(TOON) Steve Bell on the Chimp's plea for help in Afghanistan

[Greeby]

:evilgrin:

[neoblues]

1. A Picture (Illustration) is worth a thousand words...

Sadly, it inadvertently describes a truth about Bush that extends far beyond just the Afghanistan debacle. Generally, that is to say that everything Bush touches turns to shit. Alas, specifically, Bush has turned or is turning every important aspect of America and drowning it's hopes for the future in a endless ocean of excrement.

The clean up job, even if we get the chance to start within the next few years, will be a challenge equal to any this country has ever faced. I'd single out George W. Bush for the many thanks we owe and will owe him, but alas, there are a great many others who deserve significant credit or perhaps as much or more credit (enter Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, the NeoCons, the Republican Congress, the Republican members of the Supreme Court, those behind Electoral Fraud, and to a lesser but still real degree, all those blackhearted or badly misguided republican voters out there).

Whatever it was about American society that allowed for the creation of the typical Republican, that breakdown in the teaching of morals, ethics and rational/critical thinking (one of the big contributors here is Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christianity), to the degree we've seen... and also the fact that we allowed families to bequeath their great wealth from generation to generation, thus creating a subset of supremely wealthy, powerful, privileged (spoiled) citizens (an "Aristocracy") who then either created or took over the Republican party (as well as controlling the economy; business/corporations--especially the mega-Media Corporations (which in turn controls much of the social and informational aspects of our country)) are the reasons we're facing the true decline and perhaps fall of "America". Therefore, we have to make it our urgent priority to (a) thoroughly educate our young people (in a secular way with emphasis on liberal and rational/critical thinking and knowledge of sociology/government/civics), (b) restore taxes to a truly fair level (which, to be honest, is much higher than we hold in our public imagination, and is higher even than the level back in 2000! Remember, all wealth flows from America's resources--human and natural, so we should share, and a person can only "have" and "keep" such wealth (or any "property") by virtue of the common government ensuring it via laws and military force--which we all pay for and provide, so again our fair share is much higher), (c) by once again reigning in the power of business/corporations (restoring regulation to protect people from monopolies--especially in the media industry, and from other abuses of both consumers and labor) and (c) by restoring and strengthening our Democratic Republic (particularly separation of powers/Congressional oversight, and the doctrine of separation of Church and State, and others**).

**Other items that need addressing: 1. Campaign Finance (every qualified/capable citizen should be able to participate in our government--not just wealthy, greedy, power-hungry political types), 2. Right to Vote (every American's vote should be sacred enough to make it an enumerated "right" by amending the Constitution--thus making any disenfranchisement or vote fraud very serious crimes), 3. implement a form of "Approval Voting" (makes elections select better candidates under more flexible conditions, would help third parties to elect candidates (and we need more than two opposing parties) and a host of other benefits), 4. eliminate the antiquated, flawed concept of the "electoral college" (which can disenfranchise or overrule everyone's votes and makes some votes more important than other votes based merely on where they are cast; there are other problems as well), and while we're at it, why not (5) develop a secure, modern, internet voting system--at least for providing to the electorate the power to call for and perform an interim "referendum" vote--to override any decision made by our government, or force them to take up any issue we choose, or even to allow for the impeachment of any elected official, depending, of course, upon a call for a referendum to get a minimum number of votes, a period of public education/review, an actual national electronic election, and upon achieving a set percentage (depending upon what's being voted on)(supermajorities required for impeachments, etc)(this final option is simply intended to bring our national governmental processes up to date, the current processes mostly having been designed before the advent of the electric light bulb, radio/telegraphs, planes/automobiles/trains, etc., and really, to empower American Citizens to actually have control over their own government (no more being stuck with a mis-leader like Bush, no more waiting forever for Congress to clean up it's own corrupt problems with campaign finance and lobbyists, and the ability to tell Congress we want "national healthcare" despite what the insurance industry wants)). I know the last one is more than controversial, but think about it--our government is no longer really of, by and for the people, it is, in fact, an oligarchy of individuals who've manipulated our electoral process (via money or even more direct means)--that is, our government "rules" us. In fact, it should simply be there to create the laws we want created and to enforce them while ensuring they agree with our Constitution (and handle defense and foreign policy). They are supposed to "represent" the "will of the people" and work towards the "greater good". Since they do not, are not and will not in many cases; sometimes "we, the people" need the power to say "no" (at least). Anyway, those are, in my opinion, the 'big ones'. Even so, there are many others that are very, very important as well. Given these changes, however, we will be enabled to fix the others later.

If only it was as simple as just writing them down. Writing them down, and maybe... submitting a request for a referendum vote, preparing educational materials and holding public debate (over the new internet terminals provided at no cost to every citizen), having a final national electronic vote and... if the proposal passes, handing it off to Congress or the Executive for implementation. Alas.

[zeemike]

2. Well said n/t