Category: government

on American poverty

On By Rick McIn Apple, economics, education, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

In his book on the American South, Theroux is very critical of the Clinton foundation. Bill Clinton is from Arkansas. Yet seems to have done very little as a philanthropist to help his home State. Some people in the American south live in worse poverty than some in Africa.

PAUL THEROUX:

… China has been enriched by American-supplied jobs, making most of the destined-for-the-dump merchandise you find on store shelves all over America, every piece of plastic you can name, as well as Apple products, Barbie dolls or Nike LeBron basketball shoes retailed in the United States for up to $320 a pair. …

… if there was one experience of the Deep South that stayed with me it was the sight of shutdown factories and towns with their hearts torn out of them, and few jobs. There are outsourcing stories all over America, but the effects are stark in the Deep South. …

When Mr. Cook of Apple said he was going to hand over his entire fortune to charity, he was greatly praised by most people, but not by me. It so happened that at that time I was traveling up and down Tim Cook’s home state of Alabama, and all I saw were desolate towns and hollowed-out economies, where jobs had been lost to outsourcing, and education had been defunded by shortsighted politicians. …

Some companies have brought manufacturing jobs back to the United States, a move called “reshoring,” but so far this is little more than a gesture. It seems obvious that executives of American companies should invest in the Deep South as they did in China. …

The Hypocrisy of ‘Helping’ the Poor

Deep-South-Four-Seasons-on-Back-Roads-copy-350x252

California has a poverty rate of 23.8%, the highest of any state in the country …

The US Census declared that in 2010 15.1% of the general population lived in poverty:

9.9% of all white persons
12.1% of all Asian persons
26.6% of all Hispanic persons (of any race)
28.4% of all black persons.

wikipedia

If you are in the poverty demographic, you should certainly campaign against the Republican Party. Those people (in general) try to move as many dollars from the poor to the rich. 😦

American companies will eventually reshore factories. When it’s financially advantageous. That could be soon.

Apple – the most profitable company in the world – has made some attempts. Those have been problematic, so far.

stop logging the Ghost watershed

On By Rick McIn ethics, friends, government, health & fitnessLeave a comment

I signed a Change.org page:

Petitioning Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, Honourable and 2 others

Call for an immediate moratorium on logging in the Ghost Watershed.

Ghost watershed

Anna Glaser’s family has a vacation home in the Ghost. Spray Lake Sawmills wants to cut down as many trees as possible. Spray Lake Sawmills is the bad guy. 😦

Here’s Anna’s take on the situation – Ghost Stories

Here are Anna’s family and friends of the Ghost protesting.

2michael-glaser-stop-ghost-clearcut-protesters

flowers and candles are here to protect us

On By Rick McIn firearms, government, Islam1 Comment

Like most people, I’ve been extremely pissed off since the Beruit and Paris attacks. Especially since I’m spending the week with some excellent Gymnastics coaches from Jordan, Iran, France, Lebanon, Qatar, Yemen, Palestine, Egypt, …

This is the most uplifting thing I’ve seen since. Hopefully we can all start turning the corner as this boy has.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Or share it on Facebook.

congratulations Aung San Suu Kyi

On By Rick McIn government, travelLeave a comment

 

Suu Kyi’s party wins historic majority in Myanmar polls

Aung San Suu Kyi party wins enough seats to be able to choose Myanmar’s next president, according to official results.

12-1447311820-aung-san-suu-kyi1

Travel Myanmar. 🙂

 

on Islamophobia

On By Rick McIn ethics, GOP USA, government, Islam, things getting worseLeave a comment

Does this image make you fearful or angry?

burka

When they get home and remove the abaya, underneath women are often wearing expensive designer clothes and jewelry. Arab men love expensive garments, as well, but are as covered up head-to-foot in their own traditional ‘thawb’.

men-in-white

Islamophobia (or anti-Muslim sentiment) is a term for prejudice against, hatred towards, or fear of the religion of Islam or Muslims. The term entered into common English usage in 1997 …

Some commentators have posited an increase in Islamophobia resulting from the September 11 attacks, while others have associated it with the increased presence of Muslims in the United States, the European Union and other secular nations. …

There is no shortage of guys like this in 2015. Politicians use fear of Islam to motivate him to show up at the polls on election day.

islamophobic I’ve spent a lot of time in Muslim nations since 1994. I just left Saudi Arabia. Arrived Qatar.

For men, Islamic nations are very hospitable.  Most lists of friendliest nations include Syria, Jordan and Iran. I’ve not been to Iran. But of the 70 nations I have traveled, Syria and Jordan were by far the most welcoming. Egyptians I found very warm too.

I can’t say much about Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. But, it’s much more complicated than you and I know.

More university graduates in Saudi Arabia are Saudi women than men, and female literacy is estimated to be 91% (though lower than male literacy) is far higher than just 40 years ago. The average age at first marriage among Saudi females in the kingdom is 25 years. …

The World Economic Forum 2013 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 127th out of 136 countries for gender parity. …

same hate new target

Islamophobia is fairly new. When I was in school the evil enemy was the Commies. It was the Cold War. Friends of mine parroted Better Dead than RED.

better dead than red

I recall how shocked Richard Englehardt was when I told him I would not fight the Russians. Most of my sport heroes were Soviet gymnasts. Many of my coaching mentors were Russian. In fact, I told REnglehardt, I’d probably be better off coaching under the Red Menace.

My grandparents immigrated from Ireland. In that era they suffered persecution.

no-irish-sign-1

(I’d heard about signs like this.  But one historian argues they are a myth.) 

It seems to be human nature to want to hate some enemy. The enemy frequently changes. Haters not so much. 😦

related – Guardian – America’s embrace of Islamophobia is new – but not surprising

in praise of Angela Merkel

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

… naysayers are wrong to suggest she has lost her way on migration. Quite the opposite.

During the crisis the Lutheran pastor’s daughter has found a forceful political and moral calling.

Mrs Merkel did not cause the onrush of migrants, as her critics maintain. The migrants were coming anyway: she acted to avert a humanitarian disaster. Fences will not hold back the flow. Mrs Merkel can neither stop the wars that drive people out of their homes nor set the policies of the countries they pass through. Her critics offer no plausible alternative.

Short of overturning international and European law, and watching refugees drown or die of exposure, EU countries must process the claims of asylum-seekers. The question is: will the process be orderly or chaotic? …

The indispensable European

Angela Merkel faces her most serious political challenge yet. But Europe needs her more than ever

Forbes – The World’s Most Powerful People – #2 Angela Merkel

angela-merkel-2011-7-19-10-0-51

Justin Trudeau: “Because it’s 2015”

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

How about this for gender equity? 🙂

Fans of gender equity will like this kind of reverse discrimination.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Justin Trudeau beamed as he explained why he felt the need to put together Canada’s first cabinet with an equal number of male and female members.

“It’s an incredible pleasure for me to be before you today … to present a cabinet that looks like Canada,” Trudeau said on Wednesday afternoon in his first statement as Canada’s 23rd prime minister.

‘A cabinet that looks like Canada:’ Justin Trudeau pledges government built on trust

New prime minister promises that his government would be one based on trust and teamwork that delivered “evidence-based policy.”

Scottish racist

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, GOP USA, government, travel1 Comment

… Britain, the U.S., Canada and Australia more tolerant than anywhere else. …

map of racism

But if you walk alongside the Clyde River in Glasgow you’ll likely see a Gypsy lady with a disposable cup siting on one pedestrian bridge. She sits quietly.

There must be enough regular pedestrian traffic to bring in some money each day. She’s there at least 10hrs / day.

I was passing when a young Scottish guy diverted to give her some grief. He then wanted to bend my ear.

“Scum taking the jobs of the white man.”

She was as white as he. Clearly didn’t have a job.

Most of the rest of the rant was unintelligible. He was angry. She a convenient target. Perhaps he shouts at her every day on the way to work.

Unhappy. Fearful. This is the kind of voter Donald Trump appealed to when he said:

They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

Washington Post

Gypsy beggars are common in Europe.

begger

I don’t like begging. But this woman on this bridge is no problem.

I don’t like illegal immigration. I’d rather spend the tax money to resettle illegal immigrants. Or – if they decline being returned to their homeland – to deliver them to a safe refugee camp.

We should spend even more tax dollars improving the systems of how illegal immigrants are processed. It’s the right thing to do.

Note: Most of the Romani people (Gypsies) in Europe are not illegal immigrants.

___ related

CK on jobs

Reagan and GHW Bush on illegal immigrants

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (1980)

Six years later, as president of the United States, Reagan signed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act that created a pathway to citizenship for 3 million undocumented immigrants.

Today’s politicians are far to the right of Reagan and the good Bush. History will prove the Tea Party wrong.