Thanks to Christy Hardin Smith at Firedoglake

———

Thank you so much. [Lots of applause.] Thank you everybody.

To Chairman Dean and my great friend, Dick Durbin, and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation. With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination to run for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and an inspiration to my daughters and yours, Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Bill Clinton, who made last night the case for change as only he can make it.

To Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service. And to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the greatest statesment of our time, who is at eas with world leaders and the Amtrak train conductor.

And to the love of my life, Michelle Obama. And to Malia and Sasha, I am so proud of you.

On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

Now…let me…let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we’ll also hear about those occasions when he’s broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives on health care, education the economy, John McCain has been anything but independent….He said one of the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisers who wrote his economic plan said we were just suffering from a mental recession and had become a “nation of whiners.” Tell that to the proud auto workers who, after they found out their plant was closing, kept showing up for work for weeks because folks depended on the brakes they made.

Tell that to soldiers and families who say goodbye to them for another tour of duty, who serve without complaining, that they are a nation of whiners.

How else could Sen. McCain define middle class as someone who makes under $5 million a year….Or an education plan that doesn’t educate, or a retirement plan that privatizes social security. It’s not that john McCain doesn’t care — he just doesn’t get it. He subscribes to that old GOP philosophy — give to the rich and hope it trickles down. The market will take care of everything. They call this “the ownership society” — what it really means is “you are on your own.” Pull yourself up by your boots — even if you don’t have any boots, you are on your own.

It’s time for us to change this. And that’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put away a little extra money at the end of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President – when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job – an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great – a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

I see my grandfather, who enlisted young, marched in Patton’s army, and then returned to get his degree on the GI Bill. I see my mother who, even though she sometimes had to rely on food stamps, was able to finish college and send us to the best schools. I see that in people I’ve met around the country. When I hear about a woman starting her own business, I think about my grandmother — who was passed over promotions because she was a woman. She gave up getting a new dress or shoes to put food on the table for me — she poured everything she had into me, and I know she is watching today….

I don’t know what kind of lives that John McCain thinks celebrities lead — but these are my heroes, this has been my life. And I intend to live up to their expectations of me.

…Ours is a promise that says, government cannot solve all our problems, but should protect us from harm, keep our water clean and our toys safe, invest in new roads, and technologies. It should help us, not hurt us. It should insure opportunity for every American who is willing to work. We are responsible for ourselves, but we rise and fall as one nation. I am my brother’s keeper.

That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high- tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will…listen now…cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We will do this.

Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and, by the way, John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil that we had on the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.

…It will take nothing less than a global education. Michelle and I are here because we got a good education. And I will not settle for an America where every child does not have that chance. I’ll recruit an army of new teachers, and require accountability and good results. And will make this proise — if you commit to serving your community, you will be able to afford a college education.

Now is the time for affordable health care for every American. If you have health care, you’ll be able to lower your premiums. And if you don’t have health care, you’ll get the same insurnace that members of Congress get. And, as someone who watched his mother argue with health insurers while she lay in bed dying of cancer, we will protect those who need it most.

Now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day’s work, because I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money. Which is why I’ve paid out how I will pay for every dime. Close corporate loopholes and also go throug the federal budget line by line — because we cannot meet 21stcentury problems with a 20th century bureaucracy.

We must recover what JFK called our intellectual and moral strength. We must all find ways to make our homes and businesses better. To reach out to people who get into trouble. That government cannot substitute for parents — make kids do homework, etc.

Mutual responsibility and governmental responsibility. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to become the next president of the United States, that’s a debate I am ready to have. For while Sen. McCain was turning his sights to Iraq, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing it would distract us from the difficulties we face. When McCain wanted to turn from Afghanistan, I made clear that we needed to do better.

John MCCain says that he wants to follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives.

…Iraq surplus…we need a president who will face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the President of the past. (sorry, sneezing and missed this)

…That is not the change that America needs.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans – have built, and we are to restore that legacy.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And int he weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain. But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. One of the things we need to get past in this country is to claim that people cannot be patriotic because they disagree with us. That is wrong.

Patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who have fought for this nation may have been Republicans, Democrats or Independents.

They ahve not served a red America or a blue America — they ahve served the United States of America.

So I have news for you, John MCCain — we ALL put our country first. We need to castoff the worn out ideas and [politics of the past. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose — and that’s what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on the need to reduce unwanted pregnancies. We may not agree on gun issues — but surely we can agree about keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. We may not agree on gay marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay brothers and sisters should be allowed to visit loved ones in the hospital or live lives without discrimination….

I know there are those who dismiss those beliefs as “happy talk.” Just a trojan horse for “higher taxes” or :”destroying traditional values.” Because if you have no ideas, you scare people and paint your opponent as something to run from.

You take a big election and paint it as something small. When your hopes have been dashed, it’s best to stop hoping and settle for what you know.

I realize I’m not the typical candidate for this office, I don’t have the typlical pedigree. But what the naysayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me — it’s about you. For eighteen long months, you have stood up and said enough to the politics of the past. You have shown what history teachesus — at defining moments like this one, changes doesn’t come from Washington, changes comes to Washington.

Change comes because the American people demand it. Because they rise up and insist on new leadership, on new politcs for better times. Change is going to come, because I’ve seen it and I’ve lived it. In Illinois…. In Washington….

And I’ve seen it in this campaign, in the young people who votedfor the first time, and int he young at heart who got involved again. And in Repulicans who never thought they’d pick up a Democratic ballot — but they did.

With neighbors who would take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the water rises.

We have the strongest military in the world, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities are tne envy of the world, but that’s not what makes us smarter. What is better is around the bend — that promise has led immigrants to cross oceans, and pioneers to move west, and to make women reach for the ballot box. And 45 years ago today, that promise brought Americans to the mall in Washington to hear a young preacher from georgia speak of his dream. People in America could have heard anger or submission — but what they heard instead is that, in America, our destiny is inextricibly linked. That our dreams are not alone.

We cannot turn back. America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done, with so many children to educate, with so many veterans to care for, and so many lives to mend. We cannot turn back, we cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must walk into the future and keep hold to the future.

And in the words of the scripture, hold firmly…. Thank you.

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Politics at 12:15 AM MDT No Comments 

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Politics at 6:00 PM MDT 1 Comment 

Superb McCain / Paris editorial cartoon.

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Humor, Musings, Politics at 11:07 PM MDT No Comments 

This page loads slowly, so be patient!
You can also go to Flickr and view it.

Posted by admin as People, Photos at 10:01 PM MDT No Comments 

From my cousin Joe in PA:

Les saves the girls from a poisonous snake

While camping in the Adirondacks last week, a rattler made the mistake of landing on our campsite. He learned real quick, you don’t mess with my Dad. Even at 79, he’s a force to be reckoned with!

My uncle Les is such a man. The passage of time has not dimmed his fire one bit.
God how I love him.

Les Walsh, 2008 - Man among men!

Les STILL gets all the girls!

Thanks for the great story and pix Joe!

Posted by admin as Family at 9:14 PM MDT No Comments 

by Mary Pitt

This morning, August 18th, the news was blaring from CNN and MSNBC: Donald Trump Bails Out Ed McMahon! The story that followed told us that poor ole Ed had fallen ill, was having a hard time financially and was in danger of losing his home. Now, I do not lack for sympathy for this poor man who had such an illustrious and munificent career and who can, even now, be seen on commercial television hawking insurance for oldsters so that they will not be devastated by one of the lingering illnesses that we oldster are prone to develop.

However, can we broaden our view a bit to take in the larger scene? It is all well for a “somebody” to have a friend like Mr. Trump who is able and will ride to the rescue. But this country is full of “nobodies”, (like yours truly), who suffer long illnesses in our old age, who are willing to work as much as prospective employers will allow, and whose homes and very lives depend on our fiscal savvy and our ability to scrimp to live within our limited inscome.

I am sure that most of us receive a stipend from Social Security and parts of our medical expenses are covered by Medicare just as, I am sure, are Mr. McMahon’s. Please note that I said “parts” of our medical care. It is the other “parts” that throw us into crisis. Every new year calls for a new “deductible”, an amount that we must pay out of pocket before Medicare pays a penny. Then we run into “co-payments”, the twenty per cent of the medical bills that Medicare considers necessary. Medicare also sets limits on the length of allowed hospital stays based on the illness or accident that sends us there, This means that, if we are not sufficiently recovered within that time period, we must be booted out anyway, usually through accessing “rehabilitation” or nursing home care. This, of course, is not covered by Medicare.

In that event, one must apply for Medicaid for assistance. This means that we must be qualified for welfare. Our home may be exempt so long as there is any hope that we can someday return there to live. However, there is a limit on the value of the home that can be exempted. Any other income must also be declared and proven, meaning that any pension must also be paid to the nursing home as it comes in, savings must all be spent for the needed care, saving only a small amount which your state believes will pay for cremation and a very modest funeral. Any real property other than your residence, i.e. a rental house, a fishing cabin, or a summer home, must be sold at appraised price and spent for the necessary care as well as that second car that you have left in the garage since the passing of your lifemate.

Now, all this paper work and real estate dealing will require active participation and you will be urged to name a “conservator” who will then become your keeper, able to sign legal papers for you, to transfer your property, and to determine where and how you spend the rest of your days. It will be the end of your treasured independence and you will have no choice but to spend your precious time in the midst of atrangers, marching to the cranky orders and to walk or wheel yourself to the ordered place at the pre-determined time.

There will be no White Knight, no Donald Trump to ride to your rescue. You may have children but they have children and other expenses as they try assiduously to prepare for their own old age so they won’t suffer as badly as you. There may be nice visits for a while and they may really care but life has a way of crowding out our better impulses and pushing things out of our minds. Be honest; we did it too.

It is wonderful to see one of our “heroes” rescued from being tossed onto the trash heap of time but those of us down here in the filthy trenches of humanity can only hope that this tearful story can be used to draw attention to the plights of too many of us and encourage people, particularly our politicians, to realize that the system is broken. The deductibles and co-payments were designed to discourage us from accessing the great boon that Medicare was meant to be. Sure, there is Medicare Supplement Insurance and many insurance companies will sell you a policy that will cost you a mere ten per cent or so of the amount you receive after Medicare Part B and Part D are deducted. But, again we have to weight the benefits of paying that premium or buying adequate food for a healthy diet.

With the election season upon us and a new President preparing to assume his duties, we have this one last chance to make a decision as to who will take the poor, the elderly, and the children of our nation into account and act on a determination to see that we have “health care, not sickness care”.

The author is a very “with-it” old lady who aspires to bring a bit of truth, justice, and common sense to a nation that has lost touch with its humanity in the search for “societal perfection”.

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Guest Bloggers, Politics at 9:05 PM MDT No Comments 

George Kinney on Electric Politics. Superb! His intro hits it squarely on the head. He describes Republicans as ‘the Militantly Stupid’.

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Politics at 11:07 PM MDT No Comments 

http://www.vimeo.com/1340684

Posted by admin as Clips at 2:19 AM MDT No Comments 

One of my favorite political bloggers, Bob Geiger is back from hiatus.

I can’t wait. He takes the Congressional Record and makes it read like a Tom Clancy novel (laced with sex and intrigue so… actually… even BETTER).

Go Bob. GO.

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Politics at 8:37 PM MDT No Comments 

By Vincent L. Guarisco 16 August, 2008 Countercurrents.org

‘Why would all 110 stories drop straight down to the ground in about 10 seconds, pulverizing the contents into dust and ash - twice. Why would all 47 stories of WTC 7 fall straight down to the ground in about seven seconds the same day? It was not struck by any aircraft or engulfed in any fire. An independent investigation is justified for all three collapses including the surviving steel samples and the composition of the dust.’ ~Ronald H. Brookman, structural engineer, with a masters degree in Engineering from UC Davis

‘Photos of the steel, evidence about how the buildings collapsed, the unexplainable collapse of WTC 7, evidence of thermite in the debris as well as several other red flags, are quite troubling indications of well planned and controlled demolition.’ ~Kamal S. Obeid, structural engineer, with a masters degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley

Here we are once again at an early threshold of another anniversary marking the seventh consecutive year that the Project for the New American Century boys (the architects), and the Bush administration (the perpetrators) of September 11, 2001 attacks, are still walking free among us, holding the mighty reigns of power within the construct of our own mundane borders. And just like the previous six years, justice seems to be a difficult task for bringing the guilty ones to trial. But eventually, the cretins will get what they deserve. As a nation weeping from immeasurable pain and loss, we deserve nothing less. Our recoil from the many injustices will only increase our tenacity for redemption and, as we turn the page to the next chapter, we must ensure it is devoid of this mafia’s presence.

I now understand how special prosecutor Jim Garrison felt so many years ago when he tried to expose the guilty culprits who assassinated John F. Kennedy. Well, I’m here to say that Mr. Garrison is one-up on us. At least during the Warren commission proceedings (inadequate hearings he later condemned), he got a little more satisfaction when he was afforded the right to question his suspects ‘under oath.’ Even though justice was never served in any real sense — Garrison’s brother later got murdered too, along with Martin Luther King and others — one fact remains. Garrison’s ability to get some of evildoers ‘on-record’ gave the whole affair a small degree of credibility for historical purposes, and preserved the fundamental rule of law for interrogation — two things the Bush administration arrogantly rejects in this frightful day of presidential oligarchy.

Yes, our Commander in Chief, the unpopular dullard many in the world would love to stone, is trying to contain this nation’s worst treasonous crime and cover-up as he illegally claims ‘executive privilege,’ by not allowing congressional testimony to be given by those summoned within his own ranks. A slap in the face to all red-blooded Americans who watch with amazement as they try to avoid any incriminating missteps whatsoever. But, let’s get real — even if they did testify, I’m sure it would only consist of nothing more than a simple mish-mash of despotic double-speak laced with insulting euphemism pouring out of both sides of their pathetic faces.

This ugly display of ‘damage control’ seems to be a haughty life preserver for them to cling to. And one thing is for sure, they certainly do have tight lips on a shameful capsized ship. All are fools in shark-infested waters — fools who truly believe nothing will ever be realized in their lifetimes to prove their ineffable ways. And while I’m on the subject of unspeakable ‘lip service with a triangular tongue twist,’ we can never forget how the gauntlet fell awfully hard and fast when House Republicans went after Bill Clinton for simply getting a blowjob in the oval orifice. Unlike today’s sorry schism. All we get today is a different kind of sardonic head job, a ‘bittersweet nothingness.’ And we stand here, impatiently holding our hat. At least for now…

~A sad reminder of what It was like for the victims…

A reality check is sometimes necessary in order to recreate a crime scene in true human form. In order to fully grasp the severity of that horrible September day, we must place ourselves in the victims’ shoes. How can we even begin to imagine what it must have been like for the victims on that horrible day? Thousands of unsuspecting people innocently showing up for a normal work day only to be relentlessly pulverized — floor by floor — like sacrificial beef shoved into a descending meat grinder at free-fall speed. Hot steel shards tore them from limb to limb as the buildings were purposely rigged to demolish on top of them.

And let us not forget the brave and gallant efforts of exhausted fireman, police and paramedics, etc…running up seemingly endless stairways into disaster, armed with fire hoses, medical kits and other rescue equipment tucked under their tired and aching arms trying to save innocent lives as the devil’s pre-planted cutter charges unsparingly greeted them with demonic eruption snatching their lives in the blink of a thermite flash. Then afterwards, the mayor left them entombed to rot beneath the massive pile of rubble that was soon hauled off to the landfill as trash.

For those of you who do not know what thermite is — according to hundreds of experts not under the corrupt wing of the White House, it’s the type of explosive used to demolish the World Trade Center. That’s right, regardless of how they expeditiously tried to get rid of all the evidence, dust particles remained preserving crucial evidence containing trace elements of the stuff to unequivocally prove that planes did not cause the collapse.

I apologize for continuing this graphic description, but I feel compelled to extend my comments about those who suffered at the hands of our deceivers. Picture yourself 10,000 feet in the air strapped in a front row seat soaring at 300 plus miles per hour in a two-winged coffin of death. My God, can we even begin to imagine the unnerving confusion and horror that seared the minds of those who were aboard those hijacked planes digging their nails into the armrests as they watched their planes veer off course? It’s inconceivable to fathom the extreme terror they must have felt when they entertained what was happening — what would happen next. All trapped in limbo, without hope, paralyzed for what must of seemed like a hellish eternity as their end drew closer. Eventually, realizing for sure the executioners’ true intent as the killers heartlessly banked — then nose-dived — their planes into the most horrendous nightmare our nation has ever seen.

Adding insult to injury, all New York residents were put at risk when they were falsely told by the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) the air was safe to breath (sic). So many illnesses are encountered even today as New York City residents suffer progressive health problems from ingesting the massive amounts of atomized carcinogens floating in the air on that fateful day, and in the aftermath of what had happened. Sadly, it’s beyond our ability to track the real numbers accurately. And for those of us who live far away from this epicenter of misery, we are affected too…an entire nation forever doomed to suffer post traumatic stress disorder as we relive this horrific crime, time and again.

On many countless nights over the years I am living proof of psychological effects as I am unable to sleep when I imagine how those poor lost souls drew their last earthly breath as they vainly begged for mercy at the hands of those without any remorse. It’s always the same for me, I usually drift away in the early morning hours with a slight glimmer of hope that the killers may have pumped some sort of sleeping gas into the planes rendering them unconscious before they really knew what hit them. The other scenario is too horrible to imagine in these turbulent days of restless woe.

~A CIA sponsored boogeyman named ‘Osama Bin Laden’

In retrospect, not everyone has been needlessly killing innocent civilians and crudely sacrificing brave military souls for a bogus invasion that never should been happened while chasing our tail in Afghan caves with the so called ‘War on Terror’ (sic). A useless war of choice willfully created by a US Supreme Court-appointed madman hunting down Osama Bin Laden, his new modern day ‘Patsy.’ Like those before him, such as Lee Harvey Oswald and others, bin Laden is a ‘fall guy’ who takes the heat — gets the blame. And with the many profitable perks promised to those doing business with the merchants of death, is it any wonder this fiasco is still playing out? Nation building, privatized troop support, poppy fields for the drug trade industry and oil pipelines for petroleum barons, etc., are but a few of the enterprises that elevated many simpletons with dollar daisies sprouting in their pocketbooks. All unremorseful of how we got there or when we will shall leave.

Amongst the madness, many professional scholars for truth http://911scholars.org/ with the best minds assembled have been working overtime to unlock this 21st Century mystery in real terms. Although, I do love to entertain one amazing hypothetical point: if US smart bombs could tell tales, might we learn a thing or two from talking shrapnel? Yeah, I’d place a heavy handed bet (with favorable odds) that OBL may have a few ounces of metal-shards rattling around in his decomposing corpse after we probably blew him up years ago. Oops, bite my tongue, you don’t suppose we’ve been chasing a ‘ghost’ all these years? Have we? Well, you gotta love to hate those sneaky CIA-sponsored hate objects. Dead or alive, a good believable ’spook’ sure gets the ol’ prep-rally factor motivated for moving those daddy war bucks into the war chest for a profitable conflict.

In romancing the stone further, I wonder how many OBL lookalikes are really out there reading scripts and doing videos as this live reality show unfolds? Yeah, and some of the tricky Islamo-terrorist actors even wear expensive jewelry no less (a taboo for real Muslims). Whew, now that’s what I call real ‘Hollywar’ entertainment! And nothing keeps the machete swinging faster than us getting bamboozled watching bogus ‘Nick Berg’ execution video where, if you watch very closely, his head rolls like a low budget B-flick. Oh, I’m sure he lost it, God rest his soul, but certainly not by those they tried to portray in that sick dramatization played time and again on the internet. I would only add, after considering all the handsomely paid Blackwater mercenaries running around, and the many CIA-Ops and Mossad agents dug in and around Iraq with wonderful Arabian suntans (most of whom are on the payroll) is it really that hard to figure out? Indeed most have a vested interest in trying to keep the American hate in full bloom to secure longer contracts for this or that, or for serving other interior motives. Yes, I’m sure most could easily pass for someone of Arab descent with a little makeup, the right clothes, and a cool headdress. Think about it…

~The Anthrax letters

After all that has transpired, we would have to be uniquely inept to not remotely suspect that the anthrax letters played a vital role in fanning D.C. unrest. Just at a time when certain select House members were offering a little resistance to passing the egregious ‘Patriot Act,’ these powdered jewels ended up in a few unsuspecting mailboxes. Even though Democratic Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy did not get a whiff of the deadly stuff, as intended, the scare alone sent a powerful message to everybody involved — they had better fall in line behind those who willfully stripped us of our Constitutional Rights. And, did you notice how more letters magically appeared, right on cue, effectively shutting down the US Supreme Court just before the Patriot Act may have been scrutinized? Funny how shit like this happens. And let us not forget that the chemical itself was later determined to be a traceable strain of weapons-grade material manufactured in a lab at Fort Detrick, Md., north of Washington.

In addition, just recently (2008), it’s equally amazing how one guy, Steven J. Hatfill, a former scientist who worked at the lab and a ‘person of interest’ to then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft’s pithy investigation, who was suing the government for being harassed for years and was dubiously dubbed by the media to be the lone ‘mad scientist’ — suddenly was let off the hook. Although his job, his reputation and his life were destroyed, Hatfill walked away with more than $5 million and a ’sorry ’bout that’ wave of the hand.

And, just as suddenly, we were told the real culprit, scientist Bruce Ivins, also working at Fort Detrick, committed suicide upon learning the goons were closing in on him. How sweet. Logic snaps to mind — dead men tell no tales when jackboots are eliminating loose ends just before this administration folds its tent. Gee, I wonder, if poor Bruce could drop us a message-in-the-bottle from purgatory, would he offer us some additional insight on who his next bunk buddies will be?

~The media’s role in all of this

Is it any wonder we remain pessimistic with everything that has happened? We distrust our news media for damn good reasons. But in order to stay focused, we must continue to know their propaganda is an elaborate con game. In truth, these public liars are business partners with those who continue to murder with impunity, all heavily invested in defense corporations on Wall Street. Make no mistake, most talking heads and silly pundits are mere puppet clowns jumping hoops and climbing ladders for a paycheck signed in blood as they deliver ‘Oscar’ performances for their mind-bending circus acts. Bottom line — the best thing to do is bring others into the realm of informative alternative news sources (on the internet). A sober reality worth inviting, so we can avoid the pernicious rhetoric that has come to be mainstream news. It truly is a breath of fresh air to throw away the rumblings of tinsel-town performers.

And we can do something else too, let’s quickly boycott all of the culprits’ sponsors. It’s the least we can do as wise, educated consumers who have been severely screwed over. I, for one, refuse to support those who would readily sell their own mothers on a street corner for a dime if they thought it would pull them out of the gutter to ease their shameful existence. I invite you to join me.. Indeed, we must not pay for their half truths, no truths and seditious silence for the many unreported smoking guns they have ignored that makes Nixon’s Watergate pale by comparison. If we remain resolute, we can defy their behavior-modification tyranny that tries to keep us docile, stupid and compliant.

I say get rebellious with our middle finger extended high as we pass along the secrets they try to conceal. To do anything less is mere cowardice or denial with ramifications that extend far beyond our own borders leaving our neighbors vulnerable with a massive nuclear arsenal pointed their way. Having said that, I can not stress enough, a single day should not go by without all of us doing everything we can to inform others of what the heck is going on. Get involved, or get ready to reap a methodical whirlwind that promises to deliver more progressive death and destruction.

~The real lesson of World War II

You be the judge. For me, it’s hands down. I now understand how my parents’ generation felt totally betrayed by the anomalies surrounding the Pearl Harbor massacre. It would seem that history has conveniently forgotten to mention the insurmountable amount of suspicion many folks had in how the Japanese magically made it through all of our defenses, including the watchful eyes of many strategically placed Island-spotters armed with radio transmitters throughout Midway, our radar technology, etc. We were told the Japanese slipped through unnoticed and — voila — quickly obliterated our destroyers and submarine fleet at port. My, my…how history loves to glorify this official fairytale they quantified for decades. Sound familiar? God forbid, if we should ever question or tarnish the official explanation of WWII or say, September 11, 2001? Nope, no apologizes are offered in my humble journey into the abyss for truth. Indeed, everything is subject to public scrutiny and as true patriotic Americans, it’s our duty to do so in our daily routine.

My father, Anthony Guarisco, a Navy seaman who served valiantly in the South Pacific during World War II and Korea, never wavered throughout his entire life in his belief that Pearl Harbor was purposely allowed to happen by the power brokers of his day. Just as many others, he said they did this so the US could squarely plant both feet into that war and send a harsh nuclear message to its communist enemy in the Soviet Union. He also told me something else very interesting. He said he first suspected something was dreadfully wrong when his commanders suspiciously ordered the ‘entire aircraft carrier fleet’ to leave port just before the attack occurred. He said the admirals of his day knew full well — as long as they had their precious aircraft carrier division still intact — they could win the war they so callously desired.

For over 50 years, my father’s eyes welled-up every time he spoke about this. He was truly heart broken and became physically nauseated each time he was reminded of how the military brass of his day shrewdly allowed all those brave men and women to die an unsuspecting death — like ducks sitting in a carnival shooting gallery.

We can all agree, as my father did, that WWII needed to be fought in order to stop Hitler. But he also admitted the only reason the Japanese attacked us in the first place was because our submarine fleet, as well as British fleets, were bombing Japan’s oil tankers in Burma. Remember that Japan depended solely on its imported oil for virtually all of its energy needs. Also note, our submarine fleet was the first target to be destroyed during the initial attack. And for those who may question my father’s credibility, I invite you to review a tribute I recently published honoring my parent’s many accomplishments in life. Especially, read their impressive bio: http://www.strike-the-root.com/81/
guarisco/guarisco1.html

~Remembering the bombing of Japan

Even as I write this essay way ahead of schedule (in August) to mark the coming anniversary of September 11, 2001, I want to point out that August 6 and August 9 are two dreadful days to mark on our calendar as well. Sixty-three years ago in 1945, Harry S. Truman insanely dropped two nuclear bombs, named Little Boy and Fat Man, on ‘civilian’ targets, destroying Japan and thus ending WWII. A sober irony to reminisce as my fingers rattle across this keyboard with goose-bumps protruding across my skin.

For sure, let us never forget what we did. It took less than 2.1 seconds for our past heartless warmongers to wipe-out more than 140,000 human beings in the blink of an eye. Truman’s gift was one that kept on giving. Another 80,000 dead by the end of the year and, If you consider the many illnesses related to radiation exposure over six decades, the casualties could easily be in the millions. My God, how can we look into a mirror knowing what we did? How can we gleefully watch this insane administration attempt to justify more bombing campaigns in the Middle East? I would add, the nuclear option is not off the table for Iran, Pakistan, Syria and others. As a final note, I wonder how many lives would be spared if all those oil wells in distant desert sands only pumped ’sea water’? Hmmm…

~The Vietnam War

Does the word ‘false-flag’ operation mean anything to you? I suggest you quickly do some research on the many suspicious anomalies surrounding the ‘Gulf of Tonkin’ incident that gave us the Vietnam War. In 2005, an official declassified National Security Agency (NSA) report revealed that the attack on the USS Maddox was not North Vietnamese boats. But yet, President Lyndon B. Johnson used that incident as the catalyst to launch the war. Thus, a huge jungle eulogy was given to the American public producing a Vietnam Memorial Wall containing more than 58,000 names etched on its haunting surface. I ask you this, how many times — how many more times — are we going to be fooled?

~The first Gulf War

Or we could examine how the bullshit artists convinced us how those poor, defenseless Iraqi incubator babies were heartlessly thrown to a cold, filthy concrete floor to die. A big damn lie that helped George senior sell the first Gulf war to the American public. That’s right, it never happened. It was all a big elaborate hoax. A Kuwaiti public relations (PR) firm manufactured the whole affair, hiring an actress who later was determined to be a diplomat’s daughter, to dramatize the lie as real.

News outlets continuously ran with it on TV to get everyone all hyped-up for war. And to seal the deal, a clever mon-senior pushed his crown jewel by covertly tricking CIA-sponsored insurgent forces to invade Kuwait in what they thought was a green light with the blessings of the Almighty. Unfortunately, they learned, too late, that they had been betrayed. They were brutally squashed by our forces who played the role of heroes coming to the rescue. Indeed, I guess it’s safe to say, ‘Junior’ is a chip off the old ‘Senior’ block. Do we see a pattern here?

~Will the Cycle of War Ever be Stopped?

This is the multi-zillion dollar question that should be considered a bargain when compared to the value of life itself. I ask again, will this madness ever end? Truly, will we ever stop believing pathological liars who will say anything to germinate a conflict? In the real world, war has always been a profitable ’spectator sport’ for those who embellish themselves in power and greed. Old crusty men will always send our young, innocent, and brave men and women off to fight and die in useless wars that, realistically, do not need to be fought. And by God, I mean it, this repeated cycle of madness must end once and for all. Otherwise, we will continue to be placed in harm’s way — mere pawns scurrying about as feeble toys to be manipulated by old crusty geopolitical chess masters like Dick Cheney and others who have been destroying and displacing lives for decades.

I apologize for such a disheartening, lengthy read, but felt it was critical to point-out the obvious known examples that have catapulted us into our present day dilemma. Sadly, I have barely scratched the surface of many infernal obfuscations that have chilled our bones from the very beginning of our country’s birth. From the day that pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock and used smallpox as bio-warfare to weed-out Redskins, to the Native American death march that is the ‘Trail of Tears,’ to the slave owners who forced blacks to pick cotton in plantation fields, our nation’s history is ghastly; it is replete with terrible memories.

However, if you want to understand a little more about the horrible attacks of September 11, 2001, a good place to start is David Ray Griffin’s ‘The New Pearl Harbor,’ or perhaps his ‘Debunking 9/11 Debunking,’ or his latest, ‘9/11 Contradictions: An Open Letter to Congress and the Press — all of which lay out perfectly how our 21st Century wizards work their magic with cunning ability.

As I once wrote in a past article (worth a second round), isn’t it funny how life’s little ironies always seem to make the full circle? Truly, what goes around — comes around…

Freedom is like a hovering analogy-cloud that lingers above the mist that haunts those who fraudulently repress large populations of people in the name of national security. At first, the peasants embrace repression in order to remain safe, then they tolerate it to feel protected and, eventually they hate it. They become resentful of the protectors who enslave them and, in due time, will almost always revolt in disobedience. Freedom is a glorious boomerang — it’s a wondrous hive full of spiritual honey called ‘human nature’ that beckons the soul to be free — a natural elixir that will forever replenish itself regardless of fake promises of ’security.’ Even more so for those who have experienced it and then lost it — it will not be denied!

Well, today’s mendacious tyrants are no exception, they will meet this fate I speak of eventually…nobody, either good or bad, is immune from the grand test of time. Each of us will be remembered in our own proper context with a full measure of reconciliation administered to appease our collective memoir.

Good luck and God bless.

Vincent L Guarisco is a freelance writer from Bullhead City AZ., a contributing writer for many web sites, and a lifetime founding member of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans. Reprint permission is given as long as article content is not altered or changed and credit is given to the author. The 21st century, once so full of shining promise, now threatens to force countless millions of us at home and abroad into a dark abyss of languishing poverty and silent servitude; a lowly prodigy of painful struggle and suffering that could stream for generations to come. I’m wishing for a miracle, before it is too late, the masses will figure it out and will stand as one and roar. So, pass the word — it’s past time to take back what is ours — the American Dream where the pursuit of happiness, the ability to live in a free and peaceful nation is a reality. We bought it, and we paid for it. It’s time to take it back.. For replies, contact: vincespainting1@hotmail.com

Posted by admin as Discuss!, Guest Bloggers, Politics at 8:25 PM MDT 1 Comment