Bob Bowman is described by some as the best public speaker in America today. He certainly lived up to that reputation at a presentation to some 50 people at the Parma VFW on Wednesday September 2. Bowman was in town to educate his audience about the bankers' choke hold on America, and what we the people must do to break it.



Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bowman is retired the US Air Force where he flew 101 combat missions in Vietnam. He holds a Doctorate of Aeronautical Engineering. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress from Florida saying “you don't have to be a rocket scientist to serve in Congress, but I am one.” His most notable position however was as the first director of the Strategic Defense Initiative better known as “Star Wars.” This program was not intended for defense. It was devised by “crazies” who wanted to weaponize space and start a “pre-emptive” war against the Soviet Union. The names of some of these individuals may sound familiar: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and others. Once Ronald Reagan became president, all communication from top military officers had to be cleared by the White House. Fortunately Bowman retired before that decree and was able to speak out. “We successfully stopped them. We kept weapons out of space.” That was then. The same crop of “crazies” resurfaced under George W Bush, this time getting their “pre-emptive” war against Iraq. However We The People were successful in preventing them from also attacking Iran. When asked if there were weapons in space now, Bowman replied “There may be parts of weapons systems in space, but I do not believe there are any warheads or similar instruments of death and destruction.”

The people don't want war, death, and destruction, so who does? That was the topic of tonight's discussion: Wall Street vs Main Street. The power of governance by the People for the People has been slowly usurped by and for the Corporations. This is what we have to change. This is the basis of all our difficulties. The billionaires run both parties and both parties operate on behalf of the corporations and Wall Street bankers. Now, multinational corporations have gotten so huge, rich and powerful they transcend the power of most government to regulate them. The war in Iraq was not just about stealing the oil, but about controlling its price as well. Afghanistan was to secure a route for a pipeline. But wasn't Afghanistan because of September 11? Not really. “The truth about 9/11 is that we don't yet know the truth about 9/11” according to Bowman. Steel buildings simply can't collapse from a kerosene fire. Jet fuel is basically kerosene. One building collapsed that wasn't even hit by a flying object. How can a 150 foot wide jet liner fit into a hole only 90 feet wide, without leaving any debris on the outside? Also, how many of the hijackers were Afghans? None of them.

Corporate-run media perpetuates these lies. Lies like Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. They separate us into red and blue states, conservatives and liberals. They use wedge issues like abortion, school prayer, gay marriage, gun control and flag burning to divide the public. These distractions don't affect the bottom line of the bankers and billionaires. Meanwhile they pursue their own agenda. Wars are profitable. Trade deals like NAFTA drive down wages and allow big corporations to circumvent local safety and environmental laws. Organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations, World Trade Organization, Bilderbergers, and Trilateral Commission control both political parties. These are global robber barons. The ultimate power is in the hands of those who profit from war, poverty and pollution. They envision a merging of government and corporate power. That is, by definition, fascism. Any political party or candidate that gets big enough to challenge the status quo will be shut down, with deadly consequences sometimes.

Holding a copy of the Constitution, Bowman then gave a fictitious inaugural address. “This Constitution does not make me the decider. I am only the proposer." He made many proposals to get us out of this mess. Electoral reform including paper ballots, public financing and making election day a federal holiday. An end to the “personhood” of “fictitious entities” like corporations. Money is not free speech! Support our troops by bringing them all home, using the money saved to fix our ailing health care system. “There is no other solution than a universal, single payer system.” Prosecution of war criminals from the previous administration. “Protecting the country against all enemies foreign and domestic includes a renegade President and Vice President.” An end to the “war on drugs” and pardon of marijuana users. Use our armed forces to protect our borders and people, not the interests of global corporations. Conduct a foreign policy of a good neighbor to the rest of the world, not just what's in the interest of the wealthy few. America must seek not to be the king of the hill nor be subservient to global business interests.

Expecting criticism, Bowman said “I don't want to be a dictator, but I'm going to be called one because of the enormous change I will call for.” Indeed that criticism came. One family stormed out of the room over his endorsement of single-payer health care. Another stormed out because of disagreement with a remark Bowman made about the military. Perhaps if we had a truly fair news media, and a functional educational system, these people would have realized that these were intended as topics for discussion, not personal attacks.

So what do We the People do to bring this about? Shortly after President Franklin D Roosevelt was elected he said to his supporters “I agree with you, but the Constitution doesn't give me the power to do that. You have to go out and force it to happen.” Union supporters need to bolster support with laws like the Employee Free Choice Act. Antiwar groups need to keep pressuring Congress to cut war funding. Health care groups need to keep pressing Congress for programs such as HR 676, Medicare for all. The Constitution authorizes Congress to coin our money, not some private cartel. The Federal Reserve should be abolished or at least be made transparent and held accountable.

Most of all our job is to come together, left and right, ignore small differences and take our country back from creeping fascism.