KICK OUT ALL POLITICIANS WHO VOTE TO CUT PENSIONS IN QUEST FOR AUSTERITY

I call upon all those older people in Spain, Greece and Portugal, who have had their pensions unjustly reduced in the pursuit of austerity, don't accept this immoral penalty.  Vote out all those politicians, who have meekly surrendered your basic rights.  Reject all tributes to the Germanic austerity zealots behind Angela Merkel.

I commend the citizens of Athens for protesting the arrival of Angela Merkel in Greece.

SUPPORT PEOPLE OF GREECE AND SPAIN IN REJECTING BANKRUPT POLICY OF AUSTERITY

If I were in Spain or Greece today, I would be joining the protesters against any further implementation of the crazy and discredited Germanic-inspired economic policy of "austerity." 

Helena Smith reports on Greek demonstrations for The Guardian online.  Writes Smith:

"Hundreds of thousands of anti-austerity protesters took to the streets of Greece on Wednesday as the country was paralysed by a general strike in the first mass confrontation with Athens's three-month-old coalition government.
In one of the biggest demonstrations in the capital in recent years, as many as 200,000 marched on the Greek parliament, according to unions in the public and private sector, which called the strike to oppose new wage and pension cuts – the price of further rescue funds from international lenders."

No economists, other than maybe crazy Republicans in the U.S., would subscribe to a policy of cutting government jobs and pensions in an attempt to foster economic growth and prosperity.  Spain and Greece are mired in a deep recession, maybe even a depression.  Now is not the time to impose cuts on people's salaries and benefits.  Now is not the time to put government workers out of their jobs.

Stop this insane and cruel policy of austerity.  Enough of this madness!

CONDI RICE CRITICIZES SPAIN FOR DEALING WITH CUBA

Here is a story in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning from the AP by Paul Haven on Condi Rice lecturing the government of Spain for dealing with Fidel Castro and Cuba.

"At issue is Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos's decision to snub Cuban dissidents on a visit to Havana in April.

""I have made it very clear that I have real doubts about engagement with a regime that is antidemocratic. Spain has a different view on that," Rice said during a press conference alongside her Spanish counterpart, Miguel Angel Moratinos. "People who are struggling for a democracy need to know that they are supported.""

Lofty goals in support of democracy in Cuba from the Secretary of State of the United States. But how come Condi's doubts apply only to Castro and Cuba? At the very same time that she admonishes Spain, Rice maintains and defends U.S. chummy relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, all of whom are ruled by autocratic despots who flout the rule of law and democratic ideals.

This is but another example of the screwed-up foreign policy of George Bush and his gang. Divide the world into forces of good and evil, based upon your own inner voice. Then choose all the kiss-ups, such as Condi Rice, for important offices no matter how unqualified, and direct them to extend aid and friendship to the "good," at the same time as you order sanctions and even bombs against the "evil."