After Shirley Sherrod

Thankfully, things are working out well for Shirley Sherrod. There is still justice of some kind in the Universe. But there is no justice in a political atmosphere dominated by lies and hated, countered only by the weakest of push back.

Some of us are trying to fight back with what we have--words--hoping to raise awareness and motivate us to action. David Michael Green posted this yesterday on OpEd News (excerpted here):

This week saw the ignominy of the Shirley Sherrod case, in which regressive hitman Andrew Breitbart blasted across the media a doctored up video of a speech the black former director of the Agriculture Department's Georgia state office gave, decades ago, talking about how she transcended her own impulses to discriminate on the basis of race. Transcended, I say again. But that was the part that got edited out. It was as if you lost your job because you said publicly that "I am not a terrorist", but some right-wing freak (whose parents evidently neglected him as an infant and we're all paying for it still to this day) took out the third word of the sentence and gave the rest to your boss and wife and kids and everyone else, and now you've lost your marriage and family and home and job and no one will talk to you anymore.

What this illustrates for the umpteenth time . . . is that the scum that is today the American right will absolutely say and do anything in order to score political points, while so-called progressives say and do nothing even to stop their crimes, let alone to advance a positive agenda. They do nothing, that is, unless crumpling up like frightened kittens in a thunderstorm counts as doing something. . . .

(W)e're like a two-bit drunken banana republic, thrashing about in the gutter of history as we implode from the toxic combination of greed, stupidity, indolence and hubris.

We once used to conduct a war on poverty. Now we just incarcerate the impoverished. In privately-owned, for-profit, jails . . . .

It's been nearly half a century since JFK so aptly reminded us, "Those who do nothing are inviting shame as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality."

And yet we remain well ensconced in the first category.

The problem is that we have yet to define exactly what actions we need to take, beyond speaking up and challenging right-wing lies. But speaking up is a start, a way to begin to act on our convictions and challenge the political tide that is carrying us deeper and deeper into a very ugly place.

The Shirley Sherrod & The Right-Wing Hate Campaign

I am so angry about what happened to Shirley Sherrod that finding words is very, very hard. Why the fuck are Fox "News" and the right-wing hate mongers running this country?

Shirley Sherrod is the victim of their racism and the impotence of the Obama Administration. Thank God CNN didn't swallow Andrew Breitbart's bullshit whole. This morning, CNN took them on, giving Ms. Sherrod a chance to state her case. Before the interview was over, it was very clear that Ms. Sherrod had been horribly smeared by Andrew Breitbart. No one should ever believe anything that comes from a man who is nothing more than a liar with an agenda. No one should ever believe anything that comes from Fox news or their psycho talking heads. Enough!

Shirley Sherrod MUST be reinstated. She is a good woman who is just about the last person to deserve what has happened to her. If she is not reinstated, the Obama Administration will suffer HUGE losses in terms of voter support. Furthermore, EVERYONE who is a not part of the Fox/right-wing hate campaign MUST start calling them out at every turn. We cannot continue to let them jerk us all around like a bunch of sock puppets.

It's time to get a backbone.

One blogger said it well: Stop running the country on bullshit!

Here is the full video that not only vindicates Ms. Sherrod but proves that she is a good-hearted, moral woman: NCAA Sherrod video.

This and That: What's On My Mind

Life has been a bit crazy lately and I'm way overdue for a post. This will be a short one, but I have a few things on my mind:

• I discovered a great song today: Hero In Me (You Tube video) by Jeffrey Gaines. Gaines is a serious, thoughtful artist, and these lyrics blow me away.
  
  
• Speaking of finding the hero inside, I wonder if Dick Cheney ever had any hero in him. What an ass that man is. It turned my stomach to hear him say today that Al Qaeda was a "little known" organization prior to 9/11. Little known to him perhaps, but not to others, especially not to those who tried so hard to get a message through to people like Cheney who were too damned full of themselves to care. Oh, don't get me started.
  
  
• I'm reading an intriguing book called Jesus Against Christianity by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He quotes Marcus Borg in saying that Christianity, especially in the US, is "massively idolatrous." I couldn't agree more.
  
  
• It's not just American Christianity that has gone horribly awry, the whole self-centered consumer culture has been unhealthy and unsustainable for a long time (maybe since the first Europeans set up shop on this continent--check out We Shall Remain on PBS). I recently listened to a series of lectures by Derek Jensen. He's another author/speaker who turns tradition on its head, and he does it with humor and smart social commentary. Unfortunately, Derek believes that anarchy and massive social destruction are the answer. In this case, I could not disagree more. From where I sit, we sure as hell don't need more suffering and chaos.
  

Till next time, peace . . . .

Victimizing Obese Teens: Today's Oprah

I rarely watch Oprah, but I took a chance on it today. The topic was teenage obesity. I hoped the show would offer something other than the same old tired anti-obesity tripe that we hear day in and day out: eat fewer calories, exercise, and control emotional eating. And if that doesn't work, maybe surgery is the way to go.

Everyone with any interest in obesity should understand the following facts:

• Obesity is not a mental illness. Therapy and "learning to love yourself" can't hurt, but they are no more curative for obesity than they are for any other physical disorder.
  
  
• Appetite and cravings are hormone driven. Simply repressing them eventually throws the body into crisis mode. The hormones will win, if you can't get them under control.
  
  
• Stress can increase appetite and cravings. That's why most people eat when they are emotional.
  
  
• All calories are not equal. If you saw the show, you know the nutritionist said a glazed doughnut is a better choice than a bagel with low-fat cream cheese because it has fewer calories. Nonsense. Eat the doughnut and you'll be hungry again very soon. The bagel with cream cheese will have a less dramatic impact on your blood sugar, give you a little protein, and leave you satisfied longer. But the truth is, neither of these is a good choice.
  
  
• Gastric bypass surgery has dangerous long-term consequences. It's the typical simple-minded pseudo-science of conventional medicine that says if you lose weight with gastric bypass, you'll have a greater life expectancy. Where's the longitudinal data? What about the hormonal changes, the dangerous vitamin deficiencies, and the gastrointestinal disorders that result from bypass? How do they impact life expectancy?
  

As usual, the obese teens on today's Oprah faced a hearty dose of shaming. That's guaranteed to drive up the stress hormones and make matters worse. Dr. Oz presented some good nutritional information but, on the whole, the nutritional advice was very confusing.

Shame, confusion, and a sense of desperation turn eating into a source of anxiety--and the stress hormones rise even more. It's a damn dirty shame that we turn a biological necessity into a source of such torment. And that torment is heaped on top of all the other difficulties the truly obese must live with every day.

Exercise is the one positive in this infernal debate; it's the one thing the so-called experts seem to be getting right. Exercise can help tame and balance the hormones that drive appetite. Unfortunately, exercise alone is usually not sufficient.

When are we going to cut the crap and get to some serious answers? When it comes to obesity, traditional medicine is still way off the mark, often doing far more damage than good.

Political Upheaval: Mayan Calendar Mixup?!

When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century, they met and eventually subjugated the Maya, a people who were far more advanced in many ways than any civilization on Earth. Among the Maya's amazing accomplishments was a highly complex calendar system that accurately records events from the time of the Big Bang to the current day. That calendar comes to an abrupt end about four years from now. Many believe this portends a great cosmic shift of some sort, perhaps a great shift in human consciousness or the end of history as we currently understand it.

Today, I read this excerpt from an article in The Guardian, and wondered if maybe the Mayans weren't as accurate as we thought. Did they mess up on that date? Conservatives boycott Fox News? Geezus, what next? Did the great shift happen on Nov. 4, 2008?

As the implosion of the defeated Republican campaign continued yesterday, the landscape of American conservatism was dotted with signs that these were very strange times indeed.

Rush Limbaugh, behemoth of right wing radio, took to the airwaves to declare war on two enemies: Barack Obama and the Republican party. Bloggers at FreeRepublic.com, an internet hub for conservatives, announced a boycott of Fox News, and John McCain's aides fell over one another to leak embarrassing details about the campaign to the press.

-Oliver Burkeman in The Guardian, 11/8/08

This ain't the world we knew!

W., The Movie

I couldn't wait to see Oliver Stone's new movie, W. Reviews from friends and media personalities promised a hilarious movie, like an SNL skit, yet moving in a way that leaves the viewer almost feeling sorry for George Bush.

So, I saw the movie today. At the well-attended afternoon showing, about a fourth of the audience laughed out loud at W's naive, blundering behavior and at the foolishness of the Bush Administration's war deliberations. But I couldn't laugh; maybe the events are just too painfully real for me.

In no way does Stone portray Bush as diabolical. Oddly enough, not even Dick Cheney is portrayed as a villain. If there is a villain, it's "41," the indulging but disapproving father. Forty-three is portrayed more as a sad victim. For me, that is where Stone's story diverges from reality. As Vincent Bugliosi has pointed out, George W. Bush's public behavior has been glib, cavalier, and callous. This man is not a victim. He is not a sad or remorseful man. Despite Stone's oddly sympathetic portrayal, I did not leave the theater feeling sorry for George W. Bush. Instead, I left scratching my head, wondering what Oliver Stone is trying to say with this movie.

Convention Week: Raves and Rants

LOVE THAT WOMAN!

No, it wasn't a great speech, but it was a great moment in history, owned by a woman who exemplifies everything that is great about this country and the human spirit. She is truly a role model. I got choked up when I saw Michelle Obama's mother in the audience. How proud she must be of her beautiful, wise, and accomplished daughter.

I've seen and heard some of the unconscionable trash about Michelle Obama that is coming from the right, and I've remained silent. No more! I'm not going to let it pass unanswered; it's an injustice toward a good woman who has earned her way in this life. Common decency requires that she be given a basic level of respect.

In response to an offensive email I saw that slandered Michelle Obama and praised Cindy McCain, I'd like to simply say this: Michelle is a highly successful woman from an ordinary American family. She did not inherit wealth, and the financial success she enjoys did not come through any manner of exploitation. Michelle Obama does not sell beer.

STRAIGHT TALK FROM BILL MAHER AND FORREST GUMP

Yes, stupid is as stupid does. Bill Maher commented Monday on the current state of politics in the US: "Americans are stupid and they get the leaders they deserve." Let's hope and pray that changes. Of course, one big reason that Americans are so damn stupid is that most of corporate media has abdicated its role as a guardian of the public trust in favor of corporate profits and political self-interest. (I urge you to visit Freepress.net.)

SPEAKING OF STUPID . . . WHAT THE ???

The talking heads are saying that some people resent Michelle and Barak Obama's success. They claim that some Americans are asking, "How did they get into Harvard and Princeton? It must have been affirmative action."

What the ????!! Geez, people! It's rather obvious how they got in: they're extremely bright and capable people--exactly the kind of people who should get into Harvard and Princeton.

John McCain got into the military academy despite poor grades because his father was an Admiral. And how did George W. Bush get into Yale?? Affirmative action??! (See CNN commentary on the Bush brand of affirmative action.) The man should have a job that is better suited to his abilities, and he should ride there every day in a short bus. Privilege has its privileges, and they are not earned.

Virtues of Blogging: More on Republican Ranting

Blogging is good. Conversations are good; good for people, good for democracy. This is the free press that democracy requires.

The Republican Ranter replied to my post of yesterday and owned up to being a bit pudgy. He also made it clear that he is against the Iraq war and volunteered for Sen. Chuck Hagel (a strong and outspoken Republican opponent of Bush policy) prior to Hagel's retirement. More promising, though, is the fact that he's only 18 years old, and that means his attitudes and political affiliations are still developing. I strongly dislike some of the material on his blog, but he's listening and engaged. For that, I applaud.

The Detroit News printed an article yesterday on the diverse faces of patriotism. Republican Ranting blogger, Nathan Inks, is covered in that article. Now, here is a lesson in the power of blogging. He started the blog a year ago to fulfill a high school assignment. He culls political stories from around the country, cites them, and comments. He has as many as 3,000 hits a day, and his blog is read by members of Congress and the Department of Justice. DOJ notwithstanding (what's that about?), his success is most impressive--and his blog is worth watching.

Old-Fashioned News From a New Source

Get your news from an independent source rather than from the corporations who feed you pablum. Democracy depends on you knowing about something other than the latest escapdes of Britney Spears. Do you need to hear every salacious detail in the lives of sexually wayward politicians--or do you need to know how our politicians are running the country, spending our money, and creating our laws? Start including independent media in your daily diet of information.

THE REAL NEWS NETWORK

Must-See TV

A few weeks ago, I recorded a program that captured my curiosity: Frontline: The Dark Side. I finally watched it this morning. It's the best documentary I've seen on how 9/11 led to the War in Iraq. It confirms most of what I've believed about the politics behind the scene. The program places the Iraq war squarely on Cheney-Rumsfeld, with support from their old chum, Paul Wolfowicz, all principals in the Project for a New American Century (although their names no longer appear on the Web site). I was surprised to learn, however, that G. Bush initially stood up against the Cheney-Rumsfeld alliance and supported taking military action against the Taliban rather than proceeding directly into Iraq.

There is no doubt that key players leading us into war with Iraq are guilty of treason. Others are guilty of incompetence and failure to execute their responsibilities. It is Worse Than Watergate. Are they going to get away with it and live on their fat pensions for the rest of their lives? Does anyone have the cajones to call them into account? Time will tell.

Believing is Seeing: 9/11 An Inside Job

Let's get serious: Even J. Edgar Hoover could not have pulled off such a monumental hoax.

I'm hearing more and more references in mainstream media about the notion that the events of Sept. 11, 2001, were planned and executed by the Bush Administration. Even Lynn Samuels (Sirius TalkLeft) mentioned the other day that she isn't sure there really were any hijackers. C-Span's Book-TV aired "9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out," during which some speakers expressed support for "inside job" theories.

I first became aware of this movement several months ago, when I met a physician who is dedicated to informing the public about the alleged 9/11 hoax. I listened to his argument, which centers largely around the premise that the World Trade Center buildings collapsed due to explosives planted by Bush and the neocons. He and others even argue that there was no plane crash in Pennsylvania and that Flight 93 actually landed at an airport without incident.

There are many unanswered questions about the events of 9/11 -- and the Bush Administration has proved to be one of the best things that ever happened to Al Qaeda -- but the idea that 9/11 is an elaborate hoax perpertrated by the U.S. government calls for a serious reality check.

For detailed discussions of the WTC collapse and the demolition theory, see:
Northwestern University analysis by Bazant & Zhou
Conspiracy theorist comments on Bazant & Zhou analysis
NOVA program on WTC collapse
Wikipedia on WTC collapse
Chronicle of Higher Education on academic support for conspiracy theories

Regardless of debates about physics and engineering, the notion that the Bush Administration planned and executed a great fraud on 9/11 defies social and political reality. It simply makes no sense. There are many serious things for which George Bush must be called into account, but it's not worthwhile to put much effort into 9/11 hoax theories -- unless you're writing the script of a fantastic science fiction thriller.

Limbaugh: What's Up With That?

Every morning, my husband listens to local commercial talk radio as he gets ready for work. It's a long-standing ritual for us. During my working years, I often wished I could listen throughout the morning, but rarely had the chance. Now, at long last, I have the freedom to listen almost whenever I choose.

Here in corn country, commercial talk means conservative talk, including Rush Limbaugh. Initially, I enjoyed listening to him, despite his politics. Occasionally, he'd have hilarious gag bits, and I always picked up on some news tidbit or gained an insight that I didn't get anywhere else. In recent months, Rush has changed. He's become progressive in one area: his march toward anger, bitterness, divisiveness, and away from humor, news, and meaningful commentary. (For more, see I Don't Listen Much Anymore by Christopher Taylor.)

His tone is bothersome and, these days, I often change the station after listening to his opening. But something else is happening that may end it for me: an over-the-top obsession with sex-related stories. He often drops the occasional lascivious remark about this or that female, from which we might draw conclusions about his relationships with women. But lately he covers things like the Votergasm and Global Orgasm web sites as if he's obsessed, describing ad nauseum how he imagines it will work. Because these "movements" have liberal political agendas, I can understand that he would want to poke fun at them, but he goes well beyond that. When the story broke about Senate candidate Jim Webb's sexually shocking novel, Limbaugh read portions of it on the air. Granted, he warned listeners that it would be shocking and explicit, but if it's so bad (and it was), why read so much of it--or any of it--on the air?! And the day the story broke about Janet Reno filing a law suit against the Bush Administration, Rush was all over 'Global Orgasm for Peace.' I wanted to hear his comments on the Reno suit but changed the station while he was beating 'orgasm' into the ground.

Many years ago, a very wise and humble man once told me that whenever you find an arrogant man with too much power and influence, you will find a man with scandalous sexual secrets. Since then, I've seen it many times. Haven't we all? Humpty Dumpty gets a little too reckless.