Since this BS with Ayres, (and the racket from the Nader peanut gallery) seems to be another one of those ‘here we go again’ moments, I thought this might be an interesting piece of history for all of us…

~~~
consortiumnews.com

How America Fell

By Robert Parry
October 14, 2008

As the American people pick through the wreckage left by the Bush administration, many may wonder how the most powerful nation on earth got so far off track. An illustrative case study is the bogus story of Al Gore’s “Chinagate” scandal.

The story doesn’t explain all that’s gone wrong in the past eight years, but it reveals how aggressive right-wing operatives, aided and abetted by a lazy or complicit news media, can create an impression for millions of voters that is nearly the opposite of the truth.

So, in the razor-thin presidential election of 2000 – at the dawn of the George W. Bush era – a significant number of Americans went to the polls believing a right-wing canard, that Al Gore was implicated in a treacherous scheme to trade American nuclear secrets to China for campaign cash.

The smear had been pushed by a combination of Republicans and right-wing activists relying on the Internet, talk radio, direct mail, Fox News and TV ads. Meanwhile, the mainstream news media did little to dispel the ugly suspicions, even though exculpatory evidence existed that would have cleared Gore.

A bitter irony of the story was that Americans, who voted against Gore to stop a “traitor” whom they thought had bargained away life-and-death nuclear secrets to China, were letting back in Republicans upon whose watch the nuclear secrets apparently were leaked.

Up had become down. The votes of those misguided Americans then helped make Election 2000 close enough for Bush and the Republicans to steal the White House. [For details on that election, see our book Neck Deep.]

Full story at the link

http://www.consortiumnews.com/Print/2008/101308.html

Gramma Concept,

Thanks so much for the link. I sent it on the kids, but I’m proud to say that they were already on it. THEY know what’s up, and they know what it’s gonna take to right the ship they plan to live in.

And so..the 6 year old says…Go BarakO!!!

.http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638

OBAMA TOP CONTRIBUTORS

” You gotta dance with the one who brung ya ”

Read this also…
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/07/hbc-90003343
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/05/america/bundlers.php

.

Unfortunately Mr. Obama does not possess the honesty that The Ayer’s possess.

Is he right that only by being dishonest can he win this election?

It is very disheartening to me every time I hear Professor Ayers’ name being used irresponsibly and out of context over this past year for the sole purpose of political gain.  Actions by The Weather Underground during the Vietnam War (a war at its height of atrocities committed by our government due to its involvement in the V. War) being taken out of context by Senator McCain and Governor Palin who are running for what is perceived to be the highest offices in our land is inexcusable to me. 

Many within our society do not care to know ‘the why’ of any given situation. President Bush announced after 9/11 that his administration would not look into “WHY” 9/11 took place, while he was sure to admonish the people of the land to go out and shop. 

I wonder what kind of uprising would take place if a large number of people understood the real reason why 9/11 took place and our own government’s complicity?  Actually, I had wondered why this attack took so long considering all the years that we have been raping, pillaging other countries in the name of democracy and enforcing our form of democracy when the voice of the people of that land did not fit our needs.

Without understanding the why of any situation we are willing participants in propaganda and will never be able to create a responsible and equitable government - domestically or internationally.

As far as Mr. Ayers and The Weather Ground is concerned - I hope that people will seek to understand a period of time within our history that came very close to causing radical positive change due to injustices being committed by our government.  I hope that they will drop the myths.  (There is an excellent documentary that speaks to The Weather Ground. I also suggest reading Peter Dale Scott’s book titled Drugs, War and Oil.)

It has been rightly argued that some individuals or entities for their own gain considered that it was expedient that John and Robert Kennedy, MLK, Malcolm X, members of The Black Panthers, John Lennon, and many others not named had to be silenced, in one form or another, for the kind of change they each individually (yet collectively) sought to bring to reality. We must also remember those who realized that the V. War was unjust and chose not to engage.

In full context, I appreciate the Ayers for having the courage to stand in opposition to our government’s unjust act(s) of that time.

Is it not reasonable to ask that individuals in recent history who took a justified stand against our government’s unjust actions may be the very reason why our government has set in place legislation enabling them to label almost anyone a terrorist?  May I so humbly suggest, including those of us by these very mere emails we are writing?

No ReichWing,

I’m not ‘special’, and I didn’t ‘march with’ because I was a tad bit too young. I was only 14 when MLK was assassinated. But, I caught up with them fast enough. Made it a point in fact. And yep, they’re ALL my heroes and heroines. Without their work and tremendous sacrifice, I’d probably be working in a wedding gown factory somewhere in the garment district.

Instead, I’m part of a community that gets to spread the wealth of knowledge to whomever wants it. Angela is doing great as well. She’s teaching up north, and is greatly appreciated for all she’s done, and for all she continues to do. We hang out with folks the rest of you don’t care about, and would just as soon forget even exist. And, I think that’s just great. I like being below the radar of the ‘establishment’. It’s the only way to accomplish anything…by hiding in plain sight.

Toddles…

What is this shit?  There was a time, and I remember it, when one could be a member of the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, the Party of Little Green Apples - and so what.  One could even associate with Party members, with protesters, with non-flag saluters, with people who hated mom’s apple pie - and so what.

Yesterday I protested the Vietnam War.  Today I’m called a terrorist - not a ‘former terrorist’ mind you, a permanent terrorist.

The ‘enemy’ isn’t out there, the ‘enemy’ is right here.

In Other News:

http://www.mcyogi.com/voteforhope

Strive On, Friends.

Damn Cyrea Angela Dave too. mmm You marched with MLK, Cindy SheMan, Your like somebody special.I cant believe you would lower yourself to an article that has references from Factcheck.org. That’s right ,its not against the chosen one…

Allow me to preface this comment by sying I am no fan of Barry. The only reason I could give for anyone to vote for him would be so we could avoid the filthy beast McCain.
However, I cannot ever trust anyone who would not stand behind a friend, despite their possible faults. Just like Slick Willy before him, Barry has now thrown two old friends/aquaitences under the bus in the name of political pragmatism. What I wanted to hear from Barry concerning rev Wright or Ayers was this, “While I do not nesessarily agree with some of the thing my friends say, they are my friends, so I give them the benefit of the doubt. And I will defend to the end of my days their right as an american to say them!”
Hopefully, Barry is just buddying up to conservatives in order to get elected, and then on Jan 21st he’ll become the most liberal president since FDR.
But I doubt it.

Ayers is BS! Rev Wright was BS….Projection from the Neo CONS!
Which Candidate was such a Well standing member of a Anti Communist group which provided Aid and Comfort to the ‘80’s “Afghani Freedom Fighters” (per Mac’s OWN Words at the last debate) Which provided not only resources and recruitment to this fledgling group..But Provided an “impressive’ Resume to their Future Leader Bin Laden? John McCain.
Which Candidate has well documented Historical affilaitions with Wall Street and big Banking Embezzlement and Debackles…John McCain
Whos’ Economic advisor is not only the centerpeice of this Casino gambling Deregulation, but is also Married to a Now Defunct Enron (Oil) Fiasco? John McCain.
Which Candidate not only pledged his undying support for an illegal invasion- which has cost US trillions- But helped By Intentionally LYING about where the Anthrax Came from to Scare US into agreeing to this cluster fuck. John McCain
Which Candidate has nearly broken his Own arm patting himself on the Back for a Mission which was nothing more than rectifying a fuck up by failing to follow the Powell Doctrine. What term has he used ‘Surge’ ...In Physics when on side ‘Surges’ the other side ‘Purges’ (EVERY ACTION HAS A REACTION). Which candiate seems more concerned about the’Conditions On the Ground in Iraq’ while ignoring the ‘conditions on the Ground’ Here. John McCain
Seems to me if you overlay the Basnking Meltdown, Our international Cluster and our OIL endentured Slavery, One of these Candidates works as the Connecting Factor. John McCain.

Ah mackTN, you’ve stolen my line here. (well sorta) I’ve ALWAYS admitted to being far more terrified of Dick Cheney and my former corporate manager than bin Laden or any other al-Qaeda dude.

That remains the case.

Meantime, I am a holdover from the 60’s and 70’s, and thought I knew everything there was to know about Angela Davis. Well, silly me. Until recently, I’d never even read her autobiography, and it has stuff in it that has never come up in the multiple conversations I’ve had with her, or any of her other writings.

Reading it recently has been like an ‘old home week’ experience. I don’t often think back to ‘better times’ since there were always other reasons to not see those times as all that wonderful. Comparatively speaking, they damn sure were.

Who woulda thunk it? This homeless shit might have been acceptable then.(even though it was never a concern then). It is NOT acceptable now.

Nope, we’re truly living the “Era of Terra” thanks to the 21st Century terrorists of the USA.

Re: Spinoza750

I very much agree with Obama, and from what I’ve read I doubt William Ayers agrees or believes that he is/was a hero:

“Chicago Magazine reported that . . . Richard Elrod, a city lawyer injured in the Weathermen’s Chicago “Days of Rage,” received an apology from Ayers and Dohrn for their part in the violence. “They were remorseful,” Elrod says. “They said, ‘We’re sorry that things turned out this way.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ayers

>>> a former radical anti-war protester whose actions in the 1960s and ’70s Obama has called “detestable” and “despicable.” <<<<

The only thing despicable in the above sentence is Barack Obama for calling Ayers and the Weather Underground despicable. In fact in general Obama’s right wing posturing is totally despicable

I know very little about Mr. Ayers but I have read about the Weather Underground and I consider them HEROES.  These were passionate people who opposed evil Ameriscum imperialism.  Amerikkka declared that it had and has a god given right to kill peasants and other poor people who refuse to conform to the vial capitalist system. 

Anyone fighting fascism, capitalism, nationalism deserves the praise and admiration of mankind.  John McCain was one of the murderers of Vietnamese peasants. Why is he allowed to run for President when all decent people believe he belongs in jail.. In fact all warmongers belong in jail. May we be so blessed to get rid of such people from the face of this planet