Here are a few things I have learned in the last decade upon looking back.

Our nation is in a state of perpetual war, not because there is great evil in the world and we care to make it a more just or safe place, but because it is profitable. Through various administrations and party controls, we continue down the same path of destruction, intolerance and greed showing very little signs of veering away from wrong-doing. We are not a bastion of hope, freedom or equality, but instead transcend why things are not better. We speak of equality, yet discriminate against minorities and gays. We speak of freedom yet our government rips them away for their own power. We speak of democracy yet the majority of our citizens do not vote, and our electoral processes are a mere mockery to our actual influence. In a nation that revels in the red, white and blue, it is really all about the green.

In 2000, the DOW was at the peak of the internet bubble at roughly 11.5k, today it is at roughly 10k. Trillions have been passed along through handouts, tax breaks and loopholes to Wall Street and Corporate America. For citizens, working hours have increased, pay and benefits have not. America is now in the greatest amount of debt since the WW2 era. We are also seeing the greatest separation of wealth in our nation since the turn of the 20th Century.

In 2000, al-Qaeda held a summit to discuss and plan attacks on the USS Cole and World Trade Center. Today, they still thrive although our attempts to quell their members and influence are met with mediocre results. Our efforts against this group have let us into two wars which have merely generated higher regard and influx to their cause. In short, we have help paint the picture they cast of us by fulfilling their misguided messages and furthering the destruction and insecurity in the world.

In this decade we have learned what false sense of security truly is. We have learned the hard way that the decisions of yesterday will always influence the present and future. We continue to see the dismantling of a representative democracy when the citizens do not hold up their end; mere power out for itself and corruption unchecked.

We are in the heart of the Information age, yet people are not becoming smarter or more involved with the world around them, instead we use our media’s, devices, internet and similar for obligatory vices and nonsensical entertainment. Perhaps that sounds like a grand lambasting of American culture, but it does not make it the wrong interpretation either.

In looking ahead, I merely point to a familiar commentary – The Paradox of Time.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment,more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't share this... who cares?

The Big Picture

The greatest weapon of mass destruction is corporate economic globalization. - Kenny Ausubel

Oh, what a wicked web we weave when we practice deception. The world’s rich and influential economic policy makers, also known as the G-20, met in London this past week to discuss and amend their global practices and ways to combat the current downturn in the markets. Albeit, these types of meetings and international bureaucracies are given some media coverage; however, their general purposes, influence and results, are not.

To briefly summarize, the G-20 is an organization which is comprised of nations who represent varying levels of economic development and industrialized success; typically the top 20 economies of the world. The basic agenda of this group is to bring together developing economies and industrialized nations in order to promote discussions about key global economic issues which can further strengthen international financial institutions and stability.

The International Monetary Fund is an organization with the purpose to stabilize economies of member nations through fiscal policy adjustments and last resort loans to nations in dire need. In order to receive these emergency loans, a nation is forced to take on a “structural adjustment plan” which alters the national policies and economic decisions.

The World Bank is an organization with the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to developing or poor nations with the goal of reducing poverty. Assistance and guidance for building roads, bridges, schools and other industrial improvements are many of the plans they employ.

On the surface, the IMF and WB may seem like credible sources to help promote global financial stability and prosperity; however, upon inspection the results say otherwise. A brief look at their history and present encounters properly shows their current purpose and role in the global economic order.

The IMF and WB were both created in 1944 at the “Bretton Woods Conference”. After World War II, with most of the European powers in shambles, many nations met in order to help setup institutions, guidelines, and policies on how to properly monitor nations and financial issues throughout the world. It is important to note that both the WB and IMF were originally setup to be accountable and under the guidance of the United Nations (which is no longer the case). Also, out of these meetings, the origins of the World Trade Organization and the General Treaty on Tariffs and Trade were created. Nowadays, these institutions are the cornerstones of free-market capitalism and neo-conservative policy which are the foundation of the American Empire.

Many of the main problems with these institutions are that once a nation follows the guidelines of programs and policies, the institution incorporates their national economy and well-being in the hands of foreign entities, corporations and investors. Privatization is heavily promoted and foreign corporations are like kids in a candy shop. Many of these programs may be successful economically but wreak havoc on the citizens of the nation. It is also important to note that the programs and policies implemented by the IMF and WB are not the same in which most industrialized or stabilized nations employ or have ever employed to gain their own status; a clear instance of “do as we say, not as we do”.

For example, let’s say a nation is in dire economic need and turns to the IMF for a loan. In order to receive this loan, they must comply with economic policy changes, agree to a stringent repayment plan and also sell off many of their assets to foreigners, all of which are common practices of the IMF.

Foreign investment and loosing up of trade restrictions open the nation up to foreign goods which weakens the nation’s chance of rebuilding for their own future. These two actions make the poor nation reliant on outsiders. Monetarily, the local currency becomes a mere percentage of the dollar because your new repayment plan forces you to borrow and repay in US Dollars which trickles down to the society and inflation sets in. Unemployment rises and tax rates sky-rocket as a result of the necessary repayment plan and new policies. Many times, it has been shown that it opens up the opportunity for foreign corporations to setup shop for low-wage factories because of the dire need of employment and easily available natural resources.

The overall social policies and welfare of the nation are lowered in order to incorporate them into the industrialized world, yet the risks the citizens take on are merely an afterthought. These are the results of IMF programs and policies throughout the 3rd World and it is not by accident as it has occurred time and time again.

Never has any nation in need come to the IMF for a loan and been able to successfully borrow money, restructure policy, repay the loan and been financially better off after the fact. Typically, the nation falls deeper into debt and defaults on the original loan, while the nation is now worse off socially (education, environment, medicine, etc). The common benefactors of this exchange are the rich, industrialized nations, who now have a grasp on a debtor while they have opened its doors to foreign investments, business opportunities and have tighter command and relations because of this new relationship.

The WB also plays a part in this exchange. As the IMF is attempting to adjust the economics of the nation, the WB sometimes tries bringing about projects which will enhance the betterment of the society. Building of schools, roads, bridges, and power plants are just some of the projects. Now this may sound like a wonderful idea and process, but in the international game of free market capitalism, this process turns into corporate exploitation through privatization.

Many times in this process, foreign corporations plunder natural resources, exploit the citizens for cheap labor and suck the nation dry of money through bad contracts. Privatization is employed by the government as a portion of the IMF’s economic plan and the citizens pay the price. It is important to recognize how these international institutions all play a vital role in the struggling nations’ “adjustment” and the relationship between their policies and how they are intertwined.

For example, many people in the US think Enron pulled off its biggest corruption in America, but in reality, in India, Enron robbed the citizens through a laundry list of scandal and greed. Once Enron declared bankruptcy, the investors through the WB and US corporations were able to recover over $200 million from India while the local citizens got nothing. The shift of sovereignty not only results in loss of power, but the process to protect your own citizens from corruption and ambiguous control.

All over the globe, forced privatization and programs from the IMF and WB have led to ongoing human rights problems, the generic undermining of democratic processes, environmental damage, loosing of laws protecting citizens regarding working conditions and the general welfare of people. Even now it has become common for theses institutions to promote the privatization of a nation’s most basic necessity and resource, water, so that industry can exploit citizens for private profit and gain. With a long detailed history of corruption, privatized greed and failed policies for the 3rd World, there is no other realistic conclusion to draw than the fact that the rich and powerful have setup a system to incorporate their own profit and success on the misery of the poor and needy.

Various observers remark in the style and manner in which each of these institutions is connected and thus is more impregnable to restriction and containment. Once such barriers and policies are put in place, difficulty dismantling them or changing such processes is extremely tough. Unless you search for such encounters in the world, most people are unaware they occur because the corporate owned media does not report on them unless it is such a catastrophe it cannot ignore it (like Enron).

Now that we understand the basis for how these international institutions operate, let us discuss the intensions and purposes of the G-20 in practice. The IMF and WB are funded and controlled by the top few economic world powers. Quite often the economic decisions regarding the IMF and WB are based off the political intensions of specific nations own agenda rather than the well-being of a nation in need or generic global stability.

This past week the G-20 met with varying purposes and intensions. In the US media, these results were applauded with open arms but as we look deeper, we will see the current state of global affairs at work. The US’s primary purpose was to raise capital and funds to combat the current economic crisis.

Albeit, many nations are facing problems, the US is asking foreign nations to shell out some of their own needed funds to combat the US created crisis which has now spread globally. In response, many nations actually have agreed to some funding for a global stimulus plan, yet the US would still not listen or agree to any type of global financial oversight rules or committee to combat these problems and issues from reappearing in the future. In case any of this sounds familiar, it is the same exact type of hypocritical policy the US is routinely spouting – give up your sovereignty but we will never adjust ours for the greater good.

One of the other primary issues which were highly praised was the notion of increased funds to developing or nations in need. To fully understand this matter, one has to acknowledge the idea of incorporation in a global sense. One of the primary goals of globalization and the economic world order through all of these institutions is to incorporate all nations into the same type of arena. If everyone is on the same page and playing by one generic set of rules (even if they are not fair and do not work as hyped), it better helps the system to remain the same and the leaders of the top economies to stay in power and continue their dominance.

The idea of development in global economics does not correlate to equality, balance or stability; it refers to incorporation in a financial system which promotes inequality, exploitation and imbalance. The weak remain weak and the strong remain strong, but all on the same page, playing by the same policies and guidelines.

In practice and after years of failed results, this is what the IMF, WB, WTO and agreements like GATT, NAFTA and CAFTA do in the world. The deeper these institutions and policies have become ingrained, the greater the separation between the rich and the poor nations of the world. If you think this is some type of conspiracy theory or far fetched explanation of the facts, I beg you, research about all of the effects these institutions and policies in places all over the globe.

These global institutions more closely represent a system of new age colonialism compared to development. As a result of the most recent G-20 meeting, roughly 1 trillion dollars was pledged to bailout global economies as they will be funneled through the IMF and WB. Shortly after this was announced, global trading markets, Wall Street and the Dow rallied by hundreds of points and significant gains – what a shocker. Taxpayer funds (from rich nations) lent or handed to foreign nations (poor and developing nations) with stipulations and contracts so they can in return buy goods, services and improvements from the rich nations while adjusting their economies and policies which favor the rich nations. This is the basis and spider web of the global economic order.

Empires no longer need standing soldiers in foreign lands to control the conquered. The failure of the 20th Century (unified governing bodies to oversee peace and equality) has turned in the creation of a new order. If you are a disobedience to the global order, you can suffer under the barrel of a gun or a mighty pen of the banking and financial industry. The fate of these poor or developing nations is to choose national sovereignty, build large scale weaponry for defense and suffer your own fate while being outcasts of the industrialized world or to join in the global economic order and become subservient to the rich.

The famous American revolutionary Patrick Henry once said, “It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts... For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.” If you wish to ignore the direct connection between Wall Street, the corporate agenda and governments’ economic policies and institutions on a global scale, you are not looking at the big picture.

If we are to live in a world full of peace and equality, we must address these problems. Pushing the envelope to further the rich and poor of the world only leads to more disorder, instability and danger. We can choose to fix the problem now in hopes it is not too late or we can continue to line our pockets and reap the fate for which we have sown.

The State of the Union We Ought to Hear

With President Obama addressing the nation with the State of the Union tonight, I thought I would take this opportunity to put myself in his shoes for just a brief moment. If given the chance to talk to the citizens of this nation what would you say? Here is my message.


My fellow Americans, I stand before you the bearer of bad news. If we are to see real and substantial progress in our nation, we first have a deep, long look at ourselves in the mirror. I have been given the privilege to represent all of you as your leader and I plan to do everything in my power to uphold all of the ideologies and tenets this nation was founded upon. With that said, we face a very tough situation as the state of the Union is very poor. This situation is not beyond repair and does hold a remedy; however, it will take a lot of work and continuity by the citizens and their representatives in government.

I do not think it would be fair to point blame on one particular leader, administration, or political party but at some point our nation lost its way. Our government is filled with corruption, lobbying with the sole purpose of corporate benefit and self-interested representatives. The American people and their welfare have been placed on the back burner all in the name of profit, pride and power.

We now face several serious crises; financial, healthcare, social security and ecologic to name the most relevant. This administration is currently trying to band-aid these problems in some ways (some more substantial than others) but these are not long term solutions to the issues. It is time to recognize that simply throwing money at a problem will not fix it. Our national debt is at catastrophic heights yet what have we got to show for it? It is time to put aside our party-line barriers and get to work.

Our education system is not failing solely because of funding or sub par methods. Our parents and communities need to also step up the effort in this crisis. Global Warming will not cure itself if we do not slow down our consumption. Our government must be more thorough and innovative to make certain the citizens and our nation’s well-being come first. If we want results, we must put in the effort. Our daily lives in every way must be reshaped to pave the road to the future we wish to live in.

It is time for the American people to once again become the most educated, well taken care of and most inventive in the world. We must pay the price for all the freedoms, equalities and justices that we hold so dear. We must become the bastion of peace, prosperity and welfare for not only our own citizens but those abroad. We can accomplish this all through education, diplomacy and innovation to carry our nation into the 21st Century. If we do not address these issues and crises with force and determination our results will reappear for generations to come and will likely be far worse.

My challenge to the American people tonight is to get to work. I will do my part in office but please recognize there are bureaucratic roadblocks to this in place. I will do everything humanly possible to tear them down, but without your assistance we cannot thrive. So I beg you, become the future you wish to see. Become politically active, become knowledgeable about the world and our nation, and help those around you. We see the results of what occurs if we remain a nation of people that pushes others down to raise up a select few, instead let’s become a nation that rises together for the betterment of all.

The time has come for the people of this nation to take the responsibilities which come along with all the liberties we are given. For far too long our media and private interests have distracted or deterred the citizens from joining in the fight for our future. It is time to put the tv remotes down, get off the couch and become active. No matter how big or small the effort, the sum of our hard work will help make the difference.

Now I am sure many of my politically opinionated foes who lean in a different direction will quickly throw around names like “communist”, “socialist” or “unrealistically idealist”. I am not before you tonight promising or asking for utopia. I am simply asking for the people of this nation to work for its future and well-being.

With the assistance of invigorated leadership, we can accomplish this mission. For those of you, who think these tasks are impossible perhaps you are not willing to put forth the effort, yet want all the reward. Our days of grasping the status quo have led to political and economic disaster and disparity. It is time for “We the People” to take back our nation and future.

Our system at work, but not our citizens

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. - John Maynard Keynes

When you have a system that in practice creates a large separation of wealth which is enabled by government coddling of business interests and lack of oversight and reform to prevent greed and price-gauging, is it a real shock that we see the situation we do? It's a byproduct - not a surprise. When you begin to create special programs to combat this generic imbalance, many become resentful of the one's getting a helping hand and grow adamantly against it, yet we have always deluded ourselves into the thought that we are a nation that helps the poor and removes inequality. Our economic system does not coincide with our political traditions. Slogans like “not in my backyard”, “welfare babies” or similar are the results of such things. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of disparity and separation rather than an indirect accident or result. The programs in this stimulus plan may, at best, temporarily cut some of the hardships for many impoverished citizens, but it certainly doesn’t fix the problem.

In brief, the stimulus programs have two primary objectives and functions. The first is to create stability within the banking industry, and the second is to create future infrastructure in our nation.

Generically speaking, the banking system has gone awry as a result of corporate greed, lack of government oversight and irresponsibility by some citizens living outside of their means. As a result, many banks have been left with toxic assets (debt which will be paid back in a fractional amount of its original value) while the American people will be purchasing them for an inflated cost even though these assets have unknown value. The US Government is now acting like a bank, but not a well managed one. Instead they are overpaying for bad assts to restore order to the banking and lending community while its effects will be uncertain.

Many people feel an economic recession is a terrible thing, especially when it affects you directly, but philosophically speaking, recessions are a necessary part of economy. In basic theory, an economy rises as a result of investment and growth; an economy declines as a result of over-speculation and over-inflation. A recession is the bubble bursting once it has gotten past its threshold, thus bringing it back to its natural or normal level. This is what we are seeing now in most areas of society.

The second objective and function of the stimulus package is to create and enhance future infrastructure in our nation. Government handouts to build or update schools and educational programs, investing in energy alternative industries, and building new roads and bridges are just a few of these included in the plan. These all may sound like wonderful ways to further our nation and bring it into the 21st Century, but ask yourself this simple question: where was all my tax money going before? Many may claim that during the Bush years, our tax money was going towards the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but in reality this is not completely correct. Most of the funds for these on-goings were being added to the national debt and yes that’s the same exact national debt most of this roughly 1 trillion dollar plan will be placed. So where were our taxes actually being applied? Mostly to government handouts in the forms of rebate checks to its citizens and government handouts to the private industries (some for wars, some not). If this sounds a bit familiar it should, because it’s very similar to our new stimulus plan – government handouts to citizens and government handouts to private industry. Perhaps new program names and different investors, but the prior stimulus plan flopped. The results of such a plan are very questionable and by no means a certainty to work.

One of the large misnomers about the government handouts to its citizens is the fact that people are made to believe it’s a handout when it is not. If you read about them more in-depth, you will learn that the government is either doing one of two things; handing out money to you for a specific program which you are eligible for but you will either be liable to pay it back over the course of future years or you will be taxed on it as if its part of your regular income. In short, the government is lending you your own tax money which you will either repay in the long-term or be taxed on in the short-term for their benefit. Such a scam could only be legitimized in the halls of Congress.

Most economists say that it is a very difficult situation that we face and there is no one right solution, but many point to the stimulus plan as more of a gamble than an effective measure to help our economy. Basic things which have caused this economic recession have not been addressed, yet we are asked to flip the bill for such an erroneous undertaking. There was even a portion originally listed in the plan to promote American products and companies which would directly help the nation, but this was removed. In case you haven’t noticed, lobbying and private interests are more important than our nations future and citizens well being.

So next time you read a story about the new stimulus plan, or see it mentioned on the news, please keep these things in mind. If you go to the movies this weekend and the box office asked you to pay admission twice, you would argue and deny it from occurring. But our government double charging its people for things like schools, roads, bridges, and future infrastructure through taxes and future national debt, that apparently is a legitimate request even though the very reason we are in need of these things is because of faulty policies and programs and enabling a situation in which private interests can rule the roost. Apparently greed does pay off, if you’re on the right side of its results, but unfortunately for most Americans that’s just not the case.

Building for the Future

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." - Karen Kaiser Clark

It has been often stated that voting for a 3rd party candidate is a wasted vote because they are unlikely to win and therefore voters prefer to vote for the lesser of two evils with the major two parties. There are many practical ways to change our political system by voting, especially if you do not live in a battle-ground/swing-state. I personally do not advocate voting for the lesser of two evils in any instance but will offer you a great voting alternative in non-swing states (which is the vast majority).

For example, in New York, a strong Democratic state in which Obama will win the Electoral votes by a significant margin. It will not be close by any comparison. So with that well understood, why not vote for a 3rd party candidate who more closely represents your views and beliefs? If Obama wins New York by 30% of the total vote compared to 20%, there is no difference as he still has won the total votes in the Electoral College for that state. We do not have a general election in which every vote counts or is important.

Voting 3rd party in this instance will be insignificant to the two major parties and election outcome, yet would be tremendous to building a viable and strong 3rd party for the future. If voters carried out this idea on a national level, a 3rd party alternative would receive enough general votes to receive funding and support for future elections. The funding alone would be the difference between building a long term party which can flourish and steadily grow each passing year and election, compared to a one-hit wonder which many voters turn them into by not offering long term support.

On Election Day, when you are in the voting booth and see only two parties and names you deem as significant or viable for your vote, maybe you should consider that you and those voting like you are the cause. Voting based upon “electability” is merely making your decision based on the choice the majority has previously made. If you think I am wrong, simply ask yourself if you would vote for Obama or McCain if they were not on the two major party tickets. The answer is clearly no. If you are simply interested in voting for a winner, perhaps American Idol or something along those lines is a more relevant place to cast such distinction. So on Election Day vote 3rd party and make a difference to build a better future.

I'll be glad.

I'll be glad when the US election is over with. The portion of the population that actually decides to pay attention (briefly) on what goes on in the nation will crawl back under their rock or stick their heads back into the sand. I got some sad news for everyone as well, no matter who wins, not much will change. If the Reps win, we'll continue many of our faulty policies and if the Dems win, we'll make a small shift back towards centrist policies. In short, we won't fix any of our problems - all we will do is in a minute way, attempt to band-aid the effects of our problems - not the causes. Elections in the US are like the Super Bowl, everyone shows up to watch and pretends they watched the entire season when in reality they didn't, they merely just showed up on one day and the following will go back to their routine. Whether its wars in foreign lands, the economy or the price of oil, houses or goods, it is very apparent to most of the nation that these things are very contrived and of man-made causes. Price gouging and self created problems due to greed and tyranny are what plagues this nation and the population just doesn't care enough or long enough to bother to realistically fix it. You reap what you sow in life, so the population can reap it as they have their hand on the switch to stop such things, but just don't. I feel no sympathy nor should anyone in this nation - it's all our own doing and no one is innocent. Our nation is not a beacon of freedom, democracy or any of the other great things we were founded upon, in fact, it represents much worse things that go against the tenets we were created. It's the sad reality no one wants to admit or face. So come Election day, pull your lever, but know full well it won't change anything significant or important. If the people don't continue to participate in the democratic process, after voting, then you're not doing your job as a citizen. This is what really causes the breakdown of our system. It's the reason private interests run DC and business lobbying has more power than the citizens. Your government has abandoned you and auctioned off your future and safety to the highest bidder, but people are too weak and uncaring to do anything about it. Everyone's more concerned about picking sides and being designated to a particular party or belief, compared to actually fixing problems and when that happens, you have no one to blame but yourself. But keep voting for the 2 major parties, being an enabler always helps.

Margin Call

It has been stated often that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. As we watch the financial crisis unfold before our eyes, it is not hard to recognize the great level of government failure in this mess. Deregulation and lack of oversight by the government; turning a blind eye and greed by Wall Street; and neglect by the American citizens are just a few of the guilty parties. But with all that stated, ask yourself why should the American people have to pick up the check for such thievery? Is our future debt and lack of economic stability truly so unimportant that we should just hand them over in a bailout caused by irresponsibility?

It is beyond apparent that our government and its representatives have sold out the American people for private interests and profit a long time ago. Lobbying in Congress is at an all time high and campaign financing gets results. Citizens’ votes and welfare are a side-note to our broken democracy and system. We are merely here to pick up the check for their conquests and agendas. In April when you pay your taxes, ask yourself who and what you are contributing too. Your money is certainly not going to support the tenets our nation was once founded or based upon. On Election Day this November which lobby group will represent you? These questions point to the reality of our political system in practice.

At the heart of this economic crisis is the belief that the American economy and people will only thrive as a result of Wall Street having success and improvement. This is a great misconception. We are in the midst of the greatest separation of wealth in our nation since the time of robber barons and monopolies at the turn of the 20th Century, yet now, the American people are on the short end of the stick.

For the first time since the Great Depression, the current generation will work more, earn less and be worse off than the generation before them. But if you ask any government official or businessman they will tell you our nation is in its greatest prosperity ever. Perhaps it is because those are the two earning and controlling all the wealth, while the Average Joe is losing out.

It is also noteworthy to mention the fact that American corporations have had their tax rates lowered by significant amounts since 1950 and the amount of tax breaks have increased tremendously. Wall Street was at one time the back-bone of the American economy and on the citizens' side due to government regulation and normal tax rates free of government loopholes and handouts. Nowadays Wall Street is merely a figurehead of corporate profit and agendas which do not represent the best welfare of the US citizenry, even as they like to pretend just the opposite.

Our citizens are the wheels driving the economy, yet see no direct rewards for their contributions; instead we are told that a rising tide lifts all boats. That may have a nice ring to it; yet in practice it does not float and is a sunken idea. We have become a nation dependent on foreigners for goods. We export our factories and jobs for the benefit of corporate profits and expansion. If you have a look at the top US corporations, they represent insurance, weaponry, energy and banking industries. Is this really what we want to become – an economy based on war profiteers, price gougers, greed and corruption? I would hope not, but in reality it is closer to the truth than not.

Many economists and government officials will tell you that the good health of the US economy is the vital for the American people, but at what costs? Wall Street does not represent Main Street America. In practice, our economy is based entirely on massive amounts of debt and a credit system so easily penetrated by greed, the American people can never find a fair equilibrium without being swindled.

The corporate owned media, the government and people who invest or work for Wall Street want to sell the people an empty dream, the lie that if Wall Street is ok, so will be our future. In reality, our government is in bed with the business sector. They help dictate policy in their own fields and for their own benefit; they also lobby for their own interests rather than the welfare of the citizens. It cannot be said enough that we as citizens are merely here to pick up the bill.

This current bailout is merely a transfer of public, taxpayer money to private sectors as a result of greed and gluttony. We will not benefit from this transaction and there is not even a guarantee it will fix any of our problems, as regulation and oversight have not been worked in. It is just another typical example of our society throwing money at a problem in the hopes it will get fixed. Trying to remedy the effect of a problem never stops its cause.

As the days pass and you see Wall Street taking a nose dive, please recognize that this is part of the process. When you base a system on massive debt and unregulated credit, while allowing greedy businesses to rule the roost, you already have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. It is merely a house of cards. When the stage is set with economic gadgets so out of whack, the house will surely crumble. This is what we are seeing. It is history repeating itself from the Great Depression. We may not have the identical situation with such vast unemployment, but the generic factors are present (government deregulation, lack of oversight, over-speculation and greed). The rest may be soon to follow, but even if we have dodged a bullet and do not quite reach the depths FDR faced, our future economic standing has still been seriously altered, something that cannot be ignored and which future generations will have to deal with.

When someone so harshly criticizes free market capitalism and Wall Street in such a manner, the rebuttal is of socialist or communist stereotypes to follow. Ask yourself an honest question, though: Why is the well being of large corporations the basis for our welfare as citizens? Life insurance costs, social security, credit lending businesses and banks could all be monitored with fair oversight and law, yet we willingly choose to allow privatization and deregulation to rule the roost. We forfeit our own welfare and status in the foolish belief that these sacrifices will guide us towards success and prosperity in our own lives. Let me repeat: We allow private, for profit companies whose sole purpose is to exploit consumers for their own growth, dictate our well being. Is there any shock we see the results that we do? The American people may bleed red, white and blue, but the companies and government who decide policy only see green.

We have placed our security and future in the hands of private interests and now are so tied to them that people feel as if anything but their success will result in the economic demise of the citizenry. This is not free market economics or capitalism at work. Instead, we have become an Oligarchy.

The average citizen is not an investor, or at least not one of any major consequence, and thus does not gain much of anything if Wall Street is booming. Yet when Wall Street is doing terribly (at its own cause), the citizens feel the wrath. High gas prices from unnecessary wars, high interest rates from lending scams, and our future debt and possible taxes being raised due to bailouts from corporate greed and government failures are what we receive. One of the more recent trends has also been the tinkering of economic tools by the Federal Reserve which decrease the dollar's worth in the market place. This causes goods and services to cost more in the long term for the public. These are not the actions or deeds of people who have the American citizens' future in mind.

Adam Smith once said,

“To found a great empire for the sole purpose of raising up a people of customers, may at first sight appear a project fit only for a nation of shopkeepers. It is, however, a project altogether unfit for a nation of shopkeepers, but extremely fit for a nation that is governed by shopkeepers”.

Each day as you watch Wall Street panic and tumble, please recognize the only reason it matters is because we have willingly placed our future in their hands, while these very same hands just reach for our checkbook. The margin call is always on the horizon when you have already bankrupted your future.

Bells and Whistles

“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” - William Shakespeare

Today is the 7 year anniversary of the tragic attacks of September 11th. I had a friend ask me what New York was like today and how I felt on this day. To me it is so far out of place when people make more of an anniversary and yet let the message and meaning get lost. Every passing year on Sept 11th we can remember or have feelings of what occurred, yet the real meaning should be day to day and how to correct such things from occurring. Sure, ceremonies and remembrances are nice, but they are irrelevant if the rest isn't followed through on. Its days like this that really show how people are truly wrapped up in only what occurs or is significant to them or in their little part of the world. A perfect example of this is what occurred on September 11, 1973.

The United States helped remove a democratically elected leader in Chile and install Augusto Pinochet. With active support from the CIA, Pinochet was responsible for a brutal military style dictatorship which led to the death of roughly 3,200 people. Later on, the US and England, both who helped this dictator seize and stay in power, were the ones involved in trying to convict him of crimes such as torture, assassination and many others.

Such a blatant historical occurrence may seem irrelevant now, but in reality it is a very clear and basic message that we do not, nor have not learned from our mistakes. The same can be said of the attacks of September 11th. Our own government help form, fund and train most of what was considered the Mujahideen; a fundamentalist Islamic group put together to fight against the Communist USSR in Afghanistan. Roughly 10 years later they developed into what most now know as Al-Qaeda.

As I walked to work this morning in Manhattan, I did not think about the victims of the 9-11 attacks, I thought to myself, I wonder when the next time will be. That won’t be a tragedy; it will be another wake up call to the average citizen of this nation on how out of touch our government places its priorities and where we living under their guidance truly stand. As a society (politically and socially) we obviously have lost the message yet try to carry on some warped notion of what these attacks mean, their cause and impact. Since the attacks, we have invaded two Muslim nations, caused utter chaos in one (Iraq) and done so poorly in the other (Afghanistan), the Taliban is slowly gaining power back. Besides the obvious poor relations and press our nation gets in the world from these actions, we have managed to help fulfill our enemy’s’ description of ourselves while created the perfect arena for their growth. We also probably caused or enabled the death of roughly 100,000 innocent people in our reaction to being attacked, certainly nothing to be proud of to say the least.

As I read the news today, I see our politicians making speeches and appearances at Ground Zero. I do not think we could find a more over-sensationalized occurrence that is used as a political tool than merely to dissect its core meaning. Just as the recent political party conventions showed, 9-11 is a political diatribe to point fingers at the other half. It is more important to hand out blame for errors and problems than to actually correct the issues. This is the state of American politics and sadly the ignorant citizens follow right in line.

In the past 7 years we have failed miserably at making our nation safer. No matter the means of delivery, we are just as vulnerable to attacks as we were on the morning of September 11th. The next time we can’t scream innocence and ignorance; for the next time it will be on us. When you fail to prepare, you are preparing for failure.

As the Presidential election grows closer, we hear a lot of talk about security, foreign policy and the war on terror. The candidates’ answers to such important questions don’t vary in great depth though. Currently, we have a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan and continue to fuel the fire which led to the occurrence of 9-11. If the message is lost, what real meaning should someone hold for an anniversary ceremony? The short answer is not much at all. It’s all bells and whistles.

“This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism on command, senseless violence and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism.” - Albert Einstein

If Elected…

The US Presidential Election is drawing closer, which only means one thing: empty promises from campaigners. Why does our society not see past such gibberish? Throwing money at a problem does not fix it, no matter how many times it is tried. Yet it continues to be our government's only consistent response. There are solutions that would fix the problems we face today, but all the ones we hear about are aimed at correcting the effects of these problems, not correcting their root cause. This is equivalent to making more crash friendly automobiles to rectify the drunken driving problem. Sure it lessons the damage, but it certainly does not eradicate the problem.

Want to help fix the environment? We are the largest contributor to the world's environmental problems, but no one wants to truly face the over-consumerism that has practically become the American way. Shhh, don't fault our culture of extreme pollution and wastefulness! Instead let us discuss how we can slightly curb our use of power and cut down on our emissions. Not bothering to address the cause and hoping it all works out okay has become the mantra in this country.

Want to help fix the medical insurance problem our nation faces? An estimated 47 million people are living in this country without health coverage. Let us not discuss rising health-care costs, profit margins of insurance companies and the basic necessity of our government to oversee the general welfare of its populace; instead, let us discuss ways to merely marginalize the uninsured. Let us continue with a system that profits from illness and stands for the unethical practice of rewarding healthcare access to solely those with money.

Want to help fix the energy crisis and soaring oil prices? Let us talk about how energy companies can research ways to look for alternative fuel sources (this has been done before) and turn a blind eye to that fact that solar, electronic and other methods are already in existence. We can't bring them up because they're simply not profitable enough, so it would be plain unpatriotic to call them anything other than a bad alternative, right? This kind of thinking is what we promote! Perhaps asking those who want to change the problem the least and profit from it the most is not the best answer, but that is probably too simple to figure out.

In case you have not yet noticed, all the above issue have been discussed by the candidates and their two major parties, save for the portions that actually address the root causes of each problem. They all refer to ways to adjust the problems' effects in society (which will merely lessen the bad results in marginal ways), instead of actually fixing the problems as a whole. It also does not help when most of our government is strongly tied to the business areas they are supposed to monitoring. Putting the alcoholic in charge of the bar does not tend to offer the most positive of endings.

Most of our major problems in society simply cannot be adjusted by throwing money into wasteful programs aimed at fixing nothing but their effects. Solutions will not be found through writing checks, but by changing the habits which cause these problems in the first place. The hard truth is we have no interest in changing our terrible habits, yet expect the problems to go away. It is often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over yet expecting the outcomes to change. This insanity is certainly no viable solution for the problems in this country, but it is what we are spoon fed by government and its major candidates time and again.

Now, some people like to believe that lessening the effects of the problems will be a small step in the right direction, but in the long run these actions actually make things far worse. These "small steps" have no end goal and are, in reality, mere speed bumps in the road. This is equivalent to giving an alcoholic only 1 bottle of alcohol to drink per day compared to 2 bottles. Is this the result we are really satisfied with? Many think that it is the best we can do, but that is merely a cop-out. Are we so weak that we must easily accept such a cynical view of this country and the power of the people who govern it and call it home? Would you send your child to school in hopes they get a C- average? Yet look around our society and these are the type of low expectations we set for our leaders and government. Accepting such unsatisfactory results is beyond comprehension, yet typical of our political landscape.

If you think the government (or the politicians representing you) still care about your welfare, safety and future, I beg you to just look around - and not merely at what this administration has done, but at the several before it as well. We are so far away from the principles we were founded upon that our founders would call us unrecognizable. We have become a nation that tortures our enemies, fails to rescue citizens from disasters, bombs foreign nations (which really only heightens the risk of nuclear war) and supports a government which will bail out airline companies which are so poorly run as to be a joke, while summarily blocking foreign competitors from entering the market. All are obvious examples of how off track we really are and how, with each election, we stubbornly and ignorantly march down this wrong path.

And while we march, we love to talk about-- and especially believe that--we are a beacon of democracy and free market capitalism and that we are and always will be the safeguard of the world's freedom/peace-keeping. Yet it is very difficult to find examples where we still practice such positive ideals and very easy to find examples where we are undoing such efforts.

So on November 4, 2008 please go out and vote, but keep these items in mind. Vote 3rd party, because the two major parties are just (in the best of scenarios) laying down speed bumps on the road to our future's demise. They do not offer solutions to change the path of our destination; they merely offer airbags so a few less casualties will result.

Seattle’s Loss is Our Loss

Seattle’s Loss is Our Loss

For those of you who aren't big sports fans or NBA basketball fans, the Seattle Supersonics will most likely be moving to Oklahoma City in the coming seasons. Long story short, the ownership of Seattle wanted the city to pay for a new arena and then threatened to move if it didn't. As a result, a new ownership group stepped in claiming they would keep the team in Seattle (as it was local ownership). After time passed, the new ownership began lying and claiming money issues (which were false), in order to move the team to OK City for a profit. So after 41yrs in Seattle, they will lose the only franchise which ever won a modern championship and had the city behind it for decades (winning and losing seasons). The NBA also has had it's hands all over this issue because it has to approve the move and details. Unfortunately, the NBA is more concerned about its profits, than its fans.

This may seem like an unimportant message or side-note to reality, but sports in many cases is merely a reflection of our society. I think as an outsider to any serious wrong-doing, it's easy to look the other way or try and convince yourself it won't happen to me or my city or similar.

I think the lesson to be learned in all this mess is this: Our society has let itself become so over-run and apathetic to greed, tyranny and injustice that we accept it feeling so powerless. The reality is that we are part of the problem because we enable it and sadly we can be the solution but sit on our hands til it's too late. Whether it's a sports, health care, foreign policy or whatever the issue, we just sit back and become spectators rather than do'ers.

The NBA and all sports for that matter, are just another reflection of our society as a whole. It's an ugly reflection in the mirror and most are too busy pointing fingers at others, rather than actually using their hands to reach out and help those who need it.

Sadly in our modern age, the only real "care" or "help" you see people offer is after a tragedy, which in many cases is self-induced.

Victim of Mankind

vic·tim: a person or animal sacrificed or regarded as sacrificed

As we move further into the 21st Century, we as a human species have many misnomers about how the world and society within that world should work. We have all types of theories about where we have originated from, how we have evolved, and even many of us have had thoughts about where we are headed (some utopian, some apocalyptical).

In our American society, we argue over the varying freedoms we are allotted and to what extent they should be enacted. We bicker over which set of morals, beliefs and standards should be used to govern the people and who should be dictating them to us. Just as in America, nations all over the world face the same types of decisions and choices. Collectively, we create quite a chaotic place to live without even recognizing the repercussions of our choices.

Our collective efforts for “progress” have repercussions in the real world. We are destroying the environment all over the globe. We have managed to alter weather and natural functioning systems in our eco-system which will have massive consequences. Species are becoming extinct at alarming rates. Water supplies are being poisoned with chemicals and similar pollutants. Our air quality is tarnished as a result of industrialization. All of these ongoing problems will not only be issues for future generations, they will likely alter the world to the point we can not even fathom.

Some of these problems can be reversed or their courses altered, but overall, it is a bleak outlook for humanity. Wars are being waged for false securities and prizes. Weapons are becoming more grave and catastrophic. How long before the next nuclear war? The stakes of such occurrences are being raised everyday by the governments around the world (ours helping lead the way).

Most of our society makes its most basic decisions on planning for the future (family and children), yet when it comes to these most vital of problems, it is forgotten. Economic debt is one thing future generations can manage to live with or pay off, there’s no way to rebuild the environment we have destroyed and undo the lastly damage we are creating.

Albeit, some more guilty than others, we are all contributing to these lasting and unchanging problems. Whether it is the average citizen merely paying his/her taxes which build bombs that devastate another country or an oil company responsible for a spill in a vast ocean. We are all guilty at some level because we enable it to occur and no one is an innocent victim in this exchange.

We have all the responsibilities and power to make the necessary changes, yet sit blindly and hope those we have put in charge will do it for us. Also, the more advanced our technologies become, our society become more dependent and dumbed-down. Greed, productivity and commercialism all have their price.

The evolution of mankind is being reversed. Once mankind was self-sufficient in a natural system; we have become a species all too reliant on those around us and our system for carrying out our survival “compels us to go on destroying the world in order to live in it”.

By the time mankind discovers it needs saving from a world it has ravaged and forsaken; will those left even be worth saving? The answer is very doubtful. Obviously, this is a very grim reality most do not care to see or think about – whether it is a generation away, or several, the end result will remain the same. Man, to date, the highest marvel of evolution, will extinct itself because it failed to continue what got it that far, evolve. Too busily wrapped up in its own misgivings and conundrums, while discarding the environment and eco-system which it is a part of – the human species will become a victim of itself. The dissent has been underway. Devolution is ongoing unless we change our feeble ways.

Mankind is sacrificing itself for its own progress.





A great book to read regarding some of this premise is Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

Same Old Song and Dance

"Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth." - Benjamin Franklin

As the news media begins spinning its wheels towards another US Presidential election, the population seems to be falling right back into line. How many times can people be lied too and keep coming back for more? Well apparently the answer for the US voters is many. As voting primaries roll on, does anyone actually listen to the empty promises and false advertising these "qualified" candidates attempt to dictate? Sadly the answer is yes.

Every election which passes with mention of "change" and "hope”, passes the opportunity of the US citizenry to speak up and get what they deserve. Instead of getting the basic entitlements of a citizen (that we pay for via taxes), we are ignored because a much larger entity is heard - lobbying and corporate interests. And yes, it's paid and served with your tax dollars! Next time you pay $3+ at the pump, ask yourself how much money did Congress fore-sake by handing over free entitlements and contracts to the energy industry? Next time you pay high costs for health-care, ask yourself how much money did Congress spend to further privatization, while leaving millions of Americans without care or service? Next time, US troops are killed, ask yourself if they were ill-prepared or unequipped by our leaders barking their marching orders into such a fate.

You may turn out to vote for your particular party of choice, but know full well that your vote won't dictate policy, decision or importance. That distinction has been given to corporate America, the true recipient of cause and interest.

The two major parties attempt or like to give the illusion of deviating beliefs and policies yet on important issues that effect us the most such as foreign policy, global economic development and free trade agreements, they tow the same exact line.

If you are wondering why many US companies move their factories overseas for cheap labor while taking paychecks out of American workers pockets, consider that the move was enabled and backed by their own government.

If you are wondering why people all over the world are boycotting US goods, products and policies, please acknowledge it is not because of our freedoms, it is a result of our government (with democratic and republican approval) meddling in foreign economies, sovereignty, and general welfare for peace and stability.

Upon voting for one of these two major parties, fully recognize that you will be contributing to the problem, more so, then creating the solution. You are feeding the system which has turned its back on you. You are fueling the fire and drowning out your own voice. The politicians (ie government) will never, ever adjust their methods on their own because all the care about is being re-elected and it is not in their best interest to change a system in which they hold all the power. The US tax payers are merely around to pay the bill - our views and input do not matter.

By choosing the lesser of two evils, you are merely silencing your own voice and enable those who disregard your well being (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness). On election day and there after, don't expect change as it has and never will occur by continuing to go to same two parties (that is mere delusion). The names and faces will change, but the song and dance will remain the same.

The Price We Pay: Our Blood for their Oil

By Daniel M. Miller
Written September 26, 2005

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic - Benjamin Franklin

I cannot say that I particularly feel bad for anyone dealing with the gas situation in our nation. Think how much easier and better life would be in America if we had an alternative source. I happen to live in a city and have access to public transportation. Many people do not and that is understandable. But at the same time, if we had alternative fuel sources, we would not have any of these issues and that would not change if you needed public transportation or not.

Imagine our nation employing energy standards which would be cost efficient and more environmentally safe. Foreign policy would not be geared to accept the Middle East's regimes and therefore we would not be the focal point of their issues and problems as well as a massive increase in terrorism aimed at us. Of course you can not just completely cut it off, but if we demand these changes of our leaders and push for cost efficient fuel alternatives, it will benefit everyone in the long run. If that is not the realistic answer to the problem, what is? Invading some more nations and stealing their oil? I am sure that will go over well.

As a nation in 2004, we consumed 20,731,000 barrels of oil per day, while importing 13,145,000 barrels per day during that time.[1] Of these 13 million barrels we imported, roughly 55% of them came from the Middle East, namely OPEC. We spend roughly $25 billion dollars each year as a whole on OPEC oil.[2] If these statistics are worrisome to you, just consider the nations that make up OPEC (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Algeria and Indonesia). These countries are not exactly the epitome of stability, freedom and American political values. They are more than glad to cash our checks while rallying behind anti-American ideals, terrorism and religious fundamentalism. Does it make you question our government's logic in doing business with such sinister partners? It should.

The United States has become so utterly reliant on foreign oil, that its government has forsaken the notion of who it works for and represents. “Exxon Mobil Corp. reported in July that its second-quarter profit was up 32 percent, to $7.64 billion. Analysts expect Exxon's profit to soar again this quarter.” [3] The Oil Industry is booming with profits, but what are these incentives to a miniscule part of society actually costing the rest of us? We see a world plagued with wars and continuous battlegrounds (Afghanistan, Iraq), yet when we look at our own nation, we are failing. Poor education, lackadaisical health care, security risks, terror threats, border problems, social security issues and other major problems strike our society, yet we concentrate and spend more on our business objectives and oil interests.

"Oil is the new currency of foreign policy," says Top of Form Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind. Iran and Venezuela are "not only less cooperative but almost gleeful that they are able to make trouble for us," Lugar says. "These are huge changes that have not been comprehended by most of the U.S. public."[4]

Our liberties, freedoms and security have been sold to the highest bidder. What plausible reason could our government possibly have for masking foreign aid, support and compliance to nations that are in tops of human rights violations, anti-democratic practices as well as the basis for most of the anti-American thoughts? Most of these OPEC nations have populations which are strongly tied to or support al Queda and Islamic Fundamentalism as well. Even the OPEC nations that do not have religious implications in this matter, wish the great US Empire to be broken. Is this a logical, reasonable policy to enforce?

Our government continually misconstrues the War on Terror. It does not fully recognize or simply chooses to ignore why we are so hated in these foreign lands. Its got nothing to do with what we have (freedoms, money, etc) and everything to do with our practices in the world. We have a long history of backing regimes that suppress Islamic populations and support unpopular policies that specifically create reasons to hate us and our ways. Some include the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, military bases in Saudi Arabia, blind support of Israel when we claim to mediate impartially, embargos and sanctions leading to the death of hundreds of thousands Iraqi children, and not to mention an abundance of issues in Kashmir, Kosovo and Chechnya. We are merely fueling the fire and shooting ourselves in the foot, rather than addressing any of the real and serious issues at hand.

Each of these issues affect the oil industry and our relations with OPEC. Do we not remember the oil shortages of the 1970’s? OPEC continually adjusts the oil supply in the market to keep a step ahead of the game.

The War on Terror and American excursions merely give these producers another reason to toy with our highly needed resource. Our affairs in the world directly correlate to the market place. There is a widening gap between the haves’ and have-nots and American policies and the Islamic worlds’ view of the U.S. It is just another reason why we are dealing with the problems we are currently encountering.

Sometimes others know ourselves better than we do. Just as America values the almighty dollar more than anything else, the rest of the world sees this and uses it to its advantage. It is not just our meddling in their affairs; they get involved in our affairs as well. OPEC and the oil industry partake in our dealings, mainly who runs our nation.

Countries on U.S. oil purchases are spending heavily in Washington to make sure the party doesn't end: Since December 2003, OPEC has spent $13.3 million on federal lobbying, $6.6 million of which from Saudi Arabia alone. 5 U.S. energy companies are jumping on the political bandwagon too, spending $59.4 million on lobbying in 2003 and $29 million on campaign
contributions in the 2002 and 2004 election cycles.[5]

Washington is bought and sold through the lobbyist system, we merely choose the figure heads to deliver the messages of the corporate masters. Is there any other viable explanation as to why we see such biased and faulty foreign policy other than we that we think with our wallet rather than our head? I think not.

Our oil dependence has hit our society in every way imaginable and will only get worse the longer we continue.

The U.S. Department of Energy released its annual International Energy Outlook 2004-2025 recently and the report projects that world energy consumption will increase by 54 percent by 2025, with fastest increase in energy consumption among the developing nations of the world, primarily China and India.[6]

If the oil problems continue to mount in the U.S. it could very possibly lead to economic depression or recessions. Do you think China or other competitors will not take this opportunity to force its way into new markets or grow at the risk of American interests and economics? Our dependency is leading us down a dark and gloomy road which there will be no turning back.

Despite all this, many people in American society continue to discount the correlation between our need for oil and foreign policy. They feel that such issues will not affect them in a serious, personal manner. They are wrong. Since September 11th, 2001 a shift has occurred. A new and adamant enemy has arisen (or at least shown itself more vehemently). All over the world, Muslims in Islamic nations boycott American products, companies and corporations. Yet here on the homeland, not a second thought is given to that fact when filling up our gluttonous and inefficient fueled cars. Now that the U.S. economy is slowly showing signs of such problems for the long term, people are slowly taking a peek into the ways in which our government runs and works within the world and at home. It is obviously not a pretty sight to see.

There is no better example of the corporate cronyism now hijacking American democracy than the White House's cozy relationship with the energy industry. It's hard to find anyone on Bush's staff who does not have extensive corporate connections, but fossil-fuel executives rule the roost. The energy industry contributed more than $48.3 million to Republicans in the 2000 election cycle, with $3 million to Bush. Now the investment has matured. Both Bush and Cheney came out of the oil patch. Thirty-one of the Bush transition team's forty-eight members had energy-industry ties. Bush's cabinet and White House staff is an energy-industry dream team -- four cabinet secretaries, the six most powerful White House officials and more than twenty high-level appointees are alumni of the industry and its allies.[7] – Robert Kennedy Jr.

When our society continues to go to a dry well for water, after a while, you are not going to blame the well; you will blame the people going there. Let's face it, our government is just as much a source of the problem, and we let it occur. We let greedy corporations run our lives (via policy). They make money from us, while we price to pay.

Most Americans do not care to admit that current situations are caused by their own behavior but that would be a false pretext to the facts. In time, these problems will only get worse. We can either alter these future mistakes or reap what we sow. Samuel Adams said it best,

If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

Our government has deserted our freedoms and safety and auctioned them off to the highest bidder. What are you going to do about it? Pay more at the pump, tolerate living under the fear that another massive terror attack will likely pursue or demand alternatives from the people who are elected and responsible to you. Right now we are already feeling the wrath of our own conquests, and the blood of our countrymen is not as thick as the necessity of our oil.

[1] http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/quickfacts/quickoil.html#anote
[2] http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/gasprices.asp
[3] The Washington Post, “Gas Profit Guzzlers”, printed September 25, 2005
[4] USA TODAY, "Oil-rich countries tap into new political power", printed Mon Oct 10,2005
[5] http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/aoilpolicy2.asp
[6] http://www.iags.org/n0524044.htm

[7] http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1120-01.htm

Self Inflicted Wounds: America’s marring of democracy

By Daniel M. Miller
written February 13, 2005

“He who laughs last, laughs best.”

On September 11, 2001, we all viewed past mistakes coming back to haunt us. America helpedtrain and form several Muslim fundamentalist groups to fight against the Communists in Afghanistan. Years later the foundations we once set to fight our enemy, transformed into them fighting their enemy: us. Our decisions during the Cold War suited our immediate desires of removing the Communist threat, yet failed to account for what might replace it. We now see the world in disarray due to our political and economic engagements of the past.

From the time frame of 1947 through 1989, the United States fought the Cold War against the U.S.S.R. In a post-World War II climate, the large empires of the past had collapsed, creating a period of increased independence for most of the 3rd World nations of the Americas and Asia. Both the U.S.S.R. and U.S. had very different ideas about how to transform this new world order to favor their own ideologies and grasps.

The Communists favored a so-called ‘brothers in arms’ strategy. They would attempt to sway nations into their favor through economic and military aid. They targeted those nations they felt they could maintain, control, and align themselves with, while using the least amount of resources and finances, as well as a success/failure ratio. For example, the U.S.S.R. helped bring Communist governments to power in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland. Communists had gained control of Albania and Yugoslavia in 1944 and 1945, so they became nations of Soviet backing. Other nations like China under Mao Zedong, Cuba under Fidel Castro, Yugoslavia under Josip Tito, and others, became aid recipients due to similar goals.

America’s strategy was a lot less simple and much bloodier. In its determined battle to rid the world of the Communist threat, the U.S. undertook a general policy of ‘containment’ – often with devastating long-term results. George Kennan, a Foreign Service Officer, formulated the policy, which became the centerpiece of American foreign policy for decades. As Keenan elaborated:

The main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies. Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the Western world through the adroit and vigilant application of counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and maneuvers of Soviet policy. Such a policy would promote tendencies which must eventually find their outlet in either the break-up or the gradual mellowing of Soviet power.

Kennan’s wide-sweeping policy was not a popular idea when first divulged; yet with time it was deeply embedded in U.S. Foreign Policy. Each administration after Truman’s, until the collapse of communism in 1989, adopted a variation of Kennan’s containment policy and made it its own.

The U.S.’s modus operandi was to economically and militarily aid specific nations it felt it could impact, even if it meant certain freedoms for that nation’s people would greatly suffer. ‘Containment’ led the U.S. to a pivotal branch in its diplomacy, as Kennan explained in a 1948 policy plan:

[W]e have about 50% of the world’s wealth, but only 6.3% of its population… In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity…. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives… We should cease to talk about vague and…unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.

Accordingly, the U.S. supported various South and Central American dictators who would suppress their populations. To the Americans, this setup was better than to have a nation join the Soviet enemy. Nations such as Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Paraguay, Chile and others, all were targets of American-fostered regimes, which carried out human rights abuses and subjugated their citizens. For the U.S., this style of de-facto control expressed a sentiment of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my ally’ philosophy. It also tarnished the Americans reputation for democracy and freedom in many nations across the globe, as we still see rabid today.

The U.S.’s attempts to stop Communism from spreading forced its policies to shift from promoting freedom and democracy, to accepting most forms of repression. With a single-minded zeal, the U.S. ignored all factors except a nation’s ties to communism, and acted accordingly. This American strategic shift altered and marred democratic thought and practice in every nation it touched while Soviet practices reached out to those in their cause. The basic consequence America received was condemnation as a result of supporting such ill minded policies.

Throughout the Cold War, many battlegrounds were targets of both Soviet and American ideological ambition. Several excursions, such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars; the battles of Afghanistan; the Cuban revolution, Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis; the Iran government overthrow; and the Israeli/Palestine issue were all combat zones for gaining an ally or enemy for either side. Whether it was through insurgency, terrorism, economic exclusion, or direct military actions, each feat had a long and poignant impact on the societies it attempted to win over. The principle difference between the two sides is that, while the U.S.S.R. has long been the Cold War’s established loser, suffering tangible consequences in quick measure, it was not the only one to suffer repercussions. Retrospect shows that America’s declarations of complete and total triumph were overly simplistic and woefully premature. Yes, the U.S. won the Cold War, but at what cost?

As a result of American Cold War policy, Anti-Americanism has become a popular ideology. The Cold War had neatly divided much of the world between Communism and the U.S. Now that the 42-year-old enemy is dead, the American population has become pulpits of fear from a government carrying out aspirations of power, profit and empire. Our world order, which was once necessary to behoove nations from siding with the communist threat, has become stricken with manifest greed. The development of the 3rd World is a failed institution, which now favors our corporate desires over assistance to those in need. Our military might is predominant, and on many occasions it has cost the world chances at diplomatic resolutions through arenas like the United Nations. America’s hypocritical policies and double talk have created a world full of nonconformists. The world is now divided into various sub-groups and is no longer the cut and dry Cold War. Yet American policies have not shifted with the times.

One needs to look no further than the nations of the Middle East for the effects of our actions. This part of the world had been a target of U.S. meddling and profiteering during the entire Cold War, and as we see currently, they have no kind words for our ways, especially democracy. We walked out of the Cold War as the sheriff that killed an evil villain, yet recklessly sacrificed the townspeople in order to do it. These bystanders won’t merely forget our actions because the dragon is slain; rather, we become the accountable party. Is it any wonder that we are their new enemy, that we have become the new dragon?

We are left trying to fix the problems we helped create and the stakes are undeniably high. As of a report in 2002, the U.S. has an estimated 8,000 active/operational nuclear warheads, with nearly 2,700 additional warheads kept in inactive status for a total of over 10,600 warheads in the stockpile. As of mid-2002, Russia was estimated to have an arsenal of some 8,400 operational nuclear warheads, consisting of almost 5,000 strategic and nearly 3,400 non-strategic and air defense warheads. Since the breakup of the U.S.S.R., many weapons have gone missing; a specific number is unknown, but the obvious ramifications of such a problem could be world altering, to say the least.

America has a duty to the world it refuses to accept. Anti-Americanism and disparaging thoughts about democratic government were enabled by America, not the other way around. America's new plan is to advocate NATO's power and reach, remove weapons of mass destruction from rogue/enemy states and maintain the stronghold over the world economy. The longer our citizens refuse to accept this fact, the longer we will continue down this slippery slope of terror, aggression and wars. We continue to manufacture new enemies and targets: the war on drugs in South America, the war on terror during the 1980’s under the first President Bush and once again under the current President Bush. Through it all, there is still a repugnance and arrogance in the U.S. about answers for its actions.

We have made the bed, now it is time to lay in it. Invading nations, supporting evil regimes, and blaming others for our past mistakes will not fix anything; rather it merely intensifies the widening gap between our society and the international community. U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War has reiterated that acts of force prove mightier than tactful approaches. Of course, these rules only apply to us. Imagine if pre-emptive strikes were carried out upon the U.S.? That would be a terrorist act, not an act of strategic diplomacy with logic of American standard practice.

The U.S.’s current administration is intent on ‘spreading democracy’ and ‘removing terror from the world’, but fail to realize they are making more enemies in the process. It is naïve to believe we will rid the world of all ‘evil-doers’ or regimes, yet we are adamant about keeping our allies with similar practices out of the finger pointing (Saudi Arabia, China, and Columbia to name a few).

As the ‘War on Terror’ continues, we will hurt more innocents, become more hated, as well as forsake whatever little respect and admiration we have left in this world. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, yet we continue to swat sporadically, hitting whoever may be in our way. The world of bystanders, observers and victims see this occurrence and how inherently wrong it is, not to mention dangerous. Short term answers certainly do not fix long term problems.

The Communists certainly did not win the Cold War, but it is hard to assert the United States came out on top either. We may be the leader of the free world, but the worlds’ freedom and security were all compromised to attain such costs. The Iron Curtain is not around to laugh last, yet I certainly doubt that the American Empire is laughing now either.

American de-MOCK-cracy

by Daniel M. Miller
written November 29, 2004

"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." - Archbishop Helder Camara

Like a virus feeding off its prey, the U.S. government leeches the 3rd world in order to tweak and manipulate the less significant for our benefit. Some observers say this is a misleading view of world economy and the diatribe on power, but a closer investigation proves such notions to be correct.

In the spring of 1997, an ‘educational’ organization was formed to protect and develop American interests in the world, the ‘Project for the New American Century’. Leaders like Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Kagan, amongst other staunch Republicans all back the principles of this plan. In short, it is the belief that with the world in disarray, it is necessary for the U.S. to be proactive in maintaining world power through all means necessary tactics. Whether to protect economic interests, political balance in geo-political engagements or to employ the use of preemptive military actions, this philosophy is the doctrine which led us to bombings on multiple continents, two invasions of foreign nations, numerous NATO excursions and the all inclusive, open ended war on terror (Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq).

Just when we thought John Ashcroft was the worst possible Attorney General for the United States, President Bush announces his replacement, Alberto Gonzales. For those of you who are not familiar with the handy work of Mr. Gonzales, he was the legal counsel to Bush in creating the now infamous memo regarding refusal of Geneva Convention rights in the US led War on Terror. That’s right, our government is committing abuse crimes, holding innocent detainees for months without due process, and side stepping international laws in order to fulfill their highly visible moral conquests.

Our media outlets, politicians, and government officials talk of great ideological necessities like spreading democracy and freedom or attacking evil-doers, yet ignore the real reasons why we take on such actions. They choose to leave out our desires of global dominance, empire and our self-serving business interests. Our reasons are not of heroism, care, wanting to help, or similar good intentions; we care for our ways and wish to force them upon the rest of the world. We do so economically, politically and socially. We further the global economy through measures of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and others, which are all falsely advertised as development avenues for the poor nations of the world. We do not teach a man to fish, we make him come to our restaurant and pay continually. This is the U.S.’s version of ‘development’ and is the reason that no nation has successfully employed the plans of these organizations’ without reeking havoc on their societies and making them worse off.

You can also take a look at our good natured government by dissecting the issue of ‘patents’. Patent laws are used so that medicines can not be replicated for cheaper prices by competitors or sometimes just for the public’s welfare. That’s right, we put a price on people’s medicine with patent laws and if they can not pay, they suffer or die. Of course the U.S. is the leader at pursuing these patents for their private corporations. These actions are engaged both at home and overseas. Very righteous indeed for those that care so much about the world and its well being.

In America, money talks and is the end all in ‘success’, both substantially and in perception. Becoming famous, rich and beautiful are the prototypical cornerstones in society rather than more worthwhile attributes like being intellectual, philanthropic and a good citizen. Whether pursued by the citizenry or taught to them, advertising, persona and image have carved their stake in the nation. We have become a nation of consumers for the business community to profit from in any aspect attainable, not citizens of a great nation which is there to help, develop, and one to look upon with honor.

Nowadays, it is quite a task to explain how your government cares for you and keeps your best interests at heart, rather than describe how it does not. How can you believe that our nation goes to war under false pretences, yet justifies its occurrence? Our nation was ready to use the very weaponry on our enemies that we claimed indecent and rebuffed a general weapons of mass destruction disarmament in the Middle East because one of our allies, Israel, would have to be included. Recently, against United Nations wishes, the U.S. is furthering its agenda to militarize space as well. Do these sound like the building blocks for peace or even the deeds of a rational democratic, freedom-spreading nation? America’s perception of itself is a circus mirror, merely there to delude itself rather than see the dismal and hideous reflection of truth.

Regardless of what is said in the propagandist media, our nation pursues military initiatives as opposed to peaceful measures because it suits our strengths rather than the best interests of everyone for peaceful resolution. I think the only practical way to a peaceful world is to resist preemptive measures, continued bombings and wars. It also does not hurt our government or their corporate buddies when we attack nations on tax payer money in the billions and sign large contracts for work, equipment and rebuilding. It is only our future and economy we are allowing the government to forsake. When such a scenario is laid before us, it is obvious to see something is amiss.

In discerning what we the citizens should expect and demand from our government, it is beneficial to look at the founding period of our nation. What could be better for a cause of distinction than to go directly to the source, the men who gathered to create this nation and what it stands for? The Founding Fathers knew what would bind this country as well as tear it apart.

George Washington believed in the foundation of this nation, and mainly that the population would adapt to the times. Government would be reactive to the problems as well as maintain the proper republic for the level of reflection put back on the population, ie checks and balances with necessary citizen representation. On April 30, 1789, at his first inauguration, Washington stated,

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered... deeply...finally staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”

What has created this enormous gap between Washington’s experiment and the current society we see now? Obviously times, views and perspectives will change over the course of 200 plus years, but what specifically has led our nation to be so disinterested in the politics that effect each and everyone of us? Through the course of history, the right to vote has been fought for, whether by blacks, women or those who did not own land, yet now it is forsaken without a blink of the eye.

As our society and nation progressed, interests began to diverge as well. The citizens over time, became more accepting of the few suffering in spite of the many having success. This acceptance was shown through issues like slavery, inequality, women’s rights, factory working conditions as well as neglect of the poor. Each one of these had significant and harsh impacts upon society, and when necessary, they were rectified by great social movements carried out by the masses in order to create a more balanced playing field in society, both economically and politically. Politicians have never rectified these issues out of want or sense of justice; they did so because the population forced them to do so.

In 2004, we see millions of Americans unemployed, without health care and a growing number of citizens living below the poverty level. In any society, there will be a class of people which suffers from policies and actions by the government, but in our society, that poor class is growing in record numbers. The separation of wealth in the U.S. is at the largest divide between the poor and rich since the turn of the 20th Century…an age of monopolistic tyrants ruling to fill their pockets rather than build an equitable, livable society. Has our society regressed to the days of the Rockefeller, Morgan and others with government support?

Today’s average citizen is overworked, getting paid less and is less interested in the policies of its government (both home and overseas). Has our society become that indifferent, disheartened or locked into its own safe spaces while forgetting the importance of politics and how it affects us? Are our schools dumbing down our children and just making more sustainable workers for our economy to further our business interests? In America, individualism is supposed to be key, yet most cities, towns and suburbs are mirrors of one another; the same stores, foods, entertainment and general advertised messages to the population, ad nauseam. Are we merely deluding ourselves into believing our vote counts, we are all different and that our government has our interests at heart? Some say that would be a cynical view on society, but I find it to be more realistic.

People in our society are not evil; business, industry, lack of citizen interest as well as bad governing has led our nation down the road less taken. Our people would rather live under false pretences and illusions rather then have to worry, make decisions or be bothered. It is a sad fact of our society that no one wants to accept. Foreigners see it and mock us for it, yet we walk around with our head in the clouds choosing to see it differently. Globally, we see a polarized world, rich and poor, separating further as the divide is perpetuated by the rich and powerful. Leading the fight is the U.S., to maintain or gain more power and control over the world’s important industries such as energy, water, technology (used for military) and similar areas which we pursue regardless of repercussions for those who suffer at the hand of our interests.

In 1873, Chief Justice of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, Edward G. Ryan projected what the future would hold as he began to see powers arise in his time.

"[There] is looming up a new and dark power... the enterprises of the country are aggregating vast corporate combinations of unexampled capital, boldly marching, not for economical conquests only, but for political power... The question will arise and arise in your day, though perhaps not fully in mine, which shall rule-wealth, or man [sic]; which shall lead-money or intellect; who shall fill public stations-educated and patriotic freemen, or the feudal serfs of corporate capital...."

This is not the America our forefathers fought and died for. We have turned into a greedy, self interested, private enterprise driven society in which a small percent of the population is reaping all the benefits from the shrinking middle class and growing lower classes. If you question such notions, I honestly plead for you to research, read and look at the world, nation and its current workings, because you are not looking close enough. Our government has turned into a corporate filling station for deals and inside tracks to profit from the weak and desolate, both at home and overseas.

The U.S. Government exports American jobs and factories through treaties like NAFTA and the WTO. American workers are left with lower paying, lower level jobs, or sometimes no employment at all. Both Democrats and Republicans have enabled these occurrences to come about.

If we care to see serious change in our nation, or the world, it is up to us to make it happen. Simply voting will not change anything, unless you make demands of your representatives and government. Our government has become stagnant because we merely change leaders in office, with no significant change to ideas, policies or actions. We must demand more!

The Project for the New American Century is underway. The ultra-right wing Republicans have had there way thus far by attempting to attack the world in order to ‘save it’, one nation at a time. Obviously such notions will only polarize the world against us more. Our nation chooses to see the world through our slight version of its actual being: the part in which we do help some in need. But when we view such a situation with disregard for the rest of the picture, we loose slight and a realistic portrait of what is and what is not. We have lost the big picture and in some ways, it is kept as such to maintain our power, profit and glory through proactive and privatized measures.

At George Washington’s Farewell Address he said, “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” Do you think Washington would recognize the nation he helped build and its role in the world? It is doubtful.