President-for-Life Elon Musk in 2088 - Supreme Chief Executive of the USX

President-for-Life Elon Musk ~ 2088
Supreme Chief Executive of the USX

This idea came to me from the news stories about aspiring trillionaire Elon Musk's effective control of the government, & also Luigi Mangione being in prison for shooting a health insurance CEO. I could see elite power-mongers in the near future employing swarms of hunter-killer attack drones for flawless, continuous protection (at least until they are hacked or blasted with an EMP).

What really motivated me to get this post up was this video from today - of President Musk hijacking the Oval Office & absolutely blathering on about his dopey views on government, as Trump listens while hunched over The Resolute Desk in his weird orange clown makeup: 

The pure, glaring irony & hypocrisy of Elon Fucking Musk, an un-elected oligarch with billions of dollars in government contracts, complaining about bureaucrats making money off the government is truly breathtaking. He is the biggest goddamn welfare queen around, having siphoned untold amounts of wealth from the American taxpayer. What a cringe-fest... although Trump's annoyance with Elon's son is almost worth enduring the rest of the insane press conference. I have trouble wrangling my toddler son at my work, & I wouldn't dream of letting his crazy ass loose in the Oval Office! I like the theory that Elon's using his kid as a human shield (at least until he gets his drones).

I hate being right about stuff like this... but like all the other sane people in this country, I knew that Elon Musk was going to be Trump's "Shadow President". Elon definitely isn't staying in the shadows, though. He's right out there, openly orchestrating the hostile takeover of the U.S. government & economy. In fact, it has become crystal clear that the world's wealthiest man is the one pulling the strings, not Trump. 

Can you imagine if Pres. Biden had George Soros come into the Oval Office & describe how he's going to unilaterally reform the federal government??? The nuclear explosion coming from the collective heads of Fox News pundits would leave a smoking crater where their studios once stood. As usual, the hypocrisy is truly bottomless.

Daily Show:

Conservatives warning about George Soros 

but make the footage Elon Musk

Here's the terrifying reality: The ultimate goal of Musk & the other billionaire technocrats behind the scenes is actually NOT "cutting waste & corruption." That is just the cover story that voters would find agreeable, because no one can argue that the government shouldn't be more effective and efficient, right???

No, the true goal is the total decimation of the United States Government, along with its various agencies & services that benefit the public. Why, you ask? So the power & financial vacuums can be filled by private interests, who, as modern-day feudal lords, stand to make many billions from their new serfs, the American people. I watched the NYT interview with their so-called "prophet" Curtis Yarvin, & I realized these guys are self-important wannabe edge-lords who have no real understanding of humanity because their heads are so far up their own asses. 

Their plan for the dismantling of representative democracy is called "The Dark Enlightenment" & Elon is openly flaunting the ideology, with his black Trump hat & his proclamation of being "Dark Gothic MAGA".

 DARK GOTHIC MAGA: 

How Tech Billionaires Plan to Destroy America

We all have already been ground under the corporate boot, but the boot is about to get much heavier for the majority of the population. Elon talking about prices & inflation coming down by 2026 due to all this "saving" is pure, ketamine-fueled bullshit. I have two small kids and I'm freaking out about the destructive potential this administration & it's rogue organizations will have on our economy & society. The fact that anyone believes either of these hokey con-men for a second is a testament to the mass delusion affecting a heavily-propagandized portion of our population.

Anyway, back to my dystopian vision of the Musky future- originally I had the top image in my head of an very elderly Elon Musk in a hoverchair, surrounded by a detail of security drones. I plugged the idea into Stable Diffusion & it gave me an awesome starting image. However, the original face didn't look anything like him, so I Photoshopped the face & other details- like the black & gold U.S.X. flag. 

Here is a high-resolution version of the U.S.X. flag design... we might as well get used to using it!:

 

The Ups & Downs of 2018

2018 was a year of major milestones in my life, with many wonderful events and experiences. However, life is never perfect- and there were serious challenges, disappointments, and fear, as well.

In July, I got married to my best friend and the love of my life. Our wedding was everything we had envisioned, and embodied the sacred nature of our relationship.

Paul Micarelli & Loretta DeStefano Wedding

Soon after the wedding, we moved into our first house together, and again it was exactly what we had envisioned. Being a creative professional, I am familiar with manifesting my thoughts into physical reality. I feel like both of us together take that power of manifestation to a new level, especially when it reflects the true intentions of our minds & souls. Although there are responsibilities and bills to pay, we are enjoying our life together and building a fruitful and positive future.

My wife and I created a brand together called Conscious Living for YOU. Our intention was to create a resource for people who wanted to improve their quality of life in mind, body, and spirit. It also represents Loretta's yoga teaching practice, and my design services for health & wellness companies and services.

I have also been growing my creative businesses. My freelance graphic design and marketing business is Paul Micarelli Design. I have learned a lot over the past year being self-employed, and worked with some awesome clients on many different types of projects- branding, web design, social media graphics, promotional materials, and even some 3D rendering.

I've also been getting more bookings for my photo booth & custom portrait business, Fantasy Photos. Although this is more of a side gig right now, I love meeting new people and providing the entertainment for their events. I never get tired of Photoshopping people of all ages and backgrounds into fun pictures.

Unfortunately, there have been some real struggles to go along with these successes. Making enough money to make ends meet is the biggest challenge, and I'm hoping as my businesses grow and Loretta and I become more successful together, these difficulties will diminish.

During the holidays, I have faced some really difficult circumstances that have ended the year on a very stressful note. The major issue has to do with transactions made through PayPal. In the summer, I agreed to accept several payments through PayPal for a third party through my main client, who provided me a lot of work, but claimed he wasn't able to use PayPal at the time. I took a cut for my design services, and the client got the rest of the money. Just before Christmas, the third party put in claims against me & recalled all the funds, claiming the work was not done. Now all the money, over $10k, is being held against my PayPal account, basically freezing it until the matter is resolved. This is outrageous, since I am basically guilty until I prove myself innocent and being penalized for it. To make matters worse, the client (the one actually contracted for the work) refused to provide any documentation that could help my case when I finally demanded it.

I spent the time between Christmas and New Years compiling all the information on my end proving that I had, in fact, done the work and provided it to the client. As a result of this whole fiasco, I have cut ties with the client, who was keeping me busy and a source of revenue, although it was fairly unreliable. Now, I am going to try to pick up the pieces and see if I can generate enough business through other clients to keep going. If not, I am considering other avenues as well in the short term.

This has been one of the most stressful experiences in my professional career, and I am hoping that PayPal and the claimant's financial institution accept the clear evidence that I am not at fault for this. In the meantime, my PayPal is tied up with this negative balance and it was one of the ways I got paid quickly by clients. This has given me a whole new outlook on these banking services and how to process payments from clients. It has also made me re-evaluate how I conduct business with all my clients.

As icing on the 2018 cake, on Christmas Eve, my Facebook page got hijacked through one of my secondary email addresses. The password was changed & I was locked out of my account. I spent the afternoon on Christmas Day cleaning up this mess, recovering my accounts and changing passwords. The hacker tried to get into my Facebook page again the other day, but thankfully was unsuccessful this time.

Despite these serious setbacks, I have tried to keep a positive outlook. I am still alive, after all, so there is always the potential for things to get better. These tough experiences will make me wiser, stronger, and better able to handle obstacles in the future.

On a global scale, there are much crazier things going on than what I am dealing with. For instance, we still have this jackass as President of the United States, tweeting out nonsense like this on New Years:

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

It's truly unbelievable and disheartening that this is real. The scary thing isn't that this ignorant buffoon is in the most powerful position on the planet and has the mentality of a toddler.. it's that so many people still admire him and don't think there's anything remotely wrong with it. If you looked at his Twitter feed without knowing who it was, you would think this person is severely mentally ill.

As I get older and another year goes by, the one thing I can count on is that the world is absurd and will never stop producing weird & crazy shit. We can curl up and retreat from the craziness in fear and horror, or we can take a deep breath, smile, and realize that it is all only temporary, so we might as well enjoy the ride (as our wise leader says), with all it's beautiful scenery, uncomfortable bumps and unexpected detours.

Trump™ State of the Union 2018

I've made a personal tradition of pouring a whiskey on the rocks and watching the annual State of the Union speech by the current U.S. President.

Sitting through speeches from Bush, and now Trump, have been exercises in tolerance, though it feels like masochism. They're just not believable or wise characters (to anyone who hasn't gulped down the Kool-aid). Sure, Obama was a better speaker and a more thoughtful politician, but his State of the Union speeches were just the same dog-and-pony show. The purpose of this ceremonial speech is to express a vision of this country and society, and ideas on how to move it forward it a positive and realistic way. It's very hard to do that meaningfully or effectively in a 1-2 hr speech that needs to be simplified for the masses.

Trump did a decent job of reading off the Teleprompter, and didn't make a total ass of himself... Woo-hoo! The bar is set so low for this guy, that Republicans were basically applauding him for remaining coherent & finishing each sentence.

Every single State of the Union consists of the opposition party sitting & scowling, while the President's party is applauding & standing. However, the clapping after every line was just getting silly, and the sound of Trump clapping at himself into his mic just felt like it was to feed his ego, more so than in celebration of the content of his speech.

The Democrats are catching shit for not standing or clapping at different parts of the speech. It's hard to react to someone you disagree with, without coming off as a jerk. The GOP dealt with the same optics during Obama's term. The reason for the lack of enthusiasm is not because liberals or progressives don't care about the issues that Trump was talking about. The reason is- Trump is just not sincere about any of it! It's all lip service, & laughably bad lip service, at that.

I mean, let's be honest, the only thing Trump cares about is Trump. The guy is a known fraudster, a con-man, and a shitty businessman who has screwed over countless people, especially entrepreneurs to make himself money. The fact that his supporters have fallen for his ridiculous charade feels the same as when you hear of elderly people losing their savings to an obvious scam.

Then, there is the issue that the Trump administration, despite acting like a force for law & order, are completely subverting the law and national security to empower Russia. Yeah, I know, "NO COLLUSION!"....yeah, ok. Trump's connection to Russia & Putin isn't hard to figure out. As I said before, he's such a shitty businessman and credit risk that American banks wouldn't loan to him. Therefore, he had to go to foreign banks and perhaps less-than-reputable organizations to get financing. He obviously never wanted to release his taxes and financial info because it would make him look bad in some way. Otherwise, he'd be waving it in the cameras and bragging about it.

Now, there are investigations going on and some of his people have already been indicted. The problem for Trump is that he is treating every twist & turn in the worst way possible. Trump is not a genius. He's not even kind of smart. He's a dummy. Sometimes it's hard to know if he's intentionally lying or if he genuinely doesn't know what he's talking about. Thank God, because a smarter narcissistic sociopath might have done more damage by now.

30% of the country and the Republican Party have proven that they'll fall in line behind anyone unquestioningly, no matter how unqualified or incompetent. I wonder who will be next on their ballot in 2020. Jim Bakker perhaps? Ted Nugent? Really, how low can we go here? I'd rather not know...

Ok, now I'm starting to rant. Let me talk about the content of the speech. Oh, wait, there wasn't much more than the typical platitudes, & inspirational stories that politicians use as props. I'll just say that the most disturbing aspects of the speech to me were the blatant authoritarian appeals. He really wants a Trumpocracy, where neither merit nor integrity matter, only loyalty to him.

• Keep Gitmo open!
• We must have unquestioning praise for the military & police forces.
• Cabinet members should be able to fire agency employees for "not being a good American"!
• Let's increase our already bloated military, and start a new nuclear arms race!
• "USA! USA! USA!" (Idiocracy is coming true)

These were a few of his extraordinarily dangerous ideas. I also love the fact that he talks about lowering drug prices, then talks about escalating the war on drugs. The connection & irony is completely lost on him.

Who could've imagined that putting a self-absorbed man-child, reality-TV host, failed casino owner, & product huckster in charge of the country would be a bad idea?

Well, I know I did, even back in 2011!:

 As a postscript, let me also say that having Joe Kennedy III give the Democratic rebuttal shows just how fucked the American political system has become. Out of the millions of people in this country capable of being political leaders, the Dems bring out another Kennedy? Sure he spoke better than Trump and did his best to put on a show, but it all seems so contrived.

We have to figure out how to evolve beyond the limitations of the 2-party system, and the dangers of 1-party rule, if our democracy is going to survive.

Fantasy Photos™

Recently, I posted about being laid off from my graphic design job, due to the financial difficulties being experienced by the studio I was working for.

In that post, I also mentioned my idea to follow my dream & start a new business, called "Fantasy Photos™". Over the past couple weeks, I have been working every day to bring that dream into reality.

I bought a domain and built a website for the first time. After getting advice from people I trust who own businesses & doing a lot of research, I formed a LLC and registered the company. I've also opened a bank account & PayPal for the business. Next, I am going to print business cards & a promo postcard. This weekend, there is a local arts festival where I hope to get a booth and display my business. I've had my first customer already, and I am now ready for many, many more.

Fantasy Photos™ offers customized digital portraits & composite photos. For years, I have made awesome and fun pictures for my family & friends. Now, I want to provide my skills to customers who are looking for excellent quality custom images- in which people, animals, or things are placed in imaginary scenes.

I'll be posting updates as I go along, but I would truly appreciate it if anyone reading this visits & shares the website.

www.FantasyPhotos.net

Here's a sample of some of the images I've created. To see more, please visit the IMAGE GALLERY on the website. Thanks!

 

 

 

President A$$hole

Way back in the Bush years, I was still writing on this blog and posted a lot more political stuff than I do now. I don't feel the need to continually comment on the state of the current Presidential race, but it's such a bizarre & downright crazy situation that it's hard not to talk about.

Bernie Sanders has been my pick since the day that he got into the race. I have watched cable news and followed politics for many years. Bernie is one of the few politicians/talking heads who I thought was authentic, principled, and had a vision that resonated with the way that I would approach the big problems our country faces. I also saw that he was (as a democratic socialist progressive or "liberal") always willing to go on with Fox News or conservative radio hosts and really debate the issues and their merits.

So, I still think he would still be the best person for the seriousness & vision that a role like the Presidency of the US should require. I'm glad he's at least giving Hillary a run for her money, because she embodies the corrupt power structure of the political & financial establishment. I think Bernie Sanders is going to keep winning, & I hope the political movement he's led will continue even after the election is over. He is the only one who will at least attempt to initiate fundamental changes in our twisted web of national interests.

On the other side, the Republican field is like a train wreck smashed into a clown car. All the candidates are horrible in their own unique ways. However, their seemingly unstoppable frontrunner, Donald Trump, is simply a human phenomenon.

He is like a weird mix of a nightmare, a comedy, and a cheesy late-night infomercial. I saw this article by Rich Lowry &, for once, I agreed with him- Donald Trump is definitely the Billy Mays of The GOP!

Politico:

The Billy Mays of The GOP

When seeing his absurd press conference/product presentation after the recent primaries, I was just awestruck at the insanity of it all. The guy is touting "Trump Steaks", "Trump Water", "Trump Magazine", all of which are basically just products he supplies to his private clubs & resorts. It's all bullshit, but Trump is a media expert and knows the public will eat it up. Unfortunately, he leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths.

I thought the Dalai Lama had a wise analysis of the type of politics that Trump, especially, is bringing to the campaigns. 

Raw Story:

The Dalai Lama weighs in on Donald Trump: 

His personal attacks make him look ‘cheap’

"Cheap" describes Trump perfectly, despite his reported wealth. He's like a piece of gaudy expensive-looking costume jewelry, that is actually made of crappy materials and has no real value. Worst of all, when you actually wear the jewelry, it gives you a horrible rash.

Donald Trump is American Ego gone absolutely berserk. He only wants to help the country and its citizens in the sense that it's good for the Trump™ brand. I hope to God and any higher power that he doesn't get elected, but seeing him stomp across the political landscape and shattering the facade of our social norms is absolutely awesome to behold.

We'll see how everything turns out... but if Donald J. Trump ends up being elected President, this is how I envisioned it:

 President A$$hole

Months ago, I knew he was striking a nerve, so I was hoping for an election between him & Bernie. That would be the ultimate race between two iconoclast symbols of the opposite ends of American political values, known as right-wing (conservative) & left-wing (progressive). 

This is my completely un-biased look at the political divide:

 

The Political Spectrum 

by Paul Micarelli 

Election Day 2014

Yesterday was Election Day, and it looks like the Republican party has gained seats in the Senate, to take control of Congress.

CBS News:

2014 Midterm Elections: GOP takes control of the Senate

I am registered as an Independent & have no love for either political party, but I tend to see the GOP as a more regressive force in modern national politics. This is because their ideology is openly anti-government, so their agenda usually involves making government worse instead of better, while pushing to privatize public services.

Despite the fact that Republicans in the House & Senate have caused much of the political gridlock in DC over the past cycle, the voters mostly place the blame on President Obama & the Democrats for the nation's problems.

I can understand people wanting to change the dynamics of the government if things aren't working. What I cannot understand is how voters can keep re-electing people that are as repulsive as human/turtle/asshole hybrid Mitch McConnell, who has stood for nothing except opposing the President on all matters & enriching his wealthy donors. There are sleazy Democrats, too, but the fact that voters re-elect people like McConnell just boggles my mind.

Because it has the highest ratings out of the entire cable news cesspool, there is no doubt that Fox News (aka. 'The Mainstream Media') has affected the perceptions & opinions of America's voters. I hear people's arguments against the President & for the GOP, and it's clear they are just regurgitating talking points from the right-wing Fox spin machine.

It's funny seeing conservatives think there's going to be some kind of "American revival" now. If anything, the next 2 years are just going to be a bigger shitshow than ever. It's going to be gridlock on steroids.

Republicans love to bitch & complain about how 'progressives' and 'socialists' are ruining the country, but they are completely incapable of creating meaningful legislation that helps the general population. The public is about to see the conservative agenda in action, and it won't be pretty.

I'm sure we'll be seeing Republican bills being sent to the President that:

• further deregulate corporate & financial entities
• roll back environmental laws
• give tax cuts to the wealthiest businesses & individuals
• restrict women's reproductive health choices
• inhibit access to voting
• eliminate social programs
• any other stupid, regressive ideas that form the GOP wish list

We'll have to see just how bad things get over the next couple years, until the next election.

Until then, I'll just be continuing to live my life and trying to do my part to make the world better.

I still stand by my progressive outlook on politics & the perspective of this graphic I made awhile back, showing the "Political Spectrum":

Visualizing Economic Issues

 The political process driving the decisions about our nation's economic priorities is absurd. It's hard to pry facts out of the discussions by pundits & political operatives. Luckily there are some people doing research, trying to get some actual information.

CNBC:

How the Obama and Republican 

'Fiscal Cliff' Plans Differ

In particular, the Republicans in Congress are publicly taking a stand for the mega-wealthy top 1% - by proposing to raise the Medicare eligibility age, instead of raising tax rates a few percentage points on the top earners.

Speaker Boehner & the House GOP are taking some flack for their crappy proposals from other conservatives, albeit for the wrong reasons.

Daily Kos

Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: 

Republican "math" and the fiscal cliff counteroffer

Raising the Medicare age is one of the many stupid, bad ideas floating around these budget discussions right now. It's insane that it's considered "shared sacrifice" when the budget is balanced by screwing old, poor, & sick people. Meanwhile, millionaires and mega-corporations making record profits on the whole are expected to be given a pass.

Paul Krugman summed up the masochist aspect of this approach to economics perfectly:

RAW Story:

Krugman: Budget proposals 

‘only considered serious 

if you inflict pain on vulnerable people’

I like to personally look into things deeply before making conclusions, so I've actually visited the budget proposal sites for both parties:

The White House

Budget Overview

House of Representatives Budget Office

Fiscal Year 2013

Here is my official analysis of all the budget details:

Although I've read the overviews and scanned some of the content, looking at all those tables & numbers makes me remember how happy I am to not be an accountant. I'm just not too interested in reading pages of charts & figures.

All I know is that things are getting worse for many people & alot better for a few. There are ways to balance society & the economy so capitalist markets can exist, with government playing an effective role in regulating society for the benefit of the population-at-large. 

...I know, I'm a real dreamer.

Anyway since I'm not really trying to pick apart details, I've seen some charts recently that reflect general trends. These trends should be at the center of any discussion of revenues vs. spending cuts to public programs.

First of all, the idea that we should completely avoid taxing the extreme wealth in this country is idiotic. Of course, we also need to cut imprudent government spending & continually reform it all aspects. However, rich people & corporations can obviously afford to sacrifice for the system more than someone disadvantaged or barely getting by. The ultra-wealthy are enjoying the lowest tax rates in 50 years. The financial crisis can't be that bad if we don't need their "sacrifice" too.

Here's a NYT chart showing the tax rates of the past 50+ years:

One of the funny things about hearing how the Obama Administration is "anti-business" is that corporate profits in general are at record highs. Unfortunately, worker's wages are at an all-time low in relation to GDP. If Chairman 'MAO'bama was really the Great Communist Menace, this would be the exact opposite:

I also think it's clear that the government has a role to play in subsidizing certain industries. The idea of a completely "Free Market" is delusional. People think "entitlements" & "welfare" are giant drains on the economy, but government enables bad behavior through corporate welfare on a much larger scale. The way Wal-Mart takes advantage of its workers is a prime example.

Think by Numbers:

Government Spends More on Corporate Welfare Subsidies 

than Social Welfare Programs

Of course, many of these problems have solutions... some that neither party are willing to advance.

One idea that makes too much sense is a "Medicare-for-All" approach to healthcare. Everybody pays into the healthcare system & it is disengaged from private industry. I don't see why an employer should be responsible for providing private health insurance. It seems like this is an area where the federal government absolutely needs to be involved in taxation to "provide for the general welfare."

Anyway, trying to figure all these problems out is crazy, and it's why I have no desire to get into politics. However, I think it's every citizen's right & duty to speak up about how we think a solution could be found.

Player Hating on Romney

Romney seen through the glasses from "They Live"

from fusionanomalog

Last night was the 3rd & final debate between the 2012 Presidential candidates.

President Obama definitely showed the benefit of actually having the Commander-in-Chief job for 4 years. He sunk Mitt Romney's battleship on a number of occasions. Gov. Romney sweated & sputtered his way through numerous incoherent positions, as Obama schooled him on the proper way to handle world affairs. Romney didn't really give any substantial differences between his positions & what the President is already doing. 

To be fair, the debate was mostly bullsh*t... revolving around sucking up to certain Middle East countries & threatening other ones. There was no discussion of things like the Eurozone or the Mexican drug wars, which are huge foreign policy issues for the U.S. This is more due to the incompetence of Bob Schiffer as a moderator than the lack of initiative by the candidates.

Of course, the cable news pundits continue to act like Romney didn't give embarrassing, piss-poor performances at the last couple debates. Every instant poll showed Obama winning, but commentators want it to be a tight race, keeping suspense (& ratings) high. Obama screwed up the 1st debate, so we'll have to see if bringing his A-game to the others can make up for it. Romney supporters choose to stay in denial about his inability to best Obama & refuse to admit defeat. Few people are admitting how bad Romney really comes off.

My own mind is made up, & there's simply no way I'll vote for Romney over Pres. Obama. I know the Long-Legged Mack Daddy is a flawed human being & I'm aware of his record. The job of President is mind-bogglingly difficult- a fact I could appreciate even when the walking disaster, George W. Bush, was in office. However, I've learned enough by looking at Romney's record (& by looking at the man himself) to see that he's not going to fight for the same priorities & values that Obama has at least tried to push.

Anyway, now I'm going to use this post to unload some Mitt material that I've bookmarked.  It's my way of expressing personal dissatisfaction with such a crappy candidate.

Google Image Search:

"Completely Wrong"

First of all, Mr. Romney is clearly an advocate of corporate power over people power.

"Corporations Are People, My Friend"

-Mitt Romney

Think Progress:

OOPS: Mitt Romney Calls United States A ‘Company’

His experience at Bain Capital certainly doesn't qualify him to handle the unique problems involved in running a country of citizens- who represent more than just the bottom line on a financial statement.

Village Voice:

Mitt Romney, American Parasite

Then, there's the fact that Romney refuses to release details of his tax plan & how he'll pay for all the crap he's promising, while still cutting taxes across the board...

Click Here 

for Details on Mitt Romney's Tax Plan

Despite the constant lament that there's no real choice between the 2 major parties, I vote because there are real differences between the candidates. Even a slightly different policy approach, on certain matters, could affect millions of individuals, the country, & the wider world. 

Yes, a vote is just a drop in a bucket, but enough drops can fill an ocean- or drive the policies of a nation. I also feel that by practicing my civil responsibility, I can comment on politics without looking like a total hypocrite. 

Of course there are serious problems with the voting system (which I'll post about shortly). However, I can't be a complete cynic, so I vote with the hope that my choice is being counted.

Finally, on a more humorous note, here is an awesome album cover & a video made for Mitt Romney's alter-ego, "The King of Bling" R-Money:

The video below is funny, but could be considered offensive (to people with no sense of humor) & NSFW, so watch at your own discretion:

seen on disinfo.com

2012 Presidential Debates: Round 2

Factcheck.org: 

Factchecking the Debate

USA Today:

Fact Check :A Look at what Obama & Romney Said

Most people are understandably cynical towards politics & government, but they are still necessary aspects of society.

If politics is an inevitable part of being an active citizen, it's best to try to improve it. There needs to be a balance between institutions like private business & government. Neither one is inherently evil- but unscrupulous people can corrupt either system.

I try to avoid getting cornered into conceptual boxes when it comes to my political thoughts. Although I'm registered "Independent," I usually find Democratic priorities more agreeable. The GOP have gone off the deep end in certain areas, especially "social" issues.

However, their biggest fault is their mindless, unyielding party-line opposition to initiatives that could help the country & its economy. Their primary focus is to unseat President Obama by blocking everything on the agenda- regardless of the havoc it wreaks upon the rest of us.

Anyone who follows Congressional votes, & the battles waged since the 2010 midterm, knows that major legislation is not happening without the cooperation of the Republican-led House.

If you are conservative, you might be happy about the lack of government activity. However, it's therefore much too simplistic to blame the President for the nation's economic problems if Congress is not cooperating with passing jobs bills & effective stimulus measures.

President Obama has done a good job, in my opinion. He's been a business-friendly, centrist technocrat who has bent over backwards to compromise with conservatives- he's definitely not a hardcore socialist, or even extremely liberal. I'm well aware of his failings, the undelivered promises, (...close Guantanamo, end drone strikes, faster economic recovery, etc...) and the fact that he's a politician. I am also aware that he is just a man like everyone else. However, I generally agree with the gist of the legislation he's advocated & overall vision for how the country should be run. If anything, I don't think he's been forceful enough in pushing a "progressive" agenda.

Last night was the best that I've seen Obama in fighting back against the many nonsensical Republican policies & ideas that have dominated political discourse, for which Mitt Romney is now the standard-bearer.

To be fair - in the first debate, Obama was horrible. I really couldn't believe how much of a snoozefest it turned into. I knew everyone was going to declare Romney the winner, because of his borderline-obnoxious manic aggressiveness. He apparently activated the "fear" area of people's primitive lizard brains, overcoming Obama's futile attempt at measured reason.

After the debate last night, I watched & read the many analyses on various websites with their reader comments. I like to get a spectrum of opinions & perspectives, even if they're idiotic.

I thought that last nite Pres. Obama clearly overwhelmed Gov. Romney, stylistically & substantively. The President asserted himself as a thoughtful, responsible, yet tough, leader. This time, he didn't let Mitt Romney continue to be his usual douchebag self, without response. Do I think either of these guys have all the right answers?... of course not. However Romney has no answers to anything. His stated fundamental approach to economic policy is a 3-card monte game. There's no way he can 1) cut taxes 2) increase the bloated Pentagon budget, and 3) reduce the national debt, without crippling the federal government (which is probably the actual goal). It's absurd on its face.
 

It always cracks me up how government-hating politicians want to attain & maintain power within the government they think's no good. I guess it's about the idea of infiltrating something, to destroy it from the inside out. The problem is... if democratic government is severely limited, society becomes unbalanced, then financial & corporate power is free to prey on the people.

Even though the CNN poll showed Obama 'winning' the debate overall, I was baffled to see the pundits on the different stations were downplaying it. The low expectations for Mitt Romney are Sarah Palin-esque... while Obama apparently needs to heal someone on stage, then punch Mitt out to make an impression. I'm not sure if the media is trying to keep it a horserace, or if people are really that clueless. It's most likely both.
 
Anyway, I understand why Romney supporters would go into denial. As a candidate, Mitt sucks & so they can't let Obama have any slack whatsoever. For Team Romney, it's better to bullshit your way to imagined victory than to accept defeat. It shows the whole right-wing mentality of winning at any cost, even if it's at the expense of consensual reality & one's own common sense.

When Obama had a lackluster performance last time, his supporters universally acknowledged it & demanded better, for the sake of the national discourse.

This time, The President showed why he has been elected to one of the most difficult jobs on Earth. He handled Mitt as an intellectual, moral, and rhetorical inferior- which he is. Gov. Romney was left awkwardly stammering on several key moments, when Obama gave him an oratorical smackdown.

Mitt just never looks comfortable in his own skin, while Barry O. is usually the coolest guy in the room. I don't know if it's Romney's uncomfortable personality, the disturbing lack of empathetic emotion, or just the fact that he's an out-of-touch plutocrat who acts like a jackass... he just doesn't seem like a person who can relate to the average person's problems. Case in point, his recent comments about people, with no insurance, being able to get care in an emergency.

Romney "We don't have people who die because they don't have health insurance."

He has absolutely no clue how society works for most people... yet, he's going to be in charge of running the country?!? Let's hope not.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Romney is totally incompetent. He surely wouldn't be as much of a disaster as Dubya was- or as some of the GOP primary contenders would be. However, the ultra-rich have already had a field day at the expense of society-at-large. These are Gov. Romney's base. Therefore, a vote for him basically concedes the Republic to his special moneyed interests, whose only goal is to reap endless profit from the people.

Presidential Candidates: Top Donors

There's still another debate to come, but I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with "The Long Legged Mack Daddy" After the experiences of the last four years, he has undoubtedly learned lessons on how to govern effectively that will hopefully inform him if he wins a second term.

GOP March Madness

Despite following political news closely, I haven't felt the need to comment alot on the presidential race lately. The GOP primaries have basically been a ridiculous mess.

I've been saying all along that Mitt Romney's going to be the nominee after the clown show is over. Having become the exclusive party of plutocrats, obviously the Republican with the most money will be the nominee... & Mitt's got plenty of $$$. However, I can't believe that he would ultimately pose a serious challenge to Obama unless something crazy happens before the election. For reasons that almost everyone on the Left AND the Right have already been pointing out, Romney is a horrible candidate. The average non-millionaire American would have to be a complete fool to want that robotic vulture capitalist running the country.

There's obviously plenty of things to criticize, but I think Obama's presidency has been generally good. He's an intelligent guy, & consistently shows clear understanding of the complexity of the many heady issues facing our country. After watching years of Dubya bullshit his way through his 8 disastrous years, it's a relief to think someone is dealing with things who isn't a total jackass.

Though I don't think the Republican party is going away anytime soon, it's leaders & spokespeople seem to be doing their very best to alienate as many voters as possible this election season.

On top of all the other nuttiness coming from that side of the aisle on both the state & national level, the House GOP just released their latest re-hash of their warped financial vision for America.

2013 House GOP Budget

As usual, they are fully prepared to slash the social safety net & let the corporate sharks in to prey on the population. Suprise!... they want to screw the disadvantaged- while awarding tax breaks for millionaires & multinational corporations. Who would've guessed?!?

Being "fiscally conservative" to these people means you want to save money for rich people & defense contractors by cutting services for the poor & sick. I fully agree many health & social programs need to be seriously reformed, but the right wingers are ready to just slash & burn.

I went back to an old post & found this pic from the last time Rep. Paul Ryan proposed his party's crappy ideas:

Always make sure to read the fine print...

Washington Post:

Wonkbook: Why the Republican budgets make the poor pay

HuffPo:

House GOP Budget: 

Paul Ryan Plan Adds Food Stamps, 

Welfare Cuts To Medicare-Slashing Plan  

Thinkprogress:

The 5 Worst Things About The House GOP’s Budget

Truther Toys

Continuing on the topic of having some fun with conspiracy theories from my last post...

I saw a link to these totally crazy "Truther Toy" parodies that take some of the more nefarious conspiracy theories floating around, and made them into games & other not-so-fun products for kids.

Truther Toys

Having years of experience designing products for the toy & game industry, I can confidently say that NONE of these concepts will ever make their way into the toy aisle, at any store!

My favorite, however, is probably the Bank$ters Monopoly Press, which is a goof on the illusory, abstract nature of our entire monetary system:

click to enlarge

Right now, perpetual Presidential candidate Ron Paul & his fanatically loyal supporters are probably the most visibly vocal opponents in this country of the Federal Reserve & the entire fiat system of debt-driven currency. Although I find some of Congressman Paul's policy positions to be questionable, the private control of the issuing of money is one aspect of economy that is untenable & definitely needs major reform.

Although auditing the Fed, while creating more transparency & accountability in the highest levels of the financial sector, would be a good thing- his obsession with gold-backed currency seems antiquated & impractical in the digital age.


Like all things, the global economy & our systems of exchange will continue to evolve- perhaps into processes that we may not be able to even imagine today.

Reality Sandwich:

Sacred Economics

Lincoln: Capital vs. Labor

Since I'm on the topic of populist messages by great Presidents, I came across this quote by Lincoln:

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital.
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. 

Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.
Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights." 

I would take issued with the last line of the quote in the text, though. I don't think that an conceptual tool like 'capital' should be considered to have rights at all, as individuals or groups of people do.
...that's like saying that computer software has rights.

It could also be argued that capital can be created from sources not normally considered "labor".

The creation of intellectual property can be considered a form of labor, if it leads to further production of goods & services.

What is definitely NOT productive labor? Financial schemes that do nothing but extract value from the economy, for the benefit of manipulative firms & their executives.

FDR Speech at Madison Square Garden 1936

I felt like doing something EXTRA-exciting, so I was watching a history lecture on C-SPAN.


The lecture was by Professor Stephen Ortiz of Binghamton University. The topic was New Deal programs & the Roosevelt administration.

C-SPAN

The New Deal

 There was an excerpt played of this speech at Madison Sq. Garden by Roosevelt a little more than 75 years ago.

President Obama's political instinct is to continually attempt compromise with the Republican party & corporate America.

FDR, however, openly declared war on these right wing factions, who he asserted were preying on the American worker:

"We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. 

 

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. 

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me--and I welcome their hatred. 

 

I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master."

Violence vs. Silence

People love to complain about the government, Wall St. & how "The System" as a whole is corrupt.

When people actually get out, organize, & try to do something about it, there are inevitably critics who feel like the status quo is better than actually trying to make major changes.

I think the Occupy protests are, overall, an effective force to initiate social and political change. I'm old enough to fondly remember the massive Iraq War protests during the Bush Dark Ages. The broad, sustained nature of the current Occupy protests are now having a large impact on the nation & the world.

Although the movement is fueled by future debt slaves, aka. "college students", there's also alot of labor unions & public workers involved, too. It's more than just a bunch of kids sleeping out in tents in parks. Like any large movement, there are bound to be wackos along with the people who are trying to do the right thing...

What should be the focus, are the stated goals of the movement-at-large:

The 99 Percent Declaration

The basic ideals that the people want to address are: democracy, justice, & freedom from oppression in it's many forms. 

Most people don't expect a free ride in life, but we should all expect to have some protection against being exploited or preyed upon.

So, it's very disturbing to see the bizarro world we live in- where the forces that are supposed to protect the people are violently used against peaceful citizens & students who are trying to assert their rights as citizens and human beings.

Why are the victims  (The protesting, debt-saddled American people) being criminalized instead of the perpetrators- (the financial & corporate players who have defrauded the country)?

To have any credibility with people interested in the nation-wide movement, President Obama needs to emphatically condemn violence against peaceful protesters. He's publicly sympathized with the sentiments of the protesters, even if he is a partial Wall St. beneficiary. Regardless, he should take action, or at least speak out, to prevent this kind of extreme assholery. It should not be tolerated from any law enforcement in this country, especially against unarmed students & innocent civilians.
 
This officer is basically a grown-up version of South Park's Eric Cartman- "Respect Mah Authoritah!!!!!"

UC Davis Protestors Pepper Sprayed

Later on, the chancellor of the school finally emerged to a creepy walk of shame by a silent mass of students staring her down.

It was a powerful, silent reaction to a petty, violent action:




Of course, nothing is sacred... so anything that causes outrage is now also a target for all the ridicule that The Internet has to offer:

The Need for Public Works Projects

I've posted before about the Civilian Conservation Corps, a government program in the 1930's-40's that created work for Americans in meaningful public projects.

PBS American Experience:

The Civilian Conservation Corps

Sen. Lautenberg from my home state of NJ has proposed a modern Works Progress Administration or WPA, which was another New Deal initiative by Franklin Roosevelt.

Raw Story:

New Jersey Sen. Lautenberg says it’s time for a new WPA

This is the kind of government intervention that should have been implemented awhile ago, instead of shoveling taxpayer money into The Great Casino on Wall St.

Politico:

Report: Fed lent Wall St. $1.2T more

I also think there needs to be more of this kind of attempt by Rep. DeFazio to put a reign on some of the shenanigans going on in the financial "industry":

ThinkProgress:

Calling Wall Street A ‘Gambling Casino,’ 

Democratic Rep. DeFazio Proposes Financial Transactions Tax

Crazy Greed

I think this trader is being honest to the extent that he's giving a clear glimpse into the mind of a sociopathic financial parasite.

He's also right that without checks on their power & influence, Goldman Sachs and the other 'too-big-to-fail' banks & investment firms are an unstoppable cancer draining the wealth from society.

I don't enjoy working with numbers, so I would never work in the financial industry. Trading stocks & managing investments would be like my nightmare job, it just seems so crazy. Maybe, to some extent, it is:

Daily Mail:

City Traders Can Be More 

Reckless and Dangerous Than Psychopaths

Obviously, not everyone who works for a bank is a greedy lunatic out to pillage mankind.
However, the fact that the looting of our country by these corporate vampires has gone completely unpunished has given rise to the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest in NYC that has been going on for almost 2 weeks.

Occupy Wall Street

The great populist of our time, Michael Moore, was on MSNBC live from Wall St. earlier & stood up for all the working people who are preyed upon by the nation's banking institutions. He's right on the money, so to speak.

Here's Part 2

of the interview

The only thing I've ever been a part of that could be a considered a protest was the awesome huuuuuge rally in DC organized by Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert.

"The Rally to Restore Sanity" 10-30-10

I've got a good job & need to pay my bills, so I've got nothing to get really pissed off about. However, I'm glad there's all those activists who are there. They are helping to bring awareness to the massive injustices happening on in our county, so people feel empowered to speak out and take action against them.

The Un-restricted Hand of the Free Market

Several years ago, I was at a relative's house for a BBQ.

There was a guy there who was a real "know-it-all" and was going on & on about how the government should stay out of the affairs of business and "The Free Market".

He argued that there was never a place for government regulations, or any other kind of interference with private economic activity.

A person with any common sense realizes that this is simply a stupid idea.

Being someone who enjoys discussing politics & current events, as well as having already had a few beers, I couldn't help injecting myself into his little tirade.

My ultimate point that I kept coming back to was this- without any kind of oversight or regulation, the end result of free-market capitalism is, inevitably, slavery.

I mean this in both a virtual and real sense. Most people in developed countries can be considered virtual slaves, due to the predatory elements of capitalist economies that lead to personal debt. This is probably the most freedom-restricting element of modern society.

In a real sense, also, the insatiable quest for more valuable forms of capital will eventually lead immoral people or corporations to fully exploit the human being itself- seen as just another commodity to be owned.

The other guy's argument was that the public wouldn't let exploitation like that happen. He claimed that the customers would demand ethical behavior from banks & business. This is, of course, completely absurd.

Especially at this point in time, it is painfully apparent that left to their own devices, powerful corporations & organizations will endlessly exploit people for their own financial benefit.
That is why the world economy is in the chaos it's in now.

Although government is clearly an imperfect institution, Democracy is the last line of defense against the parasitic nature of "The Free Market".

Just because I'm cynical about the Capitalist system, I don't consider myself to be a Socialist or anything like that. I prefer to think beyond labels... & to just do things that work regardless of the system it supposedly belongs to.

Anyway, our semi-friendly debate ended up with neither of us persuading the other.

However, I feel like my argument was based on demonstrable fact. The other guy's argument was basically an Ayn Rand fantasy world- that would, in reality, be an escalation of the financial disaster we experienced from the years of Bush/Greenspan economic policy. These policies were an admitted failure, and we are still trying to deal with the consequences today.

In truth, such things as the economy, budgets, & even money itself are all abstractions, nothing more than tools we use in the real world. Humans are always capable of evil, so these abstract tools can be misused as systems of control to restrict real people.

Fortunately, they can also be improved & changed as surely as we can change our own minds.