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Oil Crisis: Oil Industry's method of raising prices and cutting their own taxes

Written by: James Dunn on Jul 8, 2008 11:15 AM

Regarding opening environmentally protected areas for mining and pumping oil:

There is over 200 years of oil in the 48 contiguous States that are capped up by oil companies to monopolize world energy. There is no need to violate our environmentally protected areas, just to allow oil companies to further monopolize their strangle hold over our lives.

They are creating a media frenzy just to increase the price of oil; very successfully I might add. However, there is no immediate threat for an oil shortage !!! The oil companies have ONLY created the perception that there is a shortage !!!!

I personally believe that ALL mineral rights belong to the American People, NOT souless corporations!!!

I applaud Venezuela for nationalizing the oil assets in their country!!!!

We should be doing the same thing here in the United States !!!!

Ethically Eliminate ALL Political Corruption

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/jamesbdunn?p=57

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The Fatally Flawed Conservative Value of Hypocrisy

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 6, 2008 3:45 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

The only vice that can not be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. William Hazlitt

Several people I asked about the failure of conservative values mentioned hypocrisy. Michelle, Owen and Steve brought up areas of conservative hypocrisy in; family values, education, finance, the economy, the occupation of Iraq and in human rights. While we all may exhibit varying degrees of hypocrisy in our lives, it seems that the conservative movement has embraced and institutionalized this value.

Failed Conservative Values: Michelle on Hypocrisy

I’m Michelle Gabriel from Oakland, California. I think that they fail because they say one thing and they do another. Talk about family values – look at all the Republican candidates. They have all these divorces and scandals.

You say family values, yet there is no issue about killing a million Iraqis. I mean, 4,000 of our citizens, you keep hearing about them. You don’t hear about all the Iraqis that got killed also. You hear about the strength of our country and the fact that we have such a great population from immigration. Yet, they have all this immigration reform to stop immigrants from coming in.

They say one thing and they do another. And that’s the real failure. And unfortunately, people listen to the rhetoric, and they don’t follow the reality.

A metaphor for Failed Conservative Values?: I can’t think of an animal or machine. I just think it’s kind of like selling your soul

Hypocrite: the man who murdered both his parents... pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan. Abraham Lincoln

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous, or when they are most luxurious. They are conservatives after dinner." Ralph Waldo Emerson

I interviewed Congresswoman Maxine Waters and asked her about progressive and conservative values. In this section, Maxine mentions that conservatives have tricked people with the failed conservative values of blame, hate and lying. These values are also failing because more people are not following them anymore and in fact, people are starting to turn toward progressives values. She goes on to talk about how the occupation of Iraq is a metaphor for the failure of conservative values.

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Edwin: Do you think that conservative values have failed?

Maxine Waters: I think that conservative values have failed. But I’m always stunned and amazed at how the conservative message penetrates our society, and how people are tricked by it. I think poor people are preyed upon, and I think that vulnerable people are preyed upon.

I think that when people are feeling neglected and they are feeling isolated, they hear some of these conservative messages, they buy into them. Because all of a sudden they’ve got somebody to blame, to hate, they’ve got somebody to point a finger at.

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 28, 2008 1:54 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

“It is a characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top” Robert Lindner

Gordon Wright values freedom but was raised by a conservative, autocratic, dictatorial and bully of a father. He feels conservatives fear life's changes and it's spontaneity. An example is how all of George Bush's public events are totally choreographed and controlled events. He also thinks that the corporate conservatives value of heartlessness and unfettered self-interest, are the same values as a psychopaths.

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Gordon: I think real and true conservative values would probably involve conservation and conserving the best in tradition – you know, the best that is part of tradition. And I think where conservatism in this country has virtually completely failed is that I think it got paranoid with some of the changes. It got tied up with corporate values, and The Corporation – if you have seen the movie – the corporate values are the same values as a psychopath.

So the people with money that have taken over the Republican Party, and now the insane lunatics that are called the neocons, are the example of that. The trouble is that I hesitate to label these people conservatives. They are reactionary corporatists. They are psychopathic war criminals.

The Failed Conservative Values of James Dobson

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 26, 2008 6:12 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives. Barry Goldwater

James Dobson is a major leader of the social conservatives. He is considered one of the more moderate of the 'Value Voters' leaders because he doesn't support spanking any child under the age of 18 months, while other conservative leaders do.

I’m the conservative leader who can unite the party, John McCain

James Dobson is now attacking Barrack Obama for "deliberately distorting the Bible" and "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." Isn't it time for progressives to start unmasking how the values of the conservative movement have failed? Isn't it time to ask them some questions about their failed values? How about asking your family, friends, neighbors and colleges, "Have Conservative Values Failed?"

Let's raise the question. It should be easy for anyone to answer. It's time for progressives to take back the values debate and promote an open and honest discussion about values. Document what you find out and share it with the rest of us.

Here are some progressives who have taken up the challenge.

Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski on Patriarchy Family Values

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 26, 2008 12:52 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Women cannot serve two masters at once who are urgently beaming antithetical orders.... Either we believe in patriarchy the rule of men over women -- or we believe in equality. Sonia Johnson

Elaine Charkowski talked to me about how conservative values have failed. She says, Conservative Family Values is about patriarchy and fear of authority. It’s about not using your own mind and woman are to be subservient to the man. The type of power used is random punishment and reward, which studies show is the best way to drive animals crazy.

Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski on Patriarchy Family Values

My name is Elaine Charkowski. I’m a feminist and an environmentalist, because I believe that both go hand-in-hand. An issue that goes beneath politics are universal human rights. Sure, family values, but they don’t go deeper.

When you say family values, you picture a Walt Disney nice little family. Everybody is happy with the kids and the dog. But they are talking patriarchal family values, with the male leader of the household who gets to set the tone, and the wife and the kids just have to play along and listen.

Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 25, 2008 12:30 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Narcissism and self-deception are survival mechanisms without which many of us might just jump off a bridge. Todd Solondz

I asked Louise Specht about the the failure of conservative values. She addressed the hierarchal and authoritarian nature of conservativism and how this can lead to narcissism for the people at the top. Steven Colbert does a great job of imitating a conservative on the Colbert Report. I just saw him begin his show lately by saying, "Did I tell you I love me lately?" He hit's the nail on the head, as does Louise.

Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

Conservatives seem to be very invested in hierarchy, so that what I want, is irrelevant to a conservative, and what you want, is also irrelevant. What is relevant is where each of us fits in the overall scheme of things, and how well we fulfill our roles.

When I get around conservatives, I feel like I’m going to suffocate. I think it’s very undermining to moral values to have that kind of a system. Because in a hierarchy, you have people who have too much authority over other people, and not enough questioning. So that the person who has the authority does not have the opportunity to examine what they think the people under them should be doing.

Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway on Authoritarianism

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 24, 2008 12:59 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Authoritarian political ideologies have a vested interest in promoting fear, a sense of the imminence of takeover by aliens --and real diseases are useful material.
Susan Sontag

Donna Ridgeway is a blogger living in the Santa Cruz, California area. She was raised republican and was in the military, but then started questioning. She says the Failed Conservative Value is authoritarianism, it's a lose lose situation because if the authoritarian fails, everything fails. However she sees a lot of problems with progressives as well. There's a lot of egos with progressives and herding cats is hard.

Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway - it's Authoritarianism

My name is Donna Ridgeway. I live in the Santa Cruz area. I’m a blogger. I go by the name of Momma Donna on all my sites.

Conservative values to me are one of conservation. We are conserving and learning from the past, planning for the future, and living in the present. That’s a good conservative to me.

Edwin: And that would be what present conservatives are?

Donna: Well, I’m not sure where a present conservative is. I think there are a lot of people that cloak themselves in that kind of multi-colored coat, but they each have their own flavor of conservatism. From what I can see now, they are spreading into the military conservative -- strength, power, progress through power, Pax Americana.

Economic conservatism, which I believe in, which is a good thing to go for, and then social conservatism, which I think are a bunch of really not very knowledgeable people. They aren’t really into going out and finding out new facts about life.

Failed Conservative Values: Arianna Huffington on Family Values Hypocrisy

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 20, 2008 7:55 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

(Before I begin this post...Thanks to everyone that supported me for the Netroots scholarship. I plan to bring back many more Progressive Values Stories and Failed Conservative Values Stories. If you're at Netroots next month, look for me and tell me your values related stories).

Failed Conservative Values: Arianna Huffington on Family Values Hypocrisy

Arianna Huffington is a well know progressive speaker and activist. She started the popular Huffington Post website and it seems you can't turn on a progressive TV show without her popping up on it and taking a swipe at the conservaitves. I saw Arianna at our local bookstore where she was promoting her new book, The Right is Wrong. During the Q and A, I asked her how conservative values have failed. She had plenty to say.

Failed Conservative Family Values: Arrianna Huffington

My name's Edwin Rutsch, and I'm from ProgressiveSpirit.com, and I'm working on a documentary on how conservative values have failed. Conservatives have talked a lot about their values as a pillar of their movement, and so I'm looking at how those values have actually failed, and I'm wondering if you have some thoughts about that. You started talking about the failed conservative value of fear, for example. I’m wondering if you could expand on that, or on other failed conservative values.

Arianna Huffington: Well, of course, we can see how the conservative family values have failed, ranging from senators caught in bathroom stalls at airports, to congressmen caught sending sexy emails to pages. We've seen the hypocrisy of the party that claims to be the party of family values.

Failed Conservative Values: They're Not Working - George Lakoff

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 17, 2008 11:05 AM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

George Lakoff is a linguistics professor at UC Berkeley and author of numerous books on metaphors, framing and politics. Howard Dean has called him, "one of the most influential political thinkers of the progressive movement." George was at our local bookstore talking about his latest book, The Political Mind. During the question and answer period, I asked him if he personally feels that Conservative Values have Failed and if so, how have they failed?

Failed Conservative Values: George Lakoff on It's Not Working

George: Yes Ed.

Edwin: I'm doing some work on the Failure of Conservative Values and I was wondering if you personally feel that conservative values have failed and if so, how have they failed?

George: There's not one answer, there are two, depending on how you frame it. So, if you frame it the way George Packard has in his New Yorker article, where he says conservative values have failed. What he really means is that conservative ideology has run up against reality. It's not working in the real world and that's true in lots of cases. Even though conservatives said "if we are in power we create reality". And in many cases they have, they've gotten the government breaking down they have created all kinds of reality, that we now have to face, huge debts and so on, right?

It's not the case that that was wrong, they in fact did create reality that way. But in the case of, Iraq, Afghanistan, as we've heard today and in the case of our financial problems, they ran up against reality and don't have a way to actually deal with that. That's the way in which, quote "conservative values have failed" in dealing with certain aspects of reality that are extremely important.

However, they haven't failed, in the sense that they're out there in our brains. That those values are there governing public discourse still. That McCain can run on all the same old slogans. You know, the tax and spend liberals, the defeatists, the we can't surrender, etc. All the same stuff is out there in our brains, available for elections. They have not failed in that way. So, yes and no.

Coming soon is George Lakoff's entire 1 hour and 30 minute talk, I'll post it on Google video shortly.
George Lakoff - 'Political Mind' talk at Cody's Books in Berkeley, CA - June 14, 2008

George Lakoff made a reputation as a linguist studying metaphors. I've always enjoyed using metaphors so I've asked people to create metaphors of Failed Conservative Values. Here are some of the creative images people came up with.


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Oil Crisis: Oil Industry's method of raising prices and cutting their own taxes

The Fatally Flawed Conservative Value of Hypocrisy

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Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

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Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

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The Failed Conservative Values of James Dobson

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Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski on Patriarchy Family Values

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Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

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Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway on Authoritarianism

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Failed Conservative Values: Arianna Huffington on Family Values Hypocrisy

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Failed Conservative Values: They're Not Working - George Lakoff

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