amacd's Comments (15)

“Let’s use the Health Care bill as an Obama “teaching moment” --- not him ‘teaching us’ but us ‘teaching him’!

This 'Health Care' (sic) bill reminds me of the illogic of the Vietnam War:

"It became necessary to destroy the bill in order to save it"

And, in fact, the reason that this illogic applied then in the Vietnam War "abroad", and now in the corporatist tyranny over health care "at home" is precisely the same reason --- that a ruling-elite corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE makes all decisions, and not the people of America.

Let’s tell Obama:

“If you are only going to pose as another front-man for the ruling-elite Global corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE that controls our country --- by hiding behind the façade of its two-party ‘Vichy’ sham of democracy --- then that’s not the ‘hope’ and ‘change’ that we voted for.

We’ve been fed that old “Okie Doke” (as you called it) since the Vietnam War, for forty years!

Now if you really believe that times they are a changing, and that you don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowin, and that ‘Yes we can’ confront Empire, then why don’t you give us a chance, and help lead us in a second American Revolution for democracy against Empire --- cause if you’re not going to lead, then at least ‘get out of the way’.”

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Let’s use the Health Care bill as an Obama “teaching moment” --- not him ‘teaching us’ but us ‘teaching him’!

This 'Health Care' (sic) bill reminds me of the illogic of the Vietnam War:

"It became necessary to destroy the bill in order to save it"

And, in fact, the reason that this illogic applied then in the Vietnam War "abroad", and now in the corporatist oppression of health care "at home" is precisely the same reason --- that a ruling-elite corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE makes all decisions, and not the people of America.

"Empire abroad (always) entails tyranny at home".

Let’s tell Obama:

“If you are only going to pose as another front-man for the ruling-elite Global corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE that controls our country --- by hiding behind the façade of its two-party ‘Vichy’ sham of democracy --- then that’s not the ‘hope’ and ‘change’ that we voted for.

We’ve been fed that old “Okie Doke” (as you called it) since the Vietnam War, for forty years!

Now if you really believe that times they are a changing, and that you don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowin, and that ‘Yes we can’ confront Empire, then why don’t you give us a chance, and help lead us in a second American Revolution for democracy against Empire --- cause if you’re not going to lead, then at least ‘get out of the way’.”

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“I'm starting to smell something!!

Is it just coincidence or are the phony data starting to be 'fixed' to fit the decision again?

We now have four --- count em --- four data points pointing to possible war on Iran:

1. Reports and TV film of a ‘dangerous’ Iranian missile launch of a new missile, which is just the same old Iranian missile.

2. British 'portfolio' of reports of an unnamed Iranian defector (photo in NYT Lede) who says he worked on 'fixing' the Iranian election.

3. Reports and NYT blog (Lede) that there has been an attack on Twitter by the “Iranian Cyber Army.” (My God, say it ain't so. Have they no soul with this dastardly attack on our beloved Twitter.)

4. Reports from AP that "Iranian troops seized an Iraqi oil well" --- My God! That's our colonial oil that they are stealing!

Naturally, the U.S. Congress will not authorize any rash action and will demand irreproachable proof.

As I have just posted to the NYT blog about the 'evidence' that this supposed Iranian defector has apparently revealed:

Did he see any Iranian Royal Guards pulling babies off incubators?

Did he see any sizable supplies of yellowcake from Africa?

Did he not see the North Vietnam patrol boat's torpedoes hit the Turner Joy and Maddox?

American's are not rubes --- we need certain proof to launch another war.

?”

“Dylan at 7:00?

That would cause me to joyously flick between the only two serious things on TV today; Jim Lehrer and Dylan. Actually, I would be able to use my DVR with something worth saving, except of course my favorite, "So you think your Idol dog can dance better than a 5th grader on Survivor"

But as Martha says --- "that would be a good thing".

Just imagine having two worthwhile TV shows during dinner --- wow --- that might even make it seem like a democracy during meals!

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Don't know yet whether this a good sign or not.

Ratigan, the only MSM commentator with any political-economic knowledge to speak truth to power, has continued to address issues and bravely site opinions that are contrary to the normal fluff within the broad 'distractive industry' of the corporatist entertainment/sports/media, but is he being tolerated or squeezed?

I'm hoping that Dylan will continue to excoriate the hand that feeds him with his exposure of "Corporate Communism", "crooked bankers who buy politicians", etc.

Hopefully this new 'time-slot', and his continued voice from the wasteland will not be silenced by the (reCom)casting of MSNBC.

Hang in there, Dylan ---- your political-economic insight is a necessary cognitive extension to John Stewart's more generalized satire ---- both the mace of blunt truth and the rapier of wit must be used to turn the 'tip of the lance' back on its powerful wielder of Empire

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“The Question: "The United States has said that it will recognize a free and fair vote, but it had made no comment following the election."

The Answer: Hell, the U.S. has just recognized an 'election' in Afghanistan, in which only one candidate ran, and now Obama is committing to spending an extra $1B a month and more U.S. lives in a war to protect and extend that 'democracy'. Why would there be any doubt about Lobo in Honduras?

BTW, for those who, like Santayana learn from history, the U.S. was the first country in the world to recognize the 'Vichy' French government installed by the Nazi EMPIRE. Which explains the old adage, "It takes one, to know one" --- (empires that is)

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Some strange things are going on in the U.S. press regarding this Honduran 'democracy story'.

For example, it appears very strange, but this sentence was expunged from Alexandra Olson's earlier 'print edition' of this reporting in today's Boston Globe:

"Zelaya has support among many poor Hondurans who believed in his promises to shake-up a political system dominated by two political parties with few ideological differences and influenced by a few wealthy families."

Perhaps the Globe's editors thought that the description of a phony "political system dominated by two political parties with few ideological differences and influenced by a few wealthy families" would cause too much confusion (or alarm) for American readers as to whether the reporting was about Honduras or the U.S.

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Obama is signaling that his paymasters have found another promising building-block for their global ruling-elite corporate/financial EMPIRE, one which they would like him to charm and incorporate.

"Yes, we can do EMPIRE bidness with China. They sure know how to manage their human cogs, and keep things going swimmingly. Bloody good show, old men."

Or as Dylan Ratigan might say beyond Keynesians, “We’re all Corporate Communists now.”

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Progressiveama, Why swim over to Hyannis Port?

Christ-like Obama could have easily walked over the water to Hyannis Port to see the dying man whose endorsement won him the Democratic primary and the presidency..

But Obama, according to the Vineyard Gazette, was simply too busy playing golf both before and after his benefactor was known to be on his death-bed.

However, the real surprise is that the fawning, phony media, in its 24x7 coverage seems to have never mentioned the promising visit to old Ted that Obama's people hinted at the beginning of his vacation.

Why no mention of the snub to the dying Kennedy from the corporatist, shilling media?

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“MSNBC, thank you, thank you , thank you, for bringing Dylan Ratigan back.

Dylan IS the personification of Howard Beale to the vacuous network wasteland of "cable chatter" (as President Obama famously just described it in his interview with Brian Williams).

Dylan brings incisive insight and knowledgable factual information COMBINED with emotion and empathy, as opposed to the inane and vacuous 'emotion' and content-free 'shrill' ONLY, that is the standard WWF fare of cable newsieness.

As George Lakoff reinforced in his fabulous "The Political Mind", language is the neural highway to cognitive thinking, and essential to resolving and distinguishing 'contested concepts" like democracy and Empire, and thus intelligent discourse (with words and concepts) is necessary to perfecting and protecting our democratic Republic from Empire.

I will even forgive MSNBC for appealing to the self-limiting 'twitter' un-dialogs of the new Orwellian 'double (short) speak', although I continue to consider twitter being a perfect marketing name for a communications service designed for bird-brains.

BTW, Huffington should seriously consider, in this same vein, your rather short text limit for serious political discourse --- when most serious and principled left/progressive web sites do not enforce such limits on speech.

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“The only path that could justify not releasing the photos would be instead to begin prosecution immediately.

IMHO, no matter how plaintively Obama may cry “Out, damn’d spot!” —- he will not be able to walk off of this tragic ‘war crimes’ stage until this most odious crime is expunged.

So for Obama, the superficially adored hero, the role of a modern Hamlet tentatively deciding whether “to be or not to be” for the war-crimes-Empire could be the last drama on this mortal coil.

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine”

“Using the evasive, guileful, and even propagandistic phrase "nationalization" of the banks (or financial sector) is an extreme media disservice, distortion, and even deceit to the American people.

Instead of this fear/scare term 'nationalization' of banks, a truthful and truly democratic media would use the honest term, "democratization of the banking system".

The bottom line is that the banking system is now one of unchallenged, unelected, and ruthless EMPIRE, and it must be brought into the service of 'the people' under the control of our indivisible democracy --- just as every aspect of our political, social and economic lives, as free and voluntary members of a self-governing democracy entails of all spheres of our shared lives --- except for the separate and non-interfering sphere of religion, as defined in our Constitution.

A free and democratically representative Republic of self-governing people can not allow an uncontrolled Empire to exist within its Republic --- else Franklin's greatest concern will come true, "We have our Republic now, if we can keep it (from Empire)"”

“Krugman rhetorically asks, "Or is the plan being limited by political caution?"

To which the only honest answer is, "No, the plan is being limited by political gutlessness."

And this 'political gutlessness' is more than just plain gutlessness, it's the type of 'political complicity' that we've been seeing from the Democratic Party for the past several decades.

'Political complicity' on economic oppression of our own people, at home, will soon be followed by ‘political complicity’ on wars against other innocent people abroad.

The only point that I would add to Krugman's entirely justified disappointment with Obama comes in his final conclusion about "The Obama Gap"

What we are seeing is not just "The gap between Mr. Obama’s stern economic rhetoric and his somewhat disappointing economic plan."

No, Paul, it's worse than that; you could have left out the words ‘stern’, 'economic', 'somewhat', and 'plan' and simply said this is a "gap between Mr. Obama’s rhetoric and his disappointing reality."

We've seen this gap first now in the domestic economy of our people, and we'll soon verify this “Obama Gap” in the foreign war policy of this disguised Empire.

Obama, unfortunately, like Clinton, is going to be shown to have a huge 'gap' between promising rhetoric and reality, and, like Clinton, Obama is going to try to fill that big round gap with only one thing --- triangulation.”

“Here's the best comment I've seen on this hopeless flip flop:

Editorial director of Antiwar.com Justin Raimondo says that “the likely appointment of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state should disabuse even the most brain-dead of Obama’s supporters that we won’t be seeing much change in American foreign policy. If I were an Iranian, I’d start digging a bomb shelter.””

“When Bush comments that Obama is an appeaser, like Neville Chamberline was to Hitler, Bush is speaking with authority since Bush himself, like Hitler knew how to take advantage of appeasers ---- as Bush has been doing with the entire Democratic Party for more than five years to advance the interests of his own Nazi-like, corporatist/ fascist Empire.”