ROUND AND ROUND WE GO WITHOUT ANY PROGRESS DESPITE THE PASSAGE OF TIME
President Obama recently announced he was in favor of “Gay Marriage” but added that it was up to the 50 states to decide. He simultaneously did not mention his position on the repeal of the 1996 Federal law called “The Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA – Codified in 1 USC Sec. 7 & 28 USC Sec. 1738C). DOMA permits each state to ignore the acts and laws of other states when it comes to recognizing “Gay Marriages” in other states. It also states with respect to all Federal laws and statutes that “marriage” would be defined as only between a man and a woman. This administration stated it would not defend DOMA in any litigation challenging the constitutionality of the law but nothing further is on record. Here’s hoping that we can trust the U.S. Supreme Court to someday determine this issue.
What a pyrrhic victory. What a sop to the GLBT community and the slight majority of Americans across the U.S. who favor such a nationwide change in our laws. There still exists a wide disparity in the many polls that measure the support or opposition to this change depending upon which State is being polled. This empty announcement by the President was pathetic – particularly since it occurred just before he attended a large Hollywood fundraiser that politically and socially required such a statement.
Since being in office, President Obama has established a pattern of doing practically nothing on any issue or making any efforts to move Congress on any legislation until it is absolutely necessary – and then he capitulates into doing the very least possible. Any person in (or who supports) the GLBT community that favors marriage equality is a delusional and desperate fool to suddenly support this President’s re-election as a result of this minor change of opinion.
The more pressing issue is whether the President will ever act towards repealing DOMA and stating that Marriage rights are a national issue concerning equal protection under the law – and not state mealy-mouthed that the issue should be left to the states to decide (if and when they might find the time or local desire.) This is not the same as naming State Flowers, Birds, and other useless things. If we are not a unified nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific (plus Alaska and Hawaii) then why would anyone – least of all a President who taught Constitutional law before taking office – continue to endorse an un-constitutional, unfair and idiotic patchwork of 50 conflicting state laws (still governed by DOMA) when it comes down to fundamental civil rights? Was the Civil Rights movement for Blacks and former slaves really effective on a state-by-state method over 100 years (1865-1965) or did not President Johnson effectively push Congress in 1965 to finally protect these civil rights nationwide? But what else would one expect from El Presidente sin Cojones? (corrected Spanish – I speak French. Thanks DDW.)
I have already come out in opposition to this President’s re-election on a variety of other issues. He has utterly failed to have the many departments and agencies in his Administration thoroughly investigate and prosecute the nationwide wave of serious crimes consisting of massive fraud, theft, deceit, accounting tricks, illegal lending and foreclosing procedures, and the gambling of depositor funds perpetrated by the financial and real estate cartels. Sadly, most politicians in Washington DC and the President himself have been, are, and will be totally beholden to the owners and executives of these huge corrupt industries for re-election. He did not need any Congressional support for performing his Executive Duties under the Constitution but he chose to ignore crime. His inaction has permitted massive crime to continue to this day.
This President – despite his crafty intelligence in political theatrics and his diligent service to the most corrupt crony capitalists in the Nation’s history – is simply incompetent and unwilling to serve the best interests of the vast majority Americans. He has expanded the unconstitutional homeland security spying on U.S. citizens, continuing a needless war in Afghanistan, and wasting billions of dollars on the Defense Industrial Complex are just more reasons not to re-elect him. There are even many other reasons to throw this President to the dung-heap of history this November.
Sadly, the Republican Party is offering a candidate who is even a more shallow, craven and callous servant of this nation’s 1% oligarchy – but at least Mitt Romney and conservatives do not lie about their true intentions, loyalties and policies. President Obama is a smiling, empty suit who will say anything to gullible and delusional Democrats, progressives, liberals, moderates and independents, but whose policies are just a variation on those of the Republicans. Both parties are mere puppets of the same oligarchy and voting for a candidate from either is a completely waste of time and effort.
This rapidly-declining nation of misinformed, intentionally ignorant, congenitally stupid, easily distracted, and generally disinterested, selfish, delusional and apathetic citizens probably deserves the full wrath of Republican and Ayn Rand Conservative policies that are a complete anathema to ethically-minded and critically-thinking Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even most non-believers. Many people who lack education, information and intelligence, and who are easily misled, confused and duped need to see the full destruction of their political and economic system and society itself to finally understand and learn even the basics of human behavior, ethics and clear thinking. They are not unlike some beasts of burden that need a sharp whip and other physical pain to finally wake up and move.
The majority of Americans have decided over the past 30 years to believe all the crap the wealthy Oligarchy has fed them, ignore facts and reality, and have willingly believed the Alger Hiss delusion they also would prosper economically by following the most narcissistic, greedy, selfish, corrupt, short-term-driven, and immoral people that ever lived on Earth. 95% of humanity in the U.S. and across most of the globe have given complete control over their lives and basic civil rights, our shared and finite natural resources, our savings, labor and capital, the global environment, and most aspects of government and public policy to the 5% of humanity that are amoral soulless sociopaths and psychopaths without consciences. These people care nothing for the well-being of the rest of humanity. Our sociopathic leaders are aided by many lower-level control-freak fascists, nasty sadists, ideological fundamentalists, and small-time grasping manipulators who are politicians, entertainers, mass media providers, and many extreme religious leaders.
Thus President Obama’s recent statement in favor of Gay Marriage is just a political diversion without any substance or promise of meaningful actions in the future. For the idiotic voters who principally cast their votes on whether a political candidate shares their irrelevant “social” and “religious” preferences, this may be a defining moment in determining how to vote in November. Sadly both U.S. Presidential candidates of the 2 corrupt and worthless major political parties are completely clueless on (1) how to pursue responsible economic and fiscal matters, (2) how to put tens of millions of Americans back to work, (3) how to address the mess that is healthcare, (4) what to stress in national defense and how to protect the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, (5) how to deal with the global environment plus energy and resource depletion, (6) what should be the nation’s long-term policies, and (7) most every tax and spending issue that exists in 2012. All these issues (and many more) have been part of our inane national debates for the past 10 to 20 years.
Nothing really changes – only the obnoxious, smiling and dishonest faces we elect – who only worry about pleasing their wealthy masters and winning the next election. We’ve heard all the arguments before (fact-based and totally fact-free) and we will continue to debate them until our nation and society have fallen off the awaiting cliff of complete disaster. Our system is beyond reform, redemption or even minor changes. It has become so gridlocked, paralyzed, corrupt and delusional that only the complete collapse of this suffocating Matrix will provide the long-awaited chance for human freedom and enlightenment for the majority of people in the U.S. and on this planet.
I no longer wish to be a manipulated (and replaceable) actor in this depressing piece of global theatre. I’ll now settle for being a dispassionate observer who has stepped out of the Matrix and who will be preparing to work with many smart, well-informed, ethical and creative people to pick up the pieces after we collectively hit bottom. Until that happens within the next 10 to 20 years, you won’t find me going to the polls ever again.
Submitted on 5/14/12 by Marc Pascal from Phoenix, Arizona. (avenir99pm@yahoo.com) An open point for future discussion (provided that the U.S. Federal Government eventually recognizes same-sex marriages) would be to determine whether “marriage” could extend beyond just 2 adults? That question might open another proverbial “can of worms” but it will eventually become necessary yo resolve in light of many historical and current religious, social, economic, financial and environmental considerations. N.B. Dear Ohioan (I lived there for over 30 years) Please understand that I do not support OWS as they don’t know what they want or how to effectuate any changes to the status quo.
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Nice rant. Now, instead of sitting on your duff and complaining, get out and do something that might help change things. Take some soup to your local OWS group – they’re not sitting placidly by.
“No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” – Edmund Burke
Interesting!
Kudos from one of those gullible delusional, desperate, foolish, idiotic people who lack education, information and intelligence and is easily misled, confused and duped not unlike some beasts of burden that need a sharp whip and other physical pain to finally wake up and move, but one who promises to try very hard to work with many smart, well-informed, ethical and creative people to pick up the pieces after we collectively hit bottom.
BTW “cajones” is Spanish for wooden drawers, as in a wardrobe or cabinet.
I believe the President probably has plenty of cajones in the White House.
DOMA is patently unconstitutional, so that should resolve itself (indeed I suspect many could be surprised by how some justices would vote on this case)
If there is such strong support to repeal DOMA why have 32 states voted to outlaw gay marriage?? North Carolina voted overwhelmingly by a 20% margin.
Obama stuck his neck out enough– if he loses in 2012, the Republicans will just repeal the repeal and send us back to the dark ages.
I never get why the blame is aimed at somebody who at least is trying to make progress and not on those who want to even outlaw civil unions and want to pretend that gay people can go into a therapy program and come out “normal”.
Pls put your energy into changing those attitudes first. Obama has already risked reelection because of so many religious bigots
If you don’t take part in the process – to the extent of voting against the greater evil, then you’ve forsaken some of your bitching rights. That said, the citizenry is swamped with clueless people not smart enough to know who is running over them roughshod – and who isn’t. And the ones who do know are mostly disgusted by how immune to accountability the offenders are… which goes in part to Hart’s recent post. 21st century America isn’t for lightweights.
I read and re-read this article for some clue as to what you really believe. You are going to have to learn not to be so obtuse.[/Attempt at humor]
Obama certainly fell something short of the mark of what we needed. He is no FDR, not even close. We needed another FDR, we got another Carter.
He has yet to be brought an issue, a baby that he was unwilling to cleave in half. He seems to be the last person in the country to realize that the Republicans had no intention of compromising on any issue. He is probably going to be really stunned when the Republicans take control of the Senate and nuke the filibuster.
And you are correct, possibly his greatest failing was his decision to not legally pursue the people who brought the Great Financial Crisis and Recession on us.
But as disappointed as I with him I still can see an argument for voting for him. He is much better than the alternative, Mitt Romney. It is much better to have Obama as President than the vulture capitalist.
The only way to change anything is through the political system. To do that you have to convince people to vote based on the issues that matter. A hundred occupy demonstrations are of no use unless they change people’s votes. This should be easier for God’s sake. We are asking people to not vote on the side of the bankers and speculators, to lower interest rates and the profits of the rent seekers who are skimming money from the real, productive economy to finance their zero sum gambling for the speculators.
Great comment merkin. Lord knows there are ample reasons to be disgusted by the failures of the system and the people who exploit it, but giving in to cynicism is giving up. As I said, 21st century America isn’t for lightweights (although a case could be made for it’s many accomodations to the “blissfully” ignorant). Hang in there Marc!