I came across this article in The Observer today and think it merits mention at this site. While some from the right falsely paint the cocaine trade as simply a tool of the left, to deny the participation of left leaning entities like the FARC in the drug business and at the very least the collusion of some sympathetic governmental employees is just as hypocritical as those within the United States that deny participation of those within our own government and among our political allies.

Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m97UvsOKDU

cross posted at agonist.org

I have flipped and flopped quite a bit this year, trying to decide who I would cast my single vote for. At one point I went so far as to write a diary entry titled, Bill Richardson for president. Relative to other Democrats which have a chance to win the Democratic primary, I think Richardson is the best choice. His biggest hurdle is his own party.

Tomorrow people in Iowa go to caucuses and vote. Sean-Paul and Ian (from the Agonist) have endorsed John Edwards. Ian went so far as to call out those on the fence. I was one of those on that fence. Today I have decided to endorse Ron Paul for president of the United States.

I recently saw a video made in Panama depicting mostly indigenous people in opposition to the encroachment of transnational corporations into their country. They spoke of subjects I am intimately familiar with—what happens when corporate giants like Monsanto move in. You see, these companies sharpened their skills here in the United States long before they took over your countries.

I have written what I think is an important book. My view of the catastrophe unfolding all around us taken from a garden in Seguin, Texas. For a variety of reasons, the book isn't selling. It's hastily produced, self-published and in need of an editor.

I did not write this book to make money. (In fact, it has cost me money to produce this book.) I wanted people to read the words.

Anyone wishing to read the book can send me a private message or e-mail me at unrepentantcowboy(at)yahoo.com and I will send an electronic copy, free of charge.

Henry David Thoreau wrote the best essay on non-violent but effective resistance to social ills I've found. If you've read it, it's worth revisiting. If not, then perhaps now is the time.

Many great leaders found inspiration in this work and the list grows.

Oddly enough, the man was considered unpublishable in his day. I can relate to that.

Yeah I know. He's a Republican. Or is it that he's really a Republican and the rest in the GOP aren't?

In any event, Ron Paul is a man of integrity. Integrity is hard to find in Washington DC.

Here is a link to a blog-site announcing his run. And here is his official site.

Check out his speeches and newsletters. You may be in for some surprises.

Molly Molloy sent me a link to an article in the Dallas morning news. I think it fits. You can read it here.

Having common enemies is not always a recipe for making friends. Life has taught me that globalization and excessive big government control comes in various forms. These forms appear to be from opposite ends of the political arena. They fight against each other in public for all to see much like professional wrestlers, and then meet afterward in the same bar to count the bounty they have taken from an unsuspecting public.

News of men in soldier’s garb, ostensibly Mexican soldiers, assisting in the getaway of  Mexican marijuana smugglers along the Rio Bravo some fifty miles east of El Paso, started a discussion on border related issues at the Agonist.

Here is the thread for those interested. You’ll find links to the original story and also a radio excerpt from NPR at the link.