Biden & Russia, JFK & USSR, and World Peace

This clip presents a portion of the JFK "Peace for All Time" speech, June 10, 1963.  Then there's commentary by the award-winning publisher of The Nation magazine, Katrina vanden Heuvel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNOQLkp0E5w

Included in the commentary is a brief comparison to the view of Peace held by today's national politicians.  Quite a difference, and not very flattering to Biden, et al.

JFK's Peace speech has been hailed all across the political spectrum as one of the greatest talks ever given by a U.S. President.  One thing is sure:  it demonstrates the almost complete lack of statesmanship in most of today's politicians.  The difference between JFK and them is stunning.

.................

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.
........................

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.]

...............................................
A friend responded with a somewhat biting critique of Assange... especially relative to the last few years.  My reply is below.
........................................

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.

.............................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Why Most American Presidents Should be Considered Puppets

Below is my response to an email from a family member.  The bulk of his email was a reprint of an article about Obama in the final issue of Newsweek.  [Apparently the magazine is ceasing publication.]  The article lambasted Obama with a variety of assertions.
_____________________________

I agree with most of this, but take issue with the following.

1.  Obama's first job after college was not as a "community organizer", but instead was with Business International, a mega business consulting firm and a known CIA front.

2.  His Marxism was "warmed over" because it was an act.  He's a Corporatist, not a Marxist.  He became a multi-millionaire while in office.  He failed to prosecute fraudulent Mega Bankers, even when the fraud was admitted... and the evidence supporting that admission was clear.  He received more campaign $ from Big Biz than did McCain.  In his first term, he kept all the Wall St. Bush economic people in his Admin.  Anyone who believes Obama was on the so-called "Left" is the victim of unmitigated Propaganda... & that Propaganda worked.

3.  He did have a record in the Senate:  he supported the Afghan & Iraq wars, the Death Penalty, voted for the PATRIOT Act, voted against Universal Health Care, and supported anything that favored the highest 1% on the economic ladder.  [None of that record is in the slightest a "Marxist" record.]

Obama certainly was/is unqualified, but he's definitely NOT any kind of Socialist.  The Newsweek author simply is reinforcing the Propaganda that most Americans bought into.

.......................

Let's see if Trump, who is facing an imploding economy, blames Obama for economic woes the way O blamed Bush.  I'd say there's a very good chance that he will.  Funny thing is, they both have a good case... that's because the Cabinet members & other economic advisors aren't really "Conservative" OR "Liberal"... instead, they're Corporatists who promote Boom & Bust cycles that benefit the Super-Rich.  They bamboozle ANY President into thinking they're on the right track with that policy (of course, they don't use Boom-Bust terminology).  As I look at Trump's Cabinet & Advisors on economic policy, it's easy to predict that's exactly what will happen to the President-Elect.  Just watch.

Happy Trails

p.s.  Thanks for the piece.  It reinforces my belief that the Corporate Media (including Newsweek) are way beyond those old, worn-out labels of "Conservative" and "Liberal".  Every one of them is Corporatist... and their main objective is to benefit the 1%.

_________________________

On a similar note---

Don't know how I missed this piece, but just a bit ago I finished watching a documentary (on Netflix) narrated by Matt Damon, titled Inside Job.  It's from the year 2010, and is an analysis of the 2008 Crash.  Although I was familiar with most of the facts explained, the film blew me away.

Long story short, the piece showed how the Administrations of Reagan, Poppy Bush, Clinton, Dubya Bush, & Obama, plus Oligarchs in the Financial Sector, plus Presidential advisors from academic economics---all essentially more or less in collusion--- were responsible for the last Crash.  The devastating role of bizarre financial derivatives was laid bare, as well as the utter failure of governmental regulation, and how millionaire economic advisors shape Executive policy.

Bottom line--- American Presidents (with very few exceptions) have been molded economically by BIG Business reps and academic millionaire economists to the point where the Presidents are mere puppets...at least, when it comes to issues such as finance, the economy, jobs, & the like.  Those issues are the most important ones to almost all of us.  If you can't make a decent living, all the other issues don't matter.  The only possible exception to that statement is the issue of Freedom.

Finally, as pointed out in the film, those "academic" economic advisors became millionaires by giving speeches to mega corporations at $100,000 or more a pop.  After advising the President, many/most of these economists then move on to high corporate positions at an annual salary of $300,000 or so.  A question should arise as to conflict of interest, eh?

Don't miss Inside Job.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well