Marine Commandant Makes Frank Speech

Four Star General Conway, Commandant of the
U.S. Marine Corps, spoke at the American
Legion Convention yesterday. We have heard
that military leaders are concerned about the
readiness of the U.S. military. General
Conway brought these concerns to the front in
his remarks.

Now, Conway was the speaker prior to John McCain.
The very first point Conway made was about the
turn around in Marine deaths in Iraq. As McCain
emphasizes that it was the "surge" of 2007 which
has been the real cause of the dramatic fall in
death rate, Conway, as a loyal General, would be
expected to fall in line with that neoconservative
Republican interpretation. However, Conway
emphasized that it was not the "surge" that led
to the decline of marine deaths. The marines were
and are mainly stationed in Anbar Province, one
of the most dangerous for U.S. military personnel.
Conway says that the deaths started to decline in
Fall, 2006, long before the "surge" began in
Spring, 2007, because 2006 was when the Shieks
decided to turn against Al Qaeda. It was the
Shieks who came to the U.S. marine commanders and
offered their support. Obviously, for certain
considerations, and we know that those considerations
were mainly money and arms. Here is the top Marine
General speaking to an ultra-patriotic organization
openly refuting McCain's propagandized slogan that
it was his "surge" that changed Iraq, his successful
"surge." And, he is saying it just before McCain
took the speaker's dias. As we recall, Obama recently
said the same thing, and McCain called him uninformed,
out of touch, immature, and even questioned his
patriotism. I hope Obama's advisers will make use of
this in the upcoming debate, and Obama can say, "Look
a four star general says that it was not the'surge', but
self-preservation Iraqis in Anbar that led to the
dramatic decline in military deaths.

Conway went on to say that the U.S. military cannot be
in Iraq and Afghanistan simultaneously. The Corps is
depleted of arms, armor, and soldiers. He criticized
sharpley the length of tours in a war zone, many are
in their fourth or fifth tour of service in either
Iraq or Afghanistan. He said the present seven months
on duty and seven months back at home is intolerable.
Jokingly he said, a marine now does not have the
chance to be with their spouse from conception to
birth, they are either there for conception or birth,
but not both. He said seven months doesn't do it.
He wants the normal rotation between the war zone and
home, seven months deployed and 14 months home.

Noting the shortage of troops to carry out the orders
of the Commander-in-Chief, he reported that it was
good news that Congress just approved a bill to add
27,000 new marines to the Force. 96.2 of marines are
high school graduates. The reason he gives is that
they join to defend the country. He spoke on the
suicide and desertion rates, which he said were high,
also the divorce rate. The lack of home time was
given as the reason, the stress is too high.

He is concerned that the marines have ceased to be
"an expeditionary" force. The philosphy of the Corps
has been rapid deployment; they go in first, and
then the army comes in, and the marines leave. He
showed this was no longer the case. He said that
the marines 'have become a second land army.' His
description, "We are too heavy." Can't move quickly.
He says the mind set is wrong. He is critical of
the training, that it has fallen by the wayside.
There is little co-ordiantion with the Navy.

He concluded by giving his estimate of what the
military situation would be out to 2020-2025. He
talked about numerous 'incendary' areas. Places
that could erupt over the poor wanting more wealth
and power, over religion, and the growing power
of China and India, and he even mentioned Europe as
a possible adversary. He stressed that by 2025 wars
will be fought over water, having a fresh supply.
Control of water sources will be a cause for war.
To be in position to intervene in many world trouble
spots he wants foreward basing of the marines because
swift action is needed to counteract extremism.

These notes were taken yesterday, and I am even
more impressed today with Conway's frankness. Again
though the question comes to mind: What are we
doing? We had our revolution; we had our civil
war; let other countries have theirs. This is just
one branch of our imperialistic foreign policy and
carried out by all branches of the military. And,
Conway said there were many more reforms needed in
the Corps, but these were the ones he had time for.
Just think of the funds need for these concerns,
foward basing, 27,000 new recruits, etc. This is
a few items of one military branch, just think of
what the total cost for all branches will be!
With his open analysis, Conway may be retiring
shortly.....

Republicans for Obama

Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach addressed the Democratic National Convention on Monday to explain why he cannot support the candidacy of John McCain. He and other Republicans are supporting Barack Obama this fall. Republicans for Obama is a website that explains why many Republicans feel left out of their once Grand Old Party. Congressman Leach addressed this point in his speech:

The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. The party of military responsibility has taken us to war with a country that did not attack us. The party that formerly led the world in arms control has moved to undercut treaties crucial to the defense of the earth. The party that prides itself on conservation has abdicated its responsibilities in the face of global warming. And the party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.

Indeed it has as fellow blogger UptheFlag and I have often pointed out. The GOP of the 50's 60's and 70's made a sharp and unauthorized right-turn and headed out of bounds, taking millions of unsuspecting Republicans with them on a harrowing ride. Many Republicans didn't even know that their party was kidnapped by a small junta of neoconservatives with an agenda of their own. Some still don't know.

Surely many long-time Republicans are mad as hell at Mr. Leach and other for being 'turncoats' yet they really don't investigate the reasons for this move. Winning is all they are concerned about. At the 2004 RNC convention Democrat Zell Miller delivered an angry and abrasive indictment of the Democratic Party. He was at the far right end of the Democratic Party and clearly belonged in the right-wing of the Republican Party due to his aggressive and intolerant views. In his first congressional races, Miller was a segregationist and held segregationist viewpoints. This compares in no way with the speech of Jim Leach. Mr. Leach is attempting to rescue his party from the ideologues who have risen to majority.

Both the neocons and Fundamentalist Christians now dominate the GOP; each has their own agenda and plans for America. Leach and other in the GOP note how insular and divisive these policies are for the nation and can no longer remain silent. Christian fundamentalists are clearly identified in Leach's words, "The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values." In fact, the 'values voter' is identified as a regular Republican Party member. The question, of course, is: who's values? That is the deal-breaker for the Republicans for Obama.

I often pose this question on the blog: "But do they know?" Do the old-time Republicans know that their has been hijacked by these two groups? Do they know their agenda? I don't know the answer. Republicans for Obama claim to have 2000 members which is a drop in the bucket. How do they expect to influence their party and purge it? Lots of unanswered questions.

Lingering Questions About McCain's Mental and Physical Health

John McCain will turn 72 on Friday. If [God forbid] he is elected, he will be the oldest man ever to be sworn in as president. Chills run down my spine not only because of his policies but because of his mental and physical health. Does the Constitution provide for his removal due to mental incompetence? And who would decide that?

For five years McCain was tortured in a prison camp in North Vietnam as we all know from listening to every answer to a tough question. Humor aside, the American people ought to know the state of his mental health. Has he ever been treated for PTSD? Tens of thousands of current Iraqi Veterans suffer from PTSD, many not receiving any counseling for the malady. What subconscious issues remain unsolved in the psyche of John McCain due to his imprisonment and torture? Is that part of his much-noted 'bad temper' that erupts viciously from time to time?

Do we need to worry about this? I think so, especially as he could be Commander and Chief of the most powerful Armed Forces ever assembled on the face of the earth. Look, for example, at his hot-headed response to the Russian incursion into Georgia a few weeks ago. Were he CIC, would he have sent our military assets on a mission there against the Russians? It cannot be ruled out. McCain, sadly, sees military force as a means of 'solving' geopolitical dust-ups. Yet who can blame him? As a prisoner of war for all of those years, he surely has unresolved anger and aggressive issues that display themselves in macho bellicosity. Is that the kind of man we want controlling our nuclear arsenal?

As we read recently, the so-called 'iron lady' of England, Margaret Thatcher, is suffering from dementia; naturally that recalls how President Reagan struggled with words and facts at the end of his term, his Alzheimer's fully effecting his ability to govern. As my friends and I approach 70 we too notice that our minds are not as sharp as they once were. One must wonder if his years in solitary confinement as a POW has sped up the normal aging of the brain in a 72-year-old.

His physical health is an added worry due to family history and his various skin melanomas. Although they are reportedly now under control, there is no guarantee that these will not return with vengeance. Another worry is his heart. Because doctors pay close attention to family history when advising their patients, it is important to note that both his father and grandfather died of a sudden heart attack before the age of 70.

Clearly the mental and physical health of John McCain send up double red flags as he attempts to sit in the Oval Office- one of the most stressful and important jobs in the world. That risk combined with his pro-war, aggressive foreign policy agenda, ought to send a chill down the spine of every person thinking of voting for him in November.

McCain American Legion Speech

The American Legion is holding their National
Convention in Phoenix. McCain was one of the
main speakers. Since this is veterans rights
and very patriotic organization, like the VFW,
a large amount of McCain's topic was on the
rights and assistance to veterans. As one
would expect McCain touted his Navy experience
and how he would be the best president on
Veteran Affairs.

However, the opening of his speech was concerned
with U.S. foreign policy, especially on Georgia.
According to McCain, Georgia is a peace loving,
democracy and was brutally attacked by Russia.
(As we know, McCain has now sent his wife to see
first hand the atrocities the Russians committed.)
He said that the "country's cause in the world, is
to lead; that America is to being good to the world,
bring freedom in the face of tyranny; that we defend
other nations by aggressive leadership; the world
wants American democracy; we have to stop slaughter
of others by a tyrannt; be a defender of the
oppressed; and have to bring freedom and justice
to the world."

This speech is further proof that the traditional
Republican Party has been transformed into the neo-
conservative Republican Party. Tradition Republican
Party philosophy was non-involvement, but the new
neoconservative Party begs for reasons to attack
other countries. The neoconservative Republican
Party is as internationalist as the Democratic Party,
one begins with pre-emptive attacks devoid of
diplomacy and the other with diplomacy as a starting
point respectively.

Therefore, we have the two major parties calling for
internationalism in foreign affairs. Obama and
McCain are virtually on the same page. Yep, as so
often said, "not a dimes worth of difference." More
Koreas, Vietnams, Lebanons, Granadas, Kosovos, and
Iraqs. This elitist philosophy of U.S. foreign
policy must be overcome by a sane foreign policy as
envisionaged by the Constitution, providing for the
common defense only...

McCain Victory Escape Plan

Several friends and I are concerned that the citizens of America may, in fact, be stupid enough to elect McCain this fall. After all, they proved their ignorance 4 and 8 years ago and who is to say that they are any wiser?

So here's the plan in its first draft: shortly after we wake up to the nightmare of President McCain, we begin an exit strategy from America. The only logical place to go is Canada due to the language problem elsewhere. Nova Scotia seems ideal. First, it is multicultural- a mix of Irish, Scottish, French and native cultures. That multiculturalism clearly breeds tolerance. Second, the folks there are peaceful people and actually like Americans. There is national health care. Fourth, their culture embraces more intellectual interests.

We think we ought to seize some rather insignificant Mi'kmaq Indian village, following in the footsteps of our American forefathers. A small port village would be great for starters. We would offer them some beads and/or IPods in exchange for the village. There we expatriates would make our new home. Perhaps we ought to call the village Nova, Nova Scotia, in keeping with the name of the province and all.

We would, at last, be free of the bonehead morons of this country and we could build our own form of democracy right there on the 51st parallel. For quite a long time the Canadian government wouldn't be aware of our settlement and when they did discover it, we could plead complete insanity- all of us- due to the moronic 8-year rule of Bush/Cheney. They would understand.

So, that's the first draft of this plan. If interested, email me for more updates.

Why Republicans Want 4 More Years

I've been tossing around in my mind why Republicans want another 4 years of governance after the past 8 years and I think I have found three possible reasons. One is that perhaps they want to spend those 4 years apologizing to the citizens of America and the world for what they have done these last 8 years; a mea culpa, ashes and sackcloth. Probably not.

Two, they may have figured out from the mistakes of the past 8 years how to do it right and want to prove to America and the world that they aren't really the dumbasses that they demonstrated so well to us. Probably not.

Or, my last supposition, they want to fully disassemble the Federal government altogether and they need for more years to accomplish this task. Probably.

Obama's Wrong World View

Last night I listened to a well written speech
for Michelle Obama. While it was a good
speech for the traditional Democratic Party,
it doesn not live up "To The Change We Can
Believe In."

My main concern is with the statements on
foreign policy. Michelle Obama in her
speech calls on the United States "to strive
for the world as it should be", and
concludes, "Isn't that the great American
story?"

To be sure, it is, and thats why we are an
imperial nation. This is elitism pure and
simple. The United States knows best what the
world order should be. This philosophy only
continues an errant foreign policy of
interference in the internal affairs of other
nations. It forces us to maintain a professional
imperialist military. The world does not want
the United States meddling in its internal national
affairs. Just today, Maliki of Iraq again told
the Bush Adm. that all U.S. troops are to be out
now, and certainly by 2011. Why does Obama want
to go down this same disastrous path?

As an aside: Michelle refers to the United States
as "America". The Northern and Southern Hemispheres
are America, just not the United States; we are the
United States of America. This word is akin to
waving a red flag in front of a bull to the other
American nations. Obama like to say: "We are the
United States of America." He ought to speak the
way his slogans suggest. This change would be very
symbolic, and the other nations of the Americas
would welcome it and help to restore the "Good
Neighbor" spirit for all the Americas.

Biden's Foreign Policy

American foreign policy ought to be a key issue
in this election and in the next four years.
Our foreign policy and economy are the two most
important issues and the two are intertwined.
The problem, as I see it, is that Obama/Biden
will have to be convinced to go against their
tradational foreign policy beliefs. On the face
of it, there may be more opportunity for Obama
as he doesn't come from a 30 year background of
an international foreign policy as Biden does.

In the NYT today the following quote appeared:
"Mr. Biden is widely seen as a liberal-minded
internationalist." Oh my, this sends red flags
up everywhere. What is a "liberal-minded
internationalist'? It is a person who believes
formost in diplomacy and the use of force only
as a last means. At least, that is a roll back
from the new foreign policy of the neoconservative
Republican Part based on pre-emptive military
force.

Biden voted for the Iraq War; Obama opposed it as
a Illinois State Legislator. Yet, Obama, as is
Biden, is calling for an expanded war in Afghanistan.
That we don't need. Biden is a staunch supporter
of Israel. It was Biden who advised both Bush I and
Clinton on our involvement in the Balkans. Biden
developed a program known as "lift and strike."
This meant "lift" the arms blockade and arm the
Bosnian Muslims and "strike" by using U.S. air
power. A Democrat version of "shock and awe."
One has to think how many innocents did the Democrats
kill in the Balkans?

This is a prescription for continued elitist imperial
warfare. Biden believes in total U.S. engagement in
the world. Just recently, Biden went to Georgia and
said he supports Georgian admission to NATO. We
definitely don't need that. A foreign policy
of disengagement and a return to the philosophy of the
Founding Fathers is needed.

Billionaire's Ad Against Obama $$$$$

The NYT has a story of billionaire, Harold Simmons, who donated nearly $2.9 million on Aug. 12 to the American Issues Project, the group running the ad. CNN and FoxNews have refused to air the ad due to its guttural and dishonest content. Ohio and Michigan are the target states.

Simmons, a Texas billionaire, has raised money for Senator John McCain and who also helped finance the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign against Senator John Kerry in 2004. Swift-boating once again may be effective especially for the dumbed-down voters.

The ad ran on Thursday in the Dayton, Ohio market. A founder of the American Issues Project, Ed Failor Jr., previously worked for Mr. McCain’s campaign, which paid his firm $50,000 in 2007, records filed with the election commission show.

No doubt the McCain people will deny any link to this ad or to the American Issues Project, After all, McCain is a straight-talker and would never lower himself to such a dirty campaign trick. Right.

Any bets on how effective the ad will be on Joe and Jane?

OHIO action email: http://my.barackobama.com/offtheairOH
MICHIGAN action email: http://my.barackobama.com/offtheairMI

The $$$$$GOP$$$$$ Dream Ticket

Ten-house McCain is going to choose $200,000,000 Romney to join him on the $$$$$GOP$$$$$ ticket this fall. How perfect: two country club-ers all ready to 'fix' America.

Here's the most poignant question: how many regular Joes and Janes, making $50K, will vote for them? If you have that answer, let me know.

Ignorant Town Supports Anti-gay Principal

Small town America- I'm surely glad I don't live there. Oh, sure, it's quiet and not much crime, and all the faces look the same. And, apparently, all of the prejudice is similar as well. Ponce de Leon Florida, the Fountain of Youth, as I recall from my history books has become the fountain of prejudice and righteousness.

Ex-principal of the high school, David Davis, now a classroom teacher, thought that his students should all be good christian boys and girls, just like he is. Surely they ought not be gay! For the Bible says...

Now the townsfolk, their panties all in knots, are backing the ex-principal. The superintendent is as well. "I don't think we are that different from a lot of districts, at least in the Panhandle, that have beliefs that maybe are different from societal changes," the superintendent said. "We are a small, rural district in the Bible Belt with strong Christian beliefs and feel like homosexuality is wrong," said Steve Griffin, Holmes County's school superintendent, who keeps a Bible on his desk and framed Scriptures on his office walls.

Indeed you are, Mr. Griffin, indeed. Not much different than 'them' other rural districts down there where we 'is' right and 'them' is wrong. After all, the Bible says...

The friends of the gay student donned gay pride T-shirts and rainbow-colored clothing when they found out how Principal Davis had treated her, and he subsequently questioned many of them about their sexuality and association with gay students. Some were suspended.

"Davis embarked on what can only be characterized as a 'witch hunt' to identify students who were homosexual and their supporters, further adding fuel to the fire," U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak recounted in his ruling. "He went so far as to lift the shirts of female students to insure the letters 'GP' or the words 'Gay Pride' were not written on their bodies."

Lifted the girls' shirts? Oh my, Mr. Davis, seems to me that you ought to be watched a little more closely yourself. After all, the Bible says...

Russia Troops- 10 Days; American Troops- 8 Years

Russia says that its invading troops will leave Georgia in about 10 days. No doubt Putin and his boss were scared by the tough talk of John McCain on the political stump. "We're all Georgians!" Yes, Mr. McCain, we're all Georgians. Pardon me but what language do Georgians speak so that I can write to them and tel them that I, too, am a Georgian.

The 'Russians are taking their time' exiting Georgia- the pained and reactionary right-wing dittoheads, panties all in a knot, repeat as a Medieval chant. Always a laugh on that side of the political spectrum. Surely the tough talk of McCain precipitated their exit.

Speaking of exits, I just heard that Bush and the Iraqis have agreed on a timetable for our exit from Iraq- 2011. Did I say time-table? Oh, John- there's a time-table for exiting Iraq, did you hear? Apparently the Bush goons have seen the light that Obama has preached for months now. I guess that Mr. McCain will have to re-tune his stump speech slightly and remove that line about no time-table. And that word 'victory,' Mr. McCain, I think you ought to drop that too.

As an aside, how does an 8-year exit compare to 10 days? Just wondering. Any right-wingers out there got a calculator?

Oh, Four or Seven- Whatever!

"I'd say $5 million." I would too, Mr. McCain, but I'd start with $200,000. It seems that the old 'maverick' and straight-talker has so much money that he can't quite come to grips with the fact that the median household income in America hovers in the $40,000 range. I guess he doesn't know either that the median number of houses owned by Americans is one. He forgot that he and Cindy own seven. Four was the campaign's number.

Now this is the absolutely best guy to rule the roost for the next four years, isn't it? He can empathize with the pain of the average American. The saddest part of this little McCain-economics reality series is that the $40k citizen thinks that McCain will help them through their present and upcoming financial woes.

But, he is a right-to-lifer which trumps everything. And a warmonger too! And a veteran.

There you go, America, a neat bundle all wrapped up in the Flag. No doubt about it.

Ohio GOP Bob Latta Up to his Neck in Alaskan Oil

I used to think that Republicans were smart people and surely some are. They must think the rest of us are stupid. Take this energy crunch for example. After 8 years of the Bush-Cheney fossil fuels fiasco, the GOP suddenly has discovered that there are alternative sources of energy. Have they been in a cave all of that time? Where were they when President Carter turned down the thermostat in the White House back in 1979?

Bob Latta [R] Bowling Green is surely one of the most dense congressmen in this neck of the woods. He joined several other GOP law makers [at tax payer expense] on a multi-day tour of Alaska's ANWR to 'study' the feasibility of opening it up to oil drilling. He talked to a few natives there. No joke, that was the 'study.'

Today The Blade has a photo and story of him with fellow GOP House whip Roy Blunt at First Solar. The Blade writes:

With Bowling Green's four towering white wind turbines as a backdrop, Mr. Blunt joined U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) in touting the Republican's energy bill, which Mr. Latta described as an "all of the above" policy that includes not only the offshore drilling that Democrats oppose but promotion of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

"We have to have an all of the above policy," Mr. Latta said. "We need to have nuclear. We need to have clean coal technology. We need to have hydro and, at the same time, we need to have all these renewables out here."

Oh really? 'We need to have all of these renewables out there?' Apparently Mr. Latta didn't know about alternatives to fossil fuels, but then, he's a Republican and can't see past the smog of coal and oil.

Blunt, ever the clever politician, said this, referring to Democrats:

"I think clearly the pressure on them in the three weeks we've been working at home in August has been incredible, and you're beginning to see their leaders change their tune."

The 'pressure' to which he refers is for off-shore oil drilling, a strong plank in the GOP political platform- just like an oil rig platform. That pressure comes from the dumbed-down electorate that Blunt and others hope will continue into November. Drilling our way out of the oil crisis is akin to feeding beers to an alcoholic. But that's where the campaign dollars are and the GOP and Big Oil have had a great 8-year partnership that began with that secret meeting hosted by Dick Cheney.

Once again the GOP is hoping for an ignorant electorate who can be fooled into believing that off-shore drilling will lower the price at the pump. Why not hope that? After all, it has worked election after election. Recall how many Americans thought that John Kerry was 'not fit for command' and voted Bush a second term. Right!

In another story, it is reported that yesterday 53 companies offered $607 million for leases covering 1.8 million acres in federal waters off Texas. Yet, 90% of the tracts the government auctioned off received no bids. No bids? Why is that? Apparently that 90% didn't offer quick profits and profit is the name of the game in the oil business.

I wonder how Mr. Latta would be able to tell his constituents that we need to drill, drill, drill yet, when offered a cheap government lease in Texas coastal waters, 90% of the tracts were unbid. Alaska, eh, Mr. Latta? Is that the answer to our energy woes?

I.O.U.S.A.

Tomorrow evening, Thursday, 400 theaters in
the U.S. will show the documentary I.O.U.S.A.
Please check your local area for theater and
time. The importance of this documentary
is that it addresses the indebtedness and the
bankruptcy of the U.S. The movie was put
together my David Walker, the former Comptroller
of the Treasury, and a number of other professionals
who know the seriousness of U.S. finances.
The U.S. is $53 Trillion in debt, and by 2040
the country will be a third world bankrupt nation.
Democrats and Republicans ignore the crisis. If
we think that there are problems on Wall Street and
in our credit markets now, the problem will only
intensify over the coming years. The government
will continue to bail these companies out with
non-existent money. The government has already
intervened three times this year with Wall Street,
Fanny Mae, and Freddie Mac.

The movie will be followed by a a "live" discussion
with Walker, Warren Buffet, Concord Coalition and
others. I hope that there is a theater in your areas
and you can plan on attending. There is one here
in Jackson, unbelievable! More information can be
obtained by searching iousathemovie. If I could find
it, I'm sure anyone can do a google search and find it.

U.S. Invades Poland

The Bush Administration may have just put in
place a cause for another war. Today, in a
hurried up Conference in Poland with Sec. Rice
of the U.S. and Polish political leaders the
two governments entered into an agreement where
the U.S. could put so-called defensive missles
in Poland close to the the Russian border and
in return Poland received assurances that the
U.S. would use its armed forces to resist any
attack on Poland.

Rice, Bush, Gates, et al maintain that all
this is non threatening to Russia. While this
Conference had been scheduled, it had been
scheduled for some future date. The
Conference was held today to 'show' the
Russians that there are consequences for
attacking Georgia. If Rice is really a Russian
scholar, she must have ommitted all the
2000 years of Russian Polish warfare. Why are
we putting ourselves in the middle of centuries
old geopolitical rivals? As a show of force?
Then for what? Russia and Poland are habitual
enemies, and there has never been any love
lost between the two. This may be the 21st
Century and Rice can maintain that in the
21st century the U.S. has decreed there can be
no more border wars or geopolitical considerations
in evaluating national security, but the world
is still composed of national states with
traditional adversaries. For Rice to wave her
magic wand and say there is a new world order is
nothing but fantasy.

Poland is Russia's Cuba. Rice, Bush, Gates, et al
have just destroyed Russian-United States relations
for years.If Russia didn't have any intention of
attacking Poland, Russia certainly does now. What
was that about Soviet Russia missles in Cuba some
45 years ago? So now, it is OK for the U.S. to put
missles in Russia's backyard on the territory of
her bitter centuries old adversary? Russia has no
choice to respond in my opinion. I don't necessarily
mean by attacking Poland, although I could envision
an attack to take out the missles only, as we would
do in Cuba, or maybe today it would be Venezuela.
Putin and Russia have had the U.S. throw the gauntlet
down, and I expect Russia will make some move.....

Atheist challenges ‘In God We Trust’

My email-alert button rang a few minutes ago that alerted me to a new email titled, "In God we Trust." It was one of those forwarded messages- a message that spreads like a virus throughout the Internet. It read:

Here's your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our faith in God, as a nation. NBC is taking a poll on 'In God We Trust' to stay on our American currency. Please send this to every Christian you know so they can vote on this important subject. Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off the web page.

Naturally I clicked over and read the current figures: 32% said remove it; 67% said keep it. No surprise there- we are a God-fearing nation. The Olympics, of all places, reinforce that. In post-race interviews with several of the American athletes, many black athletes 'thanked God' for their victories. Apparently God took the time to push them forward along the track.

The MSNBC article that spurred the poll is titled, Atheist challenges ‘In God We Trust.' It says, "Michael Newdow seeks to remove “In God We Trust” from U.S. coins and dollar bills, claiming in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that the motto is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion."

No doubt the panties of millions of religious fanatics all across America got tightly knotted at the news of this attempt by 'the atheist' to remove God from our nation's currency. Funny stuff, as always, from that clutch. Odd too that it is on money; what did Jesus think of money?

On my sidebar is this quote from the magazine The Economist:

"It makes no sense in a pluralistic society to give one church special status. Nor does it make sense, in a largely secular country, to give special status to all faiths. The point of democracies is that the public arena is open to all groups—religious, humanist or football fans. The quality of the argument, not the quality of the access to power, is what matters."

The 'religious folks' in this nation, however, think that they ought to have the right to slap 'God' onto coins and other public venues. I find that curious; are they so guilt-ridden, so indoctrinated with fear that they have to make God 'visible' and 'tangible' throughout this nation, because, otherwise God might smite this land? Reminds me of the Roman gods and goddesses that that society erected in their public places.

The other day Obama and McCain appeared on some faith-forum in an evangelical church, pandering for votes. It was shameful. What a farce that these two men, vying for the most powerful political office in the world, were pimping for God-votes. Quite a shameful saga in our history.

How has 'God' shown favor for our nation over other nations? Neither Canada nor Switzerland have 'God' on their coins. The Kuwait's Dinar, however, says, "OobAllah nasteen" which means "We seek God's assistance." That's comforting.

So 'God' favors our 6-year War in Iraq? Our 4,100 dead soldiers? Our recession? Our murder rate? Our poverty? Our unemployment? Our divorce rate?

Sure.

The Folly of 'National Polls'

Each day the cable news networks bring us the latest 'national tracking polls' showing the closing or widening gap between Obama and McCain. They then call in their experts to explain the daily dips and bubbles. It makes for an interesting segment, but it hardly matters.

Apparently these news networks hope that the average audience slept through the civics lesson on the Electoral College- states elect the president. The polling data that actually matters are the individual state tallies. However, that is not as interesting nor as fluctuating as the national poll.

Today the state polls say this:

Obama 216
McCain 88

Not very interesting news, yet we all know that the electoral vote is what counts, not the popular vote. Surely Al Gore knows that lesson well. Using the Slate.com data, the division between the two presidential candidates becomes even more fixed when the 'leaning' states are added to the Numbers:

Obama 284
McCain 169

Even if McCain picked up every 'toss-up' state, he would only have 251 electoral votes, 19 shy of the 270 needed. Seems like the presidential race is about all over save a major disaster from Obama. But that doesn't fill air-time, thus the national polling data.

Toledo's Jeep Products Fail Crash Tests

Today we read that the 2008 Jeep Wrangler scored at the bottom of the safety rankings in crash tests of small SUV's. The Jeep Patriot got acceptable marks for front and rear tests, and good for side crashes when it's equipped with optional side airbags. Without the airbags, its side crash rating dropped to marginal.

Can't Chrysler ever get it right? Last year Daimler gave up on their merger with Chrysler and paid a high price for the foolish marriage; they knew when to get out. Sales of Jeep products have tanked, pardon the pun, due to low gas mileage. Imagine the lack of vision in producing gas-guzzling, boxy SUV's for the American marketplace.

The engineers at Chrysler ought to be fired for producing such low quality and inefficient products and taking the Jeep brand down the drain. The once proud phrase 'Toledo Home of the Jeep' sadly rings quite hollow these days.

John McCain's Appeal to the Dumbed-Down Voters

"Drill here, drill now!" is just one of the idiotic political phrases that John McCain hopes will resonate with the less-than intelligent voter this fall. And there are plenty of them throughout America, ready, like sponges, to sop up the bilge that he spouts.

Here's another: "The surge is working!" He has been touting this one for the past few days; he dropped it on the Veterans just the other day. "My opponent voted against the surge!" he crowed. This, he claims, distinguishes a real leader from an inexperienced one.

I'm amused at John McCain! Amused because I'm smarter than he, but then, he's not trying to 'reach' me. No, he has another target audience- the dumbed-down American. Lots still around, left over from 2000 and 2004.

Big Oil loves John McCain. When given the chance to vote for solar and wind energy and to cut $13 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil, McCain refused to vote. There were 99 other votes. The motion lost by one vote. John McCain- straight talk express goes off the cliff.

Then there's the surge chatter. The Blade printed an editorial about that calling it Bribery, by another name. They said,

"SO, FINALLY, there is concrete evidence that the “surge” is working in Iraq. No, not the 2007 increase in U.S. troop levels that Bush Administration optimists are crediting for a decrease in insurgent violence. We’re talking about the surge in U.S. dollars — nearly 3 billion of them — that our military has been using as a weapon to curry favor and gain cooperation from the Iraqi populace during the five-year occupation of their country."

They go on, "the U.S. has spent a whopping $250 million of the money on what is called the “Sons of Iraq” program. Since about the same time troop levels were boosted a little over a year ago, Iraqi militia men have been paid as neighborhood security guards in cities.Despite attempts by some right-wing columnists to portray the “Sons” as a bunch of civic-minded citizens akin to a Rotary Club, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that they’re really being paid to not shoot at Americans."

Yes, John McCain the surge is working and you supported it [and the war itself back in 2003]. The Straight Talk Express is sinking fast!