Wars around the world currently are being run by thugs

 Civil society is being egregiously damaged, essentially torn apart.  Putin (in his defense) was backed into a corner by expansion of NATO to the East; then he reacted like a thug.  With October 7, the Leadership of Hamas became criminal thugs.  [Yes, Gaza and the West Bank have been strangled by Israel's politicians for decades; but that's no justifiable excuse to brutally murder civilians, including children.]  Netanyahu and crew certainly were entitled to a response; but for weeks their over-reaction has become criminal thuggery.  No time to summarize the various thugs in parts of Africa and even in South America.

While Biden is not a thug, he 's supporting the thuggery of Israeli Leadership by supplying weapons, ammo, and military intelligence against Gaza.  So, in essence, he gives aid to:

a)  the bombing of medical facilities, ambulances, civilian residences, schools, UN shelters, refugee camps, and whole areas where Palestinians were sent because they supposedly were "safe" areas; and,

b)  the killing of CHILDREN; and,

c)  the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians; and,

d)  the intentional starving of them as well.

While all that may not make him a thug, arguably it does place him on the border of being not only unlawful and heartless, but insane as well.  [No, I'm not trained in clinical psychology.  But a wise man once told me:  "You don't have to be a master carpenter to recognize a shack.":]

This is all so Orwellian that it's truly mind-boggling.  Why people keep electing Establishment thugs (for example, Netanyahu and the micro-thug, Trump), to office is beyond my comprehension.  If not thugs, we elect dogmatic, stuck-in-the-Past, corporatist-supporting people with no vision and zero capability of thinking comprehensively (e. g., Biden, Bush, and again, Trump).

In this country, Elizabeth Warren should be elected President, or someone along the lines (back when) of the Republican Senator, Mark Hatfield, a truly honorable politician; or, someone like George McGovern, another honorable Senator.  Instead, we get either wannabe Fascists or slumbering, corporatist drones.  C'est la vie

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  War is mostly for the benefit of Big Biz, and a distraction from the shrinking of the Middle Class.

Listen-up BRICS & other out-of-line nations: no country can have a "Sphere of Influence" except for the USA!

That seems to be what our Fed Gov't has been saying for years.  Talk about hubris!

 https://www.democracynow.org/2023/4/27/monroe_doctrine

It's no wonder that countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, pockets of Europe, and a few other places are fed-up-to-the-gills with the USA's holier-than-thou arrogance.  The majority of our politicians appear to be stuck in the Past, with no clue as to how the world is changing.  They cling to the hostile, immature concept of:  whoever has the biggest stick gets to make all the rules.

Add to the above the fact that we're overextended financially and militarily, plus we're in massive ecological overshoot, and it becomes clear why the USA Empire is crumbling.  In the long run, that's a good thing.  The Rat-Race existence which some refer to as "The American Dream" is somewhat like junk food.  It looks good and tastes good, but it's not especially good for you.

A few have awakened (some long ago), but most of our politicians are in a dogmatic slumber, and such does not bode well for Main Street or the world.  The sleepers are stuck in war, trickle-down economics, patriarchy, neocolonialism, neoliberalism, and "holier-than-thou"-ism.  It doesn't have to be this way.

Politicians who are stuck in the Past (McCarthy, Pence, Trump, Biden, Schumer, et al.) don't have a majority of voters supporting them today but are at the top of the game because of the RNC and the DNC.  Those two Committees  (it seems to me) make sure that forward-looking, comprehensive thinkers don't get nominated to run for President.  So with the Dems, people like Warren and Sanders don't have a chance.  With the Repubs, someone who has (for example) a non-interventionist foreign policy - such as Rand Paul - has no chance either.

What it all means to me is as follows.  The stale, out-of-touch, Establishment factions - which are the majority in the top tiers of each major Party - will almost always be the lapdogs of the Oligarchs and Plutocrats.  Overall, that means we'll continue to have wars, interventions, sanctions, eco-overshoot, insane military spending, neocolonialism, etc.  That is, unless we...

stop electing those who adhere to failed concepts/policies/actions.

Neoliberalism, neocolonialism, trickle-down economics, constant intervention in the affairs of other nations, spying on literally everyone, trying to be the world's police, financial/economic sanctions (which harm Main Streets more than Leaders), and acting as if we are King of the World are all not only bad ideas/actions, but also dangerous to world stability.  If - because of the RNC & DNC - only oligarch lapdogs are on the ticket, then vote for the Green Party (which is better by far for the world than the major Parties) , or the Constitution Party, or the Libertarian Party, or some other Party. 

People say, but third parties don't have a chance of getting elected.  They certainly don't if everyone keeps saying and believing that.  In any case, such could be a loud message to the major Parties, a boycott of sorts...IF enough people participated.  Or, simply don't vote.  The game is rigged anyway (but not in the manner thought by the Trump Cult).

I've been keenly observing USA elections since 1956 and one thing is clear.  About 95% of the time, voters keep electing the same types of politicians to high office:  smooth talkers, believers in USA hegemony, people who essentially are ecologically illiterate, those who think infinite economic growth is a good thing, people who have interventionist foreign policies, and those who believe the USA should be the world's police force.  All of that must cease if we are to provide our progeny a sustainable future.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

RIGGED IN THE USA

 I posted this piece (below: "A Fraud...") almost seven years ago.  It remains highly relevant today.  This situation is exactly why Presidential Debates in election years are rigged to the hilt.  Blame the Republicrats, otherwise known as the Mega Corporation Party.  It has two branches:  the RINOs & the DINOs.  😀

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"A Fraud...Upon the American People"

I remember well the days when the League of Women Voters, a totally nonpartisan group, was in charge of moderating Presidential Debates in this country.  That was in the 1970's and 1980's.  At the end of the League's stint, the Repubs & Dems rejected about 80 proposed questioners for the debate...as well as numerous tough questions.  Later, the Republicrats came up with a nontransparent contract sanitizing the debate, saying who should be in the audience, and determining the exact questions that would be allowed.  The League resigned with this statement:  "A fraud is being perpetrated upon the American People.".

That's how we wound up with a private corporation run by the Dems & Repubs, the Commission on Presidential Debates, being in charge of the debates.  The word "Commission" makes it sound as though it's some sort of public, representative, all-encompassing entity.  It isn't...not by a long shot.  This private company (funded by corporations & foundations) determines who is allowed to debate, who will moderate the event, what questions will be allowed, and who is allowed in the audience.  This is rigging to the Nth degree.

At least the top three "Third Parties" should be allowed to participate in the upcoming debates...regardless of any percentage in polls.  Why not?  Isn't that democracy in action?  If the Republicrats claim that there isn't enough time for that amount of participation, that's pure hogwash.  Look at how many candidates were in the Primary Debates.  Four, five, or even six candidates wouldn't hinder anything in the major Presidential Debates.  Quite the opposite:  such a scenario would enhance the choices for the electorate.  The fact is:  without being in those debates, a candidate has little to no chance to garner votes.  That's how the Republicrat monopoly eliminates its competition.

[See the first featured segment on today's broadcast of Democracy Now, Thursday, August 18, 2016.  Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, and others have something important to say.]

A private corporation should not be allowed to have complete control over those debates.  That's not democracy...that's Soft Fascism.

Okay, you're all excited about politics.  In this Rigged System I can't imagine why, but good for you.  Now, why not insist that Oligarchical control be relinquished, and instead, genuine participatory democracy be instituted?  Why not?  Habit?  Break out of the box.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Here's EXACTLY how to defeat corporatist/fascist/xenophobic/unAmerican GOP candidates

 https://www.democracynow.org/2022/10/25/ralph_nader_mark_green_midterms_2022

Poo-poo him all you want to, but Nader is the most dedicated & brilliant friend of Main Street this country ever has had.  He shows precisely how to defeat the Party which has co-opted the Repubs for years.  Details are in the link above & the one immediately below.

https://winningamerica.net/

I'm not a Repub or Dem, but even a goose could see that the Dem Party is orders of magnitude better for the country than the unAmerican, criminal tragedy which calls itself the Repub Party.  Both major Parties are corrupt, run by the Super-Rich, & damaging to Main Street; but the Repubs are so much worse than the Dems in so many respects it boggles the mind that even ten people would vote GOP in a Fed election.  How are they worse?  Listen to Nader at the 1st link above.  He's right on the mark.  

If the Dems don't take his advice, they're dumber than a wooden post & deserve to lose next month AND in 2024.    The Repubs are just as dumb if they choose & support Trump (again) in the next Presidential election.  After his performance in January 2021, the gaslighting criminal should be popular only with cult members who are both propagandized to the hilt & ignorant beyond redemption.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Excerpt from "The Beginning of the Path to Human Extinction, and How to Get Off It..."

Biden's recent statements or actions regarding the Middle East and (separately) drilling leases for fossil fuels brought to mind the following portion of my first book.  [It's good that Biden defeated the King of Liars in the last election, but Joe is no prize.  He's either a neoliberal, or a puppet of neoliberalism.]

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The Right and the Left

One of the main hindrances to effective political action in this country is the uncivil battle between the Right and the Left. The intolerance, hatred, and vitriol from the two factions often is beyond the pale. The “holier-than-thou” attitudes from each (at times) must change if we as a society ever are going to make significant progress toward genuine sustainability. More than ever, what the world needs now is cooperation rather than divisive competition.

The competitive battle often revolves around perceptions of “capitalism” versus “socialism”. In my opinion, those perceptions too often are shallow, or worse, false.  Consider the following.  The Left usually lumps the different types of capitalism all into one basket – plutocratic monopolies/egregious mega business/elitist trickle-down economics. The Right does something similar with socialism – it’s all harsh totalitarianism to them. More often than not, it’s considered communism. In both cases, the reality is much different.

Today’s neoliberal capitalism is not Adam Smith’s capitalism. Smith was for small business, not mega monopolies. Democratic socialism is quite different from dictatorial socialism. And here’s the kicker in all of it: most governments (including ours in the USA) today have a Mixed Economy in their countries, part capitalism and part socialism.

When you use a publicly owned road, water system, library, museum, or public school, that’s all due to socialism. The V.A. Health Care System is socialism, so too are Social Security and Medicare. If any two people engage in a private sale of private goods, that’s capitalism. So, if I sell a painting of mine, or if this book results in even one sale, that’s capitalism. When you go to a privately owned grocery store and purchase goods, that’s due to capitalism.

The Right and the Left need to understand it isn’t a matter of one or the other. We have both, and we need both. For example, if all roads were privately owned toll roads, that would be a nightmare. Some people could be refused use of them, or charges for use could go up for little to no reason. If all grocery stores were owned by the State, that too would be a nightmare. There would be no reason to have “sales” (offer bargains), or a wide variety of goods in order to attract more buyers. What for? Stores of any one type (e.g., grocery, hardware, clothing, etc.,) would all be more or less the same.

Bottom line: EVERYTHING being run by capitalists (private owners) simply isn’t best for the good of all people. The same is true for everything being run by the State, i.e., socialism. Economic systems have evolved into a mixture of both. Unfortunately, at present that mixture is unbalanced in favor of mega business elites/plutocrats. Even worse, they are seriously pushing for private ownership of everything.

The political Right here (in the USA) was co-opted decades ago, first by neocons, then by neolibs... and most of the Right on Main Street appear to be completely unaware of the coup.  They seem to think they're still in the "Conservative Movement".  That movement, started by Russell Kirk in the 1950's, is long dead.  The so-called conservatives of today are supporting an ideology which would be anathema to the original modern-day conservatives of the Kirk Era.  That ideology they're supporting is corporatist-globalist-neoliberalism, and it doesn't want to conserve much of anything, except for maybe Plutocratic Rule.  It's against Small Biz, anything rural, anything natural, and is working to utterly destroy Nature by  favoring infinite growth at any cost to our finite habitat.  Its goal is to have the entire world run by Big Biz Elites.  Forget family farms, the mom-and-pop corner store, and any kind of level playing field in the business-financial-economic-labor arena.  In general, neoliberals and the Super-Rich are against all of that.  The kicker is this:  they finance most national political election campaigns.  That's why, in the USA, we've seen little progress toward sustainability over the past few decades.

Political prejudice reigns supreme (in general) among people on the Right & the Left, which means each views "the other side" as ALL (or at least, an overwhelming majority) having the same characteristics as the few who are running the show on each side.  As long as that continues, we will not have a civil society. The truth is, no group ever has been as homogeneous as what the Right and Left say the other side is today. 

I've seen ranchers on the Right and environmentalists on the Left work together to oppose mega corporate/government projects which would have harmed the commons.  They had to overcome deep prejudices about each other, and they did.  Unfortunately, such collaboration is extremely rare because of those deep prejudices.

We all should make sincere efforts to overcome political stereotypes regarding people who do not share our particular beliefs. There are some very good people all across the political spectrum. Why focus only on those who seemingly are filled with hate? I believe they are an extreme minority. It really is time for civil political discourse, and for efforts to find some common ground.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-beginning-of-the-path-to-human-extinction-and-how-to-get-off-it-scott-haley/1141364431?ean=2940160947181  or

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z4QL6NB

Rules From and For the Oligarchy Redux

I first posted this essay a bit over five years ago.  It's being re-posted now because the Oligarchy in this country is getting more & more desperate, and it's wise to keep in mind their methods for manipulating us.  [I've added just a tad more to the text in several places.]
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By the "Oligarchy", I'm referring of course to those at the highest levels in politics, Big Business, and the Intelligentsia...the ones who "run the country".  They are both Democrats and Republicans, but those labels are not in any way important to them.  Their guideposts primarily are power and money.  They're not in any kind of conspiracy, but they do enjoy great solidarity.

Here, then, are their rules for success...the rules by which they live, thrive, and rule others.

1.  Utilize Edward Bernays style Propaganda at every opportunity...to its maximum effect.

2.  Select, groom, and finance the slickest liars and most unethical people possible for national political office.  Marginalize and denigrate any honest and sincere politicians who somehow manage to get into office.

3.  Wrap yourself in the American Flag at every opportunity.

4.  Strive to keep the country perpetually at war.  It's great for Big Business and the best way to control the public mind.  It also gives us every opportunity to "colonize" geostrategic areas without appearing imperialistic; that way we can assure American Primacy.  We're just defending our country.  If one person is killed, it's murder; but if 100,000 are killed, it's Foreign Policy and/or protecting our Homeland.

5.  At crucial times, tell the Little People whatever it is they want to hear.

6.  Continue the myth that Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels have substantially different views.  It's the best way to Divide and Conquer.  Pretend to squabble with your supposed political opposition.

7.  At all costs, never prosecute in court any mega bank CEO who has been complicit in swindling people.  Don't bite the hand that feeds you.  Instead, levy a large fine against the bank for "misleading investors".

8.  Distract the public with minor political issues and various circuses.

9.  Allow people to peacefully protest, but only in limited, designated areas.

10.  When caught in wrongdoing, criminalize the whistleblower.  To do that, take a page from (most recently) Obama's & Trump's playbook:  utilize the Espionage Act of 1917.  Apply the word "spy"...especially when it's not relevant.  The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.

11.  Make certain that the mainstream, corporate media keep serving up pablum to the public... and/or controversy over nothing of any significant consequence... and/or, fear.

12.  Continue the myth that the People live in a participatory democracy.

13.  At all costs, support and promote the WTO and Free Trade Agreements, the Neoliberal policy of deregulation of the worldwide Financial Sector, and the myth that we're aiding poor countries by forcing them to privatize gov't services.  In other words, continue the myth that Corporate Globalization is good for the common people and the economy.

14.  Avoid conflict with the U.S. Constitution simply by ignoring the document whenever necessary.

15.  Continue the myth that the President of the U.S. legally (and essentially) can create Law by the use of Executive Orders.  If questioned about that, respond by saying that the Constitution "implies" it.

16.  Oppose, denigrate, and when possible, eliminate all labor unions.  Substitute biased "mandatory arbitration" in their place.  This is the best way to keep the Little People workers in check.

17.  Keep the public in fear, and promote cognitive dissonance  in the Little People.  Mold the public mind.

18.  Continue the lie that National Security trumps everything... including common decency, the Law, the Constitution, ethics, and morality.

19.  Continue the War on Drugs.  It's almost as good as actual war in relation to controlling the populace.

20.  Act as though you favor egalitarian issues; in other words, lie.
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Do you recognize any of this?  There is a better way.  The second step toward that better way is to organize.  The first step I've stated over and over:  we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid coming from high-level Republicans and Democrats, (& Trump, who is neither a Repub or Dem), Mega Corporations, and the Corporate Media.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Assange, the Feds, Russia, Tom Drake, Politics, Elections, and Hypocrisy

Below is an email I sent to a few of my family & a few friends, and my response to a friend's reply...edited a bit.  In particular, the last full paragraph of this Post was not in my email response at all.
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The War on Whistleblowers---

After saying during his first Pres campaign for election that they should be protected, Obama prosecuted more of them than anyone in our history.  Imagine what Trump's Crew will do to Assange.  While the Right & Left squabble, Plutocrats/Oligarchs win again.  Their war crimes will continue to go unpunished...all in the name of "safety".  Meanwhile, those who expose violations of the Constitution and outright crimes by the Gov't will be persecuted and prosecuted.  

Do a Search for: Tom Drake whistleblower.  Bush, Obama & Holder destroyed the career & much of the life of this American hero, a Vet, and an honorable Gov't servant who spent months trying to expose NSA wrongdoing by doing so "within the system".  The Powers-That-Be ignored & denigrated him, so he finally went outside the system to expose Gov't crimes.  They essentially kneecapped him.  Later, Hillary had the gall to state that Manning should have worked within the system, thus gaining the protection of whistleblower status.  What a tragic joke.  In her youth, Hillary was a Populist, but for some time now, she's been nothing but a multi-millionaire Plutocrat.  [Hopefully, she's washed up in politics.]

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A friend responded with a somewhat biting critique of Assange... especially relative to the last few years.  My reply is below.
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No one's perfect.  Despite his flaws, I think Assange is a hero.  After being cooped up in a building for 7 years, and denied safe passage to a hospital for needed medical diagnosis & treatment, who knows what anyone might do after realizing you're going to be arrested... and most likely extradited to the USA's totally broken Fed Justice System.

As to Russia, their misdeeds re the election merely are payback for all the crap our Gov't heaps on them... we've interfered in their affairs (including elections) for decades.  Sanctions, elections, Ukraine, NATO encroachment right up to their border (after it was agreed not to do that), & who knows what else.  As to the Dem email leaks, GOOD.  I think those were in the public interest--- exposure of the two-faced Hillary, and the manipulation of Primaries by the Dem Upper Crust.  The truth was exposed; too bad that the truth did not favor Democrats.  That's the fault of Dems, not Russians.

I really am sick & tired of hearing Dems whine about Russians "interfering in our elections".  What hypocrisy...and they're still complaining.  They should focus on the fact that two Plutocrats were running for President...correct that.  The Dems are just as bad as the Repubs when it comes to being self-righteous in terms of election behavior.  But the Dems gerrymander, too; the Dems manipulate Primaries, too.  Just because the Repubs are worse about it does not excuse Dem behavior... including their self-righteousness.

The article you sent implied that the charge against Assange was not really much...& not related to publishing.  Please.  He could get 45 years in prison according to a previous lawyer of his.  Plus, I don't see how aiding a whistleblower in getting info is not related to publishing that info.

As to Assange (an Australian) favoring Russia, maybe so; but unfortunately, our Gov't is a much bigger threat to the world than the Ruskies ever could be.  Not just militarily, but all across the board.  There's no doubt whatsoever about that.  I don't at all believe their Gov't Plutocrats are the "good guys"; but our Gov't Plutocrats (at the highest levels) are a gazillion times worse, and a monstrous threat to this planet...militarily, economically, financially, environmentally, politically (even though our NeoFeudalism is more subtle than Russia's), & in every other way I can imagine.

Conclusion:  all this braying about Russia is, to me, blatant HYPOCRISY... and way overblown... and finally,  a distraction from much more important things.  As to Assange, our Government's wrongdoings need to be exposed.  History shows that the State almost always tries to cover up its crimes by criminalizing those who expose them.

I love this Land; but we need to wake up to the fact that our Fed Gov't is led by a bunch of screwed-up, dangerous, plutocratic oligarchs...and that's no matter whether Republicans or Democrats hold majority power.  Another option is to keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid, bury our heads in the sand, and hope everything turns out okay.  Another option is to continue to believe (as the True Believers do) that only the Republicans or the Democrats have the right solution to our problems... in other words, to continue to believe the Propaganda coming from one or the other of those two camps.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Dear President Tweety Bird---

Preface
I really don't like to mock people with name-calling, but the words and actions of your almost constant gaslighting essentially beg for it.  Being far from perfect, I gave in.  Mea culpa.
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Perhaps you would do us all a favor and consider the following points.

1.  It's good that you appear to be withdrawing military troops from Syria.  That's especially true because our involvement in that civil war is unconstitutional.  I'm wondering, though, does the withdrawal include aircraft that do bombing and/or missile attacks?  How about JSOC teams (Special Ops)?

2.  When making your withdrawal announcement, you also claimed (paraphrased here) that we defeated ISIS in Syria.  I think you said, "We won...".  Mr. President, I seriously doubt that even you believe that.  History has shown over and over that war never defeats that type of enemy.  Despite the progress made there (and not just because of our military), ISIS in Syria is far from being defeated.  They merely have faded back into the woodwork for awhile.

3.  Because you tend to lie about half the time, I'm also wondering if you would make public the detailed official Order to withdraw sent to your Commanders in Syria.  You, of course, can redact any sensitive info contained therein.  I mean, surely you don't believe that your Tweety Bird message was any kind of official Order, eh?

4.  How are the seventeen investigations of you and/or your Admin and/or your private companies coming along?  Any info you might share about those?  This is not counting any private investigations that might be going on involving the sixteen women who have accused you of inappropriate sexual behavior or harassment.

5.  How are your gaslighting distractions aimed at We the People doing regarding number 4 above?  Are those distractions working to any significant degree?

6.  Have you read the U.S. Constitution since the 8th or 9th Grade?  Given some of your actions, that seems unlikely.  How about just the 1st, 4th, 5th, & 6th Amendments?  They're really fairly short.  You could easily squeeze them in between golf games.

7.  If you really believe that Mexico is going to wind up paying for your ineffective Border Wall (which should be named, "The Sieve") by you levying tariffs on their goods, has it dawned on you yet who ultimately pays for those tariffs?  It dawned on us (the consumers) quite awhile ago.

8.  Are you aware that 42% of the USA's electorate are Independents, 31% are Democrats, and 25% are Republicans?  I mention that because at times you seem to imply in a braying manner that you have some sort of mandate from We the People.  That's absolutely hilarious.  I'm fairly sure you're not stupid, so most likely your implication is nothing but propaganda.  That's especially likely because 58% of us didn't want you or Hillary to get elected.

9.  Are you aware that, on average, about 50% of eligible voters don't vote in national elections?  It's not because we're lazy; it's because we're fed up with politicians...including you.

10.  With all the Court rulings against your Administration, how is your UNCHRISTIAN immigration policy coming along?

11.  Is there any Head of State in the entire world that you haven't alienated?  At the moment, I can't think of even one.

12.  Most of the people on Earth recognize that we are facing a global, economic/financial Crash.  It's time that you did, too.  The same is true of the worldwide Climate catastrophe.  Start telling the truth.

Finally, don't think for a moment that you have the majority of us fooled.  You aren't any kind of Populist.  While crasser than your predecessors, you're still nothing but a dyed-in-the-wool Plutocrat, an Oligarch.  That's so obvious it's both painful and hilarious.

p.s.  I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but I think it's highly likely that you won't last through your first term in office...you'll resign or get kicked out.  Given that, perhaps the best course for serious people in the real world (meaning outside the DC Beltway) is to ignore you from this point forward.  You know, just as most of our allies are doing.  You're no longer worth anyone's time or effort...that is, except for investigators.  Your creation of distractions via your childish gaslighting has become boring.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Observations on the Insanity of the Elites and on the Progression of Corporatism

Let's first define one term.  By "Elites", I'm referring to those who are either super-rich, or in positions of super-power and/or influence, or both.  These people are in public or private positions, or both.  It's a general definition; there are always a few exceptions to any general rule.  The exceptions, however, do not invalidate the general statement.
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1.  We've had the National Security & Surveillance State since at least 9-11-01.  Yes, security is important; however, excesses in that field by the Elites have created a monstrous problem.  It is this:  the Fourth Amendment essentially has been eliminated.  Other constitutional guarantees of protection against an errant gov't have been seriously compromised as well.  The Elites have done all this by various means, but often it's by passing laws in the dead of night before any of our "Representatives" have had a chance to even read a particular law.  Those who originate these laws (e.g., The PATRIOT Act, FISA, the National Defense Authorization Act, etc.) seem to have the insane idea that even though the laws are in conflict with the Constitution, somehow they trump that document, which of course, is the Supreme Law of the Land.  We the People appear to be putting up with this nonsense.

Perhaps it's past time to recognize that the "Security" State is more concerned with security for the State as opposed to for us.  We are fast going toward a Hard Fascist State, and leaving behind the Soft Fascism which we've had for at least a decade or more.  Many people don't believe that because, I think, they associate Fascism mainly with the anomalous weirdness of the German Nazis & their obsession with the elimination of Jews.  Let's not forget Franco's Spain and Mussolini's Italy; they were more truly Fascist.  Fascism means the marriage of the power of the State to the power of Big Business.   It's a totalitarian rule by public & private Elites.  That's what we're rushing toward in the USA.

2.  Not since the Cold War with the old Soviet Union have we been so close to a nuclear war disaster in the world.  The current crop of politicians in DC seem to hold the insane view that:  (a) "tactical" nukes can be used without any significant, serious, long-term, detrimental consequences to humans and our planet; these business folks probably haven't had a science class since high school, & they are clueless on this subject; and (b) a "first-strike" war is permissible under the Constitution and International Law... not true.

Critics of this critique probably will say something to the effect of:  Iran, Russia, and especially North Korea are a distinct danger to us, and threaten us repeatedly.  Some of that is true, but not to any serious degree.  What those countries are doing, for the most part, is pushing back against our threats to them.  We have economic and financial sanctions against them (especially N. Korea & Russia).  Sanctions are an act of war.  The Bully-Boy US Gov't seems to believe it can act against any other gov't in the world (including allies) and there will be no blowback.  That's an insane belief.

As reported by the dissident, Noam Chomsky (on Democracy Now), not long ago N. Korea offered to sit down and talk about their stopping weapons-delivery testing in exchange for our Gov't lifting sanctions against their country.  Our DC politicians refused to even consider it.  Naturally, to my knowledge that whole business never was revealed by the Corporate Media.  I'm not defending N. Korea; I'm against any totalitarian regime.  The point is, our Gov't appears to be escalating the situation, rather than diffusing it.  Worse, with Buffoon Trump, the politicians now are talking about a first-strike...with a possible nuclear option.  That's unmitigated insanity.

3.  Our top-level politicians, including both Democrats and Republicans (and those in the Corporatist Cabinet), seem to have lost all common sense.  Here are just a few examples of that.

(a)  The Democrats keep harping on the concept of Russia "interfering with" or "influencing" the last election here.  They can't or won't face the fact that the real reason they lost the last election (& not only at the national level) is because We the People no longer buy into their Corporatist and/or Neoliberal crap.  Almost without exception, top-level Dems are shills for the Wall Street Casino Capitalists.  They truly do represent the Status Quo...which most Americans have no patience for anymore.  Dems whining about the Russians displays hypocrisy to the Nth degree.  Our Fed Gov't has a history of interfering with elections, influencing electoral outcomes, and even overthrowing democratically elected gov'ts.  During the Clinton Era, our Gov't made sure that Boris Yeltsin got elected in Russia.  Top-level Dems are insane to keep on with this Russian interference narrative.

(b)  Trump and the Corporatist/Neoliberal Repubs are in the process of making it easier for the Financial Sector, especially the monopolistic Mega Banks, to screw over the bottom 99% of Americans.  They are doing so by removing the paltry restraints on the Crony Capitalist, Mega Banks.  They are guaranteeing the next Bust in the Boom-Bust American Business Cycle.  We're right on the cusp of being overdue for that Bust, and they are hurrying it along.  They do this because, for the most part, the Super-Rich benefit greatly from such a Bust.  How?  It's simple:  during a major recession or depression, the Elites can buy up assets cheaply.  We've seen it over & over in our history.  For example, not long after the 2008 Crash, Mega Banks bought up smaller and/or troubled banks at pennies on the dollar.  The "Too-Big-to-Fail" Mega Banks grew by 37%.  During the Great Depression of the 1930's, super-large landowners and banks bought up small farms and a myriad of other assets at bargain prices.  Assisting that type of scenario, as the current Repub Corporatists are doing, is insanity.  It will further ruin our country and cause great suffering among the majority of us.

(c)  Similar to the point above, both Repubs AND Dems refuse to bring back the Glass-Steagall Act.  In my view, their refusal is because they are Wall Street shills.  If Mega Banks want to play at Casino Capitalism using bizarre financial derivatives, then they should do so with their own money, not ours.  That's just common sense.  Anything else is insanity.
.........................................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Wars Against Americans Conducted by the Elites/the Corporatists/the Ruling Oligarchy

Following is a list of only some of the wars being waged by the Ruling Oligarchy in the USA against We the People.

1.  The War on the First Amendment
2.  The War on Journalists
3.  The War on Whistleblowers
4.  The War on Peaceful Protests and Dissent of Any Type

5.  The War on Privacy
6.  The War on Cash
7.  The War on Drugs
8.  The War on Prescription Painkillers
9.  The War on the Fourth Amendment

10.  The War on Health Food Supplements
11.  The War on Alternative Medicine

12.  The War on Alternative Energy

13.  The War on Minorities
14.  The War on Youth and Education
15.  The War on the Mentally Ill
16.  The War on Nonconformists
17.  The War on Small Farmers
18.  The War on Small Business of Any Type
19.  The War on Industry

20.  The War on Democracy
21.  The War on Critical Thinking
22.  The War on Military Vets
23.  The War on Poor People
24.  The War on the Middle Class
..........................................................
Following is a list of only some of the things that the Ruling Oligarchy promotes/promulgates/supports.

1.  Crony Capitalism (aka, Fascism)
2.  Edward Bernays Style Propaganda
3.  Phony Elections
4.  Elitism
5.  Monopolies
6.  Financialization
7.  Neoliberalism
8.  NeoFeudalism
9.  Class War
10.  Military Aggression and War Profiteering
11.  USA Hegemony and American Empire
12.  Intervention in Foreign Civil Wars for Economic Reasons
13.  Spying on Our Allies
14.  Economic and Financial Bubbles
15.  A Revolving Door Between Mega Banking and High-Level Gov't "Service"
16.  Bailing Out Mega Financial Institutions Guilty of Fraud
17.  Authoritarian Government
............................................................
Notwithstanding popular opinion to the contrary, History has shown that Oligarchs and their puppets (e.g., Obama, McConnell, Clinton, McCain, Schumer, Pelosi, Cornyn, Cruz, etc.) don't care one scintilla about the old labels--- Right, Left, Conservative, Liberal, and on & on.  At the highest levels, probably 99% of today's politicians are concerned only with this label--- Financier.  Those are the people who run the world, not the puppet politicians.  The International Financial Coterie (Professor Carroll Quigley's term) cares not at all about the old political paradigm.  They care primarily about power, money, and the private governance of the planet.  Ask David Rockefeller.  In 1991, he stated publicly,  "Surely it is better to have the world run by unelected elites than by the corrupt politicians of today.".

I suspect that Rockefeller was/is well-meaning, but like the famous Progressive journalist/author of the past, Walter Lippmann, he apparently believes that the commoners make up "the bewildered herd" and must be ruled by an "elite class of intellectuals".  Toward the end of his life, Lippmann wound up believing that commoners should not be allowed to fully participate in democracy because they simply were not competent enough in such matters.  That has become a dominant belief in Crony Capitalism.  That is what the Corporatists-Oligarchs-Elites think... and that thinking is implemented by today's puppet politicians.

At the national level, the best way to oppose such people and their thinking is to boycott whenever possible... individually, or in organized groups, or both.  We have been voluntarily complying with their nonsense for far too long.  Stuck in Propaganda, Consumerism, and outright fraud, we have enabled the Fascist State.  As I've pointed out several times before this, both Mussolini and FDR defined Fascism as:  the perfect marriage of the State to Big Business.  That's exactly what we have in this country...and much of the world.  That's especially true in the Financial Sector.

We can take a small step toward restoring sanity by boycotting the current farce of an election with which we are faced.  At the very least, don't vote for either of the major candidates... pick someone else.  Almost anyone would be better than Trump or Clinton; 58% of us don't want either one of them.  That's strong evidence of a phony election.  The election IS rigged...but not in the way that Trump thinks.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Non-Democratic Democratic Party Elections and Republican Losers

Here's some food for thought regarding the 2016 elections.

1.  As of the morning of June 10 (Friday), at least two million votes had not yet been counted in Tuesday's California Primary Election.  Hillary Clinton "won" that election by about 440,000 votes... that is to say, she "won" it without at least 2,000,000 votes being counted.  Do the math.  How do we know she won... maybe, maybe not.  Even though she's way ahead in the total delegate count, this situation matters because declaring her the winner prematurely adds to her campaign's momentum... perhaps falsely.  It also may influence Superdelegates to the detriment of the Sanders campaign.  Finally, it simply shouldn't happen... the election/vote count is not over.  Is this democracy in action?  No, this is closer to Fascism in action.

2.  All over the country, people have participated in Primary Elections, casting their votes for the candidates of their choice.  In reality, they are electing pledged delegates to a political convention.  And yet, when that convention (for the Democrats) takes place relatively soon, 15% of the participating delegates will be unelected; they are the Superdelegates, the Party Elites.  They had nothing whatsoever to do with the Primary Election process.  No citizen voted for them in the Primaries.  They will pledge to a particular candidate for other, essentially unknown reasons.  Fifteen percent may sound small, but it's a significant number.  Is this democracy in action?  I think not.  Instead, this is a goofy, non-democratic process concocted by the Democrats after the McGovern loss back in the early 1970's.  The People chose McGovern as their candidate, he lost BIG-TIME, and the Dem Party hierarchy vowed that type of thing would never happen again.  [In other words, they decided that the ignorant public cannot be trusted to solely select the candidate; they need help from the experts in these matters:]  That's how Democrats wound up with 15% unelected delegates.

3.  Add to the above the fact that there have been irregularities in the Democratic Party Primaries in several other States... Iowa, New York, New Hampshire... just to name a few.  Add to that the very odd decision of the Democratic Party hierarchy to have very few debates and to drastically cut the number of participants in those debates early on in the process.  Finally, there are the decisions of the Corporate Media to give the Sanders campaign the smallest amount of coverage of any major candidate... by a large margin.  This despite the fact that he generated massive rallies and interest.  It should be obvious that something fishy is going on here.  [Attention "Conservatives":  so much for the "Liberal Media" (who is more "Liberal" than Sanders?); they are Neoliberal, and those two categories are polar opposites.  Wake up.]

4.  As to the Republicans, it's fairly clear that the Republican Party hierarchy wants to lose the election in November.  I've been following national elections in this great Land very closely ever since 1956.  In all that time, there has never been a Primary season more mishandled by a specific Party than this one by the Repubs.  The Democrats and McGovern came close, but this year & the Repubs get the cigar.

5.  The moneyed interests want Hillary, and barring unforeseen events, that's who they're going to get.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Corporatism Wins Again: The Primaries, Trump, Clinton, Sanders, and Voters

Preface
I'm not a supporter of Trump, Sanders, or Clinton.  Even if any of their supposed Populism is genuine (& with two of them, I'm sure it isn't...with Sanders, I don't know), I don't believe it's possible anymore for a President to significantly change the rotten, corrupt State-Corporate System.  I think all national elections should be boycotted.  I mention all this only so you will know that I'm not biased in favor of any of the candidates.
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Here's one way that Corporatists have hornswoggled much of the American populace in this Primary election.  The night before the largest Primary election in the country (CA), the Associated Press and NBC both announce that Clinton IS the presumptive nominee of the Democrats.  That's a message to the unelected Superdelegates:  get on board with Hillary.  It's also a message to Sanders supporters:  you're wasting your time...stop being "spoilers".  The fact is:  even after the CA election, Clinton still doesn't have enough firmly pledged, elected delegates to be the Democratic nominee.  I imagine she will get the nomination, but that will be due to the unelected Superdelegates.  She has been courting them since her loss to Obama back when.

Here's another way that Corporatists have hornswoggled much of the American populace.  Trump is a candidate who normally would be shunned by the Corporate Media...because of his narrow views, because he apparently has no depth regarding proposed policies, because he appears to have little understanding of anything governmental, social, or economic, because he trumps Dubya Bush when it comes to putting his foot in his mouth, in short--- because he isn't a serious candidate.  The Corporate Media have embraced him (so to speak) because he's a money-maker for them.  The President of CBS (or CEO, or something) smilingly stated that.  That's why the Corporate Media have given him probably three times the coverage of any other candidate---Repub or Dem---in this whole Primary season.

People in the Shadow Government (a well-established concept by both the Right and the Left) must be tickled to death.  Those Corporatists want Clinton as President.  That's because she's a strong Wall Street, Mega Bank supporter and a fierce War Hawk & Perpetual War supporter.  That means more money & Power for them.  They know that Trump will be slaughtered in the November election.  But even if he isn't, even if by some miracle he wins, the Corporatists won't care...he's one of them.  They prefer Clinton only because Trump appears to be unstable, somewhat of a wild card.  Most of the time, it's difficult to determine exactly what he really believes.  The only thing they know for sure is that he's not any kind of Populist.  That's good enough for them.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Nary a Peep From NBC News

First I watched the news coverage of Tuesday's NY Primary on Democracy Now!, probably the premier non-corporate media news source.  As reported by them--- 125,000 registered voters had been purged from the official voter lists in the Bronx alone.  No one yet knows why.  Those folks went to the polls and were told they couldn't vote.  On top of that, there was a degree of chaos at many voting sites in NY--- machines weren't working, the places opened late, and in some cases, people were told to go elsewhere.

Then I watched the Primary coverage on one of the Corporate Media news sites, NBC.  There was not a single word about the purging of voters or any of the other problems described above.  Nary a word.

In addition to all the above, we have the following.

1.  The 2007 black box voting documentary, Hacking Democracy, by HBO---  Query:  are Diebold machines still being used?  What safeguards have been instituted to protect against voting machines being hacked?  Any at all?

2.  Closed primaries---  I think about half the States have those.  That means Independents, who make up 42% of the USA electorate, must change their affiliation in order to vote.  This time around in NY State, they had to make the change in October of last year.  That's not right.  All registered voters should be able to vote in any damned primary they choose.

3.  Superdelegates---  The opposite of democracy in action...enough said.

4.  One candidate wins a primary by a HUGE margin, but the delegates are split evenly...sometimes.  Why?

5.  A monstrously inadequate number of polling places are found in many areas.  People have stood in line for 4-5 hours in order to vote.  That situation is asinine...something is fishy in officialdom.  Even if I weren't boycotting national elections, I wouldn't stand in line for more than 30 minutes.  Not too many years ago, the whole process took about 15 minutes.
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That all reinforces my belief that the whole election process in this great Land is a Rigged Game.  As I said in a fairly recent previous post, you rarely ever win a rigged game.  Don't play.  [By the way, only 33% of eligible voters participated in the voting Tuesday in NYC.  Imagine the force of the message that would be sent to the Oligarchs if, on a national scale, that number was only two percent.  I suspect there would be many frantic meetings of the Super-Rich control freaks all over the country.  The Edward Bernays style Propaganda would have to be altered drastically.  I imagine commissions would be formed to look into "the problem", and reform might even happen.  In any case, Oligarchs might begin to wonder if their Power and Control are slipping.  Hey, it would be a start.  As things stand now, We the "Little People" are pretty much shafted.  SSDD.]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

The Kabuki Theater production of "The 2016 Election in The USA" is only a bit more than a year away.  Attention actors:  get your Kabuki masks or makeup early.  The Kabuki-loving crowd in America promises to be a large one.  Come one, come all!

We Americans should be thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed that:  1. we allow this type of charade to take place; and 2. we participate in it believing that "if we can just get the right people in office, things will be much better".  After over 200 years of such thinking, one perhaps would recognize that it just isn't true.  Politicians say what the ad agencies tell them to (after opinion polls, focus groups, etc.), and after the election, they serve their true constituency---the Oligarchy.  Probably 99% of national political candidates are selected, groomed, and financed by the Rich & Powerful.  The remaining 1% quickly are marginalized or eliminated by the Corporate Media and Institutional Inertia.  The Rigged Game then continues.

The sad truth is that voting at the national level in this country doesn't matter at all.  The best and easiest way to send a powerful message to the non-representative Gov't in DC and to the non-elected Rulers in the Corporatocracy is don't vote at the national level.  That truly would shake up the Establishment and show who really possesses the power in this Land.  If we could get voting down to 5% or even 10%, the Powers That Be would have a collective fit.  They would understand that the jig is up.  The propaganda just isn't working anymore.

Of course, I don't expect any of that to happen.  The Edward Bernays style propaganda is too ingrained, too relentless, and too long-running.  Even if it were to be recognized fully, we Americans lost our nerve long ago when it comes to changing a political system which has become corrupted and perverted.  Besides, even though we're still in an economic disaster here, we're too distracted by "hot-button" social issues to care about anything else political.  Plus, we've more or less adapted to stagnant wages and salaries.  Finally, we appear to be distracted by sports events & sports "news", soap operas, "reality" shows, and other similar fluff.  Oh, I almost forgot, we're also distracted by "The Boogie Man is coming".  [Yes, some tragic events have happened...but that has been true throughout History.]

Despite all the above, I still have a dream and a hope that my fellow countrymen (& women) will come to understand several elementary truths, as follows.
1.  Along with our Republic, the old ways in politics are long gone.
2.  A Neoliberal Coup has taken place right under our noses, and it wasn't a "conspiracy".
3.  At the highest levels in politics, the old labels are completely meaningless.
4.  The new political paradigm is the Oligarchy versus the rest of us.
5.  Wealth is being transferred from the poor & middle classes to the upper crust at an unprecedented rate.
6.  Voting will not correct any of the above.  (Neither will violence.)
7.  Only boycotts, shunning, and other means of passive resistance will begin to correct the situation.
8.  Propaganda by the Corporate Media, other mega corporations, and the highest levels in DC is rampant.
9.  Capitalism and Socialism are economic systems, not political systems.  The primary cause of our problems is political Crony Capitalism, not economic Capitalism.  It's the current political system here that must be changed, not the economic system.  [As I pointed out in a previous post, we have a Mixed Economy; we've never had Free Market Capitalism, not even in the days of the "Robber Barons".]
10.  As long as Big Money is pervasive in our politics, politicians (in general) will serve Big Business instead of the rest of us.
11.  The first step in reclaiming our government is to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.
12.  Our situation cannot be corrected from within the current system.  Before that can happen, Oligarchs have to be shown who really has the power.  Voting will not do that...99% of your choices at the ballot box are servants of the Rich and Powerful.  The other 1% are toast; they will be marginalized by the corrupt cronyism in the current system.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Part II: "Fixing" Our Government

Below is my response to an email I received from some friends.  In their email, they talked about the right to vote, and the fact that they weren't clear on what my solution was to the problem of our government (& economy) mess. 

I suspect that you guys still think 

the Rotten System can be corrected from within the system.  If that were true, then it would 

be corrected by now... especially given that we've had at least 100 yrs to do so.  Keeping 

you in that Rigged Game is a huge part of the Propaganda.  Currently, voting at the 

national level is a complete waste of time, and more importantly, it perpetuates the Rigged 

Game.  That will change only when changes from outside the system force changes 

within the system.

As to clear answers on what to do, I agree with you, but only up to a certain point.  I think 

this is pretty clear: "As long as Americans stay stuck in this Repubs v. Dems charade, that all 

will continue.".  And this:  "...the very first step in "fixing" our Gov't and 

overcoming the coup of Neoliberalism is this:  somehow we have to destroy and/or expose 

Edward Bernays style Propaganda.".  ["somehow" would include writing, talking, songs, other 

Art, discussions, websites, formal speeches, ads, and especially, organizing.]  This stuff will 

not happen overnight, if at all.  And this is clear: "Don't vote at the national level.".  The 

Establishment has to be shown that We the People are in charge.  When we vote, they know 

we're not.  I know, that sounds counterintuitive, but it's true.  [The Rich & Powerful select, 

groom, & finance probably 99.9% of all candidates at the national level.  So, how does voting 

help correct that?]  The top-down, dictatorial Republican & Democrat Parties will select two 

total Yahoos for Presidential candidates in the next election.  Any 3rd Party doesn't have a 

chance in hell because of Propaganda, the Corporate Media, & harsh ballot-access laws.  

How does voting help correct that?  I'm serious.  Voting perpetuates the problem.

I don't know the complete solution to the problem, but I'm fairly certain of where to start.  

The Propaganda of the Neoliberals must be exposed...that's 1st.  Then, peaceful activism 

outside the Rotten System must be organized & instituted.  That means either 

individually, or in groups, or both, we have to boycott, demonstrate, & otherwise protest.  

That can be done any number of ways... it doesn't necessarily mean marching down the street 

with banners held high.  Many things can be done quietly & anonymously... e.g., boycotts of 

Mega Banks (who finance corrupt politicians).  Even in a dictatorship, public opinion matters; 

but making it matter requires hard work & solidarity.  Right now, Americans are so 

fragmented that it's no surprise we're essentially beaten.

There are many, many obstacles to solving America's mess.  One is that too many of us 

think that things can be solved fairly quickly... by voting, for example.  I don't have a lot of 

hope that Americans ever will overcome the Neoliberalism Coup, or even understand what 

that is.  But I keep writing & making vids... because I have very young grandchildren, & fear 

for their future.  NeoFeudalism is almost upon us.  Voting won't stop it.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  I'm convinced that when my body is dead & I'm gone, someday I'll chuckle (or whatever 

spirits do) when I hear you guys say, "By God, Woodrow, I thought he was nuts, but Haley 

was right all along."...:) 

The Propaganda Kool Aid

Remember Jim Jones and The People's Temple, the guy who convinced (or forced) about 800 of his congregation to kill themselves by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid?  That's the metaphor for the essay below.

There's no nice way to say this, or perhaps it's that I don't have the time to find a nice way.  So please forgive me if I sound harsh.  I've been observing this scenario for decades, and I'm a bit fed up.

You folks who still believe that voting (in the present system) makes a difference just keep electing the same types of people over & over & over...candidates chosen, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchs. And you both (Repubs & Dems) keep blaming the other side. Here's a clue: they're all on the same side.

What if they put on an election...and nobody showed up to vote? Now THAT would send a message! But it will never happen... because Americans just keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. "Oh, don't you know---it's the Republicans' fault." "Oh, don't you know---it's the Democrats' fault."

Here's another clue: it's the voters' fault...all of you. No one else puts those clowns in office. ALL of them represent the one-percenters, the Oligarchs...ALL of them vote for deficit spending... ALL of them shaft the common people... ALL of them pass laws & implement policies that transfer wealth from the Middle Class to the 1% upper crust. [40% of the wealth of this land now is owned by 1% of the people...& that's not because 99% of us are lazy.] But go ahead, keep voting for them...keep drinking the Kool Aid that says this one is different, this one is on our side, that one over there is the problem. Sorry, but you're dead wrong.

American voters (all of you) are getting exactly the type of government that you deserve...because you just keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. The Oligarchs have divided & conquered us completely. When it comes to politics, I no longer have any sympathy whatsoever for American voters...apparently all you see is the false surface of American politics...the propaganda...Right v. Left, Conservatives v. Progressives, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

There is a better way...actually, almost anything would be better than the fraudulent, dictatorial, crony political parties that run the show now... puppets of the mega corporations. But first, voters have to stop drinking the Kool Aid.

Just my opinion.

The Opium of the Masses

This may be viewed as heresy by some: voting is the opium of the masses in this beloved country. It makes us feel as if we're making a difference in a system that in essence has but one major political party, the hidden Transnational Mega Corporation Party (the TMCP).

Admittedly, there are still a few minor differences between the Democrats and the Republicans; but regarding really significant issues, the two factions of the TMCP basically are identical. Following are some (not all) of those issues---
Both Dems and Repubs support (or do not oppose):
1. continued deficit-spending;
2. a fiat money system;
3. the practice of Legislative Absolutism (see previous posts);
4. an ever-expanding Federal Government;
5. ignoring the Constitution whenever it suits political purposes;
6. unconstitutional wars;
7. extraordinary rendition (kidnapping suspects, then sending them off to countries which countenance torture);
8. infringing on natural rights under the guise of "protection and safety";
9. highly restrictive ballot-access laws, created by the Dems and Repubs to limit political competition from third parties;
10. continued raising of the Federal Debt Limit;
11. the export of jobs out of the USA, which benefits the Corporatocracy and devastates American workers;
12. continued trading with China, a country that imprisons and/or murders Tibetan monks and nuns (as well as ordinary Chinese dissenters) for their beliefs in freedom;
13. the IMF, WTO, and World Bank, all tools of Globalization and the destruction of our Republic;
14. the financial bailing out of private, mega corporations;
15. wasteful, pork barrel spending on projects that should be financed by individual States (assuming that the State voters approve);
16. accepting huge, filtered (through PACs) campaign donations from mega corporations, and then voting accordingly;
17. making back room deals with mega industries (e.g., the deal Obama made with the health insurance industry relative to the passage of ObamaCare--- see the PBS Frontline piece titled, Obama's Deal); and,
18. interventionism regarding other sovereign countries, which involves pre-emptive invasion, or assassinations, or overthrowing democratically elected governments, or attacking with predator drone aircraft without the permission of the leaders of that country.

Our national, elected leaders appear to have only two major concerns: the promotion of mega corporate Globalization, and the expansion of the American Empire. Domestic issues seem to be of little or no concern to the politicos. It is my belief that the Democrats and Republicans have more than had their chances to benefit average Americans. They have failed...and they have failed miserably. They aren't going to change their ways, if history is any indication. I think it's time to begin the long process of dethroning the two factions of the TMCP. Forget the "wasted vote" argument. That's unabashed propaganda from those currently in power. "In power" is not really accurate; they essentially are free-loading puppets of unelected rulers. The point is: they are tainted and corrupt to the core. I'm fairly sure that there are a few exceptions to that rule...but very few.

Mark these words: even if the Republicans make significant gains in this election, not much will change. The Corporatocracy will continue to rule. One could argue, I suppose, that any new political party eventually would become just as corrupt as the Dems and Repubs, but that's not a certainty. One thing that we do know for certain: the current "representative" parties definitely are corrupt, and definitely are puppets. We have nothing to lose by dethroning them and trying a new approach.