c-rational
c-rational's JournalHow could we be caught so flat footed. Those in charge of security need to account.
We need to hold trials for treason, and all those individuals that are inside the capital doing damage and holding hostages of elected officials need to face the real rule of law.
A poem that I (re)found today - tis good to remember, especially in these times.
I am not I.
I am this one
walking beside me whom I do not see,
whom at times I manage to visit,
and whom at other times I forget;
who remains calm and silent while I talk,
and forgives, gently, when I hate,
who walks where I am not,
who will remain standing when I die.
Juan Ramon Hernandez (1881-1958)
Spanish Poet
How we got here- wealth inequality.
A good article from the NYT's - "The Neoliberal Looting of America", and how disconnected our Main Street economy is from Wall Street.
“It’s hard to separate what’s good for the United States and what’s good for Bank of America,” said its former chief executive, Ken Lewis, in 2009. That was hardly true at the time, but the current crisis has revealed that the health of the finance industry and stock market are completely disconnected from the actual financial health of the American people. As inequality, unemployment and evictions climb, the Dow Jones surges right alongside them — one line compounding suffering, the other compounding returns for investors.
One reason is that an ideological coup quietly transformed our society over the last 50 years, raising the fortunes of the financial economy — and its agents like private equity firms — at the expense of the real economy experienced by most Americans.
The roots of this intellectual takeover can be traced to a backlash against socialism in Cold War Europe. Austrian School economist Friedrich A. Hayek was perhaps the most influential leader of that movement, decrying governments who chased “the mirage of social justice.” Only free markets can allocate resources fairly and reward individuals based on what they deserve, reasoned Hayek. The ideology — known as neoliberalism — was especially potent because it disguised itself as a neutral statement of economics rather than just another theory. Only unfettered markets, the theory argued, could ensure justice and freedom because only the profit motive could dispassionately pick winners and losers based on their contribution to the economy."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/02/opinion/private-equity-inequality.html?referringSource=articleShare
Message to all MAGAT's who so want their freedom to go about daily life without a face mask.
True Freedom is Borne of Discipline. What is so hard about understanding that. You do not have the right to take my life or health away because your are mentally challenged.
A Good Question and Quote of the Day.
"How much 'ego' do you need? Just enough so that you don' step in front of a bus."
Shunryu Suzuki 1904-1971
Japanese Zen Monk
Added on edit - I have said of late that any person running for public office should be able to define the ego. If they cannot they are not eligible. i like Eckhardt Tolle's definition - the ego is that part of your mind that allows you to believe you are separate from others. Another good definition I have heard is that ego is the 'original sin.' Understanding this would allow for better relationships between people and as important our environment.
Good quote I read this morning.
"The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.” by the French philosopher Montesquieu 1748:
Where is the outrage. I met a contractor on a construction site Thursday and we spoke politics. He knows my stance and says I bring facts to the table. I told him we are loosing our democracy and becoming a fascist state. Not even a shrug with continued smile. He stated that Dems blew the impeachment. I asked how and he tells me by not allowing any reThugs in the room when witnesses were questioned. Whoa really. I tell him that is patently false, and where did he hear that - he say he watched the hearings. Unlikely I said. He accepts what I say but there is no concern at all. How true this is, multiplied by millions.
Is there a new format or am I noticing things?
Since about yesterday, I have noted a long Facebook 'like' tab at the bottom of each post.. Is this new, and if so, why should Facebook be given such attention?
In the scheme of things today this may be trivial, however I have never been a fan of facebook (or joined) and generally believe it has not been good for society, although I appreciate it has helped many people in small businesses and families stay in touch.
A concerning text I received from my gardener friend.
Found this on Twitter: Posted by a teacher in Paris named Ben See.
Source web site is ecological-emergency.org
1. Global crop failures hit at 1.5- 2°C.
2. Billions die at 3°C.
3. Most humans dead at 4°C.
4. Earth uninhabitable at 6°C.
5. We're heading for 1.5°C by 2025.
6. We're heading for 2°C by 2035.
7. We're heading for 4- 6°C by 2075.
And this morning in the Washington Post an article on whether the tipping point has been reached in the Amazon.
We humans may be an 'intelligent' species but we as a whole are a stupid lot at times. Where is our Leadership?
I posted this yesterday in the General Discussion Group and it was suggested I cross post here for checking. As a civil environmental engineer with an undergraduate degree in civil-environmental engineering and a masters degree in environmental engineering and decades of experience (many on the design and construction of municipal water pollution control plants or mathematical modelling of natural systems), I do find these numbers realistic and compelling. I do not know why they are not being shouted from the rooftops. Also, just personal observations of the changes in our environment over the last several decades give me pause. I made a point of visiting coral reefs in 2012 because I do believe no matter what we do at this point they will not be with us in 2050. Most just do not recognize what that loss will mean to the planet.
A concerning text I received last evening from my gardener friend:
Found this on Twitter: Posted by a teacher in Paris named Ben See.
Source web site is ecological-emergency.org
1. Global crop failures hit at 1.5- 2°C.
2. Billions die at 3°C.
3. Most humans dead at 4°C.
4. Earth uninhabitable at 6°C.
5. We're heading for 1.5°C by 2025.
6. We're heading for 2°C by 2035.
7. We're heading for 4- 6°C by 2075.
And this morning in the Washington Post an article on whether the tipping point has been reached in the Amazon.
We humans may be an 'intelligent' species but we as a whole are a stupid lot at times. Where is our Leadership?
A good article in the Guardian - Make no mistake - Medicare for All would cut taxes for most
Americans.
It is hard to get this point across in a 30 second sound bite, especially with our corporate media. I got this link from my friend the philosophy gardener. A good read.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/25/medicare-for-all-taxes-saez-zucman?CMP=Share iOSApp Other
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