UFOs, Neanderthals and Republicans

On Monday, September 27, 2010, a former Air Force officer, Capt Robert Salas, who was stationed at a Minuteman silo in Montana in 1967 will give a press conference at the National Press Club.  He’s coming out, so to speak, from his government imposed silence of events that occurred there. He claims that on March 16, 1967, a large, brightly lit, disk shaped UFO, presumably piloted by aliens, hovered over the missile silo and disabled all 10 nuclear warhead missiles. His story is collaborated by other witnesses, so it must be true.  OK! Exhale!

Meanwhile in Italy, a researcher, Riel-Salvatore spent seven years studying Neanderthal sites. He conjectures that Neanderthals may have been the first “techies” in the human race. He found tools they used 42,000 years ago- long before any use of tools by “modern” man. Furthermore, he asserts they were not conquered and driven into extinction as commonly assumed. Rather, they were absorbed into the larger society of Homo sapiens through mating. Evidently their population was very small in comparison to the Homo sapiens, and well, they must have been lonely and vulnerable to a good pick up line.  

And in Washington, we have “back to the future” going on as the Republicans dusted off their 16 year old plan for fixing America and launched a serious, no kidding, re-run of the plan that got us into this mess we have today- all under the audacious presumption of making a “fresh start” to put America back on track. “Let’s toss all that regulation overboard. Who needs it? Health care? We don’t need no stinking health care.” They’re sure the American voters will support them this time.  Honest.

So I suppose if people can believe aliens from outer space can disarm nuclear warheads, and primitive homo sapiens can have a “love-in” with Neanderthals, then people could believe that Republicans can dust off the old failed plan and make it work this time. As this all unfolds though, I’m beginning to wonder if there's a dormant Neanderthal gene lurking about here, and were these legal or illegal aliens?

Congressional Debate Highlights Need for the Green Party

The first debate for the 2^nd Congressional district in New Hampshire between Republican Charlie Bass and Democrat Ann Mclane Kuster was predictable.  Kuster accused Bass of being in Washington for 12 years when all the deregulation was enacted, while Bass said after nearly two years in office, President Obama is responsible for our unemployment today. Both are right. Maybe it’s time to look for a third party- like the Green Party.

Democrats point out that without Obama’s actions unemployment would be worse than it is, and the bank bailout and stimulus bill (better known as re-pave America) averted a second depression that could’ve pushed unemployment to 20% or 25 %.  We’ll never know if that is true. Economists have computer models that may be accurate predictors, but yawn… the average American wouldn’t believe that any more than they believe Obama is a Christian.

One thing is certain though. If Obama didn’t take the action he did, and unemployment did soar to 20%, the Republicans would be on the eve of election victories of landslide- no, of avalanche proportions, and the Tea Party would account for 80% of the electorate.

The Republicans want to bet all their economic recovery hopes on tax relief. I don’t believe that tax relief is the answer. No one wants to point the finger at the true culprit- the banks. For the last two years banks took taxpayer money at bargain rates and invested it for their own profit rather than loaning it to businesses. The investment banks had record profits in 2009, while Joe the Plumber couldn’t get a loan for a new roto-rooter.

As long as the banks horde the money for their own gains, the economy will remain mired down regardless of who is in office, and both parties are letting us down for not addressing this.  People need to wake up to the fact that both major parties are essentially the same, and they argue vehemently around the edges.

I like the Green Party. I like what it stands for. I don’t think I’m alone.

“Pledge to America”, More like a Contract on America

Where’s Bill Murray? Is this Groundhog Day?  Why do I feel like I’m reliving a nightmare from 1994?  Furthermore, since when does leaving the womb of Capital Hill and being videoed at a hardware store in nearby Virginia make you an outsider? This whole charade smacks of a hillbilly Tea Party gathering complete with pitchfork and overalls.  Is America really this gullible and stupid? Let's take a little quiz. Who really benefits from this pledge?

Not the children who are sick and could lose their health coverage

Not the people with catastrophic health care bills that will have lifetime limits restored

Not the 32 million Americans who couldn’t get health insurance before the reform

Not the people who will be dropped by their insurers if they get sick

Not the young people under 26, who will lose their insurance through their parents

Not the people who depend on Social Security

Not the people who depend on Medicare

Not the workers who would like to organize, but can’t because of corporate veto.

Not the gay/lesbians who want to be treated like citizens

Not the workers who lose their jobs overseas
Not poor immigrants trying to eek out a living

Not the troops killed in needless wars

Who then?

The Wall St Banks

Food factories 

Oil, Coal and Nuclear power

Defense contractors

Millionaires

China and every other country that steals American jobs

New? This sounds like old time GOP religion to me.