caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

The next time anyone says, "Oh, but the math!" Yeah, about that math...

Quick math question: What's the difference between $81 million and $1 Billion?
Answer: the letters "o" and "u".

Those letters are all that saved the Bangladesh central bank, and by extension the New York Federal Reserve Bank, from ruin.

We are in the midst of a moment in American politics where change is possible; as the success of outsider candidates makes clear, a sizable body of the people want real, substantive, paradigm-shifting (perhaps even radical by American standards) change. Given the tenacity and success of establishment candidates, you can see that there are is also a sizable body of people who oppose change that comes in large increments as either unproductive or potentially disruptive.

In the Democratic race, the positions and policies of Sanders and Clinton have been dissected, compared and contrasted - but the key debate is about the kind of change we are to have.

The change debate is the transcendent issue of this contest. The contested issue is whether the American people can demand and have implemented by their "representatives" in government wholesale change, or if they must settle for minor incremental changes described as pragmatic and "progressive" (for people who like to get things done) - because the representatives must ask the permission of the 1% before proceeding.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features Louisiana blues singer Silas Hogan. Enjoy!

Being the knee-jerk liberal, unicorn loving, 4 Freedoms embroidering sort of Democrat that I am, when the story about Hillary and her server was broken over a year ago, I personally found it a disqualifier. I found the whole setup, used to ignore and subvert the concept of transparency, as well as the FOIA and legitimate Congressional oversight was repugnant.

Yes, that title is a direct quote from this BBC article online. It’s beyond frightening. The greenhouse gas needle is way past the red dial danger zone. And no one in the media during this election campaign is talking about it. Because, horse races are easier to cover, I guess.

That title is the one Lilly Wachowski wrote for her own coming out yesterday. Her sister Lana came out in 2012.

There's the headline I've been waiting for this past year. Up until now with dread and/or eye rolling exasperation. The "news" has almost come out a couple of times. Each was preceded by an ominous email from my agent—reporters have been asking for statements regarding the "Andy Wachowski gender transition" story they were about to publish. In response to this threatened public outing against my will, I had a prepared a statement that was one part piss, one part vinegar and 12 parts gasoline.

It had a lot of politically relevant insights regarding the dangers of outing trans people, and the statistical horrors of transgender suicide and murder rates. Not to mention a slightly sarcastic wrap-up that "revealed" my father had injected praying mantis blood into his paternal ball-sac before conceiving each of his children to produce a brood of super women, hellbent on female domination.

Okay, mega sarcastic.

But it didn't happen. The editors of these publications didn't print a story that was only salacious in substance and could possibly have a potentially fatal effect. And being the optimist that I am, I was happy to chalk it up to progress.

--Lilly Wachowski

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Saturday March 10, 1906
From the Montana News: Comrade Debs Speaks, Warns Plutocrats

From this week's edition of the Montana News:

Debs' Stirring Message.
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Calls Working Class to Prepare for Action
to Prevent Judicial Murder.
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What I have to say about the latest and boldest stroke of the plutocracy will require but little space. It is not talk that is wanted but action.

The issue is clear. There can be no mistake about it.

The labor leaders that cannot be bribed or bullied must be ambushed and murdered. That is the situation in a nutshell. How shall we meet it? In just one way. We have got to fight.

Another Haymarket attempt will precipitate a revolution.

If murder must be committed it is not the working class alone that will furnish the victims this time.

Moyer, Haywood and their colleagues are absolutely innocent. The writer knows them to the heart's core and will stake his all on them.

The only crime they are guilty of is that they are unswervingly true to the working class, and the working class can do no less than stand by them to the finish.

I hadn't heard of this before today but it certainly appears to be a major part of the Clinton debate strategy:

Sanders Campaign Says This Photo Proves Clinton Broke Rules During Univision Debate

The rules of the debate banned candidates from meeting with staff during breaks. When contacted by Henry, Clinton spokeswoman Jen Palmieri responded by saying she didn’t know the photo existed.