Puget Sound Liberals Weekly Newsletter #127

Enhancing Freedom, Opportunity and Cooperation in Puget Sound and Beyond

Through informing and networking Liberals and Liberal Organizations.

 

Our vision is hundreds of thousands of well-informed Puget Sound Liberals working together.

 

   2300 members                                                               June 20, 2008                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

                                                     

Our Website                                   Our  Editor                  To Unsubscribe

 

                        Table of Contents  *Featured Articles

 

About Puget Sound Liberals

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

  How Would You Spend $3 Trillion instead of Iraq?

 

Commentaries from Our Members

Aaron Ostrom: BIAW attack ads against Gov. Gregoire

Ann Martin on Kucinich’s articles of impeachment

Ray McBain: John Stuart Mills’ On Liberty

Jack Smith on the Real Costs of Government

Larry Kalb on Universal Access to Quality Health Care

John Repp on Bush Plans to Continue Iraq Occupation

 

Liberals and Democrats Links to the Beef

Obama Is Already Moving Ahead of John McCain*

Finally Others Are Thinking about Al Gore for VP

Progressive Majority Is What We Need Now*

Black Belts for Liberals*

Check Out These Conservative Blogs

 

State and Local  Links to the Beef

Attempts to Adopt a State Income Tax*

 

Nation and World  Links to the Beef

What If Our U.S. Had to Pay Reparations?

Global Warming Feeds Itself*

Oil Drilling in U.S. Won’t Lower Our Gas Prices*

 

Our Liberal Spirit

Creativity

 

Recommended Books

 

 

 

 

Our Political Priorities

 

·       Fair Clean Elections and Open Government

·       Fair Taxes and Competent Spending

·       Investment for Productivity

·       Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income and Retirement

·       Environmental Protection and Energy Independence

·       Security and Equal Rights

·       Justice and Peace Everywhere

·       International Cooperation and Leadership

 

Conservatives oppose all of these

 

     Let’s End Our National Nightmare

 

         Let’s Restore Our American Dream

 

More on Conservative opposition to our American Dream

 

 

Washington State’s 4 Major Needs

 

·       Federal Funding for Health and Education

·       A Progressive Income Tax

·       Public Campaign Financing

·       Replacing Republican Legislators

 

Quote of the Week

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.  Mary Lou Cook  (1918 - )

 

More quotes about creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

 

King County Democrats - LD Meetings            Some 2008 Legislature Lobby Days

 

Thurston County Progressive Net                  Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

 

Alliance for Democracy                                Democratic Underground.Com                           

 

Town Hall Seattle Calendar                            Sierra Club Cascade Chapter Calendar          

       

Washington Public Campaigns Calendar          Conversation Cafe

 

Whatcom County Peace and Justice Calendar  Drinking Liberally                                        

 

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice – Friday Night Movies      Liberal films on PBS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events

Friday, June 20 at 6 PM at Roger Goodman’s and Liv Grohn’s home (338 – 10th Avenue, Kirkland) – Roger Goodman’s Re-Election Campaign Kick-Off Backyard Picnic.  Food and beverages provided.  Children welcome.  Bring friends.  Please RSVP.

Saturday, June 21 at 9 AM – 4 PM at Mary Gates Hall, University of Washington, Seattle – Washington State Good, Green Jobs Conference by Washington State Blue-Green Alliance and Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.  Featuring keynote speaker Governor Chris Gregoire and Larry Fahn, David Foster and Ron Sims.  Many labor, environmental and other sponsors. $15.  To register.

Saturday, June 21 at 7 PM at Jerry M. Brockey Center, South Seattle Community College (6000 – 16th Avenue SE, Seattle) – Washington Public Campaigns 2008 Awards Banquet and Fundraiser, with speaker David Domke and silent auction. $40.  For more information and RSVP.

Saturday, June 21 at 6:30 PM at Jim and Joanne Dufour’s home (3406 Manning Street, Seattle) – inSPIRe Potluck Social with presentations and discussion of Puget Sound Millennium Goals Project.  

Monday, June 23 at 7 PM at Sammamish Public Library (825 – 228th Avenue NE, Sammamish) – Issues in American Democracy Discussion Group with speaker Rosa McLeod and Tymmony Keegan from NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, hosted by 5th Legislative District Democrats and the Democrats of Inglewood Neighborhood.

Monday, June 23 at 7:30 PM at Town Hall (1119 – 8th Avenue, Seattle) – Scott McClellan speaking about his What Happened Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception. $5

Friday, June 27 at 7 PM at Gibson Hall (105 Newport Way, Issaquah) – American Democracy Movie Night featuring “Uncounted” about fraudulent vote counting, hosted by 5th Legislative District Democrats.

Tuesday, July 1 at 6:30 at Temple Beth El (5975 South 12th Street, Tacoma) – Washington Health Care Caucus. Sponsored by Healthy Washington Coalition.  For info or carpool.

July 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (44048 Delridge Way SW, Seattle) – Edge Theatre Ensemble presents Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children.  For tickets.

Tuesday, July 15 at 6:30 at Holy Family Catholic Church (5315 Tieton Drive, Yakima) – Washington Health Care Caucus. Sponsored by Healthy Washington Coalition.  For info or carpool.

 

Barbara Rader of Black Widow Web Development created our Puget Sound Liberals Website, to which I can easily add, modify and remove files.  Learn more about this unique company, which offers a 50% discount for organizations that promote social justice and environmental stewardship.  Dave Thomas

 

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Opportunities

Try MoveOn’s new game: What’s the difference between President Bush and Senator John McCain?

Get your free Obama bumper sticker.

Check the speed of your internet connection.  Compare it with faster foreign speeds.

 

Petitions and Donations

Don Smith wants some musicians to help recording a song for YouTube.

Tell the Bush Administration to protect our Tongass National Forest.

Tell your congress members to oppose immunity for companies who spied on Americans

Sign a petition supporting equal marriage rights for all.

Sign a petition supporting passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

As presidential candidates to sign the ban on cluster bombs.

Seattle Divest from the War and Occupation is seeking supporters.

 

Feedback

 

I thank my Eric Oemig for convincing me to improve our weekly newsletter email to better inform and entice you to read our newsletter.  Eric is my favorite senator along with Rodney Tom and others.  I encourage you all to send me suggestions for improving our services.  Dave Thomas

 

Commentaries From Our Members

 

Ann Martin on Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment

Published by Seattle PI on June 13, 2008

 

Judiciary committee likely to sit on Kucinich's articles

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has boldly put forward 35 articles of impeachment. The Democratic Congress has not so boldly referred those articles to the Judiciary Committee where they will likely be starved to death in the waning months of the Bush administration. Among the most egregious of administration actions are "misleading" (lying to) the American public in the startup to the Iraq war, use of torture, imprisoning children and spying on Americans. Those led directly to the doubling of the deaths "attributable" to 9/11, resulting in as many American deaths from an unjustified war as the terrorists inflicted when they attacked.

 

If not now, when? We must hold this administration accountable for the sake of this country and the future of the presidency. We must restore the confidence of the country in the powers of Congress. This is not petty politics; this is the function of the separation of powers and the purpose of checks and balances among the branches of government. Impeachment should not be taken up lightly; neither should it be held hostage to timing.  Ann Martin

 

Ray McBain Brings John Stuart Mills’ On Liberty to Our Attention

 

John Stuart Mill

In the 19th century, John Stuart Mill pioneered the liberal conception of politics. He saw democracy as the major political development of his era and, in his book On Liberty, advocated stronger protection for individual rights against government and the rule of the majority. He argued that liberty was the most important right of human beings, and that the only just cause for interfering with the liberty of another person was self-protection. One commentator refers to On Liberty as "the strongest and most eloquent defense of liberalism that we have." Mill also emphasized the importance of freedom of speech, claiming that "we can never be sure that the opinion we are attempting to stifle is a false opinion, and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still."  From Wikipedia.  To download On Liberty.

 

Jack Smith on the Real Costs of Government

Published by Seattle PI on June 17th, 2008

 

I am told that homeless people cost Seattle $40 million each year. Use the recent 2,600-person overnight count of homeless people here and do the math. I suspect that little, if any, of that money goes directly to homeless people. How much is an accounting allocation for such city services as police for sweeps and to protect city residents from homeless people, social workers to help the homeless conform, people to clean up after the homeless and landscapers to restore the land after a tent city.

 

This situation is somewhat like the Iraq occupation. Our government is paying billions of dollars per month, supposedly to bring democracy to the Iraqi people. It appears that those people receive little, if any, of that money. U.S. munitions companies must be paid. U.S. contractors from Halliburton to Blackwater must be paid for their questionable services. U.S. construction companies must be paid for the facilities used for anywhere from consulates to new military bases. One cannot ignore the costs of the U.S. military. It seems like a large portion of the cost of the Iraq occupation is returned to the U.S. economy.

 

The real costs of government activities are not always what they appear to be. I believe the same may be said of the real purposes. I have been asked how did I tie homelessness and the Iraq occupation. It is dreadfully simple to tie homelessness and the occupation: Many homeless people are U.S. war veterans.  Jack Smith

 

Larry Kalb on Need for Universal Access to Quality Health Care

Published by Seattle PI on June 18,2008

 

In a speech to the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said, "Access to health care is the first major challenge that health care reform must address." No kidding?

 

What good is quality care if there are financial or physical barriers to it? Today, even if we may have the financial means to pay for premiums, we may not be able to get coverage, leaving us exposed to potentially risking our life's savings in the event that we suffer just one illness. We should never face the specter of indigence resulting from the high price of medical services, forcing foreclosure on our reputation or our future.

 

Physical barriers such as "pre-existing conditions" should become a thing of the past once we put to rest this ethical conflict of interest: Medicine is a calling, not a business. The anxiety over health insurance eligibility, benefits, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses should never shape major life decisions or put our health at further risk. We need to trust that our best interests are at heart and not compromised by financial motives. What is at stake is a secure home, a stable livelihood and the protection of our health.  Larry Kalb, President, Health Care for All – Washington

 

John Repp on Bush Plans to Continue Iraq Occupation

Published by Seattle PI on Thursday, June 19th, 2008

 

In Tuesday's article about the conflict between the Army and KBR, the largest civilian contractor in Iraq, among the many disturbing details, this fact stood out: The Pentagon has just awarded KBR a 10-year $150 billion contract (paragraph 9). That should be on the front page.

 

It means the Bush administration is planning to continue the occupation of Iraq for at least a decade.  John M. Repp

 

Liberals and Democrats

 

Barack Obama Is Already Moving Ahead of John McCain

 

Barack Obama is leading McCain in the polls.  Especially among women, many of whom supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries.  As more pro-choice women who now support John McCain become aware of McCain’s opposition to Roe vs. Wade, they can be expected to switch their support from McCain to Obama.  For more.  For more.  For more.

 

Barack Obama’s growing lead is downplayed in our commercial media, because they depend upon a tight race for the drama that attracts their audience to their advertisements.  This is the true commercial media bias.  Not Liberal or Conservative, so much as favoring whatever stories help their service to advertisers.

 

Besides Barack Obama’s campaign grass roots organizations in all 50 states, 3600 additional grass roots organizers have been trained and sent to 17 contested states.  For more.  John McCain’s grass roots organization hardly exists.  Remember that early on, Barack Obama was far behind Hillary Clinton in the polls.  Obama’s superior grass roots organization did not show up in the polls until just before the Iowa caucuses.  Similarly, present grass roots organizing may not show up in the polls until it focuses upon getting out the vote just before our November elections.  As occurred in the Iowa caucuses, this will be the Obama shock and awe of our general election.  About another GOTV effort.

 

Democratic voters are much more enthusiastic than Republican voters.  Unlike Obama, John McCain is the one having difficulty uniting his party.  Some Conservatives are supporting Barack Obama.  They are called Obamacons.  And McCain and his allies will have far less money to promote his cause.  I believe that McCain will largely avoid unfair personal attack ads.  But his allies will not be so inhibited.  We can hope that our public has become less subject to influence by unfair personal attack ads.  The Obama campaign has shown that it will respond immediately to any which threaten to gain influence.

 

Polls show Barack Obama ahead in Pennsylvania (12%), Ohio (6%) and Florida (4%).  For more.  For more.  For more.  I predict that he will win all the states that Kerry won in 2004.  I believe he will win many of the states where Democratic gubernatorial and Senate candidates won in 2006.  I expect him to sweep the New England States and the Ohio Valley; win Virginia; win Florida; win Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas; and win Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.  I may be wrong in a few of these states; but he could also win in North Carolina and another southern state or several.  Racism will be the major obstacle to winning the remaining states.  My projections are more optimistic than the NCEC and other Democratic organizations; but we are all subject to paranoia resulting from the 2000 and 2004 elections.  An implication of my projections is that Obama will not need to choose a vice presidential candidate based upon the candidate’s influence on the election in his or her state.  Use this map to make your own projections.

 

Finally, Some Others Are Thinking About Al Gore for Vice President

 

Al Hunt commentary appearing in Bloomberg.Com: ‘It's not any easier predicting Obama's choice. Ten days ago, when Democratic polltaker Peter Hart suggested Gore, it seemed fun, the flavor du jour. The more one thinks about it, the more appealing it seems.

 

Presidential Persuasion

Democratic strategist James Carville, who ran Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, the only successful Democratic presidential insurgency in the past three decades, embraces Gore with an important added element: make him the energy czar as well, with a charge to cut American dependence on foreign oil by 25 percent in 10 years with everything on the table.

 

Everyone says Gore wouldn't want it. They're right, so it would take powers of presidential persuasion to change his mind.”  Al Hunt  For more.

 

I would charge Al Gore to lead an international response to global warming, and also restore our reputation abroad.  Dave Thomas  

 

Progressive Majority Is What We Need Now

 

As the main national organization dedicated to recruiting, training and electing progressive candidates at the state and local levels, Progressive Majority is building a progressive infrastructure from the ground up, and it's working.  Since fielding our first slate of candidates in 2004, Progressive Majority has:

1.   Elected 272 progressives to state legislative, county and/or municipal offices in key swing states.

2.   Flipped control of four state legislatures and 30 local governments.

3.   Actively recruited women, people of color, people under 35, union members, and members of the GLBT community to run for office and build a strong progressive base that looks like America.

 

Now that the presidential primaries are over, it's time to refocus on those critical state and local races that truly make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans. It's time to ensure that the progressive agenda of economic justice, civil rights, a sustainable environment, reproductive freedom, quality health care and education is reality.

 

Please help Progressive Majority promote these values and build a brighter future for all Americans by becoming a Partner in Progress today.

 

I include this pitch from Progressive Majority, because with the Democrats expected to win a large congressional majority, rendering the Republicans a consistently Conservative Southern cult, our priority should be rendering the Democratic party more consistently Liberal.  Progressive Majority can play a major role by stimulating a farm team of consistent Liberals and running consistent Liberals in primary races against inconsistently Liberal incumbent Democrats. 

 

Democracy for America is also promoting Liberal candidates, some of whom are opposing incumbent Bush-Democrats.  Dave Thomas

 

Black Belts for Liberals

 

Become a Black Belt Liberal.  It isn’t easy.  But it is rewarding.  Not just for you.  But for all of us.

 

White Belt: Participate in a Caring or Advocacy Group

Join a caring or advocacy group.  Learn organization participation skills.  Actively care or advocate for others.  Here are some groups.

 

Yellow Belt: Act on Behalf of an Issue

Become passionate about some Liberal issue.  Learn about the vision, obstacles and strategies for realizing the vision.  Become active with others in implementing the strategies.

 

Green Belt: Educate and Involve Yourself and Others

Educate yourself about Liberal values, history, victories, priorities, policies and political strategies.  Learn how to research issues, including web browsing.  Actively apply this knowledge politically.  Recruit and educate other Liberals.  Here is our basic training.

 

Brown Belt: Act to Influence Others

Contribute to blogs.  Actively assist the election of Liberal candidates.  Influence legislators and public administrators to enact and implement liberal legislation.  Become a grassroots organizer to create a neighborhood or community in which Liberals thrive and multiply. 

 

Black: Become a Political Leader

Become a leader within an advocacy group or political party.  Become a candidate for elected office.  Help manage a campaign.  Become a campaign consultant.  Become an elected or appointed official.

 

About Karate belt colors.

 

Check Out These Conservative Blogs

 


A North American Patriot

A Soldier's Perspective

American Conservative Union

Americans for Prosperity

Anchor Rising

Ankle Biting Pundits

Ann Coulter

Bench Memos on National Review Online

Blogs for Bush

Bluey Blog

Bob Parks' Black & Right

Boundless Line

Brussels Journal

Business & Media Institute

California Republic

Cam Edwards

Captain's Quarters

Club for Growth

Confirm Them

ConservaBlogs

Conservative Booknotes

Conservative in Paradise

Conservative Publisher

Constitutionally Correct

Corruption Chronicles

Courage of Conviction

David All Group

Donkey Cons

DrugWonks

Elocutio

Flash Report

Florida Media Watch

FreedomWorks

Girl on the Right

GOP Bloggers

Government Bytes

Granddaddy Long Legs

Heritage Linked!

Hillary Clinton Files

Hot Air

Hugh Hewitt

Human Events

Inherit the Whirlwind

Insight Magazine

Instapundit.com

Jihad Watch

Jokers on the Right

Kung Fu Quip

La Shawn Barber's Corner

Libertas

Little Green Footballs

Little Miss Attila

Mac Johnson

Mary Katharine Ham's Blog

Matt Lewis and the News

Media Blog on National Review Online

Michelle Malkin

Milblogging.com

Miscellaneous Objections

NewsBusters.org

No End But Victory

Of Arms and the Law

On Tap

OpenMarket.org

Outside the Beltway

Overcriminalized.com

PatrickRuffini.com

Peach Pundit

PoliPundit.com

Porkbusters

Power Line

Reason Hit and Run

Reasoned Audacity

RedState

RedState Sports

Rep. Jack Kingston

Rep. Mike Conaway

Rep. Mike Pence

Republican Study Committee Blog

Richard Miniter

Right Bias

Right Side Redux

Right Wing News

RightShelf

Robert Bluey

Save the GOP

ShopFloor.org

Suitably Flip

Tapscott's Copy Desk

The American Scene

The American Spectator

The Autonomist

The Corner on National Review Online

The Heritage Policy Weblog

The Hillary Spot

The Insider Online

The Mark Levin Blog

The Shape of Days

The Technology Liberation Front

The Truth Laid Bear

TimChapmanBlog.com

Timothy P. Carney

Too Conservative

Total Cluster Theory

Who's Your Nanny?

Wizbang


 

Here’s the Beef

Learn about Al Gore’s projects for climate protection.

Watch Al Gore’s endorsement of Barack Obama (video).

Listen to Barack Obama’s father’s day speech (video).  For commentary on this speech.

Barack Obama forgoes public campaign financing.  For more.

In early 2007, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin pushed Barack Obama to run for president

We and Barack Obama should learn from President Lyndon Johnson’s many legislative victories.

Higher proportion of Americans identify as Democrats and Barack Obama is reaching out to others.

See what some Conservatives are thinking.

Prefacing 2009 congressional debases, some Liberals question whether Obama is consistently Liberal.

Should the money Obama proposes for $500 tax cuts be better spent on health and social services?

Why are Democrats ignoring John McCain’s flip flop to support Bush’s violation of our constitution?

Our commercial media fails to correct John McCain’s lies.

John McCain supports big oil whose lobbyists run his campaign (video).

Some reasons to vote Republican (video).

Republicans oppose legislation to fund environmentally friendly schools.

Contrary to mainstream public opinion, rover Norquist still advocates a fake popularism.

Is it productive for our congress to debate impeachment if it can’t be passed?

It’s time for Liberals to proclaim the value of freedom and protect it.

Bipartisanship is praised, but Reagan’s bipartisan legislation was terrible.

George Bush’s proposals and sunny demeanor are like Reagan’s, but his secretness is like Nixon’s.

 

State and Local

 

Attempts to Adopt a State Income Tax

 

The following is based on HistoryLink.org essay 5735  Washington State Taxation

1921 Governor’s commission endorsed an income tax, but not yet

1929 Income tax passed the senate, but died in House rules Committee

1930 Governor’s commission recommended personal and corporate income taxes

1931 Both houses passed personal and corporate income tax, vetoed by Governor

1932 Personal and Corporate Income Tax initiative passed, but ruled unconstitutional

1934 Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment for an income tax, rejected by voters

1935 A personal and corporate income tax passed, but was declared unconstitutional

1937 Voters reject an income tax

1941 Voters reject an income tax

1950 Corporate income tax passes, but found unconstitutional

1951 Personal income tax bill didn’t pass

1966 Governor’s Tax Advisory Council recommends personal and corporate income tax

1968, Governor’s Tax Advisory Council recommends personal and corporate income tax

1969 Legislature passed income tax constitutional amendment, rejected by voters 2 – 1

1971 Governor’s Tax Advisory Council recommends personal and corporate income tax

1973 voters defeat income tax amendment by 3 to 1

1982 Governor’s Tax Advisory Council recommends personal and corporate income tax

1988 Governor’s Committee on Washington’s Financial Future offered an income tax proposal

1993 Governor Lowry was excoriated for even suggesting feasibility of an income tax

2002 Washington Tax Structure Study Committee recommended 3.8% flat income tax.

2004 Democratic candidate for governor Ron Sims called for an income tax.  His candidacy failed.

 

Frequent studies have occurred and virtually every one has recommended the adoption of an income tax.  It has been passed by initiative, by one or both legislative houses, and by the government,  but on the few cases it has become law, the law has been overturned by our state supreme court.  The need is there, but so far the means have been lacking.

 

Here’s the Beef

See who’s filing to run for Washington state and federal offices.

Governor Gregoire gets big money from Indians, who don’t share casino profits with State government.

Senate Ways and Means Chair Margarita Prentice defends Gregoire’s bargaining to limit gambling.

PACs supporting each of our gubernatorial candidates will spend big money.

Seattle City Council is urged to provide public campaign financing.

Seattle PI praises public campaign financing.

Privatization of utilities produces increased costs, less investment and fewer consumer protections.

 

Nation and World  

 

What If Our U.S. Had to Pay Reparations?

 

Suppose our United States had to pay reparations to the people we have harmed.  Who would these be and how would reparations be justified?

 

Bringing disease, through competition, chicanery and violence, our European ancestors killed a large proportion of Native Americans and disrupted their lifestyle.  Survivors benefited from new ways, but were unnecessarily abused.  Most present day Americans with Native American blood have even more non-Native American blood.  Should they receive reparations for actions that some of their ancestors may have committed against others?  How would we decide who should receive how much?

The enslavement of African Americans disrupted their lives and forced them into dreadful lives in a new society.  But similar to Native Americans, the worst abuse of African Americans occurred long ago.  Prejudice and discrimination has diminished, but is still with us.  But how would we decide who should receive how much.

 

The best solution to these past wrongs is not reparations to descendents of those who were wronged.  The best solution is to eliminate present prejudice and discrimination and provide compassionate assistance to people who are presently disadvantaged, including Native and African Americans and many others.

 

During the 2nd World War, other nations and our United States bombed civilians in enemy countries, culminating in our exploding atomic bombs over two Japanese cities.  While we didn’t pay reparations, we did much to assist the economic recovery of Japan and Germany.  Through our Marshall Plan, we also assisted our European allies.

 

During the Cold War, we supported many third world dictators.  We also participated in the overthrow of democratically elected governments in Iran, Guatemala, and Chile.  We fostered war against Nicaragua.  We waged a major war in Vietnam.  We backed military regimes in South America, including arming them and training them in civil suppression, including torture techniques.  None of these countries posed any threat to our United States.  Due to our actions, millions of their members were killed and maimed.  We also practiced ecocide in Vietnam.  A just court would surely require that we pay reparations to these countries. 

 

We have embargoed Cuba, causing much harm to its economy.  We have supported Israel in its brutal suppression of Palestinians, unnecessary and counterproductive to protecting Israel.  In violation of the United Nations charter, we have occupied Iraq, causing enormous numbers of civilian casualties and refugees.  For all these actions, reparations would be in order.  But instead, we are increasingly demanding that Iraq should pay for our occupation. 

 

Appropriate reparations would be very expensive.  It is much cheaper to wreck and country and kill and maim its members than it is to repair or repay the damage.  If we knew that reparations would be required, it is likely that we would not have committed these transgressions.

 

Global Warming Feeds Itself

Excerpted from James Hansen’s Tipping Point, Perspective of a Climatologist

 

We are at the tipping point because the climate state includes large, ready positive feedbacks provided by the Arctic sea ice, the West Antarctic ice sheet, and much of Greenland’s ice.

 

Earth is heated by sunlight and, in balance, reaches a temperature such that an amount of heat equal to the absorbed solar energy radiates back to space. Climate forcings are imposed, temporary changes to Earth’s energy balance that alter Earth’s mean temperature. Forcings include changes in the sun’s brightness, volcanic eruptions that discharge sunlight-reflecting particles into the stratosphere, and long-lived human-made greenhouse gases that trap heat.

 

Forcings are amplified or diminished by other changes within the climate system, known as feedbacks. Fast feedbacks—  changes that occur quickly in response to temperature change—amplify the initial temperature change, begetting additional warming. As the planet warms, fast feedbacks include more water vapor, which traps additional heat, and less snow and sea ice, which exposes dark surfaces that absorb more sunlight.

 

Slower feedbacks also exist. Due to warming, forests and shrubs are moving poleward into tundra regions. Expanding vegetation, darker than tundra, absorbs sunlight and warms the environment. Another slow feedback is increasing wetness (i.e., darkness) of the Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets in the warm season. Finally, as tundra melts, methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is bubbling out. Paleoclimatic records confirm that the long-lived greenhouse gases— methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide—all increase with the warming of oceans and land. These positive feedbacks amplify climate change over decades, centuries, and longer.

 

The predominance of positive feedbacks explains why Earth’s climate has historically undergone large swings: feedbacks work in both directions, amplifying cooling, as well as warming, forcings. In the past, feedbacks have caused Earth to be whipsawed between colder and warmer climates, even in response to weak forcings, such as slight changes in the tilt of Earth’s axis.

 

The second fundamental property of Earth’s climate system, partnering with feedbacks, is the great inertia of oceans and ice sheets. Given the oceans’ capacity to absorb heat, when a climate forcing (such as increased greenhouse  gases) impacts global temperature, even after two or three decades, only about half of the eventual surface warming has occurred. Ice sheets also change slowly, although accumulating evidence shows that they can disintegrate within centuries or perhaps even decades.

 

The upshot of the combination of inertia and feedbacks is that additional climate change is already “in the pipeline”: even if we stop increasing greenhouse gases today, more warming will occur. This is sobering when one considers the present status of Earth’s climate. Human civilization developed during the Holocene (the past 12,000 years). It has been warm enough to keep ice sheets off North America and Europe, but cool enough for ice sheets to remain on  Greenland and Antarctica. With rapid warming of 0.6°C in the past 30 years, global temperature is at its warmest level in the Holocene.

 

The warming that has already occurred, the positive feedbacks that have been set in motion, and the additional warming in the pipeline together have brought us to the precipice of a planetary tipping point. We are at the tipping point because the climate state includes large, ready positive feedbacks provided by the Arctic sea ice, the West Antarctic ice sheet, and much of Greenland’s ice. Little additional forcing is needed to trigger these feedbacks and magnify global warming. If we go over the edge, we will transition to an environment far outside the range that has been experienced by humanity, and there will be no return within any foreseeable future generation. Casualties would include more than the loss of indigenous ways of life in the Arctic and swamping of coastal cities. An intensified hydrologic cycle will produce both greater floods and greater droughts. In the US, the semiarid states from central Texas through Oklahoma and both Dakotas would become more drought-prone and ill suited for agriculture, people, and current wildlife. Africa would see a great expansion of dry areas, particularly southern Africa. Large populations in Asia and South America would lose their primary dry season freshwater source as glaciers disappear. A major casualty in all this will be wildlife.

 

Oil Drilling in U.S. Won’t Lower Gas Prices

 

Proponents of drilling for oil in Alaska or off the shore of other states suggest that this will make the U.S more independent of foreign oil and reduce prices U.S. refineries pay for oil.  This is not true.  Oil is a commodity on worldwide markets which depending upon grade, sells for the same price. 

 

Oil produced by drilling in Alaska or off the shore of California and other states will not sell in a special U.S. market, because there is no special U.S. market.  So increases in U.S. produced oil will simply add a small amount compared to the amount already produced world wide.  It won’t have much affect on worldwide prices, and no more effect on U.S. prices than oil produced elsewhere. 

 

We might not buy quite as much from other countries, but this won’t matter.  Other countries will always sell us oil as long as we pay the worldwide prices.  For more.  For more.

 

Here’s the Beef

Our United States and other western countries are refusing to allow entry to Iraqi refugees.

Sweden has taken many Iraqi refugees.

American torture predates our Iraq occupation, going back at least to our Vietnam War.

Learn about U.S. school for training South American torturers.

Many Quantanamo prisoners are innocent of attacking Americans.

Our Bush administration has privatized our intelligence, defense, drug and other activities.  For more.

Muqtada al Sadr represents Iraq’s lower classes against U.S. supported Nouri al Maliki’s government.

Iraqis resist Bush administration’s attempt to legalize a long United States occupation.

Enormously influential Israeli Lobby (AIPAC) misrepresents majority of American and Israeli Jews.

Banks and mortgage lenders are misleading us about their loans.

Our mortgage mess mirrors, but dwarfs the S&L mess.  Learn how government negligence caused it.

For more about our mortgage mess.

A changing labor market requires an extension of unemployment insurance.

Will our United States still lead in a globalizing world?

Is a counter revolution to our industrial revolution beginning?

Our biggest threat isn’t another country.  It’s our own polluting lifestyle.

Our United States ranks 39th on environmental performance.

Environmental Defense Fund presents video featuring new solar energy technology.

Politicians shouldn’t expect that persuading oil producers to increase production will lower prices.

A small mistake can wreck your life.

 

Our Liberal Spirit

 

Creativity

 

Creativity requires experimentation.  But it requires more.  It requires a question which motivates the experimentation.  It requires knowledge to know when the results of the experimentation are helpful.

It often requires perseverance, as many experiments are unsuccessful.

 

Thomas Edison was an example of persistence in search of many inventions; but he was a tinkerer with little understanding of theoretical problems.  Edison hired Nikola Tesla who was a supreme theoretician comfortable with advanced mathematics.  But then Edison ignored Tesla’s work.  Tesla then worked with Westinghouse to champion alternating current, which triumphed over the direct current championed by Edison and General Electric.

 

Comprehensive understanding often results from inductive and deductive comparisons.  Interested in a phenomenon, one generalizes to a larger set of phenomena, then deduces other more specific examples.  For example, interested in a political selection process, one may see it as a case of status recruitment which includes employment, courtship and marriage, becoming convicted of a crime, winning various sports contests, etc.  One then looks at norms governing these other processes, what supply factors affect people who are potentially selected and what demand facts affect those who do the selection.

 

Creativity thus depends upon both thinking big (insights from other systems) and thinking small (attention to detail).  Creativity also requires discrimination.  Given many alternatives, one must choose which ones to pursue, so one isn’t simply going around and about, driven by one distraction after another.  Books could be written on creativity, but this is what comes to mind now.  Dave Thomas

 

Recommended Books – See our list of books for liberals

 

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, 2006, Three Cups of Tea, One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…  One School at a Time

 

Another book describing a social entrepreneur.  It took a lot of effort for Greg Mortenson to get going, but his persistence paid off.  People often say that they don’t know how to help people in other countries escape poverty.  The Central Asian Institute is one humanitarian effort that can easily be supported.  See Also:

David Bornstein, 2004, How to Change the World, Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

Muhammad Yunus, 1999, Banker to the Poor, Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty

 

 

 

 

 

Free Member Advertising

 

Hire Our Lake Hills Neighbors

·       Auto Repair, price varies depending on job (but always fair), Jaime Speicher (AAS Auto Repair Technician) (425-746-2353)

·       Babysitting for infants (occasional evenings and weekends) - $5 per hour- Christy Pacheco- johnpacheco01@yahoo.com  425-653-3565

·       Data Entry- $10 per 12 font, double spaced page- Christy Pacheco (425-653-3565 johnpacheco01@yahoo.com)

·       Debt Elimination Counseling, Seminars and Workshops – price negotiable – Sherry Brandt (206-356-8034, somerev2@comcast.net)

·       Home Repair- prices vary, depending on job- John Pacheco 425-653-3565 johnpacheco01@yahoo.com)

·       Home Repair and Remodeling, Rick Hegdahl (206-227-6280  vikingnw@comcast.net)

·       Housekeeper, price negotiable – Laura Montano (641-5038 ambar_lau@hotmail.com)

·       Life Support Therapies, Astara Burlingame RN. (MD) holistic care, acupuncture hypno therapy, biological medicines (206-370-0356)

·       Private Piano Lessons (students must have a piano), afternoons - Anna Khosrowian (378-7938), price negotiable

·       Psychotherapist, accepts insurance -  Sandy Mathews (462-7889, www.sandramathews.com)

 

About Puget Sound Liberals

 

In October, 2005, we founded our Lake Hills Liberals as an experimental demonstration of creating neighborhoods where liberals thrive and multiply and maximizing our vote for Liberal candidates.  In January, 2006, we began our newsletter.

 

During our first year, we focused upon Lake Hills neighborhood development, experimenting with a variety of activities and events.  To elect Liberals, we canvassed our 12 precincts to increase the number of identified likely Democratic voters from 33% to 90% and stimulated them to vote, which assisted election of our 2006 Democratic candidates. We recruited 30% (500) of them.  We encouraged house parties to allow neighbors to meet each other to be able to prevent crime, to assist each other in a disaster, and to protect and assist our children.  We created our website.  We began a monthly discussion group, called the Lake Hills Liberal Salon.

 

During our second year, we recruited many members from throughout our Puget Sound and beyond.  We changed our name to Puget Sound Liberals.  Using our newsletter and website, we continued to focus upon educating our members about our Liberal values, history, priorities, policies and political strategies.  We enabled Puget Sound Liberals to more easily identify, communicate, associate and cooperate with each other.  Our political priority was promotion of Public Campaign Financing. 

 

As we begin our third year, we continue our past activities, especially electing Liberals, canvassing Lake Hills, promoting house parties, educating and enabling cooperation among Liberals, and promoting Public Campaign Financing.  Our new political priority is promoting a fair Washington tax system which produces enough revenue to provide all of our residents access to quality health, education and other public services.  We need a progressive income tax to substitute for part of our existing excise, property and sales taxes and supplement them.

 

To get our free services, including our newsletter, our ‘Proud Liberal, Time for a Change’ yard signs or ‘Proud Liberal’ bumper stickers, volunteer or make a donation, contact Dave Thomas.    Please help your liberal friends to become well informed, by inviting them to receive our newsletter.  Just send us their name, email address, and residence (community, zip code and legislative district.) 

 

Our weekly newsletter is currently distributed to 2300 members by email each Friday.  Submit your news to Editor Dave Thomas.  We are seeking reporter-reviewer-editors with knowledge of particular political groups and issues.   We have asked the following experts to help us.

 


·       African Americans – Rob Holland

·       Blogs – Brian Moran

·       Campaign Finance – Sarajane Siegfriedt

·       Democratic Party – Jeff Smith

·       Drug Policy – Roger Goodman

·       Education – Dennis Gerlitz, John Stokes

·       Environment – Forest Gower

·       Gays and Lesbians – Jack Greenlaw

·       Green Party – Trey Smith

·       Health Care – Lisa Plymate, Bob Fithian, Chuck Richards  

·       Hispanics – needed

·       Immigration - Grosvenor Anschell

·       Housing and Poverty – Sarajane Siegfriedt

·       Labor Unions – Nancy Rising

·       Law and Justice – Bill Sherman, Keith Scully

·       State Legislation – Sarajane Siegfriedt

·       Veterans – Rick Hegdahl

·       Women’s Issues – Catherine Minch


 

Additional Resources

See our website at www.PugetSoundLiberals.org, with our basic training about being Liberal, our archive of all past newsletters, resources for liberals, tools for Democratic legislative district organizations  and more.  To learn about particular issues, further your interests and meet colleagues, visit websites of advocacy and caring organizations.  Also see our list of helpful websites.  Craig’s List Seattle

 

See Center for Progressive Action for archive of well researched daily news.  See Alternet and Common Dreams for archived liberal commentaries.   Read Real Clear Politics and Ashville Global Report.  Subscribe to Liberal Opinion for many more.  Also visit Nygaard Notes.  Open Left.

 

For news about NW sustainability, visit Sightline Daily.  We recommend the Pacific NW Portal for displaying many blogs through which Northwest Liberals exchange their knowledge and opinions.  See also Lefty Blogs.  We recommend you go to Washblog to find blogs containing information and opinions about Washington issues and activities, with fewer emotional outbursts than many other blogs. 

 

Learn about our State Democratic Party.   About 2008 Caucuses and Elections.  Contact your national and state officials.  Report Card on your congress member  For many Congressional Report Cards.