The "Liberal View" on the NSA scandal.
Title: The liberal case for high-tech NSA surveillance
Author: Bill Scher June 12th 2013
http://theweek.com/article/index/245464/the-liberal-case-for-high-tech-nsa-surveillance
The "Conservative View" on the NSA scandal.
Title: NSA Surveillance Angers Our Allies!
Author: Not posted
http://www.conservative-daily.com/2013/10/24/nsa-surveillance-angers-our-allies/
NY Times point of view, lightly leaning left, just how I like it.
Title: N.S.A. Gathers
Data on Social
Connections of
U.S. Citizens
Author: James Risen & Laura Poitras
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/nsa-examines-social-networks-of-us-citizens.html?_r=0
I am neither liberal nor conservative. I am neither libertarian nor socialist. However, I do lean left. This means when i read the article from Conservative Daily i was far out of my comfort zone. When i read the article on the recent NSA spying scandal entitled "NSA Surveillance Angers Our Allies!", i was expecting a bashing on our current president and his health care reform. What i got instead, to my genuine surprise, was a well thought out concise argument about why the NSA privacy breaches hurts our government.
Throughout the article, the author (who is unknown) continually reiterates his or her point that the spying will only hurt our government and its relationships with other countries. He /she mentions that "The NSA already has some 70 million French phone conversations on record!" and that when the German Chancellor found out that she was being wire tapped called it a "serious breach of trust...". The spying violates international law, as well as anger our allies. Before long, the author calls to arms all the readers, stating that the violations continue in "YOUR BACKYARD".
Monday, 9 December 2013
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Bank of America? Or Bank of Lies?
We all know what happens at the High School level of education. Kids cheat. They are growing and testing the boundaries of what they can get away with. Some of them do not get away with it; others never get caught. It is those who never get caught who are the ones to worry about.
Sometimes these cheaters climb to the very top, and since they lack a hierarchy of moral values, continue to do the sin they have learned to do so well. One of my personal favorite examples of dishonesty in the top tiers of our society is the Bank of America sandal of 2008-2009. As I am sure you all know and have experienced, there was a massive foreclosing of homes in the 2008 financial crisis. One of the driving factors of this crisis was the dishonesty in the Bank of America employees and staff.
The Bank of America would encourage their employees to foreclose homes. Often times, the employees were given a quota to foreclose per month. If they did not meet this quota, they were disciplined, sometimes even fired for their actions. If they met or exceeded their quota, they were given rewards, such as cash bonuses or gift cards. These sort of incentives lead to employees "never receiving paper work" or "not receiving your check" to cause homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage and eventually foreclose (good for the employee, bad for the family).
I define cheating as dishonesty, at the academic, emotional, or economic level. What the Bank of America staff did was cheating. They cheated their customers out of money, and out of their homes. A majority of the time, cheating is only at the expense of the one who commits it. They cheat on a test, don't learn the material, and fail when it comes to be finals. The sort of cheating caused by B of A is much worse. Their cheating is at others expense, and to an extent, at the expense of the nation.
Now that we have caught them red handed, what is there to do? Unfortunately, you can not call the principle and get them expelled. If you were to do away with B of A you would leave some 40 million Americans without a bank. You would also stop the massive cash flow from B of A that helps stimulate the economy.
The government decided to regulate. In 2009, the government passed the Home Affordable Modification Act, which helped homeowners renegotiate their mortgages and protect them from harm. However, there have already been 18,000 complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, another organization created by the government to regulate banks.
If regulation does not work, what is there to do next?
Sometimes these cheaters climb to the very top, and since they lack a hierarchy of moral values, continue to do the sin they have learned to do so well. One of my personal favorite examples of dishonesty in the top tiers of our society is the Bank of America sandal of 2008-2009. As I am sure you all know and have experienced, there was a massive foreclosing of homes in the 2008 financial crisis. One of the driving factors of this crisis was the dishonesty in the Bank of America employees and staff.
The Bank of America would encourage their employees to foreclose homes. Often times, the employees were given a quota to foreclose per month. If they did not meet this quota, they were disciplined, sometimes even fired for their actions. If they met or exceeded their quota, they were given rewards, such as cash bonuses or gift cards. These sort of incentives lead to employees "never receiving paper work" or "not receiving your check" to cause homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage and eventually foreclose (good for the employee, bad for the family).
I define cheating as dishonesty, at the academic, emotional, or economic level. What the Bank of America staff did was cheating. They cheated their customers out of money, and out of their homes. A majority of the time, cheating is only at the expense of the one who commits it. They cheat on a test, don't learn the material, and fail when it comes to be finals. The sort of cheating caused by B of A is much worse. Their cheating is at others expense, and to an extent, at the expense of the nation.
Now that we have caught them red handed, what is there to do? Unfortunately, you can not call the principle and get them expelled. If you were to do away with B of A you would leave some 40 million Americans without a bank. You would also stop the massive cash flow from B of A that helps stimulate the economy.
The government decided to regulate. In 2009, the government passed the Home Affordable Modification Act, which helped homeowners renegotiate their mortgages and protect them from harm. However, there have already been 18,000 complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, another organization created by the government to regulate banks.
If regulation does not work, what is there to do next?
Monday, 2 December 2013
My Father and Initiative
When i was the age of six, my father and I took a trip to New York. I do not remember why, but the reason was more an excuse to go to the Big Apple. My father grew up in New York, or more correctly, just outrside of it. A short train ride and he could be in downtown. He lived either in or around the city for the first forty years of his life.
On the first day of our trip, we got stuck in traffic. The traffic was caused by no one in particular, but there were certainly those who were not helping the situation. My father, being the New Yorker that he is, threw a couple of bird flips in thier direction and uttered (not so discreetly) a few rude phrases. I did not understand, nor did i wish to partake.
I asked my father later that night what a few of those choice phrases meant, not mention why he had done it in the first place. He gave me a very long and serious talk about tradition. He could tell quite quickly i did not buy it. I took the imitative and laid out my arguments. Moral, ethical, and emotional. Before long, I had him vowing to never do it again. That was the day i learned to stand up for what i believe in, and that one day i am going to become a politician.
On the first day of our trip, we got stuck in traffic. The traffic was caused by no one in particular, but there were certainly those who were not helping the situation. My father, being the New Yorker that he is, threw a couple of bird flips in thier direction and uttered (not so discreetly) a few rude phrases. I did not understand, nor did i wish to partake.
I asked my father later that night what a few of those choice phrases meant, not mention why he had done it in the first place. He gave me a very long and serious talk about tradition. He could tell quite quickly i did not buy it. I took the imitative and laid out my arguments. Moral, ethical, and emotional. Before long, I had him vowing to never do it again. That was the day i learned to stand up for what i believe in, and that one day i am going to become a politician.
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Politicians Lie? Duh!!!
Ask someone walking down the street if their congressman lies. Go ahead, I dare you. You know what they will say? "Of course he does". Why is this? Well we could go back in history and blame Regan and Watergate, but we wont get into that now. What we will get into however, is how that mistrust affects you and me.
Ever since the dawn of the Cold War, Americans have been paranoid. Who is looking at my Facebook? What about my Instagram? Or worse, the conspiracy theorists.
So what does this mistrust do for us? To be honest, I would rather have an America that is mistrustful than one that is overly trustful. Here is my reasoning: an America that cannot be molded by a single person is a healthy America. In a world where the Nuclear Threat is a real one, I would rather not have a crazy dictator come to power through a democratic system. Of course, many will dismiss this as a crackpot over-dramatization, but i urge you to think about it. It could happen.
Okay, okay. It IS a little far fetched. But let us think about the opposite. Let us say there is no trust, like today. Everything is questioned, everything is out in the open. Isn't that an Aristotle quote? Hmm, must be. While this mistrust slows down the democratic system, it molds it, and prefects it. With out mistrust, there would be no self editing problems, or questions like , "what is really going on?"
P.S. This is the best i could do with how i am feeling, i may come back to this later to add more, but chow for now.
Ever since the dawn of the Cold War, Americans have been paranoid. Who is looking at my Facebook? What about my Instagram? Or worse, the conspiracy theorists.
So what does this mistrust do for us? To be honest, I would rather have an America that is mistrustful than one that is overly trustful. Here is my reasoning: an America that cannot be molded by a single person is a healthy America. In a world where the Nuclear Threat is a real one, I would rather not have a crazy dictator come to power through a democratic system. Of course, many will dismiss this as a crackpot over-dramatization, but i urge you to think about it. It could happen.
Okay, okay. It IS a little far fetched. But let us think about the opposite. Let us say there is no trust, like today. Everything is questioned, everything is out in the open. Isn't that an Aristotle quote? Hmm, must be. While this mistrust slows down the democratic system, it molds it, and prefects it. With out mistrust, there would be no self editing problems, or questions like , "what is really going on?"
P.S. This is the best i could do with how i am feeling, i may come back to this later to add more, but chow for now.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
The "Big Lie"
Everybody lies. You, your mother, your father, your best friend, even your significant other. Without lies, the world would cease to function. Famine, disease, and war would reign supreme. Yet, while lying may save us from the worst pain of truth, it has, in the past, lead us to somewhere worse than hell.
I am, of course, referring to the "Big Lie". The "Big Lie" is the lie Adolf Hitler told the German people; Jews are the enemy.
Sickening. Yes. Ingenious. Yes. This one man got an entire nation, an entire people to believe that their neighbors were the bringing of their pain. The baker down the street, the dressmaker that made your daughter's dress for her prom, now enemies of the state.
But how did he do it? How did he convince a people of their superiority and their "duty" to squash those "below" them? This is where the true genius lies.
I wager, there are three reasons. The first is circumstances. Next, timing. And finally, all it takes is a little social skills.
In the nineteen twenties and thirties Germany was a ruin. Many ails plagued them. First, they were recovering from a staggering defeat in World War 1. Economically, it was the worst inflation in economic history. Nearly half of their male population was gone. Dead. They were a people in ruin. When a man with a stunningly powerful voice, parades, and power comes and tell these people (when they are at their most vulnerable) that they are great, and better than those around them, of course they are going to believe him. Why would they not? It is too painful not too.
Nest is timing. Hitler struck when the German people were at their weakest. They were destroyed. But that is not all that timing is. At first, he told them that they should be proud of who they are. Then, to embrace Germany. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than the Jews. Then, the Jews are the enemy. He built up to his power, building idea upon idea. If he had come out saying "kill the Jews!!" it would not have worked out would it? Timing.
Finally, Hitler was one of the best public speakers of all time. Simply put, he could captivate an audience with his stare. If you have never listened to one of his speeches, i implore you to. They are nuts, to say the least, but captivating nonetheless. He crescendos his voice throughout. He begins at a whisper and ends at one. Yet, by the center of his speech, he is yelling at the top of his lungs. All it takes is a nut job who can get people to follow him, and the lies spread.
I am, of course, referring to the "Big Lie". The "Big Lie" is the lie Adolf Hitler told the German people; Jews are the enemy.
Sickening. Yes. Ingenious. Yes. This one man got an entire nation, an entire people to believe that their neighbors were the bringing of their pain. The baker down the street, the dressmaker that made your daughter's dress for her prom, now enemies of the state.
But how did he do it? How did he convince a people of their superiority and their "duty" to squash those "below" them? This is where the true genius lies.
I wager, there are three reasons. The first is circumstances. Next, timing. And finally, all it takes is a little social skills.
In the nineteen twenties and thirties Germany was a ruin. Many ails plagued them. First, they were recovering from a staggering defeat in World War 1. Economically, it was the worst inflation in economic history. Nearly half of their male population was gone. Dead. They were a people in ruin. When a man with a stunningly powerful voice, parades, and power comes and tell these people (when they are at their most vulnerable) that they are great, and better than those around them, of course they are going to believe him. Why would they not? It is too painful not too.
Nest is timing. Hitler struck when the German people were at their weakest. They were destroyed. But that is not all that timing is. At first, he told them that they should be proud of who they are. Then, to embrace Germany. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than the Jews. Then, the Jews are the enemy. He built up to his power, building idea upon idea. If he had come out saying "kill the Jews!!" it would not have worked out would it? Timing.
Finally, Hitler was one of the best public speakers of all time. Simply put, he could captivate an audience with his stare. If you have never listened to one of his speeches, i implore you to. They are nuts, to say the least, but captivating nonetheless. He crescendos his voice throughout. He begins at a whisper and ends at one. Yet, by the center of his speech, he is yelling at the top of his lungs. All it takes is a nut job who can get people to follow him, and the lies spread.
Thursday, 24 October 2013
DANGER! MEN ARE WORKING!!!!
It's quite simple really, men do the work, and women stay at home. That it what my father was taught when he was growing up.That is what my mother was taught when she was growing up.
When I was growing up, my mother and father taught me differently. They taught me anyone can do anything, men do not have to grill on Sundays, watch football, or drive a truck. Women do not have to stay at home, go to book clubs, or drive their daughter to her soccer game in a mini van.
And yet, even today, signs like this one exist. Signs that say men work and women stay at home.
This sign communicates to the entire population, both men and women, that men are the ones to do manual labor. This sign teaches all who see it that men are more fit to do work, women are weak, and that there is no place for women at a construction site. Except perhaps to bring her man a brown paper bag lunch.
The part of this image that stood out to me was the correction made by a random pedestrian. "People working above". Once this sign has been changed,the meaning behind it changes. Suddenly, its a pinnacle of equality.
Of course there probably will not be a woman working "above" anytime soon. This is because even though the sign has changed, the teachings have not. Children, in many parts of the most 'liberal and developed" place in the world are still being taught that it is not a woman's place to work in construction. But how to stop this? Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle. Those of us who are "forward thinking" are battling hundreds of thousands of years of traditional. Wrong tradition, but tradition nonetheless. It is going to be a long fight, but I am confident that one day women will have the same rights as men and be seen as equals.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Hell Sucks
Hell sucks. Or at least that is what we have been taught from a young age. Multiple facets of our society scare the general population into submission by monopolizing on "what happens next?"
But that is the question, what happens next?
To forgo the game of having you guess my religious affiliation, I am Catholic. That is, I was baptized Catholic at a young age. My personal opinion differs from the Church a great deal. I am agnostic. No, that is not a cream for canker sores. I believe in a higher power, however I believe to try and understand that power is pointless.
I have always wanted to have good thoughts about the after life. Seeing all those that were lost to me, unlimited happiness, eternal glory; however, to be honest, what I am afraid of most is that there is nothing. I am afraid that this is it. There is nothing more. The life we live on Earth is all we get.
This scares me because for every regret I have, every mistake I make, every moment I spend unhappy is time wasted. It is like I am on a ticking clock.
Now let us say there is a Hell and a Heaven. My version of Heaven is probably similar to yours. However, my Hell may be a bit different. To me, Hell is a type of Purgatory. I often laugh when physical punishments are used in Hell, as the physical can only do so much. Hell for me is always being on the verge, but never getting something. Surrounded by unlimited knowledge, but never being able to open a book. Watching the woman you love fall for another man. Having words to say but not being able to speak. For me, having these dangling in front of me, but never being able to grab them would be the most cruel kind of Hell.
Let us say now that there is not a Hell and a Heaven. Then what?
I have grappled with this question before, many times, and like many of those who have done the same, I cannot come to a definitive answer. Is it some type of reincarnation? Are we born to a greater life if we "did well" in the previous? That seems a little far fetched. Well, where does the soul go? Into the cosmos? If we are all made of atoms, it would make sense that when our specific make up is destroyed, we would be come a part of everything else. We would become a part of everything.
I think I will leave it there.
But that is the question, what happens next?
To forgo the game of having you guess my religious affiliation, I am Catholic. That is, I was baptized Catholic at a young age. My personal opinion differs from the Church a great deal. I am agnostic. No, that is not a cream for canker sores. I believe in a higher power, however I believe to try and understand that power is pointless.
I have always wanted to have good thoughts about the after life. Seeing all those that were lost to me, unlimited happiness, eternal glory; however, to be honest, what I am afraid of most is that there is nothing. I am afraid that this is it. There is nothing more. The life we live on Earth is all we get.
This scares me because for every regret I have, every mistake I make, every moment I spend unhappy is time wasted. It is like I am on a ticking clock.
Now let us say there is a Hell and a Heaven. My version of Heaven is probably similar to yours. However, my Hell may be a bit different. To me, Hell is a type of Purgatory. I often laugh when physical punishments are used in Hell, as the physical can only do so much. Hell for me is always being on the verge, but never getting something. Surrounded by unlimited knowledge, but never being able to open a book. Watching the woman you love fall for another man. Having words to say but not being able to speak. For me, having these dangling in front of me, but never being able to grab them would be the most cruel kind of Hell.
Let us say now that there is not a Hell and a Heaven. Then what?
I have grappled with this question before, many times, and like many of those who have done the same, I cannot come to a definitive answer. Is it some type of reincarnation? Are we born to a greater life if we "did well" in the previous? That seems a little far fetched. Well, where does the soul go? Into the cosmos? If we are all made of atoms, it would make sense that when our specific make up is destroyed, we would be come a part of everything else. We would become a part of everything.
I think I will leave it there.
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