My understanding is that a North Korean refugee now has automatic asylum in the United States, providing that he/she did not become a South Korean by settling there first.
However, some are even trying to change that, and make former North Koreans in South Korea eligible for US asylum as well, citing what they claim to be the pro-North tendencies of the current leftist South Korean regime, and its alleged persecution of former North Koreans who try to speak up on North Korean human rights issues. About twenty such individuals are awaiting asylum in the US at this time.
These allegations are serious, and could make or break South Korea's reputation as a free, democratic society. The consensus here in Little Havana West (AKA Koreatown) is that the current South Korean regime is no more than a North Korean puppet, and that indeed these former North Koreans in South Korea deserve to be granted asylum in the United States. However, let's remember that Koreatown is politically on the far-right fringe, both by South Korean and American standards.
I was disheartened to hear that a former North Korean military officer, from South Korea, was granted US asylum today by the W regime; while he does face political persecution if returned to North Korea, that is no longer a point, as he is a South Korean, and South Korea is where he belongs. I was unable to find an English-language news article on him.
However, I was able to find another article, which states that even pro-refugee organizations critical of the South Korean government are agreeing with me. It cites the case of a former North Korean woman with South Korean nationality, who is using South Korea's alleged persecution of her viewpoints as reason for seeking US asylum. This article states that her case is most likely built on her inability to deal with South Korean authorities on everyday matters and making mistakes, instead of real persecution; the case, the organizations conclude, threaten the images of both South Korea and the refugees.
Korea Times
In any case, I am sick of the Korean Peninsula being treated as a right-wing fringe cause celebre, like Cuba, as opposed to a humanitarian crisis that it ought to be treated as.
28 April 2006
Rise of Nationalism
It's not just a US Republican phenomenon.
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, which is neither liberal nor democratic, has been pushing an aggressively right-wing nationalistic agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The latest is requiring the nation's teachers to teach a "patriotic" agenda, one that harks back to the militarism of the World War II era.
The entire world knows just how much of a mess Japan and its occupied territories had become back then. Remember the kamikaze, and the rape of Nanking? No normal civilized society is capable of such monstrosities, yet a dose of nationalism, and blind faith in the divinity of the Emperor, had turned Japan into a very barbaric society capable of all of it, and more.
This, along with the introduction of new revisionist history textbooks, is surely going to cause friction on the world scene, when today's students grow up into tomorrow's adults. The Chinese and the Koreans won't be happy (though South Korea, by having sold its soul out to Japan during its fascist era, no longer has much of a right to complain).
Contrast this with Japan's war ally Germany, which paid a heavy price for its nationalistic mistakes and atrocities, and even today is making sure that students will not forget the horrors of the Hitler era. Neo-Nazi skinheads are in the far right fringes of the German society; their Japanese counterparts are the mainstream, unfortunately.
For Americans, the stakes are high as well. Blind nationalism, and belief in the divinity of the national leader, is a trait found in today's W loyalists as well; they are well advised to check what happened to Japan the last time it happened. And I am considering W's close friendship with Koizumi to be ill-advised as well. And let's not forget that while Japanese automakers are creating badly needed American manufacturing jobs, they are creating them as sweatshop jobs - $12/hr pay, no benefits, no promise of ever going permanent, and no right to organize. And I still haven't forgotten about John Roberts helping Toyota overturn Americans with Disability Act.
BBC
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, which is neither liberal nor democratic, has been pushing an aggressively right-wing nationalistic agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The latest is requiring the nation's teachers to teach a "patriotic" agenda, one that harks back to the militarism of the World War II era.
The entire world knows just how much of a mess Japan and its occupied territories had become back then. Remember the kamikaze, and the rape of Nanking? No normal civilized society is capable of such monstrosities, yet a dose of nationalism, and blind faith in the divinity of the Emperor, had turned Japan into a very barbaric society capable of all of it, and more.
This, along with the introduction of new revisionist history textbooks, is surely going to cause friction on the world scene, when today's students grow up into tomorrow's adults. The Chinese and the Koreans won't be happy (though South Korea, by having sold its soul out to Japan during its fascist era, no longer has much of a right to complain).
Contrast this with Japan's war ally Germany, which paid a heavy price for its nationalistic mistakes and atrocities, and even today is making sure that students will not forget the horrors of the Hitler era. Neo-Nazi skinheads are in the far right fringes of the German society; their Japanese counterparts are the mainstream, unfortunately.
For Americans, the stakes are high as well. Blind nationalism, and belief in the divinity of the national leader, is a trait found in today's W loyalists as well; they are well advised to check what happened to Japan the last time it happened. And I am considering W's close friendship with Koizumi to be ill-advised as well. And let's not forget that while Japanese automakers are creating badly needed American manufacturing jobs, they are creating them as sweatshop jobs - $12/hr pay, no benefits, no promise of ever going permanent, and no right to organize. And I still haven't forgotten about John Roberts helping Toyota overturn Americans with Disability Act.
BBC
One country I won't be visiting anytime soon
I've just gotten report of a gay rights march in Krakow, Poland, that was severely attacked by right-wing nationalists.
Homophobia is a severe problem in Poland, a country that took part in Adolf Hitler's extermination of homosexuals (and many others), that gave the world a very homophobic pope in the form of John Paul II, and that is one of the few in Europe that supports America's W regime, both at the government and at the popular level.
The article says 90% of the population supports the current far-right ruling party's view on the "unnaturalness" of homosexuality. Poland has rightfully earned its way into my "nations to blacklist at any cost" list, along with much of the Caribbean, Middle East, and Latin America.
BBC
Homophobia is a severe problem in Poland, a country that took part in Adolf Hitler's extermination of homosexuals (and many others), that gave the world a very homophobic pope in the form of John Paul II, and that is one of the few in Europe that supports America's W regime, both at the government and at the popular level.
The article says 90% of the population supports the current far-right ruling party's view on the "unnaturalness" of homosexuality. Poland has rightfully earned its way into my "nations to blacklist at any cost" list, along with much of the Caribbean, Middle East, and Latin America.
BBC
27 April 2006
Brownie, you did a heck of a job
FEMA, which did such a poor job of preparing for Katrina (and cleaning up afterwards), was criticized so harshly, to the point of the Senate recommending its elimination. A new Homeland Security agency will be created to replace FEMA, if the recommendations are taken.
Dismantling and creating agencies is not the answer. The culture and philosophy of the US government must change. W promised to protect America from terrorist attacks, but with his tax cuts for the super-wealthy, the government had nothing left to work with, even when planning for predictable disasters like Katrina. While dismantling FEMA may be part of the answer, the real solutions must be found far beyond that.
BBC
Dismantling and creating agencies is not the answer. The culture and philosophy of the US government must change. W promised to protect America from terrorist attacks, but with his tax cuts for the super-wealthy, the government had nothing left to work with, even when planning for predictable disasters like Katrina. While dismantling FEMA may be part of the answer, the real solutions must be found far beyond that.
BBC
25 April 2006
It's a MAN, baby!
A few people have blogged about a PageOneQ report which said that Mann Coulter did not check a gender box on his/her voter registration form, and have used my blog post as an example of the cyberspace discussion going on about Coulter's true gender.
I've talked to many about Coulter, and almost all seem to agree - that something is really up with Coulter, with big Adam's apple and feet and all. People have told me that in being a tranny with a penchant for miniskirts, Coulter has similarities with me - though the similarities end right there.
In any case, some of the worst right-wing nutcases I've ever come across are transgender "women," and Coulter would just be another example of that.
I've talked to many about Coulter, and almost all seem to agree - that something is really up with Coulter, with big Adam's apple and feet and all. People have told me that in being a tranny with a penchant for miniskirts, Coulter has similarities with me - though the similarities end right there.
In any case, some of the worst right-wing nutcases I've ever come across are transgender "women," and Coulter would just be another example of that.
Extremist nutcase
September 11th, 2001 was a very dark day, no doubt about it. There was a bright spot though - United 93, where the 40 passengers and crew attempted to overcome the hijackers. (I put in a 41st in my novel, btw - a sixth flight attendant.) Although they perished when the flight crashed in Pennsylvania, they did their job; the flight, supposedly headed for the Capitol or the White House, never reached its target. Today, only a large crater in Shanksville reminds people of the horrific moments aboard the flight.
One Republican Congressman, a large landowner from North Carolina, isn't so sure. He is standing in the way of erecting a permanent memorial at the crash site, calling it another federal land grab.
Doesn't he realize that the function of the federal Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service, is to commemorate America's natural beauty and historical sites, so that people will remember and preserve? It's bad enough that the NPS is already wiping out "special interest" agenda that it doesn't approve of, such as the role of gays in the civil rights movement. By Congressman Charles Taylor's logic, maybe we should sell Mt. Rushmore, the Civil War battlefields, and other national treasures off to the private sector as well. Excuse me, but if the size of the federal government is an issue, maybe a bloated Department of Defense should be scrutinized; America does NOT need a military that is bigger that the rest of the world's combined (unless unilaterally invading Third World countries counts as "legitimate defense," that is).
Or maybe he does know what the American public isn't supposed to know after all; that the hijackings were staged by the W administration to trigger a fascist dictatorship, and that they are better not to be remembered. After all, the less the public knows, the more likely it is to give in to a dictator.
MSNBC
One Republican Congressman, a large landowner from North Carolina, isn't so sure. He is standing in the way of erecting a permanent memorial at the crash site, calling it another federal land grab.
Doesn't he realize that the function of the federal Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service, is to commemorate America's natural beauty and historical sites, so that people will remember and preserve? It's bad enough that the NPS is already wiping out "special interest" agenda that it doesn't approve of, such as the role of gays in the civil rights movement. By Congressman Charles Taylor's logic, maybe we should sell Mt. Rushmore, the Civil War battlefields, and other national treasures off to the private sector as well. Excuse me, but if the size of the federal government is an issue, maybe a bloated Department of Defense should be scrutinized; America does NOT need a military that is bigger that the rest of the world's combined (unless unilaterally invading Third World countries counts as "legitimate defense," that is).
Or maybe he does know what the American public isn't supposed to know after all; that the hijackings were staged by the W administration to trigger a fascist dictatorship, and that they are better not to be remembered. After all, the less the public knows, the more likely it is to give in to a dictator.
MSNBC
23 April 2006
New Computer
My new computer, an HP Pavilion dv8000 laptop, has arrived, and I've spent the past two days transferring programs and data from my old Dell.
I was dismayed to find that HP assembled and configured my computer at Kunshan Export Processing Zone near Shanghai, China. The competitors at least configure the laptops within the US. But at least it took only one day for the computer to travel from Shanghai to my door, even with "standard shipping."
Aside from the loss of American jobs to China, this is otherwise a nice machine, with a beautiful 17-inch widescreen and a numeric keypad as well as Altec Lansing speakers. It's not ideal for travel, but it makes up for it by being as capable as any desktop. I've just tested running some of my most demanding games, and the results are spectacular.
Of course, knowing that I am no longer dependent on Michael Dell for my technology is a priceless feeling.
I was dismayed to find that HP assembled and configured my computer at Kunshan Export Processing Zone near Shanghai, China. The competitors at least configure the laptops within the US. But at least it took only one day for the computer to travel from Shanghai to my door, even with "standard shipping."
Aside from the loss of American jobs to China, this is otherwise a nice machine, with a beautiful 17-inch widescreen and a numeric keypad as well as Altec Lansing speakers. It's not ideal for travel, but it makes up for it by being as capable as any desktop. I've just tested running some of my most demanding games, and the results are spectacular.
Of course, knowing that I am no longer dependent on Michael Dell for my technology is a priceless feeling.
18 April 2006
The Most Evil People in the World
I just came across this interesting article, which I agree with.
Even worse than the Muslim suicide bombers and terrorists, the Christian fundamentalists of America are the most evil people in the world, and for lots of good reasons, this article says.
The reasons I specifically agree with are: pushing a destructive agenda of death and wrapping it up as love and life, and worshipping a very mean-spirited God who destroys his own creations (and again calling him the God of love). Also pointed out: killing American children's critical thinking skills (and public education) in order to turn them into lemmings for the religious cause.
It was contributed by Doug Soderstrom, Ph. D.
Information Clearinghouse
Even worse than the Muslim suicide bombers and terrorists, the Christian fundamentalists of America are the most evil people in the world, and for lots of good reasons, this article says.
The reasons I specifically agree with are: pushing a destructive agenda of death and wrapping it up as love and life, and worshipping a very mean-spirited God who destroys his own creations (and again calling him the God of love). Also pointed out: killing American children's critical thinking skills (and public education) in order to turn them into lemmings for the religious cause.
It was contributed by Doug Soderstrom, Ph. D.
Information Clearinghouse
13 April 2006
Culture of Death in Immigrant Communities
These two news items are grabbing my attention right now:
Turkish honor killing in Germany
Korean murder-suicide in Los Angeles
Though the settings, and the cultures involved, are vastly different, I see a common theme. It is the Third World communities' inability to deal with individual rights and freedoms, and the traditional cultures of those communities revolting in return.
In the case of the Turkish man who killed his sister in Germany, the sixth such case in six months, he could not stand the fact that his older sister had left a forced marriage to raise a child on her own.
In the case of the Korean family in Los Angeles, the third such case in a week, the father decreed that because he could not bear living, his family members had to die too.
The immigration debate continues, both in the US and in European countries. I strongly ask that if immigration is to continue, the host society must understand, and be ready, for these tragedies, that would be very odd in the mainstream culture, but commonplace in the immigrants'. Burying these problems, as well as others (such as rampant sexism and homophobia) that pervade the immigrant communities, under a rug of political correctness will get nothing done, and more lives will be destroyed.
It is also noteworthy that the religious institutions in both communities are NOT doing their job to save the troubled souls in their community. In fact, their religious orthodoxy are only causing more grief and pressure. And at least in the Korean churches of Los Angeles, the blatant show of wealth, and the worship of hypercapitalist ideals, by some members, is causing additional financial strain, leading to one of the reasons for the murder-suicides. (You need to show up in a Lexus LS or Mercedes S-class to be taken seriously, for starters.)
I've just been told that here in Los Angeles, a County Supervisor and the mayor of Los Angeles have jumped in to address the forces that are driving the Korean murder-suicides. I hope the Korean community realizes that the Republican idols they worship on the political altar are NOT the ones speaking up for their well-being at this time (or ever).
Lastly, both Turkey and South Korea want to join the industrialized world. Turkey is itching to become part of the European Union, and South Korea is busy showing off its latest electronic and automotive technologies. But until the fundamental culture of death in the society can be resolved, their aspirations will not get anywhere. It takes more than a strong economy and great technologies to make a developed nation; what truly matters is the people's mindset.
Turkish honor killing in Germany
Korean murder-suicide in Los Angeles
Though the settings, and the cultures involved, are vastly different, I see a common theme. It is the Third World communities' inability to deal with individual rights and freedoms, and the traditional cultures of those communities revolting in return.
In the case of the Turkish man who killed his sister in Germany, the sixth such case in six months, he could not stand the fact that his older sister had left a forced marriage to raise a child on her own.
In the case of the Korean family in Los Angeles, the third such case in a week, the father decreed that because he could not bear living, his family members had to die too.
The immigration debate continues, both in the US and in European countries. I strongly ask that if immigration is to continue, the host society must understand, and be ready, for these tragedies, that would be very odd in the mainstream culture, but commonplace in the immigrants'. Burying these problems, as well as others (such as rampant sexism and homophobia) that pervade the immigrant communities, under a rug of political correctness will get nothing done, and more lives will be destroyed.
It is also noteworthy that the religious institutions in both communities are NOT doing their job to save the troubled souls in their community. In fact, their religious orthodoxy are only causing more grief and pressure. And at least in the Korean churches of Los Angeles, the blatant show of wealth, and the worship of hypercapitalist ideals, by some members, is causing additional financial strain, leading to one of the reasons for the murder-suicides. (You need to show up in a Lexus LS or Mercedes S-class to be taken seriously, for starters.)
I've just been told that here in Los Angeles, a County Supervisor and the mayor of Los Angeles have jumped in to address the forces that are driving the Korean murder-suicides. I hope the Korean community realizes that the Republican idols they worship on the political altar are NOT the ones speaking up for their well-being at this time (or ever).
Lastly, both Turkey and South Korea want to join the industrialized world. Turkey is itching to become part of the European Union, and South Korea is busy showing off its latest electronic and automotive technologies. But until the fundamental culture of death in the society can be resolved, their aspirations will not get anywhere. It takes more than a strong economy and great technologies to make a developed nation; what truly matters is the people's mindset.
10 April 2006
Banks... and Cars
First, the bank situation. I've asked around for others' experiences with Washington Mutual, and my doctor agrees - it is a bad bank that scams its customers to make up for its "fee-free" checking. Since the choices out there among major banks are not great, I will probably look at ethnic banks and see what they offer. My mother is suggesting one of the several Korean banks here in Southern California, for their "monthly installment savings" accounts; while it's a good idea on paper, I am in no mood to support institutions from such a politically tainted, reactionary community, especially when I fully know that they will put up a huge fuss once it's time to resume using my proper name.
Now, my car. People have talked me out of getting rid of my Ford immediately. However, I decided that I will no longer pay insurance or registration for it. That will give me until October, when insurance and registration run out, to dispose of it. Hopefully, my expense should be limited to gasoline, and maybe an oil change. Because the car will never pass emissions again, most likely it will be auctioned off to a junkyard. In any case, that's retirement after only 7 1/2 years and 125,000 miles, which is utterly unacceptable, especially here in Southern California, where Honda and Toyota have set the bar at 15 years and 200,000 miles minimum. Once my Ford is gone, I will live off of the leased BMW, until I buy another vehicle.
It has been a very troublesome ownership experience since I bought the vehicle new in 1999. As soon as I bought it, I noticed white flakes in the exhaust, which signals combustion problems. As the miles started to add up, I started losing several systems, one by one: ignition, exhaust (3 times), manual transmission, and electrical (especially anything on the steering column, including horn and cruise control). I was left stranded on a San Diego freeway because of the ignition problem, which a dealership used to take me to the cleaners - and ruin the exhaust in the process, by adding water to the fuel tank. Needless to say, I've soured on Ford and its dealerships. And the owner groups too, which were full of far-right ideologues and of absolutely no help. Blame the rampant unionism at Ford (and GM) all you want, but most, if not all, of the problems with my car were design flaws. Ford tried to sell a crappy European car in America and pass it off as a BMW fighter, and I've been had.
It also didn't help that I had several wrecks with my car, all except one caused by other careless drivers beyond my control. This car had a way of getting rear-ended at a red light often.
Ford's right-wing connections (which makes it the Coors Brewing Company of the automotive world, when combined with the purported LGBT-friendliness) only rubbed salt into the wound; that alone rules out buying any more Fords. The same holds true of other "LGBT-friendly" right-wing companies like Toyota. Of course, companies beholden to reactionary ethnic communities, like Hyundai, can forget about my business.
Now, my car. People have talked me out of getting rid of my Ford immediately. However, I decided that I will no longer pay insurance or registration for it. That will give me until October, when insurance and registration run out, to dispose of it. Hopefully, my expense should be limited to gasoline, and maybe an oil change. Because the car will never pass emissions again, most likely it will be auctioned off to a junkyard. In any case, that's retirement after only 7 1/2 years and 125,000 miles, which is utterly unacceptable, especially here in Southern California, where Honda and Toyota have set the bar at 15 years and 200,000 miles minimum. Once my Ford is gone, I will live off of the leased BMW, until I buy another vehicle.
It has been a very troublesome ownership experience since I bought the vehicle new in 1999. As soon as I bought it, I noticed white flakes in the exhaust, which signals combustion problems. As the miles started to add up, I started losing several systems, one by one: ignition, exhaust (3 times), manual transmission, and electrical (especially anything on the steering column, including horn and cruise control). I was left stranded on a San Diego freeway because of the ignition problem, which a dealership used to take me to the cleaners - and ruin the exhaust in the process, by adding water to the fuel tank. Needless to say, I've soured on Ford and its dealerships. And the owner groups too, which were full of far-right ideologues and of absolutely no help. Blame the rampant unionism at Ford (and GM) all you want, but most, if not all, of the problems with my car were design flaws. Ford tried to sell a crappy European car in America and pass it off as a BMW fighter, and I've been had.
It also didn't help that I had several wrecks with my car, all except one caused by other careless drivers beyond my control. This car had a way of getting rear-ended at a red light often.
Ford's right-wing connections (which makes it the Coors Brewing Company of the automotive world, when combined with the purported LGBT-friendliness) only rubbed salt into the wound; that alone rules out buying any more Fords. The same holds true of other "LGBT-friendly" right-wing companies like Toyota. Of course, companies beholden to reactionary ethnic communities, like Hyundai, can forget about my business.
07 April 2006
Pathetic banking industry
I've just been scammed by my bank - Washington Mutual - twice.
First, I made a $300 cash deposit at an ATM, which mysteriously shrank to $1; just who the hell would deposit a lousy $1 bill into an ATM anyway?!? And today, I've just learned that the $15,000 check I deposited into my business account did not post at all, because it was "not endorsed"; as proof, they sent me the check - which had clearly been endorsed, complete with my account number.
With neither cash deposits nor check deposits being processed correctly, I can no longer trust Washington Mutual to manage my money right. Calls to Washington Mutual only got me a toll number for investigating the situation, and not even a word of apology. And this is supposedly a top-notch bank, based on the recommendations I had received from others.
Prior to Washington Mutual, I had accounts with Bank of America for as long as I could remember. The high account fees and mediocre interest rates, as well as sometimes-clueless phone bankers, dampened my spirit. I immediately closed my accounts, when I found that Bank of America had made a $100,000 contribution toward W's illegitimate second coronation. It is also worth noting that Bank of America is also a major customer of Diebold ATMs, the same Diebold that promised to deliver the 2004 presidential election to W, and actually did so in Ohio, with easily hackable codes and no paper trails for verification. There is no way in hell that I will ever return to Bank of America, even though that's the first recommendation I'm getting today.
Wells Fargo and Citibank are the other major players in California's banking industry. Wells Fargo burned me badly several years ago, and I will never use them either. As for Citibank, while I had a good experience with them back in New York, Citibank won't open accounts for me at this time, because my bankruptcy (which had a lot to do with San Francisco's banking industry, and its rampant discrimination) had included too many Citibank accounts. (And Citibank's corporate and political practices are questionable too.)
Smaller banks and credit unions sometimes have trouble getting their checks honored at merchants. This is one reason why I am being steered back to Bank of America. (Or if I were in Texas or New York, Chase Manhattan would be a bank with similar "respectability.") I do need to investigate the credit union option more closely, however. I've used credit unions in other states, but not in California.
So let's see. The banking industry has screwed me over, as employers, as depositories, and as lenders. And I am being steered toward a bank that will charge huge account fees and send them off to W's war chest. I would rather make the contribution to W directly, if that is the case, and you know I will never do that! It appears that the banking industry is forcing me to make a choice - either keep getting scammed, or make a political contribution against my will. Is America so thoroughly taken over by the right wing, from Wal-Mart to Dell Computers to Ford Motor Company to Bank of America (not to mention organizations from the NRA to the AGC, as well as the churches), that I am left with no other choices, but to do business with them, or leave the country? Sure, the wholesale/retail industry has Costco that breaks this paradigm, but I need a similar example in banking and other industries - NOW.
Thank you, brainless and spineless Democrats, for letting all of this happen over the past generation, and offering no clear alternative even now.
And to express my displeasure, I will call my local charity to give my worthless Ford an early retirement, and have just ordered the laptop that will retire my aging Dell desktop. And no, I will not be calling the Christian terrorist organization known as the Salvation Army, even though that's the first name people are coming up with when it comes to charity.
First, I made a $300 cash deposit at an ATM, which mysteriously shrank to $1; just who the hell would deposit a lousy $1 bill into an ATM anyway?!? And today, I've just learned that the $15,000 check I deposited into my business account did not post at all, because it was "not endorsed"; as proof, they sent me the check - which had clearly been endorsed, complete with my account number.
With neither cash deposits nor check deposits being processed correctly, I can no longer trust Washington Mutual to manage my money right. Calls to Washington Mutual only got me a toll number for investigating the situation, and not even a word of apology. And this is supposedly a top-notch bank, based on the recommendations I had received from others.
Prior to Washington Mutual, I had accounts with Bank of America for as long as I could remember. The high account fees and mediocre interest rates, as well as sometimes-clueless phone bankers, dampened my spirit. I immediately closed my accounts, when I found that Bank of America had made a $100,000 contribution toward W's illegitimate second coronation. It is also worth noting that Bank of America is also a major customer of Diebold ATMs, the same Diebold that promised to deliver the 2004 presidential election to W, and actually did so in Ohio, with easily hackable codes and no paper trails for verification. There is no way in hell that I will ever return to Bank of America, even though that's the first recommendation I'm getting today.
Wells Fargo and Citibank are the other major players in California's banking industry. Wells Fargo burned me badly several years ago, and I will never use them either. As for Citibank, while I had a good experience with them back in New York, Citibank won't open accounts for me at this time, because my bankruptcy (which had a lot to do with San Francisco's banking industry, and its rampant discrimination) had included too many Citibank accounts. (And Citibank's corporate and political practices are questionable too.)
Smaller banks and credit unions sometimes have trouble getting their checks honored at merchants. This is one reason why I am being steered back to Bank of America. (Or if I were in Texas or New York, Chase Manhattan would be a bank with similar "respectability.") I do need to investigate the credit union option more closely, however. I've used credit unions in other states, but not in California.
So let's see. The banking industry has screwed me over, as employers, as depositories, and as lenders. And I am being steered toward a bank that will charge huge account fees and send them off to W's war chest. I would rather make the contribution to W directly, if that is the case, and you know I will never do that! It appears that the banking industry is forcing me to make a choice - either keep getting scammed, or make a political contribution against my will. Is America so thoroughly taken over by the right wing, from Wal-Mart to Dell Computers to Ford Motor Company to Bank of America (not to mention organizations from the NRA to the AGC, as well as the churches), that I am left with no other choices, but to do business with them, or leave the country? Sure, the wholesale/retail industry has Costco that breaks this paradigm, but I need a similar example in banking and other industries - NOW.
Thank you, brainless and spineless Democrats, for letting all of this happen over the past generation, and offering no clear alternative even now.
And to express my displeasure, I will call my local charity to give my worthless Ford an early retirement, and have just ordered the laptop that will retire my aging Dell desktop. And no, I will not be calling the Christian terrorist organization known as the Salvation Army, even though that's the first name people are coming up with when it comes to charity.
05 April 2006
GOP = "God's Own Party"
Or so says Kevin Phillips, who wrote last Sunday on the Washington Post.
He sees the Republicans as the first religious party in US history, and the US itself as meeting the requirements of a theocracy. And he sees all of it in very disturbing light, despite having worked for the Republicans himself (and identified opportunities for Republicans among religious voters) in the past.
Honestly, I am not going to vote for anybody, and believe in any religion, that says God put natural resources and environment on Earth, for man to exploit and destroy. Unfortunately, that's the current dominant Republican-Christian world view.
Information Clearinghouse
He sees the Republicans as the first religious party in US history, and the US itself as meeting the requirements of a theocracy. And he sees all of it in very disturbing light, despite having worked for the Republicans himself (and identified opportunities for Republicans among religious voters) in the past.
Honestly, I am not going to vote for anybody, and believe in any religion, that says God put natural resources and environment on Earth, for man to exploit and destroy. Unfortunately, that's the current dominant Republican-Christian world view.
Information Clearinghouse
04 April 2006
Meanwhile, Russ Feingold...
Senator Feingold (D-WI), who is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2008, now says he will openly support legalized gay marriage.
This gives him badly needed backbone and agenda, and gives him respect from all voters - even those who disagree with him.
Now, I hope my own Senator, Barbara Boxer, who is just as much of a progressive, speaks up on something.
Washington Post
This gives him badly needed backbone and agenda, and gives him respect from all voters - even those who disagree with him.
Now, I hope my own Senator, Barbara Boxer, who is just as much of a progressive, speaks up on something.
Washington Post
John Kerry on the Iraq War
Kerry spoke up again, today.
Opinion on New York Times
To cut short, he is proposing that America push Iraqis forward with two new deadlines: one for establishing democracy, and one for American withdrawal so that Iraq can finally govern itself.
The wasting of American lives for no clear goal, and creating more excuse for the extremists to gather, must end.
Unfortunately, Kerry will be labeled a "traitor" by the Republican smear machine and the media, just like so many other patriots before and alongside him. The only "patriots" around these days are the ones that make the criminal enterprise of Halliburton richer.
Opinion on New York Times
To cut short, he is proposing that America push Iraqis forward with two new deadlines: one for establishing democracy, and one for American withdrawal so that Iraq can finally govern itself.
The wasting of American lives for no clear goal, and creating more excuse for the extremists to gather, must end.
Unfortunately, Kerry will be labeled a "traitor" by the Republican smear machine and the media, just like so many other patriots before and alongside him. The only "patriots" around these days are the ones that make the criminal enterprise of Halliburton richer.
03 April 2006
Immigration Reform, for Asian Americans
DiAnne Grieser, whom I know through the Silenced Majority blog and the Democracy Cell Project, forwarded me a post from the Daily Kos.
Daily Kos
This post brings in the Indian-American and Chinese-American perspectives into the current immigration debate, where Latino concerns currently dominate. Basically, the point appears to be that Indian-Americans, who have lately trended Republican due to their high professional incomes and anti-tax stance, are incensed, because Rep. Tancredo (R-CO) wants to tax their remittances back to India. Also incensed are the more Democratic Chinese-Americans, who rely on fellow immigrants for labor. It calls for the Democrats to make inroads into the affluent professional Asian-American community, as it has done in Silicon Valley.
It's good idea on paper. But Republicans currently have a way of making poor American-born people to vote for them, against their best interests, by scaring them with images of abortion on demand and man-man marriages. Immigrants, with more conservative social norms, are no exception. I am not hearing of a mass exodus of Koreans in Los Angeles or Vietnamese in Orange County, out of the Republican camp; if anything, they are even more blatant about their Republican affiliation. In my own neighborhood, where I do have large numbers of Indians, Chinese, and Koreans, these groups are staying as Republican as ever.
I told DiAnne, and will tell everyone else, that any attempts by the Democrats and the progressives to make inroads into the Asian-American community will need to address this. In the Democracy Cell Project chat, I've pointed the immigrant conservatism out; I even pointed out that as much as the Republicans claim to hate immigrants, they need the immigrant vote to ram through homophobic legislations, at least in California. In Western Europe, governments have taken note of the immigrant homophobia (and my own experiences in London and Amsterdam point to immigrants as THE source of homophobia), and have required immigrants to renounce it in order to naturalize; while doing the same would be impractical in the US, attacking immigrant homophobia and conservatism, with a large educational effort by the progressives, will significantly weaken Republican strength. At the same time, the Republicans must be ridiculed and pummeled, for trying to have their cake (punishing the immigrants) and eat it too (relying on them for conservative legislations).
Let's see how smart and real (as opposed to politically correct, head buried in the sand) the progressive movement will get.
Daily Kos
This post brings in the Indian-American and Chinese-American perspectives into the current immigration debate, where Latino concerns currently dominate. Basically, the point appears to be that Indian-Americans, who have lately trended Republican due to their high professional incomes and anti-tax stance, are incensed, because Rep. Tancredo (R-CO) wants to tax their remittances back to India. Also incensed are the more Democratic Chinese-Americans, who rely on fellow immigrants for labor. It calls for the Democrats to make inroads into the affluent professional Asian-American community, as it has done in Silicon Valley.
It's good idea on paper. But Republicans currently have a way of making poor American-born people to vote for them, against their best interests, by scaring them with images of abortion on demand and man-man marriages. Immigrants, with more conservative social norms, are no exception. I am not hearing of a mass exodus of Koreans in Los Angeles or Vietnamese in Orange County, out of the Republican camp; if anything, they are even more blatant about their Republican affiliation. In my own neighborhood, where I do have large numbers of Indians, Chinese, and Koreans, these groups are staying as Republican as ever.
I told DiAnne, and will tell everyone else, that any attempts by the Democrats and the progressives to make inroads into the Asian-American community will need to address this. In the Democracy Cell Project chat, I've pointed the immigrant conservatism out; I even pointed out that as much as the Republicans claim to hate immigrants, they need the immigrant vote to ram through homophobic legislations, at least in California. In Western Europe, governments have taken note of the immigrant homophobia (and my own experiences in London and Amsterdam point to immigrants as THE source of homophobia), and have required immigrants to renounce it in order to naturalize; while doing the same would be impractical in the US, attacking immigrant homophobia and conservatism, with a large educational effort by the progressives, will significantly weaken Republican strength. At the same time, the Republicans must be ridiculed and pummeled, for trying to have their cake (punishing the immigrants) and eat it too (relying on them for conservative legislations).
Let's see how smart and real (as opposed to politically correct, head buried in the sand) the progressive movement will get.
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