Anniversary of the Worst Foreign Policy Disaster In Our History

Anniversary of the Worst Foreign Policy Disaster In Our History

While the Democrats snipe at each other over similar platforms, and the Republican candidate can’t remember who the enemy is, the anniversary of America’s most disastrous foreign policy mistake fast approaches.

It was this week on March 20th 2003, when the smug and cocky George “Worst president ever” Bush and Dick “Head” Cheney decided against good military advice, to rain bombs on and destroy the infrastructure of Iraq and open a Pandora’s Box of perilous times for this Nation. This was the beginning of a preventative war that was unnecessary and what will serve as Bush’s pathetic legacy.

Saddam Hussein as we now know had no part in the September 11th 2001 attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, he possessed no weapons of mass destruction, and he posed no great threat to the security of the United States.

Now what to do have in Iraq? We deposed and executed a brutal despot, but in the process destabilized Iraq. Then we opened the door for al-Qaeda terrorists to establish a foothold in a country where they could not have operated under Saddam. We destabilized the entire region by emboldening Iraq’s most dangerous enemy Iran.

We are now involved in an occupation of Iraq and the majority of the Iraqi people don’t want us there. The majority of Americans at home are calling for an end to this madness and for our troops to return home.

Levels of violence had dropped during the surging of another 30 to 50 thousand troops sent to the Iraq but now that violence is starting to spike up with more suicide bombings in Baghdad this week.

So now that we will have a new administration in less than a year how do we end this quagmire that spills American and Iraqi blood daily and bankrupts this country. So far none of the three remaining candidates has a satisfactory plan to that.

So far Clinton and Obama have spent more time on telling us who voted for the war than how they plan to end it. Ok Hillary you were spineless and rubber stamped the Bush plan, without doing the research and Obama you weren’t able to vote one way or the other because you were not in the senate yet but you did not support the war but did not have the pressure of being bullied to go along by the GOP.

McCain’s plan is more of the same war without regard to how we are going to pay for it, and how to stabilize the region. Just American troops as targets for the roadside bombs and American tax dollars to the war profiteers.

None of the candidates that I can see has a credible plan to proceed? Rigid timeline withdrawals will not help, and a blank check approach to this war is no longer an option either. The candidates need to begin talking about how America will proceed in world affairs after the Bush / Cheney regime is gone.

I want to live in a America that will:

No longer be in the business of preemptive wars and nation building.
No longer be in the business of torture.
No longer be in the business of kidnapping people and sending them to secret prisons.
No longer be in the business of propping up repressive regimes because they allow business to operate in their countries without regard for human rights.
No longer appoint incompetent yes men like FEMA’s “Heck of a job Brownie” or Secretary of Defense Donald Dumbsfield over qualified people who could do the job right.
No longer disregard the basic human rights that are in the Geneva Convention.
No longer disregard the Fourth Amendment and end unsupervised wiretapping of Americans.
No longer propose amendments to the Constitution to limit the rights of Americans on the basis of sexual orientation.
No longer allows a few giant media conglomerates to control the internet or the airwaves.
No longer depend on foreign oil.
No longer put corporate interests above American interests.
No longer run huge war deficits and cut taxes for the wealthiest individuals.

All right Mr. and Mrs. Candidate your turn to respond.
Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

It’s the Economy Stupid.

Now that the news about the occupation of Iraq has almost stopped, the major news channels are devoting most of the time on New York’s naughty governor and the primaries instead of the real issues that are facing this country.

America is quickly becoming a second rate economic power, and the consequences are not going to be pretty to anybody that has to work for a living. The burden that NAFTA and other trade deals that hamstring US Businesses and labor must be reviewed by the next administration that takes power in 2009.

We have issues like “Open Trucking” where Mexican trucks are to be free to roam the USA and compete with the Teamsters. Some say it is just fair competition but that is a bunch of crap. First of all the Mexican truckers are non union drivers who are paid a fraction of what American drivers so how do our businesses compete? The Mexican trucks don’t have to have expensive road safety features like American trucks do. How do our businesses compete?

So if you have to work for a living and don’t make your money as a hedge fund manager the economy is a big issue and NAFTA is a word that means you have been sold out by CEO’s shipping your manufacturing job out of the U.S. to cheap labor nations like Mexico and China.

Now the numbers that Bush / Cheney will give you are "The Census Bureau data show that U.S. export growth was phenomenal in 2006, increasing by 14.5 percent. ... Exports to Europe increased by 15.2 percent and to China by nearly 32 percent. The growth in exports to Japan was a slower 7.5 percent, but it grew. Since 2001, U.S. exports have increased by more than 42 percent."

Now that looks impressive but just like the spin on the build of the intelligence that led to the war in Iraq, the administration conveniently left out the other half of the story.

In 2007 our trade deficit with Mexico grew by 16 percent to $73 Billion, a new record. Mexico ships more cars to America than America ships to the world. Now where did Mexico get the Auto Industry? I think maybe it was Enrique Ford.

If you think that is bad look at the trade deficit with China. It has grown to $256 Billion which happens to be the largest trade deficit ever between two nations.

Since the Bush / Cheney have taken power three million manufacturing jobs have disappeared to countries that have cheap labor. The U.S. trade deficit has doubled, and most alarming is the America is running a trade deficit in the advanced technology sector of more than $67 billion with China.

Bush said “free trade is essential to the creation of high paying quality jobs. “ Yes George but it is exports that create jobs and imports displace them. So sit down and pay attention W. We import over half a trillion dollars more in manufactured goods than we export. The Bush administration has been slaughtering the U.S. manufacturing jobs like the Canadians club baby seals in the artic.

So ok everybody here is your economics 101. What is the correlation between $4.3 trillion in trade deficits under George W and 3 million manufacturing workers, that had a decent living and health care coverage now working at a low paying customer service center or god forbid Wal-Mart. The correlation between trade deficits and the 50 percent fall of the value or the dollar to the euro, or the quadrupling of the price of gold under George and Dick?

None of the candidates has come out with a new plan to deal with the changing of America from an industrial super power to the capital of the world’s fast food empire. I hope McCain and the Neo-Convicts plan on winning the next major conflict by killing our enemies with artery clogging McFries and McShakes.

None of the candidates seem to have the will to do what is necessary to deal with the de-industrialization of America, our dependency on foreign technology, manufactures and the massive loans to pay for our deficit spending. McCain even goes further when he informed autoworkers that their “jobs are not coming back” and that protectionist steps would be bad for America.

McCain thinks the lowest cost of a weapons system is the most important factor. He even supports the winning bid by Airbus a European venture to build the next generation of Air Tankers for our military. Boeing now will miss out on a deal that it says would have supported 44,000 new and existing jobs at the company and suppliers in 40 states.

All I can say is we better start protecting our manufacturing jobs because it will be hard to buy tanks and jets from the people you might be fighting in the next conflict. Imagine if we would have had to ask the Japanese for enough tanks, planes, and ships so we could defeat them during WWII.

Bush / Cheney have created an economic disaster that could put this country out of business and if this goes on much longer there won’t be any American companies to protect.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

Congress does something right. MAYBE!!!!!

Maybe our phone calls, faxes, and emails helped but whatever did the trick, I believe that congress is beginning to notice that we the people might just be paying attention to what they do up on capital hill.

Last night the Congress passed (H. Res. 895) which will create an independent ethics panel to review ethics complaints against lawmakers. This is an improvement over the current system which is a joke.

The ethics panel will have six members 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats. The problem with the bill is that it won’t have subpoena power and that it will simply forward recommendations to the actual House ethics committee for further action. Critics are calling this bill a paper tiger, while some say it is better than the current system and something is better than nothing.

This Bill had opposition from Republicans and Democrats alike. I wonder what they are hiding from? Recently two House members are under indictment, two others sent to prison, and several others under FBI investigation. Why the heck would the House O Representatives want anybody overseeing their behavior?

What did our Representatives have to say on this issue??

Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) said “If you have a single ounce of self-preservation, you’ll vote no.”

John Murtha (D-PA) “We have a New York governor in the news right now who shows that you can’t legislate ethics. It always comes down to the individual.”

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) voiced his disdain for this ethics bill when he said “With this proposal we are indicting ourselves, yielding and retreating to those who would tear this House down and denigrate us as crooks and knaves and hustlers.” Abercrombie even tried to derail this legislation by forcing a vote on a motion to adjourn at 8pm which failed and the vote went ahead and passed.

With the performance of the Ethics Committee over the past 10 years considered pathetic, an independent ethics panel is sorely needed. However without subpoena power or the ability to consider complaints filed by anyone other than members or congress, has serious problems and will deserve a close scrutiny.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

This week Mike Chavers will be on WTAN 1340 AM Radio

Mike Chavers will be playing music on WTAN 1340 Sunday Night March 16th 2008 at 11:59pm EST, with the station hosts Jonathan Sands & Jim Mortellaro, featuring Tommy McCoy, in the first of a series of live broadcasts by local artists here in the Tampa Bay area. We will be taking call ins so give us a call.

We will be posting the line up as it becomes available. We have the Likes of Jimmy Griswold, Josh Nelms, Sandy Atkinson, Robin Rothwell, Peter Merrigan and Charlie Morris just to mention a few who will be appearing.

If any of you songwriters out there are interested in appearing on the Sunday program send me an email.

If your business is in need of a plug, drop me an email and Jon and Jim will get their rate schedule out to you. It’s really inexpensive to advertise on WTAN.

Jonathan Sands web site
http://www.radiobullseye.com/

Saturday March 15th 2008

Mike Chavers is playing with Tommy McCoy at Central Station Saturday March 15th 2008 which is located in the last strip mall on 107th St. before the Belmar on Treasure Island. It used to be Nick’s Sea breeze and has a new owner. We start early at 8pm so come on out and hear some new tunes from Tommy’s New CD.

Sunday March 16th 2008

Mike Chavers is playing with Deje Groove at Coconuts Comedy Club, 2950 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759 from 7:30 to 11:30. We are featuring Jerry Chase on the drums and vocals, Tommy McCoy on guitar and vocals. This is an open jam so bring your ax and come on down and party with the band.

Tommy and I will be hauling ass to get over to the station after the gig so doesn’t forget to tune in and hear some music and road stories.

Turn off the TV and come on and see some live music.

Bluesfuly yours
Mike Chavers

http://mikechavers.blogspot.com/


Read articles by Mike Chavers and many other writers at OpEd News.
http://www.opednews.com/author/author7762.html

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

Some lawmakers actually think we are stupid enough to believe that Congress can police itself!!!

Last week I had some real hope that the Congress of the United States of America was finally going to have an independent Ethics panel consisting of six members 3 from the Democrats and 3 from the Republicans. They would review and investigate reports of ethics violations of members of the Congress. There would be a time line so that the investigations could not be buried and forgotten. There would also be transparency and findings would be made public in a timely fashion.

Well it seems that Republicans and Democrats whined and cried so much that a vote on this important issue H. Res. 895 was canceled.

Well ladies and gents what do you think? At this time Congress polices itself. Let us see if the current rules are sufficient.

Under current rules, only a member of Congress can file an ethics complaint against another member. In the most recent scandals of lawmakers breaking the law Randy Duke Cunningham R-CA and Bob Ney R-OH were arrested, convicted and sentenced for bribery. What did the House Ethics Committee do? NOTHING!!!!

When federal agents found $90,000 of cash in Rep. William Jefferson’s D- LA freezer and indicted him on corruption charges, no ethics complaints were filed. Maybe a lot of Lawmakers do their banking from their freezers. The most recent case is of Rick Renzi (R-AZ). He was indicted last week on 35 counts of extortion, money laundering and conspiracy relating to his efforts to get the federal government to buy land from his business partner.

Here is a link to (H. Res. 895) for the 110th Congress.
http://www.rules.house.gov/110/text_hres895.pdf

I advise all you activists out there to write, call, stop by your lawmaker’s office but let them know that the citizens demand accountability. Ask them to support this important legislation or face the consequences at the ballot box.

This is an important step to taking back our government from special interests and it is important to take action.

Call your lawmaker today and demand that they support this legislation. You can find your lawmaker here.
http://www.house.gov/

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

Real Ethics Reform.The most important issue of the century!!

The people spoke in 2006 that we wanted real change in Washington. What did we get? We got impeachment off the table, the realization that many democrats approved of torture, and are still rubber stamping the administrations assault on the constitution, including impeachment is off the table Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This week there is a possibility that the foxes will have to give up guarding the hen house. That is if we put the pressure on them and make them accountable. This week congress is going to vote on a resolution (H. Res. 895). This law will for the first time ever institute, an independent Office of Congressional Ethics with the power to file and investigate ethic complaints. The independent panel’s reports will be made public, and new timelines and reporting requirements will stop the Ethics Committee from burying complaints for years without action.

It is important for every citizen that loves freedom to call their congressman and insist that they support this very important legislation.

As it stands now only members of Congress can file, investigate and judge ethics complaints against their colleagues. Guess what no complaints were filed for seven years even while indictments were flying like a swarm of locusts over a crop of ripe corn, and congressman like the Duke Cunningham were being hauled off to jail.

We must throw the foxes out of the hen house and hold these SOB’s accountable.

Call, email, write snail mail, and fax your congressman and tell them you expect them to make this the People’s House of Representatives by supporting (H. Res. 895). To find your congressman click on this link.

http://www.house.gov/

Remember, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has.” -- Margaret Meade

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.



This is what I am emailing feel free to use or alter.

Congressman Young

The foxes have been guarding the hen house for too long. I strongly urge you to vote in favor of House Res. (H. Res. 895).

This law will for the first time ever institute, an independent Office of Congressional Ethics with the power to file and investigate ethic complaints. The independent panel’s reports will be made public, and new timelines and reporting requirements will stop the Ethics Committee from burying complaints for years without action.

The people want change we want a congress that is transparent and accountable. Any lawmaker that does not support this legislation will be held accountable at the polls in November.

Michael Chavers

OBAMA still isn’t a Muslim!!

“Not that there is anything wrong with that.”

I was on my gig on Saturday night playing the blues in a bar. The regular bunch of guys and dolls are in the audience and on the break somehow the talk turned to politics.

Low and behold I get from to reasonably normal and intelligent people to Ditto head dummies. From the Coultergeist calling Barack H. Obama “B Hussein Obama” to coworkers emailing Obama the Muslim pictures and stories linking him with al-Queda.

Ridiculous!!!!!

This is going to be one of the nastiest political campaigns in history I believe. I keep getting chain e-mails one claiming that Obama is a racist by virtue of belonging to Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, the email goes on to say that this church only accept black parishioners.

False e-mail I received around the first of the year.

Subject: Obama's church

Obama mentioned his church during his appearance with Oprah. It's the Trinity Church of Christ. I found this interesting.

Obama's church:
Please read and go to this church's web site and read what is written there. It is very alarming.

Barack Obama is a member of this church and is running for President of the U.S. If you look at the first page of their web site, you will learn that this congregation has a non-negotiable commitment to Africa. No where is AMERICA even mentioned. Notice too, what color you will need to be if you should want to join Obama's church..._ B-L-A-C-K!!!_ doesn’t look like his choice of religion has improved much over his (former?) Muslim upbringing. Are you aware that Obama's middle name is Mohammed? Strip away his nice looks, the big smile and smooth talk and what do you get? Certainly a racist, as plainly defined by the stated position of his church! And possibly a covert worshiper of the Muslim faith, even today. This guy desires to rule over America while his loyalty is totally vested in a Black Africa!

I cannot believe this has not been all over the TV and newspapers. This is why it is so important to pass this message along to all of our family & friends. To think that Obama has even the slightest chance in the run for the presidency, is really scary.
Click on the link below:
This is the web page for the church Barack Obama belongs to: www.tucc.org/about.htm

WTF!!!! First of all Obama’s middle name is not Mohammed, it is Hussein. Now the facts about Obama’s Church. Trinity describes itself as “a congregation which is unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian and does not apologize for its African roots.”

The church specifies a commitment to Africa and to “Historical education of African people in Diaspora.” The congregation is overwhelmingly black, amazing that a church in a white or black neighborhood reflects the race of the neighborhood.

It has been established that Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ welcomes all races as written by a professor of theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Martin E. Marty. He recommends watching Trinity’s Sunday services, and challenges anyone to find anything cultic or sectarian about them. He also on occasion attends with his wife and said like all other non-blacks, are enthusiastically welcomed.

Even the right leaning www.FactCheck.org stated that “Wherever we looked we found ample evidence that Obama’s church is pro-black, but we found none to support a claim that it is anti-white. Calling it racist is in our judgment a falsehood.”

This is another e-mail I was forwarded by a friend trying to convince me not to support Obama.


Who is Barack Obama?

Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself.

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas.

Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. Hi s father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia.?
When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim.
He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school."

Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that
that he is not a radical.

Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta.

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.

Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy.
The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!!

Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!!

This slime originated from a January 2007th Insight magazine article

Insight: Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?

This article, which cited only anonymous sources, claimed the Barack Obama spent 4 years in a so called madrassa in Indonesia. When CNN reporter John Vause went to Jakarta, Indonesia to investigate he found the allegations of the school being a madrassa was completely false.

CNN’s Vause stated “I came here to Obama’s elementary school in Jakarta looking for what some are calling an Islamic madrassa ... like the ones that teach hate and violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. … I've been to those madrassa's in Pakistan ... this school is nothing like that. CNN interviewed the school's deputy headmaster, Hardi Priyono, who said: "This is a public school. We don't focus on religion."

Obama’s side has issued press releases saying the claims of these and other stories are completely false. Stories in the Washington Post, The L. A. Times and the Chicago Tribune has also investigated these claims and found them to be baseless.

Obama’s childhood in Indonesia is nothing he has ever tried to hide. He documents this in his own book “Dreams from My Father.”

Here are a few other false claims that have been circulating in my e-mails since Obama decided to run for president.

False: Obama was sworn into office using the Koran instead of the Bible. This e-mail states: "when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran" When Obama was sworn into office in the U.S. Senate, he used his own Bible. This claim confuses Obama with House member Keith Ellison who is Muslim and did use a Koran to be sworn in.

False: Obama doesn’t say the pledge nor will he show any reverence for our flag" and that "while others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches." These e-mails usually come with a photo that was taken during a "steak-fry" for Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa on Sept. 16, 2007. What is pictured is the singing of the national anthem, not a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. For proof, there is a video taken by ABC News during the event. There is no requirement to hold your hand over your heart for the National Anthem.

By going on the internet you can usually disprove any of these lies with less trouble than it takes to forward them to all your contacts. I find it very disappointing that when you have a candidate that you can’t find any real faults with, that you have to lie to try and discourage people from voting for him.
Just remember a vote for McCain come November means 100 years in Iraq, more big business control of congress, and more of the same ole same ole in Washington. It is time to sweep out the old and bring in the new, Democrat and Republican alike.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.