Year-End Forgiveness?

Starting in 1984, according to a book I am reading, academia began to call for research into the idea of forgiveness. This theme, dealt with by philosophers through-out history was being neglected in the modern world, it seemed. Then in the early 21st century, Jimmy Carter, and Bishop Desmond Tutu, among others, began calling for a foundation which would be funded with mega-dollars to conduct in-depth research. Now, it seems people are increasingly conscious of the idea of the need for forgiving one's fellows for wrongs committed against oneself and one's loved-ones. If this is true, then 2013 would seem to have generated much-needed calls for forgiveness. From tragedies in the Middle East to school shootings and many lesser crimes and slights, humanity is as guilty as sin, as they say. But according to the book I have started, it is the one who forgives who benefits the most. This is a deep subject, of course, and one deserving of actual study. I hope to present some of what I am learning in future posts. N.B. It is good to be back on line after a period of rest during the Christmas holiday! Blessings to you, no matter your faith.

Boehner/Ryan Admissions Astonishing

Not only were Boehner and Ryan's charges that outside groups were attempting to extort the Republican Party and the American people for their own purposes, welcome news. Unfortunately they were also much too late. While it appears another budget log-jam has been averted, where were these missing-in-action leaders three months ago? Thus we do now have a much-needed dose of honesty from the Republican Party but also a huge political and economic mess to clean up after the budget crisis of October. Of course late is better than never, but leadership demands so much more than this. What we have here is another example of election gerry-mandering and corruption. ********************************************** N.B Life with the Musical Patriot is wonderful but demanding. I am ever so fortunate to have met with a measure of success in a music career. This time of the year has, of course, brought special demands on my time. I will do my best to increase the number of blog posts here later this month and into the new year. For now, I wish you and yours a most merry and meaningful holiday season. Please check back here soon as I plan to post again in the very near future. -- TMP

Fascism Defined

The Musical Patriot Turns Teacher In complex topics it is usually best to start with a definition. The term "fascism" has become a loaded word surrounded in hubris and confusion. However, it is a legitimate word and term in the English language. I like the Oxford Dictionary's definition best. According to the Oxford Dictionary, fascism is:

an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. •(in general use) extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice. The term Fascism was first used of the totalitarian right-wing nationalist regime of Mussolini in Italy (1922–43), and the regimes of the Nazis in Germany and Franco in Spain were also fascist. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach...

This information is useful in that it allows for somewhat different forms and practices from one country or region to another, yet all share common characteristics. Later in this series I will talk more about economic organization. But for now, it is clear that fascism involves heightened authoritarianism, including a controlled social organization. The form of the authoritarian organization is left somewhat open by Oxford. In America, fascism has been seen primarily as an autocratic form of government headed by a dictator. While this has historically been true in Europe, fascism involves other kinds of control besides dictatorship. Eventually I plan to throw some light on these other aspects of fascism and ultimately show what allows a dictatorship to take hold in a nation. Coming Soon: Fascism gets a foothold in Italy

Low-Wage Earners in U.S. Scheduled to Strike Today (Friday)

Rush Post See the article at this link: http://www.jdjournal.com/2013/08/29/low-wager-earners-walk-out-and-strike-across-country/

What Is Fascism?

Several weeks ago I promised a piece on the subject of fascism, what it is and how it operates. What you are reading now is not the planned piece, but it shall be a prelude to the writing of the article. The matter I will deal with today is whether we have fascism in the world today and where do we find it? Fascism can take many forms. It is best known by its extreme forms such as in Mussolini's Italy, and Hitler's Germany. However, it is sometimes forgotten now that Spain had a severe form, but not as extreme as Hitler's Germany. The Spanish Civil War was fought between the Republicans (democrats) and the fascists (Francisco Franco). Franco ruled Spanish for a couple of generations. Eventually a new republican democratic government took power. Fascism can take other forms, as well. Fascism can run what are called Constitutional monarchies. A lighter form can even run far-right political movements within democracies. There are many details to all this. In coming weeks and months I shall endeavor to bring some light to the subject and try to help us decide just what form of government we have in the United States and in other countries as well. Please check back here soon. -- TMP

Science Worth Knowing!

At this link "The Guardian" reports on the most recent brain science which confirms differences in the neural circuitry between male and female brains. Fascinating!

United Nations to Investigate Surveillance Techniques

Rush post At the link below you can find out about the United Nation's investigation of surveillance programs in the light of the Edward Snowden revelations. This is a critically important subject for a free world.

Washington Political News Goes From the Inside Out

Reading news of the recent rules change in the Senate creating more control over filibusters, I felt a bit as though I were reading a scientific article from the English academy. The terms "two-thirds", "simple majority", and "nuclear option" kept coming up in a most confusing manner. Because of a prior background on the subject I was able to interpret the report and come up with a reasonable understanding in my mind. The upshot of this news is a defeat for the New Right, the Radical Right. When there are children in the Senate, or adults acting like children, the rules must fit the situation. I look forward to a Senate where the majority rules, with the rights of the minority protected -- but not the right to forever delay action.

Changing Times

As events develop in the world and in my own life, I find myself amidst changed circumstances. Readers here will notice my frequency of posting is down this month. With new work obligations I have considerably less free time. Unfortunately, this web log has suffered as a result. However, it is also true that national and world events have been moving at an even faster pace. Often, important events have occurred which have been reported with sketchy details. Some stories I would not have even reported on due to insufficient information. An example of this wwas the report the Obama administration had been warned about impending problems with the national health care web site months before its launch. I am considering issuing a call for help on The Musical Patriot. I have not made a final decision. When this decision is made I will let everyone know. For now, it is clear that the importance of the issues facing us deserves careful treatment. I enjoy opining, but it has always been important to me to do so only with the backing of at least some facts. More later. Stay with me.

A Happening Life

Dear Reader, Between out-of-state travel by train, and the recovery period, I have been away from this blog for a couple of weeks. It is a pleasure to return to writing about current events with whatever skill and inspiration I can muster. Admist all the turmoil of these days, I continue to see hope. The biggest difficulty in one way, is trying to stay connected to people, especially people of hope. I feel it is possible to strengthen our connections with one another. However, not always do our leaders help us, to say the least. However, one of the most hopeful developments was the success of non-tea party Republicans in last week's elections. We continue to be frustrated by this errant, irresponsible wing of an already rightist so-called major party in the U.S. House. However, their power is declining after the debacle of the partial government shut-down last month. Let us hope their power continues to decline.

Artists, Unite!

In a useful article, writer Tim Kreider, author of We Learn Nothing, tells about his experience with people and organizations who want him to write for free. Despite having written a book and numerous articles for magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Kreider still gets requests to write "for exposure." Kreider's experience is similar to my own, though I have been fortunate to get steady work as a musician over the years. Still, the pay has never been exactly wonderful. One of my worst enemies are people with sub-par training who are willing to work for $10, or even for free. Like so many workers these days artists are usually not unionized. Their solitary status thus puts them at a decided disadvantage. Kreider describes all this very well. And, his article includes truth-telling about Wall Street, very uncommon in the mainstream press these days. Highly recommended. Source: New York Times Sunday Review. "Slaves of the Internet, Unite!" October 27, 2013.

Top News of the Week

The top story of the week has to be the allegation that the National Security agency tapped the personal telephones of top world leaders. While the facts are not entirely clear at this point, it does seem obvious that the U.S. government has been spying on the governments of supposed allies. The one allegation I completely agree with is that the national "security" (read: spying) community is out of control. The N.S.A., in particular, has become a rogue agency, making up its own rules and interpretations. For whatever it is worth I, as one American, apologize for the sad state of affairs which would produce a spying program against our own allies. This is just plain wrong! N.B. Please see elsewhere on this blog for information on credible allegations the 9/11/01 attacks may not have been as they appeared.

Lebanon by the Potomac?

In yesterday's New York Times, columnist Thomas L. Friedman compared recent events in Washington to the nation of Lebanon, so war-torn in the late 20th century. With the suitable caveats, Friedman compared the radical Hezbollah to the current U.S. tea party movement. Indeed the similarities are striking. For didn't we all feel the government was coming apart at the hands of a radical faction of the Republican Party? It is now up to we, the people, to make it clear that such tactics have no place in a democracy. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/opinion/sunday/from-beirut-to-washington.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1382372153-zCrae1PsLQHi8jUR9k6ixQ

Back After a Break

Work duties have kept me from my duly appointed rounds as an Internet journalist for the last ten days. Now, however, things have settled down enough to do a little posting again. The break was something of a blessing as it gave me something else to think about during the attempted coup against our democracy. Shortly, I will have a link to provide which will provide a useful and provocative viewpoint on that entire shut-down/breakdown situation.

What to Look Forward To

What to Expect in Coming Days -- Here are some items you can expect in coming days: * The Nature of Fascism Light * How the Tea Party take-over was funded * The importance of off-year elections in 2013 I look forward to seeing you here!