The Everyday Citizen

It seems President Bush is not happy with MoveOn and their blast at General David Petraeus. In an ad, they have pictured him as a talking dog for Bush, and I am rather inclined to think that they probably have it right. This leaves Bush “disgusted” and berating Congress for not attacking the organization. Well guess what, folks? The old Coon is a member in good standing at MoveOn, and I applaud their right to freedom of speech. And they should NOT get on Bush’s S-list for doing so.

What’s wrong with this picture? Doesn’t Bush realize how very sick and tired we are of sacrificing our children for an unjust war? Does he honestly think that he can put his pet general up there and tell us what a wonderful thing the Iraqi war is, and not have somebody fire up the machine? Gimme a break…

What really yanks my crank though is the Democratic Congress taking steps to eliminate extra R&R for needy soldiers and Marines. They need time to regroup, yet Congress feels this is not essential. I am thinking that the Democrats are a real bunch of losers. They talk the talk, yet fail to walk the walk. Where in heaven’s name are we gonna go from here?

Drive on,

Charlie~

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I’ve always considered Alan Greenspan to be an odd duck - head full of numbers and an insider in Ayn Rand’s Inner Circle. If you haven’t read Rand’s book, “Atlas Shrugged” then you are in for very good reading. I read an article in the Baltimore Chronicle today, and Greenspan spilled the so-called beans on the war in Iraq.

Greenspan says something that I, just a plain old Midwestern cracker - have known all along. The war is being fought over oil. I have never doubted that, and to have Greenspan expound on this issue is music to my ears. Greenspan’s book, The Age of Turbulence, comes out this evening. Methinks I will hie on over to Amazon and pick up a copy.

Greenspan writes: “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.” I have to think that the American public, so used to be lied to, doesn’t think this is so. Every war has to have a reason. big oil has had an eye on Iraq that some say that Iraq “floats on a sea of oil.” These words of wisdom comes fro Paul Wolfowitz, the former head of the World Bank, who ruined his career in favor of his girlfriend. Wolfowitz, bless his pointed little head, is best known to be one of the “architects” of the war against Iraq.

I will be 64 next week. I have been voting for over 40 years, and go into the polling booth and just vote straight Democratic. This is the first year I have felt that maybe that is not a good choice. But that is another story…

Drive on,

Charlie~

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I was checking the blog today to gather information for another blog I have, and see that it has been over a month since my last post. Shame, shame! I couldn’t believe that this has happened. i knew it had been a bit, but a month? WTF?

Life gets in the way some times. I had been preparing for my son’s wedding and keeping up with a demanding editor who keeps the old Coon hopping. I’m currently working on a series on going green. Environmentalism is my bag, and I am working to increase awareness across the land. I know it is usually a tough subject to bring up without derision from many, but it is a real threat to us all. Global warming? Bet yer ass…

In my years on this earth I have seen many changes in the weather. When I was young, it was no extraordinary event to be snowed in for days on end. I remember one year it was so bad that my father and neighboring farmers had to shovel our road by hand to allow us to get the tractor into a neighboring village for food and supplies. Weeks with the temperatures well below zero were not uncommon. We dealt with it, and actually enjoyed it as kids.

Now, I see little snow here in mid-Michigan. The past couple of years have been relatively warm, with little snow fall. The nightly news is filled with record breaking temps in the south west and western states. Topping that off is a series of damaging rainfalls, with subsequent flooding in the Mid-west. Texas has been hard hit with flooding. Ohio has seen some of the worst flooding in history. Mother Nature is not happy…

Evidence of the ice caps melting cannot be ignored. Series of terrible storms are there for a reason. the news reports that this is the first time since 1949 when two hurricanes have made landfall in one day. Firestorms across the nation have devastated acres of forest. Greece has been inundated with wildfires and now are experiencing flooding.

Man, I had better stop! I sound like my Mom did when she talked about end of days!

Not all news is bad. Gonzo is gone, Rove is headed out the door, and Snow is on his heels. Things are looking up - for me at least. Now all we gotta do is bring the boys home…

Drive on,

Charlie~

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Been a while since the Everyday Citizen has posted. I have been having computer troubles up the wazoo lately, and Sat. eve when I returned home from house sitting, the final crash came as Rosie and I sat on the patio, having a nightcap and listening to a very eclectic assortments of tunes on my trusty ITunes app on the mainframe. It is in the shop, but they are having issues getting Chdsk to do its thing. I knew the HD was getting shaky, so I am not surprised. Doesn’t make an old Coon very happy, regardless…
I have been increasingly interested in what is going on with the “Bushies” lately, and recently came across The Huffington Post. Run by Arianna Huffington, it features Michael Moore, one of my favorite people, as a blogger. Michael is from Michigan, as am I, and I have always enjoyed his commentary. Can’t wait to see Sicko…

Check out the Huffington Post. As a concerned citizen fearing what goes on in DC, I find the content refreshing…

Drive on…

Charlie~

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The Everyday Citizen had his best laugh of the year this AM. Through Yahoo! I get alerts whenever something is posted about Bush or Cheney. (Inquiring minds want to know). I am house sitting for friends who left yesterday for a Caribbean cruise, and I’m really digging staying in a house that has 4 baths, a swimming pool, and enough bedrooms to get lost in. An old Coon like me enjoys sitting on the deck in the early AM hours with a good cuppa and plenty of birds to cheer his morning. But I digress…

Every thinking person in this nation must wonder what the Bush administration is trying to hide with the commutation of I. Scooter Libbey. One of my biggest bitches is that the current administration seems to think that the entire population is stupid, or operating on blind faith. With the current debacle in Congress of Harriet Miers refusing to show for a congressional hearing, you have to wonder what the hell is going on. On Saturday, July 14, Andy Borowitz, reporter for Creators Syndicate, reports that illegal immigrants in this country are trying to seek amnesty the same as Libbey did. They will plead guilty to perjury so that they can cut a deal. Plans for figuring out how to raise the $250,000.00 for a “get out of jail free” card is taking up a lot of time in Congress.

This is very funny to me. Political pundits have always poked plenty of fun at politicians, but in this administration there is much truth to some of their comments. He who would be king has made a laughingstock of this nation of ours. It seems Congress, and the American people, follow along like blind sheep, doing nothing more than rant as I do. I have to ask myself what CAN be done? Nothing more than impeachment and total abolishment of the current administration can cure the current ills of our great nation. It appears Bush is unstoppable, and Congress does nothing but whine. We, as American citizens, deserve more…

Possibly everyone is waiting to just ride out the rest of this lame duck administration. I am thinking that every politico knows where the bodies are buried, and need to watch their own backs. Can you imagine what it is going to be like for the new administration coming in 2008? The mess they are going to have to clean up, and the length of time that will take? And in the meantime, funding for services, healthcare, health research, and every single program or think tank that benefits the American people goes on hold or is abolished to feed Bush’s war machine. How sad…

Drive on…

Charlie~

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It is no secret that the Bush administration is in deep trouble over the war in Iraq. Now, the administration is downplaying the benchmarks set for the Iraqi government, set in place to show progress of the war. Be careful of what you wish for. Now, the whole benchmark theory is coming back to haunt the White House, and the miserable failure who would be king.

In a recent newsletter, I was directed to Copywriter’s Library. As a freelance writer, I of course clicked over to see what was up. I was given the treat of being able to read at no cost the classic The Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. Written in 1910, it is as significant today as it was then. I quote from Mr. Wattles classic book:

“It is wrong to apply your will to other men and women in order to get them to do what you wish done.

It is as flagrantly wrong to coerce people by mental power as it is to coerce them by physical power. If compelling people by physical force to do things for you reduces them to slavery, compelling them by mental means accomplishes exactly the same thing; the only difference is in methods. If taking things from people by physical force is robbery, them taking things by mental force is robbery also. There is no difference in principle.

You have no right to use your will power upon another person, even “for his own good,” for you do not know what is for his good. The science of getting rich does not require you to apply power or force to any other person, in any way whatsoever. There is not the slightest necessity for doing so. Indeed, any attempt to use your will upon others will only tend to defeat your purpose.

You do not need to apply your will to things in order to compel them to come to you. That would simply be trying to coerce God and would be foolish and useless.

You do not have to try to compel God to give you good things, any more than you have to use your will power to make the sun rise.

You do not have to use your will power to conquer an unfriendly Deity, or to make stubborn and rebellious forces do your bidding. Substance is friendly to you, and is more anxious to give you what you want than you are to get it.”

Asserting the American ideals on a country that could care less is not my idea of a fine time. As a Viet vet, I had the same bitch in the way that war was handled. It was for a lot of the same reasons this huge Iraq debacle is where it is at - asserting the American will on another country, thus enslaving them.

Rumors abounded during the Viet Nam war that it was being fought for control of the Golden Triangle. Truth of that and the involvement of Air America will probably never be brought to light, but for many Viet vets, the rumors have great significance.

We see the same thing in Iraq. Why the hell don’t we just come out and say we want control over the oil fields and be done with it? The Everyday Citizen really wants to know…

Peace,

Charlie~

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In an AP release about 5 minutes ago, George Dubya Bush has asserted executive privilege to stop Congress from receiving testimony from ex White House aides Harriet E. Miers and Sara M. Taylor.  He of course offered to allow them to speak in off the record, private hearings.  Gee.  What is old Dubya afraid of?  Is he concerned about his good buddy Alberto Gonzales being once again hammered?  It appears so.  I am thinking that if I were Bush, I would be a bit concerned about the legacy he is leaving…

Republican leaders are running away from the Iraq debacle as quickly as possible.  We now have  key Republican leaders turning their backs on Bush because of the war that continues to do nothing more than produce dead American military personnel.   I have recently read that Iraqi leaders are attempting emotional blackmail on the US because if we withdraw, Iraq will end up in chaos, political upheaval, and a destruction of the country as they now know it.  Too bad, so sad.  Since when has that been our problem?  Iraq now has its own military guard in the form of American soldiers to do its mopping up for them.  Why would they attempt to make needed reform when it is obvious that we are taking care of business for them?

I am intrigued to see how this will all play out.  In the final analysis, I believe it will end badly, not only for the American service men and women, but for America as well.  We do not need to poke our noses into the workings of another country.  If other countries openly attack us, then we of course have no recourse but to fight back.  But it is not up to us to try to “fix” all the political ills in this world.  The billions of dollars spent on the Bush war machine can best be put to use in our own back yards.

We all know that political parties protect their own.  It is not only a way of life, but practical in the end.  But to have this kind of nonsense going on and no one taking the time or resources to put an end to it, I have to say I have lost a great deal of confidence in the American form of government.  Bush is considered by many to be the most powerful president in American history.  Does that not frighten you?  Check your phone lines, folks, and be real careful of how you speak in your emails, for the Lord of Death awaits you.  I am glad that I am old…

Drive on,

Charlie~

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I have a very dear friend who is, shall we say, a “bit of a radical.” Actually, Ken is somewhat a rabid dog. A half hour lunch with him leaves you physically exhausted…

Ken believes in keeping his friends in the loop. Today, he sent this Youtube link to my dear Rosie. She, knowing my political stance, sent it on to me. I’m glad she did.

I have nothing but respect for Mr Olbermann after listening to his speech. Daddy always said “call a spade a spade…”

Drive on,

Charlie~

Popularity: 79% [?]

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I have read with great interest a lot of news reports, rants, and thoughts on Dick Cheney and his role as Vice President. I did a lot of research for this article, but feel that I cannot outdo Bob Merkin’s dissertation on Cheney and his involvement with prisoner’s of war. Bob’s blog, Vleeptron_Z, is a place to go for interesting thoughts on hot button politics. He has a way with words that amaze even an old scribe like me. I got sucked into a comment brawl there because I was not happy with Bob calling us Viet vets “old fart geezers” and felt like he was dissing me and my comrades in arms. Not knowing Bob’s background as an also ran Viet vet, I jumped on him with both feet. I am glad I did. It stirred up a lot of good comments on the values of this country.

Dick Cheney has abused his political office to the extreme. Bush may have made a very bad choice in picking him as a running mate. His “hands on” approach to politicking is noteworthy. His handling of the Gitmo Bay and Abu Gharib prisoners has been a hot topic for a long time.  Torture, and methods of implementation, are not exactly parlor subjects, Virginia. Now, with the commutation of Scooter Libbey’s jail sentence by Bush, the shitpile is once again being stirred in the blogoshpere.  I sometimes think that we as Americans tend to believe too strongly in the articles of the Constitution.  We also forget that politics is just a good ‘ol boys network, to the extreme.  My brother would call it CYA…

Until something is done to allow the American people the opportunity to be watchdogs of their elected leaders, and have a real voice in how this country is run, we will have these issues.  Cheney’s invocation of executive privilege is insane.  To me, having some one in your corner who will not allow you to be subpoenaed in the interest of national security smacks of despotism.   Harriet Meiers not withstanding. None of us is above the law, not even our elected leaders.  Corruption, bad decisions, and the ruination of the very fabric of the American way of life is expected as long as people like Bush and Cheney are in office.  it will always be “business as usual.”  Let us as Americans hope and pray that the next election will yield something a bit better.  Until then, we roll the dice, we takes our chances…

Peace,

Charlie~

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The Everyday Citizen has been closely watching the immigration debacle that has this country so stirred up right now. It seems the GOP is in self destruct mode now because the immigration bill was defused in the Senate. Apparently the question now is not what is good for the country, but what is good for the GOP.

Many Americans, including myself, do not wish to see blanket amnesty given to the millions of illegal immigrants in the US today. It is unfair to the American people, born and raised here, and places a huge burden on a tax structure that is already in jeopardy. It is no one’s right to be in this country illegally, yet many of the Hispanic population feel it is their right to live here, work here, and take advantage of the social services provided by this nation. Many of them have gained a social security card by dishonest means so that they can work here. It is hardly fair to Americans struggling to find work. Certainly, there is a need for manual labor that so many Americans refuse to do. I do not deny that the Hispanic bloc is not useful in a country where many welfare recipients would rather draw the bennies than to pick pickles. Let them in, but let them in legally, and send them home when the work is done if they do not wish to abide by the laws of the land. Allow them access to the US, but do so legally, and lets end all this bullshit happening today.

Now, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz) is making noise about the Hispanic vote. McCain, an supporter of all the wrong issues that are the ills of this nation, feels that giving blanket amnesty to the Hispanic voting population is “good” for the GOP. He doesn’t seem overly concerned about what his voter base wishes, just what is best for the Republican party. Currently, Hispanics make up about 13% of our country and by 2020 will be closer to 20%. Catering to this population seems to be the method of choice to bolster the GOP. What’s wrong with this picture?

Rush Limbaugh attacked the Bush-backed immigration plan as the “Destroy the Republican Party Act.” Are we looking at damage control to the extreme? Is not the will of the nation the deciding factor in this latest debacle? Or is it simply doing what is best for the GOP. One has to wonder…

Drive on,

Charlie~

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