Sunday, January 15, 2012

For the sake of diversity do we tolerate ignorance? Absolutely not.

The USA has a very low test for tolerance of difference. Simply because religious dogma indicates racism is permitted does not mean it is tolerated by the greater society.

....Again, (click title to entry - thank you) there seem to be an awful lot of parallels between Mormonism and Christianity. Then I researched the racist angle. Before 1978, Blacks weren't non-existent but pretty scarce in the Mormon faith for their doctrines did teach that Black men could not be ordained into positions of power like the priesthood. Today, there is a reported 500,000 members of African descent in the Mormon Church throughout North and South America, namely in the Genesis Group, a group that existed before the 1978 ban was lifted....

Is anger inappropriate when confronting the topic of intolerance, bigotry or racism. Absolutely not. Sometimes it takes a sincere expression of disgust to shake loose the social 'mind think.' Racism is powerful and lives are effected. When lives are affected for no justifible reason, anger would be more than the emotion when reality is realized and the truth revealed.

Racism is power.

One of the very common reasons for racism to arise is the need for a "scapegoat". If things are going badly many people’s natural reaction is to blame somebody else. This is exactly what often causes racism, if the unemployment is rising or the national economy is very weak, many people will look for a scapegoat to blame, and in most cases they will choose the people that they do not know, such as those with a different ethnical or cultural background.

The permissiveness of racism taints the image of the USA to allies. There is simply no excuse.

The Many forms of Racism (click title to entry - thank you)

By FLORO L. MERCENE

January 15, 2012, 10:43pm

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the thin veneer of civilized behavior, racism still exists in America in many forms today.
Here’s an example of an article appearing on the Internet.

“Many people in the US continue to have some prejudices against other races. In the view of the US Human rights Network, discrimination permeates all aspects of life in the United States, and extends to all communities of color.

“Discrimination against African Americans, Latin Americans, and Muslims is widely acknowledged. Members of every major American ethnic minority have perceived racism in their dealings with other minority groups,” according to a study entitled Racism in America....

Residual Racism. Hatred is a strong emotion, a form of self-preservation, a survival instinct. Good excuse as any.

...An internationally recognized expert (click here) on the subject who received a MacArthur Fellowship for his work, Zeskind ties together seemingly disparate strands—from neo-Nazi skinheads, to Holocaust deniers, to Christian Identity churches, to David Duke, to the militia and beyond. Among these elements, two political strategies—mainstreaming and vanguardism—vie for dominance. Mainstreamers believe that a majority of white Christians will eventually support their cause. Vanguardists build small organizations made up of a highly dedicated cadre and plan a naked seizure of power. Zeskind shows how these factions have evolved into a normative social movement that looks like a demographic slice of white America, mostly blue-collar and working middle class, with lawyers and Ph.D.s among its leaders.

When the Cold War ended, traditional conservatives helped birth a new white nationalism, most evident now among anti-immigrant organizations. With the dawn of a new millennium, they are fixated on predictions that white people will lose their majority status and become one minority among many. The book concludes with a look to the future, elucidating the growing threat these groups will pose to coming generations....

The Republicans' Rancid and All-Too-American Dance With Racism (click title to entry - thank you)

Sun, 01/15/2012 - 12:13 — Anonymous

by:

Linn Washington Jr.

As the racist rhetoric oozes from Republican presidential candidates, why are comments contained in Ron Paul newsletters from the 1980s and 1990s being widely considered more offensive than current bigoted banter uttered by Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum?...

Generational change helps.

Of course, what Granny is saying is that if people are gay they automatically have a different emotional content and could never relate to the'heterosexual' event of pregnancy.

According to Granny, only heterosexuals have the biological drive for parental love.

Cultural consistency in respecting others makes it clear there is not much difference between people. In this case, respect for adults included all adults, not just those racially preferred in the house. No superiority. Simply diverse.

...My paternal grandmother (click here) had an African American woman who came to clean her house weekly. She did not hire her because grandma was wealthy, which she was not, but rather due to infirmity. It was just a big help to have someone come and do the heavy cleaning.

I do not remember the lady’s name, but I do remember that I was not permitted to call her, or any other adult, by a first name. I do remember that her first name was Peggy, because I called her that once and got in a decent amount of trouble for it. She was not a maid; she was a person who sold a service, which my grandparents purchased weekly....

Was the mission ever so sweet?

Ending Racism (click title to entry - thank you)

Building Bridges is a volunteer organization founded to overcome racism through compelling dialogue, community building and a call to action.

The social struggle against racism and bigotry has never really ended in the USA. Besides the continuing bias against minorities, there is the NEW enemy, "Muslim Fear and Hatred." The beat goes on.

...Nearly 20 years ago, (click here) Building Bridges of Asheville initiated this program to give people of different races opportunities for frank discussions about racism; to explore and clarify their own beliefs and biases, and their complicity in racism; to understand and respect differing perspectives and experiences; to build honest relationships; and to experience the social and spiritual aspects of racial reconciliation.

“Why is this work still necessary in 2012?” some people ask. “After all, we have a black president; in fact Obama won North Carolina in 2008 by a small margin. Asheville elected an African-American mayor.” Many white people claim that Asheville, N.C., is racially progressive....• The median net worth among white families is twenty times that of black families—a difference of over $100,000.

• Even when a black person has a college degree, he or she is nearly twice as likely as a white person to be unemployed.

• Even when their credentials are the same, a white man with a criminal record is more likely to be called back for a job interview than a black man without a record.

• Two-thirds of people in jails and prisons are black and brown, while only a third are white....

It's Sunday Night

Ike Reilly - Girls in the Backroom

B.I.G.O.T. by Ike Reilly (official website - click title to entry - thank you)

Pour the old wine, from a new skin
take your loose talk and spread it on a wheat thin
I heard the news, that you're the next big thing
they breed in Switzerland. they know from modeling

You gotta breed a better bigot for the band
You gotta breed a better bigot for the band
You gotta breed a better bigot
gotta stick your head in it
get the sparkle in the finish
and breed a better bigot for the band

Back at the art school, they speak in pastels
they draw in present tense, they drink from ink wells
he was a loner, he moved like a nursery rhyme
smelled like dirty hair and art school turpentine
once at a truck stop, I read the good news
it turned my old boots, it gave me new views
it turned my dead fish, into bisqwik
fry my chicken into some kind of pacifist
I'll take the anti-freeze,
you get the jerk beef
I'll get the rolaids,
you get some relief
I bought a cassette,
a compilation
it was Carrottop and Richard Petty back by operation, sayin

breed a better bigot for the band
You gotta breed a better bigot for the band
You gotta breed a better bigot
gotta stick your head in it
get the sparkle in the finish
and breed a better bigot for the band

Took my money to the banks for display
stood on a river bridge and waited for a jetstream
tossed my cash, watched my fortune blow away
all alone on a holiday
As my cash blows, as my luck goes
as my peace grows, as my priest knows
that my god shows, up in some strange clothes
and how it feels so, unpredictable
lookin down the river for a tree to call a casket
saw a baby in the water, floatin in a basket
he was a salesmen, god how he closed me
he never knew me, god how he knows me
dry scales fly in the Illinois wind
from that big fat fish that just flopped in

You couldn't breed a better bigot for the band
You couldn't breed a better bigot for the band
You couldn't breed a better bigot
if you stuck your head in it
get the sparkle in the finish
and breed a better bigot for the band

I'm part of nothing, I wish I was though
part of something bigger than myself now
I'm part of nothing, I wish I was though
part of something bigger than myself now
I'm part of nothing, I wish I was though
part of something bigger than myself now
I'm part of nothing, I wish I was though
part of something bigger than myself now

Low wages for citizens creates an intractible government failure.

2007 and 2008 Federal Tax Schedule

The states and the federal government are facing record debt, but, it didn't happen overnight.

There are innumerable graphs and tables that illustrate the fall in wages in the USA. It is no coincidence the states and federal government increased their debts as the wages of the Middle Class deterioriated.

There is this really odd 'mind speak' of the political right wing stating "40% pay 60% of the taxes." Percentages lend themselves to interesting observations, but, to realize how there is a sincere fall in income in the Middle Class of the USA and therefore 'the tax base' while the wealthy Americans got wealthier and therefore ? may ? have paid more taxes obviously points to this convenient 'criticism of the ungrateful' Middle Class and Poor. The comparision is not valid, it is victimizing and will allow more abuse of those already effected.

There is a real danger in minimizing wages. It is why the Minimum Wage is so important. The Minimum Wage forces higher pay rates to be moved upward as well. But, to allow Wall Street to minimize wages to American Labor what occurs is a huge shift in the income to the USA Treasury. That is especially true when one realizes there are income tax benefits to the wealthier that are never adjusted to bring the nation's income into viability rather than decline.

There is a cost for a nation's sovereignty and it is not simply the ability to 'buy guns' to defend the borders.

When citizens do well financially, the nation is more secure. When citizens do well their government treasuries are easy to balance. When citizens do well and their treasuries are full, their tax rates can then come down. When citizens do well, not just the USA is more secure, but, the 'baseline' for Wall Street is assured.

The compare and contrast of South Carolina to Massachusetts is a very good look at how conservativism fails citizens.

Besides the lady with needs that received $20+ in cash.

Both are 'original colony' states. (13 original colonies) (click here)

Under the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the category of "All Occupations": (click title to entry - thank you)

Massachusetts "Mean Hourly Wage" is $20.13. (click here)

South Carolina "Mean Hourly Wage" is $14.33 (click here)

Through the centuries Massachusetts invested in the future with interventions of government. They built their reputations, their sustainability as a community and the expertise of their labor force through infrastructure investment. Not necessarily roads and bridges infrastructure, but, education and strengthening the social net for citizens to be uplifted by their investments.

The educational system in Massachusetts surpasses many in the nation, but, that is especially true of the impoverished Bible Belt. The South.

Historically, the two states are very, very different and I won't beleaguer the point, but, destroying the social safety net in South Carolina served the wealthy while abandoning the poor. That is the truth about conservative principles. The wealth serves the wealthy because they can more efficiently spend monies normally assigned to 'the common good' on expanding their wealth.

And at the same time, the impoverished are eternally grateful for the crumbs tossed to them from the wealthy in any expansion that requires human labor. Not that labor practices were the best, but, the fact that the poor now had 'something' rather than 'nothing' was viewed as a real economic boom for them. Equity of 'quality of life' doesn't matter when 'life itself' is based completely in capitalism. So, to remain alive and have 'some' quality is better than none.

The 'endearment' of poverty to the citizens makes for 'a good habit' as 'righteous people' are always grateful for their life on Earth until they are delivered. Simple life, for simple folks. No education required, just a strong back.

The economic histories of the two states are as varied as their chronological histories. Those histories have delivered very, very different citizens with very different value systems and very different desperation for 'any' life vs 'quality' of life. That is the paradigm the unions run into in the Bible Belt. Employees are estranged from empowerment and only rely on their ability to deliver 'a product' no matter what that product might be. So, income is 'nice' but other 'substandard' practices in business means there are 'items' such as houses, clothing (imports) and furniture available for the purchase.

The average conservative citizen is exposed to 'cheapened' lives in order to 'have life.'

It is a lot to realize that Progressives, Liberals and whatever name anyone wants to attach to those that value 'all boats rising' in eqivalent 'esteem' based on 'a minimum of quality;' that may not be 'business OPPORTUNISTIC' and exploitative; actually have sounds values and historical proof about why government 'of, by and for' the people really works.

Romney advocates "Deep Pockets" as a solution for the unemployed.

That is a typical reaction to impoverishment by Republicans. They throw their own personal money at it. They have to approve of the charity, so if it is at all tainted 'blue' there is just no chance. Having cancer is an equal opportunity offender so I don't know where that stands.

Posted at 07:50 PM ET, 01/14/2012

Mitt Romney gives cash to financially struggling woman at South Carolina rally (click here)

By Philip Rucker

SUMTER, S.C. – Presidential candidates hear tales of woe all the time on the campaign trail. But rarely does one respond by pulling cash out of his back pocket to help a struggling voter pay her bills....

South Carolina is new territory for Willard. His supporters in Iowa averaged an income of over $100,000. New Hampshire is the bedroom community 'up north' from Massachusetts. As soon as he arrive in South Carolina he stated he was especially worried about the poor. He thought it outrageous the top 5% of the nation ignored the needs of the 95%. HE doesn't believe only 1% is the problem, it has to be at least 5%. Dam the research about it. Father knows best.

For some unknown reason, the supporters son, age 26 with a chronic illness, does not sufficient funds to pay all his bills. How about that.

Willard is having a problem. He is visiting with every available VFW and military affiliation in South Carolina he can find. South Carolina is a new reality for Willard Romney. He has been alienated from poverty. Massachusetts takes care of its needy. They look after the disadvantaged. All that 'mess' is not common place in Massachusetts as it is in South Carolina. So, he is getting his feet wet. I can't believe his answer to the unemployed is throw cash at it. It sounds like he believes in extended unemployment benefits.

I doubt $20 + US will solve the unemployed woman's problems. In true Republican form, she was immediately put to work as a campaign volunteer for the monies she received. I hope circumstances improver in South Carolina, the state of Nicki Halley, Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint right along with Tea Party House members.

Posted: Saturday, 14 January 2012 7:39PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican (click title to entry - thank you) presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened a wide lead over his rivals in the South Carolina primary election race, trouncing Newt Gingrich and gaining momentum in his march toward the party's nomination, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, could all but quash his rivals' presidential aspirations with a victory in South Carolina on January 21 after winning the first state-by-state nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Voters in South Carolina - who have favored Republicans in nine of the last 10 presidential elections - appear to have shrugged off attacks on Romney by rivals who accuse him of killing jobs as a private equity executive for Bain Capital in the 1990s.

The poll showed 37 percent of South Carolina Republican voters back Romney. Congressman Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum tied for second place with 16 percent support....

Saturday, January 14, 2012

10 years of Gitmo. I look at it this way. Republicans made an investment for the next petroleum deal.

If it worked for BP and the UK, it should work for the USA and Halliburton.

...Under (click at title to entry - thank you) international law _ which the US was very instrumental in helping to frame _ all human beings, regardless of their citizenship, are entitled to basic liberties and the due process of law. At the heart of the Guantanamo issue is the question of whether the fight against terror justifies or even requires the suspension of these accepted international standards....

...The biggest drawback to the establishment of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre is that in the end it has probably created many more enemies for the US and its allies than it ever took off the ''battlefields'' of the war on terror, and this is an issue that affects the entire world.

America's standing in the world has been severely damaged in the last 10 years not because of the attacks on the World Trade Center, but by the way it chose to react to the attacks, and in many ways this has left a moral void around the globe. The concept of inalienable human rights and justice for all was explicitly and eloquently written into the US constitution and has served as a model for other democracies around the world....

Friday, January 13, 2012

Strange circumstances for an Irish Setter.

They are beautiful dogs. I never owned one, but, a good friend did. They have a lot of energy. As a matter of fact they could be called "High Energy Dogs."

Introducing Seamus Romney, 'Mr. Personality' (click title to entry - thank you)

Posted by Scott Helman, Political Reporter July 10, 2007 06:10 PM

By Neil Swidey
Globe Staff

Seamus, Mitt Romney's now departed Irish setter, has attracted worldwide attention in the two weeks since the Globe recounted a roof-top ride he made from Boston to Canada back in 1983....

Dogs really have to fit their owners otherwise it could make for problems.

Right Breed for You? (AKC post - click here)
A rollicking breed, the Irish Setter is high-energy and requires regular exercise. His outgoing and stable personality make him a favorite with families. Their long, glossy red coat, although beautiful, must be groomed regularly to prevent snarls or mats.

A twelve hour ride for any dog in a crate without relief from its biological functions is a long time. Even when dogs are shipped in these crates via airlines, they are exercised and kept warm and dry for their journey.

The children probably were a good fit for Seamus. The problem enters when the dog is locked in a questionably legal sized kennel to be transported without any concern for its comfort.

Type/size of Kennel (click here)

The kennel must be sturdy, properly ventilated, and, most importantly, must be large enough for the animal to freely sit and stand with its head erect, turn around, and lie down in a normal posture. To prevent accidental injury, no part of the animal's body can protrude through any openings in the kennel. For this reason, kennels made exclusively from wire are not accepted.

Super Size Kennels

Continental can transport dogs in "Giant" crates/kennels (700 series) whose dimensions do not exceed 48" L x 32" W x 35" H (121 cm X 68 cm X 89 cm). We can load these crates on most Boeing aircraft, but will need permission to alternately route any 700 kennels booked on smaller aircraft such as the 737-300 and 737-500. All bookings must be coordinated through the Live Animal Desk at 1.800.575.3335 or 281.553.5052....

To realize there was brown liquid coming down the side of the station wagon indicates there was not only feces in the kennel with the Setter, but, urine as well. Urine burns the skin and can cause open sores if not cleaned soon after the exposure. The long hair probably protected the Setter's skin for a while, but, once it was wet I am sure the dog was uncomfortable and feeling it more as time went by.

I guess years ago people got away with this stuff, however, today if there was a kennel on the roof of a car carrying an English Setter it would draw attention from police and animal control officials.

Romney is a real jerk. Certifible. The dog belonged in the car with the family. The dog needed to be walked at least every two hours and given water as frequently. Amazing.

See here they go again, only a few days ago. They should try jet skis if they like riding those 'wake waves' so much.

U.S. Navy Face-Off with Iran Speed Boats ACTUAL VIDEO!!!!!!

This was 2008. The Iranian Speed Boats are always confused about stuff. Someday, someone is going to get killed.

US Navy Rescues Iranian Boat From Pirates

Too much 'Psy-Ops' training?

January 13, 2012 7:44 AM

(CBS News)

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (click title to entry - thank you) described video that apparently shows U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan as "deplorable" on Thursday.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports all four Marines in the video have now been identified, and could face charges after the military completes its investigation into the incident.

As investigators begin the job of determining who is guilty of what crime, the Marines are asking themselves a more basic question: "What made these guys think they could get away with this?"

The four Marines pictured in the video were members of a 1,000-man battalion that recently completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and returned to Camp LeJuene, North Carolina, where they apparently started showing the video around as a war trophy....

President Obama has been consolidating federal authority since he took office.

By David Nakamura and Ed O’Keefe

Updated: Friday, January 13, 11:38 AM

President Obama asked Congress on Friday (click title to entry - thank you) for the power to consolidate parts of the federal government, proposing a first step of merging several trade- and commerce-related agencies under a plan that the White House said could eliminate more than 1,000 jobs and save $3 billion over 10 years.

Obama said he wanted to get rid of myriad duplications and inefficiencies — including having five different entities involved in housing, and more than a dozen agencies that regulate food safety....

...In his recent State of the Union Address, (click here) President Obama pledged to eliminate and consolidate duplicative programs, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report just this month finding the federal government could save hundreds of billions of dollars by eliminating duplication and overlap.

The federal government wastes more than $100 billion a year on programs with duplicative and overlapping missions, according to an analysis based upon the findings of the recent GAO report entitled "Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue."...

REDUCING INEFFICIENT DUPLICATION SAVES MONEY WITHOUT CUTTING ESSENTIAL SERVICES (click here)

The GAO report provides a blueprint outlining how Congress could save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year without cutting essential services.
Smart consolidations will improve service.

GAO identified a number of areas where consolidation would improve services and save hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. These include:

• DOD/VA electronic health record systems. Although the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), for example, "have many common health care business needs, the departments have begun separate modernizations of their electronic health records systems. Reduced duplication in this area could save system development and operation costs while support higher-quality health care for service members and veterans."...

Oh, this is beautiful. This is absolutely beautiful

First the pathetic of the financial markets are bailed out by Europe, hoard all the cash and now S&P is downgrading France and Austria.

What the hell?

The EURO is losing some value and now nations are going to be forced to pay higher interest rates.

This is outrageous. Who do they think they are? Nothing like biting the hand that feeds Wall Street.

...The euro has plunged against the dollar, amid rumours that the credit-ratings agency Standard & Poor's is poised to downgrade several eurozone countries later today, including France.

The euro declined sharply against the dollar, to below $1.27, as the reports swirled around Europe's financial markets.

The move, which was first signalled by S&P before Christmas, could plunge financial markets into fresh turmoil, just as a relatively successful bond auction by Italy this morning had raised hopes that the worst of the sovereign debt crisis was over.

The loss for France of its treasured AAA status would be a blow to the economic credibility of Nicolas Sarkozy, who must stand for re-election later this year.

Reuters quoted a "senior eurozone source" as saying that several countries were about to be downgraded. France's public finances are viewed as vulnerable if Europe has to bail out more eurozone members in the coming months, perhaps including Italy or Spain. Governments have to be given advance warning by ratings agencies of any sovereign rating downgrade....

I swear this is a plot against sovereignty. This is EXACTLY what they did in the USA. Exactly the same. Where is the investigation of the fiscal assault against national security of these nations

In 2008 the USA bailed out the financial sector, now four years later the exact MO is used for huge bailouts AGAIN. Where in 2016 if not before, Asia? When is Australia going to be tapped for money? Then what is the next 'operation' to SCAM monies from national treasuries?

The United Nations has to chime in on this. This is incredibly incidious to not just national security, but, global security. What is next, Zillionaires?

ENOUGH!

Nations need to leverage taxes against the markets and a good place to start is the tax on transactions ! Nations have to pay down their debt and they need to fashion a manner to do it and expediently within reason. Citizens are headed into poverty and tax bases are shrinking into the ZERO-ZONE!!!!

"Found Money" - Republican Representative Jef Miller wants to spend it. What happened to reducing the national debt?

No, no, no. These monies belong to traverlers in the USA. They are donations. The monies go to pay down the national debt. Here again, are Republicans really committed to paying down the debt or simply playing politics at every turn?\

...Airline passengers leave about $400,000 a year in coins they forget to — or choose not to — take with them as they scramble to catch flights, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

In 2010, that loose change amounted to $409,085.56. That's $376,480.39 in dollar coins, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies, plus foreign currency worth $32,605.17....

...Republican (click title to entry - thank you) Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida wants to change that.

Legislation he's proposing would give the money to the United Service Organizations to help operate their welcome centers for U.S. military personnel around the globe.

"Allowing TSA to keep unclaimed taxpayer money for any and all purposes is an egregious breach of its duty to the public that it serves," Miller wrote in a recent letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y. "This money should be put to good use, and there is no better organization to use this money wisely than the USO."...