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Hi everybody:
I never did take much to the notion that one should always vote on election day ...
because it is "your civic duty."
NO, if one is going to the trouble of putting on a clean shirt, perhaps a tie, and
driving a few miles to the polling place -- at the polling place it always takes longer
than it should ... there may be lines to wait through or there may be too much
"shooting the bull" with townspeople you haven't seen since the last election
(they lie about how well their grown kids are doing ... and so do you). If one is
going to go through all that -- why..... you simply want to know that "your"
vote is going to count for something......
You want to know that it's going to be more than an expression of your personal
preference. You want to think that in the great scheme of things in a nation of 270
million people (less than half who vote) ... you want to believe that your vote has a
chance to "carry your message" somewhere to somebody who will translate that
vote into public policy ... public action......
In the presidential election this year, it is hard to believe that "putting on that clean
shirt" (and all the rest) is worth the effort.....
Our choice is between a sitting Vice President, who defended and apologized on
behalf of a President whose personal behavior and record of public dishonesty stands
unchallenged as the singularly most embarrassing in our history. He should/would
have been removed from office had the Democrat senators applied the same standards
that the Republican senators had applied in the case of Richard Nixon.....
But that sitting Vice President has more strikes than that against him.... He has shown
himself to be (in spite of all he now says) a veritable pawn of the BIG $$$$$$ corporate
oligarchy that runs Washington. His personal lobbying activity was instrumental in
writing what is arguably the BIGGEST giveaway to that corporate oligarchy in our
nation's history -- the 1996 TELECOM ACT.
While he, as Vice President, took the senate floor lead in lobbying that piece of
legislation
(actually, the telecom lobbyists "wrote it") -- and while the American people were being
anesthetized by promises of "cheaper cable TV rates" -- Hah (!!); his coffers were being
filled with the $$$$$$ of the BIG TELECOM companies that also provided him a
personal staff to jump-start his presidential campaign....
It was during that whole process that Al Gore gave us the provision in that 1996 law
(since adjudged "unconstitutional" by a number of federal judges) -- which sought to
remove from local control decisions having to do with the siting of telecom towers,
including specifically the possible adverse health risks of those towers......!!!!!!
The "other" presidential choice we are being given ... is the son of a former President,
a southern governor who -- after being challenged in the primaries by John McCain --
claims to be a "reformer" who will (given his great "leadership" abilities) be able to
"make Washington work." By that he means -- make it work smoothly instead of
with the rancor and virtual open combat of the past four years.
His credentials as a "reformer" are worse than suspect. They are non-existent,
allowing for the fact that he is "talking" the correct (badly needed) defense policy
and he makes some sense in what he says about educational reform, the "hot
button" item on the list of many voters this year.
But, when it comes to REAL REFORM -- the kind that would put an end to the
"Washington is for sale" neon signs that light up the legislative, White House and
bureaucratic landscape -- George W. Bush is behaving exactly like the prim
and proper little old lady who has just farted in church!!! "Where did that come
from??? What 'corruption' are you talking about, John???"
And, for good reason -- the smell of BIG $$$$$$$ corporate money is all over
Georgie and his vice presidential choice!!! He came into the primaries -- before a single
vote had been cast -- with $70 million in contributions from fat-cat Republicans
who thought they saw a chance to "put in a man that they KNEW they could
control" -- just like his daddy....!!! After all, it was the Republicans favorite lobby,
(next to tobacco perhaps), the National Rifle Association, that openly bragged
about "doing business from the oval office" after Georgie W. is elected......?!?!
Those same fat-cat Republicans were so fearful that the challenge by John McCain
was going to upset their apple cart, that they even found a way to make peace
with "the Christian Right-wing" (for whom they feel nothing but contempt)
in order to block the McCain effort. That "right wing" Christian vote counts for
much more in the primary elections than it will in the November general election.
But, of course, it will continue to influence a President Bush (if he wins) in his
Supreme Court Justice appointments.....!!
So, if the choice we have ... were to be restricted to either of the above --
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't bother to "put on that clean shirt."
But ... there are some other candidates. The "talking heads" on the Sunday TV
talk shows today ignored them ... all but one..... That "one" they kept referring
to as "the spoiler" or the "possible spoiler." Ralph Nader..... He was interviewed
on one of the shows -- by ABC's Sam Doneldson......
It was an interview that should be seen and heard -- played and replayed -- for ALL
Americans..... Over and over....... How sorry I am that I was not set up to record
it......
Ralph Nader is the only candidate in the race who not only can smell the corruption
in Washington, he is determined to do something about it!!!
His pledge to do something about it is meaningful because: (1) he, himself, has no
past record of compromise (sleeping with) the corporate oligarchy. -- All the other
candidates have!!! -- and, (2) His past record of fighting for "consumerism" causes
has provided him with the knowledge, experience and proven dedication to deliver
on his promises..... His goal is not to "win" the presidency. He knows that he
cannot. Neither is it his goal to be a "spoiler" -- to spoil Al Gore's chances in some
states where the Nader vote might drain enough away from Gore to put that state
in Bush's column.
Nader's goal is bigger than that!!! He is after at least 5 percent of the total vote in
the nation. That would mean that the "Green" party (how I hate that name!!!) would
be legitimized as a third party, thereby entitled to participate in government "election
campaign" party funding. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT AND WORTHY OBJECTIVE
if we ever hope to free our system of the BIG $$$$$$$ oligarchy campaign funding...
Nader's goal Is GENUINE REFORM of the whole corrupt system....!!! That is
exactly what is needed......!!!
If "reform" -- genuine political reform -- is your issue (as it is mine), then the "reform
promises" of either Al Gore or "Georgie" Bush ... aren't worth the powder it would
take to blow 'em to hell...... Not when they are placed alongside the goals and the
commitment of Ralph Nader......
I think I'll ask the good wife ... to lay out a clean shirt ... and a tie ... on November
the
Seventh....... And, I think I'll go down to the polling place and do some of that
"shooting
the bull," too -- about my children...... While I cast a vote that I'm going to feel
pretty
good about..... I believe it will "count" for something..... I believe it will send an
important message....
Cheerio.......
Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
roy@emfguru.com
It is better to light a single candle
than to curse the darkness.....
WEBSITE: http://emfguru.com
People are more important than profit$$
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Hi everybody:
I never did take much to the notion that one should always vote on election
day ...
because it is "your civic duty."
NO, if one is going to the trouble of putting on a clean shirt, perhaps
a tie, and
driving a few miles to the polling place -- at the polling place it
always takes longer
than it should ... there may be lines to wait through or there may
be too much
"shooting the bull" with townspeople you haven't seen since the last
election
(they lie about how well their grown kids are doing ... and so do you).
If one is
going to go through all that -- why..... you simply want to know
that "your"
vote is going to count for something......
You want to know that it's going to be more than an expression of your
personal
preference. You want to think that in the great scheme of things
in a nation of 270
million people (less than half who vote) ... you want to believe that
your vote has a
chance to "carry your message" somewhere to somebody who will translate
that
vote into public policy ... public action......
In the presidential election this year, it is hard to believe that "putting
on that clean
shirt" (and all the rest) is worth the effort.....
Our choice is between a sitting Vice President, who defended and apologized
on
behalf of a President whose personal behavior and record of public
dishonesty stands
unchallenged as the singularly most embarrassing in our history.
He should/would
have been removed from office had the Democrat senators applied the
same standards
that the Republican senators had applied in the case of Richard Nixon.....
But that sitting Vice President has more strikes than that against him....
He has shown
himself to be (in spite of all he now says) a veritable pawn
of the BIG $$$$$$ corporate
oligarchy that runs Washington. His personal lobbying activity
was instrumental in
writing what is arguably the BIGGEST giveaway to that corporate
oligarchy in our
nation's history -- the 1996 TELECOM ACT.
While he, as Vice President, took the senate floor lead in lobbying
that piece of legislation
(actually, the telecom lobbyists "wrote it") -- and while the American
people were being
anesthetized by promises of "cheaper cable TV rates" -- Hah (!!);
his coffers were being
filled with the $$$$$$ of the BIG TELECOM companies that also provided
him a
personal staff to jump-start his presidential campaign....
It was during that whole process that Al Gore gave us the provision
in that 1996 law
(since adjudged "unconstitutional" by a number of federal judges) --
which sought to
remove from local control decisions having to do with the siting
of telecom towers,
including specifically the possible adverse health risks of
those towers......!!!!!!
The "other" presidential choice we are being given ... is the son of
a former President,
a southern governor who -- after being challenged in the primaries
by John McCain --
claims to be a "reformer" who will (given his great "leadership" abilities)
be able to
"make Washington work." By that he means -- make it work smoothly
instead of
with the rancor and virtual open combat of the past four years.
His credentials as a "reformer" are worse than suspect. They are
non-existent,
allowing for the fact that he is "talking" the correct (badly needed)
defense policy
and he makes some sense in what he says about educational reform,
the "hot
button" item on the list of many voters this year.
But, when it comes to REAL REFORM -- the kind that would put an
end to the
"Washington is for sale" neon signs that light up the legislative,
White House and
bureaucratic landscape -- George W. Bush is behaving exactly like the
prim
and proper little old lady who has just farted in church!!!
"Where did that come
from??? What 'corruption' are you talking about, John???"
And, for good reason -- the smell of BIG $$$$$$$ corporate money
is all over
Georgie and his vice presidential choice!!! He came into the
primaries -- before a single
vote had been cast -- with $70 million in contributions from fat-cat
Republicans
who thought they saw a chance to "put in a man that they KNEW they
could
control" -- just like his daddy....!!! After all, it was the
Republicans favorite lobby,
(next to tobacco perhaps), the National Rifle Association, that openly
bragged
about "doing business from the oval office" after Georgie W. is elected......?!?!
Those same fat-cat Republicans were so fearful that the challenge by
John McCain
was going to upset their apple cart, that they even found a way to
make peace
with "the Christian Right-wing" (for whom they feel nothing but contempt)
in order to block the McCain effort. That "right wing" Christian
vote counts for
much more in the primary elections than it will in the November general
election.
But, of course, it will continue to influence a President Bush (if
he wins) in his
Supreme Court Justice appointments.....!!
So, if the choice we have ... were to be restricted to either of the
above --
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't bother to "put on that clean shirt."
But ... there are some other candidates. The "talking heads"
on the Sunday TV
talk shows today ignored them ... all but one..... That "one"
they kept referring
to as "the spoiler" or the "possible spoiler." Ralph Nader.....
He was interviewed
on one of the shows -- by ABC's Sam Doneldson......
It was an interview that should be seen and heard -- played and replayed
-- for ALL
Americans..... Over and over....... How sorry I am that
I was not set up to record it......
Ralph Nader is the only candidate in the race who not only can
smell the corruption
in Washington, he is determined to do something about it!!!
His pledge to do something about it is meaningful because:
(1) he, himself, has no
past record of compromise (sleeping with) the corporate oligarchy.
-- All the other
candidates have!!! -- and, (2) His past record of fighting for
"consumerism" causes
has provided him with the knowledge, experience and proven dedication
to deliver
on his promises..... His goal is not to "win" the presidency.
He knows that he
cannot. Neither is it his goal to be a "spoiler" -- to spoil
Al Gore's chances in some
states where the Nader vote might drain enough away from Gore to put
that state
in Bush's column.
Nader's goal is bigger than that!!! He is after at least 5 percent
of the total vote in
the nation. That would mean that the "Green" party (how I hate
that name!!!) would
be legitimized as a third party, thereby entitled to participate in
government "election
campaign" party funding. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT AND WORTHY OBJECTIVE
if we ever hope to free our system of the BIG $$$$$$$ oligarchy campaign
funding...
Nader's goal Is GENUINE REFORM of the whole corrupt system....!!!
That is
exactly what is needed......!!!
If "reform" -- genuine political reform -- is your issue (as
it is mine), then the "reform
promises" of either Al Gore or "Georgie" Bush ... aren't worth the
powder it would
take to blow 'em to hell...... Not when they are placed
alongside the goals and the
commitment of Ralph Nader......
I think I'll ask the good wife ... to lay out a clean shirt ... and
a tie ... on November the
Seventh....... And, I think I'll go down to the polling place
and do some of that "shooting
the bull," too -- about my children...... While I cast a vote
that I'm going to feel pretty
good about..... I believe it will "count" for something.....
I believe it will send an
important message....
Cheerio.......
Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
roy@emfguru.com
It is better to light a single candle
than to curse the darkness.....
WEBSITE: http://emfguru.com
People are more important than profit$$
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Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com