This Final Outrage Cannot Stand!

28 Dead

The price for having the right to buy automatic high volume firearms just went up dramatically. We know it is bad when the President cries on national TV. It has been suggested apparently with a straight face arm teachers. Does this fool not realize most people do not wish to live in such a world? Does this fool not realize this does absolutely nothing to solve the problem? Can this fool not do basic math? Allow me to help. People with severe mental problems plus high volume automatic weapons equals tragedy.  Let's take a closer look at the above equation.

People with severe mental problems plus high volume automatic weapons equals tragedy. We have pretty much laid waste to our mental health system. Often, the poor with mental health issues, cycle in and out of prison with poor if any treatment. We throw these lives away. sometimes with deadly results. We bury ourselves deep with-in our fuck you winner take all capitalism isolated from the warmth and comfort of our fellow human beings. We are taught to fear one another. Anyone who looks different, acts different or has different beliefs is not to be trusted. Thus we get what we have today, a country in which there are more guns than people, a country in which the government issues permits for people to legally carry concealed deadly weapons and a country in which gun ownership is a right and health care is a business.  We call ourselves the home of the brave. How can this be further from the truth? We cower isolated in our homes so scared of our neighbors many of us feel it necessary to arm ourselves and apply for Conceal Carry permits. All the while being fed a river of molten fear via our TV's which we consume with out question. We stigmatize those who seek mental health services to the point of exclusion. No one wants to live with he's crazy or that family has a crazy person. People with meantal health issues are swept under the rug until they burn through in a final desperate act of rage. Yet, we ask ourselves "why" when such tragic avoidable events occour over and over. The shooter did not wake up yesterday and just decide to waste him mom and a bunch of kids. Something lead to this and I'm sure in the coming days we will hear of ignored warning signs, a long dark history of his life and missed chances to stop this. There can be no justification for his crime of mass murdering children. It is up to us to examine critically and with real courage a culture that could produce such a terrible event, our culture.

All too often, our heros have and use guns to resolve differences. Bang! Kill the "bad guy" -problem solved. Life never works this way. It is a sad over simplification for consumption by the feeble minded. How many of us really paid attention when Jesus said "Those who live by the sward die by the sward?" Not many. Violence has always begot more violence and it always will. We watch TV as women are murdered, beaten and raped and most often a male tracks down the criminal. We watch the choreographed barbarism of WWF and MMA fights and call ourselves peace loving.  Even the NFL is nothing but a group of gladiators who battle in a dangerous violent game each week. All of this passes for enterainmet. The 24 * 7 news media practically wets itself every time something like this happens. How about a different approach? Here's an idea. What else can be done?

We must demand restoration of our now gutted mental health system.
We must take the stigma out of seeking mental health care.
We need to make it more difficult for those with mental health issues to get their hands on guns.
We cannot snap our finger and 300 million plus guns be gone. We have to make violence unacceptable. This is the hardest task of all but we must try.
To do nothing is unacceptable. We cannot let these lives be lost in vain.            

Readings 12.8.2012

On The Border - Fall of the American Empire. 

Catastrophe in the Making: Mining for Uranium Could Begin on the East Coast - Even more dangerous than fracking? 

Tar sands. 

Henry A. Giroux | Hurricane Sandy in the Age of Disposability and Neoliberal Terror

Katrina, All Over Again What about the poor?

A Change in Washington? Dr. Galtung 

Is this What Jesus Had In Mind?

'Tis the season! Again... Something has gone horribly wrong.



Black Friday

Small Business Saturday 

Cyber Monday

Christmas

And whichever Madison Ave creation I've thankfully forgotten. 

I'm sure there are still a few people around who load up the family pick up with food and go and give it all to the needy with no strings attached. That has little to do with Thanksgiving / Christmas in current day America. Long gone are the days of reflecting on the meaning of Christmas, Thanksgiving or even Easter. In my lifetime they have all been reduced to mindless consumerism. Thanksgiving= stuff ourselves silly with no worry about the obesity epidemic currently sweeping our country drowning us in a sea of entirely preventable disease, suffering and death. Then, the same night we have all given thanks for what we have, like good little mindless consumers we go off and buy more shit = Christmas. Christmas has morphed into a tool of the machine to keep the machine going. The machine being neo-liberalism. Easter= buying plastic easter bunnies, eggs and fake grass oh and don't forget the chocolate! Things we all need right?


I truly believe without Black Friday and all the mindless consumerism that goes along with it, our current economy would collapse. It will anyway. All the billions spent on advertising are only buying us a little more time. We bullshit ourselves, thinking that the circus can go on and on as we wade through miles of isles of gadgets, clothes, furniture, kitchen gear ad nauseum. There is so much! Surely, it can never end! Who gives a second thought to where it comes from and the long suffering people who make it all working in sweatshops hidden far far away in distant lands? Oh, there may be a headline like THIS from time to time but they are only unpeople. 117 dead Americans would be the lead in story for a week at least (A long time in ADD America). Even here, the scapegoats would be found and sent to jail leaving those truly responsible in the clear (provided they are in a high enough tax bracket). But these 117 plus died in a far off land and man there are deals to be had!

Now ask yourself "does it have to be this way?" and if you call yourself a Christian "is this what Jesus had in mind?" If you answered "yes" to either question, go fuck yourself and stop reading. If you agree with me and answered "no" then there is hope! We can get back to basics like simply helping the less fortunate and asking why they need help anyway. We can reclaim the holidays as both family and reflection time. I skipped the Black Friday hoopla as I do every year and holy shit, the sun is still rising in the east each day. We can control the holidays and not the other way around. Try it, you will feel better and in a small way make the world a better place.  

In addition to WWJD, ask What Would Jesus Think?

Readings 11.18.12

Some readings. 

Petraeus – Scandals and Veterans Day

Once Again—Death of the Liberal Class

ANONYMOUS CLAIMS IT STOPPED KARL ROVE FROM HACKING THE ELECTION BY HACKING ORCA, WE THINK

Occupy's New Offshoot Set to Cancel Millions in Medical Debts

Deterrence in an Age of Decline

If I were King for a Day.

Any a..hole with a computer and internet connection can get on line and complain until the cows come home or the lights go out for the last time. Rare is the yahoo who will offer answers to our problems. Hell, somebody has gotta do it, so I'll take a crack and throw in my two cents worth. It is hard to know where to begin so how about climate change?

Climate change is real and not a left wing conspiracy as some would have us think. We need to get our heads out of our asses about this but how? The oil guys are in the business of providing energy. There are numerous ways to do this but they are stuck in a black dirty energy paradigm. Nasty, but it pays. What can we do to make alternative forms of green energy pay more? Well, there are tax breaks for going green and taxing more for keeping the status quo. More importantly is the need for more consumer education about the true cost of burning those dinosaur bones; shitty air, cancer and stone cold evil dictatorships just to name a few. If the people demand with their wallets green energy the five sisters of big oil will fall into line. Inform educate!

The Military Industrial Complex  (MIC) needs to be morphed into the Exploration and Science  Complex (ESC). Yeah, give those suckers something better to do than building ICBM's nuke subs and tanks and shit. What could we accomplish if we used all that money and brain power on creating green alternatives, medical research and space exploration? Imagine creating things that actually benefit humanity and are a real ROI (Return on Investment). How would Iraq and Afghanistan look if the cost of the wars had been redirected to locally driven and controlled improvement projects? This is the way to combat terrorism. As we have seen becoming terrorists ourselves only creates more terrorists. This is not hard friends. What would would happen if we tried the opposite?

Capitalism... Sure I like it because I benefit from it. I'm a "winner" if  may use the language of capitalism.  I can sit here in my nice warm house and share thoughts with you worry free. I''ve got two cars, a laptop, desktop and even an Ipad. I'm comfortable. But there is more to life than "Me." Let's move higher if you will to look at the problem from above seeing more and more. Here locally, there are people out of work who are being ground into poverty and lack basic health care. Nationally, there's the same building dangerous currents of paranoia and extremism that allowed to grow unchecked will lead to violence; very ugly violence.  As we go higher above the problem of capitalism, even larger and more unsettling problems appear. Entire nations are living in endless poverty hopelessly indebted to organizations like the IMF and World Bank. Real people wind up hungry and dying entirely preventable deaths while others get rich. This total dehumanization in the name of making money, I find utterly reprehensible. Can we not reform ourselves or better yet come up with a new system that puts every one's well-being ahead of the profit motive? Yes. In fact, we must demand it before the current system destroys us in an oven of war, an over-heating world and unchecked misery. I may not be such a winner after all and in the long run, definitely not. Don't be fooled, we have the resources to feed and take care of everyone. All of our needs not met because of resource mismanagement and a sense of entitlement too many of us have.

More and more are starting to question long held assumptions the world over. I know I am and will try to add more answers later. Critical thinking is our best hope. Here are a few questions I try to keep in mind:

1. Who is telling be this and why?
2. Who benefits?
3. What are they NOT telling me?
4. What are other possible explanations?    

Meet the New Boss! He is the old boss.

After spending 1.6 Billion on the last election not much really changed. Democrats have the Presidency and the Senate while the Republicans still control the House. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that where we were before the election circus? What changed? Nothing. The duopoly still remains unchallenged with no real resistance from third parties. The green Party, who I voted for could not even pass the half a million mark. This is according to their own website and is better than they have done before. It is no where near enough to challenge the status quo.

So there will be no: 

Discussion of neoliberalism.
Addressing Israels nuclear weapons
Real health care reform.
Sensible gun control.
Set living wage.
Dealing with the hard realities of climate change.
Punishment for those who tanked the economy.

But there will be: 

Expanding wars for fun and profit.
More severe economic crashes.
Continued poisoning of the environment.
More money to be made in the Prison Industrial Complex.
An ever expanding wealth gap.
Continued gridlock in government.

... In other words, business as usual.

More reading from Dr. Galtung.

Vote Against the Machine! Vote Green!

Frying Pan or Fire? That's the question those stuck in the false paradigm of Democrat or Republican face. Either way, the machine still wins. The two main stream parties both fall well to the right on a political spectrum. I think it may look something like this:

L_______________________C____________( D & R)________ R

Some argue, this is a choice. I disagree. Let's consider the many commonalities of the two main parties. I've argued we basically live in a one party state before on this blog but it is worth revisiting.  Consider the table below:

Issue                                           Democrat                                   Republican
More Wars                                     Yes                                              Yes
Bailouts for Banks                          Yes                                              Yes
Continuing Neoliberalism               Yes                                              Yes
Insurance based health care              Yes                                              Yes
Black energy                                Yes                                              Yes
Demonizing China & Russia  Yes                                               Yes
Hostage to
Citizens United                               Yes                                              Yes
Militarization of police                       Yes                                              Yes
Outsourcing of Government
Functions                                      Yes                                                Yes
Illegal Spying on Citizens             Yes                                                Yes

I see no argument whatsoever for voting for Romney. If you feel otherwise, I'd like to hear it as long as "he's not Obama" is not the main reason. He's the fire in my analogy above. Obama is, you guessed it, the frying pan.  The lesser evil is still well... evil. If you doubt any of the above, please consider the following:

Why I'm Voting Green- Chris Hedges

If You Vote, You Can't Complain Ted Rall

Hillary's Bones Stan Goff

Why I won't Vote and You Shouldn't Either Stan Goff 

I see the points about not voting but I'm not ready to completely throw in the towel. I voted my conscience, and voted for neither mainstream candidate. I went Green.  The only way to end the Duopoly / Oligarchy is to delegitimize it. I believe he only way to do that is stop playing the game all together. There are alternatives. Find one that works for you.

Some say it is a wasted vote. I submit if you do not like the similarities above, yet still voted for either Romney or Obama. YOU are the one who wasted a vote. Why not vote FOR something? Before giving me a ration of shit, read the Green Platform and tell me specifics on why Obama or Romney are better.  

Vote Against the Machine! Vote Green! 

Flavors of Violence II

Domestic Violence- Physical, verbal and emotional abuse from a family member such as a spouse or parent. According to Silent Witness National Initiative the overall trend of domestic violence was going down but their stastics end before the current recession started. With job loss and economic hardship I think it is unlikely the downward trend has continued. Add to that people are stuck in marriages they do not want to be in. So the cycle continues. To reduce this form of violence will take nothing less than a total transformation of our culture. For more information see The Domestic Violence Resource Center.

Sexual Violence- From the WHO -
"Sexual violence is a serious public health and human rights problem with both short- and long-term consequences on women's physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health. Whether sexual violence occurs in the context of an intimate partnership, within the larger family or community structure, or during times of conflict, it is a deeply violating and painful experience for the survivor." 

I'd like to add men and children also can be victims of sexual violence.

It is not about sex but power. Here in the USA, being powerful and aggressive is valued and encouraged for men while these same traits are discouraged in women. In some circles having sex is equated to a "conquest."   However, this is only one of many causes. Another is dehumanization. Women or other victims are reduced to "objects" rendering them undeserving of basic rights and protections. This occurs often in high conflict areas such as wars. The sad cold truth is sexual violence is still culturally acceptable. If you are on this website, you are only a few keystrokes and clicks away from images and videos of torture, humiliation and rape of women men and even children. Continued gender stereotyping is everywhere. "When she says NO she really means YES."  As stated before sexual violence can include both male and male and female and female as well as male and female. Sexual violence can be against children as well. Again, will take a huge culture change to greatly reduce the often hidden amount of sexual violence that takes place every day.

Structural Violence- Cultural and governmental structures put into place which do harm to communities and peoples by putting into place a built in inequality. Israel's treatment of Palestine is a clear example. Even so called free societies are not free of structural violence but it can be more subtle. American "culture wars" is a more subtle form. Women and members of the LGBT community are singled out for unequal treatment based mostly on religious beliefs. This denial of equal treatment under the law not only harms others but also keeps the existing power structure in place. Gays are denied the same basic rights and freedoms as married heterosexual couples. The most powerful use "culture wars" to help maintain their positions. While you are voting "against" gays, you are unknowingly voting for the removal of social safety nets, more war profiteering and increasing income inequality.  Neoliberalism.

Slow Violence- Slowly unfolding harm done to entire communities or peoples. The poisoning of air and water that leads to suffering and illness. Some examples of this include areas of unsafe resource exploitation, denying entire groups of basic rights and freedoms and manufacture and distribution of unsafe products.   

Johan Galtung

"I understand violence as the avoidable impairment of fundamental human needs or, to put it in more general terms, the impairment of human life, which lowers the actual degree to which someone is able to meet their needs below that which would otherwise be possible. The threat of violence is also violence."




[Johan Galtung, Kulturelle Gewalt; in: Der Bürger im Staat 43, 2/1993, p. 106]

LINK

Back soon!

I've had a few things come up. Look for another post in the next few days.

-Paul

Flavors of Violence I

Violence

vi·o·lence

   [vahy-uh-luhns]  Show IPA

noun

1.

swift and intense force: the violence of a storm.

2.

rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment: to die by violence.

3.

an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws:to take over a government by violence.

4.

a violent  act or proceeding.

5.

rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language: the violence of his hatred.

Violence is an easy term to understand. But it also comes in many flavors. They are all harmful in one way or another. Let's consider a few. 

Direct Violence - This is the version we are all most familiar with. Violent crime or person on person violence. The amount of direct violence we witness every day via the TV is unreal. Consider this, by the time a kid reaches elementary school, they have seen 8,000 murders on TV and 100,000 acts of violence. No, I did not make this up, look here. Check out this as well. Violent acts make up a huge part of TV news as well both local and national. This helps build ratings and profits, yet only a fraction of violence makes the news. We rarely hear about the child facing verbal and physical abuse day in or day out or the wife or girlfriend caught up in an abusive relationship. Their suffering is no less tragic and needs addressing. Despite violent crime going down, fear of violence is alive and well.   

Here in the USA the fear of violence is a driving force. How can we call ourselves "The Home of The Brave" with a straight face?  Fear drives much of our obsession with guns and the military. People keep loaded guns in both their homes and cars, more often than not ending in tragedy. If you are a gun owner, you are statistically more likely to be harmed by your own gun than use it defending yourself. Simple truth. We would rather have the illusion of safety than real safety it seems.  More guns do not translate into less violence and a safer world. We Americans are proof of that. We have by far and away the most guns and the most murders in the entire world. I don't blame it all on the guns but easy access to firearms exacerbates other problems with deep roots in American history and culture. We are not only afraid of each other, we are are also afraid of everyone else. 

We outspend the rest of the entire world on our military. 9/11/01 gave the powers that be a justification for dramatic spending not only on the military but law enforcement as well. What sense does it make to fight terrorism with the terrorism of state sponsored war? Many died on 9/11 from some assholes flying planes into buildings. Many more have died in the wars that followed and are still on going. How does continuing The War of Terrorism  stop terrorism when war is terror by another name? State Violence anyone?

State Violence- Occurs when the state uses it’s powers to harm own citizens. There are the obvious examples, Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia and Pol Pot’s Cambodia. These are extreme examples of states turning on their own citizens. State violence can be measured on a spectrum with the three already mentioned on one side and Western Democracies on the other. Now, this is not to say Western Democracies are without their fair share of wrong doing. They too have plenty to be held accountable for but killing massive numbers of their own people is not one of them (except the US). The US practiced what we would today call ethnic cleansing and genocide on the native peoples of this continent. No one was held to account for this horrific wrong committed against an entire culture. I think one could argue this rises to the level of a Hitler or a Pol Pot but the passage of time along with the winners writing the narrative makes it somehow seem less so. If you disagree, I’d ask you to look here and here. The numbers are pretty bad. Murdering people in huge numbers is still a crime against humanity no matter when or where it takes place. States don’t just murder their own. They use other forms of violence as well.

Minority oppression is all too common among existing states. There may be countries that have no history of minority oppression right down to this day but I cannot think of one. While people may not be out right killed, in too many places (one is too many) minorities face beatings, police harassment and structural violence. There are numerous examples of this going on all over the globe as you read this. Vietnam and the Montinynards, Central American countries and indigenous peoples Israelis and Arabs, America and black Africans, the list could go on and on. The violence is similar in each case and while in many places progress is being made, there is still a very long way to go. State Violence can also be unleashed on people with different ideas.

The idea of a more equitable and just world put forward by Occupy movements the world over have met with violent reactions here in the US. When discrediting, mockery and ridicule fail to work the back up is force. Massive amounts of resources are arrayed against largely peaceful demonstrators. Police armed better than a lot of armies are deployed against loosely organized peaceful demonstrators. Demonstrations are broken up and key people are arrested (sometimes even before a demonstration occurs). The state uses media influence to put fourth an "official" narrative about what happens from the law enforcement / government's point of view. Few if any questions are raised about why the protests are happening in the first place.     

In the next post, we'll examine the following: 
Sexual & Domestic Violence

Structural Violence 

Slow Violence 

A little longer post soon.

Doing a little research on different types of violence. Look for a post in the next day or two.

-Paul

Readings September 14, 2012

A Terrifying Way to Discipline Children

 

Romney losing Deep Red?

 

14 reasons why this is the worst Congress ever

Japan unveils plan to phase out nuclear power

The Muslim Protests: Two Myths Down, Three to Go