Among the folks participating in Occupy Wall St.; some have the attributes of a mob and some have the accoutrements of a movement. But in reality they are neither. What they mostly have is anger; something they have in common with both a mob and a movement. And yes, their anger, which appears to be mostly direct towards the executives of Wall St., is justified in the eyes of many. 

Some occupiers have signs, bullhorns, sleeping bags, group singing and lots of people willing, even eager, to talk to the press; all of which are strong indicators of their being a movement. Some just have a strong rage, repetitive chants and a unspecified desire for “justice” to metered out to those they see as guilty yet unpunished among the Wall Street Gangsters; the basic emotional component of a mob. 

But the lack of a call for anything, other than attention, makes them somewhat less than a movement. And the lack of violence and destruction, plus the presence of bongo drums and guitars, certainly eliminates them for definition as a mob. Yet they are missing one of the key ingredients that differentiates either a mob or a movement from a crowd; goal(s). Absent some specific demands or at least expectations of defined results, they remain merely a crowd; a group of people hanging around waiting for something of interest or significance to happen. Songs and chants alone do not a movement or a mob make! 

They appear to be trying to be life imitating art, specifically the news anchor character from the film “Network”, who screamed out; “I’m Mad as Hell and I won’t take it anymore!” And most Americans agree with the sentiment, if not the way in which it being expressed. The media, for their part, have given the Occupation Crowd all the attention they have earned and then some. In fact for the media, television network and cable news, along with Stewart and Colbert; the Occupation Crowd has been a gift from heaven. Now that Christie and Palin bailing out have just about finished the first phase of the Republican Nominee Derby, leaving only the possibly long drawn out, less than exciting, battle between Romney and Perry; there ain’t much interesting or funny left. 

The Occupation Crowd however seems to be providing an almost endless source of both “serious” and “comic” material. Either a real or real-fake reporter can jump in a cab, scoot downtown, grab an interview with either an old hippie or a young financial industry drop-out and be back in the studio editing and cracking wise or cracking wisdom by deadline. The networks just love things like the Wall St. Crowd because they are cheap to cover (happening right in their backyard) and can be made into anything you want them to be (by picking your “spokesperson de jour”). 

FOX News can vilify them. MSNBC can canonize them. Networks can get either a short or long spot out of them, depending what they need and PBS can hold them up at arm’s length for consideration of merit. They are becoming like the “shmoo” (see Al Capp comic strips) of news material; something that can become anything one wants it to be. That is not only good for the media, but also good for the Occupiers; they can have ample opportunity to get their message and goals across to the American public, if they only had a coherent message and stated goals. 

The so called “Arab Spring” movements across North Africa and the Middle East were definitely movements. They had a message and a goal. The message was that they were being oppressed by a totalitarian government and they wanted to get rid of that oppressor. By contrast, the Occupation Crowd may have an amorphous list of oppressors, everyone from the Too Big to Fail Banks to Too Big to Be Controlled Multinationals, but aside from indictment of these entities for being generally corrupt and corrupting; they don’t have any real nexus of goals that will end the economic corporate tyranny under which many, if not most, Americans are suffering. 

And that’s where they differ from another group to which they are being frequently compared and contrasted; the TEA Party. The T-Party is now a semi-legit movement that began as a crowd and sometimes a neo-mob. But the T-Folks definitely had specific objects of conflict and very specific goals. They included; hating the government when it took tax money from them and spent it on things they didn’t approve of – the poor who didn’t look like them; hating President Obama because he was the one they thought was giving their money to people they didn’t like, because they looked like him; hating the people from other countries who were coming into American and taking their jobs; hating the government and President Obama for not stopping those people from coming in; and hating a whole bunch of other government laws like those not allowing complete freedom to buy, sell, trade and use guns anyway they wanted to, and those allowing men and women to marry anyone they wanted to and any citizen in good standing to serve in the US military. And the T-Party had the specific goal to use the political process, through their vote, to get their concerns addressed by a government they put in a position of power; unlike the OWS crowd who haven’t made that political move yet. 

The two things the T-Folk and the Occupy Folk have in common are anger and anger at the US government for failing to prevent the things causing their anger. But the objects which are the cause of their anger are at two different ends of the Scio-economic spectrum. The T-Folk blame the poor and the government’s support of the poor for their economic woes. The Occupiers blame the uber-rich and the government’s support of the uber-rich for their economic woes. The T-Folks think (some of) the poor are to blame because they don’t contribute, or don’t contribute enough money into public coffers and take out way too much. The Occupation-Folk think (most of) the super wealthy are to blame because they don’t contribute, or don’t contribute enough money into public coffers and take out way too much. 

An objective look at both sets of assumptions and conclusion would see that the T-Folk are only a little correct. There is some advantage taken of the collection and payment of public money by a small number of poor American citizens and the illegal poor; but the vast majority of American poor getting government assistance are the working poor who can’t afford to contribute any more than they already are and really need the assistance to try and keep a roof over their heads and their kids fed. The Occupiers, on the other hand, have a considerable degree of accuracy in their claim. A significant number among the very rich people and corporate entities acting as people do not contribute all they should (and certainly could) to the public income stream due to all sorts of tax breaks, exemptions, credits and many other schemes they have bribed Congress into putting in place. And they absolutely are ingesting a whole bunch at the trough of public money in the form of unnecessary and unjustified subsidies, allowances, etc. as favors granted for gifts given to corrupt members of the US Congress. 

So although the Occupation Crowd really has the goods on their list of enemies; they are having trouble getting any satisfaction for their complaints. Meanwhile, the T-People, although their claims for damages are misdirected and thus misplaced; appear to be getting all sorts of action addressing their complaints. Congress is gung ho about cutting spending on the poor and underrepresented, while defending and protecting the enormously wealthy from any sort of increase in their contribution amount. In fact they are calling for a lessening of the “burden” upon the very richest. This situation is a result of the very richest funding the T-Movement and re-directing the understandable anger of the T-People in the direction of the poor, the unrepresented, the U.N., the current President and anyone else they can think of. However none of these targets of T-Party rage are the real villains in America’s economic disintegration. That role goes to the multinational economic entities who pay public officials to represent their interests instead of the interest of the citizens of this country. 

Both the T-Party and the Occupy Wall St. people have the same right idea about what the problem is; an economy being controlled not in the best interest or the well being of the citizens of America. But the T-Party has the wrong enemy as responsible and the Occupiers are on the wrong street. The real street where the real enemy lives is Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. And not at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. where Mr. Obama, and before him Mr. Bush, and before him Mr. Clinton lived. The real enemy, many of whom have been there for term after incumbent term, resides at the other end of Pennsylvania Ave. It is the Congress, that can, but most often does not, pass the laws necessary to break the economic strangle hold the few powerful uber-wealthy have on the nation and the world’s economic destiny.

Unless and until the T-Folks and the Occupying-Folks and many Americans in between get together and use their voice to call for and their vote to elect representatives who will put an end to private money funding political public business; any crowd, movement or mob will just be blowing in the wind. The absurdity of allowing private multinational corporate interests to be called “people” and dictate through the use of their enormous economic resources who and thus how this country is governed is obvious. It can clearly be seen that these entities with no national, social or political allegiance are the forces responsible for the world-wide economic circumstances that are solely designed to increase their own wealth and unconcerned with the human consequences of their actions. 

It seems too simple to say the “vote” in this country (while we still have it) is the thing that can win the battle between us and them. But if we elected a US Congress that truly represented the best interest and well being of the vast majority of American; they could re-write the laws to protect us, they could enforce the laws that have been broken, they could collect the appropriate contribution from all American citizens and corporation and/or ignored, they could supply necessary public services fairly and economically. The stated goals of the T-Party would be satisfied and the unstated, but none the less real, goals of the Occupy Wall St. crowd would also be satisfied. 

We don’t need a crowd or a mob or a movement to make the American Dream return better than ever. We need to come together as, no more or less than equally endowed citizens and pick leaders from among ourselves who will work of, by and for us; as the Constitution clearly and rightly calls for.

There was something remarkable about last week’s TEA Party-CNN Republican debate. No, it wasn’t Michelle Bachmann beating up on Rick “the Hair” Perry about his executive order requiring vaccinations made by a company which coincidently hired one of Gov. Perry’s former honchos as a lobbyist. No, it wasn’t Gov. Perry tap dancing around what he had said about innate, from the start, built in, illegality and criminality of the Social Security System in his recent book/diatribe against the Federal government. Nor was it Rick Santorum’s desperate effort to be included or Newt Gingrich’s even more desperate effort to be relevant in the 21^st century. Or even Ron Paul’s attempt to make his every man for himself libertarianism compatible with over 200 years of America’s tradition of public works and public benefits approach to shared responsibility of public business. It was that the whole shootin’ match had the name of the TEA Party on it. And above the title at that. 

It goes to show how far the TEA Party has come in just a few short years. Some view this as an example of what a great and well funded PR campaign can accomplish; taking the idea of not wanting to spend any public money on helping poor minorities in this country and dressing it up in neo-intellectual but inherently simplistic rhetoric about being Taxed Enough Already. But the T’s aren’t really worried about how much they pay in taxes; they seem not to mind giving their hard earned tax dollars to all kinds of corporate welfare programs the Federal government run. The T’s are a-okay with subsidizing turning corn into fuel into carbon emissions, which gives their tax money to agribusiness billionaire. They never complain about the too long running, way too expensive with no observable US benefit, wars in the Middle-East (except for Mr. Paul). The T’s don’t mind Warren Buffet and his fellow uber-rich paying a lower marginal tax rate than they do. What they hate and are dead set against is any growth in the so called “nanny” policy of increased public services; even where those national programs can be most effective and beneficial. They hate things like; universal health care; a strong FDA; an effective EPA. All because the money behind the T movement comes from large industrial entities, trying to get the government’s protection of American citizens eliminated as much as it can. 

Once upon a time debates by people seeking the highest elected position in the land were host by real civic organizations like; the League of Women Voters; for the purpose of helping the electorate become more knowledgeable about both candidates and issues. Such organizations didn’t have a particular political platform agenda, or a group of issues they felt extremely committed about. They didn’t force the candidates to pander to a specific (perhaps even smaller than many people say) narrow contingent within a major party. In traditional debates sponsored by independent organizations, the candidates didn’t have to deal with just a few issues of special significance to a few people until recently considered on the fringe of the GOP. 

But that’s how big the T-Folk have become in what appears to be their dominance and control of the agenda and workings of the Republican Party. Conservatives, both social and economic, have been a significant part of the GOP since the days of Barry Goldwater in the 1960’s. The difference between then and now is the lack of tolerance among the T-People bosses now trying to run the Republican Party, which has all but eliminated what were once known as moderate Republicans. Not only were they called moderate, but they actually acted and voted as moderates. And as such they were a moderating force within the party. There were even Republicans known as liberal, at least on the social issues of civil rights, immigration amnesty, etc. 

Just as there were Democratic “hawks” and conservative Democrats on economic issues, back in the day. But the Dems too have, to some degree, become less tolerant of those among them with a more center-right point of view. However the Dems haven’t forced all of their number to fall in step and align themselves with the most liberal wing of the party, in the way the Reps have made everyone with a thought or chance of running for national office toe the line of T-Party orthodoxy. 

Forced adherence to inflexible orthodoxy or ultra-conservative positions on all and every issue is not a good thing for any party or political group. Eliminating positions or points of view from a political party not only narrows the thinking, but also the appeal. With the real key to winning national elections being attracting the independent or swing voter; any party has to have a tent big enough to accommodate a balanced mixture of opinions and approaches to governance. That is if governance is the goal; as it should be. However if autocratic control of the government in order to make or eliminate policy that conforms or conflicts with a narrow specific agenda is the goal; then orthodoxy and intolerance is almost a requirement. The autocratic regimes of the Communists in Korea and China, the theocracies like Iran and the strongman dictatorships of Syria and the world ‘round, all know this rule of ruling. A monolithic political/social agenda must not only glorify their goals and positions but also vilify the opposition and their aims. This is usually done by insisting that God is on one’s side and dead set against everything the opposition is for. Of course in the case of Communism; God is eliminated from the formula and collectivism (for the masses only) is made the goal and capitalism is made the boogie man and enemy. 

No matter how you slice it or tweak it, the concept and techniques of a winner take all approach to public governance are the same; and so are the weaknesses. Rule by a narrowly focused clique, for the exclusive benefit of a limited interest constituency, sooner or later will run into significant opposition. In autocracies or dictatorships; revolution (often bloody) is the result. In a neo-democracy such as America; the control of the government can be lost (temporarily) to this opposition. The pendulum will then begin to swing in the opposite direction as far as proposed policy and enacted legislation. Then predictably the “outs” will have cause and grievance enough to over throw the “ins” and the whole cycle of winner take all repeats itself. The temporary winners will grab as much as they can, creating the excuse the opposition needs to vilify them. It plays out pretty much the same no matter which party is in charge. 

The Dems hated Bush and now the Reps hate Obama; with both sides thinking they are absolutely right. Their conviction in their “rightness” has allowed them to speak about and behave towards the President in a totally over the top manner and way that does no credit to concept of American republican democracy as one in which the opposing parties debate, argue, compromise and horse trade in order to come up with programs that satisfies, if not pleases, both sides. It has worked this way and most of the time worked well, for over 200 years. Recently it seems that the once “reasonable” oppositional positions between the two major parties has grown in mass and volume to a point where the traditional ways in which accomplishment has been brought about can no longer be achieved. 

Not only is that too bad, but perhaps it makes it too difficult to have a functional, working, central government serving the most basic needs of the vast majority of the American citizenry. The rank and file of the T-Party doesn’t really want that sort of dysfunctional gridlock; but those who are the economic funding power behind the scenes do. The T-Folk don’t always see how some of the economic and social security net programs, which they falsely feel only benefit the “undeserving” are really essential; in that when properly and efficiently run, positively serve the interest and well being of all Americans. Unfortunately the economic interests purposefully misleading the majority of the right-wing T-Publicans are only interested in not having to pay more (if they pay anything at all) towards the necessary expenses of maintaining our democratic form of government in which all citizens are entitled to certain rights and subject to certain responsibilities. 

Now that the T-Party and their fellow travelers among the Republicans have the power to fight those they have been told are their “enemy” to a standstill; it is incumbent upon them that do more than just block any progressive legislation or ideas for the improvement of the many problems facing America. They have to do more than just say No to whatever President Obama’s administration proposes. They have to put forward more than just the discredited theory of trickle down Voodoo tax cuts for the wealthy, which have failed for the past 10 years. They have to come up with something more beneficial to all Americans than, if you allow corporations to do whatever they want, without regard for environmental, health and safety regulations; they may make some more jobs. 

If they really want to take complete control of the Federal government the Republicans, T-Publicans and Lib-Publicans have to tell America not only what they will eliminate such as; environmental protections, educational standards, appropriate contributions by the wealthy to the American general fund through tax payments, and a host of hard won civil rights and workers rights. They have to tell us more than what they won’t do. They have to tell us what they will do, if anything, to help the American people face the hardships caused by the policies that the GOP put in place in the first place. 

Since they say they won’t enact legislation to prevent the Gangsters of Wall Street from the lying, cheating and stealing that has caused the current recession; what will they do? If they won’t allow the cost savings and health insurance for some 40+ million Americans included in the Obama Health Care Bill; what will they do about cutting health care costs and 40 million people not covered? When they won’t raise the revenue clearly needed to fund the social and economic safety nets we have put in place over the past 75 years; what will they do make sure future generations have the health and retirement benefits Americans have been promised and rightfully come to count on? 

After three generations of successfully creating and providing public safety, health, and retirement systems that benefit all Americans; are the T-Reps et al just going to say – “No more” and turn their back on all the current problems facing Americans that they were instrumental in creating? Is that all we can expect from the ascendency of the T-Party to a position of determining the potential leadership of this country? Is that what the T-Party wants to take America back to – the nineteenth century?

During President Obama’s jobs and stimulus speech to Congress, as I watched the unhappy, grimacing, tortured faces of some of the Republicans, I couldn’t help but remember one of Harry S. Truman’s most famous one liners. When Truman was asked; “If he was going to give Congress hell”, he replied; “No I’m just going to tell them the truth, but it will feel like hell”. 

The new T-GOP probably felt it was hell every time the President said “they should pass legislation now”; which he said often during the speech. Each time he said that it poked at the core of the Republican strategy of not cooperating with the President on anything that might help the American people and in turn President Obama’s re-election prospects. “Making Obama a one term President” is the top priority of the T-GOP, as oft stated by the T-Republican leadership and wanna-be leadership. 

But when looked at without the knee jerk GOP negative reaction, is the President’s jobs/stimulus proposal in reality “hellish”? And if it is; what parts and for whom? Surely the extension of the payroll tax reduction won’t be making the T-Pubs hot under the collar, it’s their stated goal; less tax being paid by both the all important job creators and ordinary workers. The not so loyal GOP opposition shouldn’t be getting overheated by the part of the plan that puts money into job creation by repairing the nation’s much in need of repair highway and bridges; some of which are in very red states. The T-Reps can’t be sweating over all the costs of the plan being paid for; that’s T-Party sin qua non which is being adhered to. 

So what is it about the President’s plan that feels like hell to the T-Pubs? First of all; it comes from Obama. That is enough to get a great big fat NO from anyone who wants to pander to or thinks they are part of the rightest wing part of the GOP. They, along with almost all other Reps, don’t want Obama being allowed to do anything that could earn him even the slightest credit with the American people. 

Then there is the fact that not all the benefits of the plan are going to the rich and other “deserving” groups according to the T-Folk. Some of the infrastructure spending in the plan will be directed to school rehabilitation. The fact is that most schools that are in very desperate need of repair or replacement aren’t in middle class suburban neighborhoods; but in inner city, mainly minority, poor neighborhoods. And that’s seen as a problem in any Obama administration plan; it’s giving money to poor minority people. The truth is that from the time of segregation through the Brown v. Board of Ed. Decision and the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960’s, until the present, despite the legislation and all the words; the schools of the inner city and some rural poor neighborhoods, with or without a mostly minority enrollment, have been badly neglected for almost a century. Both “liberal” Democratic and “conservative” Republican administrations on all levels haven’t ponied up the needed money to fix broken school buildings. All the NCLB and Race to the Top plans don’t do as much or show as much commitment as a clean, healthy, safe environment in which our children can learn. 

There are other benefits in the President’s plan that rubs some of the T-People the wrong way. Such as ; continued unemployment benefits for the “lazy” out of work; money to states to help retain greedy union workers like teachers, firefighters and cops; funding increased tax benefits for hiring military veterans; and anything else doesn’t help them or the wealthy directly. If it doesn’t fit with “trickle down no increase in taxes or cutting of loopholes” theory; it just ain’t no good. 

I sure hope that when Obama hits the bricks he’ll be showing the electorate just how GOP Senator so in so or Representative what’s her name is blocking fixing of the bridge in his or district, by blocking the President’s plan. He should also make sure to make the case that fixing the very much in need of fixing education infrastructure, no matter where it is, is necessary for America to have a literate competent work force to compete in the high tech future; and so is necessary and beneficial for all future Americans. Failing to show how providing better and cheaper medical services for the poorest Americans in his Health Care Plan was an important and good thing for all Americans, which it is, was what allowed the T-Reps to gin up all the anger about “Obamacare” as just a another give away to the minority poor, which it is not. 

The feeling of being in hell because some progressive political policies are put in place, is an illusion of hell that those in control of right wing politics in this country create and use for their own benefit. Progressive policies are of benefit to about 98% of Americans. The money behind most of the right wing “outrage” comes from the other 2% who know; sooner rather than later, not only will the Democrats be calling for a fairer re-do of the tax code, but most rank and file members of the T-Party movement will also see the blind mantra of “No Taxes-Not Ever-Not For Nothing” only really helps that top 2% and hurts all the rest of us Americans. 

When that soon to happen day occurs and the top 2% are made to pay their fair share of the total US Tax burden; they will really get to know what it means to being given “hell” – it means having to pay up what they rightfully owe to our country.

If Abe Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt were running in 2012 would it be hard to be a Republican or at least vote like one? If FDR or Harry S. Truman were the Democratic nominee against Romney, Perry or Palin, would they win the White House? Would either Geo. Washington or Thomas Jefferson stand a chance against the 2012 Democratic or Republican party? 

Maybe we should question the relevance of Mt. Rushmore, or maybe not. In United States of America’s third century to see the “how to” of the future, maybe we should take a quick look back. Despite the apparent differences in some of the details; in many ways the problems the US of A is facing now, we have faced before. And we have found solutions to the problems, the answers to the questions and the “how to” continue changing as a nation while keeping all the basic freedoms, responsibilities and values that have been at the core of our success. 

Washington, our first, and some might argue greatest, leader ran the country and conducted his Presidency on a few basic principles. He believed this nation should not get too involved in the affairs of other nations, or committed to the special interests of any group, industry or cause, domestic or foreign. He felt the first and primary duty of the Federal government was to make sure the stated ideas of the US Constitution were firmly defended. His Presidency was strongly un-imperial. He didn’t ever consider his personal social, economic or religious beliefs should be imposed on the entire American population by decree based on personal religious interpretation or “divine right”. My guess is the T-Party wouldn’t have let Washington get past the Iowa caucus. 

Jefferson had some real firm beliefs when it came to the purpose and mission of the government in Washington. He helped write the phrases which specify the Federal government being formed to perform the duties of creating and maintaining conditions that; established justice; ensured domestic tranquility; provided common defense; promoted the general welfare; secured our liberty and prosperity. In short fulfilled the promise of the Declaration of Independence that proclaimed all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I’m betting that Jefferson wouldn’t take campaign contributions in exchange for passing laws that granted benefits to a few “corporate citizen” at the expense of the vast majority of American citizens. 

Lincoln believed that all men should be dealt with equally under the laws of this land, without prejudice against any group, be they black former slaves or white former rebels. He knew that if the citizens of America couldn’t and didn’t get beyond the hatred and fear the Civil War engendered in some people; then this country would keep fighting the same old battles in different, but still destructive ways; and he was right. It took us a 100 years to permanently change the laws nationwide to make discriminatory behavior illegal. It might take us another 100 years to learn to overcome long held misapprehensions and misconceptions in our hearts and minds; but this path once started, continues inexorably. You can wager dollars to doughnuts that Lincoln would tell anyone who they should love or could marry. He might have to change parties and become Democrat. 

Teddy Roosevelt could probably have gotten the nomination of either party until 1968. He was a big time Hawk like John F. Kennedy. He was in tune with Dwight D. Eisenhower when it came to being wary of the “military-industrial complex”, know in TR’s day as the “Trusts” which he busted. They are now called multi-national or “global” conglomerates; but industrial cartels that use their economic strength and political influence to make unlawful profit by exploiting the environment and people of America and world, are the same now under all fancy PR as they were in TR’s day. A progressive, pro American citizen, carry a big stick, fighter like Teddy would take Big Oil & Gas, the Wall Street Gang and the giants of Agribusiness to task. He would insist that the Congress make and enforce laws that control and regulate industry in this country so it works only for good of Americans and not against their health and safety. Does anyone think that the President who created the American National Park system would for a moment put up with the weakening or destruction of the Environmental Protection Agency. If the T-Publicans called the old Bull Moose a RINO (Republican In Name Only); Teddy ran as an independent once and if he had to, he would do so again.  And this time he’d probably win. 

FDR was a different Roosevelt, but not that different. He knew that the US had to stand up to international evil sooner or later; and that sooner would probably be easier. He wouldn’t have gone off to war half-cocked like a recent President who shall remain nameless and certainly not on behalf of the petrochemical industry like a Vice President named Cheney. He would have used targeted economic pressure, as he attempted to against Japan. And in the case of China, who, like Japan, seems bent on domination of the entire Pacific, economically at least, our position as still the world’s largest economy and China’s number one sales target, has enough heft to make for a more equitable trade balance between the US and China. The American offshore, out sourcing, job destroying nominal American companies might take a hit in a re-alignment of the US’s trade regulations, but they aren’t really American companies, providing American jobs or paying American taxes anyway. FDR told Ford, GM, GE and all the other giant American companies what they had to do to help the US in its time of need. He didn’t ask them, he told them; and they did it. FDR never forgot who he was working for and responsible to. We, the people, are the America FDR was President of, and it was in our name and for our domestic tranquility; general welfare; common defense; protection of our lives and property; and for fair and honest justice, that FDR ran the country in our time of greatest need and danger. And if he was around today FDR and his unheralded side kick who rose to the occasion upon his death Harry S Truman would have the brains and guts to do the same again.

 Our problems are not new. The world is constantly changing. In the 18^th century England, France and Spain were the world powers and all tried to or wanted to treat the people in their colonies in America like possessions; we fought for our freedom and won. In the 19^th century it was the inhuman commitment of some Americans to slavery that tried to control the fate of and possess what were really our fellow Americans; we again fought for freedom and again won. In the 20^th century the number of forces that have attempted to possess, control and even destroy us and other fellow human were numerous; we fought them worldwide and yet again won. In the 21^st century there are national and corporate entities that are trying to possess and thus enslave Americans in an economic sense. They see and treat us as nothing more than interchangeable and eventually disposable units of labor and purchasing power in their profit matrix. Once again we will have to fight them and once again we will have to win in order to maintain the core of values that make America and Americans; our commitment to our individual freedoms, rights and responsibilities as delineated in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

 We don’t know who the next great leader is. We don’t know if he or she is already on the scene and about to step up big time or yet to be discovered. We don’t know the details of the “how to” to preserve America and its dream for ourselves and future generations. But we know that it is worth preserving and we have always found the means to do so.  If we can know anything from the past, it is; the dignity we gain from being a free, independent human beings gives us all the strength we need, when we act together, to maintain our democracy and our republic.

We should have known it right from the moment that the T-Publican leadership publically announced that their job number 1 was to “make Barack Obama a one term President”. We should have seen that the GOP was forsaking the concept of working with the Democrats to serve the interest of the American nation as a whole. We now know that the GOP and all its sub-sets have given up on governance and committed itself to frustrating, stymieing, obstructing and preventing the Obama administration from accomplishing anything that could be considered successful during the remainder of President Obama’s term. They told us the why early on; to prevent Obama’s re-election. Now they have shown us the how; blocking any and all proposed government activities that they can; in order to continue the stagnation of the economy and increase the distress and anxiety among the citizens of the country. 

When the T-Reps have regaining the White House as their goal; they go after the Democratic incumbent with everything they’ve got. Bill Clinton handed them opportunity on a silver platter when his personal peccadillo with Ms Lewinski became public (through a GOP operative). And the GOP beat him all but to death with it; and Al Gore along with him too. Otherwise it would have been mighty difficult to defeat Al Gore, the incumbent Vice-President of a successful peace and prosperity eight year administration with a Texas Governor whose main qualification was name recognition. That, and enormous amounts of Big Oil & Gas money. 

President Obama will not provide the GOP with the same kind of scandal, so the current crop of T-Pubs will have to make do with a poor economy as Obama’s vulnerability. Obama will justifiably try to explain that the economic desk in the Oval Office was already on fire when he sat down at it and he’s been mostly successful in preventing the rest of the building from going up in smoke. But that’s not enough. People expect the President to do whatever he can to make things better, no matter what the problem. That’s where the topsy-turvy concept of the current T-Rep battle plan comes in. 

It is virtually impossible for any President to accomplish anything of significance if the opposition party controls either or both houses of the Congress. As the T-Reps have shown in their one year of majority in the House; just saying No, loud and clear, over and over, can in fact prevent almost anything from getting done. Couple that with a 41 vote non-stoppable filibuster machine in the Senate and the T-Rep plan has, can and will go a long way to making the President look like a an unable leader. The T-Pubs are committed to this, even if they have to take traditional common sense economic policy and turn it inside out, upside down and on its head, in order to do so. 

With straight face the GOP leadership stands firm against any form of tax code reform which will increase (if they pay any at all) the amount of tax contribution of corporations or billionaires; while decreeing that emergency spending on natural disasters is something that must be “looked at carefully”, even after a hurricane hits a dozen states. 

They deny global climate change is in any way increased as a result of man-made hydrocarbon emissions and demand that the Environmental Protection Agency be dismantled because it “gets in the energy industry’s way”. They disregard volumes of scientific evidence from independent sources that call into question the safety and advisability of some newly touted forms of fossil fuel exploitation like Sand Tar and Fracking. The only thing standing between the American people and the health and safety hazards created by the destruction of the environment for short term profit by multinational conglomerates is the EPA Their job is to get in the way when the environment and the people living in it is threatened by greed, corruption and ignorance. Risking the vast majority’s health and safety for financial gain by the few is just plain, on its head, cockeyed. 

The attempts to change, repeal or trash the entire economic safety net system of Social Security and Medicare in all their forms is also an example taking the economic and social contract created since the New Deal and turning it upside down. These programs which have been demonstrably hugely effective and beneficial, and have been funded in good faith by the contributions of American workers, must be saved from the mismanagement of willfully blind government officials; by re-structuring the funding stream. They should be not destroyed in order to save the wealthiest from paying their fair share of government expenses which are designed to take care of the hardest working Americans. 

The T-Rep can’t seriously hope to lower unemployment by the proven false “Voodoo” concept of “trickle down” economics, which has clearly failed for the past 10 years. Yet they refuse to even consider a well targeted program of much needed, highly effective, infrastructure expenditures by Washington to fix our dangerous roadways, bridges and schools. Jobs in this country, using materials made in this country (more jobs) to do things that the government is supposed to do anyway seems like a reasonable (and proven) approach to getting America working again. But the T-Reps have created an atmosphere of fearful, inside-out thinking about the “deficit”, so they can stand in the administration’s way of using the government’s ability to borrow money cheaply to do the right thing for the American economy and people. None of the same concern about “scary” borrowing of money was ever mentioned when the Bush administration embarked upon two wars; one of which was poorly executed and the other of which was unnecessarily prosecuted. Another example of upside-down wrongheaded GOP thinking about where and how to spend American lives and treasure. 

The T-Pubs seem to be trapped blindly in a the economic web and under the corrupting influence of a handful of international corporate entities which are committed only to taking as much money as they can out of the American economy. Tragically for most Americans these entities are completely unconcerned with the economic, environmental and social cost of their greed, no matter who or how much that cost is. What else could you call taking the American Dream and all it stands for in terms of the American people’s hopes, goals and values except; standing America on its head?

Everyone knows how hard it is to make a choice sometimes. Whether it’s a car, what to have at a restaurant, or a pair of shoes; it can be difficult to decide what to buy. For some people there is the dilemma of what appeals to you eye in the store window; isn’t very practical for your lifestyle. For others, something that looks good in the picture on the menu (if you eat at that sort of place) maybe something you have never had and you’re not really sure if it will taste as good as it looks. And for others something that looks great on the showroom floor; may not be the kind of reliable vehicle you really want to drive day in and day out for the next few years. 

All of the above scenarios, and more, seem to be playing themselves out for various constituencies of the GOP when it comes to picking their candidate for the 2012 campaign against President Obama. Some T-Publicans want shoes that look terrific, like Michelle Bachmann, but other Re-Publicans are concerned that the Bachmann high heel, open toe, sling backs may not be very durable for the long trip from Iowa to Washington. They don’t call it a race for the White House for nothing. Some of the T-Wing Christian Conservatives prefer the Rick “the Hair” Perry cowboy boots. They think the Texas high heels for men can be worn to football games, the office and weddings with equal appropriateness. Some others remember that the last pair of Texas footwear they bought, which after a while, they couldn’t wait to take off; because they really hurt their feet. 

A small but dedicated number on the  Rightist wing of the Right really would like to put on a pair of Ron Paul high top sneakers for that retro look, but most of their teammates know that you can’t get into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue wearing footgear designed to play games in. The traditional Republican team players are leaning towards the wing-tip oxfords, in ordinary brown which they see as Wilbur Mitt Romney. They certainly look fine at the office, but they are a bit hard to wear for dress down occasions, because they always make you look like you’re at the office. Others say they are not entirely comfortable in them because they were built on the same last as the flip flops. The mainstream Wall Streeters keep trying on those oxfords they prefer; but they just can’t decide between the ordinary brown Romney or the cordovan colored Huntsman they have also been tempted to try on. They have been told they should walk around the store in the Huntsman before pulling out their credit card at the register. 

The old fashioned penny loafer know as the Newt Gingrich has been all but rejected as a choice because it’s so last century. And the blue suede Santorum is definitely out by virtue of it being just too weird. The Pawlenty casual look was seen as too casual and not part of the exciting “today“ look favored by most T-Folk. The problem with the Herman Cain shoe wasn’t the color, as many said it would be, but the fact that the Reps had lots of business ready shoes in their closet already, and he was just a slightly different look as compared with the rest. Some of the T-Party shoppers are hoping that the flashy, seal fur trimmed, Palin winter boot, they keep trying on, will go on sale soon. But others are worried that although the Palins look and feel wonderful; that kind of Mukluk is nowhere near durable enough to hold up all the way to the inauguration. 

Even though they have a big pile of shoes and boxes all around them, some Rep shoppers are asking the clerk to bring out more. They want to try on the some of the least likely available styles of shoes because they think they might be a better fit. But the Jeb model of the Bush sandals are discontinued due to many problems with the previous George 2 model hurting the Bush brand image. And the Chris Christie non-union made hiking boot (with the steel toe for kicking your opponent) only come in one size; way too large and are much too heavy run in. The autographed model of the Rudi Giuliani 9/11 Street Walker has been hauled out of the back room for a quick look-see, but they look a bit dated. Even the old Pataki Chukkas, with that classic broken-in look, have been suggested as a possible pair of “normal” shoes that one could go anywhere in. 

With so many choices it’s no wonder that the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt looks so  confused, disorganized and just can’t seem to make up their collective minds. Some are even cursing the fact that the very sporty (some say too sporty) Schwarzenegger, despite the bad PR, can’t be worn for the race to the far end of Pennsylvania Avenue because they are foreign made (also they don’t sound like they are American enough). 

The GOP was so surprised that they lost and the Dems won the 2008 event wearing the untried and untested Air Obamas instead of the proven, practical Hillary shoe, that it made them determined to find the Right shoe, even if they couldn’t afford them. But the problems of the T-Publican Party don’t end with footwear. If they think they are having trouble finding the Rightist shoe, just wait until they try to find a Vice Presidential bag to match. Last time the highly polished McCain tap-dancing pair they chose didn’t at all go with the Sarah in a Poke bag they picked. Plus all sorts of unexpected things came out of the bag when they opened it up, until they realized there was nothing useful inside it. The Reps found out, picking accessories can be even more difficult than getting a shoe that won’t hurt your feet, throw your back out of line and wind up giving you a pain in your neck, and other places too.

The truth doesn’t depend on whether one believes it or not. Believing the earth was flat 500 years ago didn’t make it true, nor does believing so now. But try and tell that to some members of the T-Publican Party! 

Rick “the Hair” Perry recently said; “I don’t believe in man-made global warming”. He went on to say it was an unproven theory which is being challenged by scientists on an almost daily basis. It’s understandable why Perry would indulge in a delusionary belief that something almost the entire scientific community worldwide agrees on is not true if you happen to be the Governor of the state (Texas) which leads the nation in emitting climate changing pollutants into the air. But to say it out loud in front of cameras and everyone, and think it won’t follow you forever; well that’s a one way trip to fantasyland. 

The “Hair from Way Out There” isn’t the only member from the Believe in Make-believe Tea Party wing of the GOP to be campaigning in a place removed from reality. Michelle Bachman just told an audience that ending the economic problems of America is easy; just cut spending on things she doesn’t want the Federal government to spend on and everything will be just fine. That’s either the simplest solution to a problem noble laureates don’t agree on how to solve, or just plain simplistic. 

The GOP has a long tradition of denial as a way to eliminate anything and everything as a potential problem. In the GOP almost every candidate at some point says they don’t believe in evolution and do believe in creationism. Once again they called it a theory, as if being referred to as a theory puts the validity of the idea doubt. You can say that the Pythagorean Theory is questionable, but you can work through a lot of triangles and you still will not be able to disprove that  is true, even if it is just a theory. Denying evolution flies in the face of the atomic physics of carbon dating, geology, paleontology and demands one believe mankind co-existed with the dinosaurs, like in the Flintstones; another trip to delusionville! 

The list of unbelievable, made up, non-truths being passed off as being true among the T-Folk/Republicans is long and curious indeed. There is the long standing myth of trickle-down economics which states; if you let the rich get as rich as they want to, some of their wealth may be spent on something that makes a job for a few American workers. But the myth has been proved to be just that, by decades of the wealthy getting wealthier and American jobs being shipped out of the country just about as fast, 

Then there’s the one about “instead of giving people fish when they can’t feed themselves - teach them how to fish, and they’ll be happily eating fish from then on”. But the Party of Tea thinks “teaching” people how to fish consists of telling them they should go away somewhere and get some string, a hook and find a river that’s not polluted and if they aren’t grateful and happy from then on, they’re a bunch of lazy bums. 

There is also the fantasy that there should be no taxes on the profits the wealthy acquire when they invest their money, because the rich aren’t really “working”, just using the money they already have. But there is always the need to tax the money workers acquire, because they actually earn it by working for it. If that doesn’t make you shake your head, you’ll probably let them get away with it. 

Oil & Gas companies can pay no taxes yet they get a “depletion allowance”; because the stuff they are hauling out of the ground by the billions of dollars won’t be as profitably plentiful forever. But as you and I get older and maybe a bit less profitable ourselves, we get told that we want to retire too early and we won’t be able to get all the insurance covered medical services we thought we had been paying for during all the decades we were conscientiously doing our jobs. 

Another figment of the Right’s imagination is that the Left is serving the wishes of the Latino community in exchange for their votes when it comes to the illegal alien immigration issue. That may in part be true, but the main impetus behind this country’ refusal to effectively deal with the ongoing influx of upwards of 10 million (and counting) illegal workers into this country is; the corporate desire to have a cheaper workforce with few or no employer provided benefits. In agribusiness, construction and the hospitality industry, just to name a few, American workers have been let go to enable companies to hire both legal H2B visa and illegal foreign workers; because they can pay them less than Americans earn. This has put millions of Latino, Black and White Americans on unemployment rolls and food stamps and increased pressure on the taxpayers of this country to fund benefits for them and the illegal population also; all without much tax revenue help by the conglomerates who benefit from the cheaper wages they are allowed to pay. Absent the benefits to corporations; there would be no jobs for illegals and no immigration problem. Blaming the American victims instead of the bought and paid for elected officials in Washington is a cruel and cynical trick turned into a self serving myth being used by Big Business. 

It is high time all the created myths, fantasies, bull and lies are clearly seen and assigned to those who benefit from them. The self named “conservative” Right should open up its eyes and ears to see who is really taking away the country they knew and loved. The myths need to be stripped of the false patriot rhetoric, the thinly disguised racism, the wrongly placed nationalism and the rest of the fantasy stories those who benefit try to place onto the realities of their activities. Then the  propaganda put out by those profiting most from exploiting American citizens can be seen for what it really is; Fairy Tales told to us to put us to “sleep”. And like Fairy Tales, they may be scary and/or they may promise a happy ending, but like all Fairy Tales, those told to us by the powers behind the party of the political Right; they are not true!

From the minute the Republican leadership told America that their number one goal was “to make sure that Obama was a one term President”, we should have known that the American people were in for nothing but trouble. Trouble resulting in continued high unemployment; trouble with a continuing balance of trade deficit; trouble with a failure to end any of the loophole and scams that allow multinational entities to avoid paying their fair share (if any) of the U.S. burden; trouble about raising the debt ceiling limit; trouble with the Wall Street gangsters continuing to hide their manipulative and greedy ways of doing business from the light of day. In short; trouble regarding any and all of the economic machinations that can weaken the U.S. economy while Barack Obama is President. 

Ever since some wag in Bill Clinton’s campaign headquarters said “It’s the economy stupid”, and set the tone for Clinton’s successful two terms in office; having a weak economy when the opposition is in office has been the sine qua non goal of the party out of office. During Bush’s two terms the Republicans in power used 9/11 and the two wars, one mishandled and the other misguided, which were created as an alleged response to terrorism, to also serve to deflect criticism of the worsening economy. But as soon as Obama took office; the Republicans were quick to jump on the economy that had melted down during their watch and attempt to brand it as Obama’s fault. And after two years of non-stop efforts to shift the blame from Bush to Obama; those efforts paid off with the “wave” election of 2010 which put the GOP in control of the U.S. House and weakened the Dems in the U.S. Senate. 

Once they controlled the chamber of the U.S. Congress from which all money bills must emanate; the Reps were in the catbird seat as far as being able to stymie and thwart any and all attempts by the Obama administration to deal in a realistic and practical way improving America’s economic situation. This culminated in the entirely fabricated Debt Ceiling Limit “crisis”. The Republicans refused and continue to refuse to even consider any form of what they call a tax increase; including the closing of any of the many loopholes that shelter the wealthy and corporate interests from having to pay a reasonable amount of the U.S. government’s necessary expenses. The Reps, who have been under the influence of the corporate funded and manipulated T-Party, singularly call for only spending cut as a means to set America’s budget right. 

However their idea of spending cuts involve only government spending they see as not benefitting their constituents. And they have convinced many of the American people who actually benefit from this spending that they don’t and that the money only goes to the Democrat’s constituency; which is a big lie. The so called “safety net entitlements” were designed and truly benefit virtually every worker in this country. In addition Social Security and Medicare are true entitlements in that American workers have paid into the funds throughout their careers and are therefore entitled to the benefits. The fact that administrations of both parties have failed to properly update the funding and management plans of these funds for political reasons is not the fault of the workers expecting their earned benefits. If the T-Folk and all Americans are mad (and they should be) they should be mad at the politicians, including the Republicans, who closed their eyes and avoided doing their jobs resulting in the weakness of the benefit funds. 

Obama, for his part, tried to develop a plan for addressing the need for paying for decent health care for all Americans while not harming the excellent health care delivery system this country has. The watered down plan he was forced to accept included the participation of the corrupt and costly insurance industry, who adds nothing but additional expense to health care costs. He was also compelled to back off from taking on the very influential medical and pharmaceutical industries that have run the cost of American health care up to 20% of GDP – twice that of any other developed country. But instead of getting the kudos he deserved for making a partial success of health care payment reform; the Reps gave him nothing but criticism and abuse. The one thing they never did was to present a truly comparable alternative plan. All they ever said was; No! 

The truth is their alternative to any progressive, citizen helpful idea for change in any part of the American status quo is; No or Hell No! The fact is that the Reps, especially the T’s, are following the game plan dictated by those who fund their campaigns. And that game plan calls for no changes in the current set-up which they worked non-stop during the Bush years to put in place; because the current way the government does business is to the great advantage of big business and the wealthy. 

The financial bail-out, which was entirely a created and funded by the Bush administration, shored up the balance sheet problems for those too big to fail, that the Wall Street gangsters created, while allowing those wise guys to take salaries and bonuses in the hundreds of billions of dollars all through and since their fiscal crime wave. The economy is still trying to climb out of the Great Recession the Bush administration’s look the other way style plus deregulation (with the help of some key Democrats in Congress) put us into. The current Democratic administration has been forced to try and fix the mess they inherited while the T-Publicans try to tie both their hands and one foot behind them. These naive front men for the multinationals keep throwing monkey wrenches into the machine of the U.S. economy. Their refusal to even consider the elimination of even the most egregious and non-productive tax deals and scams like; giving incentives for outsourcing American jobs; providing subsidies to billionaire “farmers” to make $3 worth of fuel out of $4 worth of corn; sugar price support subsidies that force American candy manufacturers to move jobs to Mexico or Canada where they can buy the same sugar for a lot less; and a host of other wasteful and corrupt corporate welfare. 

All of which makes the rich richer and the rest of us less and less able to afford parts of the American dream. And that is all part of the plan to unseat Obama. Anything that might be viewed as a success for his administration is either blocked, or failing that, attacked. And the plan seems to be working. Obama’s public approval rating goes down along with the approval of the Reps who oppose him. But that’s okay with the GOP Gang because most of their seat are so secure, they don’t need support of those outside of their own districts to get re-elected, over and over again. They do need to drive Obama’s public approval into the toilet because a) an incumbent always has an advantage and b) the crop of likely Rep standard bearers is, let’s be kind and say; pretty lack luster. So no matter how reasonable or how necessary any plan from the White House may be; the T-Pubs are committed to nixing it one way or another. 

This success the T-Pus have had with this offensive defense is working so well it appears to have made the President somewhat gun shy. Not that Obama was ever a big “stand up and fight for what you want” kind of guy anyway. But with the T-Wing of the opposition feeling and acting so strong and in a mood to play rough; Obama is afraid of putting out any plan, especially a big, bold, potentially game changing one because he is sure that the Reps will pull out all the stops and fight to their last filibustering breath to make any Obama plan fail to get either put in place or succeed. And he is right, that’s just what they will try to do. 

But even when they do, is he any worse off being seen as fighting valiantly and losing then he is being seen as lacking conviction in his purpose or as being indecisive? And what if he finds a way to actually beat the T-Pubs and their fellow pandering travelers with help of the reasonable majority of his own party and the few rational mainstream Rep left alive in Congress. He could achieve a victory if he would only have faith in the secret weapon he isn’t sure he has; the American people. Yes, we the people are a lot smarter than most of Washington gives us credit for. They have been fooled into thinking all Americans are as small minded and narrow visioned as the extremes from both sides; but we are not. We are concerned and would like to be informed truthfully about what the real problems are, what and who is causing them, what can be done to make things better here and who is standing in the way. Armed with the truth, Americans know right from wrong and what to do about it. 

Presidents from both the left and the right have gone directly to the people to get them on board with their plans that a Congress fighting for dominance has refused to cooperate with. Reagan did it often, Clinton did it less often but equally, if not even more, effectively. Obama has the presentation skills to communicate with this country’s citizens. He also has some ideas which will appeal to many, if not all, Americans about the need to not only deal with the debt, the deficit, unemployment, global economic cannibalism, etc; but to engage on the core issues of whose government is this anyway, and what does the vast majority of Americans really think the job of government is? 

He can be pretty sure that protecting the humongous wealth of a few people and corporate entities and allowing them to avoid participation in the responsibilities and expenses of this country while enjoying all the benefits is not what 99% of Americans want their government to do. He can also count on a vast majority wanting the increased revenue from making those not now paying their share of taxes pay up and have some of this income be applied not only to debt reduction, but also to maintaining the earned safety net entitlements of all American citizens. He will also discover that allowing global conglomerates to take advantage of tax loopholes and send their money along with our jobs off shore for greater gain is not something the American people are in favor of their government facilitating or enabling. He should also know that a real job creating commitment to rebuilding America’s infrastructure with American made materials and American labor, which can truly jumpstart a recovery from the Bush recession, will be well received and supported by virtually all of the country’s workers and their families, and their neighbors and their local communities, etc. 

In short President Obama has nothing to lose and literally everything to gain by trusting the American people to support him if he tells us about his commitment to a plan that is actually good for the majority of us. We will support him because we want the U.S. government to do what is actually good for most of us, instead of the connected and corrupting few. In that regard most of us are just like President Obama; we have nothing to lose and everything we want to gain from a New Deal style, help ourselves by helping ourselves type of program to make America great again, the way we did the first time. It sure beats the “nothing but trouble” the other guys have been giving us.

Another Texas Governor kinda - sorta launched his bid for the T-Publican (formerly Republican) Party’s nomination for President. Rick “the Hair” Perry at his “the Response” – a day of prayer rally, didn’t exactly announces his candidacy, but; he gathered around him a much less than expected crowd (organizer claimed 30,000) and a whole lot of right, far right and very far right “Christian” religious leaders. 

In true evangelical style they broadly lamented all the ways in which the U.S. has turned from a wonderful place to a terrible place in a mere two and a half years (of the Obama presidency). Then continuing with the ‘religion as part of politics’ theme, they prayed for help from above. 

The rally received in person support from one Republican Governor, Sam Brownback of Kansas, and one video tape of support from Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott. The rest of all the dozens of Republican Governors who were invited didn’t come or call. 

Among the nominally Christian religious leaders there; extremism was the common denominator. There was one sponsoring organization, the “International House of Prayer” (no kidding) whose founder had called Oprah Winfrey a pastor of a Satanic religion. I’m not sure what “religion’ that is, but I don’t think he meant the “Church of Entrepreneurship Entertainment & Charity” of which Ms Winfrey is undoubtedly a High Priestess. Several other extremely opinionated quasi-religious organizations and “churches” were also sponsors; including those with a strong prejudicial anti-gay stands and those who are still committed to undoing the U.S. human and civil right laws concerning women’s health issues; the anti-choice mob of the T wing of the GOP. 

The event made it pretty clear where Perry wants to stake his claim and start his run for the White House. He seems to feel that the Christian Conservative Evangelical T-Folk minority of the Republican Party are in the critical driver’s seat position and able to steer and drive the nomination process forward, resulting in him the eventual winner of the job as head of the ticket. Although his speech wasn’t too overtly political, the message was clear to anyone and everyone who knows the “code language” of the religious right. It was consistent in blaming the cause of all this country’s problems on the lack of proper adherence to the religious rights set of rules and regulations for government and individual behavior, by; Democrats, Liberals, Progressives in general and President Obama in particular. The solution proposed was just as narrow and simplistic; pray and do the things the organizers and participants “know” are what God wants them to do and everything will be all right; just like it was 1955 again. 

Clearly the GOP Back Room Gang don’t have confidence that Michelle Bachmann who now has the RR and TP backing can neither win the election nor is qualified to be Commander in Chief or both. They also don’t seem to feel that Wilbur Mitt “#2 Hair” Romney can gain enough support from the main stream Protestant church members to win against Obama because they are very suspicious of the Mormon religion he is member of. John Huntsman is also a Mormon and way too rational a centrist to appeal to the T-Wing. Tim Pawlenty just ain’t the kind of tough SOB that the right of the GOP wants with his finger on the Red Button. Chris Christy says he doesn’t want to run and that’s probably a good thing; because he would have to have a physical at some point and well we know how that would go for someone morbidly obese. Gingrich for all his supposed intelligence; doesn’t seem to know anything about how to run for high elected office. Ron Paul is a crusty old skinflint and doesn’t look very presidential. Palin is doing a lot better than anyone, including herself, thought after she and McCain lost and I think she likes being her own boss and making money. That brings (leaves) them (and us) to and with Rick Perry. 

He has certainly demonstrated the “toughness” required in his several veiled and unveiled threats to have Texas secede from the U.S. (again). He clearly is one with the ultra right religious movement; because he said so at the rally. He is a good Republican up and down the line on issues like anti-gay, anti-union, anti-choice, etc. He is absolutely “anti” everything the people now in control of the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are against. And absolutely for everything they are for, such as; eliminating the EPA, the FDA, the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, etc. In fact they favor the elimination of virtually every Federal department except the Department of Agriculture which gives out uncountable billions in subsidies to companies owned by billionaires. 

He is the perfect front man for the Back Room Gang. He speaks the code language of the T-people the Gang need to fool into voting against their own self interest. He panders to the need of the people whose America has been taken by corrupt business and politicians and convinces them their loss is the fault of liberals, or people of color, or those poorer then themselves, or anyone who is not like them. He says all the demonstrably false assertions of the multi-national sales pitch about no taxes and job creation, as if they were true. Perry will promise help to his followers but if by some miracle he is elected, he will only be able to deliver more blame and promises because his is hamstrung by the very commitments he will make to get elected; no increases in revenue, no closing of loopholes which allow the off shoring of profits and jobs, decreases in health care and health care payments, no commitment to infrastructure revitalization, no change in trade policy, etc. He will be forced to pledge himself into a corner of helplessness and uselessness; just where the Back Room Gang wants him. 

The economic powers behind the politics in America don’t necessarily believe in the God that Perry and his fellow travelers profess to worship; that is if they believe in any conventional God at all. The only thing they appear to believe in is profits and the acquisition of wealth as the means to power. As for country; the Global Gang of multinational interests don’t believe in that either. Countries, including the U.S. are just a transitory division of real estate by which people identify themselves. To the Global Gang this national identity is merely a useful factor with which they can pit one group against another and profit from the competition and/or conflict. The transfer of wealth from, let’s say, the U.S. to China is a transaction from which they can extract their “vigorish” (profit which they skim from every deal). They don’t really care which way the money flows - they get their cut. 

The idea and ideals of a nation, its people and their well being might have had some relevance to the biggest of businesses a generation or two ago. But since the world’s political and trade alignments have become subservient to the accumulation of wealth and power; differing political systems like democracy, communism, feudalism, etc. are of no great importance to the Global economic interests. Any and every system can be used to extract profit. Granted some make easier such as feudalism where power controls virtually everything. The socialism of some European countries requires some accommodation to certain national interests like the social services most Europeans provide. But in exchange for that accommodation the Globalists get the virtual universal docility of Europe when it comes to taking action in the world’s economic conflicts. The Second World War made Europeans so combat averse (and some say who can blame them), that to really get them to fight for anything would take more than even poking them in the eye with a stick. As for America’s form of democracy, it might really be a problem for the Global Bullies if the American people were allowed to become united behind a kind of healthy nationalism that was by and for all the people of this nation. Fortunately for the Global Gang they have been extremely successful in pitting one group of Americans, the red staters against the blue staters; despite the fact that both side have 90% in common and very few real differences. Both sides want opportunity for themselves and their children; honest representation from their leaders; the chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor and lower cable prices. The differences between most Americans is literally skin deep. If we were all blind, we would all be friends. 

So when Rick “the Hair” Perry gets up and mouths the standard blurb of the right wing, he is short changing his supposed constituency. He’s telling them what a few self serving neo religious leaders see as their interpretation of God’s message. The vast majority of people of every faith, not just one small slice of believers, want peace, prosperity and well being for themselves and fellow citizens, no matter what the faith or what the nation. Making it “us’ against “them” in a broad and somewhat arbitrary manner creates false enemies. And even worse makes it more difficult to achieve national unity when real enemies are encountered. It is not the people of China who are the enemy; it is the Global Gangsters who are enslaving them and would do the same to us if they could. It is the Globalists with no national loyalty and no firm religious conviction, just greed as their motive; who are the real enemy. 

When it comes to God and Country, the folks who assembled in Houston for “the Response”, both the supposed political and religious leaders and the audience, were responding to situations that they have been told are true; but aren’t. They were told to focus on their fellow citizens as the problem; which they aren’t. They were conned into believing one political party has their interest in mind and the other doesn’t; but both parties are under the influence of entities that only have their own interest in mind. Instead of being angered by which God and how other folk’s worship, if we let each person find and make peace with their own understanding of the universe; we would all be less troubled. If we all looked at the U.S. Constitution and read the simple plan it outlines, with each person’s religion being sacrosanct from interference, and each person’s rights, privileges, duties and responsibilities clearly enumerated; we might find we agree on both our God (or not) as a personal concept each of us can practice in our own way and Country as the shared concept of a place for all of us to live with as much individual freedom and mutual respect as any nation’s social contract has ever promised or created. A people who could all rally around that; are a people who can control their own destiny. That’s the America we all want back.

When a couple of the more popular maybe-wannabes bowed out of the pool of potential Republican candidates; it left a field of still wannabes that (being kind) could only be called “lack luster”. Mike Huckabee and the Trump at least had something that attracted T-Publicans with some degree of enthusiasm. The Huck was number one among the most committed Christian evangelical conservatives by virtue of his being a big old country boy of a preacher plus his not quite believing in evolution. The Trump was the top darling of the angry, let’s get tough with everybody we don’t like, group that composed the core of the T-Party/birther/how’d Obama get into Harvard gang. But alas the Huck lacked that fire in his heart and the Trump assured America that it was more important that he help some has-beens get further humiliated and others get some kind of a job and see hopefully  get his picture on the cover of TV Guide. 

But then the Republican race looked it might get heated up from lukewarm to sort of hot when Newt Gingrich, the old Democrat baiter from the nineties, entered the race. Well the Newt entered the race (sort of) by going on a cruise to the Greek Isles; and who could blame him, they are truly lovely in the spring. Well his entire senior staff apparently could blame him, or so they said. So they upped and quit en mass and thus made themselves available for the potential campaign of Texas Governor Rick “the Haircut” Perry, should he decide to join the fray. 

With the former Speaker of the House in the line up the GOP was ready, or least went forward to show their potential challengers to President Obama to the broad general public in a sort of debate. There was; the default front runner former Massachusetts Governor Willard Mitt Romney; former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum; Texas Congressman and perennial libertarian favorite Ron Paul; Minnesota Congresswoman and T-Party caucus leader Michelle Bachman; and former pizza chain CEO Herman Cain, rounding out the field. This not so magnificent seven spent the first half of their answer to every question blaming President Obama for whatever the subject of the question was. They then spent the second half of their answer telling America they had the solution; by restating the problem the question addressed and elaborately avoiding giving a detailed explanation of just how they would save America from whatever trouble Obama had gotten it into. 

Pawlenty avoided confronting Romney over Romney’s Massachusetts health care plan which Pawlenty had just called Obomney care the day before. Paul, ever the master of vague answers to real problems; said that some kind of non-governmental help would step in and take care of a sick five year old child of illegal immigrants. Bachman assured states righters she would let the states take care of same sex marriage; but if they didn’t ban it she would force every state, willing or not, to live under a Federal ban. Herman Cain told America that all the problems were big and interrelated (as if we didn’t know) and the answer involved identifying the problem (as if we hadn’t). Romney told America he had sons and looked very much ready to take his turn as the Republican candidate. Rick Santorum told America he had some kids too. Bachman then said she had more kids than all of the others on stage put together, so there. Bachman was declared the winner because she managed to get over a very low bar without tripping herself. Pawlenty was declared the loser because he didn’t stand behind his Obomney care criticism. All in all it wasn’t a very exciting or interesting debate. 

However, just when it looked like Romney, the default candidate was going to win the nomination by default, along comes John Huntsman.  Huntsman is yet another former governor, this time from Utah, and yet another former Mormon missionary. Huntsman did his missionary work in China, while Romney did his in France, giving Huntsman a few extra points over Romney, if and when people get to know who he is. 

The rest of the wannabes will make sure the first thing America gets to know about John Huntsman is that he worked for Obama for the last two years as Ambassador to China. Huntsman’s rivals will also be certain to mention the strong praise he gave to Mr. Obama; which the former Ambassador has since slide away from saying – he thought Obama was a “remarkable” President when he was picked for the China job, but has since changed his mind now that he might be the guy the T-Pubs pick to take Mr. Obama down. 

And it is with the TEA gang of the T-Publican party that Huntsman will be having the most trouble with. The T-folks want a real red meat; no holds barred; go for the jugular, kind of candidate. That’s why Michelle Bachman, who has called the President varying shades of not like real Americans, is so popular with them. Huntsman is very much not a liberal baiting, mudslinging kind of a guy. He is what would be known as an old school moderate Republican, if there was such a thing anymore. He is nowhere right-wing enough for the core of the T-wing of the GOP. On such issues as same sex marriage for example; he supports civil unions. Huntsman is also much more of an international globalist trade supporter than many members of the isolationist GOP wing that supports Ron Paul. They see our current trade policy style with China as a detriment to regaining the well paying manufacturing job America has lost; and they are right. But the big money corporate entities, that provide the hundreds of millions of dollars required to run for President, very much want a “free trader” like Huntsman at the helm of the U.S. economy. As for the evangelicals in the GOP; as far as many of them are concerned a Mormon like either Huntsman or Romney is a non-starter entirely. 

And so along may come Texan Rick Perry, who is standing in the wings, being pushed on stage by the very powerful Texas contingent of the GOP. He has all the things that Huntsman or Romney, the two putative front runners don’t. Perry has exhibited the ability to say the kind of extreme things that the hard core T-folk want to hear said. The things that are at or over the edge of reasonableness; such as when he verbally dabbled with the idea of his great state of Texas once again seceding from the U.S. because he didn’t like the way things were going in Washington. How a secessionist might handle the same implicit threats when seated in the Oval Office, is a question Perry will have to unhappily answer. Some his other ideas about the rugged independence of the state when it comes to interference from Washington will also have to addressed in a Presidential run. Things like the issues that many “get Washington off our back” T-Publicans will have to face like; how much aid, if any, should come from the much feared and maligned Federal government when disaster, either man made or natural strikes? Or should the FDA be eliminated or beefed up when other states refuse to accept any produce from Texas or Texan owned farms south of the Rio Grande, due to Salmonella bacteria being found in that produce? Or can states make their own immigration policy and laws which either allow some low wage employed illegals to stay and/or force all or some unemployed illegals to leave their state? 

It’s possible to be as ultra-Right wing as Bachman or Perry or Paul and, even on some rare issues, as quasi reasonable-Right as Huntsman or Romney or Pawlenty when you are looking to snag the nomination of the GOP. It is something very much else when you are looking to appeal to the broad, diverse, multi-ethnic group of people that are the voters in America, coast to coast. In a nation race you can’t just play to the T-Party or the evangelicals; you have to find a way to attract the diverse middle of the citizenry. On the other hand, who else are the T-folk et al going to vote for; certainly not Obama. So is someone like Bachman or Perry, who really may be too extreme to pick up independents, a bad bet to beat Obama? Or conversely, is someone not very extreme like Romney or Huntsman, who might pick up some independent voters, too tame to actually get the T-folk out to the polls? Is America ready for another governor from Texas in the White House? Are the Christian conservative evangelical silent majority of the GOP ready for a Mormon? Will Sarah Palin sweep in with her patriotically decorated bus and allow herself to be drafted to save the GOP and America? Well okay, that one is not too likely, but who knows what the GOP might try! 

So we’ll all just have to watch and see if the Grand Old Party can find the next Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush, in their ongoing search for Mr. (or Mrs.). Just Exactly Far Enough But Not Too Far Right.

Americans talk in verbal shorthand. People from the Left, Right and Center all do it. They say things that are not clearly delineated, which are intentionally vague and frequently quasi-hyperbolic; but they are often catchy phrases and the target audience pretty much knows just what it means. The lack of preciseness allows each member of the audience to interpret or interpolate the meaning to suite his or her predilection and prejudices. The vagueness also makes plausible deniability relatively easy if true meaning of the code phrase is correctly understood by the opposition and that true meaning could be a liability. 

A simple example will make the short-talk subject of this piece crystal clear. At almost any Republican function, whether it’s T-Party affiliated or not, you are almost 100% guaranteed to hear the phrase; “take our country back”. Everybody present who hears the phrase thinks they know exactly what it means. Everybody who hears the use of the phrase reported also has a pretty good idea of what the speaker meant. The audience at the function is pretty happy to hear the phrase. The audience hearing a report about the function is often angered, annoyed and even downright scared to hear the phrase was used. It clearly means different things to those who hear it or hear about it. 

The Republicans and Right Wing fellow travelers apparently believe that someone or something has taken their country away from them. Or perhaps they lost it. Either way they are committed to “taking their country back”. Implicit in the phrase is that; whether it was taken or lost - someone else has it now. And further indicated by the phrase is that the country will not be given back voluntarily by whoever has it; but it will have to be taken back. There is a defiant tone in the phrase that also seems to indicate that in order to take back said country; force will be used, if necessary. 

The opposition to the Right’s position, those on the Left, understand the unspoken part what the Right means by “take our country back”. They know the short-talk code says that the Right feels that the people who seem to control the government in Washington now – the Democrats – aren’t the same as they are in the way they think government should work (or not work). So the Right wants to take back control and eliminate all the things they think the Left wants the government to do. That’s the simple political explanation. But it’s more than the simple ins and outs politics both side are talking about just below the surface. There are whole social agendas that each side thinks the other has at the core of its motivation. And they both feel that the other side’s agenda is incompatible and mutually exclusive from theirs.

All the nuances about the phrase “take back our country” invites several questions; who took it? where is it and what are they doing to it? and why is it that those who think they no longer have it regard it as their country? The answers to all these questions and more are actually answered by the question itself; because it is a short-talk or shorthand question. Just the asking of it defines the reasoning behind it and the answers to the problem it supposes. The collective Right appears to believe that recently they, if not actually owning the US of A, certainly controlled it. They controlled how it ran and what it did and equally importantly what it did not do. But they now feel that in the wake of the last Presidential election, the possession of America seems to have changed hands. 

In a political sense that may have appeared to be somewhat true; but in actuality the implied huge difference between the way the administrations of G.W. Bush ran and Barack Obama runs, is very small. Basically the financial and foreign policy models are virtually identical. Bush’s created and Obama’s continues; the wars in the Middle East; the support of the bigger than ever banks; the failure to address and recalibrate income and corporate taxation and to spend much more than the revenue generated. On the domestic policies front the two administrations are also twin-like; they allow outsourcing of vital industries; to allow a persistent staggering imbalance of trade; fail to have a plan to deal with chronic high unemployment; and the list of similarities goes on and on. 

So if everything is about the same under Obama as it was under Bush; why does anyone think the country has gone somewhere since Obama moved into the White House? Is it that a Democrat took the Presidency and both Houses of Congress, so that in order to campaign against them; the Republican/Right needs to nay say and bad mouth each and every thing Obama’s administration does, even if it’s identical to what Bush did and that was okay? Do they simply mean they want to take over control again so that they can be steering the out of control bus when it crashes through the retaining barrier and over the cliff? Or do they think, despite the fact that in their most recent 8 years in power they allowed things to get so out of control; that they are the ones who have the skill and knowledge to save our economy? And the Right’s confidence that they can do it right is based on what experience or proven plan from anywhere in modern history? Democrats have the model of FDR and the New Deal to start from, Republicans haven’t righted a foundering ship of state since Teddy Roosevelt over 100 years ago – and they have had plenty of chances. 

Perhaps the phrase “take back our country” has less to do with Republican/Right competence or what the Democrats are doing than it has to do with who the President is. It appears the Right’s goal of making Obama a “one term President” is driven primarily by the fact they don’t like him. Is it that he is half liberal or that he is half black? They call him a European style socialist and they say he has an African anti-colonial point of view. But the Health Care Reform Plan he helped the Democratic Congress put in place is nothing like a European style socialist plan. It is merely a way to help to streamline the availability of health care services for the poor of America; which they already get but in a currently more awkward and expensive way. It doesn’t address the cost of health care; which the rest of the developed world does with price controls on everything from salaries to prescription costs. It doesn’t limit the huge profits of insurance companies; which are the non-productive middle men who now deny Americans health care payments.  It doesn’t tell you who your doctor is, or where and when you can see him or her. As for Obama’s view of America’s foreign policy; he has engaged us in foreign adventures as least as much as any Bush ear neo-con would. Our continuing current foreign “nation building” strategy is anything but anti-colonial. 

When the T-publican/Right says “take our country back” they really mean; they think Obama and the Democrats are taking their tax money and giving it to poor people, most of whom they believe are people of color, whose votes the Democrats are buying with “welfare”. But their thinking is wrong; the majority of the poor or working poor that will benefit from Health Care Reform are white, born in the USA, America citizens. And a significant majority of the tax money that T-Folks think is too much (and they are right on that score) is being paid by them to make up for the hundreds of billions of tax dollars that should, but don’t, get paid by wealthy individuals and corporations. If billionaires were paying the same tax rate as middle class workers, and giant corporations were paying a lot more than the zero some now pay; 90% of Americans would have lower tax bills and the we wouldn’t have to deny adequate health care to anyone. The globalization of American multinational corporations, not our poorer neighbors who took the country from everyone. 

The Left too has their catch phrases in short-talk which are also aimed at those they think took their America. One example of a phrase they through around is “pay their fair share”. Some more moderate members of the disorganized Left take that phrase to mean; GE ought to be paying something into the coffers of America because they need and/or use America’s roads, military and even NPR. But others on the Lefter side of Left really do mean the more extreme; soak the rich and take most of their money. They define rich as “anyone who makes more money than I do”. These neo-commies may (giving them the benefit of several doubts) be coming from an idealistic view of how society should be organized; but goal of their egalitarian fervor is really incompatible with the American system of democracy. In our democracy one of the definitions freedom is; being able to get as rich as your ambition, drive and talent will let you; as long as you do it within the limits of the all laws of the land. Our democracy also allows you to be free and as poor as you want to, if you are paying you own way; without the government telling you where, when or how you have to pitch in, beyond paying your taxes and obeying the law. Much of the Left thinks they have lost America to the corporate multinational oligarchs of this world, who are using their money to bribe the government and fool the masses into blaming the poor for their woes. They too are trying to “take their country back” from those who don’t agree with them; only they never use the phrase, they just think it. 

Many Centrists, Independents, rational political party members and others outside of the doctrinaire approach of either the Left or the Right, also want the government to function in certain ways and they too have their short-talk phrases like; “separation of church and state”. This can mean anything from fighting to prevent religiously based dogma from stopping medically promising stem cell research, to allowing same sex couples to enter into the civil contract of marriage. They think that the government has no place in telling you anything about whom you can marry (if they are of legal age and consenting) or whom you can love if you are a member of the military (if you don’t outrank them and they are consenting). They think that anyone or any groups particular religious beliefs are fine for them to follow and practice; but no individual or group has the right to make you adhere to their religious (or irreligious) behavior.

 People committed to forcing the practices of their religious beliefs into becoming the law of the land will glibly say “it’s the word of God”. By which they mean their interpretation, of the words attributed to the God that they believe in, as presented in their version of some religious text, as if that is clearly the only legitimate religious pronouncement that should be heeded. But no matter what religion you are sure is the one true religion; there are literally billions of other souls on this planet that believe something else is true, just as fervently as you do. And there are some people who believe you, and those with whom you disagree and many other folks on this earth may all be kind of right about “the word of God”. And there also some who believe there is no God, or who think God is unknowable, or believe in God but practice no religion, or who don’t even bother to think about God at all. No matter what they (and even if they don’t) think about God, any of these people would agree that they don’t want the government messing with their particular beliefs or practices. There are some of us who say that hands off policy should apply to any and all of us, even if we disagree with them. There are some politicians and political players who say that America has been taken (by those they don’t agree with) because we have lost our connection (the one they approve of) to God. God, in their opinion appears to take sides and decides which religion is worthy of taking back the U.S. for their very own. However the U.S. Constitution is very clear about how that particular taking, by or for a particular religion, is strictly forbidden.

In the end it well may be that America isn’t even missing. It hasn’t been lost or taken. So there is really no reason for anyone to take it back or for others to have to give it up. America really isn’t and never has been or will be, up for grabs by whoever can dominate the political process of the moment. It may feel that way, but when view from any amount of perspective at all, it can be seen that political control over this country has been shared between several, sometimes many, divergent and often conflicting interests and power groups. The wealthy land and slave owning plutocrats who, along with lots of other social sub-groups, helped found this country and were its first leader, gave way to the self made neo populists of the Jackson and Lincoln era. They were followed by the Tammany Hall politicians and the Robber Barons of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. They were replaced, starting under Teddy Roosevelt, by leaders such as FDR and JFK who were supported by the workers unions of Ruther and Sullivan, who had the political juice during the middle half of the 20^th century. The current power behind some political leaders – the global cabal of international oligarchs - have grown stronger in the past thirty years or so. But they too can be overcome by the huge number of educated, skilled and motivated Americans who have seen the success and then the excess of the 20^th century peak and then begin to slide sideways.

When the T-Publicans and neo-progressive Left and the rational center of American politic all see that they share a common foe in the “Globalists”; they have the ultimate power of the vote, which no amount of money can take if the citizens are not willing to give it. And with this power they can clean corruption out of the whole house of government from the local to the national level. They can pick leaders who share the same values most of us have in common; a sincere desire that honesty, respect and safety be provide by our government. All but a very few Americans don’t want their well being to come at the cost of the well being of their fellow citizens. Most of remember a time, not long past, when people could do an honest day’s work for a decent day’s pay. A time when prosperity didn’t come by taking it from someone else. When everyone from the factory floor to executive offices earned their pay. America wasn’t a perfect place then; but it was pretty good for most and getting better for almost everyone. That is the country that most of us want to take back. Well, we haven’t really lost it yet and with mutual cooperation, tolerance and effort, all traditional American values; we can take our country back, together.