Lions, Tigers and Liberals, Oh My!

Thank you, oh mighty Wall Street Journal, for warning us of the terrifying prospects should Barak Obama win the election and his band of lefty followers pack Congress. An October 17th piece on the Journal's opinion page lays out all the terrible things that await the nation thanks to "A Liberal Supermajority". Among them:

• Windfall profits tax on oil companies


• The end of union bashing


• Higher taxes for the rich


• Government investment in "green" jobs


• Net neutrality


• Re-instituting the rule of law (shut down Guantanamo and end military commissions)


• Health care for all

PERISH THE THOUGHT! The Journal also reminds us of all the bills that didn't pass during the current session of Congress thanks to the "power of the filibuster". Here are just a few that they mention:

• Prescription drug price controls
• Renegotiating mortgage contracts in bankruptcy
• Eliminate statute of limitations on workplace discrimination suits

Since there is no byline on the Journal piece, one might think that someone right out of The White House or John McCain's campaign is working behind the scenes. They seem to be longing for the status quo; but how could anyone not understand that 4 more years like the last 8 years will be more than anyone (except oil executives, hedge fund managers and defense contractors) can bear?

I have never told anyone (in any of my writings) who to vote for, and I won't tell you now. But I will go so far as to say that should John McCain move in to The White House in January, we will be in for a far rougher ride (and much of the status quo) than we can already expect even if the Democrats lock things up. And, mind you, I am not trying to instill fear. I am simply stating the fact that over the past 8 years we have sunk deeper and deeper into a hole that will take intelligence, insight, courage and above all, hope if we are to dig out. And, although Barak Obama doesn't have all the answers (yet), he is the one person who (I believe) will listen to reason, think things through and consider how his decisions will affect future generations.

We hear much of Obama's vision of hope. Beyond his vision of hope I believe it is also a vision not of greed, but of generosity. It is a vision not of hubris, but of humility. It is a vision not of war, but of peace. It is, above all, a vision of our common humanity.

If your newspaper is pushing the status quo (like The Wall Street Journal), consider getting your (progressive) news and opinion from a source like Common Dreams News Center. It's a great way to wake up in the morning, and I've noticed that my coffee even tastes better.

So go out and hug a liberal, then get out the vote! And - Let us vote (this November) not for the status quo, but for CHANGE (and then keep working for that change).

Peace,

Leonard

Read the Wall Street Journal opinion piece, "A Liberal Supermajority: Get ready for 'change' we haven't seen since 1965, or 1933"