Sunday, June 25, 2006

District 21/22/23 Newsletter (Diamond Head to Kakaako, Moiliili to Pawaa)

The election season is ramping up -- with July 25, 2006, the deadline for filing for this year’s elections. This year, it really does seem to be different. The Republicans seem to be united -- or at least have an understanding to respect their differences, while we’re still waiting for some leadership to emerge from the Democrat camp other than, “Blame Bush for everything,” and hoping to exploit some kind of local, petty differences.

I think today’s citizens are not petty, nor are they as ideological as the media makes us out to be -- ready to tear out the jugulars of all those who disagree with us on every issue -- as though we have nothing better to do but stampede on cue. That’s probably a large reason why the influence of mass media has diminished greatly, and is accelerating in these last few years -- making it truly possible for an effective grassroots campaign to succeed. The grassroots meanwhile, have picked up formidable new capacities in the new technologies of the Internet and cell phone networks enabling ease of communications unprecedented before.

The important concept is “mindshare.” Information has power when we share it with others -- so they are working with the same information you have. In a previous generation, information was thought to have power if one withheld it from the others in the thinking that one could control the others because they were not as informed, allowing some to dominate others -- as the leadership paradigm. Leaders were leaders because they were smarter and more powerful than anyone else (by exclusive access to information) -- rather than enabling the more effective strategy of delegating authority and sharing power with those worthy of that trust. But with more than just the traditional reporters telling us all we know, it is now possible for the ordinary citizen to have a bigger picture of what is going on than the principals -- too preoccupied in the machinations of power and pressure.

That’s how the Lingle-Aiona Administration is remarkable, different and effective; the leadership style is not top-down from the Big Boss, who micromanages and second-guesses every decision so that people lose confidence in the ability to think and act for themselves. But the governor retains full responsibility and accountability -- and looks for causes when things don’t go right -- rather than just somebody to blame. That’s when we’ve moved out of the plantation era mentality of only one person being allowed to think -- for everybody else, even if they called themselves, “Democrats.” The words, the labels, the alibis, don’t mean anything; it is the actions, and the results.

Are we not better off than we were four years ago -- immeasurably? But success also brings challenges of their own -- or people know nothing else but to destroy their own success so that they can be successful again, in a dysfunctional repetition of history. Progress, evolution, “a more perfect society,” is going beyond, to where we have not been before.

The leader we can have confidence in moving forward, is our present governor, Linda Lingle; she’s blazed every path naturally, effortlessly, gracefully all her life. That’s a proven track-record, if there ever was one. Those are the kinds of people it takes to be the true leaders in the world, in all the aspects of a greater society, that the government and all the institutions are meant to serve. The government does not exist just to serve itself -- to provide more high-paying jobs for themselves for doing as little as possible (or anything at all), or even, creating a bigger problem that requires more high-paying jobs to solve.

So we need elected officials who are not enabling that mess -- that hopeless quagmire of expanding the problems infinitely, hopelessly -- even as they claim it is “for the keiki,” “for the kupuna,” for everybody else but themselves -- for their ambition is a selfless cause. Meanwhile, back on earth, we eventually have to pay for their generosity and largesse. In the past, there was no greater lure than, “Everything for free.” The world just doesn’t work that way. There are always costs -- while sometimes, the rewards disappear as soon as the free federal money expires. That’s not a healthy way to run any enterprise of sustainable values and purposes -- and especially government.

Particularly noteworthy about our present governor is that she demystifies government jargon and doesn’t use it herself, so that for the first time, people are not excluded because they don’t know the “secret talk” of government officials (bureaucrats). In this respect, she has fulfilled one of her primary promises to restore integrity and trust to government -- which is always the necessary first step. Once that trust and confidence in integrity is in place, anything is possible -- because all that energy that formerly went into undermining one another for personal aggrandizement, is freed to serve the greater good.

The new model of leadership is about leading by example -- and not just being “the baddest dude in town” who gets to boss around everybody else. That is not leadership -- but bullying and intimidation, which we hope is now a forgotten memory of the past, although one hears rumors they still condone it in some public schools and offices -- as a remnant of the “good old ways,” and the “good old boys.”

Our regularly scheduled monthly meeting, on the 4th Wednesdays of each month, is this Wednesday, June 28, 6:00 pm, at the Hawaii Republican Headquarters, Kapiolani Blvd and Cooke. Per the tradition of our meetings, everyone is invited to attend, and candidates running for office are especially encouraged and given an opportunity to deliver a brief message about their campaigns. After all, that’s what we’re all about, and there is no more important business we have to get on to.

7 Comments:

At June 26, 2006 10:49 AM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

The war against Americans:

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?0cf655a3-c2f4-45ca-b465-0fd59b26f847

Did the New York Times Cross the Line Between a Free Press and Treason?
By Jim Kouri, 6/23/2006 1:54:23 PM

Liberal columnist Mort Kondracke echoed the sentiments of many Americans: The New York Times leaked information about a top secret banking operation, which was aimed at stopping terrorist financing and money transfers, because of their hatred for President George W. Bush.

President Bush implored the Times not to run their story, but the editors decided to disregard the presidential request. (One cannot help but wonder: If President Bill Clinton were our Commander-in-Chief today, would the editors at the New York Times comply with his request to kill the story? Most probably.)

Americans following the aftermath of the Times leak knew that part of the news story. However, what most didn't know was that the co-chairmen of the 9-11 Commission -- Tom Keane and Lee Thompson -- also contacted the New York Times and told them disclosure of the Treasury Department's counterterrorism operation would hurt national security. The editors at the Times couldn't care less and disregarded their plea, as well.

"In the past, I believe the New York Times got too close to the line separating honest journalism and betrayal. Now I think they crossed that line," said a former intelligence officer who now works as an undercover detective for a large city police department.

"I also don't believe someone from the [Treasury Department] leaked the information to the Times. I believe one of the lawmakers -- either in the House or Senate -- who opposes the war on terrorism leaked the information," he added.

As yet, there are no comments emanating from Washingtion, DC regarding a full investigation of the leak. One source says he hopes the Justice Department assigns a special prosecutor to look into the case.

"We wasted millions of dollars on the so-called CIA leak case; how about investigating a serious leak that actually does impact [upon] US national security?" he added.

So far, the most vocal member of the Bush Administration regarding the New York Times and Los Angeles Times stories is Vice President Dick Cheney. "These [were] good, solid, sound programs. They [were] conducted in accordance with the laws of the land," Cheney said.

"They are carried out in a manner that is fully consistent with the constitutional authority of the president," Mr. Cheney said. He also said that he found it "offensive" that newspapers would publicize the secret program.

"What I find most disturbing about these stories is the fact that some in the media take it upon themselves to disclose vital national security programs, thereby making it more difficult for us to prevent future attacks against the American people," Cheney said with obvious anger in his voice.

The New York Times stood by its coverage saying editors had judged after careful deliberations that releasing the information served the public's interest. They didn't explain in what way the disclosure of top secret information served the public interest, unless they include terrorists, our homegrown insurgents in congress, left-wing Stalinist groups, and your garden variety Bush-haters.

It's been said before: Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups don't need to spend money on intelligence gathering and analysis. Members of the U.S. news media are de-facto intelligence agents for them.

Jim Kouri, CPP, is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com. He's also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri's own Web site is located at http://jimkouri.us

 
At June 26, 2006 11:27 AM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

There’s a whole new culture being created -- and obviously one dying: the dominant mode of culture/society of the last century was that of mass culture, mass society, mass media -- which has given way to the personalized, customized possibilities of individuality and expression of the new technologies. In the old mode, such deviances from the “correct” were considered criminal -- as though it were a crime to think for oneself, as in the landmark work of Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, and The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

Maintaining one’s own freedom and independence were defined as thought-crimes. The major culprit was government, though that was never a requirement of such coercive societies and cultures. It was just presumed that they would be the most powerful and dominant agencies -- while lurking in the shadows, blurring the lines between government and the perception of it, was the mass media running their own agenda, their own naked grab for power and self-aggrandizement. They were the self-important people whose opinions and thoughts mattered more than the duly-elected leaders -- never mind everybody else! That’s what their programs seem to be all about anymore -- insisting that their lust for fame, glory, power, supersedes everybody else’s right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

 
At June 26, 2006 7:26 PM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

When the "news" becomes so partisan and manipulative, it becomes useless -- as a source of information.

It doesn't matter that they provide both sides of the distortion; two wrongs don't make a right. What's needed is the whole picture and story, and not simply more partisan views (half-truths, if not complete fabrications) -- that don't add up to the complete,truthful picture -- which is more than just the sum of the distortions, lies, manipulations, unless that is what they are now calling the "truth."

I'm the last person to be a blind follower of a political leader -- but I can recognize when a person is as good as can be expected. I don't think we're voting for the messiah; I think we're voting for the best person to represent everybody's interests -- and not just our own, because such a person would be biased, unfair, prejudiced towards us. But essentially, such a person is biased, unfair and prejudiced -- and we could be their next victim.

Governor Lingle will argue very passionately and persuasively for those issues she feels very strongly about -- but she will not disparage those who don't agree with her. Those people just have to be their own best advocate for their own cause -- because you aren't going to get her to argue passionately and persuasively for what she doesn't believe in -- and that is fair and reasonable.

The problem of politics in the past has been this vilifying and smearing of those who didn't agree with them. That's basically Democrat tactics of bullying and intidation -- cheating as the only way they know how to win, not only registering dead people to vote, but also running dead people for office to maintain their control.

And instead of the newspapers exposing that, they're taking the lead in promoting the lie. Something is very wrong with that picture.

 
At June 26, 2006 7:43 PM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/JeffEmanuel/2006/06/27/202717.html

The good news
Jun 27, 2006
by Jeff Emanuel

The good news
Jun 27, 2006
by Jeff Emanuel

Kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder charges were filed last week against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman (the term for an enlisted medical specialist) for the alleged April 26 killing of a 52-year-old disabled Iraqi civilian. The eight men are accused of forcibly removing the Iraqi man from his Baghdad-area home, shooting him, and then planting a shovel and AK-47 near his body to create the appearance that he had been caught in the act of planting an Improvised Explosive Device, or IED.

The Left—especially the so-called “mainstream media”—has jumped on this (just as they did with Haditha) as yet another example of America’s failure on all sides in Iraq, and of its true lack of concern for human rights. As Jeff Jacoby wrote in the Boston Globe, “Hostile to the war and to the administration conducting it, the nation's leading news outlets harp on the negative and pessimistic, consistently underplaying all that is going right in Iraq.” The Left and the media’s obsession with any bad news they can get their hands on serves only to undermine the cause for which our troops are fighting.

Had the media been honest in their reporting of the Iraq war and its aftermath from the beginning, this instance of alleged American wrongdoing would be seen by the public for what it is: an (abhorrent) aberration, committed (if it turns out to be true) by a very small number of individuals in an honorable, heroic force. The lack of coverage given the positive side of postwar Iraq makes it necessary to point out the vast majority of developments in that country which show that this is an aberration—developments which should not need to be said (possibly for the first time to many) now, this far down the road.

For example:

It shouldn’t have to be said that the people of Iraq are living freer than they ever have, able to voice opinions and to take part in activities that they dared not do under Saddam for fear of losing their lives, and that they are hopeful about their future. This is demonstrated by a poll reported by the Brookings Institute, which showed that, as of January 2006, 64 percent of Iraqis thought that the country was headed in the right direction, and 77 percent said that removing Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do. The same report revealed that, on an index of political freedom for countries in the Middle East, Iraq now ranks fourth (below Israel, Lebanon, and Morocco).

It shouldn’t have to be said that the Army Corps of Engineers and USAID have done amazing work in the last three years rebuilding—and in many cases improving on pre-war levels—Iraq’s infrastructure, completing over 2,900 projects since the end of major combat operations, including the renovation and construction of hospitals, the establishment of new police stations and Border Forts (39 of 45 planned forts along the Iran-Iraq border have been completed—and are manned by Iraqis), and the cleaning up of drinking water. A village near the Baghdad airport, for example, had a problem with negative water pressure, which allowed sewage to get into the drinking water. Coalition soldiers spent ten months working with an Iraqi company to remedy the situation, replacing the Saddam-era water pipes with a system which improved pressure and water accessibility for the rest of the village. “This is the biggest gift from the (Coalition) Forces to this village,” said the manager of the Iraqi company that contributed to the project, himself a resident of the village. “People used to be very, very sick in the village. When the water pipes were rotten, sewage was leaking [into the water supply]. We’re really honored to do this and leave this here as a symbol of sacrifice. [Coalition] Forces sacrifice their lives here to help us. It’s the least we could offer this village.”

It shouldn’t have to be said that electrical power generation and distribution is currently at a level 720% higher than it was in May 2003 (3,600 megawatts vs. just 500 three years ago), and the Army has been providing excellent training to Iraqis to enable them to operate and maintain the nation’s power systems. Demand for electricity in Iraq has doubled, and the US’s goal is to reach 6,000 megawatts of output (over 150% of the pre-war level).

It shouldn’t have to be said that over 3,000 schools have been “rehabilitated,” 9 million new textbooks have been distributed, and 36,000 teachers have been trained, or that 315 of 317 school-building projects in northern Iraq have been completed.

It shouldn’t have to be said that Iraqis are now receiving excellent—and accessible—medical care courtesy of the US military. Nearly 100% of Iraqi children have been vaccinated, and the military is conducting regular clinics, such as a dental care clinic recently held by 101st Airborne and Army Special Forces medical personnel in the city of Amu Shabi. In another instance, a group of Army engineers also acted to save the lives of a number of residents of a small Iraqi village by sending tissue samples of a stray dog which had bitten five villagers (including a child) to the Veterinary Corps in Landstuhl, Germany to see if the dog had rabies. It did turn out to be rabid, and the soldiers were able to provide appropriate medical care to the bitten villagers.

It shouldn’t have to be said that former terrorist strongholds within Iraq are currently the sites of numerous rebuilding projects. Sadr Al Youssifiyah, for example, was once a staging point for terrorists targeting Baghdad. After a joint US-Iraqi operation liberated the town, the rebuilding and improving began in earnest, beginning with the now-completed project to restore drinking water to the town. "Half a dozen projects are already underway in the wake of [the town’s liberation]," said a program manager from the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the unit responsible for this city. "These projects are a mix of short and long-term solutions to the problems facing these people. Some of these projects are simple road repairs to facilitate civilian transportation, while others are complicated and longer term projects developed to repair local electrical networks over the long haul."

It shouldn’t have to be said that Iraq’s economy is growing at a torrid rate, and is only expected to speed up in the near future. According to a State Department report, Iraq’s 2005 GDP was 130% what it was in 2002 under Saddam (not only did it rise 2.6% in the last year, but it is expected to climb 10% in the coming year), and unemployment is 50% lower than it was in June 2003. Annual oil export revenues have increased over 300% from the prewar level of $200 million. More than 30,000 new businesses have been registered in Iraq since the fall of Saddam, and per capita income is now 240% higher than the $500 it was before the war. There are more than 5 million cell-phone subscribers now, as compared to virtually none under Saddam, and the country now has more than 2,000 Internet cafes…and a free press. USAID is also helping train Iraqis to become competitive in the job market, such as a recently-held carpentry workshop for young adults which focused on fostering leadership, independence and financial stability. The shops profits are used to purchase sports equipment, secondary school supplies, and other community-related items.

It shouldn’t have to be said that America’s soldiers in Iraq have gone vastly above and beyond the call of duty to help the people of Iraq. Army 1st Lt. Brian Cyr, for example, began a shoe drive last May after seeing that many Iraqi children—especially those in rural areas—had none. The project became a wild success, and Lt. Cyr and 28 of his 1st Cavalry soldiers were able to distribute over 3,000 pairs of shoes (donated by Americans in 11 states) during the two-month life of the program. Cyr wrote that “seeing children put on a new pair of shoes for the first time is something [he'll] never forget,” also saying that this experience “has definitely shown my platoon that the majority of Iraqis are not the ones shooting at us.” Another example is Army Captain Wendy Bernard, who wrote of the project known as Operation Helping Hands which was launched by the 874th Movement Control Team, her unit in Iraq, with the support of her Staten Island-based home Battalion. “Our operation has made tremendous strides,” she writes, “and has included school kit donations, dental hygiene programs, school rebuilding operations, involvement in a local women's union geared to the empowerment of local women and the subsequent improvement of their lives. In essence, we have concentrated on the entire community and have found our work rewarding and gratifying, based on the smiles, hugs and kisses from the local children and adults.”

This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg; there is so much more good news from Iraq which has regrettably been ignored, and must now be given the attention it deserves. Fortunately, several “new media” and talk radio outlets have done a consistently excellent job of getting the word out on the positive developments in the region, and still more information should come to light in the future as the improving situation gives the mainstream media less bad news to report from Iraq. Given the Left’s constant harping on Abu Ghraib, Haditha, and this latest incident—the latter two of the three still being far from proven—it is supremely important that Americans be presented with the good news from Iraq, and given the information necessary to understand that the positives in that nation not only outweigh the bad, but that they do so overwhelmingly.

Jeff Emanuel, a highly decorated military veteran, is a senior at the University of Georgia where he is the Public Relations Director for the UGA College Republicans.

 
At June 26, 2006 7:47 PM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

There are some people, who can only see the bad in everything.

These are not the people who should be reporting and editing the news.

 
At June 26, 2006 7:51 PM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

These are also the people you don't want to choose as friends -- as so they have no friends, thus they can only see the bad in everything, everyone.

And they'll never be able to figure it out -- and all the food in the world is not going to be able to comfort them.

 
At June 26, 2006 9:37 PM, Blogger Mike Hu said...

What's very disturbing is how the media, schools and universities are teaching us that we should hate ourselves -- for being who we are, which is Americans. They would also have us believe that Americans are the most despised people the world over -- rather than the most admired and respected throughout the world. People want to be Americans, to live in America.

Except for the self-righteous, politically correct demagogues of the left, America is unprecedented and unrivaled freedom of choice to live the life one can imagine it being -- even more than just the financial opportunities that are also possible elsewhere.

Real freedom is beyond government. Yet we have these demagogues who think that government should dictate everything -- as though it knew best for everyone, and so the choices they make, are to eliminate the choices -- until there is only the government monopoly, the company store.

The important battle is the cultural one -- of the people taking back the government, owning government -- and not being owned by government, exacting onerous tolls for the privilege of living.

That's what the homeless situation is partly about. There are some people who don't want to live in houses; they want to sleep under the stars -- but they should pay somewhat for that accommodation, at least modestly. Call it communal housing; it's also a choice -- and actually one that makes a lot of sense.

I don't think every man needs to have his own castle, or even a big house, to be doing right in society, by society. Some call it being house-free, rather than homelessness. Tribal societies used to live that way -- in those loose housing arrangements.

In Washington state, the mobile have that nomadic lifestyle of checking into the canmpgrounds after the rangers have left and leaving before they come back in the morning on the weekdays when the state parks are otherwise deserted. With cell phones, email, post office boxes, many are running businesses out of their tents.

It is definitely an intelligent lifestyle in an age in which housing and rent consume entire incomes. The same is true of cars and fuel; many opt out. And health care -- all those things that can consume one's entire income -- in the right twist of circumstances.

Some people think that the role of government is to ensure that nothing bad can ever happen -- that there should be zero risks and consequences. That's not real -- but that doesn't stop the demagogues from promising such illusions of security and false visions of reality.

Life is very simple; if we do the best we can with whatever we have, things have a way of turning out all right. If we waste whatever we have, there's never enough.

 

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