Everything I need...

"Everything I need is available to me in abundance." I mean to really believe that. Really really.

At the very bottom, the rock-bottom basis of everything, at the very innermost core, I think life asks each person certain questions over and over again. And this is one of the most important ones. Do you have everything you need?

There is no factual basis for the answer to this question. It is altogether a matter of faith. It is not a matter of your circumstances. You could be among the richest people in the world and still believe that scarcity stalks you. You could be among the most abused and impoverished people on the planet and still believe that what is of the utmost importance is available to you in abundance.

If you believe in a world of abundance, then you can afford to be generous, in every way imaginable. Your generosity and your sense of security will drive the decisions you make: who you love, who you support, who you vote for, what you do with your money.

If you believe in a world of scarcity, then you are likely to view each human being you encounter as competition. Your fears and uncertainty will drive your decisions.

Most of the people who are in positions of power in this world believe in scarcity: economists have based all their theories on it, politicians, CEOs, administrators . . . Pretty much everybody accepts without question that we live in a world of scarcity. But we're always drawn to people who really, really believe in abundance. They are the most generous, comforting, reassuring, empowering people we meet in our day-to-day lives. The deeply ingrained core belief in abundance is immediately recognizable, even if we are unable to articulate what it is we have encountered. We know intuitively that it is good, and transformative, and trustworthy.

I think about this question a lot, so I'll revisit it here from time to time. For now, it's enough to ask the question out loud and to think about it. There are few questions in life that are more important.

Should We Hold the Bushies Accountable?

Should we hold the Bush administration accountable? Or should we just let them slink away quietly while we get on with the business of trying to put right all that has been made wrong? Can we just reestablish the rule of law without going through all the unpleasantness of investigations and trials? Should we stir up controversy and unleash the anguish of political rancor and partisan conflict? Aren't the American people fed up with being so divided? Is it enough just to learn all the abuses that went on, or do we need to actually press charges and bring the perpetrators to trial? Can't we just go on as if the nightmare of the last eight years never happened?

Glenn Greenwald on the Bill Moyers Journal had this to say: "What happens if you allow serious law breaking to go unpunished is you're telling political leaders, current and future, that there's no need for you to abide by the law. There's no reason for you to consider yourself constrained or limited in what you do. Because even if you commit crimes while in office, we're going to be too afraid of creating divisiveness... And the damage that comes from that is infinitely worse than whatever this divisiveness is that so many people are afraid of when citing why we should let these criminals go free."

Continue reading the Moyers transcript: Part of the difficulty is that the Democrats, who are now and soon to be in power, are reluctant to hold this administration accountable because many of their leaders have been complicit in the crimes that have been committed. Congress has ceded much of its power to the "unitary executive," willingly, almost joyfully. There are few national politicians who are blameless in the great debacle that has overtaken our government.

However, in spite of the lack of political will on the part of the Democrats, we cannot possibly undo the damage that has been done without holding the Bush administration accountable for its actions. The damage that would be done by not holding them accountable would be much worse than whatever controversy is stirred up by establishing an independent investigation and prosecuting those who believed they were above the law and acted on that belief.

This nation needs better politicians, leaders who cannot be so easily bought and sold and silenced. We are never going to get them without doggedly pursuing justice, however uncomfortable the pursuit may make some of us, especially those of us whose reelections are on the line. But it's not up to them. It must not be up to them. It's up to us, the American people, to insist that our leaders be held accountable. And now is the time when we must make our voices heard or be condemned by our own silence.

Why on earth is it OK to hold Bill Clinton accountable for lying under oath, lying about something that's altogether inconsequential to the American people, but we should not pursue accountability for what is perhaps the most unlawful administration in American history? How can this possibly make any sense? Has our government just become a stage for the theater of the absurd? Are our rights and liberties really so insignificant to us that we can just let this go because it's not politically expedient for our elected officials?

It's entirely possible to appoint an independent, nonpartisan investigator to bring to light the crimes that have been committed. That's not to say that there won't be those who would try to politicize the process anyway. But the actions of the investigation can and should be above politics and above reproach.

If we don't hold the Bush administration accountable, there's absolutely nothing that will prevent future leaders from believing that they also are above the law. It's an invitation to tyranny.

If we're really against torture, extraordinary rendition, warrantless surveillance, the undoing of habeas corpus, the establishment of the "unitary executive" (read: king), then we must act. If we don't, it will be clear to the world, to our children, and to our future leaders that we really don't have the courage of our convictions when it comes to the rule of law, we really don't care if they chew up our rights and civil liberties and spit them out.

We absolutely cannot afford to let this slide. Nothing less than the future of freedom is at stake.

"Herbert Hoover Time"

Robert Borosage hits the nail on the head today in the HuffPost.

The UAW is being unfairly blamed for Detroit's financial difficulties. Undoubtedly, the auto industry is suffering on account of multitudinous stupidities: mismanagement, lack of vision, skyrocketing health-care costs. Not to mention the economic downturn. I heard on the radio the other day that auto sales went from $17 million to $10 million in one year. Ouch. What industry would that not hurl into crisis?

But it is absolutely fatuous for Republican senators, among them McConnell and Corker, to blame the workers. And even worse to flush the whole damn economy -- that is, the WORLD economy -- down the toilet in order to wage class warfare.

This is absolutely one of the worst outrages coming out of the U.S. Senate in an age of outrages. Corker should be impeached on the spot. This behavior is nothing short of traitorous; it betrays the trust of the American people. If the American auto industry goes under, don't think for a minute that the effects won't be felt by Corker's constituents. Along with the rest of the world.

Please, show your support for the UAW. Making them the scapegoat for Detroit's economic woes is nothing short of atrocious. The suffering this class warfare will unleash will be felt far and wide for a long time.

It's shocking that the next best hope is that Bush appears to be considering bailing out Detroit from the original $700 billion bailout package. That would be good sense, amazingly good sense, considering the source.

I hope this atrocity rears up and bites McConnell and Corker and their pals in the butt.
*raising my fist in defiance and solidarity -- forever*

The State of Our Expectations

I have read that Obama's transition team is concerned about the public's elevated expectations for the new administration. I would like to assuage their fears.

(1) W did nothing if not lower the bar. If Barack can promise he will wake up every morning and engage, we'll be happy. If he can promise that he won't magically morph into W, we'll be overjoyed. If he has goals other than to line the pockets of his cronies and grind the country into the muck, we'll be over the moon.

(2) We know there's a lot of work to do and it's a complicated morass Barack is inheriting. We're all just amazed that he wants the job, and we promise to help however we can. "A new spirit of service and sacrifice" he asked for this week. Yes sir, coming right up.

(3) We've been going in the wrong direction for so long -- seems like much longer than eight years -- we know it will take a massive effort from all of us to turn ourselves around. Just going in the right direction, albeit slowly and deliberately, will be an enormous relief.

(4) W and his pals treated the people of this country with thinly veiled contempt. It took us a while, but finally most of us are returning the sentiment. Barack, continue to respect us, as you did throughout your campaign, and we will continue to respect you.

Don't worry. We know you're not the messiah. You're just the right guy at the right place at the right time, and we're the ones who've got your back -- because you've got ours. *fist bump*

The Revolution Has Arrived -- And We Are It!

The New York Times: How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks' Power

I love finding myself in the midst of this revolution. We are only just beginning to scrape the surface of the power of online communities. I could feel it among my friends on Facebook. One day I just started friending everybody I encountered in various Facebook groups who had a pro-Obama profile picture or who had Hussein as their middle name. I figured, "What have I got to lose?" I was amazed at how often my friend request was accepted. Then we started sharing articles, columns, notes, blogs. It was amazing to have all this help finding important information.

"Special-interest groups and lobbyists will now contend with an environment of transparency and a president who owes them nothing." Whoa, how awesome is that?!? Has there ever been a president who wasn't beholden to special-interest groups and lobbyists? At last, WE THE PEOPLE are the special-interest groups and lobbyists. It's good news for democracy in the United States!

"While many people think that President-elect Obama is a gift to the Democratic Party, he could actually hasten its demise. Political parties supply brand, ground troops, money and relationships, all things that Mr. Obama already owns." This is even better news than the disempowering of special-interest groups and lobbyists. I long to see the end of the artificial left-right dichotomy. It's time for us to grow up and develop a truly representative government that respects and listens to its constituents.

The notion that just because the Republicans have spent the last eight years running the country into the ground, then the Democrats are the ones to save us is utterly ludicrous. The Dems are surely just as capable of running the country into the ground as the Republicans are. It's time for representatives to actually represent us. It's time for our government to be by the people and for the people -- no more sticking it to the people. And its time for the people to have the power to hold the government accountable and to have their voices heard above the constant whine and spin of parties, special-interest groups, and lobbyists.

Rock the revolution!

A Brief Race Relations Primer for a New Era

It's been very moving to see everyone's response to Obama's election: Jesse Jackson with tears streaming down his face, Oprah jumping up and down like a teenage girl at a rock concert. We're all a little giddy. But, alas, wild enthusiasm can occasionally lead to serious foot-in-mouth disease and other similar disorders. So here are two little guides to help us avoid making missteps in the throes of our giddiness.

A few gentle reminders for us white folks: "No We Can't, White Folks: Five Things White People Shouldn't Do."

And a few gentle reminders for black folks: "No We Can't, Black Folks: Five Things Black People Shouldn't Do."

I have one more thing to add to both lists: Listen to each other.

Oh, and one more: Respect each other.

And this: Give each other the benefit of the doubt. See the best in others rather than expecting the worst.

And finally: Love each other! Be excellent to each other!

Beyond a doubt, we have made progress, but we still have a long way to go. So let's get going! I'm no expert on this stuff, but I believe that much of what we have yet to accomplish can be achieved only on a personal, person-to-person level. Love and respect can't be legislated into existence. They have to be lived. And now is the time. This is a new day in the USA!

If I Could Hug Each and Every One of You Right Now,

I would. I have never in my life cried tears of joy over the results of an election. This is just amazing. I love all of you! Even those of you who voted for McCain! There's more to come, but at this moment I am convinced -- we did it! Thank you so much to all of you who worked so hard on this election, for all of you who voted, for all of you who haven't given up on the USA. If I had fireworks, I'd light them. If I had champagne, I'd pop the cork. God bless America indeed! And God bless each and every one of you!