I keep looking at the number of posts I’ve made to this site thinking, “that’s enough.”  Then, I read the news, read another book, or in general just keep paying attention to “what’s going on” in this country that I love and another “thought” pops into my head.  Tonight I have so many thoughts that I’m not sure where I’m going with them.  I’m soon to complete “FreeFall” by Joseph Stiglitz which is a very intellectually stimulating book – all about our economy and the sorry state it’s in and the lack of direction it’s getting from “both sides of the isle.”  For sure I’ll be writing about that – if not tonight.  Then there’s the so-called “Mosque” two blocks from “ground zero” which is actually at least 4 blocks from ground zero, which isn’t a Mosque – but a “community center,” and which has been used by the republican party as their latest divisive tool for hate mongering and fear mongering.  The whack job in Florida who’s planning to burn the Korans – well, I wouldn’t even consider writing about him – the guy has a congregation of 50 people – but, the job the media has done to turn this guy into “major news” represents a lot of what is wrong with America right now – in my view – so, I could write about either him, or just write about that entire scenario.  I’ve written somewhat extensively already about “Citizens United,” the outrageous Supreme Court decision handed down by the Roberts Court which threatens to ruin this nation – and, I believe the reality of that decision is becoming clearer as each day passes and as republicans buy up TV time – in advance of the upcoming election – in an OVERT attempt to manipulate our electoral process.  That could be the most “needy” of the possible topics (I’m still finding almost all people – educated professional people – who I ask that DON’T even KNOW what Citizens United is!)  And, the list goes on (and on and on and on and……. I think you get my point)

Oh yes, it was reported today in the New York Times that a Federal Appeals Court ruled that detainees who had been tortured in CIA overseas prisons – such as Abu Ghraib, GITMO, Bagram, and some of the “extraordinary rendition” sites in places like Egypt and Morocco had no right for a “day in court.”  A three judge panel had found that detainees had the right to sue with “particular pieces of evidence” which were subject to the “states secrets” provision of legal precedence withheld (I don’t believe this, “state’s secrets,” is a law – it’s just an established “privilege” which American administrations have “pushed” to expand over the years with Bush/Cheney pushing the hardest – that is until Barack Obama apparently decided to “carry the torch” for them – ughhhh!) – that is, keeping information “secret” which could have an adverse effect on national security.  However, the Obama administration successfully argued that the entire case should be wiped out – essentially, these victims of TORTURE, have no legal redress against the VILLAINS who were TORTURING them!  I voted for Obama, I sent him money, the thought of republicans regaining power makes me sick to my stomach – BUT, his continuation of this CRAP – that is, following Bush policies in these despicable ways – just removes any enthusiasm I might have for his presidency.  I understood this deplorable, un-American stuff coming from an administration with Dick Cheney at the helm (for all practical purposes) – But, not from someone I so enthusiastically voted for.  I really do want my money back from Obama!  Barack Obama is doing everything he can to MAKE SURE there is NO ACCOUNTABILITY for the illegal activities of George W Bush and Dick Cheney.  The man who promised TRANSPARENCY is fighting for an expansion of the “states secret” privilege beyond anything we’ve seen in the past – UNBELIEVABLE!

Do you think that’s it?  Well, there’s more for all of you out there who got confused by President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize.  His administration has authorized the C.I.A. to try to kill a United States citizen suspected of terrorism ties, blocked efforts by detainees in Afghanistan to bring habeas corpus lawsuits challenging the basis for their imprisonment without trial, and continued the C.I.A.’s so-called extraordinary rendition programof prisoner transfers.  This is all carryover from the Bush/Cheney agenda – not what I personally would call “The change I can believe in.”  Think about Iraq – President Obama went on national TV to tell us all that the “combat mission” in Iraq is over – all the while 50,000 troops remain.  He also said those troops will be home by the end of next year -and, if you believe that I have a bridge I would like to sell you.  Some how, I get the feeling that President Obama was convinced that he should take the “If you can’t beat them, join them” approach to dealing with our national security.  For some reason he’s more concerned with appeasing the republican backlash he’d get if he truly deserved that Nobel Peace Prize – if he had the GUTS to actually have brought the troops home in the 16 months he promised and left the restoring of Iraq to the Iraqi’s where it belongs.  There is no shortage of information out there which depicts the pressure any US President faces from the “military industrial complex” which Dwight D Eisenhower warned would be the “enemy within” if left unchecked.  It appears President Obama has decided to leave the battle to “real in” our corporatocracy which is basically a “WAR MACHINE” for a future president.  We all know that won’t be a republican – so, what kind of “choices” are we left with for the foreseeable future.

Essentially, that dearth of choices is what is getting somewhat depressing to me.  Radio personalities Ed Schultz, Randi Rhodes, Thom Hartman – all on the progressive side – make a good point that expressing disappointment with the “failings” of Obama should be done in another way than voting in the same people who created this HORRIBLE MESS that we Americans find ourselves in – both economically and politically.  It HAS taken about 30+ years of this supply side economics (so well described by George HW Bush as “Voodoo Economics” back in 1980), and this “creeping” military takeover of our economy has been gaining steam for the last 10 years for sure – and, probably for another 30 before that – so, it stands to reason that cleansing ourselves of this UNACCEPTABLE government behavior will take more than a couple of years.  Idealy, we should be planning how to give President Obama a more “progressive friendly” congress – that is, getting rid of the Ben Nelson’s, Blanche Lincoln’s, Mary Landrieu’s, and the others who sided with republicans on health care and other critical issues Americans want addressed by our leaders.

I listened to President Obama’s recent press conference – and, he is a brilliant man who was very impressive to say the least.  I so want to jump back on the bandwagon.  Then stories like him and his Attorney General Eric Holder blocking the rights of people who’ve been brutally beaten and tortured by the Bush/Cheney people and I just shake my head in wonderment – thinking, WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY COUNTRY?  Give these people their day in court!  One of the plaintiffs was held for 7 long years in at least 3 different “black hole” prisons – run by the United States or our designates – and, brutally tortured before being released because he wasn’t even involved with terrorism at all (not to suggest that if he was it would be OK to slice open his penis and pour hot water on the wound in an attempt to get hime to “tell them what they want to hear”).  What are we afraid of?  I seriously doubt that any of the so-called secrets are any worse than what people all over the world are imagining happened based on all the information out there.  I mean, I read one book about Abu Ghraib where the “enhanced interrogators” came into the prison, took an Iraqi citizen into their “interrogation room,” and left him hanging DEAD on a hook on the wall – leaving his body for the poor saps who eventually took the rap for the whole fiasco – Lindy England and the others – to clean up.  And, NO INVESTIGATION!

Then there was the three Arabs found hanging DEAD in their cells at Guantanimo prison.  Somehow they had been dead for several hours before being discovered by guards who were walking the corridors of the prison every 15 minutes.  They had managed to tie their own feet together, then get up on a box, put the noose around their own necks, tie their own hands behind their backs, and, oh yes, also cram a wadded up cloth down their throat to the point where it had to be cut out after the bodies were found.  All three of them did this themselves, and all at the same time.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention, earlier all three had been taken to a separate “enhanced interrogation” facility off the GITMO (Guantanimo) grounds prior to their surprise discovery.  And, despite all this information – the Obama administration quashed any thought of an investigation – you know – that pesky “state’s secret privilege” where our government continually covers up it’s illegal behavior by claiming “national security” would be harmed by investigating.

You see, that’s not the “change” I voted for!  Many of the things that are bothering me and motivating me to write are differences of opinion.  Issues that I believe well meaning people should be able to debate in an attempt to find better solutions to major problems.  But, this turning our back on legal and moral issues which will have a LONG TERM negative effect on our entire country is really bothering me.  I’m honestly thinking that if Barack Obama doesn’t have the courage to stand up against this barrage of corporate power attempting to take control of this entire nation then I can’t bring myself to support him any longer.  I REALLY don’t understand the fear of investigating what our government has done wrong – when they’ve gone “over the line.”  Our CIA has a history of abuse and I realize that Obama’s trying to protect them – but, at what expense?  We are supposed to be a NATION OF LAWS and not men, but what kind of a legacy is Obama leaving if he continues with his present behavior.  His attempts to spur the economy on are “short term” policies – these decisions where he’s allowing this misbehavior to go unchallenged threaten to damage the credibility of this nation for generations.

In reading Stiglitz book, I believe Obama is showing the same tepid behavior with the economy he’s showing with the military.  Yes, he’s doing some things different and he’s changed the direction of the “ship” somewhat.  But, many of his decisions seem aimed at keeping us in the “business as usual” category.  The world is changing around us – other countries are looking to the US for leadership.  Many of the other nations in the world were as anxious for the end of Bush/Cheney as most Americans were.  But, they weren’t expecting a new administration which – in the areas of long term concern – would continue the policies of Bush/Cheney.  In many ways, I believe the Bushlite description is appropriate.  I will write more about that soon, as I’m close to finishing “Freefall” – which I highly recommend to anyone wishing to have a better understanding of where our economy’s been, where it’s headed, and where Joseph Stiglitz thinks it should be headed.  I’ll end tonight by saying that republicans are now in the process of turning the word “progressive” into a negative term via our media – if democrats want to defeat the “right wing” in America, they’ll need to “fight fire with fire.”  And, the battle HAS to start at the top.  President Obama won’t be able to lead the democrats to victory by defending illegal Bush/Cheney policies in court!