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Not logged in Lawrence Efana on "'New thinking' needs new direction"

Not logged in Lawrence Efana — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:25:31 +0000

Steven Rogers, thanks for this insightful observation hence your remark, among others to my comment on this problem area.

I absolutely agree with you and have no intent to protract on the discussion. I am happy that you agree with the thought of this ideal solution, which hasn't yet been "seriously" pursued. We simply have to start afresh and more-so seriously wake minds to work hard for a solution of that kind to become a reality. Our world might be better served. The more we fail to make a deal on such an ideal, the more our challenges mount-up. There has to be the will nurtured well and that is not the work of an independent diplomat alone but also of the 'collective' that truly cares.

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS on "Obama campaign toughens up "

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:31:12 +0000

WHAT IS THE CO$T SAVING$ FOR THIS GREAT WEALTHY COUNTRY OF OURS TO HAVE SILENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO ALL HAVE HEALTH~CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND.....................

OUR AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS SILENCE IS MUCH MORE FRIGHTENING THEN THE POSSIBLE DENIAL OF A FUTURE HEALTH ~ CARE PLAN FOR ALL OUR POORER AMERICANS ....

~ THE LOUD RANT OF SATAN WAS HEARD IN THE PEOPLES HALLS OF U.S. CONGRESS AND AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE TURNED THEIR HEADS,CLOSED THEIR EYES AND SHUT THEIR EARS IN FEAR ~

THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$... NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???

WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???

THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!

RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS). *WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.*TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.

**POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS. AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.

*** WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS (WHO ARE ONLY 1% OF OUR USA POPULATION) SADLY ALSO CONTROL HOW OUR U.S.CONGRESS SPENDS THEIR BUDGET TRILLION$ AND HAVE OBVIOUSLY FOUND MORE WORTHY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS THEN OUR OWN DESPERATE AND NEEDY POOR TO ASSIST !!!

~Poorer Americans Nationwide only get 400 million $$$ per year for legal representation allocated them by CONGRESS~ Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc...

Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.

*It is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.

Lawyers For Poor Americans is now actively in the hunt for International Countries and Leaders Worldwide to help raise 5 Billion Dollar$ for our slighted poorer Americans who have had their own American Congress turn their backs on their desperate needs in not affording them proper legal representation.

Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ~ Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.

These two poorer Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigations at their initial trials.**We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.

Improper murder trials and needless deaths due to the lack of healthcare take place in Third World Countries all the time. *** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??

This is the first of many www International pleas by Lawyers For Poor Americans for other leaders and countries to help raise the needed monie$ to correct these blatant injustices that have been inflicted on poorer Americans for the last few decades. Lawyers For Poor Americans has many other written articles that can be viewed with any www search engine by our name or our telephone number.

Lawyers For Poor Americans is a www lobby group of volunteers that sing out about the decades old neglect,abuse and injustices being inflicted on our poorer Americans that have become Crimes Against Humanity issues for the International World Court to investigate.

lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)

DOUGLAS FIELD on "Obama campaign toughens up "

DOUGLAS FIELD — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:13:08 +0000

~ THE LOUD LAUGH OF SATAN WAS HEARD IN THE PEOPLES HALLS OF U.S. CONGRESS AND AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE TURNED THEIR HEADS,CLOSED THEIR EYES AND SHUT THEIR EARS IN FEAR ~

***THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$…. NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???

***WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???

***THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!

***RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS). * WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.*TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.

***POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS.

***AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.

~Poorer Americans Nationwide only get 400 million $$$ per year for legal representation allocated them by CONGRESS~

***Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc� Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.

***It is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.

***Lawyers For Poor Americans is now actively in the hunt for International Countries and Leaders Worldwide to help raise 5 Billion Dollar$ for our slighted poorer Americans who have had their own American Congress turn their backs on their desperate needs in not affording them proper legal representation.

***Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ~ Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future. These two poorer Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigations at their initial trials……**We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.

***Improper murder trials and needless deaths due to the lack of healthcare take place in Third World Countries all the time. *** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??

***This is the first of many www International pleas by Lawyers For Poor Americans for other leaders and countries to help raise the needed monie$ to correct these blatant injustices that have been inflicted on poorer Americans for the last few decades. Lawyers For Poor Americans has many other written articles that can be viewed with any www search engine by our name or our telephone number.

***Lawyers For Poor Americans is a www lobby group of volunteers that sing out about the decades old neglect,abuse and injustices being inflicted on our poorer Americans that have become Crimes Against Humanity issues for the International World Court to investigate.

***lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)

NYCartist on "The United States: democracy, with interests"

NYCartist — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:54:37 +0000

That's a wonderful point. (That in good times and bad, the arguments for not passing universal health care for all is ignored.) It could also be called "excuses" for why the politicians are ignoring the pubic wishes, in favor of the big HMOs and big Pharma (insurance and drug companies, respectively). Noam Chomsky calls the ignoring of the public wishes (known via polling)the "democracy gap".

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS on "Obama campaign toughens up "

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:40:00 +0000

THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$.
WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???
THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!
AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.
*** WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS (WHO ARE ONLY 1% OF OUR USA POPULATION) SADLY ALSO CONTROL HOW OUR U.S.CONGRESS SPENDS THEIR BUDGET TRILLION$ AND HAVE OBVIOUSLY FOUND MORE WORTHY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS THEN OUR OWN DESPERATE AND NEEDY POOR TO ASSIST !!!
~Poorer Americans Nationwide only get 400 million $$$ per year for legal representation allocated them by CONGRESS~
Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc…
Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.it is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.
Lawyers For Poor Americans is now actively in the hunt for International Countries and Leaders Worldwide to help raise 5 Billion Dollar$ for our slighted poorer Americans who have had their own American Congress turn their backs on their desperate needs in not affording them proper legal representation.
Troy Davis and Mumia Abu - Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.
This is the first of many www International pleas by Lawyers For Poor Americans for other leaders and countries to help raise the needed monie$ to correct these blatant injustices that have been inflicted on poorer Americans for the last few decades.
Lawyers For Poor Americans has many other written articles that can be viewed with any www search engine by our name or our telephone number.
Lawyers For Poor Americans is a www lobby group of volunteers that sing out about the decades old neglect,abuse and injustices being inflicted on our poorer Americans that have become Crimes Against Humanity issues for the International World Court to investigate.
lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)

Moderator's note: Please do not use capital letters in your posts. It makes them difficult to read and gives the impression that you are "shouting".

NYCartist on "The United States: democracy, with interests"

NYCartist — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:15:59 +0000

President Obama's health care plan has been devolving from something "not enough" to "no change". For good analyses of Obama's plan and the battle for single-payer, see www.blackagendareport.com Bruce A.Dixon has been doing analysis. Also on the site, if you are interested in the machinations of how Congress "works", there's an article by David Swanson, who also has his own excellent website, www.afterdowningstreet.org.

I have an e-pal in England, with the same illness that I have, CFS/ME, and it has taken me awhile to both understand and convey how bad our US medical mess is. (Note: small add to article: Medicare also covers disabled people who are not yet seniors/elders.) Medicare, for example, the plan for seniors and elders, does not cover dental work or eye glasses. And one needs a private insurance plan to cover the 20% that Medicare doesn't cover. And the premiums for both the private "Medigap" and the gov't Medicare keep going up and up. I pay about $100.mo. for Medicare and that doesn't include deductibles and $2200. or so a year for the Medigap private insurance to cover that 20% uncovered by the gov't. Yet Medicare for all would be great. Single-payer.

Medicare is not like NHS of England. And the gov't has been urging people on Medicare to go into HMO (private plans), which are awful. See the movie "Sicko" if you can, the Michael Moore documentary.

On Congress: I think the author of this article was kind by using the word "lean" to describe the relationship of the big donors in the health care industry to members of Congress.

Some say "bought", as noted by the title The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast. "DemocracyNow" radio/tv show and available on the internet, has listed the amounts of money that leading members of Congress have received from the health care industry. www.democracynow.org

Finally, I must mention the escalation of "assisted suicide" as a "way" especially in these hard economic times. It is being heavily pushed on both sides of the Atlantic. (I read the Guardian online.) For excellent articles on the fight by disabled people to avoid this "final solution", please see Not Dead Yet, the organization's website and blog, www.notdeadyet.org You'll see the overlap with recent events in England. Stephen Drake writes and blog and Diane Coleman, one of the founders of Not Dead Yet, has a good comment on the most recent blog article/entry.

Lawrence Efana on "The United States: democracy, with interests"

Lawrence Efana — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:30:01 +0000

A brilliant piece of 'lecture'! Clearly many will benefit, should they spare the time to read. Politics could seem rather dull, but in this paper, you see a life given to it! Many concrete issues of general policy analysis and professionalism-related arguments are raised in it, which in order to understand and appreciate are interwoven most eloquently in a manner that reduces all to 'political system' settings comparatively eyed to make sense when assessing the the quality of outcomes for the system. The political system in this case is concretely that of the US.

As objectively neutral as the paper is, many informed minds are glad to "tag" Hodgson "pro-Obama"! In the first place that allows readers to appreciate the section on racial encounters, which 'luckily' the President and his Vice enjoyed the "peace-making" beer in the rose garden and so balanced and diffused claimants' positions in the interest of ''reason'' and ''progress''.

On American political system, short though its text, Hodgson has done what it takes contextually. No need to add much but do so if at all necessary by following-up. For a leeway to that, thinking relevant arm of its practical problem: "an important factor is undoubtedly the extraordinary influence of special interests at several points in the political system..." - not so negative as it seems to begin with!

Agreeing with the latter, needs glossing at his 'end' arguments capturing unique senses rolled in the excerpt "..the political atmosphere in the United States has become so 'febrile' and 'partisan', the result is that the fate of Barack Obama's flagship policy is in the balance". Leeway argument is also a lense through which to "pick-on" the three pressures identified integral parts of the special interests: (i) US campaign styles and media characters; (ii) proliferation of financial sources for candidates during elections; and (iii) networks of interests and groups partisan in political issue debates. All seem normal in a [healthy] democracy!

Still questioning is inevitable: how healthy is a democracy if, for the first, media and politicians drive the system to points skewing hence frustrating national debates; second, the culture of political representation and mid-term elections are made excessively frightful or sensitive to the extent that congressmen feel themselves too vulnerable, therefore more tactical than stand up on issues of appeal to politics and or ethics; and third, risks of an 'overactive' democracy becoming a political distortion depo. All in all democracy is not to blame but its hyperactivity is however, called to question!

This paper wonders if it is not time now for the system to redress itself, among others for sake of an 'onlooking' world and a living culture of political consensus useful and exemplary too for global democracy promotion work? Arguments are staged with due regard to rights of system variations worldwide. At the same time, while given comparative insights on a range of issues: system-related - balance of power, defined by the executive, legislative and judiciary hence the separations of power; and the national constitution enshrined watchdog against tyranny of the majority] augur for uniqueness and admiration of the American system, a key or fundamental question to ask remains: whether on political consensus, US system sees nothing of interest in a variety of 'habituated' democracy models available and now working on change also in western world? A sense here is to point out that ongoing British debates shouldn't only be glossed at but seriously admired as bold attempts to perfect hence make better a system that has run for years.

American health-care legislation, might be partly a professional affair, tagged by inputs of effective policy analysts, at least seen from the lists of publications both open and guraded. However, the manner and history, which should make sense of such a legislation and concrete actions appear still wanting, because of frustrating politics, interest groups, manipulation of media to stir-up fears, misinterpretation and notions of socialized medicine. External observers and friends of the US do actually wonder, why?, because come 'good' times the nation argues in the same way and come 'bad' times the nation argues in the same way.

Representatives and the nation send embarrassing signals. Observers are bound to ask: when is the time good enough to be decisive on this one major thing - with its question thrown back to representatives on how they present their cases to their political constituencies. While socialism is not the main thing here, it is easy to see a battle of the rich and poor on challenges of collective responsibility. It has not much to do with "big government" if citizens health is relatively factored important in the equation of capitalist production mechine.

America has foreign policy challenges, not of the making of the new president. Political consensus across many of the issues: 'foreign' and or 'internal' will lift America much more forward than its population tends to appreciate at present. Political consensus is a social capital in addition to personality of a president that seems to win many hearts worldwide. Attitudes change at home and in politics are a peace resources for America and its place in the new world. It is good not to underestimate or think of these: as demanding too much, America can give all!

Pedro, 19 student from Portugal on "Barack Obama: hope, fear... advice"

Pedro, 19 student from Portugal — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:07:05 +0000

I hope Obama doesn’t forget to help Africa and other places where people live badly ever because of western Industrialization. Why in Congo blood diamonds and extractions of gold still go on, without the workers receiving anything. Why Obama doesn't have a word about it?

Why we still pay for things that other receive nothing or little for what they worked for? Besides the economic crises this is not also a big problem in capitalism? The invisible trace of global commercial relations seems to me that are causing bigger problems in the world than the economic crises that hits the westerns.

Why we don’t discuss poverty in the world and stop being selfish?

I sincerely hope that someone lessons to this.

Not logged in on "Letter from Motor City "

Not logged in — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:54:08 +0000

Perfect article to help me put my vision for urban farming into perspective--Xavier Moore, Peacenick Nonprofit

Charles Shaw on "Letter from Motor City "

Charles Shaw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:15:23 +0000

An exceptional piece, and a kind of paean to the creative potential of human beings in times of adversity. As an urban artist the last 20 years, I have seen artist's renaissances in Chicago, Boston, New York and San Francisco. They always led to gentrification, and the ultimate expulsion of the artists from the neighborhoods they rescued and made safe and hip for the yuppies. In Detroit, there is the potential for artists to revive, and retain, significant sections of the city. The Burner community is strong there, and they are naturally inclined to build. Bravo to all there. This is truly amazing work, and incredible writing.

* * * * * * *

Charles Shaw

Author/Activist

Editor, The Dictionary of Ethical Politics

Ross Perlin on "Letter from Motor City "

Ross Perlin — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:50:43 +0000

A nice piece today over at the New York Times Magazine.... The city has played a significant role not only in the development of African-American music, culture, and religion (and fittingly it's home to the US' most comprehensive museum on those subjects), but has also had a major socioeconomic impact.

hikarius on "Letter from Motor City "

hikarius — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:27:32 +0000

It's a shame that Detroit has been unable to reinvent itself. The last time I was there I was amazed at how dead the city felt. Property values are practically non-existent and the number of vacant buildings is astounding. I think it's sad that the residents haven't taken better care of the city and done whatever it takes to attract new businesses to the area

DeanOR on "Letter from Motor City "

DeanOR — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:17:18 +0000

I lived much of my life there. The deterioration is actually much sadder and more extensive than described in this post. But there have always been great people there, and there still are. I'm not one of them. great or otherwise. I couldn't take it any more, and I was ready for the young person's adventure of seeking a new life elsewhere. The causes of the decline are many and are found in the history of America, not in simplistic racist caricatures of black people or white people. Despite the decline, there are great works of art there, universities, medical centers, and more - and a spirit that persists under the hardest conditions.

bigC on "Letter from Motor City "

bigC — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:50:59 +0000

<b>Its sad beyond belief but the plain fact is black people
cannot create or maintain modern civilization.</b>

It's sad and beyond belief that such a racist comment could be published here. Suggesting that the condition of the people of Haiti or Switzerland (or Detroit) has it's cause in some imagined racial characteristic of their respective populations is the kind of nonsense which you'd expect from a pretentious fraud like Buckley.

The plain fact is that anyone intellectually deficient enough to mistake his racist banalities for wisdom is unlikely to have the capacity to comprehend the forces that create or maintain modern civilisation.

Swiss Civilization on "Letter from Motor City "

Swiss Civilization — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:43:41 +0000

Thanks for the racist troll, Scotta. Here's a sample of Swiss civilization:

Beginning in the late 1970s Nestlé (a Swiss-based corporation) began to attract global criticism for its infant-formula marketing policies, especially those conducted in developing countries. Public outcry peaked with the Nestlé boycott of 1977 which (though suspended for several years in the mid-1980s) remains in effect today. Nestlé is the most boycotted company in the world as a result.

The thing about Haiti is that it has been perpetually invaded and colonized, first by Europeans, then by Americans. Remember the US-backed Coup D'etat in September 1991 against President Aristide?

What we're seeing in Detroit is the final result of corporatism. Always trying to stay ahead of its own waste stream, failing to innovate and relying instead of corporate cronyism, multi-million dollar lobbyists, and ultimately corporate welfare when it outplays its hand.