"GOVERNMENTS DON'T RULE THE WORLD....GOLDMAN SACHS RULES THE WORLD"

Has anyone heard about this? 

In a recent BBC interview financial independent trader Alessio Rastani created an instant internet firestorm when he claimed that “governments do not rule the world, Goldman Sachs rules the world.”  Answering questions about world leaders' response to the eurozone debt crisis, the 34-year-old said traders "know the stock market is finished. The euro, as far as they're concerned, they don't really care".

“For most traders, we don't really care that much how they're going to fix the economy, how they're going to fix the whole situation -- our job is to make money from it," he said.  "Personally I've been dreaming of this moment for three years. I have a confession, which is I go to bed every night, I dream of another recession."

He went on to advise people worried about the European debt crisis not to wait on the government to come up with a solution, and predicted that in 12 months the world economy will be in such a state that people’s savings will be wiped out. 

Since the interview some have claimed that Rastani was a hoaxer with a US based protest group called The Yes Men trying to stir up controversy, but the group has since confirmed that he was NOT affiliated with them in any way.  Also, the BBC stands by the interview and claims that detailed research was conducted on his background before he was invited to be interviewed. 

Meanwhile, response to this interview has been mixed.  Generally there has been justified outrage at such heartless statements, but some are just shrugging their shoulders and acknowledging that what he said is just the plain truth. 

BBC business editor Robert Peston said on Twitter that Rastani had merely "voiced what traders working for big firms and funds say in private," while the Financial Times asked in a blog entry "Do traders dream of defaulting Greeks?" 

Personally, I think that the BBC business editor is right – this IS what traders pray and hope for in private.  In this day of unregulated financial excesses the rich bankers and corporations are getting greedier and greedier, making money not from good old fashioned hard work from manufacturing, production, trade and other tried-and-true methods, but from smoke screens and mirrors as they push papers, bonds and other complex financial “products” they dream up for this nightmare called the world economy. 

And YES, I believe that it is the devil’s minions – conservatives, Republicans, Tea Party racists and right wingers – who are the vessel for which this is being carried out. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the rich have declared war on the middle and working class of the world and it’s time for us to fight back.  And that fight starts with contacting your elected representative and letting them know exactly how you feel about the current economic situation and frankly if they don’t do something about it – VOTE THEM OUT!!! 

(And if that doesn’t work there’s always the second Amendment solution……)

SEASON PREMIERE OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - OPENING SKIT TACKLES THE GOP DEBATES

Just in case you missed it - HILARIOUS!!!!  Loved the way they portrayed Michelle "bat-shit crazy" Bachmann......

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - Queen

Just because he's THAT good.  Thank you Freddie Mercury.

HOT MEN SATURDAY

DISCRIMINATORY "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" LAW REPEALED

FINALLY. 

After 18 years in force the hateful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – or DADT - law was finally repealed from the law books at 12:01 am Tuesday September 2011 and is no longer enforceable.  DADT  was a measure put in place in 1993 during the Clinton administration as a compromise on gays serving in the military between then President Clinton (who had campaigned on the promise that persons can serve in the military regardless of sexual orientation) and generals of the armed forces.  The policy was supposed to prohibit military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. 

However, the policy was abused by military officials during its tenure and was used as a tool to dishonorably discharge members of the armed forces solely on the suspicion that a soldier may be gay.  It also led to “witch-hunts” where persons suspected to be homosexual were monitored and persecuted until evidence was obtained to prove cause for dismissal. 

Over the life of DADT over 13 thousand service men were dishonorably discharged under this policy.  It has been reported and documented that a number of those discharged were personnel integral to the current fight against terrorists such as linguists, military analysts, trained pilots, etc. 

However support for the repeal of DADT grew over the years.  Now, up to 70% of polled Americans favor gays and lesbians openly serving in the military.  Then, after a few failed attempts, it was the Democrat-led 111^th Congress under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv) that got the bill for repeal passed through both houses of congress and sent to the president for signature.  In December 2010 President Obama signed the bill into law to began the repeal of DADT after certification of readiness was given from all generals and the Secretary of Defense.  Certification was completed in June 2011 and the date for final repeal set for September. 

Side-note: up to December 2010 doddering ol’ grandpa Senator John McCain (R-Az.) was against repealing DADT.  He was one of a small minority of elected officials (mostly Republicans) who voiced their concerns about repealing DADT – and even called for either its continuation, or the strengthening its measures. 

Yah know – I don’t want to go off-topic but John McCain has turned into a real classic DOUCHEBAG since the 2008 elections.  I will never, EVER, forgive him for unleashing that publicity-hungry bitch Sarah Palin on the American psyche. 

But back to the repeal of DADT.

From this point on, gay men and women can opening serve in the armed forces without fear of persecution or the need to conceal one’s sexuality.  This is a new frontier in the fight for EQUALITY, and another chapter in the fight for human rights.   

Now, about those ghastly military uniforms……….

CLASS WARFARE....REALLY?

President Barack Hussein Obama on Monday will put forth a proposal to raise the income tax rate on millionaires and billionaires in line with the average Joe.  This proposal is nick-named the ‘Buffet Rule’ after multi-billionaire Warren Buffet’s statement that the rich pay far less in taxes that the average American.  

“My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress,” Mr. Buffet wrote in an opinion article in The New York Times, a complaint he has repeated in talks and media interviews since. “It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.”

Now, let me make this clear for all the dunces who, although they struggle daily to pay their own bills, are brainwashed by right-wing media to protect the interests of the rich because “you might one day be rich yourself with the new-and-all-improved American Dream” propaganda bullshit:  this is NOT a general increase in taxes on the general population.  This is a restructuring of the tax code so that those making a higher income pay the same – not more than or an unfair amount– THE SAME tax rate as the middle class of America, okay? 

(Why do I even bother……)

Already the Republicans are calling this “class warfare”. 

"Class warfare … may make for really good politics, but it makes for rotten economics," House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said on "Fox News Sunday." "We don't need a system that seeks to prey on people's fear, envy and anxiety. We need a system that creates jobs and innovation and removes these barriers for entrepreneurs to go out and rehire people."

Republicans favor EVEN MORE tax cuts for the rich claiming that it will help pave the way for more investment and job creation. 

Really?  Mr. Ryan - exactly how many jobs have been created over the past ten years due to the implementation of the Republican-endorsed Bush tax cuts?  Those very same tax cuts STILL IN PLACE….but not creating ANY jobs in this tough economy. 

You know what it’s creating instead?  Record profits for rich corporations on the backs of fewer workers for the same workload.  (Read the article in the New York Times:  "What is Business Waiting For?")

Oh yeah – this is class warfare alright, but the rich started it.  And it’s time they pay. 

But, as they say, let the (political) games begin!!!!

POLITICAL CARTOONS

HOT M3N SUNDAY

RuPaul - SUPERMODEL ( You Better Work)

I know I've posted this before but I just remembered it and wanted to share again.  How about this as a brain tickler:  do you think that the people in the background on the streets of New York gawking at this seven-foot Amazon prancing around in heels, wig and makeup had any idea just how FAMOUS RuPaul would become?

Enjoy!!

 

Stand Up! - Don't Stand for Homophobic Bullying

Irish anti homophobic bullying advertisement, created as part of BeLonG To Youth Services annual Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Weeks. The campaign promotes friendship amongst young people as a way to combat homophobic bullying.

HOT MEN FRIDAY

WHAT DOES 9/11 MEAN TO YOU?

September 11, 2001 was a memorable day for the entire world - for all the wrong reasons.  We watched transfixed in horror at what was happening to the World Trade Center in New York that day - powerless to do anything.  Not only were the WTC twin-towers attacked that ultimately led to their collapse, but other attacks were executed:  one carried out on the Pentagon, another thwarted with the downing of United Flight 93 due to the courageous actions of passengers on board that flight.  In the days that followed the news got progressively worse as the estimated number of persons who died in the towers grew - including way too many heroic first responders who gave up their lives in their attempt to save others.

A really, really, really terrible day.  One I wish I could forget.

But we can't.

We can't forget not just because we must always - ALWAYS - remember the brave innocent souls that perished on that fateful day, but because the networks and cable media are ensuring that they will have emotional IN-YOU-FACE coverage during this week leading up to the tenth anniversary of the attacks this Sunday.

I'm not sure I like that.  (Why are they doing it - ratings?  To see which network can out-memorialize the other?)

One reason I don't approve of the constant coverage/re-hash is that 9/11 was a traumatic day for a lot of people world-wide.  We basically witnessed thousands of people violently murdered right before our very eyes - an emotional trauma that I personally have not recovered from.  To this day there are people still unable to cope with the emotions that come with watching video footage of that day.  We now all suffer from some form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in one way or another.

Think not?  Try watching interviews and footage of the event and tell me you do NOT get suddenly emotional and choked up - THEN deny you suffer from PTSD.   This constant coverage and "remembrance" the way the networks are doing it is akin to water-boarding.

That's the problem,  We need to remember, not re-live.  This week-long coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and repeated showing of the towers collapsing is helping us heal how....?  Did we do an inward look at why we were attacked, and why they hated America - and Americans - so much?

No.

Instead, those in power at the time took full advantage of the situation and led our country into two expensive wars at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives while leaving our economy fragile and artificially bloated - vulnerable to collapse as it did in 2008.

(Some theorize THAT was the ultimate attack that bin Laden planned:  "How Bin Laden Failed To Wreck the U.S. Economy")

The event is now a part of us - but have we grown from it?  The only visible change the attack made to our lives is being unceremoniously frisked by the TSA every time we have to board an airplane - and even THAT system is not being conducted uniformly, and has major flaws.

We need to move on.  NOT FORGET - just move on.  Make the pain a part of our heritage - not sit around every year at this time rending our garments and putting ashes on our head.

Move-on by passing the bill that extend help to the first responders that are now suffering health problems form the toxic building materials used in the WTC towers.

Move-on by aiding those families who lost loved ones on that fateful day.

Move-on by examining our foreign policies and STOP being the world's policeman.

Move-on by ceasing funding to countries that support terrorists such as Pakistan, Sudan, and Syria.

But I digress.

This weekend, instead of subjecting yourself to a nervous breakdown try and do this for the tenth anniversary of 9/11:  remember, not re-live.  Pay homage how ever you want - just don't get carried up in the media ratings frenzy.

Move-on but never forget.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS ON HIS JOBS BILL

Well, well, well, 

Wasn’t THAT interesting? 

Did you see it?

Before the president began his speech I wondered if he was going to take his patented ‘kumbayah’ approach about working it out between political parties, yada, yada, yada. 

He didn’t. 

He took – what I thought – was a bold and at times impassioned and very direct “in-your-face” stance with those troublesome Republicans.  He basically challenged them to find fault with the bill – “The American Jobs Act” – that was crafted based on past proposals submitted by both Democrats AND Republicans.  He laid out the framework of the draft bill such as tax deductions for small businesses that hire persons unemployed for more than six months, and tax breaks for companies that increase their payroll by $50 million or more.  The bill also has provisions for extending unemployment benefits for those out of work, and funding for infrastructure building and renovation.  “Why should China outspend us in building new roads, railways and airports?” he asked.

The plan also calls for more breaks on the payroll tax for individuals and families making up to $50,000.

The president also took a very strong stance on the low tax rates on the rich, and closing loopholes for subsidizing the oil companies.  Her made a very clear point that congress should be working for the  American taxpayers and not the lobbyists for wealthy.  He reiterated a grumble that has been on the lips of the disenfranchised in America – that the wealthy should pay their fare share in taxes as much as the poor and middle class already does. 

This is a quite clever, almost sly speech. Under the guise of holding out a friendly hand to Republicans, and going some way to meet their concerns on red tape and the like, he is offering them a chalice which they can't possibly drink. But if they don't, they look unreasonable. Or so he hopes.

The Republican side of the House – of course – sat in stony silence most of the time.  To me it seem they knew that they were being challenged and chided.  I expected nothing less than unwillingness from them, and fully expect them to start putting up roadblocks to ensuring that this bill fails. 

Let’s see what the coming weeks bring. 

Watch the full speech here:  

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Usually Ray Williams Johnson irritates me....

...but for some reason his clip this week was actually funny!!!  For those of youse not int he know - Ray William Johnson is a comedian with the most subscribed channel on YouTube.  His "Equals Three" videos are the most watched around the globe, in which he reviews uploaded YouTube videos - using comedy to color his view of the video being reviewed.

ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE OF 'AND I AM TELLING YOU' BY JENNIFER HOLLIDAY

One of my favorite songs during my heydays of the 80s - I always wondered what it would be like to see this on Broadway during it's original run in the early 80s.  Never thought I would ever have a chance but thanx to the magic of the internet and YouTube I now can - and it was more of less what I always thought it would be.

Powerful performance by Ms. Holliday - you go gurl!!!

AMERICAN EVANGELICALS: THE NEW TERRORIST MOVEMENT

Hmmmm, I don't know why I had this article I wrote in Dec '09 archived under DRAFTS in my blog but it is well worth reading:

From the start of the Christian movement over 2000 years ago (so named for followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ) there has been conflict between members of Christian churches struggling to establish their cause, and members of other established religions of those times.  For example: those who worshiped the deities of Roman and Greek lore, pagan observation, and rituals in barbarian Europe, just to name a few.

After the acceptance of the Christian Church by Constantine the First that eventually led to widespread establishment of the Roman Catholic Church, Christians - despite their history of persecutions in the early days of their movement - declared 'holy wars' in the form of Crusades upon so-called infidels of the Middle East during the 1000s to the 1200s.

The need to fight these holy wars on other religions by Christians died down in the 16th to 19th centuries due to the splintering and fractions within the Christian movement itself, when other sub-churches such as Lutheranism and Anglicans broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established their faiths in Europe. While still not accepted nor understood, other non-Christan religions were tolerated and even accepted; Judaism was eventually established in mainland Europe up until the 1930s.

However, in the last part of the 20th century there seemed to be a resurgence in acts of terror by 'the new Christians' or 'evangelicals' as they are commonly known, to get their Christian message across.

Born in Great Britain in the 1700s, evangelicalism was a Christian movement based on tenants that one had to be 'born again' to fully accept the teachings of their prophet Jesus Christ, have a high regard for biblical authority on how to lead their daily lives - among other things. While seen as a running joke during it's infancy in the USA in the mid-20th century, the evangelical movement saw a jump in their membership under conservative leaders such as President Ronald Reagan and President George 'Dubya' Bush of the 21 century.

Buoyed by growing support in the public opinion in the 1980s American conservative evangelicals began a slow but steady path towards extremism. They garnered influence on elected officials on one of their main concerns - abortion - and noisily objected to what they saw as invasion on other areas of life that they deemed unfit or un-Christian in their biblical eyes such as gay rights, teaching or acceptance of religions other than Christianity in public schools or at gatherings of congress, global warming, evolution or 'Darwinism' - just to name a few. They also favored promoting the teaching of abstinence as a form of birth control rather than accede to conventional birth control methods and sound sex education.

Then came September 11, 2001. The events of that day not only changed the face of the world stage, but also seem to have push American evangelicals over the edge. Anyone practicing any religion other than Christianity were seen as 'an enemy of the Union', and alternate lifestyles were used as an example of the coming Apocalypse to further political agenda (eg. the issue of gay rights as its' impact on the 2004 presidential election between George Bush and John Kerry). Evangelicals and right wing conservatives - now barely distinguishable from each other - saw an explosion on the airwaves with radio icons such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck leading the charges, and the Fox News Channel promoting their causes and anything other being deemed as a threat to national security.

The terrorism aspect came can be evidenced by attacks and bombing of abortion clinics around the nation, accompanied with proud assassinations of baby killers, a term used for doctors who performed abortions, the most recent being the murder of Dr George Tiller in Kansas by Scott Roeder in the name of Jesus Christ.

Others fighting the unofficial holy war for Christianity include Erik Prince - founder and head of the infamous Blackwater Security Group - or Xe as they like to be now called during a re-branding exercise to remove themselves from the controversy that the Blackwater name has brought out in the past. According to sources inside the company Prince - a devout Christian - has declared a war against Islam, and is using his company's precense in Iraq and Afghanistan to eradicate Moslems in mass murders as such revealed during as recent drone strikes in Pakistan. (Full story by The Nation here.)

These recent tactics are not much different from the jihads - or holy war in Islam - being declared by Moslms extremists against Western civilizations. However, for whatever reason, Christian extremism is not being veiwed as acts of terrorism, nor are they being compared - in their accurate categoru - as a holy jihad, or to use the correct terminology - holy crusade.

Could this be due to the de-demonization of the word 'crusade' to mean tent revivals by evangelicals? Whatever the reason, until this subtefuge christian war is treated as such, we will never have any semblance of world harmony.

"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross....." Sinclair Lewis.

POLITICAL CARTOONS