Liberals v. Conservatives

After reading a Progressive Magazine interview with journalist Chris Hedges I have come to a conclusion about politics in this country today. People are angry and they are directing that anger at liberals rather than conservatives. That may be because we don't expect much from the conservative position except tax cuts, states rights and less regulation of business. Same old shit just different day. This message has not changed in 30 years. But with liberals we had hoped for a "change" and a change to something better than the conservative dribble. We believed in that change and it didn't come. We thought things would be different and they are not. We are still at war, we still have the wealthy walking away with most of everything and we still are facing domestic programs in danger of being gutted to something we would not recognize. Yes, we are angry and it is the liberals and democrats (even thou they are not very liberal) who we will blame. This maybe what the "Occupy Wall Street" movement is all about. I do think if one is going to continue to vote, then a third party is the answer. A third party with a left leaning point of view.

Guns

The National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act HR 822 is being debated in the House this week. It would allow anyone "permitted to carry a hidden gun in their own state would also be allowed to carry it in any state". This would be a case of federal law "overriding a state's own policy on guns". There are 242 cosponsors in the House to this legislation and Scott Garrett of the 5th CD in NJ is one of them. Besides this being a terrible idea, what about the concept of states rights that the conservative ideology is always talking about? According to these people the federal government has no business telling someone to buy health insurance but it is alright to force a state and its citizens to allow guns onto their streets and into their parks against the wishes of that state. This is another incredible example of the power of the National Rifle Association.

Merchants of Death

It is reported in a column by Walter Pincus in the Washington Post that the US is selling $ 12 billion in weapons to Iraq, including $3 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets. We are also selling or giving weapons to the neighbors of Iraq, including Israel. The US arms industry-after world war I-was referred to as the "merchants of death" and many at the time believed it was one of the reasons we were drawn into that conflict. It looks like the "merchants" are back in business, big time.