Iran and a Bellicose United States By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
February 17, 2010

The chief of Russia’s General Staff, Nikolai Makarov, has warned the US against striking Iran over the country’s nuclear program. It appears that the World’s attention is again focused on if or when the United States (policeman of the World) is going to engage in military operations against the Islamic Republic. Hillary Clinton recently rattled sabers again when she demanded that Iran stop enriching uranium. Let’s take a closer look at that demand and why she had no justification to demand anything of the Iranian government.

First of all, Iran is a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty that gives participating nations the right to enrich uranium up to 20% for domestic use in medical research and fuel for reactors. Iran has done nothing illegal here.

Why Are Jews Liberals? By Timothy V. Gatto

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By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
February 15, 2010

I was watching C-Span Book TV and they had Norman Podhoretz on, talking about his book “Why are Jews Liberals”. I felt as though I was in an alternate reality, like I had morphed into William Shatner and I was watching a monster on the wing of an airliner, but instead, I was watching a monster delivering a synopsis of a book.

I fully support a man’s (or woman’s) right to free expression, but I also feel I have a right to disagree. I know that since I’m not a Jew, my opinion counts very little to most Jews. Still, I feel I must state my disgust over this “intellectual’s” condemnation over his critique of the Goldstone (Who is a Jew) report. I was waiting to hear, as he bombasted the report, that Goldstone is a “self-hating Jew” but I don’t believe he did. Maybe in another Q and A he got around to it, but they didn’t broadcast the second Q&A.

American Empire, Part III By Timothy V. Gatto

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By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
February 11, 2010

It seems that most Americans will continue to support whatever war du jour is served up by their government. As long as most Americans remain silent as to what American media chooses to cover, we will continue to see coverage of media celebrities and coverage of weather events as “news”.  We can see that the coverage of Haiti’s situation has already faded into the background as we watch  the snowstorms that hit the Mid-Atlantic States take center stage.

Meanwhile, the assaults on the Taliban in Helmand Province in Afghanistan can be seen on the BBC and most international news outlets if American audiences should be so inclined. World news can be seen on world class news outlets until such time as the powers that be decide that it is no longer in our best interests to see these reports. If it is decided that world news will no longer be seen on American TV, most Americans won’t even notice.

American Empire, Part II By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
February 8, 2010

As his presidency was drawing to a close, Dwight David Eisenhower gave the people of the United States a clear and unmistakable warning. He clearly spelled out the dangers involved in maintaining a defense industry that is constantly researching new weapons and a defense industry that employs millions of people, military and civilian. I believe that what he had to say then is more important now than it was when he delivered his speech. I believe it should be read by everyone in America that cares for its future.

American Empire, Part I By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
February 6, 2010

I stopped trusting the United States a long time ago. I find it very hard to believe anything that comes from the federal government. I am convinced that both major political parties have the same agenda; world domination. I also believe that Congress has lost most of the power reserved for it by the United States Constitution. The Bush administration greatly expanded Executive Branch power, especially in the area of military operations. The Authorization for the Use of Force passed in 2002 had a stipulation that the Executive Branch must report to Congress every 60 days on how the AUOF was being used. (Public Law 107-243, Oct 16, 2002).

Mr. Obama, Do You Believe Us Now? By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 24, 2010

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

I read about how outraged President Obama was with the Supreme Court ruling that allowed corporate money into the election campaigns without limits. I too am outraged. This country, for decades has been run by special interests for special interests, the public be damned. That includes Barack Obama’s Administration and the current Congress.

Perseverance By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 22, 2010

The dictionary describes perseverance as “dogged determination”. If there is anyone that has followed my political writings, they would know that my core issue with the way our government is structured is campaign finance reform. I once wrote that it was the “the reform that enabled all other reforms”.

It is my contention that if elections can be bought, they will be. Corporations, lobbyists, banks and insurance companies are going to have a field day. This is a quirk in our form of government. You can take 5 corporately co-opted judges and watch them rule in their favor. The four other “liberal” judges dissented and made their points. Still, even with the split vote, the Supreme Court decided to turn the political machines over to moneyed interests.

Eulogy for The Left By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 20, 2010

The Presidency of Barack Obama has done more to undermine the left than any Republican sitting in the Oval Office. I believe that this was the reason that this particular Democrat was chosen by the people that hold the real power in America. Now that he is in power and he has demonstrated his willingness to use military force to achieve the goals that his handlers set for him, it’s fairly easy to connect the dots. The old maxim that hindsight is 20/20 while foresight is practically blind fits well in this example. Let me illustrate how I believe Obama has manipulated the system to the point where the political left is for all intents and purposes, a dead political entity. The only thing left at this point is to hold the funeral and send flowers. You can call this article the eulogy for the left.

Clouding the Issues By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 6, 2010

Listening to the commentators and political analysts on the lamesream media can quickly become infuriating. I’m not talking about Glenn “Crybaby” Beck or Sean  Hannity or even Bill O’Reilly, I’m talking about  Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann  and others that are supposed to represent the “Progressive” side of television journalism.

It’s not that I don’t detest the crew on FOX, I do, but I just know what they are all about and therefore their rhetoric doesn’t surprise me. In fact, I sometimes tune in to FOX just to be entertained by the outrageous. I probably would be disappointed if they didn’t deliver, and ninety-nine percent of the time, they live up to my expectations. On the other hand, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow truly infuriate me. It’s not because of their views; it’s because of what they choose to talk about.

This Year The Gloves Come Off By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 2, 2010

During the past decade we the people of the United States have had our sensibilities assailed on a constant basis. Those that have gone along with the mainstream media and government officials and spokesman should be ashamed of themselves. There is a worldwide war being waged by the United States, not on terrorism, but on humanity. The Muslim people are not our enemies. The people that live in regions that America deems important to our geo-strategic goals are not enemies; they are “collateral damage”. The people of the United States that support our government’s charade are not patriots, but pawns. Those that fight for our government are not victors, but victims.

Gangs, Resources and the Truth about American Interventions By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
January 1, 2010

I was watching the History channel for lack of something better to do yesterday, and the program airing was Gangland. I don’t usually watch this show as it seems to glorify gang warfare and the interviews with gang members always make me recoil with horror at what passes for acceptable behavior inside the gangs themselves. However, the show yesterday made me think of the world in a newer light.

In an interview with a gang member, the interviewer was told that the gang would always retaliate if it were “dissed” by another gang. That, in this case, meant that the “dissed” gang would go into the offending gang’s territory and generally kick ass and take names. When asked about the situation, a law enforcement officer told the interviewer that this kind of behavior by gangs would not be tolerated and that law enforcement was obliged to try to stop this violence by any means possible.

Bread and Circuses, an Old Idea in a New Era By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
December 19, 2009

The way words are used, the way people, places and things are described, will make a difference regardless of the subject matter. Today I was reading USA Today (Friday Dec 18, 2009), specifically a letter titled “Independents Unite!” about the possible creation of a third party. In the letter the writer (Alan Mohr) wrote that we should drive the extremists from both political parties from office. I agree whole-heartedly with him, but in the next paragraph he writes;

“Another solution would be to have a new national third party, one that would appeal to independents and the moderates of the two major parties. Such a bloc could control Congress and be a positive influence and do what is best for America.”

Delay this Health Care Bill By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
December 17, 2009

The current debate over health care has turned into something that is unlike anything that comes even remotely like what most Americans wanted. It would be easier to tell you exactly what is wrong with the bill, but it seems to be a secret, an all encompassing bill that the Democrats want to spring on the people of this country without telling them exactly what’s in it.

Not only does this administration want you to trust them in this, you know, the same administration that wants to pursue “just” wars all around the globe, but now it wants to require everyone to have insurance or pay a fine. I want to know exactly what kind of health insurance they are offering. It seems that the Democrats have been asking the people to accept compromise after compromise.

Are You a Democrat? By Timothy V. Gatto

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
December 13, 2009

Are you a Democrat? Well, if you are, I have some questions for you. It occurs to me that somewhere in the last decade (maybe longer), the differences between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have been blurred. I’m going to try to break down why I believe the two political parties find themselves not only similar to each other, but in all actuality, mirror images. Let me begin by bringing up a few points about our touted two-party system.

There are those that seem to believe that the two party system is exactly what our founding fathers envisioned when they crafted our republic. The fact is that many of the founding fathers were opposed to political parties altogether. In fact, the two political parties that are now dominant didn’t exist until the mid nineteenth century. In our history, political parties have come and gone, and the republic continued to thrive. In fact, according to a recent show on the History channel:

Obama’s True Colors By Timothy V. Gatto

[note slightly edited July 22, 2010]

By Timothy V. Gatto
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
liberalpro.blogspot.com
December 4, 2009

Let me start by offering my condolences to those who lost their knight in shining armor. I would like to take this opportunity to say I told you so, but that would be the act of a man kicking someone who’s down, so I won’t.

I guess by now that Barack Obama has pretty much lost all the support he had from the so-called left. His decision to send thirty thousand more troops into that cesspit they call Afghanistan should be enough to convince everyone except the dumbest of the dumb, that we aren’t going to get any type of “change” from this man. Obama is firmly in the pockets of the Military Industrial Corporate Complex.