Transient or Immigrant?

I've been a transient, I've been an immigrant. They are different conditions.

Communities invest in themselves, which creates a prosperous society. Communities need not accept & support everyone around the world who demands access and use of local common or private resources.

By investing in local development, places become more attractive. Visitors are typically welcome as tourists. But this does not mean that transient visitors must be given part of the common wealth. If we're forced to accept all comers, and cannot make rules limiting support, we become swamped. With diminishing incentives to invest, our better communities are targets to deteriorate.

Our rules and laws on inheritance and immigration are not always fair. But lack of law is worse.

The Massachusetts legislature is considering an appeal to allow those in the state illegally to obtain an official Massachusetts driving license, typically used for identification (link). This is a big mistake.

Undocumented workers undercut & erode community. This isn't to say such people are uncivil or bad, but they ultimately assert we've no right to administer our systems -- that their personal saga supersedes law.

Illegal residents are difficult to protect -- their lack of status leaves them open to shakedowns & manipulation. Many become victims to sexual abuse & economic blackmail (link). To attract & encourage more illegal residents is reckless & costly.

We can encourage immigration and enforce our immigration laws.
Let's welcome proper immigrants & refugees, and respect the law.

Media Enslaved

Most media serves the interests of its corporate owners or our political masters.

There was no independent media in Nazi Germany or Fascist Japan. What existed was systematically crushed. Dissent was punished.

Today there are fewer concentration camps and summary executions.

We've more opportunities for independent media to operate. Sure, we've far too many secret police, with the inherent corruption of the corporate state. Not enough people recognize the domination and tyranny of big corporate media.

Look at news reports of Edward Snowden. Yesterday, Snowy was interviewed on German ARD TV; his comments were noted around the world.

Hundreds of international news reports described U.S. industrial espionage & NSA focused spying on individuals (such as tapping allied German leader Angela Merkel's phone).

But many U.S. media outlets avoided controversy & reported nothing. The Google news consolidator ("U.S. edition") failed to list the story, and search revealed another disturbing slant.

American media focused on Snowden's claims to be under personal threat. The private drama was the lead & headline for a large percentage of American news reports -- not state-sponsored espionage, blackmail, corruption, fundamentally-compromised data, and the tremendous waste of tax monies.

Wake up dum fux.

  

Our Poor

Our modern society is worse than the Victorians in terms of avoiding unpalatable discussions. They avoided sexuality, we avoid poverty & injustice.

Obama disusses "income inequality" -- not pain & hunger. 

BBC News recently reported on the municipal public showers in Toulouse (link). Wise readers will recognize they themselves might suddenly be pushed to poverty and need such public facilities.

But we avoid discussing the poor, though their numbers multiply around us. It is surely easier to imagine they are lazy or somehow fundamentally different. But reality is our whole system, our attitudes, and our infrastructure are inhumane -- yes, cruel.

Wasteful Social Darwinism threatens richy too.

POOR US

Fucking Americans?

Who is Stanley Fischer?

He's a highly trained economist & former MIT professor. He's a former Vice-Chairman of Citigroup Inc.

Who is Stanley Fischer?

He's the late PM Ariel Sharon's appointment to lead the Bank of Israel. He's a naturalized Israeli-American (link) born in Northern Rhodesia, who's been a successful advocate for boosted US aid & subsidies to Israel. He was Larry Summers' economics professor (who first gave Summers work, but now supplants).

Who is Stanley Fischer?

He's the dude Obama supports to be Vice-Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the US central banking system. He'll soon supposedly be working for the American people in a vitally critical financial & policy job, "in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates." He's in the Trilateral Commission & Bilderberg Group. He's an exceptionally intelligent & motivated global leader. He's an extremely powerful unelected official. He'll likely be assertive in channeling business away from Iran (link), but does he know - or care - much about a typical American?

Who is Stanley Fischer?

Some white-haired smiley guy we're told everyone likes, who'll control our money & regulate our lives.

Threat and the NSA

Should the NSA be part of everything we do online?

I don't think so.

The pervasive secret police magnify any threat. The spy system is threatening because it's fundamentally corrupted by corporate & foreign interests with commercial spying & political espionage agendas. It's out of control. Only the treacherous support this huge & costly mistake.

Save Snowy

We read horrible news, of illegality, blackmail, corruption and espionage that reaches into every home & pocket in America and around the world.

Edward Snowden is now threatened from the dirt he uncovered. The corruption's not his story, the pollution ain't because of him; but the whistleblower is forced to pay.

Don't forget -- Snowden was not a government employee, but most recently worked for Booz Allen Hamilton and then previously for Dell. This highlights a dangerous & corrupt corporate-government alliance. Data collected is insecure: our information can be compromised or sold by business interests and recompiled by foreign agencies, as well as being misused by our own governments.

Snowy's not the problem. Compare his troubles with someone finding a polluted lake, river or seacoast, and telling us...  The sheeple can't handle the truth. Save Snowy!

Only Surveillance?

The NSA network of global spying is creepy story of the year. Thanks to Mr. Edward Snowden, Mr. Glenn Greenwald & Ms. Laura Poitras !  But can we handle the truth?

The revelations thus far are not very surprising, although the 'unholy' alliances are worrisome: the systematic sharing of huge amounts of information between assorted sleazy governments and private contractors is indefensible.

But reports claim there is much more to come. Unfortunately, those revelations are likely to be terrible.

Surveillance is troubling. But active espionage, extortion, blackmail and state-sponsored corruption are far worse.

Since the Abu Ghraib revelations we've known at least something about our systems of torture, widespread abuse, and militaristic brutalization. Much continues today at Guantanamo We employ tens of thousands of "anti-terrorist" operatives throughout the USA & around the world. Our governments have deliberately weakened hardware & software security and monitor our personal lives. A hidden core of bureaucrats and "allies" spy worldwide on friendly governments and the private sector. Bluntly: foolish information policy analysts have constructed a hugely dangerous system -- infiltration & abuse are inescapable. 

How long can the American people continue funding & support for such costly secretive government operations?  Have opinions about big corporate government changed over the past year? What costs & benefits flow from our huge systems of lies & corruption? We've encouraged too much trespassing.

Merry Christmasin America

Trust the Neighbors?

Here's (link) an interesting article on  distrust
"Japanese Don't Trust Korea, China"
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/12/17/2013121701441.html

The Chosun Ilbo article is based on a Yomiuri Shinbun report, citing a Gallup poll of Japanese and Americans.

So we've an inexactly-cited survey with unknown bias and sampling error, with results filtered through two news organizations (and now a blog). What can we learn?

We might at least ask these key questions:

• What percentage of people distrust their own government? 

• Who profits most from mistrust?  ( Answer: militarists & right-wing opportunists )

• Do US military leaders prefer peace? (and dismantling their systems, downsizing manpower, reducing budgets)?

• Might US military leaders prefer military alert?

If the citizenry is asked "Can media always be trusted?" - nobody should answer "Yes" -- But it's so much more provocative & explosive to hear of unknown neighbors distrusting us.

Gallup political surveys