(Often CD boxsets include many alternate unused versions of the songs. Here's a rarity for our readers here, an alternate unused version of the main feature. You can read and digest both and see what you think about both versions.)
More and more mainstream Republicans are beginning to voice deep reservations about the Bush Iraq War strategy. Another huge defection from the Bush policy in the Iraq War was mainstream conservative Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, who has maintained the Oregon reputation for independence by offering a blistering and heartfelt attack on the present war strategy. In the traditions of other independent thinking statesmen of the past from Oregon such as former Senator Wayne Morse, a Republican turned antiwar Democrat, and Senator Mark Hatfield, a very religious Baptist who had deep moral problems with the continued cycle of death from Vietnam, Smith, a Latter Day Saints Church Elder, has broken from what he called the "good soldier" ranks of supporting the war in Iraq, and now refers to this war as both "absurd" and the contined cycle of American deaths by failure to change direction as morally "criminal". These are strong and heartfelt words from a very religious and decent man, deeply concerned with the continued cycle of failings to secure peace and safety in Iraq that puts American lives in constant danger.
It is important breaks among Republican senators such as Gordon Smith, John Warner and others that are warning President Bush that there has come an end to accepting his failed policies on Iraq. In 2004, Gordon Smith headed the Oregon re-election campaign for George Bush. Today he raises serious moral questions about his war policy that puts the same American soldiers in death's way by putting them patrolling the same dangerous streets in Iraq, only to face danger from the same bombs because the security situation and war strategy has not adjusted or changed. It is important breaks in loyal mainstream Republican senators like Smith and Warner who will likely force a big change in the Iraq War. Something big is likely to break very soon. Too many bad events are jelling together to force a major policy shift much sooner rather than later.
Sabtu, 09 Desember 2006
Jumat, 08 Desember 2006
GM and Ford Disclose Talks To Sell Plants To Chinese Automobile And Parts Manufacturers
On Friday, it was disclosed by both Ford and GM, that both companies are in negotiation with Chinese automobile and parts manufacturers to purchase both closing and closed plants owned by the former American automobile giants. This would give Chinese automobile companies a major advantage to leap into competition with what is left of the dying American automobile industry.
There is not a clear guarantee that would keep many jobs in the U.S., as a Chinese company purchased the defunct British company MG, but did move the manufacturing to the U.S. at wages far below the $62 or more that some some highly professional workers at Ford and GM may earn. Workers could earn as little as $5.15 an hour in Chinese owned companies, with no clear retirement or health care benefits offered.
Given this weeks' bad news of the sale of Hoover Vacuum Cleaners to a Chinese company, Techtronic, and the increases in production of Goodyear Tires, it is yet another huge hit to a declining American manufacturing base, and a clear sign of the powerful growth of Chinese industry. It also speaks volumes about union-busting in America as high paying American manufacturing jobs are becoming a relic of the past just like the Model T.
No archaelogist have ever unearthed a society unable to produce it's own pottery that has ever survived. Even the most backward of world civilizations has been able to manufacture the basic goods it needed to survive. The inability of American society to manufacture and produce it's own basic goods is a clear sign of a society undergoing a deep and severe social regression. You might try clicking the U.S. Army ad that often runs over on my ads column for an employment opportunity.
There is not a clear guarantee that would keep many jobs in the U.S., as a Chinese company purchased the defunct British company MG, but did move the manufacturing to the U.S. at wages far below the $62 or more that some some highly professional workers at Ford and GM may earn. Workers could earn as little as $5.15 an hour in Chinese owned companies, with no clear retirement or health care benefits offered.
Given this weeks' bad news of the sale of Hoover Vacuum Cleaners to a Chinese company, Techtronic, and the increases in production of Goodyear Tires, it is yet another huge hit to a declining American manufacturing base, and a clear sign of the powerful growth of Chinese industry. It also speaks volumes about union-busting in America as high paying American manufacturing jobs are becoming a relic of the past just like the Model T.
No archaelogist have ever unearthed a society unable to produce it's own pottery that has ever survived. Even the most backward of world civilizations has been able to manufacture the basic goods it needed to survive. The inability of American society to manufacture and produce it's own basic goods is a clear sign of a society undergoing a deep and severe social regression. You might try clicking the U.S. Army ad that often runs over on my ads column for an employment opportunity.
America's Greatest Growth Industry; Prisoners
While American industry and high paying union and manufacturing jobs continue to decline in America's dying manufacturing base, one industry continues to see a great increase; prisoners. During the massive social spending cuts during the Clinton and Bush Administrations the nation has seen the largest increases in the prison population, which is now at nearly 2.2 million persons, with an additional 4.1 million on probation and 800,000 on parole. At 7 million persons at some stage of staus in the criminal justice system, this industry ranks as perhaps the largest pool of persons than work in any industry segment in America except for food services work or government employment.
The U.S. has the largest incareration rate in the world currently. Even the worst of police states in the world don't round-up political opponents in the numbers that Americans have fallen into the criminal justice system. And some in law enforcement such as Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Guisto, of Portland, Oregon, lament that the criminal justice system has become perhaps the largest provider of mental health services as programs for the mentally ill, drug treatment, and other social programs take huge budget hits from conservative lawmakers. Instead at a cost of about $111,0000 a year per prisoner, Sheriff Guisto finds himself running a system that is neither cost effective, nor providing essential skills such as education programs for prisoners to find work upon release.
Some states have moved to mandatory sentences or to three strikes laws, which only result in a huge prison population, sometimes for persons who are advanced in age and probably harmless for society. With the three strikes laws, this aging population of prisoners requires more health care just like any aging population does, which is a huge cost to the system.
Three strikes laws and mandatory sentences usually force a prisoner to plead guilty, to at least a lengthy plea "bargain" because they cannot afford the $80,000 or more to hire decent private attorney representation. Instead they have to rely on overworked, underpaid, and often with only limited skills, public defenders in which only a very small fee is paid. Sometimes these public defenders hardly ever see their client before a hearing is to be held, and these public defenders have a big interest in moving things along by pressuring their clients into a plea bargain even if innocent of the charges. A serious charge, or mandatory sentences, or three strikes laws almost ensure that a indigent client will plead guilty to a lesser charge even if they are innocent because the public defender has neither the time or is paid enough money to prevent many innocent persons from being convicted.
Serious problems with high numbers of HIV/AIDS infected prisoners exist, along with high numbers of mentally ill persons. And there is a high population that seems to impact minority communities. Among young men just between the ages of 25-29, 8.1% of African Americans are in prison, 2.6% of Hispanics, and 1.1% of Whites. And the largest areas of prison population growth are in rural and poorer communities, and always in larger cities as many assume.
With declining social service budgets, a decaying manufacturing base of declining high paying jobs, the huge prison population problem the U.S. is a direct reflection of a declining society where economic decline is destroying the nation's social fabric. Conservatives want blame social liberalism for society's problems, but it is actually problems like the growtth of dangerous addictive drugs such as meth or alcohol abuse and lack of viable economic opportunity and education that compounds to rob American society of at least $40 billion a year in annual prison costs. Society is seriously misdirected where so little money is put into mental health or drug education or counseling services, and welfare benefits to the poor encourage the breakup of the family and single parent households. Poor families lose public housing assistence if a man is present in the household, encoraging single parent households.
America is a badlybroken society, with little really constructive economic or other socail planning to save the nation. Many conservatives like President Bush think that serving the interests of the manufacturing and major capitalist classes will make America strong. But as this class seeks to maximize profits by sending more and more jobs to labor cheap nations such as China, more and more social problems develop and these wealthy classes demand protection from the poor, maximizing the number of poorer Americans in prison. Certainly no one wants to be a crime victim, but also no one seems to want to begin to repair the social problems that breed crime either. Until society addresses these problems that breed crime, the prisoner population growth trend is only likely to continue.
The U.S. has the largest incareration rate in the world currently. Even the worst of police states in the world don't round-up political opponents in the numbers that Americans have fallen into the criminal justice system. And some in law enforcement such as Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Guisto, of Portland, Oregon, lament that the criminal justice system has become perhaps the largest provider of mental health services as programs for the mentally ill, drug treatment, and other social programs take huge budget hits from conservative lawmakers. Instead at a cost of about $111,0000 a year per prisoner, Sheriff Guisto finds himself running a system that is neither cost effective, nor providing essential skills such as education programs for prisoners to find work upon release.
Some states have moved to mandatory sentences or to three strikes laws, which only result in a huge prison population, sometimes for persons who are advanced in age and probably harmless for society. With the three strikes laws, this aging population of prisoners requires more health care just like any aging population does, which is a huge cost to the system.
Three strikes laws and mandatory sentences usually force a prisoner to plead guilty, to at least a lengthy plea "bargain" because they cannot afford the $80,000 or more to hire decent private attorney representation. Instead they have to rely on overworked, underpaid, and often with only limited skills, public defenders in which only a very small fee is paid. Sometimes these public defenders hardly ever see their client before a hearing is to be held, and these public defenders have a big interest in moving things along by pressuring their clients into a plea bargain even if innocent of the charges. A serious charge, or mandatory sentences, or three strikes laws almost ensure that a indigent client will plead guilty to a lesser charge even if they are innocent because the public defender has neither the time or is paid enough money to prevent many innocent persons from being convicted.
Serious problems with high numbers of HIV/AIDS infected prisoners exist, along with high numbers of mentally ill persons. And there is a high population that seems to impact minority communities. Among young men just between the ages of 25-29, 8.1% of African Americans are in prison, 2.6% of Hispanics, and 1.1% of Whites. And the largest areas of prison population growth are in rural and poorer communities, and always in larger cities as many assume.
With declining social service budgets, a decaying manufacturing base of declining high paying jobs, the huge prison population problem the U.S. is a direct reflection of a declining society where economic decline is destroying the nation's social fabric. Conservatives want blame social liberalism for society's problems, but it is actually problems like the growtth of dangerous addictive drugs such as meth or alcohol abuse and lack of viable economic opportunity and education that compounds to rob American society of at least $40 billion a year in annual prison costs. Society is seriously misdirected where so little money is put into mental health or drug education or counseling services, and welfare benefits to the poor encourage the breakup of the family and single parent households. Poor families lose public housing assistence if a man is present in the household, encoraging single parent households.
America is a badlybroken society, with little really constructive economic or other socail planning to save the nation. Many conservatives like President Bush think that serving the interests of the manufacturing and major capitalist classes will make America strong. But as this class seeks to maximize profits by sending more and more jobs to labor cheap nations such as China, more and more social problems develop and these wealthy classes demand protection from the poor, maximizing the number of poorer Americans in prison. Certainly no one wants to be a crime victim, but also no one seems to want to begin to repair the social problems that breed crime either. Until society addresses these problems that breed crime, the prisoner population growth trend is only likely to continue.
Kamis, 07 Desember 2006
Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company Sold To Chinese Company
Hoover vaccum cleaners have existed for nearly 100 yeasrs as a classic American product. Now Whirlpool, the current owner of Hoover products has decided to sell the company to a Chinese company located out of Hong Kong for $107 million dollars. Famous formerly American produced products such as Regina, Dirt Devil and Royal will now likely become Chinese made products, and workers who spent a lifetime producing these products in the U.S. will face unemployment and early retirement.
Whirlppol claims that the decision will allow them to "focus" on appliances. Yet for many American workers it is yet another sign of shrinking opportunity in a shrinking base of American manufacturing. Many workers may end up with far lower paying food industry jobs, as is usual when better paying manufacturing jobs disappear to labor cheap nations such as China. Many manufacturing workers in China earn around 42 cents, although a few automobile workers may earn as high as $1.50 an hour.
The Chinese company, Techtronic mainly sells power tools such as the Milwaukie brand and also AEG Power Tools. It gives the Chinese brand wider market share in the U.S. market by being able to continue selling in an established market and chain of retailers for Hoover products. Whirlpool is also seeking to sell the Amana corporation line of products as well. Amana was originally manufactured by a small religious group the Amanas. Like the Shakers who were known for excellent quality furniture, the Amana religious group produced goods that were known for quality. A vending machine compaby has also been recently sold by Whirlpool, as it rids itself of three companies that were acquired in a Whirlpool deal when they acquired Maytag. This is the current trend of American manufacturing capitalism; buying and selling of other companies for a profit rather than a development of new consumer products. Some companies are even known as "turn around" companies that solely exist by investors to buy and sell other companies for a profit and eliminate jobs in cost cutting efforts and resale the business to someone else. Workers often become an end of the line link in this game of corporate chess, thrown out and disposed of when no longer of use to whoever acquires the business assets of a targeted company.
Whirlppol claims that the decision will allow them to "focus" on appliances. Yet for many American workers it is yet another sign of shrinking opportunity in a shrinking base of American manufacturing. Many workers may end up with far lower paying food industry jobs, as is usual when better paying manufacturing jobs disappear to labor cheap nations such as China. Many manufacturing workers in China earn around 42 cents, although a few automobile workers may earn as high as $1.50 an hour.
The Chinese company, Techtronic mainly sells power tools such as the Milwaukie brand and also AEG Power Tools. It gives the Chinese brand wider market share in the U.S. market by being able to continue selling in an established market and chain of retailers for Hoover products. Whirlpool is also seeking to sell the Amana corporation line of products as well. Amana was originally manufactured by a small religious group the Amanas. Like the Shakers who were known for excellent quality furniture, the Amana religious group produced goods that were known for quality. A vending machine compaby has also been recently sold by Whirlpool, as it rids itself of three companies that were acquired in a Whirlpool deal when they acquired Maytag. This is the current trend of American manufacturing capitalism; buying and selling of other companies for a profit rather than a development of new consumer products. Some companies are even known as "turn around" companies that solely exist by investors to buy and sell other companies for a profit and eliminate jobs in cost cutting efforts and resale the business to someone else. Workers often become an end of the line link in this game of corporate chess, thrown out and disposed of when no longer of use to whoever acquires the business assets of a targeted company.
Rabu, 06 Desember 2006
Iraq Study Report, Well Intentioned, But With Shortcomings
The Iraq Study Report by 10 senior Republican and Democratic statespersons was a well intentioned 150 page reprt intended to find some solutions to one of the worst foreign polocy messes this country has ever become bogged down in, but had some obvious shortcomings.
This study group comprised well intentioned persons such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, among others, but outside of former Secretary Of State, James Baker, few had much foreign policy experience. But even more lacking was any member with a background in MidEast history, Muslim religion or culture, or military experience. Essentially 10 well intentioned former members of previous administrations and others attempted to offer a bipartisan approach to the Iraq problem, but the lack of essential experience in critical areas only limits the overall usefulness of this report.
The report for example is nesrly naive in calling for some sort of negitiations with Syria and Iran over Iraq without seeking some viable concessions on issues such as seeking both accepting the right of Israel to exist, or placing the future of the Iranian nuclear program on the negotiation table. What putpose does it serve for the U.S. to invest $400 billion in the Iraq War effort, and lose more than 2,900 lives and have another 21,000 wounded only to allow Iran and Syria to reap the spoils of a weakened state that could become a satellite or puppet state of an Iranian-Syrian controlled empore that extends the width of the entire MidEast. A powerful nuclear armed Iranian empire of friendly states only promises to allow for a future security threat to little Israel, only 11 miles wide at it's most narrow point. Israel does have some land that it can return to Syria for a peace agreement, and Iran can only be included in any negotiations if they are willing to bring something worthwhile to the table. But many other states such as Jordan, Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain also have a stake in MidEast peace and are far more responsible states. Well these should not the first to be included in any MidEast peace talks is a good question.
Another problem is that while the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops is the ultimate goal, without American air powewer, satellite and high tech military intelligence and advanced weapons, the government of Iraq would soon fall to any powerful militia organization. In fact even with all of the American help the government of Iraq could fall to a militia group coup anyway. It may alreadt be too late to salvage anything good from the continued mission other than to police the nation enough to prevent even worse sectarian killing.
There appears to be little real solutions to the sectarian violence that has waged for about 1,300 years of Shiite and Sunni sectarian infighting. Or that up to 70% of Iraqi police units are infiltrsted by militia group members, or that both the Iraqi police and military are so poorly equipped that only U.S. and British troops really have the firepower to somewhat police Iraq. Sectsrian violence is now so bad that opposing Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods now fire rockets and mortsars at each others' neighborhoods each night over the Tigres River in Baghdad, with no one including the U.S. effectively stemming this violence. Some American soldiers now tell reporters that either the Sunni or Shiite fighters will eventually win control of Iraq, that sectarian violence will not stop.
So maybe the best feature of the Iraq Study Report is that will President Bush some political cover to change Iraq policy if he is not too stubborn to do so, but for most other Americans it attempts some sort of bipartisan consensus to seek a way out of problem that only worsens by the day, and will unfortunately only end with a greatly strengthened Iran setting up for the next bigger MidEast conflict played out with nuclear weapons. 10 decent former statesmen probably spent their time on a report that will ultimately achieve little for MidEast peace and prevent the slow slide towards regional instability and a huge regional war with Israel and Iranian ally states.
This study group comprised well intentioned persons such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, among others, but outside of former Secretary Of State, James Baker, few had much foreign policy experience. But even more lacking was any member with a background in MidEast history, Muslim religion or culture, or military experience. Essentially 10 well intentioned former members of previous administrations and others attempted to offer a bipartisan approach to the Iraq problem, but the lack of essential experience in critical areas only limits the overall usefulness of this report.
The report for example is nesrly naive in calling for some sort of negitiations with Syria and Iran over Iraq without seeking some viable concessions on issues such as seeking both accepting the right of Israel to exist, or placing the future of the Iranian nuclear program on the negotiation table. What putpose does it serve for the U.S. to invest $400 billion in the Iraq War effort, and lose more than 2,900 lives and have another 21,000 wounded only to allow Iran and Syria to reap the spoils of a weakened state that could become a satellite or puppet state of an Iranian-Syrian controlled empore that extends the width of the entire MidEast. A powerful nuclear armed Iranian empire of friendly states only promises to allow for a future security threat to little Israel, only 11 miles wide at it's most narrow point. Israel does have some land that it can return to Syria for a peace agreement, and Iran can only be included in any negotiations if they are willing to bring something worthwhile to the table. But many other states such as Jordan, Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain also have a stake in MidEast peace and are far more responsible states. Well these should not the first to be included in any MidEast peace talks is a good question.
Another problem is that while the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops is the ultimate goal, without American air powewer, satellite and high tech military intelligence and advanced weapons, the government of Iraq would soon fall to any powerful militia organization. In fact even with all of the American help the government of Iraq could fall to a militia group coup anyway. It may alreadt be too late to salvage anything good from the continued mission other than to police the nation enough to prevent even worse sectarian killing.
There appears to be little real solutions to the sectarian violence that has waged for about 1,300 years of Shiite and Sunni sectarian infighting. Or that up to 70% of Iraqi police units are infiltrsted by militia group members, or that both the Iraqi police and military are so poorly equipped that only U.S. and British troops really have the firepower to somewhat police Iraq. Sectsrian violence is now so bad that opposing Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods now fire rockets and mortsars at each others' neighborhoods each night over the Tigres River in Baghdad, with no one including the U.S. effectively stemming this violence. Some American soldiers now tell reporters that either the Sunni or Shiite fighters will eventually win control of Iraq, that sectarian violence will not stop.
So maybe the best feature of the Iraq Study Report is that will President Bush some political cover to change Iraq policy if he is not too stubborn to do so, but for most other Americans it attempts some sort of bipartisan consensus to seek a way out of problem that only worsens by the day, and will unfortunately only end with a greatly strengthened Iran setting up for the next bigger MidEast conflict played out with nuclear weapons. 10 decent former statesmen probably spent their time on a report that will ultimately achieve little for MidEast peace and prevent the slow slide towards regional instability and a huge regional war with Israel and Iranian ally states.
Selasa, 05 Desember 2006
David Letterman Renews CBS Contract Until 2010
David Letterman, who sometimes sends signals that he's bored with his job as host of THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, has signed a new contract with CBS to remain as host until at least the fall of 2010. With the spat of new programs out about that time, Letterman may be in an excellent position for a further pay increase by using leverage at that time. Reportedly, Letterman will be receiving $35 million a year, $10 million more than that of his NBC rival, Jay Leno. Dave Chappelle actually had the largest known contract at $50 million a year with COMEDY CENTRAL, that included DVD royalties, but walked away from the deal for some sort of unclear personal reasons.
Letterman will be running against Conan O'Brien who takes over THE TONIGHT SHOW for some time when Leno retires. Letterman has warmly encouraged O'Brien, but is still cool to Leno, after NBC executives passed Letterman over as TONIGHT SHOW host when Johnny Carson retired. Letterman was the personal choice of Carson, and Carson continued to quietly help Letterman out at CBS with jokes and advice. While the likable Conan O'Brien has a smaller but strong devoted audience than Leno, the late night ratings leader by a narrow margin over Letterman, it will be interesting to see whether O'Brien can maintain most of Leno's audience strength or lose many viewers to Letterman. Conan O'Brien was surprisingly good as host of the Emmy Awards this year, proving that he is far better talent and showman than many realize. Conan cannot be counted out to not maintain a sizable audience of loyal late night viewers. And with the strength of the best of the current TONIGHT SHOW writers and his own writers, may well prove to to be a major late night draw for viewers. And ABC's Jimmy Kimmel is beginning to gain some audience strength as well. The late night ratings war of the future is beginning to take shape. But it will likely be a more friendly competition than today's icy relationship between Leno and Letterman, with Letterman still reportedly unhappy at NBC executives for passing him over as the heir -apparent for Johnny Carson.
Letterman will be running against Conan O'Brien who takes over THE TONIGHT SHOW for some time when Leno retires. Letterman has warmly encouraged O'Brien, but is still cool to Leno, after NBC executives passed Letterman over as TONIGHT SHOW host when Johnny Carson retired. Letterman was the personal choice of Carson, and Carson continued to quietly help Letterman out at CBS with jokes and advice. While the likable Conan O'Brien has a smaller but strong devoted audience than Leno, the late night ratings leader by a narrow margin over Letterman, it will be interesting to see whether O'Brien can maintain most of Leno's audience strength or lose many viewers to Letterman. Conan O'Brien was surprisingly good as host of the Emmy Awards this year, proving that he is far better talent and showman than many realize. Conan cannot be counted out to not maintain a sizable audience of loyal late night viewers. And with the strength of the best of the current TONIGHT SHOW writers and his own writers, may well prove to to be a major late night draw for viewers. And ABC's Jimmy Kimmel is beginning to gain some audience strength as well. The late night ratings war of the future is beginning to take shape. But it will likely be a more friendly competition than today's icy relationship between Leno and Letterman, with Letterman still reportedly unhappy at NBC executives for passing him over as the heir -apparent for Johnny Carson.
Goodyear Tires Moving More Production To China With 42Cents An Hour Labor
Goodyear Tires, the mainstay of tires for both Nascar and NHRA racing is moving more and more of it's production to China with 42cents an hour labor unfairly competing against American labor union, Steelworkers Union members. Currently many Goodyear union members are on strike, replaced by nonunion workers while more production is being sent to China. It seems to be a major union busting effort.
Goodyear claims this has moved the company towards better profitablity, however it is just another trend more high paying union jobs flowing from the U.S. Yet the all-American reputation of some sports such as NASCAR, seems at stake when so many low wage imports begin to replace former American made goods.
One hand, countries like China have greatly improved their economy by economic coups such as getting big contracts to produce formerly American made goods. On the other hand, it is only another squeeze on America's declining middle class, as the country becomes more polarized into a large pocket of working poor and a small wealthy class.
Goodyear claims this has moved the company towards better profitablity, however it is just another trend more high paying union jobs flowing from the U.S. Yet the all-American reputation of some sports such as NASCAR, seems at stake when so many low wage imports begin to replace former American made goods.
One hand, countries like China have greatly improved their economy by economic coups such as getting big contracts to produce formerly American made goods. On the other hand, it is only another squeeze on America's declining middle class, as the country becomes more polarized into a large pocket of working poor and a small wealthy class.
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