September 2007 archive

Edited and updated

Because really, what else is there left to do?

Some insane Democrats have just insanely voted for an insane bill to insanely approve THREATENING Iran, which is insanely similar in enough symbolic ways to the insane AUMF to make the use of the word insane…..mandatory. And of course, the Republicans are insane too, but we all knew that. Our government is yet again ratcheting up its War Machine to attack yet another sovereign nation that has taken no direct action to harm us.

Combined with continuously giving unconditional blood money to Bush, and the FISA debacle and SOOOO many other just…..insane….actions they have taken and sane ones they have not taken…..how can anyone have ANY hope that the Democrats as a whole will in any way oppose Bush? And if THEY don’t oppose Bush, oppose war with Iran, oppose $200 Billion to kill Iraqis…..who will?

Where does that leave us….the sane people of the world? What choices do we have left?

How can we let them know of our disapproval?

How can we repudiate this latest insanity?

How can WE oppose Bush, since they won’t?

How do we keep the Blood off of our hands?

A refusal to participate in the system is all we have left.

There is a call for a general strike on November 6, 2007.

Don’t go to work. Don’t buy anything. Simple.

Tell everyone you know to do the same. Write about it. Do it.

What else is left to us to do, besides surrender and admit that we have NO power, NO voice, and NO chance for ever changing anything.

I refuse.

STRIKE!

Dr. Michael Wessells, one of ten members of the American Psychological Association’s 2006 Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS), has released a letter to APA strongly condemning the position taken by that organization regarding psychologist participation at national security interrogations at sites like Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prison.

Dr. Wessells is Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University, and also Professor of Psychology at Randolph Macon College. He is the psychosocial advisor for the Children’s Christian Fund, and “regularly advises U. N. agencies, donors, and governments on policies regarding child protection and well-being”. Dr. Wessells is the author of Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection.

The PENS Task Force, of which Dr. Wessells was a member, was ostensibly organized to address the controversy over psychologists working in national security settings. As the APA/PENS June 2005 Report described it, PENS was to

[E]xamine whether our current Ethics Code adequately addresses [the ethical dimensions of psychologists’ involvement in national security-related activities], whether the APA provides adequate ethical guidance to psychologists involved in these endeavors, and whether APA should develop policy to address the role of psychologists and psychology in investigations related to national security.

I had planned to provide another project management tool for your toolkit.

But, seeing as the response to essays which ask for actual – WORK – on the part of readers approaches zero, I’m not going to bother.

See – no commitment.  Just gimme some Bush bashing, some inane unfounded opinions, and some free wheeling swearing.

Cheap thrills abound on progressive blogs.

I asked before for links or leads to group blogs that address policy.  There were zero.

Folks, blogs are great for entertainment, sensation and outrage.  In these, they won’t fail to disappoint.

But if you want to make real change and act, then you have to do some real work and make real commitments.

Docudharma is about discussing and debating ideas. All ideas. We are not about being respected by other media or electing …anyone. That gives us the opportunity to discuss politics and everything else, freely. Our nominal focus is on finding a way to create a better future, but that is mainly because we needed a nominal focus! Other than the usual parameters of relatively civilized behavior, there is nothing out of bounds. Vigorous debate is encouraged, not shunned, and if you cross the legendary ‘line,’ folks will call you on it. Vigorously.

Inflammatory discussion of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is not allowed. What constitutes inflammatory is my subjective call. If you wish to publish on this issue please e-mail me for more details.

There are some other things that are not allowed here, but they are just the basics. Threatening or calling for or planning violence, spamming, fundraising or publishing pedophilia. These things will get you warned and if you persist… quickly banned. As will excessive and prolonged Assholery. Assholery is of course subjective, but basically consists of NOT debating ideas, but attacking or stalking other posters. Attacks on other posters WHILE discussing ideas is discouraged, but since it happens on every blog everywhere inevitably, we have to some extent surrendered to it here at Docudharma.

One thing we do NOT do here is pre-emptively ban. You will be warned, in public if you are getting close to being banned. You have the right to argue that, you have a right to appeal it. But unlike other blogs we will not pretend that it is not subjective. If enough people don’t like the way you post…you will hear about it! Only one person makes the final decision to ban…me, buhdydharma. To get banned here, you have to offend me.

It is very hard to offend me…but this is my site and what I say goes. I will ban people, if necessary, but…WITH an explanation of why. And with a three comment argument policy. In other words, I will listen to your argument for three comments as to why a post shouldn’t be pulled, or why you shouldn’t be banned. If you fail to convince me in three comments, I will most likely stop arguing with you.

Conspiracy theories are allowed, Dirty Fucking Hippies are welcomed with open arms, and Republicans who are not overly dogmatic are tolerated. To reiterate, this is NOT a site to elect Democrats. NEITHER IS IT A DAILY KOS BASHING SITE. There are plenty of other places to do that.

All of the ‘rules’ are subject to …..MY subjectivity. All of these rules are changeable. And challengable! But….I am The Decider.  The Zen Dictator of Docudharma…meaning, I will have a hands off policy and position as much as is possible, but if it comes to me having to make a decision, I will do so as quickly as possible and take full responsibility for it. If the site is successful and we get too big for me to pay attention to every case, the rules will be changed. Which should lead to some interesting discussions!

Hiding Offensive Comments : We have a three ‘stage’ rating system: Unacceptable (hide), Marginal (wrong), and Excellent (pony). This will work just like at Daily Kos, two ratings of unacceptable and the comment is hidden. Comments are hidden by Responsible Users, the equivalent of Trusted Users at Daily Kos.  Becoming a Responsible User is more difficult at Docudharma, than at Daily Kos.  If you wish to become a Responsible User you have to have been posting here for a while have a good track record of debating honestly and of respecting the community. There is an algorithm that kicks in and qualifies you to become a Responsible User. But we will also review who has the privilege occasionally to cut down on any abuses. As much as is possible, cliques and packs and gangs formed for rating purposes will not be allowed. If you have a problem, or think you are being treated unfairly, talk to me. We will work it out.

Hopefully……none of this bullshit will be necessary! If we approach and communicate with each other with a modicum of respect and honesty in debate, VERY little moderation will be needed. In other words….Be Excellent To Each Other. Don’t Start No Shit, And There Won’t Be No Shit. Live And Let Live. There Is no Crying In CalvinBall.

I believe in transparency, so as much as possible…well let’s be honest…as much as is convenient…the process of running and moderating this forum will be transparent. We are looking to TRULY be a community site. All suggestions for how to make the site better will be listened to and considered. We want every user here to feel as if it is their site, while keeping just enough control to keep from descending into total anarchy So, please, take your shoes off, settle in and make yourself at home!

Questions: If you have a question on how to use the site…or on more existential matters, post them in an Open Thread and they will most likely be answered, if not e-mail us at [email protected]

Ponies People often ask about the origin and use of Ponies. There are no easy answers. Some things are best left as mysteries! However if you make a comment and a Pony suddenly appears after it, rest assured it is a compliment and  a ‘reward’ for being funny, smart or insightful. If for some reason you have not received a Pony and you are experiencing Pony Envy… just ask!

Guidelines for Essays  Since we are starting out as a small site and are not AS worried about diaries scrolling off the page, there is no Three Paragraph Rule. Your thoughts are welcome even if they do not fill up a page. Out of respect for other essayists we would LIKE you to consider the fact that every essay does move another essay down the list and as in all things here, we ask that you post essays with care and consideration.

While we allow Conspiracy theories and speculation…do NOT be surprised if ANYTHING you state as fact is challenged.

Just as you have the right to express yourself in an essay or comment, everyone else here has the right to challenge what you say…and they will. Be prepared, this is NOT a tea party! We enjoy vigorous debate here.  Though we will make an effort to not allow debate to become too ‘personal’…The official policy of Docudharma is, that if engaged in as honestly as possible, if we can eschew as much as possible attacking the PERSON behind the argument, and if we can shake hands afterwards… Flame Wars Are FUN!

Last Word: This is a blog, not life or death, we are on the Internet, not a battlefield. We are all just fellow posters…The Enemy is not here,  treating someone on this blog as an enemy is a pretty good definition of Assholery. Please keep this in perspective, people…we are here to debate each other, not destroy each other.

It is only a blog.

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.

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.

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.

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