Class War in Wisconsin

SUBHEAD: The elites see the power and money of public-employee unions was the reason they don't control most state governments.By the Editorial Staff on 24 February 2011 for Esquire -(http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/wisconsin-protests-5288376)Image above: protesters camping out in Wisconsin's State House. From original article.Usually, unless you happen to be one of the fifty-odd people

Wisconsin's Tunisia Moment

SUBHEAD: At long last, resentment against the economic crisis is beginning to find its natural home, the financial elites and their Republican allies.By Robert Kuttner on 20 February 2011 for Huffington Post -(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/wisconsins-tunisia-moment_b_825738.html)Image above: Wisconsin protests continue. Many scheduled for tomorrow. From (http://

An Offer You Can't Refuse

SUBHEAD: Musings on the county government rally against decriminalization of marijuana.By Andy Parx on 16 February 2011 for Parx Daily News -(http://parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com/2011/02/offer-you-cant-refuse.html)[Editor's Note: For background information, see "Kauai Officials to Rally against Pot Legislation" by Jessica Musicar on 15 February in The Garden Island - (http://thegardenisland.com/

Brain Politics

SUBHEAD: Study suggests people with right wing views have a larger area of the brain associated with fear.By Richard Alleyne on 28 December 2010 for the Telegraph -(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8228192/Political-views-hard-wired-into-your-brain.html)Image above: Illustration of brain activity in meditation. From (http://themeditationmind.com/binaural-beats/theta-meditation).

Civil Unrest

SUBHEAD: The real economic situation continues to deteriorate in the midst of so little appreciation of why it is happening.By Tom Whipple on 12 January 2011 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/8238-the-peak-oil-crisis-civil-unrest.html)Image above: Still from video game Grant Theft Auto IV, man against the system. From (http://game-server-hosting.net/

Aberchrombie takes on Birthers

SUBHEAD: Governor Neil Aberchrombie intends to lay to rest claims that President Obama was not born in Hawaii in 1961.By Sheryl Gay Stolberg on 24 December 2010 for New York Times - (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/us/25hawaii.html)Image above: Then Rep. Neil Aberchrombie at a Obama Ohana rally in January 2008. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crispyteriyaki/page267).Gov. Neil Abercrombie of

Time of the US Demagogues

SUBHEAD: Demagogues profess an answer for the restoration of the prosperity that is the American birthright.By Tom Whipple on 22 December 2010 in Fall Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/8087-the-peak-oil-crisis-the-time-of-the-demagogues.html)Image above: Sarah Palin delivers lecture at Glnn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally. From (http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/gallery/

Post Carbon Politics Part II

SUBHEAD: Americans have little experience with self-limitation and have defined national culture in reaction to it.By Erik Lindberg on 22 December 2010 in Transition Milwaukee - (http://transitionmilwaukee.org/profiles/blogs/post-carbon-politics-part-ii)Image above: Abandonded Chrysler car dealership. From (http://jalopnik.com/5632032/the-mystery-of-flickrs-ghost-car-dealership).The train of

McCain Surprise NO on LCS

SUBHEAD: Senator John McCain rejects U.S. Navy drive to buy two littoral combat ship designs.[Publisher's note: This is of interest to those of us in Hawaii because we were the suckers who enabled Austal's proof-of-concept and entry as a major US military supplier with the Hawaii Superferry fiasco.]By Andrea Shalal-Esa on 8 December 2010 for Reuters - (http://www.reuters.com/article/

The Future of Government

SUBHEAD: We are trapped in a very complex civilization that is rapidly losing the sources of energy and numerous other raw materials that built and maintained it.Image above: The Titanic slipping under the icy Atlantic. From (http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-495832.0.html).By Tom Whipple on 8 December 2010 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7980-

In the Wake of Victory

SUBHEAD: There are things that can be done to cushion the opening phases of the Long Descent.By John Michael Greer on 1 December 2010 in Archdruid Report - (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-wake-of-victory.html)Image above: Members of the Cedar Moon commune near Portland, Oregon in 2008. From (http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/home-and-garden/articles/1008-features-green-acres).

FBI digs into planning department

SUBHEAD: Ian Costa didn’t simply resign - the measured hesitating speeches, the down-looking faces showed something big was afoot.By Andy Parx on 29 November 2010 for Parx News Network - (http://parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com/2010/11/g-men-and-two-c-men.html)Image above: Ian Costa at Planning Commission Meeting in October. From (http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_

First Aberchrombie Appointments

SUBHEAD: The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club is thrilled with William Aila's appointment to head DLNR.By Tim Sakahara on 29 November 2010 in Hawaii News Now - (http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13585309)Image above: William Aila Jr. running for governor of Hawaii in 2006. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/trimaranman/3395881592/in/photostream).Waianae harbormaster William Aila

Hooser for BLNR Chair!

SUBHEAD: Now is the time to lobby Governor elect Abercrombie to appoint Hooser as the Board of Land and Natural Resources Chairperson.Image above: Gary Hooser speaks at Clean Energy Rally in Honolulu 4/27/09. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14746243@N04/3654807823/in/photostream/).By Linda Pascatore on 27 November 2010 -After the primary election, we published a call to lobby Neil Abercrombie,

Blogs in Dictatorships

SUBHEAD: In Malaysia, internet blog freedom and popularity breaks a grip on political power.Imaga above: Top of front page of MalaysiaKini.com on 11/24/10.By Anthony Kuhn on 22 November 2010 for National Public Radio - (http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131512384/in-malaysia-web-s-popularity-breaks-a-grip-on-power?sc=17&f=1001)In established democracies, the Internet has become a powerful political

Voting Ourselves into Extinction

SUBHEAD: The new majority in the House of Representatives seems dead set against any kind of emissions controls.Image above: "Palin Dinosaur" political satire by Zina Saunders. From (http://www.zinasaunders.com)By Tom Whipple on 17 November 2010 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7803-the-peak-oil-crisis-did-we-vote-ourselves-to-extinction.html)The disconnect

Whimper versus Bang!

SUBHEAD:In the list of those on the new council is new generation that’s all too willing to kow-tow to the mucky-mucks.Image above: Tinted still frame from "Citizen Kane". Mashup by Juan Wilson.By Andy Park on 3 November 2010 for park News Network - (http://parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com/2010/11/bang-v-whimper.html)It’s not without a wave of ambivalence that we greet the news that we won’t have

A Survey of Unlikely Voters

SUBHEAD: All American politicians find it in their interest to both expand government and to privatize its functions.Image above: Elderly Teabagger carries sign reading "We don't need your stinkin' Public Option". From (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/07/09/18606597.php).By Dmitry Orlov on 2 November 2010 in ClubOrlov - (http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2010/11/survey-of-unlikely-voters.html)

The Election is Over

SUBHEAD: Now what do we do with all the fear?Image above: Tea Party supporter instructs Greenpeace, ACLU supporter. From (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/07/09/18606597.php).By Sharon Astyk on 3 November 2010 in Casaubon's Book - (http://scienceblogs.com/casaubonsbook/2010/11/it_is_over_-_now_what_do_we_do.php)The election is over and the results are depressing, much as expected - it was

Secretive County Council

SUBHEAD: Kaipo Asing and others on the Kauai County Council are preventing us from knowing.Image above: Kaipo Asing keeps secrets and shushes dissent. Mash-up by Juan Wilson. Photo by Dennis Fufimoto for TGI.By Linda Harmon on 1 November 2010 in The Garden Island -(http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_09f3b732-e57a-11df-8965-001cc4c002e0.html)A resolution that would create easy