ISRAEL INVADES GAZA

The conflict in Israel/Gaza is major news but a post on The Field Negro, "The Lost Boys", caught my attention. I am in no way an isolationist, and my views regarding Israel have changed somewhat. At any rate, we have got to focus on the United States and reverse the trend of Right Wing policies that have lead to greater poverty, despair, homelessness, hopelessness, and death not only in the U.S., but across the globe. Here is a portion:

"It's funny, at a time when most of you are outraged at
Israeli aggression in the Middle East, which has unfortunately caused innocent
civilians to lose their lives. Right here in your own country young boys who
look like you are losing their lives to the streets, and some of you don't seem
to give a damn. You are passionate about human rights in the "Holy Land" but not
about the right of our children to live past 21 here at home. Thanks to the
policies of the right; social programs, local police and juvenile crime
prevention programs, and other key local government programs geared to help keep
kids off the mean streets, have been cut. So while the frat boy was keeping us
safe from Al-Qaeda, he forgot to protect our children from each other, and from
the killing fields of urban A-merry-ca."

Very interesting insight. Let us reverse the trend of destruction to our middle class and poor.
Peace-

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well it is Christmas Day in Vancouver. So another is here and almost gone. I'm sitting in my living room in our little apartment looking out the back door, and it is so still and white and frozen.



In this Christmas Season and Chanukah season there are still people on the streets begging for money and a place to live. As I ponder the entire reason for Christmas, I can't help but realize the irony of the richest country on the culturally richest day for Christendom the poor are just trying to catch a break. What would Jesus do? He would make sure the poor were taken care of, he would make sure education was a priority, and he would make damn sure people did not go hungry. I am thankful I live in Washington. People here are far more conscious on the poor, far more focused on education, and far more conscious of the need for a social safety net for its most vulnerable citizens.



Far more than the Christian South. I cannot help but rail against the bullshit in the religious south, as it has proven itself to me to be time and again unconcerned with the real tenants of what Jesus taught, it is a region in the country that is poverty stricken, but ironically, hates the poor. Go figure.

Another thought: Regardless of your religious affiliation, or your beliefs regarding God, or Jesus, or any other religious figure, Buddha, Mohammed, etc., one has to admit, when his life is studied, when his teachings are studied, that Jesus had some great ideas regarding society. Whether one chooses to follow Jesus is their own business, and as I grow as a person, and question, question, question, I realize that Jesus' teachings and the church in the United States couldn't be further apart.



We need a systemic change in the US, one that focuses our resources not on hate and war, but on the people, on education, on well-health management rather than the colonizing aspirations that we have focused on in a post empire, post colonial world.



For all of my concerns, I am grateful for several things:



Chelsea and I have been in contact, my beautiful little dark haired baby girl, a woman now, (I remember when she was just three months old, and she contracted a viral pneumonia, with her little bitty self in a croup tent, and her little self when she was a little older and toddling around, with her long hair and beautiful voice and eyes...*sniff*) I've missed her so much, conversations with her are going very well, and her mother and I have lain to rest old animosities, and we are speaking too. We are going to go down there when Chels has the baby, (I am so excited to be a Granpa, Kell is too), and will probably stay with her and Chels and Lace. I never thought I would have April as one of my T-Mobile My Faves, but there you go.



I have been talking to Lacey, which is also a miracle in its own right.



Although he has not been back in contact, dialogue between my oldest son and me have been opened, I cannot wait to discuss varying social philosophies with Trent, as well as religion, health welfare, etc. It appears he and I would have plenty to discuss, quite a bit in common, and if I may be so bold, we'd have a damn good time discussing such issues.



And I am grateful and thankful to April for letting me into her and the kids lives...





I have been in contact with my son Hunter, at least I think it is him, and from the contact back from him via MySpace, I can only assume it is him, as it sounds like me at a very pissed off 13 years old. And I'm not mad about that!



And, of course, I have my beautiful Lady Kelli, my precious son Jakob, a warm place, food to eat, Mosey, Eden and the Cat, and the prospect and possibilities of success before me.

I have missed all of the kids through the years, and this is another motivating factor for me to see reform in the colossal fuck up called Child Support Enforcement. I do hope some people go to jail over this incredible debacle, and you can rest assured that I will do my part to hold individuals accountable for any corruption, theft, or other chicanery that has resulted in harm to my children, to me, and to all the other families that have been used as economic pawns to line the pockets of private collection companies, as well as attorneys, judges and legislators. I wanna see some bodies twisting in the wind. I'm angry, and I have awakened.


I have many things to be thankful for, and they are all duly noted. I do believe, however, that the work in the United States is far from over, the election of Barack Obama is perhaps just the beginning. The trickle down economic theory which has brought this country nearly to ruins, (and ruined other nations) is still being preached as gospel from the meeting rooms of Congress and state legislatures to the corporate boardrooms, to the pulpits. One of the solutions? Tax the shit out of the rich.



I currently do not have but a small voice. However, it is gaining in depth, breadth, and resonance. So listen up corporations! You can bet your ass companies like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Kaiser Permanente, Pfizer, and ExxonMobil would be paying about 80 percent and they would not be making billions off of the backs of the poor without giving back, and giving till it hurts. I pay an enormous percentage of any disposable income of mine in taxes at the check out line at the store, at the gas pump, and restaurants, etc. As do all of the people in the United States that currently have a low income. Taxes that are not refunded, and I want a fucking return on MY investment. Change must be made in this country, I'm going to see to it. Peace and love, Searchers, blessings in this coming new year, Hasta Siempre-



Mike

MORE INCARCERATION? MORE FAMILIES DESTROYED?

I'm following a story in Oregon. -UPDATE- I can't get the link to work, the story is from Oregonlive.com- Basically, Oregonians are going to the polls to decide a number of things, not the least of which will be the question of whether to "tighten up" sentences for non-violent offenders. (I love these ambivalent terms like "tighten up." It's allowed to sound innocuous when the reality of it is terrible and destructive. Kind of like "mandatory minimums." The shit doesn't work.) Non-Violent offenders. Drug addicts and the like. So, I'm hoping Oregon will get it right. From what I've seen in my few years of paying attention they probably won't.

People don't get it. Drug addiction is social problem, not a criminal one. Putting addicts in prison and destroying families further does nothing except feed the hideous beast that is the Prison Industrial Complex. For sure these cops and prosecutors don't get it, and they have very little incentive for helping in a positive way. Their jobs depend largely on addicts and convictions of addicts. Treatment would put a massive dent in revenue. That is the truth.

We have a nation of self-righteous sanctimonious christians, cops, judges and lawbreakers; I mean lawmakers, that have no sympathy or empathy for their fellow man. This is the result of a society built on capital and greed.

So, I push and focus my education on change in the United States. I'll follow that story and let ya know what's up, Searchers.

It is time for a systemic change in America. Peace-
Mike

Feds Bail out Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/treasury-set-bail-out-fannie/story.aspx?guid=%7B46D1439E-A2C4-418C-9BE0-09BE0B9EE60D%7D&dist=msr_4

So, the feds are bailing out corporations. Again. All while this worthless Administration cuts social benefits are being cut, we have two morons on the Repub ticket, both will do more damage to social programs, students in higher education, children, families. It's okay to bail out corporations, but not okay to provide health care to every man woman and child in America. It's okay to have college educations cost more than a house in many areas. It is all a ploy to get the rich richer, keep the poor poorer, and build a corporate christian fascist base. Before anyone spazzes, I know ultimately people who own their homes through these mortgage companies, and people need help. The republicans only care about the company, not the individuals that make it up, unless they are in the top spots.

Think they care? Look at this new psycho Sarah Palin. She cut special needs education by 62%. How's that for right wing Christianity? And to get on the stage and say she's a friend to the disadvantaged. It furthers my belief in the utter failure of the Republican party and the American right wing as well as their churches...
Peace-Revolution...let us take our country back...