Age of Aquarius

As I write, I'm listening to a Beatle's CD I bought yesterday. All the memories. Like when I was eight and I couldn't understand why someone would write a song called "I Want to Hold Your Hand." (How times have changed!)

The 60s and early 70s were full of turbulence, but they were also times of tremendous hope. The hope is gone now, replaced by fear. Fear of others, and of all the dangers of the world--which we are reminded of daily on the evening news.

I too long for "Yesterday." When people could feel groovy without consulting a therapist or taking a pill. When Americans believed in peace and successfully struggled to curb institutional racism, bring the troops home from Vietnam, and force the resignations of the president and vice-president, both of whom were corrupt.

In the words of one of many favorite songs (not from the Beatles), Baby, let your hair hang down. Don't sit around wringing your hands and bemoaning the state of this country. Do something.

We need a renewal. Another Age of Aquarius.

Weary and Majorly Disgusted

I was at home today while the Decider's press conference was being held. I intentionally avoided it. I'm trying to reduce the amount of stress in my life.

Iraq has weapons, right? That's why the U.S. had to invade. Only now we know the weapons are actually being provided by Iran. How do we know this? That information is classified.
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I pray daily for the end of military aggression. An attack on Iran will mean the end of stability throughout the world. I know fundamentalist Christians want this, but I think we outnumber them.

Only a few people want another war. That's all you need these days. Majority rule? What's that?

I'm tired of war. I'm sick and tired. I want to go back to the summer of 2000 and put all my being into getting Al Gore into the White House. It would be a landslide even the Republican party and the courts couldn't steal. If we only knew. . .

The first casualty of war. . .

Propaganda flies daily from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. These days, the message is this. Iran is dangerous. They must be stopped. All they'll understand is force. War may be necessary.

But it's not that blatant. These days, the White House is working to building suspicion of Iranian activity in Iraq. The latest is that Sadr, the Iraqi religious leader, traveled to Iraq a few weeks ago. One can only guess his nefarious intentions. Iraqis deny the entire story. But the White House persists. Just as it insisted on the story of the shell, which was said to have been made in Iran. This, even though the writing on the shell was in English.

It's a time-honored tradition. Remember the Spain. Join the fight against Kaiser Wilhelm. Defeat the Japs. Contain communism. Prevent the spread of terrorism.

Muhammad said it first. "War is deceit." I dare anyone to prove that statement wrong. No matter how many die in war, civilians and military combined, the first casualty is truth.

Premature Judgment

Why is the prime minister of Australia concerned about the anti-war stance of a U.S. presidential candidate when the election is nearly 21 months away?

There's always an underlying motive. What now?

Anna who?

It seems like a very important person died today. She must have been important, maybe even crucial to the development of mankind. Her death was reported and discussed for hours on the cable news networks.

And before that it was the astronaut, along with all the jokes accompanying her behavior.

Does anyone know about Africom? The Bush plan for military action in Africa for the purpose of securing natural resources. Africa is a very rich continent, and starvation wouldn't be a problem if only the resources were used for the people. But they're not. Now the White House is joining the Scramble.

Is anyone paying attention to the Persian Gulf? Major U.S. aircraft carriers have been sent to that region. Why?

Does anyone remember that an Iranian diplomat was seized in Baghdad earlier this week? Or even that a major figure in the Iraqi government was arrested by U.S. forces today. I saw the pictures. Copies of the Qur'an lay on the floor of his ransacked office. That will certainly win the hearts and minds of Muslims.

How many know that 45 civilians were killed by American forces today? Do they matter?

How many are aware that four American soldiers were killed in Iraq today? Aren't their deaths important?

I don't see anything positive for the future of a society which worships celebrity status while ignoring what really matters.

It's time to wake up!

How much did you say that was?

The Decider has submitted a 2.9 trillion dollar budget. He also promised in the State of the Union speech to balance the budget. The only way that will happen is if you and me, the people in the middle get squeezed for every penny of tax money. And that's very possible.

What can you do with 2.9 trillion dollars? Could you provide universal health care for every American? Many countries already offer that to their citizens. Could you upgrade schools and lower the cost of college tuition? This country lags in educational achievement. Could you develop programs to help the homeless? This terrible legacy of Reaganomics needs to be addressed in a compassionate manner. Could you rebuild New Orleans? The poor neighborhoods, I mean. Could you fix the hundreds of levees throughout the country which the Army Corps of Engineers has pronounced unfit? In short, could you do the patriotic thing and help your country and your fellow citizens?

I imagine you could. But in this 2.9 trillion dollar budget, most of the money is going for war. The Decider has deliberately cut some funding for education, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs, to ensure there is enough to continue the war effort. The business of killing is much more important, according to this budget, than the business of living. And the patriotic thing to do is to kill as many as possible in the name of the United States of America. And let God sort it out.

I hope Congress has the backbone to stand up to this very unpatriotic proposal and do what's right for the American people. And that includes the Senate.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Global warming has been a hot topic this week, so to speak. But you don't have to be a scientist to know something is wrong.

I grew up in St. Louis and still come back to visit. On a good day, you can see the Arch from several miles away. But I've experienced some summer days when the sky was so full of pollution that you couldn't see the landmark until you were nearly there. Nearly every city is the same. There are "ozone alert" days when it's not safe to leave the house. Doesn't that mean something is wrong?

When I was growing up, back in the 60s, the seasons were regular, too. Summer lasted for three or, if we were lucky, four months, and it was always hot. Fall started on time, usually, and the days became crisp and cool. Winter meant snow. A lot of it. I remember days when the snow was up to my waist--of course, I wasn't very tall back them. And it was cold. Spring, which began either in late February or late March, unofficially, heralded warmer days and the blooming of flowers and leaves. Every season came in order, not usurping the others.

But now it's all haywire. I'm in St. Louis now, and in the past week or two I've seen a day when the temperature reached nearly 60, as well as some nights (tonight included, I think) when it hovered in the teens. Throughout the U.S., the weather may be unseasonably warm or untypically brutal. I mean, there was snow in Tucson, Arizona and Malibu, California. Isn't that just a little weird?

For too long societies have played fast and lose with the environment. Now we are reaping the consequences.

And yet, the White House falsified scientific reports to suit its own twisted agenda. Why?

Because oil is where the money is. And one of the first steps to curbing global warming is to limit the use of fossil fuels.

Why have we allowed politicians to manipulate our childrens' future?