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Aliceinwonderland: I'm glad you mentioned Noam Chomsky. He was one of the people who Bill Blunden and Violet Cheung dedicated their new book to. Another person they listed was John Young who has a web site called cryptome.org is also listed. John Young is actually pretty old...in his 80s, I think. But he's younger and more rebellious than most of us and has had the FBI and other agencies pestering him to tone his web site down.
Blunden and Cheung's new book "Behold A Pale Farce-Cyberwar, Threat Inflation, & the Malware Industrial Complex" describes how they were contacted by a San Francisco publisher to write a book about cyber warfare. But, after about 5 months, the editor and publisher did not like what the author and coauthor had to say in their book because it would result in "push back" from those in power. Blunden said: "We were sending a message that would directly challenge the narrative being spread by powerful interests, and there was a serious threat of retaliation." Rather than allow such radical editing of their book, Bill and Violet "developed a strategy of gentle resistance" and the publisher eventually pulled out of the contract. They found a new publisher that was willing to publish their book. The authors begin by mentioning how Woodrow Wilson had won his second election from the campaign slogan "He kept us out of war" and then after being reelected, he used propaganda from a group called The Creel Committee. Edward Bernays, who was also part of that committee, is known as the grandfather of modern propaganda. He also created the term "Public Relations" (PR) because the term "propaganda" had such negative connotations. Now, they are trying to change the term "public relations" to "perception management". The Creel Committee was created to propagandize Americans into accepting our participation in WWI. They told all kinds of lies about the Germans...lies that were really absurd like the "bloodthirsty Huns" were taking their dead soldiers and boiling them down to make explosives and pig food. Kind of sounds like the 15 year old daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador selling the US public on Papa Bush's war in Iraq by claiming the Iraqis bayoneted incubator babies in Kuwaiti Hospitals.
By the way, just try paying cash for such a book at a major chain bookstore. Persistent bastard of a cashier didn't look like he was going to sell me the book unless he somehow got my name by various ploys..."do you have a discount card from us?".."Do you want to apply for one?" he starts out..then, after repeatedly refusing several other offers all designed to get my name, I finally had to tell him, very forcefully: "look, just take the money and give me the receipt!!!" I usually buy my books on-line...they are a lot cheaper, but of course, they get my name and address...and credit card number.
I had the same problem when I went to a "styling salon" just to get a normal haircut. I went to that place just because I was in that area when I decided to get a haircut. They wanted to type into their computer a "customer profile" on me..so I can be "put on their mailing list". I told them I didn't want to be on their mailing list. And they continued to try to persuade me to give them my information. I refused to give them my name, phone number and address and they acted like I was committing a major crime. I know darn well these people sell that information to other people who will pester me for something or other some day. They cut my hair anyway, and I know that I won't get put on some mailing list which is the way I want it. These store owners have such nerve but I guess most people just, "zombie-like", dutifully comply. "Do you want to super-size that?" "Would you like to make that a large drink...it's only 10 cents more?" I want only what I ask for and nothing more! I know it's not the employee's fault...the employer is behind it.
Mister Schoolteacher, you really need to wake up. These industries are forcing us to be dependent on them and their toxic shit. Like I said, they have way too much power. They are thwarting the kinds of progress and technological innovation the world desperately needs if life as we know it is to continue. At present, we are subject to a status quo that is simply unsustainable; that is, quite literally, killing us. It's killing us in a variety of ways: through cancer-causing carcinogens, poisoning our air and water; through the irreversible destruction of an environment our lives literally depend on; through the effects of global warming and the extreme weather conditions it generates; and also, through endless wars fought over fossil fuel in foreign lands. And it's not a lack of engineering talent or technological options that can be blamed for any of this.
I was a lot younger than you when I first connected the dots and figured this out. In the decades since then, I've seen no evidence to the contrary. It is not necessary for us to remain dependent on fossil fuel. We would not still be hooked on it were it not for corporate control of the political process and our media, the latter which has brainwashed people like you into thinking corporations are benevolent entities providing something we "need". What we really need is to move on and develop new ways of functioning that are not at odds with the laws of Mother Nature. Because in the end, that is who prevails; Mother Nature, with or without us.
You are expending an awful lot of effort defending those who don't give a damn about you, your kids or your future grandkids. For your information, Matt, scientists are already debating about humanity's prospects for survival into the next century. I don't know about you, but I find this rather frightening. - AIW
P.S. Read Noam Chomsky! That guy knows what time it is. He'll enlighten you to who's really in the driver's seat and what we're in for if we don't wake up.
chiMatt -- Race, as well as, abortion and etc are not liberal issues. Those are issues for single issue voters. The republican party is for the 1%. The only way they can get any of the 99% to vote for them is with those single issues that voters will support against their own economic interests. You may have noted that when republicans were in control in the 2000's they never voted for an abortion bill that might pass. When they had a democratic senate that would ignore them they passed an abortion bill over and over again.
Media supporting liberal issues would be spending more time on climate change, more democrats than GOP on sunday morning tv, supporting any issue that benefits the bottom 20% over the top 20%, higher tax rates on the rich, the failure of austerity throughout the world, the failure of supply side economics etc.
Matt, welcome to Corporate Monopoly 101! Here's how it works. Corporations have hijacked our government with their lobbyists, bribing politicians (our so-called "public servants") to toe the corporate line via a legislative process that once served We The People. And one of the consequences, for example, is how it gives the fossil fuel industry extraordinary power, more power than any corporation should be entitled to. They use that power to make sure any technological innovations that could potentially wean us off fossil fuel are stifled, before they can be made available to we the consumers. This is how progress gets thwarted, year after year after year. If not for this corporate hostile takeover of our government, we would have kicked the fossil fuel habit a long time ago.
I'd also like to remind you that in Europe, people buy cars with way better gas mileage than are available here in the U.S., even though these vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic all come from the same manufacturers! Why? The answer all boils down to one word: POLITICS.
The only reason we keep buying fossil fuel is because we have no choice but to buy it. Everyone has to drive to work, etc. etc. Our whole energy infrastructure revolves around fossil fuel. So it is ridiculous to blame the consumer for something the consumer has no control over. Again, it's all about politics. - Aliceinwonderland
I was just pointing out that, at least for me, it seems hypocritical to bash an industry that provides something I use every single day. It'd be like me bashing Apple for their labor practices in China, while I type this out on a Macbook.
That being said, I'm all in favor of a carbon tax. I think companies should have to consider their airborne byproducts, just as they have to consider those byproducts that take up space on land.
Something else, since we're talking about environmentalism: for those of you who live in Chicago, I found out that you can call your alderman and request a second or third blue recycling bin for your house. You can have up to four bins in your alley, but one has to be for trash. Just an FYI. My recycling bin kept getting filled up a week before they emptied it, and when I told my alderman about it (he comes to my school a lot), he told me that secret.
Off the top of my head, I see the coverage of the LA Clippers owner fiasco as an example of liberal media bias. They took something that was trivial - an old man who held an old man's views - and made it the headline for like four days. Did his worlds really effect ANYONE? No. But it fed into their liberal, anti-rich white guy, race-baiting message. In the meantime, here in Chicago, there are about 40 shootings every weekend, which actually does effect real people, and it only gets a brief mention in the local news.
I also think that the media does a lot of covering for Obama - ignoring international stories that make him look bad, like the continuing war in Syria, the invasion of the Ukraine, and what's going on in Egypt. And never mentioning the fact that his ultra-high (I think 97 percent) vote margin among Blacks was clearly racially motivated, but always insinuating that anyone who opposes him is doing partially because of his race.
I urge you to look at the election night coverage from the 2004 election and the 2008 election on youtube. Look how the same TV anchor reacted to Bush's victory and Obama's victory. Listen to their tone, look at their body language. They acted like Bush's election was a funeral, and Obama's election made them downright giddy.
Don't even get me started on Bengazi. (Comon - you knew I would bring that up.)
I am well aware that Fox News has a right-wing bias. The majority of their viewers know that. But they see it as balancing out the left-wing bias of the other channels. And, to their credit, they found an unexploited market, (people who didn't trust the regular news), and exploited the hell out of it.
For the record, I only watch about 15 minutes of TV a day. I try to catch the first half of the national news, and that's it. Usually ABC, sometimes NBC. I haven't had a chance to watch any Fox or other cable news since my third child was born in November.
That's why I like progressive radio - I can do it AND clean the house/grade papers/change diapers at the same time.
ChicagoMatt ~ And why do we keep buying it? What choice do we have? Jimmy Carter created the first solar bank and put solar panels on the roof of the White House that were stripped down my Ronald Wilson (666) Reagan the first day he took office. All the result of the petroleum industry that intended to keep this country addicted to fossil fuels. Reagan was the petroleum industry lap dog--amongst other things.
Why has this country run stagnant on rapid transit technology? Why have we banned Hemp based fuels since 1938? Why did we convert the first internal combustion engines that were originally designed to run on natural grain alcohol to run on fossil fuels?
No, oil and gas companies don't drill that stuff for fun, they drill it for profit. And it is a historical certainty that they will let nothing stand in the way of their greed or their profit. It is that collusion that makes them uniquely responsible for the restoration of our environmental balance.
By the way, why is a middle school teacher so concerned about the profits and well being of the petroleum industry. Yesterday you said that aside of yourself, your family, and your neighborhood you could care less about the rest of the world. Or, is what you really mean that you could care less about the poor and unfortunate but are ready and eager to pucker up and kiss the a$$ of the extremely wealthy?
That says a whole lot about your character.
"...got the cluck out..." "...not the Ponderosa..." PD, you crack me up. Keep 'em rolling! - AIW
Marc, I'd already posted my reply to Matt before getting around to reading your post. We sure are on the same wavelength a lot of the time! - AIW
I once researched taking my house "off of the grid" with solar panels. The price (about $8000) wasn't actually all that bad for me. My electric bill is usually about $150 a month, so I wouldn't be doing it for the savings. It would be more of a stand on principal.
But then I found out that a huge portion of my basement would have to be used for the batteries, converters, and other things associated with the panels. And, since they have to be secured to your roof, solar panels frequently lead to leaks and water damage. And I would have to get ride of the one tree that is actually in my yard, not on the parkway. And even then, I would still need to be tied into city power, "just in case".
I wish I could live in the counry and get a windmill. They sell windmills that will power a small house. But, from what I can tell, you aren't allowed to have them in Chicago, because they have to be put on a tower that is too tall for the city, and they tend to squeak a lot.
Matt, how do you substantiate the claim that our media has a "liberal" bias? I hear this all the time and I think it's ridiculous. How about some examples? Because last I heard, media consolidation has put our media in the control of an ever-shrinking circle of corporations, and keeping the public informed is not part of the corporate agenda. Ninety percent of talk radio is neocon bullshit. CNN hides behind the pretense of being liberal, more than it actually is. FOX is wall-to-wall neocon fascist bullshit. MSNBC is pretty liberal. PBS has been receiving more corporate funding and predictably, has grown more conservative. CBS and NBC… nothing special; certainly nothing resembling "liberalness".
Like it or not, our fate is more intimately tied to that of the rest of the world's thanks to globalization. If your generation and those younger than you don't understand that, it is you who will ultimately suffer the consequences of your ignorance. I hate to be so blunt, Matt, because despite your views, you come across as a decent guy. But as a schoolteacher you are in a unique position to influence young minds, which is an awesome responsibility. And it would serve you - and your students - to learn more about the world we live in, how it operates and whose interests it actually serves. If you take a closer look, the reality you find will have little resemblance to what gets dished out to you on the boob tube. Maybe this is why we are a nation full of boobs. And from what you have described, your students are well on the way towards becoming the next generation of sheeple. - Aliceinwonderland
ChicagoMatt ~ Just what media are you talking about, present Radio show excluded? Please specify which channels and which shows have a liberal bias? From what I see--and I've spent 20 years more than you observing it--is that the vast majority of the media is Reich Wing skewed. It has been that way since the 70's.
Personally I have to agree with everyone else on this blog--you are a classic example of Faux News brainwashing. Please correct me if I'm wrong with some specific examples and some facts. Show me what I can watch that is liberal biased so I don't have to seek out the furthermost corner of the internet for this blog.
ChicagoMatt ~ No man is an island. If you think all you need to survive is a nice house, family and neighborhood I might suggest you lift your head out of the sand and realize that you are very much dependant on the entire world for your simple survival. Young people who talk like you would be the first casualties if they were ever stranded on a deserted island. Can you gather your own food, build your own shelter, or even start your own fire without civilization supporting you every step of the way? No, you probably can't can you? Better get real and realize that you are nothing without society supporting you. The least you owe in return is to give a damn about where that support comes from. We are all in the same boat and if one part of it sinks, the whole thing sinks.
I don't think the "righties" would allow solar panels. Okiehoma wants to tax them. The Cock Brothers wouldn't allow their shills in Congress to subsidize them. The Cock Brothers are doing their best to discourage electric cars. In the meantime we need to quit subsidizing oil companies to the tune of billions (corporate welfare). Remember when Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House? Saint Reagan took them off without hesitation. As for using less foreign oil, the last report I heard from the "lefties" was that, under the Obama administration, we are again self sufficient on oil. The Cock Brothers wouldn't allow their paid agents in Congress to stop the flow from the Middle East since it would interfere with their plan to build the pipeline from Canada and they wouldn't be able to sell the dirty oil to China at an obscene profit.
Wouldn't that be all of us? I mean, oil and gas companies don't drill for that stuff for fun - it's because we keep buying it.
Palindromedary ~ What a coincidence that Thom would mention solar projects the day after you tie solar projects to the Bundy standoff in... There I go chuckling again... "Bunkerville" Nevada. I have no problem with using unusable land to recreate Jimmy Carter's vision of a US solar bank. However, what about how this might tie into usable land that is already being used? It just seems strange to me that after you made that connection and Thom brought up that subject that he would elaborate without making the connection you did. What do you think about that?
Good idea. And those who have destroyed the land should pay for the solar farms.
Will the miltiamen at Bundy's ranch now declare the Oath Keepers to be deserters and traitors to their cause and shoot them? Will there be a small Bundy civil war? Seems the one half of those who were willing to stand up in an armed rebellion against the government, the Oath Keepers got word that the government was about to strike the Bundy ranch with a drone strike. The Oath Keepers reneged on their "Oaths" to protect Bundy and made like chickens and got the Cluck outta there...leaving the militia to fume over it.
Will there be a drone strike on the Bundy ranch? I've seen the ranch from Google Earth Street view and it looks like a big junk yard. It is certainly not the Ponderosa for sure. Even the main house, I think it is the main house, looks rather tiny and about to fall down. Most of the buildings look like they should have been torn down at the turn of the century. There are all kinds of old vehicles, boats, etc. Most of what Bundy's 100 acres that he actually owns is used to grow melons. Doesn't look like there is any barn that would even come close to housing 900 cattle...which is why they just run wild on the BLM land...perhaps with a Bundy brand on them.
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/04/back-bundy-ranch-it-s-oath-keepers-vs
I know that Toyota Prius hybrid has an option of a built in solar panel in the roof. I test drove one recently. I don't know how much electrical power it generates...probably not so much. Certainly not enough to fully power the vehicle. The problem with these hybrids or even the all electric vehicles is that they have to have large batteries that will eventually need to be replaced...and that will be a really big cost. Car's batteries, like the Prius, have a full warranty for 7 years in most states except California where they are warrantied for 10 years. But be prepared to pay at least $2500 to replace those batteries when the warranty expires. That is the current cost to replace them...what will it be in 7 or 10 years? I imagine that in fully electric vehicles they have even larger and more expensive batteries.
Whatever happened to those solar-powered concept cars I remember from the 80s? I feel like I never hear anything about that anymore. And why don't they make electric family-size vehicles? I had to buy a minivan last year to accomodate our third child, but there were no electric options.
I think there is a real opportunity here for bipartisanship. Sell solar power to the lefties as environmentally-friendly (an easy sell), and sell it to us righties as a way to stop giving billions to the Middle Eastern countries. You could also, if you really wanted to appeal to the righties, make solar-powered electricity tax free, so you could stick it to the big evil government as well.
I think we found something we can agree on - distrust of the media. I, of course, think the media has a liberal bias. It seems that you think the media has a pro-corporate bias.
And, as I think we have established, the entire idea that a better world for everyone is the goal doesn't jive with the thinking of many of us younger folks. A better world for myself, my family, and my immediate neighborhood, yes. The rest of the world? Not my problem. In fact, trying to "help" the rest of the world seems to just cause more problems.
My current bad mood is probably coming through. Sorry about that. These students are bouncing off the walls readyer for summer, and we have another month still....
Regarding our country's use of execution:
Let's bring back crucifixion. If it was good enough for Jesus and the Roman Empire it ought to be good enough for the Christian U.S. of A. All we would need is some wood and a few nails. None of this messing around with complicated chemicals and stuff that we can screw up.
If the bad guys aren't supposed to kill people then neither is the gov't! No one has th right to take a life unless it is in active defence of your own.
dave -- just because you say our democratic senate and president are incompetent it doesn't make it so.
If you would listen to Thom and actually read any of these blogs you would realize the destruction of our economy is due to the 390 filibusters by the the republican party.
Conservative "thinkingness" all boils down to this: "Corporations are people my friend" and "Government is evil" and "Me first; screw you" and "Me-me-me!" - AIW
Alice -- BRAVO!