HispanicVista Columnists
Mr. 3000
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By Steven J. Ybarra, JD/HispanicVista.com - January 8, 2007
- Notas por La Casa Politica
- Notas por La Casa Politica
- Mr. 3000
- By Steven J. Ybarra, JD
- Let us resolve that the Democratic National Committee stands resolved in support of the Rangel bill on National service and immediate implementation of a universal draft without exemption.
- Let us resolve that Congress immediately implement a National speed limit of 55 miles per hour to cut the use of oil in the United States. Remember when Carter did this the oil shortage went away. I drive a Prius. I get 60 mpg when I drive 55. Let us slow the Hummers down and make them drive 55 mph.
- Let us resolve that Congress require that all new passenger automobiles and trucks imported to or sold in the United States shall after January 2008 either be able to achieve 44 mpg or pay a gas use fine equal to the retail price of the vehicle.
- Let us resolve that Congress immediately secure rights of way from all railroads which are no longer in use to construct a National and local mass rapid transit system.
- I am sick of the lack of responsibility that the Republicans get away with. If we do not act as a nation to fight to end this hypocrisy, then we deserve what we get. I know that we will not stop at 6000 or 9000 or possibly 58,000 dead in battle until we end our addiction to the Arab oil. When we do, troops can return home which is what Arabs want us to do and the war on terror will end.
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- ©Steven J. Ybarra JD is a retired civil rights attorney who operates a consultant company in California. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee and a long time political activist. Contact Steven at: sjybarra@aol.com, this article is copyright by Steven J. Ybarra JD, originally published in http://www.hispanicvista.com/ but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached.
Well George Bush has finally killed more Americans than died in the attack against us by the Taliban. Now do not get me wrong, I think the attack in Afghanistan against the Taliban was the right thing to do. [I think we all know why Bush the Lesser (AKA the Liar) protected Osama and his family after 9-11.] However, Bush led us into a war with no good reason against the CIA puppet now known as the dead guy in Iraq. (Did you see the size of the noose?) Let us look at the situation this way, the Bush administration led our government into the war on terrorism by attacking everything Islamic. The Christo-fascists even made a big deal about a Congressional swearing in on the Koran.
Here is my problem, actually it is our problem - we are now in it. And guess what? There is no easy way out. There is an old axiom in union organizing, “Do not start a strike that you do not know how to stop.”
So here is the question of the day - are we in a real war or is it make-believe?
If we are in a real war, we need as a nation to sacrifice the way the old timers did it. Right? You old timers remember WWII, rationing, the draft, everybody does his or part to win the big one.
So here are my New Year’s Resolutions and why I think we need to do them. I am presenting them to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) February meeting for discussion and hopefully passage. (See snowball’s chance in hell.)
We all know the Bush Administration has led the United States into an unnecessary war in Iraq with no plan to end the war. Bush can not figure out what to do. Being a chicken hawk he figures more troops and to let the generals figure it out. Well the military has indicated that they must have immediate access to 536,000 troops of the National Guard and reserve military to successfully prosecute the Bush War. It is pretty clear that the sacrifices of war should be equally shared by all citizens of a country. That being the case it is time for the draft.
Oh by the way the right wing argument that only a volunteer army can fight today’s wars is so much manure you could grow cement from it.
The United States is the major consumer of oil per capita in the world! The money we spend on the consumption of oil goes in part to support the enemies’ peace in the Middle East! We are the only country in the world that supports both sides of the war!
If we can not get these terrorist supporting cars off the road then make them pay for rapid transit. We own more vehicles per capita than any other country in the world!
I am not sure how many of you have ridden a passenger train but the railroads do not like passenger trains on their freight lines. It is a fact that the uses of existing rail lines upon which freight lines operate hinder the effective use of mass rapid transit. Let us face it, an effective passenger service is necessary in this time of war to reduce the dependence on terrorist foreign oil. On the right of ways next to the freight track we can develop an effective National mass rapid system using electric engines to transport passengers built on clean fuel sources such as hydro electric and wind. If we can spend 2 trillion dollars on nothing we can spend a couple of hundred billion on a national passenger system that rivals the national highway system. At the turn of the 20th century there was an electric train that ran from Sacramento California to Stockton at 80 mph; today trains can run at 200 mph with no sweat.
5. Let us resolve that Congress should condemn the Bush/Rice administration’s failure to stop the growth of Afghanistan opium and call for the immediate resignation of the Secretary of State.
Since the end of the war in Afghanistan it is a major exporter of opium again to the world which is now on the streets in East Los Angeles and Harlem. Meanwhile the Bush/Rice administration has failed miserably to deal with the issue of opium exports. Candi Rice is the Secretary of State. She is the one responsible for a foreign policy that now allows opium to be grown and little girls in Kabul to be genitally mutilated. She has to go.