Amerindia US Blog

There is a tendency to paint things as either black or white, meanwhile around the world the Occupy Movement and the 99% struggle to define what the problem is. Clearly capitalism and free markets have their benefits, and have been around from the dawn of human time. Three arrow heads bartered for an animal skin – and everybody goes home happy and better off.

In this simple ‘perfect market’, it works, and works well. But in scaling up, things have not gone so well. As in the video referenced at the end of these comments, industrialization has changed things in a major way. From a hunter-gatherer society, to primarily an agrarian one, the coming of industrialization has since catapulted world nations and markets into something different. Actual necessities are produced by a few, materialism of non-essentials has run rampant, and the ability to find useful work has become extraordinarily problematic. Although the world markets produce more to buy, paradoxically there is struggle to find work that will suffice to purchase even basic necessities. Some (well off) politicians have brushed off the problem as ‘envy’, but increasingly those who had been living, or anticipating an average, middle-class lifestyle, are now be struggling to get basic food and shelter.

There are heated arguments about welfare, socialism, and the role of government in providing basic care needs for its citizens in crisis. The argument has been going toward the direction that those who are not succeeding are just not trying hard enough to embrace capitalism as the total solution and make it work for them. Capitalism, an economic system, has been championed as the solution to social needs by those who profit – or feel that economic failure is universally a personal one. We think this is either ignorance, or self-interest guided thinking.

We in Amerindia feel that capitalism is an economic system – not a moral, political, or social solution by itself. The only thing that is becoming a consistent in this long running discussion is that the problem started about 40 years ago. We had had industrialization before then, but that is when capitalism began to split from being stakeholder capitalism to an unfettered, unmonitored, desocialized shareholder capitalism. At the time it was justified as a ‘trickle down’ benefit, resources began to be ever more concentrated with the few and ironically, Not distributed more equitably, particularly among the workers. Jobs have been outsourced to the cheapest labor available world-wide, eliminated by mechanization, or workers have been cheated out of pay, pensions, or other compensations. The capitalism that has been deified, has become corrupt.

Unfortunately, as in this clip, we do not see a quick or easy solution. However, identifying the true nature of the problem is a start. Capitalism needs to return, or become, a socially responsible capitalism.

Capitalism ‘nothing to do with responsibility’

The Queen of Amerindia

We worry that Americans are losing their most fundamental right to free speech and the right to non-violent public protest. I does seem that while US politicians criticize other nations for infringements on human rights, free speech, and a right to be heard in a democratic process, they ignore the voice of their own people.

Obama, your main campaign theme was “Change.” True, it’s been difficult given the congress that lobbyists are paying for, but someone needs to see that it’s really what the American people wanted and expected. The frustration with lack of change, with big interests still running the US government, why the people would feel unheard and angry.

I AM NOT MOVING – Short Film – Occupy Wall Street

We Ain’t Got Time To Bleed. It’s Time for the Revolution.

“You control our world. You’ve poisoned the air we breathe, contaminated the water we drink, and copyrighted the food we eat. We fight in your wars, die for your causes, and sacrifice our freedoms to protect you. You’ve liquidated our savings, destroyed our middle class, and used our tax dollars to bailout your unending greed. We are slaves to your corporations, zombies to your airwaves, servants to your decadence. You’ve stolen our elections, assassinated our leaders, and abolished our basic rights as human beings. You own our property, shipped away our jobs, and shredded our unions. You’ve profited off of disaster, destabilized our currencies, and raised our cost of living. You’ve monopolized our freedom, stripped away our education, and have almost extinguished our flame. We are hit…we are bleeding…but we ain’t got time to bleed. We will bring the giants to their knees and you will witness our revolution! ”

-Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, April 12, 2011

As in our recent posts, we feel this is yet another instance that makes our point. Disparity of wealth, power, and justice. There are guilty individuals in a variety of situations. But punishment and the application of “justice” seems more problematic than a solution. Instead it points out the unequal hand of justice, that one cannot depend on a uniform rule of law. Who is guilty, who is responsible, and who will be blamed too often seems to be politically motivated, rather than a democratic application of laws, particularly when it comes to systemic issues.

This is about Russia, but we see much of the same in the US, and use this as some reflection on the handling of Bradley Manning. The US military recruits individuals like Manning, selling them and their families on the idea that they will be part of “something bigger than themselves” – often appealing to those who may be naive or need to fulfill esteem, leave the back door wide open for trouble (unconscionable lack of security in this case) – and then blame the individual. Manning may go to jail for the rest of his life; but too many generals are taking jobs in the military-industrial complex. It’s a set up for resentment. The individual will pay a price, but the system that created will go on, and the history of these incidents will repeat themselves.

The comments by these Russians are telling, about their system – and we think much in the US too.

From the BBC and readers’ comments:

“Khodorkovsky verdict: Views from Russia

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been found guilty of embezzlement at his second trial in Moscow.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky awaiting today’s verdict in the Moscow court Khodorkovsky will appeal against the verdict, his lawyers say

Khodorkovsky is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion from his 2005 trial. His supporters maintain the case against him is politically motivated.

BBC Russian and BBC News website readers in Russia have been sending in their reaction to the verdict and what it means for the country.

“It is not a bad thing he is in jail. But it is a bad thing others like him are not Sergei M, St Petersburg”

“I totally agree with the guilty verdict. Khodorkovsky’s supporters want the worst for Russia. I don’t understand why Khodorkovsky should have had the privilege of producing oil (which should belong to the nation), making huge profits from it and then pulling fraudulent schemes to make those profits even bigger. Those rich people can never have enough. Vadim, Moscow”

“We shouldn’t fool ourselves, Khodorkovsky is no saint. But then most Russian businessmen, or at least the oligarchs, who started out in business in the 1990s, could be jailed on the same grounds. So this verdict to me is yet another proof of the fact that there is no justice in Russia, the courts have become a tool to be manipulated by the powers that be. As for Russia’s image, a country where there is no rule of law, it is not very attractive for investors. Mikhalych, Moscow”

“It is not a bad thing that Khodorkovsky is in jail. But it is a bad thing that others like him are not in jail. Sergei M, St Petersburg”

“There is no rule of law in Russia. But will this guilty verdict affect Russia’s image abroad? I don’t think so. The west is continuing to court Russia’s duumvirate [President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin]. Svetlana Terskaya, Kandalaksha, Murmansk Region”

“I had expected this verdict. It symbolizes the strained relations between the authorities and business. Business knows what the authorities can do to it and will not contest their decisions. As for Russia’s image, nothing will happen to it. Thanks to PR, Russia can project an image it chooses to project to the West. Vladimir Okhota, Perm”

“I consider Khodorkovsky a victim of political repression. If he is guilty, he is no more guilty than other politicians and businessmen in Russia. Law should be the same for everyone. Yevgeny, St Petersburg”

“For me this is the final disappointment. Hope, of which Russian patriot Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke, has been extinguished. I want to learn a foreign language and leave Russia as soon as possible. And take my family with me. Ivan, St Petersburg”

“It’s a verdict on Putin, not on Khodorkovsky. For Russia this means there’s no lawful way to protect yourself against Putin and his huge pyramid. Unfortunately this opens too many law-breaking ways. If people can’t find protection in courts, they have to protect themselves on their own. Interestingly enough, no single Russian media has this news. No media is left uncontrolled. Alexander Lazarev, Troitsk”

“The verdict is not a surprise for me but still I have been very upset and angry. Even for me who is not sophisticated in jurisprudence it is clear that this court has little to do with law and the prosecution is politically motivated. For Russia this is likely to mean more years of lack of political and economic competition, lawlessness and corruption growth. Igor Alyoshin, Novosibirsk”

“I’d set Khodorkovsky free whether he is to blame or not. Really, he has had enough spending behind bars, seven-plus years. I fully support the expression “a thief belongs in prison”, but the question is why all other tycoons-cum-thieves are still free and happy? It is no secret that so-called oligarchs in Russia have become rich through stealing, all kind of embezzlement or patronage of the powers that be. All they plus those who initiated the rapacious privatization here in Russia should have been put in prisoner’s box next to Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. Alex, Moscow”

The Queen

We have had some feedback regarding our recent post regarding Wikileaks & Bradley Manning. We covered a lot of ground in that post, looking for a way to make sense of a situation that seems unfortunately to repeat itself so often in these times, within the US, with only a change in details and characters.

We found fundamental problems in an unhealthy concentration of wealth and power. “Big”, as we called it, is able to buy influence on a colossal scale, while also hiding behind a wall of secrecy. The big powers can silence reports, science, or facts, and can all too often point the finger in a misleading direction.

But what our worry is, besides the divergence of wealth, is the divergence of justice. Some background facts from the BBC indicate that Manning may have been a man tilted toward trouble, military justice is necessarily strict, and national security should be considered. But is his situation torture, is it just, or how do we know? How close to torture are we to the most vulnerable in our society? When, or where – and for whom – will that boundary be crossed? We worry about it in warfare, and have seen it happen. But we also see the US deny it’s accountability to adhere to the Geneva Conventions.

We see a new order where those rules don’t apply. There are “terrorists.” We have no evidence that torture of suspected “terrorists” brings us any closer to safety, but US politicians argue the right to behave without the protocols of humanitarianism anyway. Where is the mirror to show where all this is going?

And why aren’t the powerful and influential held accountable in the same manner? Maybe, because the powerful understand they will never be held accountable, or can avoid consequences, thus the consequences have the potential for being more dire. It’s not only stupid, but dangerous, that US Vice President Biden calls Manning a “terrorist.” The US has decided that “terrorists” have fewer rights, and can be treated unmercifully if that’s decided. What’s telling is that Mr. Biden could only have had that slip of the tongue if he never thought that he could Ever be in such a position of accountability. It’s not just the gaff, it’s the danger beneath it, that understanding that some people may have to suffer restrained (or unrestrained) consequences. But others, those protected by the power structure, will never have to consider such consequences for themselves, regardless of their behavior.

We were reminded of the reign of Elizabeth I. While those on the lower rungs of society may not have had an easy time of it, surely, surely, her advisers, nobles, heads of military, or anyone of state was held thoroughly accountable. It was a time when even royalty could pay with the price of their life as a consequence of their actions.

Now that we have democracies, where are the sovereigns that hold their government officials accountable? US citizens, are not you, “We The People”, sovereign? The people, the sovereigns, should no doubt be holding their government, and it’s officials, more accountable. While talk of democracy goes on, democracy seems to be asleep. We in Amerindia are wide awake, demand accountability, believe in equal treatment before justice, and demand an equal hand in human rights for every individual (including immigrants).

The Queen of Amerindia

We have written and commented on a variety of topics since we declared our ideological independence as the small nation of Amerindia. Our comments were based on a concern for what was happening in the US. It would seem that not only the US, but the entire world, is at a loss for strong, moral, examples of leadership. We had hopes for Obama, and although we see tokens now and then, we wonder if all nations are not complicit in a Plutarchy of rule by the economically and politically powerful.

We have argued about health care, the environment, social justice, and agriculture. We can and do post frequently on these topics on Facebook and Twitter. However, we add this post here as a comment on how bad we feel things have become in a most fundamental way. Not only are things bad, but those who would expose it are in trouble. We see human rights eroding where we thought the right examples should be set.

We feel the US has not only lost its place as a world economic leader, but more importantly, as a moral and humanitarian leader, a champion of human rights. And this all the while we continue to preach to other countries about “freedom” (we do begin to wonder what they mean by that), human rights, and free speech.

In particular, there seems to be some kind of moral rot regarding the US position on Wikileaks, and especially, the confinement of Bradley Manning. We don’t know the whole truth, but surely, there seems to be a terrible fear of the truth, or Truth itself. We in Amerindia feel that the most fundamental right, the right to free speech, means the right to speak freely, even if it is unpopular or uncomfortable for those In Power. That point is what we mean to make – “for those in power.”

Those in power don’t seem to care what we rant on about, as long as they can cover up, dodge, lie, beg forgiveness in press statements, or at worst get slapped with house arrest. Token apology seems to fulfill the penalty for any crime – if you are powerful enough. Pedophilia in the cloisters of religious power? – we won’t linger there for now. But so much is about cover up. The powerful, the wealthy, the politically connected being most concerned about ‘leaks’, ‘reporting’ (it’s the fault of the press!”) and knowledge of what was hoped to be kept in silence. Big pharma, Big chemical, Big agriculture, the ‘military-industrial complex’ grown into every fabric of human existence. In short, all the strings seem to be pulled not by the rules, but by “Big.” “Big” Makes the Rules.

If some transgression is uncovered, it’s “oops- sorry” or “didn’t happen” or “it’s dangerous – trust me.” But what is happening with Bradly Manning? Somehow he is being tortured (his conditions are torturous as best we can determine, based on sleep and social deprivation). But US citizens have been told that torture is really OK, as long as Big has determined that this person deserves it. Water boarding is OK. It’s for our “safety.” We are dealing with “terrorists” – some of whom were freed after years of incarceration with no charges made against them. But the torture? That was OK. Because it’s whoever Big decides is dangerous or worthy of such treatment. BTW, US vice president, Joe Biden, has called Manning a “terrorist” (what law abiding right does he have to do that?), and we hear rumors that he thinks Manning “should be executed.” One is never too sure of accuracy these days, but it’s clear that Big powers in Washington can say whatever about and do what they want to individuals who so much as seem threatening to their power. And just in case we wonder how Big “Big” really is, why aren’t others making their opinions known this? Big is Really, really Big, and few can cross it’s power. Even to expose that power, may be just what’s being done to Manning is all about. Like, don’t even Think about it. What kind of country does this to its citizens?

We’ve been told Bradley Manning is “endangering” – we’re not sure exactly who, or how. But he’s supposedly relayed information that has ‘endangered.’ Where did innocent until guilty get lost? Manning is accused of uncovering, but it’s been impossible to find out what is exactly happening with him. Maybe he’s a symbol of what he thought was wrong – keeping secrets that shouldn’t be kept from public scrutiny.

But Big gets really, really upset with this. Former US vice president Dick Cheney admitted to a role in exposing Valerie Plame, a vindictive measure for which we do not seem to have locked up Dick Cheney for months on end under torturous conditions. We see endless ranting about morals & marriage, and then see the criers fall by the wayside as they are exposed for their own behaviors. It’s the exposing part that gets anyone in the Big Circle so upset. What happens to people who expose?… they seem to disappear…in secret.

And we see a world were there are ever more evident examples of two forms of justice – those who insist on their right to act in secret at all costs to human rights, and those whom they punish for piercing the veil over whatever is going on. We think that justice, freedom, human rights, and free speech are at ever increasing risk in the US. There is no meaningful “Right” or “Left” any more – just Big. There are a few we admire, who speak out, who have principles and stand by them. Senator Bernie Sanders is one of them. But for the whole of the US, we worry increasingly about Big, and it’s power to silence.

The Queen of Amerindia

We haven’t posted in awhile. There is so much being posted in the social networks, and it’s being pushed, fed, emailed everywhere. However, we came across this video by a young girl from Canada who sums up everything, and sends a stunningly sensible, and also alarming, message to the world by a delivering a 5 minute commentary in front of the UN.

She manages to cover it all. Everything we teach our children (that is good), seems to be what adults can’t get through their heads. For adults who propose to be working on solutions, it’s clear they aren’t doing a good job, and most likely have more self interest in it than the sense of urgency needed to leave a better world for the next generation.

She’s right, we’re “fixing, fixing” but we don’t seem to get what’s broken, if it’s broken enough, we don’t care enough, don’t get organized enough, and probably, for all our talk, our meetings, reports, and billions and trillions(?) spent, don’t know how to fix it. The will to get it right, as this young lady has, is missing in our world leadership. And it’s critically important, imperative, that we get it right – now. It’s not good enough to have report after report of vanishing species, spreading illness, continuing war, conflict, starvation, disease. There seems to be more hunger for reports and discussion than hunger to actually get the job done.

As she points out, we have to see ourselves as all one people, which we are obviously having a difficult time doing. And we don’t see the absolute necessity of sharing, of spreading the wealth that is available. We are hoarders – of time, wealth, self importance, and solutions.

Please listen take 5 minutes to listen to this message, and then pass it along.

The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes

One would (or should) be astonished about the prevalence of worker slavery all over the world, including the US. Vulnerable populations are forced or lured into jobs where they receive little and are essentially treated like slaves. Much of it happens with the lure of “jobs.” But the “jobs” result in people leaving a sustainable if not prosperous lifestyle, in exchange for “better” living conditions that leave them in financial and/or physical slavery.

This latest incident reported in Brazil