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Jethro Tull - A Christmas Song
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Rules for the revolution's TV broadcast
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2015
Rules for the revolution's TV broadcast
It was a good night for those of us who wanted to use the open mic night, at Kirby's. Other than that, my experience was horrifying. I put my own poem together on a short notice—less than 24 hours. There was not much time to spend practicing.
By SJ Otto
Read by me:
I plan to have a revolution and to explain the revolution I will organize a panel discussion as to the televised revolution we plan to have.
The revolution will not be televised. Nor will it be covered by the revolutionary newspapers. It will not be “as seen on the TV.”
There will be no reruns, no instant replays and no commercial interruptions.
Neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party will interrupt and or endorse any of our speakers for this night. The Pot Party can interrupt all they want.
Anyone who falls asleep or becomes unconscious will not be woken up, asked to speak, nor given 10 minutes to explain why they deserve more time to flounder nor will they be given a second chance at anything.
The Rev. Terry Fox will be given three minutes to speak and three minute only. That is to say he will not be allowed two minutes, which is one less than three, nor will he be allowed to go one minute over which would leave him with four minutes. Fox will speak on homosexual liberation. His speech is called “How I did it.”
Those who miss their opening address will have to ask the opossum for 10 minutes from his/her speaking engagement time. The opossum has not been instructed to give of his time. He has no reason to be given any extension of his speaking time.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau will be allowed to speak for 10 minutes but only if he can give the entire speech while drinking out of a pitcher of beer. If he can drink an entire fifth of vodka in five minutes he can speak as long as he wants. Ranzau’s speech will be called “How to keep your Children fresh while waiting for the undertaker.”
The opossum has no reason to be given extra time to open and expand on his position. He has no reason to explain to us his given-up time. He has no reason to give others his reason for giving up his time.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn will speak on the art of using Muslim aliases for committing crimes. He will demonstrate how to use mid-east clothes to cover and hide a machine gun. He will also discuss having sex with monkeys.
The opossum has no reason to give up to others his explanation as to why he has or has not been given the time that he now has. He is an agent and he is free to not give out any explanations as to how or why he is given or not given any time to not speak or to speak if he is not or if he is predisposed to do that. His time is his own.
Sedgwick County District Attorney, Marc Bennet will speak on the expansion of democracy and how to include more political parties in the electoral process. His speech will be called “Hey it’s only a few more years.”
The revolutionary panel will present the official revolutionary song, poem, t-shirt, manifesto, keychain and the super-secret handshake.
By the time the last poem rolled around I could hear crickets chirping. I could hear a few people snoring in their bar chairs. Luckily most of the audience was still awake.
As I left I heard the song "Teen Spirit," Zoe Bandana.
There were really good.
Before I left I read a poem by Hugo Ball, (22 Feb. 1886 to 14 Sept. 1927) a Dada artist from the turn of the century.;
The Dance of Death (Ball)
to the tune of “That’s how we live”
That’s how we die, that’s how we die,
We die every day.
Because it is so comfy to let go.
Mornings still in sleep and dream,
Noontime already there,
By evening at the bottom of a grave.
Slaughter is our house of joy.
Blood is our only sun.
Death is our sign, our magic word.
We leave both wife and child,
What have they to do with us?
If one relies
on us alone . . .
So we murder, so we kill.
We murder every day
our comrades in a dance of death.
Brother, figure it out with me –
brother, your breast,
brother you must fall and die.
We don’t murmur, we don’t growl,
We’re quiet every day.
Until the joint of the hip-bone turns.
Our camping ground is hard.
Our bread is dry.
Bloody and soiled our dear god.
We thank you, we thank you,
Dear Kaiser, for your grace
in deciding to lie down and die.
Just sleep, sleep soft and still.
Until you waken our poor body,
Now covered by the lawn.
to the tune of “That’s how we live”
That’s how we die, that’s how we die,
We die every day.
Because it is so comfy to let go.
Mornings still in sleep and dream,
Noontime already there,
By evening at the bottom of a grave.
Slaughter is our house of joy.
Blood is our only sun.
Death is our sign, our magic word.
We leave both wife and child,
What have they to do with us?
If one relies
on us alone . . .
So we murder, so we kill.
We murder every day
our comrades in a dance of death.
Brother, figure it out with me –
brother, your breast,
brother you must fall and die.
We don’t murmur, we don’t growl,
We’re quiet every day.
Until the joint of the hip-bone turns.
Our camping ground is hard.
Our bread is dry.
Bloody and soiled our dear god.
We thank you, we thank you,
Dear Kaiser, for your grace
in deciding to lie down and die.
Just sleep, sleep soft and still.
Until you waken our poor body,
Now covered by the lawn.
And there was a poem by him that I did NOT actually read.
Karawane
jolifanto bambla o falli bambla
großiga m'pfa habla horem
egiga goramen
higo bloiko russula huju
hollaka hollala
anlogo bung
blago bung blago bung
bosso fataka
ü üü ü
schampa wulla wussa olobo
hej tatta gorem
eschige zunbada
wulubu ssubudu uluwu ssubudu
tumba ba-umf
kusa gauma
ba - umf
jolifanto bambla o falli bambla
großiga m'pfa habla horem
egiga goramen
higo bloiko russula huju
hollaka hollala
anlogo bung
blago bung blago bung
bosso fataka
ü üü ü
schampa wulla wussa olobo
hej tatta gorem
eschige zunbada
wulubu ssubudu uluwu ssubudu
tumba ba-umf
kusa gauma
ba - umf
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What do the rest of the world think of USA's politics?
Most of this is pretty predictable. As many of my friends and I often wonder, "do people in other countries of the world think we are just f#$%ing nuts?!" And the answer seems to be yes. -SJ Otto
From Quora Digest;
I hope to write this and not offend anyone, though what I'm about to say might do. It's also worth pointing out that the sample size of this response is 1, not 65 million (maybe 2, I think my husband is with me on most of this).
- Donald Trump: we cannot understand how someone with such openly racist and pretty stupid views can be seen as a potential presidential contender. Our parallel version is probably Nigel Farage, who leads the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), whose sole aim is to get the UK out of the EU (which is somewhat undermined as he takes £££ in subsidy from the EU parliament but does not turn up to vote, and aligns himself with semi-fascists in the EU parliament). People vote for him primarily as a protest vote. We haven't had a say on EU membership for 50 years , which is why a protest vote is seductive, especially as the rules have changed substantially in that time. He garnered 12.6% of the vote in the last UK US
- Gun control: really, America
- Gay marriage: great. It was a moment of world wide solidarity and happiness when the Supreme Court made the decision. Our government made it too. The most touching version though was #hometovote: Irish abroad return to vote in gay marriage referendum Ireland
- Republicans/Democrats - Democrats look like our Tories, at least the nicer ones, Republicans don't really have a British version. Only about 5% of our electorate would take the Republicans seriously on everything they hold dear, far too right wing for the rest of the country - we're generally built on centrist and consensual politics. Our Labour party also looks like the Democrats which is why Blair did so well (and why Corbyn will fail). Our Liberal Democrat party looks like Bernie Sanders' cheerleaders. The Green Party look like Al Gore's cheerleaders. A multiparty system is much more common in Europe than a duality, and the UK
- Abortion - ceased to be an issue in Scotland , Wales and England Northern Ireland UK
God - as Tony Blair said, famously (then converted to Catholicism as soon as he'd stepped down, in an audience with the Pope) we don't do God. We might have the Church of England as our state religion with the Queen as its Head, and we might have Bishops in the House of Lords, but our version of Christianity is rooted in humanism and social justice, not the literal interpretation of the Bible (I am one of these Church of England types - we try and work out what that Samarian Jew with nice values might have done rather than take a literal interpretation of what was written, by men, some few hundred years after the fact with a grain of salt). This might make us crap Christians but it makes for more sensible law making in an essentially secular society with people from all faiths and a majority of people with none. I find the religious nature of the American public discourse quite disturbing. Doesn't this anger people from minority faiths? Love thy neighbour as thyself. We're probably less good at the adultery one. Though Clinton, Spitzer and Weiner might suggest you have the same problem.
I am a fan of the US
But your politics make no sense to me as a European and a British woman (who would like to retain ownership over her own body, thanks), I remain perplexed. I'dlove to hear your view of us, too.
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Jethro Tull - Ring Out Solstice Bells
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More badly needed federal funds sent back to Washington by our idiot governor Brownback
By SJ Otto
The Wichita Eagle has, once again, revealed that Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has now sent back grant money, $15 million, for a federally funded disabled employment program. The money was returned in August. Brownback snuck it back so no one could complain about it.
We can easily tell Brownback hates all federal money. He has sent back a lot of it. I can't help wondering how I would have felt if I came home one day, during my college years, and my parents told me the grant money I needed to go to the college of my choice had just been sent back. Reason? They just didn't believe in the federal government. So spending extra years trying to work my way through school would have been a noble gesture so that my family could prove their contempt for the federal government.
Of course I would have been furious if this had actually happened. That anger by the public for such disregard for the needs of Kansans is what is sorely needed in this state now. We have a governor who can't manage money enough to avoid a state deficit and this bone-head sends back federal grants. Some of the grants he has sent back include federal money for expanding Kansas Medicaid through Obamacare (Affordable Care Act).
In order to prove his conservative credentials he is willing to make other Kansans suffer. This doesn't seem to bother him at all. There is an effort to recall Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau for sending badly needed federal funding back. His motivation is strictly to punish the children of illegal aliens, along with legal aliens. His hatred for Hispanics is so strong he is willing to cost the taxpayer money in order to carry out his bigotry.
The amazing thing is that these politicians don't actually save the tax payer any money. They actually cost us money because we have already paid into the federal grants.
Maybe we should expand the recall election to getting rid of Brownback. I have recently seen some letters and comments to The Wichita Eagle Opinion Line (AKA; the Idiot Line);
"Richard Ranzau for president in 2016."Dec. 11
"Like it or not, County Commissioners Jim Howell, Richard Ranzau and Karl Peterjohn are doing what the voters elected them to do – cut spending."Dec. 13
It is obvious that the hateful bigots, that these commentators complimented, have some support in Kansas , but what we really want to see is if such bigots can vote in large enough numbers to defend these scoundrel's terms in office.
Pix by www.motherjones.com.
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John Lennon -"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
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Trump is the best thing the Republicans have to offer—and that’s not much
By SJ Otto
As a life-long Donald Trump hater I find myself cheering for him in the latest round of Republican Party debates. While the things he says are not what I really want to hear, he is telling it like it is and not sugar coating it.
The GOP is the home of the angry white guy. Am I supposed to believe that any of those other candidates are any less sensitive to the feelings of Muslims than Donald Trump? Am I supposed to believe that the other Republican candidates are any more sympathetic to the plight of illegal aliens than Trump? The answer is obvious. I really don’t think that keeping Muslims from coming into the country will actually happen even if Trump gets elected president. And for the same reasons I don’t really believe we will see a wall built along the Mexican borders- nor will all illegal aliens really be sent packing. But not because I don’t take Trump seriously, but because those ideas are so impractical they simply won’t get done.
“Donald, you’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. That’s not going to happen,” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said at the debate last night, provoking loud cheers from the audience. This quote was from Yahoo Politics. Trump, the current frontrunner, has repeatedly attacked Bush, taunting him as “low energy.” Bush fired back on stage at the Venetian casino describing Trump as an unserious “chaos candidate.”
A lot of mainstream journalists, pundits and the political machine of the Republican Party have tried to paint Trump as an “unserious” candidate. But the American public seems to take Trump very seriously. While the rest of the candidates condemned Trump’s anti-Muslim comments, hispoll numbers went up. This morning a commentator on one of the news channels said Republicans may have to accept the idea that Trump may actually win the nomination.
“Donald, you’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. That’s not going to happen,” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said at the debate last night, provoking loud cheers from the audience. This quote was from Yahoo Politics. Trump, the current frontrunner, has repeatedly attacked Bush, taunting him as “low energy.” Bush fired back on stage at the Venetian casino describing Trump as an unserious “chaos candidate.”
A lot of mainstream journalists, pundits and the political machine of the Republican Party have tried to paint Trump as an “unserious” candidate. But the American public seems to take Trump very seriously. While the rest of the candidates condemned Trump’s anti-Muslim comments, hispoll numbers went up. This morning a commentator on one of the news channels said Republicans may have to accept the idea that Trump may actually win the nomination.
And how seriously should we take the other candidates? The Republicans have had a steady diet of Tea Party candidates entrenching themselves throughout the party. They have moved the party to the far-far-far-far right. Last night a Facebook friend commented that the candidates seemed to focus on hate, war mongering, alienation, and xenophobia. However she was reminded that the debate format was mainly foreign affairs. All this week journalist have been reporting that Ted Cruz has moved up in the polls. He is just another far-far-far-far right Republican. For those of us on the left of the far-far-far-far right agenda the guy is a real slime ball. He’s slick, he’s polished and he is likely even more right-wing than Trump.
For those of us on the left, the best thing about Trump is that he is not as bad as the other candidates. If we have to have a Republican in the White house he is the least destructive looking candidate. He also has a kind of populace streak in him that is attracting might-be voters. That should be a major slogan of the Republican candidates; “It could be worse.” But for many of us it is hard to imagine how.
One thing many of us saw last night was the typical war mongering we usually hear from Republicans. A typical and predictable comment by Bush was; “We need to increase our military spending. We need to deal with the no-fly zone in Syria, a safe zone, we need to focus on building a military that is second to none, so that we can destroy Islamic terrorism.”
All of this is the opposite of what we really need or want, which is a disengagement from the Middle-east wars. They are a continuation of our policies of imperialism and that is one policy we need to end.
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The campaign to remove Commissioner Ranzau will fight on despite biased DA
Once again we see cronyism from our District Attorney Marc Bennett, who has shown us that he will defend any Republican in office, by blocking the recall effort towards Sedgwick Commissioner Richard Ranzau. He is part of the Republican machine here in Sedgwick County. However the recall effort will fight on.–SJ Otto
This is from the Recall Ranzau organization:
On December 14, 2015, the office of District Attorney Marc Bennett (R) unlawfully blocked our second Petition to Recall Commissioner Richard Ranzau (R) for failing to perform his duties prescribed by law, shielding Commissioner Ranzau from any accountability to the citizens he was elected to serve. This decision only protects Commissioner Ranzau temporarily from the 12,000 + voters in the 4th District who have grounds to ask for his removal from office. Our Recall Petition was properly and lawfully grounded on Commissioner Ranzau’s publicly stated ideologies disavowing provisions of our State Constitution; his refusal to contract for the protection and promotion of the public health and welfare pursuant to his statutory obligations as a member of Sedgwick County’s public health board; and his refusal to provide for county inhabitants who by reason of age, infirmity or other misfortune, may have claims upon the aid of society.
The Recall Electors had hoped for a fair, unbiased and legally competent opinion from the office of the District Attorney. However, instead of an impartial and objective ruling, Mr. Bennett issued an opinion which reads more like it was written by Mr. Ranzau’s personal defense attorney. We believe the DA's office has played a highly questionable and improper role in these proceedings from the beginning. It is now clear from both opinions that Mr. Bennett believes his role is to act as judge, jury and defense counsel for Mr. Ranzau.
In addition to engaging in improper fact finding that Commissioner Ranzau had not in fact disavowed the State Constitution with his public statements, the DA's office, with the stroke of a pen, unlawfully and in violation of the State’s Constitution, negated the individual responsibility of Commissioner Ranzau and each Commissioner to uphold the health and welfare of the county's children, the poor, and the sick, effectively granting each Commissioner immunity from the possibility of a recall for failing to perform duties prescribed by law. It is DA Marc Bennett’s, incredulous opinion that Richard Ranzau, as our County Commissioner, owes no individual duty to provide for "needy residents" within the county, or act as a board of health.
Of course, the #RecallRanzau Committee will not allow the DA’s partisan, prejudicial, and legally unsound opinions to go unchallenged. We intend to pursue this matter to the Kansas Supreme Court to see that voters in Sedgwick County's 4th District enjoy their fundamental right to a recall ballot against Commissioner Ranzau. It makes no sense to file a 3rd petition because as the gatekeeper, DA Bennett is likely to block future petitions to remove Ranzau, and will apparently go to even more absurd lengths to find reasons why a recall against a sitting commissioner is legally insufficient. Taking this case to the Supreme Court instead will ensure that voters in every county who prefer not to remain silent, complacent and afraid have the unfettered right to recall elected county commissioners in the future for failing to perform their duties.
This Committee reaffirms its commitment to Sedgwick County’s working poor, needy and it’s most vulnerable inhabitants. Sedgwick County deserves better than Commissioner Richard Ranzau. It is outrageous that District Attorney Marc Bennett would shield Commissioner Ranzau from the voters in the 4th District who have legal grounds to ask for the opportunity to remove him from office. And it is a travesty that this Recall is being blocked, not because Ranzau has done nothing wrong, but because our DA believes he individually owes no duty to the citizens of Sedgwick County!
We Will Focus. We Will Finish. We Will Not Quit.
#RecallRanzau Lives On!
Committee To Recall Ranzau, Inc.
Sandrine Lisk
Esau Freeman
Scott Poor
Neva Thiessen, Recall Elector
Mary Dean
Mary Ware
Shirley Benton Kelley, Recall Elector
Tom James, Recall Elector
Lyle “Chip” English
Wendell Turner
Lisa Vayda
Billie Knighton
Melody Miller
P.S. Please Like & Follow our Facebook page for updates on the imminent Supreme Court case and future committee events.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RecallRanzau/
Pix from www.kake.com.
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Bernie Sanders has a bold new Climate plan
From Bill McKibben:
Last night's (actually longer ago than that) Democratic debate was a disappointment for anyone who cares about the future of our planet. After an historic climate summit in Paris
It's too bad, because Bernie’s new climate plan is the kind of deep, powerful plan we really need. I hope that you’ll sign on to support it.
It gets us started fast — 40% reductions in carbon emissions by 2030 would put the country and the world on a new pathway.
Bernie’s plan would create ten million jobs — and make sure that they’re shared with those communities that usually get left out of our economic booms.
But here’s what’s really important: Bernie’s climate plan comes with unique credibility. Because he’s worked hard for change when it wasn’t popular or easy. I know this because he’s a fellow Vermonter who I’ve watched for decades. And I know it in my bones because, in the early days of the fight against the Keystone Pipeline, he was almost the only person on Capitol Hill who signed on to help with the fight. He was dogged, and sometimes he was grumpy, and he never let up.
That’s the spirit we’re going to need going forward. As the revelations of the last few weeks have made clear, the biggest and richest of the oil companies, Exxon, knew everything there was to know about climate change decades ago, and yet helped spread the disinformation and deceit that have held back progress for a quarter-century.
To stand up to that kind of power requires backbone and passionate commitment. And it requires a leader who can mobilize a movement.
When we talk about alternative energy, there’s solar, and there’s wind. And there’s Bernie Sanders.
In solidarity,
Bill McKibben
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The 12 pains of Christmas
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Jamie Lee Curtis campaigns for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people
I just received this message from Jamie Lee Curtis, as part of a human rights campaign. -SJ Otto
From Jamie Lee Curtis:
I know a thing or two about on-screen horror. From Halloween to Scream Queens, I've been in some truly scary situations.
But, you know what really horrifies me?
The very real discrimination and even violence occurring every single day to LGBT people. In our country, and around the world, everyone should be treated equally, and be protected from discrimination.
I was shocked at the setback in Houston
That's why I've renewed my HRC membership for 2016 (see my picture – I already got my membership card!). And, I urge you to join me – give to HRC today.
Supporting the Human Rights Campaign is one of the best ways I know to support LGBT rights. HRC has a track record of success and is poised to achieve more victories in 2016. I am proud to be a card-carrying HRC member!
So, if you're like me – horrified that LGBT people are denied their most basic rights – then do something about it. Make a gift to HRC today – help us reach HRC's year-end goal, and feel good that you're playing your part in this critical fight.
Together, we're poised to change more hearts and minds in 2016. Always remember – your membership matters!
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The Donnas - Christmas Wrapping
Who says you can't have music for the sake of music. This is a song that has little to really say but I like it anyway. -SJ Otto
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What is it like to do business with Donald Trump?
From Quora Digest:
Max Kraft, Investor, real estate entrepreneur, former hedge fund analyst, idealist
During a college internship interview I was asked by a Credit Suisse real estate investment banker who my heroes in real estate were. I said Donald Trump.
He said Donald Trump is an awful person to look up to in business. In an earlier part of his career Donald took exceptional risks on real estate developments and acquisitions. Credit Suisse was a lender on at least one of those deals and this banker had business dealings with Donald Trump. When the deals went bad he said Donald took every opportunity to screw over lenders, contractors, and everyone involved by dragging out the process in bankruptcy court and bleeding the properties. This banker told me Donald is always willing to say and do anything imaginable to maximize his personal benefit without regard for ethics or anything else.
Steve Perry, Reading
I have a good friend who was a VP of development with the Ramada hotel corporation who had negotiations with him in the early 90s. He said that he was blustery, loud and pretentious, basically insufferable, he would negotiate like a bully over a lot of trivial issues, he would rage and pout and that in the end he and others would just roll over on some of those issues simply because they couldn't stand dealing with him. I get the impression that he was someone who they tolerated as best that they could, and someone they preferred not to do business with.
Ivanka Trump interviewed me and hired me to work for Trump Org last year. My work was there was only 8 months, and it was project-based and not in New York
Donald Trump was very much "hands-on" during the construction process. He relied on Ivanka for interior design and delegated that to her about like any exec would delegate to a trusted department head - almost completely but with touch points at critical points.
As far as construction, he left that to us, as we were on schedule with our part, and concentrated entirely on the golf experience (which was his passion on this project). Also, he had greatly expanded the scope of part of the project (the Clubhouse) and spent a lot of his on-site time on that. I have personal knowledge that he paid all his bills, though for sure he negotiated And did not pay carte blanche. I know the construction execs for the company that went out of scope, at risk, and they got paid and are still working for the Trump Org. I dwell on this only because another Quoran reports that Trump behaves dIfferently In business.
He was the visionary for the project and strong about his vision, but I witnessed several instances, some of which were no small matters, where he listened to advice from others and changed his direction.
As to hotel operations, he left that almost completely to others, whom he trusted. I never saw anyone "fired", and certainly not by him. More on that below.
People who worked with him for a long time adored him and many had good storlies about him. He's very loyal to people on his team. He's busy all the time and all the information about not drinking is absolutely true. He's a fan of regular working people and came to the employee cantina to thank everyone. He regularly took time to talk one-on-one with staff, especially if he recognized them from previous visits.
Trump is not a blue blood and had detractors among the Palm Beach and Manhattan
The five-star hotel business is run by people who have been around these blue bloods and make their careers managing the hospitality needs of these types. (The rest of us are just there to make RevPAR). Meaning that there are people who know for sure that they know more about managing a five star resort than Trump does. The caricature of Trump would have him firing such people in a board room. But that isn't what happened. Trump worked with him and his team and made changes to support the expert. All was done quietly and professionally behind the scenes.
Pix from jezebel.com.
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Hahahahaha! Scott Walker Has Some More Problems
From the Daily Kos;
As bad as it is to make the GQ List of The Worst People of 2015 with a listing of #13 (i.e. considered worse than Roger Goodell of the NFL, The Confederate Flag, Roger Ailes, Rahm Emanuel, 2 celebrity wife beaters, and pharmaceutical price gouger Martin Shkreli), more bad news is creeping towards Scott Walker.
Despite massive spending by dark money groups, multiple lawsuits at every level in the land (even suing the individual prosecutors and the Government Accountability Board), a corrupt State Supreme Court decision by Justices who were elected to their seats by the same dark money groups being investigated, and media poodles pounding out Walker propaganda, John Doe just won’t die from the plethora of fatal wounds heaped upon it. They keep killing it in every way possible, but it’s still slightly alive.
For the rest click here.
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Congressman Pompeo incites military to defy President Obama
By SJ Otto
It is not surprising to hear that Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) has encouraged the US Joint Chiefs of Staff to deliberately defy President Barack Obama's policy to shut down the Guantanamo Bay
Pompeo is probably the most pro-military, pro-imperialist pro-war congress person ever elected to represent the people of the fourth district of Kansas. If a Democrat had made such a suggestion he would be accused of treason, but Pompeo is a Republican and they seem to be treated as "above the law" here in Kansas
In a letter to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US
“As the urgency of the threat presented by Islamic extremism grows, we cannot afford to have the commander-in-chief issue executive orders in direct contravention of laws that he enacted,” Pompeo said in a statement. “I encourage the Joint Chiefs of Staff carry out an exhaustive legal review before implementing any executive order transferring these dangerous terrorists to the United States.
Pompeo is using the same fear tactics employed by the former President George W. Bush when he instituted the Guantanamo Bay US invasion. Bus stripped them of any rights normally regarded to prisoners of war, insisting these were dangerous criminals and terrorists (a term that is in reality a propaganda label). He also stripped them of any human rights or dignity. He treated them more like rabid animals than human beings. This camp was an embarrassing blight on America and many progressive people and human rights activists wanted it closed down.
Even serial killers in the US are given trials and lawyers. Even the worst Nazi prisoners of World War II were treated as prisoners of war and given trials. Bush was trying to dehumanize anyone who got in his way of "nation building," which was a fancy way of saying this country had the right to conquer other countries and create puppet governments designed to serve US political, economical and military interests. This was blatant imperialism and the creation of colonies in both Iraq and Afghanistan . In a 2005 Amnesty International report, the facility was called the "Gulag of our times."
When President Barack Obama was elected, he vowed to close Guantanamo Bay Kansas , have blocked sending these prisoners to a regular prison. Kansas has several such prisons, such as Lansing Correctional Facility. There is no reason these people would pose any safety issues in a regular US prison. Progressives and activists have demanded that Guantanamo be closed down, but those demands have been ignored.
These prisoners should either be released or put in a regular prison so Guantanamo Bay
Pompeo is a jingoistic war monger and he has set himself up as an accomplice to war crimes. Guantanamo Bay
This also highlights the policy of US imperialism, the idea that the US has a divine right to intervene in other country's affairs to make sure resources, such as oil, are readily available to the US , in spite of what ever needs the local people in the Middle-east have. It means that the US has a right to decide what kinds of governments people in other parts of the world can have, not what the local people want. It means blatant military domination of other countries and the theft of resources.
This is a policy we really need to oppose. Pompeo is a traitor to US
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Supreme Court Justice Scalia blurs the separation of church and state
by SJ Otto
Once again we see that separation of church and state, a policy and an amendment to the constitution of the US, is not taken seriously by those who have been appointed to uphold such beliefs.
US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is reported, by AP , as saying to an audience at Archbishop Rummel High School, that there is "no place" in the country's constitutional traditions for the idea that the state must be neutral between religion and its absence.
US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is reported, by AP , as saying to an audience at Archbishop Rummel High School, that there is "no place" in the country's constitutional traditions for the idea that the state must be neutral between religion and its absence.
AP quoted him as saying:
"To tell you the truth there is no place for that in our constitutional tradition. Where did that come from? To be sure, you can't favor one denomination over another but can't favor religion over non-religion?"
The AP also quoted him as saying:
"God has been very good to us. That we won the revolution was extraordinary. The Battle of Midway was extraordinary. I think one of the reasons God has been good to us is that we have done him honor.Unlike the other countries of the world that do not even invoke his name we do him honor"
What he does not say is that this country can attribute some of its success to the policy of imperialism where the US takes resources from other countries, at the expense of people in other lands. We come out ahead and they lose. They don't lose because god doesn't like them. Nor is it reasonable to belief that god allows us to kill so many innocent people, during our many wars, simply because we honor God.
Scalia is one of the highest authorities in this country so it is disturbing he would treat the constitution so frivolously. And he is not alone. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has made statements against letting Muslims into the US and his words have backfired against him. He has actually been quoted on a Muslim-jihadist fundamentalist recruiting site, from the Middle-east, that claims he is proof the US is anti-Muslim.
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This is what oligarchy looks like- Bernie Sanders Campaign
From the Bernie Sanders Campaign:
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
“I like to give on a scale where I can see impact...” - David Koch
Earlier this year, a number of Republicans flew to California to make fundraising pitches to more than four hundred wealthy conservative donors attending a private conference hosted by the Koch brothers.
It’s worth taking a moment to ask the question, who are the Koch brothers, and what do they want?
The Koch brothers are the second-wealthiest family in America worth $82 billion. For the Koch brothers, $82 billion in wealth apparently is not good enough. Owning the second-largest private company in America is apparently not good enough. It doesn’t appear that they will be satisfied until they are able to control the entire political process.
This issue isn't personal for me. I don't know the Koch brothers, but I do know this. They have advocated for destroying the federal programs that are critical to the financial and personal health of middle class Americans.
Now, most Americans know that the Koch brothers are the primary source of funding for the Tea Party, and that’s fine. They know that they favor the outright repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and that’s their opinion. It’s wrong, but that’s fine as well.
But it is not widely known that David Koch once ran for Vice President of the United States of America on the Libertarian Party ticket because he believed Ronald Reagan was much too liberal. And he ran on a platform that included the following:
· “We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt and increasingly oppressive Social Security system.”
· “We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
· “We support repeal of all laws which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws…”
· “We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.”
In 1980, David Koch’s presidential ticket received one percent of the vote from the American people. And rightly so. His views were so extreme they were rejected completely out of hand by the American people.
But fast forward almost thirty-six years, and one of the most significant realities of modern politics is just how successful David Koch and the like-minded billionaires attending his retreat have been at moving the Republican Party to the extreme right. The ideas above that were dismissed as downright crazy in 1980 are now part of today’s mainstream Republican thinking.
The Koch brothers, and billionaires like them, have bought up the private sector and now they’re buying up the government. It’s up to us to put a stop to them, but it will require all of us standing together with one voice on this issue.
Here’s the truth: The economic and political systems of this country are stacked against ordinary Americans. The rich get richer and use their wealth to buy elections, and I believe that we cannot change this corrupt system by taking its money. If we’re serious about creating jobs, health care for all, climate change, and the needs of our children and the elderly, we must be serious about campaign finance reform.
So far in this election, less than four hundred families have contributed the majority of all the money raised by all the candidates and super PACs combined. According to media reports, one family will spend more money in this election than either the Democratic or Republican Parties.
This is not democracy. This is oligarchy.
Our job is not to think small in this moment. The current system of campaign finance in this country is utterly corrupt. That is one of the reasons I am so proud of how we have funded our campaign — over 2.5 million contributions from working Americans giving less than $30 at a time. But our campaign is unique.
We must pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and I will not nominate any justice to the Supreme Court who does not make it abundantly clear that she or he will overturn that decision. We need legislation that requires wealthy individuals and corporations who make large campaign contributions to disclose where their money is going. And more importantly, I believe we need to move towards the public funding of elections.
Our vision for American democracy should be a nation in which all people, regardless of their income, can participate in the political process, can run for office without begging for contributions from the wealthy and the powerful.
Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be in New York City to deliver a major speech about our need to create a financial system that works for all Americans, not just the few. I’ll be in touch shortly after. I hope that you’ll keep an eye on your inbox for my message.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
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Nothing to admire about militias that took over Malheur in Oregon
By SJ Otto
There is nothing positive about a group of right-wing militia men taking over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge facility, in Oregon. These groups have two main issues; one that they want the wild life refuge land turned over to them for their own private use and they are upset about two ranchers, accused of arson, who have been sent back to jail for another three years.
The issue of the Father and son ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond, seems to be their only real issue. It is questionable that these two should spend more time in jail than they already have.
According to CNNthe two said they started a fire in 2001 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and to protect their property from wildfires, CNN affiliate KTVZ-TV reported, but that the fire got out of hand. Prosecutors said they set fires to cover up poaching.
The Militia people already believe they are above the law. Rancher Cliven Bundy –was involved in a standoff with the government over grazing rights in Nevada in 2014. Bundy owned money for grazing rights. He refused to pay and he refused to take his cattle off the government land. The government backed down and did nothing. That may have encouraged the rebellion today. These people found they can intimidate the government with their arms.
These militia people already talk of the Federal Government as a kind of occupying force that they don’t believe in. That has been the cry of the far-right Tea Party, which has been coopted into the Republican Party. They only seem to believe in local and state government.
Many have also stated that guns are not just for hunting and self-defense.
They are also for “standing up to tyranny,” which seems to mean branches of the US government that they don’t approve of.[i]
Many of the militia are racist and oppose the religious rights of others. Ammon Bundy is a leader of the group and his father Clive Bundy made racist remarks indicating that black people would be better off as slaves picking cotton rather than being on welfare.
As seen on a CNNvideo he said;
"They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton.
"And I've often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn't get no more freedom. They got less freedom."
Another of these militia men, according to CNN, is Jon Ritzheimer, is an avowed anti-Islamist and former Marine who served in Iraq. In 2014 he organized a protest outside a Phoenix Islamic community center during which he wore a T-shirt that said, "F--- Islam." He said his goal was to provoke.
There is also the perception by many that these people are being coddled and treated with kid gloves while the Black Lives Matter movement has been penalized for far less than what's happening at the wildlife refuge. If these were Muslims or black, the law enforcement response would be different, others argued.
We have to wonder why these people think they deserve free land? If they do, what about the rest of us? Do we all deserve free land from the federal government? And what about the wild life there? Shouldn’t we demand that our wild life heritage be defended? The militias want to open logging in this area. That would destroy what is left of our country’s tallest and oldest trees. Without defending these trees, they may become extinct.
For the most part this is a right-wing insurrection. The federal government is afraid of them and they may even sympathize with these people. The federal government may end up just abandoning these lands and their commitment to wild life preservation. That is not what we want or deserve.
[i] See Awr Hawkins:
"It isn’t about hunting — never has been, never will be. The 2nd Amendment wasn’t given to us to protect our right to duck or deer hunt but to defend our lives and our property and to repel tyranny, period.”
"It isn’t about hunting — never has been, never will be. The 2nd Amendment wasn’t given to us to protect our right to duck or deer hunt but to defend our lives and our property and to repel tyranny, period.”
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Representative Bradford under attack for tasteless-racist cartoon
I received the following letter from Melody McCray-Miller
-SJ Otto
Dear Friend,
We need you to take action.
Representative John Bradford, R-Lansing, posted a derogatory picture on Facebook that depicted a mustachioed man in a sombrero and a deformed image of President Obama. The image is accompanied with a message that mocks a stereotypical Mexican accent.
I am appalled and offended by the disrespect that Representative Bradford has shown not only to the President, but also to the African American and Hispanic community.
This type of ignorance makes me question whether Representative Bradford truly has the best interest of all Kansans. Kansans should not have to tolerate this type of bigoted mentality from anyone, especially an elected official.
This type of ignorance makes me question whether Representative Bradford truly has the best interest of all Kansans. Kansans should not have to tolerate this type of bigoted mentality from anyone, especially an elected official.
That is why we started a petition to REMOVE John Bradford from office. Click the button below to stand up to Bradford and call for his resignation.
or Click Here.Sincerely,
Melody McCray-Miller
Vice-Chair
Kansas
Vice-Chair
From CJonline.com:
Rep. John Bradford's post to Facebook evokes criticism
State education board member says comment by House Republican reflects 'racism'
Posted: January 7, 2016 - 12:51pm
timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com
A Topeka
Board member Carolyn Campbell, a Democrat, said the commentary on Facebook by Rep. John Bradford, R-Lansing, reflected “mistreatment and racism” that she was regularly subjected to in the 1950s. She said Bradford’s post indicated Kansas
“Representative Bradford’s actions make it very clear that we are far from reaching Dr. King’s dream of equality,” said Campbell, who is African-American. “I’m saddened and appalled that this is an individual who is making decisions that impact our children’s education system.”
For the rest click here.
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US sends Wichita soldiers to defend the hypocrite cowards of Kuwait
By SJ Otto
An article in The Wichita Eagle, Sunday, tells about a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program for local military personnel to prepare them for deployment, soon, in Kuwait . According to the article:
"During the Yellow Ribbon training, soldiers and their families attended sessions on addressing stress, financial planning and media relations.
Yellow Ribbon, which is mandatory before deployment, also provides a place for soldiers to sign up for Army Reserve benefits.
“The whole point of this program is to let (soldiers) know that you’re making a sacrifice but you have all these benefits here, even something as small as a storage space to store your car over deployment,” said 1st Lt. Sara Mathewson, one of the organizers of the Yellow Ribbon program.
“People come and they think they have these big, scary things they’re dealing with alone. (Yellow Ribbon) gets people to feel like they’re not alone. It gives them tools to deal with certain things, and makes them aware that other people have the same fears.”
What this article doesn't say is that their deployment is to fight and "sacrifice" for a feudal kingdom that has almost non of the freedoms that supposedly exist in this country. They may believe they are fighting for their own country's freedoms, but they are not fighting for the freedoms of the Kuwaitis
because most of those people don't have many rights.
because most of those people don't have many rights.
According to Human Rights Watch, Kuwait;
"Both free speech and political dissent are stifled in Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait
So why are people from Wichita , KS being asked to go defend Kuwait and its tyrant leaders? During the occupation of that country by Iraq, in 1990, the emir of Kuwait , his family, and other government leaders fled to Saudi Arabia . At home many Kuwait citizens took part in trying to run out the Iraqis. They fought for their country. Many of the country's citizens, including women, took risks and made sacrifices for their home land. Once the Kuwait Royal family got back into power, they kept all rights and privileges for themselves. The women who sacrifices for their country got NOTHING for all their efforts. No political rights were granted anyone. The Royal Family simply took back all the power and money they had and kept it all to themselves. They were cowards who had left the country and hid out during the occupation. They Took no action to defend their land, which was done by the common citizens and the US , but they got all the benefits that came from winning that war.
It is an outright embarrassment that US (Kansas ) soldiers are sent to defend this hypocrite regime. This regime serves US foreign policy in its hegemony of that part of the Middle-east. That is the main reason that the US supports such a government. Such support needs to stop.
Pix by www.arabianbusiness.com.
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