Category: government

the NEW American slavery

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, moviesLeave a comment

Prison.

I like Quentin Tarantino. If you don’t like film violence, boycott his movies.

Freedom from speech.

That’s your right.

I heard Tarantino recently interviewed on NPR Fresh Air — he came off very badly. Still no good argument FOR the ultra violence. After 20 years.

I’d like to see him direct a film without that crutch.

But Tarantino brought up a very good point in another interview. The many parallels between the American prison population and old slavery.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.


 

Obviously the U.S.A. has to find a way to reduce the number of those in prison for marijuana possession. It’s no more dangerous than legal alcohol.

related – Django review by By Jim Emerson

(via Upworthy – How To Enslave A People When Slavery Is Already Illegal)

my gun stance

On By Rick McIn bad news, education, ethics, firearms, government, happiness2 Comments

In Yemen.

Rick gun

Guns are tools. Tools that can be used for right or wrong.

The nations with the most guns / capita:

United States 88.8
Serbia 58.2
Yemen 54.8
Switzerland
Cyprus
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Finland

More guns = more accidents. More gun murders.

Everyone mourned the 20 children of Newton. Know that 260 school children were killed in Chicago over a 3yr span. It happens all the time.

But doesn’t hit the mainstream media each time.

Still, the U.S.A. is only 10th on the list of firearm-related deaths. Switzerland is 5th. Mexico is 9th.

It’s not an exact correlation. Guns in the U.S.A. prevent some killings.

Dana and Fred recently moved from Vegas to Regina, Canada. There’s far less chance for their son to be hurt by guns in Regina than Vegas. I really believe that.

… If I could wave a magic wand and render all the hand guns in the world ineffective, I would. There would be a net calming effect, I predict.

Perhaps I’m wrong.

In any case, there is no magic wand. We must deal with the cards on the table now.

Actually, I don’t believe the pro gun nuts and the anti gun zealots are all that far apart.

Aside from the worst extremists, the majority would agree that it should be legal for hunters to own hunting guns. That it should be legal for people to defend their families and homes.

Most would agree there’s no need for an assault weapon for hunting nor home defense.

Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee:

“An AK-47 is a Russian-made weapon that is made for war. An AR-15, which is an answer to the AK-47 . . . these high-capacity [guns] . . . you can shoot 50 to 60 rounds within a minute. Within a minute you can literally shoot through brick, shoot through steel.”

Speaking at a news conference with Rep. John Conyers and myself, Chief Godbee expressed dismay that there has been no action to revive the assault-weapons ban that was allowed to expire in 2004 when George W. Bush was president. …

Police chiefs are right: Ban assault weapons

That ban should be put in place. And enforced.

Penalties should be very strict.

Release the marijuana smokers from U.S. prisons to free up space for those carrying illegal weapons.

Bring the troops home. Use the money for Home Defence. Especially defending Americans from assault weapon attack.

Use the money to take better care of the mentally ill.

Use the money to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor in the U.S.A. 

Not family handouts. But improved schools.

We’ll still have mass shootings, but hopefully fewer.

Personally, I feel it’s time for the N.R.A. to moderate their positions.

Critics of the N.R.A. have some very good points.

I admire George H. W. Bush for resigning from the N.R.A. in 1996.

He was right.

In fact, looking back with 20/20 vision, George H was more often right than wrong. His son, just the opposite.

Global peace index 2012

On By Rick McIn government, happiness, health & fitnessLeave a comment

Published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, the index tries to measure peacefulness. This year has seen the world become ‘slightly more peaceful’ – bucking the trend seen in the last two years where the ranking showed a decline in global peace.

Iceland is once again ranked the most peaceful peaceful country in the world, followed by Denmark and New Zealand. …
Guardian

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Canada is 5th. Qatar 12th. The USA 88th.

anti-Socialist Americans

On By Rick McIn economics, education, government, happinessLeave a comment

There are many like Susan in the USA.

Susan Clark of Santa Monica, California, who opposes health care reform, stands with a red hand painted over her mouth to represent what she said is socialism taking away her choices and rights, in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on March 28, 2012, on the final day of arguments regarding the health care law signed by President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Screenshot 2012-12-06 2:18 PM

Yet many nations she’d call “Socialist” are successful in 2012. And happy.

Norway
Denmark
Finland
Australia
New Zealand
Sweden
Canada
Switzerland
Netherlands

You’d be hard pressed to convince any of those nations that the American model is “better”.

Turns out that spending money on a social welfare safety net is a better investment longterm than military and prisons.

It’s time to rethink priorities, America.

That’s one of the best photos of the year 2012 as chosen by The Atlantic.

takeaways from the American election …

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, GOP USA, government, things getting worse1 Comment

After this, I’ll try to shut up.

• President Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase — Separation of church and state

Republicans need embrace the concept.

• U.S. Republicans can learn from Canada’s Conservatives

Neither American party is fiscally conservative. I truly believe Romney would have run up an even bigger debt than will Obama.

• Donald Trump is an ass

• Michael Moore‘s heart is in the right place, but he’s as dangerous a left wing zealot as right wing extremists like Trump. I disagree with more than half of what he says.

• Romney’s a good guy. But was forced to associate with Evangelic extremists, bigots, billionaires, bankers and other unsavory characters. Pray for his sold soul.

Mitt’s quite the chameleon. Has any other politician flip-flopped so many times and almost gotten away with it?

I’ll be entertained by the many books with titles like: Why Romney Lost

His math-illiterate, vague platform was an insult to any thinking voter. The only possible reason to vote for him was … ABO (anybody but Obama)

• “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” was not the title of the editorial he wrote for the NY Times. Whomever penned that catchy headline — Obama owes him a drink

• the worst decision of the Supreme Court in a long, long time was Citizens United. Corporations are not people. Campaign spending should be limited, difficult as that is to do.

• men talking about rape is a very, very bad idea

In fact, a good rule of thumb for men — DON”T talk about women’s bodies on the campaign trail.

• I loved how Chris Christie blew off partisan politics when his own people were in crisis. He’ll never be the Republican candidate.

• the trend is towards approve Gay marriage. Get used to it.

• the trend is to a more diverse population. Politicians anti-immigrant, racist and those surrounded by white advisers will lose. Expect Asian and Hispanic Americans to get more vocal.

• John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, calls for the GOP to #evolve

More than a few dinosaurs need go extinct

• most Tea Party and Occupy proponents simply protest — they don’t have much to offer as politicians. I hope both movements fizzle over the next 4yrs. The Tea Party has done more damage than good.

• young people are most influenced politically by two TV programs on the Comedy Network: Daily Show & Colbert. Both are left wing. (Colbert is my favourite show, so I must be young at heart.)

Republicans need a candidate who can handle youth culture and social media —  McCain and Romney? … Not so good.

• voters watching Fox News and MSNBC know less about government than those who watched any other news source. Or none. Folks who watch NPR and the Daily Show know most.

The right wing pundits at FOX really seem to believe their talking points. That’s surprising. O’Reilly is not a fool.

• Read my lips: Republicans need stop signing Grover Norquist’s NO TAX Pledge. It hamstrings.

• the trend is towards legalized marijuana. Colorado & Washington have legalized recreational use. It’s inevitable that ganja will be as restricted as alcohol.

Personally, I think the USA is doomed. I can’t see any way out for their polarized government. The debt and deficit will continue to balloon.

The trillions in debt will grow. I can’t see any way they can repay with both parties refusing to raise revenue.

Where are new trillion dollar industries going to come from?

Potential for American growth is limited to small business.

America could do better than Barack Obama; sadly, Mitt Romney does not fit the bill

future

• there’s some chance Obama will end the expensive, ineffective war on drugs

• accelerate troop withdrawals. QUIT putting boots on the ground in other nations. Bring the troops home and have them work on infrastructure.

• some day, hopefully within my lifetime, women will take over politics. And I trust women more than I trust men. In 2012 Americans elected a record 19% women to the Senate.

19% !! — WOW … That’s something to celebrate 😦

Tammy Baldwin made history when she became Wisconsin’s first female senator and America’s first openly gay senator. (VIDEO) … Homophobe Paul Ryan’s neighbour.

Next President?

Best would be a bilingual (Spanish & English) woman. Fiscal conservative. Advocating a very minimum social safety net. Requiring individuals who live or work in the USA to pay taxes. Requiring corporations earning money in the USA to pay taxes. Advocating a major reduction in the military. Focused on improving the American infrastructure: roads, rapid transit, sewage, etc.

Increasing regulations of banks.

… In the meantime, this guy’s got problems.

I wish him well.

Sincere thanks to everyone who engaged in the issues of the American election. I learned a lot.

Thanks also to the gluttons for punishment who decided not to HIDE me on Facebook.

Note the very, very few in 2012 who are willing to voice political support online for either Democrats or Republicans. It’s very divisive.

There truly are two Americas. If you could wave a magic wand, something like this wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Folks would have to MOVE. Like they moved between Pakistans and India when that nation broke up.

biggest winner last night – Nate Silver

On By Rick McIn blogs, ethics, government, product endorsements, things getting betterLeave a comment

… Silver runs a blog called FiveThirtyEight, which is licensed by the Times. In 2008 he called the presidential election with incredible accuracy, getting 49 out of 50 states right.

But this year he rolled a perfect score, 50 out of 50, even nailing the margins in many cases. His uncanny accuracy on this year’s election represents what Rowinski calls a victory of “logic over punditry.”

… What does it mean when some punk kid baseball nerd can just wade into politics and start kicking butt on all these long-time “experts” who have spent their entire lives covering politics?

It means something big is happening.

… The age of voodoo is over. The era of talking about something as a “dark art” is done. In a world with big computers and big data, there are no dark arts. …

Read Write Web – Why Nate Silver Won, And Why It Matters

The fact check sites have helped. But what we really need are the facts.

It’s time to take down bloviating pundits in the USA, Dick Morris often being listed as WORST.

It’s Moneyball time. 🙂

Economist magazine endorses Obama

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, government1 Comment

I concur exactly with the fiscally conservative news magazine out of the U.K.

America could do better than Barack Obama; sadly, Mitt Romney does not fit the bill

… A man who once personified hope and centrism set a new low by unleashing attacks on Mitt Romney even before the first Republican primary. Yet elections are about choosing somebody to run a country. And this choice turns on two questions: how good a president has Mr Obama been, especially on the main issues of the economy and foreign policy? And can America really trust the ever-changing Mitt Romney to do a better job? On that basis, the Democrat narrowly deserves to be re-elected.

… The other qualified achievement is health reform. Even to a newspaper with no love for big government, the fact that over 40m people had no health coverage in a country as rich as America was a scandal. “Obamacare” will correct that, but Mr Obama did very little to deal with the system’s other flaw—its huge and unaffordable costs.

Above all, Mr Obama has shown no readiness to tackle the main domestic issue confronting the next president: America cannot continue to tax like a small government but spend like a big one. …

… far from being the voice of fiscal prudence, Mr Romney wants to start with huge tax cuts (which will disproportionately favour the wealthy), while dramatically increasing defence spending. Together those measures would add $7 trillion to the ten-year deficit. He would balance the books through eliminating loopholes (a good idea, but he will not specify which ones) and through savage cuts to programmes that help America’s poor (a bad idea, which will increase inequality still further). …

… the extremism of his party is Mr Romney’s greatest handicap …

The devil we know

We very much hope that whichever of these men wins office will prove our pessimism wrong. …

Many of The Economist’s readers, especially those who run businesses in America, may well conclude that nothing could be worse than another four years of Mr Obama. We beg to differ. …

Our American endorsement
Which one?

It’s well worth reading every word of that article. They nailed it.

It may not matter which is President. The next 4yrs will be far worse than the last 4yrs.

Both parties are unwilling to raise revenue, very reluctant to reduce spending. The children of this generation are the ones left in the rubble.

U.S. elections are too expensive

On By Rick McIn economics, governmentLeave a comment

U.S. elections are too expensive — $928,638,361 on campaign money alone — and too lengthy. Everyone interested has had MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to consider the issues. 😦

How could that be improved?

GigaOm suggests it’s time to take the election online. That could both reduce costs and increase the number of voters.

If Banks can prevent electronic fraud, it’s certainly possible to do so for electronic voting.

I’d give the “password” details for voting to everyone who submits an income tax form.

polarized American electorate

On By Rick McIn governmentLeave a comment

It’s amazing to me how many Americans are violently anti-Republican. Or violently anti-Democrat.

https://twitter.com/jennysgay/statuses/260550772402552832

In the end, only swing States matter.

And maybe only Ohio matters.

I'm not sure anything can be fixed in a nation where folks hate the other 50% of the population.

Harry Truman on Republicans

On By Rick McIn governmentLeave a comment

Sounds like 2012.

President Harry S. Truman
October 13, 1948

Well, I have been studying the Republican Party for over 12 years at close hand in the Capital of the United States. And by this time, I have discovered where the Republicans stand on most of the major issues.

Since they won’t tell you themselves, I am going to tell you.

They approve of the American farmer-but they are willing to help him go broke.

They stand four-square for the American home–but not for housing.

They are strong for labor–but they are stronger for restricting labor’s rights.

They favor a minimum wage–the smaller the minimum the better.

They indorse educational opportunity for all–but they won’t spend money for teachers or for schools.

They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine–for people who can afford them.

…

They think the American standard of living is a fine thing–so long as it doesn’t spread to all the people.

And they admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.

Now, my friends, that is the Wall Street Republican way of life. But there is another way–there is another way–the Democratic way, the way of the Democratic Party.

Of course, the Democratic Party is not perfect. Nobody ever said it was. …

full speech

(via Snopes)