Speaking Truth to Power

Check out my new blog on life in Germany!

2006-10-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

As I have been abroad since early July, I have not been able to post here as often as before. Not to mention that I'm quite out of the loop when it comes to American politics! In the mean-time, please check out American Ex-Pat, my new blog:

http://american-ex-pat.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Ben

A Succint Summary of European Feelings Towards America

2006-08-27T19:18:00.000-04:00

That pretty much sums it up. And that is in tiny Schwabisch Hall, population 30,000! If you think that's bad, you should see the graffiti in "Red Berlin"

Lamont:1 Neo-Conservative Jerks: 0

2006-08-13T15:05:00.000-04:00

I was ridiculously excited to hear about Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman(Neo-Conservative faux Democrat, CT). First of all, his foreign policy is horrendous. The iraq war was a mistake and is an utter failure. It is dissolving into civil war-even republicans admit this now! People like me who were marching against this war 3+ years ago were right. I hate to be self righteous, but it is true. Lieberman is in israel and AIPAC's pockets pretty blatantly, not to mention his views on religion and censorship.

Lamont is not a great candidate, but as far as i am concerned, the Democrats will never win if they are Republican lite. This is what Howard Dean was saying all along, and why I loved him. And he is right, if you look at polls. People want the parties to STAND FOR SOMETHING. It is a fact! I worked canvassing last summer and have done so much phone banking and door-to-door work that I can say quite confidently that I have a decent sense of the average voter's sentiments, at least over much of the Northeast U.S.

The reason Democrats get beaten so badly is that they have no spine. That is what people say on the street, and it is largely true. Turn-out is low because of this. We do not get out our base( i.e. the poor and urban voters, minorities, etc.) because we do not give them a a reason to vote!

I do not 100% agree with lamont, but his victory is very important symbolically. i think you are other dlc type people are making a big mistake by misinterpreting it. what it shows is that the base, the activists, the people like me who bust their asses for the party, are sick and tired of busting our asses and then being betrayed by ignorant Dems who stand for nothing.

If the U.S. electoral system were not so utterly corrupt and poorly designed, it would be like Germany, where there are 5 or 6 parties to accomodate people with different views. The two party system is corrupt and terrible in every way. Voters know this. Party affiliation has declined dramtically in the past several decades. I will dig up some stats to prove this, but I read it over and over in my poli-sci textbooks.

In an ideal world, people like Lieberman would be in some centrist party, most in the GOP would be in a conservative party, and people like me in a far left party.That is how it works in Germany, and it is much better. It is true that the Dems
lose due to lack of loyalty, but it is also true that Lieberman is terrible and does not get out the base. Lieberman is doing the party a disservice if he runs as an independent. I do not see how lamont helps the Rethugs. They may laugh because we are fighting amongst ourselves, but as long as Lieberman steps aside, it does not matter.

Personally, i am laughing at the GOP now because they have shot themselves in the foot. People have finally woken up to the hypocrisy and are sick of it. My prediction is that Dems take back one, if not two houses, and have a good chance at the presidency in 08, as long as they do not run someone terrible.

All i know is that I want to take back the Senate and House and get the Republicans out of the White House. That, and we need to start bringing our troops home immediately. And Joe Lieberman does nothing to achieve either of those goals.

I'm On Vacation

2006-07-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

To my regular readers: Thanks a lot for your support! Just wanted to let you know that I am flying to Germany on Friday, July 7th and will be traveling and visiting friends over the summer. Therefore, I will rarely get a chance to update this site. I plan to put up the Parenti interview once I get the chance to finish transcribing it. As soon as I have a travel blog up, I'll be sure to link to it here.

Peace,
Ben

Media Start to "Get" Global Warming(Finally)

2006-06-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

I had to do a double-take this morning when I saw that Parade magazine, normally a quasi-tabloid that comes with the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, actually did a thoughtful piece on global warming. Between the numerous media stories covering the oil crisis and global warming, not to mention Al Gore's new film, it seems the public is finally waking up to what environmentalists and others on the Left have been warning us about for years.

Why is this? I would say largely due to Katrina, the current high oil prices, the Iraq war, and the latest floods that have hit the east coasts. People are starting to make the connections here. It isn't just chance that we have continuously had years with average temperatures that are in the top 10 in history. It isn't just chance that we have had huge floods and hurricanes. HUMANS ARE CAUSING THESE EVENTS!

Yesterday I went to a Move-On.org rally. Called "The Campaign For an Oil-Free Congress," it was a pretty good idea. Basically, people stood outside 300 gas stations outside the country and held signs and passed out fliers. Our fliers encouraged Philadelphians and residents of Lower Merion Township(where I live) to call their Congressman, who took OVER $10,000 in contributions from oil companies. It's worth noting that over 80% of oil company campaign dollars go the Republicans. Remember that when you will up next time! This is why I largely bike and use public transit.

Only time will tell if we actually come up with solutions to get out of this mess. Lord knows this administration won't do it on its own. But the public outcry is finally starting to get loud enough to affect poll numbers. It's about time.

Parenti Update; Quote of the Day

2006-06-27T01:16:00.000-04:00

For the few people out there who care (Adrian, Duhalde, and Matt May, I'm looking in your direction...), the Parenti interview will not be up for another weak or two due to some technical problems. Apparently my recorder did not record the audio of our phone conversation at a loud enough volume, so it will take quite a while to transcribe.

In the meantime, I encourage you to munch on this cartoon:

Forthcoming Interview with Christian Parenti of The Nation

2006-06-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

That's right, yours truly interviewed journalist
Christian Parenti on Friday. Parenti is a frequent contributor to The Nation (you can check out his work for them here), and he has also written for such publications as Mother Jones and London Review of Books. He has written three books. The first was Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis, which was published in 2000 by Verso. Next, he wrote The Soft Cage: Surveillance in America From Slavery to the War on Terror, published in 2004 by Basic Books.

His most recent book is an outstanding account of his time in occupied Iraq, put out by the New Press. Called The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq, the book is a gripping acount of every-day life in Iraq. With an engaging style to complement a keen intellect, Parenti gives one a true sense of what it is like to be in a war zone.

He provides very insightful analysis into the political and economic situation in the country, but always in a style that is very readable. It's so well-written that I really couldn't put it down. The Los Angeles Times put it best, calling it "fast-paced and scenic like a good film script, steeped in the irony and horror of war."
It's quite a fast, engaging read for a book about such a weighty, often-depressing topic.

I was able to talk to Christian about his recent trips to Bolivia and Afghanistan as well as Iraq. Look for the full interview to be posted later this week, as I am currently working to transcribe the audio of our conversation.

Surprise Visit to Baghdad: PATHETIC

2006-06-13T09:24:00.000-04:00

So I just heard about the "surprise visit" to Baghdad on the radio. What a joke. Who does Dubya think he's surprising? Is it just me, or did Condi and Rummy also make "surprise visits" when the war was going poorly? Guess what: they didn't work then, and they won't work now. Morons.

This administration is incapable of changing its actions. It's actually painful and funny to watch. Get over it, neo-cons: this war is a failure, and it's time to move on and withdraw. You were wrong, the Left was right. I could have told you this would happen 3 years ago. In fact, I was marching on the streets in February of 2003, along with millions of others, saying exactly that.

Honestly, a 3-state solution in Iraq is probably the best option right now. My friend Christian Parenti over at The Nation mentioned this in his article on Kurdistan quite a few months ago(November, I believe). Peter Galbraith, among others, has said that there should be a Sunni state, a Shiite state, and a Kurd state. That may be the only option that will keep the whole region from imploding. More on this later...

Guess Who's In An Indy Media Photo?

2006-06-11T00:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, for those keeping score at home, that would be me: the oafy looking white kid in the purple SEIU shirt, backing my boy Fabricio of Philadelphia Jobs With Justice

What does this flag mean?

2006-06-11T00:20:00.000-04:00

If you know what this is, you earn a cookie and my eternal respect.

P.S.-I will be surprised if your name is not Adrian, David, Matt, or Lucas.

On Democrats Losing Their Way

2006-06-10T16:42:00.000-04:00

In conjunction with today's fine quote, I would like to very briefly point out how applicable it is. Even today, centuries later, parties are still swallowing their own lies. I'm a Democrat. Always have been, and probably always will be, unless third parties somehow manage to actually get a fair chance at getting on the ballot(which won't happen anytime soon!). Yet the Democrat Party continually embarasses me and every progressive who is worth a grain of salt.

Just as the quote says, parties die because they swallow their own lies. Today, fewer Americans identify with either of the two parties than at any other point in American history. I wish I had a poll to cite right now to back this up, but I don't. Yet I've read it in numerous sources and will dig up the link later.

There's a reason people don't trust political parties: their leaders are, by and large, liars and hypocrites. They care more about scratching each other's backs, getting nice perks, and getting re-elected than serving the people. BOTH PARTIES ARE GUILTY OF THIS! In fact, many foreign parties that I admire, such as the SDP in Germany(The Social Democratic Party), are guilty of this as well. I tend to think that this is an inherent problem with political parties in general, and that is not a peculiarly American problem. It is certainly more severe here than in many other countries, though.

What do you think?

Quote of the Day: On political parties

2006-06-10T16:40:00.000-04:00

"All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies."-John Arbuthnot, writer and physician(1667-1775)

Quote of the Day: H.L. Mencken

2006-05-31T09:02:00.000-04:00

"The most curious social convention is that religious opinions should be respected."-H.L. Mencken

Reflections on Thomas Friedman's talk

2006-05-26T16:05:00.000-04:00

I saw Thomas Friedman of the NYT, and author of "The World Is Flat," Wednesday night at the World Affairs council of Philadelphia. He gave a very interesting speech that I would like to briefly review and comment on. It will have to be brief, as my Baccalaureate ceremony is literally in 20 minutes.

The first half of his speech was boring and predictable, being mostly a summary of his book. Thought it's an excellent book(even though I disagree with significant sections of his...), all he did was present his book's arguments orally. Big deal. I want to see him speak and say something original, not just read his book to me.

The second half, however, was much more interesting. He had a number of great lines that I can't quote verbatim because my notes are at home. He focused largely on energy independence and its relation to our security here at home. Pointedly, he demonstrated that our national security will always be risk when we rely on oil from such terrible regimes as Iraq, Sudan, Russia, etc.(even Venezuela, a Socialist state that I am highly critical of, by the way!)

He then delivered the best few lines of the night. He said that alternative energy is "red, white, and blue," or something that effect, pointing out that green energy will be a huge growth sector in the years to come. We need more wind farms, biomass, hydroelectricity, etc. It will both fuel economic growth at home, lead to our national security, AND protect the environment. It's pretty much a win-win situation. Too bad the idiots in the White House are too tied to oil to notice this.

To hammer Bush, he closed with one of my favorite lines: "This administration has a poverty of imagination, and that is hurting us dearly." Amen! It was nice seeing a mostly white, male, upper-class audience agree with this...

More later(probably Monday), after graduation...

The True Nature of Socialism

2006-05-25T07:56:00.000-04:00

It won't surprise many of my readers to learn that I'm a Socialist(albeit a pragmatic one who is a registered Democrat and believes working within the contxt of the left/labor wing of the Democratic Party...). So I thought I would elucidate what Socialism means to me.

The Nation recently ran a piece by a DSA member, Ron Aronson, on why we need to talk about Socialism. It's an excellent piece which you need to read NOW. It's also worth reading the mail that the piece generated in last week's issue. It brings up lots of relevant questions about the dichotomy between liberalism and actual radicalism, which largely takes the form of Socialism on the American Left, and worldwide.

I wrote a letter in response to the piece and the mail it generated, some of which is VERY ill-informed about Socialism. Wake up, people! The Soviet Union died over 10 years ago! They betrayed Marx! There are TONS of DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS out here who never supported the Soviet Union! We believe in the Swedish/German model. Get a clue and read your history. And with that, here's my letter to the editor:

Socialism and democracy are far from mutually exclusive. In fact, the two go hand in hand. Just take a look at Sweden and the other Scandanavian states, or Germany. All are arguably democratic socialist countries, and they all are vibrant democracies. In fact, they are more democratic, in many ways, than the U.S. itself. Some of the readers seem to associate socialism only with dictatorial regimes. But communism and socialism are actually quite different ideologies. Democratic socialists such as myself believe that the Stalinists and Trotskyists of the Soviet Union betrayed Marx's legacy by forever making the public associate authoritarianism with Socialism.

In fact, Marx never called for authoritarianism, and there are numerous examples of regimes that have implemented some form of socialism in a democratic context. I urge interested readers to join the Demoratic Socialist of America or our youth sections, YDS, to learn about the ideology and meet other like-minded individuals. Join such luminaries as Cornell West, Barbara Ehrenreich, Gloria Steinem, and Christian Parenti in fighting for liberty, equality, and solidarity. More information can be obtained at www.dsausa.org or www.ydsusa.org.

In solidarity,
Ben Kreider
Former coordinating committee member, Young Democratic Socialists of America
Former co-leader, Bowdoin College Young Democratic Socialists

Mother's Day and Consumerism

2006-05-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is tomorrow, and it is quite a worthy holiday. But I can't help but wonder if our country misses the point of such holidays. It seems like all of these "Hallmark holidays," while well-intentioned, ultimately just become excuses for crass commercialism. This is a shame, but it should be expected, given the rampant materialism in a hyper-capitalist society such as ours.

I'm sick of hearing all of the radio ads about having to buy your mother something for Mother's Day. Corporations want us to think that we have to buy people expensive things to show we love them. Now, I do buy presents from time to time. There's nothing wrong with that. But what is troubling is the way we have been programmed to buy things all the time to demonstrate our affection. I heard on the radio that the traffic around malls was terrible today. It's just rather disgusting how many people seem to buy into the propaganda of advertisers.

There are lots of other things you can do to show your mother that you care. Make her a nice card. Make her a craft. Simply spend some time with her and show her that you care. It often seems that we lack creativity, and that we feel the need to buy, buy, buy! What a shame.

On another note, The Nation just had a cover story about Moms, called "The Motherhood Manifesto." Joan Blades, one of the co-founders of Move-On.org, has also founded a new site called Moms Rising. She points out that being a mother is difficult in America today, as moms are discriminated against at the work place. On this Mother's Day, it's time to reflect on how much we value our moms, and to ensure that they get the respect that they deserve.

More on the perils of Exxon

2006-04-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

There's more to this story. I still encourage people to boycott Exxon-Mobil for the reasons outlined in my post of last week.

However, there is now Congressional action on this issue(finally). Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan proposed a windfall profits tax, and Republic Senator Arlen Specter backed the proposal as well. This is just a first step, but it is certainly a welcome one. Encourage your Senator to support this measure!

Also, I received this interesting email the other day from a very non-political friend of mine:

GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work

This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It's worth your consideration.

Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by next summer and it might go higher!!? Want gasoline prices to come down?? We need to take some intelligent, united action.

Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas.? It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town.? Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned usto think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to
teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we
are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How?

Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies(which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.? If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now,
don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 =
3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.

If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!? If it goes one level further, you
guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!(If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people....Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am so trust me on this one.) :-)

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!! I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this messageon. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL? UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP
THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK

Quote of the Day: Martin Luther King, Jr.

2006-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of the Day

2006-04-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm going to revive my old quote of the day feature. Here's today's:

"If it had not been for the discontent of a few who had not been satisfied with their condition we would still be living in caves. Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization."-Eugene Debs

For those who don't know, Eugene Debs was a union organizer for the American Railway Union(ARU) and led the famous Pullman Strike. He helped organized the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, also known as the "Wobblies") and was a leader of the Socialist Party, running as their presidential candidate on five occasions, including 1912, when he got 6% of the vote, including more than 16% in Oklahoma!

Read more about Debs at Wikipedia.

Save Dollars and the environment-Boycott Exxon-Mobil!

2006-04-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

Being a good, knowledgeable leftist, I have long boycotted Exxon-Mobil. First of all, the company has a horrible environmental record. Remember the Exxon Valdez? Not just an accident, it was a matter of corporate negligence. The company has committed a whole host of other environmental crimes, many of which are well-documented by the Sierra Club through their Expose Exxon campaign. Meanwhile, the company had record profits at the expense of ordinary Americans who were gouged at the pump. And the company is not doing its part to develop cleaner fuels, nor agreeing to taxes on its windfall profits.

But yet another reason to boycott this terrible company is simple economics. In my informal surveys, I have consistently noticed that Exxon's gas is generally at least ten cents more expensive than its competitors. Just the other day, Exxon was selling as for $2.79 a gallon while Sunoco was selling fas for $2.67 just a block away. Next time you're out driving, pay attention to Exxon's prices versus those of its competitors. You might be surprised at what you find.

Save the environment, and save dollars-BOYCOTT EXXON-MOBIL!

The sorry state of public transportation in the US

2006-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how pathetic public transportation is in this country. I live in Philadelphia, the 5th biggest city in the country. It's an old, northeastern city and has an extensive public transportation. You would think it would affordable and reliable.

You would be wrong.

For the first time since moving back home, I took the train into town the other day. Not only did it cost a whopping $6.75 to go 20 minutes, but the train was late both ways! On the way into town, it was 9 minutes late, and then it was 5 minutes late on the way back. Terrible. And today I took it again, and again it was late. Three out of my four trips, it has been late. Hmm.

Now call me snobby, but I can't help but think back to my semester abroad in Berlin, Germany. Not only was the public transportation there cleaner, cheaper, and far more efficient, but the
trains ran on time! What a concept.

I can vividly remembering the tram actually coming early on many mornings. The usual 9 minute delays of SEPTA were unheard of. The system wasn't perfect, but it was head and shoulders above any system in the U.S. I was reminded by this the second I stepped off my plane from Germany in Philadelphia. The train was over 10 minutes late, naturally.

Now I could complain until the cows come home, but that's not what this is about. This is about solutions. And there's a simple solution: stop wasting money on funding wasteful projects for the Defense Department, and put that money into public transportation. Stop giving every corporation under the sun tax breaks. Repeal the ridiculous Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

This country has more than enough money to have efficient public transporation systems in our largest cities. We have so much pride in our country. Shouldn't we be able to have public transportation that works?

Progressive Zeroes and Heroes

2005-12-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

Ah, the end of a long, complicated year in politics. Time to do the good ole cliched "year in review!"

The lovely Katha Pollitt, whom I had the pleasure of seeing at Bowdoin in December, did a wonderful piece for The Nation in which she points out that 2005 actually wasn't all bad for progressives. Check out her piece for yourself, it's quite good.

I won't bother doing a comprehensive "year in review" piece, because I simply don't have the time right now, and others have done a better job than I probably can. But I will start a new feature for the site, now that I will be regularly updating again. The feature: Progressive Zeroes and Heroes.

Readers of The Nation will be familiar with David Sirota's regular "Minority/Majority" section, in which he points out progressives who deserve kudos, as well as supposed liberals who deserve to be criticized. So, in a similar note, I'd like to award a Progressive Zero and Progressive Zero award for the past year. And starting after the New Year, I will attempt to do these weekly, if all goes according to plan. So, without further ado, the awards....*Cue drum roll

Senator Russell Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin, is my undisputed pick for Progressive Hero. Feingold voted against both the war AND the Patriot Act, which alone is almost enough to give him undisputed first place. But not only that, he has continued his vigilancy against the Patriot Act, building a bi-partisan coalition to reform it.

Furthermore, and more importantly for the long-term viability of the progressive movement, he has launched one of those ubiquitous leadership PACs, much like other presidential hopefuls such as Kerry, Edwards, etc. But the Progressive Patriots Fund is the most progressive of the bunch, and it deserves your support. Kudos to Russ for realizing that it's not just about candidates winning elections, it's about ideas and building a movement. Let's hope some of his hapless colleagues in the Democratic Party learn a little something from him.

Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic Party leadership in general receive the Progressive Zero award. They have failed to capitalize on the huge openings created by Republican incompetence and corruption. Most importantly, they have failed to articulate a plan for getting us out of Iraq. Even my old hero, Howard Dean, has been weak on the war. It's time for the Dems to get with the program, if they want to get back into power anytime soon.

There are notable exceptions to this weakness on the war, namely Nancy Pelosi and Ted Kennedy. But by and large, most Democrats have come across as cowards on the war. The majority of Americans want an exit plan, not politically expedient rhetoric. It's time to grow up and support John Murtha and Feingold's courageous calls for an exit plan. Democratic ineptitude on the war is Exhibit A in how the Dems can win back America.

Here's hoping for more Feingolds and fewer Liebermans in the new year!

Time to Start Withdrawing From Iraq

2005-11-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

Check out my column from Friday's Bowdoin Orient. In the article, I lay out the case for gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, as advocated by Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.

Here's an excerpt:

Iraq will never be secured by a large, outside occupation force. The Pentagon itself has admitted as much. In congressional testimony, Army General George W. Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, explained that the large U.S. force is part of the problem. He is quoted in the October 1 issue of the Los Angeles Times as explaining that troop reductions were necessary to "take away one of the elements that fuels the insurgency, that of the coalition forces as an occupying force."

The Iraqi people resent our presence. It will be up to the Iraqis themselves to secure their own country. Iraqi police forces have made a great deal of progress in the last few years, but more needs to be done to train them properly and turn over areas of the country to them. In addition, the administration should propose that a multilateral conference be held, inviting members of the Arab League, UN, and NATO. If countries in the Middle East are never brought to the table, there will never be peace.

It will be far harder for jihadists to get public support when coalition troops are not present in large numbers. The insurgency is largely fueled by hatred of the American presence, so a withdrawal would make it harder for Al-Qaeda and other groups to recruit members and get the support of moderates in the Arab world.

Read the whole column.

New Orleans reveals Bush administration's true colors

2005-09-12T00:44:00.000-04:00

Check out my article in the Bowdoin Orient which expands upon my comments on Bush's response to Katrina.

Here's an excerpt:

Liberals have long been alleging that this president is oblivious to the needs of the poor, and rightfully so. On August 30, the Census Bureau released statistics showing that household income has failed to increase for five years in a row, the first time in recorded history this has happened.

In addition, the poverty rate actually rose last year. All this has happened despite White House claims that we are in the middle of economic recovery.

That may be the case, depending upon how you define a recovery. But what is clear is that income inequality has grown dramatically during Bush's presidency. Corporate profits, meanwhile, continue to rise steadily thanks to the war and Bush's cozy relationship with corporate America. The rich continue to get richer, and the poor continue to get poorer.

All the while, right-wing Christians continue to be under the illusion that this is a president who cares about the poor.

In the church I was raised in, we were taught that one of the core principles of Christianity was to care for the poor. It's sad that politics has made Bush forget this. Perhaps the latest tragedy will open people's eyes to the truth.

New Orleans Shows Bush's Disregard for the Poor

2005-09-06T00:36:00.000-04:00

The current debacle is just the latest episode to show that Bush and his cronies care much more about their rich and powerful friends than average citizens.

Just a casual glance at the images of the ruined city make it clear that the majority of the victims stranded in the city during the hurricane were poor and black. Now I’m not calling the administration racist. I’m just saying that they have never truly cared about the poor and downtrodden.

If a similar disaster had occurred in Orange County, California, or a similar wealthy, white bastion of conservatism, I think it’s safe to say that help would have been sent immediately. It would be foolish to ignore the roles race and class play in this tragedy.

The people whose lives were most deeply affected by Katrina were the ones who could not afford to leave the city-the poor. These are the same people who have been most hurt by the war in Iraq as well. As their sons and daughters come home in coffins, Bush’s friends in corporate America are lining their pockets with war profits. It must be nice to be so isolated from reality.

It's time to stop ignoring class in America. We live in a classist society, and we have a president who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, a president who is so isolated from ordinary Americans that he cannot relate to them. The poor in New Orleans, and the poor across the country, are the real victims. We live in a country where millions live each day in poverty, and it's time to stop ignoring this.

Bush's energy policy and Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Note: This was cross-posted on Daily Kos under my diary page

The disaster in New Orleans is obviously a tragedy. And even I can't blame Bush for the weather. However, it is worth noting that Bush's terrible energy policy is partly responsible for the recent rise in gas prices.

If we had a truly comprehensive energy policy that didn't rely almost exclusively on oil, mainly foreign oil, it's safe to say that we wouldn't be paying $3 at the pump right now. Since the disaster destroyed a bunch of off-shore oil rigs, supply of gas has been tight, leading to an increase in prices. The administration has released oil from the domestic strategic reserves, but this isn't enough to make up for the shortfall.

If our country wasn't run by former (and current) energy executives, perhaps we would have an energy policy that moves us towards sustainable sources(i.e. solar, wind, green power, and other renewable sources). It will take political will, however, and unfortunately the Bush administration does not possess that. After all, Cheney, Bush, and their friends at companies like Exxon Mobil are making out like bandits while the average citizen gets screwed at the pump.

"Compassionate conservativism" is a misnomer. They're only compassionate towards their wealthy friends at energy companies. Meanwhile, the average working American is devoting more and more of their paycheck to gas.

Bush's Obscene Tirades Rattle White House Aides

2005-09-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

This piece was just way too funny to pass up.

While President George W. Bush travels around the country in a last-ditch effort to sell his Iraq war, White House aides scramble frantically behind the scenes to hide the dark mood of an increasingly angry leader who unleashes obscenity-filled outbursts at anyone who dares disagree with him.

“I’m not meeting again with that goddamned bitch,” Bush screamed at aides who suggested he meet again with Cindy Sheehan, the war-protesting mother whose son died in Iraq. “She can go to hell as far as I’m concerned!”

Bush flashes the bird, something aides say he does often and has been doing since his days as governor of Texas.
Bush, administration aides confide, frequently explodes into tirades over those who protest the war, calling them “motherfucking traitors.” He reportedly was so upset over Veterans of Foreign Wars members who wore “bullshit protectors” over their ears during his speech to their annual convention that he told aides to “tell those VFW assholes that I’ll never speak to them again is they can’t keep their members under control.”

Remembering Hiroshima, 60 Years Later

2005-08-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

Sixty years ago today, at 8:15 AM, the Enola Gay dropped the world's first atomic bomb used in military action, leveling the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Approximately 140,000 people died due to the bomb and its aftermath.

It is a moment that will forever be remembered, and people around the world are doing just that. But the question remains-have we learned anything from this incident?

Sadly, I would say we have learned very little. Nuclear proliferation continues. True-we did sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970. This has generally been effective in preventing new nuclear states. Yet it didn't prevent Pakistan from testing a nuclear weapon. And Washington recently sold India sensitive nuclear technology.

Disturbingly, the recently-appointed U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, has belittled arms-control agreements in the past. He accused the Clinton administration of

"...fascination with arms control agreements as a substitute for real nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

(John Bolton, "A Legacy of Betrayal," Washington Times , May 12, 1999.)

He also helped the U.S. withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. And this is the man who is going to bring world peace? These are sad times we are living in. Not only have we forgotten Hiroshima, but we are well on our way to making the same mistakes again. The Department of Defense is now investigating new nuclear weapons that have the ability to strike underground. These so-called "bunker busters" are an insult to the victims of Hiroshima. The U.S. should be ashamed.

U.S. Deaths in Iraq Pass 1800 - Can 2,000 Be Far Off?

2005-08-03T08:46:00.000-04:00

Update:I cross-posted part of this story and added some additional commentary in a diary entry on Daily Kos.

According to the Defense Department, the number of U.S. combat dead in Iraq has passed, 1800, now totaling 1802. The milestone of 1800 was passed after 14 U.S. Marines were killed early today.

Interestingly, there have now been 1658 combat deaths since official combat operations were declared over on May 1, 2003. That's compared to 139 deaths during the "official" war. For those of you doing the math, that's more than 11 times as many casualties "after the war" than "during the war." Interesting.

The U.S. public is getting increasingly fed up with this deceptive, wasteful war. It's only a matter of time before we pass 2,000 U.S. war dead. The billions of dollars keep on piling up. Already, even the Bush administration is finally starting to call for U.S. troops to pull out. It's about time, I say. Let's give the Iraqi government TRUE SOVEREIGNTY and close the 14 permanent bases in Iraq.

Time for Democrats to Help Labor

2005-07-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

The following post was cross-posted on Daily Kos:

Today labor is making headlines, with the New York Times reporting that 4 major unions are leaving the AFL-CIO to form a new labor coalition, Change to Win.

This development has wide-sweeping implications for the progressive movement. It's a shame it had to come to this, but the fact that labor is getting lots of attention out of this can't be a good thing. As they say, any publicity is good publicity. And this attention may put get more Democrats to pay attention to the plights of unions. The NYT piece notes that labor's internal divide has the Democrats worried, and rightfully so:

"A rift could hurt the labor movement badly by redirecting its focus and energies to internal battles instead of bedrock issues like fighting for wage increases and extending health care to more workers. Democrats, a traditional ally of organized labor, are especially worried that a schism might hurt their party's chances by making labor a less potent political force."

There's no question this is true. What I would point out is that labor has always been there for the Democrats, but not necessarily the other way around. In the 2004 election, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest union and the leading dissident in Change to Win, spent over $39 million to help elect Kerry. They were the 5th largest PAC in terms of receipts, placing them ahead of such well-known groups as MoveOn.org and the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth. Yet Kerry and the Democrats as a whole did little more than pay lip service to labor's concerns.

Where were the Democrats during NAFTA? Kerry, Edwards, Clinton, and many other Dems lined up right behind the Republicans in supporting a failed free trade agreement.

Perhaps most importantly, Democrats have not exactly been putting much weight behind the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to organize at their workplaces. Essentially, it is a piece of legislation that would help reverse labor's decline by making it easier to organize new workers. Unless I missed something, Kerry didn't exactly tout this legislation very much.

It's time the Democrats start fighting harder for Labor. The Democrats depend on Labor when the going gets tough. Now it's time for the Party to help out its most important ally.

A Decline in American Community

2005-06-27T11:38:00.000-04:00

I recently started reading the well-known book Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, a Harvard professor who documents the unraveling of American community over the last several decades. His book is far too long and complicated to summarize succintly here, but the basic premise is that over the last few decades, Americans have been less involved in various community organizations and activities, whether they be religious groups, civic groups such as the Rotary, political organizations, or even informal card games or family dinners. The evidence he presents is astonishing: in virtually all types of organizations, there was a decline in membership during the Depression, a subsequent boom after World War II, and then a decline starting in the late 1960's.

His thesis is that we obtain "social capital" through both formal organizations and more casual social interactions, and that the decline in this capital could potentially have a very harmful long-term effect on our society if we do not reverse it. This capital is very beneficial in maintaining a sense of well-being, interconnectedness, and economic prosperity. I have not gotten very far through the book yet, but Putnam presents various reasons for this decline. One of the biggest is that we are spending more time at work, yet we are forming few close connections there. In addition, we are "joining" organizations that merely require a donation or an email address rather than any face-to-face time.

I could go on and on about Putnam's book, but I want to connect his observations to my own personal experiences, namely my current summer job. Right now I am working as a field canvasser for The Maine People's Alliance, a non-profit citizen action group based in Portland, Maine. Basically, I go door-to-door talking to people about Social Security and trying to get them to sign a petition against Bush's privatization plan. I have done canvassing work before, but this is undoubtedly the most time I have devoted to it, so I have learned quite a bit.

Every day of the job, I have some sort of experience that I am able to connect with Putnam's work. There are a discouraging number of people who either don't answer the door(when I can tell perfectly well that they are home), say they are not interested in talking to me, or give me some sort of lame (and often blatantly false) excuse. It has become plainly clear that many individuals are not only unused to having someone knock on their door-they are downright annoyed. Add this to the number of no trespassing signs I have seen, plus the number of unleashed, aggressive dogs that patrol people's front doors, and it's easy to see how Americans' sense of rugged individualism can be taken so far that they seem to forget that they do not live in a bubble.

Now don't get me wrong-I don't expect everyone to have a pleasant conversation with me, sign my petition, and give me money. But I do expect people to give me with the basic level of respect that every human being deserves. One woman told me the other day: "I don't agree with your position, but I am glad you are out here getting involved in politics." Amen. I wish more people would say that. The fact is, getting out there trying to change things is much better than just accepting the status quo. Pretty much anyone who is passionate about an issue deserves credit for speaking their mind and getting engaged.

I will close by saying that it will be interesting to see how my perspectives change throughout the summer. Hopefully things will get better, and I will start being welcomed into people's homes with open arms. But I doubt it. Americans have been huddled in front of their TV's in their housing developments for decades now, so the process will not be reversed in a matter of a few months. I hate to sound self-righteous, but simply the fact that there are people out there like me can certainly not hurt the situation.

A New Way to Combat Global Warming?

2005-05-19T01:14:00.000-04:00

CNN reported on a new way to cut down on global warming: by storing carbon dioxide emissions underground, in old oil fields.

Carbon dioxide could be buried underground as a means of combating climate change, scientists have suggested.
The scheme could see millions of tons of the greenhouse gas, which environmental experts say is the main cause of global warming, pumped into exhausted oil and natural gas reservoirs such as those underneath the North Sea.

Now that we have written off the Kyoto Treaty, new ways to combat global warming will need to be found. Aside from the obvious solution of using renewable energy sources, this solution might just work. It has the added benefit that big oil companies such as BP are already interested in it, as they can actually profit from it! Further proof that protecting the environment and running successful business don't have to seen as mutually exclusive goals.

French Lose a Holiday, but Many, Angry, Take One Anyway

2005-05-18T10:52:00.000-04:00

I saw this amusing article in the New York Times about a bunch of French protesting a loss of a holiday. It just goes to show how impotent labor is in this country. I just can't imagine this many people mobilizing over a labor issue. It's too bad labor has declined so much in this country.

I also think it has a lot to do with American values. We place so much emphasis on work that we lose sight of other values like leisure. Granted, the French sometimes take things to the opposite extreme, and perhaps why their economy is so stagnant. But I still think we place far too much emphasis on competition and work and not enough on other, less tangible values.

The Iraq Smoking Gun

2005-05-17T00:15:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago, The London Times published a leaked British memo that shows Blair and Bush met in July 2002 to plan for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. The contents of the memo are quite disturbing, showing that the UK and U.S. agreed long before the invasion to "create" conditions to justify the invasion invasion. Today CNN reported on the memo and the White House refutation of it:

According to the minutes cited by the Times, a British official identified as "C" said that he had returned from a meeting in Washington and that "military action was now seen as inevitable" by U.S. officials.

"Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the
policy," the memo said, according to the newspaper.

Predictably, the U.S. press has been dragging its feet on publicizing this. But the Mainstream Media(MSM) are beginning to pick this up, after pressure from the blogosphere. On May 5,
Raw Story reported that John Conyers sent a letter signed by 88 members of Congress asking for Bush to explain the memo. The letter can be read here.

The LA Times finally picked up the story 11 days after it came out,
reporting growing U.S. indignation over the memo.

The fact that the White House took the time to deny the memo shows that they at least care about it mildly. And it is important to note that White House Press Spokesman Scott McLellan said he has not actually read the memo. It will be interesting to see if this story has legs. It is possible it will be the smoking gun on Iraq. But it is just as possible that it will simply get lost in the shuffle.

"When you take your next trip to Iraq, I would be glad to get together with you."

2005-05-12T02:20:00.000-04:00

Bremer loses his cool at a college lecture.

So it has been well over a month since the Bremer lecture. My, how time flies.

So it turns out my post before-hand was pretty much right on the money. If you'd like to read about how the event went, check out the article in The Bowdoin Orient. The Brunswick Times Record wrote an article about the event, which is no longer online. However, you can find the article here, at this site I found by googling my name.

I won't go into great lengths here on how the lecture went, but I will say this: Bremer is a much bigger jerk than I ever thought he would be.

There, I said it. It's completely true. I went into the lecture with an open mind, I asked him a reasonable question, and his response was obnoxious. Not to mention the fact that it didn't answer my question!

If you didn't read the articles, here's the recap:

I asked a question about U.S. corporations' role in Iraq, bringing up the fact that he established a number of new laws specifically to make Iraq a great place to do business. I also brought up the fact that he declared Iraq "open for business" soon after arriving.

The point of my question was basically asking him why U.S. corporations had so much control in Iraq, and why it wouldn't be better to involve Iraqis more in the reconstruction of their own country in order to make their economy sustainable.

In his response, Bremer actually had the gall to say, "When you take your next trip to Iraq, I would be glad to get together with you."

Well obviously I haven't been to Iraq, you idiot! That's why the school wasted over $25,000 on your joke of a speech!

I could go on and on about this, but the point is this: Bremer basically delivered a White House press conference at Bowdoin's expense. In addition to being snippy with me, he said "read my book" when a student asked him what he would have done differently.

Talk about a missed opportunity for Bremer. He failed to convert many in the audience by failing to be very persuasive or answer questions very directly.

Paul Bremer Comes to Bowdoin

2005-04-08T14:46:00.000-04:00

So Paul Bremer is speaking at Bowdoin tonight. I'm excited about this event for a number of reasons, but I don't think it will be particularly earth-shattering.

Let's face it-it will be a school-sanctioned pep rally for Iraq. I'm expecting to hear lines such as "freedom is on the march," "America is safer today because Saddam is gone," and "we are democratizing the Middle East." I could have written this speech 3 months ago.

Bowdoin Security seems pretty paranoid about the event. They called me a few times and emailed me to set up a meeting time after they heard I was calling for protests. I met with them and had a nice chat. I don't blame them at all for being paranoid, but I don't think anything too bad will happen.

I think Bremer certainly has a right to speak, but protesting is vital. His speech will hardly be candid, I'm sure. I'm expecting a very scripted event without too much frankness. Let's see if he answers my question, hahaha.

Only time will tell, but I'm predicting this event will be interesting but uninformative.

War Deaths, Rhetoric Increase

2004-09-08T09:13:00.000-04:00

Military deaths in Iraq have just surpassed 1,000 , The New York Times reports, citing Pentagon figure of 998 military service deaths and 3 civilian deaths. The Associated Press , meanwhile, estimates the deaths at 1,003. Whatever the actual total, the fact remains that far more U.S. lives have been lost since Bush declared the end of fighting on May 1st than were lost during the supposed "war."

The propaganda war is also picking up. In an excellent editorial, Paul Krugman discusses the psychology of war and debunks the myth of Bush as an effective war president:

When war psychology takes hold, the public believes, temporarily, in a "mythic reality" in which our nation is purely good, our enemies are purely evil, and anyone who isn't our ally is our enemy.

This state of mind works greatly to the benefit of those in power.

Krugman is right on the money, as usual. Justifying some of the article's arguments, Cheney said that the nation will be vulnerable to a terror attack if Kerry is elected. This is the administration at its worst: it is playing on people's fears in order to maintain its tight grip on power. I wonder if Cheney realizes the irony of his statement? The administration has been warning that terrorists are trying to influence U.S. elections, and I would argue that if terrorists actually had such an intention, they would want Bush to win. After all, what is a better recruiting tool than a cowboy president who invades Middle Eastern countries at a whim and regularly talks of "smoking terrorists out of their caves?" Noam Chomsky likes to refer to this as people's "tendency to huddle under the umbrella of power." The idea is that people resist change when they are afraid, no matter how irrational this may be.

In another item of interest related to the war, West Virginia’s top Army Reserve spokesman denounced the war:

“I believe in this country, and I’m concerned about where this country is heading,” he said. “I want to be part of the change, vs. the part that will allow us to continue on the path of destruction.”

He added that he’s doing the same as John Kerry, who fought in the Vietnam War then returned to oppose it.

Quote of the Day: 9/7/04

2004-09-08T09:08:00.000-04:00

"We are a plutocracy-we ought to face it. It may be true of all countries more or less, but it's uniquely true of ours. Even our democratic processes are hardly that because money dominates politics."

-Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark

Dealing With The Christian Right

2004-08-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

As every politically aware person knows, the Christian Right, embodied by such groups as The Christian Coalition, has gained an alarming amount of power within the Republican Party. But do progressives understand what these individuals believe about the world, let alone how to deal with this growing movement? Recently someone brought to my attention an excellent Dissident Voice article describing the ranks of Christian fundamentalists populating America's heartland.

The author recounts the difficulty of being a liberal deep in the bastion of Christian conservativsm, and he highlights the alarming cultural and political divide in the U.S. This theme seems to be a persisten tone as of late, as Alternet features an article on Thomas Frank's new book What's The Matter With Kansas. Both of these articles are truly a wake-up call for a left that is completely out of touch with conservatives Christians. It is absolutely imperative that we study this movement and develop ways to combat its adherents dangerously cult-like thinking. In addition, faith communities with progressive values must work together to start a dialogue about religion and politics, demonstrating that the Right do not have a monopoly on values.

Daily Quote: 8/23/04

2004-08-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

We are already fighting World War III, and I am sorry to say we are winning. It is the war against the earth"
-Raymond Dasmann

Swift Boat Veterans For Lies

2004-08-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

Remember the humorously named "Swiftboat Veterans For Truth?" Well surprise, surprise-it turns out they were actually rather untruthful. The Washington Post reports that recently obtained military records prove that Kerry came under enemy fire, thus discrediting the version of events offered by Larry Thurlow, one of Kerry's prime accusers.

This does not surprise me one bit. This group was merely a thinly veiled partisan organization out to smear Kerry's honorable military service. It is disgusting that a group of veterans with a political axe to grind would attack one of their own in a dishonest manner. Not only that, but Thurlow is actually profiting from the episode through a best-selling book. Apparently Americans like swallowing bullshit by the mouthful. They have the right to keep feeding on the lies and deception, but personally I'm not buying.

Daily Quote: 8/18/04

2004-08-18T17:48:00.000-04:00

"If you tremble at every injustice then you are a
comrade of mine."

- Che Guevara.

GOP Congressman Calls War "A Mistake"

2004-08-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

Rep. Doug Bereuter, a retiring Republican congressman from Nebraska, has criticized the Iraq war as "a dangerous, costly mess." Bereuter, a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, believes there is no quick way for U.S. forces to exit Iraq. He also cites intelligence failures and damage to the U.S.'s reputation around the world as reasons for his position.

I give Bereuter a great deal of credit for going against the administration and his party on this issue. While he originally supported the war, he has the courage to call the war a mistake and admit that his own position was flawed. It is too bad more Republicans will not make similar moves, but it is not surprising that they would put political considerations above all else. The Congressman deserves credit for acting in a non-partisan way on this issue. Other congressmen, both Republicans and Democrats, can learn from this action. Politicians toe the party line far too often at the risk of failing to vote their consciences.

Daily Quote: 8/17/04

2004-08-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

"It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them."

-Adlai Stevenson

FBI Harasses RNC Protesters

2004-08-17T00:10:00.000-04:00

FBI counterterrorism officials have been reportedly interviewing activists who plan to protest at the Republican National Convention in New York City. In addition, agents are making unannounced visit's to people's homes, monitoring meetings and web sites, and even subpoenaing individuals in some cases. The actions aim to prevent possible violence at the event, which takes place August 30-September 2.

While officials have every right to investigate those they legitimately believe may cause violence, their actions seem borderline illegal. They have developed lists of potentially dangerous individuals without any clear evidence of wrongdoing. These pre-emptive strikes intimidate protestors from exercising their First Amendment rights, even though the majority of those targeted are peaceful in nature. Just because someone is part of an anti-war group does not mean they are likely to perpetrate violence. Officials are walking a fine line here between preserving security and violating demonstrators' constitutional rights. Why is this operation being considered a "counterterrorism" operation when agents have no evidence that these individuals are planning to do anything but protest? Acting on a credible threat is one thing, but harassing individuals who have done nothing but exercise their political freedoms is quite another.

Daily Quote: 8/16/04

2004-08-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

"In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
-George Orwell, 1984

Activist Groups Sue NYC

2004-08-12T09:20:00.000-04:00

The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) and the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) have filed a lawsuit in New Yorkto obtain a permit for a August 28 rally for civil rights in Central Park. United For Peace And Justice has also filed suit, demanding the right to assemble in Central Park August 29 and to march past Madison Square Garden, the site of the Republican National Convention. The city has denied the permit requests and asked that the protestors demonstrate along the West Side Highway. Mayor Michael Bloomberg cited concerns over security and potential damage to the park's grass.

First we had the DNC protestors in Boston confined to a "free-speech zone" that amounted to a fenced in pen. Now concerns for grass are eroding free speech. Why is it that citizens who choose to mobilize for political reasons are discriminated against and looked down upon in this country? While the occasional protestor may damage property, the vast majority of activists are peaceful and law-abiding individuals who want nothing more than to voice their opinions, and society needs to do everything possible to preserve that sacred right. Most protestors should be respected, not villified, for exercising their constitutional rights.

Daily Quote: 8/12/04

2004-08-12T09:16:00.000-04:00

"There is no more fundamental axiom of American freedom than the familiar statement: In a free country we punish men for crimes they commit but never for the opinions they have."
-Harry S. Truman, 1950

Toronto Star Criticizes Kerry on Iraq

2004-08-11T10:17:00.000-04:00

An editorial in The Toronto Star criticizes Kerry for his position on Iraq:

"But Kerry comes off looking like "Bush lite" on Iraq, rather than as a candidate with better values and a sounder program. He seems weak. Muddled. Has he learned nothing from a slew of American investigations that have exposed the sloppiness of U.S. intelligence and the shabbiness of the rationale for war?

This is a letdown for American voters who yearn for a real alternative, and a healthier direction. It is not good news for the world, either."

I know what you're all thinking-why in the world do I care what a Canadian newspaper thinks of John Kerry? In short, world opinion about U.S. policies matter. If Canada, our northern neighbor and ally, has doubts about our policies, other countries undoubtedly have much stronger concerns. The rest of the world is hoping Kerry will unseat Bush, but it is important for Kerry to distinguish himself based on his own credentials and vision, rather than simply serving as the "anyone but Bush" candidate.

I am still supporting Kerry, and I urge you to do the same. But Kerry will need to provide a clearer explanation for his vote on Iraq and his beliefs on the use of military force.

Daily Quote: 8/11/04

2004-08-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

News is what someone wants to suppress. Everything else is advertising.
-Rubin Frank (former NBC news President)

Spinning the Economy

2004-08-10T09:30:00.000-04:00

There has been a great deal of talk about Friday's disappointing job numbers as well as the economic situation. Interestingly, Reuters reports that U.S. Productivity Stronger Than Expected while the AP's headline reads a bit differently: Productivity Posts Slowest Rise Since 2002. Both stories refer to the same economic statistics, yet the headlines give the reader a vastly different impression. This just reinforces the fact that one must use caution in interpreting news, particularly politically-sensitive stories such as economic reports.

Speaking of economic spin, Paul Krugman sheds some light on the issue of Bush's spinning of economic numbers. He adeptly points out that Bush constantly talks of the economic growth occurring under his administration, citing his tax cuts as a great stimulus. Yet Bush fails to ever mention the hemmorhaging of 1.1 million jobs during his administration. If this trend continues, it would make him the first president since Hoover to preside over a net loss of jobs.

It is interesting to note that while the president tries to take credit for the alleged positive effects of his tax cuts, he also tries to distance himself from economic numbers that don't make him look very good. My personal belief is that business cycles are fixed to a degree, and that presidents only have so much influence over the direction of the economy. Yet if one tries to take credit for putative positive economic growth, one must also be willing to take responsibility for hard economic times as well.

Daily Quote: 8/10/04

2004-08-10T09:29:00.000-04:00

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.
-Henry David Thoreau

Terror Alerts Politically Motivated?

2004-08-09T21:07:00.000-04:00

I just received an email about an interesting timeline showing correlations between terror alerts and political events unfavorable to the Bush administration. I am not sure exactly what I make it at the moment, as I need to study it a little more closely, but I will try posting some commentary on it in the next day or two.

I agree with the author of the blog in that some of the threats were legitimate, but that we need to very skeptical of the regime's actions. Fear is a powerful motivator, and people tend to "huddle under the umbrella of power" in such times, as Noam Chomsky so eloquently described it. It is certainly in the best interest of the administration to have the American people on their toes and constantly fearing a new enemy so we will be less critical of our government at home.

Daily Quote: 8/9/04

2004-08-09T10:56:00.000-04:00

It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.
-Samuel Adams

Bush Blasted On Iraq

2004-08-06T11:34:00.000-04:00

In today's NYT, Paul Krugman points out how the media is downplaying the situation in Iraq, even though the US has actually suffered MORE casualties since the late June handover of sovereignty. In another NYT opinion piece, Bob Herbert criticizes Bush's "failure of leadership" and compares his lack of truth about the war to Nixon and Johnson's mistruths about Vietnam.

Krugman and Herbert are right on the ball with these pieces. As usual, the corporate mainstream media is playing exactly into the White House and Pentagon's hands by taking Iraq off the front pages. The average citizen may believe that Iraq and Afghanistan are stable, free democracies where Americans are showered with praise as liberators, but the situation could not be further from the truth. US troops are overstretched and facing dangerous insurgencies in both countries. While the media may be ignoring the grim reality, skeptical citizens such as myself will not take this lying down. It is the duty of a citizen in a democracy to arm himself with information, and that is exactly what those of us in the blogosphere are doing.

Job Figures Softer Than Expected

2004-08-06T11:17:00.000-04:00

Despite Bush's claims that the economy has rebounded, only 32,000 new jobs were created in July, far below expectations.

"It's clear that the economy is hitting a soft patch," said Richard J. DeKaser, chief economist at the National City Corporation, a bank based in Cleveland. "What we're seeing is the severe impact of high oil prices."

The July gain was the smallest gain this year, and the unemployment rate only declined to 5.5 percent. Over the last 12 months, average weekly pay has only risen 2.4 percent, compared to a 3 percent rise in inflation. In other words, the average family actually has less money to spend!

Bush can talk all he wants about the economy "turning the corner," but I say, "Show me the jobs!" Since Bush has taken over, we have lost 1.1 million net jobs, and he is the only president since Hoover to have presided over a net loss in jobs. Note to Dubya: there is no such thing as a "jobless recovery!" That term is an oxymoron, just like military intelligence. The average worker does not care if the GDP is growing-he only cares if he can put food on the table.

Daily Quote: 8/6/04

2004-08-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."
-Howard Zinn

Yet Another Bushism!

2004-08-05T23:55:00.000-04:00

President George W. Bush made a rather major verbal gaffe at a ceremony for the signing of a new defense spending bill Thursday:

``Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we,'' Bush said. ``They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.''

Kerry Ads For Free?

2004-08-05T11:15:00.000-04:00

A front-page article in The New York Times reports that outside groups are spending millions on ads for the Kerry campaign. Groups such as MoveOn, The Media Fund, and the Democratic National Committee are running spots that appear to be promoting Sen. Kerry, although the ads are not coordinated directly with the Kerry campaign. Under current campaign finance laws, 527's and other non-profit groups fall under a specific portion of the tax code that prohibits them from coordinating their activities with campaigns. Even so, these organizations craft effective ads that often have nearly identical messages to those of the campaign itself.

These new ads have been particularly important to Kerry, as he has not been able to tap into his campaign coffers after accepting his party's nomination July 29th. He, like Bush, can spend $75 in public campaign funds between his nomination and the election on November 2nd. Since Bush will receive the nomination a month later than Kerry, Kerry aides have feared that he will be outspent.

While I am all for ads benefiting the Democrats, I question whether our current campaign finance laws are truly effective. In the future, outside organizations must be more tightly regulated to cut down on the ridiculous amounts of money that flow into campaigns. Ultimately, this country needs fair and clean elections laws such as the state of Maine have. Individual contributions will undoubtedly remain for quite some time, as it will be difficult for the courts to argue against free speech laws. Yet it would benefit the system dramatically if a much greater percentage of candidates' funds came from public coffers. This would level the playing field and reduce the amount of money from corporations, Political Actions Committees (PACs), and other special interest sources.

It is also interesting to note how saturated the nation's airwaves are with political ads this election season. In the 2000 campaign, more than $6 billion was spent on political ads. Viewers often get disgusted at the frequency of the ads and tune out after a while, a fact that is clearly demonstrated by the amazing 20 times consumers must see a political ad to remember it!

I would love to hear your opinions on campaign ads, so feel free to add your two cents.

Daily Quote: 8/5/04

2004-08-05T10:19:00.000-04:00

So I have decided to start a "Quote of the Day" feature, as I am rather obsessed with collecting quotes, and I figured I should share the wealth. Here's the first:

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." - Oscar Wilde

The Fear Continues

2004-08-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

The New York Times reports that the heightened terror alerts for areas around New York City and Washington, DC are based onrecent intelligence information, not just Al-Qaeda surveillance that took place three years ago. Yet the Washington Post quotes a senior law enforcement official who says the warnings are based on old information. Who are we to believe?

To be fair, The Department of Homeland Security has a difficult job. Terrorists from the Al-Qaeda network may be brutal and inhumane, but they are nothing if not elusive and stealth. Yet I have to question what good these constant alerts do in protecting the population. What are we supposed to do exactly when the alert is raised to orange? Run to Home Depot and stock up on duct tape? If we are to ever win the "war on terror," we cannot let our lives be dictated by vague warnings about a bunch of shadowy terrorist networks we have not effectively infiltrated.

Intelligence officials unquestionably are faced with arduous tasks, and they deserve credit for their service to our country. But why should we blindly believe and obey an administration that has deceived us in the past? They botched the intelligence on WMD in Iraq and Saddam's alleged purchase of uranium from Niger, so it seems quite easy that this new intelligence could be flawed as well. It is certainly admirable that officials would like to inform the public of any threats that materialize, but even if the threats are 100% certain and credible, it remains unclear how the public is supposed to react. Unless we go about our daily business and refuse to give into fear, the terrorists will have won by getting us to compromise our freedom. Personally I intend on going to protest the Republican National Convention in New York later this month, and it does not bother me one iota that this event will supposedly be a huge terrorist target.

My DNC experience

2004-08-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

I just returned Friday evening from a week in Boston for the Democratic National Convention-my first ever. It was truly an amazing experience, but it was very stressful and draining, as there was simply too much to do and too little time!

The speakers I saw included Sen. John Kerry, Gov. Howard Dean, Reverend Al Sharpton, President Clinton, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Joe Trippi, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Arianna Huffington, DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Ed Markey, Former DNC Chairman/President of Dean For America Steve Grossman, and many others I cannot think of at the moment. I simply do not have the time here to go into what all of them said, but I will say that Bill Clinton, Sharpton, Jackson, Trippi, and Kucinich were the most impressive.

Other than attending various trainings, rallies, and talks, I enjoyed walking around town and making lots of new contacts. There were over 1,000 young people from across the country gathered for the College Democrats of America(CDA) convention. Being a politically active young person often feels lonely, so it was quite inspiring to know there are many other people who are just as passionate as I am.

One of the recurring themes of the CDA convention was how to get more people, especially young people, involved in the political process. There are certainly no easy answers to this question, but I have some theories.

First of all, the current political climate does not get young people very excited about politics. The majority of politicians are simply dull and uninspiring, as they seem more concerned about their images than truly working for change. Washington is so obsessed with focus groups and polls that our lawmakers often do what they think will get them elected rather than what is in the best interest of their constituents. Campaign ads are overwhelmingly negative and offer more distortions and criticisms than facts. As many young people are not actively involved in our democracy, and they do not have a great deal of money, it is easy for politicians to ignore this demographic group.

Campaign finance reform certainly would not hurt voter turnout among young people. If politicians were more accountable to the people rather than corporations, youth would feel more empowered. The sad truth is that politicians often ignore America's youth and fail to address issues that matter to them. Reducing Capitol Hill's dependence on corporate dollars would give the average citizen a greater say in government.

Another obvious reason for apathy is a lack of reliable information. Campaigns flood our mailboxes and airwaves with appeals for our votes, yet they often fail to clearly state candidates' positions and records. It is surprisingly difficult for the average voter, especially the uneducated or cynical one, to obtain a factual, unbiased view of a candidate. Groups such as Project Vote Smart are trying to change this by providing voters with nonpartisan information to aid their decisions. There is certainly a long way to go in this fight, but some progress is being made.

Mandatory civics courses in high school would also go a long way toward combating apathy. Every high school graduate should have a basic knowledge of our nation's political system and should learn what local issues have a direct impact on their life. We must also work to distribute voter registration cards to every high school senior. Better yet, there should be an option to register to vote when you apply for a driver's license or conduct other business with the DMV. Making Election Day a national holiday would inevitably bump turnout up as well. If people do not have to worry about missing work, they will have fewer excuses for forgetting to hit the polls. Such a holiday would also give elections more media attention and facilitate casual political conversations among neighbors.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve youth involvement is to simply be active and encourage your friends to do so. If every young person registered 10 of their friends or peers, it would not be long before nearly everyone was registered. Organizations such as Rock The Vote are doing a good job making voting seem "cool" by promoting it using high-profile musicians.

The events in Boston certainly made me even more motivated to take our democracy back. While the conventions always do a good job in rallying the faithful, it is crucial that we get the passive observers involved in politics again. A country where less than 50 percent of the electorate turns out every year is hardly a true democracy. We must work to increase civic involvement so that politics is no longer a spectator sport for the average American. Then, and only then, will we be able to honestly say that we are the greatest democratic nation in the world. Our constitution is a brilliant document that gives us great potential, but we will never fulfil this potential unless we exercise our sacred rights.