Monday, August 29, 2011

Rick Perry for President? Buyer beware...and be scared! (by anon)

So I heard about this Rick Perry guy recently and after finding out he was ahead in the polls, meaning he could possibly be elected president in the not so far away future, I decided to do a little research to find out why this guy was so popular (and why my mom thought he was an alright guy). Here’s some stuff I found out:

1) He’s a good Christian who supports banning gay-marriage and abortion. He would like to see Creationism taught along side Evolution in schools (although he supposedly thinks the government shouldn't have a role in education...)
2) He has created a lot of jobs, and will (somehow) create millions more once he becomes president.
3) He wants to keep government spending and federal regulations to a minimum (advocates for smaller government).
4) He has cut a lot of taxes (property & small business).
5) He is really into defense and securing our borders.

He doesn't sound too bad so far I guess.

6) He does not believe that humans are causing climate change, thus does not support spending for new technology/research for alternative energy and such. He also claims that scientists falsify information (because of an agenda to get money for projects) to spread the lie that we are causing global warming.
7) He once signed an executive order that required young girls to get the HPV vaccine (it didn’t go through).
8) He wants to save spending by putting a freeze on all regulations (like those of the FDA and EPA for example).

It gets worse:

8) He is highly funded by the oil companies.
9) He met with the Bilderberg group, which from what I’ve gathered is made up of international banking and corporate elitists who supposedly have secret plans to make major changes such as creating a union between Canada, U.S., and Mexico, and even a “New World Order”. These could be mere conspiracies, but I would not call them impossibilities.
10) The reason for number 7 above - he received money, as a lobbying effort, from the pharmaceutical company marketing the vaccine. He has reversed his stance now that he is running for president (a lot of Christians were unhappy with his previous actions, but now they see how he was just concerned for humanity, and he made a mistake by signing the order, so he will still have their vote).
11) He talks about creating a lot of jobs and keeping government small, but he’s created twice as many public jobs as private jobs.
12) His “moratorium on all regulations” could really hurt us – here’s what it said on thinkprogress.org:
***
ThinkProgress’ Brad Johnson writes about Rick Perry’s Tea Party-esque call for a halt to all federal regulations:
“We’re sending out a request today asking President Obama to put a moratorium on all regulations,” Perry said on WHO radio in Iowa, recorded live by ThinkProgress.
Under such a moratorium, the Food and Drug Administration would stop approving new drugs and preventing human experimentation; the USDA would stop checking for food safety; the EPA would stop monitoring for poisons in drinking water; the Library of Congress would stop loaning materials to blind people; the NTSB would stop investigating airplane accidents; HHS would end Medicare payments; no more patents, copyrights, or trademarks would be issued; DHS would stop protecting chemical facilities from terrorist attacks; the Treasury would stop printing currency; financial sanctions on hostile nations like North Korea and Iran would end; and the Federal Reserve System would shut down.
***
Go to the source here for more information like this: http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/

Getting scared yet? I am. The more information I’m looking up about this guy, the more fake and ultimately threatening I find him to be. He seems to be getting pushed through the mainstream right-wing media and people could very well be inclined to vote for him. On his campaign site it says everything he wants to do, but does not explain how he is going to do anything, which is rather frightening. All it says is how he can create jobs, cut taxes, cut spending, and increase security. As far as healthcare – he thinks in order to get everyone healthcare, jobs must be created so more people can take advantage of employer sponsored health insurance. Another thing that I read on his campaign page that bothered me was the phrase, “peace through strength”.

I may have only barely scratched the surface with my research, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’m terrified. I’m terrified that this guy will become president, and some really bad things will happen. I believe this man isn’t honest, and I believe he has a lot to hide. I’m not buying what he’s selling – he’s a dirty politician, and clearly his whole image is a façade.  It has even been said that he is a “pseudo-Tea Partier” (he just wants the tea-party followers’ votes) and just another puppet controlled by the higher international powers. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing – he could look good to many conservatives on the surface, but upon deeper investigation, this guy could make some drastic changes happen for the worse, and we could all be in really deep shit before we know it. Look at history – things like this have happened before. What we don’t see as a threat could suddenly creep up on us and change our lives forever; we must not let ourselves be fooled.

Maybe I’m just super paranoid, overreacting, and crazy, but I honestly think we need to wake up and realize we’re not in dreamland; this is real danger we are facing. Please do the research – see the link I posted above, find out more on your own and make the call for yourself – the right information is out there, we just have to dig deep and wide to find the pieces and then connect them to create a bigger picture, and then collaborate on what that picture truly is.

Here is a link to a video (take it or leave it, it’s about conspiracies, still interesting, yet perhaps not entirely true as all conspiracies tend to be somewhat far-fetched…):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBuok2h9NSo&feature=share

And remember - it’s better to have the illusion of danger than the illusion of safety.   

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Life after death is impossible (by anon)


I cannot but help to respond to this comment on an earlier post.  The commenter says,

*******
…let me step in the middle of this argument about the "spiritual" world. I noticed the attempt to drive the opposition into submission by providing only two "possible" scenarios and forcing to choose between them. This is neither scientific nor reasonable. In most natural problems there can be near infinite possibilities, and to attempt to funnel it down to two for the sake of winning an argument is downright foolish…

…some people assert the foolishness of others' belief in a supreme being. It is equally foolish to state the lack of one. I'm not trying to say that there is one, or that there isn't one. What I'm really trying to say is that I don't know, and neither do you.  No amount of debate is going to change that.
*******

Ok, let me ask: should we believe that there is such a thing as a round square?  Notice that I am setting up potentially two sides, those who believe that there are round squares and those who believe there aren’t round squares.  Is this bad?  Not particularly since the side one should belong to is the last one.  People should not believe that there are round squares because they are impossible in virtue of the definition.  One can talk all one wants about infinite possibilities of things, but in this case a round square is impossible given definitions.  Period.

Now back to life after death.  If one sets up that life after death is a “spiritual” life AND that “spiritual” means that it is not earthly or physical, then BY DEFINITION one must say that life after death is impossible.  Here’s why.

1.    To say that one lives after death in a spiritual form is to say that one is still living somewhere after physical death.
2.    “Spiritual” means non-physical or non-material.  And this means that a spiritual being cannot have any spatial or temporal dimensions.
3.    To say that one is still living somewhere implies both spatial and temporal dimensions.  “Somewhere” implies some kind of location, some kind of point where something is, and this is a spatial dimension.  To “live” already implies some kind of subsistence from one moment to another.  There is then a temporal dimension.
4.    A contradiction arises between points 2 and 3 by definition ALONE.  That is why it is so confusing to ask, given the definition of point 2, where will I go when I die?  The only possible response is “nowhere” since it is a contradiction to say anything else.
5.    Therefore, life after death is impossible given the definition of point 2.  It is impossible just like the existence of a round square.
So one can jabber over infinite possibilities and the limits of knowledge, but that just doesn’t apply here.  I can well admit that I do not know everything.  Yet, I do know my definitions and how to use logic.  This is not anti-religion by any means.  It is just responsible philosophy.

The more interesting question to me is whether we change point 2 in some way.  What if “spiritual” means something like dark matter or energy (whatever that might really mean)?  Of course, the questions then become (a) where will I actually go then?, (b) is “heaven” actually findable?, (c) is God really living someplace?, (d) how would I still be conscious, and (e) how would I still be myself?  To these questions, I have no answers.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Oh my, how the time flies (by anon)

Alright, this is something that has been bugging me for a long time now. Does anyone ever wonder about how weird the concept of time is? Whenever we're actually thinking about it, time moves unbelievably slowly, but whenever we're not, hours, days, even weeks can pass within the blink of an eye. Think about a round clock with the seconds hand. Have you ever stared at a clock for a full minute and wondered to yourself, "Where did the last three months go?" I think it's astonishing how quickly time moves when we don't think about it.

Does time exist?  Is it all in our heads?  Would heaven and hell have the same time rates, or would heaven go fast and hell go slow?  I'm just asking.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Should you be a Democrat or a Republican?...It's all a matter of perspective... (by anon)


Lately there has been a huge battle when it comes to the idea of having political parties.   Is it true that one party is correct over the other?  Is it true that one party is the good guy over the bad guy?  Or is it a matter of perspective on whose right or whose wrong?  Or are both political parties completely wrong or are both political parties completely right?  I argue that regardless of what political perspective, political ideology, or political party that you are.  It’s important to focus on perspective to see both sides of the coin.

The political parties that we are talking about here as many of us know are the republicans and the democrats.   Team red verses team blue and team blue against team red.   The goal and objective of the party from my perspective is whoever has the most politicians standing on their side wins the match?   Is that right, is that wrong?   Is it a good thing to have power or is it completely evil?     

The republicans have been historically known to cut spending when it comes to fiscal policy and they are known to try to act very morally on a social level in where many are against things such as having abortions and legalizing gay marriage.   However a lot of people argue that they love businesses and love helping out the rich.   However it’s a matter of perspective remember, because on the reverse side republicans are known to cut taxes so that more Americans have more money in their pocket to stimulate the economy and to pay bills.  But also if taxes are lowered for businesses at least they have more money to hire more people on.

The democrats have been historically known to increase spending on social programs in the government to help for the best and the wellbeing of the people that may be disadvantaged or maybe they need help socially to get back into society and on the right track.  Many people enjoy that the democrats are willing to increase funding for many public programs.  One of the big things that democrats help with is increasing funding to public schooling which at least helps the typical college student when more Fafsa money can be available to them.  Then when it comes to social policy, democrats tend to believe from my perspective that everyone should have equal rights as everyone should have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.   However the biggest complaint about the democrats is that many people don’t want their taxes to increase any further and many people that are very religious think that the democrats are immoral providing equal freedom and equal rights when many democrats stand for legalizing gay marriage and abortion rights.

What is right and what is wrong?   It really depends on your perspective of what is right and what is wrong?  But from my personal standpoint both parties have offered great and not so great things to this country, whether that is health care, education, environmental, etc.   But what matters most is that regardless of what political affiliation.    It’s important to accept others even if they have similarities and differences.    All it takes is an idea to make something big and it is important to share your voice in what you believe and because we live in the land of the “free” at least you are able to vote your representatives in and out of office in order to find someone that represents your views the most.    It’s important to discuss ideas and possibly discuss new ideas as it’s important that both parties represent America because we are one country in where it’s important to work together.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Mainstream Hip Hop Music SUCKS! (by anon)

Okay, I drive an hour to and from work daily. One of the many genre's of music I appreciate listening to is rap, but not any rap, strictly conscious rap. Notice how I defined which type of rap I like listening to? Back in the day, no one had to do that, because rappers were actually really rapping. Now when I turn my radio on, all I hear is this crap that is backed up by a really nice sounding beat. What has the world come to? These fools are getting paid millions off of their chart topping tracks that consist of words that I could have probably pieced together in the 2nd grade.

Honestly, I'm not disrespecting every artist on the radio, because I know there are some real heads that are staying strong and rapping the way it's supposed to be. I can't begin to describe the songs of artists like Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Waka Flocka. I almost blame consumers for this outcome because this is the exact stuff people want from rap industries now. It's becoming all about what you can grind to at the club, or what has the hypest beat. I can curse in a song 1000 times in a row, or talk about gettin' money and how "fly" my car and necklace are, with even auto tune on, but if the beat is fresh, it will probably sell millions when given the right connections.

I'm just glad that underground hip hop is still alive and well. It doesn't trump this mainstream bull**** but at least people that are willing to actually listen to the lyrics can still get what they want. We need to get rid of this crap! It's poisoning the minds of the younger generation. These whack artists don't set a good example for kids. DRUGS, SEX, MONEY, CARS, MURDER, GANGSTERNESS, WOMEN, ETC is all I'm hearing coming out of these "popular" artists' mouths. I remember being into this crap back in middle school and high school. It was cool back then because we weren't educated on what good music is.

Many people even say rap just sucks in general, however, I respectfully disagree. You have to give something a chance before you completely rule it out. That's because people are basing their judgements on solely the crap that they've heard in mainstream. I recently converted my friend to appreciate conscious rap and he used to be a strict hater. You can easily find conscious rap by googling it. Try it out, and if you still don't like it, fine. I'm happy as long as you gave it a try.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Michelle Bachmann 2012…hear the word of the Lord (by anon)


A possible timeline of events to come.  Let’s keep this fictional.


August 13, 2011          Michelle Bachmann wins the Ames, Iowa Republican straw poll.  Her momentum surges among Republicans.

January 14, 2012         Rick Perry gets angry at a New Hampshire town meeting.  Shouts at people for criticism of his job record in Texas.  Perry support starts to wane.

February 6, 2012         Bachmann wins Iowa’s caucuses by slim margin over Perry.  Perry avoids media.

February 14, 2012       Bachmann wins New Hampshire primary in a landslide.  Goes on to sweep the remaining Republican primaries.

August 27, 2012          National Republican Convention elects Michelle Bachmann as their presidential candidate.  Every Evangelical and non-denominational church pledge their support.  Bachmann raises $100 million in September alone.  Her campaign slogan is “Hear the word of the Lord.”

October 31, 2012         In the prior days, Bachmann expresses disdain for Halloween for its secular nature.  Thousands of churches react to intimidate trick-or-treaters to remain home.  Four children are hurt in Gary, Indiana after forcible acts were used to suppress trick-or-treating.

November 6, 2012       Bachmann vs Obama.  Bachmann emerges the winner.  People claim the unemployment rate is to blame for Obama’s failed reelection bid.  Others grow worried over rising fundamentalism.  Republicans maintain control of the House and retake control of the Senate.

January 21, 2013         Bachmann is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.  Bachmann devotes the day to God.  Her speech is a ten-minute prayer to God for Him to watch over His people and illuminate how to bring everyone to Him.  She repeats, “Hear the word of the Lord.”

February 14, 2013       Pres. Bachmann signs her first bill to make homosexuality illegal.  Any person judged to be homosexual or engage in any homosexual acts can be arrested and tried.  Maximum penalty: one year in prison.  “Hear the word of the Lord.”

March 29, 2013           Pres. Bachmann signs her second bill to make all abortions illegal.  Any abortion constitutes murder and will be judged as such.  “Hear the word of the Lord.”

May 9, 2013                After a key trade deal falls through with China, Bachmann criticizes China for its ungodliness and vows that God is wrathful.

June 4, 2013                Months ahead of having to vote on raising the nation’s debt ceiling again, Bachmann has Congress draft an amendment saying that the US cannot raise its debt ceiling any higher than its current state.  Markets all over the globe crash in anticipation of a major US default.  “Hear the word of the Lord.”

August 22, 2013          BBC and AP report that the world has fallen into its first global depression.

October 21, 2013         Bachmann declares that Halloween should be illegal for its secular nature.  Fundamentalist America rises in cheer.

October 25, 2013         Congress passes a bill declaring Halloween illegal.  “Hear the word of the Lord.”

October 31, 2013         Riots break out in all major cities over the separation between church and state.  People cry that Bachmann has stepped over the line way too far this time.  Bachmann meets with major church leaders to discuss future.

December 10, 2013     With congressional and senate leaders, Bachmann christens the US Government as the official mouthpiece of God.  All other faiths and beliefs that do not recognize this christening are identified as enemies of God.

January 1, 2014           Bachmann declares a new year for America, the year of the Lord.  She says that tough decisions have to be made to insure the well-being of God’s people.  As a first step, California, Oregon, and Washington are severed from the Union.  They are declared too secular and liberal for a healthy America.  “Hear the word of the Lord.”

January 2, 2014           Massive protests erupt on the West Coast.  All military forces are called to handle the protests.  Four military personnel and two pastors are killed in the struggles.  Bachmann blames deaths on the ungodly.  She declares that bold measures must be enacted.

January 4, 2014           Military sends critical sonar signals down the San Andreas fault.  In a matter of months, 75% of the West Coast sinks below sea level.  Bachmann sends helicopters to save major church leaders.  She inaugurates a monthly radio broadcast called, “Hear the word of the Lord,” where she reads from the Bible.  Her first reading is Genesis 1-12.  She adds emphasis to the flood account.

January 5, 2014           World leaders are appalled.  The UN calls for Bachmann’s resignation or else military force would have to be used.  Bachmann refuses.

January 22, 2014         The UN countries attack the US.  In the name of the Lord, Bachmann authorizes a large-scale counter attack.

January 29, 2014         After a week of fighting, most of the US combat forces are in need of substantial repair.  Bachmann meets with church leaders to discuss path ahead.

February 1, 2014         DDAY-II.  Bachmann orders the launch of all US nuclear warheads upon all major European and Chinese cities.  The cities are decimated.  Massive radioactive clouds begin to spread over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

February 2, 2014         Radioactive clouds cover the planet.  All vegetation immediately dies from the rain.

February 3, 2014         Remaining scientists conclude that earth will be uninhabitable for at least a century.

February 4, 2014         Last transmission from the White House: “Hear the word of the Lord.”

February 7, 2014         My last transmission.


A fictional account.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The American Nightmare (by anon)

The American Dream is dead. What we're really living is an American Nightmare.  Here we have the illusion of freedom, while we are truly bound by invisible ties of the government, money, and society in general.

We must get a job in order to sustain ourselves and our future families, and we want one that pays well and is desirable, so we go to college, which is expensive, and unless we receive generous scholarships each year, are able to spend every minute of free time working a decently paid job, and/or have parents who are loaded, we're probably going to end up with some debt.

After four years or so, we graduate, and chances are, we're in a lot of debt, and our job options are extremely limited. We take a job that isn't our dream job because we have to make money somehow.

We try to save up so we can live on our own and pay off our debt. Marriage, along with starting a family, is also not far down the road, but unfortunately, it's going to be hard making enough to raise children and provide them a home, so whoever we marry will also have to work, and we can only hope daycare doesn't cancel too much of our income. Plus, we also have other expenses to consider such as utilities, a cell phone, a car, insurance, medical care, etc.

To save money for all this, we have to eat cheaply. The only things we can really afford are the processed and/or frozen foods packed with preservatives, MSG, artificial flavor/color, high fructose corn syrup, and about a hundred other chemical ingredients. Not to mention McDonald's has an appealing dollar menu.

Now we're stuck to an unhealthy diet due to a lack of funds. We gain weight, our skin breaks out, we get headaches, we can't sleep, and we're always tired. We skip breakfast and lunch, drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, and try a bunch of different products to help the bad skin, headaches, and sleeplessness. However, we continue to suffer from the side effects of our poor eating habits, so after we try some fad diets, weight-loss pills, and a plethora of over-the-counter drugs, we realize we're not going anywhere, while our money is. Finally we go to the doctor and discover we are overweight, developing stomach ulcers, and we have high blood pressure. After paying for the doctor visit, we pay for the drugs he/she prescribes us, and we start taking the pills. Somehow though, we aren't feeling much better, and the side effects are horrid.

Now we're really stressed out and anxious, as we see our health is deteriorating. Not to mention we have added stress from working a job that we don't enjoy, and worrying about bills and what the future will hold. Despite that we go to church and try to focus on how this is all part of God's plan, all of this anxiety builds up, and we wish we could get away. But we can't do it, so we choose the next best thing - a big screen TV, which we put on the credit card.

When the workweek ends, and we finally get paid, we want to have fun, so we go out and get drunk with everyone else on Friday night, because somehow, it helps us forget the day-to-day stress. Yet, we wake up the next day, and grimace, as we face reality again. And since we're afraid to buy/use pot because it's illegal, we stick to drinking, and it becomes a habit, and we slowly dread the days more and more.

As this continues, we get depressed, and realize that we're unhappy, and our relationships start to fall apart. We buy some crappy self-help books, and try meditating and following others' advice for how to live happily, but this endeavor is short-lived, as we still find ourselves in constant despair. While we're unsure of the actual causes for our sad state of mind, we decide to see a mental health professional, who says we have a "chemical imbalance" in our brain for which the cause is unknown, and prescribes us an anti-depressant. And we think, "this will be the cure".

Meanwhile, we're getting older, working an unsatisfying job, money is tight, we have a bunch of debt/bills to pay off, we're trying to own/maintain both a house and at least one car, we are killing ourselves with harmful food and drugs, we try to escape by zoning out in front of the TV and getting drunk, and to top it off, our relationships are failing. And we haven't even started a family yet.

While all of this is going on in our lives, we realize we are showing early signs of aging, our hair is thinning out, our teeth are getting yellow, our skin is drying out, it's hard to move around, and we feel tired, constipated, and sore. So we go to the local drug store and buy a product or two for each of these ailments, hoping they will fight the symptoms of living in America. Yet, one day we will discover that we must fight the cause rather than the symptoms, and we will finally leave this crumbling country to live a real life elsewhere, where we can truly be free, happy and wonderfully accommodated to pursue our dreams.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

You married your sister?! (by anon)


I know, gross, right?  Chances are that if you looked over at your spouse and made an honest assessment, she could pass as your sister.  And vice-versa.  If you have a male life-long partner, I bet he looks like he could be your brother.  Likewise, if you are in a LGBTQ relationship, your significant other is probably going to look like a sibling.

Really.  Take an honest memory tour of all the couples you know who are in serious relationships (marriage, civil unions, anything comparable).  I bet the two sides of each pair looks a lot like each other.  I encourage looking at the serious relationships because other relationships can be more experimental and flingy, allowing for more diversity.  But by the time one “settles down” a more deliberate choice is usually made. There will certainly be many exceptions to this rule, but the rule does seem to hold.  I am always amazed at how many couples look like each other.

Why am I saying this?  You are incestuous perverts!  No.  Actually, the reason is because we like the familiar.  After countless times looking into the mirror and seeing our own faces and bodies, and after the many hours spending time with one’s own family, we get used to a certain look.  We get used to the general style of attire we wear, we get used to our body skins and shapes, we get used to facial, speech, gesture, and social patterns.  Thus, when we finally pick someone we want to spend considerable life-long time with, we usually choose someone who fits those patterns.  We pick that person because he or she already feels right.  That person is familiar in all the ways your brother or sister might be familiar (just usually without all the sex stuff…hopefully…).

This doesn’t mean we are egoistical narcissists, I hope.  It just means that most of us aren’t comfortable venturing too far outside our comfort zones.  But that isn’t a bad thing.  It just is what it is.

Friday, August 5, 2011

'REEFER MADNESS' NEVER DIES (by Neo)

I am one of the stupid people who advocate decriminalization of Marijuana, and take note that I did not say 'legalization'. Although, if that were the case and taxes were the same as on cigarettes, it would certainly impact the National Debt debacle. In rebuttal to Mr. Thickskull, one should apply research before opining on any issue this volatile.

1) Gateway Drug is a fictitious term made up to scare the hell out of parents. Many people never try anything stronger, and taking a toke doesn't automatically make you crazy for greater highs. However, if a person does, the deeper implications are the why's of escaping unsatisfactory lives. It has little to do with addiction and more concerned with the psychological damage of trying to cram ourselves into boxes we don't fit or conditions not adequately addressed by the AMA. Not to mention that, when you're young, scaring the hell out of your parents is just a side benefit.

2) WebMD states that in one such study, researchers say about 2.5% of fatal crashes were attributable to marijuana compared with nearly 29% attributable to alcohol. There is no argument that both impair motor skills, but the stoner is more likely to grab the Twinkies and engage in a Star Wars (boxed set) marathon. And since it's been in use since at least the 1920's there have been no significant increases in pot-related, auto accidents.

3) Probably is some lung damage, but since the User isn't smoking 3 Pot Packs a day, comparing it to nicotine is 'apples and oranges'. I was a multiple drug addict in the 60's, using anything that didn't require a needle. And yes, I know how inane it is to be frightened of needles and not hard drugs! Due to an epiphany (much too long to detail here) I quit them all, cold turkey. I have quit smoking at least 27 times over the decades, and still can't give up cigs. If I ever do, I will be in front of the parade to ban that legal substance.

4) Pure myth, with as much veracity and proof as Harry Potter turning us all into Satanists. I would never forget to feed the cat, specially if he has the munchies.

5) Man, I can't think of anything wrong with those activities. 'Dangerously high levels of awareness'? Are you serious? And there's the proof to #1 - escaping whatever reality is!

6) A repeat of #2, and in grave error of making generalities. Cannabis affects different people in different ways. I had the habit of cleaning the entire house in a morning while high. It may appear as slowness, but is in fact focus. Further, not responding to inane questions or answering the phone is not always a bad thing.

7) First, consider the bias of 1923 thinking; second, no long term, definitive studies have been made to support your claims; and third, research is continuing into the benefits in treating (and some preventions)of AIDS, Alzheimer's, Anorexia, Arthritis, autism, cancer, chronic pain, Crohns, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, insomnia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Nausea, PTSD, seizures, and Tourettes Syndrome. As for those murderous thoughts, in all my years of imbibing, I never once witnessed a reenactment of Reefer Madness, nor heard of a man beating his wife while smoking pot. Can't say the same for legal drunks. Or prescription drugs. Anger is never an issue; we're too busy watching the colors of music.

8) Oddly, I had a couple of very successful careers and graduated with a BFA, summa cum laude, and constantly on the Dean's List while occasionally under the influence. Oh yeah, and of course Bill Clinton didn't inhale!

9) Again apples and oranges. Pot is simply a separate category, and I'm quite sure no advocate would support legalizing heroine or crack. Those really are harmful.

As for your final arguments, there is simply no proof to support your claims, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find even a smattering of the violent crimes attributed to legal alcohol with the same percentages being attached to pot. And while you're on medicinal marijuana, you've obviously never read (or experienced) the 4 page side effect warnings of pharmaceutical pain killers. And the mood enhancers, like Xanax, Prozac, etc.? They're the reason I have a life-long thyroid disease.

There is no downside to the recreational or medicinal marijuana user, aside from the moronic fact that we waste massive police time in persecution and the overcrowding of prisons with this nonsense. Today, 1 in 15 African-American children and 1 in 42 Latino children have a parent in prison, compared to 1 in 111 white children. In some areas, a large majority of black men – 55% in Chicago, for example – are labeled felons for life, and as a result, may be prevented from voting, accessing public housing, student loans and other public assistance, in large part due to racial profiling.

None of us is advocating wholesale drug dealing on playgrounds. We are saying that possession of small, personal amounts should not constitute the onus, punishment, and massive waste of time and money that it now does. We also don't go out shoving a doobie under a youngster's nose any more than we'd coerce your first Jello Shot. It's personal, private, and must be an adult decision.

Oh, and BTW, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' and 'Wizard of Oz' really DO work in sync!

Sincerely,
Neo

Monday, August 1, 2011

The Debt Ceiling, the Filthy Rich, and the Squeeze (by the red token)


You’re pretty stupid if you think this debt ceiling debacle is about you or me.  Chances are you are just like me and are nowhere near being wealthy.  We don’t count in this whole debt ceiling debate.  Sure, we will suffer if the debt ceiling is not raised: we will probably double-dip into another recession, interest rates will rise on all our loans, the world markets will stumble (hence worsening our situation), and your cat will croak.  But though we will curse our lame-ass government for not doing its job and wreaking havoc on us, we are not at the center of the debt ceiling debate.  The filthy rich are, and you should know how and why they are in a squeezy place right now.

We like to think that this society runs such that our legal system, our police, and our military are set up to defend all of us good citizens in the name of good ethics.  We want to believe that they are set in place to uphold communal morality, the rightful place of fairness, and the pursuit of everyone’s happiness.  Wrong.  It is set up to protect wealth, plain and simple.
·       For those who have plenty of wealth, the legal system is on your side.  With enough money, you can buy your way to being legally blessed.
·       Laws themselves are made so that anyone trying to take wealth from someone else in any way, shape, or form is “wrong.”  Oh, immigration reform comes to mind as a prime, in-vogue example.  But all the laws about private property, fraud, domestic disturbances, hacking, identity theft and more are meant to protect wealth and the people who own that wealth.
·       The police are the local arms of the law to enforce these wealth protection measures.  Ever notice that the police pay A LOT of attention to the poorer parts of our neighborhoods and cities?  You know, gotta keep the riff-raff under control so that wealth can sleep well.
·       The military are the national and international arms of the law to enforce these wealth protection measures.  Ever wonder why our military is so invested in the Middle East?  Answers: oil wealth and protection from terrorists who want to take and harm our wealth.
Who really benefits most from these services?  The wealthiest of course!  The wealthiest want these services running quite smoothly and in accord with their interests (ahem, corporate, finance, and tax laws, cough cough).  Those who have more, have more to lose.  However, who shoulders most of the cost of these services?  We do.  Everyone who is not the wealthiest.  There are so many tax loopholes for the wealthiest of the wealthy and capitalists to pay little (or even nothing!) in taxes, leaving all of us piddly-pids to fund the very system that allows them to amass their wealth and protect it.  As of 2007, over 80% of federal tax revenues came from income and payroll taxes – OUR income and payroll taxes!  Thus, the really wealthy have a great gig going, which is why this debt ceiling thing is creating quite the kink for them.

The Dems want to raise the debt ceiling with spending cuts and increased revenues.  “Increased revenues” is poli-talk for raising taxes.  Specifically, Dems want to raise taxes on the wealthiest of the wealthy (and so do the vast majority of Americans for that matter) and close a slew of corporate tax loopholes.  The wealthiest certainly don’t like that!  So that option blows for them.

The Repubs want to raise the debt ceiling (well, the saner ones do…), but they want to do so ONLY with spending cuts.  They “no way, no how” want to repeal the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest nor increase taxes on corporations.  They would rather default than increase taxes on the wealthiest.  Why?  Because the wealthiest have their paws in deeper with the Repubs than the Dems, and no new taxes has been the mantra.  That has worked well for the wealthiest in the past because they firmly have someone in their corner.  But the Repubs’ tune is not so sweet for the wealthiest at the moment.  No matter what, the filthy rich need the debt ceiling raised for the possible damage that might happen otherwise; they’d be hit hard if the economy tanks again.  So the wealthiest aren’t so taken with the Repubs on a possible default.  Wall Street is speaking loudly that the debt ceiling must be raised.

Putting all this together, here is the story.  The debt ceiling debate has stalled over the Dems’ insistence of raising taxes on the wealthiest.  If the Dems get their way, the wealthiest will have to pay more taxes.  If the Repubs hold strong against the Dems, the debt ceiling will not be raised and havoc might leak all over the economy and the markets to the detriment of the wealthiest.  That is the squeeze the filthy rich are in.  Should they just take the increased tax rates so that the debt ceiling is raised (the safe bet), or should they hope that the Repubs will prevail?  It’s a true gamble.

The point not to overlook is that this gamble is squarely a game being played with the wealthiest in mind.  Everything in our society revolves around the wealthiest.  Why would this be any different?  If our political system, if our economy, if our entire infrastructure weren’t focused on the filthy rich, we wouldn’t be in any hot water right now.  Did you know that if the Bush tax cuts were never put in place that we wouldn’t be in any financial crisis right now whatsoever?  And that’s counting the two wars we are funding.  The wealthiest want to continue living their lifestyles such that they continue to make money hand-over-fist and have us pay for all the services and infrastructure that protect that wealth.  That is having the cake and cookies and eating everything in the bakery to boot!

The only way WE win (that is, the non-wealthiest) is if the Dems win this thing and the debt ceiling is raised because our government agrees to cut spending and increase revenues (i.e., increase taxes on the rich).

Regardless, why shouldn’t we raise on the wealthiest anyway?  If this society revolves around them, shouldn’t they bear the biggest brunt of its functions?  Hell yeah!

UPDATE (8/1)
The Dems cave again!  A deal has been struck between Obama and top Repubs to raise the debt ceilings with a bunch of provisions to cut spending.  ONLY SPENDING!!!!!!!  What horseshit.  They just couldn’t get ANY tax increases for the wealthy in the deal, could they?  They couldn’t close any corporate tax loopholes, could they?  The filthy rich will be partying tonight!!
We are but pawns in Richie Rich’s game.  Call me the “red token.”