Happy Holidays!

Star Wars Episode IV 1/2 in its entirety:

Oakland's Inferno - Part II

Bet you thought I wasn't coming back! Well I did. Now let's continue the story:

As Obi-Wan and I stood on the edge of the river Acheron, a boat drifted towards us, captained by a solitary figure. "Charon!" my master called out, "come. You must ferry me and my companion to the other side."

"I can take you, Jedi. But you're companion still has a living soul, and cannot pass here," replied Charon.

"What if I knocked him unconscious, would that do?" replied my master.

"Yeah, I'll let that slide."

"Wait, wha-" I started to say, and then world went black.

I awoke with the back of my head throbbing. Rubbing it, I looked around, and saw the old Jedi. "Ugh, what was that about? You could have warned me, you know." Obi-Wan looked at me and simply raised his eyebrows. "Well where are we anyhow?" I asked him.

"We are in Limbo, the outermost circle of Hell. Here reside those who were virtuous in life, but cannot go to Heaven because nobody dumped some water on their heads. Even those who could not possibly have been baptized because they lived before the ritual was invented, or come from a galaxy far, far away, must linger here for eternity. There's not a lot of logic to it. Kind of like on a boat with women and children first. I mean why should they..."

"Did you just quote Arrested Development?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah," he replied. "We're dead, so we don't have any responsibilities, and we've been here for eternity, so we have a lot of free time. The invention of the TV has really helped. Anyway, let's keep moving, we have a long way yet to go."

As we walked along, Obi-Wan pointed out the great thinkers of history, like Socrates and Plato, Euclid and Archimedes. I longed to talk to them, but they were in the middle of an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

At last we came to an imposing figure. "This is Minos, the judge of the dead. Long ago he was the king of Crete. Now he decides which circle a sinner will spend eternity in. Come, let us speak to him," my guide said to me as we approached Minos.

"Halt!" he cried out. "I have been on the lookout for two souls of your description, one living, the other dead. You cannot pass here!"

"We are not the souls you are looking for," Obi-Wan said with the wave of his hand.

"You are not the souls I am looking for!" boomed Minos.

"We can go about our business," replied the old Jedi.

"You can go about your business," said the judge of the dead.

And we passed deeper into Hell without further molestation.

"That was AWESOME!" I shouted when we had gotten out of earshot of the ancient king.

"Just an old trick I knew," Obi-Wan said, and winked at me knowingly.

Tune in next time to find out what horrors lay ahead in the depths of Hell!

Pat is Crazy.

Tiny Paper Plane

Oakland's Inferno - Part I

Well boys and girls, I've been gone a long time. Where have I been, you ask? Let me tell you, it is quite the (completely true) story:

One day I was out camping in the woods of Minnesota. As is tradition on camping trips everywhere, I had been drinking. Stumbling through the woods looking for a place to relieve myself, I came to a clearing. Suddenly I heard a fierce growling coming from the long grass. There a saw a leopard crouched and ready to pounce. From the left I saw movement and when I turned, a mighty lion did I behold. The breaking of a branch behind me alerted me to a giant she-wolf approaching, cutting off my retreat to camp.

"What the shit?" I muttered to myself, "was there a breakout at the zoo or something?" I could no longer tell whether I was urinating from the pressure on my bladder or the terror in my heart. Without zipping up, I fought the urge to run and slowly backed away from the three beasts. As I turned to run in the only direction left open to me, a root grabbed my foot and I fell to the ground. When I looked up I beheld a sight even more unbelievable than the previous three.



"Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!" I blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

"Relax, son. Fear not, the beasts will not hurt you, but you cannot go back to camp that way. You must follow me down through the depths of the earth. It is the only way." And with that he led me through the dark and tangled woods, away from the three vicious animals.

"All hope abandon, ye who enter in!" read the sign above the gate to which Old Ben had led me. "Are you sure this is the right way, master?" I asked.

"Trust your instincts," he replied, "or better yet, trust mine." Thus we entered into that horrible place that only a handful of living souls have ever seen: Hell.

On the other side of the gate I beheld a vast crowd of people. All of them were facing a giant white flag, and appeared to be saluting. "Who are these people, and what are they doing?" I asked the old jedi.

"In life, these people were neither good nor bad. They had no causes that drove them, and so now, they must salute this flag every day. The rest of the day, they pretty much just sit around and play Xbox," replied Obi-wan as we walked through the crowd. At length, we arrived on the shore of a great river. "This is Acheron, the river that divides Hell proper from this outer region."

And so I stood at the edge of hell, not knowing what lay ahead, but not able to turn back. I trusted that my guide, the old jedi Obi-wan Kenobi, would lead me through safely, just as he had led Luke safely to Alderaan (it wasn't his fault that it had been blown up when they arrived). Tune in next time to find out what happened next!

Pat is crazy.

Talking 'Bout A Revolution

99% Movement has Broad Support

From Think Progress:

As the Occupy Wall Street protest and growing 99 Percent Movement enters its second month, poll after poll shows public support for the movement. 

Here’s the rundown.

82… percent of New York State voters think it’s OK for the Occupy Wall Street protesters to protest.
67… percent of Americans think it would be a “bad idea” to lower taxes on large corporations.
66 …percent of Americans think the distribution of money and wealth in this country should be “more evenly distributed among more people.”

65 …percent of Americans think taxes should be raised on millionaires.
58 …percent of New York State voters agree with the views of the Wall Street protesters.
46 …percent of Americans think the 99 Percent Movement “reflect[s] the views of most Americans,” compared to just 34 percent who say it does not.
43 …percent of Americans agree with the views of protesters, compared to just 27 percent who disagree.
68 …percent of millionaire investors support raising taxes on millionaires.
61 …percent of investors with a net worth of more than $5 million support raising taxes on millionaires.
69 …percent of Americans think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress “favor the rich.”  

9 …percent of Americans think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress“favor the middle class.”   

2 …percent of Americans (who apparently don’t get out much) think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress “favor the poor.”

Oakland!

More video:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Special Comment on Oakland from Olbermann:

Watch Occupy Wall Street Movement Live

Occupy Wall Street Camp Being Threatened by Mayor, watch live:

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

Sign Language from socially_awkwrd on Vimeo.

Chimes of Freedom Flashing

All You Fascists Bound to Lose

Come Together

Right Here All Over

Right Here All Over  (Occupy Wall St.) from Alex Mallis on Vimeo.

• Occupy Wall Street is now being supported by MoveOn, a 2 million strong progressive organization, the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters, and a whole bunch more.
• #OWS endorsed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.
• An Occupy Wall Street Library has now opened- no library card required!
• Unlike Congress and President Obama, the public has a favorable opinion of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
• The march today went quite well, police got a little carried away at times, but protesters showed great restraint: 

Goethe

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

• Anti-Wall Street protests spreading to cities large and small.
• Fannie Mae, the mortgage finance giant, knew as early as 2003 of extensive foreclosure abuses.
• Send food and supplies to those occupying Wall Street.
• #OccupyUSA live blog.  Wednesday will be fun. 
• A manifesto of sorts has emerged from Occupy Wall Street:

  As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

  As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

Zizek!

With protests and revolutions spreading across the world, what better time to start thinking about the type of world we want to construct?  Some interesting ideas come from Slavoj Zizek,  a senior researcher at the Institute of Sociology, University of Ljubljana and a professor at the European Graduate School, considered to be one of the world’s leading intellectuals, and currently the "hip" philosopher of our time. And some Golden Gopher pride, Zizek formerly taught at the University of Minnesota. 


Zizek has had more impact than just in the classroom and theory, individuals such as Julian Assange, the publisher of Wikileaks, cite Zizek’s philosophical outlook as influential in their work.  A Sundance documentary on Zizek can be watched on YouTube.

#OccupyWallStreet

Here comes the American Autumn:

• More than 700 protesters were arrested yesterday in New York.
• The New York Transit Workers Union, the United Federation of Teachers, Workers United and the local Service Employees International Union have in the last 48 hours joined the Occupy Wall Street movement.
• Statements of solidarity have been issued by the United Steelworkers and National Nurses United, among others.
• The local SEIU chapter will be providing meals and medical training to protesters for the next week.
• Fuck the politicians, but props to the one's fighting the good fight: Senator Bernie Sanders, former President Jimmy Carter, former Vice President Al Gore, Elizabeth Warren, Representative Keith Ellison.
• People are starting to organize across the country - check out Occupy Together to learn about events taking place in your neighborhood.
• Message from Anonymous regarding #OccupyWallStreet:

Creator of The Wire on Future of America

From Dangerous Minds:

David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme, gives a sobering assessment of the future of America in these powerful clips from a 2007 talk at Loyola College.

Simon feels we’re headed for separate Americas, where the “haves” exploit the “have-nots,” and where human beings will lose their value. He faults “raw, unencumbered Capitalism” for making our country numb to the plight of the most vulnerable among us. America makes the wrong choices every time, he says, and unless we change, Simon predicts “we are doomed.”

The man is a genius, and as a writer and journalist, he’s explored the very darkest corners of our fraying “civilization”—trust me, this is really worth listening to… Keep in mind as you watch that this was recorded a year before the world economy did a belly-flop on concrete.

The Message

The Pound Is Sinking

Senator Sanders

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from December:

The Future

Pat is Crazy is on twitter. Please follow us for updates on Pat's daily doings.

Pat is Crazy.

Why Libya isn't quite the moral issue Obama claims

Via the Progressive Review:

Pepe Escobar, Asia Times - You invade Bahrain. We take out Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. This, in short, is the essence of a deal struck between the Barack Obama administration and the House of Saud. Two diplomatic sources at the United Nations independently confirmed that Washington, via Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gave the go-ahead for Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain and crush the pro-democracy movement in their neighbor in exchange for a "yes" vote by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya - the main rationale that led to United Nations Security Council resolution 1973.

One of the diplomats said, "This is the reason why we could not support resolution 1973. We were arguing that Libya, Bahrain and Yemen were similar cases, and calling for a fact-finding mission. We maintain our official position that the resolution is not clear, and may be interpreted in a belligerent manner."

Rap News 7

Ride Into the Sun

More Velvet Underground:

News Roundup

This morning's Wisconsin newspapers:

News:

• Nuclear crisis spreads to 4th plant in Japan.
• Assistant Secretary of State PJ Crowley is forced to resign after speaking out against the continuing torture of Private Bradley Manning.  From Crowley's resignation letter:  "The exercise of power must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values."
• Anonymous to start "Operation: Empire State Rebellion" tomorrow.  Will reportedly release incriminating documents from Bank of America.  Also will start "a relentless campaign of non-violent, peaceful, civil disobedience" that will not stop until: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke steps down, the "Primary Dealers within the Federal Reserve banking system be broken up and held accountable for rigging markets and destroying the global economy," and "the rule of law" is restored in the country.
• Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday told international troops to "stop their operations in our land."  Karzai continued:  "I would like to ask NATO and the US with honour and humbleness and not with arrogance to stop their operations in our land.  We are very tolerant people but now our tolerance has run out."
• Republicans in Michigan were successful in passing "financial martial law" bill.  Protests expected in Lansing this week.
• Florida Republicans are on the verge on passing a bill which would force a woman who wants to terminate her pregnancy to submit to having a vaginal ultrasound, an intrusive and unnecessary medical procedure.
• Boycott of businesses that support Scott Walker starts.
• Police fire on protesters in Yemen, as the country sees its largest protests to date.
• France recognizes rebels as legitimate government of Libya.
• Cote d'Ivoire experience more deadly clashes, Civil War looms.
• Protests are growing in Bahrain, if the revolution is successful there, it would be a big boost for the Revolution movement in Saudi Arabia:

Here we go

Make no mistake about it, we are at war.

What can we do right now? Here are a couple ideas:

1. Transfer your money to a Credit Union or a community bank. Not only will it be easier to sleep at night knowing your money isn't supporting anti-American institutions, your money will be much safer in the event the banking industry collapses. Firefighters are taking the lead, today they withdrew over $192,000 from M&I Bank in Madison, as many others also followed their example, forcing the bank to be closed down. Find a Community Bank or Credit Union near you today.

2. Do you live within driving distance to Madison? Be there this Saturday.

Democracy

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

GOP Illegally Act to End Collective Bargaining

Wisconsin Republicans illegally attempt to end collective bargaining:



It will be up to the people to restore democracy for Wisconsin.

(Nothing But) Flowers

Trailer for this year's Academy Award winning best documentary:

News:

• 100 days and counting of Cablegate.
• Torture of Bradley Manning continues, now being forced nude seven hours a day.
• Oil markets brace for Saudi 'rage' protests.
• Airport workers in Spain prepare for strike which would shut down air travel in the country.
• Police in the United Kingdom threaten to strike and threaten to start strike just prior to royal wedding.
• China is rapidly increasing the size of their military.
• The Middle East feminist revolution.
• Obama's war against transparent government.
• Governor of Michigan is pushing a bill that would grant him emergency powers that would enable him to: 1) unilaterally declare a "financial emergency", 2) disincorporate entire municipal governments, 3) dismiss elected officials with no replacement election to follow, 4) seize control of local civil services, 5) hand taxpayer money, services and powers to private, for-profit firms.
• Imagine if sane and moral legislation had any chance of passing?  Senator Bernie Sanders is suggesting an emergency surtax on millionaires. A 5.4 percent surtax on adjusted gross incomes over $1 million would raise as much as $50 billion a year. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published last week showed overwhelming support for that concept. 

New Dangerous Minds radio hour.

More music!

America is Not Broke

Michael Moore:

America is not broke.  Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you’ll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It’s just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich. 

Today just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined. 

Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer “bailout” of 2008, now have more loot, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can’t bring yourself to call that a financial coup d’état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true. 

And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we’d have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic—and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it.

Aftershock

Via Dangerous Minds: Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich’s latest book, Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future can more or less, be summed  up in a single sentence: Until we deal with the preposterous wealth disparity in this country, America’s fucked and it’s going to stay that way:

Christopher Morris

FOUR LIONS and Chris Morris Retrospective, March 3-5! from Cinefamily on Vimeo.

Green Chemistry

I watched a very interesting speech at work the other day and I thought I'd share it with all of you. This is a speech made by Dr. John Warner, super smart guy and father of the green chemistry movement, that he made on January 7th at a conference put on by the Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum. I know it's long, but I think that it is definitely worth it (although you can skip his introduction. Dr. Warner's speech begins at the 6:30 mark). He does an excellent job of explaining what the green chemistry movement is really about and what needs to happen for it to succeed. And don't worry if you do not know anything about chemistry, as a chemistry background is not required to understand what he is talking about. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



Pat is crazy.

Take the Hit

From Dangerous Minds:

Mutamassik’s 13-track That Which Death Cannot Destroy was one of 2010’s most under-recognized releases in underground music. It could also turn out to be a brilliant soundtrack to the current anti-authoritarian street-fight spreading throughout... the Middle East. 

Even better—the whole album is offered for FREE download. 

Mutamassik (meaning “stronghold” and “tenacity” in Arabic) is the nom de tune of Giulia Lolli, a half-Italian/half-Egyptian composer and DJ with a background that’s reflected in her splintered internationalist musical style. Born in Italy and raised in the American Rustbelt, Lolli went to New York City in time to swoop quickly in and out of the illbient scene of the mid-‘90s before heading out to Cairo, and finally landing up in what she terms a “CAVEmen-style” existence with her husband, Brooklyn guitarist Morgan Craft, and child in Tuscany.

Ripple

What's going on?

• Protests have broken out in Oman.  Entering the third day of protests, growing every day.
• Another ally of the U.S. ruling elite, Bahrain, is trembling as protests engulf the country.
• Terrible violence in China, as the government tries to prevent the Jasmine Revolution from taking root.
• Leading opposition figures in Iran have been jailed, as protests continue despite violence and mass imprisonment.
• Violence has escalated against protesters in the Ivory Coast.
• Mass protests have broken out in Mauritania.
• Protesters reject attempt by Yemen's current government to stay in power.
• International Criminal Court starts criminal procedures against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddaffi.  Obama opposes International Criminal Court, fears Bush and other U.S. officials may face war crimes charges.
• Arctic Sea ice extent is at it's lowest in recorded history.  Reminder: Some of the world's leading climate scientists say if the world does not make drastic changes in our environmental policy, human beings might not be around much longer.
• A message to the citizens of the United States of America from Anonymous concerning Wisconsin.
• Close to 125,000 protesters in Madison the other day.  Largest protests in Wisconsin since Vietnam.  There were protests at every state capital over the weekend.
• It's the People's House.  The People will not leave.
• Americans oppose weakening the bargaining rights of public employee unions by a margin of nearly two to one: 60 percent to 33 percent.
• They are scarred: big drop in foreclosures as banks fear further scandals.
• You are just a deer in the headlights Mr. President, the story is bigger than you now.

Yes, more music:

Direct Action

Some facts (h/t Boing Boing):

BANK OF AMERICA: In 2009, Bank of America didn't pay a single penny in federal income taxes, exploiting the tax code so as to avoid paying its fair share. "Oh, yeah, this happens all the time," said Robert Willens, a tax accounting expert interviewed by McClatchy. "If you go out and try to make money and you don't do it, why should the government pay you for your losses?" asked Bob McIntyre of Citizens for Tax Justice. The same year, the mega-bank's top executives received pay "ranging from $6 million to nearly $30 million." 

- BOEING: Despite receiving billions of dollars from the federal government every single year in taxpayer subsidies from the U.S. government, Boeing didn't "pay a dime of U.S. federal corporate income taxes" between 2008 and 2010. 

- CITIGROUP: Citigroup's deferred income taxes for the third quarter of 2010 amounted to a grand total of $0.00. At the same time, Citigroup has continued to pay its staff lavishly. "John Havens, the head of Citigroup's investment bank, is expected to be the bank's highest paid executive for the second year in a row, with a compensation package worth $9.5 million."

Some of America's largest corporations are making record profits, yet they are not only not paying their fair share of taxes, in many cases they are not paying anything at all.  They own Washington, so what can we do?

The UK Uncut Movement is continuing to pick up steam.  This is direct action protest, similar to the sit-ins of the Civil Rights era.  How it works: A bunch of people go into a bank, or another tax dodging institution, sit down, and don't leave.  The movement has now started in the United States: US Uncut-

US Uncut is about taking action against unnecessary and unfair cuts to public services across the US. Washington’s proposed budget for the coming year sends a clear message: The wrath of budget cuts will fall upon the shoulders of hard-working Americans. 

Obama seeks to trim $1.1 trillion from the budget in the next ten years by cutting or eliminating over 200 federal programs, many dedicated to social services and education. For instance, it cuts in half funding to subsidize heating for low-income Americans; limits an expansion of the Pell grant program for students; and decreases Environmental Protection Agency funding by over 12%. 

Meanwhile, Republicans are using their new House majority to slash spending even more brutally. The GOP has made it clear that they are bent on raiding funds for Social Security, Medicare, education; determined to kill health care reform; and gut needed investments in infrastructure, climate change and job creation, at a time when America needs it most.These cuts will come on top of very painful austerity measures made at the state-level across our nation–-worth hundreds of billions--since the recession began. 

In short, budget cuts demonstrate that Washington has abandoned ordinary Americans. 

But there is an alternative: Make corporate tax avoiders pay.  Enjoying record profits and taxpayer-funded bailouts as the economy slowly recovers from a financial crisis, nearly two-thirds of US corporations don't pay any income taxes, instead opting to abuse tax loopholes and offshore tax havens. According to this study from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, 83 of the top 100 publicly traded corporations that operate in the US exploit corporate tax havens. Since 2009, America’s most profitable companies such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, Bank of America and Citigroup all paid a grand total of $0 in federal income taxes to Uncle Sam. Tax havens alone account for up to $1 trillion in tax revenue lost every decade, money that could be invested in K-12 education, colleges, public health, job creation and hundreds of other worthy public programs. 

If we pay our taxes, why don’t they? If corporations profit here, shouldn't they pay here? 

It’s time for ordinary Americans to fight back and demand an end to the corporate tax avoidance. Join US Uncut and together let's make corporate tax avoiders pay. 

US Uncut is a horizontal movement. There are no centrally planned protests. If you want one in your town or city, you'll have to take it on yourself. Read our blog about what to do next. 

Also remember to visit UK Uncut for some inspiration. 

See you on the streets.

The Fascist State

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."     -Benito Mussolini

Journalist John Pilger:

Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, I interviewed Ray McGovern, one of an elite group of CIA officers who prepared the President’s daily intelligence brief. McGovern was at the apex of the “national security” monolith that is American power and had retired with presidential plaudits. On the eve of the invasion, he and 45 other senior officers of the CIA and other intelligence agencies wrote to President George W. Bush that the “drumbeat for war” was based not on intelligence, but lies.   

“It was 95 per cent charade,” McGovern told me.

“How did they get away with it?” 

“The press allowed the crazies to get away with it.” 

“Who are the crazies?” 

“The people running the [Bush] administration have a set of beliefs a lot like those expressed in Mein Kampf... these are the same people who were referred to in the circles in which I moved, at the top, as ‘the crazies’.” 

I said, “Norman Mailer has written that that he believes America has entered a pre-fascist state. What’s your view of that?” 

“Well... I hope he’s right, because there are others saying we are already in a fascist mode.”

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich:

The truth that Obama and Democrats must tell is government spending has absolutely nothing to do with high unemployment, declining wages, falling home prices, and all the other horribles that continue to haunt most Americans. 

Indeed, too little spending will prolong the horribles for years more because there's not enough demand in the economy without it. 

The truth is that while the proximate cause of America's economic plunge was Wall Street's excesses leading up to the crash of 2008, its underlying cause -- and the reason the economy continues to be lousy for most Americans -- is so much income and wealth have been going to the very top that the vast majority no longer has the purchasing power to lift the economy out of its doldrums. American's aren't buying cars (they bought 17 million new cars in 2005, just 12 million last year). They're not buying homes (7.5 million in 2005, 4.6 million last year). They're not going to the malls (high-end retailers are booming but Wal-Mart's sales are down). 

Only the richest 5 percent of Americans are back in the stores because their stock portfolios have soared. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has doubled from its crisis low. Wall Street pay is up to record levels. Total compensation and benefits at the 25 major Wall St firms had been $130 billion in 2007, before the crash; now it's close to $140 billion. 

But a strong recovery can't be built on the purchases of the richest 5 percent. 

The truth is if the super-rich paid their fair share of taxes, government wouldn't be broke. If Governor Scott Walker hadn't handed out tax breaks to corporations and the well-off, Wisconsin wouldn't be in a budget crisis. If Washington hadn't extended the Bush tax cuts for the rich, eviscerated the estate tax, and created loopholes for private-equity and hedge-fund managers, the federal budget wouldn't look nearly as bad. 

And if America had higher marginal tax rates and more tax brackets at the top - for those raking in $1 million, $5 million, $15 million a year - the budget would look even better. We wouldn't be firing teachers or slashing Medicaid or hurting the most vulnerable members of our society. We wouldn't be in a tizzy over Social Security. We'd slow the rise in healthcare costs but we wouldn't cut Medicare. We'd cut defense spending and lop off subsidies to giant agribusinesses but we wouldn't view the government as our national nemesis. 

The final truth is as income and wealth have risen to the top, so has political power. The reason all of this is proving so difficult to get across is the super-rich, such as the Koch brothers, have been using their billions to corrupt politics, hoodwink the public, and enlarge and entrench their outsized fortunes. They're bankrolling Republicans who are mounting showdowns and threatening shutdowns, and who want the public to believe government spending is the problem. 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address:

All you fascists bound to lose.

Life and Music

War in Peace

From Alexander Spence's 1969 album Oar:



And now the news roundup:

• In Gaddafi's desperation, the soon to be ended Libyan regime jams satellite phones, TV, and mobile phones.
• Gaddafi blames the Revolution on "hallucinogenic drugs."
• Gaddafi has murdered thousands, but the people are now in control of most the country, including most of Libya's oil fields.
• The U.S. Army deployed a specialized "psychological operations" team in 2009 to help convince American legislators to boost funding and troop numbers for the war in Afghanistan.
• The CIA is spying on reporters.
• Federal prosecutors have indicted a 78 year old professor for reminding people of jury nullification. 
• Madison's Police Chief wants Scott Walker to answer questions concerning why he considered sending provocateurs poising as protesters to discredit the ongoing peaceful protests in Wisconsin.
• Even Forbes Magazine admits Scott Walker is a liar.
• Abraham Lincoln would be proud of the state legislators of Wisconsin and Indiana currently in Lincoln's state of Illinois.  In 1840, serving as a state legislator, Lincoln jumped out of a window in order to deny quorum to prevent an early adjournment.
• Though the Union busting bill still has to go through the Senate, where there is not a quorum, yesterday at nearly 2 AM the Republicans in Wisconsin's lower house abruptly cut of debate and passed the bill in a matter of seconds.  This is the response in the Chamber:

Prank Call of the Year

This was mentioned in Justin's post below, but in case you have not heard, Governor Scott Walker of the cheesy state of Wisconsin (although it's not THE cheese, that's from California!) was prank called by a Mr. Murphy. Murphy called the governor pretending to be mega-rich guy David Koch. You can read the original post and hear the audio here.

I found this to be wonderful. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the parts that I found to be quite interesting, using the transcript that is provided on the original post:

The Senate majority leader had a great plan he told about this morning—he told the Senate Democrats about and he’s going to announce it later today, and that is: The Senate organization committee is going to meet and pass a rule that says if you don’t show up for two consecutive days on a session day—in the state Senate, the Senate chief clerk—it’s a little procedural thing here, but—can actually have your payroll stopped from being automatically deducted—

Koch: Beautiful.

Walker: —into your checking account and instead—you still get a check, but the check has to be personally picked up and he’s instructing them—which we just loved—to lock them in their desk on the floor of the state Senate.

The situation is this (as I understand it): the democrats in the Wisconsin state Senate have left in order to make it so they do not have enough members present to hold a vote (there are more Republicans, so they would undoubtedly win the vote if there were to be one). So one plan appears to be to force democrats to come to the Senate to pick up their paychecks, and then forcibly hold them at the capitol so they can hold a vote. I'm no lawyer, but isn't that kidnapping or something. It certainly sounds illegal.

Walker: I would be willing to sit down and talk to him, the assembly Democrat leader, plus the other two Republican leaders—talk, not negotiate and listen to what they have to say if they will in turn—but I’ll only do it if all 14 of them will come back and sit down in the state assembly…legally, we believe, once they’ve gone into session, they don’t physically have to be there. If they’re actually in session for that day, and they take a recess, the 19 Senate Republicans could then go into action and they’d have quorum…so we’re double checking that. If you heard I was going to talk to them that’s the only reason why. We’d only do it if they came back to the capital with all 14 of them.

Another wily trick by Walker and the Republicans. Once again, the Republicans have no interest in actually hearing what the Democrats (or anybody else) have to say. They just need them in the building so that they can pass whatever they want.

As the conversation progresses what really stands out to me is not anything in particular that Walker says (other than not caring that the protesters are out there and seeming to believe that the public is on his side - this man is delusional) but rather just how he reacts to (who he thinks is) David Koch. He is eager to please him and agree with everything he says. He is really far up that guy's asshole. It really just goes to show who is really running this country - the wealthy elite. It's not surprising at all to me, but it still saddens me to see this clear of evidence of it.

I encourage all of you to listen to the conversation yourselves and make your own opinions of it. I also encourage all of you to make more prank phone calls. Long live the Jerky Boys!

Pat is crazy.

Dig it

For Oakland Steve:

Solidarity Forever

What's up?

• Over 1,000 feared murdered by Gaddafi and his thugs, but the people have taken control of roughly half of Libya.  Key ministers and numerous elements of the Army join the pro-democracy protesters, as Gaddafi's grip on power crumbles.
• Protests in Northern Iraq have been huge since last Thursday.  There have been calls for this upcoming Friday for a national revolt.
• Members of Yemen parliament resign in protest of government's violence against pro-democracy protesters.
• U.S. and Canada agree to share military in case of civil unrest.
• A step closer to ending the unconstitutional denial of legal recognition of same-sex marriage.  Obama is still enforcing "don't ask, don't tell" policy months after its repeal.
• U.S. Supreme Court rules pharmaceutical companies can poison your kids, but you can't sue them.
• JPMorgan Chase and Citi knew Bernie Madoff was committing fraud.
• Obama's new Chief of Staff William Daley made $15.4 million from JP Morgan Chase while serving as its Midwest Director, his previous job before joining the White House.
• Despite what Walker says, his attack on the rights of the people of Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing Wisconsin's budget.
• Scott Walker prank called, thinks he is talking to billionaire David Koch.
• The public is strongly opposed to efforts to take away Union rights.  
• The Republicans are using the old "shock doctrine" to try and pass unconstitutional legislation.  Under the guise of balancing budgets, they are gutting the political strength of the middle and working class.
• Revolt in the Midwest spreads: Indiana Senate Democrats flee state to prevent another Union busting bill.  
• Tens of thousands protest in Ohio.
• Nice.  New Dangerous Minds Radio Hour.

Reminder (h/t Progressive Review):

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Here is article #23: 

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Music time:

Happy Birthday, George Washington!

Hey kids! Long time, no write. I apologize for being away for so long, but, well, I'm lazy and Justin has been doing such an amazing job that I didn't feel like I was needed.

Speaking of which, I would like to thank Justin for his efforts the last couple months at keeping us all informed with the very important events going on in our world. And for posting some great music as well! Justin, you have raised the bar for this blog, and I thank you, good sir. Montana is lucky to have you.

I don't have much to post today except to say "Keep up the good work, Justin!"

And because it is Washington's birthday today, here's a classic:



I'll try to have more substantive posts from now on.

Pat is crazy.

Radiohead

Radiohead's new album, The King of Limbs, came out last Friday, Bloom:

Uprising

Libya update: Despite a massacre against the people, Libyan protesters have taken control of Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, as protests also engulf the capital.  There is information to suggest Gaddafi is preparing to flee to Venezuela.  Follow the Guardian's live blog for the latest.  Or watch Al Jazeera live.

Cyber Activism

A message from Anonymous:



A message from the start of the Egyptian Revolution:

What Did You Learn in School?

The Whole World is Watching

Some more revelations by Wikileaks:

• Pfitzer tested antibiotics on Nigerian children, contravening national and international standards on medical ethics.
• Obama and the Republicans worked together to kill a criminal probe into actions committed by the Bush administration.
• The British government has been training a Bangladeshi paramilitary force condemned by human rights organisations as a "government death squad."
• Russian Dictator Putin is "frustrated, stressed, and anxious."
• Russian paper shut down for running a story on Putin.

More news:

• Largest protests yet in Wisconsin.  School shut down spreads to Milwaukee.
• Study: Wisconsin's public workers are underpaid.  Yet the Unions, the teachers and Wisconsin Democrats have agreed to Scott Walker's demands for pay cuts and higher insurance costs, but they are refusing to give away their right of collective bargaining.  Walker refuses to compromise.  
• The Republicans are engaging in political terrorism.  Republicans threaten Federal Government shut down.
• Libyan protesters assert control, despite government violence.
• American who sparked diplomatic crisis in January for murdering two Pakistanis is a CIA spy.
• Protests grow even larger in Yemen.
• We need to get out of Afghanistan.
• Large protests expected in Morocco, riots are already breaking out.
• Seattle Times backs legalized marijuana.

Music:

Information Age

Back in the day, in my conservative high school Dave Chappelle was very popular.  That always amused me.