TheLeaderInside.com

Big Picture – The Strategies of Politics

“You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

~~~ Abraham Lincoln

As I sat down to write today’s article for this blog, I looked back on some of those I’ve been writing over the past few months. I noticed quite a contrast in what I was using for the topics. I seemed to have gravitated from articles about peace and self-improvement, to articles about meditation and the advantages of having that practice in your daily life, to articles growing into a succession of rants about the politics of the world.

My first inclination was to return to articles of a more peaceful nature today. However, as I began to write in that vein, I found my mind constantly going back to Tuesday night’s debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. So, instead of bringing this blog back to its origins, I may have a rant or two left in me. I have a need to talk about the politics in the USA, even though I’m beginning to feel a lot like the cat in the picture for today and can’t wait for it to be over.

I have already voted in this election (I did the absentee ballot) because I know I won’t be changing my mind in the next few weeks. Nor, do I feel that writing this article will change the minds of any of my readers. That’s not my purpose. Rather, I’m writing this primarily because of the fact that I returned from a war many years ago. It was the Korean War, and I don’t know if they knew there was such a thing as PTSD back then, but they should have. Many lives, including mine, would be different today if they had known and knew how to treat it.

After the debate was over, I felt I had a handle on the strategy of John McCain. I’m summarizing it this way, “My friends, trust me. I don’t want to say how I’m going to fix everything, but you have to trust me — I know how. Don’t worry, it won’t be hard.”

I wanted to hear details, but all I heard was what he felt Obama did or didn’t do, not what he, McCain would do about most of the issues brought up. He did, however, say that he would put a spending freeze on all entitlements if he were to become president. I would like to have heard more specifically what he meant by that. As a veteran, my thoughts go to the entitlements concerning our veterans. I know that he said that Veteran’s Affairs would not be included in his freeze. However, if you look at McCain’s record on Veteran’s affairs, there might be some need for concern. Let’s use his own words and “look at the walk, not the talk”.

1. McCain has repeatedly voted against increases in Medical assistance for veterans.

A. He voted against a 1.5 Billion dollar increase in veterans medical services for the 2007 Veterans Affairs Fiscal Budget. (Obama voted for it)

B. In May 2006, McCain voted against a 20 billion dollar expansion of veterans’ medical facilities. At that time, Veterans facilities claimed that they were facing an emergency situation in regards to their capacity to treat and provide services for the more than 30,000 wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as for all of the other veterans who need care from previous service in the U.S. Military. (Obama voted for it.)

C. In 2006, McCain was one of only thirteen Senators to vote against a 430 million dollar expansion of outpatient services for veterans. (Obama Voted for it.)

D. March 2004, McCain voted against a 1.8 billion dollar reserve for veterans’ health care that was to be paid for entirely by closing tax loopholes. (Obama was not in the Senate at that time.)

I sure would hate to think that John McCain would continue to work against programs like these if he were to become president. We have troops coming home from Iraq and Afghan conflicts every day. More than 20 percent of them suffer from PTSD. An additional 19 percent of them suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury. Folks, we’re talking about 330,000 U.S. troops. If these great people don’t get the treatment they deserve, the list of possible ailments they’ll have to live with just gets started with severe depression, loss of motor skills, debilitating rage, outbursts, drug and alcohol abuse, and homelessness. Many of them will subject themselves to abusive situations, and and/or will abuse their family members. For those that do not commit suicide or become homeless most will likely be unable to hold down jobs, much less jobs that provide health coverage. All this doesn’t include the question of whether they’ll have enough money to pursue education to help them find jobs. This is made more profound in an economic environment like we have today.

These returning troops who have worked so hard for a cause that was doubtful to begin with, need the support of our government. They have sacrificed tremendously for our country. Working against these entitlements might be defensible if there was some other way to get health care other than the VA system. However, since McCain’s policy proposals on health care for regular civilians is poor, what does this mean for our returning soldiers?

2. Last September McCain voted against a bill sponsored by Senator Jim Web to give soldiers time to rest between combat deployments in hopes of reducing the number of suicides and severity of PTSD cases. (Obama voted for this.)

In the first year of the surge campaign, which required longer deployments and shorter turn around time for troops going from one combat mission to another, 2,100 U.S. Army soldiers attempted suicide. According to the U.S. Army, in 2007, five soldiers attempted suicide each day. Before the Iraq war began there were roughly 50 Army suicides a year. That number has increased dramatically. To be specific, lethal suicides have more than doubled between 2001 and 2007. When Bush increased deployment and tour length for the actual combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan there was a 66 percent jump in suicides in the first year. Over half of those who successfully killed themselves were National Guard or Reserve troops, most of whom were sent into combat in violation of their service contracts.

McCain and Obama do not simply disagree on the details of policy-making. McCain is so staunchly in favor of deregulation and free market solutions as an ideology that he will not even support health care and education benefits for American soldiers who risk their lives to fight bravely in a war they know virtually no one supports.

One last thing for this post — whenever the subject of troop support comes up in the campaigns, John McCain always says that “the troops know where I stand.”

Well, yes they do. The Disabled Veterans of America gave McCain one of their lowest possible ratings and gave Obama a rating over 80 percent on the question of supporting veterans. The problem is that the rest of America does not know how the troops feel.

McCain has reminded us all time and time again that he will not pull out of Iraq because he is concerned about troop morale and the idea of winning. Unfortunately he has sold U.S. soldiers down the river for symbolic ’spending cuts’ while continuing to support tax cuts for the rich, loopholes for big business, and expanding — not resolving — the war in Iraq. Ask yourself what soldiers would prefer: Coming home victors from a hundred year occupation or returning home to find adequate health care and education benefits?

As I said at the top of this article, my purpose is not to attempt to sway anyone in the way they will vote in this election. I’m writing as someone who cares deeply about the health and well-being of the wonderful, brave young people who are making it home from the terribleness of war. When you know what war can do to a person — when you understand, on a personal level, what seeing the result of violence on human beings can do to a person — when you come to realize that those sights you’ve seen will never be erased from your memory –then you have to speak out.

I don’t know what the next week will bring, so I can’t guarantee we’ll get back to the “other topics” we used to write about. At some point, I know we will. There just aren’t any promises for the immediate future.

And .. Thanks for hanging in here with me. I appreciate it.

There’s more to come next week. Come back and help us to continue this important conversation. Invite your friends. We need many more people to be listening and sharing.
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Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

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I meditate every day to help keep me sane in this crazy world we live in. Those glimpses we get of peace, love, acceptance and happiness when we’re meditating will soon grow into more than glimpses if we keep practicing. Keep those feelings alive. A meditation can be as simple as one, deep, conscious breath. When something happens in one of your moments to cause you to suffer, just stop and take one of those breaths and remember, “This too shall pass!” Another thing that is wonderful, especially at certain times of the year, is to have a fresh flower where you work. Just stop from time-to-time and look at it — don’t label it — don’t judge it — just be with it for a couple of moments. It really does work. I’m looking at mine as I write this.

“Each flower is a soul blossoming out to nature”

~~~ Gerard de Nerva

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“Those who really seek the path to Enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. Then they proceed with strong determination.”

~~~ Buddha

Namaste!

I share these words for you in closing — remember these words …

“Be happy now, my dear friends. Today is all we have. Be good to one another. Take comfort in whatever spirituality you are so inclined (or not), and learn to be happy despite your circumstances. Follow your path; pursue your dreams. Work hard, love your family be generous and forgiving. Do it today, while you still have the flicker of life, for one day your own candle will dim.”

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

~~~ Ron
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In my meditation I often use what I believe is a powerful aide to deep meditation. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels.
(5) It is the proven path to finding the peace, love and compassion within all of us –

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

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— The Holosync Solution
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