George Carlin' s Best Rant - Who Owns this Country?

This is a full transcript of George Carlin's take on "The Owners" of our country...unedited, untouched, pure Carlin at his very best...

"There's a reason…There’s a reason education sucks, and it's the same reason that it will never, ever, ever be fixed.

It’s never gonna get any better, don’t look for it, be happy with what you got, because the owners of this country don’t want that, I'm talking about the real owners now, the REAL OWNERS, the big wealthy business interests that control things & make all the important decisions.

Forget the politicians, Politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice, you have owners, they own you.

They own everything, they own all the important land, they own & control the corporations, they've long since bought & paid for the Senate, the Congress, the State Houses, the City Halls, they’ve got the judges in their back pockets, & they own all of the big media companies so they control just about all the information you get to hear.

They’ve got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well we know what they want - they want more 4 themselves & less for everybody else.

But I’ll tell you what they don’t want...they don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking..they don’t want well-informed, well-educated people, capable of critical thinking, they’re not interested in that, that doesn’t help them, that’s against their interests, that’s right. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table figuring out how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago. They don't want that.

You know what they want? They want obedient workers, obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs, with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime, and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it.

And now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your fucking retirement money, they want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall St, and you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you sooner or later. Cause they own this fucking place..it’s a big club, and you ain’t in it. You & I are not in the Big Club..and btw it’s the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe, all day long beating you over the head in their media, telling you what to believe, what to think, & what to buy.

The table is tilted, folks, the game is rigged, and nobody seems 2 notice, nobody seems to care. Good honest hard-working people, white collar, blue collar, doessn’t matter what color shirt you have on, good honest hard-working people, these are people of modest means, continue to elect these rich cock-suckers who don’t give a fuck about they…they don’t give a fuck about you, they don’t GIVE a fuck about you, they don’t CARE about you, at all, at all, at all...and nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care.

That’s what the owners count on, the fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red white & blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes every day. Because the owners of this country know the truth…It’s called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.” ~ George Carlin

George Carlin

Speaking of dogs and open windows...

Indian Summer weather reminds me of a hot day many years ago...we once had a Samoyed puppy, Baba, that was about a year old, when we had to leave him inside our VW Bus, while we grabbed a quick lunch in LA.

We left those little side "vent" windows cracked open, but they really were not adequate, but we didn't know what else to do, and thought we'd check on him every few minutes.

We had just gotten our food, and were peacefully starting to eat with our friends, when before we'd even been there long enough to need to check on Baba once, (or so we thought) suddenly we heard a "group gasp" as all the patrons who had window seats along La Cienega Blvd, where our van was parked, stood up en masse, hollering and running toward the window, pointing, and exhibiting minor states of hysteria.

We went to the front of the restaurant, to see what the commotion was all about, having a hunch we maybe knew, and sure enough, there was Baba, our fluffy white Samoyed, who had obviously had it with baking in a hot car, parked on a hot street in LA. He had worked himself into quite a pickle, in his effort to get out, and was now stuck...trying desperately to get out of his embarrassing predicament.

While everyone was watching, he was floundering about, with half his body in, and half of it out, wedged in the tiny slit of an opening of the little mini vertical side window. It didn't seem possible that he could have even fit in that tiny opening, yet there he was.

In retrospect, we laughed and laughed when we retold this story, but at the time it was terrifying. As we watched from across the street (the moment is frozen in time) Baba's rump did a huge "pop" and he was ejected out of the VW Van in one giant swoop, and somehow, miraculously landed, on his feet, in the street, while cars went careening past him!! The restaurant onlookers shrieked in unison as he hit the pavement, and were beside themselves all hollering and waving their arms about, with their eyes glued to the scene.

Luckily, at this moment, my ex-husband was now racing towards Baba, who stood, bewildered, in the middle of the busy street, cars honking on every side of him. Chris, my ex, was nimbly dodging traffic, and flagging down cars as he raced across the street. He quickly corralled the confused Baba off the street, and back to the van, just long enough to grab his leash, slap it on him, and walk him back across the street, where the owners of the restaurant happily let our overheated pup sit in the shade, on the sidewalk, outside their establishment, until we were done eating.

They even brought him a bowl of cold water! Baba was quite proud of himself, and regally accepted the patrons' adoration (he was a beautiful all-white puppy), as they all felt compelled to pet him on their way out the door! Whew! What a comical memory!!

Republicans are still to blame...

I just don't get it. The Dems really need to explain to the voters that the reason that this congress hasn't been able to make any major changes is STILL the fault of Republicans! The public has been misled into thinking that the Dems are now in control, and this is just not true. We've never had a solid 60 vote, on any issue, it seems.

Usually, in previous sessions of Congress, there would always be a few reps from the other side that would vote for a bill, regardless of party. Nowadays, that is not a reality. Every Republican will block every bill they can this session. They vote in a block, now, without exception. So, if there is any Democrat that has any reservations about any bill, there is no chance of it passing.

And over, and over, that has been the case. Dems need to explain that in order to get good legislation passed, there needs to be a surplus of Democratic votes, not just barely 60. If more Democrats, not less, were elected in the fall, it would be much easier to get the good bills passed. This session has been plagued with errant Dems. First there was Liebermann, blocking something, then Ben Nelson, then Blanche Lincoln...if we had say, 65 Dems in the Senate, then those pesky nay-saying right-leaning democrats wouldn't be able to stop bills from getting passed.

Republicans are still blocking legislation, and I don't think the voters realize that, many times, it hasn't been the Dems fault. If people are dissatisfied with Congress, they need to understand who is keeping Congress from passing good bills.

Also, WAKE UP, Dems. The Republicans have pulled the same nasty trick on the last three major bills that have been "passed."
They select one of their number to PRETEND that, with just a few small changes, they will be on board to vote for a bill. The Dems then bend over backward, removing ALL the teeth from the bill, and then the lone Republican changes his/her mind, and decides not to vote for it after all. Why don't the Dems put the provisions back in that they took out for that lone deceitful Republican before passing it? They just continue on, and end up passing watered down, crappy versions of the bills over and over again. Can't they back up ever? Can't they put the good stuff back in the bill again?

And how come Bush managed to get ALL kinds of bad bills passed without the magic 60? Why does Obama have to adhere to this policy when the Bush administration never did?

I'm starting to think that EVERYONE in Congress is on the dole. And we are getting the exact bills that the corporations ordered Congress to pass. The Dems like having Republicans blocking parts of bills for them, so the Dems can look like they care, and it's just not their fault, when in truth, neither party wants what's good for the American people, they just all want to keep the money flowing into their coffers, so they have enough money to buy the ads that help them keep their jobs, come next election.

Every bill has to be considered in terms of the next election, and where it fits into the Presidential schedule, and things that NEED to be addressed often aren't, because it just doesn't fit into the needs of the congress or President's reelection plans. How is that serving the people?

After thinking it all through, it seems to me that the major thing needed is Election Reform, however, how is that ever going to happen, when we are asking the reps to vote against their own best interest?

One would have to be truly altruistic to vote to improve our election process, and there are only a handful of reps in either house of congress that are in that mindset!


We should 1) Eliminate the electoral college 2) do major campaign finance reform 3) have a MUCH SHORTER run-up to the election.

And is it REALLY election time again, so soon? I have to say, I was really not ready for "Election 2010" to be the daily news story...didn't we just go through Election 2008, so very recently? I'm not ready for this again, so soon! Who but the pundits really is?

No work for teens...wonder why?

The experts are mystified by the fact that teenage unemployment is at 25% nationwide, 30% in California? They are also surprised that unemployment, in general, is higher in California. As a resident of the state of CA, I am not at all surprised. I have seen the trend happen over the last 30 years or so. We also have the largest number of illegal immigrants in our state. That is why, hearing the teenage unemployment statistics today did not come as a surprise, or seem like a coincidence to me. I'd already noticed the trend a while ago.

Employers hire the cheapest labor they can find. A few years ago I asked my friend, while we were out shopping, if she had noticed that all the jobs where you used to see teenagers, now there were Mexicans. She noticed it, too. It's frustrating, because, when you go into a department store nowadays, you can expect to receive no service, because the employees that work there these days don't know the stock, or the lingo, and can't really answer any questions...in all fairness, in the past, teenagers weren't much better, but at least sometimes they could answer a question, or might know what you were talking about, when you were trying to describe what you were looking for. Now, it's just accepted as a given, that when you go into a store (unless it's a mom and pop establishment that has been around for years, and is actually manned by the owners), you can expect to be on your own, because nobody is capable of helping you, except to take your money at the cash register.

Blame it on the greedy employers/corporations. In order to save some money, and make even bigger profits, they're hiring illegals instead of resident teenage citizens, because the employers can pay the illegals less, and give them less (or no) benefits, as well. It's a win-win for employers who have no scruples (which here, in California, seems to be just about everybody - even organic farmers hire illegals to work the fields).

So, I don't see why the experts are surprised, except that they are unwilling to face what is really happening in this country. We have more illegals than we can comfortably handle. Experts might not want to face the fact that, actually, illegals have a great deal to do with the country's unemployment problems. My ex-husband was forced out of a job by illegals, and had to find a whole new occupation, when all his clients started hiring illegals for $2 less per hour. They truly are taking away jobs from citizens, including teenagers, as now reported, and the situation has become really bad, because employers have gotten used to paying unfair, lower wages, and not reporting to the government, and not offering benefits, and basically making out like bandits, while screwing both the legal citizens who they are no longer hiring, as well as the illegals they now do hire.

It's sad that nobody wants to make the connection between unemployment and illegal immigrants. And nobody wants to address the issue of why they are coming here in the first place - why can't they make a living in their own country? And nobody really wants to enact legislation that would stop this practice, because nobody wants to go up against the employers who are only concerned about their bottom line, and illegal workers cost them way less than Americans, even than American teenagers, apparently.

If illegals could not find work here, they would not be coming here. If they couldn't find housing, they couldn't stay here. There should be laws, with serious penalties, enacted, against employers and landlords that perpetuate this detrimental cycle.


I kinda miss the ditzy teenagers.

WH Faux Pas - Rehire Sherrod already!

Andrew Brietbart & Fox News started it, but the White House most definitely had a huge part in continuing it. They reacted in an amateurish fashion, to this whole falsely reported news story. First off, they should know better than to believe anything that Fox News reports.

I saw Sherrod say that she was not even given the opportunity to tell them her side of the story. She was driving at the time, and was ordered to pull over immediately, and call in her resignation, from the side of the road, on her Blackberry. Apparently she tried to tell her bosses the whole story, but they wouldn't listen.

Our guys took Fox's word for it over their own employee, who had a stellar record, and had even received an award as the "FLAG Family Farm Champion" (pictured above), and then they got their heads handed to them, as well they should have. Fox has us on the run, and this proves it.

They say jump, we say, how high?

What Vilsack and the administration did to Sherrod was uncalled for and outrageous, no matter what Fox's part in it was....we need to think for ourselves, and pick our battles wisely - not let Fox dictate the battles, and how and where and who they will be about. There was no reason to react that quickly, the WH just didn't want another bad news day, and they got thrown off balance, and responded to the situation in a completely amateurish, irrational and paranoid fashion. They were thinking only of their own reputations - which wasn't a fair thing to do to Sherrod.

This story would have been much stronger, for our side, if Vilsack and the WH had just given Sherrod time to explain herself, and then they would have learned all of the facts, and she could have kept her job. Then, the Administration's part in it would have been untainted. They could have caught Breitbart and Fox in a big fat lie, without getting any egg on their own faces.

I don't tune in to Fox, so I wouldn't know what's going on over there, but I'm sure they are milking this WH faux pas for all that they can get out of it.

At any rate, Sherrod should sue Breitbart for Defamation of Character, and if they offer her job back to her, she should demand a raise, as well as a public, Presidential apology.

Please don't think I'm against the President. I'm not. Not at all. There's nothing I want more than to see candidate Obama again. This post is just "constructive criticism". Dissent is a Patriot's Duty. But know that I want Obama to succeed, and be the best man that he can be. I campaigned like crazy for him. I went to many phone calling parties, made calls from home, sent emails, made contributions, donated 100s of buttons to Obama fund-raisers, so please don't think that I'm against him or the dems - truth is I'm left of liberal, and I vote Democratic, because a Liberal could never get in, and it would be a wasted vote. In fact, I could stand for Obama to swing way further to the left.

At any rate, and at all times, I want to see the President and his administration be strong and wise enough to admit their mistakes. That is the mature thing to do.

In this situation, I would just like to see them own up to their error. I notice that Sherrod was forced to "resign" instantaneously, but Vilsack has to "study" the situation, and has not yet made any announcement as to her status. I, myself, would like to see Sherrod re-hired as quickly as she was fired, with a raise, and a full WH apology, to boot.

The Link between Immigration and Unemployment

I am a member of the Facebook Group, "Rethink Afghanistan". Today, I made a somewhat off-topic comment when one of our members made the following post:

George:

"Pull all our forces out of the mideast and restation them to PROTECT our borders to the north and south. This way we wont lay anyone off and its got to be cheaper to keep them on OUR SOIL. And we wont read about our men and women dieing anymore for a LOST WAR."

3 people liked this.

Here is my response:

Tara Thralls

George, I'm not sure that our borders need protection as much as employers need to not hire illegals. If there was no work here for them, illegals would not risk coming over the border. Employers hire illegals because it is cheaper, and there are no regulations they have to follow, because nobody will be reporting them. Unemployment most certainly has a great deal to do with Illegal Immigration. If employers could not find illegals to work for them, for a pittance, they might have to cut their profits a bit, and hire legal workers at a decent salary.

California has both the highest unemployment rates AND the highest amount of illegal workers. There is most definitely a correlation between the two statistics.

Sorry, I know this is a post about Afghanistan, but I felt compelled to mention that I don't think bringing the soldiers who are now serving in Afghanistan back here to patrol the borders would be a real solution for either problem...but we definitely should get our soldiers out of Afghanistan, and what to do with them then? Hmm, maybe, oh, I don't know, give them an education (which is why they probably joined up in the first place)....

Home Cough & Cold Remedies by Tara

This was originally posted to my friend Lori's Facebook wall. She then posted it as a note. This is an edited and updated version of that note:
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Here's a list of cold remedies from simple ones (if the sneezing hasn't started yet), to pretty radical cures for more advanced colds, coughs, wheezing or laryngitis.

1) If you feel that first tickle in the back of your throat, don't be lazy!! Get up and immediately gargle with some salt water (I have seen measurements ranging from 1/8 tsp up to one whole tsp of salt dissolved in a cup of water, as hot as you can take - the greater the concentration of salt, the more it will burn, but consequently the better it will work)…if you live near the ocean, gargle with ocean water, that's even better, provided the ocean is clean where you live.

2) Here's another good one for when you feel that first tickle in the back of your throat, but you REALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO GET A COLD RIGHT NOW…This is a pretty radical cure , but it REALLY DOES WORK
a) Get a cup with a long spout (a small teapot, or you can buy a "nose buddy" at a yoga store).
b) Mix up a batch of salt water (I have seen measurements ranging from 1/8 tsp up to one whole tsp of salt in a cup of water, as hot as you can take - the greater the concentration of salt, the more it will burn, but consequently the better it will work) - you might want to dissolve the salt in hot water, and then let it cool to lukewarm.
b) Close off one nostril with one finger, and tilt your head so you are able to "pour" the salt water up your other nostril. Inhale the salt water, but be sure to close off your throat so you DO NOT SWALLOW IT!! Open the closed nostril, and exhale it through that one...so it's going in one nostril, and out the other....Switch sides. And repeat....It's nasty, but it WILL work, but only at the very beginning stages of a cold...

3) Here's another cure that works really well, if you are having trouble sleeping because of troublesome coughing, or wheezing.
a) Get a vaporizer (under $20 at most pharmacies).
b) Buy some Eucalyptus, Peppermint or Spearmint Oil (any health food store should have one of them).
c) Fill it half full with water...the first time add some non-iodized salt to the water.
d) Put a drop or two of the aromatic oil in the little indentation on top.
e) Close the doors and windows to your bedroom, to keep all the steamy moisture in the room.
f) Plug it in, and sleep with it on...you will feel it clearing out your nose and throat while you sleep.
WARNING: The moisture might make papers curl, or tape come off your walls!

4. Another thing you can do to clear a froggy throat is crush up a handful of fresh mint leaves, while bringing some water to a boil. Once boiled, turn the water off, and sprinkle the crushed mint leaves on top (most health food stores sell fresh herbs). Stir with a wooden spoon. While the mint water is still very hot, take a big towel, and place it over your head, while inhaling the tea, so that you and the tea are in your own little world under the towel. Inhale deeply, and it will clear the sinuses nicely. If you don't have Fresh Mint, you can use tea bags of Mint Tea instead.

5. Another good way to clear a froggy throat, or laryngitis is to make this concoction:
a) Juice of one lemon
b) Mix in 1/8 tsp cayenne
c) Add 1-2 T honey (or to taste)
d) Mix into a cup of extremely hot water, as hot as you can take over it, and drink…it clears and coats the throat and gets your immune system going, too...you can even crush up some garlic into it, too...as long as nobody cares how your breath smells, of course!!

6. And for laryngitis - this one really works well, and it's yummy, too! Everything does something in this cure.
a) Grate one apple into a bowl.
b) Add the juice of one lemon.
c) Add 1 TBSP of Honey.
d) Stir it well.
e) Add a handful of raisins.
f) Add a handful of chopped walnuts
g) Add 1 TBSP of Wheat Germ (Make sure it's fresh, as it will go rancid over time).
h) Stir well again.

Eat this for breakfast or as a snack in between meals. It's actually pretty tasty, but I usually lose interest about 3/4 of the way through…you'll know when you've eaten enough.

7. Now, if your cold is more advanced, and has settled into your chest, this is the most radical cure I know of…and you don't want to do this unless you are really, really miserable, because it is difficult, and can be really unpleasant if not done exactly correctly…

Please Follow the Instructions Carefully, because if you mess up, it can be pretty painful.

a) You want to do this right before going to sleep, when you are completely ready to lay down, and don't plan to get up again, as you don't want to walk on your feet once you've done this.
b) Bring the following things to your bedside, so they will be there in the morning: A big dishpan size tub of water, filled about half full, and a bath towel. Place the tub on the floor by your bedside.
c) You will also need a pair of socks, some wet and some dry paper towels, and some Cayenne Pepper powder.
d) You are going to put Cayenne Pepper, very carefully, on all the "tougher parts" of your feet - basically, the ball and the heel of the foot. Moisten only those areas, and sprinkle the cayenne pepper on them, smooth it out with your hand, and then wipe your hand down with the wet and dry paper towels (cayenne can be a serious skin irritant)..
e) Carefully put on the socks, so as not to loosen any of the caked on Cayenne Pepper. Go to sleep.
f) You will feel the heat traveling up your legs, from your feet, towards your head, as you sleep. Your congestion should be greatly improved upon arising.

IMPORTANT: YOU DO NOT WANT TO WALK ON YOUR FEET WHILE YOU STILL HAVE CAYENNE PEPPER ON THEM.

g) Before getting out of bed, and walking anywhere, you want to MAKE SURE to rinse your feet in the tub of water and dry them off. You do NOT want to walk on the cayenne pepper, because it will burn.

IMPORTANT CAUTIONS:
i) Do not let even one grain of cayenne pepper get between your toes, or on your instep - it will burn like mad.
ii) Make sure not to walk on your feet while the Cayenne is still on them.
iii) If you have sensitive skin, you might want to have two tubs of standing water, and do a double rinse before walking around.

I know it's radical, but it really does work wonders!!
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Well, that's all I can think of right now….I'll append this post if I think of some others.

Hope some of that helped….your feedback is welcome.

: )

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P.S. Here's some great reference pages with more cold remedies:

a) Home Remedies using salt water.

Or try it with a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil as described in the Yoga Journal.

Or read about some more remedies, including some homeopathic ones from eatrundoyoga.com.

Is "Faith" a viable option?

(This was originally posted in a thread on my Facebook page, that got a lot of comments. It was discussing whether it might be time to enlist God's help, and whether Group Prayer might help the situation in the Gulf, here's a link to that thread: http://bit.ly/groupprayer)

I was raised by atheists. Angry atheists. I remember when I was in 5th grade, and they added "under God" to the pledge. It was a big, big deal at the time. I would mouth the words, so I wouldn't get caught by my teacher, but not say them out loud, in solidarity with my parents.

I never thought much about whether God existed until my teenage years, which were filled with angst. The first time I every prayed was when I found myself arrested for vagrancy, while trying to hitchhike to California with my 16 yr old boyfriend. We had gotten a ride with a trucker, who started putting his hand up my leg, while my boyfriend slept...this was after the trucker had had us wait in the truck, while he took a short detour at a whore house (he had originally picked us up because my boyfriend had long hair, and he thought we were 2 girls)...I woke my boyfriend up, and got the trucker to let us out at a bus station in Columbus, Ohio. We planned to wait until daylight to get back out on the road.

It was the middle of the night, and cops came 'round ever few hours, to make sure there weren't any homeless vagrants, and after seeing us there for so long, asked for our ID. We were arrested because we only had $15 between us, and well, let's be honest, we were hippies, before there were hippies (we were "bohemians")..and they took us in.

We had several nickel-bags of weed...this was in 1964...the cops in Ohio didn't know what it was (there were no buds back in those days)…I told them we had been hitchhiking for a while, and had colllected "soil" from the different states (the weed was all powder)…they didn't believe me - they weren't sure what it was, but they were pretty sure it wasn't soil (props to me for my creativity, though). I prayed to God for the first time, but, needless to say, God didn't help me. My parents were called, I was released into their custody, with the promise that I would be institutionalized by June 15th...I was in and out of the mental institution by June 15th, because I wasn't "crazy", I was just a pothead….but I will leave the story of my time in the crazy house for another day…

My first real experience with "God" came when I was at a LSD party a few years later. I had a friend who was very funny, but got people to laugh by making fun of other people. This guy, Dutch, had been on a roll, getting everyone in the room to laugh...then he suddenly turned to me, and (I'll never forget), said, "What are you laughing at? You look like a pig with an apple in its mouth."...everyone laughed...but me. I wanted to die (remember I was tripping on acid at the time)...I went out in the back yard, all the way in the corner, as far away as I could get from anyone else, and started weeping (I was a little overweight, but nobody would have called me fat, so it wasn't that - but I'm not very pretty)...suddenly a thought formed in my head....

"Next time I'll choose a prettier body."

Next time? Next time? Next time?

So began my spiritual journey. I began to read books about reincarnation, and started exploring what was out there. A year or two later I had an enlightenment experience, while on a mescaline trip…after which it all became clear. I "saw the clear light", and everything about life made sense to me.

Shortly after this, I gave up psychedelics. That was the experience I had been looking for. I surmised that my experience had opened a door into a whole other realm for me, and that although I had had this experience, now I wanted to be in that state all the time. I began practicing Yoga, and meditating, and became a more introspective person.

I have had no experience that has shaken my beliefs since that time. I KNOW from personal experience that there is a God…but "religion" is another whole ballgame. I am violently against anybody laying down the rules for anyone else. I despise organized religion. I think it is a "fiddle" for the priests, who take people's money, while making promises that they do not have the authority to keep. I think confession is a bunch of bull shit. Nobody can forgive you for your sins but God and yourself. No middle man is needed, or should be used. It's a travesty. If people get comfort from religion, they're bullshitting themselves. That how I see it.

Life does not come with an instruction manual. Nobody really can tell what's right for anyone else...and nobody has come back to tell us what happens after we die. Pretty much it's a guessing game...but I do know what I experienced with my own eyes, and that's the only experience I will ever trust…one that I had myself.

I feel sorry for anyone who has never actually had a life-changing religious experience and is running strictly on the "faith", which they learned from their parents. Better to have a real experience...Faith is not nearly as airtight as an actual experience, in my opinion.

I still think that "Faith" has a fairy tale quality to it, and if that's the most you have, you might want to do what you can to have an actual, life-validating experience, so you will KNOW, instead of merely having faith...

Just my opinion....

Are Obama and BP REALLY doing "everything they can"?

I think Obama (and the government) were initially really slow on the uptake. I just wish he had been responsive immediately after the disaster, I mean, like immediately. He did not make a statement, visit the Gulf, or even weigh in for far too long. He should have issued an immediate statement, and been fully engaged from Day One.

Did he learn nothing from Bush's PR catastrophe that was Hurricane Katrina? I don't understand his reticence to get involved. Plus he gave the righties ammunition by doing a whole bunch of things that weren't related to the Gulf disaster, or foreign policy, and could easily be painted as partisan or selfish acts. I'm often surprised at how much more clever the blogosphere is than Obama's advisors, who seem to get things so far wrong, so very often.

I saw a commentator the other day saying that in Australia, when they had a similar disaster, they had back up people there within minutes, 100s of helicopters, boats on the surface, workers, everything needed to deal with it immediately...

Our country's response was a disgrace. I was disgusted to learn that BP shipped 300 workers in, for a single day, to the beach where President Obama was going to visit, so that it would appear that BP had it together, and were involved with a sincere and serious clean-up effort. In fact, the workers did not even put in a full day…they left shortly after Obama did.

What is really disturbing about that fact is that BP KNOWS what responsibility looks like. They KNOW what they SHOULD be doing, and they choose not to. This is maddening to me. Why is it acceptable behavior for corporate executives to be heartless, environmentally irresponsible, and only looking out for their company's bottom line? In the corporate world, greed and deviousness are accepted, in fact, revered behaviors. Don't these people have a little Jiminy Crickett inside their heads, too? How can they allow themselves to behave so heedlessly, selfishly, badly??

BP may be the only one that can stop the leak, but the government should have had people there, on the spot, immediately, whether BP liked it or not. This blaming BP for nobody else being able to get close to it, has been way too convenient, and makes me question why the govt would want to do that, instead of just getting in there and dealing with all the many facets of it, as quickly as possible…

Anyone who wanted to should have been able to help, in some capacity, from the very beginning. People have good ideas, want to volunteer, have boats they could volunteer, but are having difficulty getting anything implemented, or even being able to reach anyone with any kind of ability to pass their ideas on to the decision-makers.

Willing volunteers & scientists have been rebuffed, even though they got phone numbers to call, as when they called them they could not get through to a human, and just got an answering machine, requesting a call-back number, but then nobody ever called them back…

That's B.S. Why would they want to do that?

I hear that the people that make the oil dispersant are making a killing, though…and their stock rose 18% when it was announced that BP had chosen this highly toxic chemical, produced by Nalco, that is banned in Europe, and was one of the most toxic choices, and not recommended by the EPA. In fact, when the government ORDERED BP to stop using Nalco's product, and to choose a more environmentally-friendly dispersant, BP flat out refused…and there was nothing (allegedly) our government could (or would) do about it.

If you dig a little deeper you will find that NALCO is associated with Warren Buffett, Maurice Strong, Al Gore, Soros, Apollo, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, Hathaway Berkshire. These facts (with footnotes, source materials and extensive documentation) were brought to light in the recently published post by Joann Mor, "Bombshell Exposé: The real reason the oil still flows into the Gulf of Mexico", a most disturbing read.

And why wasn't a commission set up right there, right away, immediately, with phone numbers to call, places to make donations (why is there no public effort, either in our country or around the world, to help out the people in the Gulf)?

BP has not been forthcoming, or generous, I'm sure those folks could stand some extra help…money might be hard to dole out, but how about foodstuffs…everyone has to eat…and some basic household items that everyone always keeps in stock, and periodically needs to restock, like sponges, paper towels, toilet paper, Band-Aids, various over-the-counter pharmaceuticals like sunscreen, aspirin, you know, those kinds of things. I'm sure supplying those items would help… any little expense, that they don't have to make themselves, would have to lessen their strain.

The Govt could organize a movement to get the big corporations that make that sort of stuff, to donate their goods to help out the people in the Gulf who are not getting all their needs met by BP. There's been no public constant broadcasting of numbers to call, or ways to help out until recently, and I don't see the government (i.e. Obama) doing all that it can to get help to those that need it.

Also, those big corporations could be making a good name for themselves by donating things that are needed for the clean-up efforts - Dawn detergent for the birds, gloves, boots, slickers, masks, those kinds of items. If we keep waiting around for BP to do something, the situation will only worsen. The sooner we can nip this, the better.

However, not only can volunteers not find out where they can go to clean up the beaches, Public Beaches are actually being patrolled by private cops, hired by BP, chasing the public OFF their beaches, so there will be no evidence of the havoc this is causing. That is ridiculous.

Also, there could have been a massive effort on the part of the govt to get burms built everywhere, so that no oil EVER washed up on any state's beaches. If the Govt could spend (ie borrow from China) vast quantities of money that we don't actually have, to bail out big banks, we should also be able to borrow money to keep the oil off our coasts.

There are also people with machines already built that skim the ocean, and separate the oil from the water, and others with machines that are like curtains, and way taller than the barriers that BP has intermittently provided, that are already built, and "waiting for approval" from the govt - which could take 6 months, because first the Govt will have to do a study, and a cost analysis...I mean, it could take a month just to assign a project manager!

I think Obama could have been way more engaged when it comes to the top side of the ocean...he couldn't do much about the underwater situation (even a superman like him can't get down to 5000 ft below!!)...but he could have help speed up permitting processes, created a bureau to handle volunteers & scientific submission ideas and machinery suggestions, and assigned many, many more people to work on the beaches, and with the Coast Guard...I mean, there are fishermen out there with boats who need work, but they have been unable to connect with whomever is coordinating the hiring for this mess.

Who decides how many workers and what equipment gets dispatched, and to where? That person should lose their job. It's a disheveled mess, in my opinion, and it's all due to faulty management, on the parts of many people, both in the Govt and the private sector.

There are many ready & willing people whose talents and strengths are not being utilized for this effort. This should be treated like what it is, a National Emergency, and we need to implement an "All Hands on Deck" response as soon as possible, and demand that BP just not be allowed to continue in the same vein, and NO, we will not accept this polluting dispersant, goddammit, you spend the money & buy the RIGHT dispersant…and NO, we're not gonna sit by and watch as BP does a lame, half-hearted attempt at keeping the oil off the beaches, and an even lamer clean-up attempt, where it has already reached the beaches.

BP is good at a few things: Spending useless money on ads to build up their public image, hiring endless lobbyists to buy off Congress members, lying to the public about the extent of the damage and velocity of the leak, dodging paying the meager $69 million bill the Govt assessed them (while spending $50 mill in advertising, and billions in dividends checks to its stockholders), refusing to go on any News Talks Shows and answering any questions, hiring private agents with uniformed security guards to act as pretend cops and scare the Public off Public beaches, so no photos of the damage will surface.

Don't get me started on listing what BP is bad at...

Looking back over the past few years, I have to say that IMO Obama got just what he wanted (or what his overlords wanted) in both the do-nothing health care bill (which doesn't even kick in until 2014, and ended up just forcing people who can't afford health care to have to buy it), and the financial non-reform bill. Both of these bills were skillfully crafted by career politicians who make the bulk of their salaries from the Lobbyists, not the American people. They are bought by the lobbyists and corporations…so they have to make it look like the "fought really hard" for stuff, but there was always another senator that would vote down any good suggestion…they count on each other to vote the good stuff out of every bill…because that's what they've been ordered to do.

When Obama was running against Clinton & Edwards, way back in the beginning of the campaign, I happened to be watching Morning Joe (this was before I stopped watching him a few months later), and I must admit, that on that day, Joe did actually enlighten me, when he said that the media would choose Obama, because they liked his "story" best, and they wanted to cover it more than either the Clintons or Edwards (this was when everyone inside the beltway knew about the Edwards affair, but nobody was mentioning it)…Joe also said that Washington, and the "powers-that-be" would be "just fine" with Obama…he did not threaten the modus operandi at all…and that he was a clever man, good at misleading the public into thinking he was not part of the Washington machine, but in actuality, all the big corporations would not suffer at all if Obama was elected, and they'd be thrilled if he were elected.

In hindsight, they have gotten a better deal from him, than the lefties have received. I do not like most of Obama's appointees, or Supreme Court choices. I do not like that he kept ANY of Bush's people in power. I do not like that the administration has no intention of going after the Bush/Cheney regime for any of their massive list of crimes. I do not like how long it is taking to get out of Iraq. I do not like his escalating the pointless war in Afghanistan. I do not like the secret drone war in Pakistan. I do not like his stance on DADT, or DOMA, and I think he is playing everyone, trying not to offend anyone, in hopes of getting reelected, and he has lost touch with the ideals that are natural for any leftie to embrace. He has been a disappointment on many levels.

I campaigned tirelessly for Obama. I donated 100s of buttons, to various groups who had fund-raising events for him. I went to many calling parties. I called voters from my home. I sent tons of emails…I was REALLY into wanting to believe that things would be different if he was elected. I felt a level of elation on Election Night that I can only compare to being at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, or at the anti-war rallies in 2003. I hadn't felt "HOPE" like that in close to 40 years…so it pains me greatly to say this.

I am tired of pretending that President Obama is the same man as Candidate Obama. He ain't. I'm fed up. Is it time to march?

(This was originally a post about Obama, and BP, and whether they have really been "doing all they could" in the Gulf disaster. After examining all the facts, I would have to conclude, "NO", they haven't. It's time to step up. Let's see a bit more Candidate Obama, and a lot less Corporate Obama, thanks.)