Russell Brand and his Buddy Plato

You may remember that a little while ago I posted "Help Wanted II - `In A Democracy...'". I sought your help in tracing an excellent quote from Plato, to the effect that "In A Democracy, everyone should take a turn at governing - except those who want it."

Excellent idea, you may say.  And you'd be in great company.

I hope to post, imminently, about the kind of ... people... who seek power, in politics and also in the boardrooms of our "great" Corporations. And how they relate to certain historic figures of the last hundred years.  I hope you're intrigued.

Meanwhile, here's another version of Plato's idea, from the Scottish philosopher Billy Connolly, channelled through Russell Brand:

Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics. Like most people I regard politicians as frauds and liars and the current political system as nothing more than a bureaucratic means for furthering the augmentation and advantages of economic elites. Billy Connolly said: “Don’t vote, it encourages them,” and, “The desire to be a politician should bar you for life from ever being one.”

Russell Brand

Plato

The other day I told you about Russell becoming a guest editor of the New Statesman in Britain. Now his effort is out on the newsstands, and, more relevant to us, on the Internet. It's a shining gem, if a little verbose, as Brand-y Baby tends to be.

Some samples:  "I don’t vote because to me it seems like a tacit act of compliance; I know, I know my grandparents fought in two world wars (and one World Cup) so that I’d have the right to vote. Well, they were conned."

"I heard recently Oliver Cromwell’s address to the rump parliament in 1653 (online, I’m not a Time Lord) where he bawls out the whole of the House of Commons as “whores, virtueless horses and money-grabbing dicklickers”. I added the last one but, honestly, that is the vibe."

"There’s little point bemoaning... apathy. Apathy is a rational reaction to a system that no longer represents, hears or addresses the vast majority of people. A system that is apathetic, in fact, to the needs of the people it was designed to serve. To me a potent and triumphant leftist movement, aside from the glorious Occupy rumble, is a faint, idealistic whisper from sepia rebels."

"Materialism and individualism do in moderation make sense. If you are naked and starving and someone gives you soup and a blanket your happiness will increase. That doesn’t mean that if you have 10,000 silken blankets and a golden cauldron of soup made from white rhino cum your happiness will continue to proportionately increase until you’re gouched out, swathed in silk, gurgling up pearlescent froth."

Run don't walk, to read the whole damn thang, here.

Wall Street and the Shutdown

I'm a little late posting this comment on an Open Thread in the Daily Kos - but it's still funny, and to the point....

“CHEERS to friends in "buy" places. Oh, Wall Street, you're so adorable because you're so predictable. On Day 1 of the government shutdown, stocks soared on the confidence that this is no big deal. But when Day 2 rolled around and rainbows hadn’t yet popped up over the horizon, they were selling off their shit faster than Ron Popeil. Lord only knows how twitchy they'll be today. Meanwhile, big business, realizing they've been sleeping with a lunatic, is running into the arms of the boring but not crazy Democrats.”

It comes from this Link:  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/03/1243944/-Open-thread-for-night-owls-A-few-kind-words-for-Mr-Cheers-Jeers

Fighting Monsanto's Frankenfoods in Washington State

Just put a label on food products to tell us what we're eating.

Seems like a simple enough request, doesn't it? After all, most food items bear exhaustive labelling, telling us to the microgram almost, how much cholesterol, carbs, etc, etc, we're consuming.

But Monsanto and their grubby allies in the food business (and Congress) are desperate to prevent voters in Washington State from passing a simple Measure to get that information to shoppers - desperate to the tune of record numbers of Millions of dollars.

According to Food Democracy Now!, "... the Grocery Manufacturers Association is continuing to pile on millions in illegal contributions to defeat GMO labeling. Already, the opposition has smashed the record for the most amount of money raised by a ballot initiative in Washington state history with a $21 million war chest. Last week’s $3.7 million dollar contribution from the GMA and Monsanto’s additional $540,000 proves that they’re nervous about the results and that we have them on the run.

Just like last year in California, the opposition is bankrolled by out-of-state biochemical corporations and Big Food companies and they’re using $21 million dollars to blanket the airwaves with misleading and deceptive ads."

[I've blogged about GMOs before - to read the earlier posts, Please go to the Search box.]

Here's the full communique from Food Democracy Now! - 

"Monsanto and the GMA are running a dirty money campaign to Kill GMO labeling - Help us fight back!

Double your impact today - for every dollar you donate Yes on 522 will receive $2 to win the fight for GMO labeling!

Dear Richard,

All that’s standing between GMO labeling and Monsanto is YOU!

At Food Democracy Now! we wanted to thank you for your incredible willingness to stand strong against the most powerful corporations on the planet and those who are desperate to try to steal our basic democratic rights all in the name of toxic profits.

As we reported yesterday, the Grocery Manufacturers Association is continuing to pile on millions in illegal contributions to defeat GMO labeling. Already, the opposition has smashed the record for the most amount of money raised by a ballot initiative in Washington state history with a $21 million war chest. Last week’s $3.7 million dollar contribution from the GMA and Monsanto’s additional $540,000 proves that they’re nervous about the results and that we have them on the run.

Just like last year in California, the opposition is bankrolled by out-of-state biochemical corporations and Big Food companies and they’re using $21 million dollars to blanket the airwaves with misleading and deceptive ads.

Yesterday, we put out a final call to raise money for Washington and we’re only $8,349 from our goal.

Anything else you chip in can help us reach our goal by the end of the day will be spent on getting out the vote in the final hours to win GMO labeling! If we win in Washington, Monsanto knows it's day of deceiving the American public are over!
With your help, we can win this!
Please, Richard – don't miss this chance to have your gift matched by pitching in whatever you can.
Double your impact before time runs out - we need to hear from you today!
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/1007?t=7&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn
Chip in today to stop Monsanto and the GMA's lie machine. We need to hear from you today! Chip in $5.20, $52.20 or $522 or whatever you can to help win GMO labeling! Today your donation will be matched 2 to 1! Every dollar counts!

“This is the Largest Amount of Money Ever Concealed in an Election," claimed Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. And unbelievably he’s right!

On Thursday October 24^th, the GMA wrote a check to the opposition for $2.9 million dollars.
Less than 24 hours later, the GMA wrote another check for $877,000
Incredibly, this illegal multi-million dollar donation comes barely a week after the Washington state attorney general’s lawsuit against the GMA, where he alleges that the lobbying front group conspired behind closed doors to illegally launder money for America's largest food companies to keep their brands safe from consumer backlash.
The GMA, and companies that it represents, like Monsanto, DuPont, Pepsi, Coke, Kraft, Kellogg’s and General Mills, have now illegally funneled more than $11 million dollars to kill GMO labeling on Washington.
We have 6 days to show the world that we’re not going to be silent and allow this to happen. The opposition has already raised more than $21 million compared to $6.4 million for the Yes on 522 campaign. At this point, every dollar we can raise can help turn out more voters to win GMO labeling!
Help us get the word out today!
What your contribution today will help accomplish:

• $5.20 will help us reach 10 voters in Washington to defeat Monsanto and the GMA's deceptive ads.
• $52.20 will help us reach 150 voters in Washington.
• $522 will help us reach 2,000 voters in Washington.

Double your impact before time runs out - we need to hear from you today!
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/1044?t=10&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn
Monsanto and America’s big food companies already label their products in 64 other countries around the world, why not the U.S.?

Together we can overcome the opposition’s dirty tricks campaign – help put us over the top by giving what you can today!

Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Action! Team
Sources:
1. “No on 522 breaks fundraising record for Washington initiative campaigns”, The Seattle Times, October 28, 2013
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/1062?t=12&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn
2. “Junk Food Lobby Forced to Disclose Donors to Its Secret 'Defense of Brand Strategic Account'”, Huffington Post, October 23, 2013
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/1060?t=14&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn
3. “Grocers Set Cash Against Labeling: D.C.-Based Group Adds Millions More to Fight”, The Columbian, October 26, 2013

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/1061?t=16&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn

4. “Attorney General Ferguson files suit against Grocery Manufacturers Association” October 16, 2013

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/1056?t=18&akid=1044.198452.h5iBqn

Food Democracy Action! is a 501(c)4 allied organization of Food Democracy Now!, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action.

Donations are not tax-deductible. Thank you for your support!"

Russell Brand, Political Commentator (Right On!), Magazine Editor

Apparently the Huffington Post has a UK edition. Not that I'm prejudiced, of course, but it does seem to have a more urbane (world-weary?) tone than its parent creation of the megalomaniacal once-Republican Arianna Huffington, who famously began her career by shacking up with aged intellectual Bernard Levin, then publishing a book on Picasso that was thoroughly slagged by the critics.

Just goes to show we can all start afresh, if we have unlimited chutzpah.

HuffPostUk, as I now call it, has a nice little piece about the BBC's late-night, at-length Current Affairs show Newsnight, which you can watch on PBS here in the States. They ask, "When did Newsnight, that ageing, late night, sleep-inducer suddenly become the most watchable programme on British TV?"

The main talking head on Newsnight is an irascible but highly intelligent veteran journalist called Jeremy Paxman, famous for snarling at politicians who he believes are guilty of dodging his questions - popularly known as "Paxo".

Yes, Virginia, we need a few dozen like him here.

HuffPostUk continues, "Wednesday’s offering continued the show’s good form, with producer Ian Katz pitting Paxo against the garrulous, unpredictable yet always-brilliant Russell Brand. And the pair played their roles to perfection."

Brand has been invited to be guest editor of the New Statesman, a venerable leftie publication in Britain, sort of an equivalent to the Nation. So of course, Paxman's first question has to be, "Who are you to edit a political magazine?"

Brand's political comments are, in my opinion, right on the money. Indeed, the Tea Party would probably approve of them, if they could just get over their hatred of "liberals".

A sample:

“What will your revolution look like?” growled Paxo from behind said beard.

“I’ll tell you what it won’t be like,” said Brand in a moment of clarity, “a huge disparity between rich and poor, where 300 Americans have the same amount of wealth as the 85 million poorest Americans, where there is an exploited and underserved underclass that are being continually ignored and where welfare is slashed while Cameron and Osborne go to court to defend the rights of bankers to continue to receive their bonuses. This has to be addressed.”   

The interview is pretty funny, but also moving in a way, as truth-telling usually is.  Don't miss it - 

The "Boris" being referred to is Boris Johnson, the hilarious Mayor of London, educated at Eton and Oxford, who once edited the "Spectator" magazine and was involved in massive sexual scandals.  Sample scandal from Wikipedia:  

"In 2004, British newspapers reported that Johnson had had a four-year affair with Petronella Wyatt.^[117] The affair, which had been well hinted at in UK newspaper gossip columns, included passionate London taxi cab rides around St John's Wood during which they would ask the cab driver to insert cassette tapes of Wyatt singing Puccini.^[118]")

Tom Tomorrow's Weirdest Yet!?

Hard to read?  Go here.

Stop Watching Us! Did "Anonymous" Shut Down The NSA?

8.30 pm, Pacific Time, Friday, October 25th -

I first heard it, indirectly, from Russia Today - the NSA has gone offline, and the group "Anonymous" claims to have hacked their computers and shut them down.

Then Huffington Post reported that the NSA is denying that they have been cyber-attacked:

"The website for the National Security Agency went offline Friday, with NSA.gov unavailable during the early evening. On Twitter, accounts associated with the hacker group Anonymous implied that the group may have been behind the attack."

While we await the next step.... check out this cool video (Google won't link to it.)

It's produced by Stop Watching Us.  Here's how they describe themselves:

"StopWatching.us is a coalition of more than 100 public advocacy organizations and companies from across the political spectrum. Join the movement at https://rally.stopwatching.us. This video harnesses the voices of celebrities, activists, legal experts, and other prominent figures in speaking out against mass surveillance by the NSA. Please share widely to help us spread the message that we will not stand for the dragnet surveillance of our communications.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a nonprofit civil liberties law and advocacy center that has been fighting the NSA's unconstitutional spying for years. Learn more at https://eff.org."

This link will also provide you with many more videos and opportunities to demonstrate for your freedom and get involved in the movement.

Forget The Maine! Remember The Powell Memorandum!

Mitch Jeserich's show on KPFK/Pacifica Radio, “Letters and Politics”, just keeps getting better.

Today he had an interview that will make your blood boil, with Marion Nestle - I imagine her surname is not a coincidence. She's the author of a new cartoon-book about the food industry, how it pollutes our food and distorts political processes around the world, its lobbying, freeloading on the taxpayer, propagandizing children to get them addicted to junk - general capitalist corruption - and what ordinary citizens can do about it. The title is "Eat, Drink, Vote" -

For instance, did you know that the Pizza Industry of the State of Maine were able to persuade Congress to over-rule Government regulators, to have a minimal amount of tomato paste accepted as a serving of vegetables in school lunches across the nation? A manipulation of our laws that made them millions of dollars.

If you love the show as much as I do, you can send compliments to Mitch at mitch@kpfa.org. You can listen to the program on the KPFK Archive now (I just checked).

But what really interested me, in addition to Ms Nestle's information, and perhaps will interest those who have learned from this Blog about the Powell Memorandum, was Mitch's introduction to the program.  He laid out some detailed information that I had not heard before, about other measures that the capitalist stooge and Nixon-appointed Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, introduced with the aim of subverting much of the progress that had been achieved by the American people from the Great Depression forward, including the Glass-Steagall Act, which if Democratic President Clinton had not signed the 1999 legislation which repealed it, might have saved the world from the economic meltdown of 2008.

Powell was, even more than I had realized, a hugely important General in "The War On The 60s". I'm writing to Mitch Jeserich, to try to obtain a transcript of his illuminating comments.  If I manage to get hold of them, I'll be delighted to pass them on to you.  Watch this space!


The blurb on "Eat, Drink, Vote" goes like this:  "What’s wrong with the US food system? Why is half the world starving while the other half battles obesity? Who decides our food issues, and why can’t we do better with labeling, safety, or school food? These are complex questions that are hard to answer in an engaging way for a broad audience. But everybody eats, and food politics affects us all.

Marion Nestle, whom Michael Pollan ranked as the #2 most powerful foodie in America (after Michelle Obama) in Forbes, has always used cartoons in her public presentations to communicate how politics—shaped by government, corporate marketing, economics, and geography—influences food choice. Cartoons do more than entertain; the best get right to the core of complicated concepts and powerfully convey what might otherwise take pages to explain.

In Eat, Drink, Vote, Nestle teams up with The Cartoonist Group syndicate to present more than 250 of her favorite cartoons on issues ranging from dietary advice to genetic engineering to childhood obesity. Using the cartoons as illustration and commentary, she engagingly summarizes some of today’s most pressing issues in food politics. While encouraging readers to vote with their forks for healthier diets, this book insists that it’s also necessary to vote with votes to make it easier for everyone to make healthier dietary choices."