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State of the Union: the future and the past 

This week the President delivered the annual State of the Union address.  I did not listen to the address but I have seen outtakes from the speech and what stands out in particular is the phrase, “this nation is addicted to oil.”  Hearing our leader express this sentiment suggests that perhaps Mr. Bush has been listening to comedian Bill Maher, a critic of the Bush energy policies which call Global Warming an exaggeration.  Bush went on to mention ethanol as a potential substitute for oil citing advances in technology which would allow other sources of refinement such as corn husks and straw….Interestingly enough, the current issue of Fortune magazine is on the same page as the President it would seem with an extended article on the very same subject: ethanol.  Billionaire Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Airlines, is interested in exploring ethanol, especially cellulose ethanol which can be produced with a variety of sources   Branson has even set up a company for this purpose, Virgin Fuel.

Willie Nelson is also interested in the environment, setting up his road bus with ethanol. Is it possible that we can finally have different segments of our society working cooperatively or at least thinking cooperatively to solve energy problems? 

Coincidently this week also is the beginning of the long-awaited trials of Enron ‘s top executives CEO Kenneth Lay who stood before his employees in October 2001, one month before the company declared bankruptcy assuring  all that the company was solvent. Workers with twenty years on the job who had bought company stock lost everything, yet Lay walked away virtually untouched, as did Jeffrey Skilling, former CFO, whose lawyer asked to have charges dismissed against his client. By the way Kenneth Lay, a good friend of Mr. Bush, gave the then-Governor his private jet for use in campaigning for the Presidency.

For a more complete view of the history of Enron, check out last year’s documentary, “Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room”. 

What will become the state of our union in 2006?  Will our government actually take practical action for a more sustainable environmental policy and will rule of law apply to Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling? 

www.itsmypartytoo.com is Christine Todd Whitman’s website for responsible/moderate Republicans, who believe that there is room for all the full spectrum of political views within the party.  Whitman is pro-choice and pro-environment, and she is not alone, citing the Bush victory in 2004 as the lowest plurality of any incumbent.  

America, whatever

On a recent episode of West Wing an international situation develops which involves the apparently conflicting interests of Russia, China, Europe and the U.S.  Chief of Staff CJ. Craig decides to play the economic interests of one nation off against another in order to solve a humanitarian crisis in the Sudan.  How are these supposedly disparate interests tied together, one might well ask.

For the answer we can turn to another politician from another time period: Dwight David Eisenhower, Republican President and Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in WWII. Upon leaving office the former Chief Executive addressed the country with a speech which included the famous line, “beware of the influence of the military-industrial complex.” 

In a new documentary “Why We Fight” to be released this week filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (The Hunting of the President) Senator John McCain paraphrases Eisenhower’s statement, “the priorities that have been set, benefit corporations rather than the country.” 

According to Jarecki we live in a system which is tilted toward war; our economy is based on war, many jobs are directly or indirectly connected to war.  We are all part of this insulated bubble; we are distracted by our busy lives, hence, most of the time we do not notice how militarized our society is.

When the resources which could be used for the infrastructure (the health of the country) are diverted into defense, the tail is wagging the dog, everything seems to have a military solution.    

Jarecki traveled to thirty states asking our citizens,” why do we fight”. Unanimously people on both sides of the political fence answered, “freedom”; yet when further questioned, many said, in effect, “I hope we are fighting for freedom, but we are not sure.”

Back to the West Wing episode in question, the North Korean diplomat is in conversation with Chief of Staff C.J. Craig, who is negotiating the details of a crisis. The Korean diplomat states that, “capitalism vanquished communism yet capitalism is trying to restrict the market. The U.S. taught us that liberty was equal to capitalism; however, your American dream is financial not ethical.”

Something to think about, don’t you think?

The Best of the Best: Concerts Part 1

 U2 has been widely considered to be a great band, the best of the best, for the last thirty years.  Currently on their Vertigo tour they stopped off in Miami this past weekend and played to sold- out audiences who were wildly enthusiastic.  The band combines the best of the musical world with its socially conscious position on third world debt and poverty, so what’s not to like? 

Having not purchased a ticket ahead of time we drove down to the arena on Sunday only to observe that there was virtually no parking available within the immediate vicinity of the venue which was thick with fans.  I decided to try again on the Monday arriving earlier in the day with the idea of scouting a single ticket. 

Three hours later the ticket line I was waiting in was closed and I was forced to wander the plaza in front of the arena in search of a single ticket.  After hanging out for nearly an hour it was 9 pm, the designated start time for U2 to play, and I was alone outside under the glow of a full moon which nicely highlighted the Miami skyline. 

Suddenly a voice from somewhere said, “are you looking for a single ticket?” and after a brief interchange I was in.  The band had just taken to the stage and there was pandemonium in the house.  The crowd was standing twenty thousand strong singing in unison, cheering and dancing; the atmosphere was intense. 

I was thrilled to be there, so many did not get tickets who were waiting in line with me.

I have been a fan since The Joshua Tree.  I love the whole concert atmosphere.  I even like waiting in line and getting to meet new people and share stories about the band and what experiences other fans have had. 

Yet, I was disappointed.  The sound was just terrible; the base was so distorted that it just covered all the other members contributions and made the songs nearly unintelligible musically. Bono’s voice, though strong, could not compete nor could The Edge’s  delicate guitar work  

Also, the band was set up back to front and was actually facing away from the bulk of the audience towards a mosh pit which the band played exclusively to most of the night. A large screen which faced us was split into four parts so that we could view all four band members at once which seems like a good idea but it was not. Most of the camera work showed each member from a distance or at a strange angle thus giving none of the immediacy with any one member at any one time which a steady close up gives. 

The ramp which encircled the band could have been used much more to allow all parts of the audience to interact with and the band yet its members only came out of their “mosh pit trance” occasionally for a few minutes at a time to briefly acknowledge the bulk of the audience which was actually behind them.  . .  

This was all strangely unsatisfying; all the ingredients were there but the mix was wrong.

The Best of the Best: Concerts Part 11 

As a long time fan of Cream I was excited to hear that the band had reformed and had played a week of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London which was made into a boxed CD set.  Recently I had the opportunity to watch these concerts and it was a stellar musical experience.  In their heyday Cream was referenced by famed composer Leonard Bernstein as “the best of the best”, hence the name of the band. 

Not only is the sound excellent on this band, crystal clear, and the musicianship top of the line, and the band in perfect harmony, but its members are as good or better than ever, as Ginger Baker, drummer, states “ we have matured as musicians”. 

The band considered using their original gear but soon realized they would need to upgrade; however, the music today is as pure as it ever was, nothing added and nothing taken away.  They got it right thirty seven years ago and it is still great now. 

The band needed several weeks to practice as they were going to be stretched, as lead guitarist  Eric Clapton stated.  All three members had doubts about their interest in rejoining this legendary group as they were so revered at the time of their departure; yet once together again they played like they had just taken a vacation remarked drummer Ginger Baker, “ it was just another bloody gig.” Bassist Jack Bruce said that he  experienced “the shivers when Baker played his infamous ditty Pressed Rat and Warthog, a first live performance requested by family members.” 

Clapton who originated the idea of this get together with the band said that he knew the only way it would work was if they were relaxed and confident and maintained “a healthy disregard for the audience.” The music was always the most important thing and they were never the type to be leaping about the stage according to Baker. Hence, the reunion was about the music, so after a few weeks of long rehearsals building up their stamina the group was ready to take to the stage. 

The DVD is a compilation of a week of concerts in May 2005 and features two versions of Sleepy Time Time and We’re Going Wrong which are simply spine tingling along with other favorites such as Sunshine of Your Love. 

These guys are the real deal and their music just soars.  It also helps that the delivery is clean, the camera work is steady and focused, and the technical backup is undistorted and minimal so that the true genius of each band member is on show for us to appreciate. This concert film is very satisfying.; it is absolutely brilliant; the best of the best preserved for all time.

The Right to Torture

 As the super power of the world, the United States is able to do pretty much whatever it wants and get away with it. After all, who is going to tell us what to do - the French?  Senator John McCain has put forward a bill in Congress which would re-iterate America’s intention to follow the basic tenets of the Geneva Convention against torture. Evidently the U.S. lobbied for those tenets to be installed twenty years ago.   

Jon Steward just recently asked John McCain on Comedy Centrals "The Daily Show;" “Is Dick Cheney insane?

Where does he get the balls to challenge John McCain; “torture only works on TV.”

McCain states that the military is on board with it as well as Colin Powell. In Israel psychological techniques are used as their Supreme Court over ruled torture.  

McCain says that there is an image problem in the world since the photos of Abu Graib were released. It is important that we tell the world that we are against torture. Ninety Senators have voted for this bill to disavow torture and nine Senators are voting against it. Evidently Mr. Cheney is busy lobbying against the passage of the bill with his usual aggressive techniques. 

According to MSN Slate Cheney was one of the chief architects of the War in Iraq insisting, in spite of evidence to the contrary, that Saddam Hussein was connected with 9/11 and that pre-emptive force was therefore necessary. He intimidated and harassed members of the State Department and Defense. 

There are eight Black Spots all over the world set up by the U.S. Government where torture is routinely carried out to elicit “intel” from “terrorists”.  One of the spots is located in Eastern Europe, a part of the world famous for the Berlin Wall and secret police.  How ironic: we are now using them to subvert our own democracy.

Paris is Burning 

“We cannot defend freedom abroad by defeating it at home”, according to Edward R. Morrow.  With the riots in France and the terrorism in Iraq and other parts of the world law and order is a prime consideration in any discussion of politics.  President Bush has had some stunning reversals of late with his staff being indicted  and his policies being challenged.  His approval ratings have tanked and  Republican strategists are promising that this period is just a rough patch in an otherwise stalwart agenda involving security, the nation’s top concern and the main reason why this President was “re-elected” with a “mandate.” 

Chaos is indeed a problem for everyone and law and order are a necessary part of civilization; however, there is a difference between repression and law and order

Reports of the U.S. government torturing   prisoners held in secret locations around the world in defiance of Geneva Convention rules is a violation of the fundamental principle of the United States.  Bill O’Reilly argued that some torture is a good thing when Senator John McCain, former POW, stated that torture does not work. 

How can the United States embrace the policy that the end justifies the means when presumably this philosophy was unacceptable when Saddam Hussein used it to torture people in his own country?   Similarly why is it okay for the Western powers and their allies to have nuclear weapons but not okay for the Arab countries, especially Iran, which some experts believe is the real linchpin in the Middle East. 

There is a difference between self-defense and pre-emptive strikes.  The United States wants to simply declare a country to be a potential enemy and then have the right to invade the sovereign space of that other country, just because of their "potential enemy" status. 

Ironically, as a country we need to be more discriminating in the area of values and how we promote these to the rest of the world.  Are the values of the current administration actually consistent with our history as a republic and our Constitution. 

It seems that a lot of our foreign policy is based on resentment; getting back at the terrorists.  When Abraham Lincoln was conducting the Civil War he always stressed the importance of the unity of the country and that the defeated South should be allowed to keep its guns and horses for the North was not about punishing its former foes. 

Jimmy Carter has written a new book, Our Endangered Values, in which he states that the current administration has redefined the basis on which this country was founded, reflected in aggressive actions which actually undermine these values.  According to Carter, America spent more money on foreign aid during the Cold War in order to compete with the former USSR for the allegiance of certain populations than it does now. Carter also works with ABC, the Aids project in Uganda, where the use of condoms dramatically reduced the incidence of Aids until the current administration tied US foreign aid to the non-use of condoms.  Carter believes that this lack of assistance based on the religious behavior rather than the health needs of the population is counter productive to the best interests of the people of that country and also the people of our country. 

Thomas Jefferson sated that there should be a wall between the church and the state yet fundamentalists in this country think that it is their duty to dominate others as they are superior and that they are always right so, there is never any need to admit mistakes.  Taxpayer money has been given primarily to Christian organizations as “faith based initiatives” from this Bush/ Cheney government.

“Never Confuse Dissent with Disloyalty” 

Edward R. Morrow, the famous newscaster who investigated the McCarthy communist “witch hunts” during the fifties once stated that it was important to…”never confuse dissent with disloyalty”.  During the Vietnam War many protested and some even left the country so as to make their views against the occupation  of that country public.

Now we are living through the War in Iraq and it has been stated many times by those on power who are responsible for our country’s involvement in that incursion that it is unpatriotic to dissent during wartime; hence, the voice of the opposition has been silenced to a large degree, until recently when it has suddenly come alive, finally.

Cindy Sheehan started the ball rolling in August by camping out near Prez Bush’s ranch to protest the death of her son last year  in “a  noble cause”.  Then this week thirty U.S. Senators sent a letter to our Prez asking for clarification on the timetable  regarding our involvement in Iraq.  Then last night the prime time program “Boston Legal” opened up the  previously forbidden subject of dissent over this war wide enough to drive a tuck through.

The two senior partners in the law firm featured on this show disagreed over the war and over a case that was brought to the firm concerning a National Guardsman who had died in Iraq although he had been assured by his enlisting officer that there was no chance he would ever see active duty there.

James Spader’s character went into court and delivered a blistering attack on the dishonesty of the military’s enlistment procedures with regard to the National Guard.

He remarked that they are overextended, under-equipped and untrained for the job that they are being forced to do.

He continued with the statement that the people and the government are in denial.

This war was sold to America on false ideas and false data.  There is no timetable for this war and the current tour of duty that many Guardsmen sign up for which is referred to as Try-One which translates try one year and leave  at the end if you wish is being used as a way to fill up the troop levels which the military has always stated are inadequate to fight this war such as it is. 

“As a country we need to be thinking about this war”.  

Wilma: A Storm to Remember

Having lived in South Florida since 1979 I have become complacent about hurricanes; it just goes with the territory.  Natives would talk about the great storm of 1932 or 1955,  but it all seemed very long ago and not relevant to modern life.  After all, with planes flying in the middle of the storm and reporting back important details, we should all be safe or at least forewarned, so no need to take the storm tracking system too seriously.  When a person moves to Florida voluntarily it is for fun, the beach, the frivolous lifestyle, the stress-free atmosphere; who wants to think about something that could spoil all that?

 In 1992 Hurricane Andrew blasted through Miami and Homestead but left Broward County largely untouched.  We heard horror stories from the refugees lining up for supplies in Home Depot which stayed open for twenty four hours to accommodate customers and we noticed how many people migrated to our area from Miami to live permanently, but still an air of protection permeated this area, until last Monday when Hurricane Wilma roared through at seven in the morning as a category two with winds of up to one hundred twenty miles per hour.    

Many trees were ripped out of the ground and landed on cars and roofs of homes; streets were littered with their debris; fences were flattened; pools were clogged with detritus and the illusion of a safe harbor was forever destroyed.  We now belong to the same world, weather-wise, as everyone else; what has happened to people in Asia and the Gulf States can happen here.  We are officially vulnerable.

 Our house escaped with relatively little damage compared to what people in the Northern parts of Florida suffered as a result of the four hurricanes in the 2004 season; however, any damage inflicted by an outside source is a big deal if it happens to your property.  After the storm had subsided people walked through the neighborhood to survey the collective damage nature had wrought.  One woman stopped next to our house, which is located on a main street, looked over our downed fence, ripped- apart pool enclosure frame and missing screens strewn everywhere and commented; “You’ re really exposed, aren’t you; there is just no other way to put it; you are exposed.”

 That’s the truth of it.  We are all really potentially exposed all of the time, but we just don’t want to admit it; and we don’t want to scare our children either.  We would like to think that we have got “it” under control; or if we don’t then the government or our family or our religion has got our back; but that is just not the way it really is. When you sit in your house, the symbol of stability and safety for most people and listen to the wind relentlessly lash at this place you call Home you realize that we are always at the mercy of the elements, human or not, and that it is just an act of faith on our part that allows us to go about our business in life with any degree of aplomb at all.

One of the saving graces of the whole experience, that of  having your world as you know it upended,  is that people change their attitude, if only for awhile.  After 9/11 America was a much nicer place to live for about three weeks.  People were grateful and courteous; it was great!  At the moment here in South Florida people are helpful and cooperative mostly, and it is similarly great!   

The traffic lights are not working and so everyone must come to a four way stop at each intersection; they actually have to stop and pay attention to the other drivers.  This is just wonderful.  Usually at least one person runs every red light so you can never be certain that  going forward in your car on a green light is really safe.   Also, free ice and water is being handed our  for those of us still without power, which I understand is well over fifty percent of our population  so we have the experience of other people coming here to serve us.  Neighbors have been helping each other cut away branches of trees that have landed on roofs and in pools; we all have the storm in common.  A new couple has just moved into our neighborhood and the day of the storm the wife commented on how friendly our street is.  Another neighbor replied: ‘Usually we are too busy to talk to each other.”

 I wish this feeling of unity could last forever, In the book “Finding Flow” the author states that the feeling of flow, which is optimal functioning of the organism, is caused when a person finds a suitably difficult challenge and is able to meet it with the required level of  skill,  This produces a feeling of deep satisfaction  which some might call joy.    Joy to the World

No Direction Home: the Odyssey of Bob Dylan and the American Culture

 The great American poet Bob Dylan is the subject of the two part PBS documentary by Martin Scorsese  shown on television last week as part of a retrospective of the Sixties which also included Get Up Stand Up, a history of the role of music in the protest movement, and a separate documentary titled The Sixties which commented on the shattering of the ideals of a very hopeful generation, the Baby Boomers. 

When Dylan appeared on the folk music scene in Greenwich Village in New York City in 1961 virtually unknown he immersed himself in the beatnik culture meeting many of the well-known poets and musicians of that generation who had much to protest about during the McCarthy-ite fifties.  After introducing himself to Woody Guthrie, recovering in hospital at the time, Dylan developed his style as a critical voice for social justice.  Through some lucky breaks he then  managed to connect with executives at Capital Records and was signed as their artist, a first for a folk artist.. At that point poet Alan Ginsberg noted that”…the torch has been passed to a new generation”, to quote President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech to the nation.   Dylan became the unwitting spokesperson for the Baby Boomers and the dreams that were part of that decade.

So much has changed and yet it seems that nothing has changed at all.

 "The Sixties: the Years that Shaped a Generation"

some comments on this fascinating documentary

It is interesting to watch this documentary about the choices that are the result of the difference between hope and rage and apathy.  In order to understand what is happening in this country at the moment it is important to look at what went before…

During the march in Memphis Federal investigators, on the FBI payroll, started a riot, infiltrating the garbage workers strike

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident which expanded the Vietnam War: LBJ lied about it but Congress believed him

According to the US Ambassador to the UN Arthur Goldberg the purpose of US involvement in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War was  to help South Vietnam build a democracy and to secure their right to independence

By 1967 Robert McNamara as Attorney General recommended to President Johnson (LBJ) that the Vietnam War could not be won, and that the US should withdraw; however, McNamara was not willing to take a public stand choosing instead to stay with the administration and try to influence policy from the inside.

By 1968 15,000 U.S. soldiers had died in Vietnam

1968 year of uprising in the US, Paris, Prague, Mexico City

People see the sixties differently…what happened is in some ways the beginning of the current division in America between the conservatives and the liberals….for conservatives the drug problem began in earnest at that time and for the liberals the conscience of the world as youth, spoke up for values that have matured from the movements that began at that time, such as  civil rights, anti-war, women’s rights and gay rights all of which are controversial to this day

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity…values from the  French revolution:   In the book "Slouching Toward Gomorrah" Robert Bork comments that the liberal's embrace of these ideals during the sixties are the root of the evils that we face in today's society: the need to please oneself at all costs and the need to give freely to those who have not earned their spoils.  Bork's assessment is only partially correct; sloth and greed are included in the list of the seven deadly sins I believe, and that list predates the sixties.  The real problem is probably closer to the failure of the so-called left and the so-called right to communicate their ideas in a civil manner to one another and then to forge a better country from that dissent. 

After all, dissent is American!

 What’s the Matter with America? 

Watching Senator Chuck Hagel  on the Sunday morning television show Face the Nation  discuss the War in Iraq  was a real awakening.  In response to the question by the monitor What are we doing wrong in Iraq? Hegel said that we do not know enough to know what we are doing wrong.   Bob Schieffer could not resist responding with…How interesting, considering  that   two years ago President Bush stood on an aircraft carrier and declared victory and “mission completed.”  We now count officially 1500 dead Americans in that war.    

Hagel went on to say that the military leaders who publicly stated before the invasion that double the force of 150,000 troops assembled would be needed for a country the size of Iraq were roundly chastised by those in charge of the operation.  Has Secretary Rumsfeld been held accountable for this mistake?    

Bob Schieffer commented, The main problem here in the United States is not the cultural division that is capturing so much attention in  the press, but the idea that we have nothing more to learn, as espoused by  the great Egyptian civilization that produced the pyramids.  Egypt faltered when their people decided that they knew enough;  eventually their society was over- run by other countries who kept on learning..   

Entrepreneur Bill Gates recently stated that the U.S. school system is too far behind while the educational systems in India and China  have moved ahead; therefore, in the future Gates doubted that he would be able to find workers for his projects here in this country.

What is the message here?

The World is Flat 

In a new book entitled “The World is Flat” the author outlines the economic future of the United States as part of a global world in which all its members have an equal opportunity to succeed.  No longer will a good education provide a secure future for Americans; the internet has level the playing field and America is not  really preparing its citizens for the future. 

The best opportunities for success are in the field of energy renewal according to the author;  if the President chose to lead our country into energy independence just like former President John F. Kennedy set the goal of reaching the moon by the end of the decade which was accomplished in 1969.  By setting the goal which seemed impossible le at the time Kennedy set in motion a national challenge which energized and focused the country. 

The United States needs an official goal that is positive something that the country did not get after 9/11 from this administration.  When you have a leader that is consumed by fear   the only response they can offer is one that is negative.  During the Battle of Britain in World War II  Winston Churchill was able to inspire the British people by giving them a goal that was achievable.  After the United States was attacked in 1941 at Pearl Harbor then President  Franklin Delano  Roosevelt appeared on television to encourage the shocked American public that “…We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”. 

Innovative and creative leadership are absolutely essential at this point in the history of this country.  We  need a leader who knows how to visualize a new goal of Energy Independence and how to state it as official policy so that a new generation will be able to participate in a national agenda that is worthy and worthwhile.

“The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself” 

HBO produced the docudrama “Warm Springs”, which aired on television this past week, the subject being the period of time immediately after Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted polio.  Roosevelt, the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was a formidable political personality having grown up the only son of a wealthy New England family.  Infantile Paralysis as it was also known took away Roosevelt’s ability to walk so he decided to try out a place in Georgia known for its warm waters infused with the mineral magnesium.  Rumors of a child learning to walk in their pool inspired Roosevelt to begin his rehabilitation.  He arrived at the run-down spa in 1924 and proceeded to spend the next few years paddling around the pool reputed to have healing qualities.  Eventually he bought the place outright and turned it into the first major center for the treatment of polio, a disease that carried the same stigma as Aids does now.

Guests were originally made to eat in a separate dining room and allowed to use the pool only in the off-hours. 

When Roosevelt subsequently re-entered public life in 1928 he was only able to walk to the stage at the Democratic National Convention with the aid of his son on whom he leaned heavily while walking with a small cane.  The truth at that point was that Franklin was still unable to stand unsupported; a fact that would have ended his political carrier had anyone photographed  him being carried up the back stairs to that ;pivotal appearance. 

Four years later Roosevelt was elected to the Presidency in the midst of the Great Depression.  On the day he took office there was a run on the banks and he was forced to close them all for four days while he summoned the bankers and the politicians to Washington to find a way to keep the U.S. solvent.

Roosevelt is best remembered for his inaugural speech in which he stated: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself; nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”  Roosevelt was a man who conquered his private fears of inadequacy and humiliation and was therefore eminently qualified to speak to the country about fear and resolve and to inspire a generation to face their anxiety and move forward...

Where are our leaders now who can do the same?

The Pope and the President: A Culture of Life? 

This is the week that the Pope is lying in state in Vatican City having passed away recently. This Pope was in power for twenty six years  Not to miss any opportunity to weigh in on an important issue Senator Pete Dominici, Republican Senator from New Mexico  had this to say:  The Pope and the President were basically in agreement  both supporting  a “culture of  life”  When challenged about the difference in their views on the death penalty which Bush supports and the Pope did not, Dominici replied that he  did not really want to go into that.   

 The White House Press Secretary also promoted the idea that like that President the Pope also supported a “culture of life”.  When challenged by an outspoken reporter who mentioned that the Pope had categorically stated that the War in Iraq represented “a defeat for humanity”, the W.H. spokesperson refused to answer the query.  

On the program Crossfire this week a host just decided “not to argue” with a guest who brought forward the same contradiction: a culture of life that originated this -war in Iraq and also supports the death penalty…hmmmm 

The Christian Conservative movement which elected George Bush twice on so-called moral issues, gay marriage and abortion being top of the list, evidently  believes it has the authority to tell the rest of us what to do and how to think, yet when confronted with inconsistencies in this “culture of life” doctrine its proponents decline to answer.  This reluctance to carry on a dialogue with the American public and the other two branches of government, designed by the framers of the U.S.Constitution to function independently of the Executive Branch, has damaged the fabric of democracy, a method of governing requiring large doses of accountability and open debate.  Some would say that we citizens are currently not living in a democracy, but instead under a dictatorship, the difference being that the former encourages minority opinions while the latter does not. 

If this is so, then what must we do?

True Lies

So many things have happened in the past week that have illuminated the issue of what is truly heroic and noteworthy in our society.  Living in this media dominated world that often programs its audience how to think it is positively refreshing to view the best of what a person can do in the face of difficult even impossible life situations.

In 1980 John Walsh was  a father living in South Florida when a terrible incident occurred.  His wife Reve was shopping in Sears Department Store in Hollywood, Florida.  Mom stepped away for a few minutes leaving her six year old son with a group of other young boys  in the video game section.  When she returned several minutes later her son had disappeared.  She immediately alerted the staff in the store who apparently did nothing deciding that she was over-reacting.  Reve immediately called her husband John who rushed to the store expecting to find legions of police assembled to help find his son; however, the police, as it turns out, had not even been called.  Being a pro-active individual Walsh called his boss at the Hollywood Diplomat Hotel and together they got the press involved which was a revolutionary move at the time   They also assembled a team of volunteers to comb the area looking for young Walsh.  Days passed and there were no leads.  Walsh then contacted Good Morning America and fly with his wife to New York to appear on the program asking for help in finding his son.  A short time before he and Reve were scheduled to appear on TV his son’s decapitated head was found by fishermen floating in a canal just off the Florida turnpike.  Walsh was alerted that something had been found yet he still elected to go on the morning program reusing to believe that it was his son.  Shortly after appearing on the program he was told that it had been confirmed that the body part was indeed his son. 

What followed from that moment on is truly a story of heroic proportions; in fact, John Walsh is a true American hero.  Throughout the years Walsh continued to pursue every lead getting the FBI involved and setting up the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Walsh also appeared on the Fox television show America’s Most Wanted which has captured an impressive number of abductors over the years by featuring the photos and  abduction details of missing children in America.  Walsh has had to live a very secluded life with his wife and three other children all these years due to death threats but he maintains that he is willing to make this sacrifice because the work that he does is so important.  This man is an example of what is best about this country and what its citizens are capable of when confronted with a challenge. 

There is another example that we are also faced with which demonstrates exactly the opposite and that is the heinous behavior of President George W. Bush and others in his cabinet who lie to send our children to war in Iraq, who grandstand over an issue of state’s rights through the shameless exploitation of the Terry Schiavo case, and who pretend to care about the welfare of American citizens while bankrupting our treasury through ponzi schemes such as the latest recommendation for the privatization of social security.  Hint: the British tried that several years ago and are now retiring that plan as it did not produce the results they intended; in fact, it was a colossal failure. 

It is sometimes  hard to remember who we are as a country but our heritage belongs to your and me and no one has the right to take that away, not even our  so-called elected .leaders

Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson and More 

The media in the U.S. is really something else.  It is so “bought and sold” that it insults the intelligence of even the average viewer.  The latest “barbarian invasion” into our collective sanity is the circus that passes for coverage of the trials and incarceration of Michael Jackson and Martha Stewart.  Give me a break, please! 

Starting with Stewart, it is not really clear exactly what she is supposed to have done, but I heard that a government witness was caught lying on the stand during her trial, but it seems that nothing happened with that, or at least it was not covered in the regular press, big surprise!  Next we have the situation with close Bush friend Kenneth Lay, the former CEO of Enron, you remember, the energy management company that cooked its books and bilked thousands of its loyal employees out of millions of dollars in stock dividends.  It is fairly well documented that Lay lied to his employee-investors during a stock meeting while he secretly sold his stock to avoid personal losses.  Now you would think that of the two “criminals” Lay would be more aggressively pursued, both in the media and in the courtroom, but this is twenty first century America where law and order is a negotiable concept if you have enough money, remember OJ Simpson?  Simpson now lives in a swank house in Miami, Florida where the homestead rule allows an individual to pour all his assets into his home and thereby avoid paying bills owed; hence, he has not paid the family of murder victim Ron Goldman anything in spite of losing a civil suit which required him to pay damages. 

Back to Lay, have you seen any coverage in the media about the fate of this guy?  Several years ago I heard a little something about a Grand Jury indictment, but nothing more; however, Martha Stewart is big news.   She was tried, convicted and sent to prison where she did her time.  Where is Kenneth Lay these days; why isn’t the media following u8p on that story which affected so many hard working citizens whose life savings were wiped out by his actions? 

The life of Michael Jackson is very sad actually; his father formed the Jackson Five and booked the children into night clubs when they were quite young and did not always supervise them it seems.  So it seems reasonable to assume that bad things may have happened to young Michael, a cute kid which may explain some of his adult behavior with little boys. Even though he is now technically an adult, it is so obvious that something is terribly wrong with him; the media hype surrounding his life and trial is really awful, like buzzards to the kill. 

Why didn’t someone in charge, close to Jackson, know that this guy was doing something weird with little boys and stop him years ago?  You never saw him with adult women or even little girls, only lots of little boys.  What kind of parent would allow their little boys to spend unsupervised time with a boy-man who looks as strange as Jackson does?  I think that this whole situation with Jackson will end badly and it seems that the entire world is just waiting for the grisly details.

What’s going on? 

While reading the local paper I read an article about Plantation High School having a special event called Battle of the Bands during which students from the high school performed to raise money for VH1 Save the Music, a campaign designed to put music back into the public school system.  While noteworthy in itself one feels the need to ask why this is necessary? 

This week the PBS program “Now” featured a news item stating that ninety per cent of the billions in new U.S. debt is owned by foreign investors with Japan investing heavily in U.S. Treasury Bonds.  There is concern that if any particular country decided to dump the dollar it could start a run on our currency. 

There was also a story on the real background of U.S. foreign aid which suggested that the real purpose in “helping” other countries is to set up a debtor program which will forever lock that nation into debt repayment to the U.S.  Remember former President John F. Kennedy creating the Peace Corps for the sole purpose of sending volunteers to countries in need who would live in the country for two years and observe local customs while training locals how to practically improve their life. 

It seems that the last forty years, with a few exceptions, have just been a backlash  against the freedoms and advancements in domestic and foreign relations that were brought about by the inspiring leaders who were mysteriously disappeared such as Senator Robert  F. Kennedy, President John Kennedy, Reverend Martin Luther King, the Black Panther leadership and others. 

Then we have the whole dance that this administration is engaging in with other countries in the “axis of evil” particularly the tango with  Iraq, the two step with Iran, and the cha cha with Syria. 

What happened to a government of the people and for the people where the taxes collected are used for music programs in the public school system, where the national budget is balanced each year, and where foreign entanglements are virtually non-existent?  What has happened to this country?   American citizens need to start asking this question before it is too late.

Seeing Things as They Are 

“Some people see things as they are and ask, Why?  Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not?  Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that crap.”  -George Carlin

In the midst of the economic, social and political meltdown that is America these days a ray of sunshine appears on the horizon, or should I say Verizon, namely a new product that will connect diverse yet important services in one place.  It is a cell phone that contains games, email, video in addition to the usual functions of  a phone.  This is probably an idea whose time ahs come since people seem to have their cell phone semi-[permanently attached to the side of their head…I was in a restaurant once and observed a diner talking on his phone throughout his entire dinner, and mine as well.  Not that I actually wanted to hear his conversation, yet it was loud enough for me to. 

So what are people actually doing with all these forms of communication?  Are people better informed, more actualized, happier?  Do they have more information that is useful at their fingertips?  Is life better as a result of this increased opportunity to “reach out and touch someone”? 

I remember when phones were all what was called “party line”; that is, you shared your land line with other people, and they would often be on “your” line when you picked up your phone, thus, conversations were short and to the point.  As far as long distance was concerned, that was a rarity.  When we received a long distance call,  it was of major importance and all parties involved were aware of its value. 

I wonder if more is necessarily better; if people really have anything of value to say with all the phone usage that is happening, if we are really valuing the opportunity or just wasting it, driving poorly and losing our manners in the process.

A Question of Ethics 

It seems that Jesse Helms is upset about Bill Clinton, former President of the U.S. during its period of prosperity and positive influence in the world.  Ever since Bush 11 appointed Mr. Clinton to oversee the Tsunami Relief along with Bush 1 Helms has suspected a conspiracy; and has stated in letters he mailed out for donations to his own personal library that “…putting a left wing, undisciplined and ethically challenged…former President of the United States into any position of power would be a tragic mistake”.  

Hmmmm. 

If ethics is defined as what serves the greatest good for the greatest number of people, then I am wondering about the ethics of the current architects of the Iraq War.  I am referring to the Bush team including Wolfowitz, Pearl, Rumsfeld, Cheney and Rice, not to mention Bush 11.  Given that this War was based on total falsehoods, is this War not a .”…tragic mistake”? 

How about the falsehoods that our new Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice perpetrated about the numerous specific warnings received in the nine months prior to 9/11 as reported in the classified version of The 9/11 Commission Report; are these also  “…a tragic mistake’? 

What about the strangely shaped box outlined on the back of the suit jacket of Bush 11 during the first Presidential debate in 2004, clearly identified by experts as a system of communication used by broadcaste3rs who need to stay in touch with their copy desk?

Was this another “…tragic mistake”? 

The proposed privatization of social security  which would cost trillions of dollars just to implement as will as providing those well-healed backers of the Bush agenda to reap the financial rewards of such investments at tax payers expense; a system that other countries such as Great Britain have tried and failed with.  Would this not be a “…tragic mistake”? 

The real question here is whether or not the American public sees a pattern emerging here; or is iit too late to do anything about this rogue administration which does not seek to behave ethically, to do the greatest good for the greatest number of its own citizens but rather to advance their Project for a New American Century as laid out in their manifesto published in the j1990’s when Clinton was President and they stated that”…implementation of our program will take a long time unless an incident like Pearl Harbor can galvanize the American public….”

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” 

In the midst of the government’s “War on Clarity” one’s wits are tested again and again.  Just this past week we have had to endure Condi Rice’s “Oliver North-like” testimony in front of Congress during the confirmation hearings for her potential new job as Secretary of State.   

Having won the “high school popularity contest” that passes for a Presidential Election, our “fearless leader” GW is marching ahead using his “mandate” with new appointments such as Alberto Gonzalez?, nominated for National Security Advisor    This is the White House  lawyer who crafted the new definition of torture that has allowed the abuses of Abu Ghraib and Gauntanamo to be excused by this administration. 

Interestingly when GW was interviewed by Barbara Walters  last week on 20/20 she opened up the discussion by saying: “So let’s begin the torture”.  Is this a “slip of the tongue”; the truth breaking through in spite of efforts by all concerned to the contrary? 

PBS presented a program recently celebrating the life of Jacqueline Bauvier Kennedy Onassis.  Jackie was the First Lady from 1961-1963.  She spoke several languages and was educated at Vassar.  During her tenure she brought culture to the White House:  musicians, poets, authors, entertainers from all walks of life and countries were welcomed at White House soirees. On a very famous visit to France, President John F. Kennedy was heard to remark: “I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris.”  French President Charles de Gaulle, a notoriously difficult leader, was charmed by the couple and America was able to maintain rapport with an important ally. 

It was interesting to note the explanation by White House Press Security in response to the government ‘s official statement that after two years of  US occupation in Iraq there are in fact, no WMD's, no poisonous gasses, no atomic weapons and no mysterious diseases, all reasons for this war which were given by Bush and Cheney. “The War in Iraq is justified still because of the Oil For Food controversy with the UN”, maintain our leaders. 

I want to ask the Red States, the Congress, and the American media: how much will it take before we don’t get fooled again?

We owe future generations and the rest of the world an answer.

As John Stossel Would Say: “Give Me A Break!”

Watching the news is almost funny these days, if you have a dark sense of humor and can detach yourself from the realization that what we see is what we are getting, if it smells like ---- that it probably is ----, know what I mean? 

First, there is the under/over reaction of the White House to the disaster in Southeast Asia.  The US pledges fifteen million, no wait it’s three hundred fifteen million, wait, GW is pledging ten thousand of his own money, and the “piece de resistance”, a photo op with brother Jeb, currently Governor of Florida, but obviously being groomed for 2008, don’t you think? Then there were the pitches to “ordinary” Americans, those not in the bottom percentile (who may qualify for a social program or two from the Bush government) or not in the top percentile (who regularly get tax relief from the Bush government), those who work several jobs just to be able to pay their credit card debt, unprecedented in the history of America.  Seeing Bush Senior sitting next to Bill Clinton asking us to all send money to people on the other side of the world when most people in this country have not recovered from the many disasters which happened here in 2004, remember the four hurricanes within six weeks in Florida, is just ridiculous. 

Then there is the continuing revamping of the messaged on the “War on Terrorism” and how well it is actually going;  it is just that nasty “liberal” press that spoils it all by mentioning all those negative things, like the lack of armor for the tanks in Iraq, the abuse of detainees in Iraq, Guantanamo, and Afghanistan, and the total lack of preparation for the invasion of Iraq, little things like that. 

Yesterday I was watching a program on MSNBC which featured both military and governmental experts on both sides of the fence in which several pundits concurred that recycling the National Guard and the Reserve several times by extending their agreed-upon tours of duty was not the way to run the “war”.  Yet GW persists in defending the outrageous behavior of this Secretary of Defense by stating, with a straight face, that  “Donald Rumsfeld is a bit tough on the outside, but really a nice guy  on the inside.”  Rumsfeld is the guy who asked to speak to the troops on a recent visit to Kuwait and when a soldier asked him why there were no armor for the tanks replied that  “…it is really a matter of physics…and by the way you can get blown up in a tank even if you have armor….”

The government released a report on WMDs……… 

The Loyal Opposition 

In the UK the political system allows for the party in power to be challenged by the party that is not in power; in fact, it is expected that a vigorous debate will be the order of the day on all matters pertaining to the business of governing.  If you have ever watched the weekly sessions televised on PBS from the House of Commons, where the Prime Minister is virtually grilled by MP’s on all matters relevant to the people, you will notice that nothing is held back by the questioners and that the PM rises to answer each and every query in detail.  Actually Mr. Blair frequently refers to his notes when answering the very specific, blunt questions that are lobbed at him for upwards of an hour by “The Loyal Opposition”. 

Since Britain is a Constitutional Monarchy, the ruling Monarch is the titular head of the government and as such has the duty of opening Parliament each session and “appointing” the head of the government.  During WWII the King decided to form what is called a “coalition government” and appointed Winston Churchill to lead that government for the duration of the war; thus assuring that all political parties in Britain would be forced to work as a team during the war. 

After the war ended it was back to business as usual in the UK; Winston Churchill was not elected, and once again, the Loyal Opposition, the party not in power, publicly posed a different point of view on all policy matters.  Since the election process is much shorter in Britain, six weeks; and as the party that is elected with the most seats to the House of Commons, similar to our House of Representatives, presents the leader of the party to the Monarch to be recognized as the Prime Minister; the Loyal Opposition has all its “shadow” cabinet members in place, as well as its policies that are publicly known through debate as the Loyal Opposition; so the transfer of power occurs the next day after the election. 

Watching the discussion in the houses of Congress this week about the electoral college votes being officially registered for the next government here in the US was very interesting in this “free” society where the people are charged to govern themselves.  Many of our elected representatives appeared outraged that anyone would challenge the results of the 2004 election at all.  Voting irregularities have been occurring for many years and the 2000 election certainly brought these to the fore; however, in spite of efforts by Representative Maxine Walters to correct these inconsistencies, the 2005 election was similarly marred, especially in Ohio, New Mexico, and possibly Florida. Yet to listen to the rhetoric of some members, mostly Republican, in our Congress, it would appear that any discussion of voting procedures is unseemly, though the newspapers in the rest of the world were carrying this discussion as front page news, presumably because they deemed it part of our political process.   The real question is why don’t all Americans see debate as an indication of strength of our “democracy”?  Surely the cornerstone of a free society is its willingness to openly discuss all aspects of its process of government likewise one would expect the national press to dutifully report this discussion, in a free and open society….

We can choose to be peaceful 

The intense nature of this holiday season makes you wonder what is the point?  Today I was standing in the not-moving line at the library window for video pickup, when I realized that I had a choice to make as to how to handle the situation.  My schedule is overfull, just like most people, and the last thing that I wanted to do was wait to be served.  My first response was to be pissed off and just leave in a huff without my reserved CD.  My second response was to stay in line and be obviously annoyed, muttering, not quietly, to no one in particular, and also pace back and forth. All very predictable reactions to a situation that I could not control but wanted to. 

Then, after consulting with myself, I came upon a third option, which was to engage the person in line ahead of me in conversation about the predicament that we both shared, feeling impatient.  The resulting interaction was both entertaining and enlightening, after which another librarian appeared to help out with the line; something that both of us actually wanted. 

What I learned from this small miracle is that we always have a choice with regard to how we react to a situation; we don’t have to be victims.   We are adults; we can always make a different choice. 

Tis the Season to be Frantic 

There is something different about this year’s holiday season, probably because there is something different about the whole year could it be the four hurricanes we sustained in Florida, the  abrasive Presidential “selection” process, the contentious and never- ending war in Iraq, the declining value of the dollar in the world market, the fictitious, rosy  reports from the media about the State of the Union, the drumbeat of interruptions from myriad technological devices that never allow any moment of potential stillness  to go undisturbed? 

Driving in traffic in South Florida is never a pleasant experience even though we have near- perfect weather and wide roads, which should ensure the best road conditions.  The problem is the drivers who are really unable to handle talking on their cell phone while turning a corner, in spite of having passed the Florida “driving test” with flying colors.  

Most people I have talked to .are totally overwhelmed with the need to shop for presents, food and decorations which has been thrust upon them by the impending holiday, on top of their already tight schedule. It is all just another chore since we don’t have enough time in this country to vacation or relax anyway.   

So what is the answer? 

Perhaps we should take a page out of the President’s book?  Just walk around, wave and smile a lot, reiterate your support for the positive view of anything and everything and above all, never answer any direct questions that involve unpleasant facts.  Just today the President was featured on Fox News explaining that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is just a bit abrasive sometimes on the outside, but on the inside he is really a great person.     Never mind the lack of planning, the lack of equipment, and the lack of international support for the War in Iraq that Rumsfeld supervised.  According to our Commander in Chief we should all just trust him and stop worrying about minor details such as the lack of armour for US tanks that one of our troops mentioned to Rumsfeld recently.  After all, as the Secretary said, even if the tank had armour it could still be blown up anyway…. 

Cheers! 

The Unmet Promise of America 

To many people around the world America is a promise, an idea, an ideal that captures the imagination in a way nothing else has in recent history.  Freedom, equality of opportunity, a government of the people, by the people, for the people-what’s not to like?

In the movie “Control Room”, a documentary filmed in Iraq during the American invasion, a reporter for the news station Al Jazeera expressed faith in the American constitution and way of life even though American military forces had apparently purposely just bombed its Baghdad headquarters.  

Abbie Hoffman, great American political activist, once stated that the response to political activism is first to trivialize, then to demonize, then to ignore. 

Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American to be elected to the U.S. Congress, stated “I don’t measure America by its achievement, but by its potential.” Wish that were so, but I believe that the time is past where a country that is over two hundred years old can still make this claim.  This statement is similar to parents trying to explain why their twenty- something child is still living at home deciding he wants to do with his life. America is a force in the world; a superpower whose voice and actions carry weight. So there is no room for excuses.

I received an email from a friend who was commenting on the recent Presidential election summarizing it up as a polarizing event that went smoothly on Election Day whose results we will all learn to live with.  All I can say is that I will never learn to live with mediocrity, deceit, and stupidity.  I would hope that all thinking Americans would not either because the rest of the world expects more from this country at this critical juncture in world history; we must be the light of the world that John Kennedy referred to in his speeches.  Selecting f or the second time an individual whose very physical presence suggest arrogance and pride, who adopts a bullying attitude toward the United Nations and who announced “bring it on” as a foreign policy is the antithesis of what this country is supposed to stand for: liberty and justice for all.

America: The Divided States 

In 1992 I voted for Ross Perot along with twenty percent of voters; Perot was registered in fifty states and was supported by an informed and energized base of senior citizens.  Another twenty percent of the voting population claimed to want to vote for Perot, but were quoted by pollsters as saying, “They did not think that he could win”, so they decided not to “waste their vote”. 

In 2000 I voted for Ralph Nader along with about five percent of the voting population, and then, of course, through a contested election G.W. Bush was selected by the Supreme Court as the forty-third President of these Divided States.  Subsequently the last four years have been just awful due in large part to the Bush Team’s predilection for violence as a foreign policy.  Of course, it is popular to justify the disregard for human rights as a “necessary evil” in the War on Terror.  As my Dad said, we do have to defend ourselves in the face of the threats posed “pre” and “post” 9/11; however, the way in which our government has chosen to acquit itself in the presence of this danger is an abomination and an affront to all sensitive people everywhere. 

In 2004 I voted for John Kerry, partly because he is “not Bush”, and partly because I believe that he can be a good leader, if he is able to stay focused on his core values: environmental stewardship, political activism, international cooperation, corporate regulation.  I have an election button which features a double photo of the young John Lennon and the equally young John Kerry, both with long hair, with the inscription “Imagine.”  For those who know the song penned by Lennon, its lyrics entice the world of humanity to “Imagine there’s no country, imagine there’s no…………, in other words we could imagine peace and see what happens.  Lennon spent the later part of his short life having “Peace Ins” and asking people to consider peace as an option.  While President, Richard Nixon attempted to have him deported from t he U.S. primarily because Lennon was very visibly against the Vietnam War; how dare he, a foreigner meddle in the business of war! 

The promise of endless war by the Bush Team is not only unappealing, but it is also stupid.  Read “Imperial Hubris” by Anonymous, a high ranking Intelligence Officer in the U.S. government in which Anon argues that we will not win peace with the Middle East until we make an effort to understand why they are so pissed off.  Reason number one: the Black Ops part of  our government is busy causing chaos in other countries, unbeknownst to most of us ordinary citizens, that is not in the best interest of the citizens of those nations, and Reason number two, the U.S. State Department usually sides with the Jewish part of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and has equipped that nation with nuclear weapons while waging war to control the acquisition of such by any Arab country, in other we are playing favorites and it is not going unnoticed by Muslims. 

 In his latest videotape Bin Laden tells the American people that their safety lies in their own hands, not with any political leader.  He also describes how wealthy and corrupt leaders have disregarded the needs of the people in Saudi Arabia and also in the United States.  Hmmm, what an interesting parallel he draws.  Evidently Bin Laden has been writing letters to the American people for years telling them exactly what he is doing and why he is doing it.  Perhaps actually having access to this info and reading it with a more open mind might allow a more flexible approach to this “problem”.  In the aftermath of 9/11 the government contacted writers in Hollywood and asked them to write scenarios that a terrorist might consider vis-à-vis the U.S. since some report said that its cause was a “failure of the imagination”.   Could that also be a failure of imagining positive outcomes and positive solutions? 

Bin Laden: Safety is Up to You

Our current political arena is flooded with issues on the local, state, federal and international level that a responsible citizen really must understand and deal with; this is one of the many requirements for living in a democracy. As it has been said, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. We are the generation that is now being asked to take on the responsibility of our society  in the midst of a  very confusing and contradictory environment. 

The cable channel C-Span2 featured author Corey Robin whose new book Fear: The History of a Political Idea discusses the idea that with the fall of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of the Cold War between the US and the USSR, our country no longer had the identifiable bad guy that we could define our national character against, and in the vacuum that ensued, the clarification of value in the new paradigm did not come to fruition through national debate as it could have.  Instead the politics of undefined fear took hold and was inflamed with the attack of 9/11.  The American public went into shock at the sight of the destruction of the Twin Towers being repeatedly shown in the aftermath with the possible effect that many are still in PTSS, thus unable to think and reason, only to emote.  This might explain the venal nature of this year’s elections. 

Kevin Costner said as much on this week’s edition of the HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher. Costner is neither Republican nor Democrat; he would like to hear more debate on the numerous domestic issues that face this country thus Ralph Nader should be included in all debates so that other opinions can be heard by all. Nader has been demonized by the Democrats and blamed for the Gore loss in 2000, and this time around he is being courted and financially supported by Republicans in key battleground states with the intention of taking votes away from John Kerry. Costner appeared sad and confused that our democracy is not allowing its citizens to hear any politician’s views in the face of the difficulties facing our country. How can any citizen decide what is best and how to vote if the information is not readily available in the midst of a campaign? 

In Britain, candidates have six weeks in which to campaign; any candidate may put forward a small deposit that entitles them to equal time on television, which will allow the voters to make an informed decision.  Money is not an issue; neither is party affiliation.  In fact, there are currently four parties in Britain; the conservative, The Liberals, the Labor and the Social Democrats; hence there are more choices and more coalition building within the country. 

A pollster was asked who he thought would win the election if it were held imminently and he said that if “Not Bush” was the only other choice, “Not Bush” would win. It seems that a majority of the people of America want a change, but they also want more choice as well. Isn’t this the American way’s freedom of choice? 

Bin Laden sent a new tape to Al Jazeera this week which has been roundly condemned, but in the book Imperial Hubris the author, who is a high ranking intelligence expert, states that Bin Laden has been trying to communicate with the American people for years about his views of America and the reasons for his threats and attacks, but we have not really been able to hear those messages, possibly for the same reason as we don’t get to hear Ralph Nader and other third party candidates: our paternalistic government is deciding for us what is important and useful and what is not. Bin Laden stated quite clearly in his latest message that it is the actions of the American government, not the American people, that he objects to. Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea what the Black Ops part of our government has been up to; the rest of the world knows only too well that the CIA and other shadowy figures have been busy interfering in the business of other governments for years (Allende in Chile, Diem in South Vietnam, Noreiga in Panama, and other dealings between the Bush family, Don Rumsfeld and the Saudi Royal Family). We Americans do not really possess all the information that we would need on a national or international level to make informed decisions about what direction we want our country to go in and who we want to lead us. We are in the dark, so to speak, and yet the rest of the world has such faith in our ability to govern ourselves. In the film Control Room, one of the Al Jazeera reporters says that even though Bush has misled the world over the war in Iraq, he believes in the American constitution and the ability of the American election process to correct this mistake. 

America is an ideal of freedom that has excited the world; it is now time for the American people to live up to that promise first made in 1776 by demanding, installing and supervising a government of the people, by the people and for the people, so help us all. As the folk group Relatively Yours states in their song I Pledge Allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the people of this country and of all the world, and to the republic, which lends a hand, one planet under peace, with liberty and just for all.” 

  BBC Question Time: An Opportunity for Civil Debate 

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the taping of the popular television show Question Time, hosted by David Dimbleby in Miami this week. The show is live and is televised directly to Great Britain and to the world on the same day.  The reason for the taping in Miami was the importance of the upcoming Presidential election and also the role that the state of Florida played in the 2000 election. 

The show was presented in a town meeting format with five guest panelists: Michael Moore, Fahrenheit 9/11 filmmaker; Sydney Blumenthal, former advisor to President Clinton; Richard Littlejohn, Sun reporter; Lida Rodriguez-Tasseff, Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade Electoral Reform Coalition; and David Frum, the Bush assistant responsible for the phrase “Axis of Evil.” 

The audience filled out question forms beforehand, and a number of people were selected to ask their questions during the show. The audience was strongly encouraged to respond to the discussions of the guest panelists and also to the opinions stated by other audience members. 

The audience was quite diverse, comprised of various backgrounds and political views. As a result, the discussion was lively and informative, yet courteous and civil. The moderator David Dimbleby skillfully negotiated the repartee between the panelists and the audience making sure that all had a chance to voice a question or opinion. At one point a gentleman at the back of the room started shouting over the commentary of one of the panelists and Dimbleby lightly intervened explaining that if the man continued on his rampage, no one would be heard. The man became quiet, the panelists finished his thought, and Dimbleby then invited the protestor to continue with his point, allowing a civilized debate to occur. 

At the end of the show, David Dimbleby asked for a “generosity of Spirit” among the panelists, at which point Michael Moore reached over and shook hands with Bush associate David Frum. After all the acrimony displayed in America between the different political groups, it would be useful to learn something here from the British – that the civil discourse, not hateful rhetoric, is the foundation of a democratic society. 

Voting in the US in 2004: A Lesson in Civics

It seems that all Americans are being given an in depth civics lesson, whether they want it or not, due in part to the fact that voting in this upcoming Presidential election is proving increasingly difficult.  Reports of voting problems are rampant, and not just in Florida this time, although Florida is having its fair share of issues in t hat department. My “favorite” is the missing 55,000 absentee ballots that were supposedly mailed by the office of the new Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes; the “old” one Miriam Oliphant was removed last year by Governor Jeb Bush for incompetence and cronyism.  The Post Office says that they don’t know why these ballots were not received by voters who requested them Michael Mayo, local columnist for the Sun-Sentinel wrote in a recent column that stamps required to mail the ballot was 80 cents yet amount indicated on the envelope from the Elections office is only 60 cents so there was concern that these ballots would not be returned with correct postage, and thus, not be received in time for the November 2 election. 

Early voting has been available to voters in Broward County seven days a week since October 18th, yet   I have been unable to actually vote, due to long lines at my chosen location.  Since citizens are able to vote at any number of locations at this point prior to November 2nd, we are not even talking about having to go to your exact precinct on the specific day of the election.  This greater latitude should provide for greater freedom in voting, however, it seems that with 1.5 million new voters here in Florida, the system is struggling to adapt to a galvanized citizenry.  International observers from fifteen countries will be in Florida for this election; pundits are calling this a “world election” due to the immense interest in its outcome. 

My father who lives in Ohio mentioned to me on Friday October 29^th that he expects that Ohio will be the “Florida” of the 2004 election due to paper ballots, controversy over the proper weight of the ballot, the use of a butterfly ballot which once again does not line up names of the candidates properly, According to Bill Moyer's Now, a news magazine on PBS, half a million more poll workers are still needed for this election nationwide. 

Our democracy needs the attention of all of us for it to work properly, and for some reason, this is news to many of us.  Wouldn’t you think that during the twelve years many children are held hostage in the public school system, information on voting procedures and how our government works would be included?  I met a young woman this week in a local store who espoused an interest in voting in this election, but who realized too late that she needed to be registered one month before the actual election. I encouraged her to register now anyway, so that in the future, she would be able to vote.

It has been suggested that voting was originally designed by the framers of the Constitution to include only white property owners, as it was assumed that they would definitely take the time and trouble to be informed of issues that affected their welfare whereas other segments of our society would not.  With twenty-two million single women not voting in the last Presidential election, and a less than fifty per cent voter turnout in previous elections, perhaps they were right?

George Carlin and the Politics of Disenchantment

The Sixties comedian George Carlin recently visited the South Florida area for several gigs. Carlin was famous for his seven words you cannot say on television and other skits having to do with the futility of life.  Carlin is disillusioned with politics in this country believing that democracy has been sold out, so why bother voting because it is all the same, no matter who you vote for.

This election has so many ifs and buts attached to it that voters may well decide that the chances of a fair election are slim to none; however, as much as it is the right of any American to abstain from voting, it is noteworthy that the election of 1800 between Jefferson and Burr was so close that it went into the House where it was voted on thirty times before Jefferson won by one vote.

My great concern is not that Americans won’t vote, or even that their vote won’t be counted, but that the media will somehow influence this election by their predictions the day of the election, much like they did in 2000.  They should be prohibited from announcing any winners or losers until the following day, and then only with a caveat that this is their opinion, and not a fact. 

What with the Sinclair Network, a media consolidation with sixty nine stations nationwide, intending to show an anti Kerry film as a directive from the Head Office, anyone remember Clear Channel influencing its station to drop the Dixie Chicks after lead singer Natalie Mains criticized Bush while visiting London; so much for free speech.  Actually what is free about speech on the networks in this country when both candidates combined have spent over a billion dollars during this campaign advertising, mostly on television?

We need to have the airwaves freely carry all candidates for a Presidential election so that the voters truly have a choice.  Then the networks will not have so much power over the American people.

A free country needs to have a free media with free elections made possible by free access to information by free political speech.  Let’s get the corporations out of the government.  There is a documentary movie just out called “The Corporation” which addresses this issue.  I hope that people go to see it.  As Nader and Perot so rightly point out, corporate ownership and interference in government is a threat to the proper working of the free enterprise system, and as we can all see by the barrage of paid political advertisements on television. 

As he left office, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower commented that America needed to beware of the influence and power of the “military-industrial” complex, and in private he was reported to have added “congress,"

“Breaking News” 

This week I was watching one of my favorite morning shows on tape only to find out that Channel 6 had decided to interrupt it with something they refer to as “breaking news”, actually a story of a yacht burning in the Fort Lauderdale river.   Unfortunate as it probably is to the owner, this event is not something that I need to see, let alone watch for several minutes. 

I remember several years ago when the Elian Gonzalez incident was front page news in Florida, all the television channels chose to interrupt all programs at a whim; one time it was the Grandmothers arriving at the airport in Atlanta from Cuba, a full five minutes several times during the same hour.  When I called to complain the television station responded that many people were interested in their arrival. 

Back in the “old days” when news was actually reserved for the News Hour, twice a day, it would have been unthinkable for any program to be interrupted, except in extreme situations, such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the murder of John Lennon.  Otherwise, we could wait a few hours to find out what happened that day. 

Since we now live in Short Attention Span Theater, as they say, it seems that nothing can wait, even if that something is really not that important, it still remains urgent in the minds of the media.  No wonder more and more kids are diagnosed with ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder; gee, I wonder why. 

The First Debate: So What’s New Here? 

The highly anticipated first 2004 Presidential Debate took place last week.  I must confess that I have only watched about one half hour of my taped version so far; however, I have heard many comments about how each candidate performed, from co-workers, friends, family and news analysis. The overwhelming consensus seems to be that President Bush was out-pointed and out-debated by Senator Kerry, a former Captain of the Yale Debate Team. 

I was watching The Daily Show last week which featured an important Republican strategist who stated that since Kerry was known as a debate champion he would be expected to do well in the upcoming debates, but that Bush was a leader and not necessarily a debater.  Upon reflection it seems that this Republican knew that Bush would not do well the following week so he pre-framed the result.  

I am amazed at how many people have said that they feel sorry for Bush since he seemed so disoriented, so confused, so tired, so ill at ease.  I am equally surprised that anyone is surprised at how much this President does not know and makes excuses for his mistakes, There is a political ad running recently which said how can you correct your mistakes if you won’t admit to making them? 

Bush says,” it is hard work to change from a tyranny to a democracy”.  This is a problem of our foreign policy that the New Conservatives have put forward front and center since the Bush administration came to power:  American will solve the problems of the world. 

Kerry: “Bush’s father said he did not go into the Iraq in 1991 because there was no viable exit strategy; our troops would be occupiers in a hostile land, which is where we find ourselves today.” 

For those who watched “Fahrenheit 9/11” and saw the “deer in the headlight look” on the face of Bush Jr. when he was told that the country was under attack.  Actually he was told that a plane hit the World Trade Center before he even left his hotel for the elementary school, but he got in his limo and proceeded onto a photo op regardless. 

So, what is the news here-that Bush is a liar, that he misled the American public, that he did not think ahead, that he sticks to the “same old same old”? 

I say, give me a break, and a new leader, soon.

Andy Rooney’s Great Idea: 

A One-Hour Nightly News Broadcast for Americans! 

Since CBS news anchor Dan Rather committed the great faux pas of falsely reporting the badly researched article on the military record of President Bush a few weeks ago, there has been a storm of protest from the Republicans about, once again, the “liberal bias of the news in this country”.  Unfortunately, this time they may be right!  It seems that Rather may have rushed to judgment on the preferred recruitment of young Bush for the Texas Air National Guard, partly because he wants it to be true, rather than proving it is true through documentation and careful research, the hallmarks of good journalism, something that we should be able to count on from Dan Rather and “60 Minutes”! 

On last night’s program resident commentator Andy Rooney, who ahs worked for CBS news for fifty-five years, offered a challenge to Sumner Redstone, President of Viacom, owner of this program.  Put together one-hour nightly news broadcast, which includes international news so that people in this country can start to learn about the rest of the world.  Rooney commented that there is too little international news on American television; most nightly news is allotted only twenty minutes, not enough time to actually cover any story in depth, in this age of twenty four hour entertainment, I remember watching the nightly news with Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite, not necessarily entertaining but certainly informative. In the UK the news is read and so you have a News Reader, hence, the purpose of their news is more educational and less entertaining.

All this need to entertain, as opposed to educated, seems to go along with the computer age, where children first learn to play video games, and then go to school where the teacher is put in the position of competing with the latest Madison avenue character, most of whom are fairly stupid-look at Barney! 

Rooney says that he wants to have a segment on this newly proposed nightly news hour called “Wait a Damn Minute, with Andy Rooney” where he can respond to the news, as it is read. 

I hope that Mr. Redstone listens to Rooney and incorporates this great idea immediately.  Americans are in dire need of some real news reporting as many people do not have cable television where C-Span (covers the U.S. House and Senate, BBC News, and other more international news sources are available to the viewer.

Hooker Clothes for Young Girls 

John Stossel has a segment on the program 20/20 called Give Me a Break every week on Friday night.  This week he opined about the trend in clothing and such for young girls which more and more dresses younger and younger girls in clothing that would have been suitable for prostitutes twenty years ago.  Such is the transformation of our society that skimpy midriffs, crotch hugging jeans, see through tops, and suggestive inscribed messages are all commonplace clothing for the tween and teen age groups. 

One young girl who was interviewed by Stossel commented that shops did not even sell shorts long enough to meet her school’s length requirements.  Another girl stated that the shorter the skirt the more cool it was to wear.  One eight-year-old when asked why shops only sold this type of risqué clothing responded by saying, “I guess that they just want to make money.” 

A few month’s ago a popular magazine featured photos of Madonna’s seven-year-old daughter playing at the park with her Mom on a slide.   A charming family portrait except that this young girl was dressed in a tight fitting skimpy top and figure hugging skirt and wearing thick soled high rise shoes with her hair pulled back in a bun; the ensemble was not only unsuitable for playing in the park, but also made the child look about fifteen, not seven. 

When my daughter was about this age MTV was just getting started; it was aired in primetime and much of the material was not really “G” rated.  The influence of the sexualization of children had begun and continues unabated today. 

The problem is that no one seems to be that concerned.  A parent of two girls remarked that she would not let her daughters hang out at the mall just because other parents had caved in, yet only a few years into the teens she relented and was allowing her fourteen year old to go off unsupervised and dressed up looking much older, so much older that a forty-something man asked her out. 

The internet has not helped the situation what with older guys and pedophiles surfing the net looking for “fresh meat” and finding it in spite of parent’s best efforts.  One forty something guy, a coach for the local softball team, pursued a thirteen-year-old girl on his team.  The parents found out and had the guy arrested.  They checked their daughter’s computer, located in the living room, continuously, even the email; yet, the perp was able to “IM” the girl,  convince her to take up jogging, and meet her for secret trysts. 

The commercialization of our children is yet another sign of a dysfunctional society.  Parents seem unwilling or unable to take control of corporate America’s calculated communication with their children.  Bill O’Reilly stated many years ago that parents need to get in the middle of this manipulation or Madison Avenue will become the parent instead, and who knows where this will all end up?

The Twenty-Eighth Olympiad: a way for individuals and nations to compete in peace

Watching the lush panoramic views of Greece which open up each day’s events at this 2004 Summer Olympics brings to mind a legacy of physical culture which has survived 3600 years of human history.  In a time when most of the news of the world is negative,

 it is positively refreshing to be absorbed in the culture of  hard work, enthusiasm, accomplishment, pride in performance, skills perfected.  It is stress- relieving to get into the world of focused sport, disciplined effort, stated goals.

As the head of the Olympic Committee stated at the impressive and graceful Opening Ceremonies the purpose of the Games is to allow the nations of the world to compete in an atmosphere of peace.  

On the other hand here at home we have the controversy over the 9/11 report which has generated yet another level of debate about national security and who did what when. A family member of one of the victims was commenting on C-Span this week about the Commission’s Report. .  Her recommendations include the following: giving everyone in charge the benefit of the doubt, getting away from finger pointing, supporting the men and women of the intelligence agencies who work 24/7.  This woman recounted the poisonous atmosphere that imbued Washington DC during the Clinton administration  saying  “let us not to return to this now”. 

All good points; however, David Brock discusses the continuous poisonous attitude on the part of the Republican Party in his book “Blinded by the Right”.  As a closeted gay man Brock carried out aggressive attack actions for the Party for years until he realized that it was wrong.  Unfortunately, the Party seems to be continuing its negative approach to politics with its current million-dollar budget of Kerry attack ads. 

Speaking of bad attitudes what is the story with the billion-dollar American basketball team which was beaten this week by a poorer Puerto Rican team?  Seems that “money can’t buy me love” after all.  Isn’t that the whole point of the Olympics?  Aren’t amateurs supposed to be the ones competing, not highly paid professionals? 

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”.  I am glad that we have an Olympics to remind us of what is really important: hard work, discipline, personal best, skills development, pride in diversity.  All values that would help this nation and the world to live together in harmony.                               

“Attack Ads are a Cheap Way to Advertise” 

Former President Bill Clinton was a guest on the Daily Show this week promoting his new book and talking about the election.  Host Jon Stewart asked Clinton about the attack ads that the Republican National Committee is currently running about Kerry’s service record.  This is the same group that attacked John McCain’s military record as a POW in Vietnam, when he was running in 2000 against George Bush.  The Republicans also attacked Max Cleland, a disabled Vietnam Veteran, who was running for Congress a few years ago. How absurd is it when Bush and Cheney never even served in the military and yet their “re-election team” thinks that it is somehow legitimate to attack the military records of other candidates who have?  Could this be a projection of their obvious inadequacies? 

July 2004 is the thirty- fifth anniversary of Woodstock.  Life magazine celebrates this seminal event with a special edition.  Half a million people camped out for three days of love and music and nothing else, as Max Yasgur stated in the movie “Woodstock”.  It rained several times, two people were born and two people died, which according to the Chief Medical Officer in charge, was really amazing for a “city” that size; normally one would expect twenty to twenty- five deaths. Fifty thousand people were expected to attend yet ten times that showed up so the toilets, the food, the medical backup were all inadequate f or the crowd; it could have easily turned into a disaster, yet everyone cooperated to make the festival a success. New York State Thruway was closed.  Early on the fences keeping out those without tickets were trampled and it became a free event; the organizers were only “twenty-somethings” and they did not actually make their money back for thirteen years, yet the vibe at the festival was “groovy”.  Early on the organizers told the crowd, …”the only way we are going to make it through is if you all see everyone as your brother”, and they did. 

Those of us who lived through the sixties really believed that the world was changing for the better; that individual compassion and international cooperation was the roadmap for the future.  John Kennedy asked Americans to…” ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”  Thousands joined the Peace Corps traveling to foreign countries for a two- year stint, basically helping natives improve life on their own terms. There was an undeclared war-Vietnam:  students on campuses all over the country protested, many who registered for the draft were called up and either left the United States for Canada or a applied for “CO status” here at home.  There was a sense of injustice and the need to do something about American hegemony; debate was everywhere. 

Bill Clinton, the first Baby Boomer President, told Jon Stewart that the only way to handle the Republican attacks is to “not let them get away with it”, to respond to what has been said, to set the record straight.  He remarked that McCain should have fought back because…”they will do this as long as it works, and they can get away with it.” During the Vietnam War people who protested against the war were told to “love it or leave it”, meaning get out of the country if you disagree with government policy. It is about time that the Baby Boomers, who are the largest group in the country right now, remember the promise of the sixties: peace and love.  It is our heritage; but the direction that this country is taking currently is the polar opposite.  Those of us who want something better need to speak up loud and clear; it is our right as American citizens.

 Cell Phone: Life Extension Cord

Cell phones have become yet one more essential part of our culture that we once survived without, not too long ago.  How  did so many people get through the day without answering their own private, portable phone?  Children managed to grow up, business was conducted, emergencies were handled, life went on.  These days, everyone seems to have a cell phone, glued to their ear, much of the day,  especially in public, where other people can see them.  I wonder if this close atta