Category Archives: Global

REVOLUTION NEEDED

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Call for a REVOLUTION …AN EVERGREEN REVOLUTION

Each day passes we read in our newspapers,  visually watch on TV, hear on our car radio, listen to the preaching of the politicians exhorting about OIL..Petroleum ….and our unquenching dependence and need for it.  Costly wars both in human life and national debt have recently been fought for it. We hear of goliath corporations in the business control budgets and earn profits greater than many nations GDP… But at the same time have we all been distracted, is this all been a snow job?   What of our other, less discussed, but more serious needs? Like urgent requirements  for sustaining the expanding world population? When did shortage of water, food, devastating the oceans and forests make the TV headline news or spiel from our  politicians lips, be addressed in government forums? In the United States there are NO money laden powerful lobbies for water, SAVING marine life, protecting not cutting forests, expanding food supply, controlling carbon dioxide. WE NEED TO WAKE UP.

Our world is quickly running out of time to ensure there will be enough food, water, power, energy to sustain the needs of the rapidly increasing population.  According to a recent United Nations report failure of the world politicians to address this issue will send 3 BILLION people into poverty.

The world population is  scheduled to increase to 9 NINE BILLION in 28 years or by 2040.  The population recently turned the 7 SEVEN BILLION number.  We don’t have to wait until 2040 to feel the effects, by 2030 our wold will need at least 50 FIFTY per cent  more food.  The population will require 30% more water, and 45% more energy. (UN estimates)

What are these world politicians doing to address these monumental tasks?  Not very much is the answer. We are suffering from a lack of political will and direction.  Guilty are most of the industrial countries lead by the United States, the quickly growing waking economies, China India, and those countries tightly controlled by self serving powerfully rich.

We need to learn that since 2000 there are 20 million more undernourished people already. We have destroyed forests after forests each year the size of a country.  We have already exploited 85 EIGHTY FIVE percent of all fish stocks, and in some cases depleted the stock completely.

There has been “talk” about the carbon dioxide emissions, much chatter but of little avail.  As a result they have risen 38 percent from 1990 to 2010!!..The result the risk of rising sea levels, and more extreme violent weather for the future.

In June this year, in Brazil, the world forum of politicians and scientists meet once more at a summit to discuss and consider these concerns.  Governments are urged to accept the problem and set  sustainable development goals which MUST be achieved.  They must at least double food, energy, water productivity. They must reduce the use and waste of our natural resources and avoid further biodiversity losses.

We need an EVERGREEN REVOLUTION…..NOW
(image: seattlepi.com)

QUOTE OF THE DAY Churchill/voter & DEMOCRACY

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“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”   Winston Churchill

Churchill may also have added: or listen to the political candidates on their TV “spin”

Kennedy “MAN MUST PUT AN END TO WAR” we failed again

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John F. Kennedy said “MAN MUST PUT AN END TO WAR, OR WAR WILL PUT AN END TO MANKIND”

A tall order when we review the TREACHEROUS MISLEADING costly war in Iraq and its consequences nine years later.

TREACHEROUS: in Iraq we leave a country in continued religious, ethnic, and political turmoil, a trillion hard earned misguided tax payers dollars, and over 4200 American and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi DEAD.  To this monumental blunder we must add the battalions of wounded.  Many injured, both military and civilian, will visit their physical and mental wounds daily for the balance of their lives, a reminder of the ordeal of this false WAR.

Each death, fatality, whether military or civilian,  was a result of the perversion of truth by ill advised or deceitful politicians and their self serving determined drive to combat in Iraq.  A heartless crusade supported by fictional truths, charges of weapons of mass destruction, and a fabricated association with Osama bin Laden.

MISLEADING:  Iraq war was not a necessity.  We deliberately took our eye off the ball.  The biggest misguided travesty of our life time started with the immense cruel limitless betrayal to the American people.  A MOCKERY WAS MADE OF THE TRUTH.  Reality was disguised for political and ambitious convenience.  The country’s leaders (with support from their corporate friends) chose to deceive the very people they sat in Washington and London to represent.  With faulty manipulated reasons for WAR, little consideration of the ordeal to be unleashed, the trauma families were to endure, the misdirected mountainous cost (mostly charged to the  next American generation’s credit card), on March 19, 2003, the invasion began, the bombardment and “Shock and Awe” lit up the sky of Baghdad, and the President smiled as he informed his people on TV of operation “IRAQI FREEDOM”!!

But now we reflect on the truth, no flowers in the streets greeted the brave military, no joyful welcomes, no rallying of the natives in support, no gracious welcome, no “slam dunk” and the war over in weeks, no cost to America, all deflected due to Iraq’s oil “war” chest; all promised and fabricated for WAR. What happened to “IRAQI FREEDOM”?  Now we know, the “prize” was the reality of nine years of combat, of death, horror, of outrageous waste and costs.  The travesty of TRUTH bore the inevitable mistrust in America’s government and politicians

Cruel, Ruthless, Crusading …. these are unfair and offensive criticisms of the American people. BUT the politicians and “friends” who deliberately manipulated for support for their heartless WAR…who lied, fabricated, gave us “Mission Accomplished” at less than half time………………… the casualties of this WAR, the graves, the tombs, the suffering wounded veterans and civilians, the unpaid bill, ….to these politicians is the blame and the SHAME.

President Kennedy, we hear you, however until Washington and the  leaders act responsibly truthfully honorably , FAIRLY REPRESENTING  ALL the people and ALL INTERESTS on an EQUAL PLAYING FIELD………it is still a TALL ORDER.  This time we FAILED….miserably.

FROM TUNIS TO WALL STREET TO?

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Just over one year ago a young Tunisian, Mohamed Bouaziz, set himself on fire in protest.  In doing so he not only sparked the revolt that toppled Tunisia’s dictator, he ignited a BLAZE which has spread throughout the Middle East. Mohamed  inflamed peoples  to revolt against greed, corruption, repressive, and polluted governments

All this young man wish to do was set up his cart and sell his fruit and vegetables on the local street.  The police kept trying to stop him, his government harassed him. He, like most of his neighbors, knew how corrupt with money and contaminated with power their government was.  In his  individual sacrifice, Mohamed unknowingly ignited peoples around the globe to challenge their governments, the parliaments, corruption, the military power, and above all the leaders.

Occupy Wall Street inherited its spark from Mohamed, inflamed from the growing inequality of of the 1% vs the “others”.  This movement mushroomed and grew fueled by the greed of corporate America, an out of touch do-nothing congress, and the self serving bonus- granting banks.  The “you’re on your own” and “I’m all right Jack” attitude of the politicians and congress added kindle to this explosive growing inequality.  Occupy Wall Street spread across America and into Europe.  Protests not against the democratic institutions BUT against the money that now controls those institutions.  Not surprising when 400 American BILLIONAIRES have more $$$$$$$ than half the 320 million Americans. THAT IS RIGHT 400 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES OWN AS MUCH AS 150 MILLION AMERICANS COMBINED. Not surprising when  corporate giants wallow in immense profits and pay NO Federal taxes.  Not surprising when the billionaire can legally pay a lower tax rate than his or her employees. Not surprising when the American government willing budgets over 700 BILLION PLUS taxpayers money for the Pentagon and the military machine while crying for cuts in education, chiseling at health care, hacking social programs intended for the poor, the less fortunate, the disadvantaged, the sick, the elderly, and the youth – Not surprising when the citizenry is lied to repeatedly and finance and give the ultimate price of life for two unnecessary costly futile ego driven wars.  Not surprising when the government  undertakes to distribute billions to “nation build” in the Middle East while the of the bridges, roads, rail system, school rooms crumble at home.  Not surprising when valid employment and opportunity for this and future generations disappear, except to the 1%.  Not surprising when the legal system from the highest court levy laws catering to the incredibly wealthy, serving the  powerful minority with their political ambitions, and benefiting the tax avoiding corporations.

The media has become owned and operated by the corporations, the same TV, radio and publications, citizens historically relied on to  investigate, to scrutinize and expose any wrongdoing of these corporations.   With few exceptions the TV and radio stations promulgate their self serving ideology and political doctrine, of service to their owners.

Mohamed has made us  think, to examine and ask the question HOW? and WHY?

In America growing inequality didn’t seem to be noticed or even matter as long as poor and less fortunate were getting help…… most importantly the AMERICAN DREAM was always there, dangling in front of all,  supplying the dreams,  aspirations, hopes, making the rigors and misfortunes of  many easier to bare.  “One day I too will own the big house on the hill”!  The American Dream  has become the American Mirage, and for too many the American Nightmare.  Reality has transformed the aspirations and dreams to hallucinations. It is REALITY time for the 99%.

WHY, because for over two decades the political system has been dominated, subjugated and purchased, by the growing self serving 1%. More dangerously they now control  the legal system even anointing judges who serve their needs.  A society that makes it lawful to fire US workers and move corporations over seas while continuing to receive US government handouts, subsidies,  and contracts. Then through legal loopholes pay little or NO taxes to the Federal Government, has much to answer to its’ citizens. Making it acceptable for the 1% to “grant” the American political system approved candidates for congress, even the President, and “allow” the citizenry “to choose”…. using the press, media, and politically motivated restrictive voting laws, to convince the 99% it is their choice.

THANKS Mohamed, let us all hope your sacrifice has fired citizens worldwide to question, to examine, not sit ideally by, NOT accept corruption, inequality, monumental disparity but to work on, solicit, DEMAND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ,parity, equity, and THE RECOGNITION OF FAIRNESS FOR ALL CITIZENS ON AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD.

 

 

WHAT HAPPENED? THE AMERICAN DREAM?

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Painfully we are realizing that our American Dream is vanishing before our eyes.  Our vision of America is quickly becoming an imagination, a muse, and for too many citizens a nightmare.

For too long we have sold ourselves EVERYONE CAN LIVE THE DREAM, EVERYONE CAN GET RICH AND IN AMERICA NO ONE GETS HURT, AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL.  This pipe dream has exploded as devastating and calamitous as any bomb in the needless exorbitant Iraq war.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Simply the already rich, connected, and powerful grabbed all the gold!!  They seized the gilt and ran!  They then used all their vast fortune to influence if not outright BUY government protection, favors, and the media.  Leaving everyone else to scrounge waiting for the “trickle down” effects as promised.  Nothing fell from the table, no “trickle down”, no coins fell, and the American Dream became a reality BUT for the tiny few. WE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN.

We have made the majority of citizens foreigners in their own country, taken away their dream. Inequality of income and political nfluence has become revolting as we are forced to watch millions of Americans fall into poverty.  We fail to educate our children and complain as we witness other nations quickly pass our dismal educational goals.  We are the only great society that encourages profit making at the expense of the sick and ill. We are willing to spend 700 billion a year on the military machine, but allow veterans to be on the streets and in poverty on their return.  We allow millionaires and billionaires to select and control the politicians to their benefit.

The DREAM?  poor choices, poor politics, greed, excess, piggishness have killed what was the envy of the world.

WE SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED

 

GREED – Thomas Jefferson

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Greedy Businessman Standing In Money Clip Art Image

“Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor but GREED”