Swampgrass Music

Cease Fire Now!

2011-03-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

I would call for the rebels in Libya to call a cease fire, establish a zone of non-violent expression to stage a nationwide campaign to finally end with a plebiscite vote over the question of a call of no confidence in Col. Khadaffi.

The campaign could remain under NATO's protective cover, without western military advisors to keep it closer to the ground and to encourage peaceful transition of power. I suggest that it be proposed that Saif be in charge at least to help implement reforms he had been calling for years prior. The call is for a unified, more prosperous and peaceful Libya.

Tribal bad elements, though small, could easily take advantage of any destabilization a civil war would bring.

Start right away calling for a zone for the expression of free speech and national unity and build out peacefully.

Libyan Rebels As Proxies?

2011-03-17T04:08:00.000-07:00

News reports seem to be framing the Libyan rebellion in familiar terms. This concerns me. The uniformity of message never once brings up the question of foreign involvement in the political movements behind this uprising. We are not hearing in our media questions to officials or reporting on intelligence projects designed to facilitate regime change. Programs to set up friendly constituencies would be perpetuated and can act like sleeper cells. I wonder if the Libyan situation might actually have some dirty black ops psycho-social with ties to friends of John Bolton or other rabid PNAC clique.

It disturbs me to listen to news readers breathlessly whine for us to get in and enforce God knows what sort of outcome these rebels seek. Who told those demonstrators to get out on the streets and demand the president step down? Who backed that promise of security? I seriously doubt anybody would be doing this if they have no promise of help.

I wish there were some better clarity on how programs to destabilize unfriendly regimes are overseen and managed. Too much to hope for, it seem, as usual.

Tennessee Blues

2009-07-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hell yeah!

2009-06-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. President

2009-03-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Respectfully Sir:

OK, fair enough, very funny about what the online community must be smoking - even though some of us organized for your presidential campaign, I can take a joke.

Still, I have to tell you that in the face of the seriousness behind the problems I am unsatisfied by the gallows humor - sarcastic cynicism is a poor substitute for wit.

Getting to the point: the real question behind the push for drug law reform has never been clearly addressed on your part. I think you would agree that US drug policy has failed to serve us well. Interdiction and warehousing has not reduced demand appreciably, and what it has accomplished hasn't been cheap. Doubling down is going to be much more expensive.

I get your position, really...here you are a couple months in office, dealing with a global economic meltdown, working with Federal Reserve and Treasury on re-making the financial sector without shocking the markets any more than they already are, not to mention foreign policy and a budget to try to get passed. I understand that you have a pretty full plate and here comes this crazy hop head scheme to legalize the weed. To help the economy! Well let me suggest, apart from the clear red herring, that there is another way to look at the issues.

Can we just accept the position that sick people take drugs? Why are we arresting people who need to be patients? If there is an epidemic of drug abuse, perhaps it is best addressed by employing education and treatment. I suggest that the millions of people abusing drugs in the US are self-medicating for mental illness, or need education to develop better coping skills. The de Facto leader of the Republican party, Mr. Limbaugh, would certainly agree that his personal challenge with recovery would not have been helped if he were forced to serve prison time instead of treatment.

The US economy is not the focus with my approach, rather it is the underground clandestine economics of the drug trade that need careful and innovative strategy.

Simply put, I suggest putting in place a strategy of economic stranglehold on the drug market. Similar to the idea of "dumping" in a commercial market, I propose letting the economic incentive to be in the drug business fall off by flooding the market with cheap, free product, alongside an aggressive, demand based mental health outreach program.

I don't suggest that one plank of the plan be implemented apart from the others. Simple decriminalization alone won't be as efficacious as it would with a treatment program alongside. What I propose is an approach that shocks the drug gangs and takes out some of their financial foundations. There remains the task of bringing the violent offenders to justice and ending the corruption and criminal enterprises. Perhaps this overwhelming task could be made a little bit easier by pushing the economic lever. Who would pay for something they could grow in their garden?

There is a certain cultural and tribal aspect that has crept into mainstream framing of the decriminalization argument. I think that is unfortunate, and some advocates of reform have allowed themselves to become subject to Cheech and Chong cliched characterizations. Still, who among us has not listened to the music or enjoyed the creative work of an artist who uses cannabis for sacramental or tribal ceremony? I think it is worth considering that this type of tribe is one example of the American individual. The foundation of drug control policy seems to be based upon the establishment of a nanny state trying to force out certain tribal elements in culture. The hard truth is that some people are going to smoke reefer whether it is legal or not. If our goal is to reduce availability to children, then we have failed. America's huge demand, which can be re-framed as unmet mental health need, will keep going as long as we refuse to treat it. And we will continue to fail until demand drops off. As long as there is demand alongside profit motive there will be a willing seller. The appropriate balance to strike is to draw comparisons with alcohol and tobacco prevention measures and move out from there.

What we have now is a 2-headed monster and both heads need to be chopped off. The violent illicit marketplace head can be addressed, in part, through economic engagement. The social head is only going to come off with widespread mental health care availability.

Mr. President, these are the arguments that I would like to see you address. Given the civil liberties aspect that has been disturbing many in the legal community for years, I feel the question has more merit than you have acknowledged publicly. Some may ask if you feel, in your personal experience, had you been arrested and convicted for drug use as a young person, that your life would have turned out as it did? Some are not as lucky as to not get caught and it strikes some as hypocritical to then turn around as chief policy director of the nation and laugh off the concerns of civil libertarians.

Taking a completely different line of reasoning, I urge you to take another look at the medical science in its totality concerning the physiological effects of cannabis. Even if its benefits are only palliative, policy should reflect evidence instead of cultural bias. Please be true to your campaign promise to be guided by science not ideology.

I suggest that the mental health treatment program would put to work a lot of talented MFCC's and MSW's - jobs which also fill certain gender slots.

President Obama, even though I doubt you will ever read this, it is with the hope that somehow a flicker gets through as I can't help but feel that it is only appropriate that we conquer violence and fear through kindness as the world moves closer towards a plowshare awareness.

Peace

Terril Cross: Good Year for the Roses

2009-02-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

After getting beat up, Obama comes back swinging

2009-02-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

President Obama having had a rough couple days rallies the house democrats in Williamsburg, Va Democratic retreat tonight. Calling on democrats to do what the elections show the public demands, the president is taking his case to the house ahead of conference committee after the senate passes their version of the recovery bill, presumably soon.

President Obama struck a populist tone, calling on his campaign time, referencing the public's basic decency and desire that the politicians are working for their behalf.

Ironically, senate majority leader Harry Reid announced that they will not get through the amendments tonight, despite assurances that they would work through the night. I think this is being held up over 100 billion that a minority of the minority led by Olympia Snowe wants to cut.

Then there's the blue dogs who are sniffing out a lot of what they call pork to dig out of the bill.

The president has stepped up the game by publicly defending such items as federal vehicle upgrades to alternative energy by wondering if 'these people (the critics) are serious' and forcefully saying the election shows the public rejects the worn out arguments that got us here.

Showing high spirits tonight in Williamsburg the president isn't showing any wear, seemingly energized by the battle.

Why Daschle?

2009-02-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

When Bill Richardson's commerce nomination was derailed by his involvement in a New Mexico corruption investigation, he dropped out citing his wish to not let his troubles become a distraction.

Tim Geithner's tax avoidance is forgiven, presumably because the treasury job requires a very specialized skill set so badly needed in these troubled times. OK, I'll accept that for now.

Now comes former senator Tom Daschle who is "embarrassed" by his avoiding 120k in taxes. We are now learning that he knew about it at least 2 weeks before Obama tapped him for the nomination. There are at least 4 separate instances of either lobbying or tax avoidance conflicts.

To see Schumer defending his senate colleague on the Sunday programs just looks like more of the same wagon circling. If this had been a Bush nominee, imagine the charges of croneyism.

Even though Daschle would likely be effective on the job, I don't think he's the only one. Daschle should resign.

Michael Steele to head RNC

2009-01-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

The first black chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele's acceptance speech doesn't have any indication of a change in the partisan tone of the Grand Old Party.

Peppered through the speech were boasts of party strength, promises to win and to knock over 'foes' and invocations of God's blessing upon his friends and the republican party.

In their insouciant game of superficial copycat, the GOP is making another big mistake by ignoring the trend to get past bitter partisan bickering as we need to get to work on the serious problems staring us in the face. I think it is unfortunate that Steele ignored the job loss, corporate irresponsibility, and growing poverty that we need to work together to solve. It was all about growing the party, which played well to the room. Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman who made and sent out a holiday CD "Barack the magic negro" dropped out of the race for the seat. Although he did not give a reason, it's pretty obvious that the party got the joke and didn't think it was funny. A cynical person would read this to mean the party elected a black man so they can start winning again. What they don't get is that the election was about a change in direction, that policy needs to reflect the needs of the people. Steele's election is all about what the party needs at this moment.

The RNC motto should be changed to Party First.

Obama reprises role of Capt. Renault

2009-01-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

In that famous scene in Casablanca, Captain Renault (played by Claude Rains) unconvincingly exclaims "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" Today President Obama acts shocked and outraged at news of Wall Street CEO's big bonuses, lecturing them on responsibility just as his 'Bad Bank' is getting ready to buy up assets at much higher than they will get on the market, all on our dime. As Paul Krugman puts it:

As the Obama administration apparently prepares to launch Hankie Pankie II — buying troubled assets from banks at prices higher than they will fetch on the open market — it occurred to me that an updated version of an old Communist-era joke may be appropriate: under Bush, financial policy consisted of Wall Street types cutting sweet deals, at taxpayer expense, for Wall Street types. Under Obama, it’s precisely the reverse.

Update: Maybe I was too cryptic. The original joke was, “Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Socialism is the reverse.”

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Bye Bye Blago

2009-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Illinois senate voted 59-0 to bar Blagojevich from holding public office again.

It's as shame that this guy has such a low regard for the state that he put them through this ordeal.

I'll never understand hubris, no matter how often it presents itself.

UPDATE: Lt. Governor Pat Quinn sworn in as the new IL Governor

Illinois lawmakers being quoted saying "good riddance".

Stimulus passes house

2009-01-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

The House passed the $819 billion economic stimulus bill by a vote of 244 to 188.

Sweet

2009-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Kudos to representative Jerry Nadler for getting passed by voice vote restoration of 10b up from 3b stimulus for mass transportation.

This after Jim Kramer of CNBC's Mad Money is announcing the stimulus as woefully too small, calling for much more in the way of infrastructure.

It's moving in the right direction.

Stocks rally on news of Bank Welfare

2009-01-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

Stocks are up today after hearing the treasury plans to buy up their toxic assets. I have a question: how is the US government going to value these assets?

Nationalize these banks to some degree if they are going to take public money, in order to get them lending. Another thing: why aren't the fiscal hawks calling for loans instead of grants, the way they are doing for the states?

House republicans: we are the proposition party

2009-01-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

Just now House minority leader Boenher is announcing that their opposition bill will create more jobs, yet their stated plan is simply more tax cuts. The minority leader is using a multiplier of 2.2 for tax cuts. I don't have any idea where that comes from, and I look forward to hearing more.

Tax cuts have never had any better than a 1/1 multiplier, basic macro 101.

Still, I am not too happy with the way the stimulus is winding its way through. We still can't see what's in the thing. Infrastructure, especially light rail and smart grid have been put on the back burner. These in favor of tax cuts to win over republican support which is not likely to happen anyway.

If there's not going to be bipartisan support, let's have our infrastructure.

Did Holder make a deal?

2009-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Washington Times reports that Attorney General nominee Eric Holder privately assured republican Senator Kit Bond that he would not prosecute Bush officials involved in the interrogations program.

Considering the source, I am skeptical. I wonder if Sen Bond is just lying or else the moonie-rag just got it wrong.

If true, this is a serious ethical and possibly legal problem for the soon to be Attorney General. One cannot offer a quid pro quo in order to gain a vote for a federal job.

Again, consider the source, and I note the story relies exclusively on unnamed source.

UPDATE: Talking Points Memo is now reporting the Sen. Leahy is dismissing the story saying that it never happened, never could have happened and compared the request to Blago.

LATE UPDATE: TPM is now reporting that a Holder aide is definitively denying that any special promises were made:

"Eric Holder has not made any commitments about who would or would not be prosecuted," the aide said via e-mail. "He explained his position to Senator Bond as he did in the public hearing and in his responses to written questions."

I like how TPM puts Washington times credibility: Take them with a full shaker of salt.

Stimulus oversight Czar

2009-01-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

David Gergen on CNN is now citing FDR in the need for a Jack Welch type to manage the $850b package. I think he's got a point. With democrats adding, then subtracting at will, it's hard for most of us to know what is going to really be effective in this thing. Repubs are not being helpful either with their basic philosophic objection to government ideology as AM hate radio whips the 28 per centers into a lather.

I am still baffled at how quickly rail was nixed from the package to make room for the tax cut carrot. My feeling is that if a deal isn't struck to get the votes from republicans, then congress might as well just strike the non-stimulative tax cuts and put that money into commuter rail.

Port Angeles bluesman Forrest Rosaire Dies

2009-01-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am sad to say Forrest Rosaire has died. I have just moved to the area and had heard of him as he ran the open jam on Thursday nights at Lyre's Club. From what I understand, he was only 52. He had a heart attack Friday in his home.

This is a reminder of how fragile and precious life is. Just the other day I was thinking of going to the jam but blew it off because I was just lazing around the house. Figuring there would always be another Thursday to go out, I missed out on meeting and playing music with a man, by all accounts, was decent, sweet, and a virtuoso musician.

Craig Logue has known Forrest for over 20 years, has recorded and played music with him over the years. Craig said that Forrest was "the Blues Man around here".

Here's Forrest playing the Sam and Dave classic I Thank You - we all thank you for the gift you gave us with your music and your life.

Cheap shots and lies on Stimulus

2009-01-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

Paul Krugman's column covers most of the bases in the GOP opposition to economic stimulus. It's worth highlighting this part on where the Fed is at and what we can actually do at this point.

Finally, ignore anyone who tries to make something of the fact that the new administration’s chief economic adviser has in the past favored monetary policy over fiscal policy as a response to recessions.

It’s true that the normal response to recessions is interest-rate cuts from the Fed, not government spending. And that might be the best option right now, if it were available. But it isn’t, because we’re in a situation not seen since the 1930s: the interest rates the Fed controls are already effectively at zero.

That’s why we’re talking about large-scale fiscal stimulus: it’s what’s left in the policy arsenal now that the Fed has shot its bolt. Anyone who cites old arguments against fiscal stimulus without mentioning that either doesn’t know much about the subject — and therefore has no business weighing in on the debate — or is being deliberately obtuse.

Nice too is the way he picks apart their lies on the cost per job and Krugman's take on Obama's winning reminder.

Is Blago trying to prove he's nuts?

2009-01-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Soon-to-be former IL Gov Blagojevich's media tour is looking more and more like an attempt to prove that he is a compulsively stupid guy who never knows what he's saying, and therefore didn't know he was soliciting a bribe.

Judge, I may be a compete dumbass, but that only proves I'm not corrupt.

Geithner Confirmed

2009-01-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

Does that mean that I can just forget to pay my taxes too?

Conyers to Rove: I'll see you next week

2009-01-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

CNN is reporting that House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers has issued a subpoena to former Bush administration adviser Karl Rove. Testimony under oath over the politicization of the Department of Justice has been sought by the committee in the past and has been stifled by Roves claims of executive privilege. Now with a new administration, and new executive orders on presidential records, Rove is likely to have to testify or plead the 5th.

UPDATE: Rove is now lawyering up as he's producing a letter from Bush dated 2 weeks ago re-asserting the claims.

stay tuned

...and everything under the sun is in tune

2009-01-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

But the sun is eclipsed by the moon - so goes the old classic Eclipse by Pink Floyd. Thousands of people in Indonesia gathered to witness a annular, or partial, eclipse today.

The next total eclipse will be July 22, 2009, and will be visible in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and some Japanese islands.

Road trip!

Nationalize banks to stop death spiral

2009-01-26T03:27:00.000-08:00

Paul Krugman has been writing about this ever since he went back to work after going off to receive a Nobel prize in Economics late last year. His warnings to the (then) incoming administration have been to follow their own rhetoric about not moving too slow on the economy. The banks, despite an already ungodly cash infusion, are still not lending. They are saddled with junk assets on their books and are just waiting around for the next welfare check to come in. Meanwhile, unemployment is surging and the economy is spiraling. Deficit is not the worst thing in the world. There's another D word, and it's not (yet) depression. It's deflation. That's why I am glad to see the NY Times finally run a serious look at bank nationalization.

It's better to take things seriously and get to the real bold action instead of playing around with idealized notions of bipartisan support which will never really happen until the wolf has not just come to, but entered through our proverbial door.

Sunday, Rep. John Boehner was complaining about the size of the stimulus plan worrying about inflation. Proof that he just doesn't get it. If only we were that fortunate...

No Hope for a big fat Dope(er)

2009-01-26T02:12:00.000-08:00

Professional gasbag and convicted felon, drug addicted radio personality well known amongst conservative Americans is reported to say "I hope he fails" with regard to the US president. This is in startling contrast to the historically patriotic and respectful rhetoric the conservative republicans have tended to employ for the past 8 years. I am not giving the traitor any free publicity, regardless if our president named him to make a point. I hope that it is the last time Mr. Obama falls into the trap of giving in to an attention whore.

The Boss to re-release 'Darkness'

2009-01-26T00:16:00.000-08:00

Bruce Springsteen, having just finished a new effort with the E Street Band, will be putting out a remastered version of the 1978 classic Darkness on the Edge of Town. There will be archival live footage included in the package according to manager Jon Landau.

After hearing the npr stream I was thinking about how much energy the older material has in comparison.

I know it's the old fogey in me, but I can't get past how much I like the sound of the studios and equipment, and recording techniques of the days before digital. It's not even so much a separation thing as it is a thing of, when you can't edit so easily and nudge and tune so perfectly as you can do now, the results came off a bit more human.

just my opinion

Righting a Civil Wrong

2009-01-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

The Obama administration has just announced it is reversing a civil rights miscarriage by the Supreme Court by signaling the president will sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

The court recently ruled, in a case widely decried by civil libertarians, that since Ms Ledbetter did not file her lawsuit in a wage discrimination case 180 days after the company made their decision, regardless of whether she knew of it, she was barred from suing.

Obama has promised to sign the pending legislation Congress . It will most likely make it through the Senate this week.

So it begins...

2009-01-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start this blog calling it Watching The Detectives, but somebody else on Blogger has that name already. So my second choice is Swampgrass Music. I guess it's just as well. I have been calling my music 'swampgrass' for over a decade now. It hardly seems that long. It was a joke when I started. Now I have been posting here and there under that name so many times that it's become my sort of trademark.

I want to put up news feeds and write my own commentary on the news, from the perspective of a guitar playing, songwriting, political hack/junkie, news hound. I don't think anybody else is blogging from that viewpoint.

I am not an expert on anything, but I aspire to credibility. Perhaps some day I will get close. You can expect music, politics, news, gossip, and opinion.

until then