Monday, August 29, 2011

An Open Letter to Jeff Bolton, KLIF radio, Dallas

Dear Jeff,
It looks to me like you're being very unfair to Dr. Paul. By presenting his policies and ideas isolated from one another you are missing the fact that his policy positions are all integrated and interdependent--that a part cannot be rightly and fairly understood without looking at the whole.
For instance, you are constant tearing down on Dr. Paul's foreign policy as "nuts", but have occasional good things to say about his domestic fiscal policy. I say these two policies reinforce and support each other and the success of one depends greatly upon the success of the other.
Let this sink into your ears: You'll NEVER have a successful domestic fiscal and social policy if it runs concomitant with an aggressive and hegemonic foreign policy. The success of such a combination have never been know in history.
But it seems to me you have bought into the Neocon fear mongering to the point you seem to be blind to that. And what has listening to that fear mongering gotten us the past two decades? It has gotten us in massive debt, in foreign policy quagmires that seem to have no purpose and no end, and generally hated throughout the world.
The Neocon's policies are destroying us just as the aggressive imperialist policy of the leaders helped bring the Soviet Union down in the 1980s. But do you see the correlation?? Dr. Paul does.
Next, this morning you asked if any listeners would want Ron Paul in the White House during a 9/11--I ask in response what if we had a foreign policy that was not hegemonic, that did not scatter our military around the world in places where our presence is resented and even hated (while at the same time leaving us virtually defenseless at home) and that did not invite and aggravate the possibility of a 9/11?
Why do you focus on what to do during a 9/11 but ignore what we can honorably do to avoid one? It boggles my mind. What could you be thinking?

In doing what you're doing you're behaving like the blind man feeling of the elephant, and to any one who is thoughtful about these matters it looks like you're either simplistic and not very bright, or you're doing your best to attack Dr.Paul without allowing any adequate response. And if you think some caller who is given limited time to speak, is probably nervous and has no time to prepare is adequate response I beg you to reconsider.

If you want to be fair let me encourage you to have an extended give and take with Dr. Paul on the air--give him time to explain the inner coherence of his policies and how they can bring about the deep systemic changes we need to re-establish constitutional norms, bring about an honorable peace, reduce the raping and pillaging government is doing to feed the policies of the welfare/warfare state and protect and restore our liberties.

Since they have no coherent, interdependent vision that I can see reporting the isolated policies of the other candidates does them no great disservice. Reporting their policies is doing little more than reporting how each would arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Not so with Dr. Paul. His interdependent, coherent view of systemic renewal will result in healing the breech in the hull and uprighting our ship of state, and it needs to be presented in an organic fashion to be properly understood.
Personally, as one who is thoughtful, and seems to have libertarian sympathies I'm shocked that you have failed to see this.
Sincerely,
Tom Ridenour


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

kook pt. II


Consider the graphic posted here--now compare it to the Neocons who are still trying to pick fights in the world, still fear mongering to promote endless wars, still trying to cram democracy down the throats of the nations (something very undemocratic), still trying to use the US military to right every perceived wrong in the world (an impossible task), still trying to maintain a coercive military presence in dozens of countries----all this. And they call Ron Paul a kook! Good God Almighty. Which do they hate the most: peace or prosperity.
Welcome to Rome 450 AD.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011

Polls clearly show most Americans (rightly) believe Washington is broken. One of the main problems is career politicians living as a special class. Ending the conditions that have created an elite ruling class will not solve every problem, but I believe it is an excellent beginning at turning us back from the brink of disaster and make the politicians more responsive to the people they represent. Please note the following:

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, the internet, before cell phones, etc.

Seven (7) of the 27 amendments to the Constitution took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each person who reads this to send this link to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

If each of you does this in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. Those who agree should petition their congressmen and senators for passage of this Act. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security like the rest of us.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can and should purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.


The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.
Congress has done a horrible job by any objective measure. Yet, its members have
shamelessly passed laws making themselves a ruling elite, a political aristocracy, living by a different set of laws and conditions from average Americans–conditions that allow them and their families to perpetually feed at the public trough for free healthcare and retirement benefits. (Even many who resign in dishonor and commit shameless acts draw these benefits till they take their last breath). So much for all the pious rhetoric you hear from them about fairness and "equality."

In contrast to such abuses of power, the Founding Fathers envisioned Citizen Legislators; citizens who would serve their term(s), return home, go back to work, and live under the same laws and conditions as the rest of us–laws they helped make and conditions they helped create. The Founders thought that having to live under the same laws and restrictions they created would make law makers circumspect about which bills they passed into law. But our lawmakers have gotten around that by passing legislation that makes them, as a political class, immune to many of the laws they pass; laws that are injurious and burdensome to the rest of us.

Just think, what if you ruined your employer's business and then boldly walked into his office and told him you're the one in charge, that you're taking another raise and that he will pay your family's healthcare and retirement benefits for a lifetime? How do you think your boss would respond to such delusional, self-assuming arrogance? He'd mostly likely call you mad, throw you out of his office head first and tell you never to show your face there again!

Isn't it time we returned to the wisdom of the Founders, put an end to career political elitism and restored government of, for and by the people?

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe now is the time. If not, when?

LET'S begin turning things around by FIXING CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree, pass it on. If not, just delete.