Archives

22 August 2007

Links that go nowhere

Memo to Arizona Republic web site minder, or web master, or whatever such individual title assignment is apropos: your web site is a mess. At least when it comes to finding content that's of the user interaction, or to apply a cliche moniker, social networking feature set. It looks like blogs and reader feedback forums are being rearranged, but there are links galore to Arizona Republic bloggers that result in empty pages. Or just as bad, present older content from months ago as fresh stuff. For example, clicking on any of the "blogs" links on your news section, displays an empty "members" page. Perhaps all blog discourse is to be routed through your aztalk section, but even there, strewn about dead end links inhabit the page. And there's no consistency, as your pages are literally crammed with redundant links and annoying advertising.

No doubt the aversion to simplicity is shooing viewers away. A shame because there are so many eyeballs that could be captured and monetized to help pay for the cost of creating content for viewers.

19 August 2007

Link Dump VI

17 August 2007

Follow Caesar's example and use his newfound popularity with the military to wield military power to become the first permanent president of America

This article advocating "President-for-Life" Bush the Caesar seems so objectionable that it must be a plant, or a mole.

Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy

The wisest course would have been for President Bush to use his nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they complied with his demands, or until they were all dead. Then there would be little risk or expense and no American army would be left exposed. But if he did this, his cowardly electorate would have instantly ended his term of office, if not his freedom or his life. The simple truth that modern weapons now mean a nation must practice genocide or commit suicide.

Family Security Matters is a conservative think tank with a adviser board boasting of some heavyweight neoconservatives including Frank Gaffney and former CIA director R. James Woolsey, Jr. This particular piece was penned by Philip Atkinson.

Early in 2004 I realized that not only did my theory clarify the subject of civilization, but it also clarified that of Philosophy, so ever since then I have considered myself a philosopher.

Christians for Caesar!

Simply insane.

It may have slipped from the Google cache, as the Family Security Matters webmaster yanked all articles authored by Mr. Atkinson

13 August 2007

Stop whining and start your own company and exploit cheap foreign labour

A comment was made in this internet space recently, on how there has been no mention of this striking video of immigration lawyers instructing how to implement a "not hire an American but earn by scoring an immigrant for the position" scheme. Well, I have written on the matter at a regular interval the past 5 years. So I wish not to keep repeating the same points, or else I must compose them in a radically more effective frame.

Anyway, here is another short clip a matter closely related to the aforementioned immigrant lawyer coaching confessions, focused on fraudulent visa applications. See, this is the terrible part about corporatocracy and a half way immigration legal framework. It's exploitive, financially damaging to American workers, but far worse, in the aggregate, it actually entails a burgeoning middleware layer. Encouraging earnings to accrue to those adept at exploiting others, not to the knowledge workers (or manual labor workers). Excessive monetary rewards and/or illicit bribes flow to middlemen who have a vested interest in taking advantage of lessened worker protections, near immunity to prosecution, and global currency arbitrage. It extends and promotes further gross wealth inequality. Wealth inequality by itself is not necessarily evil, but when half of the world lives on less than $2 a day and does not have access to clean sanitation, it's a tragic injustice.

High tech companies, construction firms, domestic service industries all proclaim a desperate shortage of workers. But simple economics displays this to be a deception — if the demand was greater than the supply, then rates and wages paid would be increasing at a significant rate. And we know that just isn't the case.

Though some would say "No American has a God-given right to a job".

If there is to be immigration, should it be totally open? If not, what is the gatekeeper litmus test? Is it only the best and brightest that are permitted entry? Or maybe a lottery system. Until these questions are answered, the broken system that exists now will continue become more diseased. Plagued with corruption and choked with thorns of oppression, in an orgy of bottom feeding.

Even if one is not swayed by pleas over the plight of poor pitiful programmers, remember, that such a scheme could be applied to any career path. That technology fields possess a seemingly ready state for such plucking because of the interconnectedness they provide doesn't mean other professions are immune. Presently, other job categories have been affected — teachers, nurses, blue collar jobs, etc.…. Consider the working age population of Asian nation states China and India, nearly 10 times the size of the U.S. worker set. Potentially, 10 alternate candidates are available for every U.S. worker. The ratio is still a hefty six to one if just college graduates are considered. Virtually all could face replacement from workers willing to work for less pay.

12 August 2007

Just Warriors ~ Just Wars

Just Warriors ~ Just Wars is my new weblog, dedicated to a biblical consideration of war and the waging of war. Anticipated topics:
  • foreign policy
  • principles of national defense
  • raisng, training and equipping an army
  • conscription
  • individual ethics in war
  • Just War doctrine
  • international law

... etc. & so forth.

As a Christian, it is my view that God is the final measure of justice, and that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given to man by inspiration of God to teach us, among other things, how to do justice and live justly — whether in peace or in war.

I invite you join in the discussion.

10 August 2007

Link Dump V

9 August 2007

Republican Luddites

The 21st century has already ushered in a Republican culture of corruption, an illegal immoral invasion of a country that posed no threat to the United States, shredding of the Bill of Rights, the plucking of individuals all around the globe including those in the "homeland" for the purpose of extraordinary rendition, unprecedented executive branch usurpation of the rule of law, a government intent on operating with no transparency while invasively probing into the lives of private citizens without probable cause, and other high crimes committed against Americans to which they are chartered to serve. Recent outrages include subcontracting slave labor to build an Iraqi embassy, the Pat Tillman coverup, and the nation's leading law officer, Alberto Gonzalez, who can't seem to utter a truthful word.

But, the topic today is centered on how Republicans are intent on capturing another title, pridefully hoisting a banner to signify their "internet Luddite" status. It must be part of the Karl Rove/Roger Ailes talking points, because there's been full frontal assault of late, by the dinosaur media defenders, on internet speech. Fox News Channel Bill O'Reilly has played his part, calling out Democratic blogger Daily Kos, labeling it a bastion of hate. All, from what I can tell, based on a few stray comments posted in a public forum or a user diary. Comparing those remarks, which incidentally, are tame and timid compared to comment blasts on some popular right wing sites, particularly those championed by white supremacists and/or the anti-immigration crowd (though, certainly not all, and I will not impugn all), to Nazis, in effect invoking Godwin's Law. Meanwhile, O'Reilly makes no mention of conservative radio hosts, granted large blocks of radio air time, who are on record for making racist slurs. Seems to be a bit hypocritical to equate a web site publisher who has questionable reader comments with declared xenophobia. Somehow, I think it was an orchestrated ploy, whether by Republican media managers or perhaps it was Fox News Channel brain child, to coincide with the yearly Kos convention.

Then, there is the Republican presidential candidates snubbing of youtube.com debates. Now, I can see why Giuliani would cower and flee, as an open public forum might enable NY firefighters to take their displeasure with the ex-mayor to the TV realm. The others, however, seem to be reading from the latest Republican playbook, except for Mitt Romney, who seems to have youTube.com confused with myspace. Not a peep from McCain either, who was crowing earlier about how he wanted to be the youTube presidential candidate, though he's been buried by the outlier Ron Paul, who enjoys solid net support.

Sampling conservative talk radio, the meme being transmitted is that internet debates debase the whole presidential affair. That bloggers, posting away in their anonymous cubbyholes are just a vile cauldron of hate propagators. Republican loyalists stop short of totally tarnishing the medium as a unredeemable sewer, but earnestly maintain that the professional caste of which they are members of, are perched above the general rabble. And one can discern this trend further in lefty vs. right wing blogs, where in the heavily traffic conservative online locales, comments are not permitted, or heavily censored. The same cannot be said for online communities left of center, that seem to relish doing verbal battle with conservative posters who dive in against the tide.

While personally, I believe the whole idea of a 2008 presidential campaign being waged in year 2007 is absolutely insane, it is striking to see Republicans attack the open forum. I suppose there is a two pronged attack, to eventually shepherd loyalists to preferred, controlled and neutered online sandboxes, while tarring political opponents as agents of hate.

These recent political developments are illustrative of how many still don't get the internet. How they are blind to the "many to many" feature of it, an unprecedented development in media that enables instant global dialog, given the financial blessing to be able to afford the prerequisite technology. Or, in more sinister fashion, and as some have speculated, a concerted rebellion by elites to thwart an open democratic forum, to instead, channel people back to official channels only. Either way, it's an affront to any free thinking person.