We have thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy. I want proof, not leads!

Science-fiction or science-fact?

Soon enough, Americans will be watched by robots. They already have them in the middle east. Now, these Big Brother-esque machines will be seen in North American skies. Alas 24 years too late.

4000 U.S. Combat Deaths

And counting...

Of course, nobody ever 'sees' the dead, so it can have no effect on you. It's just a number on a screen. There could be a million deaths - if none of the soldiers fall within your Monkeysphere, then you probably won't care that much. Once you're wrapped your head around that, it should be easy to understand why the U.S. government doesn't want pictures of dead soldiers coming home. Despite this, some pictures survive...

Fiat Currency

During the lead-up to the American election I was really excited by a Republican candidate named Ron Paul. He strictly supports the constitution and opposes the Federal Reserve. If I was American, these would be the pillars of my political beliefs. The constitution represents the rights and freedoms of each citizen, while the Federal Reserve represents the domination and subjugation of the elected government by banks and hyper-rich individuals. While I disagreed with Paul on certain social issues, he seemed to be the candidate who would present America and the world with the most optimistic and realistic leader. Alas, twas not to be. The Republican faithful have long abandoned the small-government, anti-war, true capitalism set of values that were the party's roots for so long.

Today, I'm posting two relevant pieces authored by Ron Paul. The first is a video in which Paul responds to the current 'bailout' of the mortgage industry (and the subsequent reporting of all credit card transactions to the IRS). The second is an article written by Paul about fiat currency. As I've grown older I've become more and more interested in economics. How do governments actually work? How does money actually work?

I'll leave you with a thought experiment I've been working on for a while. Imagine that there is a global, or at least North American economic collapse. Suppose that you live in an area where people still produce something with their labour (ie: food, merchandise, etc). How would you establish a new currency? How would you distribute the first notes? How would you increase or decrease your money supply? Who would control these things?

Impeachment?

Here's a pair of videos from CSPAN:

1. Ohio Democratic lawmaker and former presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich presents articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush to Congress. It's not the first time, and it probably won't be the last. Clinton was impeached for lying about his relationship with an intern. Bush lied about Iraq and led the nation to a disastrous war. Which is worse? According to Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly, the price of oil is far more important than an illegal war which has destroyed the international reputation of the U.S.

2. Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for president outlines the mission of his party. Essentially, he advocates most of the same goals and desires as Ron Paul. Obviously, he has no chance of winning the election - but it is nice to see a third party getting air-time. I haven't heard much from Ralph Nader, which is unfortunate because he is a true American visionary.

History is Written by the Winners

Oliver Stone's '91 film JFK was by no means a blockbuster. The media criticized the director's blurring of historical facts. I think to a new generation it made them start looking at the way things happen in history. Hopefully in 'free' nations people of a all generations have started to watch the actions of their government a little more closely as there are many great men warning them about
actions they perceive as a threat to the safety of their nation.

Eisenhower's outgoing presidential speech did that for a generation before, the famous military industrial complex speech. Stone has this as his opening scene. Followed by quite possibly the speech JFK was killed for making. So here it is The Sequel to a great movie.

Black and White

John McCain and Barack Obama have two very different views about the war in the middle east and America's future. Our good friends at TPMtv have set these two perspectives beside each other. Take a quick look and tell me what you think. Whether you are American or not, the upcoming election will have a major impact on the world and your own life.

In a follow-up to an earlier post, I would also like to point fellow teachers towards Wikispaces. If you enjoyed the "Portal to Media Literacy" video you might have wondered how you could set up a wiki in your own classroom. Wikispaces provides free, unlimited wikis for educational purposes. Take advantage of these amazing participatory classroom tools.

On this day...

On this day in 1804, the most famous duel in American history happened. Vice-president Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton exchanged pistol shots in New Jersey. The confrontation started at a dinner party the two men were at, Mr. Hamilton had been discrediting the Vice-president while he was running for Governor of New York against a family member of Hamilton's. There were only two witnesses to the duel in which Hamilton was fatally wounded and died the next day. The intentions of the two men are disputed to this day. Monuments of the duel exist in New Jersey today although the originals, must consisting of busts of Hamilton, have been vandalized since 1841. This duel was fought at a time when dueling was being outlawed in the northern US.

With the Future of the World at Stake...

Who will be the next U.S. President?
Are you as interested as me?
Smooth talking Barack or straight-shooting McCain?
Veracifier is my #1 source for American election information. They seem to lean Democrat (after the last 7 years what fool wouldn't?) but strangely enough, they present their information in a relatively unbiased fashion. I found these guys on Youtube. They started out at as TPMmedia (Talking Points Memo). Josh Marshall is their anchor, and all-around guy-in-charge. He's one of the best in the business. Relevant and succinct commentary of important issues. It doesn't get much better.
It's worth checking out, and maybe even subscribing.