Response to Nation of Change's view of the election and the inauguration

Dear Folks,

Nation of Change is a powerful liberal group, now led by Chris Hedges. Here is my response to their view of the election and the inauguration. John G

Dear Folks,

I have respect for all liberal criticism. I have criticized Obama a thousand times. However, I also have a perspective none of you have, even Chris Hedges, whose acute mind is beyond mine. I am now 9l years old. I watched as FDR transformed our Italian community with his WPA and CCC, sending our young and old back to work and a regained dignity and hope. I am certain we could have torn the hell out of FDR, since he ---like you and I---are not perfect.

I am saddened as to what I read below (reference coming soon). We have another great president in the body and psyche of an imperfect man. However, none of you see any potential in this guy, seemingly. This election will stand as one of the greatest in our American history, not only because of what Obama represents but also how he and his team mobilized the American people and the people responded so nobly and courageously to vote both against tons of money and attempts to prevent their vote. I am with all of your criticisms, but I am saddened by your cynicism, including you, Chris. Your book on war and Evangelicals are great. As a convert as it were to liberalism, might not you be effected -- as Wm James once suggested of converts who come out of rigid upbringings -- with some of that rigidity as you demand perfection out of Obama?.

"Be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect"  in Mathews -- translates now per Garey Wills, into "Be you inclusive as your Heavenly Father is inclusive." I change "Father" into "Mother." Are you capable of being inclusive, Chris, even as you acutely criticize?

- John Giannini

Did you know?

Dear Folk,

Did you know?

1. That the so-called debt cliff --- that until last year was never questioned by the congress ---, has nothing to do with lifting our debt ceiling but simply to honor expenditures already voted on by congress?
2. Did you know that our Republican party is the only political entity in the world that does not believe that humankind has caused the present environmental crisis?
3. That Obama sacrificed billions of income in this same process, not just as taxes but also as missed opportunity to remove unnecessary deductions allowed the richest companies in our industrial history?
4. Did you know that since 2005 (under Bush) no gun manufacturing company can be sued?
5. Did you know that Harry Reid has not yet led a vote in the Senate to change the filibuster rules so that any such attempt can no longer be simply a "no" and in which the nay-sayer remains anonymous?  I am certain you know that the number of filibusters under Reid's tenure is up to 350. Under Lyndon Johnson --who had similar long tenure as Senate leader ---only l occurred.  

- John G

Cloud Atlas: A New Potential Direction

by Martin Giannini

Cloud Atlas, both the film scripted by The Wachowskis (The Matrix Trilogy) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), and the book by David Mitchell, have so much to offer from excitement to dire prediction, from brilliant story-telling to deep knowledge.


All images below are sourced from: Warner Bros



For one, watching the film on the big screen was a roller-coaster ride of an experience in itself. When I wasn't one hundred percent engrossed and present, it was because I was reflecting on the fact that I was so captured (enraptured) by the film, that I didn't have time or the inclination to stop to think or analyse. Waste of time (mind) you say? I agree! Having read the book first, I had great expectations! Ah… but these are fun aren't they? A line in the book that tickled me didn't feature in the film. One of the heroines, Sonmi, reveals that she succeeded in downloading the works of "two Optimists… Orwell and Huxley." Either the author is enjoying delicious irony, as here we have two of our most famous (Western) dystopian writers, or we are to believe that their texts have been rewritten. In any case, to explore dystopia such as in Brave New World or Nineteen Eighty-Four or Cloud Atlas, can also become a practice in seeing present (and possible future) injustices for what they are, and heeding the warnings of those who speak the "True True".  More...


 


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