Maximum Security Democracy Vol 5 Podcast Posted

Volume 5 of my podcast is up. I talk a lot about the DHS and the new ways they are finding to track and spy on the average American. I also talk about the politics of science. Enjoy!

The Republican Propaganda Talk Show Hosts Create New History

One of the tools the right wing talk show hosts and writers use it to inject a little fiction into fact, and/or try to make fiction fact. They do this by trying to pass opinions off as fact, and to convince the public they are experts in areas they clearly have no expertise. The result is, after they generate enough force behind their opinions they become in a way factual to the public. Look at what has happened to the word liberal. It has become a bad word. Nobody wants to be called a liberal anymore because it carries such negative connotation.

Here is a link to a video of Ann Coulter getting a history lesson. Very funny.

Link

I think it is very typical of the Republican right wing to want to rewrite history the way they think it should be.

The former history teacher Bill O'Reilly wants to rewrite our perspective on Thomas Jefferson to better fit the Republican agenda of mixing religion and politics.

Link

The Republican right has had success speaking as figures of authority on matters they have little knowledge or authority and the public seems to accept what they say. Americans have lost their ability to objectively view anything. Instead they tend to look for people who can "create" at atmosphere, a history, and a culture which completely supports and justifies their point of view.

Rights Are Optional

Donald Vance filed a lawsuit for being held without due process in Iraq. That's typical treatment for non US citizens suspected of terrorism, but apparently it is now becoming quite acceptable treatment of US citizens overseas.

After being held for 3 months in solitary confinement without any kind of due process he was dropped off at the Iraq airport without apology.

This incident took place in Iraq and it seems to only be a matter of time before US citizens begin to disappear for months on end without due process. All in the name of defending against "terrorism". How can we defend against a system that is designed to have no checks, no due process, and no accountablility?

As we fight this war in Iraq to bring "freedom" to the people there, we seem to view our own freedom as a necessary causualty in the war on terror.

link to Chicago Tribune article

Political Blinders - Fox News - A Political Cartoon

The Politics of Science

It seems that the results of scientific studies have become obsolete when they get in the way of political agenda. Considering how powerful the Repulican Propaganda Machine has been as isolating sections of media and outputting a constant bombardment of skewed opinion ie. Fox new and radio, the results of these scientific studies that may be in the interest of the people but not big business get washed under.

Even worse some scientists are feeling bullied to change data to meet political needs. Such pressure has never been worse than under our current administration. This isn't new, but seems to be a trademark of the way the Bush administration handles any science which contradicts their political goals.

10,000 scientists recently signed a statement that demands the restoration of scientific integrity in government policy. On the list are 52 Nobel Prize Laureates.

I think this is a signal that political arms have been bullying the results of scientific research. It has been happening for a long time on issues such as global warming where scientific views don't seem to count, but Bush's view does.

Can we really trust our government to protect us when it comes to research relating to our food, pollution and environmental concerns? I think not.

It is time to restore science to it's true place in setting policy in this country. As it stands good science is being discarded as opinion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6178213.stm

Thumbs Up for Trans Fat Ban

If you have read any of my posts you would know when it comes to civil rights I side on civil rights vs. laws that limit them. Turns out that a lot of people are trying to make the trans fat law that was passed in New York a civil rights issue. I don't see how this compares at all. You can still choose to eat your junk food, just instead of using trans fat poison, you now will get it made with a natural veggie product like it should be made.

What goes into food needs to be regulated. As it is, food makers insert dyes and all kinds of other unnatural products into food to make it look "better" than it really is. The FDA does approve those items but are they necessary? Can you imagine if the food makers were allowed to put whatever they wanted into food? Regulation needs to happen.

If trans fats were a new product and we knew up front the health risks associated with them, they would never be allowed on the market. All New York is doing is removing a dangerous product from the market, nothing more.

As for the argument of "I want the choice to eat trans fats if I want" here is what I have to say about that. Fine, if you want to use trans fats to make fries, then give me a choice to have fries made in oil without trans fats. There is no "choice" when it comes to trans fats. Take it or leave it isn't a choice. Besides, the argument of people needing choice seems to come from the food preparers not the customers.

So kudos to you New York. I'd like to see other states pick up on the trans fat ban. I'd really like to see a nation wide adaptation of this trans fat ban.

Political Cartoon on Trickle Down Economics

Civil War or Not?

NBC recently chose to use the word civil war to describe the situation in Iraq. Bill O'Reilly attacked NBC in his radio show saying "a civil war as NBC wants you to think" and "they're all Muslims, and they're doing what they do. They're killing each other. And they're killing Americans."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200612010007

From his television show: "[T]he American media is not helping anyone by oversimplifying the situation and rooting for the USA to lose in Iraq."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200611300006

The War in Iraq has included a lot of rhetoric. I think people agree that there is a war going on in Iraq. It is a matter of classifying what kind of war it is. Perhaps O'Reilly should be attacking CNN and MSNBC for calling the situation a war. Even the right wing commentators have been calling the situation a war, they don't disagree with that. They don’t want us to "cut and run" because they know that the void our troops leave will erupt into a civil war and we will end up with a terrorist state.

I pose this question. If we didn't have the hundred thousand plus soldiers in Iraq at this moment, would there be a civil war then? Our troops are artificially holding the situation in check right now because the Iraqis would be unable to do so on their own. It would escalate if we withdrew now. Our troops are holding the situation in check. That is the most we can do at this point.