Electronic Writer

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When I began the Electronic Writer blog back in 2004, I did not have the forward vision to see it progress this far into the future.  When it began, I knew that I wanted to be blogging, and Electronic Writer seemed like the perfect place for that expression.

Of course, around the time of the last Presidential election, the subject matter of Electronic Writer almost completely devolved into the realm of politics.  On a previous Presidential election, I volunteered to make phone calls to Ohio.  (I know there is a strategic importance in the undecided Ohio voters, but damn—both parties seem to shellac them with phone calls every election because we need the block of Ohio votes.)

While I dialed the numbers on the list they handed me, I realized that I could contribute more if I wrote and blogged about the political process.  Making phone calls wasn’t the best usage of my talents.  I have blogged through two Presidential elections since working the phone bank, and after this last one, this blog has been largely dormant.

Perhaps I was just sick of making posts to the world.  Or, more likely, perhaps I had sailed into a hole and couldn’t find any wind to get back out.

It would seem that a puff of wind has filled the sails and we are moving once more.  Once we get set back into the full brunt of the wind and get moving, there will be a course correction.  Specifically, my subject matter is going to be a bit different.

I completely understand the necessity of political discourse as part of the Democracy that we have here in the United States, but it is not my intention to solely write about politics.  Frankly, it is exhausting for me to write about it.  There are so many layers of complexity.  The greed is so naked.  The extremes are so audacious.  The truth has become so obfuscated.  To make things even worse, the discourse has become so extremely caustic that I feel a little bit burned simply being around it.

Of course, there will be politics here—it is an inevitable part of the country and world where we live, but . . . Literature, and writing, and authors, and my literature, and sailing, and life around me are what this blog used to be about.  It is simply time for me to return to writing about those subjects.

Course Correction—Be Advised.

I am absolutely loving the writers over at Jimmy Kimmel these days.  Of course, this is just one example of their stellar work . . . .

More than 30 countries were polled, and if they were voting in the upcoming election, Barack Obama would win a second term.  More than 26,000 people were polled and 81% said they would support Obama, compared to 19% for Romney.

Read the full article at United Press International

‘I think some of our members may have thought the default issue was a hostage you might take a chance at shooting,’ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. ‘Most of us didn’t think that. What we did learn is this – it’s a hostage that’s worth ransoming.’ (Running in Red, Washington Post)

• How is this supposed to be good for the United States of America?
• How is this evidence that you are doing your job as a legislator?
• And, how can you be so emboldened to admit publicly that you collaborated with other Republican legislators to hold the United States hostage for your own political gain?

I don’t even want to write this, but seriously–this is language used by organizations who want to inflict the WORST POSSIBLE HARM on the United States of America.  Is this really what you want to do, Mitch McConnell?

I need to go puke, now.  This is disgusting . . . .

Let’s channel our anger about this deal and let everyone know that Republicans fought tooth and nail for the richest Americans and tax-dodging corporations—instead of getting our economy back on track. To get Congress to focus on jobs and hold the Republicans accountable, thousands of us are protesting at hundreds of GOP offices today. [ed. Emphasis theirs]

Daniel Mintz from MoveOn.org has painted a pretty succinct image about what happened in Washington . . . .   The losers in this deal are the education, clean energy, and health programs THAT always lose.  Those same republicans demand that we buy guns and airplanes, but spending money on the education of our children is INTOLERABLE.

Republicans and Tea Partiers, your hypocrisy is almost as awe-inspiring as your hubris . . . .

This is like a movie script.

Big money pours into Wisconsin State politics, and with a majority of votes in the legislature, it rams the big money agenda through government–but, not without a fight.  The agenda is to break the backs of unions and strip the power of collective bargaining.  Wisconsinites brave sub-zero winters every year (and apparently like the challenge enough to keep living there), so they are not going without a fight.  They protest. After WEEKS of protests, the big money finally wins.

The hardy Wisconsin citizens aren’t done–they vow to recall the vulnerable Republican politicians as retribution for doing the bidding of the Koch brothers so willingly.

The Republicans put fake candidates in the primaries–and TOLD us they were putting fake candidates in the Democrat party primaries, but it didn’t work.  The Wisconsin voters stayed focused and legitimate Democrat candidates won the primaries.

Fast forward to today:  We are roughly 10 days from the actual election where it looks as if the recall might actually happen . . . and the STRANGEST thing happens.  The building of the We Are Wisconsin offices goes up in flames and is a total loss!  The plot thickens . . . .  The campaign office of the Democratic challenger, Rep. Jennifer Shilling, shares a wall with the building that burned.  Campaign workers were forced to evacuate.  The La Crosse Fire Investigators are investigating the issue.

While it may be inappropriate for me to speculate, I am a storyteller . . . and, this is a good story.  If this were that script I fantasized about at the beginning of this post, there would be a dark room.  Two men talking–dramatic lighting from the top of the.

Look, we’re not going to lose this.  Do you HEAR ME?

Yeah, I hear ya.

You do whatever it takes, and I mean WHATEVER it takes to make sure that we win.  I don’t like losing, and if we lose this election, it will reflect very badly on you–you understand?

All speculation aside, let’s help We Are Wisconsin–give money and help if you can.  (Last time I checked, I couldn’t get through to the website.)

See images of the blaze here at Blue Cheddar.

Negotiation apparently means “compromise” for Democrats and perhaps a more sinister term for Republicans.  “Leverage” might be the definition internalized by Republicans ( could be a euphemism for “extortion opportunity” or “Democrat weakness”).  Let me be clear—I am tired of this arrangement.

I know the new debt ceiling vote isn’t complete, yet . . . but, the newest debt ceiling legislation feels like a loss for Liberals.  We have two votes for the debt ceiling (albeit the second vote is watered down in teeth, but will be a press-generating opportunity for Government-killing Tea Party legislation).  The legislation cuts spending—by TRILLIONS.  The legislation does not raise any revenues.  ZERO.    And, there is a vote for a balanced-budget Amendment to the constitution to be scheduled—also, a press-generating opportunity for ultra-conservatives.  It appears as if the Republicans got everything they wanted.
When we review the spoils of the Democrat-side of this deal, we have:  uhhhm, the promise to leave Medicare and Entitlement cuts alone . . . .  Yep—that is all, folks.  That, and the ability to get back to work.

There was a time in our not-so-distant past when an evil dictator rolled tanks into the Czech Republic and claimed that it was his to take.  The world, at the time, gave it to him.  They told that evil dictator, and his ideology, that we won’t fight you on Czech Republic issue if you promise to not take any more countries.  Of course, he promised and was happy at how easy his first conquest had been.

The evil dictator and his ideology were lying.  He would use the newfound leverage to wield uncertainty and indecision amongst the leaders of the rest of the world and as a springboard for his attacks.  Many, many people had died before the world was moved to respond.

My first message is to Democrat politicians.  Please learn from history.  Placating Hitler did no good.  His singular focus of conquest and extermination outweighed all logic.  His greed for power erased his ability to compromise.  Democrats—you have to do better.  You MUST take a stand.  Protecting entitlement programs from the chopping block is NOT A VICTORY.  It is merely the best outcome of a catastrophic loss.

There is no reasoning with Republicans, Conservatives and Tea Party members—their singular desire to hunt-down and eradicate the people who utilize entitlements is non-stop.  The want all of the poor, minorities, sick, elderly and young to get out of their way while they make money.  There is no village in their distorted view of the world—merely profit margins.  They will happily poison the town well, because they are selling water and will make a larger profit without the competition.

Republicans, Conservatives and Tea Partiers are driving the United States, whether they know it or not, into a tribal/feudal state—where the tribes are multinational corporations with their own armies, bottomless pools of lawyers and lobbyists, unlimited money, and not a single person to be held accountable in a court of law.

My message to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the poor, the elderly—anyone who does not generate money (or value) for those multinational corporations is simple.

Run

Representative Grayson summed up the Republican position on Tax Cuts for the wealthy in a very succinct way.  The reason why we hear about this non-stop from the Fox Media Machine is because the main hosts have millions of dollars to gain from getting a Tax Cut for the wealthy–despite how unhealthy it really is for economy.

Watch for yourself: