Monday, November 30, 2015
Fiorina is wrong on climate change as national security risk
See this article. Fiorina says Obama is delusional to say that climate change is an immediate and immanent national security threat. It's not just Obama though. A Pentagon report notes that “climate change will affect the Department of Defense’s ability to
defend the nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national security." Another recent study by the US National Academy of Sciences: “There is evidence that the 2007−2010 drought contributed to the
conflict in Syria [...] We conclude that
human influences on the climate system are implicated in the current
Syrian conflict.” To put it politely, Fiorina is the delusional one here.
SEIU rank and file outraged by Clinton endorsement
See this and this story. Many members are speaking out that it's counterproductive to the union's own policies to endorse Clinton, while Sanders is in line with them. As I said in this post, this is one reason for declining union membership, as leadership does not represent its membership as it should in a democratic organization. Such union leadership is part and parcel of the corporate structure and supports such corporate payoffs like Clinton.
Krugman reviews Reich's Saving Capitalism
See his review here. Therein he said:
"To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this sales pitch. In some ways it seems to concede too much, accepting the orthodoxy that free markets are good even while calling for major changes in policy."
Which reminds me of what I said about the book in this post:
"To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this sales pitch. In some ways it seems to concede too much, accepting the orthodoxy that free markets are good even while calling for major changes in policy."
Which reminds me of what I said about the book in this post:
Different kinds of emptiness
Following up on this post:
The thing about kennlingus emptiness is that it is completely full, as in a theory of EVERYTHING. Since it's sure it covers everything it cannot see what is outside its purview or the unmarked space, as Spencer-Brown would say. Even the unmarked space is covered by kennilingus emptiness, which can itself be directly experienced as it is in its complete fullness. This is not the same as Spencer-Brown or OOO's withdrawn, which can be speculatively inferred but not experienced in this way.
The thing about kennlingus emptiness is that it is completely full, as in a theory of EVERYTHING. Since it's sure it covers everything it cannot see what is outside its purview or the unmarked space, as Spencer-Brown would say. Even the unmarked space is covered by kennilingus emptiness, which can itself be directly experienced as it is in its complete fullness. This is not the same as Spencer-Brown or OOO's withdrawn, which can be speculatively inferred but not experienced in this way.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Life in a Walmart sweatshop
You contribute to this when you shop there.
"In China, factory workers live in dorms owned by Walmart - workers pay rent and utilities. If they move out of the dorms to live in a place not connected to Walmart, they still have to pay rent for the dorms. Workers work in factories with poor ventilation. They are told to lie to inspectors about how many days they work: six, when they really work seven days a week. If you don't lie, you will get fired. All of this to make less than $3 a day. In Bangladesh, women in Walmart factories work 14 hours days, 7 days a week and only make up to 17 cents a day."
"In China, factory workers live in dorms owned by Walmart - workers pay rent and utilities. If they move out of the dorms to live in a place not connected to Walmart, they still have to pay rent for the dorms. Workers work in factories with poor ventilation. They are told to lie to inspectors about how many days they work: six, when they really work seven days a week. If you don't lie, you will get fired. All of this to make less than $3 a day. In Bangladesh, women in Walmart factories work 14 hours days, 7 days a week and only make up to 17 cents a day."
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Confessions of a Walmart hitman
From this FB post:
Former Walmart executive recounts how he would watch Associates sit in the break room during their lunch hour without eating because they couldn't afford food. Walmart banned management from offering Associates any money to buy lunch. Walmart's corporate philosophy is to "do more with less" -they want the associates to do more, while Walmart pays them less. Employees were required to work "off the clock" -and shaving minutes from worker's timecards was a common way to steal wages and keep labor costs under control. Employees would be fired for mere SUSPICION of discussing unionization. Workers were terminated for the slightest offenses to create a culture of fear. To Walmart, Associates are nothing more than disposable people.
Former Walmart executive recounts how he would watch Associates sit in the break room during their lunch hour without eating because they couldn't afford food. Walmart banned management from offering Associates any money to buy lunch. Walmart's corporate philosophy is to "do more with less" -they want the associates to do more, while Walmart pays them less. Employees were required to work "off the clock" -and shaving minutes from worker's timecards was a common way to steal wages and keep labor costs under control. Employees would be fired for mere SUSPICION of discussing unionization. Workers were terminated for the slightest offenses to create a culture of fear. To Walmart, Associates are nothing more than disposable people.
The self is not illusory
Another one from the archive, discussing Evan Thompson's Waking, Dreaming, Being:
As noted above, the self is neither identical with nor separate from the aggregates. The self is constructed co-dependently on conditions, one such condition being self-designation. Recall above this is a capacity of the narrative self. The latter is not in itself an illusion or nonexistent; that affliction only arises when it becomes a totally abstract, permanent, independent and disembodied existence. The self-designating self can and does have the capacity to interrelate and integrate the other aggregated selves.
As noted above, the self is neither identical with nor separate from the aggregates. The self is constructed co-dependently on conditions, one such condition being self-designation. Recall above this is a capacity of the narrative self. The latter is not in itself an illusion or nonexistent; that affliction only arises when it becomes a totally abstract, permanent, independent and disembodied existence. The self-designating self can and does have the capacity to interrelate and integrate the other aggregated selves.
Sam Harris: Call me maybe
Cenk Uygur on Sam Harris' hypothetical nuclear first strike against Islam, and how it plays out with Donald Trump.
Complexity and postmodernism
From the archive, where I
was re-reading the Ning IPS "complexity and pomo" thread and came upon
the following post, my commentary on Human's Ph.D. dissertation.
The concluding chapter of PE beginning at 235 is perhaps the most significant, as it deals with applying the earlier chapters to capitalism. The way out of it “is not to hypothesize an outside ideal or truth…but rather to engage with the wealth of possibilities….for a novel economy to arise” (238). He starts by describing capitalism as a restricted economy with ideological components that excludes poverty and the poor for it to be coherent. If one is poor it’s their own fault and not that of the system because it is based on a utilitarian (egoic) rationality that gives precedence to the individual. This utilitarianism applies the excess in its system to individual consumption instead of communal festivals and carnivals as in previous economic systems (241-2). This “led to a desacralization of life” that no longer recognized the qualitative nature of relationships but rather just the quantitative, hence the world became “flat” and narcissistic (243-4).
This in turn led to a supply side economics that has to create excessive individual consumption, which leads to enormous system waste instead of socially applying its excess (246). Remember, if they’re poor it’s their own damned fault. And if they’re rich it’s because they deserve it and therefore can waste enormous sums on unnecessary expenses to satisfy their egos while others starve. (No food stamps for you!) Not surprisingly from this worldview capitalism “believes itself to be at the pinnacle of human development” (247). It is a homogenous mode of thought that excludes the heterogenous epitomized by Fukuyama’s The End of History (248). (Sound familiar to you integral capitalists and your brand of Enlightenment?)
Consequently, holding to such an ideology causes one to avoid any empirical evidence to the contrary, because the idea is what is important, not the empirical material on the ground, so to speak. “The actual and the ideal…is seen as a strict dialectic without excess.” Hence “We cannot simply separate or oppose actuality from ideality because we inhabit the world and our engagement with the world is structured by previous engagements. We cannot easily stand outside the current world and propose an ideology free from an actuality which exists” (250-4). (Again, sound familiar?)
The concluding chapter of PE beginning at 235 is perhaps the most significant, as it deals with applying the earlier chapters to capitalism. The way out of it “is not to hypothesize an outside ideal or truth…but rather to engage with the wealth of possibilities….for a novel economy to arise” (238). He starts by describing capitalism as a restricted economy with ideological components that excludes poverty and the poor for it to be coherent. If one is poor it’s their own fault and not that of the system because it is based on a utilitarian (egoic) rationality that gives precedence to the individual. This utilitarianism applies the excess in its system to individual consumption instead of communal festivals and carnivals as in previous economic systems (241-2). This “led to a desacralization of life” that no longer recognized the qualitative nature of relationships but rather just the quantitative, hence the world became “flat” and narcissistic (243-4).
This in turn led to a supply side economics that has to create excessive individual consumption, which leads to enormous system waste instead of socially applying its excess (246). Remember, if they’re poor it’s their own damned fault. And if they’re rich it’s because they deserve it and therefore can waste enormous sums on unnecessary expenses to satisfy their egos while others starve. (No food stamps for you!) Not surprisingly from this worldview capitalism “believes itself to be at the pinnacle of human development” (247). It is a homogenous mode of thought that excludes the heterogenous epitomized by Fukuyama’s The End of History (248). (Sound familiar to you integral capitalists and your brand of Enlightenment?)
Consequently, holding to such an ideology causes one to avoid any empirical evidence to the contrary, because the idea is what is important, not the empirical material on the ground, so to speak. “The actual and the ideal…is seen as a strict dialectic without excess.” Hence “We cannot simply separate or oppose actuality from ideality because we inhabit the world and our engagement with the world is structured by previous engagements. We cannot easily stand outside the current world and propose an ideology free from an actuality which exists” (250-4). (Again, sound familiar?)
Friday, November 27, 2015
Democratize the financial sector
See this article that shows how Sanders promotes this while Clinton supports big banks. Sanders wants to reinstate Glass-Steagall, which will not only separate lending from speculation but also break up the big banks. Clinton doesn't want to do this and has instead offered piecemeal reforms that keep the big banks in power. Sanders also wants to transition to more democratic banking via non-profit, member-owned credit unions which invest in local communities. Clinton is silent on this and big banks no longer invest in communities this way, solely focused on capital generation via speculative means.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Ralph Nader on Hillary Clinton
He's right of course. "She made peace with the power structure and she is a deep corporatist and a deep militarist." In the video he said we could almost forgive her corporatism and I say no we cannot.
Oh snap!
For all those supposed Christian Republicans that only want to allow Christian refugees into the US.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
America's discovery?
Here's how Native Americans respond to the name Christopher Columbus. Recall they were already here when America was 'discovered.'
Footprints in the sand
This is Bindi's moving performance on Monday night that had tears in everyone's eyes.
Bindi wins DWTS
And well deserved, as she was consistently the best dancer far and away above the others. This is her final performance.
Kasich's ad on Trump
Seems a direct link to Nazism, and an accurate one. And by one of his Republican running mates.
Clinton gets endorsement from Laborers’ International Union of North America
See this article. This
has been the major legitimate reason against unions, which are supposed to be
democratic and express the wishes of their members. I'm guessing most of
the members disagree with corrupt management decisions like this and
why people leave unions in droves. Don't get me wrong, I'm for unions
but they have to democratically respond to members, and when they don't
they cease to be unions and more like the corporations they are supposed
to curtail.
Suspected terrorists can buy guns in the US
Following up on some recent posts on this topic, see this Washington Post article. From 2004 to 2014 over 2,000 suspects on the FBI's terrorist watch list legally bought guns in the US. Lawmakers have tried to close this loophole and the NRA has fought against such proposed laws that have yet to be passed.
Sam Harris has jumped the shark with this one
See this article where Harris said: "I’d vote for ‘dangerously deluded religious imbecile’ Ben Carson over Noam Chomsky." He's lost sanity if this is the case.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Petition for postal banking
See the petition here. The blurb:
Nearly 28% of U.S. households are underserved by traditional banks,
and turn, instead, to payday lenders, check cashers and other financial
predators – spending nearly 10 percent of their income on fees and
services, on average. These services are part of an industry that rakes
in $103 billion a year at the expense of the most financially
vulnerable.
There is a simple solution: postal banking. The more than 30,000 branches of the U.S. Postal Service can provide affordable, nonprofit, consumer-driven financial services ranging from paycheck cashing and bill payment to savings accounts and small dollar loans.
The USPS is a well-trusted public institution that currently provides limited financial services such as money orders. The USPS can act now to:
Install surcharge-free ATMs that make it possible for recipients of public benefits to access funds without paying a fee;
Expand services to include payroll check cashing; and
Provide bill paying and electronic funds transfers.
There is a simple solution: postal banking. The more than 30,000 branches of the U.S. Postal Service can provide affordable, nonprofit, consumer-driven financial services ranging from paycheck cashing and bill payment to savings accounts and small dollar loans.
The USPS is a well-trusted public institution that currently provides limited financial services such as money orders. The USPS can act now to:
Why Democrats have lost so much ground
See this article. Applies to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Hillary Clinton. And the answer: Bernie Sanders. The crux:
"Why are poor people, especially poor white people in red states, not showing up to vote?This is obviously a complex question with a complex answer, but to me, at least, there’s one really big reason why. It’s because with the exception of a few people like Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, and Al Franken, Democrats don’t run as Democrats any more. Ever since the 'centrist' (aka corporatist) 'New Democrats' staged their coup back in the late 1980s and recruited Governor Bill Clinton, most Democrats have run for office and governed as Republicans-lite. Instead of pushing progressive values and populist economics, they call for welfare 'reform,' talk about how cutting Social Security might be a good idea, and support awful trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP. Oh, and if that wasn’t bad enough, they also take in millions of dollars in donations from the fat cats on Wall Street, big Pharma, and the so-called 'Defense' industry. Aside from just adopting Republican talking points, you really couldn’t ask for a better way to alienate the poor -- people who already every reason to be alienated from the political process."
"The take-way here?"
"Why are poor people, especially poor white people in red states, not showing up to vote?This is obviously a complex question with a complex answer, but to me, at least, there’s one really big reason why. It’s because with the exception of a few people like Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, and Al Franken, Democrats don’t run as Democrats any more. Ever since the 'centrist' (aka corporatist) 'New Democrats' staged their coup back in the late 1980s and recruited Governor Bill Clinton, most Democrats have run for office and governed as Republicans-lite. Instead of pushing progressive values and populist economics, they call for welfare 'reform,' talk about how cutting Social Security might be a good idea, and support awful trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP. Oh, and if that wasn’t bad enough, they also take in millions of dollars in donations from the fat cats on Wall Street, big Pharma, and the so-called 'Defense' industry. Aside from just adopting Republican talking points, you really couldn’t ask for a better way to alienate the poor -- people who already every reason to be alienated from the political process."
"The take-way here?"
Thanksgiving enlightened psychobabble
I far prefer repressed angst, or outright hostility, to this shit.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Whose in charge of healthcare?
Following up on the last post, the real reason Clinton criticizes single-payer, being in the pocket of these groups.
National Nurses United challenge Clinton on single-payer
See this article. Clinton has recently attacked Sanders' suggested single-payer healthcare system by focusing on the cost while ignoring the savings it creates. Clinton used a Wall Street Journal report that has since been debunked for the above omissions. Single-payer would in fact be a lot more financially efficient and provide healthcare to all. It's part of Clinton revealing her true colors as noted earlier here.
Reich compares Trump and Sanders
From this FB post:
"It’s instructive to compare Bernie’s rally in Savannah, Georgia last night with Donald Trump’s rally in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday. Two southern states, two populist aspirants for the presidency, two immense crowds. But the two events and the two candidates couldn’t have been further apart. Trump channels the anxieties of Americans into fear and hate. Bernie channels them into hope and tolerance. Trump told the white, middle-aged crowd he’d seal America’s borders against Mexicans and Muslims. Bernie told a diverse, young crowd he’d make public universities tuition-free and reduce incarceration. At Trump rallies, black protesters are kicked and beaten by Trump’s white supporters. At Bernie’s rallies, protesters are respected and heard.
"It’s instructive to compare Bernie’s rally in Savannah, Georgia last night with Donald Trump’s rally in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday. Two southern states, two populist aspirants for the presidency, two immense crowds. But the two events and the two candidates couldn’t have been further apart. Trump channels the anxieties of Americans into fear and hate. Bernie channels them into hope and tolerance. Trump told the white, middle-aged crowd he’d seal America’s borders against Mexicans and Muslims. Bernie told a diverse, young crowd he’d make public universities tuition-free and reduce incarceration. At Trump rallies, black protesters are kicked and beaten by Trump’s white supporters. At Bernie’s rallies, protesters are respected and heard.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Clinton tacking to the right
No surprise in this article, where Clinton is now showing her true colors since she thinks she's locked up the Democratic nomination. She's getting really hawkish with the war on terrorism and criticizing Sanders on single-payer healthcare, not to mention her rejection of reinstating Glass-Steagall. As most of us knew all along, her progressive rhetoric was just that and we're going to see more of the real Clinton going forward.
The narrative of economic elites
See this article in Evonomics Magazine. The magazine is about the evolution of economics. The article is about the false narrative the rich tell to justify an unfair economic system. Darwin is often used to justify such 'survival of the fittest' narratives but he said nothing of the sort and quite the contrary.
Borowitz on Nazi's suing Trump
From his FB post:
Nazis Call Trump's Plan for Muslims 'Derivative'
WASHINGTON – In an intellectual property lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday, a group of prominent Nazis accused billionaire Donald Trump of “intentionally copying” key tenets of their political ideology for use in his recent stump speeches. Rinehart Krolz, the Delaware-based Nazi who organized the lawsuit, said specifically that Trump’s plan to register Muslims and track their movements was so “derivative of our copyrighted material” that he and fellow Nazis felt compelled to file the suit. “As much as we Nazis may agree with a lot of things Donald Trump is saying, at the end of the day we have to protect our brand,” Krolz said.
Nazis Call Trump's Plan for Muslims 'Derivative'
WASHINGTON – In an intellectual property lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday, a group of prominent Nazis accused billionaire Donald Trump of “intentionally copying” key tenets of their political ideology for use in his recent stump speeches. Rinehart Krolz, the Delaware-based Nazi who organized the lawsuit, said specifically that Trump’s plan to register Muslims and track their movements was so “derivative of our copyrighted material” that he and fellow Nazis felt compelled to file the suit. “As much as we Nazis may agree with a lot of things Donald Trump is saying, at the end of the day we have to protect our brand,” Krolz said.
Maher interviews CA Lt. Govenor Gavin Newsom
Refugees are discussed, and CA has an entirely different attitude than Republican States.
Maher on apocalyptic religion
And those running for, or in, government office. We most certainly should keep this sort of religion out of government service since they are antithetical. It's kind of hard to be environmentally conscious or humanly concerned about income inequality when God will destroy the earth but save only some of our souls. Especially when democracy was founded on the specific separation between church and state. Oh, that's right, theocracy doesn't give a shit about democracy.
Holiday greetings
Something to consider when you are consumed with consumerism this holiday season. Nah, who am I kidding?
Petition to condemn Trump on Muslims
And Trump leads the Republican field for President. What does that tell us about the Republican agenda and their base? See Robert Reich's email below and consider condemning Trump for his Nazi-like registration of Muslims.
Please join me and Democracy for America in asking America's leaders to stand up and speak out against Donald Trump's outrageous comments. Click here to add your name now to our petition to President Obama, all presidential candidates, and prominent leaders across the spectrum of politics, academia, philanthropy, and journalism.
Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not rule out implementing a database system tracking all Muslims in the United States -- including Americans of Muslim faith.
All Muslims in the U.S. would be legally obligated to register "at different places" around the country, putting their personal tracking information into the database. When asked how his idea differed from what the Nazi's required of Jews, Trump responded, four times, "you tell me."
Trump also refused to rule out requiring all Muslims to carry special religious identification, or to rule out warrantless searches of their homes and places of worship. Said Trump, "We're going to have to do things that we never did before; we're going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago."
While Donald Trump is mimicking Nazi Germany, his fellow Republicans are trying to outdo him. Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz want to apply a religious test to refugees. Marco Rubio wants to "close down any place where radicals are being inspired," including mosques. This is spinning out of control, and it's time to draw the line.
It is necessary that Barack Obama, along with all living former presidents, all presidential candidates, leaders of the clergy, university presidents, heads of every large philanthropy, and editors-in-chief of every major newspaper, condemn this hateful venom from the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States.
Every hour it stands without rebuke is more poison leeching into the bedrock of America.
Together, if we can stand united in defense of America's values, we can turn the tide against Donald Trump and his dangerous bigotry.
Thank you for taking action at this critical moment.
Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor
Please join me and Democracy for America in asking America's leaders to stand up and speak out against Donald Trump's outrageous comments. Click here to add your name now to our petition to President Obama, all presidential candidates, and prominent leaders across the spectrum of politics, academia, philanthropy, and journalism.
Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not rule out implementing a database system tracking all Muslims in the United States -- including Americans of Muslim faith.
All Muslims in the U.S. would be legally obligated to register "at different places" around the country, putting their personal tracking information into the database. When asked how his idea differed from what the Nazi's required of Jews, Trump responded, four times, "you tell me."
Trump also refused to rule out requiring all Muslims to carry special religious identification, or to rule out warrantless searches of their homes and places of worship. Said Trump, "We're going to have to do things that we never did before; we're going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago."
While Donald Trump is mimicking Nazi Germany, his fellow Republicans are trying to outdo him. Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz want to apply a religious test to refugees. Marco Rubio wants to "close down any place where radicals are being inspired," including mosques. This is spinning out of control, and it's time to draw the line.
It is necessary that Barack Obama, along with all living former presidents, all presidential candidates, leaders of the clergy, university presidents, heads of every large philanthropy, and editors-in-chief of every major newspaper, condemn this hateful venom from the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States.
Every hour it stands without rebuke is more poison leeching into the bedrock of America.
Together, if we can stand united in defense of America's values, we can turn the tide against Donald Trump and his dangerous bigotry.
Thank you for taking action at this critical moment.
Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor
Friday, November 20, 2015
Senator Sanders' petition to continue current refugee program
Here's part of his email blast:
"We
must not allow the horrific violence we have seen in France and
elsewhere to turn us from our historic role as a haven for the
oppressed. In terms of the Syrian refugee situation we are now facing, now is not the time for us to succumb to racism and bigotry.
In this moment, it is particularly important that we not allow
ourselves to be divided by the anti-immigrant hysteria that Republican
presidential candidates are ginning up. When hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything and have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we should not turn our backs on these refugees escaping violence in the Middle East.
Of course we have to investigate the backgrounds of people coming into
the country — and we will — but to suggest that we would even turn away
orphans is incredible."
More from Sanders' recent speech
"The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist—like
tomorrow—remember this: I don’t believe government should take over the
grocery store down the street or own the means of production, but I do
believe that the middle class and the working families of this country
who produce the wealth of this country deserve a decent standard of
living and that their incomes should go up, not down.
"I do believe in private companies that thrive and invest and grow in America, companies that create jobs here rather than companies that are shutting down in America and increasing their profits by exploiting low-wage labor abroad.
"I do believe in private companies that thrive and invest and grow in America, companies that create jobs here rather than companies that are shutting down in America and increasing their profits by exploiting low-wage labor abroad.
Self-important Buddhism
See Stein's review of Gafni's book here. A few excerpts:
"The radical teachings in Gafni’s books expose the a-political, apathetic, and defeatist underbelly of so much of Western Buddhism, where the teaching of meditation is combined with affluence and liberal values to create an insular and self-affirming escape from the obligations of uniqueness. Who is left to stand up for the inviolable rights of individuals when everyone is sitting down, counting their breaths, and spending a small fortune on retreats from the world? There is no better ideological lubricant to grease our decline into a global corporate dystopia than a form of religiosity that denigrates the individual, promotes quiescence, and calls for a personal disappearance into some larger structure or process."
"The radical teachings in Gafni’s books expose the a-political, apathetic, and defeatist underbelly of so much of Western Buddhism, where the teaching of meditation is combined with affluence and liberal values to create an insular and self-affirming escape from the obligations of uniqueness. Who is left to stand up for the inviolable rights of individuals when everyone is sitting down, counting their breaths, and spending a small fortune on retreats from the world? There is no better ideological lubricant to grease our decline into a global corporate dystopia than a form of religiosity that denigrates the individual, promotes quiescence, and calls for a personal disappearance into some larger structure or process."
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Refugee vetting process
So the Republican Congress, backed by 47 Democrats, voted to halt Syrian refugees into the US. Why? They claim it's because our vetting process is inadequate. But when questioned about that process Speaker Ryan didn't even seem aware of the process, which is explained in this article. It seems pretty rigorous to me, so we know that is not the real reason for their blatant and disgusting bigotry.
Sanders explains democratic socialism
This clip is just the beginning of his hour-long speech at Georgetown today wherein he invokes FDR's New Deal as representative of democratic socialism. And if this is democratic socialism then I, and many other Americans want more of it. One can find the entire speech and the Q&A to follow on YouTube.
Holland leads experiment in basic income
See this article.
"Basic income is not just about money, it is about security and enabling people to pursue what they want, to reach their goals, to live with the freedom to organize their lives, so they can do what they are good at and contribute to society."
"Basic income is not just about money, it is about security and enabling people to pursue what they want, to reach their goals, to live with the freedom to organize their lives, so they can do what they are good at and contribute to society."
An idea whose time has come
That is, basic income or free money for everyone. This short TED talk discusses the successful experiments already conducted and refutes the traditionally wrong arguments against it.
Senator Warren on the rigged tax system
See this article and the video below. Big corporations complain their tax rate is so high in the US that they are forced to move overseas, and that is a big lie. Armed with a bevy of tax lawyers and lobbyists there effective tax rate is lower than most middle-class Americans, and is some case not only zero but negative. Warren lays out proposed tax legislation which give a big "wet kiss" to the big corps while leaving the rest of us to make up the revenue shortfalls. Plus the corps stash their money overseas to avoid paying the little they are supposed to pay in taxes, and they owe a lot to the country that gave them so much. Warren is right that it's time these greedy bastards display the patriotism they often sell to the rest of us and contribute to this country's welfare instead of just hoarding it all for themselves.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Legitimate Christians speak out on refugees
See this article in response to the despicable Republicans (and some Democrats) who call themselves Christian while shunning those most in need. A sampling from The Church World Service:
"Our values call us to answer the desperate pleas of mothers, fathers and children searching for safety and assistance in their darkest hour. Over 4 million Syrians are now refugees, seeking safety in countries across the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Another 6.5+ million are displaced within Syria, forced from their homes due to violence and persecution. Within the United States, the welcome of Syrian refugees is being challenged. This type of fear-mongering has no place in our society. People of all faiths must stand in solidarity with refugee and migrant communities."
And this from the US Conference of Bishops:
"Our values call us to answer the desperate pleas of mothers, fathers and children searching for safety and assistance in their darkest hour. Over 4 million Syrians are now refugees, seeking safety in countries across the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Another 6.5+ million are displaced within Syria, forced from their homes due to violence and persecution. Within the United States, the welcome of Syrian refugees is being challenged. This type of fear-mongering has no place in our society. People of all faiths must stand in solidarity with refugee and migrant communities."
And this from the US Conference of Bishops:
Men with courage do not slay dragons; they ride them
I saw that quote on FB today and it reminded me of this scene from Avatar:
Comments on Serres
Following up on the last post, here are my comments in the IPS Serres thread:
I've made reference to how prepositions have a symbiotic link to image schemas, and therefore might be more of a meta-paradigm than one of several paradigms focused on parts of speech. I.e., that prepositions, being linguistic developments from pre-linguistic image schemata, are what ties or integrates not only the other parts of speech but the other paradigms that grow from them. Hence their meta-paradigmatic function.
I'm fascinated with how Serres does not see strict divisions between domains. Or a metalanguage that contextualizes them all within a critique or model. Not only different domains but what one who uses metalanguages might interpret as past and lower levels that must be supplanted. It seems more like how Luhmann sees the various mutations of a human or society, as that of structural couplings. Or how Gebser does as well, how they all continue to exist simultaneously via such couplings. And yet there is not overarching 'integral' metalanguage (model, method) etc. As in Morton or Zizek, there is no Nature. I like this quote:
I've made reference to how prepositions have a symbiotic link to image schemas, and therefore might be more of a meta-paradigm than one of several paradigms focused on parts of speech. I.e., that prepositions, being linguistic developments from pre-linguistic image schemata, are what ties or integrates not only the other parts of speech but the other paradigms that grow from them. Hence their meta-paradigmatic function.
I'm fascinated with how Serres does not see strict divisions between domains. Or a metalanguage that contextualizes them all within a critique or model. Not only different domains but what one who uses metalanguages might interpret as past and lower levels that must be supplanted. It seems more like how Luhmann sees the various mutations of a human or society, as that of structural couplings. Or how Gebser does as well, how they all continue to exist simultaneously via such couplings. And yet there is not overarching 'integral' metalanguage (model, method) etc. As in Morton or Zizek, there is no Nature. I like this quote:
Serres on the fold
Balder posted the following at IPS. Knotty and nice Mr. Serres. He mingles well in the fold thread.
"The organism forms a gigantic knot with as many dimensions as one could wish. It begins, in an embryonic state, with one or more sheets, folded, pleated, rolled, invaginated. Embryology has the appearance of applied topology, looks like an infinitely wrinkled skin. The organism fills with
local interchangers that finally form a global interchange system, a giant knot made from small differential knots.
"The body folds, curves, adapts, enj oying at least three hundred degrees of freedom. From the feet to the head or to the tips of the fingers it traces a variable and complex path between the things of the world, changing like a piece of seaweed in the depths of the water, a thousand and one exchanges or signals. Knowing things requires one first of all to place oneself between them. Not only in front in order to see them, but in the midst of their mixture, on the paths that unite them...
"The organism forms a gigantic knot with as many dimensions as one could wish. It begins, in an embryonic state, with one or more sheets, folded, pleated, rolled, invaginated. Embryology has the appearance of applied topology, looks like an infinitely wrinkled skin. The organism fills with
local interchangers that finally form a global interchange system, a giant knot made from small differential knots.
"The body folds, curves, adapts, enj oying at least three hundred degrees of freedom. From the feet to the head or to the tips of the fingers it traces a variable and complex path between the things of the world, changing like a piece of seaweed in the depths of the water, a thousand and one exchanges or signals. Knowing things requires one first of all to place oneself between them. Not only in front in order to see them, but in the midst of their mixture, on the paths that unite them...
Ben Carson advisers admit he's an idiot
See this article naming Carson's advisers who think so. One said that Carson cannot retain important information after repeated reinforcement. Maybe he only hears what he wants to hear? Another adviser is a CIA operative who was indicted for lying to Congress but pardoned by Bush, so perhaps Carson will remember these lies much better during interviews since it feeds his prejudices?
The President on Syrian refugees
He responds to those regressive governmental officials that are refusing to take in these refugees based on fear and religious affiliation. They are cowards and shitty Christians to do so. First they're afraid of reasonable questions from debate moderators; now they're afraid of women and children who are themselves victims of ISIS. Such cowardice and fear play into the hands of terrorism and further inflame it. If we are to fight terrorism than I agree with Obama the place to start is to show how America is different than that. Also see this one where Obama says regressives talk tough but are really pussies.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
More on climate change and terrorism
Following up on this post, Kurt Cobb made a similar connection of the Paris attacks to climate change. He said in part:
"I'm not sure that any so far has considered whether one can draw a straight line from a severe drought in Syria to these mass killings. My own answer is that the if the line is there--and I think it is--then it has taken many twists and turns before arriving in Paris. Even so, it might be worthwhile for those who will soon be gathering in this bereaved city in order to negotiate a new worldwide climate treaty to understand any such connection. For in the background behind these events, there is a Syria starved of water almost surely because of climate change."
The sick thing is that regressives are saying Sanders is nuts for saying such things when it is they who are the sick bastards who are not only in denial but causing climate change in the first place. No, not "everyone is right," even partially, on this issue in some effete and complicit integral ideological edifice.
"I'm not sure that any so far has considered whether one can draw a straight line from a severe drought in Syria to these mass killings. My own answer is that the if the line is there--and I think it is--then it has taken many twists and turns before arriving in Paris. Even so, it might be worthwhile for those who will soon be gathering in this bereaved city in order to negotiate a new worldwide climate treaty to understand any such connection. For in the background behind these events, there is a Syria starved of water almost surely because of climate change."
The sick thing is that regressives are saying Sanders is nuts for saying such things when it is they who are the sick bastards who are not only in denial but causing climate change in the first place. No, not "everyone is right," even partially, on this issue in some effete and complicit integral ideological edifice.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Clinton, Wall Street and 9/11?
See this article discussing Clinton's bizarre response to her Wall Street donors. She completely avoids the question and redirects it to some red meat about 9/11 and patriotism just like a Republican would when they have no good answer. It must be patriotic to support Wall Street when they buy you?
Idiot America
This is exactly what the regressive leaders wanted in a constituency, so it's their monster now.
The Paris attacks and climate change
See this story on Sanders' answer to the Paris attacks. He is backed by the Dept. of Defense report on climate change causing security risks worldwide. Needless to say, regressives can't see the forest for the trees as usual.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Solar & wind energy now cost-competitive
So says the US Energy Secretary. See the article for details.
Holm takes Rousey's title
Not that surprising given Holm's history of success. Though I, like most, didn't expect this type of one-sided domination over a great champ.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Maher interviews Asra Nomani
Just maybe the rabidly politically correct liberals that cry racist Islamophobia on Maher will listen to a progressive Muslim woman? Nah, doubt it.
Republican lies on consumer protection
Hartmann lays bare the lies the Republican Presidential clown car told on Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He also reveals why they do it, being on the payroll of the big banks.
DNC would rather lose than promote debate
See this enlightening article that argues convincingly that the DNC debate scheduling strategy is designed to not have people watch them. Which of course could lead to a Republican win via an uninformed electorate due to the massively watched Republican debates. And all to protect in inevitability of Clinton getting the nomination. But just
as the DNC is willing to lose the election over protecting Clinton,
it's not much different than the Berniacs willing to lose the election
if he doesn't get the nomination. Democrats are a weird bunch willing to
sacrifice human lives to Republican policies if they don't get their
way.
Why do they hate us?
Discussion of this question last night on Real Time in light of the recent Paris attacks.
Pity the white people
In Maher's new rules, the last one is on how whites are in a pity party when they are still a privileged class. It starts around 1:50.
Obvious corruption
This couldn't be any more blatant. And most Americans couldn't be any more stupid not to see the obvious.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Warren exposes financial advisers
Ripping off the elderly. One would think that the law would require financial advisers to keep their client's first in selecting financial options that best serve their goals and needs. But the law does not so Warren is proposing that it does. The current situation is that said advisers are paid kickbacks to advise products that are often not in the best interest of the client. And of course the legislative lackeys of said product dynasties are fighting against putting the client first. Kudos to Warren for fighting for us and exposing the true nature of the corporate oligarchs both in and out of Congress.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Noam Chomsky: The Future of Humanity
"Overwhelmingly intellectuals have labored in the service of power" (6:00).
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Chomsky takes a day off
Or at least tries in this Onion parody. I'm of this mind lately, only not for a day but for the rest of my life.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Rifkin on biosphere consciousness
From Rifkin's latest HuffPo post,
noting that the third industrial revolution is "shifting the human
journey from an unswerving allegiance to unlimited and unrestrained
material growth to a species commitment to sustainable economic
development. This transformation is being accompanied by a change in the
human psyche -- the leap to biosphere consciousness and the
Collaborative Age."
Alexa & Mark
A perfect score for her too for this emotional performance about her previous struggle with bulimia. Unfortunately she was eliminated tonight and the people kept that military hero that can't dance for shit. Which is, as I've always said, the worst part of this show, more a popularity contest than about quality dancing.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Sanders on Clinton v. Republicans
See this article, and something to keep in mind for fanatics if Sanders does not get the nomination. He said: "Yes, we do agree on a number of issues, and by the way, on her worst
day, Hillary Clinton will be an infinitely better candidate and
president than the Republican candidate on his best day."
What Robert Reich has in common with down home conservatives
See this post. During his book tour in red States he talked with typically conservative regular folks. And surprisingly he found a lot of commonality in that they also think the economy and government is rigged for the wealthy, in part caused by the floodgates of money opened in Citizens' United. Big business is destroyed local business and farms with their greedy methods and want to see the big banks broken up. Many even support government programs like Medicare and Social Security.
China's five-year plan embraces The Third Industrial Revolution
See this article. Germany and and the European Parliament have as well. Talk about impact. And all without integral theory...
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Maher interviews Tarantino
About cops committing murder and being defended by the Blue Wall instead of demanding justice for the victim.
Ignorance is what regressives want
In their Presidential candidate, no experience required. Maher asks if Dr. Carson believes that then he should let someone with no medical training operate on his brain. Ooops, sorry, a logical thought there, forbidden in regressive land.
What's really important
See this article, "what people talk about before they die." Having recently gone through this I testify to its veracity. And why
philosophy, spirituality or theory is not so important to me anymore.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Maddow interviews Sanders
At the Democratic Candidates Forum in SC. Well worth the time to watch it all. The only problem I had was the question about a law he voted for that allows guns on trains (around 18:00). He said yes, if they're unloaded in the luggage, just like on planes. Maddow though challenged him that in trains there is easy access to the baggage where one can also bring ammunition, thereby it's not like the luggage compartment on a plane. And Sanders fumbled this one. Instead of answering this fact he changed the subject to guns more generically.
Upcoming Next System Project webinars
See this link. An excerpt:
Please join us on November 9, 1:30-2:45pm ET for an online conversation on varying views of capitalism, featuring our co-chair Gar Alperovitz as well as a number of signatories to the Next System Project statement on systemic crisis. This discussion will not necessarily aim to build consensus around a particular definition of capitalism, but will attempt to help participants develop a more strategic understanding of the concepts, beliefs and values we evoke when we use the c-word, i.e., capitalism, in the course of our work to build a new economy and the next system.
Please join us on November 9, 1:30-2:45pm ET for an online conversation on varying views of capitalism, featuring our co-chair Gar Alperovitz as well as a number of signatories to the Next System Project statement on systemic crisis. This discussion will not necessarily aim to build consensus around a particular definition of capitalism, but will attempt to help participants develop a more strategic understanding of the concepts, beliefs and values we evoke when we use the c-word, i.e., capitalism, in the course of our work to build a new economy and the next system.
Sanders on the TPP
See his full statement here for the details. The bullet points follow:
1. TPP will allow corporations to outsource even more jobs overseas.
2. U.S. sovereignty will be undermined by giving corporations the right to challenge our laws
1. TPP will allow corporations to outsource even more jobs overseas.
2. U.S. sovereignty will be undermined by giving corporations the right to challenge our laws
before international tribunals.
3.Wages, benefits, and collective bargaining will be threatened.
4. Our ability to protect the environment will be undermined.
5. Food Safety Standards will be threatened.
More on the TPP
In this clip Hartmann reads from Public Citizen's analysis of the TPP. The US cannot have any tariffs while all the other nations in the deal can. They get to flood our markets with their products which will only increase an already devastating trade deficit that has directly caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs to said countries which have abysmal safety and health standards.
TPP is of, for and by investors
And nobody else. As one example, if China exports diseased fish to a US company, the US company cannot challenge the diseased product without China saying it's impeding trade and they can sue the US company. And said suit will be adjudicated not by judges but by a prejudiced tribunal made up of trade reps whose only criteria is profit, with no appeal. So our health and safety laws, if they impede profits, are moot! Products made with slave labor is not banned but only discouraged, like that means anything. Not one mention about climate change. And virtually no media coverage on this travesty other than liberal media like Hartmann.
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