Does this sound familiar?

"The officials have become the protective umbrella of bad people and mobsters. Rich and powerful people can engage in illegal activities without any consequences, while the common people are without money and can barely make enough money to stay alive."

--That's a quote from this past weekend; but, it's a Chinese citizen in Guizhou province (sorry, it's not re/American politics; Chinese politics are also a bear these days).

The Chinese answer is to torch the police station and government buildings. (10,000 people rioted on Saturday, to protest "the local government's cover up of an alleged rape and murder of a female student.")

The Chinese government answered with the Wengan County massacre, around 2:00am Sunday. The early reports say 3 dead, 150 wounded, 200+ arrested. The story is only 32 hours old; we'll learn more soon, I'm sure.

by John Kusumi (38 articles, 0 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 77 comments) on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 8:48:22 AM
 

Concern about the trucker's strike:

Hello William et al

William, such good research and flawless writing as always! Wow! Thank you.

 A)  I would be concerned about the trucker's strike for one reason: the rising gas prices mean less driving and slower driving on the part of the AMerican people, which means at least a small solution where global warming is concerned. Without the rising gas prices, Americans will never do a thing to change the situation. Already I am seeing people driving 60 mph instead of 65 of 70. Some have even slowed to 55 mph. This is new, as of this month. Wow! What a difference that $4.50 per gallon gas price has effected!

B) I suggest that to get our America back, the solution is to oust members of Congress who have voted to convert us to a dictatorship. Granting telecoms immunity is unconstitutional: SEcrecy = the cornerstone of government abuse.

So......forgive the repetition folks, but I do it for a reason:

Please research YOUR Congressperson's voting record and expose it in letters to the editor, urging readers to oust those members of COngress with their vote.

No lame excuses about censorship, please. If the mainstream does not print your letter, I suggest trying the college newsletter editors and local newspapers.

To be honest, having more than 150 letters to the editor printed in my name since 2001, I have not found the censorship to be a serious problem. In fact, mainstream papers have printed letters I have written about giving Al Zarqawi the benefit of the doubt, based on the fact that there is no due process of law for detainees and therefore nothing to prove their innocence or guilt, either way. I did not (and do not, to this day) say that he is innocent. I did say, and do say, that a newspaper photograph and written claim that anybody is guilty, without due process of law, is not enough "Proof"  that a terrorist ringleader is in captivity.

If hte San Francisco Chronicle printed a letter which was that controversial, why wouldn't other papers print your opinion? Their job in letters to the editor is to represent different cross-sectors of society, not their own position. (Articles printed may reflect only the paper's own agenda. That's a different matter).

Give them a try and again, if it doesn't work, go to the smaller papers! SOmething will work somewhere!

 The only way to be a truly free country is to oust those who vote to undermine free speech (Patriot Act gag orders, Violent Radicalization/Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act), lack of due process (Military Commissions ACt/torture bill, Patriot Act), police all-powerful force while undermining the power of the Judiciary (Patriot Act), unitary executive power (Military Commissions ACt ,FISA broadening, telecom immunity), etc.....

Ring the bells of freedom! Oust fascists from Congress! Expose their voting record in letters to the editor, specifying that theyvoted for gag orders, executive privilege, etc.....
Thank you all.

by Kathryn Smith (93 articles, 2 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 361 comments) on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:09:14 AM
 

I just posted a sister-article to this one

Time grows extremely short for the American people to make a difference. Now that Congress has essentially "folded" and decided to enable Bush, war with Iran is coming at a speed which could be unstoppable. Such a war will destroy the rest of our economy and even in the US, food riots and martial law remain a distinct possibility.

I am submitting this article now to Op-Ed News, but for those reading this post, the evidence of an attack against Iran is overwhelming, and if we don't act now, I fear it may be too late for any of us to make a difference.

by William Cormier (126 articles, 6 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 302 comments) on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:24:42 AM
 

What truckers are facing in light of the high fuel prices.

My husband is an owner/operator and owns one truck.  Our truck is paid for, which allowed us to continue trucking when others were making high truck payments.  On March 4, 2008 when fuel was $100 a barrel we were forced to park our truck.  I wanted to keep it parked while Joe, my husband, worked for someone else and let them pay for the fuel.  We tried to sell our truck.  Of course, the lots are full of used trucks.  We kept the truck parked for over 90 days.  This almost put us out in the streets.

When that didn't work we were forced to take a job few drivers want,  hauling nuclear waste or hazmat.  This paid us $1.70 a mile versus the $1 we were paid before.  This is very dangerous work and a lot of extra paperwork.  We feel we can still keep the lights on if fuel stays below $5 a gallon.  It is now approaching that price. 

If truckers continue to leave the trucking industry there will not be anyone to bring your goods to market.  When the shelves are empty there will be hell to pay.  People had better wake up and realize that this high price is simply because financials are going bust and the large hedge funds are putting their stock in the only thing that is still making money.  Many of the people involved in the Enron debacle just moved their jobs and money into fuel speculation.  This speculation is killing our economy.  Most Americans do not realize how close we came to a run on the banks and a complete collapse of our economy until the Feds injected billions into failing financials.  Stop the speculation and force these speculators to take possession of 50% of the fuel they purchase.  This is the only thing that will stop the speculation. 

We should all be out in the streets demanding our government close the Enron loophole.  The farm bill recently passed only closed the loophole for natural gas, leaving oil traders out of the mix. 

Another problem is the media coming out and allowing T. Boone Pickens and many others to say oil will go to $200 a barrel or more.  The next day oil rose over $9 in one day.  There is also the example of Bear Sterns stating how much the price of oil will rise.  This type of talk, as if they have a crystal ball, is costing all of us.  Put a stop to this type of speculation.  Bear Sterns had to be sold for pennies on the dollar. Yet the Congress is doing nothing to help people stay in their homes and save our neighborhoods.  The Bush administration is trying to grab all the money they can while they still control things.  Just an aside: Bush can call off the election and stay in power for four more years if something catastrophic happens, ( such as attacking Iran)  We had better wake up people and go into the streets and have a general strike. Also I heard an oil executive state that the price is all about the flow in the pipeline.  If people stop buying diesel or gas for 3 days this would drive the oil prices down as they try to sell what is already in their tanks.  Stop depending on the government to help you.  It is time for the American people to demand our rights as Americans.  General strike is the answer.  

by Linda Bemis (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments) on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 11:41:59 PM