Mad Rush to '08 Elections

In his article for AlterNet.org, Steve Fraser speculates about whether the Presidential election of 2008 will be a "turning-point election." Here is what some people had to say in response:


THe truth is that American wealth is not based today on that can-do, independent American spirit, but rather on our global network of military bases, our global arms trading programs, our global loansharking programs - in general, we're a wealthy country because we steal other countries resources using the World Bank and the IMF, and when that fails, the US military. Most Americans don't want to know the truth - that their pension funds and future retirement incomes are all part of the same system. Ask yourself: what do we make within our borders that other people want to buy from us? Weapons...and what else? Cars? Noone else wants gas-guzzling SUVs. Most of the manufacturing jobs have been exported out of the country, due to the coordinated efforts of both Democrats and Republicans... Our corporate media is nothing but the propaganda arm of the empire, and they know which candidates and issues to give coverage to and which to ignore. Notice the lack of coverage of the global network of US military bases? Does ANY other country have such a network? What would the US say if the Chinese started building massive military bases in Africa, for example? We have some 900 military installations in foreign countries - now what does that have to do with 'democracy'? Somehow, I doubt that another flawed election, with rigged voter rolls and electronic Republican-owned voting machines, is going to bring much in the way of sweeping change. Locking up the entire Bush Administration for about ten years might help things out a little, however. Bush and Cheney need to be impeached - that's all there is to it.

Saddam's real sin wasn't torture and murder, in the eyes of Wall Street - it was converting all his dollars to euros, after which the value of the euro rose 30% against the dollar, after which Iraq was invaded. New rule? All Iraqi oil sales were to be denominated in dollars. Iran's massive natural gas fields and the proposed Iranian gas and oil exchange are the next target of BushCo. They've been exerting all kinds of pressure on other countries not to sign oil and gas deals with Iran, which doesn't seem to be working. Bush & Cheney have one primary agenda: control global fossil fuel supplies, and force all the trades to go through the London and New York dollar exchange. That's all they know; it's where they come from; it's who they are. The Enron mentality is still in full swing. In earlier times, such people were known as robber barons.

The question is, "Will we end the war on the middle class?" Or will the wealthy political class in the US continue to use the privilege of law-making to increase their wealth? Support for labor unions would be an alternative to the GOP rape of the public treasury.

I say, if we go to war against Iran, then we all withhold our taxes period. That will end it. No taxes, no credit, no credit, no war.... no income, no GDP and whole bunch of ticked off politicians. I like it. LOL

To answer your question, it's my sense that the "war on the middle class" has already been won, by the rich... The vast majority of U.S. citizens (and non-citizens also residing here) are POOR! We are lower class, considering what our purchasing power amounts to. And no one apart from John Edwards has even broached this subject yet.

I really wish that someone in either the Dems or the GOP would pick up and read the old party ticket for Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party. Fighting against big business and the need for regulation is just as needed now as during the last "Gilded Era"

The American public is waking up and they are getting more and more angry at the parties currently in power in this nation. This run for the White House that is now going on is a sham, and many people realize that it is. This drive by the likes of Hillary and McCain is fueled by a PR rush and money that flows to their coffers by the people who buy power, and can go on for two years, where many of the more tenable candidates have to drop out for lack of funds. It will not be the will of the people that is seen at the conventions, but the longevity of those who have the most money, which is what each party wants.

Steve Fraser has accomplished the extraordinary: Composed a 5,042 word article without mention of the only serious candidate, Dennis Kucinich. Might I suggest the serious reader check the following links, and avoid this joker of an author in the future? A Can't Lose Campaign Vote Dennis

The author ignores a very simple explanation for all of the coverage. It is easy for the press to do. Compare this to the work that would be required if the press was to actually investigate any of the myriad scandals emanating from Washington. That would take work, real digging and some hard thought. Too much of the press is intellectually lazy and like the author all to willing to write a long article composed of hypotheticals, rather than getting out, finding facts and investigating something.

Paid journalists take their orders from editors and all are paid by corporations-conglomerates that want to make money; NOT educate, liberate and challenge the status quo- Edward R. Morrow warned us 50 years ago that corporate controlled TV would dumb down the republic with entertainment and not programs of enlightenment.

If we let them off the hook with "lazy" as the pathetic excuse for their behavior, then they win. But if we call them on their "treason" then we win. Its treason what they are doing now, not laziness. Call it like it is.... WE NEED TO START FRAMING THE DISCUSSION BY CHANGING THE LANGUAGE. TREASON, LET IT RING EVERYWHERE, ON BUMPERSTICKERS, SIGNS IN YOUR YARD, DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, START USING THE TERM AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES.

The Libby trial and Waxman's committee over the last three weeks have essentially proven that the US is controlled by the Vice President's men, the war on Iraq was a 'Wag The Dog' operation, $8.8 billion of Iraq's cash disappeared through the CPA, $10 billion of Iraq reconstruction funds are unaccounted for, and Karl Rove is replacing US Attorneys with pro-racketeering ideological clones. CNN and Fox headlines? "Anna Nicole drives to Florida wearing a diaper and drops dead; Obama and Hilary are on vacation and coming to a free-speech zone near you, soon!"

do you really think the "powers to be" are going to let the people in this country elect anyone who will have the courage to disband the Federal Reserve, truly investigate the perpetrators of 9/11 and insure that each vote cast is counted as it was cast.
the system is so corrupt that the only possible meaningful change would be to vote out of office all incumbents. Then to institute term limits and public funding of all federal elections.
sincerely, webmaster of 911insidejob.net