2011-10-31

rot IMMIGRANTS - abUSed: The Postville Raid at Eckerd 11/10@5PM + LATEST ALABAMA APOPLEXY

First, watch the sublimely clueless Senator Beason as he talks 'sense' to a few of his constituents. Poor Alabam! This guy makes most of the Repubs running for Prez look like AlbertfuckinEinstein! Wouldn't you like to be having this heart-to-heart with your Rep?
 
 
It would take a major mindwash of the Senator to get him to see that a gram of compassion might go a long way here. I mean, Senator, if you saw these underpaid, massively taken advantage of, stoop-labor quasi-slaves as humans, why you-all might see things a whole different way. Instead of exploiting and hounding them, try a little tenderness instead. Stow your racist gear in the closet for a month. I can almost guarantee, you'll never go back to your Brand X social skills when you find to your amazemeent what a little caring and consideration brings.. You might even kick yourself for beating up on these gentle souls (and they are, unless you dangle billions of $$ of drug money at them) all these decades, especially since NAFTA began to work its insideous hollowing out of their family farms.
 
 
In another clip, AL State Senator Scott Beason tells it like it is (3-minute clip, and it ain't pretty). What's really on display here is an alternative universe where up is down and black (and brown) is white. It's too bad all those out-of-state troublemakers are hollering "racism at the drop of the N-word. The Senator's certainty is reassuring, 'cause if he insulted those black folk and meant it, why, then, he'd be in real trouble. Imagine someone insulting your Mom, then, when confronted with clear evidence of their misogynist calumny, retorts, "It's just as well. Now we can more easily discuss roles in the family unit." You gotta love that pretzel logic (it hurts just to imagine the intellectual contortions required to square that circle - OUCH!).
 
Also, you'll be happy to learn, "Empty the clip" does not in any way imply violence toward other human beings. Well, that's a relief!. Turns out, it's just another way of saying, "Leave no stone unturned." (do a thorough job of rooting out those damned illegals, then shoot 'em if they give you any trouble).
 
Even casual observers may find it not out of line to ask why the Senator didn't choose one of the many less inflammatory idioms in the language?
 
And your Federal government is doing its darnedest to bang the nativist/racist gong.
A new documentary covers a 2008 watershed raid:
 
You may see the film at Eckerd College in Gulfport at 5PM on November 10th.
Hear Rob (WMNF) interview the director and handle call-ins here.
 
rot IMMIGRANTS - POSTVILLE RAID - 300 'FELONIZED,' FAMILIES TORN USUNDER AND A TOWN DESTROYED - Wiki
 
rot IMMIGRANTS - POSTVILLE RAID - FILM - 'abUSed-The Postville Raid'  TRAILER & VIDEO CLIPS ##  youtube  2011
 
rot IMMIGRANTS - POSTVILLE RAID - FILM - 'abUSed - The Postville Raid'  TRAILER & BLOG  filmsite  2011
 
also
 
rot IMMIGRANTS - 400,000 LOST TO PROFIT-DRIVEN & INHUMANE 'SECURE COMMUNITIES' 'Lost in Detention' #1.30..00  frontline-pbs  10-18-11
 
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-30

Re: net CENSORSHIP - the PROTECT IP ACT = THE END OF THE INTERNET #3.52 + RED-LIGHT SCAMERAS Part 2 brasschecktv 10-30-11

Nigel -
 
I believe we [our ACLU group] should focus on
extending the yellow light times [sighting the
backing of the American Motorists Assoc] as
well as our civil rights agenda. I think that may
appeal to a larger part of our communities -
as a reasonable safety issue? I am personally
scared at times whether I should slam on my
brakes [and possibly get rear ended] or maybe
get ticketed - on main thoroughfares.
 
Glenn Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: Nigel
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 8:56 AM
Subject: net CENSORSHIP - the PROTECT IP ACT = THE END OF THE INTERNET #3.52 + RED-LIGHT SCAMERAS Part 2 brasschecktv 10-30-11

 
Nice timing.
 
St Pete's Red-Light Scameras go from 'warning' to 'ticket' status today, accompanied by the usual counter-factual barrage of local media lies:
  • Helps lower fatalities at intersections (if we'd gone with roundabouts and jug-handles to begin with, we wouldn't have had to invent the term, T-Bone - regardless, the truth is that RLCs increase the number of accidents - mostly rear-end);
  • Cheapest way to solve the problem (really? cheaper than, say, adding another 1-2 second delay between the red in one direction and green in the other - a 1-minute adjustment on a computer - really?)
  • It's not about replacing lost city revenue (really really? pray tell, then, why the scameras are located at the most profitable locations and not those with the highest accident rates? And why are there persistent rumours of locational 'quotas'? And for how long will the SPPD 'analyze' these infractions before turning such tasks over to private firms not bound by such minor strictures as The Bill of bloody Rights (not to mention their prime directive of increasing the shareholders yield)?
Governments learn much from the world of 'bid'ness.' Among other things, never allow the facts to get in the way of a new income-stream.
 
con RED LIGHT SCAMERAS - THE CATCH-22  atlantic  11-00-11
 
The above items are seen by some, including Yours Truly, as just the latest in a series of measures with but two purposes: to hem us in and pick our pockets.
 
The Protect IP Act (protect Hollywood profits) places all websites at risk of being, literally, 'rubbed out' from the Internet; sans due process, I might add. The made men among my readers are silently nodding in assent at my choice of term. No hit man could do a better job at silencing a 'rat' than this thug of a statute. To paraphrase Uncle Joe (Stalin), "No site, no problem." 
 
If your site doesn't fetch up in a Google search, few will miss it, fewer still will know - or go to the trouble of digging out - your IP address. Anything that is rendered 'unhandy' on the WWW may as well fold its tents and call it a day. Instantcy is everything on the Net. Think how you drum your fingers, watching that little revolving wheel as a pokey site launches in 6-7-8-9 (What is the problem! I'm late for work!) seconds instead of right! now!. Your government (ever alert to 'protect' you from any and all harm, real or ginned-up) is well aware of this.
 
Given the increasing pace of events such as the ones above, and barring any major upsets (crises), as well as the slight difference made by the resident at 1600 Pennsylvania come 2013, we have, perhaps, another 3 to 5 years before this nation will become unbearable for anyone used to operating, and flourishing, in a free society.
 
Unfortunately, the more effective - and popular - such push-back operatons as OccupyWallStreet become, the speedier will be our exit from a democratic republic and the sooner we can begin to bring down this steaming pile of kleptocratic shit known as the Industrial Age.
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti




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2011-10-29

net CENSORSHIP - the PROTECT IP ACT = THE END OF THE INTERNET #3.52 + RED-LIGHT SCAMERAS Part 2 brasschecktv 10-30-11

 
Nice timing.
 
St Pete's Red-Light Scameras go from 'warning' to 'ticket' status today, accompanied by the usual counter-factual barrage of local media lies:
  • Helps lower fatalities at intersections (if we'd gone with roundabouts and jug-handles to begin with, we wouldn't have had to invent the term, T-Bone - regardless, the truth is that RLCs increase the number of accidents - mostly rear-end);
  • Cheapest way to solve the problem (really? cheaper than, say, adding another 1-2 second delay between the red in one direction and green in the other - a 1-minute adjustment on a computer - really?)
  • It's not about replacing lost city revenue (really really? pray tell, then, why the scameras are located at the most profitable locations and not those with the highest accident rates? And why are there persistent rumours of locational 'quotas'? And for how long will the SPPD 'analyze' these infractions before turning such tasks over to private firms not bound by such minor strictures as The Bill of bloody Rights (not to mention their prime directive of increasing the shareholders yield)?
Governments learn much from the world of 'bid'ness.' Among other things, never allow the facts to get in the way of a new income-stream.
 
con RED LIGHT SCAMERAS - THE CATCH-22  atlantic  11-00-11
 
The above items are seen by some, including Yours Truly, as just the latest in a series of measures with but two purposes: to hem us in and pick our pockets.
 
The Protect IP Act (protect Hollywood profits) places all websites at risk of being, literally, 'rubbed out' from the Internet; sans due process, I might add. The made men among my readers are silently nodding in assent at my choice of term. No hit man could do a better job at silencing a 'rat' than this thug of a statute. To paraphrase Uncle Joe (Stalin), "No site, no problem." 
 
If your site doesn't fetch up in a Google search, few will miss it, fewer still will know - or go to the trouble of digging out - your IP address. Anything that is rendered 'unhandy' on the WWW may as well fold its tents and call it a day. Instantcy is everything on the Net. Think how you drum your fingers, watching that little revolving wheel as a pokey site launches in 6-7-8-9 (What is the problem! I'm late for work!) seconds instead of right! now!. Your government (ever alert to 'protect' you from any and all harm, real or ginned-up) is well aware of this.
 
Given the increasing pace of events such as the ones above, and barring any major upsets (crises), as well as the slight difference made by the resident at 1600 Pennsylvania come 2013, we have, perhaps, another 3 to 5 years before this nation will become unbearable for anyone used to operating, and flourishing, in a free society.
 
Unfortunately, the more effective - and popular - such push-back operatons as OccupyWallStreet become, the speedier will be our exit from a democratic republic and the sooner we can begin to bring down this steaming pile of kleptocratic shit known as the Industrial Age.
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-27

cop CANADIAN BORDER - DHS's NEWEST 'SECURITY ZONE' (TO FENCE US IN) scoop.co.nz 10-03-11

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1110/S00049/why-the-new-security-zone-along-the-canadian-border.htm
Meanwhile, (way) South of the border, stupid reigns supreme...
 
 
And this is one c-u-t-e way to learn about our onrushing, 24/7 Surveillance State
 
cop FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNO ADVANCES w animation (tres cute) & Li Anne (tres chaud!) #2.00  youtube  10-00-11
 
And these just in...
 
cop HIGHWAY CHECKPOINTS - TN PIONEERS 'NO PROBABLE CAUSE' STOPS #2.38  newsfromunderground  10-16-11
 
cop CASH A NO-NO FOR USED ITEM SALES IN LOUISIANA ('cept pawnshops)  naturalnews  10-16-11
 
cop RADAR SEES THROUGH 8-INCH BLOCK WALL (from MIT)  gizmag  10-20-11
 
 
getting the picture?

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-24

Re: fit-vim GMO - MONSANTO's DIRTY TRICKS POISON THE FOODS THAT ARE KILLING YOU naturalnews 10-04-11

Reminder FYI, Monsanto played a huge role in Fox News's evolution <http://tinyurl.com/2895z7t>

On Oct 24, 2011, at 11:25 AM, Nigel wrote:

fit-vim GMO MONSANTO's DIRTY ROUNDUP TRICKS SECRETLY POISON THE PLANET - Jeffrey M Smith  naturalnews  10-04-11
 
This is one wicked outfit. It also appears to be a case of child abuse; perhaps going back 3 or 4 generations. Monsanto takes no prisoners and neither did Pop..
----------------------------
Now that Dr. Smith has told you how GMO foods are killing you, here's a list of foods and food additives that deliver the Round-Up Ready toxins, that make you sick, which makes Big Sick (AMA/Insurers/Pharma) ecstatic. Circular system benefits everyone - 'cept you-all (I know it's just too evil to be true, but it is).
 
Remove grains, sugar and processed food from your diet. I started on this informal program (China Study) in the Spring. Besides dropping 18 pounds, to 170, I have more energy and had a great blood labs in August (LDL 145 HDL 58 Serum 210 - low for me plus I quit statin last November). My diet these days consists of nuts, smoothies (mostly fruit, a few greens) and beans. I snack on celery sticks and beans shoots, and the like. Every now and then I get the urge to moo, but I ignore it. I have the occasional slice of pizza and an occasional candy bar. I'm done with cow's milk; now trying almond milk in my coffee. I no longer eat breakfast cereal (grains and sugar). It's all addictive habit, drummed into us by the money machine. I say, screw them! Let 'em go victimize someone else (just not you, gentle readers).
 
fit-vim GMO LIST OF FOODS TO AVOID - DO NOT EAT THIS SHIT- IT'S MAKING YOU SICK!  naturalnews  10-05-11
like the man says, print this list out and take it with - start checking those labels (it was easier for me to just stop buying processed).
 
And I just know all of you have kicked the Coke habit (and all those other carcinogenic artificial sweeteners). Lucky I never got on that drug.
 
Remember, if you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't be ingesting it.
In case you missed this the last time I sent it out, watch it now. Please. It makes all of the above crystal-clear.
 
fit-vim GMO  `No-To-GMOs Movement - Jeffrey Smith lecture #1.24.53=9  eatdrinkbetter #7  04-12-11
 
 
Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu
 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


fit-vim GMO - MONSANTO's DIRTY TRICKS POISON THE FOODS THAT ARE KILLING YOU naturalnews 10-04-11

fit-vim GMO MONSANTO's DIRTY ROUNDUP TRICKS SECRETLY POISON THE PLANET - Jeffrey M Smith  naturalnews  10-04-11
 
This is one wicked outfit. It also appears to be a case of child abuse; perhaps going back 3 or 4 generations. Monsanto takes no prisoners and neither did Pop..
----------------------------
Now that Dr. Smith has told you how GMO foods are killing you, here's a list of foods and food additives that deliver the Round-Up Ready toxins, that make you sick, which makes Big Sick (AMA/Insurers/Pharma) ecstatic. Circular system benefits everyone - 'cept you-all (I know it's just too evil to be true, but it is).
 
Remove grains, sugar and processed food from your diet. I started on this informal program (China Study) in the Spring. Besides dropping 18 pounds, to 170, I have more energy and had a great blood labs in August (LDL 145 HDL 58 Serum 210 - low for me plus I quit statin last November). My diet these days consists of nuts, smoothies (mostly fruit, a few greens) and beans. I snack on celery sticks and beans shoots, and the like. Every now and then I get the urge to moo, but I ignore it. I have the occasional slice of pizza and an occasional candy bar. I'm done with cow's milk; now trying almond milk in my coffee. I no longer eat breakfast cereal (grains and sugar). It's all addictive habit, drummed into us by the money machine. I say, screw them! Let 'em go victimize someone else (just not you, gentle readers).
 
fit-vim GMO LIST OF FOODS TO AVOID - DO NOT EAT THIS SHIT- IT'S MAKING YOU SICK!  naturalnews  10-05-11
like the man says, print this list out and take it with - start checking those labels (it was easier for me to just stop buying processed).
 
And I just know all of you have kicked the Coke habit (and all those other carcinogenic artificial sweeteners). Lucky I never got on that drug.
 
Remember, if you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't be ingesting it.
In case you missed this the last time I sent it out, watch it now. Please. It makes all of the above crystal-clear.
 
fit-vim GMO  `No-To-GMOs Movement - Jeffrey Smith lecture #1.24.53=9  eatdrinkbetter #7  04-12-11
 
 
Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-22

rev OCCUPY WALL STREET 101 - A PRIMER -Ezra Klein wonkblog-wapo 10-03-11

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/occupy-wall-street-a-primer/2011/08/25/gIQAbX7oHL_blog.html
rev OCCUPY WALL STREET - HOW I WAS ARRESTED - Naomi Wolf  guardian.co.uk  10-19-11
 
rev OCCUPY WALL STREET - Chris Hedges' impromptu sidewalk talk  part 2 #14.58  newsfromunderground  10-20-11
 
Choice Andy Borowitz - one of his best - sharp as it comes!
 
A Letter from Goldman Sachs Concerning Occupy Wall Street

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)– The following is a letter released today by Lloyd Blankfein, the chairman of banking giant Goldman Sachs:
 
Dear Investor:
 
Up until now, Goldman Sachs has been silent on the subject of the protest movement known as Occupy Wall Street.  That does not mean, however, that it has not been very much on our minds.  As thousands have gathered in Lower Manhattan, passionately expressing their deep discontent with the status quo, we have taken note of these protests.  And we have asked ourselves this question:
 
How can we make money off them?
 
The answer is the newly launched Goldman Sachs Global Rage Fund, whose investment objective is to monetize the Occupy Wall Street protests as they spread around the world.  At Goldman, we recognize that the capitalist system as we know it is circling the drain – but there's plenty of money to be made on the way down.
 
The Rage Fund will seek out opportunities to invest in products that are poised to benefit from the spreading protests, from police batons and barricades to stun guns and forehead bandages.  Furthermore, as clashes between police and protesters turn ever more violent, we are making significant bets on companies that manufacture replacements for broken windows and overturned cars, as well as the raw materials necessary for the construction and incineration of effigies.
 
It would be tempting, at a time like this, to say "Let them eat cake."  But at Goldman, we are actively seeking to corner the market in cake futures.  We project that through our aggressive market manipulation, the price of a piece of cake will quadruple by the end of 2011.
 
Please contact your Goldman representative for a full prospectus.  As the world descends into a Darwinian free-for-all, the Goldman Sachs Rage Fund is a great way to tell the protesters, "Occupy this."  We haven't felt so good about something we've sold since our souls.
 
Sincerely,
Lloyd Blankfein
Chairman, Goldman Sachs
 
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-21

rot THE AMERICAN EMPIRE - Michael Burry, Andy Kroll & Tom Englehardt weigh in

Today's post is an update on the ill-health of the American Empire. Suffice it to say, the arrows all point in one direction - the wrong one.
 
Thanx to patrick.net for this superb piece (speech excerpts) as well as the Vanity Fair item further down.
dip PREDICTED CRASH YEARS IN ADVANCE OF '08 - SAYS MUCH WORSE TO COME  Missteps to Mayhem - Michael Burry  vanderbilt.edu  04-05-11
 
This piece is life-changing, or can be if you take action. I knew parts of this, just not in one razor-sharp, well-informed package, and never with such clarity for the rank chaos that is yet to come.
 
Dr. Burry's words, for those comprehending the urgent personal warning herein, provide you time to make serious plans for your future; especially whether or not to get off this fatally-blindered horse before it drops dead in its tracks.
 
Sorry, just calling it as I sees it.
 
If you are under 40, you need to ask yourself if you really want to pay the price (bear the burden) for the folly and greed of your leaders (and your, in-denial, parent's generation) for - literally - the rest of your days on this planet.
 
Make no mistake. You can run, but you can't hide. The end of this trail will bring enough misery to go round the planet, but America will be in the bulls-eye of this vortex to end all vortices.
 
 
"Burry was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome as an adult, which he credits with helping give him a unique perspective on the economy and financial markets" (sidebar mini-bio).
 
----------------------------------------
 
From our economic viral metastasis, we go now to the big picture. Our guide is the always trenchant, Andy Kroll. Andy paints a dismal picture of the past 10 years' rampant avarice in league with a slew of retrogressive governmental policy changes from which, by all accounts, our misleaders and elites purposely wish to learn nothing. That, or things have gone exactly as planned, so shovel more coal in the boiler, Cap'n.
 
Either way, it means the same ol', same ol' in the 20-Teens.
 
rot EMPIRE's END  America's Lost Decade - Andy Kroll  tomdispatch  10-06-11
 
----------------------------------------
 
Finally, finish your update on just where we are in our fall from grace by making sure you read this as soon as it's available. I know I will.             (read the review)
 
read EMPIRE'S END  The United States of Fear - Tom Engelhardt  haymarketbooks  2011
 
----------------------------------------

And finally (for real this time), for those who want a preview of precisely where the threat to your current (more of less) pleasant life will emanate, this lengthy article will do just that. Long before any state, or the nation, goes belly-up, we will witness our cities and towns (and counties) hollow out until - as in Vallejo, California - their dried up husks simply blow away.
 
Save this one for later, if you must, but make a point to read it soon. Knowing the most likely source of future societal distress in your life provides life-saving time for you to plan how to deal with it.
 
California is merely emblematic of the dire economic situation in about 3/4 of the states. It has also been the most adversely affected by the massive housing fraud conspiracy. As in the good times, CA is leading the way. Many states will follow.
 
A few excerpts:
 
All states may have been created equal, but they were equal no longer. The states that had enjoyed the biggest boom were now facing the biggest busts.

"So what's the scariest state?" I asked her. "California."

... A woman pushing a baby stroller and talking on a cell phone crosses the street right in front of him and does a double take. "Oh . . . my . . . God," she gasps into her phone. "It's Bill Clinton!" She's not 10 feet away, but she keeps talking to the phone, as if the man were unreal. "I'm here with Bill Clinton."

"It's one of those guys who has had a sex scandal," says Arnold, smiling.

 
The relationship between the people and their money in California is such that you can pluck almost any city at random and enter a crisis ...
 
 Legally obliged to meet these costs, the city can respond only by cutting elsewhere. As a result, San Jose, once run by 7,450 city workers, was now being run by 5,400 city workers. The city was back to staffing levels of 1988, when it had a quarter of a million fewer residents.
 
By 2014, Reed had calculated, a city of a million people, the 10th-largest city in the United States, would be serviced by 1,600 public workers. "There is no way to run a city with that level of staffing," he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Vallejo, city of opportunity, reads the sign on the way in, but the shops that remain open display signs that say, we accept food stamps. Weeds surround abandoned businesses, and all traffic lights are set to permanently blink, which is a formality, as there are no longer any cops to police the streets. Vallejo is the one city in the Bay Area where you can park anywhere and not worry about getting a ticket, because there are no meter maids either. The windows of city hall are dark....
 
Back in 2008, unable to come to terms with its many creditors, Vallejo declared bankruptcy. Eighty percent of the city's budget—and the lion's share of the claims that had thrown it into bankruptcy—were wrapped up in the pay and benefits of public-safety workers.
 
What happens when a society loses its ability to self-regulate, and insists on sacrificing its long-term interest for short-term rewards? How does the story end?
 
dip WHAT WILL BRING DOWN AMERICA  California AND Bust - Michael Lewis  vanityfair  11-00-11
 
NjW 456
 
Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti

2011-10-12

ff 9-11 SCANDAL - WILL THE END OF CHILD ABUSE END WAR BY CREATING A HIGHER PSYCHOCLASS wanttoknow.info 12-00-05

ff 9-11 SCANDAL - WILL THE END OF CHILD ABUSE END WAR BY CREATING A HIGHER PSYCHOCLASS  wanttoknow.info  12-00-05
"If what I say is right, the whole US government should end up behind bars."
 
- former German government minister Andreas von Bülow, says
 
This piece makes the case for a strong connection between child abuse and the predeliction of our leaders to go to war, rather than work things out in non-violent ways.
 
While I agree with the author's main premise, I will mention a few other factors that may also play a role in the marked reduction of child abuse over the past  5 decades.
 
For much of that time, Roe v Wade (January, 1973) has been the law of the land. Estimates vary, but millions of unwanted pregnancies have been prevented from becoming equally unwanted children since then. If you're unlucky enough to enter the world to a (most likely single-parent) family who sees you as an impediment to college or career, or just another "mouth to feed," the odds are you'll have a less than rosy view of the world in such an un-nurturing environment. You will spend your life seeking stabilty and security from anyone who promises it to you. Conversely, you may end up promising it to your equally abused followers.
 
It's also true that, during the same approximate period (adding in the 60s), the CIA's ginned-up War on Drugs has resulted in the mass incarceration of a few million black and brown males (to the giddy delight of the prison-industrial cabal). Removing this much testosterone from the poorest mating pool in this society has had, no doubt, as marked an effect on the reduction of unwanted kids as Roe.
 
That said, I agree with author's 2005 take on this trend. Everything I've seen informs me that the curve towards authoritarianism is on a severe downward slope that accelerates more each year. A few harbingers that this is so:
 
Despite all the noise from the Fundy Dominionist Right, polls and census data reveal a marked increase in self-identified "no preference" when it comes to religion. From around 5% in the 80s, to the upper teens today. I've even seen polls that have it over 20%. That's a lot of humans: 60,000,000+. And you only need around 10% to gain momentum (the beehive theory).
 
Recent polls of Senior college students reveal far less judgmentalism - certainty is a "tell" of an authoritarian mindset - regarding minority classes among us. Majorities of the under-30 cohort (Millennials) are adopting a live-and-let-live stance towards gays and lesbians. Abortion, gay marriage and the hounding of immigrants are non-issues to a substantial minority among the same group.
 
Authoritarianism is not just a top-down problem, it is also a bottom-up one. Without legions who agree to render themselves powerless and "submit," authoritarian leaders have no one to lead. In order to have an army, you really need all parties involved to follow orders; to never question authority.
 
Freethinker types and others who "question authority" every chance they get are the last type of people you want on the battlefield. Any commander would rue the day he hears "You want us to do what"? "Are you nuts? That could get us killed"!
 
So, the author really does have a point. Once every single one of us "questions authority," we'll simply be incapable of waging offensive war. Self-defense is always justified.
 
When you have finished digesting the info in this summary, I encourage you to also read a few of the many fine articles in the footnotes.
 
NjW  465

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-11

fun OBSERVATIONS DEPT. from some very clever folks

more gems from Big Bend Larry (I figure he's got them all squirreled away in his bibliothèque)
For all you old farts out there (I, OTOH, being young, handsome and debonaire), here's a blast to your past (and mine - just kidding about the debonaire part). It's not until you kick over the traces of real wit and sly bon mots that the current crop of what passes for "humor" is revealed for the graceless, snarky and smirking stuff so much of it is.
 
These people - most of them departed - knew how to skewer and malign with class. They also knew how to poke fun without leaving a river of hurt feelings in their wake.
 
For my younger readers, read and learn. This is the way to go through life: exit laughing.
 
 
Observations Department
 
Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.'
- Lillian Carter 
 
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'
- Eleanor Roosevelt  
 
Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement.
- Mark Twain
 
The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible
- George Burns
 
Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge
 
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain
 
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
 
I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx
 
My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante
 
I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Gabor
 
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
- Alex Levine
 
My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield
 
Money can't buy you happiness ... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
- Spike Milligan
 
Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP.
- Joe Namath
 
I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope
 
I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..
- W. C. Fields
 
We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. (I wonder what he'd have to say today NjW)
- Will Rogers
 
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
 
By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
- Billy Crystal
 
NjW
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-09

libs CIVIL FORFEITURE LAWS = NO CRIME, NO CHARGES, NO CONVICTION REQUIRED TO STEAL MILLION-DOLLAR PROPERTY #3.34 ij.org 09-00-11

http://www.ij.org/freedomflix
`The Institute for Justice  (LEGAL AID  LIB) is an extreme right-wing outfit, but they come together with the civil libs likes of the ACLU on matters such as the ongoing and outrageous trashing of our 4th & 5th Amendment rights.
 
4th  The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, ... but upon probable cause ....
5th  No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
 
So, there you have it. A clearly unconstitutional law written almost 200 years after, and in stark disregard of, at least, three Constitutional Amendments (as well as the 14th).
 
In light of these diametrically opposed canons, which is the law of the land? And what does it say about this republic if the germane portions of the Bill of Rights do not ultimately prevail? Did the Founders intend to simply repeat the confiscatory policies of Merry Old England, or were the people's bill of rights - a condition of Confederation - meant to guarantee due process before such naked theft took place?
 
I won't go into the abysmal Constitutional scholarship required by a majority of Congress in order to pass such clueless legislation in the first place.
 
Nor is this the place to examine the razor-sharp Constitutional casuistry necessary in order to craft such cynical legislation. It must be noted that, as with almost all unconstitutional law, the edifice is built upon some ginned-up "war" to better protect the people; in this case, The War On Drugs, inflicted on us by the CIA-Bush-organized crime axis since the Late 50s. Even today, this nation would court economic disaster were the "laundered" portion of its GDP (one-half to one trillion $) to disappear.
 
forfeiture includes a nice sum-up of the Alexander and Bennis cases - also limns how screwed up the judiciary has become on this issue - they are confused and divided enough, IMHO, to render useless the civil liberties of anyone remotely entangled in this web of entrapment and contradiction
seizure here again, a round-up of law enforcement's efforts to bend this term to mean greater rewards when seen from their remunerative and self-serving POV
 
The ACLU welcomes help from whatever quarter cares to give it, but just so you don't go all fuzzy and cuddly on these guys, here's their 3-minute vid on how to build a politician.
 
Tea Partiers will love every second of Camp Politics; my reader/viewership, not so much after the 2-minute mark. Hint: Citizens made these folks jump for joy.
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-06

rig YEP, HE STOLE IT FAIR & SQUARE + OBAMA's A RIGHT-LEANING LEFTY (we think)

Mark Miller's hot-hand at NewsFromUnderground is hitting on all cylinders today.
 
I've gone easy on the truly disgusting news on the wholesale theft of our elections in the RoveRage Era. The man (Rove) may be evil incarnate, but he is also, alas, a stone genius at what he does. He's learned his craft well (the craft of craftiness, as it were) since his early "prank" of borrowing the op's campaign letterheads. The pathalogical among us make far more interesting studies.
 
The dismal truth is that one man's twisted and relentless drive to vanquish all before him - by any means necessary, and I mean any -  has resulted in our signal experiment in democracy being twice saddled with a cruel and petty birdbrain of a nowhere-man being fraudulently foisted on the Oval Office for 8 interminable years. As Andy Bacevich said, "Can anyone undo the mess this gang has left us with"?
 
One reason for restricting most election-theft news to my RIG group is that the forest gets pretty dense and arcane - one really needs an abiding interest to follow this tortuous trail. While all of the items in Charnin's rundown are persuasive, for some of it, you really need to love statistics, probablistic analysis and the like. I'm guessing that few of you have the time of the inclination to want to know how this watch is built.
 
But, to quickly tell the hour (hint, it's getting late) on this damning timepiece of intrigue and dark deeds, try these items:
 
 3-5-6-16-18-22-27-32-33-34-36
 
All are in plain English; no degree necessary. I have a hard time following some of Richard's work myself. What I do understand is that the brilliance of Charnin's forensics is equal to the dastardly level of Karl Rove's reptilian skullduggery (hey, helluva sentence, Nige).
 
 
Now on to two items of interest re Prez #45:
 
libs OBAMA A DISASTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES - Turley  latimes  09-29-11
 
As a long-time active member of the ACLU, Mr. O has been a real let-down to this civil libber. But, I can't say I wasn't warned. I worked on the man's campaign for 5+ months in '08. On July 8th, the yes-we-can guy cast his vote for the FISA Revision Act - the retroactive "Constitutionalizing" of 5 years of patently unconstitutional wiretapping of domestic conversations sans dint of court orders and other such legal niceties. Besides instantly rendering moot some 40-odd court cases wending their way to the Supremes, his action stood in stark contrast to his (hollow) promise, on the hustings, to filibuster the bill if it ever showed it's face in the Senate. Words? Just words? Well, sad to say, yes. That this "Aye" was cast by a Constitutional law professor (he could teach it; just didn't know how to, you know, follow it!), from Harvard, no less, told me we'd be in for a rough ride if he ever made it to the Black House. Well, he did and we are.
 
At some point, one has to stop making excuses and rationalizations for our first black president. As this next piece points out, we may yet pine for the good old days when Dubya and company were nominating softies like John Ashcroft and Janice Rogers Brown for high legal office.
 
 
and this just in...
 
rig POSTER CHILD FOR GOP's REAL 'VOTER I.D' AGENDA  + a bonus of FACT-FREE RACIST COMMENTS  timesfreepress  10-05-11
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-02

cop U.S INJUSTICE SYSTEM - PLEA BARGAINS REPLACE A DEFENDANT'S 'FAIR TRIAL' OVER 90% OF THE TIME nyt 09-25-11

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/tough-sentences-help-prosecutors-push-for-plea-bargains.html?_r=1&ref=richardajroppel&pagewanted=all
 thanx, Ethel
 
And, just in case you're still a mite confused about who the "lawbreakers" are, in these parlous times, the answer is... ALL OF US! Turns out, none of us are presumed innnocent (until proven... yada, yada) anymore.
 
cop BRUTALITY AGAINST 'OCCUPY WALL STREET' KIDS BY COMMANDERS - MSNBC's Last Word - Larry O'Donnell #9.04  brasschecktv  09-26-11
 
If you're thanking god (or Hera) that, finally, the MUMedia (MSM) has found its balls and is speaking truth-to-power, fuhgeddaboudit. It takes few cojones to tongue-lash an arm of the state that takes it marching orders from the truly powerful in society. After all, that's among the reasons they are in place: to distract (and somewhat protect) the rest of us. You'll have to admit it makes for great theater.
 
In other words, the "outrageous" (like "ridiculous," one of the most overworked words in modern usage) actions of the NYPD "white shirts" (Commanders) is, by it's very nature, and like 9-11, a false-flag op. It is designed to provide us the whipping boy upon which to vent our rage and frustration.
 
Better that, than we rightfully direct our wrath towards a government that gives crystal-clear quotidian evidence that it sees the needs and aspirations of the people as coming in dead-last among its considerations, eh?
 

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti


2011-10-01

EMPIRE - BASIC POLICY ERRORS HASTEN AMERICA's DECLINE - 9-11, IRAQ 2, CRONY-CAPITALISM CRASH statue pix alternet 09-25-11

Pepe always gives good column.
 
This one's important as it gives the big picture of the past decade: the world's primary socio-economic paradigms of the last half-millenium are getting very shaky indeed and the race has now begun to identify their replacements. Will Marx be proven prescient on his Capitalism-bashing? Can we peer far enough into the future to tell whether of not America's self-inflicted collapse will necessarily take the rest of the planet, and all life on it, along for the ride?
 
Assuming some vestige - perhaps entire regions - of humanity survives the Great American Collapse (or Dissolve, a la the USSR - if only), what might replace our present mammon-mad mountebankery of avaricious apes? Try this:
 
Kibbutz Model - no doubt we are headed in this direction (ante-permaculture) by default. The mere paucity of cheap fossil energy (until solar, etc. kicks in) -and many other - reserves will make such societal arrangements ineluctable. For millennia, communes used to be the the most pragmatic way to combine close community with limited resources for the greater good of all. A recent Independent Lens (PBS - where else?) film gives a stark portrait of what happens when we lose that sense of community, even as it showcases the strengths of human bonding derived from such types of organizations. The kibbutzniks' (residents/owners) sense of loss is palpable.
 
Update: I saw this on PBS World, one of my digital, over-the-air (as in, free), channels. It's next showing on PBS World (on WGCU in Ft Myers which is broadcast over WEDU's digital channel 3) is on Sunday, October 2nd at 6AM, NOON and 6PM. If you have a converter (analog-to-digital) or it is one of your cable channels, you'll be able to view it. Until then, the best I can offer you is a trailer. Turns out this docu has only just been released. It is a powerful film,
 
Whenever it become's all about the money, cooperative society always takes the hit.
 
orb-pc COMMUNAL SOCIETY  Keeping the Kibbutz #2.48 trailer  filmsite  2011
 
How estranged must a society become before it it is one in name only?
Could this ever happen in a kibbutz?
 
rot AMERICA's ATOMIZED SOCIETY - DEAD 15 MONTHS BEFORE ANYONE NOTICED  usatoday  07-02-11

Nigel Watson  freethinker  727.493.1990 skype orbizen2
Blog: ORBizen Memo  http://orbizenmemo.blogspot.com/
 
 
 

"There is no greater disaster than greed."Lao-tzu

 "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti