Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour

Wow.

I mean WOW! In case you didn't read my comment on Ron Paul I think that this could be a part of the reason why USA has such a "bad reputation" as interventionist religious zealots.

On July 16, I attended Christians United for Israel's annual Washington-Israel Summit. Founded by San Antonio-based megachurch pastor John Hagee, CUFI has added the grassroots muscle of the Christian right to the already potent Israel lobby. Hagee and his minions have forged close ties with the Bush White House and members of Congress from Sen. Joseph Lieberman to Sen. John McCain. In its call for a unilateral military attack on Iran and the expansion of Israeli territory, CUFI has found unwavering encouragement from traditional pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and elements of the Israeli government.

For the record, I don't think that God needs any help from mere mortals with his plan . . . but when so many people think like that it's no wonder we have been doomed from the start.

Here's the link to the rest of the story along with video on the Huffington Post

YouTube --D'sTank

Not to digress from the high level thought and political theory of the previous posts, but I cannot help but to be mildly entertained by the YouTube/CNN debates this week. I eagerly anticipated the responses from the candidates, but was disappointed with the canned responses of what could have been an opportunity for democrats to appear to be human. As much as I hate republicans, the inability of democrats to show any form of emotion, while dealing with the human issues the conservatives ignore, drives me nuts. Don't get me wrong, there were some decent responses, especially (I hate to say it) by Dennis Kucinich--who evidently is the only candidate that can answer "Yes" or "No" to yes or no questions. Another missed opportunity for the democrats to set themselves apart. We could have the first "Black" president, the first "woman" president; How about the first Independent president? Please God!?!?!

See link for full transcript of debates: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/23/debate.transcript/index.html

Smedley Butler

The BBC has a excellent report on a coup on the FDR administration that would have emulated the fascist governments in Italy and Germany in the early 30's. Some of the names that are mentioned as being behind the coup are the DuPonts, JP Morgan, Standard Oil, and Prescott Bush (who also has ties to Nazi Germany through the Hamburg America Lines) through a lobbying group known as the American Liberty League.

Listen to the program on RealAudio

General Smedley Butler, author of War Is a Racket,was chosen to be the new military leader of the United States by a group of industrial leaders and wall street tycoons who thought that fascism would pull our country out of the depression. Of course the New Deal had them pretty upset too, mostly because it was aimed at redistributing their wealth, but that is a little too obvious for conspiracy theorists.

Sounds eerily like other think tank groups like New American Century or the The Carlyle Group.

Hold on there are storm troopers at the door . . .

And for the runner up . . .

All this talk of the Vice-President has sparked my interest in a long forgotten piece of political trivia. There was a time in our nation's history when the Vice-President was not part of a "ticket" running for President. It was a long time ago. Here is an excerpt from that bastion of knowledge and democracy, wikipedia:

Under the original terms of the Constitution, the members of the U.S. Electoral College voted only for office of president rather than for both president and vice president. Each elector was allowed to vote for two people for president. The person receiving the greatest number of votes (provided that such a number was a majority of electors) would be president, while the individual who was in second place became vice president. If no one received a majority of votes, then the U.S. House of Representatives would choose among the five highest vote-getters, with each state getting one vote. In such a case, the person who received the highest number of votes but was not chosen president would become vice president. If there was ever a tie for second, then the U.S. Senate would choose the vice president.

So what does all of this mean? It means that there used to be a consolation prize in our "first-past-the-post" electoral system. I never realized that electors were given two votes in this system, which is even better .

This system would be more conducive to a third-party candidate, there is actually something to gain by coming in second place. Presiding over the Senate is the primary function of the VP, there might not be a place in the President's cabinet for an outside party, but I'm sure that the government would function as well as it ever did.

Our political system has grown stale, everyone knows the answers to solve our pressing problems. Reduce CO2 emissions, get the cost of health care under control, stop illegal immigration (or change the law), "save" social security by either reducing benefits or raising the payroll tax.

Why is it that the simple and obvious answers are neglected and ignored until it is too late?

The institutions we have created can no longer be counted on to create useful answers or solve basic problems. It is way past time for a change.

How the Constitution did us Wrong

I know...I shouldn't make shameful fun of a life or death matter, but the timing of the Bush colonoscopy (sp?) and this shit storm war we're currently in is right out of a Kurt Vonnegut novel. Player Piano to be exact. If they would have found a 6th polyp--you could name that one Little Nixon. Why? Because it was Nixon, and to some extent Reagan (perhaps the 7th polyp), who created and cultivated the current crop of misguided, egomaniacal skulls that are running our executive office.

As pointed out, Cheney assumed temporary Presidential powers, during, and shortly, after the President's operation. If our Constitutional authors, at the time of the signing, recieved an evangelic premoniton of a future dark hore Vice President such as Cheney, they would have immediately scrubbed that quill stroke. The operation was indeed important, but not serious or long. If anything, it highlights how we must do everything to keep this President healthy because our option is the dark horse. On a serious note, the press could have had a little more fun with the headlines; for instance, publication sales would have exponentially increased with the headline: "BUSH'S BUTT SCOPED, CHENEY ASSUMES THE POSITION."

Seriously, the coverage of this event further emphasizes the pervasive distraction from the war our media still perpetuates. Certainly lessons were learned in the world of journalism since the invasion, but the emphasis should be centered on dialogue about ending our occupation in Iraq not the President's ass. It was all over cable news and I thought to myself, "During Vietnam, the press were all over war as well as the social movements that tried to end it!"

What' next in this bizzare third act? Valerie Plame's civil suit getting dismissed? Wait......that happened!

Five Polyps Removed

President Bush had five polyps removed after or during the course of his colonoscopy. I'm naming them Dicky, Donny, Condi, Ari, and Wolfie. I call them, (drumroll) the "Neo-Cons on the Block." They have a big new hit foreign policy strategy coming out, "Hangin' Tough."

So, I was a little paranoid about Cheney having the reins of power (again), but I cannot believe the amount of criticism that is being drawn against him. These are all things that have been said before about the Vice-President, but this time it is in Time and Newsweek and not some "alternative" publication.

At least I don't have to worry about being targeted by Cheney's goons, they have bigger fish to fry obviously.

I want to see an investigation into Cheney and the contracts for Iraq as well as the energy policy negotiations that were taking place under his watch. I don't care if he is out of office. Somebody needs to pay for these transgressions.

Ken Lay is dead, he got off too easy.

Let's take it all out on Cheney.

Cheney to Handle Reins of Power

I heard this on the radio just about an hour ago. It is the single most disconcerting thing that I have heard all day. Apparently Bush is going to be under anesthesia while he has a colonoscopy at Camp David.

You can read the story here.

Ordinarily I am not to prone to conspiracy theories but this is Cheney we are talking about here. I mean Mr. Shadow government. Dr. No Bid Contract.

I cannot believe that this man has not been investigated. He was in the Nixon White House and it is also rumored that Cheney is trying to restore executive power to the pre-Watergate era.

While most of this is not clear, it is certain that Cheney wields more power than any Vice-President in recent memory.

Independence Day

July 4th is the day that the declaration of independence was signed in 1776. It is now 2007 231 years and counting. If it was tough to celebrate a proud day in America's history it really didn't seem to show. it seemed like almost every other 4th of July that I had ever been to. People really didn't seem interested in what was going on in Iraq, or why we were there in the first place. Or that the Democrats who were swept into Congress can't seem to stop the war. I suppose that it doesn't really matter as for the day, it is a celebration after all.

It was nice that every one had the day off, and that is such a rare thing. Well almost everyone. To those of you who rang up my beer, I salute you. I hope you got holiday pay too.