New Content: (08/03/2008)
Last Addition: (08/23/2008)
Departments
"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."
I
want to thank Richard Rawlings for nominating me on behalf of the United
States Marijuana Party. To be clear it would take
a historic viral internet campaign
to actually deliver me to the White House in 2009. But it is my
hope that we minimally build a large coalition, in the next several
months, so that we can minimally push the "New Agenda
for America" down the throats of whichever Corporate Candidate
(e.g., Obama or McCain) actually "wins" the election.
Here are the
initial "planks" of my Presidential Platform known as the "New
Agenda for America:"
(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
(10) Absolute support for Net Neutrality
Of course one of the 10 planks, of
the "New Agenda for America" is the MERP Model for Re-Legalizing
Marijuana.
The MERP Project
The Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy (MRP) Project
This is the most progressive of all Marijuana reform
models because it basically allows all adults over 18 to grow up to 100
plants without ANY federal taxation, regulation or other forms of
interference. I would also argue that this small expansion of
individual liberty is required, given the liberties that have been lost
since September 11th, 2001.
If, by some miracle, I did win the election, my first
official act would be to set up a special office that would grant
clemency to EVERY non-violent Marijuana offender throughout the United
States. This would be followed by executive pressure on both
Houses to remove Marijuana completely from the Controlled Substances Act
(1970). This would definitely end 70 years of needless Marijuana
Prohibition throughout the United States of America.
The very next thing I would do is reinstate Habeas
Corpus and Posse Commitatus. It should be remembered that the writ
of habeas corpus goes all the way back to the signing of the Magna Carta
in 1215 AD. That is a good measure as to how far George Bush
has pushed back the rights of Americans in the last 8 years. After
that is a long list which would include:
* Sending out the 12 million "No-Match" letters and
deporting all Illegal Aliens and Visa "overstays" that these letters
would surely identify.
* Reopen the "911" investigation with the help of such experts as
Griffin etc.
* Drafting a massive "debt relief" program for legal American Citizens
that will assure the ownership of their homes and the access to American
jobs and other opportunities.
* Complete disruption of funding to any nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia) that
does not recognize inalienable rights such as Freedom of Religion and
Separation of Church and State.
Well, I think you've got the idea. It would not
be "business as usual" unless of course we are finally talking about the
People's business. And it is sad to say that no one has talked
about the business of the American People in at least 50 years.
Now for more information on the United States
Marijuana Party:
The
United States Marijuana Party - is a motivated group of Americans who
are tired of living in fear of their government because of marijuana
prohibition. We are fed up with the intrusion into our personal lives,
with urine testing at work and at school, with armed home invasions, and
with the possibility of prison because of a plant. WE are Americans and
WE do not piss in a cup for anyone!
WE feel it is time for the 12 million Americans who smoke marijuana on a
regular basis to stop hiding their love for this plant and unite as one
large body of voters to demand an end to the unconstitutional
prohibition of marijuana and the drug war. The U.S. cannot lock up 12
million people. The War on Drugs causes more harm than the drugs
themselves ever will. United WE are a potential 12 million vote
political machine. WE want to live free and WE must be determined to
stand up, be counted, demonstrate, rally, and write. Waiting for the
government to silence us all in the American prison system is not an
option! Too many of our brethren are there, in prison right now.
More Americans are in jail today for non-violent drug offenses than at
any previous time in American history. More Americans are in jail today
for marijuana offenses than at any previous moment in American history.
The war against marijuana is a genocidal war waged against us by a
government determined to eradicate our plant, our culture, our freedom
and our political rights.
Though I recommend a 10-year amnesty
-- on foreclosures of primary residences, owned by Legal American
Citizens -- I'm not really quite sure if that is the answer. What
I do know is that the elite has screwed the American working class, over
the last 50 years, and some form of massive debt relief IS in order.
Moreover this relief needs to be distributed immediately given the
unrelenting destruction of jobs that has occurred over the last 7
months. My chief concern is extending meaningful, equitable relief
to the American working class.
This, and many other videos, can be
viewed through my YouTube Channel:
Please note that I have also constructed a
"New Agenda for America" playlist, at my YouTube Channel, which
currently consists of 5 videos. To access the entire playlist you
can click on the YouTube link (above) or play all 5 videos by clicking
the window below.
As always, I also recommend reading
through the archived files (e.g., in the blue right hand column) as
there is a lot of interesting literary and video content to absorb.
This edition includes the movie
"Zeitgeist," my "write-in" candidacy progress and much more. As
usual I will be adding additional content over the next few weeks.
Much more (articles, videos) on
the "New Agenda for America" can be found through the following links:
Here are the
initial "planks" of my Presidential Platform known as the "New
Agenda for America:"
(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
(10) Absolute support for Net Neutrality
I'm also happy to announce that you
can now listen -- and purchase -- the music CD "Gnostic Raw."
"Gnostic Raw" is exactly what it implies: a set of 8 complete songs in
their early compositional forms. You are welcome to click the link
below and listen to samples of each of the 8 songs from "Gnostic Raw"
and 1 song from "Classical Guitar Live:" Both are the work of New
Age Citizen's editor, Bruce Cain. Proceeds will be used to further
promote the "New Agenda for America" and other future projects of "New
Age Citizen."
The following YouTube Video showcases
some of the songs from the CD:
You can order you own copy by going
to this link (below):
Note: The transcript is also included
along with the video
Today I am challenging candidates
McCain and Obama to join me in calling for a 10-Year Moratorium on the
foreclosure of all Primary Residences owned by Legal American Citizens.
This is part of a 4-point plan that they can implement immediately to
show their leadership abilities as Senators. This 4-point plan will
provide both jobs and debt relief to all Legal American Citizens at a
time of unprecedented economic uncertainty.
But first let me introduce myself.
My name is Bruce Cain. I am the author of the “New Agenda for America:”
a set of policy planks, favored by many Americans, but ignored by
Corporately-financed candidates Obama and McCain. I am also running as a
“write-in” candidate for the 2008 Presidency in order to illustrate that
there are sensible alternatives to many of our current policies that are
not being given due consideration by either Congress or the Presidential
candidates.
For the last year the elite, through a corporately controlled media, has
been promulgating what I like the call the “Big Lie” about Home
Foreclosures. The “Big Lie” goes something like this:
“The only people loosing their homes, over the last 2 years, have been
Americans who had no business purchasing a home in the first place.”
This is not only a “big lie” – it is a calculated lie: a lie with a
purpose. And the purpose of this lie is to cover up the real reasons for
levels of home foreclosure that now threaten to exceed those levels seen
during the Great Depression.
The “big lie” on foreclosures is an attempt to cover up the ongoing
economic destruction of the American Worker: the destruction of our
jobs, our pensions, our social security; the devaluation of our dollar,
and much, much more. All these things, taken together, constitute a
“perfect storm” of destruction of both the American worker and the
American family. Only a traitor would allow such policies to continue.
Truth be told, both our President and our Congressional Representatives
have sold out the America people and have also nearly destroyed the US
Constitution.
Text: Case Study: Fire an American, Hire a Foreigner
My introduction into the “New World Order” came a little over 8 years
ago. I was working as a Systems Analyst and needed to pick up the family
health insurance. My wife wanted to go part time and health insurance
was not provided for her as a part timer. I checked with Pat, the
executive secretary where I worked, and she assured me that health
insurance was part of the benefit package and that it should not be a
problem.
About a month later some odd things began to occur. I started getting
written up for trivial things, like saying “silly” in a meeting. Despite
my excellent work record they fabricated a paper trail, over the next
year and ultimately fired me.
The day I was fired, I had just returned from a medical leave. Pat had
previously assured my wife that they were excited about my return. But
immediately upon my return Pat called me to a meeting with Gary, the
companies Chief Financial Officer.
At the meeting I was told that I was immediately terminated and my
family’s medical insurance would end at midnight. In addition they
informed me that, because they were firing me “for cause,” I would not
receive any unemployment.
It took over 6 months of litigation before the Michigan Labor Board
determined that I was not fired for cause. But even though they falsely
fired me, all I got out of the deal was an unemployment check.
This is a company with no concept of family values. To the contrary,
this is a company that is willing to throw American families into the
path of a train in order to maximize profits. And if it means replacing
hard working American workers with foreigners, that doesn’t appear to be
a problem.
It is important to note that the day that I was fired, my office was
already occupied by an Indian programmer who could barely speak English.
Nearly 8 years later the entire IT staff, of my former company, is
dominated by foreign Indian IT workers: who are ironically getting paid
through the federal and state taxes of American citizens.
The Real Foreclosure Problem: Americans are being replaced for
foreigners
It has only been in the last few years that I have fully understood just
how badly my own government has screwed millions of other blue and white
collar workers. And as the good jobs continue to go to foreigners,
Americans are unable to pay their mortgages. That is the real
“foreclosure” problem in the USA: the displacement of American workers
for cheap foreign labor.
We are being betrayed.
The fact is our own government is purposely targeting American workers
and incentivizing their replacement them with younger foreign workers.
Consider the following:
* The cost of providing health insurance, by your employer, doubles
between the ages of 35 and 50. So a given employer can save nearly $6
thousand each year by merely hiring a younger worker. Ageism is becoming
the new Racism, yet no one is talking about it in the
Corporate-controlled media.
* Because many foreign workers are dual citizens the employer does not
have to contribute 6.5 percent of the workers gross into Social
Security.
These are just a few examples of how US businesses are profiting by
getting rid of American workers. And whether this foreign worker sits at
your desk in the US, or a desk in India, China, or some other 3rd world
country – you’re still going to loose your job and possibly your career.
The Biggest Lie: Free Trade Agreements are good for America
And what is driving this is probably the biggest lie of them all: Free
Trade Agreements. The concept of free trade goes back to the economist,
Ricardo, who looked at free trade in terms of “comparative advantage.”
But the globalists conveniently ignored Ricardo’s warning that, in order
to ensure mutual gains of trade, only consumer goods and producer’s
goods must be allowed to cross boarders. For if labor or capital crosses
boarders, all of the capital will flee to the place where there is
absolute advantage.
"Mutual Trade Gains are lost when labor or capital
are allowed to cross borders"
And that is exactly what has happened. Our jobs and factories have been
shipped out to China, India and other cheap labor markets. And this is
why we can no longer pay our mortgages. This is why we are going
bankrupt. And the last 5 Presidents and your Congressional
Representatives did this to you. Doesn’t that make you at least a little
bit angry?
Meanwhile, the top 1% benefits, with each additional job loss, because
the only reason they can continue profiting, off their stocks and hedge
funds, is if they can continuously reduce the cost of labor and seduce
the worker into more and more debt. And when their sub-prime investments
tank they can just have the fed bail them out and give the bill to the
American worker.
And this bailout can be summarized by this phrase I’ve begun to hear
lately. We are seeing the “privatization of profit and the socialization
of debt.” In other words the fed will bail out the elite’s bad
investments and the working class will ultimately foot the bill.
Obama will ignore this. McCain will act like he doesn’t understand this.
But the fact of the matter is that our government is screwing its own
people. So now the government needs to “unscrew” the people. Some form
of fair, but massive debt relief is required right now in order to
salvage the American worker and the American family. Otherwise we will
be literally displaced by foreigners.
Consider this.
* Current projections estimate over 5 million American families will be
left homeless, due home foreclosures, between January 2007 and December
2008. That means that roughly one of every 20 American families have
been thrown out on the street in just the span of 2 years.
* The average retiree only has $60 thousand dollars in their account at
the time they retire: barely a year’s wages. And growing numbers of
retirees are going bankrupt as they enter retirement because they are
unlikely to have supplemental income, such as pensions, paid medical
benefits etc.
What is to become of the American worker and the American family?
Well, if we allow this to continue then Jefferson’s warning will come
true. For he warned us in the following statement:
"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."
Jefferson’s warning is becoming today’s reality and it must be stopped.
I challenge Obama and McCain to implement the following 4-point plan
immediately to save the American worker. Today is July 17th, 2008.
And here is the 4-point plan:
(1) 10-Year Moratorium on Foreclosures;
(2) Send “No Match Letters”;
(3) 20-Year Moratorium on Legal/Illegal Immigration;
(4) Universal E-Verify]
(1) Implement a 10-year moratorium on all foreclosures on primary
residences occupied by legal American citizens. I also recommend that
any American citizen, that has lost a home since 2000, be offered homes
of similar value, to the homes they have lost. Ultimately the Federal
Reserve should be forced to pay off most mortgages as it has been the
deceit of these very global bankers that got us into this mess in the
first place. Additional debt relief measures will follow to insure equal
relief for all Legal American Citizens. We simply cannot allow millions
of American families to become homeless.
(2) Send out of the 12 million “no match” letters in order to rid all
visa over stays and illegal immigrants from our workplaces. This could
instantly create over 6 to 10 million jobs for American workers. These
“no match letters” are currently held up in federal court.
(3) Impose a strict 20-years moratorium on all immigration into the
United States which includes moratoriums on anchor babies and chain
migration. Immigration is the primary driving force in population growth
and we cannot afford ANY further growth. We are already seeing water
shortages on the East Coast in the Southwest.
(4) Implement emergency legislation to force all US businesses to
E-Verify every single worker that applies for a job immediately.
It is more than evident that the globalist model is a recipe for
economic disaster. Also evident is the need to protect American families
during this unprecedented transition between economic models. The “New
Agenda for America” will aid in this transition by stopping further
immigration, bringing back our industries and working toward an era of
sustainable energy independence. The North American Union must be
stopped, dead in its tracks. For more information on my “write-in”
candidacy and the “New Agenda for America” I highly recommend that you
visit my website “New Age Citizen.” To watch other videos, pertaining to
the “New Agenda for America,” please go to the following link:
Finally, let me make an observation. The 4th Amendment guarantees the
right of “the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and
effects.” In other words our founding fathers assumed we would have
homes in which we could expect to be protected. Apparently Bush,
Clinton, Obama and McCain no longer care if we have a home or a future.
Get on my mailing list and get
involved. The peaceful, viral, internet revolution needs to get started
right now. It is time to take our country back.
Comment:
This demands direct pressure on Congress to pass the "Marijuana Personal
Use Act (H.R. 5843). Though it falls short of the ultimate model
for Marijuana Re-Legalization, the MERP Model, this is the most
progressive Pro-Marijuana legislation to "get legs" in years. I
would recommend a "proactive" approach that proceeds as follows:
(1) Call your representatives,
in both the House and Senate.
U.S. Senate
switchboard:
202-224-3121
U.S. House switchboard:
(202) 225-3121
(2) Tell all of your
representatives that you will be tracking this bill through
www.thomas.com. And if they
don't assure it's progress to the floor and then vote for the "Marijuana
Personal Use Act (H.R. 5843), no later than April 2009, you will vote
for their opponent in the next election cycle.
(3) Follow through with the promise you made in step (2)
For the first time in decades, a
marijuana decriminalization bill is before the Congress. Actually
introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) in April, the Act to Remove
Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible
Adults (H.R. 5843) got its coming out party Wednesday as Frank,
a handful of other representatives, and leaders of prominent drug reform
organizations held a Capitol Hill press conference to push for the bill.
In the eyes of many, the bill couldn't come soon enough. Since 1965,
more than 20 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges,
830,000 in 2006. Of those, nearly 90% were for simple possession. In
addition to the jail time and other costs imposed on offenders,
marijuana law enforcement costs society more than $7 billion a year.
While passage of a federal decriminalization bill would have little
direct impact -- only 160 people were charged with federal marijuana
possession offenses last year -- its symbolic impact could help break
the marijuana law reform log-jam that has endured since the days of the
hippies.
Here is the text of the bill in its entirety:
"Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no penalty may be imposed under an Act of Congress for
the possession of marijuana for personal use, or for the not-for-profit
transfer between adults of marijuana for personal use. For the purposes
of this section, possession of 100 grams or less of marijuana shall be
presumed to be for personal use, as shall the not-for-profit transfer of
one ounce or less of marijuana, except that the civil penalty provided
in section 405 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 844a) may be
imposed for the public use of marijuana if the amount of the penalty
does not exceed $100."
Reps. Lee, Frank and Clay at
press conference (courtesy Drug Policy Alliance)Frank and other
advocates conceded the bill has no chance of passage this year, but
lauded it as a long overdue beginning.
Hearings could come next year,
they said.
The federal government should stop arresting marijuana users, Frank said
as he stood before the microphones flanked by Congressional Black Caucus
members Reps. Lacy Clay (D-MO) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), and advocates
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML; Rob Kampia, executive
director of the Marijuana Policy Project, and Bill Piper, national
affairs director of the Drug Policy Alliance.
Existing laws aimed at marijuana users punish otherwise law-abiding
citizens and sick people whose doctors have recommended the drug,
disproportionately impact African-Americans, and waste law enforcement
resources, Frank said. They also amount to an unwarranted intrusion into
the private lives of Americans, he said.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with the responsible use of marijuana
by adults and this should be of no interest or concern to the
government," said NORML's St. Pierre. "In fact, the vast majority of
marijuana smokers are adults who cause no harm to themselves or to
anyone else, so there is no reason for the state to be involved."
Marijuana use should be treated like alcohol use, St. Pierre continued.
"With alcohol we acknowledge the distinction between use and abuse, and
we focus our law enforcement involvement on efforts to stop
irresponsible use. We do not arrest or jail responsible alcohol
drinkers. That should be our policy with marijuana as well," he said,
noting that there were more than 11 million marijuana arrests since
1990.
Reps. Clay and Lee both emphasized the inordinate number of arrests of
minority pot smokers. The application of the marijuana laws unfairly
targets blacks, said Clay.
Clay called marijuana prohibition part of "a phony war on drugs that is
filling up our prisons, especially with people of color." It is time for
a "practical, common sense approach" instead, he said.
Lee also noted the disproportionate impact of marijuana law enforcement
on the minority community, but as a representative of a state where
medical marijuana is legal also singled out another group that suffers
under the law. "This bill is about compassion," she said. "The federal
government has better things to do than send sick people to jail."
MPP's Kampia noted that marijuana arrests outnumber arrests for "all
violent crimes combined," and suggested that law enforcement concentrate
less on pursuing nonviolent marijuana offenders. "Ending arrests is the
key to marijuana policy reform," he said. "It is important to eliminate
the threat of arrest. For the many marijuana users who aren't arrested,
they still live in fear of arrest."
Marijuana prohibition is "one of the most destructive criminal justice
policies in America today," said DPA's Piper, noting that in addition to
arrest and possible imprisonment, marijuana users face the loss of jobs,
financial aid for college, federal benefits, and access to low-cost
public housing.
Even while conceding the bill has virtually zero chance of passing this
year, earlier in the week Piper said you have to start somewhere. "The
goal is to raise the issue and have something that advocates can
organize around," he said. "But just having this bill introduced is
groundbreaking in itself."
It could also rub off at state houses across the land, Piper said. "This
will encourage state lawmakers to introduce similar bills. This is also
something we can now turn around and use to lobby with at state houses,"
he said.
"There's a growing sentiment in Congress that the prisons are
overcrowded," said MPP spokesman Dan Bernath. "I think we are at or near
a tipping point, and this bill is a good way to start chipping away at
our marijuana laws," he said. "This will set the stage for sensible
marijuana reforms at the state and local level, as well as more
meaningful federal reforms in the future."
If reformers see little likelihood of anything happening this year, the
federal government's anti-drug bureaucrats were taking no chances.
Crashing the gate at the press conference were Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) chief scientist Dr. David Murray and two aides.
They came carrying glossy ONDCP propaganda and hoping to immediately
rebut any claims by reformers, but both press corps and event
participants seemed more bemused by their appearance than interested in
what they had to say.
Comment: I don't know more than
what is presented here but it appears to be an action that I can lend
support. The organizers appear against further immigration and
support a number of the "New Agenda for America" planks. So check
it out and see what you can do to participate. BC
The reason for this shutdown is not to hurt this country in any way
shape or form. But is in fact a peaceful method of sending a message to
Washington, D.C.
We the people...The Constitution of The United States of America spells
out in the first line where the power of our great democracy lies.
Unfortunately we the people have allowed the power to slip away to
special interest, lobbyist, corporations and career politicians. It is
time to reclaim our democracy from the people that are destroying it.
Thomas Jefferson said that “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for
people of good conscience to remain silent” now is the time for all
people to be heard.
The framers of our democracy did not intend our representatives be
career politicians. They foresaw the danger in this. The constitution
states that “The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year.”
The framers intent was for our democracy to be governed by everyday
people not career politicians for obvious reasons. Legislators would
meet enact laws and go back to their chosen profession. Career
politicians will do and say anything to keep their power. Power corrupts
even those with the best intentions.
Individually we find that we are powerless against corporate media or
Big Oil or Washington. Our choices are limited. Our effectiveness
diminished. This is not by accident. Unions, social gatherings, clubs
that all flourished before the 1960s have all been destroyed by those
who find you & me to be a threat.
Without direct action, republican democracy is truly disempowering: our
only means of influence are to beg the Very Serious And Important
Intermediary - the congressman, the governor, the president, etc. - to
do something on our behalf.
We all know how well that has worked out.
Today people will tell you that protest are ineffective. And they are.
But real change does not come from the ballot box. Great social change
like the eight hour work day, child labor laws, a woman's right to vote,
civil rights, etc., etc. all came about through blood & sweat & great
effort.
The Establishment wants us to focus all of our energy on elections
because elections are the controlled space whereby popular ferment can
be contained by rules, regulations, etc. But there are many different
methods of direct action - ie. taking matters into our own hands - that
can wield a tremendous amount of power.
The only effective action left to take now in order to stop the gears
and levers of this lemming-like perpetual motion machine of destruction
is---to do nothing. That's right, nothing. To go on strike.
It is one thing to endure abuses and to carry on in spite of them. It is
quite another thing to carry on to the point of abetting the abuse. We
need to move the discussion of our nation's health to the emergency
room. We need to tell the doctors of the body politic that the treatment
isn't working-and that until it changes radically for the better,
neither are we.
It does not matter if we vote Democrat, Republican or Independent. We
have seen Congress change power 3 times since 2000. Each time we were
promised that the ways of old were over. We were told that the new party
in power would return the power to the people and get rid of the status
quo in Washington DC. We were promised solutions to the health care
crisis, social security crisis, taxation, inflation and the deficit.
In fact these were the same problems we spoke about in the 1960’s. They
are still not fixed. WHY? Because the special interest, lobbyist and
corporations have a strangle hold on our career politicians. The special
interest, lobbyist, and corporations do not care which party is in power
because there are enough career politicians in both parties willing to
take their money and perks to look the other way.
Taking the day off, not buying anything. That part is easy. What's the
hard part? Spreading the word, getting the message out, reminding The
People that they have the power to shut it down.
Yet what you need is not marches, demonstrations, rallies or wide
associations; all of them are important. What you need is direct action.
The sooner people understand that, the sooner we'll begin to change
things. --Arthur Scargill
General strikes shut down the normal operations of a city, state, or
nation for a period of time. These strikes aim to force action on a
single issue or broader set of concerns.
The General Strike is a national call to action, from citizens to other
citizens.
It is not about a single issue. It is not an anti-war protest, a gas
price protest, a civil rights protest, an election fraud protest. It is
not about torture, surveillance, corporate media, or the environment.
This strike is about all these issues and more
The strike targets key issues facing the American public, issues that
have not been addressed in any meaningful way by any branch of
government.
Unions, corporations, & the major parties have failed to deal with
pressing matters of war & peace, income inequality, crime & punishment &
the meaning of citizenship itself, it has fallen to the American people
to set things right!
Public protest is an important part of democracy, just like a free
press, a judiciary, and congress. A general strike does NOT have to be
violent. It is a matter of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, NOT VIOLENCE. You are NOT
going to school. You are NOT going to WORK. You are NOT shopping. You do
NOT have to be violent to NOT do those things. March legally. Protest
legally. Our causes are many but it's time to make our voices as one.
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e-alerts@votestrike.com
2) Send this URL to all your friends, post it to forums, put it on your
personal pages, http://www.votestrike.com There will be ZERO mainstream
media discussion of this General Strike BEFORE it happens. ZERO. So, we
must BE OUR OWN MEDIA and promote it. Link to this site from sites and
blogs. Mention it with links in your comments on blogs. PROMOTE IT.
Contact local activist groups, your church groups. Find local activist
through www.meetup.com, www.tribe.net, Myspace, all social networks via
the internet, etc.
It is imperative for YOU to promote the General Strike for it to have
any success. This should include, but not be limited to:
writing/publishing articles, essays, poems, posting in forums,
commenting in blogs, starting your own blog, newspaper ads, online ads,
local random phone calls, letters to editors, opeds, freeway banners,
bumper stickers, car signs, yard signs, street signs, every online
newspaper allows comments (NY Times, Washington Post, etc.), call in to
talk radio shows, print & distribute flyers............
IF YOU FAIL AT PROMOTION BUSH & CO. WILL WALK AWAY......... SCOTT FREE,
with congressional medals of honor & big fat speaking checks from
Halliburton.,
3) Join the Consumer Fast already underway. Click here: Shut'EmDown
"It is not the function of our Government to keep the citizen from
falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the
Government from falling into error".
-U.S. Supreme Court, in American Communication Association v. Douds, 339
U.S. 382, 442
"It was not by accident or coincidence that the rights to freedom in
speech and press were coupled in a single guaranty with the rights of
the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for redress of
grievances. All these, though not identical, are inseparable. They are
cognate rights, and therefore are united in the first Article’s
assurance." - -Judge Wiley B. Rutledge
If you only watch one movie this would be
my recommendation. I have often talked about a dichotomy between the
philosophy of "literalism" vs. "mysticism."
Literalism encompasses all contrived
organized religions that conveniently place the elite in a position between
the people and their supposed "god." Such "literalist" religions
include Roman Catholicism, Islamism and the fiction of elitist economic
theory. The true modus operandi of such traditions was never
really about religion, but rather the control of the masses.
Mysticism, on the other hand is all about
objective knowledge or gnosis (e.g., knowledge). Mystic traditions
believe that "truth" is only attainable through "self-knowledge" as taught
by such philosophers as Buddha, Patinjali, Jesus etc. Such "mystic"
traditions include Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, Wicca and of course, Gnosticism.
Around 500 BC Mystic traditions began
being supplanted by Literalist traditions that rightfully saw mysticism as a
threat to their hegemony because much of their power was derived from
keeping the masses -- sometimes referred to as the "sheeple" -- ignorant by
hiding much of what was known (e.g., knowledge). Mystical traditions,
on the other hand, were always more interested in spreading the "gnosis"
which was seen as a threat to the elitist literalists. One of the true
ironies of mystical traditions is the fact that there is really nothing
mystical about mystics.
In point of fact it was the mystical
traditions that developed the tools from which all modern science has been
derived. For example it was the mystic Pythagoras that developed the
"scientific method" (e.g., the
axiom, proof and theorem) from which all modern science evolved. The
mystic alchemists were the fathers of modern chemistry. The mystic
astrologists were the fathers of modern astronomy.
A perfect example of the tension between
literalist and mystic traditions can be found in the astronomer Galileo.
The Roman Catholic church was so incensed by his insistence, that the earth
actually went around the sun, that they threatened to put him to death.
Why such a reaction? Because he dared to question the authority of
"the church."
"Zeitgeist"
refers to the ethos of a select group of people, that express a particular
world view which is prevalent at a particular period of socio-cultural
progression. But I would argue that this film is better described as
contrasting literalist and mystic world views. The movie starts out
with this very interesting quote:
They must find it difficult . . .
those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth (e.g.,
knowledge) as the
authority.
Massey, Egyptologist
In any case take 2 hours, of your
precious time, and watch the movie. I'm quite confident that you will
thank me for this recommendation. I have always believed that our
transition to a "new age" would be preceded by a new awakening to mystical
traditions. I'm pleased to say that this is well underway.
Comment:
This could be the most revolutionary discovery in the last thousand
years because it could very well emancipate us from the dependency on
Global Energy Corporations and Islamic-controlled Oil Wealth.
I have always believed that the untying of the Gordian Knot would occur
when we harnessed the process we all learned about in elementary school:
photosynthesis.
As the researcher said,
"There is
enough sunlight falling upon the earth in one hour to provide all the
energy needs of the planet for an entire year."
This could very well be the
literal "light at the end of the tunnel" and the final end of funding
for the spread of Islamic Terrorism through oil wealth and the
indentured servitude which we have been forced to accept from the Global
Energy Corporations such as Exxon, Mobil and BP.
Bruce W. Cain
MIT's Professor Daniel G. Nocera has
discovered a way to do large-scale solar power generation. (Photo: Donna
Coveney)
Scientists mimic essence of plants' energy storage system.
In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal,
boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have
overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use
when the sun doesn't shine.
Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because
storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and
grossly inefficient. With today's announcement, MIT researchers have hit
upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar
energy.
Requiring nothing but abundant, non-toxic natural materials, this discovery
could unlock the most potent, carbon-free energy source of all: the sun.
"This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," said MIT's
Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT and senior
author of a paper describing the work in the July 31 issue of Science.
"Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can
seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."
Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan,
a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an unprecedented
process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into
hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined
inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or
your electric car, day or night.
The key component in Nocera and Kanan's new process is a new catalyst that
produces oxygen gas from water; another catalyst produces valuable hydrogen
gas. The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode,
placed in water. When electricity - whether from a photovoltaic cell, a wind
turbine or any other source - runs through the electrode, the cobalt and
phosphate form a thin film on the electrode, and oxygen gas is produced.
Combined with another catalyst, such as platinum, that can produce hydrogen
gas from water, the system can duplicate the water splitting reaction that
occurs during photosynthesis.
The new catalyst works at room temperature, in neutral pH water, and it's
easy to set up, Nocera said. "That's why I know this is going to work. It's
so easy to implement," he said.
"Giant Leap" for Clean Energy
Sunlight has the greatest potential of any power source to solve the world's
energy problems, said Nocera. In one hour, enough sunlight strikes the Earth
to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year.
James Barber, a leader in the study of photosynthesis who was not involved
in this research, called the discovery by Nocera and Kanan a "giant leap"
toward generating clean, carbon-free energy on a massive scale.
"This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future
prosperity of humankind," said Barber, the Ernst Chain Professor of
Biochemistry at Imperial College London. "The importance of their discovery
cannot be overstated since it opens up the door for developing new
technologies for energy production thus reducing our dependence for fossil
fuels and addressing the global climate change problem."
"Just the Beginning"
Currently available electrolyzers, which split water with electricity and
are often used industrially, are not suited for artificial photosynthesis
because they are very expensive and require a highly basic (non-benign)
environment that has little to do with the conditions under which
photosynthesis operates.
More engineering work needs to be done to integrate the new scientific
discovery into existing photovoltaic systems, but Nocera said he is
confident that such systems will become a reality.
"This is just the beginning," said Nocera, principal investigator for the
Solar Revolution Project funded by the Chesonis Family Foundation and
co-Director of the Eni-MIT Solar Frontiers Center. "The scientific community
is really going to run with this."
Nocera hopes that within 10 years, homeowners will be able to power their
homes in daylight through photovoltaic cells, while using excess solar
energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen to power their own household fuel
cell. Electricity-by-wire from a central source could be a thing of the
past.
The project is part of the MIT Energy Initiative, a program designed to help
transform the global energy system to meet the needs of the future and to
help build a bridge to that future by improving today's energy systems.
MITEI Director Ernest Moniz, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and
Engineering Systems, noted that "this discovery in the Nocera lab
demonstrates that moving up the transformation of our energy supply system
to one based on renewables will depend heavily on frontier basic science."
The success of the Nocera lab shows the impact of a mixture of funding
sources - governments, philanthropy, and industry. This project was funded
by the National Science Foundation and by the Chesonis Family Foundation,
which gave MIT $10 million this spring to launch the Solar Revolution
Project, with a goal to make the large scale deployment of solar energy
within 10 years.
There should be absolutely no more
immigration or business deals with Islamic Terrorists. And since it is
impossible to know who is a terrorist and who is not, this requires that we
reject all business deals and further immigration from ALL Islamic countries. It is only prudent
that such measure are taken at this time in order to protect the security
and economic colonization of the United States by these "oil-rich" entities.
While some may quickly dismiss me as some
sort of xenophobe I must insist that this is not the case. I have
probably read more about the negative impact of Islam, throughout the world,
than most. My conclusions are based on prudence and constitute an
informed opinion.
Yet despite the ample evidence our state
governor is allowing an additional 1,300 Iraqi immigrants and up to 800
Kuwaiti elite into Dearborn over the next year. The net increase
in Muslim population could easily exceed 10,000 by the time anchor babies
and chain migration are factored in. In a city of 100,000 this would
result in a 10% increase in Muslim population, in Dearborn, bringing the
percentage of Muslim to nearly 40-50 percent of the Dearborn population.
This must be stopped.
After reading this I recommend that you
contact Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's office and insist that she
stop the Kuwait-Dow project and insist:
* No more foreign investment from Islamic
countries, be allowed in the state of Michigan
* No more immigration of people from Islamic countries, be allowed in the
state of Michigan.
In addition you might want to ask her the
following questions:
(1) Number of Non-Islamic US Citizens
employed at K-DOW and mean/median annual benefits.
(2) Number of Islamic US Citizens employed at K-DOW and mean/median annual
benefits.
(3) Number of Islamic Non-US Citizens employed at K-DOW and mean/median
annual benefits.
(4) How many additional Kuwaiti's (employees, family members, extended
family) do you suppose will be invading Dearborn which is already the most
concentrated population of Mid-Easterners in the United States?
(5) What are the details of the "tax credits" given to K-DOW? I want both
quantitative figures as well as qualitative information on this one.
Before I get into the minutia of this
issue let me summarize why my "New Agenda for America" is against further
immigration and foreign ownership of US assets:
My primary reason for a 20-year
moratorium on immigration is based on the fact that we cannot even sustain
the 300 million already here as evidenced by water shortages and looming
food shortages. Current immigration trends could result in a 1,000 million
population by 2100. That would be a three-fold increase in US
population over a single 100-year period! This is simply unsustainable.
Nothing "against" immigrants. Just acknowledgement of the facts. We must
consider the need for sustainability and further immigration is not
sustainable. Make sense?
Also, Americans DO have a right not to be colonized by foreign oil wealth
from misogynistic Muslim countries and slave wealth from Communist China.
The American People have a right to choose their destiny. So, yes, no more
ownership of US assets also makes sense less we want to live under Sharia
laws or Communist rule.
Now for my reasons to oppose the
Kuwait-Dow Venture . . .
First of all you should know that I have
lived in Dearborn all my life and really harbor no ill will towards people
from the Middle East in general, or Muslims specifically. In point of
fact I have enjoyed the cultural diversity that it has brought, up until
this point. But I think ALL immigration MUST be halted for all
ethnicities due to the fact that we are already experiencing the beginnings
of resource non-sustainability throughout the country. I also think
the most prudent course, in lieu of 911, is to stop all immigration from
Islamic countries immediately and to encourage Muslims, that are here, to
assimilate to US culture -- something that is increasingly NOT happening.
As some have expressed, we are becoming a
"salad bowl" rather than a "melting pot" with the unprecedented influx of
Mexicans, Chinese, Muslim and other immigrant populations. Let me give
you a few examples of what I am referring to here as it applies to Dearborn:
* In 2007 Muslim families were pressuring
a local elementary school (Kinloch) to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance
in the classroom. While I support one's right to not participate
I also think these actions illustrate a culture that has no inclination to
assimilate to the cultural ideals that are prerequisites to being considered
an American citizen.
I pledge my allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation, under god, indivisible
With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
Of course I am well aware the Islamic
theocracies don't believe in extending liberty to gays, pot smokers,
Christians and other non-Muslim traditions. But if these people really
have a problem with that they don't belong here. As far as I'm
concerned they should be deported if they insist on clinging to these
backward beliefs.
* Between 2000 and 2003 the Dearborn and
Dearborn Heights school systems have prohibited pork and have supplanted all
meats with halal meats. Both Halal and Kosher meats are
religiously blessed and therefore have no place in a school system because
they are a violation of the separation between church and state. The
fact that both school systems have capitulated to this is very troubling to
me. If the school administrators don't understand the concept of
separation between church and state, how can we expect them to
transfer this knowledge to our children. All religiously blessed
meats should immediately be banned from all public schools immediately.
* A similar thing happened in 2007 when
the University of Michigan (Dearborn) allowed taxpayer dollars to build foot
baths so that the burgeoning population of Muslim students could wash their
feet before their incessant prayer rituals. Again, I find it
troubling that University administrators don't see this as a violation of
the separation between church and state. The baths need to go,
immediately.
* There has been a conspicuous increase
of Middle Eastern wealth and population into Dearborn, and greater SE
Michigan, over the last 10 years. 30 years ago Middle Easterners
constituted about 3% of the Dearborn population. Today it is growing
exponentially and is currently at around 30% of the population. And in
proportion to the population increase has come an increasing disregard for
American culture and morays. In point of fact the Dearborn area
is the largest Muslim population in the United States and I fear that it may
be a "beach head" for Islamic Terrorism in the near future if we don't act
immediately.
* There is also a conspicuous amount of
foreign wealth coming into this area from the Middle East. The big
urban myth is that all these immigrants are getting 7-year moratoriums on
their taxes, which is a "red-herring" as far as I can ascertain. What
we are slowly figuring out is that the mosques and businesses are being
subsidized through vast cash flows from various Middle Eastern countries.
About 6 months ago (early 2008) an Iraqi was convicted of influence
peddling: probably the same thing that is going on between Kuwait and the
Governor. It was disclosed that Hussein had subsidized his efforts
with nearly 60-million dollars from the UN "oil for food program." I
am confident that there are huge cash flows of terrorist money coming into
the Dearborn area from the Middle East. I am also confident that this
money is what explains the fact that most of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights
businesses are now Mid-East owned. If people outside of this area
realized the extent of the cultural zeitgeist in this area they would be
appalled.
The simple fact is the Dearborn
area is literally being colonized by very suspicious flows of Middle East
wealth and goodness knows how much of it is coming from terrorist groups.
* I recall reading an article some years
ago that stated that the early mosques, located primarily in SE Dearborn,
conducted their services in English and actually frowned upon women wearing
hijabs and other blatant forms of head dress. Today we have some of
the largest Saudi-subsidized Mosques in the United States and they are
purposely instructing all women to wear these forms of head dress all the
time. It is becoming so apparent that you would swear you were living
in Saudi Arabia sometimes. If you do your research it will become
clear that this is not a benign,
expression of religion, but rather the
leading edge of a cultural jihad.
I could give many more examples of the
"cultural jihad" that we are witnessing here but I have neither the time or
inclination at this moment in time. Instead let me take you further up
the "pyramid" of Mid-Eastern influence and allow me to discuss a rather
harrowing experience I had a few years ago when I attended a Arab-Trade
summit that was definitely not intended for the observation by mere American
citizens. This little story will illustrate the power of the Middle
Eastern concerns and the corrupting influence they are having on our elected
representatives that have been selling us all out for years.
About 2 years ago I attended a
"Mid-East/African Trade Summit" in Dearborn at the Fairlane club, which, of
course, is now owned by Mid-Eastern interests, like just about everything
else in Dearborn. The focus was on Dubai and I don't really think there was
any real talk about Africa. Both Senator Levin and Congressman Dingle were
speakers at the meeting, via a conference phone system. There were about 60
attendees, 30% of which were from the Department of Commerce. During the
meeting I let it be known that I thought it unwise to partner with
Mid-Eastern concerns, especially given the FACT that 15 of the 19 Terrorists
that destroyed the WTC were from Saudi Arabia. The next morning I received a
death threat in my email originating from a company in Indonesia.
I believe it was either Stalin or Lenin who predicted that the West, (that
would be us), would eventually sell our adversaries the rope from which we
would be hung. I want you to keep that thought in your head over the next
couple of years.
Now there are those that think Islam is a benign phenomenon. They could not
be more wrong. Recently Debbie Schlussel, a critic of Islam, has been
threatened by Muslims in the Dearborn area for criticizing Islam. One of the
perpetrators is likely to go to jail for awhile for threatening to rape and
kill her.
Here is an excerpt from one of those emails:
You fucking Jewish whore I feel like
firing up one of those old gas chambers and just burning up your fucking
bigot pussy! I am coming for you bitch and I am goanna fuck you GOOD. You
fucking cunt! Move to fucking Israel and leave us in peace you god damn
bitch.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/07/i_need_your_hel.html
Well I hope that I have provided an adequate thumbnail
sketch for you here today. Hopefully, it will be enough to get you to
send a letter to our Governor and tell her not to allow any more immigration
or business deals with Islamic countries, private equity corporations or
sovereign wealth funds. And once again I want to make it clear that I
harbor no racism of xenophobia towards Muslims in general. The problem
is that we have no way of telling which of you are terrorists until the
bombs start going off or until you subjugate our economy with your oil money
and heroin profits. Either way both of these forms of "cultural jihad"
are threats to the very Constitution that forms the bedrock of this
once-great republic. In view of this the only prudent course that we
can now take is to stop the flow of both Mid-Eastern population and
Mid-Eastern wealth. This is a serious issue of national security that
we immediately implement both of these measure.
On a more positive note a researcher at MIT just found a
cheap method to harness photosynthesis. See the August 2nd (or current
home page edition, www.newagecitizen.com) for more information. As the
researcher said, "there is enough sunlight falling upon the earth in one
hour to provide all the energy needs of the planet for an entire year."
This could very well be the literal "light at the end of the tunnel" and the
final end of funding for the spread of Islamic Terrorism through oil wealth.
And to put a final nail in the Islamo-Fascist coffin we also need to
legalize Marijuana in order to cut off the spigot of heroin revenue coming
out of Afghanistan. Because if you've got really good Marijuana, what
need is there for such dangerous drugs, such as heroin? Then, as my
favorite pot smoker, Louie Armstrong once said . . .
"And I say to myself, what a beautiful world."
by Bruce W,. Cain
Editor, New Age Citizen
www.newagecitizen.com
Evidence of Terrorism in Dearborn
This is a link to Debbie Schlussel's website. Just take a few hours to
go through the archives and see for yourself how Dearborn is becoming a
"beach head" for Islamic Terrorism in the United States. No one has
done a better job of alerting America to the threat that Islam poses to
Dearborn and the United States. http://debbieschlussel.com
Dearbornistan
This is my subproject which focuses on educating Americans about the
significant threat that Islam -- and further Islamic immigration -- poses to
the United States of America. There are numerous articles and videos
here that show just serious a threat Islam poses to our Constitutional
Republic. Unfortunately the truth is that the only "peace" Islam will
ever accept is the total subjugation of free societies by a global
Islamo-Fascist caliphate. Most troubling is their total
rejection of the most important tenant of the US Constitution: the
Separation of Church and State.
http://www.newagecitizen.com/Dearbornistan.htm
An open hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government
Affairs bore witness to an unusually candid discussion about the Muslim
Brotherhood's network in the United States. It was unusual in the respect
that it was discussed at all. The fact that many major American Muslim
organizations are derived from the Muslim Brotherhood is rarely addressed on
Capitol Hill.
LANSING -- On a day when Michigan's industrial future took a hit -- more job
cuts planned for General Motors and no new Volkswagen plant for the state --
Gov. Jennifer Granholm's economic team served up 4,800 new, disparate jobs
Tuesday to soften the blow.
Leading the good news parade was Dow Chemical Co.'s announcement of a joint
venture to manufacture plastics with a large Kuwaiti oil firm and build a
global headquarters in southeast Michigan with 800 jobs -- many of them
high-paying.
The $11-billion new firm -- K-Dow Petrochemicals -- also had bids from Texas
and Louisiana.
Hours later, the state approved tax breaks for 13 companies that will build
or expand operations, with the promise of an additional 4,000 direct jobs.
It was the largest single-day approval of tax credits for the Michigan
Economic Development Corp. (MEDC).
One of those companies makes amphibious cars that can reach speeds of 35
m.p.h. in water and 115 m.p.h. on land. The British firm will hire about 250
people, including many engineers, to work in a new research and development
operation in Auburn Hills.
Five housing projects were approved for tax incentives in Redford Township,
Flint and Lansing.
Granholm said the planned $231 million in new investments shows the state is
diversifying its economy. In turn, the state will give out $44.4 million in
tax credits. The 13 companies will make -- among other things -- solar
panels, jet engine parts and automotive sound systems.
"Michigan is a great place to do business," Granholm said, flanked by
executives from the companies. "Michigan's workforce is second to none. It
has great incentive tools, and truly, Michigan will give you the upper hand
if you compete here."
MEDC Chief Executive Officer James Epolito said the companies chose Michigan
over Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Indiana, Tennessee and other states, as
well as Britain, Germany and India.
Granholm said tax breaks for K-Dow will be considered after the company
chooses a location for its headquarters.
It was unabashed cheerleading in the face of bad economic news, but Granholm
insisted the state is rebounding with nonautomotive jobs. She said despite
the news that GM will slash thousands of salaried jobs, the company will
retool for more fuel-efficient vehicles and "come roaring back."
MEDC officials said in addition to 4,000 new jobs, the 13 companies and the
Dow plastics venture would spin off another 3,000 jobs from suppliers,
retailers and housing.
Volkswagen had been expected to pass over Michigan for its new, $1-billion
plant. The company announced Tuesday it would be built in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Granholm said the chosen site was better situated for a new auto plant.
Dow's joint venture was a patch of blue between economic clouds. Dow will
team up with Petrochemical Industries Co., a subsidiary of the Kuwait
Petroleum Corp.
Granholm praised the venture as another major commitment to Michigan by Dow,
following last week's announcement that Dow would acquire chemical company
Rohm and Haas Co. for $18.8 billion.
K-Dow will manufacture various plastics used in materials for products such
as milk jugs, packaging materials, pipes and automotive parts.
Dow cited three reasons for choosing metro Detroit over Louisiana and Texas,
including its proximity to an international airport, the quality of public
schools and metro Detroit's diversity, especially its large Arab-American
population, said James Fitterling, CEO of K-Dow. Fitterling is currently
group president for Dow Basic Plastics.
He said schools with Arab-English bilingual programs would be attractive for
Kuwaitis who move to the area.
"The location allows us to create a distinct corporate culture, which is
going to be very important to the success of this joint venture," Fitterling
said.
Metro Detroit has the largest proportion of Arab-American residents in the
United States, with about 300,000 residents. Dearborn, where Arab Americans
comprise almost one-third of the city's 90,000 residents and many businesses
have signs in both English and Arabic, is considered the unofficial American
capital for Arab Americans. A high percentage of Dearborn school students
speak English as a second language.
K-Dow would be heartily welcomed in Dearborn, said Hebah Alwerfalli,
marketing and membership director for the Dearborn-based American Arab
Chamber of Commerce.
Hassan Jaber, executive director of the Arab Community Center for Economic
and Social Justice, added: "Maybe this Kuwaiti company is only the
beginning of ... a huge partnership between Michigan and the Arab world."
K-Dow will employ 5,000 people worldwide, with manufacturing operations that
include the Middle East and Asia. The Detroit-area site for the new
headquarters will be selected this year.
Epolito, the MEDC CEO, said Granholm helped seal the deal with the Kuwaiti
company to invest in Michigan with Dow. It happened, he said, during a
low-key dinner June 24 at the governor's Lansing residence. Two top women
who are executives of the Kuwaiti company were impressed with Granholm's
role as governor.
Granholm was to have met with the executives in April during a trade mission
to the Middle East. That was canceled when Granholm underwent emergency
bowel surgery. Instead, the dinner meeting in Lansing was arranged.
Michael Gambrell, executive vice president of Dow Basic Plastics and
Chemicals, said Dow has manufacturing operations in Texas and Louisiana that
were attractive. But, he said, "in this great state, this is our home, and
this is where we're committed."
Contact CHRIS CHRISTOFF at 517-372-8660 or christoff@freepress.com. The
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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When she lived in Iraq, Halah Abdul-Kareem was almost always stuck inside
her house. Because of the violence, she couldn't play outside, ride her bike
or even go for a walk.
After moving to Dearborn in May, the 14-year-old refugee has found new
freedom. But her life still is limited -- this time by her lack of English
and awareness of the American way of life.
To help refugees like Halah assimilate, Lutheran Social Services of Michigan
has created a summer camp this year for recent arrivals from war-torn
countries such as Iraq. About 150 refugees, children and adults, are
attending the camp this year, which wraps up its first year this week.
Lutheran says it hopes to expand the camp in future years.
"It's helping me with the language," Halah said through a translator. "I
need the help."
About 1,300 refugees are expected to arrive in Michigan this year, many of
them from Iraq, according to Lutheran Social Services. More than 2 million
refugees have fled Iraq since the start of war, and many are desperate to
find a stable future. Some say they hope to find it in metro Detroit, partly
through the help of the camp.
Most of the camp's participants are from Iraq, with about 20 Hmong refugees
from Southeast Asia joining them.
On a recent Tuesday morning, kids scampered on the basketball court while
their parents learned English in a nearby classroom inside a YWCA facility
in Redford Township. Today's lesson: how to buy fruits and vegetables in
English.
"What is this?" the instructor, Nakia Najor, asked as she held up a picture
of a banana.
Some looked confused, but others answered correctly, slowly sounding out the
syllables.
Najor goes through a list of pictures of fruits, gently correcting
mispronunciations.
An easier adjustment
To help them adjust, some of the refugees were settled in Dearborn, where
the high concentration of Arab Americans makes everyday life easier for
them.
Halah's family is able to shop, dine and look for jobs in Arabic.
"What I found in my country, I find it here" in Dearborn, said her father,
Mustafa Majeed. "It makes the new life easier."
But there are differences. Unlike in many parts of Iraq, Halah and her
17-year-old sister, Hadel, said they are able to go outside without having
to wear an Islamic headscarf, known as hijab.
Like some other refugees, Majeed worked for the U.S. Army, and his family
was threatened as a result. He said one of his brothers was kidnapped and
murdered.
Two years ago, the family fled to Syria, where they lived for 18 months.
They then were able to move to the United States in May through the help of
a United Nations program.
Majeed's two daughters plan to attend Fordson High School in Dearborn in the
fall, he said, but he is worried about finding a job to support his family.
Like other refugees in the program, they've heard about the weak local
economy.
But for now, the camp helps him, his wife and two daughters improve their
skills. It also provides a comfort zone where participants can share stories
with each other about their struggles in a new world.
Mixed emotions
Camp attendee Zeena Mansour, 10, of Farmington Hills also is glad to be out
of Iraq "because they were killing people," she said.
At the same time, she misses her family there.
"Sometimes, I want to go back to Iraq, and sometimes I want to stay here,"
Zeena said after an arts-and-craft class. Her mother, Manahel Daao, 30, also
has conflicted feelings.
"America is better for us because of the safety," though there are limited
job opportunities.
But judging by the camp participants' determination, she and others will
succeed, camp organizers said.
"They're eager to learn -- they get here early," said Jessica Cotton, a
senior coordinator for the camp. "You can see it."
I must say I feel vindicated as Pat Buchanan and others finally recognize
that we must stop further legal and illegal immigration. Now if we can just
get Lou Dobbs on the bandwagon. Note that despite the evidence against legal
immigration, which he presents nightly, he still insists on further legal
immigration.
The second plank of the "New Agenda for America" nails the issue of "legal"
immigration right on the head. To learn more about my agenda please watch
the 5 videos on "The New Agenda for America." You can access them from the
following link:
On this webpage you will find the first 5 videos that I have produced to
explain the "New Agenda for America."
If you like what you see please help me promote this by placing the
"4-Presidnets" graphic on your MySpace, FaceBook or website in order to get
this thing going viral, accross the internet, before the November election.
You can cut/paste this graphic from the homepage of my website:
Within the month I will start sending out mailings from this list in order
to orchestrate the "viral" campaign and to update my progress in
establishing a core group of activists.
I am running as a "write-in" candidate for the 2008 Presidency. Please feel
free to check out my video biography at the following link:
A more comprehensive biography will soon be made available.
If, by some miracle, we could get 50 million before November, we could wrest
control of our futures from the Corporate elite that are backing both Obama
and McCain. Now I have every doubt that this is even possible but is it not
worth a try? Are you really going to be happy with and Obama or McCain at
the helm? Even if this desperate attempt fails to succeed I am confident
that these efforts will establish a base of activists that can effectively
thwart the globalist agenda that both Obama and McCain will surely attempt
to push forward beginning in early 2009.
And while it is not even worth commenting on McCain there are still millions
of voters who are perfectly willing to vote for Obama. The following article
illustrates why this would also be a huge mistake:
The modern day Merlin's have given us the internet and I believe we have
vastly underestimated its value in challenging the current corporate order.
The following book illustrates just how powerful a force the internet is
becoming:
Whatever your political leanings I think most Americans are fed up with the
current field of candidates that we are being forced to choose between:
Obama or McCain. We are a society in transition between socio-economic
systems. And unfortunately this transition, in which we find ourselves, is
far more challenging than the transition to an Industrial-based society or a
transition to a post-industrial" knowledge-based society. What we are truly
witnessing is a transition of far greater magnitude: more like a transition
from a "hunting and gathering" society to a "agricultural" society.
The "New Agenda for America" is intended to get us beyond lassie fair
capitalism and move us toward a sustainable, non-corporate model of
government. We have been dumbed down to forget what intelligent creatures we
have become over the last 4 million years. Should we not exercise that
intelligence soon, I highly doubt that this republic will even last another
10 years.
Yours in Freedom,
Bruce W. Cain
"Write-In" Candidate for the 2008 Presidency
The United States has released 425 terrorists from Guantánamo, at least 50
of whom have returned to the battlefield to fight our troops.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both say they're fiscally responsible. But
each has called for $1 trillion in tax increases over the next ten years—and
dressed them up as tax cuts!
Mainstream Media has been given marching orders from the Society of
Professional Journalists: never refer to "Islamic terrorists" or "Muslim
terrorists." And they are obeying! Whenever our brave agents disrupt a
terror plot, The media dismisses the culprits as a gang of idiots—lulling us
into a false sense of security.
If the liberals win the 2008 election, they will cripple talk radio—forcing
stations to give equal time to left-wing programs, and insisting that
liberals play a key role in station management.
Up to a quarter of all state pension funds in the United States are invested
in companies that are helping Iran, Syria, North Korea, or the Sudan—for a
total of nearly $200 billion.
The Do-Nothing Congress is still doing nothing—and the worst offenders are
the presidential candidates Clinton, Obama, and McCain, who never show up
for their day jobs as senators . . . except to pick up their $165,000
paycheck!
Is it any wonder that Americans feel fleeced at every turn?
As more and more critical problems develop that need national attention, the
White House and Congress appear to be AWOL.
Who's calling the shots instead?
Big business, big government, big labor, and big lobbyists. And their
self-serving agendas are doing nothing to help the ever-increasing number of
American people who are losing their homes, paying credit card interest
rates higher than 25 percent, and finding their jobs increasingly outsourced
to foreign countries.
In this hard-hitting call to arms, Dick Morris and Eileen McGann reveal the
hundreds of ways American tax-payers are routinely fleeced—by our own
government; by foreign countries like Dubai that are gobbling up American
interests and spending millions to influence government decisions and
American public opinion; by Washington lobbying firms that are pushing the
agendas of corrupt foreign dictators on Capitol Hill; and by hedge-fund
billionaires collecting huge tax breaks courtesy of the IRS.
With their characteristic blend of sharp analysis and insider insight,
Morris and McGann call offenders of all kinds on the carpet—and offer
practical agendas we all can follow to help turn the tide.
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.
(1) I Know What You Want George
(2) The Hemp Song
(3) Crown of Thorns
(4) Love Will Find a Way
(5) Something in the Air
(6) Rosslyn Church
(7) Rainbow Farm
(8) Acoustic Medley
First you might want to take a listen
to the 8 out takes from the "Gnostic Raw" CD by clicking on the links
above.
What is "Gnostic Raw"
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. Yet despite the "work in progress" nature of
this CD all songs evoke a powerful edge and are in fact complete
compositions.
Philosophical Parallels
In my writings I have begun to
define an interesting dichotomy between "Mystic Traditions" and
"Literalist Traditions." "Mystic Traditions" tend to value
knowledge which is derived from the Latin "Gnosis."
"Literalist Traditions" tend to keep the masses ignorant and uninformed:
they basically see the masses as so much expendable grist for the mill
So in this sense the title, "Gnostic," is sort of a challenge to the
prevailing order . . . in the form of a music CD. It attempts to
define a persona that challenges the current order.
"Gnostic" is also 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. While "Gnostic
Raw" features 8 songs, there will be at least 12 songs on the final
"Gnostic" CD.
"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"
Anything purchased,
through the links in this column, generate revenue for New Age Citizen
and will help us achieve the policy goals discussed at this website.
In addition to the book links is the "New Age Emporium" link below.
This will take you to our comprehensive digital storefront where you can
purchase anything from books, to DVD's, to computers. This allows
you to purchase things you actually need, while helping New Age Citizen
achieve needed social change. We appreciate your support.
Here
are the facts: 
