Gates Says Talks with Taliban "Conceivable" - Let's Get StartedDefense Secretary Gates said the U.S. could "ultimately" contemplate the idea of negotiating with the Taliban to secure a political settlement in Afghanistan. Gates said a political settlement with the Taliban was "conceivable." "There has to be ultimately, and I'll underscore ultimately, reconciliation as part of a political outcome to this," Gates said. If this is where we're going, why not get started now? By Robert Naiman  

 

The Mailer That Put the Final Nail in the McCain Campaign CoffinClose to 100 million Americans received mailers last week, or will receive them next week that will put the last nail in the coffin of the McCain Pailin campaign. By Rob Kall  (2 comments)

 

Simple Economics: Supply, demand and a bailout for the workerThe real problem with the economy is lagging wages that sap demand and lead to borrowing from too many people who have trained to be greedy. They've been helped by politicians who neglect to enforce or update regulations. Supply and demand are simple until you get deviant. Prosperity for all is tied to a fair, living wage. By Bill Falzett, PhD  

 

The Broad Umbrella of "Terrorist"We are all at risk of being labeled "terrorists." By Rowan Wolf  (4 comments)

 

Where Are the Slander Merchants Taking Us?The recent FoxNews investigative report on Barack Obama's "ties to controversial people and radical groups" on Hannity's America was a reminder of the almost startling degeneration of the American media in recent years. With a worsening economy, it's not such a stretch to see the ugly, violent rhetoric of the right-wing devolve even further into more direct, organized assaults on "liberal America." By Mark Harris  (1 comments)

 

Zeitgeist Addendum: Steps toward a sustainable futureWhat we are trying in all these discussions and talks here is to see if we cannot radically bring about a transformation of the mind. But, that depends on you and not somebody else, because in this there is no teacher, no pupil. There's no leader. There's no guru. There's no master, no savior. You yourself are the teacher and the pupil. You are the master. You are the guru. You are the leader. You are everything. By Rady Ananda  (3 comments)
 

Civil or interntional war could be triggered if the pugs steal the election, McCain dies, and Palin becomes President.War, very "untheoretical" war is looming on the horizon. If the pugs steal their 3rd Presidential election, McCain dies in the first year or so, and Sarah Palin becomes president, this would so obviously be the end of our Democratic Republic and the necessary ecosystems for human existence, if we didn't find a way to "remove" the evil twit Palin from power, other countries would do it for us. Hey, this is their planet too. By W. Christopher Epler (Bill)  (1 comments)

 

Florida: Party Affiliation on Return Absentee Ballot Envelope Invites FraudVoting must be cast in Secret and Publicly Counted. "Noone wants election officials or postal workers to know our party affiliation", "after the 2004 fiasco we want this election to be fair and square", said Brodsky. By Ellen Brodsky  

 

Race in the 2008 ElectionMy views on the 2008 election & the "race question." By Sally Liuzzo-Prado  (4 comments)

 

Gone with the WindAs we sat around the dinner table celebrating a family birthday, the conversation turned to the stock market. My in-laws are retired and in their seventies; they, for the most part, just shook their heads. Then my mother-in-law, with a nervous certainty, remarked, "It'll come back, you wait and see." My first impulse was to remind her of some of the events that have already transpired to the contrary, but her tone quieted me. By David Glenn Cox  (3 comments)

 

Despite Weekend Talks, World Leaders Fail to ReassureThe world financial meltdown is forcing national leaders to rethink basic assumptions amid a lack of recent historical precedents and in the absence of institutional memory. Despite efforts at international consensus and unity, uncertainty reigns. By Constance Lavender  

 

The Credit Card Debt tsunami already breaking over us and how to fix itThe credit card debt tsunami already breaking over us and how to fix it. By Alan Bachers  

 

On Naomi Wolf's Sounding the AlarmAn assessment of Naomi Wolf's warning that a coup has taken place plus a warning about the 2008 Election. By Dr. Dennis Loo  (3 comments)
 

Letting Go, Part Two: The Morning AfterThis morning, we got up early to take our son, Michael, to the airport. I am now, officially, an Empty Nester. Inquiring minds "" AKA family and friends "" have been asking how I'm faring. Give me two minutes and you'll be able to judge for yourself. By Joan Brunwasser