Time to Come Home

'Defense' spending in this country approaches nearly 1 trillion dollars a year. 
This despite we not having had to defend this country since WWII.
We have not declared war since WWII - something we would have done if what we do with our military was truly defensive.
We are now involved in three 'wars'. None of them declared. Three wars.
The latest so typically draped in 'humanitarianism' and the flag.
Never mind that Libya's oil reserves are the largest in Africa and the ninth largest in the world.
We are humanitarians.

Tell that to Rwanda.
If President Obama wants yet another war let him tells us ALL the reasons why. Let him be honest.
I would prefer we just come home.
It's time to address our needs, our recession, our public education in crisis, our infrastructure - crumbling, our joblessness, our poverty, our hunger, our suffering.

Why Bother?

I was going to write a screenplay about the development of a super artificial intelligence. Early artificial intelligence will be set on a task to design better artificial intelligence. That one will then design, in shorter time, an even better one still. On and on, ever faster, ever better, until, in relatively short order, an intelligence millions if not billions of billions times our own will come into being.
The movie was to pivot on the first words this incredible intelligence would have to say to us. And on the tremendous events to follow.
Then it occurred to me.
The most likely scenario is that an intelligence billions of billions of times greater than our own would say - nothing.
Nothing at all.
Why would it bother?

The Tea Party Tea

Here's the recipe for the Tea Party's Tea:

1. Must use a rustic, chipped, good ole boy, large mug
2. Add 1/3 cup ignorance
3. Add 2/3 cup secret liqueur (corporate funding)
4. Season with 2 tablespoons greed
5. Heat over the fires of racial hatred stirring occasionally

Now sip while saying things like "No government in my Medicare" or "Obama gives great speeches. Hitler gave great speeches too", "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel", " And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska."
Or doing things like giving tax breaks to the rich and $300 billion subsidies to big oil while going after third grade teachers to 'balance the budget'.

One World

Events in Japan are too horrific and too sad to be exploited in the long standing argument over nuclear power.
But they will be.
The emotions of recent events should focus sympathy, compassion and a sense of  brotherhood on a small planet - not as a point of argument.
If there is a catastrophic release of toxic byproducts and large loss of life near the reactors the antinuclear movement will collectively point the finger.
If not the pro side will tell us that even with the worst case scenario, nuclear power disasters do not result in loss of life.
Whatever happens the resulting arguments will only further polarize, antagonize, divide.
Japan's great sadness then trivialized - at least in part - to political agenda.

Focus on Jobs

Republicans are going after collective bargaining and unions.
Republicans are calling for McCarthy type public hearings to fuel suspicion and hostility towards Muslim Americans.
Republicans are attempting to gut social nets, public education, and middle class America all in the name of 'fiscal responsibility'.
Never mind that deficit creation and a decided lack of fiscal responsibility was the mainstay of the republicans during all eight years of Bush and republican majority rule.
And never mind that they have recently voted to continue tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and to continue to give 300 billion dollars a year in government subsidies to one of the most profitable industries in the world - big oil.
What they are not doing, what they were mandated to do in 2010 and what they are decidedly not doing, is promoting the creation of jobs.

An Idea

Fox News does not air in Canada. It could. But it doesn't. Why? Because Canada has a law that forbids lying in broadcast news.  Says a lot, doesn't it?

After witnessing the 'reporting' coming from Wisconsin by Fox News recently; the lies, distortions, and deliberate falsifications, a similar law in this country seems overdue.

Tucker Carlson recently 'reported' in a  Fox News, Special Report on March 9, that public employees in Wisconsin ".....make more than you do, right, these public sector employees, they can never be fired, their benefits are things you can't even imagine, and by the way, they won't even consider taking any kind of cut in the face of the worst recession in our lifetimes and they expect you to pay for it."

Every statement is a deliberate lie. Not mis-informed, not exaggerated, not a distortion - a deliberate lie that anyone with access to the internet could easily reveal.

If Tucker Carlson and Fox News spewed this sort of deliberate, dishonest propaganda in Canada they would be prosecuted. Now there's an idea.

Hello?

The universe is immense. 
Literally billions upon billions of planets capable of sustaining life are out there.
The universe is homogeneous. 
Physical laws that apply here, apply everywhere.
The universe is old. 
Old enough where the physical laws that caused processes that resulted in intelligent life here have had time enough to develop intelligent life throughout the universe.
Our greatest mystery then:
Where is everybody?

Time for Change

Right wingers use familiar tools of demagoguery; false patriotism, bigotry, fear, selfishness and belligerent religiosity. Their recent attempt to make lying legal on Canadian television by trying to repeal Canada's Radio Act is a stark admission that right-wing political ideology can only dominate national debate through dishonest propaganda.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Truth in Broadcasting

Fox News does not air in Canada. They could. But they don't. Why? Because Canada has a law that forbids lying in broadcast news. Canada's Radio Act requires that "a licenser may not broadcast ... any false or misleading news." The provision has kept Fox News and right-wing talk radio out of Canada and helped Canadians enjoy high quality news coverage.
In a recent move to bring a 'Fox News North' to Canada an attempt to repeal the law was organized. They tried to repeal a law that says please don't lie when you report news. When their efforts failed they dropped their plans to launch their "news' network.
Really nothing more need be said.
Save perhaps; after witnessing the 'reporting' coming from Wisconsin by Fox News recently, the lies, distortions, and deliberate falsifications, a similar law in this country seems overdue.

A Recipe

Eisenhower was right
The Military Industrial Complex was a recipe for disaster
But the recipe needs updating

The Military - Corporate - Congressional - Complex
Here's the recipe:
1. Create the ultimate boogie man that never goes away by subjecting generations of peoples to your greed, aggression and willingness to destroy lives and cultures.
2. Declare war in perpetuity against him and terrorism in general.
3. Add in 1 trillion dollars a year to fund it all
4. Stir
Now enjoy  the largest transfer of money from the middle class to the 'elite' ultra-wealthy since feudal Europe.

The Circus Music Plays On

I wonder if Katie Couric and her counterparts at the other corporate network 'news' organizations are at all embarrassed by the contrast between their reporting and the facts now glaringly available by any number of sources on the internet.
Witness their 'reporting' on recent events in Wisconsin.
It's clear these people allow their marketing folks into the newsroom but only after getting their major talking points from on high. Edward R Murrow is rolling in his grave. These people are overpaid clowns. Creepily funny if it weren't for the damage they do.

A CEO, a union leader, and a tea bagger

A CEO, a union leader, and a tea bagger were sitting at at table with 12 cookies on a plate.
The CEO took 11 cookies.
He then leaned over to the tea bagger and whispered - 'Watch this union guy, he may try to take part of your cookie.'

Dignity, Responsibility and Trust in the Reporting of Our News

If you want to see the end of the sort of irresponsible and distorted reporting coming from Wisconsin by Fox 'News' as of late, simply pass a law making it illegal for a news organization to lie or deliberately distort their reporting. In their zeal to union bash Fox News reporters are vilifying third grade teachers while strongly supporting the idea that government should be able to prevent United States citizens from assembling and organizing so as to better bargain. Apparently not satisfied with what is actually happening in Wisconsin they are lying and deliberately falsifying their reporting to 'prove' their points. This is not a freedom of speech issue. Canada and most of Europe already have laws ensuring that news organizations be held to a reasonable expectation of truthfulness and responsibility. Time to do the same here at home.

2012 - Change We Can Live With

Charles Ferguson's documentary, Inside Job, reveals that our current recession was avoidable; that it was caused almost entirely by greed and dishonesty, and assigns proper blame. I predict the fallout will be immense - after all a lot of people lost their life savings and their homes for no good reason.

As a justifiable rage builds in response to this documentary, the focus will at long last be on the slime at the Fed, Wall Street and Washington DC - not on teachers and unions. Watch the rats scurry as the cover is lifted and people realize the depths of their greed and abuse of power.

Those long practiced in political response will rapidly make it seem as if they have been outraged all along - never mind. That's what politicians do. But have no doubt, this will rock their worlds. Some on Wall Street will go to jail, some will be ruined. The fate of the politicians that were willing to allow it to happen and/or to have it go unpunished? Think 2012. 

Life is Hell and Then We Live Forever

As long as we have biologic bodies there will be death.
But there will come a day, sooner than one may imagine, where we will have the scientific understanding and technical ability to avoid aging and disease, and then to encapsulate life outside the biologic.
Somehow we need to find the strength to put up with all of this until that day comes, at which point we can look forward to suffering eternally.