Nation or Empire?

For the Love of Dayton offered an endorsement after watching the forum video that I uploaded. Of course, he’s much more familiar with me than the other candidates, since I’ve been putting my positions online for discussion now for the last 4+ years.

He’s honest about my odds against Turner in the fall- the one point that differentiates me from the other two candidates in toto (I acknowledge the odds- they don’t):

This is a valiant effort since, barring some unforeseen political calamity, the GOP will likely hold Turner’s seat in the fall. I’m a proud independent and disagree with Turner and Esrati on a host of issues, but after watching the Democratic candidates forum (uploaded to Youtube by Esrati) I am quite sure David Esrati is the best candidate for OH-3. He does a good job diagnosing the problems with our fair city’s/region’s/state’s/country’s bureaucratic elite from the Democratic side of the aisle (vote for him in the primary on July 13 if you are a Democrat).

He, like me, opposes the waste and war in Afghanistan. He, like me, thinks this:

“I’m pretty sure that if we keep electing the same people there will only be three kinds of people left in this country: the very poor, the very rich and those who work for the government.”

via For the Love of Dayton | love matters.

There are a few universal truths as far as I’m concerned- one of them is that there is never a perfect candidate for anyone (nor- should there be). Thinking people should always have some questions of their leaders- if not- you get dogma instead of democracy 99.5% of the time.

The Dayton Daily News Editorial board complained that “Mr. Esrati’s thinking continues to be hard to track.” Which is a good thing- if it were easy, I’d be just like every other mouthpiece they endorse. Free-thinking politicians are in very short supply in our country.

For the Love of Dayton also posted a video of a speech by Ron Paul set to music. Ever since I’ve been a youngster, my father has beat into me that our country has done a crap job of picking our “friends” overseas. We’ve propped up more two-bit dictators than I can list- and even created and helped sustain others by our boycotts or blacklists (Castro in Cuba or Hugo Chavez in Venezuela).

I’m posting the Ron Paul video- and stating for the record that I’m in complete agreement with everything he says (however, I wouldn’t use the “Christian” example- as I believe that humans treating others as humans has nothing to do with being Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan etc.)

And no matter how green or naïve Mike Turner may try to paint me in the fall, I can tell you that he’s never met a defense contractor he doesn’t love, nor a country that he isn’t OK with selling arms to.

Eisenhower warned us in his farewell address about the “military industrial complex”- and I’m posting that video too. Because it seems as time goes on, we refuse to learn from history or admit our failures.

War, and war machines are not ever the solution to improving the human condition. If I truly believed that our foreign policy was dictated for the love of mankind- I’d not be wondering why we’ve ignored genocide in Darfur, Rwanda and the Congo.

If we truly wanted to spread democracy, it is best not done with a barrel of a gun, but with education, health care, modern infrastructure (like water systems, sewage systems) and things that improve the human condition.

Empires built with weapons of any kind, only last as long as the despots who wield them can- or can afford to continue wielding them. Of this, I believe that our country is very close to reaching its limits of sustaining our over-sized “investment” in global domination by strong arm, as opposed to a policy of open arms.

In the beginning and in the end, there is only one nation that will matter in the history books- the nation of man. It knows no national boundaries, has no single religion, no single ideology, no one way- except the human way. It is here, where the “Golden Rule” once again proves itself: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

It is time to put aside all “party politics” and look to create a sustainable future, not just for the United States, but all mankind. That is the only empire building I can support, and it is why I ask for your support.

peace.

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