This morning I received an email that I admit stirred me a little. The subject; “Frustrated.” The body: an eloquent ask for the American people to demand congress find a way to take bi-partisan action; a simple e-petition, but sent by the president to the American people. I don’t mind admitting that my skin tingled a bit with the possibility of a new culture of American civic engagement, of accountability delivered by the tools of our age.

What’s exciting is that Barrack has returned to the American people, to ask for our action. That he is done it in a way that recognizes the last 30 years of progress, in fact the last 5 or 10.

…both you and I can pressure them to do the right thing. We can send the message that the American people are playing by the rules and meeting their responsibilities — and it’s time for our leaders in Congress to meet theirs.
And we must hold them accountable if they don’t.
So I’m asking you to stand with me in calling on Congress to step up and take action on jobs:

What is so depressing is that Mr. Obama seems to believe, he only needs to call for our participation when he wants to be elected.

Halfway through the email I could feel it, like a sour copper taste in my mouth. This wasn’t about involving the American people in the act of governance. Most upsetting, perhaps it never was.

Indeed, I clicked download images and there it was….

And when I linked out to the petition. Confirmation. Within 2 clicks I was being asked for money for a re-election campaign.

Mr. President I want you to ask for my vote, but NOT just every 4 years.

Here is a short list for your inspiration:
Iceland Crowd Sources a Constitution
Radical Transparency -A new Approach to Management

Here is an old one:

TheyWorkForYou

Just for the record, despite my strong feelings about transparency and openness… I am not happy about Wikileaks. Assange’s acts discourage open governance, and they can cause trouble (potentially life threatening trouble) for people who are trying to work within the system to make the world a better place.

And what for? So we can read the obvious and uninspired “burn books” of diplomats.

Save your whistle for something that needs blowing.

This is not my cut but the story is something I think everyone should see. It is video of 2 journalists and a number of others gunned down from a helicopter in Iraq. This stuff is sad and graphic, but it’s the face of a war that we are paying for, and that is being executed in our name. I think it’s important and you won’t see it elsewhere.**

UPDATE: On April 5th, Jazeera contacted and interviewed family of the survivors. This is the exclusive interview. The original video is after the jump.

**The mainstream US media held back on this story for about half a news cycle, and hasn’t been showing the graphic parts of the video. Continue reading