For the record I am an honorably discharged veteran.

It cost President George W. Bush approximately $100 million just to run for President of the United States.

If you think I’m lying look it up.

The number might even be more because I low-balled that figure.

One hundred million dollars just to try to be elected President.

That does not make President Bush unique however as presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John McCain, John Edwards and anyone else who has aspiration of being Commander-in-Chief will have to duplicate that effort for the 2008 election.

The problem is that George Bush did not have $100 million when he ran for President.

He got the money primarily from his legions of supporters in the oil and defense contractor industries, industries of which he or a member of his family occupy no less than 20 board seats.

So of course the caveat is that once the candidate is elected, it’s time for him to pay back his rich friends.

Since all of Bush’s rich friends are in the oil and defense business he had to make sure they would turn a profit the entire time he was in office.

So almost as soon as he was elected, excuse me, appointed President of the U.S., guess what he initiated to ensure that his rich friend would get richer for electing him?

Let me give you a hint, it starts with a ‘w’ and ends with a ‘r’.

You see people like President Bush couldn’t care less about how many American citizens die in Iraq.

If you did not come from a family of wealth then odds are you were never a blip on the Bush radar to begin with.

I expect that from Bush, I’m not shocked, surprised or even startled.

I am still amazed that despite a level of incompetence and deceit so blatant that Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder could see it, there are still legions of Americans who want to ride the Bush train to the end.

Even though Bush and his homeys will be jacking the price of gas to about $3.50 per gallon until after Thanksgiving, Dubya fans will stand by their man like Tammy Wynette.

Why would supposed decent, rationale thinking, patriotic Americans continue to stand with Bush in the face of his assault on Habeas Corpus, his willingness to sacrifice the lives of the poor and downtrodden to advance his personal finances and his obvious ties to members of the Bin Laden family?

Racism (Here you go again Curly).

Let me tell something that is true.

Our system of government, once the envy of any intellectual, political or business theorist, has become stagnant and manipulative.

You know why I think that so many white citizens stand by Bush as he tears down any remaining shred of international respect this country has?

Because Bush is still the master on the plantation in the minds of many who long for a return to the days of Dixie.

Of course they’ll never say that to your face, just like most blacks feel unequivocally that if a white person tells you they are a Republican then they are automatically considered a racist.

I know that sounds harsh, but I’m just keeping it real.

When I meet a white person and they appear to be open to suggestion about one or more candidates or political ideals but they lean to the right, I can assume they have vested interest in one or more political outcomes and I understand their ire at any individual who appears to want to give away what they have worked so hard for.

When I meet individuals who approach any of the two parties and the politicians who lead those parties with blind conviction, I know I am speaking to an individual who has no capacity for lateral thinking and that goes for both sides of the tracks.

If you are black and you only vote for black candidates, then you are being racist and even though the history of this nation might give you cause to have a bone to pick with our government, you are still thinking in a shallow manner and you will never stand a chance of advancing because you will always be a slave to a political party that really hasn’t done very much for blacks at all.

Just because someone comes to a black church, sings &uot;going up yonder&uot; and kisses a few Negro children doesn’t mean they have any love for you.

They want your vote, that’s all.

At least Bush and his people don’t waste their time faking like they care about us.

They just do their dirt and move on.

I have no faith in our government or any of its components any more.

This nation was founded by violent revolution. Most independent nations were.

Today the government has worked very diligently to dilute the effectiveness of any organized rebellion by means of the Patriot Act, the Department of Homeland Security and, um, war.

So, in essence, our government has said, our system works, it’s the best ever and we will never ever let anyone change it.

The last time the masses were faced with that declaration it came from a monarchy and we immediately had a tea party in Boston that set the stage for brave revolutionaries to implement a government by the people and for the people.

It worked for almost 200 years, but now, massuh wants his crops back running again, but now instead of cotton fields he owns maximum-security prisons.

Massuh still got Negroes in the house working close to him, and you know who you are, you help feed him his slave labor.

Remember that song by the Roots I told you about a few months back &uot;It Don’t Feel Right&uot;?

There’s a line in the song that says, &uot;If you ain’t saying nothing you’re the system’s accomplice.&uot;

That’s very true and also very evident.