Why We Fight? Harnessing Public Opinion and Tax $$$

There are two documentaries that should be watched together, one a longer film the second a short.

"Why We Fight" is an excellent over view of the US and its need to begin wars, continue wars and ultimately harness public opinion and taxpayers' resources to prepare for and finance future war.



Rumblings abound that Iran is the next target and that the regime has weapons of mass destruction etc. or are building nuclear devices.

With the US economy limping along and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq either continuing indefinitely into the future or winding down next year, the US Military-Industrial-Think Tank-Complex needs another battle "theater".

Currently we have 14 permanent bases in Iraq, after invading on March 17th 2003. Most military brass don't think a war in Iran will be successful, yet think-tanks and military contractors are not giving up and ratchet up the battle hyper pole daily.

The second documentary is "Poster Girl", a film that follows an ex-cheerleader into battle and after her return from Iraq with PTSD (see earlier post on this blog).

http://hackingthroughdistractions.blogspot.com/2011/09/ambien-anecdotes-from-battlefield.html

It is a disturbing window into the soul of a female combat veteran, her struggles wit the VA, with her inner demons and society in general.



The main character Sgt. Murray even made it to the cover of "ARMY" magazine and was the poster girl for female combat soldiers.

Of course she regrets every single action she engaged in during her tour in Iraq. These are not the documentaries the top brass in the military want young people to see. Instead war is injected with MASSIVE DOSES OF HEROISM and patriotism.


A book that is rarely found in college libraries today is "War is a Racket" by Smedley Butler, written in 1935 many years after Butler had retired.





Little has changed today, 76 years later, except TECHNOLOGY AND PROPAGANDA METHODS. Instead of using boots on the ground the US military uses DRONES and BUNKER BUSTING bombs, "precision guided missiles" and cyber warfare in countries that have had "democracy" hoisted upon them from the barrel of a M-16 rifle. Thousands of soldiers are killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians are slaughtered all in the name of war.

Profits mount up and the usual profiteers see their stock prices rise into the stratosphere.

O-W-S @ CUNY; Tuition Increases Since 1980

O-W-S went to college today (see link below) and marched around the blocks 24th and 25th Streets as the board of trustees met to vote on a 35% increase on tuition.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA1CaPbu1jo

Since 1980 college tuition has increased across the board, from private to public by massive multiples. Public colleges have increased from $2500 a year in 1980 to $15,000 in 2010.

That's a whopping 600%!

Imagine paying SIX TIMES MORE in 2010 for a degree in a four year public college than in 1980?

And as regards private colleges, as they say in Brooklyn - "FUGGET-ABOUT-IT"



What goes up MUST COME DOWN! The next bubble to BURST will be the college BUBBLE.

A few questions must be posed here:

#1. What role have student loan providers played in this hot air balloon?
#2. What banks are securitizing student loans?
#3. What are students getting for their money in terms of degree quality?
#4. How have tenured professors' salaries fared since 1980?
#5. Are students graduating with JOB-RELEVANT SKILLS?
#6. How long do students take to REPAY THEIR LOANS?
#7. Are students OVER-QUALIFIED in the present economy?





Answers to the seven questions above may go toward understanding exactly why students and faculty alike are protesting and will continue to do so.



The graph to the right shows just how absurd EDU-FLATION has become, accelerating way past other normal measurements of INFLATION.

O-W-S Does Have A 3-point Agenda; TSA

The Guardian story below clearly illustrates the REAL reason why O-W-S were rounded up and chased out of Liberty Park, downtown.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/25/shocking-truth-about-crackdown-occupy

DC clowns in suits who do not represent the OMOTS have created all sorts of loopholes that allow them to profit from information before it goes into law assisting them to make huge windfalls as they lobby on behalf of their clients in the financial, and corporate worlds.

As Americans sit back and gloat upon their recent purchases and swollen guts, Congress has a wonderfully anti-American piece of legislation ready to be voted on November 28th, 2011. (Will update on who voted for what on 11/29 or 11/30)

According to the ACLU (see link) any American citizen can be arrested and held without charge on American soil if this law is passed.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/senators-demand-military-lock-american-citizens-battlefield-they-define-being

The reason for attempting to pass this heinous piece of legislation is this: the powers that be are terrified that if the economy turns further south and unemployment rises beyond the fake percentages spewed out by the BLS, social breakdown will accelerate and will necessitate a battery of laws, USAPATRIOT ACT included, to coerce the population and scare them.

That's why O-W-S is a major threat and cannot be allowed to continue and that's why sections 1031 and 1032 parts of the NDAA (S 1253), if passed, gives the US military, power to round up US citizens ANYWHERE in the world (including the United States) and held without trial.



If this bill and its repressive sections are enacted, the entire security apparatus of the DHS, DOD et al will be used to squash ALL DISSENT while OMOTS chase sales in Macys, Wal-Mart and continue to act as doe-eyed consumption conduits.

Recently on a trip back from Florida I observed the TSA and all of their shenanigans, with their super-expensive machines and radiation sniffing devices and I just had to laugh at all of this SECURITY APPARATUS used against the population in a bid to make them think they're being protected.



The entire escapade is a waste of taxpayers' money. And as the hoards go to airports across the country there will must likely be some kind of mickey mouse incident like two years ago with the inept "underpants bomber".

Then we'll all be asked to allow the TSA to check our drawers before getting on a plane!

Florida's Wildlife and Happy Thanksgiving

HDD is in Florida for a few days with limited internet access!

The wildlife here is amazing with gators, saw one yesterday, about 7 feet long, cranes, egrets, cormorants and several other species of birds, all hanging out enjoying the fruits of their labors.



Happy Thsnksgiving to all!

Enjoy the holiday season!

Do Nothing Congress --- Happy Thanksgiving!; MF Double Act

HDD is not a fan of DO NOTHING POLITICIANS and as we approach Thanksgiving, Congress has gifted the US taxpayers a FLOP in the form of a SUPER-INEFFICIENT COMMITTEE! (see links)

At left are all 12 of the flop committee, who in their unlimited ineptitude, have delivered a BIG FAT ZERO to the American people.

Further they had FOUR MONTHS, that's about 120 days, to sit around and do nothing, on the taxpayers' dime.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/11/supercommittee-flops

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/us/politics/deficit-deal-fell-apart-after-seeming-agreement.html?_r=1

These CLOWNS IN SUITS in DC cannot get it together to agree on ANYTHING and as a result, uncertainty will remain at the core of the political and economic environment the closer we get to the holiday season.




The DOW didn't take too kindly to this colossal political ineptitude in DC and as of 14:30 hrs EST was down by 300 points.

Thanks Congress!

Time to launch into that turkey TODAY and open a few beers while we're at it! The picture above shows just what these guys are concerned about and it is NOT THE WELL BEING of the US economy.

It is feathering their own nests, no matter what the cost to the US taxpayer!



And finally looks like Jon Corzine's missing millions have turned into missing billions!

M-F Global has DOUBLED DOWN!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mf-funds-shortfall-could-top-12-bln-trustee-2011-11-21

According to CLOWNS IN CONGRESS: Pizza = Veg

So the clowns in DC can't get it together to fulfill their duties as SUPER COMMITTEE on debt reduction!

LINKS:

http://gothamist.com/2011/11/16/pizza_now_counts_as_a_vegetable_acc.php

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45306416/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/#.TsPYCoA4M7E

https://www.grist.org/food/2011-11-17-congress-and-big-pizza

But they have made a much more important PRONOUNCEMENT. And what is that?

Yes they have decided in their "wisdom" that PIZZA IS VEGETARIAN! But the story is much more disturbing than that: the USDA, increasingly represents HUGE FOOD COMPANIES and care little about the health of the youth in this country.



This corrupt organ of government and the MEGA AGRI-BUSINESSES wants to ensure that the youth of America keep SHOVELLING down crap food in school cafeterias.

It's disgusting actually!

the question is this: Who voted for this nonsense and who lobbied to block the USDA's decision to LIMIT CRAP FOOD in school cafeterias? Who financed those who voted this insane nutritional equation that PIZZA = VEGETABLE?

Here's the 354 PAGE BILL! HR-2112

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt284/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt284.pdf

As far as HDD is concerned kids in this country are WAY TOO FAT! Sitting in front of computer and TV screens, eating crappy food, not getting ENOUGH EXERCISE and doing little or NO CORES around the house.



Instead of working around the house or in the garden, they lie about the place shovelling over processed foods into their huge guts and develop a lethargic attitude to life simply because of their crappy diets and the incessant marketing, bombarding them with FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD --- most of it CRAP!

Rebuilding US Infrastructure

A recent documentary on CNBC, aired Thursday night (see link) shows just how terribly degraded our bridges, levees, gas pipelines and highways are.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44610346

HDD has set up an i-petition on this issue - linked below -

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fix-us-infrastructure-now/

HDD believes that the Feds have FAILED in their duties regarding the infrastructure.

It matters not whether state, local, private or federal money is paying for rebuilding our bridges etc.

What matters is: THE JOB GETS DONE.



HDD is NON-PARTISAN and believes Republicrats and Demuplicans have FAILED in addressing the infrastructure crumbling scandal!

If the US Congress can bomb Iraq and destroy the infrastructure of that country and spend almost $1,000,000,000,000 on rebuilding, military aid etc. it can REBUILD OUR INFRASTRUCTURE no excuses.



Sign the petition above and let's get these CLOWNS in DC off their fat asses and give them all a shovel to GET DIGGING and POURING CONCRETE --- with NO TV cameras on hand.

Just get the job done, no excuses!