Ten Commandments For The New American Century

 

First Commandment: THOU SHALT TAKE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

No money in politics. Zero! First, people should stand up and declare
unequivocally they will not vote for anyone who takes ANY money from
corporations, lobbyists and PACs. Then, down the road, by having
elections 100% financed out of public funds, we can build a democracy
where our legislators might actually have some time to legislate. It is
common knowledge, most federal office holders spend enormous amounts of
time raising funds and worrying about winning the next election, instead
of doing the job we voted them in office to do. Let's end this right
now!

Second Commandment: THOU SHALT HONOR CHOICE AT THE POLLS 

It's time to institute instant run-off voting. This will allow minor party
candidates to run at all levels of government without the understandable
fear that a voter is throwing away her or his vote. Our current system
has, as Ralph Nader has been saying all along, turned into a choice
between Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum. Without real choice, meaning a
range that covers the entire spectrum of political opinion, democracy
becomes a sham, and purely an exercise in futility.

Third Commandment:  THOU SHALT RESPECT THE COMMONS 

Right off, we need to re-establish a commons. So much of what constitutes the
foundation for a functioning society has been privatized __ prisons,
education, utilities, mail, roads, bridges. And it hasn’t worked out
well, has it? The nation’s infrastructure is a shambles. There are some
basic things we should all be able to have free and open access to,
facilities and services which should not be at the mercy of the
so-called free market: education, clean air and water, energy, health
care, retirement security, the INTERNET, police, fire and ambulance
services, nutrition and mental health counseling. This is not
socialism.   It’s having a country that works.

Fourth Commandment: THOU SHALT PUT MONEY CREATION AND 
THE CONTROL OF THE NATION’S CURRENCY BACK INTO THE 
PUBLIC DOMAIN 

The control and issuance of currency must be returned to the federal
government. The Federal Reserve is no more "federal" than Federal
Express, and as a result America is now hostage to private banks and we
rapidly becoming their serf-slaves. Either nationalize or abolish the
Federal Reserve and return creation of our fiat currency to the people
of America, regulated by a legitimate, functioning system of
representative government.

Fifth Commandment: THOU SHALT LIVE BY RULE OF LAW 

We have a two-tiered legal system, a gentle one for the privileged, a brutal
one for the rest of us. The oligarchs do what they want unfettered by pesky
laws. Sometimes the same laws are used to restrain and incarcerate the
rest of us. Same thing on an international level. Two tiers. The U.S.
bullies the world, ignoring treaty obligations and international law,
treating other countries as vassal states. But it uses the same legal
instruments as a bludgeon, holding every other nation's feet to the fire
with sanctions, UN resolutions, trade agreements __ whatever__ when it
serves our interests, or more accurately, the interests of the
corporations who are really setting the agenda. This gross hypocrisy is
creating enemies everywhere. We are long overdue to again respect the
law, apply it equally and fairly across the board, both at home and
around the world.

Sixth Commandment: THOU SHALT REIN IN CAPITALISM 

A nice breeze on a clear spring day __ good! . . . A level 5 hurricane that
destroys vast swaths of dwellings and kills countless people __ bad! . . .
Surfer and swimmer-friendly waves lapping up on a sandy beach __
good! . . . A tsunami crushing whole towns with a 100 foot wall of
terrifying force __ bad! . . . Sunlight from hydrogen fusion nurturing
our planet with gentle rays of light and warmth __ good! . . . An
inferno of hydrogen fusion raining down on cities across the world as
mammoth nuclear bombs, destroying the entire human race __ bad! We
mostly tend to agree that capitalism provides a powerful engine to drive
development and progress. But too much of it and societies are crushed,
democracies destroyed, vast numbers of people are relegated to serf
status. Other countries have strict regulation and state control to check
the ravaging effects of unfettered capitalism. Now it’s America’s turn.
Either we rein it in or we can kiss good-bye our once-great country
as it descends into the dustbin of history.

Seventh Commandment: THOU SHALT MAKE CORPORATIONS SERVANTS OF THE GREATER GOOD 

It will be tough but the whole bogus concept of corporate personhood must be
expunged. Totally voided. It was put in place by devious methods and now
must be rooted out. In general, it's way past time to drastically
restrict the charters of corporations, such that the interests of people
are balanced with the pursuit of profit. This is the way it used to be
in the early days of our nation. Back then, corporations were set up for
specific and usually public-spirited projects, assigned a very narrowly
defined charter and a fixed duration. When whatever was supposed to get
done got done, the corporation was dissolved. Maybe we don't have to
return to such a limited implementation in our modern world, but we do
have to require that corporations serve the common good. It is
entirely legal to dictate that corporations act responsibly and take
into account the needs of the community they serve, especially the
communities where they reside. We have to elect individuals who are not
in the pockets of the corporations and have them re-write the laws for
doing the business of America. If the multinational bohemoths don't like
it, let them set up in China, Vietnam or Bangladesh. That's where they
already have their factories anyway. Ultimately this will not harm the
economy, it will create a society which is healthy and prosperous for everyone.

Eight Commandment: THOU SHALT PROMOTE PEACE AND BE LOVED AGAIN 

America must be taken off of a war footing. The high-alert status both at
home and around the world is nothing more than highly destructive
fear-mongering. It is used to promote a belligerent self-sabotaging
approach to international relations. It's the product of a grossly
delusional neocon imperialistic agenda which Americans don't support __
"exceptionalist" chest-beating which fills the coffers of the defense
contractors but bankrupts the rest of us both financially and
spiritually. We’ve meddled and bombed enough. It has accomplished
nothing and created more problems and more enemies than we had before we
decided that military force was the only way to deal with disagreements
and crises in the world. It has also subjected the American people to
unprecedented and unconstitutional levels of surveillance and a gross
abrogation of our rights as citizens. Time to try peace and cooperation
instead of threats and bullying.

Ninth Commandment: THOU SHALT RESPECT MOTHER EARTH 

Enough silly arguing and tiptoeing around climate change. It’s happening,
it could destroy the human race. It will without a doubt reduce
civilization to a shell of its former glory and sophistication. Let’s
get to work. Global warming and resource depletion represent the
greatest threats to mankind in recorded history. Responsible use of
resources and creation of sustainable sources of energy are not only
necessary, but could be the greatest unifying force ever! Brainstorming
and planning will create a monumental paradigm shift and the subsequent
implementation of our collective ingenuity will create jobs and bring
together behind a common purpose, a world which is torn by divisiveness,
fear, suspicion, anger. Though time is quickly running out, the
challenge of a planet in crisis doesn't have to end in total disaster.
On the contrary, this could be a historic opportunity for a massive
global initiative __ one of renewal and fellowship.

Tenth Commandment: THOU SHALT LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD 

The rich and powerful have had a good run. The party is over. The wealthy 
should start paying back the country which gave birth to their monumental
success. Inherited wealth does not give back to the community, the
social and political environment that supported the accumulation of all
that money. Tax it at 95% above $5 million. The heirs of the Koch
brothers will just have to squeak by on their $5.2 billion. Capital
gains? Capital gains is income. Tax it at the same rate as
personal income. Speaking of which __ time to return to the progressive
tax rates of the 60s and 70s. You know them. The ones which resulted in a
thriving economy! Massive tax reform across the board is in order,
closing of all loopholes, penalizing off-shoring of profits, and the
complete elimination of corporate welfare. Do I hear screaming of
'SOCIALISM!' out there? Get a life! Yes, this is redistribution of wealth. 
It's been going on for thousands of years. It's what makes a functioning 
society possible.

I confess, I’m not up to speed on my Bible studies. But I remember hearing at
some point, there were originally twenty commandments. I guess our good guy,
Moses, lost a tablet or two on his way down from the mountain.

I take this as meaning there’s room on my list for even more. So let’s come up
with some ideas for Commandments 11 - 20. All reasonable and constructive 
ideas are welcome.

I’ll bet there’s a little Moses in everyone just hankering to bust out.

Come on. Go for it!

Let's make America great again.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Bye-Bye Miss American Pie

 

I love pie charts!

They are so deliciously informative. A good pie chart makes statistics so digestible!

The short and sweet of it is this:

There are 400 incomprehensibly wealthy people in America which possess more wealth
than the 150,000,000 individuals in the bottom half of our population.

The now infamous 1% controls 43% of America's vast riches. And their share is increasing daily.

By the way, I got the pie chart already baked and ready for consumption from an
article that appears at the website for the Curry County Democrats
based in Brookings, Oregon. You can read the whole article here, and I thank them for their tasty work.

Of course, unlike a lot of the social and political crimes against the average
American by our corporate-government oligarchical junta, income
inequality is no secret.

Elizabeth Warren has railed against it. Obama has thrown his expensive hat into the ring. Even the Chair of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, has expressed alarm, a plea for sanity which was more twerking than real love.

From the people themselves, Occupy Wall Street created the most viral meme
in modern history __ the 1% vs. the 99% __ but we saw how that ended
up. The 1% brought some big guns to the skeet shoot and the clay pigeons
turned to dust.

There is hope. But it's down the road. The house of cards, aka the American economy, will collapse and the people at the top will have the furthest to fall.

In the meantime, we can expect more of the same. Which means more to them and less to the rest of us, the slobbering masses who amble idly like anesthetized sheep outside their gated communities and opulent private estates.
 

I will say this. The well-fed titans of economic tyranny at the top get paid well
to stick it to the rest of us. As this graphic shows (sorry it's not a
pie chart but more of a stale cracker), the income ratios between CEOs
and their worker-slaves in America is way off the charts.

When looking at the obsessive hoarding and soul-numbing, society-gutting greed of our privileged patrons of profligacy, we have to ask ourselves: What is the point?

Yes . . . what is the point?
 


To paraphrase that classic song by Don McLean . . .

I remember when the music died
That was the day that I cried 

R. I. P. . . . the American Dream. 

[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Absentee Patriotism

 

It's no secret that I am very critical of the policies of this
administration, and the general direction America has been taking for
the past three decades.

As a result, infrequently but uncomfortably too often, I get this remark from
some rabid, myopic super-patriot who gets their understanding of our
political system from the box that his hot glue gun came in:

"You don't even live here. You have no right to criticize America."

It's one of those battle cries from desperately small minds which on the surface
offers some common sense logic but with bare minimum scrutiny falls
apart like stale Saltines.

Let's imagine . . .

It's 1938 and I am a Jew who has been living in Nazi Germany. I am getting
increasingly uncomfortable with developments both locally in my village
and nationally. So I leave and become an expatriate, a German citizen
living in a foreign country.

While living outside the sphere of the Reich and its pervasive propaganda
machine, I see that my discomfort was more than justified, that there
are horrible things going on in my home country which threaten not only
my fellow Jews, but threaten other individuals and the peace and
stability of the whole European continent. I learn from other
expatriates about the forced labor and concentration camps, and what
appears to be a well-planned program being put in place for the
extermination of millions of people. I learn of a massive build-up of
military machinery which portends provocations of neighboring countries
and promises massive military confrontation.

Are the people who question my now living overseas saying I would have had
no right to warn people about the developments I had learned about? That I
was disqualified by my foreign mailing address from speaking out against the
policies of "my country"? That I would not have had the right to at
least warn other Jews __ my fellow citizens __ and urge them to
escape as soon as possible or face possible extermination?

I would argue that not only would I have the right to be critical of my country, I would have a moral obligation, a duty to do so, openly and aggressively.

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."  -  Edmund Burke

Am I making a comparison between today's U.S. and Nazi Germany?

Yes and no. Of course, anytime anyone wants to provoke a hysterical public
outcry on any matter these days, they just yell 'Nazi' or 'Hitler' or
'holocaust' and the knee jerk response is right there for the having.
That's not what I'm doing here. The U.S. is slowly descending into a
form of autocracy, a totalitarianism quite unlike Nazi Germany in many
respects. But I believe it is potentially as thoroughly and ultimately
menacing.

We can fret and argue about whether that's correct but that's not the point I'm making.

The simple point here is that, regardless of where I live or choose to travel, I share 
with every other American citizen the duty
to keep a watchful eye on what my government is doing in my name, and
to speak out when and where I see objectionable plans, policies,
declarations, or provocative acts towards other countries. It is
especially incumbent on me __ it is my responsibility as a citizen __ to
share from out here what is not available from within
U.S. borders, because of what is clearly massive censorship of the news
there by the government and main stream media, which have become
Siamese Twins joined at the pocketbook.

It is particularly my duty to warn others in America who are not as I am in a 
position to live elsewhere, of developments which portend the worst and pose 
threats to them.

We all see the signs. Often we don't know what to make of them. The incessant
puerile prattle of politicians and pundits creates a constant stream of
obfuscation and confusion.

But it is the duty of every single American citizen to try to make sense
of our increasingly precarious situation, and to share their insights with
their fellow citizens. It is our duty to call out the official
lies, the gross imbalance of power, the horrific inequality of wealth,
the ongoing and systematic efforts by our government to promote and
prosecute in our names policies and initiatives, foreign and domestic,
which if the public had full knowledge of, it would steadfastly reject.

It takes a lot of courage these days to speak out against the government,
especially the current administration, which has done a phenomenal job
of PR and spin, and certainly makes no secret of its intent to squash
dissent in America.

Yet,  despite massive surveillance of citizens by the security agencies, the
watch lists, the no-fly lists, the kill lists, the persecution of
whistle blowers, the beatings and arrests which the most peaceful
demonstrators now endure at the hands of the police, the suspension of
habeas corpus, gross abuses of the FISA Act and the National Defense
Authorization Act, there are still many courageous individuals and
organizations which continue the daunting but necessary battle to expose
the deeply entrenched and dangerous corruption which now poisons our
system of government.

I make no claims to be on the same level as these exemplary patriots, speaking
truth to power under the threat of persecution, an unconstitutional
repression of free speech and basic human rights, the whole of which is
more and more is beginning to exhibit parallels with some of the more
oppressive regimes in history.


 

Right or wrong, I'm just an ordinary citizen merely doing my duty.

Just like you.

I watch. I listen. I speak out. I vote.

I do what little I can.

I wish it were more.



[ This originated at the author's personal web page . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Starts With ‘C’ Rhymes With Dancer

 

I often get very frustrated with politics. So I  do understand why people
prefer to look the other way, though indifference and ignorance
lubricate the self-destructive mechanisms which I believe are taking us
towards either World War III, economic collapse, social Armageddon . . .
or all of the above.

At the same time, there is so much which is confusing, horrifying, nauseating,
just plain stupid and wrong, it's impossible to keep up with all of it.
Most crises seem so far away,  not relevant to the day-to-day business
of just trying to survive and keep our heads above water. ISIS, the
Ukraine, China, Afghanistan, Palestine, all place a distant nineteenth
to paying the mortgage, feeding ourselves, trying to put clothes on our
backs that don't disintegrate in the laundry, keeping the neighbor's dog
from pooping on the lawn.

Regardless of how consequential all of these international disturbances may
ultimately be, the simple truth is they don't hit home until they hit
home. The primary reason Americans are now concerned about Ebola is
their fear that it may spread in America, understandably so, though
chances of infection are pretty remote. But until people started dying
inside our own borders, it was just more bad news piled on bad news from
"somewhere over there" where bad news seems to grow like mold on an old
chunk of cheese in the back of the refrigerator.

Recognizing all of this, I am still very puzzled why people aren't up in 
arms about things which are, without a shred of doubt, a clear and present 
danger to them, right now, right here in our own U S of A. I don't mean unlikely, 
remote threats, like the prospect they will be hit by a drunk driver or be the victim 
of a swarm of killer bees. I refer to very real, very imminent hazards which have 
the potential to kill them, shortening their lives by many years! Who wants to 
die before they have to?

In my travels, people ask me why I left the U.S. in 2006. I have a straightforward reply . . .

The political climate and the food.

Both were toxic. Both were poisonous to my health and happiness.

Since I've already written over a hundred political rants, here let's just talk about food.

The food in America is a death warrant.

Maybe not as poisonous as rat poison but ultimately just as lethal.

 

Some might think I'm being hyperbolic. I don't think so. Americans are being
slowly and methodically undermined by their diet. Meat is chock full of
hormones, antibiotics, toxins, often tainted with fecal matter and 
various parasites, both viral and bacterial pathogens. Vegetables are
often laced with herbicides, insecticides, chemical residues, too often
lacking any nutritional value, due to bad farming, and premature
harvesting to accommodate supply chains that stretch over continents.

As if that weren't bad enough, we fill our faces with so much fat and sugar,
snacks, sweets, and fast food of every shape and color, it's amazing the
sidewalks aren't littered with the carcasses of people who have just
simply keeled over from the sheer glut.

Beyond all of that, which basically is either a matter of choice __ eating junk
food __ or a lack of choice __ the prevalence of unhealthy and
contaminated food staples at the market __ I want to focus on one
specific issue which I see as emblematic.

How many people can say they haven't had cancer directly impact either 
themselves or someone they personally know, perhaps even a close relative 
or friend?

If you said 'no' I would be shocked. According to the American Cancer Society:
"In 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed
and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US. Cancer remains the second most common  
cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths."

There are certainly many causes for cancer. To whatever degree we can, we try
to avoid exposure to carcinogens or anything which causes or encourages the
growth of tumors.

But what do we do if we are not allowed to know about a potential source of cancer?

Monsanto has been very effective at suppressing any research findings about the
health implications of both its highly lucrative herbicide Roundup and
its expanding range of GMO products.

But reports are beginning to surface. This recent one on Roundup brings into focus
how dangerous this extensively used, putatively harmless chemical killer is.

 

GMOs are the evil stepsister of Roundup. Most GMO crops are genetically
altered to give them resistance to Roundup, so that the weedkiller can
be sprayed on in copious amounts killing the weeds but leaving the
edible plants intact and supposedly healthy.

Given the many reports __ here and here
are merely a couple references __ coming out of research laboratories
from around the world which are suggesting that these genetic
modifications are extremely dangerous, posing all sorts of risks, first
and foremost among them the promotion of grotesque and potentially
cancerous tumor growths, people are requesting that at least the foods
containing GMO products be labeled as such.

This is hardly an inconsequential concern. 88% of the corn grown in the U.S. 
is genetically modified. 93% of our soybeans are GMO. Because these and 
other food plants are the basis for the thousands of processed food products 
commonly included in the typical American diet, now "70 percent of processed
foods in your local supermarket contain genetically modified ingredients."

Mind you, people are not demanding a total ban on GMOs __ though a case 
can be made for one, at least until it is determined with absolute certainty
that these Frankenfoods are safe __ they just want it PUT ON THE LABEL, 
so they can make an informed decision.

 

Polls show that 93% of American voters want GMO labeling.  
93%! This cuts across the entire political spectrum __ Democrats,
Republicans, Libertarians, Tea Party, liberals, conservatives,
anarchists, Free-Tibet-Nuke-The-Gay-Whales Party of Patriotic
Polemicists __ a historic and unprecedented consensus. And we 
can't even get this done!

Our play-for-pay, follow-the-money, corporate lapdog politicians,
from the President, all the way through the entire gutless
reeking-with-corruption ranks of Congress, all beholden to the likes of
Monsanto, refuse to stand up to the scumbags who put profit before
people!

Uh-oh . . . I'm back to ranting about politics.

Sometimes it seems unavoidable, eh?

Anyway, let me wrap this up with a suggestion. While you're munching away
on that corn dog as you drive to your polling place on November 4th, you
might want to ask yourself: 

"Who should I vote for . . . and what the hell am I eating?!"



[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]