SAD: De Blasio tells New Yorkers how to use their toilets: Only ‘poop, pee, puke, toilet paper’ should go in

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is apparently concerned folks in the Big Apple don’t know how to properly use their toilets, so he’s offering a little advice.

Source: Victor Skinner 

“New York City: There are only FOUR things that should go in your toilet,” the NYC Mayor’s Office posted to Twitter, along with a series of emojis to illustrate the message. “poop, pee, puke, toilet paper

“Everything else causes FATBERGS! What are fatbergs? Well, you gotta click on FatbergFree.nyc.”

According to the site, “the word ‘fatberg’ combines the words ‘fat’ and ‘iceberg’ to describe the masses of congealed grease and personal hygiene products that have been found lingering in sewers around the world.

“They are HUGE, DISGUSTING, DESTRUCTIVE, and COSTLY!”

FatbergFree.nyc is the city’s public service campaign to fight the problem and it features videos and other information, in both English and Spanish.

It’s apparently a problem fueled in large part by “flushable” wet wipes that don’t degrade like normal toilet paper, as well as other sanitary supplies folks flush away without a thought.

Last September, public works employees in Metro Detroit discovered a massive fatberg that measured 11 feet wide, 100 feet long, and 6 feet tall. The clog had filled more than half of the 11-foot diameter Lakeshore Interceptor pipe, forcing the Macomb County Public Works Office to call in a specialist to remove the repulsive mess.

According to The Macomb Daily:

Doetsch Environmental Services, located in Warren, was brought in to break up the fatberg. Joe Schotthoefer of Doetsch said stand procedure to remove such a blockage would be to us air conveyance, or sucking up the waste through an 8-inch tube. But the fatberg was too big for that. Next, Doetsch tried to us a high-pressure stream of water to break the fatberg into pieces, but that didn’t work either. Finally, Doetsch personnel had to manually cut up the blob using handsaws. The smaller pieces were vacuumed to the surface.

The 19-ton fatberg is the biggest Schotthoefer said he’d ever encountered in his 25 years in the business, but it pales in comparison to the world’s largest, discovered under London in 2017.

That fatberg measured more than 800 feet long and weighed in at an estimated 130 tons, or about the same as 11 double-decker buses, according to The Guardian.

Shoebox size pieces of the London fatberg are now at the Museum of London, which began a livestream of the calcified mass of feces, fat, oil, wet wipes and other items in September after a temporary display enthralled visitors.

“Curators said the fatberg had hatched flies, sweated and changed color while on display,” the Guardian reports. “Since being removed on 1 July, the fatberg has grown an unusual toxic mold in the form of visible yellow pustules.”

Samples of the Detroit fatberg, meanwhile, are now research specimens at Wayne State University and are set to go on display at the Michigan Science Center, WDIV reports.

California’s second ‘super bloom’ in two years transformed a desert into a wildflower wonderland

In this Wednesday, March 6, 2019, photo, Rene Garcia holds her three-month-old son Brandon amid wildflowers in bloom near Borrego Springs, Calif. Two years after steady rains sparked seeds dormant for decades under the desert floor to burst open and produce a spectacular display dubbed the "super bloom," another winter soaking this year is shaping up to be possibly even better.

BORREGO SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — It started with the desert lilies in December. Since then a wave of wildflower blooms has been crescendoing across Southern California’s Anza-Borrego desert in a burst of color so vivid it can be seen from mountain tops thousands of feet above.

Two years after steady rains followed by warm temperatures caused seeds dormant for decades under the desert floor to burst open and produce a spectacular display dubbed the “super bloom,” another winter soaking this year is expected to create possibly an even better show by Mother Nature.

Having two super blooms in two years is highly unusual. In California, super blooms happen about once in a decade in a given area, and they have been occurring less frequently with the drought.

The 2017 super bloom was the best seen in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in 20 years and drew mass crowds to Borrego Springs, a town of 3,500 that abuts the park.

“There’s just an abundance in where it’s blooming and it’s coming in waves,” said Betsy Knaak, executive director of the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, which tracks the blooms.

On a recent day, Knaak wandered through swaths of bright yellow and acres of purple outside Borrego Springs. Families, retired couples and college students traipsed into the fields trying to capture the natural wonder in photos.

Stephen Rawding drove out from Carlsbad, north of San Diego, to take photos with his girlfriend after a friend told him it was better than the one in 2017.

“It’s unreal,” Rawding said. “It’s just like they said — so beautiful.”

The setting sun lit up the yellow flowers that contrasted sharply against the brown and copper mountains in the background.

There are tapestries of hot pink Bigelow’s Monkey Flower, purple Sand Verbena, delicate white and yellow Evening Primrose and of course the desert lilies, which bloomed extremely early, opening up in December, signaling a super bloom was possible.

Bright orange poppies are also blanketing the sides of Southern California highways.

“It’s a painting of colors at the moment out there in many of the areas,” said Jim Dice, reserve manager of Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center, University of California Natural Reserve System.

So far, six times the amount of rain has fallen in the Anza-Borrego desert this weather season compared to last year, Dice said.

If the caterpillars and freezing temperatures stay away, the already gorgeous wave of wildflowers could intensify and light up other areas well into spring.

The state park with 640,000 acres (1,000 square miles) is California’s largest, with hundreds of species of plants including blazing stars and the tall spiny Ocotillo, which are covered in buds that will open to flaming orange-red flowers.

A research associate at Dice’s center recently hiked up to the top of Coyote Mountain and shot a photo of the purple fields 3,000 feet (914 meters) below.

“It was pretty spectacular to see that from up above,” Dice said.

Lawmakers reflect, apologize after outbursts over controversial poster

Source: WSAZ

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates spent Saturday reflecting and, at times, apologizing after outbursts at the Capitol on Friday.

The chaos started after a seemingly anti-Muslim poster was put on display for “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event. The arguments on the House floor lead to the resignation of the Sergeant at Arms and the injury of a doorkeeper after Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, forced the chamber doors open.

“I feel just as horrible about that as you could ever imagine,” Caputo said.

Caputo issued an apology to the doorkeeper, Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw and other delegates at the start of Saturday’s session. “I will do my best to rebuild your trust and your confidence in me because that’s who Mike Caputo is,” he said.

“I accept that apology and I believe the Republicans accept his apology,” Del. Joshua Higginbotham, R-Putnam, said. That apology came after the House Rules Committee was supposed to meet early Saturday to consider possibly punishments for Caputo. However, the session continued throughout the afternoon without a morning meeting.

On Friday, Democrats urged Republicans to avoid taking action against Caputo, saying it will create more tension in the chamber.

However, lawmakers continued to call on each other for better behavior. “Violence is never the solution, even if it is untended, we have to ensure that our emotions stay in check,” Higginbotham said.

“I just hope that at the end of the day we can do what we’re all here for and that’s represent the people in our district’s in a diplomatic fashion,” Caputo said.

Higginbotham added there is a need for leaders who are willing to stand up against things like racism and hate, but he hopes people can take a stand while maintaining respect for each other.

UPDATE 3/2/19 @ 8:25 a.m.
West Virginia Republican Party Chairwoman Melody Potter is speaking out after a war of words broke out at the West Virginia Capitol Friday over a controversial poster that was displayed during a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

“The West Virginia Republican Party does not approve, condone, or support hate speech,” the statement says. “One of the exhibitors at our West Virginia Republican Party Day at the Capitol displayed a sign that we did not approve, were not aware of before the day started, and we do not support. Upon learning about the sign, we immediately asked this exhibitor to remove the sign.

Our Party supports freedom of speech, but we do not endorse speech that advances intolerant and hateful views. We have shown that when West Virginians are united, when we respect each other, embrace our differences and focus on moving our state forward what we can accomplish.”

The firestorm has grabbed national attention since the story broke.

A meeting is set for Saturday morning to address the events that unfolded.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest on this story.

UPDATE 3/1/19 @ 10:30 p.m.
The reverberations of an anti-Muslim poster on display at the West Virginia Capitol rotunda continue, with the House Sergeant at Arms resigning and talk of possible discipline against a lawmaker who allegedly injured a doorkeeper Friday.

Sgt. at Arms Anne Lieberman resigned Friday afternoon after delegates accused her of using an anti-Muslim slur. “The sergeant of arms of this body had the nerve to say to us ‘all Muslims are terrorists’ that’s beyond shameful and that’s beyond freedom of speech,” Del. Michael Angelucci, D-Marion, said.

The poster that sparked the controversy consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

A lawmaker told us Friday evening that the House Rules Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday to decide if Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, will face repercussions for allegedly injuring a doorkeeper during an angry outburst regarding the poster. Caputo is the minority whip in the House.

Caputo admitted to kicking the door because he wanted to get into the chamber and he said he was being blocked. “We have created an anger that I have never witnessed in 23 years in this body and it sickens me. It absolutely sickens me. So yeah, I kicked the door open I’ll own it,” Caputo said. The doorkeeper was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Democrats in the House spoke out against the poster, saying it is the second hateful event to happen in that legislative body during this session. They referred back to when Del. Eric Porterfield, R-Mercer, compared the LGBTQ community to the Ku Klux Klan.

“We have diverse caucus and many of our people believe that it is festered and it’s intolerable,” Del. Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton, said.

Other delegates spoke up during the floor session and said, no matter the message, they will protect the voice of the person who put that poster on display. “While I may not agree with everything that is out there, I do agree that freedom of speech is something that we have to protect,” Del. Dianna Graves, R-Kanawha, said.

When House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, addressed the House, he called on all delegates to be respectful of each other. “We owe it to our selves, we owe it to our constituents, we owe it to men and women and children and families that we represent to do better than we are,” Hanshaw said.

He did not directly reference the poster in his speech to the House.

West Virginia State Senate President Mitch Carmichael released a statement on Friday’s events. “The West Virginia Senate is a body that embraces the goodness in all people and celebrates the unique diversity of those who call this great nation of ours home. We must be strong in our resolve to stand up and speak out against fear and hatred when we see it, and we absolutely condemn the kind of behavior that was on display in our own State Capitol. It is hateful and wrong. Above all, it is not representative of the values that the vast majority of West Virginians hold dear. We, as a state, are far better than what we saw today,” Sen. Carmichael said.

UPDATE 3/1/19 @ 6:20 p.m.
The reverberations of an anti-Muslim poster on display at the West Virginia Capitol rotunda continue, with the House Sergeant at Arms resigning and talk of possible discipline against a lawmaker who allegedly injured a doorkeeper Friday, according to our crew at the scene.

Sgt. at Arms Anne Lieberman resigned Friday afternoon after being accused of an anti-Muslim slur.

A lawmaker told us Friday evening that the House Rules Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday to decide if Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, will face repercussions for allegedly injuring a doorkeeper during an angry outburst among legislators. Caputo is the minority whip in the House.

Lawmakers say that doorkeeper was hurt when a door was kicked in. That doorkeeper was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, called on all delegates to be respectful of each other.

The poster in question consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

Tempers flared in the House chamber when angry Democrats condemned the display.

We have a crew at the Capitol. Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.


ORIGINAL STORY 3/1/19
An anti-Muslim poster on display in the West Virginia Capitol rotunda Friday led to tempers flaring among legislators.

The poster consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

Tempers flared in the House chamber when angry Democrats condemned the display.

Del. Michael Angelucci (D-Marion) accused Sergeant at Arms Anne Lieberman of an anti-Muslim slur. According to our crew at a legislative hearing late Friday afternoon, Lieberman has since resigned.

“The Sergeant at Arms of this body had enough nerve to say to us all Muslims are terrorists,” Angelucci said. “The Sergeant at Arms of this body that represents the people of the state of West Virginia said all Muslims are terrorists. That’s beyond shameful. And that’s not freedom of speech, that’s hate speech. That has no place in this House, the people’s House, and I am furious. I don’t want to see her representing the people of this great state in this house again. Muslims are not terrorists. Christians have killed people. That doesn’t mean Christians are terrorists. I am a Christian. I am a proud Christian. I am not a terrorist. There’s no room for that hate in this House.”

Republicans defended the display as free speech.

“While I may not agree with everything out there,” said Del. Dianna Graves (R-Kanawha), “I do agree that freedom of speech is something we have to protect.”

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) issued this statement after the heated exchange on the floor:

“The West Virginia House of Delegates unequivocally rejects hate in all of its forms. As we began today’s floor session, we had a series of incidents occur in and outside of our Chamber that absolutely do not reflect the character and civility the people of this state demand of their public servants. Leadership of the House of Delegates is currently working to investigate these incidents to learn firsthand the factual basis of what occurred, and will respond with appropriate action.”

WSAZ is working to confirm who put up the display.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

Lawmakers reflect, apologize after outbursts over controversial poster

Source: WSAZ

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates spent Saturday reflecting and, at times, apologizing after outbursts at the Capitol on Friday.

The chaos started after a seemingly anti-Muslim poster was put on display for “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event. The arguments on the House floor lead to the resignation of the Sergeant at Arms and the injury of a doorkeeper after Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, forced the chamber doors open.

“I feel just as horrible about that as you could ever imagine,” Caputo said.

Caputo issued an apology to the doorkeeper, Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw and other delegates at the start of Saturday’s session. “I will do my best to rebuild your trust and your confidence in me because that’s who Mike Caputo is,” he said.

“I accept that apology and I believe the Republicans accept his apology,” Del. Joshua Higginbotham, R-Putnam, said. That apology came after the House Rules Committee was supposed to meet early Saturday to consider possibly punishments for Caputo. However, the session continued throughout the afternoon without a morning meeting.

On Friday, Democrats urged Republicans to avoid taking action against Caputo, saying it will create more tension in the chamber.

However, lawmakers continued to call on each other for better behavior. “Violence is never the solution, even if it is untended, we have to ensure that our emotions stay in check,” Higginbotham said.

“I just hope that at the end of the day we can do what we’re all here for and that’s represent the people in our district’s in a diplomatic fashion,” Caputo said.

Higginbotham added there is a need for leaders who are willing to stand up against things like racism and hate, but he hopes people can take a stand while maintaining respect for each other.

UPDATE 3/2/19 @ 8:25 a.m.
West Virginia Republican Party Chairwoman Melody Potter is speaking out after a war of words broke out at the West Virginia Capitol Friday over a controversial poster that was displayed during a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

“The West Virginia Republican Party does not approve, condone, or support hate speech,” the statement says. “One of the exhibitors at our West Virginia Republican Party Day at the Capitol displayed a sign that we did not approve, were not aware of before the day started, and we do not support. Upon learning about the sign, we immediately asked this exhibitor to remove the sign.

Our Party supports freedom of speech, but we do not endorse speech that advances intolerant and hateful views. We have shown that when West Virginians are united, when we respect each other, embrace our differences and focus on moving our state forward what we can accomplish.”

The firestorm has grabbed national attention since the story broke.

A meeting is set for Saturday morning to address the events that unfolded.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest on this story.

UPDATE 3/1/19 @ 10:30 p.m.
The reverberations of an anti-Muslim poster on display at the West Virginia Capitol rotunda continue, with the House Sergeant at Arms resigning and talk of possible discipline against a lawmaker who allegedly injured a doorkeeper Friday.

Sgt. at Arms Anne Lieberman resigned Friday afternoon after delegates accused her of using an anti-Muslim slur. “The sergeant of arms of this body had the nerve to say to us ‘all Muslims are terrorists’ that’s beyond shameful and that’s beyond freedom of speech,” Del. Michael Angelucci, D-Marion, said.

The poster that sparked the controversy consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

A lawmaker told us Friday evening that the House Rules Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday to decide if Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, will face repercussions for allegedly injuring a doorkeeper during an angry outburst regarding the poster. Caputo is the minority whip in the House.

Caputo admitted to kicking the door because he wanted to get into the chamber and he said he was being blocked. “We have created an anger that I have never witnessed in 23 years in this body and it sickens me. It absolutely sickens me. So yeah, I kicked the door open I’ll own it,” Caputo said. The doorkeeper was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Democrats in the House spoke out against the poster, saying it is the second hateful event to happen in that legislative body during this session. They referred back to when Del. Eric Porterfield, R-Mercer, compared the LGBTQ community to the Ku Klux Klan.

“We have diverse caucus and many of our people believe that it is festered and it’s intolerable,” Del. Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton, said.

Other delegates spoke up during the floor session and said, no matter the message, they will protect the voice of the person who put that poster on display. “While I may not agree with everything that is out there, I do agree that freedom of speech is something that we have to protect,” Del. Dianna Graves, R-Kanawha, said.

When House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, addressed the House, he called on all delegates to be respectful of each other. “We owe it to our selves, we owe it to our constituents, we owe it to men and women and children and families that we represent to do better than we are,” Hanshaw said.

He did not directly reference the poster in his speech to the House.

West Virginia State Senate President Mitch Carmichael released a statement on Friday’s events. “The West Virginia Senate is a body that embraces the goodness in all people and celebrates the unique diversity of those who call this great nation of ours home. We must be strong in our resolve to stand up and speak out against fear and hatred when we see it, and we absolutely condemn the kind of behavior that was on display in our own State Capitol. It is hateful and wrong. Above all, it is not representative of the values that the vast majority of West Virginians hold dear. We, as a state, are far better than what we saw today,” Sen. Carmichael said.

UPDATE 3/1/19 @ 6:20 p.m.
The reverberations of an anti-Muslim poster on display at the West Virginia Capitol rotunda continue, with the House Sergeant at Arms resigning and talk of possible discipline against a lawmaker who allegedly injured a doorkeeper Friday, according to our crew at the scene.

Sgt. at Arms Anne Lieberman resigned Friday afternoon after being accused of an anti-Muslim slur.

A lawmaker told us Friday evening that the House Rules Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday to decide if Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, will face repercussions for allegedly injuring a doorkeeper during an angry outburst among legislators. Caputo is the minority whip in the House.

Lawmakers say that doorkeeper was hurt when a door was kicked in. That doorkeeper was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, called on all delegates to be respectful of each other.

The poster in question consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

Tempers flared in the House chamber when angry Democrats condemned the display.

We have a crew at the Capitol. Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.


ORIGINAL STORY 3/1/19
An anti-Muslim poster on display in the West Virginia Capitol rotunda Friday led to tempers flaring among legislators.

The poster consisted of two photos. The upper photo was a picture of the World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attack. A caption read, “‘NEVER FORGET’ – YOU SAID..”

Below it was a photo of Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, wearing a hijab. Omar is Muslim, and was one of two Muslim women elected to Congress. That picture’s caption said, “I AM PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”

The anti-Muslim display was outside the House of Delegates chamber as part of a “Republicans Take the Rotunda” event.

Tempers flared in the House chamber when angry Democrats condemned the display.

Del. Michael Angelucci (D-Marion) accused Sergeant at Arms Anne Lieberman of an anti-Muslim slur. According to our crew at a legislative hearing late Friday afternoon, Lieberman has since resigned.

“The Sergeant at Arms of this body had enough nerve to say to us all Muslims are terrorists,” Angelucci said. “The Sergeant at Arms of this body that represents the people of the state of West Virginia said all Muslims are terrorists. That’s beyond shameful. And that’s not freedom of speech, that’s hate speech. That has no place in this House, the people’s House, and I am furious. I don’t want to see her representing the people of this great state in this house again. Muslims are not terrorists. Christians have killed people. That doesn’t mean Christians are terrorists. I am a Christian. I am a proud Christian. I am not a terrorist. There’s no room for that hate in this House.”

Republicans defended the display as free speech.

“While I may not agree with everything out there,” said Del. Dianna Graves (R-Kanawha), “I do agree that freedom of speech is something we have to protect.”

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) issued this statement after the heated exchange on the floor:

“The West Virginia House of Delegates unequivocally rejects hate in all of its forms. As we began today’s floor session, we had a series of incidents occur in and outside of our Chamber that absolutely do not reflect the character and civility the people of this state demand of their public servants. Leadership of the House of Delegates is currently working to investigate these incidents to learn firsthand the factual basis of what occurred, and will respond with appropriate action.”

WSAZ is working to confirm who put up the display.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

GMO scientists think they’ve discovered the “God gene” for plant yields… but could accidentally create a food crop WIPEOUT

(Natural News) Plant geneticists are now saying they’ve uncovered the power of genome editing through a new application of CRISPR technology. The scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory say they have mobilized CRISPR-Cas9 tech to rapidly produce variants of the tomato plant engineered to display three key agricultural traits: fruit size, branching structure and plant…

Acosta, Clinton and Epstein

by Karl Denninger, Market Ticker: There is a price for sitting on your ass while cheering on the fraud-laced economic structure we’ve built over the last three-plus decades, and it’s on display in a form and fashion that is utterly outrageous — and indefensible. A judge ruled Thursday that federal prosecutors — among them, U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander […]

The post Acosta, Clinton and Epstein appeared first on SGT Report.

When The Winter Of Our Discontent Meets Fyre Festival

Authored by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,

“When a condition or a problem becomes too great, humans have the protection of not thinking about it. But it goes inward and minces up with a lot of other things already there and what comes out is discontent and uneasiness, guilt and a compulsion to get something–anything–before it is all gone.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Sometimes I wonder about strange coincidences. In an email exchange with Marc (Hardscrabble Farmer) in the Fall, he mentioned he had begun reading Steinbeck’s Winter of Our Discontent and planned to write an article about it. Coincidentally, I had just bought a used copy of the same novel at Hooked on Books in Wildwood. I didn’t plan on buying it, but I’ve read most of Steinbeck’s brilliant novels and felt compelled by the title and our national state of discontent to select it from among the thousands of books in the store.

Marc had posted his Steinbeck-esque article in December, but I didn’t read it until I had finished the novel. Marc’s perspective on the value of money and his diametrically opposite path from Ethan Hawley, the discontented anti-hero of Steinbeck’s final novel, was enlightening and thought provoking. I’m sure it impacted my consciousness as I wrote this article.

Steinbeck’s title was taken from Shakespeare to reflect the unhappiness of Ethan Hawley at the outset of the novel. The quote, “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York”, is the first line of Shakespeare’s Richard III, written in 1594. Shakespeare was using the summer/winter weather as a metaphor for the fortunes of the English House of York and its rivalry with the Plantagenets for the English throne. The ‘sun of York’ was a comment on the ‘son of York’ Edward IV, a harbinger of better times ahead. This theme of discontent was true in 1594, in 1961 when Steinbeck published his final novel, and is true today, as discontent blows across the land like a deadly polar vortex. At this point, it is difficult to see better times ahead.

The reason Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize winning novel still resonates today is because humans do not change. The human condition, our frailties, foibles, moral shortcomings, greed, avarice, narcissism, ability to forgive and seek redemption has remained constant through the ages. Steinbeck wrote the novel to address the moral degeneration of American culture during the 1950s and 1960s. The game show scandals, nativism and plagiarism of the 1950’s was representative of the decay.

Twenty-two years before, in 1939, Steinbeck addressed man’s inhumanity to man and the greed of evil men creating the suffering of the common man during the Great Depression in his classic novel Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck’s characters have biblical aspects, as the battle between good and evil is always a subplot. If Steinbeck thought American culture had degenerated in 1961, I wonder what he would think today.

The definition of discontent is dissatisfaction with the prevailing social or political situation. If ever a word defined the current state of our world, it would be discontent. And it so happens, we are also in the depths of a bleak tumultuous winter season. The social and political discontent is reflected in the epic struggle between far-left treasonous Deep State operatives and the deplorables supporting Trump’s battle to retain the presidency.

An open coup has been in progress for two years as the Obama/Clinton surveillance state cronies, fully supported by the left-wing fake news propaganda outlets, attempt to remove a democratically elected president. This is truly a dark moment in our history and could mark a turning point in the demise of our Republic.

“It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Steinbeck’s story about the moral decline of Ethan Hawley was a parable about the human condition set in the 1950s, but applicable throughout human history, and as relevant today as it was then. Ethan was a war hero whose integrity and honesty were the noble standards he lived by every day. His father recklessly lost the family fortune and he was left as a lowly grocery store clerk working for a foreigner.

It is a story of how easy it is for a good man to be corrupted through societal expectations, the opinions of prominent people, and the disapproval of family for their status in the community. The love of money is the root of all evil, as presented by Steinbeck. Ethan Hawley’s fall from grace was self-imposed as he allowed his darker nature to control his actions in order to regain his once prominent station in the community. The opinions of others considering him a failure led to his fall from grace.

“Men don’t get knocked out, or I mean they can fight back against big things. What kills them is erosion; they get nudged into failure.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

He sacrificed his self-respect, life long friendships, and the lives of two men, in order to climb the social ladder and regain the wealth and influence his father had squandered. Ethan’s ego and sense of self worth led him down a path paved with evil intentions. He had his boss deported, provided the means for his best friend to commit suicide, planned to rob a bank, and eventually came to the realization his own disregard for morality had been passed on to his son, who saw no problem with cheating to get what he wanted in life.

Ethan knew right from wrong. He was well read. He had killed Germans fighting for his country. He willfully chose to manipulate, lie and scheme in order to achieve his materialistic ambitions. The difference between Ethan and the materialistic, delusional, dishonest masses inhabiting our country today, is his sense of guilt impelled him to take his own life. But the unwavering love of his daughter convinced him to soldier on and redeem himself.

Our society is now infinitely more materialistic, narcissistic, and greedy than it was in the 1950s. Moral degeneration has reached new lows, unthinkable during the relatively innocent 1950s. But the common theme is human failings, foibles, and fallacies. Whatever a culture values you get more of. Our culture values achievement, wealth and power, at any cost.

Achieving success through hard work, intellectual accomplishment, or a superior product is antiquated and passé. Success is achieved through regulatory capture, bribing politicians, financial engineering schemes, monopolization of markets, and the power of propaganda. As Ethan cynically expounded, strength and success, even if achieved through criminal means, is all that matters in the end. The victors write the history books.

“To most of the world success is never bad. I remember how, when Hitler moved unchecked and triumphant, many honorable men sought and found virtues in him. And Mussolini made the trains run on time, and Vichy collaborated for the good of France, and whatever else Stalin was, he was strong. Strength and success—they are above morality, above criticism. It seems, then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it and what you call it. Is there a check in men, deep in them, that stops or punishes? There doesn’t seem to be. The only punishment is for failure. In effect no crime is committed unless a criminal is caught.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

A modern-day parable of moral degeneration presented itself to me shortly after finishing the Steinbeck novel. I happened to stumble across a documentary about the Fyre Festival fraud on Netflix. The protagonist of this illustration of discontent and delusion was Billy McFarland. He is representative of the modern-day Ethan Hawley, except with no redeeming qualities or conscience.

He conned investors, entertainers, super models, the media, employees, and gullible millennials. His ultimate purpose was no different than Ethan Hawley’s, to be wealthy and admired by his peers. His outrageously criminal exploits were detailed in the documentary as he lied, falsified, and conducted a ponzi scheme until it all blew up in a shocking display of hubristic folly. The story is a reflection of our shallow, narcissistic, gullible, low IQ society.

What leaps off the screen is how businesses are created out of thin air delivering no value to society. It’s all smoke, mirrors, and superficial virtue signaling designed to lure intellectual lightweights to pretend they are a mover and shaker in their social media driven world. The entire festival was designed to promote some ridiculous music booking app. These frivolous social media-based companies are built upon false narratives, self-absorbed millennials, easy money, and celebrity worship. They have zero value.

After watching how easily young people could be lured into handing over tens of thousands of dollars to this shyster because he paid some super models to do a bikini video and tweet falsehoods about the fake festival, you realize how they can believe socialism can work. Alexandrea Ocasio-Cortez is a perfect role model for these dullards and sycophants. Young people appear incapable of thinking for themselves, critically assessing situations, or going against the crowd. They want to be told what to believe and what to do.

Of course, this sickness is not confined to only young people. Our entire society is permeated with greed, narcissism and lemming-like behavior. Keeping up with the Kardashians has replaced keeping up with the Joneses. Ethan Hawley’s desire for status and respect among his peers in small town America during the 1950s is no different than the social climbing happening in our high-tech social media crazed world of today. Human nature does not change.

The Netflix documentary brought a term to my attention I had not heard before – “influencers”. The shallowness and trivial nature of our culture is captured perfectly by the essence of the importance of “influencers” to marketing products and events.  The Fyre Festival was promoted on Instagram by “social media influencers” including socialite and model Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and model Emily Ratajkowski, who did not disclose they had been paid to do so.

“In business and in politics a man must carve and maul his way through men to get to be King of the Mountain. Once there, he can be great and kind–but he must get there first.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Rather than make up our own minds about what we like, what we wear, where we eat, or what entertainment we enjoy, we need to be influenced into our decisions by famous people who are famous for being famous. These “influencers” generate their influential power through the number of social media followers they have accumulated by posting pictures of themselves in their underwear, leaked sex tapes, nude selfies, or generally being attractive.

Most of them are low IQ mouth breathers who can’t do basic math or write a comprehensible paragraph. But those 36DD breasts and pouty lips classify them as a grade A influencer. I can’t decide whether these narcissistic icons are more pathetic or the feeble-minded wretches who are actually influenced by these vacuous bimbos. Moral degeneration of society seems to have reached a new low.

Billy McFarland used any means necessary to maul his way to the top. He figured if he pulled off this spectacular social media extravaganza, his new music app demand would skyrocket and he would become a superstar music business mogul like Jay-Z. As his lies and debt continued to pile up, he double downed and used his dynamic personality to convince naïve rich women into “investing” millions into his doomed to failure venture.

Ultimately, thousands of suckers landed on a Caribbean island expecting luxurious accommodations and dozens of A list entertainers, but experienced mass confusion, flimsy tent accommodations with soaked mattresses, little to no food, and a canceled concert as unpaid bands pulled out. The disaster was reported in real time through the same social media that promoted this festival farce.

“In poverty she is envious. In riches she may be a snob. Money does not change the sickness, only the symptoms” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

In the case of Billy McFarland we know the consequences of his actions. Lawsuits totaling $100 million were filed against him. He was charged with the Federal crime of wire fraud and convicted. He is currently serving six years in a Federal prison and was ordered to forfeit $26 million. Based on the warped personality I witnessed in the documentary, he will resume scamming people the second he walks out of that prison, and more suckers will eagerly hand him their money. You can’t cure stupid.

The future of fictional character Ethan Hawley is left to your imagination. He had been a moral upstanding citizen who faced a crisis of conscience and fell prey to the darker side of his nature. His boss had been deported and his best friend was dead. At the end of the novel he was left with ill-gotten wealth, a loving wife, a son who felt no guilt in cheating, and a daughter who saved his life.

I want to believe Ethan spent the rest of his life redeeming himself through his actions by doing good for the town, helping his friends achieve success, teaching his son right from wrong, using his wealth to benefit humanity, and proving to his daughter his life was worth saving. Ethan’s struggle is the existential crisis we all face as human beings. The love of money is the root of all evil. Whether we are poor, middle class or rich, when our priorities become warped by greed, narcissism, envy, or worldly desires, it only leads to discontent.

We see the discontent revealed by the billionaire crowd who rig markets to pillage more of the nation’s wealth. We see it among corrupt politicians being bought off by crooked corporate CEOs. We see it when media pundits broadcast fake news to push their agenda. We see it exhibited by the blatant coup attempt against a duly elected president by arrogant treasonous men who consider themselves above the law. We see it play out in office politics all over America. We see it with cheating on our taxes or lying to our spouses. We see our youth plagiarizing and cheating on tests. It seems we are a society of scammers, liars, and dishonest discontents.

Steinbeck was not one for happy endings. He pondered morality and the human condition and found it wanting. A battle between the good and evil is fought within the conscience of every human being. An inner dialogue takes place regarding every moral decision we make. The continuation of a civilized society is dependent upon more human beings choosing the path of good versus the path of evil.

We can be the most technologically advanced civilization in history, but if we allow moral degeneration to dominate our culture, our civilization will be doomed. It feels as if our society is leaning towards the dark side and this realization is leading to an epic showdown between good and evil. We are truly experiencing a winter of discontent. The winner of this battle will determine the future course of our country.

“We can shoot rockets into space but we can’t cure anger or discontent.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Hands Off Venezuela: Historic Stance at the United Nations against US Imperialism

In a spectacular display of solidarity and strength, envoys from Beijing and Havana, Moscow and Tehran, Pyongyang and Caracas, Damascus and Managua and numerous other states stood together, side by side, in front of the UN Security Council

The post Hands Off Venezuela: Historic Stance at the United Nations against US Imperialism appeared first on Global Research.

Google, Facebook Forced to Pay Creators Under New EU Rules

(Bloomberg) — Online platforms will be required to compensate publishers and creators for the content that appears on their websites, under new European Union copyright rules that could shrink access to online media in Europe.

The new rules mean music producers and publishers could come gunning for more money from Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. to compensate for the display of their songs, video and news articles.

If artists and music producers refuse to grant platforms licenses, tech firms will be required to remove or block uploads. And if platforms don’t negotiate licenses with publishers, or if publishers don’t waive their rights, web firms won’t be able to display longer fragments of news articles under headlines.

The rules “will enable creators to be remunerated fairly by large online platforms that today are siphoning the value of the creative sector while failing to compensate creators,” said Veronique Desbrosses, Director General of GESAC, a European umbrella association of authors and composers.

The legislation, proposed by the European Commission in 2016 and agreed to with the European Parliament and member states Wednesday, is designed to help artists, musicians, publishers and other creators get fair payment for use of their content online. But the copyright rules provoked years of lobbying on all sides, with free-speech activists saying they could result in censorship online.

In response to the copyright agreement, Google spokesman Damien Roemer said in a statement: “We’ll be studying the final text of the EU copyright directive and it will take some time to determine next steps.” He added that “the details will matter, so we welcome the chance to continue conversations across Europe.”

The search giant said recently it may pull its Google News service from Europe in response to the law, particularly if publishers aren’t allowed to waive their rights. It said it would take the decision reluctantly and only after analyzing the final text. Google has already deactivated the product in Spain.

Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents Facebook and Google, said in a statement the rules are a “lost opportunity to achieve a balanced and future-proof EU copyright reform,” adding it could “harm online innovation, scaleups, and restrict online freedoms in Europe.”

As part of the new rules, the EU is requiring tech firms to negotiate licenses for songs or video clips before publishing user uploads of content that incorporates them. In situations where no licenses are concluded, they are required to make “best efforts” to obtain authorization, according to the EU. Platforms also have to do everything in their power to remove or block material that rights holders have flagged in advance and quickly remove any unauthorized content once notified.

“This law will fundamentally change the internet as we know it,” said Julia Reda, a member of the European Parliament from Germany’s Pirate Party and staunch opponent of the copyright package on concerns of censorship. Platforms “will have no choice but to deploy upload filters, which are by their nature both expensive and error-prone.”

The bloc also agreed to grant publishers new legal rights to help them seek compensation from all types of online services that display longer fragments of their articles. “Very short” snippets and individual words, such as in hyperlinks, are not covered by the law, the EU said. And publishers, which often get significant internet traffic to their sites from search and social, are allowed to waive their rights and let platforms display the content for free.

The rules create new liabilities for tech firms, chipping away at previous protections that absolved them of legal responsibility for what users posted on their sites. Those carve-outs were designed to help web firms grow in the early days of the internet but now officials want them to shoulder more responsibility for the material their users create, such as terror content, hate speech, and fake news.

The agreement on copyright still needs to be rubber-stamped by the European Parliament and the bloc’s member states, which is typically a formality.

(Updates with Google comment.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at [email protected], Nate Lanxon, Molly Schuetz

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Malaysia’s 1MDB Financial Scandal: Stolen Money Must Not Place Culprits Above the Law

Malaysians have over the past few hours been treated to a disgraceful display of mutual finger pointing and denial by the entities and individuals most culpable over 1MDB, as they seek to blame each other and get off the hook.

The post Malaysia’s 1MDB Financial Scandal: Stolen Money Must Not Place Culprits Above the Law appeared first on Global Research.

Gov. Gavin Newsom commits financial suicide for the state of California by expanding taxpayer-funded health care coverage to illegal immigrants

(Natural News) The economic illiteracy of newly-elected California governor Gavin Newsom was on full display right after his inauguration ceremony. As his first act as governor, Newsom signed a series of executive orders that fine California citizens without healthcare coverage, while financially catering to illegal immigrants and demanding federal assistance for healthcare coverage for illegal…

SICKOS: NBC liberal comedian Seth Meyers mocks American victims of violent illegal aliens

(Natural News) In a shocking display of callous insensitivity, late-night NBC “comedian” Seth Meyers somehow decided it would be a good idea to mock illegal alien murder victims immediately following President Trump’s recent address to the nation about the dire need for a wall to be built along America’s southern border. Just minutes after the…

in Editorial , 221 references Ignore this thread Speeches, Facts And Fences

by Karl Denninger, Market Ticker: Dueling speeches…. Trump, for all his warts, actually read off a teleprompter it appears.  He was quite focused and didn’t display any of his trademark mannerisms.  That is neither good or bad, it just is. Pelosi and Schumer, on the other hand, dodged the existential question of the shutdown and […]

The post in Editorial , 221 references Ignore this thread Speeches, Facts And Fences appeared first on SGT Report.

Website Selling Genital Prosthetics For ‘Transgender’ Children

Activists take part in the Gay Pride Parade in Managua, on June 28, 2017.

ByFrank Camp

As the transgender movement has developed, so too has its focus on the transitioning of younger and younger people. TransKids, according to the “about” section of the transgender youth website, is “a safe and affirming place where helping your kids live fully and embodied is our only goal.”

TransKids.biz, which is “dedicated to providing young folks with gender expression gear and resources,” not only recommends transgender children’s books like “Who are you? The Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity” and “Be Who You Are,” it markets and sells garments and prosthetics designed to fit young children between the approximate ages of 8-13.

Each prosthetic and piece of clothing is casually described as if it were a blouse in an old department store catalogue. For example, the “Tuck Buddies Underwear,” which is meant for biological girls who identify as boys, is described as follows:

These clever unders have an extra panel in the front to help your kiddo have a smooth front. With a modern “boyshort” look, Tuck Buddies can help your girl feel more confident and comfortable!

The “Masho Packer” prosthetic penis “is a much requested [piece] from Japan that we are able to offer in limited quantities. This smallish prosthetic is angled downward for a more realistic and less ‘outstanding’ package. While designed for adults, this is one of the smaller packers on the market.”

The “Mini” and the “Teeny Tiny” seem to be the smallest prosthetic penises offered by the website, and are described as follows:

While most trans boys don’t start packing until they are teens or older, sometimes young kids want to have a prosthetic and what is on the market is really just too big for most folks under 10 years old. So our friends who make our Silicone Packers came up with a mini version for young and/or smaller kids. Now these may look “too” tiny to some, but we think these are pretty accurate in their overall size. That said, they are a scaled down version of a larger Packer, so the proportion is not what you might see attached to an AMAB kid.

AMAB is an acronym for “assigned male at birth.”

A “stand to pee” prosthetic penis, which comes in circumcised or uncircumcised, is “designed especially for younger folks,” and is “discreet enough that [it] can be worn all day under clothes.”

There are photos of each of the prosthetics which The Daily Wire will not display.

TransKids is affiliated with FTM Essentials, an online store for biological women who identify as men, and its parent company is an erotica shop in Chicago called Early to Bed.

Following the increasing social acceptance of the adult transgender movement in western culture, the focus has begun to shift toward children who express what may appear to be gender dysphoria.

Despite the possibility of irreparable physical and psychological damage to prepubescent children who are given hormone therapy and offered transitional services, there is a small but vocal group of Americans pushing for the unconditional cultural approval of such things.

According to a 2014 paper by Columbia University’s Jack Drescher and Jack Pula titled, “Ethical issues raised by the treatment of gender-variant prepubescent children,” and published in The Hastings Center Report, only a fraction of children who display gender dysphoric behavior continue to do so as adults:

… there is no expert clinical consensus regarding the treatment of prepubescent children who meet diagnostic criteria for what was referred to in both DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 as gender identity disorder in children and now in DSM-5 as gender dysphoria.

… as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health notes in their latest Standards of Care, gender dysphoria in childhood does not inevitably continue into adulthood, and only 6 to 23 percent of boys and 12 to 27 percent of girls treated in gender clinics showed persistence of their gender dysphoria into adulthood. Further, most of the boys’ gender dysphoria desisted, and in adulthood, they identified as gay rather than as transgender.

The contingent of individuals who demand that western society accept and comply with their belief that alleged gender dysphoric children should be given hormone therapy and transitional services are, with or without malice, creating an environment in which young people may be catastrophically harmed. Marketing products and services to aid such a movement is ignorant at best, and unethical at worst.

The Daily Wire reached out to TransKids for comment, but the representative to whom we spoke was reluctant to answer any questions, and referred us to the owner, who doesn’t work on weekends.

 

Buzz grows on ‘flying cars’ ahead of major tech show

Source: Glenn CHAPMAN

Will flying cars take off at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show?

Well, sort of.

The prototypes won’t be soaring over the Las Vegas Strip during the technology extravaganza which runs from January 8-11.

But a number of flying car designs will be on display, portending what many see as an inevitable airborne future for short-range transport with vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL.

NFT Inc. co-founders Maki and Guy Kaplinsky, a couple developing a flying vehicle in Israel and California, will have their vision on display at show, with a media session on Sunday.

“We believe we have a winning design that will enable us to make the Model T of flying cars — a low-cost production model,” Guy Kaplinsky told AFP in a Silicon Valley office park where a prototype model was being assembled.

A doorway to the rear of the NFT office in Mountain View opened onto large blue tarps hung from the ceiling to hide the workshop.

A team of veteran aviation engineers is focused on research at the startup’s facility in Israel, and the founders plan to expand the staff of 15 people.

The startup is designing hardware and software, while enlisting original equipment manufacturers to crank out products at scale.

“We learned from Tesla that Elon Musk spent too much time on the production side,” Guy Kaplinsky said.

“We are spending our time on the technology side and will partner with companies on assembly.”

The NFT vehicle with a projected price tag of $50,000 will function as a car, but be able to take off or land vertically and fly on auto-pilot.

– Regular Joes ? –

Several companies, including Uber and start-ups backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, are working on people-carrying drones or similar flying vehicles.

In Japan, volunteers in a “Cartivator” group are out to build a “Skydrive” flying car and have set their sights on using one to light the flame at the opening of the Olympic games in Tokyo in 2020.

The crowdfunded effort has gotten backing from Japanese auto giant Toyota, where some Cartivator members work.

A scaled-down replica of “Toyota’s flying car” is to be shown at CES.

“Our team consists of people with diverse professional backgrounds and is working hard every weekend towards developing the flying car,” the group said at a cartivator.com website.

“We aim to build a prototype, establish theory of flight control, as well as form alliances with major corporations to make mass production of the flying car a reality.”

– Door-to-door solution –

NFT is working to marry a plane with a car, meaning no airports or heliports would be needed.

“We believe door-to-door is the solution,” Kaplinsky said.

“Our approach is more for the mom and three kids; you load everyone in the car one time and get where you need to go.”

A smartphone mapping application could be paired to a navigation center hosted in the internet cloud, routing drivers to takeoff points and providing instructions to auto-pilots in cars.

The electric powered NFT vehicle is targeting ranges of 310 miles flying (500 km) and 60 miles driving (100 km).

Kaplinsky said the startup seeing US Federal Aviation Administration approval as early as 2024.

He expected to have a drive-fly vehicle ready to demonstrate late next year.

Kaplinsky felt it likely that, in the long run, flying cars would be part of ride-sharing fleets to make better use than those owned by individuals.

Gartner automotive analyst Mike Ramsey says autonomous flying vehicles are coming, but won’t disrupt the way people travel.

Ramsey said cost, regulation, and battery life are just a few of the hurdles for flying vehicles.

“There still has to be a limit to the number of these things that can be in the air at once,” he said/

While one person with a flying car may be amazing, 500 people in a city darting about in flying cars could bode airborne mayhem.

“It’s really cool, and it will have applications, but they are unlikely to be regular Joes like you and me jumping over all the traffic,” Ramsey said.

The analyst said flying vehicles could catch on as lower cost options to medical helicopters, military transport, or accessing rugged rural areas.

“I do think the technology will happen,” Ramsey said.

Capitalism: The Cure, Not The Problem

The political climate of this country is full of tension and anger. Whether one considers themselves to be on the left, right, or something else altogether, they are undoubtedly fed up with this current system. There is no better display of these emotions than the current Occupy movement, now spreading across the country and the whole world. This Saturday was the kickoff of Occupy Pittsburgh.

Being that I count myself among the fed up, I wanted to attend. The political ideologies represented at the Pittsburgh rallies and marches on Saturday were varied. Most people participating no longer trust either political party to represent them anymore. There was popular sentiment that corporations have now bought the vast majority of politicians and that corporate money needs to be barred from flowing into the campaign coffers of these politicians.

The above message I can agree with, but it is the other solutions that many Occupiers advocate that I strongly disagree with. It was my impression that a good majority of the protesters wanted higher taxes for the “rich”, more regulation of the economy with special emphasis on the banking sector, and more socialized programs like universal healthcare.

“The rich are hoarding all the wealth and must be forced to give it up and pay their fair share.” “Government needs to crack down on the banks and regulate them more because they are now allowed to gamble away peoples’ savings in the derivatives market with impunity.” “The greedy healthcare companies are raising the cost of healthcare and forcing the poor to go without, therefore they must be restrained or the government should provide all medical care.” Many of these same people were calling for an end to capitalism altogether.

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