REMEMBERING AMERICA'S LOST CONSCIENCE / HOWARD ZINN 1922 - 2010

America's conscience died long before Howard Zinn passed away in 2010 ~ but his words and thoughts gnaw away at our collective soul and remind us that no Empire can long withstand the loss of its moral bearings: Allen L Roland

How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism? ~ Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn died of a heart attack at the age of 87 on January 27, 2010 but his words still reverberate within the catacombs of our national conscience reminding us that we are capable of greater things than dishonesty and lies, illegal wars and occupations, torture and rendition, targeted drone assassinations and predatory capitalism.

We are obviously made of better stuff and Howard Zinn knew that it all started with the truth  ~ “The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth.

Truth has a power of its own. Art has a power of its own. That age-old lesson – that everything we do matters – is the meaning of the people’s struggle here in the United States and everywhere. A poem can inspire a movement. A pamphlet can spark a revolution. Civil disobedience can arouse people and provoke us to think, when we organize with one another, when we get involved, when we stand up and speak out together, we can create a power no government can suppress. We live in a beautiful country. But people who have no respect for human life, freedom, or justice have taken it over. It is now up to all of us to take it back.”

― Howard Zinn, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress

Zinn sensed America's longing for a true change in moral values before the 2008 election and correctly saw Obama as a champion of the status quo and not an advocate for true change ~ “I think people are dazzled by Obama's rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president — which means, in our time, a dangerous president — unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction … What matters most is not who is sitting in the White House, but "who is sitting in" -- and who is marching outside the White House, pushing for change.”

Zinn took no great pride in being a member of the so-called ' Greatest generation ' ~ “The Greatest Generation? They tell me I am a member of the greatest generation. That's because I saw combat duty as a bombardier in World War 2 . But I refuse to celebrate "the greatest generation" because in so doing we are celebrating courage and sacrifice in the cause of war. And we are miseducating the young to believe that military heroism is the noblest form of heroism, when it should be remembered only as the tragic accompaniment of horrendous policies driven by power and profit. The current infatuation with World War 2 prepares us ~ innocently on the part of some, deliberately on the part of others ~ for more war, more military adventures, more attempts to emulate the military heroes of the past.”

How do we achieve justice without war was Zinn's constant question and quest ~ as seen in this three minute YouTube video from You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehc3V1g5pm0&feature=related

But Zinn was always an advocate for patriotic dissent even in the face of globalization and an approaching new world order ~  “Today everybody is talking about the fact that we live in one world; because of globalization, we are all part of the same planet. They talk that way, but do they mean it? We should remind them that the words of the Declaration [of Independence] apply not only to people in this country, but also to people all over the world. People everywhere have the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When the government becomes destructive of that, then it is patriotic to dissent and to criticize - to do what we always praise and call heroic when we look upon the dissenters and critics in totalitarian countries who dare to speak out.”

― Howard Zinn, Artists in Times of War and Other Essays

Zinn was a strong advocate for the voice of the people and his writings continually reminded us of that deep connection ~ “The democratic principle, enunciated in the words of the Declaration of Independence, declared that government was secondary, that the people who established it were primary. Thus, the future of democracy depended on the people, and their growing consciousness of what was the decent way to relate to their fellow human beings all over the world.”

― Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present

Zinn was also a proud practitioner of civil disobedience versus civil obedience and felt that no great change could occur without it ~ “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience…Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… (and) the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem … “Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide, and slavery - have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience.”

Above all, Howard Zinn was a truth teller and firmly believed that human beings were neither sheep or machines and that the hope of mankind resided in their willingness to exercise their conscience, in the face of perceived injustice, and declare their independence ~ “But human beings are not machines, and however powerful the pressure to conform, they sometimes are so moved by what they see as injustice that they dare to declare their independence. In that historical possibility lies hope.”

― Howard Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times

So the hope for a better America lies in resurrecting our lost conscience or in the words of Howard Zinn ~ “I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own… There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”

Amen!

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/remembering-americas-lost-conscience.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations  allen@allenroland.com

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website

allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

GIANTS vs RANGERS WILL BE NAILBITER / SF WILL PREVAIL IN SIX GAMES

SF Manager Bruce Bochy / Leader of the torturous but driven Magnificent Misfits.

The Cardiac Kids have given their followers a combination of nervous despair and extreme exultation as they prepare to face the Texas Rangers in the World Series ~ which the Giants should win in six or seven games: Allen L Roland

It's wild and crazy right now in the San Francisco Bay area as the San Francisco Giants prepare to battle the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series.

And that's just what this Giant's team is ~ crazy and wild but also intentioned, focused and battle tested for their first World Series title since the Giants moved from New York in 1958.

There are several reasons why the Giants should win in six or seven games including the fact that the Rangers will not have a designated hitter in the four games in SF and their pitchers will have to finally hit and bunt like National league pitchers do every game.

The other six reasons are as follows;

Bruce Bochy. Manager Bruce Bochy out managed both Bobby Cox and Charlie Manuel in the National League playoffs, and managed the Padres in the World Series in 1998 ~ where the Padres got swept. Bochy has been here before, he wants his ring and the grizzled veteran is just as intentioned as his band of misfits.

Tim Lincecum. The Freak is the face of the cardiac kids but beneath his hippie length hair is an intentioned two time Cy Young winner whose record is 56-27 in his first four major league seasons. Lincecum has led the National league in strikeouts ( 231 ) for the third straight season and the Rangers better not take him lightly, along with Cain, Bumgarner and Sanchez.

Buster Posey. Posey won the Johnny Bench award in 2008 as the best college catcher ( Florida State ) and the Golden Spike award the same year as the nation's top amateur player. Posey is the rock of the cardiac kids and a natural field general who batted .305 with 18 homers and 67 RBI'S in 2010. Since Bochy moved him into the cleanup spot ~ Posey has batted .505 with a 21 game hitting streak and threw out 37% of those trying to steal against him. Posey is the heart of the franchise and the closest thing to Johnny Bench that I've ever seen.

Juan Uribe. Uribe's been on this stage before with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and 2008 and brings an unbridled clubhouse presence, a .984 fielding percentage and the ability to rise to the occasion in the postseason ( 11 RBI in 25 career postseason games ~ including his game winning homerun against the Phillies in Game six ).

Cody Ross. Ross is the sparkplug for the magnificent misfits and has shown up big time in the postseason with three homers, three doubles and seven hits in 20 at bats. He is fearless and his timely hits against Lowe, Halladay and Oswalt have literally inspired his teammates to greater heights. The MVP of the NCLS will not be denied either on the field or at bat against the Rangers .

Brian Wilson. What can you say ~ the ninth inning of game six with the Phillies was a true capsule of Giant torture when the bearded one fired his favorite cutter by a frozen Howard with the bases full, a three and two count and a hostile crowd roaring. Wilson loves this stage and he plays his role to the hilt with his Mohawk haircut, black dyed beard and league leading 48 saves with 93 strikeouts in 74 innings.

Throw in Audrey Huff and veteran Pat Burrell and now you have the magnificent seven with the tenacious and determined Bruce Bochy at the helm ~ against Cliff Lee and a wide eyed Ranger manager and squad who will be fortunate to win two nail biting games.

The Wild Bunch, as Bochy often refers to his team of renegades, appear " to have caught lightning in a bottle."

My Prediction : The Giants in six, maybe seven games.

Allen L Roland http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/giants-vs-rangers-will-be-nailbiter-sf_27.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is also available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

ONLY THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY

Deep Need For Third Party / Tea Party Is GOP In Drag

DEEP NEED FOR THIRD PARTY / TEA PARTY IS GOP IN DRAG

Amidst the extremist chaos of a Tea Party that is really the GOP in drag ~ obsessing about sex, abortion and religion ~ lies a genuine deep desire of Americans for a third party to effectively challenge our stagnant two party system and offer the hard truth without being beholden to special interest groups: Allen L Roland

The intelligent voter of 2010, like myself, is about to scream on having no clear choice between Democrats and Republicans and a Tea Party ~ which is really the Republican party in drag. The Tea Party has funnelled much of voters rightful anger into far right craziness such as these outrageous quotes from Tea Party candidates ~ courtesy of Devona Walker. http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/10/08/top-10-craziest-tea-party-quotes-of-all-time/

“The exact phrase ’separation of Church and State’ came out of Adolph Hitler’s mouth, that’s where it comes from. So the next time your liberal friends talk about the separation of Church and State, ask them why they’re Nazis.” Glen Urquhart said. He’s a tea party-backed candidate up in Delaware. He falsely claims “separation of church and state” was not in President Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. He said that last April. This guy also compared abortion to slavery. He’s a real gem.

“I have been in the situation of counseling young girls… who have had very at risk, difficult pregnancies. And my counsel was to look for some alternatives, which they did. And they found that they had made what was really a lemon situation into lemonade,” said tea party-backed candidate Sharron Angle on abortion and why it should be illegal even in the case of rape or incest.

“These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of the cities,” said Carl Paladino, New York State tea party-backed candidate for Governor. He was describing his idea to transform prisons into dorms for welfare recipients. Paladino has a knack for making headlines for being, well unhinged. He threatened the life of a reporter while on camera. He also sent out a bunch of racist and pornographic emails to hundreds of political and media contacts. He’s running against New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. "

The vast majority of Tea Party candidates, as such, are religious extremists who are seemingly obsessed with sex, abortion and religion ~ as they feed off the anti-Obama groundswell that has already been noted in the polls. Obama's biggest ongoing mistake is to try to sell our illegal and financially draining occupation of Afghanistan as a meaningful war.

Let's make no mistake about it ~ this mid-term election is rapidly becoming a referendum on President Obama and his failed promise of transparency, truth and definitive change. Obama was obviously selected to run by the powerful financial elite, promising the public, and his progressive base, one thing and delivering another after being elected. As such, the President of the United States is the focus of a new political doctrine ~ the unitary executive ~ where the office of the president has rapidly become a law unto itself over the past ten years and the constitution, as well as separation of powers, has continued to be shredded in that process.

Both parties are seemingly beholden to special interests and I find myself longing for third party that will finally commit itself to the change we voted for in 2008.

Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist, nailed it last Tuesday in his article FROM THE DIVIDE, A THIRD PARTY RISES ~ when he correctly predicted ~ " Barring a transformation of the Democratic and Republican parties there is going to be a serious third party candidate in 2012 with a serious political movement behind him or her ~ one definitely big enough to impact the election's outcome."

Excerpts: " There is a revolution brewing in the country, and it is not just on the right wing but in the radical center. I know of at least two serious groups, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast, developing “third parties” to challenge our stagnating two-party duopoly that has been presiding over our nation’s steady incremental decline.... “We basically have two bankrupt parties bankrupting the country,” said the Stanford University political scientist Larry Diamond. Indeed, our two-party system is ossified; it lacks integrity and creativity and any sense of courage or high-aspiration in confronting our problems... We simply will not be able to do the things we need to do as a country to move forward “with all the vested interests that have accrued around these two parties,” added Diamond. “They cannot think about the overall public good and the longer term anymore because both parties are trapped in short-term, zero-sum calculations,” where each one’s gains are seen as the other’s losses. We need a third party on the stage of the next presidential debate to look Americans in the eye and say: “These two parties are lying to you. They can’t tell you the truth because they are each trapped in decades of special interests. I am not going to tell you what you want to hear. I am going to tell you what you need to hear if we want to be the world’s leaders, not the new Romans.”

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101005/OPINION/101009773

It may well be wishful thinking and perhaps our currupted two party political system is too far beyond repair ~ but I join Thomas Friedman in his call for a serious third party candidate for 2012 who will not only tell us the truth but will make his or her only special interest the well being of the people of the United States.

Allen L Roland

This weblog is sustained through donations from people like yourself. Please send check or Money Order to Allen L. Roland, PO Box 1221, Sonoma,CA 95476

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net