There's 1,000 Ways Into Addiction 1,000 Ways

The Things I Really Cared About - Poverty, The Great Society, Civil Rights - Were All Being Drained Away By The Vietnam War. The Line That Keeps Running Through My Mind Is The Line I Never Spoke: "i Can't Speak For A War That I Believe Is Immoral."

Now Barack Obama, Who Campaigned For Transparency, Is The President Defending Secret Negotiations On New Trade Agreements That Are Largely Being Written By Corporate Lawyers And Lobbyists. He Would Give Corporations The Key To The Treasury While He Gets The Authority To Fast Track Another Hammering Of Working People And The Environment. Yet The Only People Who Get A Real Tongue-lashing From This President's White House Are Progressives Around Town Who Dare To Call Him On The Carpet For Abandoning His Promises.

The Most Encouraging Sign Is That 71 Percent Of The Public Believe The System Is Profoundly Corrupted By The Power Of Money. Ninety-six Percent Of The People Believe It's "important" That We Reduce The Influence Of Money. Yet 91 Percent Think It's "not Likely" That Its Influence Will Be Lessened. Think About That: People Know What's Right To Do Yet Don't Think It Can Or Will Be Done.

Here Is The Crisis Of The Times As I See It: We Talk About Problems, Issues, Policies, But We Don't Talk About What Democracy Means - What It Bestows On Us - The Revolutionary Idea That It Isn't Just About The Means Of Governance But The Means Of Dignifying People So They Become Fully Free To Claim Their Moral And Political Agency.

Our Media And Political System Has Turned Into A Mutual Protection Racket.