The Lone Ranger Dude

Those who placate right wing extremists

Bob Meltzer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:14:23 EDT

It's time for the voting public to know that they don't have to accept candidates who placate right wing extremists. The right wing has destroyed our once great country. They've trampled on our constitution. They've taken away our healthcare. They've mortgaged our future to wage a war in Iraq that has done nothing but bring more wealth to the oil barons.

It's time for the voting public to send a message to Washington that we no longer accept candidates who placate right wing extremists. Candidates like John McCain ... and candidates like Representative David Drier.

Blood for Oil Companies

Bob Meltzer — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:35:52 EDT

I read Bob Herbert's excellent columns in The New York Times on a regular basis. This outspoken progressive is one of my favorite writers. In today's Op-Ed piece, he really outdoes himself. I urge you to check it out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/opinion/01herbert.html

Another example of Halliburton and corruption

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:58:59 EDT

Please check out the following editorial in The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/opinion/19thu3.html?th&emc=th

They are NOT "pro-life"

Bob Meltzer — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:57:44 EDT

This is a comment I left on the Huffington Post in response to an article titled, "Pro-Life Pharmacies Refusing Contraceptives But Selling Viagra". While I don't have an issue with the article, I do have an issue with the misuse of the term "pro-life" ... both here and in general.

-------------------------------------------------------

Don't call them "pro-life". It is not what they are.

Remember the former country of East Germany? It's official name was the "Democratic Republic of Germany". But since they were neither democratic nor a republic ... and only a small section of Germany, they were always called (and rightly so) "East Germany".

People who oppose abortion rights generally are ... considerably more often than not ... the biggest supporters of the Iraq War, the least caring of the tragedy of Katrina, and the cheapest when it comes to assisting the poor pay for education and health care.

I'm sure you can think are many more examples, but you get the idea. These people are NOT "pro-life". Call them what they really are ... anti-abortion rights.

Bush ... a liar and a criminal

Bob Meltzer — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:24:19 EDT

After five years of partisan stalling, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report with an obvious conclusion ... Bush should have know better than to take us to war.

This is actually an understatement. We were rushed into war based on lies and fabrications. Five years later we remain stuck in the useless, wasteful, bloody quagmire.

Of The Intelligence Committee Senators, all eight Democrats and two Republicans supported the report. However, five of the Republicans dissented. Their actions are best summed up in a New York Times editorial.

"The five dissenting Republicans first tried to kill it, and then to delete most of its conclusions. They finally settled for appending objections. The bulk of their criticisms were sophistry transparently intended to protect Mr. Bush and deny the public a full accounting of how he took America into a disastrous war."

You can read the entire editorial here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06fri1.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

There is no excuse to still support this war. How is it that there are still so many fools who cannot admit error and cannot face up to the fact that the candidates they supported with such passion are nothing more than criminals. They put their blind partisanship above loyalty to their country. It's highly unlikely you can find a single one of these who would support this war if it had been Clinton who had taken us to war this way.

Those of us old enough to remember the Watergate hearings of 1974 remember a time when the vast majority of Republicans in Congress put their loyalty to our county and constitution first, and were willing to hold Republican President Richard Nixon accountable for his crimes. Nixon's crimes were tiny compared with those of George W. Bush, but the vast majority of the Republicans in our current Congress completely lack the integrity of their forefathers.

Since they are unwilling to find Bush accountable for any of his heinous crimes, we must find them accountable. Each and every one of them in the House of Representatives. Each and every one of them in the Senate.

Unity Pledge

Bob Meltzer — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:12:32 EDT

I became involved in politics to fight the right wing Republican junta ... not to fight Democrats. Barak Obama was not my first choice (Edwards was), but he is an electrifying leader and I look forward to working to see him elected.

Memorial Day

Bob Meltzer — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:31:47 EDT

Today we all pause to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by over one million Americans in defense of our country. Lets remember the hundreds of thousands who died to end the awful institution of slavery. Lets remember the hundreds of thousands who died to rid the world of Nazism. Just as much ... if not more, lets remember those who died in the futile wars in Vietnam and Iraq.

A thousand years from now, if there is just one American left, we will pause on this day to remember their sacrifice.

Appeal from MoveOn.org to help the Burmese people

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:30:06 EDT

It is being reported that up to 100,000 people have died from the cyclone that hit Burma. Burma's brutal and corrupt military leaders failed to warn their people and they failed to evacuate areas in danger. Even though the rest of the world knew the storm was coming, the Burmese people didn't.

MoveOn.org has issued an urgent appeal to help the Burmese people. Please donate to a drive by Aavaz.org to raise money for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups, which will transmit funds directly to monasteries in affected areas.

Click here to make a donation

Longshoreman Protest Iraq War

Bob Meltzer — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:32:55 EDT

Last Thursday, docks were shut down in all major west coast ports. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union went on a one day strike to protest the War in Iraq. According to the Pacific Maritime Association, about 6,000 longshoremen did not show up for work.

In Seattle, according to news sources, other unions and progrssive activists participated in the protest. Why didn't the strike get that kind of support in other locations? As far as I can tell, it is because the word never got out. I was off from work on Thursday and I don't live far from the Long Beach and Los Angeles docks. Furthermore, I'm on numerous progressive mailing lists,
including the LA County Federation of Labor and other labor groups. But I didn't hear about this until I read it in The New York Times this morning.

The scant coverage of this event by the mainstream media is no surprise. What I cannot understand is why it was ignored (as far as I can see) by the progressive cyberspace network. If you haven't heard this story, there are links below. Am I the only one who thinks this is a big story?

Long Beach Press-Telegram

New York Times

URGENT - Protest the debate at ABC in Burbank

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:06:21 EDT

A demonstration is being planned at ABC in Burbank to protest the debate. The protest is by The Courage Campaign and it is planned for this afternoon. It will go from 4pm to 7pm.

I know this is last minute, but I feel this is a matter of great urgency and I plan to be there. Furthermore, I hope this starts a trend of protesting corporate media for the way they present the news. If there is anyway you can make it, please do. Feel free to pass along this information to interested friends.

ABC headquarters is conveniently located near where Burbank, Glendale, and Los Angeles converge. A map and additional information is located at the website below.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/flagpinprotest

The death of Martin Luther King

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:52:54 EDT

The death of Martin Luther King was one of the great tragedies of my life. This was a man who made us feel proud to be liberals. There has been no one like him since he died.

What I remember most is this quote

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

For African-Americans, the face of white America was the face of racists looking at them with scorn and derision. It is hard for me as a white man to truly understand how difficult it was for Martin Luther King to realize the most white Americans were not racists. Our sin was that we were silent and tolerated the racists among us. For a black man in the 1950s and 1960s, to understand this was an incredible leap of faith.

Iraq War and the oppression of Tibet

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:00:05 EDT

It's easy to connect the dots between the Iraq War and the oppression of Tibet.

The Iraq War is financed by borrowing from abroad. Our biggest creditor is Communist China. China becomes richer. The US becomes poorer. The leverage the US has to prevent the oppression of Tibet becomes virtually nil.

MoveOn.org vigils on Wednesday, March 19

Bob Meltzer — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:20:05 EDT

We expect our leaders to act responsibly on issues of war. We have an all volunteer military. Those who enlist trust our leaders will put them in danger only as a last resort.

Bush claims that he went to war as a last resort. Facts show otherwise. Reliable news reports show otherwise. Studies by independent investigators show otherwise.

This war is totally financed by borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from brutal dictatorships ... China and Saudi Arabia. This war doesn't have a damn thing to do with fighting terrorism. This war doesn't have a damn thing to do with promoting democracy. This war is the worst decision ... ever ... by an American President ... by far.

The Rambo Philosophy

Bob Meltzer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:23:30 EST

I saw the first three Rambo movies when they came out in the 1980s. I found them highly entertaining movies. The right wing Rambo Philosophy did not bother me that much. That was then. I never thought anyone who believed The Rambo Philosophy would ever become President of the United States. I had no idea how the simple minded Rambo Philosophy could lead to the useless, wasteful, bloody quagmire we call the Iraq War.

The Rambo Philosophy is simple. It is the belief that victory in the Vietnam War was prevented by the liberal antiwar activists. That's all there is to it.

Iraq War - The Great Money Pit

Bob Meltzer — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:01:06 EST

Little has been said about and article in Reuters regarding the cost of the Iraq War. The article itself says much at that cost. You can find the article here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2365065420080124

The crucial point is not the outreageous costs of a war we don't need but it is the way we are paying for it. To quote Reuters, the cost of the war "is effectively being put on a government credit card."

Is this the best they can do?

Bob Meltzer — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:39:15 EST

Sometimes I read articles written by right wing "intellectuals". I'm curious to see how they defend their point of view. More often than not, I'm appalled at how weak their arguments are.

An example is an op-ed in the New York Times. No ... it isn't by William Kristol or even David Brooks. It is written by a Dr. Steven Landsburg who is a professor of Economics at the University of Rochester. It calls for unlimited free trade.

The way he argues his point, you wonder how he ever became a professor! His article is full of generalizations and weak analogies. If you take his argument one step further, he'd probably say we should repeal the 13th amendment and bringing back slavery.

Check it out for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/opinion/16landsburg.html?th&emc=th

HELLO!! Earth to the corporate media!!

Bob Meltzer — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:18:58 EST

Before Bush gave his speech on the economy, the CNN news anchor proclaimed, "this is a President who gets it".

The mainstream media never gave Clinton such respect, even as he presided over 8 years of peace and prosperity. They certainly never gave Carter such respect. Don't even get me started on the treatment they continue to give Howard Dean.

I don't voluntarily listen to CNN. Too often, when I do business at a branch of a financial institution, I have no choice. They have it blasting prominently from a big screen.

I'm not talking about Fox News. I'm talking about CNN.

I'm not talking about brain dead ditto heads. I'm talking about the offices of major financial institutions like Wells Fargo and Charles Schwab. By forcing us to listen to CNN, do they think they're doing a service for their customers? To me, it looks more like propaganda straight from Big Brother's Ministry of Justice.

HELLO!! Earth to the corporate media!! This President started a war based on lies and fabrications. This war has cost us half a trillion dollars and counting. This war hurt the effort to fight al Qaeda in Afghanistan. This war caused four million Iraqis to become refugees. This war is simply an unnecessary quagmire.

CNN just doesn't get it. Major financial institutions don't get it. This is a president who has destroyed our great country. He is by far the worst President our country ever had. He deserves no more respect than that.

Iraq War financing

Bob Meltzer — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:00:53 EST

I just sent the following letter to my Senators and my Congressman.

"The Iraq War has been waging for almost five years and there is no end in sight. The cost of the war has been estimated to be in the 100s of billions. However, tax rates have gone down in the past five years. Exactly how are we paying for this war? As a US citizen and tax payer, I should have the right to know."

I am eagerly awaiting what they have to say. To the best of my knowledge, the financing of the Iraq War is a closely guarded secret. If this is the case, I plan to ask my legislators to ensure that public disclosure of the War's financing is included in all future appropriations bills. Is that too much to ask?

Why the House should pass the Armenian Genocide Resolution

Bob Meltzer — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:29:19 EDT

First of all, Turkey is trying to bully our elected representatives. They have chosen this tact rather than try to present a moral argument of their own. Our elected representatives should listen to valid augments from all sides, but they should be allowed to express their opinions in non binding resolutions.

Secondly, Turkey in that position to bully our Representatives as a result of Bush's foreign policy. At the outset of the Iraq War, Bush saw no need for diplomacy. Republicans and dittoheads called diplomacy a sign of weakness. Now, as the result of the Iraq Quagmire, we are now in a position of weakness. A country such as Turkey should never be in a position to bully Congress.

Next Year? Haven't we heard that before?

Bob Meltzer — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:39:31 EDT

A Yogi Berra used to say, "it's deja vu all over again!"

The title of the Associated Press article ... "Officials: Bush to announce troop cut." However, the first sentence (for those who read it) says, "President Bush will tell the nation Thursday evening that he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress."

The USA Today article is titled "Bush to support troop pullback." The first paragraph includes the caveat "to gradually withdraw up to 30,000 American troops by next summer." The second paragraph includes the caveat "The final number will be based on security conditions at the time."

BBC titles its article "Bush 'to announce Iraq troop cut'." Then it adds in the third paragraph, "The move would bring the number of US troops in Iraq to 'pre-surge' levels."

How many times have we heard that troops will be withdrawn in a year? How many times has it actually happened?