The Weekly Watch

Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt

We may be a day older, but apparently no wiser. It is the same con again and again. The debt is too big, we have to cut public services. And people buy it? They should listen to the two part interview with Jimmy Dore and Stephanie Kelton in last week's column. They ask the question, "How can a country that prints its own currency lack capital?". We print money nilly willy for wars and tax cuts...but not for the citizenry. It is a scam plain and simple. Some of the elite even admit it. Disney heir...“So anyway, 1%-ers are doing better than they ever have been doing, and guess what? You are paying for all of it.” (article and 4.5 min video) We seem to live in a nation of scams perpetrated by the oligarchs.

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Let's start with Saudi Arabia...our good buddy and ally...which in reality is one of the most conservative and repressive nations on Earth. The 24/7 cycle has been full of Khashoggi served with a healthy heaping of hypocrisy.

First Glenn Greenwald explains the complicity of the WaPo in the support of the Saudis
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/15/the-washington-post-as-it-shames-oth...

Next, Professor As`ad AbuKhalil says western media’s uncritical praise of Khashoggi is unworthy. He was a loyal member of the Saudi propaganda apparatus and chose the wrong side of the House of Saud (video or text)
https://therealnews.com/stories/duplicitous-khashoggi-picked-the-wrong-p...

Saudi is in a long line of countries that assassinate people they don't like. They just are not as civilized as the US which uses drones and kills from a distance.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/19/americans-saudis-and-israe...

Medea Benjamin and many others call bullshit on Saudis explanation.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/19/we-call-bs-saudi-arabia-cla...

Why our unending loyalty to despots? It is more than just the petrodollar. The Saudis are buying our (T bond) debt. Russia has dumped, and China and Japan are steadily selling US debt...mainly to Saudi Arabia and Brazil. Dontcha think that is part of our Saudi friendship? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyojQV0qspQ (13 min)

You gotta follow the money, and Khashoggi's likely murder may have repercussions on Saudi investments (article or podcast)
https://therealnews.com/khashoggi-crisis-highlights-why-investment-in-as...

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One of the biggest scams is war is good for business and the economy. War is good for absolutely nothing!

We are willing to do Saudi Arabia's bidding. Here's an interesting article by David William Pear on our disastrous Yemen policy, and the hypocrisy of the US and UN.
https://therealnews.com/the-us-led-genocide-and-destruction-of-yemen

The United Arab Emirates hired U.S. mercenaries to carry out assassinations of political and clerical leaders in Yemen. The former elite U.S. special operations fighters were paid to take part in missions to kill those deemed to be “terrorists” by the UAE.
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/10/17/investigation_as_us_backed_war_in (video or text)
More from Aram Roston, who broke the story. His piece is titled “A Middle East Monarchy Hired American Ex-Soldiers to Kill Its Political Enemies. This Could Be the Future of War.”
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/10/18/the_uae_hired_us_former_soldiers (video or text)
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/aramroston/mercenaries-assassinatio...

Dr. Martha Mundy of the London School of Economics, is author of a new report that accuses Saudi of a deliberate campaign “to destroy food production and distribution” in Yemen.
https://therealnews.com/stories/as-saudi-confirms-khashoggis-murder-will...

During his live show, Jimmy Dore covers Medea Benjamin of Code Pink when she hijacks the Hudson Institute's Pro Iran War presentation and spits an amazing amount of truth out while being manhandled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RlO-N2tyF0 (9.3 min)

Media is also a scam...misleading and diverting attention away from real issues.

The-Diversion-420x486.jpg

Max Blumenthal discusses the Facebook purge in two parts (video and text)
https://therealnews.com/series/social-media-purge

Lee Camp interviews editor of Anti-Media Carey Wedler about leftist news sources being purged from social media platforms. (1st 15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8QUp8-dRtc

Facebook even deleted a video about Columbus...what an over-reach!
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/17/updated-latest-fit-censorsh...

So even Wikipedia is rigged? Chris Hedges interviews investigative journalist Helen Buyniski who exposes Jimmy Wales' egalitarian Wikipedia as yet another tool of the ruling elite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDPrpKDjQ5U (25 min)

In Brazil, they are also going after journalists.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/20/bolsonaros-new-brazil-far-...

Speaking of going after journalists, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is suing Ecuador, accusing it of violating his “fundamental rights and freedoms.” It comes after the nation issued a new set of rules for Assange, who has lived in its London embassy for years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vLLLb9sxs0 (3 min)

Vijay Prashad, editor of the new book “Strongmen,” talks about what is behind the rise of right-wing authoritarianism around the world and how Brazil could stop this trend in their upcoming presidential election (video or text)
https://therealnews.com/stories/right-wing-authoritarianism-on-the-rise-...

Thousands of self-organized Hondurans fleeing violence and poverty are marching to US/Mexico border. Trump threatens to stop money for Honduras and send troops to border
https://therealnews.com/stories/honduran-migrant-caravan-4000-strong-mar... (14 min video and text)

Don't worry pompous Pompeo is on his way to visit Mexico and Panama to discuss democracy in Venezuela and Nicaragua. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZTXeZ6pkRY (4 min)

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Get to know your Oligarchs

Frank McKenna, a powerful player in the oil and banking industries is a big influence on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s policies. (17 min no text)
https://therealnews.com/stories/frank-mckenna-justin-trudeaus-man-behind...

tar sands_0.jpg

It’s our job to recognize that climate change is about political power, not just science. Some people are quite rich due to fossil fuel wealth and that comes with great influence. The conversation on climate change should be focused on how to break that influence, not just on how broken our climate is.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/18/we-need-inspire-courage-st...

But at least they can catch a legal buzz now. Canada, the US’s largest trading partner legalized marijuana. (video or text)
https://therealnews.com/stories/as-canada-legalizes-marijuana-the-us-tig...

Lee Camp does a great parody of Mark Cyborgberg and his run for president in his intro. He has several good pieces in his weekly half hour show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyaHbYLXwMc

It is not just individuals but also powerful groups of them like the Council for National Policy, a secretive group of influential right-wing figures. Max Blumenthal reports on Nikki Haley's speech to them.
https://therealnews.com/stories/inside-nikki-haleys-shocking-speech-to-s...

Corporations are wealthier than governments. No wonder we're a global corporate oligarchy..."The vast wealth and power of corporations is at the heart of so many of the world's problems—like inequality and climate change."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/17/heart-global-woes-157-world...

Politics

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Chirs Hedges reviews Ralph Nader's book

The corporate state will be overthrown by a citizens’ revolt or we will continue to barrel toward a political and ecological nightmare. Nader dares to dream. We should too.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-rats-revolt/

No one works more against corporate power and for working people than Ralph Nader. This week he put together a full day symposium called "Destroying the myth of market fundamentalism forum" to explain and present evidence of how the system is rigged for the elite and against working people. the full 8 hour conference is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWETN1E6YA
The speakers schedule can be found here

Jimmy and Chris discuss his book, America the farewell tour, and more...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=965DwRyfcmo (22 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcH3_ssyX0o (16 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Anaiu6muz8 (35 min)

Prof. Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired U.S. retired Army Colonel (31 years) and the former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell (2002-2005), discusses the state of the U.S. Empire, its foreign policy and the ideology and forces that influence it as well as the various conflicts & crises that include Iran, Syria and climate change (30 min video)
https://therealnews.com/stories/actvism-col-wilkerson-on-the-state-of-th...

Voter suppression Southern style... No buses filled with POC allowed to vote!
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/17/unreal-claiming-concerns-ov...
https://therealnews.com/stories/is-georgias-gop-governor-candidate-tryin...

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The rigging and series of scams are obvious for those who look. Part of the trick is to keep people from focusing on the real issues. It is enough to make your head spin to try to keep up with the fast pace of the news cycle. There is much more to say about this week's news. There was the report on the death of insects (you know those creatures near the base of the food chain). I didn't discuss our history in Honduras leading to the current exodus. It is part of the strategy to keep us off balance...look squirrel! Here's hoping you are focused on those things of importance to you and yours. I appreciate all your insights here at c99 helping me to focus on the important issues and latest scams. I look forward to your ideas and comments below.

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Lookout's picture

at least I don't owe my soul to the company store -
(2.5 min)

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkRYuMqw-B0]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

divineorder's picture

@Lookout fantasies first thing in the morning !

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Oh please, have you seen them?

They are being supported somehow by someone who is wealthy, probably Soros, since he enjoys de-stabilizing countries, and our own open border types.

I hope Trump stops them. They need to go home and fix their own country.

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dfarrah

Lookout's picture

@dfarrah

Poor folk are pretty common around here. Now self organized people, they are rare. Back in the 80's a company from Iowa came to GA to build incubators. They used a team approach. It didn't work too well. Working people were used to being told what to do next or the same repetitive job in the mills - asking them to self-organize didn't work out. Now had they been trained in school to be problem solvers thing might have come out differently.

Sorry I have no faith in T-rump to do anything other than pad his own pockets as fast as possible. He might allow the Koreas to make peace...but he said S. Korea wasn't allowed to do anything without his permission. The warmongering dims are frothing about losing our proxy war with China by allowing peace.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout caravan heading to the US.

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dfarrah

Lookout's picture

@dfarrah

Their recent election was clearly rigged and stolen and the US was complicit...just like Obama and the $hill were in their coup throwing out a duly elected Honduran president. Kinda reminiscent of Dilma in Brazil - thrown out as the world watched the Olympic games from there. ...and now locking up Lula who would have easily won the election.

We are driving the central american exodus with our policies of "allow us to extract your resources and use your people" or sanctions and over throw...along with our CIA drug cartel violence.

That's my take anyway.

As to how they are financing their exodus I can't say. If they had real money they would fly....or at least ride the bus.

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@Lookout the US likely causes a lot of problems. We give them financial aid. They need to solve their own political problems just like we need to solve ours.

As to using commercial travel, I'm sure they would need to show legal papers (like a visa or something), and they don't have them.

They look quite healthy, if you look at the pictures of them.

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dfarrah

Lookout's picture

@dfarrah

The article is worth a read. It is from a person on the ground in Honduras. Of course we all see things from our own prejudice. Here's the link again so people don't have to look for it...
https://therealnews.com/stories/honduran-migrant-caravan-4000-strong-mar...

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout
https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/pine.cfm

"Bio-Adrienne Pine is a militant medical anthropologist who has worked in Honduras, Mexico, Korea, the United States, Egypt, and Cuba. In her book, Working Hard, Drinking Hard: On Violence and Survival in Honduras, she argues that the symbolic violence resulting from Hondurans’ embodied..."

Several teachers at the American University are Soros funded, but I can't find much else quickly. I couldn't find anything about Pine's funding.

She insists there is no leader of the caravan; however, almost all of them appear to have fairly new backpacks and there are ready spokes-people for the reporters.

From wiki, Honduras has a population of 9.3 million,

"The World Bank categorizes Honduras as a low middle-income nation. The nation's per capita income sits at around 600 US dollars making it one of the lowest in North America. In 2010, 50% of the population were still living below the poverty line. By 2016 more than 66% was living below the poverty line."

Information about the United States:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States

"Recent census data shows that half the population qualifies as poor or low income,[14] with one in five Millennials living in poverty.[15] Academic contributors to The Routledge Handbook of Poverty in the United States postulate that new and extreme forms of poverty have emerged in the U.S. as a result of neoliberal structural adjustment policies and globalization, which have rendered economically marginalized communities as destitute "surplus populations" in need of control and punishment.[16]

In 2011, child poverty reached record high levels, with 16.7 million children living in food insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels.[17] A 2013 UNICEF report ranked the U.S. as having the second highest relative child poverty rates in the developed world.[18] According to a 2016 study by the Urban Institute, teenagers in low income communities are often forced to join gangs, save school lunches, sell drugs or exchange sexual favors because they cannot afford food.[19]

There were about 643,000 sheltered and unsheltered homeless people nationwide in January 2009. Almost two-thirds stayed in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program and the other third were living on the street, in an abandoned building, or another place not meant for human habitation. About 1.56 million people, or about 0.5% of the U.S. population, used an emergency shelter or a transitional housing program between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009.[20] Around 44% of homeless people are employed.[21] As of 2018, the number of U.S. citizens living in their vehicles because they cannot find affordable housing is on the rise, particularly in cities with steep increases in the cost of living such as Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.[22][23]

In June 2016, the IMF warned the United States that its high poverty rate needs to be tackled urgently by raising the minimum wage and offering paid maternity leave to women to encourage them to enter the labor force.[24] In December 2017, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, undertook a two-week investigation on the effects of systemic poverty in the United States, and sharply condemned "private wealth and public squalor".[25] Alston's report was issued in May 2018 and highlights that 40 million people live in poverty and over five million live "in ‘Third World’ conditions"

Assuming some of the above about the US is true, why in the world do people think the US should take on populations from other countries?

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dfarrah

Lookout's picture

@dfarrah
It is true the Koch's buy professors, I have no doubt others like Soros do too.

However there is no denial we constantly stir up shit in CA to promote everything from oil companys to fruit fields all the way back. Smedley Butler talks about our role in the early 20th century in both SA and CA. We will just have to see how it plays out and hope time will tell the truth.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout it is a scam per se. I guess I see scams as when people get screwed financially, say by a financial advisor.

It appears that the wealthy have funded dissident groups to push their (the wealthy) agenda that are not by any means organic.

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dfarrah

lotlizard's picture

@dfarrah  
This past week was a fund-raising week for Yves Smith and Lambert Strether over at Naked Capitalism. In the course of some “meta” about what makes NC valuable and worth supporting, one of them used the word “counter-suggestible” to describe themselves and the word “counter-suggestibility” to describe an important and beneficial personality trait that NC can strengthen in its readers.

What do they mean? Well, start with the fact that much of communication nowadays is purely manipulative — rather than even trying to advance any kind of rational argument backed by evidence, it just paints a picture “suggesting” an emotionally baited, tainted narrative.

The sender, like a hypnotist, is relying on receivers’ suggestibility. A receiver who is, by nature or by happenstance, psychologically receptive and labile at that particular moment, is easily “brought under” the sender’s spell.

Counter-suggestibility over at Naked Capitalism thus refers to Yves’s and Lambert’s ability, not only to resist such manipulation-by-suggestion themselves, but to deconstruct it and expose it in a way that readers can follow and learn to emulate.

Now, not so long ago, both in law and in the mind of the public there were sharp distinctions between people seeking political asylum, people fleeing a war zone, and people trying to sneak across borders just to make more money (“economic migrants”).

Then all of a sudden, it seems, the media and its elite owners decided everyone should stop making those distinctions.

Instead, it was strongly suggested that asylum can be validly claimed by anyone who can be said to be “seeking a better life” (i.e. practically everyone).

Furthermore, even people whose asylum claim has been denied, once or umpteen times, should never be deported but rather allowed to disappear anyway. Or, as is common in Germany, use NGOs and pro bono legal help to instigate endless appeals.

In effect, the position being advanced is that anyone can come, and once here, everyone can stay; any other policy, particularly actually enforcing the law, would be immoral and cruel.

A lot of TV news coverage of migration makes use of underhanded techniques of persuasion. Basically, they pull out all the emotional stops and use every trick, short of actually having a hypnotist’s voice saying, “You will now feel totally welcoming and even admire such a display of disregard for the law, or else feel deep spiritual guilt for personally contributing to the suffering and even death of the migrants shown.”

To disobey and not instantly succumb, and to recall instead that people are trying to have a wider, non-knee-jerk discussion of all the intertwined issues involved, takes Naked Capitalism–style counter-suggestibility.

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Lookout's picture

@lotlizard

much of communication nowadays is purely manipulative — rather than even trying to advance any kind of rational argument backed by evidence, it just paints a picture “suggesting” an emotionally baited, tainted narrative.

To disobey and not instantly succumb, and to recall instead that people are trying to have a wider, non-knee-jerk discussion of all the intertwined issues involved, takes Naked Capitalism–style counter-suggestibility.

I appreciate the wider discussion you suggest. Thanks.

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@Lookout well organized by someone, there is no reason to believe that they couldn't organize at home to achieve some of their objectives.

After all, they are being led by 'activists' who are regularly dissing Trump in the news. The focus on Trump is interesting, too. If they hate Trump so much, why do they want to come to a country run by Trump?

The more I see about the caravan, the more I am convinced that it is simply a political stunt funded by someone(s) like Soros or open borders groups.

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dfarrah

entitlements (with an eye toward eliminating them). The left says, "Cut the military budget." I say, cut way the hell back on the cost of federal government. The Constitution says we must have 435 representatives and 2 Senators from each state.

Fine. but the Constitution does not say each of the 535 should live and work in luxury, each with his or her own staff and Chief of Staff and the best of everything that money can buy. It does not say that our selected unrepresentatives have to have all the fringe benefits they have, even if they could easily afford to pay for them themselves. They want means testing for Social Security and Medicare? Well, I want means testing for the many benefits they get, over and above their comfortable salaries.

The Constitution doesn't say a thing about a massive NSA facility in Utah, spying on every citizen, whether it needs to or not, violating the Fourth Amendment on a daily basis. The Constitution does not say a thing about providing expensive offices for past Presidents or lifetime Secret Service and pensions for Past Presidents and their spouses for life.

The CIA, the FBI, and the Secret Service overlaps each other and rival each other. That is one of the reasons why information about the 911 terrorists "fell through the cracks," despite citizens' reporting that some Arab guys were taking flying lessons, but passed on landing instruction. So what was the government's response but to create yet another agency that would not get it right; i.e., Homeland Security. (See, for one, reports from the Russian government about the dangers presented by the Tsarnaev brothers.) I would combine all those agencies into one.

Getting back to the "defense" budget, I would combine all the US armed forces into one. (The largest air force in the world is, of course, the US Air Force. The second largest air force in the world belongs to the US Navy.) I would stop fighting the battles of other nations. Desert Storm was a border dispute between two Arab, oil-producing nations, Iraq and Kuwait. Why the hell were our troops fighting it? (Did Kuwait ever reimburse us for the dollar cost of Desert Storm?)

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Lookout's picture

@HenryAWallace

I've been thinking (always a dangerous proposition) that we could have direct democracy...at least on major issues. I mean they can keep your bank account to the penny with ATM machines on every corner - why not have direct voting on verifiable networks (maybe using blockchain) and give people a real voice on the budget...and wars...and corporate subsidies....and taxes. Would we participate, or are we just too lazy?

Sadly I think we're behind the climate 8 ball for any real effort to succeed, but better the try than cry.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boBokmeV5YI]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

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divineorder's picture

A liitle goid news to share:

Meanwhile, back here in teh States:

"Excited to see how the Democratic Party's innovative "Change absolutely nothing, say Putin a lot' midterm strategy pans out."

Caitlin Johnstone on FB this morning.

Have a great day all. jb and I are off to get in some exercise kayaking on Cochiti Reservoir today while the weather is good.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Lookout's picture

@divineorder

Maybe the new mayor can halt the new nationalized tar sands pipeline. Trudeau reminds me of Obama...and so does Macron - all say one thing and do another.

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@divineorder

because the Green candidate won't win. I think this is bs. There must be another reason they are not articulating.

First, doesn't that kind of thinking help to ensure that the Green candidate won't win? Catch 22: the Green candidate will not win unless people vote for him or her, but they won't vote for him or her because the Green candidate will not win.

Second, every time we vote Democratic or Republican, we take a chance that the candidate for whom we've voted won't win--at least if we live in a purple state and city. And if we live in a pure red or pure blue city or state, what is the point of NOT voting Green?

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Deja's picture

@HenryAWallace
I've been told over the weekend, that I can have a paper ballot mailed to me. I'll check on that tomorrow.

The thing about electronic voting is this:

They scan the barcode on either voter registration card or driver license/id.

Then they give you a code to enter into the machine. [Code is directly associated with and matched to your name/address.]

You vote, but see above if you think it's anonymous.

Votes supposedly get counted electronically, but it has been proven that the tally application has executable code that can change the count. I don't have a link, but I read somewhere that the pronounced winner of one race, somewhere I can't recall, received more votes than were cast in the entire race.

It's a sham, and I'm not playing unless it's on paper, and even then, I distrust the system so deeply, I might not even do that, regardless of candidates' party affiliation.

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Lookout's picture

@Deja

They are bubble forms that get scanned. What happens to the machine after the scans are run through is the unknown factor. When folks easily hack voting machines, it is hard to trust the vote. None the less I show up down at the Friendship Baptist Church and cast my ballot sitting at the Sunday School table....talk about a third world state. Voting in my district is a trip. Sadly all the FDR dems have passed on and it's the rethug religious right at the helm now...locally and perhaps nationally as well.

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@Deja

My state does not hand out any voter registration cards. All registered voters for a particular polling place are on an alphabetical list that is printed out and available at the polling place.

As you approach the spots where you can actually vote; you give your name and address and a volunteer checks you off, deciding if you need to give more proof of who you are. (I always bring an unopened envelope containing a utility bill or a phone bill and a photo ID, just in case. I have never been asked for proof, though.

Once the "gatekeeper" is satisfied as to who you are and where you live, you vote. If someone comes along later, giving the same name and address, he or she gets a provisional ballot.

For the first election in which paper ballots were used, all ballots needed to be completed manually and they were counted manually. After that election, to voters can choose whether to fill out a paper ballot or use a machine fill out the ballot. Insanely, some choose the machine. (Seriously, machine users? How much effort does it take to put a check mark beside a name? Or maybe, they fear erasures?) After the first election in which also changed from manual counting of paper ballots to electronic counting. From bad to good and inching back to bad again. Rats!

These are all state law issues. In theory, we can influence our city halls and state legislatures more than we can influence Congress. In theory.

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divineorder's picture

@HenryAWallace @HenryAWallace I do every chance I get, also voted for Dr. Jill Stein the last two Presidential elections.

FWIW Jill is still out there even after all the sheet that's been thrown at her.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

@divineorder @divineorder

President if Stein had not run. I don't believe that is true. Some voters would have stayed home, some would have left the top slot blank and some would have voted for another newer party or for Trump, However, those none of those things justify abusing those who voted for Stein, so those possibilities are simply ignored.

At the very least, a vote for a Green indicates the direction I would prefer. The two oldest political parties can spin not voting any way that they wish. However, Big Al does have a point about not voting at all, ever.

It's ludicrous that Dembots condemn Stein for giving a political speech in Russia, political speech being the kind of speech that gets the most First Amencment protection, but don't make a peep about what Obama and Hillary did.

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mimi's picture

interview video, when I saw you posted it here. Definitely worth listening to it twice.
Thanks for your service to we the people... Smile (much nicer service as that one that gets normally been thanked for with those words).
Here I link it again just to be sure people watch it.
[video:https://youtu.be/RBW_0wyuzyo]

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

That was an interesting interview. I enjoy Larry's insight into things. I wonder how much he understood when he was in the middle of the Iraq WMD crap. Nice to hear a reformed warrior. We need a department of Peace!

All the best!

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mimi's picture

[video:https://youtu.be/y6NCZS-lNwI]

Auf Deutsch gesagt: Altmeier's Kabuki Theater

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

They passed a law in Switzerland to easy gun sales, but the people voted it down with a referendum. Too bad that can't happen in the US.

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magiamma's picture

is excellent. McKenna rose from extremely poor roots to become one of the biggest power brokers in Canada. And, imho, Trudeau is a complete sell out. I had that feeling almost from the day he was elected. 'He' bought (the Canadian government) the pipe line that is planned to go through BC. It has been stopped by the courts, but I will not be surprised if 'they', with Mckenna's help, figure out a way to push it through. Disappointed to my bones, but not surprised.

So, how do you keep on keeping on? I find it increasingly difficult. I appreciate the work that you and others do to expose the ongoing disintegration. And also find the distraction of art and music helpful. Digging deeper and deeper into the morass of insatiable greed is extremely unbalancing. (But, must not put head back in sand, must keep on! Lol Thanks for the ot and thanks for keeping the global warming embers burning. Have a good one...

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Lookout's picture

@magiamma

The civil rights struggle I experienced as a child in Alabama

The Labor Movement with Debs running for president from prison

The suffragette movement with women being force fed in prison

The struggle against slavery...

and on and on. People have faced severe challenges in the past. The climate struggle is different in that the very survival of the species is at risk. As you well know we are in the midst of a great extinction. On an individual level death is a certainty. I'm at peace with that outcome of life. Our extinction as a species on Earth is certain no matter what...our star will evolve into a red giant once the hydrogen is used up. In the same way I'm at peace with my own death, I accept our eventual extinction. Now what I find sad is that we are likely to be our own executioner...shit in our own nest. So I do what I've done most of my life...we are creatures of habit you know...and that is to educate. I spit in the ocean. Movements are made up of individuals.

I liked Chris' comment about Ralph-
The corporate state will be overthrown by a citizens’ revolt or we will continue to barrel toward a political and ecological nightmare. Nader dares to dream. We should too.

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@Lookout
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/10/20/when-black-panthers-aligned-with-c...
We need to help it happen again.

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chuck utzman

TULSI 2020

Lookout's picture

@chuckutzman

...on everything is a common mistake. It takes strange bedfellows to accomplish big things.

Thanks for the link.

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magiamma's picture

@Lookout
Because the Rules Have to Change'

Addressing some 10,000 people in Helsinki on Saturday at what some campaigners are calling Finland's largest ever climate demonstration, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg urged marchers to fight for the major systemic changes
...
"I think the election didn't matter," she said to The New Yorker about Sweden's latest batch of political races. "The climate is not going to collapse because some party got the most votes. The politics that's needed to prevent the climate catastrophe—it doesn't exist today. We need to change the system, as if we were in crisis, as if there were a war going on."

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw]

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@magiamma

The young folks are my hope. They want to change the world. I'll help in every way I can.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7MMPQJMw20]

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Wink's picture

could easily disappear if 'we' quit selling them.
For some reason Congress still thinks we're on the Gold Standard and therefore need to "borrow" (sell t-bonds) against "debt" accrued by not collecting enough Tax dollars to cover expenses. So, instead of simply raising taxes to cover that "debt" (never a good idea for a politician to propose), Congress simply "borrows" the money to cover that Tax dollar shortfall by selling T-bonds (and then later paying them back with interest). So... it's free money for those rich enough to buy them. Except, of course, the money to pay them back comes from out Tax dollars Congress collects. So, a win for t-bond buyers, a loss for U.S. taxpayers who already can barely pay for the "Budget," let alone "interest on the debt" (those t-bonds). What to do??
Well, first of all stop selling those stupid loser t-bonds. Japan doesn't bother with such nonsense.
There is zero need to "borrow" money from anyone, least of all China and Saudi Arabia.
If Congress spends $100 but only collects $80 to "pay for" what it spends, why do 'we' need to "borrow" the $20 that Congress "lacks" (by selling t-bonds) to pay the $20 difference (shortfall)?? It's ridiculous! Some would say criminal. Why not simply raise taxes another 6%, 7%, and pay that $20 "debt" off like the rest of us do - over the next 4 or 5 years?? No "borrowing" (t-bond sales) required! Or, fuck it, even better, just disregard the $20 "debt" (shortfall) entirely?? Simply "write it off" and add it to our $21 Trillion (and growing) "National Debt." Why not?? Japan does. Simply ignores it, that is. Becuz Japan has discovered that their "National Debt" (at 200% of their GDP - double the size of their total GDP) hasn't caused inflation or any other negative "concerns" affecting their Economy. So... what's the big deal?? Just add that $20 to our $21 Trillion "National Debt" pile, and continue to spend! Like a drunken sailor! Becuz Japan tells us "National Debt" and "Budget Deficits" (that $20 shortfall) don't matter. A twit. So... instead of selling t-bonds to entities that don't need the free money (interest on those t-bonds) (at tax payers expense) to "cover the Budget Deficit" ($20), let's not instead. Let's quit selling those bastids - and save taxpayers the money (to cover interest payments on those t-bonds). And just let that $800 Billion (soon to be a $Trillion) "Budget Deficit" ride, instead. Maybe raise taxes 4% or 5% across the board to reduce it over time. Becuz, realistically, that soon-to-be $Trillion "budget deficit" could Easily be paid off by Billionaires alone over 5 or 6 years. Without breaking a sweat. So, why are the Repubs breaking a sweat over that "deficit??" The ONLY reason I can think of is becuz they want their cake and eat it too. They want their big $2 Trillion Tax Cut next year - and they want the 99% to pay for it. Becuz that $2 Trillion that taxpayers don't have is simply going to be added to the "budget deficit." And, for gawd's sake We Must reduce our "deficit" to Balance the Budget! And, if we do that - attempt to balance the budget - there Will Not be any money "in the budget" for Med4All or any of those Librul BernieBro programs the Libruls keep whining about. None. Not a dime. Fancy Nancy: "we'd LOVE to do it, but there's no money... " So... we stop playing the nonsense game that 'we' somehow need to "borrow money" (sell t-bonds) to cover the $20 "budget deficit" and 'we' suddenly have money to "pay for" Med4All, affordable college, expanded S.S. and all of those goodies on Bernie's wish list! Funny how that works! But, nope! We don't have the money. We Must pay off our "budget deficit" and pay down our "National Debt!" No money for pie-in-the-sky Librul programs. Becuz we gave it all away to our Oligarch overlords. And China. And Saudi Arabia. And... everyone but you dirty hippie bastids. And you ain't gettin' none!
The "Deficit" is harmless, doesn't mean a thing. We do Not need to "borrow money" (sell t-bonds) to cover it. Nor do we need to worry our pretty little heads about our $21 Trillion "National Debt" (all of those $20 "budget deficits" {shortfalls} since 1776). Funny, we never worried about our "National Debt" until O'bummer was elected. hmmm... Nearly 250 years of "national debt," yet nobody much squocked about it until O'bummer occupied the White House. Funny that. And we wouldn't hear a word about the "budget deficit," neither, except Repubs are using it as an excuse to cut S.S. and Medicare. We wouldn't otherwise hear a word about it, becuz a Repub is president. But they want their two-fer. They want their $2 Trillion tax cut for Millionaires - And they want to rub it in the faces of the 99% by having us "pay for it" by cutting our S.S. and Medicare. And, the 99% have to pay for their $2 Trillion tax cut for Millionaires, becuz of the "budget deficit" that their $2 Trillion tax cut for Millionaires creates. That is some damn fine politicking right there! Some damn fine Financial fancy footwork! Enhance the bank accounts of Millionaires while sticking it right up the asses of the 99% at the same time! Two birds with two stones. Brilliant! And if elected Dims fall for that bull$h!t, well, maybe we elected the wrong Dims. Or maybe it doesn't matter who we elect until they know and practice their MMT. Becuz until more like AO-C (who knows her MMT) are elected, we will continue to take it up the ass. "Deficits" don't matter.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Lookout's picture

@Wink

Right out of her interview with Jimmy. And you're both correct.

No need for bonds...no need for the fed either. We pay banks to issue our money when we could just issue it ourselves.

The more you examine money the weirder it becomes...all illusion...based on perceived value.

The way we value work is odd too. Seems the harder the job (more physically demanding) the lower the pay.

Isn't it interesting how debt becomes the issue when public services are discussed?

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Wink's picture

Does the "Deficit" (budget deficit) matter??
@Lookout
Some, but not much.
I would argue that if Billionaires alone could pay it off in 5 years or less it doesn't matter a twit, becuz a 2% tax increase across the board - no loopholes - would easily "pay for" it in that time.
So, "not much" is the answer to how "bothersome" (to the Economy™ or to taxpayers) is the "Deficit."

And the so-called "National Debt" is simply the accumulation of our "Deficits" (budget shortfalls) over the last 242 years (since 1776).
Or another way to look at it is, "what Congress has left in The Economy™ - spent - but didn't "pay for." Offset by the Market Value of that $21 Trillion spent on goods and services - things - still floating around in The Economy™. Like bridges and roads and schools and bombs and missiles and droids and... and...
In other words, things that have an accumulated value of $21 Trillion over 242 years - Not $21 Trillion "down the drain" or "owed to China, rich fucks, holding our 'debt' (by possessing T-bonds)." Yes, they hold t-bonds. But on the other side of that is our roads and bridges and schools and... that those t-bonds "paid for" over 242 years. Or about $90 Billion "borrowed" per year. To put that $90 Billion in perspective, 'we' just added $700 Billion to the "Deficit" (eventually 'rolled over' to our 'National Debt') this year alone (with that GOP $700 B. Military Spending bill)! And MOST of that $21 Trillion "National Debt" has been accumulated since 9/11. So... how significant is it?? Well, if 'we' stopped spending $400 Billion /year on G. Dubya's War on Terra I would say "not much." As it is, it's mostly those T-bonds that is the issue, and if we stopped selling those bonds our $21 Trillion "Debt" (in actuality simply a record of what 'we' have left in the Economy™ over 242 years) would slow to a crawl, that $21 Trillion barely a pimple on an elephant's ass over time.

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Lookout's picture

@Wink

...and money is speech....therefore speech is war? It is easy to see how the war budget alone could cure many ills...and most people on both sides of the spectrum agree. Proving we are not a democracy.

I think we need teach-ins to help people figure it out.

All the best!

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Wink's picture

@Lookout

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

@Wink
really works. We have all the money we need by pushing a button.
Tax increases on the ultra-rich might have some benefit in reducing destabilizing speculation but we don't "need" the money to pay for things. (Disregarding Pelosi's grandstanding to the contrary.)And we sure don't need to cut social services to "balance the budget".
What would happen if the government just forgave all the student debt it holds? Those young folks could buy houses and have families. What we need is jobs, not austerity.
In fact, we are better off economically keeping the workers employed at Boeing et.al. making weapons. We just need to keep them from being used to kill other people.

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chuck utzman

TULSI 2020

Lookout's picture

@chuckutzman

the transition to solar/natural power and forest restoration for C capture might prove worthy work goals...plenty of jobs to promote rather than extinguish life.

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Wink's picture

@chuckutzman

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

@Wink of squawking about the national debt well before Obama became pres.

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dfarrah

Nice work. Kudos and thank you very much.

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Lookout's picture

@OPOL

The column is my way of filtering the noise. Glad you found it of interest too.

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@Lookout You do an amazing job. I'm always blown away by the quality of your work. It's very impressive.

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Azazello's picture

So, back in the day I always thought post-modernism was a crock of, well, less than academically rigorous, put it that way. At that time a guy named Alan Sokal was something of a hero to me because of the so-called Sokal affair. He managed to get a nonsense paper published in a post-modernist journal. Now, a group of people have done it again and not just one paper in one journal. In what is being called "Sokal squared" they've managed to get several nonsense papers published. Here's a piece about it from the Chronicle of Higher Education: ‘Sokal Squared’: Is Huge Publishing Hoax ‘Hilarious and Delightful’ or an Ugly Example of Dishonesty and Bad Faith?, and here's an interview with one of the participants from WSWS: A discussion with Helen Pluckrose, co-author of “Grievance Studies” hoax article. Interesting, no ?

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

...a sucker is born everyday. Ain't it easy to run down the rabbit hole best suited to our prejudice...be it political, scientific, or whatever? Fake news indeed.

Thanks for the links.

The Milgram experiments are of interest to students of human nature too. I enjoyed the movie about him, Experimenter.

Thanks for dropping by!

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