Collapse

Went to the showing of Mike Ruppert's Collapse at the Green Mountain Film Festival last night in Montpelier. Very good crowd. 100-150 for a film that was announced late. The crowd was mesmerized by the film and most stayed for the Q & A. The moderators were not real well informed and started out by being critical of the doom and gloom no way out theme in the movie. I pointed out that Ruppert devotes half of his book to solutions. The people in attendance all seemed like folks that may have both a garden and a gun, two things necessary for survival in the post peak oil world. Optimism continues to pour forth wherever I go and it bothers me that few people point out that our failed policies have been the cause of our fiscal and ecological collapse. We have no lack of money to solve these problems. we have a lack of leadership. Until someone in power in the state of Vermont denounces the war on terror and the war on drugs we will continue to live the destructive lies that have created these situations. One and one half billion dollars of Vermonters tax dollars are being used each year to fight wars for oil and opium. These wars do nothing to protect Vermonters. Corporate Entities are the sole beneficiaries of these invasions. The Defense industry profits from the slaughter in the Middle East and Big Pharma profits from the 350,000 permanently disabled U.S. soldiers. The state of Vermont is a big loser in this game. We need to refuse participation in both these fraudulent wars and use the 1.5 billion for health care, clean energy, education, and other things that are a benefit to the citizens of our state.

Vermonts Genetic Code

I went to a lecture by Frank Bryan who authored The Vermont Papers a secessionist guide of sorts. He spoke of the unique nature of Vermonters and attributed it to our having missed the Urban Industrial period of America from the late forties through the early sixties. He spoke of our differences being in part due to the large number of diary farmers who by nature are more empathetic and nurturing than the average man. These qualities made for a better democracy and helped keep the tradition of town meeting alive. He also talked about how centralization is bad and small is almost always better. This has all been covered in his book and in many others that deal with the benefits of direct democracy. I asked how we could ever expect decentralization to cease and revert to smaller community based government in the face of corporatism which is antithetical to these policies. His answer was vague but he believes people will come around when they realize that the old way of smaller government works better. After the talk I introduced myself and we talked briefly about secession. He said that he still feels patriotic in many ways, in the old sense, but if he was raising kids he would push them towards independence.

eric holder

Attorney General Eric Holder recently announced that Osama Bin Laden would not be taken alive or receive a trial. What was the purpose of this random statement? Is Osama still on anyones radar. Most intelligence officials believe he is dead. No verified contact has been made since December of 2001 . Politics was the motivation for this bizarre staement. The justice system of the United States is at an all-time low. The people in charge just can't seem to decide what to do with Khaled Shiek Mohammed. Since they have no evidence that could be used in a court of law they are flip flopping on how to convict him. Evidence is no longer needed to convict criminals in the U.S. so Mr. Holder is reiterating the fact that our 200 year old system is defunct. Terrorists being the most evil, devious, and intelligent adversaries we have ever faced cannot be tried before juries. They are so brilliant that they don't even leave a trail of evidence. How can you convict someone who has covered his crime so completely? We have perfected a new system just for this modern criminal. The judge ,jury and executioner all wrapped up in one. Eric Holder has assumed the duties in the case of Osama and Barack Obama has taken responsibiltiy for the verdict in the KSM case. The best news is that this should save a lot of money and time. Alas this does not seem to be the case as KSM has been awaiting execution now for 7 years. Good boogie men need to linger, they help sell the war on terror. Ka-Ching!! $$$$

Health Care

I attended a meeting about Single Payer Health Care at UVM last night. All who spoke and I believe most in attendance including a large contingent from the tiny Vermont Socialist Party were in favor of this plan. House bill 100 and Senate bill 88 are the items that need to be pushed through to achieve this goal. Like the Vermont Yankee forum last week there was tremendous optimism and delusion about the federal government allowing little old Vermont to do what we want. Peter Shumlin and other candidates for office were present. The main sticking point in the minds of the panel of experts was the money. Not the money Vermont would be taking from the insurance companies by excluding them but the cost to the citizens of Vermont Dr. Andy Coates explained quite clearly how a less complicated system would save money by reducing costs and taxes at the same time. He also called Health Insurance companies a 780 billion dollar tumor.
This is all common sense and as the panel pointed out there is much evidence that supports this system that Thomas Douglas started in Saskatchewan 50 years ago. Funding it would also be easy and the common sense approach works best. Don’t increase income tax to pay for sick people. Increase taxes on the things that make them sick. 75% of hospital visits, which are the most expensive part of health care relate to the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and obesity. We know that the cigarette tax has reduced consumption, making a healthier less health care dependent population. Success!!! We need to repeat this with alcohol and the number 1# cause of obesity and dental work. Sugar. Maybe just tax soda since it would be easy. All of these are easily taxed and could pay all health care costs in Vermont. If people buy less of these products Vermont get healthier and costs go down. Success!!! Unfortunately common sense rarely wins in Washington when confronting big money interests.

I recently wrote the Vermont Guard to see if they supported a move by the legislature to bring the troops home . This was his response .
Due to Federal law (the Hatch Act) I am unable to help you shape yourplatform. We now have 1500 members of the Vermont Guard who are preparing toserve overseas. All members join the military under their own freewill...there is no longer a draft. I suggest they do not join the militaryor Guard blindly...and know they could serve their country overseas. Irespectfully suggest that you might not find much support from the Militaryor Guard on your platform. I personally don't know too many people who are pro-war....they are pro serving their country even if it requires going to war.....
I wrote
In all due respect sir I know a lot of people who are pro-war. Halliburton, KBG, Lockhead Martin, General Dynamics , and apparently most of Congress. I can appreciate the fact that you want to serve your country but I believe that can be done in a more humane manner by protecting our borders from within and not invading soveriegn nations and killing innocent people. The idea that the most powerful military on earth can't protect itself from within its borders , from the poorest countries on the planet, is a lie that has fueled every war since WWII. If no profit were made from these wars , no wars would be waged. I will never ask you or anyone to protect me or my freedoms by attacking innocent people. In my mind it is the equivalent of killing your neighbor because you heard through the grapevine that he might do you harm. I have spoken to Guard members who have stated that they must go to fight the Taliban because they attacked us. I have heard Vermont army recruits boasting that they can't wait to go kill some bad guys. This disgusts me. The Taliban never attacked us as you know. Killing is murder, war is terrorism. Despite your reply I will still fight to educate these unfortunate young people so they do know why we are over there. Hopefully then they will choose a career based on facts , not on propaganda and bounties paid with my tax money.
Respectfully yours
Peter Garritano