.....As the Elections Approach....

....let us remember and note that the top players in the ruling party, are mostly religious fundamentalists, who are the latest in a long line of those who have used God as a cover for, and endorser of, their actions. The proof that God is not in the mix and that they are hypocrites and religious impostors, is their sorry record of failures in every thing they have touched and in every crisis they have had to deal with, particularly since 2000 when they took over fully. This extends from Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina; failing health, educational and social services; rapid decline of the middle class and the dramatic increase of those below the poverty line while the richest have been further enriched; the decline from a large budget surplus to a huge budget deficit; the revocation of some of our civil liberties using the 'war on terror' as an excuse....to the scores of resignations, indictments and convictions of various lobbyists, staffers and congressmen for their criminality, lies and sexual perversions, etc.
These are classic examples of those who 'honor God with their lips, but whose hearts are far from Him'!

Fantasy or Facts??

Fantasy:

The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God. "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Facts:

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 2,700+

U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED & MAIMED IN IRAQ: 111,000+

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN : 600,000+

BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, BOLTON FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE INJURED, MAIMED OR DEAD IN IRAQ, OR SERVING IN IRAQ: 0

By ascribing this carnage to the "good Lord",
the Bushites hope to escape responsibility and accountability for their own actions and failures.

For the dead, injured and maimed, it's sadly too late, nevertheless, the Bushites will not escape the judgement and wrath of God.

...Hug Thy Neighbor??

I don't know about you, and maybe I'm getting too crotchety and critical in my old age, but I'm a little tired of,..no, very tired of, the popular device the mega-preachers of mega-churches are now using while preaching their mega-sermons. What I'm talking about is the frequent exhortation to "touch your neighbor and tell him...", or "give your neighbor a high-five and tell him...", or hug your neighbor and tell him...." What is this all about??? Why does this directive have to be sprinkled in, upwards of a dozen times in a 50 minute sermon? Why do I have to tell my neighbor something - isn't that the job of the preacher? Is it a new attempt at interactive sermonizing that preachers are employing to hopefully evoke a favorable response from their congregants? Others speculate that it might be a controlling and manipulative mechanism that feeds the ego of the preacher, as congregants dutifully and sometimes gleefully, scramble to obey. Whatever the purpose, I wish they would stop it! I go to church primarily to hear the Word, enjoy the singing and music, and worship in my own way. And I would bet that my neighbor came to church with mostly this same objective also. And I really don't want to touch, slap, feel, hug, poke or rub my neighbor (no matter how attractive), or for that matter, anyone else around me. In my mega-church, my neighbors are most likely to be strangers, and I don't want to encroach on their private spaces or on their persons, anymore than they want to encroach on mine. At the end of the service, and if mutually desired, why can't just a handshake and a few words of greeting with my neighbors be sufficient?
Okay there,..I said it, and I feel sooo much better!

'Stay the Course' or Conflict of Interest?

Is it only me that is appalled at the massive corruption that has been ongoing in Iraq? How is it that we are spending $8 billion per month, much of which is going to two corporations with no-bid contracts, and which are closely connected politically to the president and the vice-president. The most egregious is Halliburton, which was formerly chaired by the vice-president and is headquartered in Texas, the home of the president and former home of the vice president. With this overt conflict of interest, comes the Bushites determination to 'stay the course' in spite of the chaos, the civil war, the 600,000+ Iraqi collateral deaths, the disappearance of $9 billion that is unaccounted for, the disappearance of the billions of Iraqi oil revenues which were to pay for this mess of an occupation, the military being stretched to it's limits, the desire of most Iraqis that we leave now, the desire of most Americans that we get out now, and so on. This unholy alliance of Halliburton, Blackwater and others, with the Bushites, means that we are not leaving any time soon. They financed Bush's governorship and then presidency, and now they are being rewarded with massive amounts of taxpayer funds with no end in sight. This is why the Bushites were hell-bent on going into Iraq, to begin the criminal fraud that is now unfolding. This is why the Bushites are hell-bent on 'staying the course' in Iraq, and ignoring every sane indicator of the utter failure of the occupation. Only for we the people, has this war been a failure, for them it has been a huge success. And once again, political influences and profits are revealed as the gods of both political parties, and the supreme god of the Repugnants.

Just a Numbers Game

Growing up in Harlem, the big game indulged in by almost everyone, was playing the 'numbers'. A nickel, a dime, a quarter or more, could return upwards of a thousand dollars if you 'hit' all three, and if you could get your money before the 'banker' suddenly left town for parts unknown. But this is peanuts when compared to the new game of counting or not counting civilian casualties in Iraq. The Lancet, the peer-reviewed, highly respected British Journal, has just released it's latest estimate of casualties in Iraq, as being over 600,000 since we invaded in 2003 - this doesn't even include the thousands of Americans killed and injured in this same time period. The head Bushite was quick to deny this new number, because he favored his own lying, understated estimate of 30,000. So what's another lie or denial from him - it's par for the course and is consistent with the debacles that characterize his administration. He even denies the existence of global warming, which is as real as he is clueless, so his denial of a scholarly estimate, is in keeping with his anti-scholar, anti-intellectual good old boy persona. The real point, is his lack of regard for the lives of civilians lost as a result of his policies, commonly referred to as 'collateral damage'. And whatever the true number, it's a monumental slaughter that qualifies as a war crime by any humane standard, and will have to be reckoned with in this life or the next.

A New Fascism???

I am distressed and dismayed that brilliant, principled scholars, like Tony Judt and Noam Chomsky, both of whom happen to be Jewish, are routinely harassed and censored from speaking out and promoting their views on Israel and the Middle East. Both decry the failure of the leadership in Israel and the USA, to ensure justice, equity and liberty for ALL, in that part of the world. Instead there is a coordinated effort to try to silence them and prevent them from telling the truth of what is happening over there. These tactics are reminiscent of the old fascism of Spain, Germany and Italy of the last century, that has been reborn. They, like me, will not self-censor for fear of being labeled anti-Semitic by the new fascists of our time. The gambit of labeling those who disagree and oppose Israeli policy as anti-Semites, will not work, because the need for truth, equity, justice and liberty, overrides and exposes the racist, hegemonic course the Israeli leadership is following. We will always speak out, and not shut up!

Buck O'Neil: un-Inducted Hall Of Famer

I've been saddened by the passing of 94 year old, Buck O'Neil, who still has not rightfully been inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. This is why major league baseball has never been on of my favorite sports, because of the systemic racism that still pervades it. Even after Black players were belatedly allowed in, starting with Jackie Robinson, there remains a bitter aftertaste for me because of the past exclusions. Many have visited the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, but I would not go across the street to visit it! Maybe its because I know that many of the records White players are credited with, would not have been attained if they had to compete on a level playing field with Black players from 1900 -1947. Even the icon, Babe Ruth, may not have held the batting records that he did, had he had to bat against the pitching of some of the better Black pitchers of that era. I admire those who can set aside the pain and hurts of the past, and move forward positively and hopefully. For me, it remains very difficult to smile and forget, and will probably always be that way.

An Unseemly Mess!

The latest outrage of the Bushites, is to blame yesterday's nuclear test by the Koreans, on the Clinton administration. All the foreign newspapers are saying, that ever since the Bushites unilaterally and illegally, invaded and occupied Iraq, a sovereign country that did not attack us, nor was capable of doing so, every other country, particularly those branded as part of the 'axis of evil', have no choice but to gather and test their own weapons to defend themselves if similarly attacked. They are also saying this is the first nuclear domino, and shortly, Japan, Taiwan, China, So. Korea, Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia, must do the same to protect themselves from the possible new threat to the world community, posed by the unstable, North Korea. The Bushites must love chaos - everything they have touched, from Iraq to Katrina, to the current Congressional Page scandal etc, has been nothing but chaotic and an unseemly, unmitigated disaster. What is really stunning, is that as murderous, clueless, inept and duplicitous the Bushites are, more than 30% of the voters still approves of and supports them! For them to have any support at this point, is a sure sign that we are on the edge of an abyss, waiting to implode.
By the way, what if all this chaos and nuclear proliferation, is a deliberately planned outcome, to justify giving massive 'star-war' type contracts to the defense industry buddies of the Bushites??? Am I being too cynical???

...Now the Other Shoe is Dropping!.....

Most everyone knew that it was just a matter of time, before it was revealed that Foley and others, were actually having sex with some of the underage Pages they were sending sexually explicit email messages to. It is not reasonable to assume that these sickos would not have sex with underage Pages, if they were able to successfully seduce them with their entreaties. We know Foley took some for rides in his BMW and had dinner with them at expensive restaurants. He had others over to his house for pizza. Then this weekend, a former page admitted that he had sex with Foley after he left the program and after he turned 21. Apparently there is a whole raft of, then underage Pages, who are about to come forward, who will tell of being threatened with career-destroying retribution, if they revealed and exposed those congressmen and staffers who hit on them and had sex with them, when they were in the program. What is also now starting to emerge, is that there is a much wider ring of pedophilia operating in the nation's capital, servicing the sick desires of those who crave sex with children and teenagers. My research indicates that most pedophilia is engaged in by heterosexual males and females, not homosexuals. We recently read of noted conservative icon, Rush Limbaugh, being charged with possession of un-prescribed Viagra in his luggage, upon his return from the hugely popular playground for sex with underage children and minors, the Dominican Republic. Bangkok, Thailand, is another favored playground of these sickos, many of whom constantly trumpet high moral and family values, but possess neither. Earlier we found out that the head of a male escort service was given press credentials to attend White House press briefings. I wonder who were his clients in the White House and in the congress, and why he was not uncovered by the illegal secret domestic wiretapping, that Bush now admits he has been doing? On and on, cracks are emerging in the phony moral facade of the Bushites and their enablers.
Bill Clinton had nothing on these holier-than-thou, perverts!

Et Tu, Foley?

So another hypocritical, gay-bashing Repugnant has been unmasked and sent packing from his house seat. Judging by the blatancy of his emails, Mark Foley couldn't have imagined that his pedophilia would be ever exposed, and his cover as chairman of a committee to protect children, blown. Insiders say, his unmasking is just the tip of the iceberg! The dominoes are starting to finally fall at an accelerated pace, and the Repugnants are being exposed left, right, north, south, east and west. The supposed moral high ground of this group, has been revealed to be a house of cards, and built on the shifting sands of their pathological lies. Their ability to hide behind moral issues, has been blown away by the revelations and denials of those who knew what and when, regarding this predator and his enablers. Like their Iraqi house of cards which is unraveling exponentially, their supposed integrity is being exposed as a fraud, and their trumpeted moral revolution of 1994, is revealed as nothing more than a coup by criminals and perverts who hoodwinked the voters, and took over the congress. While railing about Bill Clinton's moral failings, theirs were in full swing, hidden behind 'family values' and other lying slogans. Their slime has oozed through the halls of congress and into the inner sanctums of the white house. Hopefully their control will be wrested away by the voters next month.
In that event, a good riddance to them is long overdue!

A 'Surprise' Visit

This morning on television, I witnessed the arrival in Iraq, of the secretary of state of the mightiest nation on earth, Condi Rice, wearing a huge bullet-proof vest to avoid being killed by the resistance and insurgents who are roaming the country. The compliant and corrupted media, euphemistically described her visit as a 'surprise' visit, instead of correctly describing it as a 'sneak' visit - which is how all Bushites have to enter the country, usually by cover of darkness. This reality gives the lie to the claim by the commander-in-chief, over three years ago, that 'the mission had been accomplished'. Instead, it is more unsafe now than ever, especially for those who are illegally occupying this sovereign country. This is another blatant example of the unintended consequences of hegemonic forays around the world. I really feel sorry for the men and women of our military, who are being forced to fight and die for the empire ambitions of the Bushites and their supporters. But I don't feel a bit sorry for the Bushites who arrogantly continue to pursue their criminal policies, but still have to continue to 'sneak' into Iraq, three years after invading it with their much ballyhooed, 'shock and awe' bravado!

Why Do Poor Whites Overwhelmingly Vote Republican?

I have always felt that Whites, particularly the poor Whites in the deep south and in middle America, who vote Republican even against their own economic interests, were doing so because of race and their racist antipathy towards Blacks. Since the Bushites came to power in 2000, median household income has declined by 3%, those without healthcare have risen by 9%, and poverty has risen by 7%. Blacks who are only about 3% of the total voters, overwhelmingly vote democratic, because they recognize how poisonous the repugs are to their well-being. On the other hand, Whites, who are over 90% of the voters, and are most affected by the anti-poor policies of the Bushites, are fairly evenly split between democratic and republican voters. But, the vast majority of poor Whites who live in the deep south and middle sections of the country, have, and continue to vote republican, by a wide margin. They apparently have discovered the racist core of this party, and votes in sympathy and in solidarity with it. So, in spite of the fact that this party is pursuing economic polices that is continuing to make them poorer and poorer, their racism continues to trump their economic self interest and better judgement. What a pity, but so be it!

Why My Prayer Wasn't Answered

Almost ten years ago, I along with hundreds of others, prayed fervently for a close friend of mine, who was stricken with, and was dying of cancer. He did not want to die, and we certainly did not want him to die. Yet, it seemed that he got worse and worse in spite of our prayers. Finally he passed on, and it took me several years to come to grips with the finality of his passing. Part of it was asking why my prayers had not been answered. It took me a long time to realize, that God's will SUPERSEDES and trumps all our prayers and desires. Matt. 6, says, .."Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven..." When I came to understand this, then I understood how important is the part that God plays in our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not. As I get closer to the end of my own life in this world, I am also coming to realize more and more, that everything starts and stops with God, and without Him there is nothing but emptiness and despair. With Him is the hope for this life, and more importantly, my hope for the next life.

A Scary, Sobering Thought

As an observer of the news and of the politics that governs our existence in America and in the world, I see much that is inequitable, unjust, unfair, demeaning, unhealthy, life-threatening, murderous etc. But mine, is just a tiny, tiny, insignificant viewpoint, looking through a small window, at the big stage of life. But how about what, and how God sees things??? My viewpoint is limited to only what I can see here on earth, while His viewpoint is ETERNAL, throughout all time and space, and with no beginning and no ending. I am constantly frustrated at my inability to know and find out, the real truth of events past and current - who is doing what, where, why, how, and to whom? God does not have these limitations! And because He doesn't, He can't be lied to, propagandized, flim-flamed, schmoozed, bribed, lobbied or otherwise fooled! This has devastating, eternal consequences for the powerful, the rich, the elites, the movers and shakers, the imperialists, the new world order dominionists, and all those who can and have, successful hidden their agendas, crimes and other misdeeds from the eyes of observers like myself. While it is scary and sobering to know that everything is being viewed and judged from an eternal perspective, it is also liberating and a relief to me, to realize that I don't have to know everything. Whatever I miss and can't uncover, is not forever lost or forever unknown. This gladdens me, even as I'm scared and sobered by the reality of it.

"...No one ever, could have imagined...."

This has been the standard lying excuse, given by the Bushities to explain their criminal negligence in failing to prevent or respond in a timely manner, to the many disasters that have happened on their watch. The list goes on and on.... 9/11, Iraq occupation and resulting resistance, Katrina, Resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Failure to capture Bin laden etc. But while watching the MTV program, 'Cribs', the other day, the thought came to me, that the financial success and ownership of the sumptuous mansions featured on the show, by Black rappers, athletes and other super-star entertainers, could also 'never have been imagined' by the racist, slave holding founding fathers of this country. Could Jefferson or Adams or Washington, ever have imagined the likes of an Ice Cube, owning a multi-million dollar compound in Beverly Hills? Or what about Snoop Dogg's compound in Encino? Or Jay-Z's multi-million dollar nightclub in mid-town Manhattan? Or Oprah's $50 million compound in Santa Barbara? The list is endless! These are real examples of unintended consequences! - and are true instances of outcomes that could not have been imagined, given that Blacks were conspired against, resulting in most being born into poverty-stricken circumstances across the country, and were the most unlikely to succeed at all, never mind to this extent. What a rude awakening is in store for our founding fathers and the Bushites, when they finally stand before the judgment seat of God, to give an account of their deeds while here on earth.
Will they use the 'no one could have imagined' excuse - or, more importantly, will God accept it????