From the get-go oil should have been looked at as a transition resource... and with a better vision, it could have been with us for possibly thousands of years.
Instead it was treated as the end all of all end-all's, and as such 95% of all the stuff in our present day world in one way or another relates to oil... and so it incredibly might not last 100 years.
The real fault is at the doorstep of all the leaders that had time but for one reason or another, no inclination to make the changes necessary to lead us in another direction.
We're even really not trying hard to do it now, when we all know how little time we have left with oil still somewhat available.
It's going to be very uncomfortable the day peak-oil arrives... our lives will change measurably.
Another big gamble, that no one really has an answer to... will the drop come quickly, or will it be gradual.
There's a huge difference from one to the other... smart thing would be to plan for the worst.
But sad reality is that we just can't seem to do the right thing on a consistent basis... get ready.
New. Clear. Vision. | The Cost of Oil
Saturday, April 23, 2011
... skin in the game.
There's no doubt in my mind, doing away with the draft was one of the costliest decisions this country has made.
For there is no way it would be so easy to get involved and stay involved in conflict for so many years if not for the absence of conscript service.
The American people are far too removed from wars being fought... having friends and relatives in service would have stopped them in their tracks by now...
... with only 0.5 percent of Americans in the military (compared with 8.6 percent during World War II), we have relatively few witnesses to the butchery of soldiers and civilians who can come home to tell their stories.... we don’t know war up close....
...'skin in the game.'
America in the Hands of a Professional Military | Truthout
For there is no way it would be so easy to get involved and stay involved in conflict for so many years if not for the absence of conscript service.
The American people are far too removed from wars being fought... having friends and relatives in service would have stopped them in their tracks by now...
... with only 0.5 percent of Americans in the military (compared with 8.6 percent during World War II), we have relatively few witnesses to the butchery of soldiers and civilians who can come home to tell their stories.... we don’t know war up close....
...'skin in the game.'
America in the Hands of a Professional Military | Truthout
A Morally Untenable Corporate System
No question.. there is no 'morality' when it comes to top executive remuneration.
It's glom whatever you can get your hands on... whatever way you can do it....
... from 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold) of around $2.6 BILLION!!
Not every one, but most of these characters are very bright guys. And they just might be reacting to the realization that the ship is sinking, and they are going to grab as much as possible for themselves before it goes under.
And it goes without saying that they know in today's world there is not much that is going to stop them... they might get slowed down a bit, but the system is on their side for whatever they want to get away with.
As suggested by the labor uprising in Wisconsin—now spreading to other states—working people have not only lost faith in corporations' ability to show any concern for fairness.... workers are increasingly moving from outrage to action.
A Morally Untenable Corporate System | Truthout
It's glom whatever you can get your hands on... whatever way you can do it....
... from 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold) of around $2.6 BILLION!!
Not every one, but most of these characters are very bright guys. And they just might be reacting to the realization that the ship is sinking, and they are going to grab as much as possible for themselves before it goes under.
And it goes without saying that they know in today's world there is not much that is going to stop them... they might get slowed down a bit, but the system is on their side for whatever they want to get away with.
As suggested by the labor uprising in Wisconsin—now spreading to other states—working people have not only lost faith in corporations' ability to show any concern for fairness.... workers are increasingly moving from outrage to action.
A Morally Untenable Corporate System | Truthout
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fracking Chemicals Stay Underground
This is our new way to solve our energy crisis.
In 2005, Congress exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That law allows the EPA to regulate the injection of hazardous fluids into underground wells, a practice widely used to dispose of drilling wastewater.
Personally, I would not trust one of these characters as far I could toss them... yet we are relying on them to be honest and moral in protecting our drinking water from poisons.
Yea right... that's gonna work!!
In the next 10 years, the United States will use the fracturing technology to drill hundreds of thousands of wells in cities, rivers and watersheds. The problem is scientists and regulators have not answered crucial questions about the risks.... 29 chemicals that are known or possible carcinogens.
In the United States regulating the industry is going to be tough, because the federal government does not regulate hydraulic fracturing. Oversight is left to states where regulations vary widely.
Again we're rolling the dice that all will turn out right.
Another enormous bet... with quality of life for millions at stake.
Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground - ProPublica
In 2005, Congress exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That law allows the EPA to regulate the injection of hazardous fluids into underground wells, a practice widely used to dispose of drilling wastewater.
Personally, I would not trust one of these characters as far I could toss them... yet we are relying on them to be honest and moral in protecting our drinking water from poisons.
Yea right... that's gonna work!!
In the next 10 years, the United States will use the fracturing technology to drill hundreds of thousands of wells in cities, rivers and watersheds. The problem is scientists and regulators have not answered crucial questions about the risks.... 29 chemicals that are known or possible carcinogens.
In the United States regulating the industry is going to be tough, because the federal government does not regulate hydraulic fracturing. Oversight is left to states where regulations vary widely.
Again we're rolling the dice that all will turn out right.
Another enormous bet... with quality of life for millions at stake.
Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground - ProPublica
Saturday, April 16, 2011
"... free lunch that never ends."
... that last line of the article is for the most part the only one that's entirely incorrect.
It cannot continue on forever, it IS going to end, ... and it's going to end very badly for huge numbers of the population, and not only those in this country... the world will suffer greatly as well, nowhere will be immune.
It's a terrible indictment of what this country (and the world in general) has evolved into... what is being described here should be leading to charges and jail time, but instead they are able to continue on with their 'no holds barred' to hell with the world philosophy.
The system has been deliberately set up to proceed the way it is.. an ultimate con, and we're all the suckers just letting it go on and on... until it brings us all to our knees.
"The problem will come when the dollar starts to seriously erode against other currencies because too much of the currency has been put into circulation. When that happens, there may be a shift away from the dollar as the world’s “reserve currency.” Looking further, one could then imagine the US being unable to issue debt to foreign investors, because they would no longer want to be left holding dollars, and the US would have to either drastically reduce its debt, or borrow in foreign-denominated debt--say Yen or Euros or Renminbi."
"... the world is starting to protect, and perhaps ultimately free, itself from America's weak dollar standard.... the bill is coming due in a weak dollar, food and energy inflation, and the decline of U.S. economic credibility."
That day might not be much longer, and all I can say is that we should all use the time to get ourselves ready for what is undoubtedly going to be one of the most unbelievably difficult periods in our history.
The Real Housewives of Wall Street | Rolling Stone Politics
It cannot continue on forever, it IS going to end, ... and it's going to end very badly for huge numbers of the population, and not only those in this country... the world will suffer greatly as well, nowhere will be immune.
It's a terrible indictment of what this country (and the world in general) has evolved into... what is being described here should be leading to charges and jail time, but instead they are able to continue on with their 'no holds barred' to hell with the world philosophy.
The system has been deliberately set up to proceed the way it is.. an ultimate con, and we're all the suckers just letting it go on and on... until it brings us all to our knees.
"The problem will come when the dollar starts to seriously erode against other currencies because too much of the currency has been put into circulation. When that happens, there may be a shift away from the dollar as the world’s “reserve currency.” Looking further, one could then imagine the US being unable to issue debt to foreign investors, because they would no longer want to be left holding dollars, and the US would have to either drastically reduce its debt, or borrow in foreign-denominated debt--say Yen or Euros or Renminbi."
"... the world is starting to protect, and perhaps ultimately free, itself from America's weak dollar standard.... the bill is coming due in a weak dollar, food and energy inflation, and the decline of U.S. economic credibility."
That day might not be much longer, and all I can say is that we should all use the time to get ourselves ready for what is undoubtedly going to be one of the most unbelievably difficult periods in our history.
The Real Housewives of Wall Street | Rolling Stone Politics
Thursday, April 14, 2011
False Debate on the Debt
Be sure and read carefully Robert Scheer's article... and stay on top of this issue.. it's life or death for our democracy.
"Consumer confidence is down, the housing market is expected to decline an additional 10 percent over the next year, and the job market is predicted by most of the experts to stagnate for years to come.
Continued tax breaks for the 1 percent of the population that controls 40 percent of the nation’s wealth will do nothing to restore the confidence of the other 99 percent of consumers who are suffering"
"This at least Obama seems to understand, but count on him to betray his instincts by once again following the advice of his treasury secretary and the Wall Street crowd that contributed so lavishly to his first presidential campaign and whose support he seeks once again."
If we are to climb out from this enormous hole we're in... this must end. This never ending cycle of corrupt money being poured into our political system must be brought under control. If not, our whole way of life is surely to be consumed by the self-serving elite with the money and power to overwhelm our political system.
And contact your local pols... and force the issue with them.. they should her how strongly you feel.
Dear _________,
Take Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefit cuts completely off the table.
The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose cuts to these programs...
...but will support taxing the rich, ending corporate welfare, and heavily reducing military spending.
That, plus investment in jobs, should be the plan. Be the leader all HOPED you would be.
Regards,
Robert Scheer: The False Debate on the Debt - Robert Scheer's Columns - Truthdig
"Consumer confidence is down, the housing market is expected to decline an additional 10 percent over the next year, and the job market is predicted by most of the experts to stagnate for years to come.
Continued tax breaks for the 1 percent of the population that controls 40 percent of the nation’s wealth will do nothing to restore the confidence of the other 99 percent of consumers who are suffering"
"This at least Obama seems to understand, but count on him to betray his instincts by once again following the advice of his treasury secretary and the Wall Street crowd that contributed so lavishly to his first presidential campaign and whose support he seeks once again."
If we are to climb out from this enormous hole we're in... this must end. This never ending cycle of corrupt money being poured into our political system must be brought under control. If not, our whole way of life is surely to be consumed by the self-serving elite with the money and power to overwhelm our political system.
And contact your local pols... and force the issue with them.. they should her how strongly you feel.
Dear _________,
Take Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefit cuts completely off the table.
The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose cuts to these programs...
...but will support taxing the rich, ending corporate welfare, and heavily reducing military spending.
That, plus investment in jobs, should be the plan. Be the leader all HOPED you would be.
Regards,
Robert Scheer: The False Debate on the Debt - Robert Scheer's Columns - Truthdig
Monday, April 11, 2011
Hard to believe...
Statistics about U.S. economy almost too crazy to believe:
- Obama administration projects federal budget deficit will be $1,650,000,000,000 this year. Republicans and Democrats fight over budget cuts. Republicans proposing to cut the deficit by 1.59%. Democrats want it cut 0.86%.
- Estimated total U.S. government debt will grow by 42% by 2015
- U.S. economy actually grew more from 1930 to 1940 than during the past decade..
- Over last decade, number of Americans without health insurance rose from 38 million to 52 million.
- Agricultural commodities are soaring, price of corn has more than doubled over last 12 months. Corn is in thousands of our food products, this is a VERY frightening statistic. Rising food prices are an extremely serious issue throughout the entire world.
- Between 1999 and 2009, real median household income in the United States declined by 5.0%.
- Average American spends nearly a quarter of their income on food and gas... other parts of the world, it's almost, if not all of their income going for food.
- Average U.S. household will spend $700 more on gasoline in 2011 than 2010.
- Almost 25% of U.S. households now have zero net worth or negative net worth. In 2007, it was just 18.6%.As this figure grows, as it most surely will, more and more people have NOTHING to fall back on as times get even tougher.
- Cost of the first week of attacks on Libya was 600 million dollars.
- For the first time ever, OPEC will bring in over a trillion dollars from exporting oil this year, biggest customer is the United States.
- China produced 19.8% of all goods consumed in the world last year. US only 19.4%.
- US lost 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the WTO in 2001.
- U.S. trade deficit with China in 2010 was 27 times larger than it was back in 1990.
- U.S. home values have fallen 6.3 trillion dollars since the peak of the real estate market in 2005... as hard as it is to believe, it will probably get even worse, as values fall even further.
- One out of every 45 U.S. households was hit with a foreclosure filing in 2010.
- Number of homes actually repossessed reached the 1 million mark for the first time ever in 2010.
- New home sales set a brand new all-time record low in the month of February.
- Home sales in the US are down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
- American families financial condition continues to deteriorate rapidly. In 2010, one out of every eight families had at least one family member that was unemployed, highest since Labor Department began keeping track back in 1994.
- More than 6 million have given up looking for work completely.
- Average length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an all-time record 39 weeks.
- Americans now owe $900 billion in student loans, also an all-time high.
- Average household debt in the US is 136% of average household income.
- Between 2007 and 2009 median household net worth in the US fell by 23%.
- Median household debt in the US has risen to $75,600.
- Purchasing power of dollar declined from $1.00 in 1913 to 4.6 cents in 2009...(unreal). Sadly, the Federal Reserve is working very hard to get rid of the little bit of purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has left.
- From 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation... (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold)... of approx. $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS!! "Of this amount, around $2 billion was received by the five best-paid individuals, who were also central to creating the highly risky asset structures that brought the financial system to the edge of the abyss: Sandy Weil (built Citigroup, which blew up shortly after he left); Hank Paulson (greatly expanded Goldman Sachs, lobbied for allowing more leverage in investment banks, then moved to the US Treasury and helped save them); Angelo Mozilo (built Countrywide, a central player in irresponsible mortgage lending); Dick Fuld (ran Lehman Brothers into the ground); and Jimmy Cayne (ran Bear Stearns into the ground)."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Profit and the Disposable Planet
One great article... lays it out clear and simply stared.
More of these summary scenarios are beginning to appear.. eventually we might all be on the same page, fully understanding what is happening... question is, will there be time enough left for meaningful action.
For the blog bio, mention I never thought I'd be seeing these things that are now happening occur in my lifetime, Parenti mentions this exact same theme in his very well thought out and well written piece.
It could come to pass, that more of these guys that have the power to do something might eventually change their stripes and switch sides. But will they have that mindset or the will to act.
Bottom line is: profit & greed are enormous motivators.
Most all of us cannot really imagine what it's like to have that kind of temptation. .. just glad I don't have to make that choice.
Profit Pathology and the Disposable Planet | Truthout
More of these summary scenarios are beginning to appear.. eventually we might all be on the same page, fully understanding what is happening... question is, will there be time enough left for meaningful action.
For the blog bio, mention I never thought I'd be seeing these things that are now happening occur in my lifetime, Parenti mentions this exact same theme in his very well thought out and well written piece.
It could come to pass, that more of these guys that have the power to do something might eventually change their stripes and switch sides. But will they have that mindset or the will to act.
Bottom line is: profit & greed are enormous motivators.
Most all of us cannot really imagine what it's like to have that kind of temptation. .. just glad I don't have to make that choice.
Profit Pathology and the Disposable Planet | Truthout
... of the 1%... by the 1%... for the 1%
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, addresses the growing class divide taking place in the United States and inequality in an article... "Of the 1, by the 1, for the 1%."
Stiglitz is a professor at Columbia University and author of numerous books, most recently Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
"It’s not just that the people at the top are getting richer," Stiglitz says. "Actually, they’re gaining, and everybody else is decreasing... And right now, we are worse than old Europe."
Wealth begets power, which begets more wealth.
The top 1 percent have the best of most everything, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to buy them: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live.
Through history, something the top 1 percent eventually learn.... but too late.
Good piece... take the time to read it.
************************************************************
... some relative stats came across recently...
... of the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate, what they actually pay, fell from almost 30% in 1995 to just under 17% in 2007, according to the IRS.
... for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1% of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29% to 23% in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600.
---- between 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% of families in the US claimed 33% of average income growth.... between 2000 and 2007, the richest 10% claimed a full 100% of average income growth in the US.
---- business taxes were cut from 46 to 34% 25 years ago... but today 115 of the big 500 companies listed on Standard and Poor’s paid federal and other taxes of less than 20% over the last 5 years... GE's rate last yer was 7%.
---- top 5% US households claim 63% of the entire country’s wealth.... bottom 80% hold just 13% of the growth.
---- last year, John Paulson, a hedge fund manager “earned” $4.9 billion (that's in ONE year folks!!)... ten years ago it took 25 such managers to collectively earn that much.
... last year the top 25 hedge fund managers pocketed a total of $22 billion.... it would take over 440,000 people each earning $50,000 a year to match that amount.
---- there are now more people living in poverty in the US than at any time in the last 50 years.... foreclosure filings were nearly 4 million in 2010, up 23% since 2008.
Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% | Society | Vanity Fair
Stiglitz is a professor at Columbia University and author of numerous books, most recently Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
"It’s not just that the people at the top are getting richer," Stiglitz says. "Actually, they’re gaining, and everybody else is decreasing... And right now, we are worse than old Europe."
Wealth begets power, which begets more wealth.
The top 1 percent have the best of most everything, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to buy them: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live.
Through history, something the top 1 percent eventually learn.... but too late.
Good piece... take the time to read it.
************************************************************
... some relative stats came across recently...
... of the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate, what they actually pay, fell from almost 30% in 1995 to just under 17% in 2007, according to the IRS.
... for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1% of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29% to 23% in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600.
---- between 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% of families in the US claimed 33% of average income growth.... between 2000 and 2007, the richest 10% claimed a full 100% of average income growth in the US.
---- business taxes were cut from 46 to 34% 25 years ago... but today 115 of the big 500 companies listed on Standard and Poor’s paid federal and other taxes of less than 20% over the last 5 years... GE's rate last yer was 7%.
---- top 5% US households claim 63% of the entire country’s wealth.... bottom 80% hold just 13% of the growth.
---- last year, John Paulson, a hedge fund manager “earned” $4.9 billion (that's in ONE year folks!!)... ten years ago it took 25 such managers to collectively earn that much.
... last year the top 25 hedge fund managers pocketed a total of $22 billion.... it would take over 440,000 people each earning $50,000 a year to match that amount.
---- there are now more people living in poverty in the US than at any time in the last 50 years.... foreclosure filings were nearly 4 million in 2010, up 23% since 2008.
Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% | Society | Vanity Fair
Friday, April 8, 2011
Endless cycle of hellish violence.. global armament.
Finally.. someone talking about the world's insane appetite for conflict and the direct relationship with weapons sales.
This is what it's ALL about... nothin else, plain and simple... money, big money... billions and billions of dollars.
Those espousing different, they're really avoiding the situation, or lying through their teeth... like most every recent and present politician and media mouthpiece worldwide (not all in either group, but close to it).
It is:
... why we have an 'unknown' number (THOUSANDS) of military bases in most every country on the planet...
... why we constantly keep getting involved in the most insane and ridiculous wars that never end...
... why we spend more than half our dollars on the MIC...
... and why we are flat out half a heartbeat from national (and ultimately worldwide) bankruptcy.
... serving in today's military.. high-class muscle-men for Big Business, for Wall Street and bankers.
All this back and forth name calling nonsense between politicians is just plain BS... deliberate obfuscation, to deflect attention from the real issues of who actually controls government through all the piles of cash flowing into their pockets... and the hard choices that must be made.
What politico do you constantly heard swearing, they ain't doing anything till that Citizens United decision gets fixed, and the country's insane military spending drastically gets cut. The power elite backing them prevent and will not allow even for them to hint at these real issues.
It's one (if not) 'the' main reason our government is so money corrupt. 'Untouchable' budget items... all in the name of getting outrageously rich.
Like Koehler states straightforward in his article... the oligarchs here in this country maintain, if they ain't gonna do it... someone, somewhere else will. So, with that logic, their gloming as much as they can, as fast as they can, and to hell with any of the consequences, no matter how harmful to the country (or the planet) that mantra may be.
They've created the perfect situation for themselves... they are in full control, and know exactly how they wish to proceed. But it's an arrogant doomsday scenario, taking us to a place where the world as we now know it cannot survive for much longer... the world just does not have resources to continue on with this madness indefinitely. They're all just burying their heads, expecting, hoping and praying it all crashes on someone else's watch...(and we should not delude ourselves, most realize it's gonna)... timing is their only real concern, not the unthinkable consequences of their inaction and dereliction.
John Stewart says in one of his recent bits... "we're now firing teaches and missiles simultaneously"... that's the life we've put together for our 'brave new world.'
We'd need divine intervention (or some other kind, not of this planet) to get this corrected... these guys just ain't givin it up any other way. It's said Obama will be the first billion dollar President... yep, you betcha... they'll be throwin millions (and billions ) more out there to stop their ponzi scheme from being dismantled.
If you're not a spiritual person, would suggest conversion rather soon... the world needs every prayer it can get right now.
A Vortex of Death and Wealth | Common Dreams
This is what it's ALL about... nothin else, plain and simple... money, big money... billions and billions of dollars.
Those espousing different, they're really avoiding the situation, or lying through their teeth... like most every recent and present politician and media mouthpiece worldwide (not all in either group, but close to it).
... why we have an 'unknown' number (THOUSANDS) of military bases in most every country on the planet...
... why we constantly keep getting involved in the most insane and ridiculous wars that never end...
... why we spend more than half our dollars on the MIC...
... and why we are flat out half a heartbeat from national (and ultimately worldwide) bankruptcy.
... serving in today's military.. high-class muscle-men for Big Business, for Wall Street and bankers.
All this back and forth name calling nonsense between politicians is just plain BS... deliberate obfuscation, to deflect attention from the real issues of who actually controls government through all the piles of cash flowing into their pockets... and the hard choices that must be made.
What politico do you constantly heard swearing, they ain't doing anything till that Citizens United decision gets fixed, and the country's insane military spending drastically gets cut. The power elite backing them prevent and will not allow even for them to hint at these real issues.
It's one (if not) 'the' main reason our government is so money corrupt. 'Untouchable' budget items... all in the name of getting outrageously rich.
Like Koehler states straightforward in his article... the oligarchs here in this country maintain, if they ain't gonna do it... someone, somewhere else will. So, with that logic, their gloming as much as they can, as fast as they can, and to hell with any of the consequences, no matter how harmful to the country (or the planet) that mantra may be.
They've created the perfect situation for themselves... they are in full control, and know exactly how they wish to proceed. But it's an arrogant doomsday scenario, taking us to a place where the world as we now know it cannot survive for much longer... the world just does not have resources to continue on with this madness indefinitely. They're all just burying their heads, expecting, hoping and praying it all crashes on someone else's watch...(and we should not delude ourselves, most realize it's gonna)... timing is their only real concern, not the unthinkable consequences of their inaction and dereliction.
John Stewart says in one of his recent bits... "we're now firing teaches and missiles simultaneously"... that's the life we've put together for our 'brave new world.'
We'd need divine intervention (or some other kind, not of this planet) to get this corrected... these guys just ain't givin it up any other way. It's said Obama will be the first billion dollar President... yep, you betcha... they'll be throwin millions (and billions ) more out there to stop their ponzi scheme from being dismantled.
If you're not a spiritual person, would suggest conversion rather soon... the world needs every prayer it can get right now.
Business of War: Federal & Private Military Contractors Profit Off War
A Vortex of Death and Wealth | Common Dreams
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Nowhere Man
Here we go again...
this coming Presidential election is going to seem to go on and on forever... but what's it really gonna matter... what's it going to change.
The structural problem we now have with government is going to continue. Why... cause no one's even talking about doing anything about it... so how for the love of money is it gonna get changed.
The delusion of a classless America in which opportunity is equally distributed is the most effective deception perpetrated by the moneyed elite that controls all the key levers of power in what passes for our democracy.The wrong folks rule... they have the power, and ain't gonna give it up... they'll die first... and spend every last penny of their vast fortunes doing battle.
Obama wins... even if he does a 180, he's still facing the same bunch and would have them to confront and deal with... same old... same old.
Pick someone who's got a chance of winning besides Bama-man, combined with the skill-set to make this enormous redirection happen... please, give the world that name...
... Bachmann... OMG!! ... should it EVER become possible... we deserve what we would get!!
... Donald Trump... he wants the limelight, but not employment.
God help us.... bout the only one that can.
Obama The Nowhere Man | Scoop News
this coming Presidential election is going to seem to go on and on forever... but what's it really gonna matter... what's it going to change.
The structural problem we now have with government is going to continue. Why... cause no one's even talking about doing anything about it... so how for the love of money is it gonna get changed.
The delusion of a classless America in which opportunity is equally distributed is the most effective deception perpetrated by the moneyed elite that controls all the key levers of power in what passes for our democracy.The wrong folks rule... they have the power, and ain't gonna give it up... they'll die first... and spend every last penny of their vast fortunes doing battle.
Obama wins... even if he does a 180, he's still facing the same bunch and would have them to confront and deal with... same old... same old.
Pick someone who's got a chance of winning besides Bama-man, combined with the skill-set to make this enormous redirection happen... please, give the world that name...
... Bachmann... OMG!! ... should it EVER become possible... we deserve what we would get!!
... Donald Trump... he wants the limelight, but not employment.
God help us.... bout the only one that can.
Obama The Nowhere Man | Scoop News
Our military spending is just absolute insanity!!
... 662 overseas bases but fails to include the 411 bases in Afghanistan, 88 remaining bases in Iraq, or sites in Qatar and other countries where military personnel are stationed
... maintaining and constructing all U.S. bases cost American taxpayers $41.6 billion in 2010
... Washington is responsible for nearly half of all global military expenditures, which totaled over $1.5 trillion in 2009
... demand the world dial back the military madness and devote resources to the real threats facing the planet: climate change, global poverty, nuclear proliferation.
... until Democrats agree to rein in entitlement spending, and Republicans back off the blank checks to the military industrial complex, all puffery in government amounts to political gamesmanship.
... in spite of all the rhetoric, we will go deeper in debt, the Fed will print more money, and the value of the dollar will continue to plummet. How long will it be before foreigners stop buying our debt, and hyperinflation arrives?
... throughout history, empires have always overextended themselves through conquests and wealth transfers leading to eventual collapse, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union. We are headed in the same direction and it seems only the chaos of the collapse of the dollar will stop the spending spree.
... arguing over funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR, though important, only shows that leadership in Washington either won't face reality, or don't understand how serious the problem is.
... no one in Washington has the will to tell the population the nanny state has to come to an end.
The Geopolitics of Stupid | FPIF
... maintaining and constructing all U.S. bases cost American taxpayers $41.6 billion in 2010
... Washington is responsible for nearly half of all global military expenditures, which totaled over $1.5 trillion in 2009
... demand the world dial back the military madness and devote resources to the real threats facing the planet: climate change, global poverty, nuclear proliferation.
... until Democrats agree to rein in entitlement spending, and Republicans back off the blank checks to the military industrial complex, all puffery in government amounts to political gamesmanship.
... in spite of all the rhetoric, we will go deeper in debt, the Fed will print more money, and the value of the dollar will continue to plummet. How long will it be before foreigners stop buying our debt, and hyperinflation arrives?
... throughout history, empires have always overextended themselves through conquests and wealth transfers leading to eventual collapse, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union. We are headed in the same direction and it seems only the chaos of the collapse of the dollar will stop the spending spree.
... arguing over funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR, though important, only shows that leadership in Washington either won't face reality, or don't understand how serious the problem is.
... no one in Washington has the will to tell the population the nanny state has to come to an end.
The Geopolitics of Stupid | FPIF
Saturday, April 2, 2011
People Without (Leadership) Vision
There is a growing sense that we're not going to be in a 'recovery' for quite some time. Our leaders have not generated the type of policy making required to turn things around. To the contrary they have made it a point to keep things just the way they are, why not, for those doing well, they are doing very well... and they're the ones in control.
We can probably go on like this for another several years, but it will get no better, there are no major sectors to pull us out of the hole we're in as there were in past recessions and depressions... we're not going to construct, manufacture, and spend our way out from under this economic meltdown.
And then there is the MIC sucking us dry... half century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the "military industrial complex" created to fight two world wars was undermining democracy.
Now it is undermining our real security as 60% of our tax dollars this year will pay for our present and future wars. We cannot continue on this crippling path of military spending without bankrupting the country.
And also on the world's horizon looms peak oil... that's the real game changer. As supplies of oil run short, our situation goes into very unknown territory. According to some of the experts, things will be very upsetting, as society begins to break down... civil unrest and rioting a regular occurrence. We're starting to see the beginnings of this already in many parts of the world, and it's happening in lots more places than we hear about, as mainstream media does not report it for one reason or another.
As each day passes, it's going to be even harder for those looking to turn away and bury heads. There are some things that could be done to make the impact less great, we're really not into doing them yet, probably won't until some form of leadership change takes place. Interesting question is.. who are going to be the 'lesser evils' to lead us from this morass. Who's your best guess?
Truth Nobody In Washington or Wall Street Will Admit
And then there is the MIC sucking us dry... half century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the "military industrial complex" created to fight two world wars was undermining democracy.
Now it is undermining our real security as 60% of our tax dollars this year will pay for our present and future wars. We cannot continue on this crippling path of military spending without bankrupting the country.
A People Without a Vision Will Perish
And also on the world's horizon looms peak oil... that's the real game changer. As supplies of oil run short, our situation goes into very unknown territory. According to some of the experts, things will be very upsetting, as society begins to break down... civil unrest and rioting a regular occurrence. We're starting to see the beginnings of this already in many parts of the world, and it's happening in lots more places than we hear about, as mainstream media does not report it for one reason or another.
Truth Nobody In Washington or Wall Street Will Admit
Friday, April 1, 2011
Journey to Planet Earth
Journey To Planet Earth is an exceptional program series from PBS...
... the PLAN B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization segment is especially well done, and should be 'must see' on your viewing list.
"Plan B" is the 12th episode of the award-winning PBS series Journey to Planet Earth, and it spans the globe... from China, Japan, Korea, India, Italy, Turkey, Bangladesh, Zambia, Haiti, and the United States... to explore new ideas in solving the challenges of global climate change.
Featuring some of the world’s most original and influential thinkers, "Plan B" provides audiences with a glimpse into a new and emerging economy based on renewable energy sources plus realistic strategies to avoid the growing threat of global warming.
Appearing with Lester Brown are Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, former Governor and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, along with other scholars and scientists.
If you haven't already see it, go on PBS on the website, and search for when it will next appear.. then just set up an email alert for when it will be airing.
It is well worth searching out and watching. The whole series is important, but if you have to watch just one.. watch the latest segment 'Plan B - Mobilizing To Save Civilization'.
Journey to Planet Earth | PBS
... the PLAN B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization segment is especially well done, and should be 'must see' on your viewing list.
Featuring some of the world’s most original and influential thinkers, "Plan B" provides audiences with a glimpse into a new and emerging economy based on renewable energy sources plus realistic strategies to avoid the growing threat of global warming.
Appearing with Lester Brown are Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, former Governor and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, along with other scholars and scientists.
If you haven't already see it, go on PBS on the website, and search for when it will next appear.. then just set up an email alert for when it will be airing.
It is well worth searching out and watching. The whole series is important, but if you have to watch just one.. watch the latest segment 'Plan B - Mobilizing To Save Civilization'.
Journey to Planet Earth | PBS
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
... take 5: .... Zion Magic
We try and visit Zion National Park up in Springdale, Utah at least several times each year. You cannot help being in awe and love Zion... it's just one of those very special places in the world....
Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park's unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity.
The Virgin River has gnawed through native sandstone to create the incredible scenery found in Zion Canyon. The river itself now serves as a natural corridor for exploring the park.
A prominent feature of the 229 square miles park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft at Coalpits Wash, and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. These unique sandstone cliffs of Zion range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They have been described as sand castles crowning desert canyons.
Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage one one of the numerous small narrow canyon pathways winding up on to the high cliffs... such as Angel's Landing...
Angels Landing is one of the world's great hikes... perhaps the best short adventure hike in any US national park. It provides amazing views of Zion Canyon. But it is very mentally challenging because the final leg is very steep, with sheer drop-offs. Chains have been bolted to the cliff to provide secure handholds. People at all afraid of heights should not attempt the final leg, but can still have a very enjoyable 2.5 hour hike up to Scout Lookout.
For the final 1/2 mile past Scout Lookout, the trail follows the ridge across a saddle and up the hogs back. This is where things get very interesting, steep, and where you are exceptionally grateful for the chains. Can't imagine being on this trail before them.. had a difficult enough time even using them, and still did not make it all the way out to the point... several hikers through recent years have fatally fallen from this trail.
Designated in 1919, Zion is Utah's oldest national park. The park is known for its incredible canyons, including The Narrows, which attract canyoneers from around the world.
We spent a great day hiking the 'Narrows' several years back.. started off with a reasonable number of hikers along with us... and by the time we reached an area called 'the Boulders' after four hours of river hiking, we were all by ourselves... a wonderful experience.. (round trip on the river, complete hike took us 7.5 hours.. not bad for a couple of 'seniors').
The hiking possibilities are endless at Zion. And with nearly three million visitors per year, Zion is Utah's most heavily used parks.... know it's our favorite... whatya say, wanna come visit!
 |
| Zion Canyon |
The Virgin River has gnawed through native sandstone to create the incredible scenery found in Zion Canyon. The river itself now serves as a natural corridor for exploring the park.
A prominent feature of the 229 square miles park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft at Coalpits Wash, and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. These unique sandstone cliffs of Zion range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They have been described as sand castles crowning desert canyons.
Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage one one of the numerous small narrow canyon pathways winding up on to the high cliffs... such as Angel's Landing...
 | |
|
For the final 1/2 mile past Scout Lookout, the trail follows the ridge across a saddle and up the hogs back. This is where things get very interesting, steep, and where you are exceptionally grateful for the chains. Can't imagine being on this trail before them.. had a difficult enough time even using them, and still did not make it all the way out to the point... several hikers through recent years have fatally fallen from this trail.
Designated in 1919, Zion is Utah's oldest national park. The park is known for its incredible canyons, including The Narrows, which attract canyoneers from around the world.
 |
| ... the 'Narrows' river walk |
The hiking possibilities are endless at Zion. And with nearly three million visitors per year, Zion is Utah's most heavily used parks.... know it's our favorite... whatya say, wanna come visit!
Time Bomb - US Nuke Power Plants
Having the condo in Briarcliff Manor, New York, we would many times go for rides along the Hudson River, up route 9, passing the Indian Point reactor up in Buchanan, New York... it was always a very uneasy feeling.
Having this massive nuclear plant only 10 miles from where we lived was something we never could get used to.
It's just unimaginable to think of what could happen should something go wrong.
And storing 71,000 metric tonnes (and growing) of spent fuel rods at these plants across the country is something that can only lead to disaster.
With the inherent dangers for massive devastation in nuke plants, odds are, we're gonna loose somewhere sometime... for when it comes to public safety, money wins out every time.
With over 400 nuclear reactors on the planet at the moment (more being planned), what we've seen in Russia and now in Japan is only going to continue to happen... and get worse. It's a technology we have not mastered, and it has, and is going to continue to do great harm.
Our arrogance leaves us believing we are in control. But it obvious from the way recent disasters have been dealt with on numerous levels that cannot be farther from the truth... and any assurances to the contrary must be rejected.
This is an all consuming force beyond our current capabilities to deal with... one that never should have been released from Pandora's box.
Report Underscores Ticking Time Bomb of US Nuke Power Plants
Having this massive nuclear plant only 10 miles from where we lived was something we never could get used to.
It's just unimaginable to think of what could happen should something go wrong.
 |
| 10 miles from Briarcliff Manor to Indian Point... how close are you? |
With the inherent dangers for massive devastation in nuke plants, odds are, we're gonna loose somewhere sometime... for when it comes to public safety, money wins out every time.
With over 400 nuclear reactors on the planet at the moment (more being planned), what we've seen in Russia and now in Japan is only going to continue to happen... and get worse. It's a technology we have not mastered, and it has, and is going to continue to do great harm.
This is an all consuming force beyond our current capabilities to deal with... one that never should have been released from Pandora's box.
Report Underscores Ticking Time Bomb of US Nuke Power Plants
Monday, March 28, 2011
City of Ruins | Economic Crisis
Poster child of postindustrial decay. Camden, New Jersey (2nd most dangerous city in America) stands as a warning of what huge pockets of the United States could turn into as we cement into place a permanent underclass of the unemployed, slash state and federal services in a desperate bid to cut massive deficits, watch cities and states go bankrupt and struggle to adjust to a stark neofeudalism in which the working and middle classes are decimated.
"The poor have to help the poor, because the ones who make the money are helping the people with money."
"Today's a very hard time to be poor, because you know you're poor. You hear people say, 'We were poor. We put cardboard in our shoes, but we didn't know we were poor. Today you do.
And how do you know you're poor? Your television shows you that you're poor. So it's very easy to build up anger in a high-voltage kid of 17. He knows he's poor, he looks at the TV and all these people have everything and he has nothing. And so he's very angry.... I'm talking about the violence that rises out of the marketing that shows the kid what he could have, creates a huge anger that explodes easily. That you discover very quickly when you come to Camden.
... and regrettably many other cities in America as well...
City of Ruins | Economic Crisis | The Investigative Fund
"Today's a very hard time to be poor, because you know you're poor. You hear people say, 'We were poor. We put cardboard in our shoes, but we didn't know we were poor. Today you do.
And how do you know you're poor? Your television shows you that you're poor. So it's very easy to build up anger in a high-voltage kid of 17. He knows he's poor, he looks at the TV and all these people have everything and he has nothing. And so he's very angry.... I'm talking about the violence that rises out of the marketing that shows the kid what he could have, creates a huge anger that explodes easily. That you discover very quickly when you come to Camden.
... and regrettably many other cities in America as well...
City of Ruins | Economic Crisis | The Investigative Fund
The Collapse of Globalization
There was such an opportunity for Obama to really do something special... to truly be one of the most important leaders of our time (for that matter... all time). But he blew it - big time, and flushed his supporters (along with everybody else) 'down the drain' (pun intended).
Now he's just one in the long line of recent Presidents fronting for the monied, power elite (like his BFF Immelt at GE).. But this coming at a time of the perfect storm of major calamities, means he will be ultimately judged ever more harshly by future generations, who will suffer the most for his lack of leadership.
If I were him, I wouldn't be too disappointed not winning another term... for if he does, it links his legacy that much tighter to what unavoidably must come.
History being the ultimate jury... unregulated capitalism, should never have been taken seriously... let loose to the degree it is now devouring all critical resources at an alarming rate (human included). But the wonders of corporate propaganda and corporate funding have taken charge and rule the day. We are taught by all systems of information to chant the mantra... the market is king, it knows best.
It does not matter the ecosystems on which the human species depends for life are being exploited and killed off.... profit is God.
The aim of the corporate state is not to feed, clothe or house the masses, but to shift all economic, social and political power and wealth into the hands of the tiny corporate elite. The corporate elite achieves its aims of greater and greater profit by weakening and dismantling government agencies and taking over or destroying public institutions.
The intrusion of corporations into the public sphere destroys the concept of the common good. It erases the lines between public and private interests, and it creates a world defined exclusively by naked self-interest.
This is a difficult message to take hold. Who wants to hear that we are advancing not toward a paradise of happy consumption and personal prosperity but toward continued disaster? Who wants to confront a future in which the rapacious and greedy appetites of our global elite, who have failed to protect the planet, threaten to produce widespread anarchy, famine, environmental catastrophe, nuclear terrorism and wars for diminishing resources?
Who wants to shatter the myth the human race can continue its giddy plundering of non-renewable resources, and its profligate levels of consumption, that capitalist expansion is eternal, and will never cease?
Civilizations nearing their twilight more often prefer hope, even absurd hope, to truth. It makes life easier to bear. It lets them turn away from the hard choices that should and must be made in order to survive.
This is an important article... not easy to read, or to deal with. It holds a sobering, chilling message... until we awake from our collective self-delusion, until we carry out sustained acts of civil disobedience against the corporate state, and sever ourselves from liberal institutions that serve the corporate juggernaut, especially the major political parties... we will continue to be rocketed toward an all encompassing global catastrophe.
The Collapse of Globalization
Now he's just one in the long line of recent Presidents fronting for the monied, power elite (like his BFF Immelt at GE).. But this coming at a time of the perfect storm of major calamities, means he will be ultimately judged ever more harshly by future generations, who will suffer the most for his lack of leadership.
If I were him, I wouldn't be too disappointed not winning another term... for if he does, it links his legacy that much tighter to what unavoidably must come.
History being the ultimate jury... unregulated capitalism, should never have been taken seriously... let loose to the degree it is now devouring all critical resources at an alarming rate (human included). But the wonders of corporate propaganda and corporate funding have taken charge and rule the day. We are taught by all systems of information to chant the mantra... the market is king, it knows best.
It does not matter the ecosystems on which the human species depends for life are being exploited and killed off.... profit is God.
The aim of the corporate state is not to feed, clothe or house the masses, but to shift all economic, social and political power and wealth into the hands of the tiny corporate elite. The corporate elite achieves its aims of greater and greater profit by weakening and dismantling government agencies and taking over or destroying public institutions.
The intrusion of corporations into the public sphere destroys the concept of the common good. It erases the lines between public and private interests, and it creates a world defined exclusively by naked self-interest.
This is a difficult message to take hold. Who wants to hear that we are advancing not toward a paradise of happy consumption and personal prosperity but toward continued disaster? Who wants to confront a future in which the rapacious and greedy appetites of our global elite, who have failed to protect the planet, threaten to produce widespread anarchy, famine, environmental catastrophe, nuclear terrorism and wars for diminishing resources?
Who wants to shatter the myth the human race can continue its giddy plundering of non-renewable resources, and its profligate levels of consumption, that capitalist expansion is eternal, and will never cease?
Civilizations nearing their twilight more often prefer hope, even absurd hope, to truth. It makes life easier to bear. It lets them turn away from the hard choices that should and must be made in order to survive.
This is an important article... not easy to read, or to deal with. It holds a sobering, chilling message... until we awake from our collective self-delusion, until we carry out sustained acts of civil disobedience against the corporate state, and sever ourselves from liberal institutions that serve the corporate juggernaut, especially the major political parties... we will continue to be rocketed toward an all encompassing global catastrophe.
... in the scheme of things, we're really not that important to the planet...
Gaia will go on...
Gaia will go on...
The Collapse of Globalization
Extreme Ice
Alaska, Iceland, Norway, South America, Antarctica... all over the globe, in each of the places we have been to over the past years the story is the same... glacial ice is melting at an ever increasing pace. In Alaska, eight times faster than just 30 years ago.
Now from 50 to 130 feet a day, it's receding, and it's not being replenished at anywhere near that speed. Many glaciers will be completely gone in our lifetime, an unthinkable and devastating consequence of climate change.
With the planet's icy regions melting faster than ever, photographer James Balog embarks on a remarkable expedition to trace and record the change.
Extreme Ice Survey is the largest photographic study of the cryosphere ever attempted.
In the extreme, ice-bound regions of the earth, something unprecedented is happening. Everywhere, glaciers and ice sheets have begun breaking apart, and accelerating towards the oceans at alarming speeds. As scientists try to forecast the future consequences of the big melt, internationally acclaimed photographer James Balog is risking everything to capture the phenomena on film.
Deploying 25 time-lapse cameras on glaciers across the Northern Hemisphere, in some of the coldest, most inhospitable places on earth. Teaming up with scientists in the field who are dissecting the complex mechanics of glaciers and ice sheets, Balog probes deep into the underworld of the ice... rappelling down into narrow crevasses and scaling vast ice canyons carved out by raging torrents of melt-water.
Changes in the earth’s geology were once though to take thousands of years to play out, but Balog’s photographs are hard proof that these epochal transformations can happen right before our eyes.
This is a beautifully shot little film. It tells a chilling tale of what is to come, but it is easy to watch because of the true beauty of the ice.
The film talks 'by the end of the century'... kinda like the way it was once said 'by 2200 or 2300.' Everything has a way of happening oh so much faster, and as the planet heats up with ever increasing temps over longer periods of time... ice keeps disappearing at an ever increasing speed.....
Extreme Ice TV Show - National Geographic
Now from 50 to 130 feet a day, it's receding, and it's not being replenished at anywhere near that speed. Many glaciers will be completely gone in our lifetime, an unthinkable and devastating consequence of climate change.
With the planet's icy regions melting faster than ever, photographer James Balog embarks on a remarkable expedition to trace and record the change.
Extreme Ice Survey is the largest photographic study of the cryosphere ever attempted.
Deploying 25 time-lapse cameras on glaciers across the Northern Hemisphere, in some of the coldest, most inhospitable places on earth. Teaming up with scientists in the field who are dissecting the complex mechanics of glaciers and ice sheets, Balog probes deep into the underworld of the ice... rappelling down into narrow crevasses and scaling vast ice canyons carved out by raging torrents of melt-water.
Changes in the earth’s geology were once though to take thousands of years to play out, but Balog’s photographs are hard proof that these epochal transformations can happen right before our eyes.
The film talks 'by the end of the century'... kinda like the way it was once said 'by 2200 or 2300.' Everything has a way of happening oh so much faster, and as the planet heats up with ever increasing temps over longer periods of time... ice keeps disappearing at an ever increasing speed.....
Extreme Ice TV Show - National Geographic
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Circling the Drain
Average American consumes 4X what planet can supply.
'Circling the Drain'... (CTD)... term used to describe a patient for whom the end is impending, and yet continues to cling to life.
Here's a bone-chilling report from a recent meeting of the Ecological Society of America. One of the presenters calculates that "if everyone on Earth adopted American lifestyles, we would need four extra worlds to supply their needs."
He traces the origins of the consumerist frenzy to intentional decisions made by the U.S. government in the early 50s, quoting economist Victor Lebow as saying in 1955:
"Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing rate".
"Ever-increasing rates" are, by definition, unsustainable. As often happens, this was a decision made according to short-term considerations, that will have disastrous long-term consequences.
As our collective attention-span grows ever shorter, we seem ever less capable and tolerant of the long-term thinking good governance requires.
"Limitless greed, unrestrained corporate power and a ferocious addiction to foreign oil have led us to an era of perpetual war and economic decline."
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