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.