Just One Woman's Opinion

Sit back..relax..grab something to drink, because this may take awhile!

The purpose of my website is actually the result of me venting once too often to my family. Shrinking lily that I am, I usually have an opinion about everything. After listening to my latest tirade, my family challenged me todo something instead of continuously blowing off steam.

This is all very new to me, so I will be taking baby steps until I get more comfortable with the format. I will be putting forth my opinions on the major and minor current affairs as they occur. I will also share with you my take on books I recommend as well as my inexpert review of television and the movies.

You can expect some very serious input. Do not be surprised however if I address some issues with irreverence and humor. I can't be serious all of the time.

I hope you will use my email address to establish a dialog. I am always interested in the opinions of others.

Above all, this website will give you the chance to vent your opinions and spare your friends and family.

Let's have some fun with this!

My Biography

It's time for you to get to know a little about the woman behind the rantings of Just One Woman's Opinion.

I just celebrated my 59th birthday. I am married with two adult daughters. My eldest is a computer/mechanical whiz and my youngest is a walking encyclopedia of everything ever found in a book. My son in law fills in the gaps with his mathematical and engineering skills. My personal strength has always been the gift of gab although how this benefits either me or those around me is a bit mystifying.

I have always had an interest in history and politics. I spent most of my career at AT&T as a writer of instructional manuals. I am a proud American and I have always felt it was my duty to exercise all the duties of my citizenship as well as enjoying the benefits. I do not and will never buy into that "my country right or wrong" ideology being spouted by the conservative right wing. I believe I live in the best country in the world, but I see my country realistically warts and all. I defend the right of every citizen to vote his/her conscience but I deplore uneducated choices. I hate partisan blatherings which twist truths for the purpose of muddying the facts. Although a registered Democrat, I have always voted for the candidate I believe to have the best qualifications. I firmly believe that those ignorant of history are damned to repeat it. (Paraphrased!)

I have not been this active since the days of Richard Nixon. I truly believe this administration is even more dangerous than Mr. Nixon's. I hope to make at least a small difference in the fight to remove Mr. Bush from office.

Real problems that need to be addressed!

Job loss has never been at such a critical low since the presidency of Herbert Hoover. The number of people living at below poverty levels is at a historic high while working people are seeing their paychecks shrinking and their jobs being outsourced overseas.

45 million Americans have no health insurance. Every day the rising cost of premiums forces more and more businesses into dropping health care coverage for their employees. The high incidence of job loss ensures that the 45 million figure will continue to grow. Drug companies gouge the American consumers who need the drugs most urgently. With the most sophisticated and advanced medical knowledge in the world, a growing number of Americans can’t afford medical treatment or drug therapy.

Although President Bush promised to “leave no child behind” and to end the “soft bigotry of low expectations”, he has failed to give schools the resources they need (under funding his own program by 27 billion dollars). Teachers are underpaid and often have to make do with out dated textbooks. They are forced into buying school supplies out of their own pockets. Drop out rates are outrageous. The number of students graduating high school without basic reading skills is a scandal.

20% of reservists and their families lack adequate health care coverage. 23% of America’s homeless men are veterans. Thousands of disabled veterans are being unfairly taxed on their disabilities. Veterans have to continually fight attempts to slash their pay rates and family separation allowances. Men and women were sent into battle lacking the necessary military strength and woefully under-equipped.

Americans seem to buy into President Bush’s theory that invading Iraq has made our country safer from terrorist attack. I have to believe this is a case of wishful thinking because this theory is completely incorrect and could prove dangerous. As a result of our poorly decided and executed Iraq occupation, we are extremely vulnerable. First, because invading Iraq has turned the Muslim world against us. Second, by making this seem a Christian crusade (Mr. Bush made that unfortunate and costly statement) outside insurgents are becoming involved and finally the 300 billion dollar (and climbing) cost of Mr. Bush’s Iraq folly depletes the funds necessary to implement urgent security measures at home.

Something to think about!

The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism
By Dr. Lawrence Britt

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed
to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

"He who is willing to give up freedom for security deserves neither" Benjamin Franklin