We Have Lost Control of OUR Government

Our founding fathers never envisioned a United States run by full time lawmakers.

It's time to make politics a part-time job. This way we the taxpayers don't have to pay for lawmakers healthcare or any other benefits. The added plus is they won't have time to make up even more meaningless and redundant laws.

In order to justify their jobs, lawmakers feel they need to write laws. When do we have enough laws? When we are being strangled by redundant laws. Americans are currently drowning in new laws that are nothing more than rewritten existing laws. We have reached the point of saturation.

Businesses are drowning in red tape. And what is the purpose of all of this red tape? To what end are new regulations being put in place that amount to nothing more than a tweaking of existing laws? Control. Do businesses need to be controlled? No.

Do we Americans feel we need more control over our lives by the people we elect to protect and care for us? One needs only look no further than the current phenomena of the “Occupy” movement to know the answer.

We are at a balancing point between too much government control and living a life of freedoms that so represents the very foundation of this nation. How did we allow government to get so out of control? By fooling ourselves into believing our votes don’t count.

When we decide not to vote, we give up our voice to tell our representative government officials that they can run the country anyway they want. When we decide not to vote, we effectively give up control over our lives. Why would anyone consciously do this? I don’t know of any valid reason. Do you?

This great experiment in government that we call America has gone terribly wrong. Now is the time – and many would agree the time is long overdue – for the people (unwitting victims) of this experiment-gone-wrong to right the mistakes of allowing capitalism to play such a major role in our lives.

Don’t get me wrong, I think capitalism and the free-enterprise system is the way to go. But we have lost control of it and have allowed it to become the end-all to prosperity. So much so that it is only benefiting our leaders and is tearing this nation apart. There is so much more to life than making money.

Most aspects of daily life have greatly improved and for that we have our government to thank. But the government that helped us get to this point is in the past. Today’s government supports only the making of more money. It is too bloated and needs to be retooled.

Vote. Everyone, Vote. Protest what our elected officials are doing to us. Let them know that the direction this country is headed in is not desirable. Let tehm know they have lost their way. We need to put them back on the right path.

This grand idea of creating a ‘One world government’ is white-wash for corporations to improve their profit margins. It may be working fine for them but the cost is much too great for humanity.

As an American, I have long list of advantages granted to me (a lot of them paid for by my tax dollars) that people living in other parts of the world do not have. I try not to take that list for granted. The federal government is taking in more than enough money to cover our needs but that money is mismanaged and is therefore not working for us the way it should.

Fellow Americans need to do their part to not sabotage the process so we ‘all’ can benefit from living here. By sabotage I mean cheating on paying their taxes. Paying people under the table is a major blow against all of us.

Laws That Favor Profit Over Jobs Are Killing Us

Everyone here agrees the problem with our economy is a lack of jobs. It seems obvious, right? What kind of jobs need to be created?

If we want our manufacturing jobs back from overseas, the reasons that forced them out of the U.S. need to be addressed. Such as, Laws that cost businesses too much to remain profitable here.

If we want money that was made as a result of doing business in the U.S. to remain in the U.S. economy then we need to address the laws that allow that money to be put into offshore accounts thereby escaping taxation.

If corporations are not willing to reinvest their profits in the U.S. in order to stimulate our economy then why should we vote for anyone who favors these laws?

New Democracy

Democracy has been bastardized. The wealthy are supported by a Congress filled with carefully selected like-minded individuals who maintain the system in their favor.

Working class citizens don’t decide who will run for office, we are given the choice of selecting from a list that CorporAmerica has put before us.

This is the New Democracy. ‘We the People’ is merely a nostalgic sentiment used to parade to the rest of world proclaiming “Democracy Works!”

Ghandi’s 7 dangers to human virtue:

1 wealth without work

2 pleasure without conscience

3 knowledge without character

4 business without ethics

5 science without humanity

6 religion without sacrifice

7 politics without principle

Americans Are More Intolerant Than They Care To Admit

Intolerance reared its ugly head, again.

Everyone has the right to make their own lifestyle choices.

Almost every person I have ever spoken to on this issue tells me they agree.

But as it turns out, as is so often the case, this is only what they want you to believe face to face. When they have the opportunity to voice their opinion anonymously, the real truth comes out.

What brought this issue to this blog is the latest controversy stemming from ABC’s decision to invite Chaz Bono to appearing on Dancing with the Stars. I do not watch this show. I enjoy watching dance as entertainment. But this show’s idea of entertainment is very different than mine. In my opinion, there is very little else as graceful and beautiful as someone, or a couple, or a group, dancing.

This particular show is more about creating controversy – which in turn builds an audience – and less about furthering the art of dance. This is the ugly aspect of television as a whole, for only controversy brings sponsors to the program which puts money in the producers pockets.

I don’t care for judging as entertainment, especially when the audience is allowed to participate. When an audience is allowed to remain anonymous, their ugly judgmental side tends to take over. An anonymous audience places less importance on ability and style than on looks, attitude, politics, and yes even sexual orientation.

Is this talk of a person having the right to be who they want to be just talk? It would appear so.

ABC is getting a lot of nasty and hateful letters over their decision to invite Chaz Bono onto the show. It is truly pitiful that a show that is supposedly about dancing is being turned into a forum about personal private choices. But then this is the ugly truth about our neighbors and relatives.

Do Americans, home of the free, governed by a Constitution that grants equal rights to everyone, celebrate freedom of choice? It would appear that we don’t.

Who are we to condemn anyone for stepping outside of conformity to live their life as they choose?

Let’s Turn Our Backs On Warring Attitudes

Ron Paul states we might have to get used to the idea of an Iran with nuclear power. Well, duh. I mean short of going in and taking away their nuclear capability what else are we going to do?

He points out that our current policies actually encourage Iran to pursue nukes. I agree, but the fault doesn’t lie only with the U.S. It’s basic human nature that when you don’t get along with your neighbor, who has the ability to wipe out your entire existence, you take action to defend yourself. Your choices are, you develop an equally powerful ability to wipe out his existence or you talk out your differences like the evolved and civilized adults we like to think we are.

It’s very clear that the method of sanctions the world community used in an attempt to prevent Iran from building nuclear power failed. It’s equally clear that given the history of animosity between Iran and the U.S. that Iran feels with 100% certainty that they need to defend itself. In this regard is where I agree with Ron Paul.

This mad cycle of one-upmanship of pursuing more threatening weapons than the other guy is foolish, childish and so preventable.

Thomas Jefferson: “The more you use your power the less you have.”

Do these words sound like those of anyone in power today. No. Why has America and, as a result, the world community, ‘progressed’ to the point that we view military power as the desired measure of security?

The U.S. has the attitude “You other nation’s live peacefully our we will kill you.”

Religious zealots follow the conviction “You believe as we do or we will kill you.”

Does any of this make any sense when we consider that every person on this planet wants to survive? A very small number of people within the world population subscribe to chaos for whatever reason, these people should be identified and locked away where they cannot do any harm. Other than that there is no sane reason why the any nation should direct its financial resources to the act of killing as opposed to the act of nurturing its fellow citizens.

The sooner the entire world adopts the idea that no one needs to ‘rule’ over anyone just for the sake of political power the better off this world ‘community’ will be.

Stop throwing money at destruction and start throwing it at more constructive purposes such as feeding the hungry, curing diseases, and education.

Oh, and how about stop idolizing individual financial wealth. Once we adopt the idea that we are all working towards the improvement of our one community and that every single person must contribute we will all be wealthier for it.

So they want to stick gruesome images on cigarette packs..??

Why not pictures of starving children on McDonald's packaging..?

Why not tortured animals on cosmetics products..?

Why not put the photos of the victims of drunken drivers, on beer and wine bottles..?

Why not pictures of dishonest, thieving Politicians enjoying our money, on tax returns..?

Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

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.

Third Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Second Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

As passed by the Congress:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

As ratified by the States:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

First Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Ron Paul and Main Stream Media

The media is tasked with getting info out to the public, right? The public should expect that info to be accurate, clearly presented and as complete as is humanly possible. In other words we don’t want lies, slants, tweaks to make it sound better, and we don’t want the media to ignore news because the media ‘thinks’ we don’t want to hear it.

The media does not get to ‘shield’ us from the truth as if it were our guardian trying to protect us. Give us the news, all of the news.

So, why is main stream media ignoring Ron Paul?

The media is covering GOP candidates that are ranked lower than him in polls. Polls that clearly identify choices the public has made.

When the media can pick and choose to cover only the candidates it chooses to then ‘fair and balanced’ along with ethics is taking a back seat to what CorporAmerica wants.

American media today is bought and paid for by CorporAmerica. They show this to be true the coverage they give and the coverage they don’t give.

The Journalist’s Creed is a code of ethics written around 1906 by Walter Williams shortly after founding the Missouri School of Journalism.

One of the statements made in that creed is “I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.”

Has this creed been tossed onto yesterday’s trash pile? It would seem so.

Have professional journalist thrown their ethics out the window for a paycheck? It would seem so.

The very large vacuum that has been left today’s ‘professional journalists’ is being filled by everyday citizens who want to get what they feel is missing in journalism today. The full and accurate news can be found only by citizen news reporters.

We have to educate ourselves in order to make informed decisions about our world. Relying only on the slanted and clearly biased news as presented by CorporAmerica will only serve them.

Reawaken the natural curiosity that separates humans from sheep and lemmings. We are not bred to be followers. We are not on this planet to be good little consumers of the watered down and biased version of the ‘truth’ tailored to match the views of CorporAmerica.

We can think for ourselves. We can make our own decisions. But we need a more complete picture than what main stream media is giving us.

Seek the real truth by following multiple sources. Don’t stake your future on only one source simply because it is convenient and less time consuming. The truth as it affects our future is worth much more than being thrifty with our time.

Be better informed in order to make better decisions for the sake of our nation’s future.

BART Police Shooting – July 3

Charles Hill ‘allegedly’ threw a knife at a BART policeman on July 3 and was killed for it. Witnesses say Mr. Hill did throw the knife. But did he deserve to die for it?

Law and Order fanatics will no doubt respond with a loud and forceful ‘YES!”. I’m for law and order. But this man did not deserve to die at the hands of a public servant.

Police are trained to respond to an attack on them or the public with deadly force. I think they should be.

Police should also be trained to look deeper into the situation. After the knife was thrown Mr. Hill was now unarmed. So, the police officer now retaliated against an action taken towards him rather than defended his life and public safety. Retaliation is NOT an acceptable reason for a police officer to use deadly force.

Witnesses say the homeless Mr. Hill was drunk. I’m willing to bet that the unidentified police officer could see that Mr. Hill was drunk. Given that situation, the act of throwing the knife was most certainly an act of defiance. Had Mr. Hill pulled a gun I would be one of the first to applaud the officer for the shooting. But, this is not the case.

My use of the term ‘excessive use of force’ in this situation will no doubt be challenged by policemen everywhere. It was clearly unnecessary for this police officer to fire his weapon at Mr. Hill. This weapon was fired because the officer was pissed off at this civilian for having the ‘audacity’ to strike out at him. This type of behavior is unbecoming a peace officer.

This type of ‘split-second’, reactionary behavior breaks down the respect that the civilian population should have for its police force. This type of behavior breeds ‘fear’ from the civilian population. We should never ‘fear’ our public servants.

In the long history of ‘officer involved shooting’ investigations nearly 100% of the time the officer involved is found to be free of any wrong-doing. In the eyes of the public and especially eye witnesses to these shootings, the police have become a ‘government sanctioned street gang’ who will stand by each other no matter how atrocious and culpable their actions against the general public.

Our nation’s police forces need to start working WITH the public whom they are sworn to protect and check their ego and machismo at the door.

The retaliation killing of an unarmed, drunken individual is not acceptable.

Anonymous: Fighting the “Good Fight”

The group Anonymous is taking the leading role of fighting for all of us. You may not agree with their tactics but how do you stand up to a government’s armed force without being arrested for ‘interfering’ when you want to voice your displeasure with how they treat our fellow citizens?

Whenever there is a social injustice done to any one of us it is done to all of us. Why? Because it shows their general attitude towards us.

When police feel they have the right to beat to death an unarmed person, or shoot to death someone ‘wielding a cement trowel’ or other obviously non-life threatening instrument, they feel they are exercising their right to ‘power over all of us’.

There are too many police officers who get a thrill out of exercising power over other people. These individuals need to be identified and ‘reprogrammed’ back into society.

Anonymous is a loosely knit organization for a very good reason. Choosing not to follow the typical ‘corporate-think’ that says any organization has to have a leader to succeed is beneficial on several levels. Decentralization allows more of us citizens to take matters into our own hands to do our part instead of relying on leadership to do it for us. We each need to take an active role in standing up to social injustice.

The established mentality of the government is that anyone who opposes them are criminals. Is it criminal to stand up to them? Is it criminal to voice our displeasure when the police use excessive force?

Instead of focusing on the messenger they need to focus on the message. If that were to happen perhaps there would be no need for the messenger.

It is not okay for our government to block any means of speech to further their power over us. Blocking of cell phones, just like blocking of news media, goes directly against our constitutionally given right to free speech.

If you give any little bit of it up where will it end?

We have no need to view the group as a threat, they are the good guys. They are an ally in fighting against a self-serving, power-hungry structure that chooses to suppress our rights if doing so furthers their desires to become more and more powerful.

Standing up for each other is the best way to stand up for ourselves.

Iowa Straw Poll Indicates Radical Shift

The ultra-conservatives among the Republican presidential candidates seem to be gaining an upper hand. Michelle Bachmann took first place in Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll, an early unofficial vote to determine where the candidates stand.

• Michelle Bachmann 28%
• Ron Paul 27%
• Tim Pawlenty 13%
• Mitt Romney 3%
• Rick Perry 3%

The message of “no more Obama” can be heard loud and clear from every candidate but the most important message we tax payers wont to hear is HOW are things going to improve with one of these candidates as president?

Through all the rhetoric, I have not heard one solid hint at a plan to turn this nations woes around.

Anybody can get in front of a crowd of people who are demanding “Obama must go” and yell to the crowd that “Obama must go” and get cheers. But this does not result in anything to improve our situation.

So far the record of ‘accomplishments’ touted by each of these candidates have only been tested in very small scale arenas. It is doubtful that what they bring to the table will result in wide spread improvement for the country.

Rick Perry claims he holds the ‘magic key’ to put people back to work based on what has happened on his watch as Texas governor. But a close examination shows that the increase in  employment in his state has been in low-paying jobs, and have come as a result of deregulation and painful cuts in social spending. Put this on the national stage and his ‘plan’ will be to allow special interests to write their own rules, hire corporate lobbyists to oversee corporations, and cut funding for programs that would create opportunity for middle class families. How is this a real improvement to the US tax payer. This will result in more wealth going to the upper class which is the basically the same plan all of these candidates will follow.

We Americans have become the servant class to world corporations. Not one Republican will do anything to improve that situation.

Americans are not asking for a bigger federal government to ‘take care’ of our every need. We need the assistance of corporations working with the federal government – because this is where all the money is.

America has become so dependent on corporations that we have become a corporate nation with politicians unable to get anything done without their financial backing. Why should all of that financial backing go to only the upper class when the middle class workers helped those very corporations succeed?

I’m not asking to ‘give away the farm’, I’m asking to recognize the contribution that the American worker has given this country and not just throw them away after they have been used up.

History has shown that many, many Americans will stay away from the polls next year. If you want the wave of rapidly rising ultra-conservatism to wash over this country then do as you have in the past, stay home and let others decide your future for you. Every individual vote does count. Get out and vote for someone in what ever party most closely matches what you would like to see for our future. Each of us is voting for more than just ourselves, we are voting for everyone. Please, don’t let us down.

Police brutality in Fullerton CA catches the attention of Anonymous

Background: police were called due to a theft from a convenience store. When they arrived witnesses pointed to Kelly Thomas, 37 and homeless. He ran when they called out to him. Police up to him and six uniformed police officers beat him so badly that he slipped into a coma and five days later, died.

Police confiscated all cameras from witnesses and refuse to release them to their rightful owners.

The question begs to be asked, why did six police officers beat this man? Why did they feel it necessary to beat him past the point of submission?

It was later revealed that this homeless man suffers from schizophrenia, but that fact could not be known at the time of his brutal beating and therefore does not play into this scenario. The fact that does play into it is a very severe beating was brought down on this citizen by six uniformed, tax payer supported public servants.

It is outrageous that any citizen be beaten this badly. The fear that this behavior invokes in the rest of us is very real and I believe orchestrated. Each police office who ever participates in the beating of any suspect is seeing every law-breaker as their enemy and they using the situation to display their collective might.

This homeless man was not a threat to any of these officers nor was he a threat to the general public. So again I ask, why was he so severely beaten? There is a deep psychological problem with policemen who behave in this manner that needs to be addressed. And given the long history of police officers in these situations being cleared of all wrong-doing only adds to their belief that they can freely and with impunity work off their frustrations on any unsuspecting citizen.

The police resort to street gang tactics. Plain and simple. They are at times no better than the real criminals and social deviants they are sworn to protect us from.

Everyone knows you cannot walk up to a police officer and voice your anger over the brutality they display without being arrested on a trumped up charge of ‘interfering’ in police business. Which is why we believe we are living in a police state.

Whether you support the methods Anonymous uses or not, they are fighting back against this police state the only way they can without the fear of being beaten themselves. I for one support their actions. I for one wish the police would control their animalistic methods so that a group like Anonymous would not be needed.

Another Season of Mud-Slinging, Non-Substantive Presidential ‘Debates’ Begins

Last nights ‘debate’ revealed two things: the candidates are eager to perfect their talent for mud-slinging, and the press still lacks the knowledge of how to best serve the public.

Gingrich attacked the press, rightly so, for focusing on rivalries among the candidates instead of on what each candidate will offer the citizens as our president.

Even if the press did not play devil’s advocate the civil tone in this nation’s campaigns has been on a downhill slide for a long time.

Most people want to hear what they are going to do for us, some people want to hear them tear each other down. The press plays to the lowest common denominator actively seeking out that which shows the most drama and I am fed up with it.

The press is not serving the public well when they stoop to reporting on these schoolyard brawls. Find some maturity

Chris Wallace should be ashamed of himself for going for the juggler with the loaded inane questions he put forth.

Pawlenty said that Bachmann was just a loudmouth in a dress. His opinion of a fellow candidate has no place in this debate. We the public have our own opinion of each of these candidates, we want to learn why we should elevate our opinion of each candidate based on what they can offer us as president not on how well they can put each other down.

I for one am sick and tired of hearing candidates tell us how bad a choice the other candidate will be. I want to hear how good YOU will be.

To all candidates: Please put this nation’s best interests ahead of your ego. We don’t need another photogenic, smooth-talking, mud-slinging, mouthpiece who’s opinions only come from the teleprompter.

Where oh where can this candidate be?

Short Sighted and Stubborn, But Its Workable

I go to Twitter to try to catch up on the latest gossip and news around the web. It’s only one of several sources I frequent but too often it is becoming a waste of time.

Granted I do still learn a few things. Most of the time I just end up shaking my head at the ridiculous comments and ideas being tossed around out there. Still, it is entertaining.

I have now reached that ‘certain’ age where I can no longer be surprised at the idiocy and the ignorance of many of my fellow citizens. Twitter and the anonymity of the internet in general have been instrumental in allowing these two flaws of humankind to grow exponentially.

But it’s the short sightedness and unnecessary meanness that truly blows me away.

America is over 230 years old. While we are a young nation compared to almost all other countries, we are still experienced enough in how to run a country to know better than to do a lot of the things our representatives are doing. Hell, we have a track record that proves this nation knows how to be the most powerful country in the world. And I’m not just talking about military power.

We have been the leader in pretty much every arena we have ever been involved in. That is until the last 30-40 years.

People, we are losing it big time.

Our politicians, our corporate leaders, our mentors, are all quickly becoming second and third rate compared to the rest of the world. We are really only very good at one thing, we can blow the hell out of anyone and anything with a precision and ferocity that would make any military figure in history proud.

I personally, don’t think this achievement is much to be proud of. Now, I’m not putting down the men and women who serve our country. Many in are in the position they are in because there are no jobs in the US and the military was truly the only option they had. I know, I was once one of them. I back them all 100% in the task they have been trained to do. I truly wish the world was a place where military was not needed at all for any country. But that is a dream that will never come true.

The bottom line is that the United States is not number one in anything that really matters anymore. And it is a direct result of the American people. Honestly, we cannot blame anyone else for ending up in the situation we find ourselves in today.

Looking at the United States as a whole: we don’t have the class we used to have. We don’t have the pride we used to have. We don’t have what it takes to pull together as one nation to defeat our enemies. Our politicians have become a bunch of finger-pointing, ass-covering, second-guessers, who have dragged this once great nation to the brink of ruin.

Look at the economic situation we find ourselves in, our credit rating has fallen from the very top, pristine, most coveted position anyone can aspire to. Democrats and Republicans blame each other for our inability to hold on to this position. Citizens align themselves with one party of the other, step in line with the party rhetoric and draw battle lines. All of this finger pointing and condemnation consumes almost every tweet on twitter and every comment on every political webpage and blog.

We as a nation have a long history of having faced the same problems we face today and no one seems to want to look at the solutions that got us through those. Our leaders and representatives place more importance on posturing themselves for the next election, not so they can altruistically ‘better serve’ this nation, but so they can keep, what has turned out to be for many, the most lucrative financial position of their lives. The welfare of this nation and its citizens, it’s taxpayers, are no longer their number one priority.

The many problems this nation faces did not start with the most recent presidential election. All of these problems were present on inauguration day. Likewise, these problems existed on the previous inauguration day, and the one before that.

The many problems this nation faces become more and more compounded with each new president instead of being worked out. Yet many members of the political party that does not hold the presidential office will tell you in a heartbeat that it all started with the current president.

As I said, this nation has enough experience that we should be able to pull a solution out of the history books for every problem we face. And if Washington truly cared about the direction this nation is taking these problems would not be as daunting as they are.

We are a very stubborn nation. We are too accustomed to being number one in everything even despite the fact that every close examination of our position proves we have not been number one for a very long time.

I call it pride that prevents us from toning down our unsupportable lifestyle. I call it stubbornness that prevents us from reversing the destructive trend of always raising prices for every product in an attempt to make more money. We can prevent our downward economic spiral by declaring a moratorium on price increases, job wages, benefits packages, etc.

Sustained and collective sacrifice by all Americans will go a long way to reinforcing our foundation so that this nation can become solid again.

It is necessary for the sake and sanity of every member of this nation. We are all in this together. It is up to each and every one of us to get in our heads that saving this country is worth it and that it all begins with each of us.

Naturally, the Common People Don’t Want War