Quote :

"Two million came to D.C. to brave the crowds and the cold -- and to see their country change."

One million of us went to the Mayday Demonstration in Washington in 1971 to protest the Vietnam War.

Not a damn thing changed until Americans concluded that the war was hurting them economically, world opinion against the war had reached major proportions and it was recognized a "win" would require carnage probably never seen in such a small country and perhaps massive attacks against N. Vietnam.

Reporters roamed free at will in those days and so the american people could see what was really going on ........ there were no "imbedded" (read:censored) journalists.

Never once was the insane concept underlying the war (the Domino Theory) nor the ravaging of the civilian population considered as a reason for leaving.

From an email I received :

"Well, Mr. Bush is back in Texas, and everyone is hoping for the best.

I'm among them...

But Brain People, don't get sucked in one way or another-- keep

yourself educated--

Today's inauguration was bankrolled basically by about 200 wealthy

individuals--mostly bankers who we've just saved with our tax dollars.

The people paying for all this-- are the same people who are asking

for funding by YOU AND ME to save their corrupt broke businesses.

It wasn't paid with by public dollars--- but a privately funded

affair- by people who will now be asking for favors...

And then

The party was the biggest Presidential bash in history--

What kind of health insurance do you have?

What's the state of the economy?

Ouch.

What kind of EXAMPLE is this?

This is a bad start if you ask me.

And then there is talk of expanding the war in Afganistan.

Then there is the silence as in the name of self defense over the

past couple of weeks, with US sponsored military might, 1300

Palistineans were killed, 1/3 of them children, most of them

civilians. Contrast this with 13 Israelis killed (and 4 of those

killed by 'friendly fire).

Yes, historic per the color of the man's skin, I think that's great

and says something about the nation and what we are capable of.

But keep your brain in gear-- and know what is real, and what is

just the same old line said by a brand new face."

What is this ...... the queer's eye view ??

Lying, gutless, stupid (bail-out) criminal Congress to work with .....

We cannot know yet what kind of job Obama will do .....

We can hope for the best and prepare for the worse (psychologically).

Anything is better than Bush and the neocons.

It remains to be seen whether Obama intends to make the necessary changes to save us from unprincipled capitalism and political and judicial corruption.

To do so he will have to take on the corporatocracy ...... the military-industrial group ...... the insurance companies ......... Wall Street ........ the pharmaceutical companies ....

the educational system is dysfunctional ...

The "paste" below is from an email I received ...... food for thought ..... but ultimately it is "wait and see" ...

___________________________________________________________

Paste:

"Well, Mr. Bush is back in Texas, and everyone is hoping for the best.

I'm among them...

But Brain People, don't get sucked in one way or another-- keep

yourself educated--

Today's inauguration was bankrolled basically by about 200 wealthy

individuals--mostly bankers who we've just saved with our tax dollars.

The people paying for all this-- are the same people who are asking

for funding by YOU AND ME to save their corrupt broke businesses.

It wasn't paid with by public dollars--- but a privately funded

affair- by people who will now be asking for favors...

And then

The party was the biggest Presidential bash in history--

What kind of health insurance do you have?

What's the state of the economy?

Ouch.

What kind of EXAMPLE is this?

This is a bad start if you ask me.

And then there is talk of expanding the war in Afganistan.

Then there is the silence as in the name of self defense over the

past couple of weeks, with US sponsored military might, 1300

Palistineans were killed, 1/3 of them children, most of them

civilians. Contrast this with 13 Israelis killed (and 4 of those

killed by 'friendly fire).

Yes, historic per the color of the man's skin, I think that's great

and says something about the nation and what we are capable of.

But keep your brain in gear-- and know what is real, and what is

just the same old line said by a brand new face."

"One man" didn't and couldn't do it.

Bush still had massive support in 2004.

It wasn't "one man" ...... it took a nation ...... an ignorant passive public and a kowtowing Congress.

Agree .....but the public and the Congress bear equal responsibility for allowing themselves to be manipulated.

Hitler rose to power because people were desperate.

The american people had no reasons to be desperate after 9/11.

Call ....

One of the biggest problems with health care now is the insurance companies who serve as middlemen in the delivery of services.

They are for profit organizations that have to make large profits for their shareholders and well paid executives.

And as we know, they deliver not one iota of health care service ........ not even one bandaid on one wound.

Administration costs for Medicare are less than 5% ...... for insurance companies (due to their need for large profits", the costs is 30% to 35%.

Just by moving to a single payer non-profit administration system we could save 25% to 30% in health care costs ....... which is a huge amount of money that could go to provide services rather than into the pockets of middle-men bureacrats.

Both factors ........ materialism and amorality ...... situational ethics.

Unless the populace, en masse, is willing to do the work necessary to reach a higher consciousness, the world is beyond repair (and the hour is late).