..or a Day of Wrecking America?

At this point, barring any election fraud by Republicans, I am convinced that Barack Obama will be elected president of the
United States. However, as I have noted in my previous post, I think the Neo-Cons, who want to turn this country into Fascist state, will try anything to maintain their tight grip on power.  They are already trying to prevent people from voting in many places. In Ohio, despite the ruling by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the nation, the Bush administration has asked to intervene in a case where up to 200, 000 voters may be prevented from voting because of a late challenge by the Ohio Republican Party. In states like West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas there are reports of votes flipping from Obama to McCain on electronic voting machines.

So the question is, how will November 5th, 2008 will be remembered? Will it be remembered as a day when the long US national nightmare ended with the departure of the Bush administration or when another one began with riots and blood in the streets?  Will it be a day that brings jubilation or a day that brings a revolution? Although the corporate media is keeping a tight lid on the topic, there are indications that it could get ugly on November 5th. Just read this story  from ”The Hill” about how police departments around the country are beefing up their forces preparing for possible riots whether Obama wins or loses. Putting the subtle racist attitde and insult to black people aside, I think this action has a larger goal. Could it be that the Neo-Cons have already made the plan for the election theft and are anticipating a strong reaction from the people?  When was the last time that something like this was ever done in the United States?  Never.  Are they getting ready for a deliberate confrontation so Bush can declare a national emergency and suspend the Constitution?  Will this be the way how they will ’save the king’?

With that rosy scenario, let me leave you with a little poem about another 5th of November, the year 1605 to be exact. Those of you who have seen the movie V for Vendetta will recognize this poem. Have they already named their Guy Fawkes , in Barack Obama?

Enjoy!

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and Parliament.

Three score barrels were laid below to prove old England’s overthrow;

By God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope

A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.

A pint of beer to rinse it down.

A faggot of sticks to burn him.

Burn him in a tub of tar.

Burn him like a blazing star.

Burn his body from his head.

Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.

Hip hip hoorah!

Hip hip hoorah hoorah!

More Election Notes

The McCain-Ethiopia connection

For those of you Ethiopians who are not happy with Meles and his administration, and are considering voting for McCain, this is for you. If you have followed the election closely, you may have heard that McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” is filled with special interest lobbyists from various corporations, interest groups and even countries. Yes, countries. Did you know that one of McCain’s senior advisors, Frank Donatelli, is lobbyist for McGuire Woods Consulting firm which represented Meles’ EPRDF in 2005, the very same year Meles stole the election, to provide “government relations and related public communications services to assist and work with Ethiopia in Washington, D.C., in promoting and strengthening Ethiopia’s relations with the United States” ? Look at the exhibit.

Something to think about before casting your vote for another 4 years of Bush like support from the US to the dictator Meles.

Be careful Obama supporters

Apparently, supporting Barack Obama can be a dangerous choice. Did you hear about the London man who got shot for wearing an Obama T-shirt? What the … It would have been funny, if it wasn’t so sad and serious. This is what this poison called racism and prejudice can do to a person. The man is not even in the United States where he can vote for Obama!

The Barracuda Lady effect

This is a very important election for our children and also shoring up our economy and we should also, it has to be about job creation too, and not fear free trade like a monster, but ultimately reducing the federal budget there in Washington and also.

Oops, I apologize. I had a Sarah Palin moment there for a second.

So, how about that “Maverick-ette” Sara Palin? It looks like people are getting to know her. Unfortunately for her, the more they hear her talk, the more they realize that she is just an empty dress…an expensive one from Neiman Marcus. Have you seen some of her interviews? People are sadly comparing her to Lauren Caitlin Upton the former Ms Teen South Carolina , the poor girl who gave that jumbled answer to a question about Iraq during the Ms Teen USA pageant. Actually that is not really fair…. to Ms Teen S Carolina !! At least she was caught off guard by the question. Anyways, the best and sobering commentary I have heard to date on Mrs Palin’s nomination is by Deepak Chopra, the famed Indian medical doctor who has written several books and articles about spirituality, self awareness and meditation. Here is the article.

And finally, a personal commentary about John McCain. Not that anyone who follows the character today’s Republicans doesn’t know it, but in the last few months John McCain has shown us who he really is. A liar, a coward, and a dishonorable man who tries to disguise himself as a straight talking ‘maverick’. Just like many of these Neo-Cons, he is willing to sell his soul to fulfill a personal life long ambition of becoming president. Yes, McCain is one of the original Neo-Cons who signed on to the PNAC early on. In fact, he was the choice by the Neo-Con leaders to be president in 2000 until G W Bush and Karl Rove came in and ran one of the dirtiest primaries ever smearing not only him, but his family.

What is so heroic and courageous about dropping bombs on innocent civilian men, women and children from 20, 000 feet? What is so honorable about going out with a beer heiress while your wife is in the hospital after a devastating automobile accident that left her disfigured? What is so ‘maverick-ish’ about cozying up with the same group that smeared you and your family a few years ago just for a chance to be president? What is so honest about lying though through your teeth, with no shame, about your opponents records and character even after you have been proven wrong and dishonest? Let’s face it, John McCain is not who he claims he is. Here is the real John McCain.

Countdown to November 4th

Only two more weeks until Nov 4^th. Things are moving at a lighting speed and it is hard to keep up. Below are some comments, observations and predictions on the election.

First, let me make a bold prediction. Now that it looks like Obama has all but wrapped this election up, I predict that the Neo-Cons, in a last attempt to cling to power, will create some kind of a national emergency, before Nov 4th election day, or January 20th, inauguration day. What do I base this on? Well, a couple of things.

Bush’s November surprise?

First, the Bush Administration has quietly signed several ‘Presidential Directives’ in the last 8 years, among which is , Directive 51 The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, which basically suspends the US Constitution and the US government.

Here are some of the things that the Directive can do.

The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive (National Security Presidential Directive NSPD-51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20, sometimes called simply “Executive Directive 51″ for short), signed by United States President George W. Bush on May 4, 2007, is a Presidential Directive which specifies the procedures for continuity of the federal government in the event of a “catastrophic emergency”. Such an emergency is construed as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.

The directive specifies that, following such an emergency, an “Enduring Constitutional Government”, comprising “a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government,” coordinated by the President of the United States, will take the place of the nation’s regular government, presumably without the oversight of Congress.

The interesting phrase here is “any incident, regardless of location “. Curious, isn’t it? Why would Bush sign all these laws, if he is not intending to use them?

Second, did you also know that, as of Oct 1^st , for 12 months US combat troops, in a move that would effectively end the, Posse Comitatus Act of 1878,are now in charge of patrolling the streets in the United States? Their stated mission is the form of crowd control they practiced in Iraq, subduing “unruly individuals,”.

Are things starting to fall in place for you? Sounds like the Bush administration is lining its ducks in place.

Do Republicans like democracy?

I am sure you have probably heard of this much ado about nothing regarding ACORN, the community grassroots organization which played a huge part in registering minority voters for this election. So now ACORN is accused of voter fraud, to the point where, according to Grampy McCain “destroying the fabrics of Democracy”. The truth is, this is an old tactic by Republicans to keep poor folks from voting, since traditionally, minority voters support a Democratic candidate. Republicans do not want everyone to vote. You want proof? Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Paul Weyrich. Weyrich is a Republican activist and commentator who co-founded the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and “The Moral Majority”, the evangelical Christian lobbying organization with the late Jerry Falwell. Weyrich has worked closely with Ronald Reagan’s and both Bush’s presidential campaigns. So, how does Paul Weyrich feel about representative democracy in America? Here is what he said at a church gathering in 1980.

“Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome — good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.

Watch the video.

That’s right, all of you goo-goo syndrome suffering persons going ga-ga over this thing called democracy! What are you trying to pull here?

The Hypocracy of the West

The world economy is falling apart in the process revealing the hypocrisy and the fallacy of the West’s economic philosophy, unregulated Capitalism. Even capitalism King, the big bad US of A is borrowing money in the trillions from Communist China? I bet Ronald Reagan is spinning is his grave.

Are you as confused, perhaps even as nauseatingly worried as many people around the world are about this absurdity? Isn’t it ironic that in this new age ‘globalization’ when corporate profits around the world, especially in the US, are at an all time high, a time when physical and intellectual labor are cheaper than dirt, and when information you need to make the most intelligent and savvy business decisions is so readily available practically at the tip of your fingers that we have an economic calamity of this magnitude?

This is further proof that the so called trickle-down economics devised by the Milton Friedman’s of the world and executed, in every sense of the word, by Reagan and the Bushes, has been an abject failure. It just lays another stone at the tomb of this almost criminal economic ideology. Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal Constitution put it brilliantly in this article.

So what is the cause of this disaster? It is obviously one of 2 things - greed or incompetence. There is also a third possibility, both. When you put them both together, unadulterated greed and unmitigated unprecedented incompetence, you get this type of catastrophe.

What is interesting about this is that the so called “intellectuals” of the West have been contemptuously and arrogantly pontificating how there was little hope for what they call the third world because of the rampant corruption and greed that is so wide spread in the systems. Who says the politicians and political system are corrupt and rigged in the so called third world countries only?

Despite the incessant flow of propaganda to the rest of the world by the West, we are learning more and more everyday that politics here in the US is really not that different from the rest of the world including Africa, Asia and S America where corruption and cronyism are rampant. It is just that the US, and for the most part Europe, have a sophisticated way running their corrupt system and are able to sell their propaganda in a more palatable way to the masses.

Politically, we saw that elections can be rigged ‘legally’ and consummated by the highest of courts in the 2000 US presidential elections when the Supreme Court told Florida officials not to count the votes and declared G W Bush the winner.

Socially we saw how corruption and incompetence by government officials of the highest level can lead to a national catastrophe in which a major metropolitan city like New Orleans was left to drown and thousands of its citizens were left to die.

As we witnessed in Iraq illegal wars and occupations which result in the death of millions of innocent people can be waged with fictitious and manufactured lies for the purpose of enriching a few powerful elites.

We even saw how religion can be corrupted in a major way to advance a political agenda both domestically and internationally. There is no better proof for this than Bush’s ‘faith based initiative’ programs that are used to get votes for the Republican Party.

And the latest one? Well, let’s just call it for what it is. With the $700 billion - no, actually $850 billion when you count all the pork, we may have just witnessed the biggest bank heist in the world. $850billion!!! That is even hard for the mind to imagine. This is almost like Dr Evil’s cajillion, faffillion type of money! The getaway truck is parked at the back door of the treasury, the drivers are picked, the engine is running and the Bush gang is ready to run away with $700 billion dollars for the farewell party.

The US government, despite opposition to this plan showing a 9 to 1 ratio, basically gave the people its middle finger. So, how is this different from Meles telling Ethiopians to shut up and sit down, despite the fact that he lost the election or Mugabe refusing to relinquish power after losing the election?

And the capper on this caper? Both presidential candidates voted for this massive bailout. So, the obvious question is why did both candidates, who could have basically been assured of the presidency if they opposed this bill like 90% of the American people, vote for it? Could it be that they were told by the real Big Brother to support it or they would see their political career fly out the window? Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

There was even a secret deal in Congress to divvy up the votes so no one party can be blamed for it. This is how the American system of government, which proudly declares, “a government of the people, for the people, by the people” works.

The question we in the Diaspora, who constantly put on our faith in the US government to save us from our dictators is, what gives us the confidence and faith that the US really cares about our people. I mean, if they don’t care about how their own people feel, what makes us think they care about ours? Don’t you think it is time to re-think our strategy?

And finally, for those of you who do not think art doesn’t imitate life, here is one for you. If you have a couple of hours to spare this weekend and want to get your mind off what is going on in the world, and still stay informed, this is the movie for you. The title is “NETWORK” which was made in 1978 and see how eerily similar the situation is to today. You will be amazed. Here is a scene from the movie.

My favorite line from this movie is from the main character Howard Beal speaking of the American people:

“Because this is no longer a nation of independent individuals, it’s a nation of two-hundred some-odd million transistorized, deodorized, whiter-that-white steel-belted bodies, totally unnecessary as human beings, and as replaceable as piston rods.”

Well, at least that is how the US government sees its citizens these days.

Chereka