ObamaRama

It's ObamaRama today. Historic for so many reasons. The youth vote, the African American vote, the anti-war vote, the Universal healthcare vote, the Education vote, the Labor vote, the Pro-choice vote.....the list goes on. My question: Is Barack Obama really going to carry water for ALL of these constituents?

A couple of months ago, I was all excited and twitter-pated when Obama won the election. A big part of my "glow" came from the significance of his election to the African American community AND to those of us who have struggled against racism within our own circles of family and friends, for decades. His election felt like a huge and heavy page turning at last. Stopping McCain was good, that was good.....definitely felt good. I was represented in all of the "special interests" who voted for Obama, being anti-war, pro-choice, pro-Education, pro-Labor etc. His victory was great for me in that regard.

Since November, however I have been reading and researching and digging into some areas that have left me with a sense that all might not be as it seems or appears; the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel being the biggest clue. Also the retention of Robert Gates.

I am just hoping and praying (in my non-denominational way) that we won't be singing that old Who song, before long: "Won't be Fooled Again", the refrain being:

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

I've got the jitters.....and it's not just this big cup of Peets coffee I've been drinking. Time to do some major spiritual re-alignment or I could go into a permanent funk. Having just read in the BBC news that nervous, stressed out people tend to get dementia by a margin of 50% over people who are calm, I've got incentive!

Good luck to ALL of us! Peace and good will to all sentient and non-sentient beings! That includes YOU Mr. Obama, may your ObamaRama inspire you to the depths of your soul to really BE all that you can BE in service to the ALL in All.

A Jewish Rabbi tells the Truth about Palestine and Gaza

I am so happy, so relieved, so grateful to hear this sane man's beautiful words about Judaism. It is true that Iran has been a good host to Jewish people. They even have museums and Jewish synagogues and all sorts of Jewish groups alive and well in Iran.

A little too Kind

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody`s need made me blind;

But I have never yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.

anonymous

UK weighs in on Israel, the MPs of Parliament Furious

From the News.scotsman.com, this article today:

Cross-party fury of MPs at Israel





Published Date: 13 January 2009
By Gerri Peev

BRITISH MPs yesterday lined up to give their strongest condemnation yet of Israel's actions in Gaza, branding Ehud Olmert's government "mass murderers" and calling for the country to face sanctions.
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, faced cross-party demands for Israel's ambassador to be expelled from London and for Britain to recall its representative from Tel Aviv.

The strongest criticism in the one hour session, that followed a statement from the Foreign Secretary, came from Sir Gerald Kaufman, a former Labour minister, who is Jewish.

Directing his fury at the Israeli prime minister, foreign minister and defence minister, he said: "Olmert, (Tzipi] Livni and (Ehud] Barak are mass murderers, war criminals and bring shame on the Jewish people whose Star of David they use as a badge in Gaza."

He suggested the British government would have taken a more strident tone if it had been Hamas who had "slaughtered 900 Israelis".

Peter Kilfoyle, a former Labour defence minister, also accused Israel of "state-sponsored terrorism" and urged the government to ensure no arms were exported to the country.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, said if any other democratic state had behaved in the same way, it would be faced with economic sanctions.

Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, took a swipe at the outgoing Bush administration's lack of progress on the Middle East and said there was a "glimmer of hope on the horizon" with the election of Barack Obama, the US president-elect.

"It is only the president of the US who has the means to secure the concessions from both sides that are necessary to achieve a viable Palestinian state and a lasting settlement," he said.

Chris Mullin, a former Foreign Office minister, said "These are war crimes that we are witnessing in Gaza.

"Britain should start talking with EU allies about sanctions and "at the very least to stop selling them weapons and, perhaps, the withdrawal of our ambassador".

Mr Miliband rejected calls for severing diplomatic ties and imposing sanctions, saying this would simply isolate Israel. However, he called for abuse allegations made by both sides to be investigated.

He added that there was "no evidence" that UK weapons were used by the Israeli defence force in the latest attacks.

Protests in UK.....Our Media won't cover US protests

Yesterday morning as I was sweeping the leaves at our school, I was wondering "Where are all of the Bu-Jews? Why are they not out and protesting?" I remember during the Viet Nam war, some Buddhist monks set themselves on fire to protest against the war. Buddhists have traditionally been against wars of all kinds. This kind of violence, where state of the art military is raining down terror on a population TRAPPED like fish in a barrel would seem to be so outrageous that pacifists of ALL kinds would be out in the streets.

Jewish people, some friends of mine in fact, have turned to Buddhism as a philosophy, have been on Buddhist retreats in fact. I know of some Jews who have embraced Buddhism to the point of becoming nuns and monks and/or writing books about the practice. So many Jewish folks convert that they are affectionately called "Bu-Jews". Yesterday morning I was asking the question of the Universe: "Where are the Bu-Jews?" In fact, where are the protesters altogether?

In a conversation with a friend yesterday I discovered that yes, there ARE protests going on, it is just that OUR US MEDIA DOESN'T DEEM IT NEWSWORTHY to cover it, in print or broadcast. They learned that lesson in Viet Nam. "Don't show actual wars, don't show people's outrage." Have glossy graphics with new scrawl as a talking head describes a white wash version, the official party line slant on it all. In passing they'll mention that some people were protesting but they always cast the protesters in the light of "kooks" "fringe" "extremists", all descriptions being pejorative AND they'll always mention ANY violence on the part of the protesters, even if it is one window broken. The whole idea being that Americans are so damned attached to "private property" that any damage that may occur to this holy of holies de-legitimizes ANY intent or purpose or message of the protesters. It's sort of an innoculation process; TV news viewers are supposed to be so put off that they'll NEVER take the protests seriously EVER.

I went on the hunt for news stories about protests that DID get broadcast and I found one in London, UK, where a former UK Ambassador to Uzbakistan, Craig Murray grabs a loudspeaker and speaks his mind and heart. I've posted it here:

How to Create MORE Islamic Extremists....

If ever there was any doubt, that the West's unconditional support of Israel fomented more violence in the Middle East, the latest developments in Israel and Gaza are the perfect case in point.

For the slow learners in the Republican party, any straggling Neo-Con sympathizers out there I offer below, an excerpt from today's NY Times article on the anger in Egypt. It's growing. It's predictable and it's understandable.

I have railed against Israel's blatant military blitz on the Palestinian people in other posts, so I will assume my position on that is clear and a given on the prison camp that is Gaza. What I want to say is that in my opinion, the Palestinian plight is THE issue of this century. Unless and until the Palestinian people have their OWN SOVEREIGN nation in their own land, going back to the 1967 borders, there will be no Peace possible in the Middle East. Period. THAT is the crux of the matter. Forget oil, forget "strategies" of the West and it's military fantasies about bases, control of resources etc. It's about Palestine.

US support and funding of Israel makes us a TARGET. Period. WE are part of the problem and the Muslim world KNOWS it. Iran knows it. Syria knows it. For sure, the people in the streets of Egypt KNOW it. Now they also know that their government, being allied with Israel is part of the problem too. From the NY Times:

Nowhere in the Arab world is the gap between the street and the government so wide as here in Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel and has refused to allow free passage of goods and people through its border with Gaza, a decision that has been attacked by Islamic and Arab leaders and proved deeply troubling to many Egyptians. And so the government of President Hosni Mubarak appeared to lean back on its standard formula for preserving authority at Friday Prayer, relying on its security forces to keep calm on the street and government religious institutions like Al Azhar to try to appease public sentiment, in this case by lashing out at the Jews in response to Gaza.

“The pressure is mounting on Egypt,” said Abdel Raouf el-Reedy, a former Egyptian ambassador to the United States. “How come you keep the Israeli ambassador here? How come you keep the Egyptian ambassador in Israel? How come you still export gas to Israel in spite of a court order to stop? The system is on the defensive. Public opinion is more clearly on the side of Hamas.”

The mood on the streets of Cairo feels somber, dark, dejected. There is a heavy security presence. Armed riot police officers are massed outside of professional organizations, like the Doctor’s Syndicate, that are often run by members aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, the officially outlawed but tolerated Islamic movement. Massive troop carriers clog small side streets.

Over three days of interviews here, people seemed deflated about the public criticism their country had received, let down by the failure of their own government to help the Palestinians and sickened by the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, not only combatants but many women and children as well. Over and over, Egyptians said they felt the only ones they could trust were the Islamists — not their government.

There you have it. The Islamic religionists are going to rise to more prominence. They are the only ones speaking out, forcefully against the actions of Israel. They are earning more and more legitimacy and respect everyday. Is that what we want? It's not what I want; being a woman, I have to say the idea of Medieval religionists seeking to create a Caliphate gaining more power is not in MY best interest or the interest of women everywhere. However, I can understand how this is happening. Our greedy, stupid, callous, paranoid Western stance on Israel/Palestine is the fuel for the propulsion of Islamic fundamentalism. It IS that simple.

Bruce Cockburn - Rocket Launcher

My dear friend Millie and I had a conversation last night, about the necessity of keeping our attention centered in the positive. She said that for every evil we witness or hear about, we need to balance it out with five positive, grateful, thankful, blessed thoughts...she said the ratio is 5/1. She is probably right. Last night, I agreed. Today I heard that Israel had bombed a UN medical aid convoy, yesterday as well as a Red Cross mission. I've been knowing about them bombing ambulances, but tried not to think about it.

Today, I ask myself, do we just continue to look away and play "let's pretend"? Huh? Is that what we do? All us "speer chill" people? At some point do we stand up and fight back? At least, have the emotions of wanting to fight back? The old saying "if these were your kids dying...." They ARE our kids dying!! They are OUR kids! The whole world is YOU. The whole world.......is....you.

Gaza Today.....a blog I am now Following...

In order to gain some balanced perspective, I have begun following a blog of a fellow who I heard interviewed on Democracy Now, on Free Radio Santa Cruz. His name is Sameh Akram Habeeb.

It's an eye-opener to hear the raw story coming out of Gaza. It certainly tells a different tale than the official news from the alphabet channels, ABC etc. Now the front page story on the NY Times is that the U.N. and the Red Cross are de-crying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. My question is, WHEN is the U.N. going to get some teeth? They have produced over 100 "resolutions" scolding Israel and that is what it amounts to; a verbal slap on the wrist. It's a non-event.

My second question is: Where is the outrage from the Democrats in Congress? Third question: WHY is everyone in Washington so freaking scared of AIPAC????!!!!

You can access Gaza Today by clicking on the link in "Favorites"

Oxford Professor and Former Israeli Military Man Speaks Out about Gaza

Oxford Professor of international relations Avi Shlaim has written an excellent background piece which analyzes the on-going situation in Gaza from its inception. A good history lesson for those who are interested in how the US is complicit in this, BEYOND just "diplomacy" and the $4 billion in annual aid given to the state of Israel.


I wish the incoming Obama administration would meet with this guy. Condi Rice and the Busheviks should get out of this picture NOW. For further reading, here is link to article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-israel-palestine

Let's Sage the White House - Get out all of Those Evil Spirits = Dark Energy

Kate Clinton said the idea grew from hearing about shamans who cleansed the area around Machu Picchu of evil spirits by saging after George Bush visited.

“We are going to meet in Washington at 6PM on January 19th at the new White House visitor's center,” Clinton said in a new interview. “We'll mill around there for a little bit. And then we're just gonna walk over towards the White House, or as close as we can get, with our little sage sticks and try to get out the bad spirits. So, we can clear out the bad spirits in time for the new Obama administration to come in on the next day.” (hundreds have signed up!)

http://lauraflanders.firedoglake.com/2008/12/19/saging-the-white-house/

above strategy superseded -

new meeting place & plan.....




This couldn't HURT......Indigenous people are onto something(s) alot deeper and more profound than our current level of human connection with the Soul of the World/Planet. Come to think of it, I'm gonna sage my house after the TV news broadcasting into my living room all of the horror going on in Gaza right now.....the heaviness is palpable. The sadness and deep psychic trauma of that circumstance is best left for another post entirely.

Maybe we should sage the entire planet, do a world-wide Puja....

And Now, for Something Completely Different

Well, I've got myself a head cold as of yesterday around lunch time.   Sneezed like I was getting paid for it, all day into the night.   Spent the afternoon on the computer listening to lectures on YouTube.   Had a limited night's sleep so I've been surfing the net today as I rest in bed, drinking tea.    In a conversation with a friend,  it was suggested I check out Red Ice Creations website which I did.    Found some very interesting info on, oh you know, Secret Societies,  Ancient Symbology, Astro-theology (Hi, Zacharia Sitchin, my old buddy....)  

Anywho, As Michael Tsarion (great series on YouTube entitled "The Origins of Evil" in 13 parts) kept mentioning the Atenists.....so I looked up Aten and here's what I found:

Here is wiki blurb:

Both Ra and Horus characteristics are part of the god, but the god is also considered to be both masculine and feminine simultaneously. All creation was thought to emanate from the god and to exist within the god. In particular, the god was not depicted in anthropomorphic (human) form, but as rays of light extending from the sun's disk. Furthermore, the god's name came to be written within a cartouche, along with the titles normally given to a Pharaoh, another break with ancient tradition.


Aten
The Aten, the sun-disk, first appears in texts dating to the 12th dynasty, in The Story of Sinuhe, where the deceased king is described as rising as god to the heavens and uniting with the sun-disk, the divine body merging with its maker.[2]
Ra-Horus, more usually referred to as Ra-Herakhty (Ra, who is Horus of the two horizons), is a synthesis of two other gods, both of which are attested from very early on. During the Amarna period, this synthesis was seen as the invisible source of energy of the sun god, of which the visible manifestation was the Aten, the solar disk. Thus Ra-Horus-Aten was a development of old ideas which came gradually. The real change, as some see it, was the apparent abandonment of all other gods, above all Amun, and the introduction of monotheism by Akhenaten.[3] The syncretism is readily apparent in the Great Hymn to the Aten in which Re-Herakhty, Shu and Aten are merged into the creator god.[4] Others see Akhenaten as a practitioner of an Aten monolatry.[5]

Pretty interesting eh?   The Sun (Son) rising to return to the Creator/Source/Light (Father).    This is even similar to the old Vedantists and Yogis of India saying that we are all a manifestation of Light and at death or total Enlightenment return to dissolve back into Light.   I can get with that.  :-)

Our god is a sun god, RA RA RA!
Our god is a fun god, RA RA RA!!! 

(feel free to wave your pom poms at any time)

Israel Vows to Keep Firing on Palestine

What else is new?!

I don't know if I even believe the official reports out of the New York Times on this subject anymore. Every time I read a story like this about Palestinians shooting rockets at Israel, JUSTIFYING Israel's MASSIVE response, I consider the source of the story. I used to think that Israel was a client state of the US, but I am beginning to see that, no, the US is a client state of Israel, no matter WHICH way the MONEY flows. It's not about the money, necessarily. It's about US foreign policy, middle east strategies, who is in Washington DC calling the shots, behind the scenes. I have heard news reports from sources other than American and Israeli during other conflicts such as this (same sh*t, different day...) and the reports are markedly different. Generally what I find is that the US and Israel exaggerate beyond all credibility Palestinian actions and couch the language so as to dehumanize and de-legitimize ANYTHING the Palestinians do, even if it is a young kid simply lobbing rocks at an Israeli soldier.

Israel is the sacred cow of our time. No one seriously interested in public office in this country, can dare BREATHE a word against Israel. Just as in the beginnings of settlement on this continent, no one dared breathe a word against the Crown in England. You were a loyalist or you were a Revolutionary. Before the revolutionary idea caught on most people were still loyal to King George and the idea of the Monarchy. These days, people would consider it a revolutionary idea, to questions out loud Israel's actions, Israel's legitimacy, Israel's "security" in the Middle East.

I supported Barack Obama as everyone who knows me is aware, but I was taken aback when he came out and stated in the strongest terms, that Israel and it's agenda was sacrosanct, basically. He had even stronger words of support than even some right wing neo-cons. I realize he had to come out and say SOMETHING signaling his alliance with Israel, especially in the face of those idiotic attempts to link him to Islam via "Barack Hussein Obama" etc. But what about Palestine?

What about the Palestinians? How long can the world's people just shrug this off? This whole two state solution idea is way past time to come, but even if that is the eventuality, how will the Palestinians avoid becoming just a state "in name only"? How will they be essentially sovereign? Is that possible and does anyone even care, other than Hamas?

Professor Juan Cole who runs a very informative website called "Informed Comment" had this to say today (excerpt):

The outbreak of hostilities affects Americans, since al-Qaeda hit New York and the Pentagon in some important part over the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians. The airstrikes and large death toll also present a challenge to the incoming Obama administration, which may find peace-making more difficult now.

The UN Security Council held a special evening session on Saturday and issued a call for an immediate ceasefire. The attacks drew a furious response from the Arab world. Egypt, which has collaborated with Israel in blockading the Gazans, branded its partner's air strikes "murder." The US, which for some odd reason holds an irrational hatred of the Palestinians, branded the dead Gaza policemen "thugs" and blamed the massive aerial strikes solely on Hamas, the fundamentalist Muslim party that controls Gaza.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, outgoing president of the European Union, issued among the more measured responses: "The President of the Republic expresses his lively concern at the escalation of violence in the south of Israel and in the Gaza Strip. He firmly condemns the irresponsible provocations that have led to this situation as well as the use of disproportionate force. The president of the republic deplores the significant loss of civilian life and expresses his condolences to the innocent victims and their families."

Sarkozy "requests an immediate cessation of rocket fire directed at Israel as well as of Israeli bombardment of Gaza, and he calls on the parties to exercise self-restraint. He reminds everyone that there is no military solution to Gaza, and demands the implementation of a durable truce."

This statement, which I seem to be the only news source to present in full in English, seems to me to be the best issued by any head of state on this particular incident, and shames the insensitive and one-sided statement issued on behalf of the US by Gordon Johndroe.

Israel blames Hamas for primitive homemade rocket attacks on the nearby Israeli city of Sederot. In 2001-2008, these rockets killed about 15 Israelis and injured 433, and they have damaged property. In the same period, Gazan mortar attacks on Israel have killed 8 Israelis.

Since the Second Intifada broke out in 2000, Israelis have killed nearly 5000 Palestinians, nearly a thousand of them minors. Since fall of 2007, Israel has kept the 1.5 million Gazans under a blockade, interdicting food, fuel and medical supplies to one degree or another. Wreaking collective punishment on civilian populations such as hospital patients denied needed electricity is a crime of war.

The Israelis on Saturday killed 5% of all the Palestinians they have killed since the beginning of 2001! 230 people were slaughtered in a day, over 70 of them innocent civilians. In contrast, from the ceasefire Hamas announced in June, 2008 until Saturday, no Israelis had been killed by Hamas. The infliction of this sort of death toll is known in the law of war as a disproportionate response, and it is a war crime."

I agree and if you would like to really research the subject and study the history, I suggest you peruse Professor Cole's excellent website:

http://www.juancole.com/

The Mom Song

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Mark Twain Quote

I know for a FACT that what Mark Twain says here, is the Truth! ;-))


“We are always hearing of people who are around seeking after the Truth. I have never seen a permanent specimen. I think he has never lived. But I have seen several entirely sincere people who thought they were permanent Seekers after the Truth. They sought diligently, persistently, carefully, cautiously, profoundly, with perfect honesty and nicely adjusted judgment- until they believed that without doubt or question they had found the Truth. That was the end of the search. The man spent the rest of his life hunting up shingles wherewith to protect his Truth from the weather.”

– Samuel Clemens, What is Man?

Duck, Duck, Goosed!

Odd Job should have aimed better.....

FDIC Chair Has the Right (and FAIR!) Idea

Sheila C. Bair, Chairwoman of the FDIC has proposed several variations of a plan to help homeowners stay in their homes. The Treasury Department, officials at the White House are angry at her, however. Angry at her.

From today's NY Times Article:

"Around the time that the F.D.I.C. took over IndyMac, Mrs. Bair began urging Treasury and White House officials to use taxpayer money to encourage other lenders and mortgage servicing companies to modify large numbers of at-risk loans, a plan she expected would help 1.5 million borrowers avoid foreclosure and reduce an oversupply of homes on the market. She estimated the program would cost taxpayers about $24 billion."

Controlling the housing market by reining in the flood of homes for sale, would really help those who are watching their own homes decline in value. Equity, the investment homeowners have always banked on is slipping away like Santa Monica beachfront properties built on sand. Going, going, there they go....bye bye! GONE!

These vulture bankers have gotten theirs and are now using the cash to pay off stockholders, maintain their positions, basically indulge themselves, as per usual.

Meanwhile, people who have NOT screwed around financially, who've played by the rules are in danger of losing so much of what they've worked so HARD for. I am thinking of my brother right now, who owns a business which is poised to really take OFF. Orders for his products are better than last year; he has some very heavy hitters in his industry who have submitted orders that could really help his business take off. Yet he faces the bankruptcy of his business. Why? The S.O.B.s in the banking industry are not providing the revolving credit to businesses one month in advance of revenues, as they used to do. That is how business has been done. Not now though. They've gotten taxpayer funds, but are hanging onto the money themselves as already mentioned and people like my brother; always a fair and honest businessman who treats his employees and customers VERY well, is facing a total drubbing.

THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL! I'll be looking for ways to put pressure on lawmakers about this; if any of you know of an organized effort to do so, let me know!

Senator Bob Casey D-PA, re: the Big Three Automakers

I have to say also, with regard to the labor concessions -- Mr. [Ron] Gettelfinger [UAW president], I wanted to review some of those. Because I am stunned by the kind of -- when you hear the talking heads on television and when you read what some people say in this town and across the country about the mythology that's out there about how we're -- how we got to this situation. And, frankly, the scapegoating of the men and women of organized labor, and in particular, autoworkers.

Point number one: In 2005, cuts in wages for active workers and health-care benefits for retirees -- point number one. I'm reading from your testimony. Cuts for new workers, bringing the wage level down to 14 bucks an hour. How many industries are doing that? Reducing the company's liability for retiree health care by 50 percent. And I realize these have been in the record before, but it is very important.

And wages and benefits. You said yourself that they're about 10 percent -- 10 percent of the budget? You would think listening to some of the people talk out there, some of the so-called experts, that wages and benefits were 70 percent of the cost. So there's a lot of mythology, a lot of myth generally that has been put on the record.

In 20-- since 2003, downsizing by the companies has reduced their workforce by 150,000 people. That doesn't get said very often. The labor-cost gap with foreign transplant operations will be largely or completely eliminated. OK? So, it's -- I think it's important to put this information on the record for this hearing. And then we've heard this garbage about 73 bucks an hour. It's a total lie, and some people have perpetrated that deliberately in a calculated way to mislead the American people about what we're doing here. It's a lie, and they know it's a lie.


This is what my husband Ted was telling me; it's all horse puckey, the whole $73 an hour hype. Designed to rile up other working Americans against Union workers.

Saving the Big Three for You and Me

So the Big Three Auto Execs are back on Capitol Hill with their tin cups in hand again today. They face a skeptical Congress and they SHOULD! The P.O.S.'s they've been manufacturing for DAYS.... are a joke and so is their management style. Michael Moore has a message for them, AND for us. I know, I know Michael Moore.....he can be so damned Michael Moore-ish....but he makes some good points and he's pretty funny too. Check him out:

Saving the Big 3 for You and Me...

A Message From Michael Moore

by Michael Moore
Friends,
I drive an American car. It's a Chrysler. That's not an endorsement. It's more like a cry for pity. And now for a decades-old story, retold ad infinitum by tens of millions of Americans, a third of whom have had to desert their country to simply find a damn way to get to work in something that won't break down:
My Chrysler is four years old. I bought it because of its smooth and comfortable ride. Daimler-Benz owned the company then and had the good grace to place the Chrysler chassis on a Mercedes axle and, man, was that a sweet ride!

When it would start.
More than a dozen times in these years, the car has simply died. Batteries have been replaced, but that wasn't the problem. My dad drives the same model. His car has died many times, too. Just won't start, for no reason at all.

A few weeks ago, I took my Chrysler in to the Chrysler dealer here in northern Michigan -- and the latest fixes cost me $1,400. The next day, the vehicle wouldn't start. When I got it going, the brake warning light came on. And on and on.

You might assume from this that I couldn't give a rat's ass about these miserably inept crapmobile makers down the road in Detroit city. But I do care. I care about the millions whose lives and livelihoods depend on these car companies. I care about the security and defense of this country because the world is running out of oil -- and when it runs out, the calamity and collapse that will take place will make the current recession/depression look like a Tommy Tune musical.

And I care about what happens with the Big 3 because they are more responsible than almost anyone for the destruction of our fragile atmosphere and the daily melting of our polar ice caps. Congress must save the industrial infrastructure that these companies control and the jobs they create. And it must save the world from the internal combustion engine.

This great, vast manufacturing network can redeem itself by building mass transit and electric/hybrid cars, and the kind of transportation we need for the 21st century.
And Congress must do all this by NOT giving GM, Ford and Chrysler the $34 billion they are asking for in "loans" (a few days ago they only wanted $25 billion; that's how stupid they are -- they don't even know how much they really need to make this month's payroll. If you or I tried to get a loan from the bank this way, not only would we be thrown out on our ear, the bank would place us on some sort of credit rating blacklist).

Two weeks ago, the CEOs of the Big 3 were tarred and feathered before a Congressional committee who sneered at them in a way far different than when the heads of the financial industry showed up two months earlier. At that time, the politicians tripped over each other in their swoon for Wall Street and its Ponzi schemers who had concocted Byzantine ways to bet other people's money on unregulated credit default swaps, known in the common vernacular as unicorns and fairies. But the Detroit boys were from the Midwest, the Rust (yuk!) Belt, where they made real things that consumers needed and could touch and buy, and that continually recycled money into the economy (shocking!), produced unions that created the middle class, and fixed my teeth for free when I was ten.

For all of that, the auto heads had to sit there in November and be ridiculed about how they traveled to D.C. Yes, they flew on their corporate jets, just like the bankers and Wall Street thieves did in October. But, hey, THAT was OK! They're the Masters of the Universe! Nothing but the best chariots for Big Finance as they set about to loot our nation's treasury.
Of course, the auto magnates used be the Masters who ruled the world. They were the pulsating hub that all other industries -- steel, oil, cement contractors -- served. Fifty-five years ago, the president of GM sat on that same Capitol Hill and bluntly told Congress, what's good for General Motors is good for the country. Because, you see, in their minds, GM WAS the country.

What a long, sad fall from grace we witnessed on November 19th when the three blind mice had their knuckles slapped and then were sent back home to write an essay called, "Why You Should Give Me Billions of Dollars of Free Cash." They were also asked if they would work for a dollar a year. Take that! What a big, brave Congress they are! Requesting indentured servitude from (still) three of the most powerful men in the world. This from a spineless body that won't dare stand up to a disgraced president nor turn down a single funding request for a war that neither they nor the American public support. Amazing.

Let me just state the obvious: Every single dollar Congress gives these three companies will be flushed right down the toilet. There is nothing the management teams of the Big 3 are going to do to convince people to go out during a recession and buy their big, gas-guzzling, inferior products. Just forget it. And, as sure as I am that the Ford family-owned Detroit Lions are not going to the Super Bowl -- ever -- I can guarantee you, after they burn through this $34 billion, they'll be back for another $34 billion next summer.

So what to do? Members of Congress, here's what I propose:
1. Transporting Americans is and should be one of the most important functions our government must address. And because we are facing a massive economic, energy and environmental crisis, the new president and Congress must do what Franklin Roosevelt did when he was faced with a crisis (and ordered the auto industry to stop building cars and instead build tanks and planes): The Big 3 are, from this point forward, to build only cars that are not primarily dependent on oil and, more importantly to build trains, buses, subways and light rail (a corresponding public works project across the country will build the rail lines and tracks). This will not only save jobs, but create millions of new ones.

2. You could buy ALL the common shares of stock in General Motors for less than $3 billion. Why should we give GM $18 billion or $25 billion or anything? Take the money and buy the company! (You're going to demand collateral anyway if you give them the "loan," and because we know they will default on that loan, you're going to own the company in the end as it is. So why wait? Just buy them out now.)

3. None of us want government officials running a car company, but there are some very smart transportation geniuses who could be hired to do this. We need a Marshall Plan to switch us off oil-dependent vehicles and get us into the 21st century.
This proposal is not radical or rocket science. It just takes one of the smartest people ever to run for the presidency to pull it off. What I'm proposing has worked before. The national rail system was in shambles in the '70s. The government took it over. A decade later it was turning a profit, so the government returned it to private/public hands, and got a couple billion dollars put back in the treasury.
T
his proposal will save our industrial infrastructure -- and millions of jobs. More importantly, it will create millions more. It literally could pull us out of this recession.
In contrast, yesterday General Motors presented its restructuring proposal to Congress. They promised, if Congress gave them $18 billion now, they would, in turn, eliminate around 20,000 jobs. You read that right. We give them billions so they can throw more Americans out of work. That's been their Big Idea for the last 30 years -- layoff thousands in order to protect profits. But no one ever stopped to ask this question: If you throw everyone out of work, who's going to have the money to go out and buy a car?
These idiots don't deserve a dime. Fire all of them, and take over the industry for the good of the workers, the country and the planet.
What's good for General Motors IS good for the country. Once the country is calling the shots.

Yours,
Michael Moore

ACLU calls for Government to Release Info on Troop Deployment within the US

ACLU Demands Information On Military Deployment Within U.S. Borders (10/21/2008)

Deployment Erodes Longstanding Separation Between Civilian And Military Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today demanded information from the government about reports that an active military unit has been deployed inside the U.S. to help with "civil unrest" and "crowd control" – matters traditionally handled by civilian authorities. This deployment jeopardizes the longstanding separation between civilian and military government, and the public has a right to know where and why the unit has been deployed, according to an ACLU Freedom of Information request filed today.

"The military's deployment within U.S. borders raises critical questions that must be answered," said Jonathan Hafetz, staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. "What is the unit's mission? What functions will it perform? And why was it necessary to deploy the unit rather than rely on civilian agencies and personnel and the National Guard? Given the magnitude of the issues at stake, it is imperative that the American people know the truth about this new and unprecedented intrusion of the military in domestic affairs."

According to a report in the Army Times, the Army recently deployed an active military unit inside the United States under Northern Command, which was established in 2002 to assist federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities. This deployment marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to Northern Command.
Civilian authorities, not the military, have historically controlled and directed the internal affairs of the United States. This rule traces its origins to the nation's founding and has been reaffirmed in landmark statutes including the Posse Comitatus Act, which helps preserve the foundational principles of our Constitution and democracy.

"This is a radical departure from separation of civilian law enforcement and military authority, and could, quite possibly, represent a violation of law," said Mike German, ACLU national security policy counsel and former FBI Agent. "Our Founding Fathers understood the threat that a standing army could pose to American liberty. While future generations recognized the need for a strong military to defend against increasingly capable foreign threats, they also passed statutory protections to ensure that the Army could not be turned against the American people. The erosion of these protections should concern every American."

In order to assess the implications of the recent deployment, the ACLU requested the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Defense today to immediately make public all legal opinions, executive orders, presidential directives, memos, policy guidance, and other documents that authorize the deployment of military troops for domestic purposes.
Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Department of Defense has dramatically expanded its role in domestic law enforcement and intelligence operations, including the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping programs, the Department of Homeland Security's use of military spy satellites, and the participation of military personnel in state and local intelligence fusion centers. The ACLU has repeatedly expressed concern about these incremental encroachments of the military into domestic affairs, and the assignment of active duty troops to Northern Command only heightens these concerns.
A copy of the ACLU's information request is available online at: www.aclu.org/safefree/general/37272lgl20081021.html

Psychosphere: Where Facts are Crazier

Got this from a friend this morning. Thought I'd pass along. Hang on to your hats everybody and buckle your seat belts (Oh, but don't DRIVE anywhere unless you absolutely HAVE to. Fasten your seatbelts anyway though.....).

Trudy


Hello to the Horde,

Please see attachment- best cartoon to explain the problem I have seen.. please must see…..halarious if it wasn’t so serious….

Economy:

As we come to the first quarter of 2008, we see economic calamities. But “psychophere “ readers are not among those who were caught unaware. Now that the collapse or recession is underway we see inflation rising. What the f**k does that mean dre??? That means we will all get poorer, everything will cost more, every commodity will increase, but not your well earned wages. NO gang, we will pay for this fiasco with inflation, the hidden tax!!!! Thanks uncle bush….your sure are swell. Commodities like wheat, pork bellies, gold, silver, cooper, lumber, agriculture, etc… will increase for two main reasons. One price of fuel is the foundation of commodity prices, so if fuel cost go up, everything fucking goes up… This is happening for number of reasons, Iraq war or other middle east geopolitical reasons, increased demand, no increase in output, and last but not least the erosion of the dollar. And two, as the dollar weakens it cost more dollars to buy the same amount of anything. Bang!!!inflation…get it. You have a spread in two directions. The stock market is taking the beating we spoke of in the last edition, no surprises. The derivatives market looks ripe to break. We all know how the housing thing is going, glad we didn’t listen to the MSM analyst, “soft landing” my ass. The dollar will continue to slide, by the end of the year 2 dollar per euro. Fuel will reach 135 dollars a barrel, and housing prices will plummet by another 15-20 percent. But hey, its all for freedom, right? Where fighting to free the world by giving them our freedoms right?…..that’s normal right? For the cost of this war we could have avoided all of this financial mess, secured social security, had free college education, and free medical. Gotta love the fight against those dam terrorist, you know the ones that only exists in Disneyworld, or the world we are supposed to believe in. And if you don’t, we got a room for ya in Gitmo, its called the water boarding room. Where you will do and say anything to make you believe in Disneyland again….… I love this brave new world…..

Sssso, for all you soon to be home owners, get ready for some good pickens at the end of 2009. Stay away 2008, unless you have a deal to steal…

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080310/opec_khelil.html?.v=1
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPODn59bFNSnccM9QHN0ZKT7gGUQ Oh did I forget to mention it’s a global problem too, shit, when it rains it poors…….no pun intented
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ae0IGuEKi9d4&refer=home
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/10/goldman-sachs-fed-may-cu_n_90710.html they have been doing this over and over again with the same results, failure. Some people call that insanity. And they call me crazy. Cause I am!!!!!Heeee Ha
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/goldman-sachs-raises-possibility-200/story.aspx?guid=%7b4B702F7F-41F8-45F0-A133-630F12F2C764%7d&print=true&dist=printTop Just a little misstep with Iran and boom, were fucked…
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0832645120080308 You guys think Im playing, its everywhere…325 Billion hit!!! Just like that overnight practically. What about smaller company’s ?
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article3508468.ece can you hear those printing presses at the Fed… every dollar they make they get a cut…..and your dollars purchasing power decreases……….I love the fed, there always watching out for us…
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/19079.asp
http://money.howstuffworks.com/grocery-store-prices-for-14-items-in-1957.htm perspective on inflation
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_bi_ge/home_foreclosures must read
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080306/bs_nm/hedge_exits_dc_1;_ylt=AnTsHwBa2YdneV6qLVf5xwkE1vAI