Our Last, Best Hope for Peace

Corporations are NOT people. While the road is long and rough and there is no certainty of victory, this is our first step out of the darkness.

"The corporate barbarians are through the gate of American democracy. Not satisfied with their all-pervasive influence on our culture, economy and legislative processes, they want more. They want it all.

Two years ago, the United States supreme court betrayed our Constitution and those who fought to ensure that its protections are enjoyed equally by all persons regardless of religion, race or gender by engaging in an unabashed power-grab on behalf of corporate America. In its now infamous decision in the Citizens United case, five justices declared that corporations must be treated as if they are actual people under the Constitution when it comes to spending money to influence our elections, allowing them for the first time to draw on the corporate checkbook – in any amount and at any time – to run ads explicitly for or against specific candidates.

What's next … a corporate right to vote?

...
The US Constitution has served us very well, but when the supreme court says, for purposes of the first amendment, that corporations are people, that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign ads are unconstitutional, our democracy is in grave danger." - Senator Bernie Sanders

We Must Stop This Corporate Takeover of American Democracy
(via The Guardian)

The Dirty Truth Behind Apple's Success

This is a terrifying view into what all our of futures may hold, that is, if we are lucky enough to have jobs at all.

"Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight. 

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.

“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.” 

Similar stories could be told about almost any electronics company — and outsourcing has also become common in hundreds of industries, including accounting, legal services, banking, auto manufacturing and pharmaceuticals."

Karl Marx is smiling smugly in his grave...

Apple, America, and a Squeezed Middle Class 

(via NY Times)

How to Make Money by Running Your Company Out of Business

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney made his millions through scams just like this. The formula is simple, borrow other people's money to buy up businesses, fire a bunch of people to make it more profitable, and then sell it to other investors before your scam is discovered.

How Private Equity Firms Make Their Profit 
(via The New Yorker)

And the Gloves Come Off...

Former Sentator turned lobbyist Chris Dodd is now publicly threatening congressmen who bail on SOPA/PIPA support to "stay bought or else". Never have I seen bribery discussed so openly.

"Those who count on quote 'Hollywood' for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,"-Chris Dodd


MPAA publicly threatens politicians to keep good on their bribes
(via TechDirt.com)

The Assault on Unions Contines

More and more US companies are attempting to break their unions once and for all. When is organized labor going to realize they are about to be put on the endangered species list? When is the American public going to realize their only hope at maintaining anything like a middle class or a ghost of upward mobility in our society also lies with unions?

Lockouts, Once Rare, Put Worders on the Defensive 
(via NY Times)

NY Times Considers Fact Checking

I thought this was the different between "reporting" and "repeating stuff I heard". Seriously? What are they teaching in journalism schools these days?

Should the Times be a truth vigilante? 
(via NY Times) 

What is "Anonymous"?

In recent months the hacker collective known as "Anonymous" has gained increasing mainstream media attention. Sometimes portrayed as heroes and other times as villains the jury seems to still be out on who exactly these people are and what they want. And after you read this three part series by Wired Magazine you'll begin to understand why that is Anonymous' natural state of being and is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Part 1:
Anonymous 101: Part 1
Part 2:
Anonymous 101: Part 2
Part 3:
Anonymous 101: Part 3
(via Wired Magazine)

Rolling Stone Interviews Scott Olsen

Excellent interview from Rolling Stone magazine with Scott Olsen, the veteran ex-marine shot in the head with a 40mm tear gas canister by the Oakland Police Department while peacefully protesting as part of Veterans for Peace.

Scott Olsen - Casualty of the Occupation 
 (via Rolling Stone)


For those of you new to the story here is a short clip of Oakland Police throwing more tear gas and a flashbang at peaceful protesters rushing to aid Olsen after he is critically wounded. I warn you, it is very difficult to watch this happen to an American serviceman on American streets at the hands of American police.

(via Majority FM Radio)

 

Greyhound Driver Evicts Occupy Supporters from Bus

Protesters who were not actively protesting, merely using Greyhound to get to the Occupy Congress protests in DC were evicted from a Greyhound bus because the driver didn't agree with their reasons for traveling to DC.

Just another argument for better public transportation. Private corporations are free to restrict your rights to travel and to speak, the government (ideally) is not.

Greyhound Driver Evicts Occupy Supporters from Bus with Help from Texas Police 
(via opednews.com)

Oil and Gas Companies Hire Climate Scientists to Help them Prepare for Climate Change

As if we needed any more evidence that climate change is real. Now major energy companies are hiring the same climate scientists they publicly discredited to help them ensure they can adapt to the changing conditions as climate change starts to have a real world impact on their operations. 

They Know But Won't Admit It
(via Good Magazine)

Great Recession for the Poor, GreatProfit for the Rich

So much for all that talk about "shared sacrifice"...

Large Businesses Benefit from the Great Recession 
(via Time Magazine)

On the Ground Report from Occupy Congress

Two very important observations from this article:

One, while they were loud outside to get attention they knew to speak softly inside such that their message is actually heard.

"They chanted and cheered and hollered...then all stood in line patiently to get through building security. Once inside the building, the previously boisterous group split apart, becoming suddenly deferential inside congressional offices. Raucous on the outside; concerned average citizen on the inside. One California Occupier I followed walked into his congresswoman's office and asked quietly, "We're doing this correctly right? Asking these people to represent us?" He then went on to tell the staffers that his parents cannot retire and will have to work until they die."

Two, the "disorganized" style of the Occupy protests has some clear advantages.

"And Occupy Congress did manage to pull off a massive protest on the steps of the Supreme Court. This was not planned and had it been, it likely wouldn't have happened. It's illegal to demonstrate on the steps of the highest court in the nation. In October, Cornel West, on the day of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, held a sign reading, "Poverty is the worst form of violence" and was swiftly arrested in "solidarity with the Occupy Movement." Tuesday, with only a handful of Capitol Police around over a thousand Occupiers rushed the steps of the Supreme Court. There was no way for the police to arrest that many people in a massive act of civil disobedience. The protesters then stood on the steps, cheering and chanting for a few moments, before just as swiftly leaving for the White House.


Had they known what they pulled off by accident was so unusual in the post-9/11 world, they might have stayed longer on the steps of the building where Citizens United was decided, facing arrest and forcing a point about the Court. Instead, the "leaderless" movement traipsed down Pennsylvania Avenue to the current home of President Obama."



On the Ground Report from Occupy Congress 
(via The Atlantic Magazine)

They Only Call It Class War When We Fight Back

"Everything the conservative movement stands for is a massive transfer of wealth and power from the poor and working class to the super rich and their wealthy special interests. They only call it class war when the working class and poor fight back. I plan to fight like hell because my dad wasn't a rich Governor like Romney's dad, my dad was a union carpenter who served in Vietnam, and the fact that my dad paid a higher tax rate than Mitt Romney does is fucking obscene."

I didn't come to start a class war, I came to end one
(via Daily KOS)

Did Psychopaths Take Over Wall Street?

"How do people with such obvious personality flaws make it to the top of seemingly successful corporations? Boddy says psychopaths take advantage of the “relative chaotic nature of the modern corporation,” including “rapid change, constant renewal” and high turnover of “key personnel.” Such circumstances allow them to ascend through a combination of “charm” and “charisma,” which makes “their behaviour invisible” and “makes them appear normal and even to be ideal leaders.”

This reminds me of many people I know who get promoted and hired away to new and better paying jobs. How about you?


Did Psychopaths Take Over Wall Street?
(via Bloomberg)

The Coming War on General Computation

"The last 20 years of Internet policy have been dominated by the copyright war, but the war turns out only to have been a skirmish. The coming century will be dominated by war against the general purpose computer, and the stakes are the freedom, fortune and privacy of the entire human race.

The problem is twofold: first, there is no known general-purpose computer that can execute all the programs we can think of except the naughty ones; second, general-purpose computers have replaced every other device in our world. There are no airplanes, only computers that fly. There are no cars, only computers we sit in. There are no hearing aids, only computers we put in our ears. There are no 3D printers, only computers that drive peripherals. There are no radios, only computers with fast ADCs and DACs and phased-array antennas. Consequently anything you do to "secure" anything with a computer in it ends up undermining the capabilities and security of every other corner of modern human society.

And general purpose computers can cause harm -- whether it's printing out AR15 components, causing mid-air collisions, or snarling traffic. So the number of parties with legitimate grievances against computers are going to continue to multiply, as will the cries to regulate PCs.

The primary regulatory impulse is to use combinations of code-signing and other "trust" mechanisms to create computers that run programs that users can't inspect or terminate, that run without users' consent or knowledge, and that run even when users don't want them to.

The upshot: a world of ubiquitous malware, where everything we do to make things better only makes it worse, where the tools of liberation become tools of oppression.

Our duty and challenge is to devise systems for mitigating the harm of general purpose computing without recourse to spyware, first to keep ourselves safe, and second to keep computers safe from the regulatory impulse."

Cory Doctorow

(via the Chaos Communication Congress - 2011)

Chicago to Outlaw Protest

Here's a free history lesson. Anytime someone in power tells you something is "temporary" or "one time only" call them a liar and immediate begin plans to remove them from office.

"Not even a month has passed since Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, requested that the Chicago city council enact what he termed “temporary” and “one-time only” anti-protest measures in advance of the overlapping NATO and G-8 summits that will be held in the city from May 15-22. During a press conference held on January 4, Emanuel claimed that he “misspoke,” and that many of the proposed antidemocratic ordinances will in fact be permanent."



Proposed Chicago anti-protest laws to become permanent 
 

Republicans Attempt to Stop Students from Voting

"William O’Brien, the speaker of the New Hampshire State House, told a Tea Party group earlier this year that students are “foolish” and tend to “vote their feelings” because they lack life experience. “Voting as a liberal,” he said, “that’s what kids do.” And that’s why, he said, he supported measures to prohibit students from voting from their college addresses and to end same-day registration."

 If you are a student who lives out of state plan early to either vote as an absentee or get your driver's license updated to reflect your local college address before election season 2012.


Keeping College Students From the Polls

CA Occupiers Face Felony Lynching Charges

In a gross perversion of the original intent of anti-lynching laws from the Klu Klux Klan days police in California have begun to charge certain people arrested for peacefully protesting during Occupy rallies with lynching. Yes, that kind of lynching. At what point will the police just drop the pretense and start arresting people for protesting in general?

Occupy Activists Lynching Allegation 
(via MSNBC)

The Mainstream Media Finally Understand SOPA/PIPA

At least it appears the mainstream media has both noticed and recognized the importance of SOPA/PIPA.

SOPA Explained
(via CNN)

Wikipedia goes dark on piracy bill protest day
(via MSNBC)

5 things to know about the SOPA protest
(via FoxNews)

You could be forgiven for thinking this means the fight is over. However, it is much more likely that the fight is just beginning. Now that the 1% has noticed the power of the internet expect future attempts to censor the internet to be more cunning and stealthy.

Stephen Colbert on the NDAA

A blistering critique from Stephen Colbert on the National Defense Authorization Act. Basically the NDAA, which Obama signed into law, makes it legal for the US Military to indefinitely detain anyone, including American Citizens, anywhere in the world, including in the US.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/405274/january-05-2012/the-word---catch-2012 
(via Stephen Colbert)

Waking Up is Hard to Do

Outstanding article about what happens when a society begins to realize that it's been lied to by it's leaders. 

"Today, the issue in the US is corporate dictatorship, while the expression of the same thing in the Arab world is governmental dictatorship --both oppressive structures that serve to eliminate the power of the people.


Historically, times of change in human consciousness--when we re-evaluate the rights and responsibilities that we as people and as nations have to one another--have been complex periods when our core values are tested. This is such a moment in time."

This is a Must Read.

The Painful Process of Awakening a Citizenry 
(via Huffington Post) 

The Difference Betwen Climate and Weather

Great video explaining very simply the difference between climate and weather. Basically it comes down to the difference between "trend" and "variation".

What's the difference between climate and weather? 
(via Think Progress)

Captialism Under Assault by Republicans, According to Rush Limbaugh

If you still think Occupy hasn't accomplished anything take this in for a moment.

"As Rush Limbaugh observed recently, “Here we have capitalism being attacked by Republicans, capitalism under assault by Republicans.” In the face of this assault, one of the GOP’s chief strategists is advising Republicans to stop defending capitalism."

That statement could not possibly have been imagined coming out of el-Rush-bo's mouth prior to Occupy. Add to that the following link to a video of a GOP strategist advising Republicans to no longer defend "Capitalism" and I think my point is made.

 
Republicans Should Not Be Defending Captialism 
(via Think Progress)

A Place to Start

The link below goes to an MSNBC story about a Pew survey that shows that Americans are overwhelmingly conscious of the growing income inequality. While that's a victory in itself it's only the first step. The survey also shows that many people remain confused as to how it got this way and what we should be doing about it (if anything).

This is where you come in. If you're reading this blog you have a head start. Now you need to spread the message as far as you can. Education is our democracy's only hope.

More See Class Conflict Between Rich and Poor 
(via MSNBC)

The Only Thing We Have to Fear...

Violent crime is now lower than it's been since we began recording statistics. You are fantastically unlikely to get killed, or even inconvenienced by a "Terrorist". Yet, the fear of Terrorism and fear of Crime continue to drive our society to make increasingly irrational decisions. 

FDR had it right. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Homicide no longer a top cause of death in the US 
(via MSNBC)

Actual Headline: Seniors in Walkers Shut Down Local Bank of America

Two thoughts on this:


1. What does it say about Occupy that seniors in walkers are upset enough about things to take to the streets?


2. What does it say about the irrational fears of the bankers that a bunch of old people in walkers scared them into shutting their doors?

Seniors in Walkers Shut Down Local Bank of America
(via San Francisco Weekly)

How the US Media Squashes Dissent

Excellent article that shows how the "debate" between Democrats and Republicans leaves out many important voices.


Money Quote:
"The American media deploys a deep and varied arsenal of rhetorical devices in order to marginalise opinions, people and organisations as “outside the mainstream” and therefore not worth listening to. For the most part the people and groups being declaimed belong to the political Left. To take one example, the Green Party – well-organised in all 50 states – is never quoted in newspapers or invited to send a representative to television programmes that purport to present “both sides” of a political issue. (In the United States, “both sides” means the back-and-forth between centre-right Democrats and rightist Republicans.) Marginalisation is the intentional decision to exclude a voice in order to prevent a “dangerous” opinion from gaining currency, to block a politician or movement from becoming more powerful, or both."

How the US Media Squashes Dissent
(via disinfo.com)

Funny Thing About Riots...

Meanwhile in NYC...

In stark contrast to the reasonable response of Auckland PD to the Occupy Movement the NYPD seems perfectly happy to arrest and stifle the press while they arrest peaceful protesters for minor offenses.

The Rules on News Coverage Are Clear, but the Police Keep Pushing

(via The New York Times)

Meanwhile in Auckland...

"In contrast to the Police stance, last week the "Supercity" Council threw the book at protesters, unsuccessfully attempting to have the Court impose 21-day prison sentences for breaches of their by-laws.

I would like to personally congratulate NZ Police for standing up for the rights of all New Zealanders, and doing their part to truly create "Safer Communities Together."

Suzie
Occupy Auckland Media Team"

It doesn't have to be about rules lawyering and dick measuring contests with the local police. It's possible to have a meaningful conversation.

NZ Police Lauded Worldwide for Tolerant Approach to Occupy Auckland
(via Occupy Auckland)

Man Jailed for using Sidewalk Chalk on a Sidewalk

Money Quote:
"Now, If a cop tells me to stop doing something, I'm going to stop. Period.
But here's the thing: Cops don't tell me or anyone else to stop writing with chalk — much less threaten to throw us in jail.
And you, I and Buddy Dyer's spokeswoman all know that.
That's what's the most troublesome about all of this.
This is about an inequitable — and probably inappropriate — application of the law.
You may not care for Osmar's message or Occupy Orlando, but you darn well better care about government selectively or creatively enforcing its laws.
In this country, the rules are supposed to be the same for everyone."


Was this man jailed for disobeying a police order about sidewalk chalk or for his political speech? I'm not sure which answer is more troubling.

Man Jailed for Writing in Chalk on an Orlando Sidewalk
(via Orlando Sentinel)

How Banks Cheat Taxpayers

Another excellent article from Rolling Stone magazine. This time they explain in detail exactly how banks go about stealing from taxpayers.

How banks cheat taxpayers
(via Rolling Stone)

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker faces Total Recall

The campaign to recall union busing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has already collected over 500,000 signatures. Hopefully this will send a strong message to other politicians considering similar anti-union activity.

Walker recall 500k signatures
(via Think Progress)

Occupy Minnesota helps woman stay in her home

Occupy Minnesota is helping a foreclosure victim stay in her home while pressuring her bank to renegotiate her mortgage.

Occupy Minnesota helps woman stay in her home
(via The Raw Story)

American Exceptionalism in One Image

 

(via The Global Sociology Blog)

Obama plans reductions in US Military

Obama is planning to build a smaller, cheaper US Military in the wake of a decade of expensive war fighting. One of the goals listed by Pentagon planners is to aim for a size small enough that we would not be able to fight two extended ground conflicts at the same time. This is the second item of good news to come from Obama this week. Is he just trying to make up for the NDAA or are we seeing the leading edge of a hard core, tough as nails election year strategy?

Obama Unveiling Defense Strategy
(via Huffington Post)

End of the Democracy Pretense

Salon.com writer Glenn Greenwald explores the confusing discrepancy between American foreign policy that says it supports democracy for every nation in the world but then regularly takes actions to suppress democratic movements in other countries. I guess they get democracy as long as they do what we say with it?

End of the pro-democracy pretense

One last post for today

 I'd like to think this indicates progress, however, I fear that this is only drawing the battle lines for a military showdown with Iran.

MSNBC reports: "Screws tighten on Iran
(via MSNBC)

In Case You Thought I Forgot About GoDaddy

"Polis pointed out that SOPA and Smith’s amendment already excluded certain operators of sub-domains, such as GoDaddy.com, from being subject to shutdowns under SOPA.

'If companies like GoDaddy.com are exempt, why aren’t non-commercial domain servers exempt?' Polis asked"

I guess this explains why GoDaddy supported SOPA
(via Talking Points Memo)

So now that we know that what do we do about it? Here is a step by step guide for transferring your domains away from GoDaddy:
(via Jeff Stein)

Still not convinced? Let's try peer pressure. C'mon, join the party! Everyone is doing it!
GoDaddy is begging customers to stay
(via thenextweb.com)

Occupy Wall Street Has Changed The National Conversation

Another day, another paper realizes there's news out in them there streets!

Occupy Wall Street Has Changed The National Conversation
(via Chicago Tribune)

The Top Reasons Wall Street is afraid of Richard Cordray

President Obama has now recess appointed Richard Cordray to be the new official consumer watchdog. Maybe this is a sign that he is going to start turning the ship around?

The top reasons Wall Street is afraid of Richard Cordray
(link goes to The Raw Story)

This seems like a good place to start

The link takes you to an anonymous letter to American parents concerning the Occupy Movement. It was written in the days after Marine Corp Veteran Scott Olsen was shot in the head with a teargas canister during a peaceful protest in Oakland, CA.

It is an honest and emotional appeal to look at the Occupy protesters as what they are, America's children, instead of what they are not (terrorists, cry babies, etc).

To The Mothers And Fathers Of America:
(link goes to High Plains Reader)