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Showing posts from 2011

2011: The GOP Candidates' Year Of Living Stupid

 By RF Schatten There were many good stories about Politics in 2011...some very sad, some very inspiring, some very, very serious, and others...well! others, very stupid and extremely funny!! Which brings me to the 2011 Class of Republican Presidential Candidates. This could have been a very serious matter, with very important issues that could make or brake a candidate, and elevate an individual to possibly become the next President of the United States...but, as the days, weeks, and months past by...and a marathon of GOP Presidential Debates ensued, you just couldn't help but feel, that this whole exercise of Democracy in action, has been one great giant... “put on”. If you are a political junkie, or someone who just wants to be able to look at the issues and the the people who might someday be the Leaders of the Free World...you would stay tuned to the election cycle's Presidential Debates, by either or both Parties...debates by both sides before the Presidenti...

The Great Upheaval

By Lorenzo A. Cañizares To understand what is meant by “The Great Upheaval” is important to provide some pertinent facts. We need to realize that there is a dichotomy amongst the American people in how we experience the reality around us. Regular common people that have been lucky enough not to have had to deal with losing a job or being discriminated because of race, gender, sexual preference or religion trying to understand what’s happening in America today, can become difficult especially if they have been mainly just paying attention to daily living. As we are seeing, most states are going through an attempt to change the reality that Americans live in. Those with jobs, as teachers and state workers that might have been oblivious to the pain being suffered by those that have lost jobs and benefits in the private sector, are getting to know now how it feels. The people doing the deciding are ruthless in their disregard for the popular will or well-being. For exam...

The New Fourth Reich

 By Darwin Phillips I awakened this morning to a most informative and accurate portrayal of what we are indeed facing once again in this world of cycles, I must have nodded off last night with the TV on, as I woke up to Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster in "Judgement at Nuremberg". I had much to do, but was captivated by the incredible cast of actors and actresses as well as the subject matter, as I watched it became blazingly clear that we are yet again deeply ensconced in the trials and tribulations of that era, in other words what was happening then is again happening now, much the same as the correlation between our War in Iraq and the Police Action that was Vietnam, It became very clear that the Nazi's of that day are here among us yet today, just as the great inspiring words of Martin Luther King, the Kennedy's, and many others survive in the hearts and minds of our people, the evil insanity of a Hitler does as well for others, we must not forget the realit...

Why Being Catholic, Necessary Doesn't Mean You Have To Donate To Them

BY RUTH C. SCHATTEN My husband and I have been married for 36 years; we have 6 children and 7.5 grandchildren. After moving from New Hampshire we realized that we had lost our Citizenship papers, and the kids’ Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, and any document, such as our marriage licenses and well, basically, we lost any documents that we owned. We did not worry for the kids were born here in the USA. So they were covered, plus the school records had a copy of the documents that were needed for them to transfer here. One of our children had a baby in New Hampshire, we ordered the baby’s Social Security Cards and his Birth Certificate, BUT! His mother’s papers were lost and she was born in California. Birth Certificates from California take 6 months to get to you. She needed a job to be able to maintain the baby. She was old enough to get a Driver’s License. She needed her Birth Certificate, she needed her Social Security Card, and she needed a Florida ID Ca...

In God, Who Do We Trust?

By RF Schatten Not too long ago, I was going into a supermarket...when suddenly, walking through the parking lot, I noticed a bumper sticker that read: “He Belongs To Us...Keep God In America” I'm looking at this, and I couldn't stop thinking, how we have gotten, as a Nation, to this point in American History? Who are we, to claim “God” for ourselves?...as he were a product, a commodity. It has become a sorry state, in which we invoke the name of God, for any reason whatsoever, and specially by Politicos who try to use it, for their greedy self-gains...it's just wrong and shameful, period! Never in my life, have I seen the use of “God” so much as part of our Political Discourse. Politicians throw the word “God” for anything, specially the Fear of God to grab the minds of the citizenry. The most blasphemous thing a man can do. There is so much hypocrisy today...the 2012 GOP list of candidates comes to mind. Here we have, at least 3 candidates, who prea...

The 2011 Occupy Movement: 60s All Grown Up

 By RF Schatten Very amazing things are happening in Wall Street, Chicago, LA, Oakland, Detroit, Boston, and other cities around the Country...and around the Globe. I would call the Occupy Movement...The 60s all grown up . They are succeeding where they couldn't in the 60s. Don't take me wrong! the 60s movement won their battles...but not before so much divisiveness in the Country. They stopped the war, the civil rights was vindicated, when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act...and, to an extent, the Women Rights movement won too. US Society, as well as World Society, has been shaped, by what happened in the 60s. Today, all those issues are part of the establishment's conventional wisdom. It changed the way American Society is defined today. The Anti-Establishment, grows up...and becomes the Establishment. All this, really brings Hope, to the Progressive and Liberal Movements in America. We all know, what the Protests are all about, and the reasons for it.....

Get Serious About Debt Reduction

By Margarita Mercure Hibbs Everyone agrees that budget cuts are necessary.  Everyone is asked to participate in a shared sacrifice.  Statements like Speaker Boehner’s “So be it!” hit hard and appear to be delivered with indifference to the actual pain of the people that will be impacted by Congress’ $61 Billion decision.  The problem is that these cuts represent less than 2 percent of the deficit. They will not even come close to balancing the budget.  America's debt is $1.65 Trillion Dollars!  This is not serious deficit reduction. This is political posturing. The Military and Defense Industry budget is never under scrutiny.   There is constant pork barrel for manufacturing plants devoted to military things that were long ago obsolete.  B-2 Bombers and Sea to Land amphibious transports are still being manufactured without regard for necessity or cost, as just two examples.  The industry is not asked to retool and reinvent th...

His Echos Are Being Heard...Howard Beale Lives!!

by RF Schatten Fascinating things are happening in America...and they are happening fast!! For the first time since the 60s, people have become inspired and motivated, in what's happening to this Nation. It started with a little movement, called “Occupy Wall Street”...a little movement that has grown tenfold. And continues to grow...not only in New York, but all over the United States, and now...all over the World!! check out occupytogether.org ...this is real, folks!! A movement that symbolizes the agony and frustrations of the common man. How it all began, with a minor amount of people...and how it has grown, will make these events, certainly, part of a new chapter, in US History. What is remarkable, was that just a very few, knew of these Demonstrations. The mainstream media, for whatever absurd or sordid reason...kept it quiet from the public...Fox News, obviously kept a tied lip. Only a few brave souls, decided to report on it. Give the Internet, an...

We’re All In This Together

By James R. Herman Freedom and the golden rule demands inclusion rather than exclusion. Some people are worried about securing our borders and want to build a fence at the Mexican border. Here’s a lesson we can draw from WWII. This horrible action was repeated many times with the same result. People were gassed to death inside concentration camps. After the gassing was finished and everyone was dead they went in to remove the bodies for cremation. Here’s what they found every time. All the bodies were in a heap. The weak were at the bottom and the strongest were at the top. People fought for that last breath of fresh air. A pregnant woman might expel her fetus in the struggle. The evidence showed that people had bitten, scratched, clawed, punched, kicked and generally fought each other in the most heinous ways to compete for that last breath of air. These were normal, civilized caring people who would never have behaved this way under normal circumstances. The lesson here is tha...

An Insult To The Intelligence Of His Own Race

by RF Schatten When Herman Cain was interviewed on Television recently, he spoke about something, that he has persistently been questioning...ever since his declaration to run for the Republican Party: “Why can people understand that a Black man, can be a Conservative?” I don't know, why he is so persistent on letting people know that he is a Conservative? His insistence, appears more a problem with his own inner mind, than anything else. The reality of the matter, is that no one cares...whether he's Conservative or not. But to Herman Cain...it is he, who keeps bringing the subject out...certainly, is not the Press, who are genuinely trying to cover his Candidacy, as just another GOP candidate...a former CEO of a Pizza Chain, who did good as a businessman, and now wants to run for President, on the merits of his financial business knowledge. Now, he has gone a step further...saying that Blacks have been “Brainwashed” into voting, not being open-minded, not even...

Can Obama Deliver?

by Lorenzo Canizares That’s a question in many people’s mind. Pundits are debating back and forth if the American Jobs Act (AJA) could be implemented or not. Have no doubts about it, it will be very important to regular common-folks if AJA was able to succeed. But knowing the cast of players we can safely suspect that if the bill passes it might not be as attractive as the original proposal. After all, Republicans see the solution to the economic crisis through gutting regulations, keeping taxes on the rich low, cutting government programs, and preventing inflation from diluting the wealth of the wealthy. But, as important as it is, the drama of the bill should not be the main concern of the progressive movement. The main concern of the progressive movement is to continue doing what it has started doing – organize people to take independent action. If we get organized it will help all, including Obama. It will provide the American people the ability to express their ...

Class Warfare In America...But, By Who?

 by RF Schatten It's remarkable, how the Republican Party can turn “Words” to fit almost any situation they have...and make it sound as if they are the “Victims” of all social ills. The President, recently announced that the upper 1% and 2% should pay their fair share in Taxes. Is it, that much of a crime, for the wealthiest Americans to pay a larger percentage in Taxes, than a Middle Class or Lower Class individual? On March 5 th , 2011...Michael Moore gave a speech, and said...that there are 400 individuals in the United States today, that have more wealth, in combined Cash, Stock, and Property...than the assets of 155 Million Americans COMBINED!!! Those facts have been disputed by the GOP, but has been “Verified” as True, by Politifact's Truth-O-Meter. 400 individuals, crying that they should not have to pay their fair share in Taxes...because it would “Hurt Them” financially...as Bill O'Reilly stated...he may even have to quit his show!!! There is one Billio...

The Blame Game

by RF Schatten All you hear today, is...who is to blame for all the ills that is facing this Country? Social Conservatives blame the Poor, and the Middle Class...Progressives and Liberals blame Obama, and the GOP Congress. While talking to some friends on Facebook, it really struck me, how Progressives, feel so frustrated with all these issues...The Economy, The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, The Social Conservatives' Anti-Gay agenda, The Immigration Issue, The Healthcare situation, controversies over Evolution, Creationism...and Science!!...and so many more. Very few, though...are willing to see who really, is to blame. So, since someone had to do it, I came out with my opinion on who is: No one is to blame on what is happening today, more than the Progressives and the Liberals...we elected someone, but cannot understand whatever is going inside his mind. No one has taken over a Presidency with so many problems ahead of him...as Barack Obama has...an economy th...

The Great Texas Success...Not Told By Rick Perry

By RF Schatten What's really funny in Politics, is when Politicians run for office...they will always criticize the failures of their opponents...and boast their accomplishments, noting, how much better their achievements are, and how they can do the same for everyone else. “Elect me, and what I have done for my constituency, I can do for you!!” In the case of Governor Rick Perry, known for his intent to re-write American History to fit his own personal Ideals...it appears that he, is also re-writing the current State of the State, so it would show how marvelous a job, he is doing...building his great success in Austin. Here is Rick Perry's “Great Success” as Governor of the Lone Star State: EDUCATION: High School Graduation Rate - 50 th in the Nation (79.9% - National Avg 85.3%) College Graduation Rate - 30 th in the Nation (25.5% - National Avg 27.9%) Verbal SAT Scores - 49 th in the Nation (493) Math SAT Scores - 46th in the Nation (502) Per Pupil Ed...