July 21, 2012
by Diane V. McLoughlin
main website mcloughlinpost.com
Two candidates remain in competition for leadership of the Republican Party: former one-term governor Mitt Romney and 12-term Congressman and obstetrician, Dr. Ron Paul. The Republican National Convention takes place this August, in Tampa, Florida.
Proxies have unleashed a barrage of attack ads in what appears to be an almost frantic attempt to magnify the minor differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney. The expense of these ad campaigns are expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars - a wasteful sum in these troubled economic times.
Obama's healthcare insurance mandate forces the taxpayer to purchase private health insurance. But private industry must seek to maximize profit while minimizing expense. Government forcing people to purchase a privately produced product risks weakening further a system already accused of stingily doling out healthcare, with little accountability. To be sure, there is plenty of blame to go around when it comes to the woeful state of healthcare in the U.S.. Everybody demands a rich cut - insurance companies, healthcare providers and drug companies - while many sick people are neglected or forced to go bankrupt. The fact of the matter is that the majority of people who do go bankrupt due to exorbitant healthcare costs have insurance. How the government guaranteeing insurance companies the taxpayers' business is going to help improve healthcare while controlling costs is the billion (or is it trillion?) dollar question.
'Obamacare' was modeled directly from the Massachussett healthcare model, which was rolled out during Mitt Romney's one-term as governor there.
Both Obama and Romney support the continuance of formless, ill-defined, illegal wars. These regional pots we are stirring may represent - like a gathering storm on the horizon - a poorly organized (wildly unnecessary) yet potentially explosive World War Three. Not knowing when to quit is not new. The difference is that, be it tribe, country or empire, nobody was armed with nuclear weapons. Nobody held the power, at the push of a button, to launch war with the potential to destroy all life on Earth. (Beware the nihilists itching to deploy nuclear bombs. )
Both Obama and Romney support the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an odious set of new laws President Obama sanctified by signing during the Christmas holidays just past. (Irony.) The NDAA destroys all natural meaning of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by empowering the government to kidnap and lock up anyone, including American citizens, and detain them indefinitely, in secret, without charge or trial.
However, given that President Obama claims the executive power to order the assassination of U.S. citizens on his say-so alone, the NDAA is merely a tattered corner of the rule-of-law shredded picture. Obama is handed the stats on individuals on cards, like baseball, only they're for intel on what suspects have done, are accused of having done, or are accused of thinking of doing. Then the President gives a Caesar-like thumbs up or thumbs down. Mistaken identity; falsely fingered by some guy being tortured at one of the country's many secret torture chambers around the world; well, too bad for you. There is no appeal. You won't even know you're in the cards in the first place, most likely.
It would be wrong to suggest that President Obama is coming up with these ideas entirely on his own. It's the fact that he chooses to cooperate with what has devolved into a rotten political, bureaucratic, military, industrial system. Barack Obama campaigned on the slogan, 'Change - Yes We Can!' He could have. But he hasn't and isn't.
Mitt Romney surrounds himself with Bush Junior's neocon foreign policy advisers. His foreign policy stump speeches are so belligerent one wonders if he's got 'bomb, bomb, bomb Iran' going around in his head like John McCain, before him. All indications point in that direction.
Mitt and Obama pass the system's muster because both are pro-war 'team players'.
However, given that President Obama claims the executive power to order the assassination of U.S. citizens on his say-so alone, the NDAA is merely a tattered corner of the rule-of-law shredded picture. Obama is handed the stats on individuals on cards, like baseball, only they're for intel on what suspects have done, are accused of having done, or are accused of thinking of doing. Then the President gives a Caesar-like thumbs up or thumbs down. Mistaken identity; falsely fingered by some guy being tortured at one of the country's many secret torture chambers around the world; well, too bad for you. There is no appeal. You won't even know you're in the cards in the first place, most likely.
It would be wrong to suggest that President Obama is coming up with these ideas entirely on his own. It's the fact that he chooses to cooperate with what has devolved into a rotten political, bureaucratic, military, industrial system. Barack Obama campaigned on the slogan, 'Change - Yes We Can!' He could have. But he hasn't and isn't.
Mitt Romney surrounds himself with Bush Junior's neocon foreign policy advisers. His foreign policy stump speeches are so belligerent one wonders if he's got 'bomb, bomb, bomb Iran' going around in his head like John McCain, before him. All indications point in that direction.
Mitt and Obama pass the system's muster because both are pro-war 'team players'.
As it stands, troops are being positioned in the Pacific (American; Canadian; presumably other countries, too.) Literally hundreds of military bases (and bombs) are set up all over the planet.
The U.S. has its bloodied military fingers in so many overseas pies that it is difficult to keep them all straight, or to trust that it's possible that we can know them all given the machinations of clandestine networks such as the CIA. The list includes Yemen; Iraq; Afghanistan; Pakistan; Libya; Syria; Palestine; Egypt; Bahrain and Iran (war ships being positioned directly off of Iran's coast now.)
The real 'prize', the goal, appears to be somehow 'controlling' Russia and China.
The closest we have come so far to nuclear war is during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. had placed nuclear weapons in Russia's backyard. Russia retaliated by placing nuclear bombs in Cuba. It became a dangerous nuclear stand-off. We are again ringing Russia with missiles. They don't like it. It is clear that this course could lead to MADness: Mutually Assured Destruction.
Something else raises the risk of nuclear war further. The longer nuclear weapons exist without large-scale and catastrophic use, the more complacent we become that such an eventuality could ever occur. There was no complacency or false sense of invincibility in America during the Cuban missile crisis fiasco. There are older apartment buildings in New York that, to this day, still have the signage posted indicating that the basements are to be used for nuclear fallout shelters. In point of fact, I and my elementary-aged school chums once howled with laughter when our teachers instructed us on how to cower beneath our desks, during a nuclear attack drill. We could kiss our asses goodbye.
The U.S. has its bloodied military fingers in so many overseas pies that it is difficult to keep them all straight, or to trust that it's possible that we can know them all given the machinations of clandestine networks such as the CIA. The list includes Yemen; Iraq; Afghanistan; Pakistan; Libya; Syria; Palestine; Egypt; Bahrain and Iran (war ships being positioned directly off of Iran's coast now.)
The real 'prize', the goal, appears to be somehow 'controlling' Russia and China.
The closest we have come so far to nuclear war is during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. had placed nuclear weapons in Russia's backyard. Russia retaliated by placing nuclear bombs in Cuba. It became a dangerous nuclear stand-off. We are again ringing Russia with missiles. They don't like it. It is clear that this course could lead to MADness: Mutually Assured Destruction.
Something else raises the risk of nuclear war further. The longer nuclear weapons exist without large-scale and catastrophic use, the more complacent we become that such an eventuality could ever occur. There was no complacency or false sense of invincibility in America during the Cuban missile crisis fiasco. There are older apartment buildings in New York that, to this day, still have the signage posted indicating that the basements are to be used for nuclear fallout shelters. In point of fact, I and my elementary-aged school chums once howled with laughter when our teachers instructed us on how to cower beneath our desks, during a nuclear attack drill. We could kiss our asses goodbye.
The fusing of private corporations and public governance is dangerous. It's a big part of the reason we are on the road we are on.
Ron Paul:
Ron Paul has fought corruption his entire Congressional career. Corporate lobbyists learned not to bother knocking on his door. His nickname on Capitol Hill: 'Dr. No'.
Ron Paul:
Ron Paul has fought corruption his entire Congressional career. Corporate lobbyists learned not to bother knocking on his door. His nickname on Capitol Hill: 'Dr. No'.
Above: Congressman Dr. Ron Paul seated at his desk
In contrast to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Ron Paul has the backbone to say, Enough!, to the evil twins of endless war and government corruption.
The media is answerable to only a few corporate masters. If you haven't heard of presidential candidate Ron Paul, or if you have and its been to marginalize him as a goof or a bad guy there are reasons for that - none of them, I am sorry to say, are honest.
The Republican leadership contest began with a field of nine contenders. That field is now down to two. That is not how it has been played out in the corporate press.
The media is answerable to only a few corporate masters. If you haven't heard of presidential candidate Ron Paul, or if you have and its been to marginalize him as a goof or a bad guy there are reasons for that - none of them, I am sorry to say, are honest.
The Republican leadership contest began with a field of nine contenders. That field is now down to two. That is not how it has been played out in the corporate press.
The fact that Ron Paul has qualified to compete against Mitt Romney for leadership of the Republican Party is testament to his popularity, accomplished in spite of alleged state and national Republican Party leadership cheating, vote fraud, ballot box stuffing, and physical intimidation - broken fingers; a dislocated hip - and other shady works (example, Youtube clip, 'Interview Nevada Delegate Fraud'; at 4:56mins).
Below, award-winning news anchor, Ben Swann, discusses the current situation in Massachusetts. Seventeen elected delegates have been stripped of their appointed duty to vote for the next Republican Party leader, by the Mitt Romney camp within that state's party apparatus. Legal proceedings to reverse this sham are underway:
During the Republican leadership campaign, Ron Paul has garnered far and away more donations from veterans and active-duty military than all other candidates, combined. The following short Youtube was posted early January, 2012. To-date, it has garnered two million-plus views.
'Ron vs. Mitt (see why so many people believe in Ron Paul)':
Army veterans are organizing to march on the convention to pay their respects with a salute to Ron Paul - the only presidential candidate who is, himself, a veteran. As is so often the case, the one with military experience is the one most mindful of when, and when not, to send troops into harms' way. It is Ron Paul's conviction that it is well past time to bring the troops home. Defend the country by all means. But it is unconstitutional, as well as dangerous, to continue to try to be the policemen of the whole world.
The march in Tampa to salute Ron Paul will not be the first such march. A similar march was held earlier in 2012 on President's Day, to honor Dr. Paul as the choice of the troops. In addition, a dedication was conducted in front of the White House for all soldiers who have fallen in Iraq since Obama pledged to bring the troops home from there. The ceremony was held with backs symbolically turned to President Obama, because he broke his promise, with tragic consequences.
Below, award-winning news anchor, Ben Swann, discusses the current situation in Massachusetts. Seventeen elected delegates have been stripped of their appointed duty to vote for the next Republican Party leader, by the Mitt Romney camp within that state's party apparatus. Legal proceedings to reverse this sham are underway:
During the Republican leadership campaign, Ron Paul has garnered far and away more donations from veterans and active-duty military than all other candidates, combined. The following short Youtube was posted early January, 2012. To-date, it has garnered two million-plus views.
'Ron vs. Mitt (see why so many people believe in Ron Paul)':
Army veterans are organizing to march on the convention to pay their respects with a salute to Ron Paul - the only presidential candidate who is, himself, a veteran. As is so often the case, the one with military experience is the one most mindful of when, and when not, to send troops into harms' way. It is Ron Paul's conviction that it is well past time to bring the troops home. Defend the country by all means. But it is unconstitutional, as well as dangerous, to continue to try to be the policemen of the whole world.
The march in Tampa to salute Ron Paul will not be the first such march. A similar march was held earlier in 2012 on President's Day, to honor Dr. Paul as the choice of the troops. In addition, a dedication was conducted in front of the White House for all soldiers who have fallen in Iraq since Obama pledged to bring the troops home from there. The ceremony was held with backs symbolically turned to President Obama, because he broke his promise, with tragic consequences.
In addition to Ron Paul's support from troops, there are not one but two liberty-celebrating events being held in Tampa the weekend before the convention. Attendees who support Ron Paul for president will be travelling in from around the country to be there and could well be counted in the tens of thousands.
All eyes are on the GOP. Ron Paul has qualified to be on the ballot in Tampa. Will the Republican Party follow the rules and register Ron Paul? It is certain that along with the underhanded activities of some, there are Republican Party leaders who have conducted themselves with grace, dignity and honor. Time will tell. Heads democracy wins regardless of the outcome at the convention. Tails, Mitt Romney or Barack Obama win the White House. In that case it may well be national bankruptcy and world war.
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Notes: In state contests where Ron Paul won the majority of delegates, the national Republican Party has indicated that the papers to register Ron Paul for the Tampa leadership convention need to be filled out and sent in.
I will hopefully get this posted to my main website in the next day or two.
Ron Paul on the Issues ;
A Ron Paul Youtube playlist
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