DE'JA' VUE AND THE CONCEPT OF THE NOW

It's occured to me at various times throughout my life and rather recently when I have experienced that strange phenomen known as deja'vu'(my own definition being a breif sensation of seeming to be reliving a previous experience almost as if it is a recording, and knowing exactly what will occur)may have a little to do with my concept of 'the now'.
I've heard all of my life people say that we should stay in the now, live one day at a time and so on.But that has been one of the most difficult of situations for me to comprehend.  I've sometimes wondered how it would be if we could somehow not have day and night.  That is to say, if the sun never would set but stay in a fixed point in the sky always.  We count time or our days based upon the spinning of the earth on it's axis.  One complete spin equaling a day.  And when the sun sets and remains out of view, we perceive that period as night, and the opposite as day.  But what if we did not have these two periods.  What if it was always day or daylight.  That would be a strange world to live in, but I think it would  more closely reflect the real world than what we see now.  If this strange situation would somehow become the norm for us and become accepted, then would it not appear to us as all the same day forever?  Always in the now? No concept of the past nor future?
Could the experience of 'deja' vue', be another way of our continuing experiences of the 'now'?  I have found these questions to be most fascinating as well as intellectually stimulating and will continue to ask and to solicit feedback.  What are your thoughts on this/  Please leave a comment.

THE PRESIDENT WE 'THOUGHT' WE ELECTED

I and many of the 'liberal'(and yes I did say liberal and I’m not afraid of it, as we have allowed the far right to demonize that term) decent folks who ARE the reason for Mr. Obama occupying the Whitehouse today are beginning to wonder if indeed that he is the agent of change and the new and bold leader we worked our butts off to get elected last year.


I make this claim not only on his seeming inability to show strong leadership on healthcare reform but also on many of the stances he has taken on issues that are totally contrary to the views of the 'majority' of Americans who helped him in his historic run for office.


He's managed to court favor with the Republicans and the so-called 'blue dog' democrats on a number of issues while totally slamming the door on us, the very people who got him elected. Yes a slap in the face of the many who actually believed we had finally found a true leader who would be FOR the people. He appears weak by standing up and blaming cable news for not helping him get out the truth to the people when he himself has made clear his stand on reform to the people. He turned over this important reform issue to 6 senators, half of which are Republicans who's aim is his presidential failure.


You immediately removed 'single payer' from any healthcare reform discussion, an issue you campaigned on. A slap in our face.


You've been inconsistent at best in your support of a 'public option', which you guaranteed during your campaign speeches. A slap in our face. You've allowed the Congress to now toy with a proposal called 'co-op' which does not in any way make the insurance companies accountable and give them competition... A slap in the face.






This sort of behavior is simply not acceptable to those of us on the left who are responsible for getting you elected. I know of many who are losing or have lost confidence in your ability to persue the progressive agenda you campaigned on.


It's way past time to stop trying to refute the many erroneous and quite frankly hideous charges presented on the far right and to take a stand. Come out and lead as you promised to do. You will not continue to enjoy our support if you continue to court bi-partisanship from a Republican Party that has no intention of ever working with you And if you lose your loyal base of support Mr. President, then who else will you turn to?


As for you so-called 'blue dog' democrats, you are despicable at best. Many of you who are in office today because of the progressive movement initiated by this President. And now it appears that you were simply there for the ride. You have come out against the most important piece of legislation promised by the democratic party in last years election which you ferverently supported. I would be more respective of you if you would just change political party affiliation to Republican. You certainly seem to be echoing their stance... At least we knew what to expect from Republicans. The devil we could see.


What ever happened to the President we thought we elected. He certainly does not look familiar today...

ALMOST FARCICAL

"LETDOWN THE CURTAIN, THE FARCE IS DONE"
                                                                                Rabelais
                                                                                (1490-1553)


I've come to a point where after reading and hearing much chatter about the new healthcare reform 'proposals' coming out of the US Congress, that it's really too much to bear. I'm so sick of the lies and distortions coming from the far right and others opposed to progress in this country, that lending any further credibility to the discourse only gives undeserved status to the myths that abound. Therefore I write one of my hopefully last blogs on this subject with a touch of humor.


It's become very clear to me that no amount of evidence of fact supplied to the Republicans, Conservatives, Right-wingers, and downright Wing nuts, is going to make a bit of difference to them. They have made it clear that they want to have their way at any cost and to maintain the 'status quo'. And no one is going to convince them otherwise.


The progressives on the left and the middle have made a valiant effort to try and have decent and honest dialogue on this crucial aspect of our futures, and have been shouted down and in some cases had physical threats delivered to them. The President now has only one remaining course of action and that is to take his message directly to the American people in the form of an Oval Office address. I feel that by doing so he will be able to quell the apparent uprising brought about those previously mentioned, and explain to the vast MAJORITY of us just what he was elected to do and proclaim his mandate.


And for the Bacusus's and Grassley's, and Palin's, and Limbaugh's, and Hannity's I give to you yet another of Rabelais' quotes.


"Above the Pitch,Out of Tune, and Off the Hinges"

TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

The 2Nd amendment to our constitution gives each citizen the right to 'keep and bear arms', and to use good judgment in doing so. The writers of that amendment did not and could not have envisioned how that right would eventually be abused and manipulated by individual citizens with many and varied selfish motives.

As I sat and watched on MSNBC's Hardball TV program this past week, I was astonished as to just how terribly out of hand that abuse has become. Chris Mathews, the program's host was interviewing a man from New Hampshire as to his motive for appearing at a town hall meeting where the President was to be present, with a loaded(as he proudly admitted) hand gun strapped to his thigh. After repeated attempts at giving the gentleman a chance to explain himself, the host finally managed to squeeze out of him a sort of answer, a canned answer that many on the right often give when approached with such madness.

"Why It's not against the law in this state and It's my Constitutional right under the 2Nd amendment", boldly stated the man. And there inlies the grave problem with that argument from people of this persuasion. "Just because it's not against the law does not make it right", retorted Mr. Mathews. "And you have the right to go to church on a pogo stick and chew gum but would you"? To which the gentleman proffered no credible response. As it's turned out, that so-called average innocent American town hall protester against the President's healthcare proposal was anything but average nor an innocent American expressing his anger.
After background info checks found that he'd a history of right-wing activism and 'militia' involvement.

I sited this one particular incident in order to shed a bit more light on the unbelievable dishonesty, ignorance and hypocrisy, that some in our country profess to be their constitutionally given 'rights', and how much disdain they hold for 'government' intervention into their personal lives.
I've often wondered what would be revealed if we could somehow take a study of those individuals who so hate government and gaze into their actual situations and see just where they would be without government 'helping' them. They yell the loudest and protest in the ugliest manner at the very government that they rely upon to make sure they have that right to sport their' colt 45's at a Presidential gathering. It strikes me as either total ignorance at best or conscious malignant expression at the very worst.
It strikes me equally worrisome that our US Secret Service, whose charge is to protect the President from harm could allow such people to get anywhere near the President. And how little news coverage such incidents receive.
It was clear to Mr. Mathews as well as this writer what the intent of that gentleman for openly and brazenly displaying his 2Nd amendment 'right' was. He along with many in this country who take similar stances did not ever want to see this President set foot into the Whitehouse. And though they could not prevail legally at the ballot box, they they want to make it clear that they have not and never will accept the reality. And they will use any and every means at their disposal to incite fear and loathing and hate and anger at a decent man whose only desire is to make life better for them and their progeny.

Perhaps the day will soon arrive when we can view the precious rights given to us under our constitution with a bit of god-given 'common sense', and not as a means to gender up the darkest inner convictions that reside in each of us.

EVER WONDER?

Ever wonder what they mean when you hear opponents of healthcare reform at those'insurance company sponsored' town hall gatherings yell, I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK? Well they've been told to say this by some really smart, organized, well funded(rich), yet hateful people on the political right that the media WILL single them out and air their grievances under the guise of 'fair and balanced' news coverage. And give the erroneous impression that this is middle-America? Well they are the 'US' (as in 'us' against them) often heard by conservatives and Republicans hoping to divide this country racially, ethnically, and by any means to keep the 'status quo'. They want their country back from whom, what? Could it be that they want their country back from a legitimately elected 'black' President?(although I feel that they are misguided and wrong, I'd at least respect the candor). Could it mean that they want a 'white' man running this nation as in their clouded view, our founding fathers intended?


You see, this healthcare reform debate currently at the forefront in this country is a good outlet for Conservatives and others who did not like the results of the previous election, to fight it out all over again but on the backs of woefully misinformed very large numbers of 'white' Americans from the south mainly. This galls me to no end that such people could actually exist. That they would go so low as to take advantage of honest and decent 'white' Americans( targeteting the most uneducated and poor), by persuading them to vote and voice opposition against their own better self interests. If most of them actually had taken the time to go and read, really read many of the proposals in the upcoming healtcare bill, including the most contentious 'public option' part, they would see that it's really in THEIR best interest and not to good for powerful insurance companies. I know a lot of people including 'white' people who could be much better off with having a choice in healthcare coverage regardless WHO supplies it. If they could just be persuaded to go and read for themselves and see that this 'public option' is just that, an 'option'. But noway nohow said the rich and powerful insurance companies. We can not allow the people to be told the truth. We must scare the bejesus out of them by calling this reform all sorts of things like, Socialism, Nazi ism, Euthanasia, Death panels,Big government takeovers, and Pulling the plug on grandma, for god's sake.

I'm appalled and saddened that these good and decent people are duped and led astray in the most slimiest manner believable. When we as a people have dipped to the lowest level in mankind we, we find all these sorts of injustices and indecency that appears on our plate today.



It is my fervent prayer that someone with a good and honorable sense about themselves stand up and take a real stand against this in our country, and perhaps begin to heal a nation that appears on the brink of social collapse.

HEALTHCARE MR. PRESIDENT

Mr. President I've just read an AP report that says the Whitehouse is going to give up on the 'public option' on the new healthcare reform bill in the senate, thereby caving in to the ultra right. If this is so, I'm horrified. If you letdown the majority of Americans who put you in office, I'm horrified. If you think for one minute that those Republicans who vehemently voted against you in favor of Sarah Palin have ANY intention of EVER working WITH you, I'm horrified. The fact of the matter is they have EVERY intention of seeing you FAIL not only on healthcare reform but on ANY policy you propose. If you continue to turn a blind eye to the voice of the 2008 electorate and cow cow to the minority in hopes of obtaining some rose-colored bi-partisan legislation, I'm horrified. The American people did not put you in office to be bi-partisan, they placed their trust in you to 'get things done', and getting things done encompasses, including a 'public option' in healthcare reform. If you think for one minute that a watered-down bill without it will satisfy the people who put you in office will somehow be overlooked and be forgotten, you are terribly mistaken. Those hateful people who voted against you in November will oppose you at every turn with LIES as they have done since it looked remotely as though you had a chance to be elected as the first Black American to the Presidency. They will vote against their own best interests in order to see you fail in EVERYTHING you do. And you can forget about an energy bill and anything else in your term because they will oppose you with more lies in the precedent that they made you cave on healthcare. Mr. President, you simply cannot slap the majority in the face who sincerely believed in you when you promised real change. Mr. President, I truly believe that there in pure evil in this world and it is squarely at your doorstep now. You must not allow this country to be taken down by this malevolent force, which has no ones good intentions at heart.