From Arianna on DC Conventional Wisdom

As I wrote in an earlier post today, the Washington DC Zombies control our news media outlets with their versions of "truth" and "fact" to the detriment of the nation's well-being and/or welfare. The example shown in Huffington's column demonstrates this long practiced deception of twisting others' statements into questions that need to be addressed. This keeps the lie or conventional wisdom up front in the minds of listeners or viewers and unfortunately the refutations are subordinated and left un-highlighted.

With the lack of audience engagement with critical analysis of the news they get, it is easy to see one of the reasons for citizen apathy. Of course, this 24/7 cycle of news tends to overwhelm even the most thoughtful person. Could that be the reason for non engagement with civic issues?

NYT End of Year Editorial

If we are to maintain a democracy or return the US to its higher values, then we must have leaders who have true integrity and not the facade which recent politicians have used. The NYT's editorial comes at a time when the little dirty secrets of the Bush administration are finally being aired. Why has it taken so long to publicize this? Those of us who want peace need to count on a vigilant press and on men and women of honor and integrity to assume leadership positions, more importantly, we need citizens who care and take action when the government makes bad policy and poor decisions concerning war and peace issues.

I still feel we should call the Department of Defense by its old name, the "Department of War" and that we should form a Department for Peace.

Once Again Republicans "Eat" One of Their Own

As the story from the Huffington Post points out, members of the Republican party are after one of their own. John McCain on the verge of making a comeback finds himself under dirty political trickery ===yet again. How can we develop a plan for peace when politicians vie for power and control instead of for who has the best ideas to help our country?

Benazir Bhutto: From the Oxford Union to Her Last Rally in Rawalpindi

Arianna Huffington wrote a decent piece on the death of a woman who like herself came to leadership position in a British university club. I find it interesting that as foreigners in England they overcame any possible stigma of "other" through the kind of fearlessness that Huffington writes about. I am a woman whose realm is not that of the elite with which these two women associated. However, I have fought through bouts of fearfulness to do what I can in my little corner of my world. Tomorrow, after all the initial hoopla over the former prime minister's death is tamped down, I will plod along to do what I can to listen better and help those whose lives I may influence.


Women leaders who represent what is good in human kind are rare in the rarefied atmosphere of international/world politics. Women, who like me, work toward making their ideals a reality are rarer still because idealism interferes with the status quo of acquiring and keeping power to the detriment of people one is supposed to lead, guide, and help. Despite the contradictory comments about Bhutto's political history, I tend to honor her. After all her history is frequently transcribed by men whose own attachment to power and corruption is challenged by women such as Bhutto. May she be at peace. May her family feel her strength and love in the months and years ahead, and may the many decent people of Pakistan get leaders worthy of their support. That is my small prayer from Tempe Arizona on a day such as today.

Burning Fires in CA -- National Guard in Iraq

Paul Rieckhoff writes at Huffington's post and he experienced the Iraq war. He works toward helping veterans of both Iraq and Afghanistan through an organization he and other veterans began. The point of the particular article he recently wrote in The Huffington Post is that while many if not most young men in the National Guard throughout the 50 states joined the Guard to be of service to their home states, these young men find themselves in Iraq. With the recent fires in California, it must have been difficult for many of the marines leaving Camp Pendleton to go to Iraq when many of their neighborhoods were in danger and when they could have been available to help put out fires--except for the war intended to keep us safe.

A Courthouse in Iraq

David sent pictures of the "landscape" where he is at. According to his note this is a courthouse where the soldiers have protected renovations or improvements.

Promotion for David

Despite my oposition to the war, I do have friends and family over in Iraq and Afghanistan. David has been over in Iraq three times now. He is happy to be a noncommissioned officer at a higher rank than the private first class which is my grandson's rank.

Some days are good for some of these youngish men.

Peace and Justice?

Pat Tillman's death continues to enlighten us as to the perverse lengths this administration will go to in order to "cover up" the true nature of a young man's death. The story from Alternet provides the essentials. I pray this family gets justice since their son cannot be restored to them.

AlterNet: MediaCulture: Taking Apart Bill O'Reilly's Shoddy Journalism

I really must save this link for my classes. O'Reilly and his ideological journalism is a prime example of what contributes to the diseased civic discourse we all experience today. How can peace be achieved with such a distortion of facts? Rhetorical question but one that we can consider mulling over.

AlterNet: MediaCulture: Taking Apart Bill O'Reilly's Shoddy Journalism

Clinton Hits Back at Pentagon Official - The Huffington Post

In addition to not answering questions, the War Department has attempted to muzzle those who want to see contingency plans for our withdrawal from Iraq. Once again, members of the Bush Administration would classify questions as unAmerican and traitorous behavior.

I'm not a great fan of Senator Clinton but in this instance she is 100 per cent correct.


Clinton Hits Back at Pentagon Official - The Huffington Post

Fourth of July 2007

Fourth of July this year finds two of my grandsons enrolled in military service and of course my cousin's son in Iraq. So while we here, stateside, sing patriotic songs, set off fireworks, and gather together to celebrate the nation's birthday, many of our young sons, grandsons, cousins, husbands and fathers are away in less comforting situations.

I pray for all our citizens and our boys overseas. I pray for an end to war and hate and pray for more understanding among people around the world.

Peace and JFK

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind. John F. Kennedy (1) 05/29/1917 - 11/22/1963 35th president of the USA

Reading the new book on the Kennedy brothers merely underscores the accuracy of this quote. I do hope someone will be courageous enough to follow up on such an idea--peace--that can lead us out of the quagmires of war.

Alliance for Peace

A new call for a Father's Day project aimed at reducing war and working for a Department of Peace.

He's at it Again

Know I understand the reason for Gore losing to Bush--his vice-presidential running mate was Joe Lieberman. Now Generalissimo Lieberman wants to make war on Iran if it doesn't play by the rules. Whose rules? Where did Generalissimo Lieberman get the right to tell other countries how and when to behave by those rules? Doesn't the Generalissimo realize that his kind of talk contributes to the hatred festering in the very places he would invade and occupy?

When two-faced Lieberman (and I do hate ad hominem attacks), leaves the party he spent so much of his time in so that he could retain power (however much a United States Senator might have) to undermine the call of most of the people in that party he demonstrates his duplicity. Perhaps his ties to Israel create his thinking of war in the Middle East. Perhaps he should be a senator there rather than here. I have felt for a long time that he thinks of what is best for Israel and conflates that thinking with his perceptions of what is good for the US. But is his thinking really accurate?

I'm with the doves here, we must appeal to the higher angels of our nature before even thinking of more death and carnage on this continent or anywhere else.

General Wesley Clarke sent an address for a new website he's created: Stop War in Iran
I hope more people on the blogosphere sign on.

A Personal Plea for Peace

As a grandparent, I realize ever more acutely now that we must let our grandchildren seek their own way through life. Yesterday, we had a farewell dinner for my second grandchild, James Antonio Ernesto Rodriguez. He volunteered for Afghanistan and none of us know why. I couldn't help but cry at the thought of his leaving AND at the departure of all other young men and women who hold ideals of duty to this country in ways that differ from my own. I suppose that age leads to greater reflections on the beauty of life and the fact that in the words of JFK all wars are stupid.

We should lead a world to develop the better nature of humankind--not the lowest and darkest nature of our beings.

I'm reading a new book on the Kennedy Brothers--Robert and John and wonder how our world would look today if either or both had not been assassinated. Ah well we can't know that, but I hope future world leaders will pick up courageously the cause of peace.

How could we go about such a venture? Some would say addressing the needs of the poor, not only the desires of the rich, could lead to people having more time to spend on developing the better natures of their being instead of pursuing survival.

That would be one thought that I fear our present culture/society ignores.

George Washington Comments on George W. Bush

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Retired Gen. George Washington Criticizes Bush's Handling Of Iraq War

This delightful story from the online version of The Onion highlights what many peacenicks have been thinking and saying--The Shrub has mismanaged the war and has not acted within the confines of his job description--seeking instead to become the monarch that George Washington refused to become following end of the Revolutionary war and the end of his second term in office in 1796. Congress does not get off in this delightful and insightful commentary. Civilian authorities should pay attention to their responsibilities of oversight and not give any elected representative, like the president, leave to usurp more power than the constitution allows.

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Rudy Giulianni

Either or talk and misrepresentation of others' positions lead to the kind of thinking that led to war--in this case a warrant less war.

Olbermann's discussion helps place a bit of sense to the Gulliani self serving untruthful statements.

Keith Olbermann Interviews Bill Maher March 27, 2007

As I wrote in the post below this one, people must be honest. If one is principled, one should stick to those principles. Placating our baser urges as many have done in this era leads to the ethical problems we see in government and in other areas of life.

Defining Our Principles

I've recently been drawn to people from disparate parts of the world who seem to be doing the same thing--namely standing up for their beliefs despite pressures to moderate their positions. One such person is Asma Khalid and another is Dennis Kucinich. In an alternet article,
Ms Khalid indicates that placating frightened Europeans by identifying herself as a moderate Muslim would nullify her definition of orthodoxy--namely being pious about her faith. Changing her identity would further distort Muslim faith and align it more with bombers and other radical elements which she claims Muslims in general are not.

Another person whose credentials have risen sharply in my estimation is Dennis Kucinich. I usually enjoy listening to Bill Maher but was not pleased when he persisted in attempting to get Mr. Kucinich to answer questions his way. Mr. Kucinich would not. Citing his own beliefs, Kucinich claimed his belief in working toward peace not war and that use of assassination as a tactic would not be his policy even if the target were Osama bin Laden.

Kudos to Kucinich who everyday says and does things many of us believe in.

Dennis Kucinich Discusses Iraq War Vote and Funding on CNN

People who want peace should be consistent. Here Dennis Kucinich is the one man who has stood on his principles while others put their fingers to the wind to see which way the wind blows.

Hurray for Dennis. He makes my other possible choices for president look like hawks. I do hope his ideas catch fire.

Marianne Williamson Department of Peace Interview

I just received this bit of information from a colleague. Whereas the current department of defense was known as department of war during WWII and before that era, it is important to be "proactive" in developing and continuing peace in our world. Thus it is important to develop a cabinet level Department of Peace. Thus Williamson's call for a Department of Peace and all the monies and divisions that would serve peace in our country and world. Given the events of 4/16 in Virginia, it is evident that we need a Cabinet level Department of Peace.

Can Decreasing Poverty Lead to Peace?

Many people I am certain have posed the question I ask in the title to this post. It seems on a surface level that many if not most problems around the world share an underlying area--poverty. I think when poverty is severe people lose hope and entertain radical ideas and anger. These as seen in many of our city streets and perhaps other places around the world lead to the kind of violence and war on our daily news. Of course, sometimes greed leads some corporations to take advantage of the disenfranchised which in turn leads ot more angry people. I can't understand how giving more power to corporations will truly answer the needs of people looking for work. Yet our government hires many of the same corporations that have participated in the by now ritual outsourcing of jobs. This leaves us with greater poverty related issues. Yet today a man actually praised the very government that makes it necessary for him to take on a post-retirement job. Such is life.

Radicals for Peace

I suppose people wanting an end to the war now are on the "radical" side of politics. In the not so distant past, people asking to end the war were labeled unpatriotic. However, recent increase in the dissatisfaction of the war in Iraq and the administration's handling of it seem to have decreased the rhetoric of labeling people negatively just for wanting peace.

For Lasting Peace Put God First?

I had a brief errand to run in Glendale Arizona. I live in Tempe. On the return trip from ASU-West, I noticed a sign for a church, "For a Lasting Peace, Put God First." It's quite interesting that not too many months ago that sign on route 17 had quite a different message, one that parroted the Bush pro-war line.

The Blog | Arianna Huffington: The Injustice at Justice: The White House's Fingerprints Begin to Show | The Huffington Post

The Blog | Arianna Huffington: The Injustice at Justice: The White House's Fingerprints Begin to Show | The Huffington Post

Will the White House do more than offer a sacrificial lamb or scapegoat for this scandal? That is the question du jour. Who will be the counsel firings' Libby? It'll be sad for our country if people so eager for war demonstrate such cowardice because of their attachment to power.

Bait and Switch

When reading the HuffPost today I came across a cartoon that illustrates the bait and switch approach to keeping focus off of pertinent issues. It's quite amusing--applies to the recent Bill Maher "incident."

From Arrianna

Arianna Huffington hits the right tone on the implications of the Libby verdict. Yet, I'm sure that none of the Bushites will get impeached for their mendacity. Meanwhile while they proceed to cover their posteriors, young men die, at risk students fail poverty levels rise and the world in DC continues as is without anyone applying the brakes.

What a lousy system!

Leaving Iraq?

Following the November elections I expected greater momentum toward our military draw down in Iraq. From the story about leaving Iraq, there may be a slim opportunity to do this. However, I don't believe the Republicans in the US Senate will allow such a plan to move forward. Peace would be so great to have, especially if we can gain it quickly and with the use of diplomacy that includes nations in and around the Middle East.

Eisenhower's Farewell Address: A Lesson for Today

I like history and frequently wonder how people I admire from the past would deal with current issues. We are living in a world where our current POTUS initiated a war in the Middle East. His motives are ostensibly "noble," yet when the thousands of wounded men and women who served at his behest return to the US too many find insufficient treatment, belittlement of their conditions, loss of careers and lack of actual support. My cousin in Florida tells me that is not the case where her son works as a medical doctor working at the VA Hospital near Tampa. I write about this tonight, March 7, 2007 because the story about VA issues is off the front burner today displaced by the "Scooter Libby" verdict. That story is fascinating in what we learn about the current POTUS' administration's handling of events that displease them. However, the Libby verdict should not take all the attention away from important issues such as the veterans' issues, education issues etc.

I heard Bill Gates in front of a senate committee providing cogent and forward thinking suggestions about how to deal with education and nary a word of this was published on the online blogs and news papers I read. A nation that does not keep its citizens well prepared for the future has a bleak future of its own.

It was great hearing that problem solving assignments engage even high risk students. I'll see how that plays out at the conference I'll attend in the next two weeks.

Unlike Eisenhower who cautioned a future government to aim for balance in the use of a military industrial complex, current presidents have failed and now we are neglecting social programs for an increase in military spending. The costs are mighty in terms of lives, blood, and money and in terms of what we do not do for the future citizens of our country and what we do not do now for the poor, under educated etc.

So I wish that the Shrub would be more like George Washington and Dwight David Eisenhower and less like Cheney.

Column of the Americas

While ruminating on the concept of peace, I frequently encounter writers' works that intimate the ideal of social action and justice to achieve a lasting peace. Earlier today, I noted that some people take seriously the fact of poverty and its contribution to global warming. Many have noted that poverty may lead to feelings of victimization by one power over groups of people with money and the power that money provides in our global village.

As a Latina, I look to writers like Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez in their Column of the Americas. I hope the occasional reader who stops by my blog will find their words helpful in understanding people with the rich perspectives they provide.

Listening to NPR I Was Surprised

Rarely will I agree with Jonah Goldberg on anything because he has seemed so strident on television programs. The topic du jour was global warming and Mr Goldberg actually presented a cogent argument for a position with which I disagree. His take on global warming is to leave the solution to the future. I do not agree with that. However, somewhere in his argument he and later other speakers addressed the inequities to the poor around the world which global warming will create. The costs will be unbearable for the poor. Moreover, solutions according to Goldberg and another speaker whose name I missed, lies in solving problem of poverty around the world. Now if Goldberg could get behind that idea for solving poverty here in the US, I might become a fan of his.

Kiva Org

Came across the following url at another site and began wondering if an americanized version of Liberation Theology is at work here or if its just another symptom of USCapitalism run a muck. Poverty flames the fires and passions of people into unpeaceful actions and perhaps fundamental issues of poverty create hoplesness and make it easy for people to gravitate to radicalism. So although the kiva.org site may be too commercial, the thought of what we as members of the human race could do to increase peace might include other social justice issues which when left unaddressed lead to disparity of division of wealth, education etc and to the increased fanaticism seen around the world today.

http://www.kiva.org/

Competence in Policy

From Quote of the Day, I found the following by Isaac Asimov:
"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." I imagine the word to focus is incompetent. Not a very "nice" thing to say about people who lead our country, but one that should/could be considered given many issues that affect our lives. War, peace, poverty programs or lack thereof, education, all these and many more issues require thoughtfulness and knowledge of the issues. Some of the policy created by leaders at many levels of government show a lack of competence. My question then becomes how can we raise the level of our leaders' competence to do the work people elected them to do? How can we work for a more peaceful world when so many issues remain unresolved, untended, or downright made worse by poor choices and political pandering to the lowest common denominators in our society?

Language and Peace

As stated in an earlier post, many of us teach language and are aware of the power it has to get people to take action. Recent postings in the media concerning war, peace, and even entertainment have reflected a callousness that all too often leads to a deadening of nobler human instincts. This appeal to the baser elements of human beings' nature or in our society are quite evident in much of the rhetoric of public discourse. Soon, however, this will end. I hope that we can use language for peace more often by avoiding name calling, finding alternatives to violent images and metaphors. Let's paint pictures of peace with the language we select.

Playfulness and Blogging

I need to write more and use the two blogs I do have for that purpose. Although I am more politically minded in this particular blog, readers to it can see a bit of playfulness in the added cyber pets and YouTube videos included. As I tell students, communication requires all the various technologies available to us.

Opinion of Congress Improving?

A story that mirrors my own thinking claims many USAmericans remain dissatisfied with Congress, although people's opinions of Congress are slowly improving. Congress has too many procedures that actually getting work done in a pace that many of us want. We want more action and less talk from these congressional and senatorial types.

It's good that the congress' polls are up. Now let us hope that more of these political types will take steps to do what is right for USAmerica instead of what will keep them in power. Our country has been hurt too much by war mongering, incompetent people now running the executive branches of government.

Beginnings of Peace?

The Middle East's problems often have at their core issues concerning the people of Palestine. This week two factions met in Mecca Saudi Arabia to find ways of unifying their government and ending Palestinian on Palestinian violence and in hopes of persuading outsiders to end their embargo and isolation of the people of Palestine. I wish these efforts good fortune and pray that our government will see the wisdom of allowing the democratically elected members of the Palestinian government to work for their people. Palestinians' choices cannot be our choices for we do not live in Palestinian lands. Those lands, too, should be returned to them without further delay. While Israeli security should be maintained, the close fisted tough approaches used to date do not provide for a long term solution and not demonstrating fairness to both sides of the longstanding struggle only makes USAmerican interests at risk.

Thoughts on Oversight Committees

Since Leahy and Gonzales' exchange last month, more people have gone before congress to present information. Now that more of the interviews or presentations can be seen on CSpan, an average citizen can read the postures, tone of voice and other gestures that people make when giving testimony. I just wonder how deeply invested in the current administration many citizens are because too many citizens, despite the president's low poll numbers, remain unquestioning of the things that politicians do.

If we went to war to bring "democracy" to Iraq, then why are so many of our civil rights being trampled on?

More importantly, why can't we get straight answers from those charged with preserving the republic/democracy? If so many acts lack transparency, we should have a greater outcry about the behaviors of those in power who work so hard to dampen our freedoms. See patriot act and the various attorney generals, generals, and others who obfuscate in front of congressional oversight committees.

Clash in Palestine Despite a Truce

These kinds of events must end if we are truly for peace. I realize the bulk of the news is concentrated on the Iraqi war, yet there are other conflicts within the Middle East that require the greatest support from all of us--where ever in the world we reside.

Lust for Pets

I keep adding pets to my blogs because I can't have them where I live. If I could have the space I'd have horses, dogs, and cats. Tigers are exotic but not practical when other domestic animals form part of the family. Hence I'll not include them in a real life fantasy but in a cyberspace "realityl". As I get older, many of the films, books, and teachings come back as old haunts to remind me of who I really am. This is important as I strive to find my real self and the real reasons for my desires. Now I have been discovering that my greatest desires are not to become reality because I lack stamina these days. So I'm hoping to slow down to give my stamina an opportunity to grow and reach a point of strength that will support all that I need to do before my time on earth expires. Molly Ivins' passing reminds me how limited or finite our time here is and that I must make the most of it.

In terms of peace, I feel more strongly that we must become more radical in demanding our rights as citizens of the most precious place on the planet--USAmerica. Who having read the founding fathers' struggles, and the struggles of subsequent generations can give up on such a wonderful place or at least a place that promises so much to all who live within its borders. These are the things that all politicians must address. We must work to fulfill the promise of the past as we work to meet the needs of the present.

Carter's Speech at Brandeis

Propaganda machines operate round the clock to keep people from seeing Palestinians as human beings who suffer and pray for justice in this world. People who dare to attempt a humane presentation of these people quickly become fodder for the self-righteous and self-proclaimed defenders of Israel. For his efforts at writing about the issue, former President Jimmy Carter has been unjustly maligned. Yet Mr. Carter's ideas need some fair airing. At Brandeis, we get a glimmer of his thinking on the history of the issue and the resultant attacks on him for his efforts. I am sure his opposition can twist his meaning. We all can twist words of others for our own arguments, yet is that an ethical approach to public debate? Can we learn what is best if we always twist others' words and ideas to suit our own biases. Listen to the speech and see if the solutions Mr. Carter proposes are truly incompatible with USAmerican ideals and values.

Immigration: Will It Be the New Wedge Issue for the Right?

Not satisfied with using issues such as abortion and gay marriage or gays in society as wedge issues to divide our country and to inject religion or religious views into public/political life, zealots for Jesus now attempt to take positions on the immigration issue. Here however, the divide will not be easily made as some Christians actually believe in the words that Christ spoke. In addition, older religions also value the tenets of treating the poor and the stranger or outsider with some charity. See the following story from alternet. News of radical religious right's positions on the immigration issue.

January 27, 2007 March on Washington

Sen Leahy

One of the deterrents to peace is mindless adherence to prejudice. The case of Maher Arar -- the Canadian citizen who was stopped at JFK airport, sent to Syria to be tortured and later found to be completely innocent--demonstrates the bias we have toward people from Middle Eastern backgrounds. This particular bias fuels anti-USAmerican sentiments and thus increases instability among people around the world caught in the rhetorics of war on terrorism. In many ways the question can legitimately posed--who is the real terrorist when innocent people from Middle Eastern backgrounds cannot safely travel within USAmerican borders?

High Technology Notwithstanding

War and Peace issues are serious matters. As one of the videos I viewed yesterday demonstrates, people's lives are altered in ways that are horrific. Those of us not living in war zones must do what we can to end as many of the causes of war as possible. Of course, idealistically speaking, finding the end of all wars does not seem possible.

A Perfect Circle - Imagine

After I listened to John Lennon earlier, I found a different version of his song. The videos are quite enlightening.

Jimmy Carter and Surviving Ideologues

History the study of it and engagement with it appeals to me as a curious human and as a scholar of issues. More often than not, we can find the strands of current issues rooted in the past. However, when people haven't a clue as to what took place in the past and the reasons for the actions of the past, then people are apt to make judgments based on their own limited and limiting world views. Additionally, an inability to understand the underlying reasons for problems in today's world can often lead to shallow and idealogical attacks on the works of people who have a tendency to be studious about the issues that we face. Such seems to be the case with former president Carter. Despite his personal experience, engagement with and knowledge of issues concerning the Middle East, his work is under attack. Yet his work is most important for he sheds light on something our media in USAmerica fails to do---he presents a point of view that is not in lock step with Israeli Zionism. Being fair does not mean one is anti-semitic, anti-Jew or even anti-Jewish state in the Middle East. However, in our democracy, taking a seldom heard position is tantamount to being "unAmerican."

A Democratic Response

Jim Webb demonstrates the kind of leadership that more democrats should exhibit.

Media Needs Character and Strength

Jane Fonda continues to do public service despite the fact that she is not among the "Hollywood" top ten box office draws anymore. In a piece she wrote and that I found in Alternet, she discusses the importance of a strong, powerful, courageous media. This is something that we do not have and without it it the opportunities for democracy and peace wither on the vine of civic life. The world as it is today in these United States consists of a weak show time-type media. Challenges to the power base do not take place. No one questions the actions of the government, which is merely an extension of corporate USAmerica. How can we have governance that is honest and responds to its citizens when people fear to question government actions and demand what is best for the country's citizens in place of the actions taken that are good for the rich and the powerful. Somewhere else I read of the increasing reality that we are now a class-based society not dissimilar from British society. Our dukes and earls are the heads of corporations. The trite pronouncements are nothing more than propaganda mouthed by the various arms of the media--from news to entertainment.

The concept of honesty and honor seem dead in today's USAmerican world and thus our standing in the world quite rightly has fallen to low levels. Tis a pity as this country has been good to many despite its imperialistic agendas and many people who live within its borders have worked to keep the founding ideals at work with a heavy cost to their lives.

Let the plans for our future develop with no war mongers and more peacemakers. That is my prayer for the future.

Misadventure Moving Us Away from Peace

Death and more death seems the paramount formula for a nebulous success in Iraq. People leading our country are increasingly shown to lack the fundamental knowledge of the histories and cultures of the the middle east where their adventurism has taken its toll on not only American service men's lives but on the lives of others. Worse there is a real danger that war profiteering goes on unchecked. Additionally, the matter of torture and death of Iraqui and other nationals raises questions of whether or not members of the current administration should be taken to world court to answer serious questions of abuse of power, genocide, and war crimes.

When we went into the invasion of Iraq without cooperation from our allies, and wit little proofs we created a terrible environment which does not allow for peace or real democratic development. It is no wonder that the Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians, and Iranians to name just a few whose countries' stabilities are at stake, worry and reject USAmerican intrusion into the area. Later in the week I hope to connect the articles that led to my summary here in this post. However, Alternet, The Nation, The Huffington Post, and other articles provide the foundations for my conclusions.

Peace requires lack of violence in order that it thrive. Peace requires positive engagement wih people with whom we may disagree. Peace does not require saber rattling and not so veiled threats.

In a way the call for God's support in this Bushian misadventure is the last thing we need. I pray that God protect the soldiers, marines, air force, navy, and special troops that with God's grace they return as whole and as healthy as possible. I can't imagine the trauma these people endure and can only applaud their loyalty to a misbegotten war plan for they do what so many others have done before--they believe in their leaders and hence are willing to follow these leaders' hair brained plans.

So Clinton's Team is Getting Testy, Is It?

Once upon a time I dreamt of voting for a competent, principled, no nonsense woman for the position of President of the United States. I realized then and now that in order to run for the position the woman in question would have to be politically astute, cunning, and even ruthless; however, I expected her not to be like so many others--so married to other people's principles as to have lost a sense of acting on principles based on right or wrong. In other words, someone who, like Martin Luther King, Jr. would not allow naysayers to dissuade her from taking principled stances and arguing for them when others would distract her from those principles.

I do not doubt that Mrs. Clinton is an intelligent, astute, competent, no nonsense woman, but I do question her lack of attachment to any principle worth having. She shakes hands with a Palestinian woman, comes to NY hears herself criticized and changes her mind about the plight of Palestinians. She votes for the Israeli interests because she cannot see the errors inherent in some of those interests and the truly non peace producing acts they engender.

Young John Edwards comes along and speaks out against the war that Bush began and that he supported. Edwards admits his error in supporting the president and now Clinton's campaign team tries to sully Edwards' character with accusations that are not true. Edwards does not criticize Democrats working to counter the president's position--only those Democrats who are working hand in glove with Bush.

Perhaps Mrs. Clinton's team should caution her to get Mr. Clinton from being so cozy with the Bush family. Her husband's infatuation with the elder Bush seems to be clouding her judgment on the difference between right and wrong, between what the definition of defeat in Iraq is etc.

Glad Tidings

The move from Luisa Boricua to here Write for Peace is nearly complete. Now my more political less personal musings can be located in one place. I guess it's fitting that language the medium with which we should attain peace will be the focus here in this blog; although the foolish uses of language have gotten humanity into much trouble as we have seen during the past five years. Let us pray that the time in the wilderness will end soon and that brighter minds, souls, and hearts will prevail.