Did You Know?

US-style corporate "democracy" suffered a black eye 16 Oct. when the Green Party ticket for President & Vice President of the USA, Dr. Jill Stein & Ms. Cheri Honkala, were arrested at Hofstra University (Hempstead, New York, USA) outside the globally-televised second US Presidential Debate.

The debates are managed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a private corporation.

Only the Democratic Party & Republican Party nominees are allowed to debate, according to the aforementioned Commission on Presidential Debates (which itself was founded by representatives of those same two political parties).

The Green Party candidates are on the ballot in 38 states (including New York, where they were arrested), appearing as 'write-in' candidates for 5 more, and are still litigating for ballot access in 6 further states. The Green Party candidates have received over $100,000 Federal matching campaign funds (public funding from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund). This PECF backs up the corporate bias with federal funding bias for the chosen two "major" parties: "In 2012, each major party is entitled to $18.2 million in public funds for their conventions, and the parties' general election nominees are eligible to receive $91.2 million in public funds."

Read further discussion of the arrests (here)

Green Party  -  http://gp.org

Link to Open Debates

If you didn't know of these arrests,
Your nose too deep in da corporate butt.  Do something!

Disciplined Democracy: Russia USA

Just back from six days in Moscow. While I was there Russia held regional elections, including the first gubernatorial elections since 2005 (when President Putin abolished them). The huge winner, as expected, was Putin's "United Russia" party. They control the Kremlin, and have aggressively built their coalition. They actively intimidate any opposition (with propaganda, arrests, or violence). Many major opposition candidates withdrew prior to the election.

The US elections are similarly flawed. The two major parties monopolize domestic media reports, and keep a stranglehold on election logistics and the Presidential "debates" - where even intraparty candidates are pre-screened by unelected power brokers such as corporate MSNBC (link). We now see third-party candidates barred from all debate, an anti-democratic position bluntly endorsed by the major candidates. The guilty include Obama, Biden, Romney, Ryan, and Hillary Clinton, and behind-the-scenes supporters & party functionaries (link). 'Debate' ground rules (link) create a ludicrous exercise in theater -- in my view, a tragedy.

The Republican party wants to dismantle investments in commonwealth for the private gain of big industrialists (oh sorry, let's call it 'choice'). The "Democratic" party is not democratic. Yerbuttfucked either way.

Will Romney Nuke China?

In last night's important Presidential debate, Republican challenger Mitt Romney declared he would cut federal funding for PBS, the US Public Broadcasting Service.

PBS uses a very tiny fraction of one percent of the US Federal Budget.But the Presidential Debate Moderator, Jim Leher, is an Executive Editor at PBS, and a 40 year veteran of PBS news reporting.

At crux time, why piss-off the Moderator?

Maybe Karl Rove, etc. told Romney: "Jim Leher is old & exposed. Attack PBS & you'll throw him off-balance for the whole debate." Anyhow, that seems to be what happened - Leher, thinking of his possibly soon-to-be unemployed coworkers & colleagues, lost control of time & poorly coordinated the debate.

Romney had his back to the wall, and needed a strong attack strategy to succeed.

What will he do as President? His decisionmaking and character are both untrustworthy (in my opinion). Romney's record indicates he'll gamble on a unilateral surprise attack: slash & burn, kill & plunder, and hope for the best.
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Federal funding for PBS is well below 1/100th of 1% of the Federal Budget. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting gets a two year grant for $445 million. (link) Such funding is only 12% of the PBS budget.

Obama-Romney Debate

I watched only a few minutes excerpts of the debate via The Washington Post.

It was enough.

Cunning & glib, Romney's "answers" were memorized sound bites delivered too quickly. A weasel wishing to steer a dying federal monster to oblivion.

President Obama as typical, deferred to wealth;
referred to his opponent w/ courtesy title "Governor"...

PS- Drop the bullshit title Romney - you ain't guv'na no mo'

Deadly Problem In-deedy

At 3AM in a McDonald's restaurant in Waikiki, Christopher Deedy shot a man dead. The men were earlier reportedly drinking & arguing at a nearby bar.

Former US Dept. of State Special Agent Ed Lee raises a number of questions about the murder (link). Many in Hawaii watch warily. Should officers that Washington DC posts to colony Hawaii be liable for punishment when killing local folk?

Should Christopher Deedy go to trial? Deedy's lawyer, Honolulu attorney Brook Hart (link), claims his client should be immune from prosecution due to his work, because the U.S. Constitution discourages "frivolous or vindictive charges against federal officers."

 
















Was Christopher Deedy drunk? Was he on duty & drunk? Whatever the case, is he freely allowed to summarily execute someone he doesn't like in a McDonalds at 3AM?  I think not. 

Christopher Deedy, day job notwithstanding, absolutely should have been tested for drugs & drunkenness after a 3AM firearm discharge in the McDonalds. The Honolulu Police meekly deferred to his badge, and neglected the need to collect evidence & objective measurements at the murder scene. This colonial mentality is horrendous - "mainland bossman always right" -- bullshit!

Justice demands the surveillance tapes and details of the tragic sudden death of Kollin Elderts be made available for inspection. The tragedy continues.

Listen to Richard Hamasaki's song,"Cowardly Christopher Deedy" (link)

Justin Bieber Shock!

Pop star Justin Bieber was severely ill on stage last night in Glendale, Arizona USA, vomiting & sickened so badly he had to go offstage for two extended breaks.

The scuttlebutt is hard to believe, but could it be true...?  
Justin may be pregnant !?!
Just maybe an unusual case of immaculate conception?

Cunning Annoyance

Our media age has developed people who position themselves as professional irritants.

To be boot-licker or back-scratcher to the powerful is not a sustainable position. So much slicker to become a chronic annoyance to those who might threaten power. Our masters surely reward such people.

Annoyance as in Ann Coulter.

But annoyance and irritation arise only with ignorance. In the cases of Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc., when their method is recognized, it is pathetic. ...or distressing in a wholly different way.

These are flagrant whores to the powerful. They're talking heads who've sold their moral sense & scruples. They desecrate our communities. Their prostituted talents prolong your enslavement.

Storm Troopers USA

Many Americans are confused about why the USA is involved in Afghanistan, Pakistan, & Iraq, and earlier in Central & South America, Vietnam, etc.

The reasons are all bad. The US government became deeply involved in these punishing wars because the American people were too busy or lazy to question & challenge U.S. leadership.

Overseas military occupation is critically described variously as:
- deployment of storm troopers
- imperialism
- the American Raj
- protecting American civilians
- surge
- Coalition of the Willing
- illegal interference
- foreign occupying force
- invited guests
- helpers
- advisers

America can barely govern itself. The USA has no business dictating "How to Run a Country" to an army of foreign bureaucrats half a world away.

The invasion of Iraq was illegal and wrong. Millions of refugees continue to suffer. The war-makers should be held criminally responsible and punished severely.

Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rice, Blair, etc., should be in prison, not sipping mint juleps & awkwardy eating crudités in cozy retirement. These are murderous lying scum of the worst type.

Occupy Afghanistan should be shut down, and the US soldiers brought home. Occupy Iraq and our disruptive bases & facilities should also be shuttered. Use the resources in the USA.

Keep America Beautiful.
 

Drones Over America !

How will Americans react if foreign military drones patrol our own skies?  We'd not accept the devils spying on us!

When a foreign drone cruises overhead, surely a patriot with gun at hand will shoot at it...

Unwise...  But can we blame those protecting their homeland?

http://happening-here.blogspot.se/2012/07/drone-war-thoughts.html

  











Ooops !
 
 

Autumnal Equinox

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of autumn.

In Japan it's a national holiday, 秋分の日, Shūbun no Hi. Too bad it's Saturday -- an alternative Monday holiday is generally offered only when it falls on Sunday.

Here in Stockholm, the air is already crisp, and a few leaves have fallen.

This morning after some strong coffee and stone-oven baked apricot nut bread, we enjoyed a brisk walk through a tunnel of trees along Vallhallavägen. We met friends at an autumn Farmer's Market, where we bought a few bunches of organic vegetables, honey, some smoked eel, and salmon bits (areas around the fins trimmed before cutting filets, then warm smoked).  Then we had a tasty lunch together.

It's been quiet today. I can smell autumn outside on our verandah, high above the city.

But also I already can feel the approach of winter...

Courtesy Title Romney

Mitt Romney is often referred to as "Governor Romney" though he's not a Governor.

Mitt was Massachusetts governor from early 2003 for one four-year term. Terribly unpopular at term end (link), it's now over five-and-a-half years since he's been governor. Hallelujah !

Is Romney permanently entitled to use "Governor" while he lives as a rich man year after year on the income from his offshore investments, without working? I think not.

Call him ex-governor Romney if you must. Get rid of the courtesy title.
Romney's a bum.