Getting the Change We've Earned

Getting the Change We've Earned , by Dave Lindorff published at counterpunch.org

Now that the street dancing is over, and President-elect Barack Obama is measuring the drapes for the new Oval Office (let’s hope he loses the mounted Saddam Hussein matching pistol set and that he has the direct hard-wired link between the Vice President’s Office and the Pentagon severed), it’s time to start focusing on how to make this new president live up to his mantra of “Change We Can Believe In.”

Well over 65 million people voted Obama in on the belief that he meant what he said with that largely empty slogan. They are going to be hugely disappointed if he doesn’t deliver.

Obama, Emanuel and Israel

Obama, Emanuel and Israel , by John V. Whitbeck published on counterpunch.org

In the first major appointment of his administration, President-elect Barack Obama has named as his chief of staff Congressman Rahm Emanuel, an Israeli citizen and Israeli army veteran whose father, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, was a member of Menachem Begin's Irgun forces during the Nakba and named his son after "a Lehi combatant who was killed" -- i.e., a member of Yitzhak Shamir's terrorist Stern Gang, responsible for, in addition to other atrocities against Palestinians, the more famous bombing of the King David Hotel and assassination of the UN peace envoy Count Folke Bernadotte.

Hail to the Chief of Staff

Hail to the Chief of Staff, by Alexander Cockburn published on www.counterpunch.org

The first trumpet blast of change ushers in Rahm Emanuel as Obama’s chief of staff and gate keeper. This is the man who arranges his schedule, staffs out the agenda, includes, excludes. It’s certainly as sinister an appointment as, say, Carter’s installation of arch cold-warrior Zbigniev Brzezinski as his National Security Advisor at the dawn of his “change is here” administration in 1977.

Common Debate

Once upon a time, there was a site called Common Dreams. It used to publish a wide range of articles of different opinions on the left. And then it added a comment feature that became the home to a free debate of ideas.

Then came the election campaign and Democratic censorship. First, the selection of articles became restricted to those that supported the Obama campaign. Then the site became very aggressive in removing any comments critical to Obama and the Democrats and in blocking the access to the site of anyone who was critical of Obama and the Democrats.

The goal of this site would be to try to create an alternative, especially for those who used to like the old Common Dreams. The idea is that this site could publish articles, or links to articles, with a wider range of opinion than what CommonDreams has these days. And that this site would be a place for a free debate and expression of ideas.

Unlike those who run CommonDreams, I'm not afraid of free debate. In fact, I find it healthy and educational. And for any who would like to try to participate in the political discourse of this nation and this world, its good practice.

My idea of a comments policy would be that
1) No profanity, or at least keep it limited.
2) No personal attacks or name calling.
3) No spam or advertising.

But, a free debate should be allowed. I don't care if you agree with me. Be willing to discuss ideas and events with a bit of civil decorum, and there won't be any problem with it on this site.

If you like this idea, say hello below.