I Spy, You Spy, They Spy (October 28, 2013)

Posted in Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Cyberactivities, Due Process, FISA, Google, Government Regulation, National Defense Authorization Act / FY 2012, Perjury, Perjury/Dishonesty, Privacy, USA PATRIOT Act on October 28, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

A          “Remember back in the halcyon days of 2002 when everyone proclaimed that surely the government was not spying on fellow Americans.”

B          “September 11, 2001 may have been the pivotal day.  Ineptitude and incompetence gave way to fear and folly.  Increased spying is no surprise.  And yet now everyone is surprised.”

A          “And I was deemed paranoid because I knew they were gathering data on us.”

B          “It is not paranoia if they are really after you.”

A          “They were after us.  Every instinct informed me that we were being monitored.”

B          “So many government officials in the know knowingly lied in various forums including some under oath and averred that there was no spying.  Many of those who testified agreed to tell ‘the whole truth’ and did not tell the whole truth.”

A          “I realize that we as a people have always been placing an ear up to a door to snatch a snippet of conversation, yet now there are no restraints.”

. . .

A/B       “Are we safer?”

. . .

Bumper sticker of the week:

“Snowden is a traitor.  Stop spying on me.”

The Boycott App (October 21, 2013)

Posted in Boycott Series on October 21, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

1          “A boycott is a way of doing something more than just stewing or whining.  Stand for something; join a sit-in.”

2          “A boycott is about personal responsibility in action rather than inaction.”

1          “Boycotting one thing usually means supporting another thing.  We should boycott everything from “water” to “food” to “banks.”  Boycott “Facebook” and “Red America” and “America” itself.  And of course, AM (Anger Mongering) Radio.” 

2          “Accurate information is the key and the great challenge.”

1          “And of course boycott the Olympic boycott.  Check out the Buycott application at http://www.buycott.com/.  Other sites may provide more perspective.”

2          “Dollars are votes in the marketplace.  Provide accurate information and let the individual decide.” 

. . .

[See the “e-ssays” at Boycott Water (March 23, 2009), Boycott Food? On National Food Day? (October 24, 2011), Boycott Big Banks (February 1, 2010), Boycott Big Banks – Vote Your Dollars (November 21, 2011), Boycott Facebook? (August 2, 2010), Boycott Red America (January 3, 2005), Europe: Boycott America (Sept. 28, 2009), Boycott (Advertisers On) AM (Anger Mongering) Radio (March 5, 2011), Boycott The Olympic Boycott (August 12, 2013), The Dow Is The Canary (April 26, 2010), and Celebrate Virginia’s “Celebrate Slavery Month” (April 12, 2010).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Boycott and buycott

Boycott today!

Girlcott?

Columbus And The Redskins (October 14, 2013)

Posted in Awards / Incentives, Consumerism, Economics Nobel, Football, Race, Sports on October 14, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

1          “Columbus Day lands at a fortuitous time between Labor Day and Veteran’s Day and keeps the steady cycle of holidays and spending sprees rolling along.”

2          “The summer, 2014 lines of consumer goods and bads have already been rolled out at a few malls.”

1          “We are mauled at the malls.  And the day arrives just in time for the great debate over the team’s name.”

2          “The name is not used disparagingly.  The name is part of the tradition and history and culture of the team.  Leave it.  Address real problems.”

1          “Western man invaded the continent and used a great Zamboni moving from east to west to scrape the Natives off their land and deposit them on patches of unproductive dirt.  And then we use a term to refer to the dispossessed that is not endearing.”

2          “And introduced germs and genocide.  And grew the gross domestic product of the newly formed United States of America by stealing land from the Red man and liberty from the Black man.  All true and all troubling.  Yet the name is positive in context and has positive connotations in practice.” 

1          “The individuals who dislike the use of the name are organized and zealous.  Those who like or tolerate the name are not organized and may not be as passionate.  The vocal group will compel a change in the next few years.”

2          “Seems to me that we need to pause, catch our breath and reflect on what really matters.”

. . .

[See the “e-ssay” titled Skip the Nobel in Economics? (Oct. 6, 2009) for its continuing relevance to today’s announcement.]

[See the “e-ssays” titled The First Look At The “Second Political Party” (January 3, 2011) and Immanentize The Eschaton: Move To Sunny Somalia (December 20, 2010) for some perspective on the current global political climate change.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Go Redskins

Go Skins

Immanentizing The Eschaton: Your Supreme Court And The Great Religious War (October 7, 2013)

Posted in Courts, First Monday In October, Immanentizing The Eschaton, Journalism, Judges, Judicial Arrogance, Law, Newspapers, Supreme Court on October 7, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

L1        “The Supreme Court is engaged in a war between those who do not want to allow others to immanentize the eschaton and those who do want to allow others to immanentize the eschaton.”

L2        “I’ve said that many times.  The five rich White boys – Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Kennedy – have already immanentized the eschaton and do not want anyone else except those like them to immanentize the eschaton.”

L1        “They are the Catholic Squad.”

L2        “And the four others also have immanentized the eschaton and yet do want everyone else to be able to immanentize the eschaton.”

L1        “Exactly.  They are the Jewish Squad.  Sotamayer developed concern for the health and welfare of others in her youth and did not immanentize the eschaton until adulthood, so she caucuses with the Jewish Squad.  The Jewish “Big E” Eschaton itself shapes the attitude toward its immanentization.  This life may not be a dress rehearsal.”

L2        “At core, the war at the Supreme Court really is a great religious war.”

. . .

L1        “They are out in left field honing their short game.”

L2        “Yet there are some Catholics who do want to allow others to immanentize the eschaton.  Just none of the current Supreme Beings.”

. . .

[See the other “e-ssays” in the “First Tuesday In October” series at https://e-commentary.org/category/first-monday-in-october/.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

“In a recent series of Pushitzer prize winning articles, ‘El Diablo Times Bugle Leader Follower Post Pre Clarion’ reports that after each one took of them took the ultimate senior status and appeared before an even more Supreme Being, Johnny, Tony, Clarence, Sammy and Tony II each were sent straight to the mines with no health or safety apparatus, no lunch breaks, no overtime pay, no air conditioning and no law clerks – none – to bail them out.”

. . .

“Your surprise is not surprising.  We see that reaction all the time.”  “As you know, we did not even entertain the existence of such an ultimate reality.  And a room with a view and room service.  Just because we lead a virtuous life.”  “Indeed.  Really, it’s quite simple.  From our perspective, we look at how you live your life not what you profess to believe.  And perforce, as you know, we know everything.”

‘Romney – Negro Care’ Is Back In The News. Again. (September 30, 2013)

Posted in Health Care, O'Bama, Race, Tea Party on September 30, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

1          “The hatred is so virulent.”

2          “And all because a Black guy is trying to stay the impact of viruses.”

1          “Hate and fear; hate and fear; hate and fear; hate and fear.  The overriding fear is that ‘Romney – O’Bama Care’ will work.”

2          “The hatred and fear is implicitly endorsed by so many of the folks described as mainstream commentators who do not discuss what is really at play.”

1          “Life is usually just high school writ large.  The Tea Party types and their ilk in the Republican Party have regressed through high school back to kindergarten.  Kindergarten writ small.  Spoiled little children who need to be spanked lovingly and sent to the time out room.”

2          “The Constitution does establish minimum age requirements to serve in the House and the Senate.”

1          “They only look at the date of birth rather than intellectual and emotional maturity.  When it is called ‘Obamacare,’ there is some resistance, but when it is called the ‘Affordable Care Act,’ there is great interest.”

2          “That is why the Tea Partiers would like to call it ‘N-word Care.’”

. . .

1          “No Republican voted for the Affordable Care Act.  Their votes were recorded and given full force and effect.  They lost.  The Act passed muster before the Republican-controlled Supreme Court.  The Republican members of the House have taken more that forty votes to repeal the legislation.  The Senate provides the mature insight.  It is settled for now.”

2          “The Republicans condemned the employer mandate and then condemned O’Bama for deferring the employer mandate for a year.  Dishonest or hypocritical?”

1          “And the Republican commentators who are now condemning O’Bama for exercising too much power reversed their notions of constitutional law and presidential power the day O’Bama was inaugurated.  Seems dishonest and hypocritical to me.”

. . .

Bumper stickers of the week:

Bark more, Wag less.  Right?

Destroying the Republic to save the Republic.

If O’Bama proposed a bill to advance motherhood, the Tea Party would attack it.

The Paradox Of The Republican Federal Judge: Republican Federal Judge Syndrome (September 23, 2013)

Posted in Courts, Judges, Law, Politics, Republican Federal Judge Syndrome on September 23, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

L1        “They spend their Saturday nights dutifully licking and sealing envelopes containing missives condemning the government on behalf of the Republican Party, then get their coveted federal judgeship, and then spend their career granting every motion and request for relief filed by any government agency or large institution to the detriment of the public and/or an individual.”

L2        “The vexing ‘Paradox of the Republican Federal Judge.’  The Republican Federal Judge condemns the government to get there and represents the government once there.  Leaves you wondering if we could save money by appointing one person to be the U.S. Attorney General and the Federal Judge.”

L1        “In a dispute between an individual and the government, the Republican Federal Judge sides with the government.  In a dispute between an individual and the police, the Republican Federal Judge sides with the police.  In a dispute between an individual and an insurance company, the Republican Federal Judge sides with the insurance company.  In a dispute between an individual and a bank, the Republican Federal Judge sides with the bank.  In a dispute between an individual and a large corporation, the Republican Federal Judge sides with the large corporation.

L2        “I’ve seen that side in practice.”

. . .

L1        “He didn’t even sense the irony of his circumstance.  He supported and financed the Republican Senator who nominated the Republican Federal Judge appointed by the Republican President who could not wait for the Republican U.S. Attorney nominated by the Republican Senator and appointed by the Republican President to file a motion to deny relief to him and assess fees against him in his dispute with the gov-mint.”

L2        “Republican Federal Judge Syndrome.  So many of them are RFJS-Positive.  You can still blame it on the Democrats.”

. . .

[And then there are the exceptions.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/us/judge-blocks-north-dakota-abortion-restrictions.html?_r=0 and http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/21/education/21evolution.html?pagewanted=all.]

[See the “e-ssay titled “You’re fired. Sue me.” (August 13, 2012).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

The law serves the wealthy and well-connected.  At every opportunity.

September 15, 2008 – The Date That Should Live In Infamy (September 16, 2013)

Posted in Bailout/Bribe, Banks and Banking System, Economics, Federal Reserve, Kleptocracy, Occupy Movement on September 16, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C          “Five years ago in the morn, Senator McCain, the pundits and the powerful proclaimed that the fundamentals of the economy were sound.”

D          “Didn’t seem that way to me then.  Doesn’t seem that way to me now.”

C          “Didn’t seem that way even to them in the afternoon.  Those running the game realized that the hollow economy could not be propped up with lies and smoke and mirrors.  September 15 is the date that should live in infamy.”

D          “If market forces had been allowed to continue without the TARP and other interventions, the current generation would have endured its excesses rather than heaping them on the younger generations.”

. . .

C          “And two years since the emergence of the Occupy movement.  The folks shared a concern that something is wrong with the economic and political game even if they could not explain the problems or advance the solutions.”

. . .

D          “No one has ever audited the Federal Reserve.”

C          “Some companies claim to have paid back some of the government loans, but who really knows.”

D          “No one has ever been prosecuted except a few unconnected fools and Madoff who made the mistake of purloining from the powerful.”

. . .

C          “The Dow’s new highs are a sign of peril not of promise.  As long as the Federal Reserve keeps fabricating phony funds, the Dow will keep providing phony figures.”

. . .

C          “All the counterparty agreements are essentially insurance policies.  An insurance company is required by law to provide adequate reserves to satisfy possible claims.  Every concerned citizen should have reservations about an insurance scheme with no regulation or even reserves.”

D          “Insurance companies have historically been regulated by states.  The most likely state to regulate the financial industry – New York – has no incentive to regulate and every incentive to allow unregulated criminality.  New York is profiting handsomely from the criminality,”

C          “Laissez faire, they say.  Those in power are too lazy to create a fair economic system.”

D          “The same old same old.”

C          “The same old same old.”

D          “The same old same old is getting old.”

. . .

[See the “e-ssays” under the Category “TARP” at https://e-commentary.org/category/tarp/ and any of a few dozen “e-ssays” presented in the last nine years on the economy.  See the “e-ssays” under the Category “Occupy Movement” at https://e-commentary.org/category/occupy-movement/.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

A system that cannot go on forever will not go on forever.

“Twenty-five years ago, I worked there during the summers for $7 an hour and now my son works there part-time for $7.75 an hour.”

Tea Party And Innocence Project Form ‘Liberty Alliance’ (September 9, 2013)

Posted in Civil War, Crime/Punishment, Hypocrisy, Law, Prison/Criminology, Tea Party on September 9, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C1        “The ‘Liberty Alliance’ is so natural.  A political group concerned with liberty aligns with a judicial group also concerned with liberty.”

C2        “The Tea Party and the Innocence Project concluded a Memorandum of Understanding to advance and promote liberty.”

. . .

C1       “Breaking news.  The Young Americans for Freedom voted to join the ‘Liberty Alliance’ today.”

. . .

C1        “Braking News.  Some members of the Tea Party demanded that the ‘Liberty Alliance’ seek liberty and freedom for Whites only.”

C2        “There is always a catch.”

. . .

C1        “More Heart Breaking News.  Some members of the Young Americans for Freedom demanded that the ‘Liberty Alliance’ seek liberty and freedom for Whites only.”

C2        “It’s catching but not catchy.”

. . .

This article must be revised to reflect the following correction:

Neither the Tea Party nor the Young Americans for Freedom has formed an alliance with the Innocence Project.

. . .

[See the website of the Innocence Project at http://www.innocenceproject.org/ and the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/us/justice-dept-seeks-to-curtail-stiff-drug-sentences.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Don’t tread on me [yes you a corrupt and expensive and inefficient and inequitable criminal justice system.]

Even if you don’t do the crime, you may do the time.

Foot Longs and Football (September 2, 2013)

Posted in Football, Fracking, Health Care, Perjury, Perjury/Dishonesty, Pogo Plight, Society, Sports on September 2, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

F1        “One is bad for us and the other is bad for them.”

F2        “How about hot dog buns and pig skin antics.  Today’s version of bread and circuses.”

F1        “The fans poison themselves in the stands while the combatants bang their heads on the field.”

F2        “And on the heads of their opponents.”

F1       “Those who make it to the top have been pummeled for years if not decades and performed on Friday nights and then Saturday afternoons and then all day on Sunday.”

F2         “And on Monday and Thursday and Wednesday and Tuesday.”

. . .

F1       “America was about education, now it is about revenue sports.  Two sports are the revenue sports in high school, in college and in the prose.”

F2        “College combatants do not even receive workmens’ compensation insurance coverage while on the job let alone a share of the profits.  We celebrate Labor Day but do not reward them for their labor.”

. . .

F2        “The NFL executives testified before Congress in 2009, under oath as always, that repeated head contact by players has not been shown to lead to brain injury.  One representative, Linda Sánchez, noted that their testimony is the same as the tobacco company executives denying the link between smoking and lung disease.”

F1        “Every generation can be defined by its Big Lie.”

F2        “The danger from fracking also may be our generations’ Big Lie.” 

. . .

F1        “There are rumors of a legal settlement with a gang of retired gladiators who are suffering all manner of predictable maladies.  Most settlements include a provision enjoining future violations, but the games go on.” 

. . .

[See the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/sports/football/29hearing.html.] 

[See the “e-ssay” titled Gettin’ Health Risks Right (June 25, 2012) discussing the Big Lies of past generations.]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Play ball

Syria: Gas and Fog (August 26, 2013)

Posted in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Military, Vietnam on August 26, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C1        “There are times when a line in the sand is one side of a box you build around yourself.”

C2        “When you have someone trapped in a corner, you are also in a corner.  For centuries, nations have outlawed going to war and then regularly gone to war.  For one hundred years, all civilized nations have banned the use of poison gas and very few nations have used poison gas.”

C1        “But what if all the nations decide not to go to war against a nation that or individual who uses poison gas?”

. . .

C1        “I was against attacking Iraq and against attacking Afghanistan and am still against attacking Iran.”

C2        “And you were also against attacking Vietnam at a very young age.”

C1        “I don’t see this proposed attack as in our national interest.  Once again, the draft dodgers and neo-cons want to get America involved in another ill-conceived war to serve their individual interests.  Let them commit their sons and daughters first.”

C2        “They are beating the drums of war and drowning out the guitars of peace.”

. . .

[See the “e-ssay” titled The Drums of War (February 20, 2012)”]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Bombs away

We will get fooled again

It is time to draw the line on drawing lines