Fight the Power

Well, friends, the time has come for me to take the SkyeWire offline.  I started this blog in the midst of a period of hyper-intellectualism and political anger, I end it in a period of creativity and overwhelming optimism.  It was 3 years ago exactly when the SkyeWire started, and it has evolved side-by-side with its author.  An important outlet for a troubled youth.

This evening, I proudly present my final tidbits of knowledge, opinion, and battle orders.

There are a few key things an American citizen must know:  1)You are a people with extraordinary potential;  2) ALL cable news (CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc) belongs in Communist Russia; 3) Democrats and Republicans are on the same corporate team; 4) Barack Obama is not and will never be a revolutionary; 5) Republicans are still extremely dangerous; 6) It's going to be OKAY!  Live Life!

There are big mid-term elections coming up, and I expect every able citizen to cast a vote.  Get registered!! Democrats might be tools who lost their progressive values, but the country will survive longer with them in charge.  Keep the jerks in power, otherwise war with Iran will come closer to reality than you think.  Not that Dems aren't militant, they are.  Just not as much.

Never forget the Iraq War.  An attack planned by a small group of radical nationalists and facilitated by almost every Democrat and Republican in the Senate.  In my opinion, every person who voted for this unnecessary and devastating war ought to lose their seat.  Over a million Iraqis are dead, and the citizens of America need to take responsibility for it.  We did not march in protest like the millions around the world.  It is our fault for not being vigilant and critical enough.

President Obama has shown his true colors in recent weeks.  He has declared the end of the Iraq War, yet my friend Eric Shoopman still fights.  Indeed, 50,000 troops remain... many of the others have simply been replaced by private military contractors (i.e. Blackwater mercenaries).  Obama is no Martin Luther King or Gandhi.  He is a corporate Democrat who runs a moderate government.  I am still rooting for the man, but everyone needs to know the difference between the maintainers of the status quo and truly transformational leaders who direct a civilization.  We will have our leader one day.

These are the state of affairs, but do not despair.  The country is slowly pulling itself together, progress is happening.  The best we brothers and sisters of the world can do is act for each other.  We must vote, we must debate.  That is the calling of the people who founded the United States of America.  Thomas Jefferson wanted the Revolution to be ongoing, and I plan to keep it up in my own way.

Together we will bring down the industrial-congressional complexes that so paralyze progress.

With that, I'm off to be an artist or something.  Honestly, I plan to make beautiful, thought-provoking, controversial films.  One day a political epic...starring a blogger who brings down the whole system through the power of words in cyberspace.

No, that'd be damn silly.  Bloggers are truly ineffectual beings.

SkyeWire OUT.

Death and Life of American Journalism

Time to Pressure Evan Bayh, Hoosiers!

This democracy stuff is tough business for sure. The legitimacy of the process is in a constant war with destructive media elements and corporate favoritism in Washington, and the American people have been slow to realize the game being played at their expense. If you want to get things on the right track again, participation must become the norm in American politics and ignorance can no longer be an acceptable excuse.

Today the good fight is in health care reform, and while there is an ideological debate to be had on the size and role of government, now it is time to decide for the future. I've already made my case for a robust public option tied to Medicare rates (Medicare rates are crucial in preventing private influence on the government's purchasing power. Simply, Medicare rates will let the government negotiate rates and keep the costs down), and now we need to push the politicians. My targets are now set on Senator Evan Bayh, a Democrat from my home of Indiana.

Evan Bayh represents the most typical of corporate politicians striving to maintain a centrist persona with his fiscal conservative values, tough-on-terror media tactics, and that unmistakable midwestern candor. He is not the progressive his father, Senator Birch Bayh, once was.

Regardless, my Hoosier friends and family should pay particular attention because Evan Bayh plays an especially influential role in the future of health care reform. Though Bayh has received most of his campaign funds from the finance, insurance and real estate sector (career, $4,295,250), his $1,100,536 from the health industry makes him a man for health business--not fundamental reform.

As much as I hate calling attention to these unsettling facts, it is important to know whose interests our leaders are actually serving. Evan Bayh is deeply vested in the health industry, so the people of Indiana must rise up to let him know that we will not stand for anything less than a public option!   It's time to make some phone calls to his office, and organize with others who believe in forcing the insurance conglomerates to compete in a marketplace (check out the revealing competition map).  Bayh needs to know that if he does not support real reform, he will have a tough time in the mid-term primaries.  I for one will support a real progressive in 2010, not a closeted Republican; but hopefully I won't have to.

Hoosiers, I know that you are a conservative people in general.  That you are wary of the federal government meddling in your affairs.  This a legitimate concern, and one that I often share.  But you must realize that this reform can either go for the people or against. If there is no public option, big insurance will continue raising premiums while limiting coverage.  They will continue forcing small businesses into bankruptcy, and persist in maximizing already exorbitant profits.  Our country cannot afford it, and the 45,000 people who die from lack of coverage every year didn't deserve it.  It is time for Evan Bayh to know where you stand.  He must understand that reelection is not guaranteed in 2010 because WE have the power to decide, not the insurance lobby.

call him: (202) 224-5623 (DC office); (317) 554-0750 (Indianapolis office)  
email him: http://bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/

The Pressure of Peace

While I'm not sure I understand exactly why the Nobel Committee in Norway decided upon Barack Obama as winner of the Peace Prize so early in the game, I'd like to try and imagine the potential of this strategic gesture.

This award is a call of expectations of the freshman President.  It is also a vote of confidence in the American electorate.  You see, President Bush changed the world forever-- he began a war of fear and intimidation.  He destabilized entire regions of the globe, and caused Iran to rush to arms.  Mr. Bush was a President for war, and one who reflected the values of the imperial elites of the United States.

But America said no, and elected a man who promised peace.  For this, every American deserves this award because it is WE who determine our country's policies and rulers.  We chose peace, and this seems to have been recognized by members of the international community.

Now the pressure of the world is on, and the world demands a peaceful USA.  But it is vital that we ask ourselves: what does their opinion matter?  Why should we listen to the desires of other states?

These are common questions-- and they are fair questions.  We are a sovereign state with the power to act in whichever way we see fit.  But what must not be forgotten is that because of our extraordinary wealth, power and influence, our choices ripple throughout the world in ways that we cannot imagine.  It is easy for American to lose touch of global realities because we are essentially an island.  We are not surrounded by nations with ancient traditions of conflict.  We do not know what it was like to be invaded and occupied by brutal militaries.  We cannot fathom the imagery of a holocaust in our backyard.

The fact of the matter is that there are deep global problems that cannot be solved without an engaged, informed United States.  Europe understands it.  We seem to be realizing it.

While Americans are essentially a peace-loving people, they are
also a distant, and easily convinced people.  We are duped into wars of "liberation" and "freedom."  We want peace, but our fault lies in the belief that war solves all problems.  That war yields peace.

Some of our allies across the pond understand that if the people of the United States of America do not break free from the bondage of the industrial-military complex, we will go the way of all empires.  Our potential to do remarkable things will wilt away, and the story of American democracy will be mere whispers of legend.

So let us unleash ourselves from this militaristic society.  Let us fight in ways we haven't yet thought.  Let us take the Nobel Prize and show everyone that we can be with the world, not at odds with it.

People, call your congressmen and women and senators--tell them where you stand.  President Obama, fight those generals and do what is right.  Be strong and call your people to action.  We'll fight with you.

Or against you.

Later this week... 10 Best Congresspeople: Dennis Kucinich

Stay tuned for my second entry of 10 Worst, 10 Best: Your United States Congress. This time: Representative Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland, Ohio. Will be up by Thursday.

Also, I've just created a Facebook Page that anyone can 'fan' to receive updates on your NewsFeed. I promise, the updates will not dominate your wall!

Wondering Where Your Democracy Went?

When President Reagan gave his famous "City on a Hill" speech, he declared the United States the pinnacle of civilization--the city...on the hill. But when John Winthrop said those words he was talking about an America that ought to be. Not that is. Perhaps it is too hasty to assume that we have reached this ideal.

To the wide-eyed masses: you did not choose Barack Obama as president. To those who believe in the potential of liberty and democracy: your country has forsaken its highest ideals. In an age where the issues are not discussed and the candidates are interchangeable photogenics, you must question what it is you should be doing here. In this country. As a citizen.

In the election of 2008, this facade went on before our very eyes. Ron Paul raised over $6 million in a single day--the most of any candidate; he had millions of supporters and was leading a sort of movement. But he was, for some reason excluded from the later and more important debates. This was the sole Republican with truly unique views--and more conservative ones at that. He suggested to the people that U.S. imperialism is the cause of the terror--not our values and "freedom." Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat, ran on a platform of peace. Mike Gravel ran to end U.S. militarization and establish a direct democracy. All were left out of the later debates.


Perhaps these candidates simply did not register enough votes in the early primaries, and were rightfully asked not to return. Maybe the media did its job. For the people. But then you look at who we ended up with. Hillary vs. Obama--two candidates with identical policy platforms. Debating. What I am saying is that maybe, just maybe there is something larger at work. Not a conspiracy, but a system rather. A system that has developed over the years and fuels a sham of a democracy. Corporate media, corporate candidates. There are powerful interests at stake and a lot of profits to be made. Be wary.

"The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return." - Gore Vidal

Goodbye Señor Bush, Hello Ambiguous Future

As an eleven year old, I wasn't much into politics. I had a faint grasp that Clinton got into trouble over something with a lady (not his wife), that we had bombed someplace far away (which my family watched on the news... in night vision), and that Bush beat Gore after some confusion in Florida. Yes, George W. Bush claimed the presidency before I became politically aware; and for millions of young Americans like myself, this is truly significant.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to the man who played a crucial role in shaping the views of so many in this country. After 9/11, I remember the leadership the President showed... I remember how much support he had. Bush was confident and on message-- he assumed the role of valiant leader during a time when so many were confused and afraid... including myself.

W. told me to stand with the country. He assured me that this great nation would prevail and defeat evil. I believed and defended him for many years. But George Bush did not teach me how to be a patriot-- he did not teach me the inspirational power of our ideals. Instead, he showed me that in times of terror, we must fear and act with that fear in our hearts. No, Bush will never be known as the man who reassured us, once again, that "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror..."

George Bush, along with nearly every member of the Congress, taught me that the United States could do whatever it wanted. That our government is free to spy on Americans. To torture. I was duped, and became cynical. Bush's words brought American arrogance to center stage, and his blunt style made this country a laughing-stock. He is an embarrassment to liberty and to the Republic... forever a stain on the American tale.

But in this final night of his presidency, perhaps it is time to put a hold on the character assassination; perhaps a moment of self-reflection is in order. Let's start with a question: Who is truly responsible for the last 8 years? The blame-game is fun, but not so much in a democracy-- for in a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.

It was ultimately American apathy, disillusionment, and ignorance that brought us Bush. Our inability to understand clear threats to the democratic fabric, and unwillingness to demand the best possible representatives has put us in a truly unfortunate position--one where the very essence of our ideals are slipping away.

But perhaps we are beginning to wake up... Obama did win an astonishing victory. He seems too good to be true, and maybe there is more truth to this statement than people would like to admit. Americans have, at the very least, denounced the ways of the Bush Administration, which is a start. But the complicit Democrats have escaped the wrath of voters, and will one day have to be reckoned with.

It is clear that Americans are ready for a new day, and tomorrow the next chapter of our story begins. The new President must help lead us out of the darkness that we have brought upon ourselves, but as he has said time and time again: this movement is about what we can do ourselves. President Bush is no more responsible for the economic crisis than a weatherman is for the weather, and a President Obama will not be able to fix the world. We must demand receptive and honest lawmakers. We must fight for reform and for our vital causes. We must rethink what place corporate America has in government, and what place America has in this world. And, indeed, we must develop the tools of the Internet so that we may enter an age of unprecedented civilian involvement in government.

President-elect Obama has taken serious strides, but America must be wary. Simply electing new people will not be enough. The restoration of responsible citizenship is the only way for us to survive.

With optimism and resolve.

Unity, Organization, HOPE

Two months ago, Ron Paul appeared alongside Ralph Nader on CNN to discuss their plans for a third party/independent presidential debate.  The debate is irrelevant at this point, but I want to convey the united message that the two shared as a continuation of the message from my last post.

They agreed that immediate action must be taken on the following issues:

A.) Foreign Policy

-We do not want the empire! 

-We cannot afford the empire!

-No more unjust wars!

-Cut the outrageous military budget!

-The President cannot declare war without congressional approval (see Constitution)!

-Bring our military home!

B.) Civil Rights

-Abolish the Patriot Act!

-No more torture!

-Appeal FISA!

C.) Federal Deficit ($56 trillion)

-Stop using the deficit for reckless government adventurism!

-Control the spending!

D.) Reform or Abolish the Federal Reserve

-It is funded and controlled by the banks!

-Totally out of control!

So these are 4 issues that are critical to the survival of our country, and activists on all sides need to come together to push them into the Obama agenda.  Somehow the millions of activists around the country MUST come together for common cause.  People need to be thinking about this and leaders must begin establishing the framework for grassroots organization.  The Congress is only 535 people... they have lives and personalities just like you and me... they can be persuaded. Imagine the possibilities.  

But this week we rest to admire the remarkable history that has been made.  By electing a man whose ancestors we once called "slave," we have proven once again that the American Dream is real.  The age of cynicism and fear has come to an end, and the world can once again look to the United States as a beacon of hope and leadership.  We must remember that in no other place in the world could this have happened.  It is like the French electing a citizen of Algerian descent to their highest office!  Ce n'est pas possible!

Coming of age during perhaps the most cynical period of American history prevented me from recognizing why our country truly is special.  It is because of this nation's ability to change that gives me newfound hope.  Today let the world know that the United States can be better, and I believe will.  

And to the Americans who have been disenchanted by our nation's failures and betrayals: I ask you to believe once more in the Dream that is our legacy, and in the government that we cherish so deeply.  Do not let it fail.

Much work is ahead of us, but it can be done.

Next Steps: the November 5th Plan of Action!

November 4, 2008 is past, today is a new day with new challenges.  If you think that electing Barack Obama was the ultimate goal, you are so wrong.  Today ought to be a day of celebration, for history has been made.  Yes, just 7 years after the attacks of 9/11, we have elected a black man with the middle-name of "Hussein" as President of the United States.  What a monumental declaration!  But the game board has only been reset... now we must change the game altogether.

The purge of the Republican extremists and the Neo-Con philosophy has nearly come full circle.  No more Cheney.  No more Rove.  Bush will eventually be gone.  Today the progressives of America must begin the massive organization that will be necessary to enact true change.  For change is merely a political device if there is no pressure on the promises.

It is time for the millions who share common goals to unite and show how people can put democracy to action.  Yes, I am calling out to the democratic idealists, the environmentalists, the peace advocates, and the anti-imperialists to rise up together!  To the Ron Paul Revolutionaries and the Ralph Naderophiles, today is your day!  To the consumer advocates who fight the abuses of corporate power, the time is now!  To every single person who understands that our nation must radically reform our way of governing for there to be a future United States of America, it is time for your voices to be heard!!

What I am saying is that the energy of this amazing election must continue into a new era of populist activism.  If Obama doesn't have the mandate and the external push for change, he will not succeed as we all want him to--as the country needs him to.  Do not be fooled, readers of SkyeWire: there are very powerful forces that are against a new progressive era.  They supported Barack Obama because he ran an extremely moderate campaign... he was a safe bet.  But this must not stand.  Barack Obama promised MAJOR CHANGE, but he cannot do it without the political capital.  In other words, it is up to powerful and clever organization--based in grassroots--to come together on major issues and demand change.  The country has given the Democrats one last sweeping leap of faith--to let them try, once last time, to make good on their failed promises of the past 40 years.  Now we must hold them accountable.

So what to do?  I have some preliminary proposals, but these will obviously develop in the coming months and years.  

A.) Join the Revolution: yes, I am talking about Ron Paul's "Campaign for Liberty" ... You do not need to be a Libertarian to understand that the American Empire must come to an end, the tax system must be radically reformed, and civil liberty must take precedence!  Ron Paul's dark horse campaign showed that millions (liberals, conservative, moderates, etc.) are dissatisfied with what our nation has become, and to support this cause is noble.

B.) Join the November 5th movement: The final presidential campaign of Ralph Nader has become a major advocacy group dedicated to urging the Congress to pursue a progressive agenda and to fight the corporate stranglehold.   Based on the powerful idea of grassroots organization, November 5 calls upon citizens in the 435 congressional districts to fight for the next 100 days for major reform within the country's most powerful institution: the Congress.

C.) Be well informed: this does not mean CNN or FOX News This does not mean just CNN and FOX.  I am talking about developing a broader understanding of issues, which means expanding from your primary sources.  As citizens we must train ourselves to rely on solid and independent news sources in order to make sound judgements, while also keeping up on what the mainstream networks are saying.  Readers will see that to the left of the page, I have listed some of my favorite news sources... independent, liberal, conservative, and moderate ones alike.  The point is to have an open mind and not to dismiss certain sources based on bias.

D.) USE THE FRIGGIN INTERNET: Don't take my word for anything!  Solid information and organization is available on the internet if you are will to seek it out.  Connect with those who share your plight, communicate, and plan for action.  If people use this revolutionary resource to its fullest potential, they will discover that there are millions of like-minded activists.

There will be more in the coming days, but the main idea is that we mustn't relent from this grand opportunity to change the country and determine our future.  This thing ain't over!  We can still take back our country...it is within reach!  We now have an administration that is receptive to change... now we must follow through.  The fight will be long.  It will be demoralizing at times.  No one said democracy is easy, but in the words of Winston Churchill:

Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.

With optimism and resolve.

Cynicism for Obamanation

The Obama fervor is fairly strong here on campus, so I thought I should inject a little realism into the conversation by posting the following in our school paper (you may recognize the quote):

Former New York Times reporter recently wrote this forward thinking and realistic assessment of our current political predicament:

"I place no hope in Obama or the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is a pathetic example of liberal, bourgeois impotence, hypocrisy and complacency. It has been bought off. I will vote, if only as a form of protest against our corporate state and an homage to Polanyi's brilliance, for Ralph Nader. I would like to offer hope, but it is more important to be a realist. No ethic or act of resistance is worth anything if it is not based on the real. And the real, I am afraid, does not look good."

I am voting for Barack Obama, but I know that I should be voting for Nader. I suppose it is the fluffy hope that Obama speaks of in his carefully crafted speeches... the idea that Obama could be a third party in disguise. If the fact that Nader is on 45 state ballots and was STILL restricted from the debates does not set off red flags in your mind, you must be truly blinded. But if there is not radical reform of our government, then this country is going to become a lot more pathetic... maybe even dangerous. The corruption has permeated all aspects of the legislative, executive and judicial. The empire is out of control.

Eventually there will be a call to arms to end the corporatocracy and dismantle the military industrial complex (look it up)... to restore the integrity of the Republic. The people forgot Vietnam and did not feel the Iraq War, but they will feel the next one, and when they start to suffer, they will cry out for another Ralph Nader, Mike Gravel, or Ron Paul. Till then and beyond we must take after the Founding Fathers and be skeptical of those who rule, and take action when they become incompetent.

Later today I'll be seeing Joe Biden speak in Newark, OH... hopefully I'll get to ask him a good question.  Will report later.

Drudge: "BORING"

Immediately after watching the second hum-drum presidential debate last night, I checked out Drudge Report to see if Matt Drudge felt the same way; sure enough, the headline simply read: "BORING."

Why in one of the most turbulent and terrifying times in this country's history can our presidential hopefuls be so uninspiring? It is clear that the public debate format has been carefully crafted in order to keep the candidates within their safe zones, but that is not what we need right now.  We need rules and moderators who will push the candidates and call them out.  We need to break the barrier of generality, and delve into the heart of such important affairs.  But most of all, we need a different perspective.

Yes, I'm back to the third party rant, but after seeing these establishment candidates "duke it out" once again, I do not believe anyone would disagree that there must be another side to these issues.  Independents and third party candidates provide much needed insight, and keep the others on their toes.  It is truly tragic that the rules of the system prevent such a dynamic.  Don't Americans want more choice?  Or does it just not matter?

More Voices, More Choices!

My Letter to the Chairman of the DNC

Well I just wrote a letter that I plan to send to Governor Howard Dean—Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The document essentially explains itself, but I encourage anyone interested to read into the matters I go over, and to delve deeper into the unraveling of our democracy. Check it out:


Dear Governor Dean,

I am an 18-year-old freshman at Denison University in Ohio, and have been following the latest presidential campaign very closely. I've had a particular attraction to the messages of both Senator Gravel and Congressman Kucinich—men who, despite their controversial nature, are proven leaders and patriots. By this time you must have learned of the historical acts by Mike Gravel (filibustering the Draft, releasing the Pentagon Papers, the Alaskan pipeline bill, etc), and of Dennis Kucinich's unwavering message of peace that permeates through his legislation in Congress. I am severely alarmed because both of these American leaders have been silenced by corporate media and alienated by their own Democratic Party—this suggests to me that these bodies of mega-power have lost sight of the freedom and democracy that this country is supposed to stand for.

In previous debates, Senator Gravel met the same polling qualifications as other candidates, but did not have enough money to be included. The indication here is that if you are not a millionaire, you cannot have a shot at the presidency. The loyalty oath imposed on Congressman Kucinich by the Texas Democratic Party was a clear violation of the First Amendment—this instance, as well as his exclusion from the latest televised debate on MSNBC have yet to be addressed by you, Governor. Don’t the American people deserve to hear their unique and important views? Where was the voice of Democratic leadership? Where was democracy?

Whether or not these men align with Party doctrine should not be a factor in evaluating them as viable candidates. The American public has the right to hear their messages—to witness them questioning the policies of the leading candidates. For democracy to succeed, there must be a true debate—after watching the last Democratic debate, I can see that this is not happening. When leading candidates seem to agree on almost every major issue, it becomes obvious that something has gone terribly wrong.

For how long can we put on the facade of the “greatest democracy in the world" when our leaders are carefully selected by elitist Wall Street boardrooms and two political parties? This path of corporate censorship and political corruption will only grow worse if left unaddressed. Ultimately it will be up to the people to decide whether or not they wish to survive as a democratic nation, but without the leadership, that will never happen.

It is with great moral conviction and severe urgency that I write this letter. Please consider this cry for help.

Sincerely,
Skye Wallin

If anyone would like to express their own views on this matter, or on any other issue you can send a quick message to the DNC Chair at this link.