As a huge swathe of America struggles to get back to normality following hurricane Sandy Matt Romney, son of the US Presidential hopeful, is in Russia. On what has been called a long planned trip for him it is business as usual.

Matt, the second eldest son of Mitt, is there touting for business. Father Mitt is good at espousing that Russia is a "geopolitical foe" of the USA but when it comes to money it could be a different matter. You can argue that Matt is a grown man who can act independently of his father but such large Mormon families rarely do that. There family unit is almost a huge business all on its own.

Then there is the inappropriate timing of this Russian visit. So close to the US election there has to be more to it than the Romeny's are admitting. Add to this the help that Americans need at home right now and surely Matt would be better engaged helping the recovery effort in the US. Whether doing so would be for political gain or from the heart would not matter. It would be more productive. This Russian trip will only be productive for the Romneys bank accounts it seems.

Matt is a senior vice president at Excel Trust, a real estate investment firm based in the state of California. Greg Davis of Excel said,
“It is a harmless trip.”It was a trip that has been planned for some time,” Davis told the Times. “Any travel they’ve done on behalf of Excel is strictly on the private side. It would have nothing to do with anything governmental.” Pull the other one springs to mind.

Mitt Romney has openly criticised President Obama and his political relationship with Russia and Putin. Of course it is easy to criticise the man in office when you are on the sidelines. Any President has to have working relationships with many other leaders.

This week "The Times reports the younger Romney sought to deliver a message to Putin this week that if elected, his father wants a good relationship between the two countries."

So much for Mitt Romney's eloquent but obviously untrue words that, "Under my administration, our friends will see more loyalty, and Mr. Putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone," Mitt Romney said at the Republican National Convention in August.

Opinion
Mitt's words are just  BS then as we thought all along

You can read more here 

Do you ever watch shows such as X Factor or American Idol? If you do you will know that the last up each week has the best chance of survival. Our memories are short and the person who performed first is often lost in the anals of our minds.

So what does this have to do with the 2012 election? Well  it means that how Mitt Romney and President Obama cope with the fall out from Hurricane Sandy could be crucial to next week's voting.

President Obama is in a no win situation as far as some right wing reporters go. Acting quickly to address the problems raised this week they have accused him of acting too quickly to gain political leverage. Had he been slow to respond he would have been damed for a late response. In truth of course they are trying to spin the situation in favour of their man, Mitt Romney, who is already back on the campaign trail. They will see that the President's impeccable behaviour this week is bad news for the GOP hopeful.

There is no doubting that Sandy could be almost classed as a godsend in an election year. That will sound dreadful. It is but it is true. When Margaret Thatcher was one of the most hated Prime Ministers of the UK she was returned to office on the back of a successful military mission in the Falklands. Such are the mindsets of voters.

There is no way that Obama can be blamed for his actions as he has been doing his job this week to the best of his capabilities. We think that he has been doing a great job in difficult circumstances. That may not be true of Mitt Romney. His gesture of being hands on giving out food hampers was in reality nothing nore than a token gesture. If it was he would have dug his hands deep into his amply stocked pockets and made the mother of all gestures. Millions of dollares of aid from his personal wealth. Better still from his overfull campaign treasure chests.

Instead in a month when the Romney campaign, backed by big business in the USA, out raised President Obama he opted to go back to campaigning in the sunny southern States of the USA. Out of harms way and people suffering whilst attempting to gain the political upperhand. Pathetic.

The GOP campaign will be throwing huge, obscene amounts of money at Romeny's election dream this week. Money that could surely be better spent alleviating the suffering caused by Sandy. Surely after such a long election run up voters have decided who to vote for by now?.

If not and Romney is right those who are just making up their minds should look no further than the President's exceptional efforts this week. He proved he is no G W Bush truning his back on Americans who have been on the receiving end of a natural disaster.

According to the BBC, "Gov Christie, usually one of Mr Obama's fiercest critics, spoke of his "great working relationship" with the Democratic president."I cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for the people of our state," said Mr Christie."

So when the going gets tough the weak go to Florida? President Obama on the other hand proved why he should be the man to be elected next President of the USA.

As the US election hots up voters in real terms have little choice as to who will represent them. For many it will be a vote for whoever they feel is the least terrible. Voting for the lesser of the two evils is not ideal but so many times in the West it is all we have.

The UK had two main parties for years with at least one other main contender and several smaller political parties. Certainly this at times led to loony tunes standing and some detracting for the serious business of an election. The Monster Raving Loony Party led by one time pop singer Screaming Lord Sutch gathered a resaonable following down the years but never enough to challenge the main players. These days there are parties such as UKIP and BNP that do win seats. Whether their political ambitions will ever be reached is hard to predict. In the case of the racist and facist BMNP we hope not.

Each cadidate in the UK has to pay a fee to stand for election. The £500 deposit is lost unless you win enough votes. Poll less than a declared number of votes and you are £500 out of pocket. Political parties of course spend a great deal more when they put forward candidates for election. There are advertising costs and so much more. You get the idea though.

One of the problems with "other" parties is that to vote for a minority party can feel like the waste of a vote. It can mean that the person who you consider "the lesser of the evils" does not secure enough votes to win. This is why so many times even with choice many voters stick with the tried and tested two main parties.

In the UK 2010 election many voters took a chance and voted with their hearts. This action inflated the vote of the Liberal Democrats but not enough to form a government on their own. Instead none of the now three main parties had a majority. The Lib Dems joined forces with the Coservatives to form what many call the "Condems". Voters who were disillusioned with Labour ended up in effect helping the Tories come to pwer.

Now you can argue that the Lib Dems have helped rein in the most extreme Tory MPs and policies but that does not really help. By throwing their hand in with the Tories they have alienated their voters. They now are blamed each time the Tories hit people hard. After all if the Lib Dems were not propping up the Tories the Conservatives would not be in office.

So back to the US election. Unless you are an American it may surprise you to hear that there are more politics going on in the USA  than the GOP, Democrats, Romney and Obama. Certainly there is little if any media coverage.

In the USA  there is at least a Libertarian Party plus a Green, Reform and a Consitution party and yes there are debates other than those between Romney and Obama. The problem is that the mainstream media of the US, the UK and other countries simply ignores these Presidential hopefuls.

It is easy to see why it would take a lot for voters to move away from the two main parties but if they want real change that could be what they have to do. Any such change starts small. The impact on this election would not be monumental. However as support grew others would follow. It simply needs people to think outside of the box. To vote with their heads and their hearts.

It could be risky. As we have said in the UK this ultimately backfired on disillusioned Labour voters who took a chance on the Lib Dems. They may as well have voted Conservative in the first place.

You have to ask yourself though why the thrid parties in the USA are getting little air play. The main reason has to be money. The US election appears to be about money from start to finish. Could it also be to weaken their chances of election? Perhaps big business in the USA  is ultimately pulling the election strings?

With the clock ticking rapidly down on the US election Americans it seems need our sympathy. Election fever is rampant. The news is full of election spin and propaganda. If this blogger was a US citizen she would have made her mind up long ago who to vote for and would be sticking with it. However there are many floating or flip flop voters in  the States.

Plenty of people do not hold a strong affiliation to the left or the right of politics. In the US the candidates colour, religion and birth certificates seem more important to some than real issues. As the Election deadline approaches every crackpot is out there trying to get their message out. The Romney camp managed to out raise President Obama for cash donations in the last month which means their already considerable wealth has swelled, and some. Should it all boil to money?  No but it might, if you let it

Here is what this Brit observes having seen a change of government in the UK in 2010, which for many has led to personal disaster.

Make sure you vote
This is a fundamental. Like the candidates or not you will live your life under whoever wins for at least four years. You may as well weigh up the options and go with your gut instinct. Currently a vote is all you have to make your voice heard. If you are disillusioned with politics do not turn away. Remember those with the most to gain, which could be the Elite of society, will be racing to the Polls.

Ignore the spin and the crackpots
Donald Trump has been belting a challenge out to President Obama this week. You know the guy who did not want Romney but now that he is the only alternative for the uber wealthy in the US suddely loves him. We have noted plenty of those around. In a totally arrogant way he has offered a huge sum of money if President Obama releases many private documents to Trump's SATISFACTION.  The arrogance is unbelievable.

So let's look at this one:

1.  His satisfaction? Who died and made him King? It is just another form of spin and blackmail designed to make the President look bad. Obama would be damned either way. Refuse to oblige and the money which could go to a chairty is lost. Comply and play the spin game. The documents may still not meet with wiggie's SATISFACTION.
2. Has any other President of the USA been shown more disrespect? In these shows of disrepect they cheapen the office of US President. They also belittle the people who voted for President Obama last time.
3. If the people of America are financially hurting so much is it not a slap in the face that this silly man, Trump, has $5mil to throw into the ring at the drop of a hat. As if it were peanuts. Of course it will be to him. So is he going to be pushing forward a Presidential candiadte who will be for the people? We think not.

Amongst the crackpots are white supremacists, hate filled people and religious fanatics. You should be able to make up your own minds about that lot of baggage. All will be intrinsically self serving or serving their own agenda. None have the American people at heart. Some have threatened civil war or assasinations. Bullies tend to act this way.

Deprived of Voting
We had this on a small scale in the UK on election night. Some polling stations in Labour heartlands closed early. Whilst it was not as damaging as it could have been election rules should be adhered to. However in the USA there have already been reports of incorrect Voting details being sent out. In swing States this could be crucial. It is easier than ever to stay informed these days so make sure that you do not fall for this one.

G W Bush came to Office tainted by hints of election fraud. In a country that prides itself on its so called democracy that is a sad joke. Voters who may have poor literacy skills could be at a disadvantage. They will need help from friends and the like. Romney has already declared that he will not be there for 47% of the population and the vulnerable will be in that number.

Final thoughts
With Romney's campaign chest of wealth bursting at the seams an obscene amount of money will be thrown at the Election. Those who have helped fill this chest are not on the whole the ordinary voters of the US but those with wealth they want to protect. Obama's donations have come from some wealthy donors too but ones with philanthropy at heart.

The final days before the election will be filled with spin and negative ads. This blogger would be using the remote to turn off the propaganda as much as she could. When it was thrust in her face she would turn the other cheek. She would know that it is spin and nothing more. Anything can be portrayed the way a person wants. In the end the American people will need to go with their heads and their hearts, that is unless they are happy to be manipulated.

So last night both the US Presidential hopefuls went head to head for one last time. Now that the days are ticking down to voting day both sides will be trying for one last push. An ever increasingly obscene amount of money will be spent on damaging the opposition and winning the US Presidential election. It will be spin, spin and spin again until the American people feel dizzy. Will any of it really be productive? Probably not except for the winner. It will however bear little relation to what the next President, be it Obama or Romney, will do in office.

Looking across the Pond it has made this Brit realise that democracy as we all view it is just a myth. Money will ultimately win the election. Money is a good persuasive. The two main players in this theatre of politics will play their parts well. It could be curtains for the one who forgets his lines. We should never forget that all politicians are in many ways actors. They will utter the words expected of them, whether they truly believe them or not, without a blink of the eye.

We would still like to see President Obama re-elected to the White House. Our many American friends seem to feel the same way. Those who we know who are opting for Romney are in a minority. However there is no doubting that it will be a tight race. What happens between now and November 6, 2012, election day, will be crucial. Even a disaster outside of the President's control could make or break election campaigns.

It makes you realise how we are all manipulated. Are we such fools? Yes it would seem that we are. The Condems formed a coalition government in the UK when Labour lost control. We remember people who were reliant on the minimum wage and income top ups explaining how they would not vote for Labour because of the economy.  They had fell for the spin. These people have been hit hard by the Condems and bitterly regret falling for the lies. You live and learn in this world.

Having voted in every election for the last 40 plus years we know that little changes. Are politicians self serving? Yes most of them are. Some Republicans will tell you that Obama is self srving but what of Romney? He is the most obviously self serving person ever. Promoting wars when you have been a draft dodger says it all. Having so much wealth that you are cushioned from the real world simply confirms that ioho he is wrong for the role of President. It is up to the Americans though to decide.

They will see the President painted in many terrible ways. They have already had a taster of this. Dare to call Romney though and the GOP have a tantrum and scream not fair.

At the end of last night's debate, which both sides claim to have won, Romney played out yet another role. That of Father and family man. His whole clan gathered on stage to support Dad. Of course it was about shaking Obama's hand following son  Tagg Romney's total disrespect of the President and his Office. All carefully crafted and staged a little like UK PM Cameron at the Tory Party conference. An emotional mention of his late son and a well rehearsed camera cut to wife Sam with a tear in her eye.

Yes they are all good at manipulating the people and we usually fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Why Romney's overly large family has any bearing on a Presidential role is unclear. He has more kids than most people can afford to have these days. Ordinary folk rarely have the option for wife to stay at home and be a "homemaker". Most women have to combine real work with that task. Single Moms have to work that bit harder to fufil many roles. Wealth of course makes having a large family so much easier.

For us President Obama won the debate. When cornered on foreign policy Romney turned back to his old favourite the economy. Yes he had been coached well. When in doubt talk about what you know, Money. That for us said it all. There is more to running a country than being a successful businessman who was born into privilege and has led a sheltered life.

As far as words go there is a huge difference between the UK and the USA. Hell there is a huge difference between regions of the UK and USA  when all is said and done. The recent splurge of news regarding the US election has brought us many stories pertinent to the USA and some pertinent to us all. This week Mitt Romney's son Tagg and his public outburst set us wondering about names and how the Elite view the World.

Mitt Romney's family history has links to Scotland and Germany. His was a privileged background. It is probably fair to say that he has never lived in the real World. Opponents of Barack Obama are quick to accuse the President of many things but at least he has a grasp of what makes us all tick. If like Romney you live in a Mormon community from birth and are surrounded by wealth the real world is just a bad story. Becoming an intern in your father's Governors' office says it all. His wife is from the same privileged background. Now that lifestyle does not exclude people from the human race but few of these Elite want to get their hands dirty. They prefer espousing on how WE should cut back and settle for second best. Still I digress. It was names and Mitt's son Tagg that brought about today's op-ed.

What sort of name is Mitt? For that matter what sort of name is Tagg? In the UK names are weird and in some cases wonderful these days. We wondered if Mitt was short for something and also why Willard Mitt Romney had opted against using his proper name, that is Willard. Surely in such an important race as the 2012 Presidential election Willard or Will would have been more appropriate?

Of course we know that there are more importat issues than names. However such things can believe it or not win or lose elections. Perhaps Mitt and his team thought Willard was too staid and Mitt would make him sound more "of the people" It is clear that he has never been that.

Apparently Romney was given the name Mitt after a relative called Milton. Why was he not called Milton then? Still to each his own. So what about his son called Tagg? This Brit is starting to think that the Romney's are reminiscent of an old children's favourite in the UK, Rag, Tag and Bobtail! Tagg in Romney's case is apparently short for Taggart. The family as a unit are Mitt, Tagg, Ben, Matt, Craig, Ann, and Josh.

Tagg has been in the news this week following the second presidential debate between his Dad and Barack Obama. It seems that the fact that the President came out on top of that debate ratlled Tagg. Well it would if it were your Dad I guess. Presumably the Obama girls felt the same when in the first debate the President took a civilised route and Mitt eat him alive. We assume that they have more class than Tagg though as they did not come out fighting.

During the deabte Obama questioned Romney's statements. Of course the implication was that Mitt was not telling the truth. Surely that is what all debates do? Romney did the same with Obama's words.

Talking on a US radio station following this Tadd said of his feelings,"You want to jump out of your seat, and you want to rush down to the debate stage and take a swing at him.” “But you know you can’t do that, because — well, first, because there’s a lot of Secret Servce between you and him — but also because this is just the nature of the process. They're going to try to do everything they can do to make my dad into something he's not." "

Says a lot doesn't it? Says ignorance, stupidity, ill thought out words and a lack of class. It shows that money does not breed style. nor substance.It shows a true lack of respect for President Obama and the role of US President. Tagg is happy then to have Obama portrayed as everything from a devil to a monster but not his Dad. Grow up springs to mind.

Perhaps the Romneys resemble that childhood favourite more than we first thought. Tagg and Mitt certainly seem to belong in the playground of school, and not just because of their silly names.

If you are an adult in the UK, USA, France, Canada, Greece or many other democratic countries sooner or later you will be invited to vote in an election. It may be a "minor" local election or a national one for the leader of your country. Whether you choose to vote or not will by and large be up to you although there have been calls to ensure that voting is a legal requirement. As citizens lose faith in their leaders many turn away from the ballot box but we should never forget that voter apathy is dangerous.

It is true though that voting has become less important to many individuals, especially in the western world. You can argue that all politicians are a bunch of money grabbers only seeking to push themselves forward. However, you know deep down that is not true. Amongst them there will be the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

There will hopefully be one whose political ideals compliment your own.

Once you have found that person or political party why would you not vote for them?. The alternative it to let a person or party whose ideals conflict with yours run your country and make the laws. Now that would be insane, wouldn't it?.

However, why some of us to vote all the time, others sometimes and others never, is down to personal choice. Here is why this blogger chooses to exercise her right to vote every time there is an election.

You can't complain if you don't vote

How can you ever say that you do not like the course a government is taking, unless you have voted?. Your preferred choice of candidate may not have been elected but at least you will have tried to elect an alternative.

You may let unsafe politician's into office

In the UK political fringe parties, such as the BNP, rarely gain any seats in Parliament. If people do not bother to vote though they could so easily be elected.

Are you one of those who says " I don't know anything about politics" or "It does not concern me"?.

This one is hard to figure out. You live in the actual country. You use the country's shops, services, health care and more, so how can which political party is in government not concern you?

As for not knowing anything about politics, that is nonsense. The media will be full of information in the run up to an election. Each party will have a manifesto which you can read if you want to. It does not take much research to get a broad view of the current state of local or countrywide politics.

People in other countries are fighting for the democratic right to vote

Currently there is revolution of sorts underway in the Middle East and beyond. Although the Arab Spring was complicated, with so many countries involved, one thing the revolutionaries desired was the right to a free and fair vote.

Troops, perhaps from your own country,  attempted to help those people get just that. Surely you vote and democracy is squandered if you chose not to vote.

If no suitable candidate presented themselves it would be better to make the effort to visit the voting booth and "spoil" the ballot slip with your thoughts and concerns.

Women fought for my vote

Right ladies and gentlemen, so now we get to what for this is the most important reason why she always votes. The Suffragette movement in the UK fought long and hard for women to get the vote. Some women died, many were jailed and subsequently force fed, and others protested, marched and demonstrated. Many a suffragette in the UK chained themselves to the railings of Downing Street and the like, in order to get the necessary publicity.

Sure in the UK, not all men had the vote once upon a time. That was rectified long before women got the vote though. The suffragettes faced violent reactions to their demands and became increasingly violent in turn. In true terrorist style they even blew up part of a leading politician's house.  All of this aggressive behaviour by the suffragettes just confirmed to some men that we women were not of sound mind and should never be allowed to vote. The arrogance.

UK suffragettes patriotically stopped their protests during the 1914-1918 Great War. They helped the war effort in any way that they could. Perhaps this was what made the ruling men see sense.  In 1918, as the war ended, some women over the age of 30 in the UK, were allowed to vote. It took 10 more years for women in the UK to have the same voting rights as men though. Now men and women in the UK were allowed to vote at the age of 21. These days men and women can vote, in UK elections, once they are 18 years old.

So there you have it

There are many reasons to vote and these are our main reasons for always doing so. Voting seems a small price to pay for the debt we owe the suffragette movement in the UK. Think also about fanatical despots who have come to power in the past by the apathy of some voters. If truth be known the reason some voters do not vote is because they:

• Can't be bothered
• Never make time
• Don't care
• Are too lazy to.

Harsh words? Maybe but probably true in many cases.

Next time you have the option to vote, and do not bother, consider those who have had to fight for the right to do so, and those still fighting that battle.

Playing those mind games, Ethel Smith June 26, 2012

Is it just me or do readers often feel that they are living in a work of fiction? Currently something between the impending doom of The Titanic or an increasingly far fetched science fiction tale seem to lead the field?

What with economic doom and gloom becoming daily words it is a pessimistic period in many people'e lives. All that they may or may not have valued, under threat. Homes, possessions, the family unit, money, World Peace and the environment. None of these are safe any more.

One thing under threat, that until lately most of us in the West took for granted, is freedom. That loose word which encompasses so much. Freedom online, free speech, freedom of movement, the freedom to spend what you want where you want, and more. Little by little most of us are having our freedoms restricted. Some of the changes are blatant but many are underhand. Tiny so that, in the words of Joni Mitchell, you may not realise what you have lost until it has gone.

In the last two days former US President Jimmy Carter has voiced his concerns regarding the US record on human rights, or rather the lack of them.

You can of course argue that we have never been truly free. For most people modern day living has some restrictions such as work, school, how you behave and where you can go. You may feel that the world has in effect become smaller and that you can travel where you want when you want. Lose that magic document, your passport, though and see just how far you get.

The authorities however right now want to edge that bit further into an Orwellian Novel. Big Brother will be watching you. In the UK a heavy presence of CCTV means that most people's moves are monitored frequently. You can blame this on the mindless hooligans who trawl UK streets but excessive CCTV is a good tool for the authorities also.

Our current coalition government is hoping to extend snooping online in the UK under the premise of fighting crime, terrorism and pornography. Such law breakers will simply find another way. The changes will remain in force though and it will be the law abiding citizens of the UK whose freedoms will have been restricted.

As we face the threat of global war, global economic crisis and hell on earth we are being pushed this way and that.

The propaganda machine of each country and each political party is nothing new. It is however becoming increasingly difficult to sort the "wheat from the chaff". Just what is actually happening can be hard to determine. There are so many news sources these days and many are far from independent. Mainstream news also favours one way or another.

Take the 2012 US Election.

Articles online for instance manipulate the voter and certain situations. The way that President Obama and Mitt Romney are portrayed will be crucial in the election. Both have backers pulling strings. Both put forward an electable persona. Will it end up, as in the UK, where US voters simply opt for who they believe is the lesser of the evils? Many people vote this way now having little definite faith in either side.

Netanyahu has decided to attack Iran before the US November 2012 elections, by Micheal Carmichael
The absurdity of NATO

Both of the above articles make for worrying reading. Both tell a tale but how much is the truth and nothing but the truth? The first details how Mitt Romney backer Sheldon Adelson also backs Netanyahu of Israel. He claims that an early attack on Iran by Israel will help Romney in the polls and also help defeat Obama. People often do not see the wider picture but simply the narrow one portrayed by mainstream media sources and vote accordingly.

The second article asks if we are looking at an imminent Third World war. Sadly many of us believe that we are. The conditions such as civil unrest, a collapsing banking system, nationalism, multiple small skirmishes, over population and more could be seen as war predictors.

So much in this world is about perceptions. We observe in different ways and then decide our viewpoint whilst outside sources attempt to manipulate what we believe. US voters have a tough task ahead, unless they are hard line Democrats or Republicans. A lot is happening right now and this is set to escalate before November 2012.

What will impact on the result of the US election though is up to the voters.

Tags: Mind Games, Orwellian, US 2012 election, Netanyahu, Israel strike on Iran, Third World War, Sheldon Adelson, Mitt Romney, President Obama, perceptions