It was reported on the 1-9-14 CBS online news broadcast that the upsurge in violence and deaths in Iraq is NOT due primarily to Al Qaeda activity after all, but rather due to the ongoing, never ceasing clash between the Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. [Congratulations, CBS, you finally discovered that; independent investigative journalists have known it for a very long time.]
Meanwhile, our Fed Gov't is supplying massive arms to the Shiite Gov't of Iraq... you know, the one backed by Iran. So once again, those at the highest levels in our Fed Gov't have (unconstitutionally) stuck their big noses into what is essentially a civil war. I know the mega corporate Oligarchs love to sell arms and munitions, but come on, this is beyond ridiculous.
As I look back over the past decade or so, my conclusion is that an astute 12th grader could run our foreign policy better than the Bush and Obama administrations have done. That conclusion is both tragic and comic at the same time.
I suggest to those of you still stuck in the anachronistic, basically farcical, political paradigm of Republicans v. Democrats that you seriously re-think the matter. What's going on in the political arena should be blatantly obvious. Never mind Iraq for the moment, let's consider probably the worst economic & financial advisors in our country's history, those of the last Bush term...then Obama, in his first term, keeps them. So we wind up with Hank Paulson, former head of Goldman Sachs, as Secretary of the Treasury--- oh my, no conflict of interest there [:)]. He and the FED give billions to mega banks AND make trillions in loans available to them at almost zero percent interest. At the same time or shortly thereafter, some of those elitist banks buy out other banks, thus becoming even bigger while eliminating some of their competition. On top of all that, we later go through legislative "financial reform"... which turns out to be mere window dressing. Finally, we're now enduring "too big to jail".
Good grief... wake up, America.
Just my opinion.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
More on Class War
Below is my response to a forwarded email sent by a good friend of mine, a "Conservative". [I put that in quotes because I'm old enough to know that there are no Conservatives anymore, only NeoConservatives...a completely different ball of wax.] The jist of the email to which I responded is this: people who are getting "free stuff" in this country outnumber those who are paying for it, and not only that, but those getting the stuff want even more; the implication was that those folks are lazy. Finally, the email suggested that's what's ruining this country.
My response---
1. The piece below [meaning, the email sent to me] assumes that the main concern of some people is "free stuff". I suggest: that's a false premise. If I'm right, the whole piece below is false...or at least, the conclusion is false/wrong.
2. The piece below implies that those receiving "free stuff" are doing so because they're lazy, crooked, or in some other way no good. I suggest: perhaps many/most of them are truly desperate because Oligarchs have moved manufacturing/jobs to Asia or Mexico, and have (with their mega corps.) displaced/run out of business thousands of small businesses across America, thus eliminating even more jobs. On top of that, the Fat Cats often pay wages that are about equivalent to an SS check. I further suggest that age, sex, & race discrimination definitely exists in the job market. There's no question about that. It may be against the law, but it's almost impossible to prove.
3. The piece below implies that the overwhelming majority of those receiving assistance prefer that to having a decent job, the pride of accomplishment, and a way to improve their lives. I suggest: that implication is nonsense. I imagine that there are a few who would rather be on the dole, but to think that most folks would is ridiculous.
4. I suggest: the piece below is nothing but a purposeful distraction from what's really important, as follows.
A. One percent of Americans own 50% of the wealth of this country. Job creation is not high on their priority list. Cutting costs and maximizing profits are their main concern. If that means paying obscenely low wages or shipping jobs out of the country, they figure, so be it.
B. Those one percenters work in league with corrupt politicians in order to rig the game in their favor. The financial sector is a prime example of that, but the corruption extends to all sectors of Mega Business.
C. One tenth of the one percent (the Big Boys) are outright criminals, and their Cronies in DC have deemed them "too big to jail". If you don't believe that, you're not paying attention.
D. The Oligarchs distract We the People with hot button issues (abortion, religion, gay rights, gun rights, "terrorism", etc.) that have nothing to do with the most important issue--- the fact that our country is being turned into a Feudal Society with only two classes, the relatively poor wage slaves and the extremely rich Oligarchs. Oligarchs don't own slaves anymore, instead, they rent them...and the rent is low.
5. I suggest: the piece below is an excellent example of Propaganda Kool Aid; spit it out.
6. It's downright hilarious to me that the Oligarchs promote the idea that they're being attacked by Class Warriors. I suggest: they look in the mirror to see who's doing the attacking...and who is waging Class War.
7. I suggest: forget the anachronism of Right v. Left. That's a farce. The right-wing and left-wing Oligarchs are on the same team. They don't care about such distinctions. Do you really believe that the multi-millionaire entertainers Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly care about the "little people", or that George Soros does, or that the Koch brothers do? Please.
Just my opinion.
Be Well
My response---
1. The piece below [meaning, the email sent to me] assumes that the main concern of some people is "free stuff". I suggest: that's a false premise. If I'm right, the whole piece below is false...or at least, the conclusion is false/wrong.
2. The piece below implies that those receiving "free stuff" are doing so because they're lazy, crooked, or in some other way no good. I suggest: perhaps many/most of them are truly desperate because Oligarchs have moved manufacturing/jobs to Asia or Mexico, and have (with their mega corps.) displaced/run out of business thousands of small businesses across America, thus eliminating even more jobs. On top of that, the Fat Cats often pay wages that are about equivalent to an SS check. I further suggest that age, sex, & race discrimination definitely exists in the job market. There's no question about that. It may be against the law, but it's almost impossible to prove.
3. The piece below implies that the overwhelming majority of those receiving assistance prefer that to having a decent job, the pride of accomplishment, and a way to improve their lives. I suggest: that implication is nonsense. I imagine that there are a few who would rather be on the dole, but to think that most folks would is ridiculous.
4. I suggest: the piece below is nothing but a purposeful distraction from what's really important, as follows.
A. One percent of Americans own 50% of the wealth of this country. Job creation is not high on their priority list. Cutting costs and maximizing profits are their main concern. If that means paying obscenely low wages or shipping jobs out of the country, they figure, so be it.
B. Those one percenters work in league with corrupt politicians in order to rig the game in their favor. The financial sector is a prime example of that, but the corruption extends to all sectors of Mega Business.
C. One tenth of the one percent (the Big Boys) are outright criminals, and their Cronies in DC have deemed them "too big to jail". If you don't believe that, you're not paying attention.
D. The Oligarchs distract We the People with hot button issues (abortion, religion, gay rights, gun rights, "terrorism", etc.) that have nothing to do with the most important issue--- the fact that our country is being turned into a Feudal Society with only two classes, the relatively poor wage slaves and the extremely rich Oligarchs. Oligarchs don't own slaves anymore, instead, they rent them...and the rent is low.
5. I suggest: the piece below is an excellent example of Propaganda Kool Aid; spit it out.
6. It's downright hilarious to me that the Oligarchs promote the idea that they're being attacked by Class Warriors. I suggest: they look in the mirror to see who's doing the attacking...and who is waging Class War.
7. I suggest: forget the anachronism of Right v. Left. That's a farce. The right-wing and left-wing Oligarchs are on the same team. They don't care about such distinctions. Do you really believe that the multi-millionaire entertainers Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly care about the "little people", or that George Soros does, or that the Koch brothers do? Please.
Just my opinion.
Be Well
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
More of the NSA Nightmare
I doubt that you'll hear about this on the prostitute Corporate Media broadcasts. The whistleblower Jacob Appelbaum, speaking at the Chaos Communications Congress in Germany, revealed that the NSA has some sort of radar wave generator gizmo that allows the agency to view any targeted computer keyboard (and monitor). In other words, they can see what the person is typing. So...this should be a good thing relative to the so-called "War on Terror". The problem is: what does a person have to do to be considered a potential terrorist by the Fed Gov't? Answer: not much.
Some of you may be thinking, well, this has nothing to do with me...I would never be considered a potential terrorist. Perhaps the following will change your mind.
1. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 designates our entire country as a battleground in the "War on Terror".
2. The NDAA also gives the President the power to, all by himself, declare a national emergency which suspends presumption of innocence, due process, access to an attorney, and trial by jury. In addition, it gives the President the power to have a potential terrorist executed without a trial...all this in the Land of the Free.
3. Several writers are considered potential terrorists because they exercised the Natural Right of free speech by writing news stories contrary to the Govt's view of whistleblowing.
4. Not long ago, the State of Missouri issued a sort of terrorist bulletin to law enforcement which stated that anyone with a Ron Paul bumper sticker should be viewed as a "potential terrorist". [That was not an action by the Feds, but it shows what's possible.]
5. Also so designated in that bulletin were "constitutionalists" and "militia members", and anyone associated with them.
6. According to whistleblowers, the NSA considers anyone who visits certain websites to be a potential terrorist. In other words, if you read material not approved, you're a potential terrorist. Worse, anyone associated with you, and anyone associated with them, is considered a potential terrorist.
The Fourth Amendment is deemed by the Fed Gov't to be not relevant to potential terrorists. The same is true of the Fifth (due process) and Sixth (speedy and public trial) Amendments. Guilt by association appears to be more important to the Feds.
I love this country, but the Fed Gov't is not this country. The well respected historian and Bill Clinton's mentor at Georgetown U., Professor Carroll Quigley, wrote this in 1966, "The tragedy is that we no longer have a representative government in this country [or in any country]; the hope is that the little people will accept that, because there is nothing they can do about it." ~ Quigley, Carroll, Tragedy and Hope, 1966. Quigley considered himself to be one of the Oligarchs, thus he referred to Americans in general as the "little people".
All the Oligarchs, including those at the highest levels of our unrepresentative Fed Gov't, consider all of us to be the little people. We're viewed by the Big Boys & Girls in much the way ranchers view livestock.
Just my opinion.
Some of you may be thinking, well, this has nothing to do with me...I would never be considered a potential terrorist. Perhaps the following will change your mind.
1. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 designates our entire country as a battleground in the "War on Terror".
2. The NDAA also gives the President the power to, all by himself, declare a national emergency which suspends presumption of innocence, due process, access to an attorney, and trial by jury. In addition, it gives the President the power to have a potential terrorist executed without a trial...all this in the Land of the Free.
3. Several writers are considered potential terrorists because they exercised the Natural Right of free speech by writing news stories contrary to the Govt's view of whistleblowing.
4. Not long ago, the State of Missouri issued a sort of terrorist bulletin to law enforcement which stated that anyone with a Ron Paul bumper sticker should be viewed as a "potential terrorist". [That was not an action by the Feds, but it shows what's possible.]
5. Also so designated in that bulletin were "constitutionalists" and "militia members", and anyone associated with them.
6. According to whistleblowers, the NSA considers anyone who visits certain websites to be a potential terrorist. In other words, if you read material not approved, you're a potential terrorist. Worse, anyone associated with you, and anyone associated with them, is considered a potential terrorist.
The Fourth Amendment is deemed by the Fed Gov't to be not relevant to potential terrorists. The same is true of the Fifth (due process) and Sixth (speedy and public trial) Amendments. Guilt by association appears to be more important to the Feds.
I love this country, but the Fed Gov't is not this country. The well respected historian and Bill Clinton's mentor at Georgetown U., Professor Carroll Quigley, wrote this in 1966, "The tragedy is that we no longer have a representative government in this country [or in any country]; the hope is that the little people will accept that, because there is nothing they can do about it." ~ Quigley, Carroll, Tragedy and Hope, 1966. Quigley considered himself to be one of the Oligarchs, thus he referred to Americans in general as the "little people".
All the Oligarchs, including those at the highest levels of our unrepresentative Fed Gov't, consider all of us to be the little people. We're viewed by the Big Boys & Girls in much the way ranchers view livestock.
Just my opinion.
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