People who are merely agitated are more productive than people who are ANGRY (thanks Dr. Deb!), which might be one of the reasons there's an extreme lack of grassroots political movements in this country. The people who are inclined to enact political change are on average much too angry to be productive. I saw Blog Wars on the Sundance channel yesterday and watched what can happen in political campaigns with people power, and it made me wonder why we're not all involved in this. We should all be picking our favorite (or least favorite) candidate and posting as much information (positive AND negative) about them on our sites as possible. Even if it doesn't sway people to vote for our guy and finally, OUR GIRL (not a plug for the candidate, but the gender), it can start some interesting debate and keep us informed about the people we're supposed to be voting for (find out which candidate fits you best by visiting this site).
Here's what I'm proposing:
We start a new blog in which we post as often as possible about our political candidate and discuss what's happening in the campaigns. Information and analysis is what we're focusing on, but if people want to go to an appearance, ask the candidate questions, and post it on the blog, more power to them! I would really like to have Republican candidates represented as well. Maybe we should all choose an issue that's really important to us and analyze each candidate's position on it. What do you think? And what should we name it? Can we really afford NOT to do this?
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Monday, July 09, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
You Tube Debates
This would be a great idea if there were no media filter, but at least CNN and YouTube are taking submissions from the "Average American" and putting them to the candidates. One of the things I would like to see as the Presidential race continues is the "Average American" talking about why they would vote for a certain candidate and debating people who want to vote for someone else. It could open up the potential for political discussion all over the country, especially if those engaging in debate have gained as much information about their candidate as possible. The possibilities for this medium of communication are endless, and I don't think we're making proper use of the technology. What CNN is doing is a start, but we could be doing MUCH better.
3,582 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
3,582 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Saturday, June 30, 2007
No News, Part 2
I was watching the Colombian news this morning and it struck me - our news really isn't as relevant to us as Caracol is to its people. In addition to the sports, weather, and major news stories for the world and the country, they always impart some sort of cultural or societal information and go to the various regions of the country to get their take on whatever the subject happens to be. From watching the Colombian news for a few weeks I can learn about how to eat right, cultural food traditions from all over the country, what various regions feel their contribution to Colombian culture is, how language and dialect varies throughout the country, favorite vacation spots and how (and why) the preference for beach, mountain, or jungle resorts changes depending on their state of origin, and many other things (including history, science, technology, etc...).
In a country of 30 million people with a struggling economy that has been mired in civil war for over 50 years, journalists can bang out a spectacular 60 minute news program (with commercials) filled with relevant news from the country, the region, and the world, and report what's significant, regardless of where it's happening. In contrast, in a country of 300,000 million people with one of the strongest economies in the world, the news from America will be 30 minutes long, have possibly one ACTUAL story that MUST be relevant to Americans, will contain NO cultural or societal analysis, and will avoid (all all costs) any REAL questioning of the government or its politicians.
And CNN.com's new format has made this information MUCH more difficult to find:
3,576 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
In a country of 30 million people with a struggling economy that has been mired in civil war for over 50 years, journalists can bang out a spectacular 60 minute news program (with commercials) filled with relevant news from the country, the region, and the world, and report what's significant, regardless of where it's happening. In contrast, in a country of 300,000 million people with one of the strongest economies in the world, the news from America will be 30 minutes long, have possibly one ACTUAL story that MUST be relevant to Americans, will contain NO cultural or societal analysis, and will avoid (all all costs) any REAL questioning of the government or its politicians.
And CNN.com's new format has made this information MUCH more difficult to find:
3,576 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thinking Green
I don't believe in supporting the movie industry. I think it has sold out in a variety of ways, and I'm not going to get into them now. I haven't gone to see it yet, but I feel I should support Evan Almighty for its work in creating a green set. Whatever your stance on Global Warming, it goes without saying that humans need to reduce their impact on the environment. I applaud Universal Studios, director Tom Shadyac, and The Conservation Fund for setting a new standard for making movies.
In the same general vein, Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel has become one of my favorite series. It has given us a lot of great ideas for things we can do around the house and organizations we can get involved in to help reduce our carbon footprint.
And in totally off-the-wall environmental news, a lake in Chile has disappeared recently. It's probably not due to Global Warming, though a rise in the suspected earthquakes may be connected to climate change.
War is never good for the environment, but it's GREAT for overpopulation:
3,557 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,129 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq (at least we'll have a use for some of those plastics)
In the same general vein, Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel has become one of my favorite series. It has given us a lot of great ideas for things we can do around the house and organizations we can get involved in to help reduce our carbon footprint.
And in totally off-the-wall environmental news, a lake in Chile has disappeared recently. It's probably not due to Global Warming, though a rise in the suspected earthquakes may be connected to climate change.
War is never good for the environment, but it's GREAT for overpopulation:
3,557 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,129 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq (at least we'll have a use for some of those plastics)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Worth Reposting
Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos slogans symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos slogans symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Media Cover-Up
In this article, 20 journalists (such as Dan Rather) describe the ways in which corporate media ownership prevented them from reporting important - and often troubling - stories. Rather than allowing these stories to air and letting the people decide their importance, they were stifled by corporate brass and the threat of pulled sponsorship. Some writers and journalists have even been fired.
Not all of these stories would be detrimental to the government, but they would have an impact on the profits of key government employees. Some expose things like the expensive and pointless war on drugs or the hormones put into our milk supply, but others talk about the detaining of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and voter fraud in the 2000 election. Most important is the reason why all this censorship is possible - the consolidation of the country's major news outlets.
Let's not forget that in a fascist government the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives, sometimes under the guise of consumerism. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Especially this weekend, but as always, take a look at these faces:
3,435 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,378 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Not all of these stories would be detrimental to the government, but they would have an impact on the profits of key government employees. Some expose things like the expensive and pointless war on drugs or the hormones put into our milk supply, but others talk about the detaining of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and voter fraud in the 2000 election. Most important is the reason why all this censorship is possible - the consolidation of the country's major news outlets.
Let's not forget that in a fascist government the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives, sometimes under the guise of consumerism. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Especially this weekend, but as always, take a look at these faces:
3,435 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,378 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sicko
Michael Moore's next film, Sicko, will be premiering at the Cannes film festival on June 29th. This film is being blocked by the Bush Administration because Moore visited Cuba with 10 first responders from 9/11 for a segment for the film. They were there to receive treatment that they could not get in the US due to the Bush Administration's denial that anything was wrong with the air around ground zero in the days directly following the demolition of the Twin Towers. Whatever your personal feelings about Michael Moore, it has to be acknowledged that there are very few reporters, journalists, and documentarians asking the questions he's asking. I hate that he is my only source of information when it comes to the answers to these questions. He has his own agenda, of course, but NO ONE ELSE IS ASKING. And before you say, "Well, he went to Cuba, and that's illegal," please remember that Oliver Stone got to go, as did Stephen Spielberg.
Our media is conspicuously absent from this administration. Controlled mass media is a symptom of a fascist nation. Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. Here is the very least you can do to get the word out to as many poeple as possible that this Administration has to go.
UPDATE: At the screening of 'Sicko' several journalists and critics admitted to crying, and even Fox News gvae the film a good review.
Our media is conspicuously absent from this administration. Controlled mass media is a symptom of a fascist nation. Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. Here is the very least you can do to get the word out to as many poeple as possible that this Administration has to go.
UPDATE: At the screening of 'Sicko' several journalists and critics admitted to crying, and even Fox News gvae the film a good review.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Don't Go Breakin' My Heart...
The City of Brotherly Love is not feeling very lovely lately. Gun violence is at an all-time high, and children are becoming afraid to leave their homes. Last year 406 people were murdered in our fair city, more than in most countries. But it's not just Philadelphia. Violence has been spiking nationwide. Many people believe this is due to the ease with which people are able to aquire guns, but I have a feeling this is actually speaking to the overal emotions of the country.
People are angry and armed. They have few prospects. Poor people already feel like they have been abandoned. Look what happened with Hurricane Katrina. A lot of the youth in the inner cities feel that the only way they can get a job is to go into the military. Of those that do, they don't leave their gang affiliations behind. The military has openly stated that they don't have an issue with gang members joining the military. So when these kids get out, they are now trained soldiers. Former military personelle with gang affiliations have been known to set up ambushes for rival gangs and police officers.
In sort-of unrelated news: Master P has started his own lable with a 100% clean policy. He will not sign artists who say "nigger", degrade women, or talk about sex, drugs, or violence in their music. An artist who is not so pure: when opening for a Gwen Stefani concert in Trinidad, Akon (a Sengalese "artist") called a 15 year-old girl on stage, held her down, spead her legs, and simulated sex.
People are angry and armed. They have few prospects. Poor people already feel like they have been abandoned. Look what happened with Hurricane Katrina. A lot of the youth in the inner cities feel that the only way they can get a job is to go into the military. Of those that do, they don't leave their gang affiliations behind. The military has openly stated that they don't have an issue with gang members joining the military. So when these kids get out, they are now trained soldiers. Former military personelle with gang affiliations have been known to set up ambushes for rival gangs and police officers.
In sort-of unrelated news: Master P has started his own lable with a 100% clean policy. He will not sign artists who say "nigger", degrade women, or talk about sex, drugs, or violence in their music. An artist who is not so pure: when opening for a Gwen Stefani concert in Trinidad, Akon (a Sengalese "artist") called a 15 year-old girl on stage, held her down, spead her legs, and simulated sex.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Military Censorship
The military has put MySpace and YouTube on a list of sites that are banned for soldiers to access from government computers. They say they are doing this to boost productivity, just as other employers have done, and I would believe that if MySpace and YouTube weren't the major means of communication among soldiers in Iraq. I know my cousin uses it to check in with his wife and the rest of the family, all in one click. If it weren't for MySpace, we would never know what's going on with him because he just doesn't have the time to email all of us.
Another friendly reminder: In a fascist nation media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
These voices have already been silenced:
3,400 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,245 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Another friendly reminder: In a fascist nation media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
These voices have already been silenced:
3,400 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,245 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What I Learned From Virginia Tech
I learned that 32 people can be killed in the course of several hours and no one in this country really gives a damn. Don't mistake the voyeuristic media coverage for actual concern. Yes, people are upset by what happened and their hearts go out to the students and staff at Virginia Tech, but few people are talking about what's really important about this massacre: that we live in a culture where this kind of thing can happen anywhere at any time to anyone.
Isn't that just a little disturbing? Forget about all the political crap that goes along with this tragedy. Forget what the kid said on the videotapes that the media has so insensitively aired on national TV. Forget about the debate on the 2nd Amendment and the people's right to have guns (even though we don't have the right to decide what do do with our own bodies, we have what we need to decide what to do with the lives of others). Forget that he's an Asian kid from Virginia and has probably been the victim of horrible racism since he came to this country (trust me, I've lived in VA). Sure, he had mental problems. How many people are there across this country with some sort of mental illness? How many of them have access to guns? How many of them have motive, real or imagined, AND opportunity?
This tragedy is a symptom of the violent culture of America, as were about a hundred other SCHOOL shootings in the past 10 years (not including Lancaster or VT). We live in a country where we cannot say with reasonable certainty that our children are safe in school. How do people not find this alarming? How are people not rioting in the streets? This tragedy has illustrated beyond a reasonable doubt that gun violence is OUT OF CONTROL in the United States and the only people truly outraged DON'T LIVE IN AMERICA. More children are going to die. If we don't do something now, we might as well get used to seeing higher and higher numbers of casualties in tragedies such as this, tragedies that could have been prevented.
And let's not forget the other victims of gun violence:
3,315 US Soldeirs killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Over 60,000 Iraqis killed
Isn't that just a little disturbing? Forget about all the political crap that goes along with this tragedy. Forget what the kid said on the videotapes that the media has so insensitively aired on national TV. Forget about the debate on the 2nd Amendment and the people's right to have guns (even though we don't have the right to decide what do do with our own bodies, we have what we need to decide what to do with the lives of others). Forget that he's an Asian kid from Virginia and has probably been the victim of horrible racism since he came to this country (trust me, I've lived in VA). Sure, he had mental problems. How many people are there across this country with some sort of mental illness? How many of them have access to guns? How many of them have motive, real or imagined, AND opportunity?
This tragedy is a symptom of the violent culture of America, as were about a hundred other SCHOOL shootings in the past 10 years (not including Lancaster or VT). We live in a country where we cannot say with reasonable certainty that our children are safe in school. How do people not find this alarming? How are people not rioting in the streets? This tragedy has illustrated beyond a reasonable doubt that gun violence is OUT OF CONTROL in the United States and the only people truly outraged DON'T LIVE IN AMERICA. More children are going to die. If we don't do something now, we might as well get used to seeing higher and higher numbers of casualties in tragedies such as this, tragedies that could have been prevented.
And let's not forget the other victims of gun violence:
3,315 US Soldeirs killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Over 60,000 Iraqis killed
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Imus Double Standard
I think Don Imus is an asshole. I don't like him, but I don't get to decide how people choose to entertain themselves. Imus was fired for making a racist and sexist comment, but no one has really mentioned all of the other people on the air whose comments have been just as bad or worse. Bill O'Reilly, for example, has referred to Mexicans as wetbacks and has NEVER apologized. Ann Coulter recently called John Edwards a faggot, but apparently that doesn't count because she had to go to rehab. Rosie O'Donnell has used a very offensive "Chinese" accent on The View. I haven't even mentioned all of the rap "artists" who use offensive language on their albums, but no one is stringing them up.
And while America was paying attnetion to Don Imus, few people noticed that Karl Rove and his staff deleted hundreds of emails over the course of several years.
3,302 US soldiers killed in Iraq
24,645 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Friday, December 01, 2006
What's Your Number?
If you have traveled internationally lately, you have a number you don't know about. It was assigned to you by federal agents and the ATS (Automated Targeting System) based on your in-flight meal, seat preference, where you're from, your motor vehicle records, and other factors. This number is designed to give airport security an at-a-glance view of who they should be watching, frisking, denying the right to travel, etc... But don't worry - privacy advocates are on it, just like they were on the Patriot Act and the mandatory fingerprinting at Disney. Secure Flight, a similar program designed for domestic travel, has been banned by the courts until it can be proven that it is accurate and private. These numbers are not made available to the people they're assigned to, nor is there any way to know whether you have been assigned one at all.
We are quietly losing our civil liberties and no one seems to care. People just allow these things to happen without question, though President Bush and his Administration have used every trick in the book to make these things happen without arousing any suspicion from the public. Is anyone watching? Why isn't the media calling attention to these things? Why aren't more people calling for impeachment? The more I watch the news, the more I see a clear conservative bias. The liberal media is dead - if it ever existed at all.
2,888 US Soldiers dead
21,921 US Soldiers wounded
We are quietly losing our civil liberties and no one seems to care. People just allow these things to happen without question, though President Bush and his Administration have used every trick in the book to make these things happen without arousing any suspicion from the public. Is anyone watching? Why isn't the media calling attention to these things? Why aren't more people calling for impeachment? The more I watch the news, the more I see a clear conservative bias. The liberal media is dead - if it ever existed at all.
2,888 US Soldiers dead
21,921 US Soldiers wounded
Friday, September 29, 2006
Something to Run On
On the day that the National Intelligence Estimate went public stating that the war in Iraq has created more Islamic radicals, former President Bill Clinton criticized Fox News for not being a balanced news source. He had been asked if he had done enough to fight terrorism and before saying no, he chastised the commentator for not asking the same question of President Bush and his Adminsitration, who had done NOTHING to fight or acknowledge terrorism in the 8 months they were in office prior to 9/11. President Clinton also explained that he had tried to kill Bin Laden, that he had authorized the CIA to do so if possible, and ended the interview by criticizing the small number of troops in Afghanistan looking for the actual mastermind of 9/11 and the overblown importance placed in Iraq.
By making these statements publicly, Former President Clinton gave the Democrats, including his wife, something to run on. Though he is nearly invincible politically at the moment, he showed the Democrats that not only is it okay to have a backbone, it's actually preferred to the wishy-washy, fake, no-substance answers we have been hearing for the past 6 years. I hope that the Democrats finally start standing up and hitting back on these issues, especially since they have the political and moral upper-hand. All we need now are impeachment proceedings.
2,711 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
20,486 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DEMAND THAT THIS ENDS??? or at least that we be told why this was begun?
By making these statements publicly, Former President Clinton gave the Democrats, including his wife, something to run on. Though he is nearly invincible politically at the moment, he showed the Democrats that not only is it okay to have a backbone, it's actually preferred to the wishy-washy, fake, no-substance answers we have been hearing for the past 6 years. I hope that the Democrats finally start standing up and hitting back on these issues, especially since they have the political and moral upper-hand. All we need now are impeachment proceedings.
2,711 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
20,486 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DEMAND THAT THIS ENDS??? or at least that we be told why this was begun?
Sunday, May 14, 2006
You Go, Lou Dobbs!
Recently Lou Dobbs attacked President Bush and his cabal on their immigration policy. The spark may have been the idea that placing National Guard troops at the boarders would do ANYTHING to really stem the flow of the nearly 3 million illegal immigrants that cross them each year if our policies continue to favor them. I think it's quite clear that the best way to stop them from coming is to HEAVILY fine, and possibly close down businesses that hire them. In 2004, only 3 employers who hired illegal immigrants were fined. I could find three businesses employing illegal immigrants just by walking down the street. And when the illegal immigrants are found, they MUST be deported. Being sent back to your own country makes it harder for you to get back in, especially if we ACTUALLY fund and increase the Boarder Patrol, and deters you from uprooting your family once again.
I am torn by the plight of the illegal immigrant, even though all of the immigrants I know are 100% legal. It was very difficult and very expensive for any of them to obtain Visas. In some cases, it took as long as 10 years and as much as $12,000. In many countries, the application fee alone is phenomenally high for the income of the middle class worker, and once they do get here and get jobs, the majority of their income goes towards lawyer fees, more application fees, etc., making it extremely difficult for them to rise out of poverty. The system is against them, like it is against all of them, but they should not be protesting that they should be given amnesty. If they want to be taken seriously, the need to protest against the policies and the fees that make it SO DIFFICULT for them to become legitimate, legal citizens. As illegals, they technically don't have the right to protest anyway, so if they're going to do it, they should make sure it's for something that won't alienate the very country they're trying to become citizens of.
I am torn by the plight of the illegal immigrant, even though all of the immigrants I know are 100% legal. It was very difficult and very expensive for any of them to obtain Visas. In some cases, it took as long as 10 years and as much as $12,000. In many countries, the application fee alone is phenomenally high for the income of the middle class worker, and once they do get here and get jobs, the majority of their income goes towards lawyer fees, more application fees, etc., making it extremely difficult for them to rise out of poverty. The system is against them, like it is against all of them, but they should not be protesting that they should be given amnesty. If they want to be taken seriously, the need to protest against the policies and the fees that make it SO DIFFICULT for them to become legitimate, legal citizens. As illegals, they technically don't have the right to protest anyway, so if they're going to do it, they should make sure it's for something that won't alienate the very country they're trying to become citizens of.
Friday, May 05, 2006
And the Band Stopped Playing
I watched a documentary called "All We Are Saying" with my husband the other night about the fate of the music industry. There were several things that struck me, but the most disturbing is that Joni Mitchell has quit writing and playing music because of the process it had to go through with today's industry, which is run largely by people who know NOTHING about music.
Much of the film focused on the image associated with the music industry. Many musicians believe that they never would have made it by today's standards, and I tend to agree. I have a feeling Mick Jagger and Janis Joplin would not have stood up against Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake. Why? Because no one really cares about the lyrics anymore. People simply want to be entertained. They don't want music that really means anything. Think about it. When was the last time you were really moved by a song that's been written in the last 5 years? Country music doesn't count. We're talking about rock, folk, and punk here. Even alternative music isn't really an alternative. A least hip-hop gives a culture to a youth that is strongly without direction. The press is shallow, the critics don't really know anything about music, an no one has an attention span of more than a few minutes. If we're not careful, we will lose our music. We've already lost some of our best musicians.
Much of the film focused on the image associated with the music industry. Many musicians believe that they never would have made it by today's standards, and I tend to agree. I have a feeling Mick Jagger and Janis Joplin would not have stood up against Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake. Why? Because no one really cares about the lyrics anymore. People simply want to be entertained. They don't want music that really means anything. Think about it. When was the last time you were really moved by a song that's been written in the last 5 years? Country music doesn't count. We're talking about rock, folk, and punk here. Even alternative music isn't really an alternative. A least hip-hop gives a culture to a youth that is strongly without direction. The press is shallow, the critics don't really know anything about music, an no one has an attention span of more than a few minutes. If we're not careful, we will lose our music. We've already lost some of our best musicians.
Monday, May 01, 2006
They're Called Illegal Because THEY ARE
On Bill Maher last month, Jorge Ramos of Univision objected to illegal immigrants being called illegal. There are a lot of problems with the immigration issue, many of them governmental, but a few have to do with the way Americans look at the problem. There is no way to get around the fact that if you are in the country illegally, you are breaking the law and should be held accountable for doing so. People employing illegal immigrants should be prosecuted as well. Schools should be reporting students that they know to be illegal. Hospitals should immediately report patients that they know to be illegal. I also think that if illegals aren't paying property taxes or income taxes, they should not receive the same services as people who do. If their house catches on fire or a robber invades, they don't really have the right to call the fire department or police because they haven't paid for those services. Much of the problem, like many we have, has to do with the complacency of the American people.
Also on Bill Maher and related to immigration, author Erica Jong stated that American workers won't do the jobs that illegals will do. She specifically stated that you cannot get an American woman to be a nanny (I guess the years I spent as one don't count, and neither do my friends who have made it their career). Senator Dana Rohrbacher was right when he said that Americans will do the jobs, they just have to be paid a decent wage. The problem isn't the illegal immigrants, it's the cheap, greedy Americans who refuse to pay people a wage they can live on. Besides all of that, if the welfare system were eliminated for able-bodied citizens, people WOULD do the jobs illegals are doing or starve. This isn't like the depression. The jobs are out there.
Finally, if the process of becoming a legal immigrant were easier, many more people would do it. For someone in a country like Colombia to have to pay a $100 (American) registration fee just to get denied is nearly impossible. That's almost a year's salary, for some several years. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a fee, but it should be adjusted to fit a professional salary in the country of the applicant. To have the same fee across the board is extremely unfair, and obviously, contributes to the illegal immigration problem.
Also on Bill Maher and related to immigration, author Erica Jong stated that American workers won't do the jobs that illegals will do. She specifically stated that you cannot get an American woman to be a nanny (I guess the years I spent as one don't count, and neither do my friends who have made it their career). Senator Dana Rohrbacher was right when he said that Americans will do the jobs, they just have to be paid a decent wage. The problem isn't the illegal immigrants, it's the cheap, greedy Americans who refuse to pay people a wage they can live on. Besides all of that, if the welfare system were eliminated for able-bodied citizens, people WOULD do the jobs illegals are doing or starve. This isn't like the depression. The jobs are out there.
Finally, if the process of becoming a legal immigrant were easier, many more people would do it. For someone in a country like Colombia to have to pay a $100 (American) registration fee just to get denied is nearly impossible. That's almost a year's salary, for some several years. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a fee, but it should be adjusted to fit a professional salary in the country of the applicant. To have the same fee across the board is extremely unfair, and obviously, contributes to the illegal immigration problem.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
No News
There's something very disturbing to me about people who never watch the news or don't think the news is important. I know that it's difficult to care when you're just trying to put a roof over your head and food in your body, but government policy effects your ability to do that, and you hear about government policy in the news.
My students only have one TV in each dorm, and you can pretty much bet it's not tuned to the news. It didn't occur to me that they were missing out on information until a student came in yesterday and saw the Corretta Scott King funeral program on my desk. He was surprised to find that she had died two weeks ago. He hadn't heard anything about it.
High school is when students really start to get interested in the world around them, especially if they are guided by an adult to find things that they're interested in and read about them. Kids are naturally curious, but teenagers are naturally self-absorbed. Public schools do a pretty good job of keeping students into he loop about what's going on (as long as it's not political or religious), but I think boarding schools in America (I've worked at several) are doing a huge disservice to their students by not encouraging them to read the newspaper, watch the news, or check it on the Internet. For my part, I'll be requiring an opinion essay on a news story once a week, and I feel remiss in not having done so before.
My students only have one TV in each dorm, and you can pretty much bet it's not tuned to the news. It didn't occur to me that they were missing out on information until a student came in yesterday and saw the Corretta Scott King funeral program on my desk. He was surprised to find that she had died two weeks ago. He hadn't heard anything about it.
High school is when students really start to get interested in the world around them, especially if they are guided by an adult to find things that they're interested in and read about them. Kids are naturally curious, but teenagers are naturally self-absorbed. Public schools do a pretty good job of keeping students into he loop about what's going on (as long as it's not political or religious), but I think boarding schools in America (I've worked at several) are doing a huge disservice to their students by not encouraging them to read the newspaper, watch the news, or check it on the Internet. For my part, I'll be requiring an opinion essay on a news story once a week, and I feel remiss in not having done so before.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Freedom of Speech
I think this is a natural succession from the Freedom From Fear post. Fear is what limits our freedom of speech. Censorship is nothing more than the fear that people will repeat what they hear or that someone will be offended by what is said. I'm pretty sure the Bill of Rights doesn't grant the freedom of speech as long as it doesn't offend anyone. One of my favorite quotes is from a song Fern's friend wrote. "PMAC (Parents Music Advisory Committee), you are not my parents and never will be." Warning labels on music, videos, TV shows, and video games are really for lazy parents who don't take the time to find these things out for themselves before allowing their children to listen to, play with, or view them. Putting an age limit on the purchase of such material is also wrong. If parents don't know what their kids are buying, that's their problem.
Here's another one of my favorite quotes, this time by someone much more famous. Voltaire said, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Besides the whole perjury and yelling fire in a crowded room thing, I think people should say anything they choose and must be prepared to be judged by what they say. No one should ever have to apologize for their words if they mean them. In fact, it takes a much bigger person to stand behind a view that is unpopular than it does to apologize for making their true feelings known.
Here's another one of my favorite quotes, this time by someone much more famous. Voltaire said, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Besides the whole perjury and yelling fire in a crowded room thing, I think people should say anything they choose and must be prepared to be judged by what they say. No one should ever have to apologize for their words if they mean them. In fact, it takes a much bigger person to stand behind a view that is unpopular than it does to apologize for making their true feelings known.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Partisanship
I can't help but notice the US versus THEM tone that has penetrated the internet, the media, and the government. It seems we don't have anything we can come together on anymore, and the public is just as divided as everyone else. People think that it's Republican vs. Democrat, but it's not. They are ALL corrupt and hey ALL need to go. The Republicans may have made the latest mistakes, but the Democrats haven't done a whole lot to try and stop them. There are two or three honest politicians at the federal level, and far too few in state and local governments. NOTHING is going to be done until the people arise from the contentment of complacency and actually DO something. But is there anything that can be done? Are we headed for another civil war? Will it be over religion this time, or money like it was last time? This type of division cannot lead to good things.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
On Jon Stewart
I heard an interesting thing on Jon Stewart this weekend. Joe Biden said that he would have liked to see John McCain run with John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a Republican and Democrat running together? It would prove once and for all that the Democrats are not all that far left of the Republicans and we need a third party to really stand up and speak for the people. I have found the position of the Democrats to be weak, and even Howard Dean can't pull it out of it's rut. Dennis Kusinich was closest to what being a Democrat used to mean, and unfortunately, no one paid attention to Ralph Nader. I know he couldn't have won, but don't people realize that if a third party candidate receives five percent of the vote, during the next election that party must receive access to federal campaign funds , lending those candidates visibility and a higher percentage of the overall vote, thereby restoring democracy to the two party system. I guess I'm thinking a little randomly this evening, but at least I'm looking toward a solution rather than focusing on the problem.
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