[Phil] When you're the only game in town

You make the rules. There is no republican party. There are certainly no Republican values, and even the moderates admit they have no party to turn to... Or do they? Remember folks we live in the 2nd Gilded Age. Money talks. Obama is a sitting president, looking to eventually retire. And there is a lot of money to be made as an ex president. Hilary Clinton is pretty much seen as the inevitable 2016 nominee, only this time it really seems inevitable. The country is unlikely to vote for anything the Republicans are shoveling. Oh sure, Reagen Reality inhabitants are all gung ho, but as many flaws as she has, Mrs. Clinton is infinitely better, and staying home got us Bush II twice... BUT, when you've got 6 years, likely 10 years of almost inevitable power in the bag, why not make some cash? Net Neutrality is dead, and the telecom companies are going to fleece you for all you're worth. And President Obama isn't going to do a thing about it. Why should they? You don't pay as much as Comcast does. Does that mean you should give up and die? No, of course not. There are things you can do, and there are people mobilizing to do something about it, just understand that it is going to take time and a lot of hard work. But it will be worth it, so you can watch what you want without paying two or three day's pay for it.

[Phil] "We Live In A Republic Vs A Democracy"

What They Mean: Absolute rule by the majority is bad, and that it is OK if a minority rules on some issues since the majority wins over time, and federalism is important.

What I Hear: We are just fine by minority rule as long as it serves our purposes.

What They Really Really Mean: Back in the old days, voters were only rich, white men who owned property, and even though most of us aren't racist, so the white part isn't critical (but we're not really shouting down our allies who might be racist unless really really obvious about it) the 'rich' and 'property owning' is key, because poor people are like that because God made them that way and they're lazy scum sucking pigs sucking on the teat of the federal government.

Note: These same people immediately believe in the virtues of a democratic majority when they believe they're in the majority.  "That's undemocratic" will drip from their lips at the drop of a hat, its just you rarely hear it from the elites because they're become more and more in the permanent minority and needing to use parliamentary tricks or gerrymandering to get their way and show no signs of changing their view point in the near future.

Winston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government there is, except all of the others."  Parliaments are not Republics even though they have Republican elements.  Technically speaking, it depends on what you're talking about when you mean "Republic" because we are most certainly a Democratic Republic.

A Republic in its purest form is defined by the dictionary as: : "a country that is governed by elected representatives and by an elected leader (such as a president) rather than by a king or queen"

The key there is elected and not a king.

So...we don't have a king.  So do most countries in the world.  Hell, even Switzerland which has direct votes on almost everything has legislators.  So really?  "Republic not a democracy" is BULLSHIT and is a dog whistle saying what I meant above.

We are a republic alright, but we have determined that our legislators are elected democratically, which means that the basis of sovereignty in our nation says, "WE THE PEOPLE" **NOT** "WE THE STATES"...the ratification of the constitution was conducted at large by the people, by state, but it was a popular election.

Moreover, the idea that there is not a 'right to vote' is ridiculous on my levels:

The 10th Amendment says there are many rights not explicitly spoken here, reserved to the states.

Numerous amendments expand the voting franchise.  If you define things the government cannot restrict as a right (and my view of a right is much broader, just going by conservative/libertarian insane definitions) then by DEFINITION if the government cannot pass laws forbidding folks from voting based on parameters in the constitution It's a RIGHT.

Voting is a right.  It is certainly a right as defined by the UN Declaration of Human Rights which has more legitimacy than a document enshrined by Conservatives.  The Constitution is a wonder, and was a wonder for its time but the truth is, that now that it is used by frauds, liars, cheats and scoundrels as a shield the most inappropriate behavior, I cannot help but think that the time has come to replace it.

As I have mentioned ad nasuem numerous times.

[News] The Time Has Come To Suspend Turkey From NATO

The United Nations, the OAS and the EU are all attempts at regional harmony, and represent geographical interests coming together.  All of these bodies pay lip service toward democracy, but all of them routinely behave in undemocratic fashions, though the EU dramatically less so.  The UN was little more than a paper tiger during the cold war and has placed all real power in the hands of five nations that were on the right side of WWII.  The idea that Russia has a permanent vote but Japan, Germany, Brazil and India do not is laughable.  The OAS did nothing to suspend Venezuela during Chavez or dictators before that; only, and quite hypocritically, Cuba.  Even the EU has had issues disciplining its own members when Austria started to go the direction of Right Wing Fasicm....something the EU was set up explicitely to protect them against.

NATO is different.  NATO was set up as a check against the iron curtain and the soviet block.  NATO is an alliance of democracies, any one of which can stop the actions of the others by a simple veto, which seems insane from a policy point but somehow it worked and terrified (and still terrifies) the Kremlin.

And now along comes the tin pot tyrant Edrogan.  He started out well enough...a moderate Islamist, who helped the democratic nature of his country by stopping the Deep State and improving the economy.  But over time, we  have learned the deep skeletons in Edrogan's closet.  We have learned of the intimidation of journalists.  We have learned of corruption and then a mass purge of judges and the police as a result.

But now we see Edrogan trying to steal the internet.  Edrogan is a tyrant. Edrogan proves that there is no such thing as a MODERATE islamist, just as there is no such thing as a moderate nationalist christianist, hinduist or any other religion.  ANY other religion.  A theocracy is a theocracy, not a democracy.

While Edrogan rules with tyrants powers in Turkey, Turkey has no place in NATO and it should move to expunge him immediately.

That will set a precedent to do the same thing when our own Deep State tries to imprison our journalists as "accomplices" to whistleblowing and exposing the truth; tears away net neutrality in the interests of telecoms, and rigs the election with an 'inevitable' neoliberal vs a tea party psyhcopath as a choice.

When that happens to us, *WE* should be suspended from NATO as well.

Someone is Blocking an Interview w. Snowden in the US

And given what we have seen from US authorities on this issue, one has to wonder if it was them.

More details here.

[Phil] TMZ and the use of scandal by the Fascist Right and the Deep State

Let us say that, hypothetically the NSA, CIA and other agencies of the deep state of the American Empire are using evidence of scandal to get law makers to vote in their favor.

What evidence might we have of this?

Well...we know that John Clapper, National Director of Intelligence, lied to congress and has yet to be prosecuted.

We know that the NSA and Obama administration went to extraordinary lengths to get Edward Snowden, even at the potential cost of severe damage to its diplomatic relations.

We know that while there is call for reform in the congress, the intelligence committees have all defended these questionable programs, even though we know they are blatantly illegal.

We live in a scandal culture, where sex sells.  Destroying celebrities is a billion dollar business.  We love to see the powerful fall.  News of Justin Beiber and Britney Spears slags across the screens and we egg them on.

Leaving aside the disgusting things this says about our society, when you spread gossip about politicians and celebrities that isn't about actually EVIL behavior but that is merely scandalous, you increase the leverage that those in power, who monitor everything we do, can use to blackmail politicians.

There will always be scandal, but there are degrees.  In France, for example, it took a long time for politicians to fall due to sex scandals.  Also remember that Scandal Journalism is popular with Ruprect Murdoch and other right wing rags.

When you spread celebrity gossip, you empower the NSA's ability to blackmail.  So maybe you can't join Occupy.  Maybe you don't believe your vote matters.

Maybe it doesn't.

But you can stop contributing to the problem.  Stop spreading or talking about celebrity gossip. You can't stop it, but you can stop making it worse.

The Jefferson Memorial

We finally got to go.    It was a walk away from the mall, round near the frozen lake.  It was a gorgeous marble set of pillars with a giant statue of one of the founders of this country.  A good man though flawed, but on the aggregate good and holy.

Here are the quotes that line the memorial:

"Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan."

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We...solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states...And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

..I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.