When You Know Something Is Wrong With America

When politicians use talking points rather than evidence and anecdotal evidence rather than reasoning. Then call it a Lincoln Douglass Debate. http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/

Malthus Theory

(UPDATE: Before reading I suggest http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=human-population-reaches-seven-billion) Malthus was the person who founded your fears of overpopulation: his theory that population would rise far rapider than food production. The J-Curve is his idea in mathematical terms, named after the bottom part of a cursive capital J. The prediction was made 200 years ago. Since then agricultural advances i.e. green revolution have increased crop yield and new lands could and were exploited. New technologies such as better tractors have proliferated over the world increasing standard of living. This would appear to solve the production problem and a simple distribution solution would be in order.

Domestication of new animal species and higher yielding crops have created a new ecosystem designed for our tastes. Salmon, Bass, Tilapia, and other species have become affordable to mass markets in Europe, China, and the United States. Corn and Soy have fed a chain of livestock and filled the supermarkets. All progress in 60 years worth of time.

However soon after the adoption of dangerous pesticides, waste in the food chain, and a reworking of the environment we understood the damage done to ourselves. The path to prosperity was unclear and inefficient. Malthus theory was looked again as guide to our future.

Recent crop failures in the world have indicated that food production may not work in the same way as in recent past. For the green revolution simply turned our food supply into a stop-gap system. Ammonium fertilizers is the bridge and trucks are the bricks that hold it together (the river is our food supply). New evidence (University Minnesota) shows our current agricultural system alone is not enough to supply 9,000,000,000 (9billion people) by 2050. This means the J-Curve is back.

Technology may save us again, but we must take a different path. Soilless growing, hydroponics, a 300 year old technology hailed for its spacial and yield efficiency may create a new revolution.

Organic hydroponics encompass three important technologies: aquaponics, vermiponics, and true organic hydroponics. Organic nutrient lines such as Fox Farm Grow Big, bought today at my local hydroponics store are unsustainable as our current system. The ingredients are, in Grow Big:

KNO3, MgNO3, K Phosphate, Ammonium Phosphate, Ammonium Nitrate, CaNO3,

Earthworm Castings (sustainable),

Norwegian Kelp (not sustainable),

and trace minerals.

True organic hydroponics can be derived from the urine of any animal, even human; it's safe if aged to the point where urea turns into Ammonia. Add worm-castings and supplements, if necessary and you've got a highly efficient hydroponic system. Aquaponics is the process by which fish waste is converted to usable plant food and plants clear the excess nutrients for the fish—thus cleaning the water. A book has recently come out on the subject: Aquaponic Gardening by Sylvia Bernstein, creator of theaquaponicsource.com. This book is on my list of books to read. Vermiponics is basically a soilless compost pile that acts as a clear nutrient input out-put station.

Many commercial aquaponic farms have sprouted up in recent years: Growing Power, Sweet-Water Organics, Friendly Aquaponics, and Green Acre Organics to name a few. Aquaponic infrastructure has been created in recent months and hydroponic infrastructure is booming. Not only is hydroponics affordable, when done correctly, the rumor of tastelessness is not true. Because of these things hydroponics may sustain us in the next 40 years.

So, shall Malthus be correct or are we going to do something about it. I appeal that we garden in the space we can. Hydroponics can help us.

The True Value of People

In America there is hate. You may be desensitized to it or possibly you could be a victim. More likely you are a listener—to a hate that is pervasive to all American life. A typical High-School Student will likely listen to hate every day, whether they are the subject, the bystander, or the perpetrator. Words such as slut, faggot, fag, bitch, illegal, and other words can be seen throughout a day. Some ask why, some are radicalized by such words and others couldn't care less.

When some ask why the youth of America are vicious to fellow human beings one must ask how much you value a person.

Everyday in the world a person at a benign setting will blame immigrants, Jews, Muslims, and any combination stated or not for the world’s problems—earshot from children. A person can either stand for justice or watch bigotry invade the lives of all. A phobia of others drives reasonable to false conclusions of people.

Are we not all humans? Yes someone may have crossed the border to live in a country they didn't consent. But, suggestions like "shoot them" cannot exist in a group.

Illegal immigrants are people. What is the value of a person? If your answer is uncertain then you've been distracted.

A person is a person—no more no less. To the answer of "they take jobs from Americans": respond with kindness for a person has a job. We are all humans—a job is a tool for humanity to prosper. Yes, it hurts to be left out, but the majority of jobs that shunned peoples take are disparaging and exploitative. Immigrants are economic refugees forced from their homeland, illegal or not people deserve sympathy for their sufferings.

Many illegal immigrants are afraid to interact with the gated community that is America; the only jobs readily available are working in the hot sun. Imagine a sunny day, you run along a park, are you tired afterwards? Try bending, running, and working before the sun rises till after the sun sets. This is agricultural work on a mass scale, and 70% of people who do this work are illegal immigrants (nationally). This proves that, like the characters in many Steinbeck Novels, we leave work too horrible to the poor to people we protest their existence.

We are a nation founded on the general welfare that, apparently, undermines basic human rights.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." (Martin Luther King) If you believe some people do not deserve to move when their situation compels it, then you've taken that right from everyone. Unless of course you believe that some people are more valuable than others. I hope love guides you to a better conclusion.

I submit the following policy changes:

nullify quotas for regions;

allow all immigrants under 18 a path to citizenship;

and a federal program to offer workers a path to citizenship.

Finally, some, drawing lines in the sand, wait:

“ I've reached my limit. This may bring my Presidency down, but I will not yield on this.”

- President Obama to Eric Cantor and Congressional Republicans in a closed-door meeting at the White House.

It seems as though all that progressive noise from the professional-left has inspired change in the… oh god this is not the time. You had an entire two-and-a-half year’s president and now’s the time you won’t yield. What about the public option or, single payer, what about Wall Street Reform, to say the two most anger-infused things thus far, what about every single legislative accomplishment of your entire time as president. Now is not the time to hold-out. If you pull this off it will be great, but if the entire financial sector goes to pieces then it will be mostly the republicans fault but you’re not faultless.

However, thank you for not yielding to republican incompetence… oh whatever. (I think this blog is getting a bit angry)

Debt Deal:

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, has put forward a proposal to effectively allow the President of the United States to raise the debt ceiling. Well, that sounds like a good deal; our nation will not be among third world nations as a bond-risk; veterans and social security recipients will get paid, sounds wonderful. The debt'pocalypse will be averted... and after thinking about this for a second we start to notice something: “effectively allow the President of the United States to raise the debt ceiling” I'm fairly sure that's extremely unconstitutional:

“ All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives...Section. 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States...” [sic]

Ok, let’s see the important part for this piece: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives… To borrow Money on the credit of the United States”. (warning: hyperbole ahead) They’re both in the same article, just in case the […] made you think I was splicing the constitution for a false argument. (end noted hyperbole here)

Funny how that happens, a congressional power is being given to the President. In my opinion, as long as congress doesn’t give away a basic power to the executive branch, I don’t care if the government is shut-down. The executive branch is powerful enough without ripping the balance of power once called a three ring circus. Our entire system of constitutional-governance may well be sick if a branch of the government is forced by the American People, rhetoric from the President, Barack Obama has yet to make a statement, to my knowledge, of approval for the plan, and congresses incompetence.

As the tea party would say—be true to the constitution or we’ll vote-you-out, then going on to say how democrats are the ones destroying the constitution with spending. (that last clause is for another day) This is not, I repeat, not constitutional and Mitch McConnell should be ashamed that he puts tax breaks for the wealthy ahead of the actual “fucking” constitution. Congress if you’re dysfunctional enough to give away your basic rights to a overreaching part of government, not related at all to the start of the 44^th presidents term,

then perhaps we need a change.

Change 2012!

For the constitution click here: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

The date of the founding of our nation is today.

We are here today as Americans in our quest for justice. Justice for all people who walk upon this Earth. The same justice for men, women, all religions, and non-believers, all peoples, and all creeds. The United States of America celebrates today, not as a celebration of power (as fireworks might suggest) , but as celebration of liberty for all peoples. We are the people of this world, and in the United States of America we protect those here, more often than some might think, and around the world.

We were faced in the hot summer of 1776 with a choice: we could break away with the motherland which would include injustices of war, or continue to be underrepresented in our own government, and the consequences of that thereof. We chose treason, and after eight long years we became a new imperfect-nation. A nation still evolving is a nation ready to act for justice. (sorry for the generic words)

Here's the document: Declaration of Independence. Have a fun and thoughtful 4th of July: and be safe, if you want to (it's a free nation) .

The bill to increase pollution, endanger the public health, and not address taxes in any way.

The yeas are 255 are the nays are 172. In the federal House of Representatives the bill passed with a 58.6% majority. The bill will, if enacted into law, take away the right of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. At a time when government appears to shut down, till politicians can act like adults, the vote distracts and plays a partisan game with impeding consequences. The consequences being the nation’s inability to control the highest per person emissions rate in the world. The entire world will feel the effects of this vote, as of yet denied by house members. The fall back will be the senate, but even a majority of 53 democrats cannot preserve this essential function of the Environmental Protection Agency. Many democrats are in the grip of big coal and if there was only a "up or down" vote the people would lose.

This name, not official, was proposed by Jared Polis (D) Colorado's second district, to reflect accuracy. The name is accurate because, the welfare of "we the people" is at stake, the welfare of the world is stake, and the welfare of the environment is at stake. If politicians don't respect that, we have to make politicians see what the majority of us think. But, what are politicians supposed to do the majority of them "stick their heads in the sand", or willfully be ignorant. The people are to learn why the Environmental Protection Agency must keep its right to regulate carbon dioxide, like any other pollutant.

If Congress does not create a law then the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency must come into effect, an authority given by Congress. If carbon dioxide is not regulated then, as stated in previous blog posts, our standing in the world might suffer and the immanent consequences of climate change. There are many options but, by far, the best one is to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

Our government can sometimes feel like a bought subsidiary of "Big Coal", but we should know that the grip of "Big Coal", are not as strong as 100 years ago. These words keep me hopeful.