Congress foists weapons on army

The army says it doesn't need new Abrams tanks, but Congress is buying them anyway. What more proof would one need that the political system is corrupt, that it is broken, that it is not responding to the needs of the American people, that we have pervasive corporate welfare?

Lawmakers from both parties have devoted nearly half a billion dollars in taxpayer money over the past two years to build improved versions of the 70-ton Abrams. But senior Army officials have said repeatedly, "No thanks." It's the inverse of the federal budget world these days, in which automatic spending cuts are leaving sought-after pet programs struggling or unpaid altogether. Republicans and Democrats for years have fought so bitterly that lawmaking in Washington ground to a near-halt. Yet in the case of the Abrams tank, there's a bipartisan push to spend an extra $436 million on a weapon the experts explicitly say is not needed.

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Bradley Manning barred as S.F. Gay Pride Grand Marshal; abusive corporations welcomed.

Glen Greenwald reports that Bradley Manning may not be honored at this year's San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, though corrupt and abusive corporations are welcome:

So apparently, the very high-minded ethical standards of Lisa L Williams and the SF Pride Board apply only to young and powerless Army Privates who engage in an act of conscience against the US war machine, but instantly disappear for large corporations and banks that hand over cash. What we really see here is how the largest and most corrupt corporations own not just the government but also the culture. Even at the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, once an iconic symbol of cultural dissent and disregard for stifling pieties, nothing can happen that might offend AT&T and the Bank of America. The minute something even a bit deviant takes place (as defined by standards imposed by America's political and corporate class), even the SF Gay Pride Parade must scamper, capitulate, apologize, and take an oath of fealty to their orthodoxies (we adore the military, the state, and your laws). And, as usual, the largest corporate factions are completely exempt from the strictures and standards applied to the marginalized and powerless. Thus, while Bradley Manning is persona non grata at SF Pride, illegal eavesdropping telecoms, scheming banks, and hedge-fund purveryors of the nation's worst right-wing agitprop are more than welcome.

Greenwald also points out the flaw in Ms. Williams' thinking, which is a conflation I often hear, even among many folks who think of themselves as progressive:
Equating illegal behavior with ignominious behavior is the defining mentality of an authoritarian - and is particularly notable coming from what was once viewed as a bastion of liberal dissent.
And how should one now characterize the Gay Pride parade?
Yet another edgy, interesting, creative, independent event has been degraded and neutered into a meek and subservient ritual that must pay homage to the nation's most powerful entities and at all costs avoid offending them in any way.

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Inventing gods to control the things that scare us

Why would someone invent a god? There are lots of conceivable reasons. One might be lonely, scared or feeling lost, and belief in could provide comfort. Two books I’m reading have provided a different but consistent perspective on this question of why people invent gods. One of the books, Thinking,…

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Dirty fracking water: a flood of permanent pollution.

From Scientific American, we learn that huge amounts of precious water are being polluted to such an extent that it can never feasible be returned to the planet's fresh water system. This is horrifying, especially since there are much safer alternatives, including conservation and sustainable energy supplies.

The nation's oil and gas wells produce at least nine billion liters of contaminated water per day, according to an Argonne National Laboratory report. And that is an underestimate of the amount of brine, fracking fluid and other contaminated water that flows back up a well along with the natural gas or oil, because it is based on incomplete data from state governments gathered in 2007. The volume will only get larger, too: oil and gas producers use at least 7.5 million liters of water per well to fracture subterranean formations and release entrapped hydrocarbon fuels, a practice that has grown in the U.S. by at least 48 percent per year in the last five years . . . The problem is that the large volumes of water that flow back to the surface along with the oil or gas are laced with everything from naturally radioactive minerals to proprietary chemicals. And there are not a lot of cost-effective options for treating it, other than dumping it down a deep well.

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African proverbs

I've often posted on quotes, but a friend recently sent me a link to a big collection of African proverbs. Lots of wisdom in these words, and here are some of my favorites: To get lost is to learn the way. ~ African proverb He who learns, teaches. ~ Ethiopian proverb You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. ~ African proverb You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down. ~ Bateke proverb Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone. ~Moroccan Proverb Traveling is learning. ~Kenyan Proverb Peace is costly but it is worth the expense. ~Kenyan proverb War has no eyes ~ Swahili saying There can be no peace without understanding. ~Senegalese proverb If you can’t resolve your problems in peace, you can’t solve war. ~ Somalian proverb He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk. ~ Malawian proverb A large chair does not make a king. ~ Sudanese proverb Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~ Bondei proverb It takes a village to raise a child. ~ African proverb Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you. ~ African proverb Hold a true friend with both hands. ~ African proverb Show me your friend and I will show you your character. ~ African proverb Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends. ~ Gabon proverb Make some money but don’t let money make you. ~ Tanzania The rich are always complaining. ~ Zulu Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true. ~ South Africa What you give you get, ten times over. ~ Yoruba The surface of the water is beautiful, but it is no good to sleep on. ~Ghanaian Proverb You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty. ~Congolese Proverb Three things cause sorrow to flee; water, green trees, and a beautiful face. ~Moroccan Proverb A beautiful thing is never perfect. ~Egyptian Proverb Youth is beauty, even in cattle. ~Egyptian Proverb

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