Doping Headquarters: USA

Global sport's most famous doper is American Lance Armstrong. He's admitted to continuous doping as a world-class cyclist, and around the world he's now been stripped of seven Tour de France titles, lost his Sportsman of the Year honors, had the French Légion d'honneur taken away, etc. Armstrong's use of banned and illegal performance-enhancing drugs, and his admitted lies, are a stain on the USA.

As the USA now criticizes largely unknown Russian doping sportspeople, and rejoices in efforts to ban all Russians from the Olympics (unsuccessful effort) and Paralympics, it is good to recognize the minimal penalties levied on wealthy high-profile American cheating sportsman Lance "THE SCUM" Armstrong:
1) number of criminal charges: 0
2) days spent under arrest:  0
3) days spent in prison: 0

Meanwhile, it was totally unfair that a week before the Olympics, many blameless Russian competitors still didn't know if they'd be allowed to compete. Partisan Murdoch press & anti-Russian elements generated a witch hunt, trying to condemn people who'd been tested repeatedly without incident, and who'd competed fairly. Never forget: the admitted King of Doping Conspiracies is Lance Armstrong, representing the USA.
America = the world's number one doping enabler.

Perpetual Economy Class

Perpetual economy class life gets more grim & hopeless... 

We cannot & should not pretend all is well. Call it armed robbery or rape? The US national election conspiracy is a crime crippling our children & our communities. Funding global militarism, and domestic police militarization, has crippled the USA. It allows the 1% to sip champagne and laugh at us.

For a large group of American proles, even economy class is a distant dream. Corporate media pits American impoverished to fight each other. But one day each person recognizes: I'm poor as shit in a Land of Plenty.

One sudden accident away from homeless? 
You've been cheated.
CHUMP 

Goldmangate Returns

Corporate media is muddying the waters around the US election. Ludicrous reports of opinion polls suggest that over the weekend Clinton "extended her lead" over Trump: but three months remain before the election; with sensationalist media's bootprint, anything can change in a day or two.

Clinton is clearly a friend of the corporations, and her Goldmangate speaking engagements are likely to haunt her. Goldman-Sachs repeatedly raped the American people during the Bush regime, and belatedly agreed to pay a US$5 billion penalty (though much is a tax-deductible business expense; link).

Hillary Clinton knows how to kiss-up to big money, and her $225,000 breakfast speeches were surely designed to get her invited back again.

Nonetheless, if and when the contents of Clinton's brown-nosing are disclosed, Goldmangate could torpedo Hillary's chances for the US Presidency.

If people become strongly against her, they ignore the defects & shortcomings in the other fool.

Even The New York Times is highly critical of Mrs. Clinton's US$11 million income from the still-secret speeches. "An accountable and transparent White House" remains unlikely. 

"Barry the Blade" Obama

US President Barack Obama is lauded by his supporters for greatly improving the USA and its economy, using data measured from the collapse of the Bush regime.

That collusive disaster was orchestrated by Republicans, but where major Democrats (such as Sen. Hillary Clinton) fed lavishly to gain nourishment & resources. Obama himself sadly leaves a soiled legacy.

Obama's "successes" are largely built on sand: the national infrastructure is eroding, huge funds continue to pour uselessly into overseas militarism & so-called defense, while the American people have become progressively more brutal and hopeless.

Emperor Obama has given corporations precedence over citizens, letting the interests of big capital discuss & compose the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) in government-protected secrecy. That agreement would further severely limit the USA and other democracies from controlling our own futures. Bad bad bad.

Uncovering the secret operations of US democracy has been horrible. Obama and his government coverup murder, mayhem, torture, illegal spying, and improper collaboration with foreign intelligence services, while whistle-blowers try to shine light on American corruption.

These people helping our citizenry were systematically crushed. Responsibility lies at the elegantly-shod feet of Barry Obama.

Obama can issue presidential clemency & pardons to people who've fought against the Dark Side, (including):
Ed Snowden
Chelsea Manning
Julian Assange

Obama can still rescue a positive legacy... Pardon the People's Heroes.

Snowden, Manning, Assange: Presidential Pardons Please.

Land of the Small

Just returned from visiting Japan, a nation always interesting...

Due to aging, this trip was slightly uncomfortable. In terms of my personal aging, I'm physically not as flexible as in past decades as I creep near toward retirement age. Japan is built for people six inches (15-cm) or more shorter. The population is narrower and lighter. Buses, chairs, etc. are designed for an average Japanese adult, plus or minus very little. Japanese buses and airplanes manage to add an extra row or two compared to designs aimed at Europe or North America. If you visit Japan, you'll soon see & feel what I mean...

The second point of aging is Japan's infrastructure & cityscape. In the late 1970s when I first visited Japan, much of the infrastructure looked new. Bridges, highway guardrails, overpasses, etc. seemed clean or maybe dusty. Now much of every city is streaked or ridden with rust and clearly deteriorating. Factory areas have suffered as production moved abroad: buildings are often underutilized or derelict. Slow depopulation of rural areas, along with mercantile difficulties, left dismal & darkened shopping areas, with shuttered shops and a general depressing atmosphere.

There are surely dynamic areas and thriving neighborhoods throughout Japan. Exciting & different experiences can be encountered everywhere. People are very kind, usually quite curious, and ultimately friendly. But there's a layer of grime over much of the declining Japanese nation...

Electing Your Prison Warden

"Choice" between voting for Clinton or Trump is disgusting.

Each clearly represents Big Business & mega-corporations. Each has vowed to be a servant of Zionism.

Electing Clinton or Trump will continue America's wasteful militarism around the globe. For the past 50 years, both major parties have wastefully poured America's resources into weapons of death & destruction, preferring not to invest in people & American communities.

The U.S. Federal system is now broken beyond repair. We must plan & prepare for disintegration.

We watched the collapse of the often-cruel Soviet Union machine. Because of gross mismanagement, the USA is overdue to collapse. Prepare now to weather the coming storm & assorted plagues.