Seasons Greetings

Opportunity for growth often comes cloaked in tragedy and pain.

Our task is to grieve and then seek out the potential lesson to learn.

So often we are the co-creator of our experience and not merely the victim.

On the other hand, if 2012 is really Sarah’s year

Darwin was wrong and the Myans just might be right.

Happy Holidays

With love,

Bob

Hillary: A Second Chance for Redemption

I have been angry with Hillary Clinton ever since she didn't leave Bill for that Monica Lewinski thing. What Bill does with his cigars is really none of our business. An individual's approach to fidelity is really none of our business (just ask Tiger). What should have been our concern was that Bill's sin was an abuse of power and position. It was a boundary violation that pervades many aspects of our society. But I digress. I was angry with Hillary for staying with Bill after it became public knowledge. What kind of message did she give her daughter? How did her inaction in any way support the truth that women are capable of supporting themselves and being "some one" even without a man. But now she has a second chance.
The events of last week have removed the notion from my mind that President Obama is a wimp. The decision to increase our troop strength in Afghanistan along with the defeat of the drug re-importation bill, the removal of the Medicare 55 and older buy-in, and no public option, for me reveal a very different reality. I previously thought that Obama was able to win the election because of an amazing convergence of unique forces: Bush sucked, the economy was tanking, and Palin was removing any chance that McCain could win. I am now beginning to believe that Obama was allowed to win because he represented no threat to the real powers behind the throne. His policies have rewarded Wall Street. His "healthcare reform" will reward the industry with 30 million more customers. The defense contractors are running at full steam. There are now more Blackwater types in Iraq and Afghanistan than under the Bush Administration. None of our constitutional rights have been restored. The new Attorney General has a brain yet chooses to not pursue prosecution of all the abuses of the past administration or even replace the obvious political appointees across the country. What works in the good cop/bad cop scenarios is that we are lured into the false belief that the good guy is our friend. Obama's pursuit of "bipartisan support" actually gives him cover to appear to have a different agenda and a "bad cop" to point to when the end result is so disappointing to the fooled masses. Well the thrill is gone and the honeymoon is over. Mr. President, I am no longer seduced by your words.
Madame Secretary of State I ask you to make a statement by resigning your position. You've been great in the position. Please do what Colin Powell didn't have the guts to do. Obama pummeled you with his not voting for the Iraq war. Now it's your opportunity to vote no. Healthcare reform was your baby and this administration has made a mockery of it. This administration has done nothing to help the working people. I realize that quitting would mean giving up a marvelous opportunity and that in your present position you may be able to do some outstanding work. However I am still very much in touch with the passion that was aroused in me and many others by candidate Obama. I saw how our youth were able to come out of their narcissistic entitlement for a moment and actively work towards a dream of change. As it becomes more apparent how much of a mass hallucination candidate Obama was my passion is turning into anger and disappointment and our youth will not so easily be fooled or mobilized in the future.
Your candidacy aroused a great deal of passion among your supporters. I believe that the liberal/progressive people of our country will soon be quite angry. It would be a great service to love, decency, compassion, and just the right thing to do, if you could take this moment in time and help direct that anger towards truly correcting the gross inequities in our society. Quit and declare your candidacy for 2012. Start working towards the election of candidates across the country who will provide us with real reform. I realize that my scenario sounds like a ridiculous pipe dream. It's almost as bizarre as thinking in 2005 of electing a Black president with a middle name of Hussein.