October Suprise

By: Ron Moore

October came a little early this election season. It is conventional wisdom that the party in power will stir up a crisis just in time to bolster its candidate’s standing in the polls. So now we find that Wall Street is in crisis and needs an immediate bailout. Oh and by the way that will be $700 billion please (at the bare minimum) and there’s no time for oversight and questions. The good of the country is at risk and who wants to be against the good of the country?

Sound familiar? Just think back to the Patriot Act, the War on Terror, the Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. No need to read the fine print at risk of appearing unpatriotic. Do what we say and don’t ask any questions. After all, we have the good of the country at heart and it will all work out just fine in the end. Well we don’t know the end of that story but we certainly know it’s not going to work out fine. We can’t even be sure this crisis isn’t a distraction as the President prepares for the real October surprise in Iran.

The President has made it clear that we are at war and that this is a time of sacrifice. So as our poor and elderly shiver this winter they can do so with pride for we just can’t afford that extravagant energy assistance program. Whether its programs to educate and feed our children or support the troops as they and their families attempt to rebuild their lives when they return it’s just too expensive during a time of war.

But while they wait in line at the velvet rope of appropriations, Wall Street took the express lane right to the front. You see when they suffer we all suffer and we can’t allow that to happen. Or can we?

Well as someone running for political office is fond of saying, “Yes we can!” So Congress has another bite at the apple, another opportunity to do its job. It’s simple, just say no. Say no to the Wall Street Bailout.

But don’t stop there. Once Congress finds its courage, it can say no to the continued occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq that has cost this country $556 billion and counting according to the National Priorities Project. Say no to the war profiteers. Say no to the continued entitlement spending for the richest one percent known as the Bush tax cuts.

Congress should look at this $700 bailout request and ask itself one simple question: What would $556 billion do to bolster our economy? What did that vote to fund the occupation take away from our citizens at home? How much more will we need to spend just to recover? The amount is unknowable, but we do know this, by saying no today we can stop the bleeding (literally) and begin to rebuild. Congress can go home and say that the needs of the American people matter and open up that velvet rope. Now that would be a true October surprise.

Bush in Drag

Bail Out

Billions for War & Billions for Wall Street?

Bush strong-armed Congress into supporting the war. The Bush administration has spent more than $800 billion for wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere around the world. Now they demand a $700 billion blank check for Wall Street using fear and threats with no public debate!

Bail Out the Troops and Main Street, Not Wall Street!

EMERGENCY RALLIES

Thursday, September 25, 5 PM

• Select a location where you will be most visible
• Click here to post your action
• Get the word out!

United For Peace and Justice is joining True Majority, USAction, and scores of others to take the debate into the streets.

Click here to set up events in your area.

Click here to find events in your area.

CALL CONGRESS NOW!

Some on Capital Hill are having second thoughts about going along with the administration’s plan.

Call your Senator NOW and tell them to “Oppose the Bush bailout. Stand up for Main Street. And bring the troops home!”

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Click here to report back to UFPJ how your call to your Senator went.

RESOURCES:

Although the crisis is complicated, whatever action is taken must be done based on what we need in our communities. Tremendous work is being done to uncover not only the roots, but also guidelines for making the solution to this crisis one that benefits our communities!

Click here for an interview with Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winner in Economics and author of the ‘The Three Trillion Dollar War’.

Click here for William Greider from The Nation Magazine’s article on the Wall Street bailout.

Click here for updates on the bailout situation from a number of respectable economic analysts at the Dollars & Sense blog.

¹The Congressional Research Service’s July 2008 report on the costs of the war(s) can be found here.

Iraq Toll

Those who died in Iraq from Sep 14 to 20:

CWO Corry Edwards  38  Kennedale TX

Sgt Daniel Eshbaugh  43  Norman OK

Sgt Anthony Mason  37  Springtown TX

Sgt Julio Ordonez  54  San Antonio TX

CWO Brady Rudolf  37  Oklahoma City OK

Cpl Michael Thompson  23  Harrah OK

Robert Vallejo II  28  Richland Hills TX

Cap Derrick Wright  37  Nashville TN

Pvt Leonard Gulczynski  19  Carol Stream IL

Col Ralph Marino  46  Houston PA

Sgt Wesley Durbin  26  Hurst TX

Sgt Darris Dawson  24  Pensacola FL

146 Iraqi sisters and brothers were killed.

In Afghanistan were killed:

Maj Rodolfo Rodriguez  34  El Paso TX

Cap Bruno Desolenni  32  Crescent City CA

Sgt Nathan Cox  32  Wolcott IA

Sgt Brandon Farley  30  Haworth OK

Col James Wiley  46  North Bend OR

Sgt Joshua Harris  21  Romeoville IL

Cap Bruce Hays  42  Cheyenne WY

Sgt Jason Vasquez  24  Chicago IL

Ltn Mohsin Naqvi  26  Newburgh NY

CF:   www.icasualties.org

Two BIG WINS

The House-Senate conference committee on the defense authorization bill was completed today. They did not include new sanctions on Iran. The conference report is posted at http://armedservices.house.gov/

The House-Senate conference committee on the defense authorization bill was completed today.  They eliminated all funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW).

From the summary of the bill:

Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW)
Redirects $33.3 million requested for RRW by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Navy to other, higher priority activities.

Victory!

Direct Action in Washington

Someday I’ll learn not to try to pull off a protest in 24 hrs, but not soon. The event was quick, fun, and fruitful. Michael climbed the wall, opened up the banner and told Red Square why. The recruiters were not at all prepared for it (one even offered Michael an ARMY t-shirt. Everyone who does the climb gets a shirt), and we met several people who were intersted, including one from a just-forming campus peace group. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter came, but arrived too late. We’ll invite him to the next event.

We’re doing it again Thursday, at noon. We hope to have other IVAW members, and perhaps a half-dozen climbers (the recruiters were eager to have anybody climb), enough so that they get tired of supporting our self-expression, and pack it in. We’ll rehearse a bit: when Michael got to the top, he had a hard time thinking of things to say. We’ll give people a few lines to take with them.

Fred Miller, Peace Action Washington State