As It Stands II

[UPDATE Below]

After Thanksgiving, you'd think all this Report has to do is write about Dave Stancliff's Opinion “As It Stands” in the Sunday Times-Standard. Not true. After taking a couple of weeks off I needed something easy to deal with. His artful article for November 28, 2010, is: As It Stands: Thank you, Janet Napolitano, for saving us from pot terrorists – a rather satirical commentary and good for a laugh or two.

He makes a valid point or two and concludes:

As It Stands, forgive my sarcasm, but sometimes I have the feeling our government marches to a different tune than the rest of us.

Since “our government” is a representative democracy, I wonder what “government” he's talking about. It certainly couldn't be that one a majority of voters put into office a couple of years ago, now could it? Or maybe it was the one just put in and recently finalized a major change. So, who's really marching “to a different tune than the rest of us”? That minority that didn't vote for the present administration? In a Democracy their supposed to roll-over and submit to the will of the majority, aren't they? Of course, in the Obama Administration that means he does everything the Republicans want.

We all know that President Barack Obama has done everything he promised America that he would do – been a bastion of HOPE & CHANGE for the country. Everyone that bought into his spiel deserves what they get. Personal accountability starts with and ends with the VOTER. If it actually is, and it certainly seems to be, as Dave Stancliff alludes, then maybe it's time to start holding these voters accountable. Maybe next time they'll demand a choice of substantive people they can actually believe in. A good place to start is right here in Humboldt County with EVERY elected official.

The reason why is outlined in this interview with Noam Chomsky where he show how the WikiLeaks cables reveal a “Profound hatred for democracy by US and Israeli political leadership.” And we certainly know who they represent, the political and religious Elite.

Dave Stancliff's satire is well taken, but there are some serious SUBSTANTIVE issues confronting everyone of us in this country that needs to be thought about, considered and addressed. Ultimately Democracy works when responsibility and ACCOUNTABILITY are applied to the people. Maybe it's time to start thinking about your authoritarian, mean-spirited Republican neighbor that wants to take away your Social Security and Medicare benefits or your complicit, gutless, milquetoast Democrats in the looting and destruction of America.
[Source]

[UPDATE :: Tuesday, November 30, 2010]

Glenn Greenwald in his WikiLeaks reveals more than just government secrets - lays out what some of these "serious substantive" issues are. He begins by saying:

The WikiLeaks disclosure has revealed not only numerous government secrets, but also the driving mentality of major factions in our political and media class.  Simply put, there are few countries in the world with citizenries and especially media outlets more devoted to serving, protecting and venerating government authorities than the U.S. [Emphasis added]

His sober assessment of what's happening in America should be a real eye-opener. He lays the fault right at the feet of those responsible for the ongoing war on Democracy. Be nice to see local Dave Stancliff types step up and substantively distinguish themselves here on the North Coast for a change.

--Joe

Happy Thanksgiving

[Source]

--Joe

As It Stands

[UPDATE Below] [Update II]

Pot Kills

As It Stands: Dave Stancliff and the Times-Standard's Number One Opinion for a Sunday Morning: “America's unstable neighbor poses greater threat than Taliban.”

After weeks of basically meaningless, irrelevant dribble from Mr. Stancliff he comes back with a vengeance. (I know he doesn't think it's “meaningless dribble,” but that's really beside the point.) There are some really serious issues facing all of us and week after week he – well, I guess he was taking a “tea break” – you know, a respite, charging his batteries. Good for him. I'm glad to see that he's actually got some of that moxie he keeps telling everyone he has. I'd really like to see more of these kind's of substantive “opinion” commentary from him. Good job Mr. Stancliff.

If I had a critique, which I don't – merely an observation for another “opinion” article from him is that he doesn't touch the reason or the cause of the problem for this “war” – STARVATION.

The root cause of that problem is NAFTA. A tool in America's Elitist's war on all people's right to be self-sustaining. What the Elitist fail to understand this that “people have to live.” One of the lessons of Vietnam: People have to live even if it costs them millions of lives. This is a price no American is willing to pay. Except the very few of us that STAND FREE!

[UPDATE :: Monday, November 15, 2010]

I find it curious that he doesn't mention the American War On Drugs that this country is enforcing on the Mexican government and that it is ALSO part of the root cause of this “war” he writes about. The consequences are directly attributed to the “spill-over” into the U.S. The Elitist’s Solution: put the people in a military or para-military vise. Squeeze them dry, then blame them for why they are dying. So, what's the solution here? “[P]rotect American's from the war next 'store,' [I assume he means 'door'] and that takes money.” “Money” seems to be in rather short supply today when President Obama is seriously considering engaging in another “war” on Social Security and Medicare. I guess America's elderly can pay for this border “war' with Mexico. Anyway, what's the solution offered? “[G]et our politicians to recognize the war in Mexico endangers American more than the Taliban?”

I wonder what the “Taliban” has to do with this? Obama has made Netanyahu an offer he can't refuse. - America has made Israel an offer they can't refuse. Part of this offer, the fighter jet deal alone is an out and out gift of 40 planes at 130 million each, plus additional support:

“To date the security package has included emergency stores that are available to the Israel Defense Forces, a $205-million grant to purchase Iron Dome systems, and a significant stepping-up of joint missile defense training programs. The list of items to come, at least on paper, is impressive.”

It's just BILLIONS of dollars! I guess the Mexicans aren't as dangerous or as big a threat as the Palestinians.

---

comme ci comme ca
Israel's Shabbas Goy
Why America will come to regret the craven deal Obama is offering Netanyahu.
By Christopher Hitchens
[Source]

--Joe

Join Hypocrisy Watch

[UPDATE Below]

“Hypocrisy Watch” is an idea, something people are playing around with today and have in the past. There are only a handful of people that make it their business to talk about the rampant, ingrained hypocrisy. Even less with the stature of a Glenn Greenwald. Fewer yet are willing to go on record to call out these hypocrites.

Hypocrisy is defined by Random House Dictionary as:

1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.

Word Origin & History says:

"Hypocrisy is the art of affecting qualities for the purpose of pretending to an undeserved virtue. Because individuals and institutions and societies most often live down to the suspicions about them, hypocrisy and its accompanying equivocations underpin the conduct of life. Imagine how frightful truth unvarnished would be." [Benjamin F. Martin, "France in 1938," 2005] -[Emphasis added]

If you want to be a part of this action, make note in your blog, or make a comment identifying either the hypocrite or the person that identifies the hypocrite. This Report is always on the lookout for someone exposing hypocrisy.

Lying hypocrites seem to be the norm today. They are corrupt to the gut and are totally illegitimate bastards. It's time to recognize them for what they are and treat them accordingly. They want you to treat them like they are honest, decent, and truthful people. Stop cooperating with them.
Join the ad hoc team of Hypocrisy Watchers.

[UPDATE :: Tuesday, November 16, 2010]

The Ultimate HypocrisyThe root cause of the problem is well illustrated in Glenn Greenwald's “Two presidents and their justifications” - When politics trumps law. When gutless Americans worry more about perception than the Rule of Law - "Look forward, not backward." The Call to Justice falls to the World and to the Universe.

When the American people refuse to enforce established Constitutional Law they act, by a de facto unanimous vote, to abolish the Constitution. When that happens America becomes an illegitimate, ungovernable mob.

--Joe

Hypocrisy Watch

In our own limited way, the Joe Blow Report participates in and is proud to do so, Hypocrisy Watch.

Click the link and read the complete interview for
RADIO FREE DYLAN

EPISODE 7 - GLENN GREENWALD OF SALON.COM
http://www.dylanratigan.com/

Here's how it starts:

DYLAN: ... Hypocrisy watch. The gap between that which is said and that which is done, that which is promised and that which is delivered. Why are there so few of you?

GLENN: Well, I think hypocrisy has enabled -- let's look at it on a couple levels. First is just the domestic political level, where democrats criticize republicans for doing certain things when they're in power, then end upwhen they're in power doing exactly the same things that they criticized the republicans for, and vice versa.

I think one of the reasons why that that's so permitted is because this
loyalty that people have to their tribe means that they object only when
certain things are done by the other side, and not by their own side.
They're not applying consistent principles. What they're doing instead is
supporting anything their side does, and opposing what the other side
does. Just sort of a blind, partisan tribe loyalty.

DYLAN: Sort of like a religion.

GLENN: Yeah. It's religion, ...

And our bleak future:

DYLAN: Or, other vehicles. I look to the currency market and the bond

markets and the bond market -- for me, the ideal leverage to force this to
be dealt with would be a 50% drop in the dollar, a 20% spike in interest
rates, that would then force acknowledgement of the fact that the entire --

GLENN: That the entire apparatus is corrupted at its root and needs to be
basically uprooted and overhauled.

DYLAN: That's it.

GLENN: But what's remarkable about that -- and it really is remarkable --
that if that 2008 financial crisis did not accomplish that, it's hard to imagine
a level of disruption that would be sufficient to cause that to happen while
not engulfing everything in it's wake. I mean, you almost get convinced that
the only way they're going to acknowledge that something needs to be
fundamentally changed is by the time it's far too late. When the destruction
is so widespread that it's irreversible. And that would be on some levels
sweet justice for the people who are responsible. But the problem is it
would potentially suck up everyone else in it's wake. So, what you want to
do is find a vehicle, a method for changing it short of waiting for that to
happen. Because it does seem like that's inevitable, absent some change
and intervening cause. 

This interview is well worth the time to read. It's an eye-opener! Hypocrisy Watch.

--Joe

Boohoo!

[UPDATE Below]

This is what greeted me this morning: Legalize-marijuana measure loses in California

Supporters of Proposition 19 are out in force trying to explain why the measure FAILED.

Here's an excerpt from the AP report:

“Prop 19 supporters blamed the outcome on the older, more conservative leanings of voters who participate in midterm elections and pledged to try again in two years.” [Emphasis added]

There may be some truth to that analysis, but I think, when you consider the worry everyone feared, as projected in this article posted on MSNBC: Reefer sadness for pot farmers – there's an even more pragmatic reason.

Here's a list of some of the local blog articles and follow-up comments:

1. Here's what Eric Kirk and some of his followers say here: Why did legal pot lose last night?
2. Kym Kemp: The Emerald Triangle’s Response To Prop. 19–Flowers Among The Weed?
3. NC Journal: Conservative Sweep?
4. A fair sampling of local comments at Humboldt Herald.

There's probably a more on this subject, but I got tired looking. This article poped up on Twitter thanks to NCJ's Ryan Burns: Minds Don't Change That Much, But Voters Do -  A good article about why people vote the way they do. In the end, really just an exercise in futility.

So, why did California voters shoot down Prop. 19 when all the polls showed it would pass? Money. It's as simple as that. When you can NET $150,000 to $200,000 plus a year AFTER you pay for all the hard lifting, there is a vested interest in all businesses that profit off this large amount of tax-free money coming into these communities. Even the small 10 to 15 plants a year anyone can grow nets a tidy sum. Regulating and taxing these growers would expose their lucrative operations. No one really wanted see that happen either.

Apparently with all the local buzz on the possible adverse benefits of legal pot growing some people are put out at the Humboldt Grower's prices. Here's what Kym Kemp thinks the growers need to do: Attitudes Towards Humboldt Growers - Join forces as one big corporation, then lobby and advertise.

My idea use some of all that tax-free money to buy representatives that will serve your interests first. The way the laws are today, no one would know where the money originated. That way everyone associated with this criminal so-called industry could be legitimate mainstream crooks and become active members of the ruling elite.

[UPDATE :: Friday, November 5, 2010]
Kym Kemp's latest take pot matters consequences as she sees them: Smokers Calling For A Boycott Of Emerald Triangle Growers? Problem is, she lives in a fantasy world. Think she'd get a clue if she understood why voters across the U.S. voted in a majority of conservative, Tea Party Republican types? Think she'd admit this was part of the backlash I talked about?

--Joe