amanoffewwordsagain-blog

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

“In our series, we will reveal that today’s young people are not delaying adulthood because they are – as the New Yorker once put it – “the most indulged young people in the history of the world”. Instead, it appears they are not hitting the basic stages of adulthood at the same time as previous generations because such milestones are so much more costly and in some cases they are even being paid less than their parents were at the same age.

In Australia, millennials are being inched out of the housing market. In the UK, new figures will show the notion of a property-owning democracy has already been terminated. In the US, debt is the millennial millstone – young people are sitting on $1.3tn of student debt.”

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"My trip to Baghdad (September 6-11) has left me slack jawed. I have struggled to find the correct historical analogy to describe a vibrant, historically important Middle Eastern city being slowly bled to death. Berlin and Dresden in World War II were devastated but they and their populations were not subjected to seven years of occupation that included ethnic cleansing, segregation of people by religious identity, and untold violence perpetrated upon them by both military and private security services. I have not been to Gaza but suspect that the dehumanizing effects are somewhat similar. … The occupation and especially the walling off of neighborhoods have destroyed the very fabric of the urban society.

I think we all need a slap in the face to remember what hell we have wrought in Iraq and what the consequences of stupid wars can be....War is not diplomacy by other means; it is upheaval with all the uncertainty that comes with that. Our military leaders are far too powerful and their playing politics has to be slowed if not stopped lest we continue to have to endure their rather open blackmailing of our political system.”

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

Happy Valentine’s Day!

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"The crisis in Flint is far more ominous than lead-contaminated water. It is symptomatic of the collapse of our democracy. Corporate power is not held accountable for its crimes. Everything is up for sale, including children. Our regulatory agencies—including the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality—have been defunded, emasculated and handed over to corporate-friendly stooges. Our corrupt courts are part of a mirage of justice. The role of these government agencies and courts, and of the legislatures, is to sanction abuse rather than halt it."

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

“The one-year anniversary of the report coincides with an increasingly dark national mood; fears of terrorism are once again on the rise. Attacks at home and abroad by the militant Islamic State group, and widespread anger and fear sparked by those attacks, have led presidential candidates to call for a renewal of extreme measures to fight terrorists.

“The current environment feels very reminiscent of the days after 9/11, particularly with the terrible proposals being made,” said Beavers. “If the Senate report showing the abuses of that era ends up buried, the lessons from it simply won’t be learned. The message to future administrations will be that even the worst criminal acts can be concealed and that torture remains on the table for them as a policy option.””

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"unleash the contempt and the righteous indignation for Trump. It’s well-deserved. But that should not obscure everything that led to this moment, nor exonerate those who for years have been spewing unadorned anti-Muslim animus from multiple corners and under various banners. They’re more subtle and diplomatic (and thus more insidious) than Trump, but they’re reading from the same script."

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

To understand the growth of groups like ISIS, Al Shabaab, Boko Harran, we need to understand the kind of impact our foreign policy is having on the communities we are in combat in. Without understanding any of these things, we will never be able to fight the root of terrorism, which is born from a community living in a world of despair and destruction. It is a reminder that if we don't change our attitude from vengeance and violence to a view of understanding and wanting to help broken communities, we risk not only the possibility of never ending these wars but also becoming part of the destruction of terror. 

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"The US owes these refugees. Without the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, there would have been no al-Qaeda in that part of the world, and no al-Qaeda offshoots like Daesh/ ISIL. Why do the governors (most of whom supported the invasion of Iraq) think the US can go around the world sowing instability and being responsible for creating the conditions that lead to millions of refugees but then can avoid the responsibility of ameliorating those broken lives?"

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"I'm tired of us vets being used for war and then many of us being pretty much discarded. Instead of thanking us, change how we are treated and work to end war.  That is a real tribute.

Do you know that an average of 22 veterans die by suicide every day? That means 22 died Saturday and through November 11th, 88 more veterans will die. Saturday's parade and November 11th means nothing to these 110 veterans. To illustrate the severity of this epidemic, by November 11th next year, 8,030 veterans will have died by suicide.”

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"I request that the blanket referral to veterans as “heroes” stop. I hear it a lot nowadays and it always makes me uncomfortable, not because there aren’t veterans who are combat heroes, but because the term is used so broadly it loses meaning and trivializes the notion. If you were to go into any VFW hall or other gathering of veterans and ask all the heroes to stand up, you would most likely get blank stares. Going to a war zone or being shot at is not heroic in itself; most soldiers see that as merely doing their duty. We do them more honor if we engage them in conversation about their service than if we place them on a pedestal. Pedestals create distance. On the other hand, I must point out that the struggles many of these veterans endure after returning home are heroic in nature. But I wonder how many people who have no connection to military service understand that particular version of heroism. Everyone goes home after the hoopla at the events I describe above, and the “heroes”—if they have a home—are forgotten until the next holiday or game.

Given the gulf that exists now between the soldier and the citizenry, it would be beneficial for the public to engage our veterans on a personal level, such as the opportunity I had and missed with the woman in Bend. I suggest that people who are inclined to greet and thank a veteran from any war (not a “conflict,” as conflicts are what one might have with a teenage son or daughter over the issue of taking the car) one could at the outset express some interest in where he or she served or the job they had. This may lead to further conversation about the veteran’s actual experience and will demonstrate that one’s interest is not just passing or perfunctory. It is important also to remember that some veterans may not be proud of their service and may instead be ashamed either of the war they fought in or what they did while participating.

Here is a short list of things I personally would like to hear from people as they express their appreciation. If you think the service of any veteran was worthwhile and helped preserve the freedoms we enjoy, please tell us that you

• Participate as a citizen in government at some level • Write to your representatives on issues important to you • Discuss politics and government with your family at the dinner table • Expose your children to the process of government at city council or county council meetings • Take your family to visit the state capital or our nation’s capital to learn it workings • Work to insure civics and government are taught in our schools • Take your children to historic sites and explain their significance • Value the teaching of history and critical thinking skills • Demand our nation care for the men and women it has sent to war • And finally, that you vote in elections, and moreover, that you vote for men and women of peace"

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

"In a new report based on interviews with dozens of witnesses, MSF describes patients burning in their beds, medical staff who were decapitated and lost limbs, and staff members shot from the air while they fled the burning building. Doctors and other medical staff were shot while running to reach safety in a different part of the compound. MSF says it provided the GPS coordinates to U.S. and Afghan officials weeks before and that the strikes continued for half an hour after U.S. and Afghan authorities were told the hospital was being bombed."

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

Happy Halloween!!

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

For those who want to get a better understanding of the Drone program from an insider in the CIA should definitely read this report!

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

This is connected to my latest article and this is what I find troubling with the tech industry. 

"“Of course it’s a bubble. Everyone knows it’s a bubble. Which doesn’t mean that a lot of people won’t make a lot of money. It’s like musical chairs. The question is not if it’s a bubble, but will it remain long enough for us to get in on it? The question is: am I too late?

“Look at how many companies are cash-negative. Twitter is still cash-negative. Even Uber is cash-negative. Silicon Valley is a hype machine. That’s how it works. And sometimes if there’s enough hype, it pays off. And sometimes it doesn’t. It’s like when you go house-hunting and the real estate agent doesn’t say, ‘Look at how great the space is. Look at how great the area is.’ They say, ‘If you don’t buy now, it’ll be twice the price in six months’ time.’ It doesn’t reflect true value. It’s just a sort of herd mentality.”

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

Here is my new article. It's about finance and how our system breeds corrupted people like Martin Shkreli, the CEO who jacked up the price of Daraprim drug by 5,500%.

[amanoffewwordsagain-blog]

NEW ARTICLE

New article up tomorrow! Stay tuned!