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"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, (i.e., the "business cycle") the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
It has been a busy month. On May 3rd, I announced my write-in candidacy for President at the Detroit, Global Marijuana March. There were over 200 events around the globe, that Saturday, calling for an end to Marijuana Prohibition. While the odds of inhabiting the White House are pretty dim it did give me an opportunity to discuss my model for Marijuana Re-Legalization (the "Merp Project") which is part of the broader "New Agenda for America." Despite the rain there were over 200 participants, at the Detroit event, which is commendable given the utter lack of political activism amongst the American people. At any rate I was well received and a good time was had by all.
I'm also looking for things I can sell in order to further promote the website and the "New Agenda for America." Towards that end I am working diligently on the "Gnostic Music Project." In just a few weeks you should be able to purchase a copy of the "Gnostic Raw" CD, which contains some listenable, but unfinished versions of the songs that will appear on the final CD: "Gnostic."
In the meantime I took a few days to re-master a "live" Classical Guitar concert I performed many years ago. It contains nearly 50 minutes of live Classical Guitar music and I'm quite sure you will be surprised at the mastery I once had as a Classical Guitarist. This little project is complete and you can purchase your own personal copy of this CD right now. Your purchase will help in the promotion of the "New Agenda for America."
In this edition I'm calling your attention to the further "selling out" of the American people on the issue of "Amnesty for Illegal Aliens." On Wednesday the Senate will be voting on a Defense Appropriations Bill, to which they have appended an Amnesty Amendment that could grant amnesty to over 3 million Illegal Aliens. Soon after that the Senate will vote on another piece of legislation that will divert nearly a percentage of our GDP to poor countries through the UN. Obama is a primary sponsor of this regrettable bill.
I think the following YouTube video speaks to the frustration that many American's are having over these presidential candidates that are so intent on sucking up to their corporate backers . . . while completely ignoring the will of the American people. Over 80 percent of the American people are against giving ANY form of amnesty to these Illegal Aliens.
For those that have not read through the last edition of "New Age Citizen" I highly recommend reading through it and taking the time to watch the various videos:
This edition focused heavily on the "North American Union" and explains why there is no real movement towards securing the border, deport Illegal Aliens or building the border fence. The bottom line is that we, the American People, are being sold out to Global Corporations that are increasingly owned by Chinese and Saudi wealth. This edition of "New Age Citizen" should serve as a good primer for those that are unaware of the "North American Union" and how it's implementation will destroy US sovereignty.
I also encourage my readers to understand and promote the "New Agenda for America." Here are the initial "planks":
(1) Universal Health Care for All American Citizens (2) A 20-year moratorium on all immigration into the United States (3) Legal Marijuana for all Adults and Medical Patients (4) An immediate reversal to the Offshoring and Inshoring of American Jobs (5) A strict enforcement on issues of Separation of Church and State (6) An immediate move from so-called Free Trade Agreements to Bilateral Trade agreements (7) A major R&D project to bring energy independence to the United States and the World through recycling, reuse, ending hyper-consumerism and investing in the development of sustainable energy sources (e.g., solar, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal) (8) No further ownership of US Assets (businesses, homes, ports, stock exchanges) by foreign governments or individuals! (9) Replace the Federal Reserve with a People's Reserve which allows public oversight
Much more (articles, videos) on the "New Agenda for America" can be found through the following links:
The last thing I ask is for you to get on my mailing list. I would like to start doing more public speaking on the "New Agenda for America" and want to make sure you have an opportunity to attend.
The Detroit Global Marijuana March Website http://www.detroitliberation.org/essentialinfo.html
Despite the rain we had about 300 people at the event and I had the opportunity to speak along with a host of others. It was a fun time and I hope that future Detroit GMM have far more participation. That IS what is required should we really want to Re-Legalize in the next few years.
I hope to post the video of my speech eventually, however, here is a quick recap. My focus was on the "Merp" Model for legalization which is part of the New Agenda for America. I also announced my "fantasy" write-in candidacy for the 2008 Presidential election. Finally, I discussed the North American Union and what it has to do with drug policy. Specifically, I spoke out against the pending "Merida" Bill that would give 1.4 Billion dollars to the Mexican military which, unfortunately, is involved in drug trafficking itself. My recommendation was Marijuana Re-Legalization through the "Merp" Model. By taking the profit out of the entire Marijuana Black Market we would economically destroy the Mexican Drug Cartels . . . and save 1.4 Billion dollars to boot. Sounds like a win-win to me.
I also drew a parallel between a recent executive order which gives the US the ability to involve the Canada military in containing civil disturbances in the US. Very bad idea. But worse is that, in the context of a North America Union (which wants to consolidate Canada, the United States and Mexico) it would not be such a stretch to see another executive order that allows the Mexican military to also help contain civil disturbances in the US. I really don't think that is a very good idea.
Two topic I believe I missed were: (1) the Medical Marijuana that will be on the Michigan State ballot this November and (2) the pending sentencing of my fellow activist Marc Emery at the behest of the Bush Administration.
The first topic is good news as it chips away at the facade of Marijuana prohibition and I expect it to pass with at least 60% of the vote. The second topic really angers me for more reasons than I have time to cover. Suffice it to say that George was a Coke-swilling hypocrite in his youth and his father was responsible for the Crack epidemic on both East and West Coasts during the Reagan administration. For those that were not "zombied out" on anti-depressants, during the 80's, George's father was then Vice President and was formally the head of the CIA. For more on this "google" the following: "Iran Contra" and "The Dark Alliance", "Gary Webb"
I was also hoping to do an acoustic version of "The Hemp Song" and "Rainbow Farm" which will soon appear on the CD, "Gnostic Raw." But the rain didn't cooperate You can hear orchestrated version of each of them right now by clicking on the songs (above). Or you can click here for more info on the upcoming CD. It is probably just as well as it has been some time since I've played live before the public.
For those that want to better understand my positions on Marijuana in particular, and drug policy in general, let me offer you the following primer:
Video Biography of Bruce W. Cain This covers various television appearances, debates with federal representatives, speeches at the Hash Bash and my run for US Congress in 1996.http://www.newagecitizen.com/Videos.htm
Michael Ruppert On Government Drug Laundering and 911 This 2-hour video details complicity of the US Government in the Global Drug Trade. Well worth watching! http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/261.html
I hope you found these links informative. If nothing else it will help you appreciate why I want Marijuana Prohibition to end yesterday and have little tolerance for those that don't think along the same lines.
If Soros, Sperling or Lewis would like to contribute a few million altogether, I'm fairly confident that I could implement the "Merp" Model throughout the US in less than 5 years. I would do it be organizing the vast unfocused energy of the "grass roots" organizations. By the way, it is these 3 that basically fund the lions share of moneyed drug reform in this country. Unfortunately, many of these organizations are dragging their feet as far as I'm concerned. And I have been involved with them for over 20 years, so I just might have a learned opinion on this subject.
Well lets go onto the photos of the event:
Here's a look at the crowd from the perspective of the fountain, in which the band played. Great well-behaved group of people. Great band, though I couldn't recall their name. But they played a lot of Bob Marley Reggae which was exactly what the rain-soaked crowd needed.
Next we have Youseph, who has been a perennial activist, with two attractive hemp activists from Sterling Heights: Youseph also spoke and recommended that I read "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle, which is Oprah's new book club selection.
Below we have Peter Wirbe, the past editor of "5th Estate" and host of the WRIF (101 FM, Sunday at 10 PM) "talk radio" show, "Night Call." I've known Pete for over 20 years and have a deep and enduring respect for him. He gave a great speech on the hypocrisy of Marijuana prohibition. But there a couple of things that bother me about him as of late. He won't allow me as a guest on his show any more and doesn't offer any reason for it. He made that clear when I made the request to discuss the "Merp" Model and the "New Agenda for America" on his radio show after the event.
But what I really find odd, given his vast background in current events, is that he scoffs at the idea of a North American Union, the Trans Texas Corridor and the movement from sovereign nations states towards a global corporate government. After we had that little conversation, at the event, I told him I was worried that someone had performed a brain transplant on him. We both go a laugh out of that on.
Here is some video review of the 2007 GMM/Detroit event from Oakland County NORML, along with some other commentary. This video is well worth viewing and includes a story showing how drug prohibition is funding Islamic Terrorism in the UK and across the globe. When do we start thinking intelligently about this issue?
In closing I just wanted to thank Paul for all of his efforts in organizing this event. I also want to plant a thought in the minds of every activist throughout the globe. Once we recognize that the moneyed reform groups -- such as NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project -- are not really serious about ending Marijuana Prohibition, through the the the "Merp" Model -- we can use the internet to organize the vast grass root individuals and organizations. As I write in the refrain to the "Hemp Song"
Any time, any day Any time that we want it that way We don’t need your Drug War anymore
Together I am confident that this can be over within the next 5 years if we could only convince the money boys (Soros, Lewis or Sperling) to grant me the money I've been asking for over the last 20 years to accomplish this one simple task:
Legalize Marijuana for all adult Americans without any taxation, regulation or government interference.
That, in a nutshell is the "Merp" Model for Marijuana Re-Legalization. And it is just one plank in the "New Agenda for America."
Let me just leave you now with my recent video presentation on why we need to Re-Legalize Now!
Under the radar screen, of corporately-controlled media, the US Senate is getting ready to betray the American people once again. Tomorrow (05/21/2008) they are scheduled to vote on a Defense Appropriation Bill, to which they have appended an amendment which could grant 3 million Illegal Aliens US citizenship. It also expands the number of legal IT immigrants at a time that America is hemorrhaging with the loss of US technical jobs.
In my opinion any Senator that votes "Yes" should be dipped in tar, covered in feathers and dumped in the Potomac.
Our representatives must really think we are as dumb as a bag of rocks if they think this will be tolerated. If you happen to read this, before the 21st, I implore you to contact your 2 Federal State Senators and say, "you damn well better vote NO on this bill!"
(202) 224-3121
This will only take a minute. Just call the number a ask to speak to your Senate representatives. If you don't know who they are click on this link to get their names. You can also just tell them what state you are from and they should be able to direct you to your two Senators.
Please check out the following links to get more background on this latest betrayal:
And it gets worse. Presidential candidate Obama is a primary sponsor of the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), which will divert nearly a percent of our GDP for redistribution by the utterly corrupt UN. I am amazed that this has received so little attention: both from the media and the activist community. If anyone is in need of more money it is the millions of Americans who have no jobs, no health care . . . and at the rate things are going, no future.
In a nutshell Obama's legislation diverts nearly a trillion US dollars to the UN over the next 10 years. But worse yet it allows the UN power to register all small arms and light weapons," the beginning of the end of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The fact that this legislation has not received any media coverage speaks to the reality that the media is owned -- lock, stock and barrel -- by Global Corporate Interests. And unfortunately, Obama is their new "favorite son."
There is an unwritten rule in Congress that the appropriations process should not be used to pass major legislation. So when the Senate Appropriations Committee makes an exception to this rule, you can bet that they are doing so only to deal with some burning crisis.
For the Senate Appropriations Committee to break with tradition, the interests at stake must be so compelling that circumstances demand that the cumbersome legislative process be bypassed and that the issue be dealt with immediately. And when the legislation gets tacked on to not just any old appropriations bill, but an emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund our servicemen and women fighting in Iraq, one can assume that the most vital national interests hang in the balance.
What were the compelling interests that led the august Senate Appropriations Committee to include major legislation as part of the military spending bill on Thursday? Amnesty for illegal aliens, and lots of new foreign workers for powerful business interests.
In one afternoon, the Appropriations Committee approved amnesty for 1.35 million illegal alien agricultural workers, and made available an additional 650,000 skilled and unskilled foreign guest workers over the next three years. That’s 2 million new, or newly legalized, foreign workers entering our labor force over the next three years – even as our economy has been losing jobs.
The 2 million figure does not include the dependents of the amnesty recipients or new workers who could be admitted under existing agricultural guest worker programs. Under the agricultural amnesty – written by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) at the behest of the California agricultural lobby – the spouses of amnesty recipients will also be authorized to compete with American workers for jobs in any sector of our labor market. Nor does it include the potentially unlimited number of new guest workers agricultural employers will be able to import under a “streamlined” H-2A program that requires the Department of Labor to issue visas within seven days of an employer’s request.
Just to be extra sure that the agriculture industry will get their workers as cheaply as possible, Sen. Feinstein threw in a provision that freezes wages for these farm workers at 2007 levels.
While the Feinstein amendment offers senators a fig leaf to avoid the dreaded “A-Word” (that’s A-M-N-E-S-T-Y) by legalizing these workers for only five years, the sunset provision is sheer kabuki theater. Everyone knows that once we start down that road there is no turning back. At some point in the next five years, the “temporary” amnesty will be made a permanent one and will likely include many other categories of illegal aliens – just to be fair to everyone who broke our laws.
California agriculture is not the only business interest powerful enough to hitch a ride on the backs of our military personnel. The Maryland fishing and tourism industries also want a ready supply of cheap foreign labor, and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) was happy to accommodate by offering an amendment that exempts returning unskilled or low-skilled H-2B workers from counting against the caps for that category. (Never mind that there are fewer Maryland crabs to harvest each year, and that with the skyrocketing price of gas people may not be able to afford to drive to the Eastern Shore.) Over the next three years, the cumulative number of H-2B workers admitted could reach 432,000.
And while the Appropriations Committee was piling on goodies for the low-skill industries, they found time to take care of the lobbyists for the high tech industry as well. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Microsoft/Wash.) added a provision to “recapture” 218,000 visas for skilled foreign workers. These visas didn’t really “escape,” so much as they just went unutilized between 1996 and 2004, especially during the years immediately after the high tech bubble burst. But now high tech employers and labor contractors want those visas back, because foreign guest workers tamp down labor costs for the industry.
Americans, no matter what they might think of the war in Iraq, genuinely support our men and women who are over there serving our nation. It seems that the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee love our troops too – but for entirely different reasons: they provide convenient cover for passing special interest legislation to benefit illegal aliens and powerful business lobbies.
The United States Senate may vote any day on the stealth imposition of what could amount to an $845 BILLION United Nations style global tax on American citizens?
It's called the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), and it is being sponsored by none other than Senator Barack Obama.
According to some conservative sources, this disastrous legislation could eventually force U.S. taxpayers to fork over as much as 0.7 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product -- or $845,000,000,000.00 -- on welfare to third-world countries.
Here's what Phyllis Schlafly, conservative activist and founder of Eagle Forum, recently wrote:
"Obama's costly, dangerous and altogether bad bill (S. 2433), which could come up in the Senate any day, is called the Global Poverty Act. It would commit U.S. taxpayers to spend 0.7 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on foreign handouts..." [Emphasis Mine]
Time is of the essence because Senator Joe Biden, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just issued a report on the Global Poverty Act and it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on Thursday the 24th.
That means that time is of the essence as this potentially massive surrender of your hard-earned tax dollars to the third world may be close to a vote.
That's why we must act now... BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush and each Member of the Republican Leadership of the United States Senate.
Let them know in no uncertain terms that you are watching and you will not tolerate massive United Nations style giveaways that are passed in the dark of night -- or in broad daylight for that matter. Tell them that putting us on the road to give billions to petty tyrants and dictators is NOT a solution to poverty.
This bill can come up for a vote at any time. Demand that our conservative legislators do whatever it takes -- a filibuster if necessary -- to stop this bill dead in its tracks.
If the above hyperlink does not appear to function you can copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser.
The Senate Shell Game...
Advocates of the Global Poverty Act are claiming that it does not really commit the United States to anything... that it won't really cost anything... that it simply requires the President -- in conjunction with the Secretary of State -- to "develop" strategies to alleviate world poverty.
In fact, Biden's report incredulously states, "implementing S. 2433 would cost less than $1 million per year..."
Technically he's correct... after all, it doesn't really cost that much to develop and formulate strategies...
But such a cleverly worded contention begs the question: Why formulate or develop a strategy if there is no intention to follow through on that strategy?
And what would it cost to actually follow through on a strategy to alleviate world poverty?
The Global Poverty Act intentionally gives no specific figures but it does contain clues, and those clues are stated repeatedly in the legislation's reliance on the United Nations Millennium Development Goal.
WorldNetDaily.com quotes Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media as saying:
"The bill defines the term 'Millennium Development Goals' as the goals set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration..."
"In addition to seeking to eradicate poverty, that declaration commits nations to banning 'small arms and light weapons' and ratifying a series of treaties, including the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming treaty), the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child."
As for specific figures... WorldNetDaily.com reports:
"Those U.N. protocols would make U.S. law on issues ranging from the 2nd Amendment to energy usage and parental rights all subservient to United Nations whims."
"[T]he legislation, if approved, dedicates 0.7 percent of the U.S. gross national product to foreign aid, which over 13 years... would amount to $845 billion 'over and above what the U.S. already spends.'"
"The plan passed the House in 2007 'because most members didn't realize what was in it.' Congressional sponsors have been careful not to calculate the amount of foreign aid spending that it would require."
And, how would the United States pay for this $845 BILLION commitment? According to Kincaid, who published a report on the legislation; "A global tax will clearly be necessary to force American taxpayers to provide the money."
And that $845 BILLION global tax is in addition to our nation's current Foreign Aid programs, which, in 2006, cost American taxpayers about $300 BILLION!
Senator Obama's Global Poverty Act has already passed the House (many Members unfortunately voted in favor of it without carefully noting exactly what was in it) and President Bush may very well sign it!
That's why it must be stopped, and it must be stopped NOW!
Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush and each Member of the Republican Leadership of the United States Senate.
Let them know in no uncertain terms that you are watching and you will not tolerate massive United Nations style giveaways that are passed in the dark of night -- or in broad daylight for that matter. Tell them that putting us on the road to give billions to petty tyrants and dictators is NOT a solution to poverty.
This bill can come up for a vote at any time. Demand that our conservative legislators do whatever it takes -- a filibuster if necessary -- to stop this bill dead in its tracks.
If the above hyperlink does not appear to function you can copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser.
It Gets Worse!
Here are some of the additional provisions of the Millennium Development Goal:
a "currency transfer tax," that is, a tax imposed on companies and individuals who must exchange dollars for foreign currency;
a "tax on the rental value of land and natural resources";
a "royalty on worldwide fossil energy projection -- oil, natural gas, coal";
"fees for the commercial use of the oceans, fees for airplane use of the skies, fees for use of the electromagnetic spectrum, fees on foreign exchange transactions, and a tax on the carbon content of fuels."
a "standing peace force," meaning a standing United Nations army that might, in time, be large enough to force us to bend to its will;
a "UN arms register of all small arms and light weapons," the beginning of the end of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution;
the "eradication of poverty" by the "redistribution [of] wealth and land" -- How do you suppose the United Nations expects to "redistribute" the land and the wealth? And what country do you think the third-world majority will go after first?
cancellation of "the debts of developing countries,"
"a fair distribution of the earth's resources."
and "political control of the global economy."
In other words, it's a blueprint for a world government, owned and operated by the United Nations.
One thing is clear: the Millennium Development Goal is a dagger aimed at the heart of America.
While the Global Poverty Act, as presently championed by its Senate supporters, embraces certain aspects of the Millennium Development Goal, one should wonder if some of our legislators also support land and wealth "redistribution."
We must stop this bill dead in its tracks.
We must stop this subversion NOW! Don't let Senator Obama's Global Poverty Act sneak through the Senate.
Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush and each Member of the Republican Leadership of the United States Senate.
Let them know in no uncertain terms that you are watching and you will not tolerate massive United Nations style giveaways that are passed in the dark of night -- or in broad daylight for that matter. Tell them that putting us on the road to give billions to petty tyrants and dictators is NOT a solution to poverty.
This bill can come up for a vote at any time. Demand that our conservative legislators do whatever it takes -- a filibuster if necessary -- to stop this bill dead in its tracks.
If the above hyperlink does not appear to function you can copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser.
Other Appropriate Entities...
Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs -- a Columbia University economist -- is monitoring the Millennium Development Goal for the United Nations.
In his 2005 report to Kofi Annan -- based on the research of 265 "poverty specialists" -- Sachs criticized the United States for giving only a mere $16.3 billion a year to alleviate global poverty.
He argued that we should spend at least an additional $30 billion a year.
And Sachs has decreed that the only way to force the United States to commit that much money is to IMPOSE A GLOBAL TAX.
Has Senator Obama -- along with the other Senate co-sponsors -- introduced the Global Policy Act at least in partial obedience to Sachs' wishes?
Phyllis Schlafly claims:
"The Global Poverty Act would be a giant step toward the Millennium Goals of global governance and international taxes on Americans. Tell your Senators to kill this un-American bill."
Joe Farah, publisher of WorldNetDaily.com said of this treacherous bill:
"Now comes an even grander proposal by Barack Obama. It's called the Global Poverty Act, that would, in the next decade, transfer at least $845 billion of U.S. taxpayer money overseas. Think of Johnson's failed war on poverty going international -- directed not by Americans but by the United Nations."
And yes, just in case you think the massive amounts of your tax dollars that were wasted under the United Nation's Oil for Food program were an aberration, and that such a thing could not eventually happen on a more massive scale were the Global Poverty Act to sneak through the Senate, Doug Powers, writing for WorldNetDaily.com made this observation:
"Not long ago, Nigeria's 'anti-corruption commission' -- runner-up in the 'oxymoron of the year' competition, second only to 'U.S. Senate Intelligence' -- found that past rulers of Nigeria have stolen or misused billions of dollars."
"The commission discovered that the amount of money 'missing' adds up to all the Western aid given to Africa in four decades. Obama, Hagel and Cantwell want to throw more at them. Apparently they won't be happy until there are trillions of our tax dollars stolen by crooked leaders and warlords." [Emphasis Mine]
Unfortunately, the Global Poverty Act is still flying under the radar, but not for long.
There is hope.
We know, and we can stop this vicious bill -- provided we act RIGHT NOW!
Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush and each Member of the Republican Leadership of the United States Senate.
Let them know in no uncertain terms that you are watching and you will not tolerate massive United Nations style giveaways that are passed in the dark of night -- or in broad daylight for that matter. Tell them that putting us on the road to give billions to petty tyrants and dictators is NOT a solution to poverty.
This bill can come up for a vote at any time. Demand that our conservative legislators do whatever it takes -- a filibuster if necessary -- to stop this bill dead in its tracks.
If the above hyperlink does not appear to function you can copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser.
Yours In Freedom,
Jeff Mazzella President www.cfif.org
P.S. Please help us reach as many concerned Americans as possible by forwarding this e-mail to at least 10 of your friends and family members.
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There has been alot of uneasiness in regards to a bill Obama introduced which is scheduled to be introduced to the Senate today (05/15/2008). Besides more of our tax dollars going to aid global poverty what else is in the bill?
S.2433The following summary is provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress. The summary is taken from the official website THOMAS. 4/24/2008--Reported to Senate amended.
Global Poverty Act of 2007 - Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
Requires the strategy to contain specific and measurable goals and to consist of specified components, including:
(1) continued investment or involvement in existing U.S. initiatives related to international poverty reduction and trade preference programs for developing countries; (2) improving the effectiveness of development assistance and making available additional overall United States assistance levels as appropriate; (3) enhancing and expanding debt relief as appropriate; (4) mobilizing and leveraging the participation of businesses and public-private partnerships; (5) coordinating the goal of poverty reduction with other internationally recognized Millennium Development Goals; (6) integrating principles of sustainable development and entrepreneurship into policies and programs.
The Millenium Development Goal keeps popping up.
Nat'l Ledger The bill defines the term “Millennium Development Goals” as the goals set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, General Assembly Resolution 55/2 (2000).[...]
In addition to seeking to eradicate poverty, that declaration commits nations to banning “small arms and light weapons” and ratifying a series of treaties, including the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming treaty), the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Millennium Declaration also affirms the U.N. as “the indispensable common house of the entire human family, through which we will seek to realize our universal aspirations for peace, cooperation and development.” This "wonderful" UNDP program has helped the Maldivians to write the world's first Muslim criminal code. It is one of the most comprehensive modern criminal codes in the world - modern Sharia Law is a better word. Same law but now will have a "penal code" that co-ordinates with the Koran. The code now awaits action by the parliament.
The Ugandan's also have been affected by the "wonderful" UNDP program. They were disarmed under the UN gun control mandate. Now they joyfully are being brutalized by the same government that was suppose to protect them.
Be wary, very wary of Obama's bill. The Global Poverty/UNDP is very dangerous to our own democracy.
Related Obama's bill to hand US sovereignty to UN
UNDP Countries Check out the US, we are listed as "partner". Will that change to full fledged country if and when this bill passes?
h/t to Wm Teach for his link to the National Ledger article on this.
Also, h/t to ST for his link to Reason's article on Uganda and how the Kyoto Protocol fits in with this.
I will be posting some photo's from the event soon. In the meantime here is some background to the 10th Annual
On May 3rd, 2008, I intend to announce my write-in Presidential run at the Detroit "Global Marijuana March."
During my brief speech I intend to discuss my model for Marijuana Re-Legalization, (known as "Merp") which is part of a much larger agenda that is known as the "New Agenda for America." For more information on the Detroit "Global Marijuana March" please check out the following link:
Rochelle Lampkin is a 49-year-old grandmother of 10 who used to picket in front of dope houses in her Detroit neighborhood, chanting "this is wrong, shut it down."
Today, she knowingly breaks the law by using marijuana to ease searing eye pain -- a side-effect of the multiple sclerosis that struck her more than 20 years ago. She must use a cane or walker to get around.
Lampkin is among the enthusiastic supporters of a proposal that will be on Michigan's fall ballot to legalize marijuana use by the terminally and seriously ill.
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If voters approve it, Michigan would become the 13th state to legalize medical marijuana for the treatment of a host of health problems such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, hepatitis C and Alzheimer's disease. Sponsors say as many as 50,000 Michigan residents, including Lampkin, would qualify for the medical pot.
"Years ago, I was at an MS group meeting and someone suggested I try marijuana because it can help with the pain and the eye problems," Lampkin recalled. "I said: 'I'm not doing that. It's dope.' "
But the flare-ups of optic neuritis convinced her to change her mind about four years ago.
"You have enough pain, you'll try anything," she said. "Somebody gave me a marijuana cigarette and I puffed on it a couple times and got relief from the pain behind my eyes. I was shocked that it worked."
But she didn't like the smell or the coughing that came from smoking a joint. So today, she uses illegally obtained marijuana to make a tea that brings her relief.
Pot still illegal in feds' eyes Michigan, with its scheduled Nov. 4 vote, is at the forefront of the national debate that has percolated since 1996, when California voters approved medical marijuana.
U.S. law classifies marijuana, like heroin and LSD, as a Schedule I controlled substance. That means it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration regards medical marijuana users, even in states that have approved its use, as lawbreakers. And in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws approving medical marijuana don't bring with them immunity from federal prosecution.
But as a practical matter the experience in other states shows that medical marijuana users who follow the state law are not legally hassled, according to the spokeswoman for the Michigan group backing the ballot proposal.
"Ninety-nine percent of drug laws are enforced by state law enforcement agencies. And in states with medical marijuana laws, as long as the person is conforming with state law (such as limiting the amount of marijuana a person can possess), there are virtually no arrests," said Dianne Byrum of Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care, which collected a half-million petition signatures.
"It's been highly successful in those states. The sky is not falling."
Michigan's law enforcement community overwhelmingly opposes the ballot proposal.
"It's not a good idea and most practicing physicians who work in pain management know there are better and more effective medicines to deal with the issue rather than using marijuana," said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
He said he believes the true agenda of those backing the Michigan ballot proposal is to legalize marijuana for everyone.
"This is the only nose under the tent that has resonance with citizens because everyone wants to help relieve the pain and suffering of individuals, including those of us in law enforcement," he said. "But this is a guise to advance the process of legalization."
A poll of 600 voters in mid-March, conducted by Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, found that two-thirds favored it. .
2 doctors take different sides The medical establishment isn't of a single mind on the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine.
Dr. George Wagoner, a retired obstetrician/gynecologist from Manistee, is a believer.
Beverly, his wife of 51 years, died in July of ovarian cancer. She developed intense nausea from chemotherapy, and anti-nausea drugs didn't help much.
"One drug cost $46.20 a pill and didn't help," he said. "Another made her hallucinate so she refused to take it."
Wagoner told some friends that he knew marijuana could help, but he didn't know where to get it. A short time later one gave him a half-ounce of marijuana.
"She took two puffs and said, 'It's gone. My nausea is gone,' " he said.
Wagoner is angry he had to break the law to comfort his wife.
"It's legal to dispense drugs like morphine and Demerol but it's not legal to dispense marijuana, which has such a beneficial effect for some people who are desperate and in terrible trouble. I think that's outrageous," he said.
Dr. Thomas George takes a different view. He's a state senator who spent five years as medical director for Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo, which provides care for terminally ill people.
"The ballot proposal is unnecessary because we already have legal medical marijuana in pill form," he said
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does allow the use of two pills that are derivatives of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and it is considering approval of a spray.
George said smoked marijuana carries too many health risks and its effects don't last long enough.
"Take glaucoma as an example," he said. "If you have elevated pressure in the eyeballs, you need medicine that lasts 24 hours, and smoking a joint once in a while doesn't work."
Lynn Allen, a 51-year-old Williamston man who is a hemophiliac and contracted HIV/AIDS through blood work, said the pills don't live up to their billing.
"I have pain, lack of appetite and weight loss -- those are my three biggies," said Allen, a married father of two. He is confined to a wheelchair and can't work because he lacks stamina.
"I'm going through $600 worth of Marinol each month and it has real drawbacks, including that it can take hours to kick in," he said.
Allen says he hasn't used marijuana since his college days but would be eager to try it again if the ballot proposal succeeds.
"I think the referendum is an opportunity for people to help others who are in very desperate straits, people with cancer and very debilitating illnesses," he said.
The Michigan State Medical Society has a longstanding policy of opposition to medical marijuana, although it does support further research to determine its medicinal value.
But it has not yet taken an official position on the November ballot proposal.
David Fox, spokesman for the 15,000-member doctors' group, said physicians will decide whether to endorse or oppose the initiative at the annual meeting of the 400-member House of Delegates on May 4 in Dearborn.
Backers of medical marijuana got a big boost in February when the American College of Physicians, which represents 124,000 internal medicine specialists, issued a position paper that calls for expanded research into the potential therapeutic role of marijuana, noting that various medical "reports suggest numerous potential medical uses for marijuana."
The prominent group recommended marijuana be reclassified by the federal government to make that research possible, and said doctors who prescribe it and patients who use it shouldn't be subject to federal prosecution in states that where it is legal.
5 Mich. cities OK medical pot A campaign financial report shows the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care spent more than $1.1 million through March.
Virtually all of the money came from the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., the nation's largest marijuana reform organization with 21,000 members. It has successfully championed medical marijuana measures in other states and in general favors decriminalizing its use.
Byrum, a former state legislator, noted that since 2004, five Michigan cities have passed largely symbolic ordinances to allow medical marijuana: Detroit, Ferndale, Ann Arbor, Flint and Traverse City.
"We believe it's good public policy and studies show that in states that have this law it's basically been a non-issue for law enforcement and has no impact on teen drug use," she said.
Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada believe the consumption of cannabis should be allowed in their country, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 53 per cent of respondents support the legalization of marijuana. (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada believe the consumption of cannabis should be allowed in their country, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 53 per cent of respondents support the legalization of marijuana.
Less than 10 per cent of respondents believe other drugs—such as ecstasy, powder cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine and crystal meth—should be legalized.
In July 2002, Canada became the first nation in the world to regulate the consumption of cannabis for medical reasons. In the 2004 federal election, the Marijuana party—which seeks the outright legalization of the substance—received 0.3 per cent of the popular vote.
In November 2004, the Canadian federal government—headed at the time by Liberal prime minister Paul Martin—re-introduced a controversial bill that sought "alternate penalty frameworks" for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The bill, which would have allowed any person caught with 15 grams of the drug or less to face fines instead of criminal charges, was never put to a vote in the House of Commons.
Earlier this month, Debbie Stultz-Giffin—a member of Maritimers United for Medical Marijuana—urged the current administration to abandon its proposal to authorize a mandatory six-month prison sentence for marijuana growers, adding, "With the federal government talking about pulling exemption holders grow permits and forcing us to buy our marijuana from the government, it’s going to put a lot of medical marijuana patients in a precarious situation."
Comment: This (above article) is disturbing in two respects. One, it is coming from someone who was a high-level government insider. Two, it defies imagination as to how both government and corporate controlled media are covering this up. It is as if the "Patriot Act", and other measures were implemented, in part, to quell honest inquiry into an incident (e.g., 911) that has yet to be fully vetted and properly analyzed. Fortunately, because of the bravery of many -- including Sheen, Jesse Ventura -- it is possible that we will soon see Bush for what he really is: An Emperor with No Clothes.
In the eyes of the military, it’s a simple numbers game. But the recruitment process for America’s armed forces is changing, and so is the look, feel, and policy of the military itself.
According to national statistics, felony waivers for recruits have been doubling almost every year for the past several years. Military.com reports:
“The number of felony waivers granted by the Army grew from 411 in 2003 to 901 in 2006, according to the Pentagon, or about one in 10 of the moral waivers approved that year. Other misdemeanors - from petty theft or writing a bad check to some assaults - jumped from about 2,700 to more than 6,000 in 2006, representing more than three-quarters of moral waivers granted by the Army. Army and Defense Department officials defended the waiver program as a way to admit young people who had made a mistake but overcome past behavior.”
Felony waivers consist of the worst elements, but there are also ‘conduct waivers’ for recruits who have had small issues on their records such as traffic tickets and minor drug offenses. Conduct waivers for Army recruits rose from 8,129 in fiscal 2006 to 10,258 in fiscal 2007. For Marine Corps recruits, they increased from 16,969 to 17,413.
“In particular, the Army accepted more than double the number of applicants with convictions for felony crimes such as burglary, grand larceny and aggravated assault, rising from 249 to 511, while the corresponding number for the Marines increased by two-thirds, from 208 to 350. The vast majority of such convictions stem from juvenile offenses. Most involved theft, but a handful involved sexual assault and terrorist threats, and there were three cases of involuntary manslaughter.”
The changing face of the military and increased use of felony waivers is even angering gays, who have already felt scorned for years because of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.
Not only are recruits with felony waivers being signed up with the military, they’re also promoted faster.
“The Army study compared the performance of soldiers who came in with conduct waivers against those who did not during the years 2003-2006. In that time, 276,231 recruits enlisted in the Army with no prior military service. Of those 6.5 percent, or nearly 18,000 had waivers.
In a comparison of both groups the study found that soldiers who had received waivers for bad behavior:
– Had a higher desertion rate (4.26 percent vs. 3.59 percent).
– Had a higher misconduct rate (5.95 percent vs. 3.55 percent).
– Had a higher rate of appearances before courts-martial (1 percent vs. 0.71 percent).
– Had a higher dropout rate for alcohol rehabilitation failure (0.27 percent vs. 0.12 percent).
But they also:
– Were more likely to re-enlist (28.48 percent vs. 26.76 percent).
– Got promoted faster to sergeant (after 34.7 months vs. 39 months).
– Had a lower rate of dismissal for personality disorders (0.93 percent vs. 1.12 percent).”
But this is all old hat. Felony waivers, while on the rise, have been used for years. It’s just a matter of changing times, right? We used to hold our military to a higher moral standard, not only because of the deadly weapons of war the tax payer funds, but also because we send these boys and girls across the world to set an example to others as to how Americans behave.
But another aspect of the changing military, and one harder to justify, is the use of illegal aliens in the different branches of the armed forces. Recruiters have been caught trying to enlist illegal aliens, but of course official military policy is to deny that illegal immigrants are targeted, because as of right now it’s against policy to do so.
“There are currently about 37,500 foreign nationals from over 200 countries serving in the active duty forces and reserves . Seventy-one have died in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. The law currently provides for expediting the citizenship applications of U.S. service personnel, who become eligible to apply the first day they enlist. The presence of non-citizens in the U.S. armed forces dates back to the 18th century—“more than 660,000 military veterans became citizens through naturalization between 1862 and 2000,” according to a report by the nonprofit CNA Corporation.”
This ‘use but deny’ policy strategy has been brought to light more so in the past year, especially with the DREAM ACT which was introduced in 2007 as part of the Amnesty Bill.
“The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, is part of the stalled package of proposals that many in Congress are seeking to resurrect. The proposal, applicable to an estimated 750,000 undocumented residents of military age, stipulates that those who arrived in the United States before age 16, graduated from high school, and meet other qualifications could immediately enter the path to citizenship in exchange for at least two years’ service in the armed forces.”
Mexican citizen groups have also claimed that US recruiters have been seen near the border on enlistment drives.
“According to Prensa Latina on Friday in Culiacan, the capital of the northern state Sinaloa, civil activist Ildefonso Ortiz Cabrera told reporters that US military officers use young men of Latin American origin to recruit for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Then there’s this news report from Los Angeles that shows immigrants, some of which are admitted illegals, confessing to being approached by US recruiters. There’s also footage taken showing immigrant recruits training at the facility, which has grounds beside a mall in LA. When the reporters are discovered by Marine officials, the immigrant recruits are shown running inside the complex to hide from the reporters’ cameras.
It’s easy to see tyranny in motion when the United States military openly hires felons, and goes against its own policy to also hire illegal aliens in return for citizenship and goodies. The British Empire used foreign mercenaries for over 200 years in their reign. Is this the example we want to follow? Uncle Sam used to look for the best and brightest, the few and the proud. Now the Army is scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill replacement slots, that is until it can automate the whole thing and shut out all humans in return for robots and space based weapon platforms. When the entire military is made of chrome and metal and terminator robots are manning death camps, the days of hired thugs and illegal aliens will seem like a wonderful trip down memory lane, as will be the idea of our once free Republic.
In order to raise money for the "New Agenda for America" -- and to continue with this website -- I am releasing a series of music CD's. I'm hoping to showcase some of this music during some of my future public appearances. Currently "Classical Guitar Live" is available for purchase and "Gnostic Raw" is available for pre-order. The mastered version, "Gnostic" should be available towards the end of 2008. Click here to place your order.
I've featured some of my acoustic music from time to time but have yet to put forth any of my other compositions. Soon I will be releasing a "Raw" version of the "Gnostic" music project that will feature about half of the compositions that will appear on the final CD. You might say it is something like the Beatles "Anthology" project in reverse (minus the talent) . . . as they released early versions of their compositions after selling their CD rights to Michael Jackson. I, on the other hand, am releasing the early version first, because the final versions simply aren't completed.
"Gnostic" is philosophically parallel to the "New Agenda for America" in many ways. There is the "Hemp Song" which strongly advocates for the legalization of Marijuana. "I Know What You Want George" is a rocker which criticizes George Bush's fascist tendencies.
I know what you want George I can hear your feet outside my door I know what you want George You’d like to make us your slaves forever more
But your emperors clothes have worn away And all that’s left is a smarmy corporate whore
Your time is coming And when the people wake they foil your plan Your time is coming And when we rise we’ll take our country back
‘Cus your emperor’s clothes have worn away And the devil waves behind your back ["I Know What You Want George" by Bruce W. Cain]
"Rainbow Farm" is an instrumental homage to the massacre at that occurred at "Rainbow Farm" the week before 911. If I ever get out lecturing this year I may make an attempt to perform some acoustic versions of some of the songs.
I wrote "The Hemp Song" quite awhile ago: shortly after meeting hemp activist Jack Herer (author of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes") in the early 90's. It reflects our shared vision of what the world might be like if Marijuana prohibition were to end. The refrain says it all as it is only after we change our thinking that we can change our reality.
Any time, any day Any time that we want it that way We don’t need your Drug War anymore
Although I admit that many of the song's predictions are "over puffed" (e.g., Legalization is unlikely to end Global Warming by itself), there is no doubt that Marijuana Re-Legalization would have an incredibly positive effect on society. Of course many attorneys and drug testing labs might not quite see it that way, however, that is not my concern. It is my hope that this ballad is embraced by the "grass roots" movement to demand an end to Marijuana Prohibition throughout the globe.
Hopefully, by the end of 2008, the final version of "Gnostic" will be mixed, mastered and available for your listening pleasure. Unfortunately I can be a procrastinator so it is possible this will never be completed.
"Classical Guitar Live" contains 14 solo guitar compositions that span the 16th to 20th Century. All were captured from a single performance by Bruce Cain performed when he was at the top of his form. This live concert has been recently remastered and is now available for your listening pleasure.
Here is a MP3 version of "Dance of the Corrigedor" by Manuel deFalla which is one of the compositions on "Classical Guitar Live"
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