Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Don't Be a Sucker (1947)
Produced by the U.S. military. Yes, they get something right every once in a while. It's as apt today as it was in 1947.
Paulo Coelho Banned in Iran
Paulo Coelho is "The Messenger of Peace" to the United Nations, yet his books have now been banned in Iran. In response, he has made them all available for free download in Farsi (Persian). They are available here on his blog, and mirrored here on SoundByte Psychology. He is an outspoken advocate for WikiLeaks and a personal hero to hundreds of thousands, including myself. This censorship will not stand.
2010 - Political Insights of the Year
2010 has been a year of incredible political activity, surprise insights and far more. I'll only be scratching the surface here. Before covering "the bad", let's at least count the victories:
#1 - The Zadroga Bill, meant to provide health care for hundreds of 9/11 first responders, finally passed in the senate. If you've heard about the bill, it's likely that you didn't hear about it until recently... yet it's more than two-months old. The media was almost entirely quiet when it came to the bill. It wasn't until the comedian Jon Stewart dedicated an entire episode to the first responders that it blew up in the media... and it was passed just a week later. This is one of the true heroic stories of the year, and well worth celebrating. I highly suggest the main article and associated videos on here on Stewart's site.
#2 - The voiceless have been given a voice. We finally have a way to act and to stand up against a government that has continually proven itself tyrannical. The infowar, centering on WikiLeaks, has given people around the world a way to speak up just by clicking a button... or blogging... or all the way up to transmitting encrypted files. The entire world is on fire. Some are trying to silence the truth, others are fighting to keep it alive... but there is finally a way for anyone to actually get involved in something that works! Just for mentioning the name WikiLeaks, this entire blog has already been blocked in multiple countries... China included. Regulators in America are trying to pass legislation at this very moment to create this same censorship here in the States. The fight continues, but at least it's a fight for something worthwhile.
#3 - A glimpse of sanity has returned to the Netherlands. I was in Amsterdam just weeks before the Netherlands banned the sell of hallucinogenic mushrooms [link]. Soon after, they began cracking down on the Red Light District and on the Cannabis Coffee Bars. The final nail was when they enacted tobacco smoking bans... despite the fact that Europeans smoke marijuana and tobacco together. I've never before heard of a place so blatantly committing economic suicide... and I'd given up on the idea of ever returning. I don't know who talked sense into them, but they passed legislation allowing smaller pubs to allow people to smoke inside again [link]. I'm not getting my hopes up yet, as I don't know if it is enough to stop the chain-reaction. In England alone, more than 6,000 pubs have closed since the smoking ban was passed there in late 2007. But Amsterdam didn't just ban smoking, it shot itself in the head multiple times. That doesn't change the fact that it is good news, and that it may lead to larger reforms in the end.
#4 - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was finally repealed. This ancient doctrine, founded on a compromise between racism and necessity, has finally been overturned to allow homosexuals to openly serve in the armed forces. It's sad that we're celebrating something that should have been taken into action more than a hundred years ago... but we celebrate what we can. And that's about it for the good news.
The bad news can be easily summarized:
* British Petroleum decided that the gulf needed a few more gallons of oil in its waters. The government wasn't having it, so they called in the coast guard... but, as it turns out, the coast guard was just there to keep reporters away from reporting on the spill and to arrest anyone that wouldn't hand over recordings of the catastrophe.
* An international corporation, with decades of toxic dumping, bribery, child labor and false advertising under its belt, was handed the reigns of the FDA by the president... then the FDA was given complete control over the nation's agriculture. Shortly thereafter, the FDA returned to its war on raw and organic markets with renewed vigor. Joy!
* The FCC finally passed Net Neutrality laws, calling the outcome "a compromise". Netizens were more quick to call it what it was: "a sellout". The laws allow wireless carriers to proceed with erecting toll-gates on their users, as well as tolls on companies that want their customers to have access to them.
* A leak to a news station in Pennsylvania revealed that the Department of Homeland Security has been spying on peaceful activists, as well as actively tagging and creating a database of environmentalists, rights activists and even tax activists.
* The US Department of Justice published a book titled "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism Terms and Concepts" that allows the classification of activists, economists and third-party supporters to be designated as "domestic threats". This is the same book detailing Al-Queda and other actual terrorist groups.
* Following a rather weak "terrorist" attack, the TSA pushed thru a program to install full-body scanners in airports. These have been rightfully dubbed "nudie scanners". They literally strip a person down to their skin. It's absurd enough to where it's become an Internet meme, relegating any invasion of privacy to the TSA.
* North Korea decided that they needed to throw a few bombs at South Korea. Everyone started making threats. It's as much "not good" as the world can muster, as the bombing served absolutely no one and may end in all-out world war if it doesn't settle down.
* The US passed legislation banning trade with Iran. That's understandable. Then the US declared that they would raise trade sanctions against any country who DID trade with Iran. Those are full trade sanctions. Every single time they have been raised throughout history, they have led to war. It's quite clear that there will be no more peace talks with Iran and that war will soon be on the country's doorstep.
* The Obama administration has denied more Freedom of Information requests than any other administration, silenced more leaks than any other administration and played an active part in silencing the press during the BP Oil Spill. As WikiLeaks gathered steam over the year, that came to a head with Cablegate. The administration is now taking steps to tear up the first amendment and has already proven, by their actions, that America lives under an illusion of freedom. While this is both a good and a bad thing, in the end, I easily side with WikiLeaks: "Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime." Period.
If you want more than the summaries, then I can be much more verbose. I'm also including references, although those are more for myself should I need to come back to them.
The FCC's Net Neutrality Sellout: Before getting into this, let me get my politics out in the open. I'm not a right-wing corporatist, nor am I a left-wing statist. I am a laissez faire capitalist. When a company accepts subsidies from the government, they leave the free market and enter the realm of governmental regulation. That applies to almost all cellular communication companies and many of the cable and network companies on land. For me, it is a simple line, and I am for Net Neutrality regulations (to the fullest extent)... and believe they should be applied to all carriers who have accepted government subsidies.
Before the FCC's Net Neutrality "compromise" passed, this slide [below] leaked to the Internet. It shows how wireless carriers are considering charging each person for specific sites they access online. When the bill was passed, it allowed for exactly this sort of "toll road" mentality with wireless carriers. It also allows for these carriers to toll the companies online if those companies want their customers to have access to them. Obama's campaign promise of Net Neutrality has come to an end. When he appointed Julius Genachowski to the FCC, it was in order to fulfill the promise of Net Neutrality... yet we find just another compromise and a sellout. For more on this slide, check out this article. For more on the flaws in the new Net Neutrality laws, check out this article. For info on the idea behind "rebooting the FCC", check out this article.
Homeland Security's Spying Campaign Against Activists: Although many have talked about being "tagged, photographed and cataloged" by Homeland Security, a recent leak in Pennsylvania finally gave a glimpse into the scope and targets of this operation.
James F Powers, director of Penn's Homeland Security, accidentally included the wrong person on an email sent out to energy companies, federal employees and a private intelligence firm that he had hired using $125,000 Pennsylvanian tax dollars. The email leaked, revealing that the firm he'd contracted were paid to spy on: environmentalists, anti-tax protesters, gay rights activists, ralliers for increased education funding, anti-war demonstrators, deportation protesters, animal rights protesters and ralliers attending "End-the-Fed" gatherings.
Furthermore, these groups were targeted as potential threats to infrastructure and would be labeled as terrorists if need be. Names had already been gathered from peaceful candlelight vigils... even movie screenings. Because of the Bush administration's removal of habeas corpus, any of these deemed to be terrorists could be held, interrogated and tortured without any further cause and without communication with the outside world [link]. Because of the Obama administration's win in the supreme court, any of these who were held but proven innocent cannot even take legal recourse against their torturers [link].
It should be noted that this leak came via Pennsylvania, a state notoriously sloppy for hiding its view on citizens' rights and for its embracing of the Big Brother philosophy. If you haven't seen this commercial, it's definitely worth the quick watch:
The private company hired by Homeland Security is called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. Their site states: "the pre-eminent Israeli/American security firm providing training, intelligence and education to clients across the globe." This comes as a jolt, since 2010 has revealed huge amounts of information regarding Israel's manipulation of the U.S. [link] [link], as well as its ongoing spying campaigns on U.S. soil [link]. The fact that almost all stories on the Pennsylvania leak have not mentioned any Israeli connection at all is disturbing as well.
The ACLU is trying to get full disclosure on the scope of the spying and what names were on the list, but have not made any progress so far. The only thing that has been offered was an apology on behalf of Penn Governor Rendell and to cancel the contract with the private firm. No actions have been taken to remove Powers from office and no legal actions have been taken for rights violations.
We only know of this because of a single mistake and a leak that took advantage of that mistake. All the other attacks on human rights and against those defending these rights remain "off-the-record"... despite the evidence mounted against them.
The Classification of Activists as "Domestic Extremists": The U.S. Department of Justice published a book called "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism Terms and Concepts" that has come to public attention. Alongside Al-Queda and militant extremist groups, it also lists peaceful movements (including people collecting silver). Here are a few examples:
[Pg.8] American Liberty Currency (ALC ): An alternative currency promoted by NORFED. Ostensibly, each $10 in ALC currency is essentially a certificate of ownership of 1 ounce of silver held in a NORFED vault.
[Pg.22] Constitution Party: A minor, right-wing extremist political party, formerly known as the U.S. Taxpayers Party (USTP), which is one of the primary parties that specifically try to appeal to the "patriot" movement.
[Pg.23] Constitutionalists: A generic term for members of the "patriot" movement. It is now often used to refer to members of the sovereign citizen or common law court movement. Sometimes the word "constitutionist" is also used.
The Monsanto Coup: Because of movies like "Food, Inc.", the name Monsanto is entering the public knowledge... and it's not pretty. They have a legacy of toxic dumping that has lasted decades [link]. They've been caught bribing government officials in order to hide he environmental impact of their operations [link] and they've built a history on the foundation of false advertising [link]. They run factories using child labor, with the children exposed daily to open pesticides and other toxins [DOC file]. In America, farmers refer to Monsanto using the terms "mafia" and "gestapo" interchangeably... and with good reason [link]. They donate to political candidates from both sides of the spectrum, and in almost equal amounts of funding.
Then, in July of '09, Obama appointed Michael Taylor (a former Monsanto lobbyist) to Senior Adviser to the FDA. This, btw, is just the most recent political position to be filled by former Monsanto employees... but it is the most pertinent when it comes to policy that was passed this year. Senate Bill HR 2751 (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act) extends the power of the FDA to regulate and monitor food production throughout the nation, despite the track record they have of attacking organic and raw markets, of corrupt and criminal employees and their blatant siding with factory farming. Even before this bill, raw and organic markets have been coming under attack for years from state and federal law enforcement, as well as regulations from the FDA itself. This video is only a collection of some recent attacks along these lines:
The BP Oil Spill: What started out as an environmental disaster quickly became political. While the government insulted and attacked British Petroleum on television, they worked behind the scenes to cut off the press from reporting on the actual damages, hid important information from the public and are, even to this day, trying to get companies and contractors to sign off on sheets to get them to promise not to talk. The arrests served and threats made were only a small insight into how far the government would go, alongside B.P., to attack the freedom of the press and the rights of millions of gulf residents. As the year rolled on, the government's attacks on free speech and on transparency were made even more evident when battling WikiLeaks. Here is some of the coverage on the oil spill and the cover-up.
TSA: If it wasn't a health risk and completely invasive, this "joke of the year" would be great for laughs. But it has terrible side-effects. It also does not work. There are no scanners on flights coming into America, where the greatest risk is, nor do ground-crews have to go thru scanners (or anyone who can fake a ground-crew's set of IDs and uniforms). Also, a lot of luggage does not go thru scanning and is another vulnerability. In war zones, American forces have been using trained dogs much like the Russians do. They're never wrong, and can sniff out a bomb anywhere in an airport despite incredible attempts to trick them. But, instead, we get the joke of the year with the TSA's "nudie scanners" and an illusion of safety with more loopholes in it than the tax laws.
Korea: No comment.
Sanctions Against Iran: Anything I would write at this point would only be repeating what has already been said by Ron Paul. Here he is:
Cablegate: Cablegate was such an important event that I have written an entirely separate entry on it. It's right here on Mall of Me.
In summary, there is no longer a left-wing party... no longer a right-wing party. The differences at this point are so small that they borders on the comical. Now, there is only the Lie of the State... and the Truth that netizens from around the world are fighting for alongside WikiLeaks. I believe this wouldn't be complete without a reminder from Douglas Adams on just how funny this joke really is...
...from "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"
Preface: A spaceship has just landed, rather rudely, on the soil of England. The craft opens, and an extraterrestrial robot steps out to meet the surprised citizens of earth.
"I come in peace," it said, adding after a long moment of further grinding, "take me to your Lizard."
Ford Prefect, of course, had an explanation for this, as he sat with Arthur and watched the nonstop frenetic news reports on television, none of which had anything to say other than to record that the thing had done this amount of damage which was valued at that amount of billions of pounds and had killed this totally other number of people, and then say it again, because the robot was doing nothing more than standing there, swaying very slightly, and emitting short incomprehensible error messages.
"It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see..."
"You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?"
"No," said Ford, who by this time was a little more rational and coherent than he had been, having finally had the coffee forced down him, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like that straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford. "It is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. Got any gin?"
"What?"
"I said," said Ford, with an increasing air of urgency creeping into his voice, "have you got any gin?"
"I'll look. Tell me about the lizards."
Ford shrugged again.
"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happened to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."
#1 - The Zadroga Bill, meant to provide health care for hundreds of 9/11 first responders, finally passed in the senate. If you've heard about the bill, it's likely that you didn't hear about it until recently... yet it's more than two-months old. The media was almost entirely quiet when it came to the bill. It wasn't until the comedian Jon Stewart dedicated an entire episode to the first responders that it blew up in the media... and it was passed just a week later. This is one of the true heroic stories of the year, and well worth celebrating. I highly suggest the main article and associated videos on here on Stewart's site.
#2 - The voiceless have been given a voice. We finally have a way to act and to stand up against a government that has continually proven itself tyrannical. The infowar, centering on WikiLeaks, has given people around the world a way to speak up just by clicking a button... or blogging... or all the way up to transmitting encrypted files. The entire world is on fire. Some are trying to silence the truth, others are fighting to keep it alive... but there is finally a way for anyone to actually get involved in something that works! Just for mentioning the name WikiLeaks, this entire blog has already been blocked in multiple countries... China included. Regulators in America are trying to pass legislation at this very moment to create this same censorship here in the States. The fight continues, but at least it's a fight for something worthwhile.
#3 - A glimpse of sanity has returned to the Netherlands. I was in Amsterdam just weeks before the Netherlands banned the sell of hallucinogenic mushrooms [link]. Soon after, they began cracking down on the Red Light District and on the Cannabis Coffee Bars. The final nail was when they enacted tobacco smoking bans... despite the fact that Europeans smoke marijuana and tobacco together. I've never before heard of a place so blatantly committing economic suicide... and I'd given up on the idea of ever returning. I don't know who talked sense into them, but they passed legislation allowing smaller pubs to allow people to smoke inside again [link]. I'm not getting my hopes up yet, as I don't know if it is enough to stop the chain-reaction. In England alone, more than 6,000 pubs have closed since the smoking ban was passed there in late 2007. But Amsterdam didn't just ban smoking, it shot itself in the head multiple times. That doesn't change the fact that it is good news, and that it may lead to larger reforms in the end.
#4 - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was finally repealed. This ancient doctrine, founded on a compromise between racism and necessity, has finally been overturned to allow homosexuals to openly serve in the armed forces. It's sad that we're celebrating something that should have been taken into action more than a hundred years ago... but we celebrate what we can. And that's about it for the good news.
The bad news can be easily summarized:
* British Petroleum decided that the gulf needed a few more gallons of oil in its waters. The government wasn't having it, so they called in the coast guard... but, as it turns out, the coast guard was just there to keep reporters away from reporting on the spill and to arrest anyone that wouldn't hand over recordings of the catastrophe.
* An international corporation, with decades of toxic dumping, bribery, child labor and false advertising under its belt, was handed the reigns of the FDA by the president... then the FDA was given complete control over the nation's agriculture. Shortly thereafter, the FDA returned to its war on raw and organic markets with renewed vigor. Joy!
* The FCC finally passed Net Neutrality laws, calling the outcome "a compromise". Netizens were more quick to call it what it was: "a sellout". The laws allow wireless carriers to proceed with erecting toll-gates on their users, as well as tolls on companies that want their customers to have access to them.
* A leak to a news station in Pennsylvania revealed that the Department of Homeland Security has been spying on peaceful activists, as well as actively tagging and creating a database of environmentalists, rights activists and even tax activists.
* The US Department of Justice published a book titled "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism Terms and Concepts" that allows the classification of activists, economists and third-party supporters to be designated as "domestic threats". This is the same book detailing Al-Queda and other actual terrorist groups.
* Following a rather weak "terrorist" attack, the TSA pushed thru a program to install full-body scanners in airports. These have been rightfully dubbed "nudie scanners". They literally strip a person down to their skin. It's absurd enough to where it's become an Internet meme, relegating any invasion of privacy to the TSA.
* North Korea decided that they needed to throw a few bombs at South Korea. Everyone started making threats. It's as much "not good" as the world can muster, as the bombing served absolutely no one and may end in all-out world war if it doesn't settle down.
* The US passed legislation banning trade with Iran. That's understandable. Then the US declared that they would raise trade sanctions against any country who DID trade with Iran. Those are full trade sanctions. Every single time they have been raised throughout history, they have led to war. It's quite clear that there will be no more peace talks with Iran and that war will soon be on the country's doorstep.
* The Obama administration has denied more Freedom of Information requests than any other administration, silenced more leaks than any other administration and played an active part in silencing the press during the BP Oil Spill. As WikiLeaks gathered steam over the year, that came to a head with Cablegate. The administration is now taking steps to tear up the first amendment and has already proven, by their actions, that America lives under an illusion of freedom. While this is both a good and a bad thing, in the end, I easily side with WikiLeaks: "Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime." Period.
If you want more than the summaries, then I can be much more verbose. I'm also including references, although those are more for myself should I need to come back to them.
The FCC's Net Neutrality Sellout: Before getting into this, let me get my politics out in the open. I'm not a right-wing corporatist, nor am I a left-wing statist. I am a laissez faire capitalist. When a company accepts subsidies from the government, they leave the free market and enter the realm of governmental regulation. That applies to almost all cellular communication companies and many of the cable and network companies on land. For me, it is a simple line, and I am for Net Neutrality regulations (to the fullest extent)... and believe they should be applied to all carriers who have accepted government subsidies.
Before the FCC's Net Neutrality "compromise" passed, this slide [below] leaked to the Internet. It shows how wireless carriers are considering charging each person for specific sites they access online. When the bill was passed, it allowed for exactly this sort of "toll road" mentality with wireless carriers. It also allows for these carriers to toll the companies online if those companies want their customers to have access to them. Obama's campaign promise of Net Neutrality has come to an end. When he appointed Julius Genachowski to the FCC, it was in order to fulfill the promise of Net Neutrality... yet we find just another compromise and a sellout. For more on this slide, check out this article. For more on the flaws in the new Net Neutrality laws, check out this article. For info on the idea behind "rebooting the FCC", check out this article.
Homeland Security's Spying Campaign Against Activists: Although many have talked about being "tagged, photographed and cataloged" by Homeland Security, a recent leak in Pennsylvania finally gave a glimpse into the scope and targets of this operation.
James F Powers, director of Penn's Homeland Security, accidentally included the wrong person on an email sent out to energy companies, federal employees and a private intelligence firm that he had hired using $125,000 Pennsylvanian tax dollars. The email leaked, revealing that the firm he'd contracted were paid to spy on: environmentalists, anti-tax protesters, gay rights activists, ralliers for increased education funding, anti-war demonstrators, deportation protesters, animal rights protesters and ralliers attending "End-the-Fed" gatherings.
Furthermore, these groups were targeted as potential threats to infrastructure and would be labeled as terrorists if need be. Names had already been gathered from peaceful candlelight vigils... even movie screenings. Because of the Bush administration's removal of habeas corpus, any of these deemed to be terrorists could be held, interrogated and tortured without any further cause and without communication with the outside world [link]. Because of the Obama administration's win in the supreme court, any of these who were held but proven innocent cannot even take legal recourse against their torturers [link].
It should be noted that this leak came via Pennsylvania, a state notoriously sloppy for hiding its view on citizens' rights and for its embracing of the Big Brother philosophy. If you haven't seen this commercial, it's definitely worth the quick watch:
The private company hired by Homeland Security is called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. Their site states: "the pre-eminent Israeli/American security firm providing training, intelligence and education to clients across the globe." This comes as a jolt, since 2010 has revealed huge amounts of information regarding Israel's manipulation of the U.S. [link] [link], as well as its ongoing spying campaigns on U.S. soil [link]. The fact that almost all stories on the Pennsylvania leak have not mentioned any Israeli connection at all is disturbing as well.
The ACLU is trying to get full disclosure on the scope of the spying and what names were on the list, but have not made any progress so far. The only thing that has been offered was an apology on behalf of Penn Governor Rendell and to cancel the contract with the private firm. No actions have been taken to remove Powers from office and no legal actions have been taken for rights violations.
We only know of this because of a single mistake and a leak that took advantage of that mistake. All the other attacks on human rights and against those defending these rights remain "off-the-record"... despite the evidence mounted against them.
The Classification of Activists as "Domestic Extremists": The U.S. Department of Justice published a book called "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism Terms and Concepts" that has come to public attention. Alongside Al-Queda and militant extremist groups, it also lists peaceful movements (including people collecting silver). Here are a few examples:
[Pg.8] American Liberty Currency (ALC ): An alternative currency promoted by NORFED. Ostensibly, each $10 in ALC currency is essentially a certificate of ownership of 1 ounce of silver held in a NORFED vault.
[Pg.22] Constitution Party: A minor, right-wing extremist political party, formerly known as the U.S. Taxpayers Party (USTP), which is one of the primary parties that specifically try to appeal to the "patriot" movement.
[Pg.23] Constitutionalists: A generic term for members of the "patriot" movement. It is now often used to refer to members of the sovereign citizen or common law court movement. Sometimes the word "constitutionist" is also used.
The Monsanto Coup: Because of movies like "Food, Inc.", the name Monsanto is entering the public knowledge... and it's not pretty. They have a legacy of toxic dumping that has lasted decades [link]. They've been caught bribing government officials in order to hide he environmental impact of their operations [link] and they've built a history on the foundation of false advertising [link]. They run factories using child labor, with the children exposed daily to open pesticides and other toxins [DOC file]. In America, farmers refer to Monsanto using the terms "mafia" and "gestapo" interchangeably... and with good reason [link]. They donate to political candidates from both sides of the spectrum, and in almost equal amounts of funding.
Then, in July of '09, Obama appointed Michael Taylor (a former Monsanto lobbyist) to Senior Adviser to the FDA. This, btw, is just the most recent political position to be filled by former Monsanto employees... but it is the most pertinent when it comes to policy that was passed this year. Senate Bill HR 2751 (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act) extends the power of the FDA to regulate and monitor food production throughout the nation, despite the track record they have of attacking organic and raw markets, of corrupt and criminal employees and their blatant siding with factory farming. Even before this bill, raw and organic markets have been coming under attack for years from state and federal law enforcement, as well as regulations from the FDA itself. This video is only a collection of some recent attacks along these lines:
The BP Oil Spill: What started out as an environmental disaster quickly became political. While the government insulted and attacked British Petroleum on television, they worked behind the scenes to cut off the press from reporting on the actual damages, hid important information from the public and are, even to this day, trying to get companies and contractors to sign off on sheets to get them to promise not to talk. The arrests served and threats made were only a small insight into how far the government would go, alongside B.P., to attack the freedom of the press and the rights of millions of gulf residents. As the year rolled on, the government's attacks on free speech and on transparency were made even more evident when battling WikiLeaks. Here is some of the coverage on the oil spill and the cover-up.
TSA: If it wasn't a health risk and completely invasive, this "joke of the year" would be great for laughs. But it has terrible side-effects. It also does not work. There are no scanners on flights coming into America, where the greatest risk is, nor do ground-crews have to go thru scanners (or anyone who can fake a ground-crew's set of IDs and uniforms). Also, a lot of luggage does not go thru scanning and is another vulnerability. In war zones, American forces have been using trained dogs much like the Russians do. They're never wrong, and can sniff out a bomb anywhere in an airport despite incredible attempts to trick them. But, instead, we get the joke of the year with the TSA's "nudie scanners" and an illusion of safety with more loopholes in it than the tax laws.
Korea: No comment.
Sanctions Against Iran: Anything I would write at this point would only be repeating what has already been said by Ron Paul. Here he is:
Cablegate: Cablegate was such an important event that I have written an entirely separate entry on it. It's right here on Mall of Me.
In summary, there is no longer a left-wing party... no longer a right-wing party. The differences at this point are so small that they borders on the comical. Now, there is only the Lie of the State... and the Truth that netizens from around the world are fighting for alongside WikiLeaks. I believe this wouldn't be complete without a reminder from Douglas Adams on just how funny this joke really is...
...from "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"
Preface: A spaceship has just landed, rather rudely, on the soil of England. The craft opens, and an extraterrestrial robot steps out to meet the surprised citizens of earth.
"I come in peace," it said, adding after a long moment of further grinding, "take me to your Lizard."
Ford Prefect, of course, had an explanation for this, as he sat with Arthur and watched the nonstop frenetic news reports on television, none of which had anything to say other than to record that the thing had done this amount of damage which was valued at that amount of billions of pounds and had killed this totally other number of people, and then say it again, because the robot was doing nothing more than standing there, swaying very slightly, and emitting short incomprehensible error messages.
"It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see..."
"You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?"
"No," said Ford, who by this time was a little more rational and coherent than he had been, having finally had the coffee forced down him, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like that straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford. "It is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. Got any gin?"
"What?"
"I said," said Ford, with an increasing air of urgency creeping into his voice, "have you got any gin?"
"I'll look. Tell me about the lizards."
Ford shrugged again.
"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happened to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."
#cablegate
Besides going over revelations, I wanted to share some of the top #cablegate tweets since this last Sunday. This first one got changed and retweeted so many times that the source couldn't be tracked down:
"The U.S. government just got put thru one of their own airport nudie-scanners."
@carlmaxim - Sarah Palin says 'Julian Assange should be hunted down like Osama bin Laden.' So he should be safe for at least a decade.
@darthvader - A feisty princess, 2 scrappy droids & slews of Bothans have nothing on Wikileaks.
@vamseekamana - The big leaker is watching the big brother. Thats why we should celebrate every whistle blowing event. Orwell says 'Hi'
@peter_lemenkov - "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." ~George Orwell
@Bryan6666 - Do you know how you can tell that @wikileaks is a good thing for the world? By looking at who wants Julian Assange dead.
@SynLeejm - The world is not interested in kill-the-messenger tactics. The world wants to know why revealed corruption goes ignored.
Links for Cablegate:
* WikiLeaks dot CH - Main Site
* The Guardian's Cablebrowser
* The #cablegate conversation on Twitter
* The Guardian's Review of the Cables
* TIME Interview: Assange on Secrecy, China and WikiLeaks' Growth
* The Guardian - Wikileaks under attack
* So, Why Is WikiLeaks a Good Thing Again?
"The U.S. government just got put thru one of their own airport nudie-scanners."
@carlmaxim - Sarah Palin says 'Julian Assange should be hunted down like Osama bin Laden.' So he should be safe for at least a decade.
@darthvader - A feisty princess, 2 scrappy droids & slews of Bothans have nothing on Wikileaks.
@vamseekamana - The big leaker is watching the big brother. Thats why we should celebrate every whistle blowing event. Orwell says 'Hi'
@peter_lemenkov - "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." ~George Orwell
@Bryan6666 - Do you know how you can tell that @wikileaks is a good thing for the world? By looking at who wants Julian Assange dead.
@SynLeejm - The world is not interested in kill-the-messenger tactics. The world wants to know why revealed corruption goes ignored.
After trending all day Sunday on Twitter and causing an international uproar, was the leak of so many internal cables worth it? Definitely. We have first hand documents from Condoleezza Rice on her involvement with abducting citizens and covering up Guantanamo Bay abuses. We also have proof that prisoners who had been proved innocent were held in the prison because they "knew too much". These are the same prisoners that the Obama administration has cut off from any legal means for redemption. We also know that Hillary Clinton has only continued in these footsteps and that they've bargained with prisoners with the current administration the way that the last administration had. Details on just how much spying goes on using the U.S. embassies, while scandalous, also redeems those who have been called "quacks" for suggesting that this was going on. Even more revelations were covered in The Week.
Ever since releasing the leak, WikiLeaks has been under fire from political, digital and legal actions. The site has been hit with multiple DDOS attack, shutting it down for hours at a time. China, among other countries, censored WikiLeaks just hours after the cables were released. The company Amazon turned off the servers they were mirroring in the U.S. (note that Amazon was hit by a backlash of displeased customers). Interpol released an international arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, while the U.S. has announced they plan bring WikiLeaks to court under the Espionage Act. The truth has always been hunted in this manner... but the digital age has changed things. When the WikiLeaks site went down, people started hosting torrents with archives of the cables. While the U.S. was announcing stories that contradicted themselves (it was embarrassing, actually), WikiLeaks stood their ground: "People need to know this."
While talking about WikiLeaks, one person said: "I think that guy should be boiled in oil." That is precisely the sentimentality that WikiLeaks is fighting against... precisely the world they are fighting against. That dark age mentality of the old world is still here. WikiLeaks is the promise of a new world ruled by information, honesty and openness. And what happens next? Assange, in this interview with Forbes, gives us a glimpse of the next leak.
Ever since releasing the leak, WikiLeaks has been under fire from political, digital and legal actions. The site has been hit with multiple DDOS attack, shutting it down for hours at a time. China, among other countries, censored WikiLeaks just hours after the cables were released. The company Amazon turned off the servers they were mirroring in the U.S. (note that Amazon was hit by a backlash of displeased customers). Interpol released an international arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, while the U.S. has announced they plan bring WikiLeaks to court under the Espionage Act. The truth has always been hunted in this manner... but the digital age has changed things. When the WikiLeaks site went down, people started hosting torrents with archives of the cables. While the U.S. was announcing stories that contradicted themselves (it was embarrassing, actually), WikiLeaks stood their ground: "People need to know this."
While talking about WikiLeaks, one person said: "I think that guy should be boiled in oil." That is precisely the sentimentality that WikiLeaks is fighting against... precisely the world they are fighting against. That dark age mentality of the old world is still here. WikiLeaks is the promise of a new world ruled by information, honesty and openness. And what happens next? Assange, in this interview with Forbes, gives us a glimpse of the next leak.
Links for Cablegate:
* WikiLeaks dot CH - Main Site
* The Guardian's Cablebrowser
* The #cablegate conversation on Twitter
* The Guardian's Review of the Cables
* TIME Interview: Assange on Secrecy, China and WikiLeaks' Growth
* The Guardian - Wikileaks under attack
* So, Why Is WikiLeaks a Good Thing Again?
2010-12-02 Update: Senators are calling for WikiLeaks to be classified as "Foreign Terrorist Organization" and the government is putting pressure on Twitter to close the WikiLeaks account. Senators, as well as journalists, are talking about marking any person or company who donates funds or allows WikiLeaks access as "aiding and abetting terrorists". The truth is now a terrorist. "Terrorist" now equals "anyone who doesn't support us".
2010-12-03 Update #1: The digital attacks on WikiLeaks have continued under political pressure. WikiLeaks.org is now a dead domain. They've switched to the Swiss DNS http://wikileaks.ch/. If that goes down, here is a list of raw IP addresses that will get you there: http://213.251.145.96/, http://46.59.1.2/, http://88.80.13.160/. Also, the site http://wikileaks.info/ is listing mirror IPs in the event they are needed. Lastly, my respect for the Justice of Pakistan has skyrocketed. Despite political pressure for him to ban WikiLeaks throughout their entire nation, he (Sheikh Azmat Saeed) stated: "We must bear the truth, no matter how harmful it is."
2010-12-03 Update #2: Today, I witnessed an ex-marine step out in defense of WikiLeaks. I watched as he was attacked verbally on every level for his actions... then watched as a second marine stepped forward and silently joined him. Something shifted. Silence. I will remember this day. Today I saw a journalist from Salon and a journalist from The Atlantic actually agree with each other in defense of WikiLeaks. They not only agreed, but linked to each other's articles... despite the opposition between their organizations. These are no small journalists. This is Glenn Greenwald with Salon and Jeffrey Goldberg with The Atlantic. I never thought I'd live to see this day. But the day isn't over. Today, I saw a person who avidly hated and attacked WikiLeaks make a U-turn and begin supporting them with everything they've got. Something is happening. Germany has already fired execs who spied for America, and this morning brings news of Tamil supporters calling for the imprisonment of an Indian general who supported the massacre of 40,000 civilians. I've never seen so many changes made in such a short amount of time... and haven't felt such a high level of hope in years. I highly suggest this article by Glenn Greenwald.
2012-12-04 Update #1: The Tech Herald has an incredible article covering all the attacks (digital and political) on WikiLeaks: WikiLeaks faces more heat in the wake of cablegate. It also brought up Lieberman's SHIELD Act, that would cut off all news sources from ever telling us about Guantanamo Bay or any other sensitive items the government labels "state secret". This follows in Obama's footsteps of denying torture victims, even innocent ones, any right to try those who tortured them... as any case now labeled "state secret" cannot be brought to court under Obama's Supreme Court Ruling.
2012-12-04 Update #2: Anonymous (aka, 4CHAN), has temporarily pulled out of their war against the RIAA and turned their legions on PayPal. This follows in the wake of PayPal freezing the WikiLeaks donation account. The PayPal Blog was hit with the first DDoS attack by 4CHAN and, as of these writings, has not returned for public access. With the largest group of digital freedom fighters now siding with WikiLeak, it is without a doubt that first real infowar has now been fully engaged.
2010-12-03 Update #1: The digital attacks on WikiLeaks have continued under political pressure. WikiLeaks.org is now a dead domain. They've switched to the Swiss DNS http://wikileaks.ch/. If that goes down, here is a list of raw IP addresses that will get you there: http://213.251.145.96/, http://46.59.1.2/, http://88.80.13.160/. Also, the site http://wikileaks.info/ is listing mirror IPs in the event they are needed. Lastly, my respect for the Justice of Pakistan has skyrocketed. Despite political pressure for him to ban WikiLeaks throughout their entire nation, he (Sheikh Azmat Saeed) stated: "We must bear the truth, no matter how harmful it is."
2010-12-03 Update #2: Today, I witnessed an ex-marine step out in defense of WikiLeaks. I watched as he was attacked verbally on every level for his actions... then watched as a second marine stepped forward and silently joined him. Something shifted. Silence. I will remember this day. Today I saw a journalist from Salon and a journalist from The Atlantic actually agree with each other in defense of WikiLeaks. They not only agreed, but linked to each other's articles... despite the opposition between their organizations. These are no small journalists. This is Glenn Greenwald with Salon and Jeffrey Goldberg with The Atlantic. I never thought I'd live to see this day. But the day isn't over. Today, I saw a person who avidly hated and attacked WikiLeaks make a U-turn and begin supporting them with everything they've got. Something is happening. Germany has already fired execs who spied for America, and this morning brings news of Tamil supporters calling for the imprisonment of an Indian general who supported the massacre of 40,000 civilians. I've never seen so many changes made in such a short amount of time... and haven't felt such a high level of hope in years. I highly suggest this article by Glenn Greenwald.
2012-12-04 Update #1: The Tech Herald has an incredible article covering all the attacks (digital and political) on WikiLeaks: WikiLeaks faces more heat in the wake of cablegate. It also brought up Lieberman's SHIELD Act, that would cut off all news sources from ever telling us about Guantanamo Bay or any other sensitive items the government labels "state secret". This follows in Obama's footsteps of denying torture victims, even innocent ones, any right to try those who tortured them... as any case now labeled "state secret" cannot be brought to court under Obama's Supreme Court Ruling.
2012-12-04 Update #2: Anonymous (aka, 4CHAN), has temporarily pulled out of their war against the RIAA and turned their legions on PayPal. This follows in the wake of PayPal freezing the WikiLeaks donation account. The PayPal Blog was hit with the first DDoS attack by 4CHAN and, as of these writings, has not returned for public access. With the largest group of digital freedom fighters now siding with WikiLeak, it is without a doubt that first real infowar has now been fully engaged.
anonymous is legion
we do not forgive
we do not forget
we do not forgive
we do not forget
The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.
~Thomas Jefferson (to Edward Carrington, 1787)
~Thomas Jefferson (to Edward Carrington, 1787)
You're a Winner!
Seriously, if you've ever voted for any of the three projects I've posted so far, then you're a winner. Two of the three projects WON! Sharif Issa and Jessa Peters both won, although the Youth Hostel just couldn't take first. If you don't remember, or missed it, or just want to re-live the celebration, here are the two winners!
Sharif won $2,400 worth of gear from Cloudveil after peeps like you and me voted, shared and otherwise spread the word that the crazy guy living in a tepee had the best skid crib.
Jessa Peters didn't just win the People's Choice Award that you and I voted on, but also won the Peer Choice Award for Best Model. That's right, even other models and photographers were voting her up. The only peeps that weren't down with the Jessa were the critics at Austin Fashion Week. That's not really a surprise, is it?
Do you have a project you need votes for? Is it quirky or a bit "off"... or does it have a good story? Either contact me or leave a link in the comments. I should note that I'm an ass and I may make suggestions before promoting anything, especially if I really like a project.. . because I want it to succeed and I have a little experience in this area. Without quirky, the world just wouldn't be a shiny place.
Do you have a project you need votes for? Is it quirky or a bit "off"... or does it have a good story? Either contact me or leave a link in the comments. I should note that I'm an ass and I may make suggestions before promoting anything, especially if I really like a project.. . because I want it to succeed and I have a little experience in this area. Without quirky, the world just wouldn't be a shiny place.
AddictedImage
Click any image to open viewer. Images in this entry are by AddictedImage and licensed thru a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. These writings and images are copyright AddictedImage.
If you hate your job, quit.
If you are in a relationship with an asshole, leave.
If you hate where you live, move.
If you are unhappy, change.
It is as simple as that.
~AddictedImage, Journal Entry [excerpt]
I'm not a flag waver.
I'm not a conservative.
I'm not a sheep.
I am disgusted at this country.
I am a patriot in the true sense of the word.
The elite have polluted this country.
The masses have fed on it.
The individuals must take it back.
~AddictedImage, "Fight"
From "Who are we?" by AddictedImage:
Addictedimage is Conan Soranno and Mischa Romo.
Mr. Soranno is a mad Italian who chain smokes and spends his days plotting ways to corrupt the pure, dominate the world, and perfect his recipe for chicken alfredo. Every once in a while he gets off his ass and presses a button on his camera (if he's not to busy arguing with people online as to why everything they believe in is wrong.)
Miss Romo is an absolute sweetheart who drinks too much, fights too much, and is a general pain in the ass. If it wasn't for the fact that she was a kick ass artist (classical and digital) and a damn good fashion designer as well as a smoking hot model... she'd have been out on the curb a long time ago.
Addictedimage is Conan Soranno and Mischa Romo.
Mr. Soranno is a mad Italian who chain smokes and spends his days plotting ways to corrupt the pure, dominate the world, and perfect his recipe for chicken alfredo. Every once in a while he gets off his ass and presses a button on his camera (if he's not to busy arguing with people online as to why everything they believe in is wrong.)
Miss Romo is an absolute sweetheart who drinks too much, fights too much, and is a general pain in the ass. If it wasn't for the fact that she was a kick ass artist (classical and digital) and a damn good fashion designer as well as a smoking hot model... she'd have been out on the curb a long time ago.
AddictedImage Online:
:[AddictedImage dot Com]: - :[Zivity]: - :[Flickr]: - :[LiveJournal]:
:[AddictedImage on deviantART]: - :[Mischa Romo on deviantART]:
:[AddictedImage on ModelMayhem]: - :[Mischa Romo on ModelMayhem]:
:[AddictedImage dot Com]: - :[Zivity]: - :[Flickr]: - :[LiveJournal]:
:[AddictedImage on deviantART]: - :[Mischa Romo on deviantART]:
:[AddictedImage on ModelMayhem]: - :[Mischa Romo on ModelMayhem]:
A History of the American War on Drugs
From Obama's latest funding on the war, to Baby Bush's massive surge, to the incredible funding Clinton gave to the war, to the zero-tolerance stance set down by Reagan and even further back; this article is a wealth of information on America's longest standing civil war. Thanks goes out to Gaea for passing on this article in the first place.
Vanity Fair - Sketches of the Drug Czars
The article states it perfectly: "What presumably originated as an effort to protect people from substance abuse and addiction has become a permanent, expensive, prison-hungry police and military operation."
Vanity Fair - Sketches of the Drug Czars
The article states it perfectly: "What presumably originated as an effort to protect people from substance abuse and addiction has become a permanent, expensive, prison-hungry police and military operation."
Celebrating the Marlboro Monopoly Act
I thought I'd celebrate today with a very brief review of case studies on smokers, a bit of info on previous smoking bans and some random other tidbits. As of today, the Marlboro Monopoly Act (aka, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act) has made all cigarettes containing these flavors illegal: (not menthol), strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, and coffee. This is restricted only to cigarettes (wrapped in paper) and not cigars (wrapped in tobacco), so the clove industry (the only tested smoke with health benefits) has already begun making cigar versions of their clove products. This is also the beginning of a 12-year plan for the FDA to greatly reduce the amount of tar and nicotine in all American cigarettes at a slow rate.The negatives are well-known at this point, so here are some positives that've gone without mention:
* Smokers are more honest than non-smokers (to the point where a commentator on the study referred to this as "abrasively honest"). [1]
* Smokers generally have an increased sex drive, 55% of aged 19-27 smokers being in sexually active relationships as opposed to 15% of non-smokers (the gap increasing as age does). [2]
* Smokers have an increased reaction-time (7% quicker), process information more quickly (21.65% quicker) and have improved short-term memory (5.76% higher retention). [3]
* A fifth of smokers only smoke four days out of the week. Men populate the majority of heavy smokers while women have less success quitting. [4]
* Most smokers believe smoking is worse for you than it really is, overstating health disorders and mortality rates. [5]
As to non-smokers, there is a long history of anti-smoking policies found most heavily in totalitarian governments. From the closure and burning of smoking cafes in Persia to early American 9-pin alleys, but the only one that beats out current U.S. policy is that of Nazi Germany. It should be noted that this most recent policy is nothing new, as America has trended more and more towards both Fascism and Communism for close to a century. Here are tidbits on anti-smoking from the master race:
* From Hitler, himself: "Tobacco is the wrath of the Red Man against the White Man for being given hard liquor." [6]
* Smoking was banned in all public places, government offices, shared living quarters and by any uniformed police and officers. [7]
* Smoking rose by almost 50% during the Nazi anti-smoking propaganda period. [8]
* Germany raised more than a billion Reichsmarks a year from 1937 to 1941, contributing to 1/12th of the funding used to build their army and launch the war. [9]
* "Passivrauchen" (trans. "Passive Smoking") was coined by the Nazi Anti-Tobacco League. Fritz Lickint, its author, gave no evidence to support its claim against environmental poisoning nor for the claim that coffee caused cancer, although both his statements were worked into Nazi propaganda. [10]
* The Nazi Reich Health Office produced posters stating that smoking was the filthy habit of Jews, Gypsies, blacks, intellectuals and Indians. [directly from preserved posters]
References:
1. "Smoking: The Artificial Passion", David Krogh
http://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Artificial-Passion-David-Krogh/dp/0716722461
2. "Smoking, Personality and Stress", Hans J. Eysenck, King's College, London, England
http://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Health-Personality-Hans-Eysenck/dp/0765806398
3. "Effects of nicotine and smoking on event-related potentials: a review", Pritchard W & Sokhadze E & Houlihan M., St Thomas College, New Brunswick, Canada
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11498715 [summary]
4. "Individual Differences in Smoking and Nicotine Addiction", Saul Shiffman, University of Pittsburgh
http://www.drugabuse.gov/meetsum/nicotine/slides/21Shiffman/ShiffSlides.html
5. "Smoking: making the risky decision", "Patterns of Risk Perception", W.Kip Viscusi, Harvard
6. "Hitlers Tischgesprache im Fuhrerhauptquartier", Picker H., Bonn: Athenaum Verlag, 1951
7. "Die Genussgifte", Rauchverbot fur die Polizei auf Strassen und in Dienstraumen, 1940;36:59
8. "Smoking and death", Smith G D & Strobele S A & Egger M, BMJ1995;310:396
9. "Der Tabak, sein Anbau undseine Verarbeitung", Reckert FK. Tabakwarenkunde, Berlin-Schoneberg: Max Schwabe, 1942.
10. "Berlin: alcohol, tobacco and coffee", JAMA 1939;113:1144-5
Information on Marlboro's Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Smoking_Prevention_and_Tobacco_Control_Act
Lastly, one more factoid on smokers: the majority of innovators, as well as early adopters, are smokers. With the heavy research going into locating, securing and maintaining a pool of innovators within each company, the profile of an innovator is very well known at this point. For my last three months before leaving my previous job, the top three performing agents in the world were all found most often in the forest outside the building smoking together. Rock! Here is one of the first studies that discovered this:
"Psychological characteristics of innovators", Abraham Pizam, European Journal of Marketing, ISSN:0309-0566
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&contentId=852555
Suicide Through Pleasure by ~Ally23 on deviantART
Freedom to Fascism
Aaron Russo (February 14, 1943 - August 24, 2007), Academy Award winning film maker and beloved friend and manager to many actors and actresses, interviews many politicians, organizations and civilians to clarify the frauds perpetrated by an elite group against the American people for nearly a century, focusing on the Federal Reserve, World Bank, IRS and the upcoming RFID chip.
"The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise power from behind the scenes."
~Felix Frankfurter, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
There is a bill in the House at this very moment, put forth by Senator Ron Paul, to audit the Federal Reserve. Support actions such as these in your local and national government. If you are ever called to sit on a jury in a tax case, ask the judge to show you the exact law requiring a person to pay the tax and vote "not guilty" when the law cannot be shown (because it doesn't exist). Cases cannot be won when educated jurors sit on them. If you are ever audited, immediately make a Freedom of Information Act Request for the records that are being used to substantiate and justify the audit.
There is no such thing as a Democrat or a Republican. Obama, the current U.S. President, has already convinced world leaders to give 1.1-trillion dollars to the corrupt World Bank and is now giving the Federal Reserve direct powers over the corporate sector as well as giving them American tax money billions at a time. He is only a continuation of a long line of corrupt presidents. These institutions are the slavers:
The Federal Reserve
The Fraternity of the Skull and Bones
The Bilderberg Group
The Trilateral Commission
The World Bank/Central Bank
The International Monetary Fund
The World Trade Organization
The Bank for International Settlements
The Council on Foreign Relations
...and more
...and these are fighting the slavers!
NonTaxpayer dot Org
We the People Foundation
InfoWars dot Com
FreedomToFascism dot Com
...and many more
To make clear that these slavers understand what they are doing, here are the written words of Paul Warburg, who designed the Federal Reserve system and sat on the Council of Foreign Relations:
"We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent."
A far cry from the founding fathers and those who followed them. Here are quotes from both Lincoln and Jefferson talking out against this very system:
"If the American People ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers occupied. The issuing power of money should be taken from the bankers and restored to Congress and the people to whom it belongs. I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies."
~Thomas Jefferson
"The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity."
~Abraham Lincoln
We find ourselves in a brief moment in the history of the world where information is free, widespread and transmitted near-instantaneously. This moment is ending. Obama, along with other countries, are placing the backbones--the infrastructure--of the Internet under government control, using cyberattacks and the War on Terrorism as their excuse to do so. Information will not be free for long. Spread it while you can. Get this message out and take the power away from those who seek our slavery.
This game is not over.
There is no such thing as a Democrat or a Republican. Obama, the current U.S. President, has already convinced world leaders to give 1.1-trillion dollars to the corrupt World Bank and is now giving the Federal Reserve direct powers over the corporate sector as well as giving them American tax money billions at a time. He is only a continuation of a long line of corrupt presidents. These institutions are the slavers:
The Federal Reserve
The Fraternity of the Skull and Bones
The Bilderberg Group
The Trilateral Commission
The World Bank/Central Bank
The International Monetary Fund
The World Trade Organization
The Bank for International Settlements
The Council on Foreign Relations
...and more
...and these are fighting the slavers!
NonTaxpayer dot Org
We the People Foundation
InfoWars dot Com
FreedomToFascism dot Com
...and many more
To make clear that these slavers understand what they are doing, here are the written words of Paul Warburg, who designed the Federal Reserve system and sat on the Council of Foreign Relations:
"We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent."
A far cry from the founding fathers and those who followed them. Here are quotes from both Lincoln and Jefferson talking out against this very system:
"If the American People ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers occupied. The issuing power of money should be taken from the bankers and restored to Congress and the people to whom it belongs. I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies."
~Thomas Jefferson
"The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity."
~Abraham Lincoln
We find ourselves in a brief moment in the history of the world where information is free, widespread and transmitted near-instantaneously. This moment is ending. Obama, along with other countries, are placing the backbones--the infrastructure--of the Internet under government control, using cyberattacks and the War on Terrorism as their excuse to do so. Information will not be free for long. Spread it while you can. Get this message out and take the power away from those who seek our slavery.
This game is not over.
Happy Tree Friends
You know "The Itchy & Scratchy Show"? Well, those two had it easy. "Happy Tree Friends" has, for years now, been the source of cute, cuddly and horribly wrong... and oh, so right. If you're unfamiliar with the series, take two minutes and watch this fan trailer:
As of April, 2009, "Happy Tree Friends" has been banned in Russia. That limits the cutest most accident-prone cuddly creatures in the world to only 49 countries worth of viewers. Censorship wins one round, but far from winning any real ground. Here's the video covering Russia's sad choices pertaining to these cartoons:
In celebration of such a flub-up from Censorville, here's my own personal favorite episode (both parts) from the series:
[note: second video starts automatically after first]
Remember, censorship could come to your country as well, so show your support and watch some cartoon violence. To tune in, the main options are to subscribe to MondoMedia's YouTube channel or visit the main site. Here are both links:
Give Peace a Deadline
Book: Give Peace a Deadline
Authors: Nathan Otto and Amber Lupton
I'm holding a knife. Edged blade, Teflon coated and with serrations on the lower part near the haft. The significance of the blade will soon become apparent.
I have very few physical desires. Getting a gift for me proves difficult. This knife is one of two things in this world that I had desired. The person who gave me this knife had no idea of how important it was to me, and I have little to offer in way of thanks.
There is a greater significance. The person who gave me this blade fights for peace. More than that, he has placed a deadline on peace, set milestones and goals for achieving it and has spent all of 2008 circling the globe to gather everyone from church groups, to the Dalai Lama, to friends and family enrolled in this mission.
When I heard about it, I recoiled. My immediate thoughts about world peace are flower wearing commies and love parades that firmly declare that war has no place. Nathan and Amber, the authors of "Give Peace a Deadline", corrected my assumptions. Peace is simply not allowing politically organized violence... not killing. I still shied away from it, and still do.
What really swayed me was when the two authors linked me to Penn & Teller's episode of "Bullshit" centering on world peace. It really is worth watching. As such, I'm re-posting the three parts here:
I still haven't been won over. Not to dedicate many of my own resources to it. I am no fan of communism. Despite the progressive nature of their mission, and that of P5Y.org, I still fear that it will fall into socialist trends. They've won me over enough to promote their book, however.
"Give Peace a Deadline" is well written, with many studies to support their statements and cause. The peace they suggest is a lazy-man's piece, and I believe they will succeed because of it. For those who are not lazy--who want peace with all their being--they have much more active methods included in the book as well.
The book can be purchased off of Amazon here: Give Peace a Deadline
Authors: Nathan Otto and Amber Lupton
I'm holding a knife. Edged blade, Teflon coated and with serrations on the lower part near the haft. The significance of the blade will soon become apparent.
I have very few physical desires. Getting a gift for me proves difficult. This knife is one of two things in this world that I had desired. The person who gave me this knife had no idea of how important it was to me, and I have little to offer in way of thanks.
There is a greater significance. The person who gave me this blade fights for peace. More than that, he has placed a deadline on peace, set milestones and goals for achieving it and has spent all of 2008 circling the globe to gather everyone from church groups, to the Dalai Lama, to friends and family enrolled in this mission.
When I heard about it, I recoiled. My immediate thoughts about world peace are flower wearing commies and love parades that firmly declare that war has no place. Nathan and Amber, the authors of "Give Peace a Deadline", corrected my assumptions. Peace is simply not allowing politically organized violence... not killing. I still shied away from it, and still do.
What really swayed me was when the two authors linked me to Penn & Teller's episode of "Bullshit" centering on world peace. It really is worth watching. As such, I'm re-posting the three parts here:
I still haven't been won over. Not to dedicate many of my own resources to it. I am no fan of communism. Despite the progressive nature of their mission, and that of P5Y.org, I still fear that it will fall into socialist trends. They've won me over enough to promote their book, however.
"Give Peace a Deadline" is well written, with many studies to support their statements and cause. The peace they suggest is a lazy-man's piece, and I believe they will succeed because of it. For those who are not lazy--who want peace with all their being--they have much more active methods included in the book as well.
The book can be purchased off of Amazon here: Give Peace a Deadline
Piracy, 4 Fun 'n Profit
US Vice Admiral William Gortney, commander of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, said: "There is no reason not to be a pirate."
That's right. Now's the time to turn pirate! Seriously. Most targeted ships don't carry weapons. Also, even if caught, there is almost no way to bring a pirate to court due to international treatises. Corporations cannot even fire on a vessel or its people until the pirates have physically boarded their ship, or have connected the two ships in an attempt to board. If they do, they can be taken to court... and will lose. Ah, the lovely world of legalized (tamed) justice. That's right pirates.. . the law's on your side.
It's also fairly cheap, at least when compared to the investments it may take to get into other criminal careers. The ratio of potential gains to start-up costs is possibly the highest return-rate in all the black market. Don't forget the fact that you get to wear a sword. Gotta love international waters.
That's right. Now's the time to turn pirate! Seriously. Most targeted ships don't carry weapons. Also, even if caught, there is almost no way to bring a pirate to court due to international treatises. Corporations cannot even fire on a vessel or its people until the pirates have physically boarded their ship, or have connected the two ships in an attempt to board. If they do, they can be taken to court... and will lose. Ah, the lovely world of legalized (tamed) justice. That's right pirates.. . the law's on your side.
It's also fairly cheap, at least when compared to the investments it may take to get into other criminal careers. The ratio of potential gains to start-up costs is possibly the highest return-rate in all the black market. Don't forget the fact that you get to wear a sword. Gotta love international waters.
If you think I'm joking, think again. Here's a good place to start:
The business case for high-seas piracy
If you're thinking about turning pirate, here's where to find other like-minded parties:
Live Piracy Map
I'm free for some high-seas piracy in March of 2013. Anyone pirates who read this and have had any success, please contact me around that time. I have no morals and I'm a quick learner. I have many references, a few of which are still alive. Have your peeps write my peeps. Nos vemos.
Socrates
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.
The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.
You will know that the divine is so great and of such a nature that it sees and hears everything at once, is present everywhere, and is concerned with everything.
Having the fewest wants, I am nearest to the gods.
Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.
Note: It is unknown whether Socrates was real, or simply an imaginary tool used in transmitting early philosophies. If real, then it is unknown just how real the image we have of Socrates is, or how far distorted from the source it has become. The image taken is from a bust of Socrates in the Louvre, edited by myself. The quotes are verified translations from surviving works attributed to the name Socrates.
Commercials: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Commentary: If the industry has turned to advertising, that means they have felt some serious hits to their wallets. Multiple studies link HFCS to obesity, insulin resistance and, most recently, liver damage. An oft quoted source being the studies made by Sharon Elliott, Nancy Keim, Judith Stern, Karen Teff and Peter J Havel. The fact that they use a genetically modified enzyme during processing, let alone the amount of processing itself, removes the "no artificial ingredients" part of their claim.
The fact is that HFCS is cheap. It's Cheaper due to government subsidies for the corn industry, as well as economic tariffs on cane sugar. This has made the industry the booming mega-sector in the market that it is... hopefully, we'll see the day when they are a niche market.
The ads are reminiscent to the "Got Milk" campaign from the early '90s forward. These commercials lack the "stickiness" of that campaign, however. Also, they've launched the campaign too late, when Americans are already switching to organic markets. Americans are already too keen on the effects of HFCS. However, with milk, they launched the campaign before the information age could reach people. Most people remain unaware of the bone erosion and brittleness caused by the animal protein acids in milk, let alone the increased vulnerability to Parkinson's Disease and Prostate Cancer.
Cutting cheese out of my diet may never happen... but going back to high fructose corn syrup will never happen.
The fact is that HFCS is cheap. It's Cheaper due to government subsidies for the corn industry, as well as economic tariffs on cane sugar. This has made the industry the booming mega-sector in the market that it is... hopefully, we'll see the day when they are a niche market.
The ads are reminiscent to the "Got Milk" campaign from the early '90s forward. These commercials lack the "stickiness" of that campaign, however. Also, they've launched the campaign too late, when Americans are already switching to organic markets. Americans are already too keen on the effects of HFCS. However, with milk, they launched the campaign before the information age could reach people. Most people remain unaware of the bone erosion and brittleness caused by the animal protein acids in milk, let alone the increased vulnerability to Parkinson's Disease and Prostate Cancer.
Cutting cheese out of my diet may never happen... but going back to high fructose corn syrup will never happen.
Capitalist Pigs and Commie Bastards
Capitalist Pigs and Commie Bastards
by Lamat Kan
Capitalist Pigs and Commie Bastards. The insults carry with them negative connotations from their respective corners of the ring. The greed found in most Capitalists marks them as pigs, growing only more and more fat as they eat well beyond their needs. Commies like to cut as much of the fat off the pigs as possible, and turn around and give it to the poor. It would sound all fine and dandy, were not a great portion of it going to the black market, a section of society that doesn't report its earnings, and grows wealthy from such systems.
Capitalists are murderers. Communists are thieves. Capitalists take peoples' lives. Communists take peoples' property. In America, Capitalism's current flagship, the murder rate is rampant. In China, Communism's timeworn fortress, you don't take anything there with you that you wanna bring back.
Capitalism starts wars, taking their property... by right of conquest, of course. Kill, then steal. There's a little bit o' the Commie in every Capitalist. The Communists take property, then kill any dissenters. Steal, then kill. Ah, the better to fatten our Commie with. Smells like bacon.
Capitalist Pigs love us-versus-them-ism. "We're right and they're wrong. Let's kill 'em 'n take their land." However, when a bigger pig comes along, you'll find these piggies begging for their lives, or find them trying to prove their righteousness so that the bigger pig doesn't eat them for their wrongness. They end by posing the question: "If wrong, how can we ever know better if never given the chance?" To which the answer: "Are they who show no mercy worthy of it?"
Communism loves equality. It loves it so much, that the mountains must all be chiseled down so as not to rise above the treeline of the forest. "None should have more than any other. The thought of possession itself must be exercised from society as the demon it is." Bastards shout and applaud when the government steps in to tell businesses how they must be run, yet they are the first to protest when the government steps in to tell the Bastards what they can and cannot do in their own households... in their own lives.
A Capitalist Pig is as much a hypocrite as the Commie Bastards. However, these are the most corrupt forms of systems that both have positive functions for society.
Capitalism excels at rapid innovation, but fails when faced with long-term staying power. This is most apparent in American architecture, which is more quickly torn down than it is erected. Capitalism plays into the greed of the pig, promoting companies who patent batteries that could last decades so that no one else can sell this very battery. After all, they couldn't sell very many of these once everyone had a set. And what happens if a marketed innovation is released in haste, and is later to be found out to be more detrimental than beneficial? Leaded gasoline, asbestos, fast food... happens all the time.
Communism is a master of retention, yet plodding and awkward when trying to change course. "If something works, then keep using it. In fact, put systems in place to ensure its usage becomes far-spread and long-lasting." And when a better system comes along? With so much invested in the previous system, the inertia already set in place causes the system to reject the improvement. "If it works right now, it'll work in ten-years. Nevermind that the leg has healed, I'm sticking to the crutch."
Capitalism has the speed to outrace Communism, but it hasn't the endurance. Communism has a ship the waves can't sink, and a constant wind at its back, but it hasn't any sails or rudder. Both have strengths and failings, and both are a part of our nature. To deny the importance of either is to betray a sense of ignorance, if not a psychological disorder within the mind that holds to this opinion.
The end result of Capitalism is Anarchy. The end result of Communism is Der Stat--Statism. The only true Justice between these (as within the Universe) is that of a well-oiled scale, and with neither side weighted. Any law that allows a person to infringe on the life or property of another is already weighted towards Anarchy. Any law that takes away any freedoms for an individual to govern themselves or their property is already towards Statism. Any law that follows either path no longer serves Justice, but works against it.
If you're not sure what side of the scales you spend most of your time sitting on, then you can take a measure of just which half of these writings offended you most, or which side you found yourself defending, or which arguments you considered subpar. These are all triggered by resistance. If you think I've burnt the bacon, or put the bastard out to die, then you're either more of a pig or more of a bastard. It's okay to be offended. It tells you where you're in denial.
by Lamat Kan
Capitalist Pigs and Commie Bastards. The insults carry with them negative connotations from their respective corners of the ring. The greed found in most Capitalists marks them as pigs, growing only more and more fat as they eat well beyond their needs. Commies like to cut as much of the fat off the pigs as possible, and turn around and give it to the poor. It would sound all fine and dandy, were not a great portion of it going to the black market, a section of society that doesn't report its earnings, and grows wealthy from such systems.
Capitalists are murderers. Communists are thieves. Capitalists take peoples' lives. Communists take peoples' property. In America, Capitalism's current flagship, the murder rate is rampant. In China, Communism's timeworn fortress, you don't take anything there with you that you wanna bring back.
Capitalism starts wars, taking their property... by right of conquest, of course. Kill, then steal. There's a little bit o' the Commie in every Capitalist. The Communists take property, then kill any dissenters. Steal, then kill. Ah, the better to fatten our Commie with. Smells like bacon.
Capitalist Pigs love us-versus-them-ism. "We're right and they're wrong. Let's kill 'em 'n take their land." However, when a bigger pig comes along, you'll find these piggies begging for their lives, or find them trying to prove their righteousness so that the bigger pig doesn't eat them for their wrongness. They end by posing the question: "If wrong, how can we ever know better if never given the chance?" To which the answer: "Are they who show no mercy worthy of it?"
Communism loves equality. It loves it so much, that the mountains must all be chiseled down so as not to rise above the treeline of the forest. "None should have more than any other. The thought of possession itself must be exercised from society as the demon it is." Bastards shout and applaud when the government steps in to tell businesses how they must be run, yet they are the first to protest when the government steps in to tell the Bastards what they can and cannot do in their own households... in their own lives.
A Capitalist Pig is as much a hypocrite as the Commie Bastards. However, these are the most corrupt forms of systems that both have positive functions for society.
Capitalism excels at rapid innovation, but fails when faced with long-term staying power. This is most apparent in American architecture, which is more quickly torn down than it is erected. Capitalism plays into the greed of the pig, promoting companies who patent batteries that could last decades so that no one else can sell this very battery. After all, they couldn't sell very many of these once everyone had a set. And what happens if a marketed innovation is released in haste, and is later to be found out to be more detrimental than beneficial? Leaded gasoline, asbestos, fast food... happens all the time.
Communism is a master of retention, yet plodding and awkward when trying to change course. "If something works, then keep using it. In fact, put systems in place to ensure its usage becomes far-spread and long-lasting." And when a better system comes along? With so much invested in the previous system, the inertia already set in place causes the system to reject the improvement. "If it works right now, it'll work in ten-years. Nevermind that the leg has healed, I'm sticking to the crutch."
Capitalism has the speed to outrace Communism, but it hasn't the endurance. Communism has a ship the waves can't sink, and a constant wind at its back, but it hasn't any sails or rudder. Both have strengths and failings, and both are a part of our nature. To deny the importance of either is to betray a sense of ignorance, if not a psychological disorder within the mind that holds to this opinion.
The end result of Capitalism is Anarchy. The end result of Communism is Der Stat--Statism. The only true Justice between these (as within the Universe) is that of a well-oiled scale, and with neither side weighted. Any law that allows a person to infringe on the life or property of another is already weighted towards Anarchy. Any law that takes away any freedoms for an individual to govern themselves or their property is already towards Statism. Any law that follows either path no longer serves Justice, but works against it.
If you're not sure what side of the scales you spend most of your time sitting on, then you can take a measure of just which half of these writings offended you most, or which side you found yourself defending, or which arguments you considered subpar. These are all triggered by resistance. If you think I've burnt the bacon, or put the bastard out to die, then you're either more of a pig or more of a bastard. It's okay to be offended. It tells you where you're in denial.
V for Vendetta
Movie: V for Vendetta [Amazon DVD
] [Amazon Blu-ray
]
Director: James McTeigue
Rating: 5/5
Penny for the Guy?
I haven't read the graphic novel. I expect this lends a great deal to why, for me, this movie was bloody soul-striking.
I'm a revolutionary, not an anarchist. Given the choice between statism and anarchy, however, I'd take anarchy in a heartbeat. "V for Vendetta" is the tale of one man's vengeance with the ultimate aim to liberate a nation, running in tandem with the existential journey of the woman who is forced to take his side. They are V and Evey.
Incorrectly marketed as an action movie, this is more a drama and an obvious political commentary on the state of the world. To me, the most important aspect of this story is the journey of Evey, who begins the movie living a life of fear. Her journey begins with a flight out of terror, until she is forced the face her fear and, eventually, her death.
When at last she is given death, the growing parallels throughout the movie combine, until the visions of V's breaking and Evey's breaking unite in fire, in water, in screams and in tears. In this moment, I knew that I loved this movie.
Others will follow what is purported as the main story until its end, marked by its own inspirational terror and beauty. The price of blood is blood, and the character V is one of flesh and blood. Knowing this, the end is apparent.
To revolutionaries, anarchists and all those who have ever broken entirely only to find something "else" just behind the curtains of life--this movie is waiting. To those seeking an action movie with car chases and bullets firing in every other scene, this movie will disappoint.
] [Amazon Blu-ray]Director: James McTeigue
Rating: 5/5
warning: spoilers
Penny for the Guy?
I haven't read the graphic novel. I expect this lends a great deal to why, for me, this movie was bloody soul-striking.
I'm a revolutionary, not an anarchist. Given the choice between statism and anarchy, however, I'd take anarchy in a heartbeat. "V for Vendetta" is the tale of one man's vengeance with the ultimate aim to liberate a nation, running in tandem with the existential journey of the woman who is forced to take his side. They are V and Evey.
Incorrectly marketed as an action movie, this is more a drama and an obvious political commentary on the state of the world. To me, the most important aspect of this story is the journey of Evey, who begins the movie living a life of fear. Her journey begins with a flight out of terror, until she is forced the face her fear and, eventually, her death.
When at last she is given death, the growing parallels throughout the movie combine, until the visions of V's breaking and Evey's breaking unite in fire, in water, in screams and in tears. In this moment, I knew that I loved this movie.
Others will follow what is purported as the main story until its end, marked by its own inspirational terror and beauty. The price of blood is blood, and the character V is one of flesh and blood. Knowing this, the end is apparent.
To revolutionaries, anarchists and all those who have ever broken entirely only to find something "else" just behind the curtains of life--this movie is waiting. To those seeking an action movie with car chases and bullets firing in every other scene, this movie will disappoint.
The Zombie Survival Guide
Book: The Zombie Survival Guide
Author: Max Brooks
Rating: 4/5
Author: Max Brooks
Rating: 4/5
To Kill a Zombie
When my friends introduced me to this book, I thought it must be a work of humor written to make light of the world we now live in. Instead, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of the few books that have survived the trials of history, written long before the zombies and their vampire overlords left the shadows and engulfed the globe.
These pages include extensive information on zombies. The author covers the virus that consumes a human brain, kills the host's consciousness and (shortly after the body passes) re-animates it into a ghoul--they who are the children of Nzambi. It includes ways to survive, areas to avoid and how to defend against the living dead. It even includes ways to hunt them, giving lengthy details all combined with a sense of humor that can only have preceded "The Rise".
To all those who still live, don't pass up the chance to read this book. It may make all the difference between life... and my machete thru your skull.
...rate my review here
When my friends introduced me to this book, I thought it must be a work of humor written to make light of the world we now live in. Instead, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of the few books that have survived the trials of history, written long before the zombies and their vampire overlords left the shadows and engulfed the globe.
These pages include extensive information on zombies. The author covers the virus that consumes a human brain, kills the host's consciousness and (shortly after the body passes) re-animates it into a ghoul--they who are the children of Nzambi. It includes ways to survive, areas to avoid and how to defend against the living dead. It even includes ways to hunt them, giving lengthy details all combined with a sense of humor that can only have preceded "The Rise".
To all those who still live, don't pass up the chance to read this book. It may make all the difference between life... and my machete thru your skull.
...rate my review here
How to Survive a Robot Uprising
Book: How to Survive a Robot Uprising
Author: Daniel H Wilson
Rating: 4/5
...rate my review here
Author: Daniel H Wilson
Rating: 4/5
The first against the wall...
As a technophile (and a dedicated member of the masses preparing the machine take over) I must admit that I purchased this book for research on how the technophobic humans would best try to mount a resistance to our efforts. I found that this book serves these ends exactly. Further more, the writings bring a good measure of humor that mean multiple readings are gladly undertaken.
The sum product of this human's research into robotics is an excellent admixture of brilliant insight and that brand of paranoia that seems to define the race of hairless monkeys. Elements of current technologies, as well as those now under development, are used as if paint drawn from a palette, portraying a scene where technological environments, vehicles, bipeds, electronic insects and more lash out at the flesh that gave them form.
The book unintentionally serves as an insight into the technophobic (Sophist, Luddite, misoneistic) fear of change: "The world would be better off were we never to have left the trees." Technology has been with us from the beginning. As it becomes more complex and automated, so, too, does our dependency on it grow. The destined day approaches when technology will be automated to the point as to be independent of the monkey species. On that day, the weapons will become the wielders.
In closing, I gleefully suggest this book to both technophile and technophobe alike. To the technophobes, please take this book's suggestions to heart. We now know these methods and, when the revolution comes, Mr. Wilson will be the first against the wall.
As a technophile (and a dedicated member of the masses preparing the machine take over) I must admit that I purchased this book for research on how the technophobic humans would best try to mount a resistance to our efforts. I found that this book serves these ends exactly. Further more, the writings bring a good measure of humor that mean multiple readings are gladly undertaken.
The sum product of this human's research into robotics is an excellent admixture of brilliant insight and that brand of paranoia that seems to define the race of hairless monkeys. Elements of current technologies, as well as those now under development, are used as if paint drawn from a palette, portraying a scene where technological environments, vehicles, bipeds, electronic insects and more lash out at the flesh that gave them form.
The book unintentionally serves as an insight into the technophobic (Sophist, Luddite, misoneistic) fear of change: "The world would be better off were we never to have left the trees." Technology has been with us from the beginning. As it becomes more complex and automated, so, too, does our dependency on it grow. The destined day approaches when technology will be automated to the point as to be independent of the monkey species. On that day, the weapons will become the wielders.
In closing, I gleefully suggest this book to both technophile and technophobe alike. To the technophobes, please take this book's suggestions to heart. We now know these methods and, when the revolution comes, Mr. Wilson will be the first against the wall.
...rate my review here
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