DEPARTMENTS
ANTI-WAR
DEATH PENALTY
ELECTIONS
ENVIRONMENT
GLBT ISSUES
HEMP
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
REVIEWS
|
Departments Election Issues High Noon in America With the first vote cast in the Iowa Caucus, the horserace for the presidency begins in earnest. Honestly, even the most pragmatic citizen realizes that whatever the outcome on Election Day, it will be the result of nothing more than a “Hobson’s” choice, in that we are offered a choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all. Folks, we are not witnessing the re-affirmation of “The Miracle at Philadelphia”. It’s more like being a voyeur to a surreal survival reality American Idol show. I’ve preemptively taken precautions and purchased, and am now donning knee-high boots. Let me give you fair warning my fellow Americans, for this will be the most vile and contentious election to take place in our Constitutional Republic: A no holds-barred-kiss-your-sister-all out brawl. A time for choosing with an untenable deficit and a never-ending war against the illusive terrorists; a time for choosing with the marriage of massive tax cuts and a free pass for corporations to move their headquarters off shore; a time for choosing, when the stakes are higher than ever before. Depending on who can purchase the presidency, we are one or two election cycles away from witnessing the re-establishment of the gold standard. As the dollar plunges, it will be left to the new financial world to decide what currency will become the new standard barer. Depending on who is Coronated the next CEO of American Inc., we are one or two election cycles away from a social upheaval that will tear asunder the fabric that makes us a Constitutional Republic. It will be a social upheaval so appalling and in many ways comparable to the one that forced Teddy Roosevelt to reign in the corporate behemoths, which resulted in the regulation of their businesses. It was then that we began down the long road of making the workplace equitable for the worker, as well as the corporation. It was also the beginning towards the long road of racial and economic justice. We are one or two election cycles away from witnessing the citizens of this nation being deceptively divided. Divided by a chasm so great it will make the 60’s pale in comparison. Citizens will be divided by their positions on the war or wars that our president will tell us, “There is no other option but to stay the course”. Those of you who are students of history are well aware that humanity’s three worst scourges are religious fanaticism, nationalism, and imperialism. Those of you also aware of historical precedent understand societies in the twentieth century consisted of four distinct entities, military, religious, wealth/corporate, and political. The evidence obtained from history demonstrates that every time there is a combination of any two of these entities the end result is tyranny. As it stands now, the lines of separation seem drawn with invisible ink. We are living in the shadow of a new, improved Corporate Evangelism. Its mindset is willful, stubborn, and arrogant; its decisions are unilateral, and when it takes action, it is in a prideful and strutting manner. Its mantra is, “The drive for profit has no national loyalties”. The fourth estate, the media, inclusive of radio, and all the conglomerate owned one-paper towns across America are duplicitous in selling us its latest snake oil. They accomplish this by repetitively informing us and re-enforcing their special brand of propaganda disguised as entertainment, resulting in the corporatization and militarization of our consciousness. Whether you call it NAFTA, The Free Trade Agreement, Globalization, or out-sourcing, the end result is the same. The American worker, once the envy of the world, has slowly been transformed into nothing more than migrant workers in search of seasonal work without benefit to healthcare or any hope of a retirement package. Free Trade, not Fair Trade, will change the landscape of America. For as time passes, as far as the eye can see, Hooverville’s will sprout up across America spreading like the poppies that cover Flander’s Field. The chances of finding a politician or legislator of honesty and selfless-ness is as rare as reaching old age without an infirmity. America’s working-class heroes are in need of a great awakening, the ceremony of innocence was drowned. No longer will self-interest and self-gratification be an adequate replacement for social norms and the common good. There is no time left for those with unexamined lives. It is our responsibility not to make a de-mockery of our democracy. We must understand we must not idly watch this bloodless assassination of our ideals as if it were just entertainment. In the immortal words of an old cowboy, “This is the issue of this election. Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.” R.W. Reagan, 1964. Philip J. Rappa is President of Together Forever Changing, Inc.; a national organization created to educate, stimulate, and invigorate the citizenry to the dangers inherent in the US Patriot Acts. He is also an award-winning writer, filmmaker, documentarian, lecturer, and humanitarian. © Philip J. Rappa 2004 |
|
Recent Election Issues Articles Ohio's official non-recount ends amidst new evidence of fraud, theft and judicial contempt mirrored in New Mexico Impossible Phantom Votes in New Mexico
The 2004 Presidential Election: Who Won The Popular Vote? An Examination of the Comparative Validity of Exit Poll and Vote Count Data Ohio GOP election officials ducking notices of deposition as Kerry enters stolen vote fray Another third rate burglary Hacking the vote in Miami County Update from the Ohio Frontlines Lawsuit Before the Ohio Supreme Court Kerry votes switched to Bush and ballots pre-punched for Bush Uncounted votes in Cuyahoga County Provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County Uncounted votes in Summit County Uncounted votes in Hamilton County Default settings in Mahoning County Ohio electoral fight becomes 'biggest deal since Selma' as GOP stonewalls Observations from an election observer TV Networks Officially Refuse to Release Exit Poll Raw Data; Mainstream media finally displays true colors Election results in Southwestern Ohio Voting Rights Groups 'Block' Talk of Machine-Free Elections Statistics from Warren County The greatest story never told The United States of Ukraine?: Exit Polls Leave Little Doubt that in a Free and Fair Election John Kerry Would Have Won both the Electoral College and the Popular Vote Certifiable election results Sinclair Broadcasting's Long History of Journalistic and Corporate Deception Ohio vote count battles escalate amidst new evidence of potential criminal activity American democracy hangs by a thread in Ohio Startling new revelations highlight rare Congressional hearings on Ohio vote New Ohio voter transcripts The One-Two Punch of Racism: Whitewashing the Voter Fraud Issue Rigging the vote in Lucas County
Uncounted votes in Montgomery County Why history demands an Ohio revote Ohio election fraud uproar blasting to new level Dirty work at the Philly polls Voter Suppression: STEALING VOTES IN OHIO URBAN AREAS (full documentation) In Ohio 2004, it's the People versus the Party of Hate & Terror and the Party of Duck and Run...but will the Democrats now stand and fight? Warren County, Ohio: most successful voter registration drive in American political history, or stuffing the ballot box Jesse Jackson demands Ohio presidential recount, blasts GOP election officials, and says Kerry supports the process Kerry Supports Ohio Vote Investigation, Jackson says Hope for the Homestretch Favoritism in the suburbs New Ohio voter transcripts feed floodtide of doubt about Republican election manipulation Election officials gave wrong information about provisional ballots - revealed in affidavit. US tells Ukraine to recount votes on fradulent election! Not counting the votes Stealing votes in Columbus Making every vote count How a Republican election supervisor manipulated the 2004 central Ohio vote, in black and white More Ohio voter suppression testimony prompts upcoming legal filing for statewide recount Ohio Presidential Results to be Challenged Franklin County, Ohio voting machine assignments, and other information Coalition's Support of Voting Machines Causes Confusion
Hearings on Ohio voting put 2004 election in doubt Closing the Circle: The Corporatization of Elections Subordinating nation's secular values to zealots' will The Public Hearings and Rally About Election Fraud in Columbus, OH this weekend, Sat. 11/13-Please pass widely! Slip-sliding away in Columbus Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates to Demand Ohio Recount An End To Mourning November 3rd action The Bible, The Constitution, and the James Carville Experiment Basic report from Columbus Waiting to vote Confessions of a political Know-Nothing in the wake of the 2004 elections Let the spin begin Back Stabbers Cost Kerry in Ohio! The Last Battle Republican America! Republican Forever! Is there inner-city election suppression in Franklin County, Ohio? Michael Moore in Columbus No love in the Heartland: Kerry gets mocked in Pa. school election Ten reasons for Greens to vote for Kerry Twelve ways Bush is now stealing the Ohio vote GW Bush Before the Iraq War
MISOGYNY Foreign Policy Forecast: If Bush Wins | If Kerry Wins Hope for the homestretch FactCheck.org says Cheney got it wrong Do the Hokey Pokey Hope for the homestretch Addressing Republican issues with John Kerry Gallup Polls- Conditioning for Vote Rigging? Too Many Cameras and Not Enough Truth: John Kerry Dodges the Press Nader 2000 Leaders United To Defeat Bush Shut up and color: the politics of bullying Kerry, Nader and the Greens need to kill the circular firing squad Don’t Believe the Hype; Terrorist Warnings Just Another Way Bush Will Steal Election President of Greater Stark County AFL-CIO speaks out on Bush’s visit in Canton, Ohio I'll Follow Kucinich to Kerry, Sorry Ralph Badnarik Doubles in Recent National Poll ‘A green world is possible’ planned in New York City during the Republican National Convention An open letter to progressives: vote Kerry and Cobb A street fighting man? How Kucinich can win Scary, Scary John Kerry With all deliberate stupidity: US self-isolation makes Iraq a virtual non-issue in the elections so far To support or not to support; the Nader question Halliburton, VP Cheney's Former Company Faces Second Criminal Probe In Four Years The Lone Ranger of Righteousness The Wrong Side of History High Noon in America The Truth is Out: Kucinich is the choice of progressives Dean and Kucinich Bush Should Be Facing 'A Long, Hard Slog' On The Campaign Trail, But Dems Too Busy Fighting With Each Other Read Election Issues Articles by Year: |
FREE PRESS EMAIL UPDATE
Donate to the Free Press Election Protection Fund to help us investigate and monitor election fraud in this year's election.
FOLLOW US ON
twitter
facebook
SEARCH THE FREEPRESS
1021 E. Broad St. Columbus, OH 43205 | 614.253.2571 | truth@freepress.org
All content © 1970-2012 The Columbus Free Press
Disclaimer