Less As Better - Gerald Ford

In a different take on the death of Gerald Ford, Alexander Cockburn makes some good points about imperial restraint and how history may have been different. Some of what Cockburn says about Ford is confirmed by Ford's condemnation of the Iraq invasion.

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Kucinich Speaks for You

Dennis Kucinich has announced another run for the Presidency and Explained why. The corporate media will portray him as a radical because they don't own him. He is one of the very few in Congress with a record of unshakable principles and loyalty to the People.
Kucnich may not have the charisma and winnability of Obama. He may not "look as presidential" as Kerry but he has what none of the others have. He has integrity.
We need to support his candidacy.

The Nightmare of Iraq Worsens Hourly

With very few exceptions, those in Congress are not supporting withdrawl from Iraq. Some talk of time tables, others of better management, meanwhile the nightmare this administration has created worsens by the hour. It is beyond face saving fixes. We must demand a complete withdrawl within 30 days. It cannot become any more chaotic than it is already. When the melee settles down, we must offer the financial assistance Iraqis need to rebuild. We must also remove the present leadership in Washington. Only that can give us any credibility. Only that can change the present course. Ultimately, what happens in Iraq is up to Iraqis and ultimately what happens here is up to all of us. Enough of the sham of bipartisan opportunist bickering, if we are going to reclaim some semblance of democracy, let's take it to the streets!

Where Do We Go From Here?

As expected, even as calls for impeachment build and this neocon administration tears itself apart over a failed and criminal war, the incoming Democrats can only be counted on to sell out to opportunism. They refuse to investigate or bring charges against the perpetrators of a crimes against the US and humanity and vow to send more troops. These candidates ran against the war and were voted in as a protest but now, they think it just needs better management. Big surprise.

I used to feel frustrated at Democrats thinking that they had no spine. Over many years of observation I realized that the truth is they share the same agenda, class perspective, and are financed (and answerable to) the same corporate interests.

This is a system of corruption in practice that cannot be reformed of fixed. Let the present reality be a lesson to naive idealists mired in liberalism. This bloody juggernaut has nothing to offer humanity.

We need to reclaim our culture, our communities, our workplaces and our own collective economic security -- that's the true "pioneer spirit" that allowed us to survive the rigors of the past. Not "rugged individualism" but "community."

This system will crush us all with endless war, poverty, and ecological collapse. While we struggle within the system for our class interests and survival, we should have no illussions. We need to begin to build our own, democratic, egalitarian, collective institutions; the institutions that will replace the present monstrosity. We need to be building these institutions in our own communities now and we need to be building cooperative connections nationally and globally. The future is ours if we take it. We have no choice.