The Blue Patriot

Vonnegut Dead at 84: So It Goes

J. Seago — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:12:41 EDT

“Robert Kennedy, whose summer home is eight miles from the home I live in all year round, was shot two nights ago. He died last night. So it goes.

Martin Luther King was shot a month ago. He died, too. So it goes.

And every day my Government gives me a count of corpses created by military science in Vietnam. So it goes.”

Those words were among the concluding lines of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five,” finished within days of Robert Kennedy’s assassination.

Every college student in the 1960’s and 1970’s was at least familiar with Vonnegut, if not within an arm’s reach of one of his 14 novels at all times.

From the NYT:

Mr. Vonnegut shed the label of science fiction writer with “Slaughterhouse-Five.” It tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, an infantry scout (as Mr. Vonnegut was), who discovers the horror of war. “You know — we’ve had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves,” an English colonel says in the book. “We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock. My God, my God — I said to myself, ‘It’s the Children’s Crusade.’

Kurt Vonnegut died Wednesday night in Manhattan at the age of 84.

So it goes.

Beyond Iraq

J. Seago — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:21:50 EDT

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech at the Riverside Church in New York City.

Entangled by complex and dangerous times, attentive clergy and concerned citizens alike listened as Dr. King called upon Americans to save the soul of their country.

The United States of America in 1967 was characterized by heated racial tensions simmering to a boil- scalding black and white Americans in red and blue states alike. The United States faced sweeping class disparities, observing concentrated prosperity and widespread poverty within the borders of the world's wealthiest nation. The futures of America's heroes were unnecessarily slaughtered in the endless death toll of young soldiers in Vietnam.

The struggle for civil rights, children growing up in poverty and American armed forces strained by an open-ended occupation of a foreign land- demons that haunted Martin Luther King and his fellow Americans in 1967; demons that haunt Americans and citizens of the world today.

My Breaking Point: Politics Above Law, Party Before Country

J. Seago — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:33:40 EST

While many Campus Progress readers and bloggers are tanning or cramming, a manifestation of Lord Acton's description of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" surfaced this week in the form of Libby's guilty verdict. Please take the time during your Spring Break or after you ace all your midterms to see the full breadth of casualties in the Iraq War.

Because of Iraq, our country lost the finest members of our generation. Because of Iraq, our country lost international respect, credibility and the very principles and values that make America great. The first casualty of this war was not a soldier. The first casualty of the Iraq War was truth. Those who believe they are above the law also believe in perpetuating this course of American degradation in the name of saving face and winning political victories of ideology.

I write this post to highlight Libby, the "Gonzales 8" and the atrocities of the Walter Reed scandal. I write this post to call for an examination of the conscience of the citizenry of this country in order to inspire them to action for a better America- the America conceived by our Forefathers and made possible by the sacrifices of the generations that came before us.

Who Can't Handle the Truth?

J. Seago — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:59:26 EST

While the jury for the Libby Trial deliberates into next week, there is an emerging story forming from seemingly disturbing actions taken by the U.S. Justice Department that could pan out to be far more damaging and long-lasting than any potential result of Libby's trial.

Strong public evidence suggests that the U.S. Department of Justice engaged in a concentrated, coordinated effort to bolster conservatism and GOP loyalty among our U.S. Attorneys- public servants who make a living from our tax dollars, government lawyers who are strictly supposed to stay above politics. This latest coordinated campaign of patronage goes beyond the standard cronyism we have come to expect from the Bush Administration- these actions are immoral, illegal and arguably treasonable to the American public who deserve a U.S. Justice Department unscathed by today's partisan political warfare.

Eight well-respected U.S. attorneys- most recieving high marks on their job evaluations- were fired and replaced by partisan loyalists of the Bush Administration. It turns out that the Patriot Act dismantles American liberties, rights and principles outside the War on Terror. A provision of the Patriot Act allows these "interim" appointees to serve indefinitely and without Senate approval.

David Iglesias, the departing attorney in New Mexico and the inspiration and basis for Tom Cruise's character in A Few Good Men, is the most outspoken of the fired prosecutors as he "said that two members of Congress attempted to pressure him to speed up a probe of Democrats just before the November elections." The Libby Trial touches on the possibility of retribution against Joe Wilson and his wife. Congressional and legal action taken as this story gains ground must explore the likely retribution against Iglesias and his fellow public servants.

In Memoriam

J. Seago — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:21:51 EST

Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr., native son of Ohio and famed political historian passed away from cardiac arrest in Manhattan on the night of February 27, 2007. Substantial? No doubt. Controversial? You bet.

He is best known for coining "Camelot" during JFK's Administration and "imperial presidency" during the Nixon Administration. American historian, social critic, White House advisor, writer and Democratic activist- Schlesinger will be missed by all who enjoyed his prolific contributions to society.

This Guardian article honors the historic life of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. in a fascinating, comprehensive account of his achievements.

"If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our intellectual and moral life begins with an individual confronting his own mind and conscience in a room by himself."- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (October 15, 1917 - February 28, 2007)

GOP's Homeless Animosity

J. Seago — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:38:07 EST

Considering the GOP's animosity towards the homeless, I suppose this means they don't support the troops? Perhaps these troops chose to be homeless as well.

About 500-1,000 of the 200,000 homeless U.S. veterans served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Two Films You Won't See at the Oscars

J. Seago — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:16:52 EST

There were two films which caught me off guard last year. I lost faith in Hollywood long ago when I couldn’t spend a night at my local movie theatre without paying ten dollars to watch either a hackneyed prequel/sequel or a film produced by a budget that invested more money in its CGI Team than its screenwriter. The few times I went to the movies last year, I was pleasantly surprised.

The following are two trailers of two films that were released in 2006. Two films that instantly became lifetime favorites of mine. Two films overlooked by the Academy. Two films you tragically won’t see tonight if you tune into the Oscars.

Supporting the War, Not the Warrior

J. Seago — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:25:29 EST

For those that have not yet read Dana Priest's excellent, humbling article in the Washington Post on Feb. 18th ("Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility"), you must do so. Chris Matthews referred to the article as Pulitzer Prize caliber on Hardball last night and rightfully so. Priest and her co-contributor to the story, Anne Hull, comprehensively document appalling conditions at an outpost of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Consequently, they find disgraceful treatment of our brave men and women who gave more than their fighting spirit and courage to their country- they gave their limbs and often times tragically their emotional and mental stability. Too many injured soldiers, after returning home for medical treatment and becoming outpatients in Building 18, find themselves sentenced to a prison of inadequate medical care in an impoverished medical facility- a facility considered America's top Army hospital.

Before the Right-Wing Noise Machine spins yet another failure of the Bush Administration, let us contemplate who truly supports the troops. Every patriotic American must reflect upon the treatment of war veterans in this country and reassess what it means to support our nation's warriors- whether you support the Iraq War or not.

GOP Accepts Donations from Terrorist

J. Seago — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:54:07 EST

First they accepted donations from the porn industry. Now we have a documented case of the GOP accepting donations from an alleged terrorist.

From The Blotter, Brian Ross' investigative blog:

"The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) won't say what it plans to do with thousands of dollars in campaign donations it received from an accused terror financier.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari gave $15,250 to the NRCC since 2002, according to FEC records published on the Web site opensecrets.org."

God bless the GOP and their consistent family values.

Obama/Warner?

J. Seago — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:57:52 EST

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will endorse Senator Barack Obama this Saturday. Outside of potentially improving Obama's popularity in the South, this endorsement strengthens a 2008 possibility birthed by Mark Warner's withdrawal in October.

50 Shots to America’s Heart

J. Seago — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:40:10 EST

As a great admirer of Robert Kennedy, I viewed 'Bobby' in one of the film's first national screenings in Manhattan. A week later, fifty shots were fired in Queens- a wedding-eve fiancé instantaneously an overnight widow.

FOX Punk'd!

J. Seago — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:12:00 EDT

Every Campus Progress member must watch Bill Clinton's interview on FOX. If you have not seen it yet, watch it here.

President Bill Clinton performed a spine transplant on the Left in his interview and any progressive looking to win hearts and minds on the political battlefield must follow his lead.

GOP: Grand Old Prophets

J. Seago — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 20:45:09 EDT

"The arrogance, inconsistency and unreliability of the [Clinton] administration's diplomacy have undermined American alliances, alienated friends and emboldened our adversaries...Gerrymandered congressional districts are an affront to democracy and an insult to the voters. We oppose that and any other attempt to rig the electoral process...Nor should the intelligence community be made the scapegoat for political misjudgments. A Republican administration working with the Congress will respect the needs and quiet sacrifices of these public servants as it strengthens America's intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities and reorients them toward the dangers of the future."- The Republican Platform during the 2000 Election

Leaking the name of an undercover CIA Agent "respect[s] the needs and quiet sacrifices of .. public servants.." and allowing the terrorist mastermind behind 9/11 to roam free "reorients .. toward the dangers of the future." That's why the Republican Party is in charge- unyielding integrity and sound policies.