Readings 8/30/12

Mitt's Secret Weapon May Keep Bombing

Billionaire Wives's Club 

The Platform From HELL

The good ideas of Ron Paul face the Greedy Old Party

There Are Now More Slaves Than at Any Point in Human History

Spread the word!!!

Coming Soon: Artificial Limbs Controlled by Thoughts

Very exciting and a little creepy...

Club Orlov

On Capitalism I

Capitalism... There is a high price for prosperity both here and for the rest of the world. Let's start here at home but before that, let's break down some core principals of capitalism. As Ward says, "Capitalism kicks your ass." Don't worry about who Ward is. Just ask if he's right. It is unforgiving as hell. Make one mistake and you are suddenly the one pictured on the milk carton with a this cannot be happening to me look. Why is that, man? We live under a system that brings out our very worst. Profit maximization is a euphemism for "Hey fuck you, I got mine." When enough money is at stake, people will and have sold their own grandmother down river. Dehumanization is encouraged by capitalism. The most important goal is profit maximization, not making a better world for the next up and coming generation, not helping people live better more healthy lives nor building knowledge and understanding. Read the language. Individual freedom. Kill the competition. New and improved. Unlimited growth. Free Markets. Sounds okay until one considers the meanings in depth. Individual freedom, sure it sounds cool and all but don't forget it is also is the freedom to fall on your flat ass or through the floor. In a truly capitalist society, nobody is going to help you up. Tough shit. Health insurance gone with the job that went overseas without you and you got cancer? Sorry sucker and good luck! Kill the competition AKA Wal-Mart. Lets kill off all the small businesses and no worry the slobs will still be able to buy our cheap crap with their unemployment money. New and improved. Why are you still carrying around that old I-Phone? Get in the current month, you dumb ass! Unlimited growth. Yes, this can go on forever! Rules of science and physics do not apply. No oil and the Earth is no longer suitable for human habitation? Hey somebody will pull a solution out of their ass. The market will create a solution. I'm sure it will be the same douchebag who came up with the "Credit Default Swap."       

There was a rumor once that as a part of becoming incorporated, a business had to do some sort of "good" in the world. It seems this meager requirement got in the way of the bigger goal, profit maximization. Doing "good" is no longer a requirement. In Capitalism, as we practice it, there is no room for empathy, compassion or love (except the love of money). Where does that leave us? Just look around. Locally, the jobs are going away, the prison population is growing and those who do offer help are being overwhelmed with requests. Our election process has become a sick joke as the finest democracy money can buy. Friends, we already live in a police state.Just starting asking uncomfortable questions and see what happens. Globally, there are the obvious effects of a system where profit maximization rules supreme. Wars of choice, state sponsored terrorism (think the United States and our minions), large swaths of starving people when there is plenty to eat all come to mind but let's face it, it is hard to get our heads around faceless masses of faceless hungry people, the war dead and so on. Here are a few questions we all need to ponder. How do we let other human beings live out their lives in garbage dumps the size of counties? How do we allow our government to continue to bomb wedding parties, villages and bomb shelters? Why do we allow people diagnosed with serious illness to go untreated because they cannot "afford" treatment? I'm sure you can add many similar questions of your own.            

If your ego / identity has allowed you to read this far, congratulations, you a part of the solution! I cannot "change the world" alone. I cannot fix the sheer hypocrisy that governs the world today. I cannot house this living in garbage dumps and I cannot bring back those who have died in pointless wars (hint they are all pointless). I don't have the resources to feed those condemned to death via structural violence. What can I do? What can you do? I CAN raise awareness. If one yahoo who reads this even begins to question why things are the way they are, I've helped. I CAN stop participating as much as possible. Get out of debit and stay out of debit. Most importantly, I CAN encourage others that all is not lost. I may not be successful at all of these 100% all the time but I have to try. Now what CAN you do? What WILL you do?

Doing nothing is unacceptable.   

Readings 8.26.12

The Strange Language of Capitalism 


Crisis of Faith Elections and Money


The Monkeywerench Wars

Henry A. Giroux | Beyond the Politics of the Big Lie: The Education Deficit and the New Authoritarianism

Tomgram: Greg Muttitt, Whatever Happened to Iraqi Oil?

The “Average Voter” of the crab bucket

I gave up on my morning fix of NPR (National Pentagon Radio). With all that’s going on in the world, they remain fixated on continuous horse race style coverage of the presidential election. I don’t care what states the candidates happen to be in today, the latest non-real issue charge they cast at each other and I damn sure could care less about what the “average voter” is thinking. Both “sides” have to be represented no matter how stupid or uninformed they happen to be. Yet, this nonsense seems to take half the news cycle. People, this is no way to select a leader or run a government. The best way to close down the circus of horse race news coverage, billionaire funded elections and politicians who take no stand outside of the current neoliberal paradigm is to cut them off. Stop playing. Stop participating. And please stop posting shit on facebook and other media you have no direct knowledge of. Neither “side” gives a shit about you, period. Why be a schill? There are no “sides”. There are those who benefit from the status quo and those who do not. Both political parties are for the status quo even though the right has gone utterly batshit. I’m deeply saddened by our complete lack of community , inability to empathize and the utterly simple mindedness of American dualism (two sides to everything good bad right wrong black white vomit vomit). We are acting like nothing but a bunch of damn crabs in a trap pulling down whoever tries to get out.

Instead of encouraging each other, we tear each other down.We hear:
"Why should the teachers get more money?"
"Those union workers are so overpaid."
"Get a job with health benefits if that’s what you want."
"It must be nice having a full time job with benefits."
It is beyond jobs. Pick almost any topic you want and then read a related online article and scroll down to the comments. I marvel at the amount of anonymous anger and hatred. My theory about this is people feel so utterly powerless and this gives the illusion of having some kind of power (even if it is to only upset others). People can say stuff they would NEVER say in person. The anonymous nature of being on line hidden behind a nickname gives some a false sense of power. From sports, to cars to politics people would rather argue on line than eat. My team is better than your team and we will kick your ass. Remind me again of what position you play? People get wrapped up in this stuff adopting it as their identity. My Chevy will beat your Ford. So? It only means you have sunk more income into your car than your education. You may want to rethink that. Cars are fun and all but there is more to life. Then there is politics. Want to get people going, just mention Obama Romney or Bush. All are nothing more than different shades of red but one would think the opponent is nothing less than the Anti-Christ returned. They may not be the Anti-Christ (if you choose to believe in such things, I Don’t) but if there is such a thing I think he or she would join the Repubracrat Party. Keep them down and fighting about the damnedest things and those of us who run the show will keep the circus going for their own benefit... forever. Right now we (the people of this country) are the very definition of insanity.

We keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Instead of this political party, we will vote for that one. When nothing changes, we vote for the other one again. The cycle repeats over and over. What are we accomplishing? Jobs are still being cut and outsourced, the income inequality gap is growing faster and faster accelerating our pace to failed state status and big business runs our health care and steals our money whenever their overly complicated risky investments go south. A different world is possible. We can all escape the trap of consumer casino capitalism but we must first stop pulling each other down.

I think this will happen in time but the cost in suffering grows and grows the longer we are passive. Instead of looking to a government that has long ago stopped being a government of the people by the people and for the people, think local. Get together with people in person to work on solving problems and bridging differences. I'm going to help my local Occupy Group get the Employment Working Group going again. If something similar is not quite your speed, see what your church has going, or any number of local organizations. We do not have to "overthrow the government", if we get together and simply lead by example it will follow. Not participating in the manufactured election hype does not require violence only disobedience. As bad as our system is, it can be brought back under control. Enough people can get together and make good shit happen. Our civil Rights movement was a direct result of people no longer accepting the status quo. We need to pick up the struggle where Dr. King left off, the struggle for the poor. Billionaire funded elections are not the answer. I don't consider myself a Communist or a Socialist but I'm willing to listen and learn. This is 2012. Why can't we come up with a better system?    

Some Readings....8.17.12

Saturated Violence in the Era of Casino Capitalism Punishing Youth

Dr. Henry Giroux

An Atheist Manifesto 

Sam Harris 

Money Power and Wall Street

PBS Frontline Get the popcorn! You can watch this one...

Occupy Will Be Back

Chris Hedges

Skeptic

Michael Shermer

Tic Tock...

“Trading in your hours for a handful of dimes.”- Jim Morrison. I forgot what song that was but that’s what so many of us have been reduced to. But with a more recent new twist. Now we trade in our hours for the handful of dimes not knowing how long the hours and dimes will last. Companies closing, wanting to save money (for the owner) and or relocating seem to be a possibility at any time. If the company has and decency, they will let their workers go and not try to screw them out of their poultry unemployment benefits (usually less than half of what they make at work). But in many cases, they will dream up some reason to fire the person or persons and screw them out of the little unemployment money they may be eligible for. Sometimes companies tell those who are let go, they are not eligible for unemployment when indeed they are. For the average wage earner and most salary earners, cutting our pay in half or ending it all together means financial ruin will soon follow. Losing the house, the car and no longer being able to feed the kids or cat become a new reality. In the face of such reality, we become in essence, slaves. “I got bills” translates into I owe people which brings us to “I owe I owe so off to work I go.” The financial and personal instability leads to living on high alert moments away from the next crisis / emergency to the next. People are left with doing anything to keep their bosses (owners) pleased. We put in long hours, work while sick or in pain and or continue to work in hazardous, unhealthy and dangerous conditions. We want to speak up but know whistle blower protections are non-existent. So we muddle through as best we can, taking pain relievers, stimulants and more exciting drugs just to give us the illusion such a life is really worth living. Most of us do get by but at what cost?

Spending more and more time in often meaningless jobs, surviving paycheck to paycheck, in time leads to deep feelings of loneliness and depression. So we seek escape in many forms, some more healthy than others. Some seek escape into the virtual world of gaming, porn and on line networks such as facebook. These may provide some kind of relief but it is temporary and does nothing to solve the twin problems of loneliness and depression. The endless babble of television is a similar means of escape. Others fine escape in both legal and illegal drug use. Consider all those that are one form of anti-depressant or other. The drugs may ease the symptoms but do not address the cause of the problem. Illegal drugs not only don't help, they most often lead to worse problems like health complications and you guessed it, job loss. Others may turn to extremist groups finding comfort and security in gangs and like minded hate groups such as the KKK and Aryan Nation. Such an existence is devoid of healthy community life. Online networks, taking drugs and hate groups are no substitute for meaningful employment, security / stability and flesh and blood real friends.  Yet too many continue to live in a form of debit slavery all the while continuously announcing how free we are to the world. We can and must do better.

For me, I need to turn off the damn computer more and spend time with people face to face. I write to avoid tv and games that become time vampires. There is no substitute for being around others. One friend to hang out with is far better than all the FB friends in the world. Think of it this way. What’s better LOL or the laughter of a friend over a coffee or beer? There is a huge demand out there for love that anyone can help meet. It is simple, listening to others and being herd. We form groups for a reason, it is in our very DNA. All this crap about individualism does nothing but benefit those who profit from all the isolation in our culture now ie bosses and drug makers and sellers. Our primary cultural narrative runs something like this; don’t think about others, take care of yourself and you are the only person in the world that matters. It does not take a shitload of gray matter to understand this clashes with who we really are as thinking feeling human beings. Those who can completely internalize the “I” at the expense of everyone else as our culture dictates are called psychopaths. Simple really. I cannot put myself above those around me and most likely, you cannot either. We may be better off working less and loving more. 

Who in two, five or ten years will remember the extra two hours you put in at the office? Well, your kid who's first football game of the season you just missed might. Think your boss will? Hell no! I'll try not to get too preachy here but forgive me if I do. Work enough to keep the assholes happy and pay the bills while concentrating on the really important stuff like real live family and friends, not to mention time for yourself. If your current situation does not allow for living, then change it. Find a good employer or even better make your own job that you control, not the other way around. Are your best memories at work? Work is cool and all but does not hold a candle to being with Thu the wife, hanging with Occupiers or pounding beers with Todd, Ward, Sharin, Patricia, Matt and too many others to mention.   

I'm still a work in progress. I know it. My employer treats me better than most and I can take time off pretty much when ever I want to. That said I still have to trade in one-hundred sixty hours a month to keep the lights on. The work is important but I'm only a low level bureaucrat. So yeah I'd rather work for myself with some like-mined people. A few of us are working to make it happen. I'm more involved with others than I was a few years back and feel I'm a better person for it. Beats the hell out of y8.com.               

     
        

Illusion of Limitless Progress

Continued growth and progress forever right? Not always. We always hear politicians, business people and economists talk about growth of the economy despite history and finite resources. Yeah, we have seen an explosion of new technology in the last century or so, from the a-bomb to the internet. It seems every week there is a new “must have” gadget coming out to replace the one we just bought. There have been tremendous advances in medicine as well helping those with access to good healthcare live longer. While those without are left to a relatively new corn syrup enriched diet and the dire consequences that go with it. Then there are all the slick advances in creative accounting which have given rise to the FIRE (finance insurance real estate) economy. Who needs to make actual stuff anymore when one can get rich manipulating figures, charts and stories on an important looking illuminated computer screen or screens?  We have also made tremendous advances in government as well. Through the fine art of propaganda, we know how to make a totalitarian system into the world’s greatest democracy. Simply create the illusion of choice between two components of the same regime, add TV glitz, and talk passionately about distraction issues while ignoring the most important ones (See entry below). Sure the circus could go on into infinity but it will not.

Civilizations are born, mature, grow old and die. It is a simple truth of human civilizations. Always. The cause of death may differ from place to place and time to time. The cause of death may be internal, like corruption in the Roman Empire. Civilizations can be killed off by Mother Nature as well. Droughts and floods have taken out countless civilizations around the globe. And there are the occasional epidemics, like the Black Plague. Chronic resource depletion is also a civilization killer. Because few of us have any direct experience of the above does not mean they have “gone away.” I’d say we are facing all of them to varying degrees right now. We are corrupt as hell with the grandest democracy money can buy. Mother Nature is not on our side either. No single big ass earthquake or flood is going to take us out but rapid climate change just might. Look at what’s happening with droughts and rising food prices already. Civility goes out the window when there’s nothing to eat. “We are only nine meals from chaos.” I read that somewhere recently and wondered how many days food are in my town? How about yours? Here in the good ole USA, our healthcare system is being overwhelmed by mostly preventable illness and disease; diabetes congestive heart failure, and emphysema to name a few. Again this alone is not a civilization killer.  Chronic resource depletion could be the final nail in our collective coffin. Check out this website about oil production and population growth. What do you think is going to happen when oil production falls? This is the single most important resource of the modern world and it WILL run out. There are green technologies out there but none abundant enough to replace oil. Hell, than cannot even come close. The last guy to take this seriously was Jimmy Carter and he was run out of office on a rail. Friends, I’m sorry to sound all doom and gloom but we need to be aware another future is possible, one that may not follow the script of “progress.” Our current leaders and decision makers seem to be in the deepest denial of all.

Civilization death cannot be laid at the feet of Mother Nature alone. We play the largest role in our own demise. Arrogance, hubris and willing blindness always cost us dearly in the end. When the bad guy’s plans come unraveled, he cannot believe it and starts screaming “this cannot be happening!” Recent legislation passed by the North Carolina State Legislature provides a good example of denial of reality. It was not the first and rest assured, it will not be the last. We have the largest and most complex civilization in history and there is no single person responsible. We are all on a train to an unknown destination and guess what, nobody is driving. We cannot lay the blame on Obama or Romney because the problems we face are much larger than any single office or individual. We continue on down the tracks as if our civilization will last forever blissfully unaware of the many dangers we face. I find it funny how we watch an endless parade of Hollywood fueled doomsday fantasies while ignoring real dangerous stuff going on all around us. The warning signs are everywhere, climate change, nuclear proliferation, income inequality etc etc. Our civilization will unlikely end in a very bad day or week. These things take time.

We may yet escape nuclear fueled Armageddon, the final plague, a large asteroid or even artificially intelligent robots who have determined we have outlived our usefulness. Escaping from a much warmer Earth and poisoned environment may be a little more difficult. Sad to say I see little cause for optimism. Building great civilizations and crashing them, seems to be how we roll. It is a survivable experience. The lone family in the woods with stocks of canned beans, ammo and guns may not be the ticket (unless they are really really isolated). When the hoard of three to four hundred shows up looking for a fun day of rape pillage and plunder, the lone family with the gun nut at the head is going to have a long and painful afternoon. Forget the lone-wolf bullshit put out by Hollywood. Real community is a much better option. This is what has worked in the past. A defended community will have a much better chance when(and if) a hoard shows up. They may be able to buy them off with food and other tangible valuables. Better yet, put some on the payroll so to speak with work and food. I guess I'm falling into Hollywood fantasy myself. The hoard may never form. The future is nothing more than the results of the decisions we are now making. It does not have to look like a Mad Max movie. 

The best way to move ahead is community building. Join a church (preferably one that does not take an us vs them approach), a local movement like your nearest Occupy Group and or get to really know your own neighbors, especially those who now how to garden. WARNING: this will mean turning off the TV and could even lead to time outside. But you will likely end up happier, healthier and much better prepared if the world starts to go off script and improvisation is needed. More on this topic soon.                                     

To Vote Or Not To Vote?

This may seem a strange question with an obvious answer. “Of course I’ll vote. Why wouldn’t I?” I think most people would say this. But I’d say slow down and think it over. It all goes back to Gandhi, doesn’t everything? Gandhi says we should do nothing too perpetuate a corrupt evil system. One can argue our current government is about as corrupt and evil as it gets. Yeah, sure we are not the Pol Pot regime or a bunch of National Socialists but we’re pretty damn bad. Just ask an Iraqi, Vietnamese or an Afghan. And these folks are just the tip of our massive ice burg of cold self serving evil. There is no need to go into the long sad list of the murderous wrongs committed by our government in the name of maintaining the current operating economic paradigm of Neoliberalism. You may have noticed a discussion of Neoliberalism is well sorta missing from the current so called “debate” between Romney and Obama. This is but one of a number of topics that are seemingly off limits in the main stream media as well as between the candidates. Single payer health care, sane gun control and a real jobs plan are also on the list of unmentionables. So our “choice” is really quite limited falling within a narrow red band on the political spectrum. We have the options of center right and far right. I ask in all seriousness is that really a choice? So keep Obama and we keep the War on Terror (but they don’t call it that anymore), the world-wide American Gulag, Domestic Spying, torture, state sponsored targeted extra-judicial killings and being Israel’s bitch. And on the domestic side, continued gridlock, crumbling infrastructure, unneeded and unwarranted financial rewards for big banks, big oil and big ag. Oh, and let’s not forget the continued militarization of the police. Romney? All of that plus a likely unnecessary war with Iran, a re-start to the cold war with Russia and forget about leaving Afghanistan. And domestically, take away the safety net (what is left of it), more wealth disparity, and killing off the remains of the middle class. Both paths lead to Hell but the second moves us along faster.

Let’s consider not voting. Easy there, just read and give it a chance. Voting keeps the circus going by legitimizing the power causing all the suffering. There is the age old counter argument, if you don’t vote, you should not complain. BULLSHIT. Not voting is a legitimate choice. We call one political party states undemocratic, dictatorships and fascists. I’d say given the fairly narrow differences above, we too live in a one political party state. Call it the Republacrat or the Democan party. Either name represents the finest glitzy sham elections money can buy. 100 million form one guy for Romney and this is called “free speech.” Obama? This is the same guy that had the big banks by the balls and let them go without any meaningful reforms. They owe him.So how does not voting play into this? If just a hand full of people voted, those "elected" would have no legitimacy to govern. Sure they would be Koo-Koo enough to make pretty Sarah look like an intellectual giant. But would the army and the police actually enforce laws and such passed by a government that so few voted for? When the old Soviet Army was ordered to attack Yeltsin and the Russian people, they essentially said "nuts" and the rest is history. Things have not worked out ideally in Russia but they did get rid of a totalitarian regime more or less peacefully. The people quit playing the game. This is astonishing given Russian history. If we had a largely marginalized government in DC no one was following, we may be able to call a Third Continental Congress and transition from a government of the corporations by the corporations and for the corporations to one of the people by the people and for the people. But that's far off for several reasons.

We (you and I) have free speech but only up to a point. If one of us starts to ask difficult questions like why is there a bottom billion, why are there entitlements of bank bailouts with so many falling into poverty or why are we still using fossil fuel despite the environmental damage the do, one can expect public ridicule, an unfortunate accident in the not too distant future or getting whacked extra-judicially of course. Just read a little. Here Here and Here. You and I do not control the media and that makes almost impossible to get out an alternative narrative to Neoliberalism. How can we offer a different view to the average schmo (I like that word) who gets his or her news via the boob tube every night in 3 minute soundbites? Another problem is we are a house divided. I read the on going discussions posted on FB from my local Occupy group and everyone has a different view on voting (including myself). Some think the current system is reformable while others think it is not (and some are in between). We seem to be divided on our focus as well. Some work on foreclosure, others on energy and others on minority rights. If I've missed some things my apologises. All of these are important and worthwhile but is this multi-dimensional approach the best way to focus on the root cause of so many of our problems? A tiny tiny group controlling so much of the wealth in the world and translating that into raw power used for their own gain are the heart of the problem. Small local actions (demonstrations, sit ins etc) are important but until we can put half a million in the streets in cities around the country (the world??) on a weekly basis, the small local stuff can be largely ignored by the powers that be. I applaud any and all local actions we have done. You guys give me hope (you know who you are). I'm not saying stop all the local work. I'm asking how can we continue local efforts and add large national level actions as well? I'm digressing. Problems, so many problems. A huge problem we face is the growth of the national-security state we find ourselves in. A fellow occupy member felt there was a good chance he'd be taken out by a sniper at an action. I think he was half joking and half serious. After all, it is all fun and games until we become a real threat to the status quo. Then lessons learned in Iraq, Afghanistan and who the hell knows where else will be applied right here. Some yahoo is looking at this now (hello there!!) and adding me to a "watch list" if I'm not on one already. Sir, I don't advocate violence or anything illegal only a better life for all. Where does this leave us?

So the real question is to vote or not to vote. To those who still believe the current system can somehow be reformed by voting for one party or another, I invite and welcome your feedback. Dido those who think some other method may work. I'd also invite you to read what you can on the following links.

Stan Goff Hillary's Bones.
Ted Rall Read a few posts and you'll get the idea.
Chris Hedges Our express way to hell.
John M. Greer Alternative future. Not the unlimited progress we are programed to accept.
Dmitry Orlov Post collapse.

... and some rally heavy reading go here. WARNING Better have your thinking cap on.