Saturday, May 24, 2008

Obama's White Vote

"Newsweek" has an interesting article out on a
poll they did of the white voter. The article,
"Obama Faces Racial Divide", shows the split
among white voters. Yes, racism is still there.
They call their poll, "The Racial Resentment
Index Voter". It shows that those opposed to
Obama come from those with less than four years
of college, whites over 60, and live in the South.

Did we really need another poll to tell us that?
I mean we have been seeing these results in most
of the primary exit polls. Yes, there is racism,
but it is being overcome. This same poll shows
that in 2000 only 37% believed a black would ever
be president, now 70% do.

Are We?

Lately, either from Bush Administration defenders
or from returning Reps and Sens, both Democratic
and Republican, we are hearing that "we are winning"
in Iraq. I have to wonder who the "we" is, you know?
The "we" has to refer to those who profit from the
institution of death called war.

Like to mention the plight of Iraqi women. Under Saddam
Iraqi women were beginning to enjoy a new freedom from
the findamentalists in their country. However, under
U.S. control and permission, the new U.S. sanctioned Iraqi
constitution reverses the advancement of women's rights.
This new democratic government, under U.S. guidance, has
a constitution that allows a man to have as many wives as
he can and divorce them at his whim. If they are caught in
adultery, the law demands that they be stoned to death and
even the same men that partook of her favors can be casting
the stones.

The actions of this christian fundamentalist Bush administration
has put the women of Iraq into a Muslim fundamentalist hell.
Saddam's program of improvement has been replaced with U.S. help
of a new system of re-enslavement and sexual mutilation of Iraqi
women. Women groups in Iraq openly say that they are worse off now
than before the U.S. invasion, conquest, and control.

Who's winning? Oh, U.S. corporations to be sure. We can add in the
oil lobby. Even in withdrawing, the U.S. will lose. The elites,
howver, will tell us that we are winning. I wonder how much cool-aid
is left for US citizens.....

We continue to head toward that cliff.....

Anti-Muslim, Anti-women Catholic Priest Pens Letter


The Blade published a letter to the editor today from Rev. Patrick Rohen, a Catholic priest of the Toledo Diocese. The curious title reads: "Nuns didn't act on behalf of church." The priest condemns the Sisters of St. Francis for meeting with a Muslim Imam and blessing a three-paneled icon.



Reverend Rohen is pissed that the nuns [to whom he refers as 'gals'] would meet with a Muslim. In the photo, the reverend wears the priestly gear which is nearly covered by his military patches and emblems. He has been assigned to the Ohio Veterans Home where he is one of two clergymen there. The bishop, short on priests in this diocese, must know something about Rev. Rohen in making that assignment. I'll bet that he doesn't fit well among regular folks.


His hatred for Muslims can be seen in this paragraph from his letter:


"By acting on their own, and by having a Muslim imam in their presence at the same time, one is led to the following conclusion: These particular sisters should request that Mother Superior grant them a dispensation from their vows in order to facilitate their conversion to Islam."


No wonder Bishop Blair assigned this guy to his isolated, obscure post. Yet, the reverend is not quite finished with his misogynistic babble:


"There is only one drawback for these liberal gals: they will again be required to wear the veil."


The odd fellow ought to keep his mouth shut and not reveal his stupidity for all to see.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Bin Laden Enjoying the Final Act of His Play

No doubt Osama bin Laden is smiling quite a bit more these past days as he reads of the economic chaos here in America. Four dollar gas and $135 oil surely pleases the villain as he sits in his undisclosed bunker watching the hated United States crumble economically.

He could not have written a better script than the one that has played out over these past 8 years. Bringing him the most joy as he muses over our misery are the words, "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"

Soon. There's the word. Soon or not so soon: that is the question.

Whether the villain is ever captured is a moot point now in this tragedy. The mortal wound has been struck and the victim is left on center stage, bleeding to death while the scoundrel watches from off-stage.

Did bin Laden really write this play? Was he that insightful prior to 9-11 to have seen the future scenario so clearly? The scenario that oil was thicker than blood and that the United States would be brought to its knees begging for more oil, Saudi oil?

The great writers of antiquity could not have scripted such a perfect theme in this modern-day tragedy. What an artist bin Laden has become, an artist in his own time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

When the President's Men Attack the Press

NBC received a stern letter from the White House chastising them and yelling censorship for airing only small sections of the President's interview with Richard Engle. Imagine that: this administration accusing the press of censorship! Of course, when a president's ratings are in the 20's, his men need to play defense all the time.

Nightly News aired less than one minute of the interview, focusing the question to Mr. Bush: were you referring to Senator Obama in your speech to the Kenessit? Naturally, the slick politician did not answer the question, and NBC ended the piece by telling their viewers that the full interview was on line.

Apparently the president's men are angered that now, late into his term, the press is no longer a puppet of this White House. The press no longer is a funnel for their propaganda. The press is, at last, doing what the First Amendment implies.

It has taken 7 years and 5 months for the Fourth Estate to realize its most important role in this democracy- to keep tabs on the ruler and to report the facts to the citizens. Seven long, kow-towing years of duplicity. Way too late to regain the moral high ground once again.

Hats off to Helen Thomas and to McClatchy News for retaining their responsibility to ask the tough questions and to report the truth to the American people.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Can We Handle the Truth?

USA TODAY reported recently on the debt of the
federal government. This has been one of my
consistent issues in my comment and maybe even
a post or two.

Over a year ago the Comptroller of the Treasury,
David Walker a Republican, began to try to inform
the US citizens about the staggering debt of the
federal government. I believe he stated then that
the debt was at least $52 Trillion and not the $100
Billion that Congress and the Administration was saying
it was.

USA TODAY writes that the federal debt in $57.3 Trillion.
This amounts to $500,000 per US household. If the state
and local debt is figured in, our total US debt rises to
$66.7 Trillion, which is $531,000 per household. Hello,
out there! Are you liberals and fundies listening? Are
you Democrats and Republicans listening?

Democrats and Republicans alike tell us that the debt for
2007 was $162 Billion, yet the real federal debt for 2007
was $2.5 Trillion. How does Congress and the in-power
Administration bamboozle the US citizen? With funny accounting
standards which the federal government alone uses. Well,
why not, huh? They have their own mailing system, their own
all inclusive health system, their own automobile privileges,
their own retirement programs, and whatever else.

In table form this is what the debt really is and what our
federal government says it is:
2007 2006
Standard business accounting principles: $2,524T $1,154T

Funny government accounting principles : $162B $248B

My point is that Democrats and Republican have bankrupted the
US. We must start looking outside the box, or all we will get
as we have gotten over the last 40 years, tinkering on the
edges with the wealthy becoming wealthier. We have to be
revolutionaries and abandon our traditional Party affiliations.
We have to find common cause with others on the truly important
changes that have to be made to save the Constitution and the USA.

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