This story is true, or at least as much as I know and heard of it. The moral of the story is about how much we really know and how much we accept as truth. It's about a woman who developed breast cancer in the 1980s, and her courage and her despair facing that disease. I, like most, went along with the standard practice and belief at the time. In a sort of detached way, not really knowing the full implications of the disease or the treatment but knowing only what I heard, that it was a killer and that it could be treated if caught early enough. A mastectomy was a cure, in most cases, if the disease hadn't spread. I believe it still is the prescribed treatment along with chemotherapy. And so in that manner her treatment began and progressed.
It was only a few months ago that I entered a debate with the owner of a trucking company on the benefits of the healthcare reform, among other things, that was then being debated in Congress. He was against it, "too expensive," he said. During the course of the debate, I claimed that people died from lack of healthcare. He laughed at that, "lol," he typed, "Name one person," he challenged, "that has died from lack of healthcare insurance." If I had had my wits about me and a better memory and a quicker mind, I could have told him her name, and named a number of witnesses to boot. "Take that you son of a bitch!" I could have said. But, I didn't. My short memory and narrow purpose of mind stood in the way.
One day a few hours after a chemotherapy treatment, and violently ill from the treatment, she came out of her house to me and pleaded, "I can't take this." Dumbfounded, and ignorant, I tried to console her and I utterly failed and for several hours I fretted over what to do. Was there no other way? She was so miserable. I was so happy to see her minister stop by. He said the right words, "You HAVE to do the treatment. We are counting on your courage. Your family is counting on your courage. You can't give up." He was right, of course. She continued the treatment which appeared to be successful. The surgeons who performed the mastectomy "thought they got it all."
I don't recall how she paid for the treatments or the surgery. Perhaps her health insurance paid for it, but later events hint that perhaps they didn't. I should have asked, but like most, I didn't. I simply assumed that it did. But, the cancer returned. They had not gotten it all and it spread to lymph nodes and bones, or so I was told. But this time I was told that she had no way to pay for treatments. Her insurance wouldn't pay for it. I don't know nor was I told, that I remember, why her insurance wouldn't pay. Was it a denial of care that we've heard so much about since those days? Was it a "precondition" that is now the basis of refusal to provide care? And, again, I accepted that fate without question. What could one do? It's a flip of the coin, those who can afford it get it, others don't. We are dealt our hand of cards and it is those that we must play. I recall being angry at the circumstance, but I wasn't angry at the "system," the insurance company or the government. Nor was I angry at the culture that had developed over the years that told us to accept the "common beliefs" that insurance companies are right, that profit is right, that a system that prefers corporate profit over human needs is right. I believed in actuarial tables that determine who is insured and for what and how much it costs, not human need, and with the healthcare data collected over the years, some diseases are simply too expensive for insurance companies. Instead, I was angry at fate, at chance, and the bad luck that she encountered. I was angry at the things I had no control over. It didn't dawn on me to be angry at anything else.
By the time I saw her again, she was emaciated, skin and bones. How ridiculous were other things that we've come to accept and that I heard during that visit. For example, one person wanted to "go to the store" for her, to buy her "low-calorie" food. I was outraged. For the love of God, the last thing she needed was a diet. She need fat on her bones! Fat to supply the energy she needed to stave off the disease she had for as long as possible. But, it was just another sign of how much our society has adapted to the propaganda we so readily accept. It wasn't that, however, that gave me a clue as to how barbaric we've become, at how barbaric our choices are when we choose the "system" over humanity.
It turned out that the only way she could get treatment, and an extremely remote chance for a cure and survival was to join a "test" group, a study of a new cancer treatment a drug company wanted to market. I believe it was Johnson & Johnson who was conducting the drug trials. And, according to normal practices, one-half of the study group would take the new drug and the other half would take a placebo. Nobody knew the identity of anyone in either group, so we didn't know whether she was taking a placebo or the drug. But, it was free, so she flipped a coin, the results of which she was not told. But, she secretly, and quietly, knew as her treatments began.
The half that took the placebo is called the "control" group. The common propaganda is, of course, that the control group is compared to the group who receives the drug and thereby shows how effective the new drug is. But, if one thinks about that, and the fact that the control group will die, it is really a barbaric test. The researchers are fully aware that the placebo group will die, and they watch them die while the test proceeds. They watch them die without the slightest thought, or twinge of conscience, of their dying. How has it come to a point where we believe that half of a group of people must die in order to see how the other half are able to cope with a new product? Couldn't the control group have been given an older and known cancer drug and provided just as much of a controlled comparison and knowledge that a placebo did? It seems to me that an older and known drug would have provided more of a control in the results of the study. How can a placebo be a better known substance than an older and known quantity? Except in this case it is known that death will occur.
I heard comments from various people while she underwent the test treatments, never said in her presence. "She's not getting the drug," they said. They knew. She wasn't sick enough after the treatments. Had she been getting the drug, a strong chemotherapy drug, she would have been physically ill. Her cancer was progressing, and soon it was beyond cure. Pain medicine became her primary thought.
If there is any doubt that our inhumane culture is in need of being flipped on its head, then the message wasn't received. Hey! Republicans! Message received?
Dave
Showing posts with label Republican 2010 Coup d'etat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Republican 2010 Coup d'etat. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Fracked
Boy, those were the good old days, back in 2005 when Republicans were in control. Don't you think so? Those were the days before the Democrat 2006 takeover when Republicans could get just about anything they wanted through the House and Senate. And, indeed they did. Take the 2005 Energy Policy Act, enacted under Dubya, Cheney and the Republican Congress. That act had a big intentional loophole, known as the Halliburton Loophole. In fact, there is enough information about that loophole to suggest that the only reason the act was passed and signed at all was because the oil and natural gas corporations wanted that loophole. In fact, I would bet my social security check that the loophole was specifically requested in that secret Cheney-Energy Corporation meeting that Cheney refused to disclose. Remember that meeting? Ah, yea, those were the good old days. The loophole exempts oil production companies from having to comply with environmental safety laws when drilling for oil and natural gas.
Well, natural gas is a big deal and it has been the latest buzz since President Obama began running for president way back in 2007. "Drill-baby-drill," they said. T Boone Pickens made all of those ads to stop paying Saudi Arabia $700 billion a year by converting all long-haul semi trucks from diesel to natural gas. The United States, it turned out, had a super abundance of natural gas. A HUGE NATURAL GAS RESERVE! In fact, he sold me on the deal, too. I was ready and willing to be his spokesman. "Yeah! Stop paying Saudi Arabia for oil. Use our own natural gas!" Even Obama got on that band wagon. Ha! I should have known that there was a catch. There is always a Republican catch.
It was also back in the good old days that President Bush had those signing statements. Remember those? It turned out that even though Congress passed a law, that a President could just attach a little signing statement to his signature saying how the President "interpreted" the law, and Bush did. He instructed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to overlook and rubber stamp many oil and gas company drilling requests. But, the U.S. Minerals Management Service, by a Bush order, was already looking the other way and the signing statement just reinforced what it was already doing. And so, we got the BP Gulf oil disaster, which, by the way, isn't over yet - since it was discovered only a few days ago that a large area of ocean floor coral has died. We don't know everything, yet, it turns out.
But, back to natural gas and that Halliburton Loophole that exempts oil and gas companies from EPA rules. They can drill for natural gas anyplace, anytime. It turns out all of those natural gas reserves that we have is mostly contained in solid plates of shale rock. And, it turns out that to get the natural gas out of the shale, the shale must be broken up, or fractured into cracks and crevasses to release the gas. And, it turns out that "they," especially Halliburton, have developed a technique called Hydraulic Fracturing, "Fracking" for short, that breaks up the shale that releases the gas. Fracking involves injecting millions of gallons of fresh water into the shale under tons of pressure to fracture the shale.
Whoops. Here we are again. The "usual" suspects are at it again. It turns out that Fracking uses millions of gallons of your very valuable drinking and irrigation water and when that water recycles back into the ground water supply, through those underground seeps back to your city's water supply or your well water or your livestock watering trough, such as into those artesian wells for Owensville, Indiana or into the Wabash or Ohio rivers ground water system that supplies your personal drinking well, (I have friends and family I care for in that area - so I always mention it) it will contain highly toxic minerals and methane. The water cannot be used for drinking anymore. It will kill you. And, it will burn!
Well, according to this New York Times article, the gas companies are not "convinced" that they are the problem. "The jury is not in," they say. But, I guess if you had water suitable for drinking one day, and the next day your water burned and tasted like crap; looked foggy, yellow or muddy; and tests showed that it was full of toxic chemicals, and the only thing that could have caused it was a Fracking drilling rig within ten or twenty miles, then I guess that would be proof enough. In fact, the article says that many people are REALLY ANGRY about being fracked.
All of this, of course, goes back to philosophy, or more precisely, Republican philosophy. I guess if you believe the "drill-baby-drill" philosophy and be damned to any environmental impact, then the Republican philosophy is right up your alley. But, I guess if your water is burning, maybe you will change your mind. I wonder if you'll change your mind if your neighbor's water is burning? Or if your neighboring state's water is burning? Would you vote Republican in your state, say California, if you knew that your vote could cause water to burn in Lafayette or Owensville, Indiana or Gainesville, Georgia? (I have loved ones there too) Actually, it's too late to change your mind after your or your loved ones' water is burning. You've been Fracked!
Dave
Well, natural gas is a big deal and it has been the latest buzz since President Obama began running for president way back in 2007. "Drill-baby-drill," they said. T Boone Pickens made all of those ads to stop paying Saudi Arabia $700 billion a year by converting all long-haul semi trucks from diesel to natural gas. The United States, it turned out, had a super abundance of natural gas. A HUGE NATURAL GAS RESERVE! In fact, he sold me on the deal, too. I was ready and willing to be his spokesman. "Yeah! Stop paying Saudi Arabia for oil. Use our own natural gas!" Even Obama got on that band wagon. Ha! I should have known that there was a catch. There is always a Republican catch.
It was also back in the good old days that President Bush had those signing statements. Remember those? It turned out that even though Congress passed a law, that a President could just attach a little signing statement to his signature saying how the President "interpreted" the law, and Bush did. He instructed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to overlook and rubber stamp many oil and gas company drilling requests. But, the U.S. Minerals Management Service, by a Bush order, was already looking the other way and the signing statement just reinforced what it was already doing. And so, we got the BP Gulf oil disaster, which, by the way, isn't over yet - since it was discovered only a few days ago that a large area of ocean floor coral has died. We don't know everything, yet, it turns out.
But, back to natural gas and that Halliburton Loophole that exempts oil and gas companies from EPA rules. They can drill for natural gas anyplace, anytime. It turns out all of those natural gas reserves that we have is mostly contained in solid plates of shale rock. And, it turns out that to get the natural gas out of the shale, the shale must be broken up, or fractured into cracks and crevasses to release the gas. And, it turns out that "they," especially Halliburton, have developed a technique called Hydraulic Fracturing, "Fracking" for short, that breaks up the shale that releases the gas. Fracking involves injecting millions of gallons of fresh water into the shale under tons of pressure to fracture the shale.
Whoops. Here we are again. The "usual" suspects are at it again. It turns out that Fracking uses millions of gallons of your very valuable drinking and irrigation water and when that water recycles back into the ground water supply, through those underground seeps back to your city's water supply or your well water or your livestock watering trough, such as into those artesian wells for Owensville, Indiana or into the Wabash or Ohio rivers ground water system that supplies your personal drinking well, (I have friends and family I care for in that area - so I always mention it) it will contain highly toxic minerals and methane. The water cannot be used for drinking anymore. It will kill you. And, it will burn!
Well, according to this New York Times article, the gas companies are not "convinced" that they are the problem. "The jury is not in," they say. But, I guess if you had water suitable for drinking one day, and the next day your water burned and tasted like crap; looked foggy, yellow or muddy; and tests showed that it was full of toxic chemicals, and the only thing that could have caused it was a Fracking drilling rig within ten or twenty miles, then I guess that would be proof enough. In fact, the article says that many people are REALLY ANGRY about being fracked.
All of this, of course, goes back to philosophy, or more precisely, Republican philosophy. I guess if you believe the "drill-baby-drill" philosophy and be damned to any environmental impact, then the Republican philosophy is right up your alley. But, I guess if your water is burning, maybe you will change your mind. I wonder if you'll change your mind if your neighbor's water is burning? Or if your neighboring state's water is burning? Would you vote Republican in your state, say California, if you knew that your vote could cause water to burn in Lafayette or Owensville, Indiana or Gainesville, Georgia? (I have loved ones there too) Actually, it's too late to change your mind after your or your loved ones' water is burning. You've been Fracked!
Dave
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
What happened?
Once again an election is behind us and... What happened? I suppose we'll never know whether voters really voted for ideas or fear and distortion or just out of malice and rancor. From my perspective, big money bought most of the elections in the nation, but not everywhere.
California:
How did those other states fair where people I know live? Not so well, it appears. The House went to Republicans. The Senate, so far, is still Democratic. Dan Coats won in Indiana, and he's about as Big Money as one can get, solidly in the pockets of Wall Street, the Big Banks, the Insurance Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He was bought. Oh well.
I saw one voter vote for more Trauma Units, but was silent on their Senator and Representative vote. If it was Republican, then it was against Healthcare Reform and for Insurance Companies and against that Trauma Unit, and likely against grandsons, granddaughters, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. It's funny how those things turn out.
The "apparent Speaker to be" Boehner's so-called "Pledge to America" says he's going to "listen" to "The People." Ha! I'm worried about that. I don't think he or "The People" know what they want nor how to get there. I don't think their promised tax cut and anti-Obama movement will help America. I'd rather they listen to knowledgeable people who know how to get out of this mess,, whether it agrees with me or not, or whether it agrees with you or not, and do that. But, it appears they've made up their minds about that, and it's the popular thing to do. I think we should let the Republicans hang themselves.
Ha! And, can you imagine Rick Perry winning an election in Texas after all of the crap he's said and done? Go figure. Of all of the separate elections across the nation yesterday, he's the poster boy for the biggest tales, the most hype, the fear and outrageous stand on any issue. He snowed you, Texas. He's worse than the Witch in my opinion. Oh well, I guess Texans will live with it, come hell or high water or Texas death row injustice.
What will it all come to? I think this election leads to disaster. If it does, I hope that, this time, voters actually SEE THE CONNECTION between their vote and what America becomes, unlike their Bush vote where they DON'T REMEMBER the connection to disaster. What would America be today if Al Gore had been President? Not at war in two countries, I'm sure. Not in debt as much. I'm positive about that. More jobs? I think so. So, we've got what we've got. I hope we can live with it and come together to fix this country, but I'm skeptical. How can I not be?
Dave
California:
- Jerry Brown (D) beat Meg Whitman (R) even when Meg spent $190 million (or was it $140 million? - whatever) of her own money, apparently without regret. I heard one Meg voter say they voted against Brown because they didn't like his wife. That's a hell of an excuse for a vote. His wife isn't going to run the state. Oh well... I think it shows just how influential the ads were, especially those that misled, lied, deceived or otherwise hyped outrageous issues. I'm glad that my vote cancelled out their vote.
- Barbara Boxer (D) beat Carly Fiorina (R). I'm glad Boxer won. She's done a lot for my family, even when many in my family say "they didn't like her." Since I know that they don't know anything about her or what she's actually done, the only reason I see that they didn't like her is that they believed all of the hype that the Big Money ads told them to believe. I suppose they would have voted for Fiorina even though she sent thousands of jobs overseas and couldn't see that by doing that she did just as much damage to the economy as anything else she could have done.
- Gavin Newsom (D) beat Abel Maldonado (R). I actually voted for Maldonado because he was the only Republican who went against the Republican Party's obstruction during last year's state budget fight so California could actually HAVE a 2009 budget. Otherwise, we would still be waiting for one and paying I.O.U.s at 9% interest. And, too, Abel did a good job handling the PG&E gas-line explosion while Arnie was gone. He actually CARES about California; that's my impression. But, that person who voted against Brown's wife, above, voted for Gavin, which was okay with me too, because they liked Gavin, even though Maldonado has more state level experience. They said, "I don't know anything about Maldonado." Oh well...
- As for the remaining state offices, it looks like Democrats are winning. Kamala Harris (D) for Attorney General is the only one hanging, probably for a recount. She's actually pretty good, so I hope she wins. She's not a death penalty supporter, but she follows the law. I'm not sure what else we can expect.
- Proposition 19 - legalizing Marijuana. Fear seems to be defeating this. I thought decriminalizing and controlling it was a good idea, much like we do alcohol and tobacco, but there is a lot of Big Money in running prisons and making sure that we have as many prisoners as possible. Too bad. The only good thing about prisons is that we're broke and can't afford them at the moment and so we are not jailing a lot of those for minor crimes.
- Propositions 20 and 27 - Redistricting by a "Commission" instead of by the state legislature (Prop 20), and Return Redistricting to the Legislature (Prop 27). Prop 20 is winning and 27 is losing, so the voters are united. A "Commission" is supposed to make redistricting "non-partisan." Are we kidding ourselves again? I think so. How can we be sure that a Commission of 12 or 14 good old boy judges or lawyers are not just as partisan as the legislature is? Actually, isn't it time that we asked the legislature DO ITS JOB? I think we just shot ourselves in the foot again.
- Proposition 21 - $18 Surcharge to fund/keep up state parks. Nope, it's defeated. Personally, I'm ready for the state parks just to go back to nature. If you want to go camping in them, then pay for it yourself at the entrance AND be prepared to see a few bears and mountain lions. There is no reason we have to pay to keep them up when nature does a hell of a job all by itself... free of charge. We pay for "forest fire" management, as in keeping the forests reasonably clear of too much combustible brush, so go do that.
- Proposition 22 - Restrict State Access to County/City Funds. Yeah! It's winning! Keep your hands of county/city money. If you have a problem at the state level, then deal with it there. 'Nough said.
- Proposition 23 - Suspend California's Greenhouse Law until we have 5.5% unemployment. It's losing. The Koch Brothers and two Texas oil companies tried to buy this one. I'm glad they're not winning. We haven't had 5.5% unemployment for 60 years, and we're not likely to get there in another 60 years. We can't wait that long. Green energy creates jobs.
- Proposition 24 - Repeal Corporate Tax Breaks. This one is losing, mostly because all of the Big Money was against it and they flooded the airwaves with "OMG! JOB LOSES GALORE" lying ads that scared the Bejesus out of everyone. So, I guess the corporations will bitch about poor schools, but not pay to fix them. Go figure.
- Propositions 25 and 26 - have to take these together. Prop 25 reduces the legislature vote requirement to pass a budget back to a simple majority, 51%, (from a two-thirds 66% vote) while Prop 26 increases the legislature vote requirement back up to two-thirds for adding "fees" (say taxes) to the citizens to pay for state services. It's one against the other, here. Prop 25 is winning, AND SO IS PROP 26, for God's sake! Big Money was against 25 and for 26. This shows that the voter is clearly confused. Heaven knows how the Governor and Legislature will figure this one out or whether a budget can be passed next year. The world is turned on its head.
How did those other states fair where people I know live? Not so well, it appears. The House went to Republicans. The Senate, so far, is still Democratic. Dan Coats won in Indiana, and he's about as Big Money as one can get, solidly in the pockets of Wall Street, the Big Banks, the Insurance Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He was bought. Oh well.
I saw one voter vote for more Trauma Units, but was silent on their Senator and Representative vote. If it was Republican, then it was against Healthcare Reform and for Insurance Companies and against that Trauma Unit, and likely against grandsons, granddaughters, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. It's funny how those things turn out.
The "apparent Speaker to be" Boehner's so-called "Pledge to America" says he's going to "listen" to "The People." Ha! I'm worried about that. I don't think he or "The People" know what they want nor how to get there. I don't think their promised tax cut and anti-Obama movement will help America. I'd rather they listen to knowledgeable people who know how to get out of this mess,, whether it agrees with me or not, or whether it agrees with you or not, and do that. But, it appears they've made up their minds about that, and it's the popular thing to do. I think we should let the Republicans hang themselves.
Ha! And, can you imagine Rick Perry winning an election in Texas after all of the crap he's said and done? Go figure. Of all of the separate elections across the nation yesterday, he's the poster boy for the biggest tales, the most hype, the fear and outrageous stand on any issue. He snowed you, Texas. He's worse than the Witch in my opinion. Oh well, I guess Texans will live with it, come hell or high water or Texas death row injustice.
What will it all come to? I think this election leads to disaster. If it does, I hope that, this time, voters actually SEE THE CONNECTION between their vote and what America becomes, unlike their Bush vote where they DON'T REMEMBER the connection to disaster. What would America be today if Al Gore had been President? Not at war in two countries, I'm sure. Not in debt as much. I'm positive about that. More jobs? I think so. So, we've got what we've got. I hope we can live with it and come together to fix this country, but I'm skeptical. How can I not be?
Dave
Friday, October 22, 2010
When the Fox Persuade Us that Our Hen House is His
How many Foxes are headed toward our hen house? A legion. I am stunned that Republicans appear to be making a comeback after the destruction they've caused. Karl Rove, Dick Army, Fox News, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, the Koch Brothers, Rush Limbaugh, the Tea Party, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Rupert Murdoch, Goldman Sachs, all and more are headed our way and they are all slick, silky-tongued Foxes. They have all of the platitudes on the tip of their tongues in defiance of the historical proof on the error of their ways. The Foxes only tell you what they want you to hear. They only teach you want they want you to know. And, before you know it, your hen house is theirs.
A good example is Texas Governor Rick Perry. I'm stunned that Governor Rick Perry was still leading the polls over Houston Mayor Bill White at the end of September. You would think that a man who allowed an innocent man to be executed, because he was "bad man," according to Perry, would slink out of sight. Want to know why Perry called Todd Willingham a bad man? Because his last words cursed his ex-wife - not because Willingham was guilty. In fact, overwhelming scientific, forensic evidence discovered in the last few weeks before the execution proved that Willingham was an innocent man - he did NOT start the fire that killed his children. The fire was NOT arson. The fire was caused by an accidental electrical short. But, in those last few days his ex-wife changed her mind and her testimony and claimed, falsely, that Willingham confessed to her that he had set the fire. She lied - he did not confess to her. But, it was enough to for Governor Perry to ignore Willingham's request for a delay until the new evidence could be heard in court. Perry let Willingham die in the death chamber. Is it any wonder that Willingham's last words cursed his ex-wife when she came to the window to look at him strapped to the death chamber table? Here is the story, Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty : The New Yorker.
And, so, the word got out that Texas put an innocent man to death, again, and a stink arose and Perry's excuse was, "he was a bad man." All of the so-called conservatives and the Republican Party were on Perry's side and the so-called liberals were outraged. I say "so-called" because the conservatives and the GOP were really not very conservative and the liberals were the ones trying to conserve the institutions (real conservatives "conserve" institutions) of "innocent before proven guilty," emphasis on "proven," and the idea of "due process and protection against false charges" which had not happened for Willingham before he died. In reality, the ones raising the stink were the true conservatives. So, where were all of those who shout about freedom and Tea Party liberty and the Constitution? They were silent. Or they "knew" he was guilty - of something - and they gave Perry a pat on the back. "Good riddance," they said. There are apparently more so-called freedom and Tea Party lovers in Texas than those who really want freedom and liberty and Constitutional rights. All of the yelping Foxes have convinced Texans that Perry is the "chosen one," and Perry is still ahead in the polls. Mind boggling!
I'd say that the Foxes have taken over Texas' hen house, and its statehouse. I have no problem it if wants to secede from the union. Good riddance. But, the disease is spreading like wildfire. Big corporate spending is buying the United States' hen house, and we're going to regret it. We are going to follow Britain; tax cuts for the rich and corporations, deep budget cuts that jerk the rug out from under the poor and middle class, and in the end - a huge disastrous transfer of money, the last cent they have, from the middle class to the rich - the top twenty percent will own everything.
The fact is that history has proven, over and over again, that when so few people, 20% of the population, own 80% or more (currently 83% in the U.S.) of the economy, the economy falls into a depression. If we have learned from history, then we will have to tax the rich and reduce taxes for the middle class and the poor. That redistributes the wealth to the people who will buy something with it. If you don't believe that, then ask yourself a few questions. Who can buy more televisions? Twenty-percent of the population? Or 80% percent of the population? The answer is 80% can buy more. Who can buy more tubes of toothpaste? 20%? or 80%? The answer is 80%. The answer is ALWAYS 80%!
Would you rather listen to all of the cute sayings, those platitudes, of the GOP, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Fox and Friends? Or would you rather listen and learn from history? When are you going to speak up? When are you going to share the truth? When are you going to vote? If you don't, then we are done - we lose everything, from freedom, liberty and the Constitution to the last pennies in our pockets. We're sunk.
Dave
A good example is Texas Governor Rick Perry. I'm stunned that Governor Rick Perry was still leading the polls over Houston Mayor Bill White at the end of September. You would think that a man who allowed an innocent man to be executed, because he was "bad man," according to Perry, would slink out of sight. Want to know why Perry called Todd Willingham a bad man? Because his last words cursed his ex-wife - not because Willingham was guilty. In fact, overwhelming scientific, forensic evidence discovered in the last few weeks before the execution proved that Willingham was an innocent man - he did NOT start the fire that killed his children. The fire was NOT arson. The fire was caused by an accidental electrical short. But, in those last few days his ex-wife changed her mind and her testimony and claimed, falsely, that Willingham confessed to her that he had set the fire. She lied - he did not confess to her. But, it was enough to for Governor Perry to ignore Willingham's request for a delay until the new evidence could be heard in court. Perry let Willingham die in the death chamber. Is it any wonder that Willingham's last words cursed his ex-wife when she came to the window to look at him strapped to the death chamber table? Here is the story, Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty : The New Yorker.
And, so, the word got out that Texas put an innocent man to death, again, and a stink arose and Perry's excuse was, "he was a bad man." All of the so-called conservatives and the Republican Party were on Perry's side and the so-called liberals were outraged. I say "so-called" because the conservatives and the GOP were really not very conservative and the liberals were the ones trying to conserve the institutions (real conservatives "conserve" institutions) of "innocent before proven guilty," emphasis on "proven," and the idea of "due process and protection against false charges" which had not happened for Willingham before he died. In reality, the ones raising the stink were the true conservatives. So, where were all of those who shout about freedom and Tea Party liberty and the Constitution? They were silent. Or they "knew" he was guilty - of something - and they gave Perry a pat on the back. "Good riddance," they said. There are apparently more so-called freedom and Tea Party lovers in Texas than those who really want freedom and liberty and Constitutional rights. All of the yelping Foxes have convinced Texans that Perry is the "chosen one," and Perry is still ahead in the polls. Mind boggling!
I'd say that the Foxes have taken over Texas' hen house, and its statehouse. I have no problem it if wants to secede from the union. Good riddance. But, the disease is spreading like wildfire. Big corporate spending is buying the United States' hen house, and we're going to regret it. We are going to follow Britain; tax cuts for the rich and corporations, deep budget cuts that jerk the rug out from under the poor and middle class, and in the end - a huge disastrous transfer of money, the last cent they have, from the middle class to the rich - the top twenty percent will own everything.
The fact is that history has proven, over and over again, that when so few people, 20% of the population, own 80% or more (currently 83% in the U.S.) of the economy, the economy falls into a depression. If we have learned from history, then we will have to tax the rich and reduce taxes for the middle class and the poor. That redistributes the wealth to the people who will buy something with it. If you don't believe that, then ask yourself a few questions. Who can buy more televisions? Twenty-percent of the population? Or 80% percent of the population? The answer is 80% can buy more. Who can buy more tubes of toothpaste? 20%? or 80%? The answer is 80%. The answer is ALWAYS 80%!
Would you rather listen to all of the cute sayings, those platitudes, of the GOP, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Fox and Friends? Or would you rather listen and learn from history? When are you going to speak up? When are you going to share the truth? When are you going to vote? If you don't, then we are done - we lose everything, from freedom, liberty and the Constitution to the last pennies in our pockets. We're sunk.
Dave
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)