BlueBloggin » changing planet

This Is America’s Moment – Don’t Waste It

bosskitty — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:57:26 +0000

Transcript: ‘This is your victory,’ says Obama

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

…. young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Undivided United States of America

Thinking of Maya Angelou’s poem:

‘STILL I RISE’

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise…..

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

With the phenomenal event of graduation from outdated divisiveness, the nation of America is finally living up to the words of its founders.

In 1956, the nation was suffering through the height of the cold war, and the McCarthy communist witch hunt. Partly in reaction to these factors, the 84^th Congress passed a joint resolution to replace the existing motto with “In God we Trust.”

E pluribus unum, Latin for “Out of Many, One”

In 1869, George M. Beard (1840-1883) called “the American disease”, arising from so-called “civilized morality”— hidden conflicts due to hypocrisy. Today’s dysfunctional remnant from 1950s, image over substance, must be minimalized before it can be erased. The American habit of believing in quick fixes must be addressed.

Now it’s ‘Cool America’
By Kent Ewing – HONG KONG – Finally, after eight years of insult, embarrassment and shame – it is once again cool to be an American living abroad. The George W Bush debacle is mercifully over, and it doesn’t matter if you are black, white or otherwise. Suddenly, you’re cool. Your accent is cool, your mixed heritage is even cooler and your willingness to embrace that larger world outside the borders of the United States is cooler still.

What a difference a presidential election can make.

Bush: All Americans can be proud

NEW: President Bush: Obama victory represents a triumph of the American story
World leaders congratulate Barack Obama on winning U.S. presidential election
Most stocks rise in Asia as Obama win seen positively; markets fall in Europe
Kenyan President Kibaki calls Obama victory “our own victory”

President Bush said the people had chosen a president “whose journey represents a triumph of the American story.”

He added: “It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife, Michelle and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House.

“I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited for for so long.”

World leaders congratulate Obama

In the interest of unity, I will share thoughts from eric at THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS:

The People Have Spoken

The American people have spoken.

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

John McCain conceded. There are no hanging chads or recounts. The election is over.

There will be many days ahead where I will offer everything from analysis to criticism to self reflection.

Today, as much as I am disappointed, I offer only congratulations.

Senator Barack Obama won this race fair and square. We can argue about merit and policy, and in the coming months we absolutely will. However, getting elected in politics is a game, and Barack Obama played it well enough within the established rules to win.

Was he lucky? Absolutely. Yet winners capitalize on lucky breaks. Barack Obama cannot have predicted the financial crisis, but enough Americans felt that they could trust him with the nation’s highest office.

Am I worried? Absolutely. However, I am willing to wait and see. Barack Obama is a complete mystery to me. There is still much about him that we do not know.

Is he a stark raving leftist ideologue or a ruthless cold pragmatist?

Will he govern from the left or the center?

I want to see his cabinet.

For now, I want Senator Obama to know that I love my nation more than I ever disagreed with him. I saw how the left treated George W. Bush. I will not become part of an angry mob. I do not hate this man. I genuinely want to work with him.

If he truly wants to govern in a bipartisan manner, I will hear him out. If he decides that those that disagree with him are enemies, than I will work full throttle to protect and defend what I believe in. [READ FULL ARTICLE]

I have more interest in this country now than in the past eight years. I feel I now have a voice in the direction this country goes. I am engaged in constructive participation. Having my fate dictated to me by those who seek to crush my character into their own image has been excruciating. The burden of living in the shadow of murmured threats, is growing lighter with each day following November 4, 2008. I hope my expectations are realistic enough to accept that recovery will be slow and methodical. Replacing the mantra of exclusive privilege with inclusive consensus will be slow. To bring the level of education in this country up to a level that can address America’s place in the Global Community, will be a daunting task. Gathering the discipline to be responsible for our own actions, both social and economical, is a great personal test. The mental and physical health of America is the priority, after we resolve the wars and conflicts that are dragging the us down.

My expectations are: return of accountability to the electorate, return of accountability to the taxpayer, return of accountability to those who sacrificed to create a country of dreams by defying elitist european monarchies to create a land of equal opportunity for all.

America must discard the P.T. Barnum world view, our foreign policy must accept and respect other countries right to self governance. American interests are tied to the health of those countries we trade with. But, we must always address the horrors of genocide with intervention… Genocide and tyranny can no longer be a spectator sport. The words and actions of America must not contradict each other, anymore.

I don’t really know what this is, but it is way cool, and how I feel. CHECK THIS OUT

. Sphere: Related Content

Oh, The Stress of It All – Op Ed

bosskitty — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:58:15 +0000

Can November 5, 2008 come and go fast enough? Gas to the grocery store, even though there is a ‘pause’ on high prices, must be considered in context with my daily round trip to work. At the grocery store, I scrutinize name brands and spend a lot of time inspecting the cheaper house brands, before I fill my shorter food and necessity list. I have decided that cheap toilet paper is not worth the savings. But, I am trying to acquire less sophisticated tastes. I really mistrust some cheaper foods, given the news about melamine and Bisphenol A (BPA). I am tending to mistrust the FDA. FDA refuses to officially warn American consumers about the risks, Europe is acting more responsibly. Don’t get me started about health care, Big Pharma or insurance. I take every vitamin designed to prevent or reduce the chances of getting sick. I drive too carefully, heaven forbid I have a collision.

I see ghosts of grandmother’s description of the 1930s nightmares everywhere I go. All the protections that were devised to prevent and protect the US population from another Great Depression meltdown, have been emasculated. Eight years of dismantling federal government accountability, stripping away regulations that protect consumers and the general public, has stripped away my trust for government in general. Government is a necessary evil, but add unnecessary risk, contrary to the welfare of the individual, and you have the makings of a radical, control freak environment, where ALL personal rights are dictated. The historical consequence, or solution, depending upon your preferences, is to engage in another WAR or expand existing WARS to reinforce limiting civil liberties and demanding tax tributes remain unaccountable.

The American Taxpaying Public has agreed to remain vassals to War Lords. We don’t pursue accountability. We just accept that everything done to us in in the interest of “National Security”. Listening to my phone calls helps National Security? So be it … I look upon the American Public as the Golden Goose our stupid War Lords are killing, for personal/corporate profit. Real or imagined threats from the terrorists our country created are less dangerous than the atmosphere of totalitarianism created by the George Bush Administration, led by Dick Cheney. Did you know that there is a 100 mile “Constitution Free Zone” that encircles America’s borders? Trying to anticipate the next atrocity stresses my soul … there is nowhere to run, unless you have enough money to run. The thought of becoming an illegal alien in another country bothers me a lot.

The stress of this US Presidential election is overwhelming. I am about to see if this country has been dumbed down irreparably. I have no interest in living out my life in a suppressive regime that has resurrected racism and class warfare. The extreme Right Wing that wields the name of “Jesus” like a baseball bat. If you say the word “Jesus” or “Christian” you demand respect and privilege, without having earned it. Allow my flashback. I witnessed a drunk and disorderly middle aged woman being confronted by two police officers. She screamed, “you can’t do this to me, I am a Christian White Woman, how dare you arrest me …”. Anyone who does not fit into the tight little box built by Christian Fundamentalists is a target for abuse. Another Republican Administration that courts these religious radicals, and tolerates the racial extremists shows me that America is just a memory.

The plague of cronyism and special interest is so out of control that we are mere vassals. My tax dollars are intended to support the infrastuructue I depend upon and protect my safety and welfare. Now, my tax dollars are treated as tribute to special interests who refuse to account for their spending. The Bush Administration has bankrupted this country. The Economic Bailout is nothing but borrowed money. Temporary fixes are just that, a small bandaid on a gaping wound.

As a lame duck American President, George Bush has unimaginable powers of manipulation that will impair and impede the next American President. I have worried and speculated for over a year that Bush will pull a stunt in his last days to guarantee America will be glued to a new war. Another war that fills the pockets of his military-industrial complex, and spends tax dollars like they are a tribute to his greatness. Tax dollars have already been mis-spent, wasted and treated like play money. He has already started to put policy in place to accelerate momentum toward war.

This excerpt from The impending strike on Iran, Asia Times, exacerbates my concerns:

The popularity Obama has enjoyed as a candidate will soon turn to hostility if the average American family had to suffer because he didn’t keep his promise to end the war. His decision will be due to economic reality – but it will have very dangerous political, military, and national security implications. Most of all, George W Bush’s entire legacy will be wiped away.

Don’t you think the Bush administration is pondering this possibility?

A president is definitely most powerful when he is a lame duck who is ceding power to an opposing party. If you are the outgoing president, or a member of the outgoing administration, you are thinking one thing: if Obama wins, November and December would be ideal time to attack Iran.

Consider this:

# Bush is a lame duck. He won’t be around to have to deal with any fallout from such a move.
# Obama will never attack Iran. Four years from now, we will not be able to stop Iran from completing work on their bomb. Bush has always had a big sense of destiny in his leadership. If he believes that he is the only one who can save the world, he may decide to do it.
# Obama can fix the damage. The Arab world loves Obama. They view him as a fellow Muslim. After Bush protects the nations of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar and half of Europe from nuclear disaster, and these nations openly proclaim their hatred for him, Obama can come to power and spend his first 100 days in office “apologizing” for Bush’s “mistakes”. The US will literally get a “free pass” for this in the eyes of the world.
# When oil was at $147 a barrel, there was no way the Bush administration was going to risk spiking it to $250 – especially with a presidential election coming up. Come November, oil will be trading at $70 per barrel. A strike on Iran may raise the price temporarily to its 52-week high of $150 per barrel. The election will be over and politically, the Bush administration will have nothing to lose.
# An attack on Iran will force the American military to stay in Iraq for a longer period of time. The immediate Iranian response to an American attack will be to escalate the war. They will “green light” Shi’ite groups in Southern Iraq to go back to war with American forces. They will finance and encourage terrorist groups around the world to hit America wherever and whenever. They will broaden the war in the region by inciting Syria, Hamas in Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack Israel – assuming they don’t fire on Israel themselves. America will have to stay at least an extra 2-3 years until things “quiet down” again. This new situation will also insure that the national security infrastructure created after September 11, and nurtured throughout the Bush administration, will not lose any of its powers during the new administration.
# Members of the Bush administration, who left their jobs in the private sector, will soon be returning to the private sector. They all came from the oil industry and they want to make sure that they will be taken care of. Those 433,000 stock options in Halliburton outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney put in a trust before he assumed office – he gets them back January 20. It would be in his best interests if the shares of these companies were trading higher. That goes for the rest of the Bush administration – they will all want to make sure that the heads of the oil industry – their next employers – are happy. Obama has promised to tax the oil industry next year. An attack on Iran will drive oil prices up so that the additional revenue generated by these companies will, at a least, make up for any new tax obligations.
# The aftershocks of the US attack will keep oil prices in triple digits and reinitiate the debate about drilling for offshore oil. A higher price will give big oil new political clout in developing oil fields in areas considered environmentally unsound. A heightened global tension means that the next administration will be forced to maintain current government outlays to the defense industry.

The final three points will force Obama to continue the core policies of the Bush administration whether he likes it or not. If you are viewing the world from the point of view of the Bush administration, you see a lot of very big arguments for attacking Iran now.

From this we can come to a very simple conclusion: America will either attack Iran in the next two and a half months, or it never will. [see entire article]

Then we have THE ECONOMICS OF WAR - David Friedman, Ph. D. explains the gory details.

BossKitty has posted multiple warnings, anticipating a manufactured Bush event, since May of 2007 …

. Sphere: Related Content

Hurricane Dolly vs Texas Border Wall

bosskitty — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:16:54 +0000

This image speaks more to the insanity of building a fence along the Texas border with Mexico.

This wall project has more “un-intended” consequences than have been seriously studied.

If you consider the human factor in this region, the resources for assistance is uneven. The further north this damage goes, the further away from resources. The coast for both countries is well covered. But, as population thins as you move north, resources also thin out. DHS has it’s Border Wall project that will cause more grief than safety.

Speaking about safety, how will DHS handle relief efforts? A Category One Hurricane is not the beast of past storms … UNLESS it hits at the mouth of a major river. The Rio Grande River can be a monster when flooding starts from the North … But when a storm surge starts from the mouth of the river, you will see major flooding and destruction. The infrastructure on the Mexico side will be hard pressed to attend the consequences. History has demonstrated the cost. The Border Wall will be its own monster when the hurricane passes.

. Sphere: Related Content

Disconnected Bush Extorts Congress One Last Time

bosskitty — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:50:33 +0000

The White House has demanded that Congress approve a bill strictly with war funding, but the Senate measure also includes a $52 billion, 10-year measure that would pay for higher-education benefits for military veterans, an $11 billion, 13-week extension of unemployment insurance, $1 billion for low-income heating assistance and billions more for Gulf Coast reconstruction. It’s unclear what bill will emerge from the House, but Democratic leaders have conceded that the price tag and domestic add-ons would need to be slashed in order to generate enough support from the conservative wing of their caucus, which is concerned about growing the budget deficit.

Bush said that if Congress does not act promptly, “critical accounts at the Department of Defense will soon run dry.” He added that civilian employees may face “temporary layoffs,” and the Pentagon would be forced to “close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off the streets and into jobs.” If the supplemental spending bill is not enacted after July, Bush said, the department would “no longer be able to pay our troops,” including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. President George Bush wants $178 billion more in military spending to help pay for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition Democrats are adding domestic spending to that bill, and Mr. Bush says he will veto it if those programs are not removed.

What it means when the US goes to war

Hat Tip to this article by Chris Hedges – Troops, when they battle insurgent forces, as in Iraq, or Gaza or Vietnam, are placed in “atrocity producing situations”. Being surrounded by a hostile population makes simple acts, such as going to a store to buy a can of soda, dangerous. The fear and stress push troops to view everyone around them as the enemy. The hostility is compounded when the enemy, as in Iraq, is elusive, shadowy and hard to find. The rage soldiers feel after a roadside bomb explodes, killing or maiming their comrades, is one that is easily directed, over time, to innocent civilians who are seen to support the insurgents.

Civilians and combatants, in the eyes of the beleaguered troops, merge into one entity. These civilians, who rarely interact with soldiers or marines, are to most of the occupation troops in Iraq nameless, faceless and easily turned into abstractions of hate. They are dismissed as less than human. It is a short psychological leap, but a massive moral leap. It is a leap from killing – the shooting of someone who has the capacity to do you harm – to murder – the deadly assault against someone who cannot harm you. [See Entire Article]

This is not a game of Chess or Monopoly. This is not a board game with inanimate objects challenging other inanimate objects. Human flesh and human psyche is changed forever by the folly of disconnected leaders. Fairy tales abound warning us, from childhood, about good and evil leaders. Those fairy tales give us heroes who win, after a terrible cost in lives and property. Religions tell similar tales, trying to teach believers about consequences from their actions. The most glaring misinterpretation for some major religions appears to mix up earthly and heavenly rewards and consequences, with terrible results.

Politicians have responsibilities to those who elect them. But, they also have a responsibility to the world around them. Eight years of distortion and extortion have changed the world. The lessons have been tragic and harsh. The final acts of President Bush will determine how hard it will be for the world to recover from all the bad parts of this fairy tale. The only positive side from these years of torment are acute public awareness of the world itself. The Earth is changing under our very feet while global economic and political landscapes shift.

President Bush appears to be plodding along like nothing has changed …

Hat Tip to thedailyhypocrite for their revealing Bush comments.

Cross Posted on TruthHugger

. Sphere: Related Content