By
Neal Smith
4-3-2011
Why, in the face of reams of evidence against their position, does the U.S. government still oppose free access to Cannabis/Hemp/Marijuana? In spite of a recent poll showing 74% of Americans want medical Marijuana, the U.S. government still maintains a “Zero tolerance” position. After spending Trillions of our dollars over the past 80 years of prohibition, why does government even refuse to conduct or permit or accept accurate, peer-reviewed and replicated studies that show Marijuana is safer than, as DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young stated in 1988 “…many of the foods we commonly consume?” Why, even after 2010’s block buster study by the University of Connecticut showing the viability of Hemp fuel, does the government refuse to even consider its use? One word: Control.
We have a major problem with our political system. For the last 100 years, maybe longer, our political system has been subjected to constant attack from a small group of business people who have, over several generations, been nibbling away at the democracy we’re supposed to live under. At the root, extreme greed has driven these corporations to gain untoward influence on society’s major institutions such as education, media, religion, healthcare, food supply, fuel supply and government.
There’s big money to be made propping up prohibition, to be sure. Law enforcement, even in the smallest towns, now have their own supply of paramilitary equipment like AR-15 rifles, “Flash bang” grenades, helmets with video cameras, special optical tools, tasers. Some even have their own armored vehicles. Someone has to build and sell this stuff, and a multi-billion dollar business has grown up to supply the tools to “Fight drugs.”
The drug testing industry is another multi-billion dollar business, with the majority of businesses still conducting at least pre-employment testing for banned substances and law enforcement trying to trap drug users. The U.S. Department of Labor has seemingly tacit connection with the Drug and Alcohol Testing Association:
DATIA provides information about drug-testing technologies and products and gathers and publishes statistics about drug testing. It also represents the business community regarding drug and alcohol testing legislative and regulatory issues. DATIA’s more than 1,000 members represent a range of drug and alcohol service providers, such as collection sites, laboratories, consortiums/third party administrators (TPAs), medical review officers (MROs) and testing equipment manufacturers.
See http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/nationalresources/NationalResource-1632.htm for more.
With the rise of the number of drug arrests comes the industry of private prisons, with a ready supply of workers who have no choice but to be unwilling employees of a private company. Ostensibly, privatized, for-profit prisons are more efficient than government run institutions…but:
It is well-known that public prison employee unions constitute a powerful constituency for tough sentencing policies that lead to larger prison populations requiring additional prisons and personnel. The great hazard of contracting out incarceration "services" is that private firms may well turn out to be even more efficient and effective than unions in lobbying for policies that would increase prison populations.
When we add to the mix the observations that America already puts a larger proportion of its population behind bars than does any other country (often for acts that ought to be legal), and that the US already spends an insane portion of national income on the largely non-productive garrison state, it is hard to see the expansion of a for-profit industry with a permanent interest in putting ever more people in cages as consistent with either efficiency or justice.
You can read more of this article at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2010/08/private_prisons . Consider that in addition to the numbers, the private prison industry is the biggest backer of mandatory minimum sentencing. More fodder for their plan of mass indentured servitude.
Then there’s the pharmaceutical industry and the medical community. In addition to supplying massive amounts of drugs including drugs to counter the side effects of other drugs they like to push, big pharma has a set of lobbyists on all levels of government that is bigger than most other special interests. Former pharmaceutical industry representative Gwen Olsen, who has become a whistle blower on pharma, sums it up quite nicely in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFCHtZ2rSNo&NR=1
At the turn of the 20th century, the burgeoning automobile and aircraft industries needed fuel and engine lubricants for their new technology. Petroleum became king. Additionally, scientists developed additional products based on petroleum like plastic and synthetic fibers. When it was discovered Hemp could supply the same things in a cleaner, more economical fashion, the move was on to ban Hemp. The oil moguls and their financiers undertook the effort to remove Hemp, the world’s oldest cultivated plant. They did so by creating one of the biggest set of lies history has seen, using America’s racism and blind trust of government against any and all opponents. With Hemp out of the way, nothing stood in the way of the petrochemical industry from becoming the big dog in the yard.
When these and other industries discovered the amount of money to be made by keeping Cannabis/Hemp/Marijuana illegal, they conspired to influence the government to help keep it that way. Over the years, these businesses and industries have done whatever is necessary to ensure they can force their dominance on the people through lobbying, campaign contributions, control of the stock markets and influence on laws that keep their cycle of business going strong.
These businesses have gained control of government to the point that key politicians from the President on down consult business leaders before taking any action on a variety of issues, and going so far as to create their own “Truth.” When it comes to Cannabis issues, in spite of an immense amount of properly conducted studies showing Marijuana’s efficacy as a medicine and safety as a recreational drug, the federal government still cranks out mostly lies and half-truths about Marijuana. Is it too far of a stretch to imagine that businesses which would have to go to the trouble of realigning their mission to the benefit of people not profits fight any efforts at reform? Is it unbelievable that business, now legally determined to be “Artificial persons” and unbridled in their ability to make political contributions to their friends, would do so and to hell with anyone not on board with their destruction of freedom and democracy? Don’t think it’s happening? This article, one of many, shows just one way business is influencing politics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-reelection-campaign-expected-to-tap-big-dollar-donors/2011/03/26/AFKPO0wB_story.html
Even a simple search on the internet will turn up many articles about how business is influencing political leaders, far outstripping what we as Marijuana reformers, patients, other issue organizations and even Labor are able to spend. Essentially, business is buying politicians. Do you think business is not going to expect their will to be done if their candidate wins? If we were to play that sordid political game to get Marijuana taxed and regulated like alcohol, wouldn’t we expect the politicians we buy to do our bidding? Such influence shouldn’t be allowed, for them (or for us). Public policy based on lies and politics is poor public policy. We have nothing to fear from the truth.
Hemp/Marijuana is a lynch-pin issue. Pull the pin and a lot of other cards come tumbling down. But for the future health and wellbeing of the majority of people in this country, that pin has to be pulled. The lies and influence buying have to stop. Otherwise, we cease being a free people.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wish I would have said something like this...
I'm not particularly a fan of Barack Obama. In many ways he's not much different from G.W. Bush, Clinton, daddy Bush, Reagan, Ford, Nixon, and on back. (I didn't mention Carter because he, I don't believe, was or is a bad person, but he sure bungled a lot of things). I don't think Obama is inherently a bad man, but I think he has either been bought off...or scared off...his progressive agenda.
What really ticks me off are the Republicans, particularly those bozos in the "Tea Party." At least inspired by neocon Dick Armey, these fools don't even know enough about basic politics to decide if Obama is a "Socialist" or a "Fascist," since they call him both.
Under the best of circumstances, Obama had a big mess to pick up after Bush and his henchmen got through with this country. Now, working through the hapless stooges of the Tea Party, they once again have a venue in which to whine about not getting their way. "I want my country back!" is one of their shrieks. Hey, right wing idiots: IT'S NOT YOUR COUNTRY. IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US!
And I, for one, will continue putting people before profits. This post on the Daily Kos sums it up for me, except I prefer to show more respect for the word "Fuck."
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/24/860312/-Updated:-F
What really ticks me off are the Republicans, particularly those bozos in the "Tea Party." At least inspired by neocon Dick Armey, these fools don't even know enough about basic politics to decide if Obama is a "Socialist" or a "Fascist," since they call him both.
Under the best of circumstances, Obama had a big mess to pick up after Bush and his henchmen got through with this country. Now, working through the hapless stooges of the Tea Party, they once again have a venue in which to whine about not getting their way. "I want my country back!" is one of their shrieks. Hey, right wing idiots: IT'S NOT YOUR COUNTRY. IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US!
And I, for one, will continue putting people before profits. This post on the Daily Kos sums it up for me, except I prefer to show more respect for the word "Fuck."
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/24/860312/-Updated:-F
Monday, March 22, 2010
Of Mainstreaming Marijuana
By
Neal Smith
It had to happen. And in one sense, it is a good and natural consequence of the coming relegalization of Marijuana. In another sense, there’s a risk of the malfeasance of big business super-controlling, super-marketing Marijuana for no other reason than to maximize profits.
Regardless, relegalization is coming. Constantly it seems, yet another state makes progress towards that end. So far, as of March, 2010, no state has relegalized for personal use, but 14 (And the District of Columbia) now allow medical possession, sale and cultivation. California will have a ballot question on its November, 2010 ballot. Massachusetts has a bill pending. Other states are mulling the idea.
Part of the trade-off for relegalization is allowing government to tax sales of Marijuana. That means government will be taking its share of the profits, in addition to setting some sort of limits on sale, possession, production and probably ideas to be a pain in the ass that we haven’t even thought of. Meanwhile, business people will be thinking of ways to make money off of a “New” product.
They already have.
For 40 years or so there have been products available for the Marijuana smoker: Pipes, bongs, rolling papers, roach clips, ashtrays, one-hitters, books, magazines, clothing, safes, air fresheners, scales, a myriad of growing equipment and more.
Government is most likely going to want some standards in delivery of medical Marijuana. Never mind that simply filling a pipe or rolling a joint will continue to be quite sufficient. Government will want a pipe that holds a precise amount…maybe a different size pipe for different prescription amounts. You know how government is. For example, during the “Space race” in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, the U.S. government, desiring a writing instrument that could write in space, spent several million dollars developing a pen that would write upside down in zero gravity. The Soviets simply used a pencil.
At least at first, government will demand minute accountability. They will demand reports, quality standards, tax stamps, and Creator-knows-what-else. As usual, they will create a bureaucratic nightmare for those supplying Marijuana for either medical or personal use. What’s a stoner to do?
There’s an ap for that!
Since March of 2009, Medical Marijuana Inc. has been consulting with various dispensaries and compassion clubs to ensure accurate compliance with government regulations.
They’re a public corporation, an over the counter stock market participant with an identification code of MJNA. According the company’s website, they have “…developed a suite of solutions to deliver an efficient and secure infrastructure for the Medical Marijuana Industry which provides the tools to industry operators to effectively manage their business with the confidence that they are in full compliance.” They at least have the foresight to know what the future holds: “Medical Marijuana Inc. recognizes the vast and unequaled opportunities that exist in the rapidly expanding medical marijuana industry. The scientific recognition of cannabis has brought legalized marijuana use to the forefront of mainstream discussion, thus opening the door for safe and lucrative investment opportunities.”
What, you don’t want to invest in a third party to do your work for you? There are a few institutions of, er, higher education. Oaksterdam University in California offers training in how to grow medical Marijuana, how to run a cooperative and other necessary training that such honored standard universities aren’t yet up to speed on. Of course, much of what we know about Cannabis/Hemp has come from mainstream universities, and as long as research dollars are available, they’ll break even more ground. But as far as growing, distributing and the boots-on-the-ground battles of medical Marijuana, Oaksterdam is the best and most well-known. Other institutions include Greenway University, Medical Marijuana Education and Training. Cannbe, whose CEO founded Harborside Management Associates in California and ran one of the early dispensaries there, is getting good media coverage. All are teaching would-be entrepreneurs such things as: Dealing with government, finding a good location for a dispensary, setting up delivery services, marketing, growing the medicine and other aspects of getting needed medicine to patients.
Media coverage has been rampant, much of it very positive to relegalization. Business Week magazine in November, 2009 ran a positive piece on the education. Even comedians are now joking about pot in a positive way. There are frequent passing references to pot in talk shows, even some game shows. Drew Carey, the host of “The Price is Right” is a well-known advocate for medical Marijuana, as is Montel Williams.
There is still a lot of trite expressions and graphics being used in the media, like plans that don’t work “Going up in smoke,” and pictures including a pot leaf with a needle and line of cocaine. It will be awhile before that changes.
There is a forum occurring this week (March 23, 2010) in Humboldt County, California between local business people, politicians and those in the Marijuana industry to discuss that county’s economic lifeline: Pot. The meeting centers around the relegalization of Marijuana. Organizer Anna Hamilton, who says she is “Intimately involved” in the Marijuana trade, says there is negative economic impact for those who grow, process and sell pot on the black market due to changing laws. ”I've lived here 20 years and every time there's been a discussion, an open discussion, about marijuana, it has emboldened people to grow more pot with less fear,” she said. “As it's become more widely grown, the prices dropped. The effect on our local economy is harsh.”
In 2009 a study shows $35.8 Billion dollars worth of pot was grown in 2006 in the United States, with California growing $13.6 Billion of that amount. The only way out, Hamilton says, is to “…embrace marijuana tourism, marijuana products and services -- and marijuana has to become a part of the Humboldt County brand,” Hamilton said.
It’s a foregone conclusion that the cost to the consumer upon legalization will be lower than it is now. In the Indianapolis area, an ounce of top quality Marijuana is running about $450-500. After relegalization with tax, it will run about $200-$300, maybe less. But, gone also will be the threat of going to jail, having your property confiscated, losing your job, your home, maybe your children. Gone will be threats of or actual violence over crooked deals and low quality at an outrageous price; organized crime will be dealt a serious blow. Quality will be guaranteed. No more inconvenience in trying to buy. Growers will still be employed, as will retailers. Plus, someone will have to quality test, package, market and transport. While a few jobs might be lost in the transition, more jobs will be available. Police will be free to deal with real crime, keeping us safer. With Hemp, we can end our dependence on fossil fuels, reduce hazardous pesticides to produce clothing, paper and other items. We can have biodegradable plastics, and earthquake-resistant building materials.
By far, relegalization will outpace illegalization…as long as we can control the bureaucracy that will climb on board to suck money off the world’s premier plant.
Neal Smith
It had to happen. And in one sense, it is a good and natural consequence of the coming relegalization of Marijuana. In another sense, there’s a risk of the malfeasance of big business super-controlling, super-marketing Marijuana for no other reason than to maximize profits.
Regardless, relegalization is coming. Constantly it seems, yet another state makes progress towards that end. So far, as of March, 2010, no state has relegalized for personal use, but 14 (And the District of Columbia) now allow medical possession, sale and cultivation. California will have a ballot question on its November, 2010 ballot. Massachusetts has a bill pending. Other states are mulling the idea.
Part of the trade-off for relegalization is allowing government to tax sales of Marijuana. That means government will be taking its share of the profits, in addition to setting some sort of limits on sale, possession, production and probably ideas to be a pain in the ass that we haven’t even thought of. Meanwhile, business people will be thinking of ways to make money off of a “New” product.
They already have.
For 40 years or so there have been products available for the Marijuana smoker: Pipes, bongs, rolling papers, roach clips, ashtrays, one-hitters, books, magazines, clothing, safes, air fresheners, scales, a myriad of growing equipment and more.
Government is most likely going to want some standards in delivery of medical Marijuana. Never mind that simply filling a pipe or rolling a joint will continue to be quite sufficient. Government will want a pipe that holds a precise amount…maybe a different size pipe for different prescription amounts. You know how government is. For example, during the “Space race” in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, the U.S. government, desiring a writing instrument that could write in space, spent several million dollars developing a pen that would write upside down in zero gravity. The Soviets simply used a pencil.
At least at first, government will demand minute accountability. They will demand reports, quality standards, tax stamps, and Creator-knows-what-else. As usual, they will create a bureaucratic nightmare for those supplying Marijuana for either medical or personal use. What’s a stoner to do?
There’s an ap for that!
Since March of 2009, Medical Marijuana Inc. has been consulting with various dispensaries and compassion clubs to ensure accurate compliance with government regulations.
They’re a public corporation, an over the counter stock market participant with an identification code of MJNA. According the company’s website, they have “…developed a suite of solutions to deliver an efficient and secure infrastructure for the Medical Marijuana Industry which provides the tools to industry operators to effectively manage their business with the confidence that they are in full compliance.” They at least have the foresight to know what the future holds: “Medical Marijuana Inc. recognizes the vast and unequaled opportunities that exist in the rapidly expanding medical marijuana industry. The scientific recognition of cannabis has brought legalized marijuana use to the forefront of mainstream discussion, thus opening the door for safe and lucrative investment opportunities.”
What, you don’t want to invest in a third party to do your work for you? There are a few institutions of, er, higher education. Oaksterdam University in California offers training in how to grow medical Marijuana, how to run a cooperative and other necessary training that such honored standard universities aren’t yet up to speed on. Of course, much of what we know about Cannabis/Hemp has come from mainstream universities, and as long as research dollars are available, they’ll break even more ground. But as far as growing, distributing and the boots-on-the-ground battles of medical Marijuana, Oaksterdam is the best and most well-known. Other institutions include Greenway University, Medical Marijuana Education and Training. Cannbe, whose CEO founded Harborside Management Associates in California and ran one of the early dispensaries there, is getting good media coverage. All are teaching would-be entrepreneurs such things as: Dealing with government, finding a good location for a dispensary, setting up delivery services, marketing, growing the medicine and other aspects of getting needed medicine to patients.
Media coverage has been rampant, much of it very positive to relegalization. Business Week magazine in November, 2009 ran a positive piece on the education. Even comedians are now joking about pot in a positive way. There are frequent passing references to pot in talk shows, even some game shows. Drew Carey, the host of “The Price is Right” is a well-known advocate for medical Marijuana, as is Montel Williams.
There is still a lot of trite expressions and graphics being used in the media, like plans that don’t work “Going up in smoke,” and pictures including a pot leaf with a needle and line of cocaine. It will be awhile before that changes.
There is a forum occurring this week (March 23, 2010) in Humboldt County, California between local business people, politicians and those in the Marijuana industry to discuss that county’s economic lifeline: Pot. The meeting centers around the relegalization of Marijuana. Organizer Anna Hamilton, who says she is “Intimately involved” in the Marijuana trade, says there is negative economic impact for those who grow, process and sell pot on the black market due to changing laws. ”I've lived here 20 years and every time there's been a discussion, an open discussion, about marijuana, it has emboldened people to grow more pot with less fear,” she said. “As it's become more widely grown, the prices dropped. The effect on our local economy is harsh.”
In 2009 a study shows $35.8 Billion dollars worth of pot was grown in 2006 in the United States, with California growing $13.6 Billion of that amount. The only way out, Hamilton says, is to “…embrace marijuana tourism, marijuana products and services -- and marijuana has to become a part of the Humboldt County brand,” Hamilton said.
It’s a foregone conclusion that the cost to the consumer upon legalization will be lower than it is now. In the Indianapolis area, an ounce of top quality Marijuana is running about $450-500. After relegalization with tax, it will run about $200-$300, maybe less. But, gone also will be the threat of going to jail, having your property confiscated, losing your job, your home, maybe your children. Gone will be threats of or actual violence over crooked deals and low quality at an outrageous price; organized crime will be dealt a serious blow. Quality will be guaranteed. No more inconvenience in trying to buy. Growers will still be employed, as will retailers. Plus, someone will have to quality test, package, market and transport. While a few jobs might be lost in the transition, more jobs will be available. Police will be free to deal with real crime, keeping us safer. With Hemp, we can end our dependence on fossil fuels, reduce hazardous pesticides to produce clothing, paper and other items. We can have biodegradable plastics, and earthquake-resistant building materials.
By far, relegalization will outpace illegalization…as long as we can control the bureaucracy that will climb on board to suck money off the world’s premier plant.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sorry to be gone for so long
Been busy working on other things, particularly relegalization of Marijuana.
I'll be adding more content soon.
Meanwhile, On Monday, MSNBC put up a poll on relegalization.I just checked it on Thursday, 13,301 people have voted.13,012 voted to relegalize, or 97.8%. There are 289 demented souls who voted against, for a whopping 2.2%.
Obviously not a proper study, or even a proper poll, but that's a pretty significant number on a spur-of-the-moment poll,
You watching, Obama?
I'll be adding more content soon.
Meanwhile, On Monday, MSNBC put up a poll on relegalization.I just checked it on Thursday, 13,301 people have voted.13,012 voted to relegalize, or 97.8%. There are 289 demented souls who voted against, for a whopping 2.2%.
Obviously not a proper study, or even a proper poll, but that's a pretty significant number on a spur-of-the-moment poll,
You watching, Obama?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Are the Democrats Growing a Set?
Alan Grayson, Democrat Congressman from Florida
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:
Monday, September 14, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, September 4, 2009
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.
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.
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