|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
 Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:03 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| bucheon bum wrote: |
So what can a person do? I voted against Feinstein twice (even though I'm sure her opponents would have also suported such crap). I currently live in a place that has no representation in Congress. I can write letters to congressmen, but I might as well piss in the wind.
Any suggestions? Sincere question. |
The simple truth is that if the economic elite support something, the common people support it, and (at least five of) the Justices of the Supreme Court support it, you really don't have much of a path to affect political change under our political system. Even if you ran for office yourself, having carefully chosen a district in which the pro-spying majority was instead a minority, you'd just end up the next Ron Paul, which is great if you want to piss away time on talk shows, cynically profit off of people's despair, or use your national standing to push for increased return on your investments, but pretty useless if you actually want to fix things. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Leslie Cheswyck wrote: |
| bucheon bum wrote: |
| So what can a person do? |
Here's something for shits & giggles.
www.trollthensa.com
 |
That's great, thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tran.huongthu
Joined: 23 May 2011
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: NSA FBI seize phone records of all Verizon customers |
|
|
| caniff wrote: |
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| I'm surprised it isn't bigger news than it is. |
Do you mean in the US media? If so, you haven't been paying attention to the wider picture.
We were told that the snooping would only apply to foreign-based communications, not those that both originated and terminated in the US. What a crock that turned out to be.
Can you smell the desperation? This rusty can will be able to be kicked down the road for a while, I'd surmise, but the clock is ticking. Just wait until the end of QE is announced and watch what happens to the market bubble. Many are projecting it'll make 2008 look like a walk in the park, and there are many indicators that the US has already re-entered recession.
But hey, at least they have Syria/Iran/Hezbollah to stir up a major world war involving perhaps Russia/China and/or some other proxies to distract humanity from their crimes. |
This guy knows what he is talking about. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 1:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, caniff has been cynical for awhile now. And his attitude has had lasting predictive power.
http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/000005.html
| Jon Schwarz wrote: |
[I]n every country on earth, when someone accuses someone else of "treason." It's this: in almost all cases, accusations of "treason" are actually accusations of "telling the truth."
For instance, in 1995 Saddam Hussein's son-in-law Hussein Kamel defected to Jordan. There he told the United Nations inspectors about Iraq's efforts in the previous four years to conceal some of their pre-1991 WMD programs. (He also told them Iraq no longer possessed any banned weapons, but that's another story.) He was telling the truth. And according to this fascinating Washington Post article, this of course meant to Saddam's regime that Kamel was "a traitor." Indeed, Kamel actually predicted this at the end of his UN debriefing.
Or there's Mohammad al-Khilewi, a Saudi diplomat who defected to the UK in 1994. He brought with him documents showing Saudi Arabia had funded Iraq's nuclear weapons program during the eighties to the tune of billions of dollars. (This was apparently done with the knowledge and acquiescence of the Reagan and Bush I administrations, but again, that's another story.) So of course the Saudi-owned newspaper al-Hayat explained that Khilewi's activities "smack of outright treason" and that people like him "can only be described as traitors." And obviously there was "an Israeli hand" behind Khilewi's actions, since he was clearly "throwing [him]self into the arms of American-Jewish organizations." ("Saudi diplomat's charges fail to impress Saudi-owned al-Hayat," Mideast Mirror, July 25, 1994. Not online.)
But that's in the benighted dictatorships of the Middle East. In our proud Western democracies, things are different. In the sense that they're exactly the same. |
It sure seems like Snowden is a traitor, alright. But, it appears we should all aspire to become traitors. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Kuros wrote: |
| It sure seems like Snowden is a traitor, alright. But, it appears we should all aspire to become traitors. |
Kuros, I'm actually a pleasant guy in real life (so I'm told) and not a killjoy (most of the time). Still, I'm a believer in truth, and I think it's important to not lie to each other as people. I'm not saying I have all the answers (who does?), but I've found my instincts are usually not far off. Anyway, imo we are at a very epochal time.
I'm on "our" side, and I want us to win. We can do and be better. That's all.
(Jesus, I sound like a politician) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 7:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| caniff wrote: |
| Kuros wrote: |
| It sure seems like Snowden is a traitor, alright. But, it appears we should all aspire to become traitors. |
Kuros, I'm actually a pleasant guy in real life (so I'm told) and not a killjoy (most of the time). Still, I'm a believer in truth, and I think it's important to not lie to each other as people. I'm not saying I have all the answers (who does?), but I've found my instincts are usually not far off. Anyway, imo we are at a very epochal time.
I'm on "our" side, and I want us to win. We can do and be better. That's all.
(Jesus, I sound like a politician) |
Now say, "A rising tide lifts all boats," Caniff. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Unposter
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Actually, I find this thread stangely uplifting...it is good to see so many people actually care about personal freedom and privacy. To be honest, I am not used to it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| caniff wrote: |
| Kuros wrote: |
| It sure seems like Snowden is a traitor, alright. But, it appears we should all aspire to become traitors. |
Kuros, I'm actually a pleasant guy in real life (so I'm told) and not a killjoy (most of the time). |
Cynicism is understandable and warranted and it is the gov't and capitalist interests that are killjoys. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Unposter wrote: |
| Actually, I find this thread stangely uplifting...it is good to see so many people actually care about personal freedom and privacy. To be honest, I am not used to it. |
Too bad we're a minority.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hong Kong's Response to the American Government Regarding Edward Snowden:
| Quote: |
HKSAR Government issues statement on Edward Snowden
***************************************************
The HKSAR Government today (June 23) issued the following statement on Mr Edward Snowden:
Mr Edward Snowden left Hong Kong today (June 23) on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel.
The US Government earlier on made a request to the HKSAR Government for the issue of a provisional warrant of arrest against Mr Snowden. Since the documents provided by the US Government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, the HKSAR Government has requested the US Government to provide additional information so that the Department of Justice could consider whether the US Government's request can meet the relevant legal conditions. As the HKSAR Government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr Snowden from leaving Hong Kong.
The HKSAR Government has already informed the US Government of Mr Snowden's departure.
Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government has formally written to the US Government requesting clarification on earlier reports about the hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by US government agencies. The HKSAR Government will continue to follow up on the matter so as to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong.
Ends/Sunday, June 23, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:05
NNNN |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| This is a funny role reversal: USA pursuing a person who appears to be defending the Constitution... Russia protecting such individual. This a bizarre turn of events. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spilot101
Joined: 05 Sep 2012
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Funny indeed, although, Russia does not have an extradition treaty with the US, so they aren't protecting him per say. He's currently at the airport's transit zone, which isn't considered Russian territory from the legal standpoint.
It is, however, refreshing to see the reverse "bite-in-the-ass" effect for someone who's always had little to no regard for international law (namely, the US).... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| It's too bad, I really think that most people are too busy worrying about Kim Kardashian's baby's name. I only know that because it's plastered all over the news sites. When people do look up at the news, all they will see is "Snowden is a traitor!" and then they'll believe it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spilot101
Joined: 05 Sep 2012
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Precisely, that's pretty much the essence of the US's corporate media - to breed mass deception. I guess, when your country has been terrorizing the word for over a century, you have to have a pretty solid grip on public opinion. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 3:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
US Senator suggests Ecuador will be punished by having it's trade pact with the USA terminated if they offer Snowden asylum. Equador's response: “Unilaterally and irrevocably renounc[ing] those trade preferences.”
| Quote: |
BOGOTA, Colombia — The leftist government of Ecuador, under pressure from the Obama administration for considering a request for sanctuary from the American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, announced Thursday that it will back out of a preferential trade pact with the United States that top Ecuadoran officials say is being used to blackmail their country.
The move, which President Rafael Correa’s government described as unilateral, came a day after the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pledged to do all he could to block trade benefits for Ecuador should it grant Snowden political asylum.
“Our government will not reward countries for bad behavior,” Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement Wednesday. “Trade preferences are a privilege granted to nations, not a right.”
Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who is presumed to be in Moscow, has asked for asylum in Ecuador. While the government has made no decision in response to the request, Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño voiced sympathy for the 30-year-old fugitive in lengthy comments Monday.
At a news conference Thursday, Secretary of Communications Fernando Alvarado pushed back at perceived efforts to influence Ecuador’s decision. It “doesn’t accept pressure or threats from anybody, and it doesn’t trade its principles or give them up for commercial interests, no matter how important,” the Quito-based newspaper El Comercio quoted him as saying.
Alvarado said his country “unilaterally and irrevocably renounces those trade preferences” and defiantly quipped that Ecuador would provide $23 million to the Obama administration for human rights training.
The Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act has allowed Ecuadoran exporters of flowers, tuna, artichokes and many other products to ship tariff-free to the United States.
“The preferences were authorized for Andean countries as compensation for the fight against drugs but soon became a new instrument of pressure,” Alvarado said.
The pact was designed to help generate jobs in countries involved in the drug trade; although Ecuador does not produce cocaine, it is an important drug conduit and is vulnerable to organized crime groups because of its weak institutions, according to State Department counternarcotics officials.
Within Congress, the decision to pull out of the pact may have been eased by long-standing opposition to it, which had been growing even before Snowden’s asylum request. Lawmakers have been sharply critical of Correa for his country’s ties to Iran and for having given sanctuary to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador’s London embassy. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
