A CITIZEN'S VIEW OF THE U.S. IMMIGRATION ISSUE
On the subject of United States Immigration
As a citizen of the United States of America I have observed as our immigration policy has decayed into a situation that is now affecting the majority of Americans and believe that dramatic reforms are now critically needed if we are to maintain the integrity of this nation.
Two of the most fundamental elements of the foundation of the United States of America have been the acceptance of immigrants into the country and the democratic establishment of a system of rules and laws. Our society would fall into serious peril if not for the willingness of the vast majority to accept the necessity of following the established rules and laws of this nation. It is also a fact that the vast majority of Americans come from descendents who came to America through the process of immigration or have come here through the process themselves. As America grew and became industrialized in the latter part of the 19th century, the population of the country was also expanding rapidly. The leaders of the Government (and for a wide variety of motives) created the first of a continuing series of laws governing the immigration of people into the United States. There was no doubt spirited discussion and debate at that time and since about the issue of immigration and the question of who should be allowed to enter America and in what numbers and under which system. The point being that rules and regulations and laws were in fact developed and accepted by the American people and that system has been in effect for over 100 years. The privilege of citizenship (and entrance) in the United States of America is honored in our most sacred documents. The Constitution and Bill of Rights speak with reverence of the importance of citizenship in America. It may be the single most important element of our democratic society.
In this years of 2006 and 2007, more heated debates are being conducted to decide the future of the immigration policy of the United States. Our current system is broken and must be repaired in order to protect the social and economic stability of America. The reasons and the question of responsibility for the current status are many and can be equally distributed among both major political parties and this essay and suggested plan does not attempt to shift blame to a particular political party but rather to address the current situation and offer a series of suggestions to bring America out of this crisis. The effort must be a bold and monumental one if success is to be realized. The time for partisanship is past. The American people need to mobilize in a manner that would rival the rebuilding period that followed the horror of the Civil War or the climb Americans made to come back from the Great Depression or the massive effort made during World War II. The task before us is no less critical to the continuing survival and protection of the Untied States of America that has existed for 230 years.
The solution to the current status of illegal immigrants will not be easy to realize. The United States government and its citizens must be prepared to make sacrifices and accept responsibility for allowing the entire system to get this far out of control. During the correction period there may be shortages in certain goods or services. Prices of various items may increase as businesses adjust to wage changes or worker shortages for a limited period of time. Whatever developments that occur in the area of commerce simply must be accepted as a cost of correction. The American system has a long history of being able to adjust to virtually any obstacle.
An honest assessment and acknowledgement must be made by all the various Government agencies that in spite of their best efforts to date the actual results with regard to administering and controlling the immigration situation are simply not acceptable. Anything less than a completely objective review of the factual conditions of each agency followed by a series of corrective actions (with the involvement of both the management and the front line employees) will only result in a repeat of current failures in the future.
The border and port security issue is the key ingredient to the success of any effort. The government of the United States and all citizens and legal residents must acknowledge without compromise that the protection of this nation’s borders and ports must be implemented immediately by all means at our disposal. If America and its citizens are in fact at risk from forces around the world (which has already been demonstrated numerous times) then further delay is unacceptable. National security is simply more important than any aspect of immigration, legal or illegal.
The issue of the status of the millions of people that are currently in the United States without proper documentation will require an acceptance of responsibility by the citizens of the United States for the nation’s failures in the enforcement of the lawful immigration policy. This does not necessarily mean that every single person that is currently in the United States without proper documentation should automatically be allowed to remain or that they would all be deported. A main part of any corrective action must include the willingness by those undocumented individuals to come forward and register and subject themselves to the legal system. If the millions of undocumented truly desire acceptance into American society they must believe in the system and accept the values of this country. After a specified grace period, anyone who has not registered and been granted authorization to be in the United States should be sent back to their country of origin and not allowed to return for at least 10 years. The main point is that the act of entering or remaining within the borders of the United States without proper documentation is, in fact, in violation of the laws of this nation and is unacceptable for any reason. Additionally, current violations of other laws, by “illegal” immigrants must also be addressed during this process.
Seven Steps to Immigration Reform
1) Secure the borders and ports of the United States of America with no exceptions.
2) Order the unrestricted access to any and all information from any Government agency to the Department of Homeland Security that may assist in the identification of people that are illegally within the borders of the United States.
3) Begin the process of removing services now available to individuals without proper documentation, including access to education, medical services, driver’s licenses, etc.
4) Develop an American Worker’s Network to provide willing American workers to those industries most affected by the removal of illegal immigrants.
5) Enforce existing immigration laws and any other laws (such as identity theft or using false documents) that are being violated.
6) Review the current immigration policy with respect to entry quotas and personnel requirements to expedite the process for those applying for legal entry.
7) Create a workable system for employers to actually verify an applicant’s immigration status and then severely penalize any employer who knowingly hires any individual not legally in the United States.
In summary, America and its citizens must stand up and do the correct thing with respect to the issue of immigration. We are taught by our parents, our schools, and all civil authority that America is a great and successful country and that we are supposed to be honest and obey the laws established for the protection of all. If a specific law or policy is deemed unfair or outdated by the majority of the citizens, there is a procedure for abolishing or changing the law. When individuals violate our law or citizens participate in the violation it weakens all of us and this must be unacceptable. Respect for law and rules of society cannot be determined selectively. The entire issue of immigration has become a political tool used by both major parties to gain funding and votes and this practice must end. Current leaders are and have been misleading the majority of American citizens about the facts (which is typical of most issues) and this too, must end. Real people and real lives are being affected and exploited on both sides of the issue. Otherwise law abiding members of the churches, medical community, social services, and the educational system are being placed in situations where they have to balance their moral beliefs with their instinct to be lawful citizens and it is the responsibility of the Federal, State and local governments to remove this burden. Individuals from around the world are risking life and limb to illegally enter the United States because they yearn for a better life and realize that they do not need to follow the established rules of entry as long as the United States continues to allow their illegal entry. Hundreds if not thousands of individuals perish annually attempting to make the journey and their blood is on the hands of those empowered but unwilling to institute the necessary changes that would actually save lives. There is a sector that is currently campaigning for the “rights” of illegal immigrants. My comment to them is that individuals who are in the United States illegally have no rights as defined by the U.S Constitution and the laws currently reserved for American citizens and those here legally. The politicians and the American people must not continue to allow the melding of legal immigrants and illegal immigrants when discussing the immigration issue to exist. They are not the same. The United States of America certainly should not carry the banner of democracy (and the rule of law) to any other part of the world if America itself continues to ignore its own laws. The long term survival of this nation is at stake and it is up to “we the people” to keep it alive. What will we ultimately do?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
IT IS NOW JANUARY 4th, 2007.
Most Americans have just finished celebrating their holiday season and have spent time with their families and friends, watching football or playing in the snow or just being together. The spending frenzy that overtakes this country during this time of year has slowed down and now most people will be facing the task of how to actually pay for their indulgence. Again, most Americans simply add to their ever increasing credit debt and move on to the next spending spree. It's the American way.
But there is a dark cloud hanging over the American landscape. It is a cloud that is bringing death and injury home each and every day and originates in Washington DC and travels through Iraq and Afghanistan.
1,386 days ago the United States (along with a limited coalition) began an invasion of Iraq. The motivations and justifications for this invasion are shrouded in mystery and riddled with misinformation and outright lies (which is not unique in the annals of warfare). The point is that the Untied States has now found itself mired in an "war" in the middle of a country and a region that doesn't trust us and doesn't want us meddling in their lives. Again, this is certainly not unique when reviewing the policy history of the United States. This time we seem to be facing a resistance (to our supposed ideas about how the people of the world should live and what they should believe) that will prove to have a much broader global impact than when we engaged in the debacle that was Vietnam. If the situation isn't calmed down in the very near future (or at least contained) the Military Industrial Complex that planned and implemented these past four years (and the past 60 years of military action and control) will get exactly what they have wanted which seems to be an endless and all out war across the globe.
As of today, 3003 United States military personnel have died in Iraq and an additional 22,000 have been wounded. Those figures are the ones being reported and may not be fully accurate. Those figures do not seem to include casualties in Afghanistan which doesn't get much attention these days.
3003 AMERICAN LIVES have ended!! The lives of thousands of family members and friends have been changed forever! 22,000 AMERICANS have been wounded and their lives and the lives of hundreds of thousands of family members and friends have been changed forever!
There are many who argue that this sacrifice is simply part of the "cost of freedom" and no different than the sacrifices made by more than 130,000 in World War I or over 400,000 in World War II or 37,000 plus in Korea or 55,000 plus in Vietnam and many others in smaller battles. If we just consider the term "sacrifice" in the most basic understanding of the word that argument might stand. The key distinction (in my humble opinion) is in the determination of needless sacrifice versus actual defense of our freedom. It is in this area where the American mindset and opinion has been manipulated to the extreme.
Sacrifice in the face of LITERAL DEFENSE of this country (and not perceived or vague threats) should be understood and acceptable to all Americans. The key is how to determine when the defense of our freedom is literal and when it is just a furthering of the MIC agenda. In the coming days Americans will hear and learn that contrary to the "public will" and the results of our recent elections the President (controlled by the back room power (aka; MIC)) as Commander in Chief will inform the citizens of America that rather than starting a removal of US troops from Iraq, HE has determined that the BEST course for America is to escalate the conflict by INCREASING the troop levels in the form of a "surge" (we always like to disguise things with new terms). He will give us the same line about how this "war" simply must be "won" OR ELSE. The implied "or else" is that terrorist armies would be invading the shores of America in massive numbers should we leave Iraq. This policy of projecting fear has been used throughout our political history. Study the "fear" speech of the McCarthy years in the early and mid 1950's or the communist scare tactics that "justified" our 12 year involvement in Vietnam or the "Evil Empire" frenzy that was created during the Reagan years that allowed a huge buildup of military spending. Americans have always been easily controlled by a well planned fear campaign so the tactics of the current President and his minions are not surprising at all. Is there an actual hatred for Americans? YES. Does this "danger" need to be controlled? Absolutely. The only question that matters is how we go about protecting ourselves and to determine when the sacrifice of American lives is literally necessary. I personally believe that situation should only be accepted as a last resort. I personally believe that we Americans have become too accepting of the deaths of our troops. They seem to have become just a daily statistic on the news or internet. Many will continue to point out that the 3,003 deaths in Iraq pale when compared to the 55,000 in Vietnam or 37,000 in Korea or 400,000 plus in World War II. They will tell you that the current "war" deaths is relatively minor and when only making a numbers comparison that is a fact. My question is; "What's the point of the comparison?"
The sacrifice of each and every American should at least get the collective attention of American citizens. Each death should matter and be a call for real justification of our actions. What are we doing? What is the plan? What, exactly, does "winning" mean? Is there a number of American dead that will become too many? Is America and its people willing to literally kill EVERY person on the planet that wishes us harm or doesn't like us?
Listen well in the days and weeks ahead and you will see and hear the President trying to convince you of the crisis we face and despite all reason and dissenting opinions the BEST "way forward" (another catch phrase) is to commit additional troops in a "surge" to gain control of Baghdad (something that we've been trying to do for over three years). He will tell us (AGAIN) how the Iraqi forces are being trained to "take over" for American (and coalition) forces. He will tell us (AGAIN) that Iraq will become an oasis of democracy in the middle east and therefore, democracy (our version) will surely spread throughout the region. He will tell you that more sacrifice is necessary and how proud he and the nation is of the bravery of those who will soon give their lives to our cause.
The President will NOT tell you that the "war" that we've gotten ourselves so involved in has almost nothing to do with terrorism (at least the terrorism we should be fighting) and is really all about the internal religious struggle between factions within Iraq and surrounding nations. The President will NOT tell you that our presence is really all about preserving the oil interests and has very little to do with the welfare of the citizens of Iraq. The President will NOT give us a specific definition of what "winning" actually means. The President will NOT heed to the "will of the people" here in America. The President will NOT change the stubborn direction that he (and his minions) has taken America and its citizens during the past five years. The President will NOT fully explain to us why, if America is actually at risk of a terrorist "army" invasion on American soil, he and his administration has NOT implemented the steps necessary to actually prevent such an "invasion".
The new Congress, now "controlled" by the Democrats will undoubtedly make many speeches telling us how they wish to work with the President in a "bipartisan" manner and how they are going to make things better and how they are opposed to any "surge" of troops in Iraq. All of this will just be a show. The hard fact is that unless the Congress is willing to cut off funding for the "war" (and risk a huge political backlash), the President can and will continue the "war" and all that involves with little consideration to any opinions or suggestions that his policy may be wrong. Real protection of the United States and its citizens will always be the primary duty and responsibility of our President, the Congress, and our military. The critical question that defines that responsibility is (and will be) just how and when to commit US military personnel and exactly when America is threatened to the point where such actions are understood and accepted by the vast majority of American citizens. As that issue is debated Americans (and countless Iraqi civilians) will continue to be "sacrificed".
Americans may now be so used to the sacrifice and the mourning (we seem to love the mourning) that the collective "we" will continue to accept the deaths and the carnage for many years to come. Sadly, it's becoming the American way.
Most Americans have just finished celebrating their holiday season and have spent time with their families and friends, watching football or playing in the snow or just being together. The spending frenzy that overtakes this country during this time of year has slowed down and now most people will be facing the task of how to actually pay for their indulgence. Again, most Americans simply add to their ever increasing credit debt and move on to the next spending spree. It's the American way.
But there is a dark cloud hanging over the American landscape. It is a cloud that is bringing death and injury home each and every day and originates in Washington DC and travels through Iraq and Afghanistan.
1,386 days ago the United States (along with a limited coalition) began an invasion of Iraq. The motivations and justifications for this invasion are shrouded in mystery and riddled with misinformation and outright lies (which is not unique in the annals of warfare). The point is that the Untied States has now found itself mired in an "war" in the middle of a country and a region that doesn't trust us and doesn't want us meddling in their lives. Again, this is certainly not unique when reviewing the policy history of the United States. This time we seem to be facing a resistance (to our supposed ideas about how the people of the world should live and what they should believe) that will prove to have a much broader global impact than when we engaged in the debacle that was Vietnam. If the situation isn't calmed down in the very near future (or at least contained) the Military Industrial Complex that planned and implemented these past four years (and the past 60 years of military action and control) will get exactly what they have wanted which seems to be an endless and all out war across the globe.
As of today, 3003 United States military personnel have died in Iraq and an additional 22,000 have been wounded. Those figures are the ones being reported and may not be fully accurate. Those figures do not seem to include casualties in Afghanistan which doesn't get much attention these days.
3003 AMERICAN LIVES have ended!! The lives of thousands of family members and friends have been changed forever! 22,000 AMERICANS have been wounded and their lives and the lives of hundreds of thousands of family members and friends have been changed forever!
There are many who argue that this sacrifice is simply part of the "cost of freedom" and no different than the sacrifices made by more than 130,000 in World War I or over 400,000 in World War II or 37,000 plus in Korea or 55,000 plus in Vietnam and many others in smaller battles. If we just consider the term "sacrifice" in the most basic understanding of the word that argument might stand. The key distinction (in my humble opinion) is in the determination of needless sacrifice versus actual defense of our freedom. It is in this area where the American mindset and opinion has been manipulated to the extreme.
Sacrifice in the face of LITERAL DEFENSE of this country (and not perceived or vague threats) should be understood and acceptable to all Americans. The key is how to determine when the defense of our freedom is literal and when it is just a furthering of the MIC agenda. In the coming days Americans will hear and learn that contrary to the "public will" and the results of our recent elections the President (controlled by the back room power (aka; MIC)) as Commander in Chief will inform the citizens of America that rather than starting a removal of US troops from Iraq, HE has determined that the BEST course for America is to escalate the conflict by INCREASING the troop levels in the form of a "surge" (we always like to disguise things with new terms). He will give us the same line about how this "war" simply must be "won" OR ELSE. The implied "or else" is that terrorist armies would be invading the shores of America in massive numbers should we leave Iraq. This policy of projecting fear has been used throughout our political history. Study the "fear" speech of the McCarthy years in the early and mid 1950's or the communist scare tactics that "justified" our 12 year involvement in Vietnam or the "Evil Empire" frenzy that was created during the Reagan years that allowed a huge buildup of military spending. Americans have always been easily controlled by a well planned fear campaign so the tactics of the current President and his minions are not surprising at all. Is there an actual hatred for Americans? YES. Does this "danger" need to be controlled? Absolutely. The only question that matters is how we go about protecting ourselves and to determine when the sacrifice of American lives is literally necessary. I personally believe that situation should only be accepted as a last resort. I personally believe that we Americans have become too accepting of the deaths of our troops. They seem to have become just a daily statistic on the news or internet. Many will continue to point out that the 3,003 deaths in Iraq pale when compared to the 55,000 in Vietnam or 37,000 in Korea or 400,000 plus in World War II. They will tell you that the current "war" deaths is relatively minor and when only making a numbers comparison that is a fact. My question is; "What's the point of the comparison?"
The sacrifice of each and every American should at least get the collective attention of American citizens. Each death should matter and be a call for real justification of our actions. What are we doing? What is the plan? What, exactly, does "winning" mean? Is there a number of American dead that will become too many? Is America and its people willing to literally kill EVERY person on the planet that wishes us harm or doesn't like us?
Listen well in the days and weeks ahead and you will see and hear the President trying to convince you of the crisis we face and despite all reason and dissenting opinions the BEST "way forward" (another catch phrase) is to commit additional troops in a "surge" to gain control of Baghdad (something that we've been trying to do for over three years). He will tell us (AGAIN) how the Iraqi forces are being trained to "take over" for American (and coalition) forces. He will tell us (AGAIN) that Iraq will become an oasis of democracy in the middle east and therefore, democracy (our version) will surely spread throughout the region. He will tell you that more sacrifice is necessary and how proud he and the nation is of the bravery of those who will soon give their lives to our cause.
The President will NOT tell you that the "war" that we've gotten ourselves so involved in has almost nothing to do with terrorism (at least the terrorism we should be fighting) and is really all about the internal religious struggle between factions within Iraq and surrounding nations. The President will NOT tell you that our presence is really all about preserving the oil interests and has very little to do with the welfare of the citizens of Iraq. The President will NOT give us a specific definition of what "winning" actually means. The President will NOT heed to the "will of the people" here in America. The President will NOT change the stubborn direction that he (and his minions) has taken America and its citizens during the past five years. The President will NOT fully explain to us why, if America is actually at risk of a terrorist "army" invasion on American soil, he and his administration has NOT implemented the steps necessary to actually prevent such an "invasion".
The new Congress, now "controlled" by the Democrats will undoubtedly make many speeches telling us how they wish to work with the President in a "bipartisan" manner and how they are going to make things better and how they are opposed to any "surge" of troops in Iraq. All of this will just be a show. The hard fact is that unless the Congress is willing to cut off funding for the "war" (and risk a huge political backlash), the President can and will continue the "war" and all that involves with little consideration to any opinions or suggestions that his policy may be wrong. Real protection of the United States and its citizens will always be the primary duty and responsibility of our President, the Congress, and our military. The critical question that defines that responsibility is (and will be) just how and when to commit US military personnel and exactly when America is threatened to the point where such actions are understood and accepted by the vast majority of American citizens. As that issue is debated Americans (and countless Iraqi civilians) will continue to be "sacrificed".
Americans may now be so used to the sacrifice and the mourning (we seem to love the mourning) that the collective "we" will continue to accept the deaths and the carnage for many years to come. Sadly, it's becoming the American way.
Monday, November 13, 2006
My last posting on this subject was November 1st. Now it is November 13Th and during these past 12 days we have lost ANOTHER 31 souls to the misguided "war" in Iraq and an additional 153 have been wounded! The totals are now 2848 DEAD and 21572 WOUNDED. These are REAL PEOPLE! Click on this link to see the sons and daughters and brothers and sisters that are being KILLED; http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/
This is an URGENT crisis and there is no time for government red tape!
During those 12 days American voters have gone to the polls and rejected the current administration's "war" policy. Citizens have indicated that they want change and they want it NOW. The Republicans are floundering and many are jumping off their "ship to nowhere" with reckless abandon. Conservative radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh are even turning their backs and their voices. Even he could not sustain blind partisanship in the face of administration that has proven itself to be nothing more than an inept bully. Americans no longer need to worry about the "terrorists" or others that would wish us harm becoming "emboldened" should we leave Iraq because they already are emboldened! Why is this? To the extent that the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually a fight with "insurgents" or "terrorists", which doesn't appear to be the worst problem (at least in Iraq), the U.S. military has not been allowed (to date) to do what they would have to do to get rid of this presence.
We keep hearing of the 140,000 plus troops that are in Iraq. How many of this amount are actually engaging the "insurgents" or terrorists"? How many are having to try and keep a lid on the sectarian "war" that is taking place throughout the country? I suspect that a larger portion of U.S. troops are mired in the latter strategy. Was the current President and all his advisers actually under the impression that the various ethnic and religious groups in Iraq were going to "magically" embrace each other and "just get along" when we took out Saddam Hussein? How could they all be so naive? I find it stunning that virtually everyone on this team was lulled into that belief or was intimidated into silence at the expense of the lives of so many of their fellow Americans. The actions taken (and not taken) by the current administration during the past four years has been shameful at best and treasonous at worst.
The Democrats have gained enough political victories in the recent election to be able to exert pressure on the Bush Administration to PAY ATTENTION and to face the FACTS of this self-imposed debacle. The Democrats MUST also be fully prepared to accept the RESPONSIBILITY of the "power" they have regained. This is NOT a time to sink into an endless series of hearings and investigations to point out what has gone wrong and who did it. We the people already know those answers! It's time to step up and be the leaders that you say you are and validate the results of our recent elections. American citizens are demanding positive and successful action and our troops DESERVE it!
Our troops are bravely "following orders" and would continue to do so indefinitely because that is their job. It is the responsibility of the civilian authority of the United States Government to figure this out and get our troops out of the shooting gallery they are in now. If our mission is to battle the "terrorists" now in Iraq or Afghanistan then give the military the orders to actually win and not just engage in a look and wait policy. The struggle between the various religious factions throughout Iraq (or Afghanistan) will NEVER be solved by US military actions and more importantly, that's not our business. The American people and the new Democratic leadership must continually separate those two issues because that is a major element toward bringing our involvement to an end. We keep hearing that we will leave as soon as the Iraqi government is able to provide effective security for Iraq. If the combined resources of the American, British and other nation's military might has shown no real sign (in close to four years) of stopping and controlling the daily violence, we must ask the obvious question. How will it be possible for Iraqi police or the Iraqi military ever be able to "protect" themselves and all the citizens of Iraq, especially when the individuals being recruited into the Iraqi forces are themselves partisan members of the sects they are supposed to control. Militias and "death squads" are more prevalent on the streets of Iraq than are the Iraqi officials. Unless there is a fundamental change in the mindset of the Iraqi people and their new government and a willingness to co-exist in their own country, it doesn't matter what "we" do or how many troops we have there or how long we stay. The ONLY thing that does continue to matter is that EVERY DAY more Americans (and Iraqi or Afghan civilians) are being killed or wounded and THAT MUST STOP!
It's Time to Think Again!
This is an URGENT crisis and there is no time for government red tape!
During those 12 days American voters have gone to the polls and rejected the current administration's "war" policy. Citizens have indicated that they want change and they want it NOW. The Republicans are floundering and many are jumping off their "ship to nowhere" with reckless abandon. Conservative radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh are even turning their backs and their voices. Even he could not sustain blind partisanship in the face of administration that has proven itself to be nothing more than an inept bully. Americans no longer need to worry about the "terrorists" or others that would wish us harm becoming "emboldened" should we leave Iraq because they already are emboldened! Why is this? To the extent that the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually a fight with "insurgents" or "terrorists", which doesn't appear to be the worst problem (at least in Iraq), the U.S. military has not been allowed (to date) to do what they would have to do to get rid of this presence.
We keep hearing of the 140,000 plus troops that are in Iraq. How many of this amount are actually engaging the "insurgents" or terrorists"? How many are having to try and keep a lid on the sectarian "war" that is taking place throughout the country? I suspect that a larger portion of U.S. troops are mired in the latter strategy. Was the current President and all his advisers actually under the impression that the various ethnic and religious groups in Iraq were going to "magically" embrace each other and "just get along" when we took out Saddam Hussein? How could they all be so naive? I find it stunning that virtually everyone on this team was lulled into that belief or was intimidated into silence at the expense of the lives of so many of their fellow Americans. The actions taken (and not taken) by the current administration during the past four years has been shameful at best and treasonous at worst.
The Democrats have gained enough political victories in the recent election to be able to exert pressure on the Bush Administration to PAY ATTENTION and to face the FACTS of this self-imposed debacle. The Democrats MUST also be fully prepared to accept the RESPONSIBILITY of the "power" they have regained. This is NOT a time to sink into an endless series of hearings and investigations to point out what has gone wrong and who did it. We the people already know those answers! It's time to step up and be the leaders that you say you are and validate the results of our recent elections. American citizens are demanding positive and successful action and our troops DESERVE it!
Our troops are bravely "following orders" and would continue to do so indefinitely because that is their job. It is the responsibility of the civilian authority of the United States Government to figure this out and get our troops out of the shooting gallery they are in now. If our mission is to battle the "terrorists" now in Iraq or Afghanistan then give the military the orders to actually win and not just engage in a look and wait policy. The struggle between the various religious factions throughout Iraq (or Afghanistan) will NEVER be solved by US military actions and more importantly, that's not our business. The American people and the new Democratic leadership must continually separate those two issues because that is a major element toward bringing our involvement to an end. We keep hearing that we will leave as soon as the Iraqi government is able to provide effective security for Iraq. If the combined resources of the American, British and other nation's military might has shown no real sign (in close to four years) of stopping and controlling the daily violence, we must ask the obvious question. How will it be possible for Iraqi police or the Iraqi military ever be able to "protect" themselves and all the citizens of Iraq, especially when the individuals being recruited into the Iraqi forces are themselves partisan members of the sects they are supposed to control. Militias and "death squads" are more prevalent on the streets of Iraq than are the Iraqi officials. Unless there is a fundamental change in the mindset of the Iraqi people and their new government and a willingness to co-exist in their own country, it doesn't matter what "we" do or how many troops we have there or how long we stay. The ONLY thing that does continue to matter is that EVERY DAY more Americans (and Iraqi or Afghan civilians) are being killed or wounded and THAT MUST STOP!
It's Time to Think Again!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS
It's November 1st, 2006 and in 6 days the United States will conduct the mid-term elections to determine which major political party will have the majority in Congress for at least the next two years. The candidates, the media (especially the media) and all the political pundits on T.V. and the Internet are consumed with the numbers to "suggest" to us by citing endless poll results who will "win" their election.
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
Let me say that again;
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
The numbers that SHOULD matter to ALL of these candidates and media and more importantly each and every American Citizen are;
2817 and 21419
The number 2817 is the number of American military personnel that have been killed in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
The number 21419 is the number of American military personnel that have been "wounded" in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
While the politicians here in the U.S. beat each other up with their "war" of words and accusations and character assassination and try to "buy" our votes with empty promises to maintain or gain a seat of power in Congress more than 2 Americans are dying EVERY day and more than 16 Americans are being wounded EVERY day.
Back on August 16th I made a posting to this site called "When are WE Going to Get Mad" (which I suggest readers go back to and read again). At that time the number of American military personnel who had been killed stood at 2602 and the number of wounded stood at 19,511. In the 77 days since then 215 MORE Americans have perished and an additional 1908 have been wounded. As bad as that is an even worse shame is that in those 77 days the situation in the war zone of Iraq has gotten worse and even more dangerous for our troops exposed to the killing zone each and every day. In these 77 days the leadership of the United States continues to do nothing substantial to bring this madness to an end. The Republicans (for the most part) continue to blindly follow a confused policy "just because" and the Democrats run around complaining about the policy and direction of the "war" without any of them offering a specific and workable plan to change the course of this "war".
The REAL problem is that the current administration rumbled into Iraq without a specific and effective plan on what to do after the much touted "shock and awe" blitz undertaken to drive the regime of Saddam Hussein from power and then remained "confused" as the sectarian violence and insurgent disruption grew to today's levels. Funding has been basically rubber stamped for the past five years with almost no oversight or accountablility and the out-sourcing of many functions of "reconstruction" and supplying our military has resulted in staggering amounts of corruption from both the contractors and within the newly formed Iraqi government.
So, here we are at November 1st, 2006 and all the reasons that got us to where we are today really don't matter now. The ONLY things that do matter are coming up with a PLAN that will stop the two important numbers (deaths and wounded) from continuing to grow. The Republicans insist that America must not "cut and run" because it would embolden the "terrorists" and bring them to America to attack us here. I would submit that to the extent the "terrorists" are causing the problem in Iraq (and by the way Afghanistan), the "terrorists" are ALREADY emboldened due to the fact that the combined resources of the United States military and the British military have been unable to put them down during the past 1323 days (and longer when Afghanistan's timetable is considered). I would submit that the world at large (and especially potential enemies) has seen that the veil of invincibility previously projected by the United States has been pulled back and exposed as not real.
I would submit that a fundamental ingredient to our "winning" must be the "perception" of our willingness to bring overwhelming force to bear to achieve victory. The people we are fighting can and will continue to commit thousands and even millions of deaths to their own people as they drain our resources (people, money and our will). I would suggest at this point that we begin a deliberate and systematic relocation of all the "innocent" Iraqi civilians from the towns, villages and cities in Iraq in preparation for a massive assault on anyone left in those areas that wishes to continue fighting. The cost of this action would be enormous and many Iraqi citizens would have at least a temporary resentment but in the end this "plan" just might bring an end to the both carnage being brought to bear on the Iraqi people AND more importantly (to me) our American military personnel. It is always quite possible that just the mention of a plan like this and the sight of preparations being put into action might get the attention of the "insurgents" and those Iraqis that are just as bad or worse than the outside "terrorists" to understand that WE are now very serious about ending this situation by whatever means necessary even if it means completely destroying vast areas of the country.
If the United States and Great Britain are NOT willing to take the extreme measures mentioned in the paragraph above then ALL parties must entertain the most logical and least costly (in terms of the loss of life) option which is to divide Iraq in three basically autonomous territories made up of the Kurdish north (which has really already taken place), the Shia south and southeast (again the provincial capital Basra already commands respect) and the western and central Sunni territory. These three divisions should be monitored by a central "government" which would have authority over oil revenue distribution (especially as it relates to the Sunnis because their terrority would not be located in oil rich areas) and other interests that pertain to the whole of Iraq. This sectarian separation will end up happening anyway but the goal should be to do it officially and try to avoid the tens of thousands of future deaths which will absolutely happen if the present folly is continued. The heavily populated area in and around Baghdad where sunnis and shias and some kurds all reside will present a fundamental test. The people there must make the decision to either co-exist or relocate to their ethnic and religious territory.
If the Democrats gain "political control" of the Congress next week or gain the White House in 2008 or both they MUST come with a real plan to turn this mess around. If they don't the American people will be even more upset than they are now under the failed Republican leadership. The message to the Democrats is; "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it". It in this case may be one of the worst nightmares they could imagine.
As we begin this month of November, 2006 please keep the numbers 2817 and 21419 in your minds as THE MOST IMPORTANT numbers. I can almost assure you that the 605,900 Americans that represent the immediate family and friends of our dead and wounded certainly believe these numbers are much more important than any political poll numbers being shown on their T.V. sets.
Just to take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifice of others, there have been 237 deaths in Iraq of members of the "coalition of the willing" nations. In case you're interested, aside from Great Britain (120) and Italy (33) the other 84 deaths were citizens of the military forces of Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain, Denmark, El Salvador, Slovakia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Latvia and Romania. Absent from the list of our grand coalition are Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico and all of South America. Oh, I almost forgot. The involvement in our effort to stem the tide of world terrorism by the nations surrounding Iraq (meaning Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Turkey) is ZERO. There is also no involvement by our allies in this "war on terror", meaning Pakistan or India or any other mid east or asian country. Remember that "we the people" are being told that we are under a global threat and our military personnel are being killed everyday to protect all those nations that have chosen not to become involved.
It's TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
It's November 1st, 2006 and in 6 days the United States will conduct the mid-term elections to determine which major political party will have the majority in Congress for at least the next two years. The candidates, the media (especially the media) and all the political pundits on T.V. and the Internet are consumed with the numbers to "suggest" to us by citing endless poll results who will "win" their election.
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
Let me say that again;
NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS REALLY MATTER!!!
The numbers that SHOULD matter to ALL of these candidates and media and more importantly each and every American Citizen are;
2817 and 21419
The number 2817 is the number of American military personnel that have been killed in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
The number 21419 is the number of American military personnel that have been "wounded" in the 1323 days since WE began our "war" in Iraq.
While the politicians here in the U.S. beat each other up with their "war" of words and accusations and character assassination and try to "buy" our votes with empty promises to maintain or gain a seat of power in Congress more than 2 Americans are dying EVERY day and more than 16 Americans are being wounded EVERY day.
Back on August 16th I made a posting to this site called "When are WE Going to Get Mad" (which I suggest readers go back to and read again). At that time the number of American military personnel who had been killed stood at 2602 and the number of wounded stood at 19,511. In the 77 days since then 215 MORE Americans have perished and an additional 1908 have been wounded. As bad as that is an even worse shame is that in those 77 days the situation in the war zone of Iraq has gotten worse and even more dangerous for our troops exposed to the killing zone each and every day. In these 77 days the leadership of the United States continues to do nothing substantial to bring this madness to an end. The Republicans (for the most part) continue to blindly follow a confused policy "just because" and the Democrats run around complaining about the policy and direction of the "war" without any of them offering a specific and workable plan to change the course of this "war".
The REAL problem is that the current administration rumbled into Iraq without a specific and effective plan on what to do after the much touted "shock and awe" blitz undertaken to drive the regime of Saddam Hussein from power and then remained "confused" as the sectarian violence and insurgent disruption grew to today's levels. Funding has been basically rubber stamped for the past five years with almost no oversight or accountablility and the out-sourcing of many functions of "reconstruction" and supplying our military has resulted in staggering amounts of corruption from both the contractors and within the newly formed Iraqi government.
So, here we are at November 1st, 2006 and all the reasons that got us to where we are today really don't matter now. The ONLY things that do matter are coming up with a PLAN that will stop the two important numbers (deaths and wounded) from continuing to grow. The Republicans insist that America must not "cut and run" because it would embolden the "terrorists" and bring them to America to attack us here. I would submit that to the extent the "terrorists" are causing the problem in Iraq (and by the way Afghanistan), the "terrorists" are ALREADY emboldened due to the fact that the combined resources of the United States military and the British military have been unable to put them down during the past 1323 days (and longer when Afghanistan's timetable is considered). I would submit that the world at large (and especially potential enemies) has seen that the veil of invincibility previously projected by the United States has been pulled back and exposed as not real.
I would submit that a fundamental ingredient to our "winning" must be the "perception" of our willingness to bring overwhelming force to bear to achieve victory. The people we are fighting can and will continue to commit thousands and even millions of deaths to their own people as they drain our resources (people, money and our will). I would suggest at this point that we begin a deliberate and systematic relocation of all the "innocent" Iraqi civilians from the towns, villages and cities in Iraq in preparation for a massive assault on anyone left in those areas that wishes to continue fighting. The cost of this action would be enormous and many Iraqi citizens would have at least a temporary resentment but in the end this "plan" just might bring an end to the both carnage being brought to bear on the Iraqi people AND more importantly (to me) our American military personnel. It is always quite possible that just the mention of a plan like this and the sight of preparations being put into action might get the attention of the "insurgents" and those Iraqis that are just as bad or worse than the outside "terrorists" to understand that WE are now very serious about ending this situation by whatever means necessary even if it means completely destroying vast areas of the country.
If the United States and Great Britain are NOT willing to take the extreme measures mentioned in the paragraph above then ALL parties must entertain the most logical and least costly (in terms of the loss of life) option which is to divide Iraq in three basically autonomous territories made up of the Kurdish north (which has really already taken place), the Shia south and southeast (again the provincial capital Basra already commands respect) and the western and central Sunni territory. These three divisions should be monitored by a central "government" which would have authority over oil revenue distribution (especially as it relates to the Sunnis because their terrority would not be located in oil rich areas) and other interests that pertain to the whole of Iraq. This sectarian separation will end up happening anyway but the goal should be to do it officially and try to avoid the tens of thousands of future deaths which will absolutely happen if the present folly is continued. The heavily populated area in and around Baghdad where sunnis and shias and some kurds all reside will present a fundamental test. The people there must make the decision to either co-exist or relocate to their ethnic and religious territory.
If the Democrats gain "political control" of the Congress next week or gain the White House in 2008 or both they MUST come with a real plan to turn this mess around. If they don't the American people will be even more upset than they are now under the failed Republican leadership. The message to the Democrats is; "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it". It in this case may be one of the worst nightmares they could imagine.
As we begin this month of November, 2006 please keep the numbers 2817 and 21419 in your minds as THE MOST IMPORTANT numbers. I can almost assure you that the 605,900 Americans that represent the immediate family and friends of our dead and wounded certainly believe these numbers are much more important than any political poll numbers being shown on their T.V. sets.
Just to take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifice of others, there have been 237 deaths in Iraq of members of the "coalition of the willing" nations. In case you're interested, aside from Great Britain (120) and Italy (33) the other 84 deaths were citizens of the military forces of Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain, Denmark, El Salvador, Slovakia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Latvia and Romania. Absent from the list of our grand coalition are Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico and all of South America. Oh, I almost forgot. The involvement in our effort to stem the tide of world terrorism by the nations surrounding Iraq (meaning Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Turkey) is ZERO. There is also no involvement by our allies in this "war on terror", meaning Pakistan or India or any other mid east or asian country. Remember that "we the people" are being told that we are under a global threat and our military personnel are being killed everyday to protect all those nations that have chosen not to become involved.
It's TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
WHEN DO WE CARE ENOUGH?
As I listened to the "pretend" outrage this evening over former candidate John Kerry's remarks which he apparently intended as criticism of President Bush and some of his minions and then turned upside down by the President and all the "talking heads" of the Republican Party (including John Mc Cain who will do anything to curry favor with the "base") I was moved to raise a few questions.
Does anyone actually believe that John Kerry (or any other politician) would stand in front of national microphones and say (with conviction and fore thought) that all of our troops serving and dying in Iraq are "stupid"? On the other hand, Senator Kerry and those who write for him are surely less than brilliant for putting out a comment like this that could and was interpreted as a dig about our troops. My advice is to stop trying the subtle jokes and just present YOUR plan to fix this mess!
Can we "trust" the current group in power when it bombards the airwaves with their babble saying that Kerry (and all Democrats through "guilt by association") doesn't support the troops in Iraq when they absolutely KNOW that isn't factual? This is once again an example of diverting the real issue (that being the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan) by trying to stir people up over the ill advised comments of an ex-presidential candidate or anyone else that calls our current direction into question.
At what point will "we the people" start demanding that United States military personnel stop being used as "politcal pawns" in our absurd election cycles? U.S. military personnel are NOT Republicans and are NOT Democrats (or any other political party)! They ARE however, individuals that are following the orders of their superiors and being placed in harm's way and bleeding and dying every day. They don't get the opportunity to ask if their daily mission came from a Republican or a Democrat and then decide if they will care it out. I would submit that 98% of our troops want one thing more than all others. They want to get this mess finished and COME HOME to their families and the "relative safety" of the American streets! They want their country and it's leaders to CARE ENOUGH about THEM to make the decisions necessary to get them out of the killing zone VERY SOON and stop making excuses for policy failures.
I have been shaking my head for close to 5 YEARS now as I watched and listened to the President of the United States of America (who at least in theory if not in practice is supposed to be the LEADER of ALL AMERICANS) and virtually every other Republican who gets in front of a microphone assert that any person (but especially any Democrat) who states any objection to "our" War policy (or pretty much any other policy) is, by inference, "un-American" and doesn't care about "the troops". This, to me, is not only an extreme insult to at least half of the American people but equally insulting to our troops! I would submit that a substantial number of our military personnel come from families that are not in the Republican party and have had to listen to the current administration infer that THEIR family members are un-American or unpatriotic because they have questioned the policies of this government. This CAN'T be good for morale!
I have also been shaking my head at the Democrats who have run around criticizing the "war" and other policies of the current administration without offering a viable plan of their own. I heard a Democratic leader the other day say that there isn't any point in offering "their plan" when they don't have the votes to make it happen. This postion is equally wrong to that of the current administration and shows that the Democrats are just as guilty of politicizing the "war" and an indication that they too, do not care as much about our troops under fire as they do about political posturing. If there are ideas or possible plans resting in the desks of Democrat leaders and any of those ideas could save the life of even one of our troops, bring them into the light of day and show that you CARE ENOUGH to do the right thing without concern for votes or political power.
To get to the main point of this posting I ask; "When do we care enough?"
When do we care enough to stop this insanity? Everyday this month, it seemed like some kind of numbers game as all the media became obsessed by the American body count. Would the death toll be "the most since" or would the death toll reach 100 for the month? THIS IS NOT A GAME!!! We are losing REAL PEOPLE with REAL FAMILIES and it needs to STOP! But as I've written in other posts, we "love" our numbers here in America and heck, we haven't even "lost" 3,000 troops yet. Our losses in Iraq to date are "minimal" when compared to Vietnam or Korea or WWII, so what's all the concern about anyway? We need to have five or ten or fifteen times the current number of dead Americans before "we the people" will get sickened enough to care, right? We also have the option of realizing that as horrific as our other "wars" were in the past, the numbers of death or destruction should not be a source of comparison to our current situation. We also have the option to test this "pro-life" philosophy circulating through this country and CARE ENOUGH (on both sides of the political aisle) about the NEXT dead soldier to commit ALL our resources to getting our young men and women OUT of harm's way. This will NOT be accomplished by continuing to "fight" this "war" in a manner well suited to the enemy (be they "insurgents", terrorists, or sectarian rival factions). It is not shameful for the current administration to just admit this and change the tactics. It is not shameful in a "war" situation to pull back and regroup and change the plan. If George Custer hadn't been so stubborn and arrogant he wouldn't have led all his men (and himself) into a slaughter that got all the soldiers killed.
The debacle in Iraq (and oh by the way Afghanistan as well) is bleeding the United States not only of irreplaceable human lives of our troops but also of huge financial resources and the reputation and "aura" of the United States of America as a respected and dominant country on this planet. When "fighting" a war against an enemy that shows even less regard for life than we do there is no end (a lesson we should have learned in Korea and Vietnam) because any thoughts of victory by attrition are fruitless. The statements of "winning" we hear from our President and others are meaningless if their definition of "winning" means that every last person we are fighting must either "give up" or is dead before "victory" is claimed. Once that premise is accepted as FACT there might be a chance of finding a different approach to this growing crisis. There are alternatives that can be employed (some of which may be viewed as harsh) and our troops deserve better than to be slowly killed in the streets of Iraq or Afghanistan.
"We the people" need to stand up and DEMAND that the so-called "leaders" of America stop playing politics and dividing us into "Red or Blue" or "Republicans or Democrats" and GET THE JOB DONE!!! The wounds to America and its people (many self-inflicted) are becoming so deep that very soon, even if we "win", it won't matter because we will have become a nation so filled with hate for our fellow citizens that we will have lost our sense of identity as Americans and as human beings.
It is Time To Think Again!
As I listened to the "pretend" outrage this evening over former candidate John Kerry's remarks which he apparently intended as criticism of President Bush and some of his minions and then turned upside down by the President and all the "talking heads" of the Republican Party (including John Mc Cain who will do anything to curry favor with the "base") I was moved to raise a few questions.
Does anyone actually believe that John Kerry (or any other politician) would stand in front of national microphones and say (with conviction and fore thought) that all of our troops serving and dying in Iraq are "stupid"? On the other hand, Senator Kerry and those who write for him are surely less than brilliant for putting out a comment like this that could and was interpreted as a dig about our troops. My advice is to stop trying the subtle jokes and just present YOUR plan to fix this mess!
Can we "trust" the current group in power when it bombards the airwaves with their babble saying that Kerry (and all Democrats through "guilt by association") doesn't support the troops in Iraq when they absolutely KNOW that isn't factual? This is once again an example of diverting the real issue (that being the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan) by trying to stir people up over the ill advised comments of an ex-presidential candidate or anyone else that calls our current direction into question.
At what point will "we the people" start demanding that United States military personnel stop being used as "politcal pawns" in our absurd election cycles? U.S. military personnel are NOT Republicans and are NOT Democrats (or any other political party)! They ARE however, individuals that are following the orders of their superiors and being placed in harm's way and bleeding and dying every day. They don't get the opportunity to ask if their daily mission came from a Republican or a Democrat and then decide if they will care it out. I would submit that 98% of our troops want one thing more than all others. They want to get this mess finished and COME HOME to their families and the "relative safety" of the American streets! They want their country and it's leaders to CARE ENOUGH about THEM to make the decisions necessary to get them out of the killing zone VERY SOON and stop making excuses for policy failures.
I have been shaking my head for close to 5 YEARS now as I watched and listened to the President of the United States of America (who at least in theory if not in practice is supposed to be the LEADER of ALL AMERICANS) and virtually every other Republican who gets in front of a microphone assert that any person (but especially any Democrat) who states any objection to "our" War policy (or pretty much any other policy) is, by inference, "un-American" and doesn't care about "the troops". This, to me, is not only an extreme insult to at least half of the American people but equally insulting to our troops! I would submit that a substantial number of our military personnel come from families that are not in the Republican party and have had to listen to the current administration infer that THEIR family members are un-American or unpatriotic because they have questioned the policies of this government. This CAN'T be good for morale!
I have also been shaking my head at the Democrats who have run around criticizing the "war" and other policies of the current administration without offering a viable plan of their own. I heard a Democratic leader the other day say that there isn't any point in offering "their plan" when they don't have the votes to make it happen. This postion is equally wrong to that of the current administration and shows that the Democrats are just as guilty of politicizing the "war" and an indication that they too, do not care as much about our troops under fire as they do about political posturing. If there are ideas or possible plans resting in the desks of Democrat leaders and any of those ideas could save the life of even one of our troops, bring them into the light of day and show that you CARE ENOUGH to do the right thing without concern for votes or political power.
To get to the main point of this posting I ask; "When do we care enough?"
When do we care enough to stop this insanity? Everyday this month, it seemed like some kind of numbers game as all the media became obsessed by the American body count. Would the death toll be "the most since" or would the death toll reach 100 for the month? THIS IS NOT A GAME!!! We are losing REAL PEOPLE with REAL FAMILIES and it needs to STOP! But as I've written in other posts, we "love" our numbers here in America and heck, we haven't even "lost" 3,000 troops yet. Our losses in Iraq to date are "minimal" when compared to Vietnam or Korea or WWII, so what's all the concern about anyway? We need to have five or ten or fifteen times the current number of dead Americans before "we the people" will get sickened enough to care, right? We also have the option of realizing that as horrific as our other "wars" were in the past, the numbers of death or destruction should not be a source of comparison to our current situation. We also have the option to test this "pro-life" philosophy circulating through this country and CARE ENOUGH (on both sides of the political aisle) about the NEXT dead soldier to commit ALL our resources to getting our young men and women OUT of harm's way. This will NOT be accomplished by continuing to "fight" this "war" in a manner well suited to the enemy (be they "insurgents", terrorists, or sectarian rival factions). It is not shameful for the current administration to just admit this and change the tactics. It is not shameful in a "war" situation to pull back and regroup and change the plan. If George Custer hadn't been so stubborn and arrogant he wouldn't have led all his men (and himself) into a slaughter that got all the soldiers killed.
The debacle in Iraq (and oh by the way Afghanistan as well) is bleeding the United States not only of irreplaceable human lives of our troops but also of huge financial resources and the reputation and "aura" of the United States of America as a respected and dominant country on this planet. When "fighting" a war against an enemy that shows even less regard for life than we do there is no end (a lesson we should have learned in Korea and Vietnam) because any thoughts of victory by attrition are fruitless. The statements of "winning" we hear from our President and others are meaningless if their definition of "winning" means that every last person we are fighting must either "give up" or is dead before "victory" is claimed. Once that premise is accepted as FACT there might be a chance of finding a different approach to this growing crisis. There are alternatives that can be employed (some of which may be viewed as harsh) and our troops deserve better than to be slowly killed in the streets of Iraq or Afghanistan.
"We the people" need to stand up and DEMAND that the so-called "leaders" of America stop playing politics and dividing us into "Red or Blue" or "Republicans or Democrats" and GET THE JOB DONE!!! The wounds to America and its people (many self-inflicted) are becoming so deep that very soon, even if we "win", it won't matter because we will have become a nation so filled with hate for our fellow citizens that we will have lost our sense of identity as Americans and as human beings.
It is Time To Think Again!
Friday, October 13, 2006
U.S. CITIZENS FACE YET ANOTHER ATTACK!
The "sneak attack" by the Senate in the late hours of their last session to effectively ban online poker, is yet another example of the unlimited hypocrisy our "leaders" (of both major parties) show in the quest for the MONEY. Since 48 of our 50 States currently allow some form of "legal" gambling, THIS bill certainly IS NOT about the "morality" of gambling. It is ONLY about the fact that the online poker sites are based offshore and therefore out of the financial control (i.e. taxes) of the United States. The gambling interests inside the U.S. (along with their financial support to our "leaders") have pressured your Government not to make gambling illegal but to set in motion steps that are a far bigger threat to OUR personal rights to decide for ourselves where and how to spend our money! The REAL danger here is that the U.S. Government has taken the step of ORDERING U.S. Banks, Credit card companies and money transfer firms to refuse or monitor OUR transactions on an otherwise valid credit card or bank account! Plus, this new bill even "shields" the banks and credit card firms from any legal action YOU (the customer) might attempt to take against them for assisting in this blantent infringement of our right to make our own decisions with our lives and our money. But, fear not citizens. AS SOON AS THE MONEY GETS RIGHT (meaning that the U.S. Government AND the U.S. gaming interests get "the deal" correct to gain a piece or all of the revenue, THERE WILL BE AN EXEMPTION made for online poker (just as there is now for horse racing and the lottery). In the end MONEY talks much louder than morality!
A sad aspect of this legislation (among many sad aspects) is that it had to be "added" onto our nation's new Port Security Act in order to "insure" it's passage and wasn't allowed to stand or fall on it's on merits (or lack of them).
I would ask readers to consider further what the "policing" effect could be due to the tactics used in this bill to "control" our spending habits. Why won't the U.S. Government be inclined to "order" our banks and credit card companies to stop us from paying for subscriptions or memberships to information sources that are deemed "dangerous" to our growth as "good Americans"? Why not? China already does this so it's not that big a stretch. If enough money is contributed any restriction is possible!
In the end, this legislation is more about controlling "we the people" than any concern about the morality of gambling. It is especially about the money. Our money AND the portion of it the U.S. government feels it simply MUST have is at the heart of this law as well.
YOUR freedom is under attack and you're not winning the war. It must be "Time to Think Again"!
The "sneak attack" by the Senate in the late hours of their last session to effectively ban online poker, is yet another example of the unlimited hypocrisy our "leaders" (of both major parties) show in the quest for the MONEY. Since 48 of our 50 States currently allow some form of "legal" gambling, THIS bill certainly IS NOT about the "morality" of gambling. It is ONLY about the fact that the online poker sites are based offshore and therefore out of the financial control (i.e. taxes) of the United States. The gambling interests inside the U.S. (along with their financial support to our "leaders") have pressured your Government not to make gambling illegal but to set in motion steps that are a far bigger threat to OUR personal rights to decide for ourselves where and how to spend our money! The REAL danger here is that the U.S. Government has taken the step of ORDERING U.S. Banks, Credit card companies and money transfer firms to refuse or monitor OUR transactions on an otherwise valid credit card or bank account! Plus, this new bill even "shields" the banks and credit card firms from any legal action YOU (the customer) might attempt to take against them for assisting in this blantent infringement of our right to make our own decisions with our lives and our money. But, fear not citizens. AS SOON AS THE MONEY GETS RIGHT (meaning that the U.S. Government AND the U.S. gaming interests get "the deal" correct to gain a piece or all of the revenue, THERE WILL BE AN EXEMPTION made for online poker (just as there is now for horse racing and the lottery). In the end MONEY talks much louder than morality!
A sad aspect of this legislation (among many sad aspects) is that it had to be "added" onto our nation's new Port Security Act in order to "insure" it's passage and wasn't allowed to stand or fall on it's on merits (or lack of them).
I would ask readers to consider further what the "policing" effect could be due to the tactics used in this bill to "control" our spending habits. Why won't the U.S. Government be inclined to "order" our banks and credit card companies to stop us from paying for subscriptions or memberships to information sources that are deemed "dangerous" to our growth as "good Americans"? Why not? China already does this so it's not that big a stretch. If enough money is contributed any restriction is possible!
In the end, this legislation is more about controlling "we the people" than any concern about the morality of gambling. It is especially about the money. Our money AND the portion of it the U.S. government feels it simply MUST have is at the heart of this law as well.
YOUR freedom is under attack and you're not winning the war. It must be "Time to Think Again"!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
WE DESERVE THE ANSWER!!
As the "leaders" of America parade themselves in front of "we the people" in the weeks before the mid-term elections and flood our TV's and radios with appearances and speeches in their desperate attempt to get our almighty vote, the most critical question is not even being asked.
In the days following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 and then during and since our attacks of Afghanistan and Iraq, our country's leadership has been pounding our senses with the single theme that we must "stay the course" and remain in a "state of war" UNTIL WE WIN. The "enemy" MUST be defeated.
The most critical question that is NOT being asked is; "EXACTLY what does WINNING mean?" I'm not talking about progress or the "taking" of a village or making it possible for some people to cast a ballot. The question is about the end of this "War" on terror (aka; evil). The media, the politicians, and we the people don't ask or answer that question because that would require facing a horrific reality and that might be disruptive to our daily lives.
I would propose that to actually face the question directly would force all of us to also face the reality that (as it has been throughout human history), there is NO winning in the fundamental "war" of perceived good vs. evil. That "war" has been and will be fought between all humans and all nations because "good and evil" is as ingrained into our concepts as our instinct to breathe and survive. Good and evil are nothing more than opinions and concepts and our "opinion" depends solely on our position at the time.
When our current President declared "War on Evil", he simply made the eternal battle of humanity, an official position of the United States of America. When our "enemies" declared "War on America", they simply made their "position" official. When the line was drawn in the sand the test began. Which side has the bigger guns? Which side has the better strategy? Which side is more willing to lose their soldiers? Which side is willing to do whatever it takes (literally) to win?
The ONLY question that faces the American people that really matters is this; "Are we willing and able to KILL EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet that wishes to harm us? Take a minute and let that question sink into your mind because everything else is secondary. All the strategy and all the "battles" and all the talk is really irrelevant. If "we" answer yes to this question, then let's get on with it and stop the policy of "killing us slowly". If "we" answer no to this question then we had better figure out how to bring this "war on evil" to an end before that option is taken out of our control.
Most Americans have grown up with the belief that in every contest there is a winner and a loser. All of our sporting contests work that way. Our previous "wars" dating back to the Revolution, the Civil War, WWI and WWII were brutally fought with the goal of winning. In each of these conflicts there came a point when the "war" came to an end and all sides accepted the conclusion. The enemies of those wars gradually got on with the future and in most cases have built alliances with each other. How many Americans in 1942 and 1943 would have accepted the idea that Germany and Japan would become major partners in commerce and peace? I would think almost all Americans would have dismissed that idea as treasonous at best. But, rational minds prevailed. Korea and Vietnam were both misguided "wars" (although never officially declared wars) that after over a combined 100,000 American deaths and hundreds of thousands more wounded, were eventually ended in a draw situation. For over 50 years our strategy has been to "contain" Korea and trade efforts have improved with the people of Vietnam and that great evil of Communism never did spread and take over the far East as our "leaders" of that era tried to convince us it would if we didn't "save" Vietnam. The "Evil Empire" that was the Soviet Union (contrary to all thinking for over 40 years) is now an ally of the United States (at least publicly) and none of us thought that could ever happen! The point is that America (and the world) have confronted many enemies and many "perceived" threats to our existence portrayed by our leaders as the worst enemy ever and we have survived in part because "winning" didn't necessarily mean the full and complete destruction of everyone who didn't like us.
The growing frustration that many Americans (and people around the world) have with our nation's current policy and direction is that we are not getting the answer to the question; "What does winning mean?" Well, I would suggest that "we the people" not only ask the question at every opportunity but that we DEMAND the answer! If our troops are going to continue to be killed (a few every day) and American families are going to be asked to accept the immense suffering created by this "war" then I believe it is way past time for the leadership (of both political parties) step up and "lead" us to a conclusion and start by answering that primary question without "spin" or any other evasive tactic that is so common.
A few other questions might be; 1) What exactly do these "terrorist" enemies want? 2) Is there anything short of mass annilation that can bring about a cessation of hostilities? 3) Can this situation be contained by any means other than military confrontation? 4) Does the American Military Industrial Complex actually control the U.S. Government enough to prevent all efforts to slow its agenda down? 5) If there is a God, whose "God" is correct and why?
I will end this post with the hope that some of you will at least think about our situation and then face the reality and the choices we have right now. We either must commit ourselves and our country to an all out effort to kill everyone (whom we perceive as even a potential enemy) OR we must develop policies and strategies to "contain" our enemies (both perceived and real) because this "evil" we are fighting will always be among us in one form or another until we finally destroy our species completely.
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
As the "leaders" of America parade themselves in front of "we the people" in the weeks before the mid-term elections and flood our TV's and radios with appearances and speeches in their desperate attempt to get our almighty vote, the most critical question is not even being asked.
In the days following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 and then during and since our attacks of Afghanistan and Iraq, our country's leadership has been pounding our senses with the single theme that we must "stay the course" and remain in a "state of war" UNTIL WE WIN. The "enemy" MUST be defeated.
The most critical question that is NOT being asked is; "EXACTLY what does WINNING mean?" I'm not talking about progress or the "taking" of a village or making it possible for some people to cast a ballot. The question is about the end of this "War" on terror (aka; evil). The media, the politicians, and we the people don't ask or answer that question because that would require facing a horrific reality and that might be disruptive to our daily lives.
I would propose that to actually face the question directly would force all of us to also face the reality that (as it has been throughout human history), there is NO winning in the fundamental "war" of perceived good vs. evil. That "war" has been and will be fought between all humans and all nations because "good and evil" is as ingrained into our concepts as our instinct to breathe and survive. Good and evil are nothing more than opinions and concepts and our "opinion" depends solely on our position at the time.
When our current President declared "War on Evil", he simply made the eternal battle of humanity, an official position of the United States of America. When our "enemies" declared "War on America", they simply made their "position" official. When the line was drawn in the sand the test began. Which side has the bigger guns? Which side has the better strategy? Which side is more willing to lose their soldiers? Which side is willing to do whatever it takes (literally) to win?
The ONLY question that faces the American people that really matters is this; "Are we willing and able to KILL EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet that wishes to harm us? Take a minute and let that question sink into your mind because everything else is secondary. All the strategy and all the "battles" and all the talk is really irrelevant. If "we" answer yes to this question, then let's get on with it and stop the policy of "killing us slowly". If "we" answer no to this question then we had better figure out how to bring this "war on evil" to an end before that option is taken out of our control.
Most Americans have grown up with the belief that in every contest there is a winner and a loser. All of our sporting contests work that way. Our previous "wars" dating back to the Revolution, the Civil War, WWI and WWII were brutally fought with the goal of winning. In each of these conflicts there came a point when the "war" came to an end and all sides accepted the conclusion. The enemies of those wars gradually got on with the future and in most cases have built alliances with each other. How many Americans in 1942 and 1943 would have accepted the idea that Germany and Japan would become major partners in commerce and peace? I would think almost all Americans would have dismissed that idea as treasonous at best. But, rational minds prevailed. Korea and Vietnam were both misguided "wars" (although never officially declared wars) that after over a combined 100,000 American deaths and hundreds of thousands more wounded, were eventually ended in a draw situation. For over 50 years our strategy has been to "contain" Korea and trade efforts have improved with the people of Vietnam and that great evil of Communism never did spread and take over the far East as our "leaders" of that era tried to convince us it would if we didn't "save" Vietnam. The "Evil Empire" that was the Soviet Union (contrary to all thinking for over 40 years) is now an ally of the United States (at least publicly) and none of us thought that could ever happen! The point is that America (and the world) have confronted many enemies and many "perceived" threats to our existence portrayed by our leaders as the worst enemy ever and we have survived in part because "winning" didn't necessarily mean the full and complete destruction of everyone who didn't like us.
The growing frustration that many Americans (and people around the world) have with our nation's current policy and direction is that we are not getting the answer to the question; "What does winning mean?" Well, I would suggest that "we the people" not only ask the question at every opportunity but that we DEMAND the answer! If our troops are going to continue to be killed (a few every day) and American families are going to be asked to accept the immense suffering created by this "war" then I believe it is way past time for the leadership (of both political parties) step up and "lead" us to a conclusion and start by answering that primary question without "spin" or any other evasive tactic that is so common.
A few other questions might be; 1) What exactly do these "terrorist" enemies want? 2) Is there anything short of mass annilation that can bring about a cessation of hostilities? 3) Can this situation be contained by any means other than military confrontation? 4) Does the American Military Industrial Complex actually control the U.S. Government enough to prevent all efforts to slow its agenda down? 5) If there is a God, whose "God" is correct and why?
I will end this post with the hope that some of you will at least think about our situation and then face the reality and the choices we have right now. We either must commit ourselves and our country to an all out effort to kill everyone (whom we perceive as even a potential enemy) OR we must develop policies and strategies to "contain" our enemies (both perceived and real) because this "evil" we are fighting will always be among us in one form or another until we finally destroy our species completely.
It is TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
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