For those here looking for a response to their predicament with some possibility of actual mutually beneficial effectivensess, there’s always The Tiyoshpaye Way….the Way of Genuine Organic Human Community, to translate it as nearly as possible into impoverished English.  Maybe the lack of institutionalized “guarantees” makes that too much of a ‘leap’ for the herds of cowed domesticated peoples, but the vast actual majority of ‘em, who (John Ellis’ repeated ‘branding’ to the contrary notwithstanding) are definitely NOT “middle class,” are rapidly being divested of what little they may’ve had of that, anyway.

Here’s a reliable rule-of-thumb:  What’s invariably too good for the ‘goosed,’ is never good enough for the grandees.  The professional classes are already well along toward being rendered (well….rendering theirownselfs, really) technologically “redundant.”  At which point they’ll be quite indistinguishable (except maybe in the volume of their weeping and wailing, and the value of the the dental work being destroyed by their gnashing-of-teeth) from all the rest of “....your huddled masses,” who will be hoping and praying there’s something magic in the name of Emma Lazarus.

Many of you may still perish together, tame Sisters and Brothers.  ALL of you will dead-certainly perish alone.

So at least you still get to name your poison.

HokaHey!

Ellis, your “intelligent stuck up middle class” stuff doesn’t go anywhere because it’s childish name-calling—a kind of personal attack that has nothing to do with real problems we are facing and offers nothing toward solutions.
  You are admirable because you are rebelling against some kind of tyranny that certainly exists (in many forms) and fighting against being overwhelmed.  So are we all. How about this:
  Forget class.  Forget “stuck-up intellectuals” as a class.  People are people—all different for different reasons, all of whom could do wonders if they would work together instead of fighting against each other. 
  Power is the problem—who has it, what it is, who should have it and how should it be distributed fairly, and how can we find ways to do that without killing each other. 
  Idarad’s comments regarding resistance so far are facts:  Some of us have tried to organize resistance and work for change, and have been ignored == probably because the problems are so complex and the people in power are so insulated. Difficulty up to now means it will take longer, and more people protesting in more places more often, with specific ideas and plans for reform.  This means consistent long-term movement-building, not sporadic groups here and there protesting now and then about this and that—especially if rage takes over and people rely on screaming instead of thinking.
  It appears there is no alternative to organizing except compliance, frustration and eventual collapse. Once enough people recognize that, we will find ways to work together for the common good of all and from the grass roots up.

My objections to this sort of yellow journalism is triggered by its first sentence:
“President Barack Obama is said to feel he is in trouble politically because his enemies in Congress and among the Washington journalists who decide what the “mood” of Washington is on any given day say he is not tough enough”.
“Said to feel…” Said by whom Mr. Pfaff? Who is your source for this? The President himself or your gigantic thumb? If you really knew you would have penned: “President Barack Obama is in trouble…”
Actually President Obama is in trouble with me and with millions of voters in 2010 and 2012. We will decide his employment and not his enemies in Congress or Washington journalists.

The American people want a leader.  But the American people are supposed to BE the leaders.  Some of them are too ignorant and angry to lead.  Some of them are afraid to lead.  Some of them want to do this first.  Some prefer doing that first.  Most of them have not demanded their rights or fulfilled their responsibilities being leaders for decades because they have been too comfortable to care. 
  Some of them have tried hard but had insufficient success in getting followers.  Some of them don’t like each other very well. Some of them .... yeah, well?
  One thng we know for sure:  We’d feel better about ourselves it we would get together, join with others already working on the same problems, figure out a united practical strategy (what to do first, second etc.) and tactics that won’t end in a blood bath with crazed teaparties or white supremacists (how to do it using nonviolent resistance, education, cooperation, mutual respect ect.)
  At least we know this:  Great movements have accomplished great things in the past, which proves that it isn’t the Devil or human inadequacy or Doom.  It’s lack of vision and confidence. It’s “alone-ness”—lack of relatedness, resistance to organizing.  It’s allowing abuse, permitting violence, encouraging deceit and self-deception.
  P.S. Thank you all for previous posts.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. So, should we
elect a Rep or a Dem next election? (Laughter…)

“Money changers” in the temple is not a new phenomenon.
Nor is driving them out.

At a minimum, those who have gained control of “temple policy,”
and who have converted predominant thought to support satanism.

Presidential posturing isn’t getting ‘us’ anywhere?  Oh, I so beg to differ!  How’s about ‘we’ being in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Palestine, Iran?  And those are the ones ‘we’ know about.  How many others are there that ‘we’ don’t know about?  So, I’d say ‘our’ presidential posturing (whoever ‘our’ corporate-appointed president may be at the time) are very well postured and doing a hecuva job for the corporations that run this country.

At his first “general assembly” of the CIA in 1981, Mr. William Casey made a summary statement: “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”  As recorded by the great American investigator/historian, Mrs. Mae Brussell.

Since GHWBushSr was head of the CIA at the murder of JFKSr, November 22, 1963, Mr. Casey was appointed after GHWBushSr had “governed” the CIA for approx twenty years.  Mr. Casey was simply carrying out the plan that was established prior to the end of WWII by NAZIs and cohorts in the USA.

The NAZIs in the CIA with assistance of the isreali Federal Reserve and the super wealthy constituency of western banks have bought up public media, newspapers, magazines, TV networks and radio networks.  These media have been used for almost thirty years to “disinform” Americans and the western world.

Until recently, we “trusted” our government.  Instead of controlling it.  We trusted wrongly.  For too long.

By Outraged, January 13 at 2:00 am #

“How many of “us” understand this at ALL.  You’d think we would by now, you’d think it all makes sense to “us”.  Truthfully…. it doesn’t and the most of “us” feel overwhelmed by what is truth and what is not.  I’d like to say I know EXACTLY what, where and how “we” should proceed, but I don’t.  I don’t.  For the most part, I feel mostly confused and worried regarding the whole ball of wax”

Outraged has hit on a very, very important point. 
“most of us feel overwhelmed by what is truth and what is not”

All my life I have had to work hard to bring up three kids, pay the mortgage, etc.  There was little time to spend surfing for “truth”.  I believed what everyone around me believed, mostly because it was convenient and advantageous to do so. 

Now that I am retired, I am learning that virtually everything I ever believed is false.  I was lied to about almost everything.  At least that is what I am being told on almost every front. 

If there was some shining example of Truth available that we could all grab onto to replace the foundations of our youth, then it would be easier to make the transition.  But where is it? 

But all these new “truth-bringers” seem worse than what we grew up with.  Truth should bring peace, relief and unification.  Instead, hate, mistrust and division reigns more than ever.

I am reminded of Ephesians 6:12,  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].”

Basically what this is saying, as I understand it, is that man, no matter how high his office, does not call the shots in this world.  And given what I see, I an tending to believe this is true. 

Whether it be ET’s, other dimensional beings, spiritual beings, whatever, is someone in charge who dictates to us?  Is man kept totally disorientated, polarized, and in a perpetual state of war and oppression for some reason? 

Or does mankind simply and totally lack the ability to think rationally about the problems which confront him?  Is he evil, incompetent or both? 

I do not think that President Obama is evil or incompetent.  As has been said, why did he do a 180 almost as soon as he got in offie?  This seems to indicate to me that the president really has little latitude to call the shots.  Same as the way Bush disappointed his base. 

Obama seems to be enough of a man to stand up to a bunch of bureaucrats trying to suppress him, and why would a man with a life-long history of progressive, leftist ideology, suddenly cave in to corporatist conspirators? 

Believe me, he will have all the money he will ever need just by having served as president of the US.  Books, speaking engagements, pensions, etc, are certainly enough for any man calling himself a left-wing progressive. 

As Outraged stated, it is “overwhelming” trying to find out what is the truth, especially when no one seems to be who you thought they were, and everything you used to believe has suddenly become a lie.

The current occupant of the US presidency started no wars, and has done little that he promised in his pre-election campaigns.  He does a fine job of “posturing” and mouthing.  Most Kenyans are still proud to have him as US president.

Mister Hussein Obama has continued that which was initiated thirty-five years ago by one GHWBushSr., accelerated by the “cabinet” of his offspring, “Junior” Bush.  GHWBushSr became head of the CIA, yet denied it until his secrecy was stripped by his letter to J. Edgar Hoover just after the JFKSr murder. 

The history of the family Bush´s support of the NAZI movement has been redundantly established. The O.S.S. was converted into the CIA by NAZI SS General Gehlin, as directed by Allen Dulles.  NAZIs in the US CIA and in Germany have done an excellent job of “doctoring” public records to coincide with the approx 1,000 falsified passports issued 1945-1948 to NAZIs secreted into the US.  Mister Hussein Obama had nothing to do with that dishonesty, as Kenya had not yet been “blessed” with his presence.
As long as the satanic, military-industrial coalition rules the US, with support of the israeli Federal Reserve as directed by AIPAC, Junior Bush and Hussein Obama types will continue to be elected. 

Since Mrs. S. Palin makes her own decisions, and is not a puppet-type, the israeli- military- industrial complex in the US and Europe will not permit her to be elected to the US presidency.  She is simply too clean,  will not permit herself to become puppetized, and would disrupt the plan to dissolve the US and enslave Americans.

C Dillon -
My point exactly - we have taken to the streets, but Obama did not choose to see us, on health care, on global warming, on bank bailouts.  We were there, but ignored. Ignored by the press and by the Pres.  He could have taken a cause, embraced it and found millions to walk with him. He chose to leaves us standing at the mall in D.C. on Jan 20, 2009.

I am not simply writing to blame Obama, but it is he who has to lead if he wants to find his base.

So - outraged -, if this is “flinging shit” so be it.  We are here, we are on the Washington mall, we are at the the doors of the Supreme Court, we are pounding on the doors of human rights and our hands are bloodied…. not from “flinging shit” but from trying to beat down the doors of ignorance.

Firstly I applaud the posting:

idarad, January 13 at 2:12 am

as a literate, thoughtful and accurate assessment. Secondly, I wonder at those who refuse to lay the blame for the current mess, both economic and military, upon the shoulders of the man who leads us and makes the final decisions.

This is one confused, disjointed mess of a critical article with no discernible point.

Outraged:

Yes and no.  Yes, we should be blaming Obama to some extent but no, he is not the only problem.  He is but one man trying to push a huge mountain and finding it almost impossible.  But men have pushed the mountain in the past ... FDR for example.  He enlisted the masses to his cause and they helped him.  Obama could have done that too but he seems unable to find the voice.  And I have to wonder why.  Here is a man of great oratorical skills who moved millions to support his candidacy.  He could easily go on the attack and push for the change he promised.  But he has not and therein lies the problem.  The base would support him given even one coherent initiative but he has never made the effort.  He took the wind out of our sails by agreeing, ahead of time and in secret, to take single payer off the table before the health care debate even started.  And way?  Because it was a non-starter in congress so why bother?  Is that any way to lead?  To cave to the greedy bastards in congress?  I suggest not.  So, in my feeble mind, the question is “was this deliberate?”  He is a smart man and yet looks like a deer in the headlights now.  If Obama would find one progressive cause, any cause, and go on the offensive without reservation, he would get our support.  But he hasn’t ... not once.  He intentionally deflates our support so the process is co-oped and our contribution deflated.  That gives congress the room to push their corrupt agenda with almost no pushback from him or his “base”.  Because the base will not react if it’s general is silent.  We need a commander and got a follower instead.  So, the question becomes ... is this all an illusion?

Outraged, of course the system is broken. How do you suggest we fix it?

I suggest a primary challenge by Howard Dean.  For starters.

Re: idarad

Your comment: “And you Mr. Obama cannot understand why your base has left you. The fact is, they didn’t leave you, you chose to leave them.”

I disagree with many of your propositions, especially your claim that Pres. Obama has “left us”.  I do not think this the case, on the other hand the words Mr. Nader spoke from the “get go” come back to me time and time again.  I paraphrase, “something is broken”.  If Mr. Nader is correct and most often he is…. we need to understand WHAT is broken specifically and fix it.

It is easy and stupidly self-satisfying to simply “blame Obama”.  We need to look further and understand what is broken and fix it.  Standing at half court and merely throwing the “shit” into “the other court” still leaves us with shit lying full court, face it… they’ll throw it back.

Supposedly the fact that your average idiot can fling shit truthfully PROVES little at best and nothing otherwise.  We need to supercede the rhetoric and regain our footing.  We need to stand up.

I should probably leave this one alone, I am tempted too often to jump in the fray, but what the hell.  Obama has no base. There was at one point in time an opportunity afforded him to have a following that could and would lead him to heights of greatness.  But he chose the road oft taken, the one paved with the gold of the haves and he neglected the road covered with thorns, the road that those who share the commonality of life walk every day, but do not leave worn.

Obama, chose war, when peace was the path to change the direction of the country and the world.  I understand that the forces of corporate power are violently opposed to any path that does not meet its greed quota, but there was that window of opportunity, he ignored it.

Obama chose to take the big pharma lead to health insurance reform and denied the majority of the people who demanded single payer health care reform.  He denied this knowing full well that the monumental benefits to the people were only outpaced by the benefits to small business.  But he denied the need to accomodate the greed.

Obama chose to continue to torture, to render non combatants into exile to facilitate torture, for what purpose.  To pacify those in real power, blackwater, - xe, haliburton, exxon mobile.  For to act othewise would be a show, not of weakness, but of contempt for those who hold the real reigns of power.

Obama chose to accept the illegal coup in Honduras, despite the cries from those citizens for a return to a fragile democracy, for the simple right to make choices for leaders of their country, even if those leaders may not take them down a road of betterment, they only asked to have you support their right.  But again you denied the people in favor of the corporate minions.

Obama chose not to seek the legal prosecution of his predecessor in its violation of the Constitution, its acts of treason and its war crimes.  He chose the path of not simply of least resistance, but no resistance, and in taking that path, he himself has become a war criminal.

And you Mr. Obama cannot understand why your base has left you. The fact is, they didn’t leave you, you chose to leave them. 

When you choose to lead, you need to look around, make a gut check, see if the people are with you and when they begin to rumble, you need to check to see if it is they who are uncertain of their convictions, or if it is you who have taken the easy road and negated those very convictions.  If you are on your own, it is because you chose that path.  Watch out for the snipers!

Article quote:

“Just how many Americans have the faintest idea of what their country has now got itself involved in in Asia, without as yet winding up the consequences of nearly a decade in Iraq?”

I agree.  How many of “us” understand this at ALL.  You’d think we would by now, you’d think it all makes sense to “us”.  Truthfully…. it doesn’t and the most of “us” feel overwhelmed by what is truth and what is not.  I’d like to say I know EXACTLY what, where and how “we” should proceed, but I don’t.  I don’t.  For the most part, I feel mostly confused and worried regarding the whole ball of wax.

It isn’t hard to understand that FOX NEWS/Sarah Palin/bogus Glen Beck and the rest are LIARS, but just the same WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO…. and WHY?  All I see are two opposing views and attempting to find a balance within the two is upsetting…. it is, it is upsetting.

I guess our differences are only on the issue of what is the horse and what the cart.  I agree that if he would push one progressive policy it would make a huge difference. 
  The fact that he hasn’t or doesn’t has led me to realize even more clearly what a hideous impact on government the evils of Bush/Cheney had and how monstrous is the power of war as our economic enging, and the dominance of corporate crime. It’s just that very overpowering combination of previously existing evils—some of them rather well covered by media—that makes me feel his job is overwhelming and that perhaps the shock of what he faces, plus the raging criticism from (“liberals” “progressives”—whatever we call ourselves with little justification in action and support) have dispirited him, making him far less able to act than he (and we) expected.
  I ometimes think it was quite naive and irresponsible of us to have let the Bush ravages go on for as long as they did because most of us knew in our hearts how wrong those policies were, yet did little or nothing to stop them before they became entrenched.  (In truth, our negligence goes back farhter even than the Bush years. (Papa Bush—and then Clinton?))

Oh please, gerard, you are not serious in suggesting Obama’s problems are due to his “base” not supporting him!  There is nothing to support.  Obama invited the insurance companies to write the healthcare legislation from day one, he talked about escalating in Afghanistan all along, he dropped the ball on gay rights, he hasn’t closed any prisons (in Guantanamo or in the U.S.), his economic team was all Goldman Sachs all the time from day one, he lifted a finger for the labor bill, he singlehandedly killed the Copenhagen climate summit the way George Bush never could in Bali, overseas killings and renditions have been increased, he let the Honduran elite carry out a coup and undermined the Latin countries who wanted to act against it, and boast about a half-baked stimulus bill that consisted more of Republican tax cuts than progressive spending.
Obama would not be alone if he would just push one true progressive policy.

Could it be that the severe criticisms of Obama by his own base, in addition to his more or less unsucessful compromising with corporate powers uninterested in the public welfare, plus an inner disinclination against continuing wars have worked together to create in him a crisis of confidence? 
  In recent photos he looks trapped and tired—(or had you noticed)?—a hostage to “if I do this, they will .... but if I do that, the others will ....”
  What might free him, if this is the case?  A resounding reassurance from his base:  “By electing you we gave you the go-ahead to do what you promised, but the mistake we made was to expect you to be able to do it alone—to simply step out and perform.  Pick an issue—jobs, for instance—or curbing the corporate power in war and in government—and we will step out and support you, vocally, organizationally from the neighborhoods to the state capitols.”
  Can you even imagine this happening?  Or are we doomed to carping and backbiting for another three years?