Occupy Movement and 2012

In hundreds of cities across the country, thousands of people are protesting. While every individual may have their own reason for participating, one underlying message is clear: our politics are bought and sold by and to the highest bidders, and people are sick of it. I believe that supporting this message can be a winning strategy for President Obama and other Democrats in 2012.

Despite the uptick in his approval numbers and his growing grassroots support, President Obama faces a tough reelection fight next year. I believe I know how he can win, by a massive margin, by fighting for a single issue... getting private/corporate money out of politics. By now we all know that politicians, regardless of political party, are characterized as corrupt, owned and only interested in serving corporate campaign donors. President Obama has the opportunity, I believe, to turn the Occupy message into victory next year.

First, he needs to hold a press conference announcing that his campaign will no longer be accepting donations from businesses/corporations or from anonymous donors, and that he wants to run a campaign that is built on the support of the American people. Not only will this energize the Democratic base, but it will also make many voters feel like their voice once again matters. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, it will make the Republican nominee look like candidate for the private sector and not for the general population. President Obama should also tell the American people to FIRE any member of Congress that does not follow his example of running a clean, transparent campaign, funded solely by the American people. He needs to say the following, "America, your Congress is bought. I will no longer attempt to work with a Congress that has no interest in serving the interests of 'we the people.' Next year, I need your help to clean house, to eliminate the corruption that has so crippled our political system. We need fresh, new, honest faces in Congress. This is your time to make a difference. Demand that your Congressperson and Senator to get money out of politics, or you will fire them."

Next, the President needs to announce that he will be returning any contributions he received from businesses/corporations, and that any donations he received from anonymous donors will be donated to charity(s). This move would uphold his credibility and instill voter confidence not only in his campaign, but in the next 4 years of his administration.

These protests epitomize the growing discontent with our political system, and the movement is only going to keep getting bigger. President Obama has the chance to legitimize this cause, and in doing so, increase his support as a man of the people. He needs to embrace this cause, politicize the message, and run with it. If he does this, he will win, and win big.

Imagine it... two presidential contenders, one of whom is funded by Wall St, and the other who is funded solely by voters, regardless of party affiliation. A clear distinction would be drawn between the two candidates; the Republican nominee seeks to represent the interests of big business, and President Obama seeks to lead the American people. This message would resonate across party lines, and across the entire country. This would be a winning strategy. He has the chance to end the feeling of disenfranchisement that many voters are feeling. He could easily reach his $1B goal by doing this, and he would ensure a massive victory in 2012. We want our government back. We want our voices to matter.

Please sign my petition to get this message to the President. http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-immediately-stop-collecting-campaign-contributions-from-private-enterprises?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall

Obama 2012.

Myth Busting

Yesterday, the United States Senate voted down the American Jobs Act. By doing so, 1.9 million Americans were denied a job. This is unpatriotic. This is un-American. This is morally bankrupt. This is wrong. How does House Majority Leader Eric Cantor respond? Does he have a jobs plan? Of course not, he just smirks and calls for a Thursday vote on an anti-abortion bill that the House has ALREADY PASSED. Republicans have, without question, demonstrated that they do not give a good god damn about jobs, nor about the American people. Polls demonstrate overwhelming support for President Obama's policies, yet despite this reality, Republicans continue to spew their usual rhetoric: cut taxes on the "job creators" and eliminate regulation(s). Let's briefly analyze these points (actually this is where I dismantle the entire Republican ideology in two paragraphs).

Tax cuts for corporations and millionaires/billionaires do not create jobs. They never have, and they never will. Why? Because people don't create jobs. Demand for products or services creates jobs. This is the fundamental aspect of our free market system. The claim that the extra money millionaires/corporations pocket from tax cuts will be recirculated into creating new jobs is false. Employers will not hire workers if there is no demand for what they are selling. This is simple economics and common sense. Cutting taxes will not create jobs. That said, what WILL create jobs? Well, if you ask business leaders, as Obama did the other day, they were unanimous in their response: investing in infrastructure. Infrastructure jobs are immediate, and will get those workers spending money on products and services, thus increasing demand and opening up the market for... NEW JOBS!!! Of course, Republicans ignore this, despite being "pro-business." How else can we create jobs? Research, development and innovation, which are priorities that our country has abandoned (excluding our miltary, but good luck seeing that technology being used to actually benefit society). How else can we create jobs? We need to invest in quality, public education. We need to create a strong work force, rather than a society of consumer drones. Yes, that means education reform, and yes, that means more spending, and yes, that means tax increases on the wealthiest Americans. It's the right thing to do and Democrats need to follow Presiden't Obama's example and hammer that message across the country. Tax cuts: MYTH BUSTED.

Eliminating regulations is the other Republican talking point which makes no sense, at all, in any plane of reality. One need not look back further than the 2007/2008 financial collapse to see not only the result of a lack in regulation, but lax regulation enforcement as well. Republicans, when asked which regulations they would like to repeal, generally say they want to end the EPA (I personally like clean air and water) and end the Department of Education. They are never able to cite specific regulations, because, it's an empty talking point. You know what happens when regulations are repealed? The current financial mess: the death of 29 miners in West Virginia (Massey Energy CEO Blankenship should be in prison); commercial airlines neglect their aircraft, compromising customer and environment safety; cars get recalled and lose efficiency (although the market is demanding more efficient cars, so maybe that's an exception). These are just a few examples. Interestingly, if regulations are followed, they can actually HELP businesses, as fewer screw ups, deaths, injuries and bad press can INCREASE consumer confidence, and, as a result, demand can increase... wait a minute... demand creates jobs!!! Sorry GOP, but corporations can not self-regulate. Regulations keep consumers safe, they keep workers safe and they hold those responsible for the actions of their business(es) accountable for wrong-doing. As for the government's role, regulations need to be enforced, and violations need to be corrected, in EVERY industry. The reason no one has been held accountable for the financial crisis is because there were no regulations in place that would HOLD anyone accountable. This is wrong. So, logically, following regulations can help businesses. Eliminating regulation: MYTH BUSTED.

People, take to the streets. Blog. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Call your Representatives and Senators. This country has been brought to its knees from 30 years of right-wing policy. It's time for progressive, liberal ideas and progressive, liberal leadership. It's what America wants, and it's what America needs.

Crunch Time

I am not advocating a national default. I am not advocating chaos, pandemonium or economic damage. I am advocating that those whom we elected to represent us in government not sell out our ideals to appease the obstructionism of the GOP/TP. I have emailed Representative Rangel to not sell out our Progressive ideals for the sake of appeasing the lunatic right wing in our government. I urge everyone to contact their representatives and plead with them to stand their ground and not give in to Republican BS any longer. President Obama has gone too far... please urge Congress to not follow this.

If we default, as a nation, it will due to the Republicans creating this crisis, and the blame will be theirs and theirs alone. The debt ceiling bill is 1 sentence long. The GOP raised it 8 times under GWB without hesitation. This battle is about bringing down President Obama, as Republicans have said time and time again.

Democrats: stand your ground, and STOP giving into unreasonable, stupid and ignorant Republican demands.
Republicans: start listening to the American people, put politics aside, and start governing. Where are the jobs you promised? When will the tax cuts start creating jobs, as you so vehemently claim they do? Why do you have such a deep-seeded hatred for this president? Why do you want to continue to cut education while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest people (news flash: that's welfare)? Why do you continue to wage war against the working class in this country? GROW UP.
President Obama: do not sell out the Progressive principles because of which you were elected. Do not give in to Boehner or McConnell. They are making the choice t drive the economy into the ground. Please, sir, do not alienate those who put your into office. Your country and, subsequently, your second term depends on it.

Rome is Crumbling

$2 Trillion in crumbling infrastructure. 3 wars. $14.3 Trillion in debt. A maxed out credit limit. Divided government. Democrats who care about the welfare of everyone. Republicans who only care about tax cuts to the richest individuals and corporations. The cost of living is going up. Wages are static. Unemployment is increasing, not because of Obama, but because companies are refusing to hire new workers.

We are on the verge of an unprecedented crisis in America. We are 3 weeks away from, for the first time in our nation's history, failing to pay our nation's debts. The repercussions of a default would be catastrophic, and global. The dollar would collapse, and because it is the world's reserve currency, economies of many countries would take a huge hit. While we have had to raise the debt ceiling in the past, we have never faced this level of debt before, especially when combined with an economic crisis that was 8 years in the making. Democrats believe that closing tax loopholes in order to generate revenue is necessary, Republicans would rather see a default than agree with Obama... on anything. Social Security can not, and should not be cut. It is not an entitlement, but rather a benefit program that working people pay into over their entire working lives. The same applies to Medicare. These programs are not the source of our deficit and debts. The main causes of the mess we are in are the wars Bush started (which Obama put on the books so we could pay for them), and the tax cuts that Bush initiated (which Obama continued).

The first thing we need to do is once and for all end all 3 wars we are in. No draw-downs, no periodization of troop withdrawal, but a complete exit from Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Second, we need to close at least half of our overseas military bases, most of which do not benefit the security of this country or any other. In other words, the empire needs to recede. The next thing we need to do, is close all corporate tax loopholes. All of them. We need to incentivize job creation in the private sector, and penalize outsourcing and meaningless layoffs. There are 3 million available jobs in this country, and we need to create incentive for companies to fill those positions. We need to reinvest in our infrastructure. Not only would this create innumerable jobs, but it would strengthen our national security. We need to invest in education, and NOT fire teachers, firefighters and cops.

If the debt ceiling is not raised, the USA will not be able to pay its debts and the world economy will suffer. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. The dollar is the world's reserve currency, and dozens of countries have financial interests in our country (including China, which owns 7% of the US). A default would send shockwaves through the global economy.

Republicans are holding this country and, in some respects, the world economy, hostage. If they cared about our country, they would not be putting up such a stink. The GOP raised the debt ceiling 7 times under Bush II. This is 100% about hatred for Obama and as McConnell says, "making him a one term president." President Obama has compromised, sacrificed and tried to give Republicans what they want in this debt deal, and still, the GOP refuses to cooperate. Instead, they storm out of meetings like angry toddlers. The notion that tax increases kill jobs is complete nonsense, and history has proven that. Reagan raised taxes, and it created jobs. Clinton raised taxes, and it created jobs. What does NOT create jobs is slashing tax rates for billionaires, who just hoard the wealth. The GOP lives in a fantasty world, and it's destroying this country. Not a single idea put forth by the GOP combats our national debt and our budget deficit, in fact, their plans to cut taxes and end Medicare would add $7T in debt. When are people going to wake up and stop voting for these crooks (probably never, so long as they keep pandering to a religious, scared, ignorant base)?

The bottom line is that the GOP is willing to tank the economy in order to screw Obama. It won't work. The American people will be well aware of who caused their Social Security, Veteran's Benefits, Medicare, IRS Refunds and other checks to stop coming. The American people will know whom to blame when interest rates skyrocket. The American people will know whom to blame when the dollar becomes worthless... and it sure won't be Obama.

Just A Thought...

How do we fix our economic situation? (Note: I will be writing a seperate entry regarding the debt ceiling and jobs).

What we REALLY need to do is completely do away with our debt-based economic model. We need a resource-based economy, one that thrives on innovation, invention, and people working for the betterment of everyone. The advent of technology makes this 100% possible. We have to change our way of thinking, and I think we will, and I think it's already happening.

Our system is not sustainable. The reason regulation won't fix anything is because it's too late. It's like installing seatbelts into a car that's already had an accident. The design itself needs to be changed. I'm not suggesting we all go back to being farmers, but what we need to do is the following:

1) Reform our education system into one that teaches applicable skills not only for personal survival and prosperity, but also for societal benefit (such as what Finland does... our test-based rote system is incredibly stupid).
2) We need an economic model that is not based on making obscene profits, or gambling on budled mortgages, but rather on what people can contribute to society. This means innovation, invention and technological development.
3) We need a health care system whose sole purpose is to cure disease. Treatments hinder research for cures, because treatments are what drives profits. Cures are bad business. We need a health care system that focuses on preventative medicine. This goes back to education, which should also include how to live a healthy, sustainable life.
4) We need to do away with agri-biz. Local food production, I believe, is what will sustain us after the collapse of Capitalism (mainly caused by what we've done to Capitalism), which, to all of you deniers, IS going to happen. Please reference how Cuba thrived after the fall of the USSR. It's fascinating.
5) This is absolutely critical. We have to find a source of energy that is not a fossil fuel. This means natural, clean, sustainable energy, be it from the Sun, wind, ocean or geothermal sources.
6) We need to reinvest in infrastructure. We need high speed electric rail connecting our cities.

This is just a thought.

The Republican Debate Rebuttle

Tonight's GOP debate was mature, professional and of course, completely devoid of anything resembling a rational, workable plan for the future. The same rhetoric we've heard over and again was shelled out in bulk. Tax cuts, reinstatement of DADT, privatizing Medicare, a Constitutional Amendment banning marriage equality and the fear of Muslims permeated tonight's spectacle of sheer ignorance and deceit.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, which, of course, describes the GOP platform. They want to return to the policies that led to the current financial mess we are in (as mentioned in my preamble). Tax cuts don't create jobs. Companies will not move jobs back here if you put more money into their pockets. They will simply keep the cash. DADT is unconstitutional, and most people supported the repeal. Privatizing Medicare is a horrible idea, as it gives even more money to private corporations, and screws those who have paid into the program. DOMA/an amendment banning marriage equality is not what the American people want, and it violates the Equal Protection Clause. Michele Bachmann, someone who supports 23 foster children and receives government assistance, is against government assistance for others.

But perhaps the most disturbing comments this evening came from Herman Cain, regarding his stance on Muslims and 'sharia law'. He made it abundantly clear he believes no Muslim can be trusted, and that their very presense in our society is leading to sharia law in our courts. There's nothing more that can be said on this issue other than Herman Cain is a racist bigot.

The GOP also made it clear that they would rather the US Default on its debt than raise the debt ceiling. As much as I don't think we should be borrowing at the rate we are, default is not a viable option. We should raise the ceiling and then restructure our budget. Spending needs to be reigned in, and we can do this by closing our overseas military bases and cutting foreign aid. We have enough problems in this country to solve.

We need to invest in infrastructure and education. We need to offer incentives to companies to invest in jobs here, such as tax CREDITS for those who create jobs, not just tax cuts for no reason. We need to start building things again, such as high-speed electric rail along the coasts. There's no reason to fly between New York and Baltimore, for example. We need Universal Health Care. We need to invest in renewable energy... we can start by solarizing all homes. It's not that hard to do, IF we focus on it.

But I digress. The clear winner tonight, I believe, was Michele Bachmann. She clearly demonstrated she is firm in her beliefs, and she proved that she is not Sarah Palin.

My Brother Wrote This... So Proud.

While the death of Osama Bin Laden has sounded across the world, I have felt compelled to write down what this actually means. For one, my instinctual reaction when I first learned of this was "Ok….now what?". To see people marching in the streets chanting "USA! USA!" is not a sign of patriotism, but merely just sensationalism. It is disgusting to see us cheering at the death of an individual, that makes us NO better than the people we've said we're set out to destroy. We have been told OBL was the mastermind and organizer of the 9/11 attacks in which 3000 US citizens were murdered. While I do not feel like bringing up the controversial events of who was really behind 9/11, it is important to understand how it was used as the United States' excuse to barge in to the Middle East.

While OBL may have been the head of Al Qaeda, to think that just because he is out of power now will stop these "terrorists" from anything is just plain foolish. To think of the amount of new hatred we have spawned over there now; we have just fueled the fire of those who hate us. Hate begets hate. It is not like killing a tapeworm where you remove the head and the rest falls. It is more like stopping cell multiplication, no matter how many you stop, more will emerge. To erase a type of people based on their thought is ludicrous, and the BILLIONS of dollars we have spent, and THOUSANDS of troops that have died, and the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Afghani, Iraqi, and Pakistani civilians we have MURDERED to find ONE individual is simply appalling. The media has completely obscured the publics view to think that millions of people die from terrorist acts every year, when in reality, the number is a few thousand at best. No one mentions the millions that die from heart disease every year, or the hundreds of thousands that die in car accidents. All that money that could be spent going to research for heart disease and safer cars is being thrown into the stupidity of more firearms, more ammunition, and leaving these problems to be solved by dick-waving politicians.

Now, I remember back when I was about 12 years old when we first declared we were going to war in Iraq. And my reaction was the same as the general population…"uh, why?". Many believe that it was to remove Saddam from power. While he was an evil dictator, America always has this instinctual reaction to think we have to step in and save everybody and make everything our issue. Saddam has been dead for how long now? 7 or 8 years? Mission accomplished 8 years ago? Now people would think that we would retreat from Iraq given this, but nope we stayed. Then we said we're staying until we can establish a democracy there, nope, we stayed. What most people do not realize is the US has built the largest embassy in history in Iraq; one the size of Vatican City. The billions that went into that project is mind bending. We have set up an establishment in Iraq, and we are not going anywhere for a very long time.

And just a few months ago, we declared a new war on Libya. Again, led by an evil dictator, the UN decides to act by means of violence to remove Gaddafi which is the biggest hypocritical social statement I've ever heard. The UN, a NON VIOLENT GROUP decided to act in violent means towards Libya.

Now Iraq and Libya, as many of you know, are some of the largest oil reserves in the world. We have established a home base in Iraq and are quickly moving our way to do it in Libya as well. Now, oil is EVERYTHING, and the Middle East in total has some 250-280 billion barrels of oil remaining. The United States uses almost 20 million barrels per DAY. Now you think we can find alternative resources but the fact is we WONT. There is ZERO money to be made. Take a look around your room. Look at everything you own, especially plastic. That is all OIL. Your toothbrush, your toothpaste, your tupperware, your computer, your chairs (given they're not wood), EVERYTHING. And if its not, what about how it gets transported to the store and your home? Traveled on an oil powered machine with 7 gallons of oil in each tire. Now, what happens when this all runs out? Not if, but when. What happens when our FINITE RESOURCE for our INFINITE GROWTH social system runs out? We fall, the whole global system crumbles. We want control of the resource we need to survive, this is no secret. Just because something is not talked about on CNN does not mean it is not happening or not true.

This ties me back into why we will never leave the Middle East. We have returned hatred with hatred and used the War in Afghanistan as our push in to establish ourself in the Middle East. If we take control of that land, we take control of that oil.

There is no conspiracy theory, and there is NOTHING more patriotic than questioning the status quo. This isn't some game or fantasy I'm making up, this is what the world IS. I may not have the solutions on how to fix everything, I don't think any of us can, but something in the system of war, violence, poverty, starvation, we live in is FUCKED.

OBL is dead, that means NOTHING. We will stay in Afghanistan, unwanted by the people there just as we have stayed in Iraq. These are our brothers we're killing. We are all people, sharing this one planet that we have. Being compelled by our petty differences all the time holds us back as a species. We are nature, we have lost that. We think everything is about power and money (when I say we, of course im not referring to everyone, just the generalization of people who don't care about anything else), and we are bred to believe everything the parental figure of government and media tells us. It conditions us to listen to it. And it becomes one of the hardest things to challenge as wrong and bullshit because the government is supposed to be there to deliver the truth. Why should they? If they have the power, and control the masses and sheep, why tell the truth? Everything is about profit and oil. No gray lines. Thats the way the world is run. And I'm not talking about people researching medicine and what not, I am speaking about the dick waving CORPORATIONS who bought and sold our world long before we realized it happened.

Im sure a lot of you are going to hate on this, and frankly I dont care. I just cannot in good conscience let this shit fly by without speaking up. I refuse to accept authority as truth rather than truth as authority. Take what you want from this, call me crazy, call me right, call me wrong, I flat out do not care, but I must speak my mind when I see the only world we have crashing and burning right before our eyes.

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Ranting

I would like to vent some frustration with our American culture. I can not stand how many Americans, regardless of political creed, do not vote in elections. I can not stand the amount of apathy in this country. Now, I understand that our system is FUBAR, but let's face it... it's our own damned fault. We believe what we are told by the people in charge, and we embrace the dumbening-down of our culture. Perfect examples of this - more people voted on American Idol than in the midterm elections. That is downright disgusting. We have been programmed to sit tight, enjoy our mindless entertainment, idolize the pretty celebrities, eat our fake, nutrient-lacking "foods," and, best of all, use credit cards so we can throw our money at CEO's who are already making millions. Yes, this first paragraph is what's going on in my brain.

Our culture is intentionally being made dumber. This is not just my opinion, it's a statistical fact. America ranks 34th on the best countries in which to live list, and our math and science scores are consistently declining when compared to other industrialized nations. We have become a society of programmed drones. Here's the truth... most of what we are taught in school is complete BS, and, if you chose to do actual research on many subjects, much of what we are taught is factually or historically wrong (I'm referring to history, mainly). We are taught not to question, that dissent is bad, and that those with the most money know best. Our education system focuses on topics that for most of us, have no real-world applications. We need an educational system that actually prepares us for a successful life. School should be a place where the skills needed for life in America are taught, and, where we can learn about how our country really works (what a scary thought for Wall Street... imagine if everyone knew about Credit Default Swaps and Derivatives, and how our economic system is run like a casino). Imagine if every high school graduate understood basic accounting (wow... addition and subtraction), basic nutrition (wait... KFC isn't healthy?), and basic economics (wow... imagine everyone walking around knowing how credit cards really work). Imagine being able to speak numerous languages (the best time to learn a language is between ages 4 and 8, while the brain is still developing). Imagine everyone having a basic understanding of different forms of government, including our own. Our system has created something very dangerous... apathy. How dare we sit at home on election day? When I see what's going on in Egypt, where people are literally giving their lives to obtain what WE in American take for granted, it really boils my blood... and ya know, our own destruction and decay is our own damned fault.

See, it all ties together. When the system is dominated by a few people with lots of money, controlling those who are elected to serve the people, who really wins? The people with the money... and that sure as hell ain't you or me.