Despite the fact that he and his party suffered a sound defeat in the November elections, returning both houses of Congress to the opposing Democratic party; despite the fact that a clear majority of Americans have judged his policies (both domestically and) in Iraq to be abject failures; despite multiple assessments from military, intelligence, and diplomatic professional experts (who, by the way, have more experience collectively and individually than Bush will ever have) that say we need to be finding a way out of the Iraqi quagmire; despite the fact that Iraq is well past the smoldering stages of civil war; despite all these seemingly important hallmarks, the President has applied his hands to his ears and loudly proclaimed, “Lalalalalalala- I can’t hear you, I don’t care.”

Already surmised, Bush says he is increasing troop levels in Iraq, primarily in Baghdad (where the daily death count for Iraqi’s and Americans alike continues to increase) but also in Anbar province, the area he calls the al-Qaeda base in Iraq. At least 20,000 more American troops will be (re)deployed in pursuit of presidential folly. Adding more Americans troops will inflame the Iraqi population and keep providing excuses for the sectarian violence and death squad retributions that are increasingly out of control. American presence, widely viewed as an occupation force by Iraqi citizens, gives each side a reason to attack the other under the excuse of collaboration with America.

Also in the speech was the financial infusion Bush wants to send to Iraq in the form of untold and likely largely unaccounted for billions of dollars to rebuild what we have destroyed and to create Iraq jobs. The notion of a State Department oversight position to “ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq” is laughable considering this administrations (mis)handling of the billions spent so far. If Bush was serious about confronting or eliminating fraud and waste, he would have called for and created an independent (as in outside his administration and Congress) review panel. That he did not shows he still wants to keep real costs as close to the vest as possible as well as remaining able to control the flow of reconstruction information.

Those are the points we already expected to hear. But despite outward appearances, the President’s speech was less about restructuring the Iraq War and more about laying a long term, albeit subtle, escalation of warfare with the added benefit of further decimating the social compacts of America through the systematic squandering of American tax revenue on warfare and its associated costs. Also buried beneath the glossy exterior is the framework to further destabalize the Middle East, through the insistence that only through the adaption of American ideals can the world be safe.

Consider this from the President’s speech:

“We can begin by working together to increase the size of the active Army and Marine Corps, so that America has the armed forces we need for the 21st century.”

Aside from the costs of continued warfare in the Middle East, Bush plans to call for an increase in the military overall. Already the US spends more on its military than most countries combined. That we can scarcely afford our domestic obligations in the process seems to matter not, and indeed, this is a core concept in the neo-con efforts to scale down (bankrupt) government. As military spending continues to increase, at some point it will be necessary to place the costs of this war on the books. Add to that an increased force size, the rebuilding of materiel and equipment depleted, and the Bush plan to create a new generation of American nuclear weapons, and it becomes clear to see that military spending will not only dwarf domestic spending, but completely overshadow it to the point of irrelevance. Such a shift in government spending will have serious effects on the public institutions of health, education, justice, and poverty assistance. And as the military wing of the US government expands at the same time that social programs contract or disappear, the breakdown of the American social system will become more apparent, creating domestic problems and strife not seen in generations. If this happens fast enough (i.e. before Bush leaves office) look for an increase in a domestic police state under the guise of keeping order. But remember, it is all part of the plan.

I mentioned a framework being built that maps out the further destabilization of the Middle East:

“We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region.”

and

“Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity – and stabilizing the region in the face of the extremist challenge. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.”

These words, when combined with his calls for an increase in the military in general, seem clearly to point out where the tanks and planes are headed next. Make no mistake- Bush has every desire to extend the Iraqi War into these countries. He has been simply waiting for an opportunity. His rhetoric about Iranian nuclear intentions and capability have been consistently rebuffed by experts who say that Iraq is at least 7 years or more away froma viable nuclear weapon. In other words, plenty of time to try and work something out. But Bush, in classic ‘screw you’ form, has planted the seeds of war in those spoken words. By tying them in as material support for the foreign terrorists fighting in Iraq, Bush has laid down the gauntlet. If he goes forth as intended, expect to see border incursions and firefights at both the Syrian-Iraq and Iran-Iraq borders, with an eventual crossing of one or both by US troops. Such an escalation would only make matters far worse as nations divide and join sides.

And I mentioned the concept that Bush holds dear- that only American might, followed by exported American ideals, can bring true democracy to the world:

“We also need to examine ways to mobilize talented American civilians to deploy overseas – where they can help build democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from war and tyranny.”

No matter that much of the Middle East wants nothing to do with American culture and democracy, seeing how poorly it has been applied in Iraq and Afghanistan and watching how the vaunted American Rule of Law has been flaunted by our own elected eladers. Bush ignores all cultural reality and blindly surges ahead with the notion that the American way is the only way to go. What he really means though is that capitalism, controlled by the richest of the corporate giants and reaping trillions in profits off the backs of average human beings, is the only way to go. Unfortunately, a look at the capitalistic laissez-faire policies of the Bush administration has only served to expose the wicked underbelly of our way of life, showing the world that classic American values (values that were once respected and envied) like hard work, dedication, honesty, honor, trust, and fairness are no longer relevant in Bush’s America. What matters n
ow is money- get it, keep it, keep others from having it. The world, and inparticular the Islamic world, has seen that American export, and no amount of worldy advances are making them want to adopt our ever-corrupted way of life. No longer does the world see “a shining city on a hill” when they look to North America. Instead, they see a run down tenement with a seedy landlord at the door banging for the rent while the pipes drip endlessly on the floor.

For their part, the newly elected Democratic Congress is trying to put up road blocks to stop, or at least stall, some of the Bush proposals. Good for them. Frankly, this is why I voted for a federal Democratic ticket. I had no real illusions of them producing great reforms or legislation. I simply wanted them to slow down the Bush juggernaut. To what extent they intend to do so remains to be seen, but the Kennedy Bill in the Senate prohibiting increased funding for additional troops in Iraq is a start. For me, this Congress has a mandate, but it isn’t one of great social change. This congress must be a roadblock and holding effort until Bsh finally leaves town. If that is all they accomplish, I will consider them successful. If they manage to advance a progressive social domestic agenda as well, then it’s frosting on the cake.

Stripped of the rhetoric and flowery jargon, this has to be one of Bush’s scariest speeches to date. Not only does this speech continue to inflate the war in Iraq, it lays the groundwork for a militarized and financially strapped America and plants the seeds for wider military conflict, violence and death. It holds out scant promise for future generations of Americans if this path is followed, yet promises safety in the distant future. It catapults America towards a century of warfare and strife at a time when human endeavors should be better spent on finding new sources of energy, combatting preventable disease, and protecting our planet from our own excesses.

No doubt that the right side of the aisle will be bogged down in the patriotic nuances, the continued attempts to tie the Bush doctrine to the 9-11 attacks, and the overt and covert appeals to America’s narcisstic nature as greatest nation on Earth. No doubt that they will zero in on the mentions of Islamic terrorism connected to American security. But they will see little else in his words, hearing nothing but the words they are comfortable with. They will not dig past the shiny coating to see what lays beneath and the implications that lay ahead. And they will denounce those who write things like this essay as cowards or worse, as traitors. It is easier to denounce a critic than to reflect on ones own failures.

The President has set forth his goals and vision of the future of America, the Middle East, and perhaps the world. It is time now for the newly elected Congress to do the job they were put there to do. Slow down or stop the Bush juggernaut before its actions can cause any more havoc in the world. Bush’s ideas may look nice on paper, but in reality they may be pretty damn scary indeed.

(cross posted at Bring It On! )

With 62% of voters in exit polls saying that this election was about national issues, one has to assume that the people have finally chosen to wake up and smell the burning of our constitution and our tradition of freedom. With 42% saying that political corruption was a prime factor in their votes Tuesday, one has to assume that the people are fed up with the horseshit that passes for political leadership.

57% said that the war in Iraq was a key concern, while only 40% cited terrorism. These numbers clearly show that Americans no longer trust George Bush or the Republican party to guide the helm of our nation.

But that doesn’t mean they trust Democrats either. Overall, 62% of voters disapproved of Congress as a whole, hardly a rounding show of support for the Democrats. Again, it was the lesser of two evils for many voters.

But now the Democrats will have a House majority- at the very least. To which I can only say thank goodness. So today I rejoice at what has been halted, or at least seriously slowed down- a Republican juggernaut hell bent on destroying American honor, integrity, justice, and might. Tomorrow the work can begin.

(cross posted at Bring It On!)

233 years ago, our predecessors through off the chains of an oppressive, authoritarian, anti-freedom government. Their success was the first step towards our free and democratic way of life.

233 years later, another George is trying to shackle the freedom and democracy of this great country through an authoritarian and oppressive force of will.

Today you have the chance to rescue that which our forefathers fought and died for. Today you have the chance to stand for freedom.

Today it is time to change the direction. Vote for Freedom.

(cross posted at Bring It On! and Blogtemps)

But suppose the Democrats do win enough seats to become the majority party again? Will they finally tackle some of the core problems that have led to one of the most corrupt governments in our nation’s history? Will they have the sense of duty and stewardship and character to attack and end some of the most perverse aspects of ‘business as usual’ politics? Will they muster the courage to enact real ethics reform, reestablish real oversight, and reclaim their own political independence from the executive branch of government?

I can only hope that they will. K Street, on the other hand, and its plethora of lobbyists are hoping not. Long an established money changing operation between corporations and the Republican party machine, clients of K Street Lobbyist Firms are increasingly showing up at fundraisers for Democrats and are increasing their financial contributions to those running on the Democratic ticket. And while this does strengthen the idea that Democrats are in a viable position to win in November, it also shows how quickly the sharks move from one food source to another. Big Business loves the Republican party, especially in it’s current incarnation, but they also know to hedge their bets, and are gearing up to grease the hands of the other side. The question is whether or not the Democrats really want to change the way Congress is malfunctioning or whether they just want to hold the reins of power for a while.

In spite of the fact that I despise the current Republican agenda, it’s associated hypocritical politicians and their scandals, and the ruinous effects their party ‘s administration has had on American prestige, when I vote for a Democrat this November, I expect them to buck the status quo with an enlarged sense of duty, courage, and stewardship. I expect them to change the disasterous course we’ve been set upon, to enact real ethics reform, to reestablish real accountability, and to reclaim their independence from the executive branch.

I expect a changed plan of action in Iraq through new legislation revising the AUMF orders that began the Iraqi debacle.

I expect a national clean elections act similar to those in Arizona and Maine, to permanently reduce the influence of K Street and it’s spawns.

I expect enactment of the Read The Bills Act, The One Bill At A Time Act, and The Write The Laws Act which will mandate that elected officials actually read what they vote on, write the laws up for a vote (as opposed to an aide or a corporate employee), and limit all laws to single topics, making it impossible for unrelated legislation to be inserted at the last minute.

I expect a plan to address a universal health care system, a plan to decrease the trade and federal deficits, and a plan to restore the American job market through increased educational opportunities or reformations.

I expect a mature approach to international problems instead of posturing, pouting, and pre-emptive warring.

I expect a Congress that will perform rigorous oversight on public policy and international relations while investigating the failures borne out of a decade of looking the other way. I expect them to hold responsible any and all parties who have broken laws or behaved in an unethical manner without creating a circus atmosphere.

And finally, I expect a Congress that is not steeped in partisanship or religious pandering or machismo. I expect rationality, critical thinking, and progressive problem solving.

Maybe I expect too much, but I don’t expect anything we don’t deserve from our government. And I won’t be giving a Democratically controlled Congress any slack if they fail to live up to my expectations. I’ll be voting to change the direction. I damn well expect the rudder to move.

Seems like fighting the War Against the Evildoers and keeping the lights on at our Army posts at the same time is just too much to ask for. Oh well, just another sacrifice that our soldiers and their families will have to make while the rest of us keep shopping to defy the terrorists.

“A diversion of dollars to help fight the war in Iraq has helped create a $530 million shortfall for Army posts at home and abroad, leaving some unable to pay utility bills or even cut the grass.”

So basically, we have enough money for Halliburton to swindle in Iraq but not enough to pay the electric bill on our Army bases. Enough to give tax breaks to those poor, struggling oil giants but not enough to make sure that our Army bases have medical supplies or government communications like pagers or cell phones. Plenty in the coffers to fund proactive wars off the books, but not enough to pay the trash bill. Seems we even have enough money to give some more tax breaks to the rich, but at Fort Sam Houston (in our Dear Leader’s beloved TEXAS, no less) they might not be able to buy food for the horses that carry soldiers’ caskets to their graves.

In addition to not being able to pay the bills for utilities, U.S. Army installations worldwide are having to lay-off civilian contractors and close base services that those people staffed. Hmmm….what was that again about the blossoming economy and our growing ‘ownership society?’

Thank you again President Bush for all you do for our fighting men, women, and their families. Thank you Congress for all your support too, by giving all that he asks for and then some. We’ll just add this to the growing list of ways you’re Supporting The Troops. (Right next to sending them into a poorly planned battlefield, not giving them enough good armor, cutting funds to the Veteren’s Administration, cutting services that military families depend on like food stamps and student loans, or even constantly redeploying them into Iraq)

Gee, with leadership like this looking out for you, who needs radical religious enemies?

New and Improved?

Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed the clear, refreshing taste of 7-Up soda. So I was surprised to find out that The Uncola that had always been Crisp, Clean, With No Caffeine, was making a change. The recently unveiled 7-Up is now 100% Natural, giving soft-drink sippers “more crisp, refreshing taste.” Clearly, the soft drink geniuses have given us someting New and Improved to make life better than ever before.

But a cursory look at the fine print on the can’s ingredients label shows that where the old version had just citric acid, the new version has natural citric acid. Where there was once sodium citrate you can now find natural potassium citrate. And lo and behold, that old calcium disodium flavor protecter in the old stuff has been taken out completely. Seems to me that this New and Improved 7-Up isn’t really all that new or improved. And to tell the truth, I can’t taste a single difference in the two.

The analogy, of course, is coming.

As I though about the slick marketing campaign that 7-Up was plying on the public, I couldn’t help but think about our American partisan politics, especially during election times. We consumers, the voting public, are presented with any number of New and Improved candidates who promise to make our lives More Crisp and Refreshing, so to speak. But time and time again, we ignore the fine print and only belatedly (if at all) realize that we’ve just bought the same old thing again. Maybe when it comes to soft drinks, that’s not such a big deal. But when your country is going to hell in a hand bag, you can’t afford to forget to read the fine print.

Our ‘leaders’ are hoping that we’ll do just that, and that is why they trot out mostly irrelevant issues for us to sink our teeth into while they go about the business of bankrupting (both morally and financially) our country.

Sometimes staying the course is stupid.
This November, change the course.

(Cross posted at Bring It On!)

For those who don’t remember high school history (or were never taught it in the first place) the Stamp Act was enacted by the English in 1765 on the American colonists as a way to defray the costs of protecting the colonies and fighting the French in the French & Indian War. While not the first duty or tax levied in the colonies, the Stamp Act marked the first tax levied on goods that originated, and for the most part stayed in the colonies. It would require all paper (or similar) items that contained printed material to be embossed with an official stamp, or mark, at the cost of three pence per stamp. To the British rulers, this seemed like a reasonable cost to pass along to the colonists. The colonists, our forefathers, felt differently.

The big problem stemmed less from the tax itself than in the manner in which it was conceived and implemented. Remember the phrase “taxation without representation?” This is where it originated. The colonists were so incensed by the Act due to the fact that they had no input whatsoever on the why, how, and what of this new tax, and the fact that all the revenue raised would leave the colonies and head back to the English crown, despite the fact that the English were already working to strip the colonies of their resources, maintained martial law and the unwanted billeting of soldiers in citizens homes, and all around dismissed the colonists efforts at self rule and independence from a monarchy thousands of miles away.

The colonists revolted by not only by refusing to pay the tax proscribed by the act, but also by boycotting as many British goods as they could, which in turn created turmoil in England’s economy as well as it’s monarchs ability to maintain control over his territories.

In essence, the Stamp Act was one of the final straws heaped on the backs of colonists by what they saw as a despotic ruler who had no real right to rule in the Americas. We know less than 10 years later, the American colonies turned their revolt into revolution and began a war against the English for independence, a war that we won, solidifying our most basic beliefs into a country ruled by law, elective representation, and individual freedom.

Okay- the correlation for today? Where they fought against taxation without representation, today we must toil against representation without representation. Yes, you read that right. Our government today operates in a fashion not so unlike that of George the Third so many years ago. (It is ironic perhaps that this time, the despotism is being led by George II.) Our elected leadership no longer represents the interests of ordinary, average American citizens. They work for the corporations and special interest groups that yell the loudest. Politicians on both sides of the aisle don’t make efforts to represent the mainstream of Americans, who are not so ideologically divided as we are made out to be. Sure, we have different ways to reach our goals, but those goals are pretty much the same- Liberty, Security, and Prosperity.

As the current administration, their rubber-stamping colleagues in Congress, and the ineffective and unwilling minority party continue to chip away at civil liberties and funnel tax dollars towards corporate benefactors, Anericans need to ask themselves if this is the country that many hundreds of thousands have fought for and died for since the late 1700’s. Americans need to decide whether the excesses and abuses of King George III are being mirrored by Boy George II. If they are, as I and many others suspect they are, it’s time for another revolt in the streets of America. No need this time to take up arms though, we have a perfectly peaceful opportunity to turn the tide around.

This November, when it comes time to elect your new federal officials, don’t put your trust in politicians who don’t really represent you. Do what the colonists did, and did so effectively. Boycott the major political parties, elect independent or third party candidates, or at the very least, elect any non-incumbent you can.

The Stamp Act represented abuses against our forefathers by a distant, tenuous ruler. They had the courage and tenacity to stand up for freedom. So that their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all who came and fought after them will not be tossed into the ash pile of history after a mere 241 years, won’t you rise up now and show the same courage?

(cross posted at Bring It On!)

Most readers of Common Sense already understand that I am no fan of the current administration. My disgust with the Bush presidency stems partly from the basic ideology they operate from and partly from the total incompetence they have shown in their policies and the implementation of them. This administration has eroded our national reputation in the world at large, has sacrificed the future opportunities of the poor and middle classes while helping the rich get richer for the sake of being richer, and distorted the rule of law as suits their whim. The bulk of the Republican members of Congress have marched along with the Bush agenda, abetting this shameless administration while walking hand in hand with their big money donors all the way to the bank. Corruption investigations of prominent Republican lawmakers, aides, and businessmen have exposed this party for what it has become, and rank and file Republicans across the country should be outraged. In 2006, maybe the Republicans can reclaim their party from the greedy and the warmongers and reach back to their roots supporting fiscal sanity, less intrusive federal government policies, and rational foreign policy objectives. And maybe they can restrain the vocal religious minority in their ranks who wish to legislate their theological doctrines, recognizing that religion belongs with the individual, not with the loudest proselytizer.

The Democrats seem energized at times and lackluster at others. So far, they have not been much of an opposition party during the Bush years, and they certainly have not been a party of ideas. Typically, the Democrats have served only as a bulwark against the most extreme positions of the Bush administration, while helping to pass or idly standing by as the face of this country becomes less and less familiar. Belatedly, Democrat lawmakers have begun to pressure the administration as more questionable practices are brought to light, but they are at the very least complicit in the growing degradation of this nation. In 2006, Democrats need to develop a vision that speaks to today’s citizens and problems, relying less on the status quo and more on leadership with the vision and courage to chart a new path for these tricky times. They need to envelop their disparate supporters and unify their agenda for change, while continuing to challenge the current leadership’s king-like tendencies. And they need to shed the perception that they are elitists and embrace core American voters.

Despite the corruption that runs wild in the halls of government, the real work lies with the American people. In all of Congress (435 Representatives, 100 Senators) there are only 2 Independent legislators. They are both from Vermont. With millions of Americans discarding the label of Republican or Democrat, where is their voice in Congress? 2006 should be the beginning of a groundswell of independent candidates and voices in the political process. Independents can espouse the best ideas of both parties without worrying about a “base ideology.” They can use real common sense and work for legislation that benefits all citizens, not just their party faithful. America should not be a country of us versus them. It should be a country of us, with laws created that balance the personal freedom of the individual with the necessary sacrifices of the whole. If we are ever to move forward and make the changes necessary to keep America safe, competitive, and prosperous in the future, we need to hear from more Americans who are not captive to an exclusionary ideology.

The issues that loom on the horizon include real health care reform for all Americans; real education reform that puts students first and adults second; a real energy policy that advances American energy independence; a real immigration policy that is enforced and viable; a focused and well thought out plan to end the war in Iraq and combat real world terrorism; and ending the assault on American citizens by our government, including the decay of civil rights, the inane drug war, and the plight of the poor.

2006 will be more than just a political year. We will surely face new natural disasters that expose our weakness when facing nature’s wrath. We will likely learn about more political and business corruption. We will surely face more terrorism around the world. 2006 will not see an end to these problems. But the current path we are on isn’t making our world a better place for anyone outside the political and business class that always benefits from a small minded, closed government. Let’s see 2006 be the year the people took back their government, their lives, and their future.