:: blame the extended gestation.... ::

:: Monday, September 29, 2003 ::

Chasing a Mirage
The Bush Administration is finally getting beat up left and right (literally). And stories are actually digging up real stuff and not just buying the media line they are sold at the white house--only question is if people will notice or care?

Oh and check out the little unscientific poll they got going.

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 07:24:00 PM [+] ::
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I've decided to do my duty and be a true patriot. From now on I am forwarding all my emails to the President, Vice President, and Attorney General so that they can properly sift through my life at their leisure. You should do it too!

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 03:00:00 PM [+] ::
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It is amazing how much stuff is online. Quality, crap, and everything in between. I still think some great catastrophe will occur one day and wipe us all out. Flash foward a few thousand years later and they'd look back and say it was a Dark Age because we never wrote anything down (except we had lots of plastic boxes all over the place).

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 02:58:00 PM [+] ::
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Good old Bertrand Russell...

In Praise of Idleness

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 02:55:00 PM [+] ::
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Essentials of Post-Cold War Deterrence

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 07:44:00 AM [+] ::
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Chomsky talk at University of Calgary September 22, 1998

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 07:14:00 AM [+] ::
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"As long as a possessing and a non-possessing group of human beings face one another in enmity within society, the state will be indispensable to the possessing minority for the protection of its privileges." --Rudolf Rocker

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 06:24:00 AM [+] ::
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"Every type of political power presupposes some particular form of human slavery, for the maintenance of which it is called into being." --Rudolf Rocker "The Ideology of Daily Life"

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 06:23:00 AM [+] ::
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"Liberalism and Democracy were pre-eminently political concepts, and since most of the original adherents of both did scarcely consider the economic conditions of society, the further development of these conditions could not be practically reconciled with the original principles of Democracy, and still less with those of Liberalism. Democracy with its motto of equality of all citizens before the law, and Liberalism with its right of man over his own person, both were wrecked on the realities of capitalist economy. As long as millions of human beings in every country have to sell their labour to a small minority of owners, and sink into the most wretched misery if they can find no buyers, the so-called equality before the law remains merely a pious fraud, since the laws are made by those who find themselves in possession of the social wealth. But in the same way there can be no talk of a right over one's own person, for that right ends when one is compelled to submit to the economic dictation of another if one does not want to starve" --Rudolf Rocker "The Ideology of Daily Life"

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 06:17:00 AM [+] ::
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"The portentous development of our present economic system, leading to a mighty accumulation of social wealth in the hands of privileged minorities and to a constant repression of the great masses of the people, prepared the way for the present political and social reaction and befriended it in every way. It sacrificed the general interests of human society to the private interests of individuals, and thus systematically undermined a true relationship between men. People forgot that industry is not an end in itself, but should be only a means to insure to man his material subsistence and to make accessible to him the blessings of a higher intellectual culture. Where industry is everything, where labour loses its ethical importance and man is nothing, there begins the realm of ruthless economic despotism, whose workings are no less disastrous than those of any political despotism." --Rudolf Rocker "The Ideology of Daily Life"

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 06:09:00 AM [+] ::
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"Anarchism is a definite intellecutal current of social thought, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political and social coercive institutions within society. In place of the capitalist economic order, Anarchists would have a free association of all productive forces based upon cooperative labour, which would have for its sole purpose the satisfying of the necessary requirements of every member of society. In place of the present national states with their lifeless machinery of political and bureaucratic institutions, Anarchists desire a federation of free communities which shall be bound to one another by their common economic and social interests and arrange their affairs by mutual agreement and free contract. " --Rudolf Rocker "The Ideology of Daily Life"



One thing though; the more I look at society, the more I think maybe we need beuraucracy to passify the extremes. Make Zarathustrian individuals rise up from the ash of the sufficated system. I don't know, I could be wrong... I tend to be wrong. Chomsky would think i'm wrong and ironicly enough so would Nietzsche--see they'd agree on something!

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 06:02:00 AM [+] ::
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The uncompromising Liberal Media

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 01:27:00 AM [+] ::
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General as dove?
Michael Moore paints former general Wesley Clark as peace candidate

hmmm... that kind of shocked me as well.

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 01:25:00 AM [+] ::
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Amina Lawal's Life Spared

:: Jim Nichols 9/29/2003 12:53:00 AM [+] ::
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Don't Laugh at California
by Christopher Caldwell

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 11:59:00 PM [+] ::
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Eeegads!! he's reading the weekly standard
Who Killed Cancun? by Irwin M. Stelzer gets into the whole collapse of the trade talks. Like i've said I don't know where I stand. But I know that politically its dynamite--very very dangerous to handle. Bush and co. have it good now: the talks failed, they can point the blame elsewhere, make bilateral deals, and keep their voters happy (though maybe not all their coffers). I just can't stand the contempt we have walking into this. Go read Guns, Germs, and Steel to rid any doubt all the way in the back of that Eurocentric mind that we are superior for any other reason than a fluke of the lottery of birth.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 11:42:00 PM [+] ::
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If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to
defend yourself you should say: 'He obviously does not know me very
well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned'.

Epictetus
--Enchiridion

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 09:37:00 PM [+] ::
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"If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate."
-- Thomas John Watson, Sr. (1874-1956), American businessman, president of IBM

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 09:01:00 PM [+] ::
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I certainly do have a yen for the quotes...

"People change and forget to tell each other." -Lillian Hellman, playwright (1905-1984)

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 08:53:00 PM [+] ::
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The Reality of Proposition 54 [From Moveon.org]

The Proponents of 54 say they want us to move towards a color-blind society. Well, we all want that - a society in which neither race, ethnicity, gender, nor any other trait determines how we're treated or what opportunities we have. In reality, this is the last thing that Prop 54 will help us do.

Prop 54 would hamstring public institutions across the board, making it impossible for state, county, and local agencies to collect or use demographic data that is critical to effective management of government services, including critical services like health care, education, and law enforcement. Under Prop 54, wherever race or ethnicity is a factor, it would become difficult or impossible to recognize disparities, monitor progress, or tailor efforts towards populations being served. The result would be less efficient, less effective services, and in some cases, the elimination of programs that have been proven to be effective. For these reasons, a long list of health care organizations, public officials at every level, and civil rights organizations have denounced the measure - saying it's misguided, counter-productive, and dangerous.

The implicit logic of Prop 54 is that if we cannot see the challenges presented by the issue of race, then they will go away. The reality is that the challenges won't go away - we simply won't have the data to identify and address those challenges.

What's at Stake

If passed, Prop 54 would:

Impede public health protections and the elimination of disparities in health care delivery - Health conditions such as breast cancer, heart disease, infant mortality, and AIDS affect individuals differently depending on race or ethnicity. Racial and ethnic groups experience differences in treatment, have different rates of risk behavior, and respond to different methods and messages in important prevention programs ranging from lead poisoning, to teen smoking, to suicide. Although Proposition 54 includes some exemptions for health care data collection, public health prevention resources that are often carefully allocated to specific racial and/or ethnic groups would be severely impacted by Proposition 54. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher states that "[W]ithout that data we could not even begin on a course toward eliminating disparities in health; we would not be able to measure our success or evaluate our objectives toward eliminating disparities. . . ."

Erode basic civil rights protections - If Proposition 54 is approved, victims of discrimination based on race and ethnicity will not have the data to meet court standards in proving racial discrimination when it comes to state employment, contracting, or housing. However, discrimination complaints on the basis of age, gender, and religion, could continue to be pursued, creating an unfair disparity among victims of discrimination. Further, without data on race and ethnicity in law enforcement, it would be nearly impossible to track and thereby prevent racial profiling in the state.

Hamper tracking of hate crimes - Proposition 54 would prevent the state attorney general and public agencies from prosecuting and tracking race and ethnicity-based hate crimes and therefore impede efforts to educate against hate. Also, under Proposition 54, the state Department of Justice could no longer require local police to collect data on victims and suspects, important data that can help solve crimes.

Undermine school accountability - The collection of data and information is the centerpiece of California's Public School Accountability program, as it holds schools to two standards: general improvement, and improvement for students of different races and ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, racial data is a central part of the evaluation process and allows schools to determine the rates at which particular groups are improving so that resources may be targeted for the best overall improvement. Without this measurement data, schools would not be accountable to the goal of advancement and improvement among all students.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 08:49:00 PM [+] ::
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Rapid Growth Seen For U.S. Economy
Edmund L. Andrews
New York Times, September 13, 2003, page B1


Economy growing, unemployment staying the same ( around 6.1%). 4% growth is supposed to "spectacular news" yet economies tend to grow rapidly after recessions. For example, the economy grew 5.8 percent in 1973,
5.6 percent in 1976, and 7.3 percent in 1984[footnote 1]. Bush may lose this election after all.


1. ERR Dean Baker Sep. 22 2003

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 08:45:00 PM [+] ::
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As Bill Maher said. What can people who pretend to care, pretend to do?

Oh Oh go to Misleader. Lets keep track of what is really said. Then email Representitives and local news papers. It takes two seconds. I think i'm talking to myself. I don't think anyone reads this. If you do e-mail at JimN4@yahoo.com.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 08:08:00 PM [+] ::
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"There was never a genius without a tincture of madness."
--Aristotle

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 07:48:00 PM [+] ::
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Appearently Powell is now saying Iraq's gassing of the Kurds is a justification for the war. Thats just disgusting.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 07:02:00 PM [+] ::
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Cancun Delusions

Its all good and fine to note that subsidies are a major problem. But who breaks first? I say the rich nations should break first, they have the money to spend retraining workers if necessary. Poor nations have no power to make the changes. But its pretty much politically impossible.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 06:55:00 PM [+] ::
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Shut Up 'n' Play Yer Guitar

Amen...

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 06:48:00 PM [+] ::
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Getting bit by his own political maneuvering. Hoist by Its Own Tariff

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 06:33:00 PM [+] ::
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There have been lots of references to Reagan in the recall election. But its amazing how they forget to talk about the $1 billion tax increase in 1967.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 06:20:00 PM [+] ::
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"If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?"
-- Douglas Noel Adams

I'm taking a class on Thus Spoke Zarathustra this quarter. Its really strange because Zarathustra was probably the first philosophical text I ever bought. It was the first book I would comb through over and over looking for the truths I missed the reading before. I would bite off pages in small chunks and pretend I understood it. I would swallow sections somehow coming away with my own interpretations. Maybe it wasn't a good book for me to be reading in the mindset I was in, the environment wasn't exactly the safest to be realizing that man was not an end but a bridge. But I think it was good, it instigated that desire to not be understood, it infected me with a passion to push limits; and at 14/15/16 thats about as deep as one can get; no one could expect much more than a passion to exisit as an individual. It seems fitting that i'm now forced to go back over all those misunderstandings and rewrite my interpretations just to see what comes up. Maybe it will point me in a new direction--I just hope it will be as interesting as the one i've been coming from.

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 06:04:00 PM [+] ::
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"All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why." -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)


---------

I think i'm running from death
and running towards life
and working on reaching a point
where I no longer have to ask "why?"
cause there is none

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 12:55:00 PM [+] ::
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Framing a Democratic Agenda
By George Lakoff

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 01:03:00 AM [+] ::
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The Roaring Nineties
by Joseph Stiglitz

As the chairman of Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, and subsequently as the chief economist of the World Bank during the East Asian financial crisis, Joseph Sitglitz was deeply involved in many of the economic-policy debates of the past ten years. What did this experience tell him? That much of what we think we know about the prosperity of the 1990s is wrong. Here is a revised history of the decade, by the winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 12:40:00 AM [+] ::
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(From Moving Ideas)
"Study Says Race Discrimination Persists In Hiring"
From: ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE
Devah Pager
This past summer, the Supreme Court ruled that race - within strict
limits - could be taken into account in the admissions process, and
next month, California voters will decide whether to ban almost all
collection of data on race. Amid this racial debate in public policy, a
new study finds that racial discrimination is alive and well in the
hiring process.
link

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 12:19:00 AM [+] ::
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(From Moving Ideas)
"Paying Dearly for Bush's Tax Cuts"
From: CITIZENS FOR TAX JUSTICE
A new analysis details the huge added burdens that President Bush's
tax and borrowing policies are imposing on American families. The
study calculates the net effects of Bush's tax cuts and massive borrowing
over six years on a state-by-state basis. Among the study's findings
are that between 2002 and 2007, Bush's policies will impose an
average of just over $13,000 in additional debt on each man, woman and
child in America.
link to article

:: Jim Nichols 9/28/2003 12:05:00 AM [+] ::
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1 slave to $1500 translates to $35,000 today

:: Jim Nichols 9/21/2003 07:51:00 PM [+] ::
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"No sooner had the EPA signed off on the lower standards for air pollution promised to industry by the President than the Chief of Staff of the key EPA division, John Pemberton, resigned to become a lobbyist for, I'm not making this up, the Southern Company, the big coal-fired utility that led the campaign to relax the rules." --Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Philip Clapp

:: Jim Nichols 9/21/2003 06:53:00 PM [+] ::
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Think Again: The United Nations

Albright is funny:

The United Nations has no armed forces of its own, no power of arrest, no authority to tax, no right to confiscate, no ability to regulate, no capacity to override treaties, and—despite the paranoia of some—no black helicopters poised to swoop down upon innocent homes in the middle of the night and steal lawn furniture. The U.N. General Assembly has little power, except to approve the U.N. budget, which it does by consensus. Meanwhile, the Security Council, which does have power, cannot act without the acquiescence of the United States and the other four permanent members. That means that no secretary-general can be elected, no U.N. peacekeeping operation initiated, and no U.N. tribunal established without the approval of the United States. Questions about the efficiency of the United Nations and many of its specific actions are legitimate, but worries about U.S. sovereignty are misplaced and appear to come primarily from people aggrieved to find the United Nations so full of foreigners. That, I am constrained to say, simply cannot be helped.
--------
...A bureaucracy certainly, but not huge. The annual budget for core U.N. functions—based in New York City, Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and five regional commissions—is about $1.25 billion, or roughly what the Pentagon spends every 32 hours.

:: Jim Nichols 9/21/2003 02:35:00 AM [+] ::
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Why Oil Won’t
Be a Quick Fix

:: Jim Nichols 9/21/2003 01:56:00 AM [+] ::
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International Reaction to Bush's Speech on Iraq and Terrorism

:: Jim Nichols 9/21/2003 01:23:00 AM [+] ::
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The secret of joy is the mastery of pain. -Anais Nin

:: Jim Nichols 9/20/2003 11:46:00 PM [+] ::
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A Higher Tax on All Your Houses

:: Jim Nichols 9/20/2003 11:41:00 PM [+] ::
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White House's Cynical Iraq Ploy: 'Misspeak' First, 'Correct' It Later

:: Jim Nichols 9/20/2003 11:39:00 PM [+] ::
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BRINGING BACK MANUFACTURING

:: Jim Nichols 9/20/2003 11:34:00 PM [+] ::
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lovely....

:: Jim Nichols 9/08/2003 01:01:00 AM [+] ::
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