The majority of Americans are not in favor of Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq and an emerging majority favors immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. With this polling information coupled to recent public outcries over federal incompetence in response to hurricane Katrina, Democrats do not appear to be able or even interested, to take advantage of the public’s discontent.
Of course, there have been sniping remarks occasionally but, no constructive plan has been set forth by Democrats. Many are still in the Bush Iraq war camp and continue their lame attempts to justify their support for the illegal occupation. Can this be due to their having given Bush the authority to invade and now, don’t want to be seen as incompetent or even complicit?
That does not appear to be the case when Democrats like Joe Biden appear on news shows to claim Bush is wrong while insisting that the U.S. can not leave Iraq. Hilary, the other high profile Democrat, takes the same approach in regards to Iraq as part of her plan to strengthen her appeal to moderate and moderate-conservative voters.
So, what are the choices for the growing number of voters displeased with our involvement in the occupation of Iraq? Republicans refuse to even consider leaving and may be preparing additional invasions into Iran, Syria, North Korea, etc. Democrats offer increased number of troops to stabilize Iraq but, so far have not indicated their predictable support for further invasions.
Since the majority of Americans find neither party’s policies acceptable, why are politicians ignoring voters and avidly advancing an unpopular agenda? Isn’t this a representative government? Aren’t the wishes of the voters supposed to be advocated by the people we elect to public office?
The answers to these questions will be disappointing to anyone believing we still live in a democracy or to those who believe this government is “of, by and for the people” of our once great country.
The political process is awash in corporate money and has evolved into a “Pay to Play” type of commerce. Politicians advance the agenda of the highest bidder, and then attempt to sell it to the voters as good governance. Our system of representative government survives but, the definition of who is represented has changed from the people that elected the politician to the corporation that financed that politician’s campaign. Lastly, politicians elected to office are suppose to represent their constituents but, often find it difficult or even in contrast to the agenda of the corporation financiers they are indebted to.
For our democracy to survive it is absolutely imperative that we remove corporate involvement from the political process and hold our officials accountable to the electorate and not the agenda of big business.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
Main Stream Media Getting It
Never are so many eyes opened as there are in the event of a natural disaster, especially the type we are all susceptible to. The people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have been dealt a shattering blow from Mother Nature and are having to deal with the aftermath the best way they can. This task is not made any easier by the federal government’s lack of an appropriate response. The main stream media has even taken to challenging the excuses and glowing predictions of relief agency leaders. Anderson Cooper, of CNN, literally attacked the Governor of Louisiana for her blubbering gratitude for victim relief that there was absolutely no evidence of as reported by Cooper, himself.
Perhaps, the excesses of the administration has gotten to the reporters in the MSM, since there have been so many so often. The media began reporting on Hurricane Katrina days before it made landfall on the Gulf coast. They were simultaneously reporting on Bush’s lengthy vacation and occasional day trips to promote more of his ideological agenda. The contrast of these photo op joy trips with the increasing severity of the storm bearing down on the coast and little or no preparations taking place seem to have been too much for many of them. When the storm hit with such fury and widespread destruction, yet not severe enough to pry Bush away from his vacation, reporters began asking questions about the lack of assistance for the victims and the left wing blogs mounted a non-stop assault on Resident Bush for remaining on vacation in a time of a national emergency. It was these forces, and not any concern on Bush’s part, that caused him to curtail his vacation (by 2 days) and return to Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately for Bush his personal sacrifice, of actually returning to the White House to do his job, came too late to prevent the MSM from pursuing the embarrassing story of mismanagement that caused the fiasco taking place in New Orleans, Biloxi and all over the Gulf coast. The devastation being aired on both cable and networks have people rightfully upset and the media is not letting this one fade away. Also, because of the high profile of this event coupled with the compassion for the victims felt by those seeing the suffering on the 24/7 coverage, Bush’s and Rove’s standard tactic of blaming the victims is falling flat. The usual culprits, Limbaugh, Barnes, Hume, Hannity, O’Reilly, etc., have been issued their talking points and are dutifully attacking those who stayed in New Orleans because they didn’t have the resources to leave, as being too stupid to receive any help and responsible for bringing this upon themselves. Of course, there are a handful of lunatics that buy this crap and would continue to worship the coke snorting deserter-in-chief regardless if he was raping their daughters in front of them and saying it was for national security. That handful is growing smaller along with the Bushs approval rating.
Yet, with all the noise and babbling from the right, some sanity is making onto the airwaves like the interview Keith Olbermann had with Al Sharpton on MSNBC. I found the following diary on Daily Kos weblog by mcolley:
Olbermann remarked that he had heard Rush Limbaugh earlier today saying that those that were still in New Orleans deserved what they had gotten, as they had chosen to live there. Olbermann went so far as to call him, "that Limbaugh". Denouncing the inherent inconsiderate nature of such a statement.
But Sharpton made the point that struck me: The Right, as embodied by Limbaugh, Frist, Bush, Hastert, DeLay. They would move heaven and earth to save the life of one White Woman in Florida to combat the very idea of euthanasia (which technically it was not). A woman that a decade earlier had lost her ability to so much as ask for help, much less have coherent thoughts about the quality of her own life.
He really hit the mark with his description in regards to the culture of life: This is the culture of life. The culture of life wants to save brain dead white women and unborn children. The culture of life wants you to watch endless non-news about the disappearance of one white teenager in Aruba. The culture of life wants you to support your nation as it kills tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians in its Quixotic quest against a non-threat. The culture of life wants a zero-tolerance for looters policy to sound authoritative as babies die of dehydration. The culture of life expects you to take care of yourself, and if you can't, then it is your own fault for getting into that situation in the first place. Fuck off. You had your shot. Station in life, where you hang your hat, and whether you have the $40 at the end of the month to pay for the overpriced gasoline to get out of that home in time is all up to you.
We will just have to wait and see if Bush’s performance in response to Katrina is enough to cause some of the loyal right wing to open their eyes to his uselessness and ineptitude. His continued presence in the White House jeopardizes the people of this country and other countries that depend on our prudent leadership.
Perhaps, the excesses of the administration has gotten to the reporters in the MSM, since there have been so many so often. The media began reporting on Hurricane Katrina days before it made landfall on the Gulf coast. They were simultaneously reporting on Bush’s lengthy vacation and occasional day trips to promote more of his ideological agenda. The contrast of these photo op joy trips with the increasing severity of the storm bearing down on the coast and little or no preparations taking place seem to have been too much for many of them. When the storm hit with such fury and widespread destruction, yet not severe enough to pry Bush away from his vacation, reporters began asking questions about the lack of assistance for the victims and the left wing blogs mounted a non-stop assault on Resident Bush for remaining on vacation in a time of a national emergency. It was these forces, and not any concern on Bush’s part, that caused him to curtail his vacation (by 2 days) and return to Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately for Bush his personal sacrifice, of actually returning to the White House to do his job, came too late to prevent the MSM from pursuing the embarrassing story of mismanagement that caused the fiasco taking place in New Orleans, Biloxi and all over the Gulf coast. The devastation being aired on both cable and networks have people rightfully upset and the media is not letting this one fade away. Also, because of the high profile of this event coupled with the compassion for the victims felt by those seeing the suffering on the 24/7 coverage, Bush’s and Rove’s standard tactic of blaming the victims is falling flat. The usual culprits, Limbaugh, Barnes, Hume, Hannity, O’Reilly, etc., have been issued their talking points and are dutifully attacking those who stayed in New Orleans because they didn’t have the resources to leave, as being too stupid to receive any help and responsible for bringing this upon themselves. Of course, there are a handful of lunatics that buy this crap and would continue to worship the coke snorting deserter-in-chief regardless if he was raping their daughters in front of them and saying it was for national security. That handful is growing smaller along with the Bushs approval rating.
Yet, with all the noise and babbling from the right, some sanity is making onto the airwaves like the interview Keith Olbermann had with Al Sharpton on MSNBC. I found the following diary on Daily Kos weblog by mcolley:
Olbermann remarked that he had heard Rush Limbaugh earlier today saying that those that were still in New Orleans deserved what they had gotten, as they had chosen to live there. Olbermann went so far as to call him, "that Limbaugh". Denouncing the inherent inconsiderate nature of such a statement.
But Sharpton made the point that struck me: The Right, as embodied by Limbaugh, Frist, Bush, Hastert, DeLay. They would move heaven and earth to save the life of one White Woman in Florida to combat the very idea of euthanasia (which technically it was not). A woman that a decade earlier had lost her ability to so much as ask for help, much less have coherent thoughts about the quality of her own life.
He really hit the mark with his description in regards to the culture of life: This is the culture of life. The culture of life wants to save brain dead white women and unborn children. The culture of life wants you to watch endless non-news about the disappearance of one white teenager in Aruba. The culture of life wants you to support your nation as it kills tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians in its Quixotic quest against a non-threat. The culture of life wants a zero-tolerance for looters policy to sound authoritative as babies die of dehydration. The culture of life expects you to take care of yourself, and if you can't, then it is your own fault for getting into that situation in the first place. Fuck off. You had your shot. Station in life, where you hang your hat, and whether you have the $40 at the end of the month to pay for the overpriced gasoline to get out of that home in time is all up to you.
We will just have to wait and see if Bush’s performance in response to Katrina is enough to cause some of the loyal right wing to open their eyes to his uselessness and ineptitude. His continued presence in the White House jeopardizes the people of this country and other countries that depend on our prudent leadership.
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