ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

Well, with a Dem majority in Congress now, I don't think they are singing the blues!

that the balance of power is shifting in both the House and the Senate is cause for excitement, but i'm still singing the blues locally.
Eltonsaurus was still chosen over Jill Martinez by a LOT, and Audra Strickland still got way more votes than Ferial Masry. that upsets me.

i'm glad to see the Parental Notification prop defeated, but surprised at the failure of Prop 87.

VERY locally, my congratulations to Lenny Klaif, and my gratitude to Pete Lafollette and Dennis Leary for participating in our democracy with everything they've got.

Hi Lisa and evan - thanks for getting the ball rolling. I used "Blues" as a reference to the Democrats taking control.

I'd like to make one brief comment on Gallegly/Martinez and Strickland/Masry - not one of the four campaigns reached out to The Ojai Post, put us on a PR list, nothing. It surprises me that not a single one of them had the inclination to reach out, despite the blogosphere being so prominent in national news and influence.

There is an Ojai Democratic party that is well aware of The Ojai Post - why did they not reach out on behalf of Martinez and Masry? I don't even know if an Ojai Republican party exists.

The House AND the Senate! Wow! I bet against this happening and it will be the easiest loss I've ever suffered.

Now is the time to keep up the pressure on the new Democratically controlled Congress and make sure we get the long overdue investigations of the Bush Administration.

Come this January -- Investigate, Impeach, Convict and send 'em to The Hague.

good call on the absence on the Ojai Post of any of our local Democratic candidates. i've met both Jill and Ferial on a number of occasions, but never had the presence of mind to mention it, so i'll take a tiny portion of responsibility. to my knowledge, there is not Ojai Republicans club, unless you count the numerous Rotary, Lions, and veterans clubs, which tend to have very conserative values.

so the original question was : how do you think the last two years of Bush's second term will play out?

um...bitterly? i'm admittedly not good at predictions, but i think this new check and balance system that's been invented (this is a new phenomenon, right?) will be a hard pill for the Right to swallow after a lengthy term of unchecked and imbalanced power. i see them being difficult and whiney. but i also see the Democrats being overzealous - a state of being triggered both by their frenzied excitement at being in power again after a long absense AND pressure from The People to enact lots of pretty big changes that our system is not necessarily set up to allow very easily.

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm not sure who started it. I thought Tyler did, until I read anonymous' comment that seemed to indicate he/she did. I hardly read the mainstream press anymore, so I'm grateful to the Ojai Post for keeping me up to date.

I'm very happy at the Democratic success, but share evan's disappointment with "bring home the bacon Gallegly types, who show the painful reality of where middle America's values lie. The Dems have succeeded only because the Repubs have so miserably failed. The fickle voters have a short memory.

The fact is, no party that has any chance of challenging the Republicrats represents what I believe in. As far as they go, the Greens are agreeable, but they're way too weak and timid. The Libertarians are too ideological. The Peace and Freedom Party sounds good, but I don't know anything about them, and their name is too bland for me.

If my spirit doesn't fail me, I am going to promote the party I started in concept last month. It may be a party of one, but at least it represents me. I call it the Red Brown and Blue Party. Its flag has three horizontal stripes, red, brown and blue, with a red heart in tbe middle. It symbolizes the earth and all people, who have red and blue blood, and brown skin. It claims the middle ground and aims to co-opt the Reds and the Blues.

I'm in the process of developing a platform. One plank, for sure, will be about war. I'll make the distinction between just and unjust wars. The Iraqi war is totally unjust, a black example of war profiteering and class hatred. 9/11 was an inside job, blamed on outsiders. The war on terrorism is pure projection. Etc., etc. The Red Brown and Blue Party will speak truth to power, starting with war.

The Democrats are a vast improvement but in my mind, they are the lesser of two evils. They would never declare the U.S. actions unjust, apologize and make reparations, prosecute the perpetrators, reveal the profiteers, and admit their own complicity. They help to legitimize and do damage control for the whole unjust, corrupt system. I know, that's politics, and I know the argument that it's the best we can get. One more lie on top of all the others. At least, in my idea structure (philosophy), I need to make a clean sweep and scour the rascals out. If I have a cavity, I need to fix it; and if the whole tooth needs to go, so be it, for the good of the whole body. That's how I feel about it, so perhaps the title to this thread is apropos: "Singing the Blues." A sweet sour song.

Dennis:

With regard to your statement "9/11 was an inside job, blamed on outsiders"....We've all heard the conspiracy theories for years - personally I think it's absolute nonsense but if you are going to make such a loaded comment (and painful to many of us who were just miles away from the WTC that morning), I think you need to justify your position. Where's your proof? Shred of evidence? Anything? You sound like a likeable enough guy, but to be honest, your posts have been much too long and (sorry) cloyingly esoteric for me to muddle through. You're reply to this however, would be one post I'd be willing to read from start to finish.

Dennis - my bad - I accidently submitted the comment without my name. Yes, I started the thread, and have changed the specific comment from "Anonymous" to Tyler.

In response to Long Time Ojai Resident, 9/11 is one of those traumatic events that, on the extremes, causes complete psychological shutdown or a revelatory opening to truth, with all kinds of variations in between. I know very bright, and reasonable people who go into total denial, even when presented with overwhelming evidence. The maxim usually holds: those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still. Proof, evidence, and reasonableness is the standard, or it isn't. The evidence and proof for 9/11 being an inside job is overwhelming, but if a person wants to deny it, what's the point of arguing? I respect where people are at. I know that so far I am begging the question, but I'll get to the evidence. Some people need defense mechanisms. A few are just plain sociopaths who have no use for evidence or reasonableness whatsoever. 9/11 is a sort of bellweather for the state of consciousness weather today.

The evidence is abundant but a reasonable person has to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ordinary events present conflicting evidence, but government planned subversive events have layer upon layer of deliberate misinformation to penetrate, plus the usual fear of questioning authority. Recently, I received a video, entitled "9/11 Mysteries." Part one deals with the demolition of the twin towers. I saw "Loose Change," some parts of which had unassailable evidence, unless someone wants to claim the video and audio materials of the falling towers were a fabrication, which seems absurd. I read Michael Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon," a long and detailed investigative report. I spend two or three hours a couple of years ago reviewing the abundance of sites on the internet, which convinced me of the government's central role.

My mindset is to distrust what governments say, especially this administration which has proved over and over that lying is their standard operating procedure. Read Noam Chomsky's work. You have to be pretty uninformed to believe our intelligence agencies operate by the moral standards most of us accept.

In my experience, getting to the truth of things is a lifelong task, requiring hard work. I am in agreement with Long Time Ojai Resident that my postings are "too long," "cloyingly esoteric," and are difficult to "muddle through." There's a lot of chaff to go through to get to the kernals of truth. I don't like to listen to myself either sometimes, nor to reread what I've written; often it bores or embarrasses me. But I've got to go on in my inquiry into truth; perhaps, because I am a Sagitarius, or just because of my karma. Who knows? The good news is that truth does set me free. It's refreshing and fun; the best game going.

Instead of looking at the evidence, and debating it if necessary, it is much easier to resort to unfounded speculations, like the claim that the evidence is part of a conspiracy theory, or to simply dismiss it as nonsense. That approach is to abandon reason, and to fall back into prejudice. It is painful to accept the possibility that our own government would sacrifice its own citizens for misguided policy, but to simply deny it is unreasonable and prejudicial. It's a defense mechanism, like our own denials of personal trauma. Most reasonable people will admit, unless they are in denial, that there is an immense amount of unnecessary suffering in the world. The way to solve that problem is through enlightened reason, and beyond that to states of universal love. Eventually, the truth will out, and 9/11 is no exception. In the meantime, it is a marvelous mirror of consciousness. I enjoy pursuing truth; for me, it is very rewarding. Thanks for this opportunity to respond.

Dennis: Thank you for taking the time to respond. First of all, I have watched and read many of the documentaries and reports that have been circulating over the past few years (from both sides) and still am of the mindset that what you claim is untrue. And I don't think that I am without reason, uninformed or prejudicial. I have absolutely no illusions as to what our government is cabable of. Quite the contrary. (And I've been a huge fan of Noam Chomsky's ever since reading "Manufacturing Consent" and have gone on to read much more of his work) However, it is a HUGE leap (and, in my mind, irresponsible) to go from what we know is true about our government to assuming what you suggest. That's why I asked about what plank of truth you based such accusations on. I will certainly look for the films and book you suggest - simply out of curiosity (just like I read about the "Protocals of Zion" when a few 20-something year olds in Ojai SWORE that they "knew for a fact" that "all the Jews were warned not to show up to work" at the WTC on September 11). Maybe not the best analogy, but like that senseless and horrific propaganda, I seriously doubt that there is anything out there about a 9/11 conspiracy that hasn't been logically and painstakingly countered or disproven.

The latest election results came as a surprise to this outer camper. After the soggy Shrub was reelected, I put on my sourpuss sunglasses whenever viewing politics. It all seemed blatantly rigged. Thus, I am heartened by what appears to be an American voter intelligence increase. After several decades of watching 'regime' changes though, it seems like it has not made any difference whether its a democratic or republican administration in regards to major policy decisions. The weapons/military, automobile and oil conglomerate seems to exert absolute and unaccountable power throughout the world.
I may be a cynic but it seems like the cabals that gain control within the USA are all just different heads on the samef Hydra - cut off one and two grow back. W is just a very prominent tooth among the rows of teeth ready to fall out of the mouth of a great white shark that lives off oil, incarcerating humans, extortion and murder. Watch America become hypnotized by those brand new blue teeth as the war in Iraq contiues.
Let me be wrong, please.

The real vote is with the dollar bill.

Didj - it is great to see some new faces in Congress, particularly Jon Tester, who is the face of a new progressive economic populism.

It is up to the blogosphere to keep our elected officials on BOTH sides of the aisle accountable. For example, the left-wing netroots are opposing William Jefferson's runoff candidacy, in favor of a Democratic challenger. WJ, if you recall, was the guy caught with $90K in his freezer.

Unlike the Right, which far too often rationalizes and obfuscates on behalf of their corrupt representatives, the Left will continue hold their representatives acocuntable.

The real vote is in the dollar bill? What? Who does the dollar bill campaign against? The Yen, the Pound? Sorry, but I lost you there on your last metaphor attempt.

Mike, sorry to fire back at you here because I understand your frustration, but your double sided coin analogy for our government politics is outdated and an excuse to excuse yourself from social responsibility. We don't have time to sit by the wayside and call it Coke or Pepsi anymore. That kind of ideology is what got Bush re-elected because voters, citizens, young and old alike, gave up. We can't give up. The next generation is ready to make some big changes and we will lead those changes by becoming active. If we roll over, we are doing exactly what Bush's camp wants us to do. The more disinterested folks that we have in politics, the better chance they have to implement these war campaigns and hand out huge contracts to “friendly corporations.”

i'm sure Didj will respond in fine fashion, but i'll just chip in to Brian regarding the "dollar bill" comment.

what i think Michael means is that he feels more power as a economic force than as a voting voice...that his true influence lies in what he buys - or, as is most often the case, what he DOESN'T.

you're perfectly welcome to disagree...i simply hope that helps you understand, assuming of course that i'm reading Michael's phrase correctly.

I see that point Evan and I see Michael's as well. We are all part of the system though, no matter what the footprint. Yes, some lighter than others, and I'm a stong advocate of hitting the corporations where it hurts by not buying their crap. That said, it is not as simple to me, to say that where you choose to spend your money has more strength than a vote.

That last entry was mine.
I forgot to put my name in there.

Interesting comments and I feel that everyone has a point to make. Personally I'm not holding my breath with the newly elected majorities. I say this because I'm not sure that they "get it." Based from my academic background, unless the powers of the first world stop acting the way they do, there will be a major shit sorm on this earth within our lifetime. Unless elected officials adress this and re-evaulate this now, anything they say or do is a mere half-step. To Michael: a good measureing stick for optimism in the next couple years, will be how the Dems handle Iraq. Like I said, I'm not holding my breath, but I hope they prove the skeptics wrong...

Brian: Thanks for commenting on my comment even though I am not sure you actually read it.
Evan: Close enough for government work.
My point is that there has not been any change in American policy in the last 60 years. It is a giant prison, oil, military, automobile pseudo nation. Those that are unable to learn from the past end up repeating it (See Grounhog Day).
It seems to me that voting has become an abstraction with no consequence on our country's policies. We continue to increase military spending while decreasing spending on education and healthcare. And lets not forget about our fantastic prison system. Its a driving force in our economy and necessitates the creation of criminals...brilliant!
Brian, I think your comment is abstract and idealistic. That is why my dollar bill statement made no sense to you. It is extremely practical.

Mike:

I read your comment and I feel like I'm being realistic here. I'm just trying to understand your point, which to me seemed idealistic, so maybe we're just not speaking the same language.

If one of your points is that there haven't been any changes in Government Policy in the last 60 years, you should have said just that. If that is your point though, you are not correct.

Here are some examples in which voters played a pivotal role (especially during republican ruling) in the last 35 years, some leading up to the mid 90s:

The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, The formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, The Endangered Species Act, the formation of The Super Fund, California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Quality Act, California Sensitive Species Act... to name just a few...

I watched Groundhog Day. I like Bill Murray. However, I thought the whole point of that movie was that he DID learn from his mistakes and that he got the girl at the end. Maybe I need to watch it again.

Anyway, I agree with you on a lot of the points you make. But I strongly feel that voting is essential to making sure that we see the changes we want to happen... happen.

To say that voting is "an abstraction" is something that strikes a chord with me. That's it.

my hunch is that you're both right (Michael and Brian), meaning that it probably takes a very conscious and disciplined synthesis of wallet-voting and booth-voting to effect some kinds of change.

additionally, i really like much of what Michael has to say about our system. clearly, it's quite broken and counter-intuitive in profoundly damaging ways. thank you though to Brian for highlighting some bright spots. balance in everything.

Not to be trite, but without the vote, the dollar will rule. And me and Brian and evan and Duffy and Mike all together don't and likely won't have the dollars to stand a chance.

Tune in, turn on and drop out sounds better and better. Isn't that what we're really talking about? Don't put our votes, time, dollars and energy into a system that does not serve our interests and is not building the world we want to live in. Do put our votes, time, dollars and energy into one that does. How do we know when we are doing one and not the other?

Who is in charge of the EPA? What are their affiliations?

Those acts all sure look pretty but don't amount to a hill of beans. The potential that I know exists for mankind is being made a mockery of. Here is just one of many examples which make our current state of affairs completely manufactured . Petrolium has been obsolete for some time now. Imagine if the resources that are now being utilized to kill massive amounts of innocent human beings were instead being used to develop intelligent sources of energy. How can anyone who truly cares about the future of human beings not be sickened.

It seems obvious to me that the voting system is a pressure release valve. Being able to vote serves as a way of bolstering the illusion of a democracy for the regular folks who make up the vast majority of this country - apathetic, overworked and not capable of comprehending a world which grows more complex every day. The easiest thing to do is just trust our leaders like Daddy and not believe that they could possibley be disingenuous, fallible and corrupt. Every 4 years there is a big vote. It is a ceremony to pick the next scape goat. It is all pretend. Our government is following a plan dating back 30 to 40 years ago. Of course elections have an impact but they are all show see: Hollywood. "I am talking about saving lives here!" Jack Nickolson.

Brian I was being optimistic with my Ground Hog Day metaphor. You have a tendency to read into my statements. You are doing it so much that I do not have time to correct all of your misinterpretations and will allow you to keep them indefinitely.

Hey Mike: Just as an outside observer, Brian didn't make any personal attacks. Lighten up. There are plenty of ideas in this thread to talk about.

i feel a desire to highlight something that Jeff said, that i think is very important:
"Don't put our votes, time, dollars and energy into a system that does not serve our interests and is not building the world we want to live in. Do put our votes, time, dollars and energy into one that does. How do we know when we are doing one and not the other?"

how, indeed?

on voting:
perhaps we should do it more often? give the public more opportunities to exercise our voice? would it force us to pay attention and increase accountability if we voted EVERY YEAR? please note the question marks. i do not know the answers, but am intensely interested in the discussion.

Mike, lets just talk about this some time when we run into each other. This isn't productive anymore. Not to mention we've gotten entirely off base and you've thrown up some defensive jabs that make for a foul room to argue in.