Michael Butler’s Blog

“We All Have The Same Problems” was the slogan I used when running for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat in the so-called most Republican county of the state, if not the nation. The ad campaign won awards but not the election. I did garner more votes than any Democrat, since Reconstruction, I was told. Many assumed I was a Democrat, when I was really a JFK, RFK and Otto Kerner acolyte. In those days I was a military-industrial hawk from a very Republican family. I wanted to be a US Senator and my support would come from the Democrats, primarily Gov. Kerner and Mayor Richard Dailey, (the first). They felt I could win. During that critical summer I also came under the influence of a young pacifist gardner and his mind-altering crop. I became a dove. The rest is my history of becoming the producer of HAIR. My motivation came from a desire to communicate the message of Freedom, Peace and Love from one generation to another. I believed, and still do, that the basic tenets of the hippie philosophy are the only real future of the world if we are going to avoid destroying the human race, or the environment that supports it.

When I tested my political inclinations, I came out as a Libertarian, where I exist comfortably today-socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I was sorely disappointed with many of the Clinton antics. However I felt that his private life was none of our business. Such witch hunts are handmaidens to the fundamentalist elimination of any politician who does not agree with their philosophy. It has made many suitable and adequate people decide to stay out of politics. I felt that ‘we all have the same problems’. I still feel that basically we have the same objectives. Whether we are Red or Blue, Democrat or Republican people have the same basic desires. Most differences are about the methods of attaining our desires.

I had little idea of the major conspiracy facing America, namely the take over of the country by the “compassionate conservatives”. That was a great phrase that many took to heart, myself included. However, my choice in those early days was for Senator John McCain. I felt here was a straight shooter who had proven his dedication and would be a fair leader. I did not have very strong opinions about Bush until I saw what the compassion of Carl Rove did to McCain in the primaries.

Then came the election with the obvious chicanery by Jeb Bush and cohorts to give his brother the edge. Further dissolution came with the Spreme Court overridding the State Courts and the cave-in of Gore. To this day I do not understand why he gave up his victory.

Is it not a problem that we all have to face real concern for may subjects: The War in Iraq, the reasons for that war, The Patriot Act, the Downing Street Memos, Environment, Medical Insurance, Cost of Housing, Unlimited political funding of both major Party’s, and the Ohio election results are just some of the critical issues. Not to even talk about our protection in the case of a major terrorist attack when we have Katrina as an example of the lack of prevention and preparedness.

These are problems for all of us. They will be solved only be clear investigation and correction. Finding non partisan answers to such questions is too often confounded by political parties which have too much at stake financially.

Our greatest concern is the disappearance of a watchdog press. Since deregulation allowed rampant conglomerations of communication media, we have seen a blanket thrown over real scrutiny of the government. Mergers and acquisitions have reduced the voices of dissent. The media moguls and monsters are beholden to the government in power, no matter who it is.

So “we all have the same problems.” we are not getting the straight story, or the full story; adverserial positions are not being pushed. No matter what one’s politics are we are being entertained by big media beholden to big government and not to the people. The only way to cure this problem is to have open and clear information available to all. In an information age, an enlightend citizenry is our only hope.