Not Chicago Style, Obama Style
Posted by Writingresource on
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 5:06:56 PM
Mr. Barone is wrong on all counts..
.President Barack Obama likes to execute
long-range strategies and his most exciting skill
has been his facility for accomadating new facts
and using them to refine his long and shortterm strategies.
As Barack Obama deals with difficult problems ranging
from health care legislation to upheaval in Iran, we
have seen that his skills and approaches provide more
effective leadership than we have seen in years.
His 2008 campaign was a largely flawless execution
of a smart strategy and he won, regardless of how many
sour grapes the entertainers and pundits want to harvest.
On domestic policy, he has been executing his long-range
strategy of investing in the American people and providing
resources to sustain them as they suffer the consequences
of eight years of irresponsible Republican spending and an
ill-advised corporate war.
His long-range strategy of talking to America's enemies
has already been a success. North Korea's missile launches
are par for the course. The demonstrations in Iran against
the mullah regime's apparent election fraud is proof that
Barack has given hope both at home and abroad.
Obama never assumed anything. This is why his strategy
works. Now that he is seen as a reasonable man, rather
than someone hell-bent on war and destruction, it is much
more difficult for totalitarian regimes to cast us as the enemy.
It is about time we drew a line in the sand.
He not only expressed deep concern about the election,
he said in no uncertain terms that the Iranian regime's abuse
of their people would not stand. He is the first president since
Clinton who does care about the details of policy. His hands on
approach is refreshing.
Once he purges his administration of Robert Gates and
other deadbeats and hangers on... things will proceed
even more expeditiously.
For the first time in nine years we have coherent public policy:
He has moved to provide better access to healthcare,
invest in America, restore civil rights, and give the middle
class and the poor an even break. His efforts to responsibly
provide for the least powerful among us while relieving
business of the burden of providing health care is a win-win situation.
Obama quickly announced the closing of the prison at
Guantanamo Bay and is engaged in that process.
And it is about time.
His insistance that Israel not expand illegal settlements
is prudent and long overdue. A brilliant beginning.
The government takeover of General Motors and
Chrysler to bail out irresponsible corporate executives
was prudent.We could not afford to put millions of
Americans out of work and a reform of the industry
was long overdue.
His plan for instituting universal pre-kindergarten
is supported by scientific evidence and is critical to our
national security. It is about time we began fixing
our failing schools.
He has done nothing to keep the Republicans out
of serious policy negotiations and has allowed various
congressional operators to do what they do. He will
then sign or veto their work. While promising a politics
of mutual respect, he is intelligent enough to point out the
criminal violations of his predecessor which got us into so
much trouble. To ignore those mistakes would be folly.
The corporate press generally loves Obama because
he has done little to challenge the corporate
hegemony which continues to waste our resources
at home and abroad. And writers, editors, and
the general public have problems with him
for the same reason.
Obama entered the presidency with supreme
self-confidence. He was and remains one of the best
and brightest of his generation. His confidence has
already worked in our favor.
A temporary transfer of large segments of the
American economy from the private to the
public sector, during this time of economic
uncertainty, has historical precedents.
And the moves by the previous administration
to privatize our homeland securty, military
defense, and regulatory agencies has been a
disaster.
It is about time we reversed that dangerous trend.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is irrelevant. And Kim Jong Il
is predictable. With Obama in the seat of power, we are
in much better shape than before. He is smarter than both
of them. Bush and Ahmadinejad had some things in common,
but intelligence and judgement were not among them.
It's generally good for American presidents to have
long-term strategies. And in setting public policy
it is essential to get the details right. And in guiding
the nation in a dangerous world itremains vital to
adjust to face hard realities and unexpected events.
This is what Obama does best. His intelligence,
vision, and integrity are good for America.
best regards, Tim Flanagan
Box 22, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034editor, teacher, writer...
http://www.TheWordsmithCollection.org/
www.Resourceresource.org
Tags: leadership accountability competence
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Iranian Election Results
This was an important election.Ahmadinejad learned well.
Iran's most recent "election"
was simliar to the American
elections of 2000 and 2004.
As yet, the administration
in Iran has been relatively
benign. They have not
pursued policies nearly
as damaging as the corporate
machinations of Dick Cheney
and his band of thugs...
but this newest power-grab
might make Ahmadinejad
as feckless as George and
Dick in his thirst for power.
The actual seat of power in Iran has shifted,
and while this shift might be inevitable, the
infighting and posturings it may inspire could
prove lethal.
There are at least three choices:
Ahmadinejad's tenuous house of cards,
Mir Hossein Mousavi's grassroots movement,
and the reality of Ayatollah Jannati and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
the actual power in The Guardian Council.
Ahmadinejad's aspirations are untenable and his days
are numbered. And The Guardian Council is no longer
perceived to be an unwavering seat of power. They blinked.
"According to the information received from
provinces and from Tehran, Mousavi has got
65 percent of the votes cast." (Liberal cleric
and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi
came second in the election with a total of 13.3
million votes, while president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came
third with only 5.49 million votes.)"
Leaked Iran Presidential Election Results : Mir-Hossein Mousavi Won
False choices will not determine the fate of
the Iranian nation. And if leaders in America
and elsewhere can find the necessary courage,
Mousavi's victory and the will of the Iranian
people will neither be ignored nor denied.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Ugly Truth about Torture
The Bush administration tortured people.The talk about a "few bad apples" was a lie.
A spineless congress allowed these crimes
to happen. The saddest part of this tragedy
is that too many Americans are not aware of
the extent and depravity of these crimes.
And a vocal minority of Americans see nothing
wrong with engaging in illegal acts of torture,
even when these involve rapes of children and
outright murder. At some point voices of reason,
temperance, and sanity... must rise together and speak.
Torture is immoral, illegal, and ineffective.
It is time to restore the rule of law and sanction, fine,
punish, or imprison those who broke the law. Proactive
moral compunction inspired by courage and fueled by
integrity, will triumph over a surrender to fear and the
embrace of "situational ethics." We must reject cowardice,
surrender, and ignorance... in favor of courage,
faith, and intelligence. Ethics reflect our values. Either we
have values... or not. We must demand accountability from
our leaders or replace them. Bush lied and Obama parses
and parcels out half-truths.
It is time to take a stand and do the right thing. tmf
General Taguba’s report revealed that the overwhelming majority of detainees at Abu Ghraib had no connection to terrorism. Suspected terrorists were being funneled to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan or Guantanamo.
“These were people who weretaken off the streets and put in jail — teen-agers and old men and women,” he told the New Yorker shortly after retiring in 2007. “I kept on asking these questions of the officers I interviewed: ‘You knew what was going on. Why didn’t you do something to stop it?’”The answer to that question was that the low-ranking soldiers were taking orders from Washington to engage in torture.
“These M.P. troops were not that creative,” Taguba said. “Somebody was giving them guidance, but I was legally prevented from further investigation intohigher authority. I was limited to a box.” Taguba says that the U.S. Commander in Iraq General “Sanchez knew exactly what was going on,” but because Taguba was limited to investigating enlisted men and junior officers, he wasn’t allowed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has a different explanation for what happened at Abu Ghraib: all the blame should be left at the feet of American soldiers. In essence, the vice president who hadtaken five deferments to the draft during Vietnam in order to avoid military service wants to blame the troops: “At Abu Ghraib, a few sadistic prison guards abused inmates in violation of American law, military regulations, and simple decency,” Cheney told the American Enterprise Institute last month. “For the harm they did, to Iraqi prisoners and to America's cause, they deserved and received Army justice. And it takes a deeply unfair cast of mind to equate the disgraces of Abu Ghraib with the lawful, skillful, and entirely honorable work of CIA personnel trained to deal with a few malevolent men.”
Americans have a choice of believing either a two-star general and the soldiers in the field who say they were directed to torture by higher ups, or Dick Cheney and the politicians in Washington. Of the politicians in Washington, Taguba says they were well-informed of the torture taking place at Abu Ghraib:
“[Former Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld is very perceptive and has a mind like a steel trap. There’s no way he’s suffering from C.R.S. — Can’t Remember S***. He’s trying to acquit himself, and a lot of people are lying to protect themselves.” Ditto for Cheney, apparently.
We can escape from this swamp of lies. tmfCOUNTER TERROR WITH JUSTICE
In the name of the "war on terror," the U.S. government
has subjected people who have not been charged with or
convicted of any crime to:
• Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
or punishment
• Abductions (known as extraordinary rendition),
"disappearances," and secret detention
• Illegal, indefinite detention in Guantanamo, Bagram,
other U.S. facilities, & secret CIA sites
• Denial of legal rights, including fair trials and habeas corpus--
the right to challenge the legality of one's detentionAdditionally,
the U.S. government has employed companies that have been implicated in cases of killings, torture, and rape, and has failed
to adequately investigate and prosecute abuses.
These practices are wrong.
They are illegal under U.S. and international law.
They violate American principles of justice.
Military and intelligence experts have said these practices are ineffective.
The United States government must end these human rights violations immediately
and hold accountable all those who authorized and implemented them. Detainees must
be charged and given fair trials, or be released to countries where they will not be at risk
of human rights abuse. The U.S. government must respect and protect human rights,
and counter terror with justice.
It’s up to people like us—people around the world who
want justice, security, and human rights—to make sure it happens.
Join Amnesty International USA’s
Counter Terror With Justice Campaign Teamwww.amnestyusa.org/ctwj ctwj@aiusa.org
More about torture: www.writingresource.info/tortureupdate.html
A spineless congress allowed these crimes
to happen. The saddest part of this tragedy
is that too many Americans are not aware of
the extent and depravity of these crimes.
And a vocal minority of Americans see nothing
wrong with engaging in illegal acts of torture,
even when these involve rapes of children and
outright murder. At some point voices of reason,
temperance, and sanity... must rise together and speak.
Torture is immoral, illegal, and ineffective.
It is time to restore the rule of law and sanction, fine,
punish, or imprison those who broke the law. Proactive
moral compunction inspired by courage and fueled by
integrity, will triumph over a surrender to fear and the
embrace of "situational ethics." We must reject cowardice,
surrender, and ignorance... in favor of courage,
faith, and intelligence. Ethics reflect our values. Either we
have values... or not. We must demand accountability from
our leaders or replace them. Bush lied and Obama parses
and parcels out half-truths.
It is time to take a stand and do the right thing. tmf
General Taguba’s report revealed that the overwhelming majority of detainees at Abu Ghraib had no connection to terrorism. Suspected terrorists were being funneled to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan or Guantanamo.
“These were people who weretaken off the streets and put in jail — teen-agers and old men and women,” he told the New Yorker shortly after retiring in 2007. “I kept on asking these questions of the officers I interviewed: ‘You knew what was going on. Why didn’t you do something to stop it?’”The answer to that question was that the low-ranking soldiers were taking orders from Washington to engage in torture.
“These M.P. troops were not that creative,” Taguba said. “Somebody was giving them guidance, but I was legally prevented from further investigation intohigher authority. I was limited to a box.” Taguba says that the U.S. Commander in Iraq General “Sanchez knew exactly what was going on,” but because Taguba was limited to investigating enlisted men and junior officers, he wasn’t allowed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has a different explanation for what happened at Abu Ghraib: all the blame should be left at the feet of American soldiers. In essence, the vice president who hadtaken five deferments to the draft during Vietnam in order to avoid military service wants to blame the troops: “At Abu Ghraib, a few sadistic prison guards abused inmates in violation of American law, military regulations, and simple decency,” Cheney told the American Enterprise Institute last month. “For the harm they did, to Iraqi prisoners and to America's cause, they deserved and received Army justice. And it takes a deeply unfair cast of mind to equate the disgraces of Abu Ghraib with the lawful, skillful, and entirely honorable work of CIA personnel trained to deal with a few malevolent men.”
Americans have a choice of believing either a two-star general and the soldiers in the field who say they were directed to torture by higher ups, or Dick Cheney and the politicians in Washington. Of the politicians in Washington, Taguba says they were well-informed of the torture taking place at Abu Ghraib:
“[Former Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld is very perceptive and has a mind like a steel trap. There’s no way he’s suffering from C.R.S. — Can’t Remember S***. He’s trying to acquit himself, and a lot of people are lying to protect themselves.” Ditto for Cheney, apparently.
We can escape from this swamp of lies. tmfCOUNTER TERROR WITH JUSTICE
In the name of the "war on terror," the U.S. government
has subjected people who have not been charged with or
convicted of any crime to:
• Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
or punishment
• Abductions (known as extraordinary rendition),
"disappearances," and secret detention
• Illegal, indefinite detention in Guantanamo, Bagram,
other U.S. facilities, & secret CIA sites
• Denial of legal rights, including fair trials and habeas corpus--
the right to challenge the legality of one's detentionAdditionally,
the U.S. government has employed companies that have been implicated in cases of killings, torture, and rape, and has failed
to adequately investigate and prosecute abuses.
These practices are wrong.
They are illegal under U.S. and international law.
They violate American principles of justice.
Military and intelligence experts have said these practices are ineffective.
The United States government must end these human rights violations immediately
and hold accountable all those who authorized and implemented them. Detainees must
be charged and given fair trials, or be released to countries where they will not be at risk
of human rights abuse. The U.S. government must respect and protect human rights,
and counter terror with justice.
It’s up to people like us—people around the world who
want justice, security, and human rights—to make sure it happens.
Join Amnesty International USA’s
Counter Terror With Justice Campaign Teamwww.amnestyusa.org/ctwj ctwj@aiusa.org
More about torture: www.writingresource.info/tortureupdate.html
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Corporate Welfare, Oregon Style...
Oregon's $10 minimum taxhas been in place since 1931
and is one of the nation's lowest.
Two-thirds of Oregon corporations
-- pay the minimum. Corporate taxes
make up about 5 percent of the state's
general fund compared with 82 percent
from personal income taxes.
Oregon Corporate Taxes The "tax burden"
for companies in Oregon and Washington,
each of which has a piece of greater Portland,
is lower than in most other states, according
to the Tax Foundation.
Ranking states for "best business tax climate,"
the Foundation places Oregon 9th and Washington 12th.
Similarly, accounting experts at Ernst & Young, who
calculate "total effective tax rate" by taking into account
property, receipt and sales and income taxes, cite
Oregon's as second-lowest in the U.S., at 3.8%;
Washington's is 5.8%. Delaware's total effective tax rate
is the nation's lowest, at 3.5%, and Alaska's the highest,
at 11.6%.Greater Portland companies have another tax
advantage on either side of the Columbia. Oregon has
no sales tax, which can be a boon for companies making
big equipment purchases. And Washington has no state
income tax, a selling point for prospective employees.
More tax facts:
Oregon's corporate income tax rate of 6.6% is 16th-lowest
in the nation. California's rate of 8.8% ranks it seventh-highest.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Rationalizing Torture...
By definition, those who
torture, murder, and rape
are criminals.
This separates humanity
from dumb animals.
Some people stupidly
attempt to rationalize
torture, rape, and murder.
Their criminal behavior
torture, murder, and rape
are criminals.
This separates humanity
from dumb animals.
Some people stupidly
attempt to rationalize
torture, rape, and murder.
Their criminal behavior
or "situational ethics" leaves
them in jail, in trouble, or dead.
Moral compunction is another option. Most of us
develop integrity, find courage, and have values.
These are choices we make as adults. Yet some
people refuse to grow. They reject the moral authority
of parents, church, community, or ancestors. They hold
themselves above the law, unaccountable... and feel
entitled to live without scruples, standards, or honor.
Fortunately we outnumber these clueless sociopaths.
The poster boys for prolonged adolesence, George
and Dick, have been thrown out of the White House
they hijacked. We are returning to our roots as a
nation of law. Courage and integrity have trumped
fear and amorality.
Those who insist on abnormal and antisocial behavior
them in jail, in trouble, or dead.
Moral compunction is another option. Most of us
develop integrity, find courage, and have values.
These are choices we make as adults. Yet some
people refuse to grow. They reject the moral authority
of parents, church, community, or ancestors. They hold
themselves above the law, unaccountable... and feel
entitled to live without scruples, standards, or honor.
Fortunately we outnumber these clueless sociopaths.
The poster boys for prolonged adolesence, George
and Dick, have been thrown out of the White House
they hijacked. We are returning to our roots as a
nation of law. Courage and integrity have trumped
fear and amorality.
Those who insist on abnormal and antisocial behavior
will have to get used to obeying the law. They can
mend their ways or pay the piper.
mend their ways or pay the piper.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Torture is immoral, illegal, and it does not work..
Quote of the Day – The healthy man does not torture others …
The issue is torture. Torture is a crime under US law.
The federal anti-torture statute
is formally known as
Title 18, Part I, Chapter 113C
of the U.S. Code.
The law consists of three
sections (2340, 2340A,
and 2340B), which define
the crime of torture and
prescribe harsh punishments
for anyone—an American
citizen or otherwise—
who commits an act
of torture outside of
the United States.
(Domestic incidents
of torture are covered
by state criminal
statutes.)
A person found guilty
of committing
torture faces up
to 20 years in
prison or
even execution,
if the torture in question resulted in a victim's death.
Those who ordered torture, committed it, condoned it,
and/or tried to cover it up are criminals. They should
be prosecuted. Torture is illegal, immoral, and it does
not work. The law is quite clear and must be enforced.
Another section of the U.S. Code (Title 28, Part IV, Chapter 85,
Section 1350) also deals with the issue of torture. The so-called
Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 allows victims of torture,
or the families of those who were killed through extra-
judicial means, to sue their tormentors in U.S. courts, regardless
of their citizenship or where the crime occurred.
Torture is also immoral. The position of all three branches
of Abrahamic tradition agree. And the experts at the
Pentagon and intelligence experts worldwide agree that
resorting to torture produces flawed intelligence and
"torture and abuse cost American lives."
"We need to return to an ethic of responsibility and
accountability that is critical if citizens are to have
faith in their government andthe world is to respect
this nation. This is not just a matter of therule of law.
It is a matter of national security."
These are the simple facts.
The issue is torture. Torture is a crime under US law.
The federal anti-torture statute
is formally known as
Title 18, Part I, Chapter 113C
of the U.S. Code.
The law consists of three
sections (2340, 2340A,
and 2340B), which define
the crime of torture and
prescribe harsh punishments
for anyone—an American
citizen or otherwise—
who commits an act
of torture outside of
the United States.
(Domestic incidents
of torture are covered
by state criminal
statutes.)
A person found guilty
of committing
torture faces up
to 20 years in
prison or
even execution,
if the torture in question resulted in a victim's death.
Those who ordered torture, committed it, condoned it,
and/or tried to cover it up are criminals. They should
be prosecuted. Torture is illegal, immoral, and it does
not work. The law is quite clear and must be enforced.
Another section of the U.S. Code (Title 28, Part IV, Chapter 85,
Section 1350) also deals with the issue of torture. The so-called
Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 allows victims of torture,
or the families of those who were killed through extra-
judicial means, to sue their tormentors in U.S. courts, regardless
of their citizenship or where the crime occurred.
Torture is also immoral. The position of all three branches
of Abrahamic tradition agree. And the experts at the
Pentagon and intelligence experts worldwide agree that
resorting to torture produces flawed intelligence and
"torture and abuse cost American lives."
"We need to return to an ethic of responsibility and
accountability that is critical if citizens are to have
faith in their government andthe world is to respect
this nation. This is not just a matter of therule of law.
It is a matter of national security."
These are the simple facts.
Tax equity
Tax Equity
Anyone who thinks our most critical problems in America
have anything to do with the amount of taxes there are on
boats, yachts, and small airplanes... is seriously confused.
Our problems are the redistribution of income from working
Americans to the richest of the rich. Fortunately, most
Americans, ( the ones whose paychecks just got larger...)
understand that this new administration wants to rebuild
and invest in America. The last administration was
interested in graft, corruption, exporting jobs, wiretapping,
environmental destruction, studious ignorance, petty
larceny, endless war, profiteering, corporate welfare, and
exploitation.
A goodly number of those criminals were real concerned
about taxes on yachts...Their party is over. As the profiteers
go bankrupt, their yachts are up for sale, their planes are
seized by shareholders, and they beg for handouts while
working Americans and their advocates are taking back
this nation.We will rebuild, restore, and protect this nation
from criminals in our midst.And if congress finds the courage,
profiteers will pay reparations or do time.
Peace, Freedom, and Justice.
Anyone who thinks our most critical problems in America
have anything to do with the amount of taxes there are on
boats, yachts, and small airplanes... is seriously confused.
Our problems are the redistribution of income from working
Americans to the richest of the rich. Fortunately, most
Americans, ( the ones whose paychecks just got larger...)
understand that this new administration wants to rebuild
and invest in America. The last administration was
interested in graft, corruption, exporting jobs, wiretapping,
environmental destruction, studious ignorance, petty
larceny, endless war, profiteering, corporate welfare, and
exploitation.
A goodly number of those criminals were real concerned
about taxes on yachts...Their party is over. As the profiteers
go bankrupt, their yachts are up for sale, their planes are
seized by shareholders, and they beg for handouts while
working Americans and their advocates are taking back
this nation.We will rebuild, restore, and protect this nation
from criminals in our midst.And if congress finds the courage,
profiteers will pay reparations or do time.
Peace, Freedom, and Justice.
Tim
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Is Terroism the Enemy We Face?
(9/11 Terror
)
)Our enemies are
not terrorism,
wiretapping,
tanks, or bombs.
These are tactics.
And this has
nothing to do
with semantics. (Terror in Iraq)
Our enemies are people who commit
acts of agression which include murder,
rape, residential bombings, homicide
attacks, home destruction, crop
destruction, and invasions of soverign
states.
When leaders of other
nations commit these (Gaza Terror)
crimes or finance those
who commit
these crimes....
or when our own leaders
commit these crimes in
our names, this surrender
to fear and the tactics
of terror makes them,
and us, criminals.
In a nation ruled by law,
murder is wrong and
peace is preferable.
When we have strong,
credible, leaders we can
secure lasting peace,
repair infrastructure,
achieve reconciliation,
reform alliances, and
rebuild what irresponsible
felons have destroyed.
And we must end the occupations.
We can begin by telling the truth.
best regards, Tim
www.Peaceresource.org
not terrorism,
wiretapping,
tanks, or bombs.
These are tactics.
And this has
nothing to do
with semantics. (Terror in Iraq)
Our enemies are people who commit
acts of agression which include murder,
rape, residential bombings, homicide
attacks, home destruction, crop
destruction, and invasions of soverign
states.
When leaders of other
nations commit these (Gaza Terror)
crimes or finance those
who commit
these crimes....or when our own leaders
commit these crimes in
our names, this surrender
to fear and the tactics
of terror makes them,
and us, criminals.
In a nation ruled by law,
murder is wrong and
peace is preferable.
When we have strong,
credible, leaders we can
secure lasting peace,
repair infrastructure,
achieve reconciliation,
reform alliances, and
rebuild what irresponsible
felons have destroyed.
And we must end the occupations.
We can begin by telling the truth.
best regards, Tim
www.Peaceresource.org
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Mayday!
A celebration of workers' rights.
We have economic issues on the table,
and this is a critical forum.
Things to bring:
Yourself, your friends and family,
your organization or union, posters,
puppets, music, banners, information,
and inspiration.
If anyone wants to speak to those who attend:
email MayDayOutreach@gmail.com
or call 503-236-5573.
Organizing meetings are Tuesdays,
6:30pm at Voz, 1131 SE Oak
(in the St. Francis office)
best regards,
Tim
We have economic issues on the table,
and this is a critical forum.
Things to bring:
Yourself, your friends and family,
your organization or union, posters,
puppets, music, banners, information,
and inspiration.
If anyone wants to speak to those who attend:
email MayDayOutreach@gmail.com
or call 503-236-5573.
Organizing meetings are Tuesdays,
6:30pm at Voz, 1131 SE Oak
(in the St. Francis office)
best regards,
Tim
Mayday! PDX May Day: May 1st 2009
May Day 2009
Friday, May 1st
,South Park Blocks,downtown Portland!
1:00 PM - Posters and Party!
4:00 PM - Rally (speakers and entertainment)!
5:00 PM - MARCH!
Help us get the word out!!!
Color Flyer1 -
download, print out,and hit the streets
and your favorite cafes!
ColorFlyer2, Colorflyer3 !
http://activismnewsletterat.blogspot.com/
- leaflet those movie lines, grocery stores and the roller derby!
More information at http://www.peaceresource.org/
To download a handbill click here.
May Day 2009
Friday, May 1st
,South Park Blocks,downtown Portland!
1:00 PM - Posters and Party!
4:00 PM - Rally (speakers and entertainment)!
5:00 PM - MARCH!
Help us get the word out!!!
Color Flyer1 -
download, print out,and hit the streets
and your favorite cafes!
ColorFlyer2, Colorflyer3 !
http://activismnewsletterat.blogspot.com/
- leaflet those movie lines, grocery stores and the roller derby!
More information at http://www.peaceresource.org/
To download a handbill click here.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Who Obama is and where we go from here.
Barack Obama
was the lesser of evils.
A Rockefeller Republican
at best and an unapologetic
corporatist at heart.
He did not fool progressives.
We knew who he was and
heard what he said.
On the plus side:
He will strenghten unions and
help to rebuild the middle class.
He may accomplish incremental improvements in
health-care access and redirect education funding.
His efforts towards rebuilding infrastructure,
and resuming productive research and development
are useful reforms will do much to repair the
economic meltdown orchestrated by the
Republican right wing. His eloquence
and intelligence will improve our
relations with both
allies and enemies.
On the downside:
He will expand the war, allow corporate transnationals to
define and set costs for our healthcare, and ignore
constitutional transgressions of the Bush administration
and their sponsors. The precedents he will allow to go
unchallenged do not bode well for our nation.
If we are lucky, we may persuade him to reconsider some
of his more egregious decisions, but out of concern for
self-preservation,(not wanting to get shot) he may not
deliver the change hoped for. But he beats the heck
out of the McLain-Palin disaster.
In 2012 we can rid the party of those who supported Bush.
And perhaps in 2016 we can elect a progressive reformer
willing, in the liberal American tradition, to challenge
the status quo. Someone who can stand up for working people,
jobs with justice, and universal health-care and education.
Tim
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