There’s Always Money For Bombs

“The sinews of war are infinite money.” --Marcus Tullius Cicero

"How many free school lunches could have been bought with the money we used to send bombs to Israel so they could bury children under rubble?" --Professor Anthony Zenkus on X https://twitter.com/anthonyzenkus/status/1797464596552585340

There’s Always Money For Bombs

by C.A. Matthews

The images out of Gaza have been unrelentingly traumatic, but the slaughter in Rafah was just unbearably upsetting. Reports of decapitated babies. Charred children. People burned alive. All just days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah. All while the US government makes excuse after excuse for Israel’s flagrant breaches of international law, which Israel said was just a “tragic mistake”.

After those images, I couldn’t function anymore. I certainly couldn’t sit down and try and write. The hopelessness and the horror and my rage felt too overwhelming. My complicity felt too overwhelming – the knowledge that this mass slaughter is being facilitated and funded by the US taxpayer, the knowledge that a little portion of my writing income goes towards this suffering. All while the public school around the corner from me in Philadelphia is failing because there’s never enough money for education and the library near me shuts on Sundays because there’s never enough money for public services and there are people going bankrupt in the US from medical bills because there’s never enough money to invest in public health. But there’s always money for bombs. --from Where is Joe Biden’s fury about decapitated Palestinian babies? by Arwa Mahdawi

When I read Arwa’s impassioned plea for sanity, I identified with it completely. I knew I had to write about it.

There is always—and I mean always—enough money for bombs in the annual budget that the US Congress passes. Sure, some of the money goes for tanks, nuclear subs, the dockyard queen known as the “Littoral Combat Ship,” and for the crash-worthy F-35, too, but that’s the gist of where the majority of our tax dollars go toward. Armaments. War. Death. Destruction.

Genocide.

Why is that? Arwa makes some pertinent points here. There’s never any money for universal health care or to help struggling public schools in America, but there’s plenty of money to give to genocidal maniacs like Israel, always billions of dollars worth of bombs to hand over to these ethnic cleansing mass murderers. Bombs that have killed and maimed over 100,000 human beings in Gaza alone. Bombs that don’t create goodwill among the nations. Bombs that only create more animosity and fear.

Bombs that are bringing us each and every day closer to a nuclear war and the end of the world as we know it.

I’m sure there are plenty who feel that I’m exaggerating the point and that poor Arwa needs to take a chill pill and lie down until her brain fog clears. I call those types of people “idiots.” Okay, perhaps “morons” might be the better term in an intellectual sense, but either term works for me. Nowadays we can’t afford to keep listening to morons and idiots because these moron and idiots are trying to start World War III.

Don’t believe me? Believe another intelligent person who has looked into this issue:

The Biden administration has given Ukraine permission to use US-provided weapons to hit targets inside Russian territory (...) a step that marks a significant escalation of the proxy war.

“Ukraine needs support from the US for targeting when it fires US-provided missiles, which means the US will now be directly supporting strikes inside Russia. The escalation risks provoking a major response from Russia, as Moscow recently warned the UK that it would target British military sites in Ukraine and “beyond” if British missiles were used in strikes on Russian territory. (…)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any NATO countries that let Ukraine strike Russia with their weapons would face “major consequences.”  From Biden Gives Ukraine Permission To Strike Inside Russia With US Weapons by Dave DeCamp

There it is in black and white. The US is threatening Russia. One nuclear power is threatening another by giving bombs to another country, Ukraine, even after what President Putin said about the first country will be held accountable for whatever damage their bombs do. And the idiots and morons in the US allow Ukraine to shoot American bombs/missiles into Russia, targeting nuclear radar sites, knowing full well that these actions could escalate the current conventional bloodbath into full-fledged nuclear warfare. For added fun, US NATO ally France is sending some of its troops into Ukraine to get slaughtered as quickly as Ukrainian troops have. There can never be enough cannon fodder—I mean “soldiers”.

I know it’s difficult to get your head around this horrific state of affairs, but allow me to help. I believe the word you’re looking for to describe this situation is “suicide.”

To reiterate: There’s always money for bombs. AND the US will always make certain there are bombs enough worldwide to commit a nuclear genocide against every last living thing on earth. Why? Because the US is hell-bent to get its way and remain the top dog economically and militarily while standing on the apex of a pile of smoldering rubble called the Late Great Planet Earth.

See, that’s not too difficult to understand, is it? It isn’t a good thing. In fact, it’s something that the rest of the people of the planet desperately want to stop. It’s what keeping both Arwa and me awake at nights.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know what I mean by the terms “zio-bully” and “zionarcissism”  and how to apply them to the behaviors of the United States of Israel. The US suffers greatly from the mental illness of zionarcissism. It believes the best thing in the world is to zio-bully everyone into doing what they say by threatening them with bombs raining down on them from the sky, along with the parts from more than a few Boeing jets for good measure. [Editor’s note: The US bombs that were rained down upon the sleeping refugee camp in Rafah were actually made by Boeing, the Boeing GBU-39. (Cost reports range from $30,000-$40,000 per bomb.)Yes, Boeing can make something that actually works as intended. Too bad this something was intended to maim and kill.]

by Mark Taylor www.DeMOCKracy.Ink

I know what you’re thinking, if you’re a sane and moral person, that is. You’re thinking: “It doesn’t make any sense for the US, or anyone for that matter, to provoke a nuclear confrontation. Nobody wins in a nuclear war.” You’re absolutely right. But if you’ve been following recent events, you’ll have come to the conclusion that the US is not run by anyone the least sane and/or moral.

For crying out loud, Butcher Biden has been giving away billions of dollars worth of bombs and armaments to Israel who is clearly committing war crimes against an indigenous civilian population! Children are being burnt alive and suffering amputations without the benefit of anesthetic because Biden allows the Israelis to block food and medicines from coming into Gaza. I ask you how is Biden’s behavior either “sane” or “moral”?

“But what do we Americans get out of all this death and destruction?” you wonder. “Surely we must get something out of it, or why else do it and ruin our reputation on the world stage?”

Good questions. Perhaps there are no satisfactory answers. One thing the NATO countries are getting from watching the Israeli Occupation Forces bomb and sniper-shoot their way across Gaza is lots of great data on how well their instruments of death work in the field. Military scientists now know exactly how many bombs it takes to turn a city the size of Gaza City into rubble. This could make fighting conventional wars in the future (if there is a future) much more organized and cost effective.  If you know you’ll only need like 25,000 bunker buster bombs for your first month’s barrage, then you won’t need to buy or stock any more bombs than that. See how that could save a few trillion bucks in the Pentagon’s budget? (More money for those legendary golden toilet seats for F-35s!)

Even more sinister than that is now all these wonderful military-industrial complex corporations have great feedback on just how deadly their weapons of war really are. I mean, it’s difficult to know just how many children can be burned alive in a refugee tent camp without actually testing out your bombs by dropping them on some human guinea pigs. Isn’t it nice how the people of Gaza have volunteered their services essentially to serve as “crash test dummies” for the past eight months?

You don’t believe me that scientists actually collect this sort of data from the deaths of civilians and use it to make more lethal weapons? Well, if I told you that Nazi scientists tested weapons on the bodies of living (soon dead) concentration camp prisoners during World War II, and that information was snatched up by the US and others at the end of the war and studied closely, would you still not believe me? It’s okay if you don’t. But watch out that you and yours don’t become the next guinea pig they decide to test out their instruments of death on.

In the end, that’s all the military-industrial complex CEOs want—lots of profits (which the US government is providing) and lots of success with their “products” so they get repeat business. And these products won’t necessarily be sold to be used abroad in a distant land against a distant people you don’t like next time. Americans could be the next guinea pigs. Take a look at our militarized policing systems in American cities.

Why the hell does a small town with less than 25,000 people in the heartland of America need a dozen Humvee armored cars, courtesy of a Pentagon rummage sale? Answer: It doesn’t. But I used to drive past the police depot that contained these weapons of war when I lived in that little town, and I wondered if the cops bought them just in case they ever needed to mow down a few protesters who started acting out of line and demanding an end to the genocides, an end to the endless wars.

Small town cops can’t ever be too careful come a full fledged “riot” of five grandmothers and two dogs standing on the corner of Main Street carrying “Free Palestine” banners. Those armored cars will come in handy in running those “killer grannies” down, won’t they? Who’s to say our militarized police won’t use these military-grade weapons against us for other things like being the wrong color, wrong religion, wrong politics, wrong gender identity, wrong… You get the picture.

So remember: There’s always money for bombs. That is, until We the People decide that there isn’t, and we do something to stop these insane genocidal-suicidal morons.

photos by Stefan Fane

One big thing we can do is show solidarity with oppressed people both at home and around the world. We can broadcast their cause to a wider audience, since broadcast mainstream media stations won’t bother to. We can stand together and not let the morons-in-charge divide us and conquer our power.

I did just that this past weekend. I marched in solidarity for Palestine with an interesting mix of people—peace activists, queer activists, LGBTQIA supporters, American Muslim activists and their supporters. I know, these don’t sound like groups that normally would march together in a summer festival parade under the banner of Palestine liberation, but they did. We had a great time and received over all good responses from the community.

Marching with Stefan

We can’t allow the morons to break our spirits. We can’t allow them to divide and conquer us as we fight for our case. We can’t quit protesting until we see our objectives met.

One day soon, we will make it so there is never any money for bombs as long as there are oppressed human beings in need of our help anywhere on the planet. I can’t wait to walk beside you then.

Related Articles and Other Interesting Links

Israel’s Tents Massacre in Rafah Is a Heinous War Crime https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/tents-massacre-rafah-war-crime

Rafah Invasion Was Once Biden’s “Red Line” — But Israel Continues to Cross It https://truthout.org/articles/rafah-invasion-was-once-bidens-red-line-but-israel-continues-to-cross-it/

Where is Joe Biden’s fury about decapitated Palestinian babies? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/30/biden-palestinian-beheaded-israeli-babies

Biden Lets Ukraine Strike Russia With US Weapons While Ukraine Attacks Russian Nuclear Defenses  https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/biden-lets-ukraine-strike-russia

Biden Gives Ukraine Permission To Strike Inside Russia With US Weapons https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/30/biden-gives-ukraine-permission-to-strike-inside-russia-with-us-weapons/

US Presidents Who Gamble With Nuclear Armageddon https://consortiumnews.com/2024/05/30/us-presidents-who-gamble-with-nuclear-armageddon/

The Military-Industrial Complex Is Killing Us All https://scheerpost.com/2024/06/03/the-military-industrial-complex-is-killing-us-all/

Surveillance and interference: Israel’s covert war on the ICC exposed https://www.972mag.com/icc-israel-surveillance-investigation/

The ICC Takes on Israel and the US Congressional Mafia https://medeabenjamin.substack.com/p/the-icc-takes-on-israel-and-the-us

Top EU official accused at ICC of ‘complicity’ in Gaza genocide https://thecradle.co/articles/top-eu-official-accused-at-icc-of-complicity-in-gaza-genocide

Israel Seizes Entire Gaza Border! https://rumble.com/v4ygyze-live-israel-seizes-entire-gaza-border-and-much-more.html

Biden pressures Netanyahu to accept peace deal that could have been agreed 40,000 bodies ago https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/biden-pressures-netanyahu-to-accept

Falsified US State Department Report Inspires Yet Another Resignation https://popularresistance.org/falsified-us-state-department-report-inspires-yet-another-resignation/

This Texas Company Is Providing the Jet Fuel for Israel’s Assault on Gaza https://truthout.org/articles/this-texas-company-is-providing-the-jet-fuel-for-israels-assault-on-gaza/

UN Calls for International Aid as Sudan Faces Imminent Famine Amid Civil War https://truthout.org/articles/un-calls-for-international-aid-as-sudan-faces-imminent-famine-amid-civil-war/

UCLA's Disturbing Crackdown on Peaceful Protesters: An Injustice Unfolds https://www.citizenschronicle.org/p/uclas-disturbing-crackdown-on-peaceful

Gaza-on-the-Rhine, a history lesson https://autonomies.org/2024/03/yazan-alloujami-gaza-on-the-rhine-a-history-lesson/

From Massachusetts, Some Tax-the-Rich Inspiration https://scheerpost.com/2024/05/28/from-massachusetts-some-tax-the-rich-inspiration/

In a Victory for Assange and First Amendment, UK Court Grants Right to Appeal  https://truthout.org/articles/in-a-victory-for-assange-and-first-amendment-uk-court-grants-right-to-appeal/

Why Celebrities Aren't Speaking Up About Gaza https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/why-celebrities-arent-speaking-up

Educators Celebrate as Judge Strikes Down New Hampshire ‘Banned Concepts’ Law https://scheerpost.com/2024/05/30/educators-celebrate-as-judge-strikes-down-new-hampshire-banned-concepts-law/

Delhi Heat Wave Suggests Underestimated Speed and Intensity of Global Warming https://truthout.org/articles/delhi-heat-wave-suggests-underestimated-speed-and-intensity-of-global-warming/

Murray & Galloway on Ending Israel's Genocide in Gaza https://youtu.be/mW5KF-Z08ug

Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today. Go to https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com and subscribe at the link at the end of the article. You'll enjoy having each week's post automatically sent to your email box or reading it at the Substack site. Many thanks for your consideration. 

To Die On The Job Is To Die For America

To Die On The Job Is To Die For America

by C. A. Matthews

The only things certain in life are death and taxes--and dying struggling to make ends meet while paying those taxes.

Okay, I made up that last part, but it works, particularly for Americans. We've been indoctrinated (programmed) to believe we must give everything of ourselves to our employer--our time, our creativity, our talent, our family life, our social life, our health. It's sad when you consider that in other parts of the world workers don't have to make such difficult choices. They don't have to decide between whether to keep the heat on this winter or pay for a family member's vital medications like Americans routinely do. Workers in most other countries can do both and still have money left over to spend on their guaranteed six weeks of yearly paid vacation.

How did it ever come to this? When did Americans become so brainwashed that they actually believe their employers have their best interests at heart? Why are Americans willing to work until they drop over dead in their tracks? This odd behavior didn't happen overnight. It was centuries in the making. But now that the corrupt economic system called "capitalism" has become a part of American secular religion, why haven't more apostates cropped up?

My thought is that our limited public educational system has made sure young Americans are taught that "democracy" is synonymous with "capitalism," but perhaps the confusion between these words is changing in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The propaganda line that our employers (and our government) are somehow always looking out for us has crashed and burned in the most spectacular fashion over these past two years of needless death and illness. 

Waking up from centuries of brainwashing in such a rough manner has thrown lots of people for a loop. But it's not as hard to convince workers in the year 2022 that their bosses are selfish, greedy bastards. The news--or at least the social platforms--abounds with stories of bosses firing workers for not reporting in to work while suffering from a potentially lethal illness. The Centers for Disease Control blithely changing their "tested positive, stay 10 days at home policy" to only five days at the request of Delta Airlines (among others corporations) further demonstrates that the federal government exists only to serve the capitalists at the expense of the workers.

"Essential" workers like nurses, janitors, daycare workers, teachers, grocery cashiers, restaurant workers, etc., have discovered they are "expendable" workers now that mandatory lockdowns are a thing of the past. If employers can't make the profits they'd like from their workers, then bosses threaten to hire other workers to take their place. Forcing sick employees back to their stations while forcing young students back into plague pits (a.k.a. "schools") so their parents can go back to work in person has fueled the pandemic and sent more adults and children into ICUs. 

Is it any wonder why the US hasn't vaccinated 100% of our population? Why should American workers trust government officials who change COVID policy at the whim of an airline CEO whose lobbyists keep stuffing filthy cash into these same government officials' pockets? Why should anyone trust private Big Pharma corporations who are making billions from selling life-saving drugs and vaccines when they won't even share the formulas with the rest of the world, especially the Global South? Are workers simply guinea pigs to test out new forms of pharmaceuticals and new forms of work coercion on?

The only bright side to this horrible mess we're still in after almost two years is this: More and more Americans clearly see how capitalists do not care one measly bit about the welfare of their workers or their workers' families. And more and more Americans want to see the capitalists pay their fair share of taxes, stop exploiting their workers, and stop destroying the planet with their insane need for profits over peace and life itself.  And some Americans are using their skills to provide a patent-free vaccine with the world.

That it had to come to this to open so many eyes is sad, but at least perhaps now we can all rest easy knowing that the almost one million American COVID-19 victims didn't die in vain.

 The CDC Says It's Okay For Workers To Die...

The “individual responsibility” narrative of vax, mask, shut up, and work is beneficial for the ruling class as it exploits our labor and our deaths for profit. In addition to vaccination, there are other safety measures that could reduce risk of infection in a pandemic, such as providing people with housing, workers’ democratic organization of their own schedules and working conditions, and paying workers to stay home if exposed. The ruling class, however, would never allow any of these options because they would cut into their profit margin. --Ending a Global Pandemic Should Not Rely On Individual Responsibility, Mike Pappas and Adnan Ahmed https://truthout.org/articles/ending-a-global-pandemic-should-not-rely-on-individual-responsibility/

Politicians of both parties have jumped on the COVID-19 money train. According to Business Insider, “as the pandemic raged, at least 75 lawmakers bought and sold stock in companies that make COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests.” That includes Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who grandstands as an anti-vaxxer while buying vaccine manufacturer stocks. --Should Biden Resign Over COVID-19 Deaths? Peter Dao  https://peterdaou.substack.com/p/daou-memo-should-biden-resign-over

Related articles: 

Texas Team Applauded for Giving What Big Pharma Refuses: A Patent-Free Vaccine to the World https://popularresistance.org/texas-team-applauded-for-giving-what-big-pharma-refuses-a-patent-free-vaccine-to-the-world

Delta Cuts Paid Sick Leave for Workers With COVID After Lobbying for CDC Change  https://truthout.org/articles/delta-cuts-paid-sick-leave-for-workers-with-covid-after-lobbying-for-cdc-change

Flight Attendant Union Criticizes CDC For Decision Pushed by Corporate America  https://popularresistance.org/flight-attendant-union-criticizes-cdc-for-decision-pushed-by-corporate-america

Seen on Twitter:

"They don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t give a fuck about you. They don't care about you at all -- at all -- at all."

― George Carlin

— General Strike (@WhiskersCrowley) December 30, 2021

BREAKING: The Federal Trade commission has approved a merger between the CDC and Delta Airlines. The new entity will be known as the Centers for Delta Cash and will offer free mileage points for every 5 boosters you receive.

— Prof Zenkus (@anthonyzenkus) December 30, 2021

If I die from Covid after being vaxxed, boosted, quarantined, and masked, please put “capitalism” as my cause of death.

— Tyler M. Tully (@TylerMTully) December 29, 2021

pic.twitter.com/1DWeW429oU

— genxgmom (@genxgmom) December 30, 2021

***

You’re in good company.

You are standing with fellow parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles around the country, committing to protect our families and kids.

We are part of a large majority of Americans who are worried and support meaningful action to stop pollution and address global warming.

Together, we have the power to make our elected leaders act with the speed and scale required to protect a safe future for kids.  

Families For A Future will help you connect with resources and opportunities for meaningful action, however much (or little) time you have. There are many we can have an impact if we come together in our communities, and across the country.

But it’s up to you to be a part of building a call for action that is so visible and loud, it is impossible for lawmakers to ignore.  

Here are four things to know, right now.

• Global warming is simple. There’s too much heat-trapping pollution from burning oil, gas, and coal to make energy. Lawmakers have the power to stop pollution by rapidly replacing fossil fuels with clean energy. They need to act immediately!

• We have the technology to create a future without pollution. And it will be vastly better. Transitioning to clean energy will save lives, save money, and provide huge economic benefits, without sacrificing the lives we lead today.

• It’s ok to feel confused. Polluters spent 30+ years and billions of dollars lying to us and blocking solutions. They want us to feel guilty, overwhelmed, and paralyzed. But every one of us can take action and make sure others know they can, too.

• It’s not just about what you do, it’s about who you bring. We need more people creating loud and visible pressure on lawmakers. You know lots of people who care about their kids’ future! Talk to them. Get them involved.

Here are two things to do, right now:

• Follow @afuturedotorg on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Like and share, but most importantly, be part of this conversation.

• Talk to your friends, family, and community over the holidays. Talking about it and is one of the most important things that everyone can do. As families gather to celebrate and make our resolutions for next year, this is a great opportunity to talk about concerns, solutions, how others can be part of building pressure for action. Here's a quick guide to help you have an easy and meaningful conversation.

We can do this. We have to.

- Families For A Future 

***

From Friends of the Earth:

The Biden administration has given Big Oil permits to drill on our public lands at a rate of 334 permits per month. That’s a higher monthly rate than the Trump administration gave out in his last two years in office. Take action now.

Candidate Biden promised to stop all new oil and gas leasing on our public lands and protect the people and wildlife that call it home. But President Biden broke his promise to the people that elected him.

There’s still time to reverse course, C.A.. I’m counting on you to remind President Biden who put him in office. You have the power to stop oil and gas leasing on our public lands -- starting with next month’s proposed sale. Will you use it? 

Hold President Biden accountable to the people: Demand he keeps Big Oil off our public lands! 

Sign Now

Soaring mountains. Singular rock formations. Desert landscapes. Countless geological wonders. These are just some of the marvels that make up our public lands. And right now, they’re all under threat. 

On your next trip to see America’s impressive landscape, you might find a massive oil rig blocking your view of the mountain peaks. Rock formations may be roped off to keep people out of a drilling site. You might notice the wildlife that lives on our public lands has been scared off by loud fossil fuel projects. 

Our public lands from Alabama to Montana are at risk of Big Oil’s destruction. But this fight isn’t over yet. It’s not too late for President Biden to stop oil and gas leasing. The only way to make sure he acts is by ramping up public pressure ahead of the next 300,000-acre lease sales in February. 

Demand the Biden administration stop selling off our public lands to Big Oil!

Sign Now

If the fossil fuel industry takes over our wild places, they will never be the same. Bulldozers will uproot and destroy native trees and terrain. Wildlife will be displaced. And the air and water will be polluted. 

More drilling = more fossil fuels being burned = worsening the climate crisis. There’s no excuse for leasing public lands to the fossil fuel industry while wildfires, storms, and flooding are devastating communities -- and we’re running out of time to stop it.  Demand that President Biden put wildlife, people, and the planet ahead of Big Oil.

Tell President Biden to keep Big Oil’s destruction out of our public lands!

Sign Now

Standing with you,
Nicole Ghio,
Senior fossil fuels program manager,
Friends of the Earth

 

Why Do We Love Billionaires So Much?

Why Do We Love Billionaires So Much?

 By C.A. Matthews

 

It confounds me. We're angry when we aren't paid what we should be, tired of how some capitalists blatantly steal from the public purse and don't pay their fare share, and yet we act mesmerized whenever the ultra-rich pull a flashy stunt to generate more publicity for their money-making machines.

You know what I'm talking about--the heavy mainstream media coverage of both Richard Branson's and Jeff Bezos' recent "joy rides" into the upper atmosphere. You'd think their private lives would be of zero interest to everyday folks slaving away in dead-end jobs in these billionaires' concerns, but the mainstream media seems to think their activities are more important than climate catastrophes happening around the globe this week. In fact, the big news outlets spent almost the same amount of air time covering Bezos' pretend space race adventure than they did on stories dealing with the multitude of deadly floods, droughts, forest fires and other climate emergencies that occurred on the same day.

Obviously, what rich people do with their billions for fun is infinitely more important than our children's safety or futures.

Or could it be…the mainstream media just wants us to think we love billionaires and find their antics lovable? Could it be we don't really love the hoarding toadies at all, but the powers-that-be want us to be tolerant of them and their destructive ways? Tolerant enough that we don't all grab our pitchforks and build guillotines before our homes burn down in a drought-driven forest fire?

"Just a little off the top," one can imagine Jeff Bezos muttering as thousands of his ill-treated warehouse workers lead him up the scaffolding to meet the blade.

It's time to be honest with ourselves. We--and by this I mean you, me, our children and loved ones--are the 99%. We can't afford to put up with these "lovable antics" by the überwealthy any longer. The 1% have by far the largest carbon footprint. Scientists tell us that the 1% and their conspicuous consumption is the leading cause of climate change. The 1% are the spoilers of this planet and human life in general.

It's time we stopped admiring them. It's time we stop kidding ourselves that we'll ever become one of them. You know deep down the odds that you will ever become a billionaire are a billion to one. So, if we're never going to become a member of the billionaire club what can we do to give our lives meaning? 

First off, we can stop the idol worshiping right now. There's no such thing as a "good billionaire" as I heard someone say. It's an oxymoron like "military intelligence." The two words don't belong in the same sentence. Billionaires aren't God. They're not "good" because they own just about everything and everyone on the planet and keep it to themselves. End the adoration of their senseless buffoonery in fast planes and dildo-shaped rockets.

Second thing, stop making excuses for these clowns in designer clothing. They are not better than the rest of us. They're not even smarter than the rest of us. Didn't Trump's nonsensical tweets make that fact more than obvious? Billionaires were simply born into wealth and have used that wealth to take things away from those less fortunate--such as our land, natural resources, our labor, our clean air, drinking water, and now even outer space. They live to make a profit off of everything and everyone.

(And you do qualify as one of the "less fortunate" if you actually pay your taxes. Most billionaires don't pay any.) 

Last, but not least, call out the mainstream media and others who attempt to glorify the billionaires and their activities. No more spreading their propaganda. Tell it like it is--they're greedy bastards who don't share their wealth, treat their workers like slaves, and get away without even paying their fair share of taxes. They're not to be emulated, idolized, admired, or tolerated. Shut down their PR spokespeople. 

Think of billionaires as your ex. You walked away from that dysfunctional relationship, didn't you? You know you are strong enough to walk away from the likes of Branson, Bezos, Musk, Gates, Buffet, the Walton family, etc. You don't need them to distract you from what really matters in life--taking care of yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors. 

Let the billionaires go--and be sure to let the door hit them hard on the backside as they exit!

 

Fifty years ago, poet Gil Scott-Heron expressed a similar attitude on this very subject.

https://youtu.be/goh2x_G0ct4

Billionaire Dreams are our Nightmares: https://youtu.be/-mKAI34chNo

Poverty Wages and Tax Dodging Funded Bezos' Ridiculous Space Trip https://truthout.org/articles/poverty-wages-and-tax-dodging-funded-bezoss-ridiculous-space-trip/

Learn more about the billionaires' "space race" in Coast Watcher's recent article, Billionaires in Spaaace! https://continuousrev.blogspot.com/2021/06/billionaires-in-spaaaace.html
 

And be sure to check out the best place on the web for independent journalism: https://radindiemedia.com/

What if UFOs are just billionaires from other planets?

— 𝙏𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 (@tlhicks713) July 24, 2021

 

If you're arguing the success of capitalism based on this psychopath having spent 10 minutes in space while millions are deprived of medical care and/or bankrupted by medical bills, you're as twisted as he is. Just dumber. pic.twitter.com/JMm4nHSb7U

— ✊🏻 Stained Class (@DEMS_R_GOP) July 21, 2021

 

Hahaha why no I cannot pay you a fair wage you lowly Amazon worker, I need that money for a five billion-dollar carnival ride

— Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) July 20, 2021

***

As Seattle was breaking records with triple-digit temperatures, Amazon warehouse managers called for a "power hour." They were pushing workers to run fast and pack faster despite having no indoor air conditioning in the warehouse.¹

Amazon puts productivity over the safety of their workers. They use high-tech algorithms to enforce it, surveilling workers and punishing them if they can’t meet the algorithm’s goals, even in the heat. This kind of workplace surveillance shouldn’t be legal, that’s why Congress needs to act now.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to protect Amazon workers from dangerous workplace surveillance!

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Even before the "heat dome" Amazon warehouses were already dangerous places to work. Amazon uses high-tech algorithms like Rate and Time off Task to push workers to the physical limit and then punish them for taking bathroom breaks.² It’s so bad OSHA once called Amazon warehouses one of the most dangerous jobs in America.³

Workplace surveillance and productivity algorithms shouldn’t be legal in the first place. But our legal system lags behind the pace of technology. Unless Congress closes the gap, Amazon will continue to use its high-tech grip to squeeze the life out of its warehouse workers. Like, increasing productivity rates, during a historic heatwave, in a warehouse without air conditioning.

Join thousands of activists already calling on Congress to fix this and protect Amazon workers.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to protect Amazon workers from dangerous workplace surveillance!

Thank you for speaking out,

Tihi and the team at Watchdog -- a project of Demand Progress

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Sources:
1. Daily Dot, "Amazon warehouse runs productivity contest at warehouse despite record-breaking heatwave," June 28, 2021.
2. The Verge, "How Amazon automatically tracks and fires warehouse workers for 'productivity'" April 25, 2019.
3. Futurism, "After Deaths, Amazon Lands on List of Most Dangerous Employers," October 18, 2019.

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It’s a big week for the resistance. As the Line 3 protest camps continue to meet the unprecedented advancement of Enbridge’s dangerous pipeline — arrests are happening nearly every day as this Indigenous-led movement attempts to stop a host of river crossings — my colleague, Chase Iron Eyes, and our full media team are heading out to the frontlines right now.

This trip, and our staff’s ongoing dedication to media creation, outreach, and logistical support, is a huge investment — and it’s one we hope you’ll help us make. We’re going all in on providing the camps with needed equipment and capability to amplify this struggle now, while we still have a chance to protect Anishinaabe homelands. Will you give generously in this moment to protect our relatives and our world?

Water protectors at a Line 3 front in June. Photo by Christopher Francisco.

Our presence — and that of any allies who can also make the trip — is badly needed. In 2016 and 2017, the movement against the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock attracted tens of thousands. In Minnesota, we are far fewer, and we’re spread thin across several camps. Those already on the frontlines are struggling logistically to stop Enbridge’s rapid build across many bodies of water. As you can see below, the police presence is mighty. We must do all we can.

Police ready to enforce Line 3’s incursions in June. Photo by Christopher Francisco.

Fortunately, we’re joining a coalition led by knowledgeable Indigenous leaders like Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth, who was arrested this week, and Tara Houska of Giniw collective (pictured below). Our first jobs are to get there, set up, listen to the needs, and begin amplifying the voices of those on the ground.

Giniw Collective’s Tara Houska provides leadership against Line 3. Photo by Christopher Francisco.

The time is now. This week, another mistake in construction spewed noxious fluids into another sacred river. As they always do, this pipeline is already despoiling pristine waters. How much worse will it be when the tar sands oil — some of the world’s dirtiest — is spilled in these same water systems? We must not let that happen. We’re preparing to hold our ground for as long as it takes, and we thank you from our hearts for your generous support of this mission.

Wopila tanka — thank you for supporting our direct action against this toxic pipeline!
Madonna Thunder Hawk
Cheyenne River Organizer
The Lakota People’s Law Project