ARE THEY KINGS OF SLAVES OR THE US CONGRESS ?

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN USA HAVE BEEN DEVIOUSLY & DECEPTIVELY INFLICTED ON POORER AMERICAN’S !

**** A INTERNATIONAL WORLD COURT INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED INTO THESE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS !

PRESIDENT OBAMA NEEDS TO TELL THE LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DEMOCRATIC US CONGRESS ~ LET MY PEOPLE GO !

WILL THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD COURT AND THE POPE COME TO THE RESCUE OF THESE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ENSLAVED POORER AMERICAN’S ??

***The CATHOLIC CHURCH could really help AMERICA right now by arranging a speech from the VATICAN by the POPE concerning THIS modern day ENSLAVEMENT of POORER AMERICAN’S by our complacent IVORY TOWER US CONGRESS who appears to be more interested in financing other US Congressional interests then our UNDERFUNDED AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

***THE POPE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STATE MURDER OF TROY DAVIS IN GEORGIA, AND A JUDICIAL EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS IN GEORGIA. ***

MANY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO BOYCOTT THIS ROGUE STATE OF GEORGIA ! WILL MILLIONS MORE OF CARING AMERICAN’S AND INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS AVOID GIVING THE STATE OF GEORGIA ANY FUTURE BUSINE$$ IF A 3YR. BOYCOTT TAKES PLACE OVER THIS STATE NOT EVEN OFFERING JUSTICE WITH A NEW LEGITIMATE CRIMINAL TRIAL FOR MR.TROY DAVIS? IT’S BEEN SAID BY MANY THAT A THREE YEAR INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT OF THIS STATE MIGHT VERY WELL COST IT TENS OF MILLION$ WHERE A NEW AND FAIR TRIAL OF TROY DAVIS MIGHT COST THE STATE LESS THAN $100,000.

A SPECIAL FEDERAL TASK FORCE MADE UP OF INVESTIGATORS AND LAWYERS DESIGNED TO VERIFY EVERY ASPECT OF THE 3,300 VARIOUS DEATH ROW LEGAL CASES NATIONWIDE,IS OUR COUNTRIES ONLY REAL METHOD TO MAKE SURE WE DO NOT ALLOW STATES LIKE GEORGIA TO CONTINUE ATTEMPTING TO MURDER POSSIBLE INNOCENT POORER AMERICAN’S LIKE MR.TROY DAVIS!

FOR THOSE MILLIONS OF AMERICAN’S WHO BELIEVE IN GOD, WE ALL HAVE TO WONDER IN TOTAL AMAZEMENT, HOW OUR AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE ALLOWED THIS HORROR TO CONTINUE WRONGFULLY EXECUTING AND INCARCERATING INNOCENT AMERICAN’S ALL ACROSS OUR COUNTRY ???

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS IS A DEDICATED WWW VOLUNTEERS LOBBY GROUP WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PREVENTING FURTHER CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CONTINUING TO BE INFLICTED ON MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS WHO ARE BEING DENIED PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND BEING FALSELY IMPRISONED AND EXECUTED ALL ACROSS AMERICA!!
lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com 424-247-2013)
**GIVE THEM LIBERTY OR GIVE THEM LAWYERS !
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THE GREAT LIE
by Gerry Spence

The idea that we should furnish the poor with a public defender has been an effort to save our nation from shame - for sending the poor to prison without adequate representation. But today the nation’s public defender system has become a mockery of justice.

To provide an accused with a public defender who has three hundred other cases to defend is simply to laugh in the face of both justice and the accused himself. It takes me months to prepare the average criminal case for trial. The trial itself can take weeks, even months.

While O.J. Simpson was being tried in Los Angeles for murder, a case that cost millions to defend and months to conclude, another black man was being tried in the same courthouse for a similar murder. It took only three days for a jury to find him guilty. He had a public defender with scores of other cases to defend. Many prosecutors boast that they have over a 90 percent conviction rate. Little wonder. Under the present public defender system the prosecutors should enjoy one hundred percent convictions, and many in fact approach perfect conviction rates.

The public defenders in seven states have finally refused to take on any new cases. It’s about time. If I walked into court to defend my client and had never talked him, never previously opened his file, never discovered the witnesses against him, much less interviewed them, never reviewed the evidence in the hands of the prosecution, never demanded my clients rights to discovery, never read the cases relevant to the case at hand, never prepared the cross examination of the witnesses against my client, never … and on and on, I would be guilty of legal malpractice.

Every public defender who purports to represent an accused under circumstances in which he or she has neither the time nor the resources to fully defend the client is guilty of malpractice. These public defenders cannot be saved from malpractice because they are crushed under a ridiculous case load - some with even as many as five hundred cases or more. No one who was accused with such an attorney has received a fair trial and every such accused is entitled to an appeal on that basis alone. The judge must not sentence the accused under these circumstances because the judge would be taking part in a fraud on the system. Yet hundreds of thousands of indigent persons go to prison each year under circumstances no better than those outlined above.

When I was coming up as a young prosecutor, the defendants were represented pro bono by the lawyers in the local bar. It was part of the duty of members of the bar to take part in the justice system. Today that idea is unheard of. The practice of law is first and foremost a money-making profession. I see nothing wrong with that notion, but what about giving back?

Every trial lawyer should be required to take on a couple of pro bono cases every year. At our office we have a separate pro bono law firm and have for over ten years. It often brings us more satisfaction than our big money wins. The job of a lawyer is to represent the people - the lost, the forgotten, the damned, the hated, the voiceless and the poor. Indeed, God forbid, we may one day become one of those who are entitled to representation but cannot afford it.

Every time an accused goes to prison without having received a fair trial we are one step closer to the loss of our own freedoms. Our rights are, in fact, being fought for by public defenders who can never fulfill their duty to their clients because of their pathetic, impossible, caseloads. When they fail, we are in danger. Our system becomes a hypocritical charade. And we prove, once and for all, that the promised justice for all in America is an evil lie that is imposed on the poor.

If only those with money can receive justice, then how can we permit our children to recite a horrible falsehood in school when they chant, “with liberty and justice for all.” That can no longer be the truth in America.
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GERRY SPENCE IS A RENOWNED LAWYER AND PATRIOTIC AMERICAN WHO EVEN AT THE AGE OF 82, CONTINUES TO SHOW A KEEN INTEREST IN WANTING TO BETTER AMERICA FOR THE MASSES OF POORER AMERICANS BEING CAUGHT IN OUR UNDERFUNDED JUDICIAL SYSTEM.LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS THANKS YOU MR.SPENCE FOR TAKING YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT A JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN NEED OF C*H*A*N*G*E…

WE CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY OTHER AMERICAN LAWYERS AND JUDGES WILL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD SO THE PROPER FINANCING CAN BE ALLOCATED BY OUR IVORY TOWER US CONGRESS !

ANYONE INTERESTED CAN GOOGLE OR YAHOO GERRY SPENCE ON THE WWW FOR MANY OTHER ENLIGHTENING HONEST ARTICLES.

TROY DAVIS, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT AMERICA IS NOT THE OLD SOUTH ~ AFRICA !

A $TATE ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OF GEORGIA INTERNATIONALLY WILL OBVIOU$LY BE THE END RE$ULT OF GEORGIA DECIDING TO MURDER A PO$$IBLE INNOCENT TROY DAVI$ WITHOUT A NEW AND FAIR TRIAL ?

US CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO LAWYERS BY TRADE, CONTINUE TO DENY poorer AMERICAN'S PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION !!!

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BEGIN A FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO THESE US CONGRESSIONAL CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BEING INFLICTED ON poorer AMERICAN'S LIKE MR.TROY DAVIS OF GEORGIA !!!

HAVING BEEN DENIED APPEAL LAWYERS FOR THREE YEARS ON DEATH ROW IN GEORGIA MR. TROY DAVIS IS NOW BEING EXECUTED FOR A CRIME HE MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN INVOLVED WITH !!!

SENATOR OBAMA PLEASE LET THIS COUNTRIES VOTERS KNOW YOUR FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT A NEEDED FUTURE REPAIR AND RENOVATION OF OUR BROKEN JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT CONTINUES TO ALLOW THE EXECUTION'S OF EVEN POSSIBLE INNOCENT AMERICAN’S LIKE TROY DAVIS OF GEORGIA ?????

BEING THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SENATOR OBAMA, DON'T WE NEED AS THE LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD TO BEGIN ONCE AGAIN TO RE-INVEST THE PROPER MONIE$ IN OUR OWN US JUDICIAL SYSTEM, ASSURING ALL OF OUR CITIZENS THEIR RIGHTS TO FAIR TRIALS WITH PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION ???

DOES GOD NEED TO LOBBY OUR US CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD ON BEHALF OF OUR poorer american’s SENATOR OBAMA,OR ARE YOU WATCHING OUT FOR THEM ??

***OUR US CONGRESS CONTINUES TO DENY MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION EVEN THOUGH WRONGFUL EXECUTIONS & FALSE INCARCERATIONS CONTINUE ALL ACROSS AMERICA ???

*** 700 BILLION $$$ AVAILABLE FOR US BAILOUT, & NO $$$ FOR ALL POORER AMERICANS PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION ? SENATOR OBAMA, THIS JUDICIAL INJUSTICE HAS BECOME AN AMERICAN ART FORM, AND NO LONGER CAN BE KEPT HIDDEN OR SECRET FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EVEN IF CERTAIN (501c3) U$ RELIGIOU$ LEADER$ HAVE BEEN $ILENCED ??

LETS ALL HOPE OUR MEDIA FRIENDS CONTINUE TO SHOW AN INTEREST IN REPORTING ON THIS AMERICAN HORROR FACING THESE (TENS OF THOUSANDS) FORGOTTEN AND TRAPPED POORER AMERICANS, AND HOW THIS PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER HANDLES THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE FACING AMERICA’S LATINO AND BLACK AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ????

WITH 80% OF THE BLACK AMERICAN VOTERS SAYING THEY SUPPORT SENATOR OBAMA IN THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, IT IS ONLY FAIR FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW PRIOR BEING ELECTED OUR NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HOW THIS DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TRULY FEELS ABOUT THIS AMERICAN JUDICIAL INJUSTICE CONTINUING TO INFLICT GRAVE HARM ON THE BLACK & LATINO AMERICAN FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE ??????

*** WHEN GOD’S FACE BECAME VERY RED *** THE US SUPREME COURT GAVE ENEMY COMBATANTS FEDERAL APPEAL HC RIGHTS LAWYERS AND PROPER ACCESS TO US FEDERAL COURTS,AND POORER AMERICANS (MANY EVEN ON DEATH ROW) ARE DENIED PROPER FEDERAL APPEAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO OUR US FEDERAL COURTS OF APPEAL, AND ROTTING IN AMERICAN PRISONS NATIONWIDE ?????????

**** INNOCENT AMERICANS ARE DENIED REAL HC RIGHTS WITH THEIR FEDERAL APPEALS ! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE $LOWLY FINDING OUT HOW EA$Y IT I$ FOR MIDDLE CLA$$ AND WORKING POOR AMERICAN$ TO FALL VICTIM TO OUR U$ MONETARY JUDICIAL $Y$TEM.

****WHEN THE US INNOCENT WERE ABANDONED BY THE GUILTY **** The prison experts have reported that there are 100,000 innocent Americans currently being falsely imprisoned along with the 2,300,000 total US prison population nationwide.

***WHERE ARE AMERICA'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS ??????? Since our US Congress has never afforded poor prison inmates federal appeal legal counsel for their federal retrials,they have effectively closed the doors on these tens of thousands of innocent citizens ever being capable of possibly exonerating themselves to regain their freedom through being granted new retrials.

This same exact unjust situation was happening in our Southern States when poor and mostly uneducated Black Americans were being falsely imprisoned for endless decades without the needed educational skills to properly submit their own written federal trial appeals.

This devious and deceptive judicial process of making our poor and innocent prison inmates formulate and write their own federal appeal legal cases for possible retrials on their state criminal cases,is still in effect today even though everyone in our US judicial system knows that without proper legal representation, these tens of thousands of innocent prison inmates will be denied their rightful opportunities of ever being granted new trials from our federal appeal judges!!

Sadly, the true US *legal* Federal Appeal situation that occurs when any of our uneducated American prison inmates are forced to attempt to submit their own written Federal Appeals (from our prisons nationwide) without the assistance of proper legal counsel, is that they all are in reality being denied their legitimate rights for Habeas Corpus with our US FEDERAL COURTS and will win any future Supreme Court Case concerning this injustice!

For our judicial system and our US Congressional Leaders Of The Free World to continue to pretend that this is a real and fair opportunity for our American Middle Class and Working Poor Citizens, only delays the very needed future change of Federal Financing of all these Federal appeals becoming a normal formula of Our American judicial system.

It was not so very long ago that Public Defenders became a Reality in this country.Prior that legal reality taking place, their were also some who thought giving anyone charged with a crime a free lawyer was a waste of taxpayers $$.

This FACADE and HORROR of our Federal Appeal proce$$ is not worthy of the Greatest Country In The World! ***GREAT SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT PROTECT EVEN THEIR INNOCENT, BECOME THE GUILTY !

A MUST READ ABOUT AMERICAN INJUSTICE:
1) YAHOO 2) GOOGLE
(MANNY GONZALES THE KID THAT EVERYONE FORGOT IN THE CA PRISON SYSTEM.) ** A JUDICIAL RIDE OF ONES LIFE !

***Someone please tell our US Congress that the GED degree that Manny Gonzales acquired in prison is not a LAW DEGREE !!!!!!

lawyersforpooramericans@yahoo.com (424-247-2013)

I thought the most important part of the interview was when the conversation touched on the death of his son. He avoided this topic as if emotion would undermine his intellectual argument. Having watched this show for some time, and witnessed the parade of intellect, it has to beg the question at some point,why is there still such a division of opinion in the country? How can 'they' be so ignorant when such cogent arguments have been made over and over. It is exactly this artificial 'us' and 'them', 'democrats' and 'republicans' that is in such need of being bridged and dismantled. Intellectual arguments cannot bridge this divide, particularly when intellect is regarded as one of the defining characteristics separating these groups. Only by stepping back and coming to grips with reality can progress be made. In this case, highlighting the pain of the loss of a child is the common denominator to all of us as human beings. That is what can bring these groups together. It is the effort in this conversation and more widely by the government to sanitize the war which is preventing this realization.

George W. Bush’s sentence-by-sentence speaking skills are deteriorating. Apparently, this may be due to a mental illness called “presenile dementia.” Bush may or may not be secretly still drinking heavily. Bush lied, and thousands of people died. Bush suffers from narcissism and megalomania. Moreover, Bush has been arrested three times. Bush was arrested for disorderly conduct. Bush was arrested for stealing. Bush was also arrested for a serious crime—driving under the influence of alcohol. There are reasons to believe that Bush suffers from a learning disability. Bush’s learning disability would explain a lot of things. All in all, Bush is a severely mentally ill individual. Bush is not fit to be the president of the United States.

Bush should be locked up.

Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA

Bill, the one reason to exist for these parties is that they claim they vet the candidate. The witless wonder that currently occupies the White House was an example of the best choice that the republican party came up with not once, but twice. Why would anyone of intelligence buy that the current choice of the republican masters be any different. The behavior characteristics of Bush that have led to this political and economic disaster were there for any 1st year psychology student to see. The Republican masters chose him because of exactly what he was. Anyone associating themselves with this party must accept their values; that includes McCain. Why would the American people go back to the well that has so poisoned us yet again. Think America for God's sake this is absolutely your last chance to do a turn around. "If you want more of the same, vote mcCain. If you want even a chance for change vote Obama.

When George Bush the Elder selected Dan Quayle for VP I noted that this was done as impeachment insurance. Any possible action by Congress to investigate George's role in the Iran Contra affair swiftly evaporated.

So now I understand the selection of Palin.

The next questions are: (1) What is John McCain planning? (2) Can we anticipate continuation of the Bush imperial presidency?

Where in the hell was the broadcast. The presidential debates cleared Oregon Public Broadcasting; but cleared it in such a way that the Bill Moyers journal was postponed until this week which was the Financial crisis; and not Bacevich at all.

I disagree with conservative politics but don't disagree with Bacevich's analysis of our democracy today. The American citizenry does a piss-poor job of examining itself and looking inward to identify those problems which contribute to the decline of this country's democracy. We (American electorate) are arrogant and the republican party champions and channels this arrogance to the detriment of the planet. The absence of humility in American politics is felt more now than ever before. I do not believe that Obama would become an imperial president as Bacevich fears. Obama is an intellectual (unlike our current plebeian and imperious president) and more a philosophical statesman. He is a far cry from what the republicans offer which is nothing but more war and fear. The republican party is so bereft of any wisdom so much like a good portion of the American electorate. In my studies of American history, I've come to the conclusion that the American electorate learned nothing from Vietnam and if weren't for the disdain of history so amply shown by our current president (and supported by the ignorant and arrogant electorate) we would never have found ourselves in the mess that we are in today. Surely a Gore presidency would never have invaded Iraq! Alas, the republican party has heightened a state of war, fear and constant emergency in this country and the American electorate never seems to tire of it. Or does it? Will electing Obama actually change the climate of fear and war in this country?? Congress is an abject failure of a democratic institution and I believe the constitution as written on paper is so far removed from reality today that it begs for the calling of a new constitutional convention to redesign our "democratic" government. For starters, adopting a partliamentary style of government as exemplified by Great Britain would be a great start. Forcing a president to defend his decisions in front of a congress that consistently demands that their president argue and defend his position and if he or she is incapable of doing that, then he can be voted out of office via a lack of confidence of vote. I could go and on but democracy in the United States is a joke and our constitution is a joke as it is implemented today. The United States will always remain a democratic "experiment" but a far cry from democracy itself.

I disagree with conservative politics but don't disagree with Bacevich's analysis of our democracy today. The American citizenry does a piss-poor job of examining itself and looking inward to identify those problems which contribute to the decline of this country's democracy. We (American electorate) are arrogant and the republican party champions and channels this arrogance to the detriment of the planet. The absence of humility in American politics is felt more now than ever before. I do not believe that Obama would become an imperial president as Bacevich fears. Obama is an intellectual (unlike our current plebeian president) and more a philosophical statesman. He is a far cry from what the republicans offer which is nothing but more war and fear. The republican party is so bereft of any wisdom so much like a good portion of the American electorate. In my studies of American history, I've come to the conclusion that the American electorate learned nothing from Vietnam and if weren't for the disdain of history so amply shown by our current president (and supported by the ignorant and arrogant electorate) we would never have found ourselves in the mess that we are in today. Surely a Gore presidency would never have invaded Iraq! Alas, the republican party has heightened a state of war, fear and constant emergency in this country and the American electorate never seems to tire of it. Or does it? Will electing Obama actually change the climate of fear and war in this country?? Congress is an abject failure of a democratic institution and I believe the constitution as written on paper is so far removed from reality today that it begs for the calling of a new constitutional convention to redesign our "democratic" government. For starters, adopting a partliamentary style of government as exemplified by Great Britain would be a great start. Forcing a president to defend his decisions in front of a congress that consistently demands that their president argue and defend his position and if he or she is incapable of doing that, then he can be voted out of office via a lack of confidence of vote. I could go and on but democracy in the United States is a joke and our constitution is a joke as it is implemented today. The United States will always remain a democratic "experiment" but a far cry from democracy itself.

The only reasons the "President" has become so imperious are (1) we allowed the Installation (not the Election) of an Imperious and intemperate man, (2) Congress has totally abdicated its responsibilities.

The Democrats could have stopped the war cold by defunding it, but were afraid of propaganda retaliation by the Right. They'd rather get re-elected than do the right thing. So if the President is a Thug and Congress won't stand up to him, then you get what we have gotten: a march toward Authoritarianism with a Supreme Leader (whose Crimes are Not Crimes), and NO APOLOGIES FOR THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY.

Read David Brock's "The Republican Noise Machine" and read John W. Dean's "Conservatives without Conscience". See the bibiography under references at whatiwanttoknow.org.

When "they" say they need another war, you tell them: PROVE IT, with ALL THE EVIDENCE. Otherwise WE'LL IMPEACH YOU FOR WAR CRIMES. Even just threatening Iran is a crime under International Law.

Tired of the propaganda...

Believe it or not, economics is based on trust and fidelity not gold in the ground. Our ten trillion dollar debt proves that the size of the numbers has nothing to do with the function of the economy. As long as we can project the debt to the future and maintain faith in the system; the size of the numbers is insignificant.
What does matter is efficient use of numbers to provide the equitable distribution of goods and services, the maintenance of society and the development of progress.
What we need to know is both the value of everything and the right cost for everything. Economics is a dynamic system and has to be projected to the future.
People need sufficient numbers to support their lifestyle just as government and industry need sufficient numbers to survive. The trick is allowing the economic system to work automatic as required and have numbers available to enhance the economic system.

Bacevich actually points out the psychological and spiritual dilemma facing the American people, though remaining politically, militarily and governmentally focussed. The tendency to blame the outside for our own interior difficulty is the paychological function of projection and denial. We resemble the Roman Empire as it was falling, busy indulging our vices, being entertained while people are fed to the lions (media), inept self-serving government (though there are genuine public servants in government). All empires are doomed to rise and fall, ours is falling. The question is how will we fall? Do we have the capacity to stop and look at ourselves and make different choices? It is demanded of us.

When we became the industrialize "teeming masses", when we were defeated by assasinations and liars in the White House, we masses became disenfranchised, disempowered. The actual fact that we are inextricably interconnected and that everything each one of us does affects everything and everyone else. This is known to us scientifically, ecologically, and from the mystical reality.

This economic crises is our second wake up call in a decade. As Congressman Kucinich said, "Wake Up America!" I don't know who to give the credit to, but someone said, "Democracy is advanced citizenship." We have an incredible opportunity now to stop behaving like Romans, fat, bloated pac man consumers believing it's our right to do whatever we want regardless of the cost, eating our peeled for us grapes flown in from Chile in the off season picked by field workers earning 10 dollars a day. How much oil does it take to get grapes to the US from Chile? How much does it cost to make a fruit supplier rich while exploiting people all over the planet?

Our power also lies in our consumer dollars, since that's all we're valued for, so what if we became smart consumers, lived more simply? What if we stopped gobbling up everything in sight? What if we really recognized that every single choice we make impacts the whole system? What if we realized that a little soul searching is good for everyone? What if we each actually took responsiblity for the situation we're in and decided to change the way we participate? Hmmm.

We're an ingenious delightful people. I really like Americans even the ones I disagree with heartily, resilient and resourceful and caring. What it means to be an American needs to be redifined. We have to recognize that to be a consumer society is an insult. Our happiness is not to be found through our consumption, our buying or crediting power, that's empty and it's destroying everything we ought to be holding dear. This country is really extraordinary. As Obama pointed out, we used to stand for something in the world, we used to provide people hope for the safety of having rights to speak freely (without wire tapping), to worship freely, to be able to protest, to get justice, not to be dominated by an ideology but to find one's own way.

We have to hold politicians accountable and PAY ATTENTION. When the rhetoric that they use to get elected is NOT what they do, they're OUT! We have to stop being manipulated by Rasputin like marketers who tell us what we want to hear while doing whatever they please. Remember that "ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS?" This is the huge problems the Republicans face. They talked a good game, they didn't deliver, and we the people not only let them get away with it, we got our greedy guts filled with the proceeds. The time has come to pay, not the fat cats, but the price. The consequences of our "buy now pay later" attitudes have come to pass.

As a person whose lived on the edge, whose credit rating is awful, I can tell you it's possible to live a fulfilled and happy life with very little ... it's probably more likely. Do more with less, need less, consume less, pay attention, know each person is an integral essential part of the whole, what we do matters.

The American Dream got hijacked by those who wanted money and power, it's not about being a billionaire and having a bunch of stuff. It's about the freedom to live a fulfilled life making a contribution not an empty life of endless consumption. We have always been at our best when participating in something larger than ourselves. We're all a part of a great experiment of mythological proportions: Can people effectively govern themselves? Freedom is not being free to indulge, it's great responsibility, it's being responsive to something larger than ourselves in every moment: society, country, community, planet, and/or whatever you may believe is the source and cause of all life. Who we are, how we live out our deepest held values is how change occurs. Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." We have to stop letting ourselves off the hook. It's probably never been more important AND it's exactly how we come to be leaders in the world again, gain the respect of people. It means hard work, helping out one another, less comsumption of entertainment in isolation, more participation in whatever makes the world a little better, even in the smallest way. The only way a better tomorrow can dawn is by what each of us does right now. May we make informed compassionate choices.

Bill, as courageous as you, why not invite Ralph Nader?

His excellent interview 9/30
http://www.votenader.org/live/

Two points:
1) The Democrats were elected in 2006 to end the war, but they had only a simple majority and could not override the Presidential veto or a filibuster. I believe Bill Moyers should have pursued that issue when Bacevich said that the Democrats had failed.

2) Obama will NOT be an imperial president, he LEADS (not rules) by concensus.

Most of what Bacevich says is very insightful, but he clearly shows his Conservative bias on these two points. It is most unfortunate, because it limits how much the full spectrum of Americans will listen to him.

Absolutely incredible! I have never heard so much truth laid out in such a short time. There will be many who can't look in the mirror and honestly assess themselves and what they want vs. what they need. I needed to hear that someone out there understands what is really wrong with this country on so many levels.

In my family's house there is a mirror in the kitchen over the sink that I would notice my dad staring into on occasion. As I grew up there I watched how I matured day-to-day in that mirror as I passed through the kitchen. Then one day I came to realize that dad wasn't looking at his face, he was looking at his self and asking: "Am I who I need to be?" "Am I doing what needs to be done?" "Am I right or wrong?" I knew it because at that moment I started asking myself the same questions.

Hearing that interview w/ Mr. Bacevich speaking about the state of the populace of the United States just rang through so true to me and should inspire Americans to take a good hard look in the mirror too.

This was a profound interview. I will read the Col. B's book! I viewed Bill M's interview the day the Dow dipped 777 points. I think the interview and a long "look in the mirror" provided the most significant reason to panic...

It's very hard for us to hear that we, the American people, for various reasons, are a part of a systemic problem. Hyper-Consumption, entitlement, international arrogance, corporate hegemony etc...
Col Bacevich, (who lost a son to the wasteful needless Iraq war) with his incredibly well-spoken, thoughtful discourse, has given us a much needed kick in the ass toward realization. The fundamental point that change won't happen unless we actually stand up and do something will not go away. If we can bare to listen we will be well instructed.

That unrealistic sense of entitlement that we Americans feel (connecting back in history to the "Promised land theology" and Manifest destiny,) has led us to believe that it's ok to spend our resources like mad, (oil, food, land, forests, lives of soldiers) that it's ok to send the kids to war to defend some abstract notion of "National Security". We don't have a grasp of history and our relation to it, so Americans have little idea how not to behave with the flare of entitled adolescents.
This interview, Moyers and Bacevich knocked me over. In a media world full of fluffy pundits and mediocre intellects, the combination of these two intense thinkers was greatly rewarding even as it brought me to tears. Thank You PBS and Bill Moyers!

America LISTEN!

Well said.. totally agree with Bacevich.

Bacevich's facts are true, but his interpretation of those facts, no matter how plausible, is conjectural. Rather than cheerlead for Bacevich, Mr. Moyers might have offered alternative plausible interpretations. That is, Moyers might have been scientific rather than uncritical. Are the politicians just giving the American people what they want, as Bacevich claims, or are they, along with the big corporations, manipulating the people to want what they want? Why? Because by hyper-growing GDP, the government can get away with unheard of debt, and the corporations make unheard of profits. While the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, Bacevich blames the victim.

Great show....refreshing...so true.
What about saving the struggeling homeowners that were conned into these risky loans, and fine the originators. Investors that took out more than one of these loans are on their own!! To get the money for the refinancing, offer bonds or notes paying a good interest, tax free, up to 150,000.00 per taxpayer, to us taxpayers as a safe place to invest our retirements.
Who is going to put up the money for the 700 billion dollar loan? At what interest? Let the people of the United States invest in them.
Then clean up the mess....let the hedgefunds finance wall street.
A real campaign finance reform bill would help too!

Petition against Wall Street Bailout at http://www.nowallstreetbailout.com/ (as shown on C-SPAN's Washington Journal program on Sunday, September 28, 2008).

By the way, 60 Minutes interviewed the Treasury Secretary and stated that he's worth $500 Million. Care to guess who's behind he's trying to cover? He cannot be there for the fame or the money, so I can only surmise that he's there for the Have's to take from the Have Nots.

What a tragedy for the American citizen...

Vince Wilyard,
Thanks for the comprehensive post.
I think we have an unresponsive government that is going to self-destruct no matter how many buses we stuff.
We are all in the same bus going down the same road and it will take a major change of route to get to where we want to go.
We need to regain control of the government by the people. It will be necessary to wean the government of industrial control. It will be necessary to remove lobby ists from congress and use government funds to support elections. Candidates will be only those who are qualified to lead this country successfully. We can not afford more incompetent leadership. The citizens will have to curb their appetites and behave responsibly. Economics will have to be based on the efficient exchange of goods and services with both a trickle down and a trickle up economy to maintain both buying power and selling power. We need to regain truthful communications and moral principle consistent with people's best interests.
These things would be consistent with the welfare of industry and the welfare of citizens.
The alternative is death and destruction.

There are some thing I agree with Mr Bacevich with and some things I don't. For instance on an Armed Forces "draft". I absolutly believe that we should have one. For one, what we have now is a merceny army that is serving the power interests, money and power wise in America. It's an abomination what Bush and company have done to theseour brother and sister Americans and their familys. If our system was a mandatory draft,where the congressman and women could have their children called up as well, they might think a little harder before "approving a war". Furtheremore, even the Vietnam conflict I believe the resistance to men wanting to go to what appeared " and rightly so" to a senseless conflict-seems kinda similar to what we have now in IRAQ, was able to finally shut down the war. There is no such safety valve in the current mercenary situation. And let me tell you mercy is what these poor son of a guns of our soldiers are going to need, now and in the immediate future. This is only one area which I disagree with Mr B., there are many other ones but I take it in the future one at a time.

I do agree with the assessment in part because he addresses the problem for the most part.

The materialism and self centered or greed approach to America was a lament made even made by the founders because of the wide spectrum of the so-called Christian values.

The lament was the Christian traditional values that allowed the free thinking and free will of man to fluctuate or 'sin' on these values. The lament in detail was the justice for all and how to attain it.

Many of the country's leaders wrote or voiced this sentiment. Lincoln was strong on this lament and for one on the Dread Scot decision.

There was always a check and balance that let the America sway back and forth or traditionally mediated from the wrong interpretations of either side. It was not until the 20th century when the Warren Court threw out precedent and put feelings and psychology into the legal system thereby offsetting the balance and sway of the court.

You see this in the change from the pseudo Christian America to the secular or humanist values we have today. Mediation of the values was one sided and made truly neutral to allow values to be redefined to any ones' even evil values that seek to destroy.

This change and humanist occupied government was noted and explained by many of the traditional value organizations but they were ridiculed because of this sway of power and the materialistic attitude of the boomer generation. These of the Me generation powered with humanist psychology able to persuade the America through the courts to redefine these values.

The pseudo Christian America faded away, there was a brief wake up during the moral majority years but they went to snooze thereafter and put asleep in the 90s.

This change in America was incremental steps that started from the justice system allowing the liberalization of the American way of life.

The pseudo Christian America allowed a true melting pot of persons that came here like the legal immigrants before them to be part of the melting pot and not the hyphenated diverse and segmented societies we have now in America.

That is one reason that supports with Bacevich's statements that only part of America is fighting this so called global war that was created by an imperialistic government.

I disagree with him about SEATO treaty of RVN and his assessment that the Reagan Administration is part of the imperialistic government.

There are fine defining lines that separate actions that are in support of the Constitution and self interests.

We had since WWI an agricultural industrial commercial military complex that was converted to a military industrial complex that changed in the latter half of the 20th century, but these are issues that contribute to the topic because as Bacevich stated a multifaceted complex scenario. To the point it is the matter of right and wrong and who defines it. When traditional values are almost illegal and we have a humanist occupied government, it is those in power that have the pharaohs of justice able to redefine actions to fit their needs.

It will take many years to correct our situation and it is not the need of change, but the need to restore the traditional moral values this country espoused and maintained prior to the secular psychological rulings that destroyed the American melting pot.

Grady, about that march on Washington on 1-20-2009. How about this: A One Million Bus Convoy on Washington on that "special" day. Realistically we could probably get hundreds of busses into Washington D.C. if we were lucky. This would send a clear message that "We the People" are expecting real change and reforms, and quite quickly I might add.

To everyone posting and reading, I would like to posit a scenario that we would not like to find ourselves a part of in the next few years.

Multi-national banks dominating and manipulating our currency. Remember Germany when their money became worthless? Who came to power? Why? Once Germany fell into deep depression its people became desperate. They were willing to do anything to restore their national prominence, power, and wealth. They did just that. But their economy was based on a Military-Industrial Complex. This complex fueled a resurgence of capitalism controlled by industrialization vis a vis militarization. But it got people working again. They picked a scapegoat for their problems, and they started invading other countries.

Does anyone see or understand the parallels in our current set of dilemmas. We have a weakened currency due to an every expanding debt. Hubris has put us into over one hundred countries. Overconsumption has pushed our reliance on foreign energy sources to dangerously addictive levels. We have a presidential candidate who keeps pushing the same kind of fear mongering his current party leader in office has been helping to fuel through bad foreign policy.

We have no national security reason to be in Georgia. None. We have no national security reason to be in Iraq. None. So called "islamo-facists" have become the "greedy Jews" of our time. They have become the scapegoat / diversion to / from our foreign policy of interference in the name of "national interest". Iraq and Afghanistan are not the 51st and 52nd states my fellow Americans.

However, the saber rattling continues from the white house on through to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, private and personal finances continue to weaken. Banks, businesses, and institutions are failing on a regular basis. How long will it take before our currency is depressed to the point that is virtually worthless? Then it won't matter how much you earn. If people are perpetually working, then they have no time to question how we got to this point, never mind how we can change course.

Should our system go bankrupt, who would we turn to for leadership and guidance? When we cease to be a self-sufficient nation, who will manufacture our goods, grow our food, and build the arms necessary to defend ourselves as a free and united people?

So what am I getting at? Suppose that our system should fail. Then what? Who do we blame? Do we start blaming bogeymen in caves? Do we start blaming tyrants in Asia? That would be convenient, now wouldn't it? Then we could then justify building and basing our economy once again on a military-industrial system of capitalism. Who would complain? People would be working. A new currency would be invented to ensure the flow of goods, services, and of course arms manufacture to "defend our freedom". It would once again be patriotic to "go shopping", right? Fuel the economy while those in charge go get the "evil doers".

Does this read to be scary? It should. I hope that I am wrong. Unfortunately, corrupt governments always seem to find a way to convince the citizenry that those in charge are indispensable. Propaganda is strong even today. Now we must bail out faulty financial institutions while billionaires hide their windfall profits in foreign banks. And now the government, not the people, thinks that the only way to get this system back up and running again is to pump 3/4 of a TRILLION dollars into a system of finances so far removed from reality that it boggles the mind. But that is the point. By the time enough people figure out what went wrong, what is wrong, and what the real solutions are, the real criminals are back at the their schemes in some other form.

Free and responsible people do not need leaders. Leaders are for dictatorships and monarchies, two systems of government that our way of life is diametrically opposed to in every way imaginable. Those of us voting for other candidates hope to push those who claim to offer change in the just and ethical direction; because the other main campaign / philosophy seems to be on a one-way path to self-destruction.

I look forward to a meaningful reply.

Vince

Grady, about that march on Washington on 1-20-2009. How about this: A One Million Bus Convoy on Washington on that "special" day. Realistically we could probably get hundreds of busses into Washington D.C. if we were lucky. This would send a clear message that "We the People" are expecting real change and reforms, and quite quickly I might add.

To everyone posting and reading, I would like to posit a scenario that we would not like to find ourselves a part of in the next few years.

Multi-national banks dominating and manipulating our currency. Remember Germany when their money became worthless? Who came to power? Why? Once Germany fell into deep depression its people became desperate. They were willing to do anything to restore their national prominence, power, and wealth. They did just that. But their economy was based on a Military-Industrial Complex. This complex fueled a resurgence of capitalism controlled by industrialization vis a vis militarization. But it got people working again. They picked a scapegoat for their problems, and they started invading other countries.

Does anyone see or understand the parallels in our current set of dilemmas. We have a weakened currency due to an every expanding debt. Hubris has put us into over one hundred countries. Overconsumption has pushed our reliance on foreign energy sources to dangerously addictive levels. We have a presidential candidate who keeps pushing the same kind of fear mongering his current party leader in office has been helping to fuel through bad foreign policy.

We have no national security reason to be in Georgia. None. We have no national security reason to be in Iraq. None. So called "islamo-facists" have become the "greedy Jews" of our time. They have become the scapegoat / diversion to / from our foreign policy of interference in the name of "national interest". Iraq and Afghanistan are not the 51st and 52nd states my fellow Americans.

However, the saber rattling continues from the white house on through to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, private and personal finances continue to weaken. Banks, businesses, and institutions are failing on a regular basis. How long will it take before our currency is depressed to the point that is virtually worthless? Then it won't matter how much you earn. If people are perpetually working, then they have no time to question how we got to this point, never mind how we can change course.

Should our system go bankrupt, who would we turn to for leadership and guidance? When we cease to be a self-sufficient nation, who will manufacture our goods, grow our food, and build the arms necessary to defend ourselves as a free and united people?

So what am I getting at? Suppose that our system should fail. Then what? Who do we blame? Do we start blaming bogeymen in caves? Do we start blaming tyrants in Asia? That would be convenient, now wouldn't it? Then we could then justify building and basing our economy once again on a military-industrial system of capitalism. Who would complain? People would be working. A new currency would be invented to ensure the flow of goods, services, and of course arms manufacture to "defend our freedom". It would once again be patriotic to "go shopping", right? Fuel the economy while those in charge go get the "evil doers".

Does this read to be scary? It should. I hope that I am wrong. Unfortunately, corrupt governments always seem to find a way to convince the citizenry that those in charge are indispensable. Propaganda is strong even today. Now we must bail out faulty financial institutions while billionaires hide their windfall profits in foreign banks. And now the government, not the people, thinks that the only way to get this system back up and running again is to pump 3/4 of a TRILLION dollars into a system of finances so far removed from reality that it boggles the mind. But that is the point. By the time enough people figure out what went wrong, what is wrong, and what the real solutions are, the real criminals are back at the their schemes in some other form.

Free and responsible people do not need leaders. Leaders are for dictatorships and monarchies, two systems of government that our way of life is diametrically opposed to in every way imaginable. Those of us voting for other candidates hope to push those who claim to offer change in the just and ethical direction; because the other main campaign / philosophy seems to be on a one-way path to self-destruction.

I look forward to a meaningful reply.

Vince

A friend of mine once observed that the major Western cultural developments of the last few hundred years could be said to be religious democracy (epitomized by the Protestant reformation), followed by political democracy (epitomized by the establishment of the United States). If we continue this line of thought, then it is somewhat logical to conclude that the major challenge of our times is the establishment of economic democracy. The international imbalance of wealth between rich individuals and poor indiviiduals, between rich countries and poor countries, is practically beyond comprehension. If we address this issue, then many-- though not all-- of the corollary issues that have to do with trade, international debt, health care, education, racism and sexism will also be addressed.
The other major issue is the environment. We have seen recent, convincing evidence that the issues of economic democracy and environmental sustainability are the two biggest issues of our time. They are the ones that I would most like to see our leadership address. Currently the United States spearheads the problem in both of these areas; the question is, whether we can lead the world to solutions.

A draft is needed if we continue our current course. We are on a collision course with Russia over the Ukraine.
I agree with Bacevich that we do not need more troops but wiser foreign policy. Our Navy and Air Force are bigger than the Army can support. They could certainly attack Russia or China and do great damage, but boots on the ground is always needed.Then we could talk about MAD (mutual assured destruction). The size of our Air Force and Navy grew during Vietnam due to draft avoidance. I know people today that say they would rejoin Air Force or Navy but where turned down. I asked "did you try the Army", (after a few chuckles from bystanders) silence was the response.
The way to end temptation to flex military might is to reduce the Navy and Air Force drastically. The use of military force will be or undoing. We are not defending freedom we are imposing it and that is not freedom at all. This is tragic, I will guarantee that the Russian and Chinese will defend themselves with the same zeal we would.
I will end with his comments on the 1st Gulf War
"Politically, and strategically, the outcome of that war was far more ambiguous than people appreciated at the time. But nonetheless, the war itself was advertised as this great success, demonstrating that a new American way of war had been developed, and that this new American way of war held the promise of enabling the United States to exercise military dominion on a global basis in ways that the world had never seen.

The people in the Pentagon had developed a phrase to describe this. They called it, "full spectrum dominance." Meaning, that the United States was going to exercise dominance, not just capability, dominance across the full spectrum of warfare. And this became the center of the way that the military advertised its capabilities in the 1990s. That was fraud. That was fraudulent.

To claim that the United States military could demonstrate that kind of dominance flew in the face of all of history and in many respects, set us up for how the Bush Administration was going to respond to 9/11. Because if you believed that United States military was utterly unstoppable, then it became kind of plausible to imagine that the appropriate response to 9/11 was to embark upon this global war to transform the greater Middle East. Had the generals been more cognoscente of the history of war, and of the nature of war, then they might have been in a better position to argue to Mr. Rumsfeld, then the Secretary of Defense, or to the President himself, "Be careful." "Don't plunge ahead." Recognize that force has utility, but that utility is actually quite limited. Recognize that when we go to war, almost inevitably, there are going to be unanticipated consequences. And they're not going to be happy ones.

Above all, recognize that, when you go to war, it's unlikely there's a neat tidy solution. It's far more likely that the bill that the nation is going to pay in lives and in dollars is going to be a monumental one. My problem with the generals is that, with certain exceptions, one could name as General Shinseki, with certain exceptions-" Andrew Bacevich

Mr McCain listen to this West Point Grad, I bet he paid attention in class. You should have tried it. Jimmy Carter represented the Naval Academy well. Do the same!

I thought after writing my last that a political party formed to implement my list of six changes could accommodate both John Edwards and Andrew Bacevich.

However, there is a need for a larger goal which is to focus on fairness, whether in making changes on my list or any other part of our system. What I consider to be fair includes both fair concern for the less fortunate and fair reward for hard effort, risk taking, and talent.

Re John Edwards
(I am assuming it is the well known John Edwards.)
Might I suggest that your list is too long. It could be covered with a shorter list of more basic principles. Then we could concentrate on a few new laws that might be more carefully considered.

My list includes: (1)ending our attempt to dominate other countries, (2)educating our people so they are sensible voters and thus making democracy feasible, (3)ending corruption in government, (4)keeping religion out of government and government out of religion based issues, (5)providing for basic needs of everyone, and (6)re-establishing an industrial system.

Most of these are self explanatory, but the last one opens a number of complicated issues. Many of us have different ideas on these. Some proposals that seem to be technically sound do not seem so good when they are looked at closely. But if the other five basic principles are tended to, then we have a good chance of getting the new system we need.

Some examples of well intentioned acts that have been, or will turn out to be, mistakes: (1)Using our agricultural capacity to make ethanol as fuel for very inefficient vehicles. (2)Financing the auto industry to re-tool to make what they tell us are efficient hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles, where it appears that the plug-in craze is mostly going to end up in shifting from oil to coal as the fuel source, and again, the guzzling goes on.

Thanks for reading my thoughts.
Best regards, Jim Bullis

Andrew Basevich has an understanding and insight into the current state of affairs in the United States which exceeds by light years that of the two current candidates for President. The solution would encompass a grass routes effort via the internet to name Mr. Basevich as a write-in for the office of President of the United States of America. This effort would be predicated on two preconditions. First would Mr. Basevich be willing to serve. The second is how many states have a position on the ballot for a write-in candidate. What say you Mr. Basevich?

Any experts out there with the knowledge to answer the second question?

Petition against Wall Street Bailout at http://www.nowallstreetbailout.com/

First, I was surprised and amazed that I agreed with almost everything Mr. Bacevich asserted. Maybe my efforts to be independent objective are finally paying off..

Here's my take on the current situation:

Bush and Wall St. want a "top-down" solution, as ever. What is needed is a "bottom-up" fix. The big boys have problems w/ loan defaults. People are loosing their houses. Help those people who are deserving pay their mortgages and big boys' problem will go away.

Give people jobs, education, health care. Then they will be able to afford their mortgages. Fix the infrastructure and give people jobs in the process. Invest in America. Invest in education. Infrastructure, jobs, education, health care are all investments that will provide valuable returns both to individuals and society.

End the war. NOW!

Go full ahead with solar based energy - it's the only resource that will still be available in 300+ years, in 1000+ years. Every penny we invest now will return many many times over after a few hundred years. Plus, solar can become cleanest most sustainable energy source available, if it's ever adequately funded...

The problem with solar is it is egalitarian - the sun shines on everybody. The opportunity for Big Money to make Big Profits (like the oil companies are doing) by controlling the supply doesn't exist.

Withholding education, energy, health care, credit, etc. and spiraling inflation is a tool used by those on top to keep those at the bottom of the economic pyramid there forever.

Institute a plan to conserve valuable natural resources for future generations: Our children's children's children at minimum.

Do not reward the few big boys for screwing-up as astronomically as they have. Put it where it will do the greatest good for the greatest number.

The US needs a multi-party system where sensible people like Ralph Nader and Ron Paul can contribute and make a difference -- put and end to RepubliCrat totalitarianism!

Thanks for the opportunity to express myself!

Humbly Submitted for Your Consideration,

rj

The first thing we need to do is to select a panel of experts on social structure. The second thing we need to do is reconstruct our economics to support a quality life style for our people and to support our social structure. The third thing we need to do is put people to work reconstructing our infra-structure based on efficiency and quality life.
We also need to elect a vice-president who is an expert on social structure and put him in charge of running the country. Then we need to elect a popular president who can inspire good works.
The Judicial Branch should be free from politics and the Supreme Court Members voted in by the people.
Anything short of that will be a failure.

We have had to date two Bush's in the White House. One wonders if either knew there was a country out there...

The law is slow moving, almost glacial, but one wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of the glacier. We will need to wait 30 years for a correction.

I think it may be time to start a new political party. The country may be ready for this.
The party will need to appeal across the spectrum.
It would be 'Change with a Difference' and 'Yes, We Should!'
First we need to wait for Obama's victory in November, then begin a grassroot effort.
The platform might include:
No more foreign adventures
Energy independence by 2012
Regulatory control of credit policies
Respect for our freedoms
Reigning in of presidential powers
Educational initiatives re Choice
Discouraging Outsourcing abroad
Opening Dialogues w Foreign States
through finding common ground
Respect for Abortion Concerns
Support for Small Business
Labeling products re carbon emission
Health care for all
Overhaul of government waste
Promote international cooperation
on 'terror as criminal activity'
Promote local business/farming
Restore US as a moral leader
Insist on more international support
in Afghanistan
Insist on Iraqi govt assuming financial
and military responsibility with firm
timetable of withdrawal
Encourage EU expansion, not NATO,
for states near Russia
Convince Russia we mean peace
Stop increase in drilling for oil, unless
combined with rapid development of
alternative energies - not nuclear
Strengthen the UN
Stop adversarial international politics
Increase minimum wage
Encourage two-way trade, control
incoming flood of cheap goods
Support families and early childhood
education
Support gun ownership while
tightening control on automatic
weapons
Focus on hunger and homelessness in
in the US
Help inner city social problems
Fund speeded up security against
criminal terrorism - boost FBI

I'm curious how many people would join together to work out such a platform for a new party.
I'm ready to start something.
Thanks for reading this.
John

How about this?? Instead of being sworn in with a hand on a Bible the next President have his hand on Col. Baceivich's Book "The Imperial Presidency"? This could be and should be read and discussed like Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" in American pre-revolutionary era. Thanks again Bill Moyers for your intelligent, thoughtful and insightful interviews with the most lucid and interesting people. I am never disappointed but always engaged and become more curious. You are the best excuse for having a television set even if i still have an old black and white with tin foil on my rabbit ear antenna. PBS is all i need. Much Thanks.

Not only have we been asked not to sacrifice we are not involved at all. What percentage of the American people can find Iraq on the map? 5% 2% Quite sad.

My only criticism is with his notion that our government produces an economic system that reflects the desires of the people. To me that's similar to the old saying about people only wanting Model T Fords in the color black so that's all Ford produced.

It's not the people, but rather corporate America whose demands / desires are reflected in the economic system produced by our government.

Let's be honest it's all about money in D.C. Another name for it is bribery; you can buy what you want if you have enough money and know the right people. Who is it that's spending all that money in D.C.?? It's not "we the people"!

Most people I know would much rather do the right thing, and would prefer to do all the right things as a nation. We could march a million people to D.C. and it would be ignored by the government and the mainstream media.

Other than that I agreed with just about everything he had to say. Maybe he would make a great Secretary of Defense? Or head of the DOE?

Assuming (as you suggest) our current war to be misguided:
What motivates our youth to continue to support a volunteer military?
Why should this volunteerism be encouraged, supported, or rewarded?

In the Vietnam-era song "Christmas in my soul", the late, great singer/songwriter Laura Nyro sings: "I love my country as it dies in war and pain before my eyes." These lyrics came to mind upon reading some viewers' response to Professor Bacevich's trenchant and sobering analysis of where the United States finds itself today. Although Barack Obama is functioning within the current political and electoral structure, and is therefore its captive, I believe that if elected he has the insight, intention, and capacity to start to repair the damage. From Washington to Lincoln to FDR, a truly great president has appeared on the scene at a critical juncture every 64 to 68 years. Let's hope and pray the pattern holds.

My husband and I turned the channel to watch Bill Moyers and were so moved, by the conversation I had to post a comment. Mr. Bacevich is a man of intellect, a man of wisdom and genius. If both of the presidential candidates were to read this Mr. Bacevich's book it would change the whole debate and the whole election. I am now about to go and purchse the book and pass it on. I hope many people do the same. How blessed we are to have an American like Mr. Bacevich.

My husband and I turned the channel to watch Bill Moyers and were so moved, by the conversation I had to post a comment. Mr. Bacevich is a man of intellect, a man of wisdom and genius. If both of the presidential candidates were to read this Mr. Bacevich's book it would change the whole debate and the whole election. I am now about to go and purchse the book and pass it on. I hope many people do the same. How blessed we are to have an American like Mr. Bacevich.

Dear Mr. Bacevich and friends:
I am very grateful to find that there are indeed many American citizens who really can look at themselves honestly. For us, who observe you from outside, and have to work with you from within, often recognize the tacit traits, which were eloquently explicated by Mr. Bacevich. Every nation on the earth has a similar problem. Arrogance of entitlement, complacency, and narcissism, etc, frequently blinds us all with a façade of nationalism and patriotism. Frightening reality is that United States has been so big that her blindness has cost countless grievances in the world. The way American citizens vote for their leader always has its consequence, and especially for the last 8 years, we helplessly witnessed its repercussions with a horror. Freedom and Power necessitates Responsibility and Humility. I pray that every American citizen can find a courage and means to cultivate wisdom and understanding, so that the United States can be more responsible and humble to exercise her power and freedom.

Dear Mr. Bacevich and friends:
I am very grateful to find that there are indeed many American citizens who really can look at themselves honestly. For us, who observe you from outside, and have to work with you from within, often recognize the tacit traits, which were eloquently explicated by Mr. Bacevich. Every nation on the earth has a similar problem. Arrogance of entitlement, complacency, and narcissism, etc, frequently blinds us all with a façade of nationalism and patriotism. Frightening reality is that United States has been so big that her blindness has cost countless grievances in the world. The way American citizens vote for their leader always has its consequence, and especially for the last 8 years, we helplessly witnessed its repercussions with a horror. Freedom and Power necessitates Responsibility and Humility. I pray that every American citizen can find a courage and means to cultivate wisdom and understanding, so that the United States can be more responsible and humble to exercise her power and freedom.

Mr.Bacevich I was watching the debate last night,but got bored so I turned the channel to pbs,and the longer I listen the more I liked listening to you,and I have one question, why are you not running for president? you know more about what to do than the two that are running, and god help us all if either one of them get it. and that's one reason that I want be voting this year,because neither one has said anything that makes any sense but listening to you I think you have your head in the right place.So what do you say about running for president? Maybe there's still time to save this country.Please think about it. I would vote for you and so would alot of people,you can count on it. we're begging you to save us. thank you and may god have mercy on our souls.

The escalation and reward of Greed and consumption as moral endeavors in this country have induced a blind and mindless stupor that has made us forget where we came from and who we are. Like church and state - money and state need to be separate. Unless we face the mirror, and as individuals work to stop lobbyists, corporate contributions, PACS and other corrosive monetary influence, we will truly see the end of democracy.

Having watched last nights programme I have to admit Bacevich is right on more fronts than N.Americans would like to admit. There is not much can be done about a over exploited citizen who all their life has been told 'This is the Greatest Country' and 'You deserve all there is to get out of life' and 'Gov. should stay out of your business' and American corporations and military will rape, pillage and plunder other countries for the goods and services that N.Americans need to keep up this pretense. But, no one told N.Americans the ..vast corporate/political avarice... it would take to accomplish this.

Mr. Bacevich,
You are in great pain. I feel your pain. I to am in great pain. We live in a society that breeds pain. I love my country and I am blessed, but I fear it could end at any time. I don't want anyone to suffer, especially my children, family, and friends. I don't want to see one American, Human, or gods creations suffer needlessy. I'm sorry for your sons needless murder.

I believe there are simple solutions. But they require great sacrifice. Our biggest obstacle is us of course. As you stated, each of us must be willing to look in the mirror and accept our social mistakes. We live on this incredible planet that takes care of all of our needs, but most of us refuse to fulfill taking care of an internal need that we are obligated to fulfill: Returning the Favor. We are obligated to take take of our planet, but instead we turn our back on Mother Earth. This is the root of our pain. We must take care of our planet and all its living beings. WE MUST TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. What a crazy idea! It just might work?

Think of a tree and it's relationship to earth. The tree ask for some soil and water. In return the tree provides shelter, food, shade, purifies the air we all need, and gives life to countless species. In return it asks for some dirt and warter. Instead of modeling our own behaviors after the noble tree we instead try to slaughter the whole species.

We need to become part of our ecosystem instead of destroying all of our ecosystems.

We have the answers, we know what we must do to turn this world around. We must sacrifice our current lifestyles for the survival of life. For some this is great sacrifice. For others this is common sense. Can we meet in the middle?

WE MUST TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

Yes, I agree with his assessment. No, I don't believe we can fix it because government is merely a reflection of it's people. This country is devoid of any saving grace. We don't care about anything
but going shopping and if it comes from child slave labor, so be it. If this wasn't the case then how come Walmart is still in business? Where is the outrage? I rest my case. When I see a national boycott of Walmart then I'll believe there is hope for america.

Yes, I agree with his assessment. No, I don't believe we can fix it because government is merely a reflection of it's people. This country is devoid of any saving grace. We don't care about anything
but going shopping and if it comes from child slave labor, so be it. If this wasn't the case then how come Walmart is still in business? Where is the outrage? I rest my case. When I see a national boycott of Walmart then I'll believe there is hope for america.

A point Mr. Bacevich made about the imperial presidency being the people's choice rather than something imposed upon us really hit home. Earlier in the evening the BBC ran a short piece on the manner in which France operates its economy. There, you cannot employ a credit card to buy something you cannot afford. If you don't have the money in the bank, you cannot buy. Hence, France seems better able to withstand the shocks which are presently rippling through the markets.

This makes sense to me. I have always felt the onerous weight of debt, have never been able to wait till the end of the month to pay for things I want or need, so I have simply gone without. No credit cards for me. I don't point this out as a sign of superior wisdom - it has been a matter of reprieve from anxiety, and you can call me oldfashioned, antedeluvian even. Just the way I am. But in light of the inability of either presidential candidate last night to speak directly to us (and perhaps this was not the venue) about our profligacy, our personal, private or semiprivate profligacy, I would really like to see Mr. Moyers follow up on this point in future programs.

The American public needs to be weaned of its attitude towards ownership, because in a very real way that attitude extends and enlarges into an imperial attitude towards the world at large. And I think we are seeing that the world isn't going to put up with it much longer.

What each of us does in our own lives, in educating our children, will make a difference to the country we become as we deal with this crisis.

Great interview, Mr. Moyers.

After watching this interview, the previous presidential debate seemed such an exercise in futility.

Mr. Bacevich’s expressed thoughts that I'd been keeping supressed in the back of my mind. I have a sixteen and a twelve year old and these thoughts are frightening.

Everyone should by two of these books: one for yourself, and one for your congressional representative.

Mr. Bacevich, if you were to run for office, I would vote for you. Not that I think you're a savior of some sort. It's that one who speaks the truth and has sacrificed for his country as much as you have would be able to lead better than all "leader" I've yet seen.
May peace be with you and all of us.

Mr. Bacevich speaks the truth. I feel we live in a false economy that breeds materialism in the hopes we will stay content and docile and not disturb the aministration that rapes the world of its riches so the few can control the masses. We've been sold a bill of goods that is passed from one generation to the next. Who is truly happy! Its refreshing to know that someone gets it! The solution is: Stop settling for the BULL! We need to build our movement and unite all that understand that we cannot afford to continue this way of life or we will perish, or even worse be dominated. It is time for total sacrifice from all Americans if we want to preserve true freedom. Giving up our stupid, materialistic, toxic lifestyles is a responsiblity we must all share. Our time is here. Can we afford to wait any longer. It is time to clean house. Again, we need to make extreme sacrifices and endure these extremes for the survival of our beautiful country. Start with throuwing away your television, and then your car. Start riding a bicycle, and then plant a garden. Lead by example, clean thine house, and others will follow. There are no easy answers, but there are plenty of simple solutions if we are willing to sacrifice for beatiful America.

I'm no writer. Just a simple person willing to sacrifice. I want a society in which the basic core principle is: TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

Capitolism = Greed = Selfish = Evil = Painful Demise

Why can't we just take care of each other? Like a family takes care of each other. Like a team takes care of each other. Can society maintain if we don't learn to act as a community that cares for each other?

I repeat my comment here below from this repeat of an earlier broadcast since nothing has changed except we are now in the final throes of a dying United States Republic from its planned financial disintegration and final takeover of the government by the corporations. After exhaustive research and much critical thinking as to the truth of 9/11/2001 and reading the past issues and watching and listening to all of the videos and webcasts at http://www.larouchepac.org/
http://www.larouchepub.com/eirtoc/index.html
http://www.larouchepub.com/eiw/ I can only conclude our United States Republic as established by our founding fathers in order to get away from the tyranny of aristocratic and oligarchic Anglo-Dutch Liberal financial control through financial looting has this one last chance to survive IF We the People can force the Congress to force a bankruptcy onto the financiers rather than the financiers forcing the bankruptcy onto us by passing the Homeowners and Bank Protection Act of 2008 then establish a new world financial system with an FDR intended Bretton Woods Agreemeent even at the risk of Bush declaring matial law.

US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich has detailed the symptoms of the disease that has inflicted the Republic of The United States of America, however his recommendations only address and treat those symptoms rather than the disease itself.

Anyone who has opened there eyes and done their own research into the truth about the events of 9/11/2001 KNOWS 9/11 was not a surprise attack on America by Islamo-fascists, but an inside job orchestrated by fascist criminal elements inside the US government to justify the launching of continuing multiple wars throughout the globe. However, many if not most of those people refuse to talk about it openly for “political” reasons. Therefore, Iraq was not a mistake. Iraq was just one more well planned and executed “chaotic” step in the "right" direction of global empire building and eventually intended to lead to the ultimate demise of the Nation State including The United States of America whereby a small faction of global financial elites will ultimately rule the world from the top down and "democracy" will only exist for the very few at the top as it did in ancient Greece rather than for the majority of the people and for their "general welfare" as was intended for the latter by the founding fathers and stated in the Preamble of the US Constitution as follows:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The ONLY prescription for treating the disease that inflicts our republic and to preserve democracy as the founding fathers intended is rather quite simple however it's enactment quite bloody for the controlling fina