Are you fed up?

[IndianaGreen]

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Are you fed up?

Alan Maki

I sent out this e-mail to several hundred people this morning in response to an e-mail I received about aggressive moves by Obama towards Venezuela:

Subject: RE: US Military Aggression against Venezuela escalating... we need a Declaration of Independence from the warmonger in the White House...

I think this is very credible that Obama plans military action against Venezuela.

Obama is a demonstrated warmonger in every sense of the word; his objective from day one has been to seamlessly assure that the United States government will not deviate from Wall Street’s imperialist agenda which is very unpopular among the American people who have yet to figure out how to stop this increasing drive towards expanding and escalating the existing wars and preventing new wars from starting as their standard of living rapidly declines as a result.

Complicating this further is the economic mess with capitalism on the road to oblivion putting us all on the bumpy, curvy, deep-rutted, and dangerous road to perdition without any stop-over in purgatory as Wall Street continues to try to profit by charging us an exorbitant price for this ride to hell while making us think we are on some kind of luxurious excursion offered by Carnival Cruises.

In my opinion, the only way we are going to halt these wars and prevent new wars is if we issue a Declaration of Independence from both the Democratic and Republican parties… especially the Democratic Party since Bush and Cheney already did a pretty good job of discrediting the Republican Party.

The only way we are going to have enough power to turn this country around is if progressives are willing to “bundle” their issues in much the same way Democrats and Republicans now bundle their campaign contributions.

We can’t afford the luxury of all these different movements for peace and social and economic justice, for civil rights and civil liberties, for protection of our living environment and halting global warming to be separate and divided and often at odds with one another.

We need to craft a progressive agenda we can all unite behind and issue a Declaration of Independence from the Democrats and Republicans and make it very clear to them and the country that we understand the direct relationship between Wall Street’s military-financial-industrial complex getting whatever it wants from their well groomed and financed politicians and the suffering and misery of the people.

What kind of rotten government keeps pumping money into wars and military bases all over the world and then denies its own people health care?

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/are-you-fed-up.html

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. We need to write Obama. NOT BASH THE MAN. Write him.

Encourage him to do the right thing despite the force being exerted upon him, despite the powers-that-be controlling him, and let him know that we would like to vote him in a second term, but that he has to err on the side of lib, rather than Repug stuff.

How about it?

[Kalun D]

3. Past the point of caring

Obama is an insider, he was an insider from the start. One of his first jobs in college was care of Henry Kissinger, the king/president/CEO of corporate wars for profit.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. Oh? He's Bush II? Say it, if that's what you believe

And whom did you vote for, by the way? If I may ask.

[katandmoon]

7. I voted for him in the mistaken belief he was NOT Bush III.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. So there's no difference (to you) between Obama and the decades of Repukes?

Do tell.

[IndianaGreen]

17. When it comes to foreign policy, Obama has accelerated Bush's imperialist policies

[mbperrin]

19. I've noticed this "decades of Repukes" meme from you on several threads

here. Which decades are those?

Here's the recent breakdown of Oval Office occupants:
GW Bush R 8 years
Bill Clinton D 8 years
George HW Bush R 4 years
Ronald Reagan R 8 years
Jimmy Carter D 4 years
Nixon and Ford R 8 years
Kennedy and Johnson D 8 years
Ike R 8 years
Roosevelt and Truman D 20 years

I make that to be
40 years for the Ds + 1 for BHO
36 years for the Rs

Clearly, the Ds dominate. Just not sure what you're trying to get across with the idea that the Rs have had the upper hand most of the time.

[pundaint]

29. Sorry gotta throw the bullshit flag on defining administrations half a century ago as "recent"

[mbperrin]

31. Okay, bullshit referee, now which DECADES are the R decades, then?

Just trying to get a feeling for definitions here. BTW, I remember Truman and all those after him, so it's not THAT long ago.

[pundaint]

28. Sadly, I am realizing the only difference is the nature of the political spin

His attorney general acts no more in the interest of freedom and individual liberties than W. He has continued the same war policies, and set new directions ensuring that my country will be in a military debt hole for the rest of my life. He pays lip service to different domestic imperatives, but offers the same corporatist approach, ensuring the rich get the bulk of any social spending benefits. They both came in as reformers, and didn't do anything hinting of actual reform. They both allow, without countermanding, policies, for which we executed some Japanese and Germans as war criminals after WWII. They are clearly both owned by the Military and the bankers, and whether motivated by fear laziness or ineptness, they both are bent to the unelected powerful interests.

The only real difference between the two that I can see is that Bush is out of time to change his legacy.

I would feel naive to hold on to any expectation of real Change after observing his first 11 months.

[Kalun D]

11. Voted for Obama

somewhere on DU I posted a celebration post.

but it's been downhill ever since, starting with his failure to raise taxes on the rich

I didn't really think he would be everything he promised, but he hasn't even come close.

[ShortnFiery]

22. Yes, policy wise, I don't see ANY difference. eom

[dflprincess]

8. Why write?

It's not like he paid any attention to any of the comments we've made to him so far. The only ones is appears he listens to are insurance and pharm executives - he sure wasn't interested in anything single payer advocates had to say.

[tbyg52]

16. Sadly, too true. nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

23. Oh? He won't reverse decades of GOP damage in a few months?

Are you f NUTS like the handful of Hamsherites? What f kind of mythological ideas do you have that decades of damage to the U.S. can be fixed in a few f months? You want Obama to have a magic wand? Have you ever bothered to bash a Republican, or you're only into bashing democratic presidents? Is that it? Did you get off your a$$ during the decades of Repuke domination leading to this disastrous economic depression? Let me guess: NO, right?

[IndianaGreen]

25. You can't start to fix 'decades of GOP damage' by continuing with imperialist wars!

Are you including Bill Clinton in those "decades of damage" of yours?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

26. So YOUR opinion of how things should be done, is what he should follow?

I think I said it before, and I'm going to say it again, Hamsherites, Naderites and all those other fuckheads who did NOTHING during decades of Repuke destruction, but are now flapping their lips attacking Obama within only months of his presidency, can kiss my big fat ass and go fuck themselves.

Gosh. I hope that was clear enough.

[IndianaGreen]

27. You forget we were the ones calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney

and for war crimes trials of Bush regime officials, while the rest of you were telling us to keep the powder dry.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

30. Yeah? And now you're treating Obama like Bush and Cheney? You deserve to live under Naziism. nt

[BB1]

15. That will help,

especially if you pack a trillion dollars in with the letter to buy off the cronies he's working for. My take is this: even if Obama got 300 million letters from all US Americans, he still wouldn't listen.
It's the same all over the so called Western World. The powers that be run the show, regardless of whether the audience want to buy tickets or not.The only thing that will stop them is offering them more money.

[Kalun D]

2. The Last Straw

This will be the last straw that PROVES beyond a shadow of a doubt that Obama is a corporate DEM to the bone.

Chavez is for the working people, the standard of living of the poor in Venezuela has increased appreciably since he came to power. He did it by socializing the Oil wealth. Of course the big corps are trying to paint him communist with their whore corporate media. Don't buy it. Check Greg Palast on what he says about Chavez.

If Obama attacks Chavez he's no better than the bush boy. In fact he's worse because he portrays himself as someone who cares about the average citizen. If the US attacks Venezuela it will be just another oil war at the behest of the oil companies.

And Obama will be just another evil warmongering corporatist.

[napi21]

4. The US is a violent Country. Always has been. What makes you

think you or almost any group can change that?

When the Pilgrims landed, they drove the indians from their land by force.

They fought a was to keep from being under England's rule.

They fought a was amoung themselves over slavery.

We're one of a very few countries that still have the death penalty.

Even now there are more shootings & murders in the US than any other westernized country, and by a lot!


I personally don't like it but I honestly believe it's part of our culture.

[zoff]

21. This is the same observation made by a (foreigner) friend of mine.

War is in our genes. Question is, who is "our"? The US is a violent country. Who is the "US" in that statement? The answer to both questions: I say it is not the people, but the US Government. What is it in Washington that makes ordinary men want to pull a trigger? Reagan, perhaps in a freudian slip, put it accurately; the business of America is business. Seems like the US (Government) will go to war to make or save a buck.

And who does this benefit? Surely it isn't the average Joe. Neither did I get a dividend check for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Speaking of Afghanistan, how is the pipeline going to help the average American? Is the price of fuel really going to take a nosedive when the pipeline opens? I highly doubt it. Passing on savings is the cousin of trickle down economics. A good part of the cost is being shouldered by the US taxpayer and US soldiers. When all costs are factored in, War is a bad investment.

But any President, republican or democrat, will perpetuate this dastardly policy. In the 60s, two men chose peace and were promptly shot. If there is anything that Washington and the elite it represents are good at, it's fooling the masses.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. +1

I'm ready to take to the streets - just give me some backup.

[Dr.Phool]

24. I got your back!

[Goldstein1984]

10. Demonizing Hugo Chavez

is just something America does because he is a socialist, and because he put a lot of our ruling class in their place when he nationalized the oil industry. He puts the best interests of his people ahead of the interests of business, which is the opposite of the way it's done in the U.S.

Consider our history in Latin America, including backing the 2002 against Chavez, and current events as we expand our military activities in Columbia.

I'm fed up as well. I'm on Chavez's side, and will remain so if we add Venezuela to our growing list of wars.

[niyad]

12. k and r

[Vidar]

13. K&R.

[wuvuj]

14. Under the radar, Obama pushes for Patriot Act renewal

http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&subsectionID=9&articleID=10649


With key sections of the U.S. Patriot Act set to expire Dec. 31, the Obama administration - essentially tiptoeing through the corridors of Congress and using the raucous health care debate as cover - has quietly maneuvered for renewal of the controversial provisions, which he opposed as a senator.

Perhaps the most contentious measure is the business records provision, also known as the library provision, which allows the government to seek a court order forcing private entities such as banks, hospitals, and libraries to hand over "any tangible thing" - from library circulation records to medical records - officials think is relevant in a terrorist investigation.

This week, with time running out and no time to debate the bill on its merits, Democratic supporters of reauthorization in the Senate tried but fail to win House support to embed the provisions in a separate $626 billion Pentagon funding bill. The House has passed a bill with stronger civil liberties protections, but that version is not expected to survive.

Congress will now likely approve temporary extensions and deal with reauthorization early next year, giving opponents renewed hope they can still defeat or modify aspects of the national security language.

In early October, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-8 to send the measure to the Senate floor. The provisions would allow the government to continue to use roving wiretaps to monitor suspects, to obtain business records of national security targets, and to track and surveil so-called 'lone wolves' whose connection to a foreign government or terrorist group has not been established.

The legislation, co-sponsored by judiciary committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), would tweak the ability of the FBI to gain certain personal records of citizens, requiring the agency to show "specific facts" that requested records pertain to a terrorism investigation.

Core language remains

Still, the most controversial aspects remain intact. Earlier this year, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) had worked to place language in the bill strengthening civil liberties protections, but in the judiciary committee the Obama administration worked with Republicans to craft seven amendments, effectively watering down Feingold's work.

Feingold said the bill that emerged from the judiciary committee left him "scratching his head."

"The Patriot Act reauthorization bill passed by the Judiciary Committee falls far short of adequately protecting the rights of innocent Americans," Feingold said in a statement. "Among the most significant problems is the failure to include an improved standard for Section 215 orders (getting personal information through national security letter requests), even though a Republican controlled Judiciary Committee unanimously supported including the same standard in 2005."

Feingold said what was most upsetting to him was the willingness of too many members of the Democratic-controlled committee to defer to behind-the-scenes complaints from the FBI and the Justice Department.

....

THIS JUST IN: US under the control of the military...intelligence...DOJ....democracy is a farce.

[winyanstaz]

18. yup...K & R

"What kind of rotten government keeps pumping money into wars and military bases all over the world and then denies its own people health care?"

exactly!
And what kind of president pushes to quietly extend the Patriot Act while knowing damned well it is unconstitutional?

[MissDeeds]

20. K&R

I'm beyond disillusioned and disgusted. War, war, war - and not one damned good reason for it. I'm ready for another anti-war march on Washington. Shame it has to be with a 'Democrat' in the White House.