Thursday March 28, 2024

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Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist

Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist

Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive activist, member of Common Cause, Veterans for Peace and a former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer Vietnam Era, city and county elected official, union organizer, impeachment organizer, former Exec. VP of WI Alliance for Retired Americans, a retired state government planner, presently working to Stop VA Privatization. dbuzzdavis@aol.com

Teach Youngsters About Corporatism’s Harms

Posted by Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive
User is currently offline
on Sunday, 26 September 2021
in Wisconsin

kids-at-beachProgressives are far behind politicians, racists, religions and corporations, says veteran.


Tucson, AZ - How different the world might be if Nader had won the presidency years ago. (He ran 4 times). Would he have been able to make much change?

Who has the most influence over your child's or grand children's minds?

Nader is about 87 and thinking about what kids get in school in the class and from the airwaves from their electronic gear.

I worked for decades as a "planner" in state government and good number of years as an elected official and union leader. In general terms state and local governments know little about and do little planning.

Corporations do a lot of planning. The Defense Department has Top Secret and higher plans for just about everything. In the military I had safes crammed full of plans (which no one ever read.)

Anyway our children's minds have been the target of corporations, the ad corporations and the entertainment corporations for about 100 years. I guess that's not right. Our minds and our children's minds have been the target.

Throughout history politicians, racists and religions have targeted peoples minds. These new fangled things called corporations started in the mid 1800's have worked very hard and have been very successful to "help" us think right!!!

Progressives are far, far behind in planning and coordinating their efforts. I think there have been more attempts to plan and coord. lately but the impacts are still unknown.

When one guy has all the money to equip his team with machine guns, drones and night vision, progressives (which I count myself one) can coordinate the shooting of our cap pistols and BB guns all we want and we will lose.

Example: Today and the issue of the Senate filibuster.

Peace!
Buzz Davis Vets for Peace in Tucson

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War Always Costs More Than Peace

Posted by Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive
User is currently offline
on Sunday, 02 May 2021
in Wisconsin

vets-coming-homeTUCSON, AZ - Hello All! Buzz Davis here in sunny Tucson.

I hope each of you and your families have been safe from COVID!

It is good that there is much discussion of war and peace.

Discussions are one thing - actions to create peace are another and very hard to do for the leaders of all nations.

The psychological damages of war live on in the minds of all in war.

Those psychological damages are transferred to future generations by the actions of the parents and those other adults who interact with the children born after the wars.

The image is: Both veterans and civilians who are fighting the wars in their heads for decades can intentionally, or unintentionally, take out frustrations, fears or hatreds on their sons and daughters.

Through this, the kids may be psychologically damaged. And during their lives they may or may not recover.

The impacts of a person's physical damages from wars can be transferred to the children.

The impacts of the person's physical injuries, such as loss of limbs, mobility, internal organs, parts of the brain, etc. can lead to constant physical pain or emotional pain and that person's resultant actions, or inability to take actions, or emotional coldness can damage the children.

Environmental chemicals or nuclear radiation or depleted uranium may damage both the persons living during the wars, the children living after the wars and the environment for decades or longer.

From our collective actions in Vietnam and SE Asia, all of the "damages" of war are being transferred from generation to generation in Asia and in the homes of all the "outsiders" who lived or fought in SE Asia.

To save our democracy and way of life for our children and all children we must: o Educate! o Agitate! o And Activate Ourselves and Others!

Below is a very good essay by a Vietnamese person who is trying to help Americans understand what we and our government have done and must now do.

After reading her essay please consider ACTIVATING YOURSELF!

Step 1: To contact your US House member go to this site: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Step 2: Then type in your ZIP code and hit enter.

Step 3: Then you will see a picture of your House rep. Click on that picture

Step 4. On your Reps site, you will have to type in your ZIP code with the 4 number extension.

If you do not know that, you will have to click on the link to get the extension. Then go back to your Reps site and insert ZIP and extension. Follow the prompts until you get to the blank message you wish to send.

Step 5: Then copy and past the below essay into the message area.

Step 6: You may wish to type in your message at the top something like this:

Dear Representative:

I would like you and Congress to work harder to create peace than you do to create wars. Etc. etc.

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Biden Must Expand COVID Healthcare Emergency

Posted by Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive
User is currently offline
on Wednesday, 27 January 2021
in Wisconsin

covid-19-vaccine-drivethru-latimesAll federal power must be used to fight pandemic, says former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer, city & county elected official, and union organizer.


TUCSON, AZ - Trump botched the COVID-19 (C-19) virus healthcare emergency, turning it into a conservative versus liberal political football. Biden’s now organizing to beat the virus with 3 minutes left in the last quarter of the game with the virus ahead 50 to 0. It may be too little too late.

Here’s why. The first wave of illnesses and death were mostly from the original virus.

The second wave was likely a combo of the original plus a bit of the new mutant virus B.1.1.7 from the United Kingdom. That mutant virus is now estimated by experts to be 70% better at transferring itself from a sick person to infect a well person. Worse, the UK experts now estimate it is 30% MORE deadly than the first virus.

The third wave may be dominated by the U.K. virus. Therefore more will be sick and die.

Why we have a mess: Trump’s idea of letting 50 state legislatures/governors, tens of thousands of health departments, businesses, school districts, hospitals and nursing homes each make their own decisions on what to do quickly turned into a deadly farce.

We have many Republicans leaders who believe wearing a mask is a matter of freedom of choice. Should wearing a safety belt or motorcycle helmet be a matter of personal choice -- when we the public pay for the Social Security disability payments for the rest of their lives after serious accidents?

How foolish. There is the general good and individual good. Individual freedom must be limited. Unlimited freedom produces chaos - the general good is destroyed.

We have 61 million children under 15 for whom there is NO approved vaccination. Experts say vaccines may not be ready for kids until fall or early 2022. Biden’s goal of having students in classroom within 100 days is unrealistic and dangerous. Kids may not die as often as seniors but they are transmitters of the viruses. We must continue on-line education until the kids are vaccinated and schools are safe.

Dr. A. Fauci says 80% to 90% of adults, about 216 million to 243 million, need to get two doses of a vaccine within a month. To achieve herd immunity we need to give 432 million to 486 million shots within a few months. Biden’s plan of 100 million doses within 100 days is inadequate.

Biden must expand his national healthcare emergency by using his authority to require masks, social distancing, mandate which businesses can stay open, which close, hours of operation, curfews, nationalize C-19 production/distribution/vaccinations, implement a national virus testing system, requiring reporting of all matters related to C-19 to the feds, expand transparency, etc.

He must immediately mobilize the estimated 600,000 federal military Reserve members and 440,000 National Guard members (using U.S. Code Title 32 under which the feds pay the Guard’s cost) and place all personnel in each state under the state Dual Status Commander with that general in command of all federal, Reserve and Guard troops in that state. The DSC reports to both that state’s governor and the Secretary of Defense.

These Guard/Reserve members know their communities and can do just about anything required to contain/suppress the virus working under a coordinated national plan. The Latino, Native American and Black communities in America are being worst hit by the virus. Those communities should get help first.

We have no other choice but to go BIG? Why?

When a person becomes infected, the virus replicates itself exponentially to defeat the person’s immune system. That replication process is where mutant viruses are born which may be more contagious and/or deadly than the virus the person was infected with. At any time a new mutant can occur that will NOT be defeated by the present vaccinations (Moderna and Pfizer). There are two new mutant viruses in S. Africa which possibly will not be controlled by present vaccines. If this proves accurate, we’re back to square one.

80% to 90% of persons need to be vaccinated NOW to suppress the present set of viruses which experts think will probably work after people get two shots. But if new mutations, significantly different from the present set of viruses, occur then present vaccinations may NOT work, many will be re-infected, become ill and die.

Biden must use all federal power to suppress and stop the virus in America -- before it defeats us. If he’s unable to do this, he will be a one term president and we will be a diminished nation.

***

buzz-davisBuzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, has a masters in public administration and a masters in urban affairs, is a former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer (infantry & communications) Vietnam Era, city & county elected official, union organizer/leader, Bush impeachment organizer, Recall Walker organizer, former Exec. VP of WI Alliance for Retired Americans, Democratic Party leader, a retired WI state government planner & recently led a 5 yr. effort to Stop VA Privatization with Veterans for Peace & unions.

Sources:

“A new COVID-19 challenge: Mutations rise along with cases” https://www.aol.com/news/covid-19-challenge-mutations-rise-060100868-171633028.html “The Right Way to Activate the National Guard,” 3-21-20, retired generals Craig R. McKinley and James Winnefeld https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/21/joe-biden-sign-executive-orders-and-directives-aimed-covid-19/4219616001/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic-Preparedness.pdf “Why scientists are more worried about the Covid-19 variant discovered in South Africa - The variant carries mutations that may weaken the effect of vaccines, and Moderna is now exploring changes to its vaccine” https://www.vox.com/2021/1/21/22240475/covid-new-variant-south-africa-uk-brazil-vaccine-coronavirus “When will kids be able to get the Covid-19 vaccines? It may be a while” https://www.vox.com/22225218/kids-covid-vaccine-safe-moderna-pfizer-school-reopening “Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine goal isn’t ambitious enough It barely improves on current vaccination rates” https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22243713/biden-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-goal-100-million-100-days

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Trump has been a disaster for Veterans & America

Posted by Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive
User is currently offline
on Wednesday, 28 October 2020
in Wisconsin

trump-protest-marinetteTrump's plan is to privatize and close all Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare centers in America. We must vote wisely Nov. 3rd urges retired veterans, former VA worker and activists.


TUCSON, AZ - America’s veterans and current military members are troubled by thoughts of another 4 years of Donald Trump as President.

His plan is to privatize and close all Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare centers in America. This action will send all vets to private healthcare systems which are unaccustomed to the unique health issues of veterans!

veterans-seniorToday America can be proud that over 7 million veterans are cared for by the VA. The VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in America which provides quality of care as high, or higher, than the best hospitals in the private sector. Its costs are approximately 30% lower than private sector costs and has patient appointment wait times shorter than most private hospitals/clinics.

The VA is on the cutting edge of COVID-19 care in research, providing care for vets with C-19, providing VA doctors and nurses to private hospitals in dire need, and serving as a backup for local hospitals when they run out of intensive care beds.

veteran-olderMost of the nearly 400,000 VA staff work at 170 hospitals and 1,074 clinics across the US. Over 5,700 VA staffers have contracted C-19 and 57 have died.

The wounds of war and training are physical, mental and emotional - some never heal. The emotional wounds are a major factor in veterans having a suicide rate that is 1.5 times higher than non-veterans. The VA is the best at helping vets who are plagued with suicidal thoughts. More than 7 million vets use the VA. Nearly half are combat vets, half disabled and half very low income. Half of us are 65 and over with 6 or 7 life threatening diseases needing more care as we age.

Private sector healthcare facilities are, essentially, NOT equipped to treat such a sick group.

veterans_army_medicHere in WI there are 8,900 VA workers in 29 hospitals, clinics, vet centers, and 7 military cemeteries across the state. Hundreds of thousands of WI vets are well cared for.

The question to ask is: Why does President Trump want to send vets to private care when the cost is 30% higher and vets get slower care?

One answer, perhaps, is insatiable greed! Greed for money, wealth and power! Those on Wall Street, CEOs of insurance companies and hospital systems will make billions more in profits off sick veterans.

If these people are successful in their privatization effort, the best single payer, single provider, most cost effective, high quality healthcare system in America will be gone!

The result will likely be -- YOU will never get Medicare for All because privatizers pushing this effort will have killed the best model for national healthcare in existence – the VA healthcare system.

In 2016 over 14.5 million veterans and military voted - 60% voting for Trump. After becoming aware of Trump's actions the last 4 years, hopefully our Nation is wiser! The power of our vote is crucial!

Preventing Trump’s election shows veterans are supported. We do not need a leader who refers to America’s women and men wearing the uniform and who’ve died in wars - as chumps, suckers and losers.

A Commander in Chief, with such disdain for those in our military, is a dangerous person to command military operations when lives are in danger.

President Trump should NOT be leading our Nation – make Nov. 3rd his day of reckoning!

****

Commentary written by Buzz Davis and Ian Smith

Ian Smith is a Vice Pres. of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1732, Madison, WI & is a retired 40 yr. VA worker, former U.S. Army medic 1957-59 & has been working to Stop VA Privatization for 6 yrs.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a retired state government planner, former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer Vietnam Era, city & county elected official & now helping to lead the Stop VA Privatization Work Group of Veterans for Peace. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Fellow Seniors - How is America treating your grandkids?

Posted by Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, Army Veteran & Activist
Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, is a long time progressive
User is currently offline
on Thursday, 19 March 2020
in Wisconsin

student-on-sidewalkLong time progressive activist supports Sen. Bernie Sanders.


TUCSON, AZ - Seniors pay attention to politics and we VOTE. Our votes count heavily. There will be many close races this year.

We’re old and have survived wars, recessions, layoffs, strikes, good times and bad, poor health and deaths of family and friends. We’ve worked with many people and judge good character a bit better than when we were teens.

Our present president has a character problem. Leading government and foreign affairs is very complex. It’s critical to our grandchildren’s’ future to have leaders we can trust - not people who lead us into being killed or trapped.

We seniors know when we’re in trouble.

Because of past failures, we face climate disaster, nuclear war disaster, run-a-way greed and corruption that has led to the greatest wealth inequality in decades and the disaster of ”forever wars” costing trillions and killing millions. When we find 1% of the people controlling twice the wealth of the next 6.9 billion people, we know we’re in trouble and ripe for civil wars.

We seniors are dumping all these disasters on our kids. Corporations, our economy and federal and state governments have created an educational and work world for our kids and grandkids that results in LESS economic security than our parents left us. People can educate themselves, work hard all their lives, play by the rules and still end up in retirement barely living above poverty.

With inflation factored in, the average annual wage for workers has NOT improved much since the 1970’s. Jobs have gone from offering health care and pensions to NOT offering pensions and forcing workers to pay thousands for healthcare – if they get healthcare.

Many have no sick leave so they cannot properly care for ill children.

Many of our parents were in unions and nearly 30% of us were unionists. But unions are now busted. Only 8% of private sector workers are in good paying, union jobs with benefits and pensions.

How can we get out of this fix? Senators Warren and Sanders advocate strong structural “change” in America. Biden fears change’s impacts on special interests.

It’s like America is on the ship Titanic.

The watchman seeing icebergs yells, “Danger Ahead!” The Titanic captain is steering toward that iceberg knowing the Titanic will never sink. Biden says calmly to passengers, with the orchestra playing in the background, “Trust me - just a few policy tweaks, we’ll be OK!” Sanders is racing to the Captain yelling, “Change course Now – damn it!”

Meanwhile Trump is handling your grandkids’ futures between golf games saying, “All that crisis talk is fake news.”

We must vote to build a better world for our grandkids.

If we Don’t change our ways, the America we know Won’t be there for our grandkids.

Until we stop polluting our atmosphere, rising oceans, flooding rivers, violent storms, droughts, fires, high winds, super high temperatures, heavy snows will get worse killing the planet for human habitation.

Scientists tell us nuclear war will create a “nuclear winter” with clouds blocking sunlight prohibiting most crop growth for years - starving hundreds of millions who have lived through the nuclear blasts and months of worldwide fires and radiation.

These existential threats, will destroy our way of life, democracy and earth.

Syrian woman and child

Seniors, the world’s children deserve a chance to live life. They must not pay for our failures with their deaths.

We must vote for massive, progressive change to pull America back from the brink looming disaster.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is the one who provides us with the best plans to solve our problems.

Vote Sanders to give little kids a fighting chance!

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