Written by: Rick Staggenborg, MD on Jan 29, 2010 7:17 AM PST
This essay is dedicated to Steve McQueen, the epitome of cool who was always on the side of the good guys, as when he freed himself from the grip of sadistic Nazis in The Great Escape. He died of cancer, a scourge of mankind that will continue to worsen until we force an end to the poisoning of the environment by greedy corporatists who are allowed to continue to build nuclear power plants, dump drugs and other toxic chemicals into our water supply and release benzene into the atmosphere and mercury into the ocean. McQueen will always be remembered as an inspirational figure for thousands of American youth of his generation.
Fortunately, as I always say, greed makes one stupid and they have crossed a bridge that has taken them into territory from which there is no escape. It is clear that it is now inevitable that we will win the war to Take Back America for the People and free ourselves to become the nation that the father of our country wished it to be, “the most liberal nation in the world.”
The assassination of King, the Kennedys and other fearless Soldiers For Peace internationally caused millions to lose hope that together we could crush the powerful international cabal whose aim was to make slaves of us all. Of more lasting importance, it inspired millions more to continue to wage the war whose victory is now at hand.
We have picked up the weapon these martyrs used, simple truth spoken plainly. Charging forward under the banner of Old Glory, we rush headlong into this final battle. If there is a just and compassionate God, it is on our side in this nonviolent war for freedom and justice. Whether or not we can count on its help, we must now realize that we cannot lose if We the People stand together, though millions will die before we succeed. When we stop fighting among ourselves and fight together to end corporate dominance of Congress, it is all over but the proverbial shooting.
Like the Native Americans who bravely fought against genocide and enslavement by cowardly European invaders of their free and democratic societies, we will fight until each of us can say, this time with joy, “I will fight no more forever.”
Emboldened by the sure knowledge that there are many more good men and women than those who choose greed and selfishness, we rest assured in our belief that good will always defeat evil in the fullness of time. Eternal peace and freedom for all men and women of our shared planet is our goal, and victory is at hand.
In the immortal words of Tom Petty:
Well I won't back down.
No, I won't back down.
You can stand me up at the gates of Hell
but I won't back down.
No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around.
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down,
gonna stand my ground... and I won't back down.
(and I won't back down)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down...)
hey I will stand my ground...
and I won't back down.
Well I know what's right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin me around.
But I'll stand my ground...and I won't back down.
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out.
(and I won't back down...)
Hey I will stand my ground
(I won't back down)
and I won't back down...
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out.
(I won't back down)
Hey I won't back down
(and I won't back down)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out.
(and I won't back down)
Hey I will stand my ground...
(and I won't back down)
and I won't back down.
(I won't back down)
No I won't back down...
Rick Staggenborg, MD
Portland, Oregon
When people ask me how I reacted to the Citizen's United decision, the exchange goes like this:
ReplyDeleteMe: "I got gloriously drunk."
Them: Pretty depressed, huh?"
Me: "Hell, no! I was celebrating. Now we can even explain to Republicans why governement doesn't work. How do you like the phrase 'corporate welfare' to explain it to them?"
The Citizens United case was in the news for months before the long-delayed decision came down. In the meanwhile, the Supremes made an unprecedented (or so I am told) appeal for amicus briefs to "inform their opinion." In reality, it appears that they were fishing for arguments to extend the reach of the decision far beyond the question at hand.
The result was an act of Supreme judicial activism on behalf of the corporate interests who seem Hell-bent on imposing fascism in America. Meanwhile, the Republicrat Puppets in Congress scream "socialism" every time the Demicans attempt to mitigate the social consequences and keep the electorate just satisfied enough that they are trying so that they don't throw them out too.
It doesn't seem to be working, judging from the fear they are exhibiting in their attacks on the tea Party, darlings of the corporate media if only as infotainment. Unfortunately, the angry electorate doesn't seem to recognize the difference between serious poitical debate and infotainment anymore. Look for Rand Paul to win in Kentucky, now that he is safely under the wing of Karl Rove.
This is why we have to talk to our neighbors who consider themselves conservative but don't realize that they are supporting the counterRevolutionaries who are close to reversing all the gains of the American Revolution. We can and must encourage them to join in the fight against corporate personhood if together we are going to Take Back America for the People.
In the process, you just might make some new friends with thoughts you haven't heard before. We are all Americans and citizens of the world and our commonalities are more important than our differences.
People brainwashed by the neocons are not stupid, just misinformed. It is our duty as Americans to recruit them to be Soldiers For Peace in the War to End All War by establishing democracy in America.