you say i waste my vote, i say you squander yours
if you don't want to read the political ramblings of a one lone nut then move on....
if you made it this far then i will speak my peace.
i don't see how anyone in this country can embrace either the democrats or republicans and i am not talking about the fact that they are both beholden to the same moneyed interests (although that is a huge problem that needs to be fixed). no what i am talking about is not even the issues, i am talking about the actions in congress. first off when the republicans were recently in power, they let it corrupt them. democrats were often not allowed to offer legislation or ammendments to legislation without a republican supporting it, they worked shorter weeks, they did the whole freedom fries thing, and i could go on and on.
now just barely into the democrats latest turn in power they are showing that power corrupts just like the republicans did. their promise of working longer weeks, casted aside. their pledges to allow free and open debate with the other side being allowed to offer legislation has at least for now been erased from their memory. and now, where the republicans were a do nothing congress, the democrats are a do something that looks like something but in reality means nothing, or in effect an empty gesture congress.
yes i am talking about the non binding resolution, if you feel so strongly that the war is wrong (which i do) that you must put all legislators on record for their stances then do it. but don't do it with an empty gesture. so the republicans will threaten a fillibuster, let them, put your butts on the line and make something happen. pull the funding, it worked for a war previously in vietnam and it should be embraced here. we were sold a bill of goods in iraq, i could have told you before it happened it was a lie, but this is not the time told you sos. this is the time of action and your lack of action democrats should cause your support to wain but i know it won't.
this should be front page news, as should the libby trial where in my estimation truth has come out that should cause the vp to resign, and the presidents chief political strategist to the same, and that's just a start. but what is front page news today? it is the flavor of the moment, an astronaut goes on some crazy trip to kill, or some g list celebrity dies, i could see these as news but hardly news that's at the fore.
my point is this, in america we do all we can to cater to the lowest common denominator, it's more about appearance and less about substance and this is wrong. it's wrong in news and it's wrong in politics, where it is most wrong is in government. and that is why i could not conceivably support either party.
however if the democrats ever wanted to get my support heres some of the things that could be done to make me come around.
and that is just what i can think of from the top of my head. we are firmly on the wrong track and we must do all we can to right this nation or else we may fall. i have voted for nader twice and i will be prepared to do so again if situations call for it. he said "if you're not turned on to politics, politics will turn on you" this is even more true today. sure what i said is the ramblings of a member of the green party but is also someone who admits he was wrong on al gore, and someone who wants to right that wrong by voting for him for president. and if al won't run.....i suggest we punt.
and if you looked at the music on this entry and said something along the lines of "dixie chicks? wtf!?!" you read right, this song is incredible plain and simple.
if you made it this far then i will speak my peace.
i don't see how anyone in this country can embrace either the democrats or republicans and i am not talking about the fact that they are both beholden to the same moneyed interests (although that is a huge problem that needs to be fixed). no what i am talking about is not even the issues, i am talking about the actions in congress. first off when the republicans were recently in power, they let it corrupt them. democrats were often not allowed to offer legislation or ammendments to legislation without a republican supporting it, they worked shorter weeks, they did the whole freedom fries thing, and i could go on and on.
now just barely into the democrats latest turn in power they are showing that power corrupts just like the republicans did. their promise of working longer weeks, casted aside. their pledges to allow free and open debate with the other side being allowed to offer legislation has at least for now been erased from their memory. and now, where the republicans were a do nothing congress, the democrats are a do something that looks like something but in reality means nothing, or in effect an empty gesture congress.
yes i am talking about the non binding resolution, if you feel so strongly that the war is wrong (which i do) that you must put all legislators on record for their stances then do it. but don't do it with an empty gesture. so the republicans will threaten a fillibuster, let them, put your butts on the line and make something happen. pull the funding, it worked for a war previously in vietnam and it should be embraced here. we were sold a bill of goods in iraq, i could have told you before it happened it was a lie, but this is not the time told you sos. this is the time of action and your lack of action democrats should cause your support to wain but i know it won't.
this should be front page news, as should the libby trial where in my estimation truth has come out that should cause the vp to resign, and the presidents chief political strategist to the same, and that's just a start. but what is front page news today? it is the flavor of the moment, an astronaut goes on some crazy trip to kill, or some g list celebrity dies, i could see these as news but hardly news that's at the fore.
my point is this, in america we do all we can to cater to the lowest common denominator, it's more about appearance and less about substance and this is wrong. it's wrong in news and it's wrong in politics, where it is most wrong is in government. and that is why i could not conceivably support either party.
however if the democrats ever wanted to get my support heres some of the things that could be done to make me come around.
- impeach the president now
where can i start on this one, i'll make it easy on myself because i don't have time to explain before work. this is the page that i link to from the impeach bush banner at the top of my page, it's the wiki page on impeaching bush. - take a stand on global climate change and enact laws to stop it
by taking a stand you will go further than the president and his party where many still deny the existence of climate change. i like humanity for the most part, i don't want to see it end because we were asleep while the world burned. also call for energy conservation in every form, that can do nothing but good things for the world and humanity, not to mention the nations pocketbook. we currently have 5% of the worlds population, we should not consume 25% of its resources. - call for american troops to be pulled from iraq
the war was based on lies, our further involvement just means more americans will be hurt or killed for a lie, and more iraqi's will meet the same fate. it will also mean more bad news for america in the long run. - if that doesn't work fully fund the troops
i heard today that we have a few hundred humvees in iraq that can not be used, why you ask? because they aren't armored, if that doesn't anger you i don't know what will. how about the fact that many troops still lack needed body armor? if we're going to ask people to step in front of a bullet we should do all we can to let them have the best chance of coming home. the pentagon has a huge budget (i think 1/5 of the budget) we can certainly find the funds, they can hold a bake sale to replace those funds. - reinstate habeas corpus for all
the military commisions act took a step that should have chilled all of us to the core, if you don't know about it look it up. and if you know about it call for its repeal. - repeal the patriot act
if you don't know about the patriot act take your head out of the sand and read up about it, you will be apalled. there are some good ideas in there but some that are down right frightening. - take a stance on illegal immigration that at least secures the borders
we have millions of illegal immigrants in this country, some say kick them out, some say give them amnesty and it's a problem that needs to be dealt with but since that is a tough decision that will take time we must take steps to choke off further illegal immigration. we are supposedly a sovereign country with internationally recognized borders, we should behave like it and stop others from breaking through those borders. - fix legal immigration
this is a rather simple one that needs no real explanation. it's plain to see the immigration system is broken, we must take steps to fix it so those who want to come here can do it legally and quickly, otherwise i can not blame someone entirely for trying to hop a fence to get in here. - fix anti drug laws
treatment should be the order of the law, not incarceration. if you're dealing then incarceration is the right step. furthermore we need to legalize and regulate most drugs, this will work to curb many things that otherwise are by products of illegal drug use such as crime. and come on weed should be legalized if cigarettes and beer are. - restrict the influence of money in politics
whoever has the most money should be able to buy the nicest things but it should have no bearing in politics. i am a firm believer in capitalism but i believe it has no place in government, eqal access for all should be the order of the law. - repeal the minimum wage and replace it with a living wage
in california the federal minimum wage is the same as it is in wyoming and i doubt you could live on 5.15 an hour there and i am certain you couldn't here. i make almost double the minimum wage and theres no way i could off that. i am a firm believer in a living wage which basically means one will be paid for their work in a way that they could live off that money in the local area. basically so what you're paid in LA can go as far as it would in wyoming or kansas. - end earmarks
earmarks are government spending that can be attached to a bill without even an acknowlegement of the legislator calling for it. it is used for many an unneeded exspense as a way to gain favor back home in the congress persons district. usually these exspenses are not needed. this should stop, at the very least you should have to be on record for it. if you want further information look up the bridge to nowhere or pork barrell spending if you do you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll utter some swears. - talk to our enemies
we currently talk to north korea (at times) we refuse all interaction with syria and iran. i often speak ill of reagan but what would have happened had he not talked to gorbachev, think about it. - end the electoral college
in 2000 al gore won the popular vote but not the election. this was all the evidence needed that this system was antiquated and needed to end. - fix american voting systems
in florida there is a still disputed congressional race because a few thousand ballots were lost and the machines that recorded the votes had no paper trail. electronic voting machines are the wave of the future but not ones with proprietary software with machines that lack a paper trail. our voting systems like our government need to be free, open and transparent so all elections can be verified. - switch out free trade for fair trade
americans can not compete against people doing the same work for pennies on the dollar and they should not be caled on to do just that. we should use the power of fair trade to not only open up new markets for trade but we can also use it to pull up struggling people around the globe. we must also ask our selves if shopping at wal mart for it's low prices is the worth the cost to the nation and by extension the world.
and that is just what i can think of from the top of my head. we are firmly on the wrong track and we must do all we can to right this nation or else we may fall. i have voted for nader twice and i will be prepared to do so again if situations call for it. he said "if you're not turned on to politics, politics will turn on you" this is even more true today. sure what i said is the ramblings of a member of the green party but is also someone who admits he was wrong on al gore, and someone who wants to right that wrong by voting for him for president. and if al won't run.....i suggest we punt.
and if you looked at the music on this entry and said something along the lines of "dixie chicks? wtf!?!" you read right, this song is incredible plain and simple.