Deborah Van Valkenburgh (who played my sister Jackie on Too Close for Comfort) in this poster from "The Warriors."JOHN DEAN, author of "Conservatives Without Conscience" on BASHAM RADIO TODAY August 17!! Check for times at:
Just found this eye-opening post by JHBUCK at ThorninUrASSumptions
"There is no justification for the loss of 26 hundred of America's highest hopes for the future. Don't feed me this crap about possible adverse effects if we leave Iraq now. I can pull the same time machine out and predict that if we bring everyone home right now, someone whose life gets saved by the withdrawal will cure diabetes. Someone who gets saved by the withdrawal will adopt children who otherwise will be homeless. People can be heroic by living to their fullest potential. Yes, our soldiers are heroes. But so are loving parents. And so are generous friends. And so are honest business people. Why is it vogue right now to be a hero because you are dead? Because an insane "war room" (at the Pentagon) decided to sacrifice lives with no foreseeable end? Isn't this the time for Denzel or Tommy Lee Jones to come out of the background and relieve Mr. Bush of duty? Why is war policy even allowed to be controlled by such a measurable minority? What happened to the idea of politicians representing us in their mountaintop offices? Condi is a parrot. She is having the most brazen affair through sharing power with the man. She is smarter than him, but she says his words. What's wrong with this picture? It's disgusting, that's what!
It's CRIMINAL that's what!! (these are Lydia's words)
Also, please read a brilliant post below (at bottom) by Jude Nagurney Camwell. But first, these enlightening words from one of the world's great spiritual leaders:
"We should remember that the world is wide; that there are a thousand million different human wills, opinions, ambitions, tastes, and loves; that each person has a different history, constitution, culture, character, from all the rest...
Then, we should go forth into life with the smallest expectations, but with the largest patience; with a keen relish for and appreciation for everything beautiful, great and good — but with a temper so genial that the friction of the world shall not wear upon our sensibilities...with a charity broad enough to cover the whole world's evil, and sweet enough to neutralize what is bitter in it, — determined not to be offended when no wrong is meant, nor even when it is, unless the offense be against God (Love, Truth, Life.) Nothing short of our own errors should offend us. He who can wilfully attempt to injure another, is an object of pity rather than of resentment." - Mary Baker Eddy
And of course, we heal our enemies, and take the fight out of them by returning love for hate: by actually NOT fighting them on their terms (with equal violence) but by withdrawing from the fight, seeing them as tragically misguided children of God who desperately need a new view of themselves. Once we remove ourselves from the hotbed, they are left with no one to fight. We disarm them with love. (This doesn't mean we have to personally like these guys, but we must view them differently in order for a change to take place. You can't fight someone who doesn't fight back.
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Posted by Jude Nagurney Camwell in reply to Tall Texan's posting of the article calling European countries cowards and appeasers:
"Diplomacy is not appeasement, but Bush's favorite neocons don't want anyone to examine the vast difference.
George never looked Saddam in the eye - not once - before going in and making this mess in Iraq. The opportunity was there, but George wouldn't do it. Why? Because he is a fundamentalist in every sense of the word.
A fundamentalist is "never wrong." Religious and political fundamentalism is characterized by rigidity, domination, and exclusion. Fundamentalists are convinced that they are right and anyone who contradicts them is evil. The fundamentalist feels that they have a unique relationship with God - and that they actually speak for God. When there are serious differences between the U.S. and other nations, we cannot brand those who differ as pariahs or inferiors worthy of despise - yet fundamentalism in foreign policy tends to do just that. It leaves no room for discussing of ideas or for compromise.
George has an opportunity to talk directly with Syria and Iran reagrding South Lebanon. He will not do it. He is following the pattern of assured war by doing so. He is following the pattern of assured war by sitting back (immoral in his failure to speak out) while children die at the hands of a brutal aggressor. When children perish in such a manner, there is no moral person in this world who sees it as "self-defense."
From a non-fundamentalist point of view, when Jesus told us to 'love our enemies,' I really don't think he meant "go and kill them."
Great strength in leadership is found in those who will not rule out any possibility in the pursuit of political goals. Unfortunately, George only wants to use firepower to achieve his goals, neglecting the rule of law and human rights that have been set down in stone for us to see since the days of Hammurabi. George missed some very important lessons in leadership while he partied down and guzzled brew and f**ked up every business he ever had his grubby hands in. Our nation suffers for his weakness." - Jude Nagurney Camwell
LOVE & PEACE! xo, Lydia 2006
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"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin
Here is the commercial-free unedited version of the radio show I did in June for Doug Basham's Progressive Talk in Vegas. Doug is one of my favorite people and a fantastic, brilliant host!
