New Year Resolutions...

I'm not making any.

The year 2006 ends with former U. S. ally, Saddam Hussien, hung by his arch enemies, the great "decider" Bush keeping the former dictator's pistol as a trophy of his personal triumph, and former un-elected president Ford being buried in a state funeral overseen by one of the constants through all of these years - Dick Cheney.

You can't write stranger or darker fiction.

I just re-read Henry David Thoreau's essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." I believe that I last read it in high school - it's probably banned now. Certainly, he would be arrested under the Patriot Act and since the last Congress abolished Habeus Corpus, he wouldn't just spend a night in jail, he'd be shipped to Guantanamo or worse for "extraordinary rendition." I can't help but wonder what Bush would keep as a trophy of his triumph over Thoreau? Maybe an ear, a finger, or a tongue? Probably more than one part, so he could share with Mommy, and because unlike most of us Thoreau had the fortitude not only to speak, but also to act.

I leave you with a small bit of Thoreau - the strange reality is that at most only three words would need to be changed to make this an accurate description of the times as we move into 2007!

"...There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washigton and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing; who even postpone the question of freedom to the question of free trade, and quietly read the prices-current along with the latest advices from Mexico, after dinner, and, it may be fall asleep over them both. What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot today?

...They will wait, well-disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret. At most, they give only a cheap vote, and a feeble countenance and Godspeed, to the right, as it goes by them. There are nine hundred and ninety-nine patrons of virtue to one virtuous man;..."

What resolutions does this challenge us to make? Maybe we cowards better stick to diet and exercise? It's too late to dick Cheney before he dicks us!

Leader of the free world tells us to shop?

Yesterday the leader of the so-called free world, George The Bush, told Americans to go shopping - the same line he used after September 11th!!!

And this person is allowed to live in the people's house! He is supposed to be the leader of the world's greatest democracy, not a retail business! Talk about having things confounded!

For a moment, I was afraid that he was going to lead the press puppies in a cheer - Give me an S, S; Give me an H, H; Give me an O, O; Give me a P, P; What's that spell? SHOP!!!

A self-proclaimed born again Christian that says he talks to God tells us to go shopping! That should give great comfort to America's poor, all the underemployed who've had their $50,000 a year jobs exported to people who are desparate to work for $300 a month, all of our troops in harm's way and their families!

Both Jefferson and Jesus would be appalled!

All I Want for Christmas...

Given the old adage, be careful what you ask for, I propose the following wish list for we the people. Some of them were on Thomas Jefferson's list too.

1. That America stop trying to "export" democracy until we the people get one of our own.

2. We the people dissolve the current non-representative federal government.

3. We replace it with 10,000 of our fellow citizens elected from a random sample of 20,000 taxpayers from across the continent.

4. These 10,000 will serve one, and only one, 6-year term as representatives of we the people.

5. We the people will severely limit the power of the federal government. Local governments have a better ability to listen to citizens and decide local issues. The role of higher level governments is to ensure that local entities provide every citizen equal access to decision making.

6. No one serving as a representative of the people may receive any government benefit in the form of a pension, insurance, or health care greater than that provided by the government to the poorest of our citizens. We the people shall set compensation for our representatives by referendum question requiring support by 2/3 of the electors every 10 years.

7. The federal government shall have a balanced budget with debt no greater than can be paid in 18 years.

8. The federal constitution must be reviewed and approved by 2/3 of the electors every 20 years.

Why a minimum wage increase is a lump of coal for the people

Tis' the season and the new Congress is promising we the people an increase in the minimum wage as our present this year. Forgive me, if I find little comfort and joy in it. Frankly, its worse than a lump of coal for we the people. Why, you might be curious to know.

First, and foremost, it violates a fundamental principal of a real democracy - it applies only to a portion of our population and therefore, is unequal. In this case those of us who make the least money from hourly wages. On the surface it sounds good, but it repeats the mistake we often make - it confounds our economic system with our government system. And historical evidence demonstrates that the way that works in actual practice means that our government will give some economic benefit to the other economic subdivisions of we the people. Further subdividing those of us who are supposed to be equals under a democratic governing system. It's simply wrong in principal. We the people should be equals under the governments' laws and these are different than the economic system's laws!

Secondly, it is literally "tax and spend" by all levels of government! It increases the wages the economically impoverished part of we the people pay state federal, state, and local income taxes upon. It increases revenue to all levels of government - it gives the government more money to spend on things like the war in Iraq. And it comes from the poorest part of we the people who currently have the least influence on how it is spent. It also increases revenues for Social Security and Medicare from both the employees and employers.

If you do the math you'll find that government coffers are the biggest winners on the backs of the poorest part of we the people.

But whoa! Before you dismiss me as the latest Grinch or Scrooge I hope you'll please hear me out. Is there an alternative that treats we the people equally?

What if we the people exempted the first $50,000 of income from any source from federal income taxes and taxed all income above $50,000 at a 20% level. Period - no gimmicks - no deductions - no tax credits - no differentiation between the economic classes of we the people.

Bill Gates, Mark Sherman, and every other citizen pays 20% on every dollar of income above $50,000 - regardless of how big a home mortgage they have, how many children they have, how much energy they save, how many jobs we provide, how many lawyers and accountants we can hire, etc. This exemption applies equally to every member of we the people - not just the one's with economic resources and political influence.

Further, we the people should end the exemption of any income from Social Security and Medicare taxes. Every member of we the people and their employers should pay these taxes on every dollar of income not just the economic subdivision of us who earn less than some arbitrary number.

Equal treatment of we the people under the laws of our government - now that would be a real Christmas present!

Tidings of comfort and joy?

Today I heard a new (to me) version of this old Christmas carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Zigo. It made me ponder the "season" for a moment...

Tidings of comfort and joy? In Iraq? In Lebanon? In Darfur? In the U.S.? Where?

I'm not a zealot of any religion but American Christian hypocrisy is just about beyond belief to me.

Didn't Jesus teach peace on earth and good will toward men? How about the little ditty - do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Or forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?

I don't think he taught the shop until you drop gospel that our corporatists preach. Could this be what the Islamics are objecting to?

Consider for a moment how we would be behaving if Iraq had bombed and invaded us to impose a democratic regime...

A place to start...

Let's role this one out to see if there is a place to start - even talking to myself.

First, I'm convinced we need more democracy in America. Fundamentally, I'm committed to a direct democracy. Let's dump "representative" government in total. I can't think of anyone in government who represents me - none of them reflect what I think, nor what I value. I realize that I might be in the minority here, but what the hell, I'd rather take my chances with all of the people - certainly there will be some issues where the majority will agree with me.

One of my good friends whom I would consider "pro-democracy" freaked when I told him that I was in favor of a direct democracy - he reminded me that we lived in Christian Reconstructionist territory. "We'd have to teach the Bible in the public schools!"

Hmmm...not if the Constitution was written clearly, respected, and enforced. A well written document would protect us from the tyranny of the majority of the religious; just as it would protect the minority of blacks from the tyranny of the majority of whites; and protect those of us with the minority of dollars from the tyrrany of the majority of dollars; etc.

Maybe this is a little too ideal for the land of the free and the home of the brave.