The Government is (not) Always to Blame

While I agree with Jeff’s epiphany, there’s a layer he (intentionally?) avoids. Yes, our government and governments all across the planet share a huge responsibility for our damaged ecosystem but it’s not completely their fault.

The real problem is that governments by their nature (or at least “democratic” ones) must satisfy their constituents. You would think this means governments are there to help citizens, but right now that’s not the case. Huge corporations are tossed into that constituent pool and easily overpower humans. Since corporations don’t need clean air, they don’t give a damn and in turn government doesn’t give a damn. It’s an extremely short-sighted view (after all, without humans, corporations are screwed) but it’s reality. It’s not a conspiracy theory or a ‘big business is evil’ rant, it’s simply fact.

Corporations exert more power than citizens and thus shape government’s plans more than we do.

Humans are 100% at fault

No matter how you cut it, the damage done to the environment falls completely on human beings. The rest of the ecosystem is not dumping massive quantities of oil and debris into the oceans, nor is it polluting our air with carbon and who knows what else. It’s us. Each and everyone one of us. Even if your’e a tree-hugging, carbon avoiding, water recycling human, you’re still to blame simply by being associated with the human herd at large.

Ever driven a car, turned on a non-green-sourced light, bought food from a supermarket or in anyway participated in our global economy? Guess what, you screwed up the environment doing so. Though I try to ride my bike everywhere, limit my meat intake, and generally live well, I still screw up the environment, a ton! Right now, typing on this computer that was charged from a non-renewable resource, I’m damaging the environment. Heck, my battery meter just went into the red so I immediately plugged back into the socket. Frack you environment!

The problem doesn’t lie with just governments, corporations or humans or any other single entity. It’s a complete and systemic failure of humanity. For all of our wonderful inventions and advances, the net impact on this planet and our place in the universe has undoubtedly been negative. We’ve taken, taken and taken and given so little back.

What’s the solution?

Change everything.

It sounds crazy and impossible but it’s actually a lot easier than you think. The environmental problem is at its core an economic problem. In fact, nearly every single problem we have is an economic problem. Almost all of our problems derive from our circumstances; limited resources and constantly increasing demand creates friction between humans, the environment, and progress. Corporations take advantage of these circumstances to make a profit.

There’s nothing wrong with that but it does mean that in our current system these circumstances are self-perpuating. A light bulb that works for 100 years can only be sold once, but a light build that lasts for a year can be sold indefinitely. There’s no incentive for any individual or entity in our current system to act in the best interests of our long-term progress.

We Must Demand Satisfaction

Government incentives would help, but it starts with us. We need to demand these incentives. We need to boycott companies that hinder progress for short-term gains. We need to change. I’m not advocating communism or anything like it. Capitalism works but we need to change to focus on quality, not quantity. We need to reward companies that make long-lasting products, even if it costs us more in the short-term. We need to realize that improving the quality of life of those worst off eventually improves quality of life for everyone.

It might hurt in the short-term. It might be tough and laborious in the short-term. It might cause more problems now. But for us to truly progress and live in better unison with our environment we absolutely need to ingrain economics into everyone and everything on this planet. We need to live knowing that resources are limited and that we must use them efficiently. Using limited resources efficiently needs to be our primary tenet and because it is not we simply must start from square one. There’s too much clutter in these tubes mate and the best way to de-clutter is to throw it all out.

We need to change everything, but we need to start with ourselves.

I can do better, you can do better, we can do better.

Repeat as necessary until government simply owns medical industry.

Next time I’m around the American Legion bike lanes I’ll snap a shot of them.

* The city formerly known as “Boston” has been formally renamed to “Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Gracious Government of the City of Boston”. Fresh new signs to come shortly.

Check it out, here’s me duplicating some of the art on my public web-site, Banksy to prove I am the real Banksy.

See. Clearly I am Banksy as that signature which I just wrote looks exactly like the one on the main Banksy site.

Yup, the whole being British thing and living in the U.K. was just a ploy to throw you off my scent. Though I’ve preferred to perform my art in anonymity, I must now come out and declare myself publicly to prevent that hack Robin Gunningham from getting the credit for my brilliance.

Here’s the me replicating the infamous gorilla from my menu page.

See. Identical.

Even the purple will make sense now. It’s a shout-out to my real public high school, the Boston Latin School, whose fine art department and classic education made me the rebel I am today.

So once again, do not believe the Mail on Sunday when they “report” that Robin Gunningham is Banksy.

No, I am Banksy.

I will now retire to my own personal island for I am rich.

Oh, and here’s one of my favorite Banksy / Adam Pieniazek pieces:

Don’t believe me?

Are you Banksy?

When the poor need to be stomped on, don’t get your shoes dirty, call Super Bush!

When the middle class starts getting curious, don’t cut and run, call Super Bush!

When we need to demonize socialism for all but demand it for the super-rich, don’t bother calling, he’s already there because he is Super Bush!

Look in the sky, it’s an a-hole, NO, it’s a dictator, NO, it’s Super Bush!

H/T to A Dark Dog for the picture.

What makes little sense is that if Congress believes the President is innocent the absolute best way to show so is to impeach! If there are no crimes, then an impeachment trial would show that. The truth is, they do not want to impeach the Executive branch for fear of dragging their own congressional crimes into the mix.

The truth is that there is enough potential evidence of war crimes that impeachment is a no brainer. Here’s one clear example of perjury by President George W. Bush. On two occasions Mr. Bush stated under oath that he would “…to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”, yet he also publicly declared that “The Constitution is just a goddamned piece of paper!” Right there Mr. Bush violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and he should at the very least be held accountable for his perjury. Let’s not forget that he also openly admitted to committing war crimes.

At least there is one man doing his constitutional duty to hold Bushco accountable for their crimes against humanity and against the USA. The man’s name is Dennis Kucinich and he’s a true American hero. Here is a video from Representative Kucinich thanking American citizens for signing his impeachment petitions and providing support for justice. Mr. Kucinich will be making the case for impeachment this Friday thanks to all the support.

Perhaps there is some hope for re-legitimizing the government of these United States of America. Perhaps the Democrats will wake up and realize that we Americans do not want “change”, we want a return to a government of the people, by the people, for the people. The elitist corporate lobbies running our congress and executive branch are not the voice of the average American.

My vote will not go to the McCain-Obama Demopublicans Republocrats but at least Obama can speak and write well. The McCain essay whines about Obama and offers no new information or strategies. Here’s an idea, let’s “surge” Iraq with “our” entire population! Surely then violence would drop to record new lows!

Quick, everyone surge!

If the above did not load, please try the quicktime version.

Now, this video brings up a few points and I’ll blog about how these points exemplify a few of the reasons I won’t be voting for any Democratic candidates during the upcoming elections [or any Republican for that matter].

“Bush is wack, he and Cheney made a big mistake”

No, I don’t believe nor think that the Bush-Cheney tag-team of terror government made a big mistake; rather the two men along with their fellow conspirators (on both sides of the aisle), had a plan and executed it near flawlessly. To call what these men have done over the past eight years a mistake is to decrease the severity of their crimes. Their actions were not accidental, they were planned and our current situation is not a surprise to them nor to their constituents. Honestly, if you don’t realize that Bush-Cheney had a great plan and successfully executed that plan, then you most likely don’t realize the true threat we’re in today because their plan was meant to throw up a smoke screen of ineptitude while they conspired behind the scenes to take this country and its resources from the public.

“Bush and Cheney made this country wack”

No, at least not by themselves. At the very least Bush and Cheney are criminal cowboys with no regard for the law or life or anything besides their own agenda. If this were a movie, we’d have children everywhere buying Bush Cheney action figures. Sadly, it’s not a movie; it’s real life. Our founding fathers realized that the executive branch held a lot of power and that a system of checks and balances must be implemented to prevent dictators from rising up. Well, congress pretty much either gave up or went along with the Bush-Cheney agenda instead of doing their jobs and keeping the executive branch honest and limited. Congress failed us a lot more than Bush-Cheney.

“It’s time for change, I’m even down with blacks”

Instead of an elite rich old white dude, we’ll elect an elite rich old black dude! Wow, what a change! Pigment: the pragmatic solution! Wait, can we just inject Bush with some extra pigment and he’ll be a good president?!?!?!?!The trouble with this country is simple, corporations have the rights of people but not the consequences nor responsibilities that we all share. We absolutely must remove corporate person-hood and stop supporting the Republican-Democratic corporate military marketing media-cracy we’re currently living under. A vote for Obama is a vote affirming that our current system works. It does not.

I don’t vote based on race, gender or other biological factors other than intelligence. Trust me, I’d love to see a black, female, bisexual, poor president just to say we’ve advanced this nation to the point where people do not discriminate based on these factors but that does not mean I’ll vote for someone purely to show we’re not a discriminatory country. I simply do not believe Barack Obama is the best choice for President of this country and frankly don’t trust him. His recent shift to the center might have shocked many of his supporters but it was expected by me. He’s a politician in essence chosen by the mainstream corporate media marketing complex to be their puppet and appeal to the public’s desire for an anti-Bush. Unfortunately he’s not far enough removed from mainstream corporate media marketing complex to represent real “change”.

“If these are leaders, we’re smoking crack”

True. Clinton whines about how the GOP is running roughshod over the country and should apologize instead of doing her job and ensuring congress keeps the Republican executive branch in check!

Obama meanwhile, a constitutional law scholar, recently voted to approve telecom immunity under the new FISA bill, a clear example of an ex post facto law, something distinctly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution!

So, how exactly are Obama (or Clinton) better than Bush? By not being as terrible as him? Call me an idealist but I’ll be voting for someone far separated from these Demopublican-Republocrats.

if conservatives voted for the Libertarians and liberals voted for the Greens or Naders, we’d all be much, much better off.

“Bush is a douche, elect a woman or a black man”

Oddly enough, the end of this video shows an “IMPEACH NOW” sign, while supporting Clinton and Obama who are not actively helping to impeach Bush. So we say one thing but vote another way. If that’s the case then we Americans deserve these flip-flopping elitist politicians who are looking out for themselves above the public. Until we change and demand more and better from our leaders we can’t realistically expect our situation to improve by repeatedly voting between R and D.

Hello Mr. Barr, Green Party Candidate, Mr. Nader, Mr. Paul, and Mr. Kucinich,

I’ve watched some of the mainstream debates on TV but felt they were simply too slanted towards certain candidates and too moderated to truly be called a debate.

An event where you debate Ralph Nader, Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul, Bob Barr and the Green Party candidate would provide a truly rational and balanced discussion of how to best shape America going forward. The debate would also draw a lot of attention to 3rd party candidates and hopefully sway more Americans to avoid voting for the Democrats or Republicans.

I’m sending this short e-mail to all of you to gauge your interest in such a debate. If all parties are interested I will start an open-source non-profit organization to raise funds for, market and host the debate.

I truly feel such a debate could be the best in American history and hope you do too.

Regards,

Adam Pieniazek

If all these candidates are interested, I’ll try wicked hard to make it a reality as it’ll give underrepresented political candidates a fair, open, and public forum to discuss their stances and ideas.

What about you? What’s your take on this hypothetical debate? Who do you think would win?

In particular, if we change “King of Great Britain” to “King of the United States of America, George W. Bush” does the document still make sense? Let’s see [note, anything you see in brackets is me adding an incident to support the claim].

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain King of the United States of America, George W. Bush is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let the Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good [Bush vetoes children's health insurance bill].

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them [federal raids on state approved medical marijuana operations in California].

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only [Republicans intimidating voters to stay away from voting booths] .

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures [telecom immunity, commutation of Scooter Libby, continued approval of war spending bills and vetoes of timelines].

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people [Attorneys fired for not agreeing with Bush, the power to declare war lies in the Congress, not the executive branch].

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands [Bush expands immigration checks].

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. [Patriot Act, warrantless wire-tapping, Department of Homeland Security]

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures [illegal wars].

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power [unconstitutional Guantanamo trials, majority of Americans are opposed to Iraq War].

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us [Department of Homeland Security]:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world [Cuban embargo]:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent [war spending for a war the public does not consent to, the economic stimulus checks which are simply an early refund (so you may owe taxes next year)]:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury [false accusations of terrorism lead to illegal detainment]:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences [27,000 people held in secret overseas prisons]:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments [the Dick Cheney branch]:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever [Bush believes he can sidestep wiretapping laws].

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us [Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq which criminalizes anti-war protests.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people [Bush has had a constant negative impact on the environment].

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation [private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq].

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British American brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British American Crown, and that all political connection between them and the Federal State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Nearly every single reason for the original Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom holds true today. There can be only one true patriotic move, declare independence from King George W. Bush and his henchman in the executive branch. Today, as we celebrate this country’s birth we must move forward and yet again renew the Tree of Liberty. The current federal government of these United States of America through its criminal negligence, corrupt conspiracy, and open disregard for the law has rendered itself null and void. The truly patriotic amongst us realize this government is now illegal and an enemy of the people and this country. We all must openly admit and declare that we are no longer part of this criminal, blood-thirsty, tyrannical American empire.

To conclude this post, I will borrow the words of one of our greatest fictional Presidents, the great President Thomas Whitmore from Independence Day. We truly live in a sad state when he is the most inspirational President of my lifetime. Though he spoke of fighting to prevent annihilation from aliens, his inspirational speech holds too true for our modern struggle:

We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!