We need an alternative... and we're the only ones here to produce one.

August 5th, 2009 by jfl

I looked at the Top Issues topics at Mike Gravel's forum today.

The war in Iraq :

The occupation continues. Obama and Maliki are talking of US troops remaining after 2011. The Iraqi referendum on the SOFA which was to have been held no later than July of this year has been canceled. There's no reason to believe the US has plans of ever leaving Iraq.

Iran :

The Israelis want the US to attack Iran or, failing that, for the US to jump into a full-fledged war with Iran after Israel's attack on Iran draws the predictable reaction from Iran. Biden has given the Israelis the green light to go ahead. They seem still to be hoping to be able to get he US to attack Iran directly, but are putting forces in place to do the job themselves.

 

Obama is encircling Iran : the Gulf states, occupied Irag, and Turkey on the West and escalating wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the East. He's doing just what he said he'd do before the election.

National Initiative for Democracy :

The NI4D is about as popular or unpopular as ever, depending on your point of view. Certainly it got a tremendous push from Mike's candidacy, but seems to have no real momentum of its own now.

fair tax :

I don't hear much about this anymore. Mike's proposal was not for a "fair tax" but for a universal sales tax and the elimination of the income tax. I think the "fair tax" was a flat income tax proposal. Neither one seems to be discussed much anymore.

global warming/climate change :

No visible movement here. Talk of "carbon credits" and other ways to game the situation but no serious talk of alternatives to carbon. Mike was going to get us off carbon in 5 or 10 years.

and universal health care :

Universal Health Care is being drafted by Insurance "industry" lawyers as we speak. It will not be universal and will deal primarily with insurance, not health care.

So nothing has changed much, except to have gotten worse. Mike has certainly done more than any one man can be called upon to do on any one or all of these issues.

The 2010 election is going to come in... 2010. Will we be content to wait for the Republicrat/Demoblican machine to present us with another two candidates in each of our Congressional districts and again to choose the "least worst"... And they will be bad, very bad, you can count on that... Or will we actually stand up on our hind legs and run ourselves this time?

If you are planning on running, or have just become inspired to, let us know of your intentions and let us do what we can to support you.

We need an alternative... and we're the only ones here to produce one.

 

‹ Difference between California Initiative Process and the National Initiative? The National Security Generation ›

Comments

Diogenes can live without Manes

Submitted on August 8th, 2009 by jfl

 All any individual can do is... what any individual can do. The governing of men begins at home, as it were, not with manes.

--

Times have changed. We are going to empower the American people. Let’s work together. I am tough. I’m not afraid. None of this politics as usual. -- Mike Gravel

 

If Manes can live without Diogenes ....

Submitted on August 8th, 2009 by arpidoodle

..

 

sometimes might makes right esp when dealing with ppl who seem to lack logical latitude (aka depth of perspective).

good samaritan politics is like puppy love - sweet - but - doesn't get the job done

you look at Russian politicking a century ago and that which followed ( before corporate America got involved there .... i.e. the russians' respect for poets, philo\sophers, chess players after the revolution ...)

we are not dealing with logic here and now, -  perspective - husbandry of any value - does not exist in today's world no matter how much one surrounds themselves with it - today the hoi polloi is a mass of  confused idiots who will only understand a benign force stronger than corporation 'Planet Earth'"..

the far East is only another Russia that can be conquered for profit so much quicker the 'the Ruskies" were - profit profit profit - the intelluctual structure i surround my self with is all abuzz with it because it is becoming evident even to hard core 'benign' capitalist thnkers that profit and profiteering is nothing but poison - pure poison - to a balanced (read 'caring) society ...

Cooper Standard is my towns largest employer and they sought bankruptcy protection 3 days ago - so -

who or whom is the benign force that is going to hold the lantern for the children 'stumbling in the dark" when after a campaign that we saw , and were a part of last year, failed to produce a modern day Diogenes?

there is no doubt in my mind that Cooper Standards door seals and auto trim will continue to be produced - just as there is no doubt in my mind that it will not be done here.

I have gone door to door to each and every factory and major shopping facility in this town with my concerns - I have sat down and talked to foremen worker and shopper -  and I have been beyond stunned with the apathy and ignorance I met because as long as their meal tickets were being punched these ppl needed no other insight into their lives PERIOD.

I say I did my best and got no results and I can't live with that - but - they can, and continue to do so even when their companies close their doors on their 'loyal' backsides. 

the saying is  ' when you find yourself in a hole - quit digging -' 

I think it is time to get serious about digging farther. 

Diogenes was once on a voyage to Aegina and was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Crete to a Corinthian named Xeniades.  Being asked his trade, he replied that he knew no trade but that of governing men, and that he wished to be sold to a man who needed a master.