Thanks. Merry Christmas to you, too. Why don't you try something constructive instead of stomping your feet and yelling.

Perhaps I am misinterpreting but it seems to me Al is merely saying we have the power if we want to use it. That seems to me a worthwhile statement.

It is. I just wonder why he isn't here flexing his power instead of half a world away.

Psychoanalyzing Al seems a rather precarious business but I never saw him claim the power to rectify the rather over-relaxed attitude of the US public to the steady inexorable withdrawal of at least the apparent ideals of basic decency in government proclaimed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, no matter that history well illustrates these have never been well implemented. The rather easy compliance to the mildly brutal dispersal of the OWS movement throughout the USA by the officials elected to preserve the basic rights to protest does seem to demonstrate that the sense of government by the people was rather a pleasant fantasy somewhat less powerful than a belief in Santa Claus.

And I agree with you. My point, though, is that al chose to leave the U.S., yet he keeps sending dire warnings and suggestions on how to run things. If he were really worried, why isn't he here where he could reach more people. Telling the OS readers is preaching to the choir. I like what he writes and I think it makes sense, usually, but what is it doing?

Suppose al were in the USA. Are there not equally aware and competent US citizens in the USA? What are they doing? I am also a US citizen living abroad. I cannot afford to go back and live in New York City where I grew up. I tried it at the age of 75 and found the only work I could get was physical labor which paid less than what would keep me alive and out of a cardboard box under a bridge. I am a trained and experienced industrial designer and no one would touch me in my profession. I don't know about al but perhaps he has similar problems. Should he then shut up and not be distressed over the frightful state of US politics and the disastrous economy? The more people yelling, the more the chance something might get done.

It's called trying to wake the masses, phyllis.

you, like many others here, probably think, to use an apisa sh*t's expression, obama is a "good and decent man," who inherited two wars, and is trying his best to end them, hindered by another apisa expression, "professional liberals," when the reality is; the two have now morphed into covert and overt wars in:

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria, (Kenya, Uganda Burundi), Libya, Syria, Iraq, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, and other places unknown.

apisa's busy writing editorial letters, concerning whether cats should be leashed or unleashed, and getting barred from religion discussion boards- what are YOU doing?


-R-

It is the Rich. That's the nut of it.

Jan, that does put another view on things. And I don't know Al's story, true enough, except what he said here in his bio. And I would never stifle a voice as they are all needed. I think this post just struck me as heaping abuse on those of us impacted by the current state of affairs who do what we can to change things and they still get worse.

markinjapan, I am living in a small town in Indiana, working a full time job, getting a degree in management from one of the top schools in the country, attending the local town council meetings, paying taxes and voting. I do not appreciate assumptions such as you made regarding me or my motives. I believe that I have a fairly open mind about this country and what is happening here and damned if I know what it will take to fix it. What are you doing in Japan?

The tired refrain of those who believe we ex-pat americans haven't the right to criticize our government doesn't cut it, phyllis.

As a more than four decade activist, I can assure you that I did more this year to obtain freedom and justice in america, Japan, and the world
than you in your myopic life in indiana, of all places will do in a lifetime, especially with your degree in management, of all things.

markinjapan, I went back to your page and read some of your previous posts. You seem to thrive on attacking other posters, so this will be my last comment to you. Find a new target.

Mark, you know me well enough to understand my point of view. It appears to me Phyllis is just as distressed as the rest of us and is asking basically the same questions. What are we to do?

Al says screw the system, don't participate. Perhaps he's right. I am not sure.

Society needs managers whether or not the crooks now in charge are doing their best to corrupt and milk the system. We just have to get rid of the gangsters and since they are now in the driver's seat there are no easy answers.

A couple of days ago Verizon tried to charge people for paying their bills and the immediate outrage quickly made them back down. That's the kind of hair trigger outrage that needs to erupt over the total crap being dumped on the public on many issues. How to generate that total outrage and give it effective force is the problem.

I think Phyllis is one of us.

Ever been to indiana, Jan?

Seemed to me that half the people spent their days watching "All My Children" and "One Life to Live."

The other half seemed busily planning trips to the Coney Island hot dog eating championship so they could bray we're #1 and use use use, as joey chestnut won, once again.

Jan, thank you for the support but markinjapan doesn't deal in facts, only in his own myopic opinion of the world around him. He doesn't feel the need to actually get to know someone, to read their posts in a thoughtful manner, to be perceptive. He, being of a narcissistic bent, is content to form a snap judgment and build a world view on a random sentence. I fear that your comments in my defense will forever fall on deaf ears. Perhaps we can continue our discussion on a later date, free from interruptions. Cheers.

Thought your last comment was your last one - got a case of apisa-itis, phyllis?

Since I admire Frank Apisa, I'll take that as a compliment. And if you had actually read it, you would see that I said it was the last comment TO YOU, which this assuredly is.

Oh boy! Sorry. I find Apisa appalling, somebody who has bought system and believes it is basically honest, a bad mistake.

I'm sorry to have ignited this explosion.

admiring apisa says all one needs to know.

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♥║╚══╣║║║║║╚══╣╚══╬╝║║╚╝♥
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♥╚═══╝╚╝╚╝╚═══╩═══╝─╚for being a concerned citizen.

Nice Trimaran Al. I'd join you but the outboard on my jonboat is acting up again.

I agree with you that the big majority has got the power. But how to get them to use it? I don't know. The thing might be that the big majority is just satisfied to watch tv and to complain that politicians are corrupt (as they of course are).

The 1% will put again the similar candidates for the 99% in the next elections and people will do superficial selection between, if they will take their bigmac with or without cheese. There will be no change.