5/23/2013
A "Snapshot" of the US Political Scene Over the Past 2 Weeks....
As I write this, President Obama is speaking about his vision for the National Security Strategy he's envisionsed. As he worked to wind down his speech, he was heckled about GITMO by who apparently was Madea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink. I was shocked, for instance, as he noted how the United States spends 150 Million Dollars a year to house 156 prisoners. I understand that over 100 of them continue to be on hunger strike and the President directly addressed the hunger strikers.
As he wound down his speech, he reflected upon the resiliencey on how Americans are resilient and come back after setbacks. I am with him in underscoring that there needs to be a sense of politics & a strategy to reflect the sense of resiliency that I also seen every day. This is why I launched "outsiders" which I hope I could build upon. With the current political climate in Washington, I wonder if the President
Amongst the many key attributes I was pleased to hear was his affirmation about transparency. One of the many key attributes of the one-hour long speech was his acknowledgement of the immense price the United States has paid for the Drone war in Pakistan. He has underscored his commitment to the Constitution. He also noted his profound opposition to Drones being deployed in the United States. But he noted that if Americans leave the US, are on foreign soil and wage war on the US and there is no way to apprehend them, he used the comparision with a killer that is taken out by a SWAT team. The key is to insure the appropriate constitutional safeguards. The President reitrated it today.
Although the focus of this edition is on the US, I was shocked beyond words by the horrific and senseless act of the hacking to death of the British Soldier by the two sub-humans who used their senseless act. I refrained from calling them animals because even animals have some code of honors. The hooligans from the racist English Defense League, though, have taken advantage of the situation to attack Mosques to drive home their own twisted ideology. My thoughts and prayers are with the Soldiers' Family and will trust the British Justice system to run its' course and punish these two sub-human losers.
Beyond the National Security Challenges the President directly addressed, there is the political paralysis in Washington as exemplifed by what one analyst called the "Scandal Industrial Complex". Fully one third of Congressional Committees have some sort of an investigation going as exemplified by Darrel Issa's offensive regarding the IRS. The analysis I have reviewed reflect an IRS that was overwhelmed, confused, not led properly as the explosion of tax exempt organizations applications that was filed especially after the Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision. It had to do with a determination made by the IRS back in 1959 to change certain interpretation of how such organizations were approved. What is striking to me is that all of them were approved even after the questions before them. I could not help but laugh, though, when I tried to figure out what "social welfare" purpose Karl Rove's organization did under his IRS 501 c(4) designation.
Beyond IRS, there is the scandale related to the AP. The National Security leak is a problem that needs to be addressed. Beyond the issues deliberated, the one key concern I had was that the AP apprarently was not even contacted with the request for information on phone logs and contact information. The need for transparency and accountability by Government is key and it appears that there were clear breakdowns in the process. But the notion of direct interference by the White House is a bit far fetched especially as it was Congress that actually called for an investigation and it appeared that the disclosure at the time put actual operations at risk. There is also an implicit lesson in this: No right is aboslute. It seems as if this lesson is learnt especially as the Gun Control efforts have fizzled out. I am pleased to see that the Sandy Hook families will continue with their campaign to elevate the discussion beyond the narrow and prejudicial focus of the NRA that had its' Lovefest (or as they call it a convention) recently.
The last one is Beghanzi. 4 Americans lost their lives during that horrible day on September 11. I wrote about it on that horrific day. Yet, the Republicans have been trying to somehow raise a conspiracy where in fact none has occurred. Darrell Issa, the US Congressman that heads the Congressional Committee looking into it, had two US State Department Staffers testify and revealed no new information. Darrell Issa has become the Inspector Closeau of the Congress instead of a Sam Irving who led the US Senate Watergate Committee that ultmately led to the resignation of Richard Nixon.
What is tragic is how such actions deflects attention from the real story out there--a near lawless situation in Libya, continued political instability in Egypt, the Syrian civil war and its' implications for Lebanon, Jordan & Turkey. There is also the worrisome rise in violence in Iraq along with the upcoming elections in Iran.
It continues to be a challenging World......
Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com, all rights reserved...
As he wound down his speech, he reflected upon the resiliencey on how Americans are resilient and come back after setbacks. I am with him in underscoring that there needs to be a sense of politics & a strategy to reflect the sense of resiliency that I also seen every day. This is why I launched "outsiders" which I hope I could build upon. With the current political climate in Washington, I wonder if the President
Amongst the many key attributes I was pleased to hear was his affirmation about transparency. One of the many key attributes of the one-hour long speech was his acknowledgement of the immense price the United States has paid for the Drone war in Pakistan. He has underscored his commitment to the Constitution. He also noted his profound opposition to Drones being deployed in the United States. But he noted that if Americans leave the US, are on foreign soil and wage war on the US and there is no way to apprehend them, he used the comparision with a killer that is taken out by a SWAT team. The key is to insure the appropriate constitutional safeguards. The President reitrated it today.
Although the focus of this edition is on the US, I was shocked beyond words by the horrific and senseless act of the hacking to death of the British Soldier by the two sub-humans who used their senseless act. I refrained from calling them animals because even animals have some code of honors. The hooligans from the racist English Defense League, though, have taken advantage of the situation to attack Mosques to drive home their own twisted ideology. My thoughts and prayers are with the Soldiers' Family and will trust the British Justice system to run its' course and punish these two sub-human losers.
Beyond the National Security Challenges the President directly addressed, there is the political paralysis in Washington as exemplifed by what one analyst called the "Scandal Industrial Complex". Fully one third of Congressional Committees have some sort of an investigation going as exemplified by Darrel Issa's offensive regarding the IRS. The analysis I have reviewed reflect an IRS that was overwhelmed, confused, not led properly as the explosion of tax exempt organizations applications that was filed especially after the Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision. It had to do with a determination made by the IRS back in 1959 to change certain interpretation of how such organizations were approved. What is striking to me is that all of them were approved even after the questions before them. I could not help but laugh, though, when I tried to figure out what "social welfare" purpose Karl Rove's organization did under his IRS 501 c(4) designation.
Beyond IRS, there is the scandale related to the AP. The National Security leak is a problem that needs to be addressed. Beyond the issues deliberated, the one key concern I had was that the AP apprarently was not even contacted with the request for information on phone logs and contact information. The need for transparency and accountability by Government is key and it appears that there were clear breakdowns in the process. But the notion of direct interference by the White House is a bit far fetched especially as it was Congress that actually called for an investigation and it appeared that the disclosure at the time put actual operations at risk. There is also an implicit lesson in this: No right is aboslute. It seems as if this lesson is learnt especially as the Gun Control efforts have fizzled out. I am pleased to see that the Sandy Hook families will continue with their campaign to elevate the discussion beyond the narrow and prejudicial focus of the NRA that had its' Lovefest (or as they call it a convention) recently.
The last one is Beghanzi. 4 Americans lost their lives during that horrible day on September 11. I wrote about it on that horrific day. Yet, the Republicans have been trying to somehow raise a conspiracy where in fact none has occurred. Darrell Issa, the US Congressman that heads the Congressional Committee looking into it, had two US State Department Staffers testify and revealed no new information. Darrell Issa has become the Inspector Closeau of the Congress instead of a Sam Irving who led the US Senate Watergate Committee that ultmately led to the resignation of Richard Nixon.
What is tragic is how such actions deflects attention from the real story out there--a near lawless situation in Libya, continued political instability in Egypt, the Syrian civil war and its' implications for Lebanon, Jordan & Turkey. There is also the worrisome rise in violence in Iraq along with the upcoming elections in Iran.
It continues to be a challenging World......
Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com, all rights reserved...
5/20/2013
Thought 4 The Week: Sending Love..:-)
A Nice way to start the Work Week...Onward to it w/all its' possiblities:
Send love
Instead of sending anger,
send love. Instead of filling your mind with worry or frustration, fill your
thoughts with love.
Send genuine love to
those who support you. Send genuine love to those who disagree with you.
Let go of the need to get
the last word, or to get even or to prove yourself. Send love, and you’ll
find yourself living with unassailable strength and effectiveness.
Send love, and feel your
anxiety melt away. Send love, and experience life at its highest level.
When you’re not
sure what to do, do what is authentic, honest and caring. Move forward with
love, for yourself, for life, and for others, and you’ll be moving toward
good and valuable things.
Live a life that is real,
and rich, and full. Send love, and live the best there is.
— Ralph Marston
5/18/2013
Reflections & Admonitions to Live by.....
I reached a personal milestone here in "Ordinaryfaces". I passed 14K views. I am grateful as always...
This journey began with a simple admonition to reflect upon the World and to "hopefully" leave a legacy of hope and optimism. It was to remind about the art of the possible as the World continues to change every second. I remembered a film I watched over 20 years ago that epitomized rightenousness and the theme by Greg Altman especially struck me as poignant as I also look to the future:
This journey began with a simple admonition to reflect upon the World and to "hopefully" leave a legacy of hope and optimism. It was to remind about the art of the possible as the World continues to change every second. I remembered a film I watched over 20 years ago that epitomized rightenousness and the theme by Greg Altman especially struck me as poignant as I also look to the future:
It is, in some ways, a reminder about the very need to go on despite all that could possibly have been and could possibly be. I was also thinking about the Thomas Jefferson admontions that helps to keep things in perspective ever more:
5/15/2013
Thinking About the Art of the Possible.....
![You were born with potential You were born with goodness and trust You were born with ideals and dreams You were born with greatness You were born with wings You are not meant for crawling, so don't. You have wings Learn to use them,and fly. @[64655903184:274:Rumi]](https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s480x480/483250_10151602223478185_207266652_n.jpg)
You were born with potential
You were born with goodness and trust
You were born with ideals and dreams
You were born with greatness
You were born with wings
You are not meant for crawling, so don't.
You have wings
Learn to use them,and fly.
Rumi
5/12/2013
A "Thought 4 the Week" As the New Work Week Dawns ....
Onward to the New Week w/all its' possibilities.. :-)
On This Mother's Day 2013......
I am grateful ever more for the blessings before me. I know that at some time my parents will no longer be here. But I cherish every second. May the almighty bless all the Mothers as we remember them all and I especially remember my own mother and my Son's Beautiful and hardworking Mother on this beautiful day:
5/08/2013
Robert Kennedy Announcing the Assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
These words are so true today as our World continues to be torn apart by the violence in Syria:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)