True Ecoterrorists, Part 2

"Will the Real Ecoterrorists Please Stand Up?" cont'd

       If an article refers to someone who cares about nature as an environmentalist, for the most part the term would elicit a positive image. On the other hand, the use of the term 'Ecoterrorist' to describe and stereotype people who are committed to preserving and conserving nature and the environment in the face of both business and a government which is often hostile or resistant to taking responsibility for the long-term consequences of exploiting nature for the sake of mostly short-term prosperity or political expediency; elicits the image of criminals, misanthropes, or deranged or irrational individuals whose priorities are detrimental to the freedom and autonomy of the average working American. Although looking in the short-term it may seem a valid concern that so-called 'radical environmentalists' might foul up the U.S. economy if they get their way, in the long-run the exact opposite is true. Environmentalists are realistically concerned with acting now to deal with a problem that most influential people are willing to postpone until either the problem affects them directly; or by the time the current leaders are long-gone, the problem becomes too expensive or insurmountable to deal with effectively.  (to be cont'd)

True 'Ecoterrorists', Part 1

"Will the Real Ecoterrorists Please Stand Up?"

       During the nineteen eighties Animal Rights and Environmental groups sprang up and became a popular way to protest against the abuses and neglect by humanity, government(s), and industry against nature and the natural environment. Since several industries and corporations stood to lose face and lose business by becoming targets of public scorn or boycotts generated by Animal Rights and/or environmental groups, it is not surprising that industry and often the government began to fight back. A modern-day David and Goliath, only this time the bad guys are likely to prevail. In the subtle Public Relations battle waged by industry, the government, and corporations against the supposed threat posed by responsible individuals who care about the seemingly expendable natural environment such tactics as: filing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation [SLAPP suits] to sabotage freedom of speech, freedom of expression, etc., and the coining of the label 'Ecoterrorist' to turn the public against those 'kooks' who dare to care about nature and the environment; which is all-too often considered exploitable and expendable be government(s), corporations, and industry who are overly concerned with keeping the Bottom Line in the Black no matter what the cost. (to be cont'd)

The Swiftboating Has Already Begun

"The Swiftboating Has Commenced"

       With the Democratic Convention finished and the Republican Convention in Minnesota about to begin the Right-wing attack and dirty tricks machine is already in overdrive spreading scurrilous lies and half-truths about Barack Obama.  You've got the usual subjects: Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and the National Rifle Association. Also, author Jerome R. Corsi of  Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry fame has recently crawled out from under his rock to write the allegedly 'non-fiction' best-seller Obama Nation. I haven't read it and I don't plan to, but I know it's full of lies, half-truths and innuendoes. Surprisingly, even  "the New Yorker" has got into the act. In the July 21st issue, a cartoonist known as Barry Blitt  has drawn a cartoon which appeared on the cover of   "The New Yorker" entitled  "The Politics of Fear". It shows Barack Obama in Muslim attire and his wife as a gun-toting terrorist. I don't know what his politics are nor what his intentions are, but Mr. Blitt will reinforce in many potential voters minds the false and racist rumor that Obama is a Moslim and that either or both Barack and Michelle Obama don't love this country as much as supposedly  'Patriotic' Right-Wing Republicans.   

       I'm sure that the lying swiftboating has only just begun in this campaign, but John McCain and his supporters should know that what comes around goes around and payback can be a bitch. 

     Book to Read?:   I haven't read it yet, but I would recommend  The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder by Vincent Bugliosi. With a title like that it ought to be a best-seller. If I get around to reading it perhaps I will review it.

Did Bush's Policies Cause Russian Invasion?

       I don't claim to know the whole story and as I like to say, "I'm not always right, but I always write."  Anyway, it appears to be more than a coincidence that the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney administration's arrogant insistence on constructing a missile defense shield in former Soviet satellite Poland may have a direct bearing on Russia's renewed aggressive militarism in Georgia and a resurrection of the so-called Cold War. If Bush doesn't back off, or if Bush III (John McCain) is elected, this hubris in a dangerous area could result in a Hot War or even a nuclear exchange. Do we as a nation want or need this? It is bad enough he has shaken up the Hornet's Nest of the Middle East. Thankfully, the Bush administration has less than six months to go, but a lot more damage to our nation and the world can ensue in that time. God help us all!  

Hillary Supporters, Get Over It

"Hillary Supporters, Get Over It!"

       After Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Presidential primaries, a small but perhaps significant contingent of mostly feminist die-hard Hillary supporters cried foul. To arguably, as they say, cut off their noses to spite their faces, many of these women have threatened to vote for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain although Mr. McCain's policies and ideology are at odds with their own agenda.  I hope they will see the light and at least consider going for Obama as our next Leader of the Free World. There are very minute differences between Obama and Hillary anyway, while Hillary and McCain's vision for America are pretty much like night and day.

      In the Boston Herald on Thursday August 14, 2008 Margery Eagan had a column about a group of Hillary supporters with the acronym of  "PUMA" or  "People United Mean Action" and a couple others. These women and other Hillary Supporters intend to raise a protest during the upcoming Democratic convention to try to make it so Hillary is nominated instead of Obama. I don't think they'll succeed and this action will only benefit the McCain campaign.

       I have long had misgivings about Hillary. Enough people detest the Clintons that a veritable "vast right-wing conspiracy" as Ms. Clinton called it relentlessly went out of the way to find and exploit a way to attempt to impeach her husband for minor sexual peccadilloes, while more than a decade later true Crimes and Misdemeanors by a Republican administration are condoned and ignored by a majority of Congress. If Hillary were nominated these same type of people would crawl out from under their rock to go all-out to defeat her. 

Book Review: "Perfectly Legal"

Book Review: Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign To Rig Our Tax System To Benefit The Super Rich- And Cheat Everybody Else by David Cay Johnson   2003 Penguin Group USA

        It should be pretty obvious how I feel about this topic. Tax expert and New York Times columnist David Cay Johnson has written a book that it would behoove every American who has ever complained about their taxes, has ever been audited, or has ever been worried about being audited by the dreaded IRS. Reading this book is likely to enrage you. For decades there has been a double-standard by which the very rich and the rest of us are treated by the IRS. If things made sense, the rich would pay their "fair share" and then some, but due to shady deals (tax shelters, etc.) and legalized bribery ( campaign contributions and corporate influence) the uber-rich are listened to by politicians of all stripes and all parties, while the rest of us are ignored. In case after case, the "political donor class" as the author refers to extremely wealthy and influential campaign contributors have the ear of those who make tax and financial policy so those who can't or don't pay these bribes needs and wants are unheeded. Needless to say, George W. Bush's and his potential G.O.P. successor John McCain's odious idea of  "permanent tax-breaks" for millionaires and billionaires is ruining the economy, screwing over the poor snd middle-class, and mortgaging the future of the young and future generations yet to be born. It is not only Republicans who support these policies. Democrats are just as guilty, but Obama is more likely to support a fairer system.    

       Johnson wrote a similar book within the last year or so, entitled: Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You With The Bill). I haven't read it yet, but it sounds well-worth reading.  

McCain Equals Bush

McCain = Bush:       

       In the August 2008 Edition of  The Hightower Lowdown  (  www.hightowerlowdown.org)

 there is a lot of information on presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain and the people he associates with, like the rotten Phil Gramm. One little old lady named "Carol Kreck" protested against McCain with a sign which read: "McCain = Bush". It was a peaceful and quiet (but basically true)  statement of protest, but it ruffled G.O.P. feathers enough that she was detained by "the Secret Service", charged with "trespassing" (even though it was ordinarily a "public" area).  Due to the arrogance and hypocrisy McCain's been showing I'm half-way tempted to print up a bunch of  "McCain = Bush" t-shirts or bumper stickers. If I don't, I hope someone else does.

       Although I'm sure John McCain would deny being a Bush clone or the equivalent of a third term of Geo. W. Bush, McCain seems to embrace many, if not most of Bush's failed pernicious policies and insidious agendae. He supports pre-emptive war, the indefinite continuity of the disastrous and basically unwinnable war in Iraq, perpetuating unnecessary tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires which are hurting our economy and likely threatening our future prosperity, drilling for oil wherever and whenever we can, and allowing the oil industry to retain tax breaks while gasoline is still exorbitant, etc.

More on Kangaroo Court Conviction

     I forgot to mention that while convicted of several counts of  "supporting terrorism", Salim Hamden was acqitted on "three other" charges and  exonerated of a couple charges of  "conspiracy."[Commentary on  newspaper article "Military jury convicts bin Laden's ex-driver" by Mike Melia of the Associated Press which appeared in the Daily News Transcript on Thurs. 8/7/'08].

     I subscribe to two newsletters about politics: "The Hightower Lowdown" ,  www.hightowerlowdown.org   and  "The Washington Spectator",  www.washingtonspectator.org . In the July 1, 2008 issue of   "The Washington Spectator" was mentioned another unfortunate in Guantanamo Prison. His name is Murat Kurnaz.  I haven't read his book, but it seems well worth reading. It is entitled  Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo   

Kangaroo Court Finds ex-Osama Driver Guilty

   "Military Kangaroo Court Finds ex-Osama Bin Laden Driver Guilty"

(Editorial based on article "Military jury convicts bin Laden's ex-driver" by Mike Melia of the Associated Press which appeared in the Thursday August 7 edition of the Daily News Transcript.

       Salim Hamden, a former driver of Osama bin Laden and so-called 'Enemy Combatant' detained at Guantanamo Bay was tried in a military tribunal with six U.S. officer-soldier jurors sitting in judgment. He has the distinction of being the first enemy combatant to endure a  "war crimes trial" from Gitmo prison.

      I refer to this tribunal as a Kangaroo Court because a.: such "tribunals" were "designed to" result in "convictions"; b. Coercion and torture methods were used on this man such as interruption of rest and "solitary confinement." c. Worst of all, Hamden was denied such rights as "Miranda" warning and " a jury of his peers", plus the judge he stood before  allowed ordinarily (at least in a civilian trial) improper evidence such as  "secret testimony" and  "hearsay".  If Hamden is guilty perhaps he got what he deserved, but I suspect he is just a pawn and a convenient scapegoat.  For now, such injustice supposedly only happens to suspected terrorists, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if in the not-too-distant future peaceful protesters and  politically unpopular dissent(er)(s) will someday be treated similarly in a harsh and unsympathetic dystopic Bush-influenced justice system.