Memory Loss

Instead of writing a lengthy article about how the right has the tendency, if not the down-right gall to make things look like Obama was the cause of all our problems. I've decided to direct you to the link below.  My props to "rfreed" for writing this and making my feelings about this subject clear. Give it a read, you'll see that moderates and progressives in this country are basically on the same track and it seems as if everyone around us is in derail mode.

http://glossynews.com/top-stories/politicos-and-polticians/201008250937/republicans-suffering-from-short-term-memory-loss/#comment-15179

The Right Twist

A friend of mine sent me the below article in which Newt Gingrich said this was historically accurate and true. We're supposed to believe the man who wouldn't know the truth if if smacked him in the face. But instead of character assassination let me take this POS apart piece-by-piece.

July 21, 2010 6pm 

There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.

First of all, it's NOT a mosque (no minarets)! It's a cultural center like the hundreds of all faiths that surround the area near ground zero. Next, let me state that Saudia Arabia is their country, period. The laws that govern SA are theirs NOT ours. They can pick any religion they want in their own country, cause it's their (as in the Royal Family) country, capish? Besides, what IS the connection between Islamists and the Royal Family? Is there any? Islamists are NOT demanding anything from us as Americans including weakness and submission. Are you guys just making this stuff up? Radical Islamists maybe, but we haven't heard anything meaningful from them in awhile. We can not make them build churches there anymore than they can demand we build them here. They have their laws, we have ours.

The proposed "Cordoba House" overlooking the World Trade Center site –  where a group of jihadists killed over 3000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks - is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites. For example,  most of them don’t understand that “Cordoba House” is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba , Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.

Yes, a group of jihadists destroyed the WTC, if you wish to believe that. To be honest, I have a problem believing that a bunch of guys in a cave came up with and financed this plan but this too is another blog altogether. They also fail to mention the number of Muslims who died during the WTC attack. The term "Cordoba House" here is a real travesty. The right is using 8th century history to make it look like a take over, when in actuality Cordoba, Spain in more modern times is where all three faiths have come together to worship. Talk about twisting things to meet your own agenda, whew!

Today, some of the Mosque’s backers insist this term is being used to "symbolize interfaith cooperation" when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest. It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way. Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City . Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia . In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca .  And they lecture us about tolerance.

Obviously, whoever wrote this wasn't a Christian. Tolerance is one of the things that Jesus taught. Turn the other cheek and all that stuff. I seriously doubt that every Islamist in the world see Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest. Oh, yeah and we as a government are tolerant of others? Anybody here read in history books about us as a nation locking up Japanese Americans during WWII? If you're gonna use history to malign, then include everybody, including yourself. A deliberate insult? I really don't think so. I don't seriously believe this was some sort of grand conspiracy from an Islamic faction. It was more like a bunch of developers knew who to sell this building too. When the deal was near completion then word was leaked that (OMG) they're building a mosque!?!!  This was all blown out of proportion by the media. Let's get the nation worked up over something, anything that'll make them watch our news channel.

If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom. They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign.

The people behind Cordoba House just peacefully wanted to build a cultural center like the many others that inhabit NYC. But NO, the right-wing neo-cons had to engage the media into the mix. As I said, we cannot enforce our will upon their country unless, of course, we wish to invade. We saw where that got us in the last go around. The people behind Cordoba House are not required to do anything that would alienate them from their own brethren just as we wouldn't ask Christians to engage the media and have Christian groups ask to have mosques built in this or that state. 

We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years. Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million megamosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most devastating surprise attack in American history.


Ain't that strange? WE haven't been able to rebuild the WTC in nine years....hmmm, ever wonder why? The owner of the buildings got his billions in insurance money only months after having it re-insured for terrorist attacks. So where is our supposed American pride? We should have had the building re-built years ago just to rub the bad guys noses in it. Can you say economic stimulus? Finishing this site might do the trick as a focal point and closure of a wound for most Americans.

I hate to mention this, but the site for the cultural center is a full two blocks from the WTC site. Overlooking? When the buildings stood there, maybe but not now. In actuality, you  can't even see the WTC site from the proposed cultural center site. It's a 10 minute walk.


Finally where is the money coming from? The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources. America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.
No mosque.
No self deception.
No surrender.
The time to take a stand is now - at this site on this issue.

Well, go ahead there spunky, let's see you break out your tax return and show it to the world. Although, it may be in Cordoba House's best interest to shut these people up to do just that. The only part of America that is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive is those of you who watch FOX. They as a media outlet sell the most fear of any of the lot. Oh, and good luck with the No surrender, by the looks of things you already have surrendered. I can also spell deception with three letters. That would be F O X.

Be afraid, Mr. White Guy. They're coming to take your stuff away. The only person that is being deceived is yourself. We are a country of many nationalities, to single one out, is well, racist and bigoted. So go ahead, take your stand, we know where you're standing and it ain't pretty. 

As you can see, spin is fully at work in the above article. Spin it and look for the bad guy. The article as a whole does what it needs to do by stirring emotion. Let's get'em worked up about this so they'll be afraid. Then we have a bad guy. Then we have a loyal viewer. Remember, according to literal neo-con theory there has to be a bad guy (read good vs. evil, black & white, ying and yang, etc.) to use as the glue to hold society together. This will give you a good idea of where our country is at the current moment in time. It's like falling into a political black-hole. Who knows if we'll survive or come out the other end completely changed as a nation. One thing for sure we are changing as a nation. The polarization is changing also. Those damned Independent voters throw a curve at everything, especially when you can get them out to vote. You go, America!

Re-Definition of the Media

OK, this is my blog so I'm going to take a side here. Because I have to. Trying to get truthful information from the mainstream media is now not possible without some sort of skew. Let me define "mainstream" before I go any further. That would be the three original major networks (NBC, ABC and CBS) news organizations (NOT their entertainment divisions, that's a whole different subject) and all their affiliates and cable channels and, of course, not to forget FOX News and the propaganda machine that it is.

So IMHO here's what has happened to our so called "liberal" media. Dare I say it? They should now be called "conservative" media. Because all mainstream media is now leaning right. If they were leaning left before this point it was for the reason of morals and the power in the editorial department of each network.

They believed in the voting power of middle-class America. After all, they were the 5th estate, responsible for watch-dogging the government and presenting the truth to the American people. We saw how that worked during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War when those events were brought into our living rooms without a 24/7 string of opinion stories surrounding them. We were shocked at the way events looked when brought to us directly, right into our living rooms. More importantly, with journalistic integrity.

What the networks have found out is that FOX has won. Period. It started when they got their man appointed in 2001 and in the following nine years has gained so much strength that they influence 25% of the electorate directly. That's a huge amount of people. It's like the number of Americans who still smoke cigarettes. At this point it's not if FOX is taking talking points from the Republican Party. It is more like, FOX can now dictate  policy to the Republican Party through its network personalities. Now that FOX is so strongly entrenched it will be impossible for anyone or anybody to dethrone them. You see, even if they "make-up" a story it will become truth. The reason is as pure as the word propaganda itself. Tell the lie long enough and as many times as it takes and it will become the truth to those who see and hear it. It becomes so much of the truth that the other news networks parrot the lie they've reported. It's like spreading a computer virus. Like a virus, this lie is wrapped in a grain of truth to give it that appearance. Once in the system, you'll spend a long time getting it out. Try to dis-prove them and they call you a liar and wave an American flag in your face while doing it.

You don't have to be that smart to figure-out why media fell out-of-love with the people and in-love with Corporate America. It's all about the money.  At this moment in time, the right has the money, with all that corporate backing and Supreme Court legitimacy to buy who or what they want in Washington. They even have the Democrats sniping among themselves. Talk about successful marketing! Here's the other really sad part to this story. Once the lie has been promulgated and becomes pseudo truth the loyalty of their own beliefs lock them into believing that very same lie to the bitter end, even past the end. It is their truth, no matter how it is dis-proven.

This also applies to the Journalists. They are too preoccupied with making money, that "the truth" doesn't even matter, as long as it has a dollar sign after it. That said, even real Journalists seem a bit out-of-touch with mainstream America. The reason is because they too are effected by the economy. If you're at a level if influence within the media industry then you're making well over 250K per year and the little guy is someone who lived in your past that you'd rather forget. If you're not at that level then you're just trying to keep your job.

And how rapidly they tend to forget facts or bend it to match their agenda. 10 years ago it was a travesty of the constitution for the left to say anything "bad" (sort of directed toward them) about the right. But the right is supposed to "get away" with insulting the President (how 'bout the "You Lie" remark during the State of the Union address) and no repercussions? WTF?

Enough is enough. At this point, I'm entirely OUT of ideas (much like the Republicans tend to be on any given subject) on how to fix the partisan media mess we've been left with. That said, anybody got any ideas on how to fix this  mess without causing riots in the street? Or for that matter, causing a bunch of hate spam here?

UnVeiling the Truth

Visual.....streets of Terhan, Iran. Lots of people milling around. More women than men. From a western point-of-view a perfectly normal day. All the ladies are lookin' mighty fine in their finery......

Cut to the same street only all the women are wearing Burk-as. Ah, the difference in cultures.

Let me explain why I spoke so high and mighty in my last blog about emotion. Because the world has gone freakin' crazy over emotion. Let’s take American Idol for instance. Opps, I’ll have to start and Entertainment Blog for that….back on subject.  Why is there all this strife, hate, killing and war in the Middle-East and Asia? The explanation is easier than you think!

Let me get straight to the point. It's about the difference in their women and our women. Who those women are and the way they are treated by men, in general. If someone told you that your woman's rights were being taken away, would you be willing to die for that belief? This of course is based on which side of the political spectrum you reside. Their women, and only a few of them know the pleasures of a western way of life and the utter freedom it brings with it is a by-product of the "right to choose", particularly what you buy.

Some people say (egad, that is such an ubiquitous phrase, where have I heard it before?) that is the causality for these so called Islamic wars. The west and all of  its corporate conglomerates have imagery of women and our concept of what fashion sees as their perception of the perfect woman. I'm sure some of my female friends would agree that particular perception is as false as believing in the perfect man. Neither exist.

That said, then does all this boil down to a belief in freedom of choice or religion? Somewhere in their personal Islamic belief system is the precept of believing that women are inferior or, at least, not as smart, wise or equal, just because their female. That's it's okay to treat them any way your male heart desires. This is the ultimate version of Chauvinism. It is their belief. Is it their right to die for it? You bet. Because trying to make their women like ours, is betraying their religious beliefs. The real definition here is "Islam against Corporate America". Corporate America really wants that huge untapped market place to plunder as they have plundered all others and here’s one that might actually have oil and money. Get those women out of those Burk-as and into the fashion they're pushing at the moment. Someone else has a design on Islam as a place or market, but who’s going to get there first is the question.

Islam sees this westernization a moral affront to their religion and beliefs. One of those beliefs is the way they can treat their women. But then, how much do you let your religion stroke the beliefs of your politics. If you do, then you become a minority radical of that belief.

Islam literally means "submission (to God)." Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of life is to worship God. I think life has a more profound meaning than that but that could be just me. Here's the part that bothers me the most. Of the three major religions, Christian, Muslim and Jew, all three of them actually worship the SAME God. The God of Abraham is worshiped by all three. It's like saying "my God is better than your God but they're the same God". What? Talk about nonsense. So you see, our differences aren't about religion or God, our differences are about application of which religion you emotionally believe is real. What makes it crazy is that both sides are dying and fighting over the realm of the SAME God and how that God wants you to treat your woman.

I think John Lennon put it the best....Imagine. Insert lyrics here.

Intellect on Hold and Introducing the Congressional Reform Act of 2010

Why is it that when it comes to politics or religion we as humans have to put our intellect on hold? Generally, we are smart people. But as of late we are being divided by the political forces of the media. Our country right now is more divided than it has ever been. We have he "haves" and the "have nots". Defined as those who make more than 250K per year and those who don't.

What really bothers me is the "have nots" who feel they have to follow the "haves". What is it in their values that they are following? It can't be their skills or they too would be making that kind of money. The answer is, it's emotion. Logic goes completely out the window when emotion comes into play. When someone feels so strongly about something they tend to put logic and their own intelligence aside. I believe that even News reporters are doing this these days. It used to be a reporter had to dispassionately report the facts, and nothing but the facts. Who, what, when, where and why were the tenants of journalism. Those five W's make for just too short a story these days. The only way to increase the story size is to opinionize.

The reporting of what is going on in congress is more opinion now than it ever was. What really makes things worse is these reporters really believe the story is in Congress. It isn't. It's on "K" street. "K" Street is the place where lobbyists are usually headquartered. For those of you who don't know, what do you think a congressman does when he is voted out of office or retires from office. They are usually recruited by "K" Street people because of their knowledge of the inner workings of Congress.  Not to mention the people on the inside that they know. Here's a small fact you may not know. In 1966 the number of lobbyists on "K" Street was approximately 3000, it has been estimated that there are now approximately 30,000 of these people working Congress. 30,000 K Street people convincing 545 Congressional people. Do you see the disparity here. And they're just not working Congress, I'm thinking every other form or government is being hit on too.

What we really need is the below. Good luck in getting it enacted. It would take a majority of Congress to make it happen. The guys on "K" Street would go bananas at just the mention of this. The reality, America, is this is what it is really going to take. This was supplied to me by a conservative friend of mine. We don't agree on many things but this was definitely one of them that we did. Feel free to cut-and-paste and e-mail it to anyone you wish. The more this goes around the better.

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms.

2.  No Tenure / No Pension:  A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 

3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately.  All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.
 

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.
 

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.
 

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. 

The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career..  The Founding Fathers envisioned  citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.