Don't Perform

I learned the name of the Perform Group and PIAS today when trying to watch a football (soccer) replay. Perform claims to have a "unique perspective on how to commercialise sports content" --- Are they able to "engage with mass audiences globally" as claimed below? They proved to be tightfisted wankers here -- they don't perform well.

Bad Word Israel?

Interview of reserve US Army Lt. Col. Paula Broadwell by Arthur Kade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXcDlk_RijQ

At the 3:45 point of the interview, Broadwell mentions that while at West Point,  "I was able to do an exchange program to the Middle East."

Why say "the Middle East" -- is Israel a bad secret, or somehow a dirty word?

 Further background (link)

Marketing Dennis Power

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) would be a great US Secretary of State, or a brilliant US Secretary of Defence.

But it's unlikely he'll be appointed or confirmed.

Sure, he's not from the Democratic right-wing, and he promises to rock the boat. But what sinks his candidacy is his name.  Too few people know how to say "Kucinich" (koo-SIN-itch), and Americans are too proud or polite to guess & be wrong.

As Obama said - time for CHANGE

AP Photo/Harry Hamburg

Dennis Power        (formerly Rep. Dennis Kucinich)   

 

Myopic Yes

"Maybe we should care a bit less about who they’re screwing than how we’re all being screwed all the time."
   --- Dr. Randall Amster

Romney-Ryan-Rude

Republican staffers gathered on election night to discover their dreams for President Mitt Romney were no more than intestinal gas. Those who worked for the candidate, who were told victory was certain, had a bad evening.

But it got worse. Many Romney staffers were in Boston planning festivities with the candidates. Others were posted to distant parts of the USA as unofficial election monitors, etc. Trying to pay the cab ride back to their hotel, or at checkout next day, they rudely found that scum Mitt, without any prior notice, had cancelled their credit card.

Uninvolved Republicans spun this as "fiscal Conservatism" but it was dumb, and the sign of a weasel. His running-mate, 'Eddie Munster' Ryan, is no better.

Some of these staffers & volunteers were in strange cities far from home. They suddenly went from being part of a large movement to being alone, exposed, and perhaps embarrassed. But best they recognize the feeling. How many young Americans have bled out to die in the dust of Iraq or Afghanistan, at last understanding the same thing - they were used, and now they'd been thrown away. Veterans see this everyday. Mitt ain't inviting you anywhere on his own dime; he doesn't care about you at all. He's a cheapskate piece of shit, "born on 3rd base, believing he hit a triple" -- too rich, too spoiled.

Sweden's Failure

Sweden failed today in its bid for election to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

It's a big black eye for the centre-right Reinfeldt government, and a loss for the Nordic nations, who've "agreed on a Nordic rotation, which means that one Nordic country stands as a candidate at a time." At the end of this year when Norway completes its term, the Nordic states will lose their important voice & influence.

Results of  12 Nov 2012 vote (link): Western European & Other States (3 seats):
USA (131) 
Germany (127) 
Ireland (124) 
 ----------------
Greece (78 - Not Elected) 
Sweden (75 - Not Elected) 

The USA was reelected.

Perhaps the results are blowback for Swedish government mismanagement in dealing with Julian Assange, or Sweden's involvement with USA kidnapping / renditions. Yet the world needs the independent Nordic voice more than ever.

Managers of the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq and their US government superiors have yet to be charged, tried or convicted for prisoner abuse and torture. Active censorship bans still seek to hide the horrors of torture & murder by the US Government and its contractors.

Many Americans believe Abu Ghraib is old past forgotten history. Billions of other people around the world believe the Abu Ghraib photos of torture & depravity clearly display US cruelty, arrogance, and willingness to ignore violations of domestic and international law.

Violations without accountability fester & contaminate our world.

What Began Benghazi?

The murder of four Americans assigned to the US Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi, Libya continues to be outrageous. Surely a posting to this region was always highly dangerous. Were diplomatic personnel reasonably briefed and protected? It now seems they may have been targeted due to American 'black ops' people imprisoning Libyans believed somehow dangerous.

What a can of worms! We helped in the overthrow of the Libyan government. Now the anarchy of post-revolution bit us in the ass.

Petraeus Haunted

U.S. Army General David Petraeus (Ret.) has just resigned in a sexual scandal as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Detailed criticism of any D/CIA is unwise.  - 'nuff said.

Let us quickly look, however, at the face of David's father-in-law, U.S. Army General William A. Knowlton (deceased 2008), former Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point -- a ghost now surely displeased:

Public service = hardball & sad...

Reamed !

It's morning in America. Time for a new beginning.

Mega-corporations nearly stole election USA as they funneled billions of corrupt funds into a secret political system. The US Supreme Court still allows non-disclosure of funding sources and unlimited corporate PAC donations. As each huge corporate octopus straddles the globe, foreign funds thus destabilize America. Corporations with any foreign ownership should be banned from giving gifts to politicians. The multinationals are welcome to do business in the USA, but it is a huge mistake to give voting rights in America to Saudi princes, the Chinese Red Army, and other mega-rich foreign brothers.

We the People must demand each elected official fight for us. But with each publicly elected face are five or more administrative hacks, often struggling for funds. The US Democratic Party receives huge monies from corporate puppet-masters. The political parties will continue to actively resist changing their system. Corrupt corporate funds employ many politician's mentors & family members, and offer promise of fat retirement support.

We need new political voices, and to stop enforcing the two-party system. Political corruption kept Obama & Romney from debating Jill Stein of the Green Party. She was on the NY ballot for President; she was at the New York debate, but instead of debating, she got arrested. Far too many Americans are still unaware the two corporate political parties fully control all access to every debate. The two parties will only give up domination when we demand a new format.

The wealthy hold us hostage in many ways. They've destabilized and overthrown governments, funded murders, and paid to create fear. The giants of industry have manufactured energy crises & major wars to advance themselves. Corrupt businesses pushed themselves and the economy to the precipice. They ransacked our communities, sucked out our wealth, and then demanded & received refinancing without penalty. It's unbelievable that people still respect the businessmen who bluntly stabbed us in the heart, went through our pockets, and stole our savings. System fundamentals collapsed, while we slaves still touch our caps to the "owners" -- as we toe the line for field work.

We cheer bailouts letting us keep our scutwork jobs, and don't question why our money was given to the bosses who control us.