“HEY DUBYA, THERE WAS AN AXIS OF EVIL . . . & IT WAS YOU & YOUR PARTNERS IN CRIME!”

By, Jay H. Berman

A Guest Commentator for ronrambles.com

Creator & Publisher, Ron Tenin

The accused “Criminal of Crawford” needs a vacation from . . . well . . . his vacation.  Asleep at the wheel for most of his eight years of continuous disaster in D.C., the inimitable G.W.B. travels frequently.  But, curiously, his destinations have not included Europe.  In 2011, he wanted to take his dirty laundry to Switzerland of all places.  The Swiss like things neat & clean, so maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.  The thing is – The “Decider” may have been advised that there was no room left on this side of the Atlantic for his evil deeds.  But, our friends across the pond weren’t having it.  Maybe “The Blair Man” might’ve tried to sneak his good ol’ buddy in by the dark of night.  Not a bad wager, considering their mutual fondness for darkness.  

“What is going on here you ask? Oh boy, strap in readers, you’re going to love this one!”

I know it’s hard to believe, but Dubya really had been invited by The United Israel Appeal to speak at their gathering in peace loving neutral Switzerland.  This was back in 2011.  The Swiss love their banks & may be accused of many things, but direct military engagement is not one of them; reported ties to the Third Reich of WWII Nazi Germany notwithstanding.  Besides, that was just a minor footnote in history as far as the Swiss bankers are concerned.  After all, they have more pressing concerns, like vaults & green pieces of paper with famous Americans pictured on them

“But hold on now ladies & gents, it gets crazier as this story unfolds.”

The trip was DOA via demonstrative protestations by multiple human rights groups.  To be more precise, the planned excursion died before it even got off the ground.  Last week, ronrambles.com asked the question, “The Bush Gang, or, The Chain Gang?”  This week, we decided to look further.  Swiss officials were called upon in 2011, to intercept the former occupant of the Oval Office, & escort him to a different type of gathering, (one clearly not to his liking).  More plainly, they were flat out asked to arrest Dubya & investigate him for authorizing torture!

In between naptime & enjoying his milk & cookies, G.W.B. likes to gaze at a map of the world, wondering where Iraq & Afghanistan are.  Sometimes, his “handlers” figure out where he should go next.  Remember, he likes to travel, especially to Orlando, Fl., & I’ll give you one guess why.  But Europe, with all its great cities & rich culture, art, & history, also has a history of international prosecutions; so it’s really interesting that he has gone out of his way to avoid it.

But a Bush mouthpiece “explained” – his cancellation of the 2011 trip was due to the probability of protests, “not at all having anything to do with possible arrest.”

“Of course, we know Good Ol’ George would never fib, right?!”

Now get this . . . Switzerland is attached to the UN Convention against Torture, & Amnesty International along with the Center for Constitutional Rights have said they are obligated because of this to investigate him; which may lead to potential prosecution.

Swiss authorities received a memo from Amnesty International in 2011that points out Bush admitted in his own writings since leaving office, that he approved water-boarding & other forms of torture; as interpreted by the Geneva Conventions & adopted by The U.N.  This includes detentions & interrogations in Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib & Gitmo.  However, still – no top ranking U.S. officials have been investigated, & there is likewise no accountability for C.I.A. crimes in secret detention facilities, according to the Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Bush might have faced investigation and potential prosecution for torture and other crimes in international law; 147 countries are part of the UN Convention against Torture. “US authorities have failed to bring President Bush to justice & the international community must step in,” quoting Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General, who along with his organization has been unsuccessful in these efforts.  A 2,500-page complaint against Bush was ready to be filed in Swiss court on behalf of two Guantanamo detainees by The Center for Constitutional Rights; yes indeed you guessed it, back in 2011 in lieu of the derailed Swiss trip.  I tried to confirm this, but George won’t take my calls.  Rumor has it that “His Pacifiers” say I ask too many questions & G.W.B. doesn’t like questions, especially the ones about his time in the White House!

Meanwhile, Dubya “decided” to sit at home on his throne instead, & then take a nap after watching Fox News, aka “the other Comedy Channel.”  Or, “Unfair & unbalanced,” along with whatever else you wish to call it.  Oh, one more thing folks, “an un-named source” claims, that George knows what those rectangular things inside The Bush Library, containing all the paper are.  He just can’t understand why they’re not filled with nice pictures instead of all those funny looking black markings.  

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                      Several months back…I went on a date…we first met in cyber-land. The benefits of online dating sometimes make sense. You get to pick the age range, general points of common interest.You can look at photo’s…and narrow the field… giving you a general idea of who you might be compatible with. You can talk on the phone and email and text..and by the time you meet in the real world you have a pretty good sense of who your meeting…not like the true blind dates of yesteryear.

            Even so,  I had no idea   what “profession” my date had. We had a nice dinner and I came to learn that my date had spent 25 years with the FBI. I found out that South Florida is home to some big time FBI offices. We had a most interesting discussion.  I had always wondered if my “blogo-sphere activism” caught the attention of the FBI. I spoke about my blog…and having 20,000+ twitter followers and garnering some  100,000+ hits per month.

      When I asked her if the FBI had a file on me ..she looked at me with a wry smile. She said most assuredly, the FBI had my “information” at there fingertips. Millions of Americans have digital files..she explained ..”that’s what the FBI does “Never mind I have never been arrested , I don’t own a gun…and never given law enforcement any reason to be wary of me…or so I thought.

     The government has unfettered access to anything and everything. Big brother…Big sister…take full advantage of public information ..private information…no warrants needed to find out pretty much anything they want on anyone. Google now reads our private emails…and if we talk about buying a new house..low and behold the Internet immediately has ads for home mortgages and furniture store specials.

   Now we find out that the Democrat’s have used that power to put the magnifying glass on those that threaten  their power. Conservative groups, tea party affiliated groups…and those Koch boys apparently received extra special scrutiny. It seems groups more favorable towards the Democrats received much less scrutiny.

   Somehow, I’m feeling some sympathy towards any group that receives uneven scrutiny based on partisan political leanings. I’m feeling that lot’s of American’s are uneasy about this slanted treatment.

Maybe the conservatives has a point when they argue government is too big…and should be smaller and less intrusive? Is there a backlash brewing in America…are regular citizens put off by government collecting information…and offering uneven treatment to it’s citizens?   Will Democratic arrogance create an unexpected backlash towards governmental manuverings? Is the Obama “bully” pulpit about to breathe life into a beleaguered Republican party?

America’s fastest growing ethnic group, Hispanic/Latino voters has the political clout to determine the future direction of America. Reince Priebus, Republican Nation Committee (RNC) chairman says, “Were going to engage Hispanics and Latinos like we never have before.” Some 52 million Americans identify themselves as Hispanic, which is now 17% of the United States total population.

For those Americans located in Florida, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, New Mexico and Virginia, the Citizens United ruling is about to become a cash cow; especially for mainstream media companies. Koch Industries along with their corporate cronies will be dropping a load of greenbacks on every media conglomerate in the “pick-sixstates.” There will be new groups with friendly sounding names, who open checkbooks for every Hispanic cause near and wide. While the billionaire bullion will actually help some people that need help, the price to pay for Americans dignity is hopefully – “NOT FOR SALE!” …

…These nefarious “gifts” carry a big price tag for all Americans.

The Koch’s are poised to anoint the Jeb Bush/Marco Rubio, (bi-lingual) presidential ticket, as the “chosen ones” to carry the GOP mantle. Forget all the sideshows and primaries – we can cut to the chase right now. The Republican ticket is ostensibly set. Funding is in place and the assault on American Democracy as we know it is “game-on.“The Republicans are pissed off and they mean big business in 2016.

Time Magazine’s, Man of the Year in 2016 will either be the Koch Brothers, (if they catch their prey), or the HISPANIC community, (if they slew the evil beasts). Will cold cash be the hallmark of the American political system in 2016? Can unlimited pandering and money deliver the “pick-six” states to the GOP? Bet early and bet often.

“Will the Koch’s finally learn The Zumba, and dance to the White-House in 2016?”

Quinnipiac University conducts one the nation’s largest & widely followed polling organizations.  Recently, multimedia sources reported its latest findings regarding Hillary Rodham Clinton.  At this time, according to the numbers crunchers she remains the 2016 Democratic Party Presidential nominee favorite.

Other household names may be in the running, but they all trail the former first lady & Obama’s first-term Secretary of State. Not surprisingly the polling strongly suggests Mrs. Clinton is not merely the favorite, but well ahead of the presumed field of potential Democratic contenders. If primaries were held today, she very well might leave her opponents far behind, whereby they’d be relegated to little more than “pretenders!”

The most pressing question for Democrats, even at this early stage, is whether or not she will run. Clinton has not yet made that clear, although many observers consider it a done deal & simply a matter of time before she formally announces her bid for the White House.  Few would argue that her party “rock star” spouse is ready & raring to go, go, and go! Former President Bill Clinton may be even more popular among Democrats than his also celebrated wife. The party faithful in their supposed best case scenario get what some view as a two for one victory in the making tag team tandem.

The Quinnipiac findings additionally pointed to a clear path to victory, [should Hillary not run], for a man who clearly wants to occupy the Oval Office. That of course is current Vice-President Joe Biden. He has run before, & was unsuccessful in his campaigns for the party’s nomination. But the V.P. is the clear favorite unless he has to go head to head against the formidable Mrs. Clinton. The poll cited here determined that if Hillary Clinton is his primary opponent, she may garner as much as 65% of potential voters compared to his 13%. Yet, if she is removed from the race, a vastly different potential scenario ensues. In that case, Biden should be the favorite, & by a wide margin.

Other names being tossed around & included in the Quinnipiac research include N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo,  Mass. Governor Deval Patrick & Va. Senator Mark Warner. The numbers in a field minus Hillary Clinton show Biden winning as much as 45% of voters compared to 4% for Cuomo & a paltry 1%, (or possibly even less), for Patrick or Warner. However, it still makes for interesting speculation nonetheless, because all three of these men have been seen as rising stars in the Democratic Party.

Interestingly, for those who love speculation – Joe Biden, [who presumably is a sure bet to toss his hat into the ring] – if he was a Republican instead, likely would be the proverbial, “next in line.” The political pundits, aka talking heads in some quarters, make it a habit of anointing the Republican Party faithful choice in this manner. But, reality usually speaks differently, & the buzz inside the GOP is a strong ticket of Jeb Bush & Marco Rubio in 2016.

So, it all boils down to the biggest question as yet unanswered. There is only one person who can & will answer the call. I’m putting my money on the first woman to hold the highest office in the land – Hillary Rodham Clinton. She’ll enjoy Bill Clinton & Barak Obama stumping for her, & . . .

“I envision Hillary catapulted into D.C. on the wings of a huge turnout, with women being the ultimate deciding factor!”

While Western medicine is dependent on pills to solve problems, Eastern medicine takes a more holistic view on how to heal the body, mind & soul. Over 3000 years ago, it was not uncommon to have monks live for 100 years. What did they know then that Western medicine doesn’t really understand even today? How many Western centric adults know where the third eye is, & how developing this cosmic connection embedded in every human being might nurture your connection to a higher power? How it can strengthen your cellular immunity to ward off disease and extended your physical life.

We understand now that depending solely on government or pills – to solve all our human challenges has its limits. Empowering individuals to help heal them makes sense, especially in these times of tight budgets and uneven distribution of health-care resources. Modern science is starting to uncover the power of cellular health on the most basic level. Can we live longer through the power of thanking our various body parts for doing such a great job?

Everybody and everything likes to be praised…and given love. Whens the last time you told your feet how much you appreciate everything they do for you everyday of your life? If it sounds crazy, may I suggest you try this exercise. . .

. . . Spend 15 minutes relaxing your body & get very comfortable lying down on your bed or sofa. If you know how to meditate do that too. Think about how thankful you are for your health & how much love you have for your body. All those parts that make your engine go! Start thanking your toes, feet & ankles. Slowly and lovingly through your thoughts send your heartfelt love to your body. I don’t want to totally give it away but when you say thank you to your body – see if something doesn’t say hello right back to you!

 The pineal gland is located between your two outward eyes. It’s smack dab in the center above your nose between your two eyes. 3000 years ago Eastern monks would sometimes remove the bone that blocks the gland & unfortunately sometimes killed themselves in their quest for the cosmic connection. It goes without saying this exercise is NOT recommended!!! The point is, everybody should do themselves a favor; go to Google or Wikipedia and learn how to connect to your third eye. There are various exercises, meditations & prayers that can aid your spiritual development and human health.

As you enhance your meditations & your connection to non-physical source energy other changes may enter your life. I was the last guy who would have every believed “Angels” exist. I was an atheist/agnostic & the thought of angels being real was laughable to me.

But, one day after deep meditations in a beautiful park by a river, my back was up against a huge oak tree as its massive arms reached towards the heavens. I began to watch the sun slowly set & then it happened. With my eyes wide open I began to see something flying in the sky. It was not birdlike. I kept looking at it & mentally willed it to come closer so I could have a better look. Then the angel was as close as a low flying airplane hanging an advertisement as it flew by the beach. It was right there, real, in a fluttering robe, & glowing. I got close enough to view the face. It was very androgynous& I couldn’t tell if it was a man or women, but it didn’t matter. My guardian angel was there for me & the Spiritual journey continues.

“So tell me, can a loving God be far behind?”

Religion in America. Supposedly a big tent where diversity is honored and welcomed. Not one religion has a monopoly on the truth . Indeed, those with no religion at all have every right to their belief….but they also don’t have a monopoly of the truth. However, a disturbing trend has emerged . For most of my life I was somewhere between an agnostic and an atheist. Over the last several years my opinion and heart has changed and I truly believe there is a high power…call it what you like. While the majority of Americans believe in God one way or another, a somewhat sizable minority consider themselves atheist or agnostic..particularly Democrats. Many keep it a private matter..and that’s just fine. ..but the reality is religion and politics …they just sometimes go together…whether we like it or not…

Years earlier, when I considered myself pretty much an atheist, I never rubbed it in anyone else’s face. I never tried to talk anyone out of their beliefs or ridicule them in any way. My, how things have changed. Over the last year , I have built my twitter following list to 23,000  thousand people.  The majority are liberal, but I have also representative amount of moderates , libertarians and conservatives. I don’t block conservatives..I don’t call them names. Often we engage in some interesting discussions, and I feel Ive learned a thing or two from conservatives .

The correlation between people that consider themselves liberal and also atheist I have found concerning. Additionally, many of the atheist I find are just as narrow minded as those bible-thumpers…there’s  little difference…. and many are very dismissive of people who believe in God or a higher power. “In your face” atheism is alive and well and I don’t quite understand the ferocity,nastiness or politcal purpose. I accept all people’s beliefs without any animosity …so… Why do atheist seem to be so aggressively against God and religion?

I think the case for progressive thinking is diminished and creates unnecessary polarization against those  who embrace God and religion. So often I hear how conservatives/Republicans are narrow minded …but shouldn’t the the nature of progressive thought also reject narrow mindedness as well on the left?  I’m very uncomfortable when I read profiles of liberals/progressive who align themselves with atheism and reject alternative thought…and add the disclaimer ” if your a Republican don’t follow me and dare not talk to me. Are liberals so smug and “in the know” that they can insult large groups of people who embrace a variety of different religions and thoughts?

Progressives often blast conservatives..who are considered out of step with America. Let’s put the shoe on the other foot and understand why conservatives feel the same way. Can we all rise up and find some mutual respect? No one group has all the answers, no one group is correct 100% of the time. The best baseball player only gets a hit 3 out of every 10 times… let’s remember that when we discuss the issues of the day. America is a big country with many different religions and political persuasions. The sooner we all can be more accepting of each other, the sooner we might be able to get together and solve some problems. No purpose is served by giving fuel to the fire by having those independents bristle at “in your face” atheism. All Americans are deserving of respect and having their thoughts and ideas discussed without insult…intolerance is a two way street!.

Boston Cardinal O’Malley gave a riveting sermon this morning in Boston. He spoke of  both hope and despair. How there is both darkness and light in the world. He spoke about the importance of love….living up to God’s eternal wishes. We heard from a distinguished Rabbi..as well as a leader from the Muslim community. Cardinal O’Malley asked the key question…How do we repair a broken world?

One  good way would be a balanced airing of the news from the American media. Currently, American’s media is simply an arm of our corporate plutocracy. What is disseminated as news to the public is of course what corporate American want us to hear. One of the most disturbing aspect is not just  the dishonesty of  reporting of the news as “corporate titans” see it… it’s also  lack of major media asking questions that might actually make American’s think about why this country is disliked by much of the world.

How long can our government stonewall the world’s concern for America’s penchant for disregarding international law? Why  are we surprised when the world  objects to our tossing of  deadly robotic missile anywhere we feel it’s necessary for the “war on terror”. While some drones makes a lot of sense for surveillance…the offensive use of these killing machines should  be re-examined. Weve launched drones all over the world..killing “bad guys”…apparently …we believe America’s Democracy is so superior that we can do as we please. China is producing the same drones..and will be selling them to countries all over the world in short order. How can we blame them…what country doesn’t want to protect it’s borders and safety of it’s citizens.

We have two political parties in this country that are unable  to conduct the countries business. We have 90% of the American public in favor of background checks…but we can’t seem to make our elected officials  represent our citizens desire. How do you think the rest of the world views a country that’s unable to pass legislation that’s  sensible and supported by nearly the whole country?  What message are we sending our youth that background checks can’t  be adopted?. ..as crisis after crisis traumatize both the  youth and adults in this country.

We cannot begin to repair our broken world until were able to access all the facts about the issues of the day. Then we could have a full   discussion of why America’s respect is diminishing…as the dangerous of a continued war on terror continue to be exasperated by our actions.  We need our mainstream media to report ,analyze and question…and not be simply a  tool used and abused by the powers that be. How do we repair a broken world…? A full reporting of all the issues would be a productive way to make some  progress. It’s like an alcoholic in denial…recovery can only begin  when we  fully understand our  actions are counterproductive to the world  we desire.