Editorial
'Dailies'-16
General
Disclaimer
Any
health information provided herein is for educational purposes only.
IT
IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR
EVALUATION OR TREATMENT BY A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.
Sun,
23 Apr '06 Article: Mass exodus
Response:
Mass futility.
Jobs, cheaper housing, key factors behind growing migration of residents
from state, says the sub-head. Little do the fleers know that you can
run, but you just can't hide. Because the impending crash will just
be too far reaching--unless you become independent of the infrastructure
and status-quo economics.
Most interesting is the aspec of stress on state finances resulting
from decreasing population. There it is once more: we have become dependent
for survival on self-destructive ways and means--in this case, overpopulation
is required to run the monstrous machine of state.
Sun,
23 Apr '06 S&E editorial: Jeff McMenemy: Community urged to support
drug resistance programs
Response:
Course par: Dangerously inadequate.
Jeff McMenemy once again gives us a misguided tour of the illegal drug
problem. Misguided (for one thing) because, as usual, Jeff falls far
short of dealing with a larger issue of which street drugs are only
a component: Child health and safety.
It
seems this is partly because the majority of the larger picture involves
"legitimate" business, and partly because, as Jeff admits,
the drug issue is seen as a deterrent to the area's economic growth
potential, often championed by the paper.
In other words, it's mostly about business.
One gets the impression, therefore, that it's OK to abuse the health
of kids as long as it's legal and doesn't impede business. Either that,
or Jeff simply doesn't get how serious the rest of the larger picture
is (worse by orders of magnitude than street drugs). Since I've tried
numerous times to communicate this to him and to offer resources, all
to no avail, the first impression seems the probability.
What is that larger picture? To put it concisely: We are poisoning the
kids with our way of life to a far greater extent than street drugs
are doing. In fact, we are poisoning them in ways that predispose them
to drug abuse and addiction (illegal and legal). The illegal-drug issue
thus becomes more of a politically correct bandwagon from which drums
can be beaten.
Here,
Jeff is appealing to the the community to support the North Central
Mass Alliance for a Drug Free Future. He begins, as usual, by reminding
us of the "award-winning" drug series the paper did (which
award was given by folks who apparently also ignore the larger issue,
and therefore didn't see the omissions of the series).
Jeff
cites the "impressive list of city and community leaders"
who comprise the Alliance. Some of these have also been recipients of
information on the larger issue, including the Fitchburg and Leominster
mayors, police chiefs, community leaders, and business people. None
has responded—not even to tell me I'm crazy or completely off
base for what I'm reporting. Some just block the emails. Pretty good,
eh? Sometimes silence says a lot, though.
A few specifics from the editorial:
1) One Alliance member, Bob Antonucci, Fitchburg State College president,
says, "...there's no excuse for youth to use drugs, there's no
excuse for drug dealers to be tolerated, there's no excuse to have to
walk down Main Street and see people using drugs."
It has the ring of proper concern. But, as I've reported in emails,
the first two statements can also be applied to the egregious abuse
of young brains with medical drugs, such as Ritalin and Prozac. To add
to the insult, society's poisoning frequently leads to the trumped up
'need' for Dr. Pharmastein's noxious medicaments. Do you know that Ritalin
and cocaine act on the same brain chemicals, and are in the same DEA
drug category?
The third statement can be interpreted as the "image" motive,
which relates to the business aspect of Jeff's concern. Mr Antonucci
repeats this concern later in the article. The game plan is to grow,
grow, grow the community (another arguably misguided policy), and people
won't come here if the town's "unsafe."
However,
there may be some serious question as to just what "unsafe"
is. The status quo we embrace is laced with "unsafe" factors
that poison the kids, steal our money, and indulge in other criminal
behavior. Furthermore, were economic/environmental sanity to prevail,
we'd feel better off without the influx of people. That's largely a
tax concern, which challenge is itself a reflection of political apathy
and slavery to the rigged economic system. Interesting that the system
also creates dependence upon overpopulation.
But the unpleasant sight is also arbitrarily assigned stigma, because
"legitimate" people walk all over the place stoned on society's
condoned substances of use and abuse, including caffeine, nicotine,
and sugar. Is it because we look down our noses at street people, marginalize
them, and deprive them by law of the dignity of choosing their substance
of abuse, that the sight of them so disturbs sensibilities? I'm guessing
there is a bit of elitism going on due to previous complaints
in the paper about service organizations drawing the "wrong kind"
of people.
How many desperate housewives are slamming lattes, popping pills, travelling
around stoned in their SUVs, burning brains with microwave phones, and
buying toxic slave-labor goods down at the retail orgy? All perfectly
legal, just as addictive and harmful, depending on dose.
2) The Summer Up program. Jeff says the kids are given "a good
lunch." Without knowing the menu, I'd venture to say that's highly
debatable; especially if that lunch resembles what they get in the school
lunch program, which is atrocious. "State" food comprises
way too much industrial-ag, poison-grown, nutrient depleted, chemicalized,
processed nonfood. Oh, it masquerades as food, all right. Sometimes,
it's just how you define it.
The kids are also given someplace to go. Where is that, the Mall? Not
to be a wise guy, but kids are considered safe down there, with a slurpie
in one hand and a walkie talkie in the other. Don't smoke pot, Kiddo,
but take a trip through Chuck E Cheese. Now, if we had a number of large-scale
local organic farming projects as a hedge against the energy disaster
about to slam us (to which the retail growth mongers and road wideners
seem completely oblivious), that would be a great place to send kids.
Try another experiment: Connect kids to the land instead of technoconsumerism,
plastic, and corporations. Review what is taken for granted as the parameters
of "success," instead of just feeding them a "paycheck."
And teach them about the dangers of legal drug use and trafficking,
about the danger of chlorine in municipal water that's said to be safe
to drink, and about what things in society aren't defined as drugs,
but really are, like addictive chemicals such as aspartame, MSG, and
refined sugar.
3) And, speaking of drugfood, let's see if we can get the paper to cease
the following hypocritical nonsense:
Sun, 16 Apr '06 S&E editorial: Solving the immigration issue
Response:
So much left out...
This one is pretty much the standard rhetoric, such as, "We need
to be humane to the illegal immigrants as long as they tow the line,
and we need to control our porous borders, which not only let in illegals,
but terrorists, too."
And it's funny--after covering the morals of the issue (we are a country
of immigrants; and making illegal ones legal isn't fair to the ones
doing it right, etc) the overriding factor is, as usual, the dollar:
"If tomorrow they all disappeared, it would be a tremendous blow
to the ... economy." The great American reason-for-being.
A few things to consider:
Most people who think themselves bona fide American citizens are merely
the descendants, or co-perpetrators, of those who came and stole the
place from its real inhabitants, who were murdered and imprisoned on
reservations to achieve the goal. "A country of immigrants"
is a euphemism for virtual colonial invaders--reaping the benefits of
what we love to hate in Saddam and Osama. The real Americans are all
but destroyed, or have become casino owners.
Many people fleeing to the US are hapless victims of criminal oppression
committed against them by multinationals, many of whom are US-based,
or by governments in league with these corporations, whose purpose is
to rape the earth, steal resources, and enslave labor. If it were not
for intolerable conditions, how many people would want to leave their
home. Would you?
For example, Alabama's Drummond Corp, a huge mining firm operating in
S America, hires death squads to kidnap, torture and kill union leaders
or those attempting to unionize its slave-driving operations. These
death squads are most probably trained at the School of the Americas--now
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Policy--at Fort Benning Georgia,
the biggest terrorist training camp in the world.
And one thing people never understand is that, before elitist money
systems and their money changers, and then capitalism, there was no
poverty--just people living with the land.
If we were to begin with loyalty to our source of life, Mother Earth
and to her children in general, including animals, the wind and water,
rather than to national political hubris, we might find the result to
be peace and justice, or at least the preservation of the future for
our kids, as opposed to the unspeakable violence and destruction resulting
from the self-important desire/need for chauvinism, and "national
security."
Oh, never forget the Holy Grail: "growing the economy." Pay
those legal immigrants real cheap and grow with pride.
And the politically correct rhetoric-beat goes on. Gollygosh.
Wed, 12 Apr '06 Article: State orders city to explain water issues
to residents
Response:
Welcome idea, but questionable info.
Despite the problems that have been exposed concerning Leominster's
water, including an uncertified inspector and a reservoir with no filtration
plant, we are assured by the DPW director that the water is safe to
drink.
I'm sure the director means well, but that statement is based partly
in unawareness and partly in withheld information.
The unawareness is that no municipal water containing chlorine (which
is given as a safety factor) is safe to drink. Chlorine is a bacteriacide
that kills indiscriminately, and does so to our essential intestinal
bacteria, a mainstay of health, digestion, and immune function.
And, chlorine reacts with any organic (petro-based) contaminants to
form very nasty compounds that cause cancer. As chlorine makes its way
into the environment via the sewer system it also reacts to form nasty
compounds, which Greenpeace has shown end up in fish that we eat. So,
it comes back to bite.
The funny thing is that the chlorine industry will tell you that it's
just about the most beneficial chemical there is.
The withheld information is that there are literally thousands of contaminants
that the city/DEP never tests for. That means, that to say the water
is safe is simply a best-guess proposition bordering on wishful thinking.
It's an ass-covering official story based on established standards.
But the truth is, the water could pass all the standards and still poison
you.
And, where I live, my toilet periodically builds up a brown scum in
the bowl, and I have to assume that this scum would be in the water
I would drink from the tap (I've given up drinking from the bowl).
Mon, 10 Apr '06 Article: Disney cell phones aim to help parents
and kids keep in touch
Response:
There is no substitute for madness.
There is one overriding factor: Microwave radiation is much
more threatening to youngsters than to adults--and it is threatening
enough to adults.
The industry is in denial--PR denial, that is, because it knows the
dangers, but keeps denying them.
Disney, despite parading its kid-oriented and kid-loving image, is just
another greedy profit-driven corporate entity now attempting to make
hay in the fear/safety/security market.
Technology now allows cell phone tracking via satellite also. Indeed,
in the impending fascist state, Total Information Awareness is BigBro's
wet dream. Here's one more component.
Interestingly, none of the commenters in the article, parent or child,
pro or con, cited the dangers of microwave radiation as a consideration.
Nor was there even a hint of "1984." Typical America: Oblivion
reigns supreme.
Sun,
9 Apr '06 Headline: Route 12 project 'widens' tensions
Response:
As this ill-advised, fascist operation should.
The masters of eternal economic growth want to confiscate people's property,
homes, and businesses in order to widen the pavement to make way for
more traffic.
The purported reason for this insult is to "improve traffic flow."
But a real reason is to support the bloated growth and development goals
piling up between the Twin Cities. After all, the "consumers"
who are going to populate the new downtown condos and apartments and
renew the economic life of Fitchburg might have to get down to Leominster's
obscene Conehead retail orgy and buy their blenders and HD TVs. Yes,
consumerism is THE condoned drug.
There seems to have been no consideration given to the possibility that
the problem is not a narrow road, but too many cars--resulting from
the same, age-old, shortsighted, self-defeating economic philosophy
that drives this latest mistake.
And it might well be noted that this is just one more in a long line
of capitulations to greedy outside (and local) interests who seem to
care nothing about our quality of life, but who sit around in boardrooms
sticking pins in maps trying to figure how to squeeze every last dollar
out of every last square foot of local land.
You will hear the weak-minded excuse that "If they meet the zoning
requirements, they can come in." But I haven't heard one remark
from anyone saying, "Aha! There's the rub." That is, the zoning
laws have a serious flaw, and cannot really protect us. Could this be
by design, in that the law must be configured to allow tax-collecting
compensation for a self-devouring system called debt/inflation/growth
economics?
It apparently has not occurred to the growth mongers that we have been
building and widening roads since the automobile was invented, and we
are still in a traffic jam. It will always be so until we come to our
senses and stop growing.
"Widen it, and they will come."
Not only is this project futile (offers temporary relief like a drug
fix), but it is extremely ill-advised given the energy, climate, economic,
and pollution crises we face. It is a spoiled-brat behavior and operation.
The whole thing is predicated upon putting our source of life into liquidation.
To top it off, the 'eminent domain' law must be invoked. I'm not sure
there is anything more Un-American than not respecting the rights and
wishes of the individual. Because the masses want it or need it, doesn't
make it right. Oh, I know--'the needs of the many' and all that. But
it still comes down to mob rule or fascism, whereas a Republic (not
a democracy) should respect individual rights.
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"This includes the economic growth and the consumer orgy themselves,
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"This is what we call economic growth and development, folks. ...
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"If you ask me, the motive for silence was to avoid any threat
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www.geminipress.com/edletts.html
Sun, 9 Apr '06 S&E
editorial: Jeff McMenemy: Local problems can only be fixed by raising
taxes
Response:
Can you say "Pavlov"?
Yes, folks, like energy, water, and hard natural resources, your pockets
are inexhaustible. Just keep raising taxes forever to "fix"
local problems, including ones that don't originate locally. Oh, it's
a fix all right--much like the heroin addict fixes himself.
Mr. Jeff portrays himself as a "conservative Republican,"
and then proceeds apologetically to explain why such values must now
be abandoned. Well that certainly seems a broad category, because a
true conservative would be screaming his head off about the source of
local fiscal crises: our phony-currency system, criminal Fed, and debt/inflation/growth
economics, which Jeff fairly worships.
His views in general are almost diametrically opposed to another conservative
Republican, Ron Paul of Texas, who understands America's fatal flaws,
as well as those of democracy itself (which the Founders despised),
and puts his
finger very close to right on the issues.
Sat,
8 Apr '06 Article: Finneran bullish on state economy
Response:
"Bullish" is almost the right word :-)
Our former House Speaker asserts proudly that Mass. is now "on
the map" since lawmakers paved the way for biotech here by lobbying
to get Bristol-Meyers Squibb to build a new $660 million manufacturing
facility in Devens.
Being a Pharma giant automatically puts BS Squibb in the corporate-criminal
category, as has been demonstrated numerous times when pharma ruthlessness,
greed, irresponsibility, and government manipulation have shown up in
the news and in investigative journalism.
Let's put it this way: For the most part, biotech is a new, expensive,
energy intensive technology that purports to correct the health damage
we've done to ourselves with technology, and by ignoring ancient principles
of wellness. Biotech has arisen as a direct result of the corporate
medical industry's avoidance of wellness. Not to mention that it entails
a nasty waste stream and is highly polluting.
Of course, it's all about money/jobs/economy. But it is ironic for two
reasons: 1) Biotech will drive the cost of health care up, while doing
nothing for wellness; 2) Finneran, like most local pols and business
pundits, seems oblivious to the impending climate/ecological/economic
collapses that will destroy us if we don't drastically change our ways.
But it's full steam ahead in this and other venues, such as commercial/retail
growth, like there's no tomorrow.
The MassBioTech 2010 Report estimates 100,000 jobs will be created in
Massachusetts by 2010. One company, AVANT, has already located in Fall
River. This has Finneran all a-twitter: "In expanding AVANT's operations
into Southeastern Massachusetts, (MBT Chairman) Dr. Una Ryan is sending
a clear message ... that Massachusetts is a great place for life science
companies to perform not only R&D but also product manufacturing,"
stated Finneran. He calls it the "highly important life sciences
industry."
For the most part, biotech is Frankenstein Medicine squared, and it
is only to the detriment of all that it is taking off to the extent
that it is. What do I mean by Frankenstein Medicine? The fatal flaw
of Mary Shelley's character was arrogance--the manipulation of life,
thinking of himself as God-like. He was going to create life, but instread
created a 'monster.'
Biotech intends to manipulate life. The monster being created is perpetual
illness at a high price. It isn't "life science," but "insult-to-life
pseudo-science." Lucrative technomasturbation: "New technique
helps identify multiple DNA regulatory sites: Understanding the complex
regulatory mechanisms that tell genes when to switch on and off is one
of the toughest challenges facing researchers
attempting to discover how life works." Of course, once
it's understood "how it works," the next step will be to "improve"
it.
Another example of what we're getting: Public release of pig genomic
sequences. In addition to the genome survey, 100 libraries of expressed
sequences from different pig tissues and developmental stages have been
analyzed.
And "AVANT's 11,000 square foot process development and pilot manufacturing
facility in Fall River, MA will support the clinical development of
its portfolio of bacterial vaccines, including vaccines for biodefense..."
Anyone with an ounce of health sense can see the horrendous direction
this is taking:
"If
you were a kid in the 60s, you probably received less than 10 vaccines
before you were 18. For the past decade, the total number has hovered
at 40. On 7 Feb 05, with no media whatsoever, the CDC suddenly jacked
up the total number of vaccines mandated to an American child before
age 18 to a whopping 58." - Dr. Tim O'Shea, "The Sanctity
of Human Blood: Vaccination is Not Immunization," 8th Ed.
Please see article on vaccine nonsense
In a meeting in front of the local Chamber of Commerce, one soul with
integrity asked Finneran about the federal indictments he faces on perjury
and obstruction of justice concerning crooked redistricting. Naturally
the corporate lapdog denied all.
A
most interesting aside is Finneran's comment that the state has to build
many more housing units per year to control the costs of ownership and
keep young professionals in the state. Yikes! It's age-old supply/demand
'logic,' whereas Mr. F seems not to have a clue that the housing market
is vigorously manipulated and inflated, thus the rising cost. The only
thing holding up the market now is the Fed's willingness to print phony,
inflated money. Old Tom has but to wait a little while for the inevitable
crash, when housing prices will 'adjust' :-)
Finneran also had great praise for the new Massachusetts health care
bill, which has the appearance of a good effort, but which effectively
enslaves the people to Pharma malfeasance and monopoly control--to whit:
you must buy in or face tax penalties. The 4/5/06 S&E report on
the bill somehow omitted this fascist aspect (see immediately below,
and see article on stem cell research).
Wed, 5 Apr '06 Article: Health care bill described as first step
Response:
The question is, in which direction?
The effort is to get most people insurance coverage. One of the prospective
hopes is that this will lower costs by getting people into regular channels
of health care as opposed to many emergency-room visits by uncovered
people. This has some logic to it.
But
the fundamental problem in health care is not, and will not be, addressed
by administrative and coverage reform--the dangers and ineffectiveness
of conventional medicine itself.
The noted transition will have a reducing effect on costs, but costs
are still going to soar for a varety of reasons, not the least of which
is the rapaciousness of the corporatists of the Pharma and the medical
supply/device industries who control the whole thing.
Another major reason is that wellness is not conferred by conventional
treatment methods, predisposing people to deteriorating health profiles
and more visits and treatments.
Here's the question left unanswered by all the commentators, such as
lawmakers and hospital officials: Of what interest is widespread wellness
to an industry whose financial health depends upon widespread illness?
"When
we give government the power to make medical decisions for us, we, in
essence, accept that the state owns our bodies." - US Representative
Ron Paul
Please
read Meaningful Health Care Reform for more
detail.
Wed,
5 Apr '06 Article: Study: Low-calorie diet may equal longer life
Response:
Ah, modern science once again to the rescue.
As it was with acupuncture, which was "voodoo" for many years
until "science" was forced into admitting that it works, science
is now making a pronouncement about something Holistic practioners have
long understood: overeating, especially of high calorie foods (grains
would be major offenders) predisposes to illness and thus shortens life.
Well, now that science has made this "exciting study" we can
be sure that a diet emphasizing vegetables and fruits IS actually good
for us. Whew! Glad they got that one under control--and not a moment
to soon!
Sun
2 Apr '06 Headline: Land of Opportunity
Response:
Opportunity to destroy ourselves.
As usual, the S&E is focusing on economic development, and several
local pundits join in on what can be argued to be a very shortsighted
discussion, depsite it's pretense to long-range planning.
One disturbing aspect is Leominster Mayor Mazzarella's comment that
this deluge of growth madness is unavoidable--"If they meet all
the requirements of all the local ordinances and zoning, then they're
eligible to come," he says.
EXCUSE me? Just who is it that establishes these regulations? Isn't
the next logical question, where is the law that allows us to protect
ourselves from being overrun by corporate greed? Because that's all
this is--a greedfest overkill of consumer addiction. Worse, many local
people worship this stuff, including, unfortunately, the newspaper,
which fails in its responsibility to deal thoroughly with the downside.
But when you've got a publication whose favorite word is "upscale,"
what can you expect? And the politicians, such as local councilors,
seem more like sheep when it comes to this than persons having taken
responsibility to protect the community.
The best Chamber President McKeehan can come up with, is that if we're
going to have this development, there's no better place than at the
junction of the two highways. In a conversation I had with him years
ago, I learned that he thinks the local water supply is infinite.
The Mayor says either Leominster or Lancaster is going to get it. Lancaster,
some folks might recall, is the town now fretting about overdrawing
its wells--a major threat to building that portends big fiscal deficits,
according to one town official. One wonders just how much it takes to
get officials off the treadmill of convention to the point of actually
questioning the wisdom of the economic system we hold dear.
Exemplifying this treadmill inertia is Lancaster Town Administrator
Pacheco, who says Lancaster "wants more economic development; if
it turns out to be retail, then so be it." Where's the water going
to come from? Granted, a department store uses only bathroom-amounts
of water, but a big staff can draw a lot. A restaurant, however, is
a voracious user of water. Put your head on the block and surrender.
Greedmonger William R. Cronin Jr, VP of New England Development, which
is now planning a massive 400,000 square-foot retail debacle in Leominster
offers words of wisdom. "The more options for shoppers, the more
people will be willing to drive to Leominster."
Then to put the cap on the rhetoric and rationalization, the green-eyed
pundits all agree it won't create a traffic problem because it's all
near the highways. Everyone who goes to these places will be coming
on the highway. Get it?
And see? There's no energy problem, no climate problem, no pollution,
no threat to resources, no deadly trade deficit, and no burgeoning waste
stream. Just a funny-fun-fun, whoopdedoo Conehead consumer orgy. Hey,
it brings in the tax dollars we use for things like schools.
That's
good, because when the kids get out, they're really going to have to
be smart to deal with, even survive, the awful circumstances being created
for them by the bigbizness boyz and their local panderers.
Fri 31 Mar '06 Article: Local legislators hail Lottery 'victory'
Response:
Fortunate. Hopefully not taken as a solution.
The decision has been made to 'uncap' state lottery money early and
distribute it to communities. Naturally, recipients are thrilled. Hopefully,
the respite time will be used to regroup and focus on the real reasons
for financial crises--the currency, market and economics games of the
central bankers.
We must target their mechanisms of theft here in the US: the Federal
Reserve, IRS, and debt/inflation/growth economics. Essentially, the
country is being run on a credit card.
But a 'funny' thing in this piece is a quote from Mass Senator Bob Antonioni,
who said, "With the economy improving, I think it's essential we
uncap the Lottery." MUST be a misquote. That should read, "With
the economy going into the dumper...
Mon,
27 Mar '06 S&E Editorial: Petition makes sense for city
Response:
Sense within the insane world.
There is currently a 'brooha' about a local developer's sleazy petition
to change some zoning to his advantage, that was signed by most city
councilors in advance of a Planning Board meeting to consider it. Won't
go into the details of that, but the point is the project has added
a few big retailers and some restaurants to the area, and may add more.
The paper expresses its wet dreams of retail/commercial biz that "pays
taxes to the city." Typical and tired old economic rhetoric.
Below is a letter I sent to our school superintendent who is expressing
concern that busing costs are going to price themselves out of our market
in a few years--mainly due to fuel costs. It addresses the question
of economic growth and development, and related matters:
Dear Marilyn,
You may recall that after our last class reunion, I asked if I could
catch up with you in your office for a chat about some things. I failed
to do so, much to my shame. But that meeting might have taken a half
hour to an hour. The following is a bit long, but still shouldn't take
nearly as long to read. So I beg your indulgence. Let me preface by
saying I hope I'm wrong.
I saw the 3/19/06 article in the paper about the escalating cost of
busing. You're quoted as saying we'll be facing "A" problem
we can't solve. Not to imply that you don't, but it would seem wise
to at least consider it as just one item in a litany of interrelated
'insoluble' challenges ahead--and not just for the schools, but for
every aspect of community.
This letter suggests that traditional approaches will fail us, because
circumstances require a wider focus than is customary. This is where
your question comes in: "Where do we go from here?" If we
keep on as in the past, we will scoot off the cliff like the Road Runner and
have nowhere to go but splat.
There seems to be a dogged, business-as-usual drive around here to proceed
with same-old palliatives, and pursue policy that is ultimately self-defeating.
A good example is growth and development. I frequently compare this
to a drug addiction, where it seems like that next fix is all we need
to focus on until the next time, as we slide into the pit.
I've sent numerous emails over the past several years about this. Thus
far, there has been virtually stony silence--not that anyone is required
to respond to me (although I know some folks call me names :-) But no
one has explained why the info shared should not be part of the community
discussion of where we go from here.
There are city councilors, for example, that 'smile at my face' when
I run into them, but 'call me names behind my back.' Some know there
is truth in what I report, but say nothing openly. Others think I'm
crazy. One councilor blocks my emails. None responds. They're all aware
of my local-cable TV show, Radical Communion. None makes any comment,
question, or reply to the suggestion that the city is being dragged
into disaster. The newspaper happily follows suit and would be the pied
piper. Of course, the Twin Cities aren't alone in the self-destruct
department.
It may be helpful when considering challenges not to get compartmentalized.
Most of the challenges communities face, especially fiscal ones, are
symptoms of non-local situations. Our wealth is being stolen. For example,
health care relates to the busing issue, because the minimally
useful, ultimately self-defeating health care reform bill about to be
produced by the state legislature perpetuates the ongoing revenue theft
(more below).
There is little question: The old ways will fail us. The widening of
Rte 12, the retail expansion, population increase, the increased demand
on vanishing space and resources (ask Lancaster)--it's all a form of
futile, energy-wasting, Pavlovian madness. And it would be so even
if we didn't have a potentially imminent major enviro/energy/eco crash
on the way that our pundits ignore and our addictive behavior is hastening. Depending
on the intensity of this crash, we may be able to do virtually nothing,
like being swept along in a rushing river. Funny how easily we
see the addiction of a heroin addict, but can't see the analog in community
behavior. And if you don't believe me, listen to the bear, deer,
and moose that are trying to tell us something :-)
A capsule statement of where we are: We depend for survival upon ultimately
self-destructive mechanisms. Quite the corner we've painted ourselves
into.
How can we understand soaring fuel costs for busing kids, but not see
that the same holds for transporting tomatoes? Instead of huge
retail outfits and restaurant outlets for the poison industrial-ag fossil-energy
sink, the city should be focusing on ZERO-growth and moving as
much as possible toward self-sufficiency. We should be planning multiple
organic farms, maybe even some year-round facilities, and local means
for the production of staples and energy. Cottage industries. Such
an arrangement would be valuable whether or not there is a crash. But
local leaders, planners, and developers would rather massage egos with
the big boys and therefore are taking us on the path to hell, frankly.
Here's
a pretty good piece on this.
The
time for a radical approach is here. It means shedding unquestioning
faith in the system, or status quo. Being able to question our cherished
beliefs and behaviors. It may mean standing up as a political entity--Leominster,
and as many communities as we can muster--against the federal juggernaut
(and to a lesser extent the state) that is destroying the country and
stealing our wealth and the kids' lives and futures. The sad thing is,
some people defend this travesty as Americanism. Worse, many of them
are in politics. Worst of all, partisan politicians adolescently sling
mud at each other and can't see that both parties dance with the wolf
in the federal fold. At the end of the day it comes down to lyin,' cheatin,'
stealin,' and killin.' And the citizens allow it.
We need an all-partisan revolution in understanding and thought. We
need to make noise, and keep making it, until Congress is overhauled. However,
the human flaws that manifest as failed government, fiscal crises and
energy disaster exist right down to our neighborhoods. So, local politics
suffers in its own way. There's almost always someone on the take or
operating in a self-serving way. When this is not the case, denial,
unawareness, or disbelief take over, it seems.
Coming back to fuel cost and supply per se, here's an interesting statistic,
for one example. During peacetime (which we never get, of course) our
military uses enough fuel in one year to run the entire mass transit
system of the US for 14 years. I'd wager that in one month in Iraq we
could run every school bus in America for a year. Throw in the waste
of Afghanistan and add another 6 months. But think about 725 military
bases in 122 countries. It's too insane for words. The oxymoron: This,
along with Conehead consumer madness, is holding up the economy. So
is disease.
To be fair, military fuel consumption might be less per vehicle now
that many bigger ships, such as aircraft carriers that used to
gulp 5628 gallons per hour are nuke powered (which is its own form of
insanity). But you get the idea. If people could really get it:
that trillions of dollars have been stolen by an elite cabal (super
wealthy and powerful families) that have usurped the federal government,
why, they might finally get more upset than they are about Adam kicking
them. For example, what if we had some of the 20 trillion dollars
we've spent on the military since WW II? Or even some of the 5 trillion
dollars for nuclear weapons alone (and it's not enough--they want more!)
The mongers are now creating technology to make Earth itself a weapon.
People hear the military 'bell' and salivate obediently. Wave the flag
and all that. Nothing is more dangerous than blind, unquestioning patriotism,
because the elites have used our government and military for their own
ends for centuries. And if enemies need to be created to prove that
this obscene expenditure on machines of death is unavoidable, enemies
will be provided. History proves this contrivance beyond any question,
if only we will look at it. But most prefer conventional history, and
to deny, disbelieve, or ignore hidden history in favor of playing the
system. Local players don't see that the system they manipulate and
pander to will smilingly devour them or their children.
Speaking of children, the oft-stated concern for them is belied by our
behavior. For example, the paper was recently on its high horse about
car crashes. But if we're talking about threats to kids, what about
war death, medical death, and the serious poisoning of the kids by our
vaunted way of life? The paper won't touch those horses. Example: You
may have seen my letter to the editor on 3/27 about Matt Marro and DEP.
I noted the ill-advised policy of chlorinating drinking water. After
that, neatly excised was the following: "This is a major cause
of immune insufficiency, bowel disease, poor digestion, and a mountain
of illness (including allergy, Molly Bish Institute/ 'Health' Alliance.
Yoohoo, people!)"
Because the paper had recently run a long piece by the Molly Bish crowd
on kids and allergy, completely ignoring this fundamental principle
and related matters. These people, who should know better, are freely
given space to misguide everyone. This sets the stage for sick kids
and sick adults. This, in turn increases health costs. So-called health
care reform then perpetuates this, thereby squandering money that could
be used for busing--if that were a wise thing to do.
Frankly, the school lunch program is a bigger overall threat to kids
than car crashes. So are cell phones. Naturally, our quite-concerned
local paper is notably silent on such issues, preferring instead to
publish cute pics of toddlers eating sugarized nonfood, while cashing
in with human interest stories about families in health crises.
Speaking of war death, until we create the political will, LOCALLY first,
then nationally to convert the military industrial complex, we will jump
from one war to the next because our country's economy is addicted
to military production. Weapons are the number one industrial export
of America today, and the global marketing strategy for that product
line is endless war. To effect this result, such things as Pearl Harbor
are allowed and the Reichstag fire, Gulf of Tonkin, and 9/11 are contrived.
The other major underlying challenge: the phony-currency system, the
unconstitutional Federal Reserve, and the rigged, debt/inflation/growth
economy.
Since its secret formation in 1910, and subsequent illegal passage during
the Wilson administration, the Federal Reserve has held the American
economy hostage: creating inflation and boom & bust cycles through
managed money supply and interest rates. The dark 'secret' is, that
even though many have become wealthy, the astronomical flow of wealth
has been from the people to the system manipulators (all at the ultimate
expense of our source of life). These few manipulators now have the
power to impoverish millionaires.
Every dollar printed is merely debt charged to the federal government.
This paper, our "money," doesn't even become "money"
until it's borrowed! Thus while it costs only 10 cents to print a $100
bill, the US government (We the Sheeple) fits the bill for the full
$100 to the privately held Fed.
The unconstitutional and criminal nature of the Federal Reserve, owned
largely by the Rockefeller, Morgan, and Rothschild interests (elite
cabal) has eluded most of us. No one is discussing the proven role
of the Fed in creating recessions and depressions in order to purchase
assets at a fraction of their value. This is exactly what 1929 and following
was, and it was no accident, but a long-range plan by the Masters of
the system.
Local pols, planners and developers ignore the role of the fiat currency
system which inflates itself and prices, puts economies under the
iron claw of a few elite families, is the driving force behind our suicidal
development policies, and sets the stage for a massive collapse. Because
it is simply more profitable to let people die and accelerate collapse
through excessive consumption than it is to behave in a manner commensurate
with survival.
Since the dollar is the base currency for worldwide trade and the current
economic house of cards, shouldn't these topics be discussed?
Good summary
and history of the Fed.
And here's an interesting quote:
"The Economist magazine calls the real estate boom larger than
the stock market bubble of 2000. Will real estate continue to appreciate?
Nobody knows the answer to that question, but we do know the government
will do everything in its power to keep the real estate bubble expanding.
That's because a sharp decline in real estate values would lead to deflation.
To forestall such an event, the Federal Reserve regularly expands money
and credit. They do this in ever larger amounts, whenever they feel
it necessary.
"Economist Hans Sennholz reminds us, 'If a government resorts to
inflation, that is, creates money in order to cover its budget deficits
or expands credit in order to stimulate business, then no power on earth,
no gimmick, device, trick or even indexation can prevent its economic
consequences.'
"You can continue to believe the wizards of Wall Street and Washington,
who claim their inflationary brew will perpetuate prosperity, or you
can listen to the classical economists who have combined the lessons
of history with the basic principles from two centuries of sound economics.
[[That latter point, like capitalism itself, is questionable, but you
get the idea - P.]]
"Whether you choose to listen or not, be assured that the following
inevitable consequences of inflation will cloud your future: an ongoing
financial and economic crisis, moral and cultural disintegration, stagflation,
bigger government, escalating hatred of business, runaway social spending,
the criminalization of success, higher taxes and a shrinking dollar.
Somewhere out there lies complete and total collapse. That utter collapse
is coming as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow and the government
will keep inflating until the bitter end." - James R. Cook,
conservative economist
The "dollar" is the unbacked liability of a bankrupt nation.
This WILL put an end to all busing.
The US is now the world's largest debtor, swimming in debt. Consumerism
comprises 70 percent of the GDP, but many consumers spending more than
they earn. We're buying things we don't need with money we don't have.
The savings rate of the US consumer has now gone negative. The consumer
orgy also explodes the life-threatening trade deficit and is predicated
upon slave labor and widespread pollution. The paper irresponsibly cheers
this on.
The national debt is now pushing $8 trillion. In the previous four years,
debt increases have totaled $3 trillion, which amounts to an increase
of 50 percent in the total national debt. But increases go on.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing roughly $5 billion a month.
Not to mention the New Orleans disaster. We don't have the money to
rebuild there, but are 'intelligently' trying to reconstruct that which
could easily be destroyed again next year. President Bush keeps asking
a hypnotized, lapdog Congress for more multiple billions. Some estimates
are that Katrina will cost $120 billion or more, and this is probably
conservative. Iraq? One estimate: 1 to 2 Trillion. Afghanistan? Forgotten.
But the banksters have got the heroin flowing.
All this suggests strongly that the current local policies of economic
growth and development, which are predicated upon the above credit-card-currency
seduction, even if they were not environmentally suicidal, are ultimately
doomed. They will in fact accelerate the onset of a disaster that will
make 1929 look like a walk in the park, especially if/when the energy
crunch truly sets in. The same goes for energy-intensive and trash-mountain
pursuits such as airport concerts and the Longsjo race. All are predicated
on Earth in liquidation, and would be considered totally frivolous post-crash.
GIVE US MORE MORE MORE DEVELOPMENT! The local paper cheerleads
this suicide. Fitchburg is also in a ridiculous mode, which the paper
swoons over. It's going to try to rescue itself by "upscaling"
(the paper's favorite word) the downtown, getting the fast train from
Boston, and providing yuppie housing that will allow commuting to the
high-paying Boston jobs that will support the shopturbation-fest being
prepared locally. And when we're space-locked, look out Westminster,
Templeton, Phillipston (not to mention bear, deer, moose)--the fast
train is coming.
Communities, developers, and planners playing along with conventional
fiscal and growth
policies--especially in retail, infrastructure expansion, and condo
construction--are setting the future up for extreme misery. We would
be hard pressed to do anything worse for the kids. Focus on school bus
budgets in the midst of such a maelstrom would be funny if not so tragic. Not
busing them to school will be small among the discomforts handed down.
Thanks for your time, and congratulations on a valued tenure as Superintendent.
You're a credit to the Class of '61 :-)
Best,
Peter
Mon, 27 Mar '06 Editorial letter: Peter G Tocci (me!): Reader
put blame for lapse on DEP, too
Response: S&E
shows it's colors.
See the the letter below on 16 Mar. Note that the
main point was not what the title chosen by the paper suggests. Note
also the portion in bold. This is what the paper, in its 'wisdom,' decided
to edit out. Wouldn't want to cause any embarrassment to the drug dealers.
Wed, 23 Mar '06 Article: Schools putting obesity on notice
Response:
Weight-normal people get sick too.
No doubt, obesity is a problem among kids. But here's a great example
of the danger of bureaucratic regulation of the school lunch program--one
of the worse overall threats to kids in our society. Take aim at one
issue, miss the point—wellness, that is.
Picture of one first-grader sucking on a Hawaiian Punch. He's got another
on his tray, with a chockie milk and some abortion called a "Zesta."
Another kid's got a thing that says "Campbell's Soup" on it.
Run, kid, run!
Pray
this is the 'Before' picture.
Pundits fret over the junk stuff kids seem to be "drawn" (addicted?)
to (a symptom of built-in cultural/dietary stupidity that has altered
their chemistry and jaded their palates), but then turn around and feed
them "spaghetti with meat sauce," or "peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches." Yikes. There isn't even one good component in
a SAD (Standard American Diet) PB&J, never mind ingesting them at
once.
And here's a goody: "Fruits and vegetables go on every tray, along
with low-fat chocolate or white milk," says the principal of Northwest
Elementary. Now imagine slogging down the spaghetti, the dead animal,
a fruit, a vegetable, and the processed modified cow sweat, all in one
sitting.
This might be construed to prevent obesity, but to imagine that it confers
wellness suggests the distance officials have to go to learn the first
thing about health. One is, don't eat fruits and vegetables together.
Of course, that's the least of the threats hidden in the conglomeration
served up.
Another goody: Northwest's cafeteria manager decries pre-packaged lunches,
like Lunchables. "They don't have good meats or cheeses..."
Well, at least we know we can have good bad things instead of bad bad
things. And what is it again that makes what the school serves not pre-packaged?
Fruits you might be able to argue, but most of the rest is in the dead
zone, enzymatically speaking.
One big question--is anything the kids get organically grown, or is
it all depleted industrial-ag output (distantly trucked in), with its
pesticide, hormone, and mycotoxic residues?
But the absolute, final, 'pluperfect' kick in the ass in this one is
the earth-shattering revelation by the principal that she thinks the
new health regulations will "even improve academic performance."
Glory be.
The article doesn't mention why all this is being brought up now as
some kind of revelation, and why the kids have been fed shit in America
for so many decades.
Sun, 19 Mar '06 Article: Leominster schools will face tough issues
Response:
Tough is too nice a word--but not just the schools.
School Superintendent says escalating transportation costs will present
an unsolvable problem in the next few years. No more buses to take kids
to school. Already, the city of Gardner has removed busing for high
schoolers. This is just the tip of the berg, folks.
The article doesn't say what's behind the cost increase, but one must
assume it's fuel. There is nothing to say but "just desserts"
for the country that has consumed fuel in a selfish, oblivious, raging
madness.
How's this for a stat: during peacetime (which we never get, of course)
our military uses enough fuel in one year to run the entire mass transit
system of the US for 14 years. I'd wager that in one month in Iraq we
could run every school bus in America for a year.
To be fair, it might be less now that many bigger ships, such as aircraft
carriers that use to gulp 5680 gallons per hour are nuke powered (which
is its own form of insanity). But you get the idea.
While we scratch heads trying to "figure out solutions" to
such problems, the corrupt federal juggernaut runs away with our money,
health, sanity, and the lives of our young men and women.
When
the heck will local pols, pundits and officials yank their heads out
of, well, the sand, and get a clue? These issues cannot be solved locally.
Sun, 19 Mar '06 Special column: Healthy Kids Initiative of the
Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety at Mount Wachusett Community
College and HealthAlliance Hospital: Ingrid Cruise, MD, pediatrician,
Medical Associates Pediatrics, HealthAlliance Hospital, Leominster Campus:
Protecting children from allergies
Response:
Holy credentialmania, Batman! There's a mouthful of where-ya-from, who-are-ya.
Here are four very tall columns of official pronouncement about allergy,
and the jewel of wisdom at the center is, "The most effective way
to treat allergies is to completely avoid exposure." Yikes! If
this is the best conmedicine has to offer, the kids are in deep pucky.
The cause of this affliction? Why, it's that darn old immune system,
which, in some people, just happens, for some ungodly, unknown, unrevealed
reason, to "develop antibodies to harmless substances."
In all of the tall four, there is not a peep about one of the major
factors (of several) in allergy--intestinal dysbiosis with hyperpermeable
membrane. What's that? Your internal bacteria are dead and your gut
is leaking crap into your blood, irritating the hell out of your immune
function.
Nope, it's all about managing the outer environment instead of balancing
the inner one. The only thing done for the inside is Dr Frankenstein's
antihistamine medicaments, with their bevy of side effects. Histamine
is responsible for those awful allergy symptoms, goes the wisdom. That
stupid body just causes all manner of mess, doesn't it?
Yes, because those symptoms comprise a method of cathartic detox by
the body, which is smarter than the allergists who give not a thought
to toxicity as an irritant.
If there was ever a clearer picture of medical misguidedness, I'm not
sure what it might be. Well, their concept of cancer comes close. They've
got that backwards too.
But this is how medicine ensures continued profit: avoid wellness—charge
'em big and drug 'em high.
Sat, 18 Mar '06 Article: WTC developer offers new proposal, hoping
to bring Port Authority back to table
Response:
Wolf once more sniffing fold.
Larry Silverstein, the leaseholder on WTC 7, the building that was admittedly
demolished on 9/11 "to prevent further loss of life," and
who made hundreds of millions on insurance claims, has been in negotations
to rebuild the WTC site.
Apparently, FIVE (!) new office towers are being planned, including
a 1776-foot "Freedom Tower." Was there ever a more clear indication
of human arrogance and stupidity?
In any case, NY State officials have been upset with old Lar' for wanting
"too large a share of billions of dollars in rebuilding money (where
is it coming from?) and other concessions in exchange for giving up
rights to build two out of five..."
Well, boys and girls, they should be happy to be rid of him. Because
after 9/11, no one even asked him, "Say, Lar,' just exactly when
was it those explosives were set in WTC 7?" Because, you know,
it customarily takes weeks of careful planning and arranging charges
to set a building for demolition...
Fri,
17 Mar '06 Headline: Longsjo adds fifth day to event
Response:
Visions of dollar signs dance in their heads.
Letter to be sent to George Gantz, president of Fitchburg Cycling Club
and VP Unitil:
Dear Mr Gantz,
I just saw the news article about expanding the Longsjo event. I usually
take in some of the mountain race and criterium. I had the pleasure
of meeting Art at a speedskating race when I was a teen.
Of all the volunteers that make this great event possible, there is
one sine-qua-non 'volunteer' that seems to have been somewhat neglected
or taken for granted over the years--our source of life, the Earth and
its resources.
I have a feeling that if the 'cost' of the event included 'staying even'
with what we demand of the Earth (being sustainable, in other words),
nothing close to a $million in revenue would be realized.
Also, a number of conservative economic analysts (not the Wall Street
and Fed Wizards) are quaking in their boots at the state of America's
finances. It's rather like a stilt house in a raging flood at this point.
Would you run Unitil on ever-increasing credit card debt? These analysts
say that America's consumer madness, as well as the suicidal growth
addiction, is exacerbating and accelerating the crash, which if not
mitigated will make 1929 look like... a day at the races.
Like most big parties, the event packs a pretty good environmental impact
in a number of ways. One is fuel consumption, especially during
the mountain event, not to mention all the fuel consumed by everyone
getting here. Although there is big money behind the teams, the day
could easily come when petro shortage begins to put a crimp in the style.
That day may not be too far off.
Like much human activity to which we're addicted, the race would become
an inexcusable, if not impossible, frivolity in another frame of reference--like
watering lawns in Lancaster is about to become. And, as we've already
seen, energy situations can change rapidly. There is some thought that
the energy-intensive industrial-ag global food supply is in jeopardy.
It would seem prudent to frame and pursue future plans within such perspective.
Another race impact is the huge amount of trash generated. Truth be
said, we haven't 'grown up' enough as a culture regarding this to even
deserve to stage such an event. Of course, the trash will 'disappear'
and be out of mind, and so not be a deterrent to the fun and profit
(I'm not singling out the Longsjo here--it's just the way we behave
in general, and the same goes for beerfests, Independence Day celebrations,
concerts at the airport, and so on). I often say, that to get a vivid
sense of how we're living, everyone should be required have one day's
trash collection dumped in his front yard.
It would be nice to see the environmental/energy factor take as much
precedence in the Longsjo as possible going forward. Maybe even a little
more :-)
There might be one way to make some difference immediately, which would
be to provide for the recycling of the many thousands of empty water
bottles. I understand they're trashed. Since plastic is a petrochemical,
this represents a responsible way to create savings in that respect.
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Peter Tocci
Leominster
Thu
16 Mar '06 Article: DEP: Marro's certification expired
Response:
Not the worst threat to drinking water safety.
Leominster's environmental inspector (resigned) was allegedly without
certification for three years. Yes, he and the City must take responsibilty,
but where was the Department of Environmental Protection oversight?
DEP
sets the standards and should be at least as culpable for not tracking
this as City officials. I mean, try letting your driver's license lapse.
This isn't particle physics!
In any case, there's a difference between certification, a bureaucratic
formality, and knowledge/skill. Colletta says no danger arose from the
situation.
In any case, one area of concern is bacteria, and herein lies a 'funny.'
DEP spokesman Colletta said the water had insufficient chlorine (odd,
I have the sense my tap water comes from the municipal swimming pool.
It reeks.)
The 'funny' is that chlorine should not be in drinking water at all,
because it's an indiscriminate killer and wipes out people's essential
intestinal bacteria. This is an underlying cause of immune insufficiency,
bowel disease, poor digestion, and a mountain of illness.
Safe
and effective oxygen systems are in use. What stands in the way of this
for Massachusetts communities--Unawareness? Inertia? Incompetence? Politics?
Malfeasance?
I
might add that the Mayor has been informed about this in the past on
several occasions.
There might be a financial penalty on the city for this, says Colletta.
In a sane world, the DEP would be prosecuted for requiring the poison
chlorine, thus threatening everyone's health and life. I'd guess someone
as smart and engaged as Matt Marro is aware of this, and if there was
less chlorine on his purpose, I'd guess he was doing us all a favor
by adjusting for DEP's ill-advised policy and probable overkill.
Is Leominster's water safe to drink? "No question about it,"
says Colletta.
Is
this official spokesperson unsafe to believe?
Archive
of Editorial Letters
Peter
G. Tocci is a Holistic wellness consultant and health writer dba Associated
Health Services in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Check
out Holistic Health Information
Associated
Health Services
978.537.6991
Gemini
Press
978.537.2553
E-mail
for both:
peter<at>geminipress<dot>com
Or
Send S-mail:
Peter G. Tocci
22 Walker St. #2
Leominster, Mass. USA 01453
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