Democracy for New Mexico

Show Me the Money: Federal Budget

Check out this that can be manipulated to focus in on various aspects of how taxpayer money will be spent according to Bush's requested FY 208 budget. Hit your Shift key to zoom in and your Ctrl key to zoom out. You can click on and drag the image to see all its parts. One major point to notice: Of the $1075 billion in discretionary spending, 67% or $717 billion, is targeted for military/national security spending. That national debt is projected at $9.600 trillion. The poster is also available for purchase in case you want to make yourself sick on a regular basis.

Guest Blog: May Day, May Day, The Kids Are Not Alright

Caution: Very graphic in some sections

This is a video guest blog by Brian Fejer of Albuquerque:
The kids are not alright! Walked through UNM Campus on May Day with my ghetto blaster blasting the What Really Happened Lies mp3 (see above video). You could cut the apathy with a knife. Short of a draft, it seems not much can reach these kids.

The pre-emptive Iraq 'War' protestors, were right. The Pro Iraq 'War' supporters are still dead wrong. I remember in the days before the invasion of Iraq protesting on the UNM Campus, and how most of my friends, family, and fellow students wouldn't be caught dead at a antiwar demonstration. On the day of the 2003 student walkout as protesters snaked through campus, doubling and tripling the size of the march, even going through school buildings chanting stand up, walk out, I recall the terrified looks of students cowering in their classrooms. When the war in Iraq started, UNM was on Spring break, and most UNM students never realized the brutality of the APD Police Riot. Four years later, these kids would still rather be on their ipods!

The other day US Marines were on campus recruiting with a rock climbing wall. I walked up to them and asked if they were still hunting down Nine Eleven Conspirator Osama Bin Laden. They just shrugged. I've written scores of letters to the Daily Lobo about Iraq, the tyranny of signing statements and the Military Commisions Act, torture, but you just can't shake this generation. Maybe they are just desensitized from the video games and the corporate media? Land of the Free, Home of the Brave: I'm not so sure anymore, I do what I can. I'm working on a one man show called Post American. It depicts the horrors of war you don't see in the Albuquerque Journal!

Editor's Note: This is a guest blog by Brian Fejer. You can see other examples of his videos on his YouTube channel under Post American. Warning: many are graphic and disturbing, like the war itself. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express their opinions on political issues and don't necessarily represent our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper right-hand corner of our main page.

Edwards' Iraq Ad: I Like It

I encourage you to visit JohnEdwards.com/WeThePeople/ and donate a few bucks to keep this ad on the air. I just did. You can also upload a clip of yourself stating your We The People opinion on Iraq for use in the online version of the ad. Edwards definitely seems to be staking out one of the strongest bring-the-troops-home-now Iraq war positions of the prez candidates (along with and Kucinich). Thank goodness someone is. Our House and Senate Dems need a constant push to keep up the fight. Right after Bush's veto of the war funding bill, rumors of "compromising" with Bush about a firm deadline popped up everywhere. Let's encourage our Dems stand their ground!

Four Years Ago Today: Mission Accomplished

From Digital Museum of Modern Art

Today is the fourth anniversary of Bush's declaration of Mission Accomplished in the Iraq war. Think Progress has the depressing numbers on what's happened in Iraq since that day. Senate Democrats provide data on what the war has meant for New Mexico and other states.

is running the above TV ad now that Bush has vetoed the Iraq supplemental bill.

Mr. President, you can veto a bill but you can't . Call Bush at 202-456-111.

Recalling what happened four years ago, Media Matters reports:

On May 1, 2003, President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aboard an S-3B Viking jet, emerged from the aircraft in full flight gear, and proceeded to "press[] flesh," as The Washington Post put it, as he shook hands and hugged crew members in front of the cameras. Later that day, Bush delivered a nationally televised speech from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln in which he declared that "[m]ajor combat operations in Iraq have ended," all the while standing under a banner reading: "Mission Accomplished." Despite lingering questions over the continued violence in Iraq, the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction, and the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein, as well as evidence that Bush may have shirked his responsibilities in the Texas Air National Guard (TANG) during the Vietnam War, the print and televised media fawned over Bush's "grand entrance" and the image of Bush as the "jet pilot" and the "Fighter Dog."

Juan Cole has a commentary in links. Now even Republicans are talking about benchmarks for any future war funding bills. Here are the endorsements of five retired generals for the Iraq funding bill.

Running With Numbers

Just go look. Revealing art by Chris Jordan.

Mission (Not) Accomplished: 4 Years Ago and Counting

From Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Foundation:
It's almost May 1st. Who can forget the so-called "Mission Accomplished" from four years ago? Who can forget the pomp and circumstance, the primping and posturing in a staged photo-op built on the backs of those destroyed by the war. The mission has not been accomplished. In honor of all those who have been killed, whose lives have been destroyed in this terrible war of choice, we have been working hard on a short film that will not let that horrific day go unnoticed.  Watch the film and spread it far and wide: see above or visit Tell Us The Mission.

We've also got a contest looking for what SHOULD have been on the "mission accomplished" banner. Submit your banner and the winning one will be on car bumpers all over the country! (You'll get some cool stuff too) For more details, and to enter:

https://tellusthemission.org/home/win

The spoken word performance in the video was done by a wonderfully talented young man, Steven Connell, who's been in feature films on HBO, Showtime and MTV. He is a strong, creative, and articulate voice in reaching a young and diverse audience. We are grateful for his time and effort, and to Norman Lear who first found and called Steven to the attention of a wider audience.

Just days before this video and website was to go online, an American soldier serving in Afghanistan wrote an op-ed which has since stirred up a national debate. The soldier questioned why we do not lower the flag to half-staff when a soldier dies at war. We at Brave New Foundation were so inspired by his question that we decided to begin a petition to amend the US Flag Code.

Sign the petition to have flags lowered for a day each time an American service member dies at war:

https://tellusthemission.org/

Please forward this on far and wide -- to your friends, schools, churches, to any local television or radio. We must not let this day go unnoticed. We must make our voices and passions heard.

Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Foundation team
https://www.robertgreenwald.org/

Online Videos by Veoh.com
Tom Haden: Stop the Iraq War

Happy Springtime (Bush Is Over)

Music video presented by JTMP.org and performed by Op-Critical featuring the Harmonic Angels. Please see BushIsOver.org , www.A28.org, and AfterDowningStreet.org to be a part of this rebirth movement.

: U.S. Troop Deaths 3,333 (85 this month). U.S. Non-Mortal Casualties 26,188. Untold Iraqi Security Force and Civilian Wounded and Dead. War in Iraq Costs: $420,320,000,000 and counting.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced articles of impeachment against Cheney. Learn more.

A28 impeachment events everywhere on Saturday. Find one near you: https://www.a28.org

Also visit: https://www.impeach07.org

Impeachment Put on Table at Capitol Today
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2007-04-25 23:15.

At noon today a distinguished group of public elected officials, prominent voices of conscience, actors and artists, and military families gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol to call for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

With debate sharpening between Congress and administration over including withdrawal dates from Iraq in the Supplemental Spending Bill, today's press conference continued the growing momentum against the Bush Administration. Dennis Kucinich, having filed an impeachment resolution Tuesday against Vice President Cheney appeared at today's press conference and said that yesterday the press said he was alone in calling for impeachment. Today standing together with the 100 of us gathered in front of the Capitol, he declared that he is not alone, he is standing with the people for impeachment.

Among today's speakers were Mayor Rocky Anderson (Salt Lake City); Pultizer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges; Daniel Ellsberg; Cindy Sheehan; World Can't Wait Director, Debra Sweet; The Nation correspondent, John Nichols; co-founder of Afterdowningstreet.org, David Swanson; and Washington State legislator, Eric Oemig.

Several speakers brought out the full array of crimes of the Bush Administration. Chris Hedges said: "The President is guilty, in short, of what in legal circles is known as the "crime of aggression." And, if we as citizens do not hold him accountable for these crimes, if we do not begin the process of impeachment, we will be complicit in the codification of a new world order, one that will have terrifying consequences."

Weigh in Before Wednesday Night on VideoVets Project

From MoveOn.org and VoteVets:
The administration tries to call anyone who criticizes their policy in Iraq 'anti-troop,' but these video interviews show that 'supporting the troops' does NOT mean supporting an endless war. The voices of these veterans and military families are missing from the debate in Washington. Together we can make sure they become a vital part of the national dialogue around ending the war.

You watch the videos and tell us what you think. You have until Wednesday night to weigh in on which video you think is most compelling. Then, Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone will turn it into a TV ad-spreading this message even further.

Here are some powerful excerpts from the videos:

California Gold Star Mom: I used to lay in bed at about 11 o'clock at night and imagine somebody would be knocking on my door. And I would visualize how I would respond to that, and lay in bed, "Go away, don't come here for that." And so every minute you just expected to get the knock at the door—I just worried so much that somebody would come to my house and ultimately that's what happened.  I wrote this letter to Ken on the one year anniversary of his death..."I'm so proud that you chose to serve your country.  And in the same thought I am so unbearably offended that this Administration used your good will, your patriotism, and your values to send you to fight their illegal, immoral, war of choice."

Pennsylvania Iraq Veteran: It never seemed to me that we were fighting Al Quaeda, Bin Laden, or the people who were responsible for attacking us on 9/11.  The mission was so confusing, and it seemed as if everybody in the community disliked us. To keep American soldiers in Iraq for an indefinite period of time being attacked by an unidentifiable enemy is wrong, immoral, and irresponsible...I feel used and I feel misled by the Administration. I feel that my patriotism has been used and exploited, my willingness to fight for this country has been used and exploited. I'm very proud of my military service, but I'm very disappointed in the civilian leadership and the Administration for sending us needlessly into combat.

Indiana Iraq Veteran: When I was deployed to Iraq, we lacked crucial and necessary equipment and supplies...When I was in Iraq, I drove a pickup truck that you could buy off the lot anywhere at any Chevrolet dealership, and that was our means of transportation—that was the vehicle that we fought out of. We modified our pick-up truck to try to become a war fighting machine. We put a stand in the back of it so we could mount a machine gun in the back of the truck...It's important to end this war...we have our young men and women caught up in a religious and civil war, and we're doing more harm than good."

(Note: The views expressed in these interviews do not necessarily reflect the views of VoteVets or MoveOn.org Political Action, they are the views of interview subjects only.)

Fragile: Earth Day 2007

Above image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, AS17-148-22727, from https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov.

"'If people can see Earth from up here, see it without those borders, see it without any differences in race or religion, they would have a completely different perspective. Because when you see it from that angle, you cannot think of your home or your country. All you can see is one Earth...."'

--Anousheh Ansari, Iranian-American space tourist who flew last year to the international space station.

Many are trading their inefficient incandescent light bulbs for energy saving fluorescent bulbs these days. Let's hope we can also trade this dim bulb for one that lights the way to change:

Finally, here's something Sting performed in honor of 9-11 right after it occurred, but I think it could apply to most things happening on the Earth right now, the lives being lived (and those ending) on the planet and maybe even the planet itself. How fragile we are ....

I Want Some Earth Democracy, Don't You?

Go watch.