Third Party & Independents:

Good News, For a Change

There is a built-in incentive in our political system to focus on bad news. The opposition party needs to create unrealistic panic to raise money and oppose the majority party, meanwhile the majority party needs to scare voters into supporting all of its policies. In the reality, life in America, as detailed by the excellent book Progress Paradox, keeps improving by every measure, for every economic, racial and social group...

Why Do You Need to See My ID?

The difficulty of privacy is that it can be leeched away slowly enough that we don't recognize its absence. With the recent talks of a national ID card, there has been a (relatively) heightened awareness of privacy in America. I just read this article about John Gilmore's quest to find and fight the secret security laws which require IDs to board flights within the US.

Medicare/Medicaid: The real safety net crisis.

Why is President Bush pushing for Social Security reform which would add to current and future deficits given the fact that there is no Social Security crisis today, while the Medicare and Medicaid programs pose an extremely serious economic and financial threat now? There is a deep schism occurring between the nation's state governors and the Whitehouse. Regardless of party, the nation's governors are challenging the Whitehouse's proposed cuts to Medicaid and lack of action on Medicare.

You Only Own Your Home as Long as the Government Lets You

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kelo vs. City of New London, a case about the proper scope of the power of eminent domain. In the case at issue, New London decided to take the home of Mrs. Kelo and give it to Pfizer as part of an effort to economically revitalize the city. Basically, under our constitution, the Federal Government can take private property with just compensation but only for a public use. In this case, New London is willing to pay compensation, so the inquiry is whether taking from one private party to another is really a public use.

USS Jimmy Carter Opens New Age of Espionage

The Washington Post reports on a new US Submarine capable of tapping sub-ocean laser communications trunk lines all around the globe. The Wash. Post states: According to intelligence experts, it can tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them. The military has just opened the door to trade, business, and economic espionage on both our allies and enemies.

Torture

December 10, 1948, United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 was adopted. It is titled Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 2 of this proclamation reads:

"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Ralph Nader, Put Up, or Shut Him Up!

I respected Ralph Nader immensely and he got my vote, which made me one of the few, one of the proud. But, many voters who respect Ralph Nader and his attempts to break up the duopoly and reverse the extremely dangerous road President Bush has put us on financially and internationally, could not justify voting for him given their desire to unseat Bush with a vote for Kerry. As we now know, a vote for Kerry instead of Nader made no difference. But if voters respect Nader and want to see him involved in 2008, it is time put up, or he will be shut up for good.

Kyoto Begins

Today 141 nations around the world ratified the Kyoto protocol that is supposed to cut emissions 5.2 percent below 1990 levels sometime around the year 2012. Unfortunately, once again, our government has sided with business on this one instead of the environment. Like some childish sibling bickering, the Bush administration has refused to ratify Kyoto because nations like China, and India are not involved.

Should Bush/Congress Harm Americans With Their Budget?

Quality of life and even life itself depends directly in America upon money. President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are going to cost other Americans dearly in terms of quality of life and even life itself. Whenever an administration puts foreign affairs ahead of domestic priorities, it will increase tax payer dollar spending in foreign lands and decrease the services and benefits to the tax payers here at home. This is in fact an accurate depiction of the President's 2006 Budget which again will set a new record deficit.

Fight the fascism

Liberals and some moderates use the term 'fascist' in reference to the Bush Administration as a whole and particular personalities, such as Ashcroft and Rove. While 'Nazi' has for the most part been avoided by anyone worth listening to, it's a short step from 'fascist' to 'Nazi'. Godwin's law doesn't apply to print media yet. While this pointless name calling sells papers and magazines, it distracts from a chilling reality. Whatever faults the Bush Administration has, and I believe it has many, fascism is not one of them.

The Budget Numbers Just Don't Add Up

Is any one else waking up in a cold sweat night after night just thinking of the budget deficits our President is proposing despite his pledge to cut the ballooning budget deficit in half by the time he leaves office? I have to wonder, does Bush really think we are all as dense as he is? Probably so. The numbers just don't add up, despite the rosy rhetoric from the White House.

After Bush Leaves Office, His Budget's Costs Balloon

The Media and The Public Interest

The drive to invade Iran is increasing. However, the propaganda war on the American people has already gotten sloppy. As Bradblog notes, they are using the same pictures as "proof" of nuclear facilities in both Iran and Korea. Cnn will of course march out some insignificant low level staffer and sacrifice them if this ever gets any coverage at all.

Freedom Continues Its Retreat In America

As the Bush Administration sends democracy and liberty marching through the streets of oppressed nation around the world, here at home it is dying under the heels of a dictatorial regime; the American Presidency. In a continued effort to silence all opposition to his wrong-headed social security plan, Bush has now taken to black-listing from public forums American citizen who do not agree with political stance.

And I think everybody understands what the 'next steps' mean.

On Saturday, Condoleeza Rice stated that an attack on Iran is "not on the agenda at this point." Today she said Iran must halt its nuclear programs or "the next steps are in the offing. And I think everybody understands what the 'next steps' mean." The aggressive cowboy foreign policy of the first part of Bush's Administration is already looking like a model of internationalism and diplomacy in retrospect.

The Tax Man Cometh

In this era of shrinking budgets states are looking for more and more innovative ways to make ends meet. A fine example of this is the very very conservative state of Montana. The legislature is considering a very controversial new tax on "big box" stores like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Costco, and the like. The tax would amount to 1% on gross retail receipts between $10 million and $20 million, an additional 0.5% on the next $10 million, and an additional 0.5% on everything over that. When a similar measure was proposed in 2003, it was defeated by a mere 2 votes.

2006 Bush Budget, Smoke and Mirrors are Back

The President is yet again proposing a tax payer busting budget. But his advisors' sophistication has grown. In a snapshot of revenues and expenditures, the President may show on paper a deficit cut in half by 2009. But, as anyone who balances a checkbook and has credit cards knows, a snapshot does not give an accurate picture of financial well being. The 2006 spending budget is going up about 8% over this year's.

America: It is a whole new future!

Given the history and immense strides the religious right have made in politics since being invited into the Whitehouse in the Reagan Administration as advisors to policy, American government is at a turning point and her future will have much less in common with her past.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

I take no pains to hide nor apologize for my rich distain for George W. Bush and his crooked, dysfunctional Administration. It still troubles me greatly that an admitted mediocre performer in life can gain the highest political office in the country. And what rankles me more is that the man is so adept at obfuscating the truth that no one seems to bother calling it to our attention. And so the real state of the Union was buried last night, glossed over by a wink and a smug arrogant smile.

Crisis Amnesia Syndrome

It's happening again, political amnesia rampant in the liberal leadership. Recently it was the sudden lack of any desire to deal with Saddam Hussein that displayed this quaint condition to the public. A condition that so many in both parties seem to suffer from when not in power. Now it is the Social Security crisis, the very one that they themselves championed during the same years they were calling for the removal of Hussein, that they are claiming is an imagined one.

The UN Irrelevance Once Again

While Iraq was being debated, many people asserted that the UN had become irrelevant and nothing more than a lawyer filled debating club. This was defended by many who believed that the UN was capable of filling the role needed by a world organization that could help resolve disputes and prevent war. Unfortunately, I am ever increasing of the mind that they are wrong, evidenced by such things as the Oil for Food scandal and refusal to put any teeth behind their resolutions. And their latest blunder, their unwillingness to label the death, rape and torture of thousands of people because they are not Arab as a genocide just reinforces that belief.