Author Archives: Lesp2011

Rose With Bee

Rose with Bee 06/09/2021

Even with reasonable people in the White House the enemy relentlessly bullies, threatens and intimidates. At this precious moment in which we could be making historic changes to improve every American’s quality of life a couple of Democrats still find ways to smother our bright future.

For the last three months writing has been wearisome. Trying to respond to other people’s insanity in an empathetic understanding manner is difficult, particularly when their goals focus on tormenting the ill, children, old, poor and powerless. It’s the American Way and I’m sick of it.

I have written about this growing threat for years and now it’s here and I don’t have a lot to say. Our future is not a mystery, it is clearly laid out in our recent history and events. I’ve heard enough from the those whose dystopian delusions enslave their minds and turn them against life. They don’t see that they are doomed by their thoughts and actions. This forces the rest of us to protect our ourselves and our common good. In so doing, we protect them from their own worse inclinations.

Rose with Bee is my response to the criminal insanity ravaging or nation. Life affirmed is life defended. Our future is still ours provided we stick together. We have an enemy far greater than any little disagreements we have among ourselves.

There can be no doubt, that no other generation has faced what we do. This is the time to grow and become greater human beings, more humane, thoughtful, more willing to work for humanity’s common good .

Treason

Les Phillips

As the House votes on the impeachment of President Trump, I watch with sorrow, but not disbelief, the Republican Party, one by one, commit treason. Tonight, was absolutely the last moment that the Grand Old Party could attempt to redeem itself. But as I see the count come in, the Republicans, in lock-step, march off the moral cliff, and betray our nation. There can be no doubt that the Republican Party has sold out our country in a gamble for absolute power.

For over 40 years, the GOP has been steering in this direction. Reagan was the start. Newt Gingrich declared the intent with his plan for an American Century and a Contract With America. And, every year since then, regardless whether a Democratic or Republican administration, they have undermined our nation with policies that attacked the poor, people of color, the ill, elderly, the young, and democracy itself. They have purged millions of legitimate voters from voting lists across America. They severely limited access to voting polls in areas of where people of color and the poor live, and restricted length of time voting can occur. In some states they have gerrymandered the districts so that even a majority composed of Democrats still can not win the representation that they have fairly won.

The Supreme Court interfered in the 2000 election by imposing itself on Florida politics with the issue of “hanging chads” rather than allow the recount to continue to its end. Giving the election to George W Bush. The GOP perversion of law continued with their voting for Citizens United which allowed companies to be identified as individuals equal to to living human beings. Later, the Supreme Court would allow gerrymander as a “state issue” that made legal the devaluing of votes in districts considered enemies of the Republican Party.

At the same time, the GOP and their wealthy underwriters developed a massive propaganda machine, Fox News, as it’s primary instrument of disinformation and fear mongering. This network needed content, so they created “unbiased” or “bipartisan” think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute and many more, both in the US and world-wide. All devoted to skewing facts to support ever more conservative ideas.

In 2016, with the help of the Russian government and oligarchs in the US, the Republican plan for domination of the US political system came close to success. Since then, using a pitiful, witless mobster wannabe, the shrewd leadership, a quiet cadre of some of America’s wealthiest citizens, and power hungry Republican stooges have been rushing to emasculate our government, for and by the people. Using propaganda and party policies to undermine faith in all of our American values and organizations.

Tonight, the GOP has ceased to be an American party. Top Republicans, party and elected officials at all levels in the US have had many chances to stand up for the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Rule of Law, and Government by and for the people and they have failed miserably. Instead, they have chosen their own success and increased power over our nation and all citizens, including rank and file grass root supporters.

Tonight, the campaigns of lies, denial, vilification, and scapegoating have come to this. Treason. The GOP has lost its last chance to do the right thing. The Senate is locked down by people who put their faith in tyranny and will not do their sworn duty just as the House authoritarians ignored theirs.

The days between now and election Day next November are all that is left for the American People to unite and rise up as single voice, a clinched fist, to deny the Evil that is trying to turn us into slaves: like the Fascists in Germany and Italy, the Communists in Russia, and the Imperialists in Japan.

We have run out of time to to idly stand by and try to find common ground with those who have no intent but to dominate. Anything less than determined nation-wide, lawful resistance is appeasement. World War II tells us how that worked.

Our goal must be complete accountability for every official, party or elected or appointed, who has assisted in this attempt at a coup.

What happens to the rank and file supporters depends on them. If they are willing to live peacefully with the rest of us, then they are free to join the rest of us in making America a better society. If, however, citizens decide to use violence or oppress the rights of others, then they should be held accountable through Rule of Law.

We must act in accordance to our American values, legally and, where possible, compassion.

May the United States remain the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

Life Is Not Win or Loose

Les Phillips

Our national argument to define our guiding values is an example of how the US is still an active experiment in democracy and governance. What we decide, through confrontation and debate will set us on a path that will affect generations into the future; prosperity and peace or, poverty and conflict.

There are some Americans, often conservatives, that believe that the world is ruled by Darwinian, dog-eat-dog forces.  There is a set amount of wealth, security, and freedom in the world and it is necessary to protect what you have because, if not, someone else, an immigrant, political opponent, or other undeserving person will take it from you.  Because the pie has only a limited number of slices it is necessary to approach everything as a transaction, an exchange of goods or services that, at best, leaves both parties even, but most often creates winners and losers. This transactional world is one of keeping and settling scores.

In a transactional world, ironically, when I succeed I pay a heavy price that increases the threat to my wellbeing. My gain means that others have lost, generating resentment, a desire to settle the score and likely more problems in the future.

This perpetual shortage implies that things will only get worse and the struggle will become more desperate.  The future contains only struggle and loss. No wonder then, that many conservatives find immigrants, border security, taxes, government, and unencumbered voting so frightening. In each case, it is a personal loss that puts them at a worse advantage in their struggle to have a decent life.  This is a legitimate concern in a transactional world.

However, there is another world view, supported by everyday experience, that shows us that we can have a world where there is cooperation and concern for fairness on both sides in an agreement. This is the Transformational world, where both sides understand that there is ample wealth to share and no need for a shortages or desperation. This doesn’t mean there aren’t transactional activities, they will continue, but that they are performed mindful of transformational values. The world is not dog-eat-dog; it’s more like dog pack, where each member works for the well being of its pack mates.

Ample wealth? Currently, there are about 7.6 billion humans on earth. Yet, in the last 25 years, through the efforts of the UN and its members like the US, the percentage of people in abject poverty has dropped to its lowest level ever, even as our population continues to grow. In other areas, such as the growth of the middle class, the same is true. World-wide, the middle class is growing. In the US we are wealthy enough to give $1.5 trillion to the wealthy and powerful.

History demonstrates that new wealth is created every minute by the efforts of everyday people who make, sell, or buy things, i.e. the labor and middle classes. Main street is where wealth is created. That is why wealth world-wide is increasing. The real question is, how to distribute it fairly. In the US we have chosen to give our treasure to folks who are already wealthy and powerful. We impoverish ourselves.

The real problem isn’t illegal aliens, crime, Democrats, Liberals, or even Russians. It is us. We Americans have locked ourselves into a win, lose mind set; where the claim is that there is not enough money, work, security or respect. They are right, so long as we continue down the transactional path.

On the other hand, the transformational approach would see everyone prosper, including the wealthy and powerful. Transformational interactions are far better at gathering information and evaluating the transaction in the light of its impact on society and the environment. The wealthy will need to be patient about receiving their cut, because prosperity will start at the bottom and trickle upwards, allowing everyone to share. Besides, if you are wealthy and powerful, you are already set up for security and your physical needs, waiting a bit for your share isn’t unreasonable.

Thus, in the end, we suffer due to the actions we ourselves have taken. We have not seriously looked at other approaches, particularly the transformational, that promise to be fairer in the sharing of our nation’s success. We built this economy over 250 years and have shaped it all along the way. Our economic system is man-made and reflects the thinking of the time. Today, with our fuller understanding about human nature, business, and the interdependence we share with the rest of the planet, we can adjust our capitalist system to be more responsive to human needs while still maintaining its intent.

We need to stop blaming others for our misfortunes. We have done it to ourselves and need to take responsibility and then fix the inequities. In the end we can improve the lot of all groups of Americans; even the wealthy.

Let’s keep this experiment in democracy alive.