Next upcoming interview

The Worst of Times, the Best of Times

' Counter-insurgency means drones that kill civilians and do the Taliban no end of good. But drones mean jobs in jobless America. As Laura Flanders pointed on the F Word on Grit TV the Wisconsin National Guard is planning to build a new $8 million base for unmanned drones. Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri is to be a drone base control. In South Dakota, Rapid City's nearby Ellsworth Force Base also recently won a drone contract.

' In none of these places was there much of anything but joy at the news. "There was great news for Ellsworth Force Base and for the Rapid City community," declared the local Black Hills Fox Channel. Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton said he'd worked for a year to win the Predator. The Rapid City Journal editorial page was ecstatic: "Ellsworth and its many supporters have done Rapid City and South Dakota proud." '

It says you may use blockquotes... but you can't.

In my weaker moments I think that nothing is really "wrong", that we Americans really like the way things are going, just as long as we can earn the money to buy to gas to get to work to earn the money to buy the gas to get to work...

-- 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

one - get involved

two - choose your area of involvement wisely

I used to tell kids - (still do) if you don't put interest in you will not find interest there no matter what you do - you're the one who has to bring the interest in - if you're not interested it's just not going to work

so

the only problem I find with money is that people aren't interested in what they are worth -not where it counts - how much longer will they take second place to bureaucratic bunglers? Forever?

As much as Mike says we have to empower ourselves as lawmakers so much more so for empowering ourselves with credit

Why can't we give ourselves credit? Are we shallow, banal, unworthy  ignoramuses?

When we talk about empowering ourselves, be it financially, spiritually, physically or through legislative processes it is not wishful thinking - it is the lack of 'we' that holds us back

that simple

Mike goes with the flow for about three quarters of the interview but finally points out that, yes... all of these things are wrong just as you say they are, but there are two just venues of reform: the government,  where the problem lies, and the people... And he then makes his pitch for the Ni4d. It picked me up, again.

I downloaded the interview and snipped off the beginning and end, and you can find here if you wish.

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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