writing thoughts on life, conflict transformation and the world I live in.- Paul LaVack

A new game called real democracy

2012-01-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

It is easy to get on here and whine about our crumbling democracy here in the USA. Finding solutions is harder. I have no magic bullets to fix everything, seems I've ran out but how about a few starting points?

1. If we are ever to have a real democracy here in the USA, we have to find a way to get the massive sums of money out of our political system. I have no secret Swiss bank account and cannot buy influence in the current political system. I think this is the root of much of our troubles and also the hardest problem to solve. But it is not totally hopeless. Check out Move to Amend. Sooner or later, we must stop giving our support to political parties that do nor support us. We the people cannot win when the fix is in.

2. Recreate democracy starting at the most local level possible. The Occupy movements popping up all over are a good start and give me a much need ray of hope. We in the movement and who support it must be careful not to start playing the game the state does so well. Let's all be leaders and work through consensus and not allow ourselves to get bogged down in positions, personalities and power structures. When that happens, Occupy becomes just another failed movement assimilated by the most powerful. Here in Greensboro, NC our local Occupy movement has many sub-working groups; Healthcare, Employment, Arts and Education Enrichment. Each is actively seeking real solutions. The Employment group for example is researching how to set up employee owned co-ops to create jobs. This is the meaning of being the change we want to see in the world.

3. Delegitimize the current two party system. In other words, stop playing the game controlled by the powerful for the powerful. Let Washington continue to play games while we rebuild democracy one community at a time via consensus building. 51% should not be able to hold tyranny over 49%. We need to develop ways beyond the current win / lose oppositional politics that serve only the few. There are alternatives!

4. BE WARNED. If the any of the above starts to show signs of real success, the state will use its favorite tool, direct violence. Once the myths of freedom, land of opportunity, the American dream and the rest evaporate, direct violence will be the state's last card. If we meet violence with violence, we the people will lose. As we have seen the state is very good at violence. What they are not good at is non-violence. This may be a way to transform the game. It is not without cost.

In short, what we have to do is create a new game called real democracy, while we still have a legal means to do so.

Reform, My Ass!

2011-12-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

I'd like to think we can somehow take our democracy back via he current two party system but I fail to see how it could be possible. Average everyday citizens, the 99%, don't have the deep pockets it takes to influence most politicians. We now find ourselves with the finest democracy money can buy. Which is not a democracy at all. It is something more like this. As of this writing, we still have more or less freedom of speech (unless you talk about talking to so called terrorist groups and wind up in a cell at an undisclosed location as a guest of the US military, for example). There are other taboo topics where the punishment is not as obvious but still bad enough. Those who question the the on going War on Terror, invasions of other countries and bombing those we label rouge and or terrorist organizations often face ridicule, humiliation, job loss or marginalization.

The same can be said of anyone who questions capitalism or Neo-liberalism. "What are you, some kinda commie or socialist?" Try to get a job with this label. Hell, this may be worse than doing time in the American gulag. I think we still feed prisoners and let them have shelter which is more than I can say for our ever shrinking social safety net. But if you are a massive financial intuition who has paid BOTH political parties failure is not an option. Read 'em and weep; here here and here. How can average citizens compete?

Financial deregulation under former President Bill Clinton helped pave the way for mega-mergers and big banks gone wild. Did they really expect this industry to police itself? Those who say the market will weed out the dirty players may have been correct but some how they became "Too Big To Fail" and we the tax payers got stuck with the bill. Thus the cycle begins again. For an easy to understand explanation of what's driving the financial crisis check out the documentary, "The Greed Game". The super rich are building wealth on a massive scale while people in so called wealthy western countries are being stuck with "austerity". Those cashing in spend millions on our elections and rake in billions. That's a damn good ROI (Return on Investment)! Are the Republicans any better?

Republicans are all about pro business at the expense of the ever growing underclass. They confuse being a good business man with being a good political leader. Romney offers his business skills as a big qualification to be president but is a good businessman the right person to be president? I think business are two different things. Well duh! Business is all about making money. It is the whole point. Government should be about protecting liberty, providing defense (not an empire) and seeing to it every one's basic needs are being met. What happens when doing the work of good government clashes with making money? Now it seems money wins out every time, no matter the party in power. For a good objective article on Romney click here. Republicans play on people's fears to protect business interests. Government run health care is bad! The old lady on TV says "Big government stay out of my Medicare!" GROOOOAN. Death panels under your bed! They want to take away your guns! The Mexicans are taking our jobs! The list is almost endless but people buy in. Both parties do a hell of a job on selling us on war!

In the beginning George W. had me sold on the Iraq war but I started to listen to those opposed to it and woke up. "War made Easy" is a documentary which exposes the same script presidents use to sell us on war for more than fifty years now. "They are a grave threat to us.", "We must protect freedom." 'We must prevent genocide." Bla bla bla... Neither party questions the fact that a president can start a war and now has a private army in both the CIA and Contractors such as Dyncorp and Academi (formerly known as Xe, Formerly known as Backwater).

There are others who feel this way.

Stan Goff "Why I wont vote (and you shouldn't either)"

Ted Rall Blog

Chris Hedges "This is what revolution looks like"

Chalmers Johnson Read here!

I hope I'm full of shit and those who want to change the system / game from with in are right but how? If not, what are the possible alternatives? Let the dialogue begin! Keep it positive.

Reasons to Occupy...

2011-12-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Can our current system be reformed? I'm not so sure. Neither major political party looks out for those they were sent to serve. Rather, they look out for those who financed their campaigns. Almost from their first day in office, a new senator starts fund raising for their re-election. Yet, they will all say I'm not influenced by campaign contributors, which is a lie. How can they NOT be? So what has this best democracy money can buy system got us? Here are just four things to consider...

1. The soul crushing Earth raping system of neoliberalism that's never discussed, much less questioned, in mainstream media outlets. Businesspeople and their lapdog politicians talk about economic growth completely disregarding the facts we have limited resources and the environment is being destroyed. There's no room for even a discussion of alternatives.

2. The so called Health care debate. The recent reforms are not "socialist." In fact, they are opposite having been largely written by insurance and drug companies for the bottom line. 30 million new customers for health insurance companies courtesy of Uncle Sam will be great for the shareholders!

3. The bank bailouts cost in the TRILLIONS and counting. Meanwhile, congress argues over extending Unemployment benefits for the needy. (more on unemployment later...)

4. Ongoing wars generating disposable veterans while making defense contractors billions in profits. See here for some of the big players.

This list could go on and on. Reformers want to work within this system for positive change. I must concede the past is not without success, there has been progress on Civil Rights but where else has mass protest worked? There have been and are a few good people in politics. Time and time again the system fails to change from within. Can it be saved / reformed?

Your thoughts?

The emerging role of women in war and world conflicts

2011-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Dear reader,

The copy paste function in word does strange things sometimes. If it looks a little odd at the bottom, please forgive me.

Thanks for reading.

In war and conflict women have always been victims alongside men and children. They have been singled out for sex crimes such as rape and forced prostitution. They have also been made to be sex slaves of combatants. This rips at the heart of any given society leaving deep scars that can take generations to heal if they ever heal at all. In the last 100 years rolls women play in war and conflict has changed a great deal. In war, we are all victims. It is important to acknowledge this primary role in war and other ongoing conflicts. In popular culture we often forget about the victims and focus on the heroes, great battles and eventual outcome while unnamed hundreds of millions go unremembered. In just 100 years we have seen a dramatic change in the role women play. They have gone from being almost exclusively victims to now active participants, even in combat roles. In addition they have taken on the role of peace-maker and keeper. It is no longer only up to men to determine when and how a conflict will end. We will focus primarily on western society and also consider some of women’s roles from Russia and the Middle East as they mark some important milestones for women in war and conflict.

The role of women in society has changed dramatically in the last 100 years via the women’s liberation movement and changing needs of society. The Women's Liberation movements have given women unprecedented new opportunities in all aspects of Western Society from the right to vote to new opportunities for employment. Now women can choose almost any field to go into and under the law are now considered equal to men. In just over 100 years the changes have been dramatic. One area of great change has been women's role in war and conflict. Prior to World War I, women served limited roles in wartime such as caring for wounded. With the onset of industrialization and modern warfare, this started to change dramatically. In order to gain an understanding of what women's roles in conflict will be in the future, let's explore some highlights of their changing roles over the last 100 years. World War I is a good place to start because it set the stage for so much of what happened in the 20th-century and is considered by many to be the first “modern” war. The next major conflict, World War II, saw an even greater role for women. After the Second World War, women joining the military became a norm. But perhaps the greatest area change came with in resistance and rebel groups the world over. It was not uncommon for women to be directly involved in combat roles. Women have also become active participants in acts of terrorism, such as suicide bombings. They also act as peace-makers

During the First World War millions of men were mobilized and sent to the front lines in Europe. This left many production jobs vacant that had to be filled. For the first time the women left the home and went to work producing materials for the war effort. For many, this was an extremely liberating experience. For the first time, they had their own money and were no longer homebound. Women were not limited to the home front. Many served on or near the front lines. Their roles varied greatly. Many served as nurses caring for the wounded; others served as messengers and in military communications. A few managed to enlist in the Armed Forces (acting as men) and participate in combat. A notable exception was the Legion of Death; a Russian battalion may up almost exclusively of women. The officers and Non Commissioned Officers were men. They all took an oath to never surrender and supposedly carried poison capsules to take in the event of capture, earning them the name “Legion of death”. They fought and many were killed on the Eastern front. With Russia's withdrawal from World War I, many of the women soldiers fought on the side of the Whites during the Russian Revolution.(Eger unknown) World War I brought about many changes that last to this day.

After the war, many men wanted women to return to their prewar roles as only wives, mothers and home makers but this was not to be the case. In many countries that participated in the First World War, women soon after won the right to vote. Many women had to give up their production jobs after the war, but many continued to stay in the workforce in areas such as nursing and clerical jobs not returning to home life. Women were limited in the kinds of professions they could do and were most often paid far less than men for doing similar work. Most companies would not hire married women at all. This started to change during World War II.

In World War II women served many roles. The pattern was similar to the First World War. In The US prior to the war, women in the workforce were mostly single and paid far less than their male counterparts. With the war going on, companies lifted their ban of hiring married women and the number of workingwomen increased dramatically. According to Stephanie Coontz, in her Book The Way We never Were, the female labor force increased by 50% between 1940 and 1945. The US government greatly supported women workers. They set up free day care for many children, including those working various shifts. (Coontz 1992). Although they did the same work, they were still paid less (a trend that still continues to this day). Despite their contributions, many politicians and academics after the war criticized women leaving home for the work place. They still believed the woman's place was in the home and with the family. Women not only served as production workers at home but they also performed various roles in the military during the war.

Women were given expanded roles in the military from the previous war. They were no longer limited to just administrative, nursing and clerical duties. Each branch of the military set up women only groups, such as the army’s WACs. Women served in almost every aspect of the war effort except combat. They performed such roles as military police, pilots and spies. They also served as entertainers for male troops via the USO (United Service Organization). (National Women's History Museum 2007) After the war’s conclusion, many men thought women had no business being in the military and as a result, they did not get the same recognition or benefits their male counterparts received. Other cultures around the world see a greater role for women during wartime, including combat.

The Russians during World War II had female pilots who not only saw combat against the Germans on the Eastern Front but became fighter aces, meaning they had shot down at least five enemy air craft. The Russians had been using female flight instructors as trainers for some time. As their losses mounted and it became harder and harder to find male replacements women pilots were sent into combat. One was such pilot was Lilya Litvyak. She had a white lily painted on the side of her aircraft and her German adversaries referred to her as “The White Rose”. Lilia shot down 11 German Aircraft and a weather balloon in less than one year. She got the attention of the Germans and on August 1, 1943 eight Messerschmitt 109’s attacked and downed her aircraft killing her in the process. She was only 22 years old (Soviet Women Pilots n.d.). The role of women in war and conflict has expanded greatly.

Since the Second World War having women in the military is now commonplace. However, they are generally excluded from direct combat, at least in the west. Women now participate in almost every function of the military including leadership roles. It is not just in conventional militaries women's participation is growing. Women have been active participants in resistance movements, rebel groups and terrorist organizations the world over for at least the last 50 years. Women played an active role in the Cuban Revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. The famous revolutionary Che Guevara, recognized early on the value women could add to resistance movements. Women could participate in traditional roles such as caregivers and also take on non-traditional roles such as fighters. In the Cuban Revolution, women also acted as spies and lookouts. Women were over all well treated within the insurgency having equal rights to their male counter parts. In some other parts of the world women took on an even deadlier role, the role of a suicide bomber.

Suicide bombers and been around for very long time, dating back as far as the 11th century. During the 20th-century America’s introduction the suicide bombing was the kamikaze pilots of Japan. They inflicted serious losses on the US military at a relatively low cost to the Empire of Japan. In the US, they were thought of as fanatics. Suicide bombing would later take on a different form. During the 1980’s Middle Eastern terrorist organizations would start the modern use of suicide bombers, including women. A “thinking bomb’ is an extremely dangerous weapon and very difficult to defend against. Unfortunately, it is also inexpensive. Different terrorist organizations have a seemingly endless pool of volunteers to recruit from and by including women the pool of potential volunteers has only grown dramatically. Recruiting is done in much the same manner for both males and females. Terrorist organizations look for people with little to nothing to lose and promise them “hero” status, rich reward in the next life and in some cases financial benefit for their families. The example of Wafa Idris (Bruner 2005) seems to follow this pattern. She had been married but unable to have children and her husband got a divorce. Living with her mother and void of hope she carried out an attack on January, 27, 2002 killing an elderly man and wounding 150 others in a Jerusalem shopping street. There is a question of that was her intention because prior to that point women had been only used for transporting explosives and there was no martyr video to follow. The explosives were also in a backpack and not on a belt further rising suspicions carrying out an attack was not her intention. Nonetheless, a Palestinian terrorist group al –Aqsa claimed responsibility for the attack and she was given “hero” status becoming known as a “Bride of Palestine”, a title bestowed later on more female suicide bombers. Wafa Idris also became a recruiting tool not only for other women who would follow her example but for men as well. The message being “if a woman can do it, why can’t you, young man?” The use of female suicide bombers is by no means over or limited to the Middle East.

On March 29, 2010 two female suicide bombers struck the Moscow subway system killing 38 people. There is not much background on the perpetrators yet, but from what is known, the story sounds all too similar to many such attacks in the Middle East. According to one story released by the AP Report: 2nd Moscow suicide bomber was teacher) one possible suspect was a young teacher recently widowed. Her husband had been an Islamic militant. The other suspect was only 17 years old and also a widow. (Berry 2010) According to a quote from Doku Umarov a rebel leader in Chechnya from a separate article in the UK Guardian more acts of terror can be expected. (Moscow metro bombs kill dozens)

“In February the Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov warned in an interview on a rebel-affiliated website that "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia … the war is coming to their cities". (Luke Tran 2010) There is no reason to believe female suicide bombers will not be used in carrying out these types of attacks. Taking on the role of suicide bomber does not necessarily greater equality for women living in these societies but some think so. Women participating in suicide bombings can viewed as either an indicator of greater equality or a further degradation of women. Women are now able to fight much like men and have a more equal status to their male counterparts. They are now given the same “hero” status as male suicide bombers. For example, female Palestinian suicide bombers are called “Brides of Palestine.” Another way to view women suicide bombers is they are far less valuable and so are more disposable. Men can serve as better fighters and should not be “wasted” on suicide missions. Women can better serve by staying at home and having children, lots of children. They will grow up to become fighters.

Not all roles played by women in war and conflicts are centered on participating in violence or being the victim. A vital role many

women play is that of peacemaker. Aung San Suu Kyi and her peaceful struggle for Burmese Democracy is well known example.

The role of peacemaker does not have to only be played by a head of state or even a famous person. One such person was Marla

Ruzika. She protested the war in Afghanistan but that was not enough. She went to Kabul shortly after the fall of the Taliban and

began doing work on the war’s impact on civilians. Using what she learned, she successfully lobbied the US Military and USAID

to give local civilians more aid. Ms. Ruzika also lobbied the US Congress through Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to provide

medical, vocational and other types of assistance for both Afghan and later Iraqi civilians impacted by war. Tragically, she also

became a victim of war. She was killed in Baghdad in a suicide bomb attack in 2005. The Non Governmental Organization she

founded, CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict). It is dedicated to helping civilians in wars all over the world (Civic

2009).

Women have accomplished much in the last 100 years, achieving greater equality than ever before. How they participate in conflicts and wars around the globe reflect this change. There is no question they have a greater impact than ever before and their influence over what goes on will only increase with time. As of this writing, women are still nowhere near as active participants as their male counterparts but this is changing steadily. As women continue to struggle for equal rights, hopefully this will spill over into other areas of inequality and reduce conflict.

References

Berry, Lynn (2010) “Report: 2nd Moscow suicide bomber was teacher” retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100404/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_violence

Bruner, C. (2005) Female Suicide Bombers – Male Suicide Bombing? Looking for Gender in Reporting the Suicide Bombings of the Israeli – Palestinian Conflict. Global Society, Vol. 19 No. 1. 29-48

Coontz, Stephanie (1992) The Way we Never Were American Families and the Nostalgia Trap New York, NY Basic Books

Civic (2009) retrieved from http://www.civicworldwide.org/index.php

Eger, Christopher (n.d.) “Russian Women's Legion of Death The Organization and Record of the Women’s Battalions 1917” retrieved from http://modern-war.suite101.com/article.cfm/russian_womens_legion_of_death

Harding, Luke Tran, Mark (2010) “Moscow metro bombs kill dozens” retrieved from

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/29/moscow-metro-bombs-explosions-terror

National Women's History Museum (2007) “Partners in Winning The War: American Women in World War II” retrieved from http://www.nwhm.org/Partners/exhibitentrance.html

Soviet Women Pilots in the Great Patriotic War (n.d) retrieved from http://mysite.pratt.edu/~rsilva/sovwomen.htm

Learning to occupy... Time is a Wasting!

2011-10-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm back, been working on a few book ideas that have been floating around the last few years.

What are we seeing with the Occupy events springing up around the country? I went to one close by here in Greensboro to check it out. It was late afternoon an there were few people there. I do plan to go back because I like the feel of it and agree there are a lot of problems in the world that will require major structural changes to resolve. It is not a Democrat vs. Republican issue. I find them both to be the problem and not a part of any solution. My older lefty friends say we HAVE to vote for Obama! Heaven forbid one of those lunatic Republicans get in there. (More on them soon) No, we have to delegitimize the entire system. Stop participating! Pay off (or not) and get rid of the credit cards. Banks make money on every transaction! Don't finance shit you do not have to have. Renting wheels, please... Turn off the TV. Cut the fantasy already.

Let's cut through the BS.

Incomes of Top 1% Increased 275% Between 1979-2007

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand this is NOT a good trend. Soon, we too will join most third world countries wit a tiny group of super rich and masses of poor.

Exxon 10.7 Billion dollars 1qtr 2011 profits.

Need I say more. It speaks for itself.

Real unemployment VS Corporate Profits

Trickle down my big black ass! And I'm a white dude.

Health care? Our "For profit" system is killing us literally. But don't take my word for it click here. Someone between jobs gets seriously sick and goes to the hospital and then looses their home. Why are we not asking why can occur? No, we don't ask such uncomfortable here. Instead, we pass "reform" that gives insurance companies 30+ million more customers. Now you tell me, who runs this country? To those who cheered during one of the recent debates when the Blitzer shill asked if the uninsured should be allowed to die, I think you are a disgrace to your party, country and religion. This is not a football game. Real flesh and blood people are dying and you... cheer.

Now the cops are cracking down on Occupy Wall Street all over the country. Free Speech, yeah sure... Who runs this country?

And pleas stop listening to idiots on TV talking about OWS. Here's a bold idea, read about it yourself from the source. If you think as I think, if you feel as I feel Get involved.

Other projects are calling....

2011-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

BE BACK IN A FEW MONTHS!

Thanks to all who have read so far...

Government as Business

2011-08-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Government is not a business and attempts to run government as a business, I think are misguided. The goal of business is to make money PERIOD. Sure, there may be a few rules that work for both but they are in no way the same thing. Ideally, in a free society, the number one role of government is to protect our freedoms. Government should provide a good national defense (not a damn empire thank you). It should also protect our weakest and most at risk citizens, those who cannot take care of themselves. This is a true measure of a great society. Instead of saying, "Government is the problem, not the solution" (Ronnie Raygun), we should realize that ALL of us ARE the government. Thus we take responsibility for our problems. This entails a few things that are completely lacking today. Informed citizens (not mindless consumers) who know they can bring about real change and reform. A functional education system that creates informed citizens is now all but non-existent. A true free press that is unafraid to point out shortcomings, corruption and conflicts of interest. We now only have a handful of powerful conglomerations that parrot the party line without asking uncomfortable questions.

In fact, we now have the business model applied to government. The recent Debit Ceiling deal is proof. Who gives a shit if some needy people are tossed under the bus? We got a deficit problem! It has to be fixed NOW! Rich corporations buy with pennies the circus in Washington and make millions in tax cuts and deregulation. They use the infotainment (used to be news) industry to remind us this is the only way (and oh by the way you are free). The most important thing in business is making money and not protecting rights, taking care of the weak or making informed citizens. Look at what we got now.

We have essentially a one party state, the conservative party. There are two wings the center right, known as the Democrats and the far right, the Republicans. This makes up our so-called choice. The system does not allow for any other party to get a foothold in Washington. There is a slight exception in the Tea Party. These guys and gals are to the right of Genghis Khan. So the choice is center right, far right and extreme right. The left is all but dead in this country leaving control of the political dialogue firmly in control of conservatives who think the free market / business model is the answer to every problem.

Here we are with massive deficits (have we already forgot the bank bailouts and ongoing wars?). The economy is still in the tank and if there is any change, it is for the worse. All the jobs we shipped over seas (thank you both parties) are not ever coming back. Those over 50 cannot find work now. The safety nets are being dismantled along with our middle class. Meanwhile... those at the top are doing far better than just ten years ago, profits are up and no new taxes!

Musical Chairs on the Titanic II

2011-08-01T15:16:00.001-07:00

The tighter one tries to hold on to something, the more it slips away. The wealthiest among us will try to hold on to power and status as our oil dependent economy slows and morphs into a post oil economy. How bat things will get, I think it is a question of how fast we move into an economy without oil as the life-blood. The slower, the more painful it will be. There will be more and more wars fought over scarcity and it is not totally impossible we will again see the use of nuclear weapons by some set of fools who thing they can “win.” Safe clean water will also become an ever-scarcer resource. So will food. Hang on! Looks like the road ahead may be a bit bumpy. Thinking about masses of desperate hungry poor people and an ever shrinking group of elites trying to cling to their lifestyle at any cost is not all of that pleasant. I believe we are seeing the beginnings of this now and it looks like it will only grow worse. Worldwide, there is already the so-called bottom billion. It may need to be changed in time to the bottom two billion. It looks like the fun is also starting here in the USA as well.

With the recession / depression (what ever you want to call it) showing no signs of ending desperation will soon start to set in here in the USA as well. The unemployment money has so far been just enough to hold things together but it is ending for more and more people each week. All the Federal unemployment extensions end at the end of the year (give or take a week or two). Given the current batch of lunatics in Washington DC, I'm not looking for any renewals this time. They have no interest in addressing the real problem of no demand equals no jobs. Mind you the people that fund the circus also known as campaign season are doing quite well. But I think this is temporary. More and more people will stop playing the game either by choice or by becoming destitute.

As more and more people stop playing the game, the current system will grind to a halt. With no jobs, there will be less and less to pay the big finance companies on mortgages, credit cards and other schemes. People may soon start to realize that this is indeed a one party state and the meaninglessness of Democrat or Republican. When this happens, they will opt out of the political game as well. What would happen if only 10% or 11% of us voted? Who could claim a mandate? But the winning tool would try. It looks like we are going to have to pass through a pretty dark time. Blogs, like this one, that ask important and uncomfortable questions may disappear. The freedom rhetoric we are so fond of on race day will still be there but people like me who ask why are there terrorists in the first place, will be silenced. Somehow, asking why there are terrorists will become support for terrorists. But this too will pass with time. Lying leaders don’t last long. Adolph and Pol Pot now know this. What comes next may be pretty cool if you can live without some of the toys (made into necessities). Okay so the entry is still pretty dark.

If we deplete all of the oil much faster than current estimates much of the bad stuff mentioned will still happen but people will figure out how to live on their own much quicker. Instead of depending on lunatics in places like Washington DC, distant finance companies and long distance truckers, they will learn how to be truly independent. Local relations will become the only relations that matter. Imagine getting to know your neighbors! We will have to get to know our close neighbors and trade skills like building, security and food production. Today, this seems like living on another planet but civilizations rise and fall. The Incas, Aztecs, Romans and Egyptians all found out. But but our civilization is so much more advanced you may be thinking but plain old human shortcomings are still with us. Our arrogance in thinking our American way of doing things is the best and only way. Our pride in our powerful military that we think of as undefeatable that drains the treasury and indeed loses wars from time to time. We may want to re-think “military solution.” Our greed that drives us to take resources from others and says to hell with you, we have a lifestyle to up-keep. Our ignorance is bliss attitude that ignores the views (and basic rights) of other peoples as well as science. Global warming could give two shits if you think it is real or not. There is no way around this simple fact our civilization cannot last. What else happens to the arrogant, the proud, the greedy and the ignorant? They collapse! The greatest technology in the world is no match for basic human failings.

I do not buy into end times or similar non-sense. The changes from an oil based economy to what ever is next is not world ending. People will do what they do best and that is adapt and adjust. We don’t need 200 cable TV channels, imported food and the latest gizmos from slave labor factories in China to live well. We really do not have to have cars. I think we will be getting back to basics. All we need for a good life are the basics, food, shelter, clothes, love and to be useful.

Or I’m full of shit… Let me know.

Nothing is shocking…

2011-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

It seems we have crossed into a dangerous zone of complacency where nothing really shocks us anymore, except dumbass things. Casey Anthony, phone tapping and tell all books about celebrities are great cause for concern meanwhile… climate change, unending wars and a whole host of other issues go on and on unresolved with no resolution in sight. Let’s face it people, we’ve forgot how to raise hell about things that really matter. Gone are the sit-ins, marches, and demonstrations (okay there have been a few notable exceptions). Bye-bye Casey Anthony and hello Amy Winehouse! Her life was indeed tragic and she was a great talent but the media will ride this story for all they can squeeze out of it. Here are just a few things I think could use some real coverage.

Generations of our fellow human beings living in a massive garbage dump. Why is this still going on?

If you think the on going war in Iraq is over, guess again!

The ever-increasing wealth divid here in the USA.

The militarization of our southern border.

The human costs of the Mexican Drug War.

The number of wars has increased under President Obama. Iraq, Afghanistan, plus Yemen, Libya and Somalia. Sure a few of those may go back to George W. but remind me again why Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize? Good article.

I think Stan may be right voting for either party is legitimizing a lot of really bad shit. I may indeed pass next November 4^th.

Musical Chairs on the Titanic

2011-07-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

You know if the peak oil crowd is right and we have passed or will pass in the near future peak oil production, the debit ceiling hysteria, blathering about Casey Anthony and similar nonsense that passes for news these days will soon be seen for the idiocy it really is. If you are unfamiliar with peak oil it is the notion that as some point we will have used more than half the oil the Earth can supply, the easy half. There’s no getting around it, the world we know runs on oil. As oil gets harder and more expensive to produce, what will happen? There is hope in “Green” energy but a good question to ask is can it possibly replace oil fast enough if at all? Here’s the problem as I see it. Can we maintain our rock and roll lifestyle here in the west (based on the notion of limitless economic growth) and expect it to simply go on forever? Keep in mind some other nations want to emulate us in living as if there is no tomorrow and it is cost free.

A part of the problem is that this is a slowly unfolding disaster taking decades, not days. We have a problem wrapping our head around large long-term problems and coping with them in a sane manner. In my book, the global warming deniers fall into this category. We muddy the waters with politics and do nothing all while watching polar icecaps melt and global temperature rise. We have become adept at bullshitting ourselves. It may NOT end with “they all lived happily ever after.” So… if the story has a different looking ending than the typical fairy tale, what would it be?

Civilizations like people that make the up go through life spans. When they fall, it is often not very pretty but life goes on. The Roman Empire did not last forever but had a nice long run. Once it fell, the so-called dark ages set in. Life became much more difficult but the wheels of time kept on rolling. The same is true of some of the great Indian civilizations in Central and South America. Now, we are nearing the collapse of the Great American Empire. Don’t worry, no doomsday predictions here, I’ll leave that to the religious whackos. So what will follow? We may be in for some major changes as we deplete our natural resources. Let’s consider class, culture and a little economics.

Looking at it as I often do through a class perspective, life could get very weird very fast. Today’s powerful are no different than the powerful who came before. People have done some crazy shit to maintain “control”. Pol Pot, Hitler and Idi Amin are just a few recent classic examples of the lengths people will to maintain power over others. Check out Gaddafi in Libya and Assad in Syria as of this writing. There are less stark examples like white southerners resisting the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. Some resorted to extreme violence to keep the status quo. Large corporations are subtler but behave similarly. Any threat to the bottom line is met with fierce resistance, such as regulation. Slow violence comes to mind. As poisons seep into the environment causing cancer rates to soar in places like Louisiana here in the United States and the tar sands area of Alberta, Canada; they deny any correlation and buy off the politicians to keep the status quo. Keep in mind we are busy mastering the dark arts of violent population control in places like Baghdad. Sooner or later, people will stop believing the propaganda from Washington via the media about the American Dream and our better days still being ahead of us. Less subtle means of control learned elsewhere can be brought home. As the economy contracts the powerful will likely act as they always do and the slow violence may soon morph into direct violence. We’ve seen this already on a relatively small scale in post Katrina New Orleans. Private security personnel protecting assets of the wealthy who are undeterred from shooting first and asking questions later on if at all. As long as there are television and radio look for the propaganda apparatus to go into hyper-drive. State sponsored killings of citizens will become a “…necessary response to terrorists, looters, hooligans, gangs and other deviants who are a threat to our way of life.”

Consider Baghdad as a nee model for your hometown. At the top, there’s the Green Zone. This is the most secure area in the city and also happens to be where the people who run things live. In the Green Zone there is plenty to eat, good medical care and a steady supply of electricity. The rest of the city is known as the Red Zone or no go zone. This is a land full of walls, check points, and general uneasiness. Medical care is sporadic to non-existent as well as electricity. The power here is in the hands of gangs and warlords. Be very careful what you say on that cell phone, landline and Internet. There are ears everywhere and if they hear the wrong thing, you could wind up in detention or the morgue. Satisfying basic needs like safety and security are on an hour-to-hour basis. Remember, Iraq is now a democratic society! To think or say otherwise are dangerous.

Sure I’ve lost my marbles you may be thinking if you have read this far! Also ask yourself how long is it before the predators now flying the US Mexican border area (and some of our larger cities) are armed? The illusion of freedom we all cherish so much now will continue in the form of elections void of real choices and dissenters quietly extinguished via marginalization and other means. But there is good news! If we do find ourselves living in such a society in the not so distant future, keep in mind it cannot last. If we cannot find an alternative way to power our industrial civilization what will a post-industrial society look like? If we can manage to get through the transition period without nuking the planet or completely poisoning the environment, perhaps life will be not so bad.

Part II will be up shortly. It gets better and not quite so damn dark!

For further reading check out the following:

http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/

http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/

http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/

The Distance... Matters.

2011-07-09T08:27:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you but I'm a huge fan of the late great George Carlin. He did a bit one time that was not only funny as hell but key in understanding conflict. It has to do with distance. In a nut shell, "The guy on TV is a REAL A-S--S-H-O-L-E!! but the person next to you in line is a real asshole. The further one is away from the conflict and all the consequences, the easier it is to decide to keep it going. There has to be a name for this in the study of conflict but it escapes me now. I thinks this applies across the spectrum of conflict from very small (Family, office, church) all the way up to warring nation states. I've seen it in small companies where the guy that runs the business does not like getting his hands dirty assigns the unpleasant task of firing someone to a subordinate. I can hear the thought process now, "Why should I take the risk of a going postal reaction when I have an underling who can?" Moving up in size and complexity the idea still works.

One large corporation buys another and thousands are laid off, the CEO's are most likely not directly affected. There is no downward lifestyle change. This makes the sale easy. This is Capitalism after all, so it is up to the workers to fend for themselves. The state can pick up the tab in unemployment, food stamps, and other social services. So it goes with outsourcing. There are many places labor is pennies on the dollar compared to here in the USA. It's true companies who stay here with our more expensive labor face the prospect of being put out of business by the competition. Once again, those at the top are by and large unaffected. The needs of the employees and the needs of the company are in conflict. It is easy for those in leadership positions to choose the needs of the company over the needs of the employees. As things are now structured, it is their job to do so. They are legally bound to maximize profits for share holders. Other needs like job security, are secondary. Why are things structured this way and who benefits? Ahhh, there's the class / rich vs. poor frame again!

I think open war works in much the same way. It is easier for Presidents Bush and Obama to continue the so called war on terror / occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, attacks on Libya (not really hostilities mind you), Yemen, Somalia and god only knows where else knowing they or their families will never be affected. Will either man's daughters ever see combat? Perhaps not totally impossible but highly doubtful. I don't mean to say neither Bush or Obama has a soul or a conscience, I think both do but lacking a really personal stake makes the decision to keep the wars going easier. If leaders had to truly lead from the front how different would it be? If they had to personally clean up some "collateral damage" how would they change their thinking?

While thinking on this idea of distance in conflict I could not help but wonder about some of the most evil leaders in recent history. Did Hitler ever picnic at Auswitch Concentration Camp to see first hand how the "Final Solution" was going? If he did, I never herd of it. Did Pol Pot ever make an official visit to Tou Sleng? I've never her of it if he did. I could go on and on but I think you got the point.

I think recognizing the idea of Distance is important. I wish more decision makers were aware of it. It is easy to read in a dry DOD report, Secret police document or see on our highly edited nightly news but there is no substitute for direct experience of Collateral damage.

Corporations, Transition of Power

2011-07-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

We are changing how we organize our societies not just here in the United States but all over the world. Until recent times governments held power and gave people’s lives purpose and direction. In recent decades this has started to change dramatically. The power is being passed on from governments to large multinational corporations with no loyalty to any one nation or group. These companies influence every aspect of our lives, from the way we are informed and entertained, the medical care we will receive, our educational systems, our rights as citizens and even when we go to war. This issue is world wide and no nation goes unaffected. However, the leading nation in the global economy is the United States so attention will be focused on the USA and the impact our actions have on the rest of the world. We have become far more informed about the services and products we buy than about how our government works and interacts with the rest of the world. We forget in the mean time what it means to be informed citizens about the world around us and how our government is working, and more importantly who it is working for. As we change from a society based on citizens to one based on consumers, we steadily lose control over our lives, rights and our humanity. To see how this shift is happening, first we will look at what a corporation is and where it comes from. Second, how the television has fundamentally changed society from a nation of citizens to one of consumers. Third, how our very lives are effected by the health care industry and lastly how our government has been all but taken over by the influence of corporate donors.

A corporation is not a good or evil entity but a group of people running a business to make money. Making a profit for its share holders and protecting the liability of those it employees are the only reasons for its existence. Corporations here in the US have many of the same rights as a “person”. They can buy property, sue and be sued in court, have assets and sign contracts. In the 19th century a corporation was set up to accomplish a goal such as railroad or bridge building and there was a time limit on the life of the corporation. Things started to change when in 1886 the Supreme Court in Santa Clara County Vs. Pacific Railroad the Chief Justice at the time Morrison R. Waite stated before any decision was reached, that the entire court believed that juristic person had the same legal rights as a real person under the 14th amendment to The Constitution (1. The Corporation). This was used in later legal decisions as corporations gained power. Corporations are not here to make the earth better, ensure equality, defend people’s rights, help those less fortunate or champion democracy or any other form of government. They can do these things as long as it does not get in the way of making as much money as possible for their investors. In order to make a good profit companies may do the opposite of these things if it is in their financial interest to do so. In the first half of the last century the power of corporations steadily grew and so did their influence in both state and federal government. One invention popularized in the mid twentieth century helped economies to explode leading to the multi national giants we know today. That invention was the television.

A big part of this fundamental change in society, citizens becoming consumers, has to be the near universal use of television. Television is an extremely powerful force and can be used to educate, inform, inspire change and or control and influence a population. Only five large companies; Time Warner Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom (formerly CBS) control almost all of the news watched in the United States. All of these companies have one thing in common. Their first responsibility is to make money for their share holders and this influences what passes for news in the United States. Rather than inform the public about important issues the news companies find out what the public wants to see and gives it to them. Take for example the missing person case all over the news at the time of this writing, the Stacy Peterson case. The story is a familiar one in mass media often repeated. A woman or a child goes missing (often they are white) and the media picks up on the story and if it is sensational enough the story will get national attention. To put this in perspective, as of December 31, 2006 the FBI had over 110,000 records of missing persons in their NCIC database. (2. FBI) The story of Stacy Peterson is tragic, a much younger woman married to a much older man who has lost other wives under mysterious circumstances and has now gone missing. News talk shows try to beat each other with digging up new details to boost ratings. In the light of a new detail about the tragedy often they will change at the last minute what they were going to cover for that episode. There is an opportunity cost here. For this sad story to make it to the national news something has to not get coverage. It is not just one network covering this but all of them. They are covering stories that have a direct impact on the public’s lives less while they are using airtime and resources covering a largely local interest story about woman among thousands who has gone missing. Another way large media corporations influence the news watched by the viewing public is through the notion of being “fair and balanced”. To avoid the appearance of favoring one side over another, ideas that are not equal are given equal time. Global Warming is the prefect example. In the scientific community, Global Warming is a fact that is not up for debate (the only thing being questioned is how fast the Earth is warming) but almost any story on a network news channel in the US will usually give airtime to someone saying Global Warming is still an unproven theory. This is done not to get all the facts but to protect the news outlet’s bottom line. They do not want to upset sponsors like energy companies or viewers who believe it is about politics and not real climate change. It is not just the news, television takes us away from each other and molds us into individual consumers no longer a part of a wider community.

Television not only gives us a limited view of the world through the news it also gives us a narrow view of ourselves as consumers. For every hour of TV there are around 15 minutes of commercials. In 2006 according to Nielsen Media Research the average household had a TV on about eight hours a day or around 120 minutes of commercials a day! It is marketing on a massive scale and commercials are aimed at each viewer as an individual. Commercials are directed at you as an individual saying you need this or that to make your life better or more recently and sinisterly, you deserve this or that i.e. you are more special than others. (3. Kaufman) In television shows themselves there is advertising as well. This can be overt like FedEx in “Castaway” the movie or more subtle such as what kind of car a character drives. The effect of this marketing and information controlling tool has had on us cannot be understated. It is interesting to note what has happened to savings accounts in America during the TV age over the past 30 years. Savings has all but disappeared only to be replaced by soaring debit. It is easy to figure out who benefits, banks, card companies and industries such as automobile makers and as we have already seen drug companies. Meanwhile, we as citizens have less financial freedom owing on everything from houses to cars to credit cards to even rented furniture! The ads beamed into our households make it seem so easy, for just a small monthly payment you can have fill in the blank... We see what success looks like and we want it for ourselves. In the realm of television success is portrayed only in a material sense. There are shows that only take us through homes of the so called rich and famous reminding us we are not there. This benefits corporations by installing in us a false need of products we feel we have to have in order to get by. It is the notion of today’s luxury becoming tomorrow’s necessity. Through the medium of television large companies tell us how we should live, what success is and for most people it reminds them we are not there yet. We all should spend more money to get there. They also reinforce stereo types and teach us who and what to fear. Fear is a great motivator and is used in the sale of all kinds of products from home security systems to so called germ killing cleaners. Through the medium of television corporations greatly influence how we live, view ourselves and the world at large. Corporations through television have another great area of influence our health care system.

Another major area where it can be clearly shown how much more corporations influence and control our lives is healthcare. Government regulations, regarding healthcare, have only weakened in the last twenty or so years. With millions and millions of dollars dumped into both political parties. In the US the pharmaceutical, insurance and other medical related companies have had their way in regards to laws passed and regulation of the industry as a whole. Any effort at real change is shown on television to be “socialized medicine” or government run healthcare. It is designed to put fear in people. The companies have virtually paid government to do what they want. A clear example is in the 1990’s pharmaceutical companies were allowed to advertise prescription drugs directly to the public. This had not been allowed before, leaving such decisions up to doctors. Now, after seeing a drug advertised someone can go to their doctor and ask about it. As a result, demand has skyrocketed. Another stunning example of corporate influence is the prescription purchasing of the government. Instead of running the program and negotiating drug prices for the whole medicare program, the federal government turned it over to private companies. Each plan then had to buy drugs separately at a much higher price. It is a clear case of the overwhelming influence of money in our political system. Government no longer has the interest of its own citizens at heart but rather business interests. Real power does not come from government but those who have bought it.

The two most politically powerful industries in the world are energy and defense. They are unrivaled in their ability to influence and control governments. It is likely both the 1991 Gulf War and the current war in Iraq are about energy. In 1991 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, he posed a very serious threat to the most oil rich nation in the world, Saudi Arabia. The entire world reacted with speed behind the United States through the UN. In only six days the US had troops and air power in Saudi Arabia to defend a possible Iraqi invasion. Saddam was not allowed to keep Kuwait. The UN passed a resolution for Kuwait to be liberated by military force and with a coalition of 35 nations, Saddam’s forces were thrown out. Although greatly weakened by the disastrous war Saddam Hussein was allowed to stay in power. The threat to the world’s oil supply was alleviated and there was no reason at the time to invade Iraq. That was also not a part of the UN resolution. The war may have ended on paper on February 28, 1991 but continued on in the form of air raids, sanctions and no fly zones until the start of the second Gulf War in March 2003. Many thought Saddam Hussein would have fallen victim to his own people or military after such a staggering defeat. President Bush senior even called upon the people of Iraq to take matters into their own hands but stood by and did nothing as Saddam put down the revolt in a massacre of more than 50,000 Shiites in southern Iraq. There were plenty of forces in the region to stop Saddam’s brutal crack down. Unfortunately for those who decided to take matters into their own hands, the main objective of the war had been achieved. (4. MSN Encarta) Protection of the world’s oil supply was the main goal. Many in Washington thought leaving Saddam in power had been a mistake and under the next president Bush got their chance to remove him. But before that could happen a trigger event was needed.

On September 11, 2001 just 19 men plunged the United States into a perpetual state of war. They used four large jet airliners is suicide attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and an unsuccessful attack somewhere in Washington (the last aircraft failed in it’s attack crashing into a Pennsylvania field after the passengers tried to regain control of the aircraft). In the attacks 2,974 people lost their lives. It was quickly realized these attacks were carried out by the Al Qaeda terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden. There are many conspiracy theories about possible US Government involvement but none credible. However, it is worth noting Richard Clarke who at the time was the National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter Terrorism (1998-2001) has this to say about the White House in the run up to the attacks;

"Frankly, I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11. Maybe. We'll never know." (5. 60 Minutes March 21st 2004)

This does not mean there was a government connection to the attack but it does bring into question why were the warnings received through various US intelligence agencies ignored? By itself it proves very little but when one considers high ranking government officials like then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld almost immediately start using the attacks as a reason to strike Iraq one can easily wonder what was known by whom and when they knew it. At best Secretary Rumsfeld and others who thought like him in the administration saw it as an opportunity to attack Iraq. Immediately in the intelligence community work was started on proving a connection between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks. After such a tragic event the media largely failed to do its job of questioning the government’s version of events. Right after the attacks only 3% thought Saddam Hussein had any connection and by March 2003, that number was 45%. (6. Fieldmann). At the time of the attacks, Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden were operating out of Afghanistan with the tacit approval of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan. It a matter of months, they were over thrown and Al Qaeda suffered many causalities during the US invasion of Afghanistan but the core leadership of Al Qaeda including bin Laden escaped into neighboring Pakistan where it is likely they remain to this day.

The events of September 11th breathed new life into the arms, security and technology industries. Since September 11th their profits have soared. Lockheed Martin Stock went from under $20 a share in 2000 to more than $70 a share in 2002 (7. NASDAQ). Afghanistan proved to be a lower priority than taking over Iraq and her oil fields while establishing a large permanent US military presence in the Middle East.

The justifications President George W. Bush gave for invading Iraq in 2003 both turned out to be false. First, there was a link between Saddam’s Iraq and bin Laden’s Al Qaeda. No such link was ever proven and even the President had to retract this claim. The two men could not be further opposites. Saddam is a strict secular leader while bin Laden is a religious zealot who bases all his actions on in his interpretation of the Koran. Saddam never attacked the United States even after his disastrous defeat in the first Gulf War. He may have ordered an assignation on the first President Bush when he visited Kuwait in April 1993. Other than that, Saddam seemed preoccupied with trying to consolidate his power while his people suffered on sanctions left in place by the UN. The United States maintained a low intensity air war on Iraq for years. This combined with sanctions further weakened the country. The second justification for the war was alleged weapons of mass destruction program that supposedly posed a risk to not only the region but the United States itself. On many occasions the President used the image of a mushroom cloud over an American city to scare an already nervous population into supporting the invasion. Once again the media failed to do its job and question what was being told. The media, driven more by ratings and selling air time than getting the facts out reported just what the White House wanted them to. Covering protesters and others who questioned what was going on got poor ratings among a population eager to avenge September 11. After the invasion and occupation no evidence of a weapons of mass destruction program (including nuclear weapons) was found. Most had been destroyed by Iraq under UN supervision. What was found proved to be manufactured before the first Gulf War.

Everyone criticized US intelligence agencies for getting it wrong. In hindsight no one knew what Saddam had or did not have. There were no people on the ground in Iraq to validate what was being seen by satellites or fed to intelligence agencies by defectors with an obvious interest in seeing a change of government in Iraq. It can be argued the Bush Administration hand picked intelligence to fit the facts into an already drawn conclusion. Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and the only way to secure the region was an invasion. Now after both justifications for going to war have been proven wrong, we blame our intelligence agencies. It is easy and no one seems interested in questioning it. In this scenario it is a terrible case of complete incompetence which few if any have been held accountable for starting a costly and completely unnecessary war. However, if this is looked at from a who benefits most point of view a very different picture emerges.

The Iron Triangle is the revolving door from corporate executives, to legislators to lobbyists. This is the current power structure in Washington DC today. One person can serve in the US legislature, and later on work in the corporate world and after two years return to lobby those he used to serve with for his or her industry. A great example can be found in Lockheed Martin Corporation. In November 2002 Bruce Jackson, then Director of Strategic Planning for Lockheed Martin was summoned to the White House by then Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley where he was told the US was going to war with Iraq. Mr. Jackson was then asked to set up a committee on NATO to help work out a rationale. At the same time he worked for Lockheed, he also helped craft the foreign policy of the Republican Party. A war with Iraq would mean billions in contracts for his company. Before President Bush took office Lockheed Martin stock was trading around $16 a share by June of 2002 it had jumped to $71.(8. Cummings) As of this writing it is at $110 (8. NASDAQ). This is only one company that has benefited tremendously from both the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. There are many others such as Haliburton, Blackwater USA and Bechtel. All have powerful connections to government much like Lockheed Martin and have also benefited by current foreign policy. Unless something is done to break this cycle we can only expect more of the same.

Nobody can know what the future will hold. The current paradigm is unsustainable. This can be clearly seen in how our climate is changing, natural resource depletion and our weapons development. The fact that there is plenty of information available is an encouraging sign change is still possible. The only avenue of information that is still largely free and uncontrolled is the internet. For the time being it is too large for one group of companies or governments to control. WWW stands for world wide web. It may be in the future that communication can be controlled by a few large companies. The internet itself cannot change all the influence corporations have in governments worldwide, especially here in the USA. People can learn. People can create change. People can rewrite the narrative. First, we have to learn what is happening in the world around us and once again become citizens. We have to remember we are in this together, not as individuals. This will happen sooner or later. The only question is how much suffering will it take before we regain our humanity?

Works Cited

1. The Corporation 2004

A Film by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan 2003 December 1, 2007

2. Missing Person and Unindetyfied Persons for 2006

The National Crime Information Center's (NCIC's) FBI.gov

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/missingpersons.htm December 1, 2007

3. “A Nation of morons Is television making us stupid?” by Ron Kaufman TurnOffYourTV.com December 1, 2007

4. MSN Encarta December, 6 2007

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Persian_Gulf_War.html

5. “Ckarke’s Take on Terror, What Bush’s Ex-Advisor Says About Efforts to Stop War on Terror” 60 Minutes Website

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Persian_Gulf_War.html

December 9, 2007

6. “The Impact of Bush linking 9/11 and Iraq. American attitudes about a connection have changed, firming up the case for war.” By Linda Fieldmann

March 14, 2003 addition

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0314/p02s01-woiq.html December 9, 2007

7. and 9 NASDAQ.com Ticker look up LMT Lockheed Martin

December 11, 2007

8. “Lockheed Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” by Richard Cummings

http://www.playboy.com/magazine/features/lockheed/index.html

December 9, 2007

EYE

2011-07-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Labeling.

2011-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

In addition to telling stories or as a part of telling stories, we also have a compulsion to label each other. The “politically correctness” crowd I believe has a point. Labels put others in boxes and with that, certain expectations or limitations. In grade school for example, what happens when a kid is labeled as “bad” or a “troublemaker” or even worse a “loser”? The label or role all too often becomes internalized and gets played out. The opposite can also hold true as well. “Honor Student” can keep expectations high. “Good student” same idea. “Student athlete” can go either way depending on how it is used. The words we use to describe others are important and it is not just in school. Let’s consider a few more labels.

“Felon” – somebody convicted of a serious crime. This is a label one can get and keep long after the jail time is done. Here in the USA, in my experience, we are pretty damn unforgiving. Getting this label can follow one to the grave. It translates into someone who is no longer trustworthy no matter how long it has been since the offence was committed or what they have done beneficial for others. This label often drives people back into the corrections system where they earn a new label, Repeat offender. The consequences are much the same and the cycle will often repeat itself. It is an extremely difficult stigma to overcome and right or wrong will likely never go away. I wish we would re-think this one. I agree with Jesus, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I think we would do well to lighten up a little and give those who have made some poor decisions in the past a second chance. Here’s another ugly label.

“Illegals” – a person in the USA from another country (usually south of the border) without proper immigration paperwork. Somehow, without the right papers, they lack basic human rights. There are those who think they should be denied access to health care, education and protection under the law. NEWS FLASH it is only a misdemeanor to be here without documentation! They are often viewed as criminals involved in the drug trade or worse. With any large group of people, there are a small number doing bad things. People break laws but there is no such thing as an illegal human being. These people do some of the nastiest hardest work in the country often under slave-like conditions. They fear the police and have little recourse when crimes are committed against them. Solving the immigration problem will not be accomplished via labeling and stereotyping but rather clamping down on employers who routinely hire desperate people fleeing economic turmoil ad savage drug wars. We should be doing our part to help Mexico and other countries to our south end the ceaseless drug wars and build a viable economy. Here is another powerful label.

“Terrorists”- a person who employs terror or terrorism, esp as a political weapon. (From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorist). Being labeled this is a sure way to by pass any legal protections supposedly guaranteed under the Constitution! These are the true “Bad” guys and we all know there is only one way to deal with them- death! In movies, news, popular literature these are the psychopaths willing to kill innocents, blow up buildings and target baby seals. We relish our “Good” guys whack them in the end a la Bin Laden. The problem is we seldom look beyond the label and ask why there are terrorists in the first place. WARNING- understanding is not justification for cowardly acts like crashing planes into buildings or hosing down old handicapped people with an AK-47. Rather understanding is getting less and less people seeing these acts as a way of gaining justice. Dealing with root causes like supporting despotic regimes is a better way of solving the problem than hunting down individual “Bad” guys and in the process creating even more “Bad” guys. There is one more label I’d like to consider tonight. “The Bad Attitude.”

“Bad Attitude” – a person or people in the workplace who are seen as a troublemakers. This is the kiss of death for a career. He or she does not understand what we are trying to do or ‘see the big picture.” They often ask irrelevant questions about fairness, consistency and honesty. The “Bad Attitude” label is a quick trip to the ranks of the unemployed, especially in a tanking economy. Who needs people asking uncomfortable questions when the line to take his or her job is out the door and sown the street? Too many of us steer clear of this label at any cost, even if we have to sell our souls. What we get is a world run by fewer and fewer people and a quiet dread of Monday morning.

The Politically Correctness Crowd (there I go labeling) has a point, the terms we use to describe each other are important. Labeling is a way of taking away other people’s humanity. Dehumanization and objectification of other human beings contributes to very bad things like genocide, slavery and marginalization. Take away one’s humanity and suddenly anything can be done to them. We need to pick our terms carefully.

Story Time!

2011-06-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

All the time is story time with us. The truth (that’s small t truth) is we don’t know for sure where we came from or why we are here much less where we are going. So being story tellers, we came up with gods, goddesses and all kinds of fun myths. Moma earth and papa sky got busy and here we are! We cannot stand ambiguity. There has to be a reason for everything or at least a good story. This is the whole point of religion. It gives some of us a workable story to explain life. Be good and go to heaven or be bad and go to hell, what could be more simple and easy to follow? We individually create our own versions of reality based on all the stories we learn. Christians are not taught the stories of Buddha or The Profit Mohamed. I think religion is largely dependant on geography. Where on earth are people taught about all the major religions and then choose which one they will follow? No, we learn based on where we are born. Sadly, we are also told ours is the one True (capital T) story! Anyone with a few brain cells and a reliable internet connection can plainly see the problems this has lead to. But stories (narratives) determine so much of our lives.

Here in the United States we are taught a national narrative (known as history classes). For most it is a series of events, people and dates. The details add up to we being a free people who are a shining example to all on how everyone should live. We like the story so much we share it with others (often at gun point) thinking they are really Americans just waiting to come out! Majeed would be much happier working in a factory or owning a small store than working his own land. We are sure of it! Perhaps if we blow up his house, he will see it our way. Yes, this is an absurdity but is this not the underlying narrative behind our wars in the Middle East? Be like us (and sell us your resources at rock bottom prices) and everything will be just great! Most people here are only taught the “good guy” narrative of the United States and that’s why we continue to wage wars around the world. In Iraq we had to take out an evil dictator who was a threat to the region (oil supplies) and the rest of the world. Afghanistan was crawling with terrorist types who wanted to do us harm. Call in the air strikes and send in the Army Rangers! The narrative is simplistic and easy to follow, kind of like religious stories. Anything that contradicts the narrative of the USA as the “good guy” is all too often swept under the rug or written off via the “few bad apples” story line. We use stories here at home as well.

The average narrative goes something like this, study hard in school, stay out of trouble, go to college, get a good job working for the man, get married, buy a nice house, have kids and live happily ever after. This story has a title. It is called The “American Dream”. For many, that’s all it is- a dream. Those who do not follow the plot to the letter are given labels (another entry for a later time), criminal, deviant, weirdo and so on. Those who want to live another storyline are cause for fear and dealt with accordingly. They are often excluded (poor minorities), have fewer rights (so called gay people) subject to harassment (both poor and gays) and muted (not allowed to tell stories, marginalized). To see this in action, all one needs to do is take a trip to their closest Department of Social Services or local unemployment office and simply sit in the drab lobby for an hour or two. Look at who goes in to use these services. Also, pay attention to where these services are rendered. Chances are they in out of the way places in areas far away from “The American Dream”.

DISCLAIMER!! I pretty much live the prescribed narrative. That said, I’ve come to realize there are other stories out there.

Where do we get the stories / narratives that guide us? I think the answer is simple. They come from the most powerful who want to maintain things as they are. A good example is our election process here in the United States. Three hundred plus people are allowed to “choose” between only two political parties, Democrats and Republicans. Stan Goff makes a good argument here this is not much of a choice. He argues that not voting in an alternative way of bring about real change. How could either party claim a mandate to rule if only a small percentage of us turn out to vote? I think of it as voting by other means, with our feet. Both parties do little if anything to change the dominant discourse of neo-liberalism. Free markets can solve all of our problems if allowed to run free from interference. There is overwhelming evidence to the contrary; global warming, resource wars, crushing poverty, environmental degradation, and modern slavery just to name a few. The information is out there but one has to look for it. It will not come from the powerful who control the vast majority of media outlets. Neither party questions the neo-liberal narrative. As a result, we get lip service from the Democrats on global warming and out right denial from the Republicans. Both parties use the same techniques to continue unwarranted and unjustifiable wars and have done so for decades. You can simply google the documentary “War Made Easy” for another narrative about war and judge for yourself. I’m interested in the super-rich vs. the rest of us narrative because it seems to explain much of what goes on. But there are other explanations as well and mine may NOT be right.

Look, I could patter on and on about how we use stories in almost every aspect of our lives and I think it will be a good topic for more writings later on. If you have read this far, my hope is you will start to see stories everywhere and think about whom the writer is and ask why is it written and who is it written for, figuratively speaking.

Thanks.

-Paul

Goals...

2011-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

It is about the goal. For me anyway, having a goal I'm working toward is of utmost importance. Without one, life becomes the horror of getting up, going to work, coming home, eating ant watching a little tube and going to bed. Repeat. Repeat Repeat. It may be fun for a few days... I need to be doing something more. This is not to say "don't live in the moment". No, we are all only given so many moments and each one should be enjoyed. I enjoy each step of life and feel I can be future focused. I think it is safe to say we all need a reason to get up in the morning. I may not have the best job in the world, I can work toward something better.

Goals can be small, like a blog entry or major, getting a PhD for instance. A goal is striving to become something better than where I now find myself. I don't know anyone who is totally happy with all aspects of their lives. If I did, I'd probably be very worried about them! Accepting of where and who we are is critical for our well being. Do I have all I want and done all I wanted to do? Well no. But I feel I've done well and if you are reading this you most likely have also. You learned how to use a computer and read right? They may seem like very small accomplishments but there are tons of people who can do neither. Simply taking care of yourself and helping those around you are accomplishments. I'm digressing a bit here... Where was I? Goals, that's it! Once I'm good with where I am I can think about where I want to be and how to get there. It seems to me the biggest goals like getting the PhD are best broken down into smaller more bite sized goals. My first goal for the PhD could be as simple as find the universities I want to apply to. Later on it will be passing the so and so exam and finishing XYZ class.

I do better with deadlines. If I had not had due dates in college, I'd still be tweaking papers! It takes discipline to self-impose deadlines. It is an essential part of getting things done. Set a large goal and break it down into manageable parts and work through them. There is a final due Date. When you get fitted for a toe tag, it is too late! We are not given this date in advance so ya better get cracking!

The LaVack Group

2011-06-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Paul

I updated my business site.

Please have a look and send feedback. It is still a work in progress with some small bugs to be worked out!

www.lavackgroup.com

Thanks!

-Paul

Beating a dead horse...

2011-06-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/17/top-10-unhealthy-side-effects-of-the-war-on-drugs/

More reading on the failed War on Drugs...

Iraq... Colony of Armageddon

2011-06-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wrote this awhile back. What has changed?

10/30/2007

Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. Our leadership told us from the beginning how easy it would be to invade Iraq, turn it into a bright shining beacon of democracy for all those in the middle east and how it would all be paid for with a sea of Iraqi oil. It seems they did not look at their history books. War is always unpredictable and a high risk proposition. In the American Civil War, both sides thought it would be over after a few quick and relatively painless battles. Instead it took four years and over 600,000 dead. World War I was similar. Many thought it would be over quickly. By the time it was over 20 million were dead and the maps had been completely redrawn. France thought the next war would be a defensive struggle and built the Maginot Line. The Germans had other ideas. They used a highly developed mechanized offense called Blitzkrieg and bypassed it rolling up the French in six weeks. Who in 1964 could have foreseen the fall of our embassy Saigon (now called Ho Chi Min City) in 1975 complete with images of rooftop evacuations? The Gulf War in 1991 did go according to plan but few could have seen the post war troubles in Iraq. Our leadership failed to read their history books and took us in to the worst type of war, a war of choice. There has been volumes already written debunking the reasons they gave to invade Saddam’s Iraq. The real reasons fit nicely into the new colonization paradigm, Globalization.

Over the last 500 or so years the west has expanded into every region of the world forever changing indigenous cultures. In many cases the indigenous culture lost it’s way of life and sometimes were wiped out all together. The west tried to dominate those it came in contact with. They made those it came in contact with feel inferior, dependent and hate themselves. Colonization proved to be a good way to take advantage of natural resources, cheap labor and give western nations a sense of superiority above others. They built up stereo types of the colonized that portrayed them as lazy, dumb, ignorant and incapable of self rule. This is not some relic of the past. It is alive and well today. We now call this globalization. Instead of countries moving into poor regions; it is now large multi-national corporations taking advantage of those most unable to protect them selves. This is done with the blessing of many western nations and in some cases with the use of their militaries. The US invasion of Iraq is a prime example of globalization at it’s worse.

There is a no more clear example of subjugation and exploitation of a people than in Iraq today. As with colonization efforts of the past, we were given dubious reasons for interfering in the first place. The real reason has to be oil. It is the most important resource in the world and the industry that turns it into usable energy is the most politically powerful. Without such a valuable resource Saddam Hussein would still be in power. His army, weakened by years of war with Iran, US and economic sanctions was no match for the most powerful military machine in the world. Many thought we did a good thing by ridding Iraq and the world of Saddam and his infamous sons, Uday and Qusay. With no plan to keep the lights on, police the streets or take out the trash Baghdad quickly descended into chaos. However, we did secure the Oil Ministry. Almost overnight we went from liberators to occupiers. We quickly took on the role of colonizers deciding we knew what was best for Iraq. First we disbanded a great force for Iraqi unity, the Iraqi army. Second, we decided they needed a government like ours (complete with US advisors) and then we decided they needed to rewrite how they divide up revenue from oil for our benefit. Every aspect of Iraqi life had to be reeducated. Even traffic laws had to be rewritten! The police had to be retrained. This in a former police state! We gave them the opportunity to elect a government but once in place it little to no real authority. No truly independent state has it’s military command structure built into another countries like in Iraq. Nothing moves or happens in the Maliki government with out approval from the US. The on going situation with Blackwater USA is one of the latest examples of who really runs Iraq. The Iraqi government demanded them gone but they are still there with no indication they are leaving anytime soon. Even after years of reckless operations conducted by Blackwater and no telling how many Iraqi dead it is unlikely they will go. The company is too well connected to the current power structure in Washington to be tossed out. To the Iraqis it is easy to see what is going on.

It is well known that the peoples of Iraq are among the most educated in the Middle East. Still, we treat them as children or worse. We rewrite their laws for our own benefit. We play sides off of each other. We bring in even cheaper foreign labor to do “reconstruction”. We tell them they want to be free and democratic like us ignoring their long history and past occupation by the Ottomans and then the British. We dehumanize them with names like hagi and rag head. All of the negative things that come out of colonization we are doing today in Iraq. The State Department sends in reconstruction teams to advise on dispute resolution and reconciliation. There are some Iraqis who indeed want reconciliation but as long as we are there occupying the country this cannot happen. The government we have helped put in place and protect is not seen as legitimate by it’s own people, so when calling for reconciliation they have no authority or credibility. They also lack loyal military and police to enforce what they call for. Without US protection, the Maliki government would be pulled down in short order.

The Iraqis see the occupation for what it is and naturally resist it. We have gained nothing for the billions we have spent and all the lives lost. From the point of view as an empire the US is facing loss on a huge scale. The growing problem of Iraqi on Iraqi violence has not been solved by the “Surge” only postponed. We cannot sustain the “Surge” past next spring and nothing has been done to prevent the direct violence from returning. It is entirely possible President Bush knows how badly we have failed and wants to pass it on to who ever the next president is. The “Surge” is just a delaying tactic and with no addressing the underlying causes doomed to failure. In the mean time we are being attacked as well and the dip in US casualties is only temporary because we too are a big part of the problem. We the people of the US let this happen in our name.

The use of language is what makes continuing this war possible. Every speech on Iraq (and the larger “War on Terror”) President Bush calls those fighting us “terrorists”, “extremists” “Al Quad” “murders” etc. We on the other hand are on the side of “freedom” “liberty” and “democracy”. In the age of sound bite news with little to no in depth coverage or questioning of the facts many see the war in Iraq in these simplistic and black and white terms. Those who do question are called “unpatriotic”, “soft on terror” and worse. President Bush set the tone after the 9/11 attacks with his famous statement “You are with us or you are against us.” To be in the “with us” category people had to blindly accept whatever his administration put fourth without question. The media for the most part bought into the language set fourth. No one questioned how a war is fought against terror, a tactic or “embedding” reporters with the military which translates to be in bed with. Our opposition party, The Democrats, did not put fourth and alternative language or narrative of their own. Instead they became the “me too” party using the same language and same responses. It has gained them little. Despite winning both the house and senate on a clear antiwar mandate, they have done nothing effective to end the war in Iraq. They are still too afraid of being labeled “soft on terror” and continue to vote for funding the war indefinitely. Those who support the effort in it’s current form may be looking at it from beyond a rational point of view.

What should be a deep cause for concern is the Armageddon Syndrome. This is the idea we are in a great struggle of good versus evil that will end in a great final battle where good triumphs over evil once and for all. "We are in a conflict between good and evil. And America will call evil by its name," the president told West Point cadets in a speech in 2002. (Scott Ritter) 1. Bush has publicly stated that “God” talks to him. It is well known Christian Conservatives hold positions high up in the current administration. What may be less known is how much their notion of “end times” drives policy creation and execution. They may truly believe they are carrying our “God’s” will in Iraq and driving us to an expanded war in the region with Iran. In the mean time tax payer dollars keep filling the bank accounts of private security companies, weapons makers, oil companies, general contractors and a whole host of others at the expense of those we have ‘liberated”. The Iraqis gain nothing but assured misery, escalating violence, and the break up of their country. It will take decades to see the extent of the full damage we have done and begin to correct it.

1. “On the Eve of Destruction”

By Scott Ritter

www.truthdig.org

10.22.07

Fixing Problems...

2011-06-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

A short entry. It is easy to point out problems but solutions are a bit more slippery. Waiting on Government or continuing to drink the Free Market cure all Koolaid is not going to get it done. We better start thinking for ourselves some and asking a lot more questions. It is not hopeless!

My goal writing about the failed Drug War in Mexico and other issues is basically to raise awareness. I'm not sure what else I can do and I find that sad. Why does something like the so called War on Drugs, an abysmal failure, continue year after year and decade after decade? I think we get into a kind of stasis. We simply accept things as they are, not the way we think they should be. Sure, I sign an occasional petition on line but feel that's weak. I could write for days about all of the challenges we face but choose not to at the moment. We hide in our day to day lives going through the unending routines ignoring (at our peril) important things like the reality the planet is getting warmer and all the bad that comes with higher temperatures. We watch TV news (infotainment) buying into the fantasy that the latest sex scandal, high profile murder case or little missing white girl are really newsworthy events requiring national attention. Nothing else is going on right? No, let's don't talk about both political parties on their knees servicing bankers with trillions of our tax dollars. Let's not think of the tens of thousands of unnamed dead civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. We better not look for connections between Depleted Uranium ammo Gulf War Syndrome and skyrocketing Iraqi deaths from cancer. Watch here for free. Little missing white girls are bad but what about the children sold as sex slaves or forced to serve as child soldiers? Read more please. Daunting problems for sure but not with out hope.

Now, I'll switch from We to I.

I CAN be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, blog facebook and in person.

I CAN raise awareness.

I CAN take a few minutes to research what I buy. Where and how is it made? It is not perfect but a good place to start.

I CAN reach for solutions and not rely on Machiavelli Politicians who promise "change" year after year and really change little more than their underwear. Let Washington play games, fixing problems is up to us...

I CAN think locally. There are plenty of problems where I live and I can do more about them.

That's five things I thought of on the fly. Now... What will you do?

Mexico is at war with itself. Part II

2011-06-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

There are problems on both sides of the border. Here in the US, we have untreated addictions dealt with through a deeply flawed criminal justice system. Those who wind up in jail simply have the least means to defend themselves in court. How many cocaine sniffing professionals do any hard time? There are also vested interests in keeping the unwinable war on drugs going. The DEA would likely no longer exist if we decriminalized drugs. What would happen to funding to the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, (you can blush, George Orwell) and even the military? That’s a lot of well paid federal employees out of work who do not want to join the ranks of the unemployed! Last there is the problem of apathy here in the USA. Who cares about the carnage in Mexico as long as it stays there? So what if they are corrupt to the core? What is it to us if the highways are like a real life Mad Max Movie? Murder will not apply for a green card. People are already being killed on this side of the border. In Mexico there is rampant corruption, poverty and a growing sense of hopelessness. Looking at illegal drugs through a class lens shows how unfair laws and enforcement are applied to our poor. How many doctors using cocaine got three strikes? The large banks that assist with the money laundering process are never even mentioned much less face any penalty. Prison or jail time for a bank executive is currently out of the question.

There’s no end in sight. How much will the so-called War on Drugs have to cost us before we realize it is not working? We pretty much know it but is there a single politician in Washington with the courage to say so? Anyone? Even if there is, in the current political climate, change we can believe in (for real) is far off. What we are seeing is social collapse- Mexican narco-state style. A complete breakdown of society from the national government to the street is taking place in far too many parts of Mexico. People's most basic needs of safety and security are not being met. The unwelcoming US with its ailing economy looks a whole lot better than being caught between waring cartels.

What are some alternatives? Legalization and demilitarization sound impossible given our current state of affairs in Washington DC. I think this is exactly what it will really take to slow the violence and recover our fellow human beings lost to drug addiction. The military (any military) is a poor law enforcement tool even for needed laws. The power balance is too great in favor of the army and accountability flies out the window. How could legalization and demilitarization occur? I think it would have to be a gradual process like what is going on with pot now. If we made drug addiction a medical problem, countless lives could be saved. It is better for society, I believe, to redeem an addict and not simply try to lock him up. The on going drug wars in Mexico are not their only problem. There is a small group of very wealthy running a country of dirt poor. This is a great recipe for worsening conflict drug wars or not.

What are some other good ideas and how can we impliment them?

Back to the drug war shortly...

2011-06-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

North Carolina Governor renews State Unemployment Extension

So the governor restored the state unemployment extension here in North Carolina. Thats nice but does little to solve the much deeper problem of too few jobs for too many people out of work. Anyone on this extension has been on unemployment for well over a year. This can carry some people to the 99 week mark! Then what? To re-qualify for unemployment they have to return to work for at least 6 months and earn $4557 and that's only going to get 13 more weeks. The goal shouldn't be going back on Unemployment rather finding long lasting employment. All the state extension does is postpone the problems one will face with no income. The state (on both federal and state level) have failed to replace all the millions of jobs that have forever gone overseas thanks to so called "free trade". Capitalism has always been an ass-kicker of a system with both good and bad points but we do not really practice it here.

No, what we do is protect "profit". Anytime you hear it's good for business, business friendly or other similar sounding terms, replace these words with Profit! Regulation is not business friendly = Regulation cuts into profit. Why is the stock market doing so well but there is so little job creation? Lower labor costs overseas! Welfare for the most wealthy is almost never discussed. Exxon gets massive tax relief. Staggering bailouts for banks not afraid to fail! 14+ TRILLION. Google it yourself. Did they have to wait weeks for an executive order? No. Did we get any real reform? No, that would be bad for business er hurt profits or something... Will the jobs come back? No, that too is bad for business. Who's to blame?

The poor lazy jobless yahoo who is well into his second year on the dole some may say. With five qualified people out there for every opening who will hire the older worker, the minority or the disabled person? Capitalism is an ass-kicker and cares not for the powerless. So what if we are just another third world country in the next ten years with loads of dirt poor who no longer even know how to grow their own food and a handful living great in gated communities guarded by Blackwater / Xe goons we can all watch on TV? We may want to start listening to a different narrative/ story than the non-since and false dichotomy we're spoon fed on the nightly news by the two political parties. Make no mistake they work only to maintain the status quo and you and I as voters do not count. Hint- Follow the money...

Mexico is at war with itself. Part I

2011-06-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Just for a moment put your self in the place of a so-called “illegal immigrant”. What are you to do when all the options are bad? Stay, with no job, no prospects and an out of control war fueled by drugs is raging all around or try to go north where the job prospects are so so and you are pretty much unwelcome. I don’t know about you, but I would try to escape the crushing poverty and endless violence by going north. Yeah, the US economy is still in the tank and with no serious options for fixing being considered by either political party, it looks like things will get worse before they get better. But consider what is going on to our south.

Mexico is in a sort of civil war that has been raging off and on for decades. Drug traffickers tempted by astronomical amounts of money (39 BILLION anyone?) and all the perks that go with it, have been fighting the hapless Mexican Government. This undeclared war has been ebbing and flowing in its intensity until recently. Since 2006, it has taken a far darker turn and lives lost number in the tens of thousands. Exact figures are hard to come by and vary according to the source. There are parts of Mexico that have morphed into such a state of lawlessness; they effectively have no government at all. Many of us here take police for granted. We call them and help will come. A crime here will be investigated. (I know this is not ALWAYS true.) In many parts of Mexico, you are on your own if something bad is happening and nobody knows anything. Consider this exchange between the Mayor of Guadalupe and Roy Carroll, a reporter for the Guardian:

“What is going on in the valley?”

"I really don't know."

“Who is doing the killing?”

"I really don't know."

“Who is responsible for security?”

"I really don't know."

“How many people have fled?”

"I really don't know."

The mantra almost becomes a joke. The mayor shrugs, smiles. He knows this exchange is ridiculous. He floats a metaphor. The "situation", he says, is "a perfect storm".

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/03/mexico-drug-war-killing-fields)

The mayor before him was assinated. He is wise to choose his words sparingly and carefully. Mr. Carroll goes on to describe the small town turned into an utter wasteland of burnings, beheadings, murders, kidnappings and “disappearances”.

Consider the following:

More than 28,000 people have died in Mexico's drug wars since President Felipe Calderón launched a military-led offensive against the cartels upon taking office in December 2006, and there seems no end in sight.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/03/mexico-war-drugs-violence

What is certain is that kidnappings of desperate and vulnerable men and women seeking to scramble across the Mexico-US border are commonplace. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission estimated in a report presented last year that nearly 20,000 migrants are kidnapped annually, based on the number of reports it received between September 2008 and February 2009. The government disputes these figures.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/05/brazilian-immigrants-gunned-down-mexico

Yes, we have our share of random and senseless acts of violence here but nothing on the scale Mexico is experiencing. For the most part, gang bangers here are not as well armed or as well trained at the police, much less our military. In Mexico this is not the case. The Cartels are often better armed and have more training than the police. The Gulf Cartel for example, uses ex- military and police as enforcers. They are known as the Zetas. They know police and military tactics.(http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215.pdf) The level of violence is extreme, with beheadings, running gun battles, child soldiers (acting as hit-men), mass graves and torture. All too often there is zero accountability.

Part II later this week...

Honor a Vet -- Ask Questions.

2011-05-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sure it is good to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the country. But we need to be careful. Worshipping the military only leads to bad things. In addition to remembering those who have served, we would do well to think about why it is necessary. Reasonable people accept the argument of self-defense. I’m allowed to defend myself from some one who wants to do me harm. But when was the last war we fought for self-defense? Iraq? I don’t believe so. Granada? We needed the Marines and a carrier battle group to take down a fruit stand! The Gulf War? Was Kuwait a state I just never learned about? Vietnam? Was Uncle Ho a credible threat to California? Korea? We may have had a little more reason to be there than some of the others but it is a little stretch to say The North was a threat to the USA. World War II? I can accept this. How about Afghanistan? Yes but more… No. We have a legitimate goal of not wanting terrorist attacks originating from here but is keeping Karzai in power through hook and crook legitimate? Who dares to ask?

Yes, we do need a military but we owe it to them to ask questions. There are those out there who want to do us harm sure, but who gets to say who? In remembering “The Troops” we do them a great disservice by not asking hard questions about why, when and where they are sent. They go where they are told and leave it up to us to insure it is for legitimate reasons. I think we are failing our fellow citizens in the military miserably. We buy the spin of both parties while rarely asking any questions. Can anyone tell me what WMD’s were found in Iraq that was worth the life of a single army soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine? If this was indeed a big fat lie, who lost their job over it, much less went to prison? Have we learned anything?

It is painfully clear to anyone with more than two brain cells our involvement in Vietnam was based lies and falsehoods. Just google “False flag operations.” The suffering from this conflict forty plus years ago is still with us today. More US Vietnam Vets have now committed suicide than were lost in all the fighting. Vietnamese still suffer from unexploded bombs killing people, cancers related to chemicals used by the US and birth defects. We take no responsibility for these actions. Instead, a little time goes by and the whole cycle repeats itself. The names and tools change. Booby traps become IED’s. Vietcong are known as terrorists. Westmoreland has morphed into Petraeus, Nixon and Johnson are now played by two guys named Bush and Obama. Then as now, the military does as it is told.

Want to really honor the troops? Ask questions.

Wiki Leaks and stuff

2011-05-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

With a docile and toothless press, where are we to turn for information? Keep this in mind. Basically only six companies control the press here in the USA and they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Do this yourself sometime. Flip through the news channels and watch how they all cover virtually the same events. Today (May 24, 2011) it is tornado clean up; Obama goes to Europe, Ratko Mladic and as always The Middle East. Detailed coverage is virtually non-existent. We get the Youtube two to three minute versions of events (followed by advertising for denture creams, drugs and tanning lotions). This past Sunday, the self styled hard hitting 60 Minutes spent two thirds of the broadcast talking about charges of Lance Armstrong doping. I don’t know about you, but I could care less. It would be great it this was really our most pressing problem. Let’s not think about contractors killing people and blood money in Pakistan, possible links between sever weather and climate change or the very real dangers of nuclear power. Real news is hard to come by. It is sad but we have a pressing need for wikileaks.

This Julian guy gets the idea to create a website for whistle blowers. Sounds good. Send us info on corruption, genocides etc and we will post it for the whole world to see. When there is nowhere else to turn, this is a good and useful option. The only problem is it is also run by human beings all carrying their own baggage and axes to grind. Who gets to decide what stays secret and why? I think there is a need for state secrets staying secret. I don’t need to know where the missiles are our all about our latest bio weapons. That said, how do I know corruption, abuses and worse are not being hid behind the wall of state secrets? How can we keep tabs on this and all the conflicting interests? It is not a black and white situation with heroes and villains. This is taking place in the real world with real people who have mixed motivations and agendas. Frontline did a pretty good story on Bradley Manning recently.

Bradley Manning, a young US Army Intelligence Officer, turned over everything he could, even the kitchen sink, (American expression) to wikileaks. Some things needed to come out like shooting up Iraqis just standing around by US helicopter gunships. But why include Iraqis and Afghans working with the United States? Why include masses of diplomatic cables? The US Army did a very poor job in keeping track of data and helping Mr. Manning deal with his personal life. Not his being Gay but his unhappiness and anger. I can see him as both a hero and a villain. Freed Bradley Manning? Forget it people, it is not going to happen. He broke his oath, the law and pissed off some of the most powerful people in the world. My guess (and it only a guess) is he did it for mixed reasons. He came to hate the Army and he also saw terrible wrongs. It could also be he is serving the role as scapegoat. Could one low level Intelligence Analyst have had access to so much and leaked it all? This is also problematic. I have no problem with abuses getting out and find it sad this is how we find out. Keep reporting on Lance and other nonsense 60 Minutes!

Stepping out!

2011-05-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Nhtrang, Vietnam 2005.

An affordable and fun place to be!

Doomsday addendum

2011-05-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

Nah, I did not REALLY go finance a 2011 yellow ‘vette. That would take my wife Thu and I getting more jobs and she refuses and I’m too lazy. It is almost as absurd as some idiots paying for billboards all over the country picking a day for the “Rapture” (A concept / notion I have no belief in what so ever). I’m an agnostic. Who the hell am I to say god does or does not exist. If you believe he does, great! We are not a Christian country any more than a Muslim or Scientology country. There is NO official religion here. We are free to believe (or not) as we wish. Being free, we can spend hundreds of thousands on bill boards and other outlets as we wish to get across pretty mush any message we wish (unless it is about really helping or uplifting poor people). Why do so many believe in such a dark message? Do they think God is a mass murder who could make even Hitler and Pol Pot blush? Are things really so hopeless? I think for some, they are. This is the real underlying issue behind doomsday cults of all stripes. It is a kind of powerlessness. My life sucks. This world is doomed for its wickedness. I cannot do anything about it. It is in God’s hands (so I don’t have to do shit). Maybe it all is but what a lame excuse to watch others suffer while you do nothing.

If I were God, I’d be pretty pissed. Everything we need is here. There should be no such thing as the Bottom Billion. We carry on about helping the poor and giving to charity but fail to ever ask why there are poor in the first place. Religions can do great and wonderful things and at the same time help maintain the existing power structure (read inequalities). You’re poor because god wills it. Besides, the kingdom of heaven awaits you. (long as you behave as we tell you). So life sucks and the end of the world would mean no more bill connectors, food always in the fridge and no more worry about wars, famine, tornados etc. Some of these problems we can solve! Solve the ones around you! All the great religions call on followers to be active in making this a better place and not worry about how and when it will end. Lighten up!

I hope there is a god and an afterlife and all the fun that goes with it but I live as if there is not. This really could be all there is. We need to make heaven here. Enjoy each day and every experience to the fullest. There is somebody laid up in the hospital as I write this who would love to have my small problems. Enjoy working through the bad stuff as well. Am I getting too preachy? I just want to share what works for me so you can take a little or as much as you like. Only one thing is certain, no one gets out of here alive. So we may as well enjoy life and help those around us to do the same.

Enough Doomsday already! Get living people.

Be what you want from others…

2011-05-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Be what you want from others…

In my experience dealing with people, what I put out is what I get back. If I’m kind and easy going, that’s what I get in return 99% of the time. It is good to be positive but it has to be more than a shallow slogan. I like Michael Jordan’s approach. It goes something like this; when I meet someone, it may be the only time I ever see them. I hope to make it a good memory for that person. So I always try to look my best and be a polite as possible. I want them to feel good after our meeting. I think this applies to not just the people Mr. Jordan “meets” like fans, ill children or business people but everyone. I cannot speak for him but this is how I feel anyway. I strive to be polite to everyone I meet and leave them with the best impression I can. Think about it, when has being an ass to someone ever helped improve a situation or solved a problem? It may make you feel better for a moment or two but does little in the long run! Maybe not be possible to be polite and positive 100% of the time to everyone so I have room for improvement! If the other person is having a bad day and is sour with me, I cannot meet their negativity with my own. That will only make it worse. Keep it on the sunny side as the old song says. We are all better off for it.

Being polite and positive I think makes other people more willing to help out when I have a problem, helps everyone to feel good and lightens the day. This does not mean being phony. If I’m having a bad day or my back is hurting, these are not reasons to bring others down by complaining or being rude. In the last two years, I’ve been to the hospital twice. It turned out to be nothing major fortunately. But this is a great setting to see how staying positive and polite is helpful. I never had a problem with any staff and I feel I got very good service. I always used sir and ma’m and please and than you, even with the blood ladies who showed up at 2am! Who wants to help a wine bag or constant complainer? If I maintain a good attitude the resulting interactions with others will often make me feel better or maybe even bring a bad day around. There is no need for me to make my problems your problems. This applies everywhere, even when traveling.

I try to practice this approach with people all the time but especially when I’m traveling. When I’m in another country, it is like being a guest at someone else’s house. They have different rules, customs and attitudes. I need to be respectful and hopefully I can also learn a thing or two. When going overseas, I not only represent myself but the good ole USA and even North Carolina. I know on occasion I’ve on occasion been the only American some people ever met or spent any time with. I want them to feel good about me as well as the rest of us here. They don’t have to like or agree with our government but seeing us as a good people goes a long way. I think this is one reason why I’ve always had no problems when traveling. In 2007, I almost missed my connecting flight to Vietnam from Korea. The flight from Atlanta was delayed 3 hours. I resigned myself to being a guest in Korea for the night. Got to be flexible on the fly. No reason to get upset. When The Korean Airline people realized my plight, they held a small conference around me. I told them I could be flexible and made no complaints. There were about five or so people (two with walkie talkies) all speaking Korean and I awaited my fate. For all I knew, they could have been discussing how best to get me in a stew pot. That turned out not to be the case at all! The next thing I know a little Korean guy is pushing me in a low rider wheel chair through this vast airport running as fast as he could. I’m having to hold my legs up because the chair is so low. With this guy running at full speed it still took almost ten minutes to get to the next plane! I thought I was gonna die from holding my legs up but we made it! I don’t know for sure but I think they held the plane for me. It felt like they did anyway! I thanked the guy who got me there and he would take no tip money. I will always remember what he did for me. Despite my coach ticket, I found myself in an extra wide first class seat sipping wine for my last leg to Vietnam! Had I played plan B, the role of whiny American, I could have been spending a long night in the terminal. Plan A worked out better for sure!

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” --- The Dali Lama

End of the World News Stories...

2011-05-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

My my, I better write quickly! It’s all over for us 6pm Saturday. Now, which time zone exactly? A few hours here or there no matter, I still plan to buy my Corvette tomorrow after work so I can have a fun filled last Saturday of joy riding. Most people would agree this is just more religious nut case lunacy but there is another question. Why is this a lead in story on CNN and other so-called news outlets? I view CNN (Certainly Not Newsworthy) as maybe just a slight step up from a tabloid. Other main stream media outlets are about the same (except Al Jazira- no doomsday nonsense there thank you). These fools get the attention while serious threats to our existence like climate change and nuclear proliferation are all too often denied by moneyed interests or simply ignored. Why is this? Well, the dumb ass stories serve as a good distraction from our very real problems. Look at all the fools commenting on it. Hell, I’m writing about it. We love to contemplate our own doom! There is something sublime about watching whole cities going up in flames, sinking under the waves or invaded by zombies or mutants (kudos Hollywood). Such Hollywood movies are entertaining even for an alleged thinking person like me. But for someone to really believe some god or other is going to end the world? It is wrong is so many ways. It is the same old worn out story of a “chosen people.” “We’re going to Heaven and you’re not! Na na nany bobo bobo stick your head in dodo.” Heaven? With these people? I don’t know about you but I’ll pass.

Judgment Day. Now there’s a concept. All of the good people (unless they believe in another religion or no religion) go to heaven while all the bad people go to a bad place called Hell. God decides. Man, I would not want his job! I’ll leave that for the Decider, George W. Does that sound like an all knowing all loving supreme being or some vengeful old fart not getting his way? Now if I were God for a day I’d take everyone else but these morons. Let them figure it out. With the multiverse, it could happen and we would never even have to know! Just click the remote and we are on another copy of the Earth! Now that’s a movie I’d like to see, The Left Behinder bunch Left Behind scratching their balls wondering WTF. Oh, now I’m getting absurd.

Yes, the world as we know it will end one day but not from god. We’ll nuke ourselves, an asteroid with our name on it will show up given enough time, the sun will go supernova, or some other such event. There are plenty of real ways the end will come. When watching this BS ask yourself a question. What is NOT being reported on right now?

But what a fun filled Saturday it could be!

Freedom Riders...

2011-05-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

I watched the Freedom Riders documentary on PBS last night and was stunned into silence at the courage I saw. It was just a part of the over all Civil Rights Movement but an important part nonetheless. The premise sounds simple enough; ride a bus through the segregated south and see if recent Supreme Court decisions striking down discrimination in interstate travel are being adhered to. The answer is they are not. Each state in the south is disregarding the new rulings.

The documentary did not demonize all white southerners and pointed out white folks from all walks of life also participated in the rides. It is easy for us living in 2011 to look back and judge the whites participating in the verbal abuse, beatings and assaults and wonder just what in the hell were they thinking? Now, they look like a bunch of redneck, inbred monsters. Change scares the shit out of people; let's not forget that. If the change is being imposed from so-called outsiders (people from the north and the Federal Government), it is even worse. As a conflict practitioner, I have to ask what caused such a violent backlash? This kind of response does not happen in a vacuum. So on one side (for lack of a better word) there are white southerners who see their way of life being threatened, competition for jobs, loss of long standing power and control, disruption of norms and plain old fear of the unknown. The Freedom riders were members of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and they wanted equal protection under the law and equality here in the United States. The Freedom Riders practiced non-violence and never carried weapons. Their goal was to travel in peace via the nation's bus system and bring attention to the injustices of segregation. It seems to me watching the film, they underestimated the hatred and the level of violence they would come to face.

Fifty years later we can look back and speculate if there was a better way to get the desired result. Could more have been done to alleviate the fears of the white people? I doubt they would have been open to cultural sensitivity training! Could something less "In your face" than Freedom Rides done the trick? To paraphrase Malcolm X who can set a timetable for another man's freedom? I cannot.

I think the key to the success of the Freedom Riders is sticking to non-violence. Had blacks and whites got into a tit for tat cycle of assaults and killings, progress toward equality would have been much slower. There would be much more fear and distrust that would have taken many decades to heal. Think about non-violence for a moment or two. It seems we seldom do these days. You are willing to go unarmed into a place you are NOT welcome and risk getting your ass kicked, arrested or even killed. The courage part comes in after some of these things have happened and you decide to continue in the face of violence. People can some be a mix of good and bad. I think, for the most part, people are GOOD. Given the chance people will do the right thing most of the time. Under the right circumstances, we can also do terrible things. For example, when there is no accountability, such as when the police hold back while a mob attacks non-violent activists, our darker side emerges. Combine the no accountability with fear driven hatred and things can get very bad very fast. Please correct me if I missed something but no freedom riders were killed. That is a small miracle given the situation. Other Civil Rights workers did lose their lives. They brought much needed attention to the injustices of segregation. Enough people saw what was going on through a well functioning free press, and demand segregation be brought to an end. It is never an easy undertaking to meet violence with non-violence. I think it is important to recognize the courage it takes.

For further reading check out these sites:

History of the Civil Rights Movement

http://www.america.gov/publications/books-content/free-at-last.html

Rep. John Lewis

http://johnlewis.house.gov/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Human Rights Watch

http://www.hrw.org/

How being handicapped taught me to be positive.

2011-05-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I could have kept myself in-doors and applied for disability. Collect a check and become an overweight couch potato waiting to simply vapor lock one day? Nah, there’s too much to do! I could be all negative dwelling in my own suffering but that would lead to fewer dates and no friends. Besides, being all negative and sour takes way too much energy. Think about it. Throwing stuff, hitting walls doors and tables takes a lot out of you. Not to mention, raises your blood pressure and scares most pets. In my experience at the end of such an episode the problem is still sitting there laughing at me even louder. So I calm the hell down and solve that sucker. Yes, it is easier and healthier to skip the tantrum and get on with the problem solving. Call that lesson one.

Sometimes, a problem is bigger than I can deal with and I need a hand. (Don’t we all??) It is cool to ask for help but you need to be polite and courteous. In all of my years in asking for a hand I’ve only had one dude respond with a no… sort of. I asked this cat in the grocery store to get something that was out of reach for me and he responded ” … I don’t work here.” Okay… so I asked another person and got my item. Took the poor fella by surprise I guess! I usually DO ask employees rather than put somebody on the spot but there were none around! Was he an asshole? Probably not but who knows? People ask me from time to time if I need any help and if I do not, rather than get all offended, I say “no but thanks!” If one is offended by an offer to help, perhaps they need to lighten up. I think it is up to me to ask and not up to you to guess if I or another disabled person needs a hand (but I’m cool with it if you do). After years of experience, I’m not afraid to talk to people, even complete strangers. Problems are sometimes bigger than I am but I’ve not found one that cannot be solved with the love and kindness we all carry. Lesson two shall we say?

How many handicapped people (physical as well as mental) do you see as you go through your day? I’m here. Where in the hell are the rest? There are those whose handicap cannot be seen such as the Vet with PTSD just trying to get through the day. Have some of the others learned dependence and a sense of shame? What can we do differently? Perhaps that’s a whole other entry. I’m here but there are times I feel invisible. I’m in the group but feeling as an outsider looking in. Sometimes, I’m talked “at” instead of “with” by people. They make assumptions like because I’m physically handicapped; I’m mentally handicapped as well. People’s reactions are funny. Being sort of invisible has its up sides as well. I think I learn a lot by just watching and listening. I’m not a physical threat to anyone so there is no I’m a bigger badass than you crap. I hope I’ve learned to listen more and talk less. Listening leads to healing and I’d rather be a healer than a badass any day. Let’s call this last lesson turning weaknesses and disadvantages into their opposites.

Thanks for reading and if you like I’ll write more! If you don’t, I’ll write more anyway!

Good to be back!

2011-05-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

Been finishing my last class for conflict resolution! Now, I can refocus on the blog. I will add weekly posts. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!

-Paul

Education for Sale...

2011-05-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

Education For Sale

Our education system is a reflection of the greater society we live in. The main focus of this essay is on K-12 but a lot of the content can apply to community colleges and universities as well. Our schools mirror the economic situation in our communities. If you want to learn about a city, a good place to start is it’s school system. The old phrase, “follow the money” can apply to many things and the United States education system is no different. There is a general feeling that our education system has only worsened with the passage of time. It has to be “fixed”. This is an over simplification of what has happened in our schools in the last fifty years. American society always evolves and changes. What may seem like a worsening situation to one group may simply another group getting ahead. There have been huge changes in our education system over the last 50 years; integration, population growth, public versus private schools, and the explosion of computer and internet use just to name a few. In the last twenty years there has been an often overlooked change, our schools have become another market place for companies to sell their products directly to buyers. Even more subtle is the way schools prepare students to not only be workers but consumers as well. This has been going on almost from the start of education as we know it today. Now there is more focus on science an math and less on arts and humanities. The focus on science and math helps the economy but not the society. We are becoming less able to think critically. All of these changes are important but the last one has a huge impact turning students into consumers and producers first before citizens. Schools serve economic interests in two basic ways; one, as a large market for the sale of products and two as a training ground for what the society will need to keep the current power structure in place.

It can be argued going back over a hundred years our education system has been designed to produce what types of workers the economy needs. At the beginning of the last century, it was largely factory workers. So life in the school reflected life in the factory. Precision schedules, measuring quality, a chain of command and respect for authority are taught from day one in the class room only to be reinforced later in life at the steel or textile mill or on the auto assembly line. Like the factory there are all kinds of ways for measuring the final product. All across the United States in both public and private school students have to take standardized tests in addition to studying what ever has been assigned by their teachers. The tests are redesigned every so often so educators can cite improvements (we are doing well) or perceived failures (saying we are raising the standards). Instead of looking at individuals, states and education administrators look at data and subjective scores on often culturally biased tests. This is education’s version of quality control. For much of the last century it was not uncommon for a person to go right from school right into the local plant and stay there for the rest of their life. Many schools even reflect the factory architecturally. There is an office for the principal and his staff (plant manager and his staff) and wings where specialized work is done such as the history department (where fenders are painted) and both are usually surrounded by a high fence. It is not only the structure that resembles the factory. There are also similar sounds. Schedules are punctuated by bells and announcements are made by a loudspeaker system that covers the entire campus. When there is work to be done, the only one supposed to talk is the teacher much like the supervisor that will come later in life. There is not much room for soft skills like imagination and critical thinking in such a structure but there is a lot of room for a large captive market.

Schools are a huge market for all kinds of products. There is Channel One broadcast every morning to schools all across America. It is a “news” channel going out to 6 million teens a day in 11,000 high and junior high schools across the United States. (1). They do not sell news. Channel One makes a deal with the schools for the benefit of Channel One. In return for loaned (not given) video equipment, the school has to show it’s broadcast 90% of the time school is in. It is clearly a for profit company given access to a captive audience. Parents are completely out of the decision process. It is a pattern we will see again. Channel One show news stories with advertising. In most cases the teacher has no choice but to use class time to show it. Educators, local or otherwise, have no input into the programming or commercials. Channel One cuts across a wide age group 11 to 18 year olds. Some of the stories are considered by many to be inappropriate for the age group they are being shown to. For example, stories on gay marriage; 11 year olds cannot fully understand all of the issues and implications involved. There are other problems. Another related issue that comes up when dealing with such a diverse age group is movie previews that air on channel One. “Dude Where is my Car” is one example. (2) Seniors in high school are much better equipped to deal with the portrayal of drugs and other adult issues in the movie than their junior high counter parts. They consistently advertise products that are not the healthiest choices like candy, chips and other snack food. There is no competing narrative in the class rooms for the news and advertising. What is shown is one short take on a news story and a limited amount of products. All of this takes time away from teaching and learning. Advertising beamed in everyday is one thing but corporations have moved well beyond this, setting up business in the school itself.

The school itself is now another market. In the last ten or so years vending machine companies have set up contracts with individual schools and school systems to sell their products and share the proceeds with the schools. To a system facing a tight budget, this may seem like a good alternative. In 2001 high schools in Washington DC were taking in $4,000 to $30,000 a year from the placement of vending machines. (3) Again there is no input from parents, teachers or students. The food, snacks and drinks are rarely if ever healthy and the businesses again get the better deal. They have a captive market with few choices. Some students like the arrangement but the cost in health are staggering. We are in the middle of an obesity epidemic brought on by poor diet starting at an early age. Company sponsorship of events are another way companies get into schools. One is the Pizza Hut reading incentives program in which children receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal”. Another is The Canadian company ShowBiz brings moveable video dance parties into schools to showcase various sponsors' products. (4) Direct marketing to students K - 12 is one thing but what is really learned are lessons carried on throughout one’s life.

What is taught in the schools from the turn of the last century to today are lessons needed by business and industry. Reading, writing, science and math we all can agree are important items every student should learn. However, there are more subtle lessons that are never graded students often learn for the rest of their lives. Respect and fear of authority are at the top of the list. The teacher has the power to not only humiliate, inflict punishment (physical or otherwise) at school but can also get the student in trouble at home as well. If this is not enough there are always assistant principals and principals. to turn to. Punishment at school can take many forms, from humiliation, to physical violence to temporary expulsion or even permanent expulsion. None of these punishments address the cause of the problem and often only make it worse. Sending students home for fighting will only cause them to get behind in their studies and leaves the issues that lead to the confrontation unaddressed. Our K-12 system teaches very little soft skills like imagination or thinking critically. There is little done to encourage use of imagination. Critical thinking can be a sure way to get into trouble. This even holds true in the school newspaper. The Supreme Court in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier January 1988 has ruled high school papers are not protected as free speech because a school newspaper is not considered a “public forum” . (5) Student have no voice in their own schools from what is taught to how they are treated. The power structure is completely imbalanced. Students have no “voice” in what goes on in their day to day lives as students.

We are getting the best education money can buy. Routines, skills and values needed to keep the economy going are mass-produced in our education factories. The chances one has for success in life are greatly determined by the education they receive. Some schools produce those who will lead the economy while other produce those who will work it. Education is not about “education” but rather about keeping the dominant narrative about who and what we are going. Through routine, underlying lessons about “success” physical structure, and direct marketing the final product is being produced as demanded for the most part, consumers.

Works Cited

3. “US Schools Hooked on Junk Food Proceeds” David Nakamura April 29, 2008 http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0227-01.htm)

A book report...

2011-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

"Blood Done Sign My Name... A True Story"

By Dr. Timothy B. Tyson

This book is truly a must read for anyone wanting to understand modern race relations in the south. Dr. Tyson’s book is an autobiographical account of an incident in his home town that took place while he was a boy. Although it takes place in the early 1970’s in Oxford, North Carolina many of the issues raised are still with us today through out the United States. The plot is pretty simple. A black man, Henry Marrow is murdered by a white man named Robert Teel and his two sons. The whites are found innocent by an all white jury. The second part of the story is what happens in the community afterward. The black community exploded in riots but did not attack white directly. Instead, they attacked economically, destroying property and warehouses full of inventory. The events all takes place after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. In the book we hear the story told through many characters, Dr. Tyson, his father Reverend Tyson, community activist Ben Chavis, Mr. Marrow’s friends and family and Mr. Teel also tells his side. The book vividly illustrates racial tensions in the south at the time. We like to think we have progressed and in some ways we have. This is an extremely important book because many of the issues it brings up are still with us today. Let’s consider a few examples. One, there is still a caste system here in the south based on race. The structural violence that lead to the physical violence in Oxford all those years ago is still with us. Last, it can be argued the use of violence by the black community did help bring about positive change.

Oxford, North Carolina in 1970 is no different from many other towns and cities across the United States at the time. Almost all the power lied with the wealthy whites, some to the poorer whites and very little left over for blacks and other minorities. Mr. Teel owned a small convenient store in the “black” neighborhood. This is where the murder took place. Mr. Teel and his sons claimed Mr. Marrow said something disrespectful to one of the son’s wives. They beat and shot Henry Marrow and claimed self defense. Their lawyers managed to convince the white jury that Mr. Marrow posed a threat to Mr. Teel and his family. It was okay to do business with blacks in their own neighborhood but there was no way at the time there would be a black owned business in a white neighborhood. Everything about the existing power structure favored the Teels. The police were white and the legal system was controlled by whites. Many wealthy whites quietly donated money to help the Teels hire extremely good defense attorneys. There was very little mixing of the races. Whites for their part if they thought of blacks at all considered them to be “good niggers” meaning they knew their place with in the community. Blacks who wanted to stand up for themselves were thought of as trouble makers and radicals or worse. It is very interesting to see how this caste system played out in the churches.

Dr. Tyson’s father, Reverend Tyson, believed in equality but he has to be careful how he addresses his own church. Not everyone is ready for a message of equality. He has to walk a tight rope between his principals and some of those he is called upon to lead. Reverend Tyson followed his own beliefs despite the fact of losing some members. He openly supported equality for blacks and even invited black ministers to speak at his church. Some members left for more segregationist churches but many stayed. Reverend Tyson did not surrender his own values to try and please everyone. Black churches helped organize and support peaceful protests in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King. Both groups tried to bridge differences by setting up meetings directly between blacks and whites. Black and white churches are still a fact in American life today.

This notion of being separate on Sunday morning is still with us. Barack Obama belonged to a black church in the Chicago area. Recordings of Jeremiah Wright, a former Pastor, showed him making some inflammatory remarks about race in America. It was a black conjuration he was speaking to. When he said we should be damned, he spoke for many people who have suffered under the second class status blacks have had to live with for generations. What is more interesting, is for all of the talk of progress and equality in America today there are still black and white churches. Instead of condemning Mr. Wright for his remarks we should take a look in the mirror as a nation and address the reasons behind his statements. Outrage comes from somewhere. It would seem sharing a common religion, Christianity, would bring different people together. It has been used as such a vehicle for change in some cases but until root causes of structural violence are addressed little can really change.

Structural Violence in Blood Done Sign My Name leaps off almost every page. Dr. Tyson’s father has power and influence in the white community but not near enough to overturn or reduce Structural Violence. Rather, he is a victim of as well. He faces threats for inviting a black preacher to come speak at his church and speaking at black churches. One of the few ways out of a life of poverty for blacks is military service. Many had been drafted and fought in Vietnam only to wonder why they had to fight for a country that treated them in such a second class manner. They made use of their over seas experience as we will soon see. The housing conditions, education and economic opportunities for blacks were far less than their white neighbors. This extended to the justice system as well. Henry Marrow’s killers were acquitted despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Mayor Currin was white along with all of the political and business elite. Anything left was for blacks; low paying mill jobs, domestic service work and laborers. Some of the black Vietnam Veterans thought the protests and breaking a few shop windows was not enough.

Violence is complicated. Many whites living in and around Oxford saw the black response to the murder of Henry Marrow as a unified response by the entire black community. It was anything but that. People like the Civil Rights activist Ben Chavis wanted non violent solutions. Some of the much younger generation expressed their outrage through rioting and setting fires with no set goal in mind. They saw no solution. Still others thought the only way to bring about any real change was via economic violence. This last category consisted of a group of black Vietnam Veterans who planned and carried out a series of attacks on warehouses and other businesses. Their view was simple. The only way to get any significant change was by attacking the dominant white power structure economically. They called it ringing the cash register. The whites negotiated wit Ben Chavis thinking he had some control or influence over those carrying out the violent acts. When in truth, he did not. According to Dr. Tyson the whites never even considered making changes until the rioting and buildings started going up in flames. Mayor Currin and other political elite's started to listen to blacks for the first time. The things they wanted were pretty straight forward. Obviously, equal protection under the law and the justice system were high on the list. More black employees in city government in positions of authority, not just patrol officers and laborers. At the time there was not one black police officer with higher rank than patrolman and not a single black fire fighter. Things slowly started to change. The city made an effort to be more inclusive. White owned businesses started to hire more black employees and the schools were integrated. It is hard to say all of this came about by acts of economic violence but the writer feels this was the biggest factor. Over time the violence lessoned and the community was able to move forward.

Reference

Blood Done Sign My Name By Timothy B. Tyson.

Three Rivers Press 2004

pyro

2011-01-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Who Are Terrorists?

2010-12-31T07:12:00.000-08:00

To narrow the scope, we will look at terrorists here in the USA and in the Middle East in the last twenty years or so. To answer this seemingly basic question, it is important to look at myths about terrorists in popular culture. Generally, people think of terrorists being from poor backgrounds with little education and nothing to live for. Some may say things like they hate us for our freedom or success. Terrorists want to impose their own ideologies on the rest of us. They are all extremists in one way or another both religious and political. If you want to get an idea of the popular notions of a terrorist today all you have to do is listen to a speech by President Bush. One can also look at the portrayal of terrorists in the movies or TV shows. They are heartless bad guys with no concern for life and no room for ambiguity about their actions. Instead of understanding the threats we face, we simplify them in easy sound bite sized good versus evil phrases. Someone who becomes a terrorist is much more complicated than oversimplified notions about terrorism.

Terrorism is according to the dictionary “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.” Contrary to popular belief, there are a wide range of factors that can drive someone to use terrorist tactics. The person has a strong belief in something and sees no other way of getting attention to it other than using terrorism. A very important fact to consider when looking those who use terror as a tactic is none consider themselves to be extremists. One does not have to belong to a group to be a terrorist. Two of the most well known American terrorists acted alone.

The case of Eric Rudolph is a compelling example of domestic terror. He was fund guilty of the 1996 Olympic Games and several abortion clinic bombings. Several people were killed and scores more injured. Mr. Rudolph has a high school diploma and even some college, so he is not uneducated. It is also interesting to note he had some military training making it into the 101st Airborne before being discharged for drug use. Going by his reasons given for his bombings, he knows a great deal about the issues that drive him. After reading some of his writings it is very clear he feels very strongly abortion is murder with no room for argument. What is less clear is where he got these feelings from. An ultra-right Conservative Christian upbringing may be a good starting point to determine where his views came from. Mr. Rudolph sees the US government as sanctioning murder if the form of legal abortion clinics. In his view there is no room for debate and he sees his actions as an effort to save lives. He also says those in government have forfeited their right to govern based on this practice. In his statement after his sentencing, he compares himself to the founding fathers of the United States of America breaking away from England fighting tyranny. Mr. Rudolph does not come across as many might imagine someone using terrorist tactics. In his own way he sees himself as someone trying to save lives and he says he designed his bombs in the clinic bombings to keep loss of life to a minimum. However, he sees those who died as one might see casualties in a war, nothing personal but something that had to be done. Not to in any way defend his actions but when reading his material he comes across rationally. The story of Timothy McVeigh is similar.

Timothy McVeigh was convicted of blowing up the Murragh Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19th, 1995. Like Eric Rudolph he also had a high school diploma and pretty extensive military training in the US Army. According to his own writing the bombing was carried out in response to the incident in Waco, Texas involving the Branch Davidians in which 74 people died. Mr. McVeigh became a drifter doing odd jobs and following the gun show circuit after an Honorable Discharge from the Army. He was present at Waco during the standoff and saw the events there as a government out of control. He says he gave non violence a chance to right the wrongs but when nothing happened to those in government he felt were responsible, he decided to take matters into his own hands. The attack on the Federal Building he saw in the same context as the US Military attacking infrastructure targets on other countries. He had no sense of remorse for the lives lost. In his view, he saw himself as preventing another Waco by attacking the place such an operation would be controlled from. He claims to have taken lessons right from US foreign policy right down to calling innocent victims collateral damage. Far from considering himself a terrorist or mass murderer, he thought of himself as fighting an oppressive government. Both Mr. Rudolph and Mr. McVeigh share some common characteristics with the most famous terrorist in the world, Osama bin Laden but come nowhere near his level of destruction.

Bin Laden is far more educated than Mr. Rudolph or Mr. McVeigh and comes from an extremely wealthy and privileged family. Bin Laden attended university but there is some question he obtained a degree in urban engineering . His real area of study is more religious than anything else. Getting western military forces and influence out of the Moslem world are his goals. Bin Laden has large financial resources and operates on a world wide stage. He is a leader who unlike the two Americans has not personally carried out act of terror but has helped in the funding, planning and execution of terrorist acts the world over. Still, he shares some important characteristics with Mr. Rudolph and Mr. McVeigh. First, one could argue the two Americans are fighting for religious reasons (less so in the case of McVeigh) and it is certainly the case for bin Laden. Second, none of the three have any remorse for lost lives caused by their acts. They view them like casualties in a war. Bin Laden has nothing but distain for non-Muslim lives lost and thinks Muslims who lose their lives as victims of terror will be rewarded in heaven. Third, in the views of these men there is no room for debate or compromise. It has to be their way and their way only. They are all three far beyond any hope of working out a peaceful solution or addressing their concerns in a non-violent way. Lastly, they have a common enemy, the US Government. All three blame the US Government for oppression, murder, and suppressing freedom of others.

Terrorists are not the simple black and while figures TV and popular culture make them out to be. Often, their concerns may have merit and when they view these concerns as not being addressed or getting worse, they see violence against others as a reasonable alternative. With the attention acts of terror bring, it is understandable why. No terrorist has ever said they hate us for our freedom or success. When our leaders say things like this it does nothing to address the very real problem of modern day terrorism. Terrorists seek publicity for their actions. Eric Rudolph and Timothy McViegh are now house hold names here in the US but the concerns they were trying to address are lost in cries of murders, extremists and terrorists. The same is true with Osama bin Laden. All do far more harm to their causes than good. Those against abortion who are sincere in their beliefs and want to work constructively to end or minimize the practice in a peaceful way may now find themselves lumped together with the likes of Eric Rudolph. After the Oklahoma City bombing nothing has been done to right the wrongs and mistakes committed by the US Government at Ruby Ridge and Waco. By his actions bin Laden has guaranteed a western military presence in the middle east that if anything will only grow. For it’s part the US Government has only made the problem worse by elevating terrorism to new heights on the world stage. The 19 men who flew planes into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and A Pennsylvania field perpetrated an act of mass murder not an act of war. By calling it an act of war we have now given a hand full of individuals the status of another country. We can never fully eliminate terrorism but we can reduce it by fighting conditions that lead to hopelessness, and total suppression of unpopular ideas and by reducing the attention given to terrorists.

Internet Sources

http://www.armyofgod.com/EricRudolphHomepage.html

http://independence.net/okc/mcveighletterfox.htm

Opting out of Christmas

2010-12-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

I was able to opt out of Christmas and ohhh what a feeling! Due to on going concerns in the family, we had no time for the usual gift giving nonsense. It felt funny but it was also a huge relief. I just got to enjoy a little time off with the wife and seeing a few friends. A Christmas minus the presents reminded me of all I do have and that I need little. Christmas is what we make it. If you want all the high pressure shopping and drama, that's what you will get. I chose to step back and use a little time off work to breathe a little. I would be happy if I thought how ever many Christmases I have left could be this peaceful. There is another way.

We are bombarded with advertising this time of year. If I see another Wal-Mart commercial telling me to save money and live better, I may have myself committed. "Living better" and shopping at Wal-Mart do not belong in the same breath. I see it as a microcosm of everything that is wrong with US today. Outsourced jobs, poorly educated citizens, (or are we just consumers now), selling out to China and loss of of community are just a few things that come to mind. Also, cars with bows are loosening my grip on sanity! If I bought my wife a new car for Christmas, I'd be in the morgue. Surely, there is something better to spend money on than a new status symbol car! People are going with out heat, lights and enough food but you would never know it watching TV. The myth that all is well is all that matters.

I'm tired of Christmas being a leading economic indicator. Do more people shopping really mean we are back on the road to prosperity? We get mixed messages. Go buy stuff! Be charitable. What a disconnect. We are told of food drives, ways to give to the homeless and not so fortunate and children going cold but who asks why they are needed here in this country in the first place. I think I'm a good person and I think you are so why do we have a real need to help homelessness and other effects of poverty? Why do we let this go on? Most importantly, what can we do about it?

Next year, take a pass on the shopping frenzy and consider what and who are really important to you. I promise it will be a Christmas you will always remember!

2010-09-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Media attention...

2010-08-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Why is the far right getting so much media attention? How can anyone take seriously Glen Beck and friends going to Washington to try and co-op the Civil Rights Movement with a big crowd of angry and afraid white people? This is not to say they do not have some legitimate issues. The concerns of our government being out of control and unresponsive to citizens I think we can all agree are real problems. But why so much attention to "birthers", government take over of health care, FEMA camp fear mongers and they are coming to take my guns away nonsense?

It seems somebody or somebodies want us to slide even further to the right than Bush Chaney and company. Obama, fairly or not, is being portrayed as weak and ineffectual despite having got some things done. We are also developing an unhealthy reverence for all things military. This is not adding up to a bright and sunny future. It looks like we have been dummied down so far that the lunacy of the far right appears okay. Few dare to question it. Meanwhile, the people who really run the country get richer and grow more powerful. I'm thinking finance, energy and so called defense. All three may have a lot to gain from a dumb and docile public. Finance can continue to sell us on the importance of a "good credit score." Energy can continue to pollute unabated and poison the food supply via fertilizers and other chemicals. Defense can get plenty of new recruits from the ever expanding lower class, not to mention new and expensive toys. And all three feed off of each other.

Look at the bottom of many yahoo articles and note all of the left right bickering. Given a lot of people posting are high school age, many are not. I think the sad thing to note is the both believe there is substantial differences in the two parties. Not only that, they view each other as the enemy. The civil concept of loyal opposition is out the window. I think this may be one reason the far right gets so much attention, they set themselves apart. The far left on the other hand gets little attention because the changes they are calling for less suit the suit if you will. Taking better care poor people, having real health care reform and taking threats to the environment seriously lets' face it are not so hot items on corporate America's agenda. The far left is also marginalized as being naive and weak.

It is so difficult to get other narratives out there for people to consider. Why do we allow huge donors to run our politics while we are fed the tired old left vs. right story line? Why is it we cannot consider doing politics in a more constructive and collaborative manner? What will it take to break this destructive cycle?

2010-08-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

"Can You Give Me A Job"

2010-08-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Can you give me a job?" If you are having to ask this question right now (or any time for that matter), you are in serious trouble. There is not a much more dehumanizing experience than looking for a job. Getting your work history together, making a resume or resumes in some cases, completing tedious on line applications, "networking" and hoping for the phone to ring is misery. Life is in turmoil from day to day, week to week, month to month and for some year to year. It effects all aspects of life. The hardest part is not knowing when it will end. Then there is the build up of hope when you get an interview and feel you aced it only to be let down. Many companies are bad about letting people know in a timely manner the result of an interview if they do at all. How inconsiderate. As time goes by, it is harder and harder to put on a positive face. Many have been out of work for more than a year. We identify ourselves by what we do, our work. After your name, what is most often the next question? What do you do? For someone not working this usually leads to an awkward pause an an explanation of the kind of work they have done. The things I've described go on and on and take a huge toll on individuals, their family and close friends. We expect people to go through this ordeal most any time they switch jobs. Having to wait for someone to 'give" you a job is a hell all it's own. There are other ways...

One alternative is self employment. For some, this may be a way out o job search hell. And for young people a way to avoid it all together. You can mow lawns or move large objects for people but the pay is usually low and it takes a toll on your body. No, a better way is using your mind. For example, if you can learn how to talk to groups and share useful information with out fear, you can make a business. If you can write, make some blogs and sell advertising. Create ideas. It may be over stated but it is true, use your gifts. We all have unique valuable skills. If you have Been living the job search nightmare, think about what you alone may have to offer. For example, think about three skill sets or characteristics you have and then think of a way to combine them into something truly unique. Me? I don't mind talking to groups, I know a lot about conflict resolution and I'm handicapped. I can talk to professionals about hiring and working with diverse groups. There are alternatives to the job search nightmare. Email me (pdlavack@yahoo.com) and let's see what we can come up with.

If creating a business from scratch is not for you, the next best thing is having a high enough demand skill where people come knocking on your door! These are not skills that you can develop over night. There is no magic bullet / simple solution. Health care, computers / IT and the new field of green technology are all still looking good right now. These are also areas that are more resistant to outsourcing. It is too bad we have outsourced most of our manufacturing. What remains is high end, like building aircraft. If the economy does really start to recover, transportation is another are to consider. It is still possible to find jobs in trucking where a company may pay for your training. It may not be 9-5 but the pay can be pretty good, starting around 35k and going up from there.

What will happen when all of the unemployment extensions finally run out and there are still few jobs? Let's save this one for next time.

Dreamer

2010-07-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

No Change to Real Change

2010-07-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've pretty much given up on The Democratic Party. Obama's try to please everybody stands have pleased no one really. During the campaign, he seemed to be a breath of fresh air saying all the right things. I was then and still am no fan of Hillary Clinton. We were promised "change" (as we are in every election) but as I see it, little to nothing has really changed. We are still bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan with no end in sight. There is no talk now about leaving either place, much less what out goals and intentions are. We have spent more than 1 trillion dollars so far and at least one million lives lost. Both places are a complete disaster and utter failure of our foreign policy. We have a joyous new health care reform bill mostly written by lobbyists for insurance and pharmaceutical conglomerations. As long as we have a "for profit" based system, more and more of us will suffer unnecessarily because of no or poor insurance and fall into bankruptcy. Sorry Republicans, I unlike you CANNOT in any way accept someone losing their house and all they own due to illness. It is wrong. Apparently, the Democrats agree with you. We have no real jobs creation bill and unemployment benefits are on again off again based on the whims of congress. Sure unemployment cannot go on forever but tie it to the unemployment rate or something we can understand! The BP disaster in the gulf is another fine example how nothing has changed. Both our political parties take tons of money from oil industry and when something goes wrong, play politics, potty mouth the oil industry and pass some bullshit labeled "reform" which really reforms nothing. The list of what has not changed is almost endless.

We get political theatre and spectacle. Note, "The Tea Party". They claim to be grassroots (whatever that is) but I have my doubts. I'm not going to slam fellow citizens who get out and take a stand for what they believe, but other than a fear of increasing taxes and hardcore conservatism what is the point? They slam so called illegals while completely ignoring the root causes of the problem. Businesses will hire them and with things so shitty in Mexico and points further south people will go where ever they can find work. Who among us would not do the same? Here are a few talking points. Look for yourself. "Gun Ownership Is Sacred" Why? I've been places where this is not the case and it is a hell of a lot safer. "Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged". My family values may be different than yours. "Intrusive Government Stopped." Does this mean I'll no longer have to take my shoes off at the airport? Will there still be "watch" lists? "Bail-out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal." This may be a good idea. Why are so many in this movement older and white? I don't care for the term progressive so I will not use it. Rather, those on the left, are not much more coherent about what to do than the Tea Party people. They continue to blindly support The Democrats while ignoring their abysmal record for getting anything good done. Some on the left arrogantly dismiss people who do not think like they do as being ill informed or stupid. Conservatives have legitimate concerns and some good ideas on occasion. Personal and fiscal responsibility are good but lacking in both parties. I may be more left leaning but share some Conservative values as well. Most people are a mix of both I believe. Everyday we as a nation live with this false dichotomy of left vs. right while nothing really changes.

So it would be easy to simply tune it all out as many of us do but I'm not ready to give up. I think there may be a chance to save ourselves from some type of American style dictatorship. We MUST develop other viable parties to counter our current one party system. We now have two wings of the same party that are all about keeping the status quo. The game is so heavily rigged against building such parties, it may be too late. Who writes the rules? Those maintaining the status quo. About the only way I see any better development in this direction is some people with a ton of money getting into it and that may just make matters worse. I'm going shopping for a new party to support. The Republicans lost my vote a long tome ago and now so have The Democrats. Some say I throwing my vote away or worse, voting for Sarah Palin. Bullshit. I'm participating in something new, real opposition to what is going on. Think about it long term Democrats. At least have a look...

THE GREEN PARTY

THE COFFEE PARTY

THE MODERN WHIG PARTY

None of these work for you? Go to Google.com and find one that does and stand your ass up!

Dr. Galtung Workshop. May 21, 2010 PART I

2010-07-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dr. Johan Galtung is the founder of peace studies and has been working in the field for more than 50 years, yes 50 years! He is 79 now and still teaching and traveling. For more information on him you can go to www.transcend.org.

We had a very small group of about six professors from local universities and about ten to fifteen students. It was an ideal size for having a group discussion about on going international conflicts and what we as peace scholars can do. We are going to solve little just talking to each other in isolated workshops. To an outsider, such a group may seem too idealistic or not a part of the reality based community. I think a part of that is we do not talk enough with the community we live in. There is also an anti-intellectual streak running through America now. Some people perceive collages and universities as being arrogant and elitist. “He may have a PhD but no common since.” Some in the universities think most people cannot begin to understand what they are talking about. Personally, I disagree with both viewpoints. What good is study if it is not shared with the community?

Let me share some of what I goy out of the workshop yesterday. There are solutions to many on going conflicts but they are not usually easy or simplistic. A good first step is listening to the other side’s legitimate interests. The United States in Afghanistan for example, has a legitimate interest in not having a sanctuary for terrorist groups to plan and launch attacks on US interests around the world and the US itself. Afghanistan has a legitimate interest in self-determination. What type of arrangement can be made to meet these goals? All sides in this conflict have many interests some more legitimate than others and that also has to be sorted out. A key to conflict resolution is realizing the other party may have some good points. Also, each side needs to acknowledge it’s own faults and mistakes. Fighting will not stop until both sides are ready.

As of this writing the USA is fighting three wars; “The War on Terror” (WOT), Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked a lot about Afghanistan and as Dr. Galtung sees it we (the US) have five options:

1. Victory- Extremely difficult given the fact that for each person killed spawns anywhere from 10 to 30 new fighters.
2. Defeat- The US will not allow this to happen. Outright defeat is almost out of the question.
3. Withdraw- then declare victory- This will smell too much of defeat.
4. Conflict Resolution – work out some kind of settlement everyone can live with.
5. Become Irrelevant – The fate of Afghanistan is determined by the Afghanis, and her neighbors, mainly Pakistan.

The same five options I think can be applied to Iraq as well. Both Iraq and Afghanistan are constructs of the old British Empire. The borders were drawn on maps with no input from the peoples actually living in these regions. Neither is interested in a strong central government. A good possibility for a government may be a federation of some kind. The WOT is being fought all over the world in places like the Phillipines and Samollia. This is an interesting case because it may be war with out end. Defending ourselves from attacks is a legitimate goal. Some so-called terrorist organizations may have legitimate points as well but it is difficult to see how this will end. What are some other ways terrorism can be eliminated?

Fading American Democracy...

2010-01-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our American Democracy is fading fast. We are well on the road to a dictatorship. Consider the warning signs. We now have two militaries, US Army, US Air Force, US Navy US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard being one and the contractors being the other, Xe, Dyncorp, KBR etc. Our sixteen intelligence agencies and their corresponding contractors are also in this stew. The Federal Government now keeps lists of citizens The "No Fly" list for example. The mass media is no longer independent. They simply repeat what officialdom tells them too with few exceptions. Embedding goes far beyond our war zones. We have a scapegoat population to put many of our problems on via so called "illegals". Creeping militarism. We have come to revere our military, trusting it more our national government. We also devote a huge amount of resources to spying on our own citizens in the name of "national security". There are more warning signs you can read for yourself here. The weak leadership of President Obama is also a huge red flag. Add to this volatile mix the expanding role of multinational corporations and the real danger only grows.

Now corporations can express themselves as “persons” by donating as much as they want to political campaigns. Our elections are already a bad representation of democracy for a number of reasons. We only have two parties to choose from which are more similar than different. People feel they have no influence over what goes on at the national level. Where have the huge demonstrations gone? Now corporations can give all they want to political campaigns? This is problematic for a number of reasons. Only a small number of people with in a corporation will have the say in who gets contributions and who does not. A corporation is not “evil” but only a way of doing business with the goal being to make money for shareholders. Making money and doing what is right for the country are not always the same thing. Looking ahead, this is a step toward reorganizing our world along business interests and not national interests. If making money is the goal, the outcome will not be pretty. We are no longer capable of waging war with out contractors IE private companies. It is unclear where they fit in the chain of command or how they are regulated. Our future leaders will be only mouthpieces bought and paid for by amoral multinational conglomerations with no national loyalty what so sever. To a large degree, this is already happening but this ruling will only accelerate the process. Obstacles to profits (read labor and environmental regulations) will be removed.

I've given up on the Democrats as an opposition party. With the presidency and both houses of congress, all they have accomplished is a watered down stimulus bill, so called heath care reform (written by the insurance companies and financial "reform" that largely leaves the existing structures that brought on the recession in place. From what I see, little to nothing has changed in foreign policy. Iraq and Afghanistan grind on with no end in sight (Iraq is by no means a done deal). We still ignore Habeas Corpus. I'm not sure we have time to build a real opposition party before an American Fascist state rises but it is our best shot.

Open Letter to The Honorable Howard Coble

2009-12-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Congressman Coble:

Your old friend and my mother, "Hutch" Helen LaVack is no longer able to speak with you. If she were here, I think she would have already expressed some of the concerns I would like to share. So this letter I write for her as well.

What has become of the Republican Party? I have at times voted Republican but can no longer give the party my support. It is going further and further to the radical right. "Tea baggers", gun nuts, and now mobs shouting down fellow citizens and their Representatives at meetings to discuss health care reform; it is sad to see a once great party in such a sorry state. Comparing a sitting US president to Hitler frankly disgusts me. I did not vote George W. Bush and disagreed with a lot of what he did but he was still my President and deserved my respect. The Republican Party seems to have forgotten what loyal opposition means. Of course it is okay for citizens to disagree with President Obama. That's why we have a Republican Party! But fear mongering and spreading hysteria are no way to deal with all the complex issues our nation faces. What is the answer?

The answer lies with you, sir. You and other good and honorable Republicans need to regain control of the party and stamp out this kind of politics. It is bad for your party and worse for the country as a whole.

Sincerely,

Your old friend -Paul D. LaVack

Not Smart...

2009-12-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

We as a country are not smart enough to see all the trouble we are getting into. We are too busy being entertained by sports, television and so called “news”. Look at CNN right now. What is news worthy? “Michael Jackson’s mom gets custody of kids”, a story on a flight attendant and seven-year-old leading cops on a chase are happening on July 30, 2009. This is all front page news! Let’s not worry about two on going and militarily un-winnable wars, an over heating planet, the sewer that once was our oceans, exploitation via globalization and a collapsing healthcare system. The list of real and news worthy problems could go on and on but we get Sara Palin! Why? We have gotten this dumb! Entertainment and theatre now pass for news.

I think by design, our education system only worsens over time. There is little to no room for anything involving creativity or critical thinking. It is all about science and math and passing standardized tests. Want to learn about your own body (real sex ed) learn about credit or how to write complete sentences that hopefully make up a paragraph- forget it schools no longer have time for it. Why should we think for ourselves when there is television? We hear sound bites about healthcare reform. Very few of us have any in depth knowledge about what is being decided in our name, much less who is doing the real deciding. It is time to face the fact that we live in an oligarchy and have for some time. I see less and less real differences between the two mainstream political parties. The same people pay both democrats and republicans. Neither really wants true healthcare reform, and an end to the insanity in Iraq and Afghanistan or truly pluralistic democracy. There are a few differences on social issues but these are window dressing on an otherwise one party state. To have a true democracy takes a well-educated population and real choices. We are lacking in both. Few see past the spectacle of election year politics, sound bites and distractions that pass for democratic government. What lies behind the scenes are those with large checkbooks, blinded by sheer greed thinking only for themselves TODAY. This illusion needs non-thinkers sitting in front of their TV’s being spoon-fed the illusion of democracy. Look up “Inverted Totalitarianism” on your favorite search engine. It is a pretty grim but an all too likely path we are going to take. All that is needed is enough stupid people.

The Internet provides a small glimmer of hope. If enough people read stuff like this and start to think, things may turn out different. But who want to read when there are reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 on You tube?

Over 50 and looking for work…

2009-11-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

There is no way around it, the older we get the harder it is to find work. It is a lot about perception. The biggest thing for a professional is money, The older worker is going to want a lot of money or maybe make my company’s health insurance bill go up. They may be slow to catch on, epically if a business uses a lot of technology like computers and blackberries. Another problem some people may be uncomfortable telling an older person what to do and with that, not wanting to be told what to do either. Another perception people may face is energy. In this culture, we equate youth with energy. We want the young hungry salesman not the burned out one! And there is always attitude. If you go into an interview with the idea that you will be dismissed because of your age, there is a good chance this will come to pass. The effort is doomed from the start. A few decision makers may feel older workers are going to miss more work than their younger counterparts. There are all kinds of articles on line and elsewhere dispelling most of the misconceptions listed above. So what does this mean for you, over 45, 50 and up job seeker?

Look for jobs that are going to work. A huge company, like American Express or the Federal Government, can absorb someone who may have health issues easier than a three-person operation. As far as pay, it depends on you. Again apply for stuff that will work for you and let them know in the cover letter or interview the price is right. If you are a former manager looking for a non-manager position, let them know (even if it may not be totally true) you are out of the management game. The energy perception is harder to overcome. Dress the part you want to play. The right demeanor and a positive attitude (with a sense of humor?) will go a long way. If you are just getting on line keep learning the computers. If you have been in a role where you have not had to use a computer or blackberry, this not your age will be your biggest barrier. There are tons of ways to learn to use computers for free. Go check with your local library or community college for details. If you have had a great attendance record, highlight it in the interview. Now, how to get to the interview.

For God’s sake there is no need to go back ‘80’s ‘70’s and even ‘60’s on a resume or application. Unless you are talking to someone you are related to, no body gives a shit what your job was back then. Unless it was 20 to life in state prison! The last 10 years is all they want to know. If you have an older degree or high school diploma, list it but leave off the date. The fact you graduated high school in 1975 has nothing to how well you can do a job now but a high school diploma may be a requirement so you need to list it. Now, you may be stressing if you worked only one place for almost all of your adult life. List it from the start year. If you worked at a company from 1990 to 2008 chances are you worked different jobs. List the different positions and explain what you did at each one. If you had the same thing for a long time, list what you did and list other skills you have. Such a resume reflects stability, a good work ethic and dependability. But you are more…

Do not forget you are a person that never can be fully represented on any piece of paper. So do not settle for whoever hires you. No, take control and apply only for things you are interested in. Anything less is a waste of time damn it! Sure, it may take a little longer but it will be worth it. You made it this far, so what is a little extra time?

Corporate Culture... of Fear/ Debit.

2009-11-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

Pins and needles. is this what it feels like where you work? Are people around you getting let go for dumb and dumber reasons? How is the revenue flow going? You get the idea. So many work places are becoming so dehumanizing. Management can hold the specter of being fired or laid off over your head and this gives them even more power. "Can you stay an extra hour?" "Get the extra work done or I will find someone who can." I'm sorry but we are going to have to cut your hours." Similar statements (and far worse) are being made all around the country every day. Here in North Carolina, a so called right to work state, you can be fired on the spot with no explanation given. People feel they have no choice but to live like this pay check to pay check. Few people seem to like their jobs so, why do they stay? Most people will say things like family, responsibilities, bills and or to have money. What they are really saying is "I have debit." I owe so off to work I go.

Debit. It is so deep in American Culture. We go into debit for not only houses and cars but just plain stuff as well! Here, people will finance you a pet puppy! We have credit cards that are easy to use (too easy) to satisfy that new manufactured want or need. Check out this for example. By their ads, you would think it is the second coming! Watch the people lay their money down or credit! I recently paid off a credit card (my only one) and thought about closing it out. I had to deal with a flood of dire warnings about how it would hurt my credit rating. My credit rating. Somebody will one day look at this number and decide if I am a low risk. It may look good at the moment but if I dig myself in deep enough, this same yahoo will decide I am not so credit worthy. Pay off stuff on time, play the game, no good they will change the rules on you. Once you get into the debit trap, your managers (the ones who see you as an expense) have even more power over you.

If you are fortunate enough to still be working, GET OUT OF DEBIT! The less you owe, the more flexibility and control you will have. Debit is the new slavery. The laws are made by the credit card companies and banker types for their benefit, not yours. If you owe off to work you HAVE to go.

Beat the "Jobless Recovery"

2009-11-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away awhile.

Let's get our jobless recovery on! It looks like the banks are getting back in the black and Wall Street seems overjoyed! We worry about passing some more weeks of Unemployment (which is not the answer either) or spending billions on a better health care system but the real story remains out of the main stream. How much was / is the bail out? 14 TRILLION and counting! Do not take my word for it look here. Mrs. Prins knows what she is talking about. If you do not believe her, google "cost of the bail out". There are twelve zeros in one trillion. i.e. 1 Trillion = 1,000,000,000,000... Where did this money come from? Somebody is running the printing press and getting over time! It is no wonder the banker and Wall Street types are more happy these days. So what about you? How's that change working out for you? In my view, the Republicans are even worse, As I get older, I see less and less difference. It is going to take a lot more than 14-20 weeks more of Unemployment to get things going in the right direction again. I will not bullshit you, I'm no economist. So what does this got to do with a job search? Remember this blog is for one person only- you. You can still succeed.

What can you do? I've seen people doing the same old job search routine month after month (and in a few cases year(s). It is like the movie Groundhog Day, except reliving a nightmare of uncertainty, anxiety and false motivation over and over. Even if this method works, the nightmare continues. Get laid off, get fired for some stupid reason and start the whole process over again! Many move with blinders between jobs not pausing to think their way out of it. You must be creative! You must network! Sitting at home in front of a computer isolated from the rest of humanity filling out on line apps and emailing resumes is not going to get you a job, much less a career. This only leads deeper and deeper into cold dark depression. There is another way. Volunteer, play sports, do church stuff and get involved in any other activity you can think of to get around people. The job / career will find you. What need can you fill? What need do you WANT to fill? Answer these and you are on your way. If the Unemployment is out and you are looking at the ole $20 crisis, there are things you can still do.

Here a few ways to generate so income...

1. Voice 123 - voice overs.

2. Market other people's stuff on line

3. Ebay- Sell your stuff or stuff for friends on line.

4. GOARMY.COM They're always hiring.

5. Swift Transportation Be a truck driver.

Capitalism is an ass kicker. Government will not take care of you. You are pretty much on your own. I call it freedom to fail or succeed. Look with in and to friends, family and others to find what will work for you. Use the Internet to apply for jobs but keep in mind this by itself will take a very long time to work if it works at all. Network and network more...

E-mail Alert!

2009-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

slavewoman@

thedarkavenger@

sexyamama36dd@

darknight@

When applying for a job the email you use says a lot about you. All of the best qualifications in the world will not get you by if anything like the above is on your resume. Employers are being overwhelmed now and have to look for anything to trim down the number of applicants they want to talk to. Some may think such emails might be cool, true or fun but to an employer they may show immaturity, vanity or worse- stupidity. It is a small and seemingly unimportant detail but one that can cost a lot in the long run. For looking for a job, use your name and not something that a 5Th grader would make up.

The same goes for the music you pick to ring on your cell phone. If there are a ton of good applicants, rap, metal and country are a few ways to narrow the field. If somebody has to sit through music to leave a message and they do not share the same appreciation of death metal, there is a good chance your voice mail will remain eternally empty.

The same is true for voice mails. If you read the first two paragraphs by now you got the idea....

Worth 20k a month??

2009-05-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Worth 20k a month?

Why get out of bed? Is it just for the money? The knee gerk reaction would be "Yes". But think about it a little. If I paid you $20k a month to shovel dung, how long would you last? How many of us feel this way about their work already? We cannot stand what we do. It is a lucky person that gets out of bed on Monday morning and likes their job. The guy shoveling dung for $20k a month would not like it! The money perhaps but the job no... There is more to it than money. If you want to keep your next job; find something you like doing, find something that has meaning for you and find something that is fun! Here in the good ole USA we define ourselves largely by what we do. One of the first things we ask somebody we just meet is "What do you do for a living?" And let's face it "I shovel shit" is not a good answer no matter what the pay. So ask yourself what motivates me? If money comes first, you may want to rethink why you are here (and I as an employer will draw the interview to a polite but quick close). Match the employer to you. If you take "anything" may as well settle for nothing.

Jobs going, going almost gone

2009-03-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

The jobs are going, going and almost gone... All of those who think training is the answer are on the right track for the long term. In the short term, where are the jobs people being trained for today going to come from? Everyone cannot be a pharmacist, nurse or class A truck driver. Bio tech and high tech jobs are good but number in the hundreds here in North Carolina. According to this article, we will lose 96,000 jobs by the end of this year! Unfortunately, our state lags behind most of the country in education. So who will want to come here? We offer cheap unskilled labor but NOT near as cheap as China and places beyond! When the unemployment extension run their course and the money for more "retraining" has run out, what will be the next step? The good news is things have to change. We will have redo health care, we will have to adjust our current plan of borrow against tomorrow for what we want today and take education more seriously from day one. With the 12Th worst dropout rate in the country, we have a lot of work to do. Now we have to retrain a largely uneducated workforce for jobs we hope will come. Given time to innovate our way out of the current mess, it may work. We can all think about what success will look like, low unemployment and all boats rising but what about failure? This Russian guy has an idea...

It Will Not Work...

2009-03-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

It will not work... Doing the same thing over and over in a bad economy to get a job will not work just as it does not in a good economy. Ask people you know how they got their last job. How many will say I saw an ad in the paper, sent a resume, got an interview and got hired? How many will say I got a job at a job fair (a good way for staffing companies to collect resumes but not a great way to find work)? How many will say I knocked on random doors at every business park in town until I found where I am now? Well, okay there may be a few. There is another way. Network. Most people find work based on personal connections. They know somebody who knows somebody. I'm a good employee at the local saw mill and my friend Tim Bob is out of work. I hear there is an opening. Tim Bob is a good guy and a hard worker and only lost his job after it went to El Salvador. If I recommend somebody who is a turd, I too will look bad and only hurt myself. The boss man knows me to be a good and dependable employee. So who will he trust? My recommendation or some shmo who answered a box ad in the local paper, you get the idea. So continue to answer ads in the paper, go to big impersonal job fairs but add a little to it. Network. Go to school, volunteer, go to church, join AA; do what ever it takes to meet with and interact with new people. It will also look better on a resume than a glaring gap!

Back to Basics... Listening and Speaking.

2009-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here are two barriers we may all be guilty of at one time or another, poor communications and not following directions. Being vague and mumbling are no way to impress people. If you are not even sure about the job you are applying for i.e. "anything" and know even less about the employer, expect to be looking a nice long time! Communication goes two ways listening and speaking. Listening can be interesting. How many of us only hear what we want and what we do not want to hear is somehow filtered out? It is as if we want to put what we want into the mouths of others and wait to hear it back. When that does not happen we become combative and say I do not understand you! We may hear something to only conveniently forget it later on! There are tons of examples in the unemployment office where I work.

"Be sure and call in your claim each week to get your payment." I tell an applicant.

Five weeks later I hear from that same person "Why have I not got anything from you? I've been waiting."

Usually followed by "You did not tell me to call it in."

I can only guess they thought the tooth fairy would leave it under their pillow.

This also happens a lot with people who want to apply for jobs they are not qualified for. The 65k a year looks pretty good so we can over look the degree they ask for along with the 10 years related experience required. Hey, we can learn and if given a chance to talk we will talk them into it! Unless you are a supermodel, this will likely lead to failure. To paraphrase Don Rumsfield, you go to work with the skills you have not the skills you want. Listen to what they want and go from there. When listening do not project what you want to hear, rather take in what is being said and paraphrase it back. Hopefully, that will keep everyone on the same page and reduce misunderstandings.

Learn to speak with clearly and confidence. How you speak tells a lot about you quickly. In an interview, judgements are going to be made in just the first few minutes of the interview. It is very hard to reverse the first impression no matter how good you may be. Being positive clear and confident in the first few minutes will make for a much easier interview and increase the likelihood of success. People who can speak well for themselves do not come to the unemployment office often. Confidence goes along with success and that is what employers are looking for.

Buzz words...

2009-02-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

How do we get people back to work in an economy that no longer makes things? The buzz words retrain, adjust and stimulate somehow come up short in our current situation. We have gone from an industrial power house to the new FIRE (finance insurance & real estate) economy. The link gives a so so explanation of it but you will get the idea. In my state, North Carolina, what do we do with thousands of poorly educated textile and furniture workers? Back 30 or 40 years ago a job at the local plant was today's government job. You had it made! The company took care of everything. Sure. you were never going to be rich but you always had a roof and a place to be 40 plus hours a week. Down turns came and went. Draw a little unemployment until things turn back around and repeat. Now how will it work? So many of these jobs are gone for good this time. Will the stimulus plan work? Sure, with that kind of money being thrown around a lot of people will go back to work doing something but for how long? Where is the long term answer? The business people get on TV and warn us all of not going back to "protectionism" and "isolation" but these are not the same people trying to get by on a small weekly unemployment check. Sure, we cannot go back to the world of 200 years ago where we did our own thing but do we have to compete with places with terrible human rights records, wages measured in pennies and no environmental regulations? Somehow this is supposed to benefit our economy and help create jobs here. Immigration is a great way to keep America healthy and dynamic. The way the powerful are using it today merely to drive down the cost of labor for their own short term financial benefit is making it much harder for people here to find work paying a living wage. In typical American fashion, many here blame the poor slobs fleeing terrible living conditions in their own country. It is divide and conquer at it's finest. They would be better served to follow the money where ever it leads... We hear a lot about change, another buzz word, lately. The current system here is broken and WILL change. Will we be able to manage the real change on the way?

A TANKING economy...

2009-02-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

A big barrier to employment is the economy going into the head first into toilet. There are somethings that are always needed, like healthcare, plumbers police and fire fighters. So what are the rest of us to do? Unfortunately, the jobs that have gone over seas are not coming back because it would be too expensive. Some genius thought we could all get by being greeters at Wal Mart! This all has to be making OBL pretty smug right about now. War can help get the economy going for the short term but long tern it is a pretty bad investment. The Pentagon, military contractors of all shapes and sizes and a hand full of share holders do well but what has the rest of the country gained? Some less informed may say "we have not been attacked again." Simply google "The Power of Nightmares" for an alternative view. It is not a bunch of conspiracy garbage but rather an argument that Al Queada exists in the minds of politicians more than in reality. While you are waiting weeks on in for unemployment and your state is going broke the federal government is borrowing from the Chinese to fund our wars over seas. The numbers are staggering about $1.3 trillion or about $1.7 trillion for FY2001-FY2018. It is like George Carlin said to paraphrase him we may not be able to educate our children or take care of our old people but we can bomb your ass! Do we really need 700 plus bases around the world? We own more land than the Vatican! Sorry to go on a seemingly anti-military binge here. What ever happened to the idea of National DEFENSE? We could spend or money on a lot of other things and be a lot smarter about reducing acts of terrorism. A "war on terror" is an oxymoron if there ever was one! Our current path must change. If you don't think so drop by your nearest unemployment office sometime.

The mirror...

2008-12-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

The Mirror...

We can sometimes be our own worst enemies... Victimhood, insecurity and denial can get to the best of us from time to time. If a job search goes on for long enough one or all of these things begin to creep in. A job search is 100% self marketing and when we start to think less of ourselves it gets worse and worse... We deny our own part in why we are not getting a job looking for a cause everywhere but the most obvious... the mirror. This is the hardest part of going between jobs. It is good to question yourself but not blame yourself. Ask what can I do better and do not say or think I cannot do better.

Try to think creatively, make different resumes and try to think of hidden skills you may have. A man came into see me one day looking for "anything." After talking with the guy a few minutes I learned he was from Afghanistan and knew Farsi and Pahstun in addition to being fluent in English! I told him he could tutor (there is a lot of military in this state), go work for an NGO or perhaps even the federal government with those skills. When they leave me I do not know what happens most of the time. Hopefully, I showed him a new door to open.

Look in the mirror, keep it positive and creative and overcome...

THE WALL Education...

2008-12-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

So for whatever reason you are thinking about dropping out of high school. This is still a bad idea even if you are about to become independently wealthy. If you are a regular shmo, this terrible idea. No high school diploma equals, cleaning lady, laborer and fast food guy. Not that anything is wrong with these professions but ask any of them if that is how the plan to spend the rest of their lives. Room for advancement- forget about it. A person with a high school diploma may be pretty sharp but that is not the point. The point is completing something. High school can be pretty dismal but you can survive it. Now if you want to make better money some post high school training or college is going to be necessary. College for the most part, is a weed out tool employers use. For whatever reason they want somebody with a degree and they are willing to pay extra for it for the most part. A young guy is the IT field making nice bucks now with out a degree may think he does not need it and in the short run he does not. But when he is 45 with no degree competing against younger people with his same knowledge and a degree it does not take a Las Vegas odds maker to figure who will win out. Yeah yeah I know your brother's cousin's sister in law made it big with no formal education at all. There are exceptions to every rule! But if you want the odds maker on your side, finish high school and then some...

A BIG barrier....

2008-11-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

A BIG Barrier - The Holidays!

There is no good time of year to lose a job. But this has to be about the worst time. There is all of the family drama unfolding, the constant unrelenting drive to shop, and now... no job. That is bad enough but the kicker is few companies want to make any hiring decisions this time of year. If they do hire it is because they have to. Some shmo has left or got the ax and has to be replaced. However, this is not a time of year for growth. If you think seasonal help- too late! They have hired for it in October. But take heart, there is a new year just around the corner and with that comes new budgets! If we have not sunk into an outright depression by then, the job market will open up in early spring. It always does. In the mean time, checkout monster.com and where ever else you like and see what happens... Keep this in mind... Do you still want to go to work in Corporate America? If the answer is "NO", think about doing your own business by the first of the year...

See ya soon!

INTRODUCTION

2008-11-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hello and thanks for reading. I'm Paul and I have 10 plus years experience in helping working class people find jobs while working at a North Carolina unemployment office. I have learned a lot in that time. I would like to use this space to share some of what I've seen. Barriers to working can be many things from a criminal record, physical handicap, to age discrimination or plain old poor social skills.. I hope to write on these from time to time and hopefully help out a little along the way. Feed back is welcome.