It is just too strange watching the Republicans self-destruct as if they have been grabbed by a force field, powered by idiocy. Herman Cain has gotten so weird that it seems he is playing it for laughs. Perhaps he is hoping that he will be asked to appear on American Idol.
Romney continues to do the politico version of the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps on going and going, saying what needs to be said to keep him in touch with the untouchables on the candidate trail. How depressing is that?
Meanwhile Barack is watching CNN and hoping to god that Occupy Wall Street(OWS) does not morph into a primary challenge from a real democrat. If the labor movement becomes more involved, Barack will have less to fear from OWS. How tempting it would be ask Sherwood Brown or Ron Feingold to run against Obama for the nomination. It isn't going to happen...but we can dream.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Oakland State of Mind
If you have been reading the blogospere about the Oakland vs Atlanta police conduct while dispersing supporters of Occupy Wall Street, you have to amazed at the differences...why? First, read NYTimes blog post by Mackey and Goldman. Nice work lads! Embedded with their commentery are video clips that show the contrast between Oakland and Atlanta polic eresponse to demonstrations (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26 ).
As I was posting my own comment on the boys blog, I came across an outstanding article on Oakland's police department: it's history of criminal behavior, cover-up of brutality complaints and multiple investigations into police department corruption. Sounds like James Ellroy is running the Oakland PD. (http://www.guardian.co.uk). A young chap by the name of Paul Harris wrote the piece. Of course it makes sense that a reporter in England would write the article contextualizing the brutality of the Oakland PD.
I am reminded of the famous statement by Eugene Debs about Utica New York, which applies equally to Oakland California, "If America were ever to need an enema, it would be inserted in [ Oakland]."
The Blogosphere is having a salutory effect upon the people who are the real potential for mass mobilizations after police brutality as in Oakland.
As I was posting my own comment on the boys blog, I came across an outstanding article on Oakland's police department: it's history of criminal behavior, cover-up of brutality complaints and multiple investigations into police department corruption. Sounds like James Ellroy is running the Oakland PD. (http://www.guardian.co.uk). A young chap by the name of Paul Harris wrote the piece. Of course it makes sense that a reporter in England would write the article contextualizing the brutality of the Oakland PD.
I am reminded of the famous statement by Eugene Debs about Utica New York, which applies equally to Oakland California, "If America were ever to need an enema, it would be inserted in [ Oakland]."
The Blogosphere is having a salutory effect upon the people who are the real potential for mass mobilizations after police brutality as in Oakland.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Oh my, MQ denied civil rights...perhaps.
I just don't get this, my favorite Yves Smith of the blog Naked Capitalism (http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/) is all in a lather over Colonel MQ getting offed by NATO and the overly enthusiastic local Libyans. The New York Times, Fahim and Goldstone(www.nytimes.com/2011/0ct.20/2011 ) seemed to pursue this story as if it were the execution of two members of the Black Panther Party in Chi-town in the 60's ( ask your parents about this reference). Anyway, what is going on here?
Of course, the United States and its NATO allies are happy MQ is resting in pieces. Can you imagine the stories he and his lawyers would have to tell if he were to be tried at The Hague? As it is, the ties among the various intelligence agencies over the last five years will sooner or later come out: depending on who's pensions (buys) off or eliminates MQs high level agents. . Amnesty International is calling for an independent investigation of MQs final days. Hell, why not wait for The History Channel's findings? Between History Channel and National Geographic, the whole story should out in no time.
One can only hope that MI-6 and French Intelligence don't shoot each other while trying to destroy evidence of each country's collusion with Libyan torturers under. The bigger story of MQs ties to his brother psychopaths in office in West Africa and beyond is still little analyzed in the Anglo-American media. One can only hope for someone to turn over that rock very soon. Of course, whomever does turn over that rock, will not be getting much sleep for a long time to come....
We await Amnesty International's call for MQs release from custody...oops to late. Perhaps the Mormons will retroactively save his soul. How much more fun can we have with MQ and the horror, the horror of his fate.... Give me a break.
Just do not get Yves Smith's going on about MQ, except from a fashion point of view. It will be interesting to see if the professors at The Fashion Institute of Technology have a take on the effects of MQs demise on dictator chic in the future....perhaps, more Kevlar in the pants and shirts?
Of course, the United States and its NATO allies are happy MQ is resting in pieces. Can you imagine the stories he and his lawyers would have to tell if he were to be tried at The Hague? As it is, the ties among the various intelligence agencies over the last five years will sooner or later come out: depending on who's pensions (buys) off or eliminates MQs high level agents. . Amnesty International is calling for an independent investigation of MQs final days. Hell, why not wait for The History Channel's findings? Between History Channel and National Geographic, the whole story should out in no time.
One can only hope that MI-6 and French Intelligence don't shoot each other while trying to destroy evidence of each country's collusion with Libyan torturers under. The bigger story of MQs ties to his brother psychopaths in office in West Africa and beyond is still little analyzed in the Anglo-American media. One can only hope for someone to turn over that rock very soon. Of course, whomever does turn over that rock, will not be getting much sleep for a long time to come....
We await Amnesty International's call for MQs release from custody...oops to late. Perhaps the Mormons will retroactively save his soul. How much more fun can we have with MQ and the horror, the horror of his fate.... Give me a break.
Just do not get Yves Smith's going on about MQ, except from a fashion point of view. It will be interesting to see if the professors at The Fashion Institute of Technology have a take on the effects of MQs demise on dictator chic in the future....perhaps, more Kevlar in the pants and shirts?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Eating Children and Such
I may have dreamed this one up...it was several hours ago that I read on a news website that: witch doctors in Uganda were sacrificing children to guarantee prosperity for the businessman willing to pay to have the child killed (abcnews.go.com.2020/child-sacrifice-uganda-witch-doctor).
I must admit that Uganda has been off my list of places to visit for quite sometime. But this story got my attention. It seemed so grotesque as to be a parody. I thought that The Onion might have hacked the website of the news site. But no. Upon rereading the piece carefully, I let the full effect settle in.
I wonder what Swift would have said about this barbaric situation?
Then I began to think about whose children are being sacrificed to finance capital in my own dear country. Here we kill their self esteem by preaching "equality" of opportunity while making sure that formal equality is undermined by economic inequality. Tax bases are rigged so that schools in rich areas are able to provide extras for their pupils and wealthy parents can enrich their children's opportunities for success in academics and social climbing. A classic example of what i am alluding to is the systematic underfunding of the largest public school system in the nation, the New York City public schools. Generations of minority children, any already burdened by poverty, living in substandard housing, in neighborhoods with high crime and even higher unemployment go to schools that have been robbed of financial resources owed to them by the State of New York. No, it is not Uganda. Here we kill the child 's ambition and self-esteem....But, we let the children live on with fewer opportunities than their wealthy counterparts, poorer health prospects and shorter life spans. How civilized? How superior we are to our Ugandan businessmen.
I must admit that Uganda has been off my list of places to visit for quite sometime. But this story got my attention. It seemed so grotesque as to be a parody. I thought that The Onion might have hacked the website of the news site. But no. Upon rereading the piece carefully, I let the full effect settle in.
I wonder what Swift would have said about this barbaric situation?
Then I began to think about whose children are being sacrificed to finance capital in my own dear country. Here we kill their self esteem by preaching "equality" of opportunity while making sure that formal equality is undermined by economic inequality. Tax bases are rigged so that schools in rich areas are able to provide extras for their pupils and wealthy parents can enrich their children's opportunities for success in academics and social climbing. A classic example of what i am alluding to is the systematic underfunding of the largest public school system in the nation, the New York City public schools. Generations of minority children, any already burdened by poverty, living in substandard housing, in neighborhoods with high crime and even higher unemployment go to schools that have been robbed of financial resources owed to them by the State of New York. No, it is not Uganda. Here we kill the child 's ambition and self-esteem....But, we let the children live on with fewer opportunities than their wealthy counterparts, poorer health prospects and shorter life spans. How civilized? How superior we are to our Ugandan businessmen.
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