Are the Democrats Growing a Set?

Alan Grayson, Democrat Congressman from Florida, is one of my new heroes. The Ed Show, on MSNBC has the video and a good discussion of the statement.

An apology was demanded from the Republicans. Grayson refused to apologize for his statements, but did apologize to the 42 thousand people who are dying every year for lack of medical treatment because of no or inadequate health insurance.

It's about time some Democrat grew a set and told it like it is. It's about time ANYONE in government tells the truth and doesn't apologize for it. Grayson has done that.

It has gotten to the point that a reasonable person can not believe a word anyone on the right can be believed on much of anything. The right has no constructive plan to fix anything. They have no vision. They have no constructive leadership. The Democrats have limited vision and little courage to do the right thing. The Greens have the vision and the intellect to accomplish great things for our people, but they have little power.

The Left has heart, humanity. It's not in our genome to be hateful. Much more gets done when reasonable and intelligent people discuss an issue with a goal of solving a problem. The Right has no heart, no humanity. They worry about money and power, who and how many can they bend to their will to the end of only increasing their money and power and to hell with the rest of us.

I'm glad Grayson said what he did...and has refused to apologize for it. It's a taste of the Right’s own medicine and has caused a number of people on both sides of the aisle to call for a more civil debate. Brilliant strategy from the Democrats: Give the R's that taste of their own medicine, showing them howling about it to the point it's obvious they can dish it out but they can't take it, and demonstrating that while the hatred knife can cut both ways, so can the loving velvet caress.

Now lets see if the Democrats can find their courage and forthrightness in other issues as well: Healthcare, Iraq/Afghanistan, economy, environment…relegalization of Marijuana, all issues that need to be positively addressed.

Million Redneck March

The stupidity of the right wing continues and seems to be spreading like a rampant disease.

I find it particularly disturbing that these bozos don't know the difference between Communism and Fascism, as they persist in accusing Obama of being both.

Communism and Fascism are polar opposites. Simplified, for the Republican mind: Communism is the concept of all property being owned by all people. Fascism is the concept of corporations and business controlling everything in a society. The world has seen few, if any, real Communist regimes, though several have claimed to be Communist. We have seen several Fascist governments: Italy, Germany, Spain and, sadly, the U.S.

September 12th's demonstration contained the best of the worst. Disinformation flowed like water. Hatred spilled into the Potomac, and I suspect a large amount of that hatred is racially based.

And do the Republicans have any viable alternatives? Not a one.

They like to complain about the deficit. Obama didn't cause a deficit. That was the legacy of G.W. Bush, the darling of the right wing, the national idiot. It wasn't Obama that has spent 12 Billion dollars EVERY MONTH fighting needless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It wasn't the Obama administration that tortured innocents. If you recall, former Vice President Dick Cheney took glee in defending torture. Very disturbed people, these right wingers.

Healthcare has been an issue since the late 1940's. Except for the untoward influence of the insurance cabal, we might have made some progress in fixing health care. Nearly every Republican who has vocally opposed health care has received donations from big insurance. Of course, to the right wing mind this is normal and doesn't mean collusion.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the U.S. ranks 37th in quality and availability of health care in the world. Costa Rica outranks us. This is a national disgrace. We are supposed to be the best, the model for the rest of the world. Yet the right wingers can't fathom this concept. They can trick their puny little minds into thinking we're still number one by sticking their hand in a big foam rubber hand, forefinger extended. They think that makes a difference.

We all want smaller government. Left, right and center want as efficient a system as possible. Were we to actually eschew special interests, we might cut the size of government and still meet essential services.

In a society as diverse as ours, there has to be a centralized authority to coordinate the delivery of governement services from maintenance of national parks, the roads to them and even down to the roadside rest areas dotted around the interstate system. Someone has to control the water, the power grid, even the internet with standards of performance.

Lack of regulation is what let the greedy bankers and financiers run away and wreck our economy, coupled with the constant drain of funds by the Bush misAdministration. Health care regulations are next to nothing. Big insurance doesn't want to pay for the damage they've done to the people, so they are hoodwinking the incredibly stupid right wingers into thinking they'll lose something if Obama gets his way on health care.

As I've said before, I'm no fan of Obama nor of the Democrats. They are too willing to play too nice with the right. The right doesn't understand cooperation. They only understand brute force. The Democrats, having a bit more gray matter collectively than the Republicans, understand cooperation works much better than heavy handed force. But the Democrats have no balls.

I'm glad I'm a Green.

Skywolf.

More of the Same

The right wing keeps on swirling down the pipeline of idiocy, hypocrisy and disingenuous. now they're claiming President Obama is trying to brainwash school kids by addressing them via television, in the classrooms.

Obama is urging school kids to stay in school and study hard. School districts in seven states have vowed to block Obama's speech.

There is a grain of truth to the objection by the Right Wing. The education system is a shambles. Kids are being taught to pass tests, not to learn how to find what they need to know. There are some good reasons to shun public education, though not education in general. But that's as far as the truth goes.

The move to block Obama's address is rooted in the same disruptive mentality as the town hall meeting debacle, the "Death panel" bullshit and the rest of the right wing's garbage.

Now if Obama can explain why kids need to study and work hard, on a level they can understand, it might cause a few who would otherwise shun learning to be curious about the world around them. That's what it takes to create thinking, caring people.

Skywolf.

The following is a letter I emailed to IN-07 Congressman Andre Carson. He is a Democrat. Not particularly progressive, much more moderate than I would like. He is opposed to relegalization of Marijuana.

In his weekly newsletter, he is carrying the ball for the Democrat's health plan.

I am astounded at the cowardice and timidity of Democrats in general. Here they have control of the White House and control of both houses of Congress, and they still let themselves be bullied by the right wing. This is incredible.

He, and other politicians, refuse to rock the insurance/pharma cabal. Screw the corporations. It's past time for the people to take precedence!

Skywolf.

Dear Rep. Carson:

I am a supporter of Single Payer, maybe with some slight modifications of what that idea entails. I support Single Payer as it gives a level playing field in health care, and eliminates many of the concerns that plague our current U.S. healthcare system.

My knowledge of the political process is broad, having been an activist for social change for 40 years. I understand the climate of compromise, though I think the Democrats are missing a good opportunity to advance the social agenda that calls for health, peace and healthy prosperity.

It is highly embarrassing to me as an American that according to the World Health Organization, the United States ranks 37th in health care. Yet, our spending for healthcare is outrageous.

I have noticed that President Obama has switched his phraseology from “Health care reform” to “Health insurance reform.” I am assuming that President Obama has fallen prey to the lobbyists and special interests he has so eschewed during his march to the White House. According to several mainstream media reports, most of the Obama healthcare critics in Congress have received major campaign contributions from either the healthcare industry or the pharmaceutical industry. I am pleased to note their contributions to your campaign were small. Nevertheless, there is far too much influence among your colleagues on the part of big insurance and big pharma and that is quite seriously affecting the healthcare debate in this country.

I could live with President Obama’s healthcare package as he has presented it, but only with the public option. And there should be a goal of transitioning to Single Payer within a very few years. Unless President Obama and all Democrats stand up, grow a set and out-shout the right wing, we will get nothing worthwhile out of this healthcare proposal.

Above, I mentioned my support of Single Payer with some slight modifications. What would be the impact of a non-governmental, though governmental-regulated, not-for-profit organization to coordinate Single Payer? This would remove the stigma the right wing is trying to put on Single Payer, claiming it would cause us to be a Socialist nation, which of course it would not. It would allay somewhat valid fears of a bureaucratic nightmare being played on a national level to administer health care on such a broad scale.

It would also guarantee quality health care to all regardless of race, sex or social station. Canada’s situation is not intolerable. France has a good system, though the French are taxed heavily.

Personally, I would not object to paying more taxes so that all people could have quality health care. But this must be done with the good of the people, not the good of the corporations, in mind. Can you and the Democrats do that?

Insurance Industry Funded Fascism

Does anyone remember the debacle that happened in Florida in 2000? Right wing terrorists, led by James Baker and others threatened physical violence to those who were recounting the votes from the stolen 2000 election that put Bush and the fascists in power for eight years.

They're using similar tactics to keep their buddies in the health care industry rolling in the bucks.

The August 6, 2009 edition of the Rachel Maddow show quite adeptly connected the dots on who is behind the skirmishes at the town hall meetings.

Funny how the right wingers pull out the stops to squelch Democrat or left wing protests, but think they have the only right to protest. It's more evidence of a mass disconnect of rational thought on the part of the right, not to mention mass hypocrisy and nothing but lies.


Below is an Alternet link about the violence of the right wing.

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/141833/right-wing_turncoat_explains_why_conservatives_are_rampaging_town_halls/?page=entire

Will the left grow a set and counter this? Obama sure doesn't seem to have the courage to do so.

The Incredible American Right Wing

I can't believe what I'm seeing and hearing about the right wing of American politics. How can any group of people be as stupid, as incredibly stupid as they are behaving?

First, the right hasn't come up with any good ideas that actually help the majority of people since Eisenhower was in office. Let's see: Nixon. Watergate and massive numbers of lies and constitutional obfuscation. Let's step up drug enforcement and create a "War on Some Drugs." Ford: "Whip Inflation Now." Reagan: Eliminate the regulations on financial institutions so there is no protection against the excesses that have put us in this economic mess. Let's gut the labor unions so the average worker doesn't have a defense. Let's lie, cheat and steal to keep tin horn dictators in South America in power while selling weapons to an unstable fundamentalist dictatorship in Iran. Let's continue to shred the Constitution and step up the war on some drugs. Bush: Let's pick up where Reagan left off and force people to pee in cups for employment. Let's sell chemical weapons to another unstable middle east dictator. Bush Jr: Space doesn't permit a full accounting of his treason. Suffice to say the economy is in ruins and civil liberties possibly irreparably damaged.

Now we have "Birthers," who, in spite of every piece of evidence possible to the contrary, claim that Barack Obama is not an American citizen. Now the "Deathers" are trying to claim that Obama's health care plan will kill older Americans.

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not a supporter of Obama. So far it looks like "Bush Lite," and I'm not talking about beer. Obama's health care plan falls woefully short of being of real help to Americans. And, no, I don't trust the American government to be able to efficiently and effectively administer health care, but I damn sure trust the insurance industry considerably less. After all, they are the ones who will stand to lose if a public option that actually helps people comes to pass. As far as I'm concerned, the greedy bastards running the insurance industry and their hand maiden, big pharma, can both go screw themselves. They've cost us enough in terms of money and lives.

The Republicans are insane, corrupt and vile. The Democrats are too stupid and cowardly to do what's right. Time we dumped them both.

"Experts" on Marijuana

The New York Times ran a rather lengthy piece from “Experts” on Marijuana. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/if-marijuana-is-legal-will-addiction-rise. Most, as usual, fail to grasp the reality of the situation, the exception being Norm Stamper of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Here is my brief response:

Many of the opponents of Marijuana fail to adequately address the potency issue as well as the large body of “Unofficial” research; research conducted largely in non-American facilities.
The U.S. government only permits research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) which has a stated purpose of opposition to legalization. The government also allows only Marijuana grown by the government at one facility in Mississippi which is of notoriously low quality.
Foreign research, unfettered by government meddling, indicates Marijuana is far safer a substance than many we currently use. Indeed, Drug Enforcement Administrative Law Judge Francis Young in 1988 stated the Marijuana “Is safer than many of the foods we commonly consume.”
It has been proven Marijuana is not physically addictive. Just as a certain number of the populace can not use dairy products, some people have adverse reactions to Marijuana.
Because of negative policy, people who enter hospital emergency rooms are frequently drug tested. When Marijuana is found in one’s system, far too often it is determined that the visit is “Marijuana related” even if that person comes in for treatment of an injury.
There has never been a death caused solely by the consumption of Marijuana. There has never been a case of cancer caused solely by Marijuana. There is no possibility of overdose of Marijuana. It is not physically addictive. It does not cause one to try other substances.
The problem is simply U.S. government policy that tries to enforce a narrow set of values on free people by making them less free to choose their own following.

Skywolf.

The Passing of Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite has crossed over at the age of 92. An excellent summation of his life can be found at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/17/walter.cronkite.dead/index.html

Cronkite was one of my life-idols. He, along with Edward R. Murrow, Chet Huntley, Elmer Davis, Paul Page, Dan Rather and (Later) Hunter S. Thompson, formed my attitude of telling the truth and, to quote Murrow: "Let the chips fall where they may."

It was Cronkite's dedication to telling the truth above all that guided my Journalistic career.

Even as a child, I remember watching Cronkite and feeling I could trust what he said. When I became old enough to do my own research, I found my gut feeling was correct.

I had the honor of having dinner with Walter Cronkite along with other Journalism students while at IU in the early 70's. I remember him telling me "Get the story fast. That keeps the boss at bay. But above all, get it right." He also told us to always do our homework on a story. Ask the questions that you, as a curious-about-life Journalist want to know about. Temper that with who you're addressing and find out all there is to know about a subject.
That's a lot harder than one might think. But it was good advice. I've endeavored to follow that advise throughout my life.

Walter Cronkite is the last of the pioneer TV Journalists...real Journalists, not some of the bozos we have now. The best we can hope to do is to do our own research, our own digging for truth. Cronkite showed us how. It's up to us to do the job.

Gateway Drug, eh?

The following brief report is from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

We’ve known for years that there is no such thing as a “Gateway” drug. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have worked together to prevent research that would counter the official position on Marijuana. Other nations, more wise than our own, have allowed and often encouraged honest research into Cannabis. This study was done in France, and is one of several studies that debunk the idea that one substance will automatically cause one to do another substance. Peer pressure and distrust of government to tell us the truth has been far more responsible for chemical drug abuse than any other reason.

Skywolf.

Paris, France: The administration of oral THC in rats suppresses sensitivity to opiate dependence, according to preclinical findings published in the June 24 issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

An international team of researchers from France and Canada assessed the impact oral THC (dronabinol) exposure in maternally deprived rats. (Rats that are deprived of their mothers immediately after birth are far more vulnerable to opiate dependence than non-deprived subjects.)

"[D]ronabinol treatment on maternally deprived rats normalized ... morphine consumption and suppressed sensitivity to morphine conditioning," researchers reported. "These findings point to the self-medication use of cannabis in subgroups of individuals subjected to adverse postnatal environment(s)."

Clinical data published this month in the July/August issue of the American Journal on Addictions reported that drug treatment subjects who used cannabis intermittently were more likely to adhere to treatment for opioid dependence.

Commenting on the studies, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These findings undermine the notion that cannabis is a so-called 'gateway' to hard drug use. Rather, these results indicate that in certain populations marijuana may be a useful tool for deterring the initiation or continuation of hard drug abuse."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Adolescent exposure to delta-9-THC blocks opiate dependence in maternally deprived rats," appears in Psychopharmacology.

The Over-Reach of Potential Employers

I find a major stumbling block to finding employment is the over-extended background checks on the part of potential employers.

With the serious problems within our economy, many people now have terrible credit ratings. After all, when one is unemployed, bills aren't going to be paid. Foreclosures and repossessions are becoming all too common.

While I sympathize with employers who want to find honest, able employees, I don't think it's good policy to allow employers to access an individual's credit information.

How can one get a job to clear up financial difficulties if one can't procure employment because of the financial difficulties?

Additionally, this is rather a violation of privacy rights. I don't particularly like the idea of a stranger having access to my credit information, good or bad.

I would urge all readers to contact their representatives to stop access to private credit information by employers.

Reblogging Again

Welcome!

I have blogged before, but I'm setting this one up for general information. There will be a lot of politics, some personal observations, and, who knows what type of words might show up here.

The phrase "Hey now!" is one of the standard greetings between Deadheads, those who follow the travels, mindset and lifestyles of the band formerly known as "The Grateful Dead." They are now known, of course, as "The Dead," "Ratdog," "Phil and Friends," "The Mickey Hart Band," "Trichromes," and others.

Yeah, I'm an old Hippie. Don't like that? Go somewhere else. I believe in peace, freedom, love and brother/sisterhood. I'm what's known as a "Politico." I have been involved in politics all my adult life. Politics is in every aspect of our lives, right or wrong, good or bad. We must deal with that, modify what it has become and try to pass on a better world to our kids. I believe that we must, each and every one of us, begin again to think about how our actions affect the world around us.

This is just a short introduction. I use my words to make a point, change a mind or at least make one think about the impact of our individual lives on the culture, our nation and our world.

Some of my words will be angry, some funny, some sad. I'm sure I will touch every emotion available...maybe some we haven't even defined yet.

Let's make it a better place.