Brief review of some of the idiocy being promulgated primarily by various politicians

Politics is basically a flawed profession.  Why?  It often enables too much corruption, lying, and deceit.  It plays to the dark side of individuals who seek power above all else.  Finally, it too often utilizes propaganda which benefits Oligarchs/Plutocrats at the expense of Main Street.  While it's true we (all around the world) do have some politicians who are honest and ethical, unfortunately it seems they are far and few between, or perhaps reticent to speak out against the characteristics described above.

By any measure of common sense, I would think the scenarios below - brought about by various "Leaders" - are idiotic---

A Few Examples

1.  The current Israeli Leadership still is bombing/attacking structures in Gaza where CHILDREN are being sheltered, thus killing or maiming some of those innocent children.  Israel apparently believes such action is justified because Hamas people supposedly are in the same schools, houses, refugee shelters, etc.  These war crimes are being aided by munitions from the USA.

2.  The Biden Administration and probably most Republicans seem to believe Israel is NOT committing war crimes.  I believe most of the world (including me) disagrees.  The reasons for such disagreement should be blatantly obvious.  Yes, Hamas also commits war crimes; however, that's not an ethical justification for doing the same.  There is no justification whatsoever for war crimes.

3.  ALL governments which produce and maintain (or host) nuclear weapons are dangerous idiots.  Past posts on this blog have explained why.  Here's only one of them:

Public Awareness of ‘Nuclear Winter’ is Too Low Given Current Risks

Here's another:

The Ecological Ignorance of U.S. Presidents REDUX

4.  Due to adherence to the secular "religion" of neoliberalism (the Market will handle any problems), most humans on Earth now have PFAS (the "forever chemicals"), micro- and nano-plastics, and other toxic substances in their blood.  PFAS, in particular, have been linked to various health problems (including cancer) and the altering of reproductive hormones, as well as other hormones.  This all has been reported in scientific studies published in professional journals.

All the above is part of Ecological Overshoot, the main cause of our current Meta-Crisis.  Too many politicians everywhere seem to NOT be paying enough attention to this complex issue.  Those who are appear to be focused on only one of the symptoms of Overshoot:  Climate Change.  Other interconnected symptoms - biodiversity loss, soil degradation, toxic pollution, water availability problems, shrinking forests, overharvesting of fish, etc. - receive scant concern.

So, What Can Be Done?

A common sense response to the above-described human predicament would be to vote politicians out-of-office who promote the idiocy.  Exercise some due diligence and vote into office those people who at least favor the elimination of Eco-Overshoot.

Given the power of Edward Bernays style Propaganda and how dogmatic most voters seem to be, the above response doesn't appear to be likely.  But here's the thing:  NO ONE can predict the future with 100% accuracy every time.  In other words, we should not quit promoting common sense just because the implementation of it seems unlikely.  History shows that many proposed scenarios which were deemed to be "hopeless" eventually took root and came to fruition.  Such is especially true in the political arena.  Without "hope" for a better future, we're just marking time.

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Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

ADDENDUM to "The Biden-Trump Debate..."

Someone I care about agreed with my last post on the Debate.  Along with agreement, also included was:  but "It's too late!".  My email response is below, slightly edited for this posting. 

September would be too late.  Four months to go until the election is adequate time for other people to mount  a campaign.  But, the point is moot because the DNC and most high-level Dems won't do anything to pressure Joe.  And, of course, the RNC and all high level Repubs seem to care not at all that Don-the-Con is a proven serial liar and a wannabe fascist, so they'll do nothing to dump Trump.

It isn't too late, either, for 99% of voters to vote for Jill Stein (or Marianne Williamson, or a Libertarian candidate, etc.), or to send a message by boycotting the election, but none of that will happen.  

American voters mostly are completely dogmatic, and demonstrate little imagination.  For the last fifty years or so, the USA truly has been dumbed-down.  It's tragic, and a genuine embarrassment.  And so it goes.

Some authorities now even are telling young people, you don't need a college or university education to get a decent job.  Yes, that's true; however - HELLO - getting a job isn't the only reason for going to college.  College/university graduates generally are more well-rounded, more broadly educated, more open-minded, better adapted to the complexity of modern society, and more appreciative of the importance of history, ethics, science, and society than those without such an education.  Those factors should not be ignored when contemplating a career path.  There's much more to life than just a decent job.  Work is important, but it's not the Be-All and End-All of a good life, a meaningful existence.

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Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

War, ignorant politicians, Eco-Crisis, famine, and what to do

Various wars around the globe are making the Eco-Crisis worse and placing more people on the path to starvation. One billion people already are on the brink of famine.  

Meanwhile, ignoramuses like Netanyahu, Biden, Putin, a bunch of minor tin-pot generals all over, and others ("The Establishment", including Trump) would rather pursue WAR than global common sense.  After all, war is great for the private war-machine industry, and such is a boon to the almighty secular god - an ever-growing GDP.

C'est la vie in an ecologically ignorant world.  Overall, anyway.  Here and there are some strong pockets of eco-ethics.  People in those areas will have a somewhat easier time of it when the 100mph freight train hits...which will be in large and scattered areas (in the beginning) most likely within ten years (or so).  Many places along latitudes closest to the equator probably will be the first to experience forced, massive migrations away from the heat and failing crops.  [Either from selling their crops or eating them, HALF the world's families get most of their food from subsistence farming on less than one acre per family.  At the same time, only twenty-six Super-Rich individuals have more wealth than that HALF of the world.]  

But, HEY, let's keep pouring $$$ into war machines, and electing politicians who think nuclear war is do-able, and the polluting & killing resulting from conventional war is required, eh?  That will help the Crisis soooo much.     [It's both tragic beyond belief, and hilarious in its total ignorance.]

So, what can we do?

1)  Stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid supplied by Oligarchs and their puppets.

2)  Be more tolerant of opposing views.  Stifle hate in yourself.  Hating each other is not helping anything.

3)  Stop electing to office those politicians who are divisive, or warmongering, or hateful, and lack compassion, civility, and statesmanship.  We need people in office who understand how great are the gifts of Mother Earth and humanity.  We don't need those who are bent on pitting one group against another, and who fail to grasp the sacredness of Earth.  Main Street is fed-up to the hilt with Leaders who have no integrity or vision.

4)  If you're short of knowledge in the following areas, educate yourself in the history of nuclear weapons, the principles of ecology, the history and/or the importance of nonviolent dissent, and Edward Bernays style propaganda.  [Yes, I know: that's a lot.  At least pick one topic:]

5)  Live an intentional, purposeful, peaceful life.  Don't be distracted by "bread and circuses", or consumerism and overconsumption.  Such only benefits the ruling Oligarchy.

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Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

Mother Nature has been sending the world a message re getting back to "normal"

 Unfortunately, it appears too many of us aren't understanding it.

Here's the message---

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"Your 'normal' is gone, and it won't be back for decades, or perhaps ever.  Why?  Because too many Powers-That-Be and Main Street people have ignored ecological principles for much too long.  They have failed to understand the importance of natural ecosystems, and the fact that natural Laws apply to humans.  Plus, too many continue to believe the ongoing pursuit of ever-increasing, perpetual economic and population growth will not further damage the biophysical basis of your existence.

"Too many seem to think the current extreme weather events on Earth are merely flukes, and soon will fade back to 'normal'.  Sorry, that's a false belief.  Unless you take significant action immediately, things only will get worse.  Such is not only in regard to weather, but also in regard to disease, soil, fresh water availability, the food supply, and clean air.  Wake up; you're in a crisis of unprecedented proportions.  Support those who are working hard to solve it; shun/boycott those who are not.

To make matters worse, you're still going to war with each other during the Eco-Crisis of the Ages.  I guess you figure:  the air is already so overloaded with greenhouse gases, more of that won't matter much at all.  Plus, apparently you believe that war won't affect the global cooperation necessary to address your ongoing, existential, and ecological threat.  That's the height of ignorance."

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As a concerned human, I'll add the following---

For a few decades, I've been amazed at how voters continue to elect to crucial offices mostly those candidates (regardless of political Party) who essentially are illiterate when it comes to ecology and the decades-long Eco-Crisis.  I imagine there are many reasons for such a scenario, but surely the last three years or so have given the vast majority of people pause to reconsider.

Democrats and Republicans have had their shot, and they've failed.  The crisis we're in is, in large part, due to their policies.  Mega Biz also is largely responsible.  So are voters and consumers of junk.  Eco-overshoot reigns supreme.  If my grandkids are to have a decent future, everything must change.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

What the Next USA President Should Do

Use the Office and/or its Bully Pulpit for---

1.  promoting laws to break up the Mega Banks & Mega Tech Companies (clearly they are monopolies);

2.  the cessation of all Trade Wars;

3.  the withdrawal of combat troops from the Middle East & Central Asia, as well as cutting the number of our military bases on foreign soil by half---that number is now about 800-900 or so---and the military budget by half (currently that budget is more than the next seven largest military budgets in the world combined);

4.  the reinstatement of Nuke Treaties;

5.  ending of our Central Bank, as JFK started to do (we don't need a Middle Man to produce Gov't currency... especially one who charges interest);

6.  a return to some version of the Gold Standard (the amount of gold in the world doesn't prohibit that...only the artificially depressed price of gold does);

7.  the end of blanket surveillance by the NSA, CIA, FBI, and any other Agency;

8.  a return to the Constitutional requirement of Congress having to declare war before troops are sent to war;

9.  a repeal of the "Real ID Act";

10.  a reinstatement of EPA Rules trashed by Trump & Crew;

11.  policies/laws addressing the threat of Climate Change;

12.  promoting the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Banking Act;

13.  the reinstatement of "Net Neutrality";

14.  promoting the establishment of Banking as a Public Utility;

15.  the establishment of the Internet as a Public Utility;

16.  the complete revision of the IRS, or maybe, the elimination of it;

17.  promoting laws that require Congress to read legislative bills before voting on them, and to vote only on one subject/bill at a time (instead of attaching unpopular bills as riders to bills that are guaranteed to pass);

18.  making pot completely legal, and codeine an OTC drug (as it was earlier in my life);

19.  reducing our nuclear arsenal;

20.  promoting laws that prohibit Usury (laws we once had);

21.  prohibiting Gov't interference in foreign elections, prohibiting coups, & prohibiting assassinations by the Executive Branch (according to the Constitution, only Congress legally can order assassinations);

22.  promoting laws that establish Term Limits for all elected officials in the Fed Gov't;

23.  promoting laws that prohibit electronic, black box voting... use paper ballots only;

24.  limiting Executive Orders by Presidents to only the two described in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution:  the Pres can require written reports by his Dept Heads, and can grant pardons to those convicted of Fed crimes (those are the only two described in the Constitution);

25.  policies which abide by International Law, and in particular, recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court (we didn't mind doing that when we set up the Nuremberg Trials).

Those are only some of the things the next President should do, but they would be a great start toward returning this country to sanity.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Genuine Democracy Does Not Exist in the USA

I love this Land and, in general, its people.  Because someone loves their country does not mean that they have to love the rulers in their government.  Our rulers not only are plutocratic, they are fast becoming autocratic and despotic.  All one has to do is listen to and watch the current Occupier of the Oval Office for proof of that.

This never was a democracy; not only that, but our 

"democratic republic" is long gone.  The majority of our 

Founders described democracy as "mob rule", or "two 

wolves & one sheep deciding what's for lunch", or 

"despicable", or "tyranny of the majority", or "the devil's 

own gov't", or "the most violent of despotisms", or 

"violating the concept that whoever owns the country 

should rule it", etc.  [All quotes by various Founders.]

Schools left all that out of American Gov't 101.  

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Our democratic republic is long gone because---

1.  The Constitution is violated almost equally by Dems 

& Repubs...and often.  That has been going on for decades; some of them even admit it.

2.  The proper use of the Executive Order is violated 

almost equally by Dems & Repubs.  [The Constitution 

allows only two Executive Orders in Article II, Section 2.  

Dems & Repubs claim that those two imply an unlimited 

& unspecified number of others.]

By violating this provision of Article II, Section 2, Presidents have been able to create "laws" without Congress.  For decades, past Presidents each have done this literally hundreds of times.  That makes them autocrats.  Presidents represent the State, not the People; that's why only Congress is authorized to create Laws.  Members of Congress supposedly represent We the People.

3.  In general, the majority of both elected Dems & 

elected Repubs are warmongers & corporatists.  With 

rigged Primaries, rigged elections, gerrymandering, 

voter suppression, black box voting, etc., that's not going 

to change.  Never mind the unrelenting propaganda.

4.  Both Parties believe in Mega Corps being too big to 

fail and too big to jail.  That applies not only to Mega 

Banks, but to Mega Insurance Corps & others as well.

5.  Probably over 99% of national candidates are 

selected, groomed, & financed by Super-Rich Plutocrats.

6.  Both Parties gerrymander House districts.

7.  Both Parties rig Primaries.

8.  Both Parties support corporatist globalization.

9.  According to a Princeton study, national politicians 

ignore the expressed will of the People 70% of the time.

10.  If voting really & permanently changed anything of 

significance, the Powers-That-Be would make voting 

illegal.

11.  Despite any small victories won by the People, 

Corporatism ultimately winds up ruling.

12.  Except for some indigenous societies (mostly in the 

Past), throughout history---& right through to today--- 

Plutocrats always have ruled.  C'est la vie. 

13.  What we've had ruling our country for decades now is a Plutocratic, CRONY Capitalist, State-Corporate Complex.  It reigns supreme, and it's not a "conspiracy"; it's right out in plain sight.

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Under present conditions, voting won't change any of 

the above.  Meaningful change only will come from 

outside the whole corrupt system, a system that should 

be shunned...and that change should be peaceful.

Not only my opinion.

Be Well

Anarcho What???

Below is my response to an organic farmer friend who responded to the last blog post here with the statement that our country is a Republic, not a Democracy.  [I did some minor editing...nothing important.]
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Precisely.  Too bad 99.99% of politicians keep saying it's a democracy, trying to deceive people...here & abroad.  Telling people that in America every vote counts.  It's plain that's not true. 

I don't know why folks in CA even vote:  Trump was declared the winner long before all the CA votes were counted... fully one-third of those votes had not been counted when the Don was announced as winner... and there were uncounted votes in many other States as well.  Every vote counts, my ass.  Politics & politicians are despicable.  Now ask me what I really think.    [It's a rhetorical statement:]

Despite the propaganda to the contrary regarding Anarchism, what would be better is Anarcho-Syndicalism---an organizational form of direct democracy... and have it go all the way up to the national gov't level.  Then every vote would count.  Of course, we'll never see that in our lifetime.  [Oligarchs would be the big losers, even though property rights still could be protected.]  The majority of Main Street Americans probably don't even know what Anarchism really is; I'm not criticizing them, just stating a fact.  All they know is the propaganda saying it's chaos & destruction.  Not true at all.

Apparently, we'd rather stick with the "Meritocracy" concept.  When that term first was coined, it was in a negative, disparaging way... as it should be.  It bespeaks elitism loud and clear.  At that time, it meant not only selection of rulers based on merit, but also based on membership in the aristocratic class.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Clinton's Lead is Now Over Two Million

Though the election is over and Trump is the President-Elect, Clinton now has over two million more votes than the Don... and there still are uncounted votes.  We have quite an unusual "democracy", eh?  I suggest our leaders stop the hypocrisy, and stop calling our form of gov't a democracy.  Obviously, it isn't.

[I'm in favor of a genuine democracy, but not in favor of either Clinton or Trump.]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Clinton's Lead Grows, & the Evil of Two Lessers

As of 11-19-16, Clinton leads Trump by about 1.5 million more votes.  The tally continues.  Because of 240 years of relentless propaganda and indoctrination, we still think we live in a true, participatory democracy.  To those who disagree with that assessment, I suggest watching this series:  Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States... and this documentary as well, Requiem for the American Dream.  Both can be found on Netflix and elsewhere online.

Finally, it's not about Left v. Right anymore.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  Reminder:  58% of us (including me) were not in favor of either major candidate.  We never should vote for the evil of two lessers.  When will we ever learn?

November 16--- The Latest Vote Count

Clinton is about one million votes ahead.  It's a good thing for Trump that the election wasn't in a democracy.  So much for "every vote counts" and "your vote is just as important as the next person's".  I don't agree with Scott Walker on much of anything, but he was right about this--- "Twelve States will elect the next President.".

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say this:  It's too bad for Clinton that the election was in a kinda, sorta, partial democracy.  In any case, it finally should be obvious to everyone that the USA is not a true, participatory democracy.  It never has been.  Propaganda reigns supreme here.  Molding the public mind is the Oligarchy's national pastime... especially regarding the subject of "democracy".

[In case anyone doesn't know--- I wasn't for either one of the major candidates.]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Latest Count: Clinton Has 395,000 More Votes Than Trump

Her lead is up from 225,000... and all the votes still have not yet been counted.  Welcome to American "democracy".  We can stick our heads in the sand and ignore this (again), or we can work to change our electoral system.  It would be helpful if we all stopped drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.

Long ago, James Madison said that the opulence of the wealthy must be protected from the majority.  He also stated that democracy is the most vile form of government.  John Jay, also a signer of the Constitution and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, stated that those who own the country (property owners) should rule it.  Benjamin Franklin defined democracy as two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch.  Other Founders referred to the tyranny of the majority.  Benjamin Rush, one of our Founders, said that a simple democracy is the devil's own government.  John Adams, the second U.S. President, claimed democracy soon degenerates into an anarchy.  Gouverneur Morris, the writer of the Final Draft of the Constitution, stated that the tumults of democracy terminate in despotism.  Fisher Ames, the framer of the 1st Amendement to the Constitution, claimed that democracy is the most violent of despotisms.  Even the respected Thomas Jefferson said that democracy is mob rule.  Long story short--- our Founders were against having democracy as our form of gov't.  They succeeded in that quest.

Despite the above, our current/recent leaders at the highest levels keep referring to "our democracy".  They rarely ever refer to our form of government by its proper name, our Republic.  The two types of gov't are not the same.  We don't have a democracy in the USA.  We've never had one.  Most other developed countries do have a democracy...and they haven't devolved into anarchy, or tyranny, or mob rule.  What they have done is a better job of protecting the majority from the Super-Rich... a better job of it than our gov't has done.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Why Trump Will Lose...Big Time

Preface
Again, a reminder that I am vehemently against both Clinton and Trump.  Both of them are Corporatists and serve the so-called 1%...the Oligarchy.  [I'm aware that Trump True Believers don't believe that about their man, but they are dead wrong.]  By the way, Corporatism is not Free Market Capitalism.  Corporatism is Crony Capitalism, AKA, Fascism...the perfect marriage of the State to Big Biz.
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In politics, one cannot be 100% certain that any prediction will be accurate.  That's because politics arguably is the most despicable profession in existence; one never knows what sleaziness is going on behind the scenes.  Nevertheless, based on Logic and plain ol' common sense, here's why Trump will be buried at the polls today.  [It's now about 2:40 AM (Mountain Time) on Election Day.]  He has about one chance in a trillion of winning.

1.  The billionaires at the highest levels on Wall Street want Clinton to win; they usually get what they want.

2.  The majorities of the following groups will vote for the Corporatist Clinton, rather than the Corporatist Trump:  Millennials (ages 18-35, 31% of the electorate), Latinos (15% of the electorate), Blacks, all other minorities, college-educated Whites, Women (52% of the electorate), Independents (42% of the electorate), and the Super-Rich.  All of them together make up the overwhelming majority of voters.  Game over.

Trump supporters don't appear to get it--- this election is pretty much a repeat of the Goldwater v. Johnson election in 1964.  I'm intimately familiar with that fiasco.  One of the major differences between the two elections is this:  after his devastating loss, Goldwater went on to become a Senior Statesman... well respected by both Repubs and Dems.  That won't happen with Trump.
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The real winners in this election are the Mega, Globalist Financiers of the world... the Ruling Oligarchy.  The election should have been boycotted on a massive scale.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Extreme Ignorance of the Don... and the Rigged Game

Let me state again at the outset:  I don't support Clinton, either.  In fact, there isn't a single candidate running this year that I would even consider supporting... not necessarily because of the individual, but rather because the entire System is rigged.  In the present Crony Capitalist atmosphere, it doesn't really matter at all in any significant way who gets into high office.  For that to matter, first the corruption must be changed by peaceful pressure from outside the Rigged Game.  People have been trying to change it from the inside for at least about 100 years...no luck.

Donald Trump can't be a serious candidate...not with the statements he has made for months now.  I'm beginning to suspect that his only function is to guarantee the coronation of Clinton.  Following are just a few of (supposedly) the Don's beliefs... which are extremely ill-informed.

1.  He stated today or yesterday that Iran is the biggest supporter/promoter of State-sponsored terrorism in the entire world.  One only can assume that by "terrorism" he means that of ISIS and Al Qaida... you know, the ones who are Sunnis... the ones who are the sworn enemies of Iran... that same Iran that is in the Shia sect of Islam.  Apparently (& we certainly don't know this for a fact) Trump is unaware that there's a Sunni-Shia civil (or religious) war going on throughout the Muslim portion of the Middle East.  I find it quite incredible that a major candidate for national office here would be unaware of such a thing.

2.  Not long ago, he stated that Obama was the "Founder of ISIS".  He didn't explain why, but I'm fairly sure where that reasoning lies.  [By the way, I'm certainly no fan of Obama's...I think he's a Corporatist and a Perpetual War Hawk, as well as a gross violator of the Constitution.]  It is true that when Obama took office in January, 2009, he was in a big hurry to exit Iraq.  After we left that country, the U.S.-installed Shia gov't there began to oppress the Sunni residents even more...and the Muslim civil war continued, thus giving rise to ISIS (disaffected Sunnis).  Trump's reasoning, however, ignores the Americans who were 99% responsible for generating ISIS:  Dick Cheney, Dubya Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Paul Bremer, and a whole slew of behind-the-scenes NeoCon theorists.  By the time Obama first got in office, the whole thing already was a complete shambles.

3.  His statements regarding "extreme vetting" and Cold War style identification & handling of those "hostile to our values" essentially is a call to return to the McCarthyism of the 1950's.  Any major candidate calling for such a thing nowadays would have to be a total ignoramus.  That rhetoric appeals to perhaps 10-15% of the electorate...and turns off everyone else.  No serious candidate would ever make such a proposal... because instituting that policy would be completely un-American.  [Instead of "Hoo-ah", the Don's call to action is "H.U.A.C.".]  Anyone who can't see why that would be an extremely dangerous, slippery slope simply is not thinking on all cylinders.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Big Problem is Not Immigrants, or Black People, or...

Poor People, or Any Minority, or Even "Terrorists".  Our biggest problem is Oligarchs and/or Plutocrats.  They promote and practice the politics of War, the economics of NeoFeudalism, and the governing of Fascism.  If you want to send them a peaceful, legal, and effective message, don't vote at the national level in November.  That's the most powerful message you can send.  If you simply must vote, then vote for a worthy second Party; Republicans + Democrats are the first Party.  At the highest levels, they are Neoliberal Corporatists.  They're on the same Team...and it's not yours.

On a somewhat different note, notice how the Corporate Media are straining to connect the mass murdering, mentally ill guy in Nice, France to extremist Muslim "terrorism".  Here's the definition of that word from Webster's Dictionary:  "the unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion."  In the case of extremist "jihadists" (a tiny minority of Muslims), I suppose we should throw in "religiously motivated" as well as "politically motivated".  From what has been in the news thus far (& I haven't yet seen tonight's news), it's an incredible stretch to believe that the depressed, violent, crazy guy---those terms are from his family---driving that truck was either politically or religiously motivated.  But you see, the Oligarchy needs that connection.  Without it, the War Propaganda doesn't work as well.

On another different note, and using the reasoning of those who favor stricter "gun control" laws, I propose a ban on "Assault Trucks".  Obviously, they can be used for mass murder...and it's fairly easy to gain access to one.  At the very least, we should institute stricter "background checks" for those wanting a truck driving license...and maybe even strict checks for people who buy gasoline, which could be considered the "ammunition" or "gun powder" of a truck.  While we're at it, perhaps we should ban knives, swords, baseball bats, dynamite, short clubs of any type, chemical acid, rat poison, smaller trucks, cars, chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide (found in drain cleaners), gun powder, denatured alcohol, etc.  They all are fairly easy to obtain...and could be used to wreak havoc on the public.  [Criminals of any kind don't care, or worry, about bans or background checks.  They'll find a way around them.  Also, keep this in mind:  there are lots of guns in Canada, but those folks don't have the gun violence problem to any degree close to that in the USA.  An important question is:  why is that the case?]

On a more serious note, sincere condolences to the people in Nice...and everywhere there are innocent victims, whether they are victims of unconstitutional drone attacks, or of temporarily insane mass murderers, or of medieval, backward, indoctrinated terrorists.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Corporatism Wins Again: The Primaries, Trump, Clinton, Sanders, and Voters

Preface
I'm not a supporter of Trump, Sanders, or Clinton.  Even if any of their supposed Populism is genuine (& with two of them, I'm sure it isn't...with Sanders, I don't know), I don't believe it's possible anymore for a President to significantly change the rotten, corrupt State-Corporate System.  I think all national elections should be boycotted.  I mention all this only so you will know that I'm not biased in favor of any of the candidates.
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Here's one way that Corporatists have hornswoggled much of the American populace in this Primary election.  The night before the largest Primary election in the country (CA), the Associated Press and NBC both announce that Clinton IS the presumptive nominee of the Democrats.  That's a message to the unelected Superdelegates:  get on board with Hillary.  It's also a message to Sanders supporters:  you're wasting your time...stop being "spoilers".  The fact is:  even after the CA election, Clinton still doesn't have enough firmly pledged, elected delegates to be the Democratic nominee.  I imagine she will get the nomination, but that will be due to the unelected Superdelegates.  She has been courting them since her loss to Obama back when.

Here's another way that Corporatists have hornswoggled much of the American populace.  Trump is a candidate who normally would be shunned by the Corporate Media...because of his narrow views, because he apparently has no depth regarding proposed policies, because he appears to have little understanding of anything governmental, social, or economic, because he trumps Dubya Bush when it comes to putting his foot in his mouth, in short--- because he isn't a serious candidate.  The Corporate Media have embraced him (so to speak) because he's a money-maker for them.  The President of CBS (or CEO, or something) smilingly stated that.  That's why the Corporate Media have given him probably three times the coverage of any other candidate---Repub or Dem---in this whole Primary season.

People in the Shadow Government (a well-established concept by both the Right and the Left) must be tickled to death.  Those Corporatists want Clinton as President.  That's because she's a strong Wall Street, Mega Bank supporter and a fierce War Hawk & Perpetual War supporter.  That means more money & Power for them.  They know that Trump will be slaughtered in the November election.  But even if he isn't, even if by some miracle he wins, the Corporatists won't care...he's one of them.  They prefer Clinton only because Trump appears to be unstable, somewhat of a wild card.  Most of the time, it's difficult to determine exactly what he really believes.  The only thing they know for sure is that he's not any kind of Populist.  That's good enough for them.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Nary a Peep From NBC News

First I watched the news coverage of Tuesday's NY Primary on Democracy Now!, probably the premier non-corporate media news source.  As reported by them--- 125,000 registered voters had been purged from the official voter lists in the Bronx alone.  No one yet knows why.  Those folks went to the polls and were told they couldn't vote.  On top of that, there was a degree of chaos at many voting sites in NY--- machines weren't working, the places opened late, and in some cases, people were told to go elsewhere.

Then I watched the Primary coverage on one of the Corporate Media news sites, NBC.  There was not a single word about the purging of voters or any of the other problems described above.  Nary a word.

In addition to all the above, we have the following.

1.  The 2007 black box voting documentary, Hacking Democracy, by HBO---  Query:  are Diebold machines still being used?  What safeguards have been instituted to protect against voting machines being hacked?  Any at all?

2.  Closed primaries---  I think about half the States have those.  That means Independents, who make up 42% of the USA electorate, must change their affiliation in order to vote.  This time around in NY State, they had to make the change in October of last year.  That's not right.  All registered voters should be able to vote in any damned primary they choose.

3.  Superdelegates---  The opposite of democracy in action...enough said.

4.  One candidate wins a primary by a HUGE margin, but the delegates are split evenly...sometimes.  Why?

5.  A monstrously inadequate number of polling places are found in many areas.  People have stood in line for 4-5 hours in order to vote.  That situation is asinine...something is fishy in officialdom.  Even if I weren't boycotting national elections, I wouldn't stand in line for more than 30 minutes.  Not too many years ago, the whole process took about 15 minutes.
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That all reinforces my belief that the whole election process in this great Land is a Rigged Game.  As I said in a fairly recent previous post, you rarely ever win a rigged game.  Don't play.  [By the way, only 33% of eligible voters participated in the voting Tuesday in NYC.  Imagine the force of the message that would be sent to the Oligarchs if, on a national scale, that number was only two percent.  I suspect there would be many frantic meetings of the Super-Rich control freaks all over the country.  The Edward Bernays style Propaganda would have to be altered drastically.  I imagine commissions would be formed to look into "the problem", and reform might even happen.  In any case, Oligarchs might begin to wonder if their Power and Control are slipping.  Hey, it would be a start.  As things stand now, We the "Little People" are pretty much shafted.  SSDD.]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Who are the Third Party Candidates and Why Zero Coverage of Them?

It seems to me that it's incumbent upon the Corporate Media to provide at least some coverage of the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, the Reform Party, the Constitution Party, and others.  There also are a number of No-Party, or Independent candidates.  None of the above even get one minute of exposure.  Instead, we're again stuck with the two branches of the Neoliberal Corporatist Party--- the Dems & Repubs.  [If either Trump or Clinton is a Populist, then I'm a Chinese Astronaut preparing for the first manned flight to Mars:]

We're stuck with Republican candidates saying nothing significant, nothing in-depth, about really important issues (e.g., the crashing economy), and instead, merely calling each other names.  Then, too, we're stuck with Clinton pretending to be a Populist, and Democrat "Superdelegates" (Party Elites) skewing democracy.  SSDD.

Have you heard of Jill Stein?  Which Party does she represent?  What's their Platform for 2016?  [I could list a number of other fine candidates...all across the political spectrum...and all Establishment outsiders.]

The fact is:  the Republican and Democrat Parties in the USA are dictatorial.  Through various means (especially Ballot Access Laws) and in conjunction with the Corporate Media, they purposely squash any Third Party efforts at the national level.  Critics say that those Third Parties don't have a chance anyway, so who cares(?).  Well, come on, they certainly don't have a chance if they get almost no exposure and if it's nearly impossible to get on the ballot in all 50 States.  That's for sure.  SSDD.

Many people apparently are fed up with same-ol', same-ol', Establishment Politics.  If that's true, then here's a suggestion:  stop voting for the Establishment Parties...or, boycott national elections completely.  Here's an old adage that almost always holds true:  you can't win a Rigged Game.  Most everything about the Two-Party Monopoly in the USA is rigged...and that's rarely ever in our favor.  It's way past time to give the Two-Party Monopoly the shaft.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Part II: "Fixing" Our Government [Redux]

I posted this (below) about four months ago.  With a few very, very minor changes, I'm re-posting it now because I think it's important relative to the Kabuki Theater electioneering presently taking place.  [Sorry, but the format didn't copy correctly, and I don't have time to fix it.]

Below is my response to an email I received from some friends.  In their email, they talked about the importance of the right to vote, and the fact that they weren't clear on what my solution was to the problem of our governmental (& economic) mess. 

I suspect that you guys still think 

the Rotten System can be corrected from within the system.  If that were true, then it would be corrected by now... especially given that we've had at least 100 yrs to do so.  Keeping you in that Rigged Game is a huge part of the Propaganda.  Currently, voting at the national level is a complete waste of time, and more importantly, it perpetuates the Rigged Game.  That will change only when changes from outside the system force changes within the system.

As to clear answers on what to do, I agree with you, but only up to a certain point.  I think 

this is pretty clear: "As long as Americans stay stuck in this Repubs v. Dems charade, that all 

will continue.".  And this:  "...the very first step in "fixing" our Gov't and 

overcoming the Coup of Neoliberalism is this:  somehow we have to destroy and/or expose 

Edward Bernays style Propaganda.".  ["somehow" would include writing, talking, songs, other 

Art, discussions, websites, formal speeches, ads, flyers, and especially, organizing.] This stuff will 

not happen overnight, if at all.  

And this is clear: "Don't vote at the national level.".  The 

Establishment has to be shown that We the People are in charge.  When we vote, they know 

we're not.  I know, that sounds counterintuitive, but it's true.  [The Rich & Powerful select, 

groom, & finance probably 99% of all candidates at the national level.  The remaining 1% are marginalized by the corrupt system.  

So, how does voting 

help correct that?]  The top-down, dictatorial Republican & Democrat Parties (along with the Corporatocracy) will select 

total Yahoos for Presidential candidates in the next election.  Any 3rd Party doesn't have a 

chance in hell because of Propaganda, the Corporate Media, & harsh ballot-access laws.  

How does voting help correct that?  I'm serious.  Voting perpetuates the problem.

I don't know the complete solution to the problem, but I'm fairly certain of where to start.  

The Propaganda of the Neoliberals must be exposed...that's 1st.  Then, peaceful activism 

outside the Rotten System must be organized & instituted.  That means either 

individually, or in groups, or both, we have to boycott, demonstrate, & otherwise protest.  

That can be done any number of ways... it doesn't necessarily mean marching down the street 

with banners held high.  Many things can be done quietly & anonymously... e.g., boycotts of 

Mega Banks (who finance corrupt politicians).  Even in a dictatorship, public opinion matters; 

but making it matter requires hard work & solidarity.  Right now, Americans are so 

fragmented that it's no surprise we're essentially beaten.

There are many, many obstacles to solving America's mess.  One is that too many of us 

think that things can be solved fairly quickly... by voting, for example.  I don't have a lot of 

hope that Americans ever will overcome the Neoliberalism Coup, or even understand what 

that is.  But I keep writing & making vids... because I have very young grandchildren, & fear 

for their future.  NeoFeudalism is almost upon us.  Voting won't stop it.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Part II: "Fixing" Our Government

Below is my response to an email I received from some friends.  In their email, they talked about the right to vote, and the fact that they weren't clear on what my solution was to the problem of our government (& economy) mess. 

I suspect that you guys still think 

the Rotten System can be corrected from within the system.  If that were true, then it would 

be corrected by now... especially given that we've had at least 100 yrs to do so.  Keeping 

you in that Rigged Game is a huge part of the Propaganda.  Currently, voting at the 

national level is a complete waste of time, and more importantly, it perpetuates the Rigged 

Game.  That will change only when changes from outside the system force changes 

within the system.

As to clear answers on what to do, I agree with you, but only up to a certain point.  I think 

this is pretty clear: "As long as Americans stay stuck in this Repubs v. Dems charade, that all 

will continue.".  And this:  "...the very first step in "fixing" our Gov't and 

overcoming the coup of Neoliberalism is this:  somehow we have to destroy and/or expose 

Edward Bernays style Propaganda.".  ["somehow" would include writing, talking, songs, other 

Art, discussions, websites, formal speeches, ads, and especially, organizing.]  This stuff will 

not happen overnight, if at all.  And this is clear: "Don't vote at the national level.".  The 

Establishment has to be shown that We the People are in charge.  When we vote, they know 

we're not.  I know, that sounds counterintuitive, but it's true.  [The Rich & Powerful select, 

groom, & finance probably 99.9% of all candidates at the national level.  So, how does voting 

help correct that?]  The top-down, dictatorial Republican & Democrat Parties will select two 

total Yahoos for Presidential candidates in the next election.  Any 3rd Party doesn't have a 

chance in hell because of Propaganda, the Corporate Media, & harsh ballot-access laws.  

How does voting help correct that?  I'm serious.  Voting perpetuates the problem.

I don't know the complete solution to the problem, but I'm fairly certain of where to start.  

The Propaganda of the Neoliberals must be exposed...that's 1st.  Then, peaceful activism 

outside the Rotten System must be organized & instituted.  That means either 

individually, or in groups, or both, we have to boycott, demonstrate, & otherwise protest.  

That can be done any number of ways... it doesn't necessarily mean marching down the street 

with banners held high.  Many things can be done quietly & anonymously... e.g., boycotts of 

Mega Banks (who finance corrupt politicians).  Even in a dictatorship, public opinion matters; 

but making it matter requires hard work & solidarity.  Right now, Americans are so 

fragmented that it's no surprise we're essentially beaten.

There are many, many obstacles to solving America's mess.  One is that too many of us 

think that things can be solved fairly quickly... by voting, for example.  I don't have a lot of 

hope that Americans ever will overcome the Neoliberalism Coup, or even understand what 

that is.  But I keep writing & making vids... because I have very young grandchildren, & fear 

for their future.  NeoFeudalism is almost upon us.  Voting won't stop it.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  I'm convinced that when my body is dead & I'm gone, someday I'll chuckle (or whatever 

spirits do) when I hear you guys say, "By God, Woodrow, I thought he was nuts, but Haley 

was right all along."...:) 

Why the USA is a Soft FASCIST State

Some would say that I should omit the word "soft".  I leave it in place because we still have a considerable amount of Freedom here... although, that is changing fairly rapidly.  Adherents of the so-called Right think we still have a Republic as our form of government; adherents of the so-called Left think we still have a Democracy.  If you're no longer drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid, it's readily apparent that the USA has neither of those forms of government.

First, let's examine the false belief that we're still a Republic.  The bedrock of the Republic of the USA was the U.S. Constitution... and obedience to its provisions.  All three branches of our Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) have been ignoring large portions of the Supreme Law of the Land for decades and decades.  That practice has become increasingly more blatant in the last thirty years or so.  It makes no difference at all if the Administration is Republican or Democrat... or should I say, Republicrat or Demopublican.  In 1901, a Supreme Court Justice Harlan warned of "Legislative Absolutism", a term he coined and by which he meant passing Laws that were unconstitutional.  He said (in a dissenting opinion) that there were two governments in the USA now (1901):  one obeying the Constitution, and one not.  It only has gotten worse since then.

The list of violations of our Supreme Law of the Land by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't is virtually endless.  I've described many of those violations on this Blog in the last almost eight years.  I don't intend to re-list them now.  One Representative in DC even admitted to an interviewer, "Half of what we do [in Congress] is unconstitutional."... at one time (several years ago), a recording of that was on YouTube.  There is no question whatsoever that the Fed Gov't violates many of the provisions of the Constitution... no matter which political Party is in power.  The icing on the cake is the provision of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) which gives the Feds the power to detain indefinitely, without access to an attorney and without a trial, any U.S. citizen chosen by one person, the President... and even to execute that person on the say-so of only one person, the President.  No due process, no attorney, no trial, no appeal.  That's according to many legitimate news sources, including an article in Forbes.  When Obama signed the last NDAA into Law, he stated something like, "I would never do that."... I'm not reassured.

Without obedience by the Feds to the provisions of the Constitution, there is no Republic of the USA.  It exists in name only.

Second, let's examine the false belief that we're a Democracy.  I'm referring to a truly participatory democracy.  Yes, we get to vote... well, some of us anyway.  Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of national political candidates are selected, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchy.  That means it doesn't really matter who gets elected.  Even FDR wrote to a friend back in the '30s, "In this country, Presidents are selected, not elected."... so are most Congress people.  The whole process is dominated by those in the Power Structure by means of ballot-access laws, Cronyism, rules of various kinds that further restrict Third Parties, and Propaganda from both the Government and the Corporate Media.  On top of all that, there is Black Box Voting--- rigged voting machines.  See the site, blackboxvoting.org and the documentary by the same name.  See especially the documentary.

Both Mussolini and FDR defined Fascism as:  the marriage of BIG Business to the State.  That's precisely what we've had in the USA for years and years.  We just recently had an example of that on 12-15-14 (this past Monday).  The Senate passed the already House-passed $1.1 trillion spending Bill into Law.  Attached was an amendment written by lobbyists of Citibank that essentially rolled-back the paltry protections against the Financial Sector that were in Dodd-Frank.  The Amendment also provides that any future losses on risky investments suffered by Mega Banks will be reimbursed by the Feds (meaning, the taxpayers).  So, if the speculative Wall Street Banks fail again, they'll be bailed out again.  That's Crony Capitalism, aka, Fascism.  It's not only at the national level.  At every level of government in this country, elected officials kowtow to their primary constituency... BIG Business.

A few different, scholarly, legitimate studies in the past several years have shown that anywhere from 70% to 95% of the public is ignored when elected officials formulate public policy.  In other words, the opinions of most of us do not count in the minds of those elected by us.  The primary constituencies of most politicians are the Super-Rich.  That's Fascism.

Sorry to say, but we live in a Soft Fascist State.  As far as I can tell, the same applies to most developed countries.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well