Originally published at http://handthatfeedsyou.blogspot.com
Welcome to Kochistan part 2. The Women of Kochistan.
The other day my daughter came in from the back porch to tell me there were two ladies outside—and she had no idea what they wanted. Having some idea, I wiped my hands on my apron and came out onto the [...]
Previously published at touchthehandthatfeedsyou@yahoo.com
Monday, March 28, 2011
Welcome to Kochistan Part 1 -
Like many people, I have been increasingly alarmed by the political shifts in my native USA during my adult lifetime. My first vote was against Ronald Reagan in 1984, and by my standards things [...]
Originally published at “The Hand That Feeds You”
Once upon a time, people sought to educate themselves with news. For founding father Thomas Jefferson, an educated public was seen as key to a functional democratic society. Yet education can be a slippery concept in today’s media. Corporate interests and billionaires invest heavily in [...]
Originally published at The Hand That Feeds You
The “liberal/conservative” divide in current culture is a division of identity not a division of actual opinion on policy. And it is fake. This divide was manufactured in the boardrooms of corporate owned media for the benefit of a tiny minority of billionaires.
The identity divide is [...]
The once mighty US economy remains in deep and dangerous waters. Although the markets have largely recovered from the “Great Recession” the general public remains wary and depressed, which is potentially bad for business. It is also a political minefield. Unemployment floats around 10 % by official standards, closer to 20% if one includes those [...]
It is Wednesday night and I should be in bed but instead I’m at the computer, wondering about those of my friends that are at this moment, trying to figure out when and how they are headed to Wisconsin. Governor Walker just rammed thru the union busting bill without any democrats present in a tricky [...]
Wow. Monday night I watched “The Corporation”. It has taken me a few days to respond. By all means, go out and rent or stream this movie. Yes, some might feel it suffers from the brittle quality a lot of left-leaning media presentations are prone to. But watch it anyway.
It starts out with a [...]
Labor has been much on my mind for a long time, but since the Uprising in the Middle East, the past few weeks have actually been encouraging. Thanks to the people of Wisconsin, perhaps with some inspiration from the British, Americans now have a rallying point against the onslaught of the next [...]
In the news today:
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/miscarriage-death-penalty-georgia
Abortion is a difficult topic. For one thing, it is stigmatized, so very few people are willing to share their personal experiences with abortion. This fact skews the conversation into being one about other people, rather than about ourselves. In addition, abortion is the Grand Canyon of the identity [...]
Lately it seems to me that people are finally waking to the fact that our Democratic Republic has been utterly hijacked by plutocrats. Big business has been very organized and effective at using their money to ensure that our elected representatives act in their interest, rather than the interest of the middle class.
This is [...]
Currently viewing the category:
"Human Rights"
Gift From The Taliban
The very worst things that happen to us may well hold the keys to our destiny. Life is often a difficult teacher. The pain of our crises might feel unbearable, especially if we are wronged and see ourselves as victims of injustice. Of course the pain of recognizing our own responsibility in our personal dramas can be devastating too. Yet an unflinc ...Looking to Biology for Good Ideas
Here’s a thought. Let’s look at the miracles around us–the functional biological system–for ideas on how to organize energy use, economies, and other–dare I say it?–living systems we are imbeded in. 00
Reason for Hope?
Thank you, Tara Lohan for some reasons to hope. Heaven knows we need them. 00
Taking Back Our Delusional Democracy: part 2
So I finally finished Joel Hirschhorn’s Delusional Democracy a few weeks ago. Been trying to synthesize it. Essentially his plan for returning democracy to the United States involves launching a third party into existence—with a platform of returning government to the people. This, in his view, has the potential of uniting the underreprese ...
The True Cost of Minimum Wages: $49/year?
You know the argument that if big companies like Wal Mart paid good wages or paid taxes that everyone would suffer rising prices and there would be inevitable job losses? A new study shows this argument is crap. 00
Can you light your tap water on fire? Gasland, the movie.
Not long ago, a friend asked me if I had seen Gasland by Josh Fox—wondered what I thought of it. So I watched it. Amazing—beautiful film. Disturbing, of course. It is a documentary about the natural gas ind ustry and what happens when they take the gas out of the ground. The process is called hydraulic fracture, or fracking. Basically ...
UK Uncut Provides Model for Action
Well. This might be a good model for “open source protest”. We need some kind of map. UK Uncut Article on Alternet.org 00
Raise. Taxes. Dammit.
Thank you Grey–this, exactly is what we need to be saying. Over and over and over. http://handthatfeedsyou.blogspot.com/2011/04/raise-taxes-dammit.html 00
The Mortgage Crisis Dwarfs Almost Everything
Just in case you had forgotten this, or have become distracted by wars and nuclear accidents and such, this is still really happening. And we are framing it THE WRONG WAY. Wake up, people. The GOP is NOT being fiscally responsible. They are stealing. From us. Big. http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011031331/time-you-read-why-mortgag ...
When Facts Are Not Enough–Treating Mass Psychosis
Useful thoughts on the limited value of facts when trying to persuade or inspire…. http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/when-facts-are-not-enough-treating-mass-psychosis 00
