Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Unfortunate Dismantling of Our Democratic Political System
Our democratic institutions have been suffering from severe malaise for quite some time. The disease process has extended over many decades. Unfortunately, it is now quite moribund and may not be amenable to resuscitation.
There was a time in the nation's history, especially during the era of the so-called "robber barons," when presidents were effectively chosen along with elected officials at both the local and national level by the powerful. When the fear regarding the burgeoning popular interest in the ideals embodied in socialism became acute due in large measure to the abuses of the industrial capitalist system culminating in the Great Depression of 1929, the Democratic Party instituted a set of reforms collectively referred to as the New Deal under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These reforms helped curtail the ability of the corporate class to suppress the will of the people, and in that sense preserved democratic institutions.
Now, however, we are witnessing first-hand the deliberate and overt use of vast sums of money coming from powerful corporate interests to finally and possibly irrevocably subvert the democratic ideal and, thereby, return the nation to the Gilded Age. This is due, in no small measure, to the decision by the Supreme Court in the now famous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case that effectively equates political contributions to free speech – a patently absurd idea. This decision has successfully and completely unraveled all previous attempts to control and contain the political power of the vested interests in this country.
The level of corruption in government has reached staggering proportions. If this trend remains unchecked, it will lead to not only the subversion of the essence of democracy but also to the continued downward spiral of the overall health and well-being of the nation, for the role of good and effective government is to address the real needs and concerns of all the people. A government whose predominant purpose is to preserve the wealth and status of the affluent class at the expense of the vast majority of its citizens is bound to fail on a grand scale.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
We will occupy the 1% | Occupy Bohemian Grove
Occupy groups from Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Portland, Sebastopol, and Petaluma, are joining some twenty other social justice activist organizations to protest the powerful one-percent elites partying at the Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, California July 14-29.
2,000-3,000 rich and wealthy men have gathered every summer for 133 years in a private 2,800 acre ancient redwood retreat to celebrate themselves with parties, entertainment, and speakers. The men, Bohemian Club members and their guests, will hold a cremation of care ceremony July 14, where they symbolically burn the cares of the world before a giant owl in a bizarre annual ritual.
This year’s protest against the gathering of the world’s political and economic elite is called “Occupy Bohemian Grove, Expose the 1%. Occupy groups across America, and increasingly the world, are working to expose the one percent in control of global resources who are bringing human rights repression, environmental destruction, and war to humankind.
The Fukushima Mothers and Cindy Sheehan are joining the twenty-four co-sponsors for a Creation of Care ceremony, speakers, and music, Saturday, July 14, at the Monte Rio Amphitheater, just outside the gates of the Bohemian Grove. Kris Welsh will MC the day, and Dennis Bernstein, host of Flashpoints on KPFA/Pacifica radio will broadcast live from the event. Russia Today-TV with Abby Martin will film and John Rees with No-Lies Radio will video-cast the day on the Internet...
more: We will occupy the 1% | Occupy Bohemian Grove
Friday, July 13, 2012
Fukushima A Human Error: A Must-Read Manga in English — DiaNuke.org
Dear everyone all over the world
We are the members of the citizens who want to stop the spread of radiation and toxic substance by “Burning” the contaminated debris(“Gareki”)from Tohoku earthquake.The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster problems have not been solved yet, but the Japanese government proceeded to enforce the restart of Ooi nuclear power plant, which ignored the nuclear safety.（※１）
We are the members of the citizens who want to stop the spread of radiation and toxic substance by “Burning” the contaminated debris(“Gareki”)from Tohoku earthquake.The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster problems have not been solved yet, but the Japanese government proceeded to enforce the restart of Ooi nuclear power plant, which ignored the nuclear safety.（※１）
A large number of people protest this government’s decision “desperately”, but this voice never fell on deaf ears.On June 29, Friday night, over 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside Noda’s office on Friday night in last-ditch attempt to derail the restart.
Anti-nuclear campaigners accused the prime minister of rushing into a decision and ignoring lingering concerns over safety.
From the day, some of the major media started to concern this trend, but the government has totally ignored us.
The Japan gov’t controls the media. For example, The symbolic thing is the slogan of “Kizuna”(Bonding), but they use this “Kizuna” campaign as the big support for Tohoku area, and recommend the “Burning” of the debris all over Japan.They have even changed the law for this, explaining that burning the debris will be harmless, as the radiation and toxic substance is diluted.And Japanese mass media didn’t report about this.A lot of Japanese people have not realized about this risk.The polluted debris should not be burned anywhere, including Tohoku area.The local governments doesn’t convey the risk of burning the debris to the people precisely.
And they inspect to get the result of “Non-detection”, and keep telling the people that it is safe.Actually, burning the debris is not only harmful that also causes more work for the local gov’t in Tohoku.It doesn’t help Tohoku at all...
ガレキマンガEnglishmore: Fukushima A Human Error: A Must-Read Manga in English — DiaNuke.org
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
steal this book
Steal This Book is a book written by Abbie Hoffman. Written in 1970 and published in 1971 the book exemplified the counter-culture of the sixties. The book sold more than a quarter of a million copies between April and November 1971. The book, in the style of the counter-culture, mainly focused on ways to fight the government, and against corporations in any way possible. The book is written in the form of a guide to the youth. Hoffman, a political and social activist himself, used many of his own activities as the inspiration for some of his advice in Steal this Book.
The main author of the book, Abbie Hoffman was one of the most influential and recognizable American activists of the twentieth century. Abbie Hoffman was born in 1936 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Hoffman wrote several books and other works such as Steal This Urine Test: Fighting Drug Hysteria in America, Revolution For the Hell of It, and The Autobiography of Abbie Hoffman. Steal this Book was written in the climate of the counter-culture, in which opposition to tradition and government was rampant, and experimentation with new forms of living was encouraged. In short, it was written in the time of “sticking it to the man.” Although the book was published in the seventies, it is truly a relic of the sixties.
Steal this Book is broken up into three sections, “Survive!”, “Fight!”, and “Liberate!”. Each section has several sub-chapters each pertaining to its section. The section “Survive!” is all about getting “free” things and as its title indicates, surviving. It includes chapters on how to acquire food, clothing, furniture, transportation, land, housing, education, medical care, communication, entertainment, money, dope, and other assorted items and services. The section “Fight!” is all about the counter-culture imperative of rebelling against the government and corporations. It includes chapters on starting an underground press, guerrilla radio, guerrilla television, what to bring to a demonstration that’s expected to be violent, how to make an assortment of home-made bombs, first aid for street fighters, legal advice, how to seek political asylum, shoplifting techniques, stealing credit cards, monkey warfare, gun laws, and identification papers. This section also includes advice on such topics as growing cannabis, living in a commune, and obtaining a free buffalo from the Department of the Interior. It discusses various tactics of fighting as well as giving a detailed list of affordable and easy ways to find weapons and armor that can be used in a confrontation with law enforcement. The section advocates rebelling against authority in all forms, governmental and corporate.The third section is “Liberate!” with the chapter headings: Fuck New York, Fuck Chicago, Fuck Los Angeles, and Fuck San Francisco. The book also includes an appendix that lists approved of organizations and other books worth stealing.
As the book ages, the specific details of the various techniques and advice Hoffman gives have become largely obsolete for technological or regulatory reasons, but the book iconically reflects the yippie zeitgeist. (read more)
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Rest in peace Ernest
Ernest Borgnine (born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American film and television actor whose career spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, winning an Oscar in 1955 for Marty. On television, he played Quinton McHale in the 1962–1966 series McHale's Navy and co-starred in the mid-1980s action series Airwolf, in addition to a wide variety of other roles. Borgnine was also known for his role as Mermaid Man in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Borgnine earned an Emmy Award nomination at age 92 for his work on the series ER. (read more)
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Rest in peace Andy
Andrew Samuel "Andy" Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. A Tony Award nominee for two roles, he gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the 1960–1968 situation comedy The Andy Griffith Show and in the 1986–1995 legal drama Matlock. Griffith died on July 3, 2012 at the age of 86. (read more)
Monday, July 2, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Inherent Frailty of the Currently Accepted Economic Model
The growing social
and economic instability in Western Europe as exemplified by the turmoil in
Greece and Spain and that is likely to spread to Italy as well as the severe
economic dislocation of millions of American citizens is indicative of a
deep-seated malaise that haunts the very nature of the economic paradigm that
lies at the heart of modern capitalist-based economies. There are a number of seminal issues that lie
at the core of the problem.
Economic success has
become intimately linked with the continual expansion of global markets on a
planet possessing finite resources; this dependence flies in the face of
reality. It is not difficult to predict
the inevitable future outcome of such a strategy – eventually human societies
will devolve into the brutal economics based on scarcity. This is a prospect we should not wish on
future generations.
The underlying
motivating force for participation in economic life has been stripped of its
humanity. This has been particularly
evident in the unscrupulous and cavalier machinations of the financial sector
that has effectively impoverished so many of the world’s people and at the same
time rewarded the very few who have risked the livelihoods of the many to
enrich only themselves. The blatant fact
that these individuals have walked away unscathed is a demonstration of the
inherent corruption of the system.
Furthermore, in the
United States, politics has become inextricably tied to wealth. The Supreme Court has sanctioned this
relationship by establishing that corporations are people and that money in the
form of political contributions is equivalent to free speech. These are by no means accidental legal
pronouncements, for they represent a strategy of retrenchment in order to
solidify and codify the ascendant position of the affluent class. This effort has been breathtakingly
successful.
This kind of
reassertion of the inherent power of wealth is now being acted out in Europe as
well. This tendency has unfortunate
repercussions for future generations, for the economic model upon which the
system rests is bound to implode. An
economic system in which human compassion and the central concern for the
well-being of all members of society are purged from consideration is bankrupt
by nature. It will necessarily lead to
an amplification of a two-tier system in which only a very small minority of
individuals exerts inordinate and extreme economic power over everyone else –
this is a new version of the blighted model that dominated societies at the
beginnings of the industrial age. In the
so-called democracies, it is allegedly the will of the people that determined
future policy. If that relationship is
real then it would be unfortunate, indeed, if the collective voice of the
people echoes the will of the powerful and fails to question of the validity of
the harsh and unforgiving economic realities as determined by fiat.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Lonely Tears
Half-sitting, half-laying
His hat in the street
A few coins twinkle there
Nearby, a drummers beat.
His eyes barely open
For what's there to see
A businessman passes
Throws two quarters, maybe three.
Out of guilt or compassion
I'd say the former not the latter
For his eyes never left his watch
As though he doesn't even matter.
But the old man doesn't care
He's already learned how to cope
What he really requires
Is for us to give him hope.
A bard in me, I say to you
You that cannot see his pain
For it does indeed show itself
Time and time again.
If you peer closely
At the corner of his eye
Ah, but first you must sit a spell
And let the sun creep through the sky.
Until time then rewards
It now begins to swell
A lone tiny tear
Has finally climbed the well.
Slowly it builds
Its journey long
Vibrating in rhythm
To the drummers song.
It finally falls
Sliding over the cheek
Pounding through the stubble
Gliding where it's sleek.
Hanging from the chin
Posing in its singularity
And showing all
In utmost clarity.
Only a man
With a broken heart
Cries with
Lonely tears.
His hat in the street
A few coins twinkle there
Nearby, a drummers beat.
His eyes barely open
For what's there to see
A businessman passes
Throws two quarters, maybe three.
Out of guilt or compassion
I'd say the former not the latter
For his eyes never left his watch
As though he doesn't even matter.
But the old man doesn't care
He's already learned how to cope
What he really requires
Is for us to give him hope.
A bard in me, I say to you
You that cannot see his pain
For it does indeed show itself
Time and time again.
If you peer closely
At the corner of his eye
Ah, but first you must sit a spell
And let the sun creep through the sky.
Until time then rewards
It now begins to swell
A lone tiny tear
Has finally climbed the well.
Slowly it builds
Its journey long
Vibrating in rhythm
To the drummers song.
It finally falls
Sliding over the cheek
Pounding through the stubble
Gliding where it's sleek.
Hanging from the chin
Posing in its singularity
And showing all
In utmost clarity.
Only a man
With a broken heart
Cries with
Lonely tears.
Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi: What is the Link? on Vimeo
Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi: What is the Link? on VimeoCCTV's Margaret Harrington hosts Maggie and Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Energy Education. Arnie and Maggie discuss their recent travels to Italy to take part in and to view an opera on the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident, entitled "La cortina di fumo" ("the smoke curtain"). Arnie and Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi first participated in a symposium about the "Smoke Curtain" regarding the governmental smoke curtain that covers the truth about nuclear power accidents. Ms. Harrington and the Gundersens discuss the impact of the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Daiichi disasters on the environment and people's health.
Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi: What is the Link?
Fairewinds Energy Education
Thursday, June 28, 2012
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