End of an era ...

Privacy - what's 'dat?

http://original.antiwar.com/jwhitehead/2012/03/27/everybodys-a-target-in-the-american-surveillance-state/

By any definition, the 9/11 attacks have been 100% effective in causing the destruction of the American constitutional democracy. Interestingly enough, it has been the American government itself which decided to do all the dirty work which killed off the freedoms that were intended to be enshrined in the US Constitution. The expression "They hate us for our freedoms" no longer has any validity.

It's just as if a hockey team decided to shoot the puck at its own goal.

My Alma Mater makes the news ...

... in a manner that makes me wanna puke:

http://www.care2.com/causes/climate-denier-teaches-university-climate-science-course.html

I sure am glad I don't donate money to the alumni fund at this place.

Another overview of the decline of our western civilization

I realize this is all depressing, but every so often it is worthwhile to examine what has actually happened in our world during our lifetime. There is indeed a concerted campaign to destroy our liberal constitutional democratic way of life and, as of now, any legal impediments that would prevent an absolute dictator are gone.

We no longer have intrinsic rights as individuals against our government's decrees.

http://www.truth-out.org/scorched-earth-politics-americas-four-fundamentalisms/1330979344

Have a nice day!

An overview of our situation

Jonathan Turley offers up a good summary of why the western world is sinking into totalitarianism, even if the politicians deny it:

http://jonathanturley.org/2012/01/15/10-reasons-the-u-s-is-no-longer-the-land-of-the-free/

US Attorney-General Holder's recent speech defending the government's right to murder it's citizens without any recourse to the public justice system is just another example of the thug rationalizing his crimes in pretty words. Here's another analysis of Holder's comments:

http://www.progressive.org/eric_holder_pathetic_rationale_for_assassinating_U.S_ctizens.html

It would be interesting to see this sort of linguistic claptrap used by a defendant in a murder trial. Do you suppose that "I thought he might have been able to help somebody hurt me." is now an acceptable excuse for killing someone you don't like?

Here's another look at private enterprise

This article really does ask the right questions and helps deal with the left vs right shibboleth that consumes so much of our political discussions these days.

http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/richard-razinkov-privatization-of.html

I am particularly impressed by the argument that there are certain activities within a society which should never be generating a profit for anyone, like prisons.

Here's another look at the meaning of 'free trade'

This makes you wonder whether making money really is the ultimate reason for living:

http://www.truth-out.org/free-trade-or-democracy-cant-have-both/1330792757

Eventually, ya gotta spend your dough. Most people choose to do so with other people, if there's any left around.

The State of The Culture

Here's a great summary of where our culture is these days, according to Phil Giraldi. Good food for thought (if anyone still remembers what that is):

http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2012/02/29/corruption-and-the-citizen-american-style/

Something I've suspected recently ...

Here's a theory about the sort of people who caused the recent financial meltdown. It makes sense to me.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-03/did-psychopaths-take-over-wall-street-asylum-commentary-by-william-cohan.html

The scary part is the same people are still in charge.

More on arbitrary imprisonment

More on the due-process-free actions of our governments:

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/20/khader_adnan_and_normalized_western_justice/singleton/

Where have all the values gone?

Habeus Corpus, a primer

Here's an article regarding two people being held at an American base, and how Habeus Corpus just might help them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/opinion/prisoners-are-not-pawns.html?_r=1

This is only possible because Britain, unlike America, still pretends to believe in the efficacy of Habeus Corpus. It will be interesting to see if the British government will obey its own Court Of Appeal, or whether it will abrogate the rule of law in Britain, just as has been done in the United States.

Here's a good sign

This article indicates the influence of Noble Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunos, who started Grameen Bank, the first microbank, in 1983.

http://www.care2.com/care2blog/new-york-rolls-out-new-kind-of-corporation.html

I wish the effort all the best. This could be revolutionary if it caught on in a big way.

Canada's new image noticed abroad

Harper's Davos pronouncements are only part of what is being noticed about Canada's behaviour these days. Check this out:

http://www.truth-out.org/what-happened-canada/1327935024

I wonder if those who live in Canada would see things in the same light?

A musical interlude

Just to lighten things up for a bit, here's some videos of a concert I was involved in recently.

SRO, Unitarian Church Concert 20-Jan-2012
Set 1 v2 [55m22s] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8R1Zbf98o

SRO, Unitarian Church Concert 20-Jan-2012
Set 2 v2 [57m55s] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBvOH7EaZTE

Standing Room Only:

Little known facts for those curious about 'things'

John Pilger summarizes the accomplishments of our allies wrt encouraging democratic movements in foreign countries in this article:

http://original.antiwar.com/pilger/2012/01/19/the-world-war-on-democracy/

Isn't that a record that should be celebrated?

Hooray for our side!

What it's all about: money!!

Most people do not realize that money is primarily an exercise in faith by those using a currency. We all hope that those with whom we do business will accept the paper we hand them as the medium of exchange for what we actually want.

For most of the years after everyone gave up the gold standard, the American dollar has been the most accepted currency in the world. That may be about to change. I suggest reading through the following article from Pepe Escobar and Tom Englehardt which suggests a very intriguing possibility for our future:

http://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2012/01/17/sinking-the-petrodollar-in-the-persian-gulf/

This battle for the role of the world's pre-eminent currency has been used to explain many of the foreign policy adventures upon which the US and its allies have embarked in the last century. It's now looking as if the US dollar may be headed the way of the English pound and the Euro. Too many of the world's other inhabitants no longer have faith in it. Might be time to buy gold.

Here's another take on this subject:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NA20Ak02.html

Seems to make sense to me.

A Year-end Review of Civil Liberties

Here's what's happened to our neighbours to the south:

http://original.antiwar.com/jwhitehead/2011/12/28/2011-the-year-in-civil-liberties/

Anybody think that things are any different in Canada?

The truth about Iraq

Here's what happened in Iraq:

http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/2199-war-without-end-amen-the-reality-of-americas-aggression-against-iraq-.html

Afghanistan is no different.

How can anyone feel proud of Canada's involvement in these episodes?

More about our controllers

Some more thoughts regarding the role of corporations in controlling our society:

http://www.truth-out.org/restoring-government-and-people/1323271080

Of particular interest is the historical discussion of how corporations originally arose and how soon thereafter they were turned against the society that created them. Again ... and ... again ... and ... again.

It is time to retake control of our beasts.

For more history on this subject:

http://www.hightowerlowdown.org/node/664

Why the bad guys win

Stalin is alleged to have inferred that democracies are controlled by whoever count the ballots, not the people who cast the votes. In a similar manner, criminal punishment is more a matter of choosing which laws are to be enforced rather than the magnitude of the crime.

This means that important people rarely get investigated for the crimes they commit.

This fact is destroying our culture, in my opinion.

Consider the article by David Sirota:

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/06/why_no_ones_investigating_wall_street/

See, Al Capone just didn't have friends in the right places!

Our neighbour's values

Here's something to think about when admiring the government of our nearest, dearest, neighbour:

http://www.truth-out.org/final-indignity-last-insult-real-america/1323396756

Things aren't as pleasant as they are portrayed in our corporate media, or by our fawning government spokespersons.