WMail #67: "The Distinction POWER"

the latest issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online
the essay topic is "The Distinction POWER", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay67.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2007a.htm#67
the topic of the last issue was "Cooling The Planet", and the February issue will be on the topic "The Distinction LOYALTY"

each issue is posted online – see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm and the essays are also posted separately – see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm; quotations are posted by author at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm
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Calling All Patriots!

Patriots despise George W. Bush because he has shredded the Constitution. Your children and grandchaildren are no longer free, and I don't mean because of the skyrocketing National Debt. America ceased to be a democracy (or even a republic) on the day that G.W.B. became the President. The United States of America is run by an insane, neo-fascist cabal and this former bastion of Freedom has morphed into a non-benevolent dictatorship.

http://www.boycottW9.org

WAR NEWS: Iraq oil give-away

The Iraq oil fields are now producing at 55% of pre-invasion levels. Meanwhile, U.S. & British oil companies are pushing legislation thru the Iraq parliament that gives them a tax-free, no-bid, 30-year irrevocable deal to exploit the Iraq oil fields.

Mission accomplished !!

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2132574.ece

Solution To Local Gang Problem

Valencia County News-Bulletin
Saturday 30 December 2006
Opinion / Letters [page 5A]

Churches must take a stand against gangs
The crime rate in Valencia County is the result of widespread tolerance of the gang ethos. There is not one clergyperson in the county, for example, who has taken a real stand against gang members (beyond verbal tsk-tsk-ing).

Virtually all the churches here are Bible-based, and the First Commandment states that no one shall have any allegiance higher than the Judeo-Christian God. Allegiance to a gang is in conflict with the First Commandment.

When the pastors and priests of Valencia County enforce a policy that no one holding allegiance to any gang can participate in, say, communion or confession, then the gang problem will be gone.

Gary E. Nordell
Belén, New Mexico

WMail #66: "Cooling The Planet"

the latest issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the essay topic is "Cooling The Planet", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay66.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006d.htm#66

the topic of the last issue was "Being Thankful (Post-Election)", and the January issue will be on the topic "The Distinction Power"

each issue is posted online – see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm and the essays are also posted separately – see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm; quotations are posted by author at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free ezine via email here

WMail #65: "Being Thankful (Post-Election)"

the November issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the essay topic is "Being Thankful", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay65.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006d.htm#65

the December issue will be on the topic "Cooling The Planet".

the October issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the last issue's essay topic was "The War In Iran", and it is posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay64.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#64

each issue is posted online –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm;
and the essays are also posted separately –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm;
the quotations are posted by author –
at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free WMail ezine via email here

Xmas Gifts For Republicans

The Republican Party may have gotten its collective feelings hurt from the election, so we should take care this holiday season to give them distinctive and personally relevant Xmas gifts.

★ G.O.P. Party Mix: a colorful mix of OxyContin, meth & Viagra in a large brandy snifter

★ A personal paper shredder, useful at home and in the office

★ A book on international extradition law

★ "I'm really a Democrat" bumper sticker

★ The book "Federal Prison On $50 A Day"

★ A drug/alcohol rehab media kit

★ Audio tape of "A Book of 1000 Excuses"

★ PhotoShop graphic (8" by 10") of the giftee shaking hands with Bono, and another with an arm around Al Gore

★ T-shirt set: on the front of each is either the Enron or Halliburton logo or the Iraq flag or the G.O.P. elephant, and on the back of each it says "I'm with stupid"

★ The book "Oversight For Dummies"

Martial Law?

Whether today's national election restores Constitutional rule or not may be moot.

If the Democrats win enough seats in Congress to reorganize with themselves as the majority party, there is still something like 60 days before that happens.

Dubya has enough followers behind the fascist P.N.A.C. agenda that he might be fool enough to declare martial law across America before January. Whichever way the election goes: if the Dems win, Dubya is in a corner; if the G.O.P. wins, the fascists have free rein. Any excuse, such as an airplane hijacking or truck bombing, up to Pearl Harbor Three, is all Dubya needs – as his only possible escape from impeachment and charges of treason, illegal spying, war profiteering, embezzlement, and a string of further felony crimes.

The key element here is Karl Rove's promise of 'boots on the ground' during the 72-hour lead-up to Election Day 2006. Rove reported sending 13,000 loyal 'field workers' to deliver Republican voters to precinct sites in Montana. Someone on progressive talk radio remarked yesterday that Montana doesn't have that many hotel rooms!

So what if 'boots on the ground' is literal? Let us not forget the Halliburton-built concentration camps: good locations for housing and feeding – and arming? – a legion of brownshirt minions. Scattered across America, some in every state, ready to fan out once martial law is declared.

Sure hope that this prediction fails to come true ...
However, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance," and America has not been vigilant.

see Halliburton-K.B.R.'s smug press release dated 24 January 2006

Rumsfeld sold nukes to North Korea

Donald Rumsfeld, current U.S. Secretary of War, was on the board of the company that contracted for two light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea in 2000. He left that position to join the Bush administration. The company is A.B.B., headquartered in Zurich; the contract was for $200 million; the reactors are capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.

www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,952289,00.html

Dubya gave North Korea $95 million in April 2002 for their nuclear program, and at the same time waived inspections that were agreed to under the 1994 Agreed Framework, as set up by the Clinton administration.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1908571.stm

WMail #64: "The War In Iran"

the October issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the essay topic is "The War In Iran", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay64.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#64

the November issue will be commentary on the election results.

the last issue's essay topic was "Bush & Blackmail", and it is posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay63.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#63

each issue is posted online –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm;
and the essays are also posted separately –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm;
the quotations are posted by author –
at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free WMail ezine via email here

FoleyGate: The Beginning of The End

While hoping to celebrate passage of the un-Constitutional 'Detain War Protestors Whenever We Want To Act' last Friday, the Republican Party has instead been forced to blow sanctimonious smoke at the American people over long-covered-up sex crimes within the Congressional Page Program.

A.B.C. News revealed the existence of a months-old complaint by a Congressional page about emails and instant messages from Congressman Mark Foley [R-FL]. The texts by Foley include explicit sexual content; the page is a 16-year-old male.

Congressman Foley immediately resigned from Congress early Friday. This leaves open his seat in Congress as well as his seat as co-chair of the House Caucus On Missing & Exploited Children {no kidding!}.

The emails were reported to Congress in July, then to the office of the House Speaker, then to the F.B.I., then to two Florida newspapers [St. Petersburg Times & Miami Herald], who all did nothing about the matter; finally, ABC reported the story at the end of September.

House Majority Leader John Boehner [R-OH] admitted that he was told of the problem six months ago; he reported the matter to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert [R-IL], who already knew about it at that time.

Nobody in Congress informed the police or the F.B.I. about the crimes, which are felonies.

Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington forwarded copies of the original emails to the F.B.I. in July 2006; the F.B.I. took no action.

It was policy at Congress for at least five years to warn new pages about Foley's practice of being 'overly attentive' to teen pages.

The F.B.I. has begun an investigation, and several politicians have already asked for an independent investigation by the U.S. Attorney General. (Cynics suggest that as soon as any investigation begins, the culprits will be 'required' to refrain from further comment 'because of the on-going investigation'.)

There are reports of recent checks for up to $100,000 paid to the R.N.C. or R.C.C.C. by Foley, which look a lot like a bribe to keep quiet.

Besides the actual crimes by Foley, he and Hastert and Boehner are liable for Federal charges of conspiracy (before and after the fact). Others already known to be involved include Congressmen Thomas Reynolds [R-NY] & chairman of the Page Board John Shimkus [R-IL], and Rodney Alexander [R-LA], who sponsored one of the page victims. Hastert, Boehner, Reynolds, Shimkus & Alexander are already given the title 'The Foley Five'.

The actual purpose of the cover-up was to retain Foley's congressional seat for the G.O.P., at the cost of further exploitation of under-age boys. (Other victims have come forward already.)

WMail #63: "Bush & Blackmail"

the September issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the essay topic is "Bush & Blackmail", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay63.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#63

the October issue will be on the topic "The War In Iran"

the last issue was the Third All-Quotes Issue, along with a few news & comments items, and the issue is posted at
http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#62

previous All-Quotes issues were WMail Issue #36 [October 2003] and WMail Issue #43 [May 2004]

each issue is posted online –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm;
and the essays are also posted separately –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm;
the quotations are posted by author –
at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free ezine via email here

War News: Attacking Iran

In December of 2004, the White House ordered the Pentagon to design plans for the invasion of Iran.

Leaves were abruptly cancelled for sailors last weekend at Norfolk Naval Station, in order to prepare the U.S.S Dwight D. Eisenhower [CVN-69] for immediate deployment to the Persian Gulf. The super-carrier ‘Ike’ and its support ships carry ‘tactical nukes’ capable of delivery to targets in Iran.

The fleet is expected to arrive by mid-October [i.e. before the November U.S. elections].

UPDATE 11 October: Navy officers aboard the 'Ike' have expressed concern via emails to family & friends about going to the Middle East without a declaration of war by Congress – What will they do if Dubya orders them to attack without Congressional clearance?; in other conversations, folks are concerned that the 'Ike' is intended as a lure for an attack ala the 'Gulf of Tonkin incident' of August 1964

wanted poster 2006

Be very scared. And very angry.

The U.S. National Debt is now $8,521,310,000,000.

Not scared by that? The annual interest on that amount (at a ballpark 10%) comes to 850 BILLION dollars – compare that to the cost of the Iraq War, which is 'only' 310 billion dollars over three years. (So far, of course: this does not include off-budget costs, which could reach 2 trillion dollars.)

That interest money is being paid to the Oligarchy in America, from whom we receive no benefit, except their mis-management of everything. This is basically extortion money.

The personal share of the National Debt of U.S. citizens can be computed two ways:

1) Dividing by the current population of 300 million, this comes to $28,400 per person.

This figure has earned the term 'Birth Tax', because every newborn American is saddled with this debt at the moment that they draw their first breath.

So, a family of four owes $113,600. A married couple without children owes $56,800.

2) Dividing by the number of individual taxpayers (135 million), this comes to $63,120 per taxpayer.

In this computation, a family of four owes $126,240. But what is also true is that a married couple with no children likewise owes $126,240.

Nobody who voted for George Bush is exempt. Nobody who voted for John Kerry is exempt. Nobody who stuck their head in the sand and failed their duty as a citizen by not voting at all is exempt. Nobody in diapers is exempt. Nobody in a nursing home is exempt.

And nobody reading this who lives in the U.S.A. is exempt.

Now are you scared? But more importantly, you should be angry.

The Oligarchy has the money, and you all have the debt. And your children and grandchildren ...

Bush 43 is 'The Toxic President'

•• He increased the National Debt by 49% – a dollar amount larger than the prior 42 presidents combined.

•• He has destroyed America's reputation as any kind of Beacon of Freedom.

•• The entire world is mad at the U.S.A. for starting the War in the Middle East.

•• He refuses to comply with the Kyoto Treaty, and in fact supports pollution at every hand.

•• The average worker earns less, healthcare is a farce, and corporate executives are over-paid pirates.

•• War-profiteering abounds, and money for Katrina relief went to corporations – NOT to residents of the Gulf Coast.

•• The treasonous act of outing Valerie Plame and Brewster-Jennings destroyed the C.I.A.'s trust among the intelligence community.

•• Felonious wire-taps and secret data-mining schemes cause fear of expression among all Americans.

Regime change in November 2006 !!
Impeachment starts in January 2007 ...

WMail #62: Third All-Quotes Issue

the August issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the content is the Third All-Quotes Issue, along with a few news & comments items, and the issue is posted at
http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006c.htm#62

previous All-Quotes issues were WMail Issue #36 [October 2003] and WMail Issue #43 [May 2004]

the topic of the prior issue was "Non-Monetary Economics", and the September issue topic will be "Bush & Blackmail"

each issue is posted online –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm;
and the essays are also posted separately –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm;
the quotations are posted by author –
at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free ezine via email here

London Terrorists

Various Letters to the Editor about the recent arrests of terrorist plotters in London were opining absent quite a few facts.

1) Dubya was briefed on the matter on the Friday before the Monday announcement (as well as on Saturday & Sunday).

2) Cheney & the talking heads spent the weekend spewing bilge on TV about the Democrats being 'soft on terror'.

3) The following weekend's interview shows were used to connect British police work (wrongly) to the Bush administration's illegal & un-Constitutional wiretaps & data-mining.

4) Dubya's claim for credit in making the arrests has no basis.

5) Although the Brits cooperated in announcing the arrests on the day before the Connecticut primary, the police are upset that they were forced to close in on the terrorist cell prematurely – it will be difficult to convict them because (a) they had not purchased airline tickets, and (b) they had not gotten their passports or visas.

Dubya's Third Term

Dubya's photo-op yesterday with Rockey Vaccarella of Louisiana was a fake, and quite scary.

1) Rockey was towing an 'honorary' F.E.M.A. trailer.
2) Rockey announced the trip beforehand.
3) Rockey is a Republican candidate for office in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
4) The script, probably written by Karl Rove, included Rockey's gushing wish that Dubya would have another four years to 'help' victims of Hurricane Katrina (conveniently avoiding the fact that Dubya caused the flooding & subsequent F.E.M.A. fiasco).
5) The 22nd Amendment, passed in 1951, limits the president to two terms.

The scary part is that Dubya will have a big problem running for a third term as an impeached felon, so this trial balloon from Rove points to a pre-emptive declaration making Bush 43 the first fascist dictator of the United States, with his 'third term' being permanent.

Expect this to happen shortly after the Democratic victories in November 2006 and before the Democratic House & Senate convene in January 2007.

WMail #61: "Non-Monetary Economics"

the July issue of the free WMail 'Working Minds' philosophy & activism email newsletter is sent out, and also posted online

the essay topic is "Non-Monetary Economics", posted online at http://www.working-minds.com/WMessay61.htm; the full issue includes news & comments and a couple dozen quotations, and that is posted at http://www.working-minds.com/WM2006b.htm#61

the topic of the prior issue was "Climate & Politics", and the August issue topic is still to be determined

each issue is posted online –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMailindex.htm;
and the essays are also posted separately –
see http://www.working-minds.com/WMessays.htm;
the quotations are posted by author –
at http://www.working-minds.com/WMquotes.htm

sign up for the free ezine via email here