Perspectives

"The cost of the war has been underestimated from the beginning. The government convinced itself that Iraqi oil would pay for the war; that war taxes were not needed. It would have been unpatriotic for an economist to tell the truth – that fighting two, long wars at once could bankrupt the country. That was a truth that was not to be uttered as far as the militarist U.S. government was concerned."

"In a society where the grip of Jewish religious fundamentalism is tightening – stoked by the high birth rate of ultra-Orthodox Jews and the state’s generous support of a separate religious education system – such incidents regularly occur on Yom Kippur and less frequently on Saturdays, the official day of rest."

"As recently as a month ago, such a program of economic restoration and national renewal would have been flatly impossible, due to the overwhelming political power of financial institutions and mega-corporations, and the influence of the corporate media. But today, with the stock market collapse, the acute and widespread economic distress among all but the most wealthy Americans, and the consequent political unrest and activism, we may have arrived at one of those “hinges of history” which just might move the United States and the world in a new and more hopeful direction."

"As Canadians woke up to another Harper minority on October 15, Canada's right-wing National Post newspaper smugly declared; "The Conservatives won a majority in political power if not in name." But I would strongly advise Mr. Harper not to let all that media spin make him dizzy with self- grandeur."

"From Russia’s perspective, NATO cannot be trusted, and may eventually buckle under US pressure and extend its membership to Georgia and Ukraine. If this were to materialize, a security nightmare would unravel next to the Russian border. To circumvent such prospects, Russia has dug its heels in Georgia, deepened ties with Venezuela and instigated measures to prevent American domination of Ukraine. Should the upcoming election fail to rollback American influence in Ukraine, or if the America decides to wrest Ukraine away from Russia, then it is probable that Russia would invade Ukraine to protect its interests."

"Everything changes now, including the current presidential campaign. John McCain certainly knows that. The chances of his assuming the presidency have virtually disappeared, since he was a key pusher of the Republican ideology of deregulation of business that helped lead to the debacle we're in today. Still, McCain fights on, claiming to rein in the worst aspects of the hate and fear his campaign has fomented, while continuing to circulate TV ads and comments, many from his running-mate, that rest on the fomenting principle that Barack Obama is someone voters should fear in the White House."

"The Media has become an effective tool for prolonging the psychological terrorization of the American people. American citizens must be vigilant in not allowing hate mongering interest groups, such as the producers of this DVD, to subvert such values as liberty, peace, and justice for all."

"What we are seeing is the all-out effort to preserve human institutions, such as banks and corporations, whose reason for existence is out of whack with human sustainability on the planet. The financial system exists to enhance wealth and profit and economic growth and usually at the expense of natural "institutions", such as ecosystems, species, and even whole planetary realms, such as the global climate. We think nothing of putting the polar bear at risk, but go all out to save Wachovia."