The unAmerican

http://anonnewsnet.blogspot.com/

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:30:01 -0400

http://anonnewsnet.blogspot.com/:

You’ve gotta check this resource out. I must admit, it’s where I go for much of my own news.

Genetically Modified Showdown: Monsanto Sued by Organic Farmers

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:14:28 -0400

Genetically Modified Showdown: Monsanto Sued by Organic Farmers:

Go farmers! A collective of organic farmers is suing Monsanto because, not only are their genetic modifications not useful, they’re actually harmful. I don’t have high hopes for this case but I still stand behind them 100%!

The Top Ten Reasons America is Broke

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:11:43 -0400

The Top Ten Reasons America is Broke:

Hoo boy! Can you say tax loopholes you can drive a tank through? Having the highest corporate tax rate in the world is meaningless if the corporations can just legally dodge the taxes.

19 Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is At The Heart Of U.S. Economic Problems

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:08:30 -0400

19 Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is At The Heart Of U.S. Economic Problems:

A very strong argument against the Federal Reserve. I’ve been told it’s flawed, as it doesn’t regard debt as a part of GDP, but that seems negligible considering the context.

American Thought Police

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:11:00 -0400

American Thought Police:

A clear image of the American gestapo. I hope you don’t think this is a purely political issue, because I can prove (with no great effort) that the “left” is just as guilty as the “right.”

I’m keeping my head down for the time being, but I thought...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:15:04 -0400

I’m keeping my head down for the time being, but I thought this would be of interest to the pplz of tumblr.

The 11 layers of citizen journalism.

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:50:46 -0400

The 11 layers of citizen journalism.:

In the interest of supporting citizen journalism, here is a breakdown of c.j into 11 levels.

pantslessprogressive: Here is your daily dose of Islamophobia,...

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:39:08 -0400

pantslessprogressive:

Here is your daily dose of Islamophobia, courtesy of GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain.

SCOTT KEYES (ThinkProgress): You came under a bit of controversy this week for some of the comments made about Muslims in general. Would you be comfortable appointing a Muslim, either in your cabinet or as a federal judge?

HERMAN CAIN: No, I would not. And here’s why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened in Europe. And little by little, to try and be politically correct, they made this little change, they made this little change. And now they’ve got a social problem that they don’t know what to do with hardly.

Read more at ThinkProgress. [photo via]

Full Employment, Inflation Control, And The Fed

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:36:57 -0400

letterstomycountry:

Some great commentary by Lane Kenworthy on the relationship between Inflation and the Employment rate:

Sweden succeeded in keeping unemployment below 4% [from 1960 to 1989] by coupling employment-oriented monetary and fiscal policy with wage restraint. But Sweden’s central bank at that time was subordinate to the government. Ours, the Federal Reserve, is independent. Since the late 1970s, independent central banks such as the Fed almost always have prioritized low inflation, rendering low unemployment difficult to achieve. If the Fed isn’t on board, even a workable plan for full employment supported by the American public and our elected officials probably won’t be enough.

What about Pollin’s second precedent, the United States in the late 1990s? During those years the Fed, under Alan Greenspan, did keep interest rates low enough for the unemployment rate to drop below 4%. But Greenspan held rates low despite opposition from other Fed board members, who were concerned about potential inflationary consequences — particularly given the internet-driven stock market bubble. Greenspan took this stance in part because his belief in the self-correcting nature of markets led him to worry less than others about the bubble. In light of the painful consequences of the 2000s real estate bubble, I doubt we’ll see the Fed take that approach again for some time.

The trouble with arming Libyan rebels

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:34:00 -0400

fareastlibertarianmovement:

“The most common outcome of U.S.-funded rebellions has been to create instability and violence that, whether in the form of intractable insurgencies or low-level sectarian fighting, tends to last far longer than whatever political conflict they were meant to resolve. The flood of arms — particularly the easy-to-use, impossible-to-destroy, grimly effective Kalashnikov rifle variants — make weapons so prolific and so cheap that terrorism, criminal gangs better armed than the police, and militias of every political and religious stripe are all but impossible to stamp out. By the time that CIA funding dries up, young men who have made their living for years fighting on the American dime have no other way to support their family than killing for hire. Wealthy, extremist sheikhs and would-be sheikhs on the Arabian Peninsula are always happy to write checks in pursuit of their Islamist dreams, as they have done in support of Afghan and Pakistani militants for decades. Violence begets violence, instability begets instability, and the U.S. tactic of arming rebels has been incredibly successful at fomenting both, but has done little to end either, often creating problems far outsizing those we originally meant to solve.”

— In Arming Libyan Rebels, U.S. Would Follow an Old, Dark Path

"Whatever credibility the government had, they shot it today — literally."

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:31:35 -0400

“Whatever credibility the government had, they shot it today — literally.”

- A senior Obama administration official, on Syria.

Unrest in Syria and Jordan Poses New Test for U.S. Policy | NY Times

(via pantslessprogressive)

Senators Ask Apple To Ban DUI Checkpoint Alert Apps

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:27:43 -0400

Senators Ask Apple To Ban DUI Checkpoint Alert Apps:

statehate:

whimsicalallure:

Sounds like censorship to me.

So I shouldn’t be allowed to text my friends and let them know where the checkpoints are then….because it’s basically the same thing.

Well, it looks like their little stunt just backfired because I, along with probably hundreds of other people who read this article, just downloaded the PhantomAlert app for iPhone, which I hadn’t heard of until now.

Oh, and I just checked the reviews, and the very first comment is “Great recommendation by US senators trying to get this banned. They should ban those no good politicians that think they are above the law.”

Amen.

President Obama’s Message to the People of Cote D’Ivoire

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:12:00 -0400

President Obama’s Message to the People of Cote D’Ivoire:

I’m not the biggest fan of letting my own opinions mix with the news I share, but I really have to ask. Why is Obama promoting revolution in Cote D’Ivoire when he can’t speak up for the citizens in Bahrain, Jordan, or Iran? Shouldn’t he be speaking up for the thousands who are losing their lives? Shouldn’t he be condemning Saudi Arabian troops for brutally “pacifying” the Bahraini uprisings? Could it be because the Ivory Coast has diamonds? Do they have oil too? One has to wonder.

Ohio House Passes ‘Nation’s Most Restrictive’ Voter ID Law That Would Curb Rights Of Almost 900,000 Ohioans

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:08:45 -0400

Ohio House Passes ‘Nation’s Most Restrictive’ Voter ID Law That Would Curb Rights Of Almost 900,000 Ohioans:

In 22 states across the country, Republican lawmakers are ginning up the specter of voter fraud to pass highly restrictive photo identification laws that would severely restrict the voting rights of millions. But yesterday, the Republicans in the Ohio House secured passage of “what could become the nation’s most restrictive voter identification law.”

Wow. This made me feel like consumerisms submissive...

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:07:08 -0400

Wow. This made me feel like consumerisms submissive prison-boyfriend. It’s not a good feeling. Not at all.

This is great. Did you know your income tax was such a...

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:05:29 -0400

This is great. Did you know your income tax was such a clusterflux?

Terms of Privilege

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:14:00 -0400

letterstomycountry:

Themarxistbrothers writes, in response to a reader:

White male privilege is the correlation vs causation fallacy in play I think. I myself am a white male and it bugs the hell out of me when people think I’m some sort of disconnected, privileged little brat trying to rebel when in fact the unemployment check has been a very frequent guest in my home. I agree, a lot of white males are privileged douchebags but frankly I hate it when people argue as a blanket statement that being a white male makes things somehow easier on you.

And yeah, I recognize that there are intelligent ideas in the 3rd wave of feminism and there are intelligent 3rd wave feminists. I just find the general themes of the second wave to be more clear and agreeable to me. Reproductive rights? Hell yeah More women in politics? Go for it! E.R.A.? Fuck yes, where do I sign?

But like I said, when third wave feminists argue that I have an advantage in the job market (Pssh, yeah right) or that my language is somehow destructive to their rights, I get annoyed and turned off to them and a lot of what they stand for[.]

I emphasized the bolded statement for a reason I’ll discuss later. But regarding the terms White/Male Privilege: You need to make sure you understand exactly what people mean when they use this term, because the terms themselves are loaded (which is why they tend to be upsetting).

The best way to understand White Privilege is “I have one less thing to worry about in the color of my skin.” Being black, brown, tan, polka-dotted, or whatever, can be a liability for any number of reasons. While racism is nowhere near as prevalent today as it used to be, there IS a type of racism that still exists, which I like to call “the Racism of Discomfort.”

Basically, after the White Flight of late 50’s and 60’s, a lot of communities became De Facto segregated. Rich white folks moved out into the suburbs, while poor black folks had to stay in the cities. Today, this means that a lot of white kids are growing up in communities where there aren’t a lot of minorities around. So even though a lot of suburban white kids might have fairly liberal attitudes about race, they simply just aren’t used to being around Black people. As a result, they get nervous or afraid when they’re around them. These reactions have a tendency to follow people into adulthood, in the form of residual, subsconscious emotions they might not even be aware of. So you can get a situation where the suburban white kid becomes a company boss, and he has a choice between John and Jamal, and he picks John because he’s just more comfortable around John. He doesn’t have any actual hate or animus against Jamal. He would just rather work with John.

That’s what people mean when they say White Privilege: It doesn’t mean that white people get life handed to them on a silver platter. It doesn’t mean your life is easy. It means that the situation I described above is something you likely will never have to worry about. That’s all it means. Some people will, of course, try to use this “White Privilege” as a bludgeon while discussing race relations. But just make sure you understand, in the midst of all the so-called “reverse racism” and self-righteousness that may be floating around, there is a legitimate definition to this term that deserves to be recognized by us white kids.

Male Privilege is similar, but it works in a different way: basically, the simplest way to put this is that men are already working with the benefit of the doubt: there are certain assumptions and expectations about gender roles that are subconsciously reinforced by us collectively; and they tend to work in the favor of men and against women. That is all that is meant by Male Privilege. It’s really that simple.

While many people try to conflate these terms, I happen to believe that Race relations and Gender relations are very different beasts. I am not overly sensitive to the term “White Privilege” because I think it gets used in a different way when it gets brought up in conversation.

However, I am a bit more sensitive to the term “Male Privilege.” I understand where this term comes from, and it rests on a legitimate observation. But the fact of the matter is that many men are still upset by it. It minimizes men and trivializes their struggles as individuals. When this label is used on a man, he fails to be a complex human being with various opinions, struggles, experiences and desires inside of him. he is simply just another Privileged Man. It paints all men as tacitly complicit subconscious misogynists. Even if that’s not what is precisely meant by the label, that’s often how it feels. And it tends to make men defensive precisely because we are complex human beings, just like women, and not simply defined by our gender. It typecasts us and erases the most important parts of our personality, which have less to do with our gender and much more to do with our ability to reason, and our emotional reactions to the world.

All of this nuance is lost underneath the label of “Male Privilege.” And that is why men who support 90+% of the Feminist platform still get upset when this term gets thrown around like a bludgeon. It alienates men by reducing us to just another Privileged Male; and perhaps worst of all, it lumps us in with all the genuine jackasses and douchebags that we find just as insufferable as the most ardent 3rd wave Feminist. Just as peaceful Muslims do not like being called Terrorists; and just as Germans do not like being compared to Nazis; so too do men not enjoy being tattooed with the same ink as our less scrupulous counterparts. It transforms us into oppressors against our individual will. And it is frustrating and hurtful to be called a “Privilege Denier” the same way it is frustrating and hurtful to be labeled as an alcoholic for having the audacity to drink once in awhile. It erases all nuance and complexity and leaves nothing but stigma in its place. And that is what gives it the power to wound.

With this in mind, my sole piece of advice to the Feminist bloggers and writers who use this term, and believe in it, is to remember to listen to their own arguments: namely, that language can be a weapon, and words do matter. There are a lot of men out there who could be very effective advocates for Womens’ Rights; but they shy away from activism because they feel alienated by the way modern Feminists have framed the gender conversation. As Feminists seek to protect a Women’s Right to Choose; or the right to take Maternity Leave without fear of employer retribution; or when trying to ensure that women get equal pay for equal work; or as they seek to ensure that Planned Parenthood stays open so poor women can continue to get medical support that they would otherwise not have access to, they should remember that most men (at least the ones I hang out with) want these things for women too. We want these things for women not just because they’re women: but because they are human beings that deserve dignity in their social pursuits, respect in the workplace, and autonomy over their own bodies, the same as any man.

But it must still be remembered that language matters, for both men and women. Word choices matter. And for good or ill, “Male Privilege” is an inflammatory term that upsets a lot of men who otherwise agree with most of what Feminists have to say. I hope that some day they realize this, so that a co-ed consensus on the urgency of protecting women’s rights in all the ways mentioned above can more quickly be realized than it otherwise will be.

Some common sense on capital hill

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:04:00 -0400

pantslessprogressive:

Dick Durbin To Hold Muslim Hearings; To Protect Their Civil Rights

liberal-lad:

Like Congressman Peter King of Long Island, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois will hold hearings focusing on Muslims. Unlike King, Durbin will focus on protecting the civil rights of Muslim Americans.

Durbin said the hearing is necessary following an increase in anti-Muslim bigorty in the United States, including “[Koran]burnings, restrictions on mosque construction, hate crimes, hate speech, and other forms of discrimination.”

While Durbin aides deny that the hearing is in reponse to Rep. Peter King’s (R-N.Y.) investigation into “radicalization” within the American Muslim community, the contrast between the two is hard to miss.

“Our Constitution protects the free exercise of religion for all Americans,” Durbin said in a statement released by his office on Tuesday.

“During the course of our history, many religions have faced intolerance. It is important for our generation to renew our founding charter’s commitment to religious diversity and to protect the liberties guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.”

- Not exactly the tone set by Peter King.

—- You win, Senator Durbin. Thank you for this.

I hate people who blindly support the police and the government

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:00:45 -0400

bookwormlibertarian:

Sorry guys, I’m just in a whining, complaining, and bitchy mood today because of the stupidity that surrounds me. But, like I said, I hate people who blindly support the police and the government because they have power. We’ve been groomed to feel that the government and the police support us and our best interests and work for us, but they don’t.

This girl and I got into a debate about police brutality. You know what this chick says? “Well, they deal with belligerent people all day so it is understandable that they might want to throw someone to the ground.” Number one, they chose to work with belligerent people. I’ve worked in food service before and it sucked, but when I waited on some assholes I never beat the shit out of them. My job is to serve them and make their experience great and that is what I did. Number two, just because you’ve dealt with belligerent people all day does not give you a right to throw down or assault someone who is not attacking you physically. The only time a cop can use force on a suspect is when the suspect is trying to physically harm them—self defense.

Now, not all cops are bad, I know that. But honestly, these days cops seem to do more harm than good. In all reality, they don’t protect you. When you’re getting mugged, you survive because of your actions. They come afterward and have slim chances of catching the criminal.

The same goes for the government. They are not God and you are allowed to question them. I feel like I live around a bunch of brainwashed people. I’m just thankful I’ve always been an independent thinker and never let anyone influence my opinions or ideas.

Sorry to say this friend, but you actually do live around a bunch of brainwashed people. If you ever have a chance, look and see what our highschool history books have to say about the federal government. For this, I would suggest to you the book Lies my teacher taught me. It’s really excellent for pointing out the whitewashing that happens in our schools, having checked some 18 books (both old and new) and found many of the same fallacies in all of them.

For example, you highschool history books would have led you to believe that the Federal government had a major stake in helping the civil rights movement go forward. They explicitly credit John F Kennedy for his support of equal rights. However reality was quite the opposite. At one point Kennedy actually sent his Vice President away because he thought the man sympathized with the civil rights movement too much. The way our history is taught has led people to believe that our leaders are infallible. Therefore it is our responsibility to show them otherwise.

A package found by a security guard at a federal office building in Detroit sat three weeks before someone thought to screen it and found it was a bomb, an official who represents unionized guards said on Wednesday. | Reuters

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:51:11 -0400

A package found by a security guard at a federal office building in Detroit sat three weeks before someone thought to screen it and found it was a bomb, an official who represents unionized guards said on Wednesday. | Reuters