Does Size Matter?

The current crop of so called, tea bagging, neo-conservative, Republicans and their views—are in truth libertarian views—that would trample the rights of many. They have rewritten history with slick marketing, and blatant lies—none more damaging to our Democratic Republic than—"the size of our government is too big."

These Special Interest driven, Libertarian theories, are more Darwinian in nature and predatory in execution—a "survival of the fittest" mentality that preys on the weakest and most vulnerable. They exalt in their hubris and greed and protect themselves and their special interests by persuading congress with large campaign contributions, into privatizing and deregulating our government. The net result was banks could prey on the people with predatory lending, exorbitant interest rates and service fees as examples—forcing this nation into near bankruptcy. And then unabashedly, they're bought and paid for congress, stood firmly as a block against the Democratic efforts to re-establish financial reform regulations. They are the worst fear of the founding fathers coming true.

The founders saw the establishment of government as a matter of practicality—its establishment sprang from the belief that the (virtuous) people could and should govern themselves and the bedrock foundation of government, should be based on absolute moral and civic virtue. In other words the absolute necessity to do what is morally right for "promoting the general welfare." They were driven by the ideal that the government should be a neutral arbiter of what was just and morally right. Impartial to a fault.

However the founders were torn by the reality of the human nature at its absolute worst—and whether the ideal they envisioned—a government of the (virtuous) people, by the (virtuous) people, and for the (virtuous) people—was achievable.

Their careful inclusion of the intricate system of checks and balances, which we now take for granted was their best effort to ensure that those ideals would survive the onslaught of a minority or majority of corrupt, self serving men. That fear and apprehension was best expressed in The Federalist #10 by James Madison, writing under the pseudonym of Publius—he expressed his fear that "the greatest danger to a democratic republican form of government was the tyranny of a minority or of a majority faction." In today's terminology a faction would be a special interest group, who either as a majority or a minority would put their own interest above what is just and right for either another group of citizens or even the greater good of the nation.

What Madison said about the size of Government.

Madison recognized that a small democracy cannot avoid the dangers of majority faction because, "small size means that undesirable passions can very easily spread to a majority of the people, which can then enact its will through the democratic government without difficulty. He then makes an argument in favor of a large republic against a small republic for the choice of “fit characters” (representatives) to represent the public’s voice. In a large republic where the number of voters and candidates is greater, the probability to elect competent representatives is broader. The voters have a wider option. In a small republic it would also be easier for the candidates to fool the voters, while in a large one, harder."

Madison goes on in favor of a large republic, and explains that, "in a small republic there will be a lower variety of interests and parties, so more frequently a majority will be found. The number of participants of that majority, will be lower, and considering they live in a more limited territory, it would be easier for them to agree and work together for the accomplishment of their ideas. While in a large republic the variety of interests will be greater so to make it harder to find a majority. Even if there is a majority it would be harder for them to work together because of the large number of people and the fact they are spread out in a wider territory."

The fact that Madison's view was adopted as the majority view—that a large powerful robust government is the best protection against the corrupt self serving nature of man—is evident in the Constitution, as it was written, and flies in the face of the lie that our government is "too large."

Commentary: Our founding fathers did discuss the size and tone of the government, and knew that size does matter. The bigger and more robust the better. The Republican attempts to privatize and deregulate the government is nothing short of treachery. And makes a mockery of their so called, "love for the Constitution" and phony patriotism, when they are steadily trying to undermine our government at every turn.

Nancy Pelosi: Human Shield In The Torture Debate

The Republican's have adopted a "human shield defense" tactic, to forestall the prying eyes of public debate on torture. They're threatening to politically assassinate Nancy Pelosi.

It reminds me of the black and white, overacted, grade B , gangster movies of the 1940's.

A small time gangster, and three time loser, is on the lamb with the last member of his gang and his girlfriend, usually a dull witted platinum blonde, who has been his unwitting accomplice in the enactment of numerous crimes.

After a botched bank heist, where Bugsy has killed a heroic bank guard, the only support of his ailing invalid mother, and some innocent bystanders, he and his gang are shot up and bleeding, they have escaped to their hideaway somewhere in the hills. It's midnight and pitch black. It's a stand off. They are surrounded by cops.

The scene inside the cabin builds to a crescendo, as the gangster realizes he's been betrayed and that he's done for.

He suspects that he's been betrayed by his second in command, the last of his gang still alive. He confronts him and in a fit of rage, shots him. The dying man gasps out: "It was Nancy boss!" "She knew all along I swear". Now realizing that she was the one that double-crossed him. His stone cold stare burns through her with contempt.

Suddenly a bull horn from outside breaks the tension as a voice rings out: "Dick, you're surrounded, throw out your guns and come out with your hands up!" You've got three minutes and then we'll open up! Three minutes!"

Panic sets in, beads of sweat pours from his face, his eyes dart back and forth, his mind racing—He'll get the chair this time for sure. In panic and, desperation he dramatically grabs the moll around the neck from behind. He forces her to a window.

He aims a gun at her head and in close up, says in his best bad impersonation of Jimmy Cagney: "You'se coppers had better back off, ya see or I'll blow her brains out, ya see! She's a "dirty rat' ya see! I'm not foolin around, ya hear me coppers? If you'se com a step closer I'll plug her. She's done for! Ya hear me out dere, coppers?!

A piercing shaft of light cuts through the darkness and exposes the two last survivors of the gang, framed in the window. He, and the gun moll die in a hail of lead spewing forth from a fusillade of "tommy guns" welded by G-men. His last words "I didn't think ya'd shoot a dame!

Like the gangster, the Republican tactic of threatening to politically assassinate Nancy Pelosi is about to backfire. Because, unfortunately the human shield they have chosen is Nancy Pelosi. Like the double crossing schemer of a gun moll in the movie if she dies she dies, so what? If she is exposed, the Republicans, like the cornered gangster will have no where to hide.

What did she know and when did she know it? Who cares?

So Newt keep pushing, because the sooner Pelosi goes down the sooner we get to the real "dirty rats in this whole sorted mess, let the chips fall where they may.

The Chilling Effect of Torture On The Constitution

The Republicans are falling all over themselves about the recently released Torture Memos. Their claims range from: these were policy issues, and prosecution of policy differences will set a bad legal precedence. To: releasing the memos has informed our enemies as to the limits of our depravity. To: they worked. Murder works to rid oneself of an antagonist, but it is still illegal. Robbery works to alleviate one's stressed financial circumstances, but it is still illegal. Many things that work and may be expedient are not allowed by a lawful, civilized society. What is at stake is our Republic and the rule of law.

Even anti-torture stalwart John McCain has said: "that prosecution of lawyers who wrote the memos will have a "chilling effect" on the legal advice given the President". John, how about the "chilling effect" on the Constitution if these law breakers go unprosecuted?

No where among their sophistic arguments have any of them bothered to mention that, torture is illegal. It was illegal when the memos were written and its illegal now, according to our Constitution and according to International law. None of them have bothered to mention that this nation was founded to protect "human rights" not trample them, which is what we are supposedly defending in Iraq.

The fact is, "legal opinions" contrary to established law, are not law. These memos are at best, rationales to circumvent the law. At worst they are the deliberate contrivance of the power hungry to impose their views as law and trample the Constitution and international law.

As for the idea that these were junior lawyers running amok writing these memos to lead the administration astray is absurd on its face. Just as absurd as the 12 soldiers who were hung out to dry as "bad seed" running amok at Abu Gharib without direction. Which in retrospect, points to the reprehensible lack of moral courage on the part of the authors of these "policies" who permitted those twelve to take the full brunt of punishment, to cover themselves and their culpability. As a matter of fact a newly declassified narrative shows that the small group of Justice Department lawyers who wrote memos were not operating on their own but, at the direction from top administration officials, including Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice.

It was the same arrogance of superior thinking that led us into an ill advised war that has bankrupted this country both morally and financially. These were not legitimate "policy decisions" these were deliberate attempts to circumvent the law. Just like the lies about Iraq were the means used to justify the invasion of a sovereign nation. The memos were the means to ignore the law.

John McCain is right about one thing--if America exhibits the moral courage and conviction to refocus and prosecute those who have broken our laws with impunity, it will have a chilling effect on future law breakers.

But then, isn't that why we punish those that break the law?

To make them think twice.

Commentary: For decades the Republicans have said that government doesn't work and every time they gain power have set out to prove the point by sabotaging it with their policy decisions.

Keep the pressure on to appoint a Special Prosecutor at the DOJ.

I am afraid if the Senate forms a "truth commission" it will wither in the morass of the political inaction. I lay the blame on Republicans often, but the Democrats are just as culpable by virtue of their acquiescence.

Let the DOJ know your views about appointing a Special Prosecutor to investigate the authors of torture at: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov.

The Sky Is Falling, But Only On Some Of Us

The sky was falling according to, Republican appointed, Wall Street Republican insider, Henry Paulson who first alerted America to the unpleasant fact that after eight years of Republican fiscal irresponsibility and voodoo economics, America was broke. The banks were in crisis and credit was frozen.

Paulson said, he needed money and lots of it, so, he picked a big number out of the air and gave it to the Republican President and the Congress who put it in a bill, which, with a fly by, from John "Mighty Mouse" McCain, was passed, by both House and Senate with some feeble mumbling from the Republicans.

And who did Mr. Paulson bailout, the banks, who of course are still not lending and don't seem inclined to anytime in the near future. Instead they paid themselves some big fat bonuses and bought up other failing banks. So their crisis has became Obama's crisis.

This recipe for disaster Obama inherited, was a combination of financing, (borrowing 2 billion a month for seven years which we didn't have from China), an unnecessary war in Iraq and a perpetual war on terrorism elsewhere, while cutting taxes (the revenue to pay the bills) along with the Republican's, manic deregulated, house of cards, combined with bad trade policies, and years of shipping jobs over seas, finally collapsed under the weight of a mounting debt and shrinking revenues.

Now the minority Republican remnant in the House and Senate, authors of that utterly discredited financial clap trap, are stalling legislation and telling everyone that they have the answer to solve this crisis, of their making—MORE TAX CUTS. The less mentally nimble are once again buying into this Republican siren's song of disingenuous nonsense and thereby are helping to delay, and thus prolong and deepen this Republican generated financial tsunami.

My question is why is anyone in this country listening to these fools anymore? Their comedic farce would be laughable, but it is having tragic consequences for those of us not living in their gated and privileged world.

People are losing hope and killing their families and committing suicide rather than go hungry and homeless, but do the Republican ideologues care? Hardly they are more concerned with their political ideology and establishing a "brand" (image) as tough sentinels of the peoples money, as the very Republican Mr. Boenher said recently. This is their way back to power, was the gist of his Republican remarks.

Are they in touch? Do they care? Their callous indifference to the suffering, that their policies are inflicting is staggering, to the point of depravity.

How many more desperate souls need to die for Republican ideology before Americans wake up and demand, what the Constitution provides, a government that is responsive to, "we the people", and not to, "we the rich and greedy".

So if the Republican sky hasn't yet fallen on you—I would urge you to call your Senators and Representatives and tell them, PASS THE STIMULUS BILL NOW!—before it does.

It's your country take it back! Vote out, impeach and recall, the ones that still aren't listening!

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

Sound and Fury That Means Nothing

The failures of Republican policies are absolutely stunning, both their foreign policies and most recently their economic policies of reckless deregulation, that let greed on Wall street run rampant.

One would expect that in the face of such overwhelming evidence, there would have been some modicum of humility in recognition that those policies were at the root cause of much of this chaos.

Yet after the vote, that required our elected officials to put partisan ranker aside failed, the Republicans came out and blamed the failure to reach compromise squarely at the leadership of the Democrats and blame them for playing partisan politics, because their feelings were hurt by Nancy Pelosi.

An inconvenient truth they didn't mention, was the monumental failure of the Republican leadership, of President Bush, Secretary Paulson, John Boenher, Roy Blunt, and "Mighty Mouse McCain", who flew into save the day, last week, to convince a large portion of House Republican holdouts that the Nation was in serious trouble.

In a press conference after the failed vote, they were still singing their, free markets unrestrained capitalism, chant as if they were at a pep rally, like they still don't see a real connection between the collapse, and unregulated markets.

They seem to remove themselves from the greed on Wall street and the rampant corruptive influence of Wall street lobbyists on their decision making. They were more inclined to blame people that took out bad mortgages rather than on the people who without regulation formulated ever increasingly, risker ways to flim-flam an unsuspecting consumer, nation and world market. They seemed stunned that there was rampant greed at the root of Capitalism a religion they have long subscribed too.

Are they so naive that they don't know that, the very basis of the Capitalist system; is greedy self interest? In their perfectly absurd world of altered reality they think that everyone will treat others as they want to be treated, because they have a commonality of preserving the status quo, of balanced greed.

The fact is, there is and always has been and always will be, some who are greedier than others and they will inevitably steal everyone else blind, if left to decide what is too greedy. That's the reality of unregulated capitalism. Why else would it be, that 400 families in a nation of 364 million, hold 80 percent of the wealth of this nation.

They decry government as the problem. They are wrong. Government is the only way too establish balance that protects us from the rampant greed of others that would deprive us all of our economic liberty.

That is why all of their, "sound and fury"* means nothing, they are at the root of the problem not the answer to the problem. They drank the Cool-Aide and are wondering why we and this nation are as sick as we are, and their solution is to drink more Cool-Aide. More tax cuts for the rich and less government regulation.

Please reject these failed Republican policies on Nov. 4th. They are out of touch with every decent American that is honest and hard working. They have forgotten us, it's time we forget them. They have listened to their rich lobbyists friends, that buy their votes like common whores, for far too long, it's time they listened to those that elected them.

* “It is a tale … full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.” Quote from Macbeth

America America, for Endless Waves of Debt

As an American that has held a minority political and economic view for decades, I predicted this collapse some four years ago. If my view of the world is correct this adjustment was long over due. For the second time in our history the religion of unfettered capitalism has shown that greed has it own self limiting consequences.

We forgot the lessons of the Great Depression. And we let the Neocon Republican ideologues brow beat us into a stupor of complacency. Their political agenda of empire building and their manufactured constant state of paranoia from exaggerated external threats has put this country in a state of decline.

I love my country, it has contributed an ideal of individual freedom and equality that is to be aspired to, but, suffers from thinking itself greater than it is, and the truth is that its position in history is as fragile as any other country that would be an "empire".

The biblical admonition "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." seems appropriate. I hope that what emerges from the ashes is a humbler less self absorbed country.

To the "born again" Republican regulators and reformers No bailout. Not without massive over sight, restraints, and strict re-regulation of the banking industries. Its time "the real elitists" share the pain, the fat bastards that ran this into the ground. Absolutely No parachutes whatsoever for them. The average person in this country doesn't get severance or unemployment benefits when we screw up we get fired and thrown out the door. Let them share the pain of their incompetence. Personal responsibility its not just a Republican idea anymore.

To the Democrats who think the upcoming election will be a mandate to ever greater social programs: this country is flat ass broke. And America is in no mood for expanding the deficit, trust me on this, there is a growing rage in America that feels betrayed by its "elected leaders." You should embrace the T. Boone Pickens Plan for energy independence, he's brilliant and has thought this problem through. Plus it will put American's back to work almost immediately creating wealth again. Plus encourage old fashioned savings.

To both parties because of your failed leadership to come up with a sustainable energy plan, we have squandered our wealth, on "cheap oil", on conspicuous over consumption, cheap Chinese imports, unprovoked foreign wars and living beyond our means chasing an empty American Dream that over consumption will make us happy.

News Flash: Over consumption doesn't make us any happier than over eating makes us skinny.

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
— James Madison—

What Madison missed, is that, unfortunately, governments are made up of men.

Great Speechifying John

John! Ya did it buddy, the demeanor, the pace, they were almost human, but the content, wow! What can you say about the content? It was every republican bromide without one single fresh new idea. Now that's what I call Conservative! Damn, pardner way to go! Way to put it out there! One little suggestion... I think the prisoner of war thing is getting a bit stale, you were in a prison forty years ago, thank you again, by the way. But, even the liberals have thanked you, so maybe ya could let that one ease on by from here on out.

But, John, you really scared me there, pard. You almost blew it Johnny, when you got that honesty thing of yours going, you said that the Republicans party screwed it up and you want America to give you a chance to screw it up some more. Oops I mean, "change things," using the same tax cuts for the rich formula, that your party has spread around forever. I get it more trickle down "voodoo economics", but, John, ya gotta keep that honesty thing under control! You recovered, but ya gotta watch it!

So, John, if you're gonna cut everybody's taxes who's gonna pay for your next hundred years in Iraq? You seem to have forgotten the war, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives it's cost, it is costing 10 billion dollars a month. That's a lot a dough John!

Maybe Blackwater? Maybe KBR and Haliburton or the oil companies, this war was for their benefit after all. What 'am I thinking the people that benefit from war profiteering with no bid contracts should chip in? Crazy me! Maybe the Chinese are still good for it! Or, I know! How about a bake sale?

By the way! Have you read the Party's Platform. It's a corker! I have and I agree with your statement "that you want to change things, namely: the Constitution.

About time too, what the hell did some sissyifyed men in white wigs and stockins' know about writing a Constitution? They were too damn "L-i-b-e-r-a-l", if ya know what I mean. Some ballsy, gun totin', moose guttin', lipstick wearin', hockey mom coulda done a better job. WOW, so that's why you picked Palin! I just now got it. You're brilliant, John.

By the way I was a bit lost at the end of your speech it certainly picked up the pace, but who are we fighting again? Oh' right, I get it, the dreaded liberal community organizers.

The one's that go into a community trying to help the poorest of the poor at great personal financial sacrifice, like a Harvard grad turning down a six figure income for a lousy ten grand a year. I mean what kind of qualifications are those. If you want to be "in the club"?

Hell, ten grand nowadays, won't even buy a pair of Farigamo's, gas for a private jet and pay the mortgage on seven houses. He must be a real nut job. I mean what kind of a person really puts SERVICE before SELF. Everybody knows that's just a slogan to win elections. Damn he must be dumb. I sure was glad to see you guys "put him in his place" with a little ridicule.

Well, John that's a lot to think about. As for another four years, can I get back to you? Say, Nov. 4th, no wait I can't do the 4th, you'd better make it the 5th.

Commentary:
John McCain, said something else that was true, about his party, that they didn't change Washington, Washington changed them. Sadly, last night McCain showed that he couldn't change his party, so he changed himself. paraphrased from E. J. Dionne Jr.Washington Post

Had a Wedgie Lately

When was the last time America had a really good satisfying Wedgie.

Yup! It's that time in America again. Let the wedgies begin. I feel them coming already. They can be extremely uncomfortable and divide that which should not be divided. It's time that we all put on our dunce caps, stand in the corner sucking our collective thumbs as the talking heads, pundits and special interest groups, funded by reactionary, radical, right-wing think tanks, pull wedgies up our collective asses by deciding the really important issues we should pay attention to.

I am talking about the importantly, stupid non-issues, that the special interest groups foster and that start the corporate media jackals yapping about endlessly.

Here is a partial list of what's about to be wedged up our collective butts.
Obama's middle name?
Is he a Christian?
His current pastor or lack of one?
Which death camp his uncle helped liberate?
Is his uncle a communist?
Is Michelle O. really proud enough to be American?
Is he an elitist?
Does he really share my values?
Would you want to have a beer with him?

And here's the right wing, reactionary, compassionate, conservative, christian, conversation for the next six months.

His middle name is Hussein ya know. He's must be a terrorist? Oh yes I've heard that too. It must be true. Bill O'Riely said it was and he never spins anything. So did Rush Limbaugh and he never lies. I don't think he's a Christian. I'm not sure about that...didn't he get brain washed by his crazy black pastor. They said they were Christian. But they were a colored church ya know? Maybe he's just saying he's Christian but he's really Muslim, Mmm Do ya think? Were you ever brain washed by your pastor? Oh heavens no, no we're never brain-washed, but, we are washed in the blood of Jesus. Me too! I heard his uncle was a commie he helped liberate Auschwitz. And the reds liberated Auschwitz, ya know. My, my, my, is that so? So he's a communist too? After all he does want to tax the rich, just so the poor can get their entitlements. His wife hates America I heard. She's not proud to be American, until just recently. I heard that too. It must be true then. They just don't share our values do they? That sounds right to me. I believe everything Ann Coulter said about him. She is so unbiased. And thin too. I know!

And so on...ad nauseum.

Never mind the really important issues they pushed up our butts in the past like:

Gay rights or the restriction thereof.
Being gay is nobody's business and certainly not any of the governments' business. The Constitution says so.
Flag burning.
Men don't die for a piece of cloth they die for what the flag represents. Like Freedom of Speech for example. You may not like it, but that's tough. It's in the Constitution.
Prayer in school.
We don't pray in school because the government has no business telling anyone when, or where we should or should not pray or tell us how to worship.

The truth is; everyone of these issues was an assault on the Constitution and our individual rights. All wrapped up in God Bless America, and the Red White and Blue.

I always want to believe that people are really smarter than to fall for these obvious bait and switch tactics and I am always disappointed when I hear someone parrot these insipid arguments wrapped in false patriotic terms.

So why do we as a country continually fall for this same old divide and conquer rhetoric.

I've come to believe that no one really cares unless their own particular ox is gored.
And if you lie often enough, bold enough, and loud enough, people will not question the lie.

Take the lie that Republicans are all about conserving individual rights and against intrusion of small government in the lives of the individual. They then enact an a repugnant repressive Bill they disingenuously title The Patriot Act which stripped Americans of their fourth amendment rights.

How about lie that the American Media is a left leaning liberal tool.
Has anyone heard that Dennis Kucinich filed articles of impeachment against President Bush June 9th 2008?
I didn't think so. But, I bet everyone can remember the *color of the dress Monica Lewinsky wore to the Oval Office when she delivered her oral exam to Clinton.

I don't like being lied too. It pisses me off. If you do then vote for the next republican wind bag, and enjoy your wedgie.

*Blue is the correct answer for the mnemonically challenged.