The Secret That Was Victoria

While America sits in debate over the possibility of her first female president, all but written out of the history books is the chapter containing that of the first female presidential candidate, Victoria Claflin Woodhul. Her 1872 campaign against Ulysses S. Grant was a brazen endeavor indeed, considering that women were not given the right to vote until 1920. Running on the appropriately named Equal Rights Party ticket, her nominee for vice president was Frederick Douglass, who never publicly acknowledged his nomination. Victoria and her sister, Tennessee, opened the first brokerage firm that was owned and operated by women in 1870. While never shying away from controversy, she was founder and editor of the Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly which championed feminism, socialism, sex education, and the labor movement. The first English translation of Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto was published in an 1872 issue. She denounced the hypocrisy of the expectations of monogamy for women while married men commonly kept mistresses. She later moved to England and established the magazine, The Hmanitarian which was published from 1892 to 1901. She would reside in England until her death in 1927.

For a more in depth look at Victorial Claflin Woodhull and her many achievements, please see:

http://www.answers.com/topic/victoria-claflin-woodhull

Radio Air Wave Infestation

Perhaps you've heard of the controversy surrounding the shock jocks known as The Jersey Guys. Like any of the other insult hurling, low brow humored, commute time radio DJs, their objective is to gain attention. And, like any other radio station, the objective of WKXW-FM is to gain ratings. This is well understood, for without good ratings you don't attract sponsors who provide the means necessary to exist. There comes a time, however, when one might question the lengths that should be gone to in order to achieve the desired goal.

The most recent flap regarding the The Jersey Guys is their contribution to the anti-immigration frenzy that has engulfed this country. The oh, so cleverly titled "La Cuca - Gotcha" schtick involves enticing listeners to turn in to the Immigration and Naturalization Service anyone that they suspect may be in this country illegally. Of course, the inference of the title being a wordplay on the song, "La Cucaracha", would lead one to assume that this is meant for those pesky Mexican terrorists that have endangered us so. Apparently, if you're name is O'Reilly you have nothing to fear. But singling out certain ethnic groups is nothing new to the Guys.

While the First Amendment of The Constitution still gives us the right to free speech, as it should, one needs to bear in mind the consequences it can bring. "Cucaracha" is the Spanish word for cockroach. During the build up of the Rwanda genocide that took place between the Hutus and the Tutsis in 1994, newspapers and radio stations began a campaign of hatred and fear. Most notably, Radio Milles Collines was engaged in non-stop broadcasts that incited violence and called for the Hutus to rise up and kill all of the Tutsis, whom they referred to as "cockroaches". In fact, the word became a synonym for all of the Tutsi people. The result was anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 men, women, and children murdered. Most were hacked to death with machetes.

I co-host a radio talk show. Most of the topics are politically oriented and the conversation can become a bit heated. One must have the right to speak out, particularly regarding injustice and the government that represents us. One must also be allowed to poke fun at situations in good humor. But I also must ponder if The Jersey Guys know the events and lessons of Rwanda. Perhaps the Guys aren't calling for the killing of anyone, but indeed they are inciting hatred. As we know, it isn't a far reach from hatred to violence.
Jersey Guys, are your incomes so high that you can sink so low? And what about WKXW-FM and their sponsors? Ignorance, if it can be plead, is no excuse.

http://newjersey.indymedia.org/de/2007/03/14134.shtml

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=76069

"Our Soldiers Are Not Toys"

I found this while reading other blogs.

Cindy Sheehan is active again at Camp Casy III in Crawford, Texas. Just outside of George Bush's ranch, many different groups and individuals have gathered to send Bush another message (I think he is deaf). Groups such as Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, many other members of Gold Star Families and more.

Code Pink is asking all of us to help push the following video.



You Tube Link

Take a look at Code Pink's site for what they and others are doing at Camp Casey III.

Code Pink at Camp Casey

Don't forget to visit the Camp Casey site at Gold Star Families For Peace.

This Land is My Land

Well, it was bound to happen. With the devastating blow that was dealt to the citizens of New Orleans from the wrath of Katrina, half of the city fled to seek refuge in other towns as their homes became uninhabitable. Many lay in complete rubble, others might possibly be saved with a lot of hard work and monetary assistance. But the insurance monies, much like the FEMA rescue workers over a year and a half ago, would never arrive. Not before all hope would be lost.

But the spirit and reputation for a love of music and pleasure will always inhabit New Orleans, even if so many of the people who would create and live that vibe had been forced out. There have been immense efforts on the parts of many kind hearted and hard working individuals who have tirelessly toiled to restore the Crescent City and give it back to those it belongs to. Groups like Habitat for Humanity, The Katrina Foundation For Recovery, Inc., and others, along with students choosing to spend their spring breaks rebuilding the city (please see BicycleMark - BicycleMark.org and The Wayward Episcopalian - waywardepiscopalian.blogspot.com).

However, with so much "abandoned" real estate left in unintended disrepair, and the owners having no funds with which to work, vultures have swooped down along the muddy Mississippi salivating at the opportunity to turn others' misfortune into their fortune. These are individuals who could truly make a difference with the riches they've already reaped. They have the ability to help people rebuild and thus help themselves. To restore the city to it's former glory. But that wouldn't guarantee the millions, if not billions, of dollars they stand to profit. Of course, they'll have to clean up those unsightly FEMA trailors, the few that actually made their way from Arkansas and that were only given to homeowners - renters need not apply.

Let the gentrification begin!

The two most prominent individuals playing this game of monopoly are Donald Trump and F. Patrick Quinn. Of course,
The Donald requires no introduction. If one owns a television set it is virtually impossible to avoid the comb-over coiffed magnate pursing his lips and firing some groveling young Trump wanna-be. His latest plans for yet another clever, originally titled Trump Tower to be located in New Orleans, will be the tallest building in the city at the height of 842 feet. The proposed cost of each condominium will be a mere $400,000 apiece for the 299 units There will be another 435 hotel rooms to fetch a steady income.
In a city where a pre-Katrina two bedroom dwelling ran for roughly $600 a month, that same unit is now over $900. Now, take into consideration that should that tenant's job actually still exist, they are having to repurchase all of their necessities and creature comforts.

One of the many sad things that have come to fruition since Katrina is the onslaught of unethical private contractors. In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, George Bush had attempted to repeal the Davis-Bacon Act, which guarantees a fair wage for workers. After a huge outcry from Democrats and union leaders, that option was taken off of the table. Not to be deterred from getting as big a piece of the pie as possible, many contractors simply hired illegal immigrants to perform the necessary duties. However, when it came payday, many refused to pay the workers, knowing that they would have no recourse.

Enter F. Patrick Quinn. Those of you who are not from New Orleans may not be familiar with Mr.Quinn. He first caught my attention last August while in my hotel room in the French Quarter (one of the areas barely affected by the flood). I had the local news on and was quite taken by what I thought should have been a much bigger story, meaning it should have reached the national media. Quinn is the owner of a hotel chain by the name of Decatur Hotels. In the wake of Katrina, Quinn acquired visas for 290 South American workers to provide services in his hotels. He promised them good wages with plenty of hours and possible overtime. The visas stipulated that they were not allowed to work for another employer during their stays. But when the guest workers arrived, they discovered that they would be paid only $6 per hour with no guarantee of full time work. They were made to sleep 5 per room and were charged $50 each per week to rent their rooms. Even more problematic was that they were indentured $3,000 to $5,000 in recruitment and other fees.

Now what Mr.Quinn had apparently not taken into consideration was the fact that, having acquired visas, these workers were not in the country illegally. For these individuals, there was recourse and they had decided to pursue it. They banded together and filed a lawsuit which is currently pending.

Perhaps the most interesting part regarding Mr. Quinn is that, not only is he a most prominent businessman, but he is well connected in a number of ways. His wife, is Senator Julie Quinn (R-LA) and his son, James, is the Executive Director of the Republican Party in Louisiana. And yet I've still not heard a word about this outside of Louisiana.

In a frantic effort to own New Orleans, Quinn has been buying up property as hastily as possible. Perhaps he heard the news that he may get Trumped.


For more information please see:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1599032,00.html

http://tinyurl.com/2hgpmz

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/16/1222257

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Every now and then there is a human being that shines brightly above others. Someone who is truly a blessing to the rest of us for the bravery that they exude and the skills they possess to bring it to our attention.

Such a person lives in the adolescent frame of a young teenage girl from Alabama by the name of Ava Lowery. If you haven't yet become acquainted with Ava, it's time you did.

Ava Lowery is the author of an anti-war website and blog titled PeaceTakesCourage.com . She also has a talent for editing thought-provoking and heart wrenching videos that would make PBS proud. Her unflinching honesty and her ability to get her message across has caught the attention of a number of major league media outlets who may well be looking into child labor laws to see of they can't manage to bring her on board.

Meet Ava Lowery, one of our hopes for the future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UopOw7FEaI

You can read her website and blog here:

http://www.peacetakescourage.com/page-home.htm

We Just Need a Little Patience

A quote from Axl Rose, you might ask? No, that would be from our fearless leader asking us, once again, to be understanding of the never ending tidal wave of bad judgments that he continues to make. Never mind that we are the ones who must live with the consequences. And as we enter into the fifth year of the mess he created in Iraq, I am reminded that we here at home are the lucky ones. We, at least, get the opportunity to live at all. With over 3,000 of our soldiers killed (suicide victims and others who died while not actually in combat remain uncounted, as do private contractors), numerous allied soldiers, and hundreds of thousand Iraqi men, women and children have died unnecessarily, we celebrate yet another milestone.

But all that seems to be required is that we be a bit more patient. It seems to me that we stood by a little too patiently as we were fed lie after lie to launch the so-called "pre-emptive strike" and are still standing idly by four years later. We sat back patiently as another election was stolen. It was taken so easily the first time as such a laid-back nation neglected to cry out, how could it go wrong a second? Heck, those nice people won't mind waiting in line for hours on end, because their Democratic leaning precinct doesn't need all those voting machines, just to cast a vote. Unless, of course, they grow too impatient and decide to go home without casting it at all. We were all too patient as our telephone calls were listened to, our e-mails read, our bank statements perused. Not even the repeal of habeas corpus, which entitled us to speedy and fair trial accompanied by an attorney, would even ruffle our feathers. In fact, you don't even have to tell us what crime we're being charged with.

So we just need a little more patience, Mr. Bush? Tell that to the families in New Orleans who waited on their rooftops for nearly a week pleading for help as they treaded the rising toxic waters and watched their loved ones float by. To those same people who still have no homes, no hospitals, no functioning police stations a year and a half later. To the mothers who had to bury their babies because they were unable to pull them from the sludge. To the mothers who have buried their sons and daughters because you refuse to end the madness you created in the war torn land once known as one of the most beautiful countries on earth.

I'd like to raise my glass to toast this anniversary Mr. President, but I'm afraid I've grown a bit too impatient.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq20mar20,1,112983.story?coll=la-headlines-world

Remember New Orleans?

Someone had posted the following article on DailyKos.com but I guess New Orleans is out of vogue, so it went nowhere. This person then cross posted the same article to MyDD.com thinking it would be easier to make it on the rec'd list. Well.. it still has not.

Want to help? Does anybody care about New Orleans and the Katrina area? Have we all become so short sighted that we forget about the people still suffering in the Gulf Coast area, especially in New Orleans?

Check the diary at MyDD.com here:

Back in New Orleans: Recovery Spring Break, Day 1
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/3/17/19514/9606

They also have a blog of their own that they are using to document the recovery and lack of recovery in the Katrina area.

Check the personal blog here:

The Wayward Episcopalian: Nathan in New Orleans
http://waywardepiscopalian.blogspot.com

I spent fall 2006 working with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana's Office of Disaster Response. Though no longer in New Orleans, I have many memories and observations left to blog, and recovery news continues to pour in, particularly about volunteer work, government incompetence, and local spirit.

"The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene." Isaiah 59:15-16

No.. this is not a blog of mine and I do not know this person.

This Is Sick and Wrong!

This is taken from a comment at SecuringAmerica.com

What is wrong with this country? Why do the rich and powerful hate the American people? Do you think that any of them would use or are using illegal drugs to cope with their pain and illness? No... what was I thinking... how stupid could this common person be.

Even tho I do not smoke pot, I find this to be ridiculous and WRONG!

Court: Dying can be charged for using marijuana
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/03/14/med.marijuana.ap/index.html

If I was dying I would use whatever drug made my life bearable... no matter what! If using some supposed "bad drug" made my life as a sick person bearable and possibly better so that I may heal, then I should be allowed to use it... No Matter What!

So pot is worse then gdub's buddies corporate made drugs?

Whatever!

Just move along now. Nothing to see here. Don't look at that person, they mean nothing to you.

hm.

The Day The Music... died... ?

Do you think this is important? I DO!

No need for me to add much to this. Please read and take action.
http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=15126

From My Left Wing http://myleftwing.com

The Death of Web Radio Is At Hand
by: The Lighthouse Keeper
Tue Mar 06, 2007 at 19:10:05 PM PST

(originally promoted by Carnacki, re - promoted by Maryscott O'Connor)

Cross-posted at DailyKos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/6/15850/52962

I frankly have no idea how many people on My Left Wing pay attention to the music scene, listen to Web radio on a regular basis or think about this issue.

I pray that some of you do.

If you care at all about music, about art, about having a touch of color in your lives, about having a piece of your life that exists outside of the corporate Borg, you need to read this diary and recommend it.

Money is not involved. Your precious time, however, is really needed. It is one minute before midnight.

And by the way, hello. This is my first post here. I hope I can provoke some thought and some action.

While we are trying to save our country, we also have another thing to worry about - something our Democratic representatives played a major role in creating.

The music is about to die. The coup de grace is about to be administered by the U.S. Copyright Office.

more here: http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=15126

Thank you, Gentlemen!

I'd like to send an appreciative pat on the back to a handful of men who have stood up and had the chutzpah to point out the disturbing imagery and misogyny in Hip-Hop music and videos. Not that its existence comes as a surprise to any of us. Simply tune on MTV at any given hour of the day, as well as the once more grown-up version, VH-1, which have become indecipherable from the other, and you will find scantily clad, mostly black, women gyrating and being photographed at all angles. This, all the while being called "bitches" and "hoes". The clear statement of the plethora of these types of videos that our youth are being bombarded with is that women are to be used for sex and that they have no other worth beyond that. It has even become commonplace to use the word "pimp" to mean the ultimate in cool.

Having worked in the music industry for most of my adult life, I know what an unpopular position it is to be in to point out an artist's responsibility in the message they deliver. I worked for Tower Records during the whole PMRC implementation of warning labels on CDs. Washington State even passed a bill briefly that could send an unwitting clerk to jail for selling indecent material to minors. The bill was subsequently repealed, much to the relief of myself and others, especially since not all product was even stickered at the time. While I obviously was not in support of the bill, I didn't think that labeling the product was such a bad idea. Problem was, while all songs and albums were not alike, all of the stickers were. If one song on the album contained the dreaded "F" word, even though it may not have even pertained to sex, it received the same sticker as those with songs where women were raped, killed, and dismembered (no, I'm not kidding). I had always thought that it should be done more like the movie industry in that it gave you a clue to age appropriateness. For instance, what is okay for my 14 year-old to listen to, might not be alright for my six year-old. Many times I found myself debating the fact a sticker in and of itself does not constitute censorship as long as it is still available to buy.

This brings me to the efforts of filmmaker Byron Hurt. His expose of the crude depictions of misogyny, homophobia, and violence in rap are captured in his documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" and is being shown on PBS (please see http://www.pbs.org for dates and times in your area.). Hurt takes a brave look and asks that we accept responsibility. Another refreshing voice is that of Chuck D., of the seminal rap group, Public Enemy. Long known for his outspoken political views, he has been around almost since the birth of Hip-Hop and has watched it evolve. Many of the current young multi-million dollar recording artists have Chuck to thank for paving the way. While another of Public Enemy's founding members, Flava Flav, stars in a reality show where young women embarrassingly degrade themselves in an effort to win Flav's affections, Chuck D. has been continually speaking out against the many abuses that we place upon one another. He hosts a radio talk show on AirAmerica called "On the Real" with Gia'na Garel (please see http://www.airamerica.com for times in your area) where he touches on many topics that concern all of us. He has also spoken out against what he sees as the negative effects of rap music today.

While these topics are not limited to Hip-Hop by any means, it does lend itself to perpetuating not only negative stereotypes of women, but of black culture as well. We, as a society, reward the artists and the record companies handsomely for their questionable contributions. Don't get me wrong, I believe that art and music are necessary for our well-being, but I also have to ponder the effects of the constant bombardment of these messages on our youth and what it does to shape the individuals they become. Yes, ultimately it is the parents' responsibility, but I know that there are messages that have come from the artists that I love that have helped to form my views and point me in the direction to educate myself on certain subjects. Bob Geldof brought to light the starvation in Africa, Peter Gabriel helped me to discover Amnesty International, Maynard James Keenan of the band Tool made me take a little closer look into the teachings of Carl Jung, and Spearhead's Michael Franti teaches messages of peace and muti-culturism that are so welcomed today. So, too, the many women, including Janis Joplin, Siouxsie Sioux, and Johnette Napolitano have taught me that women have a place in music - and not just as scantily dressed boy-toys begging to be used and discarded.

Ms. Magazine - "Paradise Lost", Making a Difference for Women in Marianas

I received this in an email from Ms. Magazine and wanted to share it with all of you. I am attempting to post this as they sent it. Please take the time to read and respond.

This is a very important subject and needs to be kept alive. This is not the only place stuff like this is happening, so let us not stop here.

Dear ...,

"Paradise Lost" - the explosive Ms. magazine investigative report on the appalling conditions of guest workers in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory - is making news again as Congress finally acts to stop the worst abuses. Congress has already delivered a victory for the guest workers in the Marianas by including them in the recently passed minimum wage increase.

Ms.'s hard-hitting cover story brought to the nation's attention the labor and immigration abuses that were the focus of a Senate committee hearing last Thursday. When we published our investigative report last spring, we spurred weeks of additional news coverage and generated widespread public outrage. Two of the women we interviewed for our report - including a young woman trafficked into the sex industry against her will - testified at the Senate hearing.

Make a special contribution to the Ms. Investigative fund today to ensure that Ms. continues to break stories of vital importance to women here in the U.S. and around the world.

Here's the background on the situation:

Although the name-brand clothing companies that contract with garment factories in the Marianas can attach "Made in Saipan (USA)" or simply "Made in the USA" labels to their clothes, until now they have been exempt from U.S. minimum-wage and immigration laws.

Women trafficked to the Marianas, mostly from China and the Philippines, work up to 20 hours a day in factories at a sub-minimum wage of $3.05/hour in often dangerous conditions. In its report, Ms. detailed how these women find themselves in a situation akin to indentured servitude as they struggle to earn enough money to pay for room and board and to repay human traffickers who charge as much as $7,000 for a one-year contract to work in the Marianas.

Moreover, with expiring trade agreements, some companies have closed down their Saipan operations to move to mainland China, leaving their workers stranded and owed months of back-pay. Ms.'s investigative report documented how, unable to make ends meet, many women have been forced to work in the islands' sex tourism industry in order to survive.

Now, with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff (who lobbied on behalf of Marianas factory owners) in prison, Tom DeLay (a leading supporter of garment-company interests) out of Congress, and other opponents of reform defeated in the November elections, Congress may finally be able to pass long-blocked reforms.

Ms.'s in-depth reporting on the suffering of women in the
Northern Marianas is the kind of ground-breaking investigative journalism that truly changes lives. We are determined to continue to follow this story, and dispatched a reporter to cover the hearings. Look for updates on MsMagazine.com and in upcoming issues of the magazine.

Help Ms. stay strong by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Ms. Investigative Fund now.

For a Strong Feminist Media,

Katherine
Spillar
Executive Editor

Eleanor Smeal
Publisher

http://www.msmagazine.com

Copyright © Ms. Magazine 2006

Worn in the USA pt.2

Here are a few interesting follow-ups in regards to what's being done about the corruption and abuses in the Mariana Islands:

http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=10147
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/9/24525/93892
http://www.catholicexplorer.com/explore4325/nationworld/rape-victim-catholic-work.shtml

Hopefully, we'll see some some changes made and an attentive eye kept towards maintaining the clean-up.

Dying for Dollars

To those of you without cable television and are either unable to view C-SPAN (not quite sure why the one form of media where you can actually watch our government at work isn't free) or just happen to choose not to, I must tell you that there have been some incredible goings-on in Congress this week. For instance, L. Paul Bremer, the person who was in charge of the restoration and humanitarian efforts in Iraq and on whose watch billions of dollars disappeared, was actually questioned about his involvement in regards to the missing lucre. Indicted so far are three former Army officers and two civilians for their roles in diverting $3.6 million in Iraq reconstruction money to a contractor in exchange for cash, luxury cars and jewelry.

Last year, I sat in disgust and amazement as I listened to several witnesses tell their stories to a panel that included Henry Waxman (D-CA), Brian Dorgan (D-ND) and John Warner (R-VA) of the things they had seen while in Iraq. A television station that was designated to be the voice of the Iraqi people but became a media outlet for Bremer, plastic sandwich bags containing bricks of $10,000 bundles of cash that were flown in and and handed out indiscriminately, and tales of private contractors murdering innocent civilians. There was even mention of a former FBI agent who had been stripped of his gun, identification, and clothing and was dropped out in the middle of nowhere in Iraq because he threatened to report what he had witnessed.

With the change of Congress this year, Waxman now chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He has taken on these issues and while we will never see the return of the missing funds to the taxpayers, we may actually start seeing some accountability for a change.

Then again yesterday, I found Henry hard at work. This time, he was looking back into the brave faces of four women, reminiscent of the 9/11 widows that Ann Coulter so callously maligned. They consisted of a daughter, a wife, and two mothers of the four private contractors who were slain, mutilated and hung from a bridge in Falluja in March 2004. The men worked for a company by the name of Blackwater who hire people from various countries to essentially become mercenaries. While I find this practice to be offensive on many levels, I felt the anguish of these women at not only the loss of their loved ones, but also how this company has lied to the families and threatened them with multi-million dollar counter suits for daring to sue them for information. These and other private contractors act under no jurisdiction of any law, be it civilian or military, while they operate in Iraq and are free to behave in any manner they please. All the while making millions of taxpayers dollars. I must also note that of these particular men who were working for Blackwater, only one had been there long enough to even receive a paycheck. The others had only been there a few days and had been sent to the most dangerous part of Iraq with no protection.

For more on this, please see:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/07/iraq.contractors/

Robert Greenwald touches well on this subject with his film, "Iraq for Sale - The War Profiteers"

http://iraqforsale.org/

Is Somebody Watching You?

Mirth over at EqualTimeRadio.org has written a great piece having to do with cameras, ID, security and our government. This is a must read that should be shared with everyone you know.

Most of us have heard about some or all of the things Mirth writes about but Mirth puts them together clearly and to the point. If you are not worried about how we are gladly or stupidly giving up our rights for supposed security, then you are a fool.

Here is a taste of what Mirth writes:

Somebody's Watching Me

by Mirth Y'know those airport x-ray scanners? The ones that reveal you nude? Well, they're no longer just for passengers wanting to get from one place to another. Look up! If London is the example, then they're coming to a street near you.
>From the BBC:
Leaked documents said to have been drawn up by the Home Office and seen by the Sun newspaper say cameras which can see through clothes could be built into lamp posts to "trap terror suspects".
While Home Secretary John Reid has denied knowledge of the plans, the technology is not dissimilar to that already found in some UK airports. Currently, air security officials pick out individuals to stand in a booth while three pictures are taken of the person in slightly different positions. Within seconds, an X-ray scanner produces an image of the body, minus the clothes. What shows up is the naked human form and anything that may be concealed on the person, such as coins, a gun or drugs.

Read the rest here: http://equaltimeradio.org/?p=130

Do you care? If so, what are you going to do about it? Try starting here: http://www.congress.org

Congress.org is a great place to use for contacting your local and national elected officials and the media. Phone numbers, addresses and email are all there making it easy for you to take action and to be heard.

Bush says screw you to We The People!

So Bush wants all of us to sacrifice to help HIS war effort?

"Cutting the deficit during a time of war requires us to restrain spending in other areas," Bush said

Cut social and domestic spending so that he can give his friends, buddies and cronies the tax cuts and "relief" that they sooo desperately need.

Bush also said it would show that his goal of erasing the deficit by 2012 could be accomplished while making his tax cuts permanent.

"Congress needs to make this tax relief permanent, so we can keep America's economy growing. Pro-growth economic policies also play a vital role in our plan to balance the federal budget," he said.

He thinks that these tax cuts for the wealthy and the corporations has helped all of us.

This increase in tax revenue has helped us cut the deficit in half three years ahead of schedule...

You mean the HUGE deficit he has put us in by cutting taxes and waging war at the same time? Cutting taxes and waging war has never been done in the history of this country because it makes no sense!

One of the known but less talked about agenda items by the Bush administration, conservatives and all neo-cons is to defund the government.

They tell you how wonderful tax cuts are while scaring you into going along with huge military spending for illegal wars and to protect us against the "enemy" (Soviet Union, communism, terrorism, etc., etc., etc. - read the book 1984).

By cutting taxes (you love those- right?), raising military spending (you want that because you are scared of all those "bad people" - right?) they put this country into a huge hole when it comes to the deficit.

So the only way to "fix" this economic problem is to make all of us "sacrifice" by cutting social programs. This is what they tell us and you believe this - right? Because you wouldn't want them to "raise" taxes, now would you? Because that would be bad for you - right?

The problem is that the vast majority of tax cuts and "tax relief" has gone to the richest of the rich and to big corporations, like the oil companies, because they are so in need of help - right?

So would this be a tax hike, raising taxes on the average American? Or would this be restoring the taxes to the level before Bush and his cronies put us into such HUGE debt that is going to cripple this country and impoverish the citizens.

So, by cutting taxes, starting wars, raising military spending and mercenary spending (can you say: contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan?), they push us into HUGE debt that can only be solved by cutting domestic and social spending. This is what "defunding" the government is all about. It is to feed the rich and powerful, kill off what they call welfare (domestic and social spending), and keep all of us "little people" too busy trying to survive that we do not have the time to pay attention to politics, the real news, etc. so we end up ignoring what they are doing to us.

More here...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070203/bs_nm/bush_budget_dc_3