{"id":74080,"date":"2014-02-08T00:01:45","date_gmt":"2014-02-08T05:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/?p=74080"},"modified":"2014-02-11T00:32:21","modified_gmt":"2014-02-11T05:32:21","slug":"in-anticipation-of-thaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/by-judith-gayle-2\/in-anticipation-of-thaw\/","title":{"rendered":"In Anticipation Of Thaw"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Judith Gayle | Political Waves<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

There’s good news this week, and there’s bad. That’s typical of any week here on Terra, business as usual all around the world. These days, however, we humans are surprised by the good, caught off guard when things look up. We’re exhausted by constant vigilance against loss, wary of promises that fail to materialize, and disgusted by the callousness of our politicians and, worse, our culture. And that’s the bad news. We’ve become accustomed to disaster, anticipating the worst. We don’t expect a sunny day and a smooth sail, and because we’re not looking for the rainbow, we seldom find it.<\/p>\n

\"PoliticalIt takes a sure amount of dedication to find the pony in the horseshit, given the overwhelming glut of problems within the system, assaults on the environment, and the continued press of the corporate hierarchy for more-more-more, even while\u00a0pleading victimization<\/a>\u00a0at the hands of the great unwashed (us.) The uphill battle and marginal success of those who fight tooth and toenail for the good of the public sector leave us wondering if we will ever recover from the unraveling that began well in advance of the dreaded (if imaginary) turn of the century Y2K predictions and have more than exceeded them.<\/p>\n

At the congressional level, we can’t get no satisfaction; at least at this point. Those of us anxious for reform have become accustomed to celebrating anything that keeps the status quo, rather than more reports of slippage. For instance, the Farm Bill has finally passed, eliminating billions more in SNAP funding, while a quarter of our children are food insecure. Making mere cosmetic changes to the incentives and subsidies farmers have enjoyed for decades, the bill creates a new insurance work-around in order to continue what\u00a0Mother Jones calls<\/a>\u00a0“scorched earth ag” policy. But pundits are celebrating having actually passed a bill through both House and Senate, even though nothing much changed to bring us closer to ecological stewardship, food sustainability, or elimination of corporate handout.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The freeze in actual work or accountability within Congress continues. Counter-intuitive to the future of the Republican party, Baggers continue to serve the austerity god rather than the public good. Proving the filibuster still alive and well, Senate Pubs blocked the vote to extend additional jobless benefits to millions of families trying to keep their households together, signaling a halt to assistance now and, I think, well into the future.<\/p>\n

The House is\u00a0dodging the debt ceiling debate, toying with a possible\u00a0Wednesday\u00a0vote if they aren’t too busy,\u00a0with only seven more legislative days scheduled through the end of February (how much do we pay these people, again?). Even though the clock is ticking on another default, they seem almost self-destructive in their nonchalance.<\/span> They have made it clear to Obama that if he stops deporting aliens (by administrative decree) in advance of the approved Senate bill passing the House, they’re likely to sour any attempts to pass immigration reform well into the future. With friends like these, huh?<\/p>\n

It does feel as though we’re frozen in place — certainly the Pea Patch continues to endure temps reminiscent of the arctic blast blamed for this cold snap, with people hunkered down, local business all but shuttered — although that’s not quite true. There is a kind of “softening” going on that requires a keen eye. Perhaps this Mercury retrograde will give us a bit of time to look at some of the proposals in place, quickly dismissed by the conservatives but gathering steam under the Blue banner.<\/p>\n

And speaking of both Mercury and storms, even prior to the retro on Thursday, my antiquated computer was giving me fits. In recent months, I’ve attempted to update my system and put a toe in to reliable information gathering, but my mission is yet incomplete and now my computer refuses to do more than spit in my cyber-eye. I will have to rely on my notes today, so this piece will contain more links than usual that you — hopefully on better terms with the Trickster than am I — will be able to open for additional details.<\/p>\n

Let’s start with a monolithic organization I thought would never give ground: AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee). In recent days, Congress has gone back and forth with the possibility of beefing up sanctions against Iran, even as the administration pursues diplomatic efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear enrichment. AIPAC has been pushing hard to kill off options for peace, using its considerable lobbying power to go after Dems who no longer support an ultra-nationalistic Israeli government. But AIPAC has finally sustained a loss of popularity with their hard-nosed stance on Syria and Iran and their insistence on expanding occupation, spurring what John Kerry recently called a “delegitimization campaign.”<\/p>\n

Not so long ago — during the last administration, for instance — AIPAC was one of those third rail organizations, like Big Pharma and oil conglomerates, whose continued influence was not to be questioned. Founded in 1951 and financed by, among others, a Jewish community licking its wounds after a terrifying world war, AIPAC quickly became a power to be reckoned with, and any disagreement with their agenda was considered anti-Semitism. Its politics were uncontested by either church or state for decades. A recent TruthOut article<\/a> titled\u00a0“AIPAC’s Power In Doubt”<\/em>\u00a0tells the tale of our changing times.<\/p>\n

Tightly aligned with Neocons, AIPAC’s lobbying influence has not fared well with a nation gone war-weary and ready for the peace table. This week, AIPAC itself seemed to change its tune, responding to push-back from the White House and the Dems to wave a white flag over the sanctions issue, saying this isn’t the appropriate time to push a national security vote. This is the first time in my reckoning that AIPAC has shown even the slightest hesitancy in promoting its own best interests.<\/p>\n

Even more astounding were the\u00a0recent comments<\/a>\u00a0by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who called Secretary of State John Kerry “a true friend of Israel.” In attempting to restart peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israeli government, Kerry has come under fire for behaving in a manner described by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon — calling the kettle black — as “messianic.” That was in response to Kerry’s proposal that Palestinian security controls in the West Bank might increase after an Israeli withdrawal. There seems no question that the government has no such intent, nor much patience with talks of any kind, so Lieberman’s comment was a sensible surprise. “What is the point,” said Lieberman, “of turning friend into foe?”<\/p>\n

When we step back to get a broader view of this situation, it seems clear that something fundamental has begun to change. We are not at that place where, pounding the frozen ground, we can sense a breakthrough. But we are surely witnessing a thaw.<\/p>\n

Here at home, Rep. John Sarbanes (son of Rep. Paul Sarbanes who sponsored\/passed financial accountability legislation in response to the Enron and Tyco scandals of 2002) has proposed a piece of campaign finance legislation called the Government by the People Act. It would appropriate public money to match donations of less than $150 to congressional candidates at a 6-to-1 ratio. If candidates agree to accept only small donations, the match would increase to 9 to 1. This legislation is applicable only within the House of Representatives and will get little Republican attention, but this is a process of “seeding” at a time when such a proposition is not only much needed but called for by a majority of Americans.<\/p>\n

The bill, shaped and sharpened by the Dem caucus, was introduced by Nancy Pelosi this week, saying it hoped to create, “a government of the many, not a government of the money.” With 126 co-sponsors — including one Republican — it would no doubt be approved by the high profile group of\u00a060 Democratic donors<\/a>, their contributions exceeding 12 million dollars for progressive candidates, who have called for publicly funded elections. H.R. 20 has been endorsed by over\u00a035 national organizations<\/a>\u00a0advocating for the environment, education, labor, civil rights and clean government, as listed here. You can sign a petition supporting this legislation offered through Daily Kos, Progressives United, USAction, and Working Families (ActBlue),\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thaw. Hard surface softened around the edges. Sometimes, you can even poke a little hole in the ice.<\/p>\n

More than a million of us demanded that the FCC protect internet freedom this week, reports FreePress.net and other groups submitting petitions. Obama has said he “cares deeply” about Internet freedom and has put his people to work finding a way around the recent, and discouraging, Federal Appeals court decision, leaving the vast majority of us — some 80 percent — both aware of, and disapproving of, any “pay-for-play” options in the works.<\/p>\n

This week, Dems proposed the\u00a0Open Internet Preservation Act<\/a>, in both House and Senate, although free market Republicans want no part of regulations that minimize possible profit for carriers. Still, this is a topic that will not go away any time soon, especially as the various entertainment venues recreate themselves for the marketplace. On so many levels, deregulation has proven to be the root of all evil.<\/p>\n

On the heels of Obama’s promise of NSA reform, intelligence chief James Clapper has announced that\u00a0FISA has approved<\/a>\u00a0two new limits on how government can use the information it mines. According to McClatchy, the cache of phone records can only be searched after a court finds that there is “a reasonable, articulable suspicion that the selection term is associated with an approved international terrorist organization.” The second change requires that the data query results “be limited within two hops of the selection term instead of three … which means that government investigators can trace a suspicious call only through one intermediary number instead of through two numbers.”<\/p>\n

It’s not enough, but it’s a softening of the ice, and maybe if we jump on it some more, it’ll give.<\/p>\n

This Tuesday\u00a0is The Day We Fight Back (Against Mass Surveillance) with over 4,500 websites pledging to host banners calling on their readers to call Congress:<\/p>\n

In celebration of the win against SOPA and PIPA two years ago, and in memory of one of its leaders,\u00a0Aaron Swartz<\/a>, we are planning a day of protest against mass surveillance, to take place this\u00a0February 11th. […]<\/p>\n

Thousands of websites will host banners urging people to call\/email Congress. We’ll ask legislators to oppose the FISA Improvements Act, support the USA Freedom Act, and enact protections for non-Americans.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you have a blog or website, you can select a banner to post on your site. The rest of us can call our congresspersons, remind others to do so, and stay aware by signing up for e-mail alerts. You can\u00a0find information here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There’s an American Spring coming, one that will build on the successes of the #Occupy movement. It seeks to put the wants and wishes of a majority of Americans — decent, thoughtful and reasonable — on the map. It’s coming soon, after the thaw, and while we’re waiting, there are any number of really important calls to make, letters to write, groups to support and movements to investigate.<\/p>\n

Those of us who find February a long slog need to remember that the first flowers of the coming season are gathering themselves to sprout, to push up against the hard crust of winter and bloom in the sunlight of spring. And if we choose it, if we keep the vision of healed humanity and global justice firmly in our heart, so will we.<\/p>\n

————–<\/p>\n

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By Judith Gayle | Political Waves There’s good news this week, and there’s bad. That’s typical of any week here on Terra, business as usual all around the world. These days, however, we humans are surprised by the good, caught off guard when things look up. We’re exhausted by constant vigilance against loss, wary of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":""},"categories":[1744],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74080"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74080\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}