Ferguson

Weird night on TV.  Part of it took place in Ferguson.  Really put a lot of pressure on the “ordinary people”.  First, the grand jury set up for the release of the decision, not on a Sunday morning, but the following night.  At 8:00 P.M. the word came out that the police officer would not be indicted.  Then followed a dismal presentation by the county prosecutor.  Words full of nothing new, he apparently knew nothing pertinent, or else he could not say it because of laws or rules or traditions. Much of his statement was intentionally ambiguous and conflicted with other parts of his statement.  It became clear that the timing and the method of the release of information was deliberately set up to provoke  citizens to demonstrate, hopefully to riot so their actions would gloss over the stupidity of the entire proceedings and lack of justice and to assume the blame for the shooting upon their own black bodies and souls.  Even as the prosecutor  was speaking, crowds began mulling about and problems began developing.  

Then Obama came on TV and had his own Bobby Jindal moment.  He seemed to really know nothing about the case, either that or he wasn’t going to speak about it or something.  He just hoped everybody would put up with the outrage and get along.  Did he mumble?  Meanwhile, on the split-screen TV, while Obama was mumbling on one side of the screen, objects were being thrown on the other.  A police car was almost turned over, then its windows were smashed in, then the police showed up, then the gas and smoke began to cover the streets. 

Obviously it was intended to go this way.  It was constructed to unfold like this.  The citizens were made to feel like they could either accept being trashed, or urge each other on to riot – so their outrage would transfer the attention of the world to them and away from the stupidity of their elected officials. 

Veterans Memorial Amendment

I hereby propose a Veterans Memorial Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment will permit American combat forces to engage an enemy or to attack a foreign land ONLY under the following conditions: 1) An income tax of at least 50% of all gross revenues will be levied on all people, all industries and all private businesses for the duration of hostilities. 2) All Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 years of age shall report to a draft board to be inducted into the American Military Forces. This will be enforced without regard to occupation and will include all politicians, sports figures, CEOs and staff members of all corporations. 3) The money collected under this taxation will be used to provide for a) the medical care of all injured members of the American Armed Forces for the duration of their injuries, b) for continuing education for all who served, and c) reparations and repairs of damage done to the nation we attack.

This amendment will provide that ALL Americans will become participants in any future wars, not just a small collection of people who are basically too poor to obtain any other employment than the armed forces.

Who Did You REALLY Vote For???

The Hickory Daily Record reported today that several voters in Greensboro reported their machines were not marking their ballots correctly.  At least two voters said they tried to vote for Democrat Hagan but their machines marked their ballot for Republican Tillis.  If you are using a voting machine, check the "transaction receipt" shown (under glass) in the bottom left of your machine and make sure it is registering your vote correctly.  If not, call one of the poll workers.  If it happened to me, I would shout in a loud voice that my machine was stealing my vote and ask for help –  this would alert other voters.   If you do not know how to verify the accuracy of your vote – most people don't – ask the poll worker who shows you the machine.

Make Your Vote Really Count – Vote Twice! Here's how:

Note:  This only applies to voters who will be voting in Catawba County, NC.  but if you live elsewhere, you can probably pull this off there too.

First, go to your computer.  Enter www.ncsbe.gov/  Then on the left column enter “view my sample ballot”.  Next, fill in the data, and click on “search”.  Then click on your “Full Name”, and then check on the line for “11/4/2014 General” and see what your ballot number is (mine is “GO10 - yours could be from GO01 to GO14).  Click on your “ballot type” (which is blue and underlined) and your ballot will appear.  You can print it out if you want – mine was 7 pages. 

Now, you vote the first time.  Over the next day or two.  Even while consuming coffee, tea or beer or wine.  Sit down and reflect.  There are a few long choices (some with over 100 words - and up to 15 “ands” and several “ors”).  You can think about some of these for a day or two, even pick up the phone or ask questions on Facebook or Twitter or Whatever. 

There may be some positions you have never heard of and a lot of names you have never heard of.  But now you have time to think about all this, even get with your friends and ask questions, get a conversation going, get a dialog, man – talk about your problems.

Finally, you vote the second time.  This time in your polling place.  You are ready!  AND you can make this vote REALLY represent you, AND you will move through the voting process quicker than anyone else who has not already voted for the “first time”.

The Art of Compormise

In the confrontational world that we see too often in our government today, “compromise” is considered to be a dirty word.  It is presented as a shameful act, an abandonment of principle and an acknowledgment of submission.  Actually though, compromise is one of the greatest arts of government and it is indispensable in the creation of great events, great families, and great nations.  America was built on compromises that made our nation into the premier government of the world.  Let’s go back and work on that art again.

Compromise requires certain things:  1)  a willingness to explore the issue through debate and discussion, 2)  agreement to define the shared problem, 3)  discussion and comparison of the available options and their benefits and costs, and 4) the exploration together to determine the criteria that a successful decision should achieve.   

All participants in the Compromise should have ability to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the proposed alternative forms of action and new criteria and alternatives should actively be sought by all participants. 

Compromise IS the heart and soul of the democratic process.  It exalts discussion and dialogue, and the sharing together of the solution, the problem, the dream, and the building of the nation.

ONE-MORE-THING

America is preparing to wage war against a part of the Islamic religion, one which we call “Isis”.  This will not work.  We must reach out to our allies, to other nations, to the United Nations, and especially to members of the Islamic religion.  

This is not an American Problem.  It is a problem for all nations, and all religions, and especially for the Islamic religion. They need help, perhaps we can help them, but if we go to war with Isis, we will wind up fighting a war with all of Islam.

America is a badly divided nation.  Our economy is collapsing into extremes of rich and poor, its health care system is a sick joke for the world to stare at in amazement.  It’s education system is failing for lack of money, and its national leaders are screaming and shouting at each other.  Oh yes.  ONE-MORE-THING:  America has more than a hundred very powerful corporations that produce guns, ammunition, tanks, warplanes, etc., and they NEED to increase their profits.

A New Hobby: Lobbying!

Businesses began providing health-care benefits to their workers as part of their pay.  In order to delay payment of cash to their workers the big businesses (railroads, coal mines, etc) began providing delayed payment for a "benefit" that their workers really didn't want.  The unions had to sell the idea to their workers.  Now, many years later, Hobby Lobby has objected to the idea that they might be "Responsible In Their Own Minds" for providing contraception for any of their workers.  So, therefore they took their objection to the U. S. Supreme Court and won a split, 5-4 decision proclaiming that they don't have to pay for their worker's contraception.  This clearly opens the issue that the "Word of God" trumps the U. S.  Constitution, AND any state's constitution and its laws.





Today, the Fourth of July, 2014, only a couple of weeks after that ruling by the Supreme Court, a full page advertisement appeared in the Charlotte Observer newspaper proclaiming "In God We Trust", with a sub-headline from Psalms stating "Blessed is the Nation Whose God is The Lord".  The rest of the advertisement apparently presents supporting statements by "Presidents", "Founding Fathers", "Congress", a big comment in the center of the page for "Supreme Court Justices", then "Education", then "Supreme Court Rulings", and finally "Foreign Opinion".  I glanced through the comments looking for Thomas Jefferson among others (not there), and noticed the comment on "Education" referred to the Harvard Student Guidelines in 1636 – well, I knew that Harvard was founded by Puritans for the purpose of training ministers – so, I wondered why the people who had provided the advertisement hadn't gotten a modern quotation.  Then I flipped the page and went on.




A few minutes later I was glancing through the Hickory Daily Record and ran into the SAME PAGE! Another full page advertisement proclaiming "In God We Trust"  Who put this thing out?  Now I went to the  bottom of the page and found there in "fine print" the name Hobby Lobby!  Apparently Hobby lobby has two affiliated stores, Hemispheres which sells "luxury" products and Mardel which sells Christian and educational products. 



Hobby Lobby has spent a lot of money on these advertisements, as they did in their legal pursuits.  So what is going on now?  What can we expect next.  One thing we do know – for certain – is that Money Speaks, Money Votes, and Money Rules in the United States.  Hang on.  Get ready for an impressive show.

A New Hobby: Lobbying!

Businesses began providing health-care benefits to their workers as part of their pay.  In order to delay payment of cash to their workers the big businesses (railroads, coal mines, etc) began providing delayed payment for a "benefit" that their workers really didn't want.  The unions had to sell the idea to their workers.  Now, many years later, Hobby Lobby has objected to the idea that they might be "Responsible In Their Own Minds" for providing contraception for any of their workers.  So, therefore they took their objection to the U. S. Supreme Court and won a split, 5-4 decision proclaiming that they don't have to pay for their worker's contraception.  This clearly opens the issue that the "Word of God" trumps the U. S.  Constitution, AND any state's constitution and its laws.





Today, the Fourth of July, 2014, only a couple of weeks after that ruling by the Supreme Court, a full page advertisement appeared in the Charlotte Observer newspaper proclaiming "In God We Trust", with a sub-headline from Psalms stating "Blessed is the Nation Whose God is The Lord".  The rest of the advertisement apparently presents supporting statements by "Presidents", "Founding Fathers", "Congress", a big comment in the center of the page for "Supreme Court Justices", then "Education", then "Supreme Court Rulings", and finally "Foreign Opinion".  I glanced through the comments looking for Thomas Jefferson among others (not there), and noticed the comment on "Education" referred to the Harvard Student Guidelines in 1636 – well, I knew that Harvard was founded by Puritans for the purpose of training ministers – so, I wondered why the people who had provided the advertisement hadn't gotten a modern quotation.  Then I flipped the page and went on.




A few minutes later I was glancing through the Hickory Daily Record and ran into the SAME PAGE! Another full page advertisement proclaiming "In God We Trust"  Who put this thing out?  Now I went to the  bottom of the page and found there in "fine print" the name Hobby Lobby!  Apparently Hobby lobby has two affiliated stores, Hemispheres which sells "luxury" products and Mardel which sells Christian and educational products. 



Hobby Lobby has spent a lot of money on these advertisements, as they did in their legal pursuits.  So what is going on now?  What can we expect next?  One thing we do know – for certain – is that Money Speaks, Money Votes, and Money Rules in the United States.  Hang on.  Get ready for an impressive show.

VA Medical Facilities. My Experience.

I have been a participant in the medical care provided by the US Air Force for over 20 years, and now through the VA for a number of years. 

The medical care provided by the VA is far, far better than anything available to almost any American citizen except perhaps for the most costly insurance plans. The only reason I use private health care instead of the VA is because I don't want to take the space needed by many BADLY wounded veterans.  Veterans who suffered those wounds because of our endless wars which we continue simply because more than 100 huge corporations need endless wars to continue to pad their profits. Meanwhile, the VA has been hit by cut after cut after CUT from Washington, rendering it almost moribund. 

And while I salute those 40 or 50 or more veterans who apparently died because of problems in funding and manning in Arizona – I also have to pause for a moment and think of the thousands and thousands of civilians who have died and are dying now, because of the lack of health care available to them.

Every developed nation in the world except American provides national health care to all their citizens.  The most valuable natural resource available to ANY nation is the health of its workforce.

Bundy and bundy.

Cliven Bundy has been feeding his cattle free for many years on property owned – and leased – by the United States government.  He willingly participated except he says that this land is his land and he doesn’t owe anything to anybody.  Futhermore, he’s ready and willing to shoot down and kill federal officers if they try to keep his cattle from eating US grass.

Fox media raced to his aid and promoted Bundy as a hero of the common man, a wise, well-tempered, reasoning man with an important message we all need to hear.  The Republican Party raced to Bundy’s aid, not so much with support as with questions of doubt and wise looks of dawning enlightenment.

Then The New York Times interviewed Bundy and strange things began to  happen.  Like happy Negroes sitting on a porch, pleased with the good work they do every day picking cotton.  Pleased because they are working “hard” and getting things done and not abortin' their babies.  

Suddenly the lens shifts.  We blink our eyes and notice that  Bundy is very rich.  We begin to refocus him as one of the upper One Percent or so.  And we – well, we become one of the happy Negroes, sitting on that porch, working hard, getting things done, picking lot’s of cotton and not abortin' our babies.  

Fox News realizes what has happened.  They realize they have stepped in bundy and they have bundy all over their shoes and it stinks and smells like bundy and they have tracked that bundy all over their studios and transmitted it out across America.  The Republicans gag, disclaim vehemently,  try to look shocked, profess ignorance, and  try to change the subject.  But you can tell their nostrils are clenched together.  They too know bundy  when they smell bundy but apparently they don’t always recognize it right away.  

Meanwhile, Bundy has told the United States to stay away from “his land” and his cattle.  He is NOT going to pay his taxes, and NObody else in the United States needs to pay  their taxes either.  

Stay tuned.  But not to Fox News.  Although that might be interesting.

Mitt Rominiey

Mitt Romney opened his mouth again and fell in again.  Scolding the Russians, and everybody else for wasting money on the Olympic games in Soci instead of spending it to eliminate poverty in the world.  Oh, that poverty would be such a trivial thing.  Then, from deep in his own throat, he said the GOP should not bring up Bill Clinton's "indiscretions" with Monica Lewinsky again.   Oh her.  Oh that.  Well, wonder what brought that up again?  

Government – an Alternative to War

The planetary survivors of a war involving nuclear, gas or chemical weapons would be genetically altered, and their children would be even more so. The pollution from a war of that nature would be incomprehensible and its affect on all growing things would create a new form of evolution.  

The answer?  Government.  The sitting down with your enemy and talking frankly about your common problems – yes, each other –  and then beginning to make plans together. 

Nothing easy about it.  A lot of people think it’s stupid and dumb.  It’s time-consuming and wasteful.  But.

The planet Earth will still be here.  It will continue its orbit and there will be sunrises and moonsets, and rain and snow will fall, and it will create and evolve with its new creatures.  It doesn’t need people.  It doesn’t need governments.  It doesn’t need religions.  It doesn’t need heavens or hells or gods or devils.  It will still be here after the people kill each other.  It can handle the nuclear radiation, it won’t mind the poison gas.  Plants that need poison gas will begin to grow and start consuming that gas.  

What about it? Government IS a pain in the ass.  Agreed.  But there are a million billion planets in the universe.  Here is a chance to make a difference and be somebody.

Government.  

Think about it.

Hey Uncle Sam! Say it Ain't So?

The problem of too many illegal immigrants from Mexico seems less important now than it has been in the past.  The number of those coming in from Mexico have decreased dramatically while those returning to Mexico continue to increase.

Those crossing back into Mexico are less interested in returning to the US than previously.  Reasons given include “being home”, better health care, and more jobs.  Hmmm.

I wonder if there is already coming a new headline that points out how the Mexicans are beginning to build a fence on THEIR side of the border to keep down an increasing migration of illegal Americans trying to sneak into Mexico?  Why?  Well, better jobs and health care to begin.   Other reasons may be already developing.  The power provided by unions and good retirement benefits are already vanishing, and there may be something to be said for a cheaper source of food.  Stay tuned. 

Chris Christie, Continued.

Interesting things to watch now: 

Christie has now made some powerful enemies in the way he blamed his main supporters - his "coterie" - and he viciously fired them in humiliation, blaming them for lying to him.   That WILL have repercussions.   These people are mean.  They had a promising future and now they are politically dead.  They will probably want to get “even”.  And they learned from one of the best.

Also this:  Christie has not really needed support from any national figures yet.  Let’s see if anyone comes to his aid.  Who am I looking for? These would be people who passionately believe in something else - not Christie - BUT they know they could never be elected to ANY position, so they need someone who CAN be elected.  THEN, as an advisor, they can work on their own heart’s desire.  Who are these people?  Look around Washington and elsewhere:  Elliott Abrams? Kenneth Aldeman? John Bolton? Douglass Feith? George Tenent? Richard Perle? Paul Wolfowitz? John Yoo? Lewis Libby? Ralph Reed? Weinberger? Woolsey? The Koch brothers? Grover Norquist? Even Kissinger, Cheney, Karl Rove, Rumsfeld, and others.  These are the people would have come in to power had Romany been elected president – now they are excluded again and have no real opportunity.  NOW, Chris Christie needs help.  GOOD help.  EXPERIENCED help.  Don’t look for front page headlines announcing this – but be aware.  Get your “feelers” and “antenna” up (as Kissinger used to say).  

And again, to quote from “Capitalism:  Servant or Master?”, p.29. 

“The demonstration of a high degree of loyalty is a powerful compensatory factor.  Even just knowing who the most loyal people ARE, is a factor of power, and knowing some of them well, having their confidentiality and trust is a significant accretion of power in itself.  To work with these people helps build one’s “credibility” and helps one to become known as a “person of substance”.  Not knowing who the Lord’s people are, presents an element of danger, and because no one knows for sure who they all are, everybody in the organization shares varying degrees of this danger.  Would-be “volunteers” sometimes think they can join this powerful group by revealing things about coterie members to people they know are higher in the organization.

The coterie and their staff administer over workers who must constantly meet important loyalty tests.  Discipline is enforced throughout the organization by the use of fear and suspicion. They are carefully developed, maintained and encouraged and are the primary forms of leadership and control used in the workplace, more constantly evident in lower echelons. “ 

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Is Christie Embarrassed?

NJ Governor Chris Christie just whipped an Anthony's weiner out of his pants, revealing intimate details of his political anatomy, and of his integrity.  In the words (more or less) of the Great Elvis, "you ain't nothing but a hot-dog."

Christie fits perfectly the description of a "Lord" in Chapter Three, "The Secret Organization" in the book "Capitalism:  Servant or Master?"

On page 28, the book speaks about these things:  " The coterie, or the upper administrative staff, sometimes guides the organization in the Lord’s place, especially in some of the more controversial issues, giving orders or initiating action prior to his “official” knowledge of those actions.  This permits the organization to plan and direct severe actions and initiate changes involving hardship upon the employees while the Lord maintains a Father-image so employees may believe “HE does not know what ‘they’ are doing to us; if HE did know, he would stop them.”  

Of course those members of Christie's coterie who got caught will be gone, because as the book continues on page 29:  "Simple incompetence, if accompanied by faithful loyalty, can be overlooked, perhaps even “justified” and protected, but not infidelity, not even suspected infidelity, and the worst possible crime of all is to embarrass the Lord." Well, now EVERYbody is embarrassed.  

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