Modern Warfare is Un-American

Hard to imagine we're at 'war'. How has it impacted on you personally thus far? Anything?
For most the answer will be it hasn't. Neither Iraq or Afghanistan we're even mentioned by the network news this evening.

Two wars ongoing with absolutely no price to pay for the vast majority of Americans? How is this possible? Easy - avoid the draft by forcing national guard men and women into 5,6,7 tours of duty essentially ruining their lives and for some even their minds.  Then make up any deficit in numbers of "warm bodies" needed on the ground with for profit civilians. In Vietnam there was one civilian support personnel for every 6 troops. Today? 1:1. And they are no longer just behind the lines - increasingly these civilians are carrying and using weapons.

War fought by a small increasingly isolated and abused group of men and women in the military, backed by a for profit industry who's employees earn 5-10 times as much while their bosses rake in billions in profit of taxpayer dollars.Oh how noble this modern warfare has become. If were going to engage in war its got to hurt - all of us. Anything short of that is slimy, corrupt, and un-American.

Racism, fear and ignorance.

The maelstrom of emotion surrounding health insurance reform is out of proportion to reality. Death panels, government takeovers, socialism, Obama and Hitler repeatedly in the same sentences? - indeed. Threats and spitting and shouting and violence - for what exactly? There's no government takeover here nor is there the groundwork to go in that direction in the future. Death panels? - there is no rationing in this bill. Socialism? - you may keep your doctor and go to the hospital of your choice and neither are owned or controlled by the government. All nonsense. Clearly - clearly - this level of hate and fear does not reflect reality. This  sort of intensity of emotion is usually only seen with a perceived loss of control and/or a threat to the 'status quo'. In this case white America versus non-white. This small group of people with their very big mouths - these "tea baggers" - are scared to death that whites are losing control to non-whites  - as if they personally ever had control of anything - they cant even control their emotions. This is fear and ignorance - the basis of all racism - and its dangerous. Without meaning to be - its also un-American. This is the President and Congress men and women of the United States in a time of war they're talking about  - they should remember that as they struggle to control themselves. And for Gods sake they should have the courage and decency  to say what they're really reacting to so we may get this focused back on racism where it belongs and begin to deal with it.

A Lifetime to Find You

I should have seen that sunrise
with your eyes
Should have risen with the wonder of you
close to me
Heart soaring, everyone's a stranger
but you, my greatest mystery
Where are you now my love
my heart is so heavy
Where are you now my love
My soul so alone
Where are you now my love
our child is waiting
Where are you now

I should have seen the mountain flowers
with your eyes
Should have soared the heavens
in your hands
Should have kissed you and held you
for I am your man
for I am your man
Where are you now my love
a lifetime to find you
Where are you now

Night Mist

Close your eyes child for it is time for sleep
Feel the cool night air on your cheeks
warm and happy under your blankets

Close your eyes now my sweet daughter
For when you sleep something magical will begin
As you sleep a beautiful light will surround you and
lift you ever so gently far, far into the star filled sky above
and you will fly

You will fly high over cities’ twinkling lights

over forest’s and fields Over oceans to warm moonlit seas
shimmering and alive below you

Fly and fly until at last you come to a beautiful tropical island
mysterious, magical, special

Look down on palm trees whispering so gently in the warm breezes
salt air mixed in the sounds of the surf on the rocks below

moonlight shimmering in the mountainous night mist

And in this secret place you will find me
as you will find all those you have ever loved
and all those you will ever come to love
Together, we will hold hands, sing and dance around the campfire all the night
so happy in our love, in our lives, in the miracle that is you  

And in the morning as you wake

Warm and safe in your own bed, teddy in your arms

Smile – and remember your secret place

For all those that you have loved or will ever come to love
Now take silent slumber in your heart and shine in your eyes
And know you are alive and beautiful and we love you

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On leaving the biologic behind

As the sphere of our knowledge expands so does the area of unknown surrounding it. No matter how much we extend our intelligence beyond our biologic roots - we will never be bored.

MIA - Osama Bin Laden

What has happened to Osama Bin Laden and why do we as a country not seem to care? What really amazes me is why the Fox news pundits seemingly stopped caring about him about the same time Bush was quoted as saying " I don't know where he is, I really don't spend that much time thinking about him." The man behind 911, the mass murderer and terrorist. I mean right wing ideological nut jobs you would think would be consumed with finding this guy and bringing him in DEAD OR ALIVE. And yet - "I don't know where he is, I really don't spend that much time thinking about him???

How do the thousands of families of 911 feel about that and why do we never hear from them? The war in Iraq was bizarre enough - this blows my mind. Its as if the Sherrif of LA county said after a manhunt - I don't know where Charlie Manson is, you know I just don't spend that much time thinking about him, in the days following the Sharon Tate murders - and the press and American people just go along with it.

We are Still There

In retrospect one of the things for which I am most proud of in my life was flying to Europe on the eve of the Iraq war to hold a candle along with millions of others in silent protest against the invasion. With very little effort in the days and weeks preceding the war I had gathered sufficient information to know that Iraq had nothing to do with 911 and that the likelihood that there were weapons of mass destruction still in Iraq exceedingly small. I knew then with really only- average man on the street information sources - that Iraq had been seriously weakened by years of sanctions and erratic behavior by Saddam Hussein and posed no threat to us, or anyone else.

No doubt there had been weapons of mass destruction all during the years when the US supported him, support that continued even after he used mustard gas and nerve agents in 1988 on the Kurdish town of Halabja  killing 5,000 civilians, and maiming, disfiguring, or seriously debilitating 10,000. But after the end of the Iraq-Iran war Hussein fell out of favor with the US and after years of sanctions and forced international weapons inspections it was clear his WMD programs were dissembled and the weapons gone - all the weapons inspectors were saying so to a deaf main stream press and administration in the days leading up to the war. It was clear Bush wanted a war, his administration had wanted a war with Iraq pre-911 and that they were using the unspeakable tragedy on 911 as an excuse - literally using all those lives for their own purposes - lying and fear mongering to whip up America into blood lust - to act on their own personal hegemonic agenda. Mushroom clouds indeed.

What I don't understand is why so few Americans saw this at the time - is this country that asleep? That bigoted? - hell any camel jockey will do, lets just see some action? And now that we realize our mistakes and now know the truth, why don't the American people want to hold themselves or the people in the Bush administration and press accountable? A horrible crime was committed against a sovereign nation in a hate-filled bigoted based war against people that had done nothing to us. Along the way companies with direct ties to people in the Bush administration made billions of dollars - billions of dollars. And hundreds of thousands have died. And yet we are still there. Even after we know the war was based on lies, greed, and extreme ideology - we are still there.