Gorbachev calls for new American revolution
Mikhail Gorbachev calls for new American revolution
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/mikhail-gorbachev-calls-for-new-american-revolution/
Posted By Stephen C. Webster
June 9, 2009
Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union’s last communist general secretary, called for a new American “revolution” — also calling it a “perestroika,” or government restructuring — [1] in an editorial http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/its-time-for-a-second-american-revolution-in-the-spirit-of-perestroika-20090609-c25z.html?page=-1> published Wednesday in The Sydney Morning Herald .
“Some have reacted with understanding. Others have objected, sometimes sarcastically, suggesting that I want the United States to experience upheaval, just like the former Soviet Union. In my country, particularly caustic reactions have come from the opponents of perestroika, people with short memories and a deficit of conscience,” the former Soviet leader wrote.
He continued: “Our perestroika signalled the need for change in the Soviet Union, but it was not meant to suggest a capitulation to the US model. Today, the need for a more far-reaching perestroika – one for America and the world – has become clearer than ever.”
In Russia, Gorbachev’s “[2] perestroika <http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/gorrev.html> ” was a government restructuring and the introduction of limited market economy freedoms into the Communist model, which initially caused a great deal of social unrest before eventually becoming an integral part of society.
Gorbachev called for something similar in November, when he declared then-U.S. President-elect Barack Obama “a man of our times” and suggested his administration would need to bring about an American “perestroika.”
“[He] is capable of restarting dialogue, all the more since the circumstances will allow him to get out of a dead-end situation,” Gorbachev said, [3] according to Russian news service RIA Novosti http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081107/118196981.html> . “Barack Obama has not had a very long career, but it is hard to find faults, and he has led an election campaign winning over the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton herself. We can judge from this that this person is capable of engaging in dialogue and understanding current realities.”
The Russian Communist, in his concluding paragraphs, strikes a surprising balance between capitalistic freedom and government controls.
“[If] all the proposed solutions and action now come down to a mere rebranding of the old system, we are bound to see another, perhaps even greater upheaval down the road,” he wrote. “The current model does not need adjusting; it needs replacing. I have no ready-made prescriptions. But I am convinced that a new model will emerge, one that will emphasise public needs and public good, such as a cleaner environment, well-functioning infrastructure and public transport, sound education and health systems and affordable housing.”
He continued: “The time has come to strike the right balance between the government and the market, for integrating social and environmental factors and demilitarising the economy.”
Finally, Gorbachev warns that the world’s current economic model, created by “America’s elite,” is “cracking.” As it comes undone, many will suffer, he predicted. “Including the United States.”
Gorbachev concludes: “However different the problems that the Soviet Union confronted during our perestroika and the challenges now facing the United States, the need for new thinking makes these two eras similar. In our time, we faced up to the main tasks of putting an end to the division of the world, winding down the nuclear arms race and defusing conflicts. We will cope with the new global challenges as well, but only if everyone understands the need for real, cardinal change – for a global perestroika.”
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Obama’s diplomatic victories in Europe and Turkey
My friend Gordon’s son lives in Germany and I find his analysis of Pres. Obama’s European trip (below) interesting. I thought you might as well.
Peace,
Janice
Life is fragile. Handle with care.
From Len in Germany, after I had asked him a similar question on the phone.
G
It is better to wear out than rust out.!!!!
— On Wed, 4/8/09, Shirts Len <len.shirts@theater-rab.de> wrote:
Hi all,
I just wanted to let you all know a bit about the impact of President Obama‘s trip to Europe. On reading the internet news I have a feeling that in the USA you just don’t get a feel of what this trip meant.
Obama has scored high. That is putting it mildly. I read an article in “Stern” (comparable to Time or the old Life) which made that clear. It wasn’t the huge popular crowds of an impressed Europe – the comments, especially from the BBC, are all a bit jealous comparing him to a “pop star”. No, it was what actually went on in these summits.
In the New York Times they say that he didn’t get everything he wanted. That may be true, but when one knows how contrary Europe was, then it is more true to say that he got a lot more than anyone here ever expected. There was a lot of opposition and he just ironed them flat and suddenly the leaders were all exuberantly speaking of an historic moment of compromise and agreement.
Obama was also central in preventing several major european political fiascos, that probably weren’t noticed over in the States. He did it by taking leaders of opposing factions aside, speaking quietly to them, then reconciling them with each other.
This was the case with Denmark and Turkey: Turkey was resisting Denmark’s taking up the chairmanship over an old feud over a political cartoon. After a talk under six eyes they were all friends again. In reconciling these two countries he saved France’s and Germany’s faces – they had backed Denmark.
He managed to win over Germany’s support for more funds. Again, by taking Angela Merkel aside and speaking to her alone. Suddenly she voted for something she had adamantly resisted.
He impressed the leaders by doing something that they never expected from a leader of the USA: acknowledging that the present financial crisis had it’s start in the USA and then accepting responsibility. This took the wind out of a lot of sails that might have steered the Europeans to a deadwind deadlock. Instead, they managed to agree on a program which might not satisfy all but nevertheless was an astoundlingly quick compromise.
His knowledge (respectively, his astute use of knowledge fed to him by his team) allowed him in his speeches to make local references and local relevances… I watched the speech in Prague and was astounded how he created bridges between the Czech situation and his agenda.
In Turkey he again did something that was a complete surprise and which seems to have won over the Turkisch people and politicians. He said, basically (not a direct quote) I have my feelings and opinions (about the turkish genocide on the Armenian populace at the beginning of the twentieth century) and they haven’t changed. But I will keep them to myself. More important than the past is the present reconciliation, and I want to help Turkey and Armenia come together again.
This is an example of what is truly new in Obama’s strategy. Expected was a condemnation of this historical genocide, which certainly would have been politically correct but which would have only put fuel on the fire. Obama changed course, but without denying his/the USAs own personal/political views..
There were several other things he said and actions he took in Turkey that were very positively taken by the turkish people. I don’t think you know this, I didn’t know this, but up until this point the USA was very unpopular in Turkey. I can hardly believe this, but I read that the turkish people had the lowest opinion of the USA in the world. In any case, very very low. Obama has turned this around. This is extremely important because Turkey is the meeting point of East and West.
Theater R.A.B.
Random Acts of Beauty
Franziska Braegger & Len Shirts GbR
Basler Straße 29
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Obama reversing nuclear cold war strategy?
MONDAY 6 APRIL 2000
The 52 Minutes of Obama Magic That Changed the Nuclear Rules
Monday 06 April 2009
by: Ian Traynor | Visit article original @ The Guardian UK
Obama in Prague, where he delivered a second call to rid the world of nuclear weapons. (Photo: Getty Images)
In his whirlwind debut European tour of summits in Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, Barack Obama has delivered two speeches, both exactly 26 minutes long.
On Friday, in Strasbourg, he was rapturously applauded by French and German students when he said he wanted to rid the world of nuclear weapons. In Prague yesterday, he spelled out his hopes, outlining a host of means to that end and denouncing fatalism in the face of the nuclear threat as a “deadly adversary.”
Also see below:
Remarks by President Obama in Prague •
The world’s estimated arsenal of 24,000 nuclear warheads – all but 1,000 in the US and Russian armouries – was the worst legacy of the cold war, Obama said. If the risk of all-out nuclear war had faded, the danger of nuclear attack had increased, he added.
Disarmament
The president pledged a drive on nuclear disarmament, possibly bigger than any ever attempted. He spelled out how he would accelerate arms control agreements with Russia, following his first summit meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev last week. The deal to conclude a new arms reduction treaty with Moscow, which would slash stockpiles by about a third was a beginning, setting the stage for further cuts.
Building on the momentum of a new agreement with the Russians, Obama said he wanted to cajole the other nuclear powers into agreeing international arms cuts.
This would include Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent as well as France’s force de frappe and could run into resistance.
John Hutton, the defence secretary, said at the weekend “there would have to be a very significant breakthrough in international nuclear weapons negotiations” before Britain’s arsenal could be put on the table.
Nuclear Testing
“It is time for testing of nuclear weapons to be banned,” Obama said. He called for a resuscitation of the 1996 comprehensive test ban treaty outlawing all nuclear tests. Obama’s Democrat predecessor, Bill Clinton, signed the treaty, but then gave up on it after running into resistance from the Republican-controlled Senate which refused to ratify it a decade ago. George Bush did not pursue the issue.
America is the most important country that has not ratified the treaty, although other nuclear countries such as China, Israel and Pakistan, as well as Iran have also declined to ratify.
Obama said he would pursue US ratification “immediately and aggressively”.
Proliferation
As well as supporting the test ban treaty, Obama pledged to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation treaty which dates from 1968 and is the cornerstone of the effort to try to curb the spread of nuclear weapons.
He specified two ways of reinforcing the NPT regime – banning the production of fissile material used for nuclear warheads and establishing an “international fuel bank” which would supply and keep tabs on low-enriched uranium for peaceful nuclear purposes in electricity generation for countries that need it.
This is aimed at keeping countries, such as Iran, from developing their own fuel enrichment programmes and at restricting the growth of nuclear knowhow.
Low-enriched uranium is used in power plants. High-enriched uranium is used for warheads. The material can be diverted for weapons use and once you have mastered the fuel cycle for power generation, it is relatively easy to produce bomb-grade material.
Obama also insisted on greater resources and authority for international inspections – and “real and immediate consequences” for countries that violate the treaty.
Loose Nukes
Over the past 15 years there have been various efforts, mainly by the US, to secure and store nuclear materials stemming from the collapse of the Soviet Union to offset the dangers of “loose nukes”, nuclear contraband, and black market trading in radioactive materials.
Obama said he wanted to re-energise this campaign to get all “vulnerable” nuclear materials in secure storage within four years.
He also said he would convene a world summit on nuclear security in the US within a year. The agenda and participants for such a conference remain unclear.
But the spread of nuclear knowhow and technology had to be stopped, he said, since it would become increasingly easy to “buy, build or steal” a nuclear bomb. The risk of terrorists being able to obtain a nuclear device was “the most immediate and extreme threat to global security.”
National Security
Obama also promised to rewrite American military and national security strategy to downgrade the centrality of nuclear weapons, reversing a tendency among some senior former military officials to argue in favour of an increased reliance on nuclear weapons and a commitment to embrace preemptive nuclear strikes as an option.
The Timetable
The president conceded the nuclear challenge was daunting, would be a long haul, and could fail. “This goal will not be reached quickly – perhaps not in my lifetime. It would take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change.” But he said it was time for a new, more robust international regime. “Rules must be binding, violations must be punished, words must mean something.”
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Remarks by President Obama in Prague
Hradcany Square
Prague, Czech Republic
Sunday 05 April 2009
President Obama: Thank you so much. Thank you for this wonderful welcome. Thank you to the people of Prague. Thank you to the people of the Czech Republic. (Applause.) Today, I’m proud to stand here with you in the middle of this great city, in the center of Europe. (Applause.) And, to paraphrase one of my predecessors, I am also proud to be the man who brought Michelle Obama to Prague. (Applause.)
To Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, to all the dignitaries who are here, thank you for your extraordinary hospitality. And to the people of the Czech Republic, thank you for your friendship to the United States. (Applause.)
I’ve learned over many years to appreciate the good company and the good humor of the Czech people in my hometown of Chicago. (Applause.) Behind me is a statue of a hero of the Czech people – Tomas Masaryk. (Applause.) In 1918, after America had pledged its support for Czech independence, Masaryk spoke to a crowd in Chicago that was estimated to be over 100,000. I don’t think I can match his record – (laughter) – but I am honored to follow his footsteps from Chicago to Prague. (Applause.)
For over a thousand years, Prague has set itself apart from any other city in any other place. You’ve known war and peace. You’ve seen empires rise and fall. You’ve led revolutions in the arts and science, in politics and in poetry. Through it all, the people of Prague have insisted on pursuing their own path, and defining their own destiny. And this city – this Golden City which is both ancient and youthful – stands as a living monument to your unconquerable spirit.
When I was born, the world was divided, and our nations were faced with very different circumstances. Few people would have predicted that someone like me would one day become the President of the United States. (Applause.) Few people would have predicted that an American President would one day be permitted to speak to an audience like this in Prague. (Applause.) Few would have imagined that the Czech Republic would become a free nation, a member of NATO, a leader of a united Europe. Those ideas would have been dismissed as dreams.
We are here today because enough people ignored the voices who told them that the world could not change.
We’re here today because of the courage of those who stood up and took risks to say that freedom is a right for all people, no matter what side of a wall they live on, and no matter what they look like.
We are here today because of the Prague Spring – because the simple and principled pursuit of liberty and opportunity shamed those who relied on the power of tanks and arms to put down the will of a people.
We are here today because 20 years ago, the people of this city took to the streets to claim the promise of a new day, and the fundamental human rights that had been denied them for far too long. Sametová Revoluce – (applause) – the Velvet Revolution taught us many things. It showed us that peaceful protest could shake the foundations of an empire, and expose the emptiness of an ideology. It showed us that small countries can play a pivotal role in world events, and that young people can lead the way in overcoming old conflicts. (Applause.) And it proved that moral leadership is more powerful than any weapon.
That’s why I’m speaking to you in the center of a Europe that is peaceful, united and free – because ordinary people believed that divisions could be bridged, even when their leaders did not. They believed that walls could come down; that peace could prevail.
We are here today because Americans and Czechs believed against all odds that today could be possible. (Applause.)
Now, we share this common history. But now this generation – our generation – cannot stand still. We, too, have a choice to make. As the world has become less divided, it has become more interconnected. And we’ve seen events move faster than our ability to control them – a global economy in crisis, a changing climate, the persistent dangers of old conflicts, new threats and the spread of catastrophic weapons.
None of these challenges can be solved quickly or easily. But all of them demand that we listen to one another and work together; that we focus on our common interests, not on occasional differences; and that we reaffirm our shared values, which are stronger than any force that could drive us apart. That is the work that we must carry on. That is the work that I have come to Europe to begin. (Applause.)
To renew our prosperity, we need action coordinated across borders. That means investments to create new jobs. That means resisting the walls of protectionism that stand in the way of growth. That means a change in our financial system, with new rules to prevent abuse and future crisis. (Applause.)
And we have an obligation to our common prosperity and our common humanity to extend a hand to those emerging markets and impoverished people who are suffering the most, even though they may have had very little to do with financial crises, which is why we set aside over a trillion dollars for the International Monetary Fund earlier this week, to make sure that everybody – everybody – receives some assistance. (Applause.)
Now, to protect our planet, now is the time to change the way that we use energy. (Applause.) Together, we must confront climate change by ending the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, by tapping the power of new sources of energy like the wind and sun, and calling upon all nations to do their part. And I pledge to you that in this global effort, the United States is now ready to lead. (Applause.)
To provide for our common security, we must strengthen our alliance. NATO was founded 60 years ago, after Communism took over Czechoslovakia. That was when the free world learned too late that it could not afford division. So we came together to forge the strongest alliance that the world has ever known. And we should – stood shoulder to shoulder – year after year, decade after decade – until an Iron Curtain was lifted, and freedom spread like flowing water.
This marks the 10th year of NATO membership for the Czech Republic. And I know that many times in the 20th century, decisions were made without you at the table. Great powers let you down, or determined your destiny without your voice being heard. I am here to say that the United States will never turn its back on the people of this nation. (Applause.) We are bound by shared values, shared history – (applause.) We are bound by shared values and shared history and the enduring promise of our alliance. NATO’s Article V states it clearly: An attack on one is an attack on all. That is a promise for our time, and for all time.
The people of the Czech Republic kept that promise after America was attacked; thousands were killed on our soil, and NATO responded. NATO’s mission in Afghanistan is fundamental to the safety of people on both sides of the Atlantic. We are targeting the same al Qaeda terrorists who have struck from New York to London, and helping the Afghan people take responsibility for their future. We are demonstrating that free nations can make common cause on behalf of our common security. And I want you to know that we honor the sacrifices of the Czech people in this endeavor, and mourn the loss of those you’ve lost.
But no alliance can afford to stand still. We must work together as NATO members so that we have contingency plans in place to deal with new threats, wherever they may come from. We must strengthen our cooperation with one another, and with other nations and institutions around the world, to confront dangers that recognize no borders. And we must pursue constructive relations with Russia on issues of common concern.
Now, one of those issues that I’ll focus on today is fundamental to the security of our nations and to the peace of the world – that’s the future of nuclear weapons in the 21st century.
The existence of thousands of nuclear weapons is the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War. No nuclear war was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union, but generations lived with the knowledge that their world could be erased in a single flash of light. Cities like Prague that existed for centuries, that embodied the beauty and the talent of so much of humanity, would have ceased to exist.
Today, the Cold War has disappeared but thousands of those weapons have not. In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up. More nations have acquired these weapons. Testing has continued. Black market trade in nuclear secrets and nuclear materials abound. The technology to build a bomb has spread. Terrorists are determined to buy, build or steal one. Our efforts to contain these dangers are centered on a global non-proliferation regime, but as more people and nations break the rules, we could reach the point where the center cannot hold.
Now, understand, this matters to people everywhere. One nuclear weapon exploded in one city – be it New York or Moscow, Islamabad or Mumbai, Tokyo or Tel Aviv, Paris or Prague – could kill hundreds of thousands of people. And no matter where it happens, there is no end to what the consequences might be – for our global safety, our security, our society, our economy, to our ultimate survival.
Some argue that the spread of these weapons cannot be stopped, cannot be checked – that we are destined to live in a world where more nations and more people possess the ultimate tools of destruction. Such fatalism is a deadly adversary, for if we believe that the spread of nuclear weapons is inevitable, then in some way we are admitting to ourselves that the use of nuclear weapons is inevitable.
Just as we stood for freedom in the 20th century, we must stand together for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear in the 21st century. (Applause.) And as nuclear power – as a nuclear power, as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it, we can start it.
So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. (Applause.) I’m not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly – perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, “Yes, we can.” (Applause.)
Now, let me describe to you the trajectory we need to be on. First, the United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same. Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies – including the Czech Republic. But we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal.
To reduce our warheads and stockpiles, we will negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the Russians this year. (Applause.) President Medvedev and I began this process in London, and will seek a new agreement by the end of this year that is legally binding and sufficiently bold. And this will set the stage for further cuts, and we will seek to include all nuclear weapons states in this endeavor.
To achieve a global ban on nuclear testing, my administration will immediately and aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. (Applause.) After more than five decades of talks, it is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned.
And to cut off the building blocks needed for a bomb, the United States will seek a new treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons. If we are serious about stopping the spread of these weapons, then we should put an end to the dedicated production of weapons-grade materials that create them. That’s the first step.
Second, together we will strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a basis for cooperation.
The basic bargain is sound: Countries with nuclear weapons will move towards disarmament, countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them, and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy. To strengthen the treaty, we should embrace several principles. We need more resources and authority to strengthen international inspections. We need real and immediate consequences for countries caught breaking the rules or trying to leave the treaty without cause.
And we should build a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful power without increasing the risks of proliferation. That must be the right of every nation that renounces nuclear weapons, especially developing countries embarking on peaceful programs. And no approach will succeed if it’s based on the denial of rights to nations that play by the rules. We must harness the power of nuclear energy on behalf of our efforts to combat climate change, and to advance peace opportunity for all people.
But we go forward with no illusions. Some countries will break the rules. That’s why we need a structure in place that ensures when any nation does, they will face consequences.
Just this morning, we were reminded again of why we need a new and more rigorous approach to address this threat. North Korea broke the rules once again by testing a rocket that could be used for long range missiles. This provocation underscores the need for action – not just this afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.
Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something. The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response – (applause) – now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons. All nations must come together to build a stronger, global regime. And that’s why we must stand shoulder to shoulder to pressure the North Koreans to change course.
Iran has yet to build a nuclear weapon. My administration will seek engagement with Iran based on mutual interests and mutual respect. We believe in dialogue. (Applause.) But in that dialogue we will present a clear choice. We want Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations, politically and economically. We will support Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy with rigorous inspections. That’s a path that the Islamic Republic can take. Or the government can choose increased isolation, international pressure, and a potential nuclear arms race in the region that will increase insecurity for all.
So let me be clear: Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran’s neighbors and our allies. The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven. (Applause.) If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe will be removed. (Applause.)
So, finally, we must ensure that terrorists never acquire a nuclear weapon. This is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security. One terrorist with one nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction. Al Qaeda has said it seeks a bomb and that it would have no problem with using it. And we know that there is unsecured nuclear material across the globe. To protect our people, we must act with a sense of purpose without delay.
So today I am announcing a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years. We will set new standards, expand our cooperation with Russia, pursue new partnerships to lock down these sensitive materials.
We must also build on our efforts to break up black markets, detect and intercept materials in transit, and use financial tools to disrupt this dangerous trade. Because this threat will be lasting, we should come together to turn efforts such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism into durable international institutions. And we should start by having a Global Summit on Nuclear Security that the United States will host within the next year. (Applause.)
Now, I know that there are some who will question whether we can act on such a broad agenda. There are those who doubt whether true international cooperation is possible, given inevitable differences among nations. And there are those who hear talk of a world without nuclear weapons and doubt whether it’s worth setting a goal that seems impossible to achieve.
But make no mistake: We know where that road leads. When nations and peoples allow themselves to be defined by their differences, the gulf between them widens. When we fail to pursue peace, then it stays forever beyond our grasp. We know the path when we choose fear over hope. To denounce or shrug off a call for cooperation is an easy but also a cowardly thing to do. That’s how wars begin. That’s where human progress ends.
There is violence and injustice in our world that must be confronted. We must confront it not by splitting apart but by standing together as free nations, as free people. (Applause.) I know that a call to arms can stir the souls of men and women more than a call to lay them down. But that is why the voices for peace and progress must be raised together. (Applause.)
Those are the voices that still echo through the streets of Prague. Those are the ghosts of 1968. Those were the joyful sounds of the Velvet Revolution. Those were the Czechs who helped bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot.
Human destiny will be what we make of it. And here in Prague, let us honor our past by reaching for a better future. Let us bridge our divisions, build upon our hopes, accept our responsibility to leave this world more prosperous and more peaceful than we found it. (Applause.) Together we can do it.
Thank you very much. Thank you, Prague. (Applause.)
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Environmentalists to battle Navy proposal on Whidbey
Environmentalists to battle Navy proposal
By Justin Burnett
Examiner Staff Writer
Whidbey Island environmental groups opposed to the Navy’s plan to expand its Northwest training operations say they will take their objections to the highest levels of government.
Representatives from Orca Network and the Whidbey Environmental Action Network have agreed to team up and send their comments not only to Gov. Christine Gregoire and Washington‘s Congressional delegation, but also to President Barack Obama.
“I think we need to kick it right to the top,” said Howard Garrett, president of Orca Network’s board of directors.
WEAN cofounder Marianne Edain said attracting presidential or congressional attention may be a long shot, but could end up being worth it. She pointed out that the Navy answers to both branches of government.
“The president and Congress have ultimate power over the military,” she said.
The Navy is planning to expand operations in its Northwest Training Range Complex, an area encompassing about 122,400 nautical miles of air, surface and subsurface space stretching from Washington to northern California. The complex has been in use since World War II.
The proposal, which ranges from increasing missile and sonar testing to dumping depleted uranium, has attracted the attention of more than just local environmentalist groups.
Following federal Environmental Policy Act requirements, the Navy prepared an environmental impact statement to examine how the expansion might affect wildlife and the environment. The Navy held six public hearings on the matter and accepted public comment from late December to mid-February.
But as concern over the plan began to grow, and more people learned about it, an increasing number of people complained that the public comment period was too short for a document of more than 1,000 pages. Even large, well-informed environmental groups such as People for Puget Sound said they felt caught off guard by the Navy’s proposal.
Although the Navy extended the comment period to mid-February, complaints in Oregon spurred six of the state’s seven-member Congressional delegation to send a letter to Navy Secretary Donald Winter requesting another extension of the comment period.
Navy Environmental Public Affairs Officer Sheila Murray the Navy has extended the comment deadline three times – a first for the Navy.
“This is unprecedented,” she said. “The Navy has never done this before.”
Murray said the Navy’s willingness to extend the deadline has been based primarily on the public interest generated by the plan. The new deadline is set for April 13. So far, more than 1,000 comments have been submitted.
That includes a 59-page document submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental watchdog group. The NRDC document was endorsed by 20 other national and local groups that are against the Navy’s plan.
According to Heather Trim of People for Puget Sound, the environmental impact statement does not adequately address potential impacts to Puget Sound.
“This is an area that’s already stressed,” Trim said.
The Navy’s increased activities could have serious implications on endangered species in the region, such as salmon and orca whales. That makes the Navy’s proposal more than just a local issue, she said.
“It really has national implications.” Trim said.
Garrett agreed, noting that the proposed training activities could cause significant harm to orca populations. He said that he appreciates the Navy’s need to train and be prepared, but he does not believe it should come at the price of the environment.
“It’s a clear case of social values that are in conflict,” he said.
Garrett said his hope is that the Obama administration shares his outlook, and will place a higher priority on the environment and resolving international conflict through diplomacy than on the military.
While the impact statement will be reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Murray said the assistant secretary of the Navy makes the final decision as to whether to proceed with the training expansion proposal. The decision is expected sometime this fall.
Comments can be mailed to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, Attn: Kimberly Kler, 1101 Tautog Circle, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101. Submit comments online at www.nwtrangecomplexeis.com. The deadline is April 13.
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Mattthews messages of hope
/Hello Everyone ….. some days we get a little down and so we
forget what we know. Maybe these little excerpts from Matthew’s
messages will help cheer us up. /
//
//
/*May 21, 2008*/
//
Free will choices of the majority have been made and now, without
influencing those choices one whit, we can reveal that in the
_energy field of potential_, Obama?s momentum always was
unstoppable, and we can tell you that this highly evolved soul with
many lifetimes as a wise and just leader came from a spiritually and
intellectually advanced civilization specifically to rise to his
current prominence.
At soul level he knows this is his mission, but consciously he is
aware only of his innate leadership abilities and genuine intent to
serve his nation as he so states; in time he will become consciously
aware of his origin and purpose for embodying in this lifetime. Once
he is in office, some darkly-intentioned persons expect to control
him just as they and others before them have controlled a succession
of US presidents and many members of Congress. However, that vicious
kind of governing is at an end, and contrary to the protestations of
Hillary Clinton that this race is not over, she and other top
Illuminati know they are witnessing the demise of their ?secret
government?; therefore, the Obama family members are among the most
intensely light-protected persons on Earth.
//
/While that election is of undeniable importance, foment leading to
benevolent changes in other countries? governments is of paramount
significance too. The myriad reforms underway span the globe?WORLD
transformation is what is occurring?_and in time, every leader in
every nation will be a lighted soul._/
//
/*November 21, 2008*/
//
/Prior to birth/ all peoples now on the planet (that means ALL of
us) knew the soul who would incarnate as Barack Obama and joyfully
agreed to his becoming president of the United States to lead that
country and the world into the Golden Age.
All participant souls were born with that knowledge, but it was
forgotten in the adjustment to ?life in the flesh? and its needs,
and even more so, indoctrination by family, educators, religion and
society. But they all knew that would happen because it is inherent
in third density embodiment; therefore, according to the plan, light
in ever increasing intensity has been provided by beings throughout
the universe to merge Earth peoples? consciousness with their soul
level knowingness.
So what is considered in your world to be a recent political event
had its beginnings long ago in your counting of time and is far, FAR
more than Obama?s imminent presidency!
Think of the innumerable times ?historic? has been used to describe
this, and rightly so! However, most people have no idea how truly
historic it is?they have not yet reached their soul?s knowledge that
includes what I just explained or what I and other sources of
messages have told you through our receivers: /This era on Earth is
unique, what is happening is unprecedented in the universe. /
Replace your concerns about his safety with gratitude for the shield
of protective Christed light surrounding him, and yes, the light in
your prayers does indeed add to his well being.
_We encourage you to be patient while everything unfolds_, knowing
without any doubt whatsoever that the light is in control!
This applies to the global economic situation too. There is no way
to sugarcoat the bleak news that this is worsening, however, we do
ask that you remember what was in a recent message (see next
paragraph) about your agreement to experience this and your innate
ability to handle it.
*Excerpt from October 22, 2008 message*
We have been asked how people around the world will weather the
effects of what finally is called what it is, an international
economic crisis, and we can only say that this is like in any other
situation on the planet: The universal law of attraction, or ?like
attracts like,? which is totally neutral and constantly in
operation, will serve each individual in accordance with his or her
perception of and reaction to personal situations. The energy sent
forth by those who see themselves as tragic victims will zoom out
and draw to itself the energy of thought forms in the ?universal
soup? that match the individual’s thoughts and feelings, and the
energy combination will manifest ?tragic victim? circumstances for
the person to deal with. Those who feel genuine gratitude for what
they have will be provided with more to be grateful for, and the
energy of sharing with an open heart has the same positive result.
But always _the foundation of weathering any distressing situation
is staying out of fear about it_! The magnified energy of fear
assures that the law of attraction will bring fear-filled
circumstances to the fearful person. How long it will take to reach
the end of the tunnel and what you will encounter during the
transition from the totally corrupt system that is collapsing to an
honorable system that will serve all peoples fairly we don’t know.
If we could give you a timetable, we would, but exactness in your
time for completion of all details cannot be determined in this
moment. The darkness that for millennia has produced dire situations
for Earth and her resident life forms to contend with cannot be
undone overnight?that is, not by the energy of third density
thoughts. Few people know the phenomenal power of their thoughts or
know that never before have changes the magnitude of world
transformation and spiritual renewal come with the astounding speed
and scope of the Golden Age plan. We urge you to look within and
reach what your souls know: This is a time not for impatience or
doubting? /and especially not fear!?/but for steadfastness in hope,
optimism, gratitude and LOVE!
I believe it is well worth my repeating something else: Earth?s
ascension is assured and on pace; it is up to each individual to
decide to physically accompany her. If it is your wish to do so, the
energy of fear or other negative attachment is not your ally because
it blocks the light that bodies require to survive in the higher
frequencies of Earth?s journey to her destination.
Absorbing light is as simple as living from your heart, the seat of
your soul, and souls are made of light energy. You need not study
spiritual or metaphysical material, perform rituals or find a guru
or other mentor. You need not spend years looking for some elusive
entry into the light?you ARE light! You need only to know this and
live by it! It isn?t by chance that the Golden Rule was so named, or
that despite all the dark manipulations of the Bible?s original
content and intent, /?Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you? /remained. The guidance of the Golden Rule, in all its
simplicity, is part of the elaborate plan that already has
manifested Earth?s Golden Age in the continuum.
(Reminder: In Matthew’s language, “continuum” means something
already so, done, actualized, can’t go back, be cancelled, be turned
around, it is so.)
Earth has reached energy levels where the higher frequencies are
accelerating everything, and whatever is in your thoughts is
manifesting more quickly than previously?/be careful what you
think!/ Not only is it important to focus only on what you /want/ in
your life and your world, but also to refrain from thoughts of
retribution, revenge, or punishing others. Those carry the heavy
negative energy attachments that account for generation after
generation of violence, brutality and oppression as one side
retaliates for what the other side?s ancestors did to the first
side?s ancestors, thus incurring karma upon karma for all those
souls to deal with. While we understand the desire to hold
accountable President Bush and others operating within the
Illuminati for their actions that amount to crimes against humanity
itself, we encourage you to let the judicial system do what it will
and be content with that.
When the Golden Age plan was formulated, Bush and those other strong
souls willingly agreed to fill their roles as long as necessary,
then join the light forces. Those roles were essential to the part
of the plan that covered third density karmic completion and
subsequent reconciliation of darkness and light within balance,
wherein all is light.
Whatever ?punishment? you may feel ?fits the crime? committed by
Bush and all the other like-minded individuals, we tell you that
they have imposed upon themselves unimaginably harsher consequences
than any of your legal systems could ever conceive, and that is why
time and again we have urged you to send them light.
//Let your thoughts be of peace, love, honor, abundance, fairness,
goodness?all the beautiful, harmonious facets of life you want for
yourself and your world?and know that we are among the myriad light
beings who lovingly are by your side in every moment.
*/January 20, 2009/*
On the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United
States, we ask that you fill your hearts with love and gratitude and
direct those feelings to him and his family and to the individuals
who will assist and advise him. The outpouring of those kinds of
energy streamers is like a blanket of golden filaments surrounding
your world. By sending that energy to the Obama family and the new
administration, you are radiating light to guide, protect and
contribute to their success in governing wisely and honorably; and
the light in their efforts beams out to the world, thus benefiting
all souls and Mother Earth herself.
Although inauguration day is a specific date in linear time, in a
universal context it is a major part of the master plan devised by
the spiritual hierarchy in conjunction with physical civilizations
in the timelessness of the continuum. (There’s that word again)
Obama?s willingness to come from a spiritually and intellectually
highly evolved civilization to take on the primary leadership role
in your world is part of that plan, which all of you knew and agreed
to prior to your birth. The soaring hope of peoples around the world
when he was elected has grown exponentially, and Mother Earth
herself is feeling uplifted by the surge of harmonic waves from her
residents and from all light beings throughout the universe.
The first day of new presidential leadership is an event of
paramount importance in a series of on-target powerful developments
in the plan?s goal of spiritual renewal and reformation in your
physical world, but in the /*continuum*/, /its success already has
been achieved!/ [/Note: The November 21, 2008 message in
?Matthew?s Messages? on //www.matthewbooks.com/
<http://www.matthewbooks.com/>/ explains the plan./] Nevertheless,
all of the forward movement is operating in /your /concept of time,
and in this respect, your every thought, feeling and action is
creating not only your personal lives, but collectively are the
stepping stones to Earth?s ?future? world. All those steps are being
taken at one pace or another, and holding your light steady in trust
and patience as events unfold within the new US administration will
heighten the collective consciousness. The higher the collective
consciousness of a peoples, the higher the vibrations they radiate
and attract in kind, all the while assisting Earth?s ascension into
the increasingly higher frequencies that you perceive as time
passing faster and faster.
Abundance is the God-given right of souls, and joyful living
circumstances for /every/ person on the planet is part of the master
plan that includes the election of Obama.
_From a purely ?3D? perspective_, his administration is facing one
of the gravest situations the world has ever encountered. And
indeed, it is a huge mess that must be cleaned up!
_However, what we see from our vantage point_ is that Earth is far
healthier today than she has been for millennia, and due to the
massive infusion of off-planet light that guided individuals into
generating their own light, the turn-around in Earth?s condition has
happened with speed that is unprecedented in the universe. Again,
this is all according to the master plan, and every soul on the
planet is participating one way or another.
The population as a whole is seeing the economic situation, as it is
reported by mainstream media, with unemployment, retail sales and
real estate statistics along with various analysts? forecasts.
Therefore, in the collective consciousness the situation appears
dire?by some estimates, the spiraling downward will continue for as
long as two years and the overall impact will be felt with leveling
out stages over the next ten or twenty years.
The analysts are calculating in accordance with economic history and
they see the resolution as combined government and corporate efforts
to return to what they consider the soundness of the global system
that existed prior to the meltdown.
You know better!
You know the economic system is collapsing to end the Illuminati?s
long stranglehold on all aspects of commerce, taxation, investments,
and such, and that _a new foundation based in light is rising out of
those ashes. _
You know that the increasing light in your world is propelling Earth
to her fifth density destination;
you know about the universal law of attraction and the advent of
on-planet assistance from the same advanced civilizations that have
been helping from afar for sixty-some years.
By living in consonance with this awareness, the light in your
optimism and trust has raised the vibrations within the collective
conscious
?your contribution has been phenomenal!
We want to clarify some misunderstandings prevailing even among the
most faithfully dedicated lightworkers about the economic reforms
underway. Some persons still do not know the magnitude of what is
commonly known as NESARA. In previous messages I have recommended
reading the explanatory messages about the true NESARA, but we
understand your time constraints and I have been requested to
summarize that material [Special NESARA Edition in ?Matthew?s
Messages? below September 11, 2006 message on www.matthewbooks.com
<http://www.matthewbooks.com/>]. Most succinctly stated*, NESARA is
that master plan for manifesting spiritual renewal and world
transformation. *
Underlying all of the death, destruction and tyranny in the Middle
East is the extremely heavy karma being played out. Long before your
recorded history, the inhabitants of those lands battled savagely
for supremacy, and ancient blood permeated the earth. The resultant
negativity had to be released in massive degree so Earth could move
out of deep third density, and souls who lived in those early
civilizations have returned time and again with the chosen mission
to reduce the accumulated negativity. The inhabitants of those lands
today came in for the same purpose, but this time, they are here to
complete the release and achieve karmic balance as individuals and
for Earth.
We know that overview seems dispassionate in light of the extensive
pain in Gaza, just as in Iraq and Darfur and all other places on
Earth where darkness still has a toehold. Even though we know that
the individual and area-wide karmic balancing taking place is
essential and we know that the souls who participated in accordance
with original or amended contracts have achieved leaps in spiritual
growth, we weep for those who are living in the midst of trauma
because they are not aware of their loved ones? magnificent
accomplishments or their very own. The balance to our deep sadness
for them is our joy in the assurance that one day they will know
what we do, whether they are in spirit lifetimes or in Earth?s
Golden Age that they helped to manifest.
Now, in the same spirit of exultation and brilliant light of hope
that is pervasive in your world, we bid you farewell even as we
lovingly accompany you every moment along your pathway. Matthew.
Hope you enjoyed this excerpt. Looking forward to Matthew’s next
message around March 20th, my birthday season, Spring, the Equinox,
more Light, Flowers. Hooray! Love ‘n hugz … Joline
LOVE and PEACE
Suzanne Ward
________________________________________
*Joline Stone*
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Brian McLaren says it like it is
God’s Politics
Two Kinds of Economic Recovery
by Brian McLaren 02-10-2009
I just watched President Obama’s Indiana speech and town hall meeting from my hotel room in San Diego. I was watching on MSNBC, with Chris Matthews hosting and Pat Buchanan commenting. Pat (predictably) panned the speech, saying that people in Elkhart make RVs, and Obama’s speech failed to explain how we’d get Americans to buy RVs again. His comment, it seems to me, perfectly epitomizes an adventure in missing the point, and perfectly articulates two kinds of economic recovery.
For many people, economic recovery means “getting back to where we were a few months or years ago.” That means recovering our consumptive, greedy, unrestrained, undisciplined, irresponsible, and ecologically and socially unsustainable way of life.
I’d like to suggest another kind of recovery … drawing from the world of addiction. When an addict gets into recovery, he doesn’t want to go back and recover the “high” he had before, or even to recover the conditions he had before he began using drugs and alcohol. Instead, he wants to move forward to a new way of life — a wiser way of life that takes into account his experience of addiction. He realizes that his addiction to drugs was a symptom of other deeper issues and diseases in his life … unresolved pain or anger, the need to anesthetize painful emotions, lack of creativity in finding ways to feel happy and alive, unaddressed relational and spiritual deficits, lack of self-awareness, and so on.
Similarly, I’d like to suggest whenever we hear the word “recovery,” we as a nation see it not as a call to get back our old addictive high, but rather as a call to face our corporate and personal addictions, including the following:
1. Our addiction to carbon. Fossil fuels are an addictive substance. They give us speed … quick energy … serving as a kind of cultural amphetamine. Meanwhile, they toxify our environment and throw the ecosystem in which we live into dangerous imbalance.
2. Our addiction to weapons. Weapons are one of the most addictive substances possible. They give us a feeling of well-being and security, removing our feeling of fear and anxiety, much like a barbiturate. But like a drug, they make us lazy and slow — lazy and slow in the much more important work of relationship-building, justice, and peace-making, lazy in seeking the common good. And they plunge us into an addictive cycle, because if everyone in the world is getting more and more weapons, we aren’t safer … especially when increasing numbers of those weapons are nuclear, biological, and chemical.
3. Our addiction to fear. Religious leaders, media leaders, and political leaders have all discovered that you can raise quick votes, dollars, and members through the hallucinogenic stimulant of fear. By making straights afraid of gays, conservatives afraid of progressives, Christians and Jews afraid of Muslims, citizens afraid of immigrants, and vice versa, these leaders get a quick organizational high — crack for their unity and morale. But the more fear you pump into your system, the more fear you have, and pretty soon, you go from being stimulated to paranoid, seeing things that aren’t there and missing things that are. And soon after that, you move from paranoia to paralysis, leaving you in greater danger than ever.
4. Our addiction to stuff. Jesus said that a person’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of her possessions. An economy that measures growth by the number of durable goods (resources) extracted from the environment and turned into non-durable goods that are bought, used, and then thrown away into a landfill … that economy “succeeds” by turning goods into trash, and calling it success. That’s not success. We need to imagine moving beyond an extractive, consumptive economy to a sustainable economy, and beyond a sustainable economy to a regenerative economy. I believe that in God’s world, if billions can be made destroying the planet and exploiting people addictively, trillions can be made caring for the planet wisely and caring for people justly.
5. Our addiction to a single bottom line. During the president’s town hall meeting, a man from Indiana told how he started a solar-powered attic fan company, and how he chose not to ship manufacturing overseas, but instead, to provide good employment for his neighbors. That meant, he said, that he had a little less cash in his pocket … but wouldn’t you agree that being a good neighbor has a value that can’t be measured in dollars? The single bottom line of financial profit is addictive, and like an addiction, it destroys families and communities. We need to rediscover a triple bottom line — financial sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. So we need a recovery of family values, and we also need a recovery of community values, and neighborly values, and ethical business values.
6. Our addiction to easy answers. “Government is the problem.” “Just throw money at the problem.” We can’t afford our addiction to these kinds of easy ideological slogans and facile reactive fantasies in a complex, real world. Ideology is, in many ways, a drug that substitutes the quick high of unthinking reaction for the hard work of acquiring wisdom.
So … maybe we can sabotage our addictive tendencies by letting the word “recovery” have a meaning that wakes us up rather than drugs us into the comfortable, dreamy, half-awareness in which we have lived for too long. That’s my hope and prayer. (For more on this, see my book Everything Must Change.)
Brian McLaren
Brian McLaren (brianmclaren.net) is a speaker and author, most recently of Everything Must Change and Finding Our Way Again.
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President Obama Seeks Russia Deal to Slash Nuclear Weapons
GOOD NEWS!
President Obama Seeks Russia Deal to Slash Nuclear Weapons Wednesday 04 February 2009 » by: Tim Reid, The Times UK photo A spokesman has stated that President Barack Obama will seek an agreement with Russia to significantly reduce the two countries’ nuclear weapons stockpiles. (Photo: Senior Airman Javier Cruz Jr. / af.mil) The radical new treaty would reduce the number of nuclear warheads to 1,000 each. Washington – President Obama will convene the most ambitious arms reduction talks with Russia for a generation, aiming to slash each country’s stockpile of nuclear weapons by 80 per cent. The radical treaty would cut the number of nuclear warheads to 1,000 each, The Times has learnt. Key to the initiative is a review of the Bush Administration’s plan for a US missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, a project fiercely opposed by Moscow. Mr Obama is to establish a non-proliferation office at the White House to oversee the talks, expected to be headed by Gary Samore, a non-proliferation negotiator in the Clinton Administration. The talks will be driven by Hillary Clinton‘s State Department. No final decision on the defence shield has been taken by Mr Obama. Yet merely delaying the placement of US missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic – which if deployed would cost the US $4 billion annually – removes what has been a major impediment to Russian co-operation on arms reduction. Any agreement would put pressure on Britain, which has 160 nuclear warheads, and other nuclear powers to reduce their stockpiles. Mr Obama has pledged to put nuclear weapons reduction at the heart of his presidency and his first move will be to reopen talks with Moscow to replace the 1991 US-Soviet Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), which expires in December. Under that pact, the two countries have cut their respective stockpiles from roughly 10,000 to 5,000. “We are going to re-engage Russia in a more traditional, legally binding arms reduction process,” an official from the Administration said. “We are prepared to engage in a broader dialogue with the Russians over issues of concern to them. Nobody would be surprised if the number reduced to the 1,000 mark for the post-Start treaty.” Efforts to revive the Start talks were fitful under Mr Bush and complicated by his insistence on building a missile defence shield. “If Obama proceeds down this route, this will be a major departure,” one Republican said. “But there will be trouble in Congress.” The plan is also complicated by the nuclear ambitions of Iran, which launched its first satellite into space yesterday, and North Korea, which is preparing to test a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking the US. Mr Obama views the reduction of arms by the US and Russia as critical to efforts to persuade countries such as Iran not to develop the Bomb. » IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 17 U.S.C. SECTION 107, THIS MATERIAL IS DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT PROFIT TO THOSE WHO HAVE EXPRESSED A PRIOR INTEREST IN RECEIVING THE INCLUDED INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. TRUTHOUT HAS NO AFFILIATION WHATSOEVER WITH THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS ARTICLE NOR IS TRUTHOUT ENDORSED OR SPONSORED BY THE ORIGINATOR. “VIEW SOURCE ARTICLE” LINKS ARE PROVIDED AS A CONVENIENCE TO OUR READERS AND ALLOW FOR VERIFICATION OF AUTHENTICITY. HOWEVER, AS ORIGINATING PAGES ARE OFTEN UPDATED BY THEIR ORIGINATING HOST SITES, THE VERSIONS POSTED ON TO MAY NOT MATCH THE VERSIONS OUR READERS VIEW WHEN CLICKING THE “VIEW SOURCE ARTICLE” LINKS. Comments This is a moderated forum. It may take a little while for comments to go live.
Obama is looking good!
January 26, 2009
Dear Friends:
I had the pleasure of responding to an invitation from Greg Nelson and participating this morning as PSR’s representative in a White House ceremony at which President Obama announced his initial steps on energy and the environment. The content of his announcements were covered this morning in an anticipatory piece on the front page of The New York Times and I am sure will be in tonight and tomorrow’s news.
The invitation came at the last minute, yesterday, Sunday afternoon in fact but an audience of 80-100 folks appeared, mostly good friends of ours from the national environmental community. This group rarely has occasion to be together in the same room and the mood was celebratory. Members of the President’s energy and environment “team” were present including: Steven Chu, John Holdren, Carol Browner, Lisa Jackson, and others.
The President spoke for 10 minutes and was very business-like. The President’s tone sent a clear message. He opened with the urgent need to respond to the financial crises and linked his remarks on energy independence, CAFE standards, green house gas emissions to job creation and economic stabilization. He spoke of global warming as a matter of fact that we all understand and want action on. He spoke of the importance of science-based policy.
His presentation was low-key, as if he were saying: “I’m not telling you anything you don’t know… and here is what we are going to need to do…” I found listening to him a remarkable experience, like a light coming on after 8, or has it been 20, years in the darkness. Unlike previous White House events there were no photo ops; there will be no signed photographs of me with the President. He greeted a few of his own people in the front row and left the room. I am impressed.
I hope we see an event like this on nuclear weapons in the near future. This is a moment both to celebrate and to redouble our efforts.
Mike McCally, MD, PhD
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TODAY Vote for “Ideas for Change in America”
The last day of voting for the Ideas for Change in America competition is today! On Friday we will present the top 10 ideas to the Obama administration at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. We’ll then connect the winning ideas to leading nonprofits and launch a series of national advocacy campaigns to turn each idea into federal policy.
You have voted for the following idea:
- Health Freedom IS Our First Freedom http://www.change.org/ideas/view/health_freedom> (4th Place)
You can help support this idea by forwarding this email to friends or posting links to your favorite ideas on sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or any blog you might write.
You also have 9 votes remaining, and we encourage you to finish voting for your list of “Top 10 Ideas” by going to www.change.org/ideas <http://www.change.org/ideas> before voting ends at 5pm Eastern this Thursday, Jan. 15.
We started the Ideas for Change in America initiative in the hope that we could translate the energy behind the Obama election into a citizen-led movement for change around the major issues we face. With over 500,000 votes thus far, each of you has helped deliver a clear message to the Obama administration that the American people want to participate in their own government again.
For that, we thank you. And we can’t wait to work with each of you to continue this momentum after the competition ends.
In the meantime, best of luck for each of the ideas you support!
- The Change.org http://change.org/> Team
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Ugly Middle East “plan” exposed
Obama is already under the thumb of the American Enterprise Institute, AEI, with his choice of Dennis Ross as his senior advisor on middle east policies. The American Enterprise Institute is the Zionist Israeli (located in the US) “think tank” whose members made up the majority of the Bush administration, and who hatched the Iraq war under Cheney, Rumsfeld, Feith, Cambone, Bolton, Wolfowitz, Libby, Ross, all AEI “fellows/scholars” all Zionist Jews who control this country, and apparently newly elected Barack Obama as well. In their now famous document a “Project for a New American Century (PNAC)” initiated in the late 1990s, they mapped out the course of action to attack Iraq, inflame the middle east, and be able to fight at least 2 minor and 1 major war at the same time with Israel using the US government and military to do its’ work in taking over the world. Although the “project” has not gone as smoothly as anticipated, that has not deterred them, they press on now having co-opted the new administration by installing their members already and their agenda going forward. Their next project is for the US to attack Iran.
http://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/index.php?q=node/6648
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Comments
This is a moderated forum. It may take a little while for comments to go live. Be civil and on-topic, don’t threaten or advocate violence, please keep it under 300 words. Thanks for participating.
Perhaps Israel will reduce
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 21:49 — Charles (not verified)If Obama means what he said
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 21:06 — Paul Roberts (not verified)What “magic”? The talismanic
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 18:53 — Mike in NYC (not verified)45 years ago Amitai Etzioni
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 17:45 — redski (not verified)America has never kept a
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 17:25 — Bob (not verified)Nothing will happen so long
Mon, 04/06/2009 – 14:37 — Cliff (not verified)