Poet, musician, activist, and American dread, Michael Franti, of Spearhead headed to the Middle East in June with an acoustic guitar, a documentary film crew, and an open heart. Read Michael’s travel diary here. Or listen to this interview that aired on Democracy Now.
Peter G. Peterson, a lifelong Republican and chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is speaking out. His new book, Running On Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It addresses his deep concerns about the federal deficit. Due to this deficit–the largest in our history–Peterson cautions that our nation will someday soon face a fiscal and moral crisis of unmentionable proportions. To give an idea of how bad the situation is, Peterson said we currently borrow two billion a day in foreign capital each and every day. This is money that will need to be paid back at a future date, not by the borrowers, but by their children and grandchildren. Hence, the moral aspect of his well constructed and timely arguement.
“We need a fascist government in this country…to save the nation from the communists who want to tear it down and wreck all that we have built in America. The only men who have the patriotism to do it are the soldiers, and Smedley Butler is the ideal leader. He could organize a million men overnight.” -bond trader, Gerald MacGuire speaking to a reporter in 1933
There’s another hot political film showing in select theatres right now. The Corporation righteously lays bare the practices and the aims of multi-national corporations. Like Fahrenheit 9/11 there are gems of information sprinkled throughout this film. One iota that really grabbed my attention was the mention of a plot by various Wall Street tygoons to overthrow the government early in FDR’s first term.
What prevented this hostile takeover? Wall Street picked the wrong general. After 33 years in the Marine Corps, Smedley Butler had seen enough. Butler said, “I spent most of my time being a high class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.” Butler told Congress of the plans underway, yet they never publicized the nefarious affair, nor did they punish (or even question) the conspirators.
Major General Smedley Butler
U.S. Representative Corrine Brown of Jacksonville, Florida speaking yesterday to Indiana Republican, Steve Buyer, on the floor of the House:
“I come from Florida, where you and others participated in what I call the United States coup d’etat. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Over and over again after the election when you stole the election, you came back here and said, ‘Get over it.’ No, we’re not going to get over it. And we want verification from the world.”
Buyer, and the Republican-dominated House, successfully blocked Brown’s request that the United Nations (or another independent body) monitor the Presidential election this fall. Then Buyer asked that Brown’s words be struck from the Congressional Record. That request was also granted.
Brown fighting the good fight
“What we intend to accomplish is to make sure that history records that we did not go silently, and I perceive that silence is consent.” -U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings
For me, the most compelling and dramatic part of Michael Moore’s sensational political film, Fahrenheit 9/11 (it’s also been called an informercial and several worse names), is when we see the members of the Congressional Black Caucus fighting to be heard on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Florida recount hullaballoo. This pitiful scene was news to me, although here’s a CNN transcript of Florida Congressman, Alcee Hastings from January 6, 2001, describing the technical manuevers we now have on film. So, there was some coverage at the time, albeit limited.
from the L.A. premiere
Dennis Kucinich speaking to Amy Goodman this morning:
“Amy, I had to make a decision, whether I want to, you know, stay a Democrat and continue to work within the Party or go in a different direction. And I still maintain that there’s plenty of opportunities to try to shift the Democratic Party in a more constructive direction and I’m going to continue my efforts to do that.”
Read the full transcript here.
On Sunday, our U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel introduced a cajun act at the seventh annual Folk & Roots Festival in Welles Park. He later strolled by the blanket with his young daughter in tow. A few weeks back, as we we’re walking home from the square, a lanky man came jogging toward us. As he got nearer we could see it was our friendly Governor Rod Blagojevich dressend in an all black exercise outfit. I said, “Governor,” as if I had a top hat to tip. He replied in kind, thinking we might be two of his supporters. Supporters, or no, it’s nice to see these two out among the people, enjoying the neighborhood.
Emanuel (speaking) and Blagojevich (on right)
In the this is funny but not a joke category, we have one Vermin Love Supreme for President, running on the Misinformed Citizens of America ticket. At last, a choice we can feel good about come November.
In the this should be funny but it’s not category, we have Mike Ditka considering a Senate race in Illinois.
Malika and Weez hosted a great brunch this past Sunday. To help support their friends in the arts, they encouraged the display of photography by one young woman. Another friend displayed his anarchist politics in the form of this t-shirt:
You can order one from Controvert.com. Strangely enough, I have a Web site devoted to this very topic. However, I’d like to think my spin on the subject contains at least a shred of hope.
Teddy Roosevelt wrote to a friend in 1897, “I should welcome any war, for I think this country needs one.”
William James, the philosopher, and one of the leading anti-imperialists of his time, wrote about Roosevelt that he “gushes over war as the ideal condition of human society, for the manly strenousness which it involves, and treats peace as a condition of blubberlike and swollen ignobility, fit only for huckstering weaklings, dwelling in gray twilight and heedless of the higher life…”