Category Archives: civil rights

The reality of austerity

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This will be coming our way if something isn’t done.

Group Hatred towards women

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Stoning of women by a group continues in many countries.  Be sure to click on the link to the Independent–many countries and religions practiced this barbaric ritual–not just followers of Islam.

Again, the culture is the problem–women not seen as equals, but sub-human.  And while I’m reading these stories, I’m wondering why the men who also “committed adultery” are not also stoned??  The article goes on to say that men are stoned, but are buried up to their waists, to allow them to escape, while women are buried up to their chests.

And just because women are not stoned in other cultures does not relieve them of other ways of “stoning” a woman–by words and actions of derogatory nature.

The Cyrus/Thicke misogyny comes to mind.  I admire Gloria Steinem for her work on women’s equality, but disagree with her sentiments on Cyrus.  As she speaks in the video, saying that it’s too bad that we have to be nearly naked to be noticed, I’m wondering WTH?  Gloria knows what it feels like to be degraded as a Playboy bunny.  She says we need to change the culture….and I’m thinking the misogyny in the media is a huge part of the problem!!  Therefore, Cyrus and Thicke are reinforcing misogyny. 

The importance of Education **edited

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If anyone ever doubted the significance of an education, perhaps Malala’s story and her passion can cast all doubt aside that fighting for the United States public education system is worth it.  It’s for the poor. It’s for the middle class.  And, as Malala so aptly points out–an education is what keeps women from being imprisoned (either emotionally or physically).

**edited to put just the clip of Malala on here.  I messed up with putting the entire Daily Show clip.  Sorry for the graphic  — I missed that one.

Stealing from the poor

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This mother in Saskatoon had apples stolen from her trees.  She said in the story that her son cannot digest food easily, so she was planning on making applesauce with them, when someone came and cleaned her out.  Luckily, there were some good hearted people who gave her not only apples, but other food, as well. …one could say that she was made whole.

That’s what Law was originally about–someone does something wrong to another and is made to do something for that person to make up for it–that’s what they called “making one whole” .

Now it seems the Law—looking at the person stealing as a corporation– is saying that the corporation had a right to take everything. 

Or –she was at fault for not having a guard dog protect her assets.

Or –she should have had a hot fence up. 

I’m thinking of corporate anti-union sentiment; of bankers/finance; of insurance (both health and home); of pretty much anything in this country where the less well-connected or less wealthy are not being treated in a just manner.

Our apples have been stolen and we haven’t enough folks with good hearts and enough resources themselves to come and make us whole again.

The Economic War of Israel

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Edward Teller has one of the best posts up I’ve seen on the situation in Israel. There are ways of waging war that don’t require planes dropping bombs…

Max Blumenthal explains in the 2nd video  how control of food is tantamount to control of people.   A poignant point he makes was the destruction of the herds of Buffalo to starve out the Native Americans.  They were forced to adopt the grain-based diet including fry bread, which we now know is very unhealthy, especially if one is gluten intolerant.  As Blumenthal highlights, the Native Americans now have issues with diabetes.  I would go a step further and say this also may be linked to alcoholism….as I believe there is a link with diet and alcoholism.

Henry Kissinger’s words flashed in my mind as Blumenthal spoke of the Israelis destroying chickens, and other livestock so that the Palestinians could not provide for themselves.   More quotes of Henry Kissinger.

I skipped over the first video to see his take on the market.   When I viewed it, I was stunned, to say the least.  American rightwing talking points about President Obama not being a U.S. citizen, of being a Muslim, and calling him a n***er, etc.  Wow.  Just wow.   And the gal who said she was “politically aware” but didn’t know who Benjamin Netanyahu was? For real?

Annie Lennox speaks out on music p_rn

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I am glad that women are speaking out against the misogyny being marketed as music and  “entertainment”.  It is disturbing that a woman participates in it and even takes pride in being degraded in a live sex show.  Like I said in my previous post, I wonder how many women were raped because of Miley Cyrus and others like her.    And I’m not letting Thicke off the hook—he is every bit as culpable.  Yet, you don’t hear anyone speak out against his misogyny.

 

 

The Yes Men

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It is a continual source of amusement and awe at the stuff I come across looking up other stuff.

For instance, the Yes Men — an activist group against the Bhopal disaster,

We never hear that part of the information Wikileaks leaked is about the stuff done by corporations.

Note at the bottom where Dr. Ingrid Eckerman, a member of the International Medical Commission on Bhopal, has been denied a visa to India since 2008. Incredible that someone trying to help the people damaged by this disaster is denied access.

This may be why (from the link to the IMC wiki page):

The IMCB publicly condemned Union Carbide and reiterated the company’s full liability not only for responsibility in causing the deadly gas leak, but also for the confounding role of its behaviour with respect to pre-accident preventive and exposure mitigating efforts, and the timely and effective application of the appropriate medical measures at the time of the accident. This included the lack of transparency about the composition of the gases released, resulting in the absence of rational methods of care and planning resulting in loss of sight and in some cases life, and creation of suspicion and conflict among professionals and the population. There was also a lack of emergency preparation which would have made the public and professionals aware of the potential toxins inside the plant and how to respond to an accident.

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Fracking came to mind with the mention of lack of transparency about the composition of the toxins released.  Remember the nurse who was sickened because they refused to tell her what chemicals she was dealing with? This from American Nurses association for information on toxins and their effects.   Take note of the UNIONS strength in numbers at calling attention to this and demanding transparency.

More reasons why they don’t want people to know what’s in it—

It is now well known that persistent and chronic gas-related health effects are present in the Bhopal population.[3][4][5] However, the full spectrum of effects is yet to be defined, especially in those exposed as children or in utero, and as manifested in survivor reproductive health.[6][7] There has been a lack of systematic collection of relevant information in these reproductive effects, and also with respect to cancer development or other chronic illnesses as sequelae of the gas exposure.

Recent investigations have shown that local well water has become contaminated by the improper storage of a large amount of hazardous waste in the facility, or on its grounds.[8] This toxic waste is especially hazardous to those still suffering the effects of direct exposure to the gas.

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See, if you don’t know what’s in it, you can’t connect the symptoms to the chemical that caused it.  Kind of like genetically modified organisms, eh?  If people don’t know what’s in their food, they can’t connect ill health to it.