Poor American Executives; Their Companies lose Billions of Dollars, they take home hundreds of millions paid for by Shareholders and Consumers

During the last few weeks, the news of major financial groups losing tens of billions of dollars as a result of loses in what is called "sub-prime lending" all over the place and forms major headlines. Major financial groups lost billions in an effort to fleece the very poor targeting this segment of consumers with predatory lending practices.

Given the salaries and benefits of these top American executives, one would presume these executives are highly paid because they are smart businessmen who study their prospective decisions very carefully and not make decisions bound to cause big time losses. The question I have how can it happens that these big time executives make such big time mistakes? And end up getting paid tens of millions.

Every big time executive knows that American consumers are under constant attack from major financial companies such as mortgage companies, credit card companies, care financing companies, credit rating companies among others. All are dedicated to fleecing what they refer to as "sub-prime". Those who are hardly making it, and who are on shaky financial grounds and who for the most part are having a hard time making ends meet.

American consumers are under attack by these big time bullies, with the support of our illustrious congress who gave the power and authority to the lobbyist to make laws that make it legal to go after these poor people and fleece them.

Financial institutions when making the decision to actively engage in predatory lending knew they are targeting a class of consumer who are "high risk" and they went ahead any way because they knew they can make quick bucks initially and they knew in the end, these high risk consumers will have a hard time meeting their financial commitments to lenders. Yet they went ahead and they knew they will lose in the end. However they also knew that while they (executives) can make hundreds of millions of dollars in salaries and compensation during a certain period of time, they knew their companies, companies entrusted to their care and proper management will lose in the end. Yet they went ahead any way with their attack and assault to fleece consumers.

Who would believe that in the US credit card companies charge consumers some 25-30 % in annual interests? Making it almost impossible for any one to pay in full the amount even if they end up paying for many years. Our Congress, full of crooks and full of members who sold their souls and ethics to big time corporations and lobbyists making it legally possible for American executives and corporation to fleece, rob American consumers and tax payers.

Only in America the land of the professional crooks "business executives" where consumers and shareholders end up paying for well organized and well executed reckless decisions causing companies to lose tens of billions of dollars.
Only in America, where business executives can lose tens of billions of dollars during their tenure as top managers and walk away with tens of millions if not hundreds of millions laughing all the way to the bank and laughing at board of directors who allows them to fleece the companies and fleece shareholders and consumers. Yes these executives have every reason to laugh all the way to the bank and have contempt for board members, shareholders and consumers.

I know of business executives who left lucrative salaries to go and sell cars to the very poor making sure the very poor end up paying for the car many times over. I also know of dealers who charged consumers thousands of dollars in added insurance and other benefits knowing that consumers will never make a use of such insurance.

It is not so surprising that someone like Stan O'Neal, the former head of Merrill can walk away with some $250 millions when he presided over the lose of some $ 7 Billions by Merrill.

Angelo Mozila the CEO of Countrywide can cash in some $ 130 millions in stock during a time when his company was about to declare billions of losses arising out of its practices of predatory lending and its active involvement in lending to sub-prime consumers.

Also it is not so surprising that the top executives of one of the major credit card companies can make over $250 millions in annual compensation when his company is charging poor consumer interest rates that are USUARY by all means. One has to wonder how many households have to scrap the $50 or $ 100 a month so that this Mr. Executives can make his $ 20 million monthly salary.

At one time, America had a different kind of corporate executives and business owners. At one time, American was very proud of the ethics and moral standards of its business executives and corporations. No more. American businesses and corporations are for the most part run by greedy crooks.

Lee Hamilton Speaks: When Congress Gave Away its Constitutional Rights?

Lee Hamilton takes on the relationship between the White House and Congress was quite powerful and for sure a wake call to all those of us who can see on a daily basis the rise of an imperial presidency and almost the total absence of independence and separation of the executive from the legislative branch.

If we take a closer look at this relationship we can see, we as a great nation not so much different from imperial and dictatorial nations where the legislatures branch of government over time became an extension of the executive branch. In the words of Mr. Hamilton, our Congress simply rolls over for the president and has been doing this since the days of President Johnson.

Here in the US we can say with some confidence we have two branches of government; the executive and the judiciary. The third branch which is the legislative branch simply disappeared over time and merged into the executive.

President Johnson lied to the nation and the US Congress just rolled over and handing the right to declare war to the president of the US in contradiction with Article 1 section 8 ( power of congress) of the US Constitution which gave the right to declare war to Congress but not to the president. I am sure the founding fathers were far sighted and knew much better the dangers of an imperial presidency.

The same is true of George Bush who lied and lied and lied over and over, and over, and made every one in his administration to lie about Iraq's weapons of mass destructions that the US Congress, Democrats before Republicans rolled over and gave the president a blank check to take this nation young men and women and put them in harms way to die so that he can satisfy his personal need for revenge. Tax payers will end up paying close to trillion dollars for this private war of George Bush. The Iraq war was never the people's war but the president and his Zionists and Neoconservative's war.

In the words of Lee Hamilton, members of Congress both the House and Senate forget the few words during the swearing in ceremony when they officially become the nation's representative, the people representative. When they raised their hands they" promise to protect and defend the Constitution of the United State" not the rights of the lobbyist, or the rights of their largest donors or the rights of friends and supporters, certainly not the president of the United States.

Our Congress to our sense of shame and disappointment and with no sense of shame or even any respect for the US Constitution have been and for over the last 50 years did not protect or defend the Constitution of the United States nor did they protect the rights and interests of our people. The US Congress simply votes for what is in their own personal interest and the interests of all those who gave them money, and all those who purchased part of their hearts and souls.

Declaration of War is the most important and most powerful rights that the US Constitution gave to our congress, since it involves the deaths of our citizens and soldiers and providing the financial needs to go to war. Now and for some times, the US Congress simply signs on what the executive branch sends to Capital Hill.

Of course and as written, by and far our US Constitution is perhaps the best governing instrument ever written by mankind. However the men and women of the US Congress have simply waived their right away as an equal branch of government, designed to provide a system of checks and balances. In these days there are NO checks and certainly there are NO balances.

The White House from the days of the late John Kennedy have become the site of an imperial presidency where people no matter how powerful or rich they are and members of congress all experience "awe and shock" when invited to the White House and in the presence of our emperor.

With the kind of funding needed for members of congress to get elected and with the power money plays in decisions and legislation and with a need to always have favors from an imperial presidency it is very unlikely that our Congress will ever again exercise its right and become the second branch of government, independent from and equal to the executive branch.

Thank you Mr. Hamilton for your presentation. For sure we do need a national commission such as the one you co-chaired on Iraq to look into how can we as people prompt our congress to take its duties and responsibilities seriously and become once again the second branch of government, separate and equal? Of course short of spinal surgery to implant an artificial backbone.

Lee Hamilton Speaks; America and the World.

Just came back home after attending the lecture given by former congressman Lee Hamilton at the National Press Club as part of the annual Lynch Lecture Series sponsored by George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, perhaps the world leading institution in the field of conflict resolution.

The former congressman distinguished himself in US Congress as chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and chaired the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East.

George Bush appointed Lee Hamilton as co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, the bi-partisan assessment of the big mess in Iraq. Lee Hamilton is the president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The first part of the lecture was dedicated to diplomacy and the role diplomacy plays in defusing hot situation and the need for competent, well qualified and supported diplomat. Lee Hamilton mentioned the fact that very few US diplomats are well versed and qualified in the Arabic language. However he should be reminded that it was Henry Kissinger as secretary of state who purged "Arabist" from the US State Department with the pretext that State Department "Arabists" tend to be sympathetic to the Arab cause.

More interesting in the presentation was the mentioning of the radicalization of Islam as a top priority for the US and the world and the need to reach out to Muslims around the world, and the need for incremental approach to the issues and conflicts in the Middle East and in Muslim nations. I have no idea how we can solve the Arab-Israeli conflict with incremental approach. By the time we are done, there is nothing left to solve.

Moreover it seems that the former congressman is inclined to support George Bush abandonment of promoting democracy in the Arab and Muslim world since the people are not ready for democracy and as he puts it "Jeffersonian democracy".

While recognizing there has been dangerous transformation and radicalization of Islam over the last 30 years, Mr. Hamilton missed the mark by wide margin in his analyses of the causes and origin of this radicalization which was in great part promoted by the US policy and mission to turn the Madrasas in Pakistan to a factory of "Jihadist" in the Mujahideen war against the Soviet Union. Most if not all radical Muslims who are now enemies of the US were students of the CIA in religious and training camps in Afghanistan way before September 11th.

One thing that I and the honorable congressman forgot to mention is that Islam is not the only religion that is going through radicalization. Christianity has been going through such radicalization for the last 50 years with former president Reagan election as president and it culminated not only in creating a solid base for the Republican Party but resulting in boot and arms training camps for young Christians in what is called Jesus Camps.

Not to be outdone, the State of Israel and quietly and for some times have also initiated a similar programs of radicalization of Jews by establishing training and armed camps for young Jews from around the world who enroll in 6 weeks of army training camps sponsored by the Israeli Army. I am sure that both the Christian and Jewish camps like those of Islamic training camps do not train and instill in their recruits" love thy neighbor" or for that matter obeying the Ten Commandments.

While admitting the failure of US diplomacy and its abandonment of bringing about democracy to a radical and alienated Arab and Muslim world, Mr. Hamilton suggested that the US shifts its policies from promoting democracy to promoting open societies such a free will to marry, empowering women in society, sponsoring and funding public schools rather than the Madras in Muslim countries. This statement was not only condensing remarks but belittle the people needs for an open, transparent and accountable governments, It is so ironic that here in the US we are abandoning public education for a more sectarian and religious private education.

With all due respect to Mr. Hamilton, the Arab and Muslim world need a transformation to an open society where citizens have guaranteed rights to freedom of speech and assembly, rights to education and job opportunities and of course to accountable and transparent governments. George Bush easily abandoned his goal of democracy for the Arab and Muslim world because he and his team are so incompetent to manage any thing right. The most powerful country in the world with the most powerful army made such a mess in Iraq not because we have a bad or incompetent military but because we have poor, incompetent and irresponsible and reckless political leadership in the White House and on Capital Hill.

George Bush and his administration did not succeed in prompting democracy in the Middle East not because the Arabs and Muslims are not yet ready for prime time American style democracy, but because the US never had this goal in the first place. I am not aware of single country where the US promoted and worked hard to develop democracy. We promoted freedoms in East Europe as a way to fight the Soviets but not really promote democracy. However our only success was immediately after the war when we did transform Germany and Japan to thriving democracy and economic power house. Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Iran are but few examples of our failures.

It is so easy to send in cruise missiles and fighter jets to transform a country rather than send in diplomats and educators and business people. When Saddam was our boy in Baghdad the US gave him all of the military, political and financial support in his war on Iran while overlooking his killing fields and the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who died while we supported the butcher of Baghdad.

It is true and as stated by Lee Hamilton, the US does not now and for sometimes had the great statesmen and diplomats we had in the days after WWII, leaders and statesmen like Dean Acheson, George Marshal or great diplomats like George F. Kennan. Too bad we have the likes of John Bolton representing us at the UN and someone like Elliot Abrams rather than have someone like Adlai Stevenson or Henry Cabot Lodge. America like "radical" Islam is lead by ideologue like Bauer, Podhoretz, Limbaugh, Wills, Krauthammer,Robertson, Kristol, Perl, Wolfowitz, Feith and of course Dick Cheney who sees the world in black and white, and us and them rather than well reasoned and pragmatists. These ideologue are not different from the Bin Ladens of the Muslim world. When all said and done, the US should take ownership of radical Islam and the rise of terrorism in the Arab and Muslim world…. More to come on Mr. Hamilton lecture.

Bigotry and Racism Run Deep in the Republican Party of Virginia

It seems that every time the Republicans have nothing to offer to the people, they come up with the already failed "terrorism agenda". Every Republican from Rudolph the "Reindeer" Guliani to two unknown and obscure candidates for delegates in Virginia, Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah and Clay Athey Jr. of Warren are out to get the votes by using "terrorism" as a platform for winning elections, rather than offering voters better housing, better schools, better transportation and of course health care.

Guliani who was the mayor of New York City when Osama Bin Laden terrorist struck the World Trade Center is using the shining, heroic moment of the men and women of the police and fire department and trading their names and bloods to his advantage in winning the Republican nomination. Northing that Guliani did as mayor made a difference. He was nothing more than a by-stander as the men and women of New York Police and Fire Department did what they know best. Whether it was an elephant or donkey that was the mayor it would not have made much difference.

Chicken Hawks Republicans always call on others to fight and die for the country, always try to show patriotism while they hide in their rat holes, behind shining desks and as they rob and fleece the nation and the case of the coward dope head Rush Lemphow hiding behind microphone making tens of millions of dollars insulting the intelligence of the nation.

In Virginian, these two obscured delegates who did not achieve much for their constituency in Virginia, as reported in Sunday's edition of the Washington Post, came out with strong and inflammatory language against the Democratic Governor of Virginian, Timothy Kaine accusing him to patronizing Muslim groups and organizations that sponsor terrorism, accusing the Muslim American Society and Dar Al-Hijra Mosque in Fall Church of "maintaining radical beliefs".

Also in today's "Outlook" section of the Washington Post, it published an open letter titled" Why I Resigned" by Dr. Esam Omeish who resigned couple of weeks from an appointed commission that was looking at the issue of immigration. Rather than allows the Republican bigots of Virginia to destroy whatever good that may comes out of the commission, Dr. Omeish a first rate surgeon and a Muslim activists was accused of supporting Jihad when his accuser posted on YouTube a thirty second footage where the word "Jihad" was mentioned. Of course supporters of Israel went bezerk and as always become mentally deranged and rabid when a Muslim uses the word "Jihad".

No doubt Republicans of Virginia are in desperate situation. Having lost the US senatorial race and the governor race and now facing a tough challenge in local and state wide elections are resorting to defamation and reckless statements about Arabs, Muslims and of course trying so desperate to tie Muslims in Virginia to terrorism.

Republicans of Virginian have not done the Commonwealth much good when they controlled the governor office and controlled the two US Senate seats. I do not recall a single legislation that this not so brilliant party put forward to the betterment of the state.

The Car Tax which former governor Gillmore won the election on was nothing but a big fraud and a big lie that did not materialize in any saving to the citizens other than winning him the election. The other not so brilliant idea is the stiff "over five hundred dollars" for traffic violation as a way to fight illegal immigrations. Rather than concentrating on the issue of education, transportation, job creations, health services, the Republican Party has nothing to offer the citizens except fear and bigotry and the much opportunities to Republican consultants and so called "experts" on terrorism to fleece the state and the nation.

We need to keep in mind; it is the same Republican Party that chose a liar and a felon as its candidate for the US Senate. Oliver North who made his reputation not in the battle field but in lies and disgracing the Marine uniform won the party nomination because the state Republican Party could not find one qualified candidate other than a liar and a convicted felon to represent the party in the US Senate. Of course Oliver North with more than twenty five million dollars raised by nationwide from conservatives lost the election badly, because we the people of Virginian simply did not want a liar and a felon to be our voice in the US Senate.

Ah, one last thing, about these rabid Republicans. Michael A. Ledeen, a "scholar" at the American Enterprise Institute, a NeoCon/Zionist organization writing in this weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal declaring "Victory is Within Reach in Iraq" forgetting that George Bush declared victory in Iraq few years ago. Of course these Zionist NeoCons are now working very hard to get the US into a fight with Iran as a way to protect and safe guard Israel. It is seems this country is destined by these die hard Zionist to pay blood and money to safe and protect the Jewish State. Before you know it we might end up declaring war on China because its existence might be perceived as a strategic threat to Israel. Mr. Ledeen like other Zionist Jews in the US is lobbying so hard for the US to declare war on Iran. As if their war on Iraq with its very expensive costs in American and Iraqi blood is not enough.

It seems that bigotry, racism, hate and lies run deep in the blood of Republicans that they may need some mental and physical treatments, not to mention a possible blood transfusion. Republicans are losers because they made this country a loser and because they fleeced this country with their greed and incompetence.

A Succesful Peace Conference May be the Price for Joint Israel-US Attack on Iran.

I was down in Tampa, Florida visiting my brothers and sister for the Eid and while there I always look forward to having deep and provocative discussions with my nephew Jamal, who is a reporter/journalist with a major and national newspaper.

Jamal, is well read with a house full of books, something you do not see in homes of young people. But then Jamal is too exceptional He is an avid reader in history, and he is well read and well versed in conservative ideology and thoughts and of course he and I share a very critical view of both the Bush administration and Arab politics and governments, especially Palestinian politics.

As a rule I do not patronize Starbucks Coffee due to its supports of Israeli settlers and settlement policies and theft of Palestinian properties, I agreed to go with Jamal to his favorite Starbucks for a late evening orange juice.

For over 2 hours we discussed US politics and how the Democrats are having difficulties competing with the Republicans since the Democrats do not have an ideology driven constituency. This is one area that Democrats have to work on in order to win elections and to win a solid electoral base other than the coalition it has to build and rebuild every election. The Republican Party with strong support from the religious rights and Zionist organization worked very hard over the last 30 years or more shaping a constituency shaped by dangerous ideology. The result of which we see in George Bush war on Iraq and his war on civil liberties here in the US.

Both of us, I as an immigrant and Jamal as first generation American we both shared our fear that this administration and the atmosphere of fear that drives this nation does create an immediate danger for us as Arab-Americans. Of course so far, the administration did not push for drastic measures such as interning of Arabs and Muslims in prison camps, however the possibilities are out there.

Of course the Arab-Israeli conflict was among the many topics of discussions since Condi Rice was in the Middle East promoting George Bush conference sometimes in later this year.

The problem with this conference is that Israel so far is not clear on its intentions on major issues such as ending the Occupation, Jerusalem, Settlements and of course the 48 refugees. It is very unlikely that the conference will take place. Already the World Zionist Organization is working to undermine the conference placing full page ads in the NYT calling Fatah a terrorist organization ( even though Fatah is for all practical purposes a security contractor for Israel just like Blackwater is a security contractor for the US) with a Ten Commandments that calls for the destruction of Israel. As if Zionist Jews themselves have any use or respect for their Ten Commandants.

Over the last 40 years of so, since the 67 Occupation, both Israel and Arafat worked very hard to make sure there is no clean competent leadership that can conclude peace with Israel.

Israel made sure over the years it assassinate, exile, and destroy any and all emerging leadership that has some credibility within the Palestinian community. Israel did all to make sure that the Palestinian do not have an alternative leadership to Arafat and his PLO. Again murdering all credible local and exile leadership. It killed all possibilities for an emerging leadership that can sit with Israel and negotiate peace. By all means one could not count Dahlan and Rajoub as leaders even though they served jail sentences in Israel. Israel like other colonial powers before, use jails to give legitimacy to certain prisoners who then go out and join the exiled leadership that eventually negotiate with colonial powers.

Arafat on the other hand, also made sure during his tenure as leader of the PLO that there are no competent, qualified leaders whether from areas occupied by Israel or within the exiled communities who can challenge his leadership. Arafat did exactly what Israel wanted and planned. Both shared in the goal of having no alternative leadership to the PLO leadership when it comes to negotiating with Israel.

Many smart, clean, competent, committed Palestinians died in exiles at the hands of both Israel and Arafat. Both perhaps working together perhaps independent of each other making sure only Arafat team is the one that can conclude any agreement with Israel Oslo was the first one such agreement and unless the Palestinians give up every thing there will be no second agreement.

Arafat having delivered to Israel what it wanted all along, formal recognition of Israel as a state and formal recognition of its occupation and expanding settlements, became of no use to Israel and Israel working with some of his closest aids killed him after jailing him for years creating a hero out of him instead of the total failure he was.

Many Palestinians died as a result of Arafat policy of making sure there is no alternative to him and his buddies. PLO assassination teams were dispatched to many parts of the world making sure that Arafat was the only one who can deliver peace to Israel and deliver it at Israel's terms. It is very unlikely that the present Palestinian leadership will do any better than Arafat did. Israel never respects and honors those who betray their own people.

Too bad Israel and Arafat never allowed the emergence of a leadership that has the credibility and commitments to the Palestinian people that is competent, honest and smart. The Palestinian people are victims of Israel, Arafat and the PLO.

As for George Bush peace conference it is very unlikely it will take place. Israel and its allies here in the US especially within George Bush own administration, within the US Congress and within the media will make sure it fails. Supporting the peace conference that will end the Israeli Occupation does not fit with the loyalty and commitments to Israel of those within the power elites of Washington.

But then who knows, perhaps a successful peace conference will be the price that the Palestinians, the Arabs and Muslims will pay for a joint Israel-US attack on Iran.

Diaspora Palestinians Should Have their Own Representatives at the Peace Conference.

Though preparations are underway in Annapolis, Maryland for the hosting of a Middle-East peace conference, the one called for by President George Bush, it is very unlikely that this conference will take place and if it does, the pressure is building up on the Ramallah leadership (but not the Palestinian leadership) to give up in advance many of its previously announce positions.

Secret talks are already underway between the Ramallah leadership and the Israelis and the Palestinians have already retreated from demanding a set of pronounced goals and objectives for the conference to agreeing to a set of principals that are not binding on Israel. The Ramallah leadership has appointed the brilliant negotiator Ahmed Qurai to lead the negotiation, the same man who is responsible for the disaster that is Oslo. So much so for having the best and the brightest to lead the negotiations.

The word is out that even Mahmoud Abbas the head of the Palestinian Authority confirming to his best friend Uhud Elmer that when he speaks of the Palestinian refugee's "Right of Return" he (Abbas) is only speaking of their rights to return to the areas of the West Bank and Gaza but not to Israel of 48.

Israel with the support of the US, its partner in the occupation, having succeeded in getting the trio ( Arafat, Abbas and Qurai) to recognize Israel, without ever defining the borders of the state is now pushing for a recognition of the "Jewishness" of the State, making sure that not only it denies the right of Palestinians refugees to the possibility of return or admitting the responsibility for their exiles and expulsion, is now putting at grave risk the more than 1.4 million Palestinians who continue to reside in Israel after the 1948 war. From experience and giving the level of intellectual and legal sophistications of Ahmed Qurai, most likely he will agree to this provision just like he agreed to the continued expansion of the settlements and confiscations of Palestinian land and the continued building of the Apartheid Wall, making sure he gets a piece of the business action from Israel in return.

Dr. Salman Abu-Sitta of Al-Awda in London with doubt a great scholar and nationalist published an open letter few days ago in Al-Quds Al-Arabi, addressed to Mahmoud Abbas as both the president of the PA and chairman of the PLO warning him of the pitfalls of agreeing to such recognition. However and with all due respect the call of Dr. Abu-Sitta to reform the PLO to represent all Palestinians is little too late. The conference is only few weeks ago and there is no way Abbas-Qurai will agree to that let alone manage to that within the short time. The PLO leadership failed to reform over the last 30 years it is unlikely they will do it now.

As it stand, the Ramallah leadership, though elected by the people under Israeli Occupation is going to the conference with the claim it represent all 10 million Palestinians. Of course those in Gaza Hamastan, Ramallah Fatahland, the more than 6 million Diasporaland.

The PLO as corrupt and inept as it was even its heydays never did represent all of the Palestinian people. The Palestine National Congress was nothing more than a "yes" organization, bought and sold and traded by Arafat and his henchmen. The PNC never had the backbone or the courage to ever have a say so and sat on its behind while the Palestinian Troika of Arafat, Abbas, and Quarie committed one blunder after another. With all due respect to Dr. Abu-Sitta, the PLO is dead and died long time ago.
As a matter of urgency, I call on all of the Palestinians in the Diaspora especially those organizations committed to the right of return to convene in Washington, DC under the banner of the Palestine Agency and hold a press conference and demand a seat at the table equal to that offered by George Bush and Israel the guys from Ramallah.

It is true and no one can deny it, that the guys from Ramallah do represent the Palestinians under Occupation, having been elected in fair and open elections, However this Ramallah leadership was never elected by the Palestinians of the Diaspora and in NO way represent the Palestinians in the Diaspora, and have NO rights whatsoever to represent them and compromise their rights of return and their rights to reclaim their lost properties. Abbas can waive his rights in Safad but he has no right to waive the rights of people in Haifa, or Acca or Yafa.

Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmed Qurai and Yasser Abed-Rabou are not the Palestinian people of the Diaspora and were never elected by any one. They are the leftover of a defunct organization that lost its legitimacy long, long time ago.

A press conference should coincide with the convening of the peace conference where representatives of the Palestinians from the Diaspora from around the world make it clear to the Ramallah leadership, the Tel-Aviv leadership, certainly to Washington that only the representative of the Diaspora are the one who can make the decisions for the Palestinians of the Diaspora. Even if it means re-convening the peace conferences at a later date. Yes, Israel has to deal with the Palestinians of the Diaspora and not with guys from Ramallah or for that matter the guys in Damascus and their proxies in Gaza making such decisions. I am sure the Palestinians of the Diaspora want peace, but not the kind of peace that Abbas and Quari are out to achieve. Time for the Palestinians of the Diaspora to put their act together separate and independent of the PLO of the Palestinian Troika.

Ken Burns's the "War". a Moving Documentary of the People's War, not the President's War.

For the last week or so, I have been watching with much interest on PBS Ken Burns's documentary titled the "War". Perhaps one of his best that can be added to his other master piece the "Civil War".

Unlike what one would expect from a documentary with this title, the "War" is more of a human journey of people rather than a cold review of historical facts that are deprived of any sense of human drama.

Ken Burns succeeded in giving his documentary on the war that very human touch rarely found in similar documentaries. He succeeded in having living witnesses talks of the war past and present. While the entire documentary is mesmerizing and one is forced to sit and watch there were several events of the war that I thought were so moving and perhaps it brought out what is best in humanity and also what is worst.

Unlike Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam War and George Bush's Iraq War where the two presidents, one a Democrat and the other a Republican both have something in common. Johnson and Bush both lied to the nation and lied to the Congress to get authorization to go to wars concocted by their national security advisors that cost the nations tens of thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands of wounded not to mentions hundreds of billions of dollars wasted because our Congress and as usual failed to exercise its rights as an equal branch of government and failed to protect our national interest and the people interest. The Korean War was another make believe.

World War II was for sure the right war and for the right reasons. The US did not initiate war but has to respond to attacks on our soil as is the case with Pearl Harbor and we went to war against Nazi Germany because Hitler threatened with his killing machine and his National Socialism ideology the very fabric of societies in Europe.

Four things in the documentary that moved me the most. The first was the story of our Black citizens who were called to war and to fight for freedom and democracy overseas when they did not have that for themselves in their own country.

The second was the very moving story of Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and his war experience in Italy where he kept fighting while losing his arm. His courage war efforts earned him some forty years later with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation highest honor. While our Black troops were segregated due to their color, their donated blood, no doubt the same color red was not segregated and contributed to saving the life of Senator Inouye.

The third was of course the tragic and so un-American experience of relocation and concentration camps for Japanese Americans and how our government, even our Supreme Court was able to justify and order all Japanese American to relocations camps. That episode is for sure a dark side of American history; we hope will never happen again. Fear and racism like now where the only reason to intern our Japanese American citizens. With the present atmosphere in this country may be it will be the turn of Muslims and Arabs to be moved to relocation and concentration camps.

The fourth was the horrific scenes of Nazi concentration camps where over 6 million Jews perished simply because they were Jews. I have seen these pictures before, but one could not help but wonder how this can happen, and it did happen. Of course the German and the Austrian people denied they knew of these concentration camps and denied the gas ovens that turned human flesh to ashes. How can these people deny this mass murder when it was taking place in so many places? Hitler was able to kill and murder, in addition to the 6 million Jews, 2 million Poles, over 4 million Russians and killed several hundred thousands of Gypsies, homosexuals and mentally and physically retarded people. Hitler did not do it alone. He has an entire army of people to do it.

World War II where Americans young and old, rich and poor, men and women all joined together to liberate Europe and Asia. This is perhaps the proudest moments in American history and our commitments to liberty and democracies around the world. Too bad, Lyndon Johnson and George Bush did not learn any thing from this war and waged their own ideological war for nothing more than their own selfish agenda and their own selfish and pity ego. When our presidents call on us to fight a war, we want these wars to be our wars not their own individual wars where we as citizens have to pay the price. World War II no doubt was the people war and not the president's war. Ken Burns's story of the War continues.