The Mortgage Crisis in the USA
by Randy - Capital Terminus Collective

Billion Dollar Crop

The ONLY way our past foreign policy, and present war, can be justified is if we accept the fundamental premise that WE NEED OIL TO SURVIVE. We must believe that oil is our only source of energy and without it civilization as we know it would collapse. In order to justify more "precision bombing" and selling weapons to terrorists, we must believe that protecting our oil-based economy is the same as protecting the people of America.

This quickly leads to the concept of "overpopulation" and the idea that our planet cannot support this many people, so some have to die. The people of the First World take all the oil we need, while the people of the Third World have to fight for clean food and water, because it is better for them to die than for us to die. Better for Arabs to die than Christians. Better black people die than white people. Better for my neighbor to die than me.

At every level, we allow the fundamental fear of starvation to justify our ignorance and hatred toward anybody who seems different and is therefore perceived as a threat to our family and friends. When self-preservation is our only goal, we can safely justify any actions that seem to protect our lives, no matter how violent, because it is "self-defense."

Unfortunately, this desperation and fear of death is based on a century of lies.

WE DON’T NEED OIL AND NEVER HAVE.

Our forced dependence on the limited supply of petroleum is due entirely to greedy politicians protecting their own business interests instead of the American people.

Everything now done by fossil fuels can be done cheaper and better with renewable natural resources grown on American soil by American farmers. For more than 12,000 years before it was banned in 1937, the world’s number one natural resource for food, fiber, fuel and natural oil was hemp.

I need to preface this commentary and say that I have been a member of the Republican Party since the Eisenhower administration of the 1950's.

I need to say that because there will be quite a few folks pointing their fingers and tongues at me as a "Liberal" and that's just not true.

I am just like so many people who are trying to make some sense of the past several decades of Democratic and Republican mismanagement of our nation, and also more or less "soul-searching" and wading through the seemingly endless well-practiced speeches of the candidates of the current presidential "primary", which has evolved into an Ironman marathon of candidate "two-stepping", media rhetoric and political gamesmanship.

Honestly, how the heck can you make any real sense of all this chaos?

I have been forcing myself to listen to the speeches of each of the candidates:  John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.  I have come to some conclusions that some people may or may not agree with, but I have based my presumptions and opinions with careful consideration.

Consequently, it is my opinion that Barack Obama is the more intelligent of the 3 candidates.  Please note that I am NOT stating that he will win come election day or that he is the best candidate for the position.

I simply am saying that Obama is the "brightest" of the bunch.

That said, let's review a few of what Obama and I believe are urgent issues:

• The war in Iraq
• Middle East Nations
• U.S. Budget and Expenditures
• A Stagnated Congress
• U.S. Economy / Recession
• High Cost of Gasoline
• A National or Socialized Health Care Program
• Creation of Jobs
• Education
• Transportation

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The first step Georgia utilities are taking to try to get federal approval to build new nuclear reactors along the Savannah River is to apply for an “early site permit.” If the permit is issued, concerns such as water, land, public health, and safety cannot be brought up again even if we learn new information. For example, the new reactors will require tens of millions of gallons of water above and beyond the tens of millions Vogtle is already pulling from the Savannah River—this issue cannot be revisited again if the “early site permit” is granted. If approved, this permit essentially allows the Southern Company and its utility partners in Georgia to use the permit at any time for up to 20 years in any future applications with the NRC. Together, Atlanta WAND, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for a Sustainable Coast, Savannah Riverkeeper, and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy legally challenged the permit.

The Savannah River basin and nearby communities are already suffering; building more nuclear reactors will only make this situation worse. Since the Early Site Permit (ESP) process allows a company to potentially ‘bank’ a site for up to 20 years, the NRC should have to look not only at Georgia ‘today,’ but the Georgia we are likely to live in several decades from now.

Water Use & Supply:

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Plant Vogtle

Interview with 3 members of the Capital Terminus Collective in Atlanta, Georgia. Interview covers hospital privitizations, housing, police corruption, segregation of the working class and ends with the usual question about the US election.

It's about 40 minutes long

http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/apr2008/ctc.mp3 

Atlanta, Georgia February 1, 2008

On February 19, 2008 Atlanta WAND will be presenting its 6th Annual Real State of the Union with Jay Bookman and Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. Jay Bookman will be giving his talk on the “real” state of the union and Dr. Lowery will be responding to Jay’s talk. This year Jay's talk will be around the theme: Chickens Coming Home to Roost.  

Each year the talk and response have been more interesting, enlightening, and timely.  With the state that our country is in as we move into the final stages of the current administration, we anticipate this year’s event will be even more interesting, enlightening, and timely.  

The event is brought to you by Atlanta WAND and hosted this year by Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley and Providence Missionary Baptist Church.  

When: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 7 pm

Wednesday, Jan 23

6:00 – 9:00 pm -SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective and SisterLove, Inc. invite you to attend “Mother House Grand Opening and Housewarming Party”. Featured at the event will be guest speaker Byllye Avery, founder of the National Black Women’s Health Project. Light refreshments will be served. Free and everyone is welcome, but financial gifts will be very much appreciated. Please RSVP to 404.756.2680 or to kai@sistersong.net The Mother House is located at 1237 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, SW, Atlanta, GA 30310