We in the US have watched with great interest the goings on in the Middle East where people have gone through much to attain the freedoms they seek. Some have given all.
We in the US know, or at least some of us know, that the freedom we had, the freedom that those in the Middle East have so valiantly fought for, can only be won/kept with diligence and persistence.
We in the US seem to have lost sight of what freedom stands for. We look down on our own people. We have given corporations the status of human and given those corporations the rights of citizens.
Our nation is now, more and more, simply a government of and by the business community. Not beholden to the citizens, but to those who contribute the most to those who seek office.
It is sad indeed to watch as a dream slides slowly, but surely into the waste bin. But, the US seems now to be in a steady decline. And though there is a lot of sound and fury, little real action to recover the dream, once proud, now simply a shell.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Dunkard Creek...again
A article written by Don Hopey, Pittsburgh PostGazette, on January 10,2011 begins with this: "A dispute over drilling bore holes into Consol Energy's Humphrey No. 7 deep mine in Greene County without a state permit an the planned pumping and discharge of minimally treated mine water into Dunkard Creek has bubbled over again."
For those who may not have followed the Dunkard Creek disaster in late '09, all living things in a 38 mile stretch of this waterway were killed off. Whether it was brought on by frac juice or the dumping of mine waste water is still an open question. However, with this in mind, why in the hell would anyone want to dump more poison in the creek?
The answer is actually quite simple. CONSOL Energy, the longwall mining outfit destroying southern Pennsylvania, doesn't give a damn about Dunkard Creek. Or, the people and organisms that use it.
The problem however, isn't just CONSOL Energy. They are only party of the issue. The other part of the problem is the Department of Environmental Protection. They not only do not enforce the rules and regulations that are in place to protect the environment at large, they openly and willingly assist companies like CONSOL Energy to circumvent those rules.
Can anyone possibly believe that CONSOL drilled seven bore holes along the North Branch of Calvin Run without a permit and no one in DEP even noticed? A company which has violated all rules from their very beginnings? Nonsense.
CONSOL Energy will do all in their power to avoid doing the right thing. Why? Because it isn't the most profitable thing to do. They care nothing for life of any sort. They prove it over and over and over again year in and year out. Profit comes before anything...including any life form.
It is my hope that with light being shown on the DEP and its lack of oversight, they will do the right thing and disallow the dumping of minimally treated mining wastewater into Dunkard Creek.
For those who may not have followed the Dunkard Creek disaster in late '09, all living things in a 38 mile stretch of this waterway were killed off. Whether it was brought on by frac juice or the dumping of mine waste water is still an open question. However, with this in mind, why in the hell would anyone want to dump more poison in the creek?
The answer is actually quite simple. CONSOL Energy, the longwall mining outfit destroying southern Pennsylvania, doesn't give a damn about Dunkard Creek. Or, the people and organisms that use it.
The problem however, isn't just CONSOL Energy. They are only party of the issue. The other part of the problem is the Department of Environmental Protection. They not only do not enforce the rules and regulations that are in place to protect the environment at large, they openly and willingly assist companies like CONSOL Energy to circumvent those rules.
Can anyone possibly believe that CONSOL drilled seven bore holes along the North Branch of Calvin Run without a permit and no one in DEP even noticed? A company which has violated all rules from their very beginnings? Nonsense.
CONSOL Energy will do all in their power to avoid doing the right thing. Why? Because it isn't the most profitable thing to do. They care nothing for life of any sort. They prove it over and over and over again year in and year out. Profit comes before anything...including any life form.
It is my hope that with light being shown on the DEP and its lack of oversight, they will do the right thing and disallow the dumping of minimally treated mining wastewater into Dunkard Creek.
Heated Rhetoric
It seems as though the heated rhetoric was not only short lived, but never really cooled at all. Of course, we knew that it wouldn't be long before the Becks/O'Reillys/Palins, et. al. would be back in the saddle. Just didn't know how quickly.
Rather than shut the hell up for a couple of days, they went immediately into their victim act. Claiming all sorts of wrongs, which is what they do best, being done to them by those horrible Librls.
They cannot, nor will they ever, take responsibility for their own actions. These are not adults we are dealing with, but ranting, raving, fit throwing children. Unfortunately, we can't just send them to their respective rooms and be done with them. For along with everything else, they have parents (Murdoch) who give them everything they want, including a soap box to stand on while they do their ranting.
Under our Constitution, they certainly have the right to speak. Inciting terrorism however, must be viewed somewhat differently. Those giving voice to armed insurrection should be scrutinized very carefully. For those who may think this a little over the top, consider that suggesting 2nd Amendment remedies is exactly that.
Now, as President Obama has said, is a very good time to dial down the tone and tenor of our speech. To cool our heated rhetoric.
Rather than shut the hell up for a couple of days, they went immediately into their victim act. Claiming all sorts of wrongs, which is what they do best, being done to them by those horrible Librls.
They cannot, nor will they ever, take responsibility for their own actions. These are not adults we are dealing with, but ranting, raving, fit throwing children. Unfortunately, we can't just send them to their respective rooms and be done with them. For along with everything else, they have parents (Murdoch) who give them everything they want, including a soap box to stand on while they do their ranting.
Under our Constitution, they certainly have the right to speak. Inciting terrorism however, must be viewed somewhat differently. Those giving voice to armed insurrection should be scrutinized very carefully. For those who may think this a little over the top, consider that suggesting 2nd Amendment remedies is exactly that.
Now, as President Obama has said, is a very good time to dial down the tone and tenor of our speech. To cool our heated rhetoric.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
There is much to be said. And it will be. But, in the short term let us just for a couple of hours, give our thoughts over to those who have been most affected.
Our most heartfelt condolences to all.
Our most heartfelt condolences to all.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Social Security Trust
With all of the hyperventilating about the Social Security Trust (SST) being a welfare program and how it needs to be "reformed" due to the deficit, the following: BULLSHIT.
The SST has a surplus. It has not contributed one cent to the deficit. The need for change is simply to make sure it works further down the line.
We are in an economic in the US right now. It would be worse if not for the government borrowing from the SST. So part of the problem with the deficit we have is that we have borrowed from our future to pay for the present. Is it a problem? Of course. Can it be repaid, changes made and the problem resolved? Of course.
Just a couple of observations about that SST hyperventilating. Those who would most like to see it "reformed", people such as Alan Simpson (Cat Food Commission), have been working for years to eliminate the Trust. So much for bipartisan interest in resolving the issue.
The talking heads we see reporting on the issue are paid by large corporations who have no interest in having a SST. These same people are generally not of an age when the import of SST has become clear.
We cannot depend upon the old line media for our truth. We must seek it out on our own, relying upon the sources that we have. Want to know about SST? All of the information is available. Take a couple of hours of your time and find out for yourself. Become your own source. The information you garner will help insulate you from the truckloads of manure brought to you each day on television.
The SST has a surplus. It has not contributed one cent to the deficit. The need for change is simply to make sure it works further down the line.
We are in an economic in the US right now. It would be worse if not for the government borrowing from the SST. So part of the problem with the deficit we have is that we have borrowed from our future to pay for the present. Is it a problem? Of course. Can it be repaid, changes made and the problem resolved? Of course.
Just a couple of observations about that SST hyperventilating. Those who would most like to see it "reformed", people such as Alan Simpson (Cat Food Commission), have been working for years to eliminate the Trust. So much for bipartisan interest in resolving the issue.
The talking heads we see reporting on the issue are paid by large corporations who have no interest in having a SST. These same people are generally not of an age when the import of SST has become clear.
We cannot depend upon the old line media for our truth. We must seek it out on our own, relying upon the sources that we have. Want to know about SST? All of the information is available. Take a couple of hours of your time and find out for yourself. Become your own source. The information you garner will help insulate you from the truckloads of manure brought to you each day on television.
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