Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Is anyone in America taught to value life?
Wonderful topic here today. How much is any one life worth? The national policy of the usa places no value on most lives, no value on the lives of non-usa’ers, no value on the lives of those in the usa either. We still have capital punishment. 18,000 people die in the usa every year because of lack of health care. That is like having a 9/11 every 60 days, only worse because we are imposing those deaths on ourselves.
If this country believed in the value of life we would have “Peopleism” instead of “Capitalism”.
There are too many deaths that could be prevented from medical errors. There are too many deaths in auto accidents that could be prevented with common sense safety standards. Environmental pollution kills too many. Prion disease is suspected of killing many. Still the USDA opposes adequate testing. The food supply, in general, is suspect. Want to kill someone, just give him a hamburger topped with spinach. OOOOPs, we are not allowed to say things like that. Remember what happened to Oprah when she said that she would not eat a hamburger.Captcha word is “food”.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/26 at 07:21 AMI just want to add, for any visitors here today, please click on the photos on the front page. The Fisk WAR photos show how much we value life. Also, we have to stop blaming only the government. “WE” are the problem. Wearing a uniform might make a fashion statement, but it does not give anyone the right to kill another human being.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/26 at 07:39 AMits not the US specifically
each of those things mentioned today could easily apply to a hundred other empires over the course of history. the US is just the one with the capability at the moment.
also, political language these days means that they never say what they are doing anymore, i suppose that is the major difference.
Posted by michael on from exile 09/26 at 07:48 AMand this is worht a laugh…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8X0w6UWIhM
Posted by michael on from exile 09/26 at 07:49 AMIt is consistently amazing how disconnected Americans (and now Canadians) are where the valuation of other’s lives in comparison to their own is concerned.
I mean nearly three thousand died on 09/11/01 and we still get hours of “hero tributes” and other such forever war propaganda while America and her imperialist lap dogs have murdered many hundreds of thousands with the obscene and duplicitous “War of Terror”.The right wing couch moisteners in Canada have become emboldened by our Neoconservative puppet government here and Canadians are now supposed to take pride in the fact that we are killing thousands in Afghanistan alongside our American masters.
The militarization of Canada and rampantly growing mental disease of patriarchal arrogance are brutal afflictions being propagated here by our Canadian Neocon puppet government.
The television educated, politically retarded and uninformed ‘consumer’ public, whose greatest concern has always been their consumer status and “buying power”, are falling under the same stupor that has encompassed the U.S.A..
It’s all about “support the troops” in our government and media and nothing to do with “find out what the hell is really going on”.
(#4)
That midterm elections cartoon was hilarious in a sort of ‘cringing as I laugh’ way.
It’s an increasingly rare find on the rapidly declining “Daily Show”.
Between his consistent berating of Hugo Chavez or anybody else who openly opposes American imperialism, his unfailing propping up of terrorist Israel as the world’s perpetual innocent victim, gross commercialization (embedded adverts throughout the show) and the talk show interviews that have become a place for shitty Hollywood movie actors to shill their garbage, John Stewart as “comedic genius” becomes more and more of a difficult stretch.
I must admit though that between the pee-pee, poo-poo toilet and crotch humour, rampant, unabashed commercialism, and the creepy pro-Zionist slant of his show there are definitely gems to be mined.
Colbert has long since eclipsed Stewart as America’s best TV satirist.Posted by Youngfox on from Adanac 09/26 at 09:24 AMi am not totally sure if it was a daily show piece or if it was just someone who likes the show.
the web address at the end is for something different
Posted by michael on from exile 09/26 at 09:27 AMexcellent comments, Youngfox. I’ve noticed this idiotic berating of Chavez all over the place in supposed left leaning circles.
Bill Maher, a guy who has made many pro-war comments, is a woman-hater, etc, who occasionally comes out with some good stuff automaitcally dismisses Chavez as a “Nut-job” that no one listens to. Chavez makes more sense than any political leader I have heard...that is not saying much, but still, a nut-job? The guy knows exactly what he is doing.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 09:31 AMOops, my bad.
I assumed because of the title that is was a Daily Show bit.
Anyroad, my ‘disappointment with John Stewart’ tirade still stands.Posted by Youngfox on from Adanac 09/26 at 09:32 AMThanks Jos,
Y’know sometimes ya just gotta mess up Mickey’s C section with some hardcore ‘bloviation’.Posted by Youngfox on from Adanac 09/26 at 09:37 AMHello Expendables. For some odd reason, I’m not getting e-mail notices that comments are being posted...so I am fashionably late.
Isn’t it hilarious/sad that Chavez is being portrayed as a person no one listens to? Agree or disagree with him, the reality remains that the vast majority of humans on the planet view America not unlike he does.
As for the “value life” topic of the day, I just read a speech in which Dubya talked about “a group of killers, people who hate ... (and) take out their resentment by destroying innocent lives.” Again, probably 90% of the planet would identify that group as Americans.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 09:49 AMDW, I afraid I don’t understand what you wrote in #33 from yesterday, but you’ll be happy to know I’m watching the film you suggested. I’ll let you know what I think. Cheers.
RMJ, I couldn’t agree more. WE are largely the problem. I try to make that a focus of much of what I write; it’s not just the government ant “their” policies, it’s us, our wilful ignorance, our indifference, our apathy, etc. We are all complicit.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 09/26 at 11:07 AMThis guy has my vote for psycho of the day (or month, year, etc.):
http://epw.senate.gov/speechitem.cfm?party=rep&id=263759
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 11:37 AMRMJ #1: As an empire behaves at home, so it will behave abroad. It’s the nature of empires, as Michael from Exile via Scotland points out in #3. Scandalous, barbarous, appalling behavior that values the human being at “replaceable cog in economic machine” will be the death of this, as previous, empires, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. It looks to me like it’s China’s turn next. Whee! I don’t think I want to learn the pinyin character set, so I will molder here among the soon-to-be-obscure faded “glory” of the Anglophone ex-imperials.
Or, hateful thought, are we to be the Greeks to the emerging Chinese “Rome”? Getting them off on the wrong foot and making sure, by our superior perceived status (such as it is, and I hasten to add that I am not among those so perceiving Murrica), that they have a model to point to as they exterminate the remaining Tibetans et alii? “The Murricans did it, why can’t WE?”
My personal world isn’t happy, but the wider world suffers on, and heads for collapse, and all I can do is point and laugh.
Youngfox #5: “The right wing couch moisteners ...” I about had an attack when I read that sentence! HILARIOUS!! I have no idea what the image means, but I know it has the ring of icky, sticky, awful truth.
MZ #10: “As for the “value life” topic of the day, I just read a speech in which Dubya talked about ‘a group of killers, people who hate ... (and) take out their resentment by destroying innocent lives.’” ROFL Did he mention which USArmy unit he was referring to? Or was this aimed at Hugo “Monster of the Week” Chavez, who offers only beenfits to the needy Murricans Bush finds so very inconvenient to deal with in any positive way?
I re-read 1984 last night. Orwell’s vision was deeply frightening because it so closely resembles the world we live in. The Fux News Sewerpipe is the vehicle for the “Ten Minutes’ Hate.” Chavez-bashing wherever I look in the MSM. A country who’s our second-largest foreign supplier of oil, makes the products of that oil MORE available to the people who need it the most. How evil! He must be reviled!
Idiots.
Jeremy #12: The Christian churches I’ve gone to in the past decade and a half are all mouthing the slogan “WE are the Church.” It’s becoming possible to present this real truth to people: You are not goverened, in any part of your life, except as you agree to be and sanction with your votes/participation. Don’t like the way things are? Stand up and try to change ‘em! Since “WE are the government” we’d best get busy cleaning things up however we can find a way to do that.
captcha="stay" Ha
Posted by Mudge on from Austin, Texas 09/26 at 12:12 PMJEREMY #11 ...don’t understand what you wrote in #33 from yesterday..” Maybe you need to reread it and the other posts as well. I can’t find where I might have confused you. I can’t make it any clearer that it was not my intention to be an ASSHOLE.
In case you haven’t begun watching the movie yet make sure you have cleared out an uninterrupted, quiet two hours. It’s deep. Looking forward to hearing what you think about the movie!
Posted by dw on from ohio 09/26 at 12:46 PMHere is something that might interest the Expendables:
http://www.guerillapoetics.org/
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 12:55 PMHi everyone....too rushed right now to digest everything here but want to let everyone know that Rush Limbagh mentioned Bill Blum and his book on air today.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/26 at 12:58 PMBTW, MZ, I like the U2 lyric. Here’s another goodie:
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break youAnother favorite:
Is there a time for keeping your distance?
A time to turn your eyes away?
Is there a time for keeping your head down?
For getting on with your day?Mudge, you said it. Right on.
DW, I never suggested you intended to be an “asshole”. I simply observed that you seemed to be suggesting that to not see this video is to court genuine ignorance. Whether your intention was benign or hostile never entered into the equation, one way or another.
I thought the video was interesting. I wouldn’t describe it as mind-blowing.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 09/26 at 01:09 PMYoungfox
Your comments about the current political situation here in Canada under Harper’s ‘leadership’ is unfortunately too true.
More & more taxpayer monies are being used to finance military operations.Eventhough, he has stated that religion should not in anyway be part of government policy, the right-wing religious faction is pushing hard in that direction, being encouraged by what they see happening south of the border.
The distance that former Canadian governments had put between us and U.S. militarism seems to be getting smaller & smaller. A scary thing to witness. We can only hope that the loyal opposition will do its’ job and Canada will remain a peacemaker in the eyes of the world.
Posted by Canadian Observer on from 09/26 at 01:11 PMQuestion C.O. - What opposition?
The “liberals” and the Neocons dance to the same fiddle.
As for the NDP, well the media here always makes sure they are marginalized (if they are mentioned at all). With their weak leadership and ineloquent membership I don’t see them changing the equation anytime soon.Here’s a little social turd nugget that was crapped out by the “liberals” and now sculpted into a momentous monster by the Neocons.
“Deep Integration Planned at Secret Conference Ignored by the Media”
http://tinyurl.com/g525rPosted by Youngfox on from Adanac 09/26 at 01:54 PMGEEZ JEREMY, I thought I already made it crystal clear. How else should I interpret your original statement, “Perhaps that is how you feel, but I wanted to give you the chance to correct this perception if that is not the case.” ??!! If this doesn’t imply that I took the wrong tact, I don’t know what else would. “perhaps” I might “correct this perception” to me sounds like an opinion more than a simple observation.
Thanks for the feedback on the movie.Posted by dw on from ohio 09/26 at 01:58 PMSo...anybody see any good movies lately? Just kidding!
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 02:22 PMHello again Expendables.
Youngfox and CO: I wish you two would speak English instead of Canadian when you were here.
JOS: I sent that link to two poet friends. Thanks
Mudge: How are you today?
RMJ: How’s mom?
Jeremy: How’s your wife and her family?
DW: Seen any good movies lately?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 02:28 PMWell that’s just silly Mickey I just told you about...whoahh...WAIT A MIN...OK you got me biff. FOOSH?!
I’m still waiting for a response f/ Jeremy. I want to make sure I’m not hearing things.
Posted by dw on from ohio 09/26 at 02:32 PMDW: I thought for sure you’d be asking me: What the BLEEP is wrong with you?
How’s this? I promise I will figure out a way to see that film during the month of October?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 02:38 PMDW, what are your thoughts on this woman?:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramtha
Isn’t it her (or Ramtha channeling through her) teachings that htis movies is based off of?
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 02:46 PMJOS,
First, I don’t claim to know the intimate history of the making of this film. I’m interested and curious to know more about this. But, the movie and what is said is much more important to me.I do not disregard a belief; no matter how far out it seems because I know I don’t have to subscribe if I don’t wish to. This is how I feel about Ramtha. To me this is very important because there’s usually no going back after a bad taste gets into your mouth. I have a bad taste in my mouth about the way things are now in our society.
Posted by dw on from ohio 09/26 at 03:02 PMThere is no such fucking thing as innocent fucking lives. One could argue that there exist such things as innocent people, maybe, (but I don’t fucking know why, maybe to justify fucking them up), but you have got to be a serious fucking #### to talk about fucking protecting innocent fucking lives while bombing their fucking shit left right and center.
PS: this.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/26 at 03:05 PM####, Keir, that was something.
DW, I agree with you completely. Just hoping you weren’t one of Ramtha’s students trying to convert the Expendables. I think I will see the movie at my first opportunity.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 03:37 PMthat´s the point Keir, hypocrisy is a tool used to blind some to what gubbermints do and fill more knowing ones with bile.
Posted by owen on from barcelona 09/26 at 03:39 PMThe slaughter of the sharks must be close to completion:
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/26 at 03:41 PMI was just about to ask where the #### Keir was...so now I’ll ask: Where the #### is the CatLady and the Empress?
JOS: 73 million sharks killed per year? We truly live in a culture of death.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 04:52 PMJOS,
No way am I or have I ever intended to “convert” anyone. I can see where you might be leary of that though. Basically, I’m a loner and the last one to ever pull that.Posted by dw on from ohio 09/26 at 05:47 PMtrying out a hyperlink. hope it works.
Paul Street believes Dershowitz’s hatred of Chomsky goes back to summer camp. Street quotes from a NYTimes article by Motoko Rich which quotes Dershowitz referring to Chomsky’s books: “He does not write page turners, he writes page stoppers. There are a lot of bent pages in Noam Chomsky’s books, and they are usually at about Page 16.”
Norman Finkelstein says this about Dershowitz’s The Case for Israel:
“I read the book very carefully. I did what someone serious does with a book. I read the text, I went through the footnotes. I went through it very carefully. There’s only one conclusion one can reach having read the book. This is a scholarly judgment, not an ad homonym. Mr. Dershowitz has concocted a fraud. In fact Mr. Dershowitz has concocted a fraud which amazingly in large parts, he plagiarized from another fraud. I found that pretty shocking, shocking coming from a Harvard professor. I find it shocking coming from any professor.”here is a good movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zyiRgIlQ6jI (this is part 1, the links to the rest of the movie are on the right)
I think the problem is imperialism.
Posted by TM on from 09/26 at 05:50 PMNice hyperlinks, TM.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 07:06 PMHoly ####! I miss a day and it’s fucking impossible to catch up with all the fucking conversation and topics here!
Busy few days for me so far, and not even time to lurk until now.
No opportunity to catch it all now, but if I say a prayer and I really, really mean it, do you think the sharks will survive?
I won’t get into the movies I’ve watched or intend to just now, but JAWS was on the other night and Jack van Impe’s on every Sunday. (I’m a little “book” heavy just lately)
I hope all Expendables and extended Expendables are well!
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canaaaadaaaa 09/26 at 08:24 PMYou can’t underestimate Spielberg’s fuckin’ role in global shark slaughter. Ever since fuckin’ Jaws came out, sharks have been fair fuckin’ game. I may make a fuckin’ blog post about this, Empress.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/26 at 08:30 PMHell yeah, everyone, it’s feeling like the old days around here, wish I had more time… all I can say for now is a heartfelt-- WTF?
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 09/26 at 09:39 PMDW, We seem to be having a communication problem. I repeat, I never suggested you intended to be an “asshole” in suggesting that to not see the video is to court genuine ignorance.
MZ, My wife is doing well. Acceptance is sinking in. The funeral (if I can call it that-it’s some sort of Buddhist/Taoist ceremony and he is to be cremated) is tomorrow. Thanks for asking.
TM, My, Dershowitz admits he’s never read a Chomsky book! How astonishing. Criticizing an author’s work without having read it… isn’t that defined as “ignorance”? Contrast Mr. Finkelstein (I enjoyed reading that transcript).
Perhaps those of us who have read Chomsky should write Mr. Dershowitz, so he can’t say he doesn’t know anyone whose read any of his books.
Hey, I didn’t use a single “f” word in all of that? What the ####?
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 09/26 at 10:28 PMAnybody see the fucking eitorial on Chomsky in the fucking Wall Street Journal? What a piece of fucking garbage. I’ll post it tomorrow if I remember. Jesus H. Christ why does it feel so good to fucking curse my ass off?
Posted by JOS on from Fuckin' Chicago 09/26 at 10:33 PM
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