Free Speech--After Government Approval

Just like your meat needs the USDA stamp of approval, so, it would appear does your information. The New York Times and the rest of the American news media should have a similar stamp from the Department of Information.  What?  There is no Department of Information?  How can that be?

For example this Wikileaks guy, Julian Assange.  Of course he should be thrown in jail for publishing those facts.  Some facts can dangerous.  They might get in your brain and actually make you think that the US is not fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way--which is just wrong, because, well, who invented Superman, anyway?  Americans, that's who!!!!!  So there.

Here's an interview with that guy Assange who actually thinks that journalists should have the right to publish facts that might make Americans question how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are being waged, and even worse, whether we should be there at all. 



I think there should be a law against asking questions.  Who knows what unsavory answers you might get. 

Happy Birthday Edith Piaf

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien by Edith Piaf (December 19, 1915 - October 11, 1963)

How Bloomberg's New York City is like a Psychopath: Work in Progress

New York City, Inc.
Michael Bloomberg, CEO

1. Callous unconcern  for the feelings of others.

Examples:

2. Incapacity  to maintain  enduring relationships.

     

3. Reckless disregard for the safety of others.

"A plan by the New York Fire Department to allay severe budget cuts by charging motorists up to $490 to respond to accidents and car fires has touched off blistering criticism and calls for the City Councilto outlaw the policy.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, nevertheless, is embracing the new fee proposal, which City Hall officials said would begin on July 1 and raise about $1.5 million annually."  New York Times

  

4. Deceitfulness:  repeated lying and conning others for profit.

According to an extensive review of the mayor’s financial records by The Observer, even as Mr. Bloomberg was trying to counter the loss of taxes and other income from the richest New Yorkers, the foundation he controls was in the process of shuttling hundreds of millions of dollars out of the city and into controversial offshore tax havens that would produce nothing at all for the city in terms of tax revenue.

By the end of 2008, the Bloomberg Family Foundation had transferred almost $300 million into various offshore destinations—some of them notorious tax-dodge hideouts. The Caymans and Cyprus. Bermuda and Brazil. Even Mauritius, a speck of an island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Madagascar. Other investments were spread around disparate locations, from Japan to Luxembourg to Romania.

      

5. Incapacity  to experience  guilt.

   "  I think if you look at people, whether in business or government, who haven't had any moral compass, who've just changed to say whatever they thought the popular thing was, in the end they're losers."  Michael Bloomberg

6. Failure to conform to Social norms.

Examples:

WORK IN PROGRESS:  FEEL FREE TO COMMENT WITH YOUR EXAMPLES

How Is A Corporation Like a Psychopath?

Is this what Bloomberg means when he says that schools should be run according to the "Business Model"?

Are Charter Schools Healthy For Our Children?

The film "The Corporation" compares the profile of the contemporary profitable business corporation to that of a clinically-diagnosed psychopath.

1.  Callous unconcern for the feelings of others.
2.  Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships.
3.  Reckless disregard for the safety of others.
4.  Deceitfulness:  repeated lying and conning others for profit.
5.  Incapacity to experience guilt.
6.  Failure to conform to Social norms.

Why Fight To Keep Public Schools Open?

It's not just about teachers' jobs--although that is important.  It's about keeping public schools from becoming public entities or corporations.  Why would that be so bad?  This is why.





"Privatization does not mean that you take a public institution and give it to some nice person.  It means that you take a public institution and give it to an unaccountable tyranny.  Public institutions have many side benefits.  For example, they may purposely run a loss.  They are not out for profit.  They may purposely run at a loss because of the side benefits.  For example if a public steel industry runs at a loss it is selling cheap steel to other industries, and that’s a good thing.  Public institutions can have a counter cyclic property.  That means that they can maintain employment in periods of recession, which increases demand, which helps us get out of recession.  A private company can’t do that.  In a recession, they throw out the work force.  That’s the way you make money.”  Noam Chomsky

Where Have All The Journalists Gone?

We bloggers have lamented the absence of any challenge to Cathie Black's appointment by the mainstream media.  On the contary, they have rushed to her rescue.

At bloggingheads.tv two journalists discuss, among other things,  WikiLeaks and its creator Julian Assange.  I think the conversation shines some light on why the journalists of our major newspapers are such wimps and why we need alternative news sources.

An Advertisement for Openness

What the WikiLeaks controversy reveals about America (09:00)
Taking on critics of WikiLeaks (06:49)
The media’s real bias: subservience to power (12:09)
What Julian Assange and Osama Bin Laden have in common (03:14)
Glenn vs. The Nation on an alleged anti-TSA conspiracy (11:22)
The federal law that keeps Glenn living in Brazil (03:15)

 If the links don't work, here is the link to the beginning of the conversation:
http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/32666?in=00:31&out=09:31