Showing posts with label American Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Society. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Decline & Fall Of American Civilization Illustrated - Civilian Employment-Population Ratio (EMRATIO)
[Click the image for perspective & current chart from the St. Louis Fed]
Sunday, September 25, 2011
#Occupy. An IMPORTANT Message From Anonymous... A 'Tahrir Square Moment' Channeled Through Keith Olbermann
Wall Street: US stocks end week with $1 trillion loss - The Economic TimesHint: They aren't 'losses', they're 'sales'.
24 Sep 2011
NEW YORK: An estimated $1 trillion was wiped off the value of US stocks this week, amid heightened fears that the world economy is heading for another recession. [More]
It's the "sound" of bankers, corporations, and financial institutions taking the money and running.
A 'Tahrir Square Moment' ... Courtesy of Anonymous
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Whether You Bothered To Notice Or Not 'The Dirty Fucking Hippies' Were Right!
If I still lived anywhere near NYC, I'd bring a tent.
It's just too bad that one can no longer throw money from the balcony of the Stock Exchange the way Abbie Hoffman did. I think it was fifty dollars in one and five dollar bills, and he brought the exchange to a screeching halt.
That story as retold by one of Abbie's closest friends, Stew Albert, who was a participant in the 'celebration' is here.
Now, they won't even let you on Wall Street, no less the balcony to the Exchange... Today (#OccupyWallStreet Day 2):
Police officers had completely blocked off Wall Street. In order to get on the street Sunday, people, including employees from the International Business Times, were asked if they lived or worked in the area before they were granted permission to pass through the barricades. [In Full, NYTimes]I wonder what they'll do to verify 'local' creds tomorrow (Monday) when zillions of people are on their way to work?
"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." ~~Abbie Hoffman, Tikkun (July-August 1989) [wikiquotes]
It's time to give new meaning to the word "overthrow"
Excerpt, Country Joe McDonald's testimony at the trial of the Chicago 7... 8... 6... 9.
"We had a very long discussion. The meeting had been called to discuss the proposed Yippie! Convention in Chicago, to be held in Chicago. We never -- we hadn't heard much about it, and so we all met and we were staying at the Chelsea Hotel in New York and we met to discuss the Yippie! happening thing in Chicago.
Jerry Rubin said to me,"We feel that the Democratic Convention being held in Chicago is a very important political event in the country, and that it represents fascist forces in America, oppression of minority groups, continuation of the war in Vietnam, and actual celebration of death, that the Democratic Convention being held in Chicago will be a celebration of death in that all of those things which are held in high esteem by the establishment, political parties in this country are those things which represent death and oppression,"....and that it was the responsibility of those people, young people, who are concerned with freedom in America to try to do something in Chicago which would counter-balance the evil and negative vibrations from the Democratic Convention and that since I had written the Vietnam Rag, which has become the most well known song against the war in Vietnam, and that my group was very influential with young people of America, amongst the youth, that it was very important that we try to say something in Chicago which would be positive, natural, human, and loving, in order to let the people of America know that there are people in America who are not tripped out on ways of thinking which result only in oppression and fear, paranoia and death.
At that point Abbie Hoffman wanted to know what the song was, and then I -- then I sang the song.
It goes:
[he sings] "And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. The next stop is Vietnam. And it's --"
THE COURT: No, no, no, Mr. Witness. No singing.
THE WITNESS: "five, six, seven -- "
THE COURT: Mr. Marshal --
[the marshal goes over to Country Joe and puts his hand on Joe's chin to close his mouth]
THE MARSHAL: The Judge is talking.
THE COURT: No singing is permitted in the courtroom. You are here to answer questions. You may continue telling about this conversation.
BY MR. KUNSTLER:
Q. Can you recite the song? Do you think you can do that?
A. Yes, The chorus of the song is:
"And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. The next stop is Vietnam....
[Click the image for more @ The Realist archive]
Also See:
Travus T. Hipp Morning News & Commentary: As The Saying Goes: "The next time you need help, call a hippie..."
Capitalism is holding a loaded gun...
...And the target is ANYONE who gets in the way of their profits.
Take it easy... But TAKE IT!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
'Check Yourself' Means Look In The Mirror And Ask: "Who the F**k Do You Think You Are?"
Addicts... Any kind... From the 'depths and degradations' of Heroin addiction to the typical American compulsively consuming 'Stuff' they're told they must have.
As they spin out of control they attempt to micromanage, control, assign responsibility to, and blame everyone but themselves.
Responsibility-for-their-own-actions while simultaneously maintaining the addiction is not possible.
[Click the image for source and comments @ Adbusters Magazine, Journal of the Mental Environment]
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Dispossessed WILL Inherit... "How (not to) to Organize a Community" - Dimitry Orlov
"...You see, upon close examination the English word “community” turns out to be all but meaningless..." [In Full]
"...suppose that our two communities are in an English-speaking country, which is likely to be afflicted with the irrational belief that the free market can solve all problems on its own, even problems with the availability of critical supplies such as oil. Just as one would expect, the invisible hand of the market fails to make itself visible,"How (not to) to Organize a Community
Dimitry Orlov
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Resource Clock Courtesy of Poodwaddle
[Pop out a larger version]
In the midst of all this organizational activity neighbors get a chance to meet, perhaps for the first time, and discover a commonality of interests that leads them to form acquaintances and perhaps even friendships.
As neighbors get to know each other, they start looking out for each other, improving safety and reducing crime.
As the community becomes more tight-knit, it changes in atmosphere and appearance, becoming more fashionable and desirable, attracting better-educated and more prosperous residents while pricing out the undesirable element. News of these vast improvements spreads far and wide, and the community becomes a tourist mecca, complete with food festivals, swank boutiques and pricy bric-à-brac shops and restaurants.
The undesirable element is forced to decamp to a less desirable neighborhood nearby. There, it has no choice but to suffer with high levels of crime, but is typically afraid to ask the police for help, having learned from experience that the police are more likely to harass them then to help them, to arrest them for minor offenses and to round them up and deport them if they happen to be illegal immigrants. They also learn to be careful around members of local gangs and drug dealers.
Since official jobs in the neighborhood are scarce, they seek informal, cash-based employment, contributing to an underground economy. Seeking safety in numbers, they self-organize along racial and ethnic lines, and, to promote their common interests, form ethnic mafias that strive to dominate one or more forms of illegal or semi-legal activity.
Growing up in a dangerous, violent environment, their children become tough at a young age, and, those that survive, develop excellent situational awareness that allows them to steer clear of dangerous situations and to know when to resort to violence.
When the fossil fuel-based national economy shuts down due to the increasingly well understood local ramifications of the global phenomenon of Peak Oil, both of these communities are harmed, but to different extents and in different ways.
Other countries may continue to function for another decade or even longer: these are the countries that have enough oil of their own, as well as those that were far-sighted enough to enter into long-term barter agreements with the few remaining oil producers that still have a surplus of oil for export.
But suppose that our two communities are in an English-speaking country, which is likely to be afflicted with the irrational belief that the free market can solve all problems on its own, even problems with the availability of critical supplies such as oil. Just as one would expect, the invisible hand of the market fails to make itself visible, but it is plain to see that fuel is no longer delivered to either of these communities, although in the second one some fuel is likely to still be available on the black market, at prices that very few people can afford.
Sooner or later, due to lack of supplies and maintenance at every level, electricity shuts off, water pumping stations cease to function, sewage backs up making bathrooms unusable, garbage trucks no longer collect the garbage, which piles up, breading rats, flies and cockroaches.
As sanitary conditions deteriorate, diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid reappear and spread. The medical system requires fuel for the ambulances and running water, electricity and oil-based pharmaceuticals and disposable supplies for the hospitals and clinics to operate.
When these are no longer available, the surviving residents are left to care for each other as best they can and, when they fail, to bury their own dead. Along with the other municipal and government services, police departments cease to function. Particularly important installations are guarded by soldiers or by private security, while the population is left to fend for itself.
The effect on the two communities is markedly different... In Full @ ClubOrlov
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Houseless: An Audio Collage... Media & Music - Skidmark Bob, Pop dEFECT Radio
Skidmark Bob from PoP dEFECT RADIO, Free Radio Santa Cruz, with an audio collage of media & music on the current economic crisis, mortgage and job loss The housing bubble as explained by comedian Lewis Black also various media & news stories of people made houseless by foreclosures. Unreported World program on Boston and California Homeless and Al Jazeera English Witness program on Las Vegas homeless living in the sewers.Note: This mix is ONE HOUR LONG!
Pop Out Player? Click Here
Produced mixed and edited by Skidmark Bob live on Free Radio Santa Cruz 101fm http://www.freakradio.org/ Tuesdays 2pm Music by Ben Harper, Bruce Springsteen & Tom Morello, Otis Taylor, John Mellencamp, Unkle, Eric Clapton, Bruce Hornsby.
Visit Santa Cruz IndyMedia.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Todd Snider - 'Fixing' An Old Woody Guthrie Song... For Columbus Day
[Pop Out Player]
Doesn't it make you just want to sing along?
Freeway through a reservation,
Make way for a brand new nation,
Big ideas, we got brand new plans,
Heaven knows we need this land,
We're gonna build big, high and wide city streets
Through countrysides, chemicals, and pesticides.
This land is our land.
Hey, redman don't waste our time,
We're young and strong, we got hills to climb,
There's a lot of room but we need it all
For slave trade and shopping malls,
Gonna build big factories with paper plates and plastic trees
Styrofoam and antifreeze.
This land is our land... In Full
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Breaking! U.S. Flag Recalled After Causing 143 Million Deaths
DEFECTIVE! In order to repair, the US Bill of Rights MUST be applied to all citizens of earth the flag-bearing nation engages in diplomacy.
U.S. Flag Recalled After Causing 143 Million Deaths
APRIL 13, 2010
Flags affected by the recall range from halftime-show extravaganza models to the smallest lapel pins.
WASHINGTON—Citing a series of fatal malfunctions dating back to 1777, flag manufacturer Annin & Company announced Monday that it would be recalling all makes and models of its popular American flag from both foreign and domestic markets.
Representatives from the nation's leading flag producer claimed that as many as 143 million deaths in the past two centuries can be attributed directly to the faulty U.S. models, which have been utilized extensively since the 18th century in sectors as diverse as government, the military, and public education.
"It has come to our attention that, due to the inherent risks and hazards it poses, the American flag is simply unfit for general use," said Annin & Company president Ronald Burman, who confirmed that the number of flag-related deaths had noticeably spiked since 2003. "I would like to strongly urge all U.S. citizens: If you have an American flag hanging in your home or place of business, please discontinue using it immediately."
Added Burman, "The last thing we would want is for more innocent men and women around the world to die because of our product."
Millions of U.S. flag–related injuries and fatalities have been reported over a 230-year period in locations as far flung as Europe, Cuba, Korea, Gettysburg, PA, the Philippines, and Iraq. In addition, the company found that U.S. flag exports to Vietnam during the late 1960s and early 1970s resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, a clear sign that there was something seriously wrong with its product...
More!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Anarchists Versus Teabaggers - "Of Tea-Parties and Patriots: Liberty for Who?"
From The IAS Blog
(The following article was written and directed towards members of the "Liberty Movement," participants in the Tea Parties and Town Hall meeting protests. It was originally intended to be handed out at Colorado gun shows, where anarchists have done counter-recruitment against the Minutemen.)Of Tea-Parties and Patriots:
Liberty for who?
by Dave Strano
As town hall meetings on health care become the targets for disruptive protest and a growing “pro-liberty” movement gains traction and headlines, a full analysis of the situations we are facing as white working class people and an analysis of the strategies of the new “pro-liberty” movement is necessary.
I am authoring this piece as a white working class male that comes from a military family background, and identifies to some extent as being a libertarian. This description of myself is important as it helps color the perspective I am writing from, as any differences in my background, race, or socio-economic status would ultimately change the entire nature of this essay.
This piece is also mainly directed at white working class people that are active within this new movement. The reasons for this are many, as will become obvious as this piece progresses.
On race…
The Liberty Movement resembles the broader Libertarian Movement in a myriad of ways. One of these ways is in racial composition. To be plain and up front, the U.S. Right is mostly comprised of white people. These giant Tea Parties, our demonstrations and meetings are seas of white faces, with small sprinklings of nonwhite faces.
Whiteness is defined in many different ways by many different people. To many, Jews are not white. Up until the mid 1900’s, white skinned people of Irish and Italian descent were not considered white. Some folks still think this way.
I identify, for the benefit of this essay, a white person as any person with pale skin pigmentation that would commonly pass as white in this society. We don’t need to break this down any further. We know whether we’re white or not.
Most whites immediately become defensive when the word race is even brought up. We don’t want to admit we think in these terms. We don’t want to admit that race has anything to do with our lives or what’s going on in this country. We’d rather pretend it doesn’t exist and not talk about it.
We can act like Ostriches all we want. It doesn’t change that our movement is nearly completely white. Let’s admit that, understand that, and move on to understanding what that means for us.
On class…
When people bring up the term “class”, many white working people start to snicker. The calls of “leftist” or “socialist” or “pinko” come to the lips of many at the mere indication that someone may be conscious of class in America. Despite this tendency, especially within the ranks of poor and working whites, most white working people naturally view the world in terms of class, whether they’d admit it or not.
Our realities are shaped by where we stand socially, economically, and politically. The vast majority of whites, like people of all other races, live in precarious social, political, and economic realities. We live paycheck to paycheck. We live off over-extended credit. We live in debt. We don’t own much, if at all, in real estate. We live in stressful situations, where if one part of the chain breaks, we lose everything. Our very existence is one of insecurity and economic disaster.
Most people in the middle and upper classes of white society try to stifle this talk amongst us in the working or lower classes. Political, social, and church leaders try to erase the class line. But for those of us going home at night to trailers, slumlord owned apartments, or dilapidated houses, we tend to not forget the large suburban homes and mansions that these leaders sleep in.
Class exists. Just like race, we can’t make it go away by ignoring it. But why would we even want to ignore it? Our situation as working whites boils down directly to the idea of class.
Our class interests…
I start with the idea that most white working class people want similar things. We, as most people do, want security, freedom, prosperity, comfort, and safety. We don’t want to have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, how we’re going to be able to afford school supplies for our children, or whether or not we will fall victims to a “terrorist” attack. We don’t want to constantly fear losing our jobs or living the rest of our lives in precarious economic situations.
We now live in a country with a huge division between rich and poor. We live with a failed economy. We live in a nearly failed state. The government of the United States has systemically become a monstrous giant of bureaucrats and neo-tyrants. The whole government, every single politician, is part of this corrupt system.
Back home, in our communities, both rural and urban, we are losing our jobs. We are watching our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, dying in deserts and mountains halfway across the world. Our police forces are growing larger, just as our prison populations. We, as working people, are losing everything.
But, there may still be hope for us...
Click to read the guidelines and the rest of the article
Labels:
American Society,
Anarchism,
Anarchist,
Class,
Class War,
Despotism,
Economics,
Militarism,
Tea Party,
Teabagger
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