BuzzFlash Mailbag for December 18, 2008

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Subject: For a child

Buzz,

One of my friends who knows the family of this little girl sent me this:

Hannah is now 4 years old. In October Hannah was diagnosed with a rare aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme. She was given 12 weeks to live, and she is now on week 7. She doesn't want toys for Christmas because she cannot play with them anymore. All she wants for Christmas is Christmas cards. So this is me asking all of you to do something so small for someone that would mean the absolute world to them. To send a card the address is:

Hannah Garman 704 Orchard Rd. Lititz, PA 17543

I would be grateful if you shared this with your readers. I am an atheist and I am going to be sending a card. I hope my fellow buzzers will do so as well!! To sign the guest book go to:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahgarman

Akhil Bhardwaj
Jersey City, NJ

Subject: No Rick Warren story on your site?!?!?!?!?!

Am I missing it?

I came to your site today hoping to see YOUR outrage at Obama's choosing Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration.. and there's nada.

What's up?

A BuzzFlash Reader

[BuzzFlash Note: CNN: Prominent liberal groups and gay rights proponents criticized President-elect Barack Obama Wednesday for choosing evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration next month. 12/18; and Rick "Saddleback" Warren To Deliver Invocation at Obama Inaguration. Many Progressives Not Happy With This. 12/18; and New Economic Team Promises Enforcement, Reform, and Obama Comments on Rick Warren -- A BuzzFlash News Alert; and Obama defends choice of evangelical pastor; and Homophobe to Deliver Inauguration Invocation, So When Will the White Supremacist Speak?; and Dear Lord Baby Jesus, we come before you today to inaugurate the new president of the United States of God... etc.]

Subject: A Report On One Of Last Weekend's 'Change Is Coming' House Parties*

"Attendance?"

"Twenty-six."

"Spirit?"

"Still pumped-up from the election."

"Issues, concerns?"

"The economy, peace, health care, holding Barack Obama and the Democrats to their campaign promises."

"Action plan?"

"Forming an alliance with the local Food Bank for the purpose of delivering food to low income families."

"Future plans?"

"Vague."

"Conclusions?"

"A well organized event. Local humanitarian engagement is commendable but by itself won't sustain a mass movement."

"What would?"

"Mobilizing to bring about change."

"Based on?"

"Yes we can."

*nationally, approx. 4200 house parties were held Dec. 13,14

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: 9/11

i'm surprised bf even posted scott from az. post about 9/11. bf usually will have nothing to do with 9/11 conspiracy theorists. anyone with a brain and access to a computer should have no doubt that we have been lied to. the 9/11 commission was a joke. google building 7 (the third tower that came down that day that 1/2 of America hasn't even heard of yet) and go from there. how about the pentagon. no plane parts, no bodies, no wing marks and a hole to small to fit the plane it was supposed to be. the story we were told just doesn't add up. what really happened we will probably never know.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Bush War Crimes

When congress didn't protest Bush's "unsigning" of International Criminal Court, they effectively told Bush, for the first of many times, that there is no limit to presidential lawlessness. The ultimate confirmation of this was the Democrats' refusal to impeach him. Every president can now rule unbound by the Constitution and international law.

It's a no brainer that Bush will issue blanket pardons for himself and his administration, keeping up the Constitution framers' intent that the ruling class aren't accountable to the laws they write for the rest of us.

There's a simple solution to institute a government where no one is above the law, and regain our honor in the world. For Obama to truly put Bush behind us, he should re-sign the International Criminal Court treaty. If they request Bush and company to stand trial as war criminals, fly them to Belgium on one of the planes they used for rendition. Bush, handcuffed, shackled, in an orange jump suit, doing his first unscripted press conference, would be a nice gift to the country and humanity.

And then, to make it clear that this country is serious about a government where no one is above the law, immediately repeal the Presidential pardon. Let our government officials and rich conspirators who put them there finally be accountable for breaking laws and trashing our democracy.

Robin Towers

Subject: 'Thousands made slaves' in Darfur 12/18

Ah, and what about Detroit and the rest of working America? Bust the corporate Rethugs, or bust the unions. Which is it going to be? And when will it be too late?

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: throwing shoes

Suggestion from an aging activist for the inaugural.

May I suggest a folding 8 1/2 sheet of stock that makes a paper airplane, that when assembled has a shoe on it and Na-na-na, goodbye. This would be light and could be thrown (like his first election) and current with GWB eating a shoe.

This would be a BuzzFlash "flyer" pun intended to advertise BuzzFlash.

All I want out of it are a couple of premiums and an autograhed airplane for my daughter's collection of political items (age 12).

Rod Talley
San Antonio, Texas

Subject: Fed Cuts Lending Rate To Zero

"Capitalism's predictable response to an economic collapse."

"Will it work?"

"Even if it works the subsequent upswing will beget another bubble, after which, invariably, there'll be another big fall."

"Why not dump capitalism with its roller coaster cycles?"

"What instead, central planning, as per the Soviet Union?

"That was a failure, something new and different."

"Such as?"

"Participatory Economics (Parecon*), a system pioneered by Michael Albert."

"How would Parecon prevent the ups and downs of capitalism?"

"There's planning but it's from the base up, not from the top down as it was in The Soviet Untion."

"What about workers?"

"The worker has a say in every decision that affects her or him, including but not limited to what and how much is produced, working conditions and pay."

"Who owns the workplace?"

"Everyone and no one."

"Is such a system viable?"

"In small scale operations to date it has been."

"And what sort of world if we dump capitalism and opt for Parecon?"

"It'll be up to us."

*see Parecon (Znet.com)

A BuzzFlash Reader

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