Congratulations Cryn Johannsen!

10 Leaders Who Are Fighting for Student Loan Reform

Congratulations to Cryn Johannsen for being named one of the top ten leaders in our nation fighting for student loan reform that would remove from the endeavor of higher education and allow the graduate attempting to share their knowledge for the public good, freedom from the weight of crushing long term Bank oppression.  The Reasonable Voice is honored to have Cryn as a contributing writer on the team.

Student loan troubles aren’t exactly anything new, but the attention currently paid toward it certainly is. And rightly so. Even college graduates who do everything right and research their financial options before accepting a loan still find themselves crushed beneath mounting debt once the diploma ends up slapped into their hot little hands. Tired of the resultant fiscal strain, some of which comes at the hands of shadier profiteers, policymakers, activists, students, and families now demand some serious systemic reform. Recent legislation might very well start alleviating facets of the major issue, but other elements still need addressing. And the following individuals are some (but not all!) of the ones working to make that happen.

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GOP’s in Disneyland

So let me get this straight, the multi-millionaire who pays taxes at the same percentage rate as a person making between $17–69,000, is calling the pretend historian, incognito lobbyist, stalwartly family values champion through all three marriages, a crook? All while the two regurgitate a 1960’s Cold War foreign policy in answer to a 2012 debate question regarding the demise of the Castro brothers?

What must Reagan, Goldwater and even Hoover be thinking as they witness, ‘from a distance,’ a Republican base so debased by such hypocrisy, it accepts the shenanigans of a Rick Santorum so lacking in Christian principles that he, wafting in dreams of Iowan replays, smilingly permits the basest of his base proclaiming President Obama a Muslim with no legal claim to his office, then seals his approval by performing the legal maxim: ‘Silence Gives Consent.’

Now I won’t give into the obvious retort citing the debacle of a Supreme Court gone politico as a 2000 Florida recount inhibitor, but is it too much to expect the “America, Love it or Leave It Crowd” of pretend patriots to at least pretend to practice the First of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights?

Still Gingrich and I agree on one thing, feeling his well rehearsed and Mitt like calculated response to CNN’s John King’s opening question in a recent installment of the litany of GOP serial killer debates was correct, both regarding the inappropriateness of such a personal question in a Presidential debate and the inappropriateness of either Gingrich or any of his debating rivals vying for the GOP nomination, to be considered by anyone as at all representative of the bush-wacked Middle Class.

The moment was dripping with hypocrisy and irony, but still the media at both ends of the political spectrum has long since lost its raison d’être to inform the public, voting & non, with the results of impartial objective investigative reporting. One nugget of truth, however, to mine from Newt’s example of not giving his Ex’s a thought, he can certainly be trusted to identify “despicable,” for like Tom DeLay and Cheney, his history is awash in it.

The 1% vs. 99% reality that so offends Mitt Romney has its roots in the invasion of “The New World” by countless Europeans looking for streets paved with gold. When they didn’t find all that glitters, some adjusted. Some evolved into hard working poor; some into an educated, trade developing Middle Class and some into the employers of both.

For decades the employers and employees, even without unions, managed to manage through mutual effort and cooperation — some more than others of course — until events like the factory fire in NYC March 25, 1911 revealed the underbelly of increasing wealth for employers at the expense of the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ of employees.

Isn’t it time Reds and Blues recognize what unites us: most of us are the 99% and it is inconceivable that any Newt or Mitt can or ever will solve the problems that their 1% philosophy has inflicted on America. No, Governor Romney, America has not always been right, but when America is most “Right,” it is extremely wrong for all save those who neither see nor hear 99% of Americans.

Now living in an age when a former President and Vice President cannot even travel within the territories of our traditional allies without fear of incarceration, how can any patriotic American give ovations to candidates, resentful of being held to the same standards of American employees, chastising a voter’s 1% vs. 99% inquiry?

Congress, Internet, Banks and Us

While Banksta media focuses on Iowa upset of Romney and Santorum imitating Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First;” South Carolina Republicans twist in the wind as the balls in GOP pinball machine; Boehner vacates vacation mode to plea for lost Nebraska pipeline oil kickback; gamers Peter King & Newt Gingrich self-cast against type in vain glory concern for Americans — the internet, the world and “We the People,” have gone outside the Congress to shake off of our feet, the dust of Corporatism’s puppets — and yesterday’s Internet protest was a warning to them and their secret Cayman Island PO Box hidden treasure politicians: we know what Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Banksta gangs did with our economy, and we’re not letting any President pass get out of jail free cards!

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Torture Behind American Bars

The murder of America’s human decency, exceptional idealism and international reputation as the “City upon a Hill” and a “Give me your tired, your poor…I lift my light beside the golden shore,” Shinning light of freedom for all humankind, didn’t start with the treason of Cheney’s Bush League of hiding in plain sight pretend Patriots Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Karl Rove and Condoleezza Rice.

Nor did it begin with, though certainly aided and abetted by its compromised officer’s of the court, David Addington, John Ashcroft, John Yoo, Scooter Libby and Alberto Gonzales; Nor its Florida inspired Supremes John G. Roberts, Jr, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr; Nor even with its fringe groupies of secret White House guests Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Citi-Group, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and GMAC Mortgage. No theirs was not the beginning of an America no longer “too big to fail,” but was a watershed moment.

Still like Al Capone and others who murder, there are more ways to bring a fat cat down. So to save America from its new top 1%, low, a Texas Grand Jury recognizes it’s not just Arizona and Guantanamo anymore.

“A Texas judge has set an arraignment date for Friday for Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. They were indicted this week by a Texas grand jury on state charges accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a privately run federal jail.”

Attention must be paid, names named and Photo ID Rap Sheets created, for it’s not enough to sign petitions, make Recount, Fair Game and Margin Call, preach to your FB choir or even increase our educational documentary library with Inside Job, Gashole and Capitalism A Love Story. We’re way past Waiting for Superman.

Government of, by and for the people is not “too big to fail” and this “Republic, if you can keep it” needs at least 99% of us to practice “United We Stand” against the offspring of the Bush/Cheney Patriot Act: NDAA (The National Defense Act), SOPA (The Stop Online Piracy Act), and PIPA (The Protect IP Act).

No, this didn’t start with the Dick Cheney mob. It started when the 1945 death of a President freed the free enterprisers of the free world to go global for war profiteering and it was acknowledged all too late in President Eisenhower’s exit speech warning label: The Military Industrial Complex.

It started when the inmates Alexander Haig, George Shultz, Donald Regan, James Baker III and Casper Weinberger took over the asylum’s oval office and John Poindexter knew his boss was mentally defenseless.

It started when the God we trusted on our money became Alan Greenspan. It started the very moment we allowed ourselves to be distracted by 24/7 pretend news and looked the other way.

Now, with all due apologies to Churchill, a Texan arraignment of a former VP and AG is not the end of the inside job Corporatism has played on the American people. It’s not even the beginning of the end of Corporate decay of some politicians, but if “We the People” choose to reclaim the mantle of good citizens, embracing a healing end to the in-fighting of Red vs. Blue, and fight against such domestic terrorists, the Cheney/Gonzales arraignment is, perhaps, the end of the beginning of Americans allowing Corporations and anti-government Conservatives to redefine America.

K. I. S. S.

Believe it or not, there’s “gold in them thar hills” for those whose goal it is to keep us entertained. Otherwise, why would giant Health Insurance, Banking, Pharmaceutical, Fast Food, Cigarette Corporations and their Political PAC hacks invest millions to maintain the security of the 1% on the populace foundation pillars of “Fat, Lazy and Stupid?”

With budgeted foresight, corporatism sets aside a comparatively small percentage of the haul, as ever replenishing expense money specifically earmarked to keep Americans distracted by repetitive regurgitation of pretend news supporting the projection of the sins of the 1% onto the backs of “We the 99%.” We need to distinguish between all the corporate balls in the air and the one homerun pitch that wins the game with a swing away.

First base: candidates proclaim what Americans want without asking any Americans. Second base: politicians project their sins on their opposition. Third base: “Right” brand, is accusing Left of that which the “Right” is guilty. Home Run: recognizing “The Formula,” recycled and over used by masters of spin, convinced still, it blindsides the faithful into opting for plugging in, tuning out and voting against their own best interests with TV remotes.

Though not as formal perhaps as a judicial system that requires a judge to follow precedent with gavel declarations, the choices, gridlock, nominations, confirmations, votes and signatures of Congresses and Presidents bequeath each of us an unimaginable legacy that is the latest evolution of what precedes it. Just as the new NDAA is latest ripple from The Patriot Act, so are they both descendents of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Act.

Nothing comes from nothing.

So while holding President Obama responsible for what he does or doesn’t do, accept that the responsibility for the actions of past Presidents and future corporate congressional puppets must fall primarily to three American groups: the informed voter, the uninformed voter and the non-voter.

Not even 99% of us can occupy the hearts and minds of those who choose Rushed rhetoric over informative updates, or reinforcement of misinformation from pretend news shows instead of personal investigation of the truth that may yet keep us free.

While there are many mad admen and women in government and corporate board rooms ever tightening their puppet strings, the greatest danger comes from their programmed disciples inspired to spread clichéd talking point nonsense as truth in coffee shops, chat rooms and love it or leave isolationists clicks.

2012 solutions aren’t easy but can be as simple as accepting Franklin’s challenge: America’s “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Keeping it however, is impossible if we relinquish our civil civic citizenship responsibilities, opting instead to trust, without review, the targets of K Street Lobbyists, with the future of America’s Dream.

While it can be soothing to wallow in twentieth century memories, at the troth of extremists’ sound bites, it’s time we embraced the now of Globalization, China, Climate Change, ”No Man is an Island: and of course, “World Peace.”

The People of the Fog

I’m truly grateful we’ve finally embarrassed a few top tier best in show dogs at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but I still believe criminal investigations need be all inclusive, delivering indictments that deliver us from the real evil left behind: Corporatism’s Bankstas.

Government is not a marble and granite institution, but employees who mirror America’s diversity of inefficient chaos, procrastinating complacency, coffee breaking specialists and coach potato obesity, but on its worst day, as proven by recent rescinded BofA debit card fees, Government of, by and for the people can overrule the power elite who’ve positioned themselves above the law as an entitled ruling class.

In 2008 most of us got deposited in a quagmire of the self-aggrandized union between political and corporate patriotic pretenders manipulating false religious prophets. Though aggravated by excessive greed’s plundering K Street hoods white washing their Wall Street bidders with cocaine and prostitutes, neither our challenges nor their solutions are new to humanity. However, as Americans, our pursuit of gold happiness has blindsided “The Golden Rule.”

Too often the more individual wealth acquired, the more we rewrite history’s lessons, like eliminating our Middle Class when we eliminate the middle of Mark 4/7 from our lives: “You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to, but I will not be here with you much longer.” Truth, like that of Mark 12’s widow giving all she could can lift the fog of even the most extreme Koch head Libertarians: America is not millions of solos, but an ensemble that harmonizes best when minds are as linked as arms and smart phones. Those who emulate Rachel Beckwith are twice blessed as those who have been corporately transformed into the poor – losing homes, retirement savings and hope.

So let’s ask ourselves…

…What thread connects Football star Pat Tillman Jr, Elementary Education College graduate Jessica Lynch, spooky assets Valerie Plame and Susan Lindauer and a “buyer’s remorse” season to be jolly?

Maybe: The fog machine of domestic and foreign wars of choice committed by an inhumane self-serving collaboration between corporate greed for political gain and the treasonous acts of elected moral midgets determined to preemptively strike out the American Dream – aided and abetted of course, by a tea service of selective memory.

…What gated community preserves, protects and defends Yoo, Alberto Gonzales, Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Rove, Cheney and GW Bush?

Maybe: The “money changers” hiding in the fog, like Americans for Prosperity, who trade in souls with Coakley’s list of American destroyers: Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Citi-Group, and GMAC.

…..What’s to be done?

Maybe: With burning GW Bush inflaming American economy, “We the 99%” should choose Civil Unity to squelch the cinders of Foreclosure terrorism, smoldering to put 2012 elections asunder.

How does a “Right” feared Hawaiian from Capone’s Chicago now riding a mudded Pegasus, Cantor slowed from gallop to trot and heavy laden by tarnished armor, St George us out of the Dark Side fog into the light?

Maybe: With our help, votes and support, but Mr. President, we too need a favor: Remember it’s not just what we do, but what you do. Stop National Defense Authorization pact from keeping America Patriot Act Bush wacked.

My Response to “No Labels” article written by EZRA KLEIN for Bloomberg

I am definitely sharing this marvelous history lesson by Ezra Klein, especially as it puts one of my favorite new pro America for ALL Americans organizations in a well deserved timely perspective. I attended the recent No Labels Capitol Hill event to officially propose its not left, not right but forward path to our national renewal. I was one of over 400 who came in support of a rational and reasonable common sense approach to the M. O. of Congress.

May I suggest it’s not the system our Forefathers put in place that is broken. It’s the elected officials since 1980 who have twisted the system so far toward Corporatism that makes Government of, by and for the people so unrecognizable in 2011. “We the People” need abandon fault finding, name calling and finger pointing and replace it with our personal habitual fact finding for correctly informed voting.

More than anything else, elected officials want reelection. One person visiting Capitol Hill for a face-to-face with an elected official equates to 1000 votes, while one click of the mouse on a generic internet petition, hardly moves the needle. So let’s all visit Congress once a month and tell them what they need to do to get our vote.

My Happy New Year wish for America is for a connecting bridge between the abyss that divides us and I hope No Labels proves to be the glue that unites OWS and the Tea Party. Now that would be most American.

HOLIDAY CHEER WITH A BITE!

If it seems our half full “Made in America” glass is tipping toward empty out of slight, guard against letting those divisive political bed bugs bite. True, we are probably more infected with Supreme Congressional lice and PACs of pests than ever before, but before was like this in days of yore, still in ourselves, we found the cure. So let’s “Black Death” our lying plague with injections of honest reality checks, for nothing more belies civil unity than TV remotes and “I” gadgets.

Disinfecting Corporatism’s creepy crawlers of misinformation for household infestation, we can un-spin twirling devilish dervish distractions, if pausing texting paws enough to see truth between the lines of disinformation. “Seize the Day,” lest our Freedom evaporates infected, with passage of unconstitutional laws and self-righteous indignation despite restroom stalls.

With renewed urgency but mind wide open, insist our rights not be out spoken. Thus “We the People” all united, can trumpet new Founding Fathers inoculation with FDR’s new economic Bill of Rights for the nation:

‘Tis the season for jollies, not tales of tails skipping town reversing Jefferson’s achievement of America’s exceptional crown. Still, off they go in the den of night with corporate thirty pieces of silver, lacking updated perception of new districts growing intolerance of their pilfer. Knowing now how Manna from Heaven was Bush wacked by Rovian Koch head greed piling on 99% with excruciating speed, let’s come of age this Holiday season, imagining reunited national mission with all the people having clear vision.

Create Happy New Year, breaking bread instead of heads, supping together with Tea sweetened by “No Labels,” and Occupying Capitol Hill as elected, turning tables. In self-defense from recurring viper pricks, to our own National Roots be true, learning why Government of, by and for, with which forefathers enabled Liberty’s open door.

Now dashing Scott Brown with Elizabeth financial Queen; Now dancing voters recalling Michigan and Wisconsin Governor’s anti-American theme; Now prancing atop Corporatism’s Walled streets paved with fools gold and vixen’s pox on those who decimate veterans’ bodies, dishonoring Old Glory’s soul; On comet whiting out Supremely understood Corporations’ personhood ply; On cupid “No Labels” integrating Occupy and Tea to “Reach for the Sky;” On Don Gingrich and GOP candidates continued implosion and blitzing of media’s red noses spin, frozen out by National Occupy din:

Top down economics was just government akin to business marketing with winking grin. The Ponzi schemes of Bankstas we know, found them failing to be too big to fail at all but luring politicians to treasonous dough. For civility, emulate American Airlines Gerald Arpey and retire Rick Synder’s emergency overseer absurdity.

With this holiday note of sheer delight, I banish all bed bugs from another bite, and to all wish, good day and a good night: No matter what your lot this day, remember to say to self, as you pray, I’m no Automata for 1%, but puppet string free. For 99%, “The Sun Also Rises,” “…for Thee.

Sometimes America’s Complicated

These days America seems not the “shining light on a hill,” as fatigued and bewildered journeymen atop a predictable vantage of choices: a Moses glance, a reversal to re-elect our ledge edge depositors or an Indiana Jones leap of faith toward our next promised land.

As nation and people we are now in the land of opportunity to shine the light on those who control “The Hill,” and this point of no return, victory or retreat, is our moment of truth.

While our memorable history can be measured by a hand full of presidents, our remarkable history often begins with unknowns, name calling, finger pointing, labels and infamous nicks, like “Deep Throat.” Memories are fleeting and compromise voter perception especially when we fail to recognize new Newt as Tom DeLay replay.

Sometimes Cliff Notes are needed to put into perspective Obama’s inheritance from short list of Nation changing Presidents: 1776, attacks on and betrayal of our Constitution by those who either haven’t or misread it, pre-emptive war for oil Corporate Koch head kings using tea drinking pawns in the creation of a financially top heavy anti-American new world order.

Sometimes society’s circle entraps with employers’ demands for college degrees creating debtor’s prison life sentences for students. Sometimes revolution starts with twits twittering tweets like “Tweety Bird” chirping to the book of faces in the choir.

Sometimes, however, Gandhi and King are reborn in linked arms of defenseless defenders of freedom, sitting helplessly as facial targets for aerosol punishment, peppered or tasered by the faceless uniforms brandishing the bully badges of cowardice — soulless extensions of the puppeteers behind the curtain who send them armed with brain washed.

America’s evolution is inevitable whether engineered by legends & assassins, poets & artists or singers & speakers on iconic historic steps. However, the view from the bridge above is 1% twisted by self-serving mirrors reflecting demi-gods, fearing Mormons and Hawaiians; the un-chosen few without faces, branding labels, manipulating prosperity, programming “Right” with wrong, prepping with Rove in the wings.

Sometimes our inconsistent greater selves must overcome fear, hate, bias and greed and Occupy us with the humanity America was born to be…

…Washington: term limits; Adams: betraying higher Founding self with Sedition Act; Jefferson: Independence Declaration and Hemings sex slave; Jackson: white men superior to red men, blacks not men; Lincoln & Kennedy: save nation from total destruction, but need Americans’ political support for equality courage; Teddy: distrusted corporations until he busted them, spared parks/killed wildlife; Wilson: bigot seeking victory over all wars with world League; FDR: in age of murderous despots was benevolent despot proving limitations of term limits.

Sometimes we must recognize the path makers paving the way for a GW Bush to burn American Dream, Honor and Prosperity, resigning Watergate Nixon without canonizing a bad actor with dialogue more devastating than Booth’s, “…Government is the Problem.”

Thus always Corporatism tyrants enter Stage “Right” to perform finale of America isn’t too big to fail. Not so complicated after all.

Migration, Immigration, Occupation = NATION

Migration for most animals, birds and humans is a search for “mo better” places, opportunities, resources, new beginnings, better job, laws, housing, income, peace, freedom, air – LIFE. Immigration expands hopes and dreams by expansion of horizons.

Americans have been migrating since Columbus missed Miami Florida, docking the Santa Maria in the Bahamas, resplendently dressed proclaiming and claiming San Salvador for God and Country he enslaved natives for Queen Isabella. We rejoice with parades for he who did not discover the home of the “Red Skins,” but undoubtedly, some other Immigrant did.

Seems German immigrant, Martin Waldseemuller labeled us America, after reading travelogues about some wandering curiosity seeking pre-pilgrim Italian immigrant named Amerigo Vespucci. To K.I.S.S., we just mix them all up together in a melting pot of pretend history texts.

Even our first Thanksgiving Day was invaded by Immigrants, and with not so much as a genuflect of gratitude for our invasion of their country with guns, forts, alcohol, naturally followed by a wide variety of sexual diseases and millions of smallpox deaths, the natives invited themselves to dinner. Though perfectly capable of shooting, probably dinner was provided by “red” American Natives, and not European Immigrants.

In the 21st century Immigration, the Mother and Father of America, has become as dirty a word as “Liberal,” but that’s what America is made of, a mixture of “sugar and spice and everything nice,” except for the invasive pre-emptive strikes of “frogs and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails.”

Slippery slope is the dope on yellow brick road from rewarding immigrant Andrew Jackson with the Presidency for illegally invading Florida and declaring Native Americans, “children in need of guidance,” as President he guided them right across the Mississippi River with his “Indian Removal Act;” perhaps Jacksonian interpretation of “go west young man.”

Black immigrants were the only invited immigrants, 300 years before Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, because white immigrants banning red natives to golden west (where yellow immigrants were assimilating in railroad, mining, citrus & laundry industries), needed some colorful assistance maintaining top 1% plantation economy.

Motivation of Immigrants remains suspect: Immigrant Tyler annexed Republic of Texas from native Mexicans; Immigrant Polk Iraqed Mexicans who, forgetting the Alamo, didn’t like Tyler’s immigrating move into neighborhoods of Tex-Mex.

Preambling Adolf, America’s Manifest Destiny assumed American racial superiority for McKinley who made the Philippines an offer they couldn’t refuse: to be feelessly protected.

Thus we were sailing along, as Japanese intimidating, “Great White Fleet,” captained by “Trust (as in Corporation) Busting” Teddy Roosevelt. Though failing to charge up San Juan Hill, TR defended Panama Canal, by invading, as immigrants are known to do, a foreign country (Mexico), and blessed most of South America & Caribbean with special “satellite” status, while alienating Britain over Canada. Viceroy & handpicked successor, Taft, welcomed “our little brown brothers” into the American Dream for America’s Alliance of South American Nations.

Still wonder why they hate us?

We are either Alabama and Arizona’s headless desert of Brewer privatized prisons for minorities or “Liberals” trying to fulfill the exceptional ideals and promise of our Statue of Liberty.

Those of the 1% who attached controlling corporate strings onto Reagan and all branches and levels of government since 1980 are the problem we need OCCUPY for Nation Building.