Protecting the Robber-Barons

The US military is posted around the world to further expand American influence, and to protect extractive industries.

We the People don't directly profit from empire. We should not foolishly pay the high costs of overseas "defense" ... Let the richies pay themselves.

We should not pay for fancy alarms on their many homes and yachts. They should pay more in taxes.

Our American armed forces should be based at home, on continental USA.

Basic Lessons for the TMT

TMT: Just Say No?

Lessons from the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope
Major construction for Hawai'i's great mauna?

-- Tactics 101: Don't give-up the high ground!

-- Astronomy 101: We know Edward Snowden was working in Hawai'i, so how many installations now monitor us earthlings under cover of science?

-- History 101: On O'ahu, concession of a coaling station at Pu'uloa quickly morphed into the sprawling Pearl Harbor US military complex. Public access strictly controlled.

-- Economics 101: Technological spillover effects are promised, yet still now thousands in nearby Puna have almost no public infrastructural services: no public running water, poor internet, some without mains electricity, no public roads to their home. This is 21st century Hawaii - the astronomical colony at the top of Mauna Kea (and of course the US military installations on the island) have modern infrastructure, as common people root in the mud with guard dogs, roosters, little fire ants & rat lungworm disease.

-- Religion 101: When Yankee claims unique insight, it's bullshit.

Apex Predator ?

Capitalism sales pitch claims "Nothing's better"...
But violence & deception are basic to capitalism.
Let's invest in a more peaceful, sustainable system.
Oversight has a cost, but surrendering law is more costly...

Are you The Apex Predator ?
Otherwise you're part of the food chain ... 

Rotten in Seoul

Samsung's Lee Jae-yong (이재용 often "Jay Y. Lee") will undergo a sentencing hearing later today in Seoul for assorted counts of corruption. It's being widely argued his conviction could be costly for both the company & for Korea.

Surely corruption has been part of the system under the previous regime of former President Park Geun-hye. And it's highly probable systemic corruption was rife in Korean political economy from long before that as well. Samsung's Lee Jae-yong is somewhat unfortunate to have been nabbed at a time of transition.

But this case is nasty because of both criminal detail and lack of remorse. Among other transgressions, Samsung secured an expensive show horse in Europe for Korean President Park's buddy's daughter (정유라), and then attempted to hide details when the purchase was linked to administrative oversight of Samsung's corporate amalgamation favoring Mr. Lee.

Claiming aides and associates were wholly responsible for any transgressions, Lee has thus far evaded all responsibility in these affairs.

President Park was vindictive and anti-democratic. She interfered in the livelihood of thousands of artists and entertainers by reportedly placing them on a blacklisted enemies list (link). Her right-wing government declared the 60,000-member Korean Teachers’ & Education Workers’ Union (KTU) illegal (link), and systematically sought to destroy it.

Who were the strategists forcing Park's dark right-wing regressive agenda?

Park was partly propped-up by her crony Choi Soon-sil (최순실). But corporations such as Samsung also supported the regime, and perhaps steered it. Others may be at least partly responsible... What did Yankee know and when did they know it? America's key position in Korea requires knowledge of all such dirt.

Are there any lessons here that might be relevant to the corrupt overlap of business & politics now developing around Donald J. Trump and his family? As Korea moves forward toward more transparency, America becomes more opaque -- allowing collusive relationships to take root.

It may be Lee & Samsung had little choice but to payoff President Park and her cronies. Lee's defense, that he's a poor little rich boy who knew nothing, is incredible. In Korea, gestation adds a year to one's age - he's 50 years old. He studied at Seoul National University (backdoor admission?), Japan's Keio University for a Master's degree, and Harvard Business School. Few Korean people will believe he's absolutely uninvolved & innocent. Let's hope the search for justice finds proper answers, but long-suffering Koreans know: the innocent often suffer most.