Trust Everyone?

Sir David Omand writes in today's Guardian (link) about secret government spying: "we all need to have confidence that in the hands of our authorities these powerful tools of interception are not being abused. We have to have trust..."

Sir David is no doubt an honourable person. He worked many years for GCHQ (a branch of the British secret police) and as a well-connected senior government official is familiar with this topic. But he misses the point.

Abuse of authority & public trust includes not keeping intelligence data completely secure. Clearly the secret police have failed. Information leaks to private companies, to foreign interests, and to the public. Many key people involved should lose their jobs for such foolishness.

This intelligence gathering will continue to fail. Because some of the information they collect is incendiary, disquieting and valuable, outsiders are eager to tap into the details.

We can increase the guard over the periphery, and automate many processes, but the project is inherently unstable and unsustainable.

We can trust that some people will always seek shortcuts to wealth & power.

Political Bribes & Lies

Korean President Park Geun-hye was criticized during her election campaign for repeatedly promising to provide a national pension to all Korean senior citizens. Many observers felt this was a kind of payoff or bribery for votes, as her promises were very specific: 200,000 won monthly to everyone over 65 years old.

After winning election, the right-wing President now breaks her promise. Is it a bribe if it's a lie?

Shouldn't people have recognized Park's promises were too good to be true? Those who feel cheated had best be more careful. It's sad that in Dynamic Korea so many elderly enter this wintertime in grim poverty. Some still hope to receive scaled-back pensions (lesser amounts) next year July at earliest...

Protecting Police

Police officers need to protect themselves, and we can help. Police are not simply on the front line of conflict - these people are the front line of conflict. Because they often deal with riff-raff, lawbreakers & troublemakers, they're on the lookout for troublemakers even when surrounded by friends.

Police are exposed to danger. In the USA, militarization of the police is a major problem. Too many cops carry a military mindset to police work; but the public's very different from a military enemy.

In cases of breakdown, police work hard to preserve community. We can help. Don't allow your community to degenerate into anarchy.

For self-preservation, if not as a vital service, police should meet with local people and listen to their problems. Public outreach can be both with & without elected officials. If common citizenry have much to vent & complain about, it's better to open discussions early - to go without contact until a demonstration or the beginning of rioting is far too late.

It's a failure for police when typical citizens with minor gripes attend a public activity or demonstration and get violently clubbed (or gassed) by aggressive law officers who require instant obedience. The community mainstream becomes radicalized only when brutally abused.

At quiet times, police & their communities must build goodwill. Both sides should understand they are working together. And ultimately the police work for the people. When they don't, of course they feel under threat...

Police Violence

Too much violence stems from police believing they're in charge of our communities. They feel entitled to yell and to attack anything out of line. Peaceful protest is suppressed. Law-abiding citizens are intimidated.

Keeping everything quiet & peaceful can be impossible in conditions of great injustice.

Too many are homeless. Too many are unemployed. And too many people calmly concerned are suddenly abused by police.

The police club people who don't obey. Mayor Bloomberg set the police on the peaceful New York City Occupy encampment - they clubbed, arrested, and ripped everything to shreds. Other politicians in 'their' cities followed after with similar rough tactics, such as Fredrik Reinfeldt in Stockholm.

These are not cases of demonstrators attacking police or buildings - even determined children would cause more damage. "Police success" comes by clubbing non-violent unprepared citizens. So heavy-handed!

Many have complaint. Most of have questions for the powerful.

Have we come to expect any question or complaint justifies a police beating, a violent attack with truncheons or rifle butts by officer-tyrants, summary arrest, or worse?

Keepin' You Slaves

There's one good reason the US Republican elite hate Obamacare.

Their slaves git uppity.

A national health service covers medical problems with no regard to employment. Just now, many people are tied to their jobs - to quit or change employment threatens health coverage, perhaps jeopardizing home and possessions. It's as if we're indentured by threat of health disaster.

The American people should wake up & understand we're being played as schmucks.

Enjoy the Tea Party!

Feel something dribbling on your head?

It's crumbs...

The Rich  enjoy a real Tea Party, as We the People fight for crumbs. We aren't poor because we're lazy -- we're kept poor. Greedy Richie grabs the lion's share (and the jackal & vulture's shares) at protected celebrations; we scavenge rag & bone.

Hired Help Thank Obama

The Obama administration has scheduled closing the domestic help low pay loophole (link). From 1st Jan, 2015, direct care workers will be covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act for minimum wage and overtime protections.

Servants and housekeepers are not now automatically protected if they provide care services. The revisions will cover babysitters placed in employment by agencies (link). Wealthy folk argued domestic helpers were part of the family, and didn't need worker protections.

Bullshit.

Disposable hired help is drudge & peon. The family mule ain't family.

These are economic relationships. Boss man holds power, able to sever all contact at will.

Congratulations to the Department of Labor for (finally) protecting two million underclass workers.

Learn from disaster Fukushima?

"Thousands of tons of heavily contaminated water are pouring through the Fukushima site, carrying a devil’s brew of long-lived poisonous isotopes into the Pacific (link). Tuna irradiated with fallout traceable to Fukushima have already been caught off the coast of California."

Similar highly-dangerous nuclear installations exist in assorted places around the world.

The Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in southern California, and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts -- each are disasters poised to cripple their regions.

Many oppose these operations; Not enough. Enjoy the crap shoot.

Local Fukushima people burn in hell for generations thanks to their power company, TEPCO.

All Right, All Wrong

Below's a video link to 10minutes of NYC police tactics as they dampen & dominate dissent:

http://vimeo.com/74606365#

( Discussion here )

Many people imagine young protestors should be contained, or be shut up. But then comes the day you find your own objections or questions ignored... A nearby nuclear plant? An obvious polluter? A case of official corruption?  Too bad old git.   We need checks & balances, or those in power shit wherever...