chuck kottke

> As we have a government, there's value in ensuring it operates to the benefit of all citizens in protecting our rights and providing healthy mechanisms for the enhancement of society. It is right now the captive of a powerful few who place great value and great wealth behind candidates who then confer great benefits upon their corporate "sponsors" & owners, very often damaging the health and well being of the majority of citizens, and stripping away our natural rights! Separating the undue influence of money and those who wield it to control power over the citizens is essential. Money is to be regulated and issued, but not used to control those in positions of the public trust, nor as a quid pro quo to in essence provide a delayed bribe for them when they leave office and accept the lobbying positions offered them. You can separate money and sex, it's called love and it involves a deeper relationship that a mere superficial exchange of exciting moments. Love is the often neglected component in today's world, it can solve a multitude of problems. But sure, on occasion, a few exotic dancers can help revive one's interests though; hey, don't get me wrong here!:P But in general more sharing and caring in today's world would go a long ways in helping to heal the wounds in our modern world. Who's talking about getting rid of money? All I'm sayin' is money should relate to fair exchanges, and money isn't the main human motivator for many aspects of the modern world we live in. Guns are just those long metal tubes with powder, wadding, and balls in them, best not used to hurt others unless you're really really really out of options, only under the gravest of circumstances and after very careful deliberation by a government of, by, and for We the People. But as we've seen with the Gulf war, when money takes precedent over human life and policy makers get into high office bolstered by those with the money, the results are anything but good, and anything but considerate of human life.

> Probably a combination of things, I agree. But the lack of respect in return by police and those running the show can affect how people think of what they regard as a ruling establishment, and if they see themselves as being on the outside looking in, they can retaliate from built up resentment. The interviews suggest this. A friend of mine grew up in the projects in Milwaukee, and when he and a friend of his decided to take his car to another part of town, the police officers didn't even have reasonable cause - the officers just stopped them, walked up to the car, and stuck guns to the backs of their heads. (the presumption was that a white kid and a black kid couldn't just be friends, the police assumed a drug deal was going down and they were involved). That pretty much ended my friends desire to join the police force! Just imagine how that makes young adults feel if they're in a minority and are profiled and treated in such a manner - can lead to a lot of resentment, and however wrongly, allow others to justify crimes against innocent people, citing their discrimination as a way to cover for their actions. So I think both economics and mutual respect, proper procedure and respect for individual rights are essential to reduce the odds of riots. But driving the crime problems are often poverty and economic uncertainty, which destabilizes people and increases the odds of bad things happening.

>I read some of the comments on BBC news from some of the area residents in those parts of London affected, and it sounds more like the motivations behind the riots in LA after the Rodney King beating incident by police. Anger over citizens, especially citizens of color, being categorically mistreated by the police, that was enough to push some to riot, but I think economic conditions create dry tinder for violence to erupt as well, so it may have been a combination of factors. But many take advantage of a situation to break things and loot or rob stores & shops, apparently that was the majority of the incidents then? Scenes from LA as well were of that - looting and robbing stores. But it does say something about our modern culture where individual worth is so closely tied to individual possessions, and those without don't care how they get the goods, so to speak. Thinking about those social issues here, one problem is how funding for assistance creates dysfunctional families, forcing fathers away from their families in order for mothers with children to get more benefits, which encourages all the wrong dynamics, and since jobs and job training were more expensive than just sending checks, politically motivated budget cutters decided to "save money" and forgo the expense of providing job training and ensuring jobs for people on assistance. Does a similar dynamic exist in the UK? People with descent employment, mutual respect from officials, stable healthy families, and good self-esteem seldom turn to violence except when all other options fail, and then rarely so. But also when an idea gets going, and the odds of frustrated individuals goes up, then some will do what's in their minds, sans adequate policing of an area...

> Yes, I agree Pete - and yet, we're apparently repeating history, or at least the people in power didn't pay attention in their history classes. And when basic needs are not met and things are unfair, some cope, others turn violent or criminal. And much the same, we can afford to ensure the workers get what they deserve here as well, but we instead shifted it all to the top 1%, and their answer is to starve the working class citizens who struggle daily to stay afloat, while exempting the bloated billionaires. Here, it was the 60's and early 70's, I recall seeing it on TV, many of our cities were lit afire, with rampant looting. And in the 80's too - Los Angeles had riots, and by then we a conservative government as well. I can only imagine growing up with it - that's got to be scary! Glad your analysts on whatever you're watching are on to the problem so precisely, that's a good sign not all is lost. Take care Pete, be safe wherever you are. -from Chuck.

Greetings Shak! I'm no web programmer or site developer, but I'll check it out! Cheers! from chuck. ;)

:laugh3: Here, here. And here too! Same insane thinking governing the US right now, the conservatives and their extreme camp have decided to slow down a slow economy, and that somehow will pay off the debt. :confused: Illogical, but it sounds good on the surface, since they use the logic of "when you're overspending in a household, and you owe a lot, then simply spend less and pay off the debt". Which is good thinking for a household in trouble, but really bad thinking for a whole government managing an economy. Pete, you're right - here too, it was discovered to work in the 30's, and the conservatives never admitted it. I think they have minds which see things just in terms of pushing the burdens on top of working people, and excusing themselves from participating. Lost in believing it's all a game, or wrapped up in dogmatic thinking, either way blinded to the reality right before them. And how tragic and senseless the consequences, first to set up conditions that perpetuate poverty, and then to watch things unravel when needs are not met - that's no way to improve society, but the response by those most affected is very disheartening as well. Reminds me a bit of the riots in the late 60's, sections of whole cities destroyed, often the poor destroying their neighborhood businesses and the senselessness of their actions only hurt their own communities.

And I think it will, Nancy. It's just impossible for things to keep going the way they are - people rise up, it damages their neighborhoods the worst, but nobody will stand for inequity; a house divided cannot stand. When those in power cannot envision the consequences of their own actions, not consider the outcomes of those affected, their time is over, and a new relationship must arise, a truer form of representation.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but stimulating the economy increases the economic output through a multiplication effect, and the increased revenues generated then allow a country to repay its debts. That stimulation needs to come in a form that actually increases the economic activity within the nation which needs it, so instead of giving it all to the super wealthy who just reinvest wherever the biggest payoff is or stash it away, it needs to go to the actual consumers and broad majority of citizens, so they can purchase and stimulate the economy, which in turn increases the economy to allow for debt repayment. Otherwise, it's like starving a starving animal that's slowing down because it's hungry and has no energy. The answer is to feed the animal so it can pull the plow and bring in the crops. Austerity in a time of economic recession results in a deeper economic recession, and less money to repay debts.

It's not a goddam game, they can't keep treating people like pawns or sheep. The voiceless will not be silent when they can no longer make it; opportunity for all, equity for all - it's essential, for even the ivory tower may fall from the hubris, arrogance, and isolation of its inhabitants.

Cutting at a time of economic recession makes no sense; when an engine is starving for fuel, do you then turn off the power coming from the battery and expect it to run better? Do you allow one cylinder to misfire, expecting smooth operation? Nuts, simply nuts, and I see now what Pete is saying, I just thought London had turned over a new leaf and the economic prosperity had made its way to everyone, which sadly is not the case. Opportunity and Equity for all, it's essential. We don't live in a world of limited resources as much as we live in a world of limiting equity and limiting of human potential. That must change. The Stratos City Dwellers cannot hold themselves on an island of insular living and thinking, for all deserve opportunity for improvements in their lives, descent jobs + good pay, and the whole of humanity then advances. Would David Cameron really do the right thing?? I hope so!

One the one hand is the marketing ploys beaming from the major media: "free markets, meritocracy, the silent hand, small government, economic growth," Familiar Horatio Alger Myths. But the reality behind the thin veneer is clear that it's been a false front to hide the sociopathic, narcissistic, short-term and often socially destructive methods and results, when unfettered and unregulated capital is allow to do whatever it wants, when those in command manipulate citizens into believing the shams they've constructed are beneficial to all. The scattered victims lay strewn across the field, including the truly good companies that either were forced to adopt unethical practices to compete, or simply were destroyed or removed by acquisition. One only has to recall ENRON's top controllers to know the methods which have been employed. For a quick view of what has happened across the pond if you would like to compare notes, here's a good link: Capitalism Hits the Fan: Richard Wolff on the Economic Meltdown > I think what is needed is a return to honest government and true representation, more social aspects restored to our democracies, and more worker-owned businesses. A breakup of the global monopolies / oligopolies, a publicly funded media focused on truth-telling and in-depth reporting, and a mix of motivational strategies employed which better serve each aspect of the public. From the bottom up government and a redistribution of wealth to increase equitably the earning potential of those in the working sector of the economy. Honest pay for honest work, better pay for better work, and a fair share of the profits as companies improve their efficiency and employees improve their skills, teamwork, and productivity. Isms are never good - they have at their foundations beliefs that are inherently inflexible and dogmatic, rooted in false notions and oversimplifications of the larger reality of human society. When taken literally and applied in all instances, they are at best a poor fit, and at worst destructive of the human potential and the broader environments. An engine ungoverned blows itself apart; markets unregulated do exactly that as well. An engine well governed powers the mill well, and serves the stakeholders well. It is now our job to prepare a better way forward and to learn from those leading the changes in this world. Viva!:cool: Onward!

Hello Camilla from the Grande Rio! :)

> Hm, well I figured as with any major city, there's going to be some crime no doubt, but this really caught me off guard. I kept hearing all the rosy news about London being this economically flourishing boom town, with wealth overflowing. There was a National Geo article on it - now that I recall.. So, I just figured that even the working class were benefiting, things getting better on average in all parts.. so that's apparently not the case! When prosperity and hope isn't shared and people aren't paid their fair share, I think it's pretty clear that level of frustration boils over in some serious ways... > Hm, sounds like a familiar problem in most major cities - overpriced housing of inferior quality, and the working class either wind up confined into slums, or forced to move way out of town and commute in. > The housing price / quality issue I can understand, having been a student at a major university once, and seeing the ridiculousness of prices being charged for dilapidated dwellings, profitable for the slum lords of student housing, unfair to us students who could barely afford to rent those hovels. So, we were packed into houses much the same! Where's the justice in it - without government that demands better of owners and makes sure students have the means to afford descent accommodations, it's definitely an unfair situation, I agree. And the trend has been in the past couple of years to keep upping tuition and rent, while student's incomes languish and student debts skyrocket - something's gotta change, that's for sure. You say that even with full-time employment, the pay isn't enough to afford rent - which tells me the income inequity has gotten to the point where it's unbearable, and to demand better pay for an honest day's work is essential - thing's just can't keep going on the way they are. Here too - wages have stagnated when adjusted for inflation, costs continue to skyrocket.

Neat!!:):):) Perfect for short trips and commutes, one could add bike pedals to get exercise while commuting! I ran across a site touting an environmentally safe chlorine free process for ultrapure silicon production, and if this process is what it claims to be, we may be on our way to a much safer greener way to make the all-essential photovoltaic cells without all the high risk chemical intermediates: Ultra-pure monosilane and semiconducting polysilicon :sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny: For a quick overview of the current process, check this out: Endress+Hauser - Process automation in production of photovoltaic cells It just always fascinates me, how we turn sand into semiconductor silicon, how any sufficiently developed technology is like magic. (after teams of smart people labor enormously to work the bugs out, their work deserves great recognition) >So, the solar to get the car to go is looking cleaner and greener all the time!!:hat:

I guess I never think of London as having problems like this, it strikes me as oddly out of place. I suppose no big city is perfect, nor insulated from organized crime - but gangsters? In London? Sad to see the melee afterwords, senseless violence never solves anything. Is there a great deal of poverty and discontentment in parts of London?

I get what you're saying Lory, but checks and balances must extend to checking the influence of money in elections, or what happens (at least here, if not in Switzerland) is a government which no longer cares about the majority of its citizens, only what the moneyed few say and want. Social needs are not met when only money talks, and right now money rules the election process. The US government was founded on the principle of promoting the welfare of the citizens of the nation - and recently, that responsibility has slide off the deep end. Nurturing is essential in promoting a healthy economy and a healthy country, progress must include the essential needs of families first, or the very base of our societies are put into peril.

Jenjie, I would have to agree wholeheartedly with you - and in essence, about the only difference here is that the names are changed. Same basic problems, slightly different responses in the past. Which is why many of us keep pushing for amendments that get the money out of politics - because at the core of the problem are elected members who serve their corporate masters well & with blind allegiance, and one of the biggest and most Orwellian of those is big media. We ought to have stronger anti-trust laws to break up monopolies to reduce consolidated power and strict measures to prevent such amassing of control in one sector to begin with, but the money flowing in to political coffers allowed the mistakes of the past to resurface. And the inequity in wealth in America is so great today as to be obscene - working class people are stuck in neutral, the top 1% now form a wealth "needle" that sits atop the income pyramid. Just like in the UK, only more so! Often too, those with ideological bends put blind faith in their ideologies, which is when they fail big time, and the market system we rely on suddenly fails big time as well. What was the old adage about what happens when those in power begin to believe their own lies? And when the big controllers of the biggest firms treat everything like it's a game, then we're in trouble - they select for very limited oversight of their gaming tables, then run incredible risks, and when it finally collapses, claim it was all unforeseen and they're not to blame. They blame the little people they suckered into their variable rate mortgages which they packaged and sold as AAA investments on the international markets. Those same working class people faltering on loan payments because jobs are fleeing the country from inept laze fare Capitalism, sans any real regulation. Our Congress does little to really fix this, since they're farmed into office by the gamblers with the gaming tables, so we see a dog and pony show, but little else changes. I think perhaps we have put way too much faith in market economics. There are many motivators in life, markets are but one. Working hard doesn't necessarily have to be for market reasons, one may be readily motivated to work hard in a system where one is rewarded based on merit and ability to work well with others in accomplishing some useful thing, motivated through the desire to genuinely help others feel better (as it used to be in the medical profession before profits overtook care and compassion), or in the desire to deliver aid and care to the needy. Marketizing everything was I think a result of the fall of old-style Communist states; suddenly the proponents thought markets were the answer everywhere, and in many places markets are simply a poor fit. But when money buys government, then there is no more genuine oversight of markets, and no checks put on the takeover of sectors which are best left in the care of government or non-profits. So the ideologists keep pushing their agendas, and the resulting failures are damaging indeed. I would like to add that on big projects where the benefits are for all, such as major infrastructure improvements, it is better more often to have a well structured and merit based government agency involved, which generally works well when those elected by the citizens work for the citizens, and put into place effective agency heads and tiers of managers who seek the higher ground, are well qualified, and work well with others in accomplishing the aims of that endeavor. These are big long-term commitments for the best interest of all in the country, and it isn't something one should hand over to private interests for a variety of reasons.

It's just a tropical storm. Get out the windsurf gear and head to Shanghai!! :wacko::escaping3:

Coconut Filled Dark Chocolate

The Muse Verve.:P Renoir Vs. Edgar Degas

Gweetings ! You mean there are benefits to registering? Ian never said anything about benefits?!!! Glad you could join in our merry cadre of regulars, and irregulars! :laugh3:

Happy Birthday Anna, Miss Swedish princess!:) May all your day be filled with joy and laughter and sunshine and friends. :hug::sunny:

It will get better either way; but yes, water, vitamins, maybe saltine crackers if you're stomach's unwilling to handle really solid foods. Or maybe milk and a fry up? :laugh3: I dunno - that might not be the best option, unless you want to see what it all looks like coming back up! Where did you come up with that one, David? Best common-sense options: Sleep Fruit Juice and Water Avoid caffeine Something with minerals to replenish your body's missing minerals More Sleep Vegetable Juice (the one site recommends drinking a bloody mary, but eh, you can get the good stuff (vegetable juice, water, body salts) without the alcohol, that's probably a safer bet.

> Yes, several generations it takes to get all the way to central Mexico, but each generation must travel around 400 miles, even that, for a butterfly, is an amazing feat! The first time I hear the story of the the Monarch butterflies, I thought they were kidding!:laugh3: But they make use of the weather patterns, floating along in the breezes heading southwest. I sometimes see that as well - for many people, it's in one ear, out the other. People care, but only if they are humbled by either the realization that their fate is tied to the planet's ecosystems, or if they sense a direct connection with nature - some do, some don't. I think education and appreciation helps, the nature shows, music, and all that do really make a difference. But also, having healthy democracies makes a big difference too, & less pressure on all-consumptive mindsets. Yes, individuals need to change, and that changes society as well, but sometimes if it starts with those who have influence, then protection can come fast enough to save something so precious and imperiled. But in the end it has to be everyone making the change; saving just the one forest isn't going to do it - we have to keep the whole planet healthy, and that takes a sea change in thinking. Well, I will keep letting the milkweed grow in the garden, hopefully more organic farms will arise and that will bolster the numbers of milkweed plants growing on the edges of the fields. As long as the butterflies have stops along the way to reproduce and a place to roost near you, some harmony with nature will be maintained.:flutterby:

:laugh3: Some people, sheesh! The cure is 1 part aspirin, 2 parts water, and 3 parts rest. Repeat as directed. ;) Once cured, avoid excessive partying for at least 4 days, or until it's Wednesday night again, whichever comes first.