MAKING WAVES

Lisa’s entry on Fighting Terrorism is excellent. (Coming to Terms with Middle Age). There were may commentators after 9/11 who tried to make people aware that this didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s been coming on for a long time. I just hope we have time to turn around.

First things. I think that after the election I’m going to research alternates to my voter registration. I believe the Republicans and Democrats are hopelessly compromised. After all, NAFTA was passed on Bill Clinton’s watch. When we look at “free trade” we have to ask, “who benefits.” Yes, we get an endless supply of cheap  products and produce. Some of it is even worth buying. In an era where a four bedroom house is called a starter house do we really need more stuff.? To pay for it, we’re bleeding jobs oversees and our small farmers are being driven out by corporate agribusiness.. Problem is many third world small farmers are losing out to the corporations too. In many areas third world farmers don’t own their land, they rent and pay in cash or kind. If the landlord(s) sell out to agribusiness, they lose their access to land. May I recommend “Stolen Harvest-the Hijacking of the Global Food Supply” by Vandana Shiva, an Indian author (East Indian) with several books to her credit. She is one of the authors featured by South End Press. Used copies are available on Alibris, too.

We can’t rely on electing a third party alternative to the presidency. After all, the president can only accomplish so much if Congress doesn’t cooperate. The scary thing is that the current Congress is so damn cooperative. I believe we need to start at the bottom. Elect alternative candidates from the Progressive or Green wings of the spectrum. If we can get enough of them elected to the House or even the Senate to deny both sides a majority, maybe we can slow the juggernaut down a little. Lord knows they’d have to have wills of iron. You can imagine what both sides would offer for their support.

I have to admit that the representative from my district in Oregon, Peter Defazio Democrat and Progressive will continue to get my support. Looks like he's going to win again in spite the R's best (worst) efforts. Peter voted against the Patriot Act. He didn't have time to read it (nobody did) and he wasn't gong to vote for a pig in a poke (my words not his),

Under the listing Progressive News from Common Dreams there is a long list of website links. Some are better than others, but are worth research. There is also a very long list of columnists. For example, Norman Solomon, a progressive leaning media commentator is no longer carried in the Eugene paper and the Oregonian has never carried him. They both find room for Charles Krauthamer though. I swear the man has never met a war he didn’t like.

Just throwing out some ideas. Maybe a few fish will bite.. Got a new website to look for. Shiva won the alternative Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Something about the Right Livlihood. I’m in trouble, I work for an auto dealership. At least it’s family owned and the family in question supports a lot of good local initiatives. Be happy and do good work.

After all enough waves will topple a cliff, enough sand grains on the wind will carve it away, and a stream will cut through it. Make waves