The Truest Measure of What Patriotism Is
(By Stanford Professor Dr. David Kennedy)
Commodore Stephen Decatur, freshly returned in 1816 from subduing the Dey of Algiers and swollen with nationalist fervor,  rose to his feet at a banquet in Norfolk, Virginia and offered a notorious toast: “Our country!” he said, glass held aloft. “May she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.” Decatur’s salute is often cited as the quintessence of American patriotic feeling. It’s also the kind of remark that has given patriotism a bad name. (Continued...)  

A Celebration of Independence
On July 4,1776, through the culmination of many acts of courage, we, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, became America.  We reflect together upon this day, we gather as families and as communities and celebrate with hot dogs and hamburgers (some being vegetarian hotdogs and burgers of course), children dance carefree with sparklers or other gentle fireworks. Parents enjoy family or neighborhood discussions about upcoming vacations and the soda pop and beer flow freely.  (more celebration...)

Don't Mess With Texas  (By Daniel Patrick Welch)
Teach them a lesson they'll never forget. So goes the thinking in Texas-on-the-Potomac. And what a lesson it has been! They'll never mess with us again, nosirree Bob! As this childish thinking worms its way around the neocon braintrust, now giddy with "success" of their own definition (like toppling the Taliban?), it is instructive what lessons might be drawn by more rational--albeit scared to death--observers around the world. More Texas ...

Apathy, Arrogance or Fear:
We Must Face All Three -Jim Kirwan

We are still being told to "come together and allow the nation to heal." No surgeon worth the name would dream of sewing up a patient with all those bullets still inside. Yet that is exactly what we are being told to do. Forget all the attempts to utterly destroy the established order, forget all the blatant theft involved in stealing the last three elections, forget the inbred hatred of everything this nation theoretically once stood for: Just shove all that off the table, forget the hemorrhaging from every open orifice, and just sew up the patient and get back to theft and corruption as usual. NO! We are no longer a nation, so long as we do not demand that this attempted murder be dealt with - in open court, with the whole world watching. Continued...

 What is Patriotism
Patriotism is defined as taking pride in one's country, being devoted to its ideals and principles and a willingness to fight, if necessary to defend one's country from attack More patriotic thoughts ...

The Press Briefing (By Don Havis)
The Press Secretary for the United Fascist States of America, Hairy Flasher, held a press conference today in the White House Pressroom.  The Presidential Spokesperson was peppered with questions that centered on obtaining more detailed information on precisely what President Bush III meant when, in a recent speech, he called upon all Americans for a little more “sacrifice” and “belt tightening” in order to better support the Endless War effort.  Mr. Flasher explained that, for one thing, libraries that were closed some years ago would be used to help fill the ever-growing need for buildings to house the homeless. More Briefing ...

Why We Bought A Hybrid Vehicle

Granted, here in early 2003, the purchase price of a hybrid automobile is 30-40% higher than a conventional car, however, for me the issue delves into personal philosophy. I believe that as we presently are on the brink of war with Iraq over essentially oil and petroleum resources and profit thereof, to purchase a vehicle that has a moderate to poor mpg performance and to not pay the premium for a green-tech vehicle, well i think my personal savings are then paid in blood, lives lost on both sides of the conflict, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons. More on Hybrids...

Democracy, Congressional Voting and Accountability

The present system of shoveling many disconnected issues, laws, regulations and appropriations into one bill is an affront to the people our lawmakers are mandated to represent.  We, the people cannot properly validate whether our representatives in Congress or the White House are accountable to their respective constituents. It is time for each law, regulation, amendment, and appropriation to stand upon its own.  Here's why ...

Vegetarian Planet

Why am I a vegetarian ?  Is it because I live in California and after days of surfing, meditating and dude, catching some rays there is nothing like a sprout sandwich ? Well, my detractors from the East Coast may think so. Nevertheless, as a thinking

The Hidden American Revolution -Estate Taxation

America, once established as a democracy for the people was taken over fairly recently, however it was sadly page 17 news.  I would think the overthrow of a world-power would have been headline material ?  What happened ?

Income Taxation Fairness

Our current state of taxation affairs is unreasonable and unfair to the average citizen. The tax code is far too complex and cumbersome. The average family making perhaps $35,000 cannot afford the International Taxation team at Price Waterhouse Coopers to determine how much of their earnings need to go offshore, how much needs to go to their foundations to offset their tax burden.  It is time to institute a step-rate flat-tax system for Federal and State revenue collection. Continued...

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE WAR BUSINESS

By: Douglas Mattern -

We are now in the third year of the new century and we stand bewildered by what happened to the wonderful expressions of hope and joy that were expressed in the millennium celebrations. Today the world is a mirror image of the 20th century, which was the most brutal and destructive in human history. A major factor is the war business that promotes militarism and conflict while producing enormous financial profit. A tragic indicator of the values of our civilization is that "There's no business like war business."
 (War Business, Continued)

Shared Services Infrastructure -the Progressive Unity Imperative (PDF -Requires Adobe -free plugin)

-By George Polisner