Notes - March 2

Note: Photos this week are a random collection of odd and interesting images that I have collected over time - they have nothing to do with the content of the blog...

Note Two: I have included 3 links in the blog and urge you to open them all!

At a time when fear of foreign intervention had been “whipped up” by the party in power, the following legislation was approved and passed by the democratically elected government ... to promote “public safety and order” within the country. This “Fundamental Rights” bill was approved to temporarily suspend a number of constitutional freedoms for the "good of the people". The bill placed restrictions on or eliminated:

Personal liberty,

The right of free expression of opinion,

Freedom of the press,

The right of assembly

The right of association,

Permitted violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic, and telephonic communications,

Permitted warrants for house-searchers,

Permitted confiscations as well as restrictions on property,

Balance performer - Circa 1920

All this was permissible beyond "the legal limits otherwise prescribed".

The government was the German Reich “ … and the guiding force behind the new law was Adolph Hitler. The "danger" was later found to have been contrived - but the law stayed.

A few decades ago there was a general fear of intervention from the Communists. Let us remember that we have every bit as much to fear from an over zealous Right Wing government intruding into our lives in the near future as we had from a Communist leaning government – I listen to the candidates who would be out national leader and they give me shivers.

An abandoned mining camp - Death Valley Ca.

Do you know about "doublespeak"? It was introduced in the book "1984" about an imagined dictatorship... Read about doublespeak here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak

Watch for the examples of douplespeak coming from our Republican candidates. There cry for reducing the size of our government and decry the influence that government has in our lives.

Golden Gate Bridge - Fog

At the same time the candidates speak in support of invasive laws that would exert far greater control over the private choices of the American people...that would require a larger government to maintain. They are saying in effect, “I want my areas of big government I just don’t want your areas of big government.”

Bolivian Children - 1880

I fear for America when I see candidates calling for ever-lower taxes – You can't run a car with no fuel. Every one of our past presidents recognized the need for taking in adequate taxes to provide for the common good. The issue is really who would benefit from smaller taxes... Why, it's the same big businesses and banking industries who are paying the bills to promoting the social engineering of the American people! We know…

Graffiti Art - San Francisco Beach

The Republican party sends a memo to Fox news suggesting to them how to “spin” their news coverage to degrade the improved economic news that has surfaced in recent weeks. RNC paper suggested focusing on three things:

1. The increasing price of oil

2. National Debt

3. Unemployment

Early Coke Ad - Circa 1990

Whatever you think of John Stewart – take a look: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/01/1069337/-Jon-Stewart-exposes-RNC-collusion-memo-to-Fox-News-on-economic-talking-points Many of us have strongly suspected a link between the Republican party and Fox. This is just more evidence to support that knowledge.

Freight yard - Ship to Railcar... Portland Or.

1. Just to emphasize – No president – past present or future has the power to control the price of gasoline: Prices have increased because:

Roughly 70% of increase: Oil trades in financial markets, where Wall street firms and other big financial players dominate the trading of oil – even if they have no intention of ever taking possession of the oil whose contracts they are trading

30% Producrs and processors have control on the amount released

(Note these percentages fluctuate wildly)

Another factor is the fear of supply disruptions because of refinery problems in the US and other countries and tensions in the Persian Gulf

It is just plain dirty pool to try to pin this on the US president!

In Great Britain the price for gasoline is $7.91 for a US gallon.

2. If you want to understand why out National Debt is increasing, for goodness sakes check this site! http://costofwar.com/en/

Stonehenge ( I haven't seen this yet)

3, Employment news continues to improve:

Total nonfarm employment rose by 243,000 in January 2012, compared to an average increase of 152,000 per month in 2011.

The January employment gained in total nonfarm brings the number of net jobs recovered since a trough in February 2010 to 3.2 million jobs, or 36 percent of the 8.8 million jobs lost between January 2008 and February 2010.

So the RNC decides to focus on trumped up women’s reproductive health issues and same sex marriages as the burning issues of our time…

Commuter train - India

Revolution doesn’t have to be a swift military operation – it can be a methodical gradual building of a “critical mass” conservative mass – then the legislation to restrict freedoms can take place and hold…