Quote from Talleyrand

"We have learned, a little late no doubt, that for states as for individuals real wealth consists not in acquiring or invading the domains of others, but in developing one's own. We have learned that all extensions of territory, all usurpation's, by force or by fraud, which have long been connected by prejudice with the idea of 'rank,' of 'hegemony,' of 'political stability,' of 'superiority' in the order of the Powers, are only the cruel jests of political lunacy, false estimates of power, and that their real effect is to increase the difficulty of administration and to diminish the happiness and security of the governed for the passing interest or for the vanity of those who govern...

Having just finished a book about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, defending his skills as a statesman but acknowledging his political twists and turns which enabled him to survive and be a part of several revolutions, I found this quote by him illuminating. The book by Crane Brinton, "The Lives of Talleyrand" sought to explain his view of men this way. There is a gap between men's appetites and their aspirations. It would not be wise to forget their appetites or to fail to use the aspirations to motivate men to act in certain ways contrary to their own ambitions.

But whether the man was a traitor (having acted as a spy against Napoleon, a corrupt opportunist, seeking bribes from the Americans in the XYZ affair or an unbelieving priest and bishop of the Catholic Church, he did seem to understand human nature and guided his actions accordingly.

I think the quote today is as true now as when he made it. We don't have to love the man to admire his summation of bad policy for an individual or a country.

Again...Transparency.

Here it is, almost July, and still no change or transparency. The President doesn't want to release any photos or documents dealing with torture or other issues that might put the United States at risk for another terrorist attack. He is using the same national defense logic and argument the Bush administration used. Wait. We have more weapons than any country in the world. (Not that I'm down with this.) The more military and weaponry we have the more we need to find places to utilize these resources in order to continue funding them. On the other hand, if we were going to confess our sins to the world, it probably would be a good time to be well armed. There really is "no time like the present" to do this, but Obama seems willing to pass up the opportunity. He is agreeing to protect state secrets to avoid embarrassment to this country and possible prosecutions of our leaders and censure of their actions from the world.
On the domestic front, he doesn't want to release the White House logs of the people he met with to solve the banking crisis.
Nor does he want to get involved in calling for investigations of the elections in Iran because we already have a tenuous relationship with them. Of course, we wouldn't have to do this by ourselves to begin with. There are plenty of other countries calling for new elections because of the evidence pointing toward fraud. We could join a U.N. delegation to monitor a full recount. The United States could go back to being part of a coalition that opposes oppression of rights everywhere. The only thing wrong with pointing out injustice elsewhere, is that you can't expect to be taken seriously if you are unwilling to have your own records examined. So as long as the United States insists on the type of secrecy employed in the past, denying access to it's own citizens for deeds committed and policies taken in their name, we cannot move forward. We will not be trusted by others. We cannot claim to be a democracy, accountable to it's citizens or an example of fair democracy to anyone else.

Truth and Transparency

Aileen Spillman
88980 Bark Point Rd.
Herbster, WI. 54844

April 17, 2009



Dear President Obama,

If you ever receive and read this letter, please excuse me if I seem angry. I am. I am gravely concerned with what has been going on in this country.

You campaigned on a promise of change and transparency. But I am seeing very little of that from your administration. I believe there are complicated problems in the world. And I also believe we can’t confront those problems until we know the facts. The Federal Reserve Chairman going on 60 minutes giving us a tour of the bank and speaking in vague and fearful tones really wasn’t the kind of transparency the American people need. We want the truth. Not some hocus pocus about what will befall the country if the banks are allowed to fail, or some mumbo jumbo about the world economy going into freefall. This is such an insult to us, who are waiting for a real explanation. There are actually people who do not expect economies to be ever expanding universes. You need to reveal what went on, who was responsible and see that they face the consequences. It is not enough to admit to wrong doing, apologize and then go unpunished. We also want to know how our economy has become so permeated into the world economy that we cannot even act as a sovereign nation. Why we have become so entangled in foreign affairs despite the warnings of our forefathers.

I don’t believe we have democracy here. Maybe we don’t have loudspeakers on the streets yet, but we also don’t have a direct vote (because of the Electoral College, delegates and super delegates who really elect the president). There is obviously no real confidence in the people’s evaluation of the direction our country should follow or the projection of our collective character that we would like represented to the rest of the world in our name. But at least we still keep track of the popular vote. At least there is still some recorded history of what the people really wanted. Yes, I am really angry. We are turning into an oligarchy like Mexico. Where is our “rule of law”? The Secretary of the Treasury has a “problem” with his taxes. Yet this is the guy you put in charge to use taxpayer money to make the same banks who perpetrated this whole mess solvent again with no consequences for their crimes. Oh yes, I know there will be new tough regulations. All the laws and regulations which were once in place to prevent this have all been gutted or ignored. Should we be comforted by these assurances of new laws and regulations? We have all kinds of laws that are routinely ignored by the government. We have immigration laws. Who pays attention to those? If laws are inconvenient to the government they are broken. They are not repealed. They are not changed to fit different circumstances. They are just ignored or broken. And you a Constitutional lawyer along with many others don’t even strongly object.

The Federal Reserve, (the one institution made up of …well that’s a secret) is supposed to be the regulator of this economy. They and the SEC did a fine job of protecting themselves while they hung the rest of us out to dry. Why do you keep listening to these people? Why are tax cheats (no matter how they spin it) allowed to run the Treasury? Doesn’t that seem a little absurd to you. Believe me; it would if you were out here. Or, am I just too simpleminded to understand that politics is made up of compromise and back room deals where ethics have to be abandoned to achieve a goal.

So you might ask yourself, what does she want? I want the truth. I want everybody in this country to know the truth. Do you really think that Americans who are dealing with foreclosures, death of loved ones because of inadequate health insurance, public schools where metal detectors are deployed to avoid shootings are too delicate to hear the facts? This current crisis that Congress, regulators, and Wall Street contributed to will not be changed if the same people continue to advise you, and pay no price for either their ineptitude or their greed. So no, I don’t think it is vindictive or partisan to investigate and prosecute people who have ignored or broken laws. No matter whom they are. Where is your respect for the law?

Isn’t war supposed to be voted on and declared before the people are sent off to die? Haven’t there been accusations of the government torturing prisoners? Do we just respond to such questions with, well it isn’t really a war and they are not really combatants? When was the last time war was declared? How many times will Congress ignore their Constitutional responsibility of actually voting on going to war? That would be too politically dangerous for them. How many taxpayers do you really think would agree to fund the massive amounts of money that go to keep the United States the biggest military power the world has ever seen? Are you proud of that? I’m not. I guess that makes me unpatriotic.

Well, I’m one unpatriotic lady I guess. I think the United States is guilty of many things. Wars, arms sales to right wing regimes, complicity in regime changes, and the sad list goes on and on. I’ve read “A Peoples History of the United States”. I’ve read “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”. Have you? I read history constantly. I am currently reading “The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico” by Bernal Diaz del Castillo.

I only have a high school education but I read history and have paid attention to the world all my adult life. No, I certainly can’t pull out any credentials that would impress anyone (high school education, wife, mother of five, homemaker, former waitress and shoe catalog employee, grandmother). But then again, wasn’t it well credentialed people who managed to deceive and defraud us into this economic situation? Furthermore, your “story” of beating the odds and rising to the level you now enjoy is really not unusual. You had parents and grandparents who loved you. You never went hungry. You were educated in public schools and may have received aid from the government. Compared to what many people all over this world endure I would say you had plenty of opportunities to turn out as a productive citizen.

I did vote for you. I at least want my vote counted and recorded with the popular vote. I would have voted for Hillary had she won the nomination. (I think the caucuses are also undemocratic) I thought she was tougher, and more willing to go out on a limb with some idea rather than play it safe. (She would have put a five year moratorium on the foreclosures, or so she said). I didn’t like your Illinois politics of voting “present”. Politics should not be a game of smart strategy. You can’t always wait for the right answer to appear. You don’t always have the luxury of checking all the options. The “smart” or “savvy” vote (the “present” vote) is cowardly in my opinion. And by the way, how democratic is it to essentially make a third party candidate who wants to be included in the presidential debates barter to be included. To have excluded Ralph Nader who has wanted to be included in two debates is wrong. I would say he has earned his way by virtue of his tireless pursuit of the public good over his career. I’m sure he could have made a lot more money in his lifetime had he chosen to do so. And it looks pretty undemocratic of our government to actually bar him at the door from these debates.

Yes, I did vote for you and felt you would at least listen to the people and not allow the same people who presided over this debacle to attempt the fix. Transparency really doesn’t seem to be in their best interest. Many of them should be in jail. Plenty of them should be fired. The rest should have the decency to resign and if they were really patriotic guide new people who are not involved in this through the labyrinth of sophisticated financial instruments they created… If students at the University of Illinois at Champaign can explain clearly and in understandable terms what is going on, I really feel there are plenty of qualified honest individuals who you could turn to.

You were supposed to be Change. I feel you are a good man and I do appreciate your service. I appreciate the heavy responsibility you have. But you still seem to be thinking in terms of those who want to be a Super Power. What has happened to every Super Power before us? In their arrogance to “lead” the world they have become “Super Military Powers“, bent on subjugating, (although we like to refer to it as “leading”) all other nations. Not only do citizens of the United States feel betrayed by their own government, but citizens all over the world feel the same. Throughout history wars, thefts and exploitations of all sorts have been carried out by ambitious, greedy and arrogant nations. While we the people are ignored and denied real democracy. Jimmy Carter wrote his book “Peace not Apartheid” and was practically crucified for its simple honesty. I mean anyone could understand it. The United States and Israel have no intention of allowing the Palestinians their rights. They won’t talk to Hammas even though they are the elected representatives. They want the Palestinians to renounce violence but are America and Israel renouncing violence? What kind of arsenals do they have access to while they lecture others on suicide bombs and RPG’s? I really feel you are listening to the wrong crowd. By the way, has Thomas Freidman gotten in touch with you yet? I heard him interviewed on NPR awhile back. He was asked an uncomfortable question by a listener. Something like, why are all our manufacturing jobs fleeing the country? He became quite flummoxed by the caller’s knowledge of the subject. After refusing to answer the question, he composed himself and said this. I would really like to get together with about 180 of the best and the brightest and go off to Camp David with President Obama. Then when we have figured out the solutions we will come down off the mountain and share that with the people. Now call me crazy, or a liar but this is what he said. I’m sure you could have someone on your staff run down this interview. I really can’t remember what program it was. You could also just call Freidman and make the suggestion and I’m sure he would tell you that you must be reading his mind. The point is this. It is not for a few to be deciding the fate of this country or the world. You are there to “do the will of the people” not manipulate power for the few. If you are really for change, you might start by listening to the “people”. The people are struggling with the world that has been created by the few in power.


So in closing sir, I would just like to see you not be so afraid to listen to the people. I would just like you to be honest with the Americans. Give them the whole story, plain and simple. We get what is going on. If you really believe in transparency you would be communicating with us more often. But I guess you have been convinced by others that such candor is really not necessary. That kind of candor could actually lead to investigations and prosecutions. I am not writing to criticize you personally. I would just like to see justice prevail. Laws are not meant to be broken and ignored. If we have laws we have an obligation to live by them, change them or repeal them. We cannot exempt ourselves while proclaiming to others that we are a nation of laws.

Sincerely,

Aileen Spillman

P.S. A few people you might consider asking their opinions.


Howard Zinn-I respect him and usually agree with him

Noam Chomsky-I respect many of his ideas and analysis, but I wish he wouldn’t mumble so.

Robert Reich-Has plenty of ideas

Glen Greenwald-I like a lot of what he says.

Dan Carlin-You probably never heard of him. Seems like a straight up guy to me who loves history and politics.

Lou Dobbs-Who I respect because of his willingness to say what he believes and defend his positions. Many people think he is a racist. What nonsense. I disagree with him on a number of issues but I think the things he reports on in his nightly news are not reported enough elsewhere. Also, he always invites anyone he disagrees with to be on his show and while it might be hard to get a word in edgewise with him, he at least gives everyone the opportunity.

I guess we all have people whose ideas we like. It would be only fair to consider a few of your guys should you care to recommend them to me. Thanks. Aileen

 

Truth and Transparency

Why Aren't those jobs coming back?

Last night I heard our President of Change, comment about the concern of a woman at one of his town hall meetings. The woman asked, What about all those outsourced jobs. Can't we do something about that? I thought he was rather condescending in his reply. Those jobs will probably never be back, but that's ok. As if the jobs that have left were drone work that should be performed by some lesser beings. IBM announced they were laying off at least 9000 people from their manufacturing section. Cars, televisions, appliances, garments, shoes and the list of lost jobs goes on and on. Why?
He says they are just following the flow of the markets to other countries where they can be made more cheaply. So we are still being led by the notion that if it doesn't pay enough profit to include the cost of fair labor and the other costs involved in producing a safe quality product then it just can't be produced here. If the cost of the labor (wages, health care, etc. or the oversight of the manufacturer (inspection and product safety) are too onerous then, what else can we expect...companies will do the only thing they can to survive. Leave. Seek cheaper labor markets and less oversight. As if there is no other possible solution. Maybe remove some of the health care burdens from companies by creating a different health care system. Maybe toning down our expectations of acceptable profits. Since when have we run out of ideas? As long as this is the accepted attitude from business and politicians, things will stay the same.
Am I the only American who is willing to pay a higher price for a product which includes a fair price for labor, and assurance of product quality and safety? I don't think so. I think all the people who have lost those jobs understand the point. I have always felt that every product we buy should list the breakdown of the cost of the item. 1) The percentage that goes to the raw materials the product is made of and where those materials were obtained. 2) the cost of labor 3)the cost of packaging, quality control etc. and finally the profit to the company. Then maybe I would only be able to afford one car, one tv, and so on. That's fair. I could deal with that. And I think plenty of other people could too. But we are told that the American people want cheap products. They are willing to lose their jobs, fight wars to obtain cheap or dwindling resources, lose tax bases that could assure quality education and a well maintained infrastructure... all to be able to satisfy an insatiable need to consume.
What I heard Obama say last night was, don't be silly folks, we can't afford to pay people a decent wage, produce quality products, support a strong manufacturing base. That would be quite a change from the present course. We can't do that. That would be protectionism. That would be protecting our citizens from job loss. Maintaining a solid base of people who actually produce things. That would be putting people ahead of profit. No, No. That just can't work. We'll just dismantle all our manufacturing and depend on buying everything from someone else. There's a good national defense stance. After all, the world loves and respects us so.
Well, I am ready to pay more. I am ready to consume less. I am ready for a government that "protects" it's citizens from unemployment. I am ready for a government that assures safety and is willing to pay for it. I am ready for a government that takes care of it's own house and doesn't expect constant growth but rather concentrates on the well being of all it's citizens. A strong and well balanced country needs scientists, scholars, inventors, teachers, producers, artists etc.
And don't even get me going on the topic of Thomas Friedman and his "The World is Flat" map of tomorrow. At least I like Obama. I have to get this in here though or I will explode. The other day I heard Mr. Friedman interviewed on NPR. A caller challanged his The World is Flat Philosophy. He would not speak to the callers argument, but after much meandering around the subject ended with the idea of a Camp David summit of Obama and about 180 of the brightest and best minds. He proposed they (and I swear, this is how he put it) should stay up on the mountain until they figured out the solutions and then they could come down and tell the people. A more out of touch suggestion hasn't been proposed openly in this country since the gilded age. But there seem to be plenty of Friedman's and Cheney's around who have their own ideas of how to run things.

I'M NOT ALONE

To View this tiny important paragraph you have to click on it once to be able to read it. I came across it while getting my oil changed a month ago and just now succeeded in posting it with the help of Dan. I know I have harangued on this topic before (see post 6/17/08, The Electoral College and Elections)... so when I saw this, I was relieved to know I'm not crazy all by myself. Then when I heard a program about "Super Delegates" I really got excited. I'm going to try to share some of that content too.