CUP OF JO...

Kerry Wins The First Presidential Debate!...an immediate review...10 minutes after debate:

Clearly, John Kerry won the debate tonight, indicating that George Bush made an error in judgment by not going after Osama Bin Laden, instead choosing a diversion tactic in a war with Iraq. Meanwhile, we are reducing homeland security within the United States, as well as allowing nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran and Russia. Also, we've left Osama Bin Laden alone to recruit more terrorists. Additionally, we're losing the war in Iraq because we do not have an exit plan and the casuality rates are increasing every month...not to mention losing credibility in the world and within our own country.

Bush made many blunders (saying "Iraq attacked us"), falsified facts (ie. Iraq troops been trained 150,000 vs the actual 50,000), hestitated, and made general statements, such as "Iraq is hard work." He looked angry and disshelved, while Kerry was calm and well-spoken. Kerry gave facts and a truthful insight to the true War on Terror. He directly said to Bush that you can "be certain, but wrong." This was a very strong realization... a wise statement made to the public.

I believe Kerry's eloquent, intelligent and emotional response will convey responsibility, maturity, and leadership. Bush's self righteous mentality is OUT! - In Peace & Truth, Johanna

I am not sure what this current government is doing for the millions of homeless people across America (Source: U Census Bureau 2001). But I can easily say, homelessness, by my own perception is on the rise in NYC. Currently, there are 36,864 New Yorkers (Source: NYC Census Bureau) without homes in the Manhattan area, which is a rise of 33% from 2001 that indicated there were 27,719 homeless people.

I believe we are on the rise of poverty in epidemic proportions. Is this statement fatalistic of me? I doubt it. Look around and become aware of your surroundings! Today, I did just that. I ate lunch in Columbia Square (59th Street/ Broadway, for you, Non-New Yorkers), which is one of the main entries into Central Park. Among the half acre of land, there were 19 homeless men wandering about, looking inside garbage for cans/loot/food/cardboard, sitting, falling asleep or begging for money. I considered giving my half eaten sandwich to one of them, but then considered my own financial situation and how delicate it is. I work a full time job at an entertainment company, with a high rent and exorbitant living expenses. How can I afford to re-gift my food when it is already a gift for me? This thinking segue ways into what our local and national governments are doing for the downtrodden.

Upon returning to my job, I researched the statistics and was utterly dismayed. My perception was right; there has been an increase of homeless people. It's not a stretch of the mind to reason why. Consider that in 2001, there were 3.5 million uninsured people, and NOW, there are 45 million. What accounts for the increase? Perhaps, it's because the economy fell after the dot.com era and September 11th. Many companies, especially in NYC, have frozen hiring. There is a generous pool of skilled workers, with decimated finances, and sunken spirits. Since I am not homeless myself, I can only guess that defeatism plays a large role in why they suddenly find themselves on the street. Not all homeless people are the swaggering drunks or petty criminals we are conditioned to think of. During the Great Depression, there were 1.5 million homeless (or 33% of America [Source: Farmers.com]), but many were bright and skilled workers seeking any kind of work from farming to meat markets. Even the "best" of society, such as the rich and famous, committed suicide due to defeatism and low-self esteem, directly attributed to their loss of job & life purpose.

What people don't think about next is that homelessness is a true reflection of society. When the economy fails and there is no governmental welfare system to assist the destitute, anarchy and chaos soon takes place of depression. If anyone remembers NYC in the 1980's, they will nod in agreement. According to the NYC Census Bureau, 1987 had one of the highest unemployment rates and homelessness of approximately 27,000 Manhattanites. Only in 2002 & 2003 have we gone through worse with nearly 40,000 homeless people! Check it out yourselves.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/statistics/statistics.shtml
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/histdata.pdf
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/dailyreport.pdf
http://www.census.gov/census2000/states/ny.html
http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/18/national/main589377.shtml

With the onset of Bush policies, such as eliminating overtime & health care insurance, reduced wages, outsourcing jobs, and company consolidation, how can we make ends meet? Please let me know. Blackjack, anyone?! This is not counting the national average of $8,000 in credit card debt. How low can we go? Even lower, let me tell you why....the "weak-minded" mothers who want to "protect" their children are voting for Bush, because he gives a false sense of security by flexing our big American bicep of military power....not prowess. Nonetheless, what they don't anticipate is that there is a decrease of national and local security, with a cut back of jobs in the police sector, to pay for Iraq. Hence, with an increase in homelessness, financial & psychological despair, we have a declining police presence. How ironic!...and iconic of this presidency.

What's even scarier than being homeless (don't count ignorance against me in this regard), is the shrinking of the middle class. I am sure you have read this plenty of times before I've written about it. There are 31.1 million poverty stricken individuals across America (Source: US Census Bureau 2003). In New York alone, which is our US economy's center core, we have 19.6-21.3% of four million people living in poverty. The percentage has risen from 14.6% in 1999. The determinate salary of a poverty-stricken single individual is $9,393. Ironically, George Bush's home state of Texas has the highest rate of poverty in the nation, with 38%-43%.

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Ranking/2003/R01T050.htm

As I continued my contemplation & lunch, I read "The Artist's Way," by Julia Cameron. She discusses extreme-thinking, which made me think of psychology. If any one of you has been involved in therapy, you would note that most sessions are based off the way we talk to ourselves. Most people are guilty of extreme, bi-polar, and often unreasonable thinking, even when not blatantly noticeable or immediate damaging. For example, a person thinks they have only one or two ways of living, i.e. I can't be an artist and make a lot of money. I can't have a lasting romantic relationship if I want to be extremely successful, etc. Again, I surveyed my surroundings and questioned if any of these homeless people have been seen by a therapist. Am I being too ideal? Am I asking too much of MY government to facilitate and get inside of these people's heads? Do I want a large government that spends money on our people rather than on weapons? I'll say it- F_cking YES.

What most conservative fiscal Republicans believe in, a perverted Darwinism, is simply idiotic. Humans have cognizance, unlike animals. The "fittest animals" survive because they HAVE to propagate the species and possess inherently violent survival instincts. People have passed this primitive stage to recognize that other behavior/action can keep the peace, territories, continue fertility etc. So, when a Republican wants less social programs and calls for independent survival, they are exploiting Darwin's theories. People need people to survive! This is a hackneyed and generic statement, but it is true. Republicans with this mindset are not using the working system to their advantage. Isn't paradoxical to not want to assist these people, who can then, serve your company? I believe the more you serve/ cater to your current & potential employees, the more benefits your company reaps. Employees work harder and more efficiently. They are more loyal and dedicated, so your company has fewer turnovers, and essentially, less training. But the company has to take the initiative in hiring and a leap of faith in recruiting new talent, even the homeless.

How can we reverse this homelessness & poverty? When can we create programs that advocate homeless rehabilitation? Hey, if you have an idea, please let me know... -Johanna

Why are we seeing elderly citizens arrested for outbursts and loud conversations? There was a story reported tonight by channel 4 news, an NBC affiliate, about a woman arrested in New Jersey for disturbing the peace. How far does this law go? How is it defined? Are we not allowed to contest our dissatisfaction in a public and semi-public space? Is this law easily accessible to most Americans, so they know when they are breaking the “rules” of our “free” society? Is Bush revoking our 1st Amendment? This particular older woman (64), a mother of a son killed in Iraq, shouted questions to Laura Bush, asking her why her daughters were not fighting in Iraq. In a public space, outside from where Ms. Bush was speaking, she was immediately hand cuffed and taken away. Meanwhile, bystanders gasped in shock of her forfeited rights. There is a simple answer to her question, though: their daddy has influence, money and a generational history of avoiding war. For a “president” who wants war and taunts it like a renegade cowboy regardless of others, he has never faced war…and it is now being investigated that he even shirked his post in the National Guard.

The Vietnam War may not be current, but it is relevant. Our nations lost 54,000 lives in an unwanted war, in which Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert McNamara fanned the flame, despite international and national dispute. We had one of the biggest governments in history, with the exception of our current administration, which takes top billing. Our morale was low and we faced the darkest sentiments across the nation. Articles were written calling Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara “fascists.” In the recent documentary, named appropriately Fog of War, Robert McNamara, our former Secretary of Defense, admits he and Johnson lied to the American public and instigated a war with N. Vietnam. Through not understanding the enemy, they lodged a full-scale attack on Vietnam, which was having a civil war, NOT partnering with communist China, as we originally feared. Our Red Scare ideology after World War II was so thickly ingrained that we couldn’t grasp other nations having different political doctrines than democracy. Joseph McCarthy made an embarrassment of himself by accusing actors, musicians, artists, writers, and other politicians of being Communists. It was the second major witch-hunt in America. Bush & his administration are using similar inflammatory language today. There are no hard facts to back up his claim of WMDs, nor have we gone on a full-scale attack on Al Queda and Osama Bin Laden. We are at war for what reason? It certainly isn’t for political and religious differences, because Afghanistan has more bizarre politics (than Iraq) and aggrandized religious fanaticsm.

I encourage you to watch Fog of War. It will amaze you how our nation is replaying history. It will open your mind to hindsight, directly given by our former Secretary of Defense. It provides the 11 lessons of war that Robert McNamara learned, still regrets today and is trying desperately to forget. Will Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfield, and George Bush feel ashamed and haunted in 40 years, like McNamara? Will their impetuous actions and misguided fanaticism be their down fall? I certainly hope so. But it will be us that pay immediately. If we live through this undesired war (as most of us will, let’s work for the election of John Kerry), this administration and their weasel counselors will have to deal with the undignified and unwarranted deaths of our soldiers. But, I’ve given Bush and his “have mores/ elite” a little too much credit. For they haven’t apologized, even after 1,000 deaths, and will fail to do so, reasoning that their decisiveness and “leadership” could never be regrettable. Their dishonest conscious is strong, leading them to New York to stand among the dead, while praising their “Mission Accomplished” on the War on Terror. Yes, this is their debauched consciousness; exploiting their fatuous photo-op and harnessing lies. Are they bearing true responsibility and displaying leadership when we are fighting the war on terror in Iraq and not against Bin Laden? Is this not paradoxical to most of America? Where is Jiminy Cricket when you need him? - Johanna

“Unlike the president, the young men and women trying to stay alive in the unraveling chaos of Iraq can't count on their daddies to get them out of the line of fire.”- Maureen Dowd, New York Times, September 16, 2004.

What is this lethargy and sense of defeat I am seeing and hearing from veteran Democrats and newly reformed Republicans? One woman this morning, upon seeing my Re-Defeat Bush button, remarked, “You know he’s gonna win, don’t you? I mean, I’m by no means a Republican, but he is going to win. Have you seen the polls? He was chosen to win many years before he even ran. You know that, don’t you?” Generally speaking, I usually block out the rest of the conversation after “he’s gonna win, don’t you know,” because it has been a growing and annoying theme. Where is this movement coming from?

My girl friend, Martha, and I discussed the influence polls have on the American viewing (or listening) public. I believe that polls are not useful in any public way, although they are important directly to the candidates to alert them on their outward position. In fact, they confuse the public. We are bombarded by too many signs, signals, advertisements and numbers. We need to focus on the numbers that count, like the 1,000 soldiers currently killed in military action in Iraq. You can go to MSNBC, FOX, NBC, CNN, The New York Times and various other media outlets to vote on which candidate you think will win this November’s election. How can they all be correct? Exactly. They're not. Yet, polls DO influence the public, especially when they are sent out by an admitted partisan media company, such as the right-wing conservative, Bush pushing Fox News Channel. The undecided voters see the polls as favoring one candidate over the other. It is known psychology that people enjoy picking winners. Very few people gravitate towards the underdog. These undecided voters suddenly take a new interest in the “perceived” winning candidate without much self-knowledge, reason and examination of the issues. To be blatantly honest, humans are lazy. If numbers are easier on the brain to take in than verbal communication about issues, people will chose numbers as long as they are elementary. And polls are just that…for the brainless and elementary. My fear is that Bush’s “bounce” is considered a sweeping victory for the election, when it is not.

CNN is covering the polls with more extensive review by educating viewers on what they mean. For instance, the current Public Poll is that Bush is winning by 52%, over Kerry’s 41%. However, the Electoral Polls (which, as any educated voter knows is more important) indicated that Bush is ahead by 1% at 48% to Kerry’s 47%. Both polls have a margin of error +/- 4%, meaning than neither candidate can call the election his. If you remember the 2000 election (unfortunately, I do), you will recall that the Al Gore won the popular vote by 500,000 votes in Florida, but ultimately the Electorate vote went (corruptly) to George Bush. I believe Poll discussions by either newspapers, magazine, TV, or cable, should be a matter of journalism ethics. We all know how wrong or incorrect media coverage can influence an election. Do you remember Fox’s pre-ejaculated announcement that Bush had won? Suddenly with Fox’s false news, all the other media companies jumped on the fabricated story…only to realize their blunder much later. If you need a refresher course, rewind your Tivo by 4 years, call your news station for video tapes or see the documentary “Outfoxed.”

Simply put, the announcements of these poll numbers have deflated one party and conjured up a false sense of hope for the Bush campaign. If a media outlet wants a real discussion of issues, they would not fall back to a wimpy coverage of the campaigns by meaningless polls, which in turn twist public opinion in a false and unintelligent way. I’ve had a big beef about American media for a very long time. We need reformation, but it will not come quick enough. Nor will it be done by this administration, which directly has alliances with CEO and top level executives of such media companies as The Wall Street Journal, PBS, and Fox. What can be done NOW is to summon your energy, galvanize our Democratic party, and keep steady…or as Bush would inexorably say, “keep our resolve.” - Johanna

Bush’s RNC Speech: Fumbled!

Due to limited time, I’ll get straight to the point, even if Bush did not during his last night’s speech. Bush spoke mostly of Terror and War. He recapitulated September 11th stories and of his personal glory. But he refused to speak about anything solid, such as the economy, healthcare, gay rights, pro-choice, etc. What little he said about these issues indicates a lack of connection with voters. Iraq & the war on Terror are wearing a bit thin on the nation. With the onset of hurricane season, new violence in Russia, decrease in jobs, voters will not turn to Bush for war mongering. They want new action. If you watched the convention you will see that even some Republicans protested inside the Garden during his speech about his reasons to go to war with Iraq. They were quickly escorted out of the stadium. Bush experienced three (3) interruptions. This says a lot coming from his own constituents.

Further, Bush had no solution on the Iraq situation. He did not discuss the new uprising in Falluja & Najaf. Our army’s retreat indicates that we still don’t have the city “under our control.” Bush mentioned that, “Freedom is a gift of God.” If so, then why are we enforcing unwanted Democracy? Bush Jr. directly disagreed with his father’s anti-Manifest Destiny & anti-liberation policies. Bush believes it is his duty to bring democracy to every nation, with force, if he “has to.” Bush Jr. also indicated a harmonious tie with Israel, which goes against Bush Sr.’s administration. Clearly, Bush is saying loud and clear that We have no choice in the matter. In other words, “Liberation is a gift given to you Nations by us Americans.” Also, there was no mention of the true terrorist, Osama Bin Laden. Not once did he mention Osama, the “evil doer and murderer,” of over 3,000 Americans. He played up on his supposed September 11th unifier hero personage. But he did not mention our continued (lack thereof) efforts in Afghanistan. Once again, he tried to connect terrorism with Iraq, mentioning it several times with the reasons why we went to war with a country that did NOT have terrorist ties or WMDs. Additionally, he didn’t share the breaking news regarding Russian terrorists, which have taken over the Beslan territory. Perhaps the reason is, we don’t have a hidden agenda & nothing to gain from Russia. Nor did he mention that the true terrorists lie in Saudi Arabia. He kept vague on the real issues and on current news stories.

When he attempted to discuss domestic issues, he talked a lot of talk. But if you review the promises and agenda he gave the American people in 2000, you will find he has not even started some of these programs or completed 15% of the domestic agenda. We have one of the largest governments in history, if you include a billion (s) dollar military expenses. He is the only President since Herbert Hoover that is losing jobs (on average). There is a rise of poverty. He says one thing but does another. Last night, he even tried to convince the nation that he is running a “compassionate conservative” campaign, when clearly reporters and political pundits have been saying otherwise. He is a right-wing extremist, who settles on a pre-emptive war measure and throws theocratic statements, such as “freedom is a gift of God,” in a separated state from church nation. Have we forgotten that we formed this government so that all can have religious freedom? And did we not create government branches that were separated from church, so we could have a non-conflicted nation? Bush Jr. knows nothing of this. What he does know is to promise a lot and under-deliver. What happened to the “Leave No Children Behind” campaign? He left them behind by concentrating on an unwanted war that had no diplomacy taken. He loved the Florida classroom photo op though, didn’t he? He is “man” who talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk. In other words, our President is a FLAKE.

Wasn’t it so nice to see his self-deprecation too? I personally loved it when he said that even Arnold Schwartzenegger corrects his English. Wonderful. It came to no surprise that Bush barely could read the elementary text written for his speech. He had one of the world’s renowned speech writers, but critics wondered why it was so uncomplicated & basic. Bush stumbled over his words, as if it was his first read. He spoke very slowly and inarticulately. Do we really want to have a flaky, contradicting, & dividing president another 4 years? JOHANNA