With all the issues facing America the upcoming election will be crucial to cleaning up some of the messes the current administration will surely saddle us with. Our economy needs stabilizing. The War in Iraq is a mess in need of a practical solution and withdrawal plan. A change is needed from the mindset of the last eight years to a new style of leadership.

The American economy is struggling right now and the billions of US dollars being poured into Iraq per month could be used here at home. The reasons for remaining have worn thin especially as there was no reason to invade in the first place. Most Americans no matter their political affiliation agree pulling out is the best option at this point. Even the Iraqi government expresses the wish for us to leave and allow it to handle its own destiny.

With the rising costs of college, gasoline, food, health care, and other expenses, credit cards are becoming the "safety net" for an entire generation. Unfortunately, credit card companies are using unfair and even predatory practices to increase their profits at the expense of the financially vulnerable or inexperienced. You can read more about these anti-consumer practices here.

There are several efforts in Congress and in the Federal Reserve Board to reign in these anti-consumer practices. In fact, the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights will probably be considered in the House Financial Services Committee by the end of the month.

I am bringing back this article because it is the twilight of the Demockracy that it describes. Note that this article includes among other things, the two greatest creations of the English language, my prior experiences with military forums, the truth of the PGW and 9/11, an explanation of pit bulls, the fate of Jim Morrison of the Doors, and the arrival of the prophet Elijah in November 1995.

Summary: In Washington, D.C., Babylon on the Potomac was found "the blood of the saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." (Rev. 18) "O God! Pride of Man, fallen in the dust again!" Quicksilver Messenger Service. 9/25 Bacterial cancers? 9/30 "Worshipping stupidity, heh?"

Mental enslavement is the act of blindly and deceitfully maneuvering a person into servitude while that person believes he/she is thinking for him/herself. In realizing that one is mentally enslaved, one can begin to constructively take strides toward freeing their mind from the shackles and re-building a solid, intelligible, unshackled, independent mind state. Thus, if one wishes to be mentally freed, he/she must become knowledgeable—informed—and separate oneself from any associations of the brainwashing mechanism.

For Workers Strikes Against the War!

ILWU to Shut Down West Coast Ports May 1 Demanding End to War in Iraq, Afghanistan

In a major step for the U.S. labor movement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has announced that it will shut down West Coast ports on May 1, to demand an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. In a February 22 letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, ILWU International president Robert McEllrath reported that at a recent coast-wide union meeting, “One of the resolutions adopted by caucus delegates called on longshore workers to stop work during the day shift on May 1, 2008 to express their opposition to the war in Iraq.”

Update: A fund has been set up for Jim. See end of this post.

Jim Goodnow and his bus, the Yellow Rose, both have suffered a terrible tragedy.

Jim, who was at Camp Casey with Cindy Sheehan in August of 2005, got the Yellow Rose shortly thereafter and has been a fixture at actions around the country ever since. In recent months, Jim has been providing transportation to Iraq Veterans Against the War for their various tours and other activities. Last night, Jim escaped a fire of suspicious origins that destroyed the bus. Luckily Jim is all right.

This message was passed on by Bill Perry, a vet and anti-war activist.

The "Yellow Rose" bus, was totaled by fire, around 9:30 pm, Friday night, 1/11/08

Senator Tom CoburnOklahoma Republican Senator is blocking a bipartisan bill aimed at enhancing investigations into older civil rights era crimes, like the murder of black teen Emmitt Till in 1957, which has never been solved.

from AP story:

The legislation would authorize $10-million annually over 10 years for the Justice Department to rejuvenate its prosecutions of pre-1970 civil rights murders. It calls for another $3.5-million annually for Justice to provide grants and other help to local law enforcement agencies.

I've heard JFK, and Mitt, you're no JFK

Readers,

I listened today to the recording of JFK making his famous speech about the question of his religious faith. His being the first Roman Catholic presidential candidate had become a "millstone" around his campaign's neck.

I also listened to Mitt Romney make his seemingly parallel speech about his Mormonism, which has also become like a millstone around Romney's neck, or would one of Joseph Smith's golden tablets make a better comparison. And parallel is the right word as neither speech intersects even remotely.

(San Francisco) The 350 ft long military spec transport ship is not welcome on Kauai, Hawaii, local residents made clear to the military / civilian transport officials with Superferry Corporation Monday, November 26, 2007.

The catamaran, twin hulled vessel is a dual use civilian / Troop transport. The 40,000 HP ship is capable of high speed transport at 42 mph on the open ocean, about twice the speed of other transport ships. It gets very poor gas mileage, about 5 gallons per mile, due to military speed requirements.

Andy Parx, veteran reporter on Kauai stated "The people of Kauai object to the high handed way Gov Lingle bent over backwards for such a bad idea for Hawaii. Governor Lingle then had the clueless State Lege re-write some state environmental laws for one special corporation, which, of course, is illegal and unconstitutional."