Friday October 23, 2009, 4:52 pm
Excellent! The pieces of the puzzle are coming together and this is an important piece.. Thanks Dandelion for all the good work you do.

Friday October 23, 2009, 6:08 pm
Wow, Dandelion, that was eye opening!
Thanks

Friday October 23, 2009, 6:56 pm
Wow and we wonder why this country is in debt up to our ears. Thank the Republicans!

Thank you Dandelion

Friday October 23, 2009, 7:02 pm
Thanks Dandelion. I've read the stats before...but there was worse now than ever before. Tierney I agree that the Republicans have always been the stronger supporters for escalating the military agenda....however if the other side doesn't stand up and say enough..let's get our priorities back in line than both parties are equally to blame.

Friday October 23, 2009, 7:50 pm
Amazing!!! To watch the video and then scroll down to see the counters spinning so fast... What we could spending that money on!

Friday October 23, 2009, 7:59 pm
Thank You Dandelion. This is the most important video I have seen all year.

I have a Paper 4 Page News Letter (On double sized paper) call "The Best of the Net." Anyone who wants a few copies with a cd too, just send me a message. Its the first addition and is free. Though its taking me years to get to this format.

Friday October 23, 2009, 10:58 pm
Great news my dear friend, keep up the great work!!!

Friday October 23, 2009, 11:48 pm
Thanx Dandelion, it's important that someone explain your problems, but how do you reverse it?
Great film and I wish more people would pay attention.

Saturday October 24, 2009, 2:56 am
Thanks Dandelion for bring the issue to light.

Saturday October 24, 2009, 3:19 am
Thanks me little dandelion you....

Big Gorilly Hugs

Saturday October 24, 2009, 4:18 am
Thannxxxxx Sweetie... I am sure alot of us don't really want to know as this would be a real shocker... The politicians need to stand up and start saying no, instead of being spinless..

Saturday October 24, 2009, 6:15 am
The first step in change Arild is to educate the people as to what is going on, then people need to take the knowledge and do what they do best, start to change from within, then start to inform others, then become more involved which the later can take many forms.
So please people, I'm not on here to collect praise, although I thank you and appreciate that you appreciate. What I do want is for you to let others know what you learn from all souces or refer them to this article.
We need everyone involved. We need a true movement of millions, all eyes need to be opened.
Thank you Michael for your most generous offer. I know you have been very active for years and glad you caught this video.

Saturday October 24, 2009, 7:35 am
Great post and cool concept. I can't lay my hands on it, at the moment, but a few weeks ago I saw a website that does the same thing on all Gov't spending broken down by category. Truly scary... Hint: Total US Defense spending including the wars, homeland security, all military personnel and equipment, etc., is 21% of the Federal Budget. Another 79 cents goes somewhere else, and we still run continual deficits with the National Debt growing at a very fast pace. All of which is very alarming. This site, which I'll post when I find it, showed amount per citizen, and if I recall, the amount was above average income levels! Haven't quite figured out how that is possible, but the printing presses must be doing well...

Saturday October 24, 2009, 8:15 am
That is why we are borrowing from China and others and yes the printing press rolling around the clock that devalues our money and will eventually cause inflation.
Will look forward to the article you speak of Paul, I do recall reading somewhere that same fact we each owe more than our income levels.
Laurie I did mean to say earlier that you are very correct, no one party is blameless here, both have done their share in turning a blind eye, not speaking up, and voting in the foolish policies that is running this Country into the ground, shame on them all.
And we must not forget ourselves, those who have done nothing to speak out when this was happening. I realize not everything was "known" but the places it was, people didn't speak out. So few may be guilty but all are responsible.

Saturday October 24, 2009, 9:12 am
Not just in America the UK budget has supported the same war and strategy to the universal detriment of the citizens of the UK in the same way as the US! So many people seem to have beuried there heads in the sands of perhaps the Iraqi desert sands where the oil lies under!

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:24 am
Third Party anyone? New one, none of the current alternatives have it all together...

chris b, sorry to hear the US doesn't have an exclusive on printing money...

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:37 am
Oh I more than welcome a third party and hope they done also fall in step with what the others have done. I have seen on the news some are running on an Independant ticket for upcoming elections in various States, so it is happening I think, step by step. We are not the only ones on Care2 who feel this way.

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:37 am
You cannot currently send a star to Paul because you have done so within the last week.

Chris we are so overdue to create another party it smarts.. I agree that the other parties, Green, Independent, etc, are weak but the lack of funding and support by a majority of the people certain is to blame. Change in campaign financing is the answer. The how to finally pull it off, the question!

Those we elect, especially the hungered down crew who have made Washington a career won't budge.. They like the status quo too much..All those perks and what have you.. But we certainly need to get a movement going and I guess one way to accomplish that is find people to run who have a desire to change the status quo, and don't sell out, after getting to Washington..

Thanks for the input.. It's something that's been on the table for a long while but cannot get enough steam due to undue influence.

The folks at Care2 have an edge and could be the catalyst with the power to change the odds! Something to think about..

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:39 am
Sorry Paul this responce is to you for your thoughtfulness. I need a vacation been a long haul these years..

Chris we are so overdue to create another party it smarts.. I agree that the other parties, Green, Independent, etc, are weak but the lack of funding and support by a majority of the people certain is to blame. Change in campaign financing is the answer. The how to finally pull it off, the question!

Those we elect, especially the hungered down crew who have made Washington a career won't budge.. They like the status quo too much..All those perks and what have you.. But we certainly need to get a movement going and I guess one way to accomplish that is find people to run who have a desire to change the status quo, and don't sell out, after getting to Washington..

Thanks for the input.. It's something that's been on the table for a long while but cannot get enough steam due to undue influence.

The folks at Care2 have an edge and could be the catalyst with the power to change the odds! Something to think about..

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:40 am
Paul we are so overdue to create another party it smarts..

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:51 am
Can't find what I remember, in the interim, just posted story from the Tax Foundation. No idea whether they are left or right leaning or centrist if there is such a thing, anyway, cool tables and charts, tracking number of tax payers and what portion pays what percentages.

Sorry, no video. But it does provide interesting data that was originally provided by the IRS and links to the data source. I like links to data sources, for some reason it makes me think they did their job? Unverified by me, but thought it might be of interest.

Dandelion, sorry I couldn't find what we remember. I think it was from somebodies post a few weeks ago and I meant to bookmark it....

Saturday October 24, 2009, 11:59 am
This is absolutely shameful to think that our very own government can use our hard working monies to profit for their expenses and leave us out in the cold, no jobs,no home,no food? Bush and Chaney are the ones that made this mess and hopefully in the next 4 years we will see a big financial difference in the fact sheet

Saturday October 24, 2009, 5:33 pm
I used the calculations machine given to me and did the trade off of what Portland, Maine could of had if the taxpayers didn't have to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here it is:

Taxpayers in Portland, Maine will pay $118.8 million for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
37,405 People with Health Care for One Year OR
182,446 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
3,029 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
2,045 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
15,921 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
22,211 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350 OR
928 Affordable Housing Units OR
35,884 Children with Health Care for One Year OR
17,027 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR
2,241 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
1,557 Port Container Inspectors for One year

Saturday October 24, 2009, 7:21 pm
Thanks for the vid Dandelion...It should be compulsory prime time viewing on every American TV!...

Also:...(As of Oct 4 2009)

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq "1,339,771"
www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html

Number of U.S. Military Personnel "Sacrificed" (Officially acknowledged) In America's War On Iraq: 4,669
icasualties.org/oif/

Number Of International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 1,465
http://icasualties.org/oef/

Cost of War in Iraq
$693,802,101,847

Cost of War in Afghanistan
$229,847,792,161

The cost in your community
www.nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

Saturday October 24, 2009, 8:44 pm
It's called The Capitalist System, folks. Or as ol' Karl Marx called it, Das Kapital. {Ol' Karl was right about some things; wrong about a LOT. 'Way 'way back in 1848, tho! What you'd expect, from "predictions" made over 150 years ago.....before our Civil War, even!}

Under The Capitalist System as we have it now, corporations have merged into a few HUGE mega-corporations that pretty much control ALL of our Economic Life; and all of our various governments. They have managed to BUY our governments; which governments now do pretty much their bidding.
It's not really all that "secret"; it's just that we don't WANT to know, tho the info has always been available, for those who cared to look.
Also, people are blinded by relentless PROPAGANDA and by purposeful DIS-information put out by the Corporations; and lulled to sleep by constant, constant diversion, distraction and ENTERTAINMENT. {In Ol' Karl Marx's day, it was "religion" that was what he called "the opiate of the people"; Ol' Marx of course had no knowledge of TV, which is an even WORSE "opiate".}

The Corporations, USING as their "front men", national armies, are fighting other national armies for CONTROL OF THE WORLD'S DWINDLING NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES. Like, "who has the most resources before they all give out, wins somehow?" Not rational; but then, a Corporation has no heart, no soul, no conscience; it is NOTHING BUT A MACHINE FOR MAXIMIZING PROFITS FOR ITSELF. Benefitting merely a TINY FEW at the top. {It doesn't matter really WHO those few at the top, are; the Corporate System will always see to it, that the MOST RUTHLESS rise to the top; the Corporation is the next thing to IMMORTAL, in theory.}

Saying it's "Secret controlling Royalty, aliens, Venetians or Venusians or whatever", is just so much DISTRACTION. It's the CORPORATIONS; Big Pharma, Big Agro, Big Oil, Big Insurance, Big Box Stores, etc. etc. etc. etc....... Das Kapital. CAPITALISM. The System. {ALSO known as, "Socialism FOR THE RICH"!}

Socialism FOR THE PEOPLE has gotten a bad rap, because some people CALLING themselves "Socialists" and "Communists" have hijacked the name to whitewash totalitarian authoritarian systems that were NOT really "for the people"; and definitely NOT democratic. In spite of that bad rap, and relentless propaganda from the Capitalists, the Corporations: according to a Rasmussen poll, 20% of Americans think of a Socialist system {for the people!} as better than a Capitalist one. When it comes to Young People, the figure pro-Socialism rises to 30%.

However, with the Bad Rap the name has gotten, I don't think a "Socialist" party would get very far in America. {Unlike in Sweden, for example, where they DO have "socialized medicine" for example, and SWEAR by it! and spend FAR LESS MONEY ON WARS......!}

I propose a simple title for such a party: The "TAX THE RICH!" Party.
{We have had in our history a "Gold Standard" Party; and a "Bull Moose" Party.....}
That title SHOWS WHO AND WHAT WE REGARD AS THE PROBLEM.

Such a party could attract a lot of people who think they are "of the right", mad as hell but not hysterically racist and bigoted like those repellant talk-show guys on TV.....who are THEMSELVES trying to HIJACK AND DIVERT a genuine movement of popular anger {thus carrying out the bidding of their bosses, the for-profit Corporations.....}

I agree that the Greens, and other small third parties, are very Idealistic but too timid and wimpy, somehow, to really carry out an ATTACK mode......

We are SUBSIDIZING THE RICH to pay armies consisting of OUR Young People to KILL OTHER PEOPLE so the SUPER-RICH CAN MAKE EVEN MORE PROFITS; GET SUPER-RICHER. They have put our governments into a STRAIGHT-JACKET....... It is not "government", it is the CORPORATIONS that are directing the repressive and insane scenarios.... altho often, the Corporations and the government are ONE-AND-THE-SAME, like Dick Cheney and Halliburton......

Saturday October 24, 2009, 9:09 pm
The problem as I see it, with an "Independent" or a "Constitutional" or a "People's" party, etc., is that YOU, THE VOTER, CAN READ INTO THAT NAME WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SEE.

With such a name as a "Gold Standard" party, it is CLEAR AND UN-AMBIGUOUS exactly WHAT it is, that you are signing up for. It is NOT a party to "appeal to everyone". You are CLEARLY EITHER FOR OR AGAINST a "Gold Standard" {for our financial system -- but I am MERELY using this AS AN EXAMPLE!}.

A TAX THE RICH! Party acknowledges the fact that THE RICH HARDLY PAY ANY TAXES AT ALL; yet it is THEIR wars that the rest of us are taxed to fight! {In Afghanistan, they aren't even bothering any more, to make any "logical excuses" why our soldiers are fighting there!}

We should TAX THE RICH to within an inch of their useless lives! Until there is NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE between THEIR incomes, and the average person's.....

LOVE IT, that President Obama insists that CEOs of Companies that received bailout funds, CUT THEIR SALARIES IN HALF..... It's a START in the right direction.....!

Whatever we do, it will have to be PEACEFUL and not "armed revolution". As violence ONLY begets MORE violence, an armed revolution has only resulted in a NEW Ruling Class taking advantage of the Economic System..... Ol' Marx got it WRONG, there......

Sunday October 25, 2009, 7:22 am
Thanks David, I agree, this video as with some others I've come across should be watched by all. There are videos I've felt every school child should view, but alas those videos may change the mind of too many and those who pull the strings wouldn't want that.

Hey, here is another town I use to live nearby: Boston, Massachusetts....lets see the figures on this city.

Taxpayers in Boston, Massachusetts will pay $1.9 billion for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

564,294 People with Health Care for One Year OR
2,935,504 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
36,935 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
32,239 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
196,224 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
351,920 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350 OR
6,540 Affordable Housing Units OR
706,010 Children with Health Care for One Year OR
225,212 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR
26,940 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
31,697 Port Container Inspectors for One year

Sunday October 25, 2009, 10:46 am
Very good Dandelion! Thank you very much for making this video known and accessible to all of us! We need to receive information, such as that which the NPP provides, so that we step out of ignorance, apathy or despair and get back to caring to be a part of the process that is called democracy. We need to insist that we are heard and that the driver of the vehicle gets a little more concerned that the passengers who all sit behind him are not sleeping, but we know exactly what he is up to and where he is driving us, and if it's to the slaughterhouse or some such place, we want to have plenty of time to stop the bus and take back the steering wheel after we take care of the driver! Time to pay attention everyone!
Thanks again, Dandelion.

Sunday October 25, 2009, 10:57 am
I agree with Mutiny's overall assessment.. The "QUESTION" is how do we proceed? Form a party of, for and by the people, giving it a title that speaks to the issues at hand may be a good place to start.. Let's come up with some ideas..Maybe a contest that could encourage folks to send in their idea of a name for a NEW party. A thought! Care2 has the numbers and the brave hearts to pull something like this off. Think about it? Care2, due to the tenacity of certain members, in many ways, has become a party unto itself! The numbers are here. Ideas are flowing. The need is real.

Sane folks, no matter their party affiliation, know "We" are in real time trouble.. Freedoms are being usurped at an alarming rate. This is not a movie reel but "REAL" life problems hitting very close to home for many a good folk.. This mess was created by insatiable gr$$d and a serious lack of checks and balances! Our complacency, over the years, has only added fuel to the desires of Corporations thus enabling their wretchedness to feed like an unstoppable disease.

It's very impressive how many Care2 folks are courageously speaking truth to power and sharing some darn good ideas. Putting action behind them is something "We" all should work on..

Researching the variables, heeding our Bill of Rights, embracing and growing "United We Stand" could lead to the downfall of the corporation bullies as well as those who serve them! American's need to boycott, refuse to do business with any faceless corporation that forgets the people in calculating their bottom line. If business is invited, which they are, to sit at the table discussing changes in the law then so too should those who represent the other half of this nation. Putting truth and something that's been MIA, justice, back into the equation is a must for those of US who desire to reignite the torch of FREEDOM before the enemies from with-in go even further with bastardizing the first and fourteenth amendment and anything else they can get their embedded, blood soaked, hands on!

Sunday October 25, 2009, 3:43 pm
I agree that this video and the stats should be on every tv/radio station...but not just in this country, but EVERY country....so they all know what WAR costs that could be spent on PEACE instead! Thanks for the very enlightening (and alarming) video, Dandy!

http://www.costofwar.com/


We're all just "looking for a break!"

Sunday October 25, 2009, 5:25 pm
Sorry WV, yes, should be on worldwide prime-time tv! and in all schools. Along with factual documentaries illustrating the insanity of war...I'm afraid that war is just a three letter word to many but shattered visions of shattered bodies might just alter a mind or two?...

Whilst this vid and it's associated benefits are a step in the right direction it REALLY annoys me that war has become nothing more than something to be traded on the stock exchange, money rules! and humanity takes second place?

Sunday October 25, 2009, 5:54 pm
The media over here has so sanitized the war. I recall when the news of VietNam started coming to the living rooms of the average American family showing the wounded in graphic detail, giving the nightly body counts of both sides, and showing other scenes that was happening over there, the view of war in all it's tragic forms was made to be seen.

Then the public started to say, omg, what is going on, look how horrible...on and on....and then they spoke up, and took to the streets in great numbers. But you see George Bush wouldn't even allow them to show the flag drapped coffins coming back from war, let alone the war.
We now see bits and pieces, debates about the war, and our airways spend far too much time on Michael Jackson, (sorry to the fans but belonged on Entertainment Tonight not every news channel) or the escapades of Brittney Spears, or some other lame story....now it's the balloon boy story that is covered for days on end.

Our media is controlled, by big Corporate sponsors, so they allow a little for the so called freedom of the press but not like it should.

Thank you all for taking the time to comment.

Sunday October 25, 2009, 6:48 pm
Hi Dandelion...Thanks for bringing a little sanity into this insane world we live in...

Yes, the VietNam war would probably still be running if the public were not made aware of the "reality" of war, rather than the "sanitized" version and got together and shut it down...

It's about time that the same happened again?...I noted the screening ("in Silence") of the names of US war dead, shown on the heavily censored US nightly news (good for drumming up "hatred" for the "enemy" and recruiting more troops, but nothing else?)...

Also noted that when the numbers became embarassing it stopped...Also the censorship of the sight of coffins returning home...(US news only)...

I really think that if kids were educated at an early age that war is not fun and the "glorified" rubbish their media gives them is nothing but rubbish...The current wars may not have happened?...

I should add: The coffins returned to Australia (Part of the coaltion of the "willing" (?)..Have ALL been shown on Oz primetime TV and given the coverage and respect they deserve...

Sunday October 25, 2009, 8:05 pm
Do Google this: it is also a Care2 members' blog {RoadLessTravelled}:

"Michael Moore's Action Plan: 15 Things Every American Can Do Right Now"

Very good plan, in general. Michael Moore's plan, tho, does involve "taking over" your local Democratic party. Might just work. Might just. At least, it would GIVE GOOD EXPERIENCE to anyone wanting to become SERIOUSLY involved in politics.
[Well-meaning Idealists, if not becoming corrupted, are often BAMBOOZLED by the Old Hands. EXPERIENCE of SOME sort, is a NECESSITY. If there is serious thought about an eventual Challenging Party.]
Moore's plan ALSO involves becoming active in Local Politics and running for office YOURSELF. It all starts LOCALLY.

Monday October 26, 2009, 1:39 am
It seems very strange to me that government should not want to honour by trumpetting the brave men and women who have given their lives in service. In the UK a "tradition" has grown up in the small market town of Wooton Bassett which is the nearest town to the Royal Air Force base used to fly the bodies home to. At each returning service person the flag draped coffin is ceremonially marched off the aircraft into the waiting hearse by fellow members of the persons regiment,ship, flight or other unit to the accompaniment of a bugler etc. When the cortage moves throught the nearby town it comes to a halt with the townsfolk, children, serving service personnel, veterans, other uniformed services such as fire, police, ambulance and the voluntary services, cadet services etc lined up along the route in a spontaneous show of respect that has now become a tradition . On each occasion these events are broadcast on national TV with all the respect of a state funeral, usually with photos of the persons killed and some information as to incident that killed them such as a roadside bomb (IED)or explosion, gunfire, rocket attack or even the occasional road accident, in the saddest cases "friendly" fire although how killing one's allies can be described as friendly I don't know! It is a timely reminder of the individual sacrifices our brave troops are still making for messrs Bush and Blair the latter now wishing to be EU President as he could not be US President! Google in" Wootton Bassett repatriation UK" for photo coverage and full descriptions!

Monday October 26, 2009, 4:18 am
people from all around the world are trying to kill americans can you blame a country for defending itself? nobody wants to spend this kind of money on defense ,homeland security etc but its the world we live in that forces our hand and gives us no choice but to protect our people...

Monday October 26, 2009, 7:14 am
Thanks David, I agree with you about the VietNam war still would be going on. Hey, I'm all for protecting ourselves, but news has come from our press time after time that what we were fed as "reasons" to go to war, were not the real reasons.

I'm tired and disgusted of the extreme amount in money going into the war machine, the monies going there have been at the loss of our citizens having health care, which they die from, our highway systems are in such need of repair that some States have now sold off road ways to private companies that now have control over them, they promise to do more repairs, which usually comes out of a toll being put up, more monies out of our pockets, while will continue to feed the war machine more monies which should of been used to fix the highways.

It was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a General in WWII, that was so impressed with the road systems in Europe to get supplies from one place to another that enacted our highway system over here, to build these highways to move troops, goods, or what have you to protect our land. Now these same highways are owned by Companies that are not under the United States flag and could forbide their use and close them at a moments notice.

Our schools have been neglected, except for the private schools that the well to do can send their children too. The Great Equalizer that was once the public school system is not so much an equalizer if the schools are falling apart and wages for teachers have not kept up so you do not get the same quality, but hey, if the poor and middle class children are going to be used to fight all these wars, they don't need so much education do they?

We have been fed a bill of lies, Our Constitution does not tell us that We the Citizens of the United States need to go all over the world and do what? We do need to protect ourselves and OUR interests, not the interests of Corporate America, and not the interests of some personal agenda for a few people in political office.

So how are we protecting our young Americans when we send them off to battle constantly? My late husband had said, when those who want to do us harm come upon our shores I'll be the first one out there to defend our Country, but I'm not going off to some far away lands where I'm not wanted and it wasn't necessary to begin with...he was a Veteran of VietNam.

After all these wars, in all these places, I have watched over the past lifetime of being a child in the fifties full of hope, our parents having felt good for the triumphs of WWII and now was ready to live their lives, where jobs could be readily found, and a decent life could be made by any job, as long as you worked. I have watched our economy go from thriving to tanking in the toilet, in one generation being pushed from being productive to being wasteful consumers, watched our youth loose the hope that we had, to only see that the war machine offers a job, college monies, and perhaps sense of adventure. The Recruiters are in our High Schools, speaking to the kids all the time, kids who can't find work in their communities, kids who see their parents trying to find work, kids who do not see a future....wow those films the military put out...the "Be all that you can Be"...the excitement of travel, and "helping" others....to a young person of 17, that is seeing the decay all around them....the military looks good.

So we feed the beast more and more money, that takes more of our sons and daughters, that gives less money for social programs that would benefit us overall. I have watched for 40 years, I have protested and spoken up for 40 years....but we still have the same, why, because too many of my fellow citizens have bought into it. Have put the blinders on, have been contented with the few crumbs thrown their way, have believed the propaganda....and I don't blame them....it is hard to see when one is in the center of the storm, the Beast feeds what it wants everyone to hear and think. Those who speak out a campaign is set loose to discredit them, the more vocal they are the more the Beast comes after you.

I love the Vision that this Country was built upon, I love the people of this Country, we were blessed with a beautiful land, trees, lakes, mountains, rivers, good soil. The First People knew this, they Honored this Land, this is a very beautiful place, could of held the beacon to the world as our Lady Liberty so shows....but not all held this Vision....so they have taken it and done with it what they have wanted with the Greed in their eyes and now they have another money making Corporation called the War Machine....

So why are not our soldiers given more attention upon their return, because the War Machine is afraid that if we see these bodies, then it may triggar in our brains something they do not want, and to the War Machine, it is all at the cost of doing business....a write off so to speak. There is no Honor in Greed. Us individual people moarn over the loss of the son and daughter that comes home in the coffin, their family, a few soldiers who do Honor the soldier, the town he or she grew up in, they Honor, but the massive Honoring....nope, not going to see it, except on certain dates, and that is primarily for past war efforts.

The War Machine will not stop, too much money in it now, look at the charts people with this article, we see loss to our communities, the Corporations that make money from the war see dollar bill signs flying into their pockets....look at Their chunk of the pie. It will not stop until each one of us stops it. So what are you waiting for? How many more dollars? How many more bodies?

Monday October 26, 2009, 1:33 pm
Thank you Dandelion. This is a big eye opener and needs peoples attention.

Monday October 26, 2009, 1:34 pm
Joe Jones do you really think everone is after the US? Firstly you overate US importance and secondly have you considered why those that have an axe to grind with the US feel that way perhaps it's something to do with your arrogant assumption that all give a damn in the first place! After all in the UK we got on without your assistance for the first two years of the two world wars and the whole of the Falklands war while your timid administrations thought war might not affect the US until the cowardly attack on Pearl by the Japanese for example woke your government from it's slumbers! While we held Hitler at bay with help of our commonwealth allies and variuos displaced European military personnel! On the other side of the coin many of the rest of us rallied to your side in Iraq and Afghanistan for an illegal war or certainly one that was initiated on false evidence and flawed intelligence proably obtained by torture. Perhaps some might see the US as the only country ever nuke anyone, innocent civilians mostly! Perhaps the intances of so called freindly fire from your military onto allies being more than anyone else, or the US obsession with guns, death, destruction and a prediposition to shoot first and ask questions afterwards, maybe the US sponsorship of terrorism in various places or your judicial killing of people in some states. locking people up with no trial or charge. Torturing people to get information which has in most cases proven unreliable scandalous treatment of prisoners in war by humiliations and torture! If you take a moment to ponder these and there are probably many more examples each one of these American activities is a contra indication of civilisation collectively I'm not sure what you would call these traits and actions! However none of them are nice or desirable qualities and that just might give you a clue as to why some might not be best pleased with the American dream which to many is a nightmare Those of us outside the US are well aware that most of this things are actions of government and not representative of the whole of the US people in fact most US citizens of my aquaintance abhore the majority of the actions I've mentioned. One person who cannot for example answer the question is a pregnant camel in Gaza Zoo with a hole through her back the shape of the American made missile lying beyond her lifeless body and just how many civilians have been placed in that situation by American armaments around the world not neccessarily fired by Americans but certainly provided by American suppliers or sponsorship. Answer that question my friend and you will have a rule of thumb indication of how many people might have good cause to have crossed the US off their Christmas card list! Few countries can boast for example targetting Zoos and the animals in those Zoos The US joins Israel. Nazi Germany and the UK in this exclusive club for example, that is excluding the actions that have killed animals in various ciivil wars and similar internecine and terrorist activities!