Vermont Supreme Court Obama eligibility case, Obama not natural born citizen due to foreign father, H. Brooke Paige, Vattel Law of Nations cited

Vermont Supreme Court Obama eligibility case, Obama not natural born citizen due to foreign father, H. Brooke Paige, Vattel Law of Nations cited

“Why has Obama, since taking the White House, used Justice Department Attorneys, at taxpayer expense,  to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells

“It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial
department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to
particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that
rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must
decide on the operation of each.”

“If then the courts are to regard the constitution; and the
constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature;
the constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the
case to which they both apply.”
“The judicial power of the United States is extended to all
cases arising under the constitution. Could it be the intention
of those who gave this power, to say that, in using it, the
constitution should not be looked into? That a case arising
under the constitution should be decided without examining the
instrument under which it arises?  This is too extravagant to
be maintained.”

“Why does a judge swear to discharge his duties agreeably to the
constitution of the United States, if that constitution forms no
rule for his government? if it is closed upon him, and cannot be
inspected by him?”… Marbury versus Madison

From the Burlington Free Press April 23, 2013.

“Vt. Supreme Court hears case challenging legality of Barack Obama’s run for re-election”

“President Barack Obama may be the “de facto” president of the United States, but that doesn’t mean he was elected legally, a former Republican U.S. Senate hopeful told the Vermont Supreme Court on Tuesday.

H. Brooke Paige, appearing without a lawyer before the state’s highest court, said Obama does not meet what the framers of the U.S. Constitution meant when they decreed that a person holding the presidency must be a “natural born citizen.”

Paige has contended historical papers that the framers relied on at the time the Constitution was written indicated a natural-born citizen was someone who was born of parents who were both American citizens. Obama’s father, now deceased, was a citizen of Kenya.

The argument was rejected by Washington Superior Court Judge Robert Bent in a ruling in November. Bent, in a seven-page decision, said Paige had no real proof to support his definition of the term natural-born citizen.

Paige, of the town of Washington, appealed to decision to the high court. At Tuesday’s hearing he told the justices he was not challenging Obama’s citizenship, as the so-called “birthers” group has contended.

“Don’t pay any attention to them,” he told the justices. “The birther argument is just a sheer flight of fancy.”

Obama, who was named in Paige’s original lawsuit, was not represented at Tuesday’s hearing. Paige said he was unable to get anyone to successfully serve Obama with his lawsuit, a predicament Justice John Dooley said concerned him.

“How can the court issue an order when he is not a party to the case,” Dooley asked. Paige said Obama “chose not to be present” and that copies of all of the filings in the case had been sent by registered mail to the White House.”

“As the hearing ended, Paige called out to the justices and began walking toward them as they were departing the courtroom, hoping to give each of them copies of “The Law of Nations,” the 867-page book first published in 1773 by Emer de Vattel.

Paige has claimed the framers relied on “The Law of Nations” when they inserted the term natural born citizens into the Constitution as a presidential requirement.”

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013304230018&nclick_check=1

The media and the Obama camp have striven to obfuscate the eligibility issue  and malign anyone questioning Obama. Therefore it comes as no surprise that Mr. Paige ( or possibly the reporter ) made several inaccurate statements.

First of all, no one is questioning Obama’s citizenship. After all, we will give that to anyone.

It is the Natural Born Citizen requirement for the presidency that is the concern. Mr. Paige accurately questions Obama’s status because he did not have 2 US citizen parents.

The other concern is Obama’s birthplace, which has not yet been proven. The Sheriff Joe Arpaio investigation is moving forward with evidence that the purported birth certificate image placed on Whitehouse.gov is fraudulent. It is believed that they will cooperate in a pending Alabama Supreme Court case.

Vermont liberals enable gun violence, Liberals help create gun violence blame guns, Existing laws not enforced, Vermont leniency leads to shooting, VT most liberal state

Vermont liberals enable gun violence, Liberals help create gun violence blame guns, Existing laws not enforced, Vermont leniency leads to shooting, VT most liberal state

“Liberals, lacking accountability for their failed policies, and reason for their irrational fear of guns, blame guns and conservatives for gun violence.”…Citizen Wells

“Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA – ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the State.”…Heinrich Himmler

“The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good”…George Washington

Vermont, formerly a conservative state, began morphing into a liberal state in the 60′s.

I have been to Vermont multiple times. Despite being the home or college campus of many wacko liberals, I encountered quite a few normal nice people there.

Spend some time in Burlington VT or read about wackos in Brattleboro threatening to arrest Bush and Cheney (been there too) and you will get the picture.

From the NY Times October 1, 2012.

“‘New’ Vermont Is Liberal, but ‘Old’ Vermont Is Still There”
“Vermont is a quirky state, politically speaking. It was President Obama’s second-best state in 2008, behind only his home-state of Hawaii. But Vermont is also the most rural state and the second whitest, normally strong predictors of Republican leanings.”

“Vermont’s political landscape began to change in the 1960s and 1970s. City dwellers from nearby states like Massachusetts and New York began fleeing struggling metropolises like Boston and New York City. Heading north, these migrants had a choice of where to settle, and some self-sorting took place.

More conservatives tended to choose New Hampshire, attracted to its low taxes and “Live Free or Die” ethos. Vermont, where cows outnumbered people before 1963, tended to attract young, left-leaning and outdoors-loving professionals, both Mr. Nelson and Mr. Johnson said.”

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/new-vermont-is-liberal-but-old-vermont-is-still-there/
From NPR February 25, 2011.

“Mississippi Most Conservative State, Vermont Most Liberal: Gallup”

“The most liberal state as measured by the percentage of voters who claim that label was Vermont at 30.5 percent. Again, not a surprise for a state that could send Sen. Bernie Sanders to the Senate.”

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/02/25/134054868/mississippi-most-conservative-state-vermont-most-liberal
From the Greensboro News Record February 23, 2013.

“Editorial: Vermont leniency leads to shooting”

“Vermont has 1,000 offenders on furlough and most of them are doing fine, a probation official said this week.

But not Mikel Brady.

“Human behavior is incredibly difficult to predict, and obviously, we were really taken aback by what happened,” Bill Soule, a probation and parole district manager, told The Valley News of White River Valley, Vt. “We didn’t see it coming down the pipe. We were quite surprised.”

They should be ashamed, not surprised. Their criminal-justice system granted Brady a light sentence for a violent, sadistic crime, then released him on furlough even though he had once jumped bail and had to be chased to Mexico by federal marshals.

This time Brady ended up in North Carolina, where he allegedly shot a state trooper four times following a routine traffic stop near Durham Monday. Thank goodness, Michael Potts is recovering and Brady was arrested the next day in Raleigh.

Although he’s only 23, he has a frightening criminal history that nevertheless did not convince Vermont authorities that he posed a danger to anyone.

At 18, Brady embarked on a “two-year crime spree that police believe included more than 100 burglaries,” The Herald of Randolph (Vt.) reported in January 2011. “Crimes included … the alarming theft of enough dynamite from the Rock of Ages quarry in Bethel in August 2008, that it triggered a federal anti-terrorism investigation.”

In 2009, he and another man broke into a home looking for marijuana and cash and beat the occupants with baseball bats. One of the victims, who used medical marijuana to control pain from a previous injury, said in court that Brady cut her arm repeatedly with a knife as he demanded money.

Yet, by the time of his sentencing in January 2011, Brady had convinced even prosecutors that he was no longer a threat. The judge acknowledged she was giving him a “remarkably good deal” because he had turned his life around while in custody “to a degree that is unusual and deserving of consideration,” according to The Herald of Randolph. Only 18 months later, last June 25, he was out of prison on furlough.

Vermont authorities continued to show leniency. Brady was arrested by wildlife officials in October for attempted poaching. Despite having a loaded rifle — obviously not allowed — he was still not taken into custody. Then, when he failed to report to his probation officer, he was listed by the Vermont Department of Corrections as having escaped.

Soon afterward, he became North Carolina’s problem. He is not being treated leniently here. He’s in the Durham County jail with bond set at more than $10 million, facing serious charges.

And in Vermont, “An incident like this leaves a mark on all of us,” probation manager Soule told The Valley News.

A mark that was painfully felt in North Carolina.”

http://www.news-record.com/opinion/786421-94/editorial-vermont-leniency-leads-to

 

Vermont Auditor Tom Salmon switches to Republican Party, September 8, 2009, Citizen Wells interview, US Navy Reserve, Iraq, Salmon CPA, Tom Salmon announcement at Vermont State Capitol, Montpelier, VT, Video

I was fortunate to be at the Vermont State Capitol in Montpelier, VT, today, Tuesday, September 8, 2009, when State Auditor, Tom Salmon announced that he was switching from the Democrat to Republican party. The Citizen Wells blog has posted a longer video coverage of the event and here is an article from Vermontbiz.com that provides more background information on Tom Salmon.

“Vermont Auditor Tom Salmon switches to Republican Party”

“Vermont Auditor of Accounts Tom Salmon, who was rebuffed by the Democratic leadership last spring, announced today that he was switching parties and will join the Republican Party. Salmon won the position of state auditor as a Democrat in 2006 when he beat one-term incumbent Republican Randy Brock. That race saw Brock apparently win re-election in a very tight race, before a re-count gave the race to Salmon by 102 votes. Salmon cited the lack of fiscal responsibility among legislative leaders during the debate over the state budget. Salmon had offered to mediate discussions between Republican Governor James Douglas and the Democratically controlled Legislature, but was turned down by Speaker of the House Shap Smith. He said the Republicans are better able to manage the fiscal matters of the state, as represented by Governor Douglas.

Salmon further said he will likely run for re-election for Auditor, but there is “a 10 percent chance,” he will run for governor or lieutenant governor instead. Several Republicans are deferring their decisions on 2010 until Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie decides what, if any, position he will run for. Dubie has indicated he is considering a run for governor. Douglas has already stated he will not seek re-election and will not run for any office in 2010. Salmon made his announcement at the State House shortly after 11 am on Tuesday September 8, 2009.

Salmon, 46, has served in Iraq for long tours of duty in the US Navy Reserve while also holding the post of auditor. Thomas M Salmon is the son of the former Vermont Governor Thomas P Salmon, who served from 1973-1977 as a Democrat. The elder Salmon served as a surrogate during his son’s re-election campaign because serving military cannot also campaign for office. Salmon met little resistance in being re-elected last year.

“Vermont Business Magazine conducted a Q&A with Tom Salmon December 2007 with Robert Smith. In that interview he explained why he ran for auditor:

“I ran for state auditor, because as a Rockingham Selectman, I had moved from a simmer to a boil about how fiscal management was occurring in the state. I really didn’t think that anyone was taking responsibility for the fiscal management of the parts of the state. Prior to being a selectman, I go back to December 2005. I’m a Navy Reservist, a Seabee, construction battalion, dirt sailors – we’re never on a ship, so when people see us in our greens they say, ‘Look mommy, it’s an Army man!’ I was in Gulfport, Mississippi, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. That situation moved me to want to commit to public service. I decided when I came home that I was going to run for the select board in Rockingham. The finances were a mess, the morale was not good, the divisive situation over buying the dam – you were here so you know.”"

Here is a copy of the letter Salmon sent to his supporters:

“September 5, 2009

Dear Friend,   

It is an honor to serve  as Auditor for the State of Vermont. In 2006, I was elected as a Democrat. In 2008, I was re-elected on the Democratic/Republican ticket. 2010 will be different.

I am changing my political affiliation to align myself with the party closest to my core beliefs. It is my belief that the VT Republican party is closest to accepting the realities of our times; and is therefore the party best equipped to manage the very real and troubling economic and social conditions which confront us not only today, but in the coming decade.

As many of you know, in the face of the enormous fiscal crisis, I have sounded the alarm for new thinking, responsible budgeting, meaningful long-term planning and painful prioritization.

When I returned home from Iraq, I witnessed first-hand a budget process rife with deficiencies and dysfunction.  There was little balance in the debate.

As a Certified Public Accountant, I recently completed my required Ethics course for re-licensing.  The Professional Code of Conduct demands that I act with integrity, objectivity and independence. As Auditor, I have preached that Vermont is on an unsustainable track we cannot tax ourselves out of. 

I believe the majority of Vermonters do not want to see tax increases as a consequence of poor planning.  However, without major restructuring of human services, corrections management and public education (which together account for some 75% of our expenditures) we are going to find that situation unavoidable. Removing even greater sums of capital out of our job-creating private sector and the budgets of Vermont families will only hasten the ill effects of the current crisis. 

We all watch a healthcare reform movement focused on increased access rather than A) addressing the root causes of the problem B) fixing Medicaid and Medicare or C) promoting incentives and personal responsibility.  The big losers are our young people, the vulnerable elderly population and the viability of Vermont’s 1778 motto of “Freedom and Unity.”

I am a believer in the America of hard work and “get oneself upstream” with a combination of personal commitment and external support.  

I’m not a believer that all of our future tax dollars should go to interest on debt or “education, medication and incarceration.”  In the current form of these primarily government-controlled expenditures, this is a path leading to a dangerous imbalance of our “Freedom and Unity.”  Economic freedom is an essential component in achieving and maintaining political freedom.  Over the more than 200 years of our nation’s founding, too many of our fine soldiers have died for the protection of these freedoms. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you with full commitment and transparency. I promise to do my best to perform the job Vermonters have elected me to do.

Thomas M. Salmon CPA

Vermont State Auditor”"

Read more:

http://vermontbiz.com/news/september/vermont-auditor-tom-salmon-switches-republican-party

 

Tom Salmon, Vermont State Auditor, Switches to GOP, Democratic State Auditor Salmon now Republican, September 8, 2009, Citizen Wells interview

Tom Salmon, Vermont State auditor, announced that he is switching parties and will now be a Republican. Citizen Wells was at the Vermont State Capitol building when the announcement was made. Here is an interview with Tom Salmon.

Burlington VT, Labor day celebration, September 7, 2009, Citizen Wells live coverage, Senator Bernie Sanders, Vermont, Health care a human right?, Vermont Workers’ Center

Today, Labor Day, September 7, 2009, the Citizen Wells blog will attempt to cover live, a Labor Day celebration in Burlington, Vermont. There are two major reasons that I chose to cover this event. First, Senator Bernie Sanders will be there and I hope to catch his comments on health care reform. Second, Vermont Workers’ Center, a community-based workers’ rights organization will be there to promote their stance regarding health care as a human right. I hope to clarify what they mean by human right.

To watch the Citizen Wells coverage, go to this link. When I am not broadcasting live, a video will play. Remember, this is my first attempt at this and I will be flying by the seat of my pants. A right click on the screen will allow you to zoom in for a larger viewing area.

http://www.livevideo.com/liveshow/citizenwells

Here is the announcement of the event:

“Burlington Labor Day Celebration & Benefit Concert
September 7, 2009 – 12:00pm – 3:00pm
WHEN: 12 noon – 3pm, Monday, September 7
WHERE: Battery Park, Burlington
WHAT: Senator Bernie Sanders will join hundreds of working families for the 8th Annual Burlington Labor Day Celebration sharing in a community potluck, music, street theater and ice cream. This year’s celebration is being sponsored by the Vermont Workers’ Center, a community-based workers’ rights organization who has been building a statewide grassroots organizing campaign called the “Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign” that over that past couple of years has been redefine healthcare as a public good. There will also be a special tribute to the contributions and struggles of working families from Jennifer Henry, the President of the Fletcher Allen nurses union and United Professions of Vermont/AFT. Music will be performed local Burlington busker John Holland and Rik & Bec, a new local duo of Rik Palieri and Rebecca Padula.
“Labor Day is a day to celebrate and remember both the work we all do day in and day out and the long struggles of working people who fought hard for the eight hour day, for Social Security, the end of child labor and even the weekend,” said James Haslam, Director of the Vermont Workers’ Center. “But more than ever, use should use Labor Day as a reminder that we need to be carrying on this tradition by organizing in our workplaces and our communities. This is a time re-commit to the current struggles for more livable wage jobs, fair retirement, strong and healthy communities, and re-defining quality healthcare as a fundamental human right for everyone.”
BACKGROUND: The Vermont Workers’ Center was started in 1998 as a workers’ rights and social justice organization, and have been involved in campaigns to improve working conditions and win livable wages in hundreds of Vermont workplaces across the state. In 2008, they launched the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign to build a statewide grassroots network of Vermonters committed to redefining healthcare policy to establish healthcare as a basic public good for all.
MORE INFO: www.workerscenter.org
www.workerscenter.org/healthcare
802-861-4892″

From their website:

“Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign

The Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign, a project of the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC), aims to change what is “politically possible” in the healthcare debate through grassroots organizing and a strategic reframing of healthcare as a basic human right and the healthcare crisis as a human rights emergency.

Our Goals

Our long-term goal is a universal system in which health care is recognized as a public good and provided collectively, rather than as a commodity sold in a marketplace, and where the human right to health of all residents of the state is fully recognized, regardless of race, gender or gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, nationality or immigration status. Financing must be based on principles of universality, equity, and social solidarity, such as a single-payer system. The only legislation that has been introduced into the Vermont State Legislature for the 2009-2010 session that meets these standards are H.100 and S.88.

What It Will Take

This will not be an easy struggle. In order to win such fundamental reform, we need a strong, statewide grassroots network that will be able to put enough pressure on the legislature and governor to force them to stand up to the insurance industry, those employers who will oppose such a system on ideological grounds, and other powerful interests vested in the status quo. This effort requires:

• strong organizing committees throughout the state
• diverse leadership
• a mass base

What We’ve Done

Since the launch of this campaign in April 2008, the Workers’ Center has conducted a Human Rights Healthcare Survey of over 1400 Vermonters, over 95% of whom recognized that healthcare is a human right. We have held seven Human Rights Hearings around the state, in which hundreds of Vermonters have told their healthcare stories to panels of community and faith leaders. Based on the surveys and hearings, we have put together a report and video Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: The Human Right to Healthcare. And we organized one of the largest rallies for fundamental healthcare reform in Vermont history in Montpelier on May 1st, 2009.

Where To Go

Since May 1st, we have been working to:

• consolidate our local organizing committees in major population centers throughout the state
• deepen the understanding of human rights principles for healthcare throughout our base
• strategize with local organizing committees about the best way to hold elected officials accountable to human rights principles.

If you would like to learn more or get involved in this grassroots movement contact us at info@workerscenter.org, or (802) 861-2877.

View a list of organizations endorsing “Healthcare is a Human Right”.

This campaign is supported by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative.”

 

Larry Sinclair Radio Show, blogtalkradio, Larry Sinclair Obama drug encounter, November 1999, Next show August 28, 2008, Obama speech, Sinclair surprise

Larry Sinclair aired his first talk radio show on blogtalkradio, tonight, Tuesday, August 26, 2008. The show was a great success. Larry Sinclair apologized for his lack of experience but his natural speaking ability and recall of facts eased the transition. Sinclair described his encounter with Obama in November 1999, their use of drugs and gay sex. Larry Sinclair also described how he was contacted by Donald Young last year, shortly before Young was murdered. Larry Sinclair’s next radio show will be this Thursday, August 28, 2008. Larry hinted he will have a surprise for Obama.

Listen to the Larry Sinclair show here:

http://blogtalkradio.com/larry-sinclair

Read more from Larry Sinclair here:

http://larrysinclair-0926.blogspot.com

View the Petition to Impeach, expel Senator Obama here:

http://obamaimpeachment.org

Iraq War justification, Iraq War reasons, can we justify, George W Bush or Bill Clinton, media lies, political lies, truth

On February 23, 2008 I posted the following:

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/iraq-war-justification-iraq-war-reasons-can-we-justify-hillary-clinton-john-mccain-barrack-obama/

This post was a list of 10 quotes regarding Saddam Hussein. I did not provide the source of the quotes at that time. Many people, for whatever reason, believe only George W Bush took the posture indicated in the quotes, when in reality, the entire Clinton administration believed that Saddam Hussein had WMD, had used them on his own people, posed a real threat and that the US was ready to stop him. All of the quotes from the original post came from the Clinton Administration. Below are the original quotes, followed by the source and the dates. Also, below, I have supplied the links to the CNN articles that contain the quotes. Interesting, isn’t it? Think of all the lies that have been told about George W Bush and the acceptance of revisionist history.

” We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the
stability and security of his neighbors with weapons of mass
destruction.”  “The chemical weapons Saddam has used and the biological weapons we know he has tested pay no attention to borders and nationalities.”   Madeleine Albright, February 1, 1998

2.  “If diplomacy runs out, we have reserved the right to use
force and if we do so it will be substantial.”   Madeleine Albright, February 1, 1998

3.  “No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing.  He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators.”   Madeleine Albright, February 18, 1998

4.  “What we are doing is so that you all can sleep at night.  I am very proud of what we are doing.  We are the greatest nation in the world and what we are doing is being the indispensable nation, willing to make the world safe for our children and grandchildren, and for nations who follow the rules.”    Madeleine Albright, February 18, 1998

5.  “Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.”   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

6.  “If Saddam can cripple the weapons inspections sytem and get away with it, he would conclude the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost its will.  He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction.”   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

7.  “Earlier today I ordered America’s armed forces to strike
military and security targets in Iraq.  They are joined by British forces.  Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.  While other countires also had weapons of mass desctuction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons
against his own people and against his neighbors.   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

8.  “Along with Prime minister (Tony)Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.”   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

9.  “The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi goverment — a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people.”   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

10.  “But once more, the United States has proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in America’s vital interests, we will do so.”   Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/01/iraq/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/18/town.meeting.folo/

http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/16/clinton.iraq.speech/

John Stuart Mill, War, Good cause, Liberal Parliament member, War quote

John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and liberal Member of Parliament. He was also a  influential liberal thinker of the 19th century and a teacher of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by Jeremy Bentham. Mill was an advocate for Ireland, and the first Parliament member to propose that women be given the right to vote. Mill was a strong advocate of women’s rights. He believed that in some cases, war is the lesser of evils. Here is John Stuart Mill’s  famous quote concerning war:
“But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other.”

Brattleboro VT, Brattleboro reformer, Vermont, chicagotribune.com, brattleboro out of bounds

The vote in Brattleboro Vermont and statements about George W Bush and Dick Cheney are causing quite a stir. The citizens of Brattleboro VT are calling for the impeachment of president Bush and his arrest. They are making outlandish claims based on faulty data and it is backfiring on them. People who formerly liked Vermont and vacationing there are reconsidering. There has been a huge backlash. Normal folks in places like North Carolina and much of the nation, do not like the president of the United States being threatened and being lied about.

To learn more about Brattleboro, visit the Brattleboro Reformer at:

http://www.reformer.com/

To view responses to Battleboro’s vote and attack on president Bush, visit The Chicago Tribune weblog at:

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/brattleboro_out_of_bounds_for.html

Douglas Kinnard, UVM professor of political science, The War managers, University of Vermont, Vietnam vs Iraq, Question for professor, General Kinnard

First of all, I believed that we should not be in Vietnam when the war was going on and I believe that even more so now. I also respect Americans that served in Vietnam and followed their conscience. Dwight D Eisenhower, in a 1961 speech, warned of the military industrial complex. Here is the quote:

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

The rest of the speech can be viewed here:

http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html

I believe we must be on guard against the undue influence of armaments manufacturers. I also believe these financial gain sources played too big a role in our involvement in Vietnam. Of course, we still need to employ our checks and balances to guard against any undue influence.

Many have tried to connect imaginary dots to form an analogy between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. The only strong analogy I can discern is that both were unpopular wars. I hope that all wars are unpopular wars. However, many choices in life are choosing the lesser of evils. Some wars such as The American Revolution, World War II and the Iraq War are the lesser of evils. If we had entered World War II earlier, I am certain that millions of lives could have been saved.
I am also convinced that if the United Nations had performed as it was chartered, our involvement in Iraq would have been radically different. Of course that was not possible with France, Germany and Russia being “in bed” with Saddam Hussein financially.

Douglas Kinnard, UVM professor of political science, former general in Vietnam and author of “The War Managers”, was interviewed in The Vermont Quarterly in the Fall 2007 issue. He speaks of his involvement with Vietnam as a general, in the military, and his opinion of the Vietnam War. At the end of the interview, he states, “Those who fail to learn from history are forced to repeat it.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, but would add that as long as the learning takes place from a broad based factual account of history and not revisionist history.

Professor Kinnard adds this statement at the end: “If Bush knew the real lessons of Vietnam, he would get out sooner than stay.” I would like a clarification of that statement. Was the statement made to appease the ultra liberal folks at The University Of Vermont, or was it a general (no pun intended) statement about lingering past our eminent usefulness? 

Dr. Douglas Kinnard, I respectfully request your response. I do not want to misrepresent your statement.