Michael Butler's Blog (original) (raw)

Newest Blog Entries:

Truthdig – The Obama Deception: Why Cornel West Went Ballistic – Chris Hedges

This is a very strong article on a difficult important subject. It certainly reads as if Obama has treated a strong supporter in a very shabby manner, when Cornel West began to blow a whistle. I find myself close to concern as to what and whom I voted for. I thought we were going to see change and some movement in a progressive sense. What we have seen is an entrenchment of the elites who created and supported the problems we are facing today. What has been done to rectify the crimes of the last incumbent administration. Not to mention that since Nixon it has been a downhill slide for all of us. Both parties are in thrall to the corporation state. Mussolini or Hitler would be at home. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (1) | Permalink

Truthdig – All the WikiLeaks Fit to Print – Robert Scheer

What is really clear is the avoidance of openness, transparency, or in many cases the truth from many facets of our government. This is nothing new. It is getting worse. It is not only the government but the major media in this country who are increasingly not releasing all the information they have. What is worse is their attitude about WikiLeaks and/or Bradley Manning. They should be very supportive. Instead major media choose to avoid connections. How can America solve its major problem without openness, freedom of information and the truth. How can such objectives be achieved without support and appreciation of whistle-blowers.
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, May 8, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Why a lack of empathy is the root of all evil

Empathy is honored by all philosophies and all religions. Why does the radical right lack empathy and escapes the condemnation of all?
Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, April 25, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (1) | Permalink

The Y Article: The Pentagon’s Secret Plan to Slash its Own Budget. | Common Dreams

Well, I know this was published earlier on Civic. It is such an unusual, extraordinary article I felt it really needs more exposure. When you consider the source it is hard to believe it came from those in the Pentagon. The article posits that through over dependence on fear, our politicians have manipulated the American public into subservience. Our course the Military Industrial Congressional Complex has been behind this movement. They want us to continue in our world dominance of the business of war. Sacrificing our fiscal stability through wars financed by credit is a serious problem. It nothing compared to the prostitution of our young in our continued pursuit of empire building, Pax Americana. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Truthdig – Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System – Chris Hedges

My, my Hedges is really starting up hot and heavy on this subject. Education is the body of the iceberg. It is the bedrock of all other aspects of our nation. 'Real teachers' reminds me of Major Bates, my history teacher at the Academy. He turned me on. I worshipped the man-can still summon his vision. Due to his inspiration I started the History & Debates Society. It became the largest student club. My life has been driven by curiosity. Our education system does not believe in nor reward curiosity. Those too varied from the norm are excepted from a system that expects conformity. Education is not a business. It is more often being run by one. Can you imagine Socrates in such a system? What is happening to the mentors of today. Instead, we see demonizing and demoralizing of a career field which should be the most honored of all. We should not want to raise the young by rote. We should get them to think, to challenge all perceptions until they know the moral compass which they follow. This country, the United States of America was not founded by people educated under the present system. Our founders knew how to think for themselves and for us. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, April 11, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (1) | Permalink

Truthdig – The Peasants Need Pitchforks – Robert Scheer

IMPORTANT! Everyone who reads this blog please take the time to read this article by Robert Scheer. In the early part he refers to an article by Joseph Stiglitz which appeared, in of all places, Vanity Fair - that famous 'rag' of celebrity. Never mind, many of us have know VF is quite often the publisher of surprisingly serious articles. So may I suggested you read Stiglitz before you finish Scheer; who has written a sequel. I ask you to read these articles as they effect you. You are the ultra-rich, very-rich, just-rich, rich or near-rich. You are of those who will be effected by the revolution which these two authors have the prescience to warn us about before, "it is too late". What you and I know is that the welfare of the 99% is critical to the 1% even to the point of the 1%'s survival. If it is not 'too late' we can evolve rather than revolve. We are at the tipping point. Unfortunately we have a government which is not capable of representing the people. The 'best government corporations can own' will be unsuited to making the changes needed. We must do something about this or live in peril. The first step is to recognize this problem. michael butler
Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Losing Our Way – NYTimes.com – Herbert

This is a great article, sent before on Civic. Well worth another read. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, April 4, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Totalitarian Democracy

This is a most insidious movement, 'a wolf in sheep s clothing'. It uses the legal structure while not following the spirit of our founding. Franklin said, "Well, you have a Republic, if you can keep it". Democracy is crumbling under the combined attack of many fronts. Under-education, consolidation of media, proliferation of fear as a device for control are just few of the movements at hand. The very nature of classic capitalism is being destroyed by the take of corporatism, similar to the fascism of Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany. This situation will continue until either we submit, quietly, lulled by 'legal' steps or we alert to our peril and act for change. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Friday, March 25, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (2) | Permalink

Truthdig – This Time We’re Taking the Whole Planet With Us – Chris Hedges

We have published this before on Civic. This article is very important. I know Chris Hedges' writing can be dire. He can be considered very negative - a Malthusian approach which has not proven to be far from the mark. His examples of history and anthropology are accurate. Unfortunately such examples are avoided in current curriculums. Please read this and come to your own conclusions.MB
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, March 13, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

AlterNet: The Disastrous War on Drugs Turns 40: 5 Ways to Stop the Madness

This is for certain one of the great problems we have. Not only is it damaging us in multiple ways, it is hurt many countries in the world. Some areas are being devastated by our actions. Nixon needed a cause to replace the Vietnam War. This program is now a money pot for so many. Even the dealers don't want it stopped, neither do the prison corporations, the security apparatus, the CIA nor the politicians. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, February 27, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Bill Moyers: “Facts Still Matter …”

Bill Moyers, that great journalist, has given us a great graduation speech. A graduation message for all of us. He starts out with a premise best expressed by a quotation sent me by Bette Layton, a good friend. "The past is another country, they do things differently there.' L.P.Hartley. Moyers goes on to discuss twisting facts, constant fabrications, corporate corruption, the selling of our Congress. And the importance of freedom of information, the control of media by giants tied to government influence. Further, false information about everything foreign. Not to forget the importance of the FCC to the internet and our ability to use it. All this and much more under such pressure by forces of control and coercion. It's our present and future being addressed here. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, February 20, 2011

Filed in Interview, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Farewell to Modernity in the New Age of Surveillance

Below I have quoted the final paragraph of this fascinating essay on the direction our world seems to be progressing. Not a pretty picture. "The world we were aiming at was to be a free one, granting people peace, equality, riches and healthcare, and allowing us to extend our lives and rid ourselves of numerous illnesses - and yet, the world we are approaching, which Fukuyama calls "our posthuman future," may be far more hierarchical and focused on competition than the present one: a world where the powers-that-be will be able to achieve full control over governed communities, and the governed communities, in turn, will manifest full control over the individuals. It is going to be a world of different - possibly genetically modified - people. Perhaps humankind, Adam and Eve's tribe, is reaching for the forbidden fruit. Will that effort result in an end to a possible life in a paradise of democracy and human rights?
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, February 13, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

America’s History of Intolerance

Our next step will be the rise of state capitalism after that its merge with state religion. The ultimate step in the destruction of the republic. As Franklin said. " ...if you can keep it."
Posted by Michael Butler, Saturday, January 29, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

How can we expect the rest of the world to kowtow to us when we have messed things for them as well as ourselves. A great example is having a 'rich spoiled kid' in the White House. I refer to George W. Bush whose conceit and naivety was the worst possible kind of diplomat dealing with emerging powers. His type of approach lingers on. It actually thrives in a nation of international illiterates. Americans are so poorly educated about the rest of the world. For generations we have produced 'The Ugly American'. We have little concern for the cultural benefits of opening to societies which have been functioning centuries longer than ours. The 800# gorilla approach. American builds an armament industry capable of supplying and promoting an imperial structure giving us the force to dominate the world. This approach is not to work. Unless we change our approach we are going to push the world into another major war. The alternative is to die 'the death of a thousand stabs' through multiple guerilla actions.
Posted by Michael Butler, Saturday, January 22, 2011

Filed in Articles, Blogs, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

2011: A Brave New Dystopia – Chris Hedges

A couple of weeks ago Mike Blaxill (an Editor of MBCivic) posted this article. He got the jump on me. I thought, ok I will wait and send it out again. This is a 'must read'. It is a real description of the situation facing all of us today. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Saturday, January 15, 2011

Filed in Articles, Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Thom Hartmann | Cool Our Fever

Another great Hartmann article. The last one was about education. This one is about 'making money'. Making money? how can one make money? It is not a production problem. It is a manipulation of the capitalistic system rather than the actual making of something that others want. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Saturday, January 1, 2011

Filed in Personal Comments | Comments (0) | Permalink

Thom Hartmann | An Informed and Educated Electorate

Another great essay as part of his series. This subject is the most important we could ever approach. Without such an electorate there is little future for us nor for the planet. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, December 26, 2010