June 28, 2005
Temperature-59.6 C -75.3 F
Windchill-83.1 C -117.6 F
Wind 14.5 kts Grid 36
Barometer 689.9 mb (10257 ft)
Lunch: Deli Day
Dinner: I don't know yet
For about a week now I have been thinking about what I might write as my latest blog entry. I thought I might write something about mid winter and all the celebrations that surround the coming of the mid point of our incarceration. I also thought about writing about our recent decision to tour Southeast Asia by bicycle but then something fell into my lap that I could not let pass without comment.
Recently a friend of mine had her assets frozen under the guise of the “Patriot Act”. She is not a terrorist and she would never do anything to hurt our country, in fact she loves our country but like so many of us is bothered by the culture of “fear” that surrounds us and manipulates us daily. The government froze her assets because she travels and the justice department feared she was laundering money for foreign terrorists. They have not charged her with any crime, they did not question her, they just decided she was suspicious and thought they would freeze her bank accounts and make her prove her innocence instead of proving her guilt. This past week she made countless trips to her bank, filling out forms, and providing all the information they requested. She asked the bank what organization is receiving the information and they would not tell her, they just sent the stuff off to some black hole for processing. Meanwhile here money is frozen, she cannot pay bills and has no idea when she will have cash flow again.
I sometimes wonder what Thomas Jefferson might think about the “Patriot Act”. Would he approve of the increased government powers, such as search and seizers without probable cause and holding people without charging them? I suspect he would not approve because many of the provisions allowed in the act were reasons we wanted to free ourselves from the British before the revolutionary war.
I have written my congressman and my senators about my personal opposition to the act and because I live in a Bush state, I usually get some letter that says we need the “Partiot Act” to protect us from the terrorists, but I wonder who will protect me from the government? Increasingly I am coming to terms that the current regime does not represent me and the interests of a growing number of Americans and I wonder how we will get our voice again. Then it occurred to me that Bush provided the answer in the first days after 911. He said that Americans ought to go out and buy something to show their support for America in the name of patriotism. I thought what if a group of people were to stop buying things and instead made due with what they have until the government starts listening to somebody other than the neoconservatives, evangelical Christians and big business. What if I were to write a letter to my Congressman and Senators saying I have _____ dollars of disposable income every month and I will not spend any of it until I see legislation concerning the repeal of the Patriot Act, reduced green house emissions and an energy policy that includes renewable energy. I suspect one letter they would ignore but if they received a thousand they might think again. If a large sector of the consumer economy decided it did not want to consume the stock prices in many of the rich portfolios would drop and they would loose money. Then much of republican base would begin to see job losses and a loss of wealth and I suspect their support for the president would wane. The congressman and senators with thousands of letters indicating why the economy is tanking would start departing from the Presidents agenda and start thinking about the people and I bet we would see legislation addressing our concerns.
How many people does it take to make a difference in consumer spending. Generally, economists want GDP to grow around 4% a year any thing below is considered a recession and anything greater the country faces inflationary problems. I am not an economists but I suspect if 10% of the people who voted for John Kerry were to stop all non-discretionary spending it would be enough to see some changes. If 50% of the people who voted for Kerry were to participate the government would need to respond quickly in order prevent a depression. The important aspect is we must let the government know why the economy is hurting and give them targets to meet before the consumer strike will end.
I like my freedom and the fact that I can write my ideas in a blog without the fear of the KGB showing up at my door and throwing me in a gulag for my political views. But even writing this today I feel fear because I am afraid that what I am writing will appear on some super computer at the NSA and I will be placed on some watch list. Fear is something I do not want to feel and if I have to go without a new Ipod, house, car and/or fashion to free myself of that feeling then so be it. I like feeling empowered and my strike does that, I know what I am going to do, what goal the government must meet and when my strike will end. Now all I need is to write my letter.
“Dear Senator,
I am a concerned American and during the republican tenure in the House of Representatives, The Senate and the Presidency, I have seen many changes that I believe are not for the better. When the President assumed control of the White House we were at peace, the country had a budget surplus and terrorism was not the focus of our daily lives. Since then I have seen my personal freedoms reduced, the budget surplus evaporate and the republicans undo legislation that protects my air and water. I have written you and your colleagues on many occasions regarding my concerns and the typical response is a long-winded “so”. In an effort to display my protest to the current direction of our country, I am going on a “spending strike” until a change of direction is noticed and legislated by the government. I will not participate in any non-discretionary spending on items that are not essential until I see legislation returning my civil liberties, reduced green house emissions and an energy policy that includes significant funding for renewable energy.
Sincerely
Just another American"
Windchill-83.1 C -117.6 F
Wind 14.5 kts Grid 36
Barometer 689.9 mb (10257 ft)
Lunch: Deli Day
Dinner: I don't know yet
For about a week now I have been thinking about what I might write as my latest blog entry. I thought I might write something about mid winter and all the celebrations that surround the coming of the mid point of our incarceration. I also thought about writing about our recent decision to tour Southeast Asia by bicycle but then something fell into my lap that I could not let pass without comment.
Recently a friend of mine had her assets frozen under the guise of the “Patriot Act”. She is not a terrorist and she would never do anything to hurt our country, in fact she loves our country but like so many of us is bothered by the culture of “fear” that surrounds us and manipulates us daily. The government froze her assets because she travels and the justice department feared she was laundering money for foreign terrorists. They have not charged her with any crime, they did not question her, they just decided she was suspicious and thought they would freeze her bank accounts and make her prove her innocence instead of proving her guilt. This past week she made countless trips to her bank, filling out forms, and providing all the information they requested. She asked the bank what organization is receiving the information and they would not tell her, they just sent the stuff off to some black hole for processing. Meanwhile here money is frozen, she cannot pay bills and has no idea when she will have cash flow again.
I sometimes wonder what Thomas Jefferson might think about the “Patriot Act”. Would he approve of the increased government powers, such as search and seizers without probable cause and holding people without charging them? I suspect he would not approve because many of the provisions allowed in the act were reasons we wanted to free ourselves from the British before the revolutionary war.
I have written my congressman and my senators about my personal opposition to the act and because I live in a Bush state, I usually get some letter that says we need the “Partiot Act” to protect us from the terrorists, but I wonder who will protect me from the government? Increasingly I am coming to terms that the current regime does not represent me and the interests of a growing number of Americans and I wonder how we will get our voice again. Then it occurred to me that Bush provided the answer in the first days after 911. He said that Americans ought to go out and buy something to show their support for America in the name of patriotism. I thought what if a group of people were to stop buying things and instead made due with what they have until the government starts listening to somebody other than the neoconservatives, evangelical Christians and big business. What if I were to write a letter to my Congressman and Senators saying I have _____ dollars of disposable income every month and I will not spend any of it until I see legislation concerning the repeal of the Patriot Act, reduced green house emissions and an energy policy that includes renewable energy. I suspect one letter they would ignore but if they received a thousand they might think again. If a large sector of the consumer economy decided it did not want to consume the stock prices in many of the rich portfolios would drop and they would loose money. Then much of republican base would begin to see job losses and a loss of wealth and I suspect their support for the president would wane. The congressman and senators with thousands of letters indicating why the economy is tanking would start departing from the Presidents agenda and start thinking about the people and I bet we would see legislation addressing our concerns.
How many people does it take to make a difference in consumer spending. Generally, economists want GDP to grow around 4% a year any thing below is considered a recession and anything greater the country faces inflationary problems. I am not an economists but I suspect if 10% of the people who voted for John Kerry were to stop all non-discretionary spending it would be enough to see some changes. If 50% of the people who voted for Kerry were to participate the government would need to respond quickly in order prevent a depression. The important aspect is we must let the government know why the economy is hurting and give them targets to meet before the consumer strike will end.
I like my freedom and the fact that I can write my ideas in a blog without the fear of the KGB showing up at my door and throwing me in a gulag for my political views. But even writing this today I feel fear because I am afraid that what I am writing will appear on some super computer at the NSA and I will be placed on some watch list. Fear is something I do not want to feel and if I have to go without a new Ipod, house, car and/or fashion to free myself of that feeling then so be it. I like feeling empowered and my strike does that, I know what I am going to do, what goal the government must meet and when my strike will end. Now all I need is to write my letter.
“Dear Senator,
I am a concerned American and during the republican tenure in the House of Representatives, The Senate and the Presidency, I have seen many changes that I believe are not for the better. When the President assumed control of the White House we were at peace, the country had a budget surplus and terrorism was not the focus of our daily lives. Since then I have seen my personal freedoms reduced, the budget surplus evaporate and the republicans undo legislation that protects my air and water. I have written you and your colleagues on many occasions regarding my concerns and the typical response is a long-winded “so”. In an effort to display my protest to the current direction of our country, I am going on a “spending strike” until a change of direction is noticed and legislated by the government. I will not participate in any non-discretionary spending on items that are not essential until I see legislation returning my civil liberties, reduced green house emissions and an energy policy that includes significant funding for renewable energy.
Sincerely
Just another American"
posted by Kirk & Jodi Roberts at 4:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home