Category: ethics

Reducing Firearm-Related Violence

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, firearms, government, things getting betterLeave a comment

The Institute of Medicine published findings:

In 2010, more than 105,000 people were injured or killed in the United States as the result of a firearm-related incident.

Recent, highly publicized, tragic mass shootings in Newtown, CT; Aurora, CO; Oak Creek, WI; and Tucson, AZ, have sharpened the American public’s interest in protecting our children and communities from the harmful effects of firearm violence. While many Americans legally use firearms for a variety of activities, fatal and nonfatal firearm violence poses a serious threat to public safety and welfare. …

Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence

gun_money

William Saletan summarizes:

Earlier this year, President Obama ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the existing research on gun violence and recommend future studies. That report, prepared by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, is now complete.

Its findings won’t entirely please the Obama administration or the NRA, but all of us should consider them. Here’s a list of the 10 most salient or surprising takeaways. …

1. The United States has an indisputable gun violence problem.

According to the report, “the U.S. rate of firearm-related homicide is higher than that of any other industrialized country: 19.5 times higher than the rates in other high-income countries.”


2. Most indices of crime and gun violence are getting better, not worse.

3. We have 300 million firearms, but only 100 million are handguns.

4. Handguns are the problem.

5. Mass shootings aren’t the problem.

6. Gun suicide is a bigger killer than gun homicide.

7. Guns are used for self-defense often and effectively.

8. Carrying guns for self-defense is an arms race.

9. Denying guns to people under restraining orders saves lives.

10. It isn’t true that most gun acquisitions by criminals can be blamed on a few bad dealers.

Rethinking Gun Control

Surprising findings from a comprehensive report on gun violence.

Republicans Say No to CDC Gun Violence Research. Most in the GOP don’t want to know the facts. And definitely don’t want their voters to know the facts.

Dr. Garen Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine who runs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, spent $1 million of his own money to continue the research.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think people are very far apart on this issue. Fire arms lobbyists are going to have an increasingly difficult fight buying politicians over the coming years. And they’ll have to outspend their opponents at an even greater rate.

070418_gunchart

Republicans must change. Or lose. Long term.

new – easier to BUY American politicians

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, government, things getting worseLeave a comment

U.S. Supreme Court ruled to raise the limit for individual campaign contributions from $123,000 to $3.6 million dollars.

Billionaires and corporations can now buy politicians legitimately.

crook politiicans

The rich have far, far too much influence on American politics already. 😦

I’m hoping there’s more disclosure on who donated how much to whom, in future. But not optimistic.

money politics

ultra rich Americans should worry

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

Unless the GOP changes, they are not going to win many Presidential elections in future. No matter how badly the Democrats run the country.

Nobody believes Paul Ryan cares about the poor.

Republicans are still mostly in favour of the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer.

DEREK THOMPSON:

I’ve written, over and over, that the most important divide in our wealth disparity was between the 1 percent and the 99 percent. For example, when I compared the evolution in investment income since the late 1970s, I often imagined a graph like this from the Economic Policy Institute, showing the 1 percent flying away from the rest of the country.

1 top 1 percent

It turns out that that graph is somewhat misleading. It makes it look like the 1 percent is a group of similar households accelerating from the rest of the economy, holding hands, in unison. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A few weeks ago, I shared this graph (from the World Top Incomes Database) showing how the top 0.01 percent—that’s the one percent of the 1 percent—was leaving the rest of the top percentile behind.

2 top 0.1 percent

It turns out that wealth inequality isn’t about the 1 percent v. the 99 percent at all. It’s about the 0.1 percent v. the 99.9 percent (or, really, the 0.01 percent vs. the 99.99 percent, if you like). Long-story-short is that this group, comprised mostly of bankers and CEOs, is riding the stock market to pick up extraordinary investment income. And it’s this investment income, rather than ordinary earned income, that’s creating this extraordinary wealth gap. …

Unveiling the real story behind the richest of the rich

How You, I, and Everyone Got the Top 1 Percent All Wrong

So why should the top .01% of Americans worry?

Soon there’s going to be a backlash.

60 Minutes revealed that the U.S. stock market is rigged:

in the last two weeks, the New York attorney general and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission in Washington have both launched investigations into high-frequency computerized stock trading that now controls more than half the market.

The probes were announced just ahead of a much anticipated book on the subject by best-selling author Michael Lewis called “Flash Boys.” In it, Lewis argues that the stock market is now rigged to benefit a group of insiders that have made tens of billions of dollars exploiting computerized trading. …

Steve Kroft: What’s the headline here?

Michael Lewis: Stock market’s rigged. The United States stock market, the most iconic market in global capitalism is rigged.

Is the U.S. stock market rigged?

rigged

I’ve got nothing against rich people. Lebronne James has earned every penny.

But when I see a dork, stupid billionaire … I get suspicious.

loser-donald-trump

How did this guy get rich?

It’s not smart. It’s not an efficient distribution of wealth to have so many dollars in the hands of so few people, many of whom do not deserve it.

The ultra rich should be prepared to move to that that retirement estate in Belize. 🙂

corrupt South African politicians

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

Here’s the latest proposal shoveling tax dollars into the pockets of politicians.

Parliament’s new post-retirement travel policy, which could see MPs with 15 years or more of service gain 24 business class air flights a year for 10 years, has been agreed to in principle. It must still be adopted if it is to come into effect.

This policy was agreed to by the national legislature’s highest policy-making structure, the Parliamentary Oversight Authority (POA) …

The new post-retirement travel privileges would see MPs who had served one term of five years receive eight single economy air tickets a year for 10 years; those who had served 10 years getting 16 single economy tickets; and those with three terms under their belts receiving 24 single business-class tickets a year.

This could add tens of millions in expenditure from the national coffers at a time when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has called for cost-cutting and savings.

And in a potentially controversial decision, the POA decided that these post-retirement travel privileges should also apply to all nine provincial legislatures, benefiting a total of 430 MPLs, in addition to the 400 National Assembly MPs and 54 National Council of Provinces delegates. The POA report also said there should be no restriction on the number of tickets used by a spouse from this new quota. …

Travel policy set to allow retired MPs to stay on gravy plane

reaction – Proposed retired MP travel benefit slammed

zuma

Here’s an overview of the corruption charges against Zuma.

I’ve yet to talk to anyone here who likes Jacob Zuma.

He’s currently being slammed for this scandal.

President Zuma says he shouldn’t have to pay for government paid improvements to his personal home because … he didn’t ask for the renovations.

I didn’t ask for Nkandla upgrade – Zuma

The cost of the refurbishments, which include a helipad, a swimming pool and even a chicken coop, ballooned from the initial estimate of R65m in 2009 to R246m.

South African elections are coming up. Most assume the NAC will win again. Many hope for some kind of strong opposition, however.

Norway the most GENEROUS nation?

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

American right wing types love to complain that the USA gives away more foreign aid money than anyone else.

If you count GROSS dollars, it could be argued that the USA is the most GENEROUS nation.

If you calculate per capita or per GNP (Gross National Product) the USA drops down the list to perhaps 17th.

Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark are near the top of the list, per person.

net per capita

That said, I’m not at all convinced that foreign aid money is well spent. It could certainly be money wasted. 😦

via KRISTJAN WAGER – Is USA the biggest foreign aid donor? (2007)

Johannesburg Apartheid museum

On By Rick McIn ethics, travelLeave a comment

Excellent.

Ranked #2 of 68 attractions in Johannesburg:

… architecturally interesting and packed with thoughtful, often brutal, reminders of South Africa’s history.

Mandela

ApartheidMuseum.org

It’s only 25min drive from JoBurg’s OR Tambo international airport if you ever have a layover.

Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, things getting better, travelLeave a comment

The Apartheid Museum is a … complex in Johannesburg, South Africa dedicated to illustrating apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa.

Mandela

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Watch another video on the museum.

Johannesburg city tour

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, travelLeave a comment

Melani and I took a bus tour of her home town, Johannesburg.

IMG_1576

IMG_1643

We started at the Gold Reef City casino.

IMG_1570

IMG_1574

Bus tours are the fastest way to get a feel for a big city.

IMG_1609

IMG_1579

IMG_1578

IMG_1617

We took an elevator to the Roof of Africa, the top of the Carlton, Africa’s highest building.

IMG_1639

JoBurg is sprawling, one of the sprawlingest cities in the world. 8 million people plus by some estimates.

This is the largest city in the world NOT on a river, lake or coast. The only reason the city grew here was gold. You are reminded when passing gold coloured tailing piles.

IMG_1646

Gold was discovered on the Langlaagte farm in 1886. … By 1896 Johannesburg had become a city of over 100,000 inhabitants …

Soccer City, the main stadium of the 2010 World Cup.

IMG_1655

IMG_1658

Melani and I both enjoyed the tour. I recommend it. Especially the Apartheid museum.

Ernst-Cole-new-1

more photos from our bus tour

On another day, William took me to his office in Johannesburg CBD (Central Business District). Nearby were “highjacked” buildings filled with squatters.

William’s building and other parts of the old city are being renovated and rejuvenated. We had coffee at Uncle Mere’s, a trendy new streetside bistro in the hip Maboneng district.
P1270184

P1270187