September 26, 2007 archive

Subduing the Corporations: Part II – The Netrevolt

Something is happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?
— Bob Dylan

Powerful corporations now dominate the governments of the world. Their global empires extend across all continents and supersede all nominal forms of government. Although most people believe them to be marvelous cornucopia of enticing goods and services, there is a growing understanding among informed individuals that something has gone badly wrong. The collective activity of the multinational corporations is not bringing us an earthly paradise. Instead, it is bringing us environmental devastation, growing inequality, endless war, and the curtailment of freedoms.

This three-part essay explains the necessity of subduing the corporations and returning them to a politically subservient role in which their efficiencies can be harnessed to the public good rather than pernicious institutional aggrandizement. In my view, the struggle between the networked people of the world and ruthless, malignant corporations will be the defining conflict of this century. Part II of the essay explains how a growing revolt against the corporations is taking shape on the Internet, and how it will ultimately harness their power for the welfare of mankind.

in Other news…

Welcome to a weekly round up of news related to the gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and otherwise “Other” community.

  • We’ll start off with grin-worthy story from the least expected place.  While attending the hyper-right wing “Family Impact Summit” (or: “How can we use neutral rhetoric to support an agenda of hate?”), Jim at Box Turtle Bulletin watched as a member of the audience – a lesbian and mother of a seven-year-old – put the panelists in their place.  And all she did was ask simple, straightforward questions that cut through the thick haze of b.s. that passes for ‘evidence’:

    Peter Sprigg [from the Family Research Council] jumped in to assert that “without question” the best family structure was headed by a man and a woman. But Cathy persisted:

    …But now you’re devaluing, what, over fifty percent of the children who live with one parent or that one parent as died or that they’re divorced and now they’re just living with one parent. You’re devaluing them and that’s not fair.

    Right on.  It’s a shame someone has to make such obvious points, but we’ve learned not to accept better from this crowd: Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’intrate.  At least for today, we can applaud one woman who braved that viper’s nest.

  • Here’s what happens when you don’t have enough brave people: fearing a split in the Anglican Church over ordination of gay clergy and recognition of same-sex marriage, the American branch has caved to the demands of bigotry and supported a moratorium on both.  This, despite widespread support for by U.S. Episcopal leaders:

    The leaders of the 2.3 million US Episcopalians, however, reaffirmed their commitment to the civil rights of homosexuals and opposed “actions or policies that does violence to them, encourages violence towards them or violates their dignity as children of God.”

    Nevertheless, violation of their dignity as children of God will continue “until a broader consensus is reached.”  (h/t Pam’s House Blend)

Pony Party — Paper!

So I knew I’d be doing a couple of these, and I thought “Make it an exercise in improv!” Sit down, pull a topic out of the air, publish!

Um, yeah.

No recs, please. Ponies is allergic…

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American Gods Part II

Introduction:
Part One was easy, I merely transcribed a dream I had, true to detail.  This was going to be an attempt to continue the story in what would be a normal (or as normal as any story about one of the Gods could be) sequence of following events.

As I was writing this, how things happened surprised even me.  Who knew?  Certainly not this author. Less cosmic than the last, but it had to be in light of our surroundings, I guess.  Or perhaps, the stories of the Gods must always include the Gods as men.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember falling into your eyes.

In fact that may be all I still have of you, that cherished memory. Perhaps it is all that ever was.

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But my story must come before it fades, the record of what didn’t happen must be told, as with every God, a record must be made.

You knew that. The airport incident that never was, and utterly has never spoken of since, in my recollection, has already been told.  I cannot trust my own mind now, for if we spoke of it, you kindly erased it, or perhaps my psyche has filtered what it allows me.  For there are some things mortals should not gleam into too closely.

Bobblehead Nation


Some don’t want to admit the truth. They don’t want to see the facts on the ground but resort to magical thinking in the face of ten-thousand years of contrary history.

The Questions

My two allotted essays today are going to focus on two pieces of the puzzle picture that is the progressive netroots movement.

This essay is going to review the essential questions that have been put forth of progressive blog authors about attributes, membership, functions, mission and agenda of the progressive netroots movement.

I am also requesting that you provide blockquotes and hyperlinks to pertinent comments across progressive blogs that you frequent in the comment thread here, so that they may be added to the body of this post as they are discovered.  The intent is to provide a broader and deeper range of coverage of questions which are important, fundamental and germane to a foundational wide discussion about the progressive netroots movement.

A caveat:  I am acting solely as a group facilitator in this endeavor.  I don’t have any interest, knowledge or aim at setting myself in a leadership role in the progressive netroots movement, whatever that entity is. I do have project management and leadership skills from my former career, and to the extent that I am still able, I am interested and willing to share them as a single framework within which to move forward.  You don’t have to participate.  You don’t have to agree with the framework.  It’s simply a tool and skill set that I’m sharing for your elective use.  Please don’t continue to accuse me of trying to usurp a leadership role.  There is a clear distinction between facilitating a process and leading an organization, movement or entity.  I am engaging in the former.

The sole reason that I am presenting concepts and examples of project management is that I continue to see stagnation in blogs, disaffection with the status quo, a deep frustration in the disconnect between the actions of s/elected representatives and the polled will of “we, the people”, and finally, it’s about the only “thing” I have left to be able to contribute.  Like the drummer boy, I’m just making some noise and hope that it has some utility. If it has no value for you, please ignore it and don’t condemn me for offering it.

Patience, by Bill in Portland Maine

This is a crosspost (with permission) of the above the fold editorial from today’s Cheers and Jeers by Bill in Portland Maine on Daily Kos.

People think he’s a funny guy, and he is.  But he’s not just a funny guy and in this case he speaks for me.

Below the fold enjoy the meat without the 400+ mojo whoring comments (not that there’s anything wrong with mojo whoring, it’s a survival skill).

Pony Party: Dem Preference Poll!

Prior to tonight’s debate on MSNBC, let’s see how things are shaping up on the Democratic side here at DD.

Pony Party, Morning Metal

Heavy Metal in Baghdad is the title of a movie premiering at the Toronto Film Festival.  The YouTube description as well as the website (linked above) for the film and band describe their struggle to survive as a heavy metal band, having suffered from an oppressive regime, having a glimmer of hope for freedom after Hussein’s fall, and then feeling ‘trapped’ between an occupying army and the ‘terrorists’ (word used by band member in trailer) now.

The band is called Acrassicauda, here they perform:

The Morning News

The Morning News is an Open Thread

New News

From Yahoo News Most Popular, Most Recommended

1 White House drops choice for CIA lawyer
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 25, 5:56 PM ET

WASHINGTON – The White House withdrew its nominee to become the CIA’s top lawyer on Tuesday after Democrats raised concerns that the agency’s interrogation techniques may be illegal.

John Rizzo, the president’s choice to become the CIA’s general counsel, asked President Bush to withdraw his name, saying it would be in his best interest and that of the agency where he has worked for 32 years.

The Senate Intelligence Committee had been expected to consider Rizzo’s nomination at a hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Muse in the Morning

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Muse in the Morning

The muses are ancient.  The inspirations for our stories were said to be born from them.  Muses of song and dance, or poetry and prose, of comedy and tragedy, of the inward and the outward.  In one version they are Calliope, Euterpe and Terpsichore, Erato and Clio, Thalia and Melpomene, Polyhymnia and Urania.

It has also been traditional to name a tenth muse.  Plato declared Sappho to be the tenth muse, the muse of women poets.  Others have been suggested throughout the centuries.  I don’t have a name for one, but I do think there should be a muse for the graphical arts.  And maybe there should be many more.

Please join us inside to celebrate our various muses…

New “Religion” No. 1

 

                             welcome   
 

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