Jake in 2012!

Who are the 99%?

2011-11-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

As #occupy continues to go through media cycles (largely based on police violence) it becomes clear that the 99% will no longer remain silent. Who are they? The Washington Post answers the question from the other side.

Taken literally, the top 1 percent of American households had a minimum income of $516,633...

The number looks large but attainable. Then comes the real shock.

When you look at the disparity in net worth, things look even more skewed. Wealthier Americans have assets — in home equity, stocks and other investments — that generally outstrip their cash income. Average wealth of the top 1 percent was almost $14 million in 2009...

Yikes! Nobody in my circle of friends can boast that. The flip side is even scarier.

By contrast, the poorest households were experiencing declines in net worth even before the recession hit. In 2007, the bottom 20 percent of households had an average (negative!) net worth of –$13,800 in 2007, which fell further to –$27,200 in 2009. Altogether, “average wealth of the bottom 80 percent was just $62,900 in 2009 — a dropoff of $40,900 from 2007,” EPI writes. That means the wealthiest 1 percent held an average of 225 times the wealth of the average median household in 2009 — a ratio that was 125 in 1962.

Big numbers make the head spin. Visual!

Remember, that first group is NEGATIVE!

Who are the 99%? Just about everyone. Why are they speaking out? Because you don't become one of the 1% by working hard and lining up for Black Friday bargains.

More numbers and pictures at the New York Times.

UC Davis Incident

2011-11-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

Watch the whole thing. What do you see? What reactions do you have?

Did you watch it? If not, do so now!

Then continue with this news article.

Officers in pepper spray incident placed on leave

Charles J. Kelly, a former Baltimore Police Department lieutenant who wrote the department's use of force guidelines, said pepper spray is a "compliance tool" that can be used on subjects who do not resist, and is preferable to simply lifting protesters...

After reviewing the video, Kelly said he observed at least two cases of "active resistance" from protesters. In one instance, a woman pulls her arm back from an officer. In the second instance, a protester curls into a ball. Each of those actions could have warranted more force, including baton strikes and pressure-point techniques.

"What I'm looking at is fairly standard police procedure," Kelly said.

At some point the people of this country accepted this behavior from the police. Now that people carry a pocket video camera with them at all times the behavior looks different. I read the above news story and compared it to what I saw in the video.

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza has said the decision to use pepper spray was made at the scene.

"The students had encircled the officers," she said Saturday. "They needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out."

Is that what you saw? What are your reactions now?

Constitutional Law

2011-11-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

I have a radical idea.

The ACLU and the NRA should become a single entity. Join forces/resources. Fight the good fight together.

Honestly. I like them both.

The Occupation is Over; Long Live #Occupy!

2011-11-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

The three most news worthy #occupy camps in three days all with mayors talking about health and safety issues. Just coincidence. Move along.

We should all be glad for this. The 1% has shown their hand. They say the word and the politicians leap. Spread the word and laugh.

Laugh because #occupy is far from gone. #ows got right back in the park. #occupyportland is still holding daily GA's. A contingent from #occupyoakland marched five miles to support Berkley. A movement that had settled into a simmer came roaring back into national news.

Are you enjoying this as much as I am?

Oakland Police Department Lies

2011-10-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

The lies of the Oakland Police Department disturb me.

From the Guardian...

(I)nterim police chief, Howard Jordan, was similarly defensive when he spoke to reporters, denying that his men had used rubber bullets or flash-bang grenades, as some protesters alleged and adding: "It's unfortunate it happened. I wish that it didn't happen. Our goal, obviously, isn't to cause injury to anyone."

How can someone lie in the face of such condemning evidence? It certainly looks like a flash-bang grenade was tossed right in the middle of those protestors trying to help out a fallen protestor; a Marine who survived two tours in Iraq only to return to the United States and get his skull fractured for peaceful unarmed protest.

While on the topic of the Occupy Movement...

Several people have complained recently about protestors destroying parks. We could debate that point. I choose not to. Assume their occupation destroys the parks they inhabit. Better a few trampled parks than one trampled United States Constitution (First Amendment). Anyone else have good responses to these types?

Libyarated

2011-10-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

BBC News - Libya's new rulers declare country liberated. Crowds cheered as one leader that wasn't elected announced the death of another leader that wasn't elected.

I am as misinformed about the meaning of 'Liberated' as I was about the phrase 'Mission Accomplished'.

Obama Pulls Out

2011-10-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

US pulls out way too late. Says, "Don't worry, baby. I'm sure everything will be fine."

BBC: All US troops to leave Iraq in 2011.

So when Obama promised an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, he meant that he would get around to it when election season started up again? Lame!

Occupy Wall Street Lunatic 'Fringe of the Fringe'

2011-10-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Forbes 'Occupy Wall Street' Gaining Respect...From Wall Street? article by Kenneth Rapoza is poor journalism.

The left wing lunatic 'fringe of the fringe' is gaining respect from the very source of the movement's disdain: Wall Street itself.

A 'news' article calling a movement of thousands in New York and hundreds of thousands if not millions showing solidarity as the movement turns into Occupy Everywhere can not be called lunatic 'fringe of the fringe'. This seems like a deliberate attempt at belittling the very movement the article purports to report support for.

Whether it fizzles out or gets busted up through divide and conquer strategies remains to be seen, but the movement, which got its start in the editorial offices of Adbusters, a non-influential magazine based in Vancouver, continues to spread around the world.

Send Mr. Rapoza back to school! First and foremost, this would make a fine example of a run-on sentence in any grammar book. The poor use of commas further complicates comprehension. The opening line, "Whether it fizzles out or gets busted up..." assumes unknowable foreknowledge. It again belittles the protests and assures the reader that this too shall pass into obscurity before any results are achieved. Calling Adbusters a non-influential magazine flies in the face of all evidence. The Occupy Wall Street idea started there and has spread around the globe over the past month. While the magazine may have played almost no role in organizing the event, their influence is evident.

Did Forbes and Mr. Rapoza deliberately publish propaganda? Are they shitty journalists? Do we have to choose?

Keeping things in check

2011-10-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Abolish the minimum wage. Institute a maximum wage of no more than 10x what the lowest paid workers make. Watch the lowest paid workers earn more than they ever thought possible.

Customer Service

2011-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

One way to view the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy America demonstrations...

This is a customer service call. The citizens subscribe to a service called American Democracy. They are unsatisfied with that service. So they are calling out the service providers. They aren't clear on what the service provider needs to do, just what the failings of that service are and that they better do something because the service sucks.

Dear Service Provider,
Make It Right!

The Occupation Continues

2011-10-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

What's it all about?

Anti-Wall Street Protests Spread From New York to San Francisco - Businessweek

“They’re just a bunch of wacko leftists trying to get on TV,” said Onel Delorb, 33, an unemployed office worker from the Bronx. “It’s my fault that I’m not doing anything for work. It’s not government’s fault.”

He said the demonstrators undermined their credibility by carrying iPhones and iPads made by Apple Inc., which is valued at $350 billion.

A valid point. Or it is a further indicator of how giant corporations fleece the population by over-charging for their goods. Having watched a lot of the live feed, I could also argue the protesters made wise investments in tools that have allowed them to become their own media outlet and spread the word. No major media outlet filmed policeman Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying innocent protesters. The protesters did it for themselves and spread it around the world in an instant. They aren't trying to get on TV because they don't need the TV.

Using the products of corporations against them. Definitely revolutionary*.

* In the sense that many revolutions are initially armed by the forces they come up against.

Truth be Told

2011-10-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

After ten years of intense government surveillance of the citizenry, the public is turning the surveillance back on the watchers.

There is an attempt to edit history. I will do my best to not let them get away with it. I hope you will too.

How? By making certain as many people as possible know about it. Check out The New York Times. The originator highlights the times but also check out the authorship.

Then from the BBC you have to wade through a dozen paragraphs about demonstrator disorderly conduct before getting to this.

BBC News - Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters arrested

Some of the protesters said police had allowed them on to the roadway and were escorting them across when they were surrounded and the arrests began.

We can't keep them from rewriting the page but we can keep them from rewriting history.

One Bad Pig in a System of Swine

2011-09-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Since September 17 a group of demonstrators has been practicing deliberative democracy while occupying Wall Street in NYC. The demonstrators have been heroically peaceful. Unfortunately, others have not.

Occupy Wall Street: 'Pepper-spray' officer named in Bush protest claim | World news | guardian.co.uk

The Guardian has learned that the officer, named by activists as deputy inspector Anthony Bologna, stands accused of false arrest and civil rights violations in a claim brought by a protester involved in the 2004 demonstrations at the Republican national convention.

In case you think that perhaps there was some provocation for Bologna's actions, watch this excellent piece that shows what happened.

Anthony Bologna should not have a badge.

Taxing the Rich Benefits the Rich

2011-09-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

People opposed to taxing the rich don't understand why it is such a fabulous idea.

From a BBC News article:

"This administration's insistence on raising taxes on job creators and its reluctance to take the steps necessary to strengthen our entitlement programmes are the reasons the president and I were not able to reach an agreement previously, and it is evident today that these barriers remain," (House Speaker Boehner) said.

Let us assume that the rich are the job creators. I don't buy into this but millions of the citizenry do. Rather than argue with them we will, for argument's sake, play along.

The rich, as mythically heroic job creators, currently don't have a need for all of the workers available. They benefit from having such a large pool to pull from. So it's only fair that they pay for this benefit since they have the means to do so. They can pay for people to sit around waiting until the job creators have need of them for their next adventure. They can pay to keep them healthy since debilitated job applicants would do them no good should they decide to create some jobs. They can even pay to educate them so when they create those jobs they have the best possible pool to pull from. They can even pay for people to sit around and do absolutely nothing because it is cheaper to do that than to finance the criminal justice system that will have to deal with those whose options have completely run out. Ten years obviously isn't long enough for the rich to create those jobs they were talking about. Let's give them more time to hatch those grand ideas that will turn into jobs for people by having the rich pay for people to wait it out.

A little wealth redistribution can go a long way. Help the rich help themselves. Demand higher taxes on millionaires and corporations!

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

2011-09-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently it will be streamed.

Global Revolution

Terror Alert and I Just Don't Care!

2011-09-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

New York on security alert amid warning of 9/11 terror threat. I don't care anymore. Every freakin' year as we approach September 11th a news story announces some terror plot meant to disrupt observation of the anniversary of what US citizens simply call 9/11. Every year the threat level gets raised yet again. And every year it amounts to nothing.

I think most of us recall the story of the boy who cried wolf. I just don't care anymore.

For the record, I still don't buy the official line as to what really happened that day. I don't claim to know what did happen, but what we've been sold isn't it.

This is the modern day JFK event. Most of the world seems 99.9% certain that the CIA orchestrated that one (while details vary). Most US citizens still like to live in denial about it. The level of disinformation surrounding September 11th leaves a familiar flavor.

But as for these annual terror alerts, I just don't care.

Two Views of the Same Event

2011-09-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Read both of these stories about the same event. Yes, read both of them.

Longshoremen expected to return to work in wake of federal court order

Long History Of Longshore Labor Unrest On West Coast

I realize that both stories have a certain amount of bias, but the FOX version would make a good substitute for ipecac.

America; Love It or Color It

2011-08-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hey kids! Let's all take out our propagandist coloring book and learn what Right Wing Extremists think we should all believe about 9/11!

In Solidarity with Verizon Workers

2011-08-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Verizon Strike Highlights Union Effect on Middle Class Jobs. As someone working in a non-union shop, I appreciate all the struggles of the union workers. Their strength and success makes conditions at my place of work better. Fight on!

For the Anarchists

2011-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Seventy-five years ago the Spanish anarchists were in a fight with Spanish fascists... and winning! May workers one day rediscover their inherent strength.

Rich Guy Says, "Why isn't the government taxing the fuck out of me?"

2011-08-16T16:49:00.001-07:00

That isn't exactly what Warren Buffet says, but it summerizes his sentiment as expressed in the New York Times.

Stop Coddling the Super-Rich - NYTimes.com

"I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone — not even when capital gains rates were 39.9 percent in 1976-77 — shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain. People invest to make money, and potential taxes have never scared them off. And to those who argue that higher rates hurt job creation, I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what’s happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation."

Wow! This country must be facing some serious shit if a billionaire is telling people that the rich must be taxed if we are to make it through.

South Africa becomes newest nation to make USA look like backwards hicks.

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

While citing the deep inequality between rich and poor, South Africa makes the United States look ill.

BBC News - South Africa unveils universal health care scheme

'The private sector is held up as an example of good service and quality of care - and this is mostly justified. What is not justified is the price tag that comes with certain forms of private health care provision,' he said.

'This is not only a burden to people using private health services, but a disservice to our country as a whole because it distorts pricing across the board.'

In other news, with the United States' credit rating getting a downgrade, for the first time in history all nations with a AAA credit rating have socialized medicine.

When Religion Controls the State

2011-08-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Some people are easily convinced that the United States is controlled by the Zionists and will do whatever Israel tells them to do. They are also easily convinced that Obama is a Muslim who does whatever the Arab world tells him to do. They don't trust the Pope much either. Many of these same people, without even a hint of irony, would support the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings.

Divide and Suffer

2011-08-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

What we have is 90% of the people versus 90% of the money, and the money is winning hands down.

It wins because it pits the people against each other. It makes imaginary divisions between the ethnicities and pits those perceived as Mexicans or Asians or other immigrant groups against those who consider themselves 'Real Americans™' because they immigrated before everyone else was doing it.

It splits the people into ideological opponents based on two political parties that historically aren't that different from each other when it comes to capitulating to the wants and desires of those who have the money. It splits them into some weird left and right scenario hoping nobody will ever think to look up.

It divides the poor from the impoverished calling one group the middle class and the other a bunch of welfare loafers. It constantly draws attention to the small amounts being siphoned off to help those who are part of the 90% of the people while hiding the ever growing wealth in the 90% of the money.

It wins by selling people the idea of some day being a part of that super fantastic rich lot. Strike it rich at the casino, winning lotto ticket, smart investing, or maybe just in the right place at the right time. Then they will be the ones with the wealth and the power and they sure as hell wouldn't want anyone taking that prize away from them.

As they say, ain't no war but the class war. If you made less than a million last year, you know which side you're on.

90% of the people can totally take down the 90% with the money.

Commie Pinko Teabaggers

2011-08-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

They said taxes were too high. They said they wanted a flat tax with no loop holes. They said they wanted less government control of their money. They said they were fiscal conservatives.

So I lay out the voluntary tax model for them. I explain how the government offers their constituents a bill of goods and services while people can pick and choose what they will and will not support. Then they send in as much as they are willing to give to the things they deem important.

They hated the idea. They called it the dumbest idea they had ever heard. Somehow I had managed to out-conservative the conservatives exposing them as Communists. Yes, they wanted government services (mostly military, medicare, and social security) but they wanted everybody to pay for it.

Communists!

Of course what they really wanted was for somebody else to pay for everything they wanted from the government. They were dead certain that the rich and the poor (people other than them) weren't paying their fair share. Yet they maintained that you can't tax businesses because doing so forces jobs out of the country. We had to capitulate to the demands of business for our own good.

Fascist Commies!

Guess I won't be getting their vote in 2012. Fine. I wouldn't want a bunch of fascist commies voting for me, anyway.

Trickle Down!

2011-07-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

Trickle Down Economics

definition: The feeling that you are constantly getting pissed on.

1 > 85+

2011-07-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today's top story:

Violent death of at least 85 people at the hands of a conservative Christian in the largest terrorist attack in Norway since WWII is completely overshadowed by 1 drunk celebrity snuffing it.

Income Disparity

2011-07-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today a person explained to me how the wealth disparity in the United States is the greatest in recorded history. Even worse than at the height of the Roman Empire or just before the French Revolution when people rose up and put the heads of the wealthy on pikes.

Ponder, if you will, a radically simple solution. Let's do away with minimum wage laws and replace them with maximum wage laws. Nobody can make more than 10x what the lowest paid individual makes.

Simple, isn't it? Current National minimum wage is at $7.25/hour. Instead let's say that nobody can earn more than $72.50/hour. Assuming a 40 hour work week, that means a CEO couldn't earn more than an estimated $150k ($150,000) per year. Horrifying! At least it would be horrifying to the average CEO that currently makes $11.4M ($11,400,000) a year. But if our current minimum wage assumes that a full time worker can actually live on $15,000 a year, I feel certain the CEOs could figure out a way to survive. After all, they are so smart that they deserve to get paid huge sums.

But some people just love to make loads and loads of money. We can't just take that away from them. No problem! Two simple solutions. (I do love simple solutions.)

First, they can work tirelessly to raise the bottom income. If the lowliest worker saw a moderate increase to just $10/hour, a CEO could then earn over $200,000 a year! Raise it to $20/hour and the top dogs could bring home $400,000. And you can bet the minimum would go up fast if it directly affected the maximum.

The second option for people who just can't make enough money is to let them earn as much as they want. That's right, you can't actually cap their genius money making capabilities. They were born to horde cash! So every dollar earned over the 'maximum' gets taxed at a 75% rate. They still get to make more than everyone else and it helps to fund the government services we have all come to expect. Is that so much to ask? I bet everyone making less than $150,000 a year (roughly 95% of Americans) would find this acceptable.

Or we could just put rich people's heads on pikes.

Cops & Robbers

2011-06-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Cops vs. Criminals? Try Cops vs. Citizens.

Cops don't bust criminals. They can't bust criminals. Not if we wish to maintain the notion that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Contrary to popular opinion (even I am prone to forgetting this), 'innocent until proven guilty' is not a right. Placing the burden of proof on the accuser rather than the accused is, however, a standard practice in our legal system. A damn good one at that!

Cops bust people. A court of law that could very well involve a Constitutionally guaranteed jury of one's peers determines if a crime was committed. Until that time, we should presume the person(s) innocent.

The next time you look through mug shots, observe an arrest, or even hear of one in the news try to think of 'the perp' as just another citizen or at the very least 'the accused'.

Or perhaps you like the idea of cops viewing everyone as potential criminals. Who am I to judge, jury or execute?

Gay Marriage in Old New York

2011-06-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

BBC News - New York state approves gay marriage

New York has become the sixth and most populous US state to allow same-sex marriage.

I think we are reaching a point where this movement is snowballing. Coincidentally I also approve of snowballing. Whatever floats your boat.

As long as we have states that recognize same sex marriage the federal government needs to as well. I hear the disparity between state and federal tax codes makes it a real bitch to file.

We could make this whole thing super easy by outlawing ALL marriage. Then only outlaws would have in-laws.

War on (Some) Drugs

2011-06-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

BBC News - Central America drugs war: Clinton pledges more funds

Mrs Clinton said funding for the fight against transnational organised crime in the region would be increased from $260m in 2010 to almost $300m this year.

Or we could legalize all drugs, tax them, generate millions in revenue, and no longer give a rat's ass about foreign drug cartels.

Too simple?

If you vote, It's your fault.

2011-05-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Jesse Ventura on Good Morning America

2011-04-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

As much as I like Jesse, I don't think I could support him as part of a Ron Paul ticket. I'd be willing to entertain him as a Presidential candidate, though. Especially if I was on the ticket as VP.

Americans

2011-03-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

As a nation we call ourselves Americans. The name America was derived from the feminized Latin form of an Italian cartographer's name who was in the employ of the Portuguese exploring the coasts of what would presently be Brazil.

Next time someone tells you that they are Proud to be an American, share this.

What Do You Mean 'Tunnel Vision'?

2011-03-11T01:27:00.000-08:00

Let me start with a disclaimer*: In no way do I mean for this to support one party over another. I offer this as an illustration of how we trap ourselves in the reality tunnels we wish to perceive.

Study this chart. What do you see? Do you draw any conclusions based on this data?

I shared this chart with working class individuals of various political persuasions to get their reactions. As expected, those who tend to favor Democrats see this as 'proof' that Republicans lie about the 'tax and spend' agenda of their favorite party.

Those who favor the Republican party did not respond as I expected. I expected them to dismiss the data, call it misleading, claim that Republican administrations inherited terrible budgets and got it all straightened out just in time for Democrats to come along, take all the credit, and then ruin it all over again. Instead I repeatedly got reactions so coherently summed up by one individual when he said...

Whoa! Obama sure didn't waste any time ruining our economy.

Turns out I have no comprehension of how the conservative mind works. Any ideas for research that can help me better understand this phenomenon?

*A posting that starts off with a disclaimer probably has a hidden agenda, offensive material, or both.

Attention Walmart Shoppers!

2011-02-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

China would like to thank you for making them what they are today. It wouldn't have been possible without you.

BBC World Service

China has overtaken Japan to become the world's second largest economy.

At its current rate of growth, analysts say China will replace the US as the world's top economy in about a decade.

Some day even our "Made in the USA" labels will be made in China.

Socialism vs. Capitalism

2011-02-12T12:54:00.001-08:00

Socialism prioritizes investment in society.
Capitalism prioritizes investment in capital.
Of course I speak in utopian altruisms and over simplifications.
Of course.

Progressive Taxation

2010-12-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Senator Sanders has something to say.

This is not a tax on the rich. This is a tax on the very, very, very rich.

Christmas Myth

2010-12-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

For several years I was forced to listen to Christmas music at work. Then a giant corporation bought up the facility. Last year when the holidays rolled around, no Christmas music.

Still, that was a whole hell of a lot of Christmas music I was forced to listen to. So while some have started decorating their personal work spaces for the holidays, I just had to plaster this one to my tool chest.

I guesss before 1963 atheists were a bunch of real pricks.

Deception

2010-11-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

Noam Chomsky and Robert Trivers discuss deception.

Propaganda Overdrive

2010-11-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Couldn't even make it a week.

In an effort to diversify my news sources I had been getting a feed from an English language Iranian news source. While it was great to see all of the news stories from a radically different perspective, in less than a week I grew tired of the propaganda. It was the Iranian equivalent of FOX News.

News feed canceled.

LHC and mini-Big Bangs

2010-11-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Large Hadron Collider creates 'mini Big Bang' with lead ion.

And it didn't destroy the Earth... yet.

Self Referencing Propaganda

2010-11-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hunter S. Thompson once cited rumors about Senator Muskie using the drug ibogaine and how that might account for his strange behavior. When questioned about it he reminded people that he had said it was a rumor which was absolutely true because he had started the rumor.

It's more fun when the rumors are outrageous and the reporters admit to circle jerking their own lies. Otherwise we just have a nasty propaganda machine just like the ones that my high school civics teachers told me made the Nazis and the Russians such evil bastards.

The Birth of Jesus H. Christ

2010-11-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

It's only the week after Halloween and the Christmas flood gates have been released. The levy of sane, rational thought and financial responsibility gives way to what has become a two month long national disaster. People will over-eat, over-spend, and over-extend themselves to fulfill their impossible dream of a perfect holiday.

All to celebrate the retailer's equivalent of a golden calf, the birth of Jesus H. Christ. In a nation that always wants more Jesus, the "H" must stand for Heroin.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-11-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

...and some of my least favorite.

Did I mention I'm back? The other campaign is over and the American Dream could use one hell of a fisting.

Worker Solidarity

2010-11-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

Can the working class unite? (emphasis mine)

...it is almost common sense today, on both the right and the left, to equate the right-wing Tea Party movement with the working class. It is assumed that workers are more likely to be duped by the likes of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. However, analyses of the ranks of the Tea Party have shown that its supporters tend to be wealthier, older, better educated and whiter than the U.S. population as a whole.

Tea Baggers are better educated? That gives me so much more hope for the working class.

Still Crazy

2010-11-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's not what it looks like. You don't understand. Yes, they bent me over backwards, took my money, and left me to die or rot in jail. They then slapped me around until I apologized for making them do all that. But deep down they are good politicians who really do love me. This little affair with business is just a passing thing. They'll come back to me and love me and treat me right. You'll see. You just don't know them like I do.

Or is comparing voters to domestic violence victims a bit crude? Fine, I'll try it another way.

So I met this total creepoid at a bar. They kept buying me drinks and nobody else was talking to me. Next thing I know I'm waking up someplace that isn't my home, I'm tied up, and my ass is bleeding. The creepoid is there. They stuff a tissue up my ass (so it doesn't stain the carpet) and ask me if I'd like to do it again. I figure since I can't remember what happened the first time, there's no harm in doing it a second time.

Still seems a bit complex.

Stupid poor people for maintaining the status quo!

Damn. It sounds right but it just isn't as much fun as a good analogy.

Every election cycle I think US citizens are going crazy. I think back on the good old days and remember that the USA has never been sane.

The Other Campaign

2010-06-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

He's not an anarchist but rather Minnesota DFL (Democrat Farmer Laborer). We don't have the same opinions on everything nor do we see the same solutions. That said, he is my dad and I wholeheartedly support his campaign.

Hiatus

2010-05-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

This campaign is going on hiatus while I work on another.

PSA: Don't Drunk Dial Freedom Works

2010-05-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Inside the place where America's favorite toys come from

2010-05-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Do you like all of your really cool gadgets from Apple, Dell, HP, Sony, Amazon, and others?

The fate of a generation of workers: Foxconn undercover

This super factory that holds some 400,000 people isn't the "sweatshop" that most would imagine. It provides accommodation that reaches the scale of a medium-sized town, all smooth and orderly. Compared to others, the facilities here are well-equipped and superior, with employee treatment meeting standard specifications. Thousands of people flock here each day just to find a place of their own, to find a dream that they'll probably never realize.

It's a fascinating read. Haunting.

The wealth of being an American is built on foreign exploitation.

Illegal Everyone

2010-05-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone does illegal things every day. Most people I know will exceed the speed limit. Maybe just a little, but it is still breaking the law. Or maybe you don't always come to a complete stop. Or you stop at the sign instead of at the crosswalk. Or you cross a street at a place other than the designated crossing zone. Ride your bicycle on a sidewalk. Forget to use turn signals. Don't signal your turns and stops while on a bicycle. Use an illegal substance. Misuse a prescribed substance. Use a pirated copy of an operating system or application. Illegally download media. Know someone who participates in any of the above activities yet you don't turn them in. The point is everyone I know breaks the law and usually does so knowingly and willingly on a near daily basis.

Many of these same people who knowingly and willingly break laws still make a big fuss about those who break laws they think should be obeyed. While I could point out many hypocrisies, right now I happen to be talking about illegal immigration.

So why the difference in treatment? A speeder may feel they are in complete control of the situation while their actions can cause insurance premiums to go up for others. Just because a lot of young white males have been documented as speeders, insurance premiums go up for all young white males. It hardly seems fair. Or maybe they get into an accident which kills a few people, slows down traffic, requires extra law enforcement, or any number of results that can affect the pocketbooks of Americans. People cross the streets illegally which can result in the need to install speed bumps, flashing crosswalk signs, stricter speed regulations, and increased law enforcement to monitor these activities. Some people use drugs responsibly while others abuse them at a cost to all Americans. People download media without paying for it causing the price of the product to go up for those who choose to use it legally and requiring courts and investigators when license holders choose to take legal action against offenders. Illegal activity comes with a price. People will yell about the injustice of their actions being illegal yet will quickly point out the illegal actions of others. It just doesn't make sense. It's as ridiculous as the Bible thumpers who are quick to point out that homosexuality is an abomination yet readily chow down on shellfish or pork. Silly.

It is especially silly for us to claim that people have moved into this country illegally when the nation was stolen in the first place. Other people lived here and a bunch of immigrants moved in, kicked them out, and formed a government that proclaimed themselves the rightful owners of said property. If I stole my neighbor's RV and lived in it, when someone else decided to start a home under it, what gives me the right to declare their activity as trespassing? Silly.

First we must admit that we judge people based on their appearance. We can't stop the behavior, only alter the actions taken. Like when I asked a recent immigrant from Vietnam where to get the best Phở in town. Vietnamese eat Phở. It's their heritage, right? Except the guy really didn't care for Phở and would much rather go to a steak house or barbecue joint. My mistake was just as racist as those people who believe all blacks like fried chicken and watermelon or Hispanics cram their entire extended family into a two bedroom apartment. Just because a person looks a certain way or apparently comes from a particular ethnic group does not mean they adhere to the activities we as individuals ascribe to 'those people'. Silly.

That is one of the biggest problems I see with Arizona's new legislation meant to deal with people who see the border differently than we do. It is now possible for a police officer to be sued by ordinary citizens if they think he should have asked to see someone's documentation. Natural born American citizens are not required to carry proof of citizenship. Until I turned 15 and received my first driving permit I never carried any sort of identification. A person who pays cash for goods, doesn't drive, never leaves the country, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, and doesn't gamble is a very dull individual but they have no need to carry any sort of identification. I know of a former Marine who refused to carry ID after men in suits driving a dark sedan took all of his identification before giving him back his wallet with all the money still in it. He was so worried that these were government agents stealing his identity that from that point forward his thumbprint was the only identification he kept with him. While a bit paranoid, there was nothing illegal about his actions. If he were to go to Arizona today and someone thought him to be an illegal immigrant and saw the police talking to him without asking for identification, those officers could be brought into court. If those officers did request identification from him and he refused to show it having none, they would detain him, a legal American citizen and Marine Corp veteran. They would eventually sort it all out and I am certain our fine and trustworthy police force who have no record of physical abuse or over zealous use of tazers would treat him justly while they had him unlawfully detained. Or a police force with an already long history of pulling people over for driving while black, walking while Latino, or dancing while queer will take the easy way out and consider this a great scapegoat to increase racial profiling even though the law says they can't while simultaneously making them punishable for not doing it. Silly.

I am not completely unreasonable. I allow for a certain generational gap in racism. Anyone old enough to have served in Vietnam gets a bit of a pass. They grew up in different times. Laws allowed for racial discrimination. Those old imprints can be hard to break. They told jokes about niggers and spics and kikes and dykes. They thought it was funny. When they were kids they could be horrible bigots and completely get away with it. Even my own past has had some horrible transgressions. The older bigots know that they harbor racist thoughts. They know how they feel about 'those people'. They are comfortable with their bigotry because it used to be okay. Silly.

Now it is not. People are still learning how not to be racist, but we should all know by now that judging people based on their appearance is not okay. Yet people who should know better continue to do so. They continue to make judgments about people they have never even met. They label them as some separate entity that somehow does not deserve the same treatment. 'Those people' are somehow 'different'. Maybe it wouldn't bother me so much if people admitted their bigotry. It seems to ease the strain with the older generation. Lift the facade of equality and let it be known that we still have a long road towards racial equality. But I'm talking about people who grew up after the Civil Rights Movement. Not really. The Civil Rights Movement has never ended because the bigotry never ended. Racism just dug itself deep and masqueraded as patriotism. Silly.

If you've read this far and you still feel absolutely certain that this country needs to do more to stop the menace of illegal immigration, here are a few tips. Stop eating fruit. You can probably find locally grown fruit picked by genuine United States citizens. If you get your strawberries at a great price from the big grocery store, or strawberry ice cream or watermelons or juice or any other number of fruits and fruit products, you will likely encounter products picked by illegal migrant workers. Unless you can be absolutely certain of the source and the labor used to harvest it, no more fruit for you. A lot of vegetables are out as well. As is most fast food. Many suppliers of beef and chicken regularly get busted for hiring illegals. Yet they are still in business because the illegals get sent home, the company pays their little fine, and then right back to business as usual. Seafood also uses a lot of illegals. Next time you stay at a hotel, ask the management to prove that all of their employees are US citizens or resident aliens. There are lots of other things you should also stop spending your money on but it all gets rather... Silly.

With all that said, it is my personal opinion that all of the illegal immigrants I have come into contact with have broken the law for the right reasons. They were all brave enough to knowingly take extreme risks to improve their lives. Can speeders say that? Electronic pirates? J-walkers? Drug dealers? Any of you people who break the law on a near daily basis? When compared to the bravery of illegal immigration, my daily self-righteous and self-justified crimes seem silly.

Wordcraft

2010-05-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

BBC News - BP wrestles with oil spill hitch in Gulf of Mexico

"I wouldn't say it's failed yet. What I would say is what we attempted to do last night didn't work."

Doug Suttles, chief operating officer for BP

Bravo! Not only do you make the words dance, but you get them to tango in 5/4 time.

Woody Harrelson on Stuff

2010-05-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

While I may not feel quite as romantic about 'the way things were', I still enjoyed this.

It's Okay to Flip-Flop

2010-05-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people need an example to fully understand the possible ramifications of certain actions.

BBC News - California's Schwarzenegger turns against oil drilling

California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has withdrawn his support for a plan to expand oil exploration off the state's coast.

He said the spill in the Gulf of Mexico had changed his mind about the safety of oil platforms in the Pacific Ocean.

Way to go, Arnie. You saw what can happen and changed your opinion. Good for you.

Illegal Immigrant

2010-04-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was all ready to continue an argument on Facebook over someone agreeing with this guy.

Install microchips in illegal immigrants, GOP candidate says

Instead of building a border fence to help stem illegal immigration, the U.S. government should implant microchips into immigrants before deportation, much like what is done with pets, Pat Bertroche, an Urbandale physician and one of seven Republicans running in the 3rd District Congressional primary, said Monday.

Almost got snared into an FB debate. YIKES!

So instead I come here where my voice can stand alone with the occasional Korean porn entrepreneur commenting in an attempt to fish up some traffic.

Let's start with this whole bag 'em and tag 'em approach. Sounds like a whole lot of money down the drain. Say the United States were to do such a thing. We spend a whole hell of a lot of money on chips, medical staff to implant them, and technology to track them. Then we ship them back across the border where black market doctors remove them. Or maybe they just get real good at digging them out with rusty knives. Or they ditch the device in some other way. Then they come back across and if they get caught they do it all over again. Not only does it waste money, it would inflate the perceived immigration problem. I'm surprised a so-called conservative would advocate for such a wasted expenditure and flamboyant expansion of government.

Next, let's consider this whole damn immigration thing. Let's face it, they mean Mexicans. I've known a few Canadians who have resided in the United States illegally and they never, ever have worried about getting caught. Even the Russians and Slavs and other 'white' immigrants don't have nearly the police hassle. Cops don't pull them over for 'driving while white'. Some have even shared stories with me about tricking dumb cops with total bull. "It's an international driver's license. It allows me to drive anywhere." A Mexican trying that would get hauled in. So when we talk about curbing illegal immigration, it's really a thinly veiled yet socially acceptable racial slur. Claiming otherwise is like claiming the KKK is a social club.

As for the language, this country purchased holdings from the French and naturalized the French speaking residents. It also got land from Spain and naturalized the Spanish speaking residents. Throughout the vast majority of American civilization, nobody in what we know of as the United States had ever even heard a single word of English. American English is our common language, not our national language. Someone coming here will do well to learn it but if they can get by without ever speaking a word of it, more power to them. The English speakers came to this continent and managed to supplant the languages already in use. Then again, they had gun powder on their side.

Which segues into what will be my last point (because I don't feel like rambling any more than this already has). The 'Mexicans' are quite often mestizo with some indigenous heritage as part of the mix. Quite frankly, some of their ancestors were roaming around this continent long before whitey came on the scene. How dare we call them illegals in the land we stole from them. If you don't like them wandering around wherever they please just as their ancestors did for MILLENIA, go back to wherever you came from you racist white illegal immigrant!

Financing a Volcano

2010-04-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

For those who are dexterous enough to have kept all portions of their body above the trachea safely stowed in their own gluteal cavity, a volcanic eruption in Iceland ended up grounding most of Europe's air traffic for a week. Business people were stranded. Many vacationers had to extend their visits. Even the prime minister of Norway was stuck in New York, unable to return home, forcing him to do his job remotely via a new iPad. Now people are asking, Who should pay for the volcano disruption?

Europe is starting to reopen its skies almost a week after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano grounded most planes. Who should pay for the cost of this disruption?

At least 95,000 flights were cancelled in the past six days, and the air transport group IATA (The International Air Transport Association) says the delays have cost the industry $1.7bn (£1.1bn).

Forced to abandon scheduled flights, many passengers have funded their own return to the UK travelling by trains, buses, ferries and hire cars. Thousands of passengers remain stranded abroad and are still paying hotel and living expenses.

Is it reasonable to expect a budget airline to reimburse such high expenses for a low cost ticket? How can airlines recoup the cost of this disruption? Who do you think should pay the cost of returning passengers to the UK?

Who is going to pay for all this!?

As for stranded passengers, extended vacations, and all manner of stuck individuals, I have no easy answers. Perhaps those you found yourself stuck around will understand, consider it extenuating circumstances, and cut you a deal or even forgive the intrusion. These poor folks had nothing to do with that volcano erupting.

As for the airlines, they deserve no money for lost revenue. A person who lives in the same place their entire life knows what to expect and might never have to experience any sort of natural disaster. A company that provides flights for an entire continent and in some cases all over the world should expect to run into disasters. People are often expected to save up for 'incidentals'. Businesses, especially ones that involve air travel (what large business doesn't with shipping, global client meetings, running off to countries where it is legal to pay someone to engage in a particular form of sexual gratification not accepted in the so-called civilized world, etc.) should expect these things. Perhaps they could buy insurance to cover such costs or maybe just keep a 'rainy day' fund for when it does something odd like rain ash or fish, things that could ground airplanes.

To answer the questions from the article:
Is it reasonable to expect a budget airline to reimburse such high expenses for a low cost ticket? I think so, but wouldn't it be nice if we could just make it work without forcing companies to fork over dough? Wouldn't it be great if your boss paid you anyway, because it really wasn't your fault that you couldn't get back to work on schedule? Wouldn't it be fabulous if the hotel waived the fees due to the nature of the extended visit? Wouldn't it be nice if people just chose to be nice about it?

How can airlines recoup the cost of this disruption? I don't care how. Seriously, they should have planned for it to happen sooner or later. It should have been part of their operating model.

Who do you think should pay the cost of returning passengers to the UK? If I pay someone to take me somewhere, they better take me there or get someone else to do it. It has been a hard week, we should cut them a little slack on the time table. Those who sold a service need to honor it, no matter what the fine print says.

And if money is their biggest problem, then these folks don't have a whole lot to worry about.

Today is 4/20

2010-04-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Pot culture has latched onto the number 420. The reasons why are uncertain but as a result, April 20th, 4/20, has become a bit of a holiday for the marijuana crowd.

Here are some interesting perspectives on drugs to celebrate this day.

Obama Wants to Invade Mars!

2010-04-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

BBC News - Obama sets Mars goal for America

"By 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first ever crew missions beyond the Moon into deep space," he told his audience. "So, we'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history."

And then he added: "By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth, and a landing on Mars will follow."

Yes! But is it a sound financial choice?

"For pennies on the dollar, the space programme has fuelled jobs and entire industries. For pennies on the dollar, the space programme has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy and inspired generations of Americans. And I have no doubt that Nasa can continue to fill this role."

Good enough. Let's get to it.

Worker Overtime: A Postition Statement

2010-04-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Let's outlaw overtime. Not the practice of paying overtime. Hell no! Let's outlaw having to work overtime. All overtime. Mandatory or voluntary, let's end overtime hours.

As long as we have people unemployed who would like to find work, why the hell do other people get paid a modest bonus to sell a little bit more of their life away? Not good. Force those companies to hire the staff they need! Force them to give those people the benefits they deserve. Then take a little time to actually live your life rather than selling it away for a mere pittance so people who made errors in their production scheduling can get a big fat bonus. Screw them! Let's recognize workers as the precious resource they are instead of tricking them into being bum licking whores. If companies want that order out on time they can damn well learn how to staff for it!

I still stand behind my old position that we should do away with the minimum wage and replace it with a maximum wage. No person, not even a CEO, should make more than ten times what the lowest paid person makes. Impose that restriction and the minimum wage will skyrocket.

Yet another reason Corporate America will never let me get elected.

God Hates What?

2010-04-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

After some one-on-one time with God, Rev. Fred Phelps of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church had to quickly change his protest strategy.

The Lord spoke to me. This time it was in a much quieter place and it turns out that He hates figs. Can't say I care for them much myself. So all you faggots can go back to your bum humping while we go blame everything that's wrong with America on Nabisco.

Later that day the Rev. Phelps was seen at Topeka gay bar the Tool Shed Tap playing pool with Senator Pat Roberts while discussing the evils of fig products in the hands of the coons.

Change you can believe in!

2010-03-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama eases offshore oil drilling ban

Oil firms could be given the chance to explore for reserves off the US coast for the first time in decades, under plans outlined by President Obama.

The White House says drilling will be allowed off Virginia and considered off much of the rest of the Atlantic coast.

The plans would overturn moratoriums on exploration put in place in the 1980s.

So I sit here and have to remind myself that this guy is still better than a McCain/Palin ticket would have been. I think about the average American, and think that this guy is fairly representing them. The odd bit is that at least half of the people he is fairly representing think he is a Godless Commie Antichrist who isn't a legal American. Okay, those are the real nut jobs*, but it is still amazing that he seems to be advancing things that were once part of the Republican agenda.

Those moratoriums on offshore drilling that were put in place in the 1980's came when a right wing agenda was pushing heavily for more nuclear power to curb dependence on foreign oil**.

The only offshore drilling I would lift the ban on may involve oil, but it also requires consenting adults.

* Which may include some of my household's family.

** And possibly to piss off all the hippies for having a really great time with the free love and pot while they had to sneak around snorting expensive coke and paying for hookers.

Marijuana might be more than medicine for California

2010-03-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Californians have managed to get the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis into the hands of the people.

Measure to legalize marijuana will be on California's November ballot

An initiative to legalize marijuana and allow it to be sold and taxed will appear on the November ballot, state election officials announced Wednesday, triggering what will probably be a much-watched campaign that once again puts California on the forefront of the nation's debate over whether to soften drug laws.

It looks quite promising. If ever there were a state where it made total sense to legalize marijuana, it would be California. Then again, it made total sense for that state to legalize same sex marriages and they didn't.

Good luck to California on this one. If nothing else, your state sure could use the tax money.

Union Power

2010-03-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

We live in a union. We often call it a union. Yet the unions have trouble in our union.

In response to an impending British strike, the BBC asks...

Do unions have too much power?

Compared to many European Countrys, British Unions have far less power.
Which is probably why the UK Worker is sacked first, has lower redudancy terms and has one of the lowest pensions in Europe.
Sadly, most British Workers don't have the backbone that the French, Germans and Italians have to stick up for the Jobs. Can you imagine Renault,Fiat or Mercedes workers allowing their jobs to be shipped to China without a long hard fight?

This responder has nailed it dead on. Main land Europeans have really strong and very effective unions that have learned to fight every step of the way to keep what little they have. Compared to them, British unions are crap.

American unions are like festering boils compared to the plump bums of the Brits. Unions are not an end, but a means, a process. Americans have let their unions go to shit.

Do unions have too much power? What a stupid question. When have workers, organized or otherwise, ever had too much power?

Give 'em hell Unite!

Seeking Space

2010-03-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today someone asked me if I could travel abroad, where would I go first?

"Australia." True enough.

Then I admitted that my travel dreams reach a bit further. "What I'd really like is to live in an orbital colony."

After a brief confirmation that orbital colony meant exactly what it sounded like and wasn't a name for some terrestrial bound location, I was asked why. "Wouldn't you miss trees and grass and things?"

A very valid question. On the one hand, I might. On the other hand, with the research I have done on space migration I see no reason why I would have to do without things like trees and grass while living in an orbital colony. Plant life would have to be part of a sustainable solution to the problem.

So why move into space?

First and foremost, because we can! We have all the necessary technology. We have the means. If we were to give up the war in Iraq or Afghanistan for one year, just one of those countries for just one year, we'd have enough to do it. Not that such a project could get completed in a year. It would take longer. But the funds from doing that would cover the costs. Rather than focusing on death and destruction it seems to me like a far greater achievement to build a permanent space habitat orbiting the planet. Such a project is one of hope not just for the space dreamers, not just for the citizens of our country, but for the whole of the planet. To have the ability to reach out beyond our little gravity hole and see people living where they have never lived before would speak volumes for the human potential.

While on the topic of gravity, perhaps that plays a role in my personal affection for the prospect of space migration. Here in the full gravity of Earth I weigh in around 220 pounds. Weight. Gravity creates weight. That equals about 100 kilograms. That is mass. Here on Earth, mass and weight amount to the same thing. In the absence of that gravity, 100 kilos is still 100 kilos, but 220 pounds becomes... 0 pounds! No weight to move around. Instead it becomes mass. Once you get mass moving, it becomes momentum. I feel like I should have momentum. Just a change in the perspective of the thing could change a lot of people's lives.

Another change in perspective would be spatially related. While we live in and have the capability to perceive three dimensional space, our existence relies almost entirely on two dimensional navigation. Look at a map, or a globe, or even Google Earth and you begin to understand how we live on a 2D plane wrapped around a 3D object. With the absence of gravity, we lose the up/down perspective. We shift into a truly 3D environment. With such a shift the brain will adapt to a fuller utilization of our visual perception skills. What glorious developments await for a brain liberated from having to move about on a surface?

On a more personal note, this leads to another dream of mine. Often in my slumbers I dream that I can fly. It is not the flight of a glider, or a bird, or the free fall of sky diving. In my dreams I float and move at my whim. I want that to be a reality.

On an even more personal note, I am obsessed with the concept of breasts in zero gravity. Not only do I want to see free floating boobs, but I want to see what breasts that had never known the tortures of gravity would be like. So even if we had an orbital colony in place within five years and some amorous adventurers got right down to business, I'd still have to wait another 25 years to see the results of mammary glands that had never been pulled down by the Earth. Unless the life extension enthusiasts are correct and everyone currently under the age of 40 can expect to live indefinitely, we need an orbital colony now!

And of course there is all of the great scientific research that can only be done in zero gravity or is best done far away from the obstructing atmosphere of a planet. Things you can't even do in Australia.

Let's get out there!

Pro-Abolishment

2010-03-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

If there is any human invention mandated by governments that is potentially more ridiculous than war, it would be Daylight Savings Time. Let's abolish it!

Sweden's Socialist Nightmare

2010-03-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

The right keeps telling me that Obama is a Socialist trying to change America into a Socialist nation like Sweden. What would that mean?

BBC News - Adjusting to Swedish life after the Andijan massacre

'This place,' says Bahram, shouting somewhat, 'is amazing! You can't imagine! The schools, the hospitals! The way they live! And nothing's done by hand! Even the baking! Even cleaning the street! They have these little carts... you just press a button. The police! They smile at you and say 'Hey!'...

It is another world - a looking glass through which the Uzbeks see themselves and their country.

So even as Sweden amazes and delights Bahram, it breaks his heart. 'If we had just a fragment of this development in Uzbekistan,' he says. 'If I could take just a tiny part of this when I go home...'

'Here in Sweden there are laws,' he says. 'And even the government obeys them! There was a minister who did not pay his TV licence - and he lost his job. Can you imagine? And the way they treat people! We saw a prison and do you know, in the canteen, the prisoners take a tray and chose the food they want. Different salads, meats, yogurt… everything. Fresh! In prison! Oh my lord above!'

Those poor people. How dreadful it must be.

Please, don't let America slip into a Socialist nightmare like modern day Sweden.

Class Warfare Continues

2010-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Dissident Voice : The Rise of the Economic Elite

The Economic Elite have escalated their attack on US workers over the past few years; however, this attack began to build intensity in the 1970s. In 1970, CEOs made $25 for every $1 the average worker made. Due to technological advancements, production and profit levels exploded from 1970-2000. With the lion’s share of increased profits going to the CEOs, this pay ratio dramatically rose to $90 for CEOs to $1 for the average worker.

As ridiculous as that seems, an in-depth study in 2004 on the explosion of CEO pay revealed that, including stock options and other benefits, CEO pay is more accurately $500 to $1.

Winner takes all, and the game is rigged.

Madam Governor

2010-02-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

A former New York madam will run for Governor in 2010.

Last Saturday I gave the first political speech of my life. I spoke to the Manhattan Libertarian party and told them I planning a campaign for Governor of New York State. I have not decided whether to seek the Libertarian party nomination or form my own party based on my platform; legalization, regulation and taxation of prostitution, marijuana, and legalizing gay marriage.
When was the last time a candidate put forward this kind of honest, radical platform? When is the last time a politician offered the voters something different than higher taxes, more spending, greater debt and service cuts.

All for it.

Financial Lies

2009-12-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

2009: Wall Street bounced back, Main Street got shafted

But if 2009 has proved anything, it's that the bailout of Wall Street didn't trickle down to Main Street. Mortgage delinquencies continue to rise. Small businesses can't get credit. And people everywhere, it seems, are worried about losing their jobs. Wall Street is the only place where money is flowing and pay is escalating. Top executives and traders on the Street will soon be splitting about $25 billion in bonuses (despite Goldman Sachs' decision, made with an eye toward public relations, to defer bonuses for its 30 top players).

What utter crap. Blatant liberal media lies. At least 10% of Americans are not worried about losing their jobs because they have no job to lose.

Think Green, Think Condoms

2009-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

I think this makes the Pope one of the world's leading contributors to global climate change.

Contraception is 'greenest' technology

Are condoms and birth control pills more cost effective than windmills and solar panels as tools to curb global warming?

Yes, and by a wide margin, contends a recent study from the London School of Economics asserting that family planning is nearly five times more cost effective in mitigating global warming emissions than green energy technologies like wind and solar power.

Each $7 spent on basic family planning over the next four decades would reduce global CO2 emissions by more than a ton. To achieve the same result with low-carbon technologies would cost a minimum of $32. The UN estimates that 40 percent of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended.

Is it possible that my vasectomy more than offsets the global footprint of my old gas guzzling truck? It may even offset my contributions to deforestation through the manufacture of saw chain. I'm a lean, green, baby-stopping and carbon reducing machine!

Contraception for all, and to all a green life! Happy Holidays!

Change it Again, Uncle Sam

2009-12-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

Obama promised change. People liked that idea and voted for him. Now a whole bunch of the liberals who voted for change via Obama have gotten upset because he has not changed direction, just speed.

A minor misunderstanding.

Bank of the Americas Pay Back

2009-12-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

Bank Of America Repays $45B In Bailout Funds : NPR

Bank of America Corp. said Wednesday it has repaid the entire $45 billion it owed U.S. taxpayers as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

If the government would have bailed me out to the tune of $45 billion I would have gladly repaid them 99.9% of it the very next day.

Death by Prescription

2009-12-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

Overdose deaths from painkillers skyrocketing in Ontario: report - The Globe and Mail

Painkillers are causing twice the number of overdose deaths in Ontario than they were two decades ago, a precedent-setting study has found. Most of the people these opioid-related drugs are killing got them through a prescription and had seen a doctor in the month before they died...

The study found prescription opioids kill, on average, 300 people in Ontario each year. HIV/AIDS, by comparison, kills 100 people annually; H1N1 has killed 100 people in Ontario so far. Other illicit drugs cause few overdose deaths by comparison.

Because 'prescription' means safe. Because 'Doctor recommended' means 'no worries'.

Opioids are hard core drugs. They also work extremely well. As most heroin addicts will attest to, there ain't nothin' in the world another fix won't cure.

Relatively small study, though. Just Ontario. Still, it means that prescription opioids killed more people in one Canadian city last year than marijuana killed world wide last century. How many of those people who were prescribed that medication would have been better off had they received a non-lethal medication?

Losing Faith

2009-12-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Even the Wall Street Journal admits that our money means very little.

James Grant Mourns the Loss of the Gold Standard - WSJ.com

In ancient times, the solidus circulated far and wide. But it was a tangible thing, a gold coin struck by the Byzantine Empire. Between Waterloo and the Great Depression, the pound sterling ruled the roost. But it was convertible into gold—slip your bank notes through a teller's window and the Bank of England would return the appropriate number of gold sovereigns. The dollar is faith-based. There's nothing behind it but Congress.

But now the world is losing faith, as well it might. It's not that the dollar is overvalued—economists at Deutsche Bank estimate it's 20% too cheap against the euro. The problem lies with its management. The greenback is a glorious old brand that's looking more and more like General Motors.

What I Like About the Obama Crowd

2009-12-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

What makes the liberal base better than the conservative base?

Barack Obama - Salon.com

Tom Hayden, the liberal activist best known for his work in the '60s, when he helped found Students for a Democratic Society, was once pretty enthusiastic about Barack Obama. Back in March of 2008 he had the first byline on an article in the Nation -- also attributed to Bill Fletcher Jr., Danny Glover and Barbara Ehrenreich -- that began, "All American progressives should unite for Barack Obama."

Now, though, after the president announced his decision to send an additional 30,00 troops to fight in Afghanistan, Hayden's had enough. His latest piece for the Nation begins with a very different sentiment than the one he expressed not two years ago. Now, Hayden says, "It's time to strip the Obama sticker off my car."

Conservatives got Bush elected and, on average, spent the next eight years standing up for all of the crap he did even when it went completely against the conservative values they had initially said Bush stood for. The acted as buffers for the crimes of a mad man.

The liberal base pushed hard for Obama, got him elected, and then felt screwed. While some do apologize for his sad excuse for a liberal agenda*, plenty feel betrayed and have withdrawn their support. Too little too late, perhaps. But at least they admit to getting suckered. We all get suckered now and again. People of integrity admit it.

* Even I will stand up for Obama. Like when right wing tea bagger nut jobs call him a Marxist, I stand up for the guy and let them know that Obama has shown as much love for big business capitalism as Reagan did.

USA Not as Corrupt as I Thought

2009-11-18T02:24:00.000-08:00

New Zealand tops Denmark as world's least corrupt nation | U.S. | Reuters

New Zealand topped the table with a score of 9.4 after coming second last year. In second place was last year's leader, Denmark with 9.3 followed by Singapore and Sweden tying at 9.2 and Switzerland at 9.0...

Britain came 17th in the list and the United States was 19th with a score of 7.5.

Hey, our government is only one quarter corrupt. Isn't that awesome?

Now we can aspire to end that corruption and become more like Singapore.

Portland will soon have two medical-marijuana smoking lounges

2009-11-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

Portland News - – OregonLive.com

The Cannabis Cafe will be the second public place for medical-marijuana patients to get together. On Oct. 1, Steve Geiger opened Highway 420, a small lounge at the back of his pipe shop at 6418 S.E. Foster Road...

The pot lounges are the first of their kind in the nation, said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the national NORML. California has dispensaries where medical marijuana can be purchased, but only Oregon will have public places where people can socialize and use marijuana.

Oregon continues to fascinate me. Turns out that you can get a card to grow marijuana, you can get a card to use marijuana, but you can not sell marijuana in Oregon.

So how about pharmaceutical companies can be licensed to make medications, people can get prescriptions for medications, but nobody can sell medication? Patients can still chip in to cover the cost of ingredients, just like they can help cover a grower's costs. The pharmeceutical industry would love that.

As for the Cannabis Cafe, it makes me slightly uncomfortable. In order to go there, you have to have a medical-marijuana card. No problem. In fact, very smart idea. But you also have to belong to NORML. So it isn't really so much a cafe as a private club. NORML wants pot legalized, not just medical-marijuana. Isn't it possible that a medical-marijuana patient might not condone recreational use?

Not saying a place like this shouldn't exist. But if a state allows medical marijuana, shouldn't it also allow for a reasonable way for patients to get it?

As medical-marijuana use continues to legitimize states will have to deal with some cold facts. Like if it is a prescribed medication, why can't people get it in a drug store? Since medical studies have shown it to have no ill health effects, why can't anyone buy and use it like aspirin, cough syrup, or laxatives (all of which have higher overdose rates than marijuana)? And why can't a person write off their hand blown three foot glass bong as a medical expense? Those things aren't cheap! My mom shoots her insulin at the dinner table at the restaurant because she has a prescription for it and needs it. Shouldn't medical marijuana users enjoy the same privilege? Or are they expected to stay at home all the time so if they find they need to medicate themselves they don't end up breaking the law? Or will they have to only go to places like the Cannabis Cafe where their healthy friends can't join them for dinner?

Good luck to Portland's new medical-marijuana social scene. Brave new territory at the end of the Oregon Trail.

Is It Progress?

2009-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Marijuana legalized in Breckenridge

So what? It's still illegal at a state and federal level. So if you pot smoking snow boarders and skiers get picked up at the resort town, make certain you get picked up by the local police and not the sheriff's department, state patrol, or an undercover DEA agent in drag.

House passes health care reform bill

As the only industrialized nation without universal coverage, this should make me happy, right? Except to get it barely passed they had to restrict coverage for abortions and fall to their knees to suck some insurance industry cock. Yet we still won't have universal health care. Instead the government just mandates that everyone have insurance. The Democrats who pushed this through are a bunch of spineless sacks of crap and the Republicans that tried to block it are even worse.

As for the price tag, let's get this nice and sparkling clear. Those who support the bill use the more accurate number of $1.055 billion while those who want to gripe round up to $1.1 billion. Sorry, but simply rounding up by $45 million seems irresponsible. Luckily no sane person can really comprehend that much money. It's all just numbers.

For you conservative folks screaming for tort reform as part of a health care package, I hope the medical and insurance lobbyists are sending you a nice, big kickback check for pushing their personal agenda.

Buggar all this.

Mass Marketing

2009-11-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Goldman One-Ups Gordon Gekko, Says Jesus Embraced Greed

"The injunction of Jesus to love others as ourselves is an endorsement of self-interest," Goldman’s Griffiths said Oct. 20, his voice echoing around the gold-mosaic walls of St. Paul’s Cathedral, whose 365-feet-high dome towers over the City, London’s financial district. "We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieving greater prosperity and opportunity for all."

I distinctly remember this story as part of my childhood Sunday School lessons. The story of Jesus going to the temple, hanging with the money lenders, and saying, "You guys are alright."*

Jesus wants you to give him your money** and business takes it from you any way they can and wants government to take it from you and give it to them. Business has to use a second party because they just aren't as cool as Jesus. If they were, you'd just give them your money.

* For those unfamiliar with The Bible, the story actually has Jesus smashing their tables. Matthew 21:12

** For those unfamiliar with The Bible, Jesus wants your soul and wants nothing to do with your money. Matthew 22:21***

*** For the record, this Matthew guy was a sandal wearing hippie heeb who hung out with Yeshua bin Yosef, a man executed for issuing terroristic threats against the government.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

2009-11-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

This November 5th - Multi Freedom Candidate Mass Donation Day

Remember, remember, don't get suckered this November.

Sucker yourself!

Give money. Lots of it. To people who will stand up and fight for what you believe in. As long as you believe exactly what they do. Even when they get elected and change their minds. To people who wear suits because they are expected to. To people who wear smiles because they have been told to.

Support psuedo-libertarians for psuedo-revolution!

Or buy a Vote Jake button.

Obama the Pot President?

2009-10-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Pot Will Save Us

In order to save itself from financial oblivion, the state of California seems inclined to just do it. Just say yes. To become Amsterdam.

It may be the biggest thing to come out of the financial meltdown. We won’t get meaningful reform of the banking system, but we’re going to get legalized pot...

So forget health care. Obama is going to be the pot president. Hell, Franklin Roosevelt, in his Depression, saw the end of prohibition.

So the nation elects a black President and pot gets legalized (at least in California, maybe). It's a really good idea to legalize. I'm all for it. Hitching it to Obama is a bad idea. A really bad idea. Lay this one on Schwarzenegger. Let the Republicans have this win. Calling Obama the Pot President is just more fodder for the good-old-boys (and girls).

Like those folks in my home town who thought drugs came to town because of a single black family moving in. It had nothing to do with it being the late 1960's and the town's position at the intersection of a couple of major interstate highways. Nope. It was dem coloreds. Honest injun.

Californians Contemplating Legalization

2009-10-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

Once again providing the leading edge in the marijuana issue...

Push to Legalize Marijuana Gains Ground in California - NYTimes.com

State lawmakers are holding a hearing on Wednesday on the effects of a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate the drug — in what would be the first such law in the United States. Tax officials estimate the legislation could bring the struggling state about $1.4 billion a year, and though the bill’s fate in the Legislature is uncertain, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has indicated he would be open to a “robust debate” on the issue.

In addition to the California politicians weighing the issue, three ballot initiatives aimed at legalization are quickly gaining the signatures needed to put them before the citizenry in 2010.

The federal government maintains its position of prohibition of marijuana for recreational use. They also maintained the prohibition of marijuana in all of its forms, raiding California clinics and arresting medical marijuana users, up until this year.

Given the previous time line, if California decides to legalize, they only have to put up with federal intervention for about 13 years. Or until an anti-prohibition President is elected. Or until they say to hell with those bastards on the other side of the continent and break away to create the first incarnation of my proposed secessionist government, Nuevo Sodom.

Note: I've recently been wondering... if a person has a marijuana prescription, can they go to the dispensary and ask for the less expensive generic version of OG Kush?

Free(er) Market Economics

2009-10-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

There are ways in which free market economics really can work for the benefit of Americans.

Cartels Face an Economic Battle - washingtonpost.com

Stiff competition from thousands of mom-and-pop marijuana farmers in the United States threatens the bottom line for powerful Mexican drug organizations in a way that decades of arrests and seizures have not, according to law enforcement officials and pot growers in the United States and Mexico.

If they ever fully legalize in the United States those mom-and-pop operations will be forced out of business by big American ~~cartels~~ conglomerates. Most likely due to vaguely stated regulations passed by the US government at the behest of the corporations under the guise of 'consumer protection'.

* Image at right, world's happiest marine destroying Mexican crop.

Can't Keep a Good "Dog" Down

2009-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

When my dog developed a tumor and I was faced with huge veterinary costs, I chose euthanasia. He was a dog. A well loved dog that I still miss, but a dog none-the-less. Pet owners are often forced with these hard choices.

People can choose for themselves. While I might end up choosing euthanasia for myself some day (and might put on a dog collar and beg for it just to have some fun with the situation), there are many who choose to fight and have done so for many years. They are not dogs.

Ian Pearl: I Am Not a Dog

I was the first wheelchair-bound student "mainstreamed" in the schools of Broward County, Florida. I became a poster child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and president of my high school class. I entered college in 1990 with plans to work in politics and patient advocacy, but at 19, I had a severe setback and I was confronted with a stark choice. My survival would require a machine to breathe and round-the-clock nursing care.

A breathing machine usually means life in a nursing facility. But my father's small business had health insurance from Guardian Life Insurance Co., which promised "Solutions for Life." The health policy had no lifetime benefit cap and covered home nursing care. Relying on that contract with a 149-year-old company, I decided to go on a mechanical ventilator for the rest of my life.

Since then, I've endured life-threatening medical complications and long hospitalizations. I've lost my privacy and ability to travel. But I never regretted my decision to live, to continue to learn and write, and to share in the lives of family and friends.

After decades of medical emergencies, we still weren't prepared for the latest crisis -- this one created by the same insurance company that once saved my life. Guardian abruptly withdrew our health plan from all policyholders in New York where my father's business is based. Guardian offered a 'replacement' plan with low benefits and no home nursing benefits. They knew that I would never survive with such a plan, but they didn't care.

Suspecting that this action was related to the high cost of my care, we filed a lawsuit and have asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to enforce existing federal laws and require Guardian to continue my health plan. Without federal intervention, I will lose this insurance, and that would be a death sentence.

Our lawsuit uncovered insurance company documents that confirmed my suspicion that I'm a target of discrimination. The documents revealed Guardian had compiled a "hit list" of its costliest members, including patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, and paralysis. Guardian executives referred to us all as "dogs" and "trainwrecks," and they debated how and when to dump us from the rolls. Laws prohibited the cancellation of the individual members with serious chronic health problems, so Guardian opted to cancel the plan for all members of this specific health plan in New York, an action that violates federal law.

This is a call to arms for all the pro-lifers out there. Give up on the abortion clinics for a couple of weeks and go chant in front of Guardian Life Insurance Co., home of the broken promise and the privatized death panel.

Now excuse me while I fantasize about letting others make all my choices for me.

Universal Health Care Protects Against Swine Flu

2009-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Nativism is dangerous to our health | Salon

Of all the wingnut mythology surrounding healthcare reform, nothing has stirred greater fury or louder denials than the suggestion that government might somehow provide insurance to America's undocumented workers and their families. "You lie!" screamed Rep. Joe Wilson as the President told Congress that his plan would provide no coverage to them. "No, we don't!" replied the Democrats, who scrambled to make sure that the undocumented are excluded by statute.

Yet as the nation prepares for a possible swine flu pandemic this winter, we are learning that the firm determination of both parties to deny medical care to people without papers is actually quite flaccid. Even the most hysterical immigrant-bashers seem content to allow the government to vaccinate immigrants against the H1N1 virus (unless, that is, they happen to be among the right-wing chorus that suspects vaccination itself to be a nefarious socialist plot). Even they seem to realize that viruses don't discriminate on the basis of citizenship -- although they wrongly tried to blame last spring's first outbreak of swine flu on the Mexicans among us.

We must provide health care to all to protect ourselves. I love it!

Country Club Vandalism

2009-10-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Somewhere around Boston a vandal is saying, "DOH!"

Obama Swastika Carved Into Golf Course

Police and grounds keepers at a Massachusetts golf course are trying to figure out how someone snuck onto the grounds and carved a giant swastika message for Barack Obama onto the field – and what exactly did they mean with their message.

The swastika two traditional messages. When rotating counter-clockwise, it is the symbol used by National Socialist Germany and is widely considered a "hate" icon. However, Hindu and Buhdist faiths use the a clockwise-rotating swastika in their religion and is a considered to be symbol for good luck, hope, and peace...

Police are not sure if the vandal or vandals made a mistake or not.

In case the police need a little help with their investigation, given the spacing between the O and the BAMA, the vandal is probably Irish. Just round up all the Irish in Boston and start asking questions. How many can there be?

The real crime was screwing up some poor lawyer's game when his ball landed in the rough of the swastika.

Sean Hannity: Hello! I must be going.

2009-10-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sean Hannity's unsupported decree doesn't bother me much. The double-speak warps the brain.

The vanquished Vice President doesn't think there's room for debate on climate change. I do. The debate's over. There's no global warming.

Is there room for debate or is the debate over? Or was there room for debate but now the debate is over? Or is there room for debate because the debate is over? Like when there is room in the ring for Sesame Street Live because Wrestlemania is over.

News Flash: Obama Is One Lucky S.O.B.

2009-10-09T02:41:00.000-07:00

Obama had the good fortune of being elected President of the United States of America directly after the worst President in our nation's history. For this...

BBC NEWS | Nobel peace prize goes to Obama

The Nobel prize for peace has been awarded to US President Barack Obama.

The Nobel committee said it awarded him the prize for his 'extraordinary work to strengthen international diplomacy'.

"Hi! I'm Barack Obama. I'm not Bush and I'm not a bumbling idiot." Give that man a Nobel Prize!

Furthering his campaign for improved international diplomacy...

Dalai Lama Set Aside By Obama, Honored At U.S Capitol

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled religious leader -- brushed aside by U.S. President Barack Obama in favor of communist China -- was saluted at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday for his work for human rights.

Our planet is a funny little place.

AWPC: Who Needs Universal Health Care?

2009-10-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

This should never happen in a civilized nation.

Me: Should I get help?

Coworker: Just give me a minute. I can't afford to go out of here in an ambulance again.

It was a blood pressure spike caused by a stressful situation. They took some meds and within an hour had returned to normal. Thank goodness.

But can we really consider ourselves as good as the rest of the developed world when a gainfully employed individual covered by the company insurance plan still feels they can't afford a trip to the hospital? Not even when I find them squatting and sweating by a machine in a panic and have to fetch their medicine from twenty feet away because they can't stand up? How screwed up is that?

Fags are for Fags

2009-10-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

Such an ad campaign would most likely be quite effective. Either that or we would see a major surge in sexual experimentation.

New Anti-Smoking Ads Warn Teens 'It's Gay To Smoke'

Obama Just Says No

2009-10-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

Evangelical Christians Have a Tough Choice

2009-10-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Ardi's Secret: Did Early Humans Start Walking for Sex?

Among Ardipithecus's ancestors, such a strategy could catch on if searching for food required a lot of time and exposure to predators. Males would be far more successful food-providers if they had their hands free to carry home loads of fruits and tubers—which would favor walking on two legs. Females would come to prefer good, steady providers with smaller canines over the big fierce-toothed ones who left as soon as they spot another fertile female. The results, says Lovejoy, are visible in Ardipithecus, which had small canines even in males and walked upright.

Lovejoy's explanation for the origin of bipedalism thus comes down to the monogamous pair bond. Far from being a recent evolutionary innovation, as many people assume, he believes the behavior goes back all the way to near the beginning of our lineage some six million years ago.

Evangelicals now have a tough choice in front of them. They can either accept this scientific theory that supports their supposed love of heterosexual monogamy or dismiss it in favor of their darling creationism.

Hidden Nukes Again

2009-09-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hey, it worked with Iraq. Let's get all alarmist over hidden nukes again!

BBC NEWS | Iran 'concealed nuclear facility'

Iran concealed a partially-built second uranium enrichment plant in defiance of calls for transparency over its nuclear plans, US President Barack Obama says.

So what if Iran does have a hidden nuclear agenda? What if they are secretly amassing WMD's? That's the problem with crying wolf.

Change! (for me)

2009-09-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sick of the health care debate. We aren't going to get the health care reform that those who approve of it really want but we'll get just enough so that those who oppose it will consider us all a bunch of commies.

Let's go back to talking about Gay Marriage.

America is finally winning the War On (some) Drugs

2009-09-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

While it is a far cry from a clear victory, America is finally winning the War On (some) Drugs.

Chronic City: Marijuana Arrests Drop For First Time Since 2002 - San Francisco News

Marijuana arrests in the United States declined in 2008 -- the first such drop since 2002 -- according to figures released by the FBI today.

The new report comes on the heels of the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released Sept. 10, which showed increases in both the number and the percentage of Americans who admit having used marijuana.

Americans who have used marijuana (a theoretical majority) are fessing up to their past use. Police are backing off of the pot arrests saying, "Even most of us have smoked pot."

As this trend continues we should see a steady decline in police harassment until marijuana reaches a de facto decriminalized status with a simultaneous sharp increase in the sale of bean bags and Funyuns.

Keep up the good fight, America!

America: Love It or Leave It

2009-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

In responses to a previous post I realized that I was getting a bit down on our Constitution and its framers without providing an explanation as to where I am coming from on these things.

First off, all apologies to the long dead and gone founding fathers/framers of the constitution. From a perspective that has seen two centuries of rapid progress it is all too easy to judge their antiquated ways. And I do judge them. I judge them because they don't seem to be all that different from their modern counterparts. That said...

The United States government is and always has been pro-business. While the fighting of the American Revolution was carried out primarily by the average citizenry, just like it is today, those folks were left out of the process setting up the government that replaced the old government. It was created by the business class to protect the business class. Initially this meant protecting them from the horrible monopoly business practices of the old world that held total power over global colonies through exclusive rights granted by kings and queens. Once freed from the old way of old money, they continued to develop policies that allowed them the freedom to grab up the resources of their new homeland. They looted and pillaged their way across the country. They would deliberately pick fights to justify military operations that would expand their holdings. I know such things are not taught in our schools as part of American history. A little independent research (because we are all about independence in America) will reveal just how ruthless this country was in the pursuit of resources and the inherent cronyism when distributing new holdings.

Luckily the system is flexible enough to allow 'the people', the vast majority, just enough say to get thrown a bone here and there. Again, the system is and always has been stacked in favor of business. One of the things business really likes is stability and predictability. If things get too turbulent, if the people are on the verge of taking to the streets, the system will see fit to give them just enough of what they want or need to keep the system stabilized. It may cut into the massive profits of the richest 10% who control nearly 3/4 of the wealth, but it beats the hell out of a revolution where their heads end up on pikes in front of their former mansions. When the people realized their own strength, formed unions, shut down factories, and could no longer even be stopped by the state militias (or sometimes even the US Army) who were sent in fully armed to break up the strikes, concessions were made. Unions were granted legitimacy as long as they promised not to have sit-in strikes (which ruined production by managers and scabs) and wouldn't call general strikes (which shut down entire cities). The nation outlawed slavery but didn't insist on equality for a century.

Back to the title of this post. I have often heard people say that if you don't like this country then get out. Sounds easy enough. But I don't have a problem with America. Do I love America? Let's see, there are many times when I find myself saying, "Damn I love Portland!" It is nearly always in response to the people around me and their actions. If you believe America is made up of the people that inhabit it, then I guess, over all, I love America. As crazy and fucked up dysfunctional as this place is, bless their hearts, I love America. It's hard to imagine any other place even half this insane and I love wild insanity. I love America.

My problem is with government. The very nature of governing, be it by elected officials or by divine right, leads to restriction. Restrictions can have positive effects. It's hard to argue against a law prohibiting people from driving in the left lane. Even without such a law a society would find itself voluntarily submitting to such a restriction in the interests of self preservation. Until the motor vehicle started to proliferate there was no need for such regulations. There are choices to be made along the way. Do you allow the states the freedom of choosing their own traffic laws or allow free movement from state to state by regulating traffic at a federal level?* To govern it in any way impedes on liberty.

That is what government does. It can not grant or guarantee liberty, only restrict things. We are born with all the liberty we can take. As a newborn that is practically none and must depend on those around us. If you are born into wealth you will enjoy freedoms unknown to those whose lineage is less glamorous. Americans can buy a hell of a lot of liberty. Lack of money does not preclude others from pursuing and even obtaining liberties. Not by the grace of the Constitution or its framers, but by tooth and nail, blood and sweat, in spite of every obstacle thrown up in front of them.

The American Revolution did not set us free any more than the founding fathers did. As long as there is one among us who is held down and told, 'NO!' there is not one of us who is free. This all started here because of the health care debate America is currently having. Nobody chooses to get sick**. Nobody chooses to be born. These things just happen. There are those who truly believe in "We the people..." and believe in government of, by, and for the people. For those people, which is more important; taking a step towards improving the life and liberty of 90% of the American people or securing the profits of 10%?***

I have no real answer here. Forcing people to pay for insurance, face fines for non-compliance, or be taxed for a universal health plan sounds like theft. Denying the sick medical treatment sounds like murder****. Americans can either be victims of one crime or accomplices in the other.

* Uniform traffic laws became a priority in the 1920's. Eventually there was a set of federal regulations decided upon and states could expand upon those as they saw fit.

** Some people engage in risky behavior like drinking, smoking, and unprotected sex. They are making choices that put their health at risk. Such activities can lead to disease, cancer, and babies. Personally I've done all three simultaneously and safely. Again, nobody chooses to get sick.

*** For all the rhetoric of the framers of the Constitution, historical evidence suggests the majority of them would have chosen the latter, just as our modern politicians seem to do.

**** If there really are death panels it will be those who deny health care to their fellow citizens based on prejudices towards people's monetary status.

Sorry for the rambling post. I'm still fisting the American Dream.

To My Liberal Friends

2009-09-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is for all of my so-called liberal friends who tried desperately to get me to vote for Obama.

We've seen this healthcare trigger before

'The past is never dead,' wrote William Faulkner. 'It's not even past.' As today's trigger proposal shows, that's particularly true when a 'change' election preserves the same corrupt forces, cynical tactics and bedeviled details.

It is time for you to stop licking his asshole and telling me it tastes like honey. Ultra-liberal news media outlet Salon.com was critical all through the Bush years. I was surprised as they continued to be critical of Obama. Now, my liberal friends, it is your turn.

Anyone who signs a bill with a public option 'trigger' included is duping you.

On importation, triggers gave corporatist politicians a way to seem like they were remaining true to their pro-consumer platitudes and "free trade" dogma at the same time they were strengthening an extreme form of anti-consumer protectionism for pharmaceutical companies. On health reform, a trigger will let those same legislators look as if they support a public option that increases insurance competition, reduces costs and therefore delivers on promises to decrease the deficit. But if/when the bill's final language is inevitably designed to make pulling any trigger impossible, it will preclude a public option from ever existing.

Or if you prefer to live with the delusion that Obama is still the savior of America, then you better get yourself politically active and make certain that your representatives don't try to pass off a bill with some bogus trigger in it.

Even scum bag Republican Tim Pawlenty knows that triggers are bogus.*

* "So rather than murder the drug legislation outright, congressional leaders joined the Clinton and Bush administrations in backing a "compromise": Importation bills were passed, but only those that gave the secretary of Health and Human Services the power to trigger -- or not trigger -- final implementation. Specifically, the secretary would have to first certify that imported medicines were "safe." (Drug companies promote the lie that Canadian medicine is mortally dangerous -- prompting Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, an importation proponent, to ask, "Where are the dead Canadians?")"

Benefits Business

2009-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

I gave my blow-by-blow of the speech, but let's focus on the real sign that this President, like every single President before him, knows where the power lies.

Obama’s Speech Eases Concerns in Health Insurance Industry - NYTimes.com

The reality may also be much more favorable to insurers, industry analysts said. Mr. Obama has already agreed to grant one of the industry’s dearest wishes: a requirement that everyone have coverage, which is reflected in the proposals in Congress.

“Under my plan,” said Mr. Obama in a departure from his position during the campaign, “individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance — just as most states require you to carry auto insurance.”

The President is not the commander in chief, he is merely the top public relations face for corporate America. He is the one charged with keeping the people from revolting against the wealthy.

True, that means he must try to give the people enough of what they want to keep them happy. Sorry, not happy, but placated.

If it is required of every individual to have health insurance then the ONLY sensible way to do this is to either socialize health care or go to a single-payer system that is paid for with taxes. To require people to factor in one more financial obligation just because you won't own up and call it a tax is ridiculous.

And to tell people they MUST have insurance (but the government may help you pay for it) with the primary insurers still being private companies is yet another government handout to the wealthy.

The proposed bill is bullshit! Total unadulterated bullshit. They call it health care reform when it is just a reshuffle and they are stacking the deck.

I admit that I might be wrong. An alternative scenario would be that the public option they speak of, once up and running, will be so fantastic that more and more companies drop their employee coverage, add their previous costs of insurance to the payroll, and let individuals go on the public plan until it gets so huge and so popular that we end up with what is essentially a single payer system. It might happen. I'll be so bold as to say this will happen well before monkeys fly out of my butt.

Obama's Health Care Speech Blow-by-Blow

2009-09-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

And boy did much of it blow. Still, I had to rubber neck through the whole ordeal, unable to turn away from the great capitalist sell-out that offers a health care plan such as only a messed up American corporate run democracy could offer. I've seen fewer concessions at a state fair.

You can watch, or just take my word for it.

Times are approximate.

5:30 Applause comes to an end. Five and a half freakin' minutes.

18:00 Finally gets around to actually discussing health care reform.

23:00 Agrees with John McCain who proceeds to give the universal sign of what politicians keep in their backsides.

24:00 Announces that people will be required to have insurance if they can afford it likening it to everyone being required to have auto insurance if they drive. So just like if you don't want to pay for auto insurance you can stop driving, you will now have the option to stop breathing if you don't want health insurance.

30:00 Public option will only be available to people who don't have insurance, so like millions of others I'm still stuck with my crappy ass Kaiser plan.

34:00 Pelosi is winding down her standing ovation, is about to sit, then straightens back up to clap some more. For her age she is still an enthusiastic cheerleader, showing up Biden's lack of 'spirit'.

35:30 Kindly kicks the Bush administration in the nuts for spending too much money. Just nice and gentle like.

36:30 "Sacred Trust". Because both of those words are completely unambiguous especially when paired.

40:30 Republicans spontaneously ejaculate when he mentions tort reform.

43:00 "Common Ground". I mean, he had to say it at some point.

43:20 Says he will listen to anyone's ideas unless he thinks you are a big meanie.

44:40 Plays on politicians sense of self importance, "Too many Americans are counting on us."

45:00 Plays the Teddy Kennedy card to try and pick up a few tricks.

52:10 Reminds atheists and many people of different religions this land is not their land. While this is primarily a corpratocracy masquerading as a democracy, it is also a thinly veiled theocracy. "God bless the United States of America."

And somewhere in there he pisses me off by stating that no public money will go for abortions.

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