This is the first post in my Politics: Time for a Change Series. In this article, we will discuss the ever-popular subject of Lobbying.

The Definition

First of all, it is important to note that the right to petition is protected in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The right to petition government for redress of grievances is the right to make a complaint to, or seek the assistance of, one’s government, without fear of punishment or reprisals. This is a very important part of a democratic government. Much of the framework set up within the U.S. Constitution was left with room for future interpretation for a very good reason. For some, this statement may bring up memories of the Necessary and Proper Clause (also known as the Elastic Clause) which states; ” The Congress shall have Power – To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer there of.”  This is not what I speak of. In this context, I am speaking of the open-ended verbiage of the “right to petition” portion of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and how it has been adulterated more so than any other legal loophole in history. In fact, the right to petition statement itself is regularly used as a loophole to justify any type of lobbying.Therefore, special interests of any kind can continue to pressure the government at any level to the highest extent of their financial ability.

The Problem

What is the harm in that? Let me just say it. All lobbying groups do not have the general good in mind. Some have a purely corporate profit potential in mind. Some are looking to change U.S. policy to their groups specific partisan beliefs. Some lobby for the banking industry, the pharmaceutical industry, oil companies, utilities, government contracting, etc. These groups secondary concern is to fight further regulation of their respective industries.  Their first concern is to fight for tax breaks, and industry specific legislation that increases their ability to raise a profitable businesses bottom line year after year. They do not always do this with the greater good in mind.

I understand that all lobby groups are not of this nature. For example, there are very important lobby groups out there who lobby for human rights, health concerns, education,etc. Certainly, we can not do away with all lobby groups.

The real problem here is that there is no lobby group for the average American that collectively and democratically derives a concise consensus of public opinion and brings this collective decision in front of the government. The American collective is supposed to be the true group deciding all laws in this land…not only a partisan governing body. Yes, I understand that would be impossible. However, is this not what a true democracy is? We take the power away from a king, a dictator, a governing body, a special interest or lobby group, and put it squarely in the hands of the people.

People can look no farther than partisan politics and the current system of special interest lobbying to see what has effectively established the separation of the classes in the United States. What is mine is mine and what is yours can be yours as long as you make the payments with interest.

Shortly after elected to the presidency, Barack Obama placed severe restrictions on lobbying stating “No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.” The problem with this statement is that it too had a loophole so big that soon after that statement, the Obama administration broke that promise with the same action that was supposed to limit lobbying in Washington. The Obama administration handed out three waivers that were publicly known. Each were former lobbyists that ended up working within the administration.

1. William Lynn – “Former Raytheon Lobbyist for six years, lobbying extensively on a broad range of defense-related issues. When confirmed, Lynn would be the top operations manager at the Pentagon, with final authority on a number of contract, program and budget decisions.”
2. Jocelyn Frye – Who became “the director of policy and projects in the Office of the First Lady. She previously lobbied for National Partnership for Women and Families from 2001 to 2008. The organization advocates for fairness in the workplace, access to health care and “policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.” Many of the laws for which Frye lobbied are things Obama has supported. In 2008, for example, she was listed as lobbyist working for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act , the first law Obama signed into law after becoming president.”
3. Cecilia Muñoz – Became “director of intergovernmental affairs in the Executive Office of the President, managing the White House’s relationships with state and local governments. She has also been designated the administration’s a principal liaison to the Hispanic community. Muñoz formerly lobbied for National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, between 1998 and 2008. Records show she lobbied on issues like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), improving Head Start and youth intervention programs.”

* Numbers 1-3 above taken from politifact.com

What did President Obama do here? Through a loophole, he allowed specific people with influential special interest connections directly into the administration. This is exactly what he was supposed to be fighting against. However, what happened was that he made these restrictions in order to get the further favor of the American people and still have the loophole ability to break that promise if need be for the favor for himself, and his party. You can say he lied, but he simply did what is done with every law that is passed…provide a loophole or attachment to satisfy the desire of himself, his party, and currently reigning or important special interest that happens to be throwing the most money and rhetoric around at the time.

The Solution

1. Disallow loophole clauses or clauses that reverse the purpose of the action or law.
2. Allow a petition for revision of the law at any time with full Congressional approval. This may seem obvious and already in place, but without #1 above, it becomes much more powerful.
3. Disallow law or bill add-ons that do not pertain to the main subject of the bill or law. Unlike what you have been told, this will not gridlock the government. It will ensure proper evaluation of each individual law passed. This will also force the lobbying groups into a direct confrontation with the actions or bills they wish to get passed.
4. Disallow lobbyists from working within government for two presidential terms after leaving the lobbying industry.
5. Disallow government officials from working within the lobby industry for two presidential terms after leaving their government post.
6. Disallow individualized corporate lobbying and allow industry lobbying. For example, allow all oil companies to lobby under one group.
7. Disallow lobby groups from lobbying individual government workers or elected officials.
8. Provide a public session of Congress to hear out the concerns of these interest groups. Duly note their concerns in a format available to the American public. Allow for feedback from the American public, then vote according to the concerns of all. This will ensure the highest possible government transparency.
9. Disallow lobbying within the area of Homeland Security or the protection of the United States and its citizens. This area should be handled through government contract only. It should be known that total transparency in this area is not in the greater good.
10. Disallow revision of numbers 1-9 above unless through a general public electoral vote.

We are the American public. We not only have a right to know, but we have a right to effect peaceful, sweeping change in this country. In a democracy, the people are the power and the government is their representative. In the United States, the government is the power making the choices that they see as being the most fit for the American people with rarely asking the American people if they care or agree because they see the special interests and their party agendas as the general voice of the people. I am here to say that they are incorrect.

It is time for a real change.

Check out the next in my series entitled; Politics: A Time for a Real Change – Fear next week.

Check out these other good blogs!

Above the Market

A Room with a View

Simple Truth

Gene’s Political Musings

Point/Counterpoint

~ Erik Sudberg

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh

For me, art speaks to me in as many volumes as any book. This painting to the left by Vincent Van Gogh has defined the meaning of fine art. I can get lost in the flow of the sky, lost in the stars, play in the hills, and see myself within the town below. this painting to me is more about a feeling then a conveyance of a verbal theme.

"Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" By Georges Seurat

To your right, you will see one of the most amazing paintings I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in person at The Art Institute of Chicago in the 1980′s by Georges Seurat. The enormity of the painting is what first caught my attention. Then, of course, the tiny points that make up the full painting come into focus the closer you get.

"El Vendador de Alcatraces" by Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera captures the beauty and personality of a local flower vendor to the left. The centering and flow of this painting meet in a symphony of perfection.

"Tree of Life" By Gustav Klimt

To the right, you see “Tree of Life” by Gustav Klimt c. 1909. This image has been reinterpreted many times throughout time. I find this painting to be one of the more interesting renditions. The flow without tangles, the multicolored patchwork, the endless spiral. I feel this painting speaks more about humanity itself then the artist’s opinion of it.

There you have it…my first gallery of my favorite art. Look soon for my next gallery installment with some of my favorite modern art pieces.

Take a look at these other great Art blogs!

Collabcubed

A Stellar Existence

~Erik Sudberg

Kilobots

“Kilobots were created by members of the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group led by Radhika Nagpal, the Thomas D. Cabot Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. A team that also includes Michael Rubenstein, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS; and Christian Ahler, a fellow of SEAS and the Wyss Institute. They were created to perhaps one day tunnel through rubble to find survivors, monitor the environment and remove contaminants, and self-assemble to form support structures in collapsed buildings.They could also be deployed to autonomously perform construction in dangerous environments, to assist with pollination of crops, or to conduct search and rescue operations.” (http://sciencedaily.com)

Of course, on a miniature level, this new technology socially brings up lofty fears about artificial intelligence going awry as in the movie “The Matrix” starring Keanu Reeves or even “The Day the Earth Stood Still” type technology. People automatically bring up fears of a mad scientists in their lab bringing their world dominating science project to life. Some people would even call up images of government operative ceasing new technologies such as this for nefarious reasons.

I don’t want to scare anyone anymore than I may have already, but “thanks to a technology licensing deal with the K-Team Corporation, a Swiss manufacturer of high-quality mobile robots, researchers and robotics enthusiasts alike can now take command of their own swarm.”(http://sciencedaily.com)

Let’s just hope that they can keep a reign on this type of technology. The average, however, is to take this type of technology as far as it can go. Now, you can think this means militarily or whatever, but what I mean is that it often comes to a point of either too complicated and too expensive useability or it becomes something more than the creators can handle or want to handle. Often, this becomes a high dollar sale to a group or government that may not have the same idea for this technology as its creators.

Look, I’m not saying that we have to worry about being chased down the street by millions of Kilobots who are trying to burrow through our ears and control our minds. I am just saying we have to be careful about how far we leap.

Take a look at these other great science blogs!

Metousiosis

Increasing Disorder

~ Erik Sudberg

U.S. Congress

Let me begin with a strict definition of politics and the etymology of the word as taken from http://wikipedia.org

Definition:

“Politics (from Greek πολιτικός, “of, for, or relating to citizens”) is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the corporate, academic, and religious segments of society. It consists of “social relations involving authority or power”^[1] and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit,^[2] and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.^{[3] “}

1. ^ “Definition of politics”. dict.die.net.
2. ^ “Politics (definition)”. everything2.co.
3. ^ “Definition of politics”. thefreedictionary.com.

Etymology of the Word “Politics”

From Wikipedia.org:

“The word politics comes from the Greek word Πολιτικά (politika), modeled on Aristotle’s “affairs of the city”, the name of his book on governing and governments, which was rendered in English mid-15 century as Latinized “Polettiques”.^[1] Thus it became “politics” in Middle English c. 1520s (see the Concise Oxford Dictionary). The singular politic first attested in English 1430 and comes from Middle French politique, in turn from Latin politicus,^[2] which is the latinisation of the Greek πολιτικός (politikos), meaning amongst others “of, for, or relating to citizens”, “civil”, “civic”, “belonging to the state”,^[3] in turn from πολίτης (polites), “citizen”^[4] and that from πόλις (polis), “city”.^[5]“

1. ^ “Politics”. Online Etymology Dictionary.
2. ^ Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short. “A Latin Dictionary”. Perseus Digital Library.
3. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott. πολιτικός “A Greek-English Lexicon”. Perseus Digital Library.
4. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott. πολίτης “A Greek-English Lexicon”. Perseus Digital Library.
5. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott. πόλις “A Greek-English Lexicon”. Perseus Digital Library.

*the numbering for the above references have been changed to accommodate post formatting. The above 1-5 as listed on Wikipedia.org originally appeared as 4-8. 

Ok, now that I have bored you all to death with a terrifying flashback to your high school political science class (and pleased your high school English teacher with proper referencing), it is time to take this classical definition and give it a social definition. This is a definition based on the experience of the normal person not involved in politics. This is a definition that was remade by the normal person simply because we have yet to see that true definition be practiced.

Let’s go over the points from the above definition:

1. “of, for, or relating to citizens” – If you are saying it is made up of regular citizens….then no I disagree. If you are saying that those in government are citizens…then ok I agree. If you are saying that politics is for the citizens, then I completely disagree. Lobby groups and big business have locked up governments since the dawn of the power broker and the only way it relates to the citizen is that the regular citizen is so far left out in the cold that they could care less anymore. They are just used to being beat down.
2. “is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions” – Translated…” a process by which a few people in government make decisions that affect billions of people without always following the best interest of them.
3. “The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the corporate, academic, and religious segments of society.” - Yes, I agree. However, I would not say generally. I would say loosely.
   
4. “It consists of “social relations involving authority or power”^[1] and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit,^[2] and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.^{[3] ” - This is exactly where the definition completely falls apart. This is where interpretation plays a huge role in this definition. The regulation of public affairs within a public unit and the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy are widely up to partisan opinion not compromise. We all have differences of opinion, but to make all of this work we need to compromise. Otherwise, we are left with partisan politics, lobby groups controlling governments, a widening of the classes, the people being left out in the cold.}
   

Politics of today has strayed far from its original definition no matter how loosely you would like to apply it. There are many things wrong with the way our governments are set up. There are many ills within our systems. It is these thorns in the process that need to be removed systematically.

Over the next few weeks, I will put out one post a week that goes over specific process within the government that needs change and my proposal as to how to accomplish it. Look for the first post next week in my Politics: Time for a Real Change Series.

~Erik Sudberg

Let’s take a fun look at some recent political cartoons. Hey, it is good to laugh once in a while…What do you think makes political cartoons so funny? I think it is because they touch on the feelings of the public. So, in a sense, it makes their humor biting and true albeit exaggerated. So, here goes…

You have to admit that this cartoon to the left is rather humorous, yet aggravating at the same time because it’s this type of cartoon that comes out with every election. C’mon people, where are we finding these people?

This terribly funny cartoon says volumes. What was that movie they made a while back? Manchurian…it must have slipped my mind.

Here is one of those political cartoons that makes everyone laugh a little…sigh…then say “Yep.”

I would not want to leave President Obama out of this mix. Boy oh boy, this almost says 50% of his problems.

I hope you enjoyed my first political cartoon post. There will be more to come in the future. Thank you to all of the editorial cartoonists of the world. I have never met someone who was adept at making someone laugh and tick them off at the same time. Thank God for the lot of them.

~Erik Sudberg

Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh

I understand that the referees of the NFL do not catch all of the dirty play that happens during the course of a game…especially under the pile. I also understand that it does not make that behavior correct or acceptable because dirty play has been around since the dawn of time.

In their recordings, they have been compared to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Of course, this is quite a compliment, but what makes this so cutting edge and not some kind of retro (all ready been done) thing?

They have accomplished a sound so full and meaningful when compared to the countless trends of today that lean fully toward Hip-Hop, R&B, and Indie Music. They have also become known for their live sets in which they stray from the recorded versions of the songs into over five-minute re-interpretations. The dream state they invoke within their recordings leaps into a harder sound more reminiscent of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd.

In this world of flat pop recordings, voice effects, and hip-hop inundation, it is nice to see a band recreating themselves from song to song, from recordings to live shows. Hats off to Portugal. The Man…keep up the invention. I know I will be looking forward to any future releases or tour dates.

In this land of economic downturn, corporate greed, and hardship, it is a breath of fresh air to see a group of people consistently reinventing themselves. In this world of change, is this not what we all have been forced into…like it or not. Maybe we should not feel like we are being forced at all. Maybe we should be recreating ourselves consistently just as Portugal. The Man has and continues to do.

July 19th, 2011, they released “In the Mountain in the Cloud”, their first release with Atlantic Records. Check out the video below from their latest album. The song is titled “Got it All (This Can’t be Living Now)”

Upcoming Live Shows

• November 30th, 2011 at the Rockhouse in Salzburg, Austria
  
• December 1st, 2011 at WuK in Vienna, Austria
• December 2nd, 2011 at Posthof Linz in Linz, Austria
• December 3rd, 2011 at Dachstock in Ber, Switzerland
• December 4th, 2011 at The Plaza in Zurich, Switzerland
• December 9th, 2011 December to Remember @ McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR, USA
• December 14th, 2011 at The Blue Loon in Fairbanks, AK, USA

For more tour dates, news, and merchandise, please visit http://portugaltheman.com

Check out these other great blogs regarding cutting edge music…

Metal Odyssey

Weapon of Beauty

edm.Report

~ Erik Sudberg

Conrad Murray

Dr. Conrad Murray has just been sentenced to a maximum term sentence of four years to be served in the LA County Jail.

This would seem to close a chapter in one of the biggest tragedies to hit the entertainment world this century. Whether or not Michael Jackson was a contributing factor in his own demise, it was Dr. Murray’s responsibility to take care of the ailing pop star who arguably could not do so completely on his own. I feel the sentence that was carried out today was just.

I do not believe, however, that this closes the book on this tragedy that has touched so many people around the world. We cannot begin to close that book without knowing what led Michael Jackson down that road to illness and addiction. We cannot turn the final page in all of this until we can find out why the medical establishment as a whole failed Michael Jackson and why Michael Jackson suffered so.

We may never be able to answer some of these questions in totality. This is the nature of a true tragedy. There are so many questions left over. They cause a rift. A giant empty space. We are left then to come to terms with all of this on our own….to answer our own questions. The most important question of all being “Why?”

If you enjoyed this post…try out this one…

Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson, and Drugs that Kill by The Tumultuous Times

~ Erik Sudberg

George Orwell's 1984

Doublethink defined:

“the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them….To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies – all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.”

“To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself — that was the ultimate subtlety; consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink.”

~ Orwell, George (1949). Nineteen Eighty-Four. Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd, London, part 1, chapter 3, pp 32

In short, George Orwell is saying that doublethink is a means by which to directly control thought on a mass level. Now, let us jump out of the world of supposed fiction and into the world of politics…

The Euro Zone Crisis

The fiscal attempt to unify Europe is failing. It is not like nobody saw this coming a long time ago. In fact, when the Euro was created, even many people who shy away from political conversations  even pondered as to how the few stable economies of Europe (such as Germany and France) were going to foot the bill for all the unstable countries within the zone. Now, we are sitting twelve years after the official adoption of the Euro thinking…well…I told you so. Even Germany and France are now at odds as to how much each is responsible for bailing out the rest of the failed economies within the zone.

With the recent news of the German bond fiasco, the Euro is now at an all time low next to the dollar ( about $1.33 to the dollar). Is the value of the Euro finally coming down to earth? What was the purpose of unifying the Euro zone in the first place. I mean, it really was not a very good long-term investment to think that two countries were going to be able to bail out and furthermore strengthen twenty other countries within the zone. So, what did it accomplish? Simply put, it made the rich countries richer and is shoving the poor or economically failing countries deeper into debt and despair.

At its inception, the creation of the Euro zone was hailed as the means to a solid, unified, Europe. In truth, it was a means for the already stable countries to acquire a sustained “owed” income from the other countries within the zone thereby solidifying not just liquidity and European banker status, but strengthening their political control or ownership of the entire zone.

I consider that to be doublethink. Are you beginning to think that George Orwell was on to something?

The United States Super-Dud Committee

The House members were chosen by Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The Senate members were chosen by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The illustrious twelve supposedly entrusted to slash the mounting deficit are as follows;

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. He was chosen for the Super Congress by Reid. In December 2005, following the public corruption probe of lobbyist  Jack Abramoff—who was later convicted of fraud and corruption—Baucus returned $18,892 in contributions that his office found to be connected to Abramoff. Included in the returned donations was an estimated $1,892 that was never reported for Baucus’s use of Abramoff’s sky box at a professional sports stadium and concert venue in downtown Washington in 2001

U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat from California who is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the highest ranking Latino American (#5). He was selected by Pelosi.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, a Republican from Michigan who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. He was selected for the Super Congress post by Boehner. Camp is a member of both the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership and the conservative Republican Study Committee, two groups with conflicting positions on policy. For example, the RMSP supports stem cell research and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment, while the RSC opposes stem cell research and supports the FMA. He also received a score of 50 out of 100 from the John Birch Society’s “Freedom Index”, a Congressional Scorecard.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, the third-ranking Democrat in the House and the highest ranking African-American . He was chosen for the post by Pelosi. Former South Carolina Gov. John C. West appointed him the state’s human affairs commissioner in 1974 in the aftermath of the Orangeburg massacre, a position which he held until 1992, when he stepped down to run for Congress.

U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas who chairs the House Republican Caucus. He serves as a co-chairman of the Super Congress. He was selected for the post by Boehner. Hensarling has maintained a conservative voting record: he has consistently voted against pro-choice legislation, stem cell research, same-sex marriage and hate crimes legislation, and consistently supported free trade policies, the PATRIOT Act, and a Constitutional amendment against flag burning.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2004. He was chosen for the Super Congress by Reid. As a child, Kerry served as an altar boy. Although the extended family enjoyed a great fortune, Kerry’s parents themselves were upper-middle class; a wealthy great aunt paid for Kerry to attend elite schools in Europe and New England. Kerry spent his summers at the Forbes family estate in Brittany.

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona who is the second highest-ranking Republican in the Senate Republican Caucus behind McConnell. He was appointed to the Super Congress by McConnell. In 2010, he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington who serves as chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Chosen by Reid, she will serve as co-chairman of the Super Congress. Washington’s first female senator and former preschool teacher.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio who served as the White House budget director under President George W. Bush. He was appointed to the Super Congress by McConnell. During an election campaign, Portman was criticized by Real Estate Developer Jay Buchert for his previous law firm’s work with Haitian President Baby Doc Duvalier. Buchert also called Portman “the handpicked choice of the downtown money crowd” and “a registered foreign agent for the biggest Democrat lobbying firm in Washington,” labeling Portman as “Prince Rob.”

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania who once chaired the anti-tax group Club For Growth. He was appointed to the Super Congress by McConnell.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, a Republican from who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He was selected for the Super Congress post by Boehner. Upton’s grandfather, Frederick Upton, was co-founder of appliance manufacturer and marketer Whirlpool Corporation, which is headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan

U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland. He was appointed to the Super Congress by Pelosi. He is in charge of Maryland’s 8th District which hugs the northern border of Washington, D.C. and is one of the most educated and wealthy congressional districts in the nation. The federal government is the largest single employer in the district, and many private companies are funded by the government.

Six Republicans…Six Democrats. If you look at the track record of each of these members, you will notice that this group is one of the most polarized groups one could assemble to broker or bargain a deficit reduction solution. They might as well been charged to go on a quest to find the mythical unicorn that could magically fix all of our problems. You cannot tell me that they did not already know it was going to fail before it even started. Newt Gingrich waited in the wings quietly until the failure was apparent, then came out shooting in order to gain poll points going into the upcoming elections. He knew it would fail as well. I wouldn’t say he is a prophet. I would say he has the knack for pointing out the painfully obvious after it has occurred. Mr. Obama can even score points with this debacle insinuating that it is just another example of the inability of Congress as a whole to come to any type of bipartisan agreement as long as those pesky, war mongering, puppies to big business are still in any seat of power.

So, put together a committee that we all know will not work and make the mounting deficit look more scary than before. What exactly is that accomplishing? Some would say nothing at all. I would say that it accomplishes a great deal. What I believe it accomplishes is to make it seem like the government is working very hard towards a solution to a very serious fiscal problem, when in fact, they are not. The average Joe either is either scared of the deficit thinking that it will cause further hardship on their family or they could care less because they just want to survive. However, within the world of partisan politics, lobby groups, and politics in general, they simply want to get their personal agendas approved. More to themselves via tax breaks, tax increases, program cuts, etc. Miss direction…slight of hand…a means by which to control thought on a mass level. Hmm, where have I heard this before?

Personally, I believe the deficit issue is much like that monster under your bed you were so scared of when you were five years old. Guess what? It is not really there. It is a blame game, a number excuse, an abstract monetary bubble. Doublethink at its best.

So, as we stand today, we can either marvel at the failure of the new world order, be disgusted by it and go about our way, or we can rally against it. Did George Orwell create one of the most captivating pieces of fiction, or was it a prophetic warning?

I know which I will choose.

~ Erik Sudberg

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi and UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza have danced around this for long enough. Do you think that the student body of UC Davis is going to let this event go? Do you think that if Chancellor Katehi opens an “investigation”, that all will be rectified or do you think that she is just saying that to appease the student body. Does she really need to review campus policy to see if students can have more liberty to assemble? We are back, once again, to the First Amendment that protects our right to assemble. It doesn’t say…unless on campus. How about Annette Spicuzza? You are not quite sure what jurisdiction the officer who sprayed the pepper spray came from? I hope to God that nobody is stupid enough to believe that.

Politicians have made an art out of spin control. In this case, it seems like the heads of the UC Davis campus just don’t know anything. It is their campus to manage, and they don’t know anything. Let me guess…next thing they will say is that they did not know their officers and officers from several other districts were going to the quad to pepper spray peaceful protesters. I don’t believe it. I believe they knew exactly what was to be done and when it was going to happen.

This has been the fate of the Occupy Movement of late. Now, it seems like lobbyists are starting to file in against the movement. A memo was sent from Lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association.The memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. Interestingly enough, the heads of this firm have close ties to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. For more information on this story by Jonathan Larsen and Ken Olshansky, from MSNBC TV here.

I have said it before. This is the fate of the Occupy Movement that has not achieved a unified general direction or leadership. The government, whether it be local or federal, will not continue to be inconvenienced by this movement. They will infiltrate it, lobby against it, create media campaigns against it, and attempt to convince the remainder of the 99% that the Occupy Movement is simply populated by a bunch of dirty, PC, unemployed, anarchists. After all, everyone is ok with a peaceful protest unless they are protesting against them or it happens to inconvenience them. It is also interesting how fast people jumped on the Occupy Movement and how quickly they get bored with the movement itself and left.

Just how do you get rid of the Occupy Movement if you were the federal government? Divide and conquer. Take the separate movements, make sure they do not join together in a national effort, send people into each movement to cause trouble, and give the nation cause to take it down with force. At the same time, create a media campaign with the help of a firm like the one above to get a majority of the American people ok with canceling the Occupy Movement by whatever means necessary for whatever reason they want.

The writing is on the wall. You just have to sift through the piles of horse patties to find it.

~ Erik Sudberg