It's almost a New Year
again
Let's not make America fear
again
Let's not throw our brothers and sisters
to the wolves
again
We could make the world a better place
again
Are you ready?
We've done it before
in days of yore
We broke the bonds of
kings and queens
We threw off the shackles
of slavery
We stood up and demanded
One Person One Vote
Again and again
we demanded a minimum wage, a living wage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage)
and the democratic world flourished...
But now it's dying,
strangled by the weeds
we were
so careless of.
So, I need to know - are you ready
to speak up
against those who would silence us?
Are you ready - to stand firm
against those who would
strip away your vote?
destroy your living wage?
poison your food and water, the very air you breathe?
and allow innocents to be destroyed -
- in the name of oil- in the name of money
- in the name of power
Are you ready to throw off the lies that mute us?
Are you ready to stand against the gags that deny us?
Are you ready to make this world a better place?
Can you accept the cost?
The longer we wait
the more we'll pay.
So I need to know,
are you ready?
A.J. Ponder
An early poem so it can be published before the New Year in time for resolutions. There will not be one on the 6th, because there's no reason not to make a New Years resolution to support human rights. Mine is to speak out when I see injustice, to hold our politicians to account and to join at least one local group that supports human rights and the environment.
Happy New Year everyone, also PS - a link to Mike Moore's 5 point plan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbaqst_B498 (it's basically all in first minute or so.)
A.J.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
False Prophets
Given the GOP memo published recently that included '...Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King...' and the many people who are prepared to defend a deliberate and misleading false equivalency as if the move from past to present wasn't entirely deliberate, with the double meaning left to placate the evangelicals for whom this would be blasphemy.
I'd like to remind anyone who is drawn to this false show of Christianity of what the Bible records Jesus as saying. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:15-16b).
From what I can see Trumps fruits are blackmail, bankruptcy, lechery, and threats. And while I don't pretend to be a Christian, Trump does, and he fulfills this biblical warning: The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are "experts in greed" and "their eyes are full of adultery" (2:14).
So do not let religious friends be pulled into the sway of this false prophet who would be a king. Because Jesus was right. And the wolves he speaks of will never sate their hunger, their greed is a sickness that consumes them, it is a greed for power and love that has lead followers to death, while aggrandizing themselves.
Whatever our faith - whether we believe Jesus was the son of God, a prophet, or just someone who challenged an authority who cared for money and power, and belittled suffering - we should heed his warning, because there are always people who say they have the answers - but if their fruit is vile - if what they actually do is vile - then so are they. If we don't stand up now against the corporations who are dividing the world between them, the world we pass on to our children and grandchildren will be very grim indeed, and not the society that compassion and vision and science can build. But first we must challenge our own moneylenders. The morally criminal who trade our life health and happiness for worthless coin.
We need to stand against corporate greed
Because 1% of the world now has 90% of the money.
Because they don't pay taxes
Because they don't pay their workers a living wage
Because they steal resources from under the feet of the people they should be supporting.
Because they corrupt our politicians
Because they corrupt our media
Because they make us fight for scraps at our own table
Because they make us beg for the poisons that kill us
Because they refuse to treat those in need preferring coin
Because global warming is real
Because the earth is a finite resource
Because little children should not suffer when we can prevent that suffering
Because nobody should suffer for their faith
Because we hold the moral stance that all are created equal
Because we can make this world a better place
So I will stand,
I will stand with the millennials,
I will stand with the progressives
I will stand with Bernie, and Warren and Stein and the Greens and the unions and the Indigenous people and all those who protect the land and human rights.
Will you?
A.J. Ponder
For those who wonder why I follow American politics so assiduously - it's because that is the country used to create the narrative we are supposed to believe. That somehow minimum wages make people poorer. A lie. Proved here (http://www.citylab.com/work/2016/12/as-an-anti-poverty-measure-raising-the-minimum-wage-works/510119/?utm_source=SFTwitter) and in scientific studies.
That drug and oil and banks and the worst excesses of war require government money, but we should ignore the suffering of people whose needs would require far less, and we could then reap the health benefits of a more egalitarian population.
It is not just America. This is an issue for the whole world so please don't hesitate to add links to organisations/organizations you think can help. And DO be aware that facts change - especially if it's money that's being asked for.
There are almost too many options. So don't find heaps, find the one that best suits you and make a New Year's resolution to make a difference. Remember you can stand up for the #environment and #humanrights check out these
6 Lessons Learned Fighting Oppressive Regimes While Trying to Protect People and Planet
http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-oppressive-regimes-2162235733.html
You can:
Petition your local politicians
Join rallies for causes you believe in
Divest from banks that support oil or habitat destruction
Buy mindfully
Use power mindfully
Join groups who promote the causes you hold important - but always check to make sure they are currently as advertised. eg in NZ our Red Cross currently has most of it's money go to where it's needed, whereas the American Red Cross has a less efficient structure in getting charity money to where it's need so there may be better options.
Join Your local human rights org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_rights_organisations
Join Your local union or group ready to ask for a living wage eg. #fightfor15
Join your local Green Party
Join the NAACP http://www.naacp.org/about-us/
Join Amnesty international https://www.amnesty.org/en/
I'm not always the biggest fan of the UN, sometimes it seems to be captured by political and business interests, but maybe that means we need to take it back and make it for people all the more.
Support education for the less fortunate Malala.org, ACEI, Education International, GPE, Plan International, Save the Children, UNESCO & UNICEF.
There are almost too many options. So don't find heaps, even one would make an awesome New Year's resolution and make a real difference.
Merry Christmas Holiday (for those lucky enough to get a Christmas Holiday) and a happy New Year
A.J.
I'd like to remind anyone who is drawn to this false show of Christianity of what the Bible records Jesus as saying. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:15-16b).
From what I can see Trumps fruits are blackmail, bankruptcy, lechery, and threats. And while I don't pretend to be a Christian, Trump does, and he fulfills this biblical warning: The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are "experts in greed" and "their eyes are full of adultery" (2:14).
So do not let religious friends be pulled into the sway of this false prophet who would be a king. Because Jesus was right. And the wolves he speaks of will never sate their hunger, their greed is a sickness that consumes them, it is a greed for power and love that has lead followers to death, while aggrandizing themselves.
Whatever our faith - whether we believe Jesus was the son of God, a prophet, or just someone who challenged an authority who cared for money and power, and belittled suffering - we should heed his warning, because there are always people who say they have the answers - but if their fruit is vile - if what they actually do is vile - then so are they. If we don't stand up now against the corporations who are dividing the world between them, the world we pass on to our children and grandchildren will be very grim indeed, and not the society that compassion and vision and science can build. But first we must challenge our own moneylenders. The morally criminal who trade our life health and happiness for worthless coin.
We need to stand against corporate greed
Because 1% of the world now has 90% of the money.
Because they don't pay taxes
Because they don't pay their workers a living wage
Because they steal resources from under the feet of the people they should be supporting.
Because they corrupt our politicians
Because they corrupt our media
Because they make us fight for scraps at our own table
Because they make us beg for the poisons that kill us
Because they refuse to treat those in need preferring coin
Because global warming is real
Because the earth is a finite resource
Because little children should not suffer when we can prevent that suffering
Because nobody should suffer for their faith
Because we hold the moral stance that all are created equal
Because we can make this world a better place
So I will stand,
I will stand with the millennials,
I will stand with the progressives
I will stand with Bernie, and Warren and Stein and the Greens and the unions and the Indigenous people and all those who protect the land and human rights.
Will you?
A.J. Ponder
For those who wonder why I follow American politics so assiduously - it's because that is the country used to create the narrative we are supposed to believe. That somehow minimum wages make people poorer. A lie. Proved here (http://www.citylab.com/work/2016/12/as-an-anti-poverty-measure-raising-the-minimum-wage-works/510119/?utm_source=SFTwitter) and in scientific studies.
That drug and oil and banks and the worst excesses of war require government money, but we should ignore the suffering of people whose needs would require far less, and we could then reap the health benefits of a more egalitarian population.
It is not just America. This is an issue for the whole world so please don't hesitate to add links to organisations/organizations you think can help. And DO be aware that facts change - especially if it's money that's being asked for.
There are almost too many options. So don't find heaps, find the one that best suits you and make a New Year's resolution to make a difference. Remember you can stand up for the #environment and #humanrights check out these
6 Lessons Learned Fighting Oppressive Regimes While Trying to Protect People and Planet
http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-oppressive-regimes-2162235733.html
You can:
Petition your local politicians
Join rallies for causes you believe in
Divest from banks that support oil or habitat destruction
Buy mindfully
Use power mindfully
Join groups who promote the causes you hold important - but always check to make sure they are currently as advertised. eg in NZ our Red Cross currently has most of it's money go to where it's needed, whereas the American Red Cross has a less efficient structure in getting charity money to where it's need so there may be better options.
Join Your local human rights org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_rights_organisations
Join Your local union or group ready to ask for a living wage eg. #fightfor15
Join your local Green Party
Join the NAACP http://www.naacp.org/about-us/
Join Amnesty international https://www.amnesty.org/en/
I'm not always the biggest fan of the UN, sometimes it seems to be captured by political and business interests, but maybe that means we need to take it back and make it for people all the more.
Support education for the less fortunate Malala.org, ACEI, Education International, GPE, Plan International, Save the Children, UNESCO & UNICEF.
There are almost too many options. So don't find heaps, even one would make an awesome New Year's resolution and make a real difference.
Merry Christmas Holiday (for those lucky enough to get a Christmas Holiday) and a happy New Year
A.J.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Globalism vs Corporatism
We are
the people of this world
We could
join together
To gain
basic Human Rights
We can't survive
without clean Food and Water
We shouldn't have to fight
for health and happiness
The globalization of human rights
should be our goal
But the corporate lie
pulls us apart
Makes us fight over the scraps
of their bloated table
They pay the corrupt
to distract us
They pay the corrupt
to make laws against us
They pay the corrupt
to rule over us
They say we're too small to change the world
but we must
One human at a time
one step at a time
We must think globally, act globally,
because the corporates are already global
We must fight globally and stand globally
because one,
by one,
the corporates would have us
fall.
A.J. Ponder
By using the word "globalization" to mean "corporate globalization" the very corporations it is meant to implicate have managed to steer the conversation and scare us into fighting against the very people we should be supporting. It's designed to prevent us from thinking about how to make the world a better place, and instead focus on scapegoating the victims of the oppressors whose greed has turned our world inside out, in search for oil, in search of gold, in search of power. But we can do something about it. We can join grassroots organisations (organizations if you're American) that promote #HumanRights, #democracy, and the environment.
And the message for today is "Democracy is not a spectator sport - tag you're it." From, (of all places) The Big Picture RT. Not that I'd recommend them as a news source, given the Russian connection. If you're going to get your news from only one place I'd suggest Amy Goodman's Democracy Now, specifically The War and Peace Report.
the people of this world
We could
join together
To gain
basic Human Rights
We can't survive
without clean Food and Water
We shouldn't have to fight
for health and happiness
The globalization of human rights
should be our goal
But the corporate lie
pulls us apart
Makes us fight over the scraps
of their bloated table
They pay the corrupt
to distract us
They pay the corrupt
to make laws against us
They pay the corrupt
to rule over us
They say we're too small to change the world
but we must
One human at a time
one step at a time
We must think globally, act globally,
because the corporates are already global
We must fight globally and stand globally
because one,
by one,
the corporates would have us
fall.
A.J. Ponder
By using the word "globalization" to mean "corporate globalization" the very corporations it is meant to implicate have managed to steer the conversation and scare us into fighting against the very people we should be supporting. It's designed to prevent us from thinking about how to make the world a better place, and instead focus on scapegoating the victims of the oppressors whose greed has turned our world inside out, in search for oil, in search of gold, in search of power. But we can do something about it. We can join grassroots organisations (organizations if you're American) that promote #HumanRights, #democracy, and the environment.
And the message for today is "Democracy is not a spectator sport - tag you're it." From, (of all places) The Big Picture RT. Not that I'd recommend them as a news source, given the Russian connection. If you're going to get your news from only one place I'd suggest Amy Goodman's Democracy Now, specifically The War and Peace Report.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Draining the swamp of all human decency
In New Zealand
We love our wetlands
They're beautiful places
Rich habitats
Vital to environmental and human well-being
I've heard you're draining yours -
"What of?"
I asked,
And the answer seems to be
"Of all human decency"
And the blue herons soaked
And the land was buffered from the sea
Now
there's nothing in sight
not a bird in flight
just oil
as far as the eye can...
...look out
upon the desolation
of a once fair
land.
you're draining your swamp
of all human decency
and replacing it with
nothing but snake oil
and swamp monsters
grinning through their golden teeth
and pretending they can hold back the tide.
A.J. Ponder
PS: Release the kraken. :)
PPS if you liked this poem, you may also enjoy:
I was particularly impressed with Senator Warren when she stood up to the drug companies. Her fight was my fight. For although drug regulation in America is so far away, it has had a detrimental effect all over the world. She did so, despite the bad optics, because the cause was just and right, and the consequences of failing will not only haunt America, but all the countries that through the FDA's influence allow America's drug industry to influence treatments.
#globalwarming #kraken #swamp #swampmonsters #golden #tide #oil #snakeoil #drug
We love our wetlands
They're beautiful places
Rich habitats
Vital to environmental and human well-being
I've heard you're draining yours -
"What of?"
I asked,
And the answer seems to be
"Of all human decency"
*
Where once the bullfrogs croakedAnd the blue herons soaked
And the land was buffered from the sea
Now
there's nothing in sight
not a bird in flight
just oil
as far as the eye can...
...look out
upon the desolation
of a once fair
land.
*
Yes, you heard me,you're draining your swamp
of all human decency
and replacing it with
nothing but snake oil
and swamp monsters
grinning through their golden teeth
and pretending they can hold back the tide.
A.J. Ponder
PS: Release the kraken. :)
PPS if you liked this poem, you may also enjoy:
I was particularly impressed with Senator Warren when she stood up to the drug companies. Her fight was my fight. For although drug regulation in America is so far away, it has had a detrimental effect all over the world. She did so, despite the bad optics, because the cause was just and right, and the consequences of failing will not only haunt America, but all the countries that through the FDA's influence allow America's drug industry to influence treatments.
#globalwarming #kraken #swamp #swampmonsters #golden #tide #oil #snakeoil #drug
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
The Art of Modern Warfare with Words
They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
there is no middle ground.
First they demonised the poor
for the crimes of the rich
Then they demonised the Muslims,
to steal oil
Now they're framing the Jews
with an old lie,
an evil lie
to stop you from seeing the whole picture.
They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
brushstrokes matter.
We, the people,
are not the threat
The threat is the obscene voice
of corporations
A voice that has corrupted
the politicians
A voice that has corrupted
the media
A voice that
calls to your fears
and twists them.
Once they've framed you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words
the fight is now,
or not at all
As the media bows to
the narrative,
their integrity as
bought and sold as the politicians
receiving tobacco PAC cheques
on the house floor.
They shall frame you,
then they shall call you violent
and place the gun
They shall accuse you of the crimes
they have committed
They shall pay a pittance
and take everything -
water
freedom
your very life
and when there is nothing left,
they will blame you.
So please break the frame
before it destroys you
Mark my words,
there is no middle ground -
unless you stand up -
unless you say no -
unless you yell the truth
like the smallest Who in Whoville.
Please make a noise,
just a yip or a squeak,
because
you are
our only hope.
They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words,
the fight is now
or not at all.
A.J. Ponder
There is a companion poem for this piece, published 5 years ago, it's called Perspective. http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/tuesday-poem-perspective.html
So how is your world being framed?
1. Lying by Omission
2. Controlling the Debate
3. Scripting and Synchronizing News
4. Politicizing Everything
5 Chasing and creating buzzwords and memes
6. Asking the Wrong Questions
7. Closing down the topic - or airing it like the birther conspiracy long after it was dead.
8 Triviality and Distraction
9. Outright Lying
It's time to fight for our rights #noDAPL #livingwage #HumanRights #sustainability #eco #climatechange #change #education #green #impact #peace #democracy #defundDAPL #PoliticalPrisoner #environment #pollution #climate #globalwarming #solar
Peace Out :)
A.J. Ponder
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
there is no middle ground.
First they demonised the poor
for the crimes of the rich
Then they demonised the Muslims,
to steal oil
Now they're framing the Jews
with an old lie,
an evil lie
to stop you from seeing the whole picture.
They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
brushstrokes matter.
We, the people,
are not the threat
The threat is the obscene voice
of corporations
A voice that has corrupted
the politicians
A voice that has corrupted
the media
A voice that
calls to your fears
and twists them.
Once they've framed you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words
the fight is now,
or not at all
As the media bows to
the narrative,
their integrity as
bought and sold as the politicians
receiving tobacco PAC cheques
on the house floor.
They shall frame you,
then they shall call you violent
and place the gun
They shall accuse you of the crimes
they have committed
They shall pay a pittance
and take everything -
water
freedom
your very life
and when there is nothing left,
they will blame you.
So please break the frame
before it destroys you
Mark my words,
there is no middle ground -
unless you stand up -
unless you say no -
unless you yell the truth
like the smallest Who in Whoville.
Please make a noise,
just a yip or a squeak,
because
you are
our only hope.
They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words,
the fight is now
or not at all.
A.J. Ponder
There is a companion poem for this piece, published 5 years ago, it's called Perspective. http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/tuesday-poem-perspective.html
So how is your world being framed?
1. Lying by Omission
2. Controlling the Debate
3. Scripting and Synchronizing News
4. Politicizing Everything
5 Chasing and creating buzzwords and memes
6. Asking the Wrong Questions
7. Closing down the topic - or airing it like the birther conspiracy long after it was dead.
8 Triviality and Distraction
9. Outright Lying
It's time to fight for our rights #noDAPL #livingwage #HumanRights #sustainability #eco #climatechange #change #education #green #impact #peace #democracy #defundDAPL #PoliticalPrisoner #environment #pollution #climate #globalwarming #solar
Peace Out :)
A.J. Ponder
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