Watch Reverend Wright At NAACP Convention

I have not felt that Reverend Wright had a fair playing field while the continuing loops of news tape repeated endlessly over the past weeks on all-news networks.  Taken in snips, and out of context, Wright was maligned and used as a political tool by the opponents of presidential candidate Barack Obama.  Reverend Wright, who has long had a respected resume for his intelligence and scope in the religious community around the nation suffered the onslaught and slurs in silence.  This weekend he rightfully responded.  First he joined Bill Moyers, always worth viewing on PBS, and then on Sunday night he delivered a speech at the NAACP dinner.

And he deserves to be heard.   I am proud to use this blog as a way to allow viewers to see the NAACP dinner speech.

So here is Reverend Wright.

Technorati Tags: ReverendWright, NAACP, BarackObama,

Richard Nixon And Elvis Presley Kept In Touch By Phone

New information is being made available courtesy of Egil Krogh regarding the relationship between Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley.  It was a most remarkable scene, if you can image it, when the King of Rock and Roll walked into the office of the straight-laced President.   In fact, the images from that meeting are now legendary.   To be a fly on the wall……

Of all the requests made each year to the National Archives for reproductions of photographs and documents, one item has been requested more than any other. That item, more requested than the Bill of Rights or even the Constitution of the United States, is the photograph of Elvis Presley and Richard M. Nixon shaking hands on the occasion of Presley’s visit to the White House.

And now new information that keeps the story growing more interesting.

Friendship apparently meant more to Elvis Presley than politics. Egil “Bud” Krogh, the presidential aide who was convicted of running Richard Nixon’s “plumber” unit and who also guided Elvis around the White House on Dec. 21, 1970, reveals that the King and the former president kept in touch even after Watergate forced Nixon from office. Krogh, who is updating his The Day Elvis Met Nixon with the new revelation, says Elvis phoned Nixon in 1974 when the ex-prez was suffering from life-threatening phlebitis. “Something obviously happened when they met,” says Krogh, whose latest book, Integrity, is a primer on how to ethically serve a president. “They liked each other very much.” And Nixon returned the favor when Elvis fell ill. “Nixon was a defender of Elvis,” Krogh tells us.

Technorati Tags: RichardNixon, ElvisPresley, EgilKrogh,

Hillary Clinton Not In War Zone, But Pat Nixon Was

The idea that Hillary Clinton was ever in a war zone with bullets flying and immediate safety concerns on a high alert has been proved to be only fanciful attempts by the Clinton campaign to win the Democratic nomination.  And her assertion that she was the first wife of a president to be in a war zone since Eleanor Roosevelt is absolutely untrue.

Pat Nixon flew to Vietnam during the war in July 1969 and the scene can be viewed by the words and picture of that trip.

“We flew more than 1,500 feet above the ground in case of enemy fire,” Boyer says, “with fighter jets above and scores of helos flying under and around us for maximum protection. We even put down bullet proof mats on the helo floor.

“The Secret Service was against the trip,” Boyer says, “because the entire country was a war zone.”

In addition there is a passage in a biography of Pat Nixon by Julie Nixon Eisenhower that gives a description that makes Hillary Clinton’s trip seem like one to Disneyland.

Precautions for Mrs. Nixon’s security made her contacts with the Vietnamese during the one-day visit very difficult. At the Thuduc orphanage, where 774 children were housed, the hordes of Secret Service agents, reporters, military guards, and the din of the army helicopters whirring overhead all but drowned out any words spoken inside the buildings constructed years before by the French. As Mother emerged from the hospital, she saw fighter jets above the thick shield of circling helicopters. Their shrill whine added to the overpowering noise.

       Soon she was in an open-door military helicopter flying 18 miles north of Saigon to visit the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh. Occasionally she caught glimpses of scattered U.S. troops on the ground below. The agents who traveled with her were armed with machine guns and bandoliers loaded with cartridges slung across their shoulders. In the news dispatches filed from Saigon on July 30, one correspondent wrote:

       “Mrs. Richard Nixon risked her safety and possibly her good relations with some diplomats, brass and bureaucrats in Vietnam today. In trips to an orphanage, to a GI field hospital, and her exchanges with high-ranking officials, she made it clear she had little time for high-level formalities and wanted to see more of the men who were hurt and the children who had suffered….At the hospital, officials tried to tell her all about what they do. She brushed them aside. ‘I don’t really want to learn about the hospital. I came to see the boys,’ Mrs. Nixon said.”

Technorati Tags: PatNixon, RichardNixon, HillaryClinton, Bosnia, Vietnam,

Boycotting The Summer Olympic Games In China

I for one was very pleased to see the protests taking place in Paris, London, and now San Francisco over the human rights abuses and dreadful foreign policy decisions by China.  At a time when too many here think of Iraq and the Middle East when the extremely broad topic of foreign policy is mentioned, it is important that Chinese policies be brought to the center of our global awareness.

I have long argued that the decision by President Nixon to go to China was more important than the Watergate affair.  As deeply damaging as Watergate was to the political culture in our nation, the fact is the positive effects of Nixon’s famous China trip are more important.  The long lasting impact of opening lines of dialogue and trade has benefited both our nations, and fostered connections that will serve all in the future.  If we do what is right.

By having international connections with China does not mean there are not serious differences that will require honest debate and action.  We should not be blind to the fact that every nation that we consider to be a rouge state has the support of China.  China policy to these nations comes in various forms, be it militarily or economic.  Iran is but perhaps the most central example to many who follow the headlines.  But the issues that arise from Chinese policies in places like Tibet and Darfur, and which do not see the banner headlines everyday, are worthy of the reaction that has been seen over the Olympic Games to be held this summer in China.

The ability of leveraging China to move in a more humane direction is one of the benefits of having diplomatic relations with the most populous nation in the world.  We should not, and must not abdicate our role on the world stage.  There is an old saying that “the road to the East runs through the West.”    If the United States uses the clout we now have on the world stage, and in conjunction with our European allies, we can set again a tone and series of expectations about Chinese foreign policy.   There are rules that govern civilized nations, and the world community.

We have the ability to do this, since our primacy on the world stage is not in doubt today.  But with China growing in economic and military power, that chance will not be forever ours to take.  By banding together with leaders such as Prime Minister Brown, and French President Szarkozy we have an opportunity to make a statement about what we think is most important in the world.  As China rises as a world power it does so at a time when open and democratic nations rule the world.  To not coerce China to play by the international rules will set up a world struggle that we will soon regret. 

We have an opportunity with the Olympic Games.  The protestors have opened the door.  Will the United States be willing to lead the world through the door?

Technorati Tags: Tibet, Darfur, China, ForeignPolicy, International, OlympicGames, RichardNixon

 

Al Gore: A New Powerful Slideshow About Climate Change

I am not sure how wide spread this video has been distributed, but I feel it is so well done with such a powerful message, that I wanted it here on my site regardless where else it may be posted.  I found Gore’s message so remarkable due to the angle that he takes on climate change.  The ‘democracy crisis’ must be addressed so that the climate changes can be addressed.  A mission of a whole generation is required to do the work to save the planet.  This is worth your time, and I know you will feel rewarded as a result of watching.  I ask that you pass this video around to friends.  Need not be my site….just get the Al Gore video out to the world.

Technorati Tags: AlGore, Environment,, Election08,, Ethics,, Society

 

In An Absolut World

One of my favorite blogs, Strange Maps, takes up the issue of the ad that has many talking, and complaining.  For those offended, might I add it is only an advertisement!  And I think a clever one.

Technorati Tags: StrangeMaps, Maps, Society, History, Mexico

40 Years Ago Tonight…April 4, 1968….Assassination Of Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

Robert Mugabe Hoping To Ruin Zimbabwe For Another Term

 Political Cartoon From The Economist

To see a country strangled in slow motion is a horrible thing to witness.  However the citizens of Zimbabwe have been seeing that very thing up close as their loathsome leader, Robert Mugabe, has his hands around the political levers and drains the nation of vitality year after year.

With a vote to take place on Saturday there is no doubt that corruption will again be the only victor in  Zimbabwe. 

Two great articles were published today highlighting  the hopes and fears of a nation being run by an 84-year-old tyrant.

As The Financial Times reports there is hope, slim though it may be, that election monitors might prevent what Mugabe excels at…stealing elections.

There is a heavy burden therefore on the shoulders of the Southern African Development Community and the African Union, the only outside organisations permitted to monitor the vote. Controversially, both endorsed Mr Mugabe’s previous election wins. But having stood firm so recently in the face of election fraud in Kenya, and in the AU’s case having played a prominent role in finding a way out of the subsequent crisis, there is pressure to apply the same standards. More­over, to save Zimbabwe from further ruin, whoever wins will have to go cap in hand to foreign donors for a rescue package.

The Los Angeles Times writes a powerful and well worded piece about the destructive legacy of Robert Mugabe.

The country’s free-fall into failed statehood began in earnest in 2000. That was when the electorate tired of him and his increasingly imperious one-party rule and voted down his attempt to do away with term limits so that he could continue as president. Mugabe, the onetime guerrilla leader who now saw himself as liberator of the country, reacted with astonishing venom. He turned on the newly emboldened black opposition, harassing, imprisoning and torturing their supporters. And those white commercial farmers he’d invited to remain in 1980 he threw off the land, distributing their farms among his cronies, which helped precipitate the economic catastrophe because few of them had the inclination or technical know-how to farm.

Mugabe became an African Ahab, Melville’s “monomaniacal commander,” marinating in a toxic brew of hate and denial as he plunged his ship of state down into the dark vortex, railing all the while from the quarterdeck against the great white whale. He blamed Zimbabwe’s plunge on the largely symbolic sanctions imposed by the West. And he refused to negotiate with his own, overwhelmingly black, opposition, dismissing them as lackeys of Britain, the former colonial power.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, RobertMugabe, Africa, ForeignPolicy, ForeignAffairs,

My Letter To Congresswoman Barbara Lee Still Resonates

This weekend as I sorted some things I read the letter I wrote on September 15,  2001 to Congresswoman Lee, and suspect tonight that a majority of my fellow citizens wish these words had been heeded by the White House and all of Congress.  I am rather proud of my words after seven years, in light of the woes we now face as the result of very serious and careless actions from Republicans and Democrats alike.

Honorable Barbara Lee
United States House of Representatives
426 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0509

September 15, 2001
Dear Representative Lee,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your courageous vote regarding the course of action that our nation should employ regarding the horrendous events that unfolded on September 11, 2001.  Public service is a noble calling and made more so by those who are motivated by conscience, and as such, work against the prevailing winds.

As an American who watched with revulsion as our nation was besieged by terrorism I share the national outrage and anger that we commonly feel.  I strongly want the perpetrators found and dealt with forcefully.  While I believe that this deed must be met head-on with a strong American response, I am also very concerned about the national lust for blood and the foreign policy repercussions that would result from open-ended reprisals.

National discourse on foreign policy is a rarity.  Even during national campaigns the issues that confront the United States on the world stage are relegated to a low status.  Our national foreign policy intelligence quotient is quite low.  And yet the polls show that overnight we have become a nation of “experts.”  National anger, as demonstrated by polls, and a Congress that does not have the will to demonstrate leadership apart from the prevailing mood, will insure long-term effects that we will regret.

The Middle East has always been a highly contentious and volatile area.  The history and religions of the area have often blinded both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from finding common bonds.  Generations of Palestians have lived with the knowledge that America funds Israel and supplies them with armaments that are often used against Arabs and Muslims.  The utter frustrations and anger that have festered in the Middle East have helped to radicalize many against Israel and the United States.  Even the moderate elements of the PLO along with nation-states in that region are facing a more difficult time in urging restraint against the radical elements.  And if America strikes in a fashion that only makes it more improbable for moderate voices to be heard, the future looks bleak.

I propose that you use your position to urge a double-pronged approach to the new dynamics that we confront. While we must act against those responsible for this heinous crime we also must pursue a high level and visible diplomatic mission to the Middle East.  We must insure that even-handedness is the basis by which we act. We must be willing to act as boldly in our diplomatic resolve as we are prepared to do with our military means. Such a dual track will ensure that a just response is leveled against those who did our country harm, but also will show our desire to work for a meaningful and just resolution to the Middle East conflict.

I am reminded of a diplomatic mission that was deemed impossible in the 1970’s.  President Jimmy Carter, with unshakable faith and tenaciousness held firm to his goal of a peace accord between Israel and Egypt.  When Prime Minster Begin and President Sadat wanted to leave Camp David without an accord our President relentlessly pursued the goal of our better angels.  In the end a treaty was agreed to that still provides benefits to both parties.

That scope of vision and determination once again has to be our mission.  As the leader of the free world we have the means and power to shape a more hopeful world.  History will severely judge us if we do not try.

An often-told story should guide you and other members of Congress in the days ahead.  On his march through France, Napoleon ordered trees to be planted along the roads his marching troops were to use.  One of his advisors replied that it would take 20 years to achieve that goal.  To that Napoleon said, “Well, then we better start planting today.”  

Our nation has been deeply wounded.  Our fears have been heightened.  But our history shows that when difficult times confront Americans we pull together and respond with unity and hope for a better tomorrow.

The vote you took, and the stand you espouse, can be the first visible step towards a better tomorrow.  We urge your continued resolve and involvement with this chapter of our nation’s life.

Sincerely,

Technorati Tags: 9/11, BarbaraLee, JimmyCarter, MiddleEast, IraqWar, Democrats, Israel, Palestinians
 

Best Paragraphs In The Sunday Newspaper Are About Water Tanks Of Chicago

Something a bit lighter and more relaxing today. The writer, Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune, brings back the nostalgic feel over the topic of the famed water tanks in Chicago.  How many times have you driven in the Windy City, spotted the large wonderful sights, poked the person in the seat alongside, pointed, and said, “Look!”.

There really are remarkable sights.

Green, an Indiana native who came here to study at the School of the Art Institute in 1971 and never left, is passionate about the tanks, writing: “They are a fascinating part of Chicago’s history and one of the city’s unique architectural landmarks.

“Though he can get a bit rhapsodic–”You see them overlooking, with silent observation, life in the metropolis”–his ardor is justified. These water tanks are nestled among the city like so many hidden jewels. Some might disagree, but we think it’s a wise choice Green made to not give us the location of the tanks. This way they are allowed to come at us as visual surprises. It took us only a few minutes of driving around the Near Northwest Side to find six of them. Just look!

They were built in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871–made of redwood, fir and cypress, and later metal–atop apartment and commercial buildings to guarantee a supply of water in case of fire and for use in some manufacturing tasks. Inevitably, they began to vanish, their number shrinking from nearly 1,000 to about 120 still in active use today.

In 2005 there was an exhibition mounted to remind us of the tanks. It was sponsored by the city and the Chicago Architectural Club and came in the form of a competition to identify new uses for the tanks.

Among the 182 entries from 19 countries: transforming them into energy-producing wind turbines, huge beehives and giant planters; painting them in the images of such local icons as Mike Ditka and Mrs. O’Leary’s cow; turning them into campgrounds or art studios.

At the time Jim Peters, director of planning for the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, said, “Church steeples and water tanks in most neighborhoods are the icons of the skyline.”

But let Green have the last word, and consider it a call to buy his book and to just look:“They have not yet gone the way of the dinosaurs, but they are nearing the point of extinction.” Technorati Tags: WaterTanks, ChicagoTribune, RickKogan, Chicago

“Dinner At Mr. Jefferson’s”: Why Can’t It Be Like That Today In Washington?

 

There are so many times when I yearn for the major players in Washington D.C. to strike a compromise and surge forward with ideas that will lead the nation in a positive direction.  Unfortunately, that is hardly the modus operandi these days for the politicians in either Congress, or the Bush Administration.

So it was most heartening recently to read the latest book by Charles Cerami as he delved into the famous dinner at Thomas Jefferson’s home in 1790 in which the fate of the credit worthiness of the fledgling nation was resolved, along with the future location of the capital.  “Dinner at Mr. Jefferson’s: Three Men, Five Great Wines, and the Evening that Changed America” is a prime example of what leadership once looked like in this country.  After enjoying the highly engaging and quick read, I must say the after-effect is a yearning for these types of minds to again populate our national stage.

Thomas Jefferson was reluctantly the Secretary of State to President George Washington.  Jefferson was opposed philosophically to the idea advocated by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton that all the states should bear the united costs of the war by placing the financing under the power of the federal government.  When Jefferson arrived back in the country from Paris in 1790 he soon developed a deep concern over the motives of Hamilton, and was wary of the famed Treasury Secretary’s “assumption plan.”  Hamilton is portrayed here, as in many books, as being highly intelligent, energetic, and forward thinking.  Again, as in others reads, he is one of my favorites of this time period. 

But as the weeks evolved, and the national mood turned sour over the very nature of the nation itself, Jefferson worked in conjunction with James Madison to forge a compromise with Hamilton.  In the end, the country’s needs were lifted above the parochial desires of those three men at the dinner table.  How it arrived is the theme of this amazing book.

The story of the dinner is not new of course, but the sense that statesmen once lived and acted above their own interests makes it seem knew, as it is in stark contrast to what is the common tone of current day Washington.   It certainly was a refreshing read, and a reminder that even determined men can find the ability to reason and work together when the times demanded it.

Over the past few years I have read many great books about the founders of the country.  It has been in many ways a departure from the sanitized, and short-sighted versions that many Americans are first fed in our schools.  The multi-dimensional and colorful personalities have come alive for me in books by Joseph Ellis, David McCullough, Ron Chernow, and Charles Cerami allowing a richer understanding of the past.  The men who help found the nation were high-toned and also vulgar, caring for ‘the rights of man’, but blind about the fate of the slaves.  Some may not have thought much of political parties, but all were able to use the political skills required to secure the deals that led to the formation and success of the Union.

As we wade along in this campaign season in the United States this book might be a perfect escapism to a time when government actually worked because the politicians understood what the national needs required of them.

The book was refreshing and should be read by Republicans and Democrats alike!

Technorati Tags: CharlesCerami, ThomasJefferson, DinnerAtMr.Jefferson’s, AlexanderHamilton, JamesMadison, FoundingFathers,

President Bush’s Plan To Start A Palestinian Civil War

When a magazine like Vanity Fair has a story of this magnitude I pay attention.  First I love the politics and history of the Middle East, second I respect the magazine, and third I know how short-sighted and corrupt President Bush and his White House can be.  If you care at all about the region of the world that dominates the headlines read this article.  It is indeed The Gaza Bombshell.

After failing to anticipate Hamas’s victory over Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian election, the White House cooked up yet another scandalously covert and self-defeating Middle East debacle: part Iran-contra, part Bay of Pigs. With confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials, David Rose reveals how President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy National-Security Adviser Elliott Abrams backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.

The article states that the plan “was for forces led by Dahlan, and armed with new weapons supplied at America’s behest, to give Fatah the muscle it needed to remove the
democratically-elected Hamas-led government from power.”

For all the talk from President Bush about spreading democracy in the Middle East, and allowing for free elections, it is nice to know that he really does not mean it.  He will work to undermine the will of the people in that region when their votes do not fit with our needs.  Does anyone need anything more to  understand why there is a hatred for our foreign policy in that region of the world?

Technorati Tags: Gaza, VanityFair, Palestinians, PresidentBush, Fatah, Hamas, Israel,