Oct
23
Dust in the Eyes of the World
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
After the tragic day of September 11, 2001, many in Afghanistan thought that, with the ensuing overthrow of the Taliban, they might finally see some light, some justice and progress. But it was not to be. The Afghan people have been betrayed once again by those who are claiming to help them. More than seven years after the U.S. invasion, we are still faced with foreign occupation and a U.S.-backed government filled with warlords who are just like the Taliban. Instead of putting these ruthless murderers on trial for war crimes, the United States and its allies placed them in positions of power, where they continue to terrorize ordinary Afghans.
You may be shocked to hear this, because the truth about Afghanistan has been hidden behind a smoke screen of words and images carefully crafted by the United States and its NATO allies and repeated without question by the Western media.
You may have been led to believe that once the Taliban was driven from power, justice returned to my country. Afghan women like me, voting and running for office, have been held up as proof that the U.S. military has brought democracy and women’s rights to Afghanistan.
But it is all a lie, dust in the eyes of the world.
From the book A Woman Among Warlords by Malalai Joya.
I just found out she is speaking today in NYC. Too late to see her, argh!
Aug
12
To the Blindingly Stupid American
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Much of the time, I try to convince myself you’re not out there. That you’re only misguided, and with a little bit more education and understanding you would come to your senses. But really, I can only abide such willful, intentionally stubborn ignorance for so long.
- Michelle Malkin, your assertion that getting health insurance coverage is merely about “priorities” is ridiculously insulting. I will tell you about MY priorities. In prioritizing my mental health, I can not afford to pay for the care of possibly serious physical ailments. Those of your ilk have told me that if it were really so important, I’d get a second job….. Possibly aggravating said physical ailment further in order to PAY FOR TREATMENT.
- “Well, you shouldn’t be at the doctor so much” – Another ridiculously ignorant, flippant statement made by people who have health insurance and don’t want to see the system change…. Obviously you’ve never met numerous coworkers of mine who have serious physical ailments that require biweekly doctors visits and costly tests. “Priorities” will also get them nowhere, as insurance agencies refuse to cover them. Getting second jobs in their condition is NOT POSSIBLE.
- “Personal responsibility” doesn’t make a WHIT OF DIFFERENCE IF YOU SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD TO PAY!!!
- Justifying the care you get and its quality based on your “worth to society” in terms of how much you make, and justifying others NOT receiving the quality care they need because they don’t make enough – you are scum.
- Your beloved “liberal media” is out there smearing the Canadian system and the idea of single payer health care because it has a vested, CORPORATE interest in the status quo. THIS IS NOT ABOUT LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE. It’s about seven corporations owning our news outlets, looking out for CORPORATE INTERESTS.
- I consider myself to be, at the very least, a SOCIALIST. Yes, I said a super scary word that Americans will forever live in fear of without educating themselves about what it TRULY IS. So while you spout your misinformed propaganda about the US “turning into Russia or China” please understand that systems like Canada’s are NOT SOCIALIST.
- While I advocate a system like Canada’s, I do believe 100% that the US government WILL fuck up this health care reform because the system is too compromised by lobbyists – insurance and pharmaceuticals who don’t give a shit about the human factor, and will count every profit making penny despite the person on the other end who needs medical care. As much as I’d like to think this will ease a huge burden for me in the future, I HIGHLY DOUBT IT.
- For a “Christian Nation”, as many of your ilk like to claim, the current system is certainly the embodiment of Jesus’ principles! But Socialism, and making sure people’s needs are met is godless….. quite a switch.
- For once, the advice to “get out if you don’t like it” sounds like a GREAT idea. It would be nice to go to a place that’s informed by policy and citizens that CARE ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND NOT ABOUT PROFITS.
I know it’s difficult to believe that the world is not always so neat and tidy, that it doesn’t fit into a view that uses buzzwords like “priorities” and “personal responsibility.” I am tired of the blinding stupidity and ignorance, the mulish refusal to think critically. I am also tired of the selfishness and the “fuck you, I’ve got mine” mentality that permeates America like rot. Fuck terrorists – we’re doing an amazing job of destroying this country on our own.
MYTHBUSTING CANADIAN HEALTHCARE
Aug
5
Come on, really?!
Filed Under General | Leave a Comment
NPR classifies The Lord’s Resistance Army a “military cult” but fails to note that the army identifies as Christian. And why does the media never discuss the religion of the participants of the Rwandan genocide? Yet they never hesitate to point out terrorists who identify as Muslims. All part of the typical process of default/other.
Feb
17
Goodbye world. I’m going back to Civ IV.
Filed Under Misogyny | Leave a Comment
After allowing myself a week’s time to indulge in a heavy addiction to Civilization IV my time was up and I poked my head out to reacquaint myself with the world. Ahhh, the avalanche of misogyny and horrific stuff, it was a bit much. I think I’m in a slight state of shock. And here I was mildly irritated that women don’t seem to exist in the Civ world. Men make history bitches, women are conquests!
Aside from a sprinkling of leaders and 1 or 2 “great people” – who are male bodies anyway – and despite being 50% of the population I should be happy we just got that, I’m told. Well, I’ve been advocating flipping the ratios of government offices so that we have a majority of women instead of men for a long time – nothing wrong with that, right? My overall point being that women constantly get that we should be happy with whatever bone someone throws us, but to reverse the situation would be utterly ridiculous and inconceivable. And I suppose you can say that politics is such a different thing in comparison to representation in a game, but that’s the problem – women are so rarely represented in an equal manner ANYWHERE. And we’re expected to just be happy with what we’ve got. We live in the man channel baby! (Chick flick = film with more than two women. Chick books = books about women. Some sort of equal representation of experiences might dilute testosterone or something.)
I’m cutting the angry part. Read at your own risk.
Sep
23
“We love to give!”
Filed Under Economics | 2 Comments
A woman called up to proclaim a few things about herself on the Sean Hannity show in an oh-so-chipper manner – A Christian who rents with her husband because she understands she can’t afford a home!
And Sean!! We love to give!!!
Well, that makes me feel so much better about you, considering you felt the need to backhand people who are losing their homes in this crisis. I’m so much more convinced of your sterling character now.
(Proceed to some drivel about how if Obama gets elected it will destroy her “giving spirit.”)
I was pointed to this NPR program – The Giant Pool of Money – as a means to try and better understand what’s going on right now, and I have to say, so far I am really liking it.
Naomi Klein has also been writing about this, and I’m a little disturbed since I’m about halfway through the Shock Doctrine – ESSENTIAL reading and rather frightening.
Free Market Ideology is Far from Finished
Now is the Time to Resist Wall Street’s Shock Doctrine
EDIT 9/24: This was posted today at What About Our Daughters – Very good video about stopping the bailout!
EDIT 9/25: In and around Wall Street and Washington at Toban Black – A chronology of quotes pulled from a large number of articles on the subject.
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