Gender: Male
Status: Single
Sign: Libra
City: Chiang Mai
Country: TH
Signup Date:
11/10/04
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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checks & balances
Current mood:  angry
Category: News and Politics
I am amazed that Congress has, for eight long years, neglected its Constitutional obligation to investigate crimes of the Executive Branch during the Bush Administration. There is such a bold and brazen trail of high crimes, possibly even treasonous crimes, that Congress does not have the choice of whether to investigate or not; the Constitution of the United States of America, which every Congressperson is sworn to uphold, clearly states that it is their duty to investigate, and to impeach where high crimes and misdemeanors are found. Impeachment can take place after the President has left office so it is my hope that Congress will fulfill its duty, regardless of the time it takes. The President is not above the law and must be held to a higher standard, not a lesser. If the next President does not negate by Executive Orders these actions of the Bush Administration, the precedents set by George W Bush will stand as executive powers available to all future presidents. It is the responsibility of the next President of the United States, and of the Congress, to right these wrongs and to return America to a nation of laws and checks and balances. Let us hope they have the courage and the patriotism to do what is right. -- Barry Kapke
Published on Sunday, May 18, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
Refitting the Presidency to the Constitutionby David W. Orr
The 44th president will assume office with powers greatly enlarged by his or her predecessor. Drawing on recent precedents, the next president could launch preemptive wars with only minor interference from Congress, ignore the ancient right of habeas corpus and imprison political enemies, spy on American citizens without serious legal restraint, use practically any federal agency for political purposes, manipulate the press in ways inconceivable prior to 2000, corrupt the federal justice system for political gain, destroy evidence in criminal cases, use the Justice Department to prosecute members of the opposing party, offer lucrative no-bid government contracts to friends, expand the creation of private security armies, use torture, create secret prisons, assassinate inconvenient foreign leaders, circumvent laws with signing statements, and a great deal more. Such things are now possible because the system of checks and balances carefully written into the Constitution and explained in great detail in the Federalist Papers were weakened as a result of historical circumstances of the 20th century, but systematically and with great forethought by the administration of George W. Bush.
Said to be necessary in order to protect the country from terrorism, the expansion of presidential authority in truth was carried out by neo-conservatives who in the smoke and ashes of 9-11 smelled opportunity. The result is James Madison's worst nightmare: the unification of once carefully separated powers of governance — executive, judicial, legislative — in the hands of a single faction along with substantial control over the press, radio, and television and an extensive police and surveillance apparatus he would have loathed.
The surreptitious and perhaps fraudulent manner by which presidential powers were recently expanded has greatly diminished trust and respect for the office at home and abroad. But unless explicitly repudiated by the next president and prohibited by law, the precedents of the Bush presidency will stand. The expanded powers of one president typically are carefully guarded by their successors. Republican or Democrat the next president will be advised to distance the office from the more controversial actions of George W. Bush, but only as a matter of expediency, not for reasons inherent in the Constitution or the law. If so, we will have crossed the line into executive tyranny.
Acquiescence in the unlawful enlargement of presidential power is neither right nor necessary. The next president would be well advised to support the appointment of a special prosecutor to thoroughly investigate the possible illegalities involved in the recent expansion of presidential power not to exact political revenge, but as the first step toward recalibrating the presidency to the Constitution. Second, he or she should appoint a Blue Ribbon panel of experts in Constitutional Law and the presidency to make recommendations to Congress about the restoration of the office.
Many will disagree, saying that learning the truth would be unnecessarily divisive and a waste of time in the face of more pressing business. To the contrary, we the people, Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike, will need to know the truth in order to reestablish the rule of law in the highest levels of government and restore trust, credibility, and respect for the office of the president now tarnished by the systematic abuse of power and excessive secrecy. Otherwise, we invite worse abuses of power in difficult times ahead.
A restored presidency is a prerequisite to successfully meet the challenges of the emergencies posed by climate change, the end of cheap oil, and the effort to build a sustainable global civilization. In coming decades a great deal will be required of the American people. If we are to respond with renewed patriotism and vigor we will need to know that we are being told the truth and that we are being led by a president who is both enabled and constrained by the law.
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, Oberlin College and James Marsh Professor at Large, University of Vermont.
11:16 AM
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Monday, May 05, 2008
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Happy Cinqo de Mayo!!!
Current mood:  hopeful
Category: News and Politics
Published on Sunday, May 4, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
Atonement
by Bud McClure
I would rather stand with Obama in defeat, than stand with Clinton in victory. Every once in a while in life and in politics, we get a clear choice to do either the morally right thing, or to continue to cut corners and believe that the end justifies the means. We should have no illusion about this choice after following Bush's road to the White House in which all of the ugliness and hatred he fostered on the campaign trail followed him and us through the last eight years. Now we are standing at that crossroads again watching the unfolding drama and contrasting styles of two Democratic candidates.
Hillary will get in bed with anybody. She has no internal moral compass. Her only choice is what is politically expedient. Her recent gas tax holiday proposal, an idea borrowed from fellow conservative McCain, is so stupid that I am surprised she can defend it with a straight face. Then I consider that it has no substance, it is just another means to an end for her. There are countless other examples that have made her appear harsh and arrogant, bullying in tone, threatening and menacing, pandering to our fears instead of inspiring our hopes. She knows that this works, and gleefully embraces it no matter whom she harms. The clearest example of her political calculus was her vote for the war in Iraq. Like Kerry and Edwards who were also anticipating runs for the White House, she jumped on the war wagon, because she thought, like most insiders, it would be over quickly, and her vote would make her a more credible candidate on national defense. It would also make her look tough! But toughness is not something you have to prove; it is formed by a constant adherence to principled positions that form one's moral center and cannot be buffeted about by political winds. My own senator, the late Paul Wellstone, showed what that center looked like when, in a tough reelection fight, he voted against the war, and for his ourage and consistency of message his popularity surged ensuring his re-election.
Obama has shown this kind of courage, too. He resists the temptation to get in the mud with Clinton when it would be the politically expedient and the expected thing to do. He resists her taunts. He does not infantilize voters. He does not pander to fear and he remains unwavering in his determination to win by the means that he believes will be necessary to govern this country. He is now being tested in this firestorm swirling around him. In the inferno ignited by his former pastor and fueled by the media, Obama has remained steadfast. He is undeterred by the ugliness of racism and continues to move with the confidence of a man who is grounded in a strong and principled sense of self. There is a basic decency about him that one catches in his smile and the spontaneous way in which he interacts with crowds. There is a steely determination reflected in his eyes that gives us a clue to the character behind them. He inspires and speaks to our higher nature, recognizing that underneath our fears and spitefulness we are basically a good and generous people. For these reasons alone, I would rather stand with him and lose, if necessary, than win however possible.
But the most important reason to stand with him is that his election in the fall would give us a chance for atonement, to get back what we have lost over the past 25 years through a politics of division and hatred, where our government has been corrupted for the benefit of the very few; where the common good has been denigrated by a narcissistic worship of individualism and the wealth of our nation has been measured only in economic terms. Moreover, we might make amends to the rest of the world by electing a president who leads with humility and does not need to prove himself by killing others. We could atone for our warring ways, for torturing and terrorizing others, and for promoting hatred around the world. We could talk to our enemies, find common ground, share the world's resources, promote the general welfare, and regain our place as a country with a basic regard for the well being of all human beings. Rather than talk about Christian principles, we could put them into practice beginning with loving our neighbors. This is the hope and dream that Obama engenders in me. It is refreshing, and even surprising that at the age of 60, I could once again be inspired by a politician.
Bud McClure is Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He welcomes your emails at bmcclure@d.umn.edu.
1:38 PM
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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wow!
Current mood:  impressed
Last night I watched Senator Barack Obama’s speech, "A More Perfect Union." I must admit I’ve had my reservations about Obama but last night’s speech impressed me. It was a brave speech and he’s earned some of my respect. It was a pleasure to see him elevate this campaign to one of substantive issues - finally. Hilary can talk all she wants about experience but all experience means is that you know how to do the same things over and over; let’s see if she is now capable of putting forth some ideas and not just making negative personal attacks. If you didn’t hear the speech in its entirety I urge you to listen to - or read - it. I think it’ll go down as one of the great political speeches. And who knows, Sen. Obama may just be the person who can begin to make a difference in Washington.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3511&id=12333-4172462-DIKMzn&t=546
7:34 PM
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
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new year’s resolutions
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life
(1) Be present as much as possible and live each moment fully.
(2) Do what makes me happy.
(3) Don't let fear direct my choices.
(4) Say the things I've withheld saying to people I care about.
(5) Tell people I love that I love them.
(6) Meditate more, chant more, practice Dhamma more.
(7) Preserve Insight Bodywork - finish my book, make videos, train teachers.
(8) Let my actions be motivated by love.
(9) Prepare to die but don't let dying interfere with being alive.
(10) Be at peace with the way things are.
11:31 AM
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
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random thoughts
Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Blogging
My first morning as a free man. ;-) It's surprising the psychological effect of an IV and having to hobble around with a pole in tow behind you. I'm glad to be disconnected from the mainline.
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I miss those days of dancing with the joy of a happy body, a body that gave me pleasure in moving - it's now a slightly more difficult and cranky friend, but still a friend. ;-)
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It's nine o'clock - and my butt hurts. Mine is no longer made for sitting on. I'm not sure what it's good for, but as for cushioning it's an abject failure.
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Wheels are in motion to apply to hospice facilities here. Beds are limited and there is a waiting list so nothing can happen immediately anyway, unless I wanted to go into a nursing home, which I don't. Hospice is not really where I want to be but right now I need to explore all options. I don't want to be a burden to friends but I certainly would rather stay with a friend and have hospice support there than go into a hospice to live. Hospice is not inexpensive and even on the bottom end of their sliding scale, it would pretty much wipe me out financially just to stay there; I'd have zero funds for medical treatments not covered by Medicare (which are the only ones that really offer hope at this point, since conventional care has pretty much nothing more to offer me) or for doing anything enjoyable with my time. If I can't enjoy my life here, I'll probably end up going back to Thailand even if that means having no medical care. Quality of life is important - or what's the point in living.
Doctors have painted a dreary picture of a life deteriorating within months but I don't subscribe to that view. Maybe they're right - but maybe they're wrong. They've been wrong about most things with respect to me so far. And I still feel like I have lots of life in me. My spirit is strong. So we'll see. I'm still optimistic.
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I'm trying to see people now with the view that I may never see them again and so to try to be as present and honest as I can in our time together. It's too bad it takes dying to bring about the realization that each moment is precious, that every moment should be lived fully and consciously. All of our time together (and alone) could really be quality time. It could, I'm sure. Why do we settle for less?
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Something to make you smile:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1529217042
10:44 AM
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
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touch
Current mood:  lonely
Category: Life
Someone touched my arm in an affectionate way recently and it sent such a warm surge to my core. No one touches me that way anymore and it just pierced through me to realize how much I miss it. Intention means so much. Considering that I live in a culture that pulls away from those who are old and sick and dying, I actually get a lot of physical contact. People who want to make me feel better, who want to heal me, help me, who want to express sympathy or compassion or even love. But there's a distancing veneer of politeness, of professionalism, of friendship, of some notion of what is appropriate, a veneer that can be so microscopically thin but still that stands between us, creating a distance, preventing a raw genuine touch. It stands in the way of "you" touching "me" in a way that you and me are clearly just conveniences to a consciousness that understands there is no you or me. It prevents an accidental merging from occurring. It prevents an accidental merging from occurring. It keeps things superficial, in their appropriately labeled boxes. It prevents real connection, real contact. I am touched with kindness and with love - at a remove. And I am grateful for that kindly touch. I am grateful that you reach out toward me and connect in the ways that you can. Oh, but I so miss being touched with no remove. I miss being touched in a way that just sucks the me right out of me. Yeah, I miss that.
Hugs,
Barry
1:24 AM
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
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Thailand King’s 80th Birthday
Current mood:  fascinated
Category: Life
Long Live the King!
5:15 AM
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Sunday, November 18, 2007
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Friday, November 09, 2007
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unbelievable
Current mood:  distressed
Category: Life
In case you're like me and can't understand how Americans can allow madmen to run amok in the White House and the halls of Congress, here's a clue:
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Currently
listening
:
We Got to Stop This Killin’
By
Big Johnson Jack & the Oilers
Release date: 18 June, 1996
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10:09 PM
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restless
frustrated
