Tag Archives: politics

Broadcast your objection: Peace Song of the Day

“Final Straw” by Michael Stipe/REM is the Peace Song of the Day for February 3rd. While this song does not name or assert “peace”, still, it is a good song about what a person of peace needs to do in a time of war.

“As I raise my head to broadcast my objection…”

Continue reading Broadcast your objection: Peace Song of the Day

Video: Thanks To Supporters (The Holiday Message) from Occupy Wall Street

Below is the official Occupy Wall Street/OWS video to thank supporters. This video was passed by consensus through the New York City General Assembly/NYCGA on Tuesday, December 20, 2011. It is posted at occupywallst.org.

Continue reading Video: Thanks To Supporters (The Holiday Message) from Occupy Wall Street

12 Reasons “It’s A Wonderful Life” is like Occupy Wall Street

Occupy The Movies:
A dozen reasons the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” is just like
the Occupy Wall Street movement:

Occupy Wall Street: Making signsYou have probably seen the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, starring Jimmy Stewart. It is based on the 1943 short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Though, it all could be happening right now…

1. Handmade Signs

In It’s a Wonderful Life, Mary Hatch Bailey (played by Donna Reed) makes a hand-painted sign that reads, “George Lassos The Moon”.

The Occupy movement is known for its thousands of hand-made protest signs. We have some sample photos at our onthewilderside Flickr: here.

2. Place names get switched back and forth, in a struggle with the 1%. Continue reading 12 Reasons “It’s A Wonderful Life” is like Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Congress in 2012

occupy congress 3This lesson from 2011 has been that we must reach beyond our comfort zones and participate directly in democracy.  Now that the 2011 elections are over, let’s talk about the 2012 elections where all of the House of Representatives and a 1/3 of the US Senate are up for re-election.

We have talked about how Congress is currently occupied by corporations It’s time to take it back.  Congress needs to by occupied by real people.  Congress needs to be occupied by YOU!!  

I am not talking about bring a sleeping bag or tent to your local Congressional office.  You must think of a more permanent occupation.  Sitting behind the desk that says Representative (or Senator) for a full term.  Imagine the changes you can make as a representative of the 99%.   Continue reading Occupy Congress in 2012

Stop, hey, what’s that sound?: Royal Song of the Day for 9/28/2011

“For What It’s Worth” is the real title of the Buffalo Springfield song with the chorus that goes, “Stop, children, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down…”

“For What It’s Worth” is the Royal Peace Song of the Day. It is dedicated to the protesters at Occupy Wall Street. They are dealing everyday with love vs. paranoia and strength of spirit vs. the machine.


Continue reading Stop, hey, what’s that sound?: Royal Song of the Day for 9/28/2011

Palin, Nader, & Augustus Agree the Problem is “Corporate Socialism”

Corporate Socialism, after B. Lebedev
Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr

Duke Augustus was pleasantly surprised last night to hear former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin describe the US economy as “Corporate Socialism.”  This a a term that the Duke has been using for years to describe the US economy.  And a term that a quick Google search show was also used by Ralph Nader. The concept is simple.  The US has not had a capitalist economy since the first Europeans landed.  Classical Capitalism requires buyers and sellers with equal power and equal information.  Instead, the US has an economy planned by a small group, the classical definition of socialism.  That small group is not a politburo.  It is a klatch of large corporations.  Hence “corporate socialism.”

Duke Augustus agrees with Palin’s first conclusion.  That once we recognize that our economy is “corporate socialism”, it is clear that the bailouts are merely self-dealing by the oligarchs who run the economy.  The bailouts do not favor the flesh and blood citizens.  After all, large corporations do not make jobs — small and medium size companies are the job engines of the US economy.  Large corporations do not invest in the US economy.  They don’t even pay taxes.  These large corporations hide any profits they get in off-shore tax shelters and then use the tax rebates they get to lobby the US Congress to give them a tax holiday to bring these sheltered profits back while only paying a 5% tax.  Continue reading Palin, Nader, & Augustus Agree the Problem is “Corporate Socialism”

Royal Book of the Week: Monday, August 29, 2011

Green Politics Is Eutopian by Paul Gilk is the Royal Book of the Week for Monday, August, 29, 2011.  Duke August was recently reading an article about how environmentalist strategies are trapped within the paradigm of a capitalist system. These environmentalist needed to be handed this collection of Gilk’s essays.  Did the Duke say “capitalist”?  No, the Duke is not peddling a re-tread of the Communist Manifesto, so there is no need to reach for a copy of the oft-misquoted Wealth of Nations.

Gilk finds that capitalism and communism are two faces of the same utopian, patriarchal, urban, mechanistic civilization.  He calls for a eutopian society as the antidote to this destructive path.   The term eutopian, as used in the title of the book  (At least it did for the Duke.)  Gilk defines eutopian is defined in comparison.  While Utopian means ‘no place’, Eutopian means the ‘good place.’

Despite the confusing contradictions in the respective titles, we can take two late-nineteenth-century novels as clear examples of the “no-place”/”good place” division: Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward and William Morris’s News from Nowhere. the contradiction is clarified by Bellamy’s “ideal” story is set entirely in a city, while Morris’s “real” tale is situated in the countryside.  Bellamy’s story is of an authoritatian, if also benevolent, urban nierarchy that directs a city-as-machine, while Morris’s tale is of robust community-oriented physical life in a classless and unspoiled countryside.

Continue reading Royal Book of the Week: Monday, August 29, 2011