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19 Oct. 04
Clash of Cultures?
Apparently, many Bush voters think that 9/11 signaled a new phase in earth politics where "they" are "out to get us" because "they" "hate our freedom." In response, the Bush administration has tried very hard to take away our freedom so "they" won't "hate" us anymore.
He he, not really. The only "clash of cultures" we see is the clash between Dr. Strangelove and the rest of us. Sorry, we do not detect a clash of cultures between moderate Christians and Moslems. The "culture war" in the traditional sense is between the fundamentalists and those who interpret religious faith more liberally. So, if there is any "clash of cultures," it is between the Christian fundamentalists and the objects of their crusade.
Ron Kovic recently told the Los Angeles Times that the reason they hate us us is due to decades of "hypocritical U.S. foreign policy based on economic self-interest" and that America "has bedded a long line of despots."
Therefore, instead of starting a crusade to "remake" the Middle East in our image of "freedom and democracy," maybe we need to stop pushing hypocritical U.S. foreign policy and stop propping up dictators. Unfortunately, the plan in motion for Afghanistan and Iraq is to install new dictators who are favorable to U.S. economic interests. As soon as we get new brutal dictators who can control people, we will leave. Then the U.S. can invade another sovereign country. It's all about getting dictators we can work with to get our oil fix.
18 Oct. 04
Polls Show Democrats are Negative
According to a poll on CNN, the race is tied 50-50. However, the consensus about who will win runs 59-39 in Bush's favor. What does this mean? It means a lot of people who want Kerry have already condemned themselves to a horrible future, like cows headed to slaughter. It means that people will act out their negative attitude by hiding away their credit card when the DNC calls. They will most likely stay home on election day and pout, and they will inadvertently convince everyone they know to do the same. That's a good way to flub an election.
I can be 99.9 percent sure America's going to pull this out, but if 59 percent of you out there are feeling negative, my positive thinking alone cannot carry your weight. Please try to imagine a better future, even if you can't totally believe it. Just imagine that you believe it. Imagine that you can picture believing. Picture yourself later being surprised, shocked, and awed that America got it together. This is a test of your higher thinking. If just nine percent of negative thinkers learn to see a brighter future, then our positive thinking quotient will be 50-50 and we will win.
The polls show a statistical dead heat. Plus, many cell phone users are not included, even though most of them are likely Kerry voters. The pollsters also weight the polls according to their mathematical equations that may or may not be correct. For example, if they interview only one Latino in a poll of 1,000 people and he says he's voting for Bush, they stupidly conclude that his answer should be multiplied by 14 because certainly all Latinos vote as a block. It's simply not true. As long as the two candidates are within a margin of error of 3-4 percentage points, it means the actual numbers for Kerry may be higher. Also, the race is decided by the electoral college, not the popular vote. So, if people in Texas are 60 percent in favor of Bush, that means in a swing state like Arizona, the electorate could turn out to favor Kerry.
17 Oct. 04
Omens Indicate Kerry has a Good Chance
Not sure what omens mean in the absolute sense, but here goes:
1) On the local radio station they're already talking about what will happen after Kerry is elected.
2) Local peace activists are planning a rally in Hollywood on November 6 intended to tell the new president that we're going to continue to protest for peace.
3) Surrealist web statistics show a dramatic increase in searches for the keywords "Bush jokes," "Election 2000 spoofs and jokes." We have never recorded a trend like this before. (To read a collection of Bush jokes and spoofs archived at this site click here.)
4) Surrealist web logs show a surge in hits to the 9/11 truth pages. Usually we get thousands of hits to our 9/11 Prayers page as we approach the 9/11 anniversary each September. However, until now, only a few visitors were interested in 9/11 truth. Now these pages get hits continuously throughout the day. (Click here to visit the Surrealist 9/11 truth pages.)
Draw your own conclusions. As for the question of what will happen once Kerry is elected, here are my thoughts. First, like the local activists, I believe we must speak up and ask for a quick and fair end to the war in Iraq. We need a sustainable peace movement with a clear voice in American politics. We must speak out on the environment, civil liberties, and other issues that the Bush administration neglected or abused. Organizations like MoveOn have helped us get a voice, so we must continue to support MoveOn and hundreds of other organizations that are working for our interests.
MoveOn started in the 1990s to break up the fixation on President Clinton's sex life and "move on." Some of us are already worried that the right wing will not be satisfied when Bush looses and they will not recognize Kerry as the legitimate president. The same machine that attacked Clinton is still in place, ready to go if Kerry wins. Observe the swift boat attacks. Kerry can defend himself, of course, but partisan bickering breaks down our democracy. It would help to stop the influx of corporate money into election politics. Ordinary citizens need more influence over who represents us in Washington.
There are many big goals to work for, along with hundreds of things we can do on along the way. For example, we can settle a feud in our own lives, make amends for an offense, pay off an old debt, say a kind word to someone and smile, and so on. It all adds to the peace equation and helps tip the scales toward peace. Please join us in a better future. Think ahead with courage.
10 Oct. 04
A Great Idea
The following letter just arrived in the inbox:
60 Seconds a Day for Peace
I am forwarding this letter from Susan Skog. She has a new book out called Peace in our Lifetime, Insight from the World's Peacemakers (preface Thich Nhat Hanh). She is very committed to a peaceful world, and step one is to elect John Kerry.
Dear friends,
With only six weeks before the Presidential election, I feel compelled to share this idea. I am an author, activist, and former science writer. I enjoy the intersection of physics and culture - never more obvious than this fall. And what today's most sage scientists are saying is that when we focus on something, we attract more of it. So with only six weeks left, we need to focus on what we really, really want. Let's join together in the "60 Seconds a Day for 6 Weeks Campaign/"To turn the tide now, we need to do something unstoppable. We need a critical mass of us to stop railing against what is and reach for what we want. What do we want? We want John Kerry as our next President. Give up focusing on George Bush. We don't have to agree with him or support him in any fashion. Instead, we have to turn our thoughts now to something greater. We have to do something unstoppable. In the legacy of Einstein and all great thinkers, we have to harness the power of our thoughts to get the outcome we desire in November.
If only 3 percent of the U.S. population takes 60 seconds to do this exercise every day, we can make a massive difference. This is how it works: for 60 seconds each day visualize John Kerry elected as our next President of the United States. See the celebrations and excitement and sense of fulfillment all across America. See yourself rejoicing with people in your home, neighborhood, and workplace. See us all rejoicing with people all over the world! See John Kerry being sworn into office. Feel the hope, joy, and gratitude. Feel it in your hearts. Believe it is possible. And be sure to vote! Now, imagine John Kerry restoring greater wellbeing in America. See people streaming back to work. See young children getting the support they need. Visualize our teachers, police officers, single mothers, the mentally ill, and many others getting the help they deserve. See our soldiers coming home to their families. Imagine our leaders establishing greater trust and good will with other nations. See peace spreading across the world. See the Iraq conflict ending. Feel how good it will be for the environment to be protected and renewed. See hope rising across the world in the hearts and souls of all of us. See these pictures in your mind for 60 seconds every day between now and November. Be grateful that you have the gift of participating in shaping a greater country. Be grateful that you care. Believe that all this is possible-and more! And be sure to vote!
In peace,
Susan Skog
08 Oct. 04
Debate 2: President Kerry vs. Loser Bush
Bush made some outrageous claims about his environmental record in the debate tonight. He bragged about his "Health Skies" and "Healthy Forest" initiatives that slow down environmental progress. He has set aside less land than any previous president. He has weakened clean air and water standards. Nearly every decision he has made favors big business over the environment. There is just no way Bush can claim to have a good record on the environment unless he flat out lies.
Here is a humorous note from last week's debate. Was Bush wired? Decide for yourself. Here's the photo and an article from Salon.com: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/100904L.shtml For more links, go to our Bush Joke page (click here).
05 Oct. 04
Vice-Presidential Debate
I think John Edwards deserves credit for the way he handled Dick Cheney. Cheney is a practiced liar. Cheney was hard to watch and if I had been in Edwards' seat, I would have come unglued in the first ten minutes. As it is, I had to keep putting the TV on pause so I could finish my tirade against Cheney with every point he made. So, overall, I believe Edwards won. He stood up to Cheney, called him on most of his lies, and did not turn red and pull his hair out like I probably would have done. I think Edwards showed courage, strength, maturity, and single minded determination.
27 Sept. 04
John Kerry for President
I want to put in a few good words for John Kerry. I think he will make a good replacement for W.
They say Kerry changes his mind, but ask yourself whether you have ever changed your mind about something. Often, our first impression can be wrong. Once we learn more about a situation, we can shape a more mature opinion. Life involves shades of gray and we need someone in the White House who can look at a situation and decide what to do. We have lived in George W. Bush's crazy world where everyone is out to get us. Do we want to continue on this path? I was in a cult 10 years, so I understand why some people are blinded by his dire warnings. That's how they kept us in the cult: "The outside world is bad. Nobody knows 'the way' except our gurus, so you must stay with us or risk destruction."
Bush's first four years in office have been devastating for the environment, the middle class, and America's reputation overseas. Bush has manipulated our emotions to make us feel hopeless and isolated. Feeling afraid of the outside world is un-American, because in all previous generations, Americans have been brave enough to face the challenges of the world. Our leaders tried to reassure us, rather than frighten us.
Further, Bush proclaims himself a good leader in the war on terror, but he has led us down a path of horrors. The war in Iraq is a disaster and has turned people against us in the Middle East and all over the world.
We need more friends. We need alliances. We need new methods to communicate with people of other cultures. I believe that Kerry will protect us from the terrorists much better than George W. Bush ever would. Also, Kerry does not make his money from the defense contractors and oil business. The Bush Administration's conflicts of interest must go.
Vote for John Kerry. If you want to discuss these ideas, please write to me.
- Nori (contact info.)
18 Sept. 04
Skeletons in the Closet
Despite the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report, questions still linger about the government's involvement in the events of 9/11. For the latest on these theories, go to: 9-11truth6.html (at this site).
18 Sept. 04
From the Inbox
This was forwarded to me by Jean Hudon, the global visionary at http://earthrainbownetwork.com.
Date: 13 Sep 2004
From: Keith Hay
Subject: History of Bush... What the people think
COMMENT FROM A POLITICAL CHATROOM...WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.
HISTORY OF BUSH.... STEALS ELECTION.... STAGES 9-11 TO CONTINUE NWO AGENDA... TELLS EVERYONE THAT HE WILL PROTECT US, BY SHREDDING THE CONSTITUTION..... GOES AFTER GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED TERRORISTS IN AFGHANISTAN.... DROPS NUCLEAR WASTE ALL OVER IRAQ.... TELLS US THIS SHIT WILL NEVER END... SO OUR KIDS AND THEIR KIDS CAN LIVE IN HORROR AND TERROR FOR MORE TIME TO COME.... FOUND GUILTY OF BEING THE GREATEST WAR CRIMINAL IN HISTORY.... AND HAS HIS MEDIA MINIONS CONVINCING EVERYONE.... HE IS THE BEST MAN TO UPHOLD FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY....INSANE.... GOD HELP US ALL, OR VOTE KERRY '04.
SEND THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, IF YOU CARE TO VIEW HISTORY, OR VOTE BUSH TO END HISTORY ALTOGETHER.
CHEERS
17 Sept. 04
Surrealist + Kerry
Here at Surrealist.org, we like Kerry. We see him more than just "anybody but Bush." Here is a man who volunteered for Vietnam out of a sense of duty to his country, then exposed the atrocities of Vietnam when he realized the war was a big mistake. Both of those acts took courage. Men who volunteered for Vietnam in the early sixties thought they were serving their country, just like the World War II vets. They went out of an honest intention. I congratulate Kerry for standing his ground against Vietnam in the face of criticism from the Swift Boat veterans and GOP in general.
Kerry has had a solid career as an attorney and U.S. senator. He has worked all his life, despite having enough money to retire and do whatever he wanted. He has a good work ethic and I think we need that in a leader. Also, Kerry loves women and he loves his wife. You can tell that he is fascinated with Teresa and any woman would love that. He is a human being - and I admire that.
Kerry has good judgment and will use it in foreign and domestic affairs as leader of our country. He clearly rejects the Bush Doctrine of world domination promoted by the PNAC and other ultra-right wing groups. He has the intelligence and strength to lead us out of this dark cave that the Bush Administration has gotten us into. Also, Kerry seems like a man who will listen to the will of the people. Once he's in there, we have to speak up and get his attention. I think that it's possible. We have to let him know what we want long after election day is over. If we do our part, I believe he will listen to us and do his part.
Kerry is the right man at the right time to get us out of the mess Bush has made. Kerry is more than "not Bush" - he may very well be the antidote to Bush.
03 Sept. 04
Surreali's Convention Coverage
Despite the RNC's devotion to the Iraq war, the Dems still have a chance to win. Fix your mind on what you want to happen, rather than a future you fear. Visualize your own future full of compassion, love, justice, and peace.
"There is a good side to every situation, and when we find the good side, we automatically whip discouragement and defeat." - David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.
31 Aug. 04
Opening Night of the RNC
The Republicans opened their convention last night with keynote speeches by Arizona Senator John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. These guys are crazy about the Iraq war. In fact, they said we need more offensive wars to get the terrorists before they get us.
Instead of looking at the causes of terrorism, they support the Bush Doctrine of going out to kill everyone who opposes us. Maybe the terrorists hate us because America uses seventy percent of the world's resources and causes a large percentage of the pollution, while dominating small countries with our bombs and wars.
No matter what they say about their domestic agenda, they've made it clear that President Bush is the candidate of choice if you want four more years of preemptive wars.
"The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are neither swift nor truthful." - Jon Stewart
"George Bush used his father to get into the National Guard, was grounded and then went missing." - MoveOn.org
20 Aug. 04
Why Do "They" Hate Us?
Bush and Cheney would have you believe the Arab militants hate us for our freedom. Mike Scheuer, a senior CIA intelligence officer said they don't resent the US "for what it is, but for what it does: supporting Israel almost uncritically, propping up corrupt regimes in the Arab world, garrisoning troops on the Saudi peninsula near Islam's most holy sites to safeguard access to cheap oil."
Read more about Scheuer and the CIA's side of the story on Iraq, 9/11, etc.: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/082104Z.shtml
20 Aug. 04
Good Karma = Good Future
If you get worried or start to feel pessimistic about the future, affirm to yourself: "I'm a good person and deserve a better future, starting Jan. 1." Thinking positive is important right now because in November we come to a big fork in the road. We must take the light path, instead of the downward one.
"Our minds can shape the way a thing will be because we act according to our expectations." - Frederico Fellini (Italian film maker, 1920-1993)
If you are afraid of what may lie ahead, then you probably have something else on your conscience. Feeling afraid of collective problems often happens because of projecting personal problems onto world events. If you are frightened of cheating, lying abusers on the national stage, it may be because you have been victimized by similar people. Try to build up your self-image as a survivor and get out of the victim mode. Join a support group or read a good book to help.
Another reason for a dim outlook on the future is that perhaps you have unfinished business that you need to work out. If you can settle a feud, admit a mistake and make amends, or take some intermediate steps to do so, you will lighten the karmic load and start to see a better world.
Here's are two affirmations by Peace Pilgrim (American peace activist, 1908 - 1981) to write down and think about from now until November:
"Constantly through thought you are creating your inner conditions and helping to create the conditions around you. So keep your thoughts on the positive side, think about the best that could happen, think about the good things you want to happen." - Peace Pilgrim
"If we fear nothing and radiate love, we can expect good things to come." - Peace Pilgrim
16 Aug. 04
Don't Worry - Do Something
Worry never helps. It just makes you more nervous and impossible to get along with. On the other hand, due concern is helpful. If you are concerned about the coming election, instead of worrying, do something! You will feel better if you make a contribution to the campaign. Either go directly to JohnKerry.com or make your contribution through MoveOn.org.
14 Aug. 04
Technology Exists to Stop Climate Change
Peter N. Spotts of the Christian Science Monitor says that we have the technology to reverse global climate change in his article, "Stabilizing the Global 'Greenhouse' May Not Be So Hard." See: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/081504G.shtml
Where there's a will, there's a way. And while we're on the subject, I think we should shift away from the phrase "global warming" since that's just one aspect of the problem. The overall temperature is going up, but symptoms may include severe weather systems, storms, shrinking coast lines, reversal of ocean currents, and so on. Much better to use the term "climate change," "global climate change," or even "catastrophic climate change."
Hopefully the human race (and those people in Washington, D.C.) will get the impetus to do something before it's too late.
13 Aug. 04 Friday the 13th
A Sensitive War on Terror
August 5 in Dayton, Ohio, at a convention of minority journalists, John Kerry called for a more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror. Of course, the insensitive, macho neocons in the Bush administration immediately started to complain. They want an insensitive war, where the U.S. bullies all people in Muslim oil-rich nations with bombs and Abu Ghraib prisons. Is this the way the majority of Americans want to go?
The fact is, a "war" on "terror" is an abstract concept, because "terror" is not a place. Rather, it's a tactic. "They" is also an abstract concept, as in "they hate us for our freedom." There is no "they" who hate us for our freedom. We should be sensitive to only go after the terrorists and not the Arab people in general, as though it's a crusade against Islam. Any sensitive person can see that so far, we are acting just like terrorists. We have killed, imprisoned, and tortured thousands of innocent civilians. That's terror.
The rhetoric coming out of the White House these days is terribly insensitive, and although "sensitive" is a girly man word, I think this country needs to be more sensitive.
The other Republican gripe about the minority journalists convention was that Kerry's speech was very well received, while Bush's speech was only well received. Both man drew applause and attentive listeners, but the Republicans complained that the crowd loved Kerry, while they only liked Bush. So, that's the reality. What to do about it? Maybe a little more sensitivity on the part of Republicans would win over the minority journalists. They are not required to fake enthusiasm for Bush. If Bush wants their respect, he will have to earn it.
05 Aug. 04
President Speaks His Truth
Today when President Bush signed H.R. 4613, the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005, he finally revealed his real intentions in governing the country:
"This bill meets our commitment to America's Armed Forces by preparing them to meet the threats of tomorrow. Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
Read it for yourself at the White House web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040805-3.html
29 July 04
Insane Foreign Policy
The Los Angeles Times printed this letter to the editor last Thursday:
"Re 'China, U.S. Each Hold Major War Exercises,' July 20: How can we allow [the military] to threaten China with a seven-aircraft-carrier armada? Are we ready for a third preemptive war? Insanity!" - D.B., Northridge
It is insanity, but picking a fight with China is one of a major neocon policy goal.
29 July 04
Restart the 21st Century
Yesterday at the convention, Dennis Kucinich said, "Give John Kerry a chance to restart the twenty-first century." It's a good idea.
Back in the late 1990s I lived in an apartment building where they delivered the newspapers to the steps in front of the lobby. The building managers often brought the papers inside, where residents sometimes stole them.
On new years day, I planned to sleep in and then spend the morning reading the paper. Sleeping in was easy enough, but when I went down to the lobby there were no newspapers left. Somebody stole my paper. That meant having to call the newspaper and request a replacement. I did it - trying not to be grouchy and wreck someone else's New Years Day.
I went back to bed, woke up again, went to the lobby and picked up my paper. I successfully restarted the New Year and everything worked out fine. We need to do something like that now. Just start the century over and do it right this time.
- Dennis Kucinich, Dem. Convention, 28 July 04
23 July 04
9/11 Commission Report
Yesterday the 9/11 commission released its report. Within a few days Surrealist will rate it on how well it answered the questions we posted last year, see: 9-11 truth.html. [Editor's note: After weeks of contemplation, we cannot see how the 9/11 commission answered our questions.]
19 July 04
Ounce of Prevention
Surrealist proposes an alternative to making "war" on something. Instead of war, we can have a "drive" to prevent that thing. For example, instead of a war on poverty, have a "drive to prevent poverty." Instead of a war on drugs, have a drive to prevent drug abuse - and crime. We could have a drive to prevent cancer and heart disease. And above all: a drive to prevent terrorism.
If everyone starts thinking in terms of how to prevent big problems, then we'll save a lot of time and money, and our efforts would be more successful. Read the Peace Plan to End the War on Terror, posted at this site: click here.
18 July 04
Black Magic Bush
It seems like the Bush Administration has given up the idea of winning the election legitimately. Maybe their next move will be to hire black Tantric yogis to put spells and curses on their enemies. Hey, it worked for the Hare Krishna gurus.
Here's some crazy stuff coming out of the White House lately:
Bush Administration Seeking Authority to Postpone Election
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/071204Y.shtml
Here's Bush's latest campaign promise, er terror threat:
President George Bush has promised that if re-elected in November he will make regime change in Iran his new target.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/071904A.shtml
10 July 04
Nader - Dean Debate
Yesterday Ralph Nader and Howard Dean had their presidential debate. Nader has good ideals, but Dean defended the presumptive Democratic candidate, John Kerry. Yes, Kerry is conservative compared to most of us, but I for one plan to support Kerry. Bush got us into a mess in Iraq (as well as the environment and just about every other area of American life) and Bush cannot get us out.
10 July 04
Reinstitute the Draft?
The L.A. Times ran an editorial on the Fourth of July by James D. Zirin, that a national conscription of 18 to 26 year olds may be necessary now that the U.S. is waging a war on terror. Today the Times ran several letters. The letters to the editor are usually better than the editorials. Here's a sampling:
My only child has no intention of sacrificing herself to a self-inflicted "war on terror," a situation that is the result of decades of monomaniacal and corrupt hubris on the part of the U.S. government's foreign policy. Our propping up of corrupt and repressive dictators the world over, as long as they were anti-communist or sat on large oil deposits, has won us many enemies. . . . P.O., Palm Springs
Zirin writes "there may be no alternative to conscription." The alternative is for the United States to pull its 130,000 troops out of Iraq as soon as possible." -H.G., Mammoth Lakes
A conscription draft does nothing to get our priorities as a nation back on the correct track. - M.S., Riverside
Ed's note: TV talk show hosts joke that reinstituting a draft would get 18 to 26 year olds interested in politics, just like back in the Vietnam era. That's ironic, but not necessary. Come on kids, do something about it now before you get drafted.
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