Anyone out there going? I just wanted to warn my Hispanic friends out there who are taking part in any of these celebrations and/or protests to keep an eye out for agent provocateurs: Police officers dressed as protestors (or counter protestors) who will purposely start something just to allow the uniformed police officers to attack.
It doesn't matter which side of the spectrum we are....Left, Right, Up, Down, Black, White....there are elements in power that simply want the American people to sit down, shut up, and be a zombie sitting in front of the boob tube. The Patriot Act was not for foreign terrorists. American Troops are not training to take on Muslim Extremist boogey men. Its all for you, the American Slob who actually stands up on his/her hind legs and walks around.
So stop any violence before it gets out of hand. And anyone planning/acting violent? Get them on video. Expose them. Show their faces to the world. Let them know we still have a first amendment.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Illegal immigration
The argument over illegal immigration has exploded with the passing of Arizona's new immigration law.
Now lets put aside the typical arguments and take a look at this from a stand point both sides (conservatives and liberals) can agree upon. Slavery is illegal in these 50 states. The illegal immigrant is the modern slave. They are under-paid, often being paid less than minimum wage. They work hours of overtime without compensation. They get no unemployment insurance, no health insurance, no PTO (vacation or sick days). Technically, between the business and the government, they do not exist as a person. Often times, these poor people are beaten, raped, and kept imprisoned by the "coyotes" who bring them across the border. Some of them are thrown into slavery sweat shops, others are pressed into the sex trade.
And all because they are simply looking to save up enough to have a decent life when they return back home. Or to have a little extra money in case a family member actually does get kidnapped.
Mexico is a rich country, full of hard-working, family-oriented, wonderful people. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world right now. With the drug wars (which we are sure are partially fueled by the CIA and their drug business), it is also a very dangerous place to be. Kidnappings are so common that many people even believe the newest scam...fake kidnapping calls. There are so many reasons why they would wish to come here and get a better life for themselves. But even if life for the illegal immigrant is better here, the way they are treated compared to the life we have built is SLAVERY. And that is what I am against.
It would be wonderful if the hard-working people of Mexico, those who come here illegally meerely looking for an extra quarter, could simply go back home and take their country back from the criminals that have run in for centuries. But after working 80 hours a week for less than minimum wage...I can't blame them for not having the energy to do so. And with our Corporate Representatives in Washington...I doubt that this horrible practice will ever change.
Slavery is dead? Hell, no. Have some compassion for these poor people. Realize that they come here looking for a better wage and better life. And then go after the jerks that enslave them.
Now lets put aside the typical arguments and take a look at this from a stand point both sides (conservatives and liberals) can agree upon. Slavery is illegal in these 50 states. The illegal immigrant is the modern slave. They are under-paid, often being paid less than minimum wage. They work hours of overtime without compensation. They get no unemployment insurance, no health insurance, no PTO (vacation or sick days). Technically, between the business and the government, they do not exist as a person. Often times, these poor people are beaten, raped, and kept imprisoned by the "coyotes" who bring them across the border. Some of them are thrown into slavery sweat shops, others are pressed into the sex trade.
And all because they are simply looking to save up enough to have a decent life when they return back home. Or to have a little extra money in case a family member actually does get kidnapped.
Mexico is a rich country, full of hard-working, family-oriented, wonderful people. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world right now. With the drug wars (which we are sure are partially fueled by the CIA and their drug business), it is also a very dangerous place to be. Kidnappings are so common that many people even believe the newest scam...fake kidnapping calls. There are so many reasons why they would wish to come here and get a better life for themselves. But even if life for the illegal immigrant is better here, the way they are treated compared to the life we have built is SLAVERY. And that is what I am against.
It would be wonderful if the hard-working people of Mexico, those who come here illegally meerely looking for an extra quarter, could simply go back home and take their country back from the criminals that have run in for centuries. But after working 80 hours a week for less than minimum wage...I can't blame them for not having the energy to do so. And with our Corporate Representatives in Washington...I doubt that this horrible practice will ever change.
Slavery is dead? Hell, no. Have some compassion for these poor people. Realize that they come here looking for a better wage and better life. And then go after the jerks that enslave them.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Taxes, taxes, and more taxes
I had been wanting to write, but I was having difficulty finding anything I wanted to write about. There are so many good things to write about, to be outraged about, and nearly every blogger out there has jumped the gun and blogged about it. Well, thanks to Bison Survival Blog, I finally picked a subject. While he only wrote one paragraph on the subject, my sentiments seem to match his own.
About a week ago, people were all abuzz about an article estimating that nearly 50% of people will not be paying federal income taxes. One headline even suggested that 50% of us were "robbing" our neighbors.
Bison's simple answer was, "First of all, it means all those poor idiots aren’t making enough to live on. Are you envious of a fast food worker with twenty hours a week minimum wage?" And there is the gist of it. And of course, he also had a small rant about "hidden" taxes.
So lets look at some of these hidden taxes. First, lets look at gasoline taxes. Some states have gasoline tax as high as 32 cents per gallon. The feds also add another 18 cents per gallon. This means that any person who utilizes gasoline are paying this tax. At current gasoline prices, you are paying 15-25% sales tax on gasoline depending upon one's state. Any human being who utilizes a gasoline-based form of transportation (including the bus and taxis) are paying this tax. And think about the college kid who cuts lawns in the summer to earn a little cash (or worse yet, the guy who does this 40 hours a week).
Social security and medicare...if you are making any amount of money at all and pay taxes on it, you put money into your social security and medicare. For the working poor working 40 hours a week, these two taxes combined are as high as 15% of their income. On top of that, there is no guarantee that they will get anything for this tax. After all, 3 out of every 4 people who apply for social security (either because of the death of a spouse or because of injury) are denied. And not everyone lives to the now obligatory age of 67.
How about property taxes? The only person who avoids property taxes is the person who lives in a carboard box. Even if you rent, a portion of your rent not only goes towards the rental property's tax, but it also goes to pay for the income taxes of the property owner. Oh, please...do you really think he pays that out of his own pocket?
Then there are other hidden taxes we are generally unaware of. Unemployment tax, which is never shown on your paycheck. Extra taxes on certain products, like coffee or sugar. Taxes on your water, your heat, your electricity. On top of that, lets not forget the actual in-your-face sales tax....the working poor pay a greater amount of their income in necessities, such as food, natural gas for heat, or electricity for lights than those who make enough to pay federal income taxes.
The average schmuck in the United States pays an average of 35% of their income in taxes, whether they see these taxes or not. And there is no "tax return" for most of these taxes. Its all well and good, you think...we should pay our taxes....until you discover that the "taxes" that serfs paid to their Lord and Master was less than 20% of their labor. SERFS! The medieval version of slavery.
So, before you get mad at that schmuck working at McDonalds for slave wages...think about all of the "other" taxes he is already paying. And then realize that you and he aren't too far apart in your serfdom.
About a week ago, people were all abuzz about an article estimating that nearly 50% of people will not be paying federal income taxes. One headline even suggested that 50% of us were "robbing" our neighbors.
Bison's simple answer was, "First of all, it means all those poor idiots aren’t making enough to live on. Are you envious of a fast food worker with twenty hours a week minimum wage?" And there is the gist of it. And of course, he also had a small rant about "hidden" taxes.
So lets look at some of these hidden taxes. First, lets look at gasoline taxes. Some states have gasoline tax as high as 32 cents per gallon. The feds also add another 18 cents per gallon. This means that any person who utilizes gasoline are paying this tax. At current gasoline prices, you are paying 15-25% sales tax on gasoline depending upon one's state. Any human being who utilizes a gasoline-based form of transportation (including the bus and taxis) are paying this tax. And think about the college kid who cuts lawns in the summer to earn a little cash (or worse yet, the guy who does this 40 hours a week).
Social security and medicare...if you are making any amount of money at all and pay taxes on it, you put money into your social security and medicare. For the working poor working 40 hours a week, these two taxes combined are as high as 15% of their income. On top of that, there is no guarantee that they will get anything for this tax. After all, 3 out of every 4 people who apply for social security (either because of the death of a spouse or because of injury) are denied. And not everyone lives to the now obligatory age of 67.
How about property taxes? The only person who avoids property taxes is the person who lives in a carboard box. Even if you rent, a portion of your rent not only goes towards the rental property's tax, but it also goes to pay for the income taxes of the property owner. Oh, please...do you really think he pays that out of his own pocket?
Then there are other hidden taxes we are generally unaware of. Unemployment tax, which is never shown on your paycheck. Extra taxes on certain products, like coffee or sugar. Taxes on your water, your heat, your electricity. On top of that, lets not forget the actual in-your-face sales tax....the working poor pay a greater amount of their income in necessities, such as food, natural gas for heat, or electricity for lights than those who make enough to pay federal income taxes.
The average schmuck in the United States pays an average of 35% of their income in taxes, whether they see these taxes or not. And there is no "tax return" for most of these taxes. Its all well and good, you think...we should pay our taxes....until you discover that the "taxes" that serfs paid to their Lord and Master was less than 20% of their labor. SERFS! The medieval version of slavery.
So, before you get mad at that schmuck working at McDonalds for slave wages...think about all of the "other" taxes he is already paying. And then realize that you and he aren't too far apart in your serfdom.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I got duped
Yes, I admit it. I got duped. When members of congress claimed, on their way to vote "yes" on the healthcare bill, that they were spat upon and called names, I was willing to believe them. After all, it does live in the realm of possibility. While most people today are neither racist nor violent, there is always one or two idiots in any crowd who will spoil it for the rest of us.
Then I watched the video. Several times. Not once did I hear a racial slur. In fact, I couldn't hear anything more than at least a couple hundred voices chanting, "Kill the bill!"
Then I watched the "spit take" several times. If you watch closely, you see the congressman jerk back, and then start yelling at the guy....unfortunately for him, the guy had his hands around his mouth the entire time. By the angle of the alledged spitter's face, hands, and where the congressman stands...well, any spit would have hit the alledged spitter's hands.
Then someone else pointed out another interesting fact to me...for security reasons, members of congress have a tunnel through which they can reach the building. So, why did they purposely wade through a hostile crowd in order to get to the building? Mighty suspicious, don't you think?
Now, I believe just the opposite. I believe they purposely went through the crowd in an effort to actually get someone to call them names, to spit on them, or even to physically attack them. But as the video shows...no one did. These protestors shouted "kill the bill", but were otherwise well behaved. And the spit take? Poor job of acting, if you ask me.
Both democrats and republicans have, in the past, vandalized their own offices, and have been caught doing it. Its called the sympathy lie. I've seen churches busted for the doing the exact same thing. If I make myself sound like a victim, then you will be on my side.
But we all grew up on the story of the young man who cried wolf. Well, congress....this is one villager who isn't going to race out to the field. Frankly, I'm getting really sick of the accusations of racism where there are none. And yes, it has gotten to the point where I'm willing to dismiss any accusation of racism offhand as being a hoax.
Yes, there is the occasional racist individual out there. And yes, there is the occasional wacko ready to committ murder for their ideal. And I do pity them....I couldn't imagine living with that much anger and hate.
But the race-baiting has gotten out of hand. And Mama don't play that game anymore.
Then I watched the video. Several times. Not once did I hear a racial slur. In fact, I couldn't hear anything more than at least a couple hundred voices chanting, "Kill the bill!"
Then I watched the "spit take" several times. If you watch closely, you see the congressman jerk back, and then start yelling at the guy....unfortunately for him, the guy had his hands around his mouth the entire time. By the angle of the alledged spitter's face, hands, and where the congressman stands...well, any spit would have hit the alledged spitter's hands.
Then someone else pointed out another interesting fact to me...for security reasons, members of congress have a tunnel through which they can reach the building. So, why did they purposely wade through a hostile crowd in order to get to the building? Mighty suspicious, don't you think?
Now, I believe just the opposite. I believe they purposely went through the crowd in an effort to actually get someone to call them names, to spit on them, or even to physically attack them. But as the video shows...no one did. These protestors shouted "kill the bill", but were otherwise well behaved. And the spit take? Poor job of acting, if you ask me.
Both democrats and republicans have, in the past, vandalized their own offices, and have been caught doing it. Its called the sympathy lie. I've seen churches busted for the doing the exact same thing. If I make myself sound like a victim, then you will be on my side.
But we all grew up on the story of the young man who cried wolf. Well, congress....this is one villager who isn't going to race out to the field. Frankly, I'm getting really sick of the accusations of racism where there are none. And yes, it has gotten to the point where I'm willing to dismiss any accusation of racism offhand as being a hoax.
Yes, there is the occasional racist individual out there. And yes, there is the occasional wacko ready to committ murder for their ideal. And I do pity them....I couldn't imagine living with that much anger and hate.
But the race-baiting has gotten out of hand. And Mama don't play that game anymore.
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