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LeMoyne,
I'm sure you mean Tom Udall, since you're in NM, but you have to be more specific--his cousin Mark is one of our senators here in CO now.
I was listening to a right-wing talk radio station earlier during the course of which the host and a caller were consoling each other over their mutual fear that the “government” was invading every nook and cranny of their lives, as if they had something to hide. Again, it is remarkable how these paranoids never had “tea parties” over the “Patriot” Act when it was passed by a Republican-controlled White House and Congress. Maybe they didn’t “mind” because they figured only dark-skinned people would be discomfited by it.
Perhaps these paranoids fear that law enforcement will feel obliged to widen that racial profiling concept a bit, after the arrest of Jihad Jane, a blond, blue-eyed white woman converted to Islam and accused of recruiting men and women for assassination assignments, and specifically targeting a Swedish cartoonist who upset Muslims by depicting Muhammad with the body of a dog. The media has suggested that Colleen LaRose was an “easy mark” for terrorists groups because she was mentally “disturbed,” but it was LaRose who posted on YouTube calling herself “Jihad Jane” and indicated that she desperately wanted to help avenge Muslims. She actively reached out to Jihadist groups, pointing out her “under the radar” capabilities—blending in with other non-threatening blond, blue-eyed people. And also proclaiming her desire to become a martyr. She had been arrested late last year, only announced now when the Sweden-bound hit squad made it as for as Ireland.
Frankly, I don’t think that this case will “widen” the net much. The FBI admitted that the only reason they caught Jihad Jane was because she made it so easy for them to get on to her act. Jihadists generally do not advertise their services so openly. The FBI is calling this a “rare” case, like the recent North Austin terrorist act. In reality it is only “rare” because law enforcement is not generally targeting the “profile” of the type of people who committed these acts. With “dark-skinned” people, even normal acts attract attention from law enforcement; with white terrorists like McVeigh and Stark, it’s always seems to be after the fact that they arouse “suspicion.”
Thom Hartmann
Houseboat
Portland, Oregon
March 10, 2010
Dear Mr. Hartmann:
I have a chance to listen to your show from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM with the Southeastern Michigan audience. Each three hour show has twelve segments. Each hour has four segments – 9, 7, 11, and 7 minutes. I would hope that you might want to present a three hour show on your optimism for America’s future. Maybe every six months or so you could give an up or down assessment regarding your optimism on America’s future.
Thom, you are brilliant, intelligent, informative, knowledgeable and creative. Your creativity has a tendency to blend serious concerns with humor. Humor is important. I do not claim to know as much as you. You have studied and pursued research for your articles and books. I have learned much from your show.
Here are some of my thoughts. Your optimism on America’s future is misplaced and wrong. I am a realist. I am not going to present a dissertation on original research of why you are wrong on your optimism of America’s future. I have commented on my beliefs and readings on America.
I have seen our country for years goose-stepping up the hill and now we are over the top of the hill and we are goose-stepping down the hill on our way to the abyss of hell. While we were goose-stepping up the hill, I said we were the United States of Evil. Since we are now goose-stepping down the hill, I say that we are the United States of Hell.
I see no future for America. We will never lose a war because we have the weaponry to defeat any nation on this planet. The rich and the corporations worship nuclear weapons and pre-emptive wars; they want to use ninety percent of Americans as cannon fodder to fight in our endless wars; and they want to enslave the same ninety percent of Americans to accept crumbs and scraps that the rich and the corporations will hand out to them.
I do not believe America or the United States of Hell has a real future.
Sincerely,
Gerald Socha
"There are many issues associated with health care reform that divide us as a nation, but one that can unite us all: health care reform is essential to the reduction of poverty in America."
- Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA (from the Catholic Standard, March 4, 2010)
The Future of Food
From the 1980s we have see changes in how our food is produced. Nerve gas was modified to make insecticide. Monsanto produced Round Up. We have now genetic engineering. We can now patent plants. The patents spread to animals and now to human beings. Corporations can control every species on earth through patents. Genetic engineering has become rampant. Whoever controls the seeds, will control the food. Monsanto controls the seeds. The best seeds are developed by farmers and not by research.
Farmers should be able to use their seeds. Farmers are now controlled by Monsanto. Patent law controls the farmer. Monsanto controls all of the world’s food through patent law.
Humans are becoming sicker through GM foods. Within the last thirty years we have seen Monsanto control the food production. Genetically engineered foods do not yield more food. These modified foods are sensitive to climate changes.
The safety of technology has not given the consumer enough research to determine the serious problems of these modified foods. E-coli bacteria invade the food DNA. This invasion of the DNA is unpredictable regarding human safety. Are we creating foods that will spread a plague around the world? Genetic engineering does affect human health. Some affects to human health is more serious than other GM foods. The US government does not test many of our GM foods.
European countries require labeling of the foods. Labels can help to focus on those foods that are more serious to human health. Monsanto defies testing of their patented products. Monsanto Round Up insecticide has created more health problems. Under the first Bush no testing was required of genetically engineered products. Justice Clarence Thomas was a lawyer for Monsanto. The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of corporations. Americans are used as Guinea pigs with Monsanto products. If Americans are not seriously sick, then some European countries will accept Monsanto’s products to enter their country.
The American government subsidizes corn and corn seeds. These subsidies can help the American farmer sell corn cheaper than the Mexican grown corn. In fact Monsanto’s GM corn has contaminated the Mexican corn.
Should food products be patented for any reason? Why should any food product receive a patent that will affect American farmers and many of these farmers will go out of business? A few larger corporations will profit but the farmers do not receive the profits. Farmers lose money on producing corn. Our government subsidizes our corn. In 2002 Bush II signed the largest GMO rebate in history. Farming has changed in America. The small farmer has lost a sense of community with the other farmers.
Monsanto refuse to be interviewed. America is big on GMO products. Monsanto has infected our food industries. We are losing diversity in doing research because universities will be sued. Universities and people are staying away from fields that require research. Any research findings will be blocked for publication in offering information on the safety of our food.
GM foods will not end hunger. The major problem is not food; it is the accessibility of food. Monsanto seeks to control the world patent on foods. Monsanto will require every nation to pay them a fee to use their patents.
The US government has terminator genes that will kill the seed for next years planting. The US is in the market of killing off food products of other countries. The killing off of certain food products will increase the price on food and the people who cannot buy the food will be starved to death.
Solar energy is important for future foods and its growth. Americans must take the time or make the effort to work for the common good of all the people around the world. Organic farming and foods are healthier for human beings. The consumer must have accurate information. Foods must be properly labeled. The American public must stand up for themselves against corporations and the US government.
Why is it that Americans do not know what they are eating? Americans must refuse to eat the garbage that Monsanto has given us.
Tell me please Thom, was Udall there too?
- Green in NM
re: Markos Moulitsas @ Quark (way above):
As an antidote to Mr. Kos' poisonous little screed and in common sense support of Dennis Kucinich and Wendell Potter dubbing the Senate bill the Insurance Profit Protection Act
[mandate without public option political suicide]
try 1 :-p Bill Maher w/Lawrence O'Donnell 3/10 Countdown #2
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olb...
and 2 :-0 Michael Moore on Rachel Maddow 3/10
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#3580...
Furhtermore, the combination of poor [literally] ignoramuses voting for Bush (tens of millions?!?) and illegal Republican caging of Blacks and Latinos in Florida (disqualifying tens of thousands of voters), these did more to get Bush elected than Nader's candidacy. For myself and as a Green, I could not in good conscience vote for Al Gore after the shredding of the safety net for single mothers, the giveaway of the E-M spectrum and the 'great sucking sound' of NAFTA displayed the corporate greed and insensitivity of the 8 years of the Clinton-Gore administration.
Al Gore blew it when he didn't demand a recount of the entire state of Florida - he had plenty of time to do it before AND after the Supreme Court rightfully overturned the partial recount as undemocratic. Before you attack the Greens please remember this: Gore actually won the recount done by Miami Herald who made the proper suit to win the people's right to know the whole truth.
The worse case possibilities from stopping all wars now, both Iraq and Afghanistan return to terrorist breeding grounds. Waiting to stop until we are out of resources, they return to terrorist breeding grounds. Fighting until strong governments can take control then stop, slowly returns to terrorist breeding grounds. Stay after strong government ... See Moretakes firm control and beyond, continue conflict between the peoples due to varied beliefs causing continuous violent. What does it take to bring lasting peace? It took crossing an ocean, starting over from nothing, fighting off a world power, setting up for the people by the people government experiment to bring democracy to America. The key was the people had the same goals and agreed on a set of principles they all could live with and that were for the common good. If the people of a country cannot agree on a set of basic principle or on supporting the common good, little solid or durable peace is attainable. You cannot give that to a people they must want it and fight for it when they are ready, not when someone tells them when or how to do it.
Will video of Carl's interview with Chris Hedges be posted? I really found it thoughtful and would like to share it with some folks.
Here Thom. This is a subject right up your ideological alley.
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Moorestown New Jersey Unions Highlight Union Arrogance
I just suspect that your attitude toward the politicians (more than likely middle class) "living wages".
www.pahrumplife.org writes: Read the book, The Family, by Jeff Sharlet, to get specific reasons for the madness out there that wages war for fun and profit and for the sake of God. In one poignant passage in the book Mr. Sharlet recalls an article in the February 18, 1966 Washington Post describing the choice of words by one Billy Graham, quoting and then paraphrasing words of Jesus. The Paragraph begins:
“Over ‘lamb chops and hash-browned potatoes and fried apples and fried tomatoes,’ reported the Washington Post in 1966, Billy Graham followed LBJ to the podium of the National Prayer Breakfast to preach the fury of Christ down on America's enemies in Vietnam... "I am come to send fire on the earth!" he quoted Christ. "Think not that I am come to send peace but a sword!" ‘There are those,’ Graham continued, ‘who have tried to reduce Christ to a genial and innocuous appeaser; but Jesus said, You are wrong--I have come as a firesetter and a sword-wielder.’”
The first and second quotes above from Jesus are from scripture, Luke 12:49 and Matthew 10:34. respectively. They are juxtaposed and out of context and as such have lost much of their original poetry to make a new sort of poetry that would presumably fit the message that the above Jesus quoter is trying to convey. Upon reading the whole chapters Matthew 10 and Luke 12, I believe one can see that Christ is advising his disciples on how to spread His word and is laying out the difficulties that they will encounter in this task while also espousing the apostles’ value, and the precautions that they must take in the effort. I believe he is telling his pupils that His words of peace and love have the effect of a sword in that they will be difficult to accept by some people who, invested with interests in war or wronged, sick with rage and vengeance, will differ from even their own family members who see righteousness in those words of peace albeit that they may kindle a fury in those who will not accept it, ergo helping to create great unrest, violence and more murderous and cataclysmic war. And other quotes by Jesus support this analogy and exemplify Jesus’ mere war of words, especially the following: “Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:16). Again His word can be interpreted as His sword.
“You are wrong--I have come as a firesetter and a sword-wielder” is a paraphrase of the verse from Matthew and the verse from Luke, convenient extra words put into the mouth of Christ by a spinning reverend applying an extra kicker in the sermon, as if a nod from Jesus to go ahead and escalate the violent war. Again we can see that Jesus’ words clearly were whitewashed, colored and spun around.
For more on this subject and related subjects please check out:
Free Speech TV - http://www.freespeech.org
Thom Hartmann http://www.thomhartmann.com
Pahrumplife on Mike’s Blog - http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/americas-mayor-calls-morator...
www.pahrumplife.org
your caller kind of gave himself away quoting Rather(a Texan?)...he said "selling" watermelon NOT "picking. Idiot!
Captain Bebobs,
Truthers or birthers? Not sure I caught it.
We can complain about the deals afterwards all we want. My point was that if approval ratings is a gage of productivity and their productivity is so low, why would we pay them so much???
How you going to force them to be better educated? Re-education camps? And yes, Thom is in the education business, although disinformation is more likely the outcome...
Not too long ago I said, "we were on the precipice of disaster" in Marja. While it was disasterous for too many civilians, the overstatement I made may be explained by:
So how did the fiction that Marja is a city of 80,000 people get started?
The idea was passed on to the news media by the U.S. Marines in southern Helmand. The earliest references in news stories to Marja as a city with a large population have a common origin in a briefing given Feb. 2 by officials at Camp Leatherneck, the U.S. Marine base there.
The Associated Press published an article the same day quoting "Marine commanders" as saying that they expected 400 to 1,000 insurgents to be "holed up" in the "southern Afghan town of 80,000 people." That language evoked an image of house to house urban street fighting.
The same story said Marja was "the biggest town under Taliban control" and called it the "linchpin of the militants' logistical and opium-smuggling network". It gave the figure of 125,000 for the population living in "the town and surrounding villages". ABC news followed with a story the next day referring to the "city of Marja" and claiming that the city and the surrounding area "are more heavily populated, urban and dense than other places the Marines have so far been able to clear and hold."
The rest of the news media fell into line with that image of the bustling, urbanised Marja in subsequent stories, often using "town" and "city" interchangeably. Time magazine wrote about the "town of 80,000" Feb. 9, and the Washington Post did the same Feb. 11.
Share147 Fiction of Marjah as City Was US Information War
Monday 08 March 2010
by: Gareth Porter
http://www.truthout.org/fiction-marja-city-was-us-information-war57470
Did I not hear Chris Hedges say that "truthers" were fascist? They abhor fascism. The whole movement is about exposing a fascist takeover. Perhaps he better do some more research and not assume things.
"A great deal more is at stake than who killed President Kennedy," he said, reading quickly and awkwardly from a prepared statement. "What is at stake is nothing less than the faith of the people in our institutions."
Maj. John Newman PhD., who gets many references in "Ultimate Sacrifice."
Professor of History and International Relations, University of Maryland. Former Executive Assistant to the Director of the National Security Agency, former military attaché in China, with a 21-year career in U.S. Army Intelligence (Major John M. Newman, PhD, U.S. Army) questions the government's version of the events of 9/11.
Proof that 9/11 Truthers Are Dangerous
by Washington's Blog
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18006
++++++++++++
I think it's the same guy...
Yes, the caller is right. IT'S THE MEDIA, STUPID!
Charles in OH,
Yes, I was saddened by and disappointed in Markos, too.
@Than
Not Chris Hedge's words, but I think he might agree, I do.
"There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part; and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop, And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you're free the machine will be prevented from working at all." (1964) Mario Savio
On the way into work this morning, I found myself behind a tanker truck bearing the company name “Big Green Oil”. Let’s step right on past the hypocrisy inherent in that name (another rant for another day, as TH would say), and talk about the pure unadulterated laziness in the selection of that name. “Huh – everybody’s talking about this “Green Energy” stuff. We’re an Oil company. Oil is Energy.” And that, apparently is as far as the “thinking” applied to the decision went.I suppose you know the makeup and where the "oil" came from. Or would you rather not "take the trouble to think just a little bit ahead".
I have lost some respect for Markos since he is throwing nuance out the window. Suggesting Kucinich should be challenged in the primary is muddying the Progressive message.
Hi All!! As someone who has HAD, (I was in a medical procedure-I'd rather not go into it it because I got in trouble for walking out last week), to watch Glenn Beck's show, (it was on a large screen TV with Volume turned all the way up-and NO, they refuse to change the channel), off and on for most of the past 9 months. (4 days/week). I also live in a VERY small town FULL of Beck Zombies-who used to think he was the next Walter Cronkite-but now seem to revere him as almost a god!! It STILL shocks me to either go to my appointment, or be in some other place here in town between 5 & 6 everyday, absolutely glued, almost hypnotized, watching this idiot. This town is also full of vulnerable people, people who are unemployed due to manufacturing jobs disappearing over the past 15 years. There's also the proverbial bar on every corner.
As for leftist violence: Beck points out on at LEAST one of his show a week, "leftist violence"-films, usually from Copenhagen, the G20, Anti-War rallies, even "old hippie" rallies--MOST of which it was LAW Enforcement which intervened FIRST, over-reacting and causing the demonstrators to push back.
But, of course, Beck has NEVER mentioned THAT. His main roll of film that he replays over and over--kind of like "ACORN"-is a personal video of people outside a town hall last summer where Beck says that SEIU "Thugs" attacked an "innocent black man who was ONLY quietly handing out brochures that had "Don't Tread On Me" on them. AND the fact that the local police have not, or as Beck says, "REFUSED" to arrest any of these so-called "Union Thugs".
Beck also never fails to re-iterate that these are just a VERY few of examples of left-wing violence, as he says that the "liberal media" NEVER shows the "real" violence us Progressives are supposedly guilty of.
Of course there is also Becks "Documentary" last month which were clips and Becks interpretation of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and Che. He never came out and said it; but if you're a regular viewer-or Beck Zombie, as I like to call them, he insinuated through-out this self-produced "documentary", that these were ALL Progressives and that this is where Obama is leading this Country.
THIS is where the right-wingers are getting this "violent left-winger" crap from.
Unfortunately, Obama is bought and paid for by the corporatocracy. How many times do we have to say it?
Charles in OH,
I think Markos was not looking at the "quality" of the impediments, thereby tossing Kucinich in the same pot as Lincoln.
I was surprised at the amount of venom he threw at Kucinich.