During the summer that I was seven, I used to catch crabs in the Mississippi River, just a short walk from the Sherman Oak. At that time, the largest oak in the world.

I started out with three ringed nets and two buckets provided by my parents. I took a raw chicken bone with a bit of meat on it and tied it to the center of the net. When the string jiggled, I could lift the string and the the sides of the net to catch the crab. I learned that the net just made it harder and more dangerous to extract the crab. All I had to do to catch the crab was to tie a chicken bone with a bit of meat on it to a string. When it was being disturbed, shaking the string would anger the crab and he could no longer be counted on to be rational. Only a few crabs would ever decide to let go of the small hunk of meat and keep their freedom as they where lifted out of the water and dropped into a pail. So all I needed was two pails for balance and two strings with chicken tied to them. A few extra strings with chicken were nice to have, but only two where needed.

The next problem was the metal pail. The crabs were able to crawl out of the pail on their own. So until you caught a second crab you had to leave the chicken bone in the pail and threaten to take it by jiggling the string every now and then.

If one started to climb out, you could pull him back off the edge of the pail by keeping him mad and greedy. Once you had two crabs, they would try to get the other crabs food. This made it easy to take the bone back as they were more intent on the other not getting food than their own eating.

With two crabs, you occasionally had to prevent a crab from escaping. After you had three crabs, they could no longer escape the pail. The other two would pull any that came close to escaping back into the bucket. As long as the crabs still had to climb out of the bucket to escape, you could continue to add crabs. None of them would get away until you got greedy. Once you got greedy a crab might escape.

These methods, always worked and could be used by a child to control some rather dangerous creatures.

A crab can be manipulated by his rage, jealousy, and hatred. With a little jiggling of a string, a crab will loose his freedom, food and life.

If you feel like the string is being shaken and your chicken bone is going to be taken away, don't get blindingly mad. Don't just see the other crabs as your enemies.

Look carefully to see who has the string. A seven year old child with two buckets and two strings can take your food, take your life and keep the chicken bone you so desperately wanted. The string holder does not see you as family, or even as people. At best he will argue whether it is less cruel to put you in the pot and raise the temperature, or drop you straight into boiling water.

As crabs we may see it all as a conspiracy and get even madder at those who collaborate against us. The truth may be simpler. A few boys, exempt from fishing regulations, enjoying their summer on a pier is all the conspiracy needed. If their parents gave them some bait, string and buckets, they can spend their summer on the pier catching all the crabs they want to. Then they can go home to their grateful families and enjoy the sweet meat they caught.

A great president, a great general and a great leader. Also the last breath of decency in the Republican Party. Yet if he surfaced today, the man who fought against fascism, would be called by the right, a Fascist and a Communist. It also seems that his view would have been considered far left extremism by our democratic leaders.

Moderate these days, does not mean to the middle of the American Political Spectrum. Moderate means giving corporations what they want. Moderate means strong on crime, no such thing as corporate crime. Moderate means that death, deceit, theft and willful destruction are all quite acceptable as long as business is doing it to people.

Benito Mussolini said that fascism should rightly be called Corporatism as it is a merge of state and corporate power. He should know. Eisenhower, from the other side, used the same definition.

We had fascists in high positions in America during WWII. These folk faded into the woodwork for a while and then surfaced as the extreme anti-communists of the McCarthy era. These men detested free speech, and insisted on loyalty tests and oaths. They wrapped themselves in patriotism and raised fear in the hearts of easily frightened men. Among them where those that appeared a bit more moderate, but who still stood with and supported the more extreme of the new fascists.

We have once again seen the results of fascism. It destroys economies, lives on lies, and perpetuates endless wars of aggression. Fascism strikes first where no enemy exists. Fascism supports fear while appearing to be the answer to fear. Fascism can afford to give amazing quantities of money to industry, power and wealth. It cannot ever find the resources to help the common man.

If you want to find a visionary, or a patriot, it is easy enough to do. He is the man that is being called, a Far Left , Liberal, Fascist, Extremist.

Seriously, he is supposed to be all about fighting the Republican dogs. Sounds great to me!

But it is now quite clear, that he will be happy to eat from the same bowl and wear the same collar. So far he has supported the same masters the Republicans have supported, and managed to help you give away every bit as much to them as the previous administration. I know exactly what 'maybe' means. I also know exactly what 'we'll see' means. Rahm came off as a tough, serious fighter, but he has not shown an ounce of spine so far. Give me a brave man like Dr. Dean any day.


Let me explain health care clearly and slowly. Public option means you go down in history, loved by the people and hated by the ultra rich. No public option means you go down in history ignored by the people and hated by the ultra rich. The public option is not optional, if you remove it, we are back to square one. Dr. Dean knows this. Rahm does not get it.

Let me explain stimulus clearly and slowly. Give money for productive labor, means survival and stimulus. Give money to money market manipulators means trickle down. None of your current economic advisers get this. Not a one of them.

No matter what you do the right wing will hate you. They hate Clinton, and he was the best president they ever had. No matter what you do the fundamentalists will hate you. They hate Carter and he was the most Christian president we have ever had.

It is time to catch up with America, Mr. President. 70% want the public option, the remaining 30% are deluded fascists willing to sell out our economy, environment, independence, honor and ethics. A lot of them might be good people, just like a lot of the folk that supported Hitler were good people. Seriously if you give that 30% what they want, they will hate you and blame you for the destruction their plans cause.

It is time for you to listen to the 'Liberal' side Mr. President. You know, the ones that use logic and compassion together. You know, the 'Liberals' who believe in the Constitution, Bill of Rights and all. You know, the 'Pie in the Sky Liberals' who believe in justice for all.

Seriously, Get rid of Rahm!