Friday, June 08, 2007

Congress Reads This?

Does Congress read my blog? I hope so.

Yesterday, I had two hits from the House of Representatives, both resulting from a post in which I praised Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and four others for their support of HR 333, a bill to hold impeachment hearings for Dick Cheney.

Perhaps it was a member of Ms. Clarke's staff, perhaps it was one of her opponents- if it was the former, please pass my sincere thanks to Rep. Clarke and her colleagues for trying to do the job that we, the people, hired them to do; if it was the latter, you'd do well to start serving the people and not your corporate masters-I know it must be difficult to make ends meet on a Congressional salary without accepting graft and bribes, but give it a try. While you do that, consider that millions of Americans work many more hours than you do and earn considerably less, and yet they manage to survive- unless they get sick and have no health insurance or can't find work and opt to enlist in the military- then the survival rates start dropping.

Here's a crazy idea: Let's stop spending billions of dollars a day on destroying Iraq and antagonizing the rest of the world and spend some of that money on American citizens.
Universal Health Care is cheaper- much cheaper- than a sustained war of occupation, and it's certainly better for the long-term prospects of our nation.

Education? Let's make sure that any kid who wants to go to college can. If we become a notion of unlearned and unread drop-outs (and that's where we are heading) we will soon join the Third World. Do you want your child emigrating to Saudi Arabia to find work as a taxi driver?
Don't think it can't happen.

Congress needs to know that we are unhappy. One election was not enough - the powers that cost us 3,500 American deaths, unknown trillions of dollars and our international standing in the world community are still in control and I fear that there is nothing that they won't do to maintain that control.

These are people who would willingly, knowingly, start a deadly, endless war in order to achieve their goals, which include unlimited wealth, unchecked power and a cowed and submissive U.S. citizenry.
Mission Accomplished.

Those secret 2001 Energy Task Force meetings that Cheney won't release details of?

I'd wager that the entire PNAC plan to invade Iraq, thus disrupting world oil supplies and causing a dramatic rise in oil prices and profitability was a hot topic at those clandestine meetings.

The war in Iraq was NEVER intended to lower the price of gasoline (no one makes money on lower prices), it was , among other things, designed to RAISE the price of gas from a Clintonesque 95 cents a gallon to an Exxon-friendly $3.25.

I'd also place money on the idea that representatives from the Coal Lobby were on hand, shoveling coal as an "alternative fuel", asking for and receiving Government subsidies to produce a fuel that is far more environmentally harmful and expensive to produce than gasoline .

We, as citizens, have every right to know what was said at those meetings and we have the right to "fire" any elected officials who have introduced and/or supported the lies and deceptions that led us into the mess in Iraq.

If you agree, blog it. Maybe Congress will hear you.



Domain Name
house.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address
143.231.249.# (Information Systems, U.S. House of Representatives)
ISP
Information Systems, U.S. House of Representatives
Location
Continent: North America
Country: United States (Facts)
State: District of Columbia
City: Washington
Lat/Long: 38.8933, -77.0146 (Map)
Language
English (U.S.)
en-us
Operating System
Microsoft WinXP

Jun 7 2007 10:19:24 am
Domain Name
house.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address
143.231.249.# (Information Systems, U.S. House of Representatives)
ISP
Information Systems, U.S. House of Representatives
Location
Continent: North America
Country: United States (Facts)
State: District of Columbia
City: Washington
Lat/Long: 38.8933, -77.0146 (Map)
Language
English (U.S.)
en-us
Referring URL
http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?qsrc=28&o=0&l=dir&q=Yvette%20D.%20Clarke
Search Engine
ask.com
Search Words
yvette d. clarke
Jun 7 2007 12:31:14 pm
Visit Entry Page
http://camelsback23.blogspot.com/2007/06/crashing-burning-and-politics.html

Don't be silent.

9 comments:

AngelConradie said...

woohoo- way to make yourself heard dude! it won't be long before the powers that be start paying "proper" attention to the blogosphere!
you have the war in iraq- we have crime and corruption. if a politician in america is convicted of a crime- he usually has to take a hike right? here, he/she has his/her colleagues form an honour guard to escort them to jail! the government makes an absolute fortune off crime and the insurance revenues it generates so they are SO not going to rush to do anything about it...

whimsical brainpan said...

Excellent post!

Congrats on making yourself heard or at least read! I hope they payed attention.

more cowbell said...

Ooh honey, you in the Big Leagues now! Got Voice? Why yes, you do!

Amen and can I get a friggin' WITNESS on the education/health care thoughts? It's called investing in your society, politicians.

In America, we take the fastest cheapest fix, the quickest profit, and ignore the longterm ramifications. My kids went to Hungarian schools for years, and I'm amazed at the difference in education, even compared with the "plum" IB honors program here. (and Americans wrinkle their noses, asking, "Hungarian schools?! Oh! Will your kids be behind?" Please. They start foreign language instruction in 1st- 3rd grade. They teach physics, chemistry, biology -- as separate classes -- starting in 5th grade. No calculators for trig. No multiple choice or T/F on tests, it's all essay and oral. You have to apply to and test into high school. OK, rant over. Moving on.)

Anyway (whew!) other countries seem to get that investing in health and education is investing in the future leaders, doctors, teachers of their society. They are a collective, whereas we're too into this bootstrapper, rugged individualist bullshit.

Has anyone seen the UNICEF report on how countries rank? Guess who's at the bottom of the list? I'm sure it's gauche and unrefined to link to my own damn self in a comment section, but this subject gets me All Fired Up; check out the info on the report, if you're so inclined: http://needcowbell.blogspot.com/2007/03/tragic.html

anyway, great post, I'm glad they're listening (reading), whatever the reason.

bonjourtristesse said...

Great post, Allan! If you see an unmarked van idling outside of your house for any extended periods of time...do what ya have to do!

Way to use your voice!! Great stuff!

E. XXOOO

the rube said...

if the military industrial complex could retool and switch to building hospitals and diagnostic equipment it might work.

yellowdoggranny said...

i got a email from howard dean asking for money for the democratic party..i send reply that I was so pissed at the dems for folding up like a cheap chinese fan to bush's war money that i would send just enough money for them to buy chapstick so they can kiss my ass....great post..as always...

Faerie said...

Par Excellent.

I love the way you write.. You write what I would like to say ...

(aside.. links are done.. i changed your name.. Mr DJ :D )

Allan said...

A-
"if a politician in america is convicted of a crime- he usually has to take a hike right?"

No, they get lucrative book and speaking deals.

W- Me too.

NC- Great comparison...we really are far behind.

Rube- Land mines are more profitable. I can't believe that it's legal to export them , but it is.

Hey You! Welcome back!

JS-Amen. They need sac.

CS said...

I think the government pays attention, but not to look for ideas about what they might change for the better. I think they are scanning for trouble-makers - that is, anyone who disagrees. But good for you anyway.