Friday, June 29, 2018

The Only Republicans and Democrats are on Main Street


They certainly aren't holding Office at the Fed level.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to that statement... very few.  Those exceptions all have been marginalized by the Plutocratic System.

The political "Right" and the "Left" on Main Street today are stuck in the Past.  Today's politicians at the highest levels are not Repubs, Dems, Conservatives, or Liberals.  Instead, they are Neoliberals/NeoConservatives/ Corporatists/Oligarchs/Plutocrats (or their puppets) who use those old labels to manipulate the public... to divide and conquer.  This is so obvious that it's sickening.  

The whole political scene here in the USA is a complete sham.  The purpose of it is to facilitate the greatest transfer of wealth (from most of us) to the Upper Crust in the history of Mankind.  And it's continuing under Trump...big-time.  None of it is a grand conspiracy.  Rather, it's people with common interests working sometimes together, but mostly independent of one another, to attain mutual/common goals.

I've been closely following American politics since 1956 (1956 is not a typo).  The pattern is clear:  Edward Bernays style Propaganda has been (& is being) used by those in Power to mold the public mind, to move all of us toward the goals of the Plutocrats.  The Powers-That-Be figured out many decades ago that, in a relatively Free society, brute force generally cannot be used to increase and guarantee their opulence.  Rather, that has to be done by means of ubiquitous Propaganda.

The above thoughts/statements are not original with me.  Over the decades, I've learned these ideas from many, many reputable people... all across the political spectrum.  All of them have been marginalized to a great degree by those in Power.  That has been accomplished by means of unrelenting Propaganda and Rules concocted by the Powers-That-Be... especially in the USA, but largely throughout the Western World as well.  Since 2007, I've given example after example on this venue of the use of Propaganda in this great Land.

Until we stop drinking the Bernays Style Propaganda Kool Aid supplied by the Plutocracy/Oligarchy (which adheres to neither Republican or Democratic philosophy), we have little to no chance of preventing the move to a NeoFeudalistic Society.  If we don't wake up, NeoFeudalism will reign supreme.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Google is the Absolute Pits


Here are some suggestions for Google's parent/holding company (Alphabet, since 2015):  [Their new motto is  "Do the right thing."; following are some right things that need to be done...ASAP.]

1.  Implement a helpful, decent, effective Customer Service system.  Right now you essentially have none at all.  You seem to think we users have time to screw around with your discussion "Forum", or to decipher what some guy with a heavy accent IN INDIA is trying to say in English.  At the very least, get a Customer Service email address...you know, like most companies have done.  Yes, that means you'll have to hire more people;  try to do that in the USA.

2.  Stop making us re-sign-in to everything Google just because we use a different device once in a blue moon.

3.  Understand that some of us out here in the real world don't have a cell phone.  So, when you ask us to give a phone number during your "Security Check-Up", all you're going to get is a landline.  Then you, living in the Land of Assumptions, try to send us some "6-digit verification code" by text that we're supposed to enter online in the "Security Check-Up".  Ooops...it's a no-go.  Or, you ask us to supply a "recovery email"...different from our normal email.  Sorry, I only have one email...can barely keep up with that.  Don't want two.

4.  Tell your East Indian CSRs it's really not professional of them to hang up on a caller seeking help...especially when that caller has been polite & civil.  I called a "Technical Help" number, explained the problem (# 3. above), and was told at the end, "Well, you have to talk to the Technicians."; then he hung up.

5.  Take whatever steps necessary to dispel the reputation you Tech companies are getting amongst those of us who are not Tech Whiz Kids.  That reputation is as follows:  you don't seem to care one whit about everyday users; you only seem to care about advertisers.  If it weren't for us users, you wouldn't have any advertisers.  Hello.

6.  Insert some common sense into your approach to "security".  Anyone with at least half a brain knows that nothing on the Internet is "secure", no matter what you say; therefore, none of us with any sense at all reveal any sensitive info on the Web.  Give us a choice regarding all this supposed "security". 

How do I know that nothing on the Web is secure?  Headlines for the last 20 years have proven that's so.  Major companies, even banks, government agencies, and even the Pentagon have all been hacked.  And you're worried about my email?  Really?  Here's a clue:  I'm not...because there's nothing in my email account worth stealing.  There's no sensitive info there at all.  And, after all, it's my email, not yours.  Also, this computer belongs to me, not you; if I don't want your "email security" for my email on my computer, that should be my business, not yours.  Hello, again.  I suspect that all this supposed "security" somehow benefits you and your advertisers, not me.
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It's definitely unfortunate that the Internet is not considered a Public Utility by the Corporatist Republicans and Corporatist Democrats in DC.  Anyone with any common sense knows that the Web is a Public Utility.  Too bad that neoliberal privatization has been the flavor of the day for decades.  When the recent trashing of net neutrality by the current Administration kicks in, we'll all be disadvantaged.  The Elites win again.
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Yes, this essay is a rant; ranting helps prevent ulcers.  😊

p.s.  I'll bet most users are wondering:  where is the "security" protecting us from intrusion by private Tech companies???  That security doesn't exist.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

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