The Nixon Playbook with a Cheney twist!

Outgoing NSA Director, the infamous John Negriponti, who's prior information helped us to decimate Haiti, illegally arm Contras in Nicaragua and was the primary information source leading to the Iraq invasion, had this to say before leaving to become Condoleesa Rice's Karl Rove - er deputy. In his final annual threat assessment to the new 110th Congress he warned that al-Qaeda poses "the gravest threat to the United States and is rebuilding its strength from secure hideouts in Pakistan." Negriponte also said that Iraq was at a violent and "precarious juncture," he stressed concern over an increasingly confident Hizbollah and outlined a series of other threats to the United States, including from Somalia, Iran and Syria.

Not unlike Henry Kissinger's communist threat diatribe as America wanted out of Vietnam. We all know now that Nixon's response was to secretly bomb the crap out of Cambodia and Laos as he pulled our troops from Vietnam. Lie to Congress, pull the troops and secretly take it to the air.

And with two new Navy commanders at the helm-- Adm. Fallon, tapped to replace Army Gen Abizaid as head of CENTCOM, previously headed PACOM covering pacific theater with his specialty being carrier group air-strike coordination and new director of the NSA, retired Navy Vice Admiral Mike McConnell-- is it any wonder we have air-strikes in Somalia? Bush has retired most of the ground troop generals and replaced them with "flyboys". Nixon 101.

But Cheney is taking it to the next level, the corporate president, pResident Bush, named McConnell to replace Negriponte as the new chief of intelligence. McConnell said he would work to increase the coordination between the nation's 16 different spy agencies. Privatize intelligence, lie to Congress and prevent anyone from learning the truth.

McConnell, the man tapped to replace John Negriponte, has been a leading figure in outsourcing U.S. intelligence operations to private industry. A former director at the National Security Agency, he was the current director of defense programs at Booz Allen-- one of the nation's biggest defense and intelligence contractors. Under his watch, Booz Allen has been deeply involved in some of the most controversial counter-terrorism programs run by the Bush administration, including the infamous Total Information Awareness data-mining scheme.

McConnell plans to "continue the strong emphasis on integration of the community to better serve all of our customers. That will mean better sharing of information, increased focus on customer needs and service, improved security processes, and deeper penetration of our targets..." Does this sound like the words of a person hoping to help the "citizens" of a nation best use information to prepare for problems? Or the words of a salesman shlepping data access wiz-bang for megabucks? Booz Allen has made billions in recent contracts.

FYI- Information, once privatized, has yet to be ruled on as being intellectual property of the private sector and therefore off-limits to FOIA-freedom of information requests. It will be contested all the way to the Supreme Court. Thankfully with Bush's newly appointed justices Alito and Roberts we will no doubt get a "fair and balanced verdict- can you say check-mate?

The Decisive Ideological Struggle of Our Time!

Last night the pResident painted an interesting picture of a world that he and the writer of his speech, and his most trusted advisors hope the American Public will buy. Bush figures we haven't succeeded for two reasons, 1) The Iraqis haven't trained enough troops- perhaps cuz they keep getting blown up in the recruiting lines or executed and having their bodies dumped in the streets with hands bound and electric drill holes through their skulls. 2) Cuz our troops have had too many restrictions put upon them in the past- pesky old Geneva Convention, didn't we eliminate that with the Military Commissions Act of 2006?


Bush says Iraq needs a "Green Light" to solve its problems. The reason we've been unsuccessful there the past four years, we've had to be courteous and respectful to the citizens of Iraq. So Bush called for a troop surge of 21,000 and a lifting of any remaining civil rights the citizens of Iraq might have left. Yes, our Army along with who ever's left fighting for Iraq, will go kicking doors into every home in Bagdad.... door to door busting into homes and shooting anyone hostile... Never mind that the soldiers can't understand the language and civilians might panic when frightening green soldiers all jacked up with adrenaline, eyes a blazed in green night vision goggles, come busting down their doors screaming commands they don't understand in the middle of the night... Never mind that Bush's initial strategy in the first days of the "liberation" was to fire the entire Iraq police and militia with no pay, and let them keep their weapons! ... Now after the whole nation has descended into total civil war and chaos with more than 650,000 innocent iraqis brutally murdered in the name of freedom and democracy, Bush figures alls he needs to do is "smoke em out".

Well the pResident has certainly taken a fresh perspective on his policy. He replaced all the Generals-again. Commanding General John Abizaid now joins the huge number of demoted leaders who completely disagree with the pResident's vision... what do they know, they are just highly trained military strategists that were our eyes and ears in the front lines of the battle... Bush and his band of merry ChickenHawks who've never seen a round fired in anger know better than these brass monkeys-right?? So his new leadership recruits are all gung-ho about taking it to the streets and again he's listening to them...


He's also decided to take an active role in attacking Iran and Syria... yes the excellent way the liberation is working in Iraq has incentivised him to take on the entire muslim world. He plans to "seek out and destroy the networks providing training and weaponry" and "bolster our interests in the region using our allies to help eliminate the threat of Iran's nuclear weapons" - translation: Israel will launch a first strike and we'll respond by bombing Iran's military and communications, while protecting the flow of oil.

Bush says "we'll engage our full diplomatic resources to rally allies within the region to bring about change" translation: Utilize the newly created propaganda wing of the pentagon to spread lies and misleading news information, spend millions with right-wing think tank the Lincoln Group to fabricate stories at home, and send in covert operatives to destabilize Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

He has his work cut out for him though, it seems the rest of the free world has real media outlets that still practice the old art of Journalism... you know- the kind that reports the facts, speaks truth to power. Last night our media rendered his visionary painting of Iraq's faded watercolor-- a loose impressionist rendering of a dream needing our troops to help their nation's leaders (our puppets) take a role in their own future. They effectively hid the truth held by a very few industrialists and elites, neo-conservative extremists seeking to gain global domination.

Glaringly absent from the airwaves last night, were any responses from the opposition. I can't recall a time when a standing head of State was able to speak freely on such an important topic and not have any debate or opinion from the opposition... must be new rules for Democracy. Still, Bush was very rigid as his beady eyes nervously read the teleprompter. A few cable networks FOX and MSNBC did air some commetary but the major mainstream networks went back to scheduled programming.

And how ironic was their regularly scheduled programming... CSI:NY tracked down a brutal femme stiletto heel shoe killer; Criminal Minds caged a serial rapist; Medium conjured a mystery killer, and worst of all, number one with a bullet...



Armed and Famous the new lowest common denominator for television... Celebrities become Cops and go after bad guys.... starring Janet Jackson, Jack Osborne (ozzy's boy), a WWF wrestler babe, the Jackass midget, and Erik Estrada from Chips (I'm not making this up!) - So right after listening to pResident Bush tell us of how the insurgents are going to "make sure our televisions are filled with images of death and suffering" viewers are returned to the regularly scheduled images... of death and suffering!

Bush amazingly heralded "the decisive ideological struggle of our time: on one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation, on the other side are the extremists who kill the innocent and who have declared their intention to destroy our way of life." I'm just thinking in truth, he got the roles mixed up.

650,000 dead civilians, complete chaos and civil war, no security in any region of that country... and all because we are there. No one can solve their own problems as our soldiers go shooting everyone in sight. Its insane and we have to stand up against this insanity! What are you going to do?

Get out and make a scene on Water and Wisconsin at 5pm tomorrow. Join others across the nation as DemocracyForAmerica, TrueMajority, MoveOn, and PeaceAction come together for a protest. Write the press, Contact your elected officials... make a difference!

NoMore!- Troops out of Iraq NOW!

110th Congress- breath of fresh aire or business as usual?

Welcome 110th Congress... the people have clearly spoken for change. But a listen to the pResident and his lame duck congress left-behinds and you'd think they never heard the news.

pResident Bush again asks for bipartisan courtesy and looks forward to working in a bipartisan way with Congress saying "its time we set aside politics and focus on the future." —hello? Does anyone still believe his doublespeak? He made these same gestures in each of his State of the Union and Inaugural addresses... then promptly instructed his 109th Congress to slam the door in the Democrats faces.

The 109th Congress, arguably the most corrupt Congress in US history excluded the minority voice with an undaunted arrogance not seen since sedition times. No votes, no hearings, no rights to bring bills to the floor, not even an ability to debate so many of the questionable powers being granted to the Bush Administration about war, policy, torture, spying and US sponsored worldwide terrorism.

The109th Congress rolled out bill after bill stuffed with thousands of earmarks granting every member in Congress who promised support of the Bush Agenda, millions of federal dollars to buy votes and influence in their home States. K street lobbies and think tanks ran the legislative branch. Sen. Bill Frist even went so far as to threaten abolishing the right of the filibuster to get his judges nominated (isn't that activist judging). Republican congressmen screamed for up or down votes and silence from the minority.

Before our eyes, Congress was transformed into a legislative street fight. The new generation of aides and Congressmen not only hold each other in contempt but now don't reach out to the other side in formality. Its like watching a WWF grudge match only Hulk Hogan is responsible for our nations well-being, not just an evenings entertainment for some testosterone teens and wannabe teens. pResident Bush, the self-proclaimed Great Uniter has in just six years created the greatest political divide since the civil war.


So today, as the 110th Congress officially takes control, they have a plan. For the first 100 hours they are reprimanding the former majority party and preventing them from throwing a tantrum in Congress, while they right some of the most flagrant wrongs done by the 109th leadership. While many of Americans are concerned the war on terror is not on the agenda, some very important social and civic issues are. And it was the most responsible way to start this session. Though GOP left-behinds cry foul and accuse the Democrats of not playing fair, and the media cameras seem to give them much play, there needs to be some punitive action done to let the will of the people be heard by the GOP leadership who hijacked our constitution to line their pockets and bankrupt our nation. It serves us proud as a nation to have a governing system that can enforce checks and balances in accordance to the will of the people. Right now that will says no more corruption, no more creative interpretation of law.

Now the real proof of change will come after the 100 hours when the Democrats say they will demonstrate a fair bipartisan exchange of ideas in Congress. Speaker Pelosi has taken the position not to pursue Impeachment proceedings nor to stand for immediate removal of funding for the war. Both positions do not sit well with many who voted her into office. Not unlike pResident Bush and his troubles with Christians who didn't feel he valued their contribution to his election. They marched on Washington to demand access and now Cindy Sheehan and the anti war activists are speaking out against the new Pelosi priorities.

This is a momentous time in US History, the last time the people spoke loudly against policy and war, the leadership went covert, bombing of Cambodia, misleading the public on war statistics and abuse of intelligence by targeting US citizens opposing war like John Lennon, then Watergate. With the recent death of President Gerald Ford, we again learn of how his pardon of Nixon halted further investigation into the depth of corruption within the GOP leadership, a group oddly consisting of Kissinger, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush41 and many others still in power today. They were willing and capable then, what's to stop them now? They averted investigation then, will they evade justice again?

Even today as a FOIA (freedom of information act) release of thousands of pages secret FBI documents shows, we learn of Nixon and Reagan's illegal use of the Federal Agents to undermine and coerce opposition to Supreme Court Justice Renquist's nomination. Interesting that it was John (I hate the UN but run it) Bolton who then was asst Atty General, who personally signed off on direct memos advising that use of Federal Agents in this way was not legal. Wiretaps, shakedowns, character assassinations, illegal detentions... exactly what the 109th Congress made legal through the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S3930).

This appears to be the policy of GOP corruption and the abuse of power, and when not in control, subversive use of the military and intelligence wings. Though it now appears clear that a small cabal of Neo-Conservative thinkers are directly responsible for much of the last thirty years of perversion. Since assention into power in the Nixon house, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Bolton, Libby Bush41 and a few others, have transformed our nation into an imperial oligarchy bent on world conquest. This has to be reigned in. Will the 110th Congress recognize these threats and take action or will the NeoCons silently continue conquest the middle east and beyond, or worse, create a horrific event by using their completely revamped access to information and intelligence to subvert Democracy at home?

NSA czar Jon Negriponte, the angel of death (ambassador) for Nicaragua, Haiti and Iraq has reluctantly abdicated his throne as master of all intelligence in the world's largest covert agency, to become assistance Sec of State. To one not watching, this seems benign, but what can a ruthless deviant with access to all intelligence do as the person behind Condoleeza Rice wielding our nation's international policy stick? Especially with Paul Wolfowitz controlling the purse strings World-Bank and Bolton fresh from bulldozing the UN? One shudders to think.

Beatles, six years of change

January 3
Today is an important day... The Beatles first television appearance in England Jan 3,1963... and the Beatles last recording, I Me My, today 1969. Today, Gerald Ford was laid to rest in Grand Rapids, Michigan... a few blocks from my brothers new home. The small community of Grand Rapids was inundated by citizens honoring this man. The eulogies given by Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Henry Kissinger praised him for "healing " a nation in the wake of political and military scandal... Ironic that it was these men and BushSr who stood in the shadows of Nixon and were spared criminal penalty by the Pardon only to descend deeper into their abuse of power though their roles in the transitional government of Gerald Ford and then by manipulation and collusion with Iran to hoist Ron Reagan into office by holding the hostages til Reagans Inauguration. Beyond Reagan, BushSr and now his son continue to front these men and their crimes. Today they have single-handedly turned this nation into an imperial dynasty. It was President Ford who gave them the keys to undermine this nation and it is fitting that they exalt him for his service.

But its an odd day for another realization... from Jan 3, 1963 til Jan 3, 1969... four lads from Liverpool created a global movement greater than anything Nixon, Bush, Cheney or Rumsfeld could imagine. In the short span of six years, the world moved closer to peace, closer to love and closer to a global sense of self-actualization... than ever before. These four lads struck a fear in the likes of Nixon, Cheney, Bush and Kissinger... they represented a stark change from a society of materialism and wealth/power—by preaching Flower Power.

And for that Nixon, with help from Rummy, Cheney, Bush and Kissinger, had them followed, harassed, wiretapped and besmirched. It was only a week ago that the final records of John Lennon's FBI/CIA files were made public. In the end though the government strongly stated the contents of these files represented a serious threat to national security, there was nothing more than testament that powerful people feared the loss of their power by the influence of a man who preached Love.

In a space of time little more than that from September 11th to now, the human experiment went from McCarthyism and denial, to peace love and civil rights... then back under the diabolic manipulation of the Nixon administration. In less time than it took for BushJr to pit the might and money of our nation into a bankrupting death-march of global conquest in the name of liberty and democracy.... Our planet's attempt to inspire love, peace and came and went.

Ironic that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Kissinger, the same shadowy ministers of fear who've worked in silence behind Ford, Nixon, Bush, Reagan and now JrBush... are still threatened by the system they hijacked to power... the system they mock with every breath they take for in the true light of history and time, there's was the guilt for the man called Tricky Dick. A president who's staff was far more crooked than just the one incident at the Watergate hotel.

Today, marked by a full moon—the wolf moon—Algonquin for the hungry wolves that howl at the night time sun... Under this full moon, in the presence of God and all the good citizens who came to pay homage to a good man, these bastards presided over his proceedings just as they did, Coretta Scott King, and Rosa Parks. Only a day after brutally executing the leader of a sovereign nation in a manner not seen since the wild west days in our nation. The same day that China reversed its Death Penalty law, the puppet government of Iraq killed their leader in a fevered dash to string him up before daylight but after the night of Sunni Holiday...

An African proverb has never resounded more clear...Tales of the hunt will forever favor Man, til the Lion has his own historian... and like it, History will forever favor the victor no matter the tyranny, til the common voice rises above complacency to tell the truth of history.... and banishes His Story.

Perhaps if we are lucky, Saddam's death will not be in vain. For it sets precedence that speedy biased trials and swift cruel executions of all leaders who abuse their citizens are now accepted in the United States. Perhaps we can prepare the gallows on the Capitol concourse for it is certain that these same men have done far worse crimes on humanity both here and throughout the world than Saddam could ever have hoped to accomplish... even with the help of these same "leaders"!

Happy New Year!

my new years eCard with alittle help from the folks at Massive Change in Chicago... what an inspirational show. Even more exciting, go to http://www.global-mindshift.org and join the evolution.

Welcome to the Police State!

No sooner than the polls close and already we're getting a taste of things to come. We let this abuse of power go on for six years and now we're begining to feel its effects. Watch as the newly enriched corporate class dismantles this little experiment called Democracy in America. Yes, the 231 year young, attempt at liberty and justice for all... may be in the initial throws of the mortal wound it has suffered at the hand of King George the First and his new Corporate Aristocracy - Corpratocrisy.

On election night the LA Times Editor, Dean Baquet, was fired from his post for not parsing his staff down to increase profitability! He's the second Editor axed from a major news publicatioin for making a stand, upholding the basic principles of Journalism. For it is now the role of journalism to bring home a 30% ROI quarter over quarter for their shareholders? The role of Journalism is the 4th Branch of Government.... the responsiblilty to hold the government accountable to the people. Once we loose sight of that, we may as well give up all our rights. We've no longer the ability control our destiny.

With no ability for the citizens of a democratic society to accurately know what is happening in their society, how can they effectively participate in said democracy?

We all remember the picture portrayed of Soviet media... the journalists would go to the politbureau and be given the stories... no one questioned the accuracy of the accounts, they merely took the word and posted it. We all laughed at how naive those silly Russians were to not know the truth.

Well brothers and sisters, let the truth be told, the world is watching us now, because we are doing the same thing, but our citizens too numb to realize it! And we comically stand defiantly and sing the praises of our Democratic System...

A man lit himself on fire to protest the war in Iraq in downtown Chicago, with a note, a sign and a video camera recording it all live. This was three days before the election. The media refused to publish the story until after the election... and then it only reported it as a crazy man's suicide. Another news publication refused to publish the news it learned of illegal wiretapping being done by our government on a large scale... until after the 2004 presidential elections... a full year later!

Now yesterday a middle eastern student at UCLA was brutally abused by several "peace" officers in the UCLA library in plain view of perhaps 100 students. He was repeatedly tasered for not standing up! Yes several healthy strong law enforcement officers chose to torture his brown skinned body, rather than physically lifting him up and escorting him out of the library... all because he failed to comply when they asked him to show his ID! And it was all recorded on video by a student sitting elsewhere in the library. If not for the video, the real story never made the news... it was mentioned as an altercation at the UCLA library. Now the media is picking up on the story, but already spinning it into oblivion... read on and then watch the tape

This is how it happens, overwhelming acts of aggression frighten the masses into compliance. The news media whitewashes the story to keep conformity in the general public, and freedom and liberty is now a thing of the past.

George Bush said "let the history books decide if i was a good president" I think he knew exactly what he was saying... I write the books... let them eat cake!

And now ClearChannel is being bought by a private investor group... media consolidation now is taken off the corporate charter and given to the hands of private citizens... with the last six years of wealth redistribution and war profiteering, the overwhelming amount of riches in this country are skewed to a precious few people... they are so wealthy, they can purchase the largest monopoly of media stations in America... tell me we're not entering a dark age.

Simpsons Do Army Recruiting

- Episode 1805

Ultimate War Protest in Chicago

Everyone,

I've just read that a Chicago Activist/Musician, Malachi Ritscher set himself on fire as a suicide statement in protest of the war underneath the Millennium Flame along the Kennedy Expressway at 7am Friday Nov 3rd. 41 years and a day, from when Norman Morrison self-immolated in protest of the Vietnam war in front of Sec of Defense, Robert McNamara's Pentagon Office in Washington DC. Two others died in 1965 also of self-immolation in protest of the war. Only their deaths brought headlines and made news. The well-known jazz musician Malachi, with a politically-charged "Mission Statement" on his website and a video camera on a tripod to record the event, ten feet in front of his body.... didn't make the news!

If you think we are not living under fascist rules,
you may want to lookup the definition.
For what disparity it gives the oppressed,
and for the message it tells the rest!

Below is a linked statement he wrote, and below that is the first news article of his death. This is a major moment, in my opinion, in the chapter of what living under encroaching fascism can do to the soul,
and how the determination to stop it is deeply imbedded within the daily lives of so many of us at this time in American history.

I am shocked not just by this news, but by the lack of word anywhere about this other than the Chicago jazz+improv community. This was an act of protest via suicide, not simply an act of despondence.

There is a local twist that may shed more light on the story. Malachi mailed a package to a local Milwaukee club owner and friend... in it were his house keys, a will, his mission statement and additional instructions. Hopefully the police and media will be compelled to produce the tape, and report the event for what it really was, the ultimate personal statement against against a wrongful war.

( I may not agree with his action, but I acknowledge his intent.)

http://www.savagesound.com/gallery99.htm

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/123692,CST-NWS-bodyfire04.article

The Day YouTube Died

November 13, 2006

Republican funded PR firms crack YouTube to send propaganda to the "most viewed" section.... does the MSM report the crime? FOX attacks YouTube as being compliced... CNN reports the anomoly... but the hackers and their posts are still online!




Now it makes sense, YouTube was purchased today by Google- who is in bed (partnership) with AOL-TimeWarner and Murdochs, NewsCorp, owners of FOX. Say goodbye to freespeech on YouTube.

First sign of the death, the disappearance of Colbert, Stewart and Olberman from the Most.... lists. Then their disappearance entirely! The reason given... violation of copyright... supposedly having half a million people a day able to see show clips was hurting their viewership and profits... more likely the rapid increase in MSNBC's Olbermann over Fox's O'Reilly Factior was cutting into profits.... bring on Leno, Letterman and that dufus from downunder schleppin adverts and useless information.

Bye Bye new medium for public debate, hello corporate media... its a sad day. (Thanks for the catch antiklaus)

Welcome TheirTube! - newly renamed BoobTube!

RightWing Media Bias Exposed!

Please take a moment to view this news clip
If you don't have a YouTube account
It is free and easy to sign-up
just follow the prompts...

It's difficult to comprehend from this clip that we are talking about a person caught flirting with a MINOR! Not just any person, a Congressman! Not just any Congressman, but the one who heads up the Commission to protect MINORS FROM PEDOPHILES.

And not just any Minor, but a captive group of children sent to SERVE CONGRESS.... A group of children given a chance to learn how Congress works! Sent by their parents to get an up-close look at our 109th Congress -in action! What have they learned? What have we exposed them too? And now, how are the spokesmen of the GOP responding- just listen!

How can anyone align themselves with this kind of doctrine? It is inconceivable to think that anyone can pretend to claim any moral high ground on this issue... while behaving like this.

Steve Malzberg is a disgrace to journalism...

Again, we are talking about a Pedophile who has been essentially given the keys to the children's dormitory... by House Speaker Haskert and the GOP-run 109th Congress!

Haskert knew of Foley's penchant for little boys-PAGES-for 2 years! Because the GOP needed that Republican seat and it was more important than the children of parents from both sides of the aisle.

This has nothing to do about prior scandals,nothing to do with Democrats at all... but watch FOX network blatantly manipulate public perception with lies, unrelated distractions and bully tactics. Straight out of Rove's Handbook

Steve Malzberg has the privilege of being a radio talk-show host! He should be censored just like Foley should have been by Speaker Haskert. But the right wing media will look the other way just as the right wing government did with Foley. So who really thinks the media is left wing???

Time to take to the pen and write opinions... to friends, family, neighborhood papers....

FOX is blatantly abusing their privilege to broadcast on our airwaves! And since 1981, the FCC, our government's oversight commission has been systematically re-staffed by media-friendly and in many cases media owned personnel. Today the FCC is nothing more than a rubber stamp for this administration and its policy... favoring media consolidation.


The director, Kevin Martin, headed the Bush-Cheney transition team and is a radical right-wing media advocate, his predecessor Michael Powell blatantly served the interests of media corporations... no wonder it seems like this kind of conduct is okay!


The real question is How low will we let them go?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y1C-71ttn0&mode=related&search=

We go about our lives too busy to accept responsibility... We push aside our duty as citizens in a Democracy, our duty to be informed... to take action, to participate. We do so at our own peril, for this democracy is unraveling before our very eyes- whether we choose to look -or not, and when its gone, there is no "do-over button"

Make sure the 110th Congress does not become the second Rubberstamp of the New American Century... And keep the Rubberstamp Republicans like Green out of the Govenor's office. Lets not make our children pay in ways far worse than the Congressional Pages have paid.


Here's more...
videoclip one
videoclip two


Speak Truth to Power- Keep Democracy Alive!

I'm a Citizen, Reps read on

Ah yes and I was one too.... I voted for Bush in 2000. But if you take the time to really look into the Bush administration's motives, you'd see as many Americans are saying, that the policies and actions of Bush and his key advisors have led to nothing but corruption and destruction for the purpose of consolidating power to a few giants, and not the vast majority of American Citizens. This is not what Republicans, Conservatives or Morally Conscientious people stand for but with the power of several corrupt Industrial leaders in key sectors (energy, media, pharmaceutical, defense contracting and most important, Banking) this administration has been able to fool most Americans into thinking they have been Fiscally Conservative and Pro-America in their actions.

This administration and the 109th Congress, for those not paying attention, was neither Republican nor Democrat. Its corruption was unprecedented in modern history and it's sweeping mandates have led our nation into deep financial and moral debt while trickle-down tactics have given most of us the appearance of prosperity and righteousness... All this is being done by creating the largest debt in our nation's history and alienating us from more nations than in our 231 year history.

If you overdrew your credit card by $5,000,000,000 don't you think the bank might have cut you off? Not if the bank had something to gain by keeping you funded... So what this administration did was to reach out to everyone's greed... politicians, businessmen, contractors, lawyers, doctors, investors, and even you & me... They said here's $340 back from the government cuz we're cutting taxes... remember those checks? Then they gave out checks in the form of legislation to Congress... want to fund some pork in your State? no problem, belly up to the trough.... plenty of money for all.... just remember who gave you this when we call on you to pass some changes to our Constitution.

All that money they've been tossing round has made Americans forget our responsibility as Citizens in a democracy. We became preoccupied in other things, building a business, buying a house, participating in a multitude of diversionary spectacles like sports, entertainment, gambling, fashion, television, travel and investing.... each brought us comfort and the appearance of prosperity, but kept us from noticing what was happening to our government. Then 9/11 happened and our nation united against the terror of 9/11.... not the causes. Curious that we never really try to explain why Bin-Laden hated America? What, denied a VISA check card? Turned away at the Tilt-O-Whirl for height restrictions? Got a defective HamBurgular Action figure in his HappyMeal?

Regardless, we rallied together and listened to our leaders who pointed towards Bagdad and said... there, go get Saddham—er Afghanistan and Bin-Laden... Now with our nation seriously committed to a war on Terror, we feel obligated destroy sovereign nations, their leaders and their citizens in the name of Democracy. (thats called a Crusade)

Okay, which part of fiscal or conservative, or moral, or ethical, or family value, or business sense, or patriotic, or Constitutional does this direction from the Bush Administration take from the platform of the Republican Party? So you see, regardless of who controls the 110th Congress, what I celebrate is that Democracy has won the day, perhaps the new blood will bring about a higher appreciation to the fundamental principles our nation was founded on just a mere 231 years ago.

I believe in the same principles as you, I want a fair chance to make my own destiny in a nation that tries to treat all it's citizens with respect and dignity. I realize there is an obligation and responsibility I bear as citizen within this nation and I'm willing to make sacrifices to maintain the principles that founded it. I believe in upholding the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and will abide by rule of law - so long as it is just and equitable.

But I also recognize my role and responsibility to question the rules or rulers if i feel they do not live up to the founding principles of our nation. That is our duty. That is the thread the weaves together our Flag, a patchwork of diversity that this nation was founded upon.

We've been lacking as a nation of citizens, in our duties and obligations to hold our leadership accountable. I'm happy that Tuesday, Americans came out in large numbers and did their job. They stopped / or at least slowed an agenda that has disenfranchised our nation and its citizens from the very bounty that is ours— Life Liberty and Justice.

I will be as critical of the 110th Congress and no less vocal if they do not uphold the standards of our Republic. I apologize for the length of this reply but it is important to me that you understand where I'm coming from. I think we're more alike than different.


respectfully,

Charlie
just a citizen....

Celebration—across the lands!

Erection 2006

I am guardedly optimistic that tomorrow
will bring the reality that America came out
and voted against the most corrupt government
in our nation's history... for they certainly did
come out... but there is more than a few reasons
for concern... I still recall 2004 and all the work
i and many others did at several polling stations
and all the early signs that pointed to victory...
and the breathless tears of all the workers,
my friends with MoveOn, and all the others
gathered at Vivos, mouths agape at the news
that unfolded.... lets pray it doesn't happen
this time....


Remember, Its not the vote that counts,
so much as the one who counts the votes!

Vote Different.

I composited a video on YouTube that parodied the Apple Think Different Ads called Vote Different.... it was watched a thousand times in the week it was up. The following week the creators of the original requested I take my copy down... I had no trouble complying as it was their effort I was piggybacking. To see their originals... got to http:www.britethorn.com