entire safety net for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly, including Social Security. Better hope that Huckabee and Thompson*, the darlings of the Religious Wrong do not cheat their way into power. (*He disgusts me so much that I won't even watch Law and Order now.)
And what's with the GOP candidates trying to out-ultra-conservative each other? Are they so lame they don't realize the majority of Republicans are not out on the far right fringe and are sick of BushCO and the War? They deserve to lose!
Anyway, if you didn't catch Anderson Cooper's Planet in Peril special on CNN this week, China is not only the most polluted nation on earth, but imports almost all poached endangered animals and parts of these animals, due to a stupid primitive tribal belief that one can absorb the chi of animals, thus obtaining the strength and virility of said animals. In many cases, the buyers are likely to be impotent old men (who I think should be stripped and publically flogged you know where on the body). At any rate, there should be an international law that anyone caught and convicted of poaching, selling, or buying endangered animals and their parts should have his/her name, pic, and crime posted on a website (Hall of Shame) for the whole world to see.
People who do this to animals make me sick. They are stupid and ignorant and cruel and I don't care if it is intolerant of other cultures/religions to say so. Many animals are better than many people are. And it probably won't be the Buddhists in China who are doing it, or the Hindus in India as they believe in reincarnation and animal rights.
Speaking of vegans...anyone know of a good simple vegetarian cookbook? I am trying to ease myself into vegetarianism by degrees, altho I won't give up eating dairy products and eggs.
Peace and Happy Halloween to all!
Jim, I understand what you are saying about Stark. The fact is the right says outrageous stuff all the time and nobody really says a lot. What Stark says can easily be rationalized the same way the right rationalizes their outrageous stuff. I think that is what needs to happen if we are ever to cut their chest puffing down to size.
No doubt SCHIP is an ideological struggle. As is our entire method of dealing with health care. That is why I would like to move it from just kids to all of us. I guess it's that nasty progressive, move forward attitude I have!
You nail it with the Frost situation. The republicans stand for nothing. Neither do the Democrats these days in my book. Yes they need to learn how to not cave. Maybe even more important they need to learn how to fight back against the right wing rhetoric. I have seen many average citizens do a quite effective job. Why is it so hard for the leaders?
DC
I saw parts of Planet in Peril. There is no doubt they are turning it into a polluted wasteland. There is also no doubt it is the corporatocracys dream world. That is what America would be without the liberal or progressive agenda as it exhists today.
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