tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046674560526379252024-03-13T10:53:32.900-07:00Manyhats SpeaksUnobstructed political analysis and commentary.Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-43236881709044191032009-06-10T08:33:00.000-07:002009-06-11T13:30:49.128-07:00Massacres in Amazonia: Courtesy of New Free Trade Agreement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaVhDx1PhURFyG5bOUGnTpB4zbh77FtEsXOaWZ7HPMkjwwAO-w0gUiCTMm4DKLH_Q3ODZCuET_g5R2wefciXJngLrWtQGjdWnGJRSMe4b7Ohb9nL441KYc22pcj2Jjnh4TBOvaZdE0sm4/s1600-h/925339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaVhDx1PhURFyG5bOUGnTpB4zbh77FtEsXOaWZ7HPMkjwwAO-w0gUiCTMm4DKLH_Q3ODZCuET_g5R2wefciXJngLrWtQGjdWnGJRSMe4b7Ohb9nL441KYc22pcj2Jjnh4TBOvaZdE0sm4/s320/925339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346169522826355026" border="0" /></a><br /><div>All too often, U.S. politicians denigrate actions and statements made by various Latin American leaders who oppose that which they call U.S. imperialism in their countries. Yet, during most of this decade, the political landscape throughout much of Central and South America has been swinging decidedly to the left; this, in continual opposition to U.S. brokered free trade agreements; this, in support of national economic autonomy. Even as politicians in the United States (including Barak Obama) continue to arrogantly support, and even push for the creation of ever more economic agreements with our neighbors to the south, the evidence continues to mount that these agreements imposed upon the people exact a very high price - one that almost always comes at the expense of the people - often indigenous people. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>On the morning of June 5, Peruvian police, at the behest of President Alan Garcia, launched a brutal attack upon indigenous protesters in the Bagua Province who had been non-violently conducting a road blockade in protest of ten laws - rules designed to open up indigenous lands to increased mineral, oil, gas and timber exploitation. According to an in depth report, which aired on the June 8 edition of <b><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/peruvian_police_accused_of_massacring_indigenous">Democracy Now,</a></b> the laws had been presented to the Peruvian congress on a fast track without any consultation with the native peoples who would be so deeply affected by the passage of these laws. These laws were apparently passed in order to expedite the industrialization of Peru's Amazon region.<br /><br />During the weeks leading up to the above-mentioned attack, many roads and bridges had been blocked by a coalition of indigenous peoples from throughout the region. According to reports in various independent media outlets, all of these blockades were of a peaceful nature. Still, during the June 5 attack the police opened fire upon the protesters with live amunition; the protesters, according to video footage <b><a href="http://www.minnpost.com/globalpost/2009/06/11/9454/behind_perus_explosion_of_violence">and photographic evidence,</a></b> were only carrying spears. The death toll among the amazonian defenders now ranges in the dozens with at least 150 more injured. Some two dozen police have also been reported as being killed in the conflict.<br /><br />Meanwhile,in what is being alleged as his typical behavior, Peruvian President Garcia is attempting to lay the blame for the conflict upon Bolivia and Equador where leftist governments have been elected into power. Bolivian President Evo Morales, was elected on a pro-indigenous platform and is himself Native American. Peru, with Alan Garcia as its president, is one of the few countries in Latin America that remains loyal to U.S. economic and foreign policy toward that region. Mr. Garcia is joined by Mexican President Felipe Calderón and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.<br /><br />Protests against the massacre at Bagua have begun taking place in other parts of the world. On June 9 a demonstration for the rights of the Amazonian people took place at the Hague in the Netherlands. Beginning front of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Institute for Social Sciences, </span>the demonstration later moved to the Peruvian embassy there.<br /><br />On June 11 three activists, as part of a larger demonstration, <b><a href="http://nyc.indymedia.org/or/2009/06/105777.html">chained themselves to the doors of Senator Charles Schumer's office</a></b> in New York City. The activists accuse Schumer, President Obama, and many other politicians of complicity with the recent Peruvian massacre; this, due to their support of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement. It is claimed that those supporting the agreement were warned that the it would be a violation of indigenous land rights as well as the cause of environmental desecration. According to a report in <span style="font-style: italic;">NYC Indymedia, </span>"Members of Trade Justice NY Metro had met with Schumer's staff twice before the Peru Free Trade Agreement vote, presenting him with reports from the Washington Office on Latin America predicting violence and instability if the agreement passed."<br /><br />For all of their talk about defending the rights of all peoples, and for all of their talk about defending the environment, it is clear that the majority of our politicians - including President Obama, are generally interested in only two things, which include the continuation of the American worldwide empire, and the continual advance of the U.S. economy by any means necessary. It is doubtful that Senator Schumer in particular, will even make a comment after NYC activists did such a good job of implicating him with the massacres. Still, with so many injustices in the world, and with so much environmental desecration taking place, it would be wonderful if our so-called representatives and elected officials would begin looking past their collective noses in order to understand where their reckless policies are leading humanity.<br /><br />For more information in Spanish and with parts in English click <b><a href="http://www.indymedia.org/en/2009/06/925277.shtml">here for global Indymedia.</a></b><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rootforce.org </span>offers a take-action page <b><a href="http://www.rootforce.org/2009/06/05/action-alert-stop-peruvian-infrastructure-push/">here.</a></b><br /><br />Photo courtesy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Global </span>and/or <span style="font-style: italic;">Peru Indymedia. </span><br /><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> </span><br /></div>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-22287636281461590712009-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:002009-05-13T10:29:09.905-07:00Nightwish in Concert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvb-dbzIu8vhygtAEo2JN2u9Cmo9kk_2Wqg6jmU36MWMcHwd-5HXIyrchu-jzdZWw6VDeycHPi9iNn3zOURrxZ33wteevOFBn59wphCGDFNoLJ5BDUqUJd7V6jmYD5NVHQrw1XIMk0U5R/s1600-h/Nightwish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvb-dbzIu8vhygtAEo2JN2u9Cmo9kk_2Wqg6jmU36MWMcHwd-5HXIyrchu-jzdZWw6VDeycHPi9iNn3zOURrxZ33wteevOFBn59wphCGDFNoLJ5BDUqUJd7V6jmYD5NVHQrw1XIMk0U5R/s320/Nightwish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335351168997471810" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I guess that I've always been a rock music affectionado, and I've spent a big part of my life, at least since the teenage years, on a quest to find good bands and musicians involved in that genre. For me however, music slowly went downhill after the end of the 60's. It didn't happen all at once of course, and truth be told, there is always good music and creativity to be found in rock music as well as any other genre. Still, as the years passed, it became more and more difficult for me to find anyone new that could satisfy my musical cravings.<br /><br />When KXUA, the student-run radio station at the University of Arkansas first came on the air in the spring of 2000, a Saturday night program called <span style="font-style: italic;">From the Crypt </span>had its debut. Hosted by Death Mistress Sarah White, the program featured a genre of music, which I'd never heard of - gothic and goth industrial. It was on this program that I was given the first hints that I had been missing out on something. On her program, the Death Mistress played music by groups such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshies, Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative. </span>For me, the music was fresh and exciting, but although I listened to <span style="font-style: italic;">From the Crypt </span>religiously, the music played was already somewhat old wave. When the program went off the air two or three years later, all I was left with were a few CD's by <span style="font-style: italic;">Type O </span>and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Sisters of Mercy. </span>Not being nearly as adept on computers and the internet at the time as I am now, I was doomed to several more years of musical isolation</span><span class="style2"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;">. Then it happened:<br /><br />About a year and one-half ago a teenage friend, with whom I enjoyed talking about music, handed me a CD entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Passion Play. </span>The CD was by a Finnish group called <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish, </span>and the music he explained, was of a type that he called <span style="font-weight: bold;">symphonic metal. </span>As I took the album home and gave it a listen, I quickly realized that<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>this group's music is incredible! It was a perfect blend of hard rock and/or metal with its power chords, excellent female vocals balanced by good male vocals, choir in the background, symphonic sounding keyboards, and excellent guitar work - pure genius in my book! I started buying more of Nightwish's CD's to the point where I now have just about everything that they have done.<br /><br />Becoming familiar with this incredible band, along with my improved use of the internet, helped me to discover other similar groups that played in this symphonic-metal genre. From these, I branched out to still others, who while not necessarily a part of the symphonic genre, were equally creative and innovative in their musical creativity - most of these hearkening from Europe. Still, I only mention these others in passing right now because, although I absolutely love their musical contributions, this story is about <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish. </span><br /><br />About six months ago, I happened to go to the band's <b><a href="http://www.nightwish.com/">official website.</a></b> As I looked at the cities they would be playing in as part of their <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Passion Play </span>tour, my eyes froze on a line that said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">May 9: Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City. </span>At first I couldn't believe my eyes; after all, although this musical group plays to sold-out audiences in some of Europe's largest arenas and venues, they are not very well known here in the United States. Still, upon making this discovery, I knew that I just had to go; and, within a few days, my sister and her partner, both recent <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>converts, as well as myself had our concert tickets. All we had to do was be patient for the next six months.<br /><br />The six months passed and this past Saturday was the big day. With great anticipation we set out for what would be an incredible musical event.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Diamond Ballroom </span>turned out to be an excellent venue for the concert. Basically, the place is a large honkytonk with an adequate stage, seats and tables set way back opposite the stage, a large dance/standing area, and a couple of bars on either side of the floor. I had VIP tickets, which meant that I could do the meet and greet. I don't idolize people, but I do respect and give honor to those who show creative genius and/or make positive contributions to the world. So, I was extremely happy to actually get to meet the band before the concert. Then, I bought myself a beer and waited for the festivities to begin.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>is a five-person band, which sometimes brings in other musical guests to play with them. It consists of composer and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, lead-vocalist Anette Olzon, Marco Hietala on electric bass guitar and vocals, Empuu Vuorinen on rhythm and lead guitar, and Jukka Nevalainen playing the drums. Each is an incredible talent in their own right.<br /><br />As is usually the case, there was an opening band; so, <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>didn't get started until a little after 10:00 pm. Of course, there was an interval between the exiting of the first group and the on-stage appearance of the night's headliner. As the various technicians took to the stage in order to do the sound checks the anticipation continued to build. "Who's that; Is it them?" people would ask.<br /><br />The techies soon exited the stage, the lights dimmed and the excitingly beautiful music called <span style="font-style: italic;">Crimson Tide </span>began to play. Suddenly, hoots and screams emanated from the crowd as Tuomas, Marco, Jukka and Empuu<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>took to the stage<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>and began the into to <span style="font-style: italic;">Seven Days to the Wolves. </span>They were soon followed by Anette, who as usual, delivered a stunning performance. From that moment on, they held the audience in the palms of their hands. In some ways, the rest of the concert was a blurr. Although the performance lasted for eighty or ninety minutes, it seems as though it only lasted for about ten. Of course, this short amount of time only allows them to play a small fraction of their songs, as they have so much wonderful music that it would likely take the entire night, if not longer, to play all of it.<br /><br />I estimate that about 400 or 500 people attended the concert. In one sense, this is sad because <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>is internationally known and has performed to sold-out venues all over the world. Just what is it about the U.S. media that keeps the population so unaware about the rest of the world anyway? Still, due to the relatively small number in attendence Saturday night, we were all able to watch the performance up close. There was plenty of room to move around in order to take photos or to view the performance from another angle. As each member of <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>interacts with the audience on a personal level and moves all over the stage, the possibilities for photos were endless.<br /><br />All too soon the concert came to an end. Guitar picks and drum sticks were thrown into the adoring crowd, the final bow was made, and an evening with <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>came to an end. It is Wednesday morning as I write this story, and I still feel as though I'm on a cloud. That's what attending a concert with these people will do to a person. My sister and her friend also attended; they feel the same. I'm very grateful that this supergroup took the time to perform for us, a relatively small crowd, in Oklahoma City.<br /><br />In early September the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Passion Play </span>tour will end when <span style="font-style: italic;">Nightwish </span>will be welcomed back to Finland at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hartwall Arena </span>in Helsinki, where they will be joined by another popular group known as <span style="font-style: italic;">Apocalyptica </span>for a huge mega concert. I've got four months to figure out a way to get there. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> <br /><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-29044245967931542532009-04-30T11:57:00.000-07:002009-05-03T14:40:39.009-07:00The Swine Flu: A Byeproduct of NAFTA?<span style="font-size:100%;">On January 1, 1994 the <span style="font-style: italic;">North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) </span>took affect. The agreement has been supported by every U.S. President since George H. W. Bush; this, even though the agreement was not implemented until near the end of the first term of the Clinton administration. During his campaign, President Obama spoke about making some changes to the agreement, but as president, has not made any such proposals.<br /><br />Upon the implementation of <span style="font-style: italic;">NAFTA, </span>many U.S.-based companies flocked to Mexico in order to flout U.S. environmental regulations, worker-safety rules and minimum-wage standards. As a result of these businesses going south, both American and Mexican workers were deeply hurt. In the United States, decent-paying jobs were lost and blue-collar workers found themselves being forced to compete in the so-called "race to the bottom." Mexicans saw the rise of the so-called maquiladoras - sweatshops that exploited the work force by paying slave wages, virtually eliminating worker-safety concerns, and exploited the land and its people through reckless anti-environmental practices. Many of the companies that created the maquiladoras set up shop along the border regions, but many moved much farther south as well. One such business was a Virginia-based company called <span style="font-style: italic;">Smithfield Farms; </span>this, according to an April 29 article written by Julio Hernándes for <span style="font-style: italic;">La Jornado, </span>one of Mexico's leading daily newspapers.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/04/29/index.php?section=politica&article=004o1pol">In his article</a></b> Hernándes points out that in 1985, <span style="font-style: italic;">Smithfield Farms </span>was found to be <b><a href="http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/135261f4d1edd40885257359003d4807/c7a68726816ff7b3852567ef0053e790%21OpenDocument">in violation of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Clean Water Act</span></a></b> </span>at its pig processing facilities in Smithfield, Virginia.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>The accusation was that they had been dumping vast amounts of hog waste into the Pagan River, which is a tributary that eventually finds its way into the Chesapeake Bay. At that time the company was fined $1,285,000.00. Then, in 1996 one of the company's CEO's was ordered by a Federal Judge to pay $12.6 million and to complete an eighteen month prison sentence. A second Smithfield employee was given a similar sentence for falsifying and destroying records, as well as the intentional discharge of toxins into the river.<br /><br />According to Hernándes' report, the hog-processing company re-located to the Perote Valley of Vera Cruz under the name of Granjas Carroll (Carroll Ranches) near a town of approximately three thousand inhabitants known as <span style="font-style: italic;">La Gloria. </span>Here he alleges, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>the company has been allowed to carry out <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>gross environmental violations with total disregard toward the local population; this, with the full protection of the state and federal government since it first relocated there - including the full protection of the current Calderón Administration.<br /><br />Other news reports seem to support these accusations of government complicity. An article dated April 6 , which also appeared in <b><a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/04/06/index.php?section=estados&article=030n1est"> La Jornada</a></b> summed up the situation this way:<br /><br />"</span><i>Clouds of flies emanate from the rusty lagoons where the Carroll Ranches business tosses the fecal wastes of its pig farms, and the open-air contamination is already generating an epidemic of respiratory infections in the town of La Gloria, in the Perote Valley, according to Town Administrator Bertha Crisóstomo López." </i><br /><br />Further, the local newspaper <b><a href="http://www.marcha.com.mx/resumen.php?id=2128">Marcha</a></b> on April 15 laid the entire blame for what it called an epidemic in <span style="font-style: italic;">La Gloria</span> on Carroll Ranches. Interestingly enough, neither the Mexican nor the U.S. government acknowledged that a problem existed until April 24. It must be mentioned here that <span style="font-style: italic;">La Jornada </span>is one of Mexico's largest newspapers - if not the largest!<br /><br />Since the implementation of <span style="font-style: italic;">NAFTA, </span>the filthy and unhealthy conditions - the utter disregard for the people of Mexico and the environment in which they live has been the dirty little secret of politicians and their corporate masters alike. Now, it would appear, the genie has been let out of the bottle; and, that genie's name is H1N1 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">swine flu</span> - a virus that has put the entire world on alert due to its potential for the creation of a world-wide pandemic. An occurrence such as this flu outbreak was just about inevitable - just a matter of time considering the horrific conditions with which so many have had to contend since the implementation of the <span style="font-style: italic;">North American Free Trade Agreement; </span>Then there are those who continue to propagate the philosophy of Laissez-<em>faire</em> economics - a philosophy by which government completely abides by a hands-off policy toward business; this, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that such hands-off policies practically invite environmental abuse, worker exploitation and sometimes, even human-rights violations.<br /><br />Somewhere in America - all across this country actually, there are those who call themselves true patriots. In their private e-mails and conversations, as well as publicly on their countless radio-talk shows, they denounce environmentalists for "hating America." These so-called conservatives constantly attempt to demonize persons that believe in environmental preservation and regulation by calling them communists, socialists, Nazis - any derogatory term they can come up with. Still, the swine flu is now out there - rapidly spreading from state to state and from country to country, threatening who knows how many people - and to think that it all could have been avoided with some sensible environmental regulation!<br /><br />For more on this subject in English you can go to the <b><a href="http://www.narconews.com/Issue57/article3512.html">Narco News Bulletin.</a></b><em></em><br /><br /><br /><i><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-74578283466801158402009-04-16T09:30:00.000-07:002009-04-18T13:34:28.385-07:00Hijacked! Fayetteville's So-Called Anti-Taxation Tea PartyYesterday, I checked out the so-called anti-taxation Tea Party that took place in front of the Town Center on the Fayetteville Square. Actually, I didn't really attend the event, but since I was in the immediate vicinity and was curious about what would be said and how many people would show up for it, I popped in once in awhile.<br /><br />Fortunately, I got to enjoy the company of some Green Party folks and other progressives who apparently, had the same curiosity about the event as me. Their good humor and insight helped improve my mood considerably, especially since my annoyance with tea-party organizers continued to grow as the starting time for the program grew nearer.<br /><br /><br />Truth be told, the Tea Party grew quite a large crowd. According to an article in the <B><A HREF="http://www.nwanews.com/nwat">Northwest Arkansas Times</A></B> organizers estimated that up to one thousand people attended the event; this, over the course of some three hours. My own very unofficial estimate gave organizers credit for attracting some 700 attendees. Either way, yesterday's Tea Party likely doubled any peace demonstration attendance that I've seen here in Fayetteville. This would include the demonstration that took place on the Fayetteville Square that took place in October, 2002, when around 400 caring people attempted to stop the imminent and criminal invasion of Iraq.<br /><br /><br />While Wednesday's event was attended by a mixed group of people, it was not all that difficult to discern that most were conservative Republicans. Quite a few of the people there were conservatively dressed in suits and ties; some of the women were attired in corresponding apparel. There were lots of signs condemning out of control government and there were lots of people bearing American Flags. At one point, I noticed a vehicle circling the square with a large flag, which hearkened back to the War of 1812; it said, <strong>Don't Tread on Me. </strong><br /><br /><strong></strong><br />As various progressives, who had also checked out the event, came over to where my group was sitting, they gave reports of anti-liberal and anti-immigration sentiment as well as Christian dominionism. One quick glance into the crowd revealed a sea of waving signs that expressed an anti-socialist message - as if the Obama Administration is actually practicing real socialism! Of course, this anti-socialist agenda is actually a mainstay of the conservative philosophy. Just call anyone who thinks for himself or herself a socialist, and they have been totally discredited - their character destroyed. This appears to be how many a conservative mind functions.<br /><br /><br />It has long been my understanding that, politically speaking, the concept of left versus right is not lateral but rather, is circular. In other words, if one person's thinking goes far enough to the left and another's goes far enough to the right, they will end up having some common beliefs. A general distrust in government is one such commonality; this, even though both the left and the right do believe that government ought to regulate certain things - just different things.<br /><br /><br />Some of those at Wednesday's event reflected this commonality; they attended because they feel that both President Obama and the Congress are out of control and not representing the needs and desires of the people. I spoke with one or two such people during the event on Wednesday, but had a difficult time expressing my dissatisfaction with the event as a whole particularly, as regards the intentions of event organizers and that which I consider to be their true agenda.<br /><br /><br />Of course, I cannot claim to know what any one person's true intentions are. Still, there are trends, personal histories, and observations that can be made by anyone who cares enough to keep their eyes open. Let's examine this a bit:<br /><br /><br />Fayetteville's Tea Party was part of a coordinated nationwide event. It was strongly promoted by the obvious Republican-propaganda organ Fox News, as well as <em>Free Republic </em>and many conservative radio talk shows.<br /><br /><br />Locally, Fayetteville's Tea Party was, according to a recent story in the <em>Northwest Arkansas Times, </em>organized by Laurie Masterson - formerly Laurie Taylor who married <em>Arkansas Democrat-Gazette </em>columnist Mike Masterson some months ago. Two or three years ago Ms. Laurie, as I like to call her, was heavily involved in an attempt to get sex-education books banned from the Fayetteville school system particularly, in the middle schools; but if memory serves me well, even in the high school. At the time, Ms. Laurie claimed that it wasn't really a book ban; she only wanted to make such material inaccessible to students without parent's consent. It was claimed that such books were pornographic. They clearly were not; at least, not according to this writer. Having been a child whose parents would not discuss anything relating to the birds and the bees, I am personally very supportive of having such material available for students of a certain age. Call it whatever you like, but for many students Ms. Laurie's proposition, had it been adopted by the school board, would have effectively cut off access to much needed information that cannot be accessed at home. The word "ban" works well enough for me.<br /><br /><br />It was also Ms. Laurie, who at least twice on Johnny Tittle's former radio program, offered to pay my way to anyplace in the world I would have liked to visit; this, provided that I would promise never to set foot in the United States again. Why did she make such an offer? She and most other listeners didn't appreciate my opposition to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, or their desires to attack Iran with nuclear weapons. Sure, she may have simply thought that she was being clever but still, such attempts at being funny often reflect a deeper belief system.<br /><br /><br />Here's something to think about: While Ms. Laurie and some of Johnny's other listeners clearly stated on the air that I should leave the country because of my opposition to the useless taking of innocent life, they are now holding rallies in opposition to taxation and government spending. Just where were they during the eight years that George W. Bush was raising the national deficit by $4 trillion in order to finance the illegal invasion occupation of soverign nations while giving contracts to companies such as Halliburton, which wasted billions of dollars while supplying our troops with contaminated food and drinking water.<br /><br /><br />Perhaps, the true feelings of the event's right-wing organizers were expressed during a recent e-mail exchange I had with a former local radio talk-show host. During the exchange, he was referring to the upcoming tea party supporters as being "we the people." Upon asking him if the majority of Americans who voted for Obama, myself included, qualify as "we the people," he gave the following reply:<br /><br /><br />"...All of this is to say Socialism is not American and people who want socialism are not believers in America and thus are unpatriotic. So I have no qualms referring to my side as Americans and your side as non-American. We do surround you and vastly outnumber you."<br /><br />So there you have it - one so-called conservative's (I prefer the word fascist's) opinion of those with whom he disagrees. He reduces us to being less than real American's; that way, our opinions can be dismissed. In truth, designating unbelievers as the enemy has long been a tactic of that which I call the "rabid right."<br /><br />I suppose that it's frightening to consider the possibility that many who attended Wednesday's program are not a part of this rabid right; yet, their body count both here in Fayetteville and nationwide, will be used to bolster the radical right's power base in order to advance their social, political, economic and theological agenda. Today, I can't help but feel that some of the folks in attendance Wednesday are being used by those who cannot abide by the fact that the Democrats have been chosen to govern the country. Just as in the 90's when Bill Clinton's election brought on an extreme right-wing backlash complete with organizations dedicated to hound, cripple and ultimately, bring down the new president, I believe that the Tea Party organizers have the same agenda in mind. I also believe that many simply cannot abide by the fact that a black or racially-mixed man was elected to the nation's highest office.<br /><br />Believe me, I am not a Democrat and have my criticisms concerning some of Barak Obama's policies; especially, his continuation of the war in Afghanistan, the war on drugs, and his silence when it comes to Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. Still, it's not very difficult to see history repeating itself here and that, as Rush Limbaugh once indicated, the rabid right wants to see Obama fail - all to the demise of how many more people!<br /><br />Some economic indicators are pointing to the fact that there may already be some light on the economic horizon - that the stimulus, which conservatives are so opposed to, might be starting to work. It saddens me to think that those who have concerns about excessive government spending are likely being used in order to advance the rabid right's dark agenda. In a word, they are being <strong>hijacked. </strong>That is my opinion.<br /><br />Upon returning home last night I called a friend. He refused to have anything to do with yesterday's festivities and I wanted to express my fears to him. My message was simple: Be afraid; be very afraid!Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-18790775464306585762009-03-24T12:09:00.000-07:002009-03-25T11:14:45.440-07:00George Galloway - Violating the Ultimate Taboo<span style="font-size:100%;">Of all the current political taboos that we have in the United States and in the west as a whole, the one that often exacts the greatest scorn, and at times the quickest punishment when violated, is the prohibition against not giving total allegiance to the Nation of Israel. It really doesn't matter whether one is American, Canadian, British, French - whatever, the rule still applies.<br /><br />In the United States, all major presidential candidates as well as many congressional aspirants seemingly must appear at the annual <span style="font-style: italic;">Policy Conference </span>sponsored by <span style="font-style: italic;">AIPAC, </span>otherwise known as the <span style="font-style: italic;">American Israel Public Affairs Committee; </span><span>this,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>in order to swear allegiance to Israel's foreign policy objectives. This lobbying organization's <b><a href="http://aipac.org/">own website</a></b><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>puts it this way:<br /><br />"</span>The AIPAC Policy Conference is the pro-Israel community's preeminent annual gathering. The event attracts more than 5,000 community and student activists from all 50 states, and more than half of the Senate, a third of the House of Representatives and countless American and Israeli policymakers and thinkers.<span style="font-size:100%;">"<br /><br />Last year, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barak Obama all attended and gave speeches at the conference. None of these candidates questioned in the least, Israel's foreign policies toward its neighbors, including well documented human-rights violations and collective punishments used against the civilian populations of Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza. Further, President Obama was sworn in only a few days after Israel completed an operation of absolute carnage against Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli operation included the now documented use of internationally-banned white phosphorus against defenseless people there and blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the suffering. This included the deliberate firing upon Red Cross workers. Still, not a word of this was mentioned by Mr. Obama either on Inauguration day or any time during the two months since - nor will it be. The simple fact of the matter is that for all practical purposes, the State of Israel, either directly or through its various powerful lobbies such as AIPAC, controls our politicians and foreign policy in the Middle East.<br /><br />Those who dare to speak up against Israeli policies are quick to find themselves labeled as "anti-Semitic," with these accusations coming as quickly from so-called liberals as well as conservatives. In Germany it is actually <span style="font-weight: bold;">illegal </span>to deny the holocaust, and just about anywhere in the west where one speaks against Israeli policy some sort of ostracism is almost sure to follow; this, not because of any wrong doing, but only due to the holding an unpopular opinion - political correctness at its best. While this writer certainly condemns the atrocities committed against the Jewish people by the Nazis during the 30's and 40's I have to say emphatically that I am not afraid of opinions that differ from my own. After all, isn't free speech and lively debate what it's supposed to be about? Further, the questions must be asked: Isn't it right to condemn <span style="font-weight: bold;">all </span>human-rights violations, no matter who they are committed by and no matter who they are committed against? How can we on the one hand, condemn Nazi atrocities against Jewish people and then on the other, condone Israel's more recent violations against the virtually defenseless Palestinian and Lebanese populations?<br /><br />The extent to which some governments and organizations will go to stifle any discussion or ideas contrary to Israel's policies toward its neighbors was brought out into the open recently when the Canadian government banned George Galloway from entering that country in order to thwart a March 30 speaking engagement and public forum in Toronto that was to be entitled, <span style="font-style: italic;">Resisting War From Gaza to Kandahar. </span><br /><br />For those who are not familiar with him, Galloway is a radio talk-show host as well as a member of the British Parliament - one who has been elected to that governing body five times; this, in spite of being cast out of the Labour Party in October of 2003 when it was decided by the party leadership that his strong statements against that year's invasion of Iraq brought his party into disrepute. Mr. Galloway is a controversial figure in Great Britain, and is often considered as being one who enjoys rubbing people the wrong way. This writer's opinion of him, after some observation, is that the British MP is a passionate voice for peace and justice in an often unjust world, a man whose statements and actions are either misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented by his critics. If he enjoys rubbing some folks the wrong way, then so be it. He is certainly no criminal and is certainly not a terrorist - a label the Canadian government seemingly wants to place upon him.<br /><br />Late last week Mr. Galloway faced off in a <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAm7rfHKSyY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Finformationclearinghouse.info%2Farticle22274.htm&feature=player_embedded">televised discussion on UK Channel 4</a></b> with Meir Weinsten, the director of the <span style="font-style: italic;">JDL (Jewish Defense League) </span>of Canada. Reportedly, the <span style="font-style: italic;">JDL </span>was instrumental in convincing the Canadian government to block Galloway's entrance into the country on the grounds of being a national security threat; this, in spite of the fact that the British anti-war spokesman travels to that country every year in order to engage in such forums. It must also be pointed out that in its report, <span style="font-style: italic;">Terrorism 2000/2001, </span>our own <span style="font-style: italic;">FBI </span>referred to the <span style="font-style: italic;">JDL </span>as a "violent extremist Jewish Organization."<br /><br />During the televised discussion Weinsten labeled Galloway as "a threat to Canadian security" and "a proxy agent" for Hamas and Hezbollah. These charges come in part, from the British MP's <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUHDrMLKGA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Finformationclearinghouse.info%2Farticle22252.htm&feature=player_embedded">recent visit to Gaza,</a></b> where he and many more of his countrymen delivered humanitarian aid to the people of that war-ravaged territory. Toward the end of the discussion the MP pointed out that there are other means available with which to address the Canadian people. In response, Weinsten issued a threat to any Canadian supporters of Galloway or those who would so much as listen to him by saying, "we will be looking into these organizations to expose their links to terrorist organizations." He went on to threaten individuals as well. Galloway's response was to cite Weinsten's remarks as being "venal and brute threats." He called for debate as opposed to exclusion.<br /><br />For any who watch the above-mentioned debate - if you want to call it that, it is easy to observe Weinsten's body language and his general demeanor. In the opinion of this writer, to watch Weinsten in action is to see the bare face of fascism - a fascism that intends to do harm to anyone, who will even listen to a differing point of view from that of the Israeli storyline. To watch George Galloway, as he stands up to his opponent armed with truth and freedom, is a ray of light in an ever-darkening political climate.<br /><br />Those organizations to whom Galloway was scheduled to speak have already begun legal action in order to overturn their government's decision. The MP's contention that, "all right-thinking Canadians, whether they agree with me over the wisdom of sending troops to Afghanistan or not, will oppose this outrageous decision," seems to be coming to fulfillment in that country.<br /><br />On March 24, Canada's own <span style="font-style: italic;">Center for Research on Globalization </span>published an <b><a href="http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22284.htm">article</a></b> entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Bush Versus Galloway: Who is a Threat to Canada's Security? </span>The article begins by stating that, "A gross violation of constitutional and international law occurred this week heralding a dark day for Canadian governance and society. The credibly accused war criminal George W. Bush was allowed into Canada in violation of Canada's ratified international and constitutional obligations...The Canadian government's complacency in the war criminal's visit, was starkly contrasted with the haste of the government in banning the anti-war British MP George Galloway from entering Canada, who was planning to speak to an anti-war church group in Toronto in the coming weeks."<br /><br />Further, even thoughtful Jewish Canadians have begun <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1kNtOHIIh0&feature=related">speaking out</a></b> against their government"s banning of Mr. Galloway in favor of free speech and lively debate.<br /><br />Although George Galloway has said that the Canadian government's decision is unacceptable and that he intends to fight it, there is no telling what the eventual outcome of this dispute will be. It is his feeling that Canada's right-wing government will soon be swept away by the voters in the up and coming elections; there is some reason to believe that this is so. Still, it is difficult to deny the ever-growing power of Israel and its lobbying/citizen's groups in the United States, Canada, and other western countries. It is becoming more obvious by the day that as regards the situation in the Middle East, it is these people's intention that there will only be one narrative told - <span style="font-weight: bold;">and it will be theirs! </span>Good luck George. I hope you win this one. <br /> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> <br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-40662738031163546762009-02-02T08:53:00.000-08:002009-02-04T08:33:54.646-08:00The Ice Storm: A Memorable Occasion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZwtVwHM3769lu_4c4tnc3sr112DCdgJ093-f8VfUH7bDXbmAnxJs79-YkBWkROJS8kgQEJnhGwTFHz31NfqxuT3Lq-XYfesx82wNryXWuQtpgyqyc2WKfZo32hd2F8DmUW9546rsMPQO/s1600-h/SafeRedirect.aspx"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298630179665427106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 239px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZwtVwHM3769lu_4c4tnc3sr112DCdgJ093-f8VfUH7bDXbmAnxJs79-YkBWkROJS8kgQEJnhGwTFHz31NfqxuT3Lq-XYfesx82wNryXWuQtpgyqyc2WKfZo32hd2F8DmUW9546rsMPQO/s320/SafeRedirect.aspx" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Some say the world will end in fire,<br />Some say in ice.<br />From what I've tasted of desire<br />I hold with those who favor fire.<br />But if it had to perish twice,<br />I think I know enough of hate<br />To say that for destruction ice<br />is also great<br />And would suffice. - Robert Frost<br /></span><span name="KonaFilter"><br />During the first week of February 1978 my hometown of Providence, Rhode Island was struck by a blizzard. The <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Great Blizzard of "78," </span>as it is still called, hit suddenly and with force. I was at work when the first flakes began to fall. As the minutes passed however, it quickly became apparent that this was not going to be an ordinary snow event. The factory I was working in shut down and we all headed for home.<br /><br />At the time, I was rooming with friends in a town called Warren, a community located on the east side of Narragansett Bay. I never made it home that day; in fact, I never made it out of Providence as the snow piled up so quickly that I had to abandon the car I had bought only a few days earlier on a main street, which fortunately, ran close to my friend Gus' house.<br /><br />It would be a week before I would be able to drive back out to Warren. While I don't remember the actual precipitation measurements accrued as a result of the blizzard, I do know that the snowfall amount approached four feet; snow drifts from the blowing wind reached to the roofs of people's houses. While snowfall is common in Rhode Island, blizzards are not. This particular storm completely overwhelmed the various cities' ability to cope with the precipitation and the entire state, Providence in particular, found itself completely paralyzed as four lanes of traffic in each direction on Interstate 95 were completely filled with abandoned vehicles all the way out to the City of Warwick and the state airport. Nothing moved. The highest priority became the opening of one airstrip at the airport in order that heavy snow-removal equipment could be brought in from out of state. Once the Mississippi and Georgia National Guards were able to land with their equipment, the slow task of freeing the city began. First, they had to work their way out of the airport and onto the interstate, where hundreds or even thousands of abandoned vehicles had to be towed to specially-designated centers and lots - one by one; this, over miles of interstate leading into the capital city.<br /><br />Even now, I have to smile when I think of Gus' wife, Natalie, as she put up with two bored potheads who were caught unaware and didn't have anything to smoke. There was not much available that would give us a better attitude about the situation. Oh yes, we were scraping the resin off of pipes, smoking old roaches, walking through the snowdrifts - whatever in the quest for our holy grail.<br /><br />About a week after the blizzard hit, we heard the roar of heavy equipment coming down the road. Finally our freedom from cabin fever and involuntary confinement was at hand. Neighbors stood at their doors and windows cheering as the plows rolled by in a scene reminiscent of appreciation shown to a liberating army.<br /><br />Fayetteville experienced one such memorable event this past week as it fell victim to what was perhaps, the worst ice storm in recent memory. There have been others in recent years, but I think this one, in terms of severity, easily tops the rest. Every Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas resident likely has his/her own story to tell. After all, extreme weather events and natural disasters in general, have a way of challenging us - of forcing us to be creative; this, in order to survive. Literally thousands of electric customers were out of power. People tried to stay warm in their homes, trees and limbs came down upon roofs, driveways, power lines, roads, parks, and just about anywhere else one can think of.<br /><br />Still, these natural disasters have a way of bringing out the best in us as they force us to break out of our routines in order to lend assistance to others and to realize that none of us are really an island unto ourselves. When the things that we ordinarily take for granted suddenly quit functioning, we must suddenly reconcile ourselves to hard realities such as the approach of nightfall, vulnerability to cold, and our dependence upon one another. All in all, this is not a bad thing. The problem is in trying to keep the right attitude when things suddenly go wrong, as they did last week.<br /><br />It's Tuesday, and considering where we were last week at this time, Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas seem to be recovering quite well; this, with the help of so many electrical and tree specialists from both local and out of state areas. School is open once again, most of us in the urban areas have our electrical service back and things are slowly returning to normal. There is still plenty of work to be done as trees, limbs, branches and debris can be found in just about every body's front yard. As a matter of fact, the whole city seems to have the aroma of a logging camp as the poignant smell of freshly-cut trees lingers everywhere.<br /><br />It is February, and while winter's bite remains today, it won't be long until spring arrives with its promise of renewal. By May, many of the trees will have sprouted new branches and the canopy of shade will be extending overhead in order to protect us from the summer sun. The ice storm of "09," while not forgotten, will slowly slip into the back of our collective memory. Still, the stories and personal experiences will live on and will be told, not only by us, but by our children and perhaps, even our children's children. These will be stories of survival; and, even though the events of the past week may have been difficult to get through, I believe that the stories, over time, will be told with a sense of pride and with a fond look back at the events of the last week.<br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-80367322172123028652009-01-26T15:31:00.000-08:002009-01-26T16:03:19.792-08:00Is It Good Bye for the Iconoclast?It was only last summer when I first heard of the existence of the popular blog called <span style="font-style: italic;">The Iconoclast.</span> "Oh, you've got to check it out<span style="font-size:100%;"> I was told. That's where everybody goes for the scoop on local politics. "<br /><br />The next time I got online I checked out the Iconoclast. It was easy to understand why so many people went there. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">blog's</span> author, Jonah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tebbetts</span>, gave excellent coverage of local and regional events here in Northwest Arkansas; this, with a nice proportion of honest editorial work. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Iconoclast </span>quickly became a place that I too, would go to on a regular basis.<br /><br />Just this afternoon, I read an announcement on a local list-serve, which stated that <span style="font-style: italic;">The Iconoclast </span>had disappeared. I attempted to access the website and I saw the following message:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blog has been removed<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span><br /><br />Sorry, the blog at jonah-tebbetts.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.<br /><br />To say that I'm surprised about the popular <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">blog's</span> sudden disappearance would be an understatement. Hopefully, it's just a glitch or something. Perhaps Jonah, in attempting to disseminate more vital information, somehow deactivated his site - perhaps even without knowing. Then again, it could be that<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Iconoclast </span>has really disappeared. If so, it will be missed, because Jonah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Tebbetts</span> did one heck of a job of keeping us informed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-52491998095290067342009-01-21T08:21:00.000-08:002009-01-21T10:21:27.317-08:00A Glorious Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRv0Y40r0CUstFYt1kBrjs_15gfKhQg-hQKNg5gG3c9YsgK8pafrKgHutG7Gvg3XLgUwczkCJ9q10QdmTl3IuGpcJK3VO0QMYSFONqBYFRs3-I-cKERniUA0lxjse1XdjNj61M7EE4g5sg/s1600-h/20sasha2_600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRv0Y40r0CUstFYt1kBrjs_15gfKhQg-hQKNg5gG3c9YsgK8pafrKgHutG7Gvg3XLgUwczkCJ9q10QdmTl3IuGpcJK3VO0QMYSFONqBYFRs3-I-cKERniUA0lxjse1XdjNj61M7EE4g5sg/s320/20sasha2_600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293813179042246146" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'm telling you, you're going to be seeing Obama blackshirts before very long," P said to me.<br /><br />"I seriously doubt that," I responded with a chuckle.<br /><br />It was late afternoon/early evening on Monday. The next day, at 12:00 noon, Barak Obama was to be sworn in as our 44th president. My associate P, a rather enjoyable and friendly guy, was relating his fears about the president elect and his incoming administration. At that moment, I understood that P, who can best be described as a libertarian, was re-hashing one of the more popular talking points that can be heard on right-wing talk radio and seen on similarly-oriented internet sites.<br /><br />As for me, I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat; this, while readily admitting to my belief that the Democratic Party holds to higher and more humanitarian ideals in general, than the Republican Party does. As a self-described leftist with a libertarian streak, I enjoy hearing comments such as those made by P. Being non-aligned helps me to keep an open mind about the opinions of others, and it helps me to look at events and situations without having to run my observations through the lens of dogma, political correctness of either the left or the right, or any stringent political philosophy. As such, I openly admit that I, as so many other millions of Americans, was overjoyed to observe the Inauguration of Barak Obama yesterday.<br /><br />Of course, since the transition to the new administration began, I have had issues with some of the choices Mr. Obama has made as well as some of his stated policies. More specifically, I have long considered Hillary Clinton to be a warmonger that appears to be all too ready to bully other countries that will not knuckle under to our way of thinking. Further, I view her as being so biased toward Israel that as Secretary of State, she will be incapable of brokering a truly just peace between that country and the Palestinians. Our new president's stated policy toward Afghanistan troubles me as well. I keep thinking about the loss of so much innocent civilian life in that country due to bombing attacks upon villages; these, based solely upon the suspicion that a terror suspect may be there. I look at how much being bogged down in Afghanistan contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and I ask myself if our chosen leader has thought about these things.<br /><br />Still, listening to his Inaugural Address Tuesday, I couldn't help but feel elated. Finally, we have a president who addresses the American people as if we have some intelligence! Finally, we have a president that at least appears to have dignity and a conscience. In a mild reference to the tactics of the past administration and in my opinion, the jabs coming at him from the right, Mr. Obama said:<br /><br />"</span>On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. <p>"On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."<br /></p>Is anyone else out there as sick of the worn-out dogmas that we been hearing since the days of Ronald Reagan? Unbelievably, there are those who still continue to promote the worn-out <span style="font-weight: bold;">hands off the free market</span> dogma; this, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that this policy, which has been promoted by Republicans and most Democrats alike, is largely responsible for the economic problems that we now face. In light of this, I believe that our new president was being very practical Tuesday when he put it this way:<br /><br />"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end...<br />"Power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous."<br /><br />How can anyone not be inspired by words such as these? In the opinion of this writer, Mr. Obama cut right through all of the hollow arguments that the right has used against him - arguments such as his alleged desire to turn us into a socialist and therefore, dictatorial nation.<br /><br />As I watched Tuesday's inaugural proceedings, it was difficult for me to look upon the thousands upon thousands of faces on the National Mall - faces that were inclusive of all races and ethnicities without having tearful eyes. Mr. Obama was correct in saying that his father, and by default, so many in that vast audience would not have gotten served in a restaurant sixty years ago. Gazing into the vast horde of people that attended this inaugural event, it was easy to experience their euphoria and jubilation. For some, it was the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream. For others, it was the sense that our eight-year nightmare has finally come to an end. Likely, for most that attended the event, and for myself, it was a combination of these things.<br /><br />As with P and many others, there is a lack of appreciation for this feeling of euphoria that has overtaken so many Americans. I do realize that our new president is neither perfect, nor is he some sort of a savior. More likely than not, I will be one of the first to criticize some of his choices and actions. Still, after eight years of the Bush/Cheney administration, it is refreshing to have a new president who appears ready to get down to work, radiates dignity, and discusses issues honestly and intelligently. I wish him well as he now undertakes this most difficult job; I sure wouldn't want it.<br /><br />Perhaps the best way to describe what I'm feeling today, after eight horrific years of Bush and Cheney, can be related through the lyrics of an old song. For me, the words are as pertinent now as they were when they first appeared in 1939:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!<br />Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.<br />Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.<br />Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.<br />She's gone where the goblins go,<br />Below - below- below, Yo'ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.<br />Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.<br />Let them know<br />The Wicked Witch is dead. </span><span><br /><br />Photo: <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times </span>- http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/20/us/20090120SWEARINGIN_10.html<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-20454588564978061002009-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:002009-01-10T18:31:16.438-08:00Relieving the Feeling of Political Impotency: Fayetteville Demonstrates For Peace In Gaza<span style="font-size:100%;">In December of 1776 Thomas Paine, who is best known for his pamphlet entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Common Sense, </span>which endorsed American independence from Great Britain, began writing a series of pamphlets entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">The American Crises. </span>In one of the first of these, he coined the popularly-known statement, "These are times that try men's souls." Paine was referring of course, to the situation the thirteen colonies were facing during the opening days of the American Revolution.<br /><br />While there is little doubt as to the truthfulness of Paine's statement, it is equally true that these also are times that try men's and women's souls. There are events taking place in the world right now - today, that are so horrific that just having knowledge of them seems to tear at one's very soul. More specifically, I am speaking about the Israeli-instigated humanitarian crises that is taking place in Gaza, where it appears that the Tel Aviv government appears hell-bent to commit genocide against the nearly defenseless Palestinians living there. Knowing what Israel is doing is bad enough, but watching our own U.S. Senate almost unanimously support the carnage taking place there is really too much to bear. After all, to whom does a person of conscience turn when their so-called representatives overwhelmingly support such crimes against humanity; this, when an estimated 50 percent of Americans are horrified by news reports coming from that part of the world?<br /><br />For me, and likely for others as well, there is a growing feeling of helplessness as each day, we hear more depressing news coming from Gaza. Here's just a sampling of today's headlines as they can currently be found at <b><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/">Antiwar.com:</a></b><br /><br /><b><a href="http://news.antiwar.com/2009/01/10/israel-tells-gazans-to-brace-for-yet-more-escalation/">Israel Tells Gazans to Brace For Yet More Escalation</a></b><br /><br /><b><a href="http://wire.antiwar.com/2009/01/09/un-one-third-of-gaza-dead-injured-are-children/">U.N: One-third of Gaza dead, injured are children</a></b><br /><br />This one is especially horrifying:<br /><br /><b><a href="http://news.antiwar.com/2009/01/09/report-israel-forced-civilians-into-single-house-repeatedly-bombed-it/">Report: Israel Forced Civilians Into Single House, Repeatedly Bombed It</a></b><br /><br />It was with this ever-increasing feeling of hopelessness and impotency that I read some of the stories behind the headlines this morning. I was in the computer lab at the public library and after finishing with my reading, I decided to check one of my e-mail accounts before getting off line and heading home. Upon getting into my inbox, I saw an e-mail from the OMNI Center that spoke of a "vigil in honor of the dead and the suffering in the Gaza conflict." The vigil was set for Saturday (today) at twelve noon. I checked my watch; the time was 11:59. Quickly, I logged off the computer, ran downstairs to grab a movie to take home, and headed for the Federal Building where a group of people were assembled outside.<br /><br />It was not a large group that was gathered there, but it certainly was a dedicated one. I counted about 32 participants, but my count could have been off a little one way or the other. To see that even this many people came out on relatively short notice, and on such a cold and blustery day, was heartwarming.<br /><br />One of the event organizers decided to hold a Palestinian ceremony called an <span style="font-style: italic;">Azaa. </span>This is the Arabic word for the mourning ceremony that occurs after the death of a loved one in the Islamic world. Today, in keeping with the Azaa tradition, there was a table set up for the purpose of serving dates and bitter coffee - two essential components of any Azaa.<br /><br />Most of the folks who attended the event stood along North College Avenue and held signs that stated their opposition to the current war in Gaza and the taking of so many civilian lives there. A small podium with an accompanying sound system, from which speakers delivered messages and volunteers delivered prayers, had also been set up.<br /><br />My whole reason writing about today's event is not to talk about what was said outside the Federal Building today, or how many passing vehicles honked favorably; rather, it is simply to congratulate the OMNI folks and all who attended the event for coming out on such a cold day in order to take such an unpopular stance at a time during which our news media and politicians are only expressing one side of this vital issue - the Israeli side.<br /><br />Today's vigil in downtown Fayetteville likely won't sway our biased national news media or our bought and paid for "representatives" in Washington, D.C. who blindly bow down to the powerful Israeli lobby without ever caring to hear the other side of the story, but I can at least hope that it made the other participants feel a little less frustrated - a little less impotent, as it did me.<br /></span><span style="font-family:monospace;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-61694335664531048182009-01-01T11:53:00.000-08:002009-01-02T08:06:11.203-08:00The "Dignity," and Crimes Against Humanity in Gaza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOHAUtZ3eRCNc4SHlmdONr8MUYsxMwSWSdVH7JfMO1Q8JS9n9cGXr_o7Q269mpKTSkmOrR916XyS8WsHz6j8bF23iv1VqQtD7M31brjEeEgH6wC2OMEx5GftnBnv7U3PpToqGNMUWZGdj/s1600-h/416363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOHAUtZ3eRCNc4SHlmdONr8MUYsxMwSWSdVH7JfMO1Q8JS9n9cGXr_o7Q269mpKTSkmOrR916XyS8WsHz6j8bF23iv1VqQtD7M31brjEeEgH6wC2OMEx5GftnBnv7U3PpToqGNMUWZGdj/s320/416363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286726909267664722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">On Tuesday morning at around 5:00 A.M., a vessel traveling in the eastern Mediterranean was intercepted and came under attack by Israeli gunboats; this, while traveling in international waters and some distance from the coast of the besieged Gaza strip, where the Israeli military has unleashed its full might upon the nearly defenseless Palestinian population there. On board the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity </span>were doctors, journalists, humanitarian workers, and former <span style="font-style: italic;">Green Party </span>presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. Also on board, were approximately three tons of medical supplies that<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>were to be delivered, at the request of doctors in Gaza, to help alleviate the humanitarian crises that currently exists there. The crew and passengers were hoping to evacuate wounded Palestinians to other locations due to the inability of area hospitals to cope with the crises they are now facing.<br /><br />As passengers and crew headed toward Gaza in stormy seas on Tuesday morning, the Israeli gunboats fired machine guns into the water close to the humanitarian ship; one such gunboat rammed the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity </span>on the port side of her bow. According to eyewitness reports, the vessel was rammed three times. After the attack, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity </span>reported that it was taking on water and had some engine trouble. With the serious damage the ship had sustained, it had to change course and headed toward Lebanon for repairs. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity </span>flies the flag of Gibraltar, is under the command of a British captain, and was clearly attacked in international waters; this, in direct violation of maritime law.<br /><br />In recent weeks the Israeli navy has been <b><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9985.shtml">harassing and kidnapping fishermen and human-rights activists,</a></b> who have been attempting to bring food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza in order to relieve the human suffering that is taking place there. These maritime harassments against humanitarian-aid and human-rights observers are only a part of the slow strangulation - a form of collective punishment that Israel has been implementing against the residents of Gaza since <span style="font-style: italic;">Hamas, </span>an organization on the terrorist lists of both Israel and the United States, saw a huge victory in the Palestinian parliamentary<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>elections in January 2006 and especially, since that organization took control of Gaza in June of 2007.<br /><br />Life has not been easy for the Palestinians in general, especially since Israel began the construction of a so-called "security fence" that is designed to separate Israel from its Palestinian neighbors. Many prefer to call this fence an "apartheid wall." When completed, this <span style="font-style: italic;">West Bank Barrier</span> will seal off the entire population of the West Bank from both Israel proper and other Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip, where a completed wall already leaves them isolated and virtually cut off from the rest of the world.<br /><br />Israel's newly-constructed wall, which has been<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> <b><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3879057.stm">condemned by the International Court of Justice</a></b> has had a devastating effect upon the Palestinian people. The situation in Gaza, particularly since the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hamas </span>takeover, can only be described as dire; this, even before Israel launched its brutal attack upon Gaza this past Saturday.<br /><br />For months those living in the Gaza strip have fallen victim to a sort of slow starvation. Food, medical supplies and fuel necessary for the operation of the area's electrical plant are routinely denied by the Israeli government. Residents are being forced to live without electricity for most of the time due to the imposed fuel shortage and therefore, are facing the complete breakdown of sanitary conditions. There is precious little clean drinking water, garbage and sewage is piling up, and the people are being forced to live in what has been referred to as an "open cesspool." Further, the Israeli military has been attempting to keep the news media and humanitarian workers from getting anywhere near Gaza; this, likely in an attempt to evade further international observation and the subsequent condemnation for its actions.<br /><br />On Saturday, Israel began an aerial bombardment upon the People of Palestine, which many are calling <b><a href="http://colombia.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=1227&category_id=13">a holocaust.</a></b> The justification for this massive military action has been explained as defensive action as a result of Hamas' Kassam rocket fire into southern Israel that has resumed in recent weeks. Still, as Dennis Rahkonen brings out in his article entitled <b><a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21596.htm">The Truth About Those Hamas Rockets,</a></b> the rockets being used amount to little more than "slingshots" against Israel's military might. Of course, to those Israelis living in the line of fire, these rockets can be quite frightening. The truth however, is that there has been very little death or serious injury as a result of these rocket attacks.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Of course, Israel has a right to defend itself, but the response to the rocket attacks with the brute force of "shock and awe" that is currently being employed by Israel against <span style="font-weight: bold;">all </span>the Palestinian people living in Gaza simply cannot be justified; at least, not in the opinion of this writer.<br /><br />Since Saturday, almost 400 have died and countless others have been seriously wounded. Area hospitals are unable to cope with the situation; this, due in part to the Israeli blockade of the entire Gaza Strip. It was for this reason that the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity </span>was attempting to lend humanitarian aid to a terrorized and besieged people. After the vessel safely made it to the Lebanese port city of Tyre, former Congresswoman McKinney was interviewed by CNN. At the time, she <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPDx226YUFk">called upon President-Elect Obama to please say something about the humanitarian crises in Gaza.</a></b> She went on to say this to her former congressional colleagues:<br /><br />"I would like to ask my former colleagues in the United States Congress to stop sending weapons of mass destruction around the world. As we are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, let us remember what he said. He said that the United States is the greatest purveyor of violence on the planet. And guess what: We experienced a little bit of that violence, because the weapons that are being used by Israel are weapons that were supplied by the United States government."<br /><br />Neither President-Elect Obama, the supposed candidate for change who once said that "we are our brother's keeper," nor Mrs. Mckinney's former congressional colleagues have uttered a word about Gaza's humanitarian crises. Their silence is deafening.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Above photo by Fidaa Abuhamdiya for Gaza coverage called "il massacro."</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-47250002009824348992008-12-24T13:45:00.000-08:002008-12-24T16:49:24.659-08:00Clean Coal Update: Monday's Toxic Ash Slide In Eastern Tennessee<span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes the synchronicity that takes place in this world is absolutely amazing! Over the past day or so, I had been working on and published here a sort of <a href="http://manyhatsspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/dark-side-of-clean-coal.html">exposé</a> on the myth of clean coal; this, in response to a <a href="http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/71909/">letter</a> that appeared in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times </span>on December 9, which propagated the myth of clean coal. The letter was authored by </span>Paul Chodak, the President and Chief Operating Officer at SWEPCO in Shreveport. This afternoon, while browsing some of my favorite websites, I stopped at the <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/">Democracy Now site</a> and came upon one of today's leading headlines, which reads, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Spill at Tennessee Coal Plant Creates Environmental Disaster." </span>The following paragraph came after the headline:<br /><br />"Parts of Tennessee remain buried under toxic sludge today after a major disaster at a coal plant. A forty-acre pond containing toxic coal ash has collapsed, spilling out millions of gallons of coal ash. Environmentalists say the spill is more than thirty times larger than the Exxon Valdez, but the story has received little national attention. Greenpeace is calling for a criminal investigation."<br /><br />The spill, reportedly occurred on Monday when a forty-acre pond containing highly-toxic coal ash collapsed. An estimated 2.6 million cubic yards of coal ash spilled out of its containment area. Approximately 400 acres of land is now buried under some six feet of dangerous sludge. Homes and roads are buried under the toxic mixture and reportedly, some of the sludge has made its way into the Emory River, a tributary of the Tennessee River, which provides water to municipalities and serves as drinking water to millions of people downstream in Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky.<br /><br />The spill, which occurred just west of Knoxville at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Kingston Fossil Plant </span>in Harriman, Tennessee, a plant operated by the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), </span>has received almost no attention in the national media. Similar disasters, which have taken place during recent years and decades in Appalachia, also received little national media attention. Could it be that vital information is being withheld from the public in order to allow the coal industry's "clean coal" propaganda to proceed without any serious debate? If so, the news media is seriously failing in its responsibility to keep the public informed on vital issues.<br /><br />One thing is for sure: The American people need to know about this recent disaster. There can be no real debate about a national energy policy when the public knows nothing about this dark side of the clean coal myth.<br /><br />Here are a couple of links for more information on this coal-ash spill:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2008/12/24/spill_at_tennessee_coal_plant_creates">Click here</A> for a link to Democracy Now's coverage in text and streaming video.<br /><br />Here is <A HREF="http://www.tva.com/emergency/ashslide_kingston.htm"> more information from the TVA's own website</a> (includes flyover video footage at the bottom of the page).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><h2 class="segment"><br /></h2>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-73851053495101167502008-12-22T11:55:00.000-08:002008-12-24T07:54:10.922-08:00The Dark Side of Clean Coal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv0URf5dbOhDVTcreP0FCaMXdzT-AsOlgF3A2L3Pbx8NqHdiDJ18Szei6fqO0N6ZcWNqS9sWDVNSDtZk2W8GKHJoOi27mfQI90lGdtm1zP2BQw75hEEQeDdOpzsLXmDbhaVuBMO6u_j_x/s1600-h/slurry.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv0URf5dbOhDVTcreP0FCaMXdzT-AsOlgF3A2L3Pbx8NqHdiDJ18Szei6fqO0N6ZcWNqS9sWDVNSDtZk2W8GKHJoOi27mfQI90lGdtm1zP2BQw75hEEQeDdOpzsLXmDbhaVuBMO6u_j_x/s320/slurry.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283384304351398306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h6Ea4HpndI6mL7vUvGJNKsdzsWKPvcLQzLbWJ7D8Z1wEqkkMm1RepmTFbi0RjL0TgSF0Y1fJ78XFfSyTB140cP4gzdWMLDBCjbqb3sYoCzsWjfCm1YuZGuEH6m4BnLPV5HwMDy6qOA-4/s1600-h/Mountaintopremoval.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h6Ea4HpndI6mL7vUvGJNKsdzsWKPvcLQzLbWJ7D8Z1wEqkkMm1RepmTFbi0RjL0TgSF0Y1fJ78XFfSyTB140cP4gzdWMLDBCjbqb3sYoCzsWjfCm1YuZGuEH6m4BnLPV5HwMDy6qOA-4/s320/Mountaintopremoval.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283383794636057458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I have always loved trees, and I feel that over the years, I have at times expended great effort to protect them. Last September however, when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fayetteville</span></span> took a direct hit from the remains of Hurricane Ike, I had a rather new experience with some of the trees around my cabin as the wind and rain brought three or four of them down upon the cottage that I live in. Fortunately, there was very little damage. It could have been much worse.<br /><br />After the storm, I looked at some of the trees that still stood directly in back of and in close proximity to the house. They were of the same type that came down and gave me such a harrowing night during Ike - tall, and of that invasive species known as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tree of Heaven, </span>or more scientifically, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ailanthus</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">altissima</span></span>. </span> Looking closely at them, I could see that the direction they were leaning in, or their center of gravity, made them a further threat to the cottage; another wind or ice storm could easily bring them down upon me - perhaps, even as I slept. Much to my personal consternation, I decided that they had to go; and, they did a few days ago.<br /><br />Even though these trees were of a prolific and invasive species, I took no pleasure in seeing them go. Now, when I step outside my back door, I see the stumps where the trees once stood, the stumps surrounded only by sawdust. Seeing the destruction that I caused, even though it was necessary, leaves me with a feeling of sadness. There is a new scar upon the Earth, and it's right outside my back door. Now, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring when some of the tall grasses that present themselves there each year will grow back and will begin to heal the scar.<br /><br />Being of such a sensitive nature, at least in an environmental sense, it's difficult for me to imagine that there are many people that, when pushing their industry's agenda upon the general public, will conceal many of the facts about that industry's environmentally-destructive nature. At this point in time, I am particularly talking about the propaganda coming forth from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Southwestern Electric Power Company (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SWEPCO</span></span>) </span>as it pushes for the construction of the </span>John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hempstead</span></span> County; a plant, that <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">SWEPCO</span></span> </span>claims will burn so-called "clean coal."<br /><br />On December 9, a letter to the editor appeared in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times </span>that was authored by Paul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Chodak</span></span>, the President and Chief Operating Officer of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">SWEPCO</span></span> </span>in Shreveport. During the course of his letter, Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Chodak</span></span> presented the typical selling points of those promoting clean coal. Near the end of the letter he said, "We take seriously our responsibility to protect the environment as we work to bring the latest technology to the region to provide reasonably priced and reliable electricity to our customers."<br /><br />What Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Chodak</span></span> failed to mention is that the process for producing coal, including so-called clean coal, often involves one of the most environmentally-destructive operations on Earth. This process is called mountain-top removal coal mining, and it is seriously impacting many parts of the central and southern Appalachian Mountains with environmental desecration that not only harms wildlife, but threatens entire communities as well. Mountain-top removal mining has been referred to as "strip mining on steroids." Much of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Appalachian's</span></span> scenic beauty is being destroyed by this process.<br /><br />Through this process the forest, and often most of a mountain, is first clear-cut and stripped of virtually all vegetation. Then the top 800 to 1,000 feet of the hill are bulldozed away and the top is completely leveled. The resulting debris is then pushed over the side and deposited into the valleys and streams below, thus polluting and damming up streams that are used for fishing, or even eventually, municipal water supplies.<br /><br />Large amounts of water and toxic chemicals are used in order to supposedly, wash or clean the coal. At a time when demand and competition for clean water continues to grow, large amounts of it are permanently taken out of circulation and are stored in large slurry ponds - reservoirs of thick liquid and toxic waste. These slurry ponds often <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">jeopardize public safety.<br /><br />On October 11, 2000, one such slurry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">impoundment</span> gave way spilling an estimated 300 million gallons of toxic sludge near Inez, Kentucky. </span>The EPA referred to the Inez spill as the worst environmental catastrophe in the history of the Eastern United States as the toxic mixture fouled some 100 miles of waterways and buried parts of the community under seven feet of coal sludge. On February 26, 1972, a coal-waste dam burst in Logan County, West Virginia. According to reliable reports and eyewitness testimony, over 132 million gallons of sludge barreled through some 16 coal-mining communities along Buffalo Creek, thus killing 125 people and leaving another 4,000 homeless.<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"></span><br />There are good reasons to oppose the use and further mining of coal that go way beyond the singular discussion of air quality that industry executives such as Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Chodak</span> would like to keep us focused on. These represent an even darker side to the story than most of the public ever gets to hear about. Still, just because these concerns are never addressed by industry personnel does not mean that they are not valid. There is no such thing as clean coal!<br /><br />It's likely that not everyone will have the same environmental sensitivity as I do. We are all different and every individual has his or her own way of looking at things. Still, it seems to me that the deliberate covering up or downplaying of potentially catastrophic processes such as mountain-top removal coal mining with the use of phrases such as "clean coal," carries the topic away from one of sensitivity to one of downright deception by the electric and coal industries. The public needs to know all of the truth, not just a part of it.<br /><br />Please note: Both photos courtesy of Vivian Stockman / www.ohvec.org , and the flyover courtesy of Southwings.org .Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-30624472384902705412008-12-02T08:32:00.000-08:002008-12-05T11:26:32.250-08:00The Obama National Security Team: A Look into the Crystal Ball<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRLe6cRekLXdY-l60W2pCk-hj4GgFyPjlS6fQbIOwvJKChW6qIpWPzUEddkeT6HdUTqUFyNeF4ERuHQPHn7dPfSDXtWGT117t_Jd9HEa6-pfbdz_xmP6XFFhXRt8gwQJXNl6rSFFUmXim/s1600-h/Rachelcorrie07.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276145912957808642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 169px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRLe6cRekLXdY-l60W2pCk-hj4GgFyPjlS6fQbIOwvJKChW6qIpWPzUEddkeT6HdUTqUFyNeF4ERuHQPHn7dPfSDXtWGT117t_Jd9HEa6-pfbdz_xmP6XFFhXRt8gwQJXNl6rSFFUmXim/s320/Rachelcorrie07.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">On Monday, President-Elect Obama went public with his choices for the nation's new national security team, and these choices don't bode very well for those who voted Mr. Obama into office in order to bring about real change - particularly as regards foreign policy. The president-elect's choices include his former presidential race opponent and hawk on the Middle-Eastern affairs Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, the current Secretary of Defense and Bush appointee Robert Gates, and the long-time friend of John McCain and former Marine Corp and NATO Commandant </span>General James L. Jones as National Security Adviser.<br /><br />There are many who are currently praising Mr. Obama's choices. These include the former Speaker of the House and author of the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Contract With America </span>Newt Gingrich, and war criminal Henry Kissinger; these praises come particularly in regard to the appointment of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. In the context of the growing threat of world-wide terrorism, these appointments do not bode well for either the reversal of our nation's never-ending quest for empire, or the elimination of the root causes of terrorism and anti-Americanism. "But wait," some have said. "Didn't we experience peace and prosperity during the administration of Bill Clinton?" If so, the reasoning goes, what could possibly be wrong with appointing the knowledgeable Hillary as Secretary of State, and what would be wrong with bringing former members of the Clinton Administration into the new Obama Administration?<br /><br />The answer to that may lie in the fact that during the 90's, even though we enjoyed the illusion of peace, anti-Americanism and outright anger against us was growing. Perhaps this growing anger was a bit under the radar for awhile, but it should have become evident to us on October 12, 2000 when a suicide bomber attacked the U.S.S. Cole at the Yemeni port of Aden. On that day, 17 Americans were killed and another 39 were injured in the attack. While the Sudanese government was ultimately credited with being liable for the attack, it was Al-Qaeda that carried it out. Clearly, discontent with U.S. policy in the Middle East had become evident at that time.<br /><br />What specific policies could have brought about this anger? On August 6, 1990 the United Nations, supported by the United States, put an almost total trade and economic embargo against Iraq, which at that time, was under the control of our former ally, Saddam Hussein. The embargo, while originally designed to force Hussein out of Kuwait, was kept in place until after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. During the period after the first Gulf War, and during his entire administration, President Clinton made no effort to remove the embargo or to lessen its effect upon the Iraqi people. The effect of that embargo upon ordinary citizens in Iraqi, particularly children, was horrific. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_sanctions">Wikipedia</a> puts it this way:<br /><br />"The sanctions resulted in high rates of malnutrition, lack of medical supplies, and diseases from lack of clean water. <a title="Chlorine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine">Chlorine</a>, was desperately needed to disinfect water supplies, but it was banned from the country due to the potential that it may be used as part of a chemical weapon. On May 10, 1996, <a title="Madeleine Albright" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright">Madeleine Albright</a> (<a class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Ambassador_to_the_United_Nations">U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations</a> at the time) appeared on <i><a title="60 Minutes" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60_Minutes">60 Minutes</a></i> and was confronted with statistics of half a million children under five having died as a result of the sanctions. She replied "we think the price is worth it..."<br /><br />On March 16, 2003 Rachel Corrie, a young U.S. citizen from Olympia, Washington who had traveled to Gaza as a member of the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">International Solidarity Movement (ISM), </span>was run over and killed by a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer operated by the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) </span>as she sat in its way in order to protest the destruction of Palestinian homes by the Israeli government in the Gaza strip, a practice routinely carried out by the Israeli forces against Palestinians. Before her death Corrie, in a March 14 interview with the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Middle East Broadcasting Company </span>said, ""I feel like I'm witnessing the systematic destruction of a people's ability to survive ... Sometimes I sit down to dinner with people and I realize there is a massive military machine surrounding us, trying to kill the people I'm having dinner with."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie#cite_note-2"><span style="font-size:+0;"></span><span style="font-size:+0;"></span></a></sup><br /><br />While the Israeli military and government claimed that Rachel Corrie's death was an accident, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">ISM </span>eyewitnesses tell a different story. Regardless of the actual circumstances of her death however, e-mails she sent back home tell the story of her grief and total disbelief over the human-rights abuses the Palestinians face in Gaza on a day to day basis - all of this with the full support of the U.S. Government. You can read her e-mails, as published in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Guardian </span>by clicking <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/mar/18/usa.israel">here</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/mar/18/israel1">here.</a> Rachel Corrie, bye the way, has been praised by those who knew her as an "extraordinary" person.<br /><br />In 2005 then Senator Hillary Clinton stood in Palestine and praised the construction of an apartheid wall by the Israeli Government - a project, which was carried out with large amounts of U.S. aid. This wall, which the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">United Nations World Court </span>has declared as contrary to international law, has in recent weeks, been used to cut off the Palestinian population from shipments of food, fuel for the generation of electricity, and other necessary supplies. None of President-Elect Obama's national security team appointees has ever, to the knowledge of this writer, uttered a single word of protest over Israel's policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.<br /><br />To a fairly large extent, Barak Obama owes his election victory to the anti-war faction of the American public; for it is this segment of the population that has been crying out for change since at least 2001, and more forcibly, since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq on false pretenses. It is this segment of the population that realizes the continued control of another sovereign people in Iraq will only continue to spur resentment and insurgencies against us. It is this segment of the American voting public that sees immorality in the continuation of bombing attacks against entire villages in Afghanistan; this in order to kill one or two terror suspects. Terror is in the eyes of the beholder, and the causing of such widespread death and destruction of a largely innocent civilian population might be considered a form of terrorism in and of itself; particularly, by those most affected by it. Yet, from the appointment of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff to Joseph Biden as his running mate, and from Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State to the continuation of Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, Barak Obama is filling his national security team and his cabinet with war hawks; there's not a solitary voice for peace among them.<br /><br />During his campaign, Mr. Obama often spoke of Martin Luther King and the dreams and aspirations that he presented to the American people. Dr. King however, was not only a civil-rights activist; he cared deeply about the creation of peace and justice for all of humanity as well. On April 4, 1967 Dr. King delivered a speech at a meeting of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Clergy and Laity Concerned </span>at Riverside Church in New York City. During that address and in referring to U.S. involvement in Vietnam at the time, he put it this way:<br /><br />" "Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism."<br /><br />In all fairness to Mr. Obama, he did say that the the buck stops at his desk - that he will be the decision maker. Additionally, the man hasn't even been sworn into office yet and therefore, his actions cannot rightly be judged until he begins setting policy. Still, with the choices made concerning his national security team, at least up to this point, the future doesn't bode very well for any significant change. One only has to look at the terror attacks that took place last week in Mumbai, and the growing potential for war between India and Pakistan as a result of those attacks - two long-time rivals armed with nuclear weapons, to realize the wisdom of Dr. King's words. We can only hope that when Barak Obama becomes president, he will take those words to heart.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><br /></span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-40983504442418191562008-11-27T06:59:00.000-08:002008-11-27T13:48:32.589-08:00BittersweetIt is Thanksgiving morning in Fayetteville. The early-morning air is cool and crisp. The sun, having made its way over Mount Sequoyah, holds the promise of yet another beautiful day in the Ozarks. It's unusually quiet for a Thursday morning. Many are out of town; most are out of work for the day or weekend. For many of those who remain, the hours ahead hold the promise of the Macy's Parade, in which the Fayetteville High School band will be participating, football, visits with family and friends; and of course, Thanksgiving dinner. There's trouble in India, but for the moment, it is unable to break the holiday's spell.<br /><br />On a morning such as this, it is difficult to believe that just a couple of days ago there was so much excitement in the air due to Fayetteville's mayoral race and the runoff election between Dan Coody and Lioneld Jordan. I was at the Jordan campaign's watch party, which was held at <span style="font-style: italic;">Uncle Gaylord's</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span> Tuesday evening. The restaurant was filled, not only with Lioneld's campaign team, but many hopeful supporters as well.<br /><br />At around 9:00 p.m. former alderman Don Marr announced the final election results. Mr. Jordan had won the election by a bit more than 57 percent of the vote. At that moment, the scene turned to one of total pandemonium. It was reminiscent of the jubilation that took place in the Fayetteville Town Center when Barak Obama defeated John McCain; there were jubilant screams, tears of joy, high fives, hugs, and plenty of congratulations. Not being one that enjoys crowds, especially those that are loud and celebratory, I stayed at Uncle Gaylord's only long enough to listen to Lioneld's victory speech. Then, I headed back toward the Square, not only to retrieve my vehicle, but also to share the election results with anyone who might have been interested at <span style="font-style: italic;">Tim's Pizza/West Mountain Brewing Company</span> .<br /><br />As I approached my destination I could see a silhouetted figure standing on the dimly-lit sidewalk outside of Tim's. It was Mayor Dan. He was standing by himself -almost sadly; at least, that was the impression I had at the time. This was a bittersweet moment for me. On the one hand, I, like the others who had supported the Jordan campaign, was feeling quite jubilant. Still, I could not help but have some remorse over Dan Coody's loss. There had been a time some years ago during which I had put a lot of my hopes and support into Dan Coody's efforts to win a mayoral election against the then incumbent Fred Hannah. When I saw Mayor Dan standing there by himself, it was easy to imagine what he must have been thinking - all those years of hard work for Fayetteville only to be turned down by the voters. He congratulated me for Lioneld's win. We shook hands; I thanked him and all I could think of at the moment was to give him a tap on the shoulder and to mumble something about not really deserving the congratulations myself since I hadn't done "all that much" in the Jordan campaign.<br /><br />At that moment I forgot my political disagreements with him and only felt our common humanity - our common love for Fayetteville. There was a loss for words. I wanted to say more to him, but the right words only came to me when I was inside the building and he was back with his supporters. A van had pulled up from one of the local TV stations, and I realized that I had lost the opportunity for any heart to heart discussion that I might have wanted to initiate.<br /><br />I know that Dan Coody has done a lot of good things for Fayetteville and during that bittersweet moment my thoughts suddenly hearkened back to an interesting encounter that occurred for me last week when one late afternoon, I walked into the brewing company and was introduced to a man that turned out to be the mayor of another Northwest Arkansas city, who I'll simply refer to as Mayor M (for mystery).<br /><br />As it turned out, Mayor M and I talked for hours that night; yet, the time absolutely flew by for me as I found myself challenged with hypothetical political scenarios in order to see how I, as an imaginary member of his city council, would react. We also spoke about Fayetteville's mayoral runoff election. His opinion was that in the end, Mayor Dan would win a third term. During this particular discussion he related a story concerning some sort regional conference - perhaps a solid-waste conference, that he attended. His tale revolved around Dan Coody's participation in that particular event and how impressed he was that our city's highest-elected official stuck to his guns and pushed for implementation of the greenest program possible. "Although you may be supporting the other candidate," he told me, "remember the things that Dan Coody has done for Fayetteville." A bit later, we said our goodbyes and we both headed for home.<br /><br />Yesterday afternoon, as I went into <span style="font-style: italic;">West Mountain, </span>one of the wait staff came up to me while opening a folder. Inside the folder were a note and a ten-dollar bill. Both were from Mayor M, who had apparently come in looking for me. With the bill came the instructions to have a couple of drinks and to leave whatever was left with the bartender for a tip. The contents of the note are as follows:<br /><br />"Congrats on election - don't forget all the good things Dan did. I wanted to drink with you but cannot stay. You'll have to drink them both." - Mayor M<br /><br />On this Thanksgiving morning I have a lot to think about and a lot to be thankful for. While I am rejoicing in Lioneld Jordan's victory this week, I have had a very poignant reminder that, despite my reasons for no longer supporting him, Dan Coody has done a lot for Fayetteville over these past eight years. It didn't hurt to have this perspective reinforced by someone who lives outside our community - from someone who understands the challenges that all mayors and community leaders face.<br /><br />The last two evenings have been very bittersweet for me. The particulars of the election are behind us now and hopefully, I can put my disagreements with the outgoing mayor aside. So perhaps, I can resolve the conflicting feelings that reside within me by saying, "Congratulations on your big win Lioneld, and Dan, thanks for the good you've done in helping to keep Fayettevile a good place to live."Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-13918899438112304582008-11-20T08:11:00.000-08:002008-11-21T08:20:41.745-08:00A "Half-Baked Vote? Not really!<span style="font-size:100%;">There must be something strange in the ventilation system at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times</span> this week that seems to be causing some of that newspaper's editorial writers to take on what appears to be a mean-spirited attitude toward well-meaning political activists in the Fayetteville area. Earlier this week, the Times lashed out at supporters of Lioneld Jordan by referring to them as being "extremists" and on "the fringe." On Wednesday, in its November 19 edition, the Times published an editorial entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Half Baked Vote, </span>which devalued both the hard work of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible Fayetteville </span>in its efforts to bring an initiative before Fayetteville's voters that would make simple possession of marijuana a low priority for police and the overwhelmingly positive voter response to that initiative. The above-mentioned editorial went so far as to refer to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Low Priority Initiative </span>that was approved by Fayetteville voters overwhelmingly as a "</span>wholly worthless measure," and questions why legalization proponents don't instead, work toward changing state laws.<br /><br />It would seem that whoever wrote the above-mentioned editorial must be totally unaware of the fact, that for the most part, those working for sensible marijuana laws have faced setback after setback in their decades-long struggle to achieve passage of more just marijuana laws. Sure, some states did decriminalize simple possession during the 1970's, but since then, pressure and propaganda coming from the federal government has done much to undermine even those state laws. Several years ago, voters in California changed their state laws by passing a proposition for legalized medical marijuana. Recent actions by the federal government has demonstrated that it has little respect for the will of the people in that state as its law-enforcement agencies have conducted raid after raid against growing and dispensing operations that are now legal under that laws of that state. Further, after decades of almost hysterical anti-pot advertising campaigns, often paid for by the federal government and various private organizations, how many politicians are willing to work with advocacy groups for laws that would bring about decriminalization? Most politicians will not sponsor such legislation; it is considered to be political suicide to do so.<br /><br />The Times article attempts to link marijuana possession with violent crime as it calls into memory an alleged incident in which a young couple shot and killed someone who they believed stole their pot. While such situations though very rare, might occur from time to time, one must keep in mind that, more often than not, it is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">illegality</span> of the substance and the inability of a victim to seek a legal remedy that causes violent behavior; this much more so than the physical influence of the substance itself. Few will argue that the use of tobacco, as it is currently sold and marketed, is a healthy activity for a person to take part in. Yet, if a business owner believes that someone has stolen several cartons of cigarettes from his or her store, a legal remedy exists. There is no need to go after the accused. Such situations are usually handled by the police - a legal remedy.<br /><br />If one considers that the prohibition of the 1920's spawned a huge growth in organized crime and violent crime, how much of a stretch would it be to consider that the legalization of marijuana, a relatively-benign herb, would put a stop to much of the violence relating to its distribution. Mexican drug cartels likely wouldn't be holding shootouts on the streets of Ciudad Juarez, that troubled city just across from El Paso, because they could simply call the police to protect their legal activity. Further, one only needs to look at the model that has been advanced for some years now in the Netherlands where pot is openly sold in the coffee shops of Amsterdam; this, with the support of that country's government. Isn't if interesting to see how this enlightened approach to marijuana use has eliminated any violence surrounding it?<br /><br />"How much longer before one makes the argument that if possession isn't a big deal, how can society really make a big deal out of someone having 28 pounds of marijuana to supply those individuals who only want to have a joint or two," the Times article asked. It would seem that the Dutch model pretty much eliminates that argument. Further, what about the tobacco vendors who service those who only want one or two packs of cigaretts per day or so? Why is the vendor of one product treated with respect while the other is considered evil?<br /><br />All the above and other arguments aside, there is one final point that, in the opinion of this writer, puts to rest the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times' </span>contention that the recently-passed <span style="font-style: italic;">Low Priority Initiative </span>is a totally worthless measure. It comes from our founding document, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Declaration of Independence; </span>and, while that document in and of itself was intended as a legal separation from the political ties that bound the thirteen original colonies to Great Britain, the principals contained within it are not currently legally binding. Still, these are the principals upon which our nation was founded.<br /><br />In the declaration's second paragraph, while speaking about certain unalienable rights, goes on to say the following: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, <span style="font-weight: bold;">deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."<br /><br /></span>On November 4, the governed of Fayetteville, with a strong majority of 66 percent, spoke on this low-priority issue; and, as evidenced by the results of that election, they withdrew their consent for the continuation of business as usual in this regard. The "consent of the governed" no longer exists for the continuation of marijuana arrests for simple possession by adults. Statements concerning this withdrawal of consent must now be sent to state as well as federal officials on a yearly basis in order that they be reminded on a regular basis that the consent of the governed has been withdrawn. The editors at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times </span>may consider this to be a "wholly worthless measure," but for those who believe in principal, it is huge.<br /><br />In order to change entrenched belief systems and affect the vast majority of politicians who would resist decriminalization efforts by groups such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible Fayetteville, </span>preliminary first steps must be taken. That's how you open the door. With voter approval on November 4, the doorway to future changes in Arkansas' marijuana laws has been opened. That is significant. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /> </span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-72593342198235035192008-11-17T08:29:00.000-08:002008-11-17T11:43:44.833-08:00A Word About EstremistsIt was some time back in the late 80's or early 90's when I found myself working with a friend at the home of an elderly lady - one of his regular <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">yard work</span> customers. My friend and I were both self-employed at the time, and would occasionally request the other's services when an especially big or complicated job would present itself.<br /><br />At some point on this particular day, the lady of the house came up to me and said, "I know who you are. You're one of those troublemakers!"<br /><br />The woman's comment certainly took me somewhat by surprise, especially since I'm not ordinarily considered by others in the community as being one who causes trouble. At the time, I was raising a child by myself and was working for a living instead of going on welfare. Furthermore, my own residential customers considered me to be impeccably honest and would regularly give me access to their houses and refrigerators when they were not at home. Still, I knew the source of the lady's misconceptions about me; it was the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times, </span>which at the time, had been running news stories and editorials that described various activists (myself included) as "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">aginers</span>" and extremists.<br /><br />Yes, I was labeled extreme by both the city administration and the editorial board of the local newspaper. I was on the outer fringes because one day, while sitting on my front porch reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Scarlet Letter,</span> a vehicle went by spraying a foul chemical as it went down the the street; this, without regard to my or anyone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">else's</span> health or the small mimosa tree that I had been nurturing just a few feet from my front yard. I clearly remember having to evacuate my front porch and retreating to the back yard as each breath I took made me progressively more nauseous. When I set out with a group of people to put a stop to this reckless spraying that the city was engaged in, I became an extremist. When I became politically active and started talking about the relationship between unbridled growth and potential increases in the crime rate as well as the need for the city to adopt sustainable policies, my reputation as a troublemaker was solidified.<br /><br />Those were the good old days alright! It was a time during which deeply caring about one's environment and community could get you labeled as an extremist - a person that any self-respecting member of the community ought to stay clear of - whose opinions they should never listen to.<br /><br />Quite frankly, I thought that those days were long past. I had hoped that our local newspaper had long ago moved beyond the character-denigrating assaults of the old days. Then, an editorial appeared in the November 16 issue of the Times that was entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">"In the balance <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Coody</span> is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Fayetteville's</span> best choice. </span>The editorial not surprisingly, endorses Mayor Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Coody's</span> bid for a third term as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Fayetteville's</span> highest elected official. It's not the paper's endorsement of Mr. Coody that bothers me as much as the way in which the editorial board described those supporting Mayor Dan's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">opponent</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lioneld</span> Jordan.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times </span>put it this way: "Many of Jordan's core backers are former <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Coody</span> supporters upset that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Coody</span> hasn't been the extreme liberal leader they wanted."<br /><br />After reading that statement I came to the realization that there must be some comprising that newspaper's editorial board who still do not get it. If these people actually spent time getting to know area activists and listening to them instead of denigrating their character, they might have learned that the disconnect from Mayor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Coody</span> has nothing to do with his compromises or not being extreme enough. Rather, it has everything to do with the way in which he uses people and their issues, only later to throw them away like an old shoe, or to violate agreements with them when it's convenient. A perfect case in point occurred several years ago when Mayor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Coody</span>, after the Chamber of Commerce and the environmental community each compromised to support the recommendations made by the Mayor's Task Force on Wilson Springs, and after the recommendations were adopted by the City Council, decided to sell those wetlands to a developer behind <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">every one's</span> back. Talk about a slap in the face!<br /><br />The Times editorial went on to say, "Most residents, however, want and need elected representatives - especially mayors - who take the people's vote on election day as permission to advance the causes they campaigned on. They have their own lives and want government that is accessible when they want to talk, but don't want to battle the city's fringe forces for control. With Jordan in office, the extreme will have a far, far more active role in dictating <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Fayetteville's</span> direction."<br /><br />Now, we're not only extremists, but we've become the fringe forces as well! Does the author of this article actually believe that we so-called extremists don't have jobs and other responsibilities to take care of as other people do? We show up and participate because we care enough to do so. This is a right that every citizen of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Fayetteville</span> can and ought to exercise. Perhaps the writer of this editorial should consider the mess that our country has gotten into within just eight years. How did this happen? Perhaps it's because "we the people" trusted the politicians in Washington, D.C. along with what is now considered by many to be a criminal regime to run rampant over our Constitution, the environment and the sovereignty of other nations. The Bush Administration and their corporate cronies did just as the Times editorial suggests; they took "the people's vote on election day as permission to advance the causes they campaigned on."<br /><br />Of course, they didn't really campaign on many of these issues. Instead, they fed "we the people" lie after lie while they ran our country, its constitution, and its stated principals right into the ground. Far too many non extremists trusted the government, and they got hell in return. So too, should the <span style="font-style: italic;">Northwest Arkansas Times </span>editorial board keep in mind the words of another who was called an extremist during his time. I am referring to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders of our country, who once said that "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance."<br /><br />It is a sad day in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Fayetteville</span>, now that our local newspaper has once again, lowered itself to devaluing the character and opinions of certain members of the community due to their political opinions. It's a sad day when one picks up the paper to once again see him/herself labeled as an extremist in the very newspaper that he or she buys or subscribes to.<br /><br />The pontificating author of the above-mentioned editorial might do well to consider that it has always been the so-called "extremists" that have moved our country forward. During various times in our history it was the abolitionists of the nineteenth century who fought against slavery and later, the women who worked with determination in order to win the right to vote that were called and treated as extremists. More recently, it was Martin Luther King, who marched for the rights of his people and for world-wide justice that was considered to be extremist. He paid the ultimate price for being a part of the so-called fringe. Yet, because of the efforts of people such as these, many women and African Americans were able to cast their ballots two weeks ago in order to elect our first African-American president.<br /><br />On election night, as I listened to Barak Obama's acceptance speech, I gazed upon the countless happy faces - faces of all colors bursting with pride in their country and fellow Americans. These were celebrating an historic event - a turning point in our history. I say thank God for the extremists! Where would we be without them?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span> </span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-35394622881905348582008-11-05T08:40:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:57:50.946-08:00A Night To Remember<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz44vdyeognYOiyxgFcczh66dUyrTZ8NmirdzKmxjZqzOyyahiqLjoVS_KHzH6aFZ-rhx7u2Hs2shVxUHx_GhTrCfEiZrEy6-U-xVCUDy03P619OMku7vENMi18OZR74t3kCJZumzghhxC/s1600-h/chicagost-9642.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz44vdyeognYOiyxgFcczh66dUyrTZ8NmirdzKmxjZqzOyyahiqLjoVS_KHzH6aFZ-rhx7u2Hs2shVxUHx_GhTrCfEiZrEy6-U-xVCUDy03P619OMku7vENMi18OZR74t3kCJZumzghhxC/s320/chicagost-9642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265265025027996082" border="0" /></a><br />As I sat near the end of the bar at Urban Table, the place where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lioneld</span> Jordan's watch party was being held, I stared at the three TV sets that were set before me. Each one had on a channel that was offering election-night coverage, both local and national, yet none of the three was giving me any information that could alleviate my growing frustration. The counting of the local contests appeared to stop somewhere between 5 and 11 percent of the total vote tally. On the national scene, many of the eastern states were showing up on the map as blue, while those in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Midwest</span> were painted in red. Florida was undecided. "God! I hope it's not happening all over again. Why hasn't Florida reported? The results should be in by now," I stated to the person sitting next to me.<br /><br />"You know why they haven't reported yet. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ol</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jeb</span> just didn't know how to steal an election the right way." His response did nothing to calm my fears and my anxiety continued to grow.<br /><br />Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to speak to her. When I turned back toward the three televisions once again, the magic words were spread across one of the screens - <span style="font-weight: bold;">"<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Barak</span> Obama Elected President of the United States." </span><span><br /><br />At first, I thought that the words were being showed as some kind of joke, or an exposition of what could be. How could it have been anything else? After all, only seconds before, Obama still needed some 64 electoral votes in order to claim victory. Then the shouts of jubilation began to spread throughout the premises. At that moment it occurred to me that our long national nightmare would soon come to an end. The American people had spoken; they expressed their desire to leave the dark and anti-life policies of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">neo</span>-cons behind.<br /><br />I left Urban Table and went back to the Town Center across the street in order to see what was happening at the Democrat's watch party. Upon arriving, I walked into a scene of near pandemonium. There were shouts of joy coming from all quarters, high fives and hand shakes were given freely, and the pure joy being expressed could hardly be contained within the confines of the building.<br /><br />I wanted to watch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Barak</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Obama's</span> acceptance speech in the peace and quiet of my own living room. Still, on my way back to the car, I couldn't resist running into West Mountain Brewing Company in order to give M, one of the bartenders, my own special brand of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Woo-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">hoo</span>! </span>He looked at me a bit strangely; then, I was on my way home.<br /><br />That's my personal story about election night 2008, but undoubtedly, everyone who was out last night or participated in this historic election likely has their own to tell. The evening of November 4 was unusually warm and memorable. As with every election perhaps nobody is completely satisfied with the way the chips fell, so to speak. There were various amendments to the state constitution, initiatives, and many candidates running for various offices. As we all know, there are always winners and losers in elections. Usually however, we get some of what we want, but not everything. That's the way it was for me.<br /><br />Still, I would like to congratulate all of those who participated and worked hard for change - regardless of their contest's outcome. At risk of showing my own personal biases, I would like to congratulate the following people and organizations for jobs well done:<br /><br />* Green Party candidates Abel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Tomlinson</span> and Rebekah Kennedy, who both ran good campaigns against major-party candidates for the Congress and the U.S. Senate respectively, and who earned very respectable percentages of the vote in their races.<br /><br />* Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Denham</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Fayetteville</span>, </span>for working so diligently to make arrests for adult marijuana possession a low priority in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Fayetteville</span>. Congratulations on your impressive win!<br /><br />*Don Connor from Ward 1, who ran an honorable race in order to bring new ideas to the city council.<br /><br />Candy Clark, who after being forced from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Fayetteville</span> Planning Commission by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Coody</span> Administration, defeated </span>James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Reavis</span> in his bid to the Washington County District 5 J.P. position.<br /><br />* Sarah Lewis, who won the bid for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Lioneld</span> Jordan's Ward 4 seat.<br /><br />* Bernard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Sulliban</span>, who also ran a good campaign for the Ward 4 position. May you continue in your quest to sit on the city council. Seek and you shall one day find - and deserve.<br /><br />* Last but certainly not least, I would like to congratulate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Lioneld</span> Jordan for running an excellent campaign - a campaign that has forced a run-off election between himself, and incumbent Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Coody</span>.<br /><br />Yes, it will be two more weeks of political agony for the two final contenders in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Fayetteville's</span> mayoral contest. For those who voted in yesterday's election, it is very important that you all return to the polls one more time in order to decide whether <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Fayetteville</span> will continue with its current mayor, or bring a new administration to City Hall. For <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Fayetteville's</span> voters who participated in the November 4 election, there is still a bit more work to do on November 25. I hope to see you at the poll.<br /><br />To everyone else who participated in this historic election, either by petitioning, campaigning, or voting, <span style="font-weight: bold;">good work!<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-69349156639017572932008-11-02T09:06:00.000-08:002008-11-02T11:57:05.413-08:00A Not So Free Election<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." - Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">"Take off your cell phone, take out your change and your keys, take off the belt, and put them all in the container," the officer said to me. I complied with the deputy sheriff's directive and walked through the metal detector; this, in spite of my resentment of having to do so. Was I at the county jail attempting to visit someone at his cell or in the visiting center? No, I was actually at the entrance to the Washington County Courthouse. I had just gotten back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fayetteville</span> the day before from a visit to Southern New England. I was emptying my pockets and getting scanned in order to exercise my right to vote - in this case, to early vote.<br /><br />Early voting works for me. In recent years, my polling place has seemed to change with just about every election. The school-board elections seem to be held in one place, special elections in another. Sometimes I have to vote at the church on Sixth Street, and at other times, in my own neighborhood. One time, I went to the church where I had voted on numerous occasions, only to learn that my voting place had been moved to the public library. Shortly afterward, the public library moved - you get the picture. Voting became a subject of great confusion for me - a hassle, so I was really glad when early voting became an option. I would always be able to vote at the same place, and as an added bonus, I would avoid the long lines that I had often faced when going to the regular polling places.<br /><br />The post 9/11 world we now find ourselves living in has certainly put a damper on my enthusiasm for early voting as two or three years ago, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington County Quorum Court </span>decided to secure the courthouse by installing a metal detector manned with sheriff deputies at the main entrance. The choice one now faces when attempting to enter the building is simple; either a person must separate him or herself from all the metal objects that he or she is carrying, wearing, etc. or else be refused entry into the courthouse. Either be searched and scanned, or don't vote or conduct any other business there. There are no other options.<br /><br />As with all the other justifications used to destroy the Constitution and our civil liberties since September 11, 2001, Washington County officials claimed that the deputies and metal detector are necessary in order to make the courthouse safer - more secure. The measure was implemented in spite of the fact that, at least to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever attacked or attempted to conduct a terror attack upon the Washington County Courthouse.<br /><br />The reasoning offered by the folks running the county is quite typical of that being offered all across the United States since the terror attacks upon the World Trade Center and Pentagon eight long years ago. At the core of such reasoning is a synergistic mix of a national paranoia over terrorism, a strong and almost pathological desire among many Americans to feel safe, and the desire by many in high places to both propagate and use this fear in order to accumulate more power unto themselves. Make no mistake about it, people of ill will can, and often will attack anytime and anyplace. Recent events have shown us that such places can include schools, post offices, hamburger places, our places of employment, or even at home. We receive no guarantees of perfect safety upon coming into this world. The only question is, how many of our rights and freedoms will we incrementally give up in order to live this illusion of safety - a false safety provided by those who, in many cases, do not have our best interests at heart.<br /><br />Within the song entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">The Star Spangled Banner, </span>which is our national anthem, are the words "land of the free, and the home of the brave. " This anthem is likely sung in every school and before almost ever major sporting event in the country. Yet, a gaze into reality shows that most Americans, rather than being brave by standing up for their freedom, are acquiescing to this continued onslaught against our dignity and constitutional rights. One can only imagine how much the American people are willing to give up in order to feel safe. Sure, it's a bit scary standing up to police officers or governmental agencies when they demand our rights on a silver platter, and it's true that many police officers and their departments are abusing their authority; all one has to do is remember the horrendous events that took place outside the <span style="font-style: italic;">Republican National Convention </span>this past September. I would venture to guess however, that much of this abuse is likely due to the fact that the people have acquiesced so much already. The abusers are now reveling in their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">newfound</span> power and over time, will likely carry it to further extremes.<br /><br />Of course, I am not implying that the deputies at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington County Courthouse </span>are being abusive, and some may think that I've gone off on some type of tangent here. Still, I have to wonder how many members of my community who are early voting this year are even considering that in order to exercise their right to vote, or at least to early vote, they must relinquish their Fourth Amendment right against <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">warrant less</span> unreasonable search and seizure. I find myself being forced to wonder just how many infringements upon their freedom Americans in general will acquiesce to before deciding that it was time to say "no more" a long time time ago.<br /><br />Sadly, I too acquiesced last week. I did this with the knowledge that while there is power in numbers and solidarity with other people, neither the numbers nor the solidarity appeared to support my cause. As I was re-threading my belt through the loops on the waste of my jeans, I commented to a man standing next to me that the hassle of going through the metal detector is making me wonder if it's worth it to early vote at the courthouse. He didn't say anything, but as I began walking away one of the deputies called to me in with a hint of annoyance and authority in his voice. He said, "just remember before you come next time sir!"<br /><br />I'll remember, I thought to myself, but I'll be remembering everything that we've lost over these past eight years.<br /><br />"</span><b>"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b><span style="font-size:100%;">- From a letter written written in 1755 from the Assembly to the Governor of Pennsylvania<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-28696941555457136902008-10-12T12:33:00.000-07:002008-10-13T09:58:26.614-07:00A Word On The Up-Coming Elections<span style="font-size:100%;">One of the things that I've enjoyed about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fayetteville's</span> Farmer's Market this season has been the prevalence of political activity and discussion. It is an election year of course, and at the market on any given Saturday candidates for the various political offices can be seen on just about every corner of the central square. During the course of this past summer and early autumn there have been petitioners present as well; these, seeking support for their various causes such as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Low Priority Initiative </span>and the state-wide effort to prevent the construction of a coal-burning power plant in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hempstead</span> County. Mix all this political activity with fresh locally-grown food, good music, and my usual mug of coffee and bagel and people like me feel as though we have found the promised land. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I really have enjoyed my visits to the market this year.<br /><br />Since I have a reputation for being somewhat political people often approach me at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Farmer's Market </span>or elsewhere in order to solicit my opinion on various political races or current events. Truth be told, I enjoy these encounters as I often enjoy fancying myself as a sort of political analyst or talking head. No, I never had any formal training in political analysis and I don't even know if any such training exists. I did study American federal government, political science and international relations in college however, so I do feel that I have a good enough grasp on the political world to make reasonably intelligent comments about it. Besides, I've seen political analysts with their predictions on network television fall flat on their faces enough times to realize that predicting the outcome of current and political events is a less than exact science. As a matter of fact, I consider it to be more of an art than a science. After all, human beings shape these events and we humans can be very - well, unpredictable . That said, I would like to offer my opinions on the presidential election as well as some of the races and issues that will affect those of us living in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fayetteville</span> and Northwest Arkansas.<br /><br />At this point in time, many people seem to be expressing the opinion that they are sick and tired of hearing about the presidential race. The various contenders desiring residency in the White House began their campaigns late in 2006 or early 2007; and, while we have come down to the final three weeks of the campaign for the two finalists, it appears that to many, the presidential race is never going to end. After all, we've been hearing about it every day for almost two years now.<br /><br />Wait a minute! Did I say the final two contenders? What a mistake that was! Actually, there are other intelligent men and women running for the White House. The problem is that we're simply not hearing about them. How much coverage has independent candidate Ralph Nader been receiving in the mainstream media? Or for that matter, how many talking points have we been allowed to hear from Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney or Libertarian Bob Barr? None of these contenders for the U.S. presidency or any other third-party candidates for that matter, have been invited to debate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Barak</span> Obama or John McCain in the nationally-televised debates; neither have their running mates been allowed to share the limelight with Senator <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Biden</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Governmor</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Palin</span>. Instead, the American people are being treated to debates that discuss almost nothing of any importance.<br /><br />I have watched a couple of these so-called debates so far, and each time I have walked away from them with a profound feeling of nothingness. The candidates have argued about the financial crises but in reality, have said almost nothing concerning it of any consequence. There has been no discussion about the restoration of the U.S. Constitution and our civil liberties. Senators McCain and Obama have discussed and disagreed somewhat over the illegal occupation of Iraq, but agree that more belligerency and even militarism is the answer to most of the other situations we face in the world. Both are proponents of NATO expansion right up to Russia's borders, and both continue to repeat the lie of "Russian Aggression" in Georgia; this, even as the rest of the world recognizes that Georgia's President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Saakashvili</span>, with U.S. support, launched a genocidal assault upon Russian Peacekeepers and the civilian population of South <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Osettia</span>; many of these civilians were Russian citizens.<br /><br />Had at least some of the independent and third-party candidates been allowed into these presidential debates, the American people would realize that these candidates offer intelligent and well thought-out policies - policies, which could go very far in restoring our standing in the world as well as restoring the environment, achieving energy independence, and restoring our civil liberties. Of course, the mainstream media and both the Democratic and Republican Parties would prefer that the American people remain dumbed down to the fact that fundamentally, there is little difference between the two major political parties. This year's debates, if nothing else, guarantee that intelligent independent and third-party candidates will not have a shot at changing the disastrous policies that are undermining this country's standing in the eyes of the world, both economically and in foreign-policy matters.<br /><br />That said, watching the McCain/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Palin</span> ticket in action is almost akin to watching a new episode of that old thriller, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Night Of The Living Dead. </span>These two are truly a scary couple, and in spite of wide-spread disappointment of the Democratic Party's performance over the past two years, I predict that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Barak</span> Obama will be elected the next President of the United States; that is, as long as we have anything that approaches a fair election.<br /><br />One truly interesting contest taking place here in Northwest Arkansas is the race for the Third Congressional District seat in Congress. The contestants are Republican incumbent John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Boozman</span> and Green Party Candidate Abel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Tomlinson</span>. One look at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tomlinson's</span> <b><a href="http://abelforcongress.com/">website</a></b> reveals a highly-intelligent and caring young man that proposes well thought-out programs and solutions to many of the problems we now face. It is not likely that we will see a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Boozman</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Tomlinson</span> debate, although I happen to know that Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Tomlinson</span> would like to have one. Still, considering that there is no Democrat involved in this particular race, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Tomlinson</span> candidacy offers voters a clear choice between a conservative Republican that has supported President Bush almost all the time, and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">true progressive. </span>Further, this contest offers the <span style="font-style: italic;">Green Party </span>a chance for not only more name recognition, but a chance to score well against a major-party candidate. While I don't consider it likely that Abel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Tomlinson</span> will defeat John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Boozman</span>, I do believe that he may well obtain some 30 percent of the vote. Who knows? He may even do better. After all, there are a lot of progressive people here who are not happy with Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Boozman's</span> policies.<br /><br />In the Senate race incumbent Mark Pryor has no Republican opposition. As in the Congressional contest however, he does face opposition from the Green Party with the candidacy of Rebekah Kennedy. Ms. Kennedy, a very knowledgeable young lady with a law degree, ran for State Attorney General two years ago. As in the congressional race, I do not believe that she will defeat Senator Pryor; after all, he is already an incumbent Democrat in a red state. In spite of his support of the Iraq invasion and many of President Bush's policies, many of Arkansas' conservatives consider him to be far too liberal. Therefore, it's not very likely that any informed conservative will vote for a Green Party candidate. More likely than not, such voters will either abstain or will go with Pryor. Still, I believe that Ms. Kennedy might be able to pull 15 percent of the vote in her direction. This would be a respectable outcome for a green running in such a conservative state.<br /><br />In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Fayetteville</span>, there are six people running for the Mayor's position. These contenders include 19 year-old University Student <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Sami</span> Sutton, first-time contender Adam <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Firecat</span>, Walt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Eliers</span>, former State Attorney General Steve Clark, Alderman <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Lioneld</span> Jordan, and of course, the incumbent Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Coody</span>. With six candidates running for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Fayetteville's</span> high office, it's unlikely that any one candidate will be able to win with over 50 percent of the vote in the general election. I believe that there will be a run-off election between Mayor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Coody</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Lioneld</span> Jordan. Without trying to let any personal favoritism overtake my desire to be unbiased in terms of predicting the outcome of the mayoral race, I have been very impressed with the support that Mr. Jordan has been garnering. I have seen that support come from some unexpected places. I am also aware of a general feeling of discontent over the current mayor's running for a third term. Therefore, I believe that, when the final votes are counted on the night of the run-off election, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Fayetteville</span> will have a new mayor. His name will be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Lioneld</span> Jordan.<br /><br />In the races for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Fayetteville</span> City Council there are contenders in three of the four wards. In Ward 1 the contest is between incumbent Brenda <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Thiel</span> and Don Connor. Mr. Connor ran two years ago for the other Ward 1 position but lost in the first round of the three-way race; that is, if my memory serves me correctly. Given <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Thiel's</span> connections to the local chapter of the <span style="font-style: italic;">League of Women Voters, </span>her relationship with some inside of City Hall, and her centrist position on various issues, I believe that when the evening of November 4 arrives, the vote tally will be in favor of Ms. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Thiel's</span> bid to retain her seat.<br /><br />The Ward 2 race is between Matthew Petty, a newcomer, and Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Kinion</span>, who has had some experience engaging the city government. If the so-called grapevine is any way in which to gage a contest, I will predict that Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Kinion</span> will soon be sitting in the seat now held by Nancy Allen.<br /><br />Alderman Bobby Ferrell's bid to retain his Ward 3 seat is unopposed (what is it about Ward 3 anyway?) but there is a three-person race for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Lioneld</span> Jordan's seat in Ward 4 between </span>Craig <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Honchell</span>, a manufacturing engineer and volunteer for the public school system, Sarah Lewis, a former environmental science teacher, and Bernard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Sulliban</span>, a substitute teacher and political science major at the <span style="font-style: italic;">University of Arkansas</span>. During the current campaign I have personally neither seen too much publicity concerning Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Honchell's</span> campaign<span style="font-size:100%;"> nor met him in person. Therefore, my sense is that the apparent lack of publicity concerning his bid for the Ward 4 seat may hurt his efforts.<br /><br />I have met Bernard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Sulliban</span> however, and if I remember correctly, this is his third run for the City Council. He is a member of the Green Party and in my opinion, has made a good candidate<br />in each of the races he has participated in. It is unfortunate however, that in each of these races he has had the ill fortune of running against other good candidates who happened to be better known. In this case, I am talking about Sarah Lewis, who also has a record that qualifies her as a true voice for the environment. Additionally, Ms. Lewis has been on the Southwest corner at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Farmer's Market </span>religiously every Saturday morning. This has given her and her platform a lot of public exposure, and the fact that she is both an intelligent and very attractive woman who could have chosen a career as a fashion model likely won't hurt her chances either. Therefore, it is my belief that Sarah Lewis will easily win the Ward 4 seat.<br /><br />While I fully realize that county politics are important and impact our lives, it is the Washington County Quorum Court that I know the least about. I really don't know how I have managed to know so little about county politics for so many years, but the fact of the matter is that this is an area of local politics of which I don't know enough about in order to make any predictions. So, with no offense intended toward the contenders in any of the races for Justice of the Peace, I'm just going to pass the county races over.<br /><br />In the District 89 race for a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives the contest is between Democrat and incumbent Jim House, a county resident and Republican Gene Long of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Springdale</span>. While I don't claim to know too much about either candidate, I have heard some voices of general satisfaction among voters for the work that Mr. House has done. Add this factor to his being the incumbent, and I will predict that he will win his race to serve a second term in the State House.<br /><br />There is an amendment on the ballot for a state lottery. Given the influence of evangelical voters in the State of Arkansas I believe that this initiative will fail.<br /><br />Last but not least, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Fayetteville</span> voters will be voting on a <span style="font-style: italic;">Low Priority Initiative. </span>This initiative, which was spearheaded by </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Denham</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Fayetteville</span>, </span>calls on the local police department to make marijuana arrests a low priority for simple adult possession of the substance. In reality, this initiative does not represent a change in the law. If it passes however, it will make a powerful statement to our local law-enforcement agency that "we the people" do not approve of any continuation of arrests for simple possession. Interestingly enough, there seems to be no organized opposition to the measure and signs supporting a yes vote are beginning to pop up all over town. I believe that this initiative will pass and likely, by a healthy majority of votes.<br /><br />Well, there you have it. I have now offered my personal spin on the election that now lies only about three weeks before us. Locally,we have some very interesting contests and issues to decide. As regards the presidential election, it could be said that there is a lot at stake and that this could be the most important election of our lifetime. Think about this, and I hope that you will make your choices - all of them, wisely.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-50387939649435151972008-09-25T07:34:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:55:44.820-07:00Wasting Resources In A Time Of CrisesIt was the first week in September <span style="font-size:100%;">and the Republican National Convention was in full swing while outside, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Saint Paul Police Department</span> and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, </span>with the help of federal and state agencies, were arresting journalists and brutalizing those not in agreement with the Republican Party. Having already become saturated with information concerning the injustices taking place outside of the convention hall, I turned on the TV one evening in order to see just what was going on inside.<br /><br />I knew that I wouldn't be able to stomach the proceedings for very long, but I hadn't considered that my very first view of the Republicans would be totally offensive; yet, I gasped in horror at what I saw. I don't remember who was speaking at the moment I tuned in, but it didn't matter. As the camera swept though the listening crowd, it exposed an absolute sea of signs that were being waved. These contained only a one-word message, which said "drill."<br /><br />Ignored was the fact that the super-rich oil companies are already in possession of various leases or oil reserves from which they have so far not begun the extraction process; this, in order to control the price of their product. Also ignored was any consideration for the opinion of millions of Americans that beaches and certain environmental treasures should be kept intact without human interference. There seemed to be no opinion expressed anywhere inside the convention hall that conservation of our energy resources might be a viable option for moving toward energy independence; this, while exploring sources of renewable and sustainable energy. Sadly and unfortunately, the horrifying attitude expressed so succinctly at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">RNC</span> earlier this month seems to reflect the attitude of far too many Americans in general - Americans whose activities demonstrate a complete disconnect from the various crises that we, as a nation, are now facing.<br /><br />Here's a case in point: This week, The City of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fayetteville</span> is once again hosting that which has become one of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the United States - <span style="font-style: italic;">Bikes, Blues & Barbecue. </span>During this event, the population of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fayetteville</span> swells by some four times the number of residents. During this four-day festival, the roar of thousands of motorcycles fills the air from mid-morning until well into the early-morning hours of the following day. While it's true that motorcycles are a very fuel-efficient means of transportation, the movement of literally thousands of them from all across the United States to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fayetteville</span>, some of these transported on trailers pulled by trucks or other vehicles, must account for a sizable amount of gasoline used unnecessarily; this, during a time that has been described as a crises.<br /><br />Even more unnecessary however, is the scheduled new event that is supposed to take place at this year's event. During the day and early evening hours of Friday and Saturday helicopter rides will be offered; this, so that interested parties will be able to see the crowds from the air. While there has been some public dissent over the notion of offering these flights, it has been due mainly to the perceived increase in noise levels that come as a result of the aircraft. There has been no public discussion that I know of concerning that which, in my opinion, is a disregard for the current energy crises that we are now facing.<br /><br />It is not my purpose here to criticize motorcycle enthusiasts for wanting to get together in order to party, sell their wares, show off their bikes, or listen to bands such as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Allman</span> Brothers. It does occur to me however, that mainstream Americans appear to be absolutely oblivious as to how the various crises we face, whether concerning energy, economic, or whatever, relates to them, their consumption habits, and the way in which they live in general. Certainly, holding such events as <span style="font-style: italic;">Bikes, Blues, & BBQ</span> and offering helicopter rides at the event does nothing to bring down the price of gasoline. It's sad for me to stand on the sidelines watching however, as so many people seem to thoughtlessly continue with their wasteful habits while apparently, not giving any thought as to how their actions will impact everything and everyone around them. Perhaps, I think too much about what's at stake. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-57669556044414159762008-09-17T08:09:00.000-07:002008-09-17T08:38:27.832-07:00Last Public Hearing On Proposed Coal-Fired Power-plantAs many Arkansas Residents may already be aware, a lot of controversy has been generated by the proposal to construct two new coal-fired power-plants in Arkansas and a third in eastern Oklahoma. Two of these plants are the focus of current attention; these include the proposed Turk power-plant, which would be situated in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hempstead</span> County Arkansas and the Oklahoma Plant.<br /><br />On Thursday September 18, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ADEQ</span>) </span>will be holding its last public meeting for comments in Hope. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">OMNI</span> Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology is planning a trip to Hope in order to get as many comments in opposition to the plant registered with Arkansas' environmental- regulation agency. If you cannot ride down or otherwise attend the meeting, comments can be made by e-mail. Contact information will be included at the end of this article.<br /><br />Since this writer is not able to attend, a letter was written and sent via e-mail to the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ADEQ</span>. </span>I am including it below, not because it is better than anyone <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Else's</span>; but rather, because some talking points were included that may not be a part of those mentioned by others. It is important however, that as many citizens get their comments registered with the regulatory agency as coal-fired power plants, among other things, emit toxic mercury - a threat to both human health and the health of the environment in general. My letter follows:<br /><br />"To whom it may concern,<br /><br />"I am sending you this e-mail in order to voice my strong opposition to a coal-fired plant, which is being considered in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hempstead</span> County.<br /><br />"The environmental effects of burning coal are well known. In addition to releasing vast amounts of toxic mercury, coal is a leading cause of CO2 and other particulates pollution. The use of more coal will cause the escalation of cases of asthma and other respiratory problems. Have you ever watched a child suffer an asthma attack? Why would anyone want to take action that would cause an increase in such suffering?<br /><br />"Additionally, I want to state emphatically, that there is no such thing as clean coal. Sure, it may burn cleaner, but the process used in order to create so-called clean coal is extremely toxic. Further, our reliance upon coal is the leading cause of the desecration of the once beautiful Appalachian Mountain range under a process called "mountain-top removal. Under this process, the tops of mountains are literally pushed down into the valleys and streams below. The process is sometimes being conducted close to communities and even schools where residents and even school children are forced to breath coal dust into their lungs. Toxic slurry ponds and chemicals are the legacy of mountain-top removal coal mining; this, in areas that used to be beautiful and pristine. We simply must end our addiction to coal.<br /><br />"Not being one to simply oppose something without offering a solution, I am hoping that the electrical industry will consider the following suggestion:<br /><br />"Solar and wind technology have come a long way lately therefore, I would like to suggest that electric companies and cooperatives begin offering these alternatives to their customers. Solar panels and/or small wind generators could be leased to electrical customers with an option to buy or simply sold to these customers. These, after having been installed upon the customer's rooftops, could be used to offset the demand that would otherwise, be met by building more polluting power plants. Those desiring these devices could pay a certain amount each month to the company, and after the passage of an agreed-upon period of time, the customer would own these energy devices.<br /><br />"Under the above-mentioned scenario, the electrical companies would have made a profit, new jobs would have been created by the manufacture of these devices, no further pollution would threaten the public health, and some of the Appalachian Mountain range could retain its natural beauty and wealth of wildlife. It would be a win/win situation for all involved.<br /><br />"Please take my comments under consideration."<br /><br />If you are able and willing to take the trip to Hope with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">OMNI</span> people you can contact Maggie Baily at<a href="https://swift.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=mtucker22%40yahoo.com"><span style="font-family:monospace;"> </span>mtucker22@yahoo.com </a><br /><br />Ms. Baily's group plans to leave from the Walton Arts Center Parking lot at 11:00 a.m.<br /><br />In order to contact the <span style="font-style: italic;">ADEQ </span>by e-mail send your message to:<br />airpermits@adeq.state.ar.us .<br /><br />Let's wish the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">OMNI</span> people luck in their attempts to persuade the regulatory agency that it should not approve any permit for more coal-fired electrical power-plants.Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-47366393376559028292008-09-13T13:44:00.000-07:002008-09-17T08:09:20.793-07:00All We Get Is A Puppet Show<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I was sitting at my favorite watering hole a few days ago when I received a call on my cell phone. It was a friend of mine from Madison County. Although he is not very political and ordinarily prefers not to discuss politics, he is nevertheless, keenly aware of what's going on in the world. I often consider that he usually avoids political discussions because the state of the world is very painful for him. On that afternoon, our conversation went something like this:<br /><br />"Hey R," I said, "What's going on?"<br />"What a bunch of sh*t!" he responded.<br />"What sh*t are you talking about? The stuff is flying everywhere these days."<br />"I'm talking about the g*d dam*ed election! It's just f*#<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cking</span> entertainment - a puppet show to keep everybody occupied while they get away with all kinds of sh*t everywhere else in the world!"<br /><br />The conversation continued for awhile of course, but my unpolitical friend gets it, if you catch my meaning, and I certainly cannot disagree with his observation of either the presidential race, or current events in general. The current debate between the two major presidential candidates and their running mates should be viewed as an insult to the intelligence of every American. Therefore, it is truly sad to observe just how many millions of voters are emotionally caught up within the trite sound bites that we are being treated to; these, including references to lipstick on a pig or the possibility of Barak <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Obama</span> having been exposed to Islam as a child.<br /><br />The show that we're being treated to, particularly at the hands of the Republicans, is truly a spectacle. There are images of Governor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Palin</span> holding her youngest child, who was born with down syndrome. There is nothing wrong with that in and of itself of course, but the subliminal message here is clear; <span style="font-style: italic;">I chose to have this child in spite of his/her birth defect and therefore you should believe in continuing your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pregnancy</span> to term as well. </span>It is absolutely amazing that such messages and similar statements coming from the Alaskan governor have electrified, not only the Republican party's evangelical base, but many American independents as well.<br /><br />So why does so much of this appear to be nothing more than persuasive entertainment? The answer lies in the fact that very little of substance is being discussed before the voters. Additionally, contradictions in the presidential candidate's talking points abound. Was it all that long ago that John McCain had made the argument that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Barak</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Obama</span> was too inexperienced in foreign-policy matters to hold the office of president? Suddenly, Governor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Palin</span>, who has less such experience than<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Obama</span>, was chosen as McCain's running mate and since then, has been put on display as one who shows good judgement. Cindy McCain, went so far as to say that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Palin</span> has foreign-policy experience simply because Alaska is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">geographically</span> close to Russia (Is this where the canned laughter comes in?). Today, it's not experience that matters, but good judgement. This was exactly the argument that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Barak</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Obama</span> was making only weeks ago; apparently, it has now been hijacked by the Republicans.<br /><br />Even here however, it should be evident to all that this argument about good judgement is completely bogus. If any of the readers here saw Governor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Palin's</span> interview with Charles Gibson, it would likely have been apparent that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Palin's</span> good judgement is as equally horrifying as her understanding of the facts.<br /><br />Consider this: While discussing Iran's alleged ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Palin</span> kept referring to that country's president, Mahmoud <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Ahmadinejad</span>, as the one seeking a nuclear device. In truth however, it is the Ayatollah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Khamenei</span>, who is Iran's spiritual and political leader. If Iran has any desire to acquire nuclear weapons, and the evidence is to the contrary, it would be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Khamenei</span> who would be responsible for their development and use, not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Ahmadinejad</span>.<br /><br />Even more horrifying than Governor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Palin's</span> apparent ignorance of Iranian government was her inability to answer properly when Gibson asked her about the so-called <span style="font-style: italic;">Bush Doctrine, </span>a recipe for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">pre</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">emptive</span> war.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Governor Palin's apparent willingness to go to war with Russia, a country that has the world's second largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, should horrify everyone on the planet. In speaking about defending the former Soviet State of Georgia against Russia's aggresion, Governor Palin referred to that country as a "democracy." The facts however, show that it is hardly a democracy; Georgian President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Mikheil</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Saakashvili</span> is highly unpopular in his own country due of allegations of corruption, and it was he who gave the order to launch genocidal attacks upon the civilian population in the province of South <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Ossetia</span>; most of whom incidentally, are of Russian heritage.<br /><br />All of the above evidence should seriously undermine Republican attempts to maintain control of the White House. The problem is that the image being presented of Sarah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Palin</span> as being the gun-toting, elk-hunting, anti-choice <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">hockey</span> mom is apparently overwhelming any intelligent criticism of her and John McCain's candidacy. Meanwhile, the deceptive political attack ads continue while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Barak</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Obama</span>, once considered to be inspirational, seems to have resigned himself to playing a leading role in a game of "you said/no I didn't say." Justin Raimondo, the editor for <b><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/">Antiwar.com</a></b> recently referred to this national debacle as a "Punch and Judy Show."<br /><br />Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Obama</span> is apparently <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">trying</span> his hardest to shed any appearance of being liberal. This appears to be the Democratic leadership's greatest fear and once again, they and their candidates are determined to show that they can out conservative the conservatives on many issues, particularly, on the issue of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">terrrorism</span>. It is my opinion that they are almost completely disenfranchising their more progressive base - simply in order to avoid being called names such as liberal or soft on terrorism.<br /><br />All of this and more is happening on the stage set before us. Meanwhile, our relationship with Russia is becoming more strained by the day, U.S. forces have launched raids into Pakistan and reportedly, the Pakistani military has begun firing upon American personnel. Martial law has been declared in part of Bolivia as a U.S. supported coup is being attempted against that country's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">legitimate democratically</span>-elected President, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Evo</span> Morales, the U.S. economy is in deep trouble, powerful corporations with the full support of the Bush Administration are unravelling environmental safeguards and launching an all-out assault upon our national treasures, and a war with Iran may still be in the cards - soon!<br /><br />It is difficult to believe that, even as all of the above is presenting itself upon the national and world stage, all that we the people get sadly, is a puppet show. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-81148189976488806572008-09-02T09:30:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:55:12.570-07:00Fascism Rears Its Ugly Head In The Twin Cities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0maS8PXp-IMyweHJbF7XCFW2dJObOKzPcrrE3xIHL3VaQvWleAbp9usixPq-3okwTWjPDzfv6aAQKYLzrDLZzFDHYdDaiywOnIAdsKOVg8TrkLF_tLo9vY8ejCY6BItJKsDbck8gII6L/s1600-h/01_teargas01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0maS8PXp-IMyweHJbF7XCFW2dJObOKzPcrrE3xIHL3VaQvWleAbp9usixPq-3okwTWjPDzfv6aAQKYLzrDLZzFDHYdDaiywOnIAdsKOVg8TrkLF_tLo9vY8ejCY6BItJKsDbck8gII6L/s320/01_teargas01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241496715197146738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">As Hurricane Gustav bore down on New Orleans and the gulf coast, Republican presidential contender John McCain and other higher-ups in his party made the decision to show concern and compassion toward residents living in the storm's path by scaling down the partying and celebration at the Republican National Convention (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">RNC</span></span>), which is currently being held in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. President Bush announced that he would not be attending or speaking at the convention. Instead, he would be flying down to San Antonio in order to oversee emergency operations once the hurricane had passed.<br /><br />After their slow response and lack of empathy for Katrina survivors, the Bush Administration and all of their Republican supporters were given a second chance by Gustav to respond to a natural disaster in a much more appropriate manner; this time they would show their compassion for the suffering masses. How could they not? With the presidential elections only some two months away, the party that had shown so much disdain for Katrina victims three years ago needed to put on a new face - to show how much they now care.<br /><br />Events in the twin cities area however, tell a much different story. Here, there are no kind smiles - no platitudes of compassion or love for humanity. Instead, there is only a police state with its violation of our most basic rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.<br /><br />On Friday August 29, armed police and agents from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department broke into a building where members of the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">RNC</span></span> Welcoming Committee </span>were eating and watching a movie. Those unfortunate enough to be present during the raid, including at least one child, were forced down on the floor at gunpoint, then handcuffed and detained. None of those present had committed a crime, nor had any even engaged in so much as an act of civil disobedience.<br /><br />The raid upon the welcoming committee was only the first of many however, as reports coming from the independent media tell of the municipal police, Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, and the FBI bursting into private homes with guns pointed at activists and children in what is allegedly being called by that county's sheriff's department, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span></span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">emptive</span></span> raids. It has been reported that before the raids against citizens even began, Sheriff Bob Fletcher had referred to the anarchists, who would be coming to the twin cities area to protest Republican policies, as "criminals." Those actually protesting in the streets are facing a welcoming to Saint Paul with </span>concussion grenades, tear gas, pepper spray, batons, charging horses, gas masks, rubber bullets and more.<br /><br />Reports coming out of the area indicate that the police seem to be targeting journalists and those with video cameras. On Monday, two co-producers for the daily news program <span style="font-style: italic;">Democracy Now, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sharif</span></span> Abdel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kouddous</span></span> and Nicole Salazar,<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>were arrested on suspicion of rioting. Upon hearing the news of their arrest, program host Amy Goodman rushed to their location in order to free them. Upon asking to talk to the police commander in charge, she too was arrested. At the time of this writing, all three have been released. Some however, have not been so fortunate. Reports coming out of Saint Paul now tell of some detainees being kept in 23-hour solitary confinement; yet, many of these have not even been charged with a crime.<br /><br />I called the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department this morning in order to register my complaint against its unlawful and unconstitutional actions against journalists and activists expressing their First Amendment rights. Upon asking the receptionist what in God's name does the Sheriff's Department think it's doing, she replied, "We're trying to make things nicer."<br /><br />"Nicer?" I asked. "You call pointing guns at and handcuffing children, traumatising them by roughing up their parents, and arresting journalists and other people who have committed no crime nice?"<br /><br />She simply replied by saying, "I'll pass your opinion along to the sheriff." I'm sure that she will.<br /><br />What's happening outside of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Republican National Convention </span>is unconstitutional, criminal, and is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">afront</span></span> to anyone who believes in freedom. It is fascism, pure and simple. It is however and excellent indicator of where our society is heading under the security state that has been imposed upon us by the Bush Administration, and its enablers, both Republican and Democratic.<br /><br />In recent months, many have wondered what has happened to the anti-war movement in the United States. The consensus of some has been that it slowly running out of steam. Further, overall attendance by protesters at both the <span style="font-style: italic;">Democratic National Convention (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DNC</span>) </span>and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">RNC</span> has been lower than organizers had hoped for. The ever escalating brutality and outright violation of civil liberties at the hands of those to whom the public trust is given - the local sheriff's and police departments, might have something to do with the low turnout of protesters. Author and activist Naomi Wolf, in her recent book entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot </span>describes a scenario in which it becomes no longer a viable option for a person to engage in political dissent due to the severity of consequences imposed by a fascist state against one's freedom, family or even life. The ruthless behavior of law-enforcement agencies in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area is a prime example of such a scenario in action, and similar situations, which have taken place in the recent past, might account for the diminishing numbers of dissenters willing to risk themselves before the new national security state. <br /><br />While the mainstream media appears to be giving scant coverage of the travesties taking place in the twin cities area, the independent media is filled with reports, photos, and video of events taking place there. A good start would be by going to <b><a href="http://twincities.indymedia.org/">Twin Cities <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Indymedia</span></span>.</a></b> Lots of resources can be found there.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-54246285551950915402008-08-24T09:14:00.000-07:002008-08-25T09:05:09.372-07:00Sensible Fayetteville: Inching Ahead<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Gee, it is the policy of my government to hunt the most versatile plant known to man to extinction and to imprison anyone who is caught growing it." - Glen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Schwarz</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">There has been a lot of talk in recent years about our country's slow and incremental march toward becoming a full-blown police state. While this regressive movement has certainly been noticeable over recent decades, few informed Americans will argue that the pace has not quickened during the years of the Bush/Cheney Administration. The horrors unleashed upon us by the criminal regime in the White House and its supporters are too numerous to mention in this article. The important thing to remember is that when a precedent is set, those of ill intent build upon that precedent; and by doing so, are eventually able to destroy freedom altogether.<br /><br /><br />I have long considered the so-called "war on drugs" to be the precedent used by the federal government to justify its further attempts to dismantle civil liberties. How were they been able to accomplish this? The answer lies in the fact that for the most part, we the people allowed it to happen.<br /><br /><br />When the government began requiring companies doing business with it to conduct drug testing upon their employees, very few businesses or individuals resisted. Although the federal government was aggressively promoting a search of one's body fluids in violation of the spirit of the Fourth Amendment, not many people bothered to challenge this policy; this , in spite of the fact that there were and still are millions of marijuana users in the United States who, except for violating the government's unreasonable prohibition against using the substance, are generally law-abiding and contributing members of society. Had all employees and potential employees refused to participate in drug testing back in its early days, nobody would be forced to pee in a bottle without any probable cause today. The power of anti-drug propaganda was strong however, and few, for fear of being labeled as anti-social druggies, thought it was worth it to risk their job or reputation in order to stand up for freedom. The precedent was therefore, set; the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure - government intrusion, has been weakened as a result.<br /><br /><br />As the above-mentioned Glen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Schwarz</span> brought out in a recent <span style="font-style: italic;">Arkansas Free Press </span>article entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Fighting 4 Every Inch, </span>"vast amounts of time, money and effort must be made to gain every inch of ground against fanatic prohibitionists." <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Schwarz</span> went on to express the hope "that one day the American people will wake up and realize what an absurd position they defend."<br /><br /><br />Here in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fayetteville</span>, Arkansas a group of people have taken up the cause of ending this absurd position that has held sway, not only in our city, but all over the United States. The group, headed by Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Denham</span>, calls itself <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Fayetteville</span>, </span>and for months now it has been circulating a petition that will put an initiative on the ballot, which if supported by the voters, will make marijuana enforcement a low priority for local police. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Fayetteville</span> </span>makes the following points:<br /><br /><br />* Law enforcement resources would be better spent fighting serious and violent crime.<br /><br /><br />* Each year, Arkansas spends more than $30 million of taxpayer money enforcing marijuana laws.<br /><br /><br />* Making adult marijuana offenses <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Fayetteville's</span> lowest law-enforcement priority will reduce the city's spending on law enforcement, courts, and jail.<br /><br />* Decades of arresting millions of marijuana users have failed to control marijuana use or control its availability.<br /><br />* Citizens of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Fayetteville</span> who recognize the harmful effects of current drug policies can make their voices heard on the failure of marijuana prohibition through the passage of this Low Priority Initiative.<br /><br />* By a margin of nearly two-thirds (61%), Arkansas voters support a reduction of penalties for marijuana offenses.<br /><br />On August 9, sponsors of the initiative turned in 6,522 signatures to the City Clerk's Office. Of these, 3,385 were valid. The number of valid signatures required for the Low Priority Initiative to be on the ballet is 3,686, leaving initiative sponsors with the task of acquiring an additional 301 valid signatures. On Saturday August 23, members of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Fayetteville</span> </span>were busy at Farmer's Market on the square obtaining more signatures. The group hopes to turn in another 900 signatures by the fast-approaching deadline.<br /><br />The initiative's sponsors make it clear that their referendum does not call for decriminalization. Even if the initiative passes, police will still be able to arrest adults caught with even small amounts of marijuana. It is hoped however, that upon passage <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Fayetteville</span> police officers will respect the voice and desire of the people by making simple possession of the herb a low priority.<br /><br />In 2006 a similar initiative was passed by voters in nearby Eureka Springs. Sadly, police officers there have pressed forward with the enforcement of unreasonable marijuana laws by ignoring the will of the voters. Instead, they are continuing to arrest adult members of their community for simple possession. Speaking about this situation Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Denham</span> put it this way:<br /><br />"The City of Eureka Springs is in violation of the law. We have been monitoring the situation and expect to take further action soon."<br /><br />Speaking only for myself, I'd like to wish him well with that as well as getting the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Fayetteville</span> initiative passed. If the required number of signatures are turned in to the City Clerk's Office <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Fayetteville</span> </span>hopes to promote their initiative by posting yard signs, hosting discussions and special events, seeking endorsements, fundraisers, newspaper announcements and more.<br /><br />The initiative sponsored by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Denham's</span> group is far from earth shattering. Marijuana possession will still be a crime. If nothing else however, it gives <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Fayetteville</span> voters a chance to speak out on the prohibition of a relatively-harmless substance that, due to the laws against possessing it, causes the imprisonment of thousands of otherwise law-abiding people every year. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sensible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Fayetteville</span> </span>has worked diligently to take a small step forward toward freedom and common sense; I wish them well with their efforts to inch forward.<br /><br /><br /></span><pre><br /></pre><br /><pre><br /></pre><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span></span>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404667456052637925.post-46085908952719481012008-08-12T09:55:00.000-07:002008-08-14T11:37:47.296-07:00Georgia: A Very Dangerous Drama Unfolding<p class="MsoBodyText">Since the inauguration of George Bush as president in January of 2001 and the coming to power of the so-called neo-cons, the relationship between the United States and Russia has been deteriorating. The fact of the matter is, when Mr. Bush looked into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s soul during their first meeting and pronounced the former KGB operative as someone he could work with, he failed to recognize that Putin is not a person to take lightly. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">In his 1997 book entitled <i>The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives </i>Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former National Security Advisor under the Carter Administration laid out his belief that if the United States is to successfully dominate the entire world, it must gain control of the area called Eurasia, the region east of Poland that stretches throughout the Middle East, the Central Asian Republics, and throughout Russia and China. Brzezinski opens his book with the following words: “Ever since the continents started interacting politically, some five hundred years ago, Eurasia has been the center of world power.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">Brzezinski, both through his book and in later statements, has propagated the gaining of total control over Eurasia by the United States as a first step to the eventual domination of the entire planet. This position is supported by Dr. Johannes B.Koeppl, PhD, a former German defense ministry official and advisor to former NATO Secretary General Manfred Werner, who in November 2001, made the following statement to <i>From The Wilderness Publications: </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">“The interests behind the Bush Administration, such as the CFR, The Trilateral Commission – founded by Brzezinski for David Rockefeller – and the Bilderberger Group, have prepared for and are now moving to implement open world dictatorship within the next five years. They are not fighting against terrorists. They are fighting against citizens.”<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">While there are many who may dismiss the ideology of total world dictatorship as promoted by the likes of Brzezinski and Koeppl, recent history should make it obvious that the U.S. Government, the neo-cons, and in particular, the Bush Administration, have been up to much more than simply fighting a war on terrorism. What else can explain the obvious manipulation of intelligence and outright lies that were used in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq? What other explanation can be offered for the threats against Iran when own <i>National Intelligence Estimate </i>last year reported that the Persians ceased their nuclear-weapons program some five or six years ago? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">Almost since Bush was sworn into office, there has been a push to expand NATO and a missile-defense system right to Russia’s doorstep. The current occupiers of the White House, never very good at covering up their true intentions, are claiming that a missile-defense system is needed in order to defend the Eastern European countries, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, from an attack by Iran. To make matters worse, President Bush has used that very rationale in trying to calm now Russian Prime Minister Putin’s anger over the proposed missile-defense system. Mr. Putin is very aware that such a defense system is in truth, a weapon of aggression and it is very likely that he is aware of Brzezinski’s book as well as a <i>Project For A New American Century</i> report, which laid out in almost perfect detail a plan for achieving world domination. It must be added here that Vice President Dick Cheney is closely associated with the publication of the above-mentioned report. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">It would seem that neo-conservative king George Bush has just been put in check by the Russians however, and the grand chess game in Eurasia has suddenly taken a dangerous turn as over the past several days, a vicious war has broken out between Russia the Georgian Republic. The dispute began when Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili launched an attack upon South Ossetia, a somewhat autonomous Russia-aligned province that has long wanted independence from Georgia. It must be added here that since 2003 in particular, Georgia has received considerable support from the United States, which has not only been accused of assisting Saakashvili’s ascension to the presidency, but has stationed U.S. military advisors in this former Soviet Republic. A further escalation of tension between the U.S. and Russia has now resulted due to a U.S. airlift of Georgian soldiers out of Iraq and back to their own country in order to fight the Russians there. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">President Bush, from Beijing denounced Russian aggression against the Georgian Republic and insisted that Georgia’s rights as a sovereign nation are respected. The U.S. President’s hypocritical statement would be comical if the situation was not so serious as his Iraq adventure has shown him to be anything but a respecter of national sovereignty. Vice President Cheney meanwhile, in a call to Mikhail Saakashvili, told the Georgian president “Russian aggression must not go unanswered.” Meanwhile, the mainstream media, always echoing the Bush/Cheney regime, has begun denouncing what it calls “Russian aggression against the Republic of Georgia;” Of course, the media has failed to tell Americans that Georgia was the original aggressor against South Ossetia, not the Russian Federation that came to its defense.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">It is now being reported that Russia is calling for an end to the fighting in the region; this, after launching a quick, decisive and brutal victory over President Saakashvili’s forces. Prime Minister Putin however, is making some very tough demands in exchange for a cessation of hostilities; among these is the demand that Georgia’s U.S.-supported President Saakashvili relinquish his office. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">How the hawks in the White House will react to Moscow’s demands is hard to tell, and the way in which the situation in Eurasia will play out in the coming days is anybody’s guess. What is clear however, is that, in spite of all the bluster coming out of Washington D.C., Vladimir Putin has drawn his line in the sand. He will not stand for U.S. encroachment into his back yard. He seems to fully understand the concepts behind <i>The Grand Chessboard, </i>and won’t stand for them on his watch. What is also clear is that a major miscalculation has taken place on the part of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and likely, the Bush Administration. It is very frightening to realize that further such miscalculation, or any intended fanning of the flames on the part of Bush/Cheney regime, could lead to direct military conflict with the Russians – a dangerous scenario indeed!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">Meanwhile, reports coming out of the Ossetia and Georgia tell of bombed-out buildings, over 2000 deaths – many of these civilian and a looming humanitarian crises. The dogs of war are hard at work while the rest of humanity continues to suffer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;">For more information read The Caucasus – Washington Risks Nuclear War By Miscalculation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"><a href="http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3610.shtml">http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3610.shtml</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"></span> </p>Manyhats Speakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16729968048955188505noreply@blogger.com0