Saturday, April 30, 2016

SAR #16121


Litmus test: Single-payer health care, universal voter registration and a carbon tax.
Pogo, Etc. “‘The Democratic Party has to reach a fundamental conclusion: Are we on the side of working people or big-money interests? Do we stand with the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor? Or do we stand with Wall Street speculators and the drug companies and the insurance companies? … our job is to revitalize American democracy.'”
Overreach: An investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) tribunal – the corporate extortion mechanism built into TPP and TtiP – ruled that Russia had to pay $50 billion to the former stockholders of Yukos Oil. In that Russia was not a signatory of the trade agreement that suit was filed under, they're not going to pay.
No Runs, No Hits, Lots of Errors: The Fed once again has failed to revive the economy. QE didn't work. Zero (and occasionally negative) interest rates haven't worked. Core Personal Conception Expenditures – a measure of inflation the Fed wants at 2% - has fallen last quarter to a dismal 1.6%. But those who actually buy food when they can afford it have seen food prices up 10% in the last four months, which translates to a 30% inflation rate. Let's face it, the central bankers and their economists haven't the faintest idea what they're doing.
Stacked Deck: The US, after investigating the intentional bombing of a civilian hospital in Afghanistan that killed 42 civilian doctors and their patients, has ruled that the obvious war crime was, in fact, not a war crime, but “disciplined” 16 soldiers, including one general. Must have been investigated by the same lawyers who discovered that torture wasn't actually torture when the US does it.
Sooners: In Oklahoma, if you get your date drunk enough you can do anything you want and it is not a crime – because sexual assaults “cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act”. I'm not letting my daughter even drive through the damned state.
Accountability: Shawano,Wisconsin has adopted an ordinance that will result in fines for parents who cannot teach their child not bully others. Yeah, a form of bullying.
A Parting Shot:

4 comments:

mistah charley, ph.d. said...

about that photo - it reminds me of when my aunt lived on the fifth floor in a building without an elevator

for those who enjoy the song "carry on wayward son" - there's a marvelous trombone quartet version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJaX4ZpfULM

Gegner said...

The mind is a funny thing, especially how one thing sparks another!

Last night on Real Time the host got his panties in a bunch when the panelists started trumpeting the 'inevitability' of a Trump Presidency.

Although that isn't what got his dander up. He lost it over/with 'genteel' Democrats that no longer represent the interests of the people.

That said, he wouldn't go 'off the reservation' and call for the only viable option, a boycott followed by a general strike [They'd pull his show if he did, he has to toe the line.]

Since there isn't a politician out there that has the worker's back [thereby demonstrating that they themselves don't value 'hard work', let's not do any and see how that works out...

But my arguement is 'logical'...which is why politicians avoid it like the plague.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I thought you were restricted to weekdays only?! Where's the people monitoring your blog addiction!?

Charles Kingsley Michaelson, III said...

Well, I may just add some items and redate the Saturday entry as Monday's... But you are right about my missing the 12-step meeting.

ckm