The Green Party Hopes to see Equality at the UN
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In the Green Party Platform one can find principles and tenets about the United States and its role as an international neighbor. Among these tenets is a simple, yet important one: “Pre-emptive invasion in prohibited by international law.”The invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq did not please Greens. Although it was unarguable that the then-dictator of Iraq, the infamous Saddam Hussein, was a tyrant who did not deserve to be in power, that same argument could have been made for dozens of rulers in the world at the time.Where the Green Party differentiates from others is that it specifically outlines the role of the United Nations, and how the United States should respect the UN’s role in international diplomacy.The Green Party is known for its preference of diplomacy over force. It recognizes that the United Nations is an institution of international law whose treaties the US is bound to uphold after signing. Many Americans aren’t aware that the Green Party has a very detailed platform outlining when, and in what circumstances the United States should become involved in international force. First and foremost, the platform says the United States “is obligated to render military assistance or service under U.N. command to enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions.” This means Despite the fact that Greens opt for peace over war any day, they see a military presence as sometimes inevitable in cases of genocide or other acts against humanity. One point the platform outlines in its Foreign Policy section. It states that the veto power currently held by the five permanent members on the UN Security Council should be repealed.This fits right in line with the overall Green value of grassroots government, because now the five most powerful nations can veto the resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly. This has happened time after time, and always has the same result: the powerful walk away unscathed and unaccountable for their actions.
Why The Green Party Matters
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21st Century Insurance is a leader in their field, but they aren’t the only insurance company around. While they may be the best, there are plenty of other companies out there to choose from and you know that. However, what if you weren’t allowed to know about the best companies, or even the other lesser companies? What if you were only always given two companies to choose from no matter how good or bad they were? You wouldn’t like to be limited, now would you?
In the political system, we have the unfortunate time of being given only two parties to choose from. The Green Party is often not one of those big parties. It’s a shame because the world needs the Green Party and other parties just like it, but try telling that to the boys in Washington.
The simple thing is that the more ideas there are in Washington, the more we can find the path to positive change. With only two parties working for change, we are really losing out on a lot of interesting and helpful ideas.
What the Green Party provides is a platform for the sharing of ideas that are a little off the beaten path. They believe that there shouldn’t be the acceptance of money from big corporations and they are against the idea of a government that doesn’t work tirelessly for the people. We all agree that they should be working hard for the American people, but the Green Party is the only party that seems to base their entire political system around it.
The Green Party gives the American people another option. Another option is what will keep the rest of the political system honest. Without honesty, we are going to be staring at the same old broken system we have had in place for years.
The Historical Rise and Fall of “Third Parties”
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The Historical Rise and Fall of Third Parties
Third parties, whether in the United States or other nations where a two-party system dominates, only gain strength when one of the two major parties fails somehow. This failure could be due to a division, a lost identity, or a breakdown of leadership. Many times, upon seeing this weakness, the third party will make a strategic move to win the disenfranchised electorate over.
Experts say, however, that the danger of a third party is its short-lived nature in the spotlight: it makes a smashing debut on the grand stage in its first election, bringing refreshing ideas to a weary populace. By the next election, however, the two major parties have had time to regroup and focus their efforts directly on the people the third party had won over. In the past, this has involved the major parties tweaking their own platforms and agendas to “follow the pack.†The end result is that the third party fades away into the background, and the two major parties once again take the lead on the stage.
It should be noted, however, that although third parties do tend to rise and fall quickly, the mark they make on the major parties is almost always evident. Their principles become part of one, or both of the two dominating parties. Their slogans are echoed in the banter of politicians who claim the ideas as their own.
In many countries around the world, the norm is a plurality of political parties; groups are born and die on a regular cycle. The United States, however, has had two dominating parties for so long, it will take persistence, organization, grassroots efforts, and awareness for a third party to hold its own. It will also take the creation of a new identity among voters; just like faith, education and work comprise who people are, so, too does politics. Voters must be convinced that the political party they belong to is a part of who they are.
Getting Good Legal Help
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Finding a good attorney is harder than it looks. Every day you encounter situations and instances where you need to use your better judgment and hope that everything works out. There are days when things go wrong and it doesn’t work out the way that it is supposed to. When these situations arise, you need a solid lawyer to help you out, but where do you find one and how do you know that they are any good? Here are some simple tips to help you get the legal help you need.
When you get into trouble your best place to start looking is online. Go to Canada 411 and search for a competent lawyer who knows what they are doing. In their listings, they should say what kind of law they practice. While the more well rounded they might seem, you might want to actually stay away from those lawyers unless you are interested in putting them on a retainer.
If you have a specific problem then you will want a lawyer with a strong knowledge of what you are going through. Don’t look to someone who only has a passing interest in your kind of case. The other thing you can do is ask a lawyer about their experience in that field. Many lawyers should be able to give you their record when it comes to a certain kind of case. If they can’t or they haven’t tried anything then you should seriously consider going with another attorney. It’s too important for you to not have the best help possible.
Don’t be afraid to look around. You don’t have to go with the first person you see. Unless the case is about to go to court, then you don’t have to rush. Get good legal help, not just fast legal help.
Public Defenders in America Find Themselves Overloaded
In 1966, the United States Supreme Court determined that when a person is arrested and charged with a crime, he or she must be read the “Miranda Rights.†Those are the now-familiar string of sentences, beginning with “You have the right to remain silent.†Further down the line goes something like this: “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.â€
The attorney who is provided to an indigent criminal is known as a public defender. But America’s public defender offices are in crisis. The attorneys representing the accused are, in many states, overworked and underpaid. Some public defenders have reported taking on hundreds of cases at a time. Now, some public defenders are even closing their doors to new cases while they catch up on current ones.
The end result? Justice is delayed, if it arrives at all. It is delayed for the alleged criminal, obviously. Many of the accused sit in jail waiting for an attorney to be appointed to them. Once they have an attorney, the attorney is often swamped with so many other cases, he or she doesn’t have more than a few minutes to glance at the case before meeting the client, often for the first time, in the courtroom.
Justice is also delayed for victims and their families.
When the public defenders office cannot do its job, one of the underlying principles of the United States “justice for all” suffers.
It will take money appropriated by the state legislatures to fix this problem. It may take private attorneys working together with the state and local courts to ease the load, too.
Since public defenders are held to the same licensing standards as private attorneys, they feel their careers are on the line if they don’t cross all their “T’s†and dot all their “I’s.†And that, they say, is impossible to do when you can’t see your desk from the hundreds of files sitting on top of it.
Helping Green Party Candidates Succeed
Helping a Green Party candidate get elected in a local or state election requires a savvy understanding of the Green Party’s principles and political campaigning. Because Green Party candidates are painted as the “other” in elections, campaigners must determine the best ways to make the Green Party candidates looks like qualified, respectable candidates to avoid the stigma that accompanies third-party candidates in much of the United States.
Stick with the standards that candidates from other parties use in campaign information. Provide a basic background, including education and work experience as well as one sentence about the candidate’s personal life. Use both printed literature and social networking to reach people. Though Green Party candidates believe in environmental sustainability, having a limited amount of literature available will help attract some more mainstream voters. Just be conscientious about what you print.
Harness the power of the internet! One of the disadvantages of being a third-party candidate is lack of funding compared to Democrats and Republicans. Politics is, at its core, about being able to reach voters. Facebook, Twitter, and candidate websites are easy, free (or inexpensive) ways to reach thousands of voters. Find a young, enthusiastic campaign volunteer who understands how to leverage these networking tools and make the most of them.
Push for inclusion in debates. If you think the local chamber of commerce, a frequent host in local elections, won’t include you, then begin to approach nonprofits or business owners who you think may be sympathetic to the idea of including all candidates. Ask these people to sponsor alternative debates or to push for the main debates to include all candidates.
Being confident about your right to participate in local election discussions and knowing how to use the benefits you have will help improve your chances of getting elected as a third-party candidate.
How to Go Green with a Car
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There are hybrid cars out there that of course are very green cars. Scientists say that electric cars running fully on battery power, not fuel, aren’t very far off. There are also cars that run on ”alternate fuel” such as E85, making the cost to the driver lower and the environment a better place. Bio diesel is also available which is a diesel made from veggie base and carbon neutral fuel. This fuel will run in any current diesel fueled engine without modifications. Not everyone can run out and buy a new vehicle in these challenging economic times, but there are ways the driver can make their present car “green” with little to no cost.
The way a person drives has a lot to do with their fuel consumption. Short, jerky stops and driving above the speed limit are the biggest offenders. Drivers should strive to keep their RPMs between 1200 and 3000 RPMs. Also combine errands and take fewer trips, as well as trying to carpool. Find someone you work with or go to school with and take turns driving. It’s a win win situation for the driver and the environment.
Drivers should keep cars in tip top condition. Get regular tune ups and be sure to have an air filter that is in good condition and doesn’t need changed. A clean air filter helps drivers use less gas, pollute less, and offsets trouble down the line. Be sure the tires are at the proper inflation. If every American had properly inflated tires on their cars we would save 2 billion dollars of gas a year! That’s a lot of extra fuel going into our environment that is not needed!
Take it easy with the AC in your car. There are solar fan options as well as rolling down the windows, which is free. When the car is parked, try to park it in the shade and use a windshield shade to keep the heat out so the AC wouldn’t need to be ran as long.
There are many inexpensive, easy ways to go green with your car.
The Tea Party Movement
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The hot topic in politics today is the Tea Party Movement. The Tea Party began to emerge in 2009 through a series of protests. It started out as a frustrated group of Americans protesting together and has evolved into an actual political party. One of the originating protests did involve tea bags. Graham Makohoniuk invited people to mail a tea bag to congressmen and senators to protest the government bailouts of auto makers.
One of the common ideas that Tea Party Members agree on is that government has gotten too big and too powerful. Nine out of ten members are unhappy with the country’s direction and see the federal debt affecting their future adversely. Their top concerns are the economy and jobs.
The Tea Party supports internet freedom. No regulation or tax on the internet. They support all political meetings of a non security measure being broadcast on
C-Span and the internet. They support demanding a balanced budget and requiring 2/3 majority vote for any tax hikes. The Tea Party favors ending big government spending by imposing a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of inflation rate, plus the percentage of population growth.
The Gadsden flag has become the symbol for the Tea Party. The “Don’t Tread on Me” flag appears at many rallies and meetings of the Tea Party. The first hour the Tea Party movement had a website on the internet, it had over 115,000 hits.
There are concerns that the Tea Party could cause problems in the primaries. A Tea Party victory could divide some parties when it comes time to vote in the primaries giving the other candidate the advantage.
There is no clear cut agenda for the “Tea Party” thus far. It seems to be a lot of discontented groups banning together to form a somewhat organized party. They have gained some victories in the primaries and have garnered attention for themselves. If the reader is interested in politics, some research on the Tea Party agenda would be worthwhile as it seems, for now, it has staying power
Green living are Not as complicated as you might think
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Most everyone in America has heard about or knows someone who is actively living the green lifestyle. This is a trend that is becoming more popular as the years go by. Why do they bother doing this? The answer is simple, conservation. People are making a whole hearted conscience effort to save water, electricity and taking that extra step further to recycle and reuse items.
It is doing simple things like filling up a ½ gallon container with water and placing it in the toilet tank to save water. Call your electric company and have them inspect your home to see how efficient your windows are and teach you how to save using electronic devices that control electric. If you take a moment, separate and recycle plastic, glass, and paper. They can be made into other things that the consumer can eventually use. Nothing is wasted and the result is less trash in the landfills.
Even the large manufactures have jumped on the band wagon to help the green effort. They make and sell products that are used specifically for conservation purposes. They make things like sprinkler heads that use less water, sprinkler system timers, and the like. For the people that like to tinker in the garden, outdoor solar lighting is a wonderful green choice and works as good as regular electrical outdoor lighting. Another interesting product would be the rain barrels that catch water so that gardeners can use the water to water their plants. Using the barrel means that you are not using drinking water. After all, rain is free.
One of the top reasons for living a greener life is for our grand children and their children. We want them to have the same resources that we are enjoying today. In order for that to become a reality, we all must do our part to conserve. Make a list of all the things you are willing to do to help the environment, and then put those words into action. Once you begin, you will find it rewarding and you will be influencing others along the way.
Helping Children Understand Politics
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During major elections, children see politicians on television insulting one another. Generally, the closer the vote date gets,the nastier they will be. They also hear their parents discuss the debatable topics. Although kids don’t really understand what it is and how elections work, they are still very curious to learn about it. They are interested in what happens in the world they live in. As parents, it is our responsibility to explain what politics are and how each person in America has the privilege to vote.
There are ways to open the line of communication and get the conversation started. One way to do this is have your child watch the news with you one night. After each segment, talk about what you saw and answer any questions the child has. This will open their eyes to a new way of thinking and a better understanding of politics.
Undoubtedly, your child will have questions about the war in Iraq since this is still one of the top issues going on in our world today. When giving them an explanation, use simple words that they can comprehend. Make sure they understand why our military became involved. Make a conscience effort not to frighten them with what you tell them as that is the last thing you would want to do.
Once your child understands what basic politics means, as they grow they will continue to learn about the different issues at hand and be able to vote for them. Teaching the Democratic or Republican way at this point is really not necessary. When they become an adult they will develop their own views and decide which party to join. Most children will choose the party that their parents support, as that has been what they have been taught from the beginning.
If parents are educated on the basics of politics, they will find it easier to communicate with their children about it. It may be helpful to get a book about that topic and read it together with the kids. You both may learn something new.
