In a capitalistic system, if you are going to go public, your company will have to not just make a profit, but to increase that profit each quarter. To do that you will have to 1) cut expenses, 2) increase prices, 3) increase market share, 4) introduce new products, or 5) expand into other commercial activities.
Your biggest bang for your buck is to get rid of people - amazing, your productivity will always increase, current costs will drop quickly and balance sheets will rise, legacy cost decreases will lift your P & L and make your stock shine, beep, and say “howdy” on the market. You won’t have to charge customers more money for your product, become creative, try to kill one of your current competitors, or take on a new batch of competitors.
Newspapers have been in an increasing downhill spiral since the radio began broadcasting news. Now with radio, TV, internet, Twitter and all, newspapers have been shoved out of the “breaking news” business all together, and their “scoops” now come in the form of in-depth analysis and prolipsis announcements that can only come from great knowledge about the places and things about which they are reporting.
The business of news - call it The Press or The Media - has clearly changed dramatically in the last twenty years. We always long for the “good old days” to return, no matter what the issue. Truth is, they don’t - they never do - because they can’t. (And we would be miserable if they did!) News has not only become faster but also more fragmented. We’ve always had propaganda and sensational information but now they mingle with reputable news organizations. Paul Krugman publishes on the Steven Colbert program, they each have a part of the news - together they get “it” (meaning something) out to more masses.
It may be that in the same sense that IBM moved from the typewriter business into the information storage and retrieval business, so too newspapers have changed from the newsprint business into some new business. To name this “new business” will take someone who is more familiar with the issue than I.
The BIG TRICK is how to pay highly qualified people an income commensurate with the work they do - much of which requires comprehensive technical and professional expertise, and also has an extremely low productivity factor in sometimes lengthy initial stages.
There is a lot more to be said on this issue but it will have to come in another post. I need discussion from someone else.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Meeting of Raw Emotions?
Wow - the computer hiccuped and published a White House statement on Facebook in Spanish, "Las declaraciones iniciales de la Jueza Sotomayor". The United States then erupted into in a great collision of comments by both erudite readers and those barely able to grunt. After reading this fascinating recital of Comments, I have a new outlook on my country. Now I see more clearly that the term “United States of America” refers not to New York, Texas, California, Kansas, Florida and such others, but rather to Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder, Rationally Normal, Narcissism, Obsessive-Compulsive, and oh yes, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Me, I’m now clinically depressed. And by the way, FaceBook says they translate through 64 languages - all but Urdu, the 6th most spoken language, I am told, on the planet.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Bob McNamara
Whiz kid. Phenom. The best of the best and the brightest of the brightest. But he was wrong. Terribly wrong. Tragically wrong. Brilliantly wrong. His reasoning was right - it always was. But he was still wrong. He knew too much, but he didn’t know the story. He had facts like some people have collections of crystal, or fine works of art, or great writings in literature - Bob had his facts. And he KNEW. He really did know. But he was wrong because he couldn't see the story, and his ignorance was responsible for the deaths of more than two million human beings. Why? Because he didn’t know the story that was taking place all around him. He didn't know the story that he himself was telling. He only knew the facts.
How did this happen? McNamara was open to John Stuart Mill’s art of questioning power, he loved logic and he lived to reason with other people. He held nothing so “sacred” that it could not be challenged. “Challenge me!” He seemed to beg, with that famously confident McNamara smile which seemed to say “I want to know if I am wrong - PROVE to me that I am wrong!” But he lived in a world of facts, not a world of stories. His facts told him what he already knew was true. But that wasn’t the way things really were. There was a real big story involved here and Bob didn’t know anything about it.
He held his own with the press of the world. He answered ALL their questions and they finally shut up. He met with the congress of the United States. He answered their questions. He would sit at the table in the senate meeting rooms that became silent following all their questions and he would ask THEM - “any more questions?” They would stare at their tables. If they had questions, he had answers. And his answers all had facts. He KNEW. And he knew he knew. And they knew he knew. But he was still wrong because he didn’t know what he was really talking about - he only knew the facts - he didn’t know the story. When other people would begin telling him the story he would interrupt them with facts, and they would stop.
So, anyway - McNamara built a great edifice of Facts. Facts on how to kill, how to bomb, how to destroy, how to deny, how to contain, how to blow up. He was good at his facts. But he didn’t know the story. He didn’t know any of the stories. He had degrees in economics, philosophy and a Harvard MBA. He taught at Harvard, served in the military for three years, rose to Lt. Colonel, selected targets for General LeMay, Was Kennedy's second choice for Secretary of Defense but got the job anyway, leaving Ford as its CEO. He was the mastermind of the American War against Vietnam.
McNamara apparently died a bewildered man. He knew everything except why the war didn’t work. He was probably the most rational man who ever lived and he knew how every thing worked. That’s probably why he didn’t understand war, or people, or democracy, or life.
He knew his facts and he could string them together but what he never did know is that the world is not rational. Bob McNamara was a freak. And that is a fact. And that is also the story.
How did this happen? McNamara was open to John Stuart Mill’s art of questioning power, he loved logic and he lived to reason with other people. He held nothing so “sacred” that it could not be challenged. “Challenge me!” He seemed to beg, with that famously confident McNamara smile which seemed to say “I want to know if I am wrong - PROVE to me that I am wrong!” But he lived in a world of facts, not a world of stories. His facts told him what he already knew was true. But that wasn’t the way things really were. There was a real big story involved here and Bob didn’t know anything about it.
He held his own with the press of the world. He answered ALL their questions and they finally shut up. He met with the congress of the United States. He answered their questions. He would sit at the table in the senate meeting rooms that became silent following all their questions and he would ask THEM - “any more questions?” They would stare at their tables. If they had questions, he had answers. And his answers all had facts. He KNEW. And he knew he knew. And they knew he knew. But he was still wrong because he didn’t know what he was really talking about - he only knew the facts - he didn’t know the story. When other people would begin telling him the story he would interrupt them with facts, and they would stop.
So, anyway - McNamara built a great edifice of Facts. Facts on how to kill, how to bomb, how to destroy, how to deny, how to contain, how to blow up. He was good at his facts. But he didn’t know the story. He didn’t know any of the stories. He had degrees in economics, philosophy and a Harvard MBA. He taught at Harvard, served in the military for three years, rose to Lt. Colonel, selected targets for General LeMay, Was Kennedy's second choice for Secretary of Defense but got the job anyway, leaving Ford as its CEO. He was the mastermind of the American War against Vietnam.
McNamara apparently died a bewildered man. He knew everything except why the war didn’t work. He was probably the most rational man who ever lived and he knew how every thing worked. That’s probably why he didn’t understand war, or people, or democracy, or life.
He knew his facts and he could string them together but what he never did know is that the world is not rational. Bob McNamara was a freak. And that is a fact. And that is also the story.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Independence Day 2009
As we celebrate our national day of Independence from the British crown, let us also acknowledge the presence of some the things upon which we have become dependent.
We have a declining status in the world in part because our citizens are DEPENDENT upon an education system which is not preparing our children to live in the modern world. OECD scores now rank America 31 out of the 57 nations it rates, in spite of the money America spends on education. An increasing number of American schools have ended instruction in arts, music, literature, foreign languages, philosophy and other “unimportant” subjects to “save money” and to “improve” test scores.
Our “criminal justice” system now houses more prisoners than any other nation in the world both in numbers and percentage. Almost none of its inmates are being prepared to live independently after release. Americans are DEPENDENT on this system which creates different forms of terror, one affecting the law-abiding citizens, another for those who break the laws and are caught and sentenced.
Our health care system is ranked 37th among industrial nations in terms of effectiveness and is the most expensive in the entire world. The main reason that Americans now declare bankruptcy is for medical bills. We resist governmental health care because of “higher taxes” yet many families are DEPENDENT on private policies for which they pay cost close to $1,000 every month, and which can suddenly increase in price or even terminate, especially if they lose their job or are laid off.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon automobiles for transportation. Buses, trolleys, subways, and trains are not available for the average American. Most families must have two or more cars for their basic transportation. And to drive these cars, America is totally DEPENDENT on foreign oil.
The American people are DEPENDENT on an economic system which has frozen the purchasing power of the average American wage since the late 1970s. This has happened during a period of astonishing increases in productivity, since almost all of its increases in capital have been accumulated by fewer and fewer owners and the American middle class has not prospered but appears to find itself shrinking.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon supporting a Capitalistic system which proclaims the virtue of the “free market” and “private property” even as it seizes and destroys both of them. To Americans, Capitalism IS a free market because the Capitalists tell them it is free, even as their purchasing options continue to be restricted. Americans believe a “free” market is one which is “free” FROM government control, instead of understanding that a truly “free” market is really “free” because OF governmental regulation. No one would believe the outcome of a major football game played without referees, much less one in which the referees were all hired and paid by one of the two teams, but that is the kind of system that Americans are DEPENDENT on for their economy.
America is totally DEPENDENT upon waging war. We not only wage “wars” against poverty, cancer, disease, terrorism, pollution, global warming, drugs, AIDS, obesity, pornography, but we have been almost constantly at war with some sovereign nation. We have fought the British, the French, Germans, Russians, the Spanish, Mexicans, Chinese, Iraqis, Iranians, Koreans; we’ve fought Japan, Italy, the Philippines, our own Native Americans, the black slaves and Asian coolies we imported to do our dirty work for us, and we’ve fought each other too. I fought in our wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and we have fought since then in Kuwait, Iraq, and now Afghanistan (and Pakistan?). And that is overlooking Granada, Cuba, Guatemala (three times), Panama, Nicaragua, Venezulea, El Salvador, Columbia, and others right here almost at home. Now American is building one of the largest mercenary armies in the world, arming people who are not sworn to fight for their country and bound by its laws and treaties, but to kill for a for-profit corporation. Americans are DEPENDENT upon providing for its vast military to “protect” itself from the world.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon corporate cabals which rule its legislative and executive branches of government. Powerful groups from pharmaceutical and medical, financial, petroleum, prison, religious and armament industries among others, direct the nation's actions and determine what is in its “national interest”. One such single group, the National Rifle Association rules congress with a “cocked pistol” held to the Congressional and presidential “head” even though somewhere between 14,000 and 30,000 Americans are killed by guns (by other Americans) every year. If a foreign terrorist kills 3,000 Americans in one day, that is cause for a Trillion dollar, never-ending war, but American terrorists kill that many about every 40 days - year around.
Americans are virtually DEPENDENT upon a press which has become a 24/7 presentation of opposing fascist propaganda machines. Truth - absolute Truth - is no longer sought by the American press except that both sides seek it out to find it out and kill it before normal people find out about it. The American press has become dedicated to misinform and detract its viewers from reality.
Americans are increasingly DEPENDENT upon actions from a religious fundamentalism which creates fear and hatred among its followers and denounces selected scientific findings with totalitarian fervor and threats of “eternal damnation”. Any attempts to operate “independently” of this religious fundamentalism may be met with terrorist activities which include warnings, threats, intimidation and even killings as “directed by the will of God”. No American can any longer support scientific findings without at least considering the impact they may have on the Christian fundamental terrorists in this country.
So - let’s pause for a moment and try to think - what are we Americans to do this Independence Day? Well, we can watch TV, we can drink beer and eat hot-dogs, watch fireworks, and - oh yes - wave the flag (better carry your gun too). That’s important because no matter how DEPENDENT we have become, it is very important that we act like we think we are “independent.”
I wonder what people from other nations is the world really think. But I would only want to hear from them if they were willing to also list some of the main things they are DEPENDENT upon. And if anyone reads these words and disagrees with them, please let me know what has been misstated or needs clarification and I will check that out and correct any errors I find.
Somewhere there has to be a basic “thing” that we can all call “humanity”, and somewhere there has to be a will to build on the wreckage of those great ideals upon which all our nations were once founded and which are still good and sound, but need to be applied to the real world in which we all now live.
We have a declining status in the world in part because our citizens are DEPENDENT upon an education system which is not preparing our children to live in the modern world. OECD scores now rank America 31 out of the 57 nations it rates, in spite of the money America spends on education. An increasing number of American schools have ended instruction in arts, music, literature, foreign languages, philosophy and other “unimportant” subjects to “save money” and to “improve” test scores.
Our “criminal justice” system now houses more prisoners than any other nation in the world both in numbers and percentage. Almost none of its inmates are being prepared to live independently after release. Americans are DEPENDENT on this system which creates different forms of terror, one affecting the law-abiding citizens, another for those who break the laws and are caught and sentenced.
Our health care system is ranked 37th among industrial nations in terms of effectiveness and is the most expensive in the entire world. The main reason that Americans now declare bankruptcy is for medical bills. We resist governmental health care because of “higher taxes” yet many families are DEPENDENT on private policies for which they pay cost close to $1,000 every month, and which can suddenly increase in price or even terminate, especially if they lose their job or are laid off.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon automobiles for transportation. Buses, trolleys, subways, and trains are not available for the average American. Most families must have two or more cars for their basic transportation. And to drive these cars, America is totally DEPENDENT on foreign oil.
The American people are DEPENDENT on an economic system which has frozen the purchasing power of the average American wage since the late 1970s. This has happened during a period of astonishing increases in productivity, since almost all of its increases in capital have been accumulated by fewer and fewer owners and the American middle class has not prospered but appears to find itself shrinking.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon supporting a Capitalistic system which proclaims the virtue of the “free market” and “private property” even as it seizes and destroys both of them. To Americans, Capitalism IS a free market because the Capitalists tell them it is free, even as their purchasing options continue to be restricted. Americans believe a “free” market is one which is “free” FROM government control, instead of understanding that a truly “free” market is really “free” because OF governmental regulation. No one would believe the outcome of a major football game played without referees, much less one in which the referees were all hired and paid by one of the two teams, but that is the kind of system that Americans are DEPENDENT on for their economy.
America is totally DEPENDENT upon waging war. We not only wage “wars” against poverty, cancer, disease, terrorism, pollution, global warming, drugs, AIDS, obesity, pornography, but we have been almost constantly at war with some sovereign nation. We have fought the British, the French, Germans, Russians, the Spanish, Mexicans, Chinese, Iraqis, Iranians, Koreans; we’ve fought Japan, Italy, the Philippines, our own Native Americans, the black slaves and Asian coolies we imported to do our dirty work for us, and we’ve fought each other too. I fought in our wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and we have fought since then in Kuwait, Iraq, and now Afghanistan (and Pakistan?). And that is overlooking Granada, Cuba, Guatemala (three times), Panama, Nicaragua, Venezulea, El Salvador, Columbia, and others right here almost at home. Now American is building one of the largest mercenary armies in the world, arming people who are not sworn to fight for their country and bound by its laws and treaties, but to kill for a for-profit corporation. Americans are DEPENDENT upon providing for its vast military to “protect” itself from the world.
Americans are DEPENDENT upon corporate cabals which rule its legislative and executive branches of government. Powerful groups from pharmaceutical and medical, financial, petroleum, prison, religious and armament industries among others, direct the nation's actions and determine what is in its “national interest”. One such single group, the National Rifle Association rules congress with a “cocked pistol” held to the Congressional and presidential “head” even though somewhere between 14,000 and 30,000 Americans are killed by guns (by other Americans) every year. If a foreign terrorist kills 3,000 Americans in one day, that is cause for a Trillion dollar, never-ending war, but American terrorists kill that many about every 40 days - year around.
Americans are virtually DEPENDENT upon a press which has become a 24/7 presentation of opposing fascist propaganda machines. Truth - absolute Truth - is no longer sought by the American press except that both sides seek it out to find it out and kill it before normal people find out about it. The American press has become dedicated to misinform and detract its viewers from reality.
Americans are increasingly DEPENDENT upon actions from a religious fundamentalism which creates fear and hatred among its followers and denounces selected scientific findings with totalitarian fervor and threats of “eternal damnation”. Any attempts to operate “independently” of this religious fundamentalism may be met with terrorist activities which include warnings, threats, intimidation and even killings as “directed by the will of God”. No American can any longer support scientific findings without at least considering the impact they may have on the Christian fundamental terrorists in this country.
So - let’s pause for a moment and try to think - what are we Americans to do this Independence Day? Well, we can watch TV, we can drink beer and eat hot-dogs, watch fireworks, and - oh yes - wave the flag (better carry your gun too). That’s important because no matter how DEPENDENT we have become, it is very important that we act like we think we are “independent.”
I wonder what people from other nations is the world really think. But I would only want to hear from them if they were willing to also list some of the main things they are DEPENDENT upon. And if anyone reads these words and disagrees with them, please let me know what has been misstated or needs clarification and I will check that out and correct any errors I find.
Somewhere there has to be a basic “thing” that we can all call “humanity”, and somewhere there has to be a will to build on the wreckage of those great ideals upon which all our nations were once founded and which are still good and sound, but need to be applied to the real world in which we all now live.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sanford - Resign? No - Impeachment and Trial.
Mark Sanford, still the sitting governor of South Carolina is trying to figure out whether he should stay on or step down. That should not be his decision. He has violated his oath of office, deserted his position and stolen money from the people of his state. People in South Carolina who hold up a convenience store and get $15 can go to prison for years, he should be treated no differently. He has earned the right to a fair trial.
In America we almost always don't hold our elected officials to the oath they took when they assumed the authority and responsibilities of their office. Even if they intentionally violate that oath, we tend to say - in effect - "aw shucks, well, maybe he has learned something."
Sanford says he wants to show his boys how someone "can pick themselves up and carry on. . . " He needs to show them what happens when someone disappears from his job, violates sacred oaths he freely took, and steals from other people.
He has earned an impeachment and a fair trial.
In America we almost always don't hold our elected officials to the oath they took when they assumed the authority and responsibilities of their office. Even if they intentionally violate that oath, we tend to say - in effect - "aw shucks, well, maybe he has learned something."
Sanford says he wants to show his boys how someone "can pick themselves up and carry on. . . " He needs to show them what happens when someone disappears from his job, violates sacred oaths he freely took, and steals from other people.
He has earned an impeachment and a fair trial.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson and the Death of News
Michael Jackson's death has put an end to American news reporting. Tried to watch Rachel Maddow last night but it was wall-to-wall Jackson lamentary, Rachel was gone, instead it was Keith Olberman sitting there in his shirt (like Cronkite/Kennedy?) looking confused and appearing to be on the verge of tears from time time explaining over and over again and again that he really knew nothing as the same clips of sheriff helicopters and ambulances were shown endlessly one after the other. This great commentator who always has an answer for everything is now no longer the night watchman calling out in the darkness but exposed as the village idiot crying "It's eleven o'clock and something is wrong, but I can't explain it, let me start over again. . ."
During the days of the Bush administration I would explain such happenings to myself as the work of Karl Rove. Why else in the days immediately prior to the American invasion of Iraq would the American TV new shows present a few moments of the great build- up of invasion forces and then spend the next twenty-five minutes exploring the Scott Peterson thing? Had to be the work of some "intelligent design", and who else but Karl Rove? Terrible, yes, but also darkly brilliant.
I don't think we can blame Rove for this now, but it is well to ask ourselves who benefits from this and who is hurt by it? The greatest benefactors to my thought are Gov. Sanford and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The great losers are those searching to expose the illegal activities of elected officials in Washington, and those who are protesting the "election" in Iran. More great winners? The TV news stations - CNN today is bewildered confusion (just returned from being a captive audience member in my doctor's waiting room) and hopelessly hanging on for one bit of news to be given them so they can breathlessly relate it to US. Elsewhere, the world is presented as a great vacuum. "Duh?"
You would think there would be a solution for this problem, but I am not sure there is any specific answer. It probably just boils down to the simple fact that Americans don't care about real news. So maybe that is why the "news" stations have become simply Distraction Centers.
During the days of the Bush administration I would explain such happenings to myself as the work of Karl Rove. Why else in the days immediately prior to the American invasion of Iraq would the American TV new shows present a few moments of the great build- up of invasion forces and then spend the next twenty-five minutes exploring the Scott Peterson thing? Had to be the work of some "intelligent design", and who else but Karl Rove? Terrible, yes, but also darkly brilliant.
I don't think we can blame Rove for this now, but it is well to ask ourselves who benefits from this and who is hurt by it? The greatest benefactors to my thought are Gov. Sanford and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The great losers are those searching to expose the illegal activities of elected officials in Washington, and those who are protesting the "election" in Iran. More great winners? The TV news stations - CNN today is bewildered confusion (just returned from being a captive audience member in my doctor's waiting room) and hopelessly hanging on for one bit of news to be given them so they can breathlessly relate it to US. Elsewhere, the world is presented as a great vacuum. "Duh?"
You would think there would be a solution for this problem, but I am not sure there is any specific answer. It probably just boils down to the simple fact that Americans don't care about real news. So maybe that is why the "news" stations have become simply Distraction Centers.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Letter from a Fellow Veteran
This is the message I received from a fellow Vietnam veteran, Harry Flynn, this evening:
Why will the major TV networks carry a three hour memorial service without commercial interruptions and then many hours of other program and news coverage today for someone who never served his country or put his life on the line and gave his all. I AM OUTRAGED. Why can we not get the same coverage and respect for our service members and veterans who have given us the FREEDOM to be able to enjoy and do the things we do each day. I am a Vietnam Veteran that knows what it is like to put your life on the line and wonder if you will every live to see America or your family again, and when you do come home no Welcome Home or Thank You until many years later. Please take time to reflect on this and feel free to comment. I even saw where one of our congress person saluted him today. We need to be saluting our real HEROES today and every day. What has happen to us in this country. God help us.
While the focus today, tomorrow, and for the next God-knows-how-many-days will be the death of a pop culture icon; while many will mourn, wail, and quite literally make fools of themselves over it and while as many will speak endlessly about it, allow me, if only for a moment, to remind us all that others have died this month; others whose lives were cut short; others who leave behind loved ones and whose families will dearly miss them; families who'll suffer with much more dignity and honor than we'll be exposed to on the tube in the coming days.
Yes... it's true... we've suffered a great loss... but forgive me when I tell you that I'm not talking about the king of pop music.
These American military members died in Iraq this month:
Sergeant Justin J. Duffy
Specialist Christopher M. Kurth
Specialist Charles D. Parrish
Lance Corporal Robert D. Ulmer
Staff Sergeant Edmond L. Lo
Sergeant Joshua W. Soto
Captain Kafele H. Sims
Specialist Chancellor A. Keesling
And these members of our U.S. Armed Forces died in Afghanistan this month:
Sergeant Jones, Ricky D.
Specialist Munguia Rivas, Rodrigo A.
Command Master Chief Petty Officer Garber, Jeffrey J.
1st Sergeant Blair, John D.
Sergeant Smith, Paul G.
Staff Sergeant Melton, Joshua
Sergeant 1st Class Dupont, Kevin A.
Specialist O'Neill, Jonathan C.
Chief Warrant Officer Richardson Jr., Ricky L.
Specialist Silva, Eduardo S.
Lance Corporal Whittle, Joshua R.
Major Barnes, Rocco M.
Major Jenrette, Kevin M.
Staff Sergeant Beale, John C.
Specialist Jordan, Jeffrey W.
Specialist Griemel, Jarrett P.
Specialist Hernandez I, Roberto A.
Sergeant Obakrairur, Jasper K.
Staff Sergeant Hall, Jeffrey A.
Private 1st Class Ogden, Matthew D.
Private 1st Class Wilson, Matthew W.
Let's remember and honor this day those whose deaths are truly impacting.
Why will the major TV networks carry a three hour memorial service without commercial interruptions and then many hours of other program and news coverage today for someone who never served his country or put his life on the line and gave his all. I AM OUTRAGED. Why can we not get the same coverage and respect for our service members and veterans who have given us the FREEDOM to be able to enjoy and do the things we do each day. I am a Vietnam Veteran that knows what it is like to put your life on the line and wonder if you will every live to see America or your family again, and when you do come home no Welcome Home or Thank You until many years later. Please take time to reflect on this and feel free to comment. I even saw where one of our congress person saluted him today. We need to be saluting our real HEROES today and every day. What has happen to us in this country. God help us.
While the focus today, tomorrow, and for the next God-knows-how-many-days will be the death of a pop culture icon; while many will mourn, wail, and quite literally make fools of themselves over it and while as many will speak endlessly about it, allow me, if only for a moment, to remind us all that others have died this month; others whose lives were cut short; others who leave behind loved ones and whose families will dearly miss them; families who'll suffer with much more dignity and honor than we'll be exposed to on the tube in the coming days.
Yes... it's true... we've suffered a great loss... but forgive me when I tell you that I'm not talking about the king of pop music.
These American military members died in Iraq this month:
Sergeant Justin J. Duffy
Specialist Christopher M. Kurth
Specialist Charles D. Parrish
Lance Corporal Robert D. Ulmer
Staff Sergeant Edmond L. Lo
Sergeant Joshua W. Soto
Captain Kafele H. Sims
Specialist Chancellor A. Keesling
And these members of our U.S. Armed Forces died in Afghanistan this month:
Sergeant Jones, Ricky D.
Specialist Munguia Rivas, Rodrigo A.
Command Master Chief Petty Officer Garber, Jeffrey J.
1st Sergeant Blair, John D.
Sergeant Smith, Paul G.
Staff Sergeant Melton, Joshua
Sergeant 1st Class Dupont, Kevin A.
Specialist O'Neill, Jonathan C.
Chief Warrant Officer Richardson Jr., Ricky L.
Specialist Silva, Eduardo S.
Lance Corporal Whittle, Joshua R.
Major Barnes, Rocco M.
Major Jenrette, Kevin M.
Staff Sergeant Beale, John C.
Specialist Jordan, Jeffrey W.
Specialist Griemel, Jarrett P.
Specialist Hernandez I, Roberto A.
Sergeant Obakrairur, Jasper K.
Staff Sergeant Hall, Jeffrey A.
Private 1st Class Ogden, Matthew D.
Private 1st Class Wilson, Matthew W.
Let's remember and honor this day those whose deaths are truly impacting.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
In a Nutshell -
America's best moments have come when we supported the ideals of our constitution, and some of our worst moments have come when we have tried to "protect" that thing. Unfortunately, we have a problem. It is our government. It is a common type of organization, Canada has a similar one, so do countries in Europe. As a great hierarchy it is really a relic of the feudal system. Each country has a "Lord" who doesn't know his ass from his mouth, and he is supported by a coterie of conniving bastards who couldn't be elected to do anything other than to leave the room now.
Power is the missing commodity. America has solved that with the economic might of great corporations. The corporations pay the coterie who select and get elected people who will pass laws that help the corporations. There it is: Power>henchmen>nice guy. The American people? Oh yeah, the people - well, they pay the money to the corporations and vote for the "nice" guys. Welcome to America - you'all.
Power is the missing commodity. America has solved that with the economic might of great corporations. The corporations pay the coterie who select and get elected people who will pass laws that help the corporations. There it is: Power>henchmen>nice guy. The American people? Oh yeah, the people - well, they pay the money to the corporations and vote for the "nice" guys. Welcome to America - you'all.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Iran - The Ultimatum
Now that the Supreme Leader in Iran has issued his ultimatum, what is next to come? I can't begin to guess. The protesters could back off but why should they? There is no point in pretending to wait for the next election, that charade is now over. The clerical gloves are off and the holy veil has been discarded. 
The "Islamic Republic" is revealed to be simply another dictatorship claiming to be a religious institution. Iranians are now shown to be servants of their self-appointed Supreme Leader rather than the free people they apparently thought they were.
The Islamic leaders have shown that they are just one more non-spiritual hierarchical organization whose most sacred ideal is not service to Allah, or to any other god, but the survival of their own organization at all costs including stealing, lying, cheating, imprisonment, murder and other means as they feel might be necessary. They have their own "Lord", the "Supreme Leader" who was appointed by the ruling coterie who largely remain in the shadows and who secretly tell him what to do. He then "orders" them to do what they have already told him in secret to order them to do. They will reluctantly carry out their own orders.
So the Iranian citizens now can now 1) meekly retire and pray they are not punished for actions already done, 2) continue the protest marches and force the hand of the Supreme Leader, or 3) do something else. But it seems clear that Iranians are today different people than they were at the beginning of this week which has just passed.
The word from Twitter has been amazing. I will stay eagerly tuned. The photo is from persiankiwi, via Twitter.
The "Islamic Republic" is revealed to be simply another dictatorship claiming to be a religious institution. Iranians are now shown to be servants of their self-appointed Supreme Leader rather than the free people they apparently thought they were. The Islamic leaders have shown that they are just one more non-spiritual hierarchical organization whose most sacred ideal is not service to Allah, or to any other god, but the survival of their own organization at all costs including stealing, lying, cheating, imprisonment, murder and other means as they feel might be necessary. They have their own "Lord", the "Supreme Leader" who was appointed by the ruling coterie who largely remain in the shadows and who secretly tell him what to do. He then "orders" them to do what they have already told him in secret to order them to do. They will reluctantly carry out their own orders.
So the Iranian citizens now can now 1) meekly retire and pray they are not punished for actions already done, 2) continue the protest marches and force the hand of the Supreme Leader, or 3) do something else. But it seems clear that Iranians are today different people than they were at the beginning of this week which has just passed.
The word from Twitter has been amazing. I will stay eagerly tuned. The photo is from persiankiwi, via Twitter.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
How To Rob a Guy. Easy.
Well, you can’t break into Joe Bang’s house and take his money, and you can’t stick him up at work and get it that way either. He’s too well armed. He’s got a lot of guns and he “carries” too. He’s always ready for anything. So how do you get Joe’s money? Besides, he really doesn't have that much money, he may be about to lose his job, and he is deeply in debt. But here's one way - and it's real easy. You make him come into your business - with or without one of his guns - and you make him GIVE you his money. Cool, huh? Here’s how it works:
First you get a secret deal (most business deals are more or less secret) with some major gun and ammunition companies. You call yourself some important name like the National Resistance to Aggression organization, or something like that. Then you send out magazine stories and web page items about how dangerous the world has become, especially since the first modern president of the United States has been elected, Point out how you can’t be sure of his allegiances, or what his religion REALLY is, or where he was even born, and so on. Mix in races issues, rural/urban problems, religious issues, liberal/conservative. Say that he is leading us toward socialism, even communism. Claim that he really is a Frenchman! Get some of your friends who have talk shows on radio and TV to echo what you are saying. Scare those people!
Then point out how ammunition and guns are becoming scarce and hard to get. Explain that you hope there will be enough to go around if “things go bad”. Sorrowfully point out that some people will not have “enough” ammo to fire their guns if
“anything” "happens".
Then you raise the price of your stuff, curtail your hours of operation, put up billboards telling people to "get your guns while you still can!" and watch all the Joe Bangs come running with their money in their hand.
First you get a secret deal (most business deals are more or less secret) with some major gun and ammunition companies. You call yourself some important name like the National Resistance to Aggression organization, or something like that. Then you send out magazine stories and web page items about how dangerous the world has become, especially since the first modern president of the United States has been elected, Point out how you can’t be sure of his allegiances, or what his religion REALLY is, or where he was even born, and so on. Mix in races issues, rural/urban problems, religious issues, liberal/conservative. Say that he is leading us toward socialism, even communism. Claim that he really is a Frenchman! Get some of your friends who have talk shows on radio and TV to echo what you are saying. Scare those people!
Then point out how ammunition and guns are becoming scarce and hard to get. Explain that you hope there will be enough to go around if “things go bad”. Sorrowfully point out that some people will not have “enough” ammo to fire their guns if
“anything” "happens". Then you raise the price of your stuff, curtail your hours of operation, put up billboards telling people to "get your guns while you still can!" and watch all the Joe Bangs come running with their money in their hand.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Cheney's Wishes
Cheney had been infuriated by Panetta's comments about how Cheney "needs" to have the U.S, attacked. No way any of us can tell who is right about this right now, but it sure would make Cheney look like a fool if we were never attacked again given the manner in which he keeps telling us that "his" way is the ONLY way to avoid such an attack. Meanwhile, if we were attacked, he would look like a real old-time patriot, and super smart guy who knows the only way to safety.
Of course, if we follow Cheney's instructions, we are only doing what George Bush did for eight years, thus things can only continue to get worse, never better. That is to ignore the lessons of history - especially those taught in the past eight years. That also would continue to cast a pall of secrecy over "what really took place" back then and there. Eventually, all that will surface and the sooner that happens the more likely that Cheney, Bush et. al. might actually be punished - at least, publicly shamed. Another attack though, would postpone those revelations for many more years. So you figure it out yourself, what does Cheney REALLY need?
I am not a fan of Cheney. I have only one good thing to say about him. This is it: Cheney was SO bad than not even a terrorist or a crazy fool, or even a misguided religious zealot would kill George Bush, which would result in making Bush a "great" president and redeeming his errors, and also promote Cheney to the presidency. For that I will always be grateful to Dick Cheney.
Of course, if we follow Cheney's instructions, we are only doing what George Bush did for eight years, thus things can only continue to get worse, never better. That is to ignore the lessons of history - especially those taught in the past eight years. That also would continue to cast a pall of secrecy over "what really took place" back then and there. Eventually, all that will surface and the sooner that happens the more likely that Cheney, Bush et. al. might actually be punished - at least, publicly shamed. Another attack though, would postpone those revelations for many more years. So you figure it out yourself, what does Cheney REALLY need?
I am not a fan of Cheney. I have only one good thing to say about him. This is it: Cheney was SO bad than not even a terrorist or a crazy fool, or even a misguided religious zealot would kill George Bush, which would result in making Bush a "great" president and redeeming his errors, and also promote Cheney to the presidency. For that I will always be grateful to Dick Cheney.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Lone Nuts? Not By a Long Shot
We have seen a physician gunned down for providing medical services to women, and now a killing in a Holocaust Memorial. The doctor was killed by someone who had been a frequent "visitor" to his clinic. The Holocaust shootings were done by a man who had tried to abduct an entire board of directors at gunpoint in the past.
Both of these men have been called "lone nuts", but both had a wide group of people who supported them and their intention to take the law into their own hands. They were not only supported by these groups but honored and exalted because of their "commitment" and their daring. Who know how great a role that support played in the subsequent and inevitable killings? What if their followers had urged restraint - and encouraged them to seek a different path? What if the strident public voices such as Limbaugh, Savage, Beck, and many others had backed off, and sought to find another way to deal with the problems?
After all, both the killers and their supporters are victims too. They are victims of their own ignorance and inability to understand the world as it really exists. Both groups are empowered by the religious concept that they know the ultimate truth to begin with, and all facts must be therefore be tailored to fit their own reality. To people like this, abortion is always evil, the holocaust never happened. Sure, they seem foolish when exposed to the facts of life. But they are not exposed, they are sheltered from true reality, and encouraged to act as if they are called by some god to kill the evil-doers of the world and scare others to "come around" and worship those same gods.
No, these people are not "lone nuts" who are acting on their own, they are members of viralent terrorist groups that are bent on bending the rest of us to their will through use of force.
Both of these men have been called "lone nuts", but both had a wide group of people who supported them and their intention to take the law into their own hands. They were not only supported by these groups but honored and exalted because of their "commitment" and their daring. Who know how great a role that support played in the subsequent and inevitable killings? What if their followers had urged restraint - and encouraged them to seek a different path? What if the strident public voices such as Limbaugh, Savage, Beck, and many others had backed off, and sought to find another way to deal with the problems?
After all, both the killers and their supporters are victims too. They are victims of their own ignorance and inability to understand the world as it really exists. Both groups are empowered by the religious concept that they know the ultimate truth to begin with, and all facts must be therefore be tailored to fit their own reality. To people like this, abortion is always evil, the holocaust never happened. Sure, they seem foolish when exposed to the facts of life. But they are not exposed, they are sheltered from true reality, and encouraged to act as if they are called by some god to kill the evil-doers of the world and scare others to "come around" and worship those same gods.
No, these people are not "lone nuts" who are acting on their own, they are members of viralent terrorist groups that are bent on bending the rest of us to their will through use of force.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Obama's Trip to Middle East and Europe
An important step. We're still defining Obama. He is still defining himself. Obama travels in a straight line, but always from side to side. He says something, then defines it as being a little different from what he said before. Later, when he clarifies that discrepancy, you will find something else has been left there - or maybe it is missing. He is either very, very, very good or very, very, very bad. Either way it will be amazing. Time will tell on him. Right now - I'm hoping.
ONE COMMENT - The most important job of the president is NOT the defense of America - that's important yes, but there is one thing even more important than that - and that is to protect the Constitution of the United States. And that sometimes gets lost in the rumble.
ONE COMMENT - The most important job of the president is NOT the defense of America - that's important yes, but there is one thing even more important than that - and that is to protect the Constitution of the United States. And that sometimes gets lost in the rumble.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Fixing Republicans?
The Republican Party has problems.
A lot of them.
One is there is no leadership.
George W is in remission
Cheney is the mumbling bumbling Prince of Darkness, Lord of Torture, a certified human repellent.
Powell is the official Republican Jack O’Lantern who falsely and devastatingly testified in the UN about the soap powder he held in canisters, thus condemning thousands of innocent persons to death
Limbaugh is the obvious spokesperson for the party, and he says Republicans have to get nasty now, and those who won’t have to leave the party.
Rush now says they have to attack Democrats instead of Republicans
Steele says the “honeymoon” is over, now they will tear the Democrats up.
Rove, snapping like a Parana at democrats, is blossoming very turdly toward republicans.
So there is a problem in trying to find out what is wrong with the Republican Party and how to fix it.
But it’s worse than that. America is in terrible shape. Our nation is sick, our education system is disintegrating. Our criminal-”justice” system has more prisoners than any other country in the world. Our industrial system has basically quit producing - anything. Our medical care system has almost 20% of all Americans with no care at all, many others with poor care, while it is the most financially complicated system of any kind anywhere, and the costliest medical system in the world. Our highway system is crumbling and we have virtually no train or subway systems outside of the largest cities, We are fighting two wars, the only “advanced” civilization in the world fighting any wars at all. And there is even more.
And - oh yes - there is the Republican Party, too. Notice though, that it is trying to figure out how to get elected again, how to “fix” the Republican Party, and NOTHING about how to fix America.
Maybe if they could figure out what America needs, they could begin to get the attention of more Americans. But they never will as long as they are trying to “fix” their own party.
A lot of them.
One is there is no leadership.
George W is in remission
Cheney is the mumbling bumbling Prince of Darkness, Lord of Torture, a certified human repellent.
Powell is the official Republican Jack O’Lantern who falsely and devastatingly testified in the UN about the soap powder he held in canisters, thus condemning thousands of innocent persons to death
Limbaugh is the obvious spokesperson for the party, and he says Republicans have to get nasty now, and those who won’t have to leave the party.
Rush now says they have to attack Democrats instead of Republicans
Steele says the “honeymoon” is over, now they will tear the Democrats up.
Rove, snapping like a Parana at democrats, is blossoming very turdly toward republicans.
So there is a problem in trying to find out what is wrong with the Republican Party and how to fix it.
But it’s worse than that. America is in terrible shape. Our nation is sick, our education system is disintegrating. Our criminal-”justice” system has more prisoners than any other country in the world. Our industrial system has basically quit producing - anything. Our medical care system has almost 20% of all Americans with no care at all, many others with poor care, while it is the most financially complicated system of any kind anywhere, and the costliest medical system in the world. Our highway system is crumbling and we have virtually no train or subway systems outside of the largest cities, We are fighting two wars, the only “advanced” civilization in the world fighting any wars at all. And there is even more.
And - oh yes - there is the Republican Party, too. Notice though, that it is trying to figure out how to get elected again, how to “fix” the Republican Party, and NOTHING about how to fix America.
Maybe if they could figure out what America needs, they could begin to get the attention of more Americans. But they never will as long as they are trying to “fix” their own party.
Monday, April 27, 2009
American Torture
We Americans didn't want to look at our torture crimes because we knew that was wrong AND we also knew nothing was going to be done about it. I had wondered for many years how the Germans could have gone along with Hitler's crimes and I used to feel smug about that. Not anymore. To the Germans there came a time when Hitler's actions became theirs, and now we Americans too have sailed under that same Arch de Acquiescence, whirling around and around in a whirlpool of profound and studied detachment. We can no longer say it was Bush who did it. Now it is America who did it.
All we can offer now in propitiation is that we were waiting for a saviour. And he is here - and we want him to cleanse us real quick. Problem is that the big boys are way out there beyond any retribution basking in glory and retirement benefits and we will never get any piece of bush, cheney, rumsfield, addington, yoo, gonzales, ashcroft, and many others including powell who sold his soul for a beaker of washing powder at the U. N. when he could have changed everything. So - all we can do - rationally - now - is to crucify all the poor bastards who carried out the orders of the Lords. If EVERYBODY refuses, because they know they will eventually be punished, then maybe someday nobody will carry out those damn orders.
All we can offer now in propitiation is that we were waiting for a saviour. And he is here - and we want him to cleanse us real quick. Problem is that the big boys are way out there beyond any retribution basking in glory and retirement benefits and we will never get any piece of bush, cheney, rumsfield, addington, yoo, gonzales, ashcroft, and many others including powell who sold his soul for a beaker of washing powder at the U. N. when he could have changed everything. So - all we can do - rationally - now - is to crucify all the poor bastards who carried out the orders of the Lords. If EVERYBODY refuses, because they know they will eventually be punished, then maybe someday nobody will carry out those damn orders.
Monday, April 20, 2009
President Obama versus The Law
Two stunning blows to America came out of President Obama’s White House on Thursday, April 16, 2009.
The first was the official recognition that the former president (Bush) had knowingly violated the American Constitution, and had not enforced the laws of the nation by directing American military and CIA personnel to torture captured war prisoners.
The second was that Obama, the current president, would also knowingly violate the American Constitution, which he had promised less than three months ago to protect and defend, and also that he would not enforce the laws of the nation as he had also sworn to do, since he will not punish those who carried out the torture orders or those who issued them.
There will have to be fallout from that.
First, in the United States military. Any military order MUST meet three criteria to be valid and enforceable: 1) it must be legal, 2) must be issued from competent authority, and 3) must be clearly conveyed. Obama has just wiped the first two of those requirements away. Now, instead of being required to follow only legal and authorized orders, military personnel must now obey ALL orders. The lessons learned from the Waffen-SS and Nazi Germany some of which involved the Jewish holocaust are vitiated and weakened to the point of uselessness.
Second, Obama says the nation can’t “waste time” seeing that this violation is enforced and that "error" is corrected. The protection and enforcement of the constitution and laws of the nation are not as important as the other things that Obama wants to do. This continues the process President Ford began when he provided a general amnesty to President Nixon for the crimes he committed while in office, and provides additional precedence to the concept that a president cannot be punished for illegal activities, or anything he does, while he is president.
Third is the inevitable implication that no law is to be considered valid or enforceable until the president has said it is one that he wants to have enforced.
Fourth is that America can no longer in good faith punish other nations that torturers captured American servicemen. Such actions will now be seen as selfish and vindictive.
Fifth, the fact remains and WILL remain that the laws of America have been broken and will HAVE to be enforced or ELSE the basic nature of the American government will have changed forever.
In short, by these two actions, President Obama has rewritten the United States Constitution. And nobody knows what it is now or what it means now. Perhaps president Obama will reveal this new law as time unfolds?
I have supported Barack Obama but I could also support impeachment. Let's see if we can find another way. BUT- action needs to follow this direlection of duty.
John Womack
The first was the official recognition that the former president (Bush) had knowingly violated the American Constitution, and had not enforced the laws of the nation by directing American military and CIA personnel to torture captured war prisoners.
The second was that Obama, the current president, would also knowingly violate the American Constitution, which he had promised less than three months ago to protect and defend, and also that he would not enforce the laws of the nation as he had also sworn to do, since he will not punish those who carried out the torture orders or those who issued them.
There will have to be fallout from that.
First, in the United States military. Any military order MUST meet three criteria to be valid and enforceable: 1) it must be legal, 2) must be issued from competent authority, and 3) must be clearly conveyed. Obama has just wiped the first two of those requirements away. Now, instead of being required to follow only legal and authorized orders, military personnel must now obey ALL orders. The lessons learned from the Waffen-SS and Nazi Germany some of which involved the Jewish holocaust are vitiated and weakened to the point of uselessness.
Second, Obama says the nation can’t “waste time” seeing that this violation is enforced and that "error" is corrected. The protection and enforcement of the constitution and laws of the nation are not as important as the other things that Obama wants to do. This continues the process President Ford began when he provided a general amnesty to President Nixon for the crimes he committed while in office, and provides additional precedence to the concept that a president cannot be punished for illegal activities, or anything he does, while he is president.
Third is the inevitable implication that no law is to be considered valid or enforceable until the president has said it is one that he wants to have enforced.
Fourth is that America can no longer in good faith punish other nations that torturers captured American servicemen. Such actions will now be seen as selfish and vindictive.
Fifth, the fact remains and WILL remain that the laws of America have been broken and will HAVE to be enforced or ELSE the basic nature of the American government will have changed forever.
In short, by these two actions, President Obama has rewritten the United States Constitution. And nobody knows what it is now or what it means now. Perhaps president Obama will reveal this new law as time unfolds?
I have supported Barack Obama but I could also support impeachment. Let's see if we can find another way. BUT- action needs to follow this direlection of duty.
John Womack
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Pope or a Condom - Take Your Choice
Condoms CAUSE AIDS? Only in the mind of a snakeoil salesman. How bad can the pope make Catholicism (and Christianity) seem to be to the average person? 
Out of touch with science, out of touch with reality, out of touch with problems, out of touch with people, out of touch with humanity.
By his words today, thousands - perhaps tens of thousands - of innocent people will suffer and die; perhaps hundreds of thousands of unwanted babies will be born in an overburdened land.
Your people were kneeling papa, hands outstretched in hope of receiving a fish from their papa, and their papa brings them a serpent.
Shame on you, pope. Shame! Shame! Put a condom on your own head, up over your bishop's miter. Put a condom on your head and pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it ALL the way down!
Help prevent the spread of disease.
Out of touch with science, out of touch with reality, out of touch with problems, out of touch with people, out of touch with humanity.
By his words today, thousands - perhaps tens of thousands - of innocent people will suffer and die; perhaps hundreds of thousands of unwanted babies will be born in an overburdened land.
Your people were kneeling papa, hands outstretched in hope of receiving a fish from their papa, and their papa brings them a serpent.
Shame on you, pope. Shame! Shame! Put a condom on your own head, up over your bishop's miter. Put a condom on your head and pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it ALL the way down!
Help prevent the spread of disease.
AIG? Good Distraction!
Senator Grassly said he would appreciate it if these guys committed suicide. He was joking, he said later but ALMOST ALL of our congressmen and senators have got to LOVE the fact that AIG is a convenient target for our collective wrath.
That serves nicely to distract us from how badly they betrayed the public trust and sold their souls for the grateful coziness with AIG who in turn permitted them to gather up the crumbs underneath their great table. Like the Ibises who succulently pull ticks and other insects off of great beasts in the field, or the Egyptian Plovers that clean leftovers from the teeth of crocodiles, these annelidical things we call congressional representatives of the people have bled the American public again and again for the humble access to commercial power (i.e. political contribution potential).
Now they really appreciate AIG one more time - AIG is now serving as a great congressional heat shield as the Reaganomic Experiment re-enters the atmosphere of reality.
Welcome home - you make a pretty sight. And remember, whenever EVERYBODY is piling on, that's a sure sign that the real culprit has gotten away.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved
That serves nicely to distract us from how badly they betrayed the public trust and sold their souls for the grateful coziness with AIG who in turn permitted them to gather up the crumbs underneath their great table. Like the Ibises who succulently pull ticks and other insects off of great beasts in the field, or the Egyptian Plovers that clean leftovers from the teeth of crocodiles, these annelidical things we call congressional representatives of the people have bled the American public again and again for the humble access to commercial power (i.e. political contribution potential).
Now they really appreciate AIG one more time - AIG is now serving as a great congressional heat shield as the Reaganomic Experiment re-enters the atmosphere of reality.
Welcome home - you make a pretty sight. And remember, whenever EVERYBODY is piling on, that's a sure sign that the real culprit has gotten away.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Pope Spoke - Again.
Pope Benedict XV brought into his position of power an admonition to the world, and especially to the citizens of Europe that now was the time for them to return to God, and especially to come back home to the church again. He castigated Europeans for becoming so secular that they were losing their spiritual bearings and their only hope was to come back and worship again and serve the church once more. Religion had made Europe great in the past and it's new Supreme Bishop was willing to forgive its wayward children - but they had to shape up!
Unfortunately the spotlight he turned upon religion has revealed some flaws not attributable to secularism. The 81 year old prelate apparently attributed the drifting masses to the wandering away of the church itself from some of its old traditional assertions. A return to the pre-ecumenistic services clearly pleased the pope even if it upset his Jewish "friends". He also shifted away from the distribution of the elements of mass to some who were not Roman Catholic, thus isolating that church even more. Then came the reinstatement of some ex-communicated priests who had made anti-Jewish comments. One of them had been tossed out of the church for denying the occurance of the hollocaust. Benedict pulled him back in. When cries arose that he should not have been ex-excommunicated, Benedict was dismissive.
Now finally comes the uproar across the internet. Apparently comments, even sermons, given by this ex-excommunicated bishop have become popular across Europe now show on YouTube. Benedict was blown-away. Last word we heard he was commenting to someone about having to start reading the internet.
Well, come on now. Popes have taken any sign of progress as indication of devilment. Birth control is seen as equivalent to murder and serious sin. It is even on a par with Darwin and his scientific theories. The Catholic Church has only recently - in the past couple of hundred years - accepted Gallileo and Copernicus as purveyers of truth. But Benedict was well on the way to banishing the telescope along with condoms and scientific thinking. Now comes the internet? No way.
Unfortunately the spotlight he turned upon religion has revealed some flaws not attributable to secularism. The 81 year old prelate apparently attributed the drifting masses to the wandering away of the church itself from some of its old traditional assertions. A return to the pre-ecumenistic services clearly pleased the pope even if it upset his Jewish "friends". He also shifted away from the distribution of the elements of mass to some who were not Roman Catholic, thus isolating that church even more. Then came the reinstatement of some ex-communicated priests who had made anti-Jewish comments. One of them had been tossed out of the church for denying the occurance of the hollocaust. Benedict pulled him back in. When cries arose that he should not have been ex-excommunicated, Benedict was dismissive.
Now finally comes the uproar across the internet. Apparently comments, even sermons, given by this ex-excommunicated bishop have become popular across Europe now show on YouTube. Benedict was blown-away. Last word we heard he was commenting to someone about having to start reading the internet.
Well, come on now. Popes have taken any sign of progress as indication of devilment. Birth control is seen as equivalent to murder and serious sin. It is even on a par with Darwin and his scientific theories. The Catholic Church has only recently - in the past couple of hundred years - accepted Gallileo and Copernicus as purveyers of truth. But Benedict was well on the way to banishing the telescope along with condoms and scientific thinking. Now comes the internet? No way.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Socialism Hooray? But. . . ?
So the republicans are screaming "Socalism! Socialism!"? And Obama is a undercover socialist? Well what IS socialism? Isn't that where the government controls all the major factors of production? Sure it is.
In a socialist government/economy the national government runs the railroads, press, airports, farms, food processing, factories, and all the other major enterprises. They set the objectives and plans, they organize the companies they put people in various positions and run the day-to-day operations. That's socialism.
What America has traditionally offered to the world is a different kind of government-economy operation. Under our form of Controlled Capitalism, that is, the way things USED to be, back before Reagan brought his "Voodo Economics" into our world, the large corporations ran their day-to-day operations the way they saw fit. They made their plans, they organized their operations, they hired and promoted their people, they ran their operations themselves. The national government played the role of referee and umpire to make sure the "economic game" was played according to the rules the American people decided it would be run. For example, there would be no child labor. Women and blacks would be paid equally for equal work. Taxes would be paid as determined. Food production would be uncontaminated by germs and mold, accounting would be audited and reported and conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Corporations would stick to their chosen job and not take over unrelated work from other corporations.
These lessons came from a long history of boom and bust cycles, culminating with the Robber Barrons in the early part of the Twentieth Century, and creshendoing in the Great Depression of the 1930s. There would be laws. There would be rules to insure that our nation would never again be ripped apart by savage CEOs, and those rules and laws would be enforced by the might of the Federal Government.
Then Reagan said thing were SO good that we had reached Morning in America again, and that the corporations could be "trusted" and the market would take care of us all. And that was the beginning of the fall.
In a socialist government/economy the national government runs the railroads, press, airports, farms, food processing, factories, and all the other major enterprises. They set the objectives and plans, they organize the companies they put people in various positions and run the day-to-day operations. That's socialism.
What America has traditionally offered to the world is a different kind of government-economy operation. Under our form of Controlled Capitalism, that is, the way things USED to be, back before Reagan brought his "Voodo Economics" into our world, the large corporations ran their day-to-day operations the way they saw fit. They made their plans, they organized their operations, they hired and promoted their people, they ran their operations themselves. The national government played the role of referee and umpire to make sure the "economic game" was played according to the rules the American people decided it would be run. For example, there would be no child labor. Women and blacks would be paid equally for equal work. Taxes would be paid as determined. Food production would be uncontaminated by germs and mold, accounting would be audited and reported and conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Corporations would stick to their chosen job and not take over unrelated work from other corporations.
These lessons came from a long history of boom and bust cycles, culminating with the Robber Barrons in the early part of the Twentieth Century, and creshendoing in the Great Depression of the 1930s. There would be laws. There would be rules to insure that our nation would never again be ripped apart by savage CEOs, and those rules and laws would be enforced by the might of the Federal Government.
Then Reagan said thing were SO good that we had reached Morning in America again, and that the corporations could be "trusted" and the market would take care of us all. And that was the beginning of the fall.
Republicans in Limbo?
Or is that Limbaugh? Doesn't really matter. They are thrashing about wildly now looking for blame. George Bush is easy to blame. He was a bad man. Brought up bad and empowered by demons. But it wasn't really his fault. There is almost as much blame as there is damage. The entire Republican Party is also easy to blame because they were so proud of their snorting, strutting stallion from Texas. And while we are at it, spreading blame, let's smear a lot all over the democrats too. There were some heros there, but most of them just stood silently around mumbling deprecatingly from time to time and shyly shaking their heads occasionally. They sighed when they should have screamed. So let's make sure they get credit for what they deserve too.
After blaming Bush for their decline, the Republican Party is now blaming Obama and the Democratic Party for taking over control of congress and the White House. That's like blaming the doctor for cancer after you smoked three-packs-a-day for 30 years. The bad news is only the beginning there too.
What can the republicans do? They can begin by talking with the American people. They need to understand that the Entire World has changed dramatically since the 1700's. America is no longer a group of states protected by a great wilderness and impassable oceans. And they need to listen first. Find out Americans don't ride horses anymore. We don't own slaves anymore. Some of us are WOMEN - bet they didn't know. America has changed. The Republican Party MUST change too or die.
Just remember this acronym republicans: "Where Has It Gone". Figure it out.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
After blaming Bush for their decline, the Republican Party is now blaming Obama and the Democratic Party for taking over control of congress and the White House. That's like blaming the doctor for cancer after you smoked three-packs-a-day for 30 years. The bad news is only the beginning there too.
What can the republicans do? They can begin by talking with the American people. They need to understand that the Entire World has changed dramatically since the 1700's. America is no longer a group of states protected by a great wilderness and impassable oceans. And they need to listen first. Find out Americans don't ride horses anymore. We don't own slaves anymore. Some of us are WOMEN - bet they didn't know. America has changed. The Republican Party MUST change too or die.
Just remember this acronym republicans: "Where Has It Gone". Figure it out.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Speaking of Speaking.
A couple of interesting speeches last night. Obama, our new president and Jindal, governor of Louisiana seen as the GOP Obama, and the apparent heir of the GOP.
Obama was good. I was thinking back to the old ToastMasters critiques that we used to do so long ago. How would I have rated Obama? Really can't say because I got lost in the world he created in front of me. But in retrospect his message was strongly written, coherent, logical, forceful, direct. It sequed from point to point and carried emotion from anger to triumph to comedy to joy. I hate to say this, but it was probably the best public speech I have ever seen.
Jindal, first of all, had the extreme bad luck to have to follow this masterpiece by Obama. He failed miserably. He was not in control of his logic or his rambling points, much less in control of the entire world as Obama had just seemed to be. He looked worried in a couple of places and even, I thought, a little scared from time to time.
This is not enough to finish Jindal's career. Politics is a strange and illogical being. One week can heal all wounds and can also destroy that which is totally invulnerable. But his performance does open up the running for the GOP leader. Perhaps the greatest casualty in seeing this newcomer fall so badly is that it will tend to promote the "old heads". Not McCain, but other bad guys like Newt or Jeb!.
Meanwhile, Obama has now placed himself firmly in the position as President of the United States. If he can run swiftly and not fall and can lead the way clearly, many will thrillingly follow him all the way to glory.
Obama was good. I was thinking back to the old ToastMasters critiques that we used to do so long ago. How would I have rated Obama? Really can't say because I got lost in the world he created in front of me. But in retrospect his message was strongly written, coherent, logical, forceful, direct. It sequed from point to point and carried emotion from anger to triumph to comedy to joy. I hate to say this, but it was probably the best public speech I have ever seen.
Jindal, first of all, had the extreme bad luck to have to follow this masterpiece by Obama. He failed miserably. He was not in control of his logic or his rambling points, much less in control of the entire world as Obama had just seemed to be. He looked worried in a couple of places and even, I thought, a little scared from time to time.
This is not enough to finish Jindal's career. Politics is a strange and illogical being. One week can heal all wounds and can also destroy that which is totally invulnerable. But his performance does open up the running for the GOP leader. Perhaps the greatest casualty in seeing this newcomer fall so badly is that it will tend to promote the "old heads". Not McCain, but other bad guys like Newt or Jeb!.
Meanwhile, Obama has now placed himself firmly in the position as President of the United States. If he can run swiftly and not fall and can lead the way clearly, many will thrillingly follow him all the way to glory.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Abstinence and Palin's Daughter
Just a couple of other things Palin got screwed up. The problem with abstinence is that it just doesn't work. It's nothing other than an easy way out for parents. This way they can put the blame on their kids and say it is all their fault.
Abstinence has never been easy for anybody. Parents get it wrong all the time. Preachers and even priests can't completely abstain as a group and these are people who have taken big-time, real serious vows placing their souls up to God as collateral for betraying a young one on sexual desire. But then they find a way to make it happen.
Easy to blame the Evil One for this. "The devil made me do it!" But I'm afraid that God is the guilty one here, because we are all clearly hard-wired to have sex, to have it repeatedly and with as many people as possible and as early in life as feasible. Darwin tried to get God off this hook by showing this natural selection process using random events would insure the continuation of life in a species and enable the most vigorous members to improve the product. But of course, like so many other "Christian Right" people, Palin believes that Darwin is the only human proven to have come from a monkey and all the rest of us were formed by an intelligent creator. So when I went to my parents for help and they said it was up me and God, and God made me, then God also made me do it.
Of course now there is a corollary to Darwin's theories. In this modern age, the really clever, ingenious, daring, capable, skillful, and resourceful young-uns who have the most sex with other students are the ones who DON'T have offspring. OK, so a clever blow to "Intelligent Design". But this is nothing new. This was widely known over the centuries. The great poet even wrote about how "Abstinence makes the hard grow longer", or something like that. But just ask ANY school kid.
Abstinence has never been easy for anybody. Parents get it wrong all the time. Preachers and even priests can't completely abstain as a group and these are people who have taken big-time, real serious vows placing their souls up to God as collateral for betraying a young one on sexual desire. But then they find a way to make it happen.
Easy to blame the Evil One for this. "The devil made me do it!" But I'm afraid that God is the guilty one here, because we are all clearly hard-wired to have sex, to have it repeatedly and with as many people as possible and as early in life as feasible. Darwin tried to get God off this hook by showing this natural selection process using random events would insure the continuation of life in a species and enable the most vigorous members to improve the product. But of course, like so many other "Christian Right" people, Palin believes that Darwin is the only human proven to have come from a monkey and all the rest of us were formed by an intelligent creator. So when I went to my parents for help and they said it was up me and God, and God made me, then God also made me do it.
Of course now there is a corollary to Darwin's theories. In this modern age, the really clever, ingenious, daring, capable, skillful, and resourceful young-uns who have the most sex with other students are the ones who DON'T have offspring. OK, so a clever blow to "Intelligent Design". But this is nothing new. This was widely known over the centuries. The great poet even wrote about how "Abstinence makes the hard grow longer", or something like that. But just ask ANY school kid.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Shoot the Chimp
As bad as it gets. That someone would “own” a “pet” chimpanzee is bad enough. That the animal would get sick, so sick that it would attack and seriously maul its owner’s friend is far, far worse. That police would have to come and shoot the poor thing dead compounds it into a grizzly cartoon of evil. And then there is the victim, a person who has had her life forever changed in a moment, and perhaps may not even live through this event.
THEN. Along comes Murdoch the Great, King of News, who contorts the issue, even trivalizes the issues involved, and compares it to the new president’s economic recovery plan. Of course Murdoch probably hadn’t noticed that the president is a black man, and he certainly could not have known that white racists for years have contemptuously compared black men with monkeys and chimpanzees. So we are to believe that Murdoch really didn’t know what he was doing? That it wasn’t his problem because he didn’t approve the cartoon? That he is now sorry that some people were so stupid that they were offended by the cartoon that he didn’t know he had published? Now - if ANYBODY believes that - then that’s news.
Some say Murdoch likes Obama. That’s too bad. Last thing Barrack needs right now is a 200 pound sick chimp that occasionally freaks out and is not responsible for what he does.
THEN. Along comes Murdoch the Great, King of News, who contorts the issue, even trivalizes the issues involved, and compares it to the new president’s economic recovery plan. Of course Murdoch probably hadn’t noticed that the president is a black man, and he certainly could not have known that white racists for years have contemptuously compared black men with monkeys and chimpanzees. So we are to believe that Murdoch really didn’t know what he was doing? That it wasn’t his problem because he didn’t approve the cartoon? That he is now sorry that some people were so stupid that they were offended by the cartoon that he didn’t know he had published? Now - if ANYBODY believes that - then that’s news.
Some say Murdoch likes Obama. That’s too bad. Last thing Barrack needs right now is a 200 pound sick chimp that occasionally freaks out and is not responsible for what he does.
Sport? Oh yes, of course, ha ha.
After hearing about Alex ("A-Rod") Rodriguez, which comes after so many other "revelations" of other "sportsmen" who have cheated their competitors and their fans to the point where all serious people have decided that sport is simply a way to cheat people (fans and competitors) out of more money and make their various "games" much more expensive to attend, I looked up the word "sport" in a dictionary.
It said that "Sport" was an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. Also it could be used to describe jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: "What he said in sport was taken seriously". Also, mockery; ridicule; derision: "They made sport of him". It describes an object of derision; laughingstock or something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything.
Oh, OK.
It said that "Sport" was an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. Also it could be used to describe jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: "What he said in sport was taken seriously". Also, mockery; ridicule; derision: "They made sport of him". It describes an object of derision; laughingstock or something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything.
Oh, OK.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Dawn of the 21th Century
As George Bush sets in the east behind a young boy's head, the United States rises to greet the 21th Century. A little late is better than a lot late.
Much of the civilized world however, is holding its breath. They entered this century over eight years ago, and are not sure how long it will take America to even return to its position of the late 1990's.
As President Obama has already warned us, a lot is riding on all our shoulders now. Very well, all we need is the organizing of the movement. We won't have long to wait.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The Gaza Desecration
Israel's righetous hatered is the hallmark of its current flogging of Palestenian hospitals, schools, mosques, women and children. There's more of course, but these are the current images that rise and float like dead bodies on top of the confrontation. All this comes in "retaliation" for rockets launched by Hamas into Israel. The problem is that if Israel chooses military response to these attacks, that response will have to be largely absorbed by the innocent. That is what war became in the twentith century. The new century shows signs of war becoming the destruction of civilization. And even the "winning" nation finds that what it destroys in another country, it also desecrates in its own. This is Hitler's great lesson for the ages. The Jews certainly learned this lesson well and the current Jewish cruelty seem to reek of schendenfreude
This is Israel's only choice left when it refuses to negotiate with its enemies until they have agreed to the non-negotiable parts of its demands. Just like Condelezza Rice has discovered in Korea, Iran and other places, although her demands have been VERY selectively applied.
Israel has two main problems. One is that it's military and economic support comes from the United States and Israel is totally independent of how it might use those great gifts. Two, that it can "peacefully invade" Palestine simply by "not prohibiting" its "settlers" from simply taking Palestinian land. Then when confrontatons arise, the Israeli army comes in to "protect" its own people, thus forcing Palelstinians out of the area. Like a disease this conquest spreads until it becomes successful enough to eventually turn on itself.
˝John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
This is Israel's only choice left when it refuses to negotiate with its enemies until they have agreed to the non-negotiable parts of its demands. Just like Condelezza Rice has discovered in Korea, Iran and other places, although her demands have been VERY selectively applied.
Israel has two main problems. One is that it's military and economic support comes from the United States and Israel is totally independent of how it might use those great gifts. Two, that it can "peacefully invade" Palestine simply by "not prohibiting" its "settlers" from simply taking Palestinian land. Then when confrontatons arise, the Israeli army comes in to "protect" its own people, thus forcing Palelstinians out of the area. Like a disease this conquest spreads until it becomes successful enough to eventually turn on itself.
˝John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Gaza
This new war is a last-minute run by Israel to shred even little hope the Palestinian people hadk, and to render its governments hopelessly weakened, as well as to "welcome" the new American administration with a few dead albatrosses to hang around their neck. Bush won't even try to interfere and will cover Israel's actions. Hitler's hate still burns bright.
The only real hope to save Israel from its path of destruction won't happen soon. That would require America to cut off its financial and military aid. Not with a stroke, but as part of a plan to help Israel slowly reintroduce itself to its neighbors. This could be done with careful negotiations by all nations interested in peace, and perhaps under direction and assistance from the UN.
What the Obama administration CAN begin doing is the last part mentioned above - to assistance and encourage Israel to begin to live as a part of the world. But nothing will ever help ANY nation that gets more than it loses from fighting wars. If the gain from war is great, and your enemies suffer horribly , AND the price is paid by someone else, then war can be a truly glorious thing.
And let's be very plain. No one is more guilty here than the Bush administration. They taunted Arafat and glorified Sharon back in their beginning. These actions perhaps forged the attacks of 9/11 as an attempt to get the world's attention and also led to the election of Hamas. The Bush people also presented the Palestiniens with the fait-acompli that nothing could be done to achieve "peace" unless the Palestinians agreed to let Israel continue their long-term invasions of Palestine, with one Jewish settlement after another.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
The only real hope to save Israel from its path of destruction won't happen soon. That would require America to cut off its financial and military aid. Not with a stroke, but as part of a plan to help Israel slowly reintroduce itself to its neighbors. This could be done with careful negotiations by all nations interested in peace, and perhaps under direction and assistance from the UN.
What the Obama administration CAN begin doing is the last part mentioned above - to assistance and encourage Israel to begin to live as a part of the world. But nothing will ever help ANY nation that gets more than it loses from fighting wars. If the gain from war is great, and your enemies suffer horribly , AND the price is paid by someone else, then war can be a truly glorious thing.
And let's be very plain. No one is more guilty here than the Bush administration. They taunted Arafat and glorified Sharon back in their beginning. These actions perhaps forged the attacks of 9/11 as an attempt to get the world's attention and also led to the election of Hamas. The Bush people also presented the Palestiniens with the fait-acompli that nothing could be done to achieve "peace" unless the Palestinians agreed to let Israel continue their long-term invasions of Palestine, with one Jewish settlement after another.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Barack The Magic Negro
All I can say about the Republican Party's new song, "Barack the Magic Negro", is to ask them "What part of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries did you not understand ?"
The Grand Old Party has finally revealed that it is actually the Rip Van Winkle Party, still advocating those principles that made the world so enjoyable for property-owning people with money and white penises
It also has revealed a brief but penetrating glimpse into the character of Mike Huckabee in as much as the "writer" of the "song" was also the manager of Huckabee's presidential campaign. Come on Mike, we clearly were watching the wrong hand - what we DON'T see is what we really get, huh?
And let's face it, anyone who gets a kick out of paradies, AND who is over 18 years of age, has to be deficient is a great number of ways. But why stop with just Obama? Why not "Lieberman, the Magic Jew, a Democrat and a Republican too, a political hermaphrodite Our congressman from Israel." Or maybe "Hillalry the Magic Female who Straighted Out Even Bill, she can fix the whole wide world, and you can bet she will", or "Mitt the Magic Morman, Given to Guide Our Way, He knows what we need to do and he will make us do it", or "Kennedy - the Magic Catholics, Born to Rule the World, now Caroline will light the way and we will just need to follow ", even "George the Magic Texan, who Lost his Silver Spoon, Again, Again, and YET Again, and now He's Lost Ours Too!"?
Oh well, since today is my 18th birthday I guess I will have to go on to something more inspiring. Sigh.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
The Grand Old Party has finally revealed that it is actually the Rip Van Winkle Party, still advocating those principles that made the world so enjoyable for property-owning people with money and white penises
It also has revealed a brief but penetrating glimpse into the character of Mike Huckabee in as much as the "writer" of the "song" was also the manager of Huckabee's presidential campaign. Come on Mike, we clearly were watching the wrong hand - what we DON'T see is what we really get, huh?
And let's face it, anyone who gets a kick out of paradies, AND who is over 18 years of age, has to be deficient is a great number of ways. But why stop with just Obama? Why not "Lieberman, the Magic Jew, a Democrat and a Republican too, a political hermaphrodite Our congressman from Israel." Or maybe "Hillalry the Magic Female who Straighted Out Even Bill, she can fix the whole wide world, and you can bet she will", or "Mitt the Magic Morman, Given to Guide Our Way, He knows what we need to do and he will make us do it", or "Kennedy - the Magic Catholics, Born to Rule the World, now Caroline will light the way and we will just need to follow ", even "George the Magic Texan, who Lost his Silver Spoon, Again, Again, and YET Again, and now He's Lost Ours Too!"?
Oh well, since today is my 18th birthday I guess I will have to go on to something more inspiring. Sigh.
© John Womack, 2009. All rights reserved.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Former Governors Make Better Presidents? REALLY?
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2008
It is widely known that people who have served their state as governor make better presidents than those who have not been executives in either state government of commercial business. This is because those people have experience in executive decision-making and administration building, staff leadership, direction and control. But has this been true? Let’s check it out.
In retrospect, it seems that the effectiveness of presidents really turn on their mastery of "governing skills" rather than any "executive skills". Being president of the United States is considerably different from being governor of any state or president of any large commercial enterprise, this primarily because the US president has to work so closely with congress to accomplish anything truly significant.
Let’s look at some of our recent presidents, using those since World War II ended and leaving out Eisenhower because he served neither as governor or state legislator.
John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Truman and Nixon were senators prior to becoming president. George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford were former members of the House of Representatives.
Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George Bush (43) came in as governors.
The former governors all brought large numbers of their former state staff members with them because those were the people they were familiar working with. But – that also meant there were many people who had to learn the D. C. procedures. The former congressmen however, all had many surviving relationships with other current congressmen, additionally they were all familiar with preparing issues for presentation to the president so they knew well the type of input they should expect - and demand - from congress.
All the congressmen, and especially Truman, Johnson and Ford - took over from presidents who died in office or resigned. They came into office at a time of great national trauma and national crisis. Nonetheless, they were able to immediately govern effectively. These former congressmen all had been well prepared to govern as president from the beginning of their administrations.
On the other hand, the former governors in this period were unable to perform their duties well during the first two years of their service. Carter, Reagan, Clinton and George Bush 43, all came into Washington and took office during times of relative peace. Yet the first two years they were in office they floundered. Those were years in which they and the large contingent they brought in from their home states learned the ways of D.C.
If past is to be prologue, then it appears that you wouldn't want to let any former governor move into the presidency, especially during periods of crisis. Historically, they have not been able to function at the beginning. Former members of congress, on the other hand, have moved in smoothly and began serving the nation well from the first day.
So, when you ponder who should be selected to run for the presidency, whether for a primary selection or the actual November vote, don't just take my word for it but look back over what has actually happened in the past. Then we can all make a better choice.
So, when you ponder who should be selected to run for the presidency, whether for a primary selection or the actual November vote, don't just take my word for it but look back over what has actually happened in the past. Then we can all make a better choice.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Auto Bailout?
The rational for letting them go into bankruptcy is that if they can't compete in the free market they deserve to go under. Senator Sessions says no need to subsidize companies that can't operate on their own.
Problems with that: Yes, the companies can and probably should go bankrupt but a lot of their workers will have to go bankrupt too. It is a lot easier for companies to go through that procedure that for individuals. The companies get rid of their pension plans, health care provisions, seniority rules and a lot more. Individuals also get rid of their their pension plans, health care provisions, and seniority also, plus their jobs, income, and houses too.
More problems: It's not just the companies being unable to compete in a free market. And it's not just the case that government IS the problem, as Reagan so impudently proclaimed. He made that statement when the auto industry was "struggling" under CAFE standards. Those laws would probably by now have American cars running 30 to 50 mpg, and probably burning only American-produced gasoline.
There's a lot more. Just remember the Bush tax rewards for buying a gas guzzler for your "business". You could buy a Hummer or a 4-door diesel pickup truck for almost ZERO dollars when you factored in the tax break for buying those vehicles. And while those are only two of the Roadside Bombs the republican party planted in the path of the American automobile free market, you can get the idea.
Sure government can't really run a large auto company, but it can regulate those things. Above all, it can do the ONE MAIN THING those companies themselves never will be able to do - that is to work for the long range good of the American people instead of simply chasing the big profit for the current quarter.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved
Problems with that: Yes, the companies can and probably should go bankrupt but a lot of their workers will have to go bankrupt too. It is a lot easier for companies to go through that procedure that for individuals. The companies get rid of their pension plans, health care provisions, seniority rules and a lot more. Individuals also get rid of their their pension plans, health care provisions, and seniority also, plus their jobs, income, and houses too.
More problems: It's not just the companies being unable to compete in a free market. And it's not just the case that government IS the problem, as Reagan so impudently proclaimed. He made that statement when the auto industry was "struggling" under CAFE standards. Those laws would probably by now have American cars running 30 to 50 mpg, and probably burning only American-produced gasoline.
There's a lot more. Just remember the Bush tax rewards for buying a gas guzzler for your "business". You could buy a Hummer or a 4-door diesel pickup truck for almost ZERO dollars when you factored in the tax break for buying those vehicles. And while those are only two of the Roadside Bombs the republican party planted in the path of the American automobile free market, you can get the idea.
Sure government can't really run a large auto company, but it can regulate those things. Above all, it can do the ONE MAIN THING those companies themselves never will be able to do - that is to work for the long range good of the American people instead of simply chasing the big profit for the current quarter.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Blagojevich and His Prize.
Well, after six long years it appears the hell-hole on Cuba known as Guantanamo may finally be closed down. But now - along comes Blagojevich.
Maybe, just maybe, we could keep it open for a while longer. Blagojevich might be held in solitary confinement there but he would not be alone - at least not in the larger sense. We could fill the whole thing up. There's his predecessor, Ryan. And there's Cunningham too, and William Jefferson. Ted Stevens would probably enjoy the change of climate from Alaska. Gonzales might find the quietness a good place for reflection. Larry Craig wouldn't have to worry about tapping his foot anymore because they both will be shackled.
The U. S. Navy might have to add another wing or two to accommodate the flood of desperadoes. There would have to be room for Kilpatrick, Libby and Foley. Jim Wright and Gingrich could be roommates. Bob Livingston, Bob Ney and Bob Packwood could begin the "Bob wing". Adam Clayton Powell would probably be heard in endless monologues and Charles Keating and Neil Bush could try to finagle their respective ways out of here too. Dan Rostenkowski would make a good counsellor, and Tom DeLay could be the chaplin.
And the rest of the world could watch all this in awe. And envy.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Maybe, just maybe, we could keep it open for a while longer. Blagojevich might be held in solitary confinement there but he would not be alone - at least not in the larger sense. We could fill the whole thing up. There's his predecessor, Ryan. And there's Cunningham too, and William Jefferson. Ted Stevens would probably enjoy the change of climate from Alaska. Gonzales might find the quietness a good place for reflection. Larry Craig wouldn't have to worry about tapping his foot anymore because they both will be shackled.
The U. S. Navy might have to add another wing or two to accommodate the flood of desperadoes. There would have to be room for Kilpatrick, Libby and Foley. Jim Wright and Gingrich could be roommates. Bob Livingston, Bob Ney and Bob Packwood could begin the "Bob wing". Adam Clayton Powell would probably be heard in endless monologues and Charles Keating and Neil Bush could try to finagle their respective ways out of here too. Dan Rostenkowski would make a good counsellor, and Tom DeLay could be the chaplin.
And the rest of the world could watch all this in awe. And envy.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Guilty at Guantanamo?
Five men held at Guantanamo announced they wanted to plead guilty to terrorism and other charges associated with the 9/11 attacks. Really? And on the very day that Obama won the election for the American presidency?
The old weekly magazines, from time to time, used to have cartoons which read: "How Many Things Can You Find Wrong In This Picture?" Remember? Well, it's no cartoon that is taking place at Guantanamo now. It is deadly serious - and not just for any foreigner who might be killed - because what has already happened there will result in the deaths of innumerable American servicemen captured by enemy forces for the next one-hundred years. Sunni and Shiite factions are still fighting each other over events that happened 1400 years ago.
This all smells strongly of Bush. It seem just one more feather for his personal cap, one more draught deeply drawn into his righteously-intoxicated brain cells. One more star to hang in his own texas heaven to hover there forever above crawfordville. Never mind that it could also promote this group of five men into their own "heaven" of martyrdom.
This also makes unimportant that these five men are all probably guilty indeed of some "evil doing". But whatever they might have done pales into unimportance compared with America abandoning its rich heritage of rights and laws, admitting smugly that it was all just a joke. It is the final gift of George Bush to the world that as he swaggers away from the corpse of American Ideals, he returns one last time to defecate and urinate upon the remains before he abandons them to whomever might come along later.
@ John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
The old weekly magazines, from time to time, used to have cartoons which read: "How Many Things Can You Find Wrong In This Picture?" Remember? Well, it's no cartoon that is taking place at Guantanamo now. It is deadly serious - and not just for any foreigner who might be killed - because what has already happened there will result in the deaths of innumerable American servicemen captured by enemy forces for the next one-hundred years. Sunni and Shiite factions are still fighting each other over events that happened 1400 years ago.
This all smells strongly of Bush. It seem just one more feather for his personal cap, one more draught deeply drawn into his righteously-intoxicated brain cells. One more star to hang in his own texas heaven to hover there forever above crawfordville. Never mind that it could also promote this group of five men into their own "heaven" of martyrdom.
This also makes unimportant that these five men are all probably guilty indeed of some "evil doing". But whatever they might have done pales into unimportance compared with America abandoning its rich heritage of rights and laws, admitting smugly that it was all just a joke. It is the final gift of George Bush to the world that as he swaggers away from the corpse of American Ideals, he returns one last time to defecate and urinate upon the remains before he abandons them to whomever might come along later.
@ John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Palin
The stories are now beginning to come out. They are not good. They make Palin look like a total loser. But it is important to remember that the blame for being so close to becoming president of the United States is not Palin's fault. And the real problem is not by any means the amazing amount of money she spent on clothes - we need to forget that and focus on the important part.
To a substantial degree the fault is John McCain's. He screwed up. Bad. This means he was even LESS qualified to become president than even I thought he was. We can only infer from this that had he been elected, Palin would have been only one of many incompetents placed in positions of power to play games with, to irritate and try to outsmart each other. At least most of those others - cabinet members and department heads would have been subject to approval by congress.
That brings us to that problem referred to earlier: the REAL problem. And that is the constitution itself. It has never known how to handle the vice-president. The founding fathers awarded it to the person who came in second in the election. If that had endured, today Obama would be the president and McCain would be the vice-president. That would not work. Apparently George Washington - first president - and John Adams - first vice-president - did not get along much better than Obama and McCain would. That was taken care of by the 12th Amendment to the Constitution. But the result of it all now has become that the person chosen by his or her party to represent them as their choice for president can simply pluck out of the bucket anyone who strikes their fancy. Hence Palin who did not know the VP did not "run" the Senate, or that Africa was a continent, or . . . well, let's skip the rest!
So, what to do? Well, the whole process is badly screwed up. Neither the president or vice-president of the United States is required to pass any type of mental or physical examination. You can't drive a bus or fly an airplane or practice medicine or be in the military without passing a series of qualifying standardized examinations. So if you should fail any or ALL of those, you could still become president. There is not any kind of a review board who can examine the legal history of the individuals selected by their party to represent them for the most public of all positions.
There is more. A LOT more. But this is a blogpost not a completed paper. Yet it remains for a fact, that no military officer can have any kind of access to nuclear weapons without EXTENSIVE medical, mental, background checks, while the person who might tell them to "bomb, bomb, bomb" some country could just fly in off of a wall if he or she could temporarilly lie to or somehow fool enough people. Plain's problems only serve to shine a bright light on this problem.
To a substantial degree the fault is John McCain's. He screwed up. Bad. This means he was even LESS qualified to become president than even I thought he was. We can only infer from this that had he been elected, Palin would have been only one of many incompetents placed in positions of power to play games with, to irritate and try to outsmart each other. At least most of those others - cabinet members and department heads would have been subject to approval by congress.
That brings us to that problem referred to earlier: the REAL problem. And that is the constitution itself. It has never known how to handle the vice-president. The founding fathers awarded it to the person who came in second in the election. If that had endured, today Obama would be the president and McCain would be the vice-president. That would not work. Apparently George Washington - first president - and John Adams - first vice-president - did not get along much better than Obama and McCain would. That was taken care of by the 12th Amendment to the Constitution. But the result of it all now has become that the person chosen by his or her party to represent them as their choice for president can simply pluck out of the bucket anyone who strikes their fancy. Hence Palin who did not know the VP did not "run" the Senate, or that Africa was a continent, or . . . well, let's skip the rest!
So, what to do? Well, the whole process is badly screwed up. Neither the president or vice-president of the United States is required to pass any type of mental or physical examination. You can't drive a bus or fly an airplane or practice medicine or be in the military without passing a series of qualifying standardized examinations. So if you should fail any or ALL of those, you could still become president. There is not any kind of a review board who can examine the legal history of the individuals selected by their party to represent them for the most public of all positions.
There is more. A LOT more. But this is a blogpost not a completed paper. Yet it remains for a fact, that no military officer can have any kind of access to nuclear weapons without EXTENSIVE medical, mental, background checks, while the person who might tell them to "bomb, bomb, bomb" some country could just fly in off of a wall if he or she could temporarilly lie to or somehow fool enough people. Plain's problems only serve to shine a bright light on this problem.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Republican Wasteland
The Republican Party is in shambles. It’s last president, George Bush was soundly repudiated. Now he’s going out with two wars raging and the economy in shambles. Guantanamo is still stinking, the specter of special renditions remains, and the nation is virtually an outcast among the international community. The cowboy rides away into the sunset. Alone.
Its last standard bearer, John McCain is clearly beyond the age limits to be considered again. His final tally in his only presidential campaign was less than half that of his opponent. His only lasting legacy to his party will be that he claimed to be a “maverick” and had “fought his party leaders”.
His vice-residential choice, Sarah Palin of Alaska, certainly does not have a strong base even in her own small and isolated state. Her only claim to Republican Party fame is that she appeals the the far right Christian extreme elements. She can’t name any magazines, remember the three countries in North America, or find Africa.
Rudy Giuliani is forever pinned to a 9-11 mentality, Mitt Romney cannot escape the Mormon Church label - probably worse for him because of the Republican Party being in bed with the extreme far right Christian base. They won’t do Morman.
Gingrich is considered to be a clown, even by republican standards, Tom Ridge is still stuck on Duct Tape, Tommy Thompson never got the joke. Mitch McConnel and Boehner are just plain mean. Stevens is gone whether he leaves or not.
So there are still possibilities like Crist or Jindal and others too. but there’s also the specter of Jeb! Bush to run sometime soon (it’s now his turn?). The republicans have lost a big opportunity by supporting Bush. If you thought New Orleans was ravaged, just look around - look all around. He has let the entire nation collapse just like its roads and bridges. Right now the Republicans biggest hope appears to be that the democrats will do the same thing they did.
But they have chased out the moderate and progressive members of their party and replaced them with the extreme Christian right, and those Christians are not really concerned with the traditional interests of the Republican Party. Like Palin, they have seen that God has partly opened a door for them and they are going to “punch through it!”, as she said in a recent interview.
© John Womack, 2008, All rights reserved
Its last standard bearer, John McCain is clearly beyond the age limits to be considered again. His final tally in his only presidential campaign was less than half that of his opponent. His only lasting legacy to his party will be that he claimed to be a “maverick” and had “fought his party leaders”.
His vice-residential choice, Sarah Palin of Alaska, certainly does not have a strong base even in her own small and isolated state. Her only claim to Republican Party fame is that she appeals the the far right Christian extreme elements. She can’t name any magazines, remember the three countries in North America, or find Africa.
Rudy Giuliani is forever pinned to a 9-11 mentality, Mitt Romney cannot escape the Mormon Church label - probably worse for him because of the Republican Party being in bed with the extreme far right Christian base. They won’t do Morman.
Gingrich is considered to be a clown, even by republican standards, Tom Ridge is still stuck on Duct Tape, Tommy Thompson never got the joke. Mitch McConnel and Boehner are just plain mean. Stevens is gone whether he leaves or not.
So there are still possibilities like Crist or Jindal and others too. but there’s also the specter of Jeb! Bush to run sometime soon (it’s now his turn?). The republicans have lost a big opportunity by supporting Bush. If you thought New Orleans was ravaged, just look around - look all around. He has let the entire nation collapse just like its roads and bridges. Right now the Republicans biggest hope appears to be that the democrats will do the same thing they did.
But they have chased out the moderate and progressive members of their party and replaced them with the extreme Christian right, and those Christians are not really concerned with the traditional interests of the Republican Party. Like Palin, they have seen that God has partly opened a door for them and they are going to “punch through it!”, as she said in a recent interview.
© John Womack, 2008, All rights reserved
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
The Great Divide
Once again America stands at the Great Divide. A doorway or threshold of sorts which divides the future from the past.
We were here during the election of Gore vrs Bush. Then the future was not seen so clearly and the past was more comfortable than it seems today.
We came here again after 9-11. The door to the greatest opportunity the world had ever had for peace was flung wide open and the rest of the world beckoned to us to come in. The Bush Administration slammed the door in their faces and even threatened them if they would not turn back with us.
Now again today, election day, November 4, 2008, America goes back to that great doorway. The choice is more clear than it was with Gore or even after 9-11. McCain wants to “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, and Palin looks forward to the return of the days of the frontier. Biden, regardless of what one might think of him, is a negotiator, a reconciler, a communicator. Obama, as Powell described him, is clearly a transformational person.
To me the choice seems clear. A vote for McCain is to fly back into the flame. A vote for Obama is a passport to a new world.
We were here during the election of Gore vrs Bush. Then the future was not seen so clearly and the past was more comfortable than it seems today.
We came here again after 9-11. The door to the greatest opportunity the world had ever had for peace was flung wide open and the rest of the world beckoned to us to come in. The Bush Administration slammed the door in their faces and even threatened them if they would not turn back with us.
Now again today, election day, November 4, 2008, America goes back to that great doorway. The choice is more clear than it was with Gore or even after 9-11. McCain wants to “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, and Palin looks forward to the return of the days of the frontier. Biden, regardless of what one might think of him, is a negotiator, a reconciler, a communicator. Obama, as Powell described him, is clearly a transformational person.
To me the choice seems clear. A vote for McCain is to fly back into the flame. A vote for Obama is a passport to a new world.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Can the Republican Party Change?
No longer a party that supports individual rights, it now seeks to impose almost parental power over people, reading their mail, snooping in their bedrooms and implementing radical new forces to keep the great corporations of America growing in power.
After Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Addington, McCain, Palin, McConnell, Stevens, Falwell, Boehner, Gingrich, and others, there's not much left in how it can reasonably hope to achieve anything constructive in today's world. These vengeful angels appear ready to drag down the ship of state if they can't get their own way which means no discussion, no debate, no new ideas and no compromise.
The Republican Party has always been a party of power. Now, with one war in Iraq, another in Afghanistan, and continuing drive-by shootings by American military forces taking place in Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, and maybe elsewhere, the party seems committed to long-term international policies involving pre-emptive political and economic force over other nations - more and more including our traditional allies. War and bombings seem to be always a ready alternative to solve all problems . The rest of the civilized world is trying to veer away from war, and now we wonder if the republicans can live in that kind of world? Will the American Repubiclan Party even allow such a world to develop?
In order to stabilize its quest for power the party has been forced to seek help from other groups. Religion has answered the call and is already moving to take charge. Which religion? Well, that won't be clear for some time. They will call it Christian, but it will be based on power just like the military and economic forces it plans to use. It will know Jesus' wishes and will intend to bring them to the entire planet, again by use of force if necessary.
So the Republican Party which emerges after this election will be "conservative" in political philosophy, but like its religion, that meaning will also require explanation on the part of its leaders. It will clearly attempt to take us back to what the new leaders of this movement think our founding fathers were trying to do when they wrote the constitution.
Economically, the new party will insist on the "Gospel according to Adam Smith". It will be raw capitalism - uncontrolled by any government. If the new economy should ever need governmental help, it will tell the government what to do, and when and how much it needs.
There will be no place left for intellectuals, or any form of "progressive republicans". This new Republican Party will be a construct of the 19th and 20th centuries, and will attempt to establish itself as the rightful leader in a world of military power, economic force and God with a cross, and America will be its supreme ruler, world policeman, inquisitor and punisher.
So now the election. If McCain wins, America will be in for a very long and disastrous period. There will almost certainly be a democratic majority in both the house and senate, and they will feel the call of a mandate for change. McCain and Palin will be firmly rooted in the past as the rest of the United States and the rest of the world move into a new era of international relationships.
If Obama wins there will be new challenges, new opportunities and perhaps a very different world will emerge. Sarah Palin apparently sees herself as the "republican winner" if McCain loses the election. But it seems clear that she will pull a large part of the most fanatical republican base out of the party.
After Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Addington, McCain, Palin, McConnell, Stevens, Falwell, Boehner, Gingrich, and others, there's not much left in how it can reasonably hope to achieve anything constructive in today's world. These vengeful angels appear ready to drag down the ship of state if they can't get their own way which means no discussion, no debate, no new ideas and no compromise.
The Republican Party has always been a party of power. Now, with one war in Iraq, another in Afghanistan, and continuing drive-by shootings by American military forces taking place in Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, and maybe elsewhere, the party seems committed to long-term international policies involving pre-emptive political and economic force over other nations - more and more including our traditional allies. War and bombings seem to be always a ready alternative to solve all problems . The rest of the civilized world is trying to veer away from war, and now we wonder if the republicans can live in that kind of world? Will the American Repubiclan Party even allow such a world to develop?
In order to stabilize its quest for power the party has been forced to seek help from other groups. Religion has answered the call and is already moving to take charge. Which religion? Well, that won't be clear for some time. They will call it Christian, but it will be based on power just like the military and economic forces it plans to use. It will know Jesus' wishes and will intend to bring them to the entire planet, again by use of force if necessary.
So the Republican Party which emerges after this election will be "conservative" in political philosophy, but like its religion, that meaning will also require explanation on the part of its leaders. It will clearly attempt to take us back to what the new leaders of this movement think our founding fathers were trying to do when they wrote the constitution.
Economically, the new party will insist on the "Gospel according to Adam Smith". It will be raw capitalism - uncontrolled by any government. If the new economy should ever need governmental help, it will tell the government what to do, and when and how much it needs.
There will be no place left for intellectuals, or any form of "progressive republicans". This new Republican Party will be a construct of the 19th and 20th centuries, and will attempt to establish itself as the rightful leader in a world of military power, economic force and God with a cross, and America will be its supreme ruler, world policeman, inquisitor and punisher.
So now the election. If McCain wins, America will be in for a very long and disastrous period. There will almost certainly be a democratic majority in both the house and senate, and they will feel the call of a mandate for change. McCain and Palin will be firmly rooted in the past as the rest of the United States and the rest of the world move into a new era of international relationships.
If Obama wins there will be new challenges, new opportunities and perhaps a very different world will emerge. Sarah Palin apparently sees herself as the "republican winner" if McCain loses the election. But it seems clear that she will pull a large part of the most fanatical republican base out of the party.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Syria
Once again the Cowboy strikes. One more time he slaps down the blackguard who should have known better than to tweak his omnipotent nose. Syria has to feel the consequenches for insulting the Great One, and there is nothing they can do about it! America will strike again into sovereign soil and leave the blood to sink into the barren land. Once again the American president waves his stupidity into the air and shouts "I am the Leader of the Whole Wide World!" Then he retires smugly back his ranch. Well, we'll see. Again.
When will we ever learn? We think we can strike anywhere we want and kill without regard to law. No need to negotiate when we can kill at will and with ease and we think they can't do anything about it. And when they do we are always stunned.
When will we ever learn? We think we can strike anywhere we want and kill without regard to law. No need to negotiate when we can kill at will and with ease and we think they can't do anything about it. And when they do we are always stunned.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Corporate Contract
Like the old Social Contract, in which concept mankind allegedly surrendered some of his individual rights to a local sovereign in return for social order and collective protection, there has existed for the last one hundred years or so in this country a Corporate Contract. This Corporate Contract began with people offering to become company workers who surrender a number of their individual rights to a specific corporation and in return receive prizes of great value. The rights they surrender include the right to work elsewhere or at times they would prefer to work, or to receive a higher rate of pay than the corporation was willing to pay, or agree to be transferred to another part of the country. In return the workers would receive from the corporation a regular paycheck both in regard to amount and regularity of payment, medical care, vacation or time off from work with pay, even sick leave with pay, and ability to negotiate with the company in union with other workers. Most corporations had a provision called "seniority" under which a worker, after working a specified number of years with the corporation, could receive protection against layoffs and transfers, and then after thirty or so years of constant work, they would receive "retirement", a regular paycheck for the rest of their life without ever having to work again. In truth, this "retirement" was supposedly a portion of that worker's weekly paycheck that was withheld and invested in a retirement fund by the corporation, so that the "retirement" pay was actually a portion of the wages already earned buy not yet paid.
And there was more. The workers remained in the country and so did the corporation, and so did the jobs. A great benefit that many workers realized was the thrill of finding employment for their own children at the same company they had worked at for the greater part of their lives. Large numbers of corporations prospered in this environment, and together they, and their workers made the nation stronger. And the nation became a more powerful, capable and respected member of the international community. Also, if war came to the nation, there was ready workforce able to quickly retool into the defense industry.
Now this contract has changed dramatically. It began to change as the civil rights protests and the war against Vietnam also pitted ordinary citizens against their governments. There was a subtle shift that also began to take place in the Corporate Contract fundamentals. The Carter administration was unaware of this shift and the Reagan administration began inserting new provisions into the old Corporate Contract - provisions that began shifting the cost/benefit relationship between corporations and their workers to "agreements" between the corporations and the US government. Today, most new corporate workers receive a temporary job at reduced pay. The health care they receive is whatever they purchse with their own money, so are their retirement provisions and most workers are less concerned they might be transferred to another state than that their company might transfer itself to another country.
Corporations have long enjoyed a special place in America. They have been defined by the US Supreme Court as a "person", with all rights and privileges pertaining to all other people. The only rights denied to them are the rights to marry and vote. They have protection provided by the government, tax relief denied to their own workers, and bankruptcy procedures that allow them to sluff off many of their obligations when they need to, and continue to operate. They still can't vote, but they can "hire" their own representatives, senators and even presidents by providing enormous "contributions" to the candidates of their choice. A corporation can feed money to someone running for representative in another state helping that candidate to win and then provide supporting legislation friendly to that corporation which is in another state. Many corporations use their state charter as a den from which they can roam the United States and the rest of the world as they are able to penetrate -truly citizens of the world, yet beholden only to regulations of the state in which they are chartered, and they compete with each other in a cannibalistic market, cutting expenses as well as services and product. Their workers are used as necessary and older workers and retired workers are shaken off when they become too expensive to the corporation.
Now governmental officials need the money of the corporations more than it needs the votes of the citizens (workers) so the "Corporate Contract" lives on - but as an agreement between the American president, senators and representates, and the corporate world. It reads something like this - "You pass the laws we need, and enforce the ones we want and we will give you the money you need to run for office - if not, we will withdraw our monetary support from you and provide it to someone else who will represent us."
And there was more. The workers remained in the country and so did the corporation, and so did the jobs. A great benefit that many workers realized was the thrill of finding employment for their own children at the same company they had worked at for the greater part of their lives. Large numbers of corporations prospered in this environment, and together they, and their workers made the nation stronger. And the nation became a more powerful, capable and respected member of the international community. Also, if war came to the nation, there was ready workforce able to quickly retool into the defense industry.
Now this contract has changed dramatically. It began to change as the civil rights protests and the war against Vietnam also pitted ordinary citizens against their governments. There was a subtle shift that also began to take place in the Corporate Contract fundamentals. The Carter administration was unaware of this shift and the Reagan administration began inserting new provisions into the old Corporate Contract - provisions that began shifting the cost/benefit relationship between corporations and their workers to "agreements" between the corporations and the US government. Today, most new corporate workers receive a temporary job at reduced pay. The health care they receive is whatever they purchse with their own money, so are their retirement provisions and most workers are less concerned they might be transferred to another state than that their company might transfer itself to another country.
Corporations have long enjoyed a special place in America. They have been defined by the US Supreme Court as a "person", with all rights and privileges pertaining to all other people. The only rights denied to them are the rights to marry and vote. They have protection provided by the government, tax relief denied to their own workers, and bankruptcy procedures that allow them to sluff off many of their obligations when they need to, and continue to operate. They still can't vote, but they can "hire" their own representatives, senators and even presidents by providing enormous "contributions" to the candidates of their choice. A corporation can feed money to someone running for representative in another state helping that candidate to win and then provide supporting legislation friendly to that corporation which is in another state. Many corporations use their state charter as a den from which they can roam the United States and the rest of the world as they are able to penetrate -truly citizens of the world, yet beholden only to regulations of the state in which they are chartered, and they compete with each other in a cannibalistic market, cutting expenses as well as services and product. Their workers are used as necessary and older workers and retired workers are shaken off when they become too expensive to the corporation.
Now governmental officials need the money of the corporations more than it needs the votes of the citizens (workers) so the "Corporate Contract" lives on - but as an agreement between the American president, senators and representates, and the corporate world. It reads something like this - "You pass the laws we need, and enforce the ones we want and we will give you the money you need to run for office - if not, we will withdraw our monetary support from you and provide it to someone else who will represent us."
Thursday, October 09, 2008
End of an era.
It is obvious that a great era is ending. The capitalistic market has become a great spectre arriving just just a little early for Halloween. As it dies worldwide though, it is still sucking vast amounts of money from the people of many nations into hidden pools of unmeasurable wealth. The term "deregulation" has become a synonym for "gotcha", and now the survivors are having to figure out how to "bell the great cat".
The very concept of a free enterprise system requires a free market. Without a free market, there can be no free enterprise. No market can possibly be free if it is dominated by a single organization or a small number of very large organizations. No free market can exist in any economic system unless there is adequate governmental regulation and enforcement to protect it and keep more powerful companies from seizing that market and reshaping it for their own purposes. A free market is not a market that is free FROM governmental regulation but a market which is free BECAUSE it is strongly regulated by the government. It makes no essential difference whether a market is dominated by a communistic, dictatorship, or theological government or by a cartel of capitalistic corporations, in any of those cases the free and competitive market ceases to function and begins to serve its master.
It is not enough to simply pass strong regulatory laws and enforce them rigidly. There must be significant enforcement as well. If a poor man robs a 7-11 store and gets $13, the police will pursue him, and if found and convicted he may serve years in jail. However, if a rich man robs thousands of people of millions of dollars, no police will pursue him, he will not be tried for anything, and the worst that will possibly happen to him is that he will have to spend the rest of his life in luxury.
The very concept of a free enterprise system requires a free market. Without a free market, there can be no free enterprise. No market can possibly be free if it is dominated by a single organization or a small number of very large organizations. No free market can exist in any economic system unless there is adequate governmental regulation and enforcement to protect it and keep more powerful companies from seizing that market and reshaping it for their own purposes. A free market is not a market that is free FROM governmental regulation but a market which is free BECAUSE it is strongly regulated by the government. It makes no essential difference whether a market is dominated by a communistic, dictatorship, or theological government or by a cartel of capitalistic corporations, in any of those cases the free and competitive market ceases to function and begins to serve its master.
It is not enough to simply pass strong regulatory laws and enforce them rigidly. There must be significant enforcement as well. If a poor man robs a 7-11 store and gets $13, the police will pursue him, and if found and convicted he may serve years in jail. However, if a rich man robs thousands of people of millions of dollars, no police will pursue him, he will not be tried for anything, and the worst that will possibly happen to him is that he will have to spend the rest of his life in luxury.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
A New World
The next president of the United States will confront a very different world from the one George Bush used to vacation in eight years ago. The new congress will be heavily democratic, our international allies will be very suspicious of us and the rest of the world will watch every move we make with grave interest. Meanwhile, the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression will be rearranging the foundations of the world’s economies.
Our new president will have to help build a new world. Many of the old traditions can be salvaged, modified and used in different ways. Many new traditions will have to be created though, working with a heavily democratic congress and nations in Europe in Asia and the Middle East. This work will require leadership from people who possess skills in organizing and communication, and who have experience in reaching across many different aisles and oceans.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden seem to possess these understandings and experiences. On the other hand, John McCain would bring his belief that war actually works, an admitted ignorance of economic matters, and a trust in the ability of markets - like finance, healthcare, armament, energy, education and all the others, to regulate themselves. And if he dies or is assassinated, the former mayor of Wasila, Alaska, will have to work with the democrats in congress and our allies abroad, and those other people too, in a world that never existed until now.
Our new president will have to help build a new world. Many of the old traditions can be salvaged, modified and used in different ways. Many new traditions will have to be created though, working with a heavily democratic congress and nations in Europe in Asia and the Middle East. This work will require leadership from people who possess skills in organizing and communication, and who have experience in reaching across many different aisles and oceans.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden seem to possess these understandings and experiences. On the other hand, John McCain would bring his belief that war actually works, an admitted ignorance of economic matters, and a trust in the ability of markets - like finance, healthcare, armament, energy, education and all the others, to regulate themselves. And if he dies or is assassinated, the former mayor of Wasila, Alaska, will have to work with the democrats in congress and our allies abroad, and those other people too, in a world that never existed until now.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Trickle Down Peters Out
The great idea behind the old “Trickle Down” theory was its prediction that if the people and government of the United States took care of the large corporations, those corporations would, after they had taken care of their own needs, take care of their workers and then all the rest of the people of America. There would be no need for a “new deal” of any “cards,” instead the great national economic “pie” would be increased so large that everybody would eat cake all the time.
But the Reagan, Gingrich, Bush-Bush bit has tested that theory very thoroughly from the 1970s to the beginning of 2000. We found the pay of CEOs rose during this great Trickle Down Development Period from about 45 times that of the average worker to 300 to 400 times, even now passing through 600 times, that of the average worker. The “average workers” meanwhile, found out that what was really trickling down was their standard of living. They found that even two “average” incomes were not able to keep up with increasing costs as they experienced increasing personal debt, decreasing personal savings, and an income that by 2002, when adjusted for inflation, had actually fallen since the 1970s! (More Trickle Down!)
The great CEO’s of the great corporations increased their profits by laying off workers. Some of the more successful ones absorbed (“merged with”) some of the smaller corporations, thus “greatly improving service to customers” and laying off thousands of workers. Some corporations declared bankruptcy, then “reorganized” (discarding their previous obligations to former workers in the form of retirement benefits and medical payments). Other great CEOs of the great corporations blew their bottom line beyond the realms of glory when they out-sourced the jobs of their American workers to Mexico, then to South Korea, then to Philippines and onward to China. The “pie” became as large as the moon, and just as inaccessible to American workers who saw themselves falling out of the middle class as their retirement benefits vanished, their medical care was converted to an insurance game, and their pay dwindled in indirect proportion to the new hours of work then began to encounter.
So if anyone ever tries to tell you again, like John McCain did in 2008 for example, about how great the “Trickle Down” theory is, you could just tell them that after thorough testing it has been found to be an exact copy of what the military used to call the old “Slide Down Hill” theory, or without having to explain all those ramifications, you might just say that Trickle Down has Petered Out.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
VP Debate, 2008
My first impression from the Biden-Palin debate was that the media has failed us again. I have always liked and respected Gwen Ifill, and considered her to be a good interviewer. But she dropped the ball again and again tonight. I wound up feeling that any member of the audience could have been chosen as the debate began and would have done as well as Gwen Ifill did.
Palin acknowledged that she can’t answer the questions AND she was saying that it just doesn’t matter. Her "opponent" was the only participant in the “debate”, trying to answer sometimes difficult and meaningful questions while she gave her stump speech, leaped into her memorized talking points and used numerous clichés and innuendo. The moderator did not try to hold Palin accountable for these practices. Palin twice referred to General McKiernan as General “McClelland”, and that was not picked up on by Ifill either, nor by Biden for that matter.
Palin falls back on her energy “expertise” ~ why no questions about that? what is her background on “energy”? what is her education, engineering qualifications, experience in distribution, pricing, dealing with pollution, etc.? No questions, just a general acknowledgment that Palin truly IS an expert on energy.
Palin Played the “sex card”. Winking, flirting. I personally found that insulting. It also led me to wonder how touched other people, like King Faisal, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Hu Jintao, Kim Jong-il, or Mugabe, among others, might be affected by such hustling behavior. Or maybe she would just reserve those irresistible flashes for Pelosi or Biden or maybe the CEOs of Exxon-Mobile, Shell, BP and other easily swayed people like those.
She referred to expanded powers for the VP, especially legislative powers! Wow. How will that play in truly conservative circles? And why didn’t Ifill pick up on that and ask her to elaborate?
Palin probably played well to her conservative base, but her unfortunate references to comments by Reagan (Morning in America, Shining city on a hill, etc.) only served to remind us how far she falls short of even that pathetic figure.
And as far as Biden goes, I got the feeling that Biden is there and always WILL be there. Regardless of what might happen, Joe Biden seems to be a steady performer and a person with a lot of contacts on both sides of the congressional aisle and beyond our shores. He looked very reassuring to me and I felt better about him after the debate than I ever had before.
John Womack.
Palin acknowledged that she can’t answer the questions AND she was saying that it just doesn’t matter. Her "opponent" was the only participant in the “debate”, trying to answer sometimes difficult and meaningful questions while she gave her stump speech, leaped into her memorized talking points and used numerous clichés and innuendo. The moderator did not try to hold Palin accountable for these practices. Palin twice referred to General McKiernan as General “McClelland”, and that was not picked up on by Ifill either, nor by Biden for that matter.
Palin falls back on her energy “expertise” ~ why no questions about that? what is her background on “energy”? what is her education, engineering qualifications, experience in distribution, pricing, dealing with pollution, etc.? No questions, just a general acknowledgment that Palin truly IS an expert on energy.
Palin Played the “sex card”. Winking, flirting. I personally found that insulting. It also led me to wonder how touched other people, like King Faisal, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Hu Jintao, Kim Jong-il, or Mugabe, among others, might be affected by such hustling behavior. Or maybe she would just reserve those irresistible flashes for Pelosi or Biden or maybe the CEOs of Exxon-Mobile, Shell, BP and other easily swayed people like those.
She referred to expanded powers for the VP, especially legislative powers! Wow. How will that play in truly conservative circles? And why didn’t Ifill pick up on that and ask her to elaborate?
Palin probably played well to her conservative base, but her unfortunate references to comments by Reagan (Morning in America, Shining city on a hill, etc.) only served to remind us how far she falls short of even that pathetic figure.
And as far as Biden goes, I got the feeling that Biden is there and always WILL be there. Regardless of what might happen, Joe Biden seems to be a steady performer and a person with a lot of contacts on both sides of the congressional aisle and beyond our shores. He looked very reassuring to me and I felt better about him after the debate than I ever had before.
John Womack.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Fey/Palin
The debate tomorrow night between Biden and Palin have already been skewed. This by Tina Fey's parodies of Palin's performances. People who never could have possibly seen Palin on the news responding to questions by reporters, although few in number, have certainly seen Fey's parodies on late night shows. So that is how many people know Palin - as an intentionally daffy, poorly informed and absolutely clueless mayor of a town of 4,500 people out on the far extreme end of America.
Tomorrow night when she speaks and performs as a normal human being - although still not by any rational means qualified to run for the position of vice-president of the United States - she will almost certainly look human, professional, knowledgeable and compassionate which will leave people in the country amazed.
As a result of Fey's amazing performances and Palin's debate, Palin will wind up looking amazingly good to the
American people even though she will not have earned the rating which will have been given to her by Tina Fey.
Tomorrow night when she speaks and performs as a normal human being - although still not by any rational means qualified to run for the position of vice-president of the United States - she will almost certainly look human, professional, knowledgeable and compassionate which will leave people in the country amazed.
As a result of Fey's amazing performances and Palin's debate, Palin will wind up looking amazingly good to the
American people even though she will not have earned the rating which will have been given to her by Tina Fey.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Darshan on Candidates
Listed alphabetically:
Biden: River pilot. Reads the currents. He comes along for the long haul, nothing quick, slow and steady, always ahead of where the ship is - no real destination, just navigating the current current. Master of digression; loves the slow, easy whirlpools. Keeps things ship-shape and upright.
McCain. Monk. Hidden. Withdrawn. Underground. Roots traveling deeply and slowly underground. Concentrating on old sounds. Distracted by current happenings. Vibrating to stillness - ready to lurch and attack. Swatter. Stomper. Clencher. Mad.
Obama: Child of the school. Educated man. Friend of people. Strangely clear vision - sees around corners - lives outside the box but comes back inside for friendship. Smiles sweetly as he talks, but keeps thinking and looking at "places" that don't yet exist.
Palin: Killer. Quick. Thrives in confusion. Loves chaos, especially her homegrown versions. While others try to think and understand, she strikes. Creature of great power. power based on speed and quickness and insight during distress. Knowledge? Important only if it can lead to confusion. Alarm bell ringer. Screamer. Face biter.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Biden: River pilot. Reads the currents. He comes along for the long haul, nothing quick, slow and steady, always ahead of where the ship is - no real destination, just navigating the current current. Master of digression; loves the slow, easy whirlpools. Keeps things ship-shape and upright.
McCain. Monk. Hidden. Withdrawn. Underground. Roots traveling deeply and slowly underground. Concentrating on old sounds. Distracted by current happenings. Vibrating to stillness - ready to lurch and attack. Swatter. Stomper. Clencher. Mad.
Obama: Child of the school. Educated man. Friend of people. Strangely clear vision - sees around corners - lives outside the box but comes back inside for friendship. Smiles sweetly as he talks, but keeps thinking and looking at "places" that don't yet exist.
Palin: Killer. Quick. Thrives in confusion. Loves chaos, especially her homegrown versions. While others try to think and understand, she strikes. Creature of great power. power based on speed and quickness and insight during distress. Knowledge? Important only if it can lead to confusion. Alarm bell ringer. Screamer. Face biter.
© John Womack, 2008. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fiorina the CEO Goes Down Again
Carly stepped on her - well, toe I guess. Poor gal; she’s clearly missing something or other. We know it can't be her brain, she’s smart, never any question about that, maybe her latest observation only goes to prove she's too smart for her own good. Of course I’m talking about her comment today that Palin is not qualified to be CEO of a big corporation.
OK, no problem - so far. Most people would agree with Carly Fiorina at this point. Seems a reasonable comment. Sarah Palin would probably shoot and field-dress half of her staff on their first meeting, and most people would probably agree with that too. Only problem is that Fiorini was considered a likely vice-presidential candidate to run with John McCain before he picked Palin. So, most people smiled, attributed it to sour grapes, yawned and turned the page.
But then. Fiorini “clarified” her comment. To show she bore no ill will against Palin, since they are in the same political party, she added that John McCain was not qualified to be a CEO of a big corporation either. She then added that Barrack Obama and Joe Biden couldn’t run a big corporation either. Of course, Carly Fiorina’s last job (before she was fired) was the CEO of Hewlett Packard.
Theoretically, there should be little difference between being CEO of any large corporation, a state, a church or a nation. All these people, after all, are Chief Executive Officers. They all are presiding officers who have staffs - accountants, finance people, lawyers, administrators, advertisers, and operational personnel who each have leaders who meet regularly with the CEO to provide advice, ask questions, give and receive briefings. This is the old (and now discredited) “McNamara Doctrine”. McNamara’s error was in not understanding that the Operational People have to be the ones who provide the critical guidance. It DOES make a difference whether it is the Ford Motor Company, the Catholic Church or the DOD.
But where McNamara, Fiorina, and all the others who contribute to this mess are on shaky ground is that they seem to be making the assumption that the CEO actually does run the organization. Most organizations I have seen, governmental or commercial, choose a “CEO” as someone who can "appear" to lead the organization. The CEO may even believe that he or she is really “the decider”, but that is only because they have been told that they are. Actually, the strings of power are pulled by people who are not “presidential” enough for public scrutiny - no one would ever vote for or select a person like that (Rove, e.g.). As long as the CEO does what he or she is "supposed" to do, they are kept in power, preened and paraded. If they won’t play their role they get booted. They can be fired, even killed, or simply left to rot in office as the action moves on.
OK, no problem - so far. Most people would agree with Carly Fiorina at this point. Seems a reasonable comment. Sarah Palin would probably shoot and field-dress half of her staff on their first meeting, and most people would probably agree with that too. Only problem is that Fiorini was considered a likely vice-presidential candidate to run with John McCain before he picked Palin. So, most people smiled, attributed it to sour grapes, yawned and turned the page.
But then. Fiorini “clarified” her comment. To show she bore no ill will against Palin, since they are in the same political party, she added that John McCain was not qualified to be a CEO of a big corporation either. She then added that Barrack Obama and Joe Biden couldn’t run a big corporation either. Of course, Carly Fiorina’s last job (before she was fired) was the CEO of Hewlett Packard.
Theoretically, there should be little difference between being CEO of any large corporation, a state, a church or a nation. All these people, after all, are Chief Executive Officers. They all are presiding officers who have staffs - accountants, finance people, lawyers, administrators, advertisers, and operational personnel who each have leaders who meet regularly with the CEO to provide advice, ask questions, give and receive briefings. This is the old (and now discredited) “McNamara Doctrine”. McNamara’s error was in not understanding that the Operational People have to be the ones who provide the critical guidance. It DOES make a difference whether it is the Ford Motor Company, the Catholic Church or the DOD.
But where McNamara, Fiorina, and all the others who contribute to this mess are on shaky ground is that they seem to be making the assumption that the CEO actually does run the organization. Most organizations I have seen, governmental or commercial, choose a “CEO” as someone who can "appear" to lead the organization. The CEO may even believe that he or she is really “the decider”, but that is only because they have been told that they are. Actually, the strings of power are pulled by people who are not “presidential” enough for public scrutiny - no one would ever vote for or select a person like that (Rove, e.g.). As long as the CEO does what he or she is "supposed" to do, they are kept in power, preened and paraded. If they won’t play their role they get booted. They can be fired, even killed, or simply left to rot in office as the action moves on.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Silence on 9-11?
Well, why not? That's what we got from our government on 9/11/01. All except from Rudy. Poor guy, but it was his day. This year it falls on an election year, so not too much silence. In an election year silence is not golden, talk is. That's why I think George Bush should read to the nation every year on 9/11 the story of "The Pet Goat".
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