We’ve Been Down This Road Before

We live in an age of technological wonder and it happened within the blink of an eye. For tens of thousands of years, the life of a person was identical to the life of their ancestors. They ate the same food, walked around the same few miles of their village and used the same tools to solve their daily problems. Literally, nothing changed for a dozen generations and then we became civilized. Now we have technology that seems to change at light speed and brings with it so much potential to better ourselves. Instead, we use our intellectual wealth to develop bigger and better ways of hitting each other over the head.

At the moment in our wondrous modern world, we have a standoff between North Korea and the United States. Chances are the North will back down and life will go on as before but one stray bullet may change all that of course. Most people reading this may be too young to remember but there was a Korean War with this same country over similar issues and it cost the lives of 54,246 American servicemen and woman. The Korean War did not end in an American victory, it ended with a ceasefire where we packed up and came home leaving behind very little to show for the blood it cost. Even after all these years, we still keep a small contingent of troops on the southern side of the border more for appearances than serious defense of our ally. I say that because there are 28,500 American troops in South Korea and 700,000 North Korean troops stationed on the other side waiting to kick down the fence and march right over the top of them to Seoul. A conflict between North and South may not ultimately end well for the North once all of America’s long range firepower comes into play but in the short term, you don’t need to be a military strategist to figure out the odds of their survival if the North decides to cross that border without warning. Maybe we are there to support the ideal of a free and democratic South Korea but after sixty years, maybe we are just there for reasons that no longer exist. Perhaps we are there because no administration has had the nerve to say to a wealthy and well-defended South Korea: “We are bringing them home.” It doesn’t matter what the reason, now they are in harm’s way and probably very frightened. They should know that they are in our thoughts, we owe them that.

On the other side of the Demilitarized Zone, North Koreans live in poverty while a corrupt government spends the fruits of their labor on weapons of war; not to defend the laborer or his family but to preserve the status quo so that the tyranny can be passed on to the next family member in line. For us on the outside looking in, it seems like such a waste of human endeavor.  We wonder what they could do, what they could achieve if only they spent their money and hard work on lifting themselves out of the economic mess that they must surely be in.

America spends trillions of dollars on the very same weapons of war. It’s great that we a have a strong military and the means to defend our shores but like North Korea on a larger scale, do we need to spend so much? Halve our annual expenditure on things that kill and imagine what we could do with the savings? Take the money and spend it for our own betterment and America would have the best schools, the best jobs and the best hospitals in the world. Give it back to us as tax breaks and watch our economy thrive as the money is spent locally.

These are the decisions that responsible leaders should be making but they don’t. Instead, they worry more about their own political necks than the well-being of the people they claim to serve. Whether it’s Pyongyang or Washington, hardworking citizens deserve to have their money better spent and their resources put to a saner use. Thousands of years of human development should have led us to a smarter way of settling our differences and those of us who can see that need to make our voices heard. It really can be a better world but it needs to start with this generation and we need to be strong in telling our leaders that we don’t want to live like this anymore. If we wait too much longer, the odds increase that some young soldier somewhere on Earth, will fire at a shadow and start a war that may destroy us all. We’ve been down this road before—enough is enough.

Related articles

• U.S. troops ‘would die’ in N. Korean onslaught (wnd.com)
• Through North Korean Eyes (managuagunntoday.wordpress.com)
• Crunching the Numbers: Nuclear Warfare in Korea (mathematicalmischief.com)
• US preparing for possible further North Korea actions (stripes.com)
• The Big Picture About The Nuclear War Crisis On Korean Peninsula (spyghana.com)

The Art of Infidelity (Seven Steps to a Successful Affair)

The Art of Infidelity is an step by step instruction manual that will show you how to get past even the most suspicious spouse and have an affair or casual encounter without getting caught. By the time you get to the end of it, you’ll have a sense of freedom that you only ever dreamed about. If you are in a lonely relationship then you are the one being cheated.

It’s normal to want to feel the touch of warm hands, to enjoy the body of another and to have them enjoy yours. If your partner denies you these basic human rights then do the rules of society still apply? Many would argue they don’t yet the fear of losing what you have is stopping you from seeking what you want. It doesn’t have to be this way, it’s not your choice to live in a loveless relationship. This book will put you in control.

Click here to purchase at Amazon

Obscenity of the week: Paying your taxes directly to the boss!

“It’s now up to 21 states. In 21 states, they’ve passed a law that says that taxes withheld from your paycheck, for the state, can be kept by the company. Now, every employer doesn’t get this windfall — you have to have to get a deal from the government to do it — 2,700 big companies, every big company you’ve ever heard of, General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Deutsche Bank, you name it, they’ve got these deals, where they get to keep the taxes. Billions of dollars are diverted this way. You know the best thing for the companies about this?

The workers don’t know, because once the taxes are withheld, the state government treats you as having paid your taxes. You paid your taxes. They just then give a credit to let the company keep the taxes. I’ve called journalists. I’ve called union people who negotiate union contracts. And they say, “What are you talking about?” I showed them the work I’ve done. They go, “Oh my God!” They have no idea that this is what’s happening, and the fact that it’s spread from the 16 states when I first wrote about this and it’s now grown to 21 – eventually, all of the 44 states with income taxes are going to allow this, if we don’t put a stop to it.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, author of the book: The Fine Print.

__________

Almost on a daily basis, we hear stories about corporate greed at the expense of the little guy. Just when you think it can’t get worse –more is revealed about their gluttony! This week’s obscenity is a scheme they have cooked together that will make you want to throw up. In 21 states, if you work for a major company, your boss not only takes the tax out of your check but they get to keep it! Yes, that’s right; you are paying your tax directly to your employer. It is not being paid to the state that builds a few schools, feeds some poor people and then gives a little back to the company as a corporate tax credit to encourage job creation. No my friends, it is being withheld from your pay check and deposited straight into the companies own bank account. You look at your pay stub and it says “State Tax” but the state will never see it. Let me repeat that as you pick yourself up off the floor: The Company is literally keeping your taxes and then lying to you on your pay stub!

Check out goodjobsfirst.org where you’ll find some excellent, well researched information. This is one of those stories that need to be shared so that these companies can be dragged kicking and screaming out of the shadows. We should be outraged that our tax dollars are going toward making millionaires more money instead of services for our community. It’s obscene!

Related articles

• Outrageous — David Cay Johnston Explains How Big Corporations Withhold Your Taxes and Then Pocket Them (alternet.org)
• Major corporations are pocketing your taxes (salon.com)

Bread and Circuses

Left or right means nothing anymore, except to keep us arguing between ourselves – bread and circuses. We each have our own opinions, conservative or liberal and we debate them around our water cooler. Once upon a time, it mattered because we had a democracy and we could elect leaders who shared these opinions. They would represent the values of the communities that elected them and if the other guy got in, well… we didn’t like it but it wasn’t the end of the world because we’d get another shot in four years! Now, it’s all about them and their cronies. It can never be about us because quite simply, our interests are not compatible with theirs. You think they’re opposing gun control to protect your second amendment rights but in reality, they’re doing it to protect the business interests of the gun companies who have paid them to do it. A presidential candidate claims to be pro-life while secretly profiting from abortion.  Modern politics is about who can turn the most profit not just for their backers but for themselves.  It doesn’t have to be that way but we’ve let the dollar hijack our democracy. Yes, we have let it because without our apathy, the lies and hypocrisy would not be possible. Maybe it’s time to turn off the sports channel and reality shows and pay more attention to the world around us. It sounds harsh I know but if we don’t start paying attention and participating in our democracy, it will be lost to us forever. Bread and circuses.

Angie

Angie is the story of a woman changed by circumstances out of her control. A normal life, a small town, a terrible truth. Her life changes for a second time when she meets Jeff Wilson. Rich, tough and busy fighting demons of his own. Together, they take on the world and never look back. Angie will shock you with its honesty and inspire you with its story. It will hold you in its arms and be with you long after the final chapter.

Available now at Amazon

Divide and Conquer

Dateline: 3932

A fascinating discovery was made last week in the Southwest Province of Usapia. Archaeologists unearthed the remains of a human village believed to be from the early 21st period. Team Leader Kowntow said “this is a fascinating discovery because so little is known about the lives and culture of the people that occupied this planet before the period of first settlement. When our ancestors arrived from the Anani home world nearly two millennia ago they found nothing but ruins that had been eroded by the winds of time. It is really only in the last few centuries that science has taken an interest in this pre-settlement time and as a result, we have made exciting discoveries like this one here in Southwest Province.”

It is generally believed that this period before Anani settlement was one of turmoil. These were a superstitious and primitive people. Their world was separated into tribes with their allegiances based on the land mass they occupied. Tribal warfare was constant and they regularly sacrificed their children fighting amongst themselves. When the time came to defend their planet from a hostile invader, the humans had already expended what few technological resources they possessed on destroying one another. Ancient records that have been decoded suggest that even when a real enemy confronted their species, they were unable to set aside their differences and protect their planet.

Little is known about the invading force and it is generally assumed that they were here for less than a century. Scientific testing of damaged ruins found seventy years ago on the island province of Pintek indicate that the buildings were destroyed by proton based particle weapons; technology far more advanced than anything ever found to be human. Even in the face of a superior enemy, had the Human tribes merged their resources then the outcome may well have been different. There is evidence that suggests several tribes welcomed the invaders and sided with them against the tribes they had traditionally battled.

It is speculation after all this time but logic would suggest that if the invader initially sought alliances among the Human tribes, then perhaps they were either limited in number or not as powerful as they would like their enemy to think. These people, the native species of this planet that has welcomed us, were annihilated not by the invader but by their own divisions. An ancient text was once found with the phrase “divide and conquer.” It seems a fitting epitaph to the Humans.

Should You Be Scared?

In 2010, guns took the lives of 31,076 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. This is the equivalent of more than 85 deaths each day and more than three deaths each hour.

Today’s headline: Fearful of ban, buyers swarm gun stores

Scared? Maybe you should be because these are your neighbors, co-workers, parents at your kid’s school. Normal people, with normal problems. Statistically, despite the best of background checks, a percentage of those normal people: suffer from depression, will develop a life threatening illness, be laid off from their job, be involved in a neighborhood dispute or domestic argument, will experience a marriage breakdown, a drinking problem or an addiction to prescription drugs. Normal people, with normal problems that can make normal people angry with the world around them. Does that sound like a “well-regulated militia” to you?

Related articles

• A new prescription to treat prescription drug abuse (smartplanet.com)
• Chicago reaches 500 homicides with fatal shooting (news.yahoo.com)
• Our American disease (2) (blogs.redding.com)
• NEJM weighs in on the Cult of AR-15 (dickdestiny.com)
• Harrison boy, 2, latest shooting fatality (timesfreepress.com)

Merry Christmas To All

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the best for the holiday season. I would also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you for the thoughts, comments and feedback that you have given throughout the year. Merry Christmas to all!

Reality Check

This has been a tragic week in America. We all know what happened in Connecticut, how could we not. I was vowed and determined not to add to the cheap shots about gun control that have dominated the media but then I read an article in the Washington Post that floored me. Did you know that there were 13 mass shootings in 2012? I certainly didn’t. In modern America, it seems that unless it’s a school shooting or something that grabs attention like a Batman movie, then it’s just another day at the office. It must be, because this is happening more than once a month and nobody seems overly disturbed by it.

Gun violence does not happen in other countries on the scale it does here and intuitively, we all know that America has a gun control problem. The statistics are out there for everybody to see. They are hard dry facts and they are self-explanatory. Let me repeat what I just said: mass shooting are happening at the rate of more than one a month.

I don’t care if you own a handgun. It’s your business and I honestly don’t care. Now, if you’re a card carrying NRA member who subscribes to the insanity of Charlton Heston’s “cold dead hands” philosophy, then I think you need to see a shrink.  Normal people do not lay awake at night worrying that the government is going to kick in their doors and confiscate their guns. This is not Syria; does personal protection really need to extend to a hidden arsenal of automatic weapons?

Speaking of the NRA, this is an organization that builds its numbers by whipping up fear of something that is non-existent. No government, Democrat or otherwise, has the political will to legislate for any serious gun control in America and they know it. The reality is the NRA has become a very serious business. I mean business in the true sense of the word because for a non-profit organization, the NRA certainly seems to make a lot of money. It does it mostly by preying on other people’s misery and then uses that money to hijack our political system.

I don’t know what the answer to gun violence in America is but I do know that it needs to stop. It’s no good trying to lobby for gun control measures in the wake of a tragedy like Newtown because any legislation will forever carry the stigma of being a knee-jerk reaction. Instead, we need to let the dust settle and allow those in grief to have their peace and privacy. Eventually though, we need to start asking questions of our elected representatives especially those who take NRA money.

It’s time to change the debate in America. Gun control legislation is not about taking freedom away from gun owners, it is about freedom for the majority of Americans to go about their lives in peace. Enough is enough.

 

Related articles

• RT @IndyWorld: Armed to the teeth: The US obsession with guns http://t.co/9I2kDpxn (independent.co.uk)
• NRA Should Have Noses Rubbed In Mess On Floor Of Newtown Elementary School (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• How Will NRA Explain Away Gun Shooting At Elementary School In Newtown, Connecticut? (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• The NRA’s Wayne LaPierre Has Blood on His Hands (alternet.org)
• Yes, we can have sane gun control (salon.com)

Lazy Damn Americans

So many Americans are lazy. Why don’t they better themselves, get an education instead of whining about how they’re stuck in a minimum wage job. Walmart should pay minimum wage. Not like it’s a hard job, what skills do you need to work at Walmart or McDonalds for Pete’s sake? Easier just to do that and get food stamps I suppose. Always wanting something for nothing, a handout, that’s the problem nowadays, lazy damn Americans!

The young man rolled his wheelchair, muscular arms moving with the grace of the swimmer he once was. Afghanistan changed him. Not just because it took his legs but because of the strange way it brought him closer to his dad. The old man’s war was Vietnam and the stories he told, never seemed quite real. It took ten years for him to settle down and have a child but the jungle was never far away. Now the young man understood, because those dusty streets had taken far more than his legs and he knew why his father was angry.

After the service, after his marriage, the old man worked a machine in a plastics factory. At thirteen, the boy watched as the cancer destroyed the life of his father. The chemicals sprayed from the choppers, the lung eating fumes of the factory, two packs of cigarettes or the stress of keeping the wolf from the door. So many theories but it didn’t matter, Maggie buried her husband then went back to work because she had to.

Blonde hair fading to gray, Maggie stands at her register in a world of her own. She had some bad news last week, the mechanic quoted her two thousand dollars and that was the end of her car. Asking for a ride is tough when you feel about three inches tall and what about her son? How will he get to that appointment on Thursday?  She shouldn’t be bitter but hell. They promised to look after him, give him an education and make him a man. Instead, they sent him home with a medal, a few bucks a month and a lousy rotten wheelchair. Join the army and see the world they said but they didn’t mention any war…

A few blocks away, a laborer limps around a construction site. Yesterday, the jack slipped as he worked on his car. It was pretty bad; the gash on his leg took nearly thirty minutes to stop bleeding. The last time he went to the Emergency Room, it was to take his wife who was having chest pains. The bill was over eight thousand dollars and when he couldn’t pay what they wanted, they sold his debt to a collection agency. He couldn’t pay anybody after that because their never ending calls to his employer cost him the job that was already hanging by a thread.

Yes, lazy damn Americans. They may not have degrees or care about climbing the corporate ladder but they build our cities, fight our wars and those lazy damn Americans work hard every day to put food on the tables of this country. Yes, maybe they get Food Stamps but what do you expect them to do? How else do you feed a child on subsistence wages?

Give them a break because they deserve it. Is it truly wrong to be angry about a minimum wage that has hardly moved while the cost of living grows higher? Step down from your high horse, look around and you’ll see the truth. The better paying jobs are long gone. Buy a paper, read the ads and see for yourself the quality of jobs today. We gave the big corporations a free hand and they repaid us by closing the factories that made us prosperous. Now, we go into their stores and buy the product of cheap overseas labor because we’re too poor to argue. Our country was sold and the working class didn’t receive a penny of it.

The next time you hear someone offering their opinion about lazy damn Americans on Food Stamps, remember Maggie and her son. They are our neighbors, our friends and our family. Don’t listen to what you are told. Those lazy damn Americans are not the ruin of our economy but the salt of the earth. Without them and their labor, this country would grind to a halt. I hope I never hear those words again: lazy damn Americans.

Related articles

• Walmart Says Unions Are Bad, I Disagree. (tcdoust.wordpress.com)
• The Economist: Mounting evidence for a (better) minimum wage (washingtonpolicywatch.org)
• McJobs Should Pay, Too: It’s Time for Fast-Food Workers To Get Living Wages (theatlantic.com)
• Raise the floor? (economist.com)
• Infographic: Is the American Minimum Wage Too Low? – Part 2 (mint.com)
• The 12 Companies Paying Americans The Least (247wallst.com)