B L O N D E S E N S E
Yup.
If Ralph Nader wanted to make change, he'd become a Congressman of either type and start sponsoring some legislation.
This man's ego allowed the most defeat-able Republican in history to get into office TWICE. I'm not certain I want to give him the chance to do it a third time, his right to do so notwithstanding.
All his good karma from consumer advocacy... gone. After the first crushing defeat (and splitting of the lefty vote), I thought he'd learn his lesson. 2004 proved that either he hadn't or he didn't care.
Fuck Ralph. I voted for him once, but never again. If he had spent the time between elections building a party and a movement, I might think he was serious. He is just so bitter now, he wants to destroy everything.
Leave Ralph the fuck alone. If Ralph hadn't been running in the last two elections the voting machines would have had to been fixed even more than they were already fixed.
The neo-cons WEREN'T going to lose. They WON'T lose this time. Point and period.
Great schematic!
Now that's a matrix. And I second Peter, leave off Ralph.
I'll back off on Ralph, if someone can show me one good thing he has done since he stopped being the greatest consumer advocate ever and started thinking he should either be king, or nothing.
If Kucinnich and Feingold can stay in office, why is Ralph too good to find a community that can keep him where he can make changes from within, instead of wrecking everything he onced helped to accomplish?
Like John Edwards, he was far more effective before he got into politics.
Yawn. Now what was that all about? Did somebody ralph? Not to worry, it was in the porcelain gawd.
In recent times the outer layer of Tutankhamun's mummy was removed for the purpose of analyzing the distinguished Pharaoh's cause of death.
To the surprise of the "surgeons", Tutankhamun, sat up in his sarcophagus and asked: "Is Ralph Nader still running for President?"
"Perennial injustices deserve perennial candidates who fight them."
~Ralph Nader
We might have been less embarrassed with either Gore or Kerry as president instead of the hideously deformed being now occupying the White House, but I'd venture to say that the murderous conquests of the American Empire would have continued unabated no matter who was the Chief Executive.
And so it is and so it shall be with the current crop of major contenders. Whoever takes the oath of office in little less than a year, presupposing the elections aren't cancelled, will be a tool of the Powers That Be, just as have all the other Presidents, with certain rare exceptions.
Actually, it'll be a little less strenuous on my psyche at least, to be able to have nothing but contempt for the president, instead of the embarrassment which has accompanied it these last seven years.
Peter, you be tooo blue for your own good, Father was only showing a schematic of his own mind.
Snark.
What I'm finding among the so-called progressive crowd is a unique ability to castigate with great enthusiasm any third party candidates, especially Nader; yet they are completely unable to marshal this same energy in selecting a really good candidate that might entice even those of us on the fringes of the political spectrum to vote for.
I don't mean to be rude Culture Ghost, but you could write me in. I'd be better than what we have, but then so would a soft boiled egg. But neither me or the egg would stand the chance of a snowflake in hell of getting there.
I don't plan to waste the diminished value of my vote.
"...if the Truth about the REAL process of Ascension were not so detrimental to the agenda of the Controllers of our world, the Matrix, they would not have gone to so much trouble to cover it up. When we finally make the connection between that fact, and the fact that our governing elite is operating on the instructions of the Controllers, we then begin to realize that the drama on the political stage is a shadow of the higher-level agenda. And that leads us to realize that the COINTELPRO operation in the New Age and Human Potential movement has truly been the “opening act.” -- Laura Knight-Jadczyk "The Secret History of the World"
No offense taken. I imagine most of us would be "more qualified"...in fact I'm beginning to think a national lottery would be more successful than actual elections. Here's how it works: if you have a valid driver's license, you are automatically a "candidate." Every two years for the House and every four years for the Senate, names are selected by a computer. And you have to serve. The state will step in and make sure your business/career/whatever are secure so you have something to come back to. The same for state and local.Remove the element of "professional politicians."
I suspect that a room full of people from all walks of life could eventually come to some sort of effective consensus...no lobbyists...no pork...no special interests...
OMG!~ Culture Ghost, what a great idea! You have solved it!
8D
OK Culture Ghost...so which company gets to provide the lottery machines? (chortle!)
The problem with being on the fringe, is that you are only on the fringe and not part of the fabric, and never will be. Get used to it.
I have been there my whole life. I have done a lot of radical stuff when it made sense. I still have my Earth First! T-shirt and knew some of those people who went to prison. I also helped people jump fences at the biggest nuclear power plant. I would have gone with them, but then I couldn't keep my job designing solar energy equipment.
I'm glad I helped make environmental issues a major plank of the Democratic party. It is still better than it used to be trying to do it all on our own as individuals.
I gave up on Nader when he gave up on himself and all the rest of us. He has not been "perennial" for many years. He only shows up now just in time to wreck national elections for the people who used to hope he could do something more.
If McCain is too old, so is he. Can't anyone think of something good he has done since he decided he was only interested in being president?
Peter, you should try living in another country for awhile, just to see what it is like. I understand the CIA is using insects as spies now. 
Tom, does that mean I'm supposed to like living in America because it is the least hideous place to live?
Tom...EarthFirst...cool. Haven't heard them mentioned in years. They were pioneers and EFFECTIVE! OT: did you know or ever meet a journalist named Susie Zakin? She wrote a book called "Coyotes and Town Dogs" about EarthFirst! Just curious...
Father Tyme: Oh damn...damn...damn...the Achilles' heel of the system: Diebold!
Ah, those were the good/bad old days! Didn't know Susie Zakin, but I met Dave Foreman a few times, and Ed Abbey too. Foreman spoke at a few of the events I helped to organize. Abbey said that just writing The Monkeywrench Gang was all he would contribute.
I used one of the characters in the book (George Goodsell) as an alias to publish some of my photos in the Rocky Mountain News.
I used to go to Prescott once a week and was a regular at the food co-op for a few years. Three of the THERMCON group were from there. Margaret Millet was a regular too, but I didn't know her personally.
The crack in Hoover Dam was one of the greatest stunts ever!
Answer me this....
Why is our ship so wobbly that Nader can tip it over?????
Let's stop blaming the referees everytime we can't win the game.
"If he had spent the time between elections building a party and a movement, I might think he was serious."
"...why is Ralph too good to find a community that can keep him where he can make changes from within..."
"...the so-called progressive crowd is a unique ability to castigate with great enthusiasm any third party candidates, especially Nader; yet they are completely unable to marshal this same energy in selecting a really good candidate..."
"He has not been "perennial" for many years. He only shows up now just in time to wreck national elections..."
To which I reply with a simple question: Are you waiting for the Main Stream Media to keep you apprised of Ralph's or any of the third-party candidate's doings--you know, the MSM that keeps us all so well-informed, at least about things like Britney, buckfuttboy, and steroid-using baseball players?
He wrote a book in '05 -- The Good Fight where he addresses many of the issues we do here at blondesense.
(WHAT PETER SAID ABOVE)
I remember seeing him on jon stewart with the same messages.
I'll look for that video.
In the mean time -- check out this LOL MUST SEE VIDEO:
Video Message to Ralph Nader
Part 1 with Jon Stewart 2/07
Part 2
Part 3
from democracynow - amy goodman discusses with Ralph the documentary
http://www.democracynow.org/
2007...on_why_he_might
JC, are you kidding me? He wrote a book, and that's his accomplishments for the last 8 years? Then let me use the Hillary argument about Obama to address the Nader issue: Talk is cheap. Words don't put food on the table. Where's the results?
I don't think Nader will affect one whit the 2008 election (his effect was negligible in 2004). That's not my objection to him. My objection to him is that he IS all talk and no action. At least for the last 8 years. And can we talk about him taking money from Republicans in the 2004 race? If he were a real man of principle, he would not have done that.
WHY ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME BLOGGER???
(won't take my links)
time to get rid of my att me thinks
Red - we just aren't hearing about what he has been doing for the past 8 years. He's been out there all along.
CGs' idea was the basis of a Sci-Fi novel (short story?) quite a few years ago, only it was lottery for a one term acting President, I think.
Obviously I don't remember the title or author. Sorry.
o
o
ROF,
You mean this ISN'T SciFi?
The fake crack was in Glen Canyon Dam and Fred Goodsell was George Hayduke's name in the epilog, when he was on the run. (That's what happens when you wake up in the middle of the night and think you know what you are saying.)
Look, I would love to live in a world where Nader could be elected Commander in Chief. I would rather take what is possible, than to cry about the impossible. If the Democrats can't win big this time, it's time to hang it up.
Even the MSM can't hide a major popular movement. Too many Boomers are burned out and too many young people are lost in computer games. The worst part, is that too many liberals don't even bother to vote, so they end up with nothing instead of something. There are still places where voting will be close and I don't want anyone siphoning votes from us this time. If vote rigging is so easy, why did the GOP lose congress last time?
The best we can hope for is to push the Dems to the left once they get is and hope the GOP fades into irrelevancy. Then maybe third parties will come back. We need a serious mandate to do that. Third parties just don't work in our system today. All the countries that have multiple party systems have a Parliamentary form of government. I'm all for that too, but I don't know how to get there from here.
I can understand why the GOP hates the Clintons, they figured out how to defeat them at the peak of their revolution. I never understood why the liberals hate them so much. Ralph never could figure out how to beat them. He is still a national hero, but he has gone rancid.
Jersey,
"Why is our ship so wobbly that Nader can tip it over?????
Let's stop blaming the referees everytime we can't win the game."
We really do need some referees.
Ralphie is the Rosie Ruiz Vivas of politics!
Yes, he may have been there, but there were others that were much more vocal that aren't running plus others that didn't start the race near the end and expect nirvana based simply on their names.
Where was Ralph when everyone in the world was throwing their hats into the ring last year? Political unknowns the media wouldn't even think of covering still got attention. Nader by virtue of his name would have elicited a goodly amount of attention...but he chose not to. Why?
As RSB said, I have nothing against Nader and his qualifications are no better than Bush or Hillary or even me. That he was a great consumer advocate doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a great politician. The same is true with Obama, McCain or anyone running.
And yes the media hasn't given him air time but don't you think if he really wanted to and had something to say over the last few years, a person of his notoriety wouldn't be able to generate even SOME attention or make some kind of statement expressing his views?
I'd love nothing more than some kind of openness that allows more than two to run. What we need is something the Olympics has needed for a long time; anonymous participation. If the judges didn't know who the competitors were or what country they were from,(maybe cover their faces or have the judges watch digitally hidden ones) we'd have the most fairly decided events possible.
Wouldn't it be nice to hear a candidate telling us what he or she would do without knowing who that candidate was? Then after listening to a number of them, decide who you think was best in your opinion, not that of the Democratic or Republican or even the Green Parties? Take the top 10 or so and put them to a national vote after a national primary. Needs work. But it could function better.
"If vote rigging is so easy, why did the GOP lose congress last time?"
They "threw" the elections, figuring that it would be easier to blame the impending socio-economic collapse on the Congressional party in power.
WALL STREET JOURNAL:
FDIC to Add Staff as Bank Failures Loom
"The FDIC is looking to bring back 25 retirees from its division of resolutions and receiverships. Many of these agency veterans likely worked for the FDIC during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when more than 1,000 financial institutions failed amid the savings-and-loan crisis."
(....)
"Regulators are bracing for well over 100 bank failures in the next 12 to 24 months, with concentrations in Rust Belt states like Michigan and Ohio, and the states that are suffering severe housing-market problems like California, Florida, and Georgia," said Jaret Seiberg, Washington policy analyst for financial-services firm Stanford Group."
Hit the link for the entire article.
A little off topic ...
The one issue I haven't heard much about is the make-up of the Supreme Court. I want a Democrat to win because I am concerned about the Supreme Court make-up. Justice Stevens will be 88 in just a few weeks. You know he isn't going to last through the next president's term. The idea of the Republicans appointing a few more judges freaks me out. And it's not just the Supreme Court, it's our state governments as well. I dunno ... I just think it's vitally important that we have somewhat of a balance in the judicial branch of our government.
Oops ... maybe I should proofread.
OK...Nader and MSM.
Don't own a TV, and the radio stations I listen to are either the local public (no commercials, they hold fundraisers 2X a year) or the classic rock. Nader's name hasn't come up on the 'List Of Stuff Talked About'.
Get most of my news and info from the net...places like this blog, as a matter of fact. Ralph Nader has NOT been a major topic since 2004.
He did some really great things, granted. A lot of people are alive today who probably wouldn't be, had Ralph Nader not taken up the causes he has.
He deserves respect and kudos for that.
BUT:
There's a saying about 'resting upon one's laurels' or something like that.
What has he done lately (and let's define lately as 'since this damn horserace started November 4th, 2006) to indicate that he's a serious contender and candidate?
Biden and Dodd were working their butts off in Congress...and are still doing so, even after dropping out of the race.
Can Ralph Nader make the same claim?
PoLT is the most wacked out conspiracy nut I have ever heard! 
My brother used to sleep in the bathtub because he thought people were watching him through the walls. He was diagnosed as a full blown paranoid schizophrenic with psychosis and severe depression and is on powerful anti-psychotics now.
I worry about you Peter.
I worry about me too; in fact, at least once a day I ask myself, "Am I fuckin' nuts?" Then I recall someone in the psychiatric field telling me about 30 years ago that as long as I keep asking myself that question, and spend about 30 minutes a day in self-analysis, I could probably consider myself reasonably sane.
A friend of mine a while back said, "You have two sides, don't you?", to which I responded along the lines of, "I hope not. I hope it goes beyond that. I believe that every one of us might very well have an infinite number of sides."
"I don't believe in conspiracies; but there might be a plot." -- Greg Palast
POLT..Given the state of e-voting today, and the reluctance of the powers that be to address the problem, let alone to fix it, I believe your worst fears about our electoral process are justified. With all the consolidation in the media and corporate america, it's now easier to control the process and the message, than at anytime in this nation's history. Paranoid? Nope, I think you're just paying attention.
Ben, as I've said before though, "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean somebody isn't out to get me."
Seriously, here's an interesting quote:
"...we have been pre-programmed to believe that people only exhibit problem behaviours when they're "troubled" inside or anxious about something. We've have also been taught that people aggress only when they're attacked in some way. So even when our gut tells us that somebody is attacking us and for no good reason, or merely trying to overpower us, we don't readily accept the notions. We usually start to wonder what's bothering the person so badly "underneath it all" that's making them act in such a disturbing way....We almost never think that the person is simply fighting to get something they want, to have their way with us, or gain the upper hand." -- George K Simon Jr. in his work "In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People"
I caught the quote over at the Signs-of-the-Times Discussion Forum.
Peter, you are the gem of Lone Tree, fun to hear.
Trust Father to set up something that gets this many hits, too bad newbie won't show up here.
Aww shucks, bd. Thanx.
But I think Joisey Goil is ticked at me!
Hey Father -- You're my hero! I could never be ticked at you. I like your idea above (just got back to the computer - have to share with 4 other people AND....I was out interviewing for jobs today -- WHAT A DAY!! 4 interviews and all 4 want me. What a difference from a year ago)
PolT - glad to see there's someone(s) else who has more than 1 side to them!! Makes life interesting to be able to split off from yourself.
Growing up, my friends used to call me Sybil!!
tali - LOL!! 'resting upon one's laurels' ..... you must have watched the video I linked to above (video message to Ralph Nader)
I need a good conspiracy theory for why Howard Dean is one of the Un-dead Zombies of the Matrix, by coming out of nowhere, inventing online campaign financing by the masses, becoming head of the Democratic Party and then inventing down-up campaign strategy of letting volunteers decide what the message should be and change the literature for their own neighborhoods.
Not even Ralph Nader could imagine anything this outrageous and still get more votes. This can't be a good thing for Prison Planet America, can it?
A little message for Nader supporters...
http://archive.salon.com/politic...ocks/
print.html
Before the 2000 election, Gore hired fellow Democrat, and lunatic fringe money mogul Jim Cramer, of MSNBC's "Mad Money" notoriety, to identify a "socially responsible stock portfolio" that he could recommend.
Jim was not able to find any such beast and said that it is better to take money from whatever stocks you can and then give that money to the causes you support.
That is my strategy. It is possible to make money from a stock going up, or down.
The stock market is the only place where it is legal to open a trade by selling something you do not own, and buy it back when it goes lower. Buying and selling stock options is even easier and more profitable (when you are right on the direction).
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