Sabtu, 28 Februari 2009
Kris Krisofferson: "In the News"
"I want nothing but the ending of the war. No more killing, or it's over and the mystery won't matter anymore."
Kamis, 26 Februari 2009
Rabu, 25 Februari 2009
Selasa, 24 Februari 2009
AMERICA IS A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC (not a democracy)
A constitutional republic is a state where the head of state and other officials elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over citizens.
In a constitutional republic, executive, legislative, and judicial powers are separated into distinct branches and the will of the majority of the population is tempered by protections for individual rights so that no individual or group has absolute power.
The fact that a constitution exists that limits the government's power makes the state constitutional. That the head(s) of state and other officials are chosen by election, rather than inheriting their positions, and that their decisions are subject to judicial review makes a state republican; should the judicial review be maximized.
John Adams defined a constitutional republic as "a government of laws, and not of men." Constitutional republics are a deliberate attempt to diminish the perceived threat of majoritarianism, thereby protecting dissenting individuals and minority groups from the "tyranny of the majority" by placing checks on the power of the majority of the population. The power of the majority of the people is checked by limiting that power to electing representatives who are required to legislate with limits of overarching constitutional law which a simple majority cannot modify.
Also, the power of government officials is checked by allowing no single individual to hold executive, legislative and judicial powers. Instead these powers are separated into distinct branches that serve as a check and balance on each other. A constitutional republic is designed so that "no person or group [can] rise to absolute power."
The notion of the constitutional republic originates with Aristotle's Politicsa possible fifth type of government called the polity. He contrasts the polity of republican government with democracy and oligarchy in book 3, chapter 6 of Politics. Polity, in the general descriptive sense, can refer to the political organizational system that is being used by a particular group, be it a tribe, a city-state, an empire, a corporation, etc.
In Aristotle's second, more specific sense of the word, he envisioned a polity to be a combination of what he thought were the best characteristics of oligarchy (rule by the wealthy) and democracy (rule by the poor). The polity government would be ruled by the many in the best interests of the country. and his notion of Oligarchies favored the wealthy members of society and featured elected leadership positions. Democracies favored the poor and middle-class members, of which there are usually greater numbers, and had features such as legislative assemblies open to citizens of voting age. When taken to heart, so to speak, and used correctly, the polity form of government would be the most ideal government possible, thought Aristotle, because it could take input from community members of all levels and rule fairly in the interests of the whole community and not just the majority.
In Aristotle's second, more specific sense of the word, he envisioned a polity to be a combination of what he thought were the best characteristics of oligarchy (rule by the wealthy) and democracy (rule by the poor). The polity government would be ruled by the many in the best interests of the country. and his notion of Oligarchies favored the wealthy members of society and featured elected leadership positions. Democracies favored the poor and middle-class members, of which there are usually greater numbers, and had features such as legislative assemblies open to citizens of voting age. When taken to heart, so to speak, and used correctly, the polity form of government would be the most ideal government possible, thought Aristotle, because it could take input from community members of all levels and rule fairly in the interests of the whole community and not just the majority.
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, a tiny country entirely surrounded by Italy, is the oldest constitutional republic in the world, having been founded on 3 September 301 by Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason fleeing the religious persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian. San Marino's constitution, dating back to 1600, is the world's oldest written constitution still in effect.
Constitutional republics were first advocated in the 18th and 19th centuries by classical liberals, who were engaged at the time in a political and ideological conflict against conservative supporters of traditional monarchy.constitutional republics have entered the political mainstream and have gathered the support of many other ideologies in addition to liberalism.
Political debate on the issue of constitutional republicanism has largely subsided. Since the beginning of the 20th century.
Political debate on the issue of constitutional republicanism has largely subsided. Since the beginning of the 20th century.
The United States of America is the second oldest constitutional republic in the world after San Marino. According to James Woodburn, in The American Republic and Its Government, "the constitutional republic with its limitations on popular government is clearly involved in the United States Constitution, as seen in the election of the President, the election of the Senate and the appointment of the Supreme Court." That is, the ability of the people to choose officials in government is checked by not allowing them to elect Supreme Court justices-- however in reality, such justices are appointed by the popularly elected president, and approved by the popularly-elected Senate. Woodburn says that in a republic, as distinguished from a democracy, the people are not only checked in choosing officials but also in making laws.
A Bill of Rights exists in the U.S. Constitution which protects certain individual rights. The individual rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights cannot be voted away by the majority of citizens if they wished to oppress a minority who does not agree with the restrictions on liberty that they wish to impose. To eliminate these rights would require government officials overcoming constitutional checks as well as a two-thirds majority vote of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the States in order to amend the Constitution.
A Bill of Rights exists in the U.S. Constitution which protects certain individual rights. The individual rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights cannot be voted away by the majority of citizens if they wished to oppress a minority who does not agree with the restrictions on liberty that they wish to impose. To eliminate these rights would require government officials overcoming constitutional checks as well as a two-thirds majority vote of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the States in order to amend the Constitution.
However, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and others, held that the federal government was not the sole or final judge of its own authority, holding that this would "make it, and not the Constitution, the judge of its powers." Rather, in the Virginia Resolutions, the Kentucky Resolutions and elsewhere, various individuals stipulated that the people of the individual states were the final check on federal power to ensure compliance with the Constitution, holding that the people of any given state had the final power to "interpose" for the purpose of maintaining the Constitution against federal abuses thereof.
Though a constitutional republic is not a pure democracy it necessarily has some democratic elements, such as ability of the people to elect a president (in the U.S. the majority of the population is checked here too, as popular vote of the people does not necessarily decide the winner).
Nations where the head of state is not elected, as in a monarchy, as not elected but has a parliament with elected representatives that govern according to constitutional law protecting individual rights are called constitutional democratic monarchy). Both are considered liberal democracies because they have protect individual liberty from majority and minority forces, while retaining some democratic elements. Also, a representative democracy may or may not be a constitutional republic. For example, "the United States relies on representative democracy, but [its] system of government is much more complex than that. [It is] not a simple representative democracy, but a constitutional republic in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law."
_____________________________________________________
It is not that it is merely a convenience in our constitutional republic
that we have the freedom
to have our voices heard above the god-awful din,
it is imperative that we speak,
it is our job!
Stand up and be counted!
Dissent against injustice!
Utilize our rights to petition!
For if we do not,
the taste of apathy,
the feel of tyranny,
and the sight of empire
will bring us to our unconcerned knees...
Just because we now, after eight looonnnng years, have a leader that speaks well, with logical reasoning skills and with an obvious intelligence and grace, doesn't mean it is time to allow indifference to rule our lives.
It is, in my opinion, our job, our responsibility,
to make sure our voices are heard.
President Obama seems to be listening!
He seems to want to hear us!
He seems to have a vision!
He seems to have a plan!
He seems to want our help!
Let us lead it where we need be taken!
Yes We Can Live in Peace and Harmony in a Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial, Multi-Cultural Society!
For Japanese and Koreans immigrating to America, containing cultural conflicts has been difficult. Their motherlands are burdened with a long history of conflict stemming from territorial disputes and historical grievances related to Japan's colonization of Korea in the early 20th century.
As Korean residents and shop owners have increased their presence in Little Tokyo, the historic heart of Southern California's Japanese American community, the multicultural melding hasn't always been harmonious.
When the number of Koreans began multiplying in Little Tokyo Towers a few years ago, complaints about them from Japanese residents quickly began to surface. The Japanese immigrants said of the Koreans: "They smell of garlic." "They don't follow the rules." "They're going to take over." Then, from the Koreans: "The Japanese are snooty." "They don't greet you in the elevator." "They disdain Korean culture." "They're trying to push us out."
Today, however, the tone in the towers -- a 300-unit senior housing facility on 3rd Street -- is strikingly different. A Korean resident whose relatives were jailed for protesting Japan's colonization of his motherland is teaching his native language to a dozen of his Japanese neighbors. "Ga, gya, go, gyo," they intently repeated on a recent night, mimicking the sounds of the Korean alphabet as teacher Simon Yoon pointed them out on a whiteboard. Residents recently held a New Year's party and debuted a Korean-Japanese bilingual newsletter called "Bridges" to share their cultures. On other nights, they belt out songs in both languages using a karaoke machine purchased by Korean residents -- who took care to include 2,500 Japanese songs. And in August, they attended a groundbreaking "harmony concert" featuring Japanese and Korean music and dance.
The turnabout in Little Tokyo proves ethnic harmony is possible, the residents say. "We want to show that in Little Tokyo, there are people who want to be good neighbors to each other regardless of the past and all of the conflicts we've experienced. If reconciliation can happen in Little Tokyo, then it could be a model for the city and for Japan and South Korea."
Reference:
having one of those moments
i am not sure why- but i am angry. lots of little things i suppose- the end of winter approaching- but not fast enough; the cats misbehaving; having to interact and rely on other people in the selling of our apartment building; people scamming other people via cell phone texts; israel continuing to foment war against iran for no good reason. sigh. and my husband is out of town until i pick him up from the airport tonight.i have cocooned myself for a couple of days over the weekend- not venturing out but reading and drinking tea and shutting myself in from the world. and it was nice, but i don't think it helped in the grander scheme of things. because life still bothers me. issues i can't will changed- that are too big for me to will changed on my own- remain unchanged. and i cannot wrap my mind around why people are so horrible to each other. the whys remain unanswered.
the only thing i can do is take deep breaths and think about things i can change. change what is in my power to do so. and get myself another cuppa tea. namaste.
Minggu, 22 Februari 2009
Obama's Weekly Address
The topic below was originally posted yesterday, on my Intrepid Liberal Journal blog.
The most important news from President Obama's weekly address is that employers will be directed to withhold fewer taxes in paychecks. According to the administration, a "typical" family will take home $65 more every month after April 1st. The speed of this adjustment is impressive and wage earners will be able to determine the impact for themselves soon enough.
Next week President Obama delivers his first address to a joint session of congress. Thematically, the administration is attempting to project each policy as a component to an overall comprehensive economic recovery strategy. To date, we have seen three pieces of this strategy:
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The most important news from President Obama's weekly address is that employers will be directed to withhold fewer taxes in paychecks. According to the administration, a "typical" family will take home $65 more every month after April 1st. The speed of this adjustment is impressive and wage earners will be able to determine the impact for themselves soon enough.
Next week President Obama delivers his first address to a joint session of congress. Thematically, the administration is attempting to project each policy as a component to an overall comprehensive economic recovery strategy. To date, we have seen three pieces of this strategy:
- The stimulus package.
- A housing plan to help nine million homeowners struggling to meet their financial obligations.
- Continued bailouts for America's largest banks.
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Sabtu, 21 Februari 2009
Unsettling Info About the Men Who Pick Your Food
I admit it: I was shocked this week during a visit to the Farmworkers' Center here in El Paso. I learned some things about the guys who pick the raw ingredients for our spaghetti sauce and salsa. Maybe you didn't know, either, that: ***About half of all ag workers in New Mexico earn about $5,850 per year. Agricultural workers are among the poorest of the working poor. Paid by the bucket, a worker would have to pick thousands of peppers per hour to make even close to minimum wage. Essentially, we make poor workers pay for our food!
You might think this next one is incredible, but it's true...
*** Ag work is among the most dangerous of jobs in the US, according to the Department of Labor.
And, as you might expect...if we ever thought about it:
*** The average life expectancy of an ag worker is just under 50 years. Many of those who manage to live longer than that are seriously disabled due to work-related injuries and illness.
BUT, get this one (!):
*** The "man" who picks your food might be a woman.
*** Farmworkers labor seven days a week, 10 to 14 hours per day during the 25 week seasons. (I couldn't keep that pace--even for one day.)
*** Ag workers aren't eligible for worker's compensation in New Mexico, a state that has discriminated against them that way since 1917. All other industries there--including seasonal construction work--must provide it. Farmworkers don't have money for medical insurance; they live in a continual health crisis.
This can change! The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty is lobbying right now for an amendment to give workers' compensation to ag workers. Find more info on their website.
[They filmed the video (above) at the Farmworker Center where I volunteer each week. If you watch it, you'll see some people I know and love.]
--crossposted on Border Explorer
bill moyers journal
"Who didn't know that housing was over-evaluated? That stocks were overpriced? Who didn't know that a system the makes the rich richer while the poor get poorer will someday face a curtain call? We all knew that at some level, just like we know we're going to die. And yet our capacity to deny reality is huge. And I think that we don't want to know what we really know because if we did, we'd have to change our lives. And now we have to change our lives because the whole thing is crashing down around our head."
parker palmer- center for courage and renewal
parker palmer- center for courage and renewal
Jumat, 20 Februari 2009
Kamis, 19 Februari 2009
Rabu, 18 Februari 2009
Selasa, 17 Februari 2009
An Interesting Thought
Here is a blurb from an incisive article that can be found here:
"The hubris of the information society is that it imagines that data matter more than understanding and that we are moving coloer and closer every day to completing the book of knowlege. The truth is we are creating vast new areas of ignorance."
"The hubris of the information society is that it imagines that data matter more than understanding and that we are moving coloer and closer every day to completing the book of knowlege. The truth is we are creating vast new areas of ignorance."
human nature
i have been reading up on a few of the more ancient religions lately- zoroastrians, ancient berbers' mythology, celtic druidism, norse mythology, etc. and i find it interesting that the simplistic monotheistic nature cultures were just that- simple. the more complex religions to follow simply streamlined and added layers to the already existing religions. hence, our judeo-christian-islamic religions all are very similar as they swiped from the ancient egyptians who swiped from the ancient berbers. and no matter how simple or complex, humans didn't really change all that much. they still worked and toiled and had families- and warred against each other. war seems to be a human trait.
perhaps that's the essence of humanity- our soul is war. people in western cultures believe that humans are born good and have the potential- the free will- to stay that way or not. i actually believe it's closer to what an ancient chinese philosopher, hsun tzu, believed- men are born with the tendency to want profit and gain but with proper guidance- they could change. it doesn't matter if you were an ancient berber tending sheep or a wall street ceo today raking in billions- humans tend to be greedy and arrogant.
as i read different aspects of the history we know about, i realize that what we see today is really a continuation of what we started as- humanity doesn't change. the biggest difference we face today- never before have we destroyed our own home- our planet is in peril. i am not optimistic we will ever have peace on earth as a whole. i really believe that the best we can do is work for peace within ourselves. from what i can see- the folks with their finger on the button aren't going to listen to us.
perhaps that's the essence of humanity- our soul is war. people in western cultures believe that humans are born good and have the potential- the free will- to stay that way or not. i actually believe it's closer to what an ancient chinese philosopher, hsun tzu, believed- men are born with the tendency to want profit and gain but with proper guidance- they could change. it doesn't matter if you were an ancient berber tending sheep or a wall street ceo today raking in billions- humans tend to be greedy and arrogant.
as i read different aspects of the history we know about, i realize that what we see today is really a continuation of what we started as- humanity doesn't change. the biggest difference we face today- never before have we destroyed our own home- our planet is in peril. i am not optimistic we will ever have peace on earth as a whole. i really believe that the best we can do is work for peace within ourselves. from what i can see- the folks with their finger on the button aren't going to listen to us.
Minggu, 15 Februari 2009
GOLDEN TICKET: US Army Offers Instant Citizenship to Temporary Immigrants in US who know One or More of 35 Languages Excluding Spanish
Breaking News: The US Army is offering A Golden Ticket, Instant (6 mos) Citizenship, to Temporary Immigrants in the U.S. who know one or more of 35 languages excluding Spanish!PTINEWS.com reports:
New York, Feb 15 (PTI) The US military, stretched thin in Afghanistan and Iraq, will recruit about 550 temporary immigrants, including those from India who know Hindi and Tamil, offering them a golden chance to become US citizens in as little as six months.The pilot programme, for the first time since the Vietnam War, will open the armed forces to temporary immigrants if they have lived in the United States for a minimum of two years, The New York Times reported quoting military officials familiar with the plan.The Army's one-year pilot programme will begin in New York City to recruit about 550 temporary immigrants who speak one or more of 35 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Igbo (a tongue spoken in Nigeria), Kurdish, Nepalese, Pashto, Russian and Tamil. Spanish speakers are not eligible. It will also include about 300 medical professionals to be recruited nationwide. Recruiting will start after Department of Homeland Security officials update an immigration rule in coming days. Immigrants who are permanent residents, with documents commonly known as green cards, have long been eligible to enlist. Recruiters expect that the temporary immigrants will have more education, foreign language skills and professional expertise than many Americans who enlist, helping the military to fill shortages in medical care, language interpretation and field intelligence analysis.
Texas Republican Ron Paul Asking Questions Too Many Democrats Ignore
I originally posted this video yesterday on my blog.
I disagree with Ron Paul about most domestic policy issues. However, when it comes to war and peace, this Texas Republican dares to ask questions too many Democrats prefer to ignore.
Bipartisanship No, Working Majority Yes
The topic below was originally posted yesterday, on my blog, the Intrepid Liberal Journal. In the grown up world, honorable and reasonable people may initially disagree but eventually compromise upon a collective review of empirical evidence. It was in this spirit, that the nascent Obama administration reached out to Republicans with respect to their proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which finally passed both houses of congress yesterday.
Unfortunately, most Republican politicians are neither honorable nor reasonable. Instead, most Republican politicians are predatory conservatives dedicated to establishing a permanent corporate theocratic plutocracy. As far as they’re concerned, the 2008 election is merely a temporary setback and attempting bipartisanship with this crowd resulted in legislation far less bold than most economists hoped for.
Hence, it is in the spirit of admiration and support that I urge this new administration to absorb the following lesson: Bipartisanship No, Working Majority Yes. President Obama is a quick study and has likely absorbed this lesson for himself. Indeed, I recall him often using the phrase “working majority” during the campaign. Nonetheless, it is instructive for both liberal activists as well his administration to always keep this simple phrase on the front lobes of our brains. Repeat after me: Bipartisanship No, Working Majority Yes.
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This phrase is especially pertinent to the United States Senate. Senators are divas with parochial interests, outsized ambitions and a Constitution that empowers their narcissism. Hence, the only language these people truly understand is leverage with a proper dosage of ego massage. They know that any one of them has the power to hold any piece of proposed legislation hostage to their whims.
Indeed, senators sometimes behave as if they have the power of little Anthony Freemont in the classic Twilight Zone episode “It’s A Good Life.” Like that little boy, one can just imagine Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, fantasizing about wishing supporters of universal healthcare into a cornfield never to be seen or heard from again. That is the mentality we’re dealing with.
The upside however is there will always be enough politicians prepared to bargain in order to elevate their own importance, demonstrate independence and serve the interests of their constituents. With respect to the stimulus legislation, the three so-called Republican moderate senators were Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter and Maine’s Olympia Snow and Susan Collins. Connecticut’s “Independent” Republican patsy Joe Lieberman and conservative Nebraska Democrat, Ben Nelson, also joined those three in bargaining with the Obama administration, the Senate majority and the House of Representatives.
Had President Obama initially proposed legislation far bolder they still would have bargained, a filibuster majority still would have been achieved and the end result would have been far superior to the legislation that ultimately passed. Next time around it may be a different group of Republican senators and recalcitrant Democrats doing the bargaining, perhaps related to geographic interests. As long as President Obama’s political standing remains high, it will always be possible to cut deals on favorable terms with a rotating group of senators because their relevance depends upon it.
Hence, a working majority will always be ripe for plucking even without a filibuster proof majority. And even if we had sixty Democratic, senators a few of them would threaten denying a filibuster proof majority to promote their independence and get what they want. At the end of the day, bipartisanship has nothing to with it. Leverage, enlightened self-interest, service to constituents or contributors and political survival are everything. There is no love in politics. Only leverage, respect and fear.
The appropriate posture is to treat reluctant politicians with symbolic respect, bargain hard for every penny and compromise from a position of strength. That is the best way to maximize potential of a working majority going forward while simultaneously maintaining broad public support. Sometimes, operating a working majority will require President Obama to demonstrate toughness, walk away and threaten vetoes if a few senators opt to behave like Anthony Freemont in the name of bipartisanship.
Barack Obama is an impressive human being with many admirable qualities. Indeed, Obama represents an ennobling change of pace after George W. Bush’s insipid indecency. He is learning however that governing is a delicate balance requiring the dual personalities of Mahatma Ghandi and Don Vito Corleone. If anyone can achieve that delicate balance it’s this president. Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant and toughen his hide.
Bipartisanship No, Working Majority Yes.
Indeed, senators sometimes behave as if they have the power of little Anthony Freemont in the classic Twilight Zone episode “It’s A Good Life.” Like that little boy, one can just imagine Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, fantasizing about wishing supporters of universal healthcare into a cornfield never to be seen or heard from again. That is the mentality we’re dealing with.
The upside however is there will always be enough politicians prepared to bargain in order to elevate their own importance, demonstrate independence and serve the interests of their constituents. With respect to the stimulus legislation, the three so-called Republican moderate senators were Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter and Maine’s Olympia Snow and Susan Collins. Connecticut’s “Independent” Republican patsy Joe Lieberman and conservative Nebraska Democrat, Ben Nelson, also joined those three in bargaining with the Obama administration, the Senate majority and the House of Representatives.
Had President Obama initially proposed legislation far bolder they still would have bargained, a filibuster majority still would have been achieved and the end result would have been far superior to the legislation that ultimately passed. Next time around it may be a different group of Republican senators and recalcitrant Democrats doing the bargaining, perhaps related to geographic interests. As long as President Obama’s political standing remains high, it will always be possible to cut deals on favorable terms with a rotating group of senators because their relevance depends upon it.
Hence, a working majority will always be ripe for plucking even without a filibuster proof majority. And even if we had sixty Democratic, senators a few of them would threaten denying a filibuster proof majority to promote their independence and get what they want. At the end of the day, bipartisanship has nothing to with it. Leverage, enlightened self-interest, service to constituents or contributors and political survival are everything. There is no love in politics. Only leverage, respect and fear.
The appropriate posture is to treat reluctant politicians with symbolic respect, bargain hard for every penny and compromise from a position of strength. That is the best way to maximize potential of a working majority going forward while simultaneously maintaining broad public support. Sometimes, operating a working majority will require President Obama to demonstrate toughness, walk away and threaten vetoes if a few senators opt to behave like Anthony Freemont in the name of bipartisanship.
Barack Obama is an impressive human being with many admirable qualities. Indeed, Obama represents an ennobling change of pace after George W. Bush’s insipid indecency. He is learning however that governing is a delicate balance requiring the dual personalities of Mahatma Ghandi and Don Vito Corleone. If anyone can achieve that delicate balance it’s this president. Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant and toughen his hide.
Bipartisanship No, Working Majority Yes.
War Breaks Out in the US; Geneva Convention Does Not Apply!
Speculation that the Mexican drug war would cross the border into the U.S. was both right and wrong.
Right: Drug war action is already occurring in the U.S., as witnessed by kidnappings, beatings, torture and slit throats documented in U.S. cities.
Wrong: The U.S. Border cities are not necessarily the first affected. Bloodshed is occurring miles from the border, for instance, in Atlanta and Phoenix.
It is a particularly ugly war. Rusty Payne, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman in Washington, stated that cartel operatives are capable of doing anything. Very little is off limits "when you are willing to chop heads off, put them in an ice chest and drop them off at a police precinct, or roll a head into a disco, [or] put beheadings on YouTube as a warning," he told reporter Alicia Caldwell of the Associated Press.
While the U.S. violence has so far not matched the extensive and grisly nature of Mexican drug war action, intelligence from the U.S. Dept. of Justice shows Mexican cartel activity in 230 U.S. cities. Police found five men with slit throats in Birmingham AL in August who were apparently tortured with electric shock before their deaths in a murder-for-hire action by a Mexican drug organization due to a $400,000 debt. Is this the wave of the future for the U.S.?
Citizens with no connection to drug cartels have also suffered a sharp increase in home invasions and kidnappings in Phoenix AZ where they've logged 350 annually for the past two years. Police say the majority of these were perpetrated by Mexican drug organizations. In a June cartel action heavily armed men in stormed a Phoenix house and opened random fire, killing one. The number of kidnappings is difficult to estimate because victims do not always report to the police, but Phoenix was declared the "Kidnap-for-Ransom Capital" in the LA Times last week.
Law officers are worried. "The violence follows the drugs," according to David Cuthbertson, who heads the FBI's office in El Paso TX. U.S. citizens, whether or not they have any connection to the illegal drug industry, also have reason for concern. We on the border with Northern Mexico know that drug war chaos creates a climate of lawlessness that restricts both individual's livelihoods and society's functioning.
War is ugly. It's even uglier when it is undeclared...and outside the bounds of the Geneva Convention. And the evidence indicates that war is breaking out in the United States.
NBC news video found at this link:
Sabtu, 14 Februari 2009
Jumat, 13 Februari 2009
Kamis, 12 Februari 2009
Rabu, 11 Februari 2009
Hypocrisy And Primitive Minds
Here's one bit of "news" I just could not let pass without a comment, despite being busy as hell with science up to my ears:
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Limbaugh Opposes Health IT Provisions, Fears His Medical Records Might Become PublicNow, remember this oldie from Teh Rush?As the Senate prepares to vote on its paired down version of the recovery package, Rush Limbaugh is still inventing reasons to oppose its passage. Today on his radio show, Limbaugh zeroed in on a $20 billion portion of the bill devoted to increasing the use of health care IT. Limbaugh warned, “Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system” and declared that this and similar health care provisions have “nothing to do with stimulus but have everything to do with advancing the liberal agenda”:
LIMBAUGH: Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Now there are arguments back and forth about whether or not this is a good thing. The opportunity for the loss of privacy is huge here by digitizing and making everybody’s health care records computerized. Especially having a major federal database where everybody’s health records are.
To illustrate his flawed argument about the “loss of privacy,” Limbaugh noted today’s revelations that Alex Rodriquez used performance enhancing drugs in the early part of this decade. “[A]sk Alex Rodriguez about privacy,” he remarked. Watch it:
Limbaugh can rest assured that his drug records (that have already been disclosed) and Americans’ health care records will be protected by “stringent privacy and security controls” even if they are digitized. In fact, President Bush’s former Coordinator for Health IT, Dr. David Brailer, explained that he is even concerned that “the House bill [goes] so overboard on privacy that it may inhibit the flow of information.”
In addition, Limbaugh is wrong to suggest that the recovery package would create a “major federal database” of every citizen’s health records. Rather, most summaries of the legislation explain that physicians will be offered financial incentives in the form of direct grants and increased Medicare reimbursement rates for adopting “certified electronic health records” and proving that they utilize them “effectively.” Indeed, while the government will be subsidizing the creation of this “nationwide system to exchange health data electronically” — it will not be running it.
Finally, Limbaugh’s claim that investment in health care has “nothing to do with stimulus” — a common right-wing canard — is false. The funding related to health care IT alone is projected to create over 200,000 jobs. As Igor Volsky recently noted, “Investing in Health IT not only saves money, creates jobs and reduces medical errors, but it also helps primary care physicians afford the infrastructure for expansion.”
Limbaugh, Fox's Angle repeated misleading claim that NSA program targeted only terror suspectsOf course, we all know the truth of it now - and yet, where have been Rush Limbaugh's privacy worries concerning such factual revelations?
(...)During the February 15 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh claimed that President Bush's warrantless domestic surveillance program monitored Americans that "have to be getting or placing phone calls to terrorists overseas," while Fox News chief Washington correspondent Jim Angle similarly described the NSA program as "listen[ing] in on terrorists" during the next day's edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume. But as Media Matters for America has previously noted, media reports cite administration officials who characterize the wiretapping program as having cast a broad net, monitoring the communications of thousands of people with no terrorist connection.
Limbaugh criticized Washington Post staff writer Charles Babington while reading portions of Babington's February 15 article on the Senate Intelligence Committee's deliberations into whether to investigate the program, suggesting that Babington and the Post were not "accurately presenting the facts to the readers" in stating that the NSA program "eavesdrops on an undisclosed number of phone calls and e-mails involving U.S. residents without obtaining warrants from a secret court." In doing so, he repeated, along with Angle, the defense of the program advanced by members of the administration that it targets suspected terrorists and not ordinary Americans.
(...)
Oh, ri-ight ... this occurred on Bush's watch, now didn't it? Old Rush surely can't be expected to dump on his beloved Decider, eh?
No - so instead, he happily satisfies himself with gratuitous fearmongering about scary but groundless speculations in order to have something to gripe at Democrats.
Ah yes, those primitive minds and their hypocritical fearmongering ...
Q.E.D. - yet again.
But do not worry, Rush - your "new pal" is way ahead of you on this.
(sigh)
Selasa, 10 Februari 2009
words
i have been thinking a bit about words over the last few days. the 'war of words' is playing out in the halls of congress over the stimulus bill- but it's really about something else. a war of ideas- and it is apparently, a fight to the death. the republican party hates the rest of us and that hatred has fueled an all out assault on what is real and what is their version. sometimes keeping up makes my head spin. and it wears me out. and i also thought about my words and my comprehension of words as i interact with blog buddies and casual readers from around the globe- and i know that what i write and how i write it- effects people.
conveying meaning through words is as old as time and throughout history we have changed the meanings of words and added and dropped words along the way. so, i guess my point is- words only have the meanings given to them by us but how we use the words is what determines war or peace. and it is sad to say, the united states is still not united and we are still at war- in the middle east and here at home. our civil war of words is just as damaging as the real one in the long run.
conveying meaning through words is as old as time and throughout history we have changed the meanings of words and added and dropped words along the way. so, i guess my point is- words only have the meanings given to them by us but how we use the words is what determines war or peace. and it is sad to say, the united states is still not united and we are still at war- in the middle east and here at home. our civil war of words is just as damaging as the real one in the long run.
Senin, 09 Februari 2009
Change is in the Air
Iceland has imploded economically, however writer Rebecca Solnit points out that while the citizens of Iceland have lost their savings, they have regained their souls. The people of Iceland, who had been passive consumers, morphed into active citizens, took to the streets and overthrew the government.
The same thing happened when Argentina’s economy crashed in 2001. All across Europe, more and more engaged citizens are taking to the streets to protest the economic ineptitude of their leaders and their bankers.
Solnit quotes Icelandic writer Hauker Mar Helgason, who said of Iceland’s crisis:
There is an enormous sense of relief. After a claustrophobic decade, anger and resentment are possible again. It is official: capitalism is monstrous. Try talking about the benefits of free markets and you will be treated like someone promoting the benefits of rape. Honest resentment opens a space for the hope that one day language might regain some of its critical capacity, that it could even describe social realities again.
Could it be that as their plasma TVs are flooded with images of economic chaos, America’s passive spectators will become angry enough to take to the streets?
Let us hope so.
The same thing happened when Argentina’s economy crashed in 2001. All across Europe, more and more engaged citizens are taking to the streets to protest the economic ineptitude of their leaders and their bankers.
Solnit quotes Icelandic writer Hauker Mar Helgason, who said of Iceland’s crisis:
There is an enormous sense of relief. After a claustrophobic decade, anger and resentment are possible again. It is official: capitalism is monstrous. Try talking about the benefits of free markets and you will be treated like someone promoting the benefits of rape. Honest resentment opens a space for the hope that one day language might regain some of its critical capacity, that it could even describe social realities again.
Could it be that as their plasma TVs are flooded with images of economic chaos, America’s passive spectators will become angry enough to take to the streets?
Let us hope so.
Minggu, 08 Februari 2009
Bailout Fiasco: Billions to Banks, Zilch to Small Business! How One Small Business is Fighting Back!
The news is consumed with talk of our failing economy, Bailouts and Stimulus packages. From Wall Street to Bank Bailouts, the Senate is busy working out the details of the various plans. One example: It has been reported Bank of America received $20B in US government aid and $118B worth of guarantees against bad assets. Meanwhile, small businesses are collapsing across the nation. Will the Stimulus plan now in Congress also include plans for Small Business and Main Street Americans?Here is the story of how One Small Business is Struggling to stay in business and is Fighting back:
Rogelio Castro is the American born son of Pedro and Lucy Castro who immigrated to the US in 1945. His parents founded La Guadalupana Company in Chicago, specializing in tamales and other home-made products. Over the decades their business grew and prospered. In 1992 Rogelio expanded production and opened a USDA-approved plant, making La Guadalupana products available across the Midwest. By 2003, La Guadalupana had sales of more than $1.5 million. It was no wonder LaSalle Bank (later merged with Bank of America) came calling to win their business. The Bank was full of promises, with offers of loans to help them expand nationally. The wooing worked and Castro switched Banks. The bank’s sales tactics were compelling. Grow, Buy, Borrow to your heart’s content. The Castro’s were convinced to extend themselves beyond their previously set limits and attempted to purchase another business in Ohio. Through this time, the bank merged with Bank of America. As small bank written promises were broken by uncaring national Bank’s policies, not only did the Ohio sale fall through, but the National Bank attempted to foreclose on their business, sending letters to clients and suppliers alike, informing them of their financial woes, disparaging their brand. The bank’s actions violated their agreement, but beyond that, caused the Castro’s to lose market-share from 80% to 50%.
While many small businesses might fold under such pressure from the mighty National Banks, the Castro’s decided to fight back! They took the big National Bank to court and demanded the Bank cease and desist their tactics. An Emergency Temporary Restraining Order Hearing is set for Monday, 2-9-09, at 2:30 central at the Daley center.
Rogelio Castro is the American born son of Pedro and Lucy Castro who immigrated to the US in 1945. His parents founded La Guadalupana Company in Chicago, specializing in tamales and other home-made products. Over the decades their business grew and prospered. In 1992 Rogelio expanded production and opened a USDA-approved plant, making La Guadalupana products available across the Midwest. By 2003, La Guadalupana had sales of more than $1.5 million. It was no wonder LaSalle Bank (later merged with Bank of America) came calling to win their business. The Bank was full of promises, with offers of loans to help them expand nationally. The wooing worked and Castro switched Banks. The bank’s sales tactics were compelling. Grow, Buy, Borrow to your heart’s content. The Castro’s were convinced to extend themselves beyond their previously set limits and attempted to purchase another business in Ohio. Through this time, the bank merged with Bank of America. As small bank written promises were broken by uncaring national Bank’s policies, not only did the Ohio sale fall through, but the National Bank attempted to foreclose on their business, sending letters to clients and suppliers alike, informing them of their financial woes, disparaging their brand. The bank’s actions violated their agreement, but beyond that, caused the Castro’s to lose market-share from 80% to 50%.
While many small businesses might fold under such pressure from the mighty National Banks, the Castro’s decided to fight back! They took the big National Bank to court and demanded the Bank cease and desist their tactics. An Emergency Temporary Restraining Order Hearing is set for Monday, 2-9-09, at 2:30 central at the Daley center.
This is not the end to this story. Perhaps Castro will be successful in court or perhaps not and his business will fail. His fate, as all of ours, lies not only in the judgement of the courts or in the halls of Congress, but most significantly, in our Country's ultimate economic destiny.
Reinventing America's Relations With the Muslim World: An Interview With Former CIA Analyst Emile Nakhleh
The topic below was originally posted on my blog, the Intrepid Liberal Journal. Building consensus within America’s body politic and national security establishment for a new way forward with Muslims worldwide is a formidable challenge. Many Americans still don’t appreciate the complex nuances of Muslim society and remain stubbornly Islamophobic almost seven and half years after 9/11. Equally formidable is earning the goodwill of Muslims worldwide following the Iraq War as well as American atrocities perpetrated upon Islamic detainees at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Hopefully, President Obama’s historic election has finally opened a path for constructive conversation about how America can most effectively engage the Muslim world.
The CIA’s former point man on Islam, Emile Nakahleh, has vigorously entered this conversation with his new book, A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America’s Relations With the Muslim World (Princeton University Press). From 1991 to 2006, Nakahleh served as the director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program in the Directorate of Intelligence at the CIA. He holds a PhD in international relations and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Nakhleh’s book combines a revealing memoir with in-depth analysis and proposals for the future. Ever since his retirement from the CIA in 2006, Nakhleh has been a vociferous critic of the Bush Administration’s legacy with respect to American-Muslim relations. Indeed, in September 2006, Nakhleh told Harper’s Magazine that because of Bush’s policies,
“We've lost a generation of goodwill in the Muslim world.”Nakhleh's proposals for improving American-Muslim relations stems from his conversations with Muslim "interlocutors" spanning three decades. These conversations include government ministers, Islamic activists, academics and radicals. Nakhleh also examined and analyzed considerable polling data of Muslims worldwide.
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Overall, Nakhleh contends that the vast majority of Muslims and America have common interests and values. His blueprint includes robust dialogue with mainstream Islamic political parties as well as a tangible commitment towards democracy in the Muslim world, even if we don’t always like the short-term electoral results. His book is an accessible 160 pages and divided into four chapters: (Chapter 1) Political Islam and Islamization, (Chapter 2) Intelligence, Political Islam, and Policymakers, (Chapter 3) Public Diplomacy: Issues and Attitudes and (Chapter 4) Public Diplomacy: A Blueprint.
Nakhleh was born in Galilee, north of Nazareth in Palestine and raised a Greek Catholic. He emigrated from Israel to the United States approximately 50 years ago and attended a Benedictine university in Minnesota for his B.A., a Jesuit university in Washington, D.C., for an M.A. and was awarded a Ph.D. from the American University in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the CIA he taught at a catholic college in Maryland for 26 years.
Nakhleh agreed to a telephone interview with me in podcast format. Among the topics we discussed was whether he believes the surge in Iraq worked, the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran inside Iraq, President Obama’s new strategy in Afghanistan, Hamas and America’s role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his argument that American commitment to democracy in the Muslim world is imperative to our long term interests.
Some of Nakhleh’s answers and views may surprise many listeners. Our conversation was just over 47 minutes. Please refer to the flash media player below.
Either searching for the “Intrepid Liberal Journal” or “Robert Ellman” can also access this interview at no cost via the Itunes Store.
Please not that I erred in audio introduction when I said Emile Nakhleh worked for the CIA between 1991 and 1996. I meant to say he worked for the CIA between 1991 and 2006. Also, my apologies for the echo on Emile Nakhleh's side. Sometimes technology has its limits.
U.S. State Dept. Visits War-Torn U.S.-Mexico Border-But will it help?
Photo caption: McGlynn enters auditorium at Chamber of Commerce gathering in downtown El Paso, TX Monday. El Paso Times photo.
When a U.S. State Department official accepted U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) invitation to El Paso, we locals hoped for insight. Could Mexico collapse, as a recent U.S. Joint Forces Command report suggests? Will the U.S. $1.4 Billion Merida Initiative package effectively help Mexico quell the drug cartel war? When will the horrifying violence that plagues Mexico, and especially Ciudad Juarez, end?
William L McGlynn, the State Department official, was touted by Reyes as "pre-eminently qualified to share insights about what is really going on in Mexico, and between the governments of Mexico and the United States." However, the presentation was less than enlightening, according to the El Paso Times report on the Chamber of Commerce gathering of 100 civic and business leaders last week on Monday.
McGlynn, after arriving an hour late, could neither predict a cessation to the violence nor disclose what portion of the Merida Initiative aid package would be earmarked for U.S. border security. The audience expressed concerned about the negative business image of the border. Nearly 1700 murders in Juarez since January 2008 make it one of the world's most violent cities. They heard little to assuage their concerns.
City Representative Beto O'Rourke, who attracted national attention last month by suggesting the U.S. discuss drug legalization as a way to diminish the cartel's reign of terror, was "disappointed." When Reyes' twice compared the situation to the movie Last Man Standing, O'Rourke felt he implied we should stand back and watch to see who wins. He commented that simply to "let people duke it out is not showing leadership."
Reyes disallowed a local radio station president, who inquired about drug-related kidnappings in El Paso, from asking a second question after she refuted his contention that the kidnapping reports were "urban legends."
McGlynn is the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the State Department. He intended to also visit Mexico later in the day, but I don't have any information to share about that part of his itinerary.
Cross-posted on Border Explorer in my attempt to promote awareness of the extreme nature of the cartel war situation on the southern border of the U.S.
Jumat, 06 Februari 2009
'only good' friday
president obama channels his inner president lincoln quite frequently- and rightly so. lincoln was an intelligent man faced with a difficult burden- and has been built up into a cult status as well. but, in the end, he was a man- a fellow human being on the planet. and, in his own words,"I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end."
"I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day."
and as i began to read more of his quotes, i wondered precisely how, without completely rewriting history, the republican party could claim lincoln as their own. just because they shared the same party name doesn't mean that they shared the same value system:
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
but, i digress...Read More +/-
in the 1860's, we fought a war of ideologies- north versus south. today, we are facing what amounts to the same thing- north versus south, for if you look at the obstruction going on and the damage done over the last decade, much of it has come from the south. in lincoln's time, it came down to a bloody war with bullets. he was elected and sworn in much like president obama- citizens hoped for the best and cast their ballot. what they got was ideologues from both sides dividing the country and ripping it apart. we face a similar situation today.
but we have an edge- most folks in this country are sick and tired of the ugly division. they are tired of hearing hate speech and lies. and while it is unfortunate that these people share the same rights decent citizens do, it is america's legacy. so, what is a decent human being to do in the age of faux noise and hate radio- and apparently, msm who continue to give these yahoos air time?
we can speak the truth.
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts. "
we can counter the lies and spin and attempts at rewriting history with truth and facts- not just on the blogs but with every person we meet. we must have the courage to stand up and not ignore or be embarrassed- but to speak out. it is our duty as citizens in a somewhat free republic. we have a duty to the world to maintain our freedoms because that is what they look to us to do. we used to be the role model for the world- and while we have feet of clay when it comes to following our own principles- we were looked at as the goal to aspire to. we were inspirational.
it is up to us to shoulder the burden of responsibility that president obama has taken on- it is our country too. and,
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
so, my own thought- lincoln was a closet buddhist :) no, probably not but i will say that my mom heard this quote- which started this post- and tells it to my sister every day (my sister's job really sucks but guess what? so does the economy so she stays):
"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be"
and i believe that to be true. i was unhappy for a long time- and it poured out into my journal and my blogging and into my life where i made others unhappy. as thornie and sherry suggest, positive is contagious. if we want to be the change we seek, we have to start somewhere. let's start with inspiring others to be inspirational. it just might work :) namaste.
Kamis, 05 Februari 2009
Electric Purgatory
A documentary that examines the struggles of black rock musicians and the industry's ambivalence towards them.
Supreme Court Hears Prop 8 Case Thursday
It's mildly encouraging to me that the Supreme Court of California is holding a hearing on the Prop 8 issue so soon. After the 43 or so groups that represent opposition to Prop 8 have been heard, as well as a slew of "friends of the court" briefs, the Supreme Court will have to determine three main issues: Is Prop 8 invalid because it represents a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California constitution; does prop 8 violate "the separation of powers doctrine" under the CA constitution; and if it is legal, what is the status of the 18,000 marriages that were performed last year, before the passage of Prop 8.
It's looking like a long-shot and it will take months before the court makes any kind of ruling. Legal scholars are projecting more hope for preserving the marriages performed last year than for an overturn of prop 8. We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, think of my daughter, whose marriage is one of the 18,000 and whose future rests in part on this decision. She and her wife are moving to California to pursue graduate school and whether their marriage is legal or not could impact their ability to obtain graduate housing for couples and health insurance benefits. If the marriage is shot down, they will have to apply for domestic partnership status, which may water down their legal rights as a couple.
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It's looking like a long-shot and it will take months before the court makes any kind of ruling. Legal scholars are projecting more hope for preserving the marriages performed last year than for an overturn of prop 8. We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, think of my daughter, whose marriage is one of the 18,000 and whose future rests in part on this decision. She and her wife are moving to California to pursue graduate school and whether their marriage is legal or not could impact their ability to obtain graduate housing for couples and health insurance benefits. If the marriage is shot down, they will have to apply for domestic partnership status, which may water down their legal rights as a couple.
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Calif. Supreme Court to hear Prop 8 case March 5 - Los Angeles Times
Forty-three groups representing civil rights activists, legal scholars, labor unions, bar associations, state legislators and religious organizations have filed written arguments asking that Proposition 8 be overturned. Read more of this Los Angeles Times story here.
Selasa, 03 Februari 2009
love it or leave it- to where?
looking at some of the comments after the video at youtube, folks were asking- 'if we can't make it here, where can we make it?' and i began to look at the bigger picture. we may be able to move to other countries on the planet- but we only have this planet to live on. realistically, most of us won't be able or willing to move to another country. so, the reality is- we need to get along and stop killing our planet. probably not going to happen in my lifetime :)
there are days when i can pretend to understand human nature but sometimes it has me baffled. i look at the people who say that they are 'conservative' and they hate me simply because i am not. i look to the people on the left who profess to be liberal and they view folks like me with disdain because i don't 'understand' why they think taking monies from lobbyists is ok. and i see that there is no way to bring those sides together.
and so i look away from them to the folks who don't say but do. the folks who reach out to strangers to help them when they can with no strings attached. i look at the folks who have taken personal responsibility to heart and volunteer or take a pay cut to help keep co workers on the job. those are the people i understand. these are the folks who are going to make it here- or anywhere. the others- i guess i don't have to care about them. they've already made it as far as they can go.
Pininfarina Dardo (The Premier Dardo Blogger Award)
Renegade Eye has honored me with an award that has, to be rather honest, many bloggers who received it before me rather stymied. Some have no idea what it means at all. Some think it has to do with a dart and they would be correct...but I believe it, or at least its inspiration, has more to do with the finely crafted car above named Pininfarina Dardo. Dardo, the Italian word for Dart. (The Dardo is Alfa Romeo's interpretation of form and theme.) I mean I'd rather receive an award for a finely crafted automobile than for the dart one throws. Either way, Renegade, thank you for the honor.The Premier Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."Let me just say that I am humbled and follow that by saying that I'm not so good at the award thing, receiving or giving. Receiving one makes me feel as if I've done something extraordinary, when in truth, my own truth, I have not. I know many talented bloggers and blogging artists, etc, who so easily, perhaps unbeknownst to them, make me feel inadequate with their knowledge, outstanding abilities and the many with their finely crafted artistry that seems to leap off the electronic page and personally speak to my conscience. My dear friend and associate, Ben Heine, certainly comes to mind. There are some blogs that I visit for the first time and think I've found the one in an arch memory, then the next day or so I'll come upon another and think, "No. This is the one for my puzzled mind."
Sometimes I feel that by offering a blogger award, let's say to Adgita Diaries or to say a group of respectable negroes, that I'm somehow being dishonest. I, as of late, do not visit even the blogs I find worthy in my ignited identity more than once or twice a month and I feel that they could, in all honesty, not give a care what I think of their work, not because they're concieted or anything of that nature, but because I do not frequent their blog to give them a sense of who I am and why I find their blog worthy of an award. These are probably just my personal insecurities manifested here, but there was a time that I didn't even accept "blogger awards" as I felt they were silly. Don't get me wrong, this award doesn't seem to be nonsensical or a backslapping tribute brought upon by a need for acceptance due to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of blogs on the net, but I find the "award concept" to be the same as Oscar night, full of blathering windbags and egomaniacs being fawned upon for their chosen work so that they too can fawn upon those they find worthy or that speak to their particular set of values or what have you and then the next and the next. I'd rather worship the work of mothers and fathers and grandparents and the working class and those not seeking anything other than to make ends meet, those who give everything of themselves while struggling to make sense of this award-addicted society we call the USofA. Don't get me wrong. I am grateful when I am honored by those I consider my friends on the net and I am ultimately introduced to bloggers whom I would otherwise probably not find, but I'd rather produce work and let it touch those willing to read my blog(s) and join in on the atmosphere of kinsmanship and let that be enough. Then I feel as if I'm being rude or too uptight about the whole thing and I do not like those feelings so I choose (chose) to not participate.
You're probably asking yourself, why, if he's choosing to accept the award, is he writing what ammounts to a damned concession speech? I can't tell you. I do not know. My muse is with me and she's making me do it and she wouldn't tell you even if my life depended on it! If you've a problem with it, might I suggest you take it up with her?
Anyway, I'm rambling and you could probably care less. So, with that, let me again thank Renegade Eye, a longtime "virtual" friend on the blogospere, for honoring my work.
Let's talk about The Pininfarina Dardo, shall we? It may indeed not have been the inspiration for the blogger award and if it is not, then I join the horde that is lost as to its meaning, but I do love the look of the car, which I would never have heard of if it had not been for this award, so why not let you know all that I know about it, right?
~
The car was inspired by the Alfa Romeo 156, the new saloon from Alfa voted 1998 Car of the Year...
The Dardo's realization is born out of a Pininfarina initiative in the spirit of the long tradition of co-operation with Alfa Romeo, which began in the early 1930s with the construction of one-off models for individual customers and continued through the years, extending to all the most important aspects of Pininfarina's activities: from advanced stylistic research (18 prototypes and research studies developed since the 1960s) to the design of mass produced models destined for manufacturing by Alfa Romeo (one example will suffice, the Alfa Romeo 164 of 1987), and the design and production by Pininfarina of what are now known as niche models (considering the most meaningful productions, over 160,000 units of the Giulietta Spider and Duetto were built)...
...Dardo. The Italian word for a dart, a slender shaft of wood or metal with a sharp point, a swift, aerodynamic object whose strongest element is the triangular, pointed front end.
In Pininfarina's intentions the name "Dardo" is well suited to the form study, presented at the 67th Turin Motor Show, which is an innovative interpretation of the theme of the two seater open car, whether it be called a "spider", a "barchetta" or a "roadster". (More)
Senin, 02 Februari 2009
America, It's Time To Say Goodbye To Wall Street: An Interview With Author David Korten
The topic below was originally posted on my blog, the Intrepid Liberal Journal. I had planned on posting this interview yesterday here at the Peace Tree on my scheduled day but technical reasons prevented me from doing so. My apologies for posting on Monday evening - especially to "Case" who is typically owns Monday evenings here at the Peace Tree.“We face a monumental economic challenge that goes far beyond anything being discussed in the U.S. Congress or the corporate press. The hardships imposed by temporarily frozen credit markets pale in comparison to what lies ahead.Internationally renowned social scientist and historian David Korten wrote those words in the introduction of his new book, Agenda For A New Economy: From Phantom Wealth To Real Wealth, scheduled to be released by Berrett-Kohler Publishers tomorrow.
Even the significant funds that the Obama administration is committed to spending on economic stimulus will do nothing to address the deeper structural causes of our threefold financial, social, and environmental crisis. On the positive side, the financial crisis has put to rest the myths that our economic institutions are sound and that markets work best when deregulated. This creates an opportune moment to open a national conversation about what we can and must do to create an economic system that can for work for all people for all time.”
Some of you may have previously read Korten’s 1995 international bestseller, When Corporations Rule the World. Longtime readers/listeners of the Intrepid Liberal Journal may also recall my August 2007 podcast interview with Korten about his book, The Great Turning: From Empire To Earth Community. You can learn more about Korten’s background by clicking here and reading the introductory text to that podcast.
Korten’s current book is organized in four parts: Part I, The Case for a New Economy; Part II, The Case for Eliminating Wall Street; Part III, Agenda for a Real Wealth Economy and Part IV, Change the Story, Change the Future. Essentially, Korten divides the economy into “Wall Street” and “Main Street.” The first half of Korten’s book is dedicated to indicting Wall Street for generating “phantom wealth” at the expense of society’s quality of life. In the second half, Korten promotes twelve concepts to empower a “Main Street” economy that facilitates the exchange of tangible goods and services among citizens living within their means.
His diagnosis and prescriptions are jarring. Korten postulates that Main Street is far closer to the original vision of Adam Smith while Wall Street capitalism is the antithesis of a free market economy. Reform-minded liberals, who believe we can work within America’s established financial credit markets banking system and stabilize our economy with band-aids and bailouts, will likely be just as opposed to his book as Wall Street apologists. Conservatives will likely dismiss Korten’s solutions because he believes in government regulation to ensure that businesses and citizens behave within agreed upon social norms.
As Korten sees it, corporations in a Wall Street economy are given incentives to destroy the planet’s environment and inflate its financial statements by taking a wrecking ball to the middle class. In a true market economy, business entities that inflict harm on the environment and their community’s overall quality of life could not survive. Hence, Korten writes that under a Wall Street economy, corporations,
“If it were a real person, it would fit the clinical profile of a sociopath.”Sadly, in American society, sociopathic behavior was rewarded as the proper spoils of capitalism. Hence, one of Korten’s twelve concepts to empower a Main Street economy is to “Reclaim the corporate charter” so that the public has a means of ensuring accountability and social responsibility.
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The future that Korten envisions is a community ethos in which citizens and businesses have a stake in the health, infrastructure and overall quality of life in their local community as well as the world at large.
Vicki Robin, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life and cofounder of Conversation Cafes issued the following praise for Korten’s book:
“Once again David Korten has provided us with a clear understanding of why the old economy is driving us and nature to ruin - and a framework for transforming it. Especially in this time of economic meltdown it's crucial for caring people everywhere to get that patching the tires of a vehicle that's going over a cliff is neither sane nor acceptable. The financial crisis is a healing crisis and Korten gives us prescriptions that could actually give us a thriving and just economy that works for people and the planet. I hope every reader feels, as I have, a sense of relief at hearing the truth and a renewed passion for civic engagement, now knowing what direction we need to steer our ship."Korten agreed to a podcast interview with me over the telephone yesterday afternoon about his latest book, why he believes the Wall Street economy is irredeemable and his solutions for the future. Our conversation was approximately forty-two minutes. Please refer to the flash media player below.
Either searching for “Intrepid Liberal Journal” or “Robert Ellman” can also access this interview at no cost via the Itunes Store.
Minggu, 01 Februari 2009
Langganan:
Komentar (Atom)
Instead our economic strategy should be focused on restoring smaller community banks as the source of credit and loans. Community sized banks have better track records with lending and are more inclined to promote the well-being of their localities. Both presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush empowered hyper sized banks such as Citigroup and Bank of America to swallow community sized banks.
Predatory conservatives accuse liberal Democrats of preferring “big government” to more sensible solutions. The real truth however is that predatory conservatives have destroyed the middle class with their fetish devotion to expanding the power and reach of financial institutions on steroids. Sadly, Democrats have been enablers to this madness.
Alas, financial industry careerists such as Timothy Geithner are not equipped intellectually or ideologically to facilitate the systemic change our financial system truly needs. Trying to “reform” our financial system with promises of better oversight is analogous to allowing a murderous pedophile to work in a daycare center and assuring everyone that the terms of his parole will keep everyone safe. Yet the corporate media will continue to spin bailouts of these economic barbarians as the global economy’s only answer.