broadband democracy

With the reelection of Bush II, we saw large voter turnout. In the same thread as an insurgency gone broadband the voting public went high-speed to the polls. I believe the internet has changed and is changing politics in ways we do not even fully realize. With easy access to large amounts of information or misinformation, however one looks at it, political themes are jockeyed about online with vigor unseen to date. Will this change politics for the good? I hope so. I am chewing on one optimistic thought within a gumball full of future poor Bush policy decisions. America will maintain hegemony for a while, with a halt coming soon.

Election Eve predictions, hopes

The American Experiment is having an election tomorrow.
It took us one billion dollars and superheated air to float in.

I predict a solid bush victory, and with it the continuation of his policies. These include, but are not limited to his environmental policies-atrocious!, his faith based heath initiatives, a huge new corporate handout in the medicare drug benefit, but looming above all is militarization. Massive amounts of money will flow into the Pentagon and its allies in industry. Research into new nuclear weapons will continue. He has and will continue to pour money into the final frontier- space- the posting of arms in orbit. What he will do with the amount of force he will have at his fingers is my question, and one of my fears.

What will he accomplish against liberty in four more years? If there are no more large scale terrorist attacks on our nation, civil liberties will stay largely intact where they are now. However dire that situation is will only become truly acute and noticeable when Bush has reason to further "protect" us.

The only problem is, our foreign policies and activities are the reason for these attacks. These must change, and this is exactly what Bush will not do. If Kerry is elected, only he knows what he is going to do, because we surely do not. I believe bin Laden is voting for Bush-in order to catalyze Muslim dissent and project it outwards more forcefully.

Either way, the choices among presidents have been severly lacking of late. With both parties entrenched in monied interests, I believe that the citizenry will lose no matter which Yale grad gets the Office. Kerry would stem the tide of nationalistic neofacism, but only through a brilliant presidency could he accomplish what is needed. I dont think he would deliver on that. Bush will be more of the same-times four. I hope that i am overly pessimistic and will look back and laugh at my infant blog. I truly believe I am right, and this is what scares me. Liberty or death.

Unacceptable reality

In bin Ladin's address today, he states that the reasons for his agression against the American Empire still are present in our foreign policy at present. Conservatives acrosss the nation, instead of analyzing WHY terrorism exits and therefore why bin Laden can wield so much influence over the Arab populace, insist on calling him a madman, and the need for him to die. Even the opposing nominee spewed the same hate forth to the media. I called in to bring light to these questions to a local radio station, and was summarily dismissed when i referred to Israeli actions against palestinians "terrorism"-sposored by the US. I did get through in arguing that bin Ladin likely wants bush to get reelected because he realizes that this will focus the attentions of Arabs on the hatred of Bush and his policies. American ignorance of how our policies have made others suffer on such a massive scale in the middle east and elsewhere is at the heart of this problem of our foriegn policy. I dont believe that Arabs are our enemies-but the people in power do and refuse to "know your enemy"-Sun Tzu The powerful refuse to even attempt to understand the causes of international terrorism, and are making up causes and bending them to continue america's quest for permanent world dominance.

Who is misunderstanding fundamentally?

What lies before our nation is a choice of limited means. Neither candidate will bring forth the true change in our system which is sorely needed. Kerry, the supposed liberal candidate, will not even speak of what caused terrorism and make the neccessary changes to policy if elected. I believe the sad truth of our Republic is that Mr. Bush will be reelected, and Empire will contiue, as it has since WWII. Our short period of hyperpower will be over soon, and our own actions have and will continue to quicken the pace of our demise. This process could have been avoided with a few changes in policy after the cold war was over, but we, in our prideful excess, dreaming that AMERICA was the sole reason for the Soviet downfall, chose unwisely. Instead of ushering the world into a new, more peaceful world order, we began the militarization of the middle east and proceded to sew the seeds of our fate. My only hope is that we fall slow and softly, for if america has a hard landing, the consequences for the world could be devastating. America stops buying? We can only pray the current financial balance beam we now stand upon does not have a 7.0 eartquake shake its foundation. I digress.
My belief is that only with wide ranging reform throughout the spectrum of our democracy can we stem the tide of what is to come. The inablity to adjust policies in the face of a new world order was a core component in the fall of many empires before ours. We sprint faster towards critical mass every day, but i believe and hope that we can change.

"There's been a lot of kidnappings, a lot of assassinations, just in the last couple of weeks," said Col. Jerry L. Durrant of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, who oversees the coordination of the U.S. military with Iraqi security forces. "The government in Baghdad is not recognized by anyone in Al Anbar." -Truthout.com

Rush Limbaugh, along with his minions and others in talk radio have echoed recently that "a defeatist attitude" and "pessimism" along with "dissent" are detrimental to our current war effort. I have heard it claimed that these things are what lost Vietnam, but when the comparison to that mistake is made to the present one in Iraq it is not acceptable to the conservative palate. The sad thing is, Mr. Kerry(the Great Left Hope?!) will not even challenge our foreign policy or the war in a context that would advocate totally changing our current militaristic posture in Iraq or the world. He will not claim that it and everything pertaining to maintaining our current military industrial complex is wasteful and horribly wrong. He will not speak about that pesky international land mine ban we will not approve, or our how our use of depleted uranium(DU) will affect iraq for thousands of years. He wont utter a sound about the fact that WE sold saddam the gas used on the Kurds, and the helicopter used to disburse it. Kerry will not remind the American taxpayer that we provided all the funds necessary to carry all this out. These few alone cry out, but what of the deeds beyond number i have not provided? I need to git-but ill leave with this-the hypocricy on both sides is astonishing at the least, and abhorrent at best. I say that if "dissent"can save lives then i scream it with every breath.

Deconstruct

American administration of reconstruction funds in iraq is an example how a slow moving bureaucracy can cripple an effort with good intentions. Of the 18.4 billion dollars allocated in april 2003 to repairing all that our tax dollars have destroyed with bombs and support of sanctions, just above 3 billion has actually been commited to projects. Less than a third of said money has actually been doled out to the people doing the constrution. "Barton and his organization estimate that less than 30% of the money spent reaches Iraqis. Another 30% appears to be going to security, about 10% to U.S. government overhead, 6% to contractor profits, and 12% on insurance and foreign workers' salaries. The rest, perhaps 15%, may be lost to corruption and mismanagement, they estimate."(truthout.com) The government is hiring on a massive scale in the security sector, but hiring reconstruction workers has not been pursued nearly as fervently by the occupation. I believe their reasoning is "security brings stablility". This may be true, but is not employment part of this equation? A speedy funding process is CRITICAL to the reconstruction efforts in iraq. Immediate funding for materials factories-which exist INSIDE Iraq-must take place.(currently 75 plus percent of all materials-namely cement and steel are currently imported at great expense) This alone will create many jobs, and service companies will spring up to support internal industry, thereby creating jobs as well. The government must also begin hiring workers for massive state sponsored conservation and construction projects, helping to fill the gap in the massive amount of work to be done left by private industry. The effort needed to be undertaken makes the efforts of our government during the Great Depression pale in comparison. Why this did not happen immediately after occupation was complete is incomprehensible and in my mind close to criminal. In fact, the edicts of Paul Bremer-CPA CEO-fired nearly all existing government employees.(they soon realized their mistake and hired some back, but the action was too late and the rebellion had taken hold) I know i have hit on the government hiring(and the level of employment in general) issue several times, but i believe it is the crux of many current problems. So here's what i getfor my tax dollars-bombs that kill, planes that kill, and wasted dollars on our pitiful reconstruction effort. Thank you Congress, for your vigilant checks and balance provided to our militant presidency.

Thank you W and friends(PNAC members, AEI members-basically the heart of his advisory committee) for your well informed decisions on foreign policy during this tumultuous time in american history. psych.

crossing questions

"Fascism is the combination of state and corporate power."-Benito Mussolini
Is this not what exists in America today? Do corporate interests supersede the interests of "We the people"? Does corporate money have undue influence in politics? When the Bush Administration f0rms environmental policy with energy industry executives present during the process, does this have an adverse effect on the very thing supposed to be protected? The answer is likey yes to all. These comprise not even the surface in a stack of problems facing OUR Republic.
The Rubicon is near.

Broadband insurgent behavior

Instant communication, instant insurgency and the daily chaotic life of the iraqi people.

I belive that the rebellion in Iraq is escalating now beyond control. Several things have contributed to this point, namely mismanaging the postwar situation. What led up to our current point will surely be the subject of large books, but I have some thoughts on this point forward and will leave large books to their writers(for now).
instant communication, fed by the proliferation of cellular networks and the exponential growth of internet use by the public, gives insurgents untraceable ways to plan and prepare for attacks and is responsible in large part for the quickening pace of unrest. All things progress faster(yes, even rebellion)with easy access to information and problem solving capabilities. It allows for a huge exchange of information-true and false-within the public arena(unemployment of sixty-plus percent makes for a restless populace). Each news piece about the latest attack with pictures of dead children adds to each Iraqis' grief, fear, and anger-the last of which is directed against the US. Such anger, now that it has blown out of control, can not be thrown back in the vault. No matter our supposed high-minded intentions were, they can no longer be realized in the way that the Bush administration envisioned. Will the Bush administration come to grips with reality and face the problem with an open mind? Not likely.

The Complete lack of clarity on things foreign and domestic

The two most talked about stories surrounding the campaign so far have been "swift boats" and now, the "forged" documents. When will the american people and the media that feeds them lose interest and focus on something that really matters? Probably never. I worry about our Republic and fear no terrorist-ha!-but instead the degradation of our Contstitutional system and the growth of government as a whole frightens me more than anything.

The lack of a real discussion of the situation in the middle east within election rhetoric is a sinkhole on the american policy landscape. In times such as these when information speeds at light to anybody willing to take the time to catch it, american policy is moving at a turtle's pace forward. Neither of the presidential candidates will spout a REAL solution to the problems we now face having occupied two hostile territories. With attacks increasing at an alarming rate, more cities being declared "no-go" zones daily, 60+% unemployment among the populace (who is increasingly being subjected to terror and destruction in their lives), and general unrest among the people, seeing an election in january materialize is not likely. Any such election will be cited as fraud by the insurgents(the logic and accuracy of their rhetoric matters not), giving them new fuel to fight on. It seems to me as i infer from our actions and their results thus far that we are failing. No candidate will offer an answer-Kerry because he has none and Bush because he is wingin' it. No, Bush will be reelected. But guess what-he(and the neocon honks behind him) will not solve the problem in iraq, afghanistan without being bold. (Do)es he(they) have it in him(them) to solve the middle east equation? I dont believe so. Mr. Bush-please take care of our ailing domestic environmental policies and habitat; you must!encourage conservation and ecological priciples througout the globe. (He probably wont do this) Mr. Bush-Please contribute to the PEACEFUL solution to the problem in Israel and Palestine. Thereby he will have sewed what could not be so.(If they(He) is smart he'll do this) Mr. Bush-Take all of our troops from Germany, Okinawa, South Korea and most every person in the 750+ bases that exist in over 125 countries HOME. Do not withdraw from Iraq or afghanistan-SOLVE THE PROBLEM.(i will expound upon this in another post)- Mr Bush-institute and become remebered for completely reforming the campaign finance system and the underlying framework for supporting politics in America. Give us real contribution limits without loopholes and transparency in reporting. Mr Bush-reform our tax system-(corporate!!!! and personal)remove all caveats, and make it simple to understand: just imagine YOU were trying to fill out the form. Mr. BushMr. Bush-DO these things. please. for the survival of american democracy.

liberal capitalist

a short train of thought
True, capitalism works amazingly well for america, and its benefits therefore exend to the rest of the world.  Our ever-increasing rate of consuption has allowed record wealth to be accumulated on our planet.  It is our buying power that is at the heart of the world economy, and it allows us to progress as a society in america and other world societies to come into their own along with us.  Many questions.   Our taste for goods declines, the rest of the world slumps with us-maybe not in a big way, but they feel it.

Campaign Finance Reform-the joke is on us

A piece of gauze on a gaping wound.  An open, bleeding slice in our democracy's left heel.  As was expected, money from corporate and all number of special interest groups were able to pierce through current legislation and pour money into eager politicians' hands.
Large amounts of money can and must be kept out of the political process.  This is not to say rich mutinationals or any group with money should not have their time with a legislator and be heard.  Everybody should be given a chance, and money should not buy undue influence on politicians and their ilk.  The system is broke, frozen in excess, unchecked and otherwise unsupervised in a clear manner put forth to the American people.
Cut all money-all of it, and be real about the system behind it.  Equal acces for all groups, and standard contribution sizes that CANNOT be swerved around by shrewd means.  An oversight group, independent and completely "transparent" in documentation and avalibility thereof should be given the duties of keeping access available to all interests-at strict donation limits with NO loopholes.  Lobbyists of all persuasions would have their say to the people's representatives in Congress. 
I belive Washington must be scared of change else they would have had the courage to implement wide ranging and sweeping reform of the election funding process.  Such a system would be a model of ethical and open standards for electoral processes-it would be a model for others to follow and Americans to be proud of.  More opinions heard, more knowledge on a myriad of issues would be gained on our Congressmens' part, and with time, the system would make our democracy stronger by instilling ever increasing confidence in our government by the people and for the people. A fully reformed, open and equally accessed political funding system is real reform which the  American people deserve.

Nonsense

Four Lamps, one working Light
a slow rotating fan swirls about
at a shadowy steady clip
it revolves through the night.

 
What are we all missing?
it is not anything that can be held, seen, or heard.
If this solution were possible it would have been canned- digitized and sold by your friendly neighborhood corporation. 
Surely this would be marketed and sold.  the very fact that
it has not is evidence of something, rather than nothing. 
nonsensical?  you betcha. 
m. zachary

Policy bites back post tense

Although seldom spoken of in mainstream press, our policies, whether of an imperialistic nature or grown out of a defensive posture have created the majority of Anti-American attitudes where they exist.  The rejection of IMF policies in central and south america of recent times, Cold War policy up to the fall of communism, along with post-Cold War policy under George I was inadequate and without foresight to the consequences of their actions.  The  Clinton administration did not give much concern at all to the fermenting of terrorism in the middle east, parts of south asia and a smatering of antiamerican sentiment elsewhere throughout the globe made the problem worse .  My point is that these policy failures can be rectified with patience and a shift in dominance from the pentagon and the military-industrial complex to a more powerful State Department.  Large defense budgets could be wisely spent elsewhere-(like a workable renewable energy source?!!!!) but politics will not let the defense budget go down.  We spend billions on foreign bases which have no strategic importance, while Iraqi children starve in a story we created. We must help them repair their country with diplomacy and whatever help the Iraqis require as they attempt their formation of a nation. This is the key-THEIR NATION.  What we damaged with our bombs in Iraq (over half a million sorties flown!), and numerous overt AND covert military interventions throughout the world is going to prove to be THE largest foreign policy hurdle our democracy has ever faced, and George W. is and likely will remain our President.  His foreign policy, critical issues before the supreme court, energy policy, trade policy and  domestic issues too numerous to hit on in this post will present a deciding era in 21st century politics.  How Bush deals with an evermore fractured legislature and a wild card supreme court will prove to be interesting.  post over for today but more will certainly follow.  

M. Zachary

Remembrance

 
You fade in my memory
like some ancient,
yellowed photograph
on which creases
have muddied the faces
and time
erased their expressions.
Perhaps those people
were smiling
when the obliging camera
froze them into permanence,
I can no longer tell.
Perhaps once,
you smiled also
for me. 
Does liberty  still smile on America?

Dont discriminate, innovate.

Inovation. The ideas that make us strong. It is not physical prowess that makes us truly strong, it is the power of ideas-the mind. Our inventions drive our success, but the candle of the innovator is easily snuffed out. Regulations relating to student visas have tightened greatly since 9/11, rendering it very hard to get permission to come here and learn and be Americanized, spreading our ideals and innovating here as well as abroad. We have always attracted the worlds best and brightest minds. Freedom has an attractive lure. But between antiquated patent laws to these new limits on fresh minds arriving here, we are stifling that which makes us strong. We must have the next BIG thing. Why the bush administration has not taken the situation to inspire a huge push for a new form of energy is beyond me. the possibilities are out there, and the nation that has control over the best thing since sliced bread will control the destiny of the world-yes?

hearts, minds, etc...

The phrase "hearts and minds" has been entered into recent American vernacular by our current administration, yet it lacks the american element that makes us strong-money. It is a lot easier for a populace that has even half of the current Iraqi unemployment rate of 78 per cent to assimilate into a secular capitalistic society. It shall be free and rich, and liberty, security, and stability shall follow. Iraqi children playing with their new baseball gloves (Wilson, of course) will go home to hot meals and hopefully the fabric of a society can begin to be sewn. This is the endgame, right? the best CAN be made of the situation. the methods of arriving at this point have no real bearing on my statements. The current "rebuilding" budget amounts to a mere 18 billion dollars and so much more is needed. Of course, the Iraqis may be a conglomeration of peoples not logically meant to meld as one, but a dysfunctional family has the advantage of sitting on enough Texas tea to sip on for miles. We shall pay, and we must. The Iraqis need a J O B. Millions of people were left jobless in what i believe was a critical mistake-the firing of the defence force as well as the government administration. These people knew their jobs and were (mostly and hopefully) willing to continue them under the new potentate. But now is a critical time, for nations must be built and delivered within a short time in the world populace's lust for instant gratification. Major public works employment must take place as soon as possible. If we must publicly employ half the work force, then do it-all the while encouraging foreign investment and individual entrepreneurship among ALL Iraqis. Capitalism can take root easily and gradually, but the spread would be contagious. show the Iraqis jobs and cash, and let them innovate. They can do it and wish to as well. How could they not? Freedom of the press, due process for all, and the rest of a bill of rights must be included in the Iraqi constitution and should be in place even now in the provisional government. Encourage ideas, and the free flow of information. Extremism may still exist after these things take place but it will become the fringe, and society itself will not allow it to become majority rule. These processes should have been taking place already, but we have been slow on mobilization of the economy. if this can somehow take root in a form as small as a mustard seed in iraq and help those people, i say help them. or figure out something better. just do not occupy their country with extreme prejudice and call it humanitarian. help them please, W. may 2k4

complexity

thinking about the complexity of the world sometimes overwhelms me, especially when i try to pull it all together in one complete picture in my mind. the task is nearly impossible. onwards. i, as a seemingly insignificant part of the maelstrom that is the world, do exist and am thinking. the "borders" of our (american) overriding worldwide cultural and fiscal domination are being attacked, as is natural, by forces of discontent and disorder. our natural response-i am not in agreement with our methods and am trying to keep out of a political circular argument, but our response is to defend our culture and way of life. who knows who will win. the romans had many signs of thier downfall, but in the end, their leaders could not grasp the big picture and their world fell. will ours?

postmodern imperialism

We must show these people; the majority of whom wish to feed their families along with working-somewhere, allowing them to better their standard of living. I am talking about the grand experiment in injecting democracy and order into a foriegn society. This must take place in iraq. Reasoning for entering the conflict in beyond the scope of my argument or point. we must build an entire standard of hope. There are ways. More thoughts to come. Anybody outh there

I am thinking, therefore i know i matter.

I think on a daily basis. Well more than just a daily basis-it is more on a 24/7 schedule. I must debate in my head the issues, the sky, existence and the realization that we are. Romans. Americans. The same path we both are on. They dominated in physical presence while we dominate in the psyche of every person on the planet. China adores Nixon, while we adore Friends. Rome adored sport and lavishness. We took that lavishness to an unprecedented widespread level of wealth. Thoughts for today 5-12-04.

Zach
Coastal Bend
Texas