“The parallels between the election of 2008 and the election of 1932 are often invoked, with good reason. It is not just that Obama’s oratory is reminiscent of FDR’s oratory, or that both men were brought into office as a result of big electoral shifts, or that both took power at a moment of economic catastrophe. All this is true, of course. But I want to make a different point: FDR became a great president because the mass protests among the unemployed, the aged, farmers and workers forced him to make choices he would otherwise have avoided. He did not set out to initiate big new policies. The Democratic platform of 1932 was not much different from that of 1924 or 1928. But the rise of protest movements forced the new president and the Democratic Congress to become bold reformers. ”

Excellent article.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081201/piven

if you truly want change- join the movement and be active!!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D948TRV80&show_article=1

http://jointheimpact.com/

Imean, really?

How is it that a group of religious people, mostly christians and mormons, can place their religious values on Americans who have no religion and are not interested in religion at all? Marriage has become a tradition. It no longer has to be associated with religion. For those who follow a religion, then sure, get married under what you believe in. But please realize that there are other people in the world who don’t think like you.

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
Pinch Me …a message from Michael Moore

Friends,

Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair.

In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea. The racists were present throughout the campaign and in the voting booth. But they are no longer the majority, and we will see their flame of hate fizzle out in our lifetime.

There was another important “first” last night. Never before in our history has an avowed anti-war candidate been elected president during a time of war. I hope President-elect Obama remembers that as he considers expanding the war in Afghanistan. The faith we now have will be lost if he forgets the main issue on which he beat his fellow Dems in the primaries and then a great war hero in the general election: The people of America are tired of war. Sick and tired. And their voice was loud and clear yesterday.

It’s been an inexcusable 44 years since a Democrat running for president has received even just 51% of the vote. That’s because most Americans haven’t really liked the Democrats. They see them as rarely having the guts to get the job done or stand up for the working people they say they support. Well, here’s their chance. It has been handed to them, via the voting public, in the form of a man who is not a party hack, not a set-for-life Beltway bureaucrat. Will he now become one of them, or will he force them to be more like him? We pray for the latter.

But today we celebrate this triumph of decency over personal attack, of peace over war, of intelligence over a belief that Adam and Eve rode around on dinosaurs just 6,000 years ago. What will it be like to have a smart president? Science, banished for eight years, will return. Imagine supporting our country’s greatest minds as they seek to cure illness, discover new forms of energy, and work to save the planet. I know, pinch me.

We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles. All week long I have been inundated with media asking me, “gee, Mike, what will you do now that Bush is gone?” Are they kidding? What will it be like to work and create in an environment that nurtures and supports film and the arts, science and invention, and the freedom to be whatever you want to be? Watch a thousand flowers bloom! We’ve entered a new era, and if I could sum up our collective first thought of this new era, it is this: Anything Is Possible.

An African American has been elected President of the United States! Anything is possible! We can wrestle our economy out of the hands of the reckless rich and return it to the people. Anything is possible! Every citizen can be guaranteed health care. Anything is possible! We can stop melting the polar ice caps. Anything is possible! Those who have committed war crimes will be brought to justice. Anything is possible.

We really don’t have much time. There is big work to do. But this is the week for all of us to revel in this great moment. Be humble about it. Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back. Can we follow his example? I know, it will be hard.

I want to thank everyone who gave of their time and resources to make this victory happen. It’s been a long road, and huge damage has been done to this great country, not to mention to many of you who have lost your jobs, gone bankrupt from medical bills, or suffered through a loved one being shipped off to Iraq. We will now work to repair this damage, and it won’t be easy.

But what a way to start! Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Wow. Seriously, wow.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com

Congress needs to hear from you that armed conflict with Iran is not an option. We should support a nuclear weapons free Middle East - including Israel - or stop meddling in Iran’s internal affairs. Iran has not attacked the United States - we should not be talking about attacks on Iran. Started by Charles Lenchner.

Sign the petition.

http://middleeast.change.org/actions/view/no_war_with_iran

I met a young couple the other day. We chatted about politics and I found out they refuse to vote. Why? They don’t feel like their vote would count toward anything because politicians promise action on issues and never deliver.

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
Alice Walker.

 http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php

Dear Activist,

You may have heard of Rev. John Hagee, the McCain supporter who said God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its homosexual “sins.” Well now meet Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio who hates Islam. According to David Corn of Mother Jones, Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a “false religion.” In the past, Parsley has also railed against the separation of church and state, homosexuals, and abortion rights, comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

John McCain actively sought and received Parsley’s endorsement in the presidential race. McCain has called Parsley “a spiritual guide,” and he hasn’t said whether he shares Parsley’s vicious anti-Islam views. That’s because the mainstream media refuses to ask.

And so, we’ve taken matters into our own hands, joining Mother Jones to present the truth about McCain’s pastor:

Watch the video:

http://bravenewfilms. org/watch/21325839/38133?utm_source=rgemail

Since the media won’t question McCain about his deeply bigoted pastor, it’s up to you to call attention to this issue. Make McCain’s pastor problem a major story by forwarding this video to your family, friends, and colleagues. Digg it! Anything to spread the word.

We can’t let McCain get away with aligning himself with a religious leader who’s called for an all-out war on Islam, someone who draws no distinctions between Muslims and violent Islamic extremists. Now is the crucial time to act.

Yours,
Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New Team

Support a Do Not Mail Registry!

Just as the Do Not Call Registry freed Americans from telemarketers,

a Do Not Mail Registry would give us the choice to stop junk

mailers from violating our privacy, wasting our time and

damaging the environment.

Sign our petition today!

http://donotmail.org/index.php

My illustration Simple Living is an idea inspired by the medias constant cover

of completely meaningless things. My thought was: Since doing nothing

but wearing designerbags and small ugly dogs appearantly is enough

to getyou on a magasine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who

actually deserves and needs attention.

When you look at ways to help Darfur on the website:

www.savedarfur.org, amongst other things it says:

Raise awareness. Raise funds. So that is what I am trying to do.

100% of the profits from the Simple Living t-shirt and poster

are donated to Divest for Darfur

http://www.nadiaplesner.com/Website/t-shirts.php?menu=11ℑ=1