Going Out On A Limb

Human decency or the "should" factor, what is it all about? It seems to me...

1. All humans "should" have potable water.

2. All humans "should" have sufficent daily caloric intake.

3. All humans "should" have shelter.

4. All humans "should" have access to difinitive health care.



Only 4 simple things - that I believe - if they were at the top of the "social agenda", our entire species would benefit.



The recent health care debate is sour in my stomach. Arguments about coverage for "illegal" imigrants are insipid. If a human being needs medical attention- GIVE it to them! Don't ask them for their green card - for christs sake! Ya wanna call it socialism, ok fine, call it communism- hell call it terrorism if you goddamn well please but give people the medical attention they need. 4+ ... These 4 things, + a few more after we get these fundamenals. Things like- education, democracy-free speech- due process ect... But 1st we see to it everyone has water-food-shelter and health care. We can work out the details of other things that need put on the agenda as we go along, but until we prioritize thse 4 basics needs for all humans, we have fucked up priorties and they will come back to bite us in the ass. 1st things 1st.

Freedom of Speech or Terms of Use

Today I awoke to a pleasant notice from today.com, they have terminated my blog due to failure to comply with terms of use. I confess, I find free speech more important than the today.com terms of use. Today.com had advised me that I must edit one of my postings because “courtesy is more important than freedom of speech”. Since I could not disagree more with that statement not only did I refuse to edit my posting I proceeded to post their email to me. Well that was the last straw they terminated my blog. I could not be more happy about our separation, I can not without shame be associated with a site that places such little value on free speech. I will reproduce the relevant content below for you to judge for yourself what is important in the blogosphere. 1st is their email to me and after that is the blog posting that started the trouble and below that you will find the blog posting that got me knocked off.

We've edited the following post and deleted the banned Entrecard widgets.Sincerely,Today.com SupportOn Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 10:51 PM, Today.com Support<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=support@today.com> wrote:> We are concerned with your most recent post> http://nakedemperor.today.com/2009/07/05/christian-mullah%E2%80%99s-invade-todaycom/> copied below. If you want to address the issue of Christian/political> blogs and websites on the web in general in a more constructive manner> that is fine. However to pick on a particular group within the network> you work for is unacceptable and hurts the network and discourages> others from blogging in the Today.com Community. Please edit the title> and post appropriately.>> Please note that Today.com is diverse, a global blogging network with> blogger friends from around the world as well as at home with multiple> blogger personalities and backgrounds. All races, genders, sexual> orientations, religious denominations and political affiliations are> welcome. We ask that bloggers are constructive and maintain a> respectful nature with other members you may disagree with. Courtesy> is more important than Freedom of Speech.>> In addition we need to ask you to remove the two Entrecard widgets in> both of your sidebars. It was added to the banned widget list because> too many bloggers are running 3rd party paid ads.>> For more information on content guidelines and widgets visit:> http://today.com/wiki/index.php/Content and> http://today.com/wiki/index.php/Widget.>> Sincerely,> Today.com Support>>> Christian Mullah's Invade Today.com>> Recently Today.com has seen a rash of religious posting. I have> noticed that there are not a few who find this objectionable.> Personally, I feel like they are inane and irrelevant, sometimes I> play with them sometimes I just laugh at them. But it is interesting> that we see people using religious beliefs to make arguments about> politics. It appears there is a considerable number of people in this> country who would like to see the US become a Theocracy. And I do> wonder if to some extent the US is a Theocracy, I can’t recall any> President being elected who didn’t believe in Jesus. Some more extreme> in their beliefs than others but all claim to be xtian.>> Can religion be kept out of politics? I’m not so sure. The vast> majority of the world has a deity. Now if these people actually> believe that their god is real then I suspect they feel it is> incumbent on them to attempt to make their world and their respective> governments in a fashion that is pleasing to their god.>> Being a dyed in the wool atheist, this trend is a little disturbing> to me. I feel very much surrounded by people with beliefs that seem to> me to be one step away from schizophrenia. I mean these people have> invisible friends that they talk to and many feel their invisible> friend answers them. They believe in disembodied spirits, the devil,> miracles and Armageddon. These beliefs are irrational and no one can> achieve national office with out claiming acceptance of the basic> Christian tenants or at least not in my life time so far. I guess I> would be less disturbed about what I consider wide spread> irrationality if people had the good sense to keep it to themselves,> but when people feel no shame about espousing ideas that are entirely> irrational, it makes me wonder, just how far can this irrationality> go, and then I look at the state of the world and US actions in the> world and I get some idea how far it can go.>> It’s about time for humanity to grow up and realize that religion is> an evolutionary phenomenon and that god stories are culturally based> stories and that none of the god stories are real but rather they are> mans feeble attempt to deal with a mysterious universe, the complexity> of consciousness and fear of mortality. Just the idea of god is so> HUGE that for a human to attempt to explain god is amazingly arrogant> and ignorant. But that’s a funny thing about ignorance it is usually> accompanied by arrogance.>
Finally this posting brought my relationship with today.com to an end.
The Most Disgusting Email I Have Ever Read is From Our Site Host
Today.com is attempting to censor my blog. There reason? Because “Courtesy> is more important than Freedom of Speech.” Maybe the people at today.com are unaware that Free Speech is a constitutional RIGHT and that courtesy is no where in the constitution! Not that I am ready to concede that my posting was discourteous. You know I could go on but I think I shall let these fascists speak for themselves. You be the judge I will reproduce their Email in its entirety. (Oh and I refuse to edit my post) If they want to forcibly CENSOR, I can not stop them. But this is BULLSHIT! I am suddenly ashamed to be associated with today.com.

After this I posted their email to me where they stated that “courtesy is more important than freedom of speech”

War, Terrorism and Drugs a Hat Trick for the National Security State

If you care about civil liberties, human rights or the democratic process, then I suspect the last few years have not been the best of times for you. We have a government that is running out of control, torturing people, kidnapping people, dropping bombs on people and trashing our Constitution. Sure everyone was hopeful about the new administration. But it turns out that Obama is just Bush lite. OK ok he is not “as bad as Bush” but give the man time. He has already told us that he supports indefinite detention with-out trial or charge, he has refused to prosecute criminals from the previous administration and he is escalating the war in Afghanistan. Also he has said he does not intend to legalize marijuana so forget about other mind altering substances.
War, Drugs and Terrorism are perfect tools for the National Security State. All of them facilitate no knock entries, illegal wire taps and any one who dissents is an enemy of the state during war time. It’s perfect. Cheney was no fool; he started the war he said will not end in our lifetime. As long as we have constant war and the scourge of drugs and terrorism to fight against Americans will just have to accept that the deal has changed. No more healthy dissent, protests and protesters will be closely watched and monitored by the FBI, Home Lands Security and any number of other agency’s that are here to protect us. Infiltrator-provocateurs are back in fashion and people who march in the streets with peace signs are radicals who are undermining the war effort. But hold on just one second. I seem to recall something.

Washington has supported a myriad of dictators and terrorists. Let’s see, there was Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Husain, Suharto, Batista, Noriega and about 40 more I could rattle off but I’m sure you get the point. Now I also recall the Kerry Commission exposing the Iran Contra Operation as a drugs and gun dealing scheme. Yes it was Lt Col. Oliver North that organized flights in and out of El Salvador, Honduras and John Hulls ranch in Costa Rica, transporting cocaine and marijuana to the US and taking guns back to Latin America. Hmm Now, we also have this little war in Iraq that was sold to us on a lie about WMDs. Granted Washington had the receipt so I’m sure they were surprised when they couldn’t find what they had sold. It’s kind of like a buy bust; then the cops get to the dealers house there are no drugs. But they know they sold him drugs so where could they be?

I’m calling BULLSHIT on the whole deal; the wars we are fighting are creating terrorists not eliminating them. They have nothing to do with our security and everything to do with the Military Industrial Complex and feeding the dogs of war that make huge profits on death. Besides Washington is in bed with more than their share of terrorists and dictators there is no way to sell our wars as liberations or spreading democracy that is nonsensical. The war on drugs just keeps drug prices high so the government can keep funding illegal wars with the profits and keep fueling the Prison Industrial Complex. I mean remember what Bill Casey said just before he died. He said he loved the Iran Contra Operation because it allowed the company to do things off the shelf. Meaning they didn’t have to ask congress for the money to make war they could sell guns and dope and get all the money they needed.

Using drugs is a matter that should be between a person and their body.
Terrorism and war are the same thing. Bombing civilians is terrorism.
War kills civilians more than it kills soldiers. Legalize drugs, criminalize war and give us a new constitution, the old one has funk on it from laying in the trash for too long. And make the new constitution include black people from the beginning. It’s a new day America lets start fresh and begin by calling a couple things by their right name.
War=terrorism
Drug dependency = health issue not a crime
I know it’s a small start but hey I’m willing to try. How hard could it be to end war, legalize drugs and start respecting human rights? Besides you don’t work for justice because you can accomplish it, you work for justice because it’s the right thing to do.

Has Anyone Ever Seen This Site?

Look I got endless copy to spew out but I dont think thi site ever passes anyones eyes. If I thought one person ever saw this site I would give it content. My content is well for want of a better term radical. So if I get one message one indication that anyone can find this site, I will attend it. Normally I post at www.nakedemperor.today.com under Dsent. So hey just say F/U lazo or dsent and I will bring content to these pages

Tax Revolt; Resisting Amoral Authority

Is it proper to tip an extortionist? Every paycheck I’ve ever received had taxes taken out before I even saw the check. Then to add insult to injury I am expected to pay end user taxes when I purchase products. Lately, I have been watching our politicians writing some pretty big checks on our account and if I’m not mistaken, we are already overdrawn. I think I have some idea how they are going to pay for this check writing spree, with our taxes.

Taxation without representation is cause for revolution. That is the history of this country. For too many years the Democratic and Republican parties have held a monopoly on national office. Using this monopoly they have bankrupted our economy, instigated wars of aggression, lent military and economic support to countless dictators, tailored the laws and manipulated public policy in order to open up the treasury to their benefactors in big business. By any objective criteria their behavior represents malfeasance, racketeering, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Note Attorney General Holder; who admits that waterboarding is torture but doesn’t seem interested in prosecuting those who approved the use of this “enhanced interrogation” technique. When the top kick in the Justice Department is reluctant to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity it begs a question; “How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it.” Henry David Thoreau

The condition of our citizens only further justifies the need for revolution. Allow me to illustrate by telling you about someone I know, call him Dan;
Dan lives a simple life; absent anything I would consider a luxury, hell, not even cable TV, no computer or expensive toys. He has worked in they system for approximately 18years, paying roughly 25-35% of his income to the tax man. He had always had health insurance. Six months ago, he was laid off. So, he started a small service business, it went ok for about four months but the last two months he has only been able to afford food and not quite make his rent. Unfortunately, Dan developed a hernia. He has been advised by the emergency room physician not to work and to schedule surgery. But Dan likes eating and he needs to work for that to happen. He can not afford surgery and free medical aid is not available because he is still working enough to feed himself.

I know that Dan’s situation is not unique. Having worked in Emergency Rooms across the country, I have seen his story repeated thousands of times. Someone has a medical condition that is not emergent but they don’t have the means to pay for definitive care. So they wait until the condition becomes emergent, then the emergency room will address their problem, at a much greater cost to the society. This system is patently absurd. It is 2009 and citizens of the most powerful industrialized nation the world has ever seen can find themselves wanting for basic medical services.

If a citizen can not expect to receive basic medical care when needed, regardless of ability to pay, then I am most certainly being taxed without representation. I would consider access to health care a fundamental right of any citizen in an industrialized nation capable of providing that service. And we are most assuredly capable of providing it. We are paying more for the services now by forcing people to wait until their condition becomes emergent before we open the system to them. Providing access to definitive and preventive care comes at a much lower cost than waiting for peoples conditions to deteriorate into an emergency. A system that will not insure it’s citizens simple access to basic medical care, yet has sufficient funds for wars of aggression, is a system to which, I can not lend my conscientious support.

“The broadest and most prevalent error requires the most disinterested virtue to sustain it. The slight reproach to which the virtue of patriotism is commonly liable, the noble are most likely to incur. Those who, while they disapprove of the character and measures of a government, yield to it their allegiance and support are undoubtedly its most conscientious supporters, and so frequently the most serious obstacles to reform.”

“It is for no particular item in the tax-bill that I refuse to pay it. I simply wish to refuse allegiance to the State, to withdraw and stand aloof from it effectually.” HDT

Dissent is the only decent thing to do; resisting undemocratic authority is a moral imperative.

Lazo

If you would like to read Thoreau’s essay on “Civil Disobedience” it can be found in its entirety at; http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html