The Crimethinc Kollektif

CHECK OUT THIS SONG!

2011-10-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

It's called "Warning the Rich Man", by an artist who goes by the moniker David Acoustic. It really captures the spirit of what is going on in this country right now.

Republicans Hate Democracy

2011-09-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

Here is an article, written by an 18 year Republican veteran of the DC scene.

Voting

2011-09-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

I read a news story about a billboard appearing in Washington state that asks the question: "Should people collecting entitlements be allowed to vote."
This kind of right-wing bullshit really pisses me off. Really, what this question is asking is " Should people taking advantage of their rights as American citizens be allowed to vote if I feel they will vote against my political ideology?" My return question is: "Should people who want to stop their fellow American citizens from voting be allowed to vote?" I will even go so far as to ask: "Should those who seek to keep their fellow Americans from an opposing political ideology from voting even be allowed citizenship?"

Whether you right-wing shitbags like it or not, the Constitution guarantees equal rights to ALL American citizens and it defines American citizens as 1) Those who are born within the borders of the United States, regardless of whether their parents are citizens. 2) Those who pass the qualifications of naturalization and are granted citizenship.

If you don't like it, too fucking bad for you. Perhaps AMERICANS should decide whether you intolerant assholes should even be allowed to continue to live in this country where freedom and equality are guaranteed.

American Politics - Fucking Retarded.

2011-09-12T14:08:00.003-04:00

I live in upstate NY. Being somewhat of an activist and seeing how there are elections this year, I've been paying some attention to the political scene and I've come to the conclusion that Americans - at least in this part of the country - are completely fucking retarded. Here is why.

I see an ad in the local paper paid for by the Sheriff's Employee Association of Rensselaer County (SEARCO). They are supporting Gary Gordon, who the ad describes as the ONLY REGISTERED CONSERVATIVE. Now, am I mistaken or aren't unions perceived as the "enemy" by conservatives? To make it better, this same man is also running on the Democrats and the Working Family tickets - two parties which are generally labelled as "liberal". HOW THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN? So apparently, "Democrat", "liberal", "conservative" all have no meaning any more. Or is it that a bunch of people who are really republican or conservative at heart simply signed up as Democrats to skew the vote?

I have to wonder and be concerned now because recently some members of the Democrat party were involved in a scandal wherein they allegedly forged the signatures of voters. Now I have to wonder if they were really Democrats or simply more of these Republicans registered as democrats to commit mayhem and cast doubt and suspicion on honest Democrats?

A further example, I saw a sign in the window of what had been an empty storefront proclaiming "Democrats for Mantello". Carmella Mantello is the REPUBLICAN nominee. So why would Democrats try to get her elected? Especially since there is a Democrat also running for office? Meanwhile, a local man, Jack Knox, is running independently of both parties and was accused by the Republican party of forging signatures on his petition to run as mayor. The local court dismissed the charges as "unfounded". Apparently, dishonesty and corruption isn't the monopoly of elected officials. It is rampant among the rank-and-file as well. If we can't be honest as voters, how dare we hold our elected officials up to a higher standard than we hold ourselves? This country has become rotten and corrupt right to it's core.

Something to think about...

2011-08-30T18:20:00.000-04:00

I've been watching a bunch of historical documentaries lately on Netflix. Here are a couple of interesting facts I ran across that I thought I would share.

Up until the latter half of the nineteenth century, the age of consent in the United States was 10 years old - except in Deleware where it was 7. Were our founding fathers pedophiles?
Up until the tail end of the nineteenth century, in the US and Britain, women found "suffering" from nymphomania could be forced to undergo a clitorectomy. What constituted nymphomania? Well, if a woman (or girl) were caught masturbating. If a woman desired sex after menopause. If a woman were "promiscuous" or engaged in pre-marital sex. Yes, until only about a century ago, the United States was every bit as barbaric as we like to claim Muslims are now.

Marriage was NOT considered a "sacred sacrement" by the Catholic church until about halfway through the 16th century. (In fact, the church frowned upon marriage - or anything that might get people to think about sex.) Until that point is was more or less a ritualized formality of father granting ownership of the daughter to her new husband. Yes, women were considered nothing but property by Europeans. We can thank Eleanor of Aquitaine for the change of heart.

The "Band of Thebes", the soldiers tasked with the defense of the city of Thebes in ancient Greece, were all homosexuals. In fact, not only did you have to be gay to join, you had to bring your lover with you. They were considered one of the most formidable fighting units of their time.

Homophobia in the Empire State.

2011-07-26T13:38:00.001-04:00

I see a lot of homophobia coming to the forefront now that Governor Cuomo has legalized same sex marriage in New York state (and good for him, I say). I notice a large number of people quoting from their "bible", especially from Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Let's take a look at some other quotes from that same book, shall we?
How about Leviticus 20:9: "For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9) So according to the bible, anyone who "curses" their parents should receive the death penalty.

Here's another: Leviticus 25:44-45 states:
"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45) So your holy book also condones slavery.

How about Leviticus 19:27, where it says: "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)
So I guess all barbershops better hang up their "Out of Business" signs now or suffer protests for unchristian behavior.

Let's talk diet. I'm sure all of you good christians are familiar with Leviticus 11:7 "...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." Bye-bye Dinosaur BBQ, et. al. You are unchristian restaurants and must cease and desist operation.

Red Lobster anyone? Well, not after reading Leviticus 11:10 which definitively informs us that "But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." So eating shrimp or lobster is just as bad as gay sex.

How do you like wearing those nice silk/linen blends? You are an infidel, because the bible clearly commands in Leviticus 19:19: "...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothes woven of two kinds of material."

Something for you zealots to contemplate. Maybe the lot of you should spend more time reading your entire bible, not just the parts that justify your hatred and intolerance.

S M I I L E

2011-03-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

What is "S M I I L E"?

Space Migration, Intelligence Increase, Life Extension

This is the direction the human race needs to be taking. Not the path of continual exploitation, warfare and misery.

Space Migration: This planet is small and the more humans born, the smaller it gets. We are rapidly reaching a point where the planet will be unable to sustain the number of human beings being born. The answer lies out there. The universe is H U G E. Granted, we can barely make it to the moon at this point, but that's because our leaders would much rather waste money developing newer and more efficient ways to slaughter mass numbers of human beings. Well, besides shoveling it into the bank accounts of their selves, their families, their political and economic peers, etc.

The current war in Afghanistan isn't about terrorism at all. It is about a large amount of rare earth minerals found there. The war in Iraq was all about oil. Don't believe me? Google "New American Century" and find the document authored by Dick Cheney, et. al. back in 1997 where he outlined the need for the US government to gain control of Iraq's oil reserves to maintain American hegemony.

The point is, there is an untold amount of mineral wealth floating around in the solar system. There are other planets which could be utilized. If we don't push towards the necessary technology now, while we still can, we will be doomed to remain on this one planet until we destroy ourselves, or the sun dies.

Intelligence Increase: That is exactly as it sounds. We need to work towards increasing our overall intelligence. The human race is plagued with complex problems which will require complex solutions. Poverty. Hunger. Disease. Just to name a few. These problems have not sorted themselves out by ignoring them. We need to approach them from a logical perspective, which requires intelligence. If we are to learn to get along, to see each other as human beings regardless of which borders we live within; if we are to survive and thrive as a species; if we are to ever have a chance to leave this cradle we call earth, we must become more intelligent.

The human race can no longer continue to live in denial. In ignorance. In superstition and darkness. We have the ability to choose to do what is right, what is reasonable. We have the ability to control our baser instincts - fear, mistrust, hate. Do we have the will power and self control?

Life Extension: Again, this is a no brainer. No one wants to die, yet we all must. Why is that? Our cells reproduce and cause us to grow from child to adult. Why do they suddenly decide it's time to stop? If we put as much effort into curing as we do killing, there is no telling how many diseases would have been cured by now. The number one problem is ignorance. As long as the people are coddled into believing in an eternal life after death, they will not be motivated towards a program of life extension (which would also necessitate a new understanding of controlled population growth.

We will never be able to achieve immortality - even the universe must end - but there is no reason we can't be counting our lives in centuries, rather than decades.

Random, in tandem with Erisian eroticism

2011-03-08T11:32:00.001-05:00

Tangental transcendentalism misappropriates consciousness
While evil men with good intentions permeate the nation
With the scent of rotten tweed and sweaty leather

Slick whips lick sticky trails on parted thighs

Tastebuds tingle with the flavor of
Violence, sex, and violent sex
The sounds of despair, woven in tight harmonies of shadow,
Beat a staccato rhythm, syncopated by the drone
Of existential absurdities

Decadence, rose clenched tightly between her white teeth
Trips the light fantastic with Frustration in a tangled tango
'Til they're lying in a heap | anger steeps the night in arousal
As words flow in a stream of conscious profanity

STOP!
Beware, for parchment covers these bared bones

Disaffected, Disconnected,
Infected with inflections of desire
So deeply mired they have become instinctive,
Intrinsic in the brain
Like a viral neurosis
Commanding these plebes with spastic authority
Until we become jerking puppets

What turns you on?

What makes you quiver?

What is that deepest, darkest fantasy
That delivers you dancing, wet
Into the arms of la petite mort?

God isn't an American citizen...

2010-11-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Here's another example of the morons that infest this country, as printed in our local rag.

"Our country America is being shed of its clothing of freedom, the right to choose our own way of living our lives. The governing body of our country is quickly passing laws that will be one nation under man, instead of one nation under God. We were created by God with a free will, free in mind, body and spirit. We were not meant to be a people under the umbrella of an iron fist.

The president has a long agenda to where he wants to take the country of America. It appears everything he has on his list is approved by Congress and many of the laws are not even red before the passing of them. If this isn’t a renegade government, not caring what the people want to safeguard within the nation, what would you call it? There truly is not a good name to put on it. How can a room full of politicians get away with the grave damage they are doing to the United States of America? They are doing it, and that is what galls me. These politicians are servants of the people but you would never believe it. They have taken away the reins of rule from the people and arrogantly thumb their nose at the people. Shades of corruption continually stare us in the face. Closed door deals are made, thousands of pages of pending laws are not read but are passed, galloping spending being done, creating bankruptcy debt and it continues like a wildfire out of control.

The president used this one word that stood out when he was campaigning, a word in which he fooled many people with. That word is “transformation,” and that one word is bringing the downfall of America. Communism and dictatorship are knocking at our door. If we open that door to government we are lost. We will be like caged people answering to one man, a dictator. God has been taken out of our country and when that happens, a country such as ours, will fall from a weakened condition. We can’t sit silently by and let the servants ransack our house, our government. We can’t open the door to them and lose all we have, our freedom, our liberty and our right to pursue our dreams. We have to put God back in our country, else America fails.

Dictatorship anyone? Do you want it served on a silver platter, or do you want God put back in charge of our country? Only God can bring back the secure America we once knew. Wake up and be in charge of our destiny."

My response:

Once again, the United States of America is a DEMOCRACY not a THEOCRACY. As a private citizen, you have every right to be upset with the government. You have every right to believe or worship as you see fit. What you DO NOT have the right to do is to declare a state or national religion. The very first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America gives every citizen the right to worship - OR NOT WORSHIP - as they see fit. No where in the Constitution do the words "Christian", "Christ", "Jesus" or "God" appear. The closes phrase to it is "...in the year of our Lord..." which was standard way of saying "AD" in those days. I, and every atheist in this country, demand that you bring forth this "god" whom you are so willing to give complete control over your life. Let him run for the office of president. Oh, I'm sorry, HE ISN'T A NATIVE BORN CITIZEN, therefore according to the Constitution, he is ineligible to run for that office.

In fact, going through the first few of his "commandments", it becomes more than clear that your "god" does not tolerate religious freedom, nor does he condone democracy. Your "god" is unfit to even be allowed entry into this country. I'd suggest you'd be happier moving to a country that has declared itself a "christian" country, but the only one that I am aware of is Vatican City. Good luck.

The Obama Phone - Another Partisan Prank Call

2010-11-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Our local tabloid that passes as a poor excuse for a newspaper has a reader-written opinion column every day. Occasionally I'll read it and even respond to some of the utter stupidity printed there-in. For example, recently a reader had this to say:
"Every single politician talks about cost cutting. However, nobody talks about cutting welfare.

When I turn on my computer up pops an ad: "Are you a mommy? Get your $10,000! Get your $10,000 scholarship. Use it for rent, bills or save for your child's future.”

What? Welfare for illegals and free cellphones for welfare recipients while John Q. Taxpayer groans under his tax burden.

Am I the only one that sees something wrong with that picture? Obama and his ilk are taking from Peter to give to Paul, knowing that Paul will vote for him to keep the gravy train going. Instead of closing nursing homes let's close the welfare office or at least severely curtail the benefits."

My response:

If you actually took the time to research these complaints you are making, you will find that the facts are quite the opposite of what you are claiming. There is a free cell phone program for low income individuals, but it is not paid for by the government. It is paid for by the phone company that provides the service and it includes only 1 hour per month of free time. There is also a program for land line phones for emergency phone service for low income families started by President Ronald Reagan way back in the 1980s.

Insofar as your accusations regarding these $10,000 "grants", yes, I too have seen the pop-up ads on the internet, but clicking on them does not bring me to a government web page, nor does it bring me to an application for a grant. It brings me to a corporate web page asking for personal information. In other words, it is a scam.

There seems to be people in this country who believe anything they read without actually taking the time to fact check. This is a shame. Allowing fear and hatred get the better of our good nature, making accusations without foundation. This can be avoided in the future by taking the time to fact check before you react.

The Constitution and the United States

2010-11-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Federal Government IS the people. Those in the government are American citizens, elected by American citizens. What part of that don't you understand? WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT IS US! I really don't understand why it is that those of you on the right insist the government is something separate from the people who create it. To fear the government is to fear ourselves.

The Constitution was written over 200 years ago under civil and social circumstances far different from where we are at now. If the founders knew what the early 21st century held, the Constitution would have probably looked a lot different than it does. For instance, had the founders known about organized crime syndicates and street gangs, "due process" probably would have a whole different meaning. Had they understood the amount of wealth that would be concentrated in so few hands, I'm sure they would have had something to say about campaign donations as well. If they could have foreseen that eventually their vision would be perverted into a two party system, constantly squabbling over which 1 party should have all the power, they probably would have put something in the Constitution to keep that from happening as well. Unfortunately for us, they were not seers. The best they could offer us was a Constitution that is adaptable to changing circumstances. The document they wrote, they wrote on paper. They didn't carve it into stone. Something the right-wing needs to think long and hard about.

However, my main argument is that there is NO need for 50 separate states any more. It is completely unnecessary. It is more of a negative than a positive. Either we are one united nation, or we are 50 separate states with no bond between us other than a piece of paper. We are either all Americans, or we are assorted New Yorkers, Californians, Texans, etc. And it is time, perhaps for us to make that ultimate decision and either strengthen the Union or dissolve it.

It's a Question of Patriotism

2010-11-10T10:46:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about the word "patriot". It seems to get thrown around a lot lately as one side of the partisan puzzle accuses the other of a lack of "patriotism". Apparently, to some people, being a patriot is as easy as simply accepting, without question, an ideology. As an example, some "tea party" members seem to want to insist that only a person who thinks as they do, who believes as they do and who acts as they do are to be considered patriotic Americans.

I've always been under the impression that being a patriot means doing what is necessary, making whatever sacrifice is necessary, for the good of one's country. Since the beginning of this country it has been considered a citizen's patriotic duty to answer the clarion call in times of war. Every war that has been fought by Americans for America and the bulk of the military has been made up of volunteers culled from the poor and the working class. It is considered our patriotic duty to fight and, if necessary, offer the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the United States of America.

The question I feel that we Americans need to start asking is this: Where is the patriotism of corporate America? When will they be called upon to make sacrifices for the good of the nation? We - the working class - have shed countless gallons of blood for our country. Isn't it about time we asked, nay, demanded that corporate America step up and prove their loyalty, to make the necessary sacrifices to keep us strong? If we are to give our lives for the good of the nation, surely they can sacrifice their profit to keep us working until the current economic crisis is over.

Cancer Treatment for the Human Race

2010-09-13T11:26:00.004-04:00

I have come to the conclusion that every nation on this planet that insists on it's "right" to nuclear weapons should have it's biggest population center blown up with a nuclear weapon. Every man, woman and child on this planet needs to understand, with every fiber of their being, what nuclear war is. The only way for them to learn this is through first hand experience. The only way this can be accomplished without complete annihilation of the planet and human species is for the US, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, N. Korea, India and Pakistan to serve as "test subjects". The same goes with biological and chemical weapons. Any country that produces such atrocities should become the victim of such atrocities.

If You See Twink on the Road - Kick Him.

2010-08-09T14:31:00.002-04:00

There's a long-winded pompous troll on the loose. His name is Sam Juliano. If you see him, do not attempt to apprehend as he is likely to jump on the ground, throwing a tantrum of unbridled passion. He is generally located in his mommy's basement, trolling through people's blogs and posting his opinions as facts. If you have the audacity to disagree with him, he is likely to find something you've written about, post part of it taken completely out of context, then whine to his mommy about the mean spirited people out here in the real world. If you are a woman of child bearing age, you are requested to keep far away from him as his seed is definitely diseased and polluted with stupidity mixed with arrogance. Feel free to kick him.

Paying Taxes

2009-01-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

I'm an oddity in this day and age. I don't mind paying taxes because I know that my taxes help pay for emergency services, maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure of my local city, state and the country as a whole. I know part of my taxes also provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of my fellow countrymen in state and federal civil service jobs. I understand that occasionally taxes go up because the cost of everything goes up.

What I don't like is the fact that my elected representatives are becoming more insulated from the people they represent and that they are becoming less responsive to the will of their electorate. For example, when is the last time a regular, working-class American was allowed real face time with the Senator they elected into office? And yet those Americans who are supposed to be serving me and you are giving all kinds of time to representatives of foreign businesses and (at the risk of sounding envious) to wealthy foreigners who donate large amounts of money to political action committees which help keep these "representatives" in a job.

It ought not be the job of an elected official to raise money for the political party of which they are a member. It is their job to represent all of their electorate, not just those who are members of the same political party. It is not the job of elected representatives to spend so much of their time campaigning for themselves or for other members of the political party of which they are a member - that is not what they receive a paycheck from the taxpayers for. If a politician has done a good job, that politician will, in all likelihood, get reelected. If their performance is poor, they ought not be put back into office, no matter how much money they are willing to spend on a campaign, and the electorate ought to have more good sense than to vote for them because of party membership.

Another thing I disagree with is the amount of my tax money that is wasted on so-called "pork barrel spending" and "ear-marks" added to bills. It is the job and the duty of legislators to legislate wisely, not to benefit their friends, families, business acquaintances and big money donors. A bill ought to be brought to the floor and passed or failed on its own merits, not because someone in the private sector somehow will benefit. All too often lately, it seems you can't watch the news or read a newspaper without running across another politician being accused of corruption. And yet, it seems, too few of them ever receive more than a slap on the wrist or, at best, they resign their office, go on to a lucrative new career and pay no penalty whatsoever. These men and women take an oath of office when they are inaugurated. They should be held by the citizenry to that oath. It is, after all, a binding contract.

The last problem I have with the taxes I pay is the amount of waste going to the military. I'm not talking about the pay for our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. I'm referring to the vast fortune spent every year on no-bid contracts and on research and development of newer, bigger, better, more efficient ways of killing mass populations - those items we call WMD or weapons of mass destruction. More than half of our annual GNP goes to military spending. More than we spend on health care, education and welfare combined. And far too much of this wealth goes into the pockets of arms dealers and merchants of death. President Eisenhower, upon leaving office, left us with this warning - a warning which we have not heeded:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

As Americans we are guilty of not being an "alert and knowlegdeable citizenry". It is high time this was changed. I challenge anyone who reads this to educate themselves on what their elected representatives are doing and how they are spending your hard-earned money. If you don't like what you find, then perhaps it is time to forget party loyalties and start voting for individuals, not party members.

Read My Lips - No New Emoluments

2009-01-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

So Hillary Rodham Clinton is at it again. Now she is seeking an appointment to an office for which she is not eligible. The office in question is that of Secretary of State, under President-Elect Barack Obama. The reason she is not eligible is because of Article 1, section 6 of the Constitution of the United States of America, otherwise known as the "Emoluments Clause", which states:

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Senator Clinton herself voted for such a pay raise. Even though the salary has been subsequently cut back to its earlier level (the so-called Saxbe fix), the Constitution itself does NOT provide for such a fix. The bottom line is, when Senator Clinton was inaugurated, she swore an oath of office which reads:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the asme; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation of purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of teh office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

By seeking the office of Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton is refusing to "support and defend" the Constitution. By using the "Saxbe Fix", Mrs. Clinton is "purposefully trying to evade" Article 1, section 6 of the Constitution of the United States of America. If we cannot trust our elected officials to follow through on their oath of office; if we cannot trust our elected officials to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, which provides the framework by which we live, then this country is in deeper trouble than a mere economic recession.

Fuck Kid Rock

2008-12-09T08:11:00.000-05:00

So this asshole gets into a fight - probably started by him. In a waffle house, wherein a window gets broken. He gets arrested and his sentence for acting like an asshole in public is 80 hours community service. Then he begs the judge to let his upcoming concert playing for the troops in Iraq count as his community service and the judge refuses. So now on his website, he has the judge's name, address, email, etc posted so his fans can harass the judge.

Fuck Kid Rock. It's about time these celebrity douchebags start seeing jail time instead of community service. Let's face it---if you or I were the person involved in a public fist fight, we'd see at least a couple months in county lockup. Why is it these celebrities almost never have to suffer the same punishment that the average American does? Why are these low-class ghetto- and trailer-trash constantly allowed to walk with community service? If I were among the troops in Iraq and that piece of shit was performing, my weapon would "accidently" discharge right in his smug face.

And since I'm betting you're an egotistical asshole who googles your own name, FUCK YOU, KID ROCK! I hope you die real soon, you fucking douchebag.

Observations, Basic Premises, Assorted Ideas.

2008-10-28T23:29:00.000-04:00

You are a grain of sand on a beach. If you are taken away from the beach, you are nothing. Or rather you are still a grain of sand, but your loss is of no consequence to the beach. The beach without you, is still a beach. You, without the beach, are merely a grain of sand.

The beach is composed of a very large, but finite number of grains of sand. Take one grain away and the beach is still a beach. Take away enough grains of sand and the beach ceases to exist.

An individual is a member of society. An individual taken away from society is only important to himself/herself. Society is still society without an individual. Take enough individuals away from society, and society ceases to exist.

What is good for society is generally also good for the individual. Sometimes it is not. This is called sacrifice. All members of society must be expected to, and must be willing to, make sacrifices. To put it bluntly, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one)." This is called "equality". Equality is the basis of society. If you disagree, prove I'm is wrong - go live in the woods by yourself for a year. Have NO contact with another human (or group of human beings). Otherwise, admit you are wrong. To prove this thesis wrong, you need merely remove all individuals of any given society, then show that society.

To understand basic principles of physics, is to understand basic principles of society. Just as some elements are more stable than others, some societies are more stable than others. However, when broken down to the level of the individual, the analogy no longer applies. Individual atoms follow laws predictably. Individual humans do not.

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Understand: You are going to die. This is the one inevitable fact of life. Taxes are only a certainity if you don't want to go off and live in the woods. I will admit that an individual has the power (not the right) to refuse to pay taxes, but then the individual must be willing to give up all rights, priveleges, advantages, etc. granted by the state, including the right to own property, etc. that are normally granted to those who pay taxes and for which guarantee of said rights, priveleges, etc., etc. is made possible. The less you are willing to pay in taxes, the lower the quality of the government. This is a basic principle of capitalism. Better stated as "You get what you pay for." or "Caveat Emptor".

In simpler language, you only have "rights" if there is a guarantor of those rights. The state is the guarantor of the rights granted by the state. That's basic politics. The state only guarantees those rights which the state legitimately recognizes. In other words, an individual doesn't have the "right" to grant itself "rights" which the state does not or is not obligated to recognize. Your taxes are the fees by which the provision of those rights, priveleges, entitlements (and revenge or justice against those who violate those "rights") are paid for.

A state only has legitimacy within it's own borders. Outside of those borders, a state only has whatever legitimacy is agreed upon by itself and neighboring states, or whatever "legitimacy" it can force other states to accept. This is not "natural law", merely human behaviour. (The idea of "natural law" is a fallacy.)

A state has the power (not necessarily the right) to remove or add rights and/or priveleges at it's "leisure". An individual, or group of individuals, had the power (not necessarily the right) to resist such incursions(?) by the state. This is called "insurrection", if an insurrection is successful, it may sometimes be referred to as a "revolution". The more conflict within the state, the more likely an insurrection is to happen. To avoid insurrection, a state merely needs to avoid internal conflict. This is only possible when all individuals agree to the necessity of compromise. (Assuming a just society).

Human beings, having evolved from animals, are part animal. We have "instincts". Pack instincts, mating instincts, survival instincts. The difference between humans and animals is that humans can learn to control their instincts. The more you learn to control your instincts, the more "human" you become.

A Reasonable Non-Partisan Political Platform

2008-10-03T23:27:00.000-04:00

I spend a lot of time thinking about politics in America and how things ought to be instead of how they are. Here is the platform I've come up with that I would like to see our political leaders adopt. It is reasonable and relatively non-partisan.

1) Corporate Accountability:
Any corporate official caught causing something like the Enron debacle or the current financial disater would have all of their wealth stripped and handed over to the people they stole from, anything left would be put into the social security fund. The criminals themselves would receive a life sentence - non-commutable, no chance for parole. Those who steal from their employees, or lie/cheat/steal from the American public to increase their wealth should pay dearly for doing so.

2) Immigration:
All illegal aliens would be rounded up and sent back to their country of origin at the expense of the people who hired them. The people who hired them would also lose their business, which would be sold off to pay transportation costs of the illegals and whatever is left would go into the Social Security fund. Anyone wishing to immigrate to the US must a) Have a job waiting. b) Must be able to speak/read/write English fluently. c) Must take a video-taped oath to put the interest of the USA above all others, including their religion. No one with a prior conviction for any felony act would be permitted into the US.

3) Welfare Reform:
I would make it so anyone currently receiving welfare or who signs up for welfare in the future would have to agree to: a) an epidermal birth control device so they cannot have children while on welfare. b) 20 hours of community service and education per week (after all, they can't get a job without at least a high school diploma). c) They are only allowed welfare until they have an education and job skills, then the government would share relocation expenses for them to move to an area where there are jobs available.

4) Official Misconduct:
I would ask for laws to be passed that ANY elected official - including the President - who is found guilty of committing a felony would lose their right to ever hold public office and would be sent to jail for the maximum term for that crime. I would remove the Presidential right to pardon criminals. Any elected official at the federal level found guilty of accepting bribes, kickbacks or "quid pro quo" favors in return for access to their political power would get a life sentence with no chance for parole and a hefty fine of around $10,000/year they've spent in office.

5) The Budget & Bush's Legacy Deficit:
I would cut government spending by limiting the bloated staffs of government bureaucrats and elected officials. By forcing a moratorium on the billions of dollars being wasted on military spending. I would raise the wages of the soldiers, sailors, marines, etc and make sure they have the best health care money can buy - even after their term of service is up. I would cut all spending on military research and call for a moratorium for the next 10 years. I would cut the billion dollars a year we're spending on mercenary troops like Blackwater. I would raise the taxes of all corporations and call for tariffs and eliminate government contracts for any corporation that has outsourced jobs to other countries. On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I would bring a class action law suit against G. W. Bush and every key member of his administration to recoup the money wasted by them. Elected officials should and must be held accountable for their actions.

6) Gun Control:
Hunting Rifles and shotguns would be permitted to those with a valid hunting license or registered members of a Gun Club. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons would be highly taxed and only available to those who pass a psych test and meet stringent requirements. Handguns would be permitted only to those who pass a psych test. All handguns would have to be fired once before being sold and the bullet "fingerprint" put into a national database so any crime committed with that handgun would be instantly traceable to the person who bought the gun. No "cop killer" type ammo would be allowed to be manufactured or sold within US borders, no arms dealers would be allowed to sell weaponry to non-governmental personnel.

7) Property Rights:
No foreign country would be allowed to own property within US borders. No foreign national would be permitted to own property other than a house. No foreign country, individual or corporation would be allowed to run key US operations, such as harbors, canals, airports, etc.

8) Trade:
NAFTA would be eliminated. It is NOT in the interest of the American working class to globalize the economy until the world itself has achieved some amount of stabiity. We would NOT trade with any nation that condones or supports terrorism, including Saudi Arabia.

9) Israel and the Middle-East:
All funding to Israel would cease until they agree to end their nuclear program and disarm their nuclear weapons. There can be no peace in the middle-east if one country is allowed nuclear capabilities and none of their "enemies" are.

10) Abortion and Sex Education:
Abortion would available on an as needed basis, but sex education and birth control MUST be taught to children to minimize the need for abortions. Although I agree with a woman's right to choose, I also believe that with so many other options available, abortion should not be the defacto method of birth control. A little education goes a long way.

11) Taxes:
We would adopt a flat rate income tax with only personal deductions, mortgage/rental costs deductions allowable. Corporations would still be charged a gradient with minimal deductions and no loopholes. Taxes should be paid by those most able to afford it, like it or not. That should be the cost of being a millionaire or billionaire in the US.

12) Bipolarchy:
The two party system would be abolished. Anyone seeking public office would have to win on their own merits, their personal record and their stance on the issues.

13) Crime:
a) All street gangs would be considered terrorist cells. Gang members would be given 1 chance to turn themselves in and denounce their gang affilitations. They would be offered reduced sentence/probation for any non-violent offense. After 1 year, all remaining gang members would be rounded up and treated as terrorists. Any violent crime committed by a gang member would be treated as if it were a terrorist act committed against the United States of America. b) All criminal attorneys, as a condition of their licensing, would have to agree to a certain amount of free legal work for those who can't afford it. c) All "victimless crimes" would be reduced to misdemeanor status and would see no jail time. First time offenders would be let off with a warning.

14) Education:
All private schools and educational facilities would lose all government funding. All government funding for education would ONLY be available to public schools. It is in our best interest that ALL of our children have the best education possible and the basis for class/religious bigotry ended. If the wealthy or those of religious persuasion feel their children are too good to be educated with the "masses", then they should pay for it out of their own pocket.

15) Health Care:
I would raise taxes on pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies and cap what they are allowed to charge, or alternatively, find a way to fund a national health care system. I think this could be done by forcing all health care providers into non-profit or not-for-profit status. When it comes to the health of American citizens, people ought not be allowed to profit to the extent they do. All pharmaceutical research would be non-profit only. Let's face it...the temptation to withhold cures of terminal illnesses is too great when the medical community can continue to charge people for treatment and medication. All doctors, like lawyers, would have to agree to a certain amount of free service to the community.

Not really part of the platform, but part of my philosophy is that the entertainment industry should be in the highest tax bracket in the country. Entertainers/Sports Figures, etc, offer NOTHING to society except a way to waste some time. They offer no solutions to any problems and therefore should not merit the sort of lifestyle they're allowed to live. Let's face it, paying someone millions of dollars a year because they can throw a ball or have a pretty face or because they own an entertainment production/distribution company is simply ridiculous.