Cancel Culture ?

One of the talking points of the Republican 'platform' seems to be a fight for 'freedom of speech' and a rally against Democratic sponsored 'cancel culture' .   I struggle to argue with those who are incensed and believe that all their rights to free speech are denied by the 'woke'.   

This article helps explain and elucidate.    

The real debate here is not about the principle of free speech, but the much grayer question of how we draw its boundaries. What kinds of speech should be morally out of bounds? What sorts of speakers should be excluded from major platforms? When can giving a platform to one kind of person actually make it harder for other people to speak their minds freely? And what kinds of social sanctions, like public shaming or firing, are justified responses to violations of these social norms?   

from:  https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/7/22/21325942/free-speech-harpers-letter-bari-weiss-andrew-sullivan

Conventions

The lines are being drawn.   Convention time.   The Democratic Convention is over..  Republican one next week.. then the knives come out!

Ron Davison

@iamrondavison

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48m

This week at the RNC, Trump's task is to convince people - particularly older folks who voted for him in 2016 - that protesters are a bigger threat than the pandemic. (For those of you've who've lost track, COVID is killing 1,000 Americans a day. Protesters, somewhat less.)

Koch vision for America .. almost here

 From article: Pull Back the Curtain on efforts to kill the US Postal Service and out Pops Koch Money

For an absolutely frightening look at Koch’s vision for America, consider what was in their 1980 Libertarian Platform when David Koch ran for Vice President of the United States:

“We urge the repeal of federal campaign finance laws, and the immediate abolition of the despotic Federal Election Commission.”

“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”

“We oppose any compulsory insurance or tax-supported plan to provide health services, including those which finance abortion services.”

“We also favor the deregulation of the medical insurance industry.”

“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.”

“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence.  Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.”

“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.”

“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.”

“As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.”

“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.”

“We advocate the complete separation of education and State.  Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.”

“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.”

“We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether profit or non-profit.”

“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.”

“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.”

“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”

“We demand the return of America’s railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”

“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called ‘self-protection’ equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.”

“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”

“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.”

“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.”

“We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and ‘aid to the poor’ programs. All these government programs are privacy-invading, paternalistic, demeaning, and inefficient. The proper source of help for such persons is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals.”

“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”

“We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”

“We call for the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”

“We support the repeal of all state usury laws.”

Now think about this. Item number one on the list, “the repeal of federal campaign finance laws,” was accomplished under the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010, ushering in unlimited corporate spending in elections. Americans have been losing ground to the Koch machine ever since.

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2020/08/pull-back-the-curtain-on-efforts-to-kill-the-u-s-postal-service-and-out-pops-koch-money/

July musings amid the Covid-19

Upcoming ....  financial concerns...

Fundamentally Unsound

"Overvalued markets can only be protected by destroying future investment prospects and by misallocating capital.

Of course, if enough holders were to attempt to sell their securities simultaneously, much of the presumptive “wealth” in overvalued market capitalization would vanish into thin air. In order to prevent the destruction of speculative wealth, the Fed would have to actually buy the overvalued securities, replacing the “speculative” currency held by investors with actual currency created by the Federal Reserve.

That’s actually what the Fed is doing here, despite the fact that it violates the Federal Reserve Act. Congress should not be misguided enough to allow the Fed to create U.S. base money in order to relieve investors of unbacked corporate securities. The Fed should not be allowed to shift the risk of unbacked corporate securities from private investors to the public.

The moment those securities lose value, the Fed will have effectively created money without taking enough legally-required collateral to protect the public from losses. This is quite literally a crime, akin to counterfeiting billions of dollars. George Floyd was killed over a sketchy $20."

"One of the most distressing aspects of the COVID-19 epidemic is how many people have been running their own little 5th grade science experiments on viral spread, to learn what science already ...My impression is that while the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 is likely due to accessory proteins of the virus that knock down respiratory defenses, the lethality of COVID-19 (the resulting disease) is largely due to infiltration and retention of highly inflammatory blood cells into lung tissue, that then degrade, perforate, and cross through the alveolar-capillary barrier. The result is cell damage to alveoli (the air sacs that the lungs use to exchange oxygen with the blood) and to vascular linings, so that fatality is driven by the combination of oxygen deprivation and thrombosis. This is not the flu....It is increasingly clear that the primary mode of transmission for SARS-CoV-2 is exhaled air from infected individuals...Yet even taking basic protective measures for oneself and others seems to be a problem. When people imagine that not wearing a mask in an indoor public place is somehow an expression of their “individual freedom,” or that it’s “hurting the economy,” they’re not only endangering everyone else – they’re also ensuring that much more stringent measures will be necessary later in order to avoid mass fatalities. It’s exactly the weak, dismissive response – especially early on, but then encouraged almost daily – that has put U.S. fatalities ahead of every other country on Earth..... It just requires enough common sense to use a combination of efforts to reduce infective contact by about 62% in order to substitute for immunity. That combination of measures includes setting gatherings outdoors when possible, keeping some social distance, maximizing fresh airflow, limiting group size, and wearing a mask in confined indoor locations like stores, elevators, offices, and shared transportation......  It’s estimated that about half of all COVID-19 cases may be asymptomatic. We also know that viral shedding (infectivity) can begin a couple of days before symptoms emerge. Between those two factors, it’s likely that most people are not even aware of when they’re most infective. That’s a challenging situation because it means that without reasonable precautions, lots of people will transmit the virus without even knowing it.... Over 35,000 Americans die in vehicle accidents every year. Seat belt use in the United States is about 90%. Roughly 10% of Americans don’t wear them. Half of all crash fatalities come from each of those two groups. That’s another way of saying that unclicking that belt results in a 9-fold increase in the likelihood a crash will be fatal. Vehicle fatalities are the leading cause of death between ages 5-34. I’m a big fan of seat belt laws, but if you choose not to wear a belt, at least you’re not hurting anyone else.When it comes to public, shared-airspace settings, using a mask isn’t about you. Refusing to wear one is like unclicking the seat belts of all of your passengers, and then texting while driving into oncoming traffic.

.https://www.hussmanfunds.com/comment/mc200712/

2020 - half time

In January Australia was burning and the House was impeaching Donald Trump.   It's an election year and the rhetoric, propaganda, posturing, spin and shenanigans are ramping up.  Billions are set aside to try to persuade voters or disenfranchise voters and twist the electoral process.  The economy is riding higher and higher on a basis of debt and promises.   It is now not possible to live normally in America without buying a product somehow produced or touched by China.  Immigration (from S.America in particular) has become a very ugly and inhumane issue,  equal rights are on the block, environmental and educational programs dismantled and the justice system in jeopardy.   Change that we've been working for in my lifetime is questioned. ...   ....   ... 

Then along come a virus to make it all VERY INTERESTING!

A new coronavirus infecting the world causing an amazing plethora of symptoms and levels of sickness and death (Covid-19).  It's not just the flu.   To try to protect as many people as possible while scientists try to come up with a solution and doctors and hospitals try to cure and care for the ill, the world shuts down.  People are sent home, to self isolate, wear masks, social distance.  No bars, gatherings, concerts, busy offices, shopping malls, movie theaters, etc.   Only 'essential workers' please.

It's interesting who is considered essential...    Doctors, nurses, firemen, police, politicians, laborers, trash collectors, sales clerks, meat packers, etc. 

Trillions of dollars are made to be given to US to help everyone survive the shut down.  Despite promises of transparency, and help for the those affected the greatest, a large portion of the money was given to billionaires and friends of politicians. 

So here we sit.   Midway through  a most INTERESTING year...   waiting for the four horsemen to continue their romp through the world.

2020 .. a new dawn, a new day

The year's started.    I fear that this year will be harder than the last .. which was a challenge. 
Had a lovely day 1/2 ... watched CATS with a friend.  Returned home to a kitchen floor covered with shredded paper towels..  Helpful cats cleaning the kitchen floor for me?

Today...
Australia's burning with little relief in site.  My heart aches.

 
Today...
The war lords and their minions, not content with a twitter war, have escalated the fires in the Middle East. 

I'm overwhelmed. ... find solace in interesting facebook sites, simple kindnesses,
small curiosities and beauty.