Plugged http://news.bbc.co.uk/ into Wordle and I get todays news, condensed.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Israelis 'shot at fleeing Gazans'
'Claims have been received by the BBC and an Israeli human rights group that Israeli troops have fired on Gaza residents trying to escape the conflict area. Israel has strongly denied the allegations.'
It's shit like THIS that makes you want to burn flags and break windows. If such allegations are true (which I believe they are), Israel is just as bad as Nazi Germany.
The United States needs to cut ties with Israel, and sanction the shit outta them, let there infrastructure rot, they're people die, then we'll see how many bombs they can drop.
It's shit like THIS that makes you want to burn flags and break windows. If such allegations are true (which I believe they are), Israel is just as bad as Nazi Germany.
The United States needs to cut ties with Israel, and sanction the shit outta them, let there infrastructure rot, they're people die, then we'll see how many bombs they can drop.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Gove'ment Cheese
I was thinking this morning, about Salaries for U.S. Congress members, Senators, the President, and other government employees.
A Congress member, gets paid over $174,000 a year. A Representative, gets $169,000 per year. That's not including Minority or Majority leaders extra pay ($193,000), or a House Speaker ($223,000).
If you take say $70,000 a year away from these greedy bastards, you'd end up with a savings of over $37,000,000 per year. That's not including pay cuts for the president either, who makes $400,000 plus a few taxable and non-taxable spending accounts (like the $19,000 spending account for entertainment!).
37 million dollars is a big chunk of change, not government changing, recession busting money, but in a financial climate such as now we need every penny we can get.
While this thinking is obviously not new, I think the current recession mandates action such as these pay cuts.
/semi-coherent rant
A Congress member, gets paid over $174,000 a year. A Representative, gets $169,000 per year. That's not including Minority or Majority leaders extra pay ($193,000), or a House Speaker ($223,000).
If you take say $70,000 a year away from these greedy bastards, you'd end up with a savings of over $37,000,000 per year. That's not including pay cuts for the president either, who makes $400,000 plus a few taxable and non-taxable spending accounts (like the $19,000 spending account for entertainment!).
37 million dollars is a big chunk of change, not government changing, recession busting money, but in a financial climate such as now we need every penny we can get.
While this thinking is obviously not new, I think the current recession mandates action such as these pay cuts.
/semi-coherent rant
Sunday, August 17, 2008
"Government Paid Evangelists"
If this video doesn't scare you, you're probably someone who I couldn't have a civil conversation with concerning religion.
More information on the campus crusade for christ's military ministry can be found here.
(from the group's website)
"Young recruits are under great pressure as they enter the military at their initial training gateways," the group has stated on its web site. "The demands of drill instructors push recruits and new cadets to the edge. This is why they are most open to the 'good news.' We target specific locations, like Lackland AFB [Air Force base] and Fort Jackson, where large numbers of military members transition early in their career. These sites are excellent locations to pursue our strategic goals."
Pursue our strategic goals!?!
More information on the campus crusade for christ's military ministry can be found here.
(from the group's website)
"Young recruits are under great pressure as they enter the military at their initial training gateways," the group has stated on its web site. "The demands of drill instructors push recruits and new cadets to the edge. This is why they are most open to the 'good news.' We target specific locations, like Lackland AFB [Air Force base] and Fort Jackson, where large numbers of military members transition early in their career. These sites are excellent locations to pursue our strategic goals."
Pursue our strategic goals!?!
Interesting Quotes
"The really dangerous American fascist... is the man who wants to do in the United States in an American way what Hitler did in Germany in a Prussian way. The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power... They claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective, toward which all their deceit is directed, is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."
-- U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, quoted in the New York Times, April 9, 1944
I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!
-- Rev. Jerry Falwell
Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith.... We need believing people.
-- Adolf Hitler, April 26, 1933
Our job is to reclaim America for Christ, whatever the cost. As the vice regents of God, we are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our literature and arts, our sports arenas, our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors -- in short, over every aspect and institution of human society.
-- D. James Kennedy, Coral Ridge Ministries and Bush advisor.
A person who is guided by God will never be misguided by anyone.
-- Osama Bin Laden
We’re being guided by God.
-- Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson
No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.
-- George Bush Sr., to a reporter in 1988
via H.E.R.B.
The site's header is a bit hostile toward religion, something I don't wholly endorse (as I believe in everyone's right to freedom of religion), but I do vehemently oppose a theocracy. No state should, in my opinion, define it's society by a religion. Religion's influence on society is naturally occurring and should not have to be bolstered by laws. If a religion is too weak to have support from the common person, then it should fall by the wayside like the horse-drawn carriage.
Many more quotes and some political cartoons, etc. on the site.
-Dave
Friday, June 20, 2008
Lame Ducks
A good example of a completely ineffective government.
"Congress has effectively given in to the administration, allowing it to grant immunity to any telco. Apparently, all that talk about not allowing the worst of this bill to go through was just talk. It's difficult to know where to begin in reviewing this "deal." It's hardly a compromise -- it's a get out of jail free card."
Link to Techdirt article
"Congress has effectively given in to the administration, allowing it to grant immunity to any telco. Apparently, all that talk about not allowing the worst of this bill to go through was just talk. It's difficult to know where to begin in reviewing this "deal." It's hardly a compromise -- it's a get out of jail free card."
Link to Techdirt article
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
To: The Shareholders of ExxonMobil and Chevron Corporations, and All Peace Loving People of the World
From: Hassan Juma'a Awad, President, Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU)
We call upon the governments, corporations and other institutions behind the ongoing occupation of Iraq to respond to our demands for real democracy, true sovereignty and self-determination, free of all foreign interference.
Five years of invasion, war and occupation have brought nothing but death, destruction, misery and suffering to our people. In the name of our "liberation," more than a million of our citizens have been killed or wounded, our nation's schools, hospitals and other infrastructure have been destroyed, our neighbourhoods have been bombed, our homes have been broken into, our children have been traumatized, many of our family members and neighbours have been assaulted and arrested, our national treasures have been looted, and nearly twenty percent of our people have been turned into refugees.
The continued occupation fuels the violence in Iraq rather than alleviating it. The occupation has helped to foment and then exploit sectarian divisions and terror attacks where there had been none.
The Ba'athist legislation of 1987, which banned trade unions in the public sector and public enterprises (80% of all workers), is still in effect and continues to be enforced against us. Our union offices have been raided. Union property has been seized and destroyed. Our bank accounts have been frozen. Our leaders have been beaten, arrested, abducted and assassinated. Our rights as workers are routinely violated. This is an attack on our rights and the basic precepts of a democratic society. It is a grim reminder of the shadow of dictatorship still stalking our country.
We call upon you and all the world's peace-loving peoples to help us to end the nightmare of occupation and restore our sovereignty and national independence so that we can chart our own course to the future.
We demand an immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from our country, and utterly reject the agreement being negotiated with the USA for long-term bases and a military presence. Iraq must be returned to full sovereignty.
We demand the passage of a labour law promised by our Constitution, that adheres to ILO principles to protect the rights of workers to organize, bargain and strike, independent of state control and interference and on which Iraqi trade unionists have been fully consulted.
We demand an end to meddling in our sovereign economic affairs by the International Monetary Fund, the USA and UK, and multinational energy corporations, and recognition that no major economic decisions concerning our services and resources can be made while foreign troops occupy our country.
We demand that the US government, oil companies and others immediately cease lobbying for the oil law which would fracture the country and hand control over our oil to multinational companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron. We demand that all oil companies be prevented from entering into any long-term agreement concerning oil while Iraq remains occupied. The Iraqi government must tear up the current draft of the oil law, and begin to develop a legitimate oil policy based on full and genuine consultation with the Iraqi people. Only after all occupation forces are gone should a long term plan for the development of our oil resources be adopted.
We seek your support and solidarity to help us end the military and economic occupation of our country.
We look forward to the day when we have a world based on co-operation and solidarity. We look forward to a world free from war, sectarianism, competition and exploitation.
This is a statement made by the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions on May 28 during the shareholder meetings of ExxonMobile and Chevron. Now my question is, why aren't any of the major news outlets covering this, I think this is big news.
We call upon the governments, corporations and other institutions behind the ongoing occupation of Iraq to respond to our demands for real democracy, true sovereignty and self-determination, free of all foreign interference.
Five years of invasion, war and occupation have brought nothing but death, destruction, misery and suffering to our people. In the name of our "liberation," more than a million of our citizens have been killed or wounded, our nation's schools, hospitals and other infrastructure have been destroyed, our neighbourhoods have been bombed, our homes have been broken into, our children have been traumatized, many of our family members and neighbours have been assaulted and arrested, our national treasures have been looted, and nearly twenty percent of our people have been turned into refugees.
The continued occupation fuels the violence in Iraq rather than alleviating it. The occupation has helped to foment and then exploit sectarian divisions and terror attacks where there had been none.
The Ba'athist legislation of 1987, which banned trade unions in the public sector and public enterprises (80% of all workers), is still in effect and continues to be enforced against us. Our union offices have been raided. Union property has been seized and destroyed. Our bank accounts have been frozen. Our leaders have been beaten, arrested, abducted and assassinated. Our rights as workers are routinely violated. This is an attack on our rights and the basic precepts of a democratic society. It is a grim reminder of the shadow of dictatorship still stalking our country.
We call upon you and all the world's peace-loving peoples to help us to end the nightmare of occupation and restore our sovereignty and national independence so that we can chart our own course to the future.
We demand an immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from our country, and utterly reject the agreement being negotiated with the USA for long-term bases and a military presence. Iraq must be returned to full sovereignty.
We demand the passage of a labour law promised by our Constitution, that adheres to ILO principles to protect the rights of workers to organize, bargain and strike, independent of state control and interference and on which Iraqi trade unionists have been fully consulted.
We demand an end to meddling in our sovereign economic affairs by the International Monetary Fund, the USA and UK, and multinational energy corporations, and recognition that no major economic decisions concerning our services and resources can be made while foreign troops occupy our country.
We demand that the US government, oil companies and others immediately cease lobbying for the oil law which would fracture the country and hand control over our oil to multinational companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron. We demand that all oil companies be prevented from entering into any long-term agreement concerning oil while Iraq remains occupied. The Iraqi government must tear up the current draft of the oil law, and begin to develop a legitimate oil policy based on full and genuine consultation with the Iraqi people. Only after all occupation forces are gone should a long term plan for the development of our oil resources be adopted.
We seek your support and solidarity to help us end the military and economic occupation of our country.
We look forward to the day when we have a world based on co-operation and solidarity. We look forward to a world free from war, sectarianism, competition and exploitation.
This is a statement made by the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions on May 28 during the shareholder meetings of ExxonMobile and Chevron. Now my question is, why aren't any of the major news outlets covering this, I think this is big news.
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