The lies are laughable!!!

There is a clip from Ted Koppel's Nightline interviewing the USAID Head claiming that the whole Iraq will be rebuilt for 1.7 billion dollars. There is a BIG difference between 1.7 Billion and 3 trillion dollars. As I think about this, I wonder who will be held accountable? Well, the Attorney General just refused to investigate Contempt of Congress Charges against two White House Aides. Therefore, The Justice Department basically told a co-equal branch of government to go take a hike.

The Cost of the Iraq War

Today's Democracy Now featured an interview with two leading economists (available at http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/29/
exclusive_the_three_trillion_dollar_war) about the cost of the Iraq War.
According to the report, they say that the cost of the war is around 3 trillion
(THREE TRILLION) dollars. Yet, the Bush Adminstration says otherwise.
Public information available reflects that the cost of the war is "off budget". But, this is staggering and sad!!! As the money is being spent and we're being fed what a friend of mine once called happytalk, the local school district in Orange County, California, has just adopted a tenative budget that cuts 21 million dollars from the budget. What is our priority?

George W. Bush does not have to worry about anything. He's already set. But what about the rest of us who have to be faced with the challenges? When I hear such stories, I am convinced that George W. Bush is probably the worst President this country has ever seen. I can't wait to see the back of him.

How Hypocritical We Are....

I had a chance to watch The Movie "Deep Impact". The story is about two big comets on their way to Earth. As I was watching this movie, I thought about all the conflicts around the world. I am right now listening to today's edition of Democracy Now about the cost of the Iraq War, about the continued killings in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and thought about the hypocracy of it all. We have lost seven years to think about taking our lives to the next level. Will we have the will to truly committ to change and think about insuring that there are no people who are hungry and who are sick? Will we committ to go to the stars and allow our planet to be able to expand its' horizons? I wonder if ordinary people truly matter.

Prince Harry

The British Royal Family continues to fascinate me. I am amazed at their spirit of service and dedication. The most recent example of it was Prince Harry, who is a serving British Army Officer. I was listening to Prince Harry's interviews (available on the BBC) on how he perceived his service as he was shipped to Afghanistan. There was to be a news blackout, but it was broken by the Drudge Report. The BBC called it an influential online report. To me, it is in the same league as the National Inquirer. I am disappointed that the BBC gave it an aura of respectability which it truly does not deserve.

In an ever-changing world, some things must forever remain constant. I hope the British Royal Family goes on for the sake of the rest of all about what can be possible beyond the media hype that these poor souls are subject to.

Fake vs. Real News....You Decide!!!

I just checked the BBC today. There is a row over the fact that the Drudge Report sent a picture from a "Clinton Staffer" about Obama trying out an African custom. First of all, it is his heritage. I am sure he is proud of it--and should be proud of it. We should never, ever demean anyone because of their heritage. That is a total betrayal of what Bill Clinton called the experiment that is "America. To me, that is not really news. How about some real news:

1) There is a report that 8000 "surge" troops are to remain in Iraq;
2) Turkey is continuing its' assault in the Kurdish area of Iraq.
3) Violence continues unabated in Iraq,w ith reports of killings continuing.

The Iraqis say that there will be "consequences". They are the ones given sanctuary to the PKK terrorists, with tacit approval from the United States. The Kosovo precedence does not truly bode well for that part of the world. The Kurds can (and if I were them I would) press for independence. This means that not only Iraq (which to me is a country that exists in name only) continues to have problems, but Turkey, Iran and Syria will also have profound challenges.

Moving on to Afghanistan, there was a story in this morning's Wall Street Journal about the Ministry of Counter Narcotics in Afghanistan. The story was that the Ministry was losing its' key staff because there was a order from the Afghan Government for the British (who were subsidizing the ministry) to adjust the salaries to bring it in line with other ministries. The minister himself said that he could not afford his apartment in Kabul and was looking for an IT job with one of the NGO's in Kabul. For those of you who may not know, Afghanistan is the top opium producer in the world. The idiots who are in charge of the Government (including the so-called "President" of Afghanistan) do not really seem to be aware of reality. Whenever the name Karzai comes up, I just simply laugh. I have to cry, because every single objective in Afghanistan is yet to be met.

Moving on, The UN World Food Program said in an article in the Financial Times this morning that hunger is becoming a world-wide problem. Because prices are rising at such a rapid pace, The World Food Program will have to start rationing if donations are not forthcoming. This is simply sad!!!!

Coming close to home, in my home state of California, we have a State Budget that relies on Academic gimmicks to make things wrong. Schools Districts (including Capistrano Unified School District) have to grapple with a massive budget shortfall. This school district, as an example, has to figure out how to cut $ 28 Million from its' budget. Yet, we are spending billions half-way around the world with no apparent end in sight. The Democratic Candidates have pledged some sort of redeployment. The Republican Nominee, Senator McCain, wants us to stay the course. Furthermore, he wants us to cut more taxes and cut "more" wasteful government spending. I suggest he start with Iraq.

If what I just said is not real news, then I don't know what is.....

The Week That Passed...And the Week Before Us....

Well, I just am launching today's Meet w/the Press. Ralph Nader is at it again. Why this man is yearning to tarnish his reputation and legacy is beyond me. I am one Democrat that holds Ralph Nader responsible for giving us 8 years of George W. Bush. It is extremely disappointing. Here is the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23319215/.

We have fundemental challenges in our country. He wants me, as a Democrat, to get over it. But I can't .

The World Today.....

Today saw Barrack Obama sustain his momentum. He won the Wisconsin Primary. I am a "Clintonista", because of the long-standing respect I have had for Bill Clinton ever since he helped to reshape the Democractic Party in the mid-80's. He understood that there had to be a different way, whereby government should be a "partner", not be the answer to all the problems. The race is not over. But, it is Obama's to lose.

Half way around the world, Pakistan repudiated Pervez Musharaf. Maybe this will help to save Pakistan. As I listen to the BBC, they're about to talk to Nawaz Sharif, the self-styled "lion of punjab" about the possiblity of a coalition government. What I was happy about was the fact that the elections were relatively violence-free. The Army Chief, General Kiani, has begun to disengage the Army from civilian institutions. It will be quite interesting to see how things turn out.

Coming back to our hemipshere, Fidel Castro retired officially as President of Cuba today. Whatever one may think of him, he is one of the giants of our time. I realize that many neo-cons and the Cubans in Miami don't like to hear it. But, I agree with President Lula of Brazil in this regard.

May we live in intersting times....

A Brief Tribute to a Fallen Hero

Officer Simmons of LAPD was laid to rest yesterday. The whole community saluted him..and rightly so!!! Police Officers go out there every day trying to make sure we are safe. My the Lord Bless his soul and grant the patience to his family to overcome the sense of loss and go on.

Our Future....Cont'd.....

The political debate about our future continues. The Democratic Debate is on-going. We continue to have a real horse race. There is a genuine fight for the soul of the party. I continue to have a problem with Senator Obama, though. He wants me to vote for him because he is "he". I realize that he's starting to talk more substance. But, there has to be a realization that he's asking us to appoint him the CEO of a 3-trillion organization. I wonder if he has what it takes to get it done. Making great speeches is one thing....talking the talk is another. That's my problem.

Moving on, the economy is in trouble. The Fed has stepped up and the economic stimulus package has passed. But, home prices continue to decline. People are simply not buying homes. The economic evolution we're seeing goes on. Although I counsel my students to position themselves to be "outsource proof" and "recession proof", it is increasingly difficult to do so. Maybe I'm too pessimitic. But, the signs continue to be worrying. The struggle continues.

May One Live in Interesting Times......

The Democratic Primary continues to be interesting, to say the least. Barrack Obama has momentum. He has just sweeped the Potomac Primaries. Vernon Jordan said it is tough to run against a "movement". My problem is that if the Democratic Primary continues, it will pose a challenge in the general election. McCain is one tough guy to run against. There is no way one can run against him on National Security. However, his one vunerability is Iraq. Juan Cole's reporting today on the violence in Iraq is one indication of this. In addition, when Robert Gates talked about a pause in the US troop draw means to me that the Adminstration is seeing something the rest of us already know. The fact is that this strategy has been a temporary solution to a long simmering problem which will continue to haunt us until we have a President who is courageous enough to say that "enough is enough". The struggle goes on.

Going across the Pacific Ocean to Australia: Kevin Rudd, The Australian Prime Minister, just issued a long-promised apology to the natives of his country for how they have been treated. It takes courage and leadership. There is nothing wrong with saying that a mistake has been made. The key thing is to figure out how to insure that one does not learn from it again.

The Day After....

The pundits have been at it. I can't believe the number of Democratic and Republican Strategists that are out there. Now that the dust has settled, it appears that Senator McCain is on his way to the Republican Nomination. He is going to be a tough opponent. He was written off not too long ago. But, the fight for the Democratic Nomination is still on. Senator Obama and Senator Clinton are neck and neck. The pundits say that Obama has the big "MO"...momentum. It is indeed a race too close to call. As Senator Clinton said, there is one verdict that matters: the voters. I don't relish what the next President is leaving us with. It is simply a mess!!!!

Super Tuesday...Will it be over?

The Economist dubbed the upcoming election as the "Greatest Show on Earth". Despite the fact that we are about to have the first $ 1 Billion Presidency, at least market forces have a strange way of working itself out. Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are vying for the Democratic Nomination. I think the Democractic Party will be stronger, more united and more progressive as a result of this dialogue. No matter what the pundits have said, Bill Clinton's advocacy of his wife is the right thing to do...and Senator Obama said is as much. I don't understand what folks meant by being "Presidential...".

I was sorry to see John Edwards stop his run for the Presidency. He gave voice for those of us who had no voice. He spoke for me and my aspirations. I trust that the two remaining leading Democractic Candidates will make sure that the aspirations of those of us who are "..faces in the crowd"...will be heard and will be addressed. I do worry about John McCain, though. I read Mark Penn's comments in Senator Clinton's Blog. I think Senator McCain is a formidable opponent and should not be taken lightly at all. I made these comments earlier in Senator Clinton's Campaign Blog to reflect upon this very fact:

"..Super Tuesday is before us....For the sake of our party, I hope that it is settled. In John McCain, we will have a tough and formidable opponent. I realize Mark Penn's view that Senator Clinton can beat Senator McCain. But, whatever one thinks of Senator McCain, his courage, committment to service and his willingness to tell it like it is not in doubt. The issue is one of vision as I see it. It is whether we want a vision of a someone is a neo-con's neo-con, or someone either Senator Clinton or even Senator Obama who want to change the mindset that has caused us to be ridiculed around the world. I was glad to read that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama started this during the latest debate in California....." As noted in : http://connect.hillaryclinton.com/blog/Mikeps-Blog/400017732, Feburary 2, 2008.

I do remain hopeful...but scared....we have some tough and challenging times before us.....