Having Lost All Credibility, the Scoundrels Use Patriotism as Their Last Refuge. But, this Domestic Abuse Must Stop.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and will be carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis 1885-1951

Bush is telling the Iranians to let go of those captured British soldiers. Tony Blair is saying how appalled he is with the treatment they're getting--being paraded in front of the TV and being used as propaganda tools. OK, what the Iranians are doing is not so cool, I understand, but it pales in comparison to the treatment we've been putting the detainees through in GITMO and elsewhere. Where is the indignation and protests by the leaders of US and Britain when the ..other abuses became known?

Oh, but the ones we're holding are terrorists, some have argued. I'm sure a few are, and a few others are really, really bad persons. However, even by our own experts' estimate, the majority of the detainees have nothing to do with terrorism or fighting the US. Did you know this? Most have been swept by a very wide net, and have been ..sold to us! The US offered a few thousand dollars per terrorist captured, but many were falsely accused by others in their homeland because the latter wanted to make an easy buck or settle a score.

Now, what do you say about the scandal of the Abu Graib prison? The present US government has done terrible acts of violence and mistreatment to whomever BushCo has labeled as "enemy combatant." Terry Jones in the British Guardian makes some interesting comparisons about how civilized nations treat their prisoners. It's worth a reading; here it is.

There is a point that we have to question the patriotism of those who do harm to our country. It's not those who criticize the government who give "comfort to the enemy" but those who violate our democratic & human rights principles. I don't understand how the neocons and other authoritarians have managed to put so many Americans on the defensive when it comes to patriotism. It's the scoundrels who wave the biggest American flag and sing patriotic songs that are the non-patriots.


Take for example the military, and anything that has to do with defending our country, our people. The Republicans have been a disaster. They are not good for our national defense against foreign and domestic threats (yes, this includes natural disasters). They have made bad, very bad policy decisions. Their political ideology and arrogance have even made a bad war of choice an ever greater military failure. As for our armed forces, they've been broken and abused by the current administration and the Republican Congress of the last 12 years!

I don't know how many of the rank and file members of our armed forces support the Republican leadership, but those who do probably suffer from the same abused-spouse syndrome. What would it take to go beyond the "I love you" and the rhetoric, and face reality? The armed forces have been over-extended, had to suffer serious but unnecessary casualties. Who sent them into battle without proper armor? Who refused to send enough troops to occupy Iraq and establish a monopoly of force to prevent much of the violence that ensued? Who's responsible for extending tours of duty, including those of the Guard and the Reserve, while taking away veterans' benefits? And, who presided over the disgraceful treatment of our wounded soldiers? Or, is it OK, because it's only a domestic abuse problem?

Yes, it's time to take the country back from all those abusers.

What Ancient Athens Can Teach Modern Americans Today: The Health of Democracy Depends on its Citizens.

What are the responsibilities of a citizen? Or, can you be a tourist in your own country?

In 507 & 508 B.C.E. [Before the Common Era] a populist revolution brought democracy in Athens. This experiment in government was the first of its kind. It was very radical. Ordinary citizens were given rights of participation in the affairs of their city-state. Most of them would hold public office sometime or other. One of the city's leader, Pericles, argued that this new regime produced far greater achievements that any other regime. Its success was due to the openness, tolerance and cosmopolitanism; and, to the fact that its citizens were active participants, not idiots [from idiotes: a private, selfish person who doesn't care about the common good].

It's no accident that open societies tend to be more successful, and to produce the most benefits for the greatest number of people. I know that no society or any political system are perfect--and democracy is a very flawed system of governance, but it's the best system we've got. I realize that this statement is a value judgment, and, perhaps, meaningless to a person who has chosen a monastic life, or one who wants to kill others in the name of his god(s). But, for most people who don't want to impose a theocracy or an authoritarian regime, democracy is a system that can allow the greatest freedom for the individual to pursue his/her own bliss, and for the greatest opportunity for a person to fulfill his/her own potential.

Anyway, that Athenian democracy grew into an empire. This made the rest of Greece and its neighbors nervous, especially since the rest of the world was not democratic. But, it was not the enemies that destroyed Athens. The destruction came from within. Even though Athenians were confident of their superiority and confident in themselves to make the right decisions, it was arrogance that doomed the city. Athens, as an imperial power, picked many fights that resulted in massive casualties, famine and diseases.

This crisis not only brought the horrors of physical disasters but it changed the Athenians themselves. The great historian Thucydides described the 27-year long Peloponnesian War (between Athens and Sparta). He recorded the various battles, the effects of war, and what became of human relations during this time of crisis. Reasonable, educated, cultured people changed their behavior and became distrustful, vindictive, intolerant, criminals, shedding all sorts of allegiance to the ideals of a democracy and to all those qualities that had made their city great.

Thucydides himself was a critic of democracy and he believed that it would crack under pressure--as it did during the Peloponnesian War and its end, civil war in Athens. Perhaps he though that human nature is not best suited for a democratic government. Others have argued that barbarians don't know what to do with democracy. Indeed, democracy is a work in progress; it takes a long time to take hold, and it's not just a way of governing but a way of life as well.

External pressures brought on by the choices democratic people make can have a deleterious effect on democracy. But a lot depends on how people handle a crisis, like 9-11 for example. If they have been active, informed and engaged citizens, then it's easier to handle a crisis because no national paralysis takes place. Yet, when people don't know much and allow their fears to take over, a paralysis occurs. Thucydides called this, stasis--inaction, confusion, death. The more a person, or a nation, falls into this category the harder it is to get out of it.

People have a habit of complaining about outcomes--like the war in Iraq--but who owns the war really? Where were the people (and the media) to seriously challenge the claims of their administration before it committed the nation's precious resources into this ill-fated expedition?

In a state of stasis, the passive people look to their leaders to explain what's going on, because the former don't have the ability to analyze the situation, and they fall prey to the politics of fear. After 9-11, the Bush administration exploited the feelings of the American people who were afraid, wanted revenge, and were willing to believe anything. Further, they kept believing or ignoring the facts for too long. They voted for Bush in 2004 too, only to repudiate his Iraq policies within months after his reelection when the situation went from bad to worse. However, what the majority of the American people discovered in 2005 and 2006 was known before the election--but most people didn't pay attention. It was very frustrating for me to talk to voters in the few days before the 2004 election and find out that they, by large majorities, held serious misconceptions [had bought the pack of lies] about the war, ie, that Osama had been helped by Saddam to attack NYC on 9-11!

A healthy democracy requires attention from its citizens, and the power of education cannot be understimated. The question remains, why do democratic people in times of crisis come to see their freedoms as luxuries rather as basic necessities and the true sources of their country's success?

I think there's a proportional relationship between rigid structure/authoritarianism on one hadn and the degree of freedom on the other. The mediating factor is maturity. The less mature the people are, the more structure they need; conversely, the more mature people are the more responsibly can exercise their freedoms.

Oh, yes, it's possible to have adults in perpetual immaturity, acting like little children, needing the disciplinarian father figure, and letting others doing the hard thinking and telling them what to do. [The philosopher Immanual Kant wrote extensively about this condition]

The good news is that as Americans we still have choices....

Welcome Spring & the Change of the Seasons. Just a Reminder Though: Our Lonely Planet is the Only Home We've Got!

Ah, Spring, it has arrived in the northern hemisphere! It’s eternal, they say. I say, it’s also internal; it depends on the outlook. Anyway, we have seasons because of the Earth’s 23.5º tilt. Life, as we know it, emerged because our planet happens to be in the right distance from a main sequence star! It took several billion years for Earth to become the planet we all recognize today; and it will be more-or-less the same for a couple billion years more, until our sun passes from its present middle age to old age when it’ll become cranky enough to destroy all life on Earth.

So, what’s the outlook for our lonely blue dot in a hostile solar system? Let's put some things into perspective. Our planet has been around for over 4 billion years. Most of this time, it was inhospitable to life as we know it today. A couple billion years ago, some blue-green algae—also known as cyanobacteria—began to produce their own “pollution” and helped create the atmosphere we’re familiar with today. Lucky for us, a few celestial renegades hit Earth, some of them really hard, and they changed life, including the extinction of the dinosaurs and the eventual rise of the mammals (like us).

Yes, many species can adapt to the conditions, some better than others. Nevertheless, most, including humans, can exist within a very tiny band of temperatures. The absolute zero (0 Kelvin) is -273 C, or -460 F. The hottest known temperatures are in the millions. In other words, we live in a fragile ecosystem, in a hostile universe, and we’re stuck here for the foreseeable future.

Some Common Sense is Needed

Since the industrial revolution, humans have been dumping huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The oceans have been absorbing as well resulting in increased acidity, which influences sea life, currents, temperature, etc. This is not a natural product, not part of any cycle. To me it’s a no-brainer. The smog over cities, the acid rain are all man-made. I’ve seen the effects of acid rain that has destroyed forests and has polluted lakes and streams, right here in my backyard—my beloved Adirondack park where I visit often.

If 98 doctors told you that you had to stop smoking because you could die of lung cancer (among other terrible diseases smoking promotes), and 2 doctors, who work for the tobacco companies, told you smoking is harmless, what would you do? Would you stop smoking, even err on the side of caution? Or, would you ask the 98 doctors to tell you exactly when you’d die and if they were absolutely certain you’d die because of smoking?

There is a consensus in the scientific community about global warming and that humans are responsible for it. Whatever natural cycle of ice-hot ages takes place, we humans are able to kick the pendulum so hard into one direction that we can break this normal cycle with catastrophic consequences.

Stupidity Can Be Deadly

For all of our advances in science and education, it’s amazing how many stupid people we have in positions of power. I do like a good debate, because I want to find the truth. It’s important for me to know. The more serious the issue, the greater the need to know. So, let’s have a rational debate about the environment, but we can’t waist our time with stupidity. Science is one thing only—the best tool we’ve got to understand the world around us. Not every idea, every claim has equal weight. It’d be a waste of time to debate the views of the Flat Earth Society for example. And, their views can not be brought into the classroom as an ..alternative scientific theory. [Similarly with other fictional theories of creationism, intelligent design, etc. There’s room for such “theories” in places like this.]

Al Gore testified in Congress about climate change, but I doubt he reached most Republicans there. Do you know that only 13% of Congressional Republicans agree with the scientists about a man-made global warming? Of course, you know that several past members of the Bush administration, NASA scientists and so many others have admitted to distorting or were pressured to distort evidence regarding global warming. No surprises here. It’s worth listening to what Gore had to say. This man makes sense to me.

“20 of the 21 hottest years ever measured in the human record have been in the last 25 years. The 10 hottest have been since 1990. The hottest was 2005. The hottest in the United States of America was 2006. The hottest winter ever measured globally was December of last year.”

Al Gore, 3/21/07 in his Congressional testimony

Need for Information & Action

Go out, take a nice breath of clean, crisp air and appreciate what we've got. Much of humanity isn't as lucky. The majority of people in the 21st century doesn’t have access to clean water! The environmental problems won’t always be confined only to the underdeveloped world. Bad climate affects everyone. Remember that our lonely planet is the only home we’ve got. Our children and future generations will also live here.

Don’t you think we should seek the truth about climate change and do something about it? At least 100 new people per second (3/20-3/21), over 550,00 (as of this moment), have signed Gore's petition that accompanied his testimony to the US Congress. We need more activists, we need more action. Politics is local and global. Vote, engage, participate, be vigilant.

photo credit: GP

Why the American People Need to Know the Truth & Nothing but the Truth, So Help Us..Congress with Subpoena Power

Some Lies Can Kill People!

Isn't interesting to see politicians fight? Many Americans don't like politics but they love watching a fight. The country was mesmerized with the Clinton sex & lying scandal. That was also very easy to understand, wasn't it? So, yes, that Congress was investigating the President for all sorts of things. That Republican Congress held 7 or 10 days worth of hearings regarding the use of the White House xmas list by the Clintons. It was a big concern whether the presidential couple had abused their privileges and used our House for political gain, or, worse, to their financial benefit! OK, nothing was found there, but the principle of checks & balances was preserved with a fig leaf.

With the war and all other catastrophes, you'd think that Congress would also have done some other serious digging. Nope, it didn't. Only the silence of the crickets was heard when it became known that some $ 9 billion dollars [today we know it was much higher than that, close to $12 b] was lost during Bremer's provisional government in Iraq. Lost, as in, we don't have a freakin clue where those "footballs" of bundled cash [in $100 bills] went! At least, those who took the money aren't talking.

Let's not give comfort to the enemy by criticizing our leaders and their policies, we're told with a scolding attitude. We have to show resolve, like good knuckle-heads and simpletons, yeah, like those who are fighting us. But, should we bow our heads as we obey an almighty deity? What, are we that immature? Shouldn't we ask tough questions--heck, even get really mad when we see such a level of gross incompetence and possibly a criminal behavior?

Some serious violations cannot be washed off with an apology, or with a pompous but empty statement, "I take full responsibility," when such an admission is not followed by any consequences! Has anyone, anyone in this BushCo, been held accountable for their miserable failures? No! As long as they are loyal to El Presidente and his cabal, they get promoted and get medals--not to mention a plush job in the corporate world.

Why should we care? Oh, I don't know, maybe because it's our money, our country, and our lives at stake! If we are patriots, we have to care. We have to be smart too, because often the worst treatments come from within our country not from our enemies. Where was the government with the most powerful military, a huge intelligence network, etc, on 9-11? We know the President was paralyzed with indecision--he stayed in that Florida classroom reading My Pet Goat after the second airplane hit the second tower in NYC. Who ignored the warnings by Richard Clarke and other counter-terrorism experts when they told Bush and his government that al Qaeda was determined to strike in the US by using airplanes? Condie--another utterly incompetent person--was to give a speech on 9-11 on security threats and her transcript had no reference to al Qaeda but to some "star wars" defense system the administration wanted to deploy!

Who were those who falsified documents, suppressed evidence, lied to the American people and the Congress, in order to attack Iraq? Who were those who revealed the identity of a CIA secret agent for political revenge? Are those people stupid, criminals, or both? We must find out. As we must find out and punish those who were put in charge of FEMA and those who failed to react to save Americans dying in the Gulf states after Katrina because of neglect and bad policies. [watch Valerie Plame's Congressional testimony; it's an eye opener; more highlights here] Did I mention that Condie went shoe shopping in Manhattan while people were dying in New Orleans? Oh, sorry, this wasn't a national security issue, and, therefore, her concern. We may have started a war and an invasion on made-up evidence, but it's OK when Americans die needlessly because of their government's neglect.

American soldiers are kept in horrible and often abusing conditions, not in a prison cell in a hostile country, but here in the US. These are the same people who volunteered to fight for America and were sent to battle without the proper body armor and equipment. Not to mention the stupendous lack of planning for the occupation, and all the other ill-conceived plans that have resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands seriously injured troops. And, the chicken hawks want more bloodshed. Haven't you heard, already, the cries of those who could never face reality that say, "only if we had more time," "only if we had more troops," "only if we had spent more money," and whatever else...

It's time we take our country back. Except the 30% of the population that, no matter what, will stick behind Bush and any other authoritarian figure who professes conservative social values, most Americans couldn't possibly like what's happening to our country. Corruption is bad regardless of who's doing it. US Attorneys--like the Attorney General (that scum, Alberto Gonzales)--supposedly act on our behalf; to protect the public's interests, not being servants to the Republican establishment. And, yet, they were told to go after Democrats or face dismissal. Paul Krugman of the NY Times quoting the late Moly Ivins said that this was classic Rovian strategy to investigate Democrats [or announce (leak) a case against a Democrat] before the election only to have the case dismissed after the election. Is Carl Rove behind the treasonous Plame leak?

Can you imagine the noise and the indignation by the conservatives had the roles been reversed? They'd be asking for public hangings! I'm keeping tabs on who's putting their petty party politics above the national interest. I would never defend anyone who intentionally harms my country, and it doesn't matter if he's a liberal or a conservative. We know that despite all the Bush rhetoric about punishing the Plame identity leaker, these people don't really care. Bush would not promote and give medals to people whose main qualification was to kiss his ass. We heard today that no internal investigation was launched in the White House, not about Plame, not about anything else as long as it didn't challenge the orthodoxy. This is not surprising though.

We're coming up on the 4th anniversary of the Iraq war(3/19). I don't know how you feel about it, but remember that a war is paid for with human suffering; we deal with human beings who either don't get to live a full life, or will be forever scared.... and, their families suffer too. The cost is immense. The ultimate support for the troops is to protect them as much as we can before we send them to die to protect us when it's absolutely necessary.

"This was a child that every parent would be very, very proud of. Every parent should have the relationship that I have with my son. He was my right hand. He was my friend, my son, my confidant. And to lose somebody such as Seth is a tremendous lost to me as a mother. I've lost what I felt was going to be a young man with a phenomenal future that would have everything that he needed or wanted …" – Sue Niederer talking about her son Army 2nd Lt. Seth J. Dvorin of East Brunswick NJ, killed in Iskandariyah, Iraq at age 24

There's a very well made documentary that I think you should watch. If you can't bear watching it, at least pay a visit to the Iraq Memorial site. We cannot afford to look the other way; I know it's horrific, but we, the whole nation, must be exposed to this painful reality. And, then demand answers, demand an end to this war. Unless we're willing to face the harsh truth, we won't learn anything from this experience, and we'll keep repeating the same mistakes. We've got to be smarter than that, for our children's sake, and for a better world.

Rhetoric Aside, The Conservatives Created a Monster of a Government Not Limited by Law or Oversight

"The United States is entirely a creature of the Constitution. Its power and authority have no other source." Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black (1957)

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Fourth Amendment, US Constitution [still on paper, but not always in effect]

It's interesting that the conservative intellectuals talk about the "Constitution in exile," and the liberal courts that have been ..broad constructionist, while most of the conservatives have already shredded the constitution in favor of a political expedience that has given them the benefits of power via the Executive branch. When this country was established, it was decided that it would not be a country of and by god, aristocratic privilege, or ascribed status, but a country of laws. Of course there are laws that are not good, or may be disliked by a sizable segment of the population, but improving the law means that, before we have a rational debate, we have to agree on the rules of contact. Oh, and, at the very least, our elected representatives should read a legislation before they vote for it to become law! Did you know that many (if not most) in Congress hadn't read the PATRIOT ACT before they voted on it? Yes, that was the practice under the Republican leadership--legislation without review, amendment, and on the backs of the majority of the majority!

Fortunately, there was a change in the last election. Congress can exercise its constitutional duty of review and investigation. Subpoena power will be a familiar term in the next few years, I'm betting. Many of the known scandals will be investigated and many others will surely surface. The latest scandal is the firing of US Attorneys who dared to go after Republicans and refused to persecute Democrats on orders from the White House and other high-level Republicans. How about the FBI abuse of the PATRIOT ACT? At least Director Muller was man enough to accept the blame and say that the inquiry that led to unearthing was "a proper Congressional oversight."

The funny thing is that some Republicans are saying that the government is not competent enough to be an effective Big Brother. The National Review on Line (a very conservative outlet) puts it this way, "It is worth bearing in mind here that Inspector General found the FBI's mistakes here were based on incompetence, not malevolence; aside from not being disposed toward it, our government seems incapable of being Big Brother. Pffff, what a relief. I suppose they think it's OK for lots of power to rest with the incompetent! Not me. I want a smart, efficient, but limited government that respects our civil liberties and acts for the greater good of the greatest number of people!

The PATRIOT ACT must be reviewed and changed, starting with its name. We cannot violate all those principles of liberty and human rights that have made our country a beacon of freedom and tolerance as compared to the rest of the world. We are not the only liberal democracy but we should be an enlightened leader for more democracy and for an open, accountable system of government. Just a few years ago, if someone asked you to name a country that can do warrant less surveillance, imprison anyone without charging him, and, if deemed an "enemy of the state," he could disappear or sent to another country to be tortured, which country would come to mind? Cuba? China? North Korea? The old Soviet Union? Any other country closer than those?...

In which country the authorities can exercise any kind of spying without any supervision and without any recourse for the citizens to an appeal. Where can they pay you a visit and demand everything you've got, and tell you that you must comply, that you can't appeal to a court of law, and you can't even tell anyone about what happened?!!! This is very intimidating and indeed an element of Big Brother. How are we supposed to safeguard our rights and civil liberties? Or, is it OK to forgo those during times of crisis, like during a war on terror--a war that takes place everywhere and will last for ever...

Incompetence coupled with arrogance and power is a sure path to the destruction of the America we know. "A profoundly disturbing breach of public trust," said Sen. Schumer (Senate Judiciary Committee overseeing the FBI) of that federal agency's abuses. I would like Sen. Schumer and Congress to do a study to see whether most of those extra powers we so readily gave to the authorities [and even more foolishly elected chickenhawks to important positions in our government] have kept us safer.

As we've seen in the last few years, the intelligence & the evidence collected are useless if those in charge are incompetent and drunk with the arrogance of power. But, I think the goal is to keep spending lots of money supporting the military-industrial complex [read Eisenhower's address on this]; to prevent & deflect criticism of those in charge; to keep people in fear and, thus, easier to control; and to maintain one of the biggest disparities of a modern country today.

Women Should be Honored & Celebrated Every Day of the Year--With EQUAL RIGHTS--in a Humane & Free World

Domestic violence kills and injures more people in the developing world than war, cancer or traffic accidents

By looking at the condition of women in a given country, you can tell a great deal about that country--its economy, politics, and culture. On March 8th, some people observed the international Women's Day, I didn't, sort of. Any instance that brings attention to an important issue, I welcome, though I wonder if, on that day, there were any specific actions that may result in some positive change in the condition of women. I hope there were such actions, though I'm not sure. I have a problem when people become romantic just because it's Valentine's Day, or remember their mother because it's Mother's Day. I believe it has to be a way of life, an attitude to behave nicely, to be an enlightened person, to treat other human beings with respect and afford them dignity. Unfortunately, not every country is a liberal democracy [the only truly free society we know today], and many haven't arrived at the 21st century yet...

Even in the United States there are problems, not always limited to domestic violence against women, or job discrimination. There's human trafficking here too! Hard to believe, but it's true. [read more about it in this post on Pace Polity by Elizabeth]

UK's The Independent has a great article about the condition of women in the world today. The British government in cooperation with human rights groups have found some very disturbing facts:

• Two-thirds of the world's 800 million illiterate adults are women as girls are not seen as worth the investment, or are busy collecting water or firewood or doing other domestic chores.


• Two million girls aged from five to 15 join the commercial sex market every year.


• Domestic violence kills and injures more people in the developing world than war, cancer or traffic accidents.


• Seventy per cent of the world's poorest people are women.


• Violence against women causes more deaths and disabilities among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war.


• Women produce half the world's food, but own less than two per cent of the land.


• Of the more than one billion people living in extreme poverty, 70 per cent are women.


• Almost a third of the world's women are homeless or live in inadequate housing.


• Half of all murdered women are killed by their current or former husbands or partners.


• Every minute a woman dies as a result of pregnancy complications.


• Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, yet earn only a tenth of its income.


• One woman in three will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.


• 43 million girls are not able to go to school.


• Last year, one million HIV-positive women died of AIDS-related illnesses because they could not get the drugs they needed.


• Human Rights Watch, in reports on 15 countries including Afghanistan, Brazil, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Togo and South Africa, has identified violence against schoolgirls, child domestic workers and those in conflict with the law as on the rise.


• Women across the developing world are the victims of systematic abuse.

I know that, in my lifetime, I won't see a world where true humanism and enlightenment are universally practiced, but for every life we change today, we can affect thousands in the future. Yes, every person can make a positive difference, big or small. Oscar Schindler saved about 1,200 human beings, who went on to have families, children, grandchildren, and so forth, for generations. I think it's rather basic, it's respect for human life, in the here & now, when it actually matters!

Women are our mothers. They deserve everything, and more, than we--the children, the men--enjoy today. It makes sense, it's good for the world, it's humane!

Have You Noticed What the Conservatives Said at their Recent Political Action Conference (CPAC)? Let's Give Them More Exposure!

An icon of the Conservatives, Dick Cheney--most likely to be the most unpopular veep in modern US history--addressing CPAC.

I watched snippets of the Conservatives' Political Action Conference that took place a few days ago. It's where Ann Coulter was applauded for calling John Edwards "faggot." I don't know why C-SPAN covered such an event but I'm glad it did, because everyone in America should see what the conservatives talk about when they get together. Their presidential candidates attended and spoke at this CPAC along with other admired stars of the conservative universe. Of course, there are many shades of conservatism and GOPers, but, really, does that rhetoric (and advocated policies) represent the majority of the right wing and its voters?

As usually, the straw man--the biased liberal media that ..dominates everything--got a beating at this conference, but you should hear what the conservatives' brightest stars have been saying. Those views aren't limited to a private conference, but are peddled daily on talk radio (where conservatives dominate), mainstream radio and TV, cable channels, and newspapers. Actually, I do want to see the progressives exposing more of the garbage spewed by icons of the right, like Coulter, Malkin, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, just to name a handful. Any public official, any candidate, any aspirant for elective office who shares these views must be exposed and must be made accountable. Why, we should give such talk more exposure, take it outside their conservative enclaves and present it to the rest of the country. Let's see whether such views are indeed accepted by most Americans.

We often don't want to deal with the ridiculous, but at times we should. I don't think most Americans realize what today's GOP stands for. These conservatives in control of the Republican party are indeed extremists. Of course they have to talk in a special language with buzz words, simplistic notions and plans, because that's why most of their activist base understands and needs to get motivated. But, this base of wingnuts is not enough to win elections; the independents and other mainstream voters have to be convinced too--usually not be reason, but by the politics of fear, and the "good guy" approach. That was the strategy of the folksy Dubya.

Ideological and some very ..practical reasons prevent me from being a Republican, but even if this weren't enough, I simply don't find their arguments all that good. Not all conservatives are stupid by any means. Some of them, like George Will, are smart and articulate... when they talk to us or the general public; but not when they talk to their base where a bumper-sticker mentality prevails. Yes, use the magnetic ribbon that says, "Support the Troops," on your SUV, but stop there. Don't bother to think further. Not only their arguments aren't sophisticated but purposefully are simplistic. I'd urge everybody to read the speeches (at least of the stars in the conservative camp) at that CPAC show and draw your own conclusions.

I'd also suggest that you pay attention to what the conservatives are saying today. Maybe you should subscribe to a couple newsletters. For example, I've been getting daily emails from Humanevents.com. This right wingnut outlet was a presenter at the CPAC (along with Redstate.com). Just see what they're talking about; it'll be an educational experience, and, I hope, a reason for all progressives to be on the offensive and expose those people for what they are. Nothing more, nothing less.

Check this video from The Nation magazine's Max Blumenthal. It's from the recent CPAC. Do watch it, you may learn something about the cons.




PS. It's not about Ann Coulter's bigotry; she'd be irrelevant if no one were listening. Kos puts this succintly, "Ann Coulter exists because the conservative movement craves her brand of hatred, and she delivers the goods." I've said this many times before, all those wingnuts are relevant because they have many followers. No one would, for example, take Pat Robertson, Falwell, et al, seriously if they were just representing themselves. As a matter of fact whenever they say something incredibly stupid & inconsiderate, memberships & contributions in their organizations go up. They deliver the goods many theocons want to consume.

PS2. You may want to watch Mr. Bean's video (under Picture of the Moment on the right column)for laughs. He's addressing a Conservative party conference. Even if this is kinda old, it's still relevant--at least here with our own cons.


UPDATE 3/9/07
There has been some reaction from conservative blogs and others against Ann Coulter, because as they say, correctly, she's a distraction to the message the conservatives want to put forth. But, why do the conservatives keep giving Coulter such wide media exposure? Is she expressing a significant segment of their base? They may, now, deride her but is the anti-gay, anti-abortion, culture-war rhetoric what's left of GOP's platform? Well, they do believe that Darwin's theory of evolution is a ..liberal sham and should be replaced by creationsim (of a certain kind).
Here's a clip that caps the whole issue; it includes some great comments by Rachel Maddow.

Learning Through Participation & Teaching Others--Attending School & Citizenship Not All that Different!

In one of my classes this semester, I formed five groups and I asked the students to research, analyze and present their findings to the whole class. One great way to learn about an issue is to analyze it and then having to present it (or teach it) to others. It's an amazing process. I think most students today are not exposed to this way of learning and it's a shame. I do appreciate the value of a lecture, but this should not be the only method of teaching our younger generation. I've seen it too often, that students sit disinterested in a classroom where the professor delivers a lecture (usually in monotone) from his notes. I've seen too many disinterested or burnt-out teachers. Not good.

I let the students to pick whatever issue(s) they wanted to cover, research them in any depth or detail, and make any type of presentation they liked. So far, I've been pleasantly surprised. PowerPoint presentations, use of the Internet live, videos from Youtube, editorials, interviews, and students' own essays. Even if there was no consensus within a group [Dems and Repubs didn't see eye to eye!] the result was much better than many shows thrown at the American public by "respectable" mainstream media outlets! I'm not kidding. And, the tone was much more civilized than the venom and stupidity uttered by the likes of Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, and the rest of the zoo of infotainment media.

I'm not saying that students didn't exhibit strong points of view, even the occasional emotional plea, but this added to the excitement, captured the attention of the audience, and we learned something! [I'm going to follow up on this shortly] I've seen this happening in many other settings as well. When people are moved from the chair of the passive listener to the activity of their own involvement, good things begin to happen. Magically things become to make more sense, because the individual (or the student) arrives at his/her own conclusion--this is a very exciting experience! Once a person works on an issue, a point of view emerges, and having to defend this issue with reasonable arguments exposes this person to the rational process! I can't over-emphasize the value of this experience and the kind of a person it creates.

Too many people have swallowed stuff without chewing it first. They hold beliefs, impressions, bias without much examination. It's no accident that sometimes we behave inappropriately for a mature and responsible nation. Of course, we all know the aftermath of 9-11 and the reaction of the American public. Enter an incompetent president, a collection of absolutist theocrats and a group of neoconservative aggressors, and the result was an unmitigated disaster for our country. Why? Because the country, its elected representatives, and the media all failed to exercise common sense. As a nation, we allowed ourselves to believe anything and do anything to be secure and get revenge. BushCo manipulated our insecurities, sat us down, and fed us a pack of lies--which was readily consumed. This is not good.

The Founding Fathers established a system of representative government, but they assumed that most people were not fit to participate in it. Back then, only white men with property (men of responsibility in society) could participate. Obviously, many things have changed since then, mostly for the better, but not all is well. As this blog's masthead says, democracy is as good as the people who participate in it. An informed and engaged citizen is essential in keeping a democracy healthy. Don't care, and this thingy will go away faster than you think....

I feel lucky I get to make a difference, though anyone can make a difference in their own way. Just think about it; everyone has something to contribute to make this world a better place to live in. No person achieves anything entirely on his/her own (unless they exist in the vacuum of space). The rest of us stand upon the shoulders of others, who stood upon the shoulders of others, etc. Having this perspective works wonders in "giving something back," like helping others stand up and developing a sense of responsibility that goes beyond one's nose.

Should We Become Like Our Enemies in Destroying our Basic Liberties? Big Brother Promises to Keep us Safe!

But Who Will Keep us Safe from Big Brother?

If we were like the terrorists or so many other repressive regimes, things would be easier in fighting crime, our enemies, and just about everything else that could pose a threat to our safety--except the threat from the government. Democracy, or more specifically, liberal democracy (the only free civil society that exists), can be messy and imperfect. It's harder to go after illegal behavior if the authorities don't have a complete surveillance on everybody all the time. It's harder to convict people, because of restrictions placed on how evidence is gathered, the adversarial trial, the burden of proof, etc. Terrorists and those who hate us sometimes take advantage of the liberties we have in order to harm us. Once we manage to capture those bad people, they deserve nothing more than rot in jail. No? Well, NO! It is supposed to be more difficult to convict, and there should be restrictions on the government's intrusion & powers. Otherwise, the US would be no different (or better) than those fanatical, intolerant, freedom-hating persons who seek to destroy us.

Yes, such systems do exist, but we chose to have a different kind of society, where people can be free to act--especially in their own private domain. Where even persons charged with the most heinous crimes have the right to say, "prove it!" The Founding Fathers thought of habeas corpus as an important liberty and they put in in Article 1 of the Constitution. Habeas corpus means "due process," or, in other words, a defendant has the right to appear in court to challenge the charges against him. The Bush administration has little respect for all those liberties that makes our country great, so it has subverted the Constitution, bent the rules, re-defined the definition of torture, denied habeas corpus, lied about prisoners, sent people overseas to be detained and tortured, spied on foreigner & Americans citizens alike, and has acted with self-assumed abusive powers of Big Brother.

Just think what this BushCo was saying, that detainees in GITMO (our base facility in Cuba) have no rights whatsoever because they are not on US soil! Even if our own military intelligence (and so many other experts) admit that probably some 80-85% of those detainees are innocent, and not enemy combatants. The previous Congress under Republican leadership--and with the votes of many Dems--voted for the disgraceful Military Commissions Act that further stripped certain detained persons rights enjoyed by other accused persons. In other words, if the government determines a person is an enemy combatant, this person become a non-person anc can disappear! Wow, this is Soviet-style justice. By the way, our Constitution provides the same civil liberties and rights (except voting) to any person, not just citizens.

The Constitution gives the right to Congress to suspend habeas corpus in times of cases of "Rebellion or invasion." Is this the case today? I don't think so, unless you buy the argument that this war on terror has no front and will last for ever... It's absurd to argue that we have to give up all those freedoms that make us strong (and a flourishing society) in order to protect who we are! Are we so weak-minded and afraid that we surrender our American freedoms to the terrorists? I hope not, that's why those of us who care cannot remain silent. Criticizing our government is our patriotic duty when the government is acting irresponsibly and unlawfully. Let's not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

This must stop. The new Congress under Democratic control should take a proactive approach: repeal bad and ineffective law, and place a serious check on the executive branch's abuses. There are a series of cases in front of the Supreme Court challenging BushCo's Big Brother, but Congress should not wait for SCOTUS decisions. Instead it should pass sensible laws that reflect our respect for our freedoms and our national character. Enough of the bastardization of our country by the current bandidos in power .

When Supporting the Troops With Magnetic Ribbons & Rhetoric is Not Enough. (Another Inconvenient Truth)

The Troops Belong to All of Us

UPDATED, 2/23 (below)

War Casualties in detailed numbers, here.

Supporting the troops means different things to different people. Normally, I wouldn't bother arguing with the morons who say everyone who's against the Iraq war is not supporting the troops and is giving comfort to the enemy. Usually, those people are either war profiteers, or confuse the meanings of loyalty, duty, patriotism and dissent. Many others, just wear an American flag lapel, and put a magnetic sticker on their cars but haven't done much else to make sure our troops are indeed supported, beyond the rhetoric.

I wonder how many Americans actually want to know what exactly goes on in Iraq. Yes, sometimes depictions of violence and its aftermath should be more readily available to the public. Why? Because the sanitized view of a horrific event only helps to perpetuate the horrors. Why isn't most of the media covering the war as it happens--not as a general abstraction--with all the unpleasant details. The American public has been misled about this war of choice, and although today most of us want this war to end, the administration and many elected representatives--some of them with presidential aspirations--are arguing for an escalation instead of a quick end!

How come those in charge of this horrible situation have not been shamed to crawl under a rock or chased out of town? Every American should read this article in the Washington Post about our troops being neglected, here at home! We know that this administration went into the occupation of Iraq with no realistic plan and without providing our troops with the armor they needed. We now have over 3,150 dead and well over 25,000 injured, many severely--like double amputees. Let's not forget that every one of the dead was a person who'll never experience all those good things in life the rest of us take for granted. Look into their faces and weep.

Wait, save some of your tears for this:
Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses.

This is the world of Building 18, not the kind of place where Duncan expected to recover when he was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Iraq last February with a broken neck and a shredded left ear, nearly dead from blood loss. But the old lodge, just outside the gates of the hospital and five miles up the road from the White House, has housed hundreds of maimed soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Dana Priest and Anne Hull Washington Post Staff Writers, Sunday, 2/18/07

[read the entire article]

When you're done weeping, make sure you don't remain silent. Make sure you understand your obligation as a citizen to be informed and be active in the affairs of our nation. Let no one manipulate your patriotism for their gain. The last resort of a scoundrel is an appeal to patriotism. As MLK said, Our lives begin to end the moment we become silent about things that matter.

Update, 2/20

I read Paul Krugman's piece in the NYT (2/19/07), but I failed to include his points earlier in this post. John at AmericaBlog didn't miss it. This is why, Wrong is Right, is worth reading.

..For the last six years we have been ruled by men who are pathologically incapable of owning up to mistakes. And this pathology has had real, disastrous consequences. The situation in Iraq might not be quite so dire — and we might even have succeeded in stabilizing Afghanistan — if Mr. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney had been willing to admit early on that things weren’t going well or that their handpicked appointees weren’t the right people for the job....

The base is remarkably forgiving toward Democrats who supported the war. But the base and, I believe, the country want someone in the White House who doesn’t sound like another George Bush. That is, they want someone who doesn’t suffer from an infallibility complex, who can admit mistakes and learn from them....

Mrs. Clinton’s problem. For some reason she and her advisers failed to grasp just how fed up the country is with arrogant politicians who can do no wrong. I don’t think she falls in that category; but her campaign somehow thought it was still a good idea to follow Karl Rove’s playbook, which says that you should never, ever admit to a mistake. And that playbook has led them into a political trap...

This is the Iraq we don't see. Iraq: The Hidden Story, is UK Channel 4's documentary of the harsh reality. It poses some serious questions as to what people whose country is involved in a war should know about the horrors of war... [warning: this 48-minute long video displays graphic violence]

UPDATE 2/23

Apparently this story of neglect and disrespect has touched many nerves. The top brass has apologized for the mess at Walter Reed Medical facilities. One day, the president (through his spokesman) is aware of the situation, the next he doesn't know anything about it. Now, the Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, is accusing the Post and all those who shed light into this black hole that the story is based on a "pack of lies." Oh, I see. "But, remember, more than half [the soldiers'] rooms were perfectly OK." He said. What a knucklehead!

In line with the rhetoric, "Support the Troops," the top brass says, those problems that are based ..on a pack of lies will be fixed asap. That is, while the 600,000 claims for disability are being sorted out. Oh, I forgot, the medical benefits of the National Guard troops run out a month after they return from the front.

A Progressive Approach to the Presidential Nomination Process--Start with Smaller Steps, Pick Up the Pace Gradually

Stop the Madness. Open up the Process, Reduce the Role of Money, Make it More Interesting, Give More Choices to the Voters!

It's hard to believe that the next big election won't happen for a year and a half, but a year from today, we'll most likely know the eventual major party nominees. This is because many states are moving their primaries up, way up. Some are threatening to have them in January or very early in February. It's getting out of hand I think. The reason why Iowa went first with its caucuses and followed by New Hampshire's primaries was to make it easier for lesser known candidates to have a chance with limited resources by competing in very small states. Retail politics, we call it. Now with more and bigger states cramming their contests earlier, it's the better known, better financed candidates that have the big advantage.

I understand the complaint states like New Jersey have, that by the time they hold their primary, it's all but over. So, they do want to be part of the action. In our very peculiar electoral system, states have lots of power when it comes to elections, and even how their delegation to Congress is selected, among other privileges. We have 100 major [with presence in all 50 states] parties in the US. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. They are independent, legal entities; two for every state, plus the national party committees that supposedly coordinate all. This is one reason we have 2 major parties in every state and on the national stage, because local parties ..move left or right to accommodate the public sentiment. Therefore, we have the Republican parties in the Northeast who are closer to their counterpart Democratic parties, and whereas the Dems in, say, Alabama & Mississippi are more conservative than the Repubs in the Northeast!

The National party holds the convention, of course, and has the authority not to recognize the delegates from a state party--a threat uttered recently by the DNC recently in an attempt to control the states' frenzy to front-load the primaries. The National parties--or more appropriately, the National Committees--have lost much of their power. Since the 1960s, increasingly it's the individual politicians that decide when and for what to run. They pick their own issues and raise their own money. The mass media had a lot to do with this turnaround. The Internet pushed this a few steps forward. Howard Dean, for example, used the Internet and "grass-root" organizations to propel himself (and to raise more money through the Internet than anyone else) four years ago. I don't think he was a favorite of the Democratic party, but he became a force to be reckoned with. Today, he heads the DNC!

I have a suggestion: The order of the contests should be according to the size of the delegation. The smaller ones go first, followed by the medium-sized, and the larger. This would give a fighting chance to the lesser candidates, the contest can thus open up and the candidates will have an opportunity to do retail politics and gather momentum. The contest will become more interesting as the "heavier" states come into play later on. In other words more states will become important battlegrounds under this system. OK, the national convention will probably still be a show, but a better at that as the primary voters may have a greater say in who gets there. As of now, the front runner is not only known but he's got a huge number of delegates since his victory was assured early on. If those states that are threatening to move up do so, then by the first Tuesday in February 2008, there will be a virtual nominee by then!

Soon, I'm going to write about the polling and the current front runners, but as of today, what we're seeing in the polls is basically name recognition. There is much "softness" of intent and support. This name recognition, however, may become a de facto arrangement since the candidates with less money and a lower national profile may never get their chance to speak to the nation and try to effectively campaign for the votes of their party's members.

Have a Bonobo Experience on Valentine's Day (and not only). Remember: Life is What We Make of it!

This post is not about politics. Wait, on a second thought, it is! Even on a personal level, two people have to engage in politics, that is, they have to communicate their desires, plan a common course of action, compromise, establish rules of conduct, agree on a budget, have certain responsibilities, and have a vision for the future!

I'm not a fan of the gift-driven holidays, and this Valentine's Day is no exception. Actually, I see people trying to get romantic because they ..feel obliged and this doesn't excite me. I know, who could possibly ignore a (commercial) holiday without running the risk of being labeled an ogre, an iconoclast, a brute? I know, culture has its advantages and ironclad clauses, expected behaviors, customs and mores. I prefer ..smores! Without entirely skipping the conventional ways, I like surprises, the unexpected, something that originates within and flows outward as a natural feeling; such a thing doesn't need any prescribed rituals in my world.

Remembering my mother because it's Mother's Day is something I don't want to experience, not if it'd take a commercial holiday to make me think of her. I'm also not a big fan of specific dates--usually arbitrarily set or with the consumer culture in mind. I prefer events that I find relevant; and, I don't need a particular day to remind me what it should occur naturally in me. OK, some dates are important because collectively we can celebrate or pay homage. But, those are for co-ordinating our activities; they can't make us more patriotic or anything that we are not already. Otherwise, it's pretending, make believe.

On the other hand, I don't really care how people celebrate important days, dates, and events in their lives. I believe that we should give meaning to our lives [this is a deeper philosophical view than it may seem at first], so if a man wants to get on his knees and publicly propose to a woman on V'Day, presenting her with a diamond ring, then he should do whatever he feels like. I just don't like this kind of theatrics. As for diamonds, well, I have views that most women wouldn't want to hear.

I do not scorn love nor do I underestimate its power. Like any other human trait, it can uplift the individual and create a beautiful world, or it can be a destructive force if it's blind and crude. The warmth, the validation, the release of endorphins, How could a person who's capable of love can also be so cruel with others? How could someone who loves his ..loving god can bring death & destruction upon other human beings? The human psyche is abysmal indeed!

Who can deny that if more people loved and were loved the world would've been a better place. I don't want to draw extensive scientific conclusions or parallel comparisons to our cousins, the monkeys, but it's worth a look. Just the other day, PBS NOVA had a program on the behavior exhibited by different primates. While the chimps are very violent and even commit infanticide, the peace-loving bonobo prefer the make-love-not-war approach; this approach has made for a happier existence! We humans share 98% of our DNA with both of those primates. You be the judge of our behavior and our strategy in establishing our world. Sometimes, primitive behavior isn't confined to the more primitive animals and cultures.

I'm tempted to start a long diatribe on why & how our societies have attempted to suppress the better side of human nature--even denying love, sex, and the human body--while institutionalizing violence and rewarding the extermination of the "others." But, I'll leave such exercise for another day. Meanwhile, enjoy your day, and try to have as many bonobo experiences as you can! Don't deny yourself and the beautiful experiences you can share; just deny the irrational guilt. Life is too short to waste it.

Homage to a Great Scientist: Charles Darwin. (Though He Failed to Predict that Evolution Can Regress in America)

Seeking and Examining the Evidence

Charles Darwin [author, Origins of the Species]was born 198 years ago; today we have one of the strongest scientific theories, that of evolution. I won't go, again, into what makes a scientific theory and what science really is, but I still find it amazing that with all the access to knowledge and information we've got, there are so many people who shut their minds off, willingly. I suppose for some people how they define their identity and how they wish to believe is more important than knowing or amending their beliefs.


In a few days, presidential hopeful John McCain is going to deliver a speech to the advocates of creationism, or intelligent design [yes, only one, their version of mythology] at the Discovery Institute. They promote a Biblical version of events, and a replacement of science as we know it. McCain's shift to the theocratic conservatism is now complete. He joins science-illiterate Bush in saying that some stone-age superstitions and myths should be taught in our schools as science! Kids should be exposed to all points of view, as if we know nothing about the physical world!


Yeap, gravity is a magical force, the sky is held up by a very strong dude, named Atlas, and how can you not believe in Santa Claus, the unicorn, elves, and the Tooth Fairy? That's why it's comforting to believe that we'll always be number one, and that make-believe is better than reality! Why, watching Faux News Channel you can see that we're winning the war in Iraq, the president is wise, no one is stealing our money, and criticical thinking is for sissies.

Announcing a Candidacy for President with a Twist (and some common sense)

I wear a few different hats, one of a teacher at a local university. This semester I'm teaching a course on politics & media, so, obviously, we're dealing with the presidential race among other subjects. In one of the assignments, I've asked the students to declare their candidacy for president of the US! I've been getting several very interesting papers. This exercise makes someone sit down and think what he/she would like to talk about during the campaign and the important issues they'll tackle once elected. I wish more Americans did this exercise. It's not as simple as you may initially think. You have to take into account today's reality, geopolitics, and the audience that will receive your message. Have you thought about it?

Here's one such presidential candidacy, by ..Demos.[pictured]

Good morning. Today, I would like to address those who love this country; those true patriots who are willing to contribute into making the United States an even better country to live in.

Before I explain my reasons for seeking the presidency of the United States, I’d like to briefly address those who do not know anything about politics and may have voted in the past. Please, do not do it again! Don’t vote! This way, I won’t have to spend tons of money to buy expensive ads to push your emotional buttons and “swift-boat” my opponent—even though he deserves it, the country certainly does not. Please do not dilute the votes of those who have invested some time and energy into making educated political decisions. You may turn off your TV and radio sets now. Thank you.

I am an ambitious man. I want to be the most powerful person in the world. But, ambition without direction and power without wisdom are two very dangerous things a person can have. My ambition is to strengthen all those values and attitudes that have made America great—democracy, human rights, equality of opportunity, tolerance, the arts & sciences. I want to use the power of the president’s office to implement smart policies that will truly enhance and encourage a culture of life. In the here & now—when it makes a difference in people’s lives.

I advocate a culture of life in which the pursuit of happiness is a right not a privilege of the few. Let a person give meaning to his/her own life. We are a wealthy nation so we can do many things to enhance the quality of our lives. It’s a matter of priorities, which we should examine and re-arrange.

Our government, our society, all of us should be pro-life advocates. But, this means providing a strong social safety net, medical care, education, and opportunities when a person is alive and our actions can indeed make a difference in the quality of their life! We cannot limit our interest to the period between the time when 2 cells meet and childbirth.

We’re having a debate about marriage these days. I suggest we define marriage as a union for a specific purpose: PROCREATION. Only those who want to have children and are able should be allowed to marry. If after a period of five years, a couple doest have any children (or a pregnancy), that marriage should be null and void!
Otherwise, if we agree that marriage is about love, then we should open it up to anyone regardless of sexual orientation or any other particular trait. It's that simple, and honest! Let love be the deciding factor.

In times of crisis, people become insecure and fearful. This is the time when we need strong leaders. Unfortunately good leaders that can rise to the occasion are harder to find during such times. A smart leader knows how to use his power and not react with the mentality of a brute or that of a frat boy. But, above all, we cannot give up all those attributes that have made us strong in order to protect them.

If, we give up everything that makes us special, our enemies win. I urge you to be vigilant in protecting our very specific freedoms and not exchange them for some undefined safety. This new war on terror--that can take place anywhere for an indefinite period of time--cannot be an excuse to create Big Brother. As Benjamin Franklin said, those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither!

With opponents like these, winning the presidency is assured.

We are all here. Hopefully we have a future. That will depend on the choices we make today. It's about taking care of our beautiful lonely planet and about taking care of our country. I ask you to take your responsibilities as citizens seriously. In the land of the free & the home of the brave, we need to have people who want to be free and be brave. Remember, freedom is not free, and that we are the guarantors of democracy.

Being brave does not mean pointless sacrifices. It means having the courage not to be afraid of new ideas and of progress. It means to be gutsy enough to admit mistakes. It means to follow the evidence where it leads you. It means to keep alive our adventurous spirit that opened new frontiers for America, for the world.

Just remember, we cannot change the politics for the better unless we change the people we send to Washington DC. Please vote for my candidacy but only if you promise to send like-minded reformers to Congress as well, and only if you’re going to keep an eye on us.

Thank you.

Don't Listen to the Pessimists. The Earth Will Survive as it Has for Billions of Years!

The Question is, Will Humans Too? And, in What Kind of an Environment?

We all breathe the same air. Essentially, we all have the same home, called Earth. We are all subject to the ..weather. Assuming that we want our children to enjoy life as much as possible, we have to do whatever we can to preserve the health of our ecosystem. When thousands of top scientists issue a dire warning about the health of our planet, we should listen. Science is the best tool we have for finding things about and understanding the world around us. It's not infallible, but it's strength comes from its methodology. Again, it's the best tool we've got. The consensus is that global warming is a fact and that humans are mainly responsible (90%) for its accelerated pace. There are a few (yes, just a few) scientists who disagree. That's fine. But, as far as I know, no scientist that does not work for, or receives anything from the energy industry, disagrees with this consensus finding. So, the question is, what do we do about this problem of global warming.

It shouldn't take a genius to note that we've been putting lots of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Smog, for example, is the product of burning gas, coal and petroleum. Emissions of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) are rising faster than ever because of human activities, not because of any natural cycle. People can choose to believe whatever they like--and we've been doing this on almost every level and about anything. Yet, I don't think we can afford to make a mistake on this one, nor do I think we have much time to spare before we act.


Global warming according to xkcd [click picture to enlarge]
I'm a student of science and an ardent supporter of it. There's a intrinsic value in knowledge, at least for those who really want to know. Be inquisitive and follow the evidence where ever it leads you. When it comes to the environment we have to be honest with ourselves. There's no superman, no script being followed whereas Deus ex machina would appear to save humanity from annihilating itself. We have to prove that we can be reasonable and rational beings capable of their own salvation.

Leadership is very important and our government should be at the forefront in environmental policy. The marketplace forces are good to make profits and react to consumer demands, but without some regulation and safeguarding of our commonwealth, the last tree will be cut down, and the last fish will be taken from the sea. Unfortunately, this president is not only science-illiterate, but insensitive to the needs of the environment. As long as there is some person somewhere that disputes the scientific consensus (i.e. theory of evolution, gravity, etc), Mr. Bush will say there are two sides to a story!


Our government can implement policies that promote energy conservation, alternative fuels, and a change of consumer behavior. We're 5% of Earth's population and we use anywhere from 25 to 40% of the total world energy. This is not sustainable, at least, not with the current means of energy production. On the other hand, every person has to do his/her part in being smarter about energy and the environment. There are plenty ways we can help, start by being educated about the issue and interested in doing something about this problem. Oh, perhaps you may want to change some of those incandescent light bulbs to the fluorescent ones that use 75% less energy and last a lot longer.

Marge: Homer! There's someone here who can help you...

Homer: Is it Batman?

Marge: No, he's a scientist.

Homer: Batman's a scientist!

Marge: It's not Batman!