Megaphonics

 

A lot of people want me to shut up.

They find me annoying, grating, shrill.

Some have even claimed I hate America.

I really have to wonder where these people are coming from.

I'm not claiming any heroics here, certainly not comparing myself to those courageous individuals who spoke out against Nazism or the persecutions in the Soviet Union under Stalin, in Cuba under Batista, in Iran under the Shah, on and on — sadly too many to enumerate here.

But I am saying I share with them a duty, as we all do.  I share with them as do all citizens of any country, to speak out against injustice, to criticize the country to which they belong.  We must all speak out and geography is not pertinent.  Whether one lives inside a country or has by circumstance or choice lives outside, oppression is still oppression.  Tyranny is still tyranny.  Villainy and genocide are still villainy and genocide.

Speaking out to praise or to criticize one's own country is not just an option, it is a duty.  And the volume of that voice is not to be arbitrarily turned down or turned off.

Each of us is identified with a nation.  We both have the rights and privileges that are conferred by citizenship, and likewise have a stake in what that nation does in our name, hence a responsibility not just to be aware of those activities but to be discerning and laudatory or critical when necessary.

So I won't shut up.

On the other hand, there is a difference between caustic damnation and constructive criticism.

I see a lot of the former, little of the latter.

Frankly, it’s getting tedious.

There are a lot of people — apparently some 64% according to the polls — who object to Trump as president and what he represents.

This makes entire sense.  He is objectionable at best, foul and pestilent at worst.

But we have to recognize, it’s not just the man we are at loggerheads with here.  “What he represents” has been in the making for a long time.  Over forty years at least, many would argue much longer.  Maybe it was set in motion from the very beginning of our country, as America was founded by slave-holding elitists who were to one degree or another fearful of mob rule.  'Mob rule' is of course just an ugly euphemism for government by the people — all of the people.

A nation run by an elite few is not a democracy by any stretch.  It is the exact opposite of a democracy.  That those elite few then guilefully brainwash the "mob" into thinking they actually have some say in the decisions which determine the direction of the nation and the future is an insult — a vile and patronizing form of manipulation.

Trump and his crew will attempt to rule by fiat.  As corporate businessmen this is all they know.  They will play the "enlightened patriarch" card the whole way.  Some will go along.  Most — at least 64% — will not and have every right to raise hell.

Recognize that raising hell is but one approach.

How about this?  What if we try raising heaven?

Ha ha ha!  Funny play on words, eh?

Not really. Here’s what it boils down to . . .

2017 and 2018 will present historical opportunities.  We will be presented dramatically and starkly contrasting visions for the future.  People who have never been interested in "politics" will start seriously paying attention, because everything that America allegedly stands for, its most noble and worthy values and dreams for all its citizens, will be under assault.

And it will then come down to this . . .

Certainly we know WHAT WE'RE AGAINST as enlightened progressives.

But more crucially we have to know WHAT WE'RE FOR as enlightened progressives.

It's time to be decisive, clear, engaging, positive, thorough, meticulous, captivating.

And truly visionary!

Because within the next two years, American citizens will be hungry as never before for a truly genuine, positive and sweeping renewal.

With no irony here's my take:  There is enormous opportunity which will spring out of the dark days ahead.  I hope we’re ready.  Alert, informed progressives know what's going on.  The vast majority of the American public does not. They are distracted and misinformed, numb and preoccupied with daily life.  They are not to be vilified for this.  They are victims of a highly organized, well-orchestrated assault on the public consciousness, maybe more accurately, an inducement of a hypnotic public unconsciousness.  Trump is just the most effective recent embodiment of that assault.
Certainly there are some big bumps in the road coming soon.  The crash of the economy is inevitable, accelerated by Trump's extremely inept and uninformed administration.  The neocons will get their war because some diseases are beyond any medical intervention.

When war and bankruptcy destroys any hope for improvement of living and working conditions under the orange autocrat, there will be at least 160 million new very angry Americans — many who voted for Trump — asking the questions we progressives have been asking ad nauseam for many years.

It will all come to a crescendo.  Progressives MUST BE READY with an agenda presented in the language of everyday Americans -- not politico-jargon-speak -- but BIG, CLEAR messaging which presents a POSITIVE PROGRESSIVE VISION for America. 

We can do it.  But we have to start now!

When it all starts to crumble, it'll be too late to be brainstorming and formulating plans.




[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http//jdrachel.com ]

Megaphonics

I really like them!

The other day I watched two historic segments from the Steve Colbert show.

One featured President Obama and the other Hillary Clinton.

Both were great! I mean phenomenal! Entertainment at its best!

Obama taking Colbert's place and ridiculing himself in the third person was
hysterical. Hillary's going toe-to-toe with Colbert in a namedropping
contest was brilliantly funny.

Whoa! I've still got major giggles, folks. I'm burping up so many LOLs I'm 
even having trouble writing this!

But it goes deeper. Beyond being incredibly entertained, the astonishing thing for me 
personally was how much I really really liked them. Yes . . . I am being sincere!

I've certainly pulled no punches on either the President or Ms. Clinton in previous blogs. 
Anyone who has read my stuff knows I'm no fan of either. (What an understatement, eh?)

But on a 'like' scale of 1 to 10?

No doubt about it . . . they are both solid 10s!

Which brings me to the point of this piece.

What has likeability got to do with competence or leadership?

In this age where the science of crafting image and shaping perception has
reached levels of sophistication no one could have anticipated even ten
years ago, it hardly comes as a surprise that public figures look good,
always say the right things, know how to pour on the charm, excel at
doing everything needed to have people follow them around like they're
warm-toasted S'mores Bars at a fat farm for insatiable sugar-addicts.

Unfortunately, like a lot of things these days that are finger-lickin' good and a
belly full of lip-smackin' fun, that doesn't mean they're good for you.

As with way too much in our advertising-heavy, product-saturated consumer 
world, we must carefully read the label and do some serious research to see
what's going on behind all the affable hype and feel-good packaging.

As I have argued before, conflating beauty contests and entertainment
with politics is a dangerous game. Making the election of political
leaders like choosing the prom king and queen doesn't just trivialize
democracy. It destroys it.

Sure, feeling warm and cuddly about our government officials is a pleasant
thought, and maybe desirable on some superficial level. Both Obama and
Ms. Clinton exude charm, are amiable and very videogenic. Judging from
their acclaimed guest appearances on Comedy Central, both have all the
right qualities to host their own television shows, either serious and
thoughtful, or comedic and fun. That's well and good.

 

But the true measure of constructive, visionary leadership is not how
effectively they deliver one-liners, what nice people they appear to be,
how down-to-earth they are, or even how picture-perfect they are with
their families.

The true measure is on the larger national and international stages what set
of values they represent, what ideas they offer, what plans they embrace and
and promote, what promise of peace and prosperity they achieve, what path 
they lay out for shaping the future of America, both for us and generations 
to come.

I say we keep things in perspective.

Both of these American icons are very talented people. Isn't there some
Biblical injunction about proper use of talents? I sincerely believe we 
should put their real talents to work.

Sarah Palin __ god help us __ has her own subscriber television channel.
Much admired and forward-looking patriot that she is, dear Sarah has
laid the groundwork. Let's take the baton and run with it!

We've seen what these two are capable of on TV.

How about a Barack Obama Channel?

A Hillary Clinton Channel?

Why not?

This is what America is all about. It's what make our nation great!

Television!

On the other hand, as to our Nobel Peace Prize President and the lady 
who engineered the destruction of Libya as a nation . . . let's be clear 
about our political future.

We've endured Obama's stealthy alliance with the neocons, corporatists, the
imperialists and oligarchs. We've found every excuse in the book for his
putting the needs of banks and corporations before the needs of the
people. We've averted our gazes as he started more wars and killed
innocent citizens with drones. Not much we can do about that now.

But we still have a choice with Ms. Clinton. Forget the pretty picture on the 
outside of the package, folks. Start reading the fine print on the label before 
it's too late. Let's nudge this self-serving sociopath out of politics and into 
show business where she belongs. 

The Hillary Channel: Name-Dropping, Self-Aggrandizing Hillary, All Day Everyday 24-7!

I like it!

Enough said. To end this on a positive note, I will now throw a bone to the
diehard Obama apologists and lets-elect-a-pair-of-ovaries-for-president
Hillary supporters out there, who may have accidentally stumbled on my
blog site, showing what a doggone open-minded guy I am, proving along
the way that I am without question, a truly gracious blog host.

Appearing below are the two Stephen Colbert show segments that had me
belly-laughing, happy-slapping-my-knee, and rolling on the floor with
delight. Together they provide the perfect laugh track for the final
self-indulgent excesses of an empire in decline.

Enjoy!

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

United?

"The United States of America!" 

Doesn't saying it just make your heart leap for joy?

I start hearing the national anthem play in my head, see the rockets red glare
bursting in air, the American flag waving majestically over the capital
skyline.

But I started wondering the other day:  What exactly does the 'united' stand
for?  What exactly during these contentious, deeply divisive, tragically
troubled times does it mean?

'United' would seem to imply Unity. Agreement. Fellowship. Consensus. Harmony.

Does that sound like contemporary America to you?

Here are some big questions . . .

Are we united by a sense of national purpose?

Are we united by a belief in our destiny and place in history? 

Are we united by confidence in our superiority?

Are we united in our belief in American exceptionalism?

Are we united in our desire for empire?

Are we united by a love for our fellow Americans?

Are we united by our patriotism and sense of duty?

Or . . . are we united by our indifference?

Are we united by our faith in the American Dream?

Or . . . are we united by our pessimism?

Our cynicism?

How about some systemic issues . . .

Are we united in our faith in capitalism?

Are we united in the trust of our government?

Are we united in our belief in American democracy?

Are we united by a trust in God?

A system of shared values?

An ethos?

Are we united by our sense of self-determination?

Or . . . are we united by our sense of helplessness?

Our vulnerability and fatalism?

Our surrender?

How about some very specific issues . . .

Are we united in our love of guns?

Are we united by our freedom of speech?

Are we united by our disdain for socialism?

Are we united by the War on Terror?

Are we united by our hatred of Muslims?

Then there's the psychological component . . .

Are we united by love?

Or . . . are we united by hate?

Are we united by courage?

Bravado?

Self-respect?

Or . . . are we united by fear?

Are we united by our optimism?

Or . . . are we united by our despair?

Our desperation?

Our doubt?

Here I believe is a really important question: Where does the rugged
individualism which we see as the hallmark of a true American fit in?

How can we be united if we each have our own priorities and agenda?

Maybe we're not united at all.

Maybe it's all an illusion.

Maybe the United States of America is more like United Airlines, or United 
Van Lines. Catchy name but it doesn't really allude to any real or even
imagined unity.

And speaking of huge corporations, maybe we are united as customers,
shareholders and employees of the vast corporations which seem to run
everything these days. We are the biologic modules of a sprawling
corporate Gaia, united in our service to interlocking clusters of
entrepreneurial entities.

Less abstract and more the stuff of day-to-day living . . .

Are we united by the automobile?

Are we united by television?

Are we united by smart phones?

Are we united by the internet?

Holiday sales?

Shopping?

Football?

Which makes me wonder . . .

Maybe we're just a bunch of lonely people who need to feel like we belong to something.

Or maybe not.


[ 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 ]

America Has Become Anti-American

 

Because I live in Japan and post articles which are critical of America, I am
often accused of being anti-American. The truth is both
counter-intuitive and extremely disturbing.

I haven't changed ... America certainly has.

America has become anti-American!

The Constitution guarantees freedom of the press. Yet reporters are now being intimidated and threatened with arrest and incarceration. Whistleblowers who try to expose fraud, corruption, and waste in government by making available in public news media forums information of value to American citizens, are likewise harassed and prosecuted.

The Constitution requires the government to promote the general welfare. Yet the benefits of our economic wealth are accruing to a tiny elite while poverty is still pervasive and the majority of the population scrambles to make ends meet. Among the 34 highly developed nations in the world, America ranks 17th
in terms of life satisfaction __ happiness __ the key factors for its
low ranking being massive income inequality and excessively long hours
spent on average in the work place. In terms of health care and life expectancy, for the richest country in the world, America ranks abysmally low.

The Constitution guarantees equal representation of its citizens. Yet, the electoral system has become corrupted by unverifiable e-voting, grotesque gerrymandering of districts, and torrents of money in politics, which only guarantees the voices of average voters will be drown out and their participation in our democracy marginalized.

The Constitution guarantees the freedom from unwarranted search and seizure,
and right of trial by jury before peers, yet starting in 2001 by using
the endless War on Terror as an excuse, patently unconstitutional legislation has been effected __ Patriot Acts I and II, FISA, and the NDAA which Obama signed into law on New Years Eve 2011
while America was preoccupied with celebrating the holidays __ now
placing every citizen at risk for arbitrary arrest and indefinite
detention with no access to legal counsel.

The Constitution guarantees equality before the law. Yet rich elite white
collar criminals wreak havoc on our economy breaking countless laws and go free, while petty crimes by regular citizens __ especially people of color __ result in harsh and disproportionate prosecution and punishment.

The Constitution specifies that the power to make war is exclusively the responsibility of Congress. Yet the president as Commander-in-Chief often ignores the constitutional limits as well as the War Powers Act, using the military purely at his own discretion. This abuse of power results in unnecessary deaths of our citizens in uniform, while at the same time counter-productively foments enormous animosity and mistrust throughout the world.


Our legal framework via the Posse Comitatus Act has long barred the use of the military for law enforcement but vast and sophisticated surveillance by federal security agencies, the militarization of local police forces, and their handshake agreements with federal agencies, puts us all under the iron fist of enforcement agencies like the NSA and operatives of the Pentagon itself.

I could go on. But that might offend some people.

Sometimes the truth can be so anti-American.


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



 

Blinders Keepers

 

In this dark comedy, a young fellow who escapes his hopelessly hayseed home town in Missouri is mistakenly labeled a terrorist and must survive a fierce manhunt by government security agencies, while the President of an America in chaos and collapse takes desperate measures, attempting to reclaim control and get himself re-elected.

Blinders Keepers is social-political satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller, but revved up and spit-shined to take on the historic new levels of absurdity and dysfunction of the 21st Century. It is one young man's struggle to survive the epic disintegration of the American Dream.

Published June 1 of this year, this semi-frivolous, quasi-serious, mini-epic in a major key is available in every popular format for literature lovers across the English-speaking world.

As a Kindle ebook from Amazon (US) . . . http://amzn.to/122cnyF
As a paperback from Amazon (US) . . . http://amzn.to/11zaEjm
As a Nook Book from Barnes & Noble . . . http://bit.ly/17MtgjE
As an iBook from the Apple Store . . . http://bit.ly/11WqJiv
As an ebook from Kobo . . . http://bit.ly/18wHki2
As an EPUB ebook from Sony . . . http://bit.ly/11GNrLz
Every popular ebook format at Smashwords . . . http://bit.ly/190zmgs
As a paperback from the printer . . . http://bit.ly/10SPPyS
Direct from the publisher . . . http://bit.ly/14j2VGy

But let's face it. There are so many books out there!

Overwhelmed? Don't feel alone. You might want to check out the first video trailer . . .

. . . or listen to what the vitamin-deficient author himself has to say in this interview. 
Okaaaaaay!

The truth is, against all odds, oohs and aahs are pouring in from all corners of the globe. Following are some carefully edited excerpts from unsolicited reader comments posted at Amazon (it is the opinion of the administrators of this website that expletives and death threats serve no constructive role vis-a-vis the literary merits of the novel):

"Blinders Keepers" is an example of how to successfully mix political observations, humor, and creativity . . . This is a great book to unwind with at the end of the day. Just sit back and let the insanity unfold. The prose is well written with a fresh voice and will have you grinning whether you like it or not. –  Nicole Disney 

"Blinders Keepers" is the latest star of my "show this to the next person who says indie novels suck" list. Here's your novel by an unknown writer, from a press so indie it amounts to "self-publishing by proxy", with an oddball, non directive title and a vague cover. What's to like? Well... THE BOOK! It's WAY cool. –  Linton Robinson

This book is interesting, fun, and witty, with a wry, sardonic sense of humor__a Vonnegut meets Christopher Moore drive-it-like-you-stole-it joyride! –  T. Rood

Blinders Keepers is a fugitive quest set in the near future in an America none of us would want. In its futurist setting, it aligns with 1984, Brave New World, and The Handmaid's Tale, all cautionary stories about how bad things might get if we don't wake up and smell the decaf. –  Gerald Everett Jones

Comparisons to Kotzwinkle, Tom Robbins and Ishmael Reed are not that far off the mark . . . Rachel is very, very good. He has a lively style and is very gifted at original, catchy similes and metaphors. His insights are interesting and he lays them in with finesse. His style and voice don't suffer from comparison to the writers mentioned above. Much more enjoyable than Palahniuk, to single out one. He's a fun writer, but also a solid, focused one who knows what he's doing. –  Linton Robinson

I AM ONLY 2% into the book and it has blown away every other good book I've read. . . . Being a fan of John Rachel I know him to give offbeat stories that are almost beyond description. – Grandma Snyder

But don't take their word for it. Make up your own mind!

As the essence of good literature is allegory and allegory is like giving LSD to a toddler raised on a porch in Appalachia, here is the second video trailer for Blinders Keepers.

Now! Time to pull out all the stops. Here's the opening sub-chapter of Blinders Keepers, based on a verifiable historical event but modified at the discretion of the author to align with the instructions given by a voice in his head __ a dreary character who without any irony claims to be the orthopedic surgeon for St. Ignatius of Loyola. It takes all kinds.

CHAPTER ONE
State of the Union

It was that time of year again. Last week of January.

The President was making his much anticipated State of the Union Address.

After the usual greetings and initial courtesies — thanking everyone for coming, acknowledging the important players in all branches of the government, and offering gracious regards for a few special invited guests — the President delivered the type of crowd-pleasing line which has been the linchpin of State of the Union addresses for as long as anyone cared to remember.

“As I stand before this great body and look out at the faces of those who have dedicated themselves to this great nation, I can say with absolute confidence that America is on strong and certain footing.”

Then abruptly his expression changed, he shook his head and stopped speaking. Hands grasping the edges of the podium, he looked down at his feet and appeared to be lost in thought.

What followed was both unexpected and certainly unprecedented. He looked back up. Gone was the confident smile, the twinkle in his eye, the arched optimistic brow. He appeared somber, a touch sad, apologetic.

“Who am I trying to fool here? You, my respected Congressmen? Some of the finest legislators to ever hold public office? The excellent justices of the Supreme Court who preside over the greatest legal institution in history? Myself? No, I’m not here to try to fool anyone. These are times unlike any this nation has ever seen. So I’ll tell you exactly what the state of our union is. It’s a fucking mess!”

A deathly silence filled the entire congressional chamber. If a pin had dropped, it would have been possible to know its exact size and just how many times it bounced. What wasn’t entirely clear was if they had somehow missed what he just said, or if they had heard it, but it hadn’t actually registered. Blank faces and unfocused eyes filled the chamber.

Then, as if being directed by some invisible conductor, or moved by an invisible resonant force field, everyone immediately stood up and began with thunderous applause, cheering, and raucous acclamation, to give him a huge standing ovation. This went on and on, for several minutes at least, never in the least waning in intensity. The President smiled and waved, basking in the adulation. Finally, he had enough and made it clear he had more that he wanted to say. Using a palm’s down gesturing with his hands, he eventually got them to sit back down.

“So here’s what we’re gonna do. I want you all to look down at the floor. Now pull your pant legs up over your calves. What do you see? For those senators and congressman from Texas, this will be easy. You won’t have to imagine. The rest of you, just look and see what I’m seeing. See those loops. Those are bootstraps. Yes, bootstraps. Okay. Now look back up at me.”

Dramatically the President held up high in front of him his two index fingers.

“See these? What we’re gonna do is take these and insert them right in those bootstraps. Then all together, we’re gonna lift. We’re gonna lift like no one has ever lifted before. And we’re gonna pick ourselves up. We’re gonna pick ourselves up and we’re gonna stay up. Do you know why? I’ll tell you why. Because this is America. This is the greatest country that ever was or ever will be. And as we have demonstrated time and time again, as we have shown the naysayers and skeptics over and over, this is one country that can do it. We will do it! Yes! By God we will do it! Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to each and every one of you for your unselfish dedication, your unwavering patriotism, your honorable service to this great country. God bless America!”

Everyone in the chamber, congressman, jurists, ushers, guards, special guests, select members of the press, again leaped to their feet. The response this time was totally over the top. It made the first ovation look like they had been standing graveside at a wake.

Suddenly and without warning, over the explosive din of the hysterical whooping and yelling, could be heard blasting from P.A. speakers hidden behind the long drapes at the rear of the gallery, the U.S. Army band playing Happy Days Are Here Again. This theatrical touch just added to the ongoing chain reaction, notching the hysteria up another two levels.

With climactic flair which rivaled the best Superbowl half-time shows, red, white and blue balloons then dropped from the ceiling. Like crazed, frenetic school children, the congressman start batting them around.

Maybe the country was going to hell in a hand basket. But darn it all, there was no reason to get all down in the mouth about it.


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

Going Postal

As you may or may not know, I left America August 2006. I've returned to the U.S. on three occasions for brief visits, but basically I've been living as an expat in 21 countries, including five in Europe, three in Africa, and thirteen in Asia.

This has given me the rewards of seeing how a variety of other people live, as well as how their respective governments treat them as citizens and human beings.

Now I live in on the outskirts of a rural town in Japan situated a little over an hour northwest of Osaka, also near Kobe and Kyoto.

In my previous blog I listed the amazing array of services provided by Japan Post, Japan's equivalent of the U.S. Postal Service.

• Regular Mail
• Stamps
• Parcels
• Letter Packs
• International Express Mail
• Savings
• Loans
• Cash Transfers
• Money Orders
• International Remittances
• Government Bonds
• Investment Trusts
• Life Insurance
• Local Government Services
• Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance

I reiterate, Japan Post does all of this with care, courtesy, efficiency, incredible attention to detail and a dedication to providing good service. It is among the most loved and respected service institutions in this country. All of these services are available in the main area for 57 hours every week, Monday thru Saturday. Mail services are available for 67 hours per week via a special service window, also open on Sunday. Moreover mail is delivered to each and every home in Japan, regardless of how off the beaten path they might be, Monday thru Saturday, with special deliveries also made on Sunday.

Contrast this with America.

It was recently announced that Saturday mail service for the entire country was being eliminated, effective sometime in the fall.

So . . .

We can deliver lethal explosives via unmanned drones to kill innocent people 1000s of miles away in faraway countries which have no aggressive intentions toward America.

We can deliver enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world 25 times over with 12,000 active ICBMs, and fleets of nuclear submarines and long range bombers.

We can deliver billions of dollars of freshly printed $100 bills to buy the toxic assets of corrupt, blundering too-big-to-fail investment banks across the economic landscape.

We can deliver weapons of every shape, size and destructive power to buyers throughout the world, often ruthless despots and criminal governments oppressing decent people.

We can deliver trillions of dollars in loans and loan guarantees to incompetent and deceptive banks to allow them to continue impoverishing the many to enrich the few.

We can deliver through the corporate media, empty platitudes, unfulfilled promises, and patriotic blather to a populous craving some order from the chaos we're submerged in.

We can deliver bilious and vapid television dramas, vulgar reality shows, celebrity gossip, mindless sitcoms, and orgies of violence and salacious sex on DVDs and cinema screens.

We can even deliver hugely expensive and exotic space weapons systems, spy satellites, and futuristic laser guns into orbits around our planet.

BUT WE CAN'T DELIVER THE MAIL ON SATURDAY!

With changes in technology, and the growth and proliferation new businesses and services, Japan Post understandably has had to adjust. But rather than succumb purely to the often anti-social forces of a completely unregulated free market, the government offers responsible countervailing guidance, responsive to the needs of its citizens.

As private companies, like FedEx and UPS, have introduced their own assortments of delivery services __ and yes, Japan has a thriving private sector in this respect __ Japan Post has kept itself viable and solvent by offering the many other services listed above, making itself a one-stop-place-to-shop when people are running their errands.

While the U.S. Postal Service keeps announcing more and more layoffs, Japan Post makes an important contribution to keeping Japan's unemployment rate down by staying fully staffed with competent, well-trained, unionized workers. Unemployment was last reported at only 4.2%.

Japan Post, as with every other service agency in Japan, not only keeps itself fully staffed, but keeps its staff efficient and knowledgeable with new and ongoing training programs. These assure that whether you are making financial transactions, securing life or auto insurance, setting up an investment trust, planning your vacation, or just selecting and shipping a gift to a friend or relative, you are being assisted by a courteous, competent, eager-to-please individual, intent on providing the best possible service.

And America can't even deliver the mail on Saturday?

What is going on?

Like it or not, here the simple straightforward truth . . .

Our country is being stolen. It is being painstakingly dissembled piece by piece. Our jobs are disappearing. Our freedoms are disappearing. Opportunity is shrinking. The American Dream is dissolving like a ghostly puff of smoke that hinted at better times. Our political and policy decisions are now made by the highest bidder. Our once-amazing country is falling apart. Frankly, America is viewed as in decline by most of the rest of the world.

"Oh! But you're so wrong. America is #1!"

Oh, excuse me. I forgot. I must be some unpatriotic America-hater to even consider such offensive allegations. I do apologize.

But the question still remains . . .

If America is #1, then why can't it deliver the mail on Saturday?

Why can't it maintain and even improve on a service so fundamental and necessary to an organized, functioning society, one that already has a long history of success and approval in our own country, and somehow works just fine in every other country in the world?

The answer is no secret and is appalling:  The U.S. Postal Service is being sabotaged by play-for-pay politicians who at the bidding of private corporations intend to take it apart and privatize it, turning it into another money-maker for interested parties.

The destruction of the U.S. Postal Service is just another in a long list. The corporate vampires will not rest until they've sucked the last blood out of every institution in our once-great nation. They're destroying the educational system, they are bleeding the treasury, they are after Social Security and Medicare, they are already bankrupting the nation leaving people sick and dying while delivering second-rate medical services. They are after every government program, every initiative, every community service agency, to divert tax dollars exclusively to enterprises which improve the bottom line of multinational corporations, bloodsucking institutions which have no loyalty to America, to its citizens, to its families, to its communities, or to actual human beings. With these corporations, the only concern about any of us, our lives, our communities, our country, is what can be extracted in terms of profit.

The tragic disembowelment of the nation's postal system is just the latest round in their long, calculated crusade to dominate and control every aspect of our lives, to disempower us, and leave us at their mercy, beck and call.

With all that seems to be going wrong with America's economy, its democracy, its foreign policy, its media monopoly, human rights and privacy abuses, fiscal plunder and national bankruptcy, rampant corruption in all branches and at all levels of government, it certainly makes it difficult, if not impossible, to know where to begin. They always tell you to choose your battles carefully, ones that you have some hope of winning. Maybe this is a place to start. Maybe not.

I know one thing for sure.

We need to take a stand and take it now.

We need to tell the corporate oligarchs . . .

"Enough! Stop destroying our country or we will destroy you!"

Perhaps we can start by trying to saving the U.S. Postal Service.

Or is it too late?


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