Apr 16 2008
• unSupporting Our Troops
Rep. John F. Tierney (D-MA): So it is a little astonishing to me, and I think to others, the planning for what is going to happen to our troops, their meals, their water, their housing, the essentials of life, their protection, all of that doesn’t even begin to happen until May 2003, after Baghdad falls, but in the meantime the administration had your company planning for Iraq’s oil infrastructure months before it had a plan how to support our troops.
Apr 16 2008
and extremely tired of sucking up to power. It is well past time to flex our collective muscles. What is wrong with people in this country? Most of us are wage slaves because we have to be. Okay: fine. Maybe that’s the way of the world. They call it “work” for a reason, right? And I don’t think anybody here opposes work, per se. What I oppose is the suppression of the “underclass”–which increasingly means anybody who isn’t a multimillionaire.
Apr 15 2008
Today, the sad news has broken: there will not be democracy, or freedom from despotism in Zimbabwe.
The call by Zimbabwe’s political opposition for people nationwide to stay away from work began to take effect on Tuesday, but it did not succeed in shutting down the capital, Harare.
Election officials, citing voting irregularities, have refused to release the outcome of the contest, between Zimbabwe’s autocratic president, Robert G. Mugabe, who has ruled for 28 years, and the MDC candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai.
The High Court Monday rejected an opposition demand that it force Zimbabwe’s electoral commission to publish the results, prompting the opposition to go ahead with the strike.
The opposition, which analysts say does not have a strong track record of organizing large public protests, decided against calling on its followers to take to the streets.
Police have banned all public rallies. And in recent days, opposition leaders have said in interviews they believe Mr. Mugabe’s government is looking for reasons to crack down and declare a state of emergency that would allow him to rule by decree. They hoped a stay-away would enable them to avoid violent confrontations with the police and the army.
Apr 08 2008
I’ve been struggling a bit. With role assignments. Because I’m confused. Are the Iraqis themselves the terrorists? Or do Iraqis harbor terrorists? No. Wait. Terrorists infiltrate Iraq. And we are there to get rid of terrorists, right? Wait, or was it to get rid of the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WsMD)? Or was it the threat of terrorism? Who are the insurgents btw? Are they related to the terrorists? Wait. Iran is involved in this, right? It’s terrorists [being paid by Iran to infiltrate Iraq] who are killing Iraqis, right? Or are the Iranian people themselves terrorists? Or do they just harbor terrorists? I know… maybe they outsource their terrorism. Anybody? Do they also have WsMD? Wait.
Tell me again, who are the terrorists?
The Historic Basis of … Prosperity
The main expansionist strategy of the European business classes during the 19th century was colonialism; that is, each country would try to carve out areas of control in the third world, using its technological superiority translated into military terms. The raw materials and labor and markets of these colonies were for the exclusive exploitation of businesses centered in the home country. The inherent weakness of this colonialist strategy, from a capitalist point of view, is that the bulk of the populace remained in poverty and therefore provided not much of a market for the goods of the home country.
Apr 04 2008
Unless you’re a part of something bigger, you’re one more screamer in the wilderness who is not being heard.
All your heart-felt writings are having a negligible effect. The politicians are ignoring you because you’re not part of something big enough to stop them.
The last big thing you were a part of has sold out. He was entitled to sell out because it was his vanity blog which we wasted our precious time on. He chose to pull the rug out from under our impeachment efforts. It was our mistake because we had no rights there. We were drawn because we were so hungry for some attention from our corrupt “representatives” that we forgot the value of our own attention.
Apr 03 2008
one thing. if you want to change, then you will.
no more “what we need to do.” i’m done with that… no more needing. no more shoulding. no more coulding. no more.
it’s this::: WE CAN. simple.
we can and we will make the world better. because we want to. because we can. because, for us, it’s what we choose.
Apr 02 2008
I love campaigning. Love it. Knocking on doors, meeting strangers, … getting into political debate. I know, doesn’t sound like me, but…………………
I discovered this after finally finding a Democratic party in my township (no easy feat, I can tell you). I was swept away, meeting people who cared about all the same issues and who put so much into making the township and, by extension, the country a better place. I became a county delegate the year that Jon Corazin and former Gov. Jim Florio were vying for a U.S. Senate seat.
Our country chair was an influential guy and A debate was arranged between Corazin and Florio staged a debate for our delegates, each wanting to win our endorsement and support.
And my passions (it was challenging both Jon Corazine and former Gov. Jim Florio somehow got me hooked into running for township committee in 1999. The one thing I didn’t quite feel comfortable with was asking for campaign donations.
Mar 20 2008
Um, I’m sorry. There seems to be some kind of mistake.
When we talked about being open to having… what do you call them… “African-Americans” in leadership positions we were talking about the OTHER KIND.
The “ain’t no big thang” kind.
You know… happy black folk!
Mar 14 2008
Well, the sex thing, of course.
But not just “sex”… rattle-the-teeth-loose-from-my-jaw, curl-the-hair-on-my-head, cover-
the-sheets-in-every-known-human-liquid, eyes-rolling-back-in-my-skull, lungs-emptying-
of-air, screaming-exclamations-to-a-God-I-previously-didn’t-believe-existed-sex.
Then, with THAT formality out of the way…
Mar 14 2008
I am busy finalizing things for my move tomorrow. So I thought 73rd might get a kick out of the essay I wrote at dKos last April…
The nephews are both on little league teams and their seasons opened today. This is the second time I’ve done the little league thing: about 15 years ago with stepchildren and now with my sister’s kids. and i swear to god, it was like I had stepped into a time warp, like I had left everything the way it was all those years ago.
Mar 11 2008
Moving through the streets of Portland. Me in the back of a town car, after a short chat about the weather…
Me: You sound like you’re from the Middle East.
Him: Iraq.
Me: Really? How long have you been–
Him: I left after the first Bush war.