Thursday, March 14, 2024

TEN reasons why Trump should be seen as UNAMERICAN...and more

1.  He has little-to-no respect for the U.S. Constitution.
[Source:  his own words]
2.  He admires dictators.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
3.  He doesn't believe in an independent Justice Department.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
4.  He has little-to-no respect for members of our military, especially those who had the extreme misfortune of being POWs.
[Source:  his own words]
5.  He has little-to-no respect for immigrants...except for (I'm            guessing) his grandparents and present wife (who were      immigrants).  He forgets how immigrants helped build the USA.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
6.  He has no statesmanship, and usually acts like a whining child.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
7.  He works to maintain a personality cult.  It's all about him, not    the USA (or the world).  Quote:  "I'm the only one who can save you."  ~ DJT.  Such is pure, unadulterated idiocy.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
8.  He manipulates his "fans" by means of serial lying and playing to their fears.  Trump is habitually dishonest & a truly negative,   sociopathic, vindictive person.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
9.  He has little-to-no respect for (or knowledge of) anything in            Nature, ecological principles, or conservation.
[Source:  his own words & actions]
10.  He's almost completely anti-democracy.
[Source:  his own words & actions]

Several polls show a majority of voters don't want Trump or Biden as President.  Here's one---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8rPZI4ofaY&t=1s
Here's another---
https://www.masslive.com/politics/2024/02/2024-election-voters-dont-want-trump-biden-rematch-umass-amherst-poll-says.html

Someone referred to the upcoming election as "the evil of two lessers".  😏
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Friday, March 1, 2024

Ten reasons why it's time for President Biden to gracefully retire

  1.  President Biden, you tepidly stated the Israeli response to the initial Hamas attack was now "over the top".  It's much more than that; it's criminal.  Yet, you keep sending weapons and ammo to Israel, thus supporting the response which you say is too much, "over the top".  Hello!
  2.   Every country ( including the USA) should be sanctioning Netanyahu and other members of the current Israeli Leadership who are responsible for purposely killing thousands of children and other civilians.  Those victims are not collateral damage.  It was known they were in the hospitals, UN shelters, refugee camps, ambulances, residences, etc. which were attacked.  Netanyahu et al. are Trump-on-steroids.  That's what you're supporting, Mr. President.  Wake up.
  3.  According to Oil Change International,  twenty countries (including the USA) are planning to expand oil production for twenty-six more years.   https://priceofoil.org/content/uploads/2023/09/OCI-Planet-Wreckers-Report.pdf
  4.  You tout your climate mitigation efforts, but they really are a mixed bag.  In accordance with number 3. above, you are expanding drilling for fossil energy on public lands.  Plus, the Inflation Reduction Act (constantly bragged about by you and others) favors oil companies as much as efforts toward renewable energy.
  5.  Your Administration continues to pursue Julian Assange.  His "crime" was exposing US military misdeeds, some of which were war crimes.  Your backing of Netanyahu means you are complicit in war crimes.  That's according to many humanitarian scholars at the U.N., a few politicians here in the USA,  a few universities around the world, and several governments.  Wake up.  You're aiding in the murder of CHILDREN.
  6.  Yes, you're better than Trump as a Leader, but not better than so many other potential candidates.  Trump is so unAmerican and has such a cult mentality, but still might win the election if someone other than you isn't running against him.  You don't seem to know how to deal with his idiocy.  Like many others, you let him get away with constantly changing the subject whenever he's caught in a lie or otherwise backed into a corner.  He acts like a spoiled brat, and gets away with it.  Anyone who knows the first thing about debating could show him up to be the whining child he is in no time at all.  He's a gaslighter, a serial liar, a bully, and his knowledge of almost everything is pathetic.  He's not an unknown. 
  7.  Unlike a few politicians, you don't seem to understand ecological overshoot at all.  Plus, you don't appear to grasp any ecological principles (not just overshoot).  Like other anachronistic politicians, you apparently believe infinite economic growth - which, by the way, is exponential - is compatible with the health of a finite planet.  You don't see such as an oxymoron.
  8.  Like Obama and Trump, you're updating our nuclear weapons arsenal instead of eliminating it.  You seem to have bought into the idea that a "limited" nuclear war is possible without any significant consequences.  Sheer ignorance.
  9.  Trump has zero statesmanship, but yours isn't much better.  Putin warned the West about NATO expansion to his borders, and wanted talks about Ukraine.  Your Administration avoided talks.  Instead, you were quick to jump into a proxy war.
 10.  Your outmoded foreign policy is a disaster.  It's predicated on the idea of the USA as the world's police force.  It's stuck in a "unipolar" world, with the USA as the undisputed Head Honcho.  It fails to recognize the emerging multipolar world, in which other major nations actually get to have some influence in their regions.  See the Jeffrey Sachs interviews on Democracy Now for details.

The election still is eight months away.  Time to change horses.  There are plenty of potential candidates who have a much better chance than you, Mr. President, of defeating the poorest excuse for a politician in the history of our country.  Bow out gracefully, and you'll see a flood of (okay, maybe only several) candidates enter the race.  The wannabe dictator will be defeated first verbally, and then at the ballot box.  Hands down.  
.......................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Monday, February 26, 2024

This peril goes way, WAY beyond the Trump danger

Our Trump problem is like a bothersome gnat compared to this.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2n_Jk37cLE
Not only is democracy in peril, but so are social cohesion, cognition, a meaningful life, and Nature.  What's described here isn't only in the future; it already has started.  Politicians are doing little-to-nothing to get a handle on it.

The piece at the link above is about centralized A.I., augmented reality, networked tribalism, and how a few High Tech mega companies are using all that to mold the public mind.  It's about the Corporate Surveillance State manipulating the public into accepting something akin to neofeudalism.  If our "Leaders" don't decentralize A.I. as soon as possible, then it's highly likely Fascism (which is the Power of Big Biz married to the Power of the State) will rule societies all around the world.  China and Russia already are Fascist States.  More than likely, the USA soon will be (if not already) if A.I. isn't put on a short leash.  Only politicians can do that.  Even though they talk-the-talk, Big Biz won't do it. 

The danger of A.I. is not that machines will wind up killing us.  It's much, much more subtle a threat.  If you think you know enough about A.I., or if you believe it's all being handled, you're wrong.  If you have to watch this interview in stages, do so.  It will BLOW YOU AWAY.  Hopefully, you'll then be motivated to send the link to the staff of your political "representatives", and to everyone you know.  

The guy being interviewed, John Robb, is ex-military and an astronautical engineer, as well as a past consultant hired by numerous Fed Agencies on A.I. and network related issues.  He's been at that for about 30 years...and he's worried about all the above.  By the way, he's not all doom and gloom; his message winds up being positive (although, from an ecological viewpoint, a bit unrealistic in places).
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well & Be Aware

Friday, February 23, 2024

An Apparently Much-Needed BIOLOGY Lesson for the Alabama Supreme Court

 When a female human egg is fertilized by a male human sperm cell, the result is known as a zygote.  [The same is true with all other members of the biological Animal Kingdom.]  A zygote still is a single cell.  It has no brain, central nervous system, eyes, heart, etc.  [Yes, that should be obvious and known by everyone.  Given the Court's decision, however, thought I'd better make sure:]

When the fertilized egg divides into two identical cells, and those two divide, and on & on, the result is known as an embryo.  While an embryo, the group of cells appears no differently than does a group of cells from any number of other animals at the same stage of development.  It's a blob of undifferentiated cells.  It's not a child, not even close.  There's no brain, no developed systems found in a fetus, no sentience, no consciousness, nothing but a group of identical cells.  Yes, an embryo has the potential of becoming a human life; but it's not yet such.

Approximately eleven weeks after the last menstrual period in the mother, an embryo begins the phase of cell differentiation.  Body systems develop with specific organs.  The eventual result is known as a fetus.  The differences between an embryo and a fetus are monumental and relevant to ethics.

When an embryo is frozen (which happens in the IVF*** process weeks prior to the beginning of the change to a fetus) cell differentiation doesn't begin until after unfreezing.
[***IVF = in vitro fertilization]

To treat/view an embryo as a child is absurd.  To make things worse, one of the justifications for the decision was a citation from the Christian Holy Bible.  I was unaware of Alabama being a theocracy, or at least, acting like one.  There's no way that's appropriate...or even legal I would guess.

By the way, when you do a Google Search for questions regarding an "embryo", about one-third or more of the answers deal with a FETUS, not an embryo.  So it seems some Tech Whiz "Kids" who write algorithms for this Search topic, also need this Biology lesson.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  In case anyone is wondering, I have an academic background in Biology and taught the subject at both the High School and Community College levels for years.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Attention: Main Street, City & County Comprehensive Planners, and Anyone Truly Interested in Sustainability

Here's why 2-4% annual Growth (which, by the way, is exponential) is harmful, and a framework for the sustainable alternative---
It's somewhat of a long read, but worth it.  If nothing else, study the informative graphics and you'll get much of the central theme.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

"France's Start-Up Nation is a Neoliberal Hell"

 https://techwontsave.us/episode/206_frances_start_up_nation_is_a_neoliberal_hell_w_nastasia_hadjadji?emci=10369721-2fd0-ee11-85f9-002248223794&emdi=fdc8a869-ebd0-ee11-85f9-002248223794&ceid=6171896

The neoliberal Macron, elected in 2017, has more or less teamed up with portions of the neoliberal High Tech Industry to transform France into something akin to a "start-up" corporation.  [It began as only efforts to attract High Tech investment, but morphed into working toward the instituting of a full-blown Corporatocracy.]  For details, copy & paste on a new page (or do a Search for the title) the link above.

In the name of "efficiency", the team (so to speak) is working to privatize public services and basically dismantle or drastically reduce France's social safety net.  That's the common objective and function of neoliberal policies instituted by Establishments in most "democratic" countries all around the world.  

What boggles the mind is this:  in the past several/many years, neoliberalism and the associated corporate globalization have shown themselves to be an abject failure relative to benefits to Main Street.  The failure has been ecological, social, and economic, never mind psychological and political.  If you're in the top twenty percent (or so) of income earners, then the whole thing has been great for you.  The rest of us have not fared so well.

Except in my country, the USA, most of the world has recognized the harm done by privatization, deregulation, austerity for Main Street, job insecurity, reduced retirement benefits, monopolization in High Tech, stagnant wages, and the like.  So, it's no wonder to me why Main Street in France and elsewhere has been protesting neoliberal policies and the continuing transfer of wealth to the Upper Crust.
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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Why the factory farming of animals (and animal lab experimentation) is an obscenity

 https://tamerlaine.org/factory-farming-in-pictures

1.  Family farms, shrinking in number, still outnumber factory or "industrial" farms by far.  BUT, the total number of animals on factory farms is greater than the total on family farms.  A single factory dairy farm can have anywhere from 700 to 25,000 milk cows...on ONE "farm".  Dairy cattle!  These cows are never on pasture.  They live in giant warehouses and/or crowded feedlots.  There are about 9.4 million milk cows in the USA; the majority of them are never grazing on pasture their entire lives.  [NOTE:  in China & a few other countries, there are factory dairy farms with up to 100,000 milk cows on each one.]

2.  Hogs on factory farms live their entire lives indoors, most of them in steel bar crates, not roaming around in a big indoor arena.  Sows live in gestating crates barely longer and taller than the animal...their entire lives (which usually is only a few years).  [See the photo at the link above.  Not counting dogs, hogs are the most intelligent of all farm animals.  In general, they can do simple math better than a 3-yr-old human.  Like all livestock, they are social creatures, & have emotions.]

3.  Poultry on factory farms are never outdoors anymore.  They're raised in crowded crates in giant sheds, several packed into each crate, & crates stacked upon each other.

4.  Lab animals--- I can't even go there--- many of the experiments are cruel beyond belief, done in universities with full Government funding.  Mice, cats, dogs, primates, and a few other mammals are subjected to inordinate suffering.  Sentient beings treated like nonliving objects.  There are a few corporations which do nothing but raise "crops" of these creatures, thousands of future victims for sale.  It seems many humans pretend all animals except us are too dumb to be aware of their own suffering.  I guess such thinking soothes their consciences.

In most of these factory operations, cleaning of animal wastes is done automatically, which means it's incomplete.  Because of the massive numbers of animals, infected/sick ones often get overlooked and die without medical treatment.

The philosopher, Kant, once wrote (paraphrased):  we can judge the character of people by their treatment of animals.

Factory farming (especially of animals) is an obscenity.  It's a gross insult to civil society, sentient beings, and Nature.  We are capable of far better behavior.  Studies have shown that "small farms can feed the world".  Google it.  [You'll find arguments and studies supporting both sides of the question.  The disagreement largely revolves around the definition of the term, "small farm".]
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"Don't Believe Him"

The Nazis in the 1930's and 1940's used exactly the same propaganda tactic as is used by Trump:  repeat a lie over & over, and m...