"ANY WAGE THAT IS NOT A LIVING WAGE IS UNJUST, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON, AND TO BE FORCED TO ACCEPT IT IS ECONOMIC VIOLENCE." Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., from "The Politics of Jesus..."
I have swung from the right to the left; if you have read this at all you know. There was a time I supported big business, I believed the Republican and right wing Christian nonsense about profit, Capitalism, (God's own economic way, don't ya know) and the ability for the poor to get rich, because of "trickle down" economics. However, I have come to my senses. I was watching CNN yesterday and a commercial came on railing against taxes for energy companies. "Madness!" "Crazy!" and other such adjectives hurled at me by blue collar actor portrayals...and people are buying this crap hook, line, and sinker. Here is a story from Newsweek, CEO's are lamenting their poor abused status as the victimized rich.
The Book of James states in chapter 5 v.4: "Look! The wages you have failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you." NIV.
Let me take it a step further: The companies in the United States are on a wholesale robbery spree against the workers. The CEO's are empowered, the workers are weak. Such is the legacy of Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. They are stealing from us, and screaming about taxes. Wake up, a country cannot be operative without revenue, and that revenue comes form taxes.
I am working toward reversing this trend, and it begins with education. It is high time to end the utter exploitation of the worker, the farmer, the average person in the U.S.
Let me be clear: The Richest in this country are never going to come off their money unless forced to by the people. There has been a massive redistribution of wealth-from the bottom up to the top. The economic policies of Saint Ronald have done nothing except grow the coffers of the already rich. Reaganomics have failed, George W. Bush is a failure, and Conservative are morally bankrupt.
Listen middle class and poor-you are in the financial straights today as a direct result of the Conservative and Republican economic policy. And yes, Bill Clinton is to blame also.
In a few days I am going to post some pics of a little town in Arkansas that has gone completely in the shitter as a direct result of Conservatives and the Republicans. Home after home after home has been abandoned and houses are falling apart, yet the people are embittered against the left, and they are voting Republican to get even with Wall Street. (thanks Thomas Frank for putting that into perspective for me.)
Stuffing Their Pockets
For CEOs, a lucrative recession.
One of the most startling things about the post-crisis landscape is how tone-deaf the wealthiest Americans remain to outrage over their Croesus-like pay packages. The award for complete obliviousness would have to go to Blackstone cofounder Stephen Schwarzman, who earlier this summer compared government attempts to raise taxes on financiers such as himself to Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Silver medals should certainly be handed out to the many executives and corporate lawyers who were grousing last week about the new Dodd-Frank bill, which includes a rule requiring companies to disclose the difference in pay between their chief executive and their lowest-level workers. It would be a “logistical nightmare,” these titans of industry wailed, for firms to compile this information.
Well, maybe, but if you issue pay stubs, surely you can tally them up (and perhaps keep a few more workers on board to do just that). The real nightmare will be when the public sees the numbers, which will illuminate just how egregious the U.S. pay gap has become. According to the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal think tank based in Washington, the average S&P 500 CEO takes home 263 times what his cheapest laborer does. While CEO pay is indeed down from its pre-crisis highs in 2007, it’s still double what it was in the 1990s, and eight times the level in the 1950s.
Meanwhile, American workers are taking home less in real weekly wages than they did in the 1970s. So much for the idea that the financial crisis would somehow even things up by wiping out a good chunk of the paper wealth of the plutocrats. Indeed, stock prices have surged so much since last year that many CEOs, who receive a good chunk of their pay in equity, are wealthier than ever before.
Such facts are inevitably followed by the impossible-to-answer question, do they deserve it? While the corporate world has certainly gotten more complex over the last 50 years, it’s hard to make the case that CEOs themselves have gotten any smarter, or that investors are doing a better job of judging a CEO’s success. Compensation levels are all too often driven by short-term thinking. The CEOs of the 50 firms that laid off the most workers since the onset of the economic crisis took home 42 percent more pay in 2009 than their peers did—largely because cutting workers boosts short-term profits and appeals to Wall Street. Yet a growing body of academic research suggests that downsizing doesn’t always lead to increased profitability over the longer haul, or even lower costs. There are many reasons for this, ranging from the fact that companies going into layoff mode often lose their best workers to competitors, to the toll taken on R&D spending, which is what produces the revenue and growth potential of the future.
While one can argue the merits of layoffs on a company-by-company basis, what’s striking is that the executives who are the most willing to ax workers also seem to be the least likely to tighten their own belts. Management guru Peter Drucker once noted that after CEO-to-worker pay ratios went above 25–1, major moral questions started to be raised. It will be hard to make employees believe that “we’re all in this together” when it becomes clear in public documents that company leaders have largely insulated themselves from any financial risk.
The larger issue of growing inequity in the Western world is a tough one to tackle; the forces of globalization that have led to stagnating wages aren’t going to disappear. But executive pay could be made fairer and more transparent. For starters, corporate America might take a page out of the European playbook. In countries like Germany, which boasts many of the world’s most competitive and productive companies, worker representatives often sit on corporate boards, providing a check against bloated pay packages.
On the other hand, U.S. corporate boards are full of very rich people who have no incentive to complain about each others’ pay. That’s why politicians might consider getting rid of tax rules that let companies write off unlimited amounts of corporate compensation. And whatever arguments there might be about the complexity of the Dodd-Frank rules, the notion of publishing pay numbers is a good one. If nothing else, it could be the starting point of a conversation in which America’s business leaders explain, to their shareholders and to the wider public, exactly why they need so much money to get the job done.
(posted under ratfuckery, stupid shit, right wing...)
Yeah a big fucking hole in the heads of the like of Michael Steele, John McCain, (wow he sure was disappointing, huh? Talk about selling your soul to the devil), and the complete moron Sarah Palin...
Shut down British Petroleum, and hold your elected officials responsible. The reason this utter nightmare is taking place in the gulf is because the United States Government has allowed the petroleum companies that drill in US waters to NOT have the safety measures, safety measures that EXIST but are expensive to the poor oil companies), in place to protect the public and the natural world. Safety measures that exist in other countries, safety measures that work.
This is what happens when corporations are allowed to run amok. This is what happens when our elected officials are on the take. Period.
Today is Saturday. On Monday, hit your phone, grab your laptop, grab a sheet of paper and a pen and scream at your elected officials...
Oh yeah, what do you think is going to happen on the Redneck Riviera when that oil hits shore? Does America really think we can afford another disaster on the scale of Katrina? How about 3 or 4 Katrinas? While we will not see the Human casualties from this PREVENTABLE DISASTER, the environmental impact, and the financial impact of states like Mississippi with the grossly fat and stupid Haley Barbour, (Hey! Fat-ass Haley!!! you will NEVER be President you redneck moron), is going to be enormous...the fishing industry, shrimping, oysters, clams, seabirds...Good God, what a bunch of absolute fucking assholes...I will NOT USE BRITISH PETROLEUM UNTIL THEY RECTIFY THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE DONE...and Searchers, did you know the American taxpayer is footing the clean up bill? Yeah, BP doesn't have ships out in the gulf cleaning. Shut BP down. Please do the same...Peace-
The right wing oughta loves this- 'God Bless The Great White Right'-and all of the (my dad should love this)imps, John Boehner, Eric Cantor (when is he going to come out of the closet????) Carrie Prejean at the "values voter summit" as though no one has values unless they're banging their choir director...or has fake boobs, or can bring a gun to a Presidential Meeting...you should be proud right wing: now we all know how you operate, and we should make sure we watch you closely...
The writer makes some good points regarding the right wing nutbags, and gets a good dig in on Sarah Palin. His wrting is dead on, so listen up you god fearing righties that hate people of color and don't want health care for everyone: Would Jesus deprive us of healthcare for all? Of course not you schmucks, furthermore, the right wing has devolved into nothing more than a Facsist movement. For those of you with Provincial thinking (I'm talking about you midsouth) who do not understand the difference between Fascsim and Socialism, look it up.
From the New York Daily News Mike Lupica, writer:
President Obama is the real target of health care protesters, not policy
The woman went to an airplane hangar in Belgrade, Mont., the other day, prepared to actually listen to President Obama talk about health care reform in America. She has watched, the way the rest of us have watched, as the debate about health care has turned into a sideshow and in some cases even more of a freak show than Glenn Beck's. Now she wanted to see for herself, along with more than 1,000 others, if it would happen this way in Montana.
This is what she said about the event when it was over: "Yes, there were a few protesters en route. But the Montanans who were excited to hear the President far outnumbered the fringe groups." Then she said this about Obama: "He was smart, fair, funny."
So this wasn't an occasion when people with legitimate concerns and legitimate points to make were overwhelmed by the wing nuts and screamers who take their marching orders from right-wing radio and television and the Internet.
Those idiots come to these town hall meetings more to be seen than heard, and think creating chaos makes them great Americans.
Those people have been convinced by the current culture that we are dying to hear from them, and the louder the better. People who think that all they need to star in their own reality series is a couple of TV crews. But then this is Twitter America now, where no thought is supposed to go unspoken.
We hear that all of this is democracy in action. It's not. It's boom-box democracy, people thinking that if they somehow make enough noise on this subject, they can make Obama into a one-term President.
The most violent opposition isn't directed at his ideas about health care reform. It is directed at him. It is about him. They couldn't make enough of a majority to beat the Harvard-educated black guy out of the White House, so they will beat him on an issue where they see him as being most vulnerable.
In the process, they'll come after him on health care the way Kenneth Starr went after Bill Clinton on oral sex in the Oval Office.
With that kind of zealotry, screaming about government programs as if Medicare isn't one. It is why so many of them, all these wild-eyed red faces in the crowd, look completely certifiable, screaming about how Obama wants to kill Grandma, as if he's suddenly turned into Jack Kevorkian.
And by the way, if Sarah Palin is involved - Palin as uninformed as ever about these so-called "death panels" - the debate just got dumber, if that's possible. No kidding. If foreign policy was a brain-buster for Palin, something as truly complex as health care will make her feel as dizzy as if she just rolled down a hill.
So much of this comes from people who get all their information from right-wing media, or their cheerleading from political has-beens like Betsy McCaughey, people who don't see this as a fight for better and more inclusive health care, but who now see it as something grander and more noble, a fight to reclaim America from Obama.
They couldn't win the fight last November, when he laid out John McCain and Palin and a whole party with one election, so they try to do it now, with lies and rather amazing distortions. They want everybody to believe that if Obama gets his way, he'll eventually be in charge of insurance and doctors and whether you use CVS or Duane Reade. He's a Socialist selling socialized medicine. He'll kill Grandma. Come on. The notion that this is all honest dissent is just one more lie.
Even in Montana, the Swift Boaters who would line up against any health care plan endorsed by Barack Obama ran one television ad 115 times over a day and a half before the President arrived.
"Every time we are in sight of health insurance reform, the special interests fight back with everything they've got," the President said outside Bozeman. "They use their influence and run their ads. They use their political allies to scare the American people."
He is right about that. But the special interests aren't fighting the reform, in a system that cries out for reform, as much as they are fighting him. They see their first real good opening and they go for it.
They don't just want to hijack this debate, they want to hijack his presidency. The rest of it, about your coverage and everything else, is just the cover story.
Note: This is a long post, please take time to read it. In it I bring up the tragic case of Nataline Sarkisyan, the girl killed by insurance giant CIGNA, and I remind the recipients of the ridiculous Billy Tauzin (R, Louisiana), the fraud that went to work for PhRMA after he left congress. I am in the process of emailing it to my respective electeds in Washington as well as Arkansas. I am also snail mailing it. We have to make changes in our system, people are dying as a result of policies that our Lobby-Owned Congress refuse to change. Peace-
My Dear Elected Officials- Monday, June 8,
I am writing to request a full explanation regarding the "single payer" option being taken off the table in reference to health care reform.
As you are well aware, scare tactics abound when this subject is broached, as in the early 1990's when insurance lobbies spent upwards of 100 million dollars to kill health care reform when President Clinton first entered office.
I am confident you aware of at least one of the tactics used by Republicans, neocons, skinheads, and some Conservadems, the usual worn-out statement meant to scare people that goes something like this: your sick mother or grandmother will not be able to get treatment because of a government bureaucrat as a result of "socialized medicine." I have noticed some on the right beginning to use catch words such as “rationing of care” “long lines” “you may have to wait six months to see a dentist.” And other nonsense. There have been times I wished I could wait six months to see a dentist because as our current system is designed now, NEVER was how long I would have to wait to receive dental or medical treatment.
Let me remind you of W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, Republican, of Louisiana proclaiming over and over again how he "loves his Mama, I love that woman" while on a "family values" crusade and then went to work for PhRMA at a reported salary of 2.5 million dollars a year after he left office. So much for all of the love for Mamas everywhere.
I am confident you are aware of the current for-profit health industry, in which insurance companies such as Aetna, Blue-Cross, and Kaiser Permanente, companies that make billions of dollars profiting from people's misery, have the ability to deny claims.
Perhaps you recall the infamous case of Nataline Sarkisyan, the 17 year old girl that died at the UCLA Medical Center on December 20, 2007 as a result of CIGNA denying her a liver transplant. Unfortunately, Nataline was one of approximately 20,000 American that are killed yearly, one could argue murdered, by the insurance companies they pay premiums to. Premiums that are paid by Americans for the express purpose of the insurance company paying up in the event of a claim being filed.
If you have seen the movie "Sicko," you will recall a scene in which a doctor is testifying before committee on Capitol Hill, and she recounts a particular case in which she had to deny a claim by a man that was dying because of the denial quotas she was expected to adhere to. She testified that had the man received the necessary care he paid for he would not have died. I do not understand why this woman was not immediately detained and charged with this man's death.
Please include an explanation of the lack of detention of this woman in your response. Be advised any references to any sort of immunity deal should be included, but as a taxpayer, I am uninterested in this. Had this scenario played out during a robbery anywhere else, the individual responsible would be imprisoned. In this case the CEO's of these companies are directly responsible, and they have blood of Americans on their hands. When health insurance companies take money for premiums from individuals and do not deliver, that is robbery. Furthermore, if that robbery results in an individual’s death, one could argue a murder occurred.
The current state of our health care system is in shambles. As you are well aware, the United States spends more money on health care than any other Western Nation, and we have less to show than most for our efforts.
I would like to include more statistics for you, but I am confident you already know the numbers.
Here is what I require from you, my dear elected officials: A full explanation of why my elected officials are bowing to the insurance companies by denying a single payer system for the American People. As members of my Congress, you are individuals that enjoy the benefits of health care funded by the American Peoples’ tax dollars. Armed with the knowledge that the paycheck you cash as a result of your elected position is drawn on my Treasury, I will need an explanation for the lack of Congressional regard for the American People, especially our children.
I will also require a detailed explanation as to why my government cannot negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for medication prices as is the practice in other countries. An explanation of the law as it is currently written is unnecessary. I am well aware of the legislation, what I require is detailed explanation of what you are doing to repeal this reckless legislation.
What must not be included in your detailed explanation is any defense of the current for-profit insurance nightmare that has been developed in the United States, which has been as successful as Milton Friedman's economic policies adopted by Ronald Reagan in 1981. We have learned that "trickle down" economics does not work, nor does our health care system. There is no reason to cling to either of these failed policies.
Let me reiterate: under no circumstances are you to defend the current system, it does not need to be defended, it needs to be dismantled completely and redone.
Even Margaret Thatcher, the Ronald Reagan counterpart that turned thousands of police officers and military against her own countrymen and women to break the labor unions, much like Reagan with the Air Traffic Controllers, said of the National Health Service "It is safe with us." Even Thatcher knew the U.K. National Health Service worked, and as one prominent Labour leader stated, "If they touched it there would have been revolution."
Perhaps that is what we need in the United States. Perhaps not, perhaps all we as constituents need to do is vote out politicians that live off the government dole, while they slash education, health, food programs, school lunch programs, while at the same time ensuring their own children and families are well cared for.
As a young man of 40, I have many years left, and while I am sinking myself into thousands of dollars of debt, (my wife as well) because of our abysmally planned higher education system, eventually I will be out of school armed with an education in Public Policy and Poli Sci from Washington State University, Vancouver. My wife will eventually be finished with her second Bachelor of Science, this one in Biology, from WSU Vancouver as well, her first a B.S. in Psychology from Portland State, and she will eventually be in and out of Medical School, with a mere $200,000 dollars in debt, and together we will work to ensure the current system in the United States is turned on it head.
An interesting side note, at this point in time, due to the failed policies of the past 30 years, we are considered poor enough to qualify for the State of Washington health care system. Thank you Washington. My primary care physician is a remarkable woman from India, where, when she trained there 15 years ago, related to me just today in conversation that India has programs that put women into Medical Schools for free. She also related to me the appalling amount of waste in the United States in relation to health care. You see, the Indians are interested in investing in their people; they approach government as government and not as a corporation that only thinks about the P&L Sheet. It is time to once again wake up and realize the U.S. government is not a business; it is a government, one that must invest in its people, not its lobbyists, and the CEO's of massive financial firms on Wall Street.
Ms. Patty Murray, Ms. Maria Cantwell, and Mr. Brian Baird, my wife, son and I are constituents in Washington State. Mr. Mark Pryor and Ms. Blanche Lincoln, I have two children of voting age in your state, and two more that will soon be of voting age. I am including some of our Republican elected officials in my request, so be assured I hold all Members of my Congress fully responsible for the paralysis on this and many other extraordinarily important issues.
Mid-terms are just around the corner, and 2012 will be here soon. As a former Conservative that voted Republican for 22 years, (for Heaven's sake I voted for Mike Huckabee of Arkansas; sorry about that, my wife proudly proclaims she did not) I have fully embraced the Democratic Party's principle of people over profit. Please do not disappoint me.
Thank you for your time, I realize you are in session, and I will be patient. However, please understand paralysis in D.C. is trying most Americans' patience. I will be following up with each of you, and I will post this letter and your responses on my blog, www.mikesearches.blogspot.com.
Sincerely,
It is time for systemic change in the United States.
I have spent a lot of time in church. I grew up in the Catholic Church, I was confirmed, (John, in case you're wondering,) and after I left the Catholic Church at 15, I started attending again at age 20, but I got into Evangelical religion, specifically the charismatic/pentecostal movement... I became quite passionate about religion, and I began to minister in churches in Northeast Arkansas. I used to attend a church in a little town called Pocahontas, (true story) and I ministered occasionally on Wednesdays, and sometimes on Sunday nights. I also ministered in Walnut Ridge, AR, at Sister Becky's church, I guess that's where I "got my start." We had pieces of plywood covering the holes in the floor of this dilapidated shack owned by another preacher that charged an absolutely outrageous price for this dump, somewhere around $500 a month(extortion!).
So, I was thinking about the times that I have been on the platform, speaking, disseminating the knowledge that I had, the points that I had studied in the scriptures, points that I had spent agonizing hours of prayer and fasting to ensure I was tuned in...
The point is, at no time did I ever think my own life could have been in danger as a result of my personal beliefs. (Believe me, at the end of my preaching run, I was beginning to focus solely on reform in the church I attended and almost no one was interested in that.)
Again, at no time was I ever concerned about some whacko stepping into the church and open firing because of my personal beliefs, my politics, etc...hell I preached on January 15, 1991 the day my precious daughter was born, and the day the U.N. prepared the way for the invasion of Iraq the first time, which began just a few short hours later-shout out to my precious New Year Baby!I also had a key my pastor, Bro. Grey gave me, and I made it a habit to go to the church an hour or so before work to meditate and gather my thoughts for the day.
Which is why I find it so disturbing that this doctor, Dr. George Tiller was gunned down in church, where he served as a deacon, and as I understand it, his wife was in the choir at the time of his murder.
I have been involved with Fundamentalist Christianity for more than 20 years. I can say decisively, that although most will not admit it publicly, most will say this "baby killer" this "murderer" got exactly what he deserved.
This is not the first time a right wing terrorist invaded a church (remember Jim Adkisson, Knoxville TN? My family and I lived in Knoxville, he said he did it to kill liberals) and it will not be the last. We will see a trend. The "Christians" (in truth the "Anti-Christians") have gone nuts, and they celebrate killing in the name of God.
This is what concerns me most about the right wing and the Republican Party: they will kill if necessary, and they will do it in the name of God. Does anyone else see a connection between Islamic extremism and Right Wing, Republican extremism? I know you do.
The right wing and the Republican Party are completely responsible for this man's murder, this act of terror. They kill and hate and murder in the name of God, and they are too fucking lazy to get off their asses and approach the legal practice of abortion legally, and make changes to the law.
Let me reiterate and expand: The right wing, Fundamentalist Christianity, and the Republican Party are absolutely responsible for this man's murder. It is time for systemic change in the United States.
While downing a protein shake this morning and working on my abs, I came across the article below. I'm glad this made the news. It is nice to see that some news gathering organizations cannot be strong armed into burying stories about prominent politicians family members that violate the law and people's civil rights...learn from this, Jonesboro Sun.
Palin sister-in-law accused of breaking into home By RACHEL D'ORO – 1 day ago ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Police say Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's sister-in-law is accused of breaking into the same home twice to steal money. Deputy Wasilla Police Chief Greg Wood says 35-year-old Diana Palin was arrested Thursday after she was confronted by the homeowner in the governor's hometown of Wasilla. She faces two counts of felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and theft. Wood says tire tracks and shoe prints tied Palin to another break-in Tuesday in which $400 was taken. Police have not tied Palin to another burglary at the home last week. Governor spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton says Palin is the half sister of the governor's husband and the family has no comment. Diana Palin's husband says his wife has a court-appointed attorney.
Sarah Palin and her extended family could have been the Second Family of the United States, if the Right Wing would have prevailed in the past election. This again shows the complete lack of intelligence and integrity of the right, especially the Christian Right. Tying an individual like Diana Palin to the Governor and linking the two would seem unfair to some as Diana Palin is 35 (and should know better) and responsible for her own behavior. Sarah Palin can't control what her husband's sister does.
I agree with part of that, Palin can't control what her sister in law does any more than she can control what her daughters do (apparently.)
But let me put this idea out there to chew on: After watching Sarah Palin in the campaign season, and seeing the lack of intellectual curiosity, learning her brand of Christianity (and recognizing it for what it is) and the bumbling way she, as well as her staff and family conducted themselves during the campaign, the lies from Palin, with the bible in her hand and scripture in her mouth (next to the bullshit) I believe, after thoughtful consideration, that this is how they conduct themselves as a family.
Allow me to elaborate: This is just how they do things. It is not abnormal behavior for any of them. This is just how they, and others like them, conduct themselves in their day to day walk of life. They lie, they cheat, they rob, they steal, they harm, and on Sunday they go to Church. They blame almost everyone else for their misfortunes and use religion to justify bad behavior, invoking God and vowing to pray for you while they are calling you a nigger, or trying to break into your home to kill you, or wishing harm on your child, good stuff like, "I hope your kid gets hit by a bus."
Heard that last little gem before, actually that was in an email from my son's Uncle, Mrs. Searcher's brother. (Actually, I have experienced all of the above.) Real classy relatives Mrs. Searcher has. Mrs. Searcher embodies class, intelligence, beauty and smarts. There is no way in hell she is the product of her mother and the person that gave her her maiden name. That is not meant to disrespect her mother, may she rest in peace. It does, however, reflect her good judgement. I will forever maintain that as truth.
Back to Plain and her Alaska (arkansas) family:
These aren't your run of the mill trailer park rednecks; these are rednecks with money and real power in the state in which they live. This combination is especially dangerous because with money and influence real damage can be done to people's lives, often with little or no consequence. There are some common threads running through these types people and their families:
1. Parent or sibling is in an elected position, or one of influence in business.
2. Family has established ties, generational in the area. -Family attends prominent church in town, one or more teaches Sunday school or is a deacon, etc. Highly likely that one or more are involved in extra-marital affairs.
3. History of legal issues, not necessarily prosecutions or charges, but a history of lawlessness, and an inherent belief of being above the law. I have noticed this especially with children of elected officials, especially ones that have been in office for an extended period of time. Oh, say 22 years or so...I also think that this is mostly learned by watching the parent/sibling fuck around and manipulate the law and people.
4. History of legal issues covered up, not reported, paid off, etc.
5. As a result of little or no consequence, lawlessness escalates until behavior is so out of control it cannot be ignored any longer, unfortunately, this is often after a violent crime such as assault that is severe enough to be reported, burglary, rape, murder, etc. I
It will be good for this epitome-of-dysfunction of a family that some of these "events" that they get involved in are published across the country. That it may help out future generations of Palins is my hope, but as for the over 18 branch of the Palin's, at least the majority of them, there is no hope.
Work to ensure Palin stays in Alaska, and continue to shine light on the right, especially the christians.
Cutting taxes for the rich. Cutting corporate taxes. Manipulating medicare with a program that sounds suspiciously like Reagan's "block grants."
More of the same from the party that has failed utterly. More of the rehash from the Reagan era, policies that have given the United States the current economic, social, health, and welfare crisis we are currently in.
More of the same from the party that has brought the United States to the brink of being a Failed State, one that is neither capable nor willing to provide for its citizens.
More of the same from the party that starts wars that cannot possibly be won.
More of the same from the party that wants to round up brown people and keep blacks and the poor in economic shackles, while ensuring CEO's and the already-wealthy remain that way.
More of the same from the party that wants to take away food for children, healthcare for children, food and medical benefits and education for the needy in the United States.
More of the same.
Isn't it time to shut the right wing down for good? Vote against the past and look toward the future.
Palin won't be at the Senate-House dinner in July. The dinner is sponsored by the Republicans, and I've read it is the biggest GOP fundraiser of the year. It is a big deal. Gingrich will be speaking instead. Sounds petty, gossipy, and shallow. Delving deeper, however, certain things come to mind.
Remembering the 1990's and the "Republican Revolution" headed by Gingrich; his "Contract with America" and the gutting of social programs, again, the gutting of education, again, and the democrats in Arkansas, (Arkansas continues to be a reference point for me, as I spent very formative years there, and the politicians were making stupid remarks like, "these (black) women having 4 or 5 kids and sponging off of everyone is gonna stop!" As if cutting education, jobs, food for children is somehow going to force all poor and needy into the middle class, not to mention the obvious and accepted scapegoating of one gender of an entire race of people by politicians. How delightfully New Southish) jumping on the Republican bandwagon (huh?) further strengthening the foundation that had first been laid during the Reagan years for the financial, education, healthcare and social crises we are facing now.
The big boys on the right are sick of fucking around with Obama and his supporters, as well as Democrats in Congress and state Governors, both Democrat and moderate Republican. Furthermore, they are not going to allow Palin to head the party, because she so abysmal when she is called to task in public. Remember the interviews during the campaign. They know as well as most others that she is way out of her league.
But here is the real issue: Gingrich, Limbaugh,Hannity, John Boehner,Eric Cantor, etc. are becoming more virulent because they see their style of democracy, Krony Kapitalism, slipping away.
They will form a coalition that is going to shove weak individuals like Palin (it does not help her situation that she is a woman and not a part of the old 80's and '90 Republican nightmare that helped to bring us the current economic situation) out of the way, and they are going to run a vicious mid-term election campaign to unseat Democrats and pave a way to the White House in 2012. It will further display the hypocrisy of the "Party of Family Values." There will be a direct correlation between Obama's approval numbers and the Republican success.
I am not surprised Newt Gingrich is becoming a force again in Republican politics; however, if Americans allow him to be involved to any extreme, Americans will again have to take adose of penicillin to cure the infection. He made a statement in the 90's after he resigned from his position as Speaker of the House as well as his Representative seat, saying something to the effect of, "I didn't realize how out of touch I was with the people." He is still out of touch.
A bit of information regarding Newt Gingrich: He is involved with the American Enterprise Institute (AIE) as a senior fellow.
Sounds great, and as American as apple pie. Execept the Republicans do not support political accountability and open debate, nor do they support individual liberty or democratic capitalism. Some of the people involved with the American Enterprise Institute:
Paul Wolfowitz-Major architect of the Iraq war, fired from the World Bank for fixing a promotion for his girlfriend, former Ambassador to Indonesia, supporting that regime that resulted in the deaths, political persecutions, and massive human rights abuses under Suharto, the Indonesian leader.
John Yoo-I blogged about Yoo recently,some of the finer points of the man-he disagrees with the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, which safeguards against unreasonable search and seizure, he believes in spying on U.S. citizens without warrants and at will, there is evidence of his involvement in war crimes, and he is to be indicted by a Spanish court for crimes against humanity.
Antonin Scalia-Right wing Supreme Court justice, enjoys keeping the media out of his speaking events, targets gays.
Dick Cheney, for Christ's sake. Do I really need a commentary on this individual?
These are the people that Newt Gingrich rubs shoulders with. With the exception of Yoo, rich white men that have open disdain for the poor and the middle class, and do not want to educate the aforementioned classes.
If Palin does succeed in obtaining high federal ofice, she will be run by these people and be little more than a figurehead but I cannot imagine, with the egos in play, they would allow her to be in the spotlight.
We must move the United States away from the right-wing christian party; the Republicans and moderate Democrats, and start thinking as a nation of people rather than individual profit machines.
Onward.
By the way, I use Wikipedia as a reference throughout this article, thanks Wiki! Although I never use Wiki or any encyclopedia as a reference for papers, I do believe that encyclopedias both online and in print are an extremely valuable resource and a great place to start research...peace searchers Image credit-UPDATE: I took the image down because it didn't fit the post correctly. If you would like, click on the link.
Big story over the weekend out of central California, a 26 year old man shot up Oakland, killing 3 police officers outright, and leaving one officer brain dead. As an individual that lived with violence in my home growing up, I detest violence. However, one may have to resort to violence to get one's point across. Having said that I do not agree with what this young man did. The police do have a place in our society.
However, before we jump the gun and relegate these cops to "hero" status, let us keep things in perspective. Here are some headlines from around the country regarding police actions:
From the Chicago Tribune: Race may be factor in police shooting of unarmed elderly man Seems in Homer Louisiana, an elderly Black man was hosting a cookout with his family, when the police showed up. According to the story, in a matter of moments Mr. Bernard Monroe, a throat cancer survivor, was shot dead through his screen door of the front of his house while his family looked on. It gets better. According to the Tribune, after these cops shot to death an unarmed elderly man that could not talk, they found one of Bernard Monroe's pistols and placed it next to the dead man while the family looked on and attempted to assert that Bernard Monroe, family cookout hoster, had been holding it when they murdered him. The fucking police were so ballsy as to plant a gun on the dead man while the family looked on. Mr. Bernard survived cancer, but he could not survive the Homer, LA police. Now the FBI and the State Police are all over the case. If these cops did in fact murder this man, the only appropriate punishment should be swift. Strap em in and let them ride 'Ole Sparky, or shoot em and let them die slowly. Fuck em. This is the new South? Please.
Michigan Teen Dies After Tasered by Cops From Fox News.com. While I cannot stand Fox, I pulled this off of the Google News site: So it seems in Bay City, Michigan police responded to a call about a fight last Sunday morning. Yes this happened this past weekend. So, the police show up and "two males" are fighting. According to the article the police said "one of them attempted to fight the officers." So the cops pull out their "non lethal" weapons and tase an adolescent kid. The kid is now dead at 15 years old. And the cop is on "administrative leave." I have a 14 year old son. Let there be no mistake about what I would do to an individual that harmed or killed my child. Are you listening? It makes no difference to me what kind of job the individual did for a living before they killed my child. Whether doctor, lawyer, cop, judge, pot dealer, (are you listening pocahontas pot dealer?) it would not matter. Anyone that harms, threatens to harm or carries out threats to harm any of my children is fair game.
Remember, we are keeping the Oakland police shooting in perspective.
From the Willamette Week in Portland, Oregon: Why Did James Chasse Jr. Die? So it seems the police in Portland don't have a clue as to how to deal with people suffering from mental illness. Quite a disturbing idea, considering the statistical amount of people with mental illness in the United States. So James Chasse, Jr., had a confrontation with the police in the Pearl District. For those of you that do not know Portland, the Pearl is a swanky area of town, with costly apartments, houses, restaurants and boutiques. Not exactly the area Portland Police and politicians want a schizophrenic man hanging out. So, Mr. Chasse had a confrontation with police. they evidently didn't like his attitude, because they stomped the living shit out of him, literally, stuffed him in the back of a police car and left him to die, and die he did.
SIDEBAR: Cops should not be allowed to even fill out an application for employment as a cop before proving they have at least a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and carried at least a 3.0 in their Psych. classes. OK, let us proceed.
Florida Man Dies After Police Allegedly Shoot Him Repeatedly With Taser Gun So a 45 year old man shows up at a friend's house, acting rowdy, and the friend calls the cops. The cops show up and now Kenneth Oliver is dead after being repeatedly electrocuted by the police. Do you see a pattern emerging?
So, Sean Bell was about to get married to his sweetheart. He had been at a bachelor party at a strip club, (let's not get judgemental, dumbass self-righteous right wingers that are banging their choir directors in church), when the problems started with the police. Long story short, the cops claimed one of them had a gun, when that didn't pan out they said one of the party-goers tried to hit them with their car, so the police saw fit to fire 50 ROUNDS, 50 motherfucking bullets at this car killing the unarmed about to be married Sean Bell. Kinda reminds one of Amadou Diallo. Begs the question: What the fuck is wrong with the cops in the United States?
Man says NYPD officers sodomized him with antenna Gotta love NYC's finest! So a Brooklyn man, Michael Mineo, was smoking a doob near the subway when he was jumped by five cops, held down, tasered and sodomized by the police with a radio antenna. The police say it didn't happen, of course. However, as the next headline will reveal, this is a pattern with the New York City Police. Michael Mineo was hospitalized with rectal tears and intense pain. I have read an update: Evidently, DNA was found on the radio antenna, and indictments have been handed down.
"The arresting officers beat Louima with their fists, nightsticks, and hand-held police radios on the ride to the station.[2] On arriving at the station house, he was strip-searched and put in a holding cell. The beating continued later, culminating with Louima being raped in a bathroom at the 70th Precinct station house in Brooklyn. Officer Justin Volpe kicked Louima in the testicles, then, while Louima's hands were cuffed behind his back, he first grabbed onto and squeezed his testicles and then sodomized him with a broomstick, causing severe internal damage to his colon and bladder that required several operations to repair. Volpe then walked through the precinct holding the bloody, excrement-stained instrument in his hand, indicating that he had 'broke a man down.'"
Credit to Wikipedia This case was so brutal that Amnesty International uses it as a case study in police torture and brutality.
Fuck. What a mess. There is another person dead, a man with a family, and cops that keep on getting leniency. What the fuck are transit cops doing with firearms any damn way? We have transit police here, and I'll be damned if I allow them to carry guns. Hell the worthless Portland Police Bureau (not to mention the sorry as multnomah county sherrif) cannot even do their jobs properly without help, this is why they have emplyed PPI, a private security firm. Huh? Have we not learned anything regarding privatization? What the fuck.
Well, Searchers, I could spend the rest of the day going over people who have been brutalized, raped, tortured, falsely accused, falsely imprisoned and more by the police, I simply do not have enough time. So, while I feel bad for the families of these officers killed in Oakland, especially if these officers had children, we have to keep things in perspective. The majority of white people in this country don't even remember Abner Louima, don't know who Oscar Grant was, and really couldn't care. I challenge you to prove me wrong. As mentioned before, I feel for the families of these cops that were killed. However, the chance of getting shot at or shot down as a cop is part of the job description. I feel infinite sympathy for someone working a retail job that gets killed during work while being robbed or something. Totally different scenario. While I do not advocate violence, if you put on a police uniform you are inviting trouble. Anyone that thinks otherwise is either a damn fool, or they are completely blinded by their right-wing christian stupidity, I mean beliefs.
The police have become a para-military force. Check out the reports from protesters from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis last summer. Hell, in Portland, some of the cops don't have their names on their uniforms any longer. It is time for the people to reign these cops in, otherwise we will regret it. There is a reason the framers of the Constitution made sure the citizens of the United States should have firearms: Not to keep "bad guys" out, just to make sure the government knows who is in charge. And the deterrent against the bad guys like the flanagins is pretty beneficial, too. (So if y'all want to show up, I'd be glad to help you out farting through a hole in your stomach.)
UPDATE: In Oakland, not everyone is shocked at the killings of the police, some see it as payback for Oscar Grant. Remember what Jesus said, Right-Wingers: You reap what you sow.
"Legalized medical marijuana is about to make its debut in Michigan, which becomes the 13th state and the first between the Rockies and the East Coast to embrace the controversial pain treatment. In a vote last November that defied the culture war/reefer madness connotation to the illegal drug, 63 percent of the state's voters—and a majority in every county—said yes to medical marijuana. 'This shows that, bottom line, medical use of marijuana is not very controversial with the public," said Wendy Chapkis, co-author of "Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine."'Politicians are afraid to look soft on drugs, but the public understands that cannabis is not a problem for medical use,' Chapkis said."
Anyone who has read Searches knows that I am in favor of marijuana used for medicinal reasons. It is quite effective in pain relief, (Momma are you listening?) and it is an effective bronchodilator as well. Of course I have been a MMJ card holder with the state of Oregon. I had a very nice set up and grew some very good meds. I am for the complete legalization of marijuana, period.
During this economic crisis and the subsequent years after this crisis has passed it would behoove the United States to get its shit together and get its head out of the sand regarding marijuana. The notion that marijuana and not alcohol is the "gateway" drug is preposterous.
That is a myth forced upon children and believed by gullible adults perpetuated by police, politicians, and the alcohol industry.
Alcohol is the real drug problem in America, and the first hard drug children are introduced to. It was for me. My parents had an extremely well stocked liquor and wine cabinet, in fact they had three.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, 75,000 people will die from excessive alcohol use. That is not people that die from car accidents related to alcohol. Just people that drink themselves to death. A guy I worked with a couple of years ago lost his father to alcohol, and his dad was only 54 or 55 when he slipped into a coma and never came out. Too much alcohol. The article does say that marijuana is the most used illicit drug, but alcohol is not an illicit drug. It is my belief that children are first introduced to mind altering substances by their parents. Through alcohol.
So, it is time for the USA to get its shit together and legalize marijuana nationally. Put farmers back to work, cultivate both marijuana as well as hemp. The revenue saved by diverting police from marijuana to real crime would save over $10 billion a year.The tax revenue would reach into the billions as well. It is money the nation needs. It would put hundreds of thousands of people to work if we could open retail stores and cafes where one could enjoy toking on some bud...it sounds good, doesn't it? Don't lie! You know u loves some banging herbage!
We acquired some the other day, it was unbelievable, and instead of red hair, it was bright purple. Good stuff. Okay, next article:
From the New York Times:
Nazi Guard Deported to Austria
"An 83-year-old man who admitted that as a Nazi concentration camp guard he took part in a two-day killing spree in which 42,000 people were killed was deported to Austria Thursday from his home in Wisconsin, immigration officials said. The former guard, Josias Kumpf, admitted that he participated in a murderous November 1943 Nazi operation that went by the code name “Aktion Erntefest” — Operation Harvest Festival — in which roughly 42,000 Jewish men, women and children were murdered at three Nazi camps in eastern Poland in two days. Mr. Kumpf acknowledged his role was as a guard and an assassin at the Trawniki Labor Camp, where 8,000 men, women and children were shot dead in a single day, Nov. 3, 1943, Justice Department officials said. He was removed earlier this week from his home in Racine, Wis., by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents."
There are no statute of limitations on some crime. Are you listening Flanagin? Okay. Genocide in all its forms is evil. I am reading Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. An Indian History of the American West. It is an amazing book that outlines history from the vanquished people's point of view. Far different than what is taught in American schools. The US government is guilty of genocide. The treatment of the Native Peoples both past and present, is abysmal.
FACT:
The United States government has made it illegal for Natives to practice their religion, speak their languages, raise their families how they see fit.
FACT:
The government has packed the Natives into reservations where some live in tar paper shacks even today. TODAY.
FACT:
The United States Government has performed hysterectomies on Native Women against their will and against their knowledge, some recently.
FACT: The United States Government systematically destroyed the Native's food supply, to create starvation amongst the tribes.
FACT: Turns out Bison is a hell of a lot healthier than beef. Turns out the Natives aren't as dumb as the settlers.
FACT: There wasn't such a thing as "fry bread" until the government herded the Natives by force onto reservations, killed off the food supply, and then would not allow any foodstuffs to the Natives except for lard and flour. There wasn't such a thing as the "pudgy indian" pre-contact. There might have been overweight natives, but it wasn't because of lard and flour.
Genocide is alive and well in the 21st century from Darfur to the Yakima Indian Reservation.
Peace, Searchers, stay informed stay on top, we need systemci change in the United States.
If you watched it, maybe you can tell me why the always creepy Lindsay Graham from South Carolina still has a job in the Senate? What about the ridiculous Jim DeMint?
I guess Lindsay is finished sucking up to John McCain.
Sam Brownback from Kansas makes an appearance, another right wing tool that I am surprised is on the floor, I figured he was still stuck in Rod Parsley's ass.
The Reagan Revolution is dead. We need trickle-up economics, we've had enough trickle-down which is just a euphemism for pissing on people. ( shout out to Bill Maher)
Another example of mismanagement and disregard for common sense and decency:
A quick summary-Halliburton is a a major company that does contract work for the government. KBR is a spin off of Halliburton. KBR has done contract electrical work in Iraq, and they have been involved with plumbing contracts as well. Follow? Now here are some headlines, please bear in mind this is not an exhaustive list, there are more soldiers that have been killed because of such ridiculous nonsense:
OREGON SOLDIER'S DEATH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION According to the AP, Spc. Chase Whitham was electrocuted while swimming in a swimming pool in Iraq at a US operated base. Whitham 21, was in Mosul, Iraq, when he died. Italics mine.
FROM THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW ON MSNBC: Posted Feb. 9.
"But little did the staff sergeant know that when he stepped into the shower at his military base in Baghdad two months ago, he was putting his life at risk. Maseth, 24, of Shaler, Pa., outside Pittsburgh, was electrocuted on Jan. 2 when an improperly grounded electric water pump short-circuited and flowed through the pipes. Since the coiled hose was touching his arm, he was hit with an electrical jolt and went into cardiac arrest and died."
This kid was only 24, and he did not die in combat.
PENTAGON ADMITS TO MORE ELECTROCUTIONS IN IRAQ-KBR DENIES BLAME Posted July 26, 2008 According to the HuffPo, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has been involved with Cheryl Harris, the mother of Ryan Maseth. The article states there have been 16 electrocutions.
This was in 2008.
CNN: SOLDIERS ELECTROCUTION "NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE" Story highlights, pay close attention to the third point: -Manner of death should be changed from "accidental," Army investigator writes -U.S. soldier electrocuted while showering at his base in Iraq in 2008 -Investigator: Contractor didn't ensure electricians, plumbers were qualified -No charges have been filed; soldier's family is suing contractor
If you've watched the video you know where I am going with this: last headline-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A defense contractor has been awarded a $35 million Pentagon contract involving major electrical work even though it is under criminal investigation in the electrocution deaths of at least two American soldiers in Iraq. The contractor, KBR, announced last week that it had won a $35.4 million contract from the Army Corps of Engineers to design and build a convoy support center at Camp Adder in southern Iraq. The center will include a power plant and an electrical distribution center. Bold is mine.
I have contacted my Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell regarding this development. I suggest you do the same. I cannot describe the outrage I feel regarding the complete lack or respect for the families of the soldiers that have died as a result of potential negligence on the part of KBR. What a slap. Furthermore, according to the AP via The Columbian in Vancouver, WA;
"The Corps of Engineers said KBR has earned $615 million on 30 contracts similar to the new one and that KBR has not been banned or suspended from winning U.S. Government contracts."
The utter waste of money that is Iraq is apalling. My family and I are having trouble keeping our lights on and keep food on the table and there are some in Congress that have cut, yet again, services for the needy. At the very, very least, KBR and Halliburton should be immediately suspended from contracts until the investgation is resolved.
Again, we have the dead notion of trickle-down economics. Ronald Reagan is dead. Let his failed policies and those of the christian right die with him. It is time for trickle up economics, spending money to the people, not the corporations. The people will spend the money and benefit everyone. It is a no-brainer. The right's ideas are failed. It is time for a systemic change in the United States, and the previous headlines regarding yet another debacle is yet more proof on the desperate need for change. Peace-
Here are some numbers for the people that represent some of you in D.C.
Washington State: Senator Patty Murray-202-224-2621 (You and Maria Need to Pay Attention!)
Sen. Maria Cantwell-202-224-3441
Oregon: Sen. Jeff Merkly-202-224-3753
Sen. Ron Wyden-202-224-5244
Arkansas: Sen. Blanche Lincoln-202-224-4843
Sen. Mark Pryor-202-224-2353
And last, here is a link that will provide US citizens contact for their Senators.
J.R. Rogers is still a no show in his home town of Walnut Ridge, AR. Not surprising. Mr. Rogers, prove me wrong and tell me what you are doing for my family, and why you are being paid a salary from taxpayers.
Wow. What a week. This is an identity crisis, an ideological abortion if you will, for the free market Capitalists.
Ya know, I was raised by staunch Republicans. I remember my mother getting pissed as hell when I brought up a commercial during the campaign season of 1979/80 that suggested Ronald Reagan did nothing for California. I was just a kid then, so I didn't thoroughly comprehend the enormity of the situation.
Reagan ushered in a new era of deregulation and free market free for all that could afford it, with the backing and advice of the Nobel winner Milton Freidman.
What a nightmare. The United States is facing a socioeconomic crisis akin to what other nations have faced in the past, largely with the pressure from the US, the World Bank, and the WTO. It is time to wake up, fellow citizens of the United States-the greed and disdain for your fellow American comes with a price.
I compared the current situation on Wall Street to a Heroin addict needing another shot.
One could arguably apply the analogy of the Alcoholic and hangovers to the current situation. This free market unfettered Capitalism has resulted in a drunken free for all by the right wing, the Christian right, and big business. And now the headache and shakes are kicking in.
Let's throw out the principles of the past 30 years.
Yes I know it's gonna hurt, and your chest is going to feel like it's being ripped open, but that's what happens when your ideology is proven to be a joke. Kinda like the way reality came crashing down to me when I realized right wing Christianity was actually completely antithetical to Jesus actual teaching.
I cannot purport to be an expert in Jesus' thought, but just by skimming over the New Testament one can discern that Jesus was not a Capitalist. In fact, he advocated social justice and welfare, something that is denied by the Right wing Christians. He even advocated paying taxes. You see, he's a lot smarter than the dumbass rednecks that have hijacked the Republican party and injected their Klan-like (yes I said Klan, AGAIN) Christianity in the public discourse.
(Sidebar-I voted Republican/Right wing Christian for the past 21 years, but I am going to rectify this and do my penance for the rest of my life. I apologize.)
The only good thing that has come out of the past 30 year nightmare that we've been dealing with is the realization that Ronald Reagan's policies and that of the Right have utterly failed. And I mean failed. Hello? Are you listening? UTTERLY FUCKING FAILED.
I'm not necessarily happy about the situation, but you have to admit with the nationalization of AIG and Freddy and Fannie, there is a sort of poetic justice...
We need a systemic change in the United States, as well as an impeachment trial for that piece of shit Cheney and George Bush. Let's put them in prison. I know I'm going to get flack for this, but Saddam Hussein was a bigger man than George Bush or Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft,(fucking Ashcroft what a dink), Gonzales, etc. Can you imagine GWB going to the gallows? He'd have a heart attack before the rope could be put around his neck, and his utter disbelief at the situation would put him down before the executioner could do his job. (I remember his daddy, GHW Bush-"I'm the president of the United States! I'm not going to eat any goddamn broccoli!") What a joke. Let's wake up, A-merry-ca, and lets throw out these right wing pieces of crap with their disdain for their fellow countrymen and women and make sure they cannot harm the country any longer, and make sure they have no pension, health insurance, or life insurance, or any of the socialistic perks they have enjoyed while they vote against the same for me, my family, and yours.
Peace and love, Searchers, we are standing on the cusp of history, let's not fuck it up.
I'm a man that is just begining to feel grounded and in place...I used to support the right wing in the United States even when it went against my interests, in the interest of American Right Wing Christianity...I have awakened...stay posted...
