Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Wall Street's Victory Lap


For those who didn't understand it yet, I think it's clear now, what I've been saying, that America is in the hands of a crime syndicate. They control everything and even write the laws through the congress they put in place. This makes every crime they commit "legal" and makes it impossible for you and I to hold them responsible. They own everything, including the media, the nation's only source of information, so it's easy for them to brainwash the public. They tell people that any attempt for the govt to assist its citizens, in any form, is socialism but they give themselves tax breaks, atop the billions the steal, and when their businesses run into shaky grounds, they get billions of govt dollars to help them stand. They're so brazen that it's clear they've realized we can't do anything about it. Question is are they right? I think they're wrong. We can start a revolution which is the only thing that can save us. Not the violent type of the olden days but a modern type that will turn the financial tables on them and save us at the same time. It's simple. Let's stop patronizing their banks and turn to small banks and credit unions. You can get more information on how to do this from http://moveyourmoney.info/ Clearly we can't trust the govt to do this for us because those we fight run the govt. We'll either save ourselves by ourselves or die. It's decision time.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Newt Gingrich and Rand Paul Jump the Shark

Everything happening right now is very understandable. A black man is in office and the clan can't just take it. I'd probably be the same way if I was them so I don't bear them any grudges. They simply don't know any better and I believe we should actually feel sorry for them. They're obviously passing through a lot of pain, albeit dumbly self inflicted. But, I still think we can allow them their little air time knowing that all they're doing is blowing hot air. Knowing that all they can do is blow hot air. We can allow them their air time confident that this is the 21st century and nobody, least of all these non entities, can drag us back to the medieval times. Knowing all these, I actually think we should be kind towards them. If for nothing else, for the fact that their type is an endangered species about to go the way of the dinoseurs. Proof? A black man is president.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Under-education of America: Omission or Design?

Ever since his swearing in, president Obama has talked about the importance of sound education to nation building. He has, because of that conviction, made education reform one of the most important targets of his administration. This is a very welcome development that should be supported by every American because it is a policy that is long overdue. It is overdue given the state of America's education system and the education of the populace.

From public schools that rival those in third world countries, to teachers that barely merit the title, to curriculum that is so outdated that they stink, the American education system has become such a shambles. Schools that lack both infrastructure and equipment coupled with teachers that have become lethargic and a curriculum that is myopic which only teaches about America can only give you graduates that are undereducated. This has been the bane of the American society, albeit insidiously, for a long time. An education that discourages students from studying wide can only give limited knowledge which leads to under education.

Even when American kids are encouraged to read  about other places, it's about Camelot, Oz, Hogworth or Atlantis, all fables, all fantasy, furthering their disconnection with reality. I ask myself whether this is by omission or by design. Is this a premeditated ploy to keep Americans uneducated? I ask these questions because the average American displays an abysmal level of ignorance when it comes to knowledge of things outside of America. Omission?  Design?

All they eventually get to know - and that's those of them whose parents are able to extricate them from video games, long enough to have them listen to cable news - is the sensationalized stories of these places coming from the cable news channels. Stories like those of wars, famine, piracy and general unrest in other parts of the world. They hear stylized stories of socialism and communism in China and Russia and North Korea. Only very few privileged people get educated enough to know the real story. Omission?  Design?
                                                                                                                                                                               
America talks about their students lagging behind other international students educationally. It must be noted that this admission was only made because a president who cares about educating the people was elected. Otherwise, how would people know when they're busy reading about Hogworth and Oz. The problem is that America's education system is set up so that it produces literate but uneducated people.
This is achieved by the implementation of a very myopic teaching system that focuses only on the American society. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to learn, and are taught about the larger world. They learn other languages, other cultures and even the geography of these other places. This gives them very good knowledge about their world and a big advantage over American students in a world that is increasingly becoming a global and interwoven village. Design? Omission?

America accuses certain other governments of media censorship thereby insinuating that these countries' citizens know nothing about the outside world. This accusation is actually laughable because if there are citizens who know nothing about the outside world, they are American citizens. For one thing, most people from everywhere around the globe know, at least, one language other than theirs. The English language is now a requirement in Chinese schools and yet the average American knows nothing more than the English language. Omission? Design?

The sadder thing is that many still believe that it's a thing of pride that everybody else has to learn English while they don't have to learn any other language. To the average American, the world is the fifty one states of the United States. The more intelligent of them know Mexico and, probably, Canada with Russia. Then the brightest of them believe that Africa is a "country" of people who live on trees and fight genocidal wars. I'm not making this up.

I've actually spoken to many people who hold these beliefs. And, for how much China and Russia are in the news here in America, you'd think that people will know more about those places than just the words Communism and Socialism. Sadly, that's all most people know, and many of those don't even know what those words mean. They just know what certain politicians tell them and that's that it's a horrible system of government that takes everything you earn and gives them to the government. Design? Omission?

I think design because an uneducated polity is a very manipulable polity and, left to a certain political party, the American polity will remain uneducated for ever. This is because they depend on the under education of the populace to perpetuate themselves and their dishonest policies in office. An uneducated polity is more likely to take the little baits they cast now and again, when it  suits their purpose, to gain political points. Examples abound like the abortion issue during the health care debate when they preyed on the religious fears of these kinds of people. Or the outright lie they're telling now - about repealing the health care law - if they are voted into office. An educated polity will not fall for these kinds of cheap lies and they know that.

What they forget? is that it's a society that we live in. No one is an island and, therefore, when you keep the people uneducated, you will end up working against your own interests too. That's why they have to give special visas to educated people from other countries to come here and do the jobs that our undereducated citizens can't do.This is called the H1B visa program. That's why many jobs are shipped overseas because our schools can't produce enough of the kinds of graduates needed to fill the job requirements. Would you believe that this is still going on even when unemployment is at an all time high across the country?

It is and that's the price a country pays that under educates its citizens by making real education so costly that only the few rich can afford it. By criminally underfunding public schools which is the only resort of the many poor and letting only the expensive private schools flourish.  It is the price to pay for having a curriculum that is myopic in scope. It is the price a country pays whose leaders place individual or group political and  financial aggrandizement over the needs of the populace. Sadly, it is a price that this great country of ours has to keep paying for the foreseeable future. All because of the design of a very selfish few. This is what I think. What do you think?

Friday, May 7, 2010

The New Law In Arizon; Frustration or Xenophobia?

Much has been said about the new anti immigration bill passed by the Arizona house and signed into law by that state's governor. The new law empowers the state police to stop anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant and ask for immigration papers. For all that's been said about it, one thing is certain and that is the fact that it has been a great polarizer. Like most political issues in the country right now, this has, once again, divided  the polity straight down the middle. And like most political issues, both sides' views seem to be set in stone and there appears to be little to no hopes of anybody shifting grounds.

Supporters of the new law say that it's the last resort left to the Arizona government on dealing with the illegal immigration crises faced by the state. They sight the inaction of the federal government on the issue as reason for taking such action. They also point to the fact that illegal immigrants add an unfair load to the burden that citizens and legal immigrants have to bear. They posit, and rightly so, that illegal immigrants and their offspring add an extra burden to the system. They site the educational system, the health care system and the housing system as examples of areas burdened by illegal immigrants.  These illegal immigrants do this without contributing, in any way, towards offsetting these bills. They pay no taxes even though they take jobs that citizens and legal immigrants, who pay the taxes, should have.

For those who oppose the law, it is a giant step backwards that takes the country back to the days when minorities had no rights. They feel that the law legalizes racial profiling by the keepers of the law- The Police. For them, it's looking like the fifties and sixties again. While many of them understand the problems posed by illegal immigration, they also believe that there should be better ways to deal with it without having to take the country to this place where the civil rights of a certain group of people in society is thrown to the dogs.

I can understand the anger and frustration, and with the recession, I can respect the natural feelings that humans resort to when things aren't going as expected. They try to find a scape goat. In this case, the immigrants, both legal and illegal, have become the scape goat. I also understand the xenophobia, another natural human feeling. This is also more pronounced during times of hardship for the same reasons as above.
I do think, however, that the major reason for this latest wave of anti immigrant sentiments is because "some people" are mad because with new immigrants come more and more educated individuals. "These people" feel that these educated immigrants are "corrupting" the populace. This means that they are seeing the population of the dumbos that they depend on, to perpetuate themselves and their rich favoring policies in office, drastically declining. The dumbos are wising up and they don't like it one little bit.

That's why you're beginning to see a law like this one in Arizona that specifically targets new immigrants.This, to me, is nothing more than one more pathetic attempt to whip up xenophobic sentiments for political gains. Arizonians didn't tell their legislature to enact this law. This is what the opposition political party has been trying to do since the Democratic party took over the government. Illegal immigration existed during the Bush presidency so, why wasn't this law enacted then?  It has become their modus operandi to whip up these harmful sentiments and it is clear in all their actions. That's why you'll see crazies, like the one in the notorious YouTube video, advocating taking away immigrants' driving rights by making the English Language a  requirement to drive in America.

This guy-in his infinite wisdom- is attempting to trample on people's rights under the guise of  "it's a safety issue". I wonder how the language one speaks affects their driving skills.  It's funny how stupid people expose their stupidity when they try to act intelligent. I believe that people should tone down rhetoric and outrageous actions like these for the good of the country. There are a lot of crazy people out there who can latch on to stuff like these to cause mayhem and they should not be encouraged with words and actions. Except if that is the intention all along. This is what I think. What do you think?

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Big Government vs Small/No Government.

I find it interesting how the GOP leaders and their followers always want government, or not want it, depending on how it affects them and their interests. They want no government when it has to do with how they do business. No government regulation of business practices so they can do whatever they please and steal as much as possible from the people. Of course they control the finances and the economy and, therefore, any attempt to regulate how things are done in that sector is communism.


I think it's funny that they don't remember communism when they need the police, a government agency, to protect them and their wealth. They don't think of communism and socialism when they fly their private jets in the government regulated air space or drive their limousines and ferraris on government maintained roads. Neither do they think socialism when there business or home is on fire and the communist institution called the fire department has to be called in. Also, they don't think of socialism when they line up to enrol in Medicare and medicaid. Or when they send their kids to the communist institution called the public school. Recently, a group that went to Washington to protest big government complained about the inadequacies of the Washington Metro, they wanted the government to improve it.


Government is not too big when the money is spent on the wealthy few, an example being the funding of the stupid wars - to the tune of more than a trillion dollars- because they get to supply the arms for these wars and rebuild the poor destroyed countries making obscene profits in the process. But whenever any money is going to be spent for the good of the poor masses of the nation, like the Health Care Reform bill, then the government risks becoming too big and intrusive.


They seem to forget the very reason why government was instituted in the first place, and that's because human beings are too naturally greedy and selfish to be left to their own machinations if the world will survive as a society. More importantly, they forget that, without government, they will not survive a day with their ill gotten wealth. They wouldn't have acquired that wealth, anyway, because physically stronger people would tear them limb from limb and take everything they have by force. Thanks to government they can acquire and keep their wealth while fighting against the same government at the same time.


Before now, the human greed creed used to be " I before others", now it seems to be I, and I alone. People no longer care what happens to their neighbor as long as they, themselves are okay. This is expected in a capitalist environment without regulations like ours. It is nature. People need to go look at human history from the days of the early men. Maybe then they'll begin to remember why mankind instituted government in the first place.What's going on today is starting to look very much like what went on during the days before the institution of government. It is my hope that looking at history will tell us that this path we're taking is not sustainable, not if the world wants to remain a civil society. This is what I think, what do you think?

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Financial Meltdown: Whose Fault; Wall Street or Capitalism?

Much has been made of the financial meltdown and the fact? that Wall Street was the cause of it. Currently, there's an inquest going on about the conduct of the employees of a particular Wall Street firm. This firm is accused of selling loans while knowing that the loans are damaged. I've watched the circus with some interest, not to learn anything I didn't know already, but for the entertainment value of the question and answer sessions. I'm something of a student of human psychology and I've been really enjoying the cat and mouse game that's been going on.

However, I must assert here that what we perceive as arrogance from these CEOs and employees of the Wall Street firms is simply human nature. Give a man enough money and power-the kind they have on Wall Street- and he will begin to feel like a little god. Everybody else becomes puny little non entities. Most of us will be the same way if thrust into the same position. And many of these guys are thrust into those positions.

As badly as we might want to believe that it is, the problem isn't Wall Street, the problem is the economic system. The problem is Capitalism as presently constituted. A system that's rigged to favor only the few at the top like our capitalism is, can only work for so long. This one has simply run its course and needs fundamental changes. As long as we keep propping it up as we'll do with these impending reforms, we can only go a few years and wind up right back where we are right now.

The reason for this is simple. It is because the wealth making machine of the few at the top has become so fine tuned that it's very efficiently sucking up all the wealth being produced thereby leaving very little for the majority to scramble for. That's why there isn't enough money left to go round. Recession is just a name used to sugarcoat a very bad situation. Now after taking billions of dollars of your money in the name of bailouts, the fat cats are back to paying themselves the fat salaries and bonuses they're used to. And because they can do this, they tell you that the recession is over.

This system is so bad that the only way that its health is measured is by how much wealth is going into the pockets of the few wealthy. You and I, the majority, don't count. I know this because while they're already celebrating the end of the recession-because they can pay their fat salaries and bonuses with your bailout money- the library where I work is going to fire nearly a hundred workers and close four branches. That is the reality of the majority in this country. A reality that, scarily, will continue to get worse for as long as this system remains unchanged.

I'm not advocating socialism like the GOP like to claim, but I think there can be a better mix that will ensure that the king doesn't get nine pieces of the pie leaving just one piece for the nine others at the table. That, to me, is not Democracy. Democracy is where everybody gets a piece of the pie. To those who say that this system is the best and that everybody has a chance at the "American Dream" I say, America is over two hundred years old and yet only less than one percent of a population of over three hundred million have achieved that dream. Think about it. This is what I think, what do you think? 

Saturday, May 1, 2010

CNN And The "Take No Sides" Policy And How It Affects Their Ratings.

I have watched, with a lot of interest, CNN and their misguided attempts to stay non partisan. Now, I have absolutely nothing against a news organization being non partisan but the CNN version of non partisanship borders on the disingenuous. My idea of being non partisan is saying what the truth is no matter on whose side it is. CNN's version is not saying anything, a policy which leaves their viewers mostly confused and not knowing what the truth is.

CNN has this advert which says, and correctly so, that truth is neither red nor blue. Yes we all understand that but that doesn't mean that there are two truths to any issue. There's always one truth to an issue and that's what viewers would want to know. That's why they watch news casts and listen to pundits - to be educated. CNN has this favorite refrain " we report, you decide" That's a very wrong attitude for a news organization to have. While that may be right for certain events, it is a very wrong attitude to take when important policy issues are up for debate. The better attitude would be to report both arguments and then, with facts and figures, state the argument that's right. That's what viewers expect, not when you leave them in limbo and say they should decide. Maybe they can't decide correctly because they don't have the facts or knowledge that you can acquire with the resources that you have.

Throughout the health care debate, CNN remained on the fence. They never, not even for once, took a position on the merits or demerits of what was being proposed, by either side. Then when the debate was over and the watered down bill passed, they began to show all the good that could have been done with a stronger bill. Well, wrong timing. Maybe if the people had been so educated when the debate was still on, they might have worked harder to influence the passing of the stronger bill. They might have been more vocal instead of being passive and maybe the right bill would have been passed with their backing.

Take, also, CNN's coverage of the current Tea Party movement as another example. It is clear that these people have absolutely no tax issues to protest under the current government. Every informed person, and I expect CNN is informed, knows that taxes have gone down under President Obama. But, watching CNN's coverage, you'd never know this if you didn't already. One would think that, being educators, they'd expose facts like that to set records straight and inform their audience. Clearly, they don't want to because, I presume, they want to please both sides. Well, they forget one thing and that is the fact that "it's impossible to please everybody at the same time." You lose credibility and, therefore, followership when you do that.

Their argument seems to be that with Fox news on the Right and MSNBC on the Left, CNN should occupy the middle ground. That is a wonderful position to take but only if you can be constantly decisive and come down on the side of the truth on issues and not sit dithering on the fence like CNN does all the time. Their ratings bear this out and until they change their ways, it will continue to go down. It's nature. This is what I think, what do you think?