The truth at any cost lowers all other costs — curated by former US spy Robert David Steele.
Participatory Budgeting in Kenya: Finance Minister invites Suggestions through Social Media
Marvin Tumbo, Contributor:
The Kenyan Government has been getting quite tech savvy in the recent past, becoming more pronounced as Kenyans join the civil service. This has resulted in subtle, but solid, movements towards a better connected Government as was showcased during the Connected Kenya Summit in Mombasa in April.
Digital Activism, Epidemiology and Old Spice: Why Faster is Indeed Different
The following thoughts were inspired by one of Zeynep Tufekci’s recent posts entitled “Faster is Different” on her Technosociology blog. Zeynep argues “against the misconception that acceleration in the information cycle means would simply mean same things will happen as would have before, but merely at a more rapid pace. So, you can’t just say, hey, people communicated before, it was just slower. That is wrong. Faster is different.”
I think she’s spot on and the reason why goes to the heart of complex systems behavior and network science. “Combined with the reshaping of networks of connectivity from one/few-to-one/few (interpersonal) and one-to-many (broadcast) into many-to-many, we encounter qualitatively different dynamics,” writes Zeynep. In a very neat move, she draws upon “epidemiology and quarantine models to explain why resource-constrained actors, states, can deal with slower diffusion of protests using ‘whack-a-protest’ method whereas they can be overwhelmed by simultaneous and multi-channel uprisings which spread rapidly and ‘virally.’
Read entire anomalously long post….
Phi Beta Iota: Concentrations of power create preconditions for revolution. Precipitants (such as burning monks or fruit vendors) ignite masses. The public is a power no government can repress forever. Howard Zinn (RIP) knew the public is a power government cannot repress; Vaclav Havel spoke to this (power of the powerless); Jonathan Schell documented it most ably (unconquerable world). Bottom line: With a tiny handful of exceptions, all governments have lost legitimacy and capability at the same time that the public is increasingly aware of the shocking injustices by banks and predatory corporations that have been legalized by governments. Patrick Meier's discussion is a significant contribution to our understanding of why a global revolution is inevitable and panarchy will replace “sovereignty” as the primary operating principle for Earth.
In search of intelligence…among humans.
The news is full of extreme weather headlines – floods, wildfires, droughts, tornadoes – but the US still doesn't get climate change
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 8 June 2011
Phi Beta Iota: This is a very fine contribution to the discussion but it commits the classic error of being afraid to call a spade a space. CORRUPTION is the reason why the USA is not serious about climate change (which is 10% of environmental degradation, threat #3 among the ten high-level threats to humanity). It is the LACK OF INTEGRITY among decision-makers, combined with (enabled by) a lack of public intelligence feeding public outrage such that very bad decisions can be made that profit the few at the expense of the many.
See Also:
UPDATED with Comment from O-5 (at end).
This email is from an active duty colonel who travels all over Afghanistan. He actually goes on foot patrols with troops to see things for himself. Here is his latest report. His message is bad Ju Ju, I am afraid.
Chuck Spinney
La Ciotat, France
To All,
The mendacity is getting so egregious that I am fast losing the ability to remain quiet; these yarns of “significant progress” are being covered up by the blood and limbs of hundreds – HUNDREDS – of American uniformed service members each and every month, and you know that the rest of this summer is going to see the peak of that bloodshed.
The article by Michael O'Hanlon last week (i.e. Success worth paying for in Afghanistan) and the one in today's WSJ by Kagan and Kagan (i.e., We Have the Momentum in Afghanistan) made me sick to my stomach – especially the latter. Have you seen it yet? It is the most breathless piece of yellow journalism I’ve seen in the entire OIF-OEF generation.
Phi Beta Iota: This 27:37 film focuses on a Serbian organization that claims to have provided peaceful non-violent training to 36 countries, with five successes including Ukraine, Georgia, Tunesia, Egypt, and the Maldives. The film strives to suggest that the US Government is funding this organization–more likely is that it is privately funded by a mix of George Soros, the Ayn Rand network, and related movements. Not to be confused with the Private Military Contractors and related quasi-criminal networks (e.g. Brown & Root) with close ties to clandestine elements of the U.S. Government. This is not “Shock Capitalism.” Russia and Venezuela are said to fear the concepts and organizational teaching represented by this group and its network of young learners. The film concludes that Globalization BENEFITS from revolutions by the young, over-throwing opponents of the New World Order such as Iran, Libya, and Venezuela. On balance, we are impressed. We do not believe that the awakening of the young will prolong predatory capitalism, virtual colonialism, and unilateral militarism. We welcome any initiative that empowers the young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpXbA6yZY-8
See Also:
Just too funny to not post. Evidently the Australian government has not made the connection between animal and human shit in the groundwater causing E. coli and other forms of disease migrating into vegetables–as occurred in the USA when spinach and cow shit combined. Immaculate Australian shit–perhaps it's all the beer they drink.
Deadly E. coli outbreak ‘won't happen here'
ABC News (Australia), 5 June 2011
Australia's peak vegetable group says the E. coli outbreak which has killed 22 people in Europe is unlikely to strike Australia.
Mitt Romney is a decent human being with the best of intentions. He is also delusional. He really believes there are only two parties that matter in the USA, and he really believes that the government is unique in being responsive to a free people.
He does not believe we have a two-party tyranny in which 56% or so of the eligible voters vote, and 30% elect the “winner.” He does not believe that the ballot access laws are stacked to eliminate all competitors to the two-party tryanny.
He is incapable of uttering the word “corruption” as in “corruption is the primary characteristic of both of the political parties, of Congress, of the Executive, and of everything associated with them.” Mitt Romney is delusional. He is the best of the “status quo” candidates, the most articulate, and also the most unsuited to actually change anything to restore the Republic.
Mitt Romney is NOT going to make any promises to America, much less the Seven Promises that are fundamental to restoring the Republic and the prosperity in peace of America the Beautiful.
