You want it? OK then you got it! POOF!!! No more Socialism in America. Let’s see what that leaves us with shall we? MEDICARE...
You want it? OK then you got it! POOF!!! No more Socialism in America. Let’s see what that leaves us with shall we? MEDICARE Tear up your Medicare card all you elderly people. The government will no longer be subsidizing your health care costs. If you can’t afford private insurance, well that’s not the government’s problem. MEDICAID No more free health care for disabled and poor people either. Pay for it yourself, or do without. The government is no longer in the business of health care. Good luck. SOCIAL SECURITY Save for yourselves. Don’t expect the government to collect Social Security taxes to help provide some income for you in your old age. Perhaps you should start treating your kids better, since either they take care of you or you are out of luck. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INSURANCE Born with a disability? Never been able to work? There is no more SSI, so I don’t know what to tell you except get a good piece of cardboard, a sturdy cup, and take up residence on the nearest street corner. Perhaps someone will drop you a dime or two. PUBLIC SCHOOLS The government is no longer in the business of baby sitting and trying to educate your kids. You don’t like what the public schools have to offer anyway, so teach them yourselves or hire a private tutor. GRANTS FOR COLLEGE Since the government is no longer educating your minor children, it will not be providing grants to educate your adult kids either. If they can’t afford it, they don’t get it. This will work well to keep the populace poor and ignorant. It’s what you wanted right? PUBLIC LIBRARIES Why should the government help provide you with reading material free of charge? This goes against the free market and hurts private book stores. Go buy the book. MUSEUMS & GALLERIES Henceforth all museums and galleries that were funded by the state and federal governments are on their own. If they can’t make enough money to stay open by charging admission, then screw them. That is what a free market is all about, right? Who needs to look at a bunch of old pictures and broken pottery anyway. PUBLIC HIGHWAYS You paid for your own car, so build your own roads too. Why should the government provide interstate highways so you can drive to the beach for vacation every year? HOUSING The government will no longer build and maintain low income housing. The people that currently live in subsidized housing will either come up with the full rent or get out. FHA, FmHA, HUD, and VA home loans – no more. If you want a loan to build a house you will have to go to a bank, pay a big cash down payment, and pay the current interest rate. No longer will the federal government be providing low interest loans to anyone for housing. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION The SBA is immediately disbanded because in a free market, business should succeed or fail on its own without loans from the government. If you want to start a business you better have the start up capital, know some wealthy people who are willing to partner with you, or go to a bank to borrow the money. LAW ENFORCEMENT Local law enforcement will have to be paid for by individuals in each community or State. There will be no more federal funds to help equip and train police officers. If your community or State can not afford new police cars, or the newest surveillance equipment, or even to hire and train new officers, what is that to the federal government? FIRE DEPARTMENTS Federal programs have provided more than $1 billion in financial resources directly to local fire departments since a fund was established in 2001. But local fire departments have requested more than $7 billion in federal funding. From this day forward, no more federal money to train and equip your local fire departments! Your town, city, or State will have to carry the complete burden – that means YOU will have to pay for your own fire department. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT Nope. No more help prosecuting dead beat parents. No more capturing federal income tax refunds for back child support. If you can’t collect it on a local level, then that’s your problem. Maybe you shouldn’t have kids if you can’t afford them by yourself. FOOD STAMPS & WIC No way will the federal government feed people anymore. If you can’t afford to feed yourselves, beg or go to a food pantry. Oh and you grocery store owners – you will no longer benefit from federal money to reimburse you for food stamps and WIC vouchers. So you might want to consider raising your prices to make up the difference. FARM SUBSIDIES You farmers are just going to have to take it on the nose like every one else. No longer will you be paid for fallow fields. Grow crops and sell them. If you make money that is great. If not, well that’s what a free market is all about. Some years you earn, some years you starve. Good luck and pray for a good crop. Oh and you rural farmers, no more free money from the federal government. HOSPITALS There will be no more public funding for hospitals because the office of Health and Human Services will no longer be providing funding to States. This includes mental hospitals. You deal with it on a local level. If your State can not fund these facilities on its own, well once again you are on your own. ENERGY Federal subsidies used for electricity production are a thing of the past. The federal government won’t be in the business of giving your hard earned dollars to subsidize energy production anymore. You will probably have to sell everything you own to pay your electricity bill, but that (like everything else in a totally free market) is your problem. You should invest in candles now, as the price of candles is expected to increase dramatically once this program is ended. WATER You want clean water? You pay for it. Did you know the United States Geological Survey will no longer be collecting data on water quality either. There will be no more federal money for water treatment facilities. If your local and State government can not afford to clean up your sewage with your own financial contributions, then you are literally up shit creek. AIR The EPA will not be providing grants to help businesses and communities meet the federal air quality guidelines. The laws on air quality will not change, and it is up to all States and local communities to make sure that pollution levels do not exceed those mandated by the federal government. States will just have to figure out how they will pay for equipment and research to help keep them in line with federal law. I hope that helps the anti- Socialism people breathe a little easier. SOIL This one also falls under the purview of the cut backs on farm subsidies. Because subsidies to farmers no longer exist, they will just have to figure out how to farm without completely stripping the soil of nutrients, wasting soil by erosion, and damaging the environment with excessive chemical fertilizers. There will be no more federal money for lead testing, mercury testing, and other hazardous material testing of the soil. Superfund is history! If you want clean soil the you pay for it. It’s just dirt. Dust Bowl, anyone? DISEASE CONTROL About 85% of federal money that goes to the Center for Disease Control is returned to the people by way of grants for “health information dissemination, preparedness, prevention, research, and surveillance.” Since we are ending all Socialist programs in the USA, this one is on the chopping block as well. If there is an outbreak of some horrendous disease, and you catch it, I hope there is enough money in the coffers of your State to pay for the research to find out the cause and cure. If not, well I hope your immune system is not compromised. Oh yes, and those free immunizations for your kids? Forget about it. What about HIV/AIDS research and treatment? Nope. No way. Forget about it. Advice from the new free market federal government? Just don’t get sick. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Click this link to see how your federal tax dollars are wasted on programs for junk like Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants, Advanced Manufacturing Research, Agricultural Development, Domestic Nuclear Detection, Infectious Disease Research, and Drilling in the Ocean for Oil. Be a real capitalist and do not under any circumstances apply for Social Security Disability when you retire. Do not take part in any community program that receives federal money. If you are going to talk the talk then walk the walk. There are many more cuts to come, I’m tired and have to take a break United States Budget for 2008 Federal Data Procurement History of Government Bailouts in USA
What’s the best way for a not so clever racist to deflect accusations or racism? Claim that the critics and accusers are the real racist…
What’s the best way for a not so clever racist to deflect accusations or racism? Claim that the critics and accusers are the real racists! Suppose someone makes a racist comment or writes something that has racist overtones? You, being the socially responsible person, say: “C’mon, this is racist and not appropriate.” The not so clever racist then says: “You’re the racist! You always play the race card! Every time someone brings up [insert subject here] you start going on about racism! YOU are the racist! I have a right to express my opinion and you just don’t like hearing the truth!” America suffered a relentless torrent of shouts of reverse racism during the 2008 presidential election. The vast majority of the electorate turned a deaf ear to the ear splitting screeching cacophony from the Right. After 232 long years (many of those years dark and shameful) Americans finally elected a Black president. Despite apocalyptic warnings from the Right of the dire consequences associated with electing President Obama, the world did not blow up and the dead did not rise from the grave. So what will the Right do for an encore? Following the nomination of Judge Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, they are replaying the same sad song that was rejected by reasonable people during the 2008 campaign – reverse racism! The Right Wing has blasted the air waves with claims that Sotomayor is a reverse racist. What the hell is reverse racism you ask? Reverse racism is how the racist disguises his/her racism. They accuse the Hispanic female of racism against the White male. Their defense of the White male in American society causes me to I think they are more upset that President Obama’s pick is an Hispanic woman. Women are frequent targets of the Right. Gordon Liddy seems more concerned with her gender than her race. His comments about her menstruating are disgusting, but not at all surprising. Bill O’Reilly of Real Clear Politics is a real clear racist trying to disguise his ignorant rants as news and political commentary. Newt Gingrich is yesterday’s news. Rush Limbaugh? There are no words strong enough to describe this sack o’ shit. He strives to keep himself relevant in an increasingly irrelevant section of our society. Newsmax has maxed out the American public with its racist gibberish disguised as news. Some of my readers may think that we should just ignore the racist rants of the Right Wing. Afterall, they are not going to shut up anytime soon, and any rational discourse with the Right is simply not possible. So why do I, and thousands of other bloggers, persist in the battle against the Right? I can’t speak for the others, but for me it is a matter of survival. By this I mean if we are to ever achieve real equality and liberty in this Country, we – the progressive, the liberal, the egalitarians, those who truly believe in democracy and all freedoms that America should stand for – must speak out against the Right. We can not be silent now when we as a society are finally starting to break the barriers of racism and sexism. We can not sneak over or under the barriers that have existed for the past 232 years. We must charge forth and tear them down once and for all, relegating them to yet another sad chapter in American history. NOTES President Obama won with 365 electoral votes compared to John McCain’s 173 votes. SOURCE Newt Gingrich attacks Sotomayor Newt Gingrich on Twitter Real Clear Politics Newsmax on Limbaugh Gordon Liddy on Sotomayor This blog also posted on: Active Art Flickering Light of Freedom
I have read that the global financial crisis is caused by growing Socialism. This sweeping statement (without any facts to support that …
I have read that the global financial crisis is caused by growing Socialism. This sweeping statement (without any facts to support that assertion) was followed immediately by a warning that President Obama’s economic recovery plan is “dangerous and tyrannical”. Why are so many people in the United States blaming the global financial crisis on President Obama? More to the point, why are people raising an alarm about China’s push for one world currency only now? CLICK HERE for a Reuters News Agency story covering this issue that is dated 17 September 2008. September 2008? Wasn’t that a couple of months before President Obama was elected? Unless there was some secret Communist plot to change the calendar, I think that China was raising the issue about the financial collapse and one global currency long before the election. Let’s blame it on Obama anyway, shall we? The disloyal opposition depends on the ignorance of Americans who can’t be bothered to actually read or question anything. I keep hoping that people are not so dumb as to fall for the blame it on Obama sing song rhetoric of the fear and smear choir to undermine the economic recovery plan. At least Obama has a plan. I haven’t seen an alternative plan coming from the disloyal opposition. How long will we remain a Divided Nation?
I found out about this ludicrous proposed law on Red Bubble...
I found out about this ludicrous proposed law on Red Bubble and wanted to let everyone else know what they can do about it! If you have not heard about the Orphan Works Act, then you should research it and speak out before it is too late (especially if you are an artist, writer, and/or musician)! No, this Act is not about displaced children or found animals. It revolves around works of art (including fine art, photography, writing, music, etc.) that are not registered with newly proposed agencies. ANY work not registered would be considered in the public domain. This is a dangerous concept and just goes to show how greedy and capitalistic our society, government, and big businesses have become. According to GoPetition.com: “If the Orphan Works legislation passes, you and I and all creatives will lose virtually all the rights to not only our future work but to everything we’ve created over the past 34 years, unless we register it with the new, untested and privately run (by the friends and cronies of the U.S. government) registries. Even then, there is no guarantee that someone wishing to steal your personal creations won’t successfully call your work an orphan work, and then legally use it for free. In short, if Congress passes this law, YOU WILL LOSE THE RIGHT TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR OWN CREATIONS!” We would be forced into a world where big business can bully us and use whatever they wanted and not be penalized for it. And, this law not only affects artists, writers, and musicians. It also affect the everyday consumer! If you are planning to get your the photographs of your cousin’s wedding developed at a Wal-Mart or other big box retailer, then you better be prepared to get every image copyrighted or you may just end up seeing them on Wal-Mart’s billboards! Gone would be the days of having rights the minute you create something. Now, if you don’t pay to protect it, then it is like no one created the image and it is up for grabs! Who wants to live in this kind of world other than greedy politicians and businesses? And, it does not surprise me that this has all happened under the Bush administration. Who were the idiots that voted for him and thought he would do us some good? Well, seems like the joke’s on YOU! In an April 10th article in Animation World Magazine, award-winning animation producer/director and speaker, Mark Simon, writes: “It is currently against international law to coerce people to register their work for copyright because there are so many inherent problems with it. But because big business can push through laws in the United States, our country is about to break with the rest of the world, again, and take your rights away. With the tens of millions of photos and pieces of artwork created each year, the bounty for forcing everyone to pay a registration fee would be enormous. We lose our rights and our creations, and someone else makes money at our expense. This includes every sketch, painting, photo, sculpture, drawing, video, song and every other type of creative endeavor. All of it is at risk! If the Orphan Works legislation passes, you and I and all creatives will lose virtually all the rights to not only our future work but to everything we’ve created over the past 34 years, unless we register it with the new, untested and privately run (by the friends and cronies of the U.S. government) registries. Even then, there is no guarantee that someone wishing to steal your personal creations won’t successfully call your work an orphan work, and then legally use it for free.” So, what can you do about it? Well educate yourself on the issues, write to your congress men and women, and sign as many petitions as your can. To get your started, check out this petition, which I have already signed: Say ‘NO!’ to the Orphan Works Act on GoPetition.com Also, be sure to check out these resources for more information: Say ‘NO!’ to the Orphan Works Act on GoPetition.com Mark Simon’s Mind Your Business: You Will Lose All The Rights to Your Own Art IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists U.S. Copyright’s Office Orphan Works Page ASMP’s Update on the 2008 Orphan Works Act You can also find more information about the Orphan Works Act on Red Bubble: Helen Bascom’s Protect Your Copyright – URGENT ACTION REQUIRED Erin Jay’s Something every artist should know about! Crockpot’s The Orphan Works Act of 2008 ~ RELEASE WanderingAuthor’s Writers’ Concerns bchrisdesigns’ Say ‘NO!’ to the Orphan Works Act The Red Bubble forum dedicated to this discussion Say No to Orphan Works Thread @ Burst Anime and Manga Mike Cressy’s IMPORTANT! READ AND ACT NOW!!!
Some questions that have been on my mind: If some American Christians truly believe that the upcoming presidential election is in God’...
Some questions that have been on my mind: If some American Christians truly believe that the upcoming presidential election is in God’s hands, why are they working so hard to influence the vote of others? If they believe that God directs history, aren’t they wasting their time taking any affirmative steps to influence the election? If they really believe that God is in charge of America and the election is in his hands, why are they bothering to pray for either candidate to get elected? Instead of praying for a win for their team in November, shouldn’t they just cast their vote and pray the way Jesus directed his disciples to pray? Our Father, who art in heaven, / Hallowed be thy Name. / Thy kingdom come. / Thy will be done, / On earth as it is in heaven / Give us this day our daily bread. / And forgive us our trespasses, / As we forgive those who trespass against us. / And lead us not into temptation, / But deliver us from evil. Gospel of Luke By praying that their candidate win in November, are they really praying that God give them what they want? The only thing Jesus said we should ask for ourselves in this prayer is to be delivered from evil and our daily bread. What happens when the candidate they don’t like gets elected? Will they accept it as God’s will for our Country and support our new President? I wonder if the election doesn’t go their way, will they blame it on Satan? But if they blame it on Satan, doesn’t that kind of void God’s will? or maybe it was God’s will that Satan control the outcome of the election, in which case the result of the election is still God’s will? There is a good reason for the doctrine of Separation of Church and State. I wonder whether there is any point to all this praying for anything more than our daily bread? The odd thing about the encroachment of religion into American politics is that it isn’t a problem for those folks whose religion is shared by the people in government. I wonder what kind of prayers they would be saying if neither candidate was Christian? I don’t think I’m alone in wishing that religion was not part of the American political landscape. Edit Added 13 October 2008 God, please don’t make the Republicans look bad by letting Obama win Just for balance and fairness, read the story on FOX
My piece from my Americans… Part !... Our Next President 2040...
My piece from my Americans… Part !... Our Next President 2040 / Has been featured in the wonderful group… / NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STYLE THE LOVELY HOSTS.. / E.R. Bazor / AND / Linda Bazor THANK YOU KINDLY!!!
. . .but I did not include a visual. Some people in my country (United States) throw around the word fascism without the slightest ide…
. . .but I did not include a visual. Some people in my country (United States) throw around the word fascism without the slightest idea what the word means. Often the opposition to President Obama refer to his policies, and those who support his policies, as fascists. I could just call them idiots and move on, but I believe that education is important. I believe people can learn – it just takes a while for some to get it. Left Wing In politics, left-wing, leftist, and the Left are terms applied to socially progressive and egalitarian positions. Right Wing In politics, right-wing, rightist and the Right are terms applied to conservative and reactionary positions. Definitions from Wikipedia. Politics and political views are complex and not always easy to grasp. The Wikipedia definitions serve only as a very basic introduction into the differences between the political Left and the political Right. From Wikipedia Eugen Weber places fascism on the right: ”...their most common allies lay on the right, particularly on the radical authoritarian right, and Italian Fascism as a semi-coherent entity was partly defined by its merger with one of the most radical of all right authoritarian movements in Europe, the Italian Nationalist Association (ANI). “Walter Laqueur says that historical fascism “did not belong to the extreme Left, yet defining it as part of the extreme Right is not very illuminating either”, but that it “was always a coalition between radical, populist (‘fascist’) elements and others gravitating toward the extreme Right”. Roger Griffin argues that since the end of World War II, fascist movements have become intertwined with the radical right, describing certain groups as part of a “fascist radical right”. Stanley Payne notes the alliances and sometimes fusion between fascists and right-wing authoritarians, but stresses the important differences between the two, and observes that German Nazism was closer to Russian communism than to any other noncommunist system. Zeev Sternhell sees fascism as an anti-Marxist form of socialism. (footnotes omitted)
This is the only bulletin I will post on this subject because this is normally not my thing. If you do not have an open mind, are set in …
This is the only bulletin I will post on this subject because this is normally not my thing. If you do not have an open mind, are set in your ways, or just don’t give a damn about other people’s thoughts, don’t read any further. This election is a big one for sure, more of a life changing election than any one before this. I have noticed that in times such as these, people tend to let their feelings about things cause them to be ‘ugly’ and hateful. It is sad the the bi-partisan politics has caused this country to split into two groups, but hey, that is the way of the land I suppose. Let me tell you this before you read on; I am educated on this subject so don’t go trying to tell me otherwise for I will throw more articles and such down your throat than you can ever read in your life time. Second, I am neither democrat nor republican and do not care to be. I will vote for what I think is right, not what is popular or what my ‘party’ is voting for. I do not really care for Obama, I don’t really care for McCain, so keep that in mind when reading this. If you claim to be christian, which I do not so don’t try to throw that in my face, do not sit there and slander Obama for being Muslim. Last I remember, good Christians do not judge others; they let their Lord do it. The same goes for the whole race issue. A ‘real’ Christian would not slander Obama for being a black man. Black people have done wonderful things for our country and are no different than you or I. It burns me up when I hear or read people go on and on about how Obama is not Christian or that he is a black man. This whole country was created for those who wanted a freedom of religion or did we not all pay attention in history class? This country is and was dubbed ‘The Melting Pot’ for a reason; people from all backgrounds, races, religions and so forth came to this country so that they could live in peace without being percecuted for what they believed.So now in 2008 people are running around saying they won’t vote for a ‘n*’???? That isn’t Christian people. That is ridiculous. So just because I am of Irish decent and have pasty pale skin and reddish hair, are you gonna say I am not worthy of something or another? What if Obama was Catholic? Or Protostant? Or Babtist? Would that make a difference to you? Oh wait, I guess they are ‘true Christians’ then, huh? Whatever…..true Christians practice what they preach and if what I have written so far offends you, you obviously are NOT one. Moving on… / It is true, Obama is not one of the most ‘qualified’ men to ever have ran for president. What about George Washington? What the hell did he have to go off of? Um…nothing, he was the first in case you didn’t know that one. He turned out to be a pretty good president without credentials, wouldn’t you agree? It is true, I totally agree, when it comes to ‘qualifications’ John McCain has more experience, however, lets look at his running mate who will be taking over if he does make it to the White House and croaks in the next 6 months. FACT: Sarah Palin flat out said she had no idea what a Vice Pres does. (Does that sound qualified to you?) FACT: Sarah Palin wants to take Polar Bears off of the endangered species list so that the government can drill oil in Alaska. Sure, we would all like to stop our dependence on foreign oil however I don’t think that killing off an entire species for that purpose is a good idea, nor do many animal rights activists, which again, I am not nor claim to be. If you know anything about the environment or care to read the paper or at least the Yahoo News once in a while, you would know that every tiny creature in our world is there for a purpose. Go look up the problems with the bee shortage and then you will understand why this would be a problem. FACT: Sarah Palin is completely against abortion in any way, shape, or form UNLESS it could cause problems for the mother. Okay, let me get one thing straight, Im not one of those feminists that think that it is a womans body and she can do what she wants, because I am not. I have friends who do think that way and I do not judge them for that because I am not that type of person. I personally believe that abortion should NOT be used as a form of birth control for any girl who wants to go out and have unprotected sex and then decide she doesnt want to deal with the consequences, but I DO believe that if a woman of any age, gets raped by a stranger, friend, or even a sick pervert realitive, that she should NOT have to go through the mental anquish of having that child. It would not be a good emotional or mental situation for the mother or the child who would eventually learn of how they came to be and possibly the reason of their mothers’ resentment toward them, not to mention that in cases of incest, children are more likely to be born with serious problems both mentally and physically. Sarah Palin wants to rid us of the right to abortion in these cases. I have two daughters and if God fobid some slimeball ever did something like this to them, Sarah Palin would not want them to get an abortion. Sarah Palin would want them to go through with that pregnancy. There are many woman who are going to blindly go to the polls to vote for McCain just because his running mate is a woman. Think for one second how you would feel if your own daughter, your mother, your aunt, your sister, your best friend, any woman or young girl that you know became pregnant from a rape or from incest. Think about how that would affect their life, the life of you and their family….just think about that before you go to the polls. This is a serious issue and as a mother, I won’t stand for that. Sarah Palin is being investigated for about a million things…even hard core republicans who were all against the Bill Clinton/ Monica WhatsHerFace scandal should be able to see through this one. I mean c’mon, how are you gonna be all against Bill for getting his rocks off (not that I think it was right or that I am for him lying under oath like an idiot but still) and being investigated when this chick isnt even in office and is already being investigated? Seriously. So lets see, moving on…yeah, if anyone believes that you can see Russia from Alaska….wow, Im shocked you have the reading skills needed to read this. Even so, lets say you can. So seeing a country from a far distance makes you educated on foriegn affairs? Hell, in that case, I can say about 6 words in French, does that mean I can be VP too?? (I bet I can pull of that MILF look better than her anyways!) ;) Look, all I am trying to say is lets not be uneducated here. Do not claim to be something you are not. Do not judge a person based on their race, their background or what they believe. I’m agnostic, are you going to stop talking to me because I don’t believe in your God? Am I a bad person because my skin is lighter than yours? And more importantly, please do NOT go to those polls Tuesday with the intent to vote for a woman just because she is a woman. Woman have come a long way since we were even allowed to vote. We have become doctors, astronauts, biochemists, and yes, even Hillary and Sarah have shown us that woman can do anything we set our minds to. Please don’t cop out and stop using your brain just because awoman’s name is on a ballet. Thats all I have to say. Hope you enjoyed my rant. Again, if I pissed you off, sorry about your luck, I didnt’ intend to do so, only to make you think about using your head at the polls. ~Peace Out / Shannon aka HahpiStuff
I know, you’re thinking “Here we go again.” and you are right. I love different opinions and welcome opposite views because it makes …
I know, you’re thinking “Here we go again.” and you are right. I love different opinions and welcome opposite views because it makes life interesting. Besides, what would we talk about if we all agreed? However, what really annoys me is misinformation, distortion of facts, or just plain ignorance due to being too lazy to check facts. So for all my dear friends who may not be up to speed on the history of private business bailouts in the United States, below is a little information (with source links). I’ve been around long enough that I remember each and every one of these big business bailouts. I don’t recall the good right wing raising the specter of Socialism way back in the day. As you examine the data provided here, ponder this opinion: “In the United States the majority undertakes to supply a multitude of ready-made opinions for the use of individuals, who are thus relieved from the necessity of forming opinions of their own.” Alexis de Tocqueville 1970 Railroad $676 M / 1971 Lockeed $1.4 B / 1974 Franklin Bank $1.75 B / 1975 New York City $9.4 B / 1980 Chrysler $1.5 B / 1984 Continental Bank $4.5 B / 1989 Savings & Loan Industry $293 B / 2001 Airline Industry $15.0 B SOURCE / SOURCE Last year of Bush Administration March 2008 – December 2008 Bear Sterns $29 B / Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac $200 B / AIG Group $150 B / Auto Industry $25 B SOURCE / SOURCE Since President Obama took office, Citigroup has received $20 B more from a previously approved bail out package, and the Auto Industry has its hands out again. Before jumping on that Blame Obama Bandwagon, some readers may want to do a little fact checking. The USA government has been pumping money into private business for almost 40 years. Now just for fun, let’s see what party each president was for the years that big business received bailouts: 1970 Richard Nixon Republican / 1971 Richard Nixon Republican / 1974 Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford Republican / 1975 Gerald Ford Republican / 1980 James Carter Democrat / 1984 Ronald Regan Republican / 1989 George H. W. Bush Republican / 2001 George W. Bush Republican / 2008 George W. Bush Republican SOURCE 1974 New York City was included because they received tax payer dollars like big business 1974 Richard Nixon ( R ) resigned following a Senate vote for impeachment and Gerald Ford ( R ) his Vice President took office
I’ve been quiet about The Rev. Rick Warren as President- Elect Obama’s choice to give the invocation at his inauguration on 20 January 20…
I’ve been quiet about The Rev. Rick Warren as President- Elect Obama’s choice to give the invocation at his inauguration on 20 January 2009. I was hoping it was a terrible joke. The Rev. Warren calls to his followers to emulate . . . . well just watch the video. This is a scary person. Whatever it takes? Joint Congressional Committee Inaugural Ceremonies News Release P.S. I don’t own a brown shirt. Should I buy one or will Rick Warren provide one for me?
I’ve been under time constraints to complete some projects. I finished a couple of them and feel less pressured now. One project I’ve h…
I’ve been under time constraints to complete some projects. I finished a couple of them and feel less pressured now. One project I’ve had on the back burner was finally completed with only a couple of days to spare. iPeace is promoting 31 December 2009 as Blog for Peace Day My video blog for PEACE can be viewed at the following sites: ACTIVE ART YOUTUBE ART ACTION UNION BROOKLYN ART PROJECT SMUDGEART NETWORK VISIONARIES iPEACE Spread the positive energy for Peace. Blog for Peace on the Eve of the New Year. CLICK HERE TO JOIN ART ACTION UNION AND THE BLOG FOR PEACE CHALLENGE Coming soon: World March for Peace
_“Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both m…
“Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions. So let’s work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.” Understand – I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it – indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory – the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule – the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth. Excerpts from Notre Dame Commencement Speech / President Barack H. Obama / 17 May 2009 Reprinted at IndyStar.com
I deliver Chinese food for a living. My day consists of driving, communicating with my customers, writing, and catching small doses of CN…
I deliver Chinese food for a living. My day consists of driving, communicating with my customers, writing, and catching small doses of CNN between deliveries. The people I meet are so varied. / The overweight man who screamed in disbelief when he saw that an American was delivering Chinese. After which he yelled at his wife for losing his credit card. His son (also overweight) laughed at it all. He had an American flag flying in the front yard, a sticker that read “the power of pride” taped to his door. / Fires swept through California, burning thousands of acres and destroying countless homes, countless lives. / The twentysomething man in the projects, his porch littered with empty forty ounce bottles and other trash, some of which blows away in the wind, some of which is rooted forever. He pays me with ten dollars worth of change. In his yard is a sign for Barack Obama, “change we can believe in”. / Des Moines is drowning. A refrigerator swept away by the water bangs lifelessly against a bridge because there is no longer room underneath for it to fit. / The woman in the tank top who never wears a bra. She must always put that joint out when I knock, because her apartment reeks of that pungent smell I love and hate so much. Her baby is laying on the couch. / Two little girls were murdered. We see the wooded backroad where it happened, the police tape falling into the mud as a light rain covers the camera lense. Nancy Grace is saying something, but I’m not sure what. / The man who lives on the hill with his two little girls. They always scream “the Chinese man is here” when I walk to the door. I guess race doesn’t mean much to them. He tips me well, even though he shouldn’t. / Politicians are wagging their forked tongues. They say so much but never say a thing. Gas went up again while they were talking.
PEACE LOVE AND TRANQUILITY IS AN INCREDIBLE GROUP.. RUN BY.. / SALLY OMAR...
PEACE LOVE AND TRANQUILITY IS AN INCREDIBLE GROUP.. RUN BY.. / SALLY OMAR / AND CHRISTOPHER BIRTWISTLE-SMITH / THANKS SO MUCH TO SALLY AND CHRISTOPHER…FOR GIVING MY SERIES…AMERICANS… PART ! A REAL SHOW!! THEY HAVE FEATURED ONE OF MY SHOTS AND GAVE ME THE HONOR OF INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK !!!! PLEASE TAKE A VISIT TO THEIR GROUP AND JOIN UP.. FULL OF LOVE AND GREAT INTENT!! XOXOXO
Bringer of Liberty has been featured by Underground USA...
Bringer of Liberty has been featured by Underground USA Cool.
READER BEWARE: what follows is a perhaps tedious, lengthy, self-indulgent bit of prose that reflects a somewhat disheartened spirit today…
READER BEWARE: what follows is a perhaps tedious, lengthy, self-indulgent bit of prose that reflects a somewhat disheartened spirit today. Tomorrow will be another, better day, I’m sure. Lay the blame for it – should you manage to get through it all – on the fact that today I accomplished the tense task of filing my taxes – lol. (And to give credit where credit is due, I borrowed the phrase tense task of taxes from my dearest friend, Joan Ireland.) All my adult life, if you asked me who I was / I’d have responded in this order: / I’m a teacher, a reader, a political animal, / a private, part time writer as a means of / personal expression only, a thinker. / Then I’d have added wife, mother, daughter, / sister, friend, kind of artsy-craftsy artist of / no note whatsoever. / Teacher – that’s how I identified myself / first and foremost. For the last 25 years of my teaching career / I taught sociology, social justice and religion / to high school seniors. / My passion was justice – / in politics, in the economic arena, for the poor, / for the middle class who were caught / in the struggle between those who have / too much and those who have too little, / justice for the oppressed – / for reasons of race or creed at home or elsewhere - / in El Salvador, which broke / my heart, the Sudan, Ethiopia, / East Timor, Tibet, / justice in the Middle East, / justice… giving each sacred human being his / due, his basic human rights that exist simply and / undeniably because he’s a human being, / justice for the environment we all share, / justice – period. And I tried not to just talk a good game / in the classroom but to model it, / to get my students involved in / taking care of their little piece of turf / to make a difference, / teaching them, by example, I hoped, / how to be critical thinkers / and problem solvers, / good decision-makers who regard the / needs of others at least as equal to their own. / I engaged them and others in what / I hoped was intelligent debate, / engaged myself in political campaigns, / the occasional protest against wars / or the rape of the middle class / or toxic waste. I gave that all up – most of it unwillingly, / beaten, I suppose, / by forces against which I apparently / had no weapons at all. / Gave up the husband to colon cancer / and a heart attack, linked by the / government’s own admission to / Agent Orange and his time in Vietnam, / the children to freedom, pursuing their / own paths in distant parts of the country, / the friends to distance too. / But I gave up teaching for other reasons / and they are what trouble me today. I tired of the struggle frankly – / The students I faced in that final five years / were very different than those / I’d taught in the first twenty – / more spoiled, more self-indulgent, / academically lazier, with little intellectual / curiosity and a kind of brainwashed political / ideology handed on over the dinner table / by ruggedly individualistic parents – when / they ever had dinner together. / These students, whether children of affluence / or children of struggle, had become hedonists / or escapists with no interests beyond material purchases, / the virtual reality of video games and computers, / the casual sex of entitlement, parentally supplied / alcohol or pervasive recreational drugs. / I saw even very good schools graduating / functionally illiterate young men and women, / universities unable to remediate that failure, / standards declining, literacy rates dropping, / a cultural negligence of all trying to seek / the lowest common denominator within / a grossly overindulged youth mindset. / When even the school administration supported / parents who wanted their babies to have fun instead / of challenging assignments or homework, I left. / When I no longer had the wherewithal, even / in partnership with other like-minded people / to affect educational standards at all, I quit. Politically, I was bamboozled once too often / and betrayed by those whose lofty rhetoric / was left behind after election, / like dusty volumes in an anachronistic library, / when confronted by the wheeling and dealing of / contemporary government. I sincerely / still believe, as I once so idealistically did / and adamantly taught, / that no single politician can / substitute charisma for character or the / courage to lose for telling the whole truth. / The last such politician to tell the unadulterated, / unvarnished truth was Jimmy Carter – / who spoke honestly about our malaise of spirit / and was promptly trampled for his truth / by wrathful patriots hungrier for sugarcoating / and slogans than for substance. / It only took another twenty-two years for him / to win the Nobel Prize and be recognized / for the decent, honorable, quietly determined, / peaceful man he was. That won’t win me kudos / I’m sure from big defense advocates, but / I’ll take peacemaking over saber rattling any day. So I’m disheartened, disabused, and / feeling hollowly empty of purpose. I fear / for those who still cling with sincere / hearts and strong conviction to dreams of / big change tied to the raft of rhetoric. / But perhaps I’m just an aging cynic / who has outlived her usefulness. / In the shelter of my own small circle / of affairs, I feel more in control / and less befuddled, bamboozled or betrayed.
Best wishes to pre…
Best wishes to president Obama. Congratulations Barack on your new job. We’ll all remember this day in history. And to the Americans among you congratulations on your new president. To keep a record of this I’m accepting entries from the Core [C.O.R.E] group
I just had to laugh out loud at the latest conspiracy theory espoused by the right wing nut jobs in America. They are advising people NO…
I just had to laugh out loud at the latest conspiracy theory espoused by the right wing nut jobs in America. They are advising people NOT to answer the 2010 Census. I sure hope the wingnuts do not respond to the Census. Besides facing fines they risk losing congressional seats. The Census numbers are used for redistricting and determining how many congressional representatives each State has in the House of Representatives. Wouldn’t it be awesome if all those Red States ended up with just one representative in the House because the wingnuts and dittoheads refused to answer the Census and did not get counted? For once, they have a great idea. So please, all you dittoheads, listen to your leaders and refuse to answer the questionaire, do not open your doors when the census taker knocks, and by all means, do not tell them how many people live in your house. How many dittoheads live in the United States? If they do as their supreme leader suggests after the 2010 Census the answer will be zero. THANK YOU! Also Published On: Active Art See Active Art for cool video associated with this blog post.
“You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still gonna stink.” “We’ve had enough of the same old thing.” -If…
“You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still gonna stink.” “We’ve had enough of the same old thing.” -If you haven’t seen the news on this, which flooded both american and international news networks in a matter of hours, then this was Barack Obama referring to the republican’s economic policy. His audience, however, believed he was referring to Sarah Palin, and therefore began to applaud. Perhaps that idea stemmed from one of Palin’s comments before this in her nomination acceptance speech: “What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.” Obama has been accused of being sexist. Obama meanwhile quite fairly claims that he was referring to the republican’s economic proposals. However, I still can’t help feeling this IS towards the republican candidates themselves. McCain is the pig, Palin is the lipstick. And America needs to realise this. When you vote republican, you don’t vote for Palin, you vote for McCain. I’m seriously worried that the American public may not realise that. Just think about it- once a President is in power, vice presidents no longer have much to do with the country. They are simply the running mate- and that is all. Once the election is over, they no longer matter. I mean, WHO is the current Vice President? Yes, I know it is Dick Cheney, but just LOOK at the Vice Presidency- it’s just a person there for show, a useful standby should a President die in office, but that is all. Voting republican means voting McCain, not Palin. Obama’s speech also for me had another significance- that every word he said was true here. Change, to the republicans, is the piece of paper. It will still stink. I personally believe McCain is another Bush in disguise- by voting McCain, you put yourselves under another Bush. The piece of paper is this change- and it doesn’t make a difference to what lies underneath, to me, the same bunch of idiots who supported Bush and now support McCain. America does not need another Bush- why vote for one? The republican’s haven’t truly changed, They aren’t New Republicans. They’re the same old Republicans that George Bush was. Nothing will change under McCain- wake up America, and make change possible. Furthermore, America must also realise that the responsibility of electing the next President matters weighs upon their shoulders as it is a decision that affects the entire world. George Bush affected the entire world. Not for the better. So the Republicans, as Obama has said so eloquently in his speech, using an old phrase to make a new point, are just the same old Republican party in disguise, the party of George Bush. You can dress it up with lipstick- a popular Vice Presidential candidate like Sarah Palin with her oh so cute family (who on EARTH names their kids Trig, Track, Bristol, Willow and Piper? I think that alone is disgraceful). Obama can’t be accused of unfair play here- every word he said is the truth- Palin and ‘Change’ are merely temporary costumes- just wait until you see the true McCain. You won’t like it. (Sorry here if it sounds like an Obama campaign piece, but I’ve tried to make it much more. Vote Obama ; ) .
Today (16 June 2009) Ed Schultz made an appearance on Morning Joe...
Today (16 June 2009) Ed Schultz made an appearance on Morning Joe where he was asked his opinions about President Obama’s performance and Dick Cheney (among other things). During his discussion with the group, he said something that struck a chord with me. Mr. Schultz was referring to the redefining of what will be considered normal sales firgures for companies like General Motors. Before this economic crisis gripped us GM could count on 15 million new cars sold each year. Mr. Schultz postulates that the new normal sales figures will be more like 10 million. Is there really a new normal in American society? Or, are we are just singing the same old tune with different lyrics? During the Great Depression there were dire warnings that Franklin D. Roosevelt would transform America into a Socialist state. Roosevelt’s stimulus package received harsh criticism from the Conservative Coalition. Today, as America languishes in the midst of another global economic crisis, President Obama has followed the old normal by creating a new new deal for America designed to stimulate economic growth by the creation of jobs and stabilization of the economy. The Conservative Coalition in opposition to the transformation of America into a Socialist state is alive and well, and as normal as it ever was. Ronald Reagan spread the conservative propaganda about socialized medicine as early as 1961. President Carter talked about national health insurance in 1980 when he debated Reagan. President Obama declared health care a right for Americans. The progressive people in country already know this. The conservatives demand it only when they experience devastating illness or they think their Medicaid or Medicare (created by FDR’s New Deal) is threatened. In many parts of the world, health care is a fundamental right. In America health care belongs to those who can afford it. The health care debate? Here we go again. When it comes to inflation and the cost of living, the old normal is to blame big government. Eisenhower talked about the honest dollar and an honest dollar’s worth. Richard Nixon’s solution was to freeze wages and prices. The normal has been to ask or to require workers to give up wages Nothing new about that old normal. Religion was an issue when John F. Kennedy was running for president. But that concern was not a new normal. In the early part of the 20th Century, Protestant Americans were alarmed at the possibility of election of a Catholic President. Americans feared the submission of the United States to Papal influences. Those fears seemed quite normal as the possibility of Kennedy’s election began to sink in. Religion reared it’s ugly head in the 2008 campaign with the Right spreading unfounded rumors that President Obama is a Muslim and would cater to Muslim interests. Everything old is new again. The American people voted for President Obama on a platform of change. But has anything really changed? Or is it business as usual following the ineffective policies and worn out debates of years past? President Obama is so damed centrist he manages to thoroughly frustrate both the Left and the Right. The question was put forth by John F. Kennedy in 1960 and we are still asking it today – “Which point of view and which party do we want to lead the United States?” The new normal is the old normal. The only things new about normal are the faces and the names. Liberals are still calling for equality and justice. Conservatives are still telling people who criticize conservative views to shut up. This essay also published on: Active Art Flickering Light of Freedom There have been only 16 Democratic Presidents since 1837. It is generally accepted that the Democratic party evolved from the Democratic-Republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
This series means alot to me on many levels.. It REMINDS ME.. what I am good at with the camera.. I really love photojournalism… event…
This series means alot to me on many levels.. It REMINDS ME.. what I am good at with the camera.. I really love photojournalism… events and me and capturing the essence of that day, moment, time and place are what I love to shoot. My best work has not been so much for weddings nor for personal hire nor flowers or buildings or minimal shots of which I so admire all these venues. My best work is when I am so excited about what I am seeing that it translates into the medium of photo taking. I can’t help it I love people..and most of them never know I am taking their picture.. when they are aware, sometimes electricity is exchanged in good keeping as I try to portray these moments with the best possible art in my heART. I feel a great honor to have been so recognized by the group C.O.R.E. as they caught onto my mission and indeed highlighted their features this last few day with my work and the work of many others pertaining to this momentous occasion. I deeply appreciate the Hosts. theyellow fury and the amazing Ushna Sardar They have featured / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE.. / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE.. / LINK ON IMAGE TO PAGE THEY HAVE A PAGE TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR MESSAGE HERE WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY TOO THAT MY POEM WHAT WAS HE LOOKING FOR was featured in the new group for me.. but the work they showcase is OUT OF CONTROL AMAZING.. UNCONVENTIONAL ARTISTRY THE HOSTS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK… EARTHMONSTER AND CHEYWINGS / BIG DAY AHEAD AT WORK.. ALL IS WELL.. AND I heART YOU VERY MUCH!!
Now I am not a very political soul, as most of you know, but when I saw this info it made me so very angry and I thought it would be good…
Now I am not a very political soul, as most of you know, but when I saw this info it made me so very angry and I thought it would be good to share since it is getting close to the time for those voting booths to open…..I will not be voting this year there are only two choices and I cant stand either one….Here is some info from the Defenders of Wildlife~ Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President, promotes the practice of Aerial Wolf Hunting, exploiting a loophole in the Federal Airborne Hunting Act to allow private wolf killers to shoot down wolves using aircraft. To encourage the killing, she even proposed a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf! We have to get the word out about this! Please watch this powerful new television ad by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and then share it with every wildlife lover you know: http://actionfund.defenders.org/palintvwolf Please find it in your heart to spread the word, too many of our precious animals are in danger of becoming extinct, with some one in a position of power who has no concern for our wild life, it will only make the problems endangered animals are face worse and we can not afford to let that happen. / In Light and Love to All of you, may Peace be in our future, / Leah
When I was studying history at University, the first thing my favorite professor taught me was that one does not read or write history. O…
When I was studying history at University, the first thing my favorite professor taught me was that one does not read or write history. One does history. That means history is interpreted not reported. This theory of doing history is well illustrated in the discussion that follows my essay USA and Religion. My essay, USA and Religion was featured by the group C.O.R.E.. I hope everyone who reads will enjoy the essay, but more importantly the lively discussion that follows. Thank you C.O.R.E. hosts for featuring my work.
Barack Hussein Obama was born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. When *Roe v. Wade , 410 U.S. 113...
Barack Hussein Obama was born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. When Roe v. Wade , 410 U.S. 113 was decided on 22 January 1973 he was not yet age 12 years. My guess is he probably had no influence on the Court’s decision. Presidents since Roe v. Wade was decided: Gerald Ford ( R ) August 9, 1974 Jimmy Carter ( D ) January 20, 1977 Ronald Reagan ( R ) January 20, 1981 George H. W. Bush ( R ) January 20, 1989 Bill Clinton ( D ) January 20, 1993 George W. Bush ( R ) January 20, 2001 Barack Obama ( D ) January 20, 2009 If the pro-life- anti-choice groups are going to hold a President personally responsible for abortions performed in this country during his tenure, my guess is that quite a few more abortions were performed during George W. Bush’s 8 year reign of terror than during these past few months of President Obama’s presidency. The truth is that President Obama, or any president for that matter, can do nothing to stop legal abortions. There must be a judicial reversal of Roe v. Wade, or an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Did you know that women do not have equal rights under the Constitution? We can’t even get the damned ERA passed! Women have equality on paper via legislation, and we are lucky to have that. So, why aren’t they holding Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, or Ford responsible for the abortions performed while they were President? The right wing just want to blame President Obama for something, anything, everything. Someone told me recently that next thing you know, President Obama will be held responsible for the Crucifixion of Jesus. I would not be surprised to read that on a blog somewhere soon. President Ford was sworn in on August 9, 1974 following the resignation of Richard M. Nixon ( R ) Also published on Active Art
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