Dennis Trainor Jr's blog

Cross posted from Acronym TV

While watching Russell Brand's BBC interview, it is not hard to imagine two families in Middle America, neighbors, watching separately in the comfort of their own homes as Russell Brand does his bit and each nod in lonely agreement. "Yes!", they are likely to say- "this Russell Brand fellow is right." But family A has to work hard at a job they are made to feel they are lucky to have buying something, selling something, or processing something when, like their inner Lloyd Dobbler, they don't want to buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, they don't want to do that. And Family B is doing the same thing. Both are trying to keep up with the Joneses, as they the expression goes. Family B is competing to send their kids to better schools and than Family A; and Family A is competing just as hard to beat out family B. They are each other's Jones.

But there is NO Jones.

"Jones" is a construct, a shackle. And don't you know, Jones is like the show put on by the Wizard of OZ to scare you into submission. Time for us all to find our inner Dorothy's, click our heels together and build a new world called home. A new world called home. Stop the machine and build a new world called home.

Segment 1: Rejecting American Exceptionalism
In invoking American Exceptionalism as a reason we should intervene in Syria. President Obama is invoking the same principle that self empowers us remain "the greatest purveyors of violence on Earth today."

Segment 2: Occupy Turns 2 (08:17)

 David Swanson has authored a Modest Proposal for Syria, which he has granted me permission to share with you, unedited, in this video format. It is just a few moments long, and well worth your time and deep consideration.

On August 31, with the nation eking out the final hours of summer, President Obama took to the podium and, shockingly, did not announce that he was going to continue in the trend of the Imperial Presidency, wherein the Executive branch, in the words of Chris Hedges, “abrogates to itself the right to declare war, which is, of course, traditionally the role of Congress.” Rather, while maintaining that he believes he has the right to act without congressional approval, Obama announced that he would allow Congress to have a voice. His speech was also a direct pitch to the American people to win support for military intervention in Syria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxjgA3Il4jQ

Joel Northam, reporting for Acronym TV, states: “President Obama could have been Trayvon Martin 35 years ago, yet fortunately he was privileged enough to receive an elite education whilst being groomed by established power to become the Drone Bombing, Bank Bailing, Whistleblower Torturing, Immigrant Deporting, Civil Liberty shredding, corporate puppet that he is today. Although the Trayvon Martin tragedy still burns deep within our hearts, it is a blessing that he doesn’t have to see politicians use his death to cater to the emotions of the angry masses while they continue their business as usual of worldwide plunder of resources and exploitation of the global working class.”


This is an episode segment. To watch the full episode, click here
 

 "Accountability For The Past, Democracy For The Future."

A new coalition of gun rights and conservative groups has proclaimed January 19, 2013, "Gun Appreciation Day" -- the group, calling themselves GAD, has begun urging Americans nationwide to show their support for gun ownership by turning out en masse at gun stores, ranges, and shows from coast to coast. Video:

 As a parent, I shook (not figuratively but literally, I shook) watching news reports today. 

Twenty children started their morning as they always do- maybe they said goodbye to their parent with a loving hug, or maybe they yelled and screamed at Mom and Dad, or got yelled and screamed at (as is wont to happen from time to time in even the families with the perfect holiday postcards pictures). 

By lunch today however, 20 elementary school children were dead.

cross posted from AcronymTV.com

Setting aside the statistically significant portion of those who would defend Israel’s Rumsfeldian named “Pillar of Defense” who think that the Old Testament is a real estate deed, those attempting to answer the question of whether Israel should be considered a terrorist state fall into roughly 3 categories:

Today is election day here in these United States of America and this contest is- we have been told- the most important election of our lifetime and yet an estimated 90 million eligible voters will not vote at all.

Why is that?

It is estimated that 90 million eligible votes will sit out this election. While there are small handfuls that articulate principled stances against voting, the overwhelming majority is part of an epidemic of indifference or self-imposed impotence.

Why?

 Dear Michael Moore,In your recently published blog post 90 Million Are Planning Not to Vote - Your Mission: Take Just One of Them to the Polls, you wisely ignore the myth of the undecided voter and aim for a voting block that can truly affect the outcome of this election when you write:

“I want you—yes, YOU, the person reading this right now—to get ONE of your fellow Americans who would not otherwise vote to show up at the polls and support Obama.

Dear Senator Kerry:

I am writing to ask that you speak a public truth: that the 2004 Presidential Election was stolen. I request, Senator, that you speak this truth out loud in public before the 2012 election.

Why speak out about 2004 now? Because there is growing evidence that Mitt Romney is planning a Bush –Cheney like power grab by defrauding voters and stealing the election. As Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman report:

cross posted from AcronymTV 

A popular refrain that one hears when talking about the troops is that they fight, kill, and get killed, maim and get maimed so that we can enjoy our freedom here at home. The troops make the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free.

Does anyone with even a partially functioning frontal lobe and a sliver of conscience believe this bunk?

by Dennis Trainor, Jr. 

While most debates about the next steps the Occupy movement should take naturally occur among those already engaged in the movement, one population that needs to be further engaged, if the May 1st national general strike (and other Occupy spring and summer related activities) are to succeed and this movement is to grow, is the population of those who are watching from the sidelines. In other words, the individual members of the 99% who are potentially sympathetic but as yet unmoved to participate in the movement need another open invitation to the dance.

Occupodcast, ep.1: I talk with Alli McCracken of Occupy DC & Code Pink about the “diversity of tactics” debate happening in the movement in the wake of Chris Hedges article “The Cancer in Occupy” and we also talk about Occupy DC post eviction; what is next for the occupy movement in DC and nationally; Occupy CPAC; Occupy AIPAC; and speculate as to why or not the Occupy movement has been keeping the ant-war movement at a bit of an arms length and finally we address the issue of co-option. Can this movement be co-opted, or can we co-opt the establishment?