Most of you have seen the video of Amy Goodman’s outrageous arrest at the Republican convention protests.
You may be surprised to learn that charges against her and two of her producers are still pending. Charges against producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar include felony riot charges.
The public information officer of the St. Paul police department can be contacted at: 651-266-5735.
Here is the video of Goodman’s arrest and the subsequent news conference by the police.
Welcome to reality Amy! XD
I wouldn’t presume to welcome Amy Goodman to reality.
Do you think you know what’s going on better in this country than she?
Do you think that because she’s a liberal, she must have her head in the clouds?
Her outrage at being arrested in a police state tickled my funny-bone! Apparently she doesn’t know that this is a police state – in a police state people are arbitrarily arrested and detained all the time – I do (I’ve been tracking and documenting the appearance of new surveillance cameras in my community for many years now.), so, evidently, I do know better than she about what’s going on in this country! XD
I am 100% sure Amy Goodman knows more than you. In addition she demonstrates her heart and soul each day at democracynow.org.
VOTE WITH GUNS
CAST YOUR BULLET
Be careful, folks! This guy could be an FBI or ATF agent provocateur! Most of the “terrorists” arrested in the US over the last few years were led into whatever by FBI under-cover agents.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
See? This is how they divide us. They invoke fear and suspicion among like-minded individuals.
Just do your own thing. Lester, and I’ll do mine, m’kay?
I forgot to ask you Amy…would you and your liberal chums organize a nation-wide general strike please? I’m sick of this pansy crap…time to start playing hardball!
No one in the World has done more to fight against US imperialism in an effective manner than Amy Goodman. Your comments merely reflect personal ignorance of Amy and the difficult task of building an effective alternative media.
Awesome! We got our very own police state!
What I find absolutely hilarious about the RNC is that Lieberman was a main speaker!!! Haha, to think this guy almost became the VP with Gore! I wonder how many unnecessary wars he would have added to the list…sorta scary when you think about it.
What else would you expect from a country that has accepted preemptive war and a “If you are not with us, you are against us” mentality? The upcoming election will be a second chance to reject fascism (note, we flubbed it in 2004). The ticket of McCain-Palin is probably the perfect example of know-nothing, Israel-First, militaristic, toadying to wealth, “future be damned”, patridiotic, lying, hypocrisy ever to come down the pike. If America casts the plurality of its elegible votes on this ticket, we deserve consignment to the dustbin of history.
I have a nauseating feeling that McCain will win. I can feel the massive excitement of the idiots rising yet again. I should know – my sister is one of them. The buzz I’m hearing is that they are totally ecstatic about Palin. She’s their trailer-trash Evita.
I have a nauseating feeling that McCain or Obama will win. :(
I’m glad you mentioned Dr. Roberts Eric…he’s had a very strong influence on my thinking over the past several years. I wish he were featured more on this site, but whatever…he’s one of the good guys.
Unfortunately my conscience will not allow me to choose the lesser of two evils in this case; I felt like I was tricked into it the last time with that knucklehead Kerry…never again!
Both parties can go f#&k themselves for all I care…I’m going with Nader from now on!
I totally respect your position. My frustration is just off the charts these days.
I agree with Eric that the Republicans must be punished for what they have done to this country and the world. Unfortunately the Republicans cannot be cast out without the Democrats assuming power. It’s true that many cowardly Democrats have been accomplices to Bush’s crimes yet the Republican party as a group has mindlessly goose-stepped behind Bush. The attitude of rank and file Republicans is that of my party right or wrong and the nation and world be damned. This is truly scary and must be stopped.
The Republicans and not the Democrats are the immediate threat to our liberty and prosperity which must be dealt with. After a major loss this November the Republican party might undergo a grassroots revolt which would expel the neocons and the more egregious statists. They can then stand in principled opposition to Obama’s brand of socialism. It’s not much, but it’s the best that we can hope for.
Well, if the Reptiles could steal two elections for the nitwit plutocrat Bush, they can probably do the same for McCain(iac) and Failin.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
In the last election almost the majority of those who opposed the Bush regime in America, stayed home during the elections. Somebody must start a get out the vote campaign right now. Otherwise, it is an absolute certainty that McCain will be the next president of America. With the American media firmly in the neoconservative control, it will take a lot of effort on the part of people outside of the mainstream media to get any idea across. It is getting late, already. Start the get out the vote campaign, right now.
Nothing wrong with being polically active. But picking stooge one over stooge two won’t change a thing. Find a third party and get involved at least that way your no longer part of the greater evil. Neither the Republicans or Democrats have represented the people in a long time. Sadly there isn’t a dimes worth of difference between them.
Peace!
“Sadly there isn’t a dimes worth of difference between them.”
So it is not. But as long as this third party, and whatever it is, has not managed to secure a mayor’s office or a governor’s office or any public office whatsoever, it is a bit rash to aim for the big prize now. And even if a third party candidate is chosen to be the president of America, with a congress that is divided between Democrats and Republicans what can he do? Even Obama feels that he needs a helping hand with a Clinton and Pelosi Congress; hence his choice of Biden. The only thing that that option would server is deprive the lesser of the two evils from many votes. Even Ron Paul does not dare to utter a word about a third party. He knows he will be the icing, a little feature, on this democracy cake if he does so. Sadly, it is long passed time that America had the chance of having a third party. Americans are lucky if they can get two.
“Americans are lucky if they can get two”. I don’t feel all that lucky about having to choose between two non choices. Feeling lucky for such a lame system is part of the problem. It’s better not to vote and reject the whole system than buy into more lies. Every four years you get to choose between two parties that behave the same. We voted in the Dems to do something about the Republicans have they done anything? I understand your choice and respect it. However I feel that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil it makes a statement that you accept evil. I won’t make that statement, If I can’t vote for someone who is not evil I will not vote at all. As long as people continue to vote for evil they lend legitamcy to the process. voting for a third party is not done (at this point) out of the chance to win but a vote against a broken system. The whole reason we can’t get a third party elected is due to the fact that so many people believe the media’s insistance that they can not win. Good luck and I do understand.
Peace!
Brad Smith,
I am from Iran, and will naturally not be voting in the next American presidential elections. For the moment, the world at large, although more affected by the choice of the American president than the American people are, is not afforded a vote at the American ballot box. :)
The last time we had a presidential election here, on the night before the election day, George Bush came on the Satellite TV and urged all the Iranians to stay away from the elections and not vote. He failed completely in his appeal, with even some people who had decided not to vote, choosing instead to actually go out and vote. I urged a lot of people, family and friends to vote then, and I am urging you to vote now. It is true, that it will not make a big difference but it is in YOUR interest to vote. Don’t let THEM have their cake and eat it too on the cheap. And don’t let them get to you like that.
Sorry for assuming you were from the US my bad. However, you are still missing the point. Voting in a fraudulant race only sends the message that you believe in the system. When you have a system that is completely broken participating in it only sends the message that you still believe. I don’t believe in the system we have. If you believe in yours great. but ours is broken completely. By voting for the lesser of two evils I would be letting them have their cake completely free with my good wishes. Not voting or voting for a third party is the only way I can voice my opposition during this election. voting for either of these two stooges only sends the message that I am fine with my non choice.
Peace!
Ali, you say that the news is controlled my neoconservatives. you are very ingorent to this. I will name the National Conservative News for you. Fox News. Here are the liberal news. MSNBC, CBS, NBC, CSPAN, ABC, CNN, BET, MTV, CNBC, CSPAN2, and even more papers like this. You have clearly listend to much to your state controlled news within Iran. I want your contry to be free so they may make there own elections and to have free trade with the world. But with you leader being who he is you never will. Take up arms in your country and take control of your nation. It can be done. We did in 1776. You can to. As-Salamu-Alaykum, I am sorry I do not know this in Farsi. God Bless you and Your Nation
You wish us freedom? Well, we wish you freedom too. But let me get this right. In 1776 America declared its dependence and proceeded to defeat Great Britain which had colonized the states. Now, what you are suggesting is that we should take up arms, and overthrow our constitution and government that our revolution of 1357 (1979) brought to power and gave us our freedom from American rule through its puppets, and put ourselves under the rule of America and its puppets, again. That is just great. But I think what you are suggesting to us just isn’t freedom. Perhaps that is why America is financing and arming the terrorist groups that have blown up cultural centers and marketplaces and stopped buses on the roads and murdered everyone on board. And that is also why America supported Saddam while he was trying to tear off a part of our country. And that is perhaps why America was perfectly content when Saddam Hussein was using his weapons of mass destruction, that is his chemical weapons generously donated by Europeans and paid for by Americans, on our people. Alas, we wish you freedom too, but that does not mean that we are not capable of wishing you whatever you wish us.
By the way, it is true that Fox News is way in front, but if you consider the rest of those propaganda units as liberals, then that says a lot about the state of liberty in America.
That should be “America declared its independence and …”
Pretty soon, the mark of anyone who’s politically active will be a criminal conviction on some sort of bogus charge (like “conspiracy to riot”). A criminal government makes offenders out of honest people.
Well said. Since most Americans watch American Idol instead of being politicaly active they don’t (yet) appreciate the extent to which the USA has become a police state. When they finally wake up it will be too late.
About 1/2 of Americans realized long ago that it doesn’t matter if you vote for Godzilla or Megalon: you get a monster in either case.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
When the police violated the rights of blacks, I did nothing because those guys in baggy clothes had probably done something wrong at one time anyway. Then the police abused the Latinos. I still did nothing because the gang banging job stealers had it coming to them. Next it was the turn of the hillbillies. I couldn’t work up much sympathy for tattooed drunks in pickup trucks whose children run around dirty and barefooted. I cheered when the Muslims were swept up for some friendly renditioning. How can one feel safe around swarthy, bearded men with unpronounceable names?
Hold on, there’s a loud banging at my front door. Oh no! It’s just been kicked in and armed men are swarming through my house shooting up my family!! Someone, anyone please help me!
Well, lots of activists in the past have found that prison is as good as a university for making useful connections.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
Your right Greg and it’s all for the “War on Terra”. It reminds me a lot of one of our longest wars the “War on Drugs” Same thing in my opinion. Outlaw a non-crime and punish people for it, thus creating “criminals”. It doesn’t matter a bit to them what the results of their wars are just how much they can line their pockets.
Peace!
I'm no Obama fan, either. But I agree with Paul Craig Roberts that it is nevertheless vital that the GOP lose this election. Read his stuff; he explains concept this very well.
And he's not a Democrat, nor is he a liberal, so you don't have to decide in advance that he's wrong.
Finally,the US is learning something from the middle east!
Soon any gathering above one person would be crime!
Haaa!
Watching Amy Goddman get arrested was a pleasure.
The charges however were bogus. The charge should have
been fraud and misuse of a taxpayer entitlement (NPR.)
Maybe now she’ll take a sincere interest in true civil
liberty and the actual people that are standing up for it?
(here’s a hint Amy: down the street from where you were
arrested Ron Paul was holding a convention packed with
thousands of people who actually want to be free!)
Democracy Now is broadcast by Pacifica, not NPR.
real nice, who’s the one showing Ron some respect now?
So how come the Libertarians aren’t demonstrating? Or supporting those arrested?
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
Yeah, and Paul has been pretty lukewarm and swivel-hipped on the issue of pushing impeachment.
But he was outright enthusiastic about impeaching Clinton.
At that time he said an impeachable offense was anything a majority of the House said it was.
And he was right.
But my, oh my, how he has changed his tune when it is the Republicans that are fielding the criminals.
I think that not teaming up with Kucinich and pressing for impeachment of Bush and Cheney has been Paul’s biggest shortcoming, by far. I can’t imagine what reason Paul is offering that Clinton’s lie, which harmed no one other than the shrew, is more deserving of impeachment than Bush’s many lies about the reasons for war?
This puzzling inaction has cost Paul the respect and support of many on the left who are otherwise sympathetic to his antiwar message.
Paul was coopted, and in several different ways, whether consciously or not.
About the only things he might do now to save any remnants of a reputation as a Constitutionalist and a Libertarian are:
(1) come out strongly and loudly for impeachment, even at this late date;
(2) advise all his supporters and anyone who agrees with what he has been mouthing about the Constitution and his opposition to Bush’s and Cheney’s wars to vote, following Paul Craig Robert’s reasoning, for Obama, strictly as a negative vote aimed at destroying the Republican Party.
Short of that, one has to consider him as much of a fraud and empty suit and spoiler as Nader.
Then why aren’t they protesting? Could they be a bunch of wankers?
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
And they are “fighting for your fredom over there”!
(here’s a hint Amy: down the street from where you were
arrested Ron Paul was holding a convention packed with
thousands of people who actually want to be free!)
Ron Paul was a regular guest on Democracy Now during the leadup to the invasion of Iraq.
Please. Engage brain before typing.
Those cops just look like something out of a sci-fi horror film.
That’s the look they were going for, I think. Terrorize and intimidate…that’s how they hold sway over the american sheeple.
Now, how effective do you think these clowns would be if they tried that armor-plated-boogieman bull scat in Iraq or Afghanistan?! Not very!
Welcome to reality Amy! XD
Amy Goodman’s introduction to reality came in 1991.
In 1991, covering the independence movement in East Timor, Goodman and fellow journalist Allan Nairn were badly beaten by Indonesian soldiers after they witnessed a mass killing of Timorese demonstrators in what became known as the Dili Massacre. She has speculated that the only thing that spared her the fate of the Australian-based journalists who were killed in East Timor in 1975 was an American passport; the United States was providing military support to the Indonesian army at the time. The U.S. did not cut off military aid to Indonesia until 1993.
At least 250 East Timorese were killed in the massacre. John Pilger cites a total of 400 killed and missing as a result of the protest killings and an alleged second massacre the next day.
If you people want to be free, you have to support the free speech rights of people that you may disagree with. If you don’t, then you aren’t safe either.
Right on Chris!
agree !
as much annoyed i have been lately with her beginning to shill for liberal democrats ( funny thing [or perhaps not] she was not that keen to be with protesters in denver ) .
most likely her political softening has come with becoming better known and bigger as well as now being carried on some of NPR stations [ to the person above it is now HER OWN production not of pacifica as it was once ].
still the goons and thugs and state should be opposed .
free her and MANY OTHERS who were arressted both in denver and twin cities !
Kill a chicken to frighten a monkey.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
haha Lester Ness…That about sums it up. America is screwed. Guns, Gold, and Rural property folks. That’s where the future of America is at.
I kind of like silver too.
Learn to raise your own food. Wealth is what you can eat and wear.
Lester Ness
Kunming
China
That’s what the rural property is for. I grew up farming, hunting and traping. I have apples, pears, grapes, cherries, berries of all kinds, a very large garden and my wife spins wool from one of my best friends’ sheep. We also get beef and pork from our friends and family. I butcher and smoke as well. Fishing is also a great resourse. Knowing where and when to catch is the hardest part or funnest part depending. I also have a hand pump on my property. On top of this I still stock up on all the essentials including medical supplies. I realize that this is not possible for many people. But simply ignoring the fact that war can come to our country is simple ignorance, denial, whatever you want to call it. Our governement’s call for a paltry week of supplies isn’t going to help much in the long run. Silver and Gold are a backup and one that may be the best alternative for city folk and country people alike. At least it will still retain some value, if only as a means for barter.
My next project is solar and wind, right now I rely on wood, living in the woods that makes sense. However, it would be great to go completely off grid.
Peace!
Red State Fascism.
Trailer Trash Evita; Caribou Barbie, what have you.
Palin is a very ambitious, cunning and willing participant in manipulating America to outright corporate fascism and confrontation with Russia, to start, and Iran and China, as well. Down this road lies our Republic’s doom, if its not already fore-doomed.
This Palin speech was a clarion call to the “Volk”, to the home-town values of Empire and duty to the state, to getting what’s “ours”, F the rest of the world. Following Guiliani’s homage to Goerbels (or was it Mussolini?), her appeal to the inner American Exceptionalist in all of us was masterfully performed, by this former professional sportscaster. Mark this day, this woman has marched to the stage as another villianous, tragic character in American history. Beware.
The hell with neocon RoboChick Sarah. Ron Paul has a real hottie, Aimee Allen, who has made an immortal contribution to pop culture, the passionate Ron Paul Revolution song/video. Check it out. It contains more inspirational ideas than born again Palin can ever muster.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QiKh9Ko3mw4&feature=related
Also check out Jesse Ventura’s speech at Paul’s Rally for Freedom. Looks like he has announced his candidacy for 2012. This guy has more charisma, balls and brains than anyone that the two parties can ever find.
When I wonder is the US going to strike “Land of the free” from its national anthem.
Before ya’ll get all snarky-smug about Ms. Goodman, you might try practicing that old-time American value of considering someone innocent until proven guilty, and that goes for your own private “justice” as well. As in, waiting to hear her side of the story before getting on your high horse and making thoughtless pronouncements.
According to Ms. Goodman, she was interviewing people on the RNC floor when she got a call that her two assigned photographers had been arrested. She immediately left the floor to go to the scene of the police riots to try and get the two released. Upon her arrival she asked to speak to the police commander in charge and with that she was seized and handcuffed. The charges pending include something called “obstruction of administration”, whatever that means. Was she naive? Hardly. That is what a real journalist risks in any war zone or with any repressive government. Sad that that now includes my own country. I don’t much care for NPR but I can appreciate and respect this woman’s courage to try and free her crew in the midst of an ugly situation with REALLY ugly people in charge.
Have they dropped the charges against Joe Calanchini yet? He wasn’t even trying to do anything but check into a hotel room when the SS arrested him in Denver.
Do not use the Secret Service initial like they are members of the Nazi’s the Secret Service were around nearly 70 years before the Nazi’s Grow up and shut up.
War Veteran and Proud:
Here’s a story I heard from a friend about the Secret Service that is more Three Stooges than Nazi SS. Many years ago my friend was visited at home by city detectives investigating a murder suicide next door. Shortly afterward my friend received a visit from the Secret Service. The reason? Suspicion of counterfeiting. What was the evidence? The city detectives saw pinned to my friend’s wall, a large gray copy with fold out panels of a $50 bill advertising the services of a local company! Anyone with an IQ above room temperature would have seen this for what it was – an advertising flyer. But not the city detectives.
Not to be outdumbed by mere detectives, the Secret Service Agents didn’t just shake their heads, smile, apologize and leave. They requested to inspect his computer. Amused by the stupidity of public servants, my friend agreed. And what caught these geniuses’ attention? A folder titled, MSMoney. “Aha, caught a counterfeiter,” thought the blockheads. Unfortunately visions of bonuses and promotions evaporated when my friend opened the Microsoft Money file used by millions to manage their finances.
I do not believe this story one bit. Maybe the detectived and the secret service showing up maybe. But as for the msmoney part. I claim all out bull s**t. The secret service are not that stupid. I dont say they are the smartest all the time but nobody is that stupid.
War Veteran and Proud:
I saw the “$50” bill afterward. So I know that it existed. I see no reason why my friend would invent such as story considering that, at that time, he was a recent immigrant with broken English who probably didn’t even know what the Secret Service is. If he did it would be as the President’s bodyguard only. How many Americans much less immigrants know that the Secret Service investigates counterfeiting?
As for me inventing the story in order to make the Secret Service look bad, my imagination isn’t that vivid. Such an invention can only come from the pen of Kafka or the Monty Python crew. Besides, there are sufficient real examples of police knavery and stupidity to keep us entertained, such as arresting Amy Goodman on camera for asking a policeman a question.
“Grow up and shut up”. Hey War Vet, were do you get off speaking to a civilian like that. Your representing the military, you should act like it. You should be refering to everyone on this site as Sir or Mam and acting respectfully. You obsiously need to go back for some retraining. Or don’t they teach that anymore? When I was in you would have gotten an article 15 for treating a civilian that way. Please remember all civilians are superior to you. Now get down and do some pushups. By the way, sense your so proud why don’t you post your real name? And while your at it include your unit, rank, and contact information for your superior officers. that way we can contact them at let them know how you adress civilians. Officer quality my @ss. The more I read from you the more you sound like some wannabe or a punk fresh out of basics.
We have the freedom of speech to civilians. Not to military. We have the right to post our opinions. And do you see I do not use name rank unit or anything along that line. If I did then I could get in some serious trouble for using my uniform in a partisan action. Which is against UCMJ. I am civilian when out of uniform. So i can say what I want as long as I do not represent a group. You must have been in a few centuries ago. I have been in for 8 years. And going and proud to serve. In person I would speak to all as sir or maam. Online I am not held to that. Have a good day.
Your dead wrong. You are always a representative of your unit in or out of uniform. So either your completely full of it or just stupid. You signed in with a name of WAR VETERAN and declared yourself a current member of the military, therefore you are representing the military. Furthermore, whenever a member of the military commits some dumb@ass thing in some other country it directly reflects badly on not only the military buy also your country. Go ask one of your superiors and see what they would say about your lame brain idea. Better yet get yourself a copy of the UCMJ that you try and use for justification to hide your identity. As for having rights you threw that out as soon as your signed your papers. When you signed up you agree to abide by the UCMJ not the constitution. You say “I am civilian when out of uniform”. You have made some very ignorant statement but that one takes the cake. YOU ARE NOT A CIVILIAN UNTIL YOUR TIME IS UP! I am a civilian because I did my time and got out. As long as your being paid by the taxpayers (THAT MEANS ME) you are my servant and should remember that. I don’t know what they are teaching now in basics but if your an example God help us all. Wow does it amaze me how stupid you are.
Suggestion, ignore the troll.
If you want to discredit an opponent then ignoring them is far better than arresting them on trumped up charges in public. Abuse of police power draws attention to people and what they are saying.
But then, intelligence has never been a feature of dictatorships.
The clearest sign of a group of people knowingly clinging to lies and misinformation is when that group of people will not allow open debate. Whether it be the environment, history or political policy, if we can’t ask questions and get reasonable answers…
Those of you rubbishing this election or thinking there is no difference between Obama and McCain are making a serious – possibly fatal – error.
Obama is certainly no angel – but a McCain presidency brings with it the very real chance of a world war. This is not a joke.
No it’s not a joke, it’s deadly serious. I would suggest you prepare. Stock up on all the stuff your going to need. It still amazes me how many people are so easily fooled. Wake up we don’t control our government it controls us if we let it. voting for either of these two stooges is just another part of their control over us. If you think Obama can save you that’s your opinion and of course vote your conscious. I have prepared for the worst. Goldhorder is right. Guns, Gold, and rural proplerty that’s what a person should be worried about. Be self relient, learn to hunt, grow your own food, stock up etc. If the powers that be (I’m not talking about Obama or McCain) decide it’s time for war their isn’t much we can do at this point. Blindly trusting that somehow Obama can change things in nieve and dangerous. I have yet to hear one reason why I should put any faith in our current controllers.
Waking up the sheep before it’s too late is possible. But falling for yet another non-choice is not the answer, it’s just going back to sleep with a different dream. You will only wake up to the same old mess. When you buy into the belief that somehow the Dems will save you from the evil Reps you buy into the biggest lie of all. There is a better chance that the Pentagon will stop the comming war than either of our two newest puppets.
Please people wake up. If you are awake don’t be lulled back to bed by more lies.
Quote: Huey Long
Corrupted by wealth and power, your government is like a restaurant with only one dish. They’ve got a set of Republican waiters on one side and a set of Democratic waiters on the other side. But no matter which set of waiters brings you the dish, the legislative grub is all prepared in the same Wall Street kitchen.
Peace!
You say Mccain would cause a world war. Guess what it already here and it was started by Jihadist Muslims. And Mccain say he will only use military actions as a last resort. Obama says he will flat out attack an ally, Pakistan as soon as he is elected. This is dangerous far worse then Mccain. Mccain understand war. Obama does not. Mccain had been there Obama has not.
“Mccain understand war”
McCain crashed so many planes his mates started calling him “Ace”.
The wryest tale is how he crashed trying to get to an Navy game, wasn’t it?
Who knows hat happened on the Forrestal–at the very least the fellow is an albatross.
The Vietnamese (and Chinese>) have films of him collaborating. I don’t hold that against anyone, given the pressures that can be put on a POW, but do you really want him as president?
If McCain had any patriotism at all, given his career and his status an an ex-POW, he would take himself out of the running.
When Russian solders captured by the Nazis were returned to the Soviet Union, Stalin sent them to prison camps for fifteen years or more, on the grounds that they could not be trusted, either because collaborators or sleepers and plants.
That was brutal and unnecessary, but Stalin’s reasoning was correct.
There should be a constitutional amendment disqualifying any ex-POW from being President or Vice President. Any other office but not those two.
It is too much of a security risk, and carries with it, as with McCain, the possibility of blackmail as well.
I firmly believe most ex-POWs, more patriotic than McCAin, would support such an amendment, as would most veterans and military.
You are very ignorant to suggest a ban on pow’s from being able to run for preseident or vice. I can almost guarantee that no veteran and no ex-pow would support this and if you think they would then you are very misplaced in your ideas.
Thanks for clearing that up for me, War Veteran and Proud.
No doubt your “almost guarantee” is worth its weight in gold, right?
Almost.
Tell me, War Veteran and Proud, what do suggest as a solution to the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Any quick and easy military solutions to that, and the collapse of the USD? Someone the Air Force can bomb perhaps or the USN can dispatch with cruise missiles?
Sending the USMC to Vera Cruz?
A grateful, guarded country is all ears.
Apparently, War Veteran and Proud, you believe that all ex-POW’s and veterans are as unpatriotic, unself-sacrificing, unthinking and egomaniacal as yourself and McCain?
“Asian institutions and investors hold some $800 billion in securities issued by Fannie and Freddie, the bulk of that in China and Japan. China held $376 billion and Japan $228 billion as of June 2007, the most recent country-specific Treasury figures.
In Europe, roughly $39 billion in Fannie and Freddie debt is held in Luxembourg and $33 billion more in Belgium, countries that are home to large investment management firms. Investors in Britain hold $28 billion, and Russian buyers hold $75 billion. Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East are also believed to be big investors in Fannie and Freddie debt….”
NYT July 21, 2008.
By the way, War Veteran and Proud, did you happen to note that Putin said the other day there there WILL be a response to continuing US provocation in Georgia, including to the US and NATO ships now blundering around the Black Sea?
Gee, one wonders what it will be?
Got a military solution to that as well, War Veteran and Proud?
By the way, what country’s military service are you a veteran of again?
Eugene:
War Veteran and Proud is clearly an American. No one schooled in a major foreign country would reason and write so poorly.
Amy is just a basic Old Line Red who would be rounding up all the “Kulaks” i.e. Middle Class Whites and sending them off to the gulag if she had the power. Her drivel about the so called “Jean Six” and the apparent right of Negros to beat White boys half to death I lost all respect for her commitment to justice. She’s an leftist ideologue.
Sad
Amy Goodman is a rabble-rousing, Marxist propagandist.
Nothing more and nothing less.
She belongs in prison.
How sad.
This is to all you anti-war protestors, anarchists, and others of the same kind. This Amy girl whomever she is belongs in prison for inciting a riot. You all do when you incite riots or hate and allow for violence to shoe up in your protests. I am a soldier I have been to Afghanistan and will be in Iraq soon. I may not agree with what you say but it is people like me that will fight and die for your right to say it. I am a Mccain/Palin supporter all the way through. This war is just and we need to finish it. This is coming from someone who has been there. If we do not keep the battle for freedom in the middle east then it will once again come on our soil. Who knows where they will attack next. New York? Miami? Dallas? Portland Oregon? San Fransisco? We do not know but it will happen if we cut and run like you want us too. We will win. And we will keep the world and our nation protected and free.If we give up in the world then May God have mercy on our souls because the radical muslims will not. If you think we are so bad in the US then please by all means move to Iran, Saudi, Sudan, Syria, China, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, and Russia. And you will see that we have the most freedom in the world. Be proud of your country. God Bless America. God Bless our Troops. God Bless Mccain/Palin.
you’re an ignorant, militarist drone of the american empire. i do not support, countenance or willingly tolerate any of the things you have done in my name on the behalf of your imperialist taskmasters. i hope you either wake the fuck up or die in iraq, as you’re only a danger to humanity in your present state.
How very, very sad.
You are willing to kill people for the right to oppose your ideas you say, but then actually not only demonstrate but prove the opposite.
Repeating all the memes of the whole propaganda-campaign does nothing but convince that you really do not know anything better.
I hope one day against all odds, you will wisen up. Begin by starting to read history.
The war in Iraq is evil.
Thinking for yourself would be far more impressive to readers of this site. Your mindless repeating of propaganda points makes you look like one of the party members in 1984.
Hey, War Veteran and Proud,
By all means come home and let the “Islamo-fascist terrorists” follow you. I would love to see a guy with a turban skulking around here in my home county in West Virginia. Hell, you can’t get a new dog around here without everyone knowing it. Islamic terrorists would be noticed within ten seconds. We have spent years in Iraq and Afghanistan with no results, let’s move the theater of operations to where we have the advantage. Anyone who has lived through deer season here, isn’t afraid of a little gunfire in the air.
Right on Richard. I live in the Woods of Northern Michigan. I’m about as afraid of terrorist infiltration as I am of chipmunk infiltration. I’m far more worried that this crap will lead to WWIII and I’ll end up living underground trying to avoid the radioactive fallout.
Peace!
Ah, but a dog in a turban–and the very real and palpable peril of huge numbers of West Virginians laughing themselves to death.
Eugene, You say let them come here you will notive them. Nobody noticed the 911 hijackers did they. Nobody noticed the first world trade center bomber. We cant even make them out in Afghanistan or Iraq unless they are carrying a gun. You could not find a terrorist if you were sleeping with one. I hope we stay there so your familly never has to feel the loss of a terror attack.
With people like yourself standing guard, War Veteran and Proud, whatever would a body have to worry his or her little head about? And about to become an officer as well? You no doubt far exceed the standards any of the Armed Forces require in their officer corps. Incidentally, what country do you happen to be standing guard over, if I may be so bold as to ask?
I’m also a combat vet and proud. I am proud to be a member of the anti-war movement. You are very obviously brainwashed (I was too). Thats clear and understandable, you have been told lies by your schools, media, government, and military, probably your parents and possibly your church. One day you may wake up to the facts. If you do I hope you will join us. Untill then I hope you don’t do anything that you will live to regret. My advice to you is to get out of the military as quickly as you can, before it’s too late and you have lost more than you can now imagine.
Peace!
Brad Smith. I give you my thanks to have served in the military. I have to say that I was raised by my familly as a liberal. My school is liberal and I am not much of a church person. This is a saying that has worked for over 2000 years and will work for the next. Si Vis Pacem Para Belum.( If you want peace prepare for war). Peace has never been obtained by peace itself but by force of arms and strength. We one our freedom from the british with a war. We got texas freedom with a War. We stopped Nazism with war. We stopped communism with strenght. We puched back Saddam in 100 hours with strength. We will defeat terrorism on their coil not ours. I listen to all forms of media liberal and conservative. I get all side of the story and make my decision. I am college educated and soon to be an officer in the Army. I will be in the Army until I am 60 years old. I am 25 now. We will win over terrorism. Then we will al come home. I am not a warmonger I hate war. But I know for peace and safety it is the only option. Diplomacy only works with the threat of force. God Bless You all and I hope you come to your senses one day. But I dont think you will.
“God Bless You all and I hope you come to your senses one day. But I dont think you will”. Your a whole 25 years old and about to become an officer. Sorry but your still wet behind the ears. I’m not expecting you to wake up today, but I hope you do, sooner rather than later. Right now your expecting to spend the next 35 years serving a master that does not serve the people of the US but in fact serve corporate interests. I have more than one University degree and I can tell you that my degrees have little to do with my education.
How exactly do you defeat terrorism? Terrorism is a tactic not an entity. If you can’t even define the enemy how do expect anyone to believe you can defeat it. The destruction that these wars have brought and will bring upon the country we both love will only become more and more obvious. The damage our current leaders have done will grow and grow. although you don’t know it now you are in fact part of the problem not part of the solution. This may meen nothing to you now, but don’t be surprised if sometime in the future you wake up and realize that you have only been another dupe in a long line of dupes. You seem like a relatively intelligent person. I hope you will start to use that intelligence to take a good hard look at what your really doing. You may want to start by looking at the long list of Generals who are against this war and have resigned because of their beliefs.
Peace!
Officer War Veteran and Proud,
When you say that you will kill all terrorists and then go home, you miss the biggest and most dangerous terrorist: YOU. You are the biggest terrorist. Thousands of miles away from your country, killing people with impunity, and hoping to go back home a hero. Create enemies, shoot them. Create enemies, shoot them. Create enemies, shoot them. You are like American Federal Reserve, printing money, selling it as loans, printing money, selling it as loans. Who could have thought of that. I am sure you will be considered a hero back in America. That, you can count on if nothing else!
Someone give this guy the propaganda medal. He has managed to use every tired, every lie-based, every false piece of propaganda used to not only justify going to war, but to expand upon it in the near future in one single reply. WELL DONE CHAP!
War Veteran and Proud:
Are you for real? Your posting sounds more like someone’s caricature of a brainwashed killer.
If Muslim terrorists are panting to destroy us, then where are they? Millions of Muslims live in the US. Yet, after 9/11 there has not been a single terrorist attack here despite more than ample opportunities. Why is that? Is it maybe because the War On Terror is a fraud?
For your information, the last war that Americans fought for liberty was in 1776. Each war since then has resulted in greater state power and decreased liberty. You as a soldier in the service of empire are a threat to our liberty. How is killing innocent people thousands of miles away serving America? You have nothing to be proud of and much to be ashamed of. Please go away. Try peddling your services to Cuba, North Korea or Zimbabwe.
Metacynic, You ask why hs there not been another attack? There has been plenty of attempts since 911 but because of our quik actions by our FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, and Local Police we have stopped them. We have kept them at bay by attacking US in Iraq and we are winning. You say the last war we fought for liberty was 1776. What was WWII. If we did not step in the entire world could have been consumed by the Nazi, Italians, and Japs. You are very ignorant to think otherwise. Give it time if those nations act the way they do we may end up there to protect others freedom and liberty.
War Veteran and Proud:
If the alphabet soup security agencies thwarted a real terrorist threat, they would be trumpeting their success from the rooftops. What have been the fed’s real accomplishments? They did convict some guy with smoking gym shoes who was subdued by his fellow airplane passengers. They also convicted two guys for the crime of acting out some violent fantasies while playing paintball. Then there was that small group of marginally employed blacks in Miami who offered to knock over the Sears Tower if only an FBI informer would provide them with combat boots and AK47s. I believe that they were acquitted. I’m already so scared that I peed in my pants. Next was a few Muslims who were going to infiltrate a heavily guarded military base in the US and hose it down with bullets. Is there anything else to frighten the children with so that they beg to have their liberties abridged?
What you fail to see is that the US is wide open. It is very easy and requires no organization or accomplices for any Muslim to buy a gun, walk into a mall and spray it with bullets and no one can do anything about it. Any crazed Muslim can toss a Molotov cocktail at a truck delivering gasoline to a filling station and blow up the whole block. Any Muslim with a burning hatred can derail a commuter train with not much effort. Such things could have happened hundreds of times, yet none has? Why? Because of our vigilant government or because there is no terrorist threat?
As for World War 2. The Nazis were stopped at the gates of Moscow and essentially defeated before the US entered the war. Japan’s interest was in seizing raw materials in Southeast Asia which the US and Britain had embargoed in order to provoke a hostile response from Japan. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, a military base, out of desperation in order to have a free hand in the Western Pacific. Nothing that the Japanese did was a threat to our freedom.
America’s needless involvement in World War 2 resulted in Soviet domination of half of Europe, endless wars, massive budget deficits, a police state at home and a cancerous military industrial complex that is on the verge of destroying the economy.
@War Veteran and Proud,
I find it quite telling that in the same breath, you manage to both claim that you are willing to fight for my rights, and negate those same rights by claiming, without any evidence, that Amy Goodman “belongs in jail” for “inciting to riot.” One of those “rights” you claim to be fighting for is th “right” to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Ohh, but I forgot – trash of your ilk believe that if a cop says it, it must be true, and that anyone arrested is automatically guilty of SOMETHING. Also, you don’t even have a basic conception of what a “right” is. A “right” is something that YOUR OWN government is not permitted to arbitrarily curtail or deny or abrogate. We have “rights” in order to prevent the tyranny of our own government. “Rights” have no meaning in relation to either foreign governments or brigands like Al Qaeda, and no amount of military action can “protect” our “rights” against our own government. Our territory and interests can be defended militarily (not that you are even doing that, or would even know), but not our “rights (except by revolution against a tyrannical government).” The way we protect our own “rights” is by asserting them, and by defending those who assert said “rights” against the arbitrary behavior of OUR OWN GOVERNMENT. As such, I am far more capable of defending my “rights” than you are, stationed thousands of miles from home. So, with all due respect, take your offer to defend my “rights” and stick them up your Federal state worshipping behind. Your services are neither wanted, needed, nor appropriate for the task. Nor do you have the requisite knowledge or intelligence or temperament required to offer such services. You are simply not qualified.
That having been said, I would like to wish you well — but I can’t. This is not because you are a veteran, or a soldier, but because you are such a brain dead, brainwashed moron, that such a wish would stick in my throat. Some here have raised hopes that one day, you will wake up. Problem is, your head is so far up your behind, that even if you did wake up, you have already been so accustomed to the smell that you would consider it both pleasing and natural. So, with that in mind, please take every opportunity to be a “hero,” volunteer for every dangerous assignment, and please, whatever you do, DON’T COME HOME. Unless you get your head blown off, in which case the amputation will increase your intellect.
To all others reading these unpleasant words: sorry you folks had to read this, but these gung-ho types are the one’s responsible for the sorry state this country is in, whether they are military or civilian. I’ve got no love to give his kind.
A.G.Philpin,
I as a citizen of this nation under the first amendment as you hvae the right to freedom of assemble have the right to freedom of speech and you cant take that away. I said under my opinion not that I was a judge and held her at guilt but as a citizen with an opinion she deserves to go to jail. She is innocent till proven guilty. I hope she is found guilty and goes to jail for inciting a riot which you do not have to right to do. you have the right to peacfully assemble. You say you are far more qualified to defend our rights then me ok. Your opinion. But you do not seem to like someone voicing there opinion against your own. Much like the democrats and Liberals do. They want to prevent conservative talks shows from being able to voice their opinion. They want to take our guns. You liberal types want freedom and rights for yourselves not everyone. i will protect everyones right to say what they want. Assemble Peacefully. Your people in the ACLU take away the right of the small minority of Atheists to have the pledge of alegiance to be take out of school. In God we trust to be taken off money. Except when it comes to there rights they will give themsleves more right sto say what they want. I hod a degree in Criminal Justice and working on one for History. I have more then enough knowledge to do the task. But I use the words that normal people can understand. You know the ones with little education or little knowledge of big words. You seem to be very full of large words to put in a sentance. You must have a calender on your desk that gives you a new big word everyday in order to make youself feel better. You say my head is far up my butt that I would never be able to get away from the smell of my beliefs. I will volunteer for missions in Iraq. Hell I volunteered for Iraq. I am proud of my nation. I will do what I believe in needed to protect it and you from harms way. From terrorists. Terrorists like, Osama, Hussein, on and Bill Ayers. The bomber of the Pentagon and supporter of Obama. Who i am sure you want in office. He has people who supports him who are very open about there hatred of the US. If you have intelligence that you say I dont have then you must see this. I will remain in the military and when someone like you comes up to me in uniform and spits/assaults me I will look at him and laugh because I know he will get a brain at one time and understand how important the military is for his freedoms and safety. you have great day. I can say that you and other like you with no problem. Because you are American regardless of how ignorant you are. And for that you are my brother, more like a red headed step child. Gob Bless You. And may God protect you.
“I hope she is found guilty and goes to jail for inciting a riot which you do not have to right to do. you have the right to peacfully assemble”.
You have just shown your obvious bias. You are hoping she will go to jail, for what? Show me one criminal act she commited. Your blind ignorance and obediance is just one more reason why I say your brainwashed. A crime is when someone damages someone or someone’s property or plans to do so. Tell me where you get the idea that she planned to damage anyone or anyone’s property. Your wishing that one of your brothers or sister is locked up for a non criminal offense only shows that you are not conserned with freedom, only with being on the winning side. You so want to be right that your unwilling to listen to any argument. So obviously there is no point in any further debate with you. Sad to say but there doesn’t seem to be much hope for you. One last thing, I hope like hell you don’t get to be an officer, your dangerous enough with your limited power. Someone with as little brains as you shouldn’t be allowed to scrub toilets let alone be in charge of anyone. God help you and protect the rest of us from your ignorance.
Peace!
War Veteran and Proud:
The Pledge of Allegiance was created by a socialist (to the left of liberals) man of the cloth. As for the motto, In God We Trust, on our currency, it’s our Hail Mary pass now that the dollar is without any gold backing and being wildly inflated to finance your excellent adventure in Iraq.
A few comments about our alleged War Veteran and Proud:
Since talking to him is clearly a waste of time, I shall make a few observations about this self-described veteran.
1) His answer to me demonstrates that he is definitely NEVER going to rise to officer rank, and would be lucky to attain the rank of PFC. It also demonstrates that, if he has a college degree, as he claims, it was through a mail order house.
2) He “answers” a challenge to his concept of “rights,” and how they are defended, with an “aw shucks, that’s your opinion” and “I have a right to my opinion.” This is often a way that an ignorant or stupid person deals with a cogent argument, because they are incapable of marshalling any logical counterarguments. It is a sign of defeat. Another trick this type resorts to is attempting to claim that the other party isn’t respecting his right to an opinion, simply because the other party used sharp language. Pretty candy-assed for a future military officer! Not only that, but he is too ignorant to understand that he has no “first amendment” right not to be argued with in a sharp manner. First amendment rights refer only to governmental attempts to curtail speech, not to the rudeness of one’s fellow citizens.
3) He is so ignorant, that he doesn’t even realize that Amy Goodman was never charged with “inciting to riot,” but with “obstructing administration,” for the “crime” of asking a cop a question. He is thus not only biased, but too ignorant of the case that he expresses an opinion on to actually have an informed opinion. But no matter, we must respect his “right” to his opinion by speaking softly to him!
4) I must have really gotten to him, because he immediately started sputtering on about such total irrelevancies as the Pledge of Allegiance, In God We Trust, the ACLU, and gun control, which have nothing to do with what we were debating! Amazingly, the idiot didn’t even ask my opinion on any of these, but merely ASSUMED that I must be some kind of knee jerk liberal because I had the temerity to call him out on his stupidity. I think this character must be from the Free Republic website, or a poster from Little Green Footballs. This is the sort of thing they do, when they get desperate. It’s called “making an amalgam.” The idiot doesn’t even know (because he was too flustered to ask) if I am a gun owner! I own guns, and don’t favor “gun control!” These sorts of amalgams are the kind of thing that ignorant, binary minded types (either you’re A or B) create as mental touchstones. He also seems to think I’m voting for Barack Obama! This is more of his knee jerk right wing amalgam generation. For the record, I’m voting for Bob Barr (who he MAY have heard of) who is running as a Libertarian (a party I doubt he could pronounce the name of).
5) In conclusion, I doubt this person is even in the military, and certainly not a future officer, and I’m sure his college education is a joke, if he has any. It is another specialty of Freepers, LGFers, and other neocon blog posters to boast about being in the military. They think it adds a touch of bravado and authenticity to their otherwise nerdy (but none too smart) personalities.
Well said. The more I read from him the less I believe anthing he wrote. I ask him why if he is so proud won’t he post his real name rank etc. I’m still waiting. He is most likely full of it or at best dropped out of JC and just got back from basics.
On a different note it’s good to have him around. It gives us someone to pick on rather than each other’s finer points. Kind of like Tim R.
Peace!
War Veteran and Proud:
Let me see if I understand your logic. The only reason that radical Muslim terrorists are not attacking thousands of fat easy targets in the US is that they prefer to attack heavily armed American military convoys in Iraq thereby inviting air attacks on their neighborhoods. Therefore the more troops that we pour into Iraq, thus leaving our own borders unguarded, the safer we will be.
We have over 160,000 troops in Iraq. We potentially have en estimated 2 million members of the military including the guard and reserve. I think we can send a few hundred thousand in Iraq. We are safer. We have the most powerful military in the world. Nobody can top us. We will prevail. We will remain free and stay safe.
“We have the most powerful military in the world”
Cone again–who’s “we”? What country is that again?
I am sure many Americans will be feel all the more secure from terrorists when, having wrapped up the three week war in Iraq, you are, however transiently, on the ground and face to face with atheistical, Communist Russians guarding the poor unfortunate democratic Georgians in Ossetia and Abkhazia.
War Veteran and Proud:
Have they taught you in officer training school that wars and military preparedness cost lots of money and that we borrow much of that from Commie China and the Russians. They can pull the plug on us and collapse the dollar whenever we get too threatening. That’s like a violent drunk borrowing money from his neighbors so that he can buy guns with which to shoot up their houses.
The US spends on its military as much as the rest of the world combined. All the hundreds of billions worth of high tech gadgetry isn’t doing much in Iraq against the insurgents’ small arms and IEDs. Do you equate the best military with results in the field or the most money spent on shiny weapons systems? What will victory in Iraq look like? Millions of corpses embedded in thousands of square miles of sand turned to glass? That is the only “victory” possible.
If you had a class or two on logistics, you would have learned that the army in Iraq is supplied through the Gulf and overland from Kuwait in vulnerable truck convoys. Much of the insurgency in Iraq is fueled by 20% of the population, the Sunni Muslims. The world’s greatest military can barely handle the Sunnis. The 60% Shiite majority is pretty quiet now because they are running whatever puppet government Iraq is allowed to have. An attack on neighboring Shiite Iran, will result not only in a catastrophic cut off of oil from the Gulf, but very likely, with the help of Iran, a quadrupling of the insurgency in Iraq and a cutoff of the army’s supply line leading to the surrender, on international TV, of the greatest military in history. Not exactly the outcome foreseen by those who assured us that Iraq would be a cakewalk.
We must also keep in mind that, unlike the Americans, the Russians have a long memory and have not forgotten that we armed Afghan insurgents (now our enemies), fighting the Soviet army, with Stinger missiles. So it is a safe bet that Russia has armed Iran with their Supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles against which there is no defense. One has to do something to defend against the drunken deadbeat menacing the neighborhood. So in a war with Iran say goodbye to the greatest naval fleet, now bottled up in the Gulf, since the Athenians sailed for Syracuse with such unbridled hubris.
One more lesson, a history lesson. The 19th century British too were confident of victory in Afghanistan until they lost an entire 16,000 man army in 1842 during a retreat from Kabul. One man was allowed to live to tell the world the story.
Please stop feeding this troll.
The Republicans and Democrats have already turned America into Israel. Their next goal is to turn us into Baghdad. Voting for Nader, my friends, not evil.
Wow damocles, you and little guy are both voting for Nader. How dare you guys run around and show off your brains? Just because the people who voted for Nader last time had an average IQ of about 20 points higher than republicrats shouldn’t give you the right to talk smack.
Seriously though Nader is a much better choice than Mc’Obama the lesser of two evils.
Peace!
Well, we have a lot in common Brad, but here I disagree. With Paul Craig Roberts and one presumes Kucinich, short of impeachment, the only accountability is destroying the Republican Party, and that means voting for Obama and Biden.
Any other vote will just help McCain and the Republicans close the lead, and prepare the way for more theft by Diebold.
Also I consider Nader an egomaniac and a fraud, who comes out periodically to run for “President” as a spoiler. He has had a lifetime to build a political party and run for office but instead he has become a semi-celebrity and Corporate Pet, like some of the Labor Union leaders, who talk the talk but in the end always keep the rank and file in line.
Finally, he is a lawyer, and has always capitalized on that in regard to the establishment he tries to seem to be confronting.
Also, if it is true that the two major parties, Theo-Fascists and Neo-Fascists, maintain their power by being a duopoly, destroying one of them in effect destroys both of them.
The arithmetic is unexpected but sound: subtract one from two and you get not one party and a monopoly but the party in “power”, the well-remembered and publicized remnants of the last party in power (with a lesson to the first party there as well), and at least one other party aiming to fill the vacancy.
So too every sincere antiwar and constitutionalist supporter of Paul should vote for Obama, since at this point the only power of the vote is negative, and what it can destroy, namely a Republican Party that supported and rubber-stamped the criminals Bush and Cheney for eight years.
Strangely enough, the larger the vote for Obama and the greater the loss for McCain, the less Obama will be able to claim a mandate without having to concede that voters were also actively rejecting the Republicans and their wars and their attack on the Constitution.
That in itself may serve as a warning and give some breathing space perhaps.
I once had great respect for and faith in Paul. No more. But I do now believe that Kucinich, both as a constitutionalist and as antiwar, will, unlike Paul, denounce a warmongering and unconstitutionalist Obama and Biden as heartily as he has denounced Bush and Cheney.
I may wrong, but his past courage and insight as mayor shows his present strength is nothing new.
In fact, right now I would like to see nothing more than a National Party led by Roberts and Kucinich, not only for what they have in common, which is overwhelming, but for their differences economically, which might result in a new synthesis, with a Socialist and a follower of Bastiat in every cell.
Well I have to say you have given me something to think about. If voting for Obama would actually destroy the Republicans I would do it in a heartbeat. As for Nader I won’t vote for him, I was refering to statistics I had read shortly after his last run. The reason I would suggest voting for Nader is that it would also be a protest vote and I don’t see him as evil so much as simply misguided.
I haven’t read much by Paul Craig Roberts so I guess I need to do some homework. If you have any good links lay them on me.
As for Kucinich I was very disapointed by his kissing up to the Dems at the convetion. But if in fact he has an alterior motive great. Ron Paul’s speach at the counter convention was outstanding. I don’t think it will do any good for him to come out strongly for impeachment. But you are correct he should have done so and be damned with the political consequences. It is the right thing to do. I have also heard that Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and Chuck Baldwin will be attending a press conference with a major anouncment. My guess is Ron Paul will be endorsing Bob Barr. But wouldn’t it be a shock if it turns out to be the other way around and Ron Paul changes his mind and runs as a Libertarian?
Peace!
Note also, Brad, that McCain is now trying, in effect, to appear to be running against the Republican Party as well. He even adopted Obama’s empty and indefinite “change”.
With the cooperation and incompetence of Paul that is how he got one third of the voters in one primary to vote for him because they thought he was both anti-Bush and anti-war.
In fact, I would not be surprised if some confused him with Paul.
Gustav may have put a damper on the Republcian Convention in one respect, but providing an excuse for Bush not to be there was surely a plus. Had there been no hurricane would he have been off to deal with some new, and Neo-Con-induced, emergency in Georgia?
Interesting about Paul and Barr. I agree with what you said some time ago, if I recall correctly, about building political parties from the bottom.
But I also think coalition politics is better than a one-party executive, and for that reason I think that changing the vice presidency to be of the same party as the presidency was a serious error constitutionally.
It may be beyond the present smaller national parties now to understand, but I think they might be much stronger if they did not run presidential candidates, but threw their support as parties to this or that major candidate. The old Liberal Party in New York did that with some effect now and then.
This would be the right time for every other presidential candidate that is pro-Constitution and antiwar–Barr, McKinney, Nader et al.–to come out against McCain and for Obama, making it clear in the event that they were not supporting Obama and Biden, so much as they are determined to destroy McCain and the Republican Party.
Such a course would also would garner these groups some public notice and bargaining power, especially if Obama’s victory was overwhelming, and with some identifiable votes from unexpected quarters, like Libertarian.
All the smaller parties together could make up a tidy little bloc of votes.
Meanwhile they run their own candidates for all other offices.
Such a step would also increase the chances for criminal prosecution of Bush and Cheney, which Obama is now saying he would not pursue “in his first term” (?).
Notice in the video link I posted on another thread on this site that not only is Kucinich still determined to impeach, but he also wants Bush and Cheney and the whole adminstration prosecuted.
I would also like to see Paul come out and say the same thing–that he is organizing a new party or program, but that right now the country cannot afford more war and more destruction of the Constitution and that his followers should vote for Obama.
This might actually increase his clout. And it would certainly make up for the disappointment he has caused.
Why in the world he ever said that he wished “to save the Republican Party” is beyond me.
I was very disappointed with him in New Hampshire when he had a strong antiwar constituency in hand, and also when he suspended his campaign. That in addition to his waffling on impeachment, which was the gravest offense, since Bush and Cheney are clearly criminals.
That was too much like the Democrats, including Pelosi, who were installed in Congress midterm.
Here is a link to Paul Craig Roberts’ syndicated columns:
http://www.vdare.com/roberts/all_columns.htm
He is one of the few economists who has any idea how far south the whole shebang has gone. He is also a strong Constitutionalist and calls them as he sees them.
In fact, Kucinich and Roberts strike me as made from same mold–nothing holds them back from saying what they see as the truth.
There will be people that will call Kucinich a “Socialist”. He calls himself a “Progressive Democrat”. If you look closely at his analyis and programs, however, you will see that this is no the run of the mill big government Democrat. He thinks out his programs systematically, as in emphasizing risk pool in “Health” care.
Also he is not, like most politicians, economically illiterate. In fact, I consider the prospect of Kucinich and Roberts going at economics at the same table a dynamic that might break a whole new path through the economic collapse and disintegration that is now almost inevitable, whoever wins the presidential election.
Biden is a worse fraud than Nader, not only in foreign policy but in law. Obama, who still remains a unresolved question in some ways, is, however, also a lawyer and that may be right now not his best but his worst point.
Thanks for the link I’ll check it out. I actually do like Kucinich in fact four years ago I was telling eveyone he was the man. I truly can’t stand socialists but I don’t see Kucinich as being over the top. The more I have read about the risk pool the less it seems to be part of a socialist adjenda. In fact it does have many advantages and economically it would be far superior to what we have now. I agree that Biden is a huge fraud but it was probably the best choice Obama could have made polically. If Kucinich had won in the primaries I would have voted for him.
Peace!
There it goes, as I have been predicting since the collapse of subprime:
http://news.yahoo.com/story//ap/20080906/ap_on_bi_ge/mortgage_giants_crisis
Bernanke lowering interest rates initially was almost a criminal offense for which he should be sent to Siberia, if the Russians or the Mongolians will take him.
Sub-prime was just the trigger and the symptom. The deeper cause, as most economists still don’t understand clearly was not bad or easy credit, but the same rise in oil prices, from $19 per barrel in January 2002 to a high of $147 per barrel in July, 2008. Those prices in turn were caused by the Iraq war and were key in the collapse of the US dollar, which in turn affected the real estate collapse recursively.
It is a vicious loop, and if there were economic crimes Clinton, Bush, and Cheney would all be charged and sentenced in a flash.
Yep, I just read the same article. I can’t say I’m surprised but it is very sad. One other thing you can add to your list is the printing (creating) of God knows how many US dollars. One of the best parts of the Ron Paul speach was listening to the croud chant NO MORE FED!
One of the other things that doesn’t get much press is the blatant manipulation of gold and silver. Even with the price manipulations (massive shorting by three major banks) I would suggest that gold and silver are a good investment. I’m not talking about paper but actual physical silver and gold. If you take into account the differnce between spot prices and the actual cost of getting real gold and silver. A great place to start is with silver coins if you can’t afford gold. If in fact we end up in WWIII it might be one of the few things that you have to trade with. APMEX is a good place to buy coins in particular, they deliver fast and are very reliable (at leaste they have been for me). Some of the coins can be bought in bulk for as little as 10 cents over spot. The large amount like the 1000 once bars are way over spot and shipment is on hold. Many sites are out of them also. I can’t say for sure when silver and gold will find their bottom but when it does you can expect a fairly decent bounce and recovery. Price manipulations will never win out over the actual market for long. I personally prefer silver as it’s actually more scarce and has such a huge industial use when compared with gold. We are currently using more silver worldwide than we are producing. I’m not saying sell everything you have and buy gold and silver but I do think it would be smart to have your hands on some just in case.
Peace!
“The hope is that by opening up the vast coffers of the US government to the GSEs, confidence will return to the housing and financial system, minimizing any losses….”
[AFP September 8, 2008]
Your Right Wing Corporate Socialist Welfare System at work. None of this will work in any but the shortest term, by the way. No homeowner or prospective home buyer will benefit. It will not help the real estate market recover. The point is to protect the Banks and those financial interests holding the bundled paper.
The effect on dollar will be very transient. There is another unavoidable recursion at work. The word is that this move could cost the Federal Government $100 billion. I find that a very reserved estimate and suspect it is closer to half a trillion at minimum.
Strange that the kneejerk ideologues who exclaim, “Socialism!”, at even the suggestion of a rationally planned and constitutional nationalization of US–actually multinational oil–seem to be fairly quiet, indeed as quiet as they were when the Fed moved to guarantee the bail out of Bear Stearns.
American economic illiteracy, even among leading economists, is egregious.
Check out Jesse Ventura’s fiery speech at the Rally for the Republic. It appears that he has announced his candidacy for 2012. He has more charisma, balls and brains than anyone that the two parties can ever find.
to MetaCynic
Jesse Ventura’s speach was great.
to Eugene having gone on and read some of Paul Craig Roberts’ syndicated columns I realized I have in fact read more of his articles than I thought. Mainly I have only scanned them as for the most part all they do is confirm what I already believe. I did bookmark the site and will continue reading.
I have given it more thought and will continue to do so about destroying the Republican Party through voting for Obama. For now I just can’t bring myself to do it. I’ll keep an open mind, but I’m not convinced it will help destroy the Republican Party so much as give false hope while the neo-cons regroup, or just start WWIII before Obama can get in. Although I have to say, the only reason I would vote for Obama would be in the hope of getting rid of the GOP after it’s take over by the neo-cons. I’m also not convinced that Obama isn’t also a shill for Israel as is Biden.
Peace!
Brad:
Destroying the Republican party would also destroy the myth of a partisan, two party system. The warbird of state would have to limp along on only one wing. The vacuum ensuing from such a political shock could allow a real alternative, hopefully a libertarian one, to emerge to stand up to the statist Democrats. All those who cannot stomach the Democrats would now have a genuine choice and not the Republicans’ empty slogans. How many votes during the last generation have libertarian candidates lost to the Republicans because of fear that such a vote would really benefit the Democrats?