Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Read this before you vote
Voting increasingly seems to me like a piece of theatrical business...clever, cute, unnecessary to the main action on the stage. I think my native cynicism is metastasizing.
As practice for writing my NaNovel this November, I am getting up at 6am every day so I can accustom myself to being awake at such an obscene, goblins-and-ghoulies hour. I can usually rely on Cool Observer to infuriate me into full consciousness for the day, though it does nothing for my good humor.
While I prize knowledge above all my other possessions, there are days, weeks, even entire years (1988 springs to mind, oh and 2001 too!) that I contemplate enviously the drugged idiocy of the run-of-the-mill Murrican. I want my bacon triple cheeseburger and jumbo fries, my TiVo, and my Lincoln Navigator guilt-free and now, please.
>sigh< That ship has sailed, regrettably for my peace of mind.
Posted by Mudge on from Austin, Texas 10/10 at 07:24 AMWhat is a “Lincoln Navigator”? What is “good humor”? Man, it’s so isolating when you use such obscure references… I’ve had this terrible cold past few days for some reason, hope to get through it tonight, but now back out to work.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 10/10 at 07:42 AMSpeaking of Ghandi (and I’m heading way off topic here), has anyone seen the movie “Water”? It’s out on DVD/Video and goes into the lives of Indian widows during the late 30’s—Ghandi plays a peripheral-but-pervasive role, as he would in any story based in India at that time. I admit to having to wipe a few tears toward the end, but the bigger impression I had of the movie is that it is archetypal in nature—the individual players represent something universal and accessible in each of us.
As for voting… I will play my role in the Spectacle, knowing full well that the script has already been written, that the “winners” have walked over dead bodies to get where they are, and that the ritual of elections (even when not electronically manipulted) is a narcotic to keep me docile. Sort of like buy a lottery ticket, I know my vote is like pissing in the ocean, but the momentary thrill I get is worth a dollar.
Posted by Hawk on from Boulder 10/10 at 07:49 AMHello Expendables. I don’t mean to brag, but it’s another perfect weather day here.
Haven’t seen that flick, Hawk...but it’s great to have you here again.
Mudge: I will post something about National Novel Writing Month very soon. I’m wondering if anyone here has ideas about partaking.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/10 at 10:37 AMHello everyone.
I did not realize that 65% of congressional races were uncontested in 2004. I knew the number was pretty high, but that’s just ridiculous. Just another little piece of information which I believe if the average person knew might make them rethink their belief in the American democracy.
It occurs to me, that even if the votes aren’t being manipulated now, that with the failures in the electronic voting system, even if you were to somehow get a large percentage of the population to vote for some third party candidate, the powers that be could then use the problem in evoting to their advantage. “Someone hacked in and screwed up the vote! The will of the people was for the Republicans! We demand another vote! God bless America!”
Jeremy, very good reply yesterday. I think I’m gonna end up learning more about this than I really wanted to in order to answer my question, because now I’m a bit obsessed. I thought I was asking something easy (in fact, I felt a little bit foolish that I didn’t know the answer already), but it turns out that even those who have the answer DON’T have the answer.
Posted by Banta on from Inner Circle of Hell 10/10 at 10:57 AMGood stuff, MZ. I would also question whether “democracy” is a desirable form of government to begin with. After all, the Constitution guarantees for every State of the Union a republican form of government. I examined that a bit in an article I wrote last year: What’s so great about democracy?
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 10/10 at 11:05 AMHey Banta, I’m glad you saw my post from yesterday. As I said then, I can’t really answer the question you posed, but I’d like to add a thought on our monetary system that is not so much a tangent as an extention of your question: Our monetary system is a patent fraud.
The Federal Reserve, a privately owned corporation, unaccountable to the government, prints “money” out of thin air and then charges us interest to use it.
This is not just a blatant scam, it also happens to be unconstitutional. The Constitution grants to the Congress the power to coin money. As Lincoln said, it’s the prerogative of the government to coin money free of interest. Instead, that power has been relegated to a private corporation that soaks us dry. As I said yesterday, 100% of the income tax goes towards just paying the interest on the federal debt.
That gets us into the income tax. The Constitution states clearly that any direct tax must be apportioned between the states. That means if the federal government wants money for whatever project, they inform the states, which then tax their citizens accordingly. It’s not a blank check (like we have today), but an accountable system. Under such taxation, the states know why the money is being requested and what it will be used for. Not so today with the income tax.
The other kind of taxes are indirect. If I don’t want to pay a tax on cigarrettes, I don’t buy cigarrettes. If I don’t want to pay gas tax, I’ll ride my bike. Those are indirect taxes. Those are the two kinds of taxes the Congress is granted authority to impose under the Constitution.
The income tax, needless to say, is neither an apportioned direct tax nor an indirect tax. It is absolutely contrary to the system of equitable taxation established by the Constitution.
Yet it may be Constitutional, for one reason: it appears that there is no law that requires you to pay the income tax. I’ve searched the tax code, haven’t found it. I challenge anyone here to write the IRS and request the law, chapter and section, that requires you to pay income taxes and file returns (which incidentally are a violation of the 4th amendment, which protects you against self-incrimination).
Another incidental: A central bank (our FED) and a graduated income tax are two planks of the Communist Manifesto.
Just some food for thought.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 10/10 at 11:22 AMJeremy: You get high Marx for your comments, re: money. As for our current form of gov’t, I have coined a new phrase: “themocracy.” Anyone ever hear that one used before?
Hello Banta…
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/10 at 11:30 AMHello Mickey…
Jeremy, I’ve read what you’ve said before, but I don’t think in such concise manner.
It really only adds to the curiousity of what I’m asking, I suppose. The entire system is so intangible, it’s impossible to get a feel on it.
I’m down for kidnapping Greenspan and making him explain it to us. Anyone else in on this? I’ll buy lunch.
Posted by Banta on from Inner Circle of Hell 10/10 at 11:46 AMHi all, I am almost an expendable. 2 posts in a week.
At cinemas soon (I mean always)
http://brownfemipower.com/?p=504
captch="friends" (ah, thanks)Posted by Uncle Joe on from Britain, not great 10/10 at 12:10 PMAfternoon all, I’m in lurking mode today but wanted to say I’m enjoying all the food for thought.
before I go...Water comes to you via Canadian directrice Deepa Mehta and is the last in a series of movies, I have yet to see the last. She’s a wonderfully bold woman. “Water” was finally completed by filming in Sri Lanka - years earlier the first attempt was halted after fundamentalist Hindu’s wrought havoc on the set in India and threatened her life.Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/10 at 12:24 PMSitting here listening to “My Funny Valentine” as sung by Sarah Vaughn on a cool, rainy day here in Delwood...all I need is my puppies back and life would be as good as it gets.
MZ, I wasn’t hinting when I mentioned NaNo. I was just bringing up a hitherto-unplumbed depth of meaning here at Cool Oberver Central: Jet fuel for outraged creativity.
Jeremy, Banta: Y’all might want to read about the modern origin of fiat money in Millionaire http://tinyurl.com/foldm
See y’all later
Posted by Mudge on from Austin, Texas 10/10 at 01:53 PMAmelopsis: I was absolutely thinking of you when I brought up the subject of “Water.” I did not know that Deepa Mehta is Canadian, but that doesn’t surprise me at all. Luscious, colorful cinematography throughout—and now I have to find the previous flicks in the series—that’ll be my “main” project for the afternoon....
Posted by Hawk on from Boulder, CO, USA 10/10 at 02:34 PMHi everyone!
“The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the people who count the votes do.” Joseph Stalin
“De Beers, the international diamond cartel that controls the majority of the world’s diamonds, has gone on the offensive to try to distance the industry from the history depicted in the film. But according to Ken Sunshine, Leonardo DiCaprio’s publicist, those connected with the movie feel the stepped-up public relations efforts have backfired for De Beers. “I hope they keep on publicizing the controversies and our ‘Blood Diamond’ movie,” Sunshine <a href=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-diamonds10oct10,0,6509078.story?coll=la-home-headlines>said."</a>
<a href=http://people.howstuffworks.com/diamond.htm>How Diamonds Work</a>
Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve: http://tinyurl.com/ng3ab
Posted by TM on from 10/10 at 02:58 PMlet me try that again:
“De Beers, the international diamond cartel that controls the majority of the world’s diamonds, has gone on the offensive to try to distance the industry from the history depicted in the film. But according to Ken Sunshine, Leonardo DiCaprio’s publicist, those connected with the movie feel the stepped-up public relations efforts have backfired for De Beers. “I hope they keep on publicizing the controversies and our ‘Blood Diamond’ movie,” Sunshine said.”
Posted by TM on from 10/10 at 03:02 PMHello again. Lots to catch up on here. Thanks for all the links, etc....and Uncle Joe, you are an Expendable, like it or not.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/10 at 04:28 PMHI Every Expendable!
Just jumping in really quickly with an interesting link. If you feel like staying up late tonight, freaking out over the complete loss of our rights as citizens. I suggest you give a listen to the Alex Jones interview on Jeff Rense from October 2nd. It’s freely available for download right now.
http://www.rense.com/general73/uod.htm
I’m in the middle of listening to it myself. There talking about the recent passage of bills through congress that completely strip whatever was left of our rights and freedoms in America.
Welcome to the police state.
Peace and Love
LunaPosted by Luna_C on from the Delta 10/10 at 05:45 PMGreat post, great graphics - as always, Mickey! Thanks so much - a visit to the ‘Cool Observer’ really brightens up my days.
A warm ‘hello’ to all you expendables from a very warm Daylesford - 86F today.
Have a good night/afternoon/morning - whatever!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 10/10 at 05:57 PMHi there, Helga and Luna. I’ll see you—and everyone else—tomorrow.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/10 at 08:39 PMHey Mudge, thanks for the book recommendation. It’s now on my list.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 10/11 at 03:01 AMExcept that T.S. Eliot never said that. It was George Eliot (gasp, a girl!) a hundred years earlier, in a novel.
Posted by matt on from 10/11 at 08:56 AMI guess I’ll have to double check that quote, huh, Matt?
I’m curious, however, why you’d choose to use a mocking “Mickey Mouse” fake e-mail address and seemingly assume that I’d be shocked that a “girl"said this. What’s up with that?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/11 at 12:44 PM
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