As true today as in the 60’s

As true today as in the 60’s, "For What It's Worth" written by Stephen Stills is a reminder what the mind trapped in fear can do. So many people angry, fearful and anxious folks from the far left and right are creating a cyclone of distrust. The sad thing is we are all in the same boat trying to survive. Tea Baggers, extreme progressives and even the moderate middle are wondering what happened to America.

It's a little like we are all jumping out of the real boat for some delusional boat just an arm length away. It really is a mirage. Rodney King, for all the words said and hate, said it best. "Can't we all just get along"?

Gridlock and self righteousness is a slow poison and we all just need to stop drinking the "Kool-Aid" (Not the product the Jim Jones kool-aid) and start finding ourselves again. We really need to find the innocence of our youth coupled with the wisdom of our age.

"For What It's Worth"
Performed by Buffalo Springfield

Richie Furay - guitar, vocals
Dewey Martin - drums, vocals
Bruce Palmer – bass
Stephen Stills - guitar, keyboard, vocals
Neil Young - guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals


There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Pesident Obama sees Republicant's in Retreat

Ok so that' facetious but when it comes down to it the Republican't party better overcome their glee and wonder if their primaries will yield a strong shift to the right will lead to losses rather than gains. By bending over backwards to ultra conservatism will lead to the same results as the Upstate NY defeat.

So as the Republicant's retreat to the right they are losing the center. All Independents are NOT the fringe they are mostly people tired of political Gridlock and being manipulated by both parties.

So retreat ye grand wizards of misinformation you will lose.

Free Speech? Oh Really?

Free Speech decision essentially changes something fundamental about our country and reminds me of the Gettysburg Address. Perhaps I should say a parapharase of that great speech. "...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

can this now be written ...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the corporation's money, by the corporation's money, for the corporation's money, shall not perish from the earth.

Did the court ever consider these corporate entities are not a person but a collection of Board Members, employees, stock holders and, yes, customers. We will see a few individuals deciding the decisions of government against the will of many of those stakeholders. I agree with free speech but not with Other People's Money (OPM). Goodby freedom.

By LIZ SIDOTI

The Associated Press
Thursday, January 21, 2010; 6:57 PM

WASHINGTON -- There'll be a lot more special-interest money in political campaigns. And maybe even more confusion for voters trying to sort out who is behind the increasing clamor of TV messages.

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision Thursday to allow corporations and unions to spend freely on elections seems certain to boost the political power of big business and labor. And perhaps diminish the clout of the political parties.

Its impact will be felt immediately. This year's midterm House and Senate campaigns already are under way.

By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer

January 21, 2010 --

"It's about money," said Lawrence Noble, former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission and a national expert on campaign spending. "It's about free speech and it's about the ability of corporations to influence elections through the use of their treasury money."

Who is more out of touch - Both Parties

Scott Brown's win is a sharp message to BOTH parties. In my opinion the country is tired of both parties and their gridlock ways. Health Care is a perfect example of the fact that we are all tires of the sausage factory called Congress. It also shows we want results not argument along party lines for control. Political strategy is not what we want but results to the problems we all face.

The Health Care Plan was degenerated from a deep concern for a critical issue to a watered down usless piece of legislation. Scott Brown won because he addressed the problems Massachusetts voiced. For a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat I have to say he is a bad choice but I wonder how much better would Martha Coakley have been. Sure for the party it is an important setback but I'm tired like everyone else of a choice we are given by the majoe political parties, a choice between Dumb and Dumber.

Game Change and the Spin

So much is being reported on Harry Reid's comments, a little about Bill and Hillary and nothing about Sarah Palin and her being chosen John McCain's running mate. Have we Democrats forgotten the lesson about P-e-r-c-e-p-t-i-o-n?

We hear so much Republican't spin it sounds like a swift boat hatchet job rather than an interesting account of the election. Anyone who thinks the public persona of any politician is accurate must be the truth is really dreaming. You can tell only by actions and votes and even that may be a manipulation.

Harry Reid's comments while seemingly are insensitive are a reality of the voting public. They are insensitive to the extent that Barack's race should not be an issue while in reality we know his questions were based in some reality of a portion of the electorate.

Why are we not getting the full story, however, and hearing on the news the questions about Palin's inability to grasp the history of the world?

In essence we, the Democratic Party, have failed to understand we need a swifter boat to stay ahead of the Republican't "talking points."

The Conservative Test - No Thought Involved

The ten guidelines, distributed to RNC members in recent weeks, are as follows with my impression in Yellow :

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill;

(1a) We oppose Social Security, Unemployment Payments, Medicare, Medicade, WIC, Infrastructure improvements, Educational excellence, FDA regulations, Taxing the Wealthy, Safety Regulations, Environmental regulations, and any regulations on (the Oil & Gas industries, Health Care, Banking, Investments, Military-Industrial Complex, Militias and US Insurgencies)

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;

(2a) We oppose any effort to assure every American has Health Care Coverage

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(3a) We oppose any effort to improve our energy situation even though the Market based economy has proven they are not capable of transitioning to the energy needs and desires of the American Public.

(4) We support workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(4a) We oppose giving American workers a level playing field in dealing with companies they have made wealthy.

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(5a) We oppose providing a legal path for citizenship or legal work permits for those who do the hardest and lowest paying jobs in the US .

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(6a) We oppose having to define what "Victory" means in Iraq and Afghanistan but think putting more American lives in danger without a clear objective is okay.

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

(7a) We oppose working with our allies on a world wide front in dealing with nuclear proliferation and have never complained while our allies developed nuclear arsenals because they are our friends - for now. We are also opposed to stopping the arms trade to other countries because we are by far the largest arms dealer in the world (see Below)

United States 41%
Russia 17%
France 8%
United Kingdom 7%
China 3%
Germany 4%
Italy 3%
Other European 11%
Others 6%

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act

(8a) We oppose gay and lesbian Marriage because they don't have rights because they are not like us.

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion.

(9a) We oppose of assuring vulnerable persons health care and believe if they had coverage ours would be reduced.

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership;

(10a) We oppose any effort to adhere to the full text of the second amendment that reads:
A "well regulated Militia", being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. We believe there are no "Regulations" acceptable in the "Right to Bear Arms even though "well regulated" is clearly stated in the amendment.

Why is the most powerful country in the world...

Do you ever wonder why we would rather go to war to prove our greatness than put one red cent into our Health care system, our schools, our infrastructure, ecology, the environment .... blah blah... you get the picture.

While the understanding is that communications and technology are the "edge" our country needs our telecoms are hoarding money and providing second rate service in much of our country. Just look at the connection speeds by country and you will notice we are 29th or 25 places behind Latvia. There is no excuse for this or the Health Care Crisis.

Top Countries by Download Speed

1. 22.27 Mb/s Republic of Korea
   
2. 16.30 Mb/s Japan
3. 15.40 Mb/s Aland Islands
4. 13.94 Mb/s Latvia
5. 13.73 Mb/s Lithuania
6. 13.46 Mb/s Sweden
   
7. 13.32 Mb/s Romania
8. 12.72 Mb/s Netherlands
9. 12.37 Mb/s Bulgaria
10. 10.39 Mb/s Moldova, Republic of
11. 9.74 Mb/s Hong Kong
12. 9.73 Mb/s Andorra
13. 9.27 Mb/s Slovakia
14. 8.97 Mb/s Portugal

.. 29. 7.04 Mb/s United States