The Next War

2008-11-03T22:01:00.002-05:00

The End Is Near?

Tomorrow, if all goes well, this long nightmare of war, empire and fear will be over and the work of rebuilding America can begin. I refuse to say this is over until McCain concedes, as I could see some "dirty pool" from the GOP.

But to see what progress we in this movement have made over the years is incredible. I don't know how many time Bush thought he would have the moment where this coalition that had formed to oppose the new American empire would shatter, but rather than shatter, we grew stronger. We built a media beyond the scope of the CEO's, and we even did something that our predecessors could not do--we influenced an election, and likely two.

But there's still more work to be done, we'll either need to start working to clean up the mess Bush has made, or continue to oppose the "3rd Bush Term".

But whatever happens tomorrow--we'll still be around. . .

2008-10-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

Beyond The Womb

Today was "Respect For Life Sunday" for the Catholic Church, a chance for the more fundamentalist elements of the Church to "throw their weight around". I will give my priest credit for at least making a passing mention to war, but the focus was on denying women their reproductive choices.

But something I got at a "Catholics For Obama" meeting has we wondering how well the Church, and perhaps other Christian denominations are living up to the ideals of the man they claim to follow.

A card on "Catholic Social Teaching" brings up seven themes. The first is "Life and Dignity of The Human Person". Now in addition to voicing opposition to abortion and euthanasia, cloning and stem cell research, and the death penalty, there's also the following:

The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching calls on us to work and avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means.

Pre-emption and "Shock and Awe", and other components of the "Bush Doctrine" that so many of the "pro-life" politicians of the GOP, as well as our "go it alone" approach, against the opposition of the world seems to fall in violation of this principle.

The next theme that the card brings up is a "Call to Family, Community and Participation". This takes the idea of the first point and expands it to society as a whole, speaking of all people having a ". . .right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. . . ." But it seems to me that many Americans feel that their voices aren't heard, drowned out by the power of corps and their CEOs. Efforts to mobilize these people through registration and education, as well as working to reduce to political pull of corporations and the wealthy would help advance this component.

Further expanding on this call is a call for commitment to "Rights and Responsibilities"; a call to protect basic human rights. Now these same people who would grant a fetus the same rights as a human seem more than willing to condone torture and denial of rights that are seen as components of basic justice in the name of "National Security".

The story of the "Last Judgment", in which the question of how the "least of the brethren" were treated, provides that basis for the next point of "Option for The Poor and Vulnerable". Now this is a case where the Catholic Church, and many other faiths have done great work for the poor, but have done little to deal with the machinery of poverty. Continuing to favor the interests of the wealthy and CEO's over the needs of moderate and low income people seems to put many who call themselves "Christians" more in the camp of the moneychangers than the masses.

Besides opposition to war and violence, the other area where the "pro-life" movement has truly failed is "The Dignity of Work and The Rights Of Workers". For decades, we have seen the power of organized labor decline, and jobs shipped out by CEO's to countries where labor is cheaper and more exploitable. Wages have declined in terms of earning power and a "McEconomy" of low-wage, part-time, limited-benefit jobs has sprung up. All this while the wealthy have seen their fortunes and their power grow and grow.

Working in "Solidarity" is the next point, and this too, may be an area where some work needs to be done. A country that feels it can invade a country under a false pretense, and in opposition to the rest of the world, and allies itself with dictators and despots, so long as they "play nice" with us, does not seem to be living up well to the message of Pope Paul IV; "If you want peace, work for justice".

Lastly, according to the Bible, we were appointed as "Stewards of the Earth". Alas, we seem to act so often more as dominator's than stewards. Our culture of consumption, based on greed, seems at times to show little "Care for God's Creation". The fact that neither major candidate seems to wish to make conservation a real part of an energy plan shows how deep this "culture of consumption" reaches.

If Catholics, or any other faith or denomination, wish to make opposition to reproductive choice the main point of their agenda, that is fine. But then they need to work beyond the womb, or else the quote of Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) will only seem all the more true:

To a pro-lifer, life begins at conception and ends at birth.

2008-08-29T23:49:00.002-04:00

How Far We've Come

Funny how time flies, Four years ago, I awoke at some ungodly hour of the morning to meet at the Catholic Worker House In Harrisburg. I had a backpack full of frozen water bottles, sunscreen, and "bust cards" I had made.

Our destination--New York City, the site of the 2004 Republican National Convention. I remember a little about the bus ride--my newspaper getting scattered into a dozen sections (I don't think I ever did get the comics section back), and there as two-hour stretch where I was the only person awake, save for the driver. I also became a shuttle service for the "Harrisburg 4+1", as I took to calling us, getting us to Lancaster PA.

The march itself was a true hike--32 blocks, 8 miles, in 90 degree heat. I've often wondered how many of the 750,000 people who were estimated to have participated actually finished the "course".

What was odd was that while we did fail on one level, Bush did win his 2nd term. We succeeded in another, Bush and the GOP were unable to "shatter" us like what had happened a generation ago. We kept our e-mail and IM lists together, updated our 'Blogs and our podcasts, and in 2006, finally broke through the fear a bit.

Now, four years later, we stand ready to strike another blow against the "War Party". Of course the hard part will be the rebuilding of the rubble that Bush has left behind--but after what I've seen the anti-war/anti-imperialist movement become over the last four years, and maybe over the last 8. I'm impressed.

In 1986--my College Alma Mater's football team went 2-9. Five years later, they paraded a National Championship trophy through Downtown.

Anything is possible with time and determination. . .

2008-05-11T18:45:00.002-04:00

Under (Re)Construction

If any of you had ever accessed my "Best Of", you may have noticed some "Funny Things" happening.

In the course of trying to fix this, I kinda "trashed" the page. I have the html "source" for the "old page" and will attempt to get things "back to normal" ASAP.

2008-05-01T21:49:00.002-04:00

Mission Failed

Five years ago, George Bush got to "play solider" and, on an aircraft carrier, declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

5 years, 4000+ American Soldiers, billions of dollars later, it would seem that the "mission" in Iraq has been essentially a failure. The country is still on the brink of a civil war, based mainly along sectarian lines. The idea that the "Surge" is working is based more on uneasy alliances and fragile truces. Not to mention the "Surge" in terrorism in other parts of the world as groups use Bush's policies as a recruiting and rallying tool.

But what's likely and even greater failure to Bush is that he could accomplish the mission of keeping the American people in a web of fear that would have kept America in the hand of the coalition of religious and free-market fundamentalists, neo-imperialists, etc that make up the GOP. Bush never expected that the anti-war movement would be able to stay afloat this long, but as the causalities increased and a corps of "micromedia" activists from sites like BuzzFlash, Common Dreams, Go Left, and Air America would make places like Abu Gharaib and terms like "Stress Positions" and "Waterboarding" familar, the movement not only stayed alive, but grew in strength.

I look back on just the last 2 years, never mind the last 5, and am amazed at what I've been a part of. From standing with a small group of activists in Harrisburg, PA, to marching with a few thousand people in DC.

And I don't think we're done yet. We still have our mission to accomplish. To vote the warmongers out of office and replace them with men and women committed to ending this imperial quest and returning this nation to beacon of freedom it was and can be again. It will take time to heal the damage, but hopefully in November I'll be able to post on this 'blog--Mission Accomplished. . .

2008-04-18T21:30:00.001-04:00

Making My Pick

2008-04-06T19:34:00.003-04:00

The American Intervention

"My country, right or wrong. . . is like saying 'My Mother, drunk or sober'"
G.K Chesterton
I can only speculate that this quote was written before we understood the nature of addiction as well as we do now. As today, many folks would see that danger of their Mother being drunk and arrange for an intervention to get her sober.

But to do that, someone had to point out the "elephant in the room" first. And that was what we in the anti-war/anti imperialist movement did. And we experienced resistance and denial. Mainly from those who stood to gain from keeping the country drunk on empire.

But we eventually "got through" to people. Now I admit that we haven't quit been fully heard, and that needs to be worked on, but recovery is a long and complex process.

And there are still deniers, the GOP is hoping that there are enough of them in America to let a platform of "Stay the course" win the day. This may only more deeply show the degree of denial that the "BushSheep" possess of the reality of the situation.

But if America has fully "wised up", there the matter of getting the country sober. Empire, much like any addiction, can leave quite a trail, one that may take time to travel. It will be a marathon, not a sprint.

"My country, right or wrong"--yes. When right, to make sure it stays on the right path (even if it not the right's path). When wrong, to be redirected and set back on track.

2008-04-01T21:40:00.003-04:00

Believing But Not Seeing

Sunday, for most Christians, was the "2nd Sunday Of Easter". Usually the Gospel for this day is one of the accounts of an appearance by Jesus to the apostles, but is more likely known as where the figure of speech "Doubting Thomas" came from. For Thomas refused to believe until he saw for himself. I personally think Thomas has gotten a bit of a "raw deal"; he did not betray or deny, he simply wished proof.

One can only speculate about Thomas' frame of mind. His mentor and friend had been treated like a common criminal, and then to probably hear again and again that he had risen from the dead, that he walked among them. He may have thought it was a ploy of the Romans or the Sanhedrin to try and draw Christians out for persecution.

Of course, with so many strains of Christianity requiring a near "blind faith", it shouldn't surprise anyone that Thomas is held as bit of an object of ridicule.

Is it any wonder, based on this, that the Fundamentalists are among the most ardent supporters of the "War On Terror". Now a case can be made that this has to do with a desire to accelerate the "2nd Coming", but the same "total faith" that many fundys demand is no different from what Bush demands; "Just trust me Iraq has WMD's", "Just trust me, the Iraqis will welcome us as liberators", "Just trust me . . . ."

But what happened when reality set in, not doubt, but denial.

But what can't be denied, and there can be no doubt about. Is that this "War against war" has been waged by an army of "Doubting Thomas's". Who saw and believed in the reality of insurgency and occupation.

2008-03-28T20:04:00.003-04:00

5 Years Too Long, 4000 Too Many

Monday, the "Cost of War" reached another grim milestone. The number of American's killed in Iraq passed 4000. But what I notice when I look at the numbers is this, most of them have taken place since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished".

And I think this is part, perhaps the major part, to why opinion towards this war has shifted away from the "War Drums" of Bush and McCain and towards the ideas of withdrawal and reconciling with the rest of the world. People started to see that the occupation was becoming more costly than the actual invasion, both in terms of lives and money.

People also saw that Bush lacked a clear plan, save perhaps to try and use this as a way to keep the American population in fear. He didn't know that Iraq was a land of tribes and factions, or didn't want to know. Most operations have some sort of endpoint, Bush's rejection of any sort of timetable and his refusal to see that even the minimal "benchmarks" aren't being met are both examples of this "Imperial Hubris".

Now Bush did try, he thought that his media "Sheepdogs" of AM-Radio and it's Cable affiliate could keep the population in his "Fog Of War". But Bush, much like he did the Iraqi Insurgency, misestimated the opposition here. Instead of retreating into little enclaves like 30+ years ago, we continued to grow stronger.

And now as we mourn the 4000 who have paid the price of empire, we realize that we have a chance to truly be able to stop the loss of our Americans. Of course, there's the matter of healing these losses. Both here and in the world.

2008-03-17T21:40:00.004-04:00

It's Back!

5 years to the day that Bush turned the hunt for Bin Laden into a quest for a new American Empire. "The Next War" is back!

I'm amazed at the progress that the Anti-War/Anti-Imperialist movement has made in just the last two years, much less five. We've unraveled a machine of fear that Bush and the rest of the "War Party" though they could use to keep Americans scared little "Sheep". We've built a "micromedia" to counter the "Sheepdog Media" of AM-Radio and it's cable news affiliate. We brought the light of truth to the lies of war.

And we stand on the threshold of doing what the anti-war activists of a generation ago could not. By the power of the people, we can bring an end to a war of Empire.

I hope you folks all like the new look--I have a few more things to add yet(a lot of old writings, etc) and may soon have a YouTube channel for this site as well.

Let's just hope that come Jaunary 2009, we'll be the ones who can say--mission accomplished.

2008-03-07T22:34:00.003-05:00

Ready To Roll

Well, a lot has happened in the last few months. I got a job--an 8-5 one even! I'm now doing technical support for a Bank.

But with me now working "saner" hours, I have the time to work on "The Next War" a bit, as it seems that I've gotten a bit behind the curve of development.

I hope to have at least a "stage one" by March 18th--of what I'm calling "Operation Peace Vote". You see, we have a chance to do what our predecessors from the 1960's couldn't do. Electorally defeat the "War Party", with the GOP nominee basically running on a platform of fear and empire, either Democrat should be able to paint an image of hope.

But that hope is no good when you see the mess that a Democrat would inherit.

Just keep your eyes open. Things are about to get lively here. . .

2007-08-11T07:11:00.000-04:00

Candles In The Darkness

One of the things that Bush and the "War Party" rely on to keep their "Sheep" in line is fear, and despite efforts of sites like Air America and this 'Blog, that climate of fear is still hanging around. Congress's decision to renew FISA and the ever growing tide of xenophobia that has even reached my area.

But on August 5th, I had the honor of seeing a powerful antidote to that fear--hope. Harrisburg PA hosted the 29th annual "Candles On The Water" event; this event, intended to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. What makes Harrisburg's unique is that it features children and youth as the main speakers:

After hearing these young people speak with wisdom and conviction, we took our "Lantern Boats", made by young people and headed to the Susquehanna River to send them on their way:

As I headed back to my house, I realized all this. Yes we still in a country that is still very much ruled by fear, but there's hope for this crazy place yet. . .

Photography By James D'Angelo

2007-07-15T07:06:00.000-04:00

New Toy--New Vision

Soon after I got my DSL hookup, I got a YouTube account. For awhile, I simply would search and fave videos I liked, and later learned how to set up a "VLog":

But what interests me more even is the possibility that my webcam has opened up. As I can now make my own content:

Forgotten Front

Well I also found out that YouTube allows you to interface with 'blogs. I'm wondering if this may be a better use for this 'blog--a kinda "VLog".

More to come. . .

2007-07-05T07:37:00.000-04:00

A Modern Patriot

Yesterday, we Americans celebrated the day when a small group of men made a dangerous decision. They chose to stand against possibly the leading Imperial Power of their day; they had support from foreign countries and were able to win the "Hearts and Minds" of their populace. The result is the country we have today.

Now today a new group of patriots stand against a new empire, but that is beside the point for now.

I'm more impressed at what will be happening on July 18th, when Nelson Mandela celebrates his 89th Birthday. Here is a man who is a patriot in every sense of the word; he lead his own people against a racist regime and paid the price by spending 25+ years in prison. His jail time made him a symbol of dissent and became a rallying point for governments and activists around the world. When he was released I remember telling my kid sister "We're watching history".

So what better way to celebrate this great man's life than to send him a card--YouTube style:

2007-05-27T18:57:00.000-04:00

Upon Further Review?

No, I have not been declared an "Enemy Combatant" or anything like that. I've just been--busy.

But I did hear about the War Funding Bill(V2.0) that passed Congress and I don't quite know where I personally stand on this.

Originally this was to be an article likening Bush to Paris Hilton. That's to say a spoiled brat who threw a tantrum when Congress threatened to take away his allowance and the parents got scared of what the neighbors[AM-Radio/Fox News] would think.

Next thought was the idea of Bush as the "Playground Bully" who when the rest of the kids try to stand up to him, he says he'll get his "boys" [AM-Radio, etc again] to "get them back".

Now I'm sure you see a pattern here. The same "Climate of Fear" that Bush had so much of America under may not have fully broken, at least not in Congress. But likely that %28 or so of Americans who support Bush and the War are likely the most truly brain dead of the "BushFlock"--the "Free Republic" types who have swallowed so much of the "BushSwill" from AM-Radio, FOX News(?) and apocalyptic preachers. Basically they're the folks who are too far gone and beyond help.

But could there be another side to this. This was a "supplementary bill" designed to fund the "War On Terror" until September, when the 2008 budget will be up for debate. If the Democrats were to, as John Edwards suggested, keep submitting the same bill, its possible that our soldiers would run out of money at some time and that would really give the "Sheepdogs" of AM-Radio and it's cable news affiliate something to chew on.

Could the Democrats have decided to "pick their battles" and wait for the big fight? If that be the case then we who oppose war and empire need to remind the Democrats that we're the folks who got them into power. We need to "keep the heat" on and make sure that come September that we get a bill passed that at least includes clearly defined and unbreakable "checkpoints" that force Bush to define "finishing the job", perhaps tie those checkpoints to funding.

Am I angry that the Democrats "knuckled under" to Bush and likely his "bunker mates", yes. But anger can be effective if turned into action.

FNB 2.0--Takin' It To The Web

Anyone who's been reading this site for awhile may remember my volunteer time with a group called "Food Not Bombs" that had a chapter in Harrisburg, PA for a few years.

When the college kids who made of the "base" of this group graduated, the group disbanded. Well, we're back! Maybe even better than ever. And come June, they'll have a webpage--courtesy of yours truly!

2007-04-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

Tell Us The Mission

Tell Us!

2007-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remembering The Fallen

More Where That Came From

As a Christmas present, I purchased a digital camera. I found out that one of the many functions that the camera has is a video mode.

I wonder if "The Next War" could be a weekly 5-10 minute commentary.

Only time will tell.

2007-02-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

Under Construction

It's coming up on March 17th-18th, and anyone who's familiar with this 'blog knows that this usually means a revision of this site.

And this time it's for a good reason, that menu system looks like a train wreck in Mozilla and doesn't work at all in IE7. So I'm working on a new version that is IE7 compliant and cross-browser compatible.

Also, I hope to get those audio posts I did from the 2004 Anti-RNC march into a "jukebox" format.

And did I mention that I have a new digital camera that can do short videos--can anyone say "YouTube";)

And could all of this lead to something bigger?

2007-01-31T08:02:00.000-05:00

Images of Dissent

I took my old camera to the January 27th anti-war rally and managed to get a few decent pics. So here they are

My sign

Sending a message

2007-01-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

A Day Of Action

At this time yesterday, I was on a bus on my way back from Washington DC, where I joined thousands of other activists, including friends from the Turn Left web site to give Congressional Democrats a reminder of who the people who helped put them into power.

This trek began in York PA in the parking lot of a plaza. From there the buses took us not into DC, but to a suburban train station. We purchased tickets and boarded the "M", DC's mass transit system to head to where we were to gather to rally.

After a delay in meeting my friends from "TL", highlighted by the contact talking to me on his cell phone as he was walking towards me, I met people that until that time were little more than names on a screen.

We then heard a variety of speakers rally the masses; among them Dennis Kucinich, Maxine Waters, Lt Watada's family, Jesse Jackson, and a twelve-year-old girl who got some of the biggest applause. With words like "Impeach Bush"(Which I'm opposed to), "Books Not Bombs", and "Bring them Home" ringing in our ears, we set off on the route.

The route was not the one that was on the UFPJ web page, but did take us past the Senate building, where we chanted "Hey Senate, don't you get it", the Library of Congress (I think), and oddly enough the National Museum of The American Indian.

We had our small flock of "Bushsheep" which lead to the only "personal loss" of this event--my pail I was using as a drum:

no I didn't hit one of them over the head. They're already brain-damaged if they can't see that their cause is a lost one. Then again, their "Shepherd" can't seem to see this.

I did have a lot of fun meeting my fellow TLers and friends, and met people from all over the east coast; Maine, North and South Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and a few others. I found out that a group from a local college had made the trip and a person from one of the military groups was from a nearby town.

One thing about ANSWER not being a major part of this rally was we didn't have as many "fringe groups". There were a few revolutionary groups there, but not as many as when ANSWER was staging rallies.

All and all a good day. As for the pail, I may turn it into a kind of collage by covering it with stickers I get at other rallies, etc.

2007-01-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

The 11th Hour

In less than 11 hours, I'll be on a bus from York PA to Washington DC to remind Congress that it was people like me that put them into power.

I have my sign made, will be bringing a camera to take pics and even have a noisemaker in the form of a large metal pail that was used to hold a Christmas present. I'll be meeting also with some friends from a progressive web community.

It'll be interesting to see the tone of this event. Four years ago we came to DC as basically insurgents; marginalized by a "war media", branded as "communist dupes", and seen by many as "unpatriotic". We also seemed to be incapable of becoming a political voice, as the 2004 elections showed.

But something happened, people were listening, and events in Iraq and elsewhere made people realize that we had a point. A strategy set up by a man who was catapulted into the political spotlight by a "net roots" model and basically turning the 2006 election into a referendum on Iraq lead to a seismic shift in power.

So I return to DC, perhaps a bit triumphant.

2007-01-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

My Hegira

OK, so I'd walked through downtown Harrisburg, and marched on DC.

My next trek was a personal one, and one that I'd like to think had an element of risk to it. You see, my Dad's a Vietnam Veteran and while "In Country" wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper about the Kent State. For those who don't remember, this was when the National Guard opened fire on a group of anti-war protestors, killing four of them.

As I got deeper and deeper into my opposition to the current "War On Terror", I felt a need to visit the memorial to the students. An attempt to tie this to a football game between my Alma Mater and Kent State failed due to travel issues, so when I went home in either 2003 or 2004 for Easter, I decided to make the trip.

My plan was to get up at 6AM, get my laundry going, and wait for my Dad and my younger Sister to leave. I would visit the memorial, take a few pics and get home before they did.

Well my Mom, who knew of my plans, released me from the remains of my laundry, and I left about Noon. A quick stop at the local supermarket for lunch, a stop to gas up the car and I was on my way.

The drive itself wasn't bad, and I soon found the monuments. For one thing the actual site is now a parking lot, a kinda metaphor for what many folks would like to do to Vietnam and the anti-war movement in general. But the memorial they did build is nice, and as you can see, I took some decent pics.

But on my way home, I wondered about how these young people sacrificed their lives unwillingly. They were not soldiers, they may not have seen the risk of their lives as part of what they were doing.

2007-01-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Back To The Streets

Well after my prayer walk through the city of Harrisburg, PA, I figured I was in for a pound.

So my next stop was an anti-war rally/march in Washington DC. This was still early in the opposition, when a group called ANSWER was basically the only group standing against the war.

So I got outta bed, made a breakfast of bacon, frozen waffles and coffee and heading to a local mall, which was where we were staging for the drive to DC. On the way I chatted with a group of young people who would become frequent participants in activities.

The rally itself featured a variety of speakers from ANSWER and their allies. This was before the group became a albatross for the anti-war/anti-imperialist movement and United for Peace and Justice emerged as the voice of opposition.

But it was fun to march through DC and meet people from all over the country. Of course, the march Saturday may be fun as I may be part of a contingent from Turn Left Interactive. This is an on-line community I've been a part of since 1994, I may be one of the few "originals" left.

My next act of dissent would be a pilgrimage to a place where opponents of a past war gave the ultimate sacrifice.

2007-01-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

Where It All Began

It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well for me that 1st step was taken on a bright October day. I think I was still in a bit of shock over the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, but decided to finally do a real overt act of dissent against the growing tide of war.

It was actually kinda fun to meet other activists and get a decent workout in by walking from a public space, to a hotel, to the State Capitol building and back to where we started.

Little did I know where I'd be heading next. . .

2007-01-21T13:40:00.000-05:00

A Life Is A Life?

A few days after 9-11, I went to do my banking over my lunch break. There I saw a group of picketers, and I said to a fellow pedestrian "I may not agree with them, but they have that right."

The same goes for those who are in DC today to stand against women's reproductive freedoms. Now those groups that stage this, likely the ideological equivalents of the "Religious Extremists" we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, call it a "march for life", but why does it seem that they see unborn life as worth more than say--a soldier or an Iraqi civilian.

I wonder how many of these "pro-lifers" will be in DC on Saturday, along with me, for the anti-war march. This war, almost completely backed by "Pro-Life" Republicans has claimed over 3000 American soldiers and close to 650,000 Iraqis. This does not count the thousands who have been caught in the insurgency and those who may have been killed elsewhere as the result of the fires of terror that Bush's war and policies have ignited.

Of course, the more I think about it, the more I think Rep Barney Frank(D-MA) has it correct:"To a pro-lifer, life begins at conception and ends at birth". As the "Pro-Life" record on many issues is poor at best. The fact that it took a change in Congressional power (likely the result of outrage at the "War On Terror" to get a raise in the minimum wage on the table, as well as the fact that many states have taken this into their own hands, is but one example.

Also, it seems that the "Pro-Life" camp has issues with "non-human" life. The "Pro-Life" GOP has long been an ally of corporate polluters and an opponent of sustainability. Once again, one of the "class projects" for the new Congress was to cut the subsides to oil companies. Perhaps an attempt to steer America off the path of consumption and on to a more conservation based path.

These are but a few objections I have to the ill-named "Pro-Life" camp. Perhaps if they would call themselves "Pro-Fetus" or show a more continuum-based and holistic view of "life", I'd have a bit more respect for them and their ideas.

2007-01-18T08:42:00.000-05:00

Takin' It To The Streets

2006 was a slow year for me on the activist front; I couldn't attend the March 18th events as my Sister's were in town, there were few "teach-ins" etc. I did have a letter to the editor published and volunteered my time at an "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit.

Well with a "surge" of activism that lead to a Democratic Congress and Bush's "fuel the fire" solution to what's going on Iraq, I've decided to be part of a "surge" of a different sort. So on January 27th, I'll be DC for a march.

To add to this some folks from another message board I frequent may be gathering.

2007-01-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

Let Him Hang

I was fortunate not to hear Bush's speech Wednesday, but I was a but curious when I heard he was going to admit a mistake. I wondered, could the loss of Congress been enough to make him see that the Iraq war was a mistake and that some plan for pulling our soldiers out and getting either the Iraqis or some other international force in thier place.

Instead we hear that the only mistake Bush made was not sending more troops and he announces that he'll be sending more of our soldiers there as part of a "surge". To anyone who's not blindly following the "Sheepdogs" of AM-Radio and its cable news affiliate, it should be obvious the only thing this "surge" will lead to; wider violence, more terrorism and perhaps a civil war expanding into a regional conflict.

Now at least the Democrats, realizing that the 2006 elections were a referendum on the Iraq War, are positioning themselves to fight back. But what they need to also realize is the best strategy may be to simply let Bush "Hang himself" and the GOP with him. But they're gonna need to make sure that the rope is short.

To start with, there need to be open hearings on the intelligence that Bush used to scare Congress and so many of the American people; study after study has exposed Bush's claims of WMD and ties to Al-Quaeda as lies. Bringing these lies to light would not only unravel the web of fear that Bush trapped so many Americans in but also show how Bush may be little more than a mouthpiece for the Neo-Imperilaists.

The next step would be to take Bushs "carte blance" powers away. Rep. Ted Kennedy(D-MA) has legislation that would do just this pending, and support for this from the "Net Roots" community would be a way to send a message not only to Bush but to Democrats.

But perhaps even this needs more teeth. Why not simply make any allocations of troops or funds contingent on "checkpoints" being reached by the Iraqis. A kind of "Show us the money" idea.

I realize the presidental elections are less than two years away, but accelerating Bush's political suicide would make things a lot easier for the right Democrat that can reach not only the "Net Root" base of the party but also reach undecides, and then we can get on the path of returing America to the beacon of democracy it was.

2007-01-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

We Did Good

There's an old saying that goes something like this:"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Such may describe the state of the anti-war anti-imperialist movement at the start of 2007.

You see, after five years of ridicule, charges of treason, and defeats of almost every stripe, we managed to finally make an impact at the ballot box. Building enough of an outrage at a war that has cost 3000+ American lives and an estimated 650,000 Iraqi lives (and that likely doesn't include the thousands killed as part of the insurgency) to sweep the GOP out of congressional power.

And that's a good start, but there is a lot more that needs to be done; to start with an effort needs to be made to bring the web of lies and fear Bush wove and entrapped so many Americans in into the light and to hold those people accountable for their deceptions.

Second, some sort of timetable for withdrawal needs to be set. Even a set of tangible benchmarks would be a start. Implementing some of the Study Group's recommendations would do well as well. The "surge" Bush wants is only going to add fuel to the fires, of course that may be the idea.

In the long term, now that we've shown we can be a force, we need to look to 2008 and making sure that this war is the main issue in 2008 and that whoever the Democrats nominate is committed to bringing this to an end and getting America back into the world community.

As for me and this site--look for some cosmetic changes. The navigation system doesn't work well IE7 and isn't standards compliant, so I plan on trying to fix that. Look for a jukebox-type mechanism for the audio comments from NYC and perhaps a Flickr-style photo area.

It's weird, at some level it would seem that the work of this site and this movement is done. But it may only be beginning.

May '007 bring you all peace, justice and prosperity.

2006-11-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

Now What?

Once in awhile at FedEx Ground, I get let out of work early in order to conserve time. When this does happen, I find myself asking myself "Now What?". Usually I play around on my computer, read, listen to music or even watch TV.

Well now Congressional Democrats, who find themselves in power in part due to the work of a sort of "Net Roots"(MoveOn, etc), need to answer that same question.

And in the spirit of the holidays; I present a kinda of "Wish List" for the Congressional Democrats.

To start with; I realize that, while "Grassroots Democrats" provided much of the impetus for this resurgence, many of the new Senators and Representatives are more close to the "Third Way". But I'm sure that they realize that it was the "Net Roots" that got them where they are. Also, what happened to Sen. Lieberman in his primary could easily happen. But I also think that Democrats need to show that they don't require the same "FlockStep" mentality that the GOP requires.

To start with, I believe some sort of real investigation of the intelligence that lead us into war with Iraq needs to be conducted. There are many on my side of the fence that are crying for Impeachment. But, to me, that makes Democrats look vindictive and spiteful. But bringing the lies that Bush used to scare Americans and Congress into the light would be a good first step.

With the American people fully aware of this, forcing Bush and his "War Party" to set up some sort of time table for withdrawal from Iraq would be a logical second step. At least set up a few targets that would lead in time to American forces leaving Iraq as a stable democracy.

With this done, perhaps restoring some civil liberty to America would work. Many provisions of the PATRIOT Act seem to many like they're more directed at dissenters and critics than terrorists. A kind of fusion of Nixon's "Enemies List" and COINTELPRO, with a bit of McCarthyism mixed in. Not to mention the attacks on the rights that those accused of crimes have. Legislation to repeal or at least rescind
some of the more problematic portion of these laws would likely pass with ease.

The economy was another issue that cost the GOP their majority. The gap between Wall Street and Main Street has been growing wider and wider, there is an near-epidemic of "underemployment" im America. Perhaps an effort could be made to legislate a "living minimum wage", or some other way means to deal with those trapped in the "McEconomy". How to pay for this? Repeal many of the tax breaks Bush gave to his CEO and other wealthy contributors.

There are many other things that could be done. True Energy independence, that relies on conservation and alternative source development as opposed in increased drilling and working to restore America to the world community would be ideas to consider.

Oddly enough, I'm reminded of what happened to Peyton Manning after he broke Dan Marino's single-season touchdown record. He had no time to celebrate is feat--he needed to line his team up for a conversion. Democrats can't really celebrate what they've done--they have to Country to fix.

2006-11-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

We Got A Shot

As odd as this sounds, there are some things about me that a few of my fellow activists "call me out" on. The first is my faith, in addition to my attempting to follow Christ's teachings as best I can; I'm also a Roman Catholic. I've tried to explain this by reminding folks that fundamentalists aren't the only "voice of god" and call up names like the Berrigan Brothers, Fr. Roy and Martin Luther King Jr.

The second is my being a sports fan. But a saying that I've used often during games may apply to the anti-war/anti-imperialist movement at this moment: "We've got a shot".

On Tuesday, the American people will have their best shot since 2001 at slowing down the twin machines of Empire and Fear by possibly returning control of one, and maybe both branches of Congress to the Democratic party.

I can't help but stand in wonder that this is even possible. Of course, being a part of the movement that has been working to cut through Bush's "web of fear" and put up with endless bleatings from the "BushFLock" and the "Sheepdog Media" (AM-Radio/Fox News) makes the efforts more personal.

We've also shown a lot of resiliency; we've bounced back from the 2002 and 2004 elections, "Mission Accomplished" and McCarthy-esque "red baiting".

And, just in time for the elections, the verdict. Which comes as no surprise, we all know Hussein was a despot, but many people, especially in the "BushFlock", forget the role the US played in keeping him in power, and it may be up to the [progressive]"Alternative Press" to bring this to light. Of course, the violence that this may unleash will only show how dangerous Iraq still is.

Of course, it's not like the US has learned from it's mistakes. In Central Asia, with it's convenience to much of the Middle East and oil reserves, the US is continuing it's tradition of propping up despots that promise to "toe the line".

Of course, the only way that the first step towards making America a part of the rest of the world as opposed to an imperialist bully is for you the American people to get out and vote on November 7th. As you can't win a game sitting on your sofa.

2006-10-01T19:28:00.000-04:00

What We're Up Against

It's not too often that an opportunity to see what we in the anti-war/anti-imperialist movement truly get to see what we're fighting against. The Military Trials Bill that Congress passed this week is a great example of the forces that we are fighting against here in America.

The bill itself denies "terrorism" suspects many rights that are staples of American Justice; habeus corpus, a speedy trial and the right to represent oneself. Unamious verdicts are not required either, and evidence acquired through heresay or coercion can be admitted under certain cases.

Now the fact that this bill passed is no surprise, the fact that there were several Democrats, in the Senate especially, who supported this is only further evidence of how well Bush and his media allies have managed to create a "Climate Of Fear" that has enough members of the "Opposition Party" following the "War Wagon".

There's another element here as well. The way that the "War Media" and Bush have managed to dehumanize our enemies to the point that enough Americans are conviced that they don't deserve the same protections we do. It'll be interesting to see what happens should Bush try and extend these provisions, even in a modified form, to "Domestic Dissenters".

And then there's the fact that this bill may only continue to fuel the fires of terror, which will allow Bush's "Fear Machine" to run and. . .

2006-09-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

An Eye For An Eye

Yesterday, a grim milestone in the "War on Terror" was reached. The number of soldiers killed fighting "Global Terror" now equals the number of civilans killed on 9-11.

Of course, those numbers don't count the thousands of civilians in Iraq, etc that have been dubbed "collateral damage", or those killed in the sectarian violence that has erupted.

But the two oddest things about this are that most of the deaths have taken place during the occupation as opposed to the actual invasion. Obviously some people forgot the tribal histories of places like Iraq, or we too busy being good "BushSheep" to say anything.

And the fact that so most of the deaths have taken place in Iraq, which we invaded based on lies and half-truths. You would think that people would, in light of the evidence, be turning out in droves to vote out those in BOTH parties responsible and put candidates committed to working with the rest of the world into power.

But Bush's "SheepDogs" on AM-Radio and it's cable affiliate have managed to keep enough of the "Flock" in line with a campaign of lies and fear.

But more and more folks are asking the tough questions, and I can only hope in November that enough of them realize what the answer is.

2006-09-15T23:15:00.000-04:00

Rowing On The River

As I said previously, one of the things on my mind the morning of 9-11-2001 was what the weather was going to be on Saturday.

Well I was surprised when an e-mail I sent to the local Sierra Club chapter generated a reply of "Show Will Go On".

Over the days after 9-11 I began to, like most of the world, piece the events together. The process was, though, shaped by my own point of view. I first felt the chill of a new "Cold War" in hearing Bush's speeches (what did Iran, N. Korea, have physically to DO with 9-11). The fact that even NPR was going into "war mode" bugged me as well. In the back of mind I was thinking "I need to do SOMETHING".

Well the river clean-up gave me the time to think and drop outta the world for awhile. And I figured out what needed to be done--you're looking at it.

2006-09-11T09:24:00.000-04:00

9/11 + 5

When I got into work on September 11th, 2001, I had two things on my mind. What was the weather forecast for that Saturday, and what time was my Alma Mater's football game with the University of Toledo to start.

The plan was to go on a river clean-up with the local Sierra Club, maybe order a pizza, pick up a case of "lager" (Yuengling to you non-locals) and either order the game on PPV or patch my computer into the audio feed.

That all changed when a co-worker announced that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Now I've flown outta JFK and knew that the Towers were along the flight paths, so this was possible. When the second one hit, I figured something was up. The strike on the Pentagon and the plane crashing in Somerset PA made me realize that something serious has happened.

At 12PM, we were all ordered to leave the building and return home. This I did. Upon my return home the first thing I did was turn on the TV to deal what would be 4 days of "wall-to-wall" coverage, and then sent out an e-mail to several people on my e-mail list to make sure they were OK. I also called my house.

When I went to bed that night, all I could think of was an old Chinese Curse--"May you live in interesting times". And things were about to get very interesting. . .

2006-09-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

Less We Remember

When Al Gore's global warming documentary Inconvenient Truth came out, I asked a few folks on another message board about a "Flock-umentary". This was to be a documentary targeted at the "BushFlock".

ABC may have provided the "Swill" with thier piece, which is likely but one part of a series of programs based around the five-year anniversary of the attacks of 9-11.

It's really about all the Republican's can run on is a campaign of "Never Forget", but perhaps there's also a bit of "Never Remember".

You see, the GOP and their media allies have managed to pretty much keep the fact that much of this "war on terror" is "blowback" from the Cold War. The mujahudien that Ronald Reagan backed would become the Taliban, our dealings with Iraq and Iran would create two threats, and giving Israel a "free pass" would allow conflicts there to fester.

Of course, they've also basically forgotten about those truly responsible for 9-11, instead choosing to pursuse desires for a Middle East oil empire. And have instead of lessening global terror, increased it (of course, that may be a way to keep the "Fear Machine" running).

But as long as the "Sheepdog" media can keep the "Flock" in line, everythings fine.

2006-07-22T09:06:00.000-04:00

States Of Fear

One of many themes that has kind of run through this corner of the progressive blogosphere is that Bush and his allies in the "Sheepdog Media"(AM-Radio, FOX News, etc) have managed to create a climate of fear, as well as perhaps trying to create a perpetual "state of war", much like the Cold War that may have spawned much of this current "War On Terror".

Well recent events between Israel and Lebanon have me wondering if perhaps Bush and the American Right may have decided to "borrow" tactics from Israel. While the "Sheepdog Media" tends to underplay how many of Israel's tactics may only help fuel the fires of terror there and among it's neighbors; for instance firing rockets in response to the kidnapping of soldiers. The [Progressive] "Alternative" press, especially The Nation has done an excellent job bringing this "buried" issue to light.

And this should surprise no one who can think beyond what the CEO-controlled mass media wants them to swallow. As both countries right wings are rooted in fundamentalism. In Israel's case it is Zionism, which I do see as a form of fundamentalist Judaism.

In the US, it's a bit more unique. I belive much of our policy towards Israel and the Middle East is based not only on our demand for oil, but on an "End Times" based view of Christianity, yes the Left Behind crowd again. Now never mind that these people will likely have America looking like Handmaid's Tale should they be allowed to have thier way (and it's only through the efforts of groups like the ACLU, People For The American Way, American's United, etc, that thier efforts are being thwarted).

But both states are using a tactic of provoking their enemies to attack and then using those attacks to ramp up a "fear machine", this keeps enough of the "Flocks" scared and makes it easier to demonize opponents of the policies.

So what more people in both States need to do is simply ask; "Do those in power really WANT this to end", and make electoral decision based on that question.

2006-07-04T14:56:00.000-04:00

Fear of Freedom?

230 years ago, a group of citizens, tired of being occupied by a foreign power, declared their independence. Now while thier populist credentials could be challenged, they later remembered that their new nation had been founded on an act of dissent and made sure that these rights were explicitly stated.

These "Rights of Dissent"; Press, Speech, Expression and Assembly, now though are seen as many "Patriots" as downright treasonous.

The main one of these rights that I see as many seeing as being "dangerous" is assembly. One need only look at the way many people see the demonstrations, etc against the war and the current leadership. The way that early anti-war rallies were portrayed as little more than gatherings of Communists may have set the tone for the way many in the "BushFlock" view those who oppose war and empire.

Speech and expression are two other ones that too many see as threats. The way so many criticize anyone who dares question Bush shows how well Bush has wrapped too many Americans in a web of fear. When a mother whose son paid the ultimate price is almost crucified by AM-Radio and pro-war pundits and publications, or when any Congressperson who dares ask for a timetable for withdrawal is accused of advocating "Cutting and Running", the power of this little web is clear.

Finally the press, now in recent years we have seen the mainstream media become more and more consolidated, and thus dissenting views find it harder and harder to be heard. But the internet may be changing this, a look at the media sites linked here should be evidence of how [progressive] alternative news organizations are harnessing this new media outlet.

I'm one who believes that if one doesn't exercise something, it atropies. Bush and his media "Sheepdogs" have managed to convince too many Americans that thier "rights of dissent" are either not worth exercising or somehow a threat.

If only the first "King George" had been able to do this 230 years ago.

2006-06-09T07:07:00.000-04:00

Bulletproof Ideas

Behind this mask is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof

V For Vendatta

I got up yesterday morning to see this on a message board. On another message board the "BushFlock" were bleating with delight at the news.

But reading the article itself made me realize that this may not be the victory that Bush and his media "Sheepdogs" make it out to be.

The article itself refers to him as a "Figurehead", a symbol of sorts. He was no mastermind nor a commander. He was likley just a point that millions of disaffected and disillusioned Iraqis could rally around, and there are probably others that exist. Especially since Iraq is still occupied and many still lack basic services.

Of course, then there's the basic fact that we aren't dealing with a traditional army. I've read several articles that explain that the insurgency is more of a "leaderless resistance", common to insurgent groups of any sort. Of course, recent events may prove why such an approach is necessary. Likely someone will fill the void or the followers will find other leaders, join the local insugency, or perhaps make a living as mercenaries, etc.

Then there's the basic fact that Bush's policies are the best tool any insurgent needs to recruit, and that's likely not going to change unless America makes some changes starting in November.

2006-06-06T11:42:00.000-04:00

Goading The (Bush)Flock

As more and more Americans see the reality of this "War On Terror" with the details of the Haiditha incidents, Bush once again turns to an attempt to reach out to another element of his "base".

With his support for an Ammendment to the Constitution to define marriage, he is trying to show the "Taliban Wing" of the GOP, that is the fundamentalist Christians that he's still with them.

But I see another thing possibly at play here. Should this reach the states, it would put a huge drain on the coffers of groups like the Human Rights Campaign, FLAG, and other organizations working for tolerance and equality for homosexuals. A solution to this would be to reach out to MoveOn and see if their memebers would help fuel this fight.

But there are a few questions that progressives of any stripe could raise to really show this act as the "bone" that it is. For one, the Constitution does not have any ammendments regarding marriage, that's an issue for each state to deal with. Now I understand the "full faith and credit clause", this is what allows me to use my PA Driver's Licence to buy beer in Ohio. But wouldn't a law work just as well, and require a simple majority in Congress.

Of course, it would also be interesting to see what would happen if a few of the remaining "True Democrats" in Congress (Lee, Feingold, Kucinich, etc) were to propose an ammendment mandating a living minimum wage, indexed for inflation, etc. It would have two effects, one to rally the base of the Democratic party and the other to show how closely the GOP and elements of the Democratic party are allied with corporations and their CEOs.

I'm sure the Flag Burning Ammendment will be next, and perhaps something to define life beginning at conception. I just hope progressives are as willing to call Bush and the GOP on this as they were for immigration.

2006-05-29T18:31:00.000-04:00

Remembering The Fallen

Odd thing happened to me a few days ago. A co-worker who I gave the link to this site to asked me why I don't keep a running total of troop casualities.

My answer was that I kinda made an agreement with my Dad, a Vietnam Veteran, that I wouldn't put things that could be construed as being critical of the troops. That and I see our people over there as people who choose that career path and that like people in most lines of work may have to do things they don't like.

But why do so many folks get so upset when the issue of casualities come up? Could it be that most of them have come as part of an occupation that seems like it will never end. I've been lucky that the "BushFlock" hasn't really caused trouble at either of the two "Eyes Wide Open" exhibits I've been at.

Could it be that they don't like seeing the count approach the number of Americans who lost their lives on 9-11. The idea that Bush will soon be responsible for as many American deaths as Bin Laden? Terrorists are supposed to kill Americans, leaders are supposed to keep us safe.

Or could it be simpler than that. That they just don't want to admit that people are dying based on lies and in pursuit of Empire.

2006-05-16T08:13:00.000-04:00

Shoring Up The Base

Bush's announcement that he will order National Guard troops to act as border security should come as no surprise. He's shown time and time again that his first and in many cases only option is to exercise his powers as Commander In Chief.

But there may be more than just a border security issue here. Bush may be trying to shore up his hard-right base by getting tough on immigration.

Bush is in quite a spot here on this issue; he wants dearly to bring the Latino vote into his "big tent" (never mind what one of the requirements of entry is), but also needs to deal with the nativist and perhaps slightly xenophobic and racist right that provides the "red(state)/(neck) core" of the GOP.

But there may be a third element in play here, corporate America. People fail to realize that this whole immigration debate could be a kind of "blowback". Corporations, seeking cheap and exploitable labor and utilizing corporate-friendly governments, sent US jobs to Mexico, etc (has anyone ever thought that many of these illegals are just passing through Mexico?). With slave wages, little regulations and limited abilities to organize, bargain, and strike, is it any wonder that they seek opportunites here in the US. Of course, all they find in many cases is much of the same exploitation.

If Bush were truly concerned about immigration, he'd be pushing these countries to ensure that the workers have a living wage, and the power of unions on thier side.

A side effect of this decision to militarize the southern border is that Bush may have truly added a whole group of people to the "critical mass". The question is are the groups that make up the ever-growing "grassroots base" of the Democratic Party willing to do what it takes. I'd hope that MoveOn either creates a "Latino Outreach" divison or perhaps even creates a whole other group to get Latinos to organize and mobilize. Perhaps "Camp Chavez", inspired by the "Camp Wellstone", could help train new and future generations of Latino activists and organizers.

Once again, Bush has created an opportunity for rallying a group against him and his handlers. Question is, can they take advantage of it.

2006-05-13T20:19:00.000-04:00

Standing Sentinel

Well today I got up, went to my aikido class, and headed to a local museum to volunteer at a "mini exhibit" of Eyes Wide Open. The exhibit focused on the deaths in Iraq from my home state of Pennsylvania.

Well to start with, the location of the exhibit left a lot to be desired. A museum that many people in Harrisburg, PA don't know exists. I would have pushed to have the exhibit placed a location where there'd have been more of an impact; maybe one of the colleges, or the Capitol Rotunda (the exhibit fit nicely in a small ballroom). I'd also still like to see a push made to bring the full exhibit to Harrisburg.

But the lack of attendees did give me time to really look at the exhibit and think about some things. For one, the youth of the fallen; the oldest I saw was 51 and the youngest was 19. I'd bet the average age of a fallen soldier is about 25. These are kids who should've had their whole lives in front of them!

Of course, I'd also like to look at where the fallen are from. I'd bet there's a strong correlation between the poverty of an area and the amount of soliders, etc that come out of that area. My hometown, which has been spared from deaths, has a lot of students enlist. There were four and just now a fifth solider from my home county have sacrificed their lives.

There was one incident from my time as a "listener" that did manage to rattle me a bit. A family came in and were walking through the exhibit and I was asked to look up a soldier's name. I managed to do this and locate his boots. The problem was that, when I got done, I was a bit unnerved. I later found that the person was the gentleman's stepbrother. I guess the whole thing really made the idea that these were PEOPLE.

Of course, I wonder how many people who claim to "support the troops" are willing to go to something like an "Eyes Wide Open", where the human toll, both American and Iraqi civilan are put into full view.

2006-05-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

Into The Breech

Well, something finally got me steamed enough for me to not only write a letter to the editor, but give the paper the "Green Light" to print it.

Here's what happened, over the weekend, I attended a festival. I just needed to do something fun that would get me outta the house for a day. I did have a lot of fun, and even participated in a drum circle.

Well when I was leaving, I was surprised to see a group of protestors. Now what would anyone be protesting at an event like this? They were fundamentalist Christians of some stripe alleging that the fest was promoting paganism and witchcraft.

So I got to thinking--"There are many more pressing issues that these folks could concern themselves with!" Upon my return home, I sat at my computer and typed the following letter to the editor of the "paper of record" for that city

Saturday, May 6th, I attended the annual Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farms.

On my way out I was surprised to see people protesting the fest, claiming it
promoted pagan ideas.

Now I can say I saw nothing overtly pagan about this event. I instead saw it as
a celebration of life and of creation. But I got to thinking that these people
could put thier time an energy into more pressing matters that a festival.

One issue could be the destruction of our planet, for are we not "stewards
of the earth" according to God?

The problems of poverty and it's related ills are another issue that could be
tackled. "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethern, you do unto
me", so says Christ.

Perhaps the biggest problem that these protestors could put time into is Bush's
imperial foreign policy, for "He who lives by the sword shall perish by
it"

So what am I afraid of. Fallout at work mainly. The hub I work at seems like a "flyover" waiting to happen. I'm sure I'll get some ribbing for even attending suce an event, but I'm more concerned with the fallout over expressing my opinions.

Guess I'll have to wait and see. . .

2006-05-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

Hearts and Minds

I insist that much of the reason public opinion towards the Iraq War has shifted is that enough people refused to buy into the "BushSwill" that the "War Media" was feeding them. The fact that a "MicroMedia" has risen to counter "MegaMedia" and the Internet itself has allowed people to access information and ideas that ten years ago would have been confined to a few "fringe folk".

I now believe that same effort needs to be put into economic news. People need to realize that there's a huge gulf between Wall St. and Main Street.

The "SheepDog" media paints a rosy picture of rising stocks, shrinking unemployment and growth in construction, among other indicators. The problem is that the people who are in need of economic growth the most can't really benefit for these.

Most people who own stock still have a long way to go to recoup thier losses, and very few people at the bottom levels likely own any stock at all. Why not look at what the purchasing power of the minimum wage is as an indicator of how well the economy is growing.

Employment and produtivity are hand-in-hand. Much of that growth in the employed is probably people being forced into the "McEconomy"; low-wage, low or no-benefit, part-time work at places like McDonalds, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. The decline in Unemployment could also be linked to people falling off the radar. Productivity simply may mean that those who are working, are working well (I'm seeing this at FedEx Ground). What would happen to those employment figures if the "McEconomy" was left out and a kind of "underemployment rate" were calculated.

Construction simply should be seen as "those who have money are spending it".

The question then is, "so how do these facts get out"? The answer is to take a page from the opposition to the "War on Terror", specifically United For Peace and Justice.

UFPJ was formed as a coalition of anti-war, etc groups. Likely as a response to the "red-baiting" tactics the "War Media" was using against ANSWER. I realize that ANSWER does have some despotic ties, but to use them as an example of a the whole movement was McCarthyism all over again.

What I would like to see is a kind of UFEJ; United For Economic Justice. This would be a coalition of groups like ACORN, MoveOn, Change To Win, NAACP, etc. Their goal would be to bring the light of truth about the economy to the people, and mobilize them around an agenda of economic justice.

A likely project would be to get "Living Wage" laws or referendum in every state. What better place to start than literally at the bottom. From there issues like health and child care, school funding, etc could be explored.

Hey, when the anti-war movement started, no one thought they could make the gains they have made. Why can't lightning strike twice.

2006-05-01T09:04:00.000-04:00

New Look--Same Mission

A few years ago, Bush stood on a aircraft carrier and declared "Mission Accomplished". Since then we have watched Iraq become a country on a perpetual brink of sectarian civil war and global terrorism continue to rise.

We've also seen in light of this more and more people start to ask questions that Bush and his media allies can't seem to answer adequately. The reality that opponents of this "War on Terror" aren't all dupes or "Angry Young People" has also given more and more people courage.

But there is still work to do. There's the matter of turning all of this criticism into an electoral movement that can remove pro-war and pro-imperialist officials and replace them with people committed to getting America to work with the world as opposed to acting as an imperialist bully.

It is in this spirit of needing to do more work that I present the new version of "Next War". You'll notice a new menu-based navigation system; one of the few "bleatings" I took to heart was that this site seemed to be more a "page of links". Also, somehow this page went from a news site to a commentary page, and, unlike many of the "BushFlock", I see evolution as a good and perhaps necessary thing. The fact that the media area was getting a bit complex added to the need to streamline the navigation process.

There are some sites that for now are lost in the transfer, but many of those will be re-inserted as time goes on. But ANSWER is gone for good; this group which was one of the first to stand in opposition to this war, has become a kind of albatross for the movement, and may have done more harm than good in providing fodder for Bush's "Sheepdog Media".

There are also some additions; Northern Sun, a store that caters to progressives, some audio commentary from the August 2004 anti-RNC march, and a few of my favorite and best commentary all join the site.

I've still got some work to do yet; my photo galleries, including the pics I took at the "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit, the archives, and a few other cosmetic changes.

Also, since Blogger allows me to moderate comments, I can keep the truly "sheepish" comments out. So the comments stay!

Hope you enjoy the new look and the new attitude.

2006-04-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Next War 2006

The 2006 edition of "Next War" will likely go live on May 1, 2006.

The latest version will include improved navigation, an enhanced photo gallery (including pics from "Eyes Wide Open"), and more of a focus on commentary.

2006-04-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

V For Vendetta, A for Awesome, P for Possible?

While watching the recent Super Bowl, one of the movie trailers was for a movie titled V For Vendetta. The premise of the movie seemed to be that the Nazi's had won World War II, I later found out that it wasn't Nazis but fascists in general. I remarked to my friend that I needed to see this movie.

Well yesterday I did, and I was stunned by how the world in that movie could be getting ever closer and closer.

To begin with the movie is set in the not too distant future (2025 I'd guess) and England is in the grip of a Fascist dictatorship; fear is the method of rule, and media maipulation the order of the day. From all of this a mysterious man in a Guy Fawkes mask, a black trenchcoat, and wielding sai-like weapons begins a one-man revolt. The first shots of this are fired on November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day, and the events take place over the span of one year.

Through a series of flashbacks, we find that the mysterious 'V' was part of an experiment and may have been a female. To assist him in this quest he takes under his wing Evie, a young woman played by Natalie Portman. Through a series of tasks, she learns to overcome the fear that the government has put into the population. At the same time 'V' slowly gets the rest of the population to break through the fear and lies.

As the police attempt to unravel 'V', a web of conspiracy that would please any member of the "tinfoil hat" brigade begins to unravel.

I'm overlooking a lot of the plot as I think this is a movie that everyone must see. But I do see a lot of similarities between the world of this movie and the United States under Bush. The same sense of fear prevades so much of the population, especially the "BushFlock". Media manipulation is not as overt as in 'V', but is still ever-present.

Of course, one positive similarity is that just as 'V' managed to unravel the web of fear in his(?) world, people like myself have managed to slowly do likewise with the web Bush has created. And we won't need to blow anything up to make the changes that need to be made.

2006-03-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

The 12

One of the reason's I haven't been updating as much is that I've been putting a lot of energy into my efforts to find work.

Next Thursday, I plan on seeing how much all of this work has paid off when I make a trek to Philadelphia, PA for the Idealist.org Non-Profit Job Fair.

With over 90 organizations in attendance, I need to pick my targets wisely. After a look I narrowed the field down to twelve:

ACORN

Clean Water Action

Empowerment Group

Intercommunity Action

PIRG (Public Interest Research Group)

Playing For Peace (group that uses Basketball to build understanding)

RHD (Resources for Human Development)

SEIU 1199P(Health Care Workers)

Sierra Club

TeamChildren

UNITE-HERE

Working America

Noteably absent are the Peace Corps and Americorps. I've realized that my financial situation prohibits me from seeking work with these two organizations.

I'm also working on a portfolio that will incorporate this page; American Alliance/Road To Gilead and the "Media Portal" I've developed.

I feel good about my chances, and that has to be a good thing.

2006-03-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

The War on War

Three years ago, US lead forces invaded Iraq. Also, a coalition of groups that sensed the chill of a new "Cold War" since a few days after the 9-11 attacks rose in international protest.

At least in America, it could be said the the anti-war movment has been as successful as the war itself. The war in Iraq has left that country on the verge of a Civil War, and the country will likely be in a constant state of strife. The Generals there are unfamilar with the "80/20" rule; an old programmers axiom that says that %80 of the problems occur in %20 of the code. Over 2000 American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, and that figure likely does not count those Iraqis that have died at the hands of, or as a result of, the insurgency. The US has lost prestige in the world and instead of reducing global terror, this war has likely fueled it.

On the other hand, the anti-war/anti-imperialist movement has managed to expose the lies and fear that Bush and his allies used to scare the country into war. They have managed to bring the attacks on civil liberties to light. And they have won the "hearts and minds" of the public, support for this war and Bush is declining daily.

What this new movement has not been able to do, yet, is win votes. The fact that anti-war candidates in many cases are either forced out of races or forced to run "insurgent campaigns" is evidence of this. We still lack a truly wide-reaching antidote to the "War Media".

But progress is made each day, and maybe soon that "critical mass" will be reached. The point where enough people say--"Enough".

2006-03-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

What's Next?

OK, for those of you expecting the annual "Site Upgrade that co-incides with the anniversary of the Iraqi Invasion, it isn't happening.

Seems that I'm gonna have guests that weekend, my Sisters are coming to town. So I also won't be able to attend any rallies, etc.

I've decided that the date for the "upgrades" will be May 1st.

What I hope to do is turn the site into more of a commentary page, and use some JavaScript I recently learned to automate the news gathering. I also hope to clean up the navigation and sort out a variety of sources I've found on-line.

Also, I'll soon be linked from another page; This Girl's Music, the musical arm of Haverstick Films. The woman behind "This Girl's. . ." was a kind of mentor for an Arts program I was in as a freshman in high school.

2006-02-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Beyond Comments

One thing I've been criticized for is not having comments on this page.

That may change, I found out that I somehow created an account on a service that allows me to create a board.

I may consider either doing so for this page, or have one board for The American Alliance

More to follow.

2006-02-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

I'm Still Here

Just thought I'd pop my head in and assure you that the HSS goons haven't caught up to me.

I'm working on getting my JavaScript up to speed to try and use that to generate some more dynamic content.

Now that Football season's offically over, I'll have more time on my hands on the weekends (NASCAR races don't require the same degree of attention as a football game).

So I hope to have the 2006 edition of "Next War" up and running--eventually.

2006-01-30T08:15:00.000-05:00

Poetry Corner

Printed with permission of the Author

 
Tap Tap Tap

Tap Tap Tap on my precious freedom…
Inherent authority can't take it away
Listen in with no statutory basis…
Defy the fourth amendment , some say

With your Pizza Hut, Kentucky fried listening…
Eavesdropping my grandmother’s gab
Now we torture in far away places..
No judicial review, with this tab.


Checks and Balances, they fall to the wayside
Lady Liberty left town with Unc Sam
And the martial law of the land here…
Resides on the President’s web cam.


Dare ye question the power, in wartime?
Poetic civil disobedient brat !
Yet, my constitution claims it unlawful
So just what do you think of that?


We now pay for great foreign stories
Mickey Mouse must have moved to Iraq
Newspapers slant fables of glory
While collecting those precious greenbacks 

Tip the scales all you want, suit your favor…
Please allow this reminder of thought
Our country defines ….We the People…
A censure for much , can be sought.


By M. Peachbush

2006-01-25T07:51:00.000-05:00

Reprinted with permission of Lancaster Voice
Where's OUR Murrow

I took advantage of a "Snow Day" on December 9th. Actually, I managed to run out of hours at my job at FedEx Ground, and they told me not to come in at all.

I had figured that at least my evening would be free, since I'd been keeping track of my hours. I had planned to go out to dinner and see Good Night, and Good Luck. This film, directed(?) by George Clooney, tells of Edward R. Murrow's successful efforts in exposing Senator Joe McCarthy's campaign against "Communists".

The film itself was excellent. It began with Edward R. Murrow giving a scathing indictment of television circa 1958. I can only imagine what he would think of the landscape now, where programs like Survivor and Smackdown are among the top-rated shows. Then begins to tell the story of what many may have seen as one of television's finest hours.

The battle with McCarthy began with an Airman in the Air Force Reserve who had been ordered to leave the service after being accused of associating with a "Communist"--his father. That lead to a look at Senator McCarthy's tactics, and later a direct criticism of the Senator. All the while Murrow battled the head of CBS news; who was under pressure from advertisers.

In the end, Senator McCarthy, in an attempt to rebut Murrows accusations, basically buried himself. But this would come at a price, a colleague committed suicide and the program "See It Now" that had been so crucial in bringing down Sen McCarthy was cancelled.

But I saw a lot of similarities between today and that time. The same "Us or them" mentality; to McCarthy, you were either with him or a "Communist". With Bush, you are either behind the war, or a "terrorist". Many of the same tactics are being used as well. Of course, the media has become even more consolidated and more tied to advertisers.

But there was one question I left the theater with. "Where's our Murrow"? Who from the media will take on Bush and the war party. I hate to say it, but I don't think it will come from the mainstream media. The mainstream media has become too embedded, too bound to advertisers, to get at the truth. The rise of AM-Radio and FOX News has likely forced the mainstream media to "Toe the [Bush] Line" more closely.

But there are people working to get at the truth, one simply needs to know where to look for them. The Internet seems a fertile ground; CommonDreams, BuzzFlash, AlterNet, and IndyMedia all bring "unfiltered" views to an audience. Air America is a growing effort to counter the "War Drums" echoing from the AM-Radio dial. Of course, there is also Al-Jazera, which has seriously agitated Bush and Blair to the point that bombing the station was discussed.

McCarthy managed to create a climate of fear. Bush has managed to do the same. The question is, can we somehow bring the truth up through the fear.

2006-01-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

Pro-Life and Pro-War

Well with the anniversary of Roe v Wade many religious were subjected to anti-abortion rants. My church was not immune.

Now I will give my priest credit for at least mentioning the Death Penalty and poverty. Of course he failed to mention that the same Congresspeople who are supported on the basis of thier opposition to abortion are also the most strident supporters of the death penalty and favor unraveling the "safety net".

But there was something else that our priest missed out. The fact that most, if not all, of these same "pro-life" politicans are also the most strident supporters of war and empire. A war that the previous Pope opposed. A war that has killed what's estimated to be hundreds of thousands of people--many women and children.

Now I'd have no problem with the "Pro-Life" camp, if they were a bit more concerned with "Life" in all it's stages. Not just conception, development and end-of life issues.

In Plain Sight

"We don't negotiate with terrorists", so says Bush.

But we train them, or people close to them. At least that the impression I got after viewing Hidden In Plain Sight, a look at America's Latin American policy filtered through the School Of The Americas, now renamed.

When I saw the images that children drew of what the "graduates" of this school had done, I saw Iraq. When I saw and heard descriptions of the torture that the graduates learned, I could'nt help but see Abu Gharib, etc.

You see, the School of The Americas is (was) designed to train Latin American soldiers to deal with what today would be called "Insurgents". Of course, to much of Latin America "Insurgents" are usually people like labor leaders, indigenous advocates and activist clergy. And thier tactics sound like those of the SS in many cases.

But much like Iraq, there is a resistance to this school. Under the leadership of a Maryknoll Priest, a large and well-organized resistance has developed. The movie showed images of these courageous dissenters, many who are likely standing against the war in Iraq. For it may all be about the same thing, protecting and expanding the interests of a elite.

If you want to understand why so much of the world doesn't like us. Take a look at this film.

2006-01-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

Can You Hear Me Now

Well, the HSS still hasn't caught up to me yet. It's just that January is a busy month for inventories. Keeping up with the confirmation process can also take up time.

I do hope to get back to this, I had a review of Good Night--and Good Luck get printed in a local "Peace and Justice" newsletter and I hope to have permission to post that.

I also have some ideas for a fairly comprehensive redesign of this page in the pipes.

More to follow.

2005-12-22T10:37:00.000-05:00

Dissent Takes A Holiday

To begin with my pictures from "Eyes Wide Open" were well-received by my Aunt's friend.

That said, I'm gonna be AFK again for Christmas. I'm gonna be visiting my family.

I just wish more people would remember that we're celebrating the birth of the "Prince Of Peace", as opposed to at times seeming to worship avatars of a "God Of War".

Also, be warned, a friend gave me a copy of MacroMedia Flash, so I may soon be able to do animations etc. Maybe one will find it's way to MoveOn or UFPJ

2005-12-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

Everything Old. . .

The original idea was for me to do a list of articles about the Iraqi election from more "unapproved sources"(like Common Dreams and The Nation).

But a comment my aunt made about a comment a friend made about a picture someone took of me at "Eyes Wide Open" got me to thinking.

My friend had said "I looked like a hippie with those sandals", and my Aunt bascially said, "Well you are".

But I don't see myself as one. I don't think I look like one or the "Anarchists" either. What I think has happened is that the "War Media", and especially the "Sheepdog Media" (AM-Radio and FOX News) have created and propogated a stereotype to sway opinion against those of us who oppose war and empire.

Now I will admit that the people who opposed Vietnam and the Cold War do provide this new anti-war movement with a "Brain Trust" of sorts, but it's folks like me that are merging the technology of today with their experiences.

Next War--06

Problem when you work at a shipping company during Christmas, you get a lot of work.

So I haven't had the time to update this as much as I'd like.

Hopefully after the holidays, this will change and I can start working on the 2006 version of "Next War".

I think the site will be more "commentary driven", with some feeds from sources like The Nation Common Dreams, and maybe Al-Jazera. I hope to clean up the links a bit, including adding some of my favorite posts and I may even allow comments again (I think there's a way I can approve them and thus prevent "Sheep Droppings")

But that's for another day.

2005-12-11T19:36:00.000-05:00

Gifts Of Dissent

Well, it wasn't the HSS that slowed me down--it was FXG (FedEx Ground). We got stuck on "Peak Hours". On the plus side, Friday was a "Snow Day" for me as I ran out of hours and got to see Good Night, and Good Luck, the flim about Edward R Murrow's efforts to bring Sen. Joe McCarthy's reign of fear to an end. I managed to find parallels to the current climate of fear and noticed that there's no Murrow figure in the CEO media at least. This lead to a commentary I submitted to a local "Peace and Justice" paper.

I also managed to do some of my Christmas shopping over the weekend, at least getting the wrapping paper, etc. You see, I make a lot of my presents on the computer.

One example is what I made for my Aunt's friend, who acts like a sister to my Aunt and by extension acts like an Aunt to us! I took some of the pictures I and my Aunt at Eyes Wide Open and made them into a small (18 page) book.

This isn't the first time I've given gifts of dissent. Two years ago, I took pictures I took at a rally in Washington DC, and some pics from Mica Wright's "Propaganda Remix Project" and made a calendar.

Also, it looks like this coming Saturday or Sunday, that some activists and I may be getting together on-line to see about re-activating an old progressive site.

A lot on the plate!

2005-11-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

Changes Made?

Well, I'm back from a visit to the folks for T-Day.

And I just thought I'd tell 'ya that there may be some changes in store for "Next War".

To start with, the page might be more of a commentary page. I'll use services to handle news from BuzzFlash and CommonDreams.

Also, the site will undergo it's annual "face-lift" mainly to reflect the new format.

More to come.

2005-11-19T19:22:00.000-05:00

Forgot One

I don't often let a sermon get to me, but I have my reasons.

The whole sermon was about the idea that children are the "Sheep" of the flock. Basically it was the basic rant against out pop culture, but the priest left something out. Is it possible that our youth are violent because they are fed a constant diet of war, especially with the [CEO] media basically enlisted in the war effort.

Now all is not lost, I take inspiration with the young[er] people I see at anti-war/anti-imperialist events, and the fact that many actors and musicians have stood up and spoke out further gives me hope.

But this is a personal matter for me, as I'm an uncle to a perpetual motion machine (trust me on this). So I see it as my personal mission to somehow keep this child from becoming a cog in the "war machine". As I see this "War on Terror" as a new "Cold War". Now there's a strong case that much of this "War on Terror" is a form of "Blowback" from the "Cold War" (Read House of Bush--House Of Saud, for more on this.)

And one sure way I can do this is with the gifts I buy for this child. I can give gifts that will make the child think, and hopefully make him immune to the "Sheepdog" media that will continue to goad the "flock" to war; books, crayons, etc. I can also avoid, "War toys" that make war seem heroic while ignoring the human toll that it takes, and instead give the child toys that will encourage the child to create, not destroy.

As the child grows, I can continue to urge this child on a path of peace, buying gifts from places like Syracuse Cultural Workers, that can impart on this child the values of tolerance, justice and peace.

Now I'm not gonna go all out on this. If my brother tell me to "lay off", I will.

Hey, this is the future I'm dealing with! He can be a cog in a war machine, or a tool for peace. Whatever path he chooses, I'll respect it. My dad (a Vietnam Vet) has respected my "path of peace"; I can do the same for my nephew.

2005-11-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

Choosing Peace

Saturday, November 12th, 2005, peace activists from Central PA and Maryland gathered at the 1st Church of the Brethren for the 3rd annual conference of the Carlisle Peace College under the theme of From Understanding To empowering.

The first speaker of the day was Bill Dyson. This representative from Connecticut and civil rights activist spoke on the prison system. He began with recounting some incidents in which people found their past felonies were impeding their efforts to find or keep a job or get housing.

A look at the prison populations of Connecticut and the US as a whole followed; including concentration of inmates. The problems faced by inmates once they leave the system was examined as well.

Finally, some of the forces that have created this system were examined. How the US has criminalized poverty and marginalized the poor.

Doug Rokke was the next speaker, this forensic scientist was responsible for developing the training programs for dealing with Depleted Uranium ammunition. He told of the illness he saw his own men suffer as a result of the exposure to these true "Weapons of Mass Destruction". As well as misconceptions that our own Government had about these weapons.

Doug then joined forces with Alana Hartzok, board member of United For a Fair Economy, and co-director of the Earth Rights Institute on the issues of "Economics of War and Peace".

What she presented was a look at how an economic system that she sees as controlled by a privledged few creates a climate that leaves those who are exploited with but one option, and the "War System" is in full swing. Now while this sounds a lot like Marx, it's roots are in the ideas of an economist named Henry George.

But to Alana, there is a solution called the "Resource Rent Fund". This is a tax not on income, but on land value, emissions, the electromagnetic spectrum and non-renewable resources. This is a complex idea and I recommend you visit the Earth Rights web page.

After a break for lunch, the second half of the conference began with David Miller, the pastor of the University Mennonite Church in State College PA, speaking on "Conscientious Objection".

To begin with, he explained that there are different forms of objection, and not all are legal and recognized.

The history of Objection, which dates back to the earliest Christians followed. And the protection of this right extends from the American Revolution through to the Vietnam war and into today.

Concerns about a draft were also addressed, and the point that there is no draft at the moment was brought up. But advice to set up a "paper trail" of objection was given.

The "No Child Left Behind" act and the Delayed Enlistment Program were discussed also.

A personal account of the Vietnam war was next, as John Ketwig, the author of And a Hard Rain Fell spoke on militarism.

Beginning with his service in Vietnam he spoke of how he grew to see this country's growing militarism. Including comparing the hysteria surrounding this current war to a WWE show.

He closed his presentation with President Eisenhower's warning against the growing "Military Industrial Complex".

But is war even legal? According to the next speaker, Rob Wheeler, the answer is "maybe not".

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Charter, and a draft code of "Crimes Against Peace And Security of Mankind" all seem to make war illegal.

Alas, there's no current way to enforce this is while the ICC is in place, it's jurisdiction is limited and the US has refused to sign on.

This could have to do with the fact that the Bush administration could be brought up, according to Mr. Wheeler, on twelve violations of the UN charter. Later he proposed that Bush, Cheney, and other top members of the administration should either be sent to the front lines of Iraq, or serve life in prison.

So why these violations? Oil, and from there, Mr Wheeler looked at energy policy. Looking at the "Peak Oil" theory. Proceeded to look at US foreign policy and proposed solutions; among them a windfall and carbon tax on oil and energy companies to fund renewable energy resources.

The final speaker, Jan Powers, recounted her work with both Palestinian and Israeli women's groups. Of how she networked and worked with a Palestinian Woman's Lawyers organization, a Women's center, and a group that works to try and deal with the extreme militarism of Israeli society.

Another Image

I got an idea for another image to try and sell, a picture I took when I took a run up to Kent State a few years ago:

2005-11-12T06:42:00.000-05:00

The Fall Of Gilead?

OK, let's get the big question out of the way 1st. I'm up so early because I'm going to a local peace group's annual conference. I hope to learn some ideas and network a bit.

That being said I recently completed Handmaid's Tale, a book set in an America that is a lot, IMHO, like Talabain Afghanistan. Now that fact that I see America becoming some lighter form of the America in the book made reading it all the more interesting.

What was more interesting was the end notes, which were historical background given in the form of a future conference on the book itself. The weird thing was that I got the impression that this "American Theocracy" fell.

So I wondered, how did this happen? And the answer I came up with is one that I could see happening now as we continue to seem to be playing the imperialist role.

Basically, this "Republic of Gilead" becomes a kind of global pariah, much like S. Africa under Apartheit, countries refuse to invest or deal with us. Now in the book, it seemed that the only business America engaged in was--war (sound familar). Eventually pressure builds from the world at large and the government falls.

So how does this tie into our current state. Simple, who's to say that the world won't start isolating us economically should we continue to pursue empire. With how much we import, we'd find ourselves in quite a spot.

Fashion Statements?

Out of the mouths of (Bush)sheep can come ideas.

One of the posters on Ted Rall's Yahoo commentaries, who seems to have a very myopic view of things, may have put an idea into my head, one that could actually enable this site to grow rather than shrink.

With his fixation on money and profit, he's somehow put the notion into my head to take some of the pictures I've taken an put them on merchandise!

I've got at least one that I believe would make a nice shirt, etc:

and maybe some of the pics I took from Kent State, or the rallies in DC and NYC might work as well.

And then what about some of my anti-war poetry?

Hey--I've worked hard on this page. Why not see if it can work a bit for ME!

2005-11-11T11:17:00.000-05:00

Go US--Go US

I heard that Bush continues to loose credibility with the American people.

I can't help but think that folks like me have helped in some small way at helping to expose Bush's lies and cut through the "Fog Of Fear" that the "Sheepdogs" on AM-Radio and its cable news affiliate have created.

From Downing Street to Abu Gharib, to Intelligence data, it's been folks like me and sources like BuzzFlash and CommonDreams that have gotten these onto the radar and then the "Corporate Media" picks up on them. Having groups like MoveOn and UFPJ to get the message to those in power helps.

But there's a lot of work to be done. We need to get the "War Party" out of office and get candidates committed to peace and justice in. But I see momentum on our side.

We've come a long way from being seen as "Communist Dupes", as it looks like the pro-war people were the ones who were duped.

2005-11-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

Networking For Peace?

Well, the HSS goons haven't caught up to me yet. It's just that I've been on the job hunt and upgrading my skills a bit; having inventories doesn't help either (well it does in one way).

But an opportunity to do some networking with other anti-war/imperialist activists has come up. I'll be in Carlisle, PA Saturday for the annual Carlisle Peace College conference. Among the topics discussed will be:

Depleted Uranium

Economics

Miltarism

Israel

I'm gonna make sure I pick up an ink cartridge so I can make a business card. I need to revise it anyhow.

2005-11-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

Creeping Ideas

A got a lot of ideas creeping around in my head and a few may work their way into "The Next War".

To start with, I hope to learn some more SMIL/TIME and be able to do a "MicroMedia" venture. This would be commentary from sources like Nation, CommonDreams, etc, and my own thoughts.

Then there's this idea I have for learning an "Alternative" Shockwave tool called SWishMax, with this I could make some unique "Mulitmedia" presentations.

Of course, this would all likely require me to move this 'blog out of BlogSpot and into a site of it's own (anyone for TheNextWar.us?). Or perhaps merge all of my "political" blogs into one area (AmericanAlliance?, NewPatriot?).

I figure I have a few weeks to work all this out!

2005-10-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

OK

With things settled down a bit at work, I should be able to resume providing the information that Bush and the "War Party" don't like us hearing.

Also, I'll be experimenting with a sound editing program that will hopefully allow "Writing on The Wall" to become reality.

2005-10-26T07:43:00.000-04:00

2000

2005-10-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

Here We Go Again!

The idea of turning this site into a fully-hosted web site (domain name and all) has once again popped up on my mental radar.

Likely has to do with the fact that I may need either more storage space or a bigger upload limit to handle "Writing On The Wall" (my "MicroMedia" idea).

Also, with my Nephew turning one this weekend--I've been thinkoing about how I can help raise a child of peace in what looks like a culture of war.

More to follow.

2005-10-17T22:14:00.000-04:00

Unite and Ignite

Well this was supposed to be a rant on how I believe that the [Corporate-Owned]media in America has become basically an arm of the "War Party", and how I see what Air America, the fledgling Independent World TV News, and even Al-Jazera are all examples of activists creating independent media (never mind that the Pacifica Networks have been doing this for decades).

Of course we also have 'blogs like this that managed to help bring Abu Gharib, the Downing Street Memo and many other stories that the CEO media tried to sweep under the rug.

But I have an idea of my own, to learn a multimedia langauage called SMIL (which I'm doing anyhow to make a 1st birthday card for my nephew) and do an on-line "MicroMedia" program called "Writing On The Wall". The title is a reference to a pic that a friend sent me:

The program would be a weekly look at the "War On Terror" from a more dissident view.

OK, now that I "Spilled the beans" on that. I'm also playing around with animated .gifs. My 1st one is gonna be pics I took at "Eyes Wide Open". I may post it here--I may not.

Just keep watching--OK

2005-10-14T23:03:00.000-04:00

News From The Underground

Much to chagrin of the "Bushflock", the HSS hasn't caught up to me yet.

I've been the one chasing something called a job! Lot of resumes being sent, etc. I've also been trying to teach myself XML and I'm one of those people who when they get and idea stuck in thier head, they spend almost any spare moment working on it.

Well that leads to something interesting. Something that I need to "set the stage" for, likely this weekend--hopefully.

Just watch. . .

2005-10-08T23:00:00.000-04:00

Collateral Damage

When I went to see Eyes Wide Open, I ended up spending much of the rest of the day with my Aunt, who lives in Lancaster.

I told her about the exhibit and showed her my pics (it's fun to have someone who can critique the pics and give suggestions on how best to edit them). I also suggested that this may be worth her taking a look.

Well, I should've know that she would, and she brought her digital camera and with her extensive, and self-taught, photographic skills, took some excellent pics.

While she did take some great pictures of the boots. I think she did a better job capturing the "forgotten fallen". The civilians:

Posted with permission

Of course, I wonder if these shoes count those civilians who have found themselves victims of the insurgency that the invasion and occupation have unleashed, or those who have died from diseases, etc.

But I wonder if this is a consequence of the "War Media", that we see these people not as people, but as "damage". That these people are somehow weakening our enemies, when the reality may be that these deaths only add fuel to the fires.

Another Lie Dies?

As many of you know--I'm a big sports fan. I've had to on more than one occasion reconcile my convictions with my interests (though when I was in DC I remarked to someone, "You may be a good person to follow. Anyone with a Pittsburgh Steelers hat on can't be all bad").

I also realize how we can create myths about athletes, and what happens when these myths fall.

Pat Tillman, the NFL player who gave up his career to serve in the Army, and was later killed in action my be slowly becoming an example of how Bush and the rest of the "War Party" created a myth and have slowly watched it crumble.

This all began when I was revealed that he was killed not be enemy fire, but by "friendly fire". But now The Nation may have managed to strip the myth of Mr. Tillman as a kind of real live "G.I Joe". Instead revealing a person who was an independent thinker who also could distinguish between fighting those who attacked us on 9-11 and fighting for an empire.

Now it will be fun to see how the "Sheepdogs" on AM-Radio and it's cable news affiliate try and spin this, but this could also only show once again how this regime relies on lies and fear to keep it's "sheep" in line.

And this new information only increases my admiration for Mr. Tillman. I still say that he did what he, in his mind thought was right. Just as I did four years ago when I went and turned a site that was to be for my Alma Mater's starting Quarterback into the beginnings of this site.

2005-09-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

Among The Fallen

In perfect world, I'd be sitting here at my keyboard doing a report of my latest visit to Washington DC for the rally.

Alas, we live in world where people get into car accidents, need to buy a new car and have their insurance premium double. But that didn't keep me from making a stand of a sort.

The American Friends Service Committee had their "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit come to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster PA:

After some initial confusion, I managed to find my way to the actual exhibit:

To start with, they had a small exhibit to remind us of the Iraqi civilians killed by the coalition bombings. I don't think this exhibit had anything to remember those who have been killed by the insurgents that this war has unleashed:

But the main point was a sea of combat boots, designed to represent those killed in Iraq:

This part of the exhibit made me feel like I was walking through some sort of graveyard (another person there said I basically was). All I could think of was "who were these people"? I should've asked my folks if anyone from my home area was among these boots.

But the most heart-wrenching part was when a little girl asked her dad "Why are all those boots there?"

The answer "Because They Aren't coming back"

2005-09-24T07:54:00.000-04:00

We Keep Coming

I can imagine that many people in Washington DC are getting a bit tired of anti-war/anti-imperialist protestors coming to town at what seems like quarterly intravels.

Now I was in DC for a rally in 2003, and it seems that most of the people are on our side. But I can also see that the citizens may be tired of having streets blocked off and traffic jams.

But I think we'll keep coming, as long as Bush continues to try and pursue a policy driven by neo-imperialists. A policy that will likely continue to fuel the fires of terror and leave a path of civil war, or worse, theocracy.

Alas, I'm not gonna be in DC. But I'll be making a stand of sorts in Lancaster PA, when I go and see an exhibit put on by the American Friends (Quakers).

Then I hope to edit some of the pics I take and splice the "Mission Accomplished" pic into those and make a visual statement.

To those in DC(and elsewhere)--stand tall, walk proud; more and more people are seeing past the fear and the lies that Bush and his "Sheepdogs" have fed the people. It's all a matter of getting enough people to say--"Enough!"

2005-09-21T11:31:00.000-04:00

Still Standing

Just thought I'd give you a "heads-up", I've just been busy with stuff.

I may have an "art project" though, I want to take pics of Eyes Wide Open and see if I can superimpose the pic of Bush declaring "Mission Accomplished" over top of some of the images.

I'll either post it here or on my new Area

2005-09-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

Journey of Justice

September 10th 2001 ended as any other day did. I was working on a web page for my Alma Mater's star QB and went to bed saying "All I need to do now is update the first two games".

Now I remember the next day was a kind of blur--I know I e-mailed everyone I could think of and was relieved to see that all were OK. That night I went to bed saying an ancient Chinese curse "May we live in interesting times".

I was still on edge for a few days, but when I heard Bush speaking of an "Axis of Evil", I felt the chill of a new "Cold War".

That Saturday, while on a river cleanup sponsored by the local Sierra Club, I figured out what I needed to do. The next day, I brought the page for the football player down and put up the first version of "The Next War"

Over the next year, the site kept changing and even suspeneded operations for a few months. I also kept my opposition to myself, in October of 2002 though, I brought the site up as a 'Blog. I also made my first public action.

From there I guess I realized I was "in for a pound"; I would journey to Washington DC, attend a teach-in at York College, make a clandestine pilgrimage to Kent State, marched on the RNC. I've also done several vigils in Harrisburg PA, and marched through York PA.

I've also met some wonderful people; Naed, who looks like he should either be in a cabin on a mountain side or facing "The Game" in the Ring, Zach and Ashely, a young husband and wife activist tandem, and many other people.

There've also been some changes in my life in the last four years. I became an uncle, lost my job and my grandma, nearly went home, had to buy two cars, and re-entered the workforce.

There will be one constant though, as long as America is under the power of Neo-Imperialists, I will be here to provide the information that those in power don't want us to know about.

I figure that as long as this lasts, so can I.

2005-09-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

Daily Update, September 15, 2001

Anti-War Wagon Hits Harrisburg: An anti-war caravan came to Harrisburg, PA on it's way to the September 24th anti-war rally in Washington D.C.
Dissent on Trial: A group of anti-war activists from Ithaca, New York, are the only people to be accused of conspiracy by the federal Government. This page is devoted to their cause.

2005-09-11T14:22:00.000-04:00

Common Courage

As the nation remembers the tragedy of September 11th, I found it appropiate that this week the heroes of Flight 93 will soon have a memorial of thier own.

This story is well known, a group of passengers, rallying around the cry of "Let's Roll", managed to overpower the hijackers and crash their plane in an abandoned field. Where the flight was headed is unknown; I've heard the White House, The Capitol, Three Mile Island, all as potential targets.

For me this story hit home when it was revealed that one of the passengers was a national Judo champion. I am a student of Aikido, which shares a common heritage with Judo, so I felt at some level I had lost one of my own. The fact that these passengers also showed the spirit of the warrior as well gave me a link.

But as an opponent of war and empire, I see another thing in common. Those passengers had to overcome fear. They likely knew what had happened in New York City and Washington DC, and saw what was happening in the sky over Somerset PA. But they steeled their resolve and did what they needed to do.

That same fear exists today in America. Assisted by a "Sheepdog" media, Bush and the "war party" have mananged to manipulate fear to keep themselves in power, attack civil liberties, and make to many the act of criticizing the government seem "unpatriotic".

But over the last four years, more and more people have fought back against this fear. Much like those passengers, we too have gathered strength and supporters. We have begun to build a Media, and joined into a movement.

We still have much to do. Next November will be a chance to break this web of fear and maybe take a step closer to stopping this country from being run into the ground.

Four years ago, a group of strangers said "Let's Roll", today I say to those who stand against war, fear, and empire:

Keep On Rollin'

2005-09-09T08:01:00.000-04:00

Daily Report, September 9 2005

A Taste Of Life In Iraq: Columnist and cartoonist Ted Rall echoes my idea that New Orleans may be a good picture of life in occupied Iraq
From A Soldier: Stars and Stripes had this letter from a soldier in Iraq that reminds all of us that dissent is NOT unpatriotic.

2005-09-03T18:22:00.000-04:00

Over There--Over Here?

OK--I gotta get this out into the open! And this seems like the best place to do this.

I can't help but wonder how many people realize that what's happening in New Orleans is perhaps one of the best glimpses of what's happening in much of Iraq now.

The scale of destruction, the sight of your home and likely most of your life being gone in a matter of seconds, what seems so catastrophic here is seen as "collateral damage" over there.

The lack of power, water, and food driving people to a state of anarchy. While we look in horror at these here, many in the "BushFlock" likely fail to understand that these are many of the same problems that Iraqi citizens face.

Of course, one was the result of nature--the other of empire!

2005-09-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--Sept 2, 2005

What's this? Two days of posts? Will miracles never cease:)

US Confirms Kill--Of Journalist: Yahoo news reports that the US military did kill a Reuters journalist in Iraq but that the action was ruled "appropiate".
Another One For the COINTELPRO Files: The Nation reports that many of the tactics used by the government to spy on Vietnam War opponents may be being used today, only more co-ordinated.
Peace Movement Gains Allies--Parents: Common Dreams reports on how Cindy Sheehan may have helped add parents of those killed in Iraq into the opposition, as well as taking a close look at how this movemement has changed in the last two years.

2005-09-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

Daily Update--September 1, 2005

Latino's Build Resistance: Yahoo news reports that a group calling itself Latino's For Peace has begun to organize a campaign to inform parents how to have thier children opt out of having contact data handed over to recruiters and taking the ASVAB tests.
Cost of War--$727: CommonDreams summarizes a report from the Institute for Policy Studies that puts the current cost of the Iraq war at $727 a person (to put into perspective, basically two weeks of my paychecks), and that the Iraq war is more costly per month than Vietnam.
FBI Target Peace Groups: The Progressive reports of the FBI monitoring a gathering of "Terrorist Groups" in Michigan.

Among the "Terrorists" were a pro-affirmative action group, an animal rights group, and an anti-war youth group.

2005-08-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

One Year Later

A year ago, I had to make a special shopping trip. I needed to buy a pair of shoes, water and a bag of fruit mix.

Why did I need to pick up these supplies? I was heading to New York City to join 500,000 opponents of war and empire to protest the RNC.

I actually was so keyed up that I only got about four hours of sleep. I had a good breakfast of waffles and bacon, and a cup of coffee. I picked up my hometown paper to read on the way there and headed off to the Catholic Worker house to meet what would in my mind be called the "Harrisburg 5".

I got my 1st surprise there. I was gonna have to drive the group to Lancaster, PA; that's where we were to get the bus that would take us to NYC.

We got there and I handed out my "Bust Cards" that I had made--just in case. From there we were off.

I'll leave the rest to my own voice--courtesy of AudioBlogger:

And So It Begins

On The Way

Ready To Roll

In The Mix

Back On The Bus

Of course--I also took pictures of some of the signs I saw as well.

The Harrisburg 4. . .

Plus One!

A Bronx Cheer

A Personal Problem

So one year later, my Dad's question can be raised:"Do you feel you accomplished something"?

At one level, no. The American People still swallowed the GOP campaign of fear.

But from the sense of building a movement, we made a gain. That momentum has continued. The torture of prisioners was brought to light by sites like CommonDreams and BuzzFlash and picked up by the CEO Media later on. The Downing Street Memo would have been "under the radar" of the CEO Media, but this movement picked up on that as well.

And these have gotten more and more Americans to see past the fear, and to start asking questions.

But the "Sheepdogs" of AM-Radio and thier Cable News Affiliate have managed to still counter, by painting us as "unpatriotic". One need only look at how they've sunk their teeth into Cindy Sheehan; the loss of her son has prompted her to ask Bush for answers, and I believe either Bush or his handlers know that the answers will expose the lies that Bush relies on to stay in power.

We have some work to do between now and November 2006, our first chance to break this "War Machine". I have faith in us and myself as well. I have a stake in this now.

You see, since the rally, I became an uncle. And I want my nephew to live in a world at peace, not a realm of fear.

Braeden--your Uncle Jim is lookin' out for 'ya!

2005-08-24T08:27:00.000-04:00

Genius At Work

Just wanted to explain that the HSS goons haven't caught up to me yet.

I decided to take a week off from the job hunt to work on learning a computer language. The idea is to develop a tool to allow message boards like the one for Ted Rall.

Also, both my "Independent Media" portal and my "Poverty Freedom Day" applet are both also moving along.

2005-08-18T08:06:00.000-04:00

Standing With Cindy--August 19 2005

Yesterday, the anti-war/anti-imperialist community stood with Cindy Sheehan, the woman who lost her son in Bush's war.

Here are a few dispatches from places of interest to me

Harrisburg, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Poetry Corner

Paying The Price
Yours Truly:)

 
What are
the wages of fear.

Can you put
a price on lies.

Who covers
the cost of empire.

It's paid
in the blood
of fathers and mothers,
sisters and brothers,
son's and daughters.

And each day
more and more
look at the bill,
and ask.

"How much more"

From "Across The Pond"

Red Candles For Cindy
Steeleyes

 
 Out in the darkness
there is a light
Red candles for Cindy
in the dark Crawford night

So many mothers
now grieve for their boys
as the chaos grows daily
and sore grief deploys

They gather round Cindy
a mother in pain
Determined such a war
never happens again

Bring home the troops
Bring the mothers their sons
All the daughters too
and lay down their guns

Out in the darkness
there is a light
Red candles for Cindy
in the dark Crawford night

2005-08-17T07:59:00.000-04:00

Site Additions--August 17, 2005

Well I've been a bit busy on the job hunt(keep your fingers crossed). But I did manage to find a few additions to the page.

CODEPINK

Gold Star Families for Peace

JabberWonk

Also, to deal with problems from a rabid BushSheep, I've disable anonymous comments. Hopefull this will convince the "Flock" to start their own blogs to distribute their pro-war, CEO-Manipulated swill.

2005-08-09T08:16:00.000-04:00

August 9th Update

My job hunt has picked up steam, so I haven't had the time to update this as often as I'd like.

But I did find one new site, a graphic of the Casualty Count

2005-07-31T20:02:00.000-04:00

Weekend Update--July 31st 2005

A "Sheep" Among The "Watchdogs": I've added a "Pro-War/Bush" site to the mix, as somehow a member of the "BushFlock" agreed to provide an "antidote" to the CEO-Manipulated news.
The Human Face: I also added a page that shows the Faces Of The Fallen

2005-07-27T08:02:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 27th 2005

Torture 101: The Washington Post reports that interrogators at Abu Gharib learned about the use of military working dogs as a means of intimidating prisioners from interrogators at Guantanamo Bay.

Other techniques such as sleep deprivation, and forced nudity were also first used at the Cuban detention facility.
Iraqi Women to Be Losers Under Draft Constitution: An article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the Iraqi Draft Constitution would severely limit the rights of women by placing Islamic law over equality and having family matters be handled by clerics.

2005-07-22T08:05:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 22, 2005

IndyHarrisburg: A post on the Independent World Televison 'blog has provided the information for my first CGI-BIN "Case Study".

I plan on attempting to create a kind of local "Independent Media" portal. The site, which will be available on my Portfolio will include local, national and international news, group links, and even entertainment areas.
Iraqi Forces Not Ready To Fight: The UKGuardian reports that a newly declassfied Pentagon report says that the Iraqi security forces are no where near battle ready and that only a few are ready to fight the insurgents.
Taliban Rising?: The UKIndependent reports that that Taliban is once again gaining strength in the south of Afghanistan.

2005-07-21T07:59:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 21 2005

Democracy Only An Afterthought In Afghanistan: Sidney Blumenthal, in the (UK)Guardian, takes a critical look at how Bush's mypoic approach to the "War On Terror" has led to little more that chaos in many cases.
Price Of War--Prestige: Byron Williams, on Working For Change, asks questions of whether on not this "War On Terror" has cost us international prestige.

2005-07-20T08:28:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 20, 2005

COINTELPRO 2005: The Washington Post reports that web sites calling for protests during the 2004 conventions were monitored by the FBI.

Anthony Romero, ACLU executive director, wonders if ". . . the FBI is back to its old tricks".
Cleric Warns of "Genocidal War": The (UK)Independent reports that Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a leading Shia cleric, sees the suicide bombings as signs of a threat or a genocidal civil war.
Despite Lapdog's Insistence, British Connect Dots: The (UK)Guardian reports that 2/3 of Britons believe there is a link between Blair's support for the Iraq War and the Terror attacks.

2005-07-19T08:44:00.000-04:00

Daily Update--July 19, 2005

Fresh Links

I stumbled on a few new links that I added to the menus. I'll soon be working on getting at least the media menu cleaned up a bit as that seems to be getting a bit unweildy.

Foreign Policy In Focus

No Draft, No Way

Raw Story

Why Not?

I wish people would learn not to put ideas into my head. It only leads in many cases to trouble.

While at my Aunt's house this past weekend for dinner, she suggested I explore what she sees as my writing talents (this site is part of the rationale behind this notion).

I mentioned that I had, before I lost my job with the Commonwealth of PA that I had an idea for an article for Mother Jones on the role that some extreme right-wing groups play in funding the GOP. I still even have the pages of a book on contemporary fascism dog-eared.

I'm thinking that I could at least play around with the research and see if MoJo would think the article has legs. In the meantime, I'd see if a paper that a local "Peace and Justice" group prints may have interest in letting me submit some articles on such topics as how dependent my area's economy is on the military, what the racial and ethic breakdown of the area's military recruits is and maybe even a look at the new TV schedule.

It can't hurt to try--can it?

2005-07-15T07:43:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 15, 2005

Homeland Security--Think Again: From the summary

For the vast majority of Americans, the chances of dying in a terrorist attack are close to zero. There’s a higher probability that you’ll die by falling off a ladder than getting mixed up in some terrorist plot. So why is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security constantly telling every American to be afraid? That’s a strategy that creates widespread fear without making America any safer. U.S. homeland security efforts should focus less on what is possible and more on what is probable.
Iraqi Civilian Casualities-128,000: The World Peace Herald reports that according to an Iraqi human rights organization 128,000 Iraqis have been killed since the occupation began.

2005-07-14T08:04:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--Bastile Day Edition

Training For Torture: The Washington Post reports that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay used the techniques used at Abu Gharib months before.

While a committee does not regard the techniques as torture per se, the report gives evidence that the techniques were not the acts of overzealous soldiers.
Brits Connect The Dots: Angus Reid Consultants reports results of a poll that states %72 of British Adults agree that Britian's role in Iraq has made their country more vulnerable to terrorism.

The poll also shows support for maintaining close support for America in Iraq and opposition to troop withdrawal.

2005-07-12T08:08:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 12, 2005

A Tough Decision?: File this under either "Christmas[planning] in July" or "What REALLY Matters".

But according to Yahoo, Air America radio will exclusively be on XM Satellite radio.

After a financial hang-up kept me from getting an XM or Sirius radio last Christmas, I was thinking of giving it another go.

Here's the catch; XM may have Air America, but Sirius has the NFL. I can't afford both so I need to figure if it's more important for me to get progressive news and ideas or be able to listen to the Steelers.
Lee Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize: Working for Change reports that Barbara Lee (D-CA), the only Representative to vote against the Iraq War has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

2005-07-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

Daily Report--July 11, 2005

Live From DC?: CVS Pharmacy now offers one-time video cameras. I'm thinking of getting one and taking it with me to the September 24th march in DC.

If not then, then maybe to another local event.
Real "Mission Accomplished": MSNBC reports that many terrorism experts see Al-Quaida mutating into a self-suffciennt global insurgency, similar to the short-lived "militia" movement here in America.

2005-07-10T22:06:00.000-04:00

Site Update--July 10th 2005

Site Additions

With having inventories most of the week, I didn't have much time to "Stumble" onto sources. I did manage to find two though:

Iraq Dispatches

Open Democracy

Bush's Former Friends

London

My sympathies are with the people of London, but as an article in the local paper stated, London is used to this to a point. But the reality of terror has hit another part of the "coalition". Here are a few comments, courtesy of Common Dreams:

Blair Put Us On The Firing Line

Terror Will Continue

2005-07-04T19:05:00.000-04:00

Independence Day Special--July 4th 2005

What, To an Activist is The 4th Of July

Today we celebrate America's Birthday. But we also celebrate one of the greatest acts of dissent in the history of the world.

229 years ago, a group of concerned citizens choose to take a stand against the imperial power of that time. They garnered support from other countries; including France and Germany, they built a network of dissent, and eventually found themselves in a revolt that would lead to the creation of a revolutionary idea--a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Alas, it seems that this country, in the eyes of many, has become the imperialist power of this time. Now put aside that history has shown that empires crumble or collapse under their own weight, but a new group of concerned citizens has emerged to fight this empire. They too have joined with the world, or the world has joined with them, and they too are building an ever-growing network of resistance.

Like the brave men who stood against England many lifetimes ago, these dissenters are paying the price in many cases for their actions. Though not nearly as steep, the dissenters of today face bravely the wrath of empire.

They face the same charge that was leveled against those who stood before against the powers of empire--Treason. It is a powerful tool to accuse someone of plotting against one country. The line between patriotism and nationalism is narrow one, and one that can be easily blurred to suit those in power. I'm sure that those who stood against slavery and segregation were also regarded by many as traitors.

But just as those brave men so many lifetimes ago triumphed and created a new nation, perhaps this new generation of dissidents can create a new world. A world where peace is the rule and not the exception.

As while the voices of empire dub us traitors, I believe in reality we are "New Patriots".

The Return
David Massengill

 
Noah was a rocket scientist.
In the year if our Lord, the Iron Fist
And everywhere was heard
the absence of the word
The earth was filled with violence and hate
But Noah would not give into fate.

 
Noah looked at his computer screen
He saw there something he had never seen
A message from above
Signed, from God with love:
You better build a giant rocket ship
And prepare to take a long, long trip

 
Gather up all creatures great and small
Those that fly and those that walk and crawl
And those that swim the sea
Include each kind of tree
Of every grain that on the earth you feed
Carefully lay in a store of seed

 
Of each living thing you must bring two
Both male and female, the old soft shoe
And though the skies are clear
I know the end is near
On second thought, you better make it three
To ensure each possibility

 
Noah, my friend, here we go again
Somewhere in space and time
You'll find a key to this home of mine

 
So Noah sent out a press release:
Last chance for the world to live in peace
When God plays pantomime
We're running out of time
The leaders of the world would not repent
And they all ignored his sad lament

 
So Noah quit his job and went to work
While the world went from bad to berserk
Just like the days of old
The center does not hold
But there were some who joined him in his quest
The stupid, the crazy, the dispossessed

 
He freed the animals from testing labs
His crew from New York city taxi cabs
And with a wanted ad
He found a launching pad
His rocket ship was built by many hands
And each pair from a different land

 
At last they were ready to embark
Noah raised his voice, " I dub thee Ark"
He aimed for a black hole
As he prayed for each soul
A meteor flew by as he looked back
He thought he saw a nuclear attack

 
Noah, my friend, here we go again
Somewhere in space and time
You'll find a key to this home of mine

 
Across the universe to yesteryear
Suspended animation was in gear
And when they all woke up
In need of a pick me up
After forty billion days and nights
You know a cup of java would be nice

 
Noah looked upon the vast immense
He felt within his being a sixth sense
The deeper that he flew
A sense of déjà vu
On to the second star to the right
And straight on until the morning light

 
Now when their course was nearly done
The third planet from the seventh sun
While circling the globe
Noah sent forth a probe
It came back a dove from Galilee
Holding the branch of an olive tree

 
So now we return to the first time
The sweet breath of a familiar clime
Noah picked up a leaf
Then he sighed in relief,
"In the eyes if the Lord we find grace
The end of our search for a birthplace"

 
Noah, my friend, here we go again
And somewhere in space and time
You'll find the key to this heart of mine

New Sites

Not too many this week, one's a "Alternative TV Network" the other is an attempt to build an "Alternative CNN"

FreeSpeech TV

Independent World TV

2005-07-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

JUDICIAL EMERGENCY--July 1, 2005

I will be beginning work this weekend on an ad-hoc 'Blog in regards to the announcment of Justice O'Connor's resignation from the Supreme Court, and the subsuquent nominations process.