The Future From Here

Well, folks, we’re in a better place now than when I posted my last (“Borders Broken”) piece. What largely had influenced my writing of it were the human/civil rights pushbacks of curtailment of Habeas Corpus, greenlighting of torture, “secret prisons” further scarring the worldmap, NSA-generated domestic spying, etc., etc., etc.. Soon after I wrote it, though, it occurred to me that “morphing INTO Hitler” might actually have been more accurate, but, I let it stand as it was, nonetheless. Now, undoubtedly in commendable fearful response to the warning I made there, America has reversed her downslide to hell with one of the overall best set of election results I know of in, at least, recent history. We’ve finally provided essential balance or (hopefully) effective resistance to this regime of war criminals, hypocrites, thugs, and crooks.

Yet, how ironic that the state of my residence (I still consider New York State, the state of my birth and growing up as “my state”), California, that is questionably-deservedly often thought to be in the forefront or on the cutting edge of progress, has come out way in the back of the pack with its various verdicts, this past election! First, how can they re-vote in Schwarzenegger, apparently because of his celebrity status and “charismatic” personality, and disregard the different stances on issues espoused and/or demonstrated by the candidates? And second, how stupid can people be to see ad after ad STATING that they’re brought to you by “The Chevron Corporation” and vote the way Chevron WANTS?!!! Even if I knew nothing about the issues, knowing that a particular position was being advocated by a giant oil company would be enough to swing my vote against it. The same can be said about votes on many of the other issues; but, back to the main issue at hand:

Where do we go from here? How can we use our vast elevation of power best (for the most good) and, how can we best guard against any future loss of it; in fact, is it possible to get the hat trick of The Presidency in ’06 (or, dare I utter it? – SOONER), and ADD to our power (to do “good”, for a change)? My advice is to start DOING out of the gate, as fast and hard as we can. I do NOT advocate putting impeachment on the back burner, nor certainly taking it off the table, altogether (keeping with the kitchen metaphors/clichés). We should simultaneously initiate progressive, widely helpful (to they who need it most) legislation AND begin investigations into the “sins” of the Republicans, especially those of the executive branch, that were ignored and/or swept under the rug (expanding my clichés to the rest of the house), starting with those scandals we already know something about, such as Valerie Plame, the goings on around 9/11, and false reasons for going to war, and digging deeper to see what comes up. I’m sure that what we know only scratches the surface of the tip of the iceberg (reaching even further, clichéwise). There are those who say, in effect, we should take care not to break eggshells (and back to the kitchen), not to offend or alienate our newfound allies to the right of us that the guilty have so generously bequeathed to us, by virtue of their sins (get it?). But, how often in the past have we lost the respect and sympathy of potential right-leaning support by lacking the self-confidence to espouse the content of our hearts with force, even apologizing for being “perceived as” liberal, and denying the proud worthiness of liberality? If there ever were a time for acting with boldness regarding who we are, it is now! We’ll never get a chance like this again, at least for many years, unless we use it wisely and assert it forcefully, now.

Let the investigations take us wherever the findings take us – let Truth be our guide. Even those on the further right will have to respect that. Truth shall not only set us free – it is our path to ongoing and assured success.

Our Border is Broken

That’s right; our border is broken. But, I’m not talking about the border you probably think I am. Yes, I am talking about America’s border, but not the physical one that delineates us, geographically. I’m talking about the border that separates us from what we shouldn’t be, or what we’re supposed to be opposed to and who we are. This border has always been very clear, rivaling the geographical one for clarity and concreteness. But now, with the caving in and bending over to Bush and his sociopathic cronies, the most horrific truth possible has become extant; we are who or (more aptly) “what” we should be against. It’s like the Twilight Zone where the guy gets everything he wants, only to look in the mirror and find out he’s become Hitler. Ladies and Gentleman, I submit to you, hopefully for your disapproval, that we have, indeed, become Hitler!

My Desire

My desire is to be good. To manifest goodness.

I felt myself to be one who has been beaten. One who has endured major traumas from an early age, yet who is here, alive. Like King Kong, had he survived that plane attack, left, now, alone, with no more immediate threats pending upon him; having now only to contend with his own intrinsic nature. “Am I good or evil?” “Where do I go from here?” “My best chance is to keep sight of my love and serve it.” My instinct guides me. A hard part is waiting for the “orders” from it. What do I do until they come? And then I see that they’re coming more frequently or constantly than I had imagined or been aware of. An instinctual being is a loving being. He will only serve good.

Joke

What did the maitre d' say when the Connecticut senator’s table was ready?

“Lieberman!, ... Party of one!”

I am

I am a man of good intentions. I want to do best by my family and by myself (admittedly, not always in this order). But, that’s O.K.; my needs/desires and my family’s needs/desires are never that far afield of each other. Sometimes, in fact, they are one and the same. The problem is that this world often runs afoul of itself and us. The obstacles it puts up in the way of us obtaining what we want/need are crazy, “selfish”, and stupid. These three negative characteristics (crazy, selfish, and stupid) are twistedly intertwined. Those with the most and, therefore, who need the least, are the most hoarding, “selfish”, and wrong in their thinking. They make it hard for people like us (“good” people) to get our “stuff”.

Email to Kevin Martin, Chairman of the FCC

Your attacks on free speech by levying heavy fines on CBS & other networks are far more offensive and have a far worse effect on society than any of the slightly sexual content you purport to be against. And, your motives appear to be as bad as any I could think of, short of sadism. Your actions reek of discomfort with your own sexuality, self-political promotion, and monetary greed. Any claims of "standing up for morality", or such, on your part, are transparent rationalizations for the above-listed motives. My advice? - Resign your post and get some much-needed psychotherapy.

I Dare The FBI

How long will it take for the American people to mobilize enough to constitute a force sufficient to push or beat back the descent of their rapidly eroding rights – to make the critical turnaround from hyperbolic, to-some-extent-paranoid concerns regarding terrorism to more warranted concerns for losing the freedoms this country is supposed to be about? This indecent descent into elimination of our right to dissent in this nation is being perpetrated by the political crooks that the voters have ignorantly put into office. The “Patriot” Act’s renewal, in virtually unfettered form, is sailing its way through Congress, as though on the wings of some fetid, slimy lubricant, as I write this piece.
I was moved to hear the recounting of the plight of Laura Berg, on Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now, this morning. Ms. Berg is a Veteran’s Administration nurse in New Mexico who was accused of sedition!! for simply having written a letter to the editor of her local paper that was critical of the administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq. She felt very threatened and intimidated as she was informed that the FBI had been notified and V.A. representatives took her computer “into custody”.
Meanwhile, The President displays a contemptuous, arrogant attitude when he readily claims that, in the name of “national security”, his rights (to snoop, spy on us, disregard torture, etc.) are without limits as ours shrink. Well, I, for one, refuse to give up my First Amendment rights to express my contempt as I see fit in response to this travesty. In fact, I am more compelled to use these rights as they are increasingly under attack. And I DARE the FBI or any other group or individual to just try and silence me. I’m not intimidated, because I know just what my moral imperatives are and no one’s big enough or bad enough to stop me from acting on them.

Roberts Rules

If this dissent on the “assisted suicide” decision is an example of how Roberts will vote from now on, may he remain always in the minority for the rest of his shrouded career.