The painfully relevant topic of debt in the USA was addressed by a mature and informed discussion with Elyse Hicks.  The predatory character of credit card use was prominent.  We should question those who called in to say “they knew what they were getting into” as being offensive when one remembers that organized crime uses usury tactics in their power and wealth accumulation.  Some people have recognized that capitalism on a continuum is organized crime, and should be treated as such.

Another example of predatory lending seems to have manifested in the college debt absurdity, in which children were told by hierarchy the advantages of college degrees in order to earn living wages, coinciding with elaborate educational-funding debt as the vehicle to the Middle Class.  We all have witnessed how that turned out.

There is much to be said about simplicity and low-tech living.  Peace and dignity can be one gift from simplicity.https://www.c-span.org/video/?525772-5/washington-journal-elyse-hicks-discusses-proposed-caps-credit-card-late-fees  —

FEBRUARY 10, 2023  | PART OF WASHINGTON JOURNAL 02/10/2023

Washington Journal

Elyse Hicks on Proposed Caps on Credit Card Late Fees

Elyse Hicks talked about a proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to place new limits on credit card late fees.

–end of c-span info–

The problem isn’t the victim, but rather an institutionalized corruption that unfolds from a governance bought into place via Citizens United.  Money isn’t Speech but can stifle Speech.  

One needs only consider the system of Meritocracy.  Consider people of note who on air have defended use of private jets to get to the funerals of young black men as indicative of (paraphrase) getting our piece of the pie.  

Corruption is an apt component of our system to challenge.

Speaking about simplicity, how precious that China is spying using balloons.  Norad has a few things to answer to.  During WWII, boy scouts were used to watch for enemy aircraft.  —

https://centennial.legion.org/new-york/post556/1941/05/09/frewsburg-post-556-and-boy-scouts-man-air-warning-observatory-oak-hill   —

Since it wasn’t practical to use military personnel as ground observers, the logical solution was to call on civilians to watch the skies. Newspaper ads, radio programs, and other means were used to recruit the tens of thousands of volunteers needed to join the Ground Observer Corps and man the observation posts. From all walks of life, all ages, all professions, the volunteers of the GOC were united in a common goal–to protect the United States.–end of centennial.legion info–

https://www.pressenterprise.com/2016/08/28/back-in-the-day-inland-spotters-once-watched-for-enemy-aircraft/   —

The observers included specially trained volunteers such as Boy Scouts, housewives and older residents who otherwise couldn’t partake in the war effort. In fact, many people of non-military age volunteered for such duty. Eventually, there were about 1.5 million such volunteers.

–end of pressentrprise info–bt 

Of course in 2023 Americans are in harness making profits for capitalists and paying for their space as monitized by hierarchical authority.  Even children are in school being inculcated as servants to capitalism, and college-ready to assume their manacle of debt to ensure fealty to commerce.  

Hierarchical propaganda seems to include the propaganda that the Proxy War with Russia in Ukraine by the US is necessary because China is watching us.  This stupid deflection overlooks that China may not be reactive.  Some people would prefer the US military would protect the USA by protecting the USA.  

Let’s get some of those boy scouts out on the cliffs with binoculars.  Perhaps youth would develop the self-confidence that results from community inclusion, and may avoid the predatory loans in order to purchase an indoctrination into capitalism that can create lifetime indebted servitude.

Use can be made with the new-found fad of African-American birdwatchers, who could also be given this responsibility.  Watching for in-coming enemy aircraft can be as fulfilling as monitoring the inadequacies of dog walkers, as long as you’re bird watching.

The following youtube is about Jackson, Mississippi; but in the Southern Tier of NYS one may notice governance more as promoting the interests of campaign donors rather than supporting strong and independent local communities.  —

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avkHSICmlEE    —

Here’s the Latest CRISIS Mainstream Media is Hiding From You – The Mayor Has No Plan

–end of statuscoup info-

In the spirit of remembering the WWII-era boy scouts appeared to be as effective as Norad, one supports local involvement.  The Southern Tier of NYS is a hotbed of involved citizens.  Here is an example.  —  https://www.riotactbooks.com/about      —We’re not just a bookstore! Our goal is to create an inclusive space out of which organizing efforts and in-depth conversations will emerge. We encourage community members to use this space for reading groups, film screenings, lecture series, mutual aid distributions, cook-outs, debates… whatever gets people in a room together, building power toward a better future in Binghamton and around the world.  Please email us if you have an event in mind or would like to get involved as a volunteer!

We only require that new volunteers read and abide by our code of conduct and work one training shift (at least an hour) alongside an experienced volunteer. Contact us at riotactbing@protonmail.com to schedule a training session. We are open Friday 3-7, and Saturday & Sunday 12-5. Once you’ve done a training shift you will be added to our volunteer Signal chat, where you will have the ability to sign up for shifts at your convenience. If unable to volunteer in-store, please inquire about our other volunteer opportunities. 

Riot Act Books is holding a fundraiser this evening, complete with amazing raffle baskets, for its accessibility fund. The big dream is to have a ramp in front of the building. 

The event begins at 7pm this evening and it’ll surely be a blast! 

We are also selling squares in our football pool for $5 a piece. Email or text 651-747-6316 on how you can get into the pool. 

If you would like to make a straight up donation to Riot Act or check out our in store inventory go to https://www.riotactbooks.com/

In solidarity,

–end of riotact info–

Education can promote humanity by teaching how to think rather than what to think.  —

https://wildhunt.org/2023/02/pagan-alumni-react-to-desantis-disruption-of-new-college.html      –New College follows a contract system instead of letter grades. Students in the college negotiate a contract of study with their faculty advisor and earn passes for fulfilling their research objectives while receiving critical faculty evaluations. Students must write senior theses prior to graduation. The model is rigorous and has earned New College a reputation for producing exceptional alumni.

Last week, Republican Governor (and possible presidential candidate for 2024) Ron DeSantis of Florida transformed the small public liberal arts school with about 700 students in Sarasota, into the new front of the culture wars.–end of wildhunt info–

From lakotalaw  —  As my colleague, Chase Iron Eyes, wrote to you earlier this week, February is a month of significant anniversaries here in Lakota Country. He told you about the 47th anniversary of the arrest of American Indian Movement (AIM) activist Leonard Peltier. Next comes a four-day celebration centered on the 50th anniversary of our AIM occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 — an historic event that occurred a few years prior to Leonard’s unjust arrest. 

Here’s what happened: 50 years ago, the American Indian Movement was called to action by the communities of the Oglala Lakota territory on the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota. That call resulted in a 71-day occupation of the town of Wounded Knee by AIM — and I was there, every step of the way. The resulting conflict with government agents, well chronicled in print and other media like the documentary “From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock,” is the stuff of legend. The occupation wasn’t without significant cost, but it also brought massive attention to our struggles as Native people.

From my perspective, it’s critical that we use part of the event to highlight the matriarchs who reached out to AIM in 1973. Fortunately, the Warrior Women Project has archival interviews of many of us, and we’ll take time during the four days to celebrate and honor the Wounded Knee veterans who are still here. The full event agenda also includes art and cultural celebrations, ceremonies, and a myriad of learning opportunities about the people and history of this movement.

We celebrate this moment in history with an eye toward our future. It’s important that we AIM elders take this opportunity to pass on our legacy to the younger generations. The standoff happened on the Pine Ridge Reservation, right down the road from where I live now at Cheyenne River. We must tell this story so it resonates with the communities and families on tribal nations in South Dakota today. As Chase mentioned, our Lakota Law staff is helping to organize numerous aspects of the event, including planned livestreams. We’ll let you know more about when and how to view those as we get a little closer, so please stay tuned! 

Wopila tanka — my gratitude, always, for your solidarity.
Madonna Thunder Hawk
Cheyenne River Organizer

The Lakota People’s Law Project–end of lakotalaw info—-

From popularresistance   —          https://mailchi.mp/popularresistance/popular-resistance-daily-digest-wwv0s0qgoe?e=1b0a9c0541           —

How A Pipeline Company Paid Minnesota Millions To Police Protests

‘Cop City’ Opposition Spreads Beyond Georgia Forest Defenders

–end of popularresistance info–

****As one who would be perfectly contented to retain the Senate if they adhered to Oaths of Office more than to Citizens United campaign donations, one is interested in a topic raised as to the reason we maintain the US Senate—-

 This is a reminder of how much we don’t know.  This brings one around to Howie Hawkins, who continues to impress with original thought.  We also could acknowledge Hawkins often speaks to censored information.
One such topic about which one would never have even considered, is whether the USA needs The Senate.  Apparently The Senate is little other than expensive window dressing, promoting hierarchical interests, and too often placed in positions of power by big-money via Citizens United.  But the public gets to fund this curiosity of pompous supremacy.  Who knew?
The Democratic Branch of the Republican/Democratic Duopoly are especially functional in voter suppression—–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNbdkuU1edw          —#GreenSocialist Notes #76
Howie Hawkins brings up the concept of whether the USA needs the Senate.  Apparently according to some people, the Senate isn’t necessary.  This brings up the blockage from the Senate of many bills that would benefit We The People.  Combined with Citizens United that promotes big-money interest choice of Senators, in which laws are passed that benefit big-money interest rather than We The People, and that We The People support economically, the members of the Senate, this seems a good topic for discussion.
The US Constitution doesn’t seem to sanction elections run by political Parties, and to permit control of political debates by political Parties seems equally corrupt.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7kn2-GEmM       —

Ross Perot in 1992 on NAFTA and the “Giant Sucking Sound”

Centralization is the lifeblood of the R&D duopoly.  It’s the way to enforce capitalism onto workers in 2022.———————–We can do better———-

That “we are a 2-Party system” is a fabrication of the Republican/Democratic duopoly and spread by MSM.  In FACT the majority of voters aren’t either registered Democratic or Republican.  The censorship about this info must be envied by bureaucrats of the Former USSR and their simplistic style of 1-Party elections.  

Regardless of which character sits in the Oval Office, We The People have work to do to maintain principles of our democratic (small d) Constitutional republic.  Several items to challenge—*We need the integrity of ranked-choice voting so voters won’t feel compelled to “hold your nose and vote”*Censored debates must be stopped.  The Democratic/Republican duopoly pretends to legitimate debates in what is nothing other than another campaign show.  Independent debates run by uninterested sponsors such as The League of Women Voters, must be restored.  (Access www.debates.org to understand the extent of duopoly control).  The so-called Debate Commission is a corporation to promote the Democratic corporation and Republican corporation, not to inform We The People*Challenge and stop gerrymandering that is a trick especially of the Republican branch of the duopoly.*Stop voter suppression by political Parties, and especially confront and stop Party suppression, which is the over-arching approach to voter suppression.  Party suppression seems to have been the responsibility of the Democratic corporation*Promote by law ranked-choice voting, so we won’t be told again, by D&R duopoly, to “hold your nose and vote”
If these issues are handled, our next elections can be honorable. 
*******************************************************************https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx—-Political Party affiliation of voters.
    https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud–LEAGUE REFUSES TO “HELP PERPETRATE A FRAUD”

WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE–end of lwv info–Murray Bookchin, who founded social ecology, a theory that strongly influenced early Green Socialist thought, strongly advocated the discussion and study group as the first step of any revolutionary movement. A group of individuals meets to expand their knowledge of radical thought and form a radical intellectual community; through the give and take of discussion, can eventually form ideas for next steps in organizing and political activity. According to Bookchin, study groups help create solidarity and a shared language — with a shared coherent vision — for building a mass, organizing, political movement!