Paul Ryan: just right.

In my early morning daze, the push notification on my phone read Paul and I damn near fell out of bed. "Holy shit! Romney picked Ron Paul to be his VP!"
Oh wait, no. Paul RYAN...the name wound its way through my groggy brain, pushing through cobwebs and tannins til it landed in its familiar file of "Economic disaster."

The sun light filtered through the shades - outside, grapes ripened on vines cascading over rolling hills. Paul Ryan trickled out of my mind.
His nomination just wasn't that interesting to be honest.

He's just right - not too hot, not too cold - for the Republicans and their corporate keepers.

He's not an extreme choice like Sarah Palin was. He's what I like to call an "econ-con," a double entendre I chuckled over in my simultaneous dismay.
He's a business-friendly, economically motivated Republican, as opposed to Tea Party evangelical loony tunes like Bachmann.
He fills in a lot of holes in Romney's personality and campaign.
He doesn't have a history of see-sawing, he has no experience in the financial sector which will take some heat off of Romney for being viewed as a heartless millionaire.
Of course, let's just disregard the fact that just a few months ago, Romney said that anyone without business experience shouldn't be allowed inside the White House...ahem, ahem, cough, cough.

Well, if you've been following Romney, you'll know that flip-flopping is not something he's afraid to do - the man practically has springs on his feet, and now he'll have to jump again.
Remember Romney-care? Yeah, tricky one. Particularly when your new VP sliced and diced any semblance of socialized health care like a horror movie surgeon (which by the way, you'll have to pay top dollar for). Not to mention Romney's relaxed view on abortion - Ryan? Well he wants to ban many forms of birth control - I hear the problem with abstinence is people just aren't giving it a fair shot.

Ryan's economic plan takes the rug out from middle and lower class Americans (not that there is much of a middle anymore) and then proceeds to beat them with it.
While some have claimed that he's the compromising kind, that's about as true as Obama being a beacon for hope and change.

What he is, is again, just right (pun absolutely intended).

During the debt ceiling debates, Ryan made it a point to personally visit Cantor and Boehner, dissuading them from signing any agreement that would raise taxes and not make sufficient cuts to entitlement and other federally funded programs, such as Social Security. Basically, don't compromise with Republican ideologies.
Well golly gee, doesn't that just sound all bi-partisan and cozy?
No. Of course it doesn't.
Romney is gelatinous enough on his own. Granted, he doesn't gel over to the center but he's not the straight up and down conservative that the GOP wants to neatly niche out their party.
Ryan is.
And that's how this works. The right needs to stay right. The fact that much of Romney's history shows him flirting with centrist notions makes no difference now. He can't say that he's in favor of gun control at this point - he's got the NRA up his ass with a .45.
He can't say he's OK with birth control - he's got a religious right wing flapping at him.
The fact of the matter is, is that so long as elections run this course: right vs. left, no one on either side will be allowed to tickle the line between their side and center side. It has to be us vs. them, we're righteous, they're evil. Because after all, it's really about conservative and liberal, not about one nation - for the people, by the people and of the people. Ha - pipe dreams!

So, I'm not super bummed or super excited about this choice. Romney will win some and lose some based on his running mate. Florida will probably move a few points further away, while conservative swing states that don't favor Romney's swing, will pendulum over to the right.
Corporate funds will bolster as per usual, happy with Ryan's favoring of lax regulations and taxes.

So, in reality, it's business as usual. The right stays right, the left stays left and in between, the no man's land of a quiet center simmers in the final months before election.
And the pipeline of the majority of Americans between left and right will continue to shoot out pipe dreams of progress until simmer turns to boil.

Politics and Poetry 3: Rant and Rave

For those of you who know me, I have an opinion on everything. From politics to spreading peanut butter, it is rare that you find a topic I don't have a comment on deck for.
That being said, I have learned to pick my fights over the years. Believe it or not, I was once an arrogant, far left, borderline extremist who didn't wear shoes, thought all Republicans were evil and all Southerners racist bigots.
From that time, I grew up, put on shoes and moved center ; moved forwards and realized that this country isn't going to fix itself from the see-saw extremes of right or left. It has to be balanced and progressive (no, not the party). From a center stand, you can survey both sides and move with a decision that reflects the best of a nation, not an ideology.
Today, while perusing the internet in search of topics for this post, I grew irritated and depressed. It happens now and then, never to my surprise but always to my disappointment. The political pages of this digital expanse were plastered with nothing more than left/right rubric, the exasperating back and forth of extremes: birthers, racists, and anti-mormons, oh my. Useless and petty commentary that had about as much to do with election issues as what I ate for breakfast.
I noticed another open tab, almost pulsating with disgust, a number which I used in another article I recently wrote: 82,000. That's how many people are homeless on any given night in Los Angeles, just Los Angeles.
Now that, is an issue.
I don't give a rats ass who Romney prays to. I don't give a damn who Obama used to pray with. I'm not electing a god or a priest. I'm electing a president - a president who will make promises now that will fall through the cracks later, just like the people I see outside my window.
And that's ok?

Understand that silence is a response. 

What about jobs? What about education? What about the kids I used to babysit for eating dust in Afghani caves? What about trillions of dollars in debt with my name on it?
With all this on the chop block, all we can think to consume is gossip on forged birth certificates? Come the fuck on, people.
And don't push the blame off. It's on us. You can't blame the host if the guest agrees to eat shit.
Instead of throwing some facts and commentary down - today, I'm simply going to leave you with this rant and rave, this little morsel to chew over, in the hopes that it won't just end in talk.


Apathy

Apathy is a cancer that kills the soul

These are the lies
you eat
when they feed you

You didn’t wake up when
our freedom died

How DARE you now
question why

This is not a game
no “other side” to blame

We chose this course by never
Demanding more

...would you LISTEN?!

there’s so much wrong
how could you write another song
about
sex, drugs and rock n roll
welcome to the tearing of my soul

come in, come in -
guilt tastes like fault
take a seat right there by the bank vault
I WANNA REACH YOU SO BAD!
would you hold up your hand
And DO SOMETHING

I miss something I’ve never known
a country with no corporate throne
I see it - every day -
my mind peddles truths that aren’t real

Do you dream in freedom
Do you see in ideas of change
Do you get sick from reality -
born from our slavery

Fast Blast: News 9.18.11

So, again - there's just too much going on for my coffee laden mind to focus on just one news story. I had contemplated discussing the jobs plan but it just makes me too angry. Not the plan itself - although you'll be hard pressed to find actual layouts of the plan amongst all the useless political deliberation and verbal excrement clouding the points of the bill. And therein lies the catalyst to my anger. What the fuck people? Can I get through one article about possibly desperately important legislation without getting into a dick measuring contest about 2012, and this party and that party and he said this and they did that. If everyone's so fucking frustrated by government ineptitude, why the fuck do we keep feeding into it?! WE NEED jobs, WE NEED an economic boost. All other conversations hold no place in the discussion of the JOBS plan. This incessant child like interpretive dance around issues and solutions fuels a downfall already in rapid motion. Our own apathy, ignorance and arrogance don't help either.

On that note...the news:

Bathroom time limit: An F16 fighter jet escorted a Detroit bound Frontier Flight to ground on 9/11 (paranoid much?) when flight attendants became concerned at the length of time three passengers (separately) spent in the bathroom. One was an Arab/Israeli woman who subsequently complained of racial profiling and the other two were Indian men, one of which was apparently sick. So, word to the wise: if you gotta go, I mean really go - try to take care of it before you get on the plane. Because apparently longer than 5 minutes denotes you in there with the anarchist cook book and a pipe bomb kit.

Give me your poor...: According to the latest Census Bereau data, 46.2 million Americans now live in poverty - defined as an income of $22,314 for a family of four. The median income also dropped to the lowest levels since 1996: $49,445.

Commonwealth Ave vs. Wall Street: Outspoken Wall Street critic, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advocate and Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren announced that she will run for US Senate in Massachusets next year. She was originally slated to head the CFPB (whose duty is to protect consumer rights against banks and large financial corporations) but the Republican response disallowed Senate approval...big fucking surprise there. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I hope for, but as always, can't dare to expect big things from her...

Sick man: Speaking of corporations, Rick Perry fell into some hot water when information surfaced detailing his very close ties to the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. ; for example, mandating the use of Merck's HPV vaccine on young girls. In return of course, Merck contributed upwards of $30,000 to his campaign, a bit more than the $5,000 he admitted to at a debate. Beyond that chunk of change, Merck has also contributed more than $380,000 to the Republican Governors Association, an Association that has in turn contributed over $4 Million to Perry's campaigns over the years...oh, isn't corporatocracy fun?!

Racism is racism: A popularized protest song in South Africa called "Shoot the Boer" has been banned by a Johannesburg court. The song, about killing white farmers was a favorite by activist Julius Malema, leader of the youth wing of the ruling African National Congress. The ANC complained that the court was "trying to re-write South African history." Ummmm, bullshit. Just because I don't go around singing songs about how great slaves are doesn't mean that I am pretending slavery never happened. While the banning of anything under the banner of free speech is a tricky subject, racism is racism. There's no such thing as reverse racism or the idea that racism is an appropriate form of retaliation for former trespasses. How can you move forward if you're still stuck in the back and forth? Hate breeds hate. Quit copulating past ills.

Civil War: The threat of civil war in Iraq's Anbar province is certainly not forgotten, and it looks as though it's not gone either. Last week, gunmen attacked a Shiite bus on a pilgrimage, forcing women and children off, only to slaughter the 22 men on board. It's marked as a response to several attacks on Sunnis in Anbar. Both sides complain that the government is doing little, Sunnis in particular, feeling that the Shiite-led government is too laissez-faire in regards to violence against them. Ah, glad we have our guys in there handling this one.

Speaking of Middle East quagmires...: The US embassy in Kabul was attacked this past week, along with the NATO headquarters. 16 people died and newfound fears at the capabilities of insurgents were fostered anew - people left wondering how 10 attackers were able to construct and carry out such a plan in one of the most heavily guarded and secured areas in the Middle East. Meanwhile US Ambassador Ryan Crocker quotes "It's not a very big deal." Well, I'm glad we can downplay it whilst simultaneously keeping the fear factory churning out the hits. Again, glad we have our boys and girls over there handling this one. May not be a big deal to you Crocker, but to the men and women and broken economy and infrastructure, it is a very, very big deal.

2,000 years ago: Looks like the feuds of old are just aching for a come back. Egypt and Israel are back at it - last week, a mob of Egyptians destroyed the Israeli embassy in Cairo, apparently a response fueled by the killing of Egyptian soldiers by Israeli soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula last month. Not to mention that most Arabs aren't big fans of the Israeli occupation and just outlook in general on their culture, in particular the Arab Spring. Stubborn boar Netanyahu doesn't make matters any better, from his banter with Turkey to his pig-headed response on the Gaza issue. As with most altercations, it's a two way street. But if you wanna find your way forward, you're gonna have to embrace change, something Israel is historically shitty about. Egypt is going to have to simmer down too - let the revolutionary guise fall to diplomacy. Let the fires go out boys, lay down your swords and try talking - it's not popular these days, but hey, you never know what kind of revolution you could set off by not being stereotypically revolutionary.

Spare the Rod

I've never hit a child. Well, when I was a kid, I hit other kids, but that doesn't count - I wasn't trying to discipline them, I was just trying to show how angry I was when words fell short. Using violence as a form of discipline is silly. However, using apathy is just as silly.
With as many peace signs couched within my closet, on patches, shirts, pins, even underwear, I must say, it appears that yet again, words are falling short. It's time to step up, stop spoiling with apathetic nonchalantness and get in there - to set 'em straight, and to raise...a country.
Compared to other countries in this world, we are in fact still children. And christ, do we act like it too. In case you missed it due to your own soap operas, or really, anything else news worthy, government has once again shown us how exceedingly difficult it is for them to act like adults.
The story: Congress is due back in session on Wednesday September 7th. A Republican Presidential Debate is scheduled for that evening. Obama needs to make his highly anticipated address to Congress regarding the economy and plans for growth. He wanted to do it on the 7th. Boehner said "No." And no, I'm not paraphrasing, he just literally wrote back, "No." He then asked if the President could reconsider for the following evening.
And mind you, all of this is going public, each response and counter-offer, like some high school banter over saved seats and flirt fests. If only it were that trivial. These are our FUCKING REPRESENTATIVES!!! They hold in their power all of our futures, the lives of our kids, our friends, and family. For fucks sake!
In the end, Obama agreed to give his speech on the 8th but not until considerable damage had been done.
This has never happened before! Historians note that in effect, the president asking to speak before Congress is mostly a formality and to anyone's knowledge, has NEVER been refused. It is customarily handled by the respective offices, until now, without issue.
Now, those respective offices continue to comment and banter as to whose fault it was - who didn't check up with who - who failed to appreciate the necessity of the others event - who this, who that - blah blah blah blah blahdy blahdy blah!
As I read through various articles, I felt as though I had been asked to read through badly written teenage screenplays.
As citizens hoped that a recess back to their homes would knock some sense into Congress - well, bummer - not so.
Clearly we're in for more of the same - and with issues on the table such as oh, the economy, a juvenile tangent is the last thing we need.
And yet, there is no change on the horizon. Would different faces equal different fates, or would they just echo the ideological verbage of a broken two-faced system?
You tell me.
Is it not time to step up and bring the bitching some action? Take this conversation out of our heads and into fruition? It is clear that our "oh just ignore them" policy is not working.
They are spoiled on their own gluttonous indifference to serious issues - waving the American flag as if they had the slightest fucking clue what it stands for - not the corporate cash in your wallet buddy!
Spare the work, spoil the foreman - if we don't act up, they don't act on our behalf. Pretty simple.
Eric Hoffer wrote in his book, The True Believer, that men of words are not men of action. And that men of action fail to see the sense in men of words - hence why revolutions and coups are often so disorganized and violent.
I'd really love to prove him wrong.

Couldn't we get some educated men of action out there? That's what I'm working towards-that's what we should all be working towards: Think. React. Do Something.

T-4 days and counting...

Well, I kinda feel like I should consult my Bucket List for some crazy shit to fill these next four days...sky-diving? spontaneous travel? tango lessons? eating monkey brains...well, maybe not that last one. But I do hear they're quite good chilled.
Regardless, the final countdown is upon us. And judging by the news blasts I get from various sources, we're full steam ahead towards a default and every damn politician's too proud to reach for the break or cut the wheel.
As it stands right now, the Senate has rejected Boehner's debt plan and Obama is pleading with everyone to move forward with a plan.
The way I see it: the right, who's stance has become hardened and far more immovable by extremist Tea Partiers is going to force the left to cede on several points, making the eventual deal absolute dog shit. If that doesn't happen, we'll default. And you know what, why not?
Maybe we need it. Maybe as a country we need to fall on the cold, hard surface of concrete failure to wake up and fucking give a shit! To demand that this ridiculous juvenile banter NOT be a part of democratic governance. To become engaged, or at the very least, have the slightest fucking clue as to what's going on. Maybe it will take a massive default to make that happen. Because the way I see it, either way, things will get worse.
I really hate to be so pessimistic but let's look at the options. As I suggested, new taxes won't be on there in any useful form. Loopholes for the rich and greedy will remain in tact, because both sides are up to their necks in corporate shit. Government spending will be annihilated. In fact, anything remotely "Keynesian" will be flushed.
Keynes, as you may know, was the British economist who among other things, founded the IMF (the original one, not the debt hauling colonialists of today) and built up an economic theory based on choice government spending to bolster a sagging economy. It was this mentality that the New Deal was founded upon. Even Nixon once said, "We're all Keynesians now." Well Dick, not so much anymore.
Nope, now we're Freidman fostered, free market corporate junkies, and anything government can do, big business can do better. Cut government spending, cut taxes and hope by pulling the regulation rug out from under the market, it'll be stable enough to find footing. Well, it's not! For fuck's sake, look at the facts: for example (again, I urge you to do research as well - not hard facts to find), according to JPMorgan Chase - a corporate heavyweight - U.S salaries are at a 50-year low relative to the GDP and company sales. Simultaneously, profit margins of big corporations have soared to almost 13%, the highest since the 60s. And why are profit margins so damn high? Well, at least 75% of the reason, is because wages are low. In a nutshell, pay people less, keep more. Makes sense. Is that any way to boost an economy? Fuck no! Does anyone give a shit? Apparently not.
As Harold Myerson says in the Washington Post, "Where's the rage?"
I'm with you Harold, where the hell is it?
We may not have the ability to pull out a New Deal, but we certainly have the ability to cut tax loopholes for the rich and raise taxes to boost revenue, WHILST boosting government funded infrastructure projects. That in turn would provide jobs for the now 9.2% of Americans out of work, who would then be taxed according to their wages, and in tiny steps, the economy would pick itself up off the floor, begin to lick it's wounds and maybe, just maybe sneak out of the House before right wing Tea Partiers beat the ever loving shit out of it.
But I fear that view is too Utopian. At least for where we stand right now. And that is why I play with the idea of a default, play with the positive aspect of giving every single American a kick in the ass. Because that's who's gonna get it. You don't think the pansy political players in Washington are gonna feel a pinch. No, no. They're career politicians, pockets deeper than pre-historic caves. They'll be fine. It'll be you, and it'll be me. The ones who have up till now, paid for it, and due to our laissez-faire response, will continue to, because we make no motion to object.
So for the next four days, enjoy apathy, enjoy the nonchalant carefree attitude of a citizen with no woes. Because the gigantic cloud of woes hanging above us, will drop. If not on August 2nd, at some point in the future. We will be forced to care. Unless by some miracle, we wake up before we are woken...

It's my party...

Have you ever been to a party where the hosts are arguing? Or just finished arguing and the tension could tear through those cute little puff pastries? A snide comment here, a stubborn refusal there - It's pretty damn awkward.

Now magnify that times a billion and throw in a sagging infrastructure, a bankrupt economy, faltering credit score, arrogance, ignorance, not to mention, the lives of 300 million Americans, including ones with M-16s and tanks in the sweeping desert sands of foreign quagmires-oh and take away the puff pastries.

As much as I hate to admit it, comparing our political stage to at-odds party hosts isn't much of a stretch. For a start, there are only two sides. In political systems with only two parties, progress must come from the center - there must be a constant compromise and debate, ideologies can not be ultimatums but instead starting points from which to move towards the middle. If you've been paying attention at all, it's pretty clear - that's not the case here. Ours is a classic example of two pulling poles - the grey area squashed by the extreme black and white - right and wrong, my side and your side. I've mentioned this before but in truth, there is no compromise between good and evil. When your platform is your ideology, your faith - God help the guy on the other end.

And that is the birth place for these juvenile dealings. Why the fuck have we not reached a decision on the debt crisis? Because the no-man's land center is entirely void of political dealings. Agendas cling to their far left and right platforms and ideas are shot down by the other side before they can even leave the trench.

Now, I do have to hand it to Obama - at least from what I've heard, he seems to be far more interested in negotiating than the Republicans, who simply can't imagine raising taxes or closing loopholes for the wealthiest in the nation.

In fact, if you take a look at the contenders for Republican nominee, you'll find a streamlined group of conservatives, more or less, seemingly allergic to anything not stated in their far right tenets of government.

For example, on Ron Paul's "Debt Ceiling Betrayal Petition," he writes that Boehner will only cave to Obama's wishes to raise taxes and the debt ceiling: "...as long as Speaker Boehner refuses to take a clear stand in support of only passing a debt ceiling if a strict 'Cut, Cap, and Balance' plan is also enacted, then he's just playing 'Let's make a Deal' with America's future."

Cute names - reminds me of kindergarten when you'd learn little sayings to remember the planets and presidents. And by the way Ron, I'm not sure where you studied politics, but making a deal is WHAT GOVERNANCE IS ALL ABOUT! You make deals to move forward - ummmm....heard of the New Deal by chance? Heard of compromise and debate? Probably not - he'd have been too busy scribbling 'End the Fed' on his notebook to notice the keystone of successful governance is DEALing with the wants and needs of your constituents, DEALing with the opposition, not just clapping together a cute saying, plastering it over an extreme platform of free markets, no regulations and itsy bitsy government.

And how about Mitt Romney...oh boy. He must've really liked see-saws as a kid. After his comment that Obama has only made the recession much worse, when faced with the facts that he indeed hadn't made it worse, Romney jumped to the other side of the see-saw, hoping to rise back up saying that's not in fact what he had said, he said it hadn't gotten better...somewhere, a comedian is very happy...his platform is similar to Paul's: small government, free trade, lax regulations, kill the federally funded programs, yet contrary to Paul's anti-war stance, Romney supports an even stronger military, saying "The best ally world peace has ever known is a strong America." Good Christ, I wish these people would read a fucking history book!

And then there's Michele Bachmann - I don't think I have enough space on the world wide web for this one. It actually says on her website, as a top priority: "Rebuild respect for America as the shining city upon a hill." This kind of idealistic, Utopian psychotic behaviour is what pushes the US to lose all semblance of respect overseas. We're not a fucking city upon a hill, and with platforms such as Bachmann's tiny government, cuts to federally funded programs, "strengthen the family and defend marriage," spending more on military and defense, and opening up the environment to our out-of-control fossil fuel addiction, we're not inching too close to gaining respect any time soon. Again, the steadfast ideological stance is clear. There will be no compromise - you can not compromise with policy based on faith, based on intangible beliefs in our superiority, our arrogant greatness. The dirty truths slide off your mind like water off a duck.

There are other contenders for Republican nominee but I'm too angry and exhausted to share those with you. I will tell you to check out http://2012.republican-candidates.org/ for a complete list. I do recommend that you nap in between, maybe have a punching bag nearby. All joking aside, these politicians are serious choices for many Americans. And what about Obama? Is he doing a good job? Is he representing us to the best of his ability? These aren't rhetorical questions. I want to know what you think.

This party is out of control. I know it's uncomfortable to step into the fray, to stand up and get involved. But unlike most parties, this one has our future on the line. This one has our livelihood on the line, and for many, their lives.

Put the puff pastry down. Think. React. Do Something.

Doomsday

I leave the philosophical musings for a moment, to bring you...our impending doom.
August 2nd marks the date the Treasury has set for a likely default if a decision is not reached on what to do about the behemoth deficit.
Obama has met with congressional leaders all throughout the week, and plans to meet again on Sunday to try and close the gap that is keeping the ideological right and left "far apart." Still, he expressed confidence that they would reach a decision before that looming deadline.
Well, at least he can still play the calm, collected leader in times of economic mayhem.
In the proverbial nutshell, here's the rundown: the right wants to slice and dice government funded programs while extending tax cuts, and keeping loopholes. Meanwhile, the left is against any government funded cuts and wants to raise taxes for the upper echelons and in general, increase taxes across the board.
Result: gridlock.
While reading through various news reports on these meetings, I am unbelievably irritated at how many mention what political gains are at stake and how the negotiations are centered on party platforms more than on the key issues at hand. Now, I'm not mad that they mention this - it's true and should be mentioned. I'm just mad that they don't note that this is really fucked up!
The issues lie squashed under a colossal mound of party ideologies, fluff and empty promises - politicians literally sit, hovering over the economic quagmire like Aladdin on his carpet - the detachment is clear. You can bet if they were sinking into it, these meetings would be a helluva lot more productive. But again, we're the ones sinking - quietly. As I often like to point out, we have that lid somewhere, we have that lid that can close that atrocious abyss and we have the tools to close the gap - we just haven't used 'em since the days of yore. They're dusty and rusty, sitting in a closet, along with our dwindling rights, boarded up with apathy and ignorance.
Back to the halls of the mighty - this gridlock is nothing new. Right and left have been bickering non stop about the economy since the beginning of the year. The splintered body politic just can't seem to find a way to put left and right foot forward. We just keep pushing further outward into an ever more uncomfortable split.
As I noted, Democrats worry that cuts to federally funded programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security would not look good on that report card at the polls. Republicans worry that any tax increases would tarnish their shining star of no taxation.
Still, at the meeting on Thursday 6 out of 8 voted in favor of the most ambitious deal - equal to $4 trillion in savings.
This of course would mean that all is on the table: government funded programs, the tax code, maybe even corporate loopholes, but that last one's a tricky beast.
However you see our political system, there is no angle nice enough to obscure the tremendous impact big business has on our government. Like politicians, they talk a good game, about wanting to ease the swelling deficit, fiscal responsibilities, and overall economic growth. But as David Leonhardt points out in his NY Times article, "the [business] roundtable is actually part of the problem." He's talking about the lobbying group, The Business Roundtable, as the name suggests, a corporate roundtable of who's who constructed to lobby in the interest of their corporations. Allow me to be more crass: a roundtable of America's top 1% with hands deep in political pockets steering a country supposedly of the people, for the people and by the people - forgive my poetic musings.
Never mind the gridlock on Capitol Hill, the contradictory rhetoric in the corporate boardroom is ever compounding this incessant economic headache. Corporate lobbying accounts for huge additions to the deficit. They want to of course keep the corporate loopholes, hell, add more, and at the same time, bolster the sagging infrastructure, building new roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. Where they think that money will come from is a massive mystery...
So, let's do some quick math here for a second: we're reaching for $4 trillion in savings. If we add up the corporate lobbying, the extreme right and left rift, the narcissistic concern with party platforms and ideologies and our ignorant apathy...does that put a divisive dent in the lofty $4 trillion savings plan?
Calling on depressive realism, I feel that if that $4 trillion in savings does come to fruition, it won't be on the backs of corporate kings or the politicians they lobby to, but on the backs of the apathetic masses, the people, we the people.
Hmmmm...maybe time to find that dusty rusty closet...I'll give you a hint, it's not to your left or right, it's center, forward.

Sex = jail time

I like having sex. It's fun, good exercise and depending on who you do it with, an emotional experience as well. Humans are in fact one of the few species that derive pleasure from having sex. Ergo, it has become more than a form of procreation, it is in fact an entire culture...a suppressed one over here, but still, a culture.
For as much as I like sex, I really don't like children. I hate to generalize on such a large group of the human race but for the most part it's true. In terms of my own reproductive abilities, I would really prefer never to utilize them. Not only because of my aversion to children but also because I just don't think I'd be a good mother. I have very little patience, prefer to make my own schedule around what I want to do, like spontaneous adventures and can't imagine giving up wine for 9 months. Oh, and I'm a nutty activist.
With that, if for some reason, my birth control failed me, I would more than likely opt for an abortion. And due to recent events in the good ole land of the free, I'd probably fly back to Sweden to do it. Even with the airfare, it'd be cheaper than doing it here. That, and I wouldn't end up in jail.
No, I'm serious.
A 32 year old mother of three living in Idaho faces a felony conviction and up to five years in jail for aborting a fetus. She said she couldn't afford to get it done at a clinic so she purchased "abortion drugs" over the Internet. In South Cackalacky (that's South Carolina for those of you not privy to the lingo), a Mexican migrant with three children was jailed for three months for using pills to induce an abortion. And in Iowa, a 22-year old was charged with "attempted feticide" following a fall down the stairs...authorities claim she threw herself down the stairs to terminate her pregnancy.
In all seriousness and disgust, I predict the return of back alley abortions using clothes hangers. What an enlightened fucking nation. As George Carlin once said, we want live babies so we can make 'em dead soldiers...with somewhere around 250,000 troops deployed overseas and this nonsense going on at home, how could you argue that point?
I have long felt that abortion should be as far away from any ballot as God, sexual preference and fidelity issues. I don't give a shit, I don't wanna know, tell me what you're gonna do for me and my country and leave your penis/vagina and bedroom tales out of it.
Sadly, that's not the case. This year alone, states have passed 64 new anti-abortion laws and introduced 900 new restrictions. Even without the new found stranglehold on women's freedoms and vaginas, horror stories have long been circulating about denied abortions, having to sit through lectures and atrocious images of aborted fetuses, doctors laying down guilt thicker than a double condom...and speaking of which, studies suggest that a vast majority of teen pregnancies result due to ignorance of proper safe sex methods. Instead...abstinence. Are you fucking kidding me?! When I was a teenager, I would get so fucking horny, I'd have to masturbate just to complete a sentence in my own head!
For a mostly far right leaning platform preaching ever smaller government, they sure want to know a shit ton about what your genitals are up to. Nosy fucking perverts. And it's no wonder - they must just be DYING for a good screw.
You can't fight nature - no matter how many prayers wrapped in self loathing emanate from your repressed lips. Your body will want somebody and if you're smart, you'll allow it that awesome pleasure. If you're a dumb ass, you'll probably end up bitter by age 30, raping little kids, ruining your mind and body with hate and repression or a combo pack of the three.
Like I said before, humans are one of the few creatures to enjoy sex...if you're a creationist, how do you explain that? If sex is to be a mundane function of propagating our disgusting species, why is it so much fun?!
If you don't want people to abort fetuses, why the fuck don't you teach 'em how to avoid getting pregnant in the first place?
If you don't want people to abort fetuses, why don't you support a better education system, better welfare, and less wars...you want live babies for sardined coffins...pro life and pro war....
My sincere belief is that all those who fall under that category should never have children, for they would make a far more twisted, sadistic and terrifying parent that I could ever become.

The faith of politics

It's not easy being a vehement moderate, a progressive activist. The very basis of activism suggests some kind of extremist background that pushes you into the ring, your ideologies guiding your sword against the evils of those who disagree.

Yeah, that's not me. I don't own weapons and I use logic and debate as my weapons...the pen (or in today's world, the keypad) is mightier than the sword.

I am highly opinionated and hold on to truth and fact as often as possible. I make it a point to constantly question what I think so that I do not fall into a quagmire of my own beliefs. Politics as faith is no different than a God based faith - if anything, it's more dangerous. Religion never claimed to be logic based - politics are supposed to be based on logic, debate, compromise, diplomacy. When your platform becomes your holy writ, your political stance becomes a religion, a faith, and all who stand outside are wrong, even evil. And from that is born extremist movements that weaken the body politic with every God guided punch from their corner.

Unfortunately, most politicians these days fall under that category. Ron Paul is such a man.

For the past 30 years, he's held on to his viewpoints, unwavering through thick and thin, fact and fiction. His never-ending crusade against the Fed, his loony tune tirades about free markets, smaller government, no taxes, and liquidation of half the Federal agencies. I do appreciate his support of ending all military activity overseas, but if that ever happens, I'll have to check how much of his legalized heroin I've been shooting up.

Hailing himself as the father of the Tea Party, the rise of it's popularity suggests there may be strengthened support for someone like him in the upcoming elections. Obama's continued shuffle to the right gives extremist right-wingers the chance to stand up as "true Republicans," distancing themselves from the ever encroaching evil Democrats.

Meanwhile, polling suggests that the bulk of Americans don't actually support the fringe ideals of the Tea Party and friends.

There's been a recent backlash from the public in regards to the Health Care Bill and even Rep. Ryan's sea of support has evaporated into mere pools after public opinion showed his ideas little affection.

To get into a party war, the Republicans have weak leadership and are fractured between right and extreme right, allowing for more room but also more infighting. The Democrats are just weak from top to bottom. Their ability to govern with any semblance of a spine is about as effective as a doggie door in an elephant cage. Yet there is no hope for a third party, at least not now. The civil war in the ranks of the Republicans may break into a third party but it would soon disband and be swallowed by one of the terror twins.

And yet as polls show Americans drifting more towards the center, progressively thinking (if not apathetically), the political stage is still awash with partisan banter, extremist views and an impassable no-mans land in between. As seen in recent attempts at legislation and governance, extremist ideologies hold no place in politics. There is no room for pedestals made of unwavering beliefs that you are right and "they" are wrong.

But as long as that faith holds fast, as long as those beliefs stand firm, our country will make less progress than a drunk turtle at a Nascar race.

I don't expect Ron Paul to become president - I don't think he'll win the Republican nomination either. But the recent Republican gun slingers taking the stage against Obama shows an interesting trend in the rise of extremist viewpoints among that party: Gingrich, Paul, Trump - like I said, perhaps a direct reaction to the bi-partisan, spineless trend in the Democratic party. As usual, I think both sides are fucked. I predict that Obama will win a second term but not as a shoo-in. Just as Clinton beat out Bush after his "impressive" show of power in Kuwait, the bottom line is that domestic issues are showing a much more questionable trial and error report card than the simplistic one-shot-to-the-head escapade in Pakistan.

Political faith and what the Republicans/Tea Party have brewing scares me. But political apathy scares me even more. The biggest threat to any government is a people who think. The biggest threat to a faith is people who think. Read, research, learn, react, Do Something.

Our economic abyss

As I walked through downtown LA today, I passed Wall Street. No, I'm not horrifically lost or high. There is in fact a Wall Street not too far from where I live, and as I saw it, I paused to take a picture. What if the Wall Street we all know looked the same way? Ironically enough, a few blocks up is Main Street, newly renovated with multi-million dollar lofts, art galleries and boutique coffee shops and clothing stores. How I wish that was prophetic...but I don't think it is.
While the Senate will more than likely squash Rep. Paul Ryan's horrendous bill that passed the House last Friday, that's just the beginning. We're in deep shit. And I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that, just like we didn't need Standard and Poor to tell us that - the same people that gave two thumbs up to mortgage-backed bullshit securities until the actual day the housing bubble burst. However, as the Chicago Tribune writes, the possible demotion of our credit rating is a "disturbingly big deal." If we get docked a notch, the remote stories of Greece and Ireland could become all too real. And just as physics suggests, when the big ones fall, they fall hard, and that hard fall will reverberate throughout the global economy. Supplement that with the fact that we are rapidly approaching our $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, unsure if it will be raised before we turn into the economic equivalent of cat food.
So, what words from the wise wizards on Capitol Hill? "lja^%%(IHUTFJYKiasdf896uyy%EW*&)IIUFUDUmhgasuk8ii7t%Tj"
That's a direct quote...
might as well be.
Politicians from the lowliest Senator to Obama have yet to say anything worth its weight in gerbil testicles about this economic precipice. They do continue to banter - oh my, do they banter. House Republicans have even threatened to vote against raising the debt ceiling until Democrats agree to slash spending. Meanwhile, Democrats are attempting to get through their tax hikes while Republicans flatly refuse. Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever taken a fucking MATH class up there?
Numerous economists, having gone through Ryan's bill, mark the money saved against what it would cost to blindly slash all government funded programs, employees, grants, etc. It will cost them MORE - that's right, it will fucking end up being more money to pull the rug out from under us than to let us stand with the little pride and dignity these corporate cunts allow us to have. And on that same note, tucked in the folds of his bill, is a repeal of the Dodd-Frank law: protect taxpayers from having to bail out failed financial institutions. So in effect, taxpayers would be responsible for all future Wall Street fuck ups...I wonder how much Ryan is getting paid to rape us on that one.
Hmmmm, meanwhile: tax cuts for the rich, no tax hikes for anyone, well...maybe the remnants of the middle class.
I need to punch something...
...
Here we are, standing at the abyss , closing our eyes, repeating the age old arrogant mantra, that we, are too great to fall. As Michael Schuman in Time Magazine pointed out, we are one of the very few debt-ridden economies with absolutely no "credible plan to control deficits and debt." We find it much more fun to play politics, hopping in those company cars and playing chicken with each other while the road crumbles underneath. What the fuck people?!
I take it back - maybe I am high.
Because I can't seem to understand how an entire nation of people can be wholly oblivious and/or OK with this cluster fuck of a situation! This is beyond fucked!
Let's not even ask how the hell we've managed to outrun a $14.3 trillion debt ceiling because I might burst a blood vessel - but seriously, how do we not just make a decision. I have to say that as much as I hate Republican ideas, they are bold and they get the spotlight - enough so the apathetically ignorant American will lean towards the right, if only because they're the loudest. You need to raise taxes right now - you can not just pull out government funds from necessary programs - you just fucking can't. All studies and research suggest that's a terrible idea. But here we are. And as much as I'd like to be optimistic (I really do try), I can't seem to muster up enough bullshit psychosis to believe that Republican ideas will be struck from the eventual bill. The experience trained cynic in me suggests that we will sink deeper. We will barely squeak by with a below average solution that keeps us out of the fire until the next guy comes into office. Then, we'll do the same.
We will continue on this road until the captains of industry look out over their graveyard of homicidal works: an American people crippled by lack of money, livelihood, education, health care and above all, rights and freedom. And that's where we'll be - you and me, a sad, pathetic representation of the arrogant behemoths we today claim to be.
We have to stop treating this like it's a fucking video game - it's not. The people made to represent us aren't. And we pay them to - indeed we do. The problem is, we don't pay as much as corporate lobbyists. In effect, our own employees are fucking us over with money stolen from our pockets by racketeers in business suits. Think about that.
If that doesn't piss you off - if that doesn't make your insides writhe, you have no central nervous system.
This is our country, these are our problems, and they will not go away.
We HAVE to Do Something.

Worst of both worlds

The US on paper, is a republic. According to the dictionary, that means:

"a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of

citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives

chosen directly or indirectly by them."

Of course, as we know through historical trials, what things are on paper isn't always what they are in real life - take communism, for example. On paper, it sounds really nice - all working for the common good, no one is treated more special than their neighbour. However, in practice that can never work. Leaders will rise to the top, and in the appropriate conditions, fashion a dictatorial regime through the cruel and abrasive use of power.

As I've said before, we have dictators. The fact that we choose to ignore their existence doesn't make them any less real. Corporations have been dancing around the law and hoarding power since the late 1890s, and 20 years later had already grown to a point where Woodrow Wilson painted the bleak picture of "a very different America from the old...no longer a scene of individual enterprise...where comparatively small groups of men...wield a power and control over the wealth and business operations of the country...rivals of the government itself."

How prophetic of you Woodrow. But my, how times have changed.

Our government no longer rivals the corporate stronghold, but embraces it, getting paid finely for their allegiance. Now, that's progressive.

And as we marked the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirt Factory fire a few days ago, I feel it's an opportune time to mention unions.

While I tend to have a rosier outlook on unions than I do corporations, due to their reason for being (protecting the worker as opposed to protecting their bottom line), I do not find them to be without fault.

For example, as Stephen Goldsmith writes in The Wall Street Journal, "In New York City, seniority rules force us to base any layoff on when a public worker was hired, not on whether he or she does a good job." The same holds true for bad teachers that contribute to the dumbing down of our cities and so our country.

Then again, look at who else walks the streets of the Big Apple - the big businessmen on Wall Street who robbed the people of money, homes, jobs and rights.

So, here we stand in the middle of two extremes. On the one hand, you have unions, whose existence is important to the well-being of workers, but can stand in the way of its own aims at bettering public life, through ill planned bureaucracy and unwavering ideological stubbornness.

On the other, you have corporate America, whose existence is a travesty, and does fuck all to better society, using violence and governmental back door dealings to secure ever more blood money and rape ever more freedom and rights from all people.

End result: where we are today. While polls show that Americans are by-in-large moderate, the policies that blanket this country with debt, blood and shame, would suggest otherwise.

The extremes are the loudest. Neither extreme is acceptable.

The red tape that protects unworthy employees should trot over to corporate America and tie it down. There needs to be accountability on both sides. There has to be regulation, for both sides. While I do not advocate a dictatorial government telling people when to do what, I do advocate a government that regulates business and organizations that directly affect the rights and freedoms of the people of this country. That's why we have a government. Of the people, for the people and by the people - to protect our interests and to make decisions based on our needs, not on the needs of organizations and corporations.

If unions are out of control - the people must speak up.

If corporations are out of control - the people must speak up.

Cricket, cricket...

...

Do Something.

The fine print

While I make it a point to point out the weaknesses and ills of our country, I'd like to point out that in actuality, I am a patriot. I wholeheartedly believe in the United States, in its potential to promote justice, freedom, hard work and the pursuit of dreams and happiness, not only to its own people but to the rest of the world.
I just don't think we do any of that. Like I say to many people, I love the idea of my country, I hate what it's turned into.
And I know many people out there feel the same way. We cling to good news, the glimmers of our advancement through economic trenches, the lights at the end of the tortured war-mongering tunnels. So of course many of us were very excited last week to hear that in February, the Labor Department happily announced that the US had added 192,000 jobs, the most in more than a year.
You're probably thinking - fuck, she's not gonna rain on that too? - yes, yes I am.
The fine print:
Private Sector jobs added: 220,000
State and Local government jobs added: -30,000
But, but - yes.
The public sector lost 30,000 jobs in the month of February while corporate America surged ahead adding over 200,000.
So what? Jobs are jobs right?
Wrong.
Put simply, this is bad news.
As many of you have noticed, what's right for corporate America is rarely right for the 95% of us who don't enjoy multi-billion dollar salaries. Someone asked me the other day, what's the difference between politicians paid off by unions and politicians paid off by corporations?
Well, think about it. Unions, although they can be a royal pain in the ass, are there to protect the rights of the worker, the public sector worker, the middle class (if we still had one). Corporations are built on the concept of protecting their bottom line - it even says so in the definition for fucks sake!
That's the difference, and just by looking at the facts, you can see it in action.
Have you noticed the rising food prices? Oil prices? The continuous failing of our infrastructure, our schools, government jobs and public services? Police may not be able to get to you in time - but I bet if you had the phone number to a private security firm rent-a-cop, he'd get there quicker than you can pull money out of an ATM.
Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. What Naomi Klein named "Corporate Shock Treatment" is actually a tried and true method, tested back in the 70s and 80s in places like Argentina, Chile, China and Poland. The CIA backed coups and corporate run revolutions to secure funds that democratically elected leaders in those countries didn't feel like coughing up. The IMF is effectively a global corporate loan shark, something John Maynard Keynes would start a war over if he was here to see it.
And now, these lab tested theories are coming to work at home. What better way of making money than reaping from your very own crop? With total control over a still-considered superpower, corporate America, without rules and regulations is free to continue pillaging without worry from government interventions. Why did the Supreme Court rule that corporations are people? Why would Obama lift even more regulations from corporate rulings? Put simply, government is corporate. The US government is not a free enterprise run by the people, for the people and of the people. I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it is frighteningly true.
Government regulations on corporate actions help keep people safe, and a country functioning properly. A free market economy, a la the Chicago School and Milton Friedman does not fucking work. Friedman is a greedy hawk, not interested in how the free market will regulate itself but in the corporations he can make rich by giving them the reigns to regulate it themselves. Markets don't regulate themselves, they're not artificially intelligent beings that can dictate how to effectively price bread and oil. Humans made the market system ergo they need to regulate. Period.
The attack on the unions is yet another step in breaking down the public workings of a state and then rebuilding it with corporate agendas. Just like you would electro-shock a patient suffering from anxiety and then attempt to rebuild with pills and therapy.
The blank slate idea doesn't work for humans and it doesn't work for governments. It breaks them down and causes mass poverty and hysteria.
Sorry to say folks but that's where we're headed.
I urge you to look into the happenings in Chile, September 11, 1973 (ironic...), Argentina, March 24th 1976, China, June 5th 1989. Check into the shadowy caverns of the Internet and find our involvement - it's there, the arrogant pricks don't even try to hide it. Read up on it and then compare it to what's going on now.
If you see, as I did, the eerie similarities and the fucking terrifying foreboding of events to come, let me know. Leave a comment, an idea and let's start this revolution.
We can still fight for the rights we have and steal back the ones that have been taken. But, we, the people, have to Do Something.

The deciders shadow

Libya continues on its way to an all out civil war: Gaddafi’s forces using tanks and rockets to push back rebel forces between eastern and western Libya. A revolutionary recently told a reporter that they are severely outgunned, holding up a light machine gun, shaking his head, “See this? This is no good. People are dying.”
Even though some rebels are equipped with heavier artillery, they don’t have access to, say, warplanes and tanks, often times mounting found anti-aircraft guns onto pick-up trucks.
There are mutterings suggesting that Gaddafi might be trying to leave the country, but without concrete evidence, the firefight continues. To make matters all the worse, rebels are running short on oil, making their advance slower and more trying.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Obama is being pressured by some to do more about it. Critics suggest that his talking points are about as helpful as throwing a spit ball at Gaddafi. Others say he shouldn’t even be doing that.
At a time when our presence in the Middle East is less than popular, rumors are being thrown around that the US is in fact behind ALL the revolutions, the main gust that rocked the cradle.
While I think that’s mostly horse shit, it’s best not to puff up considering our already unstable footing in the Middle East.
And speaking of our growing infamy, Obama announced today that he will be keeping Gitmo open, resuming military trials and keeping prisoners indefinitely, some without trials. The executive order came with deep disappointment from the cabinet’s liberal supporters and vindictive “I told you so’s” from conservative critics.
Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union commented on the decision: “The detention of Guantanamo detainees for nine years without charge or trial is a stain on America’s reputation that should be ended immediately, not given a stamp of approval.”
Rep. Peter King - Republican, N.Y., a loud and obnoxious opponent of the federal court hearings in NYC, of which the supposed 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was a part. King was nice enough to give Obama a back handed compliment, praising his decision as a continuation of his predecessors policies to defend our country, “The bottom line is that it affirms the Bush administration policy that our government has the right to detain dangerous terrorists until the cessation of hostilities. This is clearly a step in the right direction.”
Ummmm...a cessation of hostilities? I’m no expert, but aren’t we the jack offs over on their soil blowing the shit out of their civilians every day? What would we allow them to do in the name of protecting their own till we get the fuck out of there? Oh yeah, that’s right - we don’t.
I guess since under the newly released Patriot Act (another cracker jack move by Obama), the government is allowed to jail their own citizens without trial, it would seem grossly unfair not to condemn accused terrorists of the same thing. Even if there’s absolutely no hard evidence against about 90% of prisoners in Gitmo. Clearly, it’s a pre-emptive thing...
With this news, I wouldn’t really be surprised if Obama were to announce within the next few days the unilateral takeover of Libya’s government. For as much as his cabinet claims to hate being compared to “W,” they certainly don’t do much to try and avoid it. From playing corporate lap-dog, to upping military presence in the Middle East, to approving tax cuts for the wealthy, and now this, Obama seems pretty comfortable in Bush Jr.’s shoes.
The closer we inch towards 2012, the more I see things being pushed back to the right. Conservative governors have got more balls than a batting cage and seemingly liberal lawmakers appear to be bending more and more in the conservative winds gusting our way.
So, what do the people say? Well, as usual, not much. Politics has almost become a spectator sport, although a withdrawn one, like tennis. We merely watch the back and forth, take a break here and there to grab a snack or stretch our legs. We don’t get in the middle, we don’t meddle with the professionals as they play their game.
Again, as much as I’d like to only blame politicians for these dick stick moves, it’s really our fault for not doing anything about it. It’s like getting hit in the face with a tennis ball repeatedly and not moving or complaining about it.
I for one am tired of being a guinea pig, punching bag for bad ideas and partisan bantering. Both sides are fucked. Both sides are fucking paid off idiots. Our silence only supports the idea that the people are even dumber. Apathy can quickly be confused for ignorance. And at the end of the day, when our ever growing pool of enemies washes over us, it won’t be the Bushes at the front lines paying for their mistakes. It’ll be the people. Are we ok with that?
Do Something.

Fast Blast: News 3.1.11

Having perused today's biggest stories, I feel confident in admitting that I have absolutely no idea which one to focus on - ergo, I give you many.
But first, I wanted to share a strange experience from last night. I went to a hockey game, which could seem odd for the simple fact that I live in LA, but something else happened, just before the game that sent chills.
As with any professional sporting event, there is the time before the first pitch, puck, punt or plunge where some adorable or fittingly famous person steps up to sing the National Anthem.
It was quiet, eerily so. I could barely even hear a chair squeak in the cavernous echo chamber that is Staples Center. Everyone stood, having sprung up at the mention of the Anthem, as if it were a knee jerk reaction, almost involuntary. I stood, slowly, surveying the crowd.
The little girl vibratoed her way through the Anthem at a snails pace, giving me more gloriously grotesque time to clench my fists and shudder.
Why are we standing? For what are we showing respect? What does the flag mean - to you, to me, to anyone in that crowd? It doesn't really have to mean anything. It's a program, a system. We stand and stare blankly upwards, at a strategically placed flag, mumbling the words to ourselves, eying the nachos on the floor, fidgeting with our keys. We become empty. And to ponder the inverse of this phenomenon, what are we full of? I'm not trying to be cheeky, I'd really like to know - what goes on in the hearts and minds whenever something nationalistic or patriotic is mentioned or performed? As a lyricist, I have an almost incessant need to dissect and analyze the lyrics to any song. If one were to listen to the lyrics of our National Anthem, really listen to them, not just through our ears but into our minds...would we still stare blankly - would it make us feel uncomfortable at the mention of a Utopian land of the free? A hearkening back to the days when our forefathers fought for the ideals we either don't have any more or are too far removed to protect and enjoy.
It made me wildly uncomfortable. If we, the people, if only for a moment, pondered the stark contrast between the lives we lead today, and the foundations of this country, we could start that revolution so desperately needed to effect change. Break the corporate chains, and do something.

Now for the news outside my head:

Two week notice: Just in the nick of time, the House has approved a measure to fund our gross spending another two weeks so they can talk and order more takeout, keeping Smokey the Bear in uniform and avoiding a shutdown...for now. In those two weeks, the bill will trim spending by $4 billion. It passed the House with a 335-91 vote. Republicans had originally hoped to pass the bill with $61 billion on the chop block but Obama vowed to veto that bill saying it would only escalate the economic problems by cutting back on necessary funding and programs. Ummm, I have a question? Is history still taught in schools? Or did the Texas board of education throw that out along with the mention of "separation of church and state," fossils and Europe? I seem to remember something called the New Deal, a series of public works projects aimed at bolstering the economy while putting the country to work...seemed to work pretty well. But hey, cutting education, health care, police, fire fighters and funding for MORE JOBS seems like a totally awesome idea too - keep up the good work!

The blame game: Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh blames the US and Israel for the growing unrest in the his country. Apparently, the spread of uprisings are " managed by Tel Aviv and under the supervision of Washington," Saleh said. "What do you have to do with Egypt or Oman? Are you president of the United States, or are you president of the world?" Well, to be honest, I don't even think he's doing a cracker jack job at the former. It must come as a shock to us, these fighting words, considering that last year alone, Yemen received $150 billion in military aid to fight Al Qaeda's insurgency, and just last week Defense Secretary Robert Gates pledged another $75 million aimed at doubling the U.S.-trained Yemeni counter-terrorism unit. So, that's where that money goes - wonder if that was on the chop block...hmmm, probably not. Teachers are easier to cut off than military - they only have brains, not guns. Meanwhile, back in Yemen, there seems to be mixed feelings for the future. Sheik Abdul Majid al-Zindani, a "global terrorist," according to Washington, gave a speech promising that "an Islamic state is coming." However, more secular demonstrations have sprung from many of the Universities seeking the seemingly simplistic ideals of freedom. "We need freedom. Freedom from Saleh." Good luck my friend - I'm sure we'll be there when he eventually does fall to spend more money we don't have and piss more people off in the process. Until then, keep fighting the good fight.

Underground Dungeons: Further evidence of Gaddafi's cruelty was unearthed as revolutionaries in Benghazi wandered into the previously blockaded government and military areas of the city. Along with tales of torture, police brutality, and unexplained disappearances, the revolutionaries found underground dungeons - really just holes in the ground - held up by wood beams, with single pipes from the outside world providing air, keeping prisoners alive long enough to suffer the maximum. The revolutionaries had found bones and skeletons along with 7 men, still alive, who were taken immediately to the hospital. A 26 year veteran of Gaddafi's armed forces happened to be there as an ABC news reporter surveyed the scene. He had his four children with him, showing them the ruins of Gaddafi's home and compound. He told the reporter that they used to just throw people into the holes, forget about them - no one would ever come out alive. I wonder what dark secrets are lurking in the compounds of our red, white and blue...

Republicans hate nature: House Republicans want to sever ties with the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), pulling all their funding from the project. "It (IPCC) is an entity that is fraught with waste and fraud, and engaged in dubious science, which is the last thing hard-working American taxpayers should be paying for," Missouri Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer said. He also said, that "More than 700 acclaimed international scientists have challenged the claims made by the IPCC. These 700-plus dissenting scientists are affiliated with institutions like the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the U.S. Air Force and Navy, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency." Ummm...since when were the armed forces the go-to-guys on climate change? Especially when their salaries lie in your grubby hands? Fuck, they'll tell you that goblins are falling from the sky if it gives 'em an extra bonus at Christmas time! The EPA? Really? They've been castrated and useless for years. The only difference between any of these agencies is who the corporate dick stick behind them is. As another thinly veiled fuck you to mother nature, tucked in the pages of the budget cuts, Rep. Ralph M. Hall, R-Texas, authored the prohibition of any funds to implement the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Service, on the 2012 requested budget from Obama....I was gonna write more but I think I'm gonna go outside while I can still suck in some clean oxygen without a tank on my back.

Labor pains

No matter how this ends, it's gonna be a damn ugly baby.
Wisconsin broke the water and now it seems that all over the country, state unions are reluctantly entertaining the idea of giving up wages, benefits and work rules in order to keep their most basic bargaining rights.
Collective bargaining is the corner stone of unions. Without that, there's really no point to even having them. And that is the point of of this war.
I agree that Unions can be a royal pain in the ass - but not having them would prove to be a bigger pain in the ass.
Of course, not for the thick walleted law makers barreling through our rights like a fat kid through cake. According to Republicans, these public sector unions are sucking funds out of the states unnecessarily. Furthermore, their popularity in those states has greatly declined since many private sector workers find the job protection, health benefits and pension plans of public workers unfair...
Um...how is that a fucking argument?
Daddy, the big corporations aren't being nice to me so I don't think you should be nice to...um...the people who work for you! That makes total sense! Meanwhile, Obama is further letting up on corporations so they won't have to spend their hard earned money on protecting their workers. His plan to allow the Health Care Bill to be more of a suggestion than actual law makes for yet another avenue for corporations to skirt their responsibility and pocket a few extra dollars on the back end.
The Bahamas are lovely this time of year I hear...
What the fuck?! Really?!
Once again, these incredibly far removed pompous ticks in suits carrying a wall street journal are on their way to rape and rob the average American.
I'd like to blame it all on the newcomer Republicans, pumping their chests after a win in November. But unfortunately, both sides, as usual are to blame.
Governors on the left and the right have made the case against unions, stating that public workers are overpaid and have far too generous health and pension plans.
So, what do their constituents have to say?
A full 71% of those polled said that they were against weakening the collective bargaining rights of public unions. In fact, a recent poll suggests that while the majority of Americans don't love public employee unions, they are not in support of weakening or all-together stripping them of their collective bargaining rights.
It gets better - you know how these flag waving jack-offs are always promising not to raise taxes? In the same recent poll, Americans said that they actually prefer raising taxes to cutting benefits and pay to public workers - dirty fucking socialists...oh wait, that's us.
You mean, we the people, want to help, we the people...? That's just too fucking weird.
Underneath these clouds of apathy, underneath the veils of nonchalant, laissez-faire arrogance, there is a group of Americans who don't want to see corporate America steal our last breaths of freedom and the pursuit of happiness?
Damn...well, if that's true, then couldn't we, possibly, just maybe...Do Something...?

Fast Blast: News 1.27.11

Hello all, here's the latest and greatest (or worst) from around the world:

-CNN gets dirty: CNN received exclusive information on the dirty inner workings of the FBI, including severe misconduct by agents and supervisors. For example, an FBI agent sharing top secret information with his news reporter girlfriend then threatening to release a sex tape they made...a supervisor masturbating and downloading porn, a "leadership position" employee using the FBI database to check up on two exotic dancers, then inviting to his office after hours. By the way, none of these people were fired, they received suspensions because, as Director Candice Will said, "You know, our employees are human, as we all are. We all make mistakes. So, our discipline is intended to reflect that" Maybe some philanthropic psychiatrist (say that 10 times fast) could explain to me why so many high up government officials are sexually deviant. Could it be that our stiff (pun intended), self righteous, corporately religious facade is just that? That the bulk of our government officials are overpaid, corrupt puppets of a corpotacracy controlling our country? Just a thought...

-WikiLeaks fire-side twitter chats: WikiLeaks announced that they will begin public discussions on Tuesday February 1st via email and twitter. If you have a question, you can contact them on Twitter (tag: #wlquest) or twlrt@mail.be. They haven't disclosed who will be answering the questions or for how long but email questions close at 6.00pm GMT on Saturday January 29th and the first conference will begin video recording for broadcast at at 11.30am GMT on Tuesday February 1st. Also, if you happen to have a media outlet and are feeling a little adventurous: "WikiLeaks is looking for the most reliable and trustworthy organisations to collaborate with on our upcoming releases. If you would like to register your interest please fill out the form below [on website]. Should an appropriate collaboration opportunity present itself we will be in touch." Looks like the underground monster wants to come out and play in the sunlight...this will be very interesting to see...

-Obama-tube: Since we're on the subject of online chats (not the FBI kind), Obama will be on YouTube at 2:30 pm ET today answering questions about the State of the Union speech, and just the state of our union in general. The event is a part of the White House's attempt to reach out to young Americans.

-No surprise: America's war on terror is failing miserably. A member of the independent Brooklyn based news organization, Vice, traveled to Pakistan to report on the growing violence. The reporter spoke to Pakistanis who complained that our war in neighbouring Afghanistan has taken a horrific toll on their society: a never-ending stream of refugees, weapons, militants, and randomly, heroin. The devastation caused by our dick stick foreign policy is the catalyst for suicide bombings and heightened terrorist activity. No longer are the new members of Al Qaeda fighting for extremist Islamic law. They have abandoned it. The young, angry members now seek revenge for the trespasses against their people and their country. As Shabir Ahmed Khan, the Peshawar secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami fumed to the reporter, "If Westerners are going to kill and murder us, then we will have to fight back. No one has the right to dictate over a free country. They force their political and social policies on us, which they have no right to."

-Afghan's new US parliament: on the cozy subject of the middle east, Afghanistan inaugurated the new parliament yesterday, after a standoff between Karzai and the incoming parliament. Karzai had refused to seat the new parliament due to complaints of horrendous fraud at the elections four months ago. But, as per usual, under the watchful eye of Big Uncle Sam, the new parliament was seated and the White House proudly hails it as "a significant milestone." And another one bites the dust.

A Delayed justice system

Remember when you were a kid and you were punished when you did bad things? You couldn't just steal, lie, hit, spit, punch, grab, kick, scream or cheat without facing the consequences.
In the words of Lewis Black, "It's always the worst time to be a kid, because adults never know what the fuck they're doing."
Sad but true. Justice was supposed to be blind, impartial, a proud goddess of equality, truth and well, justice. Turns out that since hankering down in the land of opportunity some 200-odd years ago, the elegant ideals of Lady Justice have deteriorated into a a greed fueled whore-dom. Well, looks like some of her corporate buddies must've left some bills on her dresser.
Let's aptly transition to another corporate whore: Tom Delay. Not sure if you remember craggy faced Tom or not, but in 2002, he funneled $190,000 into Republican candidates for the House and Senate...well Tom, what do you have to say about that?
"I can't feel remorseful for something I don't think I did."
Reminds me a bit of Rumsfeld, being questioned before a tribunal: "I don't recall, I can't remember. Could you rephrase that question?"
Yep, he's a good ole boy - a contemporary and main supporter of Newt Gingrich and one of the deciding factors in the '94 turnover of the House and Senate. A shifty character, that in 2005, stepped aside as House majority leader, due to the conspiracy and money-laundering charges, only to evade trial, claiming the indictment was due to a partisan prosecutor. When you're that far right, everyone's partisan - there's a thick fog of bullshit, deceit, backstabbing and lies so you can't see two feet in front of you, not to mention, across the aisle.
And as he finally went to trial, a possible 99 years sentence for money laundering and 20 years for the conspiracy charge, he pranced off with 3 years and 10 years probation.
I'll take bets now on whether he'll even spend the whole year in jail. I'd love to bet you the nearly $8 million Delay claims to have spent on legal counsel so far. A counsel who claimed that the prosecution was basing their accusations on the redrawing of several Texas district lines in 2002 that cost many Democrats their seats.
Wow, that's a crap argument!
Even if that were true, how do you get from penciling in Republicans to bolstering their seats with nearly $200,000 of laundered money? Sounds like they tried to belittle his crimes to mere kindergarten levels.
And it worked.
Conveniently, Delay is also off the hook for his mysterious ties to Jack Abramoff, the model lobbyist who plead guilty to being a waste of life.
So kids, what have we learned today?
Well, fuck...do whatever you want, as long as you have big brother corporation behind you. That's a cracker jack tale, isn't it? From Wall Street to Cell Block 8, the only message we're sending loud and clear is that corruption is only illegal if you're poor. Oh, and most of us will only get poorer, by the way...the economic forecast is cloudy with a high chance of cluster fuck pit falls. Grab your umbrellas!

Winter's cold war revival

'Tis the season to snuggle up indoors with hot tea, warm cookies and a nuclear warhead or two.
The Senate met behind closed doors yesterday to discuss the START accord which would ammend the previous treaty that expired in 2009. Certain players from both sides are against the ammendments which would limit each country to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers. In a miraculous show of muscle, Democrats shot down (pun intended) three proposed GOP changes to the accord, perhaps as a direct reaction to Obama's apparent jello-spine strategy.
Members of the GOP, including speaker Mitch McConnell see the 30% cut in nuclear protection as an attack on the US safety guard against the supposed still evil giant, Russia. Other Republicans complained that the treaty was too slap dash and asked for more time to deliberate, ringing in the new year with their new friends on the side of the no vote. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs volleyed back remarking on how Republicans appear to need little time to oppose small details in the treaty while still needing more time to look it over...an anomoly he isn't interested in entertaining. So, as Democratic and Republican senators rally back and forth, the Obama administration has been busy making phone calls and press releases, desperate to get this through the doors of the Senate before the end of the lame-duck sessions.
As you might imagine, the Senators involved in this debate were around when the Cold War was still in full swing. It isn't strange that their resistance to a new treaty comes with a grain or two of mistrust sprinkled over their patriotic ideals of "we've got the guns, son."
The US's foreign policy, particularly regarding WMD's has been one of supreme unfairness. We are opposed to any country starting or maintaining a nuclear program while we sit on a nice pile of them. Isn't that kind of like pointing a gun at someone and demanding that they put their gun down...?
However, Russia isn't exactly angelically diplomatic either. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is quoted as saying "The Start agreement, which was drafted on the basis of strict parity, completely meets the national interests of both Russia and the United States. It cannot be reopened, becoming the subject of new negotiations."
Clearly, many on both sides are content to dig their heels in and stay at the political limbo they currently find themselves in: not enemies, not friends, just hanging out on the fence, mutually assured that no one will do something too stupid.
Well, that sounds lovely.
Here's my question: why the fuck aren't we including the Russians in these negotiations? This isn't a foreign policy change that affects just how we act on the global stage. This is a direct partner treaty. What if we were the only country at the treaty of Versailles? How does that make any sense? Honestly, I'm not incredibly surprised at Russia's response. I wouldn't be a big fan of people deciding how my security defenses were to be handled without including me in the discussion. That's how we roll tho unfortunately. We'll sit behind closed doors, come to a conclusion (or not) and then let whoever is directly affected know about it later. That's good diplomacy, that.
Needless to say, since the expiration of the treaty in 2009, both sides have been overly paranoid about what the other side is doing. Instead of bringing them in and discussing this over a diplomatic meeting of the giants, we close ourselves up as if it were pre-WWI isolationism all over again.
Well, it's not 1916. It's not 1960 either. The Cold War is over...or it should be. The 30% cut is a good idea, a necessary step down from confrontation we both need. The ways in which we are going about working for this step down is diplomacy 101 retarded. We need to be able to imagine a world in which Russia and the US co-exist, minus the constant pissing contest.
That seems like wishful thinking at this point, but hope springs eternal I suppose. It would be nice if we could learn from our mistakes before we step up on the global stage with nuclear warheads in our pockets...but now I'm just asking too much.
Best of luck to you behind those closed doors. We'll be out here with the warheads, keeping them warm in the Cold winter stalemate.

Lessons learned?

69 years ago today, there was an attack on our troops and civilians at Pearl Harbor. The very next day, we declared war on Japan and entered into the second most deadly conflict of the century (the first being the war to end all wars, but who's keeping score).
Conspiracy theories abound as to the behind-the-scenes workings of our government before the attacks. Some say Roosevelt was just itching to jump in the ring with the rest of the world and kick some Nazi ass, others say it was a clear cut invasion and attack on American soil...sounds oddly familiar...oh yeah, 9/11!
In both cases however, Americans stood behind their commander-in-chief and marched on christian soldiers towards casualties, catastrophe and more coffins to ship home. At least one could argue that we "won" the second world war, if such a word can be used in the description of war.
So, what is it about us Americans? What is it that makes us so infatuated with conspiracy and intrigue while simultaneously so apathetic to the destinations those paths lead to?
There is clearly a stark disconnect between the search for knowledge and taking action once knowledge is obtained. I say search for knowledge with a hint of reservation because in reality, there aren't that many people who search for knowledge, despite the fact that we all love a juicy tale of deceit and betrayal - which is pretty much the story of our country for the past century.
It's a bit like environmental catastrophes. We really abhor seeing little baby birds and fish covered in our waste and slime, but we don't wanna have to exert ourselves to see to it that it doesn't happen again, or even help out once it does. But we can talk about it over coffee, cursing somebody else for ruining the planet as we sit in our cars in traffic, neglect to recycle, leave the water running and keep the lights on. It's the American way! We're the best and it's always someone else's fault. Woo hoo!
The unfortunate side effect of our yarn yearning, apathetic ways is that the message gets to the government.
For example, Obama's recent bow down to the Republicans extending tax breaks to the un-fucking-necessarily wealthy. When asked by a reporter how the American people can trust him after he clearly stated in his campaign and into his presidency that he planned to terminate said tax breaks, his response was vague and dodgy at best. He said that while he still opposed the tax breaks, he has to give way in order to move forward. He said that he didn't need to convince the American people that these tax breaks were shit, he needed to convince the Republicans. Um...what? Since when do the people WE elect into office get to override our wants and needs? Oh, that's right - since we do FUCK ALL about it...
Obama said that the American people were very clear on the state of the economy, that they knew these tax cuts were more than just superfluous but indeed detrimental to the health of the economy if allowed to be renewed. Well Mr. President, if that's what we're so sure about, why the fuck would you go against that? And if we're so sure about that and as he put it those tax breaks are a "pillar of Republican policy," why would we vote in Republicans? Could it be a potpourri of various issues...for one, you have no spine and secondly, neither do we. The Republicans have enough for both of us, and that's not something we should be ok with. Neither side is in a position to make choices FOR us, they make them BASED on what we NEED and WANT. Any other arrangement is a clear violation of their duties as elected officials and our duty as citizens.
As Franklin once put it, "A republic madam, if you can keep it."
The more I see, the more I become depressingly realistic about our abilities.
On this anniversary of a clear, literally explosive wake up call to pay more attention to the goings on of our government and those we interact with, I see little progress and evolution of the people, for the people and by the people.
Sorry Mr. Franklin, sorry.