Mr. O’Reilly, what is a socialist?

By his own admission, Bill O’Reilly doesn’t know what socialism means (he asked for a definition).  Keep this in mind the next time (and recall all past times) he calls someone a socialist.

The myth of American exceptionalism…

The myth of American exceptionalism… has been corrupted by a major American political party into a thin justification for xenophobia further morphed into racism which they use to bait the fear of their voters.

NSA spying (on Americans, foreigners, anyone…) is not about criminal activity

A question was asked on Wednesday on Democracy Now…“Why should the government not be able to hold records, when, as they say, they’re only looking at them if they have specific intelligence to go after criminal activity?”

The answer is… it’s not about criminal activity. If it were, there’s plenty of ‘intelligence to go after criminal activity’ regarding Wall Street malfeasance, Deepwater Horizon negligence in the Gulf oil spill, Freedom Chemicals carelessness in the West Virginia chemical spill, West Fertilizer’s recklessness in the Texas explosion… (need I go on?) It is about what the wants of the corporate heads of these companies. NSA spying is another tool in their arsenal to target their perceived enemies. It is evident that the government is not for and of the people but rather for and of the monied.

Obamacare in CBO Report

 The Congressional Budget Office has released a report which projects the national budget until 2024. Many reporters and Republican lawmakers have misinterpreted its findings to claim Obamacare is a ‘job killer’. Considering the ~30 votes to repeal Obamacare in the Republican led House, this is not surprising. But aside from the swipe at Obamacare, this is also an opportunity to justify low wage jobs. One reason for the high competition for jobs is the need to stay at unrewarding positions to maintain health insurance; this drives down wages. When workers can choose to not work a low wage job for health insurance, there is pressure on employers to increase wages. Whose interests are served by Republicans and most media types again?

What do they care?

There’s a new study out predicting a ‘surge in homeless deaths’. That is unless these are policy changes. Call me cynical but what do politicians care about dead homeless people? Or regular voter for that matter?

They persuaded American voters to wage ‘war’ on terror, drugs and crime to justify funneling huge amounts of taxpayer funds (and future taxpayer funds) into corporate contractors and subcontractor supplied ‘war’ goods and services (with over-inflated, non-competitive contracts at that). Then they talked us into real conflict with the lie of Saddam Hussein’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’. They sweet talk the impressionable youth of this country into fighting a distant war against a nation whose oil fields are highly coveted by American corporations. And in this conflict, corporate contractors and subcontractor supplied ‘war’ goods and services through over-inflated, non-competitive contracts.

We now have major military and veterans related problems in sexual assaults, domestic violence, PTSD and other mental health issues, homelessness and health care and pension benefits. But politicians aren’t concerned about these issues; they answer to corporate contractors and subcontractors who’ve already got what they asked for.

Our ‘so called’ recovery is leaving many under if not unemployed but  politicians aren’t concerned about these issues; they answer to corporations and Wall Street who’ve already got what they asked for and pocketed and stashed all the proceeds.

Our environment is falling prey to polluting corporations which spill oil all over the Gulf of Mexico and Prince William Sound. And chemical explosions in West, Texas and spills in West Virginia. And our food… E.coli contaminated chicken can’t be recalled and antibiotic resistant bacteria riddle our food supply due to unrestrained non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in our food supply. But politicians aren’t concerned about these issues; they answer to anti-regulation corporations who’ve already got what they asked for.

Our gun policy allows and arguably condones the shooting of unarmed innocents in all manner of locations and circumstances: schools, movie theaters, sidewalks… But politicians aren’t concerned about these issues; they answer to gun producing corporations who’ve already got what they asked for.

So yes, call me cynical. I don’t see any prospect of positive policy change in the near future.

The legality of secret laws

It’s been made clear from information provided by Edward Snowden that the U.S. government (G.W.Bush and Obama administrations) circumvents the Constitution by utilizing secret laws and secret interpretations (rules and regulatory outgrowths) of various laws to breach the civil liberties of anyone with a digital footprint (American or otherwise). My question is… Are secret laws Constitutional? If yes, it is time to amend the Constitution to outlaw secret laws.

'Santa and Jesus are white'

Megyn Kelly of Fox News is positive that Santa Claus and Jesus are/were white… There is obvious tribal identity in play here in so far as Ms. Kelly is able to relate to these cultural figures on racial commonality. It is clear, that to her, an other-than-white Santa Claus or Jesus could never have attained the status of Santa Claus or Jesus. I was wondering where her tribal identity picks up with regards to class… Is the economic and social class Santa Claus and Jesus known? Would it not be possible for either to be homeless beggars? Slaves? Field hands? What were the class and social conditions of ‘whites’ at the times of Santa Claus and Jesus? If the Northern European whites of 0-400 CE were more culturally backwards than their Middle Eastern contemporaries, would she still insist on a white Santa Claus and Jesus?

This also speaks to the human condition of America today in that the Republican ideology as portrayed by Fox News is highly degradative of any class or race (and sex) they cannot personally identify with. [Anti-headstart funding, anti-raise of minimum wage, anti-labor union rights, anti-abortion/contraception, anti-Obamacare, anti-immigration, anti-gay marriage, anti-Social Security benefit increase…] This at the same time they claim to be Christians and faithful followers of his teachings.

Historically, the probability is high that Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) was either a Turk or Greek (see here and here) and Jesus, a  Galilean Jew.