The Pacific Dump

Who’s going to clean up that Sargasso Sea of trash that lies out there in the Pacific Ocean?

Well, how about the billionaires who created it?

People like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, Mark Cuban, Howard Schultz and many others were leaders of the Corporate America that created that trash.

Why shouldn’t we make them clean up their own mess?

We should, and we should do it at their expense meaning it should come out of their personal pockets.

The Federal government can set up an exchange program whereby their stocks and bonds are cashed in to pay for the clean up.

All of it.

And to make sure they don’t try to make that money back on future services, we’ll cap their wealth at what they now own minus what they pay for the cleanup.

The people of the world should not pay one thin dime, not one red cent to clean it up.

The only way to incentivize businessmen to be responsible is to light a fire under their asses.

We didn’t choose to use plastic soda bottles.

The billionaires who sit on the board of Coca Cola did.

We didn’t choose to use unnecessary hard shell plastic packaging so as to prevent theft while showcasing their product.

They did.

We didn’t choose to use plastic straws, cups, lids and stirrers at Starbucks and other coffee establishments.

They did.

We didn’t choose to dole out those totally unusable plastic ketchup, mustard and mayo packets by the billions at fast-food joints.  By the way, those things bother me most of all.  The majority of them seem to end up squished on a parking lot.

They did.

We didn’t choose to use plastic bags at the supermarkets when paper alternatives (with handles) were available and superior.

They did.

We didn’t choose to use Styrofoam packing when shipping computers and electronic items.

They did.

They did all this to maximize their profits.

They did it because they are sick fucks.

They are financial cancer cells; and being so, they arbitrarily chose to fuck the environment in order to put one more dime in their bank account.

Well, they can take those dimes out and clean up the mess they created.

The Money You Make

Suppose we pay pediatricians $5 million for every appendicitis they pick up and send to a surgeon.

Suppose we pay surgeons $10 million for taking the appendix out.

What do you think of that?  Does this seem reasonable?

Can’t we justify this because a life has been saved?

I’m willing to bet that you are saying no.  Indeed, it would be righteous for you to protest this pay scheme.

We don’t pay pediatricians this amount of money. We consider it price gouging.

Furthermore, if we paid pediatricians this kind of money, why then anyone could justify an outrageous salary.  After all, we don’t pay policemen outrageous amounts of money. We don’t pay firemen outrageous  amounts of money. They save lives as well.

Teachers do an important job.   They save lives by guiding small children down the right pathway.  Why don’t we pay them $5 million per annum?

We don’t because society throughout time has agreed to put reasonable limits on what people can make.

We control things, especially for essential services.

Why do these rules not apply to Palo Alto?  Especially since their “job” has come to be seen as essential.

For the past thirty-five years we have permitted “geniuses” from Palo Alto to become multi-billionaires.

Why?  What outrageous value do they add to society that justifies this wealth?

The only reason they are wealthy is because we as a society have permitted it.  Or because the powers-that-be have been paid off to look the other way.

Enabling politicians to look the other way is one of the problems we get when we allow a particular group of people to make too much money.   People with too much money can’t seem to resist the temptation to game the system in order to make more. Soon enough, the making of money becomes a sickness.

We saw this with the Fords and Rockefellers who set up all kinds of think tanks and lobbying efforts in order to feather their own nest.

We see it today in Palo Alto and those businesses that are integrated into internet technology.

In short, they have become financial cancer cells.  Like a malignancy they have woven their way into our government and daily lives.

They convince school districts to pay for expensive tablets that children use for games; they influence Congress to oppose net neutrality that threatens smaller voices; they violate the Constitution by arbitrarily shutting down the free speech of voices that disagree with them.

They have too much money for their own good and for ours as well.

We need to get that money back.

Just as the victims of Bernie Madoff got their money back, we need to get our money back.  We have been grossly overcharged for the computer services we have paid for in the past thirty-five years.

The basics of computer information technology was developed by professors working for academia which we the people paid for.  The materials that went into the computer are by no means close to the amount of money that we paid.

What these people charged was egregious.

We’ve been ripped off, and we continue to be ripped off.

Their money needs to be confiscated. 

The amount of money they can charge for future services needs to be controlled just like we do for everyone else.

Why do we have to accept controlled pay, but they do not?

Why are they different?

They’re not.

We need to limit their own power for their good and our good.

America and Myths

America is a land of myths.  We love our myths.

We have Paul Bunyan; we have Rip Van Winkle.  And we have George Washington about whom many lies and myths have been told.

Of course, George Washington never told a lie, right?

My favorite myth about George Washington is him having thrown a silver dollar across the Potomac River.  It’s difficult for me to believe that my first grade teacher, Mrs. Chandlee, told me that with a straight face.  The Potomac is a mile wide at its narrowest.

Truth be told, I don’t think George Washington could throw a silver dollar across the Neshaminy Creek near where I grew up.

Adults must feel that myths are important to children; they tell so many of them.

Perhaps myths are like teddy bears; they represent cute and cuddly ways of introducing children to the world.

The problem with myths, though, is that we grow up and still believe in them without thinking.

And some myths are more injurious than others.  They are so because they are less preposterous on their surface.  Let’s call them subtle myths.

One of these subtle myths is that a Supreme Court justice sits above us all as an impartial judge, appointed for life, impervious to political influence.

But what if this is not so?

To question this we must view the Brett Kavanaugh affair from the perspective of a conspiracist.  Lucky for you, I am one.

Now, we know that the powers-that-be have immense power; that’s why we call them the powers-that-be.  We also know that Brett Kavanaugh is a corporate guy all the way.  If you don’t know this, you can search his judicial record on-line and see that he is essentially a corporatist.  He loves mergers and giant corporations.  We also know that he allies himself with the Bush family.  You might say he owes his livelihood to Bush patronage.  The Bushes are as connected as can be with the monied elite.  Finally, in today’s world the Democratic Party has also hopped in bed with Corporate America.

Okay, so what gives?

Well, ask yourself this question:  Why are the powers-that-be, that can martial Republican and Democratic support for endless wars, not able to ram through Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation?  Brett Kavanaugh is the kind of judge that Corporate America loves.  So what’s the problem here?

Well, suppose that Corporate America, via their operatives, is behind these sexual allegations thrown against Brett Kavanaugh.

Huh?

Why?

To send a message to Brett Kavanaugh.

You see, as it stands now, Brett Kavanaugh has already perjured himself before Congress if you believe the charges made by many, many people.  Even if you don’t believe the serious allegations of assault, he has already portrayed himself as a goody two-shoes in college, which many people say he was not.

The powers-that-be now have him where they want him.  He’s in a holding pattern right now before his possible Senate confirmation next week.

I’m not sure anyone has to say anything to him; I’m sure he is smart enough to figure things out.  But if he isn’t, someone can lay it out for him later.

The message is clear, though:  You do what we tell you to do, or else.

Does this bother you?

Only if you believe in myths.

 

Brexit and You

Maybe if you live in the United States, Brexit is not a big deal for you. Is it a big deal, however, for what it reveals about our “leaders.”

Almost two years ago, the people of Great Britain voted to leave the European Union. By all accounts it was a fair referendum. Generally speaking, people are expected to abide by the results of a referendum; if they don’t, then why have the referendum in the first place?

What happened in Great Britain was the unexpected. The people who voted to leave won the referendum; the “remainers” lost. In a nutshell, the elites lost; they got caught napping with their pants down. It’s the old story of the tortoise and the hare. The tortoises worked; the hares slept.

But you see, old chap, elections only count when the elites win; they don’t count when the people win. When the people win, why something must be wrong.

Thus the push by the elites for a new referendum on Brexit.

People clearly didn’t know what they were voting for, right?

Au contraire; they knew exactly what they were voting for which invites an important question for leaders all over the globe.

Which is this: Why are you elites different? Why must we, the regular people, abide by the results of a referendum when we lose, yet you are not obligated to do so when you lose? Why must we eat the pain and suffer silently when we lose, but you must not? Why are you different?

Self-Driving Cars and Hamilton

I was going to talk about Meghan Markle’s appearance, not to mention her media-important dress, at the premier of the play, Hamilton, in London, but I felt more compelled to speak about self-driving cars instead.

On the other hand, maybe both issues are related; they both deal with elitism and putting you in your place.

Number one, why would anyone go see a play about a Founding Father who didn’t give a rat’s ass about you? Yes, that’s right, like Mickey Mantle, Alexander Hamilton didn’t care about you. Indeed, he despised you, for you were one of the rabble. He proved it when he fought against the Bill of Rights. In Federalist Paper No. 84 he poured forth his logic that a separate Bill of Rights was unnecessary because powers not given to the Federal government need not be prohibited in the first place.

Fortunately, his opponents were cagey and understood quite well that people in power tend to expand their privileges. They understood quite well that it would be more difficult to grant a power if it were expressly prohibited in the first place. Strike one for Jefferson and the small people; the Bill of Rights today are the ‘Crown Jewels’ of the American Constitution.

Number two, Hamilton was Wall Street’s contribution to the American Constitution. Hamilton shamelessly promoted the idea of a central bank, the bane of our existence today. It is that very central bank called the Federal Reserve which has funded and financed our runaway global killing machine around the world, a global killing machine that benefits the rich while yielding little to the average American worker. Dimes trickle down to you. Strike two for Jefferson and the small people for seeing through the faulty wisdom of a national bank.

Number three, Hamilton was a man who apparently felt he could slander other people like Aaron Burr without repercussion. Perhaps he was accustomed to getting his way. Well, history shows he couldn’t. He paid for his slander with his life. Strike three for Jefferson and the concept of humility.

Three strikes, you’re out, Alex.

So what does this have to do with self-driving cars?

Self-driving cars like central banks and constitutions without a Bill of Rights are what you get when arrogant people think they have all the answers to the world’s problems. Like their pal, Hamilton, the noble people in Palo Alto don’t trust you; they don’t want you in control of your vehicle. They think they should be in control. Like their central banker friend, Hamilton, they think they can do a better job than you. And so they prosecute their flawed idea with reckless abandon; by doing so they insult the intelligence of you and so will pay dearly – not with their lives, of course, but with precious booty, money they will regret squandering sooner than later.


PS Can anyone explain to me how self-driving motorcycles fit into the equation of self-driving cars, and why a motorcycle renegade, who owns and rides a motorcycle to become free and to escape authority, would agree to such a concept? Tell me why, if forced to comply with his Palo Alto overlords, he would not jailbreak his hog? Furthermore, wouldn’t the centralized concept of self-driving cars violate the 4th amendment to the Constitution which protects citizens against unreasonable search and seizure in order to permit citizens “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects.” Aha! Maybe this is the real reason why Hamilton opposed the Bill of Rights. Maybe that crafty old mother came from the future and saw the stumbling blocks that the Bill of Rights might present.

The Threat to Democracy

I was watching SKY News a few minutes ago as a member of the American Swamp was registering his concerns about what he perceives as Trump’s threat to democracy.

The guest speaker was a former member of the Bush administration.

The threat to democracy to which he referred is a code phrase for threat to corporate profits. This phrase was used extensively back in the 1960s to justify our war in Southeast Asia. This phrase was used again to justify our wars in the Middle East.

Anything that gets in the way of corporate profits is a threat to democracy.

The real threat to democracy, of course, are the corporations themselves and their lackey stooges in the government who attack anyone who dares to take one penny from their corporate pockets.

Violence in Mexico

Is the violence in Mexico planned? And does it suit the agenda of the powers that be? Regardless of what you think, the continuing violence in Mexico is an indictment of our leaders in both countries. They are either too devious or too dumb to fix it.

Too devious? Now that’s a thought. Maybe the leaders, corporatists all, don’t care about fixing it. Maybe they like the idea of rampant violence, beheadings and body chopping. After all, violence gets them the following:

  1. Unease amongst the population resulting in a greater reliance upon the elites “to do something.”
  2. Greater expenditure of federal spending on law enforcement to “fix things.”
  3. Greater drug use mandating expensive drug programs to “help” people. Such programs will be managed, of course, by major corporations.
  4. Increased need for federal prisons which will be built, managed and supplied by, again, major corporations.
  5. Increased immigration of people from Mexico to the United States resulting in a situation where some day the elites can say, “Well, we may as well just combine the two countries.”
  6. Increased role of the corporate state in providing welfare for poor immigrants and their kids.
  7. Rubbing out of competing small businessmen (who have the audacity to offer a better service) who are more affected by violence than larger corporations. Larger corporations have the dough to hire their own private police force on their own sequestered campus.
  8. A weakening of the pesky middle class in America who are always barking about “The Bill of Rights.”

With all that money coming in, why would our bought-off leaders fix anything?

They won’t. It’s not a matter of ability but desire.

Is Trump a Fake

Is Trump for real, or is he a fraud?

I voted for the guy, but what has he really done?

Has he fixed healthcare?

My premiums are still going up; how about yours?

Has he locked Hillary up?

Remember the refrain, “Lock her up!”

Has he gone after Hillary?

If Jeff Sessions won’t, why doesn’t he fire Jeff Sessions?

Is the economy really better?

Is it possible to make an economy better this quickly?

Is it possible to bring all these jobs back to America this quickly?

Or are we the victims of a slick media campaign complete with bogus statistics?

Doesn’t it take time to rebuild factories and train people?

Can you do that and see a bump in the economy in 18 months?

What about the wars?

We’re still at war, aren’t we?

Aren’t we still fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq?

If Trump is so against war, why is he ginning up the case for war with Iran?

Is Iran really our enemy?

If so, why?

I haven’t seen any Iranian warships off the coast of San Diego, have you?

Are there Iranian troops amassing on our southern border?

No, I haven’t seen any of them either.

So, maybe this President is all BS.

Maybe his Presidency is just a dog and pony show designed to placate the raging masses.

Maybe the elites are throwing us a dog bone for a few years.

Then, after a little while, when we settle down and are pacified, they’ll bring Hillary back.

What do you think?

Are we being had?

If Trump were such a right-winger and was renaking America, why isn’t Obama outraged and outspoken?

Do you remember how placid Bush was when Obama “reversed” all his polices.

You heard nary a peep from Bush, just as you hear nary a peep from Obama today.

Maybe they secretly agree with Trump.

Maybe all three are in on the giant shamocracy that has become America.

Sean the Stooge

Commonly you hear people state that the left is promoting the Russian Meddling narrative. This is not entirely so. No one has promoted the Russian Meddling narrative more than Sean Hannity. Every night, Sean ruthlessly and maliciously keeps the Russian Meddling narrative alive by talking about it.

You can guess which words will come out of Sean’s mouth first as the program begins. If he doesn’t say Russia, Mueller or Steele Dossier within the first five words, something is wrong with your television.

Why does Sean do this? True ratings must clearly be down as no one but a brain-dead idiot could tolerate the same story night after night, so why continue?

Sean promotes this lie by debunking it because he is a stooge of Corporate America. Indeed, like most other radio and television personalities, he is owned lock, stock and barrel by the powers that be. The tentacles of the establishment octopus reach far and deep.

Sadly many conservatives have been had. They think Sean is on their side.

Michael Reagan said it best years ago; he stated that the Republicans and Democrats propped each other up like the sides of an A frame.

So too the media.

The best way to extinguish a bogus story is to ignore it.

Confederate Statues

The young are obsessed with Confederate statues.

They rage about slavery that took place over 150 years ago yet rage little about their own slavery today. Yes, they are slaves to the activists and social justice warriors who manipulate them into the cattle pens of frivolity and serfdom.

What they should be protesting against are the gradual usurpation of their individual freedoms through false wars physical and abstract against the false enemies – China, Iran, Russia, global warming, hate speech, Stonewall Jackson – that the powers that be choose to create that day.

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In the antebellum South, states were regarded more as countries rather than states being part of a union.  Virginia was regarded as a homeland of sorts.  When Generals such as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson fought for the South, they did so for their homeland, not for slavery.  To not do so would be considered an act of treason.