I Am an American Citizen Now and Speak English Quite Well - Thank You!

California's immigrants are more assimilated, with more of them reporting last year that they became U.S. citizens and most Spanish speakers now saying they speak English very well, a sharp rise from 2000, according to U.S. census data released today.

Data from the bureau's 2007 American Community Survey showed that California continued to diversify, with whites declining to 42.5 percent and

Latinos, Asians and blacks increasing to 54.4 percent of the state's population, the Los Angeles Times reported.

clipped from www.sanfernandosun.com Immigrants are becoming citizens in huge numbers this year, part of their assimilation into US culture. This photo is from a recent citizenship ceremony in downtown LA.

Someone's Got to be Kidding

A ticket for littering because you left a water jug for someone who might die without water?

clipped from ktar.com mmigrant aid worker guilty of littering September 24th, 2008 @ 5:58am by Associated Press A volunteer with an immigrants rights group has been found guilty in Tucson of littering because he left water jugs out in the desert for illegal border crossers. Daniel Millis had been facing up to six months in jail and up to $5,000 in fines if found guilty. But the magistrate who found him guilty suspended any sentence. The 29-year-old Millis was cited for littering at southern Arizona's Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge officials say they'll continue to cite anyone caught littering on the refuge, including people leaving full bottles of water for migrants. There are concerns the plastic jugs can be harmful to animals, along with the tons of trash on the refuge left by illegal immigrants.

Paratrooper To Get Conscientious Objector Status, Discharge.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

clipped from www.commondreams.org Michael Barnes, his wife, Pearl, and their children, Noah, 4, and Kylee, 15 months, pause outside the U.S. Courthouse in Anchorage after a May 12 hearing. Sept. 22, 2008, U.S. District Judge John Sedwick ordered the Army to give Barnes conscientious objector status and an honorable discharge. (Bill Roth / ADN photograph)

Maryland may drop death penalty for good

Good point made here is if you keep it, then spend the money to be sure - for equal justice sake - that those accused have good legal representation.

clipped from www.examiner.com ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Map, News) - A former U.S. senator and a New Jersey police chief argued against the death penalty Monday before a commission that is expected to deliver recommendations to lawmakers later this year. Former U.S. Sen. Joseph Davies Tydings, D-Md., and West Orange, N.J., Police Chief James Abbott told the commission they were not philosophically opposed to capital punishment, but each expressed serious misgivings about its application. Tydings said if Maryland wants to keep the death penalty "you have be willing to spend the money" to provide an adequate defense so innocent defendants aren't placed on death row.

New Protection Against Domestic Violence in Ohio

Speak out if you are concerned

clipped from www.supremecourtofohio.gov Supreme Court Seeks Public Comment on New Protection Order Warning Forms The Supreme Court of Ohio will accept public comment until Oct. 22 on proposed judicial firearms notification forms for those who’ve been charged with domestic violence or are subject to a protection order. House Bill 562, which took effect June 24, requires judges to provide an oral or written notice about the firearm disqualification for misdemeanor domestic violence offenders. Consistent with the Supreme Court’s role of providing standardized domestic violence forms, the Commission on the Rules of Superintendence has drafted proposed language to support judges’ mandate to provide due notice to domestic violence offenders. The protection order warning page has been revised to include new language that clarifies federal law and recommends that offenders contact an attorney to determine if they are weapons disqualified.

Not Oops! Pakastani Allies Fire on US Helicopters!

Oops! or Not Oops? Our "Bush League" President does not seem able to protect our troops from supposed allies.

clipped from www.reuters.com ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani troops fired on two U.S. helicopters that intruded into Pakistani airspace on Sunday night, forcing them to turn back to Afghanistan, a senior Pakistani security official said on Monday. It was the second such incident in a week, and reflects frayed relations with the United States over Pakistan's failure to act more forcibly against Islamist fighters in the tribal lands bordering Afghanistan. The number of missile attacks by U.S. drone aircraft in the remote tribal areas has multiplied in recent weeks.

Less meat in diet = Less Global Warming

Makes sense; all the energy that goes into raising crops for animals meant for your plate and the costs of transporting them, etc., etc.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk The FAO figure of 18% includes greenhouse gases released in every part of the meat production cycle - clearing forested land, making and transporting fertiliser, burning fossil fuels in farm vehicles, and the front and rear end emissions of cattle and sheep. Dr Pachauri has chaired the Nobel Prize-winning body since 2002 The contributions of the three main greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - are roughly equivalent, the FAO calculates. Transport, by contrast, accounts for just 13% of humankind's greenhouse gas footprint, according to the IPCC.

Death Penalty on "trial" in Texas

It's not just people in Texas or USA watching these cases - the whole world watches us for justice and democracy - so how are we doing?

clipped from www.thetimes.co.za A Texas prosecutor plans to review some 40 pending death penalty cases, after several recent instances in which capital convictions were overturned, by DNA testing. Dallas prosecutor Craig Watkins said his goal in reviewing the cases is "to make sure that an innocent person won’t be executed" in Texas, which carries out the most executions in the United States a year.

Justice is not easy but 14 years is truly hard time

clipped from timesofindia.indiatimes.com TEXAS: A man on death row in Texas for 14 years for the murder of a young girl has been exonerated after DNA tests, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) reported on Friday. Michael Blair who was sentenced to death for the 1993 killing of seven-year-old Ashley Estell, had his capital murder charges dismissed in late August by the Collin County court after hair used as evidence to convict him, was shown to belong to somebody else.

Being Greener will Produce More Green ($) for All?

Good news - "Early global efforts to avert dangerous climate change are already generating new jobs, and could produce millions of new employment opportunities..."

clipped from www.ilo.org Study by ILO, UNEP and workers and employers says tackling climate change could create millions of new jobs Early global efforts to avert dangerous climate change are already generating new jobs, and could produce millions of new employment opportunities, according to a new study to be launched globally by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE).

Green(er) Electronics Nokia making progress

Good to hear - Readall about it

clipped from www.greenpeace.org Company scores plummeted in the previous edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, when new criteria on climate change were introduced. However, leading brands like Nokia and Samsung are now making significant progress in greening their electronics products, with improved environmental policies responding not only to these new energy criteria, but also to the more stringent chemical and e-waste criteria.

Bird Flu in Togo - Deja vue!

Understandable need to make a living but not understanding this or finding new ways to deal with global and local threats means the next pandemic is closer than ever.

clipped from www.irinnews.org “We only started business 15 years ago. Now, because of this [H5N1] virus, my sales have plummeted by more than 70 percent. I cannot even afford to order new birds now.” The businessman says he fears the flu will not kill only birds, but also his business.

Governor Palin - Supports "Killing wolves" from the air for a bounty!$

Disgusting how greed helps destroy natural balances of nature.

clipped from secure.defenders.org

How much do you trust Federal regulation of food these days?

Deregulation, budget gutting, and over politicized Presidential appointments has led to Bush League safety and regulation of anything that has to do with our common interests and security as citizens and consumer. GM animal products are just another scheme to get bigger profit for already obese CEOs and should be opposed until we have real leadership in Congress and the White House.

clipped from www.commondreams.org Guidelines On Genetically Modified Animals To Be Released By FDA by Vittorio Hernandez Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is slated to release on Thursday guidelines for genetic engineering of animals for food, drugs or medical purposes. The guidelines, long overdue and the result of years of discussion, could open the door for the commercial production and sale of rapid-growing fish, environment-friendly swine, cattle resistant to mad cow disease and animals with meat that have healthier contents.

New Jersey school registration violates civil rights law

Federal laws and regulations govern immigration rules. When city's, county's, and other local governments pass laws or regulations about immigrants they are governing, or rather reinforcing fear.

clipped from www.southbergenite.com The ACLU-NJ sent a letter to the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) after finding that at least 20 percent of New Jersey school districts ask for immigration status for incoming pupils, which is banned under state enrollment regulations. The ACLU-NJ surveyed 635 districts statewide and acquired information from 516 in which 139 were found to have requested either social security numbers of pupils or information directly correlated to their immigration status. Another 48 districts, according to the survey, suggested immigration information would help in the registration process. According to state law, both acts are prohibited, yet many of the schools warned not to do it in the ACLU’s last survey in 2006 were found once again practicing the illegal enrollment process again this year. Carlstadt was not named as an offender of the law in the 2006 survey.

Bird Flu - Some Good News Perhaps

All now for something completely different - grin - Someone who died from last great pandemic may provide good research material when exhumed because he was buried in a lead coffin. Sorry for the pun but there is some irony in fact that pollutant - lead - may help us save us from ourselves.

clipped from www.ukmedix.com Permission has finally been granted by the family of Sir Mark Sykes Bt. of Sledmere House in Yorkshire to exhume his body and allow samples to be taken from it to be used in medical research, which could open new avenues of research to finding a cure for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. Sir Mark died almost 90 years ago from the Spanish flu which killed an estimated 50 million people before it died out. Like the present outbreaks of flu which have killed humans in Asia, the Spanish flu was also firstly found in birds and therefore any information about it could be useful to dealing with the present situation.

A Responsible Plan to End Our War in Iraq

clipped from www.responsibleplan.com What follows is a series of objectives that, taken together, refocus our current military involvement in the region while repairing damage to the U.S. to prevent a repeat of our mistakes. We have included some sample legislation currently in Congress to show that these objectives have been identified and can be addressed given sufficient political will. We have also included recommendations that the Baker-Hamilton Commission published in the Iraq Study Group Report. In some cases, no existing legislation or clear recommendations exist and new authorizing legislation plus careful planning would be required.

Texicans in Farmers Branch Don't Want Mexicans in Town!

The Federal Government made up of representatives from all the states - including Texas - who are responsible or (grin) irresponsible for immigration policy, and not the headline hunting local politicos of a Texas suburb!

clipped from www.dallasnews.com A second set of opponents has filed a federal lawsuit over Farmers Branch's latest attempt to deny rental houses or apartments to illegal immigrants.

Next Pandemic: Tick, tick, tick goes the clock

People have to make a living - yes. But trying to profit from the ever growing international poultry market without taking proper cautions is helping this virus to mutate into a worldwide human pandemic.

clipped from ap.google.com LOME, Togo (AP) — Tests performed after the first ever outbreak of bird flu in the West African nation of Togo have confirmed the presence of the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, state media said Monday. The virus was detected at a poultry farm housing more than 4,500 birds in the village of Agbata outside the capital, Lome, according to the government.

Million Doors for Peace

Walk your talk for peace.

clipped from www.marketwatch.com The nation's largest anti-war coalition will hold a press conference Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. in the Lisagor Room of the National Press Club to announce a historic day of organizing to end the war in Iraq.

British lawyers fight to halt ‘obscene’ US execution

clipped from business.timesonline.co.uk British lawyers fight to halt ‘obscene’ US execution of Jack Alderman ‘Innocent’ man has been on death row since 1975

Judge rules in favor of constitution - Right on!

Enforcing rules regarding immigration is the responsibility of the Federal government, not local politicians trying to look "tough."

clipped from ap.google.com DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday stopped a Dallas suburb's latest attempt to drive away illegal immigrants, ruling that Farmers Branch cannot enforce a ban on apartment rentals to those who can't prove they live legally in the country.

Texas Judge Sexually Involved with Prosecutor During Death Penalty Trial

Normally, you would say unbelievable but in Texas you might say - "So what's so unusual about laughable and inhumane justice in Texas!"

Makes you wonder what they were doing over lunch breaks when a man was being tried for murder with a death penalty specification.

clipped from www.timesonline.co.uk Lawyers are demanding a new trial for Charles Hood, a convicted double murderer and death row inmate whose execution has been scheduled and postponed six times, most recently last Tuesday. US legal scholars have been appalled by reports that Verla Sue Holland, the judge who presided over Hood’s 1990 trial, was at the time conducting a clandestine affair with Thomas O’Connell, the state attorney who was prosecuting the case. Several law professors agreed that however compelling the evidence in the case, it was unthinkable for a murder trial to proceed if the judge and prosecutor were romantically involved.

State Anti-Immigrant Laws Working?

Experts say no - just following the money and moving to where jobs are more plentiful. When the economy goes sour it makes nomads or migrants out of lots of people wandering across America looking for a future and work?

clipped from www.newsok.com The cold Oklahoma air was a jolt to the 26-year-old artilleryman's system, but it paled in comparison to the shocking scene he found on the city's southeast side — a virtual vacuum. Everybody was gone, it seemed.

Got Fish? Get Your Newest Hemorrhagic Delight from the Global Marketplace!

Welcome to the Global Marketplace from which many benefits and negaitves flow freely since the short term dollar is what really counts and not long term human or planetary health.

Cornell researchers have found that a deadly fish virus detected in the northeastern United States for the first time in June in two species has probably spread to at least two more. But they have yet to determine whether the virus is responsible for the death of hundreds of fish in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in recent weeks.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) was detected and confirmed for the first time in the Northeast.

VHSV causes fatal anemia and hemorrhaging in many fish species but poses no threat to humans or other animals.


Source: Cornell University
Date: July 20, 2006

News not found at Captain D's or Red Lobster - grin - VHS is viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a viral fish disease that has. caused large scale mortalities in rainbow trout and turbot aquaculture operations ...
www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Viral-Hemorrhagic-Septicemia-Fact-Sheet-11-9-2006_178081_7.pdf

But what about? "Hemorrhagic septicemia is a highly fatal disease of cattle and water buffalo."
www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/hemorrhagic_septicemia.pdf

And then there is:

Hemorrhagic Fevers

Also called: VHFs

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg viruses and Lassa fever virus. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels and they affect the body's ability to regulate itself. Some VHFs cause mild disease, but some, like Ebola or Marburg, cause severe disease and death.

When taken with...

Hanta virus are parasitic to rodents all over the world, but most of the Hanta virus are not causing disease to human being.

After infection, two kinds of acute syndromes may occur to human. One of them is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, HPS, and the other is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, HFRS.



Infection is caused by contacting urine, excrement or saliva of virus borne mouse. The major transmission manner is human inhaled particles in the air generated from the excrement or secretion of Hanta virus-borne mice. Normally, people would not have contact with Hanta virus directly from mice, as Hanta virus is existed in the saliva, urine and other excrement of mice. The most common path is inhaling the particle bearing Hanta virus and acquired Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome.

Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome is a contagion transmitted through air. Virus is transmitted through inhaling of contaminated, dried particles floating in the air (especially in sweeping or over turning carpet. When people inhales these particles, it is likely for them to be infected.

Other possible ways of Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome infection include: (1) Bitten by Hanta Virus carrying mouse, (2) ingest food or drink having been in contact with person carrying Hanta Virus, (3) nose, eye or mouth in contact with particle carrying Hanta Virus (such as slicking hand).

Moth, flea or other insect that may bite people have not been found of able to transmit Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome from mouse to human. In fact, no other animal has been found of relating with the transmission of Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome from mouse to human. However, it is still possible to be infected through dog or cat having in contact with mouse.

http://www.cdc.gov.tw/WebSite_En/Health%20topics/Communicable%20Diseases%20&%20Prevention/Hantavirus%20Syndrome/General%20information1.htm

Hemorrhagic with Renal Syndrome will cause hemorrhage and serious kidney failure, but Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome will not.

but from Hanta Virus Pulmonary Syndrome...
The main cause of death is excessive protein containing fluid in lungs.

Global markets can be the source for good or ill for people, profit, and the planet - which end we get will depend on our collective and individual intent and daily actions.

I hope you and I choose well.

How Many Dollars to Turn on a Light in Bagdad?

$56 billion - That's how much! Or at least that's how much the US alone has spent on Iraq "reconstruction" between 2004 and 2006.

There is no electricity, clean water, sewers, fuel, or safety 24/7 in Iraq but the FOB - Friends of Bush - companies have pocketed $56 billion and more than 3,000 brave men and women of our military have died.

How many died because the reconstruction did not show the Iraqi people that the US was bringing them peace, freedon, and prosperity.

$56 Billion and no light, no water, sewers, safety! $56 billion to enrich the Bush League businesses.

Smells like corruption, high crimes and misdemeanors to me - how about you?

How many Americans can't afford healthcare or insurance but we can give Bush Leaguers $56 billion?

I am not sure how much more saddened I can feel about the waste, the lies, and the smiling faces in Washington that don't seems to have the courage or horno to do anything about saving American lives, Iraqi lives or our collective future.

I am mad as can be and will not take it any more! Every day until we have fixed this mess, I am writing to our Senators and Representatives and asking them what does it cost to get you to do something about saving our nation and sending the Bush League to the showers!

Walk Away from Global Warming

We Will Fail Trying to Stop Global Warming at a Dead Run -- But...
We Can Walk Away from Global Warming Step by Step

People - all of us - will not and our governments will not make really big changes to alter the dismal future that Global Warming will bring. Why? Because we and our governments will not make really big changes in how we live unless the reason is as obvious as nightly bombing raids over London. So forget about really big changes - they will not happen until it is too late and we are gasping for air.

But we will individually and collectively can build small changes into our lives that visibly impact our local environment -- and collectively our global environment.

Most people know that they have collectively messed up their local environment - fouled the air,lakes, coastline, earth. Everyone knows it is hotter in the city because it is mostly paved over and is made up of thousands of heat sources not so present in the countryside. So making small changes that are easily fitted into daily life is possible. And if these small changes also benefit the individual in some way, all the better.

Walking away from Global Warming Step by Step
1. Find a place to park your car a half mile farther from where you usually park to go to work each day.

You burn less fuel and increase your energy output. One mile additional a day, five additional miles a week, 20 miles a month will not only reduce carbon in the atmosphere, it will help you lose about 10 pounds in a month or so without even thinking about it.

2. If you can find a place to park and walk a half mile to a bus or train that will take you to work - even better scores for the environment and you still lose weight, save money and clean the air.

3. After six months or so, you might increase the distance to one mile -- that adds 15 minutes to your travel time one way. Not a big deal and double the benefit to the environment and your health or fitness.

4. Find a square yard or two around where you live that is currently paved over with concrete or asphalt. Break it up, use it to make a small enclosure and plant something or create a grass walkway. Get a little exercise, find pleasure in growing something and add your very own two square yard oxygen cleaner and generator.

5. Convince, cajole, browbeat, invite at least one additional person to take the same four steps with you.

Start adding up the numbers and benefits if millions of people do this. Not a bad start, eh and no additional taxes, speeches, government inaction, etc. Just people making small changes to save their world.

Letter to Iraq - Is That Enki Laughing?

Letter to Iraq

This morning, I dreamed that I was an Iraqi grandfather sipping my morning coffee and puzzling over the two dreams that came to me before the morning traffic awoke me.

In the first dream, I saw myself floating over the ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers - Sumer and Akkad. In the time before Judaism, Islam, Christianity. The times of Gilgamesh, Sargon, when writing was developed, when the beginning stories were begun and before they were woven into the dreams of the sons and daughters of Abraham. Then floating over the court of Hammurabi, I saw mathematics being developed, records of trade, treaties being written down and the world's first laws based on the beliefs of Ur people that justice, mercy and humility held people together in peace.

I dreamed that all of Iraq's children dreamed that same dream with me and understood how great they had been and how great had their gifts been to humanity.

Then, I dreamed that the old trickster - Enki - is whispering in the shadows to two who claim to be friends of Iraq: Tell each one of these silly people that the other is a trap or a snare and that to escape, he must chew off his leg to be free and able to destroy the trap. Then when they have devoured each other and just one is left standing, you may easily divide their land among you and make their children and women your slaves.

Then I cried into my coffee, my tears made it even more bitter. I looked to heaven and wondered which dream would be Iraq's future - It's honorable and seed planting past, or a trickster's lies and plots?

Then I woke up - back in the USA - listening to American morning news experts claiming like Enki, they knew what was best for Iraq, The USA and the world.

And I hoped that my dream of Sumner, Ur, Akkad, and Hammurabi was dreaming itself again in the hearts of those who really hold the future of Iraq in their hands - the Iraqi's.

Bush League Anti-Terror Failures

Is Jeb Bush just like the other Bush League leaders -- Georges 2 and Britain's Blair -- who regularly use the 3-D approach (deceit, dishonor, and deny) to gain and maintain their power?

Wait - what do you mean 3-D?

Deceive or lie about why a nation should go to war, lead fellow travelers and trusting followers, or employees to believe that it's OK to truss up and "torture" suspected terrorists and thus dishonor themselves, then deny that you knew or supported them.

Deceive supporters about what you will do once in office to end all abortions, stop gay agenda, protect children, and get prayer back in schools. Cover-up or bury information about your insiders who daily dishonor their public moral beliefs and then deny that they ever knew them or what they were doing. And deny they have the power or influence to make good on their promises.

That's 3-D Leadership.

After 9-11, Jeb's brother said he would do everything to make the nation safe. Five years have gone by and if you wanted to hire 100 terrorists and give them fake CDL ID to drive 16 wheels of death, disease and destruction all over the nation and into any port or truck stop today, it would not be a problem because the programs designed to prevent such a leaky security system are still in disarray.

Transportation experts and officials all over the nation will agree with that assessment but now a former Florida Highway Patrol Officer turned consultant is trying to lay the groundwork for saying that a system in Florida under Jeb Bush, has been a success.

TSA public relations officials point to successful tests of the biometric ID elements of the TWIC card in at least one location -- the state of Florida -- where Billy Dickson, a retired lieutenant colonel with the Florida State Highway Police, says his department conducted a “short-term test on the TWIC card a year ago at the Port of Canaveral and Port of Pensacola.” Dickson is now a senior management analyst with the Florida Department of Highway Safety.
“We proved to ourselves that the biometric piece worked,” said Dickson, explaining they set up enrollment centers at the ports using a General Electric-designed chip based on driver's fingerprints. Acknowledging initial bugs – not to mention the fact that two to four percent of the population (including truckers) didn’t have what he calls “usable fingerprints” – Dickson says the cards are about to go “operational” in Panama City and Fernandina Beach, Fla., north of Jacksonville.
Dickson has no numbers on truckers involved, but believes there are “a significant amount because Fernandina has big truck movement.” At Panama City, the 400 people issued TWIC cards with the GE technology for biometric IDs included seaport workers and truckers, with no breakout on truckers, says Dickson. They’re also looking at facial recognition and iris scans as “suitable alternatives” to fingerprints for any one coming and going from Florida ports.

A national standard for the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) scanning equipment exists, but not for biometric technologies that relate to trucking industry security, says Dominique Harrington, deputy director of testing services for the National Biometric Security Project.

This may seem too obscure to be a plus for wannabee president Jeb Bush but I believe he has learned from his brother that when you are going to deceive the public, you need to have lots of sources that look good at first glance. Remember that the bricks supporting Iraq's weapons of mass destruction turned out to be nothing but spray-painted bundles of straw-bricks.

Just tuck this away in your memory when you see claims that Jeb Bush is a real anti-terror leader - not!

What's Going On?

Afghanistan blowing up again?

Iraqi's war with themselves and US keeps growing when it was supposed to be won and over?

Iran and US doing the you first, no you first two-step.

North Korea shoot spitwads and wannabe missles at the world?
Israel using any excuse to go to war against everyone, or so it seems?

Marvin, Marvin, we could use you now...

What's Going On (excerpt)



Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, hey

Father, father, we don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, oh
(M. Gaye/A. Cleveland/R. Benson) 1971

The Illegals Debate: Divide and Conquer, 2006

I don't really need all that much space for this note.

Am I the only one who is not amused by so many who seem to find it so easy to blame economic hard times on people who risk their life and liberty to sneak into USA for work?

When did Jose and Maria get all this power to decide who hire for very low pay and no benefits in the USA? Was that on Fox News and I missed it?

Maybe they got that power around the same time that US manufacturers were forced by Chinese factory workers to move US jobs to China, or when Mumbai IT graduates forced US and UK service firms to outsource thousands of IT and customer service jobs to India. Yeah that must have been it.

After all US CEOs are just too busy to make important decisions like that while they are figuring out how to hollow out Enron, default on vested retirement plans -- things like that.

Divide and conquer? Set the declining class against the one below it, so you can pick everyone's pockets? Now who would do that?