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   GREEN TIME
Pillager of pain and of sunsets,
the shadow detaches and joins the night,
a shield for stupidities
the awkward age of sharp edged sadnesses
oblique and obtuse, resurrects.

And, I observe minimal integrals of childhood in me
still lithe and graceful, buried deep beneath the years,
layers of insulating scar tissue; at the Arcamedean equation
of conch shells that sound seas of infinity,
intimate time, uneasy at my altered, breaking voice.

   PORTS OF CALL
Tossed by the flying scud of years, how I?ve struggled
through many unbeaconed pitfalls, the tempest?s favorite toy,
to anchor off shore, of a mirage ?
engines quiet safe and secure from tossed dangers, in port.

But no this not to be my mad fate,
that I must struggle on, where singing stars
sink slowly into a sea ? to catch and stop Time,
among the dangerous shoals where I?ve been driven, now there?s the trick.

Here where the crude and rudeness, the daze and dawn unfold
into symphonic proportions, I?ve chosen, to fight for a life ?
that mocks my misery, and makes merry feasting my starvation.

From here where all is flying, evaporating into fine mists
I can?t tell whether reason or guide me, but I know that my heart would die
to see such a promised land and not try for it!

   REFLECTIONS BY ICU
This morning
I was born
along solitary streets
time scudding beneath my feet;
when my eyes screw shut
these somnolent house fronts disappear,
like the mist swirling
about my car;
through a predestined caprice
a crescent moon hangs high
in breathless suspense.

This morning
the lights are strung out together
like a string of pearls
luminous in the gloom;
while these diminishing doll houses
and thin waisted trees
rapidly recede behind blazing ruby eyes
where puppet people reflect
unaware how they reduce,
reproduce, laugh, cry and?
each time I blink.

This morning
day dawns darkly,
in its wintriest mood,
yet absolute power,
grim and gray pokes along shadowless;
waiting for us, to begin bestowing color ?
blue sky, green grass
and leaves a riotous laughter,
who knows perhaps today we?ll plant a rainbow
from mountains across the valley
to the rooftop across the street.

This morning
you dream sleeping in the other room
you stoutly deny
that you sprang fully formed from my side
and you claim you feel
love?s fiery diffusion
to prove you?re real.
Though its perfectly clear as any tear
with its inverted miniature images
that your beauty, intellect and emotions
are all a divine gift,
       given from me.

THANKSGIVING
I?m thinking of you, divine mendicant Mary Magdalene,
a thousand human torches incarnadine proud Brutus.
of your face flowing with a misty autumn
Of rustic leaves garnishing your beautiful brown hair.

From my pipe I float bobbing beneath the ceiling,
   an from your smiling eyes lightening illuminates the faint filtered light;
   while I was seen kneeling, giving thanks, to Isis,
for the gift of letters that made me a proselyte of God.

In a galaxy?s heart a star is horn, and I know
   its because this morning you?ve opened your eyes,
   and, suddenly swirling out of the dark depths of Heaven,
come showers of shooting stars.

Now, the proud blind Pharisee have destroyed the land
transforming it into a dead and desolate wasteland, where formerly,
beneath the branches of Jefferson?s apple trees, purple mountains
and vast rolling grasslands met freely with great stands of Sequoias.

   RUMOR MILL
            THE 2002 ELECTIONS
THE following evaluatory exercise is the opinion of Rumor Mill.
Last month we witnessed a political process in the USA that has been erroneously called an election. First, for the political exercise to have been an election it would have had to follow the procedures established in the Constitution; and, it would have needed to be a equal that is to say fair process between participating parties. What we witnessed did follow procedures established in the Constitution, but it was not equal because one group has become disproportionately powerful by acquiring too much wealth. And, disproportion destroys Democracies. The accumulation of such a disproportionate amount of wealth by one party has made our current procedures obsolete, without major modifications which will equalize the political process, and again make it fair, our Democracy will degenerate into a tyranny, while maintaining a democratic façade. Second, the unfair nature of last months political process was characteristic of states that aren?t Democratic. It might be beneficial to stop and take stock of our countries features. Do they manifest traits of a Democracy or tyranny? It is the Rumor Mill?s intention to analyze the health of America?s Democracy today, and generate a report card in the form of this essay.
A concerted effort to make the process objective thus fair is of paramount importance. To insure no personal bias &/or cultural bias has unduly influenced its results, and thus negated its validity, an objective criterion was established using social and political characteristics established by Aristotle, Locke, Mill, Jefferson and others. In spite of all our care and consideration to be fair the results were so overwhelming as to give the appearance of prejudice: there was not one characteristic found to serve as an exception to the conclusion of this study. The Rumor Mill encourages the reader to duplicate our efforts and see for them selves.
An election in a Democracy is the fair competition between parties to elect representatives for public office. Our political exercise, as noted, followed guidelines for electoral processes established in the constitution. However, all other characteristics ended there. The Republican Party significantly out spent the Democrats. The consequence was that the Republicans bought the election. Consider the fact that in over 200 yrs. of history not one party who controlled the Presidency and Congress during a recession ever went through an election without losing seats in Congress. What happened was a political event so singular as to have no antecedent through out the long history of this nation. The American political process was mugged by money. If an election isn?t equal, then it isn?t fair, and if it isn?t fair, then it is not a ?free election?, which is characteristic of a Democracy.
The only explanation for last month?s results is for the Republican Party to have acquired such an advantage in money (power) that they were able to overwhelm the political process with money. Today, one group in American society is so powerful, it can control the country?s political outcomes regardless of the circumstances. If a faction buys the government it will expect return for its investment. Government becomes a means of obtaining wealth, which is only possible if it pursues policies advantageous to the special interests whose wealth elected the politicians. Government for special interests (faction) is at the expense of everyone else. If that were not the case then special interests would invest their money elsewhere and receive whatever was the greatest rate of return possible. The net consequence of greed generated policies designed for the advantage of special interest (faction) at everyone else?s is BAD GOVERNMENT. What have we witnessed in the post election period?
The first measure made by George Jr. was to try and privatize government jobs. The jobs are to be replaced by low paying service sector wage jobs. Two consequences are 1) it attacks Federal Unions which vote Democrat, and, 2) it impairs consumer demand, by firing government employees who will have to get other lower paying jobs without benefits. Large numbers of replacement workers will have to be hired by the private sector who will also be working at service sector wages without benefits. Another consequence is that many of the replacement workers will be foreigners who will be indebted to the Republicans for contracted private sector jobs, which because of the graft helps split the ethnic voting blocks, which otherwise tend to vote Democrat. Republicans offer graft and corruption in the form of large numbers of these former government jobs, instead of developing programs which help a broad base of people like education, vocational training, public housing and health care. Lacking any meaningful alternative the immigrant workers will grab these low paying jobs and who can blame them.
The insurance stipend (voucher) is the next proposal coming from George Jr. and the Republican Party. The stipend (voucher) goes to the insurance company for poor people. The problem is that for a person to qualify they are too poor to afford the insurance, so the insurance industry gets the money without having to provide any services: thus the insurance companies get a FREE RIDE. If a single mother (the largest growing group of poor in America today) qualifies for the stipend she can?t afford the co-pay, or money for prescriptions, or tests to determine what?s wrong, or the specialists fees that she?s referred to. All these expenses and more are costs the insurance industry is committed to afflicting the American public with, while providing the most expensive to operate, and the most unfair system in the world, one which gives worse health every three yrs to half of its patients who are senior citizens, poor and chronically ill. The spending of stipends during a period of incompetent budget deficits that are the largest in the history of this country to pay for phony foreign wars and tax cuts for the wealthy is stupid policy. It doesn?t help the poor. It increases the National Debt. Obviously, this kind of scenario will directly impair consumer demand, too. These are two examples immediately presented by the Republican Party after buying the elections. These are two examples of legislature for the exclusive advantage of special interests at the expense of all other members of society. These are two examples of BAD GOVERNMENT.
Quite often members of the radical right say they?re for children, as if only they can be for children. And, while this is designed to secure them the moral high ground, it enables them to imply that everything else they contend is good policy for children?s benefit. In point of fact it?s an emotional claim that clouds and emotionalizes issues. Everyone I know and have talked to is for children, its like being for tomorrow. If we are for children then we need to be very critical and careful in our thinking, because it is extremely important. What needs to be decided rationally and non-emotionally is what kind of society we want our children to live in. Do we want our children to continue to enjoy the blessings of Democracy like freedom, prosperity and the greatest amount of happiness, which are the three primary goals of Democracy? Or, are we willing to have our children?s future determined by the will of a powerful elite group, in a process, which inherently will degenerate into vice, tyranny and corruption? And, how can we tell which way we as a nation are heading without evaluating by an objective standard our social and political characteristics?
There are two ways Governments change: 1) is Revolution and 2) is Fraud. The first, revolution is violent and can come either from external or internal sources. The second, fraud comes from domestic sources, sometimes without the citizens even knowing it?s occurred. The benefits derived by the tyrannizing group are obvious if a state?s citizens don?t realize a transformation of power has transpired. The usurping group, by displacing already existing government institutional structures, minimizes risks and bother. As already noted it is particularly insidious because, as Lord Bolingbroke mentioned in his political writings, the damage is already done before the citizens are even aware of it. An objective behavioral checklist is helpful in determining when government by fraud has occurred. It is our report card on the health of Democracy in America today. Government by fraud can be identified when government is conducted by a narrow group (faction) who pursue policies designed to help them acquire wealth, which the vast majority of Republican measures do. Contradistinctively, Democracy tends to be government by all the people for the benefit of all the people. In contemporary American Democracy how many middle class &/or poor people can afford to run for office? And, if by a miracle some poor person were to be elected whose interests would they represent, the American public, or, the money that got them elected?
A further evaluation, of other political and social characteristics, is equally devastating to individuals who are concerned for a healthy Democracy, in terms of the negative results that they generate. In non-Democratic forms of government (tyranny) ignorance, after a certain rudimentary level of training designed to help facilitate low levels of employment, is encouraged. Witness the Republican dominated government actions that raise costs of college, create huge budget deficits which make less money available for public schools, and educational proposals designed to cost more and provide less. In Oregon the Republican post election proposals result in shortening the school year for many of our children, so that by the time they finish their school career, if they had entered into schools at the first grade and graduated from high school, they will have their education shortened one year. National proposals by the Republican Party for vouchers for private charter schools if implemented will give worse education for a projected 80% of our children, while vouchers for better private schools will drain funds away from public schools. Democracies encourage better education and vocational training for everyone, because it knows that a better-educated society promotes prosperity and stability. Tyranny realizes that better educated citizens become harder to fool and control. Here again the Republican Party record is reflective of tyranny and represents BAD GOVERNMENT. In non-Democratic forms of government workers have to work harder at lower wages. The Republican Party has opposed every attempt to raise minimum wage. Under the Republican Party leadership we have watched while the average work week has increased by a huge 50% rolling back from 40 hrs, a week until now its at 60 hrs a week, which means citizens labor just to pay bills and haven?t time to be concerned with public affairs, other citizens plight and to be involved in public business. It also means fewer workers to provide benefits for and more profits for the wealthy owners. The Republican Party efforts to extend the age before citizens can qualify for their Social Security is another example of legislation advantageous to special interests (mutual funds) as it expands labor markets and lets others use workers money for longer periods of time. And, in cases where the workers die before they can claim their money, the mutual funds are able to keep the workers money. If the Republicans privatize Social Security it will be another example of tyranny. The advantage for the wealthy is obvious, it will make it difficult for any one to retire; it will expand the labor markets and help force wages down. It will also serve to help camouflage the real constriction of ownership. This cluster of wage and work related measures like retirement, minimum wage and social security are all advantageous of a few (faction) at the expense of the many, and are reflective of tyranny, and constitute BAD GOVERNMENT. Further, in tyranny fear motivates people. In the U.S. recently we have been living under siege from terrorists (see previous issues) and violence. The radical right populist movement intimidates people; children are beaten in schools and on the streets by young radical right thugs like in 1930?s Germany. The only thing lacking is the uniforms. Under tyranny distrust is prevalent. In America today, with narcs and individuals who befriend only to spy on each other, people don?t trust one another. This helps the tyrant because it impairs citizens? ability to organize against tyranny. Also, in America independent and effective organizations become displaced by radical right wingers (see previous issues) who infiltrate organizations like NARL and environmental organizations, in order to waste their resources and make sure that their efforts are ineffectual. And, the radical right has set up a grass roots organization that?s like an Amway of radical right terror, to facilitate their factional efforts.    Another characteristic of tyranny is spying on neighbors, which as already noted has become a national past time. In a Democracy citizens respect their neighbors? right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, even if one disagrees with them; because, they would have their rights (not privileges) respected by others. Unfortunately, now we?re learning what happens when Civil Rights are not respected. In a Democracy people live according to the dictates of reason, while respecting one another?s right as they would have their own rights respected, thus maximizing prosperity and optimizing happiness. In tyrannies one sees prostitutes employed with impunity, not the street walking and call girl types though there are isolated instances of that type of operation, too. In America the radical right employs prostitutes who function as the chief back up method if they can?t sneak into targeted individuals? lives with phony friends. Also, the Radical Right busy themselves with various forms of perversion demonstrating vast resources and an advanced stage of moral corruption. In Democracy prostitutes are not employed to monitor the private lives of its citizens, or to corrupt and compromise peoples? careers. In tyrannies one encounters informers in a wide variety of circumstances. Unfortunately, we have seen radical right informers and narcs distributed extensively throughout American society. In a Democracy liberty is prevalent, which precludes the necessity of informants and spies. A central principal of Democracy is equality, so one set of laws applies to all citizens. In tyrannies one group is either placed above the law, or there are two standards one for the rulers and their pawns and another for the rest of the people. We have been noting extensive practices of criminal behavior by the radical right including child prostitution (which constitutes child abuse) behavior, which employed by any other group would suffer serious condemnation and criminal prosecution.
The list already generated is quite extensive. All these characteristics are representative of a tyrannical system of government. Governments that are tyranny attack political opposition, which as was pointed out the privatizing government jobs did. Tyrannies tend to favor foreigners, which the privatizing jobs legislation did, too. Large numbers of immigrant workers would benefit, as was previously noted, and which potentially furthered Republican interests by means of graft, thereby fulfilling another characteristic of tyranny, because citizens already here better understand how they?re being exploited, which tyrants fear. Tyrants tend to limit participation, witness Republican?s who control the selection of judges in the Senate judiciary committee, and who have stated that any person to be considered for a judge position had to agree with the Republicans as a perquisite condition to being selected, which not only politicizes the judiciary but also meets another characteristic of tyranny. In a Democracy all people participate. In a Tyranny the population tends to bifurcate with a small number of wealthy resting on top of a large number of poor. In a Democracy there tends to be a healthy middle class, which increases prosperity and stabilizes society. In tyrannies dissidents are discouraged, some set up and arrested, others compromised with prostitutes, and others subject to phony smear campaigns, thus minimizing their ability to participate. In a Democracy all potential leaders? participation is accepted and even encouraged, because it is recognized that not any one group has a complete monopoly on the best ideas about everything.
Disproportion destroys Democracy. In the United States in the last political process money mugged our elections. What was left afterwards was a government whose majority of members where subordinate to special interests. The government outcomes generated since then have been advantageous for those special interests ? in a short-term scenario. However, as the over all prosperity of the country erodes under tyrannical and exploitive policies, which are inevitable because the special interests will seek to maximize their political investments? rates of return. The rates of return will then become progressively more bleak, which will then cause them to seek greater exploitive measure in an endeavor to sustain their previous rates of return, which will exacerbate the problem in a negative circular spiral pattern.

           POST ELECTION VIOLENCE
Rumor Mill believes we were hit with a barrage of post election violence. WE are witnessing more and more of this because it serves at least two functions. One if by some miracle and the elections go badly for the special interests then those elected have to react to the violence which increases the influence of the right. If the elections are overwhelmed by money like in the last political exercise then it distracts the public from reforming the political election process. Both benefit the radical right and fit the tyranny model. Under either outcome the radical right is the same ? violence. In Oregon we witnessed international violence in Israel, which help Republicans in certain critical districts with heavy Jewish constituencies. On the National level some believe a black youth was induced to shoot in a sniper mode of violence, which further divides the nation, and again helps tyranny. And locally street violence, which has been dominated by radical right elements for over the last decade, was said to increase. All of the preceding is in line with a model of tyranny that promotes a government established two years ago by Fraud that has over thrown Democracy by money. It effectively prevented people from stopping to look critically at the last American political process.

           BAD GOVERNMENT CONT.
The Rumor Mill is afraid the measure George Jr.recently signed after the elections not only is bad government, and advantageous to special interests ? the insurance industry. But, it heralds an era of increased politically motivated violence. If, terrorism is under the thumb of the radical right like in the Islamic world and central and south America. Then, the intent of such a measure is reasonable if violence can ever be viewed as reasonable and the future clear - more violence. The only ones who benefit are the radical right. Dissident groups? acts of violence just polarize public opinion against them. They don?t increase influence. The government doesn?t benefit, they are saddled with extra negative expenses. The only ones to benefit are the radical right who play both ends against the m idle, increase their influence, again and again, all over the globe!
The bill doesn?t make sense, it?s BAD GOVERNMENT. Why should the American taxpayer pick up a tab for insurance companies who charge premiums at excessive rates to cover costs and profits according to degree of risk? They get paid twice for acts of violence, while the American business community and public have to pay twice! And, if you consider the previous paragraph, it creates a scenario where violence is encouraged. What?s wrong with this picture! Government by fraud for the advantage of special interests (and the insurance industry) at the expense of the American public. This is not wise. This is not even clever. Its bad business. Its BAD GOVERNMENT.

DOWNSIZING
Downsizing is nothing but a PR campaign to camouflage transforming government from one which promotes benefits to all society in the form of social services, like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, to one whose primary function is to make special interests money! It?s government designed to make wealth for a small number of people at the expense of everyone else. It?s BAD GOVERNMENT. It?s tyranny.