I recently finished “The Price of Inequality” by Joseph Stiglitz and was thinking of a way to write about it, it’s a great book (highly recommended), when I started “Bending Toward Justice, The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy” by Gary May.  I’m only about 40% finished with this book (I keep a stack of books next to my bed to read each evening) and it, too, falls into the highly recommended category.  In fact, based on news I’m reading and hearing the past few days, this is the book I need to refer to regarding my next post. (this one)

Reading about the reality of what Black Civil Rights leaders (and their supporters) went through to get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and what voting was like prior to that makes me even ANGRIER when I think of what the Roberts Court (the United States Supreme Court – often times referred to as SCOTUS) is doing to America.  Fifty years from now it will be the Supreme Court that will be remembered as a key component of the assault on America’s foundation – whether the right wing republicans succeed in their “permanent republicnan ‘majority'” or not.

First they decided the Citizens United v Federal Election Commission in the favor of corporate interests while dissembling something on the nature of 100 years of campaign finance reform.  This from Justices Roberts and Alito who claimed they were adamantly opposed to “judicial activism” as they went through the confirmation process.  (Does that mean they’re liars?) In this case, notoriously referred to by Mitt Romney when he said “Corporations are people, my friend,” the court opened the floodgates to unlimited spending on America’s political campaigns – with the so-called “dark money” coming from “non-profit” “Super PACS” that can funnel unlimited funds into political races with no accountability (regarding where the funding originates) whatsoever!  We the people won’t even know how much FOREIGN money is used to buy our politicians.  (Alito – either foolishly or naively – shook his head as if to say “no” when President Obama breached the subject of the foreign money POURING into our elections during his the State of the Union address which followed this judicial travesty)

Largely as a result of this decision (and there’s been another almost as bad since, McCutcheon v Federal Elections Commission) we can expect a never ending blast of negative (and mostly fictitious) surreptitious TV adds during election campaigns.  We can expect never ending political campaigns (for example, this “mid term” election seems to have been ongoing since the last presidential election).  And, worst of all, we can expect even more corruption in our political process – if that is even possible.  These two decisions, in themselves, point out the EXTREME importance of NEVER again voting in a republican as president!  These judges are in for LIFE – that means my daughters may have to spend their entire adult lives living under the Roberts Court!  Right now, America’s “right wing” is represented by a 5 to 4 majority on the court and, if they get one more, the disaster could be worse.  These five judges will someday be remembered in the history books for the damage they are doing to our nation!

While the two aforementioned decisions are disasters, there’s another one that falls in the same category and could possibly end up being worse.  Last year (2013) the court “gutted” the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (passed in 1965 and extended by Congress several times since, the last time being in 2006, for 25 years) by eliminating section 4 and eviscerating section 5.  If interested in what that means, look it up – it’s real clear what their motivation is.  I’ll get into more of my thoughts on this shortly, but as I’m reading May’s book on the Voting Rights Act, it’s almost depressing to think what this court is doing to the country I love.  It’s as if the extreme fringe “right” that’s got control of the republican party is working in unison with the Supreme Court to (they say they want to “take our country back”) take this country back to the days of the Robber Barons!  And, the American public is passively allowing this to happen simply because most members of our society have no idea it is happening!  (a significant group of my peers – I’m a retired school teacher and have many friends who are “educated” – haven’t even heard of Citizens United – or if they have, they have no idea of what it is)  This last REALITY is further indictment on our so-called “liberal media.” (I’ve written extensively about that recently if you’re interested)

Thousands of American (mostly African Americans) were BRUTALLY beaten, abused, and with many of them giving their lives to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s – which included the final MAIN push for VOTING RIGHTS in Selma Alabama in 1965.  There were many members of the Black leadership community which most of us have never heard about who showed courage above and beyond what we see in this nation today.  Martin Luther King Jr. was the “point man” that most of us have learned about – and, I was aware of John Lewis (today a member of the House of Representatives) and Andrew Young (and some of the others mentioned in May’s book), but there were so many we’ll NEVER know about who stood up and risked (or gave) their lives to push this nation into giving the right of citizenship (voting) to EVERY American!  And, now – 50 years later – we have a Supreme Court which is very subtly “turning back the clock” so that MANY will be disenfranchised.

The arguments coming from the Court and their supporters kind of remind me of the support for the “high stakes” testing that resulted from the “No Child Left Behind” Act – during the first part of the GW Bush administration. (Ironically – or should I say coincidentally – it was GW who nominated [and managed to get confirmed] Alito and Roberts)  The argument was that the Latino (and other “minority”) students I was teaching (6th grade) should be able to pass the test written by WASP’s (White Angle Saxon Protestants) in order to be considered “proficient” in school.  Of course, the language in the tests was (is) totally unfamiliar to the students.  In other words, the tests aren’t set up to measure skills as much as measuring vocabulary, and they favor White Students from stable families.  From the day “No Child Left Behind” was enacted I believed the REAL purpose in the legislation was to enable privatizing of our school system.  The other thought occurring to me is that there are “leaders” in the republican party trying to create a permanent under class of citizens.

In the instance of the (now) gutted Voting Rights Act – the new voter ID laws – which the court is also endorsing – designed to prevent “voter fraud” according to their proponents (that’s the “rationale” behind them – and, I should have said “non-existent voter fraud, based on the published studies) – will disenfranchise MILLIONS of Americans (mostly poor, elderly, young, or minority voters).  And, if there is “voter fraud” it’s not something that “ID laws” would address anyway – making the Court’s motivation even more transparent.  (disenfranchising voters – most of whom would tend to vote democratic) The voter fraud which does occur is MOSTLY votes that are made through the mail.  The Court, in its decision, not only took away the protections granted in Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, but they made it more difficult to challenge the future attempts to disenfranchise voters (forcing challenges to be made via Section 2 which has been described as “costly and time consuming”)  So, in my view, the REAL reason behind this Court decision is to ENABLE the disenfranchisement that is the purpose of all the “Voter ID” laws that, curiously, sprang up within days of this terrible decision.  (Do you think it was coincidence that numerous republican secretaries of state were ready to file voter suppression laws almost the next day after this decision?  Me, I’m a bit suspicious!)

Unfortunately, this brings me back to the place I ALWAYS seem to end up.  When I try to understand why certain things are “happening” in America – that seem so WRONG – it always seems to return to what Karl Rove once termed “the permanent republican ‘majority.'”  These Court decisions make it clear that the SCOTUS is FIRMLY on board with Rove’s (and his associates) intentions.  And, the reality that MOST Americans have no idea what’s going on “behind the scenes” in their own country, tells me our “liberal media” is either consciously or unwittingly supporting the plan.  (I hope it’s the latter, I fear it’s the former)

I’ll spell it out ONE MORE TIME.  The right wing fringe of the republican party NOW has control of the Court(s) – not just the Supreme Court; there’s been a court “stacking” “plan” since the days of Ronald Reagan.  They have control of the House – with, thanks to a well thought out scheme to control “local politics,” congressional districts that have been “gerrymandered” to almost ensure republicans retain control of the House indefinitely (In the 2012 election well over 50% of Americans voted for democratic House candidates, while republicans won a significant majority of the seats – it doesn’t take a math genius to figure this one out).  Republicans are close to gaining a majority in the Senate (and, I for one, don’t believe the democrats have the “stones” to filibuster the republican agenda as the republicans have done during Obama’s 6 years to the democratic agenda) and our “liberal media” is controlled by something like 9 right wing corporations!  Are you getting the point?  If republicans can fool the American public into voting for a republican presidential candidate in 2016 the “nail” will be driven into the “coffin” of progressive Americans for the foreseeable future.  The Citizens United decision will allow unlimited funding of the propaganda “machine” that’s gotten us to this point and should Rove, the Koch’s, and their brethren succeed, it will be a tough “hill to climb” to reverse their course.

Of course, what republicans in control will lead to will very likely be another economic disaster along the lines of the “Great Recession” or Depression.  Maybe that’s what it’s going to take to “wake up” America’s working class public.  Honestly, how working Americans can vote for republicans who are so indebted to the so-called 1% is beyond me.  As flawed as the democrats are, they are WAY closer to an agenda that is aimed at the middle class of America.  This idea that funneling more wealth UPWARD to the elite “1%” is so absurd that you have to give the right wingers credit for managing to “snow-job” the American public for most of the past 35 years.  How can this happen?  Well, I just believe that “we the people” are simply no match for the sophistication of the corporate interests who are buying our politicians.

Is there hope?  Well, as of October 2014 there is still a bit of hope.  Maybe voters in America will fail to give the republicans part FOUR of their scam (the US Senate) in the 2014 mid-term elections – that, by all accounts at this point is very much “up in the air.”  And, it’s hard for me to imagine one of the possible republican candidates for president actually winning in 2016 – but, it appears that the democrats will be running another Clinton.  Wouldn’t that just “beat all” if the 2016 presidential race was Clinton v Bush?  If that wouldn’t let you know how utterly despondent this nation has become, I don’t know what would.  Of course, I believe what we need is a true STRONG LIBERAL as our president and a public willing to first – vote republicans out of congress and second – vote the corporate democrats out of congress – replacing them with people who believe in the “bottom up” approach to government which drove the “New Deal” of FDR, Eisenhower and the Interstate Hi-way “push,” LBJ and the “Great Society,” and built the greatest middle class in the history of the world.  It really is UP TO US – “we the people” – because expecting the present day politicians to “fix” our government is like expecting the fox to fix the hen house!  Unfortunately, due to the SCOTUS, stopping this republican onslaught will get progressively more difficult the longer we allow it to “hang around.”

I was talking to one of my republican friends yesterday and one thing we could agree on was that it appears the American public is ill informed.  (The word we used was more harsh but essentially means the same thing)  I chose to end the discussion right there because my friend, along with most of the others I know who believe in Christianity and vote for republicans, tend to get their “news” from Fox.  At this point, most will deny this, but when you listen to “conservatives” talk it’s obvious they’re either watching Fox or getting their “information” from some affiliate.  What I’ve learned over the years is that there must be some kind of central info center where ALL republican pundits are programmed for the day.  That’s why you can listen to a variety of pundits on a variety of outlets and hear the same key (code) words repeated OVER and OVER again.  For some reason, neither my friends, nor the so-called “liberal media” (if you’ve been on this site much, you know why I put quotes around “liberal media”) seem to be aware of the republican propaganda scheme.

A few years ago I read a book titled “The Family” by (I think) Jeff Sharlott which retells his experience gained from infiltrating the group known amongst themselves as the “Family” and who, at the time, I had heard referred to as the “C” Street politicians in our nation’s capital.  Of course, since then I’ve heard little about this group, but it’s clear to me that they are behind much of what is “happening” with the push to the “right” in American politics.  How does this relate to the republican propaganda scheme mentioned above?  Well, the “Family” adopted the philosophy of dictators and tyrants as they interpreted (actually I should say interpret – because, just because our media is ignoring them doesn’t mean they aren’t still involved – in fact, I’m sure the now infamous Koch brothers are part of this “network”) the Bible in a way that allows them to also be devotees of Ayn Rand.  That is, the powerful and wealthy should rule the rest of us.  Another term for (at least) some of those involved in this movement is “dominionists.”  As part of their political strategy to impose their beliefs on American society this group adopted strategies of the Third Reich.  Most notably, the “Big Lie Theory” of Joseph Goebbels, the chief Nazi propagandist.  I am continually amazed that our “liberal media” fails to acknowledge this.

The “Big Lie Theory” states that if you tell a lie over and over again people will begin to believe it’s true.  Again, I’ve written many times about this, but if you haven’t read any of those posts I think you still can get the “drift” here.  If not, just tune into several different sources of “right wing” “information” and you’ll quickly understand what I’m pointing out.  You’ll hear the SAME key words OVER and OVER again – their veracity is irrelevant.  Before the day President Obama was inaugurated for his first term as president the republicans were on record as saying they would BLOCK anything he attempted to accomplish – their plan was to make him a “one term president” in the words of Mich McConnell.  As Rush Limbaugh said, “I want the president to FAIL”  (If you’re from Kentucky and you vote for McConnell – shame on you!)

Unfortunately, the part of our media that’s not controlled by Fox (if that part exists) have either participated in this “strategy” (the stated objective is that Obama would “FAIL”) or have chosen to ignore it.  I’ve stated many times on this site that, despite the FACT I want president Obama to succeed there are many areas I have of disagreement with his decisions.  However, attempting to facilitate his failure is UN AMERICAN to me and why I’m trying to get as many people as I can to vote out ALL republicans.  Attempting to make sure the president fails is a strategy that is likely to lead to the “failure” of our nation – in fact, every day we’re seeing more evidence of that.  I really don’t see why more members of media outlets like MSNBC can’t see that.  Why aren’t they exposing the republicans using a Nazi propaganda scheme as their main strategy?  Why are they failing to remind the American public that one party is TOTALLY focused on our President’s failure instead of our country’s success? (this can be easily documented)  Why can’t they see that a significant portion of leading republicans are disgusted that there’s a Black family in the “White House?”

In my mind, it’s obvious that the republican strategy is working – and, not because it’s a good strategy – but, because there’s no one with a significant enough “platform” out there exposing the reality of what they’re doing.  Just yesterday I read the results of a Washington Post poll that focused on the president’s “approval ratings” and how Americans feel about other issues.  I won’t go into detail here, but what was obvious as I read the results of the poll was that the constant “BLAMING” President Obama for EVERYTHING and OPPOSING anything he is for is working for republicans – despite the poll implying that the issues Obama is fighting for have a significant majority of Americans favoring them while, at the same time, having an unfavorable opinion of the president.  For example, Obama had an unfavorable rating in his dealing with the economy, yet people have a more favorable trust in democrats regarding the economy (ie issues like “minimum wage” which Obama is “pushing” and most Americans support).  This one really points out how successful the republican propaganda scheme has been – the respondents to the poll feel more trust in republicans regarding the deficit than democrats – and Obama.  That, despite the reality that since the election of Ronald Reagan republicans have caused HUGE increases in the deficit and both Bill Clinton AND Barack Obama have seen significant reductions during their terms.  In fact, despite the FACT the deficit has come down SIGNIFICANTLY since Obama was elected – you wouldn’t know that to talk to my republican friends or listen to the media that’s controlled by right wing corporations.  (that’s our “liberal media”)  In a different poll I read, a significant majority of Americans favored “The Affordable Care Act” while – in the same poll – a majority opposed “Obamacare.”  If you don’t get the irony there – well, do a little research!

So, now all of this BASHING of our president and trying to make sure he FAILS is “coming home to roost.”  There’s the issue with ISIL and now the one that republicans have at the forefront of their FEAR (and propaganda) machine: Ebola.  Of course, the republican BLAME GAME is already in high gear and they will find all sorts of creative ways to BLAME President Obama for BOTH of these issues.  In fact, I’ll be surprised if Scott Brown (or another republican minion with a similar lack of character) doesn’t come up with an add blaming President Obama for members of ISIL infiltrating our borders while infected with Ebola and going around spitting on people!  Actually, Brown is capable of coming up with something even more outrageous than that – because, he’s firmly in the control of the Koch’s and Karl Rove.  (and, there’s a plethora of republican candidates who fall into the same category – a woman In Iowa [I can’t remember her name] running for the Senate comes to mind – she has actually personally thanked the Koch’s for making her campaign possible)  Despite all the venom that will be forthcoming, the REALITY is that the dysfunction in our nation which has been imposed on ALL of us by a republican congress willing to ruin our country in order to ruin our president is where the BLAME lies.

Let’s take Ebola for example.  That’s a health care emergency.  It’s a REAL emergency!  So, what should we expect from the republicans and the media that supports them?  I’m guessing, for starters, we’ll need to fire some people – maybe people at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) or the NIH (National Institutes of Health).  Calling for the firing of people in those places might, after all, take the focus off of the FACT that our Congress has been UNDERFUNDING both agencies for the past 10 YEARS! (at least)  I believe the underfunding of the NIH is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5+ BILLION dollars!  Actually, these are the CUTS that have been imposed!  We can’t cut our military and republicans (who gave us the deficit with the so-called Bush tax cuts and two wars put on a “credit card”) had to find a way to show they are “deficit hawks”  – so cutting from medical research and medical facilities must have seemed a good idea to them.  If you’re old enough to read this post you know that republicans fought “tooth and nail” to prevent the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA) and since its passage have voted in excess of FIFTY times to repeal it – so, you should be able to make the inference of why America is the ONLY “advanced” society in the world without national health care.  Republican opposition to this has been ongoing since I started paying attention – which was when Dwight Eisenhower (who favored national health insurance) was president.

I’m not sure if any in our “liberal media” will point out that President Obama, at the urging of those at the CDC, made a significant commitment to send American aid to Western Africa in an attempt to help the countries facing the Ebola crisis head on get the epidemic under control.  I KNOW they won’t report that David Vitter (republican senator from Louisiana – known for his rendezvous’ with prostitutes) was BLOCKING (they BLOCK everything, don’t they) the aid package supposedly because the aid was going to Africa!  I watched parts of Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC last night and she reported that there are a TOTAL of NINE beds in the ENTIRE United States that are set up to handle diseases such as Ebola! NINE! That’s it!  There were over 70 health care workers at the hospital in Dallas who were exposed to the Ebola patient who died in a setting where the precautions were less than ideal.  So far, two nurses have come down with symptoms of Ebola and officials are expecting more to show symptoms in the next couple of weeks.  (Personally, I’m praying that no more will become sick)  Here’s what I’m now wondering:  Is our republican led House of Representatives capable of taking a break from BLAMING President Obama for everything and actually coming back to Washington DC to appropriate the funding necessary to give the health care professionals the resources necessary to contain this epidemic?

One thing I’m certain they won’t fix is the issue with so many Americans’ without health insurance.  It’s long been the republican position that all Americans can have health care because Emergency rooms are required to provide care for anyone who shows up at their doors.  Of course, the reality is that many of those who don’t have health insurance won’t go to an emergency room until they are deathly sick because they can’t afford to pay the high costs.  (My last visit to an emergency room lasted 4 hours and the bill was $5300 – and, that was 10 years ago!)  For a person who has Ebola that is not only a death sentence for them, but likely the way this virus will become (if it does) an epidemic in America.  And, of course, should that happen we’ll have to listen to a plethora of right wing castigation of our president (and, who knows who else).  What we do know is that the republicans who’ve been preventing national heath insurance for all will not take any of the blame themselves.  They won’t look inward regarding the budget cuts to the CDC and NIH and, unfortunately, I believe our “liberal media” will let them get away with it.  (I’ve recently written a couple critical posts regarding Chris Matthews of MSNBC regarding his “knee jerk” reaction to “crises” with that instinct to immediately lay BLAME.  And, like his cohorts at Fox, he generally looks right at the Black Man in the White House.  He did this with the VA health issues and the Secret Service boo boos – I hope I’m wrong, but I expect the same here – and, he’s supposedly on the “liberal” cable outlet)

Just to give one more example of how preposterous American politics has become (and, how this is making us ALL “less safe”) I’ll give one more example:  A couple of days ago I saw snippets of the “debate” in the campaign for the US Senate in Kentucky between Mitch McConnell – the present minority “leader” in the Senate – the chief republican “blocker” and “blamer” – and his challenger, Allison Lundergan Grimes.  During this debate Grimes refused to divulge who she voted for president in the last two elections (obviously it was president Obama – but, she didn’t want to give her opponent a “sound bite” he could [would] twist into an negative add in a state where our president is unpopular).  Her opponent, McConnell, was asked about “Obamacare” – whether he would work to repeal it? (despite it’s success in Kentucky with 500,000 Kentuckians signed up on the “Kynect” website and now having health insurance)  His answer was classical absurd political BS – he would repeal “Obamacare” – but, keeping the website was “fine” with him.  (of course, the website wouldn’t be fine with the 500,000 Kentuckians that now have health insurance if “Obamacare” was repealed)  Honestly, I recently retired as a 6th grade teacher – I would expect a higher level of thought from my 6th grade students!  Relating this back to the Ebola epidemic – McConnell is OK with TEN MILLION + more Americans without health insurance (that’s what would happen if the ACA is repealed) which clearly would make the spread of viruses like Ebola more likely because there is NOTHING more important to him than President Obama’s “failure.”  Despite the reality that the concept behind the ACA originated in a “conservative” think tank – the Heritage Institute, evidently, the republicans fear the legacy the ACA will leave for the president will be positive.

Back to our “liberal media.”  I’ll bet you’ll never guess how the two examples of the McConnell/Grimes debate was interpreted by our “liberal media.”  I’m going to take the “accepted” definition here and agree that MSNBC is more “liberal” than Fox and all of its surrogates.  So, Chuck Todd – the top political “analyst” for NBC – I don’t watch it but I’ve heard he’s the new moderator of “Meet the Press” – which, to me would require a person to have some level of responsibility – Todd interpreted Grimes refusal to give her opponent a “sound bite” that would “connect” her to President Obama as “disqualifying.”  So, McConnell ended up with a much better “sound bite” because he simply took Todd’s remark, implied that Todd is an “expert,” (of course, I would disagree wholeheartedly with that assumption) and made the negative add Grimes was attempting to avoid giving him.  And, I have to admit that these media outlets are making me sick to my stomach to the point where I simply can’t bear to watch more than small amounts – but, I didn’t hear any remarks from Todd regarding McConnell’s ABSURD remark regarding being “fine with leaving up the website” but repealing the ACA as “disqualifying.”  Really, to me, there’s no comparison between the two and I just have to shake my head that someone in the position of Todd could come to the conclusion he did.  I honestly believe that Chuck Todd should be FIRED for being STUPID!  However, in America he’s a political “adviser.”  Go figure!

I started this post with a reference to a conversation I had with a “conservative” friend of mine yesterday.  Being more transparent, the agreement we had is that the American voting public is stupid – I’m sure he looks at this issue from a totally different perspective than I do.  But, the reality is that America’s voters are either going to vote back control of Congress to republicans or nearly do so.  That’s despite the FACT republicans have spent the past 6 years ATTACKING and OPPOSING everything our BLACK President does or proposes.  Many still believe he’s not a citizen and telling the truth means nothing to them – hence the strategy based on Goebbels’ big lie theory – “The end justifies the means” – so, we the people get constant rabble about Obama’s birth certificate, his name, and on and on and on.  We’re facing a serious health crisis with a CDC and NIH that have had their budgets severely cut by republicans in Congress who also are doing everything they can to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  (the Ebola Crisis started in a state that refused to participate in the ACA – which could conceivably make curbing the virus more difficult)  Additionally, republicans are unbelievably BLAMING President Obama for the ISIL crisis, when it was their “leaders” in 2002-2003 (Bush/Cheney et al) who created the mess in Iraq which spawned ISIL  in the first place and their present “leaders” (McCain and Graham) who urged the Saudi’s to fund ISIL in another misguided attempt to “control” (in this case Syria) the Middle East.  Here’s how it works:  They (republicans) create the mess, they blame it on President Obama, and they leave Obama to clean it up (all the while opposing everything he wants to do).  As they say, “Only in America.”  The worst part to me, is – thanks to our “liberal media” – the American public is on the verge of voting the very people who have created the mess we’re in back into power.  I really don’t get it!

Update: No sooner had I posted this message than I got into my car to run an errand and my XM radio was tuned to “The Ed Schultz Show” on MSNBC.  What did I hear?  But, Ed Schultz, a supposed liberal, blasting Allison Lundergan Grimes for, you guessed it, refusing to say who she voted for.  He implied that democrats pulled their support for her because of this.  All I can say is “how stupid is this going to get” – and, I’m not talking about Ms. Grimes.  I continually rant against republicans – but, obviously, the problem in America is that the other choice is the democrats!  Earth to Ed Schultz, Chuck Todd, and anyone else reading this – there’s a good reason why Ms. Grimes wanted to maintain her privacy (maybe that really is a major democratic issue) and, I don’t understand why you’re thoughtlessly attempting to help Mitch McConnell! He’s the poster boy of what’s wrong in America!   Seriously, get a clue!

I’m presently reading “The Price of Inequality” by Joseph Stiglitz which is a book aimed at explaining economic issues in a way that is understandable (to a large degree) by non-economists such as myself.  The book essentially reinforces much of the inferences I’ve made over the years since my disappointment that the American public was tricked into voting Ronald Reagan as president back in 1980.  I still remember the promise: “I’ll cut your taxes and balance the budget.”  Well, we all know Reagan not only didn’t balance the budget, but instead initiated policy that did exactly the opposite.  Of course, his supporters to this day will deny that reality and find a way to BLAME the ballooning deficits on Democratic congresses.  The “Reagan revolution” shows itself to be around the starting point of much of the FACTUAL data Stiglitz has put into this book focusing on the reality of America’s wealth “trickling up” (my words) due to “trickle down” economics.  What’s probably most frustrating about all this to me is the number of solid “middle class” Americans who still consider Reagan almost as a saint – and, STILL vote for republicans with little thought (or knowledge) of what they’re getting in return.

Of course, it doesn’t help to have a “liberal media” that is solely focused on (and owned by) the corporate interests that are gaining a stranglehold on America.  I’ve recently written about my frustration with Chris Matthews, the host of “Hardball” on MSNBC, supposedly “the place for politics.”  To me, in my attempt to find an antidote to the right wing corporate media I tend to end up on MSNBC on occasion.  (The actual place where I find information that doesn’t seem so tainted is on Free Speech TV, which I’m learning to turn to much more frequently)  Yesterday, I lasted only about 5 minutes on Matthews’ show before I had to turn it off in disgust.  As per usual, he started the show with an attempt to create another (non) crisis with President Obama – this time referring to “The White House” in his (not very) veiled attempt to (again) attack our sitting president.  I guess in today’s world it makes for good ratings.  This (non) crisis had to do with “anonymous” leaks coming from the Secret Service regarding allegations that some intern who was an advance person for the President’s visit to Central America brought a prostitute to his room and someone “in the White House” tried to cover it up.  Of course, this “story” won’t last long unless someone can turn it into another “Benghazi” fiasco.  The problem I have is that Matthews simply is falling in line with the Fox “news” crew who are attempting to find ways to criticize President Obama (evidently) in their sleep.

I don’t EVER hear about any of the successes of Obama’s administration (and, let me be clear here, I’m definitely one of the liberals who are not very happy with much of the direction his administration has taken – it’s just that I don’t want to get on the Fox, Matthews bandwagon – because it’s not all bad and it’s certainly BETTER than the alternative).  In fact, when you look at the economic situation today compared to what the republicans left Washington DC and America with back in 2009, things have gone directly upward.  (except for the deficit, which has gone in a downward direction – significantly)  I’m not going to claim that things are “great” because it should be obvious that they’re not – but, it would be nice to hear someone pointing out the reality of the difference.  We have an election coming up that is one of the most important in my lifetime and people like Matthews are FAILING to inform the American public about FACTS regarding accomplishments.  (like the economic comparison – because the republicans want to go back to the same policies that got us to the “crash” in 2008)

Or people like Matthews could be REMINDING people of the FACTS of what the republicans have done over the years.  I don’t remember anyone on a program such as “Hardball” showing graphs, for instance, that give a clear picture of what happens when republicans are “in charge” vs. democrats regarding, for example, the deficit – or job creation – or military spending – or investment in “green energy” – or commitment to education, and I could go on.  Most people I know have no idea of any of this – because they’re either too busy, too lazy, or too apathetic to find out.  Many of them rely on people like Matthews to keep them “informed.”  Everyone knows how Fox “news” does this (AKA GOP TV) which is what makes it so much more frustrating to me when people like Matthews are helping to “guide” America back to republican control of our Congress and more corporate domination of our nation.  The combination of a right wing Supreme Court, a right wing Congress, and a right wing “liberal media” could be the undoing of America as those of us who are called “baby boomers” knew it.  Reading books such as Stiglitz “The Price of Inequality” makes it real clear the significance of allowing these corporatists to continue usurping more and more POWER.

I’ve never heard more than a “peep,” for instance out of the so-called “liberal” media outlet MSNBC regarding “Citizens United” – the worst Supreme Court decision of my lifetime,  (followed closely by the “gutting” of the Voting Rights Act – which has allowed MULTIPLE Voter Suppression schemes of the republicans to become reality)  So, it’s no wonder to me that many of the “educated” adults I know have ZERO knowledge of what Citizens United, for example, is.  The younger college graduates I worked with before I retired from teaching didn’t grow up during the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.  For me, it’s a tragedy that the Voting Rights Act could be “gutted” with little to NO outrage from our “liberal media.”  These two issues and their ramifications SHOULD be a focus of people like Matthews, but he (and others) act as if “it’s no big deal” – while the wealthy in America continue to buy a government that will work for the interests of Wall Street at the expense of “Main Street.”  This has been going on since Reagan took office and it’s now reaching the scary point – because, it’s now becoming clear the sophisticated strategy that people like the now infamous Koch brothers have been implementing since (actually before) Reagan’s election is in danger of becoming a reality.

The statistics are undeniable – since 1980 the wealth at the “top” has grown exponentially and the wealth in the “middle” and “bottom” has stagnated at best.  In fact, the number of Americans who now fall in the bottom – taking measures of poverty into account – is continually INCREASING.  The Citizens United decision almost GUARANTEES this discrepancy in where America’s wealth is “headed” will continue.  As stated above, I refer to the republican economic plan as “trickle up” economics – and, I believe the FACTUAL statistics would support that contention.

So, why are people like Chris Matthews focused on finding the next (non) crisis at the “White House?”  I do remember that during the Clinton administration there was nary a day when the republican congress wasn’t focused more on finding a “scandal” than on solving problems that faced “we the people.”  So, I guess that’s what “floats the boat” of Matthews and his associates.  It must make for better ratings.  However, I believe elections matter and if the republicans succeed in taking back the Senate in November (which, at this point, seems likely) there will be many more besides myself who just completely tune out from our government.  And, I have to add, this is NOT healthy.  It is exactly what the republicans have been working for over these past 35+ years.  (the idea behind the voter suppression campaign is, obviously, having less people – especially liberals – voting)

I’ve laid out their strategy many times on this site – I’ll try to do it again briefly as I end this rant.  “Big business” hated the New Deal from its inception.  This all started (at least from my perspective) with the tax cuts for the top earners (like Reagan himself) which was the headline of the “Reagan revolution.”  At the same time (and, by the way, Reagan instituted MANY tax increases on the “middle class”) there was MASSIVE increases in defense spending (I’m sure you’re familiar with the amount of $’s “invested” by the “military industrial complex” in our politicians) and the process of deregulation began along with the “theory” of privatization.  Reagan famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'”  Thus was born things like private military’s (ie Blackwater), private prisons (where the incentive is anything but rehabilitation), and all kinds of “private” attempts to “cut government down to the size where it can be drained in the bathtub.”  Right wing Talk radio became part of the strategy during Reagan’s term – using the “big lie theory” of Joseph Goebbels to generate their propaganda – that’s when Rush Limbaugh (and lessor others) was “thrust” upon an unsuspecting public – and, he’s still doing his damage to this day.  Reagan led the assault on unions – despite the FACT he was once the head of the Screen Actors Guild.  And, for my purposes in this post, finally, Reagan demonstrated that presidents and their associates could disregard the law and expect no ramifications from it (Iran/Contra) – and, we’ve been seeing the “fruit” from that “reality” ever since.

While Reagan was “doing his part,” people like the Koch’s were “growing” like a bad virus.  They’ve been working behind the scenes since before Reagan was elected, but were considered “fringe” wacko’s back then.  In fact, David Koch ran for Vice President as a “libertarian” the year Reagan first won the presidency.  You guessed it, Reagan was too LIBERAL for the Koch’s!  They (the Koch brothers) have been busy since those days funneling money into “local” elections around the nation to surreptitiously increase their impact on American politics while no one was looking (and secretly merging into the republican party).  I learned about the Kochs several years ago by listening to Thom Hartman on “liberal talk radio” – which has been pretty much removed from the airwaves – unless you’re willing to invest in satellite radio.  Other than with people like Hartman, for years they managed to be “invisible.”  They (the Kochs) are behind the Heritage Institute, the Cato Institute (both right wing “think tanks”), they’re the funding source for the Tea Party, and more importantly (in my mind) ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council) which is a right wing political force that has influenced untold “local” legislation in state after state where legislators seem to need “help” in making laws.  They’ve funded efforts to gerrymander legislative districts to minimize the effects of “progressive” voters (especially minority voters), and they have supported legislation which has made it possible to use tax havens (such as the Cayman Islands) to create unsavory operations to make even MORE money outside of U.S. borders.  If you want more, click here.

The Koch’s come from the John Birch Society (which accused President Eisenhower of being a “communist” and in today’s politics is the “Tea Party”) and have (and are willing to) invest untold amounts of their BILLIONS on buying our Congress and legislatures and governorships all across the nation.  The Birch Society has a history of antisemitism and White Supremacists.  They (the JBS members) were rejected as too extreme by ultra conservative William F Buckley.  Their 35+ year crusade to gain control of our society is dangerously close to success.

Unfortunately, by the time they’ve succeeded, people like Matthews will be finding someone else to blame for the resulting disaster besides themselves – as people with access to the American airwaves who are indirectly (or, for that matter, it could be directly – that’s one of the features of our “Citizens United” society – we don’t know) doing the Koch’s bidding.  I’ve stomached enough of Chris Matthews to understand that he “knows better” – that is, he fully well knows what the right wing republicans are up to – I have to believe that it just wouldn’t be “good theater” for him to take his focus off of nit-picking at our president in a time of WAR, and get his attention on the REAL agenda of the right wing republicans who answer to people like Charles and David Koch? (like, why wasn’t Matthews going “after” Obama when he chose to “pardon” GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and all the others for committing WAR CRIMES?)

The republican “dream” of a “permanent republican ‘majority'” consists of control of the Courts, the Congress, the White House, and the MEDIA.  With the help of people like Chris Matthews they will soon be one step from achieving their “dream.”  And, with the help of “Citizens United” it will be extremely difficult to “turn things around” should they succeed.  I’m guessing Chris Matthews next heresy will be promoting a republican presidential candidate in an attempt to create “good ratings.”  On the surface, the available GOP candidates are almost laughable.  The other day I heard Matthews essentially encouraging another run by Mitt Romney.  Despite the FACT Romney represents all that is wrong right now in America (137 Cayman Island tax cheating “havens” for starters) I’m sure Matthews is thinking Romney would make it more of a contest than – say – Ted Cruz.   The only way republicans could possibly get their “message” to resonate with the American public, is with the help of people like Matthews and our”liberal media.”

If you are interested in getting a good idea of where this is all headed, read Stiglitz book mentioned above, “The Price of Inequality.”  Economists like Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, believers in Keynesian economics, have been calling it RIGHT since I started paying closer attention to the internal destruction of my country (ie, circa Bush/Cheney) – while the people on the “right” – such as those who support “trickle up” economics and what Stiglitz calls the Washington consensus – people like Paul Ryan and others who idolize Milton Friedman (and Friedman’s so-called “free market” economics) continue to get it WRONG (unless your viewing things from the perspective of someone in the 1% who can’t get enough money).  The statistics don’t lie.  People like Matthews and the others in similar positions are all part of the 1% – I don’t know about you, but that causes me to wonder what motivates them to ignore present realities in order to appear “fair and balanced?”  Think about it before you vote!  Mitch McConnell and the Koch brothers were a large part of the force behind the push for “Citizens United.”  Should the republicans take total control of Congress in 2014 we’ll see even MORE evidence exposing the gravity of this disastrous Supreme Court ruling!

I don’t know why I even bother to watch TV “news” anymore – I guess it’s just a bad habit formed over the past 60+ years – but, today I listened as Chris Matthews started his program by accusing President Obama of being “intellectually lazy.”  He was referring to what he called the tendency of 2nd term presidents to replace cabinet officials who leave with “underlings.”  The discussion was centered on the issues regarding the Secret Service failures recently, the news that an Ebola patient has made it into the U.S., and the ISIL dilemma in the Middle East.  Honestly, as I’m sitting there listening to Matthews he was reminding me of republican projectionism.  In my mind, it’s Matthews and “reporters” of his ilk who are “intellectually lazy.”

Matthews comes on (I watch him because he follows Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC – I respect “Reverend Al” as many call him) and day after day rants in the traditional “knee jerk” reaction style that (unfortunately) seems to be driving what is left of our “liberal media.”  I’ve written about Matthews on several occasions and the guy continues to cause me to want to turn off my TV.  It’s as if Matthews has totally bought into the Fox “news” propaganda scheme that EVERYTHING that happens in America (if it’s “bad”) is the fault of President Obama.

At the beginning of his show he was focused on the resignation of the head of the Secret Service and parsing what was behind her resignation – and, how he could put blame on Obama for this.  Of course, he didn’t mention that the so-called sequester which has been our economic policy for the past couple of years bludgeoned the Secret Service along with many other key parts of our government.  I’m not in any way defending this woman who resigned, in this instance I believe it was necessary because when I listened to her testimony I didn’t get any sense that she was being forthcoming – it sounded to me as if she was in “circle the wagons” mode, and that the security breaches which have happened are beyond acceptability.  I feel we are fortunate that President Obama is still with us.  That being said, it’s not Obama’s fault that the Secret Service is spinning out of control.

If you remember, a few months ago Matthews did the same kind of knee jerk reaction to news (not news to many of us) that our veterans were not getting prompt or acceptable health care by demanding someone be held accountable.  It was as if should President Obama not fire the head of the VA, he would be derelict in his duty.  The end result of that one is that General Shinseki was forced to resign – this is the General who Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld SHOULD have listened to prior to invading Iraq in 2003 (OK, the truth is they should have listened to those of us who said going into Iraq was STUPID) – and, is one of the true friends of our vets.  I can virtually guarantee you that Shinseki’s resignation didn’t solve the problem – but , it certainly calmed Matthews down (at least until the next headline pointing out the vets are continuing to face a VA system that is overwhelmed by the numbers of soldiers needing care.

Matthews referring to an Ebola patient showing up in Texas as reason to question Obama because “just two weeks ago he said it was ‘unlikely’ this would happen” puts Matthews in the “Fox type” camp, in my view.  These people don’t have to look very hard to find something to criticize him for.  Honestly, why would anyone want that job.  You would think that Matthews could put all of what’s happening in the proper context.  We have NEVER had a president who has faced the OPEN opposition that has President Obama.  The republicans have made no secret that they will do ANYTHING to make sure that Obama FAILS!  And, what is President Obama doing each and EVERY day?  He’s trying to somehow clean up the UNBELIEVABLE mess created by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/et al – and an economic agenda that republicans are CLINGING to even today.  The FACT that their agenda doesn’t work seems to mean NOTHING to them and people like Matthews.  It’s almost as if Matthews is trying to add to the divisiveness of this nation because he thinks it makes his program more “germane.”  To me, people like Matthews – who should (and I’m sure does) know better – have chosen to be part of the problem instead of the solution.  This nation is messed up – it’s largely because of the republican party philosophy originally foisted on us by Ronald Reagan – and, somehow still supported by people like Matthews!  Ughhh!!!!

Let’s be real about all of this – I’m writing the next part of this post as fictitious advice to Matthews because I know he won’t read it, but I can pretend :o) – When we’re “reporting” about the issue with ISIL (AKA – ISIS) we should make clear that ISIL is the result of misguided decisions made 10 years ago by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld et al.  I still remember my “conservative” friends rejoicing in the idea that the United States of America was going to “topple” Saddam Hussein – with the same mindset as the republican “leaders” who “planned” the fiasco.  When I would ask them, “What happens after Saddam is ousted?” their response was the same as Cheney and Rumsfeld – “We’ll be greeted as liberators.”  For some reason it was hard then, and – I guess – equally hard now for most Americans to understand that former executives of Halliburton (Cheney) and Bechtel (Rumsfeld) would destabilize the Middle East for OIL!  I still remember one of my fellow 6ht grade teachers cussing at me when I pointed this out – because his son was in Iraq and he couldn’t allow himself to believe that his country would send his boy into “harms way” for OIL!  Not sure if he “gets it” yet – obviously, many still don’t – apparently including Chris Matthews.  In my mind EVERY conversation about what we should do in dealing with this group should be framed in the context of how they were formed and people like Dick Cheney, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and others who crammed this disaster down our throats and the throats of the Iraqi’s should have NO SAY on the national media about present policy.  Instead of furthering the “ammunition” of the obstructors on the “right” people like Matthews (and others with a voice in the national media) should be reminding people of how this mess was created in the first place.

Issues like the Secret Service shortcomings and the lack of treatment of our returning veterans should also ALWAYS put into context.  The sad reality is that Congress has stripped the Secret Service of significant portions of its funding and, since the Viet Nam War, they’ve been unwilling to properly fund the VA – especially relating to medical treatment.  As we’ve seen with the recent bombing rampage intended to “derail” ISIL there’s NEVER a lack of funds for military action.  I’ve often wondered what each of those bombs cost “we the people.”  It doesn’t seem to matter, because there’s a never ending supply of them.  And, people like Matthews are quick to suggest (I should say imply) that our president is a “wimp” for thoughtfully attempting to figure out a way to address this (recent) “crisis.”  I’m constantly wondering why people like Matthews don’t seem to be able to make the connection between Congress stated position (I’m talking about republicans here) that President Obama FAILS, and their unwillingness to fund the agencies who end up being the “fall guys” when government failures become the latest “crisis.”  I’m left to wonder, “Is Fox paying Matthews or MSNBC?”  Or is he just so lazy, referring back to his own criticism of Obama (who, by the way, may be many things, but I believe calling him lazy is absurd on its face and a further issue for Matthews) that he relies on Fox for his own “news?”  If Congress is the problem – then it should be reported as such!

Finally, the Ebola scare: (and, here I have to add that I started this post several days ago and since then the man has passed away) Matthews attempt to BLAME President Obama (maybe that’s just what people in Washington do for everything?) again is absurd on its face.  President Obama has taken the lead in attempting to provide the aid the Western Africa nations need in order to stem the tide of this epidemic.  We all know that republican politicians will do whatever they can to scare people into thinking Ebola will be soon rampant in America and it will be because of our immigration policy.  (Of course, what they – and Matthews – won’t say is that without republican obstructionism there would have been “immigration reform” long ago – but, of course, that wouldn’t solve the problem either)  I’m guessing there will be republicans who suggest that we close our borders to international flights until this crisis has passed – just try to keep it confined to West Africa.  The reality of any danger in America, from my viewpoint, gets right back to our DO NOTHING Congress.  If they had been willing to either help pass a health reform bill that worked for all Americans or FIX the Affordable Care Act (for example, with a “public option”) we wouldn’t still have 40 MILLION or so Americans without health insurance.  Think about this for a moment:  It is likely that there will be more people entering this country who have been exposed to Ebola.  If the symptoms are caught early, my understanding it’s treatable.  However, there are so many in America who don’t go to doctors because they can’t afford it and show up at emergency rooms only when they are deathly sick.  By then, with Ebola, it’s reported to be too late.

Then, you’ve got all the states in America who refused to participate in the Affordable Care Act which would include Texas.  Now, I’m not making any conclusions or judgements about Texas health care – I’m just guessing there’s many in Texas without health care.  And, they man who died from Ebola was originally turned away from an emergency room.  I suppose Matthews (and the republicans) will find a way to blame that on President Obama.  I would love it if people like Matthews would report issues as they are.  Seriously, for example, the ISIL issue is really not debatable.  They are the result of republican FAILURE of the highest degree.  How can anyone in Matthews’ position justify giving people who created that mess any credibility at all.  It’s almost as if, for the sake of his “show” he’s got to create a two sided controversy.  It’s like, if the American people really understood what has gone wrong, there would be no actual political contests – so, we have our “liberal media” helping to institute the political amnesia that is ruining America!  Matthews’ show is set up to appear that he’s actually reporting on actual news – when, in reality he’s attempting to manufacture news.  While our country needs (now, more desperately than ever – at least in my lifetime) courageous news reporters (and, I have to add, there are some investigative journalists who risk their lives to go into the Middle East) what we’re stuck with is GOP TV (Fox) and people like Matthews who are focused on entertainment and their own careers – while our nation continues to “spiral” in a downward direction!

One more thing:  As I read this again, I realized that I forgot – when referring to the anticipated republican onslaught of BLAME regarding the Ebola crisis – that we’ve been without a Surgeon General for (I think) over a year.  Why you ask?  At a time when there’s such a deadly epidemic that’s been going on now for over 6 months?  Well, it seems that President Obama’s nomination made a comment about gun violence that didn’t sit well with the NRA – therefore the US Senate couldn’t get him confirmed.  Yes there’s a majority of democrats in the Senate, but Mitch McConnell used one of his OVER 400 FILIBUSTERS to block the nomination!  I didn’t hear Matthews refer to this either (although, I have to admit, I’ve pretty much turned off the TV) and, if you live in Kentucky and are reading this – you can really help with this HUGE problem.  Make sure you vote in the mid term election – Mitch McConnell has a good chance of being voted out of office by the good people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Should that happen, they will always hold a warm place in my heart.  In my mind, McConnell being voted out of the Senate would be the best possible sign that the people of America are FINALLY waking up to the republican assault on the middle class which hit high gear with the election of Ronald Reagan all the way back in 1980.

I’ve been reading a book which contains a series of lectures by Joseph Stiglitz, famed economist who once led the World Bank and was an adviser to President Clinton during the 90’s and I really want to write about it – my brain is swirling with thoughts along the lines of suggesting a path we could take in America to really move this country forward.  I feel as if I’ve written enough about why the republican party in America, as it exists today, should be ushered into the history books.  However, yesterday I saw that Attorney General Eric Holder is set to resign and this morning as I read a caption from the NY Times which pointed out there will be a fierce battle in the Senate to confirm his successor – and then listened to some “re-hashed” right wing commentary comparing Holder to the Black Panthers – well, here we go again.  I’ve got to write about the republicans and why they are a PLAGUE on this nation! (of course, would anyone who’s watched the past almost 6 years expect anything less from these obnoxious, obstructionist, puppets of the right wing corporate masters attempting to suffocate America with their agenda.

First of all, let me agree with an article I read in the “Nation” magazine – because, despite President Obama’s glowing remarks thanking Holder for all he’s done in his FORTY years of service (I’m pretty sure he had at least a “stint” on Wall Street) he’s got a couple of GLARING deficiencies, in my view, regarding history’s view from the rear view mirror.  In the “Nation” it was correctly pointed out that virtually NO ONE on Wall Street was held accountable for the devastating damage they did to MAIN STREET through their GREED induced folly during the first decade of the 20th Century which ultimately led to the financial crisis of 2007-2008.  Yes, I’m sure there are areas of accomplishment regarding investigations of the “fat cats” during the recovery from the so-called “Great Recession” which resulted from this misbehavior by so many on Wall Street (and knowingly too!) but I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that the above mentioned Wall Street “fat cats” are again up to their necks in the same kind of behavior – pre-crash and that it’s just a matter of time until the next “bubble” bursts.  I once wrote that Holder’s Justice Department spent more money attempting to prosecute a baseball pitcher for allegedly lying about steroid use (Roger Clemens) than they spent prosecuting Wall Street – at least that’s how it appeared to me.

Of course, the “Wall Streeters” won’t be the ones to take the brunt of the next downturn – just as many of them profited to the “tune” of BILLIONS from the last disaster.  It’s us unsuspecting dupes on MAIN STREET that depend on the oversight of government and the willingness of the Justice Department to enforce existing law as our “backstop.”  In my view, Holder did a lot of “looking forward and not back” in dealing with the aftermath of the Wall Street fiasco – just as he (and President Obama) did regarding my second point – the enabling of Bush/Cheney and therefore the republican party in its present form.

Everyone (including Bush and Cheney) knows that Waterboarding (among other atrocities committed in the name of “national security” during the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld regime) are WAR CRIMES!  When President Obama and Eric Holder chose to “look forward and not back” regarding the misdeeds of GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and many others, in my mind they were derelict in their duty.  The FACT that the president did it DOESN’T make it LEGAL!  However, based on the decisions that clearly were made early in Obama’s presidency, that FACT was turned upside down.  President Obama was elected to CHANGE the behaviors that turned GW Bush and Dick Cheney into the most UNPOPULAR obtrusive executives in American history.  Clearly, or at least it’s seemingly more so each day to me as I observe Obama’s presidency evolve, President Obama didn’t pursued President GW Bush and his deplorable “sidekick” because he had no intention of reversing the abuses of power that Bush/Cheney had imbedded into what I’ll term as “precedent” for the lack of a better imagination on my part.  Just saying “America does not torture,” for example, does not give a sufficient message to the rest of the world that we stand by our ideals.  Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and others should have, at the minimum, faced open investigations into their illegal behavior – which also included NUMEROUS 4th amendment violations of American’s privacy as Bush/Cheney turned the FISA court into a laughingstock.  Not only has the illegal spying on American citizens continued under President Obama, but now we’re seeing him using statutes created during the early stages of Bush/Cheney to justify his actions in Iraq and Syria.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Obama’s actions in the aforementioned Middle East countries is not warranted, I’m just pointing out that the rationale for doing so leaves me a bit queezy in the stomach.  I’ve been writing since 9/11 about how “it’s much easier to give up liberties than to get them back.”  President Obama’s administration is giving us a great example of why I feel so strongly in this area.  The spying, for instance, is in direct conflict with the 4th amendment to the Constitution.  It is my view that the government is required to have “probable cause” for each intrusion into and American’s privacy.  This invasive spying on U.S. citizens, along with proving that “if the president does it, it must be legal,” will be historical black-marks on both Holder’s legacy and the legacy of the president – in my view.  Of course, in today’s America, our leaders can justify anything in the name of “national Security.”

And, while I’m at it, let me point out that, at least from where I’m sitting, Holder (and Obama) have not only FAILED to live up to the pre-election promises of transparency, but have allowed themselves to drift dangerously in the wrong direction regarding transparency and the press.  Edward Snowden shouldn’t have felt the need to leave the country to expose the illegal spying of the NSA and there are numerous examples of the Obama administration, through Holder’s Justice Department, infringing on the Freedom of the Press by threatening to or actually putting reporters in jail if they refuse to divulge their sources.  This is a threat to our society that most people are failing to even notice.  Our “liberal media” (if you’ve read many of my posts, you get the sarcasm) is bad enough without the true investigative reporters (the few that remain) facing government intimidation should they actually report the TRUTH about what is happening in our nation’s government.

So, I’m OK with criticism of Attorney General Holder – it’s just that I’m put off with the nature of the criticism from the “right.”  The name calling and innuendo from Fox “news” and the likes of Rush Limbaugh goes right back to the race issue that they can’t seem to overcome.  (and, of course, they will claim the “race card” comes from the “left” – classic projection-ism)  And, when I hear reporters predicting a HUGE fight in Congress as President Obama attempts to get Holder’s replacement confirmed in the Senate – I just have to shake my head in disbelief.  Of course, anyone who’s been watching American politics recently would expect nothing else – SADLY!

The reality: Obama was elected by a majority of the people.  It’s the president’s responsibility to nominate Holder’s replacement.  Suggesting there will be a MAJOR confirmation fight before a nominee is even chosen says it all.  NO MATTER what President Obama does, he’s going to receive FLACK and OBSTRUCTION from republicans.  They could care less what they are doing to “we the people” – it’s all about attempting to make President Obama look bad as if that will allow them to push one of their leading “whack jobs” into the White House in 2016.  (I’ve been predicting for 4 years – Jeb Bush!  Can you even imagine our choice in 2016 being Bush v Clinton? America is seemingly “stuck in the mud”)  The total irony of republican strategy if indeed they block Holder’s replacement is that Holder has pledged to stay on the job until his replacement is confirmed!  You would think, if republicans believe Holder is worse than Stalin – as some on Fox “news” have alleged – they’d be anxious to approve his successor.  Maybe because of republican obstruction Eric Holder will last the full eight years of Obama’s administration.  Wouldn’t that just be the new normal in this dysfunctional government?

I will conclude by saying that there ARE many good things Holder has accomplished.  It’s just that the picture isn’t TOTALLY “rosy.”  The instances I’ve mentioned above, in my view, are significant.  My hope is that whoever replaces Holder will “look back.”  I would still love to see the TRUTH of what was done during Bush/Cheney exposed to America and the world FORCING us to actually own up to our failures as a nation and attempt to reclaim our position as “the leader of the free world.”  Combining our enabling of the Bush/Cheney crimes, our condoning of the Wall Street “bandits,” and our refusal to publicly refute the “Bush doctrine,” we are “asking” for endless war.  I personally don’t believe that is the mindset of the vast majority of the American public.  Sadly, in the coming mid-terms too many (especially progressives) won’t vote and things could get dangerously worse.  However, whoever is Obama’s Attorney General STILL has the option to proceed against the terrible wrongs committed by Bush/Cheney.  I don’t believe there is a statute of limitations on WAR CRIMES!

I haven’t been writing much lately due to health issues that come with getting old, but while recuperating from a difficult surgery I’ve had the fortune (or misfortune) to have more time to watch television which just leads, at least for me, to differing levels of frustration depending on what I’m watching.  As I’ve written on many occasions on this site, I consider the charge that our media is “liberal” to be laughable.  Even when I watch MSNBC, the so-called opposing “force” to Fox “news,” I often get nearly sick to my stomach.  For example, their top political pundit Chuck Todd makes we wonder how these people actually get a spot on the “stage.”  Evidently, he’s now the host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” which clearly demonstrates that show is probably not far away from the scrapheap.  To me, Todd is a person who likes to come across as an expert but who, in reality, would fit right in as a participant in any American living room discussion group – that is, sounds good at times but mostly doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  (OK, I’m in that category most of the time as well :o)

Then there’s Chris Matthews.  This guy drives me nuts.  And, what’s clear to me is that he knows better than much of what he spews out of his mouth – or, I guess I have to say, I hope he knows better.  I’m still upset about the “crisis” with our veterans when it was “announced” (anyone paying attention for the last 30+ years was not surprised by the “announcement”) that they were getting sub-par treatment at Veteran’s hospitals in parts of the country – sometimes waiting months just to get an appointment for care.  Matthews was at the forefront of the typical American reaction – someone MUST be held accountable for this – President Obama would be derelict in his duty if someone didn’t pay the price for this indignity.  So, the end result of the typical “knee jerk” American reaction, was that General Shinseki – a great friend of any veteran – was “thrown to the wolves” – and, evidently, that made people like Matthews happy.  Of course, it did nothing to solve the problem which will require our Congress to actually fund the Veterans Administration so that they could improve facilities and increase staffings to necessary levels.  Since then, as usual, we’ve heard nothing of the issue and, I’d certainly be surprised if the service the vets are getting is much, if at all, better.  The next time a negative report comes out people like Matthews will rant their self aggrandizing disgust, another good person will be the victim, and the vets will continue to be treated by our Congress (most of who blather – “support our vets”) as a burden to society.  Matthews, our Congress, and I’m guessing, most Americans fail to realize the HUGE responsibility we SHOULD be addressing as more and more veterans return home from the FIASCOS our “leaders” are so willing to send them to. (check out the homeless vets statistics – it’s not only disgusting, it’s deplorable)

In my mind, Matthews has acted in almost the exact same “knee jerk” manner in “reporting” on the issue with ISIL in the middle east.  Two Americans got their heads chopped off – published on You-tube videos to boot – and Matthews knees started really jerking!  Of course, I doubt there’s many Americans who were not outraged at this action.  Of course, I was already outraged at this group called ISIL because they were attempting to starve THOUSANDS of Christians on the top of a small mountain in Iraq prior to the murders of the two journalists.  Additionally, they had MURDERED an untold number of Iraqi’s and Syrians who don’t agree with their religious fanaticism.  None of this calls for the “knee jerk” philosophy of people like Matthews – and, I use him as the example because he’s supposedly representing the “liberal” MSNBC.  President Obama gets the wrath of people like Matthews for refusing to make “knee jerk” reactions.  It’s like Matthews wants the problem solved “right now” or it’s a failure of leadership.  Now, I have my differences with the president, but all I can say here is that with friends like Matthews (if MSNBC is truly the “counter” to the never ending Fox “news” propaganda machine) who needs enemies?  And, what is the future of this great nation if our so-called “liberal media” continues to be nothing more than an entertainment business?

Over the years I’ve been writing here most of my rants have been aimed at the surge to the “right” of the republican party – the issue that started this “blog” (if that is what it is – to me, it’s my rant in cyberspace) was the Bush/Cheney administration’s invasion of Iraq in 2003.  That move, of course, and you won’t hear many pundits – Matthews included – focusing the attention of America’s unsuspecting public – that move into Iraq is the fundamental cause of ISIL and much of the other unrest in Africa and the Middle East (not to mention the continued fallout from the economic disaster foisted on the world by Bush/Cheney and their associates on Wall Street)  Things are now so messed up that I can’t imagine anyone even wanting to attempt to “fix” the results of Bush/Cheney.  In my mind, what is necessary is a complete CHANGE of direction by the United States, but with a domineering media, where people like Matthews are considered “liberal,” I don’t know how we can expect much more from President Obama.  The one thing I’m really thankful for is that it appears, at least from my perspective, that Obama’s decision making is deliberate and thoughtful – much to the chagrin, it seems, of almost everyone in Washington D.C.

Of course, then there’s the Congress.  OMG, what has happened to America that we could end up with a Congress such as this.  They make the “do nothing” Congress that Harry Truman faced seem like workaholics!  Not only will the republicans in the House refuse to agree to anything with President Obama – that’s correct – if he’s for it, they’re AGAINST it! – in the four months from August to November America’s Congress, the same Congress that has denied long term unemployment benefits to workers, many who’ve lost their jobs due to the policies of our Congress, and the same Congress that refuses to pass “jobs bills,” will have worked a total of EIGHT days!  That’s correct!  8 days of work in FOUR MONTHS!  Not only are all the unemployed workers people like John Boehner (the Speaker of the House) call “lazy” still waiting for a little help, there’s this “WAR” with ISIL that President Obama apparently is expected to take on by himself (of course, with the military) because Congress has ABDICATED it’s responsibility to weigh in on the Actions taking place as I write this in Syria and Iraq and gone AWOL!  This is unbelievable to me!  I guess the saying “Only in America” really applies to this one.  The reports I’ve seen would indicate that the November election is more important to members of Congress than a “yeah or nay” regarding President Obama’s authority to authorize airstrikes into Syria (at the minimum – I believe he should have authorization to do so in Iraq as well).

It appears to me that members of Congress don’t want to have their names attached to a policy that might fail – as they did when Bush/Cheney lied us into Iraq back in 2003.  However, it is their responsibility to authorize WAR – and, that’s what this is – WAR!  In America we’ve really learned how to parse our words since the days of Viet Nam.  Yet, we continue to do the same stupid things over and over.  In my heart I truly hope that President Obama succeeds, but the FACT that America is divided at the seems is obvious to EVERYONE!  Including the so-called “terrorists” with whom we are involved in endless pursuit.  Our policies seem to me to be aimed at “fixing” the unfix-able problem that exists in the Middle East.  This problem is Biblical and supplying weapons to any of the combatants seems “nuts” to me (that is the one thing Congress could agree on – we’re going to attempt to “define” the “moderate” terrorists in Syria – the ones who “might” fight against ISIL while they’re also fighting the Assad regime [that ISIL is also fighting] and supply them with a half a BILLION dollars worth of weapons – some of which will likely end up in the hands of ISIL.  Do you see the futility in all this?)

Again, this all gets back in my mind, to a media that’s totally lost its way.  And, please don’t call it “liberal” in my presence.  I rarely do more than comment on the propaganda scheme that is the foundations of Fox “news” – but, I believe most thinking Americans have come to realize what Fox is all about.  It should be called GOP “news.”  However, the 24 hour cable news cycle requires constant commentary from people who are essentially “entertainers.”  There are still a few investigative journalists out there, but they don’t get much exposure on the “national news.”  And, it seems to me that on the stations like MSNBC, the focus is still on “ratings” as opposed to presenting “news.”  I guess part of the reality is that America’s public is considered by these people ignorant (and, they might be correct – I know many “educated” people who still don’t even know what “Citizens United” is).  The reality of the upcoming mid-term elections is that it will be astonishing if HALF of America’s registered voters vote – I’m guessing the number will be much less than that.  Sadly, because the truth is we live in a corporate dominated world that is likely why the “liberal media” – the so-called “fourth estate” of our government – those we are supposed to rely on for real information – is focused on gaining “market share” so that they can provide PROFIT for shareholders.  In the process they’ve brainwashed the American public into allowing things to get so incredibly out of “whack.”

What should we be doing?  Well, that’s a thought for another day – I’m working on that one – but, as I (not being an economist or having any training in the subject which is hard for me to understand) read “The Rebel Within” Joseph Stiglitz and the World Bank, it’s becoming MORE clear to me that the United States is allowing its great WEALTH to be directed in horribly wrong directions.  Not only could rational thinking economists play a HUGE role in rebuilding America – physically and spiritually (I’ll elaborate in a succeeding post) – but, I’m convinced, many of the issues that foster the violence around the world could be addressed in ways that don’t include violence.  It seems to me that we’ve – since 9/11 – allowed the so-called “terrorists” to gain exactly what they were trying to achieve.  We’ve given up precious liberties in the name of “national security” – yet, people don’t feel more secure. Even our politicians now operate using FEAR as their guide – I recently answered one of the MANY emails I get (EVERY DAY) asking for a contribution – by suggesting the candidate tell me why I should support him/her – instead of telling me to FEAR his/her opponent.

There are people suffering all around the globe and we can’t afford to help – but, there seems to be no limit on what our military can do.  I was watching reporting of the bombing of Syria and wondering how much each of those bombs cost.  This coming from a nation that can’t “afford” to fix it’s own problems because of a budget deficit.  Does this ring an odd bell with anyone?  If America can’t afford to take care of her own, how can she afford an endless bombing attack in the Middle East?  This country will be secure when we reclaim our ideals and reject the politics of FEAR.  With a Congress that’s AWOL and news that’s entertainment, it appears that “endless war” trumps real national security!

I have a running dialogue going with a couple of my friends who would be squarely in the midst of the “Christian Right” as I’m trying to convince them that “Christians” (for that matter, any “religion”) being the “base” of a political party is unhealthy – for that party AND for that “religion.”  Honestly, nothing gives me more pause than religious zealots gaining political power.  We see the results all the time in places like Afghanistan (Taliban), Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, etc. etc.  Presently the group calling itself “ISIS” is attempting to gain control in Iraq and Syria (ironically, with weapons, as I understand it, that were supplied by America – in our great wisdom as we try to unseat the “tyrant” in Syria so that a group we now consider “terrorists” could take over.  I’m still not sure if our leaders (I believe it’s possible that President Obama Okay-ed military supplies for this group and I’ve seen pictures on the Web of John McCain in a “photo op” with some of their members – is that what we call bipartisan?) expected ISIS to be pushing “democracy” should they succeed.  What it appears to me is more American “meddling” in places where we have NO IDEA what we’re doing.  Members of ISIS are reportedly lopping off the heads of those who oppose them (especially Christians).  And, back to my main thought, ISIS is ANOTHER example of religious zealots gaining political power (or, attempting to gain power).

Ultimately, what my thinking is tonight relates to my wish to “vent” my own frustrations with President Obama and how one of his decisions has contributed to the “mess” he’s got to deal with.  I always hesitate doing this because I have no intentions of furthering the “wish” of republicans that our president would FAIL.  That seems to cause me to keep much of my frustration internal.  I keep thinking that it is perfectly fine with me for republicans to want our president’s initiatives to fail due to a disagreement with philosophy.  However, attempting to facilitate that failure is what troubles me.  I believe the divisiveness caused by the CONSTANT obstructionist politics of the republican party and their benefactors is giving a message to those around the world who would benefit from a lack of unity in America to be emboldened.  It should be painfully obvious to anyone observing what’s happening inside America’s boundaries and around the world that America is losing steam in her role as “leader of the free world.”  And, for those who would put this on Obama, I would just remind you that virtually ALL the problems STARTED with the inept administration of GW Bush and Dick Cheney.

I STARTED THIS POST AROUND 3 WEEKS AGO – IT WAS INTERRUPTED BY A DIFFICULT SURGERY – I’M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO FINISH THE THOUGHT.

Prior to going in for surgery (I really am getting old and worn out) the issue with ISIS (or ISIL – I’m not sure which is correct) was just accelerating and, naturally – as with EVERY issue that seems to be going in the wrong direction – republicans immediately began lambasting President Obama for his “failed foreign policy.” (we’ve all seen that they do this no matter what policy is in question – failing or not)  This was coming from the likes of Dick Cheney (and, I’m really SERIOUS here – how does this man warrant ONE SECOND of air time on any media channel? – well, we all know the answer is Fox “news”), John McCain (who, as mentioned above, is seen in photo ops with the ISIS leadership whom he allegedly helped gain funding through Saudi sources), and virtually every other republican mouthpiece.  This is a significant issue and, despite what I’ve always felt was an “unwritten rule” in American politics that the divisiveness ended at the border, it seems too much to hope that there will be unity as our president attempts to find a way to deal with this group that I believe can only be described as murdering thugs.  The atmosphere represented by this political reality is one of the issues I wish to discuss in my attempt to question my president (who I TOTALLY hope succeeds!)

Before I elaborate on that thought, while I was recuperating ( the first 10 days were “tough” as the doctor warned me) I watched a lot of television and the “news” was dominated by reporting from Missouri,  where a young Black man was murdered by a White police officer.  The boy’s name was Michael Brown and his murder seemed to be a “trigger” for the backlash from the Black community which I’ve been forewarning people – in my blog and in my conversation – for quite some time now.  I mean, how long does the White “establishment” believe they can ignore the realities faced by those “stuck” in environments that provide limited opportunity and excessive profiling and brutality by members of the police force.  The issue of race is MAJOR in America and, while I thought the election of Barack Obama was a great step forward, it seems as if it has unleashed a White backlash that I certainly didn’t anticipate.

For example, I just received a publication from the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that is working to expose White supremacists and hate groups, which says the number of anti-government “militias” have increased almost ten fold since Obama’s election in the United States.  And, recent “happenings” such as the “standoff” between the Bureau of Land Management and Cliven Bundy over Bundy’s refusal to pay his federal grazing fees (for something like 20+ years) – an amount exceeding $1 MILLION – has emboldened these groups to feel as if they can ignore America’s laws.  None of this is good!

Which brings me back to my point – where I want to question President Obama – who I have to EMPHASIZE again, I want him to SUCCEED!  (I wanted GW Bush to succeed, I want all presidents to succeed)  I’ve written about this many times prior on this site – it was “red flag” number one for me when Obama took office.  It led me to predict that in 2010 “progressives” would be so turned off that it would allow republicans (unfortunately, as it turned out, in the form of the “Tea Party”) to upend the democratic control of congress.  As I had predicted back then, President Obama’s decision to “look forward and not back” would turn out to be one of the worst presidential decisions of my lifetime.  If you’re not familiar with the context of that statement, essentially President Obama blocked ALL investigations into the illegal activities of the Bush/Cheney administration.

Both George W Bush and Dick Cheney (seemingly with pride) admitted in interviews on NATIONAL TV that they had authorized WATERBOARDING (both saying they would do it again) which is a WAR CRIME by our national legal standards, our military standards, and by international standards.  Clearly, the level of “enhanced interrogation” went far beyond waterboarding and, it seems apparent to me, has created FAR more “terrorists” since 9/11 than the United States has captured or killed.  One only has to think of the images publicized from Abu Ghraib to get an idea of what was not only tolerated, but encouraged during the Bush/Cheney regime.  The authorization came right from the top – with MANY in the chain of command VULNERABLE to any responsible, unbiased investigation.  Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and many others were vulnerable to charges of war crimes.  I believe President Obama was elected because he led (at least me) many Americans to believe “The Change we could believe in” would include accountability to those who had stepped WAY OVER any acceptable line in America’s sense of justice.

It’s true President Obama attempted to close Guantanamo – the center of America’s unbelievable abuse of human rights – but was blocked by Congress (or, at least, that’s how it was portrayed to me) and we’re still seeing TV “shots” of the “enemy combatants” who inhabit the place in their bright orange jump suits.  Concerning the most egregious example of why Guantanamo is a “black mark” on America I have never seen a believable report about the three “detainees” who “committed suicide” by – get this – hanging themselves after jamming rags so far down their own throats they couldn’t be pulled out after they were found, tying their own hands behind their backs, binding their own feet together, then climbing onto a sink, putting a noose around their neck, and then hanging themselves – all three of them (one who was due to be released!).  Additionally, there’s been no explanation as to how they could have “hanged” for two hours without being noticed when each cell was to be inspected every 10 minutes.  This, of course, happened under the “watch” of Bush/Cheney – but, do those at the top of our government really believe that no one notices this stuff?  Of course, in America, our “liberal media” has no problem sweeping stuff like this “under the rug,” but I can tell you – the rest of the world NOTICED!  There was NO investigation (at least made public – that was credible)

So, why does this still “bug” me so much?  Well, I watched President Obama in a press conference, reacting to the beheading of an American journalist by ISIS with a sense of anger that was palpable – and, I have to add, a sense shared by me.  However, when it was reported the journalist, James Foley, had been waterboarded and the pictures of him showed him in a orange jumpsuit – I had to wonder how many people were able to “connect the dots?”  In my mind, the orange jumpsuits are symbolic of the outrage around the world at the US treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo and other “black sites” where “enemy combatants were sent and tortured.  And, how can we respond to the charges that the hostages in Syria – held by ISIS – are being waterboarded?  President Obama had the chance to make a CLEAR statement to the world that America was better than that upon his inauguration.  By “looking forward instead of back” he exonerated Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and all the others responsible for America’s “enhanced interrogation” policies – which, along with the ILLEGAL invasion of Iraq in 2003 has destabilized the Middle East (more than it was) and made America (and Americans) less safe!

Additionally, for President Obama, this decision emboldened what has become an unbelievable policy of obstruction by the party (republican) which created the “mess” that Obama’s been dealing with for almost 6 years now.  It also sent a message to many on the “right” that President Obama is “weak.”  This, in my view, has led to instances such as the Bundy fiasco, which has escaped the view of our “liberal media” – so these “militia” type radicals, I’m sure, feel as if they can operate free of worry from federal law enforcement – because they’ll just pull out their weapons (and they are well armed) and shoot it out if necessary.  Combining all this – the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld et al lawbreaking, with the Bundy lawbreaking, and add in the Wall Street bailouts with NO accountability for all the damage inflicted on “Main Street” – and it’s pretty easy to see why so many Americans now believe that our laws are intended for those of us on “Main Street” with no accountability for those at the “top” or, in Bundy’s case, those who’ve brazenly armed themselves and are willing to shoot any law enforcer who attempts to hold them responsible for violating laws they don’t recognize.  This then leads me to what happened in Ferguson Missouri.

There seems to be no lack of willingness for law enforcement to kill members of the African American communities around the country.  From George Zimmerman, acting as a neighborhood “watcher,” killing Trayvon Martin in Florida to the murder of Michael Brown in Missouri, there’s one instance after another of young Black men being gunned down, unarmed, by police (or, in Zimmerman’s case, pseudo police) all across our nation.  Apparently, when a young Black person is killed, the person who does the killing (usually shooting) simply has to claim that they were acting in self defense and all will be well.  Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Zimmerman was exonerated in the death of Martin – and, many, including myself, are anticipating that the police officer (I believe his name is Darren Wilson) will escape justice in the Brown murder.  The evidence that he essentially executed Michael Brown is overwhelming, but when you look closely at how the authorities are “aligned” and how the Police department and the DA have responded to the murder, it doesn’t give much hope that Wilson will be held accountable.  At the very minimum, he should stand trial for the shooting, but I’ll be surprised if that happens.

This incident really, to me, exposes the biases that are real in America today.  As I look at the evidence that’s become public, it seems obvious that Brown, no matter what he had done prior to receiving the fatal shot, should still be alive today.  The FACT that Brown’s body was allowed to lay on the street (apparently not even covered up) for over 4 hours is unbelievable to me – yet it is a FACT.  And the FACT that the fatal shot hit him on the top of his head – while the police officer was reportedly 25 feet or so away is very disturbing.  But, when I look at all of this – in my opinion – it goes back to our government (Sorry President Obama, but you screwed up) allowing the impression that those at the “top” are “above the law.”  I believe what’s going on in many police departments around the nation support this contention – and, unfortunately, many Americans seem to agree.  For example, while I think it would have been – over time – less of a distraction to investigate ( and prosecute if warranted) the Bush/Cheney regime – it would have caused a ruckus with many republicans (we know now that anything Obama does will cause that).  However, confirming that we are “a nation of laws and not men” was the right thing to do.  And, this holds true all the way down to our local police departments.

Darren Wilson has received nearly (by my last count) a half a million dollars in support after the killing of Michael Brown through anonymous internet donations.  This despite the FACT he still hasn’t been charged with any crime!  (I guess people are anticipating he will be charged)  I’m really not sure how to interpret that – other than to say that it reinforces my view that, in America, we’ve got BIG problems – and, there’s a clear divide that implies to me these problems won’t be solved any time soon.  There’s a saying that totally resonates with me that “Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it.”  We’ve seen this over and over during the 21st century.  The best example for me was the invasion of Iraq – it brought back the nightmares of Viet Nam to me.  Bush/Cheney being let “off the hook” reminded me of Richard Nixon saying, “If the president does it, it must be legal” – and, all the energy it took to prove him wrong.  In one felled swoop, President Obama – when he chose to “look forward” – undermined all that work and energy.  And, the Ferguson situation reminds me of the 1960’s when those in our inner cities – receiving similar (probably worse) treatment as today, finally “exploded.”  (in fact, I’ve got respect for the people of Ferguson who’ve shown more restraint than the police in the ensuing protests after Brown’s murder)

Leaders MUST lead by example, and the example coming from America in the past 14 years has totally sabotaged her standing as the “leader of the free world.”  We were supposedly the leaders in the fight for “human rights” around the world.  We’ve not only allowed ourselves to violate our own principals in the “war on terror,” but our shortcomings within our own society and our inability to understand the needs of our citizens who are “the least of these” (in the words of Jesus Christ) has exposed the hypocrisy in our government as it tries to bring order outside our borders.  The fate of James Foley (and, today I read that another hostage was killed) brings the sad reality of what was done during Bush/Cheney home “to roost.”  And, by essentially exonerating their actions, President Obama missed an opportunity to prove to the rest of the world (and America’s citizens) that we REALLY don’t TORTURE and we do believe in human rights.  The evidence, at home and abroad, leaves one to wonder what REALLY is America’s stance on all this!

I’ll end this by referring to my initial thoughts.  The solution, whatever it might be, to the issues fulminating in the Middle East as I’m writing this will not be those of the religious zealots.  I saw one person, on one of my attempts to check out what’s being said on Fox “news,” claim the solution is “convert them or kill them,” referring to ISIS.  President Obama gets criticized (by “both sides of the isle”) for being deliberate.  Personally, I encourage him to continue doing so.  Don’t compound the mistakes of the past.  I’m not sure what the best course of action is, but I’m pretty sure “convert them or kill them” is a bad idea.  The usual “knee jerk” reaction that appears to be America’s “way” of late is a recipe for disaster.  This problem requires, I believe, a unified solution among all the stake holders in bringing these murderous thugs (ISIS) to justice.

In the past few months I’ve had the privilege of finding some “conservative” Christians that I, as a “liberal” Christian, can actually have a conversation about politics with – and, not have stuff thrown at me when I point out the “other side” of their arguments.  Usually, much of the “conservative” argument is based on our “liberal media” essentially being accused of “brainwashing” the American public.  Of course, in my view, the “liberal media” isn’t even close to “liberal” and the brainwashing is a reality, but it’s coming from the opposite direction from what “conservatives” have been able to dupe the American public into believing.  I’ve pointed out to my friends that, thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (signed by Bill Clinton) our “liberal media” has been “condensed” to essentially a group of corporations (that are not “liberal”) that you can count with your ten fingers.  There are many examples of how this “liberal” media is playing out in today’s America.  I’ll focus on a couple “biggies.”

Let’s start with the Affordable Care Act – AKA Obamacare.  I’ve been finding (not in the “liberal media”) lately examples of how this health care reform is actually working.  Now, as you might surmise, I’m not finding this in the “main stream” or “liberal” media.  I have to look for it.  However, most people who have access to health care through “Obamacare” are happy with their coverage, AND they are paying for it.  Both of those findings were WIDELY predicted to fall on the other side of the spectrum.  Now, here’s the rub – at least for me (because, I was always happy to see friends of mine in desperate need of health care coverage FINALLY be able to get it) – I haven’t heard any evidence of all the nay sayers talking about this.  None of the prognosticators who predicted the doom and gloom scenario want to own up to their WRONG predictions.  But, that’s today’s America, isn’t it.  Our “pundits” like to make their bold “predictions” but there’s NEVER any accountability for being so WRONG.  Yet, the Limbaugh’s, the Hannity’s, the O’Reilly’s, the Beck’s, the republicans in our Congress, etc. etc. will continue to BASH this reform – instead of working to make it better.

The sad reality is that had the “nay sayers” simply recognized the severity of the problem in the first place and helped to create the solution to 50 MILLION Americans without access to health insurance, I wouldn’t have to be writing this and our nation would be better for it.  For one thing, the so-called PUBLIC OPTION would have been part of the “reform” which would have opened up the opportunity for all Americans to eventually be part of a “Medicare for all” system.  Instead, we have a group of right wing politicians ostensibly trying to turn back the clock to a point where the nearly 10 MILLION Americans who now have access to health insurance would be back to where they were prior to the (rough as it was) roll out of the Affordable Care Act.  Even now, in the states controlled by right wing republican governors and legislatures, there are MILLIONS more Americans who are being blocked from health insurance due to their “leaders” refusing to accept the expansion of MEDICAID that is available to their residents.  According to the statistics, the expansion of health care is THREE times more effective in states accepting the expansion of Medicaid than in those refusing it.  I don’t see any other way to look at this than as a rich vs poor issue.  I really don’t understand how any politician can sleep at night knowing they are preventing large numbers of people from having access to health care for “political” reasons.  Ughhhh!

Then there’s the “military industrial complex” – America’s “lifeblood.”  I’m going to try to condense my thoughts on this subject because I could go on forever.  Presently, I’m reading “Dirty Wars” by Jeremy Scahill – I recommend this book to any American who’s interested in finding out MUCH that our “liberal media” has been (and is) hiding from us.  Of course, if you’ve been around my site much in the past few years, you know how I feel about the Bush/Cheney regime and their use of TORTURE during the fiasco’s in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I’m not quite half way through the book, but it clearly points out how America’s “liberal media” ENABLED the Bush/Cheney administration to have pretty much carte blanche in their so-called “war on terror.”  Of course, you NEVER hear our “liberal media” pointing out how the Bush/Cheney (and, I’ve got to add Rumsfeld) policies created WAY MORE terrorists than they ever killed or captured.  The sad reality of all this is that a few “grunts” who were untrained and used as patsies were the SCAPEGOATS from the Abu Ghraib scandal that Scahill shows clearly was the result of decisions that came right out of the White House and the Secretary of Defense office.  Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld – along with all their surrogates who helped to justify TORTURE – always (as our leaders evidently do) isolated themselves from the consequences once the effects of their decision to throw out legality, the Army field manual, the Geneva Conventions, and rational thought as they instituted their policy of “enhanced interrogations” during the Iraq and Afghanistan misadventures.  Our “liberal media” was evidently afraid to report on the facts at that time, and I’m still not hearing reporting on how the Bush White House made us (and the rest of the world) less safe with their reaction to 9/11.

You have to read books to find out most of the reality of the Iraq “war” – which was on the planning board of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz/Feith and other “neocons” prior to Bush being elected (actually appointed) to office (by our Supreme Court).  Scahill, time and again, brings up examples of how America’s leading “investigative” reporters at the time reported EXACTLY what Bush/Cheney et al wished them to publish.  Those who didn’t were blackballed.  Honestly, there’s so much about Iraq that reminds me of Viet Nam that it makes me sick to my stomach every time I write about it.  The war mongers behind the Iraq invasion didn’t even have the “stones” – in their time – to serve during Viet Nam.  Cheney received at least 5 “deferments” from the draft and most of us know that GW Bush was put into a “rich boys” Air Force reserve unit in which he rarely attended (of course, the records of his “service” “mysteriously” disappeared sometime after he was elected president) and kept him from serving in Viet Nam.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I joined the Marines in 1967 during college and when I reported for basic training I was rejected due to a damaged knee – so I did not serve in Viet Nam either.  However, just growing up in that era should have been enough to cause these people to know better than to commit our young men and women to an illegitimate war theater.  And, of course, as President Obama is in his 5th year of putting up with right wing attacks – NO MATTER what the circumstances – our “liberal media” not only has failed to hold Dick Cheney to task for being “so wrong on so much that affected so many,”  they’re still giving him opportunities to spread his vile opinions on national TV.  Instead of informing America of his WAR CRIMES our “liberal media” is continuing to publish his WAR MONGERING!

Then there’s the darling of the “liberal media” John McCain (and his buddy Lindsey Graham).  These two are despicable characters if you don’t believe America’s rightful place in the world is promoting ENDLESS WAR!  Over the course of my lifetime, in almost every instance, when there is a foreign policy crisis happening America’s politicians have “pulled together” in a sign of unity to support our “commander in chief.”  We even did this in the run up to the Iraq invasion (well, I didn’t – but, I certainly didn’t hope President Bush “failed” – I simply felt invading Iraq was wrong – I didn’t understand all the implications until much later like most people).  The reality of that situation was that Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz/Feith/Addington/Yoo/Bybee/Rice and the other surrogates involved in the scheme – were lying to the American public and manipulating the intelligence community to use the 9/11 attacks as the “Shock” (I refer you to Naomi Klein’s great book “The Shock Doctrine”) to enable their attempt to gain control of Iraq’s oil fortune.  I’ll say this again – where was our “liberal media?”  Anyone who questioned the motives of the Bush/Cheney regime were removed from their job.  (ie Dan Rather [CBS], Phil Donahue [MSNBC], and Peter Arnett [NBC and National Geographic])

Of course, McCain and Graham were cheer leading the war effort beyond the actual time frame in which we were involved.  In fact, despite the FACT that President Obama simply removed America’s forces on a schedule negotiated by the Bush administration, I recently wrote about how both McCain and Graham were blaming the recent unrest in Iraq on Obama’s “timid” foreign policy and his “decision” to pull American troops from Iraq.  (of course, the “invaders” are a group of “jihadists” that McCain himself was pictured with about a year ago as he was encouraging them to overthrow a government he dislikes in Syria – once they changed their focus to Iraq the same group became the “enemy”)  Of course, our “liberal media” would lead you to believe that McCain and Graham are experts on the Middle East unrest – despite their HISTORY of being wrong on EVERYTHING.  (In fact, I still remember during the 2008 campaign McCain not knowing the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims)

Now you’ve got McCain, Graham, and other right wing “pundits” criticizing President Obama in the face of the tragedy in Eastern Ukraine (what else would you expect?).  The problem I have with all this is why is this “liberal media” continuing to give these right wing war mongers and the pundits that support their propaganda scheme a constant platform?  Well, to me the answer is obvious and it’s why I ALWAYS put quotes around the words “liberal media.”  Our media is FAR FROM liberal!  In fact, this scheme to demonize “liberals” that has been going on since the hey day of Ronald Reagan has pushed the political debate in America so far to the “right” that I don’t even recognize the so called “liberals” – like, for example, President Obama.  In my mind Obama is no liberal (of course the most complimentary term the republicans use is “socialist”).  The Democratic party has swung so far right that it certainly doesn’t seem “liberal” to me.   Citizens United was the Supreme Court decision that pretty much cemented the philosophy that money RULES in America – and pragmatic politicians (democrats included) are showing that they TOTALLY understand success requires “feeding at the trough” of the corporate elite.  People like McCain and Graham (and the others) can say “whatever,” and I never see anyone going back and replaying their absurd comments that prove to be so wrong.

Just today, I decided to turn on the TV and I tuned into MSNBC only long enough to hear recordings of a constant babble coming from republicans (now, Al Sharpton wasn’t supporting them – he was actually reporting what was said and attempting to hold them accountable for their words) calling Obama all sorts of derogatory names because the Russian separatists in Ukraine shot down a Malaysian airliner.  Of course, this was a tragedy of major proportions and it was TOTALLY wrong – but, as expected, the only  words the right wing republicans could come up with were words aimed at blaming President Obama and further attempting to undermine our president’s credibility (they actually criticized him for being “thoughtful”).  I guess if you believe that two unwinnable wars at once aren’t enough, then today’s republican party is just for you.  (they seem to be pushing for the “big one” with Russia)Listening to today’s republicans makes me believe they respect Vladimir Putin (the thug) and disrespect Obama (“thoughtful” and, therefore “timid”)

I’m personally waiting anxiously for the day when America “wakes up” and votes these republicans out of office en masse.  Please don’t give me the “but democrats” argument – because, I’ll likely agree with you.  However, as for most of my adult lifetime, it’s voting for the better of two unpleasant options.  I do believe the democrats could be forced to move back to the left if “we the people” would – after getting rid of today’s republican party – turn our efforts on those in the democratic party who are prostituting themselves to the corporate money and interests.  With the right wing corporate interests controlling out “liberal media” and the unlimited ability to throw money at elections – via Citizens United – all of my idealistic “dreams” become less possible with each successive election cycle.  If republicans succeed in gaining total control of Congress in 2014. things could get a lot worse (for “we the people”) (also, keep in mind, our “liberal media” has been brainwashing Americans for 30+ years now on how deplorable “liberals” are.  I know many 40 to 50 year olds who’ve never heard anything else)

The media is supposed to be the “fourth estate” in America – that is, the ultimate check on the power of government.  “We the people” have allowed the “liberal media” to be controlled by corporate interests with profit motives instead of patriotic motives.  Our “reporters” have become, in many instances, more like entertainers.  And, too many of them, in my view, will say whatever they’re told – because that’s a requirement of keeping the job.  I wrote back when the so-called “Patriot Act” was passed right after 9/11 that “it’s easier to give up rights than to get them back.”  We are seeing the reality of that every day in America.  Our country is a military pariah around the world, our government is dysfunctional and corrupted by huge amounts of money from a few “billionaires,” our government is spying on her own people, and it now seems acceptable in the “liberal media” for one side to focus on the destruction of the other in a dishonest push for power, and – all the while – MILLIONS of Americans either believe the lies or feel helpless to stop this.  (think about how many issues had HUGE majorities of American’s support – like the public option, for example, or allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, or get out of the wars, I could go on and on – and, yet Congress is unable to act in the public interest)  I firmly believe that until our “liberal media” becomes beholden to “we the people” instead of the corporate “masters” America will continue its decline!

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about “how did we get here” regarding the sorry state of affairs, politically, in America.  The answer I keep coming back to is Ronald Reagan.  Of course, to those on the political “right” Reagan is revered almost as a god.  In my mind, the reality is that the downhill slide for America started the day he was elected President of the United States.  Reagan was a bit actor who headed the Screen Actors Guild in the days of the McCarthy attacks on LIBERALS in the 1950’s and he BACK-STABBED several of his fellow union members by accusing them of being “communists” surreptitiously to J Edgar Hoover.  These were the days when the “Communist scare” was in full bloom in America, and Reagan showed himself to be one who would do anything to further his own “wagon.”  Once elected to the White House Reagan’s character did not change – he led the way for the so-called “trickle down economics” (I’ve always called it “trickle up”) that has been eating away at the fiber of America since Reagan’s first inaugural address.  Reagan was clearly a “me” first person and he managed to change this great nation from a “we” nation to a “me” nation.

Some of the notable accomplishments during Reagan’s term in office:  America’s debt crisis was put on steroids, the American “war machine” and the people who believe in permanent war managed to gain a stranglehold on the nation’s psyche, the “terrorists” who ultimately attacked the U.S. on 9/11 were armed to the hilt (by the Reagan administration), Saddam Hussein was supplied a plethora of weapons (including chemicals) to support a 10 year war with Iran (while, at the same time, Reagan and his cronies were supplying weapons to Iran in what became the Iran/Contra scandal), the bludgeoning of our nation’s government was begun with the propaganda scheme that “government is the problem,” – this privatization continues to this day (as with several of the other follies), the “white supremacist” movement was encouraged through the coded messages Reagan always managed to include in his speeches (most going over the heads of the bulk of us mortals), Rush Limbaugh and the right wing attack on our airwaves was initiated – including the adoption of Goebbels “big lie theory,” Education in America came under attack as if it was some sort of LIBERAL conspiracy – with the cost of college put on a course where, as of today, most middle to lower middle class students are shut out of the opportunity for higher educations unless they’re willing to take on HUGE debt – this attack on education metastasized during the GW Bush years with the “No Child Left Behind” legislation which traded our traditional form of education for one based on TEST taking – with the tests prepared by people such as Bush’s brother.

It was during the Reagan years that republicans took the “dirty tricks” philosophy of the Nixon era and polished them into a lethal propaganda scheme that has had middle class voters voting against their own self interests ever since.  I’m not an expert (in fact I’m operating here on my logical brain) on the “fairness doctrine,” but I do know that it was suspended under Reagan and when Congress attempted to pass it into law Reagan vetoed it.  (GW Bush, who – in my mind – was worse than Reagan, but basically following a similar agenda – also prevented the doctrine from being revived with the threat of a veto early in his administration)  Some, at the time, suggested the doctrine was a benefit to Reagan, but little did we know what lied (pun intended) in store regarding the proliferation of right wing “talk” radio.

So, how is this playing out in today’s political scene.  Let’s start with the deficit.  Virtually ALL my republican friends are right there with Fox “news” (and Roger Ailes – one of Nixon’s operatives) in blaming our burgeoning deficit on Barack Obama.  Naturally, they did almost EXACTLY the same thing when Bill Clinton was beginning his presidency.  Here’s how it works for them:  They create MASSIVE deficits and claim that “deficits don’t matter” (in the words of Dick Cheney) – UNTIL, they get voted out of office because they are unable to govern – then, all of a sudden, deficits do MATTER and the deficits are caused by the democrat in the White House.  For example, I still remember republicans BLAMING the TRILLION + deficits CREATED by the Bush/Cheney administration (along with an economy teetering on depression) on Barack Obama BEFORE he had even taken the oath of office.  Additionally, they blamed Obama for the BAILOUTS of the banks that was instituted by Bush/Cheney.  Since Obama took his oath of office, the republicans are so worried about the deficit that they threaten to shut down the government or – worst yet – default on America’s debt about twice a year.  What they’ve proved to me is that they HATE Obama and want him to fail (maybe it’s just they hate democrats) more than they want our country to succeed.  I just hope America FINALLY sees past the agenda of the republicans (and their “saint” Reagan) sooner rather than later.  (I guess when you consider this plague of “trickle down” economics has been here for over 30 years, it’s too late for the sooner part of that “hope”)

How about our military?  Well, Reagan put the defense department on steroids in his anti-communist mode, and we’ve never managed to get off the “juice,” as they say it in baseball.  I can’t imagine what would happen to our economy if we actually began to pull back on all the (mostly needless) military spending.  Take for example the Bush/Cheney fiasco where they lied America into an invasion of Iraq on false pretenses – just take a moment to think about how much safer we are – AND, the rest of the world is.  Nearly 5000 Americans died in that fruitless military adventure, countless thousands were injured, some estimates go as high as half a million Iraqi’s died with nearly 50% of their country displaced – and, of course, Iraq is still in disarray – yet the same militaristic group of what I call “chicken hawks” (Dick Cheney, et al – experts in their day at getting deferrals from military service) along with war hawks like John McCain and Lindsey Graham are “championing” another push into Iraq by America’s military.  (I’m sad to say that President Obama, with the support of people like McCain and Graham, has supplied the weapons the present insurgents in Iraq are using to destabilize the country – AGAIN – and, now we’re going to have to listen to the war hawks pushing us into fighting the very people we’re arming – we armed them so they could overthrow the regime in Syria and now the follie has come “home to roost.”  You can find pictures on the internet of John McCain posing with the very people he says are now a threat to America – as he was urging our President to provide them with weapons.)   Reality is not going to sink in to these people, it’s up to America’s voters to put them and their “ilk” “out to pasture.”

Reagan and his administration had virtually TOTAL disregard for our laws AND our Congress (sound familiar, ie Bush/Cheney?).  The Iran/Contra “affair” was a great example of how “wrong” America’s government has gone in the past 30 + years since Reagan’s election.  To suggest that Reagan “didn’t know” what was going on at the time has ALWAYS been ludicrous to me.  His surrogates – with the help of Israel – were selling HUGE amounts of weapons to Iran (our “sworn enemy” – all the while as we were arming Saddam Hussein who was fighting Iran – ugh!) and using the money to arm the Nicaraguan “Contras” a rebel force attempting to overthrow the Sandinista Junta which was a popular uprising that overthrew the dictator (and friend of U.S. corporate interests) Anastasio Somoza Debayle.  Reagan and most of his surrogates were guilty of numerous CRIMES, but virtually none of them paid a price for their actions as they were exonerated through political maneuvering (George HW Bush – who was clearly involved in the mess – pardoned anyone who still had legal issues prior to leaving office).  Just as Barack Obama failed to enforce our laws regarding the Bush/Cheney regime, so did Bill Clinton regarding daddy Bush and the others – I certainly don’t remember any further investigations after Bush 1 left office.  There must be some kind of “unwritten rule” regarding politicians similar to doctors and lawyers – we don’t go after each other.

To me, the end result of Reagan’s indifference to our laws was a repeat performance with the Bush/Cheney administration – only much more intense.  Those guys had NO LIMITS.  I’ve read enough to know that the CIA has participated in TORTURE in different ways over the years as they’ve been busy either undermining “socialist” regimes around the world or uplifting tyrannical dictators who are favorable to our corporate elite.  I’ve just had a really hard time swallowing that we would allow George W Bush and Dick Cheney to PUBLICLY acknowledge authorizing TORTURE on NATIONAL TV – both saying they have NO REGRETS – and our Justice Department just gives them a blind eye.  President Obama doesn’t need me “piling on” in criticism of his policies (one would never agree with everything unless a “blind follower”) but I’m not sure I will ever be able to forgive him for “looking forward instead of back” regarding what many refer to as the “Bush Crime family.”  In my mind, all of this is a culmination of the culture created by the administration of Ronald Reagan – between him and the two Bush presidents they’ve proved Nixon correct when he said, “if the president does it, it must be legal.”  Obama’s “looking the other way,” in my mind, was a blunder of HISTORICAL proportions!

The “privatization” thing is another rub for me.  Take health care for example.  When I was a young father all health care was not for profit.  I had two daughters born via “C Sections” at a time when I had no health insurance.  My wife was in the hospital for several days each time.  I was able to pay off the hospital and doctor bills in a matter of a couple years each time.  I still remember that the specialist brought in for the first surgery charged $175.  The hospital bill the first time was $3000.  It’s true that I was making around$3.50 per hour at the time, but paying off the bill was manageable.  With the advent of “for profit” hospitals and threats of HUGE lawsuits for doctors who screw up – among other factors – going to the hospital for any middle class American requires some form of Health Insurance.  Yet, the very people (republicans) who’ve been pushing the privatization agenda are the same people who are blocking national health insurance for all.  The number of people in America who end up with serious to fatal illnesses due to their lack of ability to pay for health care is a, in my view, national disgrace.  To me the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) is the result of our national submission to corporate interests and a classic example of what happens when the lobbyists control legislation.  I look at it as “better than nothing” (I have friends who are going to the doctor now, who wouldn’t otherwise) but the result of a population that’s been brainwashed by the corporate elite in America that national health care is “socialism” and therefore BAD.  Reagan was at the forefront of this privatization movement, and MANY Americans continue to pay the ultimate price for this disaster.  Most Americans still believe we have the best health care system in the world.  The statistics say otherwise – and, decidedly so.

“Conservatives” are still hell bent on privatizing Social Security and Medicare.  Reagan predicted that Medicare would be the downfall of America – it would “curtail American freedom.”  He claimed that Social Security would “supplant private savings” as part of his attack on government – the same government he spent many years trying to control.  I often wonder why voters would vote in politicians who oppose government to run the government.  It makes no sense to me – unless you’re one of the people who would be happy if there was NO government.  It’s the people who tend to be part of the “Reagan revolution” that I’ve noticed complain loudly about the abusive banking system in America and, at the same time, decry politicians who attempt to regulate the bankers.  Many of the “Tea Party” republicans who emerged with the election of Obama voiced strong opposition to national health care all the while as they were defending their Medicare system.  Certainly makes me wonder.  The forces behind Reagan and his “trickle down” economics have been lambasting Social Security since before he took the oath of office by spreading misinformation as they attempt to help Wall Street ( who they proclaim to despise) get their greedy hands on the Social Security Trust fund.

I read the other day where these people (“conservatives”) have convinced nearly half of Americans under the age of 40 that Social Security will not be there for them.  This is despite the FACT that the fund is solid (with no help) for another 20 years or so and 85% solvent indefinitely if America stupidly does nothing to adjust the fund from present policy.  It would take nothing more than raising the “cut off” amount a few thousand dollars (that’s the amount of income where someone would no longer pay the FICA tax) to make Social Security solvent for the next (at least) 75 yrs.  If America’s middle class decided to “allow” wealthy Americans to pay on their income up to, say, $250,000 the system could be expanded significantly.  But, of course, that would “reek” of “socialism.”

I’ve written many times on this site as to how I’ve seen a marked increase in overt racism since the election of Barack Obama.  And, I’ve often referred back to Reagan’s initiating his campaign for the presidency at Philadelphia, Mississippi – near the exact spot where 3 civil rights workers were murdered in the 1960’s – with a pledged commitment to “states’ rights” and the so- called “Southern Strategy” of Richard Nixon as evidence that republicans have been courting the white supremacist vote since LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964.  It was obvious to me then (beginning with Barry Goldwater) and it’s obvious to me now.  Many “conservatives” I know seem to be astonished at the suggestion that republican politicians would use “coded language” to send messages that won’t be recognized by the general public but, in my view, it’s still happening.  (actually, I believe democrats do the same thing in the opposite way – America doesn’t seem ready, in my view, despite Obama’s election – to face the FACTS when it comes to race.  We like to pretend “all is well.”)  Reagan was really good at it – and, the public was very unsuspecting.  References to welfare queens, lazy Blacks (or poor people implying they are Black – when, in reality most are White), the aforementioned “state’s rights” (implying support for segregationists at the time), etc.  I still vaguely remember the “Willie Horton adds” used by George HW Bush as a way to infer that his opponent (Michael Dukakis) was “weak on crime.”  And, the beat goes on.

Actually, with the advent of the “Tea Party” – which I believe has totally morphed out of control based on the original “grassroots” intentions (I’m trying to be generous here – suggesting that when the Kochs, Dick Armey, and Fox “news” got involved, the movement was for all intents and purposes “hijacked”) – the republican party has moved dangerously “right” and, it appears to me, is simply looking at a matter of time until it is extinct as a national political force.  Either it will split into two groups or it will become an after thought in American politics.  To me, the “Tea Party” represents those republicans who’ve been listening to the likes of Rush Limbaugh since he was introduced (again, during the Reagan era).  In my mind, anyone who claims Limbaugh is not a racist hasn’t spent much time listening to him talk.  (actually, I don’t listen to him anymore – I have in the past – but, occasionally I’ll check in and, like clockwork, he’ll make some absurd claim that is often based in racism or some other ism and I change the dial shaking my head – wondering how he could have so many “ditto heads” listening to him.  Yet, there’s the answer isn’t it – ditto heads – that, in itself lets us in on the intellectual propensity of his loyal audience.  (I had to add the word “loyal” there, because I just admitted that I listen once in a while just to reaffirm my view of him.  Like it or not, Limbaugh has SIGNIFICANT influence on the republican party, and, therefore, on this nation which I love.)

I recently retired from the privilege of teaching in a low income public school and I will be grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people as long as I can still breathe, but I have to add that Reagan began a covert assault on public education that continues to this day.  I NEVER questioned that I could improve as a teacher over the years or that our schools can (and must) improve, but the “Reagan revolution” led to the privatization efforts of the “right wing” that is continually attempting to undermine our public school system and, in my view, (as with so many of their schemes) redirect the money in an effort to create opportunities for PROFIT.  One thing that was clear to me for many years is that public schools (despite all the publicity about unions – and, of course, teacher unions are at the forefront of the republican assault on unions) are “sitting ducks” in the face of political attacks.  MOST involved in the public schools are TOTALLY focused on helping their students.  In school like the one I was so fortunate to be able to spend the last 20 years of my working life, as a teacher, you feel as if you are fighting for the lives of the students.  While I understand the importance of students being able to demonstrate their learning via tests – especially at the lower grades where I was teaching (6th grade) – I believe focusing measurements on HIGH STAKES tests that happen once per year makes no sense.  In my school, a large majority of the population was “non-white” while ALL the “high stakes” tests were seemingly written by those who would fall into the category referred to as “WASP’s” – White Anglo Saxon Protestants.  The schools, almost as a matter of self survival, (even thought most inside the schools would hate to admit this) MUST focus on preparing the students for the tests.  Which, of course, leads to a tendency to “teach to the test.”  I always tried to tell myself I wouldn’t do that, but when your school relies on student test results for funding, it’s impossible to “look the other way.”

Additionally, when Reagan was originally elected governor of California, colleges in that state offered FREE tuition.  Reagan was at the forefront of the “push” to pull funding from higher education (along with many other programs that I will leave the discussion for another day – essentially, a philosophy of “starving” public agencies apparently to make them look bad as a way to promote the privatization strategy) so that today, as mentioned above, higher education – while a necessity for the better paying jobs in America – more-so in the years to come – is becoming too expensive for many talented and deserving young people.  Our colleges and universities remain the best in the world, but more and more of the students may be coming from foreign countries if this trend continues.  Based on the family situation I grew up in during the 50’s and 60’s – in today’s climate I would be unable to afford college.  In the 60’s it was achievable for virtually anyone who wanted to attend.  Additionally, today the remnants of the Reagan years refuse to even lower the interest rate on the money most students must borrow if they want to attend college by blocking attempts in Congress by democrats like Elizabeth Warren to reduce the interest payments on the HUGE amount of debt carried by America’s recent college graduates (and students in general).

I’ve been writing for almost 10 years now on the dangers of America’s republican party since GW Bush lied our nation into the Iraq fiasco.  I feel bad that it took me so long to figure out how serious the problem really is – because, I still remember feeling as if Reagan was turning us into a nation that encourages selfishness (in the name of “self reliance”) and greed (encouraging the “get rich quick mentality that permeates our business world and financial “sector”).  I always believed that Americans would ultimately reject this philosophy and do it resoundingly at the ballot box.  And, in a way they have – Barack Obama has soundly won the last two presidential elections.  However, I TOTALLY underestimated the covert strategy of the right wing of the republican party and the sophistication of their plan.  They have gained control of so many “local” governments, state governments, and governorships – and they were able to pull off a “coup” during 2010 by gerrymandering enough “safe” republican districts that they might be able to continue this OBSTRUCTIONIST policy for several more election cycles.  On top of that, GW Bush – despite all his failings – managed to get two CORPORATIST justices, (Roberts and Alito) who are young and will be “haunting” liberals for a generation, into a position of CONTROL on our Supreme Court.  Decisions like Citizens United (I’ve been writing about this since the day it was passed) threaten the very fabric of America as “we the people” know it.  Combine that with activists who are right out of the John Birch Society (The now infamous Koch brothers) who have UNLIMITED ($100 + Billion in personal wealth) financial capability along with a willingness to spend it in a way that puts our republican form of government at risk, and you have a MAJOR political crisis.

There ARE more of “us” than there are of “them,” but they have the expertise to manipulate (and control) the so-called “liberal media,” they’ve “bought” countless politicians and, anyone who’s paying attention knows that any republican who “strays” from their right wing agenda will face a well funded “primary” opponent AND their funding will dry up.  The network of “associates” of the Koch brothers stretches around the globe.  I’m just finishing a book titled “The Creature from Jekyll Island” which, among other things, laments America’s headlong descent into a “one world government” (my words).  The author is, in my mind, seemingly right out of the libertarian – John Birch Society type – mold.  I find it quite ironic that the people who seem to be pushing to make what he fears a reality would be the Kochs – who, it seems to me, come from a similar basic philosophy.  (he constantly is referring to his belief in the need for a “free market”)  How these people can manage to get so many Americans to vote for their agenda is an act of magicians – I continue to believe that their days are “numbered” – but, at the same time, I realize how powerful they are.

The solution, to me, despite my belief that America needs two HEALTHY political parties to restore this nation back to health, is for a LARGE majority of voters to commit to voting AGAINST republicans until this right wing, corporatist, greedy, corrupt (yah, I get that the corruption is bipartisan) anti-worker group of “sheep” are purged from the party.  As a Christian I’ve found it difficult in the present atmosphere to find “conservatives” who I can have a civil discussion of the issues with – for, many years.  However, of late, I have a couple of friends (one who asked me to read the Jekyll Island book), who are BOTH solidly republican (well, one tells me he votes against democrats – similarly to me voting against republicans) who I can have dialogues with and HONESTLY express our beliefs to one another without emotional outbreaks, chairs flying, etc.  I firmly believe that at the end of each discussion we all grow and, for certain, it is nice (and welcome) to be able to share views of disagreement without ANY disrespect involved.  That is what I believe our goal for our national political scene should be.  I believe today’s republican party must “go” before we can have a political dialogue that respects the intentions of those who so brilliantly created a system of government which has stood the test of time longer than any other example of self government in the history of the world.

During one of our discussions the other day, one of my friends told me that the reason Rush Limbaugh (and, by inference the republican party) wants President Obama to FAIL is because they don’t believe in his agenda.  My response was (is and will be) a significant MAJORITY of Americans voted for Obama – if republicans REALLY believed that his agenda would fail, the sensible solution is to let him pass his agenda (as democrats did with GW Bush) and when it fails, use that failure in the next campaign as they argue for  whatever their solutions to our plethora of problems would be.  (I didn’t throw in that MOST of the problems are a direct result of Bush/Cheney’s agenda, but I could have :o)  By obstructing EVERYTHING Obama attempts to do, the republicans leave (at least with me) the impression that they FEAR Obama’s agenda would WORK, and, should that happen, they would be on the outside looking in for another generation (remember FDR?)  What they are betting on is that enough voters will either be turned off by their antics and refuse to vote or, worse yet, through media manipulation they can fool people (again) into thinking they actually have good ideas and  “plan” for our nation.  One thing that is painfully clear to me and is why I keep encouraging anyone who will listen to me to vote AGAINST republicans is that today’s republican leaders would rather see President Obama FAIL (and, therefore, the country as well) than to see America SUCCEED!  And, it all started in 1980 when America was tricked into voting for Ronald Reagan.  If you’ve read this far (bless you :o) – please encourage at least one other person to vote against ALL republicans until the right wing fringe has been purged from the leadership of the party.

I’m winding down my career as a teacher and have been trying to find the time to comment on the terrorist attack on two police officers in Las Vegas last weekend – and, the curious lack of coverage I’ve managed to hear as I listen to my satellite radio while I’m driving too and fro from work (I can’t force myself to watch “network news” anymore).  I’m going to leave this post with a link – click here if you’re interested – that says it all (in my view) – regarding the right wing’s reaction to (and ownership of) two crazy right wing Christian, racist, tea party fanatics committing an act of suicide terrorism.

As a teacher in a public school I want to write about how absurd America’s cowering to the NRA and others in the s0-called “gun lobby” seems to me while schools are attacked almost weekly.  Along with the terrorist attack in Las Vegas and ALL the other gun related MURDERS in America these days, it says a lot about how totally corrupted our system of government has become when “we the people” are completed unable to address this issue due to the political cesspool commonly referred to as Washington DC and our Congress.  More to come …………………………