Nike Obama: Just Do Hope!

As it became clear to me last year that Obama would inevitably win the Presidential 'election', I bored more than a few people with my spiel that an Obama victory, far from being "change we could believe in," would in reality end up being what I was then calling the "ultimate triumph of the Spectacle."

Just today I found Chris Hedges' May 3rd Truthdig piece and he does a better job than I did, or could, in laying out the details of this idea:

Barack Obama is a brand. And the Obama brand is designed to make us feel good about our government while corporate overlords loot the Treasury, our elected officials continue to have their palms greased by armies of corporate lobbyists, our corporate media diverts us with gossip and trivia and our imperial wars expand in the Middle East. Brand Obama is about being happy consumers. We are entertained. We feel hopeful. We like our president. We believe he is like us. But like all branded products spun out from the manipulative world of corporate advertising, we are being duped into doing and supporting a lot of things that are not in our interest.

What, for all our faith and hope, has the Obama brand given us? His administration has spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion in taxpayer dollars to Wall Street and insolvent banks in a doomed effort to reinflate the bubble economy, a tactic that at best forestalls catastrophe and will leave us broke in a time of profound crisis. Brand Obama has allocated nearly $1 trillion in defense-related spending and the continuation of our doomed imperial projects in Iraq, where military planners now estimate that 70,000 troops will remain for the next 15 to 20 years. Brand Obama has expanded the war in Afghanistan, including the use of drones sent on cross-border bombing runs into Pakistan that have doubled the number of civilians killed over the past three months. Brand Obama has refused to ease restrictions so workers can organize and will not consider single-payer, not-for-profit health care for all Americans. And Brand Obama will not prosecute the Bush administration for war crimes, including the use of torture, and has refused to dismantle Bush’s secrecy laws or restore habeas corpus.

Read the whole piece.

PS - Hedges has a new book coming out this July; it's title definitely sounds intriguing ;-)

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

NPR's Diane Rehm Show: 'most people don't want single payer'

Diane Rehm's NPR show "spun" the news this morning (May 11) by asserting 'most people don't want single payer health care.' Take action at http://www.1payer.net/action-alerts.html .

Greetings & Test

InvidRose Here. Hi Fellow Wobs. Great Blog and hope to be a part of it as it develops.Solidariy...

Google to start charging for Youtube use?

http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/03/1318242&from=rss

Baptist Pastor Was Beaten & Tased by Border Patrol - INSIDE the US

A 'border patrol' between two US states?? This is a bizarre story, to say the least, and a deeply troubling one, at its worst; especially in light of how we are under more and more 'security state' surveillance and we could be subject to more of these 'patrols' and searches.

Even right here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a coalition of government agencies and private donors are putting up what will be the largest video surveillance system in the country for a city of Lancaster's size. More on that soon.

Meanwhile, "Papers please!!"

The first video was made by Pastor Steven Anderson just after he was released by the police on the night of April 14, 2009:



Here are excerpts of a sermon that Anderson gave soon after the incident:

Let Justice Roll - Raise the State and Federal Minimum Wage

Let Justice Roll - Raise the State and Federal Minimum Wage
Fellow Wobs! This organization is pushing very hard to raise the minimum wage to $10.00/hr. in 2010. I know it's not quite abolishing the wage system altogether but it is a start on leveling at least the lower end of the playing field. I feel strongly about supporting them in their quest, and if anyone wants to join me you can show your support by putting your name on their petition as well. You just go to "Signup" and submit name/address/phone #/ e-mail and you're now signed on. And I Thank You For Your Support-Brian

COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS

COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS

Well, If there were some who missed our 4-26 meeting, we spoke about raising awareness for these Migrant Workers, and there fight against slavery in Florida. Yes, In Florida!! Let's not forget to mail, e-mail or call the Fla. Governer, Senators and Reps. about these horriffis crimes happening in our "Free Country". Not only is it our jobs as Union People, but also our job as Civilized, Humane Americans to abolish slavery and keep abolishing it every time it rears its' ugly head. There is a tab "Take Action" and they offer Postcards to send to them, DVD's to screen to the Public and other Awareness tools for their cause. Let's show these folks what solidarity means.