Genetically Modified Sheep

I was going to write about what Congress did this year… But we all know that Congress accomplished almost nothing – to be magnanimous – and that it will go into the annals of history as the laziest, most incompetent Congress in history. Quite an accomplishment!

The whole world is a mess!

2013 has proven to be quite a disastrous year, where the poor get poorer and middle class is quickly disappearing, if it hasn’t disappeared already.

During 2013, we were witnesses of the greed and lack of compassion from almost every government around the globe. The rich is getting richer, most reporting profits never seen before and yet, there are no jobs, here or anywhere else.

What’s more, while these fat cats are purring in content with their accomplishments, they are reducing salaries, laying off more people, forcing people to work harder for less… and we silently obey.

In this country, at State and Federal level, many bills have been presented by the insensible Right wing to change the laws of this country to allow for children to earn a living. Of course they dress up the bill as a way to help families in need, so there is more money coming to the family and all that crap that they think will make them look “compassionate.” Of course, a child that works for any company (no limitations in the type of work or hours worked) will earn less than an adult… isn’t that grand? That will create more lay-offs of adults, since we do know for certain a corporation will not give a damn about a worker’s needs, if they can hire someone else to do the job for far less, they will do it without hesitation... after all for corporations, all it matters is to keep the shareholders happy.

Several attempts by the GOP have been made to privatize education… There is a collective effort to squash the middle class, to create more and cheaper labor to please the elite class. And we are doing nothing, we remain silent.

During 2013, they went as far as claiming that a person can survive, perfectly well, on $4.50 a day. Of course, for them it didn’t matter that nutritious food couldn’t be purchased with $4.50 a day; you won’t go hungry, you may not last long, but you will have your tummy filled with ramen soup and some slices of bread, good enough for the poor. So they slashed food stamps, damn poor people! How dare they get $4.50 a day?

Abortion is another issue where bills are being introduced all over the country, repeatedly. They need more people, more cheap labor and they are doing all possible to get them, as fast as possible. Of course, no health insurance for these indigents, that’s why they have tried to repeal “Obamacare” so many times and they are completely against single payer… who do we think we are for them to “pay” for anything that will benefit the masses? They want us broke in spirit and financially, ignorant and in masses, the more the merrier, after all… the more poor and broken people there are, the cheapest the labor for their masters.

Not satisfied with creating Citizen's United, turning Corporations into people as far as contributions is concerned, various bills have been introduced by the GOP and Teabaggers in Congress giving corporations the right to vote! Fortunately, these bills have died on the floor... but we know they'll keep trying and pretty soon, "We, the People" will be referring only to corporations as we will become "We, the Parasites."

The above wasn’t sufficient, so Congress closed the year with a bang. They ended unemployment benefits for over a million people and went on, to what in their opinion was a well-earned vacation, to enjoy Christmas and New Year’s with their families, at their mansions and with their stomach filled with the best the country has to offer. Theirs is a life of luxury: a good job with great salaries and benefits, a good future even if they are voted out… if they are, they’ll tour the country giving speeches for a few hundred thousand dollars and life will keep going, as grand as ever.

I truly hope for the sake of this country and my own, that 2014 will be different… But as long as the people are dormant, ignorant, condescending and sheepish nothing will truly change. We will still be extremely happy at the dry bone they throw at us and we will lick their hands in appreciation. We cannot conceive any other way of life but to be slaves for the rest of our lives while others earn in a year, at minimum, ten times more than we will ever earn in our lifetime and for far less work… No, it doesn’t matter, as long as we can pay for a roof over our heads at ever escalating prices, a car that won’t last for more than 10 years, insurance that when needed doesn’t cover much, electricity that keeps rising, water which is contaminated, food which has been genetically modified and the list goes on and on, but we are happy… at the end, we work and we work, but no matter how hard we do it, we will not have money left over for a decent vacation or to save for when we are too old to continue with the madness.

What would it take to change our fate? Basically a miracle! We must accept that we are either cowards, conformists or we have been genetically modified to be sheep.

Baaaah!

2013

2013 was a damn awesome year

For the wealthy, the lobbyist and the rich puppeteers

$4.50 a day was too much for a meal

So they slashed food stamps and destroyed meal on wheels.

.

Healthcare for everyone? What a terrible idea!

They fought and they fought

To block it, to change it and to have it repealed.

They cried about jobs, because there was none

But not once they came up with a thought or a plan

To create more jobs or to help the unemployed.

.

In virtue of the situation

With so many without work

They decided it was best

Not to help the unemployed.

.

Off goes the unemployment assistance!

Off goes food for the needy! After all, they are claiming

The poor, the elderly, the unemployed and the vets

It’s what’s causing our country to have such great debts.

.

So have a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Remember who screwed us

And vote them out next year.

Faith in Humanity

This year has been a very tough year. I lost my job, my mother was very ill for several months and I lost my uncle, who I loved as a father. In order to make ends meet, I moved to a smaller place that is basically a dump but at least we were able to be together, my mother and me, and that’s all that really matters, that is what is truly important.

 

Many of you know that I’ve been having computer issues and that I’ve tried to raise funds through ads that no one ever clicked, through actually begging for donations, etc. I was never able to raise not even $100. I understood because not only I am unknown to most of you but also because most of us are struggling – I know that I am not alone.

 

But, I am grateful for the trying times I’m going through. If it wasn’t because of this time in my life where I have nothing, none of the magical and wonderful experiences that I am receiving from friends I’ve never met in person and who are at faraway places, would have taken place.

 

I love nature and animals… I love people and life. Those that know me know that along with politics, I am very passionate about animals.

 

A dear friend of mine, who lives in England, surprised me with a very kind gesture: A 2014 Calendar from the Save the Elephant Foundation (SEF), he knew I couldn’t afford to purchase one and ordered it for me. It is now sitting on my desk; I get to enjoy daily the pictures of these wonderful creatures, greeting me every day… I encourage everyone to get one, you will be helping a wonderful cause.

 

That gesture moved me, I wasn’t expecting it and fills me with joy ever since.

 

Then, I had the most wonderful proof that there is still kind people out there.

 

Another friend, who I haven’t met in person, made an offer to me that I couldn’t refuse. I was offered to buy any computer I wanted as long as it had everything I needed to continue my blog and school. The offer was made in such a way that I couldn’t refuse. My friend offered to buy it for me and I could pay it back once I got back on my feet… or not, it was up to me. I was astonished! I have never seen such generosity from those close to me, imagine from a virtual friend! I began to cry, couldn’t contain myself… it wasn’t as much the computer but the act of generosity, the unexpected act and unselfishness from a friend that really moved me, that restored my faith in humanity, which was almost completely gone.

 

Today, I received another confirmation of how wonderfully unselfish people can be. A friend from Canada sent me a package that contained beautiful ornaments, two of which had the picture of a very loving child that I adore: Hannah. Hannah is a very special little girl that sings like an angel! I’ve never seen her in person, but I can tell you all I love her very much and try to follow all her advances and sometimes, her tribulations. This little girl is an example to follow, she has gone through hell and back… she is a true champion and fighter. The package also included two Christmas ornaments of two angels, which were done by my friend’s mother who makes them, sells them and the money collected she donates to help cancer patients. What a wonderful gesture, what a wonderful woman! Inside the box was an envelope that clearly had a card in it; the envelope read: OPEN LAST, so I obeyed. When I opened it I began to weep… it contained $60! Thanks to my friend, my mother and I will have a Christmas dinner since I didn’t have any money for that this year.

 

I am so happy that I have had the honor of knowing wonderful people such as my friends, friends that I have been mocked for calling them friends when we haven’t met. I have always said that I didn’t need to meet someone in person to feel close to them, to feel their happiness and joys, their pain and frustrations and to be “there” for them even when we are thousands of miles away. I know some people in person that have no idea of what I am going through, however, my cyber-friends do. Perhaps it is because I feel free to express myself since I will not see their faces if they disapprove of what I am saying. Maybe it is because it is so easy to unfriend someone in Facebook… who knows! All I know is that I’ve spilled my soul with them and they have been there, every time, every step of the way and I am grateful to have them in my life... Every single one of them.

 

I might be going through very rough times, rougher than anything I’ve gone through before but… I am thankful and very fortunate for it. It is in times such as this that you learn who your friends are and in my case, the best gift I have had in all of my life was given to me this holiday season where I learned, first hand, that there are good people out there, that humanity hasn’t been lost.

 

To my wonderful friends: I will never have enough words to thank you for your kindness and for the love you’ve shown me, but know that you have a friend in me, unconditionally, until the day I die.

 

Happy Holidays!

Takes Two To Tango

This week Michigan became the 9th state where a woman would need private and separate health insurance to have an abortion. It is known as “Abortion Insurance Rider.”

A Rider is an extra expense weighing on women and women only. But even though a woman pays an additional premium for this coverage, if she is not ready to have a family or if the fetus has no chance of surviving outside the womb, she still is not allowed to have an abortion unless the State gives her the thumbs up.

These laws are being forced on women by the religious right who cares not for the rights of anyone, who doesn’t believe in the democratic system of voting – mostly because they know that if these bills are placed on the ballot, they will be rejected by the minority - so they sneak their opinion and believes into other bills, sometimes not even related to health or reproduction.

In most red states, only if the mother’s life is at risk can a woman have an abortion. This means, that even when she pays more for her insurance plan than her partner and more than a woman from another, she still doesn’t have the right to end a pregnancy… it is not her choice, it is the choice of the State, the religious right and the doctor, but never the woman.

In Idaho [R] women must get a Rider to cover the possibility of an elective abortion. The only acceptable reasons to have an abortion in Idaho is if the woman’s life is at risk and if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. No other reason is accepted, even with a Rider.

In Kansas [R], Kentucky [D], Michigan [R], Missouri [D], Nebraska [R], North Dakota [R] and Oklahoma [R] a woman can have an abortion only to “preserve the life of the female.” Rape, incest, a deformed fetus or intrauterine death (fetus dead in the womb) any of these possibilities are not good enough reasons to have an abortion, not even with a Rider.

Oddly enough, out of the nine states that have passed legislation to control a woman’s womb, Utah legislation on Riders is not as strict. Utah’s legislation is the only one that allows an abortion for fetal impairment.

Every one of these nine States prohibits health insurance plans in the Healthcare Exchanges to provide elective abortion coverage in their plans.

According to The Guttmacher Institute, the percentage of abortions in each of these states (latest data collected is from 2008) is very low and the study doesn’t specify the reason for these abortions, only the number of abortions that occurred that year. Given the figures, I truly cannot understand the obsession by the Right to interfere with a woman’s right to choose.

FIGURES ARE BASED ON THE GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE AND 2008 DATA

Most of the Red States, if not all, have been very busy passing legislature to prohibit women control over their own genitalia and reproductive system. These are the same governors and legislators that claim they want smaller government, but they do not mind to expand that government as much as they can if by doing so they can keep women under their control.

It’s worth mentioning that many of the States prohibiting abortions even in the case of incest or rape, gives parental and visitation rights to rapists. If this is not absurd and an openly war on women, then nothing is!

We are slowly going back to the times where women were sub-citizens, at the mercy of the men in her family, church, neighborhood and the state. When a country needs to create laws to subjugate and control one section of its citizens, then that government cannot call itself a Democracy.

I am yet to see any legislation regulating men’s genitalia... the only one was to have Viagra deemed a necessary drug covered by all insurance plans… You see, most legislators at State and Federal levels are old enough for their penises not to work properly; it is in their interest to have that blue pill covered by insurance.

If we can’t reverse these horrific laws, then I think it’s way overdue that we start getting into men’s prostate, testicles and penises. If we want to preserve our Democracy, the government should get into every citizen’s genitalia. We might have to consider mandatory vasectomies and Riders for men between the ages of 14 to 90 that will cover supporting a child until adulthood, in case they impregnate a woman by mistake... After all, when it comes to sex, it needs two to tango.

A Handshake

 

A handshake.

Yesterday all the media was overwhelmed with the sensationalist news that President Obama had the audacity of handshaking the hand of Cuban President Raul Castro. This simple act of civility created a wave of insults from the Right, as if behaving civilly during the farewell ceremony honoring Mr. Nelson Mandela is sufficient proof that the United States President is a communist.

The Cuban-American relationship has been broken since 1959; the United States useless embargo has been in place since 1962 and has done nothing to break the grip the Castros have on the island, quite the contrary, it has promulgated the sympathy of the world for the Castro’s regime… after all, it is one tiny island that has survived the powerful attacks from the most powerful nation on this planet. The embargo has created a martyr of the dictators of the island.

Many from the Cuban community in the States are outraged by the Obama-Castro handshake. They want things to continue the way they are indefinitely, they have too much to lose if the embargo is lifted and negotiations between the two countries become a reality.

In Miami, you see many businesses offering services to Cuba, from sending medicine to relatives in Cuba to sending money at outrageous prices. There are also travel agencies that promote trips to Cuba, at a price equal to traveling to the most expensive country in Europe, if not more. Offering these services is a very lucrative business that will crumble if the embargo is ever lifted.

Because of this, the Cuban-American community has the most to lose if the embargo is lifted and if they suspect any negotiation or civil approach with the Cuban regime they don’t waste a millisecond to scream at the top of their lungs their disapproval and if anyone thinks differently than them, they quickly use the old and abused label of “Communist!” So far, their tactics have worked and the useless and counterproductive embargo it’s still in place after 51 years.

And now, they’re up in arms again because of a single handshake. It is a well-known fact that the Right Wing has selective memory and some even suffer from a severe case of amnesia. They forget how many times their political representatives have done the same in the past, and even when they remember it they come up with a thousand and one excuses to justify their actions.

Lets take a look at famous Republican Presidents handshakes:

As seen above, a handshake can result in progress and peace. It can bring the oppressive regime to its knees faster and more fruitfully than war, as it happened with China and the Soviet Union.

The handshake between President Obama and President Castro might be nothing else but a simple courteous handshake between the leaders of two countries forced by the circumstances… But it might be the first step to change what hasn’t worked for more than half a century. When things don’t work, one must look for another way to reach a goal, otherwise nothing will change. I truly hope this handshake, criticized only by the Right Wing nuts and the retroactive Cuban-American community, lead to negotiations and finally the end of the embargo… The last thing a person should lose is hope.

Useful links:

Mobutu Sese Seko: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobutu_Sese_Seko

Leonid Brezhnev: http://www.historyguide.org/europe/brezhnev.html

Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013)

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

His birth name was Rolihiahia Mandela, later while attending school he was forced to have a Christian name and his teacher named him Nelson. Mr. Mandela is also known as Madiba, The Nelson Mandela Foundation  explains the name as follows: Madiba – This is the name of the clan of which Mr Mandela is a member. A clan name is much more important than a surname as it refers to the ancestor from which a person is descended. Madiba was the name of a Thembu chief who ruled in the Transkei in the 18th century. It is considered very polite to use someone’s clan name.

There is nothing I can add to everything that has been written about Mr. Rolihlahia “Nelson” Mandela. He led an exemplary life and the fortitude of his spirit that most of us wished we could possess.

I’ve always admired this man, who devoted his entire life to fight for what was right for his people and his country… for humanity. It would have been so easy for him to renounce to his ideals and have a “normal” life instead of spending the prime years of his life in Robben Island Prison (from May 27, 1963 to March 31, 1982). He was at this prison for almost 19 years, his cell in that prison had no bed or plumbing, he was allowed only one visitor every six months and was harshly punished for insignificant offenses; a typical punishment for political inmates was to bury them in the ground up to their necks and while buried, the guards urinated on them.

Instead of succumbing to his captors while in prison, Mr. Mandela  earned a bachelor of law degree from the University of London and wrote his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom.”

Back in 1980 the “Free Nelson Mandela” campaign created by Oliver Tambo made the injustices committed against Mr. Mandela and the apartheid regime of South Africa was exposed to the world. Under international pressure, the government of South Africa tried to buy Mr. Mandela’s integrity by offering his freedom if he abandoned his fight for equality, but his ideal were not for sale.

In 1989 Mr. F.W. de Klerk was elected president of South Africa. Mr. de Klerk ended the ban on the African National Congress (ANC) and campaigned to end the apartheid regime. The following year, on February 11, 1990 Mr. de Klerk ordered Mr. Mandela to be released from Victor Verster Prison.

Upon his freedom, Mr. Mandela became the head of the ANC and together with Mr. de Klerk, fought to end apartheid in South Africa. These efforts earned Mr. Mandela and Mr. de Klerk the Nobel Peace Price in December 1993. On April 26,1994 the first multiracial parliamentary elections in South Africa were held and on May 10^th, 1994 history was made when Mr. Mandela became the first black president of South Africa and Mr. de Klerk became his first deputy.

While president Mr. Mandela concentrated his efforts in human rights and investigating political violations by those opposing and supporting the apartheid ideology to help achieve these goals, he created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Mr. Mandela presided in the creation of the new South African constitution that implemented a central government prohibiting discrimination against any race, particularly whites.

Mr. Mandela was a man that had every reason to hate those that had tried to crush him, that subjected him to indescribable humiliations but nothing could be further from the truth. It is thanks to this man integrity, high standards, and human values that there was no retaliation against the whites that had mistreated the black population for so long. He always promoted peace and inclusion. He always opted for harmony and equality.

Mr. Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013 but his name will forever be remembered as one of the greatest man of South Africa and the world.

***

Below is an excerpt from his book, "Long Walk to Freedom."

“I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free-free in every way that I could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother's hut, free to swim in the clear stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God.

It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion, when I discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I began to hunger for it. At first, as a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased, and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honorable freedoms of achieving my potential, or earning my keep, of marrying and having a family-the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life.

But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free, but my brothers and sisters were not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress, and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people. It was this desire for the freedom of my people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect that animated my life, that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. I am no more virtuous or self-sacrificing than the next man, but I found that I could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedoms I was allowed when I knew my people were not free. Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”

The More I Learn About God, The More I Love My Dog

I’ve always loved animals. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I used to rescue every critter that crossed my path, trying to save them from the cruel world. I was successful at bringing back to health some of them; but more often than not they died while in my care… I cried for every single one of the animals I was not able to “save” but that didn’t deterred me in my efforts to help them. I was born that way.

I was raised a Catholic, but my family didn’t go to church too often. My grandfather was a socialist atheist who offered me a different perspective from what was being hammered into my brain while I was attending catechism. My grandfather was very wise and didn’t push me into believing what he believed in; he subtlety gave me a different point of view.

My mother also played an important role in my upbringing; she allowed me to be myself even when she didn’t understand half of the things I was doing. Not once did she tried to deter me from my quest of saving every creature I thought need saving, including humans.

When I was about 10 years old or less, I found a mother and three little kids that were begging on the steps of the church I used to attend. I used to go alone, as my family didn’t enjoy attending church as I previously mentioned. Seeing this mother and her little kids, dirty, dressed in rags broke my heart. I couldn’t understand how people were walking out of church pass them as if they were invisible. This mother was asking for money to feed her kids so I went up to her and brought the whole family home for lunch. I asked my mother to sit them at our table, share our food with them and using our china and silverware. My mother did as I asked her, without a frown and with a big smile on her face. She made them feel welcomed and this poor mother was so grateful that to this day I remember her gratitude. After they left, my mother did reprimanded me, not for offered them food but because I sat them at our table and they – according to my mother – could have germs and she said she was sure they had lice and I could get “infected.” But she didn’t mind my altruistic inclinations; actually she was proud of them.

My stepfather loved to enrich my brain with books. He bought me every book he could find and loved to see me devouring the books he so happily found for me. I read every single one, from Sci-Fi to history books. I’m very thankful that he not only helped developed my brain, but he encouraged my appetite for learning.

When my grandfather passed away I was heartbroken as he and I were very close. But the thought of him going to hell tormented me. I went to see my priest and shared those dark and fearful thoughts with him, I was hoping he could comfort me and tell me that my grandfather was a good man and therefore, regardless of his religious views, he was going to go to heaven. To my surprise, he told me that unless he had accepted Jesus in his heart before he died, he was condemned for eternity to hell. I rejected this; I couldn’t accept that a good man, a righteous man was going to burn in hell for eternity. What type of arrogant, narcissist God was this that a good man was sent to hell while a criminal or murderer that “accepted Jesus in his heart” before dying was welcomed in heaven? So my search to prove the priest wrong began at the tender age of 11.

I read every theology book I could get my hands on, which was a difficult task since I lived in a Communist country… but I found them, hidden in some libraries or in my stepfather’s book collection. I read them all. The more I read, the more convinced I became that God was just a figment of the imagination; a reason to justify terrible things and a way to manipulate the weak and a method to control the masses.

I do believe in a force, a universal energy force; an energy that we all have within us. But the concept of a god that is there, judging everything, choosing and picking who is good and who is not, based on how much they adore him is nonsense.

Today, so many years later, I am agnostic tending into atheism. When I see what the religious right is doing to this country, when I see how hateful and pompous the religious institutions are and how they manipulate their congregation into crushing other’s rights, the more I am leaning into atheism… Throughout history many crimes against humanity have taken place and most, if not all, were inflicted on humanity in the name of God. It is happening to this day.

This is why after so much reading and after so many years have gone by, the more I learn about god... the more I love my dog.

   

Costco or Walmart, American or Chinese.

Walmart’s price for a Dell Inspiron 15R Touchscreen Laptop, Intel Core i5 is $448. Costco’s prices the same brand for $599. You’d probably think that Costco is ripping you off, but you would be wrong in that assumption. Walmart ‘s model has only 500GB hard drive, while Costco’s has 1TB. So even though they might look the same, they are not, you get more for your money with the model sold at Costco.

You will find a Whirlpool (model 9451) washer (26x27x43) for $449 at Costco and a Golden (GLP26R) washer (23.7x24.1x39.4) for $493 at Walmart. Not only Costco sells a washer that is larger, but also the model at Costco has 11 wash cycles and a fabric softener dispenser that the model at Walmart does not.

Let’s compare grills, the all American outdoors cooking experience. While it is true that Walmart offers junk grills for very affordable prices, let’s compare a good one, because Costco doesn’t sell the ones you can find at any grocery store, like Walmart does. At Costco you can find a KitchenAid (Deluxe 304) gas grill for $749.99. This grill has 5 burners, 696.8 sq. inches of grilling surface and 10-year warranty. Walmart sells a comparable model made by Weber at $849.00 (Genesis S310). However, the model sold at Walmart for a higher price has only 3 burners and a cooking area of 637 sq. inches. Both grills are made in the USA, but once more, you get more for your dollar at Costco.

We can  continue comparing prices between Costco and Walmart. I can assure you that you will find cheaper prices for not as good a quality at Walmart but you can also find comparable prices for better quality products at Costco.

With the current economical situation, it is understandable that families that are trying to stretch their budget will shop at Walmart, thinking they are doing what is best for their families, but they are not. They are perpetuating the economical crises in this country by purchasing their goods from a company that purchase most of their products in China, which benefits that country but not ours. On the financial end you’re not helping the economy move forward, you are perpetuating the current situation.

On the moral end, Walmart is a slave driver. a company that does not believe in paying their workers fair wages, who only offers part-time jobs, forcing their employees to work during the holidays with the real threat that they will be fired if they don't and a company that offers their "associates" no health insurance… Walmart does all this due to greed, to make as large a profit as possible... it's never enough for the Walton family. Most of Walmart's employees have to get help from the government or charities to make ends meet.

Costco, on the other hand, offers its employee decent wages, health care insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, 401K and stock options to all their employees – whether they are full time or part time.  Every Costco employee is eligible to receive these benefits one month after they began working at Costco! Costco also offer their employees the time to spend the holidays with their families. While Walmart doesn’t believe in family, Costco does.

You may not know anyone that works at either store chain, but… what about if you worked at Walmart? Wouldn't you want people to care?

I am boycotting Walmart, they don’t care for the economy of our country and much less for the American people. I rather buy American, I rather support a company that cares for its employees – the treatment a company gives to its employees reflects on how those employees will treat you, and I think it is not too difficult to see who will treat you better.

Wrongmart

A Walmart store in Cleveland is conducting a food drive for their own “Associates in Need” so they can enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner. This simple act of asking patrons to donate food not for the homeless, not for the poor but for their own employees has caused, and rightfully so, an outrage not only in Cleveland but all over the United States thanks to the Social Media where this picture has spread like wild fire.

Walmart should be embarrassed that their employees don’t make enough money to have a decent Thanksgiving dinner! But of course, the only thing Walmart cares about is to make an obscene profit! Walmart employees, as well as those employees of most of the giant chains will be working during the holidays while most of us will be with our families.

Walmart is advertising the “breaking prices” they will be offering during Black Friday, urging people to buy more Chinese junk. It is extremely sad to see in the news the imbeciles that spend the night waiting in line for those doors to open. Have they ever stopped to think, for just a minute, that this “fantastic sale” could have been held on Saturday? No, people are insensitive and think only of themselves… They are much to blame for these workers having to work during the holidays for crap.

Walmart offers their employees part-time jobs at minimum wage; hence most of their employees need assistance from the government because they are at or below poverty level. It is sad that a person that works has to receive assistance to survive. Many receive not only food stamps but also Medicaid that we, as taxpayers, pay for. The country’s financial situation its not stable enough to be subsidizing workers because they happen to work for a corporation that refuses to offer them a full time job and decent wages.

	Workers	Cost	Month	Total
Food Stamps	1,500,000	$160	12	$2,880,000,000
Medicaid	1,500,000	$75	12	$1,350,000,000
Handling & Processing	1,500,000	$25	12	$450,000,000
TOTAL				$4,680,000,000

This has to stop and fast. Walmart owes us, for one year alone, about $4,680,000,000. If the Federal government starts demanding a reimbursement for what we spend on their employees, I am sure that Walmart and the others will pay fair wages and offer full time jobs.

Let Them Burn It!

As many of you already know, I am a Liberal/Socialist. What you might not know is that a family that is mostly Republican/Tea Party surrounds me. This contrasting difference in political opinion leads to many heated discussions that at times has turned into a full blown ideological confrontations.

My brother came to visit me a couple of days ago and, from the minute I opened the door to welcome him he blurred out “How are you liking your president now?” I instinctively knew where he was coming from… the “news” circulating around the extreme right media claiming that President Obama “apologized for the Affordable Care Act. My reply to my brother’s hello was – and this I stole from my son – I love him even more! He apologized for people that want to keep a crappy insurance instead of a more economical and better plan to keep it… I am still waiting for your president [Bush] to apologize for starting a war based on lies. He laughed and said that we “liberals” (as if that was an insult) always bring into the conversation President Bush and blaming him for everything. I replied that as far as I knew, I was not blaming Bush for a single thing; I was just pointing out that the bastard sent thousands of our youth to their death for a war based on lies and to this day he still has not apologized to America for his “mistake.”

Let me make this very clear. President Obama DID NOT apologized for Obamacare, actually he was very smart and decided to fight fire with fire.

Insurance companies informed some people that their plans were being cancelled due to Obamacare, without further explanation. This caused that the recipients of these cancellations were outraged and raised hell, reminding President Obama of his promise that they could keep their old insurance if they were happy with it.

Our President is a brilliant man and instead of refusing to make any changes ACA he apologized for the cancelations and made some changes to the ACA. With these changes, insurance companies are now able to provide their old insurance plans but they must inform the insurers exactly what their plan offers and what its not covered; what is more important, they have to inform the insurer that in the Health Insurance Marketplace there are other plans that cover much more for far less. In essence, the insurance companies must inform insurers of what they are giving up in order to keep their sub-standard and over-priced insurance plans. If these people want to burn their money let them, after all Republicans and Tea Partiers are known for not being the sharpest knives in the block!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB0s34BcjGI&w=853&h=480]

A Tale of Two Cities: Calgary and Honolulu

Rafael Edward Cruz, that’s the real name and spelling of Senator “Ted” Cruz. The correct spelling of his first name is Rafael, not Raphael as many have said.

Ted Cruz’s father is Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, Cuban born, and an opportunist that has claimed he helped Fidel Castro when he was only 14 years old and fled the island in 1957 when he realized Castro was a Communist that “was seizing private property and suppressing dissent.” There is one flaw with this story and which is that Castro didn’t claim he was a Communist until after the U.S. Embargo in 1962; Castro was not in power to seize any private or public property at that time Castro was not capable of suppressing anyone, much less any rebels when he was a rebel himself. Fidel Castro triumph was on January 1, 1959; two years after Mr. Cruz had fled Cuba.

According to his own words, when Cruz fled Cuba he went to Austin, Texas where according to his biography he attended the University of Texas without knowing any English and with only $100 that he had sewn into his underwear. How could he attend the University without knowing English is beyond me but more so with only $100, which regardless of the time when this happened, it was still not enough to cover rent and food much less to cover the expenses of studying at a University.  Mr. Cruz claims he worked as a dishwasher earning .50 cents an hour, still not enough to pay for that education.  Mr. Cruz graduated four years later and received a degree in mathematics and chemical engineering.  Also, his story about having only $100 sewn into his underwear is a story that is not original and which I guess he stole the anecdote from the biography of Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 - April 15, 1912), whose mother sewed $1,200 in gold into his undershirt when he was traveling from Charleston to Liverpool in 1863. Using that story served Mr. Cruz Sr. by making his beginnings more humbled and his accomplishments greater.

Mr. Cruz moved to Alberta, Canada with his wife where they worked as geophysical consultants for the oil industry.   While in Canada Mr. Cruz became a Canadian citizen.  In 1970, Mr. Cruz and his second wife had their first and only child Rafael Edward  Cruz, who was born in Alberta Canada.  In 1974 the family returned to Houston, Texas.

Rafael Bienvenido Cruz today is, thanks to his son, very involved in politics and a loud voice as to how this country should be run. Today Mr. Cruz Sr. is, out of all things a pastor, I guess he figured that “career” was more lucrative than a geophysical consultant, more money with less work. He and his son claim to love this country, however, Rafael B. Cruz didn’t become a citizen of the United States until 2005. It took him 31 long years to love this country enough to renounce his Canadian citizenship and his Canadian son thought about renouncing his Canadian citizenship when he entertained the idea of becoming President of the United States… not until then was he interested in “fixing” that little problem. And we have to believe these individuals truly love this country!

For six long years I’ve heard birthers scream at the top of their lungs that President Obama was born in Kenya, that they need to see the birth certificate (no matter how many times it has been presented, they think it’s a fake) and that because President Obama was born in Kenya he can’t be President.

These same people want Sen. Ted Cruz to be the next President of the United States. They have no problem accepting that he was born in a foreign country, Canada, from a foreign father and an American mother. The fact that his mother is American makes him, automatically, a natural American and therefore, according to the Constitution, eligible to become President of this great nation. I am fine with that… but I need some clarification, some explanation to my questions. Why is Ted Cruz eligible to be the President and not President Obama? Let’s take a look at both men, shall we?

Given the above scenario… Why are the people who vehemently support Ted Cruz do not accept our President? Their paths are very similar: both their mothers were (or are) Americans; both their fathers were (or are) immigrants. One has shown that he was born in the United States, we even have the name of the Hospital where he was born, the other one was born in a foreign country and after a lengthy research I was not able to find out which hospital in Calgary was he born in.

You would ask yourself why one is accepted without hesitation and for the last 6 years the other one is not. The answer is quite simple: Ted Cruz’s skin is white; our President’s skin is black.

The Republicans and members of the Tea Party refuse to accept the reason of their rejection is racism because their own racism would be on display, but heir devotion to Ted Cruz speaks volumes that what matters to them is the color of the skin and nothing else.

Everything Is A Macrabre Plan By The GOP

The following are copies of Roger E. Ailes' plan created back in 1970 during Richard Nixon’s administration and which represents the blueprint for the extreme attack by the GOP on America using Fox News and radio shows such as Rush Limbaugh’s to brainwash the Americans that watch or listen to their version of the “truth;” those that as described by Mr. Ailes are “lazy” and believe whatever they watch on TV. 

If you wish to read the complete archive, click here.  If you prefer to read these particular pages, go to page 54.

And They Blame The President, As Usual

The GOP is campaigning to blame President Obama for the Federal shutdown.  They are outraged because Federal parks and monuments - along with other crucial services - have been closed.  Apparently, they might work for the government, but either they have no idea what the Federal government controls or they are trying, as usual, to blame others for their own actions.

In case you doubt who's fault is it, here are a few links that hopefully will clarify it for you.

Pat Toomy (R-PA) on "Morning Joe," January 2, 2013

Mike Lee (R-UT) on Fox News,  July 23, 2013  

Rand Paul (R-Ky) on Fox News, July 26, 2013  

House of Representatives letter to Boehner and Cantor, dated August 21, 2013

And finally, a link to none other than Rush Limbaugh, interviewing Ted Cruz about the shutdown on August 28, 2013.  Click here to read it. So really... how is this Federal shutdown Obama's fault again?

Fixing the System

I have been talking with a friend who is of the opinion that there should be a one -Party system because the Constitution says "We the people" and  having more than one party is placing a label for the purpose of separating people by groups and that is what is wrong with the nation.

I disagree profusely. Having different Parties is what has made this country great, it allows people with similar political point of views and vision to work together for the good of the country.  People elect for office a person with a similar vision as theirs.  This doesn't mean that each political Party should be in "war" with each other; as adults and "professionals" they should be able to jointly brainstorm issues, work for a common goal and  be flexible enough to satisfy the majority of the people and always, always work together for the betterment of the nation, as a whole. 

However, I told my friend that any given Party is just a name to identify a group of people with similar ideals and that is definitively not where the problem resides. The problem we are facing it is not that we have multiple Parties; it is that since the 80s changes have been made to the rules of how the "game" it's played. The Equal-Time rule is no longer in existence and Congress allowed the Fairness Doctrine to expire and ever since then the most important concern for those running for office, from a simple City Official to the President of the United States, is to get funds for their next campaign since now they must pay for the airtime to run their TV and newspaper ads.  That's what they do from day one: Fundraising, not governing. 

We, the people, are no longer their main concern... their priority is to find the money to fund their next campaign. 

Then, about 3 years ago Citizens United - a Republican dream for at least 3 decades – became a reality, and now large corporations can "help" elect candidates that will benefit them and not the people. This must be overturned, a corporation will never be a person unless one day it can donate one of its vital organs, if it can be sentenced to death or give birth to a child.  I doubt they will ever be able to do any of these things, therefore they are not and will never be people. 

Money corrupts, this is known by everyone for centuries and money has to be taken out of the equation. An amount dedicated for elections, an equal amount of money for each and every candidate regardless of Party should be assigned. These monies should be provided by the Treasury and be part of the Federal budget. This will eliminate the sugar daddies and would free the elected official from "campaigning" and concentrate on what they were elected to do, govern. 

Lobbying should be banned, period. 

Furthermore, passing something in Congress doesn’t require a majority of the votes anymore. It used to be that 50% +1 was a majority, even mathematically it still is.  However, for Congress today 60% is what they consider a majority.  This needs to change and fast. 

Filibustering should change too. It is absurd that one candidate such as "Ted" Cruz can stand there and talk for hours about anything, even reading Green Eggs and Ham to filibuster a vote in Congress. I do believe in filibuster, but if you are - as a single individual – obstructing a vote, then you should do it by talking about the subject that you passionately object to and nothing more. I can talk for hours on end about a subject I am passionate about and this shouldn't be that difficult. A person shouldn't obstruct without providing a solid and clear reason for his or her objection. 

Serving the people (what these official are supposed to be doing) shouldn't be a career; it must NOT be a career. The President is allowed to serve two terms, Congressmen should not hold their jobs forever, and neither should any of the Supreme Justices. Perhaps Congressmen should be allowed to serve 3 terms and Justices 4, but that's it... after that, new blood is needed since an apple in a barrel of rotten apples will eventually rotten too. 

Any member(s) of Congress that maliciously obstruct legislation because they are answering to a political agenda should immediately be removed from office, regardless of party affiliation. A member of Congress can disagree and even obstruct, but if that obstruction is obviously malicious, and that Congressman is obstructing more than three times, the Congressman should immediately be removed from their position and new elections for that post should take place or the Governor of those States should appoint a temporary replacement. 

The rules for Federal Shutdowns should also change. If Congress decides to exercise their right to shutdown government, then they should not receive compensation and that time should be deducted from their years of service. 

Amendment 14, Section 4 of the Constitution clearly says that all public debt must be paid, without exception. Therefore, the President should be granted power to pay the public debt WITHOUT the approval of Congress... there is no need for Congress to approve payment of the expenses they previously approved. 

Members of Congress should not have more than 20 working days of vacation. For Thanksgiving they should have 2 days off, and the same goes for Christmas - that's what an American worker gets. They are not a "special class," they are our SERVANTS. 

And finally, not a single member of Congress should get 80% of their salaries for life after 5 years of service... Not a single citizen gets that not even after 20 years of service, and these public servants shouldn't either, after all, it's OUR money. 

If these changes could be done what's currently broken in the system would be fixed.

America Defunded

A Federal shutdown is nothing new even when most of us are acting as if it is the end of the world. For the last 37 years there has been a total of 18 Federal shutdowns, including the one we are experiencing now.

Every one of the previous shutdowns were due to differences of opinions about spending, about funding bills that were to be passed… none of them were about bills that were already law. President Carter experienced 5 shutdowns mostly because the Senate and the House couldn’t agree if Medicaid should pay for abortions or not. There were 8 Federal shutdowns during President Reagan’s presidency; most of them were because the Senate and the House couldn’t agree regarding increasing or decreasing the defense budget and funding the Nicaraguan Contras. This is the first time in history that there’s a Federal shutdown because the House wants to defund a law, not a bill but a constitutional law. This is the first time that Republicans in office have said repeatedly, since 2010, of their desire for a Federal shutdown and this is what makes it not only different but dangerous.

These same Republicans have been threatening about allowing the United States economy to crash to get their wish. They have tried to obstruct raising the debt ceiling before, they even accomplished our credit rating to drop for the first time. Raising the debt ceiling is less than two weeks away and we all know they will use it once more as an extortion tool to defund the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. These new Republicans, aka the Tea Party, are constantly manipulating the more seasoned Republicans in Congress who have become their puppets to fulfill their wishes. These new breed of Republicans do not care about the country, they couldn’t care less about our good standing or credit rating and have no understanding of what governing is all about. They claim they want a smaller government and I would think they wished there was no government at all if it wasn’t because they are part of the government they say they hate so much, if it wasn’t because they keep thinking of more government intrusion to regulate and control women, minorities and the poor. They want to create more government but not for corporations or the wealthy – they protect those. That is the part of government they want to shrink, the one that regulate businesses, the one that prevent these corporations from abusing us even more than they already do.

If they use extortion again, we will once more default on our obligations and lose our credit rating. This will negatively affect not only the United States but also the world, which is already suffering from the austerity imposed by their government. The Tea Party can’t grasp that raising the debt ceiling in order to pay our debt is a must, non-negotiable and their constitutional obligation and definitively it’s not a choice.

You watch them laughing and practically celebrating every time they pull one of these “pranks.” They feel so proud of obstructing and destroying this country while screaming at the top of their lungs how much they love America and that they want to return America to its glory days.

What many people don’t realize is that the “glory days” they’re talking about has absolutely nothing to do with the economical prosperity of its citizens. They couldn’t care less if people are sinking more and more into poverty, which is not their concern and some of them have openly said it is not their problem. The “glorious” days they want to return to are the days where blacks were segregated, where women had no voice and where white men, especially the wealthy, ruled.

That’s their vision and their goal.

It is up to us, the American citizen to stop it and to prick their delusional bubble and clean house in 2014. No matter how difficult they have made it in Red States we should vote in masses. We have a little over a year to plan and organize. We must make sure that every single voter votes, if they don’t have transportation, we must rent buses and get them there. If they don’t have all the documents needed, we should help them get those papers. If it is the last thing we do, we must unite and save our country and ourselves from these traitors that wrap themselves on the flag while holding the bible instead of the Constitution.

An Act of Treason

Section. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.  

The Fourteenth amendment, section 4 of the United States Constitution clearly states that it is the duty of Congress to pay the public debt, no questions asked.

But for five long years this debt has been held hostage by members of the Tea Party elected to Congress. These people claim to defend the Constitution but use it as toilet paper and do not care that our country would default on their debts. They couldn’t care less if their irresponsible actions will sink this country in an economic chaos from which it may never recover – that is not their problem. Their only concern is Obamacare and if in order to repeal it the country goes to hell, so be it.

I’m sorry, but this is not love of country; this is not patriotism… this is actually treason. Their irresponsible act is an act purposely perpetrated to inflict damage to the country, to destroy its economy, to destroy our image and leaving us vulnerable against the attacks of our enemies. Nowhere in the constitution it says that we can forfeit paying our debts to satisfy the tantrum of members of Congress, nowhere. It is the duty and obligation of Congress to pay the country’s debt, period.

Article I Section. 6 The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

Article III Section 3 Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Ted Cruz and his gang are waging war against the country for personal gain. Do not be fooled by thinking this is being done for the good of the country because it is not. The only thing Ted Cruz is interested in is in getting enough funding from his supporters to run for president in 2016. He doesn’t care about the country, perhaps because he is not a true American after all he is half Cuban and born in Canada, not the United States.

Obamacare has been the tool the Republicans and Teabaggers have used to agitate their base and the reason why they are holding the debt ceiling hostage in order to get what they want: repeal Obamacare. It matters little that they can do this any time they want, actually they’ve tried over 40 times to repeal it. It matters none that Obamacare can start and if it is as bad as they claim to be, people will back them up and the law could be reversed. None of this matters because Obamacare is not what matters to them, for Ted Cruz and his gang all it matters is to bring this country to its knees and in their sick mind, they will come out victorious. They are so stupid that they don’t seem to realize that if we destroy this country economically, what they will inherit is a country that will be a shadow of it’s glory and it may never be the world power again.

Perhaps the Koch brothers have promised them to bail the economy out once Obamacare has been repealed and of course, once a member of the Tea Party wins the White House. The problem is, that will not happen. The Koch brothers will not be able to restore the credit score of the country, will not have enough money to sustain the country’s expenses and what’s more absurd is that the American people will not forget who destroyed us, who was irresponsible enough that designed and executed this destruction. We will never elect a Teabagger for president!

Syria... Seriously?

“Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I’m confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.”

Such were the word spoken by President Obama on August 31^st explaining to the American public why the United States is engaging in a confrontation with Syria.

The attack of the government of Syria against it’s own people it’s, without a doubt, a crime against humanity, I don’t think there is a single American that doesn’t find this act a cowardly, repulsive and despicable act. However, unlike the attack on Saddam Hussein – where there were no WOMD – this time we have very few allies. Perhaps it’s precisely because of the Iraq fiasco that our allies do not want to back us up on this, but regardless of the reasons of their refusal, the truth is we have almost no one on our side but we are going to take matters into our own hands… We are once more getting involved in someone else’s business and the outcome is almost predictable… I truly hope I’m wrong.

I love President Obama but I cannot approve this attack, at least not without knowing what comes next if things don’t go as planned. I want to know what’s “plan B”, or “C” or “D”? We have not been totally informed, we don’t know what will happen if our military strategy fails.

China and Russia can’t see eye to eye on almost anything, actually they’re enemies except when going against the US; then they are allies and both of them are forces that we don’t want to mess with and they are backing the Syrian government. Does the President think China and Russia are going to do nothing to help Syria against our attacks? What are the plans if China and Russia decide to defend the Syrian government? This attack could open the Pandora’s box or a can of worms and be the prelude for WWIII.

It is true that their own government indiscriminately slaughtered thousands of people, presumably innocent adults and for certain innocent children. I understand that the means in which these people were killed is illegal – the world has banned the use of chemical weapons – that these weapons could be used against anyone in the world and represents a clear and present danger to us all. But, where is diplomacy? Where have negotiations gone – with Syria and in case Syria doesn’t want to negotiate, with our allies and their allies? Why aren’t the neighboring countries  intercede or join us? Aren’t they in more pressing urgency to disarm Assad or at minimum to negotiate with him than us?

What is happening in Syria is a civil war. No attacks or confrontations have occurred, yet, with neighboring countries, but by the US getting involved in what up to know has been a bloody and even unfair regional war – a civil war – it will turn into an international war that could easily evolve into WWIII.

It is not the first time a government has purposely mass murdered its own people and we have been idle. The government of Sudan has been doing it for a while; women, men and children are being blown to pieces in Darfur on a daily basis and while these massacres were taking place, we’ve condemned it, we spoke out against it but we did absolutely nothing. Where were we when the people of Rwanda were being slaughtered? We were infuriated, but we kept our distance from these killings. Why?

The difference between Rwanda, Sudan and Syria is not the color of the people’s skin; it’s not necessarily the danger to neighboring countries or the way these governments have chosen to kill their own people. No, it’s none of these. The truth is that our government feels irate and offended when atrocities such as these take place in equal proportion to the riches of the country perpetrating these massacres. If the country has no riches we don’t lift a finger, that’s the cruel reality. Syria is a rich country with access to our most desirable and precious commodity: oil and it is this commodity the trigger for our country to get involved in a war that is not ours, it is oil the lubricant that sets the wheels of war in motion, that turns us into the police of the world even when all we will accomplish is to amplify the hate the Middle East feels against us – this will only create more terrorists, more Al’ Qaeda’s militants that will perpetuate the never-ending “war on terror” achieving the same level of success as our “war on drugs.”

I know that my opinion will make no difference in what will take place and our involvement in Syria, but I have to let everyone know where I stand on this issue. I can’t support another war, any war for that matter, when our country is claiming to be broke, when we are taking food away from our own children, when we are closing schools and firing the teachers because we can’t afford them… but we are not broke to drone Pakistan or Iran, we’re not broke to spend trillions of dollars in an unsuccessful engagement in Afghanistan and now we are not broke to attack Syria. What about our own children? What about our seniors? When are we going to defend our children and seniors against poverty, our youth against a crowded classroom and a poor education? When can our seniors feel safe that the government is not going to cut their only source of income? When are we going to create more jobs? But of course, our poor, our children and our seniors don’t own an oil well so it’s perfectly fine to take away from them the dry bone we throw them to feed the monster of war.

To read the full transcript of President Obama's speech, click here.