Organizing Student Activists, Voices

High School Students are a group who usually overlooked by the mainstream loudspeaker. The common misconception that youth hasn’t a clue or an opinion of what happens in the world is absurd, and I’m attempting to counter the prevailing argument with place students will have a voice, a real voice. Not only am I planning on forming a advocacy publication (appeal to reason), I’m also planning a radical coordinating committee to give students the voice the deserve.

Those who hold the power over high school students –administrators, teachers, parents– usually conclude that students have no opinion and only their superiors have the enlightened knowledge of what is best. As with the struggles of labor in the past century, where both parties –labor and employer– had a say, students must recognize their equal rights with their superiors. Most forget the view of students when legislating reforms to education and emplacing what they view as beneficial to the very people whom they are responsible to serve –the students.

In Michigan, an acceptable public education and one that couldn’t meet the standards of any respectable industrialized nation can mean the difference of one side of the street. The socioeconomic segregation that plagues Metro Detroit, among other places, creates an educational atmosphere that resembles a marketplace more then nation where education is held in high regard.

Perhaps Michigan Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos favors a marketplace, for his proposed reforms to education that include school vouchers to private schools couldn’t prove otherwise. Dick DeVos claims “that every child in Michigan deserves a world-class education that prepares them for the jobs of tomorrow,” but supports policy that will devastate public education by essentially forfeiting it to private hands. The theory that cutting funding to poorly graded schools will motivate them to improve education is not only a myth, it’s outright obvious –schools are not businesses, and should not be left to the fate of the free market among other institutions. Have we forgotten the term ‘equal opportunity’?

The latter is a prime example in understanding the goal of religions and private interests attempting to take advantage of students who, without a strong united voice, have no voice. Student solidarity is important and often overlooked in a generation where cliques alienate the student population into specialized classes who forget what they have in common. Materialism, among other things, and the engrained philosophy of consumption and conformity have worked to program youth to automatically accept the societal systems of modern-day feudalism and the predetermined fate of either prosperity or poverty.

So today I’m asking on anyone who is tired of our unchangeable fate and the inequality that plague our region, state, and nation. We are people, and deserve to be treated as such; we are not numbers on a spreadsheet or an expense to be done away with and exported. We deserve equal education and health care, equal opportunity to succeed and freedom from those who seek to exploit us. We must join in solidarity; we must tear down the institutions of tyranny and inequality. If you are with me, join us and let your voice ring loud for all to hear.

Youth Action Coordinating Committee
Northville High School
Contact: Aric Miller
(248) 719-3557
arikwithana@gmail.com

What if Bush had ran into Ahmadinejad at the urinal?

Big news today at the annual general assembly meeting at the United Nations in which every nation’s leaders meet for a grand spectacle. Of which, the first day includes a lunch hosted by the Secretary General. If anyone remembers, this is where Castro ran over to Clinton and made him shake is hand (the only U.S. president to shake hands with Castro). The fear of such a horrible thing happening again enticed Bush as well as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in making sure they would not meet. Imagine if they had somehow run into each other at the buffet table or the urinal. It would truly be an event to capture. What if they started gossiping about how they have so much in common? Well, it indeed didn’t happen and Bush, as well as Ahmadinejad had their security make sure that they would be no where near each other; Ahmadinejad actually skipped the lunch in order to avoid such an event. Hilarious stuff, I must say. In addition to this teenage worries and little boy fears, Bush made his speech only hours from his arch enemy, unfortunately our incompetent disgrace for a President didn't take much more then twenty seconds into his speech to mention 9/11 and the ‘war on terror' while Sudan is sitting across from him, with thier people dying in a horrible genocide, amazing how our President has embarrassed the people of this country. On a side note, did anyone thing about the fact that every world leader in the entire world is sitting in one building? I’m just wondering because, it would be quite easy to create instant world chaos, but luckily (to most) nothing happened. Although, the latter would be much less devastating then the possible catastrophic world event of two world enemies meeting at the urinal.

Cameras vs. Textbooks

It’s not usually a hard choice in the academic field, especially in affluent communities, unless referring to high schools. My school has decided to make my senior year even more exciting with the addition of hundreds of tiny surveillance cameras positioned in hallways, the parking lot, and all over the school.

Like many, I became weary of the cameras at first sight during registration; little did I know they would be positioned throughout the entire school. I suppose the purpose of them is to go back on tapes after an incident such as a fight or vandalism. The problem with this is that Northville High School has all most no fight and no vandalism; unlike Detroit which may see several each day in each of its many high schools.

My first hour started as it had during the previous year, in the broadcast room. Something seemed different this year though; every monitor to every video editing system was broken. Not to mention every TV in the entire building that required reprogramming in order to be able to display the morning announcements which my class and I work so very hard to produce every morning, not to mention every student the class was required to participate in the reprogramming. Without the proper equipment, the morning news might be much lacking capered to years past.

Continuing on my day in a usual senior fashion, disobeying minute rules about cutting in line and not raising my hand to talk, I went on ignoring the cameras existence. My AP U.S. History class met during the last period of the day (4th Block), the experience was overall good, and the teacher enjoyable. One major problem stuck out in my mind though: there are not enough textbooks for every student!

One witty student goes on to say “we can afford $500,000 for cameras but not a textbook for every student?” To which most in the class pleasantly agreed. And though the book dilemma will be solved, it won’t be solved without much time and much bureaucracy. The teacher goes on to say “it will probably take up to seven weeks.” Leaving students educations behind in the name of “security.”

The school board recently sent a letter home to all parents warning them of “budgetary challenge[s],” that will cut “areas, such as operations and maintenance,” but promise to “work diligently to keep the cuts away from the classroom,” later comparing the school to “any other business.”

If this statement is in fact true, then why have academic and technology areas been cut while “operations,” I’m concluding, of surveillance cameras have ten folded. The reason must be buried in the intuitive nature of the school district to protect itself against what it views as a threat. That threat happens to be the very thing it claims to hold in its best interests: students.

An American Labor Day (Just Remember it’s About Labor)

Labor Day has long been known as the end of summer, the mark of a three day weekend, and a day filled with many barbeques, family outings, and lake-house trips. What many forget, though, is what exactly Labor Day is celebrating. It is not simply the “end of summer,” but rather a celebration of the working man and women in America and all he/she has accomplished. In addition to the latter, I would also like to add an additional observance: the constant class struggle between rich and poor, employee and employer. This struggle has not ended recently and will not end soon, it has been ongoing for over five millennia and will continue one throughout the millennia unless labor recognizes the struggle as more then simply a matter of better wages and job security, but the rather for the end to the oppressive capitalistic society.

A common misconception among the mainstream has evolved naturally in order to protect itself from a rebellion: that a capitalist society, by nature, awards its people with a better way of life as long as the economy flourishes. This concept of economics, to a capitalist, is based on Gross Domestic Product, and Employment. The latter, by no means, represents an accurate survey of economic status.

In much the same way, propaganda has engrained itself into high school textbooks, the every day working man, and both political parties. These capitalist theories have always been strongly entwined into everyday life, and into almost basic human nature, that this system we life in is the only way.

Welfare reform, for example, won little success in helping the poorest people out of poverty. The true goal of the reform becomes clear when connecting the dots to see a picture of war, and oppression. Poor mothers, who were once dependant on welfare, now work over forty-hours a week to support their children, while their children become entangled in crime and drugs. With little chance of working their way out of poverty, these poor children look to these things not because they are of minority or they do not work hard enough, but rather simply because they are poor. Conservatives will cite the relationship between youth crime and drug-use to the breakdown of the family unit. Though this might be true, they refuse to acknowledge why that breakdown has occurred, and that reason is none other then poverty.

The misconception that economies grow with help from the rich investing, therefore creating jobs, therefore creating more wealth and so on, has also become part of everyday life. The capitalist believes that cutting welfare teaches the lesson of hard work and determination; but instead leaves behind the poor to become exploited by the rich for their own personal gain. The elite everywhere, for all of human civilization, have never placed the interests of others ahead of their own. They are in a constant struggle, not for the benefit of humanity, but rather for more and more profits. To a capitalist, this sounds great, for the more money the rich have, the more money they will invest, and the more the economy will grow, the more jobs will be created. But, the size of the economy and the number of jobs, by no means is an accurate meter of a successful people with a high standard of living.

Free trade, for example, has cost American’s thousands of hard-working, good-paying jobs in order to exploit the southern impoverished nations of Africa, Latin American, and Asia; leaving thousands of laborers here in the States to work at low-paying service jobs with little or no representation from unions. Urban industrial areas have been left in ruins, a stark reminder of what used to be.

Not only has free trade dramatically and negatively affected the U.S., it has also had unprecedented affects on third-world nations, especially in the global south. Without the relief needed to build strong economies with thriving industries independent of western corporate interests, these impoverished nations must free themselves from the choke hold of free trade and the industrialized nation’s interests in exploiting their workforce. Creating employment in poor nations does not dramatically affect the overall economic status; that goal may be achieved by building strong industries that can compete with western corporations to create a fair world market. Currently though, all profits go back into the hands of massive multi-nationals and executives.

One many argue free trade’s effect on the global economy as positive, but in reality free trade may only successfully be achieved once the socio-economic status of the entire world has been homogenized into a fair and successful economy, benefiting each and every member of the planet. For, in reality, we are not just members of each of our own nations, but rather the earth community as a whole.

Political bickering aside, there does indeed exist a problem in the United States, as well as the rest of the world. That problem that the wealthiest and most impoverished members of this earth community have become so far removed from each other that the two are all most not of the same community, but rather of separate dimensions, and this is not and should not be true.

Organic Wall-Mart?

The recent news of Wall-Mart going “Organic” has sparked many applauses and much criticism. The effects of the world’s largest company going organic will have unprecedented effects on small farmers and the local economy. Co-operatives such as Organic Valley and groups such as Organic Consumers Association have shown much weariness towards the big move, citing the past effects Wall-Mart has had with local farmers and markets.

In her recent article, Liza Featherstone (The Nation.) brilliantly constructs a clear picture of the effects of this massive change in the organic consumer market. Small farmers and local markets will be profoundly effected by such a move my Wall-Mart because of the eminent loss of customers to lowers prices because any consumers complain of the high price of organic products, but that price is well worth the good effects. “Organic is not overpriced; rather, conventional food is cheap because its costs are passed along to the environment, small farmers and the health of those who eat it,” later stating that the reason consumers can’t afford the food is because they aren’t paid enough and don’t have health insurance, further continuing the debate for national health care, and fair wages.

Featherstone later explains the effects not only on small farmers, but also on quality and standards. Many shoppers will be happy to find affordable organic food on Wall-Mart shelves but, she asks consumers to recognize that the lowering in price means lowering in quality. “Wal-Mart's low prices would, ultimately, mean lower standards,” she says, sitting Horizon’s organic milk production which resembles more of a conventional milk factory because of their cruel treatment of Cows. The Cornucopia Institute's Mark Kastel points out: "Standing in 90-degree heat. No shade, no water. These animals are living very short lives.”

Not only does Wall-Marts conquest on organic food have an effect on local farmers, and the quality of the food produced, but also on the environment; citing that most of Wall-Marts organic food will travel thousands of miles, accentuating the problem of our energy and global warming crisis.

The effects are not all negative, for many positive effects exists such as transforming thousands of acres of farmland into organic environmentally friendly land, but the problems associated with such a massive store like Wall-Mart cannot be excused.

To read the Liza Featherstone’s article “Is Wal-Mart Big Green or Big Mean?” click here.

One Year.

I simply cannot believe it’s been one year of ‘truth and ignorance’ and the blog of Aric Miller. I just wish I would have accomplished more in transforming my blog into a more standardized system with many, many more readers. I’m still working on it, but have a long way to go, and over the last few weeks I have been making massive improvements to the entire blog.

Odd to think how though my core ideas have change, those ideas have matured substantially and my writing has grown stronger and less elementary. Hopefully those ideas will mature further, as I enter into my final year of dreaded high school, move on into college.

Hopefully this blog will grow substantially during this year and gain new readers, so if you are one of those few readers then please, please tell your friends and enemies about this, even though I know you won’t.

kthanksbye.

I Do Not Support “The War on Terror”

To avoid the calling of names such as “hypocrite,” I’m once and for all attempting to make this very clear: I do NOT support the “global war on terror.” The problems many mainstream politicians have with this position, even if the agree with it, comes with the massive stream of neoconservative criticism that is sure to follow when taking such a stance. I’m betting that at least a handful of left-wing democrats in congress oppose the “war on terror,” but refuse to publicly state this in fear of those such as Ann Coulter, or Donald Rumsfeld. Many in the Democratic Party strongly support the war on terror, but most stand against the War in Iraq. Most desperately take a stance of the moderate, in lieu of the extremist on the right or left. In my eyes, Democrats appear weak and confused, not ready to stand up to the so called challenges of terrorism, homeland security, and national defense; they play their cards for votes, not for what is best for the United States or the American people. The difference between the Democratic Party and its sister, the Republican Party, seem very strong; but in reality these differences are only minute disagreements between elite. Voters see these differences in which candidate seems stronger, and which ones are for or against abortion. Abortion aside, for it truly is the least important issue, besides gay marriage, during this great era of revolution. The real issue that should be the difference of each party is the very system which has proved itself tyrannical just as the systems of the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany proved tyrannical. That system in which currently governs the world is none other then the system which high school economic teachers everywhere claim to be “the only system,” and that is, of course, Capitalism.

How do relate Capitalism with the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and all other wars fought in the twentieth and twenty-first century? It is simple when reading the real story behind some of the most brutal and disgusting moments in our short history. Take, for example, the start of World War I and the silencing of the labor and socialist movements in the United States. A perfect solution to halt the overthrowing of the capitalist system that seemed bound early in the twentieth century. The labor movement became powerful, and militant; the poor no longer would become slaves to the elite which would go on to join the war of empires. That war would later become known as World War I, started as a conflict between empire nation states over colonies and military buildup. The “War to End All Wars,” was just a propaganda slogan aimed to win support of the working man hoping to never have another war; this sadly was an utter lie. The capitalist system thrives off war and simply cannot exist without it. The trend continued throughout the rest of the century and into today, alienating any dissenter, calling names, and creating enemies. Communists instantly became treasonous spies and anti-Americans, Muslims instantly became “Islamofascists” and other misleading terms of hate and bigotry.

These problems won’t be solved by just simply abandoning capitalism, these things are true to human nature, but surely these problems will have less of an ability to take advantage of those who are not as privileged enough to be in the small network of the global elite. I propose to rethink capitalism, rethink socialism, and rethink America. Submitting to a misunderstanding that capitalism “is the only way” is just pure ignorance, at least – capitalism as it has been demonstrated very vividly to us over the years.

Sensible Cannabis Policy Reform

I’m begging my readers now to step up to the plate, stop feeding on the propaganda lies, and think with some sensibility about the state of this “drug war.” Like other wars that aren’t actually wars (think: the “war on terror”), the government desperately tries to win over public support through vicious propaganda campaigns. The most effective method in the “war on terror” has been to alienate anyone who disagrees with the administrations policy on terrorists, labeling them as anti-American or terrorists themselves (remember Bush: “you are either with us, or you’re with the terrorists”). The war on drugs is not much different. The method of alienating marijuana users into criminals, thugs, or lazy couch potatoes has been on of the most effect techniques of this propaganda matrix. A massive TV campaign has been in full force for years, proclaiming the facts (lies) about marijuana, claiming it as a gateway drug and a sure way to ruin ones life. Of course, this has no scientific backing what so ever, and why should it? If the government tells us, then it has to be fact… right?

Not only does the government campaign through propaganda, they also do through something a little more primitive: all out force. Since the creation the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), criminals have been created out of thin air through unjust laws that violate the very principals of our constitution. Person’s unalienable rights of property have never been so violated throughout this violent age. The right of a person to put whatever substance in his/her body should not be violated. But the latter is not the subject of this argument, for that debate could last all day, through thousands of pages. Instead, I make the more practical argument – that it is not practical to wage an all out war on drugs. The neocons claim (especially since the Regan era, and into the Bush Dynasty) that drug war is to protect the public from dangerous criminals is not only a lie, but also hypocritical for the very “war” they wage creates criminals. Handling a public crisis (which does not exist), should not be carried out with assault rifles and attack dogs (but this just seems like the way the government loves to do things – think the espionage act or the WTO protests in 1999). The only reason that these dangerous criminals exist is because the very law that was written to prevent these so called dangerous criminals. If the drug became regulated, these dangerous criminals would (for the most part) disappear for the consumer would no longer be forced to buy from them – instead buying from a reliable store, just as a smoker buys cigarettes from the gas station. With regulation the threat of “a gateway-drug” from minors would also drastically decrease for the drug would require the buyer to be “of age.” The latter would indirectly cause the drug to become less readily available to youth. Even though, when actually thinking logically, marijuana is not a “gateway-drug” for the substance itself does not actually cause the user to want to try other, possibly more dangerous drugs; the user rather makes this decision on his/her self.

In addition, scientific research has shown (not without debate) many different results when studying the effects of marijuana on the mind and body. Most, though, conclude that it is indeed not addicting, not as harmful to the lungs as tobacco, and has very little effect on motor skills (much unlike alcohol which has, obviously, been proven to drastically effect motor coordination). In fact, a resent study has shown no significant increase in lung cancer exists as a result of smoking marijuana. In the study, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol; the active chemical) was actually shown to reduce the risk of cancer for it actually prevents carcinogens from entering into the lungs and into the blood stream. In accordance to this research, many unrelated studies (for years) have shown substantial medical benefits of THC to patients.

So, if marijuana isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be, then what is the next step? First of all, a new sensible policy is needed to allow the cannabis to become legal. This doesn’t mean making it legal and allowing the sale on the streets by criminals and gangs, but rather regulating and taxing the drug similarly to tobacco and alcohol. Economists nation round have agreed that legalizing consumer cannabis as well as marijuana (the drug), can have enormous benefits to the economy, saving government expenditures by billions, as well as generating billions of additional income to the local, state, and federal governments. This quite very well means more money to schools, roads, health care, national defense, and drug rehabilitation, and less money to cops to arrest peaceful non-violent citizens.

With this said, I’m asking all my readers to inform yourself about the real facts, not just the one the government feeds us. Think logically and practical, and ask your local representative why this unjust, unconstitutional prohibition on freedom has continued for so very long.

Mainstream Bigotry in America?

Believe it or not, racism and bigotry is gaining ground. With last week’s terror alerts and the increased “threat” of “Islamic fascists” this nation is experiencing many mainstream media figures and political leaders show not only suspicion towards Muslims, but also down right bigotry. By which group would this sentiment surface from? None other then the neo-conservatives, or as I more properly label: neo-fascist. New books insulting Islam and the middle-eastern culture reach the New York Times Bestseller List, while pundits ask for “Americans” to take the law into their own hands and fight the new crusades.

I think Dave Johnson at Huffington Post will do a better job explaining then me.

Detroit Judge: NSA Wiretapping Program Illegal

A huge blow to the Bush Administration took place yesterday, a truly landmark decision in a federal court in Detroit between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Wait what? Detroit? Not much more then five miles away from home did this landmark decision (that is bound for the Supreme Court) take place.

Bush’s goon Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez says he will fight the ruling all out, defending its legality. The legality, though, of this wiretapping has already been established: it is most defiantly illegal. It clearly violates the fourth amendment by wiretapping without a warrant, it violate the first amendment by infringing upon citizens communications and upon the press’ ability to report information, and finally it violates separation of powers established by the constitution for it refuses to obey law enacted by congress (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978).

Why must Bush act as King George? He is acting as the very king the framers of the constitution fought so very hard to expel and make sure would never return. He is continuing the trend of “Imperial Presidencies.”

So what should we do? For one, don’t forget this; don’t let Bush’s lies deceive us into his evil plan of total control and world conquest and never forget our civil liberties (the very things we are apparently “fighting” for).

ACLU

The Nation

A Bad Attitude of Civil Liberties

Yesterday, driving up to my friend’s house in East Lansing, Michigan with two of my good friends, I discussed the so called terror plot that was broken up by British officials and the raising of the Terror Alert by the Ministry of Homeland Security. After talking for a few seconds I heard a voice loudly interrupting me from the back seat, a normal event when discussing politics. Apparently, while discussing my most recent post on the threat of “terror threats” being used to put fear in the minds of the public, one of my dearest friends (which I mustn’t name) had to throw in her view: “Why would they want to scare us? They are just trying to protect us. Not everyone has the rights we have in this country.” While she was completely false on the former, the latter statement was not completely false, just used in the wrong context. Of course, and as most high school history books will tell you, the United States has unprecedented rights, many more then other nations, and we live a lifestyle far better then the majority of the world. But what they do not explain well enough is why those rights are there, and why we need to do anything in our power to keep them.

Before the American Revolution, the 13 British colonies’ rights started to disappear; houses and businesses were searched or seized without warrant, the people were taxed without any representation or vote, soldiers seized private homes as their quarters, freedom of the press became severely infringed, and the king ruled with tyranny over the colonies. After the Revolution was won (which was fought to win sovereignty and liberty), the founders of this nation set up a constitution with checks and balances, and separation of powers. What they forgot, at first, became the Bill of Rights, and those who opposed it then are still opposing it now. The anti-federalists drafted the Bill of Rights (or the first 10 amendments to the constitution) in order to protect the civil liberties of the common citizen from another tyrannical force like the British crown.

Can you imagine a United States without the Bill of Rights? Can you imagine a world were the executive branch has taken full control of all three branches of government? If you can, and I can, something around the lines of Nazi Germany, Iran, North Korea, or the Soviet Union might come to your mind. It would be a scary, scary place; the president would act as some sort of dictator, with no regard to any rights, possibly waging war for profit or scaring the public into submission. Wait a second… Sound familiar?

If it does sound familiar, and it does to me, then maybe it’s because our president is acting this was as we speak. He has allowed the nation to be attacked (and as of now, we still do not really know) by terrorists, or “Islamic extremists,” used this attack as a pretext to enter into a war over oil (which had been planned before the attack), taken away many of our basic civil liberties (USA Patriot Act), wiretapped our phones and entered all our calls into a massive NSA database, collected a database of our banking records, and just recently passed an act to require all citizens to be issued a national ID card in which all peoples will be placed into a massive database. What is happening here? Is this what George Orwell warned us of? Why must our actions be tracked to every inch of our lives? For security?

It’s obviously not for security, and if you don’t see that then just keep tight behind the president until the next terrorist attack – then you’ll change your mind. I’m making the prediction now: there will be a terrorist attack within the next five years, and when this happens you won’t want to live in the United States any longer, it will be total tyranny. Total control. Martial Law.

Just my two cents before you forget how important civil liberties really are. And one more thing (and I’ve said this over and over again): do anything possible to protect your liberties, no matter what the government tells you.

Terror Alert = Terror, Tyranny

Today the Ministry of Homeland Security declared a Code Red terror alert on all flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and a Code Orange for all flights in and bound for U.S. Now what seems to be the problem with alerting the public to a possible terror attack? Well nothing, but there actually is no terror attack, the government just wants the average citizen to submit their civil liberties out of simple fear. Fear of being attacked by a enemy we have no real knowledge on, other then the “fact” that they are supposedly “Islamic” extremists. What many American’s are missing out on is who we are fighting and what the fighting is really for, and the reasons why things take place they way the do.

It’s September 11, 2001 and we have just been attacked by some terrifying force, completely unexpected to the average American. It was a day that sparked a revolution in the United States, a revolution towards tyranny, a true Reichstag Fire. In 1933 Hitler and his thugs burnt down the German parliament, blamed it on the communists, and used it as a motive to go to war, remove freedoms from the citizens, and declare martial law. It’s not been done just once, it’s been done many times in history, including in Rome, the US and Europe.

The neocon solutions to our problems with terrorism include giving up our basic civil liberties in order to fight the ongoing global “War on Terrorism;” awarding the President with unprecedented imperial powers, allowing him to practice total disregard for our constitution; and also giving us a “terror alert” so we will always know when and when not to be scared.

It is this method of fear and submission that the neocons love so very much; though, they’re plan to achieve total domination over the American people can and will not succeed if my faith in American people are true. I do truly believe the American people, as a whole, are good and compassionate people. This image, though, has been spoiled by a few bad apples (very evil ones, might I add). We have gone from being one of the most loved nations in the world, to one of the most despised. The American government has spewed their ideology of global dominance over the world throughout the Twentieth Century, but not until recently has this trend been so very real.

We, the good people of the United States, have essentially become the terrorists, the target of tyranny. We have surrendered, without a fair fight, our liberties to the USA Patriot Act, the war on terror, the REAL ID act, and similar legislation. The target of the government is not Islamic extremists living in caves in Afghanistan, or the deserts of Iraq, but rather the American people: the true enemy of the oppressor.

So what I ask of my reader today is that you stand up, question authority, refuse to submit to the tyranny, refuse to be placed in databases and viewed as a statistic. Refuse to allow the government, founded by the people, to wage a war on its own people. But most of all, to get out and speak your mind, fight the system that is created to destroy you, and become activists; because democracy starts at the bottom, with local government and grassroots organizing. And please, please, whatever you do, do not forget your rights… especially the one that was written down first on the much forgotten bill of rights.

Knowledge is Power.

Israel's war with Lebanon

Is Israel on the brink of war with Lebanon? It looks like it’s already started. The conflict began three days ago with the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. Israel struck back with missile attacks on Beirut’s International Airport, effectively shutting it down, while also blockading major Beirut’s ports. [a map of the conflict area summarizes the attacks, nytimes].

The European Union is criticizing Israel’s overdone reaction as: “disproportionate use of force” while President Bush strongly supports Israel’s attacks, saying: “Israel has a right to defend herself.” [nytimes] He also offers a unsupported theory that democracy’s do not support terrorism even while Iran and Palestine both have democratically elected governments, while forgetting the oppressive governments of the twentieth that were democratically elected.
What many are forgetting in the media is that Israel is holding many Palestinian captives and also, until yesterday, occupied the Gaza Strip. A U.N. Security Council resolution that condemns Israel of “disproportionate use of force,” was vetoed by the U.S.
Is this the reaction that should be from the U.S.? No, the U.S. should be supportive of a cease-fire and call for peace, not a massive revenge campaign.

War truly is an awful and horrific aspect of primitive human society. We need to work towards progress and a peaceful society throughout the entire world, assuring in a new age of human progress and development. It can be done, and done without the death of thousands and millions of innocent people.


As new information is provided, and new thoughts occur in my head, I will continue writing on this topic.

Kennedy Amendment

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) announced to the Senate floor a bill to progressivly raise the minimum wage over two years to $7.25, which would be the first raise in 9 years.

Here is a word from Ted himself at Think Progress:
Help Raise the Minimum Wage

I urge everyone to support this bill for it is an injustice to be paying such unfair wages to our hardworking workers. Hopfully the Labor movement is not dead.

Anatomy of a... Republican

click here.

thanks to huffingtonpost