Wednesday, February 27, 2008

CUBA, EMBARGOES AND ECONOMICS





The United States has had an embargo against Cuba since 1962. In 1992 this embargo became codified as the as The Cuban Democracy Act. This has been the longest economic and travel restriction embargo in U.S. history. It is time to end these trade restrictions and open the doors of commerce and travel to the people of Cuba. The question is not whether the embargo was ever justified, but rather is there any sane reason to keep it?

On February 19th, Fidel Castro announced that he was stepping down as president of Cuba. At 81 years old and with failing health, the long reign of this dictator has all but come to an end. While the mantle of power has been handed over to his brother Raul, at the age of 76, even his position as head of state cannot be too long lived. The Heritage Foundation argues that, “The United States should keep existing policies in place until Cuba makes real progress on political reforms and human rights issues.” This is shear ignorance.

Embargoes have never been an effective tool to change the internal policies of another government. The U.S. embargo of North Korea has been a sham. Our embargo of Iran has been ineffective. All embargoes seem to do is to entrench anti-American sentiments while black marketers, frequently American controlled, make huge sums of money providing the very resources that are the target of such embargoes. Such actions further drive the recipient of these ineffectual embargoes into the hands of those we distrust,
such as Russia or China. History has shown that the best way to deal with those we distrust is to keep the channels of trade and communication open. Look at China. While it is certainly far from a bastion of democracy, a large percentage of goods consumed by Americans are “Made in China.” They have only made minor strides in human rights and democratic reform and yet, they are one of our largest trading partners.

We are all familiar with America’s “cultural imperialism.” Those who trade extensively with the U.S. frequently succumb to the American way of life. Coke and McDonalds is no stranger to China and while travel is somewhat restricted, Americans can go to China and share our way of life and thinking. Change may be slow, but there is change. At the other end of the spectrum is North Korea. By keeping North Korea from participating with the rest of the world community, we have kept that country in the dark ages.

With economic and cultural contact we see many countries that have at least taken initial steps towards improved human and political rights. If we open the door to the Cuban people and increase our economic and cultural ties, we will see change in a more positive direction. If we continue to treat the Cuban government as our arch enemy, then the new leaders that wait in the wings will have little choice but to continue to work against American interests. To demand change before we allow contact and trade is hypocritical. One has to merely look at some of our trading partners to see that this has not been the cardinal rule of American foreign policy.

By ending the embargo now, we will help raise a new generation of Cuban leaders that are more friendly towards our interests. The people of Cuba have suffered long enough. End the embargo now and perhaps we will even get a boost for our ailing economy.

IS IT THAT EASY TO ELIMINATE GOD?



I am not posting this out of any religious conviction or affiliation. Anyone who reads my blogs know that organized religion and I do not get along. However, I do believe that that as our spiritual being comes under fire, so does the fabric our society begin to unravel. I firmly believe that all non-violent beliefs should have the right to express themselves in a free and open society. If you remove God, Divine Consciouness, The All, The Great Spirit, the Goddess from our heritage, you relegate the very nature of our existence to mere chemical soup.

Please help do this... refuse to accept these when they are handed back to you. ? I received one from the Post Office as change and I ask for a dollar bill instead..the lady just smiled and said way to go, so she had read this e-mail. ?Please help out... our world is in enough trouble without this too!!!!! ?

U.S. Government to Release New Dollar Coins

You guessed it

" IN GOD WE TRUST "

IS GONE!!!

If ever there was a reason to boycott something, THIS IS IT!!!!

DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE

Together we can force them out of circulation.

Monday, February 11, 2008

GLOBAL PRAYER PROJECT



Join with thousands in a guided prayer meditation to uplift our
world...

Global Prayer Project
Prayer, Meditation & Discussion with James & Salle Redfield

Tuesday, February 12
8-9 pm Eastern (US)

Accessible via Live Teleconference & Webcast

If you can't join us, please hold a supportive
prayer vision for the world at that time.

_______

This week's prayer visualization:
We'll focus on the immense power of love this week, projecting
and visualizing love around the world to transmute those areas
that seem to hold tensions of hatred and revenge. And we will
again spend time focusing on the needs of our group participants,
bringing into our worldwide circle of energy those needing
uplifting concerning grief, illness, relationships, and life
strategy.

Follow-up discussion:
The mystics say that love is the primary emotion. How can we
always come back to love?

_______

Our twice-monthly gatherings have been making a powerful
difference, both in people's individual lives and the world at
large. Many of you have written us saying that the energy
generated from this network of spiritually-minded participants
is "indescribable," and we look forward to continuing this
healing circle of focused prayer. Like all prayer experience
devoted to helping others, many participants have felt the
results in their own bodies and received guidance for their
own lives.

Research tells us that the more people praying together, the more
powerful the prayer and the greater the level of energy felt by
the participants. We invite you to join the largest regular
prayer network in the world. If you would like to take an active
role in maintaining a circle of positive intention across the
globe, while going deeper and heightening your own spirituality,
join us on Tuesday, February 12.

_______

To connect via Telephone
Call 212/461-5860 - or - 646/519-5860
Caller ID: 6999#

The phone line will open at 7:55pm EDT. Call the number above and
follow the directions. Once you are connected to the call, please
say your name and where you are from, and then press *6 to mute
yourself so the noise level will be kept to a minimum. Each
participant will be responsible for their own long-distance phone
charges.

_______

To connect via Webcast
Go to www.celestinevision.com

_______

Please pass the word on to your friends who might be interested
in joining us, and ask them to join our mailing list at
www.celestinevision.com so they can be notified of future
gatherings.

If you'd like a text message reminder delivered to your cell
phone, text SUB GLOBALPRAYER to 41411. Please check with your
wireless carrier regarding the cost of sending and receiving
text messages.

Let's see how large we can grow, and how much difference we can make...


Blessings,
James Redfield
Salle Merrill Redfield

EXTENDING PRAYER FIELDS
For centuries, religious scriptures, poems, and philosophies
have pointed to a latent power of mind within all of us that
mysteriously helps to affect what occurs in the future. We are
now finding that this prayer power is a field of intention,
which moves out from us and can be extended and strengthened,
especially when we connect with others in a common vision.
--The Eleventh Insight

© 2008 James Redfield

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

THE ETHNIC PRESIDENCY: HOW RACE DECIDES THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE


It is evident from the February 6th primaries that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, or both, will be on the 2008 ballot for the Presidency of the U.S. There will be a lot of discussion in this race regarding whether or not Americans are ready and willing to accept a minority or female President. Will these candidates play into the hands of candidates like Chuck McCain or do they truly offer a viable alternative to a political system that has been dominated by white Anglo-Saxon and mostly protestant men?

In his latest book, The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House by Earl Ofari Hutchinson we get an in-depth feel as to the role that ethnicity and race will play in the presidential election. The book is an explosive look at how racial and ethnic conflict has openly and covertly played a crucial role the past three decades in influencing, shaping and ultimately deciding who bags the world’s biggest political prize, the White House. It tells how racial politics will play an even bigger role in the 2008 presidential election and future elections.

It examines Obamamania, the Hillary and Bill factor, the soaring Latino vote, the silent but potent Asian-American vote, the immigration wars, the GOP’s love-hate relationship with black and Latino America, and Bush’s effort to recast the GOP from a clubby, ole white guys party to a party of racial diversity. The first primary is January 29.

Here is a sampling of questions The Ethnic Presidency asks and answers:
•Will America accept a black president? Can Obama be that president?
•Will America accept a woman president? Can Hillary be that president?
•Will America accept a Latino president? Can Bill Richardson be that president?
•Will America accept a Mormon president? Can Mitt Romney be that president?
•How the GOP played the Southern Strategy through Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. to repeatedly win the White House. Can and will they abandon it in 2008?
•Did Have the Democrats taken the black and Latino vote for granted?
•Why have Presidential candidates other than John Edwards avoided making poverty an issue?
•Why immigration will be a stealth factor in the 2008 campaign. And did it help or hurt John McCain?
•Will Rudolph Giuliani’s contentious relations with blacks as New York mayor hurt or help his White House bid?

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator. He has been a frequent guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows.
He was a regular commentator on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show. He has been a guest on the Today Show, Dateline, The Lehrer Hour, and BET News, America’s Black Forum. He is a frequent commentator for the American Urban Broadcast Network and Ed Gordon’s News and Notes on NPR. He is a featured columnist for www.BlackNews. com, www.BlackAmericaWeb .com, and www.Alternet.org.
He is associate editor of New America Media. His op-ed columns appear in the Baltimore Sun, L.A. Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor, and other major newspapers.

The presidential election in 2008 will be the most diverse and unusual the United States has ever had - what will it mean for the country and the residents of the US? The best way to learn about the ins and outs of this election is to read Mr. Hutchinson's newest book.

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Obama and the X Factor of Race
2. The Hillary and Obama Road Show
3. Edwards Made Poverty No Longer a Dirty Word in the Democrat’s Mouths
4. .Between Worlds: President Richardson or Latino President Richardson?
5. Democrats Take the Black Vote off the Plantation
6. Reagan, Race and His Imitators
7. Inclusion is Still the GOP’s Dilemma
8. Republicans Rethink Race—Momentarily
9. The GOP’s Immigration Wall
10. Presidential Candidates Discover the Model Minority
11. Blacks Helped Elect Bush
12. Latinos Helped Elect Bush Too

I had the opportunity to conduct a blog interview with Mr. Hutchinson and his responses to my questions were as follows:

1. Our nation is divided politically, socially and economically. Would a minority president heal those divisions or further polarize them?
Yes and No. Obama appears to represent ethnic bridge building and healing. This is welcome, but there are powerful political forces that have a vested interest, profit and belief in racial and ethnic, gender, sexual preference and religious discord. That has been the American ethic for two centuries. Change will come slowly, and will be fought tenaciously, one man alone can't do it.

2. All candidates promise change in the status quo and, if elected, an end to the influence of power brokers. It seems that if a minority president is elected, it will be because of power brokers and their influence would actually increase in D.C. They may be different people, but the end result is the same. How can any of these candidates possibly avoid the influence of these groups which may be responsible for their success in the election?

They can't. Money is the mother's milk of politics and elections. Lobbyists and fat cat corporate interests will continue to dominate and influence the political agenda. A president committed to reversing that will need to have the political intestinal fortitude to say no to special interests, to mean it and to stick to his word.

3. Can a minority president govern? Winning the White House is one thing but winning a House and Senate majority, as we have seen, is quite another. There is no doubt that certain political forces will gather in these chambers if a minority candidate is elected to thwart their every move. Will we be so embattled with domestic in-fighting that the world will soon pass us by?
Yes and he doesn't have to be a minority president for that to happen, It happened with Clinton and Bush. The same will happen to Obama especially when he pushes for universal health care, to end the war, and to get the money for massive spending on jobs, education and the infrastructure.

4. This is a question that few dare to ask. How long can a minority president survive before extreme elements in our own society decide that they cannot tolerate such a leader? Is the Secret Service that good?
They don't need to physically assassinate him. They can simply politically emasculate and befuddle him which is tantamount to physical elimination without needing to use a bullet.

5. Will the minorities actually go to the polls and vote?
Yes, but minorities alone don't elect presidents -- not yet anyway. White males still make up almost forty percent of the electorate. Obama can only win if he can assemble a modern day updated, non-confrontational Rainbow Coalition.


For much more information about Earl Ofari Hutchinson and The Ethnic Presidency, feel free to visit his virtual book tour web page - http://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Earl+Hutchinson+-+Feb+2008.