Sen. Sanders and changing nature of politics

 

When he speaks during his campaign for the President of the US, Sen. Sanders has his 40+ year record to back him up. He does not come up all polished and distant like most politicians do. He is not afraid to stand up for what he truly believes -- oh, what a novelty that is! He seems to be "one of us" and not "one of them." He inspires.

Those who support his candidacy need to be very careful, though, to also find, support, and elect progressive candidates for the Senate and for the House as, no matter how well intentioned he or she may be, US President needs US Congress to put through programs for which folks support and elect him or her.

What's more, folks should themselves not fall asleep after the election is over since the election, while important, is but one of the elements of a political system that functions well for the society. That other work starts at home where we live, work, travel, learn, get and give healthcare, arts, etc. 

 

It is nowadays very workable to be involved in dynamic, self-organized coalitions centered around the issues and not ideologies or political platforms. Political parties are obsolete and will wither away, the sooner the better, but not before they are organically (not by a decree of some sort) replaced by a better alternative mode of political organizing.

Right to exist

One often hears questions such as "does a country have a right to exist?" Many times that question relates to existence of Israel. It occurs to me that the question itself is misplaced. A country does not have rights--people do. So does Israel (or any other country) have a right to exist is a meaningless question that does not have an answer.

Do people who live in the territory currently organized and accepted as Israel (what that territory is may be disputable) have a right to self-organize into a political entity commonly called a country? Of course, they do! But that right is no more a right than that of any other people, regardless of any historical circumstances.

US House Votes 348-48 To Arm Ukraine, Russia Warns Lethal Aid Will "Explode The Whole Situation"

I did not read the post referenced below yet, but the title itself, which identifies the decision to encourage arming Ukraine, makes me just want to puke - excuse my language. Either Congress is playing politics, depending on Obama not to heed the resolution's aim, or has now overtly put in practice the neo-cons' proposition of this being an American century in which America uses its military might to clear the way for the (no longer just American but now multinational) centers of economic power to continue ravaging the world's resources. In the former case, well, nothing new.

In the latter case, America is forgetting that there are others in the world with similar pretensions for the economic throne and that those others - mostly the BRICKS countries - are not sitting and waiting the outcome peacefully. Perhaps America is not forgetting, but believes it will win. Perhaps it will in the short term win, but at what price and who is paying the price. Not those making the decisions, to be sure.

It is also unfortunately true that heavy, growing militarization is providing direct and continuous source for the ballooning military-industrial complex everywhere for which the bottom layers of all societies are paying the heaviest price. Shame. But, I do not blame the Congress for their reactionary politics, I blame the Americans who quietly eat it all up.

US House Votes 348-48 To Arm Ukraine, Russia Warns Lethal Aid Will "Explode The Whole Situation"

Jan 23, 2015 - after "State of the Union" address

I am sure you are following current events in the world, especially those surrounding ISIS and those surrounding Ukraine/Russia/West conflict. Things are not good in either area.

ISIS is likely to follow through with its threats of sending its operatives to the "West" to cause havoc directly and indirectly; indirectly, by causing western countries to instal ever more measures of police state to "defend" themselves (the citizens, the infrastructure, and the state apparatus) and by the citizenry getting increasingly fearful and accepting those measures as necessary. We may face an ongoing retreat into the "caves" while they all battle it out. ISIS can not win, but can cause perhaps incurable damage to the rest of the world.

Unless there is an internal revolt by the oligarchs or by the Russian people, Russia will not be bullied into submission. The oligarchs are not too happy with Putin to start with since he allows them to continue their dirty business of creaming Russian resources for their private benefits as long as they stay out of politics, both domestic and foreign, which leaves them in a precarious place where at any moment they can be eliminated as it has already happened to a few of them, but they are still going along because their coffers are getting fetter and fetter. Even if the West succeeds in curbing the oligarchs' power by squeezing Russia economically, they will not revolt since they'd need either the people or the armed/security forces or both on their side. There is no sign of that happening and so they will simply flee taking whatever they can with them.

Russian people are still overwhelmingly supporting Putin as Russian saviour. It is unlikely that they will revolt.

The West is playing a fool's game by militarily intimidating Russia, forgetting that Russia, while not as militarily powerful as the West, is still a substantial military power. Any open military confrontation by the two sides is unwinnable for either side and potentially catastrophic for the whole world.

So, things are looking bleak on the international scale. Domestically, US-wise, someone asked me what I thought of Obama's "State of the Union" speech. I had not seen it live, but watched a video recording of it after the question popped up and replied as follows:

"What did I think of the O speech? I must be careful not to be too harsh, but I thought nothing of it. I am reminding myself that he is a politician and says things in this political spectacle called "state of the Union" that must be said to keep us quiet and to continue enduring the flawed system that is only serving the interests of a small minority at the expense of the great majority. I could not even expect to be impressed as the whole political system that he is a part of is totally rotten. I could not expect to hear much from the terrorist-in-chief who daily sends drones around the world to kill people, who willingly participates in stiring up international tensions, who opened up the spigots of big business welfare state, etc. I saw a narcissist getting orchestrated accolades in the theater show designed to make us feel good and hopeful. I am through thinking that the political system in the US can be reformed -- it is obsolete and in its final days it puts up a garage sale for its buddies to scavenge whatever can be scavenged and make it look like "we are doing much better." Sorry, I am not impressed, but I am not disappointed either for a simple reason that I did not expect anything from it. If it were not for you mentioning it, I would not have watched it. Oh, I thought Michelle looked very sexy."

The person who asked the question was shocked by my reply. So much for that.

Done with Facebook

Since a few years ago until a week or so ago I had been using Facebook as one of the ways to keep in touch with the world out there. I was able and willing to wade through a lot of FB junk to get what I wanted and to say a few words of my own as well. However, the fact that I did use FB has negatively impacted my private life in ways I do not wish to share. So, I decided to quit Facebook -- and I do not miss it.

I am convinced that I will be able to keep in touch with my true friends (not 650+ FB friends) in other, more direct ways. And I will limit my Internet writing to my weblogs. Look out! Life is more peaceful this way.

polls and politics

I hear results of various polls cited by the politicians and political pundits alike in support or in opposition to whatever the subject of contention may be. Recently the health care reform has been the subject of vicious debate across the nation and in the various halls of government, from local to federal.

Now, how many of us actually critically think through those results. For example, the Rasmussen Polls report results of national telephone survey on health care reform showing the majority of those polled in opposition to the "plan."

I wish I could also find in those same reports the actual questions being asked. Most important question in that context would be whether or not the person being interviewed actually studied the "plan." Without that piece of information, the results are meaningless.

death is a death is a death

It almost seems that a death of a soldier hits home in a worse way than a death of a worker. Death is a death is a death, but somehow we hear all the time about those prematurely taking out military personnel, but almost never of those striking men and women who make the stuff and provide services we use.

According to a federal government report, there were 5,071 industrial deaths in 2008 (down from 5,657 the year before).

According to a Congressional Research Service report, there were 1,441 military fatalities in 2008 (down from 1,953 the previous year).

Does this nation value more those who fight, albeit in the name of defending the nation, than those who make things for us to use, thus building the nation? What would you conclude, if anything?