Politics: Intro to The Greatest National Security Threat

Dictionary.com gives two very contrasted definitions of politics as follows:

1. The science of government; that part of ethics which has to do with the regulation and government of a nation or state, the preservation of its safety, peace, and prosperity, the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals.

2. Intrigue or maneuvering within a political unit or group in order to gain control or power

I think it's pretty safe to say that the second definition is what operates in our world. Unfortunately, we have given up on the first definition as there seems to be no room for ethics and integrity, let alone public service, as a politician. The two concepts are diametrically opposed and in a capitalist society, politicians have shown us where their loyalties lie. I understand the lure of power but when it is hoarded for self-interest to the point of endangering citizens' lives, we must be ceaseless in our demand for justice.

Our government is playing politics with our national security. They would have you believe that the biggest threat to our country are Islamic terrorists with WMDs. However, it has been the U.S. government's own actions that have compromised our national security far more than any external threat.

To be continued...

Lincoln: The Great Enslaver?

While watching Book TV on C-SPAN, I listened to an interview with Paul Escott, author of What Shall We Do With The Negro?, and was taken aback by his claim that Abraham Lincoln signed another version of the 13th Amendment that actually ensured that slavery would not be interfered with by the federal government. Here is the original text from www.w3f.com:

ARTICLE THIRTEEN, No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.

Needless to say, I would have been blown away had it not been for the continual re-education process I've been getting for the past 3 years. "Myth-ification" is what the author called the revisionist/omission-ist history being sold as truth. I took it upon myself to do my own research into this amendment that was allegedly passed by Congress and signed by President Lincoln. I found this about the original 13th Amendment to the Constitution on the Great American History website:

The history behind this amendment's adoption is an interesting one. Prior to the Civil War, in February 1861, Congress had passed a Thirteenth Amendment for an entirely different purpose--to guarantee the legality and perpetuity of slavery in the slave states, rather than to end it. This amendment guaranteeing slavery was a result of the complicated sectional politics of the antebellum period, and a futile effort to preclude Civil War. Although the Thirteenth Amendment that guaranteed slavery was narrowly passed by both houses, the Civil War started before it could be sent to the states for ratification.

Makes one wonder how great Abraham Lincoln would have been had civil war not broken out. Check out Mr. Escott's Book TV interview: Paul Escott

CIA Torture Memos: A Must Read

The following links are the CIA General Counsel Memos released by the White House. For me, this is proof-positive that the Patriot Act must be repealed and secrecy surrounding subversive government activities must be removed as well.

Memo 1

Memo 2

Memo 3

Memo 4

Anti-Gay Marriage Ad

I could not help but to roflmao at Stephen Colbert's satiric take on the National Organization for Marriage's commercial. Enjoy!!

Stephen Colbert's Anti-Gay Marriage ad spoof

You Are being Lied to About Pirates

I found this article on the Huffington Post website to be very eye-opening...

You Are Being Lied to About Pirates

Right Wingers: Come Out of The Closet Already!

What can you say about a group of guys who are overly homophobic but gravitate toward all that is gay? I know some right-wingers are probably raising their eyebrows and/or pitchforks ready to lynch me for making such a claim but deep in their hearts, the gayness is screaming to get out.

Let's take a look at two of the right wing's latest initiatives -- Tea Parties and the 2 Million for Marriage campaign. What self-respecting, heterosexual male would be caught dead having a tea party (even if it is a tax protest) let alone call the act itself "tea-bagging?" Do the Conservatives know what that term means?

The latest right winger campaign against same-sex marriage has to be the most confusing yet sexually frustrated effort by this group yet. The acronym being used for the 2 Million for Marriage initiative is "2M4M" which is also a commonly used acronym for gay male personal ads. M4M stands for "men looking for men" so are they trying to recruit for the gay community or oppose them?

Add on the scandals of notable Republicans such as Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig, Bob Allen and Glenn Murphy, Jr., and it reminds me of when I was in high school and would get into fights with guys because they didn't like that I was comfortable being gay. Ironically, that was their twisted way of trying to express their own denied sexuality which was soon revealed after graduation in the local gay nightclub scene.

Right wingers, the sooner you come to terms with your own homosexuality, the happier you'll make everyone including yourselves. Oops, there are already Log Cabin Republicans and they don't seem too happy either. Must be your ideology...

A Citizen's View of the G-20 Summit

There is growing concern over the upcoming G20 Summit in London this Thursday as well there should be. I believe that the average citizen shies away from the subject of money/economics on a country-wide or global scale because of the overwhelming amount of complexity that has been created around trading of stocks and other investment activities. However, it is very important that we not be intimidated by all the various financial/economic concepts because in the end, they merely serve to strengthen the grandest of illusions under which humanity has been spellbound for a few hundred years – money.

The first thing you need to know is who the players are in this summit. The finance ministers and central bank governors of the twenty economically wealthiest nations comprise the membership that includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and also the European Union who is represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the body that officiates and provides leadership over the G20 Summit, consists of the same 185 countries that are part of the World Bank. Since the IMF has 185 members, why are only 20 being invited to a meeting that has goals of overhauling the global economic/financial system? Both the IMF and the World Bank have their origins based on actions by a precursor group to the United Nations to fight economic instability and poverty yet, there are still seven nations who are UN members but don't meet the criteria to be a member of the IMF and World Bank. The problem such a gathering presents is the exclusion of 176 countries (there are approximately 195 countries recognized by the U.S. but the U.N. only recognizes 192) that are left out of this process and have no voice in the how monetary/economic policy is developed. There is an even higher level of banking power known as The Bank for International Settlements that provides leadership, policy guidance and loans to the world's central banking systems exclusively.

The next thing you need to know is the shift in the balance of economic power based on currency that Brazil, Russia, India, and China are proposing that has everyone worried about the possibility of a one-world currency. In 1969, the IMF created Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to support the fixed exchange rate system in which participating countries needed to have reserves of gold and U.S. dollars in order to buy domestic currencies on the foreign exchange market. Since there was not enough gold or dollars available internationally, SDR currency was changed from gold and U.S. dollars to a mixture of widely-accepted currencies that include the dollar, the sterling pound, the euro, and the yen. Each country receives an allotment of this currency mix which also translates into voting rights within the IMF based on a series of five, complex formulas. Of course, the U.S. has a whopping 16% share while nearly all other countries have less than 1% (Germany has the 2nd highest level of voting rights at a little over 5%). Consider what is being discussed at the upcoming summit as a very slight adjustment to accommodate the allocations to emerging economies. Special Drawing Rights are supposed to be based upon a country's creditworthiness and currently, the U.S. has the largest national debt in the world. Given the fact that Brazil, Russia, India, and China own a great deal of that debt, this gives them leverage to eventually have the currencies in the SDRs on par with their own currencies.

The last thing you need to know is that in a world where most countries use a fiat currency system (money not backed by reserves of gold or other widely-accepted commodities but by faith), there should NEVER be a shortage of money or credit in the banking system since they are the ones that make the rules and control the supply of money. They can print up as much money as they like and pass it out to EVERYONE (they're already doing it for everyone except regular citizens) and that would actually help them actually eliminate the poverty they claim they want to end. Let's look at the mission statements of the world's top banking organizations:

IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 185 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

World Bank

At the World Bank we have made the world's challenge—to reduce global poverty—our challenge.The Bank's focuses on achievement of the Millennium Development Goals that call for the elimination of poverty and sustained development. The goals provide us with targets and yardsticks for measuring results. Our mission is to help developing countries and their people reach the goals by working with our partners to alleviate poverty. We address global challenges in ways that advance an inclusive and sustainable globalization—that overcome poverty, enhance growth with care for the environment, and create individual opportunity and hope.

If these powerful organizations were sincere about their missions, there would be a LOT more progress made toward that end. However, they are in the business of perpetuating debt and with 185 countries/central banks as members, I think the utter failure in achieving their missions speaks volumes about the true intent of banks and governments toward the citizens of this planet. They could end so much suffering at any time by making rules about money that benefit the many instead of the few. Add all the economic rhetoric you would like but it still boils down to an elaborate ponzi scheme that keeps most of the world's population oppressed.

Comedy Central: The Only Place for Truth?

Last night, I watched the latest episode of South Park entitled "Margaritaville" and saw just how ridiculous our society has become. The show was a parody on the "economic crisis" and it was astounding that cartoon characters are telling the truth about our monetary/economic system where no one in the mainstream, "legitimate" media seem able to do so.

I could barely believe my ears when one of the characters said what I've been practically screaming for the last two years: "The economy is made of people who spend money. The economy and money exist only because we believe in them. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of useless plastic cards and paper."

In our society, why is it that it falls to comedians and cartoons to tell us the truth about our situations? Perhaps the powers-that-be want the truth to be trivialized and/or discredited by their source. I'll trust Jon Stewart, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Seth McFarlane, and Bill Maher over Congress and the mainstream media ANY DAY!

What's your thinking on this?

Advice to President Obama

Dear President Obama:

I want to first applaud you for some of the wonderful gestures made by you such as setting a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq, stopping DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries, and plans to sign the UN declaration on decriminalizing homosexuality.

However, there a few HUGE mistakes being made and I hope that whoever receives this message will make sure that you read it.

1. Buying toxic assets - The overwhelming majority of US citizens do NOT want their money spent on buying the bundles of defaulted mortgages, credit card, student, car and other loans that make up these "securities" which in and of itself is a misnomer. These loans are NOT assets (another misnomer), they are WORTHLESS. Banks must take their losses for these items instead of being re-capitalized with more citizen debt that will never be paid back to us. Toxic assets will ALWAYS remain toxic because the original borrowers are unable to pay back their debt, especially in this current economic climate. This plan was misguided when former Secretary Paulson suggested it and it remains so under Secretary Geithner for the above-mentioned reasons.

2. Recovery.gov Major Shortcomings - While I can appreciate you wanting to provide transparency and accountability through this website, the reporting guidelines contain the same type of hidden time bomb loophole as the Economic Recovery Act bill itself in regards to executive compensation. President Obama, you have said that the Recovery.gov website will show where EVERY dollar goes and the effect it has in recovery. Unfortunately, this will not occur due not only to the sheer volume of reports to be entered on the website but because there are NO reporting requirements for three-fifths of funding recipients. In the OMB Initial Implementation Guidance Memo M-9-10 dated 2/18/09, issued by Director Peter Orszag, Section 2.9, Page 14 it states:

The Recovery Act and this guidance require extensive reporting from recipients of Federal funding. The Recovery Act defines "recipient" as any entity that receives Recovery Act funds directly from the Federal Government (including Recovery Act funds received through grant, loan, or contract) other than an individual and includes a State that receives Recovery Act funds. See Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.
These requirements apply to:

Prime recipients. Reporting requirements only apply to the prime non-Federal recipients of Federal funding, and the subawards (i.e., subgrants, subcontracts, etc.) made by these prime recipients. They do not require each subsequent subrecipient to also report. For instance, a grant could be given from the Federal government to State A, which then gives a subgrant to City B (within State A), which hires a contractor to construct a bridge, which then hires a subcontractor to supply the concrete. In this case, State A is the prime recipient, and would be required to report the subgrant to City B. However, City B does not have any specific reporting obligations, nor does the contractor or subcontractor for the purposes of reporting for the Recovery.gov website. All recipients of Federal funds must continue to comply with existing agency and program reporting requirements.

Only recipients receiving awards funded through discretionary appropriations. These reporting requirements only apply to non-Federal recipients who receive funding provided through discretionary appropriations. The reporting requirements do not apply to funding received through entitlement or other mandatory programs, except as specifically required by OMB.

This is not transparency or accountability. You might want to check Mr. Orszag's reasoning for including this clause that is in direct contradiction to what you have told the American people.

3. Outlaw Credit Default Swaps (CDS) - There are many people who will tell you that there needs to be regulation on these fraudulent instruments when the truth of the matter is that they should be abolished. Their very nature creates false wealth (I was so happy to hear you mention "paper money" on Jay Leno though the brain-dead media didn't pick up on it!) from betting for or against assets/loans in which the holder of the CDS has no actual ownership. To make matters worse, most of the world is dealing in these instruments which have been given legitimacy since 1985 through the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. There are 820 financial institutions and 56 countries who are members of this organization that is supposed to regulate the CDS market. Why is no one tapping them for advice or closure?

President Obama, I know the difficult position in which you find yourself is the most challenging situation of your life thus far. I want to offer my spiritual support and advice. There are men and women around you caught up in self-interest and who will betray you while smiling in your face. Keep your counsel with the light I see in you for good karma.

A World Without Money

Listen up, my brothers and sisters of humanity. The current global economic crisis is nothing more than a poorly-crafted hoax perpetrated by the banking industry in response to the crumbling of another poorly-crafted, but masterfully implemented hoax - money. Since the Sumerians began using metal coins in place of barley for bartering in 3000 B.C., humanity has been assigning value to various worthless objects to trade in exchange for their most basic needs such as food. At that time in our development, our thinking was very limited and that was the best we could do in that capacity. However, such a flawed and antiquated concept should have been discarded long ago as we advanced.



Look at the value we misplace on gold, silver, and diamonds. What inherent value do those things have other than being pretty and shiny? They don’t make our lives better but rather many people have died in the mining and selling of what we deem to be “precious” metals and gems. Now, apply that thinking to paper money which isn’t even pretty or shiny and ask yourself why are we enamored with to the point that we kill each other over it? The answer lies in our beliefs. In the U.S. and perhaps other countries, there was a popular saying, "Money doesn't grow on trees," that supposedly speaks to fiscal responsibility (probably created by a banker). Yet, despite the FACT that money does indeed grow on trees (cotton plants) and in the ground in the form of gold and silver, we believe the contrary. Since we all know there is no shortage of cotton, why is there a global economic crisis when we could easily print up vast sums of money from this moment forward and give it to EVERYONE to participate in the abundance our planet and human productivity have created? The reason is because those who make the rules about money and control its supply are a small group of fearful and psychopathic con artists known as bankers and they have enslaved our minds.



Money taints everything from the mundane to the sacred. There is no shortage of food but there are starving people. There is no lack of housing in the U.S. nor is there a lack of capacity to build houses in the world but there are millions of homeless people. The people who work the hardest and “dirtiest” jobs are the ones who paid the least even though their jobs are arguably more essential than that of an entertainer or athlete in keeping the world clean so disease does not run rampant. Churches have become opulent palaces while their congregations toil in futility trying to make ends meet. People go bankrupt trying to afford the astronomical costs of medical care, education, and legal representation when pulled into the "justice" system. All of these sick paradoxes exist because we believe that we need money to get what we all should be freely and willingly giving to one another in the first place.



We have come so far in the advancement of our civilization but have lost our collective consciousness and connection to each other which is the true power of humanity. We are working counter-productively in jobs that we do not like and do not contribute to the betterment of society in the pursuit of money so we can have our basic needs and many of our wants met. How ironic that U.S. currency has the phrase "In God We Trust" inscribed upon it and somehow we have transferred that divine trust to money. In reality, the moment our economy collapses and money is REALLY worth nothing, humanity will still have ample ability to continue creating all the wonderful things that we can imagine but we have to re-learn how to trust one another.



Imagine a world without money where everyone's basic needs of housing, food, clothing, education and medical care are supplied automatically because everyone's labor and talents are equally valued leaving them free to be happy and productive members of society. How could you not want that for everyone? This is not some Utopian dream. Mutual prosperity can happen right now if you let go of your attachment and misplaced trust in money. Think of all the important projects such as alternative fuel technology that wouldn't have to wait for funding to commence their activities. The pursuit of knowledge in learning institutions would be accessible to everyone and we would be teaching each other truth instead of the lies that are taught in our schools today. Countless lives could be saved because funding for medical research and care would no longer be an issue. No one will ever have to be told there is not enough money for ANYTHING! The sky really is the limit and beyond. The full potential of humanity will be unleashed when our collective focus is the preservation and betterment of all life instead of the accumulation of fake wealth. With human cooperation born of recognition that as humans we are interdependent upon each other, the superficial differences such as ethnicity, religion, and gender attraction will be celebrated instead of being points of division because life is our common bond and it is what we protect and value.



I know what I am proposing is scary since we have been going along with this system for so long and many people feel that things are fine just the way they are. However, I saw people all over the world coming together in fellowship during President Obama's inauguration. The power of that occasion was not really about him, it was about everyone wanting with every fiber of their being to usher in an era of positive change. So why are we sitting back waiting to see if his strategies to solve this manufactured economic crisis will succeed? This is OUR moment to take back control of our destinies. Change your perspective on the things you thought you were powerless to influence. All banks, governments, and businesses are made up of people who come from our own ranks. These are institutions that should serve us but instead, we let them exert the illusion of money over us which switches the natural power dynamic. They make all the rules about money without ANY input from us other than our spending habits. Our collective labor and consumption is what allows these institutions to exist at all. However, balance is being restored as the current system of exchange is coming to its inevitable end. The greed, corruption, and murder embraced in the name of wealth have rotted this system to the core and it is now disintegrating. Those who made it their life's mission to pursue money for self-interest will see the big nothing that is the foundation of materialism.



This is our grand opportunity to know freedom as it was meant to be for all of us. Do not be tempted to resurrect another system based on ANY of the unconscious and unsustainable thinking of the system that is now thrashing wildly as it resists its own death in vain. Develop faith in yourself and your fellow humans that we can come together in all our shining brilliance. If we cannot imagine a better world without money, we are giving up far too easily on ourselves. I will not give up on us and if you can have a conversation about this with everyone you know, you will see they recognize truth when they hear it. That is the first step in waking all of us from this nightmare that the smallest minority has been projecting into our minds for far too long.

Unmatched: Labelle Live in L.A.

Consider this concert review as a love letter to the greatest singing group to ever grace a stage. I'm not talking about The Beatles, The Supremes, The Rolling Stones, or Destiny's Child, no offense to them and their places in history. However, I make the assumption that NONE of the aforementioned groups would dare to even imagine following the legendary Labelle on a concert bill. That was true when Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash began singing together 46 years ago and it remains true to this very day.

On January 29, 2009, the three cosmic goddesses known as Labelle descended upon the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles and two days later, I am still reeling from the experience. The trio was introduced by another music legend, Natalie Cole, a close friend and fan. As soon as the group made the grandest of entrances, the crowd greeted them with a thunderous standing ovation lasting nearly five minutes before a note was uttered. The audience finally calmed down a little from seeing their musical superheroes, clad in their signature over-the-top costumes, feathers and all. Labelle opened the set with "Miss Otis Regrets," a sweepingly dramatic Cole Porter composition found on their latest album, Back To Now. From the piano player's first note, the Nokia Theater was transformed into some kind of spiritual/new age sanctuary. The song was originally recorded by the group in 1970 and they somehow managed to blow away that stellar performance some almost forty years later...LIVE. Sometimes, when your favorite entertainers get older, you pine away for the days when they could go full throttle. With Labelle, they have always been full throttle. Outlandish costumes, extraordinarily prolific lyrics, and three powerfully distinctive voices that blend together to create harmonies that defy description or boundaries. At 63 (Sarah) and 64 (Patti & Nona), they dispelled any doubt that they are still untouchable.

Labelle worked the crowd into a fever pitch with classics such as "Messin' With My Mind," "Get You Somebody New," and "Good Intentions," receiving standing ovations for nearly every song. They also sang quite a few songs from their new album (Without You in My Life, Super Lover, Candlelight, and System) with such conviction and strong backing from their phenomenal band that it gave me a new appreciation for their latest work which took me a while to warm up to it. My words will fall pitifully short in trying to convey what can only be called a "higher vibration" when it comes to Labelle's performance. Whether it was Patti singing with wild abandon in death-defying pumps, Nona flexing and posing like an Amazon born with the body of life, or Sarah playing the sweet but sexy innocent girl with the "silver voice," each song is like an act of a play executed with organic perfection.

During the intermission/wardrobe change, the audience was treated to a video time machine presentation on the large monitors showing images of the popular stars of today and yesterday such as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis, Jr., Denzel Washington and Halle Berry all mixed in with amazing photos of Labelle during their heyday. The only disappointment in the show was that only an instrumental medley version was played of some of their most profound songs such as "Phoenix" and "Gypsy Moths."

Returning to the stage in their fresh "drag" as Patti calls it, Labelle continued taking us down memory lane and brought me to tears singing their swan song, "Isn't It A Shame." The crowd rocked to "Are You Lonely," "Somebody Somewhere," "Come Into My Life," and "Nightbirds." Perhaps what is so remarkable is that I was eight years-old when I went to my first Labelle concert and though I wasn't old enough to fully comprehend what was going on, I knew it was a unique magic that only they could produce and that's why EVERYONE was there. Thirty-five years later, the magic is not only still there, it's every bit as addicting and I wanted them to sing every song they recorded!

I wish I could just follow Labelle around the country to see them in action on their other stops. They gave me outfits, drama, and the most heavenly vocals I've heard. More than that, they gave me back my inner child and revolutionary spirit in a time where we most need their uplifting, provocative music. Just as their concert's closing song says, "What Can I Do For You?," I want to do anything it takes to make sure that their legacy is illuminated and placed on the mountain top where it belongs.

Labelle, you have my eternal gratitude for the joy you continue to bring into my life.

Obama Economic Recovery Plan Doomed To Fail

I read through the text of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that President Obama and the Democratic Party are trying to get passed into law and I was appalled. I have developed million-dollar budgets for profit and nonprofit organizations, so I feel pretty comfortable following budgets in general.

I hope that ALL of you who read this article will take the time to read what President Obama is proposing because the numbers are quite troubling to say the least. I will provide a quick breakdown of the amount being spent and the impact it will have on our country's revenue.

Total spending for the period 2009-2019: $877 billion
Ending budget deficit: $816 billion (not including current $1 trillion deficit)
Total loss of revenue from passage of bill: $211 billion
Current national debt: $10.6 trillion

The Congressional Budget Office provided its assessment of the impact that this legislation will have on the economy and there was little to nothing that was positive where "economic stimulation" is concerned because of factors such as fiscal year spending, slow implementation of projects, development of regulations, etc. It seems that there is a lot of social program spending but nothing that really addresses the issue of the jobs that have been shed according to industry. There is nothing that will provide entrepreneurial incentive to manufacture the vast number of products we import from other countries. This bill will do EXACTLY the thing that people like Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich have warned us about - destroy the dollar and the sovereignty of the United States of America.

I am an Independent, so I have no interest in the petty, political, partisan gameplaying. Iceland just collapsed taking the same International Monetary Fund advice that the rest of the world is following. If you don't want to be sold into economic slavery, take the time to read the Congressional Budget Office's Cost Estimate report at:

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9957/01-07-Outlook.pdf

I tried being as objective and optimistic as possible but this bill is looking more like a big social safety net instead of a bill that will work with business to develop strategies and re-establish industries that will create private industry jobs. The government CANNOT create jobs without analyzing what job sectors have been most heavily hit by closure and then consulting with the business and workforce community to devise a viable solution.

This "stimulus" won't and can't work because the numbers and logic aren't there. The dollar will be decimated when the Federal Reserve starts the printing press and begins selling America away to the highest bidder via T-Bills and other securities such as the banks, mortgages, and auto industry in which our government has ownership thanks to the last economic stability legislation.

The worst thing about ALL of this mess is that President Obama and Congress are squabbling over how best to spend our money on EVERYTHING and EVERYONE except US! This is not change and certainly not the way to prosperity, much less "recovery." I would go so far as to saying that this bill pushes us a LOT closer to socialism than most of us care to ever be, and I don't mean the benign form of the concept.

America: Partying To The Poorhouse

Let me start off by saying that I am a very positive-minded person and I enjoy the hell out of a good party! However, I'm very concerned about my fellow citizens' grasp of reality when it comes to what is waiting for them when they finish this big four-day inauguration party that is costing an estimated $41 million in private contributions and an additional $115 million which the taxpayers will contribute to providing security and transportation for the events. I am FULLY aware that large amounts of money have historically been spent on the presidential inauguration fanfare but damn it, we're in VERY DEEP DEBT! Sure, I could get caught up in the euphoria that so many people around the world are feeling regarding Barack Obama's historic election as the 44th President of The United States of America but that doesn't "change" the devastation occurring in this country and around the world.

America, I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but our economy is based on debt. The money that you work so very hard for is NOT real. What our woefully inadequate educational system has neglected to ingrain into each and every person's mind is that the US and quite a few other countries are operating on a fiat currency system. For those of you not familiar with this term, it means that our money is not backed by physical reserves/assets (gold or silver) and is based on faith. When people lose faith in the currency, it becomes worthless. EVERY dollar printed up by the Federal Reserve Bank has debt attached to it making it NOT worth the amount printed on it. The Federal Reserve is NOT a federal institution but a banking cartel that controls the money supply in our country. Each time Congress passes legislation like the various economic stimulus packages, they are in effect asking the Federal Reserve to increase the money supply which devalues the dollar because we are in DEBT. The money the Federal Reserve prints has to be borrowed (usually from other countries) and paid back with interest. Currently, our country is in debt to the tune of $10.7 trillion, money that the US taxpayer has the responsibility of paying back. During the entire presidential campaign, which candidate spoke about a plan to pay off this debt? None. Why? Because there is NO WAY that even the interest on the national debt can be paid down when you're trying to pay it off with monopoly money. How much confidence do you think investors, domestic and foreign, will continue to have in the dollar when our country's main sources of revenue generation (banking, housing and manufacturing) are all asking for bailouts instead of keeping our economy afloat?

So many people keep telling me to give President-elect Obama a chance before I start criticizing his policies as if he is going to do something that is totally innovative and radical to help us get out of the mess we were all born into. For someone who touts "change," Obama certainly has not tapped anyone on his cabinet that represents change. Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, Leon Panetta, Timothy Geithner, and the rest of the gang don't offer any new thought on the current crisis but rather have been part of the cause. Sure, they have political experience but we don't need to continue the status quo as they will undoubtedly not help the President-elect come up with any strategies that will make a dent in the enormous challenges the US faces.

I am not someone who just sits back and criticizes without offering solutions, no matter how painful or unfathomable they may be to some of the people reading this article. These solutions NEED citizen support because our government, business, and even the majority of citizens have trapped themselves in dead concepts that are contributing to the growing oppression and corruption making daily news headlines. I know that even in the best of circumstances, it will take a LONG time to get from where we are to a place of true common sense, freedom and justice but if we don't start doing thing differently to get there, we never will.

1. Call for a constitutional convention to amend Article I of the Constitution vesting ALL the people's legislative power to Congress. Congress has shown US citizens that it refuses to act in their best interests and instead takes contributions (bribes) from lobbyists representing big business and other special interest groups and passes laws that benefit corporate entities to the detriment of the people who elected them. Currently, Americans have NO recourse when it comes to exerting influence or removing members of Congress from office because the Constitution protects them by only allowing other members of Congress to impeach its membership. Where's the checks and balances in that? Congress has become an elite, untouchable club whose members have gotten rich while doing little more than offering empty promises to the American public. Of course, it will be hard to convene a constitutional convention because it requires petitions from the legislatures of 2/3 of states that will then be submitted to Congress for approval and the application remains effective for seven years. Given that Congress has demonstrated that they protect their exclusive club, what are the chances of amending the Constitution to limit their powers by making them subject to removal from office by a disapproving public if they control the process?

2. Dismantle the fiat money system and Keynesian economics practice/theory. I know it's EXTREMELY hard for people to wrap their minds around abandoning money as the accepted instrument of exchange for goods and services but if America EVER wants to know economic freedom and prosperity, we must let this flawed system die a very deserving death. The existing and proposed bailout will NEVER work because there is no strategy nor ability to pay back the money that is being borrowed. America is currently $10.7 TRILLION in debt not including the financial promises to the Medicare and Social Security programs for the soon-to-be-retired baby boomers which is another $40+ TRILLION. Now tack on Obama's economic stimulus package price of $850 BILLION - $1.2 TRILLION and now our country's grand total of debt is over $52 TRILLION. With the record number of job losses continuing to climb with no end in sight and those jobs not being replenished, exactly how will the CONSUMER economy be "stimulated" through more debt? I've read Obama's stimulus plan and just like the other plans, it does little to pay off our national debt. Yes, we need infrastructure repair and fair trade balance but how does that get America back on the road to solvency unless we're building a LOT of toll roads and our trade partners go along with new tariffs? Furthermore, when does government sit down with the business community and the workers to devise incentives to invest in American industry so we can start manufacturing all the goods we import from other countries to at least keep our worthless money at home? What is going to happen when countries like China, Russia, India, etc. call in our debt? Some of you think they won't do that because their economies would be ruined as well but when they are holding the lien, the advantage tends to be theirs and know that our government and business communities willingly sold them controlling interest of our country. Hurling military threats are futile when there is economic leverage to offset it.

3. Seeing as #2 is a LONG way off, can we at least gain control of how our taxpayer money is spent? This global financial crisis didn't happen overnight and at least in this country, we had the Comptroller/Head of the Government Accountability, David Walker, telling Congress and anyone else who would listen that our economy and spending habits are unsustainable. Nothing has changed about that except that Mr. Walker was laughed out of town when he warned of the eventual nightmare that would happen if we didn't change our ways. Yet, here we are foolishly going down the same path. Our country is spending nearly $117 BILLION in foreign aid when we're the ones needing aid. All this in an attempt to "maintain" our country's image as a superpower is failing miserably. The American empire can no longer afford to expand in its efforts to "spread democracy." Every empire eventually falls and despite the theory of "exceptionalism," America will fall as well. All the duplicitous alliances and subsequent betrayals our government has built, including those in the Islamic world, have left us vulnerable in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.

So, after the inaugural festivities have faded, what will you do, America? Continue feeling good about pretty words that are being uttered by your leaders but never backing them up with actions that lead to the real change we all so desperately want? Or will you snap out of the dreamworld that our societal structures have used to keep our minds asleep and conform to imperatives that only serve to perpetuate political and economic slavery? Obama's campaign raised an record amount of funds and continued to ask for donations on his website until December 2008. Elected officials around the country are constantly raising campaign funds and the funds that go unused go into their "war chests." How about giving that money back to the people or at least financing your own pork barrel spending? It is absolute foolishness to spend so much money campaigning for a job that only pays a fraction of what you have to raise. But then again, if you get to reap the rewards of being initiated into an exclusive club that gives you immunity to the law and access to millions via lobbyists bribes to betray your constituency, many folks would jump at the chance to be in a position of perceived power even if it means the ruin of a nation. Just look around the American political landscape if you doubt what I say.

America, Wake Up!

As we ready ourselves for a change in leadership in this country, we have really got to become a lot smarter as citizens. President-elect Obama has an insurmountable task ahead of him and I think the pressure and expectations of what he is capable of doing in the oval office is HIGHLY unrealistic. I am not being pessimistic in the least. I wish him and our entire country the best in getting out of the absolute mess that we have made of our economy and government. However, until we start dealing HONESTLY about what's wrong and educating ourselves about how our government and economy functions, we're fighting a losing battle.

First, US citizens have NO recourse when Congress ignores their protests. For example, take the bank bailout legislation. Congress defied the will of the people despite that hundreds of thousands of calls and emails they received from us telling them not to give away $850 billion of our money. How could they get away with that? The constitution gives them legal authority to do so. That's right, ALL the citizens power is vested in Congress and ONLY Congress members can vote to impeach one another. At last count in March 2008, the 535 men and women who comprise the House and Senate are collectively worth at least $3.6 billion which is on the conservative side (source: www.opensecrets.org) One solution would be to convene a constitutional convention to make amendments that will allow the people to give a vote of no-confidence in Congress and ask for their immediate removal. The big obstacle(s): State legislatures have to vote in favor of the convention and then send in a request to convene to Congress who get the final vote and the process can take at least 7 years. Members of Congress may come from citizen ranks but once admitted, they are nearly untouchable.

Second, the financial crisis will ALWAYS be a crisis until we admit that our economic system based on emotions rather than resources and therefore, cannot EVER be sustainable. It amazes me that in a capitalist society, so many of us don't have a clue about how our monetary system operates. The dollar is a piece of paper that supposed to represent actual gold being held in the US treasury to back up its legitimacy. Unfortunately, in 1913 Woodrow Wilson, in a moment of utter weakness and greed, signed away the main thing for which the American Revolution was fought via the Federal Reserve Act, America's right to coin its own money and issue credit. To further cripple our economy, Richard Nixon unhooked the dollar altogether from the gold standard in 1971to "feed" the demand for more cash/credit American consumers craved. This was not a smart move if for no other reason than our country only being debt-free ONE time (1835 under Andrew Jackson) in its existence. The whole stock market is based on "investor confidence" or the perceived ability of debtors to make good on their financial obligations. With people losing jobs at an alarming rate, our country's ability to repay its debts via tax revenue is non-existent. Our country's current national debt is reported as being $10.7 trillion but when you add in social security/medicare program promises for the next generation, it's more like $53 trillion. With trade/budget deficits, foreign debt and interest payments, there is no way that we can climb out of this financial abyss by borrowing more money. It's just COMMON SENSE! Speaking of common sense, why are we borrowing money from China and Russia when they are supposedly our communist foes (human rights violations, Russian/Georgian conflict, etc.)? Funny, the things you will compromise for money.

Lastly, when are we going to stop letting psychopaths march us into war? Behind every declaration of war, is some petty, insecure tyrant who is not happy with how much land he/she is living upon, wants some other land's resources, or wants to force his/her religious and governmental beliefs that they believe are superior on others. It doesn't matter whether it is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or democracy, war has the same, murderous results. I find it so sad there is a consensus that war is a part of life. How far have we fallen down as humanity when we allow genocide to be commonplace and have made the military/industrial complex an indispensable evil to "protect" ourselves against evildoers. Our government and even a great deal of our citizens are so quick to call others "terrorists" because they don't agree with our version of democracy or religion when we attempt to "liberate" them from dictators that we supported previously. The many duplicitous relationships that we have around the world in the name of "national interests" will and are going to cost us dearly. Why? Because our government rarely does things from a sense of altruism. The citizens of the US are quite remarkable but until we rein in our government from doing such despicable things as being the leading arms supplier to the world, aren't we compromising our own national security?

President-elect Obama has some great ideas and intentions but it's up to us to make some real changes in how we're governed and how our money is spent.

A New Year, A New Direction

Perhaps more than ever in my life, I am ready to begin the new year with enthusiasm and patience for the spiritual path I am taking without the doubts and fears that plagued me in the past. When purpose reveals itself through deep self-knowledge, those feelings evaporate in its light. The worries about how to make a livelihood out of this path faded when I remembered that the path is what comes first and the universe provides for those who serve its purposes. Helping raise the consciousness and cooperation of humanity is a lofty goal indeed but how are we to reach our potential when we stop striving toward ideals and being vigilant to ensure they are maintained once reached?

I know that looking at all the problems that plague the world today can be overwhelming for anyone contemplating the enormity of it all. However, if so many of us are not willing to do something to start resolving these problems, they will continue to mount until we are forced to do something in "crisis mode" which is rarely effective as evidenced by the recent so-called bailouts. New thinking, new courage, and new action is required from citizens like you and I. Waiting around for government and business to solve problems that they deliberately caused is insanity.

This year I am empowered to take a leadership role in getting people educated and put into action to address the problems they feel powerless to confront. How? By reminding everyone how magnificent and ingenious humanity is, has, and always will be. EVERY social problem on this planet was created by us and therefore can be solved by us. What 535 men and women (congress) can do together is NOTHING compared to what over 300 million people can do when they unite for their mutual prosperity.

I leave you with this one question: If you and I don't make it our business to do something to change our world, then who will?

Every Day Is A Holiday

As the years go by, I'm finding more and more that my "Christmas spirit" has diminished. While I do appreciate the nostalgia of decorations, music, and presents when I was a child and a good part of my adulthood, those things were mere trappings. What remains the brightest part of Christmas for me is the joy and gratitude that my parents had for being able to give me everything I wanted. No matter what had gone on during the rest of the year, this one day would be special. Why? Because the day Jesus was born is a day to be a good person and buy gifts for people to show you care about them? What about the rest of the days of the year? Is peace on Earth and goodwill toward men only for the one day? From what I read in the bible, Jesus spent most of his 33 years performing tireless, miraculous acts of kindness for those in need and teaching others to do so as well. How do you think he would react to a tradition of trivial gift giving to those who aren't needy and holiday cheer that only lasts a couple of days a year?

Another Christmas figure probably wouldn't be too impressed with this holiday either. I'm talking about St. Nicholas, the man whose legendary good deeds have been obscured by the sci-fi fantasy we call Santa Claus. I don't know how we got from a good man born in Turkey who devoted his life to protecting and providing for the poor and innocent to the fat, jolly man who lives in the north pole with magic, toy-making elves, flying reindeer, and a sleigh so big that it can hold toys for all the world's children and deliver them all within a 5-6 hour window. Furthermore, I cannot fathom why adults would want a make-believe character taking the credit for the gifts their labor bought. All significance is lost in capitalism and blind tradition right down to the Christmas Tree. Millions of pine and fir trees are destroyed each year to satisfy our Christmas illusion of having a nice place for our unnecessary gifts to sit underneath. A far cry from the pagan practice of worshipping these gifts of nature as they were meant to be. If you're reading this and think I'm being a grinch, take some time to read about St. Nicholas and the origin of Christmas trees at www.stnicholascenter.org and www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm

Every day I am alive is a holiday. Every day I have full use of my senses and body functions is a holiday. Every day I am not in pain or danger is a holiday. Every day I have food and shelter is a holiday. Every day I learn and/or teach something is a holiday. Every day I have love in my heart and share it with others is a holiday. This moment right now is the only moment I have to be the best person I know how so I have to treat every day like a holiday.

On Saving The World

I'll be the first to admit that I've been wanting and trying to save the world since I was a little kid. Whether I was helping sick animals or people less fortunate than me, there has always been an innate urge within me to do good simply because it is the right thing to do. The problem with trying to save the world is that you ultimately neglect yourself in the process. For the first 41 years of my life, that's exactly what I did.

I didn't know how to focus attention on my own life because it felt selfish. However, the universe has a funny way of getting you to focus your attention on yourself. For all the good I was doing, whether volunteering or managing a community organization, I kept running into the same situations and people that hindered my advancement. It finally got to the point where I got fed up and needed to work for myself. I have known all along that I am the best steward of my talents but lacked the courage to forge ahead and be my own boss. Once again, the universe responded by making every employment interview I scheduled a Twilight Zone episode. At the time, I didn't get what was happening because I was so caught up in trying prove that I could still get a job that I didn't necessarily want (crazy, I know) because part of me was still stuck in a past I had outgrown. When I snapped out of my denial and realized that it was time for me to grasp the opportunity I was being presented, life became a lot easier.

The most important thing I learned about saving the world is that you must first save the world that resides inside you. That is how I have always created my own reality. This is how I believe we can all create a reality that reflects the ideals of truth, justice, freedom, and peace. Idealism and optimism have been mocked as weak and naive qualities by those who have not the stamina nor integrity to continually strive toward them. I am not talking about Utopia. I am talking about a world where we realize that there are enough resources for EVERYONE to have their basic needs of food and shelter met. I am talking about a world where the preservation and betterment of all life is the collective focus of humanity instead of the accumulation of wealth. I am talking about a world where we work together based on our shared humanity instead of destroying each other because of our superficial differences.

I am OK with being labeled as a dreamer because everything that man has created started off as a dream. When we stop striving toward our highest ideals and aspirations, we stagnate. The simplest but most difficult solution to our problems is changing our minds. There is not one social structure that man cannot dismantle and replace with a better one. We are the architects of EVERYTHING in society and I challenge us to revision our institutions and traditions that are flawed and antiquated.