Please click on the following link:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/23/obama-drafted-to-fight-bush-s-war.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29
Please click on this link to understand why I vehemently abhor George Bush and his fantasy land liars' club, and the new bully on the Eurasian block, Vladimir Putin. You will recall with painful clarity the truth that Michael Tomasky is reminding us all of in his article Obama Drafted to Fight Bush's War published in The Daily Beast on 23 August 2014.
Americans need to stop allowing themselves the luxury of accepting the conservative lie. We invaded Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein's funding of suicide bombers attacking Israel. Al Qaida had nothing to do with Iraq. They were the guests of Mullah Omar, the Pakistani ISI, and those well known religious bigots, the Taliban in Afghanistan. The result of Bush's stupidity has been one disaster followed by another-similar to the manner in which George W. Bush ran his business interests into the ground-burning somebody else's money.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Putin-Bush: The Politics of Petty Tyrants
What do an American cowboy and a former KGB agent have in common? Both believe they are above the law and international norms and diplomacy. Both think they can hide behind a veil of secrecy to achieve political aims, and take what they believe they are entitled to. Today, we have a term for such men: bullies. Yes, Vlad and George are international bullies intent on having their own way regardless of the cost to others. Both have cronies and sycophantic friends that tell them how great they are, or how marvelous they are handled international matters.
Yes, George W. Bush and his administration paved the way for Vladimir Putin of Russia to instigate a proxy war in Ukraine. Both politicians did so to divert attention from the failings of his government's policies and his nation's economy. And why not? It was not patriotism that led George W. Bush to irresponsibly commit American "boots on the ground" in his invasion of Iraq. Let's not be coy here. Bush and his pal, Cheney both thought there was a ready made store of oil exports to fuel our suffocating fossil fuel based economy. Nobody with any common sense who bothered to pay attention to their pattern of behavior would believe otherwise. The political right in America can cry foul all it wants, but the facts remain as they are: George W. Bush lied to the American public to implicate Iraq in 9/11, and what is worse, is that our Congress allowed this American bully to have his own way-even after they found out the truth. Instead of impeaching this miscreant, Congress allowed the war to go on at great cost to the people of both sides.
The Russian Duma has an opportunity to impeach Putin and have him tried for war crimes for what he has clearly instigated, and for his culpability in the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet. Neither man can deny his role in instigating the troubles the Middle East and Ukraine are now experiencing. Both should be impeached and tried before a criminal court in the Hague for crimes against humanity. Both administrations: Russian and American, of these so-called leaders should be brought to book for increasing instability and world tensions.
The only way for the world to cease its constant stream of terrorist activities, its starvation of women and children, it inexcusable barbaric behavior is to begin with indicting these men, followed by those who hide behind religion, or autocratic regimes. If we don't show our children responsible behavior now, our children and their children's children will be doomed to self-annihilation.
Yes, George W. Bush and his administration paved the way for Vladimir Putin of Russia to instigate a proxy war in Ukraine. Both politicians did so to divert attention from the failings of his government's policies and his nation's economy. And why not? It was not patriotism that led George W. Bush to irresponsibly commit American "boots on the ground" in his invasion of Iraq. Let's not be coy here. Bush and his pal, Cheney both thought there was a ready made store of oil exports to fuel our suffocating fossil fuel based economy. Nobody with any common sense who bothered to pay attention to their pattern of behavior would believe otherwise. The political right in America can cry foul all it wants, but the facts remain as they are: George W. Bush lied to the American public to implicate Iraq in 9/11, and what is worse, is that our Congress allowed this American bully to have his own way-even after they found out the truth. Instead of impeaching this miscreant, Congress allowed the war to go on at great cost to the people of both sides.
The Russian Duma has an opportunity to impeach Putin and have him tried for war crimes for what he has clearly instigated, and for his culpability in the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet. Neither man can deny his role in instigating the troubles the Middle East and Ukraine are now experiencing. Both should be impeached and tried before a criminal court in the Hague for crimes against humanity. Both administrations: Russian and American, of these so-called leaders should be brought to book for increasing instability and world tensions.
The only way for the world to cease its constant stream of terrorist activities, its starvation of women and children, it inexcusable barbaric behavior is to begin with indicting these men, followed by those who hide behind religion, or autocratic regimes. If we don't show our children responsible behavior now, our children and their children's children will be doomed to self-annihilation.
Friday, July 4, 2014
The Fabric of America
The fabric of America is woven from the thread of its citizens. The men and women of America have toiled long and hard to maintain this fabric. Thousands have spilled their blood and sacrificed their lives so that the future for their offspring is one worthy of their sacrifice. At one time in this fair republic, July 4th was the paramount holiday observed by the nation. July 4th is the birthday of our nation. It was celebrated long before all other holidays were nationalized. It should be celebrated by all Americans in a manner fit to reflect those sacrifices of our forebears; not just with fireworks. July 4th is not a religious holiday, it is a secular national one. Religious holidays are the concern of those of a particular belief system, and should be observed by those given over to particular religious beliefs; insuring the concept that religion is a personal compact between an individual and his or her version of God. This simple concept assures the separation of church and state.
During the early decades of the 19th century, textile mill towns such as Lowell, Massachusetts attempted to become utopian, industrially-driven societies centered about mill factories. Factory owners considered themselves benevolent controllers of both industry and society. But once these mill societies were established, the women drawn from rural homes to these industrial towns found the owners to be far less than benevolent. They soon rejected the subservient role the owners placed them in. To end or to affect meaningful changes to this situation, the women resorted to strikes at first, and then through political actions protested both working conditions and employer policies. Oftentimes, these brave women were brutally countered.
As the nation progressed, it went through social changes-some peacefully attained; others through violent means and civil war. Slavery was abolished through war. Women suffered the injustice of nonpolitical participation until the early days of the 20th century when, after much civil disobedience, they were finally granted the right to vote. American society is in a slowly evolving state where social injustices still occur. The collective American conscience is slowly realizing what we have all known in our collective subconscious which is that we are all aboard this ship of state as one crew working to bring our ship to safe harbors from the storms of injustices. We must forever be on guard against those who would alter our course.
War, once the last resort of a free and democratic republic, has become the paranoid purview of a professional military intricately woven within an electronically adapted intelligence community provided with political sponsorship and driven by corporate greed. Many citizens have observed, and a great many believe, that recent wars were the result of corporate interference in the affairs of government. Corporations are owned and managed by shareholders. They are ventures driven by the acquisition of profit. Therefore, corporate entities are either profitable ventures or failures. If the latter, corporations either go into legal bankruptcy with an eye toward future profitability, or dissolution; leaving shareholders with a monetary loss.
The United States Supreme Court has given near citizen status to corporate entities. some of these entities engross themselves at the taxpayer's trough. This is not to say every corporation is greedy and hungry for taxpayers' dollars, but enough within the espionage-military-industrial complex (EMIC) are to alter the political landscape and assure their own agendas through highly paid lawyers, political action committees, lobbyists, and whatever other means are required. And not every corporation in America is involved in EMIC. But with the prevailing political winds blowing as they are, America's corporations are degrading the fabric of the nation to the detriment of the People.
America's corporations complain American workers are lazy and incapable. They demand special H1B visas to bring in talented and better educated foreigners to fill positions they claim Americans don't want or are unable to perform. Ironically, most of these foreigners receive their educations in America's universities. This, I posit, is simply a ruse to lower salaries paid to American workers insuring greater profits and higher bonuses paid to CEOs and CFOs and boards of directors. America's corporations demanded and received many tax concessions to place their establishments in certain locales-following the Japanese model when building automobile assembly plants which in turn followed Henry Ford's desire to build in the jungles of Brazil his concept of a company run town. America's employers call American workers lazy, but the data just doesn't support that contention. Many of America's workers have been forced to work two and sometimes three part-time jobs to make ends meet. America's politicians have successfully divided the nation so that any protections once afforded America's workers by unions have been degraded. Unions are not the panacea some once believed they would be, but they have provided a counterbalance to those that choose to exploit workers. Wages have been kept stagnant. Hours worked have increased. Corporate profits have increased. Prices for goods, food, energy, and other necessities have increased-all to the detriment of the American worker. Drug usage (some believe to have CIA origins in some instances) and drug lords and gangs have helped to degrade the capacity of American youth to perform responsibly. Instead of treatment programs and decriminalization, our politicians offer jail as a cure-all thereby increasing the profits of for profit prisons located in their states. Yes, profit is good, and without it this capitalist society would find it difficult to function-though not impossible. 'An honest day's pay for an honest day's work' has been substituted for 'me first; I deserve more than you.'
Lastly, the Fourth of July, our nation's birthday has been degraded into a whiz bang day off for some, but a most profitable day for corporate retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and others who have displaced so many mom and pop businesses and don't care how little their workers earn or even if they can get by on their meager wages so long as their CEOs get their bonuses. Sure, an investor wants a decent return on whatever amount they've invested in a company, but that is a gamble as sure as a spin of the roulette wheel in a Vegas casino. An honest return should not prohibit an honest investment. The game is not how many toys a person can accumulate, or how many others one can dominate economically, but how can a personal legacy be seen as contributory to the common good. What is not and should not be a gamble is how we Americans should celebrate our nation's birthday. I for one believe that all businesses should be closed for this one day of the year. Think of the smog that would be curtailed. Think of the families that might be brought together. Think of the child that might read a book. Think of the energy that could be saved. Yes, some essential services must be maintained, but America needs and deserves our total respect without the corporate degradation so many of our holidays have had to suffer through.
During the early decades of the 19th century, textile mill towns such as Lowell, Massachusetts attempted to become utopian, industrially-driven societies centered about mill factories. Factory owners considered themselves benevolent controllers of both industry and society. But once these mill societies were established, the women drawn from rural homes to these industrial towns found the owners to be far less than benevolent. They soon rejected the subservient role the owners placed them in. To end or to affect meaningful changes to this situation, the women resorted to strikes at first, and then through political actions protested both working conditions and employer policies. Oftentimes, these brave women were brutally countered.
As the nation progressed, it went through social changes-some peacefully attained; others through violent means and civil war. Slavery was abolished through war. Women suffered the injustice of nonpolitical participation until the early days of the 20th century when, after much civil disobedience, they were finally granted the right to vote. American society is in a slowly evolving state where social injustices still occur. The collective American conscience is slowly realizing what we have all known in our collective subconscious which is that we are all aboard this ship of state as one crew working to bring our ship to safe harbors from the storms of injustices. We must forever be on guard against those who would alter our course.
War, once the last resort of a free and democratic republic, has become the paranoid purview of a professional military intricately woven within an electronically adapted intelligence community provided with political sponsorship and driven by corporate greed. Many citizens have observed, and a great many believe, that recent wars were the result of corporate interference in the affairs of government. Corporations are owned and managed by shareholders. They are ventures driven by the acquisition of profit. Therefore, corporate entities are either profitable ventures or failures. If the latter, corporations either go into legal bankruptcy with an eye toward future profitability, or dissolution; leaving shareholders with a monetary loss.
The United States Supreme Court has given near citizen status to corporate entities. some of these entities engross themselves at the taxpayer's trough. This is not to say every corporation is greedy and hungry for taxpayers' dollars, but enough within the espionage-military-industrial complex (EMIC) are to alter the political landscape and assure their own agendas through highly paid lawyers, political action committees, lobbyists, and whatever other means are required. And not every corporation in America is involved in EMIC. But with the prevailing political winds blowing as they are, America's corporations are degrading the fabric of the nation to the detriment of the People.
America's corporations complain American workers are lazy and incapable. They demand special H1B visas to bring in talented and better educated foreigners to fill positions they claim Americans don't want or are unable to perform. Ironically, most of these foreigners receive their educations in America's universities. This, I posit, is simply a ruse to lower salaries paid to American workers insuring greater profits and higher bonuses paid to CEOs and CFOs and boards of directors. America's corporations demanded and received many tax concessions to place their establishments in certain locales-following the Japanese model when building automobile assembly plants which in turn followed Henry Ford's desire to build in the jungles of Brazil his concept of a company run town. America's employers call American workers lazy, but the data just doesn't support that contention. Many of America's workers have been forced to work two and sometimes three part-time jobs to make ends meet. America's politicians have successfully divided the nation so that any protections once afforded America's workers by unions have been degraded. Unions are not the panacea some once believed they would be, but they have provided a counterbalance to those that choose to exploit workers. Wages have been kept stagnant. Hours worked have increased. Corporate profits have increased. Prices for goods, food, energy, and other necessities have increased-all to the detriment of the American worker. Drug usage (some believe to have CIA origins in some instances) and drug lords and gangs have helped to degrade the capacity of American youth to perform responsibly. Instead of treatment programs and decriminalization, our politicians offer jail as a cure-all thereby increasing the profits of for profit prisons located in their states. Yes, profit is good, and without it this capitalist society would find it difficult to function-though not impossible. 'An honest day's pay for an honest day's work' has been substituted for 'me first; I deserve more than you.'
Lastly, the Fourth of July, our nation's birthday has been degraded into a whiz bang day off for some, but a most profitable day for corporate retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and others who have displaced so many mom and pop businesses and don't care how little their workers earn or even if they can get by on their meager wages so long as their CEOs get their bonuses. Sure, an investor wants a decent return on whatever amount they've invested in a company, but that is a gamble as sure as a spin of the roulette wheel in a Vegas casino. An honest return should not prohibit an honest investment. The game is not how many toys a person can accumulate, or how many others one can dominate economically, but how can a personal legacy be seen as contributory to the common good. What is not and should not be a gamble is how we Americans should celebrate our nation's birthday. I for one believe that all businesses should be closed for this one day of the year. Think of the smog that would be curtailed. Think of the families that might be brought together. Think of the child that might read a book. Think of the energy that could be saved. Yes, some essential services must be maintained, but America needs and deserves our total respect without the corporate degradation so many of our holidays have had to suffer through.
Friday, April 12, 2013
A ProposalTo Amend The Constitution And Rectify Economic Injustice In The Current Tax Code
Petition of the People of the United
States of America
PROPOSED:
AN AMENDMENT
TO THE
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
This petition,
of the People to the Congress of the United States of America,
heretofore to be regarded as the proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution
is hereby proposed for ratification by a vote of approval by a two thirds
majority of the states.
Proposed: Amendment 28
Section 1. Congress
shall alter the federal tax code to reflect the following unalterable standards
and conditions.
a. An individual flat
rate income tax rate of ten percent (10%) per employed person regardless of
household for all wage earners earning less than three hundred thousand dollars
($300,000.00) per calendar year. Those living below the poverty level are
exempt.
b. A primary home
deduction per household of two and a half percent (2.5%) shall be allowed per
calendar year on a primary mortgage held by a local savings and loan or credit
union regardless of style or structure of home for all wage earners earning
less than the ceiling of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00).
c. The so-called
marriage penalty shall be eliminated.
d. There shall be
no deduction for charity.
e. An individual
flat rate income tax rate of twenty-five (25%) percent per person earning in
excess of said three hundred thousand dollars per calendar year with no
deductions allowed.
f. A corporate income
tax rate of fifteen (15%) with no deductions, loopholes, escape clauses or any device to avoid payment allowed.
Section 2. Any company,
corporation, or business within the confines of the United States of America
including territories and possessions that chooses to close its business in the
United States and export American jobs to a foreign land shall be penalized
with a tariff equal to the full value of wages and benefits lost to the
American employees displaced by said move for a total of five years’ time per
employee.
Section 3. Except only in the most extreme dire
emergency or in the case of war declared by both Houses of Congress, shall Congress
impose upon the People a value added tax (VAT). Congress shall not borrow from
Social Security or Medicare programs to balance its budget.
Section 4. No law shall be enacted that allows
members and staffs of Congress an exemption; nor shall said members and staffs
of Congress be exempt from any law already enacted. The Executive branch, the
Judiciary branch, and Congress shall not be exempt from any law.
Section 5. To prevent the undue influence of corporations, individuals, lobbyists, and foreign entities, all federal elections shall be financed by the People of the United States of America. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legistlation.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Second Amendment, Militias, And Assault Weapons
During WWII the German army required a close combat rapid fire weapon suited for the urban conditions in which they found themselves-such as at Stalingrad. Accordingly, the Nazis came up with the world's first assault weapon suitable for the close combat conditions soldiers find themselves in city fighting. The Germans presented a revolutionary new rapid fire gun to replace the short range, inaccurate at distance submachine guns they were employing. It was called the Maschinenpistole 43 (MP 43). Initially against its development, Hitler test fired the weapon himself and was so impressed with its capability that he renamed it the Sturmgewehr or "storm rifle", and it was then designated the StG 44.
Its Russian counterpart-a weapon known for its simplicity and ability to fire under any condition was the Kalashnikov or AK-47 named for its inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov. Designed after the StG 44, it was first employed by Russian forces in 1945 for the same purposes as the German assault rifle-to kill humans in close quarter fighting.
This leads to today's dilemma in the United States. The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms thusly: "Amendment 2.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
All state militias were regulated by the Militia Act of 1792.
What does this mean to the citizen? Does it mean the citizen can buy, maintain, and keep a surface to air missile, nuclear submarine, or an M1-A1 Abrams tank? No, such weaponry is clearly in the purview of the professional military. A militia though was to be formed in the case a dictator or king took it upon his or herself to take power from the People. The People would have been readily armed and trained sufficiently enough to form a militia to oppose such a coup. But in 1903 the various state militias were seen as insufficient and poorly trained as modern military units supporting a modern army. They were incorporated into the Army under the reforms initiated by Secretary of War Elihu Root after the Spanish-American War showed the inconsistencies of militia training-although the Rough Riders under Teddy Roosevelt fought bravely as did other volunteers.
What does the 2nd Amendment mean today, and how does it mesh with Root's reforms that were made into the law known as the Militia or Dick Act of 1903? The Militia or Dick Act of 1903 along with its 1908 Amendment divided the militia into two groups: the Reserve Militia, defined as all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45, and the Organized Militia, defined as state units receiving federal support. A one-time grant of $2 million to modernize equipment was authorized by Congress, and states were allowed to use federal funds to pay for summer training camps. The War Department funded attendance of Guard officers at Army schools, and Regular officers would be detailed to serve as inspector/instructors of the new states' Guard units. Joint Regular-Guard maneuvers and training camps were mandated. In return for all this, the act gave the President the power to call the formerly organized states' militias, now combined into the National Guard for federal service for up to nine months' service to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or enforce federal laws, but not for service outside the United States. National Guardsmen are required to answer a presidential call or face court-martial, and the various states had to organize, equip, and train their units in accordance with the organization, standards, and procedures of the Regular Army. If National Guard units failed to meet certain standards of training and administration as set by the War Department or today's Department of Defense, they would lose their federal support. The 1908 amendment dropped the prohibition on National Guard units ability to serve outside the territorial limits of the United States making them, in effect, a reserve branch of the Army under orders of the President. Militias were effectively abolished, and the 2nd Amendment was effectively skirted, but the right to bear arms has been continuously upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The authors of the 2nd Amendment could not have anticipated the technological achievements of modern weaponry. Assault weapons such as StG 44, AK 47, Uzi, MP 5, M-14, and so many other automatic, high capacity guns could not have been foreseen by lawmakers in the 18th century, and if they had such foreknowledge, would they have chosen to limit the ability of the men they were writing laws for to bear such arms? Probably not. They feared the overreach of King George III of England and his imposition of a state (Anglican) religion upon them. If such weapons were available to Revolutionary soldiers and militias they would have certainly been utilized.
Fast forward to the Arab Spring. Had such an event occurred in the United States, would the People of this Nation, if faced with a tyrant such as President Assad of Syria have denied themselves the use of such weapons? Of course not. But we in the United States choose to settle our differences peaceably and under the aegis of the laws we have demanded our legislators enact and our executives enforce and our judiciary to find Constitutional and to fairly and honestly apply to all citizens within this Constitutionally inspired democratically represented Republic.
Therefore, it is without reason for any citizen to be in need of a war inspired weapon meant to kill as many human beings as its magazine will allow. Just as it impossible to believe that anyone capable of planning a mass killing for any obscure reason, be it justified or not, should be found not guilty of such a heinous crime by reason of insanity; it is impossible for this writer to believe anyone for any reason has the right to bear a weapon of war such as an assault weapon. Should the People find the need to rise up against its government, the People will find a way to acquire the weapons necessary to achieve their goal.
 |
| Sturmgewehr 44 Photo Courtesy Dept. of Defense |
Its Russian counterpart-a weapon known for its simplicity and ability to fire under any condition was the Kalashnikov or AK-47 named for its inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov. Designed after the StG 44, it was first employed by Russian forces in 1945 for the same purposes as the German assault rifle-to kill humans in close quarter fighting.
 |
| AK-47 Wikimedia Commons |
This leads to today's dilemma in the United States. The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms thusly: "Amendment 2.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
All state militias were regulated by the Militia Act of 1792.
What does this mean to the citizen? Does it mean the citizen can buy, maintain, and keep a surface to air missile, nuclear submarine, or an M1-A1 Abrams tank? No, such weaponry is clearly in the purview of the professional military. A militia though was to be formed in the case a dictator or king took it upon his or herself to take power from the People. The People would have been readily armed and trained sufficiently enough to form a militia to oppose such a coup. But in 1903 the various state militias were seen as insufficient and poorly trained as modern military units supporting a modern army. They were incorporated into the Army under the reforms initiated by Secretary of War Elihu Root after the Spanish-American War showed the inconsistencies of militia training-although the Rough Riders under Teddy Roosevelt fought bravely as did other volunteers.
What does the 2nd Amendment mean today, and how does it mesh with Root's reforms that were made into the law known as the Militia or Dick Act of 1903? The Militia or Dick Act of 1903 along with its 1908 Amendment divided the militia into two groups: the Reserve Militia, defined as all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45, and the Organized Militia, defined as state units receiving federal support. A one-time grant of $2 million to modernize equipment was authorized by Congress, and states were allowed to use federal funds to pay for summer training camps. The War Department funded attendance of Guard officers at Army schools, and Regular officers would be detailed to serve as inspector/instructors of the new states' Guard units. Joint Regular-Guard maneuvers and training camps were mandated. In return for all this, the act gave the President the power to call the formerly organized states' militias, now combined into the National Guard for federal service for up to nine months' service to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or enforce federal laws, but not for service outside the United States. National Guardsmen are required to answer a presidential call or face court-martial, and the various states had to organize, equip, and train their units in accordance with the organization, standards, and procedures of the Regular Army. If National Guard units failed to meet certain standards of training and administration as set by the War Department or today's Department of Defense, they would lose their federal support. The 1908 amendment dropped the prohibition on National Guard units ability to serve outside the territorial limits of the United States making them, in effect, a reserve branch of the Army under orders of the President. Militias were effectively abolished, and the 2nd Amendment was effectively skirted, but the right to bear arms has been continuously upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The authors of the 2nd Amendment could not have anticipated the technological achievements of modern weaponry. Assault weapons such as StG 44, AK 47, Uzi, MP 5, M-14, and so many other automatic, high capacity guns could not have been foreseen by lawmakers in the 18th century, and if they had such foreknowledge, would they have chosen to limit the ability of the men they were writing laws for to bear such arms? Probably not. They feared the overreach of King George III of England and his imposition of a state (Anglican) religion upon them. If such weapons were available to Revolutionary soldiers and militias they would have certainly been utilized.
Fast forward to the Arab Spring. Had such an event occurred in the United States, would the People of this Nation, if faced with a tyrant such as President Assad of Syria have denied themselves the use of such weapons? Of course not. But we in the United States choose to settle our differences peaceably and under the aegis of the laws we have demanded our legislators enact and our executives enforce and our judiciary to find Constitutional and to fairly and honestly apply to all citizens within this Constitutionally inspired democratically represented Republic.
Therefore, it is without reason for any citizen to be in need of a war inspired weapon meant to kill as many human beings as its magazine will allow. Just as it impossible to believe that anyone capable of planning a mass killing for any obscure reason, be it justified or not, should be found not guilty of such a heinous crime by reason of insanity; it is impossible for this writer to believe anyone for any reason has the right to bear a weapon of war such as an assault weapon. Should the People find the need to rise up against its government, the People will find a way to acquire the weapons necessary to achieve their goal.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Presidential Consideration
Politics are a matter of perception. Some voters see one candidate as a right wing fanatic; others might see the same person as a left wing liberal. Of course it all depends upon what that candidate says to what crowd of people on a given day during the election cycle. Causes are also like that. During the 1970s school busing was seen as pure evil by some, a necessary evil by others, and a logical correction to a past injustice by others, but one thing is certain, there were those that used the court ordered procedure to advance their own political agendas and ambitions.
Today, we have two men from the two major political parties vying for President of the United States. Neither candidate has the undivided support of the populace. Neither has its adulation or commands total respect for his views or actions, or personal aspects. Former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney appears to many to represent an elitist top-down view of government. His latest remarks that seem to reinforce that perception were made during a fund raising event in Boca Raton, Florida in May, and were released by Mother Jones Magazine. What Mr. Romney and many within his party fail to understand is that the vast majority of citizens want good paying jobs that are meaningful to their lives. Not every college grad can go their parents and beg for money to start up a business. Another reality is that there are just so many private sector jobs that can stand alone.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the United States is nearly 315 million. There are not enough private sector jobs to handle the entire working age population. Because of this inability by the private sector to provide enough sustainable, meaningful employment offering adequate salaries and benefits, it falls upon the various government entities within the nation to pick up the slack. By neccessity and not by design the government has become entwined in a symbiotic relationship with private sector employers and the People in general. It is the federal government that provides a need for military equipment procurred from private sector contractors that then hire workers to achieve production goals and contracts. It is the combination of federal and state governments that provider the bulk of infrastructure jobs necessary for the safe transport of citizens and goods. This is all achieved by tax revenues. It is the collection of taxes that fund government required programs of this sort and many private sector jobs.
Yes, there are those that have scrimped and saved to start up their own business, but sadly, such small business ventures generally fail within a three year time span. It then becomes critical for government to provide a proper working atmosphere for such businesses to grow and thrive. If government policies meant to protect the People from the harmful effects of a polluted atmosphere or drinking water are degraded to the point of becoming meaningless then government has failed a national security requirement. Therefore, it becomes encumbent upon business and government to partner to provide the protection the People need and the jobs they require. A proper environment for growth and future jobs also requires a revamping of the current tax code. That means no loopholes, no favoritism, tariff protection if needed, and no raiding of Social Security trust funds or Medicare trust funds to balance budgets.
Thankfully, President Obama has withdrawn American combat forces from Iraq, and is in the process of doing the same in Afghanistan. He completed the work the Bush Administration failed to do. But now we must ask: Why did we go into those nations? With the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I believe we did so to maintain our current energy dependent economic model. There is oil in Iraq, it has a port on the Persian Gulf, it lies adjacent to Kuwait and Iran. Afghanistan is the land through which a natural gas pipeline must cross to bring the Central Asian republics' supply to the Pakistani port of Karachi. This is the world's last known, readily available supply of natural gas that does not require the dangerous and unpredictable fracking technique to extract. Afghanistan also has an easily extractable supply of rare earth minerals that China now has a monopoly on. These minerals are essential to the electronics industry. The problem with this part of the world is that the Taliban are proxy fighters for the Pakistani ISI. Pakistan wants to maintain some degree of control over Afghanistan and to use it as an ally against India. They have proven themselves duplicitous, and have shown they are the transport mafia of overland routes to and from their landlocked neighbor.
With all this in mind, the American People must ask themselves: Who is better equipped to disentangle us from those foreign entanglements our Founding Fathers warned us against, and who is better to lead us to a more prosperous future in which our economy is on a sound, self-sufficient footing unaffected by foreign energy sources? I suggest President Barack Obama is the best leader for the next four years. He has proven himself capable, amiable, knowledgeable, engaged, and steady at the helm. Unlike Mitt Romney, President Obama's view of government is grounded in the belief that it is the grass roots constituency and the sanctity of the common citizen that matters most. I endorse the reelection of President Barack Obama.
Today, we have two men from the two major political parties vying for President of the United States. Neither candidate has the undivided support of the populace. Neither has its adulation or commands total respect for his views or actions, or personal aspects. Former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney appears to many to represent an elitist top-down view of government. His latest remarks that seem to reinforce that perception were made during a fund raising event in Boca Raton, Florida in May, and were released by Mother Jones Magazine. What Mr. Romney and many within his party fail to understand is that the vast majority of citizens want good paying jobs that are meaningful to their lives. Not every college grad can go their parents and beg for money to start up a business. Another reality is that there are just so many private sector jobs that can stand alone.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the United States is nearly 315 million. There are not enough private sector jobs to handle the entire working age population. Because of this inability by the private sector to provide enough sustainable, meaningful employment offering adequate salaries and benefits, it falls upon the various government entities within the nation to pick up the slack. By neccessity and not by design the government has become entwined in a symbiotic relationship with private sector employers and the People in general. It is the federal government that provides a need for military equipment procurred from private sector contractors that then hire workers to achieve production goals and contracts. It is the combination of federal and state governments that provider the bulk of infrastructure jobs necessary for the safe transport of citizens and goods. This is all achieved by tax revenues. It is the collection of taxes that fund government required programs of this sort and many private sector jobs.
Yes, there are those that have scrimped and saved to start up their own business, but sadly, such small business ventures generally fail within a three year time span. It then becomes critical for government to provide a proper working atmosphere for such businesses to grow and thrive. If government policies meant to protect the People from the harmful effects of a polluted atmosphere or drinking water are degraded to the point of becoming meaningless then government has failed a national security requirement. Therefore, it becomes encumbent upon business and government to partner to provide the protection the People need and the jobs they require. A proper environment for growth and future jobs also requires a revamping of the current tax code. That means no loopholes, no favoritism, tariff protection if needed, and no raiding of Social Security trust funds or Medicare trust funds to balance budgets.
Thankfully, President Obama has withdrawn American combat forces from Iraq, and is in the process of doing the same in Afghanistan. He completed the work the Bush Administration failed to do. But now we must ask: Why did we go into those nations? With the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I believe we did so to maintain our current energy dependent economic model. There is oil in Iraq, it has a port on the Persian Gulf, it lies adjacent to Kuwait and Iran. Afghanistan is the land through which a natural gas pipeline must cross to bring the Central Asian republics' supply to the Pakistani port of Karachi. This is the world's last known, readily available supply of natural gas that does not require the dangerous and unpredictable fracking technique to extract. Afghanistan also has an easily extractable supply of rare earth minerals that China now has a monopoly on. These minerals are essential to the electronics industry. The problem with this part of the world is that the Taliban are proxy fighters for the Pakistani ISI. Pakistan wants to maintain some degree of control over Afghanistan and to use it as an ally against India. They have proven themselves duplicitous, and have shown they are the transport mafia of overland routes to and from their landlocked neighbor.
With all this in mind, the American People must ask themselves: Who is better equipped to disentangle us from those foreign entanglements our Founding Fathers warned us against, and who is better to lead us to a more prosperous future in which our economy is on a sound, self-sufficient footing unaffected by foreign energy sources? I suggest President Barack Obama is the best leader for the next four years. He has proven himself capable, amiable, knowledgeable, engaged, and steady at the helm. Unlike Mitt Romney, President Obama's view of government is grounded in the belief that it is the grass roots constituency and the sanctity of the common citizen that matters most. I endorse the reelection of President Barack Obama.
Friday, June 22, 2012
What Is The American Dream?
As a boy I found that I wanted to be a musician, a guitarist or perhaps a keyboardist, but in fact I wanted to be just like John Lennon. I liked his stage presence and voice. As I grew older, I enjoyed the abilities of Lennon and his bandmates, and I dreamed of forming a band. I also enjoyed making up stories and telling them to people; especially to my younger brothers at bedtime. That was the first time I had any inkling of what I would like to be or do with myself when I grew up. But I wasn't really thinking in those terms. It was a boyhood desire to emulate and become something. The choices I made in life prevented the realization of those desires. In high school, I pictured myself becoming an architect or a draftsman (this was before the invention of the PC and Autocad). But what I really enjoyed doing most was writing. One of my teachers, Mr. Good, encouraged me to write more, but I didn't have time to fully invest in myself and more importantly, I lacked the understanding and the drive to achieve that goal. I had to work part-time after school to help my family. And then there was the attraction of the opposite sex. After high school, I thought I might go to college and become a geologist. My family was poor and there was no way my parents could help me financially. I knew nothing of grants or scholarships. The military draft of that era also came into play. Upon receiving my notice, I went to the Navy recruiter and signed up. The Navy sent me to its electronics and navigation schools. Upon my discharge, I really began for the first time to think of my future. I gave myself three possible career paths to choose from or to fall back upon. I chose to become a musician first, a writer second, and should I fail in the pursuit of those careers, I would become an electronics technician. Although I love music, I did not pursue it properly. Somehow writing became more of a hobby as the practicalities of life forced me to find a means of immediate employment. Life forced my third choice to the fore. I worked for a couple of years in the electronics industry, but was bored to tears. I also smoked a lot of marijuana and, no pun intended, it clouded my ability to rationalize. Partying with my friends was easy, and being single was fun. I met a lovely girl who was intelligent and fun. We got married and settled down. We had our first child, and supporting my young family was paramount. I did not want them to suffer in poverty as I had. I learned to become a land surveyor. The work was interesting and never boring. I did field engineering work on some multi-million dollar projects, but I was never happy. It was just a means to an end. I was able to buy my family a home, fix it up, and maintain a decent lifestyle. I got hurt on the job, and that ended my career in heavy construction. All the time I was working though, I wrote. In 1988 I began working on a story called Private Revolution that was published in 2006. I now consider that story drivel. Eager to be a published writer, but totally ignorant of what was required, I dusted off a story I wrote in 1977 titled Beetle and Lady Bug. It was a love story, but written for children. It was published in 2005 after a Bug's Life had become famous, and children at a book festival compared both stories to one another. Kids are pretty astute. It made me wish I had taken the initiative long before and published that story earlier. I have since written and published or am publishing other works-mainly fiction. I live in a single family home in a great location. But it isn't the house that is the American dream. Yeah, that's a part of the dream, but it is not the entire dream. I danced around life not knowing or understanding what the choice of a career would mean to me. I always wanted to be an artist of some kind and believe I have achieved that goal. It hasn't paid me nearly as well as any of the other jobs I've held; including that of convenience store clerk and hotel desk clerk, but I enjoy it. I just may end up living in a cardboard box, but I have achieved my American dream of becoming a writer. The audience is still out as to how good a writer I am. All my stories are available at amazon.com.http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=j.f.+dargon
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