I cannot claim to know a great deal about John Roberts...there's not much of a judicial history to review. Consequently, I do not know whether he would make a good Associate Justice or Chief Justice. However, I think Bush's appointments to lead Homeland Security and FEMA argue persuasively for a very, very, very hard look at any future nominees Bush makes for any post.
Lifetime appointments to powerful positions can have effects far greater than even the impact of his appointment of fellow bunglers to positions that are ostensibly intended to protect citizens of the United States.
I'm moderating my language and my views in this message. I'm afraid some readers would consider my viewpoints to be merely maniacal rants if I put my true feelings in to words, as I have done before from time to time.
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Fox Appoints Self to Investigate Henhouse Murders
George Bush says he will lead an investigation to "find out what went right and what went wrong" in the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Write to your senators and congressmen...tell them it's utterly inappropriate for Bush to lead an investigation, just as it would be inappropriate for the Secretary of Homeland Security and for the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be involved in the investigation. The investigation needs to be led by someone who is not in the chain of command.
Write to your senators and congressmen...tell them it's utterly inappropriate for Bush to lead an investigation, just as it would be inappropriate for the Secretary of Homeland Security and for the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be involved in the investigation. The investigation needs to be led by someone who is not in the chain of command.
Monday, September 5, 2005
Part I: A New Persona for the U.S.A.
I've tried to stop feeling so utterly, hopelessly sad about what has happened, and is happening, to the people along the Gulf Coast and New Orleans in particular. But I just can't. There's too much devastation, there's too much suffering, there's too little aid. I wish I could turn back time, but I can't. The fact is, this country is in the midst of one of the most horrific disasters it has ever faced. As we continue to do everything in our power to help the people affected by the storm recover and as we work to minimize the impact of the cataclysmic events on our economy, we need to look at where this country heads in the aftermath of this catastrophe. And we need to look inward, to look at what we stand for as a people.
We need to work to regain our position of leadership in the world. I'm not talking about leadership by force or by faith, I'm talking about leadership by philosophy and by example.
Our country's view of the world, its approach to dealing with cultures that do not share our values, and its view of its position in that world should be clearly articulated. So should the values by which we, as a people, wish to lives our lives. If we ever wish to live in harmony with the rest of the world, or even hold onto any hope for harmony, we must do this.
A Proposal As To Our View of the the World
The world comprises myriad nations, cultures and religions. So long as the value systems that attach to those nations, cultures and religions do not incite attacks on other nations, cultures or religions, the United States will treat each of them as having a legitimate place in the world and in the collective governance of the world. Whenever the actions of any country or culture or religion appear to cause needless suffering, the United States will work with the global community to collectively address the issue. The United States will never take unilateral military action except to defend itself and its people against attack.
Because the United States has, historically, led the world in economic and industrial development, its citizens generally have one of the highest standards of living of any country. It is right and just for our citizens to help enhance the standards of living for others around the world, both through personal donations and through their government's contributions of money and materials. It is equally right and just for our citizens to reevaluate their own standards of living and to modify their consumption habits if those habits are harmful to the global community. Finally, it is right and just for the people of the United States to help people of less fortunate countries learn how to enhance their standards of living, while protecting the rights and privileges of the earth's population.
We as a nation do not have an inate responsibility to other nations, beyond humane treatment, except to the extent to which accumulation of wealth is attributable to the suffering of others; then, we do have a responsibility to make reparations.
Values that Shape the United States
The United States is not a Christian nation, as some would suggest, despite the fact that the majority of its citizens call themselves Christians. While many values that guide U.S. society are shared with Christianity, the same values may be shared with Islam, Buddism, Paganism, and many other religions, as well as many who are agnostics or atheists. Some of the values that form the underpinnings of U.S. society include:
Priorities that should guide U.S. policies, both domestically and internationally, include:
We need to work to regain our position of leadership in the world. I'm not talking about leadership by force or by faith, I'm talking about leadership by philosophy and by example.
Our country's view of the world, its approach to dealing with cultures that do not share our values, and its view of its position in that world should be clearly articulated. So should the values by which we, as a people, wish to lives our lives. If we ever wish to live in harmony with the rest of the world, or even hold onto any hope for harmony, we must do this.
A Proposal As To Our View of the the World
The world comprises myriad nations, cultures and religions. So long as the value systems that attach to those nations, cultures and religions do not incite attacks on other nations, cultures or religions, the United States will treat each of them as having a legitimate place in the world and in the collective governance of the world. Whenever the actions of any country or culture or religion appear to cause needless suffering, the United States will work with the global community to collectively address the issue. The United States will never take unilateral military action except to defend itself and its people against attack.
Because the United States has, historically, led the world in economic and industrial development, its citizens generally have one of the highest standards of living of any country. It is right and just for our citizens to help enhance the standards of living for others around the world, both through personal donations and through their government's contributions of money and materials. It is equally right and just for our citizens to reevaluate their own standards of living and to modify their consumption habits if those habits are harmful to the global community. Finally, it is right and just for the people of the United States to help people of less fortunate countries learn how to enhance their standards of living, while protecting the rights and privileges of the earth's population.
We as a nation do not have an inate responsibility to other nations, beyond humane treatment, except to the extent to which accumulation of wealth is attributable to the suffering of others; then, we do have a responsibility to make reparations.
Values that Shape the United States
The United States is not a Christian nation, as some would suggest, despite the fact that the majority of its citizens call themselves Christians. While many values that guide U.S. society are shared with Christianity, the same values may be shared with Islam, Buddism, Paganism, and many other religions, as well as many who are agnostics or atheists. Some of the values that form the underpinnings of U.S. society include:
- Every person has inherent worth and dignity
- We believe the the First Amendment to our constitution should guide our national policies with regard to religion, that is, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations should guide our national policies
- Every person has the capacity to develop a conscience that serves as his or her guiding principles, and it is our society's responsibility to encourage development of conscience that is in alignment with our society's values
- We will operate as a nation as a democratic society, in which government is not only of and for the people but also by the people
- We recognize that there will be discords between our own citizens and between our citizens and the citizens of other countries about what constitutes moral behavior and we believe that those discords should be addressed through discussion and debate; we acknowledge that some of those discords cannot, due to deeply held personal beliefs, be addressed and we believe that, in such cases, we as a society must accept that individuals will always hold invididual beliefs
- Our goal with the world community is to establish peace, liberty, and justice for all people, while acknowledging that it is neither our right nor our responsibility to intervene in the affairs of other nations except at the express invitation of those nations
- It is the responsibility of every individual and every nation to acknowledge the limitations of the earth's resources and to behave in ways that will protect them
Priorities that should guide U.S. policies, both domestically and internationally, include:
- Social and political policies should be developed to help assure that all able-bodied citizens are able to use their capabilities to secure or create employment that offers sufficient remuneration to allow them to live comfortably, and above the poverty line
- A safety net of unemployment benefits should be available but time-limited for those who are able-bodied, provided employment opportunities exist that would allow the individual to live above the poverty line
- A safety net of unemployment benefits should be available to people who are unable to work and who have no other means of income
- The United States military should disengage from combat as soon as possible without abandoning the citizens of Iraq to civil war and should, thereafter, be sent to combat only to protect the United States and its citizens or after the global community collectively decides that military action is necessary
- Social and political policies should be developed to help assure that every United States citizen has access to adequate healthcare
- Environmental protection and rehabilitation policies should be established to rapidly improve the environment and to protect it from future degradation
- Energy policy should focus on rapid development of renewal energy resources that can be used to power automobiles, aircraft, machinery, industrial plants, and other equipment that presently require hydrocarbon-based fuels
- Economic policy should have at its core three main priorities: keep the world's and the nation's economy healthy; engender economic well-being at every level of society; and maintain flexibility to enable economic imperatives to change with changing circumstances
- Policies which support economic and business growth should simulataneously offer necessary social and environment protections.
Part II later. This is apt to be an evolving and growing piece.
Sunday, September 4, 2005
"We Couldn't Have Predicted..." and Other Blather
An article by Andrew Sullivan in The Times of London presents facts about Bush's incompetence in dealing with New Orleans. I highly recommend it.
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are saying they had not way of predicting that the results of Katrina would be so catastrophic. All they needed to do was read National Geographic to get an idea. Here is just a snippet of an article from the October 2004 issue of the magazine; it's very eerie reading:
"It was a broiling August afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Big Easy, the City That Care Forgot. Those who ventured outside moved as if they were swimming in tupelo honey. Those inside paid silent homage to the man who invented air-conditioning as they watched TV "storm teams" warn of a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing surprising there: Hurricanes in August are as much a part of life in this town as hangovers on Ash Wednesday.
But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however—the car-less, the homeless, the aged and infirm, and those die-hard New Orleanians who look for any excuse to throw a party.
The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level—more than eight feet below in places—so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it.
Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.
When did this calamity happen? It hasn't—yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great."
Read the entire article at: http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are saying they had not way of predicting that the results of Katrina would be so catastrophic. All they needed to do was read National Geographic to get an idea. Here is just a snippet of an article from the October 2004 issue of the magazine; it's very eerie reading:
"It was a broiling August afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Big Easy, the City That Care Forgot. Those who ventured outside moved as if they were swimming in tupelo honey. Those inside paid silent homage to the man who invented air-conditioning as they watched TV "storm teams" warn of a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing surprising there: Hurricanes in August are as much a part of life in this town as hangovers on Ash Wednesday.
But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however—the car-less, the homeless, the aged and infirm, and those die-hard New Orleanians who look for any excuse to throw a party.
The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level—more than eight feet below in places—so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it.
Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.
When did this calamity happen? It hasn't—yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great."
Read the entire article at: http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/
A Brewing Battle
Tonight's announcement of the death of Chief Justice William Rehndquist signals a brewing battle in Congress. The man who showed remarkable incompetence in the nation's response to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy is now in a position to appoint two justices...one of them Chief Justice. The United States is truly at risk.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
Time for a New America
I truly appreciate the National Guardsmen who are working to respond to the catastrophe of Katrina. I appreciate the people of the nation giving all they can. I applaud the contributions of so many people. I am so delighted to hear so many countries outside that the U.S. has helped in the past, including Canada, England, Germany, and Sri Lanka, have offered help. I so appreciate the individuals and countries that want to help the U.S. I wish the United States government would express the same support. It's finally helping, but it is too little, too late.
I call for a new America...free of George Bush, free of Condi Rice, free of the fascists that run the country today. I am willing to be part of the revolution. I just need to know I have some support. This country is being led by idiots. We have to have better leadership, or we will disappear. We need to stop ignoring our racist policies and acknowlege them. Fix them. We have to help. Let's start over with a newAmerica. A new president, a new Congress, a new attitude. We can keep the Constitution. We just need people who will adhere to it as our leaders.
We can wait until the next election, or we can start today taking back our country.
I call for a new America...free of George Bush, free of Condi Rice, free of the fascists that run the country today. I am willing to be part of the revolution. I just need to know I have some support. This country is being led by idiots. We have to have better leadership, or we will disappear. We need to stop ignoring our racist policies and acknowlege them. Fix them. We have to help. Let's start over with a newAmerica. A new president, a new Congress, a new attitude. We can keep the Constitution. We just need people who will adhere to it as our leaders.
We can wait until the next election, or we can start today taking back our country.
Friday, September 2, 2005
Any Help...Anything...Will Make A Difference
Katrina is beyond comprehension. One of my brothers has offered space in his home for Katrina evacuees...I learned to day many others have done the same.
Look at www.craigslist.com; select a city and then select housing and look at shared housing. Many, many people are offering a room in their home, an apartment, a temporary place to live...just shelter.
The problem, of course, is that so few people are actually getting out of New Orleans. But there are lots of people in Mississippi and Alabama who need help, too.
Here's an example of what drives me to the edge of sanity...the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas sent several buses to New Orleans to evacuate people in the New Orleans Fairmont back to Dallas. Despite big challenges and hardships, they succeeded, today. Why can the U.S. Government not do the same for the people at the New Orleans Convention Center?
The gangs with guns in New Orleans are insane...possibly exacerbated by lack of water and assistance, of course...and they should be dealt with in whatever way necessary to allow government and volunteers to get to those who need it.
America, at least part of America, has become a Third World Country. Maybe we can learn from those who have had this experience for years and years.
Last night, I sent my email list a plea for donations to help. I make that plea again. Give anything you can to any organization that can help. Be careful, though, of making donations to the U.S. government; it's not to be trusted. Pick a charitable organization. Offer a place for refugees to live.
Look at www.craigslist.com; select a city and then select housing and look at shared housing. Many, many people are offering a room in their home, an apartment, a temporary place to live...just shelter.
The problem, of course, is that so few people are actually getting out of New Orleans. But there are lots of people in Mississippi and Alabama who need help, too.
Here's an example of what drives me to the edge of sanity...the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas sent several buses to New Orleans to evacuate people in the New Orleans Fairmont back to Dallas. Despite big challenges and hardships, they succeeded, today. Why can the U.S. Government not do the same for the people at the New Orleans Convention Center?
The gangs with guns in New Orleans are insane...possibly exacerbated by lack of water and assistance, of course...and they should be dealt with in whatever way necessary to allow government and volunteers to get to those who need it.
America, at least part of America, has become a Third World Country. Maybe we can learn from those who have had this experience for years and years.
Last night, I sent my email list a plea for donations to help. I make that plea again. Give anything you can to any organization that can help. Be careful, though, of making donations to the U.S. government; it's not to be trusted. Pick a charitable organization. Offer a place for refugees to live.