SHIT that REALLY Bugs Me!!!

Downer alert, this is the serious stuff:

1. Gulf of Mexico ecological calamity

2. Congo trouble in paradise

3. Darfur, Sudan, Islamic extremism

4. Gaza humanitarian crisis

5. Iraq sectarian divide

6. China without real democracy

7. Growing deserts

8. Not personally doing enough

9. Ethiopia stifling legitimate political opposition

Anybody want to add more shit to the list? Please do so in the comments below.

Now I'm not saying nothing can be done about these issues, just that these are some of the ones where I feel the pain. Add Native and justice issues here in Canada and we can go on and on, so let it out and let it fly.

Just Joe Itatron

UPDATE 12JUL10: Added to the above list would be

a) recovery in Haiti,

b) peace and good governance in Somalia

As the new cap on the oil spill may lead to shutting down the blowout within days, I am thinking of perhaps making a quarterly Scary Shit List, just to keep an eye on things that frighten and/or depress I and I.

al-Awlaki emerging as new Public Enemy #1

As the Masters of War continue to employ tanks, trucks and warships in their psuedo-war on terror, it is important to think back and think ahead and try to decipher what the early years of the 21st Century have really taught us. Technology progresses irreversibly, and the intersection of antiquated political ideologies and severe religious fundamentalism provides dangerous territory for the disaffected malcontents and other impressionable youth being recruited for death missions. We need to win the war in every heart, mind and soul being born and raised on this planet over the next three to four decades, so that we can live in a world of peace, justice and ecological harmony in the second half of this perilous, wondrous century.

A major problem in the Bush era was that most conscious human beings could see that Dubya was a fool fighting an asshole, and it was highly probable that nothing good would come of it. When the focus shifted to Iraq, people had to wonder why George Bush was no longer seeking to kill or capture the Black Sheep of the Bin Laden family, close friends and business associates of the Bush family. There was a credibility issue, and though Bin Laden was and is a spoiled brat rich kid who didn't get enough love from his dad, the media and global leaders seem unable to call him what he is. This Nigerian banker's son is another wealthy weakling, but though he's small fry, the connection to the Yemeni Imam reveals a terrifying and powerul trend.

According to wikipedia.org:

Al-Awlaki's name came up in nearly a dozen terrorism cases recently in the US, UK, and Canada. In each case suspects (including suicide bombers in the 2005 London bombings, radical Islamic terrorists in the 2006 Toronto terrorism case, and radical Islamic terrorists in the 2007 Fort Dix attack plot) were devoted to al-Awlaki's message, which they listened to on laptops, audio clips, and CDs. Michael Finton (Talib Islam), who attempted on September 24, 2009, to bomb the Federal Building and the adjacent offices of Congressman Aaron Schock in Springfield, Illinois, with one ton of explosives, admired al-Awlaki and quoted him on his Myspace page. In addition to his website, al-Awlaki had a Facebook page with a substantial percentage of "fans" from the US, many of whom were high school students.

I haven't had the opportunity yet to study the politics, religion and ideology of al-Awlaki vis a vis Bin Laden, but this needs to be done in both academic and journalistic circles. As a Wahabi supporter and regional al-Qaeda leader, clearly this US-born traitor has been active in encouraging violent attacks against innocents, and whether he lives or dies, it is important that his ideas be refuted and students in elementary school, high school, vocational colleges and universities globally be taught about Tolstoy and Ghandi and MLK and Mandela, and within Islamic cultures, local heroes who brought progress to their peoples through benign leadership. Young people need to know that non-violent protests have proven to provide the most beneficial, long lasting change; Muslims in the USA and Canada must teach about the freedoms and responsibilities of the democratic citizen. Palestine yearns for a Mandela or Ghandi of their own, and the whole planet seeks a peaceful path to justice and sustainability.

It's time for a global summit of Sunni and Shia leaders, to discuss the immediate implementation of the youth education and enlightenment programs, and the longer term unifying of the faithful; THIS is the moment to take back Islam for the people and not allow a tiny minority to tar and feather the faith with false bravado and anti-women politricks.

President Obama and other global leaders must encourage the expression of truth and support the rights of women everywhere, even when it is politically difficult and more expedient to turn a blind eye. A big move towards peace between Israel and Palestine will give the Middle East and the world some hope, and if a permanent arrangement creating and properly financing a Palestinian State can be signed, the global potential for negotiations and compromise will be on the upswing.

Peace and Prosperity are dividends of the pursuits of justice and sustainability, so let all men, women and children yearn and strive for human dignity, and walk into the town square hand-in-hand, unafraid of temporal powers, in full submission to the All Knowing, All Powerful, Absolute Being; Inshallah.

International Peace and Collaborative Development Network

Wikipedia page explaining Islam

Wikipedia page about al-Awlaki

Wikipedia entry Osama bin Laden

Wikipedia page about al-Qaeda

Central Intelligence Agency official website

CIA World Factbook on Yemen

Peace Now official website

World Peace Prayer Society World Peace Project

Greenpeace International official website

Greed is Fucking BAD; The SICKNESS in North America

Ever since the movie Wall Street, where the infamous Gordon Gecko character uttered the words "greed is good" and then rationalized that phrase in the most self-serving way possible, many North Americans have come to accept it as a truism of sorts. That's bullshit! Greed is a disease, a sickness, and you do not have to be religious to understand that the love of money is the root of all evil. Note that it is not money itself (money is a tool that can be used for good or bad or indifference) that is evil, but rather the love of money.

When the tech bubble burst at the turn of the century everyone focused on the "bubble" and the stock price multiples and few noticed the ridiculous compensation levels that sunk many companies before they got started. When I used to work at Altamira with brilliant fund managers like Frank Mersch, Norm Lamarche and Sue Coleman, one of the acid tests regarding potential investments was the "car check". If we went out to visit a company that we were considering investing in, the managers and analysts would try and park in or near to the employee parking to see what kind of vehicles management were driving. If the President and his son were both driving Mazerati's, then we were left wondering if there would be much profits left for shareholders. If key management personnel were driving Chevys and Fords, then it was realistic to expect that there may someday be healthy dividends for shareholders.

The "greed is good" mentality fosters a sense of entitlement at the top that totally belittles the rank and file that actually create and produce the goods and services offered for sale. The idea that most of the shareholder value comes from the top is asinine, as most great companies (eg. Dell, Microsoft+++) are sales and service organizations through and through. I am not saying all of this money should go to the workers, but let's consider an alternate formula. If a company was paying 50% of corporate profits out in bonuses and options for the top 1% of employees, it may be more efficient for the firm and the economy if companies distributed that more widely.

Current Greed Mentality (After-tax Profits)

50% Executive pay, bonuses, options and perks
30% re-investment in company
10% employees
10% retained earnings

Proposed Active Shareholder Formula (After-tax Profits)

20% executive pay, bonuses, perks, options
40% re-investment in company
20% employees
20% retained earnings

I'm no accountant but I know the second formula makes for a much healthier company, positioned to grow profitably for the longterm. These things are difficult to legislate, so it is crucial that institutional investors get active and punish companies for overdoing compensation at the top.

Anybody have any comments or ideas about this?