We Have Been Betrayed (by Obama)
The progressive community delivered the presidential nomination and resounding victory to an intelligent, articulate man of decent instinct who pledged himself to the progressive cause. Unfortunately his proclivity for compromise has clouded his vision. Instead of a single payer universal health care system, Medicare for all, the current Health care reform measure is a scam which will only enrich the already greedy Health Insurance Industry. No reform is better than meaningless reform.
Meanwhile the war in Afghanistan has been escalated into another Vietnam. There is no national interest at stake in this war. We will succeed only in making more enemies, ruining our economy and killing more of our and their young people. Our brave service men and women deserve better. We can kill terrorists but we cannot defeat terrorism. While we close Guantanamo we continue to hold indefinitely those who cannot be proven to be a risk. Try those for whom there is sufficient evidence. If guilty, public hanging is the appropriate penalty. All others should be returned to the place from whence they cometh.
Stop warrantless spying on American citizens. Without a court order the Government has no business listening to our phone conversations, examining our bank accounts or inquiring about the books we read.
Never again should Mercenary thugs be employed to assume the duties of our Armed Forces. Black Water and all like groups should be banned from doing business in or with the United States. We are not the British Empire buying the services of Hessian Mercenaries. The CIA must be forbidden to conduct secret military operations. We need better intelligence information, not more botched plots. Any need for a military operation should be conducted only by our specially trained armed forces.
We need to remember the advice of George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower. Avoid foreign entanglements and beware of the Military Industrial complex.
Progressives unite reward only those who advance the public good. Congressmen and Senators (Murphy, Lieberman, etc.) and even well intentioned Presidents should be denied our support whenever they fail us.
- Richard C. Gardiner (my father)
Editor's Note: This is not necessarily the opinion of this editor. The last statement in and of itself will lead to an interesting phone conversation with my pops. And you think I am opinionated? Jeez! :) ◦
