Sgt. Cletus
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
NYPD legitimatizes OWS
When I was a boy my father would tell me never let another person to get you upset. When you let them do that to you, you are giving your power to them. In that moment they win. It was the first thing I thought of when I watched this:
Occupy Wall Street Evicted in Late Night Raid; Lawyers Secure Injunction to Reopen Zuccotti Park
Checkmate. From day one of Occupy Wall Street there has been a question as to whether the group stands for anything or will be considered legitimate. The NYPD just answered that question.
If these protests didn't matter the NYPD wouldn't have been ordered to evict them in the middle of the night and there wouldn't have been a media black out. By doing this they have legitimized the movement.
I've lived in the city (well Chicago) and I've been involved with protests (like this one) and they really aren't much more than an annoyance. It's like an influx of pigeons or perhaps more accurately homeless. I've scene a Dave Mathews concert shut down the city much more effectively than any protests.
If there was no threat to the statuesque, politicians would be talking about how this strengthens our democracy, and then sending police protection down there to occupy the occupation (while busting hippies for possession, urinating in public, and whatever other incidental thing they can get away with). Politicians get re-elected.
But the NYPD attack on the freedom to assemble prove that the order came from a position of fear. If they really wanted to clear people out put up a 30 day notice on all tents. evict them legally. Sending in the storm troopers only proves that someone in authority sees them as a threat. It's especially stupid when you consider that OWS became a world wide phenomenon the last time NYPD overstepped.
Thank you NYPD.
Occupy Wall Street Evicted in Late Night Raid; Lawyers Secure Injunction to Reopen Zuccotti Park
Checkmate. From day one of Occupy Wall Street there has been a question as to whether the group stands for anything or will be considered legitimate. The NYPD just answered that question.
If these protests didn't matter the NYPD wouldn't have been ordered to evict them in the middle of the night and there wouldn't have been a media black out. By doing this they have legitimized the movement.
I've lived in the city (well Chicago) and I've been involved with protests (like this one) and they really aren't much more than an annoyance. It's like an influx of pigeons or perhaps more accurately homeless. I've scene a Dave Mathews concert shut down the city much more effectively than any protests.
If there was no threat to the statuesque, politicians would be talking about how this strengthens our democracy, and then sending police protection down there to occupy the occupation (while busting hippies for possession, urinating in public, and whatever other incidental thing they can get away with). Politicians get re-elected.
But the NYPD attack on the freedom to assemble prove that the order came from a position of fear. If they really wanted to clear people out put up a 30 day notice on all tents. evict them legally. Sending in the storm troopers only proves that someone in authority sees them as a threat. It's especially stupid when you consider that OWS became a world wide phenomenon the last time NYPD overstepped.
Thank you NYPD.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
The results are in
To generate some new ideas I asked Facebook "If someone knocks on your saying they are running for office what's the first question you'd ask them?"
Here are my responses to the questions i didn't feel like I've really addressed before
Who's handling your compliance?
Currently I am handling everything myself. Which means I am doing a lot of things that don't play to my strengths.
Why are you running for office?
I'm not seeing things get significantly better and I think it is because we've been hearing the same old ideas shout over any new ideas. I have lots of new ideas and so I see it as civic responsibility to run.
What office are you running for?
I have to see how I'm redistricted but for the purposes of this survey I am running for state legislature (aka MO House) but officially I am still running for US Congress.
How are you planning on fixing the problems?
My overall philosophy is to break up the concentration of power. I'm all for people getting rich but that should not give them significantly more power than other individuals.
Where do you stand on legalizing marijuana ?
I have a several tiered plan for legalizing marijuana in Missouri. The basic theory is that the 10th amendment of the US Constitution prevents the federal government from interfering with anything that isn't affected by interstate commerce. If we register the DNA of plants grown in Missouri and make sure those plants can not cross state lines the DEA should have no jurisdiction.
I plan on getting this passed by appealing to conservatives with this legislation on the states rights angle.
How can you help end the recession?
Legalizing marijuana within Missouri would certainly help. But I am also working on ways to make Missouri more friendly to small business. For example I want to find out if regulators are stricter on small business than large manufacturers. If this is the case I would introduce laws that would reprioritize regulation.
who's backing your campaign?
No one.
Please don't hand me a bible.
I'm an Atheist. And I think most books that are pro-atheist are written by smug assholes so I won't hand you any of those either.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Niezsche"?
Coming to America when Eddie Murphy's character quotes him.
What do you plan to do to make the planet more liveable in the future?
One of my national policies that will translate well to the state level is that I want to set the rates for how much the power company has to pay someone for adding power to the grid. This will encourage people to put up solar panels and create wind turbines on their property.
I'm also working on new disclosures for home buyers that would give buyers more information about the energy usage of the home.
Sorry I don't vote, good luck.
I would rather have your vote than the luck. Keep in mind that just because you choose to ignore politics doesn't stop them from affecting you. Part of the reason I am running is to give people who hate politicians a voice.
What will you do to help alleviate poverty?
I will protect the services already in place from the boogieman of welfare fraud. While I'm sure there are some people exploiting the system I don't think that threat is worth dismantling the system or increasing the cost of the system to keep a few people from getting the better of it.
In addition to the above job creating ideas I am working on creating other small business incentives for Missouri. Many small businesses in Missouri do not have physical storefronts, so I am looking into ways to help them thrive. I'm also looking at ways to make farm labor more appealing as a job because I simply do not accept that people are too lazy to take these jobs when almost 150,000 homes were foreclosed in Missouri because of the housing bubble and around 1 of 10 Americans are unemployed.
What are your ideas for fixing our toxic political system?
It has gotten so toxic for strategic reasons. All I can do is to find consensus amongst voters and highlight to them when other elected officials go against that for political gain.
Do you Support the Penguins?
No. I am not a fan of any sports. It is my dream that one day debate/public discourse will become our national pastime.
Here are my responses to the questions i didn't feel like I've really addressed before
Who's handling your compliance?
Currently I am handling everything myself. Which means I am doing a lot of things that don't play to my strengths.
Why are you running for office?
I'm not seeing things get significantly better and I think it is because we've been hearing the same old ideas shout over any new ideas. I have lots of new ideas and so I see it as civic responsibility to run.
What office are you running for?
I have to see how I'm redistricted but for the purposes of this survey I am running for state legislature (aka MO House) but officially I am still running for US Congress.
How are you planning on fixing the problems?
My overall philosophy is to break up the concentration of power. I'm all for people getting rich but that should not give them significantly more power than other individuals.
Where do you stand on legalizing marijuana ?
I have a several tiered plan for legalizing marijuana in Missouri. The basic theory is that the 10th amendment of the US Constitution prevents the federal government from interfering with anything that isn't affected by interstate commerce. If we register the DNA of plants grown in Missouri and make sure those plants can not cross state lines the DEA should have no jurisdiction.
I plan on getting this passed by appealing to conservatives with this legislation on the states rights angle.
How can you help end the recession?
Legalizing marijuana within Missouri would certainly help. But I am also working on ways to make Missouri more friendly to small business. For example I want to find out if regulators are stricter on small business than large manufacturers. If this is the case I would introduce laws that would reprioritize regulation.
who's backing your campaign?
No one.
Please don't hand me a bible.
I'm an Atheist. And I think most books that are pro-atheist are written by smug assholes so I won't hand you any of those either.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Niezsche"?
Coming to America when Eddie Murphy's character quotes him.
What do you plan to do to make the planet more liveable in the future?
One of my national policies that will translate well to the state level is that I want to set the rates for how much the power company has to pay someone for adding power to the grid. This will encourage people to put up solar panels and create wind turbines on their property.
I'm also working on new disclosures for home buyers that would give buyers more information about the energy usage of the home.
Sorry I don't vote, good luck.
I would rather have your vote than the luck. Keep in mind that just because you choose to ignore politics doesn't stop them from affecting you. Part of the reason I am running is to give people who hate politicians a voice.
What will you do to help alleviate poverty?
I will protect the services already in place from the boogieman of welfare fraud. While I'm sure there are some people exploiting the system I don't think that threat is worth dismantling the system or increasing the cost of the system to keep a few people from getting the better of it.
In addition to the above job creating ideas I am working on creating other small business incentives for Missouri. Many small businesses in Missouri do not have physical storefronts, so I am looking into ways to help them thrive. I'm also looking at ways to make farm labor more appealing as a job because I simply do not accept that people are too lazy to take these jobs when almost 150,000 homes were foreclosed in Missouri because of the housing bubble and around 1 of 10 Americans are unemployed.
What are your ideas for fixing our toxic political system?
It has gotten so toxic for strategic reasons. All I can do is to find consensus amongst voters and highlight to them when other elected officials go against that for political gain.
Do you Support the Penguins?
No. I am not a fan of any sports. It is my dream that one day debate/public discourse will become our national pastime.
Friday, November 4, 2011
I was told there would be cake.
This has me wondering just how many CEOs don't understand what is going on out there. You can't get blood out of a stone, and you can't keep getting more and more money from people who don't have it. Credit has artificially delayed the reality of this fact. But reality is catching up but markets are setting themselves up for failure by not preparing for it.
This isn't a rant about how evil corporations are. It is a notice of concern. It bothers me that I am seeing a lack of companies attempting to widen their costumer base by lowering their rates. A profit can be made on a thinner margin if there is a bigger pool of customers so it isn't greed- it's inertia.
I believe that they truly don't get it. I think when they drive around and see five bedroom houses in lower income neighborhoods they think that we're living beyond our means. Which might be true but what is also true is more than likely everyone of those bedrooms is full. If that family doesn't have children filling those rooms they have friends/family down on their luck staying in those rooms- and they're probably not paying rent.
This is where The Beverly Hillbillies got it wrong. If the Clampetts had moved into a giant 100 room mansion they would have an overflow of extended house guests before the end of the 274 episodes were through. That's what happened to MC Hammer. He made it big and made himself broke because he brought half of Oakland with him.
Wall Street doesn't get it. And when the lower and middle class take to the streets or use elected officials as mediators they call it class warfare. But what do you call it when all the energy is being put into punishing poor people who honestly can't pay their bad mortgage deal while millionaires who simply choose not to pay their mortgage don't lose anything? What do you call it when you bail out all the banks that knew better than to offer sub-prime and not even discuss bailing out the homeowners who didn't (even if maybe they should have)?
And it doesn't have to be this way. Most of us like getting goods and services in exchange for money. 99% movement isn't a bunch of people that are pissed because their broke. It's about people trying not to be pulverized by the faceless bureaucratic of Wall Street and government.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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