Sunday, May 6, 2012

Things to Know - 7 May



1.  Making an appearance on the California ballot, there will be proposed legislation to require labeling the chemical composition of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) on food products.  The intention is to allow consumers the ability to know what is in the food that they are about to eat, if it has been genetically modified.   We already have labeling requirements (just look at any consumer food product) that has it.  Now, it would apply to any GMO product.  Sounds very reasonable to me.  So, who do you suppose is against this?   The usual suspects, headed by Monsanto, for one.   To confusing and harbors scare tactics, they say:

2.  The Chimp offers an article that proposes three things that Mittley Wrongknee should be speaking to:

3.  As pointed out in this article, Romney has surrounded himself with some very dark hawks on foreign policy, particularly those who preach political war on Islam.  Since Romney is not grounded or particularly adept in the area of foreign policy, this would be a dangerous person as commander-in-chief:

4.  Robert Reich puts Obama and the Democrats on notice that their tenure is in jeopardy because of an apparent inaction to stimulate the job market.  But, then again, it is the House and Grover's minions who are in the driver's seat forging ahead with doing nothing.  So, what to do?:

5.  Looking at Democracy in this country (as a modern day Alex de Tocqueville would), this column says that we are probably handling all of our diverse problems pretty well.   I would like to think he is correct, but the frustrations and anger that I feel at times just make this hard to believe:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/democracy-can-still-rise-to-a-challenge/2012/05/06/gIQAXlrb6T_print.html

6.  Paul Krugman offers his analysis of the new leader of France, and the meaning of change for the rest of the Euro Community.  The dogma that austerity (which has failed to produce anything but more misery and depression) is the the answer to the economic problems may be over.  It would be also a harbinger for those in the USA who are using the excuse of austerity and severe moves to cut spending (and terminate union contracts and fire as many public service employees as they can get away with) may be needing a change of direction:

7.  Steve Lopez hunted down this story of another victim of the LA Riot.  It humanizes the struggle of coming to the USA to make a good life, getting caught up in the senseless savagery at the intersection of Florence and Normandy, struggling to survive - physically and financially ever since:

  
--
Juan

"The more things change, the more they remain... insane." 
       -- Michael Fry and T. Lewis
"Don't stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed." 
       -- George Burns
"The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear." 
       -- Herbert Agar
"There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn." 
       -- Albert Camus
"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."
       -- Charles Kettering


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