START is a Facade--Nuclear Bombs are Reality and Must be Eliinated to Preserve Life on Earth

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty negotiated by President Obama and his administration was approved by the Senate two days ago and signed by President Obama. What is the significance of this treaty and what does it mean to the two signing countries Russia and the United States of America? Since more than 200 million of Americans living today have almost no knowlwdge concerning the use of nuclear weapons, and another 50 million have only the vaguest knowledge of what such weapons are capable of I write this blog to stimulate some individual knowledge seeking to understand the biggest threat to human life, or possibly any life, existing on our planet.

Implementation of START will reduce the total number of nuclear bombs held by both countries and will utilize regular inspections to verify compliance by the two countries. It does not slow the modernization and development of advance nuclear weapons and in fact will probably accelerate deevlopment by both countries to stay ahead of the other by making sure that the bombs that do exist are more effective and powerful. Approval by our Senate followed assurance and sufficient defense budget authority to assure this prerequisite.

START is essentially a facade, albeit possibly well meaning, that attemps to prove that both Russia and the United States want to continue diplomacy and avoid another cold war. This is good. The threat of nuclear devastation will not be reduced and tens of thousands of nuclear bombs will still exist and be ready for missle launch and other deployment from land and the oceans from submarines. Other countries besides Russia and the USA also have hundreds of nuclear bombs ready to use. Some of these Countries are often trigger happy and may lauch a bomb suddenly and with very little provacation. Pakasitan and India are two such countries that have many hundreds of nuclear bombs at the ready. Israel, although not admitting to harboring nuclear weapons could deploy them at an instant. Iran is on the path to have their nuclear arsenal. France, England, North Korea and China all posess nuclear bombs and although some pledge that they will not proliferate their nuclear weapon arsenal they all will continue to improve the lethality of ther arsenal and delivery capabilities.The number of nuclear bombs may be relatively constant or decline somewhat but the lethality continues to incraes and fewrer bombs are capable of greater devastation. The world nuclear bomb arsenal is many hundreds of times larger than required to potentially kill all life on Earth and render the remnants of our planet uninhabitable for millenia due to long lasting and deadly radioctve isotopes following the immediate ionizing radiation and inferno that can instantly incinerate and kill anyone or any life form nearby (distance depends upon the power of the bomb, and may range from several thousands of feet to over a hundred miles), and can render the planets largest cities as desolate uninhabitable terrain for durations longer than life had previously existed there, for hundresds if not thousands of years. Thus far

The extensive testing of nuclear weapons by many nations from the 1940's up to now that exposed millions of our citizens to radioactive isotopes, that caused cancer and other diseases during the above-gound testing of weapons in New Mexico and elsewhere in the world from the 1940's to the 1970's. Finally above ground testing was recognized for causing deaths and diseases in people who were ingesting and exposed to these deadly radioactve isotopes that were airborne and found in foods and milk. Testing than went underground where it continues today when necessary to confirm the lethality or function of a new device.

Aside from nuclear power plant accidents and failures, the continuous generation of deadly radioactive isotopes from atmospheric testing is now curtailed, but not eliminated from other sources. Spent fuel rods generated by nuclear powere plants have become the main source of harmful radiation that requires underground storage away from ground water and ambient air release.

Only one country was directly exposed to actual nuclear bombs and their deadly devastation. The two Japanes cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destoyed and hundreds of thousands of civilians were incinerated and killed instantly or suffered and died from the after-effects of instant radiation and extended radioactive isotope exposure. The two relatively small (equivalent in power to about 15 to 20 kilotons of TNT) atom bombs of the fusion type were dropped by aircraft in August 1945, and soon after the Japanese surrended and World War II ended. Nearly 400,000 people, mainly Japanes civilians, died either instantly or over a period of several decades as a result of exposre to radiation and ingestion of long-life radioctive isotopes into their bodies. For those of you who have never read about the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki you should read at least one definitive book about the subject. Many are available and must be part of your to-read list to better understand the consequences of using nuclear weapons.

Returning now to the new START and having a modicum of knowledge about nuclear bombs and their killing power, I suggest that you keep updated on this vital subject. START is only a collection of words and official signatures that by itself is virtually meaningless. Humankind posesses "advanced" nuclear bombs that are about 500 to 1,000 times more powerful than either of the two bombs that killed many hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in 1945. over 65 years ago.

Those of you who are about 75 years old or younger have virtually no memory of the actual bombings. Nuclear bombs are simply two words and have virtually no personal link to your life. The link, however is there and the importance is greater than ever. The word in START do nt, cannot, assure civilization that the many thousands of nuclear bombs that exist today will never be used. Only humankind and indeed a very small number of leaders of nine countries and potential terrorist groups, however stable or unstable, will determine whether more lethal nuclear bombs will ever be used again.

Human indifference or ignorance of the threat to humanity will enable irrational leaders to take whatever action they deem necessary, including the use of nuclear weapons. Teaties are fine, but word cannot and will not prevent the future use of the most letal type of weapon that has ever existed on Earth. Two atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 must never be forgotten. This ushered in the Atomic Age and sixty-five years later humankind has not been able to eliminate such weapons, nor is there an apparent desire to do so. Can the technological clock ever be unwound or are we satisfied with words and treaties to pretend that nuclear bombs are a relic of the past? Humans alone can prevent the furure use of nuclear bombs, and only if all nations and peoples require their leaders to help assure continuation of life on Earth. This requires among other actions the total elimination of all nuclear weapons, not treaties that pretend to solve or obscure the problem of instantaneous nuclear devastation.Action not words in treaties can lead to elimination of all nuclear bombs. We must all be part of the action train to eliminate all nuclear weapons forever.

The Real Deficit

Our media constantly has pundits declaring how terrible our country's financial deficit is.Talk shows from the right and left bemoan the fact that our federal and state governments often spend more than their revenues. Yet, at the same time the pundits and we alike demand tax and often spending cuts. When asked what to cut those in government never suggest that the legislators themselves should take pay cuts. Instead the legislators and governors and presidents suggests that others must bite the bullet and sacrifice. The pompous legislators on the right often attack social security, medicare, and medicaid benefits and demand that they be cut or eliminated. The left leaning legislators and administrators demand that social programs are sacrosanct and cannot be cut, but that waste must be cut. The problem is that waste is often not identified so it cannot be reduced even if desired. Both the left and right leaning groups agree that more well paying jobs are needed but neither side explains how this will be accomplished. The background music changes , wars come and go, jobs are shipped overseas by large corporations, and the people continue to sink into a lower standard of living as our population increases. This represents the "Real Deficit". Human poverty increases in the uSA as politicians scramble to blame each other and argue rather than attempt to improve the lives of all citizens.

The US Dept of Census just released a report stating that the US poverty rate is 14.3%. This means that the average income per person living in poverty is approximately $5,500 per year for up to a family of four.About 51 million citizens of the USA are in this category and many more millions are barely treading water above the poverty standard of about $5,500 dollars annually. The population of our country is now over 310,000,000 and growing each moment. How will those now borne exist if they become entrapped by poverty because adequate jobs are not available, and poverty increases. Since 1960 our population has increased by nearly 35 million people. In 1960 approximately 36 million men women and children lived at or near poverty earning an average of under $120 per month per person or about $1,400 annually. At that time a household typically had one wage earner, so it was common for a family of three or four to live in poverty with about $1,400 annually. Since 1960 we have added about 35 million people to our population and nearly 15 million more people have are now living in poverty in the USA. Almost half of the population increase entered poverty roles between 1960 and now. The increasing number of poor people living in poverty in our country represents the REAL DEFICIT.

If the trend continues by 2050 when the estimated population of the USA reaches 415 billion approximately 100 million US citizens will be living in poverty. One in four of us will be barely able to survive. Chaos and turmoil will be inevitable. What will you do to prevent this probable scenarios when desperate people decide to take what they need to survive. There is time between now and 2050 for many of you to change the path to poverty if and only if political priorities are changed. Only the younger people today can do what is required to force politicians to tackle the most important political issue that they will face: poverty. The time to take action and vote sensibly is now if massive poverty is to be averted in this century.

How Much Difference Does Two Thousandth of an Inch Make?

We often attach great significance to virtually inconsequential physical characteristics, and generally brush off very important physical attributes as inconsequential. Sometimes what seems inconsequential can become vital, and seemingly vital difference are meaningless.How can we differentiate?

Pursue some of these thoughts for a moment. Imagine you are standing on the walkway in an underground public train station. You can clearly see the tracks and the third rail that is essential to propel the electric train forward. You decide to jump down and investigate how this works. During your foolhardy examination you witness a snail attempting to cross the three rails. As the snail undulates across the first rail you become fascinated by the trail of slimy fluid that the snail leave as she travels across the ground to the center rail. Suddenly, before reaching the center rail the snail stops as if questioning the sensibility of moving on. You decide that the snail needs your help and you pick her up and place her on the center rail to give her a boost.Instantly, the snail vaporizes and you, by the skin of your teeth survives.

Now this may seem beyond any stretch of reality. How many snails are evaporated by while inspecting three track electric rail lines. That is not the point. This weird illustration simply highlights how a very minute difference may mean the difference between life and goodbye forever! Just an inch difference between your finger and the unwary snail and you most certainly would have become gaseous too.

Life is full of close calls, and often we are unaware of how we avoided an unexpected catastrophe by seconds, minutes, inches, or a fraction thereof. At other times we seem to go bonkers ove a miniscule difference that truly makes no difference. Why?

The single most notable minuscule difference that seems to cause apoplexy and fanaticism relates to the color of our skin.The outer layer of human skin carries melatonin that colors skin. This layer is typically about 0.002 inches thick excepts where frequent contact toughens and thickens it to about 0.0100 to 0.015 inches.Below this very thin layer virtually all human anatomical characteristics of male and females members of the human species are virtually identical except for distinctive biological differences between men and women.

The phrases "thin skin" and "skin of your teeth" evoke distinctive reactions, that are commonly used to describe someone who is easily angered or agitated and hot-tempered, and a near miss that could otherwise have been harmful, respectively. Now teeth do not have skin as we all know. So the phrase is absurd, but clear. Nothing but a miracle intervened to prevent somthing harmful from happening.

The former phrase, incorporating "thin skin" also is redundant, since we all are very thin skinned. Somehow these two words have taken on a separate meaning that has nothing to do with the differences in skin thickness.

Now let's use the two phrases together. Imagine a heated discussion between two ethnically different humans.One shouts out,"Jose, you are a stupid thin-skinned jerk". Salem replies," You are lucky that you survived by the skin of your teeth since you are so stupid". Soon the two are at it verbally, hopefully. But possibly the anger escalates and skin color becomes a real point of inflammation. Before long slurs are echoing the space between the two combatants, and within minutes blood is drawn. Surprisingly, both individuals bleed red blood, even though their skin colors differ. The shock of seeing each others red blood causes them to both stop their combat and withdraw. Both have had their thin skin abraded enough to bleed, and both momentarily realized that below their very thin skin was something that hey both shared. Could it be that we are the same under our skin, they both thought. If so our mutual hostility over each of our skin color was really stupid. As the two men began to realize their blunder, calm returned and the two walked off arm over shoulder to share an American pizza together, as new found friends.

How much difference does 0.002 inches make? Seems that it is enough to kill and hate others over. Rather than be color blind we should consider becoming skin blind and focus instead how alike we are below our very, very thin protective layer of cells called skin. Perhaps we will really see beneath our skin for the commonalities that we all share, if we can simply overcome the prejudices caused by 0.002 inches of biological cellular material that covers our bodies.

What Will Happen Next?

Our world is seemingly engulfed within a whirlpool of diminishing sensibility and decreasing ability to behave rationally. This apparent epidemic is infecting large numbers of us, and appears to be hitting the USA in a way that destroys the very fabric of a civilized nation. A recent example of irrational action struck me as being particularly insidious since it pertains to the treatment of a small child in a public school in New Orleans by supposedly educated school teachers and administrators. This example is illustrative of how irrational we are becoming and the deepening threat to civil discourse and community coherence. I use this example to elicit your introspective thoughts and actual behavior regarding the necessity of regaining our collective senses and restoring rational behavior. Please consider the root causes of our nations’ chaotic political discourse and relate the so-called bigger issues to what happened to this small child in a public school in the USA. If this deplorable event touches you, think about your response to the irrational political discourse that is plaguing our country. Has the infection escaped and caused irreparable harm already. We must regain our senses before the infection becomes incurable.

Here is the e-mail that I received from the Southern Poverty Law Center that deserves attention from all of us and must spur us to take constructive action against the growing threat of irrational speech and actions:

“It's not right for a 6-year-old boy to be handcuffed and shackled to a chair by an armed security officer because he "acted up" in school. But that's exactly what happened at the Sarah T. Reed Elementary School in New Orleans. In keeping with our work to reform the abusive juvenile justice system in the Deep South, we've filed a lawsuit against the school district to stop the brutal and unconstitutional policy of chaining students who break minor school rules.
Our client, J.W., is a typical first-grader. He's just four feet tall and weighs 60 pounds. He enjoys playing basketball, being read to by his parents, coloring and playing outside with friends. But his school treated him like an animal. Within one week, he was twice forcibly arrested, handcuffed and shackled to a chair for talking back to a teacher and later arguing with a classmate over a seat. The amount of force used on J.W. was simply ridiculous and, predictably, inflicted severe emotional distress. Shockingly, this level of punishment is official school policy. We're not just fighting for the rights of J.W., but for all the students at Reed Elementary.

Unfortunately, J.W.'s story is hardly unique. All across the nation, schools have adopted draconian "zero-tolerance" policies that treat children like criminals and turn schools into prison-like environments. The primary function of school is to help educate our children so that they can become productive, well-informed adults. These policies do just the opposite — they seize on any opportunity to criminalize behavior and eject children from schools, driving up dropout rates.
Since being chained and shackled, J.W. has become withdrawn and afraid to go to school. His counselor reports that he has been "deeply affected and traumatized." We're determined to hold the school and school district accountable for what they've done and to stop their barbaric treatment of children so that no one else suffers like J.W.”
Thank you for supporting our work and for everything you do to protect children in your own community. We'll keep you apprised of any updates in this appalling case.

Thank you for your support,
J. Richard Cohen
President, Southern Poverty Law Center

Another Way to Acknowledge July 4

This weekend our country acknowledges the beginning of The Revolutionary War and our nation's Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. Great Britain, under King George III decided to wage war, rather than allow independence for the thirteen states occupied by colonists who were mainly descendants of immigrants from Great Britain and slaves bought from slave traders. Thus, the war that lasted for 8 years ended in the defeat of the greatest war machine on Earth at the time, Great Britain. Many European countries supported the colonial soldiers in our embryonic collection of independent states and helped defeat the British. Seven years later after a bloody war, the thirteen independent states started the process to form a nation, the United States of America, as defined by our Constitution that was finally ratified by the thirteen states in 1789. The Revolutionary War was fought for independence from Great Britain and untold thousands of civilians and military people from the thirteen states, Great Britain, and others who died because an avaricious leader, King George, decided to send men to war rather than give people independence. This weekend many of us will pop firecrackers, barbecue hamburgers, drink alcoholic beverages, and celebrate a three-day weekend without considering for even a moment the fact that many thousands died needlessly because of a crazed leader who cared less about human life than his retention of power.

Since the Revolutionary War our nation, now composed of 50 states, including a former territory, Hawaii, and several territories that we still control, but do not permit the occupants a vote or representation in Congress, our country has fought in numerous wars, all on foreign lands, except for the Civil War that divided our country and still does. If the Civil War in which an estimated 500,000 people died in combat and because of civilian massacres, and all the wars against Native Americans the total number of war dead and maimed for our nation alone would likely exceed more than 6 million people, almost the present population of Wisconsin. Those who died and were maimed in wars fought throughout the world since written history began about 2,000 BC probably number in the hundreds of millions. We will never know the actual numbers but they are mind-shattering for sure.

Should we celebrate the Fourth of July to commemorate the beginning of our country’s existence because of war? Would it not be better to acknowledge those who have died because of leaders who sent people to war to achieve their purposes whether noble or not? We have been engaged in wars beginning with our the first settlements on Plymouth Rock in 1612, and will probably be fighting in wars that we or some other nations initiates in the foreseeable future. Millions of combatants and civilians will undoubtedly die and be suffer in future wars just as they have in the past, unless rational leaders can intervene to stop wars before they start.

We should stop celebrating the 4th of July as a symbol of military strength and instead reflect in a somber manner about the senselessness of war, and what we and the rest of the world must do to stop all wars before they begin. Then we will be doing something constructive rather than celebrating our nations first war, that indirectly promotes future wars by romanticizing deadly consequences.

Learning From (Others’) Experience - Newsroom: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

Learning From (Others’) Experience - Newsroom: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

My oh my! Single payer health care? Read this link to get a glimpse of how this works in Taiwan. Then contact Sen. Sanders, Independent, VT., and tell him to keep on working for single payer health care in the USA! Keep well. Thanks z

President Obama's Way

I believe that President Obama is most effective President for the people since Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt led our nation to victory over Nazi Germany, Japan, and Fascist Italy after he led our nation to recovery from the Great Depression. He mobilized us as one nation to combat World Fascism. He mobilized us before the war by creating thousands of public works projects that employed many millions of workers, and improved the infrastructure of our nation. The Great Depression of the 1930's was caused by greed infested speculators who were allowed to run rampant because of lack of regulatory laws and enabled by President Hoover and others. Roosevelt soon after his election took steps to improve financial and investment regulation and prevent harmful banking practices. Subsequently many of the financial regulations were eliminated by Republican administrations removed and loosened by other administrations, usually Republican ones. However, President Clinton also did his share of damage by helping to enact NAFTA trade agreements that encouraged unregulated investments world wide to the eventual detriment of the American worker. President Lyndon Johnson, like Roosevelt who enacted Social Security, further improved our social system by enacting Medicare and Medicaid. Johnson's downfall occurred because of the Viet Nam war that was as unfounded as our present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the Johnson Administration our country has been essentially flat-lined socially while becoming engaged in unjustified wars in Central Asia, and allowing deregulated financial institutions to run wild and cause a near-Depression again.

We have been flat-lined and declining, that is until President Obama's election and his work and efforts over the last year to restore our country's floundering economy, severely damaged by Clinton and Bush Administrations' deregulation of financial institutions, trade markets, and the increased tax-favored corporate flight to low labor cost foreign manufacturing sites. There, foreign workers produce things that we buy from production operations (often owned or controlled by American corporations) and are virtually unregulated environmentally or by labor laws, and where workers(including children)are paid the equivalent of two dollars a day or less, often working 12 hours a day in literal slave labor conditions just to survive. Each one of us in the USA fosters this slave labor every time we buy clothes for ourselves and kids. Just read the labels to see where the products are made and you will see countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Mexico, Honduras, and virtually never the USA. The same holds for almost all the manufactured products including appliances, dishes, shoes, purses, radios, TV's, computers, etc. The list is endless. The USA has become the world's disposal place for goods made by the poor of the world who barely survive. This is happening while we are unable to provide jobs that pay enough to support the American middle class, that is fast sinking into lower economic status.

The stagnation and decline has taken place since the hey days of the MBA (Master of Business degree) that began in the late 1950's and now infests all corporations world wide with individuals and corporate leaders whose principle responsibility is to fatten the bottom line. This self-centered greed and myopia from so-called educated business leaders is the major cause of economic inequity and the decline of the American worker. This largely unrecognized disease receives blind public acceptance and support. It has become normal and accepted to allow politicians to award these corporations for their huge campaign contributions to help assure that whoever is elected does not shake-up the self-aggrandizing, self-perpetuating business and political systems. We must eliminate this two-headed monster before it obliterates us. Greed and padding each others pockets with moo la cannot be allowed to dictate policy and purpose.

Our president, President Obama possesses the intellect, awareness, and persistence to tackle these monstrous and potentially cataclysmic problems. He also understands that human-induced change for the better cannot be sped up beyond the abilities of politicians and most importantly the public to become informed and educated to participate and encourage constructive changes. Obama advocates bi-partisanship despite constantly being rebuked by the Republicans and others who do not understand the issues and problems as he does. We are fortunate that this opposition does not deter him from trying again and again. He exhibits both a deep understanding of complex issues, the reasoning ability to lay out alternative solutions, and the instincts and passion to follow his path despite rabid opposition or lack of cooperation from political adversaries. This type of behavior represents the hallmark of political and human courage that is essential for our county's future prosperity and the future presidents that we elect.

I believe that President Obama will lead us out of Afghanistan and Iraq to a foundation for eventual peace in the Mideast and Central Asia. I believe that he will rally the American public and enable us to see what must be accomplished to allow economic fairness for all Americans while raising the economic and physical well-being of all peoples everywhere. We are very blessed to have a leader of President Obama's abilities and must follow and encourage President Obama's Way.

Justice Prevails for Health Care Progress

Last night, thanks to President Obama and a majority of Democratic House of Representative members, our country stepped forward in the direction of universal health care. Between 30 and 50 million uninsured citizens will soon be able to get health care when needed. People who suffered and died prematurely because they were uninsured and unable to pay for care will no longer be left without care. Insurance companies that controlled the care that insured individuals obtained will now be prevented from denying needed treatments. If you were unable to get health insurance because of preexisting conditions that were used as reasons for rejecting your coverage, you will now be covered, and your cost for insurance will not be prohibitive.

The progress toward universal health care is not complete, but a giant step was taken under the energetic leadership of President Obama and Democratic Party members of Congress. Every Republican member of Congress opposed the legislation and attempted to prevent its passage by deliberately misinforming the American people. The Republicans in Congress continue to oppose any and all health care reform that leads to universal health care for all citizens of our country. They have employed every possible deception to derail President Obama's plan to provide health care for all citizens regardless of their ability to pay. The estimated 45,000 Americans who die annually because they are unable to pay for care will be provided a life jacket to regain their health and live a full life thanks to the majority of Congressional Democrats and President Obama.

Although the benefits of President Obama's health care plan will not all occur immediately many benefits will, including coverage for young adults until the age of 26 under their parents policies, and the ability to obtain care if you were previously denied insurance coverage. Federal subsidies will be provided to those whose income would otherwise be insufficient to pay for insurance. Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates will improve and the donut hole for Medicare covered prescription drugs will be eliminated. Cost controls inherent in the legislation will reduce our Federal deficit by almost two trillion dollars over the next 20 years according to the independent Congressional Budget Office estimates.

Even though Americans will finally be assured of adequate and affordable health care the Republican Party and all Congressional Republicans oppose the legislation on the basis that socialism will result as the Federal government gets involved. They believe that the giant socialist demon will devour our liberties and enslave us. They reject the use of any taxes for health care and would eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security if given the opportunity.

One of the Republican's most prominent and popular media supporters, Russ Limbaugh, said "let's eliminate the bastards", referring to the Congressional Democrats and President Obama and probably all progressives as well. One Republican Congressman, Randy Neugebauer, Texas, shouted out "Baby Killers" in the House of Representatives as the legislation was being supported by a Democrat who opposes abortion, Bart Stupak, Michigan. Crowds outside of the House of Representatives shouted hate filled and racial epithets at those who favored passage of the legislation. They also denigrated disabled and sick individuals who were nearby and who supported passage.Will the hate and venomous opposition inflamed by Republican Party over-the-wall messages of doom and gloom if passage of the health care legislation succeeded, as it has, continue? Will the right wing Republicans continue to control the Party of Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Regan, or will moderate and respectful Republican's speak out and tame the rabid, irrational right wing?

What do you think Republican Presidents' Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Regan would say if they were confronted by the Republican Party of today? Would they have joined the chorus of Republican right wing extremists, even though they might have been opposed to the Democratic legislation itself? Not likely!

President Lincoln freed the African American slaves and over a century later voting rights were assure for all American citizens regardless of race or sex.

President Eisenhower promoted and signed the Federal Highway system legislation in 1958 that was the largest non-military expenditure of federal taxes ever enacted up to then. We all can be thankful that President Eisenhower, a Republican President, led the way for the biggest social program since the enactment of Social Security under President Roosevelt in 1935.

President Regan, although generally opposed to taxation for social programs, never uttered a demeaning, hateful word against anyone, let alone Democratic members of Congress. President Regan believed that all Congressional members, indeed all politicians, all people, deserved fairness and respect regardless of differing views.

Today health care Justice prevails and the pathway toward universal health care begins just as the Federal Highway System opened the concrete and asphalt pathway to economic growth and mobility for American workers. In the same manner as the federal highway system, the new health care pathway opens opportunities for all Americans to travel the path of life with the knowledge, confidence, and security that health care will always be available to you and your loved ones. Thank you President Obama and the Democrats in Congress, and all progressive supporters of health care reform in our Country for leading us to a brighter more just future for all.

Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan--Our Lasting Legacy of Hate

When the Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked Us passenger aircraft and struck US targets killing over 3,000 civilians our country responded by attacking Afghanistan where we now have been at war there for over 9 years. The country of Afghanistan whose population is about 33 million has suffered over 3,000 civilian deaths caused by air-borne bombs and missiles and untold numbers from ground fire according to published information. The total number of civilian deaths will only be etched in the hearts of survivors whose loved ones died as so-called collateral damage. These civilian deaths are actually much larger in number than the published information since the real count of civilian corpses cannot ever be established.But if we use only the estimated lower count of 3,000 this is equivalent to about .01% of the total population. If the same proportion of our population were to perish as a result of collateral killing of civilians the number of dead men, women, and children would equal at least 30,000. The number of indirectly affected people would exceed 300,000 if surviving family members and friends are included, let alone co workers and distant relatives. Our country would demand immediate response to stop the murders of innocent civilians.

Yet, as the war in Afghanistan continues and now more than 1,000 NATO troops have died in combat we continue to kill civilians at an escalating rate using drones that shower bombs with little or no discrimination of combatants and civilians who are treated alike by bombs and missiles. alike. When this war finally stops we will be remembered as the killers of innocent civilians and hatred and revenge will permeate the Afghanistan survivors. The ultimate result of this senseless war will be the growth of anti USA feelings and the innocent people of Afghanistan will be easily manipulated by terrorist groups to seek revenge.

The irony of all this senseless killing is that the original attacks by Al Qaeda were not conducted by Afghani's but mainly by Saudi Arabian citizens who had usurped land in Afghanistan for training purposes.

The result of this continuing war that keeps killing Afghanistan civilians and our troops alike will be more hate against us and more, not less terrorism. We must stop the combat and help the Afghanistan people regain their country and their own governance system.

President Obama's Reconciliatory Way or Constitutional Failure and Dictatorship??

Yesterday President Obama announced that he appointed a White House lawyer, Rashad Hussain, to be his special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This announcement highlights how much he values reconciliation and understanding in an effort to solve problems. This characteristic of President Obama is atypical of contemporary American presidents. We Americans have been conditioned to expect antagonistic approaches by our Presidents and we are puzzled by a President who really is trying to change the ways things are done in Washington. Both the Congressional Democrats and Republicans seem to be unable to get on board and work to change our political climate. President Obama has constantly tried to engage the Republicans in Congress without success.

The Senate Republicans have succeeded to block virtually every legislative act by imposing a filibuster that allows a minority to stop any legislation by demanding a super majority of 60 votes to pass anything.The filibuster is a Senate rule (that could be overturned by the Senate) that was enacted by the then Senate, over 150 years ago, to permit a minority to stonewall legislation indefinitely. Early uses of the filibuster included actions to prevent laws preventing slavery in new US territories or new states from being enacted. Then, Southern Democrats often filibustered to preserve slavery. Republicans and Whigs were generally opposed to slavery.

Now the Senate Republicans filibuster everything President Obama and the Congressional Democrats attempt to legislate, and our country suffers. Seems odd to me that the use of the filibuster has generally been used to block social and human right legislation by both parties when they were minorities in the Senate. The House of Representatives does not have a filibuster rule and the majority usually prevails and compromise is often achieved between opposing views. Our Constitutional Founders never believed that our Senators would act as dictators within our elected government. But, so it is. We have not escaped from the dictatorial powers of the Monarch that sparked our American Revolution and our Declaration of Independence from the dictatorial King of England and his regime.

The Senate filibuster rule requires 60% of the Senators to pass any legislation that the minority can block indefinitely by demanding use of the filibuster rule. Consequently, President Obama, who believes that consensus and reconciliation among different views is the best approach to governance in a Democratic Republic that is the USA, and generally our Constitution has worked when legislators reach consensus as our Founders intended. Our Constitution was a masterful work of collaboration and consensus between very different ideas for our basic foundation as a nation. Our Constitution should be a remainder for all of us that great results are attained by compromise and reconciliation. Our country would not exist as a Constitutional Republic without reconciliation among our Founders.

Everyday, we now hear clamoring talking heads and enraged politicians and activist groups yelling that our government is broken. No it is not our Government that is broken, it is the abusive use of the Senate filibuster rule that has been enacted more times in the first year of the Obama administration than in any full term Administration in our history. What is needed is a Constitutional Amendment that prevents the use of the Senate filibuster and affirms our Constitutional purpose that a simple majority vote is all that is required, except for an Amendment to our Constitution. Therein lies the Catch 29. Such an Amendment would be filibustered to death.

Are we doomed by the filibuster rule in the Senate to perpetual stalemate? If so our Government is certainly obsolete and our Constitution meaningless. President Obama is acting responsibly when he tries to collaborate and bring disparate views together to achieve beneficial legislation for the American people. There is no option to governance if we want to continue to operate as a Constitutional Republic where the good of all citizens counts, and exclusive beliefs and interests must be compromised and not demanded if our Constitution is to survive. Otherwise we will return to dictatorial rule as was our fate before the American Revolution. The choice is ours. Speak out!

Good Greed, Bad Greed, and the Grand Old Party of Corporate Greed

The word "greed" is generally used to denote undesirable self-centered behavior or at least behavior that most individuals claim they are not engaged in on a regular basis since they excuse their own greed as necessity. Perhaps we forget that greed is a vital reason for human behavior in certain instances but not for many other reasons.

Billions of humans barely live from day to day in parts of the world where survival is a day-to-day challenge. Potable water, essential quantity of food, and adequate shelter are some needs that billions of humans struggle to obtain to survive. They may seek these essentials to supply themselves and their immediate family and be very reluctant to share anything with other needy people. Such behavior may be termed greedy, but is it greedy to provide essential sustenance for yourself and loved ones rather than share with others and thereby jeopardize survival of your family members? If you were someone who rummaged through garbage remains for morels of food, and drank water from polluted waterways, and lived under pieces of cardboard or rags to survive could you consider your opposition to share an act of greed? Such unfortunate but necessary behavior is not a manifestation of greed, merely doing what is necessary to survive instinctively. Under such circumstances the actions taken to survive can be nothing but good, under horribly bad conditions.

However, most manifestations of greed are not from necessity. They are individual actions of we humans to seek self-satisfaction based upon our own self-centered motives. Self-centered behavior pervades our society and many parts of the world where humans have more than enough to survive from day-to-day, but who think and behave as if they need much more and cannot be satisfied without. What is prompting such behavior if not pure greed. By the phrase "pure greed" I mean that whatever is sought is for self-centered reasons only. Whether the item sought is materialistic or intangible matters not. What defines "pure greed" is the self satisfaction that is generated in the seeker, and that shows the external world how superior the seeker is to acquire that sought.

Chronically greedy humans fundamentally care about nothing else other than their own well being and recognition. They are morally corrupt or can twist whatever moral inclinations they possess into a shape that mollifies there angst. Such greedy humans use others to foster their own status while dismissing them as useless after reaching their desired interim pinnacle. Often the greediest individuals in society seek political or corporate power to allow their dominance over others to prevail consistently. Such people after reaching their pinnacle of power will virtually do anything to sustain it.

Nations paralyzed by brutal dictators use terror and murder to sustain their power as necessary. They will have all opposition eliminated as long as they are able. Power is also attained by self-centered greedy people attracted to politics in democratic forms of societies or in those societies where so-called elections are faux, or in English, fake.. Tow party political systems such as that in our country are often greed-breeding machines whose political representatives sole purpose become the retention of political power. In other words many American politicians are nothing more than self-centered greedy individuals whose sole purpose is tho discredit the other parties opposition to assure their own continuance of power. To accomplish this they cater to the local power brokers in and out of politics to obtain the financial resources to continue to get re-elected. Why is so disturbing to the general public at large to accept this as normalcy? Or if not normalcy the reason to step in line with the purveyors of greed and align politically with one or the other side. The saying ,"Like begets Like" suggests that greedy people are attracted to other greedy people. It then becomes understandable that whichever USA party possesses more self-centered greedy politicians in office will attract disproportionately more greedy, self-centered individual voters to their side.

Historically, in our country the Republican Party has and is the party of special corporate interests that have the greatest financial power. Such financial concentration favors self-centered behavior aimed at increasing the power and influence of the corporations and the executives that control them. The Republican Party has since its founding more than two centuries ago been the part of big business. Their have been many attempts to disguise the Republicans individually as freedom fighters, and opposed to big government while behind their words is their purpose to have big business control our country with the Republican Party at the helm of the ship of plenty for their self-centered greedy vessel laden with special corporate pork.

The Democratic Party has historically worked in behalf of the workers of our country in contrast to the Republican corporate-centered Party of Greed. The Democratic Party and Democratic Presidents supported and enacted legislation that provided Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment benefit legislation. The Republican Party opposed all of these, and most Republican politicians still do. The Voter's Right legislation and Civil Right legislation were enacted under Democratic Presidents as was the elimination of racial segregation in the US. Military services. Dwight Eisenhower, a moderate Republican President, enforced the abolition of school segregation. However most civil rights legislation has been enacted and rigorously enforced under Democratic Presidents.

Todays political climate is not surprising if we examine our recent history. The Republican Party has and continues to oppose all social legislation as it has historically. Opposition to any Health Care reform affirms their long-term opposition to all social legislation. Why? They are on the side of corporate power and in this situation the very powerful Health Insurance Corporations who will do anything to protect their profits, executive pay, and bonuses that diminishes the money available for actual health care. The Health Insurance Corporation's lobbyists spend hundreds of millions of dollars to essentially buy the votes of congress members to vote against any health care reform. Why? Simply that any reform is against the prime objectives of the Grand Old Party of Corporate Greed----self centered power for themselves and their power brokers, the self-centered Corporate Giants and their purveyors of greed.