http://www.firesociety.com FireSociety - NewMediaJournal Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:27:40 GMT admin@firesociety.com FireSociety 60 http://www.firesociety.com/images/home/mainlogo.gif http://www.firesociety.com http://www.firesociety.com/article/26192/How-Many-Rights-Are-Democrats-Willing-to-Forfeit-/?src=103 By Frank Salvato With the announcement that Hillary Clinton is abandoning her quest for the Oval Office the Democrat National Committee (DNC) – and specifically the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee – has effectively selected the candidate for their party. I say selected because, by construct, the decision making process was taken away from the party faithful and placed in the hands of an elitist class of party insiders. These party insiders – superdelegates and the DNC Executive Committee – have literally usurped the will of the people by marginalizing the popular vote in deference to manipulated vote worth and their own self-importance. The right to vote – the right to have our votes count – is the fundamental bedrock of our Constitutional Republic. It is through this fundamental right, this Constitutional Right, that We the People affect our control over government. Through our ballot choices we select delegates to the Electoral College who represent our amassed votes. These delegates, in turn, vote for the President of the United States. This process serves as a safeguard against mob rule and the bad choices to which emotionalism can lead. The Framers were brilliant in this respect. Party politics is a bit ... Election 2008 NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/26911/Discussion---How-Many-Rights-Are-Democrats-Willing-to-Forfeit-/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/25680/A-Nation-in-Crisis/?src=103 By Frank Salvato People, the news media and pundits like to throw around the word “crisis.” The mainstream media and their ilk tell us that we are currently experiencing a crisis in the sub-prime mortgage market, an economic crisis, a crisis with the environment, a crisis in race relations and with oil prices. There is a crisis with the polar bears, the environmentalists tell us, as they taut their questionable consensus on the global warming crisis , this even as 31,000 scientists rebuke their “consensus.” Educators tell us there is a crisis in public education. We even have a steroid crisis in the sports industry. I won’t be opining about any of these “crisis” today. We in the United States are experiencing a crisis of epidemic proportions. It is a crisis that threatens to end the great experiment in democracy that is our country. It is a crisis that involves apathy and arrogance, ignorance and a lack of fundamental prioritization. It is a crisis that centers on the loathsome practice of self-aggrandizement at the expense of others and that feeds on the “I’ve got mine, to hell with you” attitude possessed by the self-absorbed so prevalent in today’s American society. ... Election 2008 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:28:11 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/26147/Discussion---A-Nation-in-Crisis/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/25189/Government-of-the-People-or-By-the-Faction-/?src=103 By Frank Salvato Now comes news that George McGovern has called for Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the Democrat’s primary race. Pardon me for my raised eyebrow but how much of a fool would someone have to be to take campaign advice from the man who got slaughtered by Richard Nixon? Losing an election by a landslide really shouldn’t qualify someone to dispense political advice unless it’s how to deliver a concession speech without looking bitter. The facts, as they present, make it abundantly clear to anyone not blinded by political emotionalism, anyone not hoodwinked by the bumper-sticker gotcha games of this election cycle, that the Democrat’s primary race is simply too close to call. Those backing Barack Obama, who insist that Hillary Clinton can’t win, are factually in error. With the existence of “superdelegates” and two disenfranchised state electorates the wildcards are in place. In fact, there are several scenarios that could play out that would see Hillary Clinton as the Democrats’ nominee. Whether any of them will play out remains to be seen but stranger things have happened. The larger point here is this. To insist that a candidate – any candidate from any party – remove themselves ... Election 2008 Fri, 16 May 2008 01:55:10 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/25411/Discussion---Government-of-the-People-or-By-the-Faction-/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/24895/Ceasefires-in-Islam--Not-Always-What-They-Seem-to-Be/?src=103 By Frank Salvato It seems as though every other day we hear there is another “ceasefire” in the Middle East. This is chiefly because there is so much violent Islamofascist aggression throughout the Middle East but it is also because of something more. Just as there is no exact translation between the Arabic and English languages, we in the West would be wise to realize that this “inexactness” exists as a constant in the relationship between the cultures of Islam and Western Civilization. This convolution of conceptual understanding is aptly illustrated where the subject of military ceasefires is concerned. In the West, a ceasefire is commonly understood to mean a temporary cessation of violence or hostilities for an agreed time period or within a defined geographical area. In many cases, ceasefires have been instituted to facilitate negotiations that produced an armistice , peace treaty or unconditional surrender. Regardless of the goal – achieved or sought – in most every ceasefire agreement the terms and conditions are clearly defined so that each side has a clear understanding of what is required and what is to be considered a breach of contract, as it were. To say that we in the West ... Military/Troops General Info Foreign Policy Freedoms War/Terrorism Thu, 08 May 2008 10:43:05 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/25125/Discussion---Ceasefires-in-Islam--Not-Always-What-They-Seem-to-Be/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/24586/Barack-Obama--It-s-More-About-His-Choices/?src=103 By Frank Salvato Many of the more conservative talking heads – and even some on the Left side of the aisle who support Hillary Clinton – are espousing their concern about Barack Obama’s “associations.” They point to Obama’s spiritual advisor, Jeremiah Write, and note his “friendly” relationship with unrepentant domestic terrorists William Ayers and his partner Bernadine Dorhn and wax alarmingly about his willingness to associate with such people. Certainly, Wright, Ayers and Dorhn are interesting if not contemptible people but a person’s associations concern me less than a person’s choice to defend those associations. The moment the Jeremiah Wright issue was brought into the public eye the taboo of aggressively examining the background of the first Black man with a real chance to capture the presidency was lifted. Begrudgingly, the star-struck mainstream media – so in awe of Barack Obama’s “rockstar” political presentation – has begun, ever so apathetically, to cover the issues of his candidacy that the new media has exposed. When the racism and bigotry of Obama’s spiritual leader, Jeremiah Wright , was first exposed in February of 2007 by The New Media Journal’s Erik Rush in a column titled Obamination , all those critical thundered that ... Election 2008 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:54:42 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/24762/Discussion---Barack-Obama--It-s-More-About-His-Choices/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/24276/Change-Doesn-t-Come-by-Electing-a-President/?src=103 By Frank Salvato We have heard during this presidential election cycle – ad nauseam – how our country is in dire need of “change.” We are promised by each of the candidates that they are the ones – the only ones – who can bring about this much needed change. Of course, this is all disingenuous politicking. The fact of the matter is this: the office of the presidency is quite limited in its power to affect any change at all. The real entity capable of affecting immediate and dramatic change in government, the governmental branch with the real power, is the Legislative Branch. When we examine the Charters of Freedom – and specifically the US Constitution – it is clear that the Executive Branch is charged with executing the laws of the land created by the Legislative Branch (with the consent of the Executive Branch via the signature of the President) and that the Legislative Branch is charged with crafting legislation; charged with debating, weighing and then enacting legislation that would become the law of the land. The Framers even established a mechanism where the Legislative Branch might “override” a presidential veto should the Executive Branch oppose legislation brought ... Election 2008 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:51:23 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/24277/Discussion---Change-Doesn-t-Come-by-Electing-a-President/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/23549/The-Insolent-Arrogance-of-the-Progressive-Left/?src=103 By Frank Salvato A recent event in Chicago illustrates the arrogance and narcissism of the Progressive-Left – and in particular the anti-war Progressive-Left. During Easter services at Holy Name Cathedral Catholic Church in Chicago, six anti-war protesters staged a political demonstration disrupting religious services. They shouted generic anti-war slogans and squirted fake blood on themselves and the parishioners in attendance. Their goal was to attract attention to themselves and – therefore – their cause. It worked.   The group of three men and three women, who call themselves Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War (interesting self-commentary on the three “men” involved), issued a statement saying they purposely targeted Holy Name Cathedral – specifically on Easter – to reach a large audience, including the press, which usually covers the services.   A representative of the International Solidarity Movement told the Chicago Tribune that he attended the protest to serve as a witness for the Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War. Chicago Police removed the protesters and charged them with one count of felony criminal damage to property and two counts each of misdemeanor simple battery.   Where to begin...   First, we should examine the base element of the Catholic Schoolgirls Against the ... Freedoms Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:04:54 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/23550/Discussion---The-Insolent-Arrogance-of-the-Progressive-Left/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/23377/The-Damaging-Political-Legacy-of-Addressing-the-Race-Issue/?src=103 By Frank Salvato Barack Obama recently issued another of his linguistic masterpieces in addressing the issues of racism, hate-speech and his spiritual mentor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. His speech was pretty. It was eloquent. It was impassioned. It attempted to approach the true issue in danger of being overshadowed by a sensationalistic mainstream news media; racism in the total of American society, including the Black community. It even included a condemnation of specific statements by Wright, a man Obama says, “...has been like family to me.” But Obama’s speech fell short in answering some important ideological questions about his belief system and in doing so exposed the Achilles heel of the Progressive-Left where race is concerned: The Progressive-Left, in its quest for a multicultural utopia, simply can’t have racial harmony.   One of the biggest buzz-words used by the Progressive-Left – America’s Fifth Column – is “ diversity .” They used the idea of advancing diversity as a means to achieving what they hoped – what they “knew” – would be a racially and culturally symbiotic utopia where “all men are created equal.” The problem with this line of thought is that celebrating diversity factionalizes people; it does not help ... Election 2008 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:18:40 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/23399/Discussion---The-Damaging-Political-Legacy-of-Addressing-the-Race-Issue/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/23176/Change-Requires-Going-Beyond-the-Name-on-the-Ballot/?src=103 By Frank Salvato There has been a tremendous amount of talk about “change” this presidential election cycle. Many have pointed out that change for the sake of change is seldom – if ever – a good thing. Unless explicit details of what is to be changed, why it needs changing and just how it is to be changed for the better are given in no uncertain terms, there exists too much chance for political and ideological malfeasance. To that extent, “change” is simply a Pavlovian buzz-word that sets the politically naïve to salivating.   If real change is to be instituted in federal government we must look beyond the names that adorn the ballots. Truth be told, each candidate is supported by an incredibly powerful set of operatives and handlers. While the names of the candidates may change over time – especially with regard to the Executive Branch – the names of the behind the scenes operatives and financiers almost always remain the same. This is true of all political parties, movements and organizations. If the American people truly want change, they have to expose, remove and then replace the political operatives behind the scenes. This is an incredibly difficult ... Election 2008 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:34:59 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/23251/Discussion---Change-Requires-Going-Beyond-the-Name-on-the-Ballot/?src=103 http://www.firesociety.com/article/20231/Why-Is-There-No-Honest-Discourse-About-Terrorism-s-Roots-/?src=103 By Frank Salvato We hear a lot about the subject of terrorism today. This has been the case for mainstream America – and the world – since the horrific attacks of September 11th, 2001. Each night on the news, as if by the networks’ design, there are the obligatory stories about a car bombing or a suicide attack, perhaps a fifteen second shot of the aftermath, a condescending, concerned look from the anchor and then a commercial. “We’ll be right back with another story about Britney Spears’ crotch, right after this!” That the single biggest threat to our nation has become B-Roll news program filler should disgust each and every one of us. Then, each and every one of us is to blame that it has come to this. Try to think back to the last time you saw the images of September 11th on television or in the mainstream media newspapers and magazines? Chances are it was either directly after the attacks or during a memorial segment commemorating the anniversary of those attacks. The truth is that the mainstream media removed the images of September 11th from our sight – the images of death and destruction, the murder of ... War/Terrorism Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:44:58 GMT NewMediaJournal http://www.firesociety.com/comments/23073/Discussion---Why-Is-There-No-Honest-Discourse-About-Terrorism-s-Roots-/?src=103