As a terminally ill person, with 3-4 years left to live, for me, this issue is a very personal one. I see the lack of choice here in America as a clear impingement of civil rights, imposed by the justification for denial of one's spiritual/religious rights. No one but the patient should have anything to say about it, if in fact, we are free. But in America, we are not.
All 22 comments by...
wanzellarts
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It seems to me, that ever since (Pres. Rat) Reagan told us that our greed was good: We're entitled, We're 'special' (We're Americans!), we've been in moral decline. What had been the turf of only the rich, could now be Ours! Whoopeee! How else do you explain today's under-class (kid working at the video store down the street) Republicans? They seem to have this grand delusion that one day, they will jetee' off with the rich and famous, leaving their powerless and impoverished beginnings far behind. So, they continue to vote against their own (real) best interests. The lack of Americans …
Posted to The Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd
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One poster here goes off about his (or her) "taking the risk", and "working hard". Clearly, he's never read about the brown slaves we work half to death and expose to disease-causing chemicals, daily, in order to enjoy relatively cheap food. And, didn't he read about the black slaves in a southern fried chicken joint, who were burned alive, as the "hard-working", "risk-taking" slave owner broke with fire safety regulations by locking up the back door, to protect his precious profits? Clearly not. Fortunately, that pig now rots in prison, his accumulated fortune divided among the survivors of his victims. But …
Posted to The Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd
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"If you are able to work, why should someone else pay for your health care?" Let's do the math for the US's largest employee block (US Walmart slaves): Salary...$7./hr., no benefits Min. health insurance cost, no deducable, healthy single non-smoker over 30 yrs. old: $700./month. Rent, utils., transportation to work, food.....Hmmmmmmm. Willful indifference is the worst human trait, Victor.
Posted to The Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd
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As for breserve... You mention professionals here. I retired a professional, and enjoyed high earnings in the (rather glamorous, Hollywood) career of my choice for a good long time. Most aren't so lucky. Most didn't have specialized MDs for parents. Country clubs. Choices. Take off your blinders, and you'll see a disadvantaged majority that seems to have been trained to hate itself, by an advantaged minority.
Posted to The Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd
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Cheers, Megan! If my memory serves me right, President Obama has stated that he doesn't get his news from TV. As a very wise dude, he must have (as I do), no use for the 'non-news' and 'info-tainment' trivia and diatribe that now passes for "News". To my mind, Fox and CNN both fail miserably, in being anything more than mouthpieces and bandstands for a tyrannical corporatocracy. I've spent a fair amount of time in the countries you've mentioned here, and their public programming is all an intelligent person could require for vital information and ever-expanding knowledge. Living currently in America, …
Posted to Mr. President, Help Save the News
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Ceremonies are lovely, but how about reeling in and weeding out the outrageous scoundrels still controlling our intel services? Kidnapping. Torture. Murder. Outing a key agent while we're at war. Let's just tell it like it is. How much of this crap is too much? Are we 'centrists', or just numb and playing dumb?
Posted to Protecting Washington’s Troublemakers
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Thanks, Mr. Chomsky, for shedding more light on this complex and precarious situation. Since war profiteering is currently America's strongest industry, its influence is enormous. I guess we'll have to slay that dragon before we can finance and actuate more effective humanitarian intervention.
Posted to Making War to Bring 'Peace'
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If only there had been a truly distinct opponent to "AAAGHMED...", this may have pushed over the crazed mullahs and the porky elites, even after many massacres in the streets. But at least Iran is one step closer to a secular democracy. Ultimately, I'm glad all this has erupted, as it is the gateway to better things in Iran. And serves as a lesson to today's non-democratic America.
Posted to Iran on the Brink
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Perhaps those empty seats, exposed in graphic detail on a regular basis, could be an angle toward placing urgency on the issue. Who used to occupy them, why, when, and where they've gone. Could the vaccum left by these formerly employed correspondents be shaped into an embarrassment for politicians? Let's keep the pressure on.
Posted to Capitol Improvement
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Will Americans ever remove their religionist / patriotic blinders? How far will they allow fascism to flourish? Until they've fully developed the next Hitler, born of "enlightened" American rhetoric? Let's all grow up now, shall we? Steven Wanzell, artist/activist/ex-American www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to Congenital Liars and Hypocrites
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I'm gay, out and an activist for human rights, in general. I'm also an EX-American. I got so tired of waiting to be treated as fully human in "my country", that I chose a new one: Spain. Life for lesbians and gays in America is a despicable denial of the fundamental rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. America remains a pathetic theocracy, with most of society still clueless that they are living in the past, while many other countries have surpassed them, as fully functioning democracies modeled after "our" constitution. Among so many other things, "Americans" have a great deal to …
Posted to Broke Cowboy
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Kuya: Thanks for your support and compassion. I'm currently "fighting the right" in Argentina, preparing works for exhibition in seversl South American countries. I've also submitted written testimony to the Argentine Congress, outlining how the passage of a national "civil union" law (currently being debated on the lower House floor) granting fully equal family rights to ALL here, will right a grave wrong against perfectly worthy citizens. The "buzz" is that it will pass through both houses, and become law. Steven Wanzell, artist/activist/ex-American www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to Broke Cowboy
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It is well past time for a significant Third Party. The Democrats sold out their Liberal heritage long ago, but that's another (OBVIOUS!) issue still denied by most who still support the Dems., rather than taking the necessary pains and yes - sacrifices and risks - to build such a third party. To me, gutless passives have only themselves to blame for the catostrophic results of their passivity. (America: The Fascist Empire.) How much longer will they wait for "others" to do it for them? Will they wait until the world sees its next Hitler rising from the ashes of America's …
Posted to The Seinfeld Strategy
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(a moment of jest) HEY! LET'S RENAME THE DEMS (AGAIN)! I'd like to invite all who read and blog here, to join me in renaming the Dems: Referendum: * Shall we rename them? YES / NO * If yes, what shall we call them? THE OTHER-PUBLICANS THE SLIGHTLY-LESS-PUBLICANS THE FORMER DEMOCRATS THE DEMOC-RATS ____________________________ (Pen your own!) Please post your votes for all to see! Steven Wanzell, artist/activist/ex-American www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to The Seinfeld Strategy
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This article didn't mention a fairly important issue - gays. If it's aim is to appeal to African American audiences, it may have some difficulty with other "diversities", such as gays portrayed NOT as antiquated stereotypes, but as they are. In my experience, there still remains an overwhelmingly anti-gay element in African American culture. Anyone care to shed some more light on this? Steven Wanzell, artist/activist www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to CW Network: Back in Black?
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Rastagal: I so agree. In fact, I haven't owned a television in years. There's so little there, that truly interests me! As an artist (I "make stuff"), I work at home, so where most would have an area of passive TV viewing, I have a stimulating and active art studio. I worked for many years in L.A., actually helping (as a makeup/hairstyles supervisor) to produce those products of brain candy. Ironically, it provided the econimic substance needed to leave it behind, and dedicate myself to art and political activism. Steven Wanzell, artist/activist/ex-American www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to CW Network: Back in Black?
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Johnny: You seem to have misunderstood what I wrote above, and to have presumed an awful lot of (truly awful!) things about me, my perspectives, and my political alliances. These presumptions are completely remiss. First of all, let me say that when I, myself, relocated to SF (the Castro!) from LA, I was sorely disappointed to find "the gay community" there, was just as bigoted; racist, classist, sexist and selfish - untimately just as "conservative" as American society in general. (I am a bonafide European now, though currently on a creative project in Argentina.) I am NOT a member of that …
Posted to CW Network: Back in Black?
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Johnny: Thanks for understanding. It's clear we agree much more than disagree. It seems that, sad but true, there exist very few places (if any!) to "belong", for ALL "despised groups" in American society - from liberated women, to those who simply prefer their beer blue, or their panties pink - that are not infected with a boat-load of other (prejudicial) hatefulness. Until all these "outsiders outside the outsiders" get together (which IS happening, finally - our rational and mutually respectful dialogue is proof of this!), America remains stuck in this quagmire of conflict, where politicians have brilliantly succeeded in pitting …
Posted to CW Network: Back in Black?
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Mikhaela, are you up for marrying a skinny old HIV-positive gay guy, and moving to Spain, where we can both live without Bill's decision-making prowess? You're my heroine! Steven Wanzell artist/activist/ex-American www.wanzellarts.com.ar
Posted to Cant Make a Decision, Ladies? Call Bill Napoli.
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It doesn't take a brilliant scholar like Chomsky to distill the facts here. "Our" Congress and Senate are partially owned ("lobby"=bribery)by "Israel", which is a US-supported invader and occupier, which continues to disposess and systematically exterminate the rightful owners of what is Palestine, under siege. Does anyone remember Nazi Germany??? I'm so tired of hearing the ridiculous accusation of "anti-semitism" against any and all who criticizes the despicable "Our GOD told us to do it" excuse. I, for one, am NOT intimidated by right-wing religious fanatics and their opportunistic facilitators, whether they be Jewish or otherwise. Invasion, property destruction / theft …
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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Knocko: When it comes to tyranny - yes, I hate it.
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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- Joined April 17, 2006
- Last Visit September 5, 2009
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- Occupation artist/designer/progressive activist
- Interests arts, politics
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