With only 11 days left before the presidential election, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has a historic opportunity to play a key role in the most important election in our lifetime, and we have the opportunity to support an extraordinary presidential candidate with deep ties and commitment to our community: Sen. Barack Obama.
As a native son of Hawai‘i, with Asian American family members and experience living abroad in Indonesia, Sen. Obama knows that the compelling issues facing our communities — immigration, health care, education, and small business, for instance — must be part of the national dialogue. He knows our nation’s diversity is our strength, and he will ensure all communities are visible and included in our nation’s policy-making.
Barack stands side by side with the AAPI community. And we Asian American and Pacific Islanders have a large part to play in getting him elected. A comprehensive new national survey, the National Asian American Survey (naasurvey.com), shows that Asian American voters could play a key role in the outcome of the presidential election: Over one-third of Asian American voters are still undecided. I see this as a great opportunity because it positions our community as a key swing vote. Senator Obama understands this, and is working hard to earn that vote.
As vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, I have been traveling the country talking to thousands of AAPIs about the issues that affect our communities and the change Barack Obama will bring if elected president of the United States. Earlier this month, Barack released “The Blueprint for Change” (my.barackobama.com/aapiblueprint), which is the most comprehensive position paper a presidential candidate has ever assembled for our community. The Blueprint presents solutions to some critical challenges facing our country in a way that is directly responsive to AAPIs.
Barack Obama understands that AAPIs own an estimated 1.1 million small businesses and employ more than 2 million Americans. His Blueprint contains proposals for how the Obama/Biden Administration will jumpstart the economy by strengthening the middle class and by supporting minority-owned businesses.
As a former teacher and principal, I can also tell you Barack understands our community’s educational needs. He is committed to providing greater support for English-language learners and making college more affordable for low-income students. The Blueprint also outlines a plan to fix our broken immigration system in a way that keeps our families together and provides affordable options for families currently without health insurance. Under Barack’s plan, a typical American family will save $2,500 on health care every year.
These are all priorities that I have been fighting hard for as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
We, as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, have a large part to play in getting Barack elected. We are one of the fastest growing communities in America, and we are the only ethnic community that has voted increasingly Democratic in every presidential election since 1992. Nationally, about two-thirds of all Asian Americans who are registered to vote are Democrats.
The NAAS survey found that 41 percent of Asian Americans are likely to favor Barack Obama, while 24 percent support John McCain. In battleground states, where either candidate could win on Election Day, Obama leads with 43 percent of Asian Americans; 22 percent favor McCain.
We need to walk precincts and help with language access and voter protection. We need to get out the vote in battleground states such as Nevada, Colorado, Virginia and Ohio. I urge you to join me in reaching out to these undecided voters to vote for Barack Obama. Let us stand united to advance our community and our country by electing Barack as the next president of the United States, as he will stand with us to advance our community and our country.
Mike Honda is a Congressman representing Silicon Valley. He is also vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Imagine for a few moments that you are the human resources director of a major multi-billion dollar corporation. You are sitting in your large, luxurious office when you receive a phone call from the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
He tells you that the board is considering a candidate for a high-level executive position. He advises you to complete a thorough background investigation and have it to him within 10 days.
You immediately call the private detective agency you have used for years and give them the name and address of the prospective candidate, along with the deadline for a high level security clearance.
Your next move is to call your assist in to your office, giving him/her the candidate’s personal information along with instructions to ‘do your standard beginning background checks.’
Preliminary findings begin landing in your fax machine on the third day.
Your candidate has used more than one name.
His original birth certificate is unavailable
He was mentored during his youth by a high level communist in Hawaii.
You receive a 3 page ‘dossier’ on Frank Marshall Davis.
You also learn the candidate was proctored into an elite Eastern private university by a Middle Eastern Muslim.
You receive a short dossier on Khalid al-Mansour.
You learn the candidate has terrorist organization ‘Nations of Islam’ employees on his current staff, and one of his advisor’s is a member of the global terrorist group ‘Muslim Brotherhood.’
On day four, you receive in the mail from the security agency two books the candidate has written.
You read both books, highlighting the anti-American, anti-white racist passages.
You note the admissions of drug use.
You also receive in the packet a copy of the bitter anti-white thesis his wife wrote as a college undergraduate.
You receive a 4 page fax on the candidate’s relative, Raila Odinga, who is connected with brutal Muslim politics in Africa, and background information on the candidate’s estranged father who was part of Kenya’s most corrupt regime.
The fifth day brings to your special delivery mail
The complete background on Bill Ayers; his association with your candidate, his FBI criminal record, and
A copy of the book ‘Rules for Radicals’ written by communist Saul Alinsky.
You are advised your candidate used tactics from ‘Rules for Radicals’ at his previous employment.
You are advised the candidate’s wife used an excerpt from this book during a recent speech.
You receive by fax, a background on A.C.O.R.N. and an alert
That this group is being watched by the U.S. Department of Justice and other state and local law enforcement agencies.
You learn your candidate is endorsed by every Muslim terrorist organization on Earth; that he holds Muslim beliefs.
His friend, Louis Farrakhan, is head of Nations of Islam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdtirp4XdGs&feature
You learn that the candidate’s pastor met with global terrorist Mohmmar Gaddafi in Libya, along with their mutual friend and anti-American Louis Farrakhan.
You receive printed transcripts of his pastor’s anti-White, anti-American ‘sermons’ and are advised your candidate has been close personal friends with this ‘pastor’ for two decades.
Your candidate has referred to this radical pastor as his ‘personal spiritual advisor,’ and in fact, the title of one of your candidate’s memoirs was inspired by a line from this pastor’s ‘sermons.’
In your fax machine on the sixth morning is
a file on one Tony Rezko; his friendship, associations and business transactions with your candidate, as well as high level ‘people’ of middle eastern origin, and his federal conviction.
You will spend most of day seven compiling a file on the candidate, The Obama File , complete with footnotes and cross references.
Additional information is arriving regarding the candidate’s friends and acquaintances during college, and you learn that
He did not run with a mainstream crowd, but chose radicals and communist agitators for his social group.
The morning of the eighth day has arrived and you and your assistant have placed a small mountain of background information into manageable ‘piles’ including
Photographs of the candidate’s family in Africa ,
He and George Soros (including a brief file on the Soros ‘Open Society Institute’),
Photos of the candidate and Louis Farrakhan and anti-Israel Arafat advisor Edward Said.
You begin to outline and write your ‘Summary Evaluation’ to the Chairman of the Board of Directors:
This candidate has a tissue thin work experience resume.
He has not managed large groups of personnel, departments, material, or P&L statements.
This candidate’s own writing exhibits a deep-seeded anger and resentment towards people of the Caucasian race over the issue of slavery.
His emotional gravitas is centered upon his African heritage, and his belief that the white man is responsible for global poverty and unequal sharing of wealth.
The candidate’s personal associations since childhood have been mostly with radical African Americans, Muslims, and communists; those who harbor anger towards The United States of America.
Particularly disturbing is his lengthy relationship with Bill Ayers, an unrepentant Weatherman radical who bombed government buildings and abdicated the overthrow of the United States.
Given the current global situation of nearly twelve thousand Muslim acts of terrorism since 911, it is disturbing to find his close associations with Muslim groups http://www.mafo2008.com/
I have highlighted passages in both books and find one particularly disturbing: ‘Should the political winds shift in an ugly direction I will side with the Muslims.’
The candidate has surrounded himself with anti-American grievance mongers, and appears to manipulate ‘typical white people’ by appealing to their guilt about slavery.
He is a socialist, and totally disenfranchised from the history of ‘root America.’
The candidate refuses to discuss his years at Columbia University, although he lived off campus and made few friends.
He will not release his application to the state bar notes which raises questions on several issues including the use of drugs.
Very little is available about his experience with the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a foundation that spent $100 million with no discernable benefit for the schools and students that it was putatively designed to help.
Now, would you hire him?
Obama is so busy being African, he’s even forgotten he’s 1/2 white or American. So I seriously doubt he cares about the Asians. Nice try.
The title and tone of your article are misleading. You make it out that he has plan for the Asian community when in fact he doesn’t. The plans you list are general plans he’s set out for the campaign pitch, which he might not even keep since he hasn’t kept a single promise he’s made to the people of Illinois when he was running to be their Senator. Out of the 3 years as Senator, he’s only worked 304 days. The rest of the time, he’s running for president. I’m a Bay Area Dem who voted for both Gore & Kerry and I’ve been following this election closely, I’ve concluded that Obama is an unaccomplished politician who would befriend anyone to further his career regardless of how shady they are. The media may have glossed over all of his questionable behavior and dismiss them as things of the past, but all it’s shown is shady pattern of behavior or at the very least bad judgement. In the Bay Area business community, we wouldn’t trust someone like that to run a company, so why would we trust them to run the country?
So, moderator, did you delete my submission to this article because it was not in line with the author’s views? Seems a bit “censor-ial” to me. Not very “free press”-ish. Not very copacetic on asianweek.com’s part, either.
I couldn’t see anything out of line with content.
So a vote for Obama is a race vote. Right?
That’s how you are marketing this campaign. Its not all inclusive. Its exclusive. And its all about race. That’s the point from this blather. Obama has never worked in any “minority owned” company. He has never done much (check out his resume). He says what any group wants to hear. And it changes from group to group.
It would be nice if the democrat party would leave race out of the campaign, but it perpetually resurfaces as seen fit to anyone’s circumstances, of course, only to get that all important vote. Hold onto your hat when he’s elected. If you aren’t a government employee, you get to work hard and pay for somebody else’s proclaimed entitlement, as Karl Marx liked to promote. Distribute the wealth.
That’s just not right. Issues of race and injustice have their place, so call it what it is when you’re talking about it.
What you’re doing isn’t straight talk, its mire in the muck.
Otherwise, address all Americans with the SAME message. The Democrat platform Obama message gets a little corrupted/polluted when you’re really just begging for votes, like every politician.
“Let us stand united to advance our community and our country by electing Barack as the next president of the United States, as he will stand with us to advance our community and our country.”
dude, do u have any prove to backup that kind of crazy statement?
I see you all have not lost your fight :
GOOD! Because we have a lot to do. You! (the American people) are going to have to take back control of your elected government at every level, and set your government back on the right path of service to you, and the greater good of the World.
Barack Obama and the democrats are your best hope of doing that now. Tell your family, friends, and everyone you know to support them as best they can. Because the Bush McCain vote fraud, vote cheating, vote buying, vote manipulation machine is already hard at work to cheat you again. And we all know what a disaster that has been the past 8 years of Bush McCain.
Barack Obama and the democrats will need all the power you can give them at every level of government (Federal, State, County, and local City elected governments). Obama and the democrats will have an enormous mess to fix for the American people, and the rest of the World. A mess caused by the corrupt Bush McCain administration.
You see, starting back in 2000, and before 911, it was mostly the Republican governors, Republican legislatures, and county elected Republican officials that conspired with the corrupt Bush McCain administration to raise college, and university tuitions by the fastest, and highest rate increases in American history. Some state tuitions went up by as much as a WHOPPING! 30% in one year.
The reason the Bush McCain administration did this was to force struggling working class kids into the military to pay for the sudden jump in tuition. Which was forced on them by the corrupt Bush McCain administration, and their corrupt Republican Governors, and republican controlled state legislatures.
See, Bush McCain had plans to get us into all these immoral, foolish, criminal, and unnecessary wars from the start. So they could use these wars to seize power, and later to get reelected. But, for their evil plan to work they needed more volunteer soldiers struggling to pay for an education whose blood they could spill to help them seize more power. Remember Bush McCain’s “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!” theatrics.
The exploitation, and lost lives of these finest Americans is despicable, disgusting, immoral, corrupt and criminal. And it makes me SICK, and ANGRY!
You will have to vote for Obama, and the democrats in overwhelming numbers to overcome the Bush McCain vote fraud machine. Vote early if you can. Then help your fellow Americans cast their votes now, and on through election day. Vote for Obama, and the democrats like your life, and the lives of your loved ones depends on it. Because it does. You will not survive 4 more years of “Let Them Eat Cake” Bush McCain, and their republican allies.
Just look at the mess we have now.
You can fix this mess with your votes for Obama, and the democrats. And REMEMBER, no matter which of us may stumble or fall, the rest of you must continue to surge forward for Barack Obama, and the democrats, and for your-selves most of all. The children, and the World are counting on us.
It’s in your hands now. And I know you will get it done.
God bless all of you.
JACK SMITH – WORKING CLASS…
Socialism is already a part of America. Socialist Roosevelt got us out of the Great Depression with his “New Deal”. We are applying socialist measures now to get us out of this Financial Crisis. Socialist measures have saved Capitalism so many times and should not even be used by the Republicans “Fear” tactics.
If the Republicans wants some fears all they have to do is look in the mirror. When McCain found Palin “she needed clothes at that time”. $150,000 worth of clothing to be donated at the end of the campaign. Wow, some expensive costumes. You can only imagine what they will do with our tax dollars. The common people will break our back trying to put bread on the table, while the elites lavish themselves in luxury.
If McCain gets elected, Joe the plumber won’t have to pay more taxes. He may not have to pay any taxes at all, because nobody can afford his service. Business increase from bottom up not top down. Who cares if he hires 500 people. When business dries up, everybody loses.
McCain does not realize that our economy is built on consumption. Poor people spend more money then rich people. When poor people have some money, the economy moves and the rich will prosper, they expand their business to service the poor. When more money gets to the rich, it stays in the bank. They are not going to expand a business without demand. Obama understands this, that’s why he is trying to take care of the group that is making less than $250,000.
I am not an Obama fan, however I know we need another “New Deal”. When you vote like Bush more than 90% of the time, you’re not a “Maverick”.
anybody read the new Rolling Stone? it opened my eyes about the so-called “maverick”.
Mudhead:
Meet Huang Fong.
You were allotted considerably more space and spewing than anyone else, including the author of the piece you deride.
Aside from the obvious fact, since you haven’t the guts, like Jack Smith, well, at least he says he’s one Jack Smith, to append your own name, my guess is you are a paid provocateur of the GOP and are simply spouting every “talking point”:the oligarchs have marshalled, assembled, and projected onto the MSM screens as scripture, as indeed it is, the Scripture of the identical scripters who produced nonexistent weaponry in Iraq and a two-term very lower-case “president” their current nominee is trying to distance himself from.
Sorry, Mudhead, and you’re not nearly as true OR as comical as the mudheads of the pueblo dances, but your input here will not avail any more than Art Hu has to date.
Personally, I have held some doubts about Obama, chiefly the drumbeat of his Iran/Israeli/Afghani stances, but your diatribe has convinced me that he must NOT be subservient to the transnational oligarchs who are even now quaking in their boots at what appears to be shaping into an authentic “landslide,” a people’s “mandate” — for “change,” however you define it, and I don’t mean SMALL change as in the ups and downs of the Dow
And to get back on track of this loco-motive, all your specious and tortured conjectures are as tinkling tympani in the face of Huang Fong’s authentic populist brass wisdoms.
Your guys have gulled the globe into a scam and con of literally fantastic proportions, but the people, the 6 billions plus you seek to exploit and enslave one way or another, are ON TO YOU.
And there should be no return to your imperious, greedy, and totally irrational ways.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Wanna bet the touted 34% who are “undecided” will “break” the same 2-to-1 ratio come Nov. 4?
.
Obama’s strategy has been to paint McCain as a continuation of Bush and it seems like you guys ate it up. It’s apparent that your votes are not votes for Obama, but votes against Bush. Sorry to break it to you, Bush isn’t running in this election. If you’re justifying your votes against Bush now by saying that McCain is Bush, then let me point something out to you… the only reason you don’t have records of Obama voting with Bush is because he’s been voting “Present” most of the time. He couldn’t even make up his mind to vote “yay” or “nay” and has not passed any legislation during his time as Senator. The moment he became a Senator, he started to run for President. His only accomplishment so far is to play on people’s craving for change even though he doesn’t even have a good solution for change. A vote for Obama to spite Bush is a vote to go from Dumb to Dumber.
What kind of “Change” when a simple citizen gets smeared and clobbered for asking Obama a question that points out the flaw of his tax plan? Or when a news station in Orlando, Florida gets punished by the Obama camp for asking Joe Biden tough questions during an interview?
We’re now “spreading the wealth around” and can’t ask our government questions without being slaughdered, is that the “Change” we’re heading to?
Obama and his campaign isn’t as great as people think. They’ve been handed this election by the media, but when left to themselves, they can’t handle being on the defensive line. I’d like to see where Obama really stands in the polls if he’s given the same scrutiny by the media like McCain.
The $250K cut off Obama suggests, you all seem to think that it only applies to individual income. For individuals, a $250K salary seems a lot, but for businesses, it’s nothing. A small business like a regular restaurant maybe making $250K in gross, but they still have to pay their employees, rent, re-stock inventory, etc.. What do you think will happen to it when 40% of its gross is now being taken away? What do you think will happen to the economy then? What happens if your own boss can’t afford to keep you? Would you still think the $250K cut off can’t hurt you?
The only way the $250K can’t hurt is if you’re on welfare already, so now the “tax cut” would give you another check, but you can’t be any more laid off than you already are.
“He who is without sin…cast the first stone…!” (John 8:7)
We’ve come so far, and yet we’re still in the “stone” age.
This campaign is absolutely incredible. Like no other in our history. It is evoking the best and the worst of our American personality. We most certainly did “eat of the fruit from Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, and assuredly have reaped it consequences of a backlog of unprecedented constructive achievements in creative expression, and an equally destructive expression through aggressive hatred, racism, and fear mongering.
It is like this whole thing has induced some form of mass psycho-spiritual therapy. A therapeutic process exposed in the Light of Day with the whole world watching via the twenty-first century mass electronic medium putting everybody is everyone’s face – whether we like it or not.
Exercising our Freedom of Choice with one click, our darkest private thoughts and feelings slam our target instantaneously for everyone to see and hear – along with all the consequences. Privacy is now publicity. Truth, lies, and hypocrisies are in HD.
So what if Obama is Black, Muslim, Arab, or a Caucasian mixture; has past connections with terrorists; reads the Koran; says, “This country is no longer a Christian nation”; leans a little toward socialism; and the list goes on. What’s the big deal?
All past presidents and nominees have some kind of dirty laundry. What do you expect? They’re only human. They’re just like us. They have vices and virtues. Look how many presidents had sexual improprieties and extra-marital relations like Roosevelt, JFK, Clinton, etc. And what about “that one” who said: “I’m not a crook!”? (Nixon)
What are we really afraid of here? Could it be the Truth of our past relationships and actions as a new nation of people seeking a self-serving freedom on one hand, while waging war and terror on the other? We got here in the first place as “terrorists”, as in that little incident of the “shot heard round the world”. You know, the Revolutionary War we’re taught about in grade school. Or our own backyard “jihad”, the Civil War. (Note: terror, terrorize: “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes”. jihad: “any vigorous, emotional crusade, or bitter war, for an idea or principle.” Dictionary.com)
It is well known now, that the Bush family had financial ties to the Bin Laden family through an old buddy of W., James R. Bath. And isn’t strange, when you check out Bin Laden’s wanted poster on the FBI’s own website, you find no connection, what so ever to Bin Laden for the 9/11 attacks. Yet we still equate him with the ideal caricature of a “terrorist” for 9/11, and specifically a “Muslim” terrorist. Hence the power of the new instant media image for “evil” as a target to justify throwing our stones of fear and hatred, as an excuse to wage war for another capitalistic venture in military supremacy to “shock ‘n awe” a people who never attacked us, nor even planned to, with no WMDs.
We are in a new age, and this is the new American way, isn’t it! Well why not?
After we (European immigrants and Christian missionaries) came to the New World, we murdered, raped, pillaged, plundered, and waged war on the Native American Indians who lived here first. We used the same warfare mindset acclaimed in the Koran against them in their own homeland. We just called it: “The only good injun is a dead injun”. And then there is our own internal conflict with racism. Another incredible achievement in the psychotic distortion of so-called Christian ideals as a Christian Nation: “Praise the Lord…and kill that nigger”. How does that “fruit” taste now?
The McPalin Campaign, who publicly announced their strategy of character assignation on Obama (call it what it is), has gone so far as to ignite the old fires of racism at their rallies as clearly seen and heard in recent news videos. So much for putting “Country First”. But wait…maybe that is right. We are a historically a country of many schisms found throughout our culture of mixed races all picking fights with one another.
Then there is that little episode of what we – the American government – did to the American Japanese after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Out of fear, we “smoked them out” and rounded them up into internment and detention camps. (We finally apologized forty-six years later in 1988 through President Reagan).
These are some of the blood stains we still have splattered upon the American flag. And here we are criticizing Obama for not putting his hand over his heart during a salute to the flag in one publicized picture. But every time you solute the American flag with, “I pledge allegiance…” you are speaking the words written by a Christian Socialist. That’s right. Our allegiance to the flag was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist Minister and Christian Socialist, in 1892. Not only that, look how ironically close we are related to those who become our enemy.
“The recital was accompanied with a salute to the flag known as the Bellamy salute…During World War II the salute was replaced with a hand-over-heart gesture because the original form involved stretching the arm out towards the flag in a manner that resembled the later Nazi salute.” (Wikipedia) Now where do you suppose they got that idea? We are a nation whose ego likes to say: “We did it first!”
Also the very foundations of our American heritage started with experimental colonial groups with aspiring interpretations of socialism and even a communism – all based upon aspects of the teachings of Jesus and St. Paul. However, these experiments failed because of a primeval survival gut instinct to “have more”. This in turn lead to a new experiment called capitalism. It became the standard practiced (and worshiped) model for the American economic system we all know and love so well.
However, it caused another schism in the American psyche. The condition of extreme wealth and poverty; which breeds hate and discontent; which creates more enemies at home and abroad; which generates more “jihads” (strife, struggle)…and the beat goes on, like with Rock ‘N Roll – it took off around the world like Rocketman – until, OOOPPS! “Houston…we have a problem”.
The experiment is now falling like a flop on the charts, and has infected the global economic piggy banks this time, and not just in a small cozy family of early colonial Americans isolated from the rest of the world. Ah, the good ole days.
This is our American heritage as pioneers in a new wilderness of economic-political-religious relationships. But this time with all people of all races and their beliefs – all of our Humanity in the new Global Village. Like it or not, this is where we’re going, and our founding fathers with “We the People” set course this direction for the “grand experiment” called America – a microcosm of Humanity.
And again, all thanks to the constructive creative genius of the American pioneering spirit of free enterprise – the PC. Now we are all interface-to-interface in a major political-techno paradigm shift on a global scale, and Obama is right at the beginning of it with the whole world at their monitors.
“We are witnessing an extraordinary moment in political history as a relative newcomer has risen out of nowhere, a true movement candidate, one who has the potential to be a transformational figure. Obama could be catalyzing a moment in American history, perhaps with world historical repercussions, as this country once more steps up and leads the way. For want of a better label, let’s just call it the Obama Moment. (Peter Leyden, The Obama Moment and America’s Next Agenda, http://www.nextagenda.org/).
Many believe that America was established as a Christian nation. If it was, we sure haven’t acted like it, have we. Our founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution clearly laid down the principles of freedom of religion, and the freedom from any governmental dictate of any religion.
“Thomas Jefferson said that his bill for religious liberty in Virginia was “meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindu, and infidel of every denomination.” (A Nation of Christians Is Not Christian Nation, New York Times, Oct 7, 2007)
In 2007, Republican Keith Ellison was sworn in on the Koran – the Koran brought across the street from the Thomas “Constitution” Jefferson Library – Jefferson’s own personal copy, form amongst other historical eastern religious texts in his collection.
We pound our bibles vehemently declaring that our nation is a Christian nation, but promote fear, hate, terror, and war. At the same time deny the fact that our Constitution has no mention of any Christian titles or names; some of our founding fathers were Diests and Masons; our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Democracy and Republicanism, all architecture, monuments, and sculptures erected around Washington DC symbolizing the new “grand experiment” called America, all have their origin in Paganism. (pagan: worshiper of false gods; civilian; peasant.)
Know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free…free from hypocrisy…if you so choose.
Obama, hmmm…“Muslim”? Havard Law School and Constitutional Lawyer? And there we have in plane sight for all Americans to see, the sculptural edifices on our Supreme Court Building – you know, the Supreme Court that protects your right to be a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, pagan, infidel, etc. – the graven images of seventeen historical lawgivers, like Moses, Hammurabi, Draco, Confucius, etc. and…Oh!…wait a minute…my god!…it’s Mohammed!!! Yes…he’s there to in all his glory with his brother lawgivers.
How authentically “maverick” of us! Again, we’re the first nation in history to lump all these famous (maverick) lawgivers onto the greatest – experimental – law building in the world, and then the first to break off pieces of this architecture, in a fever of blind fear and hated, and throw them at will to those we choose to call infidels and terrorists.
A great Teacher said, “Love your enemies”. What He was really trying to teach us was that our enemies are actually a part of us, and of our own making, because we are all part of one ‘hood – Humanityhood. And our Constitution protects your right to like it or not.
The GOP is giving way, more iconic conservatives and Republicans are jumping ship, and the McCain Campaign is stuck in the Twilight Zone.
We are now a point in planetary history where more than 95% of the world is watching and waiting for us to choose Obama, to work together, to put down the stones, let go the deceit and hypocrisies, to forgive – like the Amish forgave the murderer of their children in 2006 – to change, to choose the Light, as from that Flame in the torch on the Statue of Liberty – the Light that transmutes the darkness of ignorance into Understanding – to make it RIGHT.
“…95% of the world is watching and waiting for us to choose Obama, to work together…” the truth is 95% of the world hates us. They don’t want what’s best for us so if they want us to choose Obama, then that’s when you know he’s not the right choice. To prove this point, the UN, which hates us, and Iran say “they can’t wait for us to choose Obama”. Need I say more?
Dear R. Randall:
Amen.
Dear Sean P.
& others:
Do you truly need another “iraq”?
Surely, not another “financial” “meltdown”?
Or are your fears and hatreds actually internal?
Projected outward, onto others, like Obama?
And truly consider your alternative, one aged and now thoroughly compromised “war” “hero” who is a sad folowup to his even sadder exemplar.
Frank Eng
P.S.: It’s all about money and power or the perceptions thereof, and I daresay 99% of humankind could care less about “our” political con games in favor of being allowed to work out their own problems without smart or dumb or awesome explosives raining down on them from the imperturbable heavens that house “God,” or not, as the case may be.
Dear Frank Eng,
There is no hatred in this election, and if you think people voting for McCain is due to purely “internal hatred” then it only shows how small minded you are. You think just because people choose to read up, look at things from all angles, refuse to be blind sided by the media, and make up their own minds, but take a different stance are somehow stupid and hateful, then you’re not as open-minded as you think you are. If you’re justifying your point of view right now by thinking that I’m a Rep who’s on the McCain payroll and therefore I’m disagreeing with you, then you’re wrong. I’m a Bay Area Dem who have never voted for a Republican before, until now.
Never in history is a presidential candidate with so many shady dealings, questionable associations, and unaccomplished is running for President. So, I feel sorry for those of you who think we, people who vote for McCain, have no valid basis except for our “hatred”. Perhaps it’s you who are voting based on the hatred for Bush, who isn’t even running, and “projected outward, onto others,” like McCain.
Do you think terrorism grew overnight?
Under the Clinton administration, nothing was done to prevent terrorism and that’s when they started to grow. There are evidence of this and one of them is that North Korea began increasing their nuclear power and all Clinton did was sending former Pres. Carter over to talk and then bullshitted the American people by saying that nothing was wrong. The World Trade Tower was targetted under the Clinton administration, but no one did anything about it and we paid for it dearly on 9/11. Surely no one wants to go to war, but when terrorism is a direct threat to our country, we must elect a President that have been tested and passed, not one that would “invite testing within the first 6 months in office” like Biden had warned if Obama was elected.
I didn’t agree with the war, but I’m against leaving a broken country. How would you like it if someone breaks into your house, breaks everything then leave? That is what Obama plans to do. He plans to pull our brave men and women out of Iraq with their tails between their legs, which is not only an insult to them, the brave Americans who were/are willing to give their lives to their country, but also to the common people of Iraq who are left without a stable government. That alone suggests poor judgement on Obama’s part.
As for the economy the people who are defaulting on their loans and screaming injustice because of the “financial meltdown” should first beat their breasts and scream “mea culpa”. We like to look from the top down & blame banks for giving out risky loans, but we refuse to look at ourselves and realize that from the bottom up, we’re the culprit for not knowing our own budget and means. Organizations like ACORN harrassed and even threatened bank employees at their home and work place into giving loans to low income people and even illegal immigrants. It’s easy to point the finger at Bush, but he didn’t point the gun to your head and force you to use your house like an ATM or make you buy a house. I didn’t vote for Bush and he’s not my favorite President, but when analyzing a situation and looking at all angles, what’s fair is fair.
lmao…what’s fair is fair…
wow…
…i think…no…i’m pretty sure one of the biggest reasons our economy looks about ready to topple and crash is because of this little thing called the Iraq War Mr. William R.
so uh…yea i think we should have pulled out a long time ago.
lmao what’s fair is fair….wow
This war has cost us way too much…and from a practical albeit very shrewd and ruthless standpoint…we have have little to show for it. That is if you were looking at it from a purely selfish angle =].
It’s been sapping our nation’s economy from the start and it is CONTINUING TO DO SO.
Our economy…isn’t that pretty much the financial “health” of our nation?
If our economy goes to shit…won’t that pretty much create a domino effect/chain reaction of chaos?
We are on the verge of destroying ourselves with denial and ignorance and yet we still refuse to wake up….
i’m just glad somebody finally has the sense to see and acknowldege what we need to do to try and get ourselves out of this mess and get the healing started…even if that someone happened to be an accused “muslim”.
but what do i know…right? i’m just another asshole puttin in his two cents. =]
sorry…i just couldn’t resist pointing out that earlier comment, “He plans to pull our brave men and women out of Iraq with their tails between their legs, which is not only an insult to them, the brave Americans…”
have you even served in the military? have you been deployed? to Afghanistan? Iraq?
Because as a US Army soldier who is currently on active duty and HAS BEEN deployed to Afghanistan i’m afraid i’m just going to have to ask you to please speak for yourself…sir.
you think this is some kind of chest beating competition? A game that we HAVE TO WIN at (what now seems to be) all cost lest we lose face?
wow….i don’t even know what to say to that…
sad to say, but i think…nay i’m pretty sure that that is one of the reasons this war has dragged on this long…
…it’s all about the image…at all costs. (i know this because i am living it as a professional =])
*sigh*…it’s like we are back in junior high except this time the stakes are just a little itty bit higher and EVERYONE stands to lose…
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/mar2008/stig-m01.shtml
Dear Sean P.
& William R.:
Sean, no “hatred” in this election? The McCain rallies that feature shouts of “Kill him!” and/or anti-muslim epithets? Actually, the hatreds I refer to are the sub rosa and subliminal variety, like the “Bradley effect” voter or, possibly, even yourself, who, as a lifelong “Dem” will vote Republican for the first time. Why, if not because you cannot abide, hate?, the idea of a “black” President?
By the way, what you cite as research and justification for voting for McCain is pure rationalization, whether you can grasp that or not.
And, no, I do not “hate” Dubya, I simply despise him, not as a person or human being, but for whiat he did and fronts and stands for. Oliver Stone made a flick that reportedly depicts him as “a good husband, father, and friend” who is also a “bully.” It’s the bully in the boy and the man who has helped lead this nation into the true “state” terrorism of war and bomb-and-awe, under the aegis of “security” and self-defense against people who are “innocent” of “charges” here.
The “terrorists” of 9-11 may even include some of our own, and very high up at that.
No, Americans should feel SHAME as well as contempt for the acts and the pretensions of this man.
And if McCain is NOT, as he is trying to establish today, “Bush,” then he must square that claim with his record.
And William R., if you truly believe everything you posted above and foregoing, may I also commiserate your rationale.
And, in that process, call your attention to one George Monbiot, in today’s, Oct. 28 online edition of the London Guardian, wherein he addresses the stupidities of our electorate.
It is a litany that shames today’s politicos and politics in light of the claims and pronouncements of the founders of this republic.
Both of you, to me at least, appear fearful AND ill-informed, or, more to the point, DISinformed. But, then, it is YOU who choose to believe the disinformation.
You probably listen to Limbaugh or watch O’Reilly and Dobbs, and may even credit “Intelligent Design.”
As for those who don’t deserve to own homes bilking bankers, may I suggest you buy some furntiure from MOR?
Oh, and I have a bridge to nowhere somewhere in Alaska you couid consider.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Art Hu, check out Monbiot’s thoughts on “education” and “math scores.”
P.P.S.: There’s a bright young woman, a “fellow” at Oxford yet, who also has “news” for us in re today’s “global” “financial” “meltdown.”
P.P.P.S.: Finally, and mercifully”, may I call attention to the MSMedia report today on the two young self-styled neo=Nazis whom the ATF agent says planned to assassinate Obama, even as they doubted they could succeed, but taking some 14 and 80? black students at a college “with them:? It would all sound fictional were it not for Columbine and Virginia Tech and others. Sad. And talk about hatress and self-hatreds.
Staying to help clean up a country that we broke and setting up a stable government to replace the one we destroyed is not about “losing face”, it’s a responsibility to right our wrong.
As much as everyone hates the war, it is NOT the cause of this economy downfall. It’s true that we’ve spent a lot of money on it, but the money went into defense contractors, equipment manufacturers, etc., so that actually HELPS the economy. To simply put it, when the government requires more tanks, planes, guns, it creates jobs. Homeland security creates jobs too.
The war and the economy downfall today are two separate issues. Like I said, I’m not pro-Bush and I wasn’t supporting going into war, but let’s not falsely bunch it all up just to make a point.
Yes, William R., it is both logical and moral to “stay” in Iraq to help pick up the pieces we buimbled.
But NOT with troops stationed there.
As for your faith in our “military/industrial” complex, check with a Republican President of some stature who stepped down a half-century ago and warned one and all about same, an act that prompted the revelations or then-thousand-dollar toilet seats and sundry other raidings of the puhlic coffers by then-contractors and profiteers.
But “Iraq” is at least substantive to the “cause” of the current “economic downfall,” a trillion?, vis-a-vis similar stats with our Wall Street and banking greedsters who further demonstrate the “smart”/”idiot” fallacies of the Enron bunch.
As for making a point, how about returning this nation to the production of actual “goods” AND “services” rather than “innovative financial products” like leveraged toxic speculations that enrich the oligarchs whilst they impoverish the rest of us?
Meanwhile, a “vote” for McCain/Palin is a vote to continue the neocon tragicomedy in Iraq AND the entire Mideast as well as the growing conflagration in the Hindu Kush.
Today, add Syria to our misadventures, and don’t forget those “wedding parties” we er, ah, intervened in with smartly placed explosives, OR those children in the madrasas we incinerated.
The two skinheads planning to terrorize Black communities and assassinate Obama are charged with “possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms and threatening a candidate for president.”
I guess they are not terrorists because they are planning to terrorize Blacks only. If they were Muslims, they would be labeled terrorists.
This war absolutely has contributed to our Financial Crisis. To say that the war has help our economy by creating jobs is like throwing Hummers over the cliff to create jobs. The government pays for each missiles that turns into nothing after impact. The war spending adds to our massive deficit, which inturn creates inflation, which force the FED to increase rates, which cause the hard landing.
“the hatreds I refer to are the sub rosa and subliminal variety, like the “Bradley effect” voter or, possibly, even yourself, who, as a lifelong “Dem” will vote Republican for the first time. Why, if not because you cannot abide, hate?, the idea of a “black” President?”…so it boils down to Obama, his camp, and his supporters using the race card. Even though I’ve given reasons about my doubts for Obama’s inexperience and questionable associations, and so forth, you still have to convince yourself that I’m a racist because that’s the only reason why anyone wouldn’t vote for your “Messiah”? Dude, I’m part Black. But…whatever helps you sleep at night.
As for McCain’s records, the only reason why you don’t have Obama’s records voting with Bush is because he’s been voting “present” 130 times and he even said he accidentally voted the wrong way 6 times! Talk about incompetence.
We had to station troops in Iraq because the situation was still unstable and unsafe for the citizens. We’re now gradually pulling out from parts of Iraq that are deemed stable. As for the effects of war on the economy, the Fed did not increase rates because of the war, it increased rates because of inflation. And the inflation was caused by the low interest rates that triggered the housing bubble. It all started because of low interest rates, which allows people to borrow for cheap. Then organizations like ACORN pressured banks to lend to people who didn’t qualify. Then financial institutions created funky financial vehicles to lend to people, then people started to borrow irresponsibly and going equity loans happy. That created inflation. Oil prices went up, cost of living went up when wages remained relatively flat. That caused the Fed to raise rates to stem off inflation, then people’s irresponsible borrowing caught up with them and caused the housing crisis. You shouldn’t make general statements without knowing all the details or reading up on them. Then again I see that you guys are basing your political stance & getting your news from the “World Socialist Web Site”, the Rolling Stone and a movie by none other than Oliver Stone, who supported the FARC and is well known for his revisionist history. Through his movies, he tries to revise history and it’s been documented. Yet, we’re the misinformed ones? I rest my case.
They’re right for saying “don’t argue with drunks or fools”. Peace out.
once again, Mr. William R., i cannot help but laugh bitter bitter laughs reading your newest comment as your reasoning and beliefs do little else but confirm for me how short-sighted and deluded some people are…
…the fact of the matter is:our obsession with the military and defense spending is our downfall.
For you see…we are like vampires.
We constantly need to seek out new blood in the form of conflicts to sustain ourselves and our way of life. we hit a stall in the system? our economy is crawling? easy fix:just start a war with some small and weak nation. that’ll get our juices flowing! tanks will be built, planes assembled, and NEW AND EVEN MORE AWESOME UNGODLY WAYS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING will be researched with all the money that will be directed its way…
yea sure the economy gets a little boost in the short term but once the blood dries up again, withdrawal sets in because we have become dependent. Dependent on that way of life. what’s gonna happen to the tank builders, and bomb makers, and defense contractors and EVERY OTHER MYRIAD LITTLE PARASITE THAT DEPENDS ON CONFLICT FOR ITS SUSTENANCE when war’s over? well….fudge…good question….we kinda painted ourselves into a corner now haven’t we? hmm…here’s a bright idea! LETS FIND SOMEONE NEW TO FIGHT! WE’LL EMBARK ON ANOTHER CRUSADE! THAT OUGHTTA PERK US RIGHT UP!
…thats the flaw.
its kinda like im a drug kingpin and im going to flood the streets with meth. one of the most destructive manmade drugs known. im going to need distributers, bodyguards, etc. etc. my distributers will need their distributers, guards etc etc. everyone gets work, everyone gets paid, down to the lowly pusher. but the fact of the matter is i am still contributing to the decline of my neighborhood. and if you dont care…then i have nothing more to say to you or others like you. my time and energy can better spent.
but just take a step back for a second, look at the facts and try to get the big picture.
US military spending each year is equal to the military spending of the next 15 countries combined!!!
does that not say something to you? WE ARE ADDICTED! it’s a cycle that is only going to end up in a bad way. BIG PICTURE.
Tom’s got a gun. so im going to make me a bigger gun. Tom can’t allow that so he goes and gets himself a gun with lasers and automatic fire. Well the hell with that im gonna get me a rocket launcher…can’t afford to let Tom get the upper hand. I gotts me a nation to protect.
…untold amount of time later…we find that instead of who’s got the bigger gun it’s who’s got the the bigger planet-destroying-along-with-every-single-lifeform-on-it bomb that can kill even more things.
…that’s the big picture. And the saddest (and i’ll admit…funniest) thing is that that is exactly where the human race is headed.
extinction
…and yes this is coming from a soldier…
Biden just fessed up to a Wall Street Journal interview that Obama’s $250K cut off is not true. It’s $150K. Keep in mind people, that this is gross and applies to individuals and businesses alike. Their definition of “rich” keeps changing.
S&T,
Thanks for serving our country and I respect your view on the war, but perhaps you should watch this before supporting turning our backs to the our troops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8