Hellcare

Nataline Sarkisyan is just one sad story in this mess we call health care in America. Cases such as hers, where health care insurance conglomerates refuse life-saving treatment to their own policy holders, are as commonplace as Starbucks. Rescinding policies is great business, it increases the bottom line. Bill Maher’s recent commentary on the situation is quite apt: Not everything has to make a profit. Some things need to be socialized. Police, firefighters, military and yes, even health care. All very basic services that sustain a society.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-not-everything-i_b_244050.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/26/us-healthcare-obama-barack-change

12 years of Hard Labor, 2 Young Reporters Sentenced

Reporting on the child refugees from North Korea flooding into China, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were captured at the border between those two countries by North Korean soldiers in March 17, 2009. They have since been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea, on charges of

“committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry.”

Some would argue that this sentence is a sure death sentence. At any rate, if you can imagine the unpleasant life as a normal citizen of North Korea, it is not hard to imagine the depths of cruelty that await them in a hard labor camp.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/asia/08north.html

Suicide, Models, and Greed

A construction company hired a model of the name Choi Jin-sil to model for their advertisement. All perfectly natural. Except for a small clause stating,

“…if Choi disgraced the image of the company by damaging her social and moral image through her own fault, she would repay the firm twice the modeling fee”.

And as an obvious affront to this benevolent construction company, she was the victim of domestic abuse. 5 months after her contract, photos surfaced of her bruised and beaten at the hands of her husband. As the only conscience course of action, the construction company sued her to the tune of 2 and a half million dollars. On a quick side note, this happens to be roughly 10 times what they originally paid her.

But this is where the story takes its nosedive into the annals of cruelty. The model commits suicide. And naturally, as is the only moral choice left to the construction company, they charge the sole responsibility of their financial retribution to the late model’s 6 and 8 year old children. And of course, the Supreme Court upholds the upstanding construction company’s just decision.

Misogyny layered deep within a society; this should be included in Misogyny 101.

Source:

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/06/05/2009060500849.html

Woman, 72, Tasered by Police

Gone are the days of police protecting and serving. It is however, hardly surprising. Power is a well known corruptor, and a police state entails both. The seventy two year old woman, Kathryn Winkfein, was stopped for speeding in Austin, Texas. After refusing to sign her ticket, the deputy took it upon himself to protect the American people by tasering this grandmother. Not once, but for good measure, twice. He must have had issues with his own grandmother. But hardly an excuse to abuse his power in this ugly display of brutality. Our police are moving away from the image of protection, into the realm of gangsters.

Source:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6469013.html

CocoRosie

This band consists of two half Cherokee sisters based in Paris. Their sound is very unique, to say the least. But in a very good way. I would describe them as indie folk, but I don’t think that’s an adequate description. If you’re into experimental music, check them out.

http://www.myspace.com/cocorosie

Via Tania

This is another lush female folksinger. If you’re into low tempo, hushed angelic voices, check her out.

http://www.myspace.com/viatania

Christian Beheads Muslim on BBC

Christians Behead Muslims on BBC The BBC TV show “Bonkickers”, which showed a radical Christian beheading a Muslim, has caused quite a stir among their Christian demographic. And acting out in their typical radical manner, they have been actively sending angry letters to the BBC. They do have a valid point, however:

“In 2006 executives at the BBC admitted that they would consider broadcasting a scene where the Bible was thrown away but they would never do the same with the Koran.”

An inequality some might say is justified, but all seeds eventually bloom. Such choices will have ramifications for the society, either good or ill. A government taking sides or ignoring the problems will only make them worse. Some say this political correctness has more than a few ties to outright fear. They might argue, given current evidence, that the Muslim populace is more predisposed to display their anger with violence:

“Muslim anger ignites violent new response”

“Far-right-wing vigilantes burned a makeshift mosque in Athens over the weekend after Muslim immigrants in Athens attacked police with rocks and bottles over an incident in which a policeman reportedly defaced a Koran.”

Consider another interesting case. In November 2008, Dutch journalist Joanie de Rijke was kidnapped and raped multiple times Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Yet after her release, she displayed the all too common adoration for her captors that so many kidnapees experience. Geert Wilders, a Dutch opposition leader, responded to her ordeal:

“She was raped, but she was not angry. The journalist who went looking for the Taliban in Afghanistan saw her curiosity end in a cruel ordeal of multiple rape. While this would make others angry or sad, this journalist shows understanding. She says: ‘They also respected me.’ And she was given tea and biscuits.”

“This story” Wilders said,

“is a perfect illustration of the moral decline of our elites. They are so blinded by their own ideology that they turn a blind eye to the truth. Rape? Well, I would put this into perspective, says the leftist journalist: the Taliban are not monsters. Our elites prefer to deny reality rather than face it. One would expect: a woman is being raped and finds this unbearable. But this journalist is not angry because the Muslim involved also showed respect. Our elites, whether they are politicians, journalists, judges, subsidy gobblers or civil servants, are totally clueless. Plain common sense has been dumped in order to deny reality. It is not just this raped journalist who is suffering from Stockholm syndrome, but the entire Dutch elite. The only moral reference they have is: do not irritate the Muslims – that is the one thing they will condemn.”

The UK must deal with some very politically uncomfortable topics in light of their growing Muslim population. For example, by 2025 it is predicted that France will have a population majority of Muslim believers. This represents a major shift in political viewpoints in the UK. Currently the UK is made up of secular liberals, but this will swiftly change to right-wing Muslims. With any change this dramatic, there will be many issues that must be faced. A task the UK governments are ill at east to tackle.

“Nine people have been arrested after hundreds of anti-Islamist protesters clashed with police yesterday. The streets of Luton descended into violence after demonstrators, many hiding their faces behind balaclavas, brandished England flags and chanted at officers. A group called March for England was said to have organised the rally as a peaceful protest against Muslim extremists. They were joined by a local group United People of Luton.”

No one wants a civil or uncivil war. But a government cannot make policies to appease two completely opposed ideologies. At least not without creating a segregated society. This is indeed a fundamental problem facing Europe in this new century. Peaceful co-existence or warring tribes – the results will not only affect Europe, but the whole world.

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3601901/Is-France-on-the-way-to-becoming-an-Islamic-state.

html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1187165/Nine-arrested-masked-mobs-march-Muslim-extremists-turns-violent.html

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/25/muslim-anger-ignites-violent-new-response/

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026378.php

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026404.php

The Golden Boy Rebels

After 24 years as the chosen one, the boy has become a man. But his road to enlightenment has led him away from Buddhism. Shocking, without doubt. But apparently this would-be leader has been much less pampered than say, Kim Jong-Il’s favored successor. Movies were a forbidden luxury, except for a screening of the aptly chosen The Golden Child with Eddie Murphy. But it just was not enough to convince the boy of his duty and calling. And like so many of us, his rebellious climax took place in a smoky disco. Read more about it in the article below.

Source:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/31/dalai-lama-osel-hita-torres

Lightening Strikes French Plane?

228 people on board flight AF 447, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris has been lost among a lightening storm.

Source:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090601/twl-lightning-strike-fears-for-missing-j-3fd0ae9.html

Cranes

This band has been around awhile – since 1989 in fact. However their style is neither dated nor even easily catoragized. Alison Shaw’s unique vocals blend seamlessly into the otherwordly music itself to create a sound dipped in magic and wonder. A true gem to discover.

Check them out at Last.fm:

http://www.last.fm/music/Cranes