If I’m not mistaken, there will be an insignificant, meaningless, and completely inconsequential event next week, called US presidential elections. In the last days Obama apologists were out in force to launch various articles and analysis in the so called “alternative media” to convince the remaining US Americans, who are still not numbed, sedated, dumbed down by corporate media propaganda and who are able of critical thinking that voting for the incumbent is the only possible option.
After outright Obama apologist like Rebecca Solnit took a severe beating and had to retreat to their armchairs licking their wounds and pondering how to rebuild their reputation the tactic has changed and the name Barack Obama is not directly mentioned.
The apologists instead zoom in on Mitt Romney’s deficiencies, misdeeds, lies, and admittedly they have a lot to report. The only positive thing that can be said about Mitt Romney is that until now he didn’t cause as much suffering, didn’t commit as much warcrimes, didn’t kill as much peoples as Obama did in his position as commander-in-chief.
Mitt Romney didn’t have the chance until now to commit such crimes, shall US voters give him the chance?
Of course not, and that rules out voting for Mitt Romney. BUT, say the Obama apologists, don’t waste your vote, don’t vote for third party candidates, don’t vote for write in candidates, don’t abstain from voting, this would only secure the victory for Mitt Romney!
That is the quintessence of the deluge of articles by Obama apologists. Obama is not mentioned, nobody has a chance to discuss his record. The reader is not asked, begged, or commanded to vote for Obama, the reader is only coerced, cowed, forced to prevent an election victory of Mitt Romney.
Could Mitt Romney really be worse than Obama?
Could he maybe defy negative expectations like Obama defied all positive expectations, could he defy the concerns and fears like Obama defied the hopes and dreams of people around the globe?
Enough said, the posting about the above mentioned insignificant, meaningless, and completely inconsequential event next week will definitely end here but I want to take the chance to publish three recent messages from Cindy Sheehan, who is a role model and one of the bright shining stars in the dark sky of US politics.
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Stealing Rent Money from a Gold Star Mother
For a brief review, I have been a War Tax Resister since my son was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004. My only regret was that I ever paid my taxes to this murderous, thieving government in the first place. After almost nine years, the IRS has finally decided to use their powers of thuggery to bring the full force of their illegal aggression upon me, a Gold Star Mother.
Before my son was killed, my family was living the American Nightmare. There were times when I worked two or three jobs just to keep our family covered with health insurance because my husband was an independent contractor. Even back then, our insurance bill was about a grand/month.
Casey joined the military in 2000, in part to help pay for his university education. He had already completed every credit he could at a local community college, but he was feeling the pressure of having a full-time job and going to school and didn’t want to burden the family further. Casey paid for his desire for a university education with his life and we buried him on April 13, 2004 and I vowed to never, ever again contribute financially or morally to the organization that killed my son.
The US attorney dragged me before a federal magistrate last April who seemed sympathetic to my cause. Then they dragged me back to answer questions to participate in incriminating myself, I refused and took the 5th Amendment.
Since then, the IRS has been vigorously looking for all my millions of dollars that I must have hidden around in the Caymans or Switzerland and it has stumbled upon $13 in my PayPal account and today the IRS mugged $269 from my bank account that was being saved up for my November rent.
I live a hand to mouth existence and usually if I receive an online donation or payment for a book I go directly to the bank to remove it and save it in my sock drawer, but I am traveling on book tour and am in a strange city and my guard was lowered.
It infuriates me that corporations pay very little in Federal taxes and, in fact, at times, get exorbitant refunds paid for by you tax paying citizens.
It saddens me that US war criminals are not only not held accountable, but receive medals, great tax payer funded benefits AND secret service protection.
However, what I don’t think these people, (whether they are “elected” officials or wage-slaves petty thugocrats), sabé the fact that they can’t do anything worse to me than they already have. The tax collectors of the Empire rejoice in taking a “widow’s mite,” and bringing down enemies of the state with their thugocracy, but my son had his “last measure” stolen from him and I am still standing and resisting with all my might!
My son wanted a university degree and he got a grave and, for me, that’s not a movie, TV show, or a one-time 21-gun salute, it’s for real and the pain is forever.
I want peace and I want my government to stop killing and oppressing people all over the world and all I get is jail time, fines, persecuted by the IRS and a precarious life where I am one more stolen bike or stolen bank account away from penury.
I know that I am not the only one in the US who is living such a precarious existence and we have to recognize our enemies aren’t in foreign lands or the activists, homeless, single mothers, or immigrants; our enemies sit in the rotten marble halls of power and it’s time we made their very existence precarious and I am not talking about voting for Barack Obama -- he’s had four years to prove he is not an able servant of the 1 percent and he has failed. I am also not talking about voting for Mitt Romney, he sits on the throne of the King of the 1 percent. I am talking about a revolution of values -- what if everyone who feels the same way I do refused to pay taxes or otherwise financially support things that we don’t morally support?
I am grateful for my colleagues who give me moral and, at time, financial support to help resist the Behemoth monster of the Empire and I am grateful that I have a roof over my head and every picture I see of the devastation caused by Hellfire missiles, I am grateful that not one penny of my money goes to help fund it.
We live in a thugocracy where every word, thought, action, and inaction is monitored. We are being folded, spindled and mutilated in a neo-fascist slow dance of spiraling oppression. Keep smiling; keep singing; keep dancing; keep speaking; keep thinking and, most importantly of all, keep resisting!
Illegitimi non carborundum. We shall prevail.
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Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox Election Prediction
Yea! The interminable election season is almost over in a few days, (for just a few days), until campaigning begins for the next "most important elections of our lifetimes!" I don't know about you all, but I am about sick of the circus and will be glad for a break.
This is my prediction for who will "win" this Tuesday: The 1 percent.
Romney is, of course, a member of the 1 percent (as is Obama) and Obama has proven to be an able servant of Wall Street, the War Machine, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Monsanto, etc.. whoever wins, the 99 percent will lose.
I am hoping that no matter which candidate is chosen by the elites, that grassroots, localized revolutions begin in earnest. From the time we are toddlers, we are so propagandized in this country to believe that our only opportunity to make change is in the voting booth. That's the last place true, positive and relevant change (for us) actually takes place. The massive problems and challenges that we face as a nation and as a world will be solved in the streets, not in the voting booth.
Having said that, I think that if you really must vote, I encourage people to either vote for antiwar candidates in 3rd parties or independents OR go vote for down ballot items and leave the presidential bubble empty if you don't have a candidate to vote for that meets your own principles.
In California, Colorado or Florida, there is the opportunity to vote for me and Roseanne Barr (Peace and Freedom Party), and we are qualified write-in candidates in over 20 more states.
Like I said, the 1percent will be victorious on Tuesday, but we can register our abhorrence with the system.
Love, Peace & Freedom,
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan
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Dear Friend,
I meant to say this in my weekly newsletter and am so sorry I left it out (it was not intentional).
I was back in the Northeast on a book tour for Revolution, A Love Story, and I was in the airport in Cleveland heading for NYC on Friday, October 26th when I started hearing and reading reports of the Monster Storm heading for the shores of the US. Ironically, I first heard about it from a friend in Cuba who told me the destruction there on my favorite island was of "biblical proportions."
I had events on Friday and Saturday in Manhattan, then one on Long Island on Monday: leaving the area on Tuesday morning... all reports said that Sandy would hit that area on Monday or Tuesday -- so I decided to cut my time short and got a flight out of Newark on Sunday morning.
I have heard from a lot of my friends in that region who are safe, but still without electricity or other basic services, while the NYSE opened within a few days.
Of course, those most vulnerable, like the homeless, aged, and other poor were hit the hardest and the US was hit hardest by loss of life.
This issue of climate disaster needs to be addressed in a very urgent, courageous, and creative way and our hearts go out to ALL the people who lost their homes, but especially to those that lost loved ones; whether Cuban, Haitian, Dominican, Bahamian, or North American!
Love & Peace
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan
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