I think the extremes of the Left and the Right work their harm against the good fiber and the culture of our country that is more and more built on one value —the value of the dollar and how many of them you have, and what you can buy with them to feed your five senses and your ego. Right now the value of the dollar is being questioned by the World.

Is the message and goal of secularism and capitalism, that so often negates and undermines our spiritual values and beliefs, really the answer to World prosperity and World peace? Or, is secularism the answer to the maximization of profits in a world economy for the global capitalists?

The “duopoly” that Ralph Nader talks about actually serve the same special interests, the big banks and investment houses and the insurance companies and the corporate “powers that be” in this country. One man, one vote, can’t protect democracy when our Committees in the Congress are are routinely bought by lobbyists for these powerful groups, or routinely educated and brainwashed to the corporate point of view.

Real “little business” is not what is going to be what pulls this country out of a recession unless more little business is conducted within this country in the form of manufacturing, etc.. The global economy means that “money” will move wherever there is money to be made with cheaper labor because money and profits have no national borders in this new world. Retail franchising is not going to save our economy but the IFA and the ABA use the job numbers from franchising to have their way with the Congress and the Regulators.

The ABA and the CPA’s who helped to develop the questionable financial products and the laws these past thirty years also shared in the great profits made in these last 30 years from betting into the future with other people’s money.

The ABA works with the special interest groups to manipulate and corrupt the law to serve the special interests —-and especially in franchising. Commercial law that is divorced entirely from fairness and decency, as is demonstrated in franchising, undermines the democratic principles upon which this nation was built,

Now! we have socialized banking, a kind of corporate welfare, because the government knows we will have anarchy if they don’t rescue the dire situation, and if they let the pension funds fail and Americans suffer in great numbers from another great Depression.

Whomever (or is it Whoever, Sean?) wins this election will have terrible problems to face that can’t be solved overnight. If Warren Buffet and Colin Powell think that the Democrats and Barack Obama have the better chance of trying to solve these great problems, I’m listening.

But, I would still feel more comfortable if the next President of the United States would break from tradition and appoint Ralph Nader the next Attorney General of the United States. Ralph would really give these Fat Cats who have been stealing the country a hard time and maybe we would have a government that would work for the people if a few of those same fat cats did some jail time. Also, the Independent Voters in this country would be given a voice.

Even the Independents should have a chance to be extremely “adept at justifying their greed and prejudice” (as Sean says) and be able to join the left and the right as the “middle” in free and democratic Republics.

WASSUP?!

I think the monolithic right is more adept at it, as most are not slowed up by the self-delusion that they are unbiased and ethical. Except for the religious extremists, who believe all they do is ethical, being the chosen ones and all.

But the left abides so much nonsensical crap they have castrated themselves (IMHO).

Being anti-business is a form of prejudice, too, and hurts a lot of people.

Like allowing PETA to attack small business owners (franchise owners) with their inane and ridiculous protests. Now they want Ben & Jerry’s to make their ice cream from human breast milk (someone tell me this was a joke) to save the cows.

Can’t both sides get together and just tell PETA to shut up? Boycott Pam Anderson and any other supporter of these psychos.

It’s immediately acceptable to sue McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc. for whatever reason) because they are successful companies and international brands. The fact is that these are attacks on small business owners (franchisees) and everybody with a lawyer willing to take it on contingency is lined up to sue.

Both the left and the right are making litigation attorneys rich because both sides – left and right – are extremely adept at justifying their greed and prejudice.

Authenticity, i.e., truth and honesty, are what they demand from the other side, but winning is what they want from their own.

Put in old fashioned language, the end justifies the means and I don’t see it changing any time soon.

Fear, hate and intolerance are worse than I’ve seen them during my lifetime (which isn’t all that short:).

Our country has been polarized by ideology on both sides, but far more from a rigid, monolithic Right than from a more ideologically diverse left.

The analogy was more than a bit contorted… so I’ll be more direct.

In my opinion, Americans need to start returning to a greater sense of basic principles of fair play and honesty. That means ending the dirty tricks and BS on your own side… even if it furthers the cause you believe in.

Any intelligent person knows that this Ayers/Obama connection is complete BS and the Republican side needs to end the Carl Rove swiftboating crap if they want to restore the faith in their party. They can get some cheap votes by preying on fears, prejudice and ignorance… but even those on their side know they’re abiding scumbag tactics. Like him or not, Obama is putting his life on the line to try to lead the country. Just yesterday they stopped some inbred skinheads who planned to kill him. It doesn’t get more patriotic than to put yourself in harm’s way when you could be raking in millions in private practice.

Here’s the connection to the franchise industry… Most franchisors and franchises are honest enterprises with well-meaning founders, execs and staff. But the industry looks the other way and lets bogus statistics, unrealistic portraits of franchising be put forth and allows some predatory franchisors operate unimpeded. For the most part, they don’t want to damage franchising’s image.

It’s time for people to say that allowing blatant lies to go unchallenged just isn’t OK – whether it furthers your cause or not.

Mercifully, they didn’t have to suffer endless TV commercials and direct mailings in those days. Easier to tune out a broadsheet.

Interesting photo of Ike’s parents:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08036/854713-51.stm

Sarah Palin is a fine woman, a good Mother and Wife, a good Governor of the State of Alaska, and smart —but not smart or experienced enough to be the President of the United States, in my opinion —which is a reality the voters have to confront. She is a direct result of John McCain’s ambitions to be President and an illustration of his sometimes rash judgments.

I’m with Sean and Colin Powell on this matter. I think Barack Obama offers the country what John Kennedy offered the country —-HOPE —and he is a graduate of Harvard and he is educated and articulate and not as “stained” as Senator McCain, in that he hasn’t had the opportunity to learn from a “Keating5 Episode” and he doesn’t yet have seven houses and thirteen automobiles, and he has had life experiences that will help him identify with the average American and their American dreams.

But, of course, in our “politically correct” country, there is dishonesty out there that is carried over into the media. Race will be an issue for many. Barack Obama with his mixed genes is still a “black man” under the law and we are not a fully integrated nation and the suggestion by the Republicans that Barack Obama will try to spread the wealth to “poor black people” and “poor white people” at the expense of the middle class is a dirty tactic, but it may work for the Republicans –who often sincerely believe their own lies.

There are some who say that it IS the middle class voters who keep the rich “rich” and the poor “poor” under democratic Capitalism.

But, Barack Obama can buy my vote if he will look at Ralph Nader for the Attorney General of the United States!

I think I will wear my old Ross Perot Tshirt to cast my vote on election day.

They actually duped the entire country into attacking Saddam Hussein for 9/11 while letting Osama bin Laden run free. There are still people who think Saddam was responsible. God bless their ignorant, prejudiced little votes.

Long term, how’d that work out for us?

However, Barack Obama is not above the same tactics. He’s been running ads showing Keating5 member John McCain not only associating with known domestic terrorists, he claims McCain has voted with one more than 90% of the time!