"Beware False Prophets"

Now that the oligarchs, plutocrats and their army of enablers have clearly demonstrated that they are, quite unabashedly, totally amoral in their assault on the people and institutions of the State of Wisconsin, we need to pause and reflect, not only on what has happened, but what is likely to continue unless we have the will and the determination to draw a line in the sand and say, “Enough is enough!” What we have witnessed is pure evil in its darkest and most virulent form.

About all it has proven is that truth is at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to shouting down the manifest lying that seems to be at the foundation of anything having to do with the will or the ambitions of the Republicans in order to reduce this nation to little more than a pile of rubble. Thanks to the dubious wisdom of the euphemistically labeled “Supreme Court,” it has proven itself to be nothing more than the facilitator of the greatest effort to rip this nation apart by its partisan interpretation of the law in order to make absolutely certain that “those who have the most will always get the most.” They have not one modicum of integrity and they have proven to the world, unequivocally, that their genesis could only have come from the loins of the scum that gave them life. But, as seems to always be the case, it is the good and decent among the people they are sworn to protect who suffer at the hands of their partisan mindset and their misguided concept of what they are about. The prince of darkness must be pleased.

The Supreme Court, having laid the groundwork for the rapacious onslaught of big money, has been, as in most cases, instrumental in what looks like the march of great wealth to the sea, leaving in its path nothing but a barren wasteland of empty promises and broken lives. Their greatest cheering section has to be all those who profess to have an inside track with “God” and all deemed by them to be just and holy. As once was famously uttered by a sage of free enterprise, “Tea Partiers and the Religious Right, Ya done good!”

That posturing takes me back to an earlier time in my life when I was a young husband, a new father and a convert to the religion that was, and still is, a challenge to me and the moral compass that has guided me through some tough times in my life. That is personal and not for me to impose on others. But I, also, don’t want others to engage in efforts to convince me of the truth of what they believe and the folly of what I have chosen to believe. At the end of the day, I am duty bound to accord the same deference to others as I have every right to expect in return.

On one occasion, at the conclusion of the first Mass by our new pastor, we were among the parishioners who were greeting him. My family and I were lined up behind a particularly prominent member of the parish who was not the least bit modest about all her many contributions to the church. She was so convinced of her special relationship with the Deity that she was absolutely overbearing. The priest respectfully listened to the litany of all she had done for God, country and faith. When she paused to take a breath, the priest quietly said, “I am not so much interested in how you talk your faith, Mrs. Castle, as I am in how you live your faith.” He stopped short of adding, “Do you use God or do you serve God?” Those few words have stayed with me throughout my life. They have helped to keep me and my commitment to that faith in perspective.

It seems to me there is almost a cataclysmic explosion in the growth of those who espouse some type of special relationship with “God” in all His manifestations. It is as if there is no escape from the absolute truth of every kind of divine revelation they claim. Those who are the “true believers” have no reservations about the infallibility of what they call their “religion.” At the end of the day, probably ninety-nine percent of those have never crossed the line from what is their elementary and simplistic system of beliefs to what they would have us think they actually, in truth, know. That is the stuff of zealotry and demagoguery. How many in the Tea Party have gone on to serve in government and have actually demonstrated that all they so adroitly peddle is in anyway credible and provable? They haven’t got one shred of verifiable evidence to back up anything they assert as being absolute.

I would submit that most of those who bear the label of “fundamentalist,” or evangelical” would likely fall into that category. How many of those professing to be followers of “God,” simply use their religion as a means for justifying their own selfish interests by demonizing those who don’t passively buy into all their tommyrot. They skillfully use their facility for heaping disdain on others as justification for denying others their rightful place in society. Few do a better job of that than the likes of Sarah Palin, Pat Roberts and others of like mind. Do they use God or serve God?

Then, in the wake of Mitt Romney’s claim to the presidential nomination, there is a spate of discourse about his affiliation with and history in the Mormon Church. That is an interesting question.

I grew up in Wyoming among Mormons and got a hefty dose of their grand fairytale in my formative years. Later, while stationed on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands, a few of my buddies and I happened to have stopped for a tour of the Mormon Temple on the windward side of the island. Our tour guide was a powerful, dark-skinned Hawaiian. He was a good tour guide and shared some of his experiences and insights about his Mormon faith. One of his many beliefs was that, someday, because of his belief in the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, he would become white. That might have been something that would have played well in the early history of the Deep South, but it was a bit over the top for any sane mind among my tour group on that particular day.

Some years ago, I had a very good friend who was studying for his Master’s Degree at one of our nation’s premier colleges. He chose to address, as his Master’s Thesis, the question of whether or not the Mormon Church actually met the criteria that would qualify it as a religion. In order to complete the requirements for his degree, he had to adhere to the rigors of study and analysis that would lead him to the logical conclusion of his thesis. His conclusion was that the Mormon Church did not meet the criteria for a bona fide religion but, rather, could only be classified as a “sex-centered social club.”

Some have dubbed it a “cult,” and rightfully so. Much of what they believe and practice is shrouded in secrecy. Secrecy and ritual seem to be the essence of organizations that have a need to withhold truth from those who would dare to question their assertions. Many of their traditional beliefs, such as polygamy and racial inferiority have only been tempered by some professed “divine revelation,” that told the elders that what they were practicing could impede the “mission” of the church, and might even be in direct conflict with the laws of the land.

Joseph Smith, the founding father of Mormonism, appears to occupy the pre-eminent position in the hierarchy of prophets and apostles in the Mormon Church whose numbers would dwarf those among other faiths who followed, suffered and died for Christ and God’s Kingdom on earth. The small band of true believers led the followers to their promised land on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, gave them a legacy of the joys of polygamy, racial discrimination and volumes of copy and ritual that no sane person could reasonably and seriously entertain. The more rational among them saw the light, asked too many questions and took flight. The faithful remained, jumped the bones of their harems, paid their tithes and filled the coffers of the Church with great wealth.

There was an emissary from Salt Lake City who was sent to collect the tithes from a colony of Mormons in California during its “Gold Rush” history who had strayed from their ranks. A man by the name of Sam Brennan was the titular head of that colony. When confronted by the demand that he hand over the tithes he had collected to Brigham Young’s emissary, he informed the delegate that he would gladly turn over the tithes only when he was presented with a receipt signed by the Lord Himself. The delegation was forced to return, empty handed, to the land of plenty on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

The wealthy and privileged among them became more influential and more powerful. With time, their progeny donned their suits, got on their bicycles and dutifully spread across the land and, indeed, the world to preach truth from the Doctrine and Covenants, known as the Book of Wisdom, and convert all those to whom they preached the truth of Mormonism. Those who died in a state of ignorance of the Mormon Church were to be summarily baptized, posthumously, in order for the faithful to embrace them as members of the “one true faith,” to whom their souls had been entrusted. Presidents Past smiled from their celestial temple. The Ghost of Joseph Smith was pleased, and the Angel Maroni sounded his horn in jubilation.

Although it is categorically denied as a practice in modern-day Mormonism, if one peers into the backwaters of Utah, Northern Arizona, Idaho, Texas and other remote environs of the West and Southwest, the vestigial remnants of their more dubious practices are still very much in evidence as part of their system of beliefs. There are countless other “secrets” of the faith that still remain sequestered in their archives and beyond of the reach of scholars not of the faith.

One thing, however, remains certain. They have an answer for everything.

Mitt Romney, having had the audacity to equate his time as a missionary in France for the Mormon Church equal to the sacrifice made by millions of men and women who have served and died in the service to this country is an affront to us all. It defies reason and logic, and certainly does not deserve the trust and confidence we place in those we elect to public office, particularly to the highest office in the land. His pillage and plunder of the economy of this country seems to be more in keeping with his experience and talents in the role of a so-called “business man,” If anything, were he a truthful man, he would hang his head in shame for having been a part of the rapacious behavior of Bain Capital and other business ventures that have profited at the expense of so many held hostage to their mercy.

I think it can be safely concluded that Mitt Romney is a member of the one percent that is enslaving the remaining ninety-nine percent of the people of this country. Further, he has shown that truth to him is, at best, elusive. He has shown that he has no compunction whatsoever, about his chameleon-like posturing on any issue that may be germane to his quest for the presidency.

I have a lot of issues with Barack Obama. I cannot argue with his oratorical skills, his personal charm and his professed political and social beliefs. However, as skilled and talented as he may be in other ways, he is clearly not a leader. When push comes to shove, he will always favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the common people of this country – the Middle and Working Class. Perhaps not to the extent that Mitt Romney would, but he has a track record of being much too cozy and accommodating to those on Wall Street, Corporate America, the Military/Industrial Complex and previous members of Bill Clinton’s Administration.

Come Election Day, I will vote for Barack Obama. If I could reincarnate Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, or John F. Kennedy, any one of them would take precedence over what we have. Why? Because each one of them was clearly a leader in the finest and best sense of the word; men of courage. Obama, at best, is a “facilitator.” Consensus does not trump courage and fortitude in serving the urgent needs of this country at the present time. Were he a strong, decisive and clearly a committed member of the political party he represents, I would be much more comfortable. But, to vote for Mitt Romney, in protest, would be totally irrational, disastrous for the future of the United States of America and an assault on the democracy we hold so dear.

In the meantime, we must attach our utmost importance to ------

                          • Getting money out of politics.
                          • Restoring confidence in government.
                          • Restoring independence and private ownership to the news media.
                          • Supporting the creation of a viable third political party.

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
June 11, 2012

"Let's Get Serious; Time Is Running Out"

Things sure don’t look good for the country. The polls are not the least bit encouraging. The super rich are buying up the government like a bunch of bargain-hunters at a rummage sale, and the pundits are on ego highs that make them almost look like they really know what they are talking about. We will continue to be deluged by the usual Sunday morning talk shows. George Will’s command of the language will delight us with his endless vocabulary of fifty cent-words. Peggy Noonan’s affectations will remind us of the golden age of silent movie stars and the moderators will, once again, become super stars for the networks, leading the masses to believe they really do know what they are talking about. Meanwhile, their words will ring empty as most people wonder just where in the hell this ship of state is going and if we are headed straight into the same economic abyss that has been the fate of empires since time immemorial. We cannot help but wonder if we have been hijacked by the pervasive greed and rampant corruption infecting every facet of a government that was supposed to be the champion of the people, rather than the seductress for the super-rich and politically powerful.

Make no mistake about it, folks, if Mitt Romney and his happy band of plundering thieves manage to buy our government with the massive amounts of their ill-gotten wealth and the sheer stupidity of all those who honestly think they know what is swirling around their heads, take heed. Surely, they are destined to wake up to the day after the elections only to discover they have been had, big time.

Despite their never-ending exhortations and the religious fervor that has led them to believe they have a privileged place with the Lord over all those of lesser stature, they are more likely to suffer His wrath at the hands of those who have reaped the spoils of their hypocrisy. Ah yes, God is just. I cannot think of one fundamental flaw within the souls of twisted humanity that is more repugnant than the self-righteous and those who labor under the delusion that they are imbued with some special relationship with the Deity. So much for the tea baggers and all the hapless fools who bought into their venom, and spewed forth with such absolute certainty.

It doesn’t take a scientist to realize what a bunch of disingenuous rogues the Republicans put up as their star-studded aspirants for the presidency in 2013. There isn’t one among them that has the interests of the American people at heart and who has a modicum of charity in his soul. Nothing more needs to be said. It is painfully apparent that they have honed their ability in the art of lying. It has taken on the aura of respectability, and they do little to mask their facility with the use of those skills in their pursuit of the spoils they so wantonly covet.

Then we have the five justices of the Supreme Court who are their enablers. If anyone harbored any doubts about the dubious reverence accorded members of the legal profession and those who are elevated to the status of “justices,” they should have been laid to rest long ago by their duplicity with those seeking to lay waste to all this country stands for.

Then we have the Democratic Party that, for the most part, I support. I tend to agree with their social agenda, the support of a strong middle class, and equal opportunities for all. But, I do take umbrage with their somewhat cavalier attitude about the system of laws upon which this nation is built, and the attendant social and political stability those laws are supposed to provide. I have no time for bleeding hearts and their self-proclaimed support for what they see as inherently right and just. They have managed to relegate our system of laws to little more than a momentary impediment to what they have deemed to be what is best for this country. I don’t see that as how our system of government is supposed to work. If you don’t agree with the law, there are legitimate provisions for changing the law, and that avenue is available to all of us.

The greatest social program ever put in place by government was that embodied in the vision of Franklin D. Roosevelt in what became the Social Security Act. It was created as a sacred trust between government and the people, with very specific provisions and methods for its administration. However, in what has become a penchant for always being cast as the champions of the downtrodden, successive numbers of politicians have elected to simply ignore the law and unilaterally change it to fit their agendas, the welfare and benefits of the intended beneficiaries are damned. The problems with Social Security is not because of what has been done by Republican administrations but, rather what has been done by Democratic administrations, starting with Lyndon B. Johnson, compounded by Jimmy Carter and continuing up to the present day by Democratic Administrations. They have simply ignored that sacred trust between the government and the people for their own political aspirations in order to incur favor from those whose votes they seek. They ignored the law and we are supposed to blithely accept the professed benefit of their self-perceived superior wisdom. Bull puckey! I would not be the least bit surprised, with time, that we will come to realize that the “problems” attributed to the United States Postal Service by the wolf pack of hungry Republicans are not, also, the result of the inability of politicians from both major political parties to leave well enough alone and let the system function for the benefit of the people, as intended.

Without question, Republicans plunder, but Democrats pander. Both parties could use a cardinal lesson in how to respect and abide by the Constitution and the foundation which it provides as the basis for governing these United States of America.

The conduct of every branch of government throws into sharp relief the flaws that impede their ability to subordinate their own biased interests to the needs and will of the people. I don’t, for one moment, buy into the notion that it was ever intended to work that way. A friendly reminder for those aspiring oligarchs and plutocrats to remember is that this country was established as a “democracy,” not a “monarchy.” It belongs to all the people and they need to start conducting themselves accordingly within that framework.

Rudyard Kipling authored a verse that should serve as a model for questions we should all be asking and for which there should be concrete answers. That framework is titled, “I Keep Six Honest Serving Men.” The first stanza reads as follows:

I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

I send them over land and sea,

I send them east and west;

But after they have worked for me,

I give them all a rest.

Has not the time come, folks, to begin using those tools in order to ferret out the truth that was intended to lead us to hold political action and hold our public figures to account, rather than allowing them to circumvent the advice and consent of the governed? Is it not time for us, the citizenry of this country, to hold them to ethical standards of conduct and stop them from daring to simply presume, because of their station, they can do any damned thing they want to? By WHAT right have they assumed that authority?

WHERE did the authority come from that recompense for their service to the public was to be augmented by soliciting contributions from the very ones they are sworn to regulate? WHEN did the concept of “conflict of interest” no longer apply to them? WHO gave legitimacy to the notion that becoming wealthy was a legitimate pursuit of their office?

By WHAT right do elected officials have to set their own salaries, benefits, perquisites and retirement programs without the advice and consent of the governed?

By WHOSE authority was it deemed appropriate for government to unilaterally engage in wrapping their activities in secrecy without the advice and consent of the people?

By WHAT authority was the power to engage in the torture, incarceration and assassination of foreign and domestic nationals given without the advice and consent of the governed?

WHY, after his complicity in the deregulation of the financial industries of this country, does former President Clinton appear to have been absolved of any responsibility for the collapse of the economy in 2007? WHAT qualifies him to be a modern-day folk hero?

By WHAT authority have all those complicit in the declaration and prosecution of two illegal wars not been held to account for their actions?

WHY has the President failed to honor his campaign promises to restructure and impose regulations on the financial industries that would help to avert the recurrence of another financial catastrophe such as the nation experienced in 2007 – 2008?

HOW has the nation benefitted from the wholesale importation of former members of the Clinton Administration into key positions within the Obama White House? I tend to see their role more as one of “continuity and control” rather than “advice and counsel.”

WHY has President Obama been given a free pass on practically every campaign promise he has failed to honor and which has caused considerable cost to the taxpayers of this country?

WHY has this Administration failed to call on the knowledge, experience and expertise of the finest economic minds in the country to deal with the so-called “recession,” under which so many good and decent people continue to suffer? Give them full authority to restore integrity and confidence to financial institutions and systems, and implement the safeguards embodied in the Glass-Steagall Act as the best cure we have at our disposal for putting our financial affairs in order.

This could go on into perpetuity, but I think I have made my point. I would, however, pose this one last question. We have every right to expect strong, national leadership from our elected officials, who will take command and make a serious effort to turn this country around, cronyism be damned. It is time for the President to cast his penchant for “consensus” to the winds, assume his rightful place as the rightful leader of this nation and take charge of the situation.

There is an old Wyoming saying among the common folk that says, “If someone is trying to put one over on you, he is blowing smoke up your ass.” That pretty well sums up what we get from every elected official, every politician and every vested interest, gorging at the expense of a nation that is suffering the agonies of the damned. Don’t permit them to delude you into thinking they are getting away with anything that compounds the pain borne by those who have been taken for granted for much too long. Their insatiable greed, and every deception and manipulative tactic they wield are as transparent as a window pane. Be assured it will, eventually, come back to bite them on the ass. They will fail in the grand scheme of seduction they have wrought against the common people. Those who elected them to office will, ultimately, prevail and they will be the ones to revisit and rediscover the virtues and strength of all that made us great. From all that has been laid to waste before us will come a new beginning, and we will be better and stronger than ever. Their mansions will crumble, their arrogance and power will fade, and they will become totally and completely irrelevant. The secret and sinister schemes being drafted by the Bilderbergs in Virginia will fail, precisely because they ended up believing their own press and their attendant false sense of invincibility. The reality of their mortality will, ultimately, fade into the hollow sounds of their indulgent and meaningless lives.

Every decent American has a solemn obligation to lay aside passive entertainment in favor of becoming informed, becoming involved, and taking an active interest and role in the fundamental strength of our democracy – the power of the vote and the will to use it. Look into your very souls and re-discover all of the magnificence and decency that is your birthright. Rid yourselves of the “smoke” they are blowing up your backside, and re-commit to ferreting out truth. Reassert your strength and the will to do what, ultimately, will save you, your children and this country. It is not to be found in claims of virtue based on religious beliefs, political dogma, or the professed superiority of their knowledge and experience. None can be conclusively proven and only serve to seduce the unsuspecting and uninformed among us. It is easy to be a victim. It takes determination and vision to be a change agent.

If we all unite in purging our country of the unbridled evil that engulfs us and that feeds on all that is rightfully ours, we can and will once again prevail. The echoes of “Happy Days Are Here Again,” will be heard once again because of what we rightfully and legitimately reclaim as our gift from the Founding Fathers, not from a bunch of sleazy politicians, slimy sycophants and white-collar thieves that pander to the worst within and among us.

For openers, we can start by:

a. Focusing our efforts in this next election cycle on getting those out of the House and Senate who have paralyzed the ability of those bodies to do the people’s work in a collegial and collaborative way and that we, the people, have every right to expect. “The people’s work first; politics and personal business last.”

b. The Senate has to divest itself of the paralysis from which it suffers. A simple majority must rule.

c. Getting money out of politics.

d. Kill “Citizens United.”

e. Prohibit any appearances of conflicts of interest by justices on the Supreme Court. Justice is blind and they need to be held to that standard.

Where are Buddy Roemer and Rocky Anderson? Are they genuine or just cruel illusions springing from the hopes of those seeking real change we can believe in?


Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
June 5, 2012

"Where Have Our Finer Angels Gone?"

With each passing day and all that is served up to us as “news,” I become ever more incredulous at just how devoid of any basic human decency we possess as a nation. If what I believe to be the essence of our Supreme Creator is anywhere near what exists in reality, I can safely say that He would categorically reject, out of hand, every manifestation of self-interest that is now regarded as a virtue by those who are hell-bent on lacing their pockets at the expense of the very survival of this nation.

The rise of the Tea Party has proven to be the bane of our national interests. Moreover, they are deluded by some sinister force into honestly believing they are among His chosen ones! It cannot be empirically proven that God has ever talked to a living soul among us, but I would hazard a guess that the preponderance of that particular movement would not only insist that He talked to them on a regular basis, they would swear He paid them a personal visit!

Then we have all of those others who proudly claim to be “Republicans,” whatever that means. As far as I am concerned they have abandoned any semblance of human kindness in their self-ordained divine defense of all their material possessions and the pervasive fear that they just might have to share some of their coveted wealth with the least among us. All one has to do is engage in a cursory examination of the behavior of the oligarchs, the patriarchs, Corporate America, and the proliferation of lobbyists that scramble all over our Nation’s Capital like a pack of rats on a corpse, attempting to incur the favor of our “elected” officials at the expense of those who, ostensibly, elected them to office. Then we have those black-robed hypocrites who would have us believe that they genuinely believe in the rule of law, but who make no attempt to disguise their agendas as anything but that of servants to the most corrupt among us. Surely, there has to be a better method for selecting and confirming those who are elevated to that highest court in the land.

But, have you noticed that no amount of public scorn or derision even slows the bastards down. They just continue their vicious pursuits with abandon and absolutely no regard for the common good.

Some of the great minds that I respect and listen to are beginning to entertain the prospect that we are approaching the precipice of our national destruction. Because of the folly wrought by the elections of 2010 our future as a republic is being called into question. They have my attention. I am inclined to give greater credence to what lies before us, as we summarily ignore the wisdom of scientists, statesmen, economists, etc. What sane mind could simply ignore the cumulative wisdom of scholars who have devoted their lives to the pursuit of knowledge that can only serve the best interests of us all? How about a “think tank,” comprised of John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Virginia Foxx, Michele Bachman, Sarah Palin, Jan Brewer, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh? What could one call such an august collection of intellectuals? The Funny Farm? Don’t laugh. Those are some of the most influential minds now guiding our Ship of State. Scary, isn’t it?

I dare say there are a significant number of folks who believe that I have lost a great deal of respect for our President. To be sure, the bloom is off the rose. He has taken far too much license with the myriad promises he has made to the American people, only to diminutively dismiss them or sell out to the very interests he pledged to challenge. The sheer magnitude of his double-speak is too great to attribute to errors of judgment or honest mistakes. He has consistently caved into those very interests. He has consistently run interference against those well-intentioned servants in government who honestly want to take to task the massive collusion by all those on Wall Street and other centers of power and influence who have brought this nation to its knees, has crippled meaningful recovery of the economy and the society, and has catered to the most vile among us – vast wealth, greed, and international corporations. Although he assailed the effects of free trade on our economy shortly after he took office, he still continues to fly around the globe, entering into more free trade agreements, all followed by yet more speeches while vilifying the effects of all he has agreed to. But, our corporate-owned news media persist in giving him a free pass by simply choosing to ignore his penchant for having elevated the art form of double-speak to a new level.

Whether or not we care to acknowledge it, we have lost our moral compass; that which instilled in each of us some understanding and acceptance of the differences between right and wrong. Now, it is situational and largely defined by the masters of deception that program us to believe and accept anything that plays to our basest desires. Most of our churches have failed us and those who have managed to survive and prosper peddle ecclesiastical crap that only a fool could swallow. Those who manage to have overflowing congregations actually lead people to believe that God wants all of us to be wealthy, beautiful and enjoying the good life. If one wants to look into the eyes of pure evil, just stare into the blank faces of those who are today’s “true believers.” They, in turn, comprise a significant proportion of those dominating our national discourse. They are the ones who demonize all those who have suffered the agonies of the damned because of their insatiable greed. They are the ones who have bought our government and turned its institutions against those who elected them to office, thanks to the enlightened wisdom of the highest court in the land.

There is, in my humble opinion, a thread of violence within our national character that permeates many facets of our lives. It champions the survival of the fittest, regardless of how they came by that power. It isn’t what is in our national best interest that prevails. Rather, it is in who wins the contest. We thrive on wars and rumors of war. We delight in contact sports that are fraught with violence; the more the better. We still, rather pathetically, hear the mantra of the U.S. being the “wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world.” I would ask the question, “wealthy and powerful in what sense of the word?”

We revel in our right to own guns. We want to see more physical contact and brutality on our football fields, our hockey rinks and in our boxing arenas. We like to see the blood and sweat that goes with those “sports,” and to vicariously savor the taste of victory over the vanquished. The macho man still lives and thrives in our world. But, we also see a large cheering section by the legions of “macho” women who egg them on. You see that on the playing fields of Little League and soccer leagues. You can readily hear the shouts from doting mothers that encourage their progeny to assault the opposing players. The smell of blood is not unique to the male of our species.

We can continue to believe that all of the macho crap is virtuous. But, when our nation reached the point where our eastern and western boundaries were determined by a common land mass meeting the limiting factors of the two great oceans, the days of the buckskin frontiersmen ended. When all of the indigenous people of this country were subdued by the expropriation of their lands and hunting grounds, rounded up and confined to reservations in remote locations and settled on some of the poorest land in the country, that myth ended. When this great land was opened to the wanton destruction by free enterprise a different kind of predator was unleashed on the least among us. They have continued, unabated, and have only become worse and more difficult to contain for the welfare of the country and its people.

We seem to want to believe that our votes really count for something. We want to believe that those we elect to office really serve at our pleasure and are responsive to our needs. One only has to look at the massive disparity between the 1% and the remaining 99%. The violence within our nature no longer works. Our so-called democracy no longer serves us all. The corruption that is spawned by an economy that is to serve our common welfare only enslaves and impoverishes us. The fox is guarding the chicken coop and the chickens are quaking in fear of their lives.

When I was a member of senior management in a large, specialty hospital in Saudi Arabia, we relied on a group of medical specialists comprised of Board-Certified Americans and Saudis, augmented largely by European physicians who provided the supportive medical expertise for physical examinations and the care required for conditions not specific to the specialty that was at the core of the hospital. One particularly good specialist in Internal Medicine from Sweden, when he was approaching the end of his contract, indicated that he would not be re-contracting, which would be a big loss to the hospital. I contacted him and asked for a meeting regarding his decision. He asked that I meet with him at his home rather in my office. When I arrived at his home I was ushered into the living room and was met, not only by him, but his wife and two sons, as well. I was somewhat taken aback, which he seemed to sense. He told me that all major decisions affecting the family were made by consensus of the family. I dutifully walked through why we were so eager to retain him on staff and what we were prepared to do in terms of his compensation and benefits. They graciously listened. When I finished, he told me that he and his family had already discussed the merits of staying with us vs. returning to Sweden. He informed me that they all agreed that the family would prefer to forego the generous and tax-free salary. Rather, they were going to return to a practice that would require that sixty percent of their income would go to taxes, in order to live in a civilized and secure society, where no one lived on the streets and in poverty, and among people who shared a safe and secure environment. I left disappointed by their decision, but reassured that there are people in this world who have their priorities straight; that there can be a better perspective on life and the inherent worth of human beings.

The vituperations of the rabid flag-waving zealots not withstanding, I hold out little hope that we can rein in the excesses of what we have become, and return our government and our way of life to the people our government is supposed to serve. We need to hang up the mantra of “We are the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world,” and redirect all of that wasted energy into becoming a nation among equals in the world community seeking to restore peace among nations, saving the environment for the world, and that will work to restore some semblance of dignity to all of those who suffer in order to feed our indomitable greed. More is not necessarily better. I believe most decent people know that in the very fabric of their being, but they have to have the courage and determination to repudiate the culture of materialism and hedonism that dominates our national agenda.

Government needs to be cleansed of its flaws, its health restored and returned to the people who are, at the end of the day, its real masters. Every branch of government needs to be purged of the politics of corruption. Our intelligence apparatus needs to be re-oriented against threats from foreign powers. Our military establishment needs to be seriously pared back to what can be seen as a defensive force against those same foreign threats. The mindset of empire is not appropriate to our nation and for any of those institutions. It is contrary to all we profess to be. They must be transparent to all of us and they must operate on a scale that we can afford, and that does not come at the expense of our basic human needs at the bedrock of a civilized people.

There is an urgent need for us to establish our national priorities on what knowledge reveals to us, not what unbridled greed wants us to believe. We can only consume what we actually need, not all that we want. There is no virtue in the endless pursuit of materialistic and hedonistic pleasures. That is the stuff of barbarians who have no souls and, who can only live with the notion that they are somehow eternal. That just isn’t going to happen.

Regulation constrains the basest instincts within us and that will pull us down into the mire if they remain unchecked. Taxes are the price of admission for living in a civilized and healthy society, and a bargain at that.

Time to take off the blinders, muster some courage and get real.

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
May 20, 2012

"Believe Only What You Know"

I don’t know about you, but I have had a belly full of the politics of the last couple of years. To classify the myriad factions of functional idiots and lunatics that now comprise the Republican Party, compounded by the milquetoast penchant for “bi-partisanship” and “compromise” that appears to be endemic among the ranks of the established Democrats in both house of Congress and The White House, and the egregious assault on the doctrine of “fair and impartial” responsibility to the American people from the Supreme Court have all had their part in making an absolute mockery of the Constitution and American Democracy.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to conclude that corruption is rampant in all branches of government, bought by the patently illegal behavior of Wall Street, international corporations, and the total absence of conscience by big business and the lobbyists who peddle their influence and power. At the end of the day, it is the majority of “real” Americans who take it in the shorts by all they have wrought against the common good. They seem to cling to the faint hope that this nightmare, too, will pass and there will be better days ahead. Fat chance of that happening any time soon! The entire apparatus that is supposed to be serving the interests of the electorate are so insulated that they blithely ignore that fundamental commitment, do exactly as they please with impunity, with never a qualm of conscience and a sense of duty.

Of course, the mantra underscoring the entire social, political and economic debacle is a perverse belief that worshipping at the altar of a “free market economy” is the panacea that will cure all our ills. How can any sane person buy into that nonsense? A free market is built on a foundation of competition which, in and of itself, is simply a form of violence aimed at those who have neither the means nor the will to engage in that joust of competing goals with any real hope of a fair outcome. That, in turn, breeds a hotbed of very simplistic solutions to extremely complex problems which, in turn, creates mistrust, blame and hostility between opposing points of view among the populace. From the victors come alliances with those espousing extreme religious and social doctrines that are anything but rooted in scripture and in our system of religious beliefs. The results are the paragons of virtue and human compassion such as we see in the likes of Herbert Norquist, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and all of those others held up to us as the real gurus protecting society from the human parasites who dare to want their fair share of the pie. The counter to all of that is the cadre of liberals who want to cure all our ills by simply dismissing the legitimacy of our system of laws and relying, instead, on some ingrained notion that a supreme will knows better. All that flows from that fount of innate wisdom is an end unto itself. That, too seems to be at odds with a collegial relationship we have every right to expect from our public servants and political leaders.

Regardless of how one might wish to redefine the role of our religious heritage, it is still a fundamental influence that is there to guide all that we do. It is not rooted in a system of beliefs that champion violence but, rather, it champions democratic principles that work for the common good and rests on government by the will of the people. Unless my mind deceives me, I recall that that system of beliefs taught us “that which you do unto the least of my brethren you also do unto me.” It is from that same source that we were taught that “the meek shall inherit the earth.” It was Christ who chased the money changers from the temple. How do those few admonitions square with the rabid and vituperative exhortations that come from the religious hate mongers who claim to have a special insight into what “God” intends for us in His name? How in the hell would they know? I believe they put words in the mouth of God to suit their own evil intentions and sordid behavior. It doesn’t take much effort to see through all of the scatology that passes for their brand of virtue. Despite their persistent efforts to have us believe that God talks to them or reveals His wisdom to them on a regular basis, I don’t think so. Rather, I am more inclined to believe it is a manifestation of self-induced delusion that play into their own prejudices and the hatred that feeds into their perverted attempts to justify all of their ignorance and venom leveled against those who dare to challenge them. All of those bible thumpers who have managed to fall from grace and confess their transgressions, notwithstanding, perfection and real virtue seem to have eluded them. Take Ralph Reed as an example. Now there is a real emissary of Divine Will.

The history of this country is rife with violence in one form or another. It seems to be an ingrained part of our fabric as a people and, frankly, we are the poorer for it.

From the time the first pilgrims set foot on the soil of the New World, we have been engaged in an ongoing pursuit of conquest against Native Americans. Our forefathers took their lands and their hunting grounds. We cast them as “savages” in order to justify our plunder of what was rightfully theirs. We engaged in a wholesale assault on their system of beliefs and the norms of their societies. We wantonly murdered them and rose up in righteous indignation when they dared to defend themselves and what was rightfully theirs. We were not satisfied until we had drastically reduced their numbers and all they stood for to rubble. The U.S. Indian Service has done an effective job of confining them to reservations on what is some of the poorest and most remote land in the United States. All they seem to have gotten from the government is an inept and corrupt bureaucracy that has done more to serve their own biases and sense of power than to serve those who depend on them. They live in abject poverty. Were it not largely for the Roman Catholic Church and other missionary organizations, they would still be freezing to death in winter and living on the edge of starvation as a way of life. Their schools and any real attempt to assimilate them into the “American” way of life would not have happened. Why would any of us even remotely entertain the notion that these people want to live as they do, plagued by having to live at the subsistence level, and numbed by chemical agents to dull their minds, and psychological assaults that have quite literally broken their will? Why do so many of us still presume that, for some unknown reason, they are genetically inferior when it comes to intellectual ability and the desire to better themselves? Where is the benevolence and charity from America’s millionaires and billionaires that could establish factories on their reservations, teach them the vocational skills necessary to make those enterprises viable and enable them to be proud members of the American Dream? I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

I don’t quite understand where we got the idea that brutal competition, be it in business, industry or a sport was a virtue. Why do we derive such pleasure from the brutality of contact sports and champion our right to buy into it in all its forms for our own enjoyment?

Why have we, historically, marginalized every minority group or nonconformist among us and subjected them to ridicule, persecution, and blatant discrimination? Why haven’t parents and teachers gotten together much earlier to fight the horrors of torment, persecution and physical violence against those who are born gay or deformed or lack the physical attributes to be a star athlete in whom we could dote and vicariously live the glory of their moment in the sun? I think too many of those who should have shown the courage and conviction not to allow those things to happen buy into those same prejudices and choose to opt out of any effort to right those wrongs. Parents should play an important role in the affairs of the schools to whom they send their children, but at the end of the day, the school should be run by those they employ, and it is their expertise and commitment that should take precedence.

All of those who seek self aggrandizement, regardless of the form it takes, nothing justifies exploitation of the human condition for the sake of enhancing ones own sense of superiority. Greed, in all its forms, is simply wrong. It is patently evil. It is morally repugnant. Take note all you bible thumpers; no matter how you may choose to rationalize your warped perceptions of reality, all that you espouse is simply an affront to the loving God to whom you profess allegiance.

Greed is insatiable. Those who have given their souls to the endless pursuit of riches have no redeeming virtues. At the end of their life’s journey they are quickly forgotten. They leave it all behind for their rapacious progeny to fight over. They will dutifully pick up the torch and continue the legacy that has set us all on a journey of self destruction. They are the ones who will hasten our race to where climate change will reach the point of no return and our common fate will be sealed. They are the ones who will continue the legacy of raping the environment, destroying our food supply, impoverishing our children. They are the ones who deny the horrors of all they pursue in their quest for more and more and more. They are the ones who will never stop to realize that they, too, will share the same fate they have inflicted on all mankind and this magnificent Earth.

“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing.” --- Macbeth (Act 5, Scene5)

Let us not succumb to the folly of believing everything we hear and are told. Let us reclaim the right and the responsibility to question, question, and question.

Mitt Romney and the entire cadre of Republicans who have sought the party’s presidential nomination are frauds. They lie and deceive us with abandon, mindful only of the greed that feeds their desires and that laces the palms of those who serve as their minions.

The jury is still out on Barack Obama. I am not convinced that he is a man of the people. I am still mindful of all the campaign promises he failed to honor and his haste in casting aside what was intended for the good of the country in favor of “compromise” and “bi-partisanship.” Where is the leadership that we should have had and still so desperately need? I just don’t see it.

Regardless of who is elected in 2012, I don’t see much hope for the average American unless we buckle up, get moving and never give up. Until we, the people, get serious, take a keen interest in and an active role in politics, our government and what is being done in our name, we have no grounds for raising the bar and demanding anything better.

The standards of morality and all its manifestations are absolute. We must insist that all those who claim the right to represent us never compromise on what is surely inviolate. That is the challenge for statesmanship and the stuff of true leadership.

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
May 6, 2012

"The Best Of All That We Are Is Eternal"

I make a genuine effort to keep abreast of what is going on around me, both domestically and internationally. I read the newspaper, I watch the news programs on television and I surf the Net. I talk to people on a regular basis and I cannot help but notice that most of them are reasonably aware of what is going on, perhaps not to the extent that a junkie like me is, but they are certainly far from living in a bubble of ignorance. They hear the same statistics, the same empty rhetoric and promises made by all politicians, regardless of their professed party affiliation. They have a pretty good fix on how corrupt the system is against the average American and they seem to be acutely aware of the extent to which their interests have been sacrificed to the oligarchs on the alter of greed, big banks, international corporations and a government that is owned lock, stock and barrel by moneyed interests aligned against them. They may be numb with apathy, disheartened by a malaise that seems to have consumed their very souls, but, they are not stupid. They just don’t see much hope in an uncertain future.




I don’t think most folks seriously consider what has been thrown at them since the end of WW II. The concept of “brainwashing” is by now an outmoded concept. However, the art and science have been perfected and refined to the point where most of us are not consciously aware of the effects they have on us and our daily lives. Their skills know how to shape our opinions, values and desires and, guess what? They have succeeded big time. We are captives to what they want us to believe and what they want us to know. We have become a people, not of “we” but “me.” We are far more “consumers” than “producers.”



It is a given that big money, big corporations and the institutions of government are all in bed together, their hollow campaign rhetoric not withstanding. They have managed to develop and refine their ability to determine and create our tastes. They have subliminally played to our basest instincts and desires for materialistic pursuits and hedonistic pleasures. We have acquired far more than we need and more than we can possibly put to good use. But, the message is never ending and we still continue to buy more, limited only by the amount of money we can spend or how much credit card debt we can carry, and believe all they want us to believe.



Hedonism, which used to be regarded as a collection of personal desires, is now put before us as something to be coveted and revered. Advertising shows men with lean bodies, washboard abs and naked above the waist. Becoming walking sex machines for anyone who might care to satisfy their basest needs is their most noble pursuit. Women now dress like streetwalkers, what with hemlines up to the cheeks of their bottoms and cleavages that would rival the Grand Canyon. All of this is beamed at our primordial desire for sexual pleasures. Well, folks, the ability to reproduce has always been with us and will likely continue to be so. But, basic common human decency had a dimension to it that made it special, personal and private. I don’t know about you, but I am overdosed on the various advertisements for enhancements to erectile stimulation for men and the various potions that will create a climax for women that will put them over the moon. I am not averse to people seeking the need to address problems in those areas; I just don’t want to be subjected to it as part of my daily entertainment and informational fare. I think that attitude is shared by more people than one might think. It is a private matter; nothing more and nothing less.



I have real issues with the extent to which drug companies routinely engage in advertising blitzes for prescription drugs. That should be a matter between what drug companies produce and the physicians who will prescribe them for their patients. Rather, we have the cultivation of a need beamed to the patient who, in can safely be concluded, will seek the doctor’s complicity in the purchase and use of the drug. Now, my experience has taught me that if most doctors can make a buck and call it patient care, they will usually succumb to the temptation. I rather suspect most patients are aware of that fact, as well. It is a long stretch from “altruism” to “materialism.” How many doctors of modest means have you known in your lifetime?



We have evolved into a people who are fractured and fragmented. We are a collection of special interests. We no longer have a sense of community with our fellow man. We are one among many, my wants and needs taking precedence over yours. We are willing to cast any measures of morality over the side in order to further our own ambitions and desires. We seem to accept as routine that which we abhorred in days gone by. Stealing? What’s the big deal? Lying? It is simply a means to an end. Doesn’t everybody lie? Look around you. Those who have mastered the tools of deception and exploitation of the human condition seem to be doing very well, thank you. Morality and ethics? What did that get us? Just look at what we have become. How moral and ethical are the various institutions of government? Do you honestly believe the Supreme Court seeks judicial impartiality for the common good? Who benefits most from their so-called “decisions?” It sure as hell isn’t the average folk of the land, is it?



What has presidential infatuation with the title of “Commander in Chief” got us? We now have a military establishment that is in bed with their industrial counterparts, covered by a shroud of secrecy that becomes far more opaque to the electorate every day. Personally, I think the title “President of the United States,” garners much more admiration and respect, if for no other reason than it speaks to the entire populace of the United States.



What has an imperial presidency and an aloof and arrogant Congress got us? They simply ignore the will of the people, tell us what they regard as best for us, pander to those who lace their pockets with vast sums of money and revel in their self-appointed notion of exclusivity and superiority over those who put them in office. Sure, they bring out the rhetoric of bovine scatology when it comes time to campaign for re-election, but that is just the price one pays for the privilege of feeding at the troughs of those who own government and dictate the legislative agenda for their interests, those of the people be damned. They have done a pretty good job of getting away with it, too, wouldn’t you say?



The sheer power of massively huge wealth has overwhelmed those who are now their victims. I think most people honestly feel that the forces of evil are aligned against them. There is faint hope that things will get any better to a discernable extent. The charts that reflect the stats showing the extent to which big money is aligned against the working people and poor of this country belie quite a different picture. The facts speak for themselves.



People are well aware of the fact that there have been no prosecutions of those on Wall Street who almost succeeded in bringing this country down. Moreover, they hold out little hope that will ever occur. They know that the military/industrial behemoth is untouchable. They are not ignorant of the fact that public rhetoric by our political establishment is only the prelude to the real deal to be hatched behind closed doors for those who really dictate and control the agenda.



People are cognizant of the creeping influence of ever-expanding free trade agreements, what that is doing to the manufacturing and economic base of the United States and the jobs that will never become reality. They, too, are not impervious to the pernicious effects of one-sided trade agreements that underscore the lopsided effects of our economic interests versus those of third world countries and their pools of cheap labor.



People are not blind to the erosion of the power of the common man in the form of labor unions, a regulatory system that looks out for their interests and that creates opportunities for ascending the ladder of opportunity. They know the price that has been paid to those who harbor disdain for those who dare to speak on behalf of Working America.



With the advent of an “all volunteer” military, people soon realized it consigned their offspring to the pool of human gun fodder to fight the wars for the rich and powerful. That has not been lost on those who have buried their young and reclaimed the maimed who have returned from far-off lands in the service of their “country.” Yeah, right. For whom and at what price? Their wealthy counterparts are now ensconced in business and industries that plunder the nation; a nation that rightfully belongs to those who never shared in those same opportunities.



The arrogance of massive wealth and power boggles the human mind. Those who covet material fortunes at the expense of being a responsible part of society have no souls. They are impervious to what it means to be part of a community. They may “have it all,” but they are dead inside. Nobody is home. At the end of life’s journey their heirs wait like hungry wolves waiting to plunder all they have left behind. Their legacy is a mass of “things.” They are not likely to be remembered for a treasure trove of fond memories and what they did to make the world a better place. Time has proven that the parasite is ultimately consumed by the host. The object of greed and lust is, at best, fleeting. The pack will always prevail at the expense of the leader. That is the eternal truth of the pack mentality.



It is the inherent good and decency of all those common folks who really did make an honest difference which is eternal, and that, my friends is priceless. That is for those who lived the good life, did the best they could and left a legacy of love.



I believe the worst is still before us, but when the tides turn, as it surely will, I, also, believe there are better times ahead for all of those who kept the covenant from the best among us and never succumbed to the worst within us.



Cowboy Bob

The Sagebrush Philosopher

May 4, 2012

"Welcom to the Asylum"

May 2, 2012 From time to time I come across an article that I find particularly poignant. One such piece of writing was featured on April 30, 2012 at www.commondreams.org, titled "WELCOME TO THE ASYLUM" by Chris Heddges. It is the most profound and insightful reflection of what we have become as a people and a nation. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary politics and national affairs. I, also, regularly visit ALTERNET and AMPEDSTATUS.COM. Both are excellent websights and you can't go wrong by checking each of them out on a periodic basis. Cowboy Bob

"Keep Your Eye On The Ball; That's What Matters"

I have to confess that I write a lot about politics, our government and the generally sad state of affairs that has prevailed for far too long in this country. I am extremely frustrated at how difficult it is to penetrate the barrier erected by the mainstream news media that, for all intents and purposes, effectively filters out truth in order to espouse the “company” line for every conceivable special interest operating within our society. It all comes at the expense of the average American who simply wants to earn a respectable living, provide for some degree of upward mobility for his/her family and set aside a fair sum for retirement. Is that asking too much? I really don’t think so.

I place a significant part of the blame at the feet of the opinion makers in the entertainment industries that create and peddle an endless array of pure crap though their myriad media outlets in movie, television and other avenues that does nothing more than corrupt our moral fabric, seduces us into believing that what they serve up to us is, indeed, the truth. Our aversion to any real attempt to seek out truth leads us to accept, at face value, all they market. Is it any wonder we are in such dire shape, with our society falling down around our heads?

I am genuinely concerned that the forces are converging toward an irreversible two-class society that may well culminate in some form akin to an elitist state that will clearly draw the lines of demarcation between those who “have it all” and those who are left to pick up the crumbs.

Much to my regret, I voted for Barack Obama in the last presidential election. For that, I assume full responsibility for all that goes with it. However, that does not prevent me from seeking the truth, and holding all of those who pervert truth and justice to account for what they do.

Were it not for the Internet, I dare say there would be little or no real news for us to digest in the course of our daily lives. Let’s face it. ABC is owned by Disney and all of its various business interests. Entertainment is but one small part of their empire. Then, there is NBC and MSNBC, and their never-ending love fest over Obama. Largely owned by General Electric, they have their tentacles right into the White House where Jeffrey R. Immelt, CEO and Chairman of General Electric, serves as one of President Obama’s chief economic advisors. Is it any wonder that NBC News and MSNBC never hold the President and his administration to account for their myriad failures on behalf of the American people?

Although Westinghouse largely owns CBS, they seem to do the best job of any of the major networks in trying to maintain some degree of objectivity in their news division. The fact that they have a long and distinguished history as a news organization may account for that fact.

CNN seems to be leaning toward a more conservative slant on the news. But the most glaring example, with no attempt at all to be fair and balanced, rests squarely with Fox News.

I am impressed with Current TV for making what appears to be a sincere effort to become a serious and reputable news organization. I am encouraged by what I have seen. However, I leave it to the reader to draw his/her own conclusions.

At the end of the day, the best repository of good journalism and the investigative journalists who make it all happen is clearly to be found on the Internet. It is well worth the time and effort to become more than casually acquainted with the wealth of knowledge and information to be found there.

I place a real premium on morality. By that I mean what is important to me; what I consider right vs. wrong. I have no need to preach to or convert others. That is a journey each of us must take on our own and for which we bear complete responsibility. Of all the moral virtues, I place the greatest premium on truth. Sadly, that seems to be the most elusive of all. Mining for truth is an arduous endeavor that is far too strenuous for most Americans. Just look around you. The four contenders running for the Republican nomination for President are a national joke. Obama gets a free pass because he manages to give a good speech whenever things get a bit shaky, but he can always be counted on to go back to the udder of his buddies on Wall Street, Corporate America and the Military/Industrial Complex for another dose of imperial sustenance. I shudder at how quickly he has become comfortable with the title, “Commander-in-Chief” and his adoption of some of the most intrusive measures, all wrapped in a shroud of secrecy, that he, Defense and Intelligence are prepared to invoke should circumstances (in their exclusive opinion) require. Anything less than a limited life of secrecy applied to issues of “national security,” should be outlawed. In the final analysis, our entire government apparatus should be transparent to those who cast their votes on Election Day. Otherwise, the master may soon become the slave to a system that was intended to be a servant of the people.

I have long believed that Bill Clinton and his administration, in collusion with key Republicans in government, set the stage for the total collapse of our financial system in 2008. From that, I concluded that Barack Obama became their surrogate, as evidenced by the massive infusion of former “Clintonites” into his administration. It only takes a cursory examination of the history of his administration and its relationship to the barons of Wall Street to realize that they have done their job well. Anyone wishing to get a clear picture of all those in key positions carried over into the Obama Administration are referred to an excellent piece of work done by firedoglake.com in 2010. It is all there and well worth the read.

Permit me to recount just a few of the danger signals that I think should be cause for concern to all of us:
1. The fact that there has been no effort, whatsoever, to indict and prosecute all those who set this nation up for a financial fall leading to the economic crash in 2008. They still remain free and very much an influence on our national, economic and financial lives. Compared to the sterling record and the test of time during which we relied on the Glass-Steagall Act to regulate the financial industry, the Dodd-Frank Act is hardly ominous. Poor former Senator Chris Dodd is now suffering under the burden of a mere 762 per cent raise in his newfound job with the entertainment industry. Barney Frank is giving up his House Seat. For what and for how much only time will tell.

2. The fact that the President of the United States has, for all intents and purposes, totally ignored every significant campaign promise he made while running for President, all to the detriment of the American people.

3. His “secret” meetings behind closed doors at the White House with the various players in our national health system, resulting in a total abandonment or watering down of everything he promised, and a virtual monopoly for an industry that continues to fleece us at every opportunity.

4. The total absence of any serious attempt to reign in the excesses of the military establishment, the intelligence apparatus and all the industrial giants who serve them and feed off our tax dollars.

5. His advocacy on behalf of big money and big business, and his token support of anything having to do with labor unions and the plight of those they represent, at a cost of untold billions (if not trillions) of dollars from the pockets of working people, the poor, the elderly and the disenfranchised.

6. His early support for extension of the Bush Tax Cuts and his persistent and veiled threats against Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are some of the most glaring examples. Every significant government service that has proven to be a benefit to the country, as a whole, is fair game. The U.S. Postal Service is but one of the more apparent and glaring examples.

7. The use of our civil police by federal and state governments in order to protect those who spawned the outrage from the Occupy Wall Street movement.


If one closely examines the lessons of history, the cries for economic justice and social change usually come from the rank and file of the oppressed. However, when the movement becomes formalized and aligned against the people, that same movement morphs into a government, co-opted and supported by big money, big business and the military services. Economic and social justice becomes subordinate to the pursuit of empire.

Every member of our society has a solemn obligation to be aware of and sensitive to the danger signals. We must free ourselves from the mindset of “tell me what I want to hear, not what I need to hear.” When we abandon our ability to engage in critical thought and a healthy dose of skepticism, we have only ourselves to thank for the loss of our democracy. Democrats, Republicans and every institution of government share a common thread; an inherent goal of taking care of their interests at the expense of those of us who put them in office and pay the tab. They all feed from the same trough of corruption at our collective peril. Vigilance is not just an ideal; it is the imperative for our survival as a nation and as a people.

As we approach the forthcoming circuses of the two major political parties, I would urge every concerned American to check out two fledgling political parties and what they stand for. Although in their infancy, they just may hold out the promise we are looking for in order to take this country in a new and better direction, for our individual and collective welfare.

• Rocky Anderson and the Justice Party

• Buddy Roemer and the Americans Elect and Reform Party

Without doubt, we certainly need something better than what we inherited and what we have. When it comes to wealth and power, we may be dwarfed by an elephant in the room. However, it may, also, prove to be the mouse in the same room that is his downfall. Hope may be all we have, but it is the same hope that has kept the world in focus throughout recorded history.


Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
March 18, 2012

What Is Meant By Education?

“Education” is a term used rather freely these days. It is almost as sacrosanct as Motherhood, Apple Pie and The Flag. It seems as if every one has an opinion about it, touts its many virtues, but has no clear understanding of what the term means.

I recall when I first entered university, a very astute professor who stood before our first class of the semester and announced he wanted to put what was meant by “education” in its proper context. With that, he simply stated, “before any of you buy into the notion that you are somehow special, just remember this. If you take a jackass and send him to college, all you end up with is an educated jackass. Where you take that pearl of wisdom is a serious responsibility and something that should impart to you a certain degree of humility. You will not only be a better student while you are here, but you will be an infinitely better person when you leave us.”

When they are in their best campaign mode, politicians tend to throw the term “education” around, as if it will impart a certain virtue to all the empty promises they peddle. They seem to believe that it will somehow cloak them with the same aura as that of the vestal virgin. At the end of it all, it can mean just about anything a person wants it to mean, with little or no common understanding of what the point of it all was meant to be.

From my particular point of view, I see education as having a multiplicity of meanings, depending on the aptitude and interests of those being “educated.”

The pinnacle of education is generally seen as the end product of a “college” education. College is perceived as the beginning and end all of the process by which we become treasured members of society. However, its one great flaw is to presume that “education” is a generic concept that applies to everyone exposed to it, and that they have the capacity to assimilate it to the point they really are anointed by the experience. I can only conclude that is the meaning as understood by every political personality when he/she promises a “college” education for everyone.

Recently, this notion was shattered by a news segment on television. It reminded me that there are, indeed, many different experiences subsumed under the label of “education.” It took place during an interview of one of the contractors involved in the construction of a new bridge from Oakland to San Francisco. The reporter, to his eternal credit, was concerned about the use of foreign labor against the backdrop of massive unemployment in this country. The offending country was, of course, China. The question that was raised was why modular portions of the bridge were being sub-contracted out to China. Good question! The answer was sobering. The reason given was, “because there are so few qualified welders left in the United States that, in order to garner that particular skill, the contractor had no alternative but to outsource that skill to China.

It never occurred to me that, because our industrial base has been so decimated by the avarice and greed of Corporate America, and its wholesale outsourcing that is so vital to their insatiable quest for yet more money, that may well be the root cause of this particular problem. Could it be that this is the result of an ingrained contempt by American business for vocational pursuits that might have anything to do with labor unions? Could this have diminished opportunities for American workers to serve a proper on-the-job apprenticeship under the tutelage of accomplished and certified journeymen? Therein lies a classic case of an opportunity for vocational “education” that is no longer available to those seeking a career within the broader economic context of our society. We have not only “outsourced” the skills, but we have dealt a mortal blow to opportunities for the vocational education necessary to develop and produce those skills. How does that provide opportunities for those seeking to enter the skilled job market?

The Europeans have always had a much healthier perspective on vocational pursuits and the requirements an aspirant has to fulfill before being permitted to work within any of their valued and respected vocations. I think the United States has lost sight of the relative importance that segment has within our educational system, and the means for acquiring the knowledge and skills that qualifies one to be a respected member of our vocational labor force so essential to our economy.

College may be very well suited to people who have an aptitude for more academic and intellectual pursuits. God knows we need those minds in order to have a balanced and healthy society, and to push forward the frontiers of knowledge. But not everyone is suited to go to college. For any of us who may have been reminded (as I have many times throughout the course of my life) about how inept we college types can be when faced with a vocational challenge, it gives pause for reflection on just how valuable those vocational skills are. I shudder to think of how many times my ass has been saved because of someone who could logically analyze a problem and fix it with his hands! I can attest that, without that help, I would have been dead in the water more times than I can recall. Some of those instances come to mind from a variety of predicaments I found myself in, one of which is particularly poignant and amusing.

One such occasion was when I put corn husks down the garbage disposal. When I tried to operate the disposal, it froze tighter than a drum. I labored for what seemed like hours to remove all of the debris, but it still would not work. The only option left was for me to call a plumber. When he arrived, he surveyed the problem, pressed a red “reset” button on the back and “voila,” it worked. When presented with his bill I argued that, surely, he was not going to charge me the full fee for a house call simply for pressing a red button. He politely reminded me that he was not charging me for having pressed the red button, but for the knowledge he had that there was a red button to be pressed that would solve the problem which, of course, was knowledge I did not have. That assault on my advanced degree from a great university proved to be a cardinal lesson in humility and gratitude; one which I have never forgot. There are indeed legions of skilled laborers who may lack the formal education I am fortunate to have acquired, but every one of them has a knowledge and skill that I can only envy. I could not have progressed in life without that battery of vocational knowledge and the skills I relied on to help me.

I see the opportunity for vocational studies as one of the biggest gaps in our educational system, and one which has been a major factor in the erosion and loss of so much of our industrial base. If we are to truly have equal opportunities within the population in order for this country to provide the means for earning an honest and decent standard of living, this is a part of what we call “education” that must be revisited and revalued.

“Education” encompasses many different aspects of learning and the mastery of knowledge. For one to claim to be seriously educated presupposes a certain amount of discipline and a serious commitment to what may be a long history of study.

There are three classic disciplines that are regarded as the pinnacles of achievement that only an “educated” person can rightfully claim in order to be considered a bonafide intellectual. They are those leading to (a) a Doctorate in Philosophy, (b) a Doctorate in Theology, and (c) a Doctorate in Law. The course of history has seen other disciplines lay claim to titles associated with that same level of achievement, none of which can honestly claim to have mastered the same level of intellectual prowess or the same degree of commitment as what is to be found among any of those three. To be sure, there has been a certain amount of bastardization of theology and law, but the purity of the knowledge base remains and is mastered by few.

As religion has become more secularized, the commitment to theological standards and the integrity of guiding principles have been compromised. As a consequence, religion has, in many cases, lost its standing as a moral compass. It has given license to a broad and varied interpretation of what is regarded as right vs. what is regarded as wrong. Fortunes have been built on peddling “faith and religion” to those who want a fast spiritual cleansing and instant wealth. One need only scratch the surface to see the vast storehouse of hypocrisy marketed as the “will of God.” The birth of the Tea Party and the zealots it has spawned says it all. As a member of the cloth once said to a rather self-absorbed parishioner, “I am less interested in how you talk your faith than I am in how you live it.” Well said.

The discipline reserved for the study and understanding of what is known as “Law” is, at its zenith, far from what has come to be regarded as the contemporary meaning of the term. The various meanings that now carry a market-based price tag can be found among the various political parties, the institutions of government, prestigious law firms, storefront lawyers and bail bondsmen. One can readily see quite a spectrum, with little or no relevance to what was originally meant by “law.” Ah, the lure of the almighty dollar vs. the purity of the profession!

If we are to restore integrity and respect for what we label “college” and “universities,” we need to pause and re-examine what is taught in those institutions with some effort to discern the difference between knowledge, mastery and training.

I happen to believe that the bedrock of our higher educational system is most completely embodied in the system of state universities and colleges, community colleges, and vocational schools. That is the system within which lies the greatest opportunities for an education that will best prepare the future custodians of our society. They are supported by the people and are, generally, more affordable.

There are, of course, those paragons of higher academia that are supported by private funds (rich people) and their progeny. There are provisions for the common folk to enter those hallowed halls on scholarships, but the bulk of those seeking a higher education are from the privileged among us. They not only learn marketable skills and disciplines, but they further assimilate and hone the value systems that cast an aura of certainty over their divine right to exploit the human condition in order to support their wealth and their station in life. An added bonus is being immune from conscription into one of the branches of the armed forces and the attendant dangers of being mortally wounded in the “defense of their country.” Oh, I almost forgot that all came about by the nation adopting an “all voluntary military.” Clearly, it is a class issue and a choice those from the bottom 99 percent choose to exercise. The fact that those counted among the “Hallowed Halls of Ivy,” sit on billions of dollars in endowment funds and that the preponderance of their student body comes from the secluded bastions of the super rich is purely coincidental. It is simply a matter of choice, freely exercised.

The most vile of all those holding themselves out as institutions of higher learning are counted among the “private colleges and universities” that develop and market “degrees,” at inflated prices. The underlying motive is to provide exorbitant returns to their investors who founded those rather sullied examples of academia, leading to the burdening responsibility carried by their students who are saddled with mountains of debt in the form of student loans they can no longer afford to pay. Seems an appropriate place to insert the word “greed,” doesn’t it? Moreover, the value of those so-called degrees is not worth the cost of the paper on which they are printed. The standing of the academic staff is, at best, dubious among the ranks of those who have a rightful claim to that distinction. Interestingly, politicians are the chief recipients of the financial largess for use in their quest for election or re-election. Does that really surprise anyone?

I have a particular contempt for all those who fall into what I call the “dot com techies.” To presume they are educated is an affront to the term. I see them as little more than highly skilled in the marketing and use of computerized systems and electronic gadgetry that serve as the basis for every conceivable kind of exploitation within the marketplace. They are plastic, empty and totally devoid of any compassion for the human condition. I find them superficial and arrogant. They have founded and operate some of the most exploitative business enterprises in our system of business and commerce. They have a sense of self-entitlement and what appears to be an inherent right to exploit those who work for them in their unending quest for affluence by the few at the expense of the many. At best, they “play boss,” but know little if anything about “being boss.” They are frauds that, at the end of the day, wouldn’t make a pimple on the ass of anyone who could reasonably consider himself/herself as a member in good standing of a real vocation. They are more fluff than substance.

Yes, I am an ardent supporter of real education that has legitimate standings in our society. But, although vitally important, I do not believe the health of our future rests, completely, on a foundation of scientific and technical disciplines. If we do not attend to a fundamental need to become thinking, feeling and compassionate human beings, there is no hope for our future. Those who seek out studies in the liberal arts are the real custodians of all that sets us apart from the predators who now seem to control every aspect of our lives. It is the Bill Moyers of this world who contribute so much toward the body of knowledge that feeds the finer aspects of the who and what we are as civilized people; not the Bill Gates.


Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
March 9, 2012

"Why?"

I have been writing this blog for just over three years. What I have committed to paper has, for the most part, been the product of my own take on a variety of issues that affect me and/or the society in which I live. I don’t pretend to have all the answers nor have I posed all the salient questions of the day, so when I have published something that is the product of another person's perception of the world, I have tried to be meticulously judicious in giving credit to that person.

I have a particular interest in politics and the affairs of government. I have a deep and abiding faith in this country as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Whenever the integrity of those principles is compromised at the expense of the body politic of this country, I become concerned, as any responsible citizen should be. In those instances I have no compunction about expressing my views as honestly and clearly as I can. What others may choose to take away from that effort is their responsibility, which I cannot control but for which I have a profound respect.

I happen to believe that the underpinnings for us all, as responsible citizens, is quite simple – morality. By morality I am referring to a basic sense of what is right and what is wrong. I shall leave the various sordid interpretations of that concept to those seeking a more titillating experience.

I cannot recall a time in my life when I have seen the fabric of the people of this country, in every walk of life, so compromised. Rather than being concerned about a fundamental sense of integrity and what is right vs. wrong, we seem to have evolved into accepting a broad tolerance for “whatever the traffic will bear.” With that, morality flew out the window and was relegated to the stuff of fools by all of those who have set themselves to the task of exploiting every facet of our society for their own individual and collective ends, the common good be damned.

With this introduction, I have come to the conclusion that there are infinitely more questions than answers that should be of concern to all of us. However, given that we have become progressively more complacent and trusting of those to whom we have entrusted our futures, I hold out faint hope that any discernible effort to restore integrity to our social and political fabric will succeed. So, I am simply going to pose a series of questions for which I have found no credible answers. The mere fact that my questions may seem redundant is precisely because the questions remain unanswered. Most of these questions can be traced back to various campaign promises made by Barack Obama in his quest for the Presidency, and for whom I voted on the strength of those promises.

1. Why has Bill Clinton been given a free pass for his complicity in the deregulation of the financial industries when he was President of the United States? Why did he collude with Phil Gramm, the Chairman (Republican) of the Senate Banking Committee in order to eviscerate Glass-Steagall and open the doors to the wholesale plunder of our nation’s wealth? Why did he bring such paragons of virtue like Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Alan Greenspan and others of like mind into the inner sanctum to participate in the gluttonous banquet that was about to become theirs for the asking?

2. Why, as one of his first acts as the newly elected President, did Barack Obama reincarnate those same rogues from the Clinton Administration to occupy every significant post in his Cabinet and his White House Staff? What was and still is the thread of continuity in that relationship?

3. Why has Barack Obama relied on the alumni from heavy hitters in the field of business and commerce to serve as his “chief economic advisers?” For example, the former senior executive from General Electric, a company that has figured prominently in the ownership and management of NBC, and among the major defense contractors to our military establishment. What happened to the perils of “conflicts of interest?”

4. Why has there been virtually no indictments and prosecutions of senior executives at the major financial institutions on Wall Street?

5. Why have the banks, mortgage companies and other financial organizations been given preferential treatment and access to taxpayer’s funds?

6. Why has there been only a token effort to restructure and regulate the very financial institutions that brought this economic calamity down on the heads of the people of this country?

7. Why has the Chairman of the Federal Reserve been given carte blanche to disburse government funds to domestic and foreign financial institutions at his sole discretion?

8. Why did our newly elected president decide not to honor his commitment to bring to justice those who lied the nation into an illegal war based on false evidence? Maybe it is because, when you become a member of the “Old Boys’ Club” you don’t assail your new-found brothers?

9. Why did Barack Obama decide to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest among us at a time when the nation was crying for additional revenue to stave off the devastating effects of the “recession” he inherited from his predecessor?

10. Why did Barack Obama choose not to pursue the restructuring of NAFTA and CAFTA in order to make it more equitable to the working people of the United States of America and the pool of labor affected by those treaties?

11. Why did Barack Obama renege on his commitment to strengthen labor laws in order to level the playing field between those privileges given to business and industry, and those accorded organized labor?

12. Why did Barack Obama not honor his commitment to a single-payer option in his health care program?

13. Why did Barack Obama not stand firm on requiring drug companies to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs with the government?

14. Why did Barack Obama renege on his commitment to reign in the excesses of hospital management companies in their dealings with the government on matters of national health?

15. Why has Barack Obama failed to take China to task on issues of an equal playing field in trade between our two countries, and their persistent currency manipulation to our detriment and to their benefit?

16. Why has Barack Obama remained silent as renegade state and local governments engaged in repeated wholesale assaults on government workers and labor unions?

17. Why has Barack Obama failed to discontinue warrant-less wiretapping?

18. Why has Barack Obama failed to close the Guantanamo Gulag?

19. Why has Barack Obama continued to allow a double-standard of justice for those deemed to be “enemy combatants?”

20. Why has Barack Obama allowed British Petroleum to get away with a slap on the wrist for the devastation they caused in the Gulf of Mexico?

21. Why does Barack Obama’s penchant for “bi-partisanship” become most apparent when it comes to matters affecting the wealthy, international corporations, banking institutions and the defense establishment?

22. Why has Barack Obama only given lip service to environmentally friendly forms of energy development while he is, also, giving free reign for the exploration and development of fossil fuels?

23. Why does Barack Obama seem to, periodically, flirt with an assault on those government programs that have served the people responsibly, effectively and economically from their inception? I am referring to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and, yes, the Postal Service.

24. Why has the Department of Homeland Security grown in geometrical proportion to other functions of government while those previously associated with the agency reap huge profits by their association with companies doing business with that same agency? Has this agency, too, become "too big to fail?"

25. Why has the Department of Homeland Security been so intimately involved with state and local governments and local police in planning and executing their assaults on the peaceful protests of those subsumed under the banner of Occupy Wall Street? How has this become a "federal" issue and a threat to the nation?

26. Why is the entire military establishment treated so gingerly when it comes to requirements for cutbacks in defense spending? Their latest ploy to cut back on funding, but still giving them more money, in the aggregate, to spend isn’t even subtle.

27. Why has there been such a plethora of private contractors and their subsidiaries doing work for the Defense and State Departments that used to be vested with those serving their country in the armed services? I am referring to Halliburton, Black Water, and a whole host of others, the quality of whose work is often questionable, who operate under much less supervision, with less accountability and at humongous amounts of money compared to the cost paid for services provided by our military and government organizations. Who profits from all this? Moreover, how is this arrangement not only more effective but more cost-effective? It doesn’t compute.

I think the time has come for the American people to be treated to that long overdue promise of more transparency and accountability, and less secrecy. So far, I don’t think we got what we bargained for. Words are cheap and are the stuff of politicians. Courage and honor are the stuff of real statesmen.

When you look at our choices for the next presidential election, there isn’t a whole lot for us to celebrate. Unless we miraculously get character over greed, I think we are in for one hell of a fall. To effect the massive changes required in the culture of our politics, I am afraid, may require far more of that precious commodity, "time" which may no longer be on our side.

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
March 4, 2012