Navalny Versus The Emperor Of Russia

 Navalny is a man with courage. Despite having him poisoned, almost murdered and more, Navalny stands tall. Even if he and all the men and women of courage that risk their lives for a better Russia are imprisoned or murdered, it will not erase the need to end the corruption they fight to end. Corrupt, powerful people everywhere imagine themselves untouchable, but even kings and cronies do not live forever. The Russian people suffer, and will continue to suffer, not by the suppression of the brave men and women that fight corruption, but by the fat cat oppressors that treat Russia as their personal kingdom to loot and pillage. 

Putin has nuclear weapons. A vast army, police and intelligence services. Navalny has nothing but a voice willing to speak out against the corruption, the excess, the looting, the extravagance, the luxury and decadence of Putin and his cronies. And still, with billions in stolen wealth, with armies, police forces, intelligence services, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and much more against an unarmed man and his unarmed followers, Putin feels threatened. 

Things could have been so much different. Putin could have reversed the nuclear arms race. Instead, there is a new nuclear arms race that only makes Russia and the rest of the world more imperiled. Putin could have been a man of the people, setting the example of a leader that puts people first. Instead, he chose materialism, greed, cronyism, corruption, selfishness and worse. He and his cronies have set Russia back. They have enriched themselves while impoverishing others. A Russian leadership full of corruption, armed to the teeth ready to kill anyone that opposes their greed should not put anyone's mind at ease. 

Meanwhile, Russian propaganda networks, RT and more, will keep harping on the failures of the west, knowing that the best defense is to divert attention and go after external enemies and foreign failures. Putin's sycophants in the west, a caldron of phony leftists, are perfectly fine with corruption, false imprisonment, luxury, extravagance and living large by government officials, murder and more as long as it is not the doings of the countries and governments they despise.

The protestors are being dismissed by some as agents of the west and CIA. It is common to delegitimize opposition rather than address their grievances. These are unarmed people facing a highly militarized state. Which side is the real threat to the other? It is not the unarmed protestors. No matter the place, no matter the country, all people have the fundamental right to protest peacefully against their governments without fear of harm. The more that governments brutally crack down on peaceful protestors, the more legitimate are the protestors, not the government.

When Putin decided to pursue supersonic nuclear weapons and a new nuclear arms race, as though this is an accomplishment instead of the lunacy for which it is, it was clear that Russia - along with all other countries following the same lunatic path of nuclear weapons proliferation and expansion - was leading not just Russia, but the world along with Russia, into darkness. 

The world needs leaders that de-escalate conflict and that reduce the nuclear weapons threat, not add to it. Russia and all countries deserve leaders that are freely elected, that do not stay in power forever, that do not become rich from what should be public service, and that tolerate dissent and nonviolent opposition. 

For those that support Putin, prove that he is a man deserving of the adoration. Great leaders do not crush opposition. Great leaders are transparent. They are not greedy. They want an end to violent conflict, not its escalation. They are not afraid of opposition because they have nothing to hide. 

There is No One Right Religion

When humans started forming different religions and beliefs, some of the most aggressive religions and beliefs became the ones that overtook the rest and dominate to this day. A lot of blood has been shed in the name of religion. A lot of blood will continue to be shed. Religion, which should temper the worst instincts, including the propensity towards greed, hate and violence, often does not and instead does the opposite. 

Claims that only a certain religion or belief is the only way to heaven, and everyone that does not hold those beliefs is condemned to hell, needs to be refuted for a number of reasons. It completely dismisses the legitimacy of other religions, thoughts and beliefs. It is completely unproven. Not a single human being has completely died and returned to life that can confirm anything about the existence of God or what there is after death. Faith is not fact. Treating faith as fact can lead to harsh conclusions. Religions forcing themselves down the throats of others out of the belief that they have this right and that only they hold the truth has led to many horrible outcomes. If there is a God, and that god condemns people to hell because they chose the wrong religion or belief during their lifetime, that God would be undeserving of being God. A true God does not lack what humanity as a whole enormously lacks - compassion.

China, The Superpower Born From U.S. Greed

 For decades the United States has been transferring much of its manufacturing to China. The free transfer of wealth, power, technology and production to China made a few incredibly wealthy, and strengthened enormously the communist government of China. While this was done without blinking an eye, nearby communist Cuba was sanctioned and blockaded. The message was clear - you cannot do business with socialist/communist Cuba, but you sure as hell can do all the business you want with socialist/communist China.  

China provided cheap labor, weak to no environmental and labor standards, much to the delight of the many companies and individuals benefiting and profiting from an exploited labor force without the burdensome labor and environmental standards of the west.

China has become an increasingly totalitarian dictatorship. It does what it wants on the world stage. While western politicians talk tough about China, ask them where they were all these years that America gave away its wealth. Meanwhile, do not forget to buy hugely overpriced items like phones, computers and so forth, just so a few mega corporations and individuals can get richer off the backs of cheap labor and degraded environments.

Instead of providing American workers a living wage and ensuring environmental protection and safe working conditions, a choice was made that all that matters are inflated corporate stock prices and obscene compensation paid to executives and upper management. Send the manufacturing to China, it was decided, so that underpaid people work without cumbersome environmental and work safety regulations ensuring greater stock prices and ridiculous executive compensation.

And now the heavy price born of greed is being paid. A militarized, totalitarian state flexing its muscle. Ruining the South China Sea, turning coral islands into military bases, killing fisheries and coral reefs. Destroying the democracy of Hong Kong. Colonizing and destroying the environments of third world countries in order to extract resources. Trillions added to wasteful military spending as China, countered by the United States, spend unlimited amounts of money on their militaries. Every brutal, totalitarian regime on the planet finds a friend in China and Russia. Including Iran and Pakistan, so boastful about their Islamic leadership and purity while they remain completely subservient to Chinese interests even as China brutally suppresses its Muslim minority.

New Administration, Same Commitment to Propping Up Stock Markets

 The new administration will do what the previous administration, and many administrations before that have done. Pump up stock markets, print trillions of dollars of money out of thin air, and then wonder in amazement how great the stock market is doing. They will use the tried and true excuse that the "recovery" demands this. One day a price will be paid for this recklessness. Meanwhile, as already stated over and over, in the real world, environmental destruction - the real wealth of the world - continues unabated, ensuring millions upon millions will remain entrenched in poverty. No matter how fanatical and violent the world becomes, no matter how degraded and poverty stricken, no matter the degree to which nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction grow unchecked, the delusional stock market and  those that prop it up will keep growing.

Four Major Reasons Social Media Corporations Must Be Regulated

 Here are four major reasons social media corporations and monopolies must be regulated at the very least.

First, they have been unaccountable platforms for hate and violence.

Second, now that they have been trying feebly to reign in some hate and violence after receiving some pressure, they use this as the excuse to censor and silence points of view they do not like that have nothing to do with hate and/or violence.

Third, they allow disinformation to spread not only locally, but globally. 

Fourth, they selectively disseminate information and theology favorable to the spread of one religion, even when some proponents of that religion overtly call for harm against certain others, and censor and silence anyone that opposes that religions' theology. Social media selectively enforces blasphemy. Human rights and freedom are not compatible with blasphemy. To be clear, discrimination against the practitioners of a religion is always wrong. But religious criticism is not the same as discrimination. Free people must never lose the right to reject, criticize, mock and challenge religion, politics, government, and more. 

Social Media: Censorship, Silencing, Hate And Lies

 Social media corporations lie about hate and violence and use it as the excuse to censor opinions they do not like that have nothing to do with hate and violence. This is ironic in that social media has been the number one platform for hate and violence for decades. Now they are suppressing freedom of speech, expression and religion that runs contrary to their beliefs. 

This is not about right or left, one religion or another. This is about a small group of people given unlimited power to shape the thinking of billions to conform to their beliefs. They silence opinions they do not like, falsely hiding behind the excuse - these hypocrites that have been the platform for hate and violence for decades - that the opinions and views they do not like, and that they suppress and silence,  spread hate and violence.

Stock Market Wealth And Environmental Depletion And Poverty

 One day the foolishness of pumping up stock markets, inflating certain assets, generating huge amounts of debt, recklessly printing money, ensuring money keeps pouring into stock markets and certain other assets without regards to how this ultimately gets played out, will fully be seen. 

In the span of mere decades, glorious rain forests, magnificent coral reefs, and more have been turned into ruin. No matter how impoverished the environment continues to become, creating poverty for hundreds of millions of people, the illusion continues that wealth is being created. If only a fraction of the energy, research, effort and money that goes into stock markets went into things more meaningful and of more consequence, this world would be a better place.

Empire Files And The Fictional Left

  There are empires, movements, organizations and regimes full of brutality, corruption, cruelty, fanaticism, hatred and violent jihad supported by apologists and propogandists. The apologists and propogandists support and condone brutality, dictatorship, torture, false imprisonment, oligarchs, the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few and all other kinds of evil just as long as it is done in the name of opposition to the west and the countries they despise. 

A moral compass does not point right or left.

 Real journalists are not propogandists or apologists. Real journalists are near extinct, and probably already extinct in the west.

 

A Major Reason Coastal And Shallow Water Coastal Reefs Are Being Destroyed

 Coastal coral reefs and shallow coral reefs are being destroyed. They are simply too accessible to people. Instead of protecting the reefs, they are too often tourist draws and thus money wins out over conservation. Cruise ships that bring people to places once inaccessible adds to the damage. Protecting costal coral reefs and shallow water coral reefs from the damage caused by people is not given consideration. Cruise ships companies take no responsibility for the consequence of bringing untold numbers of people to these coral reef locations, and the impact these people have on the reefs.

It is a hard battle to protect coastal coral reefs and shallow coral reefs from the damage caused by people stepping on them and from misuse. Local authorities are resistant to choose protection over tourist dollars. These easily accessible reefs continue to be destroyed, even though there are few left. Marking the coral locations will not help. People deliberately go to where the coral is located because that is what they want to see. There is rarely anyone telling them to stay off the coral and to not swim, dive, stand on or snorkel on top of the shallow corals. It is even rarer for restrictions to be enforced.

If a person, conservation or marine organization with deep pockets has the will, they can make it economically beneficial to choose conservation over tourism. This means making these coral reefs restricted access places, and ensuring the locations are properly patrolled by employing local people. Will anyone or any organization step up to the plate, or will these coral reefs continue to be lost forever?

Social Media: Censorship And Destructive Powers Of Monopolies

 The mainstream media long ago ceased to be objective. Instead, it seeks the sensational and everything else that brings in an audience and money. It lies, distorts, and twists the truth. 

Then along came social media, and what should have opened the door to critical thinking, objective points of view, and a chance finally for information and opinions to no longer be held in the stranglehold of a few mega corporations and twisted foreign government controlled propaganda outlets. 

That is not what happened. Instead, social media corporations were allowed to become monopolies. They destroyed competition. They destroyed businesses. They are destroying free speech and religious freedom. They do not understand the difference between hate speech and speech that promotes violence, and the fair exchange of ideas and legitimate criticism. They protect certain groups and religions, and allow hate to flourish against other groups and religions. They are not objective. They are not fair. They are the Big Brothers that enforce blasphemy, even though the United States is supposed to be a secular democracy. They censor opinions they do not like by pretending that the opinions they do not like promote hate and violence.

They are unaccountable. They do whatever they want. They do the same censoring, indoctrinating and brainwashing that theocratic regimes and dictatorships try to do. 

Break up the social media corporations. Do it now before more brainwashing and unfair competition and censorship takes place. Democracies cannot survive political and religious motivated censorship and distortions of information. 

Establish independent bodies that determine what is hate speech and incitement to violence and what is legitimate criticism of religious, political, educational, nonprofit, and for profit institutions and entities. Social media corporations must stop being unaccountable censors of content. They must not self police. They have proven themselves incapable of self policing. They allowed hate and violence to spread. Now they are causing hate and violence to spread further by their censorship of legitimate criticism that they, the all powerful Big Brothers, do not like. If Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Hitler, and Goebbels were alive today, they would regret that social media as it now exists was not available during their reigns of terror and eras of brainwashing.