Posts Tagged ‘politics



18
Feb
13

NEW BOOK: pre-RELEASE


 

I am pleased to announce the pre-release of my latest book of poetry titled:

REFLECTION – RESPONSE  through the voice of poetry.

As an introduction, this collection of poems is premised on reflection of the many important and diverse issues facing the global human community today and, through the voice of poetry, express my personal response to a perceived affect these issues are having on human, societal evolution.  Interspersed amongst these poems are several reflecting a personal philosophy toward life, sexuality and the environment.

I hope you would take a few moments to visit my Self-publishing website to review the contents of this book and I would be further honored if you found it worthy of comment.  It will soon be available in a variety of print format including, as an e-book for I-pad and tablet.

Thank you in advance for your time in this regard.

Enjoy:

rr-cover

 

07
Feb
13

Cannibalized Economy – Destined for Failure


Image

To understand the current state of the western, capitalist based, economy the following, simple analogy is given:

There existed a large tribe village of cannibal peoples lead by a powerful leader. Lets call them Tribe A.This particular village, circumvented by other, similar tribe villages but they were not quite as prosperous and looked to emulate Tribe A for they too wished to be as successful.

After several years of prosperity matters began to deteriorate for Tribe A yet, to the other tribes, all seemed well and great praise and gifts continued to be bestowed upon A’s leader and its Peoples.

Then seemingly out of no-where, upon visiting Tribe A, all was found in ruin leaving the other tribes curious to know what went wrong and proceeded to investigate.

It was learned for several years under good leadership, the citizens of Tribe A shared and prospered. Their leader and those close to him, as it happened were being the first to feast from the growing prosperity.

As time wore on, the leader and his group, became increasingly  demanding, taking more and leaving less for the common tribes people. All the while maintaining a good front for the other tribes.

With time, matters began to severely deteriorate for Tribe A. Its leader made a fatal mistake. The tribes people having less to feed on became increasingly malnourished and he and his affluent group chose to eat only the best of the flock; namely, young females.

Over the course of only a few years this practice resulted in fewer babies being born to replenish the population due to the depletion of child-bearing women. Soon the tipping point was reached and the population numbers fell dramatically.

Ultimately those that could, fled the village leaving only the old and desperate who eventually died of starvation.

A similar event is purported to have been the cause of the decline fall of population in the Canary Islands.

In conclusion, the same systematic erosion in the strength and well-being of the working, middle-class, the consuming engine,  through significant decline of wages and benefits, coupled with increases in the cost of living to only benefit shareholders of corporations, ultimately, will lead to the same fate as Tribe A.

Unless significant portion of any organized population fairly and equitably, share in economic growth and prosperity, it too will be ‘cannibalized’ out of existence.

Those who willfully and blindly continue to invest too, will suffer the consequence of their greed when the bottom falls out of the stock market due to the failure of corporations.

No one would heed or listen to the call
No one paid attention to the decline, to the fall
No one left to remember, to recall
No one left, not one, none at all

20
Jan
13

Two-tier Legal System:


blindThe ubiquitous access to wireless, electronic information raises increasingly relevant questions and concerns to what belongs to the People’s Common-wealth specifically; does the legal defense of government sponsored, corporate profit gain supersede the People’s right’s and freedoms to access all forms of digitized knowledge categorized as intellectual property?

The duplicity and hypocrisy of the legal system in dealing with cases of fraud, theft and ethical business practice is no better illustrated then in the prosecution of  offenses under the criminal code of the land, as that pertaining to the Internet (cyber-crime) and the institutionalized, financial banking system.

Two recent cases within the media can no better highlight the existence of a TWO-TIER LEGAL SYSTEM:

Case A: Aaron Swartz paid the ultimate price in defense of his right to access, utilizing what was at the time free and legal for his doing so, professional articles licensed by  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) via on-campus, wireless and connected technology. The charges brought against him were for essentially ‘hacking’ into the MIT system for unauthorized downloading of numerous articles. .  The Prosecution was seeking a maximum 35 years in prison however, claims, a plea-bargain for a guilty plea to the charge would reduce this to a six month term.  Though not fully understood why, the two-year long proceeding is blamed to be cause for Mr. Swartz to take his own life but many dispute this claim.To delve deeper reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz.

Case B: The HSBC Bank (http://www.globalresearch.ca/sweetheart-settlement-for-hsbc-bank-on-drug-money-laundering-charges/5315486), found guilty of aiding and abetting money laundering for drug cartels; negotiating and process to sanctioned Iran and numerous other criminal activities that could have amounted to loosing license to practice in the United States were ultimately find 1.4billion dollars. An amounted reputed to be recoverable by HSBC in a matter of four weeks of banking activity. The conclusion of the prosecution in not pursuing the ultimate penalty is the claim that such would dramatically and drastically affect the financial and banking interests, both domestically and internationally, having disastrous affect on an already tenuous economic recovery. In the end no banking official at any level within the organization was criminally prosecuted and imprisoned for their involvement and promulgation of the crimes committed.  In essence HSBC is too big to indite for any present and or future criminal activity rendering them carte-blance to do as they please.

These are but two cases that should rile any law-abiding citizen to rally against the legal system of the United States and other western nations that are willing and obliging to follow suit in these matters.

04
Jan
13

Dumpster-Divers: A People’s Revolution


 

 

dump

Living in a small rural lake-side community in Southern Ontario, many who live here year round are often of modest means including myself hence, some have found interesting ways to augment their meager incomes by pursuing a practice of Dumpster-diving. Though I have heard this term referenced some time ago, I never thought that I would ever experience the practice; at least not til the other day when I was invited to join a neighbor friend to do just that.  This compelled me to write the following poem to honor this new experience and one I most certainly intend on repeating:

Dumpster-Divers: A People’s Revolution

The refuse of others is there to be had
What is consciously wasted can drive you mad
But we dumpster-divers, we’re mighty glad
Our best of hopes is for this to go beyond just a fad

From clothing to computers it’s there for the taking
The bounty of goods is the land-fills forsaking
The practice proves environmental change in the making
Even still, some societal laws we are considered breaking

A new era of impoverished peoples is overtaking the globe
The gap between have and have-not is alarmingly beginning to unfold
And like the garbage, the poor are being mercilessly left in the cold
Possibly the roots to a People’s Revolution, future generation will be told.

13
Dec
12

How far is TOO far?


sur
CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ ARTICLE
The referenced Article is related to the  installation of audio as well as video surveillance devices installed on urban transit under the disguise of keeping ‘passengers and drivers safe’; is this not just going a bit too far?

This level of infiltration exceeds the bounds necessary to support the `threat of terrorism’ ploy presently, increasingly impinging on public liberties now in 2012; what will our freedoms be twenty years from now?

Though I am writing this from Canada and the article pertains to US cities, it is not beyond possible  our ultra-conservative government, that ‘bends-over’ at the call of its American counter-part; it is not long before the same situation is being sold to gullible Canadians some time in the near future. Fortunately I will either be dead or dementia-ed by then but pity those poor souls just and yet born.

10
Dec
12

Happy New Year?


clcok
The prophecy burdened year of 2012 is drawing to a close
Pr-ordained as witness to the end of all humanity
A subject much portrayed through poetry and prose
A creative vehicle for curious minds to sustain a fragile sanity

I, like so many others around the globe since the start of this 21st Century millennium, have been an ardent student of the self-professed Sayers and researchers delving into the historical archaeological and astronomical record of fact, fiction or pure speculation.  The outpouring of information that at best is contradictory, conflicting if not confusing has been fodder for much of my work over the last decade or more.

From all that I have gleaned from this pervasive exercise one item seems more evident than all the rest that some may look at as ironic: the central theme to the 2012 debate is ending of the Mayan Calendar on the date of Winter Solstice; the key word being `ending’ and of course what that will translate to for many.

An equally ardent curiosity of mine is global events be they political, religious, cultural, etc; and, what I have observed increasingly reported has to do with the `ending’ or systematic demise of many institutionalize characteristics found within our society. Arguably if these events or circumstances were to occur at any other time they may not have any significance but, that they are occurring at this time does leave one suspicious.

So what specifically am I eluding to?

Stated simply: ‘The demise of Established Institution(s)!

The advent to the latest global financial collapse, arguably commencing late 2007, that continues to afflict several nations to-date and getting worse; there are several other institutionalized establishments that are or, have been, afflicted with an internal conflict that serves to undermines their foundational  stability.

Though much effort  to resolve these troubling issues; many have been unsuccessful in taking corrective measures.

The following highlights the mores significant of the many that could be discussed:

The 2012 Presidential GOP Candidacy Race: The Republican Presidential nomination process was an absolute joke. The process over several months exhibited a field of potential candidates that left everyone cringing at the prospect that anyone of them would become President of the United States;

The 2012 Presidential Electoral Race: Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is to run against President Obama. This situation serves only amplifying the breakdown in the electoral process. Neither candidate is presenting a platform substantively different from the other. This is clear by the latest polls that has both candidates neck-to-neck. The only saving grace to this dire situation is the Electoral College that will choose a winner by virtue of Swing-State weighting one over the other. Hence in effect a President of the (current) most powerful country in the world chosen by default;

Canadian Parliamentary System: On the Federal level, the current majority government is running rough-shod by imposing mass-legislative initiatives utilizing parliamentary process that would make the harshest dictator smile with glee.  The check and balances to such unruliness falls to the Opposition parties however, as they are in minority position even as a coalition, they are impotent to retard the passing of Omnibus budget bills rife with legislation privy to only they who drafted it;

Canadian Provincial Politics:Ontario is of the largest of the ten provinces and three territories that comprise Canada. In the past week the Liberal Premier of the province just decided to `throw in the towel’ after some nine years governing.  Utilizing a mechanism referred to as Proroguing government, the legislature is effectively shut-down. In effect, largest province in the nation is left with no governing body for what could be an indefinite period while it awaits the Liberal party to nominate and elect a new leader;

   – Canadian Municipal Politics: Several Mayors to major Canadian municipalities have been or are in the process of being dismissed from Office on charges of  corruption, conflict of interest and similar offenses.

The National Hockey League: Labeled Billionaire arguing with Millionaires over how to split a 3.3billion dollar revenue pie has literally shut down the game. Though negotiations are still ongoing, all indications suggest the loss of the full season. The greatest implication to the potential, long-term lock-out is for the hundreds of jobs and small business directly affected by the loss of the hockey season;

The American National and College Football Leagues: Though the strike of referees to the NFL  is now resolved, the strike had a major effect on the field and almost brought down the game forcing the league owners into a forced negotiation with the referee’s association;

Global Child-Sex Abuse: Scandals centered around the Pennsylvania State University college football franchise that rocked the US-nation and rippled around the world.  PSU long-held in awe by football fans throughout the United States and beyond are devastated by the multi-year sentence given Assistant Coach Sandusky as well, the stripping of all awards and acknowledgments affecting not just the University by massive punitive fines but too, its star team players dating back decades;

– National Boy Scouts: In both Canada and the United States the breaking news of child-sex abuse dating back decades. The crime of the organization failing to respond/react to reports by member scouts of having been abused;

  – Fall of Lance Armstrong: Seven time Tour de France champion and founder of the Live Strong Foundation stripped of all titles including the Sydney Olympics medal. This literally puts the ‘cap on the bottle’ to the demise of ethics and trust worthiness of societal institution.

Do these conditions serve as harbinger to greater things to come; the collapse of global civilized society mitigated by the growing unrest over severe austerity imposed on bankrupt member nations of European Union; the raging political-fire spreading throughout the Middle-East?

Who knows but, one thing is absolutely certain: on the eve of December 31, 2012 the world’s People will either breathe in relief that the year has quietly ended without Armageddon or cringe to the prospect that there is yet more to come in 2013.

Good luck and may you not be so afflicted!

05
Dec
12

Ultimate Decision


question

Can humanity be persuaded to be of different mind;
Toward the reality our global community is incessantly inclined?
The wasteful wrath bought by currency of stupidity in humankind,
That historical record of death and destruction fails for solution to find?

Peoples of all nations speak of want for love and peace,
Yet simultaneously, wars and genocide equally increase.
What evil power of energy does marshal such violent release,
Of hatred and division that seems endless to cease?

The prevalent and growing voice of derision to divide;
No longer behind platitudes of  hollow rhetoric can humanity hide.
Ultimately all nation’s Peoples must once and for all decide:
To live harmonious with each-another, in peace, forever to abide.

30
Nov
12

oh Canada – what r u doing?


flag

I emailed the following to the Leaders of Official Opposition as well as Harper and Baird to voice my discontent with the official Canadian policy on this troubling issue. If you wish to copy and send it be my guest:

November 30, 2012

Open Letter

Members, Official Opposition
Parliament of Canada

Subject: Canadian Opposition to UN Recognition of Statehood of Palestine

On November 29tth, 2012 Foreign Minister John Baird on behalf of the Harper Government on behalf of all Canadians, clearly voiced its opposition by voting against United Nations recognition of Palestine as a State with non-member, observer status. This is clearly in support of the non-statehood position held by the governments of Israel, the United States and, six other (unnamed) nations.  Mr. Baird went even further to speak to the assembly to propose that Canada would take further (non-specific) steps to impede the recognition for the State of Palestine.

Mr. Baird’s denouncement was equally and strongly pronounced by Susan Rice, United States UN Ambassador and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose respective responses made it clear the statehood of Palestine  ‘won’t change anything,’ 1.

Speaking not only as a Canadian citizen but too, a Global citizen; I have made an earnest effort to educate myself to the extent possible, going beyond the few minutes of daily reporting by national and international media, to understand what is obviously a very complex, geo-political situation that dates back centuries. The infusion of the obvious cultural and religious differences of the peoples of the region only serves to further mire and complicate any resolution to this conflict.

As implied here, the history of the dispute between the Arab Peoples of Palestine and Israel dates back principally, to 1948 with the United Nation’s recognition of the State of Israel, a settlement on Palestinian lands.  Since that historical decision the conflict has escalated proportionate to Israel policy to ‘settle’ more of former Palestine to the extent that today Israeli occupation represents the majority what can now be termed: former Palestinian land. (see map)2

map

If this doesn’t say it all

It is widely understood that the people and government of Israel lay claim to these lands on the strength of ancient Hebrew biblical and religious belief that these disputed lands are given them by God however; the contemporary issue goes beyond the dispute over land-rights to that of basic human rights and human dignity.

As reflected by the latest map (above) the citizens of the now formally recognized State of Palestine comprising Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, are militarily forced into substandard living conditions that are tantamount to that of concentration camps contained by a massive concrete barrier walls to delineate Palestine lands. Palestinian movement for work and commerce are policed and regulated by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) military checkpoints manned and monitored by conscripted young soldiers who are documented as being excessively abusive in the exercising of their official duties.

Surveys of the Israeli populace reflects the general tenor by a significant portion who are as equally tired and threatened by the volatility of the situation, that speaks to the eradication of the Palestinian Peoples completely; run them off the lands so the entire region will, once and forever, be Israel.3

The most recent conflict named Pillar of Defense by the IDF sparked by the assassination of a leading Hamas official lasting six days resulted in numerous casualties and though the toll varies according to source, it can confidently be stated that the ratio of Palestinian versus Israeli casualties is a minimum of 10:1 respectively. Too, the destruction of property and infrastructure are vastly disproportionate understandably since the hundreds of so-called missiles fired by  Hamas operatives represent nothing more then mediocre pipe-bombs versus the arsenal of United States sourced sophisticated, targeted rocket launchers and white-phosphorous cluster-bombs dropped by F-15 fighter jets.  The hypocracy of the IDF to state that all their targets were directed at Hamas militants only and the `collateral casualties’ attributed to Hamas using citizens as `human-shields’ is preposterous; given that there is effectively no way to differentiate official Hamas territory from that for the  balance of the Palestinian citizenry. Compounding this obvious imbalance is the sophisticated anti-rocket defense shield provided Israel by the United States named: Iron Dome to affectively protect the majority of Israeli citizens further supported by designated bomb-shelters. Unfortunately the only shielding and shelter for women and children of Gaza is the concrete roof over their heads that serves also to kill and injure with each volley of bombs and missiles.

Obviously the discussion to reflect the total imbalance and the obvious genocide inflicted on the People of Palestine goes beyond the issue of land rights; any legitimate, rational thinking and feeling human-being must be able to view what Israel, with the official support of the Harper Government (in defiance of reference as: Canadian Government), the United States and six other nations is humanely: WRONG!

To conclude: My frustration as a caring human-being, living in the wonderful country that is Canada, demands the denouncement of the HARPER GOVERNMENT and its illegal support for the actions of the State of Israel against the Peoples of  the State of Palestine further supported by the government of the United States.

As all Canadians are affected by the current policy position of the HARPER GOVERNMENT supporting the State of Israel and its occupation policies; a referendum oriented debate should be demanded by the Official Parliamentary Opposition on behalf all Canadians to reflect a National policy view to this globally-affecting, important issue.

Canadian Citizen

NOV 30th, 2012: CBC INTERVIEW WITH CND MINISTER FOREIGN AFFAIRS Recalling Diplomats: John Baird______________________________________________________________________________
1  Canadian Broadcasting Reporting November 29, 2012
2  Parables of Zion: Maps of Israel/Palestine tell the Real Story http://www.thehypertexts.com/Nakba%20Holocaust%20Palestinians%20Parables%20of%20Zion.htm
3. Survey: Most Israeli Jews would support apartheid regime in Israel http://www.thehypertexts.com/Gideon%20Levy.htm
3. YouTube Search: Israeli vs Palestinian  http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=israelis+vs+palestinians&oq=Israelis+vs+&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0.238.4842.0.9063.8.7.0.1.1.0.1129.5365.0j1j1j6-2j3.7.0…0.0…1ac.1.T4LXBaJjkQs

24
Nov
12

naykd poet tweets


 

The attached file is a pdf of tweets posted over a period of several months. They make for easy and ideally, entertaining reading.

 

NAYKD POET TWEETS

23
Nov
12

Newest Publication


I am pleased to announce the release of my latest collection of poetry and essay:

VOICEOne Man’s Voice – But is Anyone Listening

 The topics cover a wide spectrum of subject but a common thread binds them and that being to question our human environment in the context of politics, religion and even sexuality not only on a global scale but too, on a personal level.

VOICE is expressive of one point of view but hopefully one that will not only garner a common sense of contemporary life but one that will foster debate of the issues that face all in this increasingly global-community.

To review VOICE using your Smart Phone or I-Pad scan the QR code below –

It would make a great gift or stocking stuffer

Happy Holiday Season to All

 

 




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