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	<title>Michael Butler's Blog</title>
	<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler</link>
	<description>"if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room"</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:27:04 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>AlterNet: Finding the Best, Local Food Near You Just Got Easier</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This has been around for awhile. I lost it. I just found it again. I think it is an article giving information very appropriate to the emerging lifestyle we are experiencing. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/29/alternet-finding-the-best-local-food-near-you-just-got-easier/</link>
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		<title>The Non-Profit Crunch &#124; ACTIVartIST &#124; Benjamin Quinto</title>
		<description><![CDATA[You may recall I was very active with the UN when they were trying to put together the UN Youth Assembly. See http://www.michaelbutler.com/orlok/michael/uthant.html for the full story. Due to this involvement as their principle fund raiser I appeared on the screen when Benjamin Quinto was seeking out those involved. He tracked me down as he was starting on his quest to found the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN). Since then I have had the pleasure and honor of getting to know Benjamin and serve on the GYAN Board of Directors. He has recently started a new pursuit of doing great work in activism. He is someone worthwhile to follow as he departs on this new path. MB ]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/23/the-non-profit-crunch-activartist-benjamin-quinto/</link>
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		<title>How the US can learn to survive and thrive, by Hubert Védrine</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a great review of a very interesting book. It outlines aa positive approach to our climbing out of the abyss into which the last two terms have plunged us. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/17/how-the-us-can-learn-to-survive-and-thrive-by-hubert-vedrine/</link>
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		<title>Change *We* Can Believe In</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps a bit of history however let us recall where we were at not so long ago. Let us hope he does not forget where we came from. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/13/change-we-can-believe-in/</link>
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		<title> Obama&#8217;s Little Red Book: Is redistribution really all that bad? - ICH</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I will not apologize for my current barrage of economic news. It is simply too important
to ignore. We are in a perilous situation which will not respond to the system we following since Nixon. 
I tell all my rich friends, In HAIR I wanted to create a dialogue between generations. I wanted to explain to the elite (the theatre audience) what the young felt and sensed. 
I felt matters were so polarized that we were near a revolution. Remember the Civil War was the most terrible war in our history. 
I feel that nowadays the current probability of great disruption is more dangerous than the end of the 60's.
You must recognize, my rich friends, that we are outnumbered 1000's to 1. The only solution is to raise all boats. Otherwise we sink with all. MB ]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/03/%c2%a0obamas-little-red-book-is-redistribution-really-all-that-bad-ich/</link>
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		<title>Reversal of Fortune: Politics &#038; Power: vanityfair.com</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In the heavy duty publications which we read nowadays economics are usually covered by pronouncements so obtuse that they bring to mind the unlamented former head of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan. Vanity Fair is a publication which has a reputation of being a glossy celebrity rag. This tag comes from those who have not really studied the magazine. It always has some very serious political and social articles. In addition it has an Editor, Graydon Carter whose editorials are worth the publication.

Now Joseph E. Stiglitz, a noted economist from Columbia University, has weighed in with a profound article about our current financial predicament. 'Current' may be a misnomer. One wonders whether we should not consider this crisis permanent or at least extended. In this article not only is there the obligatory litany of who made this happen but simple explanations of what happened.

Most important Stiglitz has laid out some programs which deserve serious consideration. Thus we are not only left with gloom and doom but we are presented with some ideas well worth our time of study. Being an optimist this article impresses me. It is a great example of what we need to read more often. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/11/01/reversal-of-fortune-politics-power-vanityfaircom/</link>
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		<title>Virtual JFK: The 44th President&#8217;s Foreign Policy Challenge</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is one of the most levelheaded, in depth articles one can read about Peace and War. It emphasizes the importance of the most critical decisions which we will be called upon to make in the coming election. It sure bring backs some memories. It posits a simulated situation which we are actually  facing.
I urge you to read this. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/10/30/virtual-jfk-the-44th-presidents-foreign-policy-challenge/</link>
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		<title>American Fascists by Chris Hedges (The Christian Right and the War on America)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[George Milman, consigliare and one of our astute	Editors kept insisting that I read "American Fascists" When I finely succumbed it almost created nightmares. A tome for serious thought, one thinks it cannot happen here but it can. This movement has a long lead time of preparation. To counter its siren sounds is going to take serious work. It will notgive in easily nor shortly. It is frightening when he deals with the number of politicians who are committed to support this movement.
I include an excellent review:
By 	Preston C. Enright (Denver, CO United States)
Hedges does a great job of exposing how the Christian Right serves fascism - fascism defined as the marriage of corporate power and the government, along with beligerent nationalism and the utilization of state violence. There's no better example of that marriage than our massive military industrial complex and the growing prison industrial complex. It can be difficult to get normal, healthy human beings to support invasions, overthrows, economic injustice and global class war; but when people like Pat Robertson and James Dobson are there to put a smiley, pious face on it, then "good" Americans will rally behind the cause of Christo-fascism..

Not surprisingly, the high priests of Christo-fascism, people like Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager and others spend countless hours on this nation's airwaves to rally the troops. Oftentimes accusing our victims of the sort of terror and plans for world domination that our masters of war have been implementing for generations.
That's one aspect of this pseudo-Christian movement Hedges should've spent more time on, the role of right-wing talk radio to misinform an intellectually vulnerable segment of the US population. Then again, there are those who simply want to be deceived, since they are the ones who have been pulling the triggers on the Apache attack helicopters and the .50 caliber machine guns.

As Sinclair Lewis said, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/10/20/american-fascists-by-chris-hedges-the-christian-right-and-the-war-on-america/</link>
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		<title>Op-Chart - Bulls, Bears, Donkeys and Elephants - NYTimes.com</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is an incredibly interesting graph which shows the comparison between the Democratic and Republican administrations in delivering good economic results to our country. Recall that the Republican administrations have claimed to be better stewards of our economy. Judge for yourself. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/10/17/op-chart-bulls-bears-donkeys-and-elephants-nytimescom/</link>
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		<title>The Delusion Revolution: We&#8217;re on the Road to Extinction and in Denial</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is an incredibly important article on the more extreme aspects of our world situation. It covers the consumption of the worlds resources while we ignore the clear road signs of where we are headed. In many way it posits that democracy, as we profess it, is not workable in such large national units. Predatory structures political, capitalistic, ecological, cultural and spiritual are predominate. As the poor so outnumber the wealthy terrorism becomes an easy way to try to equalize the frustrations of  being impotent. Why not? to the majority there is a feeling of no future. Cancerous growth in so many forms of nations, corporations and systems ignore the basic tribal structures which bring cohesion to clans and families. 
First step is peace not war. We have too many conflicts with our human problems to be fighting amongst ourselves. Make the current time of our lives worthwhile. MB]]></description>
		<link>http://www.michaelbutler.com/blog/mbutler/2008/10/06/the-delusion-revolution-were-on-the-road-to-extinction-and-in-denial/</link>
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