Saturday, April 21, 2012
The People's Money: Complementary Currencies and the Need for a Sustainable Monetary Policy in the U.S.
The article The People's Money: Complementary Currencies and the Need for a Sustainable Monetary Policy in the U.S., written by yours truly is featured
on Greenewave,
an alternative media outlet. It was offered as my entry to Become the Media!, a
creative writer contest.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Nazi Lobby
I just read the news about Nazis Getting Their Own Lobbyist in DC.
How revealing this is of America's brand of capitalism, which is predicated on the survival of the fittest, and of the amoral power that capital has to purchase our politicians.
I do not question the Nazi's right to self expression, to peacefully assemble or any other constitutionally-guaranteed right. This is not the issue. Regardless of what the apologists from both parties that hold the current monopoly might say- Lobbying, using donations to sway votes and favors from those in power, is not a democratic process. If the majority is poor, the majority will not be represented because it lacks the funds to lobby for its interests.
If an industry employs one million workers but pays them minimum wage, the lobbyists from that industry will lobby for the continued exploitation of its workers, for allowing the worsening of their working conditions, and for an increase in the wealth of the employers, the ones who produce and work the least yet earn the most.
If that same industry (let's use, for instance, the McDonalds conglomerate) also has a demonstrated history of being bad for the environment -and we know that beef and pork consumption does more ecological damage than even our current transportation infrastructure-, then if the people who suffer the ill effects of this industry also happen to live in poverty (as they almost invariably do), there will be no lobby representing them. Their government does not belong to them, it belongs to whoever can afford the for-profit American government. Yes, fellow Americans. I said it. We have a for-profit government. Our country is being run as a for-profit venture.
The ideals and values of the Nazi movement, and the obscenely unfortunate historical repercussions of its existence, are shared by only a fraction of the American population, yet in theory if they come into considerable wealth, they might win a number of supporters in Congress and in the future we may see a normalization (aided by media, as so often happens with moneyed groups) of politicians allying themselves with Nazi ideology.
Lobbying does not favor the common good, it's an anti-democratic tradition, and my only hope is that the addition and the visibility of a Nazi lobby will eloquently diluscidate the workings of this parasytical profession and its detrimental effects on our societal health in years to come.
The fact that lobbying effects change whereas the people don't is made worse by our being mindless consumers. We've made our true masters wealthy and powerful, and now they believe they are beyond reproach and are preparing to sacrifice our children to Manon: the welfare of future generations will be at the mercy of Lord Money.
I've become convinced that the changes needed in our civilization will be impossible to attain without a global boycott campaign against the corporatocracy, not an easy feat of populist power and organizing but with social media and the internet ... who knows?
How revealing this is of America's brand of capitalism, which is predicated on the survival of the fittest, and of the amoral power that capital has to purchase our politicians.
I do not question the Nazi's right to self expression, to peacefully assemble or any other constitutionally-guaranteed right. This is not the issue. Regardless of what the apologists from both parties that hold the current monopoly might say- Lobbying, using donations to sway votes and favors from those in power, is not a democratic process. If the majority is poor, the majority will not be represented because it lacks the funds to lobby for its interests.
If an industry employs one million workers but pays them minimum wage, the lobbyists from that industry will lobby for the continued exploitation of its workers, for allowing the worsening of their working conditions, and for an increase in the wealth of the employers, the ones who produce and work the least yet earn the most.
If that same industry (let's use, for instance, the McDonalds conglomerate) also has a demonstrated history of being bad for the environment -and we know that beef and pork consumption does more ecological damage than even our current transportation infrastructure-, then if the people who suffer the ill effects of this industry also happen to live in poverty (as they almost invariably do), there will be no lobby representing them. Their government does not belong to them, it belongs to whoever can afford the for-profit American government. Yes, fellow Americans. I said it. We have a for-profit government. Our country is being run as a for-profit venture.
The ideals and values of the Nazi movement, and the obscenely unfortunate historical repercussions of its existence, are shared by only a fraction of the American population, yet in theory if they come into considerable wealth, they might win a number of supporters in Congress and in the future we may see a normalization (aided by media, as so often happens with moneyed groups) of politicians allying themselves with Nazi ideology.
Lobbying does not favor the common good, it's an anti-democratic tradition, and my only hope is that the addition and the visibility of a Nazi lobby will eloquently diluscidate the workings of this parasytical profession and its detrimental effects on our societal health in years to come.
The fact that lobbying effects change whereas the people don't is made worse by our being mindless consumers. We've made our true masters wealthy and powerful, and now they believe they are beyond reproach and are preparing to sacrifice our children to Manon: the welfare of future generations will be at the mercy of Lord Money.
I've become convinced that the changes needed in our civilization will be impossible to attain without a global boycott campaign against the corporatocracy, not an easy feat of populist power and organizing but with social media and the internet ... who knows?
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Real X-Men
In a previous post, I discussed the Stoned Ape Hypothesis which attempts to explain the sudden growth of the early human brain. Today, I read another perspective in the article Tracing autism's roots by David Stipp, where he says
Being the skeptic that I am, for some time I have avoided equating autistic kids with indigo children, which is more of a New-Agey construct, and to remain scientific in my research of autism in light of my niece's diagnosis. However, having read the above article where autistic patients are shown to have increased genetic mutations, and based on other information available on the subject, my views are changing and I believe that autistic individuals deserve a more affirming attitude.
I'm beginning to see autism not as a disease but as part of neurodiversity and the discourse around autism should be reframed within the context of human diversity. That is, diversity includes not only learning to tolerate and live with people of different languages, cultures, religions and sexual orientations but it should also involve learning to live with neurodiversity: learning to relate to introverts and extraverts, learning to relate with autistic individuals and having a broader understanding of how people with different brains see the world. I am not alone in this view. There's even an Autism Pride movement!
Consider a mutation on chromosome 16 recently tied to autism. The glitch is in a DNA region containing so-called "morpheus" genes, which changed very rapidly as evolution produced ever brainier apes. The genes may well help shape cognitive capacities specific to apes and humans, including ones affected by autism.
Since fast mutation goes hand in hand with fast evolution, it's likely that the new autism-linked gene lies in a DNA "hotspot" prone to spontaneous mutation. In short, the same phenomenon that helped to rapidly evolve our braininess may contribute to autism.
Being the skeptic that I am, for some time I have avoided equating autistic kids with indigo children, which is more of a New-Agey construct, and to remain scientific in my research of autism in light of my niece's diagnosis. However, having read the above article where autistic patients are shown to have increased genetic mutations, and based on other information available on the subject, my views are changing and I believe that autistic individuals deserve a more affirming attitude.
I'm beginning to see autism not as a disease but as part of neurodiversity and the discourse around autism should be reframed within the context of human diversity. That is, diversity includes not only learning to tolerate and live with people of different languages, cultures, religions and sexual orientations but it should also involve learning to live with neurodiversity: learning to relate to introverts and extraverts, learning to relate with autistic individuals and having a broader understanding of how people with different brains see the world. I am not alone in this view. There's even an Autism Pride movement!
TODAY IS AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
I HAPPEN TO LOVE A CHILD WITH AUTISM
MY NIECE
SHE IS VERY INTELLIGENT
SHE HAS KNOWN HER ALPHABET SINCE PRE-SCHOOL
HAS ALWAYS BEEN A QUICK LEARNER
AND IS VERY AFFECTIONATE
I HAPPEN TO LOVE A CHILD WITH AUTISM
MY NIECE
SHE IS VERY INTELLIGENT
SHE HAS KNOWN HER ALPHABET SINCE PRE-SCHOOL
HAS ALWAYS BEEN A QUICK LEARNER
AND IS VERY AFFECTIONATE
SHE'S A NORMAL CHILD
EXCEPT THAT HER BRAIN IS CONFIGURED DIFFERENTLY
AUTISTIC PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE ACUTE SENSES
OF HEARING OR VISION
BUT OTHERWISE THEY CAN HAVE NORMAL LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE
OR SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE GENIUSES FOR THE SAME REASON
EINSTEIN WAS AUTISTIC
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AUTISM
BEFORE YOU JUDGE SOMEONE
BUT OTHERWISE THEY CAN HAVE NORMAL LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE
OR SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE GENIUSES FOR THE SAME REASON
EINSTEIN WAS AUTISTIC
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AUTISM
BEFORE YOU JUDGE SOMEONE
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The Reason Rally
As mass media perpetuates the idea that it would be impossible for an atheist to be elected President, many of us non-believers are ... well, skeptical. There's at least one out of the closet atheist politician in DC who participated in the Reason Rally this past Saturday ... plus the visibility of books like The God Delusion, Letter to a Christian Nation and God is Not Great leads me to think that atheism has gone mainstream.
We are becoming more like Canada and Europe where secularism is the majority view and where Jesus' virgin birth and resurrection are generally considered as ridiculous and irrelevant as the birth of Athenea form Zeus' forehead. 18 % of the population of the United States is either atheist, agnostic or non-religious. That is one fifth of the population. It's also the fastest growing religious demographic, bigger than Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Blacks, Gays ... and MUCH bigger than the Tea Party.
Atheists are no longer the most hated group in the country. According to a recent poll, that medal goes to the Tea Party. Were it for mass media, one would not even imagine that to be the case. Corporate media has a love affair with the Tea Party. It constantly exagerates the importance, prevalence and relevance of their absurd and extremist causes and ideals. The poll cited by the NY Times accentuates the huge gap that exists between actual popular sentiment and the collective discourse, identities and movements that corporate media tries to normalize.
In this video you will find atheist statistics which radically contradict many of the biased ideas that people entertain about the atheist minority. Crime statistics, as well as those related to education, human rights and violence in different societies, as well as between the different states of the US, also echo this data.
For all these reasons, atheists held the Reason Rally, which took place last Saturday, with the purpose of creating more visibility and awareness about the civil rights of atheists, encouraging atheists to come out, and reminding politicians in DC that there is a secular movement and that atheists also vote.
Video: Richard Dawkins at the Reason Rally
Atheists hope to build unity, raise awareness at 'Reason Rally'
Reason Rally: Nonbelievers To Rally For Unbelief In Washington
Unbelievable! Atheists to Rally in Record Numbers
We are becoming more like Canada and Europe where secularism is the majority view and where Jesus' virgin birth and resurrection are generally considered as ridiculous and irrelevant as the birth of Athenea form Zeus' forehead. 18 % of the population of the United States is either atheist, agnostic or non-religious. That is one fifth of the population. It's also the fastest growing religious demographic, bigger than Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Blacks, Gays ... and MUCH bigger than the Tea Party.
Atheists are no longer the most hated group in the country. According to a recent poll, that medal goes to the Tea Party. Were it for mass media, one would not even imagine that to be the case. Corporate media has a love affair with the Tea Party. It constantly exagerates the importance, prevalence and relevance of their absurd and extremist causes and ideals. The poll cited by the NY Times accentuates the huge gap that exists between actual popular sentiment and the collective discourse, identities and movements that corporate media tries to normalize.
In this video you will find atheist statistics which radically contradict many of the biased ideas that people entertain about the atheist minority. Crime statistics, as well as those related to education, human rights and violence in different societies, as well as between the different states of the US, also echo this data.
For all these reasons, atheists held the Reason Rally, which took place last Saturday, with the purpose of creating more visibility and awareness about the civil rights of atheists, encouraging atheists to come out, and reminding politicians in DC that there is a secular movement and that atheists also vote.
Video: Richard Dawkins at the Reason Rally
Atheists hope to build unity, raise awareness at 'Reason Rally'
Reason Rally: Nonbelievers To Rally For Unbelief In Washington
Unbelievable! Atheists to Rally in Record Numbers
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Kony 2012 and the Lord's Resistance Army: Christian Terrorism in Africa
First, an introductory video on the attrocities, what's being done, what the plan is, etc.
But as we dig deeper into who Kony is, we usually hear of the LRA, his organization, where the acronym is always used and thus far, media has failed to shed light on what LRA stands for. It's really embarassing. Kony takes children, abducts them and turns boys into war criminals and girls into sexual slaves. His only purpose is self preservation and ultimately, he wants to create a sovereign state in central Africa that is governed by the 10 Commandments. He claims to be a prophet who derives his authority from God.
WHO IS THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY?
Uganda's piety was widely made visible when, a couple of years back, Uganda tried to pass the 'Kill the Gays Bill'.
Then child sacrifice problems emerged and media again covered it, but with care not to mention the prevalence of Bible-based beliefs among what media made out to look like the so-called 'witches' who were making these child sacrifices, who INVARIABLY, ALWAYS cited the Bible to justify their acts: there was frequent mention of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac when these 'witches' were questioned. We also know that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter in the Bible as a way of thanking God for his victory in war against another tribe. These so called Ugandan 'witches' were Bible-believing murderers just like Kony.
My goal, having learned of Kony's attrocities, is not so much to make him visible and be in solidarity with the Kony 2012 movement but instead to generate awareness of the strain of BIBLE-BASED faith that runs through his crimes and through Uganda's culture of religious savagery and to ensure that the true beliefs of Kony's followers aren't sugar coated by mass media as he gains more visibility.
Please join me in making Kony famous and please do not use the acronym but the full name of his organization: LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY!!!
Uganda: Lord's Resistance Army
But as we dig deeper into who Kony is, we usually hear of the LRA, his organization, where the acronym is always used and thus far, media has failed to shed light on what LRA stands for. It's really embarassing. Kony takes children, abducts them and turns boys into war criminals and girls into sexual slaves. His only purpose is self preservation and ultimately, he wants to create a sovereign state in central Africa that is governed by the 10 Commandments. He claims to be a prophet who derives his authority from God.
WHO IS THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY?
Uganda's piety was widely made visible when, a couple of years back, Uganda tried to pass the 'Kill the Gays Bill'.
Then child sacrifice problems emerged and media again covered it, but with care not to mention the prevalence of Bible-based beliefs among what media made out to look like the so-called 'witches' who were making these child sacrifices, who INVARIABLY, ALWAYS cited the Bible to justify their acts: there was frequent mention of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac when these 'witches' were questioned. We also know that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter in the Bible as a way of thanking God for his victory in war against another tribe. These so called Ugandan 'witches' were Bible-believing murderers just like Kony.
My goal, having learned of Kony's attrocities, is not so much to make him visible and be in solidarity with the Kony 2012 movement but instead to generate awareness of the strain of BIBLE-BASED faith that runs through his crimes and through Uganda's culture of religious savagery and to ensure that the true beliefs of Kony's followers aren't sugar coated by mass media as he gains more visibility.
Please join me in making Kony famous and please do not use the acronym but the full name of his organization: LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY!!!
Uganda: Lord's Resistance Army
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