Ed Garren’s Weblog

A friend sent this excellent article, published in The Guardian (a United Kingdom newspaper).

At the risk of incurring the wrath of many of my friends, I agree with the author.  We “liberals” have been too polite, too complicit and too compliant with the onslaught of “conservatives.”  In other words, we have been “lambs” while the wolves have been tearing the country to shreds, devouring the poor, gutting the treasury, and bankrupting the country.

 Is it any wonder that the use of anti-depressant drugs has doubled in the last ten years?

 One of the reasons that Barack Obama has gained so much respect is that when someone attacked him during his campaign, he came right back with an intelligent response.

He continues to engage those with whom he has differences, and while being politically expedient, he has not been politically impotent.

One of the main reasons we “progressives” have not fared well in the last decades is that we are afraid to take on issues, bullies, malcontents and liars.  Barney Frank and Barbara Boxer seem to be the only persons in congress with good old fashioned “balls” and “backbone.”  Maybe it’s because they are both Jewish and understand that when you’re dealing with bullies, you need to fight back, period.

Until we “progressives” are willing to fight back, hard, we will continue to lose ground, which we can no longer afford to do, both for the sake of the nation and the planet.

Here it is, please feel free to comment below.

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To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co.uk site, go tohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/aug/29/edward-kennedy-democrats-defeat

 Ted Kennedy: a lamb, not a lion

I admired and supported Ted Kennedy ? but he was the symbol of an era when liberals lost the battles that mattered

 Muhammad Cohen

Sunday August 30 2009

guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/aug/29/edward-kennedy-democrats-defeat

Ted Kennedy was the champion of the American left during the greatest surge to the right in US political history. Rather than the liberal lion of the Senate, fiercely defending his turf, he was a lamb who failed to halt, and even abetted, the country’s slide away from his principals and ideals. The very word “liberal” morphed from an adjective to an accusation while Ted Kennedy was the keeper of its flame.

I don’t make these charges as one of the legion of Kennedy-haters. Quite the contrary: I’m a proud, card-carrying liberal. My “To sail against the wind” poster, a campaign contribution keepsake from Kennedy’s one and only presidential run in 1980, showing the senator stoutly striding to the left, has graced my walls on three continents. I would have voted for Kennedy over any presidential candidate of the past 40 years, so count me as a true believer.

I don’t blame Kennedy for that 1980 run against Jimmy Carter, a sitting president of his own party. I don’t even blame Kennedy ? although many do ? for Carter’s subsequent defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan. In 1979, Jimmy Carter threatened: “If Kennedy runs, I’ll whip his ass.” Kennedy let Carter whip his ass, and that’s unforgivable. Though friends and foes alike salute Kennedy’s legislative record, those bills are mere footnotes to the dominant US trend of the past 40 years, a huge ass-whipping for liberals. The Americans With Disabilities Act, No Children Left Behind and the Occupational Safety and Health Act don’t stack up to a single Clarence Thomas or Rush Limbaugh that Kennedy helped create. Kennedy was the leading light on the left during an era when liberals got whipped in every battle that mattered, a loser of historic proportion.

Kennedy didn’t just fail to stem the rightward tide, he helped power it. Through his own personal misconduct, from cheating at Harvard to Chappaquiddick to his binge with William Kennedy Smith of blue-dot rape trial fame, Kennedy exemplified the privileged irresponsibility that fueled the rightwing revolution.

The Kennedy name was said to be magical among liberals, but it became even more effective for conservatives. The mere mention of Ted Kennedy on any issue was enough to open rightwing wallets. For every dollar Kennedy raised for causes he supported, his name probably raised ten times more for causes he opposed. While portraying himself as a champion of the working class, Kennedy financed the movement that convinced millions of Joe the Plumbers to vote against their own interests.

Kennedy became a powerful symbol for his enemies of everything that was wrong with government, liberals, Democrats, and Washington, but failed to use his iconic position to inspire and move his allies. He was the one liberal politician of his time guaranteed a national audience whenever he spoke out. But Kennedy rarely chose to grasp that big stage to galvanize his side and move public opinion on key issues that defined the US over the past four decades.

Where was he on the George Bush the elder’s Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas, the rightwing extremist whose lifetime appointment to the court will have a far greater impact than Kennedy and his brothers combined? When Thomas’ 1991 confirmation hearings deteriorated into a circus with pubic hair on soda cans in the centre ring, where was Kennedy to tell the president and the country that it had to demand someone better? Actually, Kennedy was right there on the Senate Judiciary Committee, gagged by his own string of sexual peccadilloes.

When Thomas cast the vote that made the younger George Bush president, where was Kennedy to say it was wrong in a democracy for nine judges to order vote counting stopped? Where was Kennedy to express liberal outrage at this farce and to lead a movement to refuse to recognise Bush as president until the votes were counted? Why wasn’t he calling on fellow lawmakers to stand and turn their backs whenever they were confronted with this immorally-appointed president?

Well, Kennedy was too busy then crafting the flawed and under-funded No Children Left Behind Act that not only made public education less effective but gave the sham president legitimacy. After asserting Bush betrayed him, Kennedy went back to work again with that same administration on prescription drug coverage for seniors, only to see his support used to create a government handout for drug companies. Fool me twice….

Where was Kennedy’s call for liberals to take to the streets to protest the invasion of Iraq, as they had to end the war in Vietnam? Where was he on the erosion of civil liberties under George Bush? Where was he over the past 40 years on taking meaningful steps to end America’s dependence on imported oil and stop fouling the planet?

Most important, where was Kennedy on the decades-long slide starting with Reagan that transformed government’s mandate and public opinion about the very mission of America? Kennedy’s silence was deafening as Republicans and Democrats alike pandered to business and cut taxes on the wealthy, mocking his brother John’s clarion call in his inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

It’s deeply ironic that Kennedy dies in the midst of a national firestorm over healthcare reform, the cause that he hoped to make his crowning achievement. He leaves the issue mired in the lies and muddle that he didn’t challenge while it spread to poison the national debate. Senior citizens with their social security benefits and Medicare cards stand up at town hall meetings today demanding, “Keep government’s hands off my healthcare,” not only because of Fox News and rightwing radio, but because Ted Kennedy refused to use his mantle to refute the noise and nonsense on the right, leaving it instead of the likes of Al Franken.

Kennedy eschewed that national spotlight to become the consummate Capitol Hill insider. His accomplishments, while noteworthy and substantial, did nothing to counteract the nation’s lurch to the right. He chose to work in the comfortable, clubby confines of the Senate while his team desperately needed a public leader. Perhaps, given the times and trends (though with Watergate, Reagan and his hoodlums, 9/11 and Iraq, the Democrats certainly have had some cards to play), Kennedy drew a Mission: Impossible ? but unlike the fictional agents, Kennedy chose not to accept his mission.

Renowned as an orator, it’s fitting that Kennedy’s best known words have come in tragedy and defeat. There’s this beautiful tribute in his eulogy for Robert Kennedy: “As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: ‘Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say, why not?’”

After Carter whipped his ass, Kennedy told the 1980 Democratic national convention: “The work goes on, the cause endures, the dream will never die.” In his electrifying appearance at last year’s Democratic party convention in Denver, the stricken Kennedy, whose early support helped Barack Obama secure the presidential nomination, said, “The work begins anew, the hope rises anew, the dream lives on.”

Because of Kennedy’s own failures and flaws, despite nearly half a century in the Senate, so much of what he stood for remains nothing more than dreams.

An earlier version of this article appeared in Asia Times Online.

For those of you who don’t know, my older brother “Gene” is a 28 years of service Army veteran.  He is a retired Sgt. Mjr. the highest enlisted (E-9), was in Special Forces for 17 of those years, did covert military operations for 13 of those 17 years.  When he retired, he spent the last six months of service at Fr. Bragg writing technical manuals for the work that he did, which is still classified so I don’t know much about it.  His tours included Costa Rica, Pakistan, Alaska (north of Arctic Circle), east Africa, and numerous other “missions” that I am not aware of.

Gene is also very concerned about Global Warming/Climate Change.  He has seen the changes first hand during his career.   He has seen retreating glaciers, melting perma-frost, snow capped mountains losing their snow caps, and dwindling water supplies in many areas of the planet.  We have both seen the changes in climate both in our native Florida, and in the mountains of western North Carolina (where he now lives).  The summers in North Carolina are now much hotter than they were when we were children.  I remind him that three times as many people live on the earth as when we were kids, and all of them use fossil fuel, especially here in the United States.

Neither of us are fans of Fox News, but this latest round of lies coming from them has just about sent us both to the brink.  I’ve seen the documentary “Out Foxed” and understand that much of the “information” Fox provides is “spin” and commentary, not factual news.   The fear mongering over health care, climate change, and continuous spewing of lies into the living rooms of millions of viewers is irresponsible journalism at it’s worst.

My brother wrote this eMail to them recently, referring to them as the “Propaganda Network:

 Hello.  I am a 100% service connected disabled retired combat veteran.  Since President Obama began his campaign and has become President I can relate 3 issues that give favor to him as to Disabled Veterans.

1. President Obama supports full concurrent receipt of disabled military retirees military retirement and VA disability pay.  At present on those of us who are fully 100% or being paid at the 100% rate under the unemployable clause are getting full concurrent receipt.  The rest 50% or higher are still having it phased in while those below still have not such legislation.

2. President Obama supported what is now law on the New enhanced GI Bill brought forth by 2 tour combat Vietnam veteran Senator Jim Webb of Virginia.

3. President Obama has asked for a 16 billion increase in this years VA budget, the most in over 30 years.

Yet now that he tries to help the 40 million Americans who have not health insurance, all kinds of half truths, distortions, deception, and out and out lies are being told reference this.  I know many disabled combat veterans who are between   50 and 70 % disabled who simply cannot work no can they afford a supplement to their Medicare A&B. Therefore they really have nothing outside the VA which while doing all it can with the resources it has which is not always enough to meet the need.

Yet your so called “news” network allows Sean Hannity to have his own biased radio talk show and then present himself on Fox news as a radio reporter.  

This is wrong and I do not know why this is allowed.  In the days of Walter Cronkite, Charles Collingwood, David Brinkley, Chet Huntley, Edward R. Murrow, Qunten Renalds, and others this would not have been allowed.

In short your News network is only there to support greedy CEO’s and industries who have not the people’s best interests at heart, but increasing their greedy bank accounts such as Big Oil, Big Coal, Many in the Health Care industry, and others.

This shows that with enough money any large corporation can buy off many in Congress and also buy their own propaganda New network, radio shows, and internet web sites.Yet Fox news tries to put on a front that they stand behind the American working person.

This is totally false.  Your network is a total disgrace to all the American veterans who have given their lives in the service of their country.It is my sincere hope that someday you be uncovered for who you really are.  You stand against everything that makes and has made this country great and are a total disgrace to yourselves, your families, the United States of America, and mankind.

He added this in a note to me:  I am up to it with Fox News and all the others who keep sending me this bull s**t anti Obama and the health plan stuff.  One Congressman got up in the Congress and was lambasting it all and accused Obama’s administration of penalizing the 80% who have health insurance for the 40% who have not “EARNED” health insurance.  I guess some of my combat veteran friends who can’t afford health insurance didn’t earn it.  I think they earned it far more than that a** hole who I doubt ever was in service, must less combat. 

Fox News, is is owned by Rupert Murdoch, an ultra “right wing” Republican.  He has made Fox  network his personal mouthpiece for the agenda of greed, the fossil fuel cartel, make the United States into a third world country, destroy the middle class, etc.  These are the same people who gutted the treasury and the country for the last 8 years.  They are trying to stir up confusion and lies to defeat the “public OPTION” (not mandate) for health care that is now in congress.

Their motto “Fair and Balanced” is the first lie they perpetrate, they are neither.

You can add some comments to this if you like, just press the “Comments/No Comments” link at the bottom.

A friend sent him this link from the Sierra Club for a petition, you might want to sign it as well.

https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2837&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr001=63ykz0n755.app224a 

Our president offered a very dignified and gracious greeting to the Islamic world for the beginning of Ramadan, explaining that it is a month long season of fasting, prayer and dignified celebration of the revealing of the Holy Koran to the prophet Mohammed.

While some may respond to this with shock, anger or other negative response, I am personally very pleased that our president has made this gesture of respect towards the Islamic community, a community which for too long has been perceived as being at odds with American values.

My personal experience of Islamic people has been overwhelmingly respectful, gracious, and I have experienced them as deeply spiritual people, who constantly hold their relationship with God at the center of their lives.  Generally they are gracious and humble people, filled with thanksgiving, and always open to being hospitable with strangers in their midst.  It is sad that our previous administration played upon fears and exploited the actions of a very few Muslims, and used their actions as an excuse to demonize an entire religion.

As a Gay man who is also a Christian,  I am painfully aware of how religious extremists in any religion can taint what the outside world sees regarding the entire religion.  The so-called militant clerics in Islam have about as much sanction in the larger faith as Pat Robertson, or the late Jerry Falwell had among main stream Christians.  I would not want all Christians to be judged by the actions and words of a few literalist angry judgmental men, and I suspect it is equally ignorant to cast the majority of Muslims, who are peace loving people, in with the words and deeds of a small and misguided group of angry people.

So, here is the video, and afterward is a Wikipedia link about Ramadan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK9ThwtxzfY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

Living in a Constant State of Fear

Our community (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Trans, Queer) has a lot going on right now.  The lingering question of marriage rights, of the right to serve in the Armed Forces without fear, the ongoing storms of constantly having our dignity and humanity questioned and brought to a vote in ballot initiatives loom over our lives as constant unwanted companions.   It’s been 32 years since 1977, when Anita Bryant launched the first “Anti-Gay” ballot initiative in Miami Florida, and that 32 years has been marked by dozens of ballot initiatives, most of which our community has lost.  The recent loss of marriage in California underscores our status as “half citizens”, they want our tax money, but they don’t want us to be free.

Add those things to the list of the more daily issues like public display of affection, how to address a partner in public (saying “Honey” out loud in the store) and our significant numbers who are married to women, but seek “NSA action” on the side, and it’s easy to demonstrate that our lives are more complicated than those who live in the mainstream.

I believe that all gay men grow up and live in a constant state of fear.  Fear  of discovery, fear of rejection, fear of physical violence, the list goes on and on.   Many of us can “pass” for straight, but the constant fear of being discovered never really goes away.  That constant fear significantly affects our self-esteem and our ability to fight back against those who want us to shut up and go away.

In my private practice, as well as in the social services agencies I’ve worked in, the story is always the same, smart handsome men, who work very hard to “fit in”, often at the cost of our own sense of self, who wonder why we feel empty inside and either self medicate with drugs and alcohol, and/or are taking prescribed anti-depressants.  A recent story on ABC News centered on how the use of Anti-Depressant drugs in this country has doubled in the last decade.  How many of us have swelled those numbers?

At the height of the HIV plague, before there were the current medicines that slow down the progress of the virus, two actions groups emerged among the dying,  those who knew they only had a couple of years left to live.

The first was “Act Up”, with it’s mantra, “Silence equals death / Action equals life.”  The second was “Queer Nation” whose slogan was “We’re Queer, We’re here, We’re fabulous, Get used to it.”

I lived in Los Angeles at the time, and one of the direct impacts of these two movements was the explosion of gay men and lesbians into mainstream media.  Basically, closeted men who had led quiet and comfortable lives working as producers and directors, lost patience with the status quo and decided to rock the boat before they died.  Their actions led to the emergence of gay characters in virtually every aspect of media, television, film, etc.  These people decided to go out with dignity, instead of quiet patience that somehow “things would change” on their own.

So now I’m living here in Portland and the status quo includes such attributes as “patience”, “understanding” and being orderly and reserved.   People want change, but seem to think that someone else will make it happen, not us.

And I have a steady stream of people in my practice who have been depressed for years.

In this day of anti-depressant drugs, and the belief that depression is “a chemical imbalance in the brain” a couple of basic truths have been lost.  The first is that depression is “anger turned inward.”  If we can’t express our anger when we are being assaulted (physically or emotionally) then we “stuff it” and get sick, physically, mentally or both. 

The second truth is that if you torment an animal repeatedly, it’s brain chemistry WILL become imbalanced in order to accommodate the ongoing torment.  Part of that accommodation is to create a defense mechanism that makes it okay to live in fear. 

We have become experts at denying some basic, and very liberating truths about who we are.  We also have a very hard time fighting back, which is the most exhilarating and liberating thing any of us can do.

I have a very simple question I ask myself whenever I need to decide how to deal with a situation that involves my dignity.  “Do “straight” people have to do this?”

If the answer is “No”, then I don’t do it either.  Life is too short to spend it in half misery, being a half person, in a half world, so that the people who hate us can continue to feel comfortable hating us.

Edward “Ed” Garren, MA, LMFT