Media Blackout for #takewallstreet

Yesterday on Saturday, September 17th, 2011, it's estimated that somewhere between 50,000 and 75,000 United States citizens marched on New York City's Wall Street in a protest loosely organized by the gloabl internet group Anonymous.  Chanting slogan like "Human Needs, Not Corporate Greed" and "People Not Profits," the protesters faced a battalion of NYPD officiers in place by the orders of Mayor Bloomberg.  While this, in itself, is not that surprising, the utter lack of media coverage was.

It has been widely speculated that a mainstream media blackout was called for, both to hinder any who might wish to join the protesters but also to give ample time for consultants to figure out how to put the most negative spin on the event.  As of this writing, (Sunday morning, 6:20am, EST) there have been no reports of violence and few, if any, arrests.  It's believed that not only are a portion of protesters staying put for the time being, but they hope more will come to their aid. 

Much of the protest organization was being directed through Twitter via #occupywallstreet, but it was reported that Twitter blocked that particular tag at some point early Saturday morning.  Not to be undone, #takewallstreet was promptly used as the official replacement, which makes us wonder if such censoring tactics were feared ahead of time.  With as essential a role that Twitter played in the so-called "Arab Spring," it's dishearting to think the same social networking sites would balk at their services being used for peaceful resistances in America.

The following are two videos taken from Saturday's protest.

Find more, live-streaming updates from the protest at...

http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

Believe In This... again.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I hate most conservatives and liberals.  I'm going to have to start marking that box listed as "other," and then writing in Transcendental Existentialist - which in itself is an oxymoron.  To (once again) explain where I'm coming from, you can attempt to wrap your head around the statements below...

I believe in everything, I will give it all the benefit of doubt.

I believe the only constant in this reality is change.

I believe the universe is little more than chaos, and we should find the beauty in that.

I believe all that truly matters for our children is a better tomorrow at any cost.

I believe morality is only a matter of personal taste based upon limited criteria.

I believe I am a grain of sand on an infinite beach and that gives me comfort.

I believe too many humans fear death, instead of embracing the last grand adventure.

I believe in fluid variables and not in absolute concepts.

I believe arrogance & ignorance is too often mistaken for wisdom & experience.

I believe humanity has the spark of divinity within itself, and that is enough.

I believe the lowest common denominator should not be catered to.

I believe race, gender & sexual orientation are not chosen and therefore not a concern.

I believe that faith leads to dogma and that dogma leads to zealotry.

I believe the legacy we leave is more important than what we have today.

I believe the majority opinion is irrelevant as the majority represents the average.

I believe those who have suffered are stronger than the pampered.

I believe conservative thought is nothing but a gilded lie.

I believe liberal thought leads us down a ridiculous path.

I believe the “Old Ways” must always die to make room for the new.

I believe in unity and globalization, but not controlled by banks and corporations.

I believe humans are the sum of many variables & should not define themselves by one.

I believe the universe we reside in is malleable and not immutable.

I believe in the true freedom of choice and not choosing anything is still a choice.

I believe nothing should be taboo and nothing should be sacred.

I believe the human capacity to imagine is greater than science and religion combined.

I believe the concept of “Rights” to be man-made and quite presumptuous.

I do not believe in belief, I believe in theories.  Theories can evolve and change.

My Only 3 Observations on this Royal Wedding Nonsense

#1 - Kate Middleton is way hotter than Diana was.

#2 - American citizens seem a lil' too concerned about what British Royalty is up to.

#3 - I wouldn't be shocked if Prince William said "Fuck This," and eloped with his chick somewhere on Friday.

okay, back to not caring again now...

Book Burning Protest...

So, I'm thinking of building a small bonfire in my backyard.  I'll start with copies of the Qur'an, the King James Bibles and the Torah.  A few copies of the Tao Te Ching and Bhagavad Gita, too.  Then, just to shake things up, a copy of Darwin's On The Origin Of Species and Hawking's A Brief History Of Time.  Maybe the complete works of Aristotle and Shakespeare for good measure.  Oh, then just for ironic humor, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. 

I'll roast marshmallows.  Mmmm... maybe even make s'mores!

We're bigger than this, people.  We're better than this.  All of us.  Everyone needs to stop acting like unruly, reactionary children.  It's the 21st century; stop disappointing me.

The Insatiable Greed of the GOP

How is it that no one is standing up against the insatiable greed of the GOP?  Is the American public really that obsessed with its Reality TV, Android Phones and Charlie Sheen antics that nobody is paying attention?  Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised.  The largest viewing audience ever recorded in the United States was watching that last Super Bowl while a massive, world-changing revolution was occurring in Egypt. 

I have stated this many times over the years – “There are only two types of Republicans; the Ignorant and the Arrogant.”  For the last few years, I felt like the first group presented the greatest danger.  These are the under-educated religious fanatics who would strip away all of our rights to see us live under a Theocracy.  Quite similar to the dreaded Taliban, these homegrown fundamentalists simply replace Mohammed with Jesus.  Either group would joyfully murder many innocent people, using the term “Infidel” or “Sinner” interchangeably.  Still…

We all knew Ex-VP Dick Cheney was a crook.  However, his practices seem to have embolden this new empire of elitists, wealthy WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) who feel they deserve the failing, feeble status quo to remain in check.  This faction, the Arrogant, are not motivated by religious zealotry or even tyrannical domination.  It’s not lust, gluttony, envy or anything so mundane.  No, it’s sheer and utter greed.

200 years ago, a rich man was so because he had $100,000, while a pauper was broke.  Today, here in the 21st century, a rich man is so because he has 1,000,000,000, while a pauper (we call them homeless now) is still broke.  This is what happens when we allow an experimental capitalism to run wild and unchecked.  The disparity between the wealthy and poor is greater, the far higher amount of poor almost incalculable. Businesses have become corporations, and corporations now control the world.  While I believe in a theoretical Global Union, I do NOT believe in one run according to The World Bank and the IMF. 

But let’s back up…

Right now the GOP is attacking the unions.  They’ll give all types of excuses, but ultimately it’s because, without unions, big business will be able to underpay and mistreat workers.  It’s true, unions shouldn’t have to exist in the 21st century.  But the Republicans, so quick to scream about patriotism, are tired of sending manufacturing jobs to starving brown children in other countries.  See, the GOP would prefer those kids to die.  They want your kids, here in the good ‘ol US of A to manufacture all that stuff for 10 hours a day.  It’s their patriotic duty, of course!  (the kids of brown citizens must work unpaid overtime)

What, you think I’m joking?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/14/944565/-Now-Republicans-want-to-repeal-child-labor-laws/

And why, you ask?  So those rich WASPs can swim around in their piles of money like Scrooge McDuck did in old Disney cartoons.  Seriously, they truly believe that idiotic old slogan from the 1980’s, “He Who Dies With The Most Toys, Wins!”  Capitalist greed at it’s finest, folks. 

Take out any morality issues you may have.  Remove the religion equation for just a moment, if possible.  If you support the Republican Party, then why?  If it’s not for some moral belief (because we won’t discuss how many times Rush Limbaugh has been divorced here), then it’s because of financial reasons.  You are under the delusion that the GOP is fiscally responsible.  Why, because capitalism and corporations are the answer?  Is that really the “American Dream?”  To make a butt-load of money by crushing your neighbors so that you can buy a lot of meaningless stuff?  Thanks, I’ll pass. 

Oh, and stop talking about the Constitution and our country’s forefathers.  It’s not the Bible, and the Bible’s just a book that’s been translated more times that anyone can count.  Jefferson and his gang weren’t able to see into the future, they were not infallible, and Benny Franklin would probably smack us for having hammered out fifty freakin’ states.  Of course, with that said, a majority of the GOP would love to enslave non-whites again and take away women’s freedoms.  But not for any religious reasons, necessarily. 

No, that would just mean a ton more money for them.

Social Anarchy for a Solution

Those seeking to promote political anarchy are both juvenile and uneducated.  Social anarchy, however, is a worthwhile pursuit.  Nothing sacred, nothing taboo.  If this unlikely result could be achieved, there would be no need to argue political issues.  One must address the root of the infection, the very nature of a diseased culture itself, instead of waiting to mutilate the decaying and offensive parts.

Freedom VS. Football

A record number of Americans tuned in Sunday night for a footbal game, while across the world in the Egypt, citizens fought for their freedoms.  Consider that for a moment.  The Neilson Co. estimates 111 million viewers watched Super Bowl XLV.  I wonder how many protesters in Cairo took time out from trying to topple Mubarak's regime to watch the game?  Don't you hate it when totalitarian despots get in the way of sporting events?

Let's be honest - Sunday's game was a time for the American people to relax with friends and family, watch a few hours of TV and eat a bunch of food.  However, a good deal of our brother and sisters in this global village don't get that, didn't see that real reason behind that 111 million viewership, and only see a willful ignorance backed by capitalist greed.  They see grown men getting ridiculously overpaid to play games in a single country (unlike the actual world sport of soccer) and commercials touting luxury cars.  This is the skewed image of America much of the world has, because no where else could that number of people kick back to watch a football game. 

However, there doesn't seem to be any consensus on what we should be doing.

Some have called the situation in Egypt the first "Internet Revolution."  Protesters are keeping in touch on Twitter, connecting with their families on Facebook, and showing the world what's really happening on YouTube.  An Egyptian executive for Google, Wael Ghonim, had been detained for over a week for the part he played in organizing the protesters.  These are all people who are - literally - putting their lives on the line for a better tomorrow, a better future for their children.  They are not trained soldiers; they are electrcians who have helped others find lines to access the internet, plumbers who have repaired the bathrooms near  Tahrir Square, and doctors tending to those wounded by Mubarak's paid supporters. 

So here's what we should be doing. 

We can watch our football games.  We can watch our dim-witted reality TV and our Hollywood blockbusters.  We can bitch about the price of oil, even though we really don't get any from Egypt and the protesters are Pro-American, so the Suez Canal isn't an issue.  We can yap about political parties and religious differences and economic struggles and whatever else pops up into our brains.  But let's try to remember how a bunch of our country's ancestors gathered around in silly wigs to fight oppression so that we have the ability to whine and be lazy today...

... and give the protesters in Egypt our support, and keep them in our thoughts.  If only during the commercials.