Bob Barr was on the Thom Hartmann show yesterday, talking about Freedom. He denied that Freedom means anything about economic realities. I thought I'd remind myself what real freedom means. Thanks, Garth!
This ain't comin from no prophet,
Just an ordinary man,
When I close my eyes I see,
The way this world shall be,
When we all walk hand in hand,
When the last child cries for a crust of bread,
When the last man dies for just words that he said,
When there's shelter over the poorest head,
We shall be free,
When the last thing we notice is the color of skin,
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within,
When the skies and the oceans are clean again,
Then we shall be free,
We shall be free,
We shall be free,
So stand straight,
Walk proud,
'Cause we shall be free,
When we're free to love anyone we choose,
When this worlds big enough for all different views,
When we're all free to worship from our own kind of pew,
Then we shall be free,
We shall be free,
We shall be free,
Have a little faith,
Hold out,
'Cause we shall be free,
And when money talks for the very last time,
And nobody walks a step behind,
When there's only one race and that's mankind,
Then we shall be free,
We shall be free,
Listen to what I'm saying to you,
We shall be free,
Cause every night and day I pray it's true,
Together,
Forever,
We shall be free,
We shall be free,
We shall be free,
Stand straight,
Have a little faith,
Walk proud,
Hold out,
We shall be free,
Listen to what I'm sayin' to you,
We shall be free,
Every night and day I pray it's true,
Together,
Forever,
We shall be free,
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Brilliant
MoveOn is running a contest called "Barack Obama in 30 seconds". Here are some of my favorites.
Nicely turned.
Gotcha politics? Nah, just hopeful.
Nicely turned.
Gotcha politics? Nah, just hopeful.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Dear Councilman Phillips,
Thank you for attending the King County Democratic Convention on Sunday. It was good to see you, and good to talk with you.
You asked me to send you more information about the Veterans Family Fund (VFF) CD program. You will recall my simple description of these CD's as inviting people to invest in their own future while providing a steady revenue to the Veterans Family Fund, a non-profit organization that helps the families of our service members in times of need. Half of the interest earned by the CD's is sent back to build the balance, and half of the interest is sent upon maturity to the charity.
These CD's are available at a growing number of state registered banks around the state. The program started in Vancouver with the Bank of Clark County. You can read more about how it started here:
http://www.veteransfamilyfund.org/howitbegan
The VFF has a goal of having people in Washington State open CD's with a value of $300 Million Dollars over the first year, which would be met by having 100,000 people opening a CD with a value of $1,000. Some banks have the minimum opening balance as low as $100. This level of savings would provide a steady income of $6 Million per year to the charity.
I can think of a lot of charities that could use a steady income of $6 Million. And that is why I wanted to speak to you about the potential. I have been thinking and blogging about just such an idea for several years, but never had time or connections to pursue it myself. The reason that I brought this up on Sunday is because I see the potential to use a similar funding source for other charities as well. It's this type of system that I think would provide a more complete safety net than any of our current options.
With the King County Council trying to recover from a $20 Million deficit this year and a $60 Million deficit next year, having steady revenue streams available at the same time that people are taking responsibility for their future by investing in their future would be the best of both worlds. Please take a closer look at the program, contact the banks who have branches in King County, and see what kind of ideas you can come up with to increase the number of ways that people can both secure their own financial foundation while at the same time helping the necessary social service organizations develop their own financial foundation to help us all.
You asked me to send you more information about the Veterans Family Fund (VFF) CD program. You will recall my simple description of these CD's as inviting people to invest in their own future while providing a steady revenue to the Veterans Family Fund, a non-profit organization that helps the families of our service members in times of need. Half of the interest earned by the CD's is sent back to build the balance, and half of the interest is sent upon maturity to the charity.
These CD's are available at a growing number of state registered banks around the state. The program started in Vancouver with the Bank of Clark County. You can read more about how it started here:
http://www.veteransfamilyfund.org/howitbegan
The VFF has a goal of having people in Washington State open CD's with a value of $300 Million Dollars over the first year, which would be met by having 100,000 people opening a CD with a value of $1,000. Some banks have the minimum opening balance as low as $100. This level of savings would provide a steady income of $6 Million per year to the charity.
I can think of a lot of charities that could use a steady income of $6 Million. And that is why I wanted to speak to you about the potential. I have been thinking and blogging about just such an idea for several years, but never had time or connections to pursue it myself. The reason that I brought this up on Sunday is because I see the potential to use a similar funding source for other charities as well. It's this type of system that I think would provide a more complete safety net than any of our current options.
With the King County Council trying to recover from a $20 Million deficit this year and a $60 Million deficit next year, having steady revenue streams available at the same time that people are taking responsibility for their future by investing in their future would be the best of both worlds. Please take a closer look at the program, contact the banks who have branches in King County, and see what kind of ideas you can come up with to increase the number of ways that people can both secure their own financial foundation while at the same time helping the necessary social service organizations develop their own financial foundation to help us all.
Barack H. Obama in 1965
My mother sent me a link to a Politico article about an article written by Senator Barack Obama's father, Barack H. Obama in 1965. The title of the article is "Problems Facing Our Socialism," and is a review of a Kenyan government paper from earlier in that year. I've posted a copy of the article (PDF) on my own website.
He talks about how a high population growth rate is detrimental to economic growth, among other things. I'm guessing you didn't actually read this, because many of what he says I've heard in one form or another from you. "The paper states that there are universal desires of societies and these include political equality, social justice, human dignity and freedom of conscience, freedom from want, disease and exploitation, equal opportunities and, lastly, a high and growing per capita income and equitable distribution." Pretty much what I would expect from a Harvard education, and I think Thomas Jefferson would have liked this man. "The question is how are we going to remove the disparities in our country such as the concentration of economic power in Asian and European hands while not destroying what has already been achieved and at the same time assimilating these groups to build one country?" He is speaking in the context of non-violent cooperation.
Some people don't like the word socialism. They run from it without thinking, without considering the context, and they've bought into the illusion that socialism anywhere in the world is a threat to capitalism anywhere in the world. It's completely false. I've written about the subject here.
40 years and 12,000 miles removed from this election in this time and this place, things are being found to try and hurt the Obama campaign. I just find it ridiculous.
He talks about how a high population growth rate is detrimental to economic growth, among other things. I'm guessing you didn't actually read this, because many of what he says I've heard in one form or another from you. "The paper states that there are universal desires of societies and these include political equality, social justice, human dignity and freedom of conscience, freedom from want, disease and exploitation, equal opportunities and, lastly, a high and growing per capita income and equitable distribution." Pretty much what I would expect from a Harvard education, and I think Thomas Jefferson would have liked this man. "The question is how are we going to remove the disparities in our country such as the concentration of economic power in Asian and European hands while not destroying what has already been achieved and at the same time assimilating these groups to build one country?" He is speaking in the context of non-violent cooperation.
Some people don't like the word socialism. They run from it without thinking, without considering the context, and they've bought into the illusion that socialism anywhere in the world is a threat to capitalism anywhere in the world. It's completely false. I've written about the subject here.
40 years and 12,000 miles removed from this election in this time and this place, things are being found to try and hurt the Obama campaign. I just find it ridiculous.
Friday, April 11, 2008
What's next for the Obama campaign?
We have an opportunity to have an influence on the rest of the campaign. You are each the leaders of your respective LD's. You did the work to coordinate thousands of people to stay involved long enough to increase the number of Obama Delegates to the CD level and to Denver. I would like to believe that this is just the beginning. What I saw 4 years ago from within the Dean campaign was seeds beginning to sprout. We can do this. We can make the change, and we can do it by staying involved after May 17th, and after the State Convention.
August has two incredibly important events this cycle. The first is the National Convention, at the top of our party. The other are the PCO elections, at the base of our party. Both are important.
August has two incredibly important events this cycle. The first is the National Convention, at the top of our party. The other are the PCO elections, at the base of our party. Both are important.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Just found a good HTML editor
I think this is what I've been looking for:
HTML Kit
I'm trying it out on the 25th district site, and it's working pretty well. I'll see if Charley can use it.
Best part? It's free!
HTML Kit
I'm trying it out on the 25th district site, and it's working pretty well. I'll see if Charley can use it.
Best part? It's free!
Who's "Right"?
Who's "Right"? People who want to consolidate power, not share responsibility and be held accountable. People who see the world in terms of us v. them instead of we. People who want to take control instead of cooperating with others. People who see national borders as something natural instead of something artificial and man-made. People who see the Earth as a set of resources to squander instead of as a world that we all share.
Those are the people on the Right. And why I'm proud to be working on the Left.
Those are the people on the Right. And why I'm proud to be working on the Left.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Re: inHuman events
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25783
Let's review, shall we?
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations. The United Nations was formed via treaty in 1945, and the United States is a signer on that treaty. The United States is subject to the International Court of Justice. Period. I don't give a ripping damn what the Roberts' Court says. But here's the trick, and why Roberts, and Bush incidentally, is such a complete and total idiot: The ICJ is for nations to sue other nations about international issues, and is not the correct court that should be drawn upon for the Texas death-row inmates.
Rapists and murderers who cross national borders should be tried under the laws of the International Criminal Court, a DIFFERENT JUDICIAL AGENCY outside of the ICJ and part of a separate treaty. This treaty says that individuals who commit crimes should be held accountable for those crimes. So why can't the Mexican citizens be made subject to this court and tried properly? Because the ICC applies in both directions, and the United States Federal Government is too CHICKEN SHIT to sign the treaty, thinking that US Citizens who break laws and rape and pillage and murder should not be subject to the same laws that they are now trying to apply to the citizens of other countries.
Let's review, shall we?
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations. The United Nations was formed via treaty in 1945, and the United States is a signer on that treaty. The United States is subject to the International Court of Justice. Period. I don't give a ripping damn what the Roberts' Court says. But here's the trick, and why Roberts, and Bush incidentally, is such a complete and total idiot: The ICJ is for nations to sue other nations about international issues, and is not the correct court that should be drawn upon for the Texas death-row inmates.
Rapists and murderers who cross national borders should be tried under the laws of the International Criminal Court, a DIFFERENT JUDICIAL AGENCY outside of the ICJ and part of a separate treaty. This treaty says that individuals who commit crimes should be held accountable for those crimes. So why can't the Mexican citizens be made subject to this court and tried properly? Because the ICC applies in both directions, and the United States Federal Government is too CHICKEN SHIT to sign the treaty, thinking that US Citizens who break laws and rape and pillage and murder should not be subject to the same laws that they are now trying to apply to the citizens of other countries.
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