MAKES ME SEE RED AND FLUSHES MY FACE!

MAKES ME SEE RED AND FLUSHES MY FACE! (Frazer Chronicle)



I don't occupy, I probably should, I relate to too many of the issues, but I don't think the movement will work, too many issues, not enough recognizable people and not enough protesters. Many, many people in the United States do not understand that the Occupy Movement is a war, a class war of the 99% against the 1%, but the 1% has absolutely nothing to gain by either giving in to the issues, or even acknowledging the 99%er's.



There have been hundreds of arrests of the 99%er's, and in some cases violent action has taken place by police as they attempt to take control of the situation, control is very important to police, without it, the police view their efforts as null and void. Busting a few heads, "cuffing" a few perps, or whacking protesters over the head with their batons seems to be how local police operate.

HOW POLICE OPERATE, A DELICATE LINE

In my opinion, few local police operate well in a stressful confrontation with angry protesters of any kind in any situation. It's as if the protesters are a threat to the local cops, when actually nothing is further from the truth. In any protest situation, those folks simply want to get their message across to the "powers that be, in general," and to the news media in particular.

Police take their orders from their supervisors, who get their orders from a Mayor, a city manager, or a city board; it all depends on how a city's government is set up. This set-up explains why police, local, county and state have always aligned themselves against a protesting body.

Peaceful protests almost never work, those on the fence about an issue will remain right there, on the fence. The gumption necessary to truly be an active protester rests somewhere in a person's mind, and cops realize that the more harsh the treatment, the less people will want to get involved.

Brutality is still the best way for police to get the reaction that they want; it's still the fear factor that drives most people away from standing on street corners, or in areas where governmental work is carried on. To occupy a city center, a court house, a bank, or better yet, a police station is how protesters get their point across.

In the end, whichever group forces their way is the winner, the protesters win if they occupy, and the 1% wins if their agents of doom, cops, and other public officials can dislodge the protesters completely. There can be no draws in public discord, in reality, you either win, or you lose, there is no middle ground.

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

"Freedom of speech, Congress cannot make laws 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 people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Heady and powerful words our fore-fathers wrote, there was an effort to help insure that "the people" would retain the right to question actions of elected officials, or the ideas there-of.

You don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to figure out most of what ideals run the United States of America. Actually all a person has to do is set back and watch "proper procedures," and marvel at how America can operate, if done correctly, without the greedy fingers of the wretched 99%er's.

The Constitution, the amendments to help infuse oversight rules, the Bill of Rights, the laws at the local, state and federal levels that have been passed, all help to govern the country in a fair and unbiased manner were first debated, and written by men probably in smoke filled rooms as the outcome of the debates.

The "chain of command" which was supposed to be followed by officials at every level of the country's government has long been abused by either elected officials, or appointed personnel that were entrusted to follow the rules.

People or groups like the 99%er's must not be allowed to voice their opinion opposing the 1%er's, big business, wars or decisions that chafe those in power. Long ago the power people saw what discord by the people would do to their agenda, so they strove to affect the outcome, and over the years it has worked out really well, and they got really good at dictating the outcome of issues that were near and dear to their hearts.

$355 DOLLARS WILL SET YOU FREE

A rather unique process "where else," in California is being used by Los Angeles prosecutors to "help" arrested occupiers from going to trial, being possibly convicted and going to jail. That's right, just pay $355 to a private company for a lesson in free speech.....and it will set you free.

Law officials in L.A. said the class would save the city the funds necessary to bring the occupiers to justice, and.....will also teach the arrested protesters the nuances of the law. The 1st. amendment is absolutely not absolute, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled government can regulate when, where and how free speech can be exercised.

I knew this and I sure as hell hope each and every citizen in America understands this fact, no matter what the constitution or amendments might say. I would say that the U.S. Constitution is rather like, no.....exactly like a rule of thumb, a recipe or a blueprint to "help" guide the country and its people through its rights.

Now the "chance" to avoid a trial or jail time is available from this private company manned by lawyers and retired judges for just $355, I wonder if they except, or have payment plans available for those strapped for cash.....I mean it is Christmas time.

HERE IS REALLY ALL I WANT

One really has to wonder about the path our country seems to be going down, the crooked politicians, the power of corporate America and the ridiculous rules that are made by the courts, locally as well as federal.

We are in an election year, well.....in 9 days, and every citizen in the country needs to be aware of what is going on, not just from my point of view, but from some sort of educated position. Look what has happened because we have held our heads in the sand.....wow. A nation of sheep breeds a government of wolves.

1. People to be aware and to question

2. Elect people that get past party lines and want to work for the good of everybody

3. For now close our borders

4. Remove all illegal immigrants from our country, "including those children born in U.S."

5. Stop making war

6. Bring all our military home

7. Get rid of the C.I.A. a truly evil organization

8. Fix our health plan(s)

9. For me, a new Cadillac

There you have it, I realize that I have left some issues out, but I need to have something to complain about for later blogs. Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe new year, your editor and chief.



LABOR ISSUES AND EVENTS KEEP GOING ON AND ON!

LABOR ISSUES AND EVENTS KEEP GOING ON AND ON! (Frazer Chronicle)

I remember an innocent conversation in a Green Bay restaurant I was having with 2 friends some 10 to 15 years ago. We were talking about unions and what they did, "mostly the bad stuff," when a fellow patron walked over and told us in no uncertain terms that we were "full of crap," or words to that effect. "If it weren't for the unions, the work-place in America would indeed be in sorry shape.

Of course the typical reaction on our parts was predictable, the "mind your own business," or the "butt out," or the "take a hike" comes to mind, and the guy was small, so we felt reasonably sure that we could take the load mouth, but he left, possibly to slash our tires, or worse get several of his goon buddies for a little get-together in the parking lot.

I have been a member of 1 union in my lifetime, the Teamsters for several months when I drove for a heating and air-conditioning company. I think the dues were like $20 a week and I wasn't with the company long enough to experience what the union might have meant, and how it could have helped the average worker.

My wife has been a union member probably for close to 30 years of her working life, the last 23 with the city of Green Bay. Early on, "20 or so years ago," we never talked about what her union did for her. In fact, "as I recall," she mostly complained about what the union either did, or didn't do. Candy would go to meetings and at one point was the Secretary of her local.

It's only been the past few years that Candy has "opened up" to me about some of the things that her union has done for the workers, or hasn't done. You first have to understand that the city of Green Bay has more than 10 unions representing some 1200 workers. This division of labor representation has diluted the focus and the message that a particular union might want to get "out."

There is no "solidarity" in Green Bay union representation, but 10 or more voices that reverberate, each voicing their own particular concerns or causes, which "muddies" the waters of negotiation to a point where few win any kind of valuable concessions from management. Over the past 10 years, my wife has not received a raise in pay....."I'll say it again," "over the past 10 years my wife has not received a raise in pay."

There have been 2 or 3% raises, but every time one of these "token" raises was bargained for, health insurance raised on average 2 or 3%, so her wage raise was actually a "wash." All the while supervisors continued with periodic raises in pay several times the amount that my wife and her work colleagues got.

There is a long history of unions, unionizing, heartache, struggle, low pay without any benefits of any kind, throughout the United States since the first reported "case" by a labor strike which resulted in a legal decision back in 1806. The strikers were found guilty of "a combination to raise their wages," and were fined.

The struggle continued throughout the 19th century, mostly with "landmark" decisions, resulting in action being taken against management with regards to pay, safety issues and hours of work. During this same period, hundreds of protesting workers and strikers were beaten, bloodied and in some cases shot to death, "men, women and children."

In many cases throughout the 19th century, armed militia, police or company goons were employed to badger, bully, intimidate or shoot strikers. Hundreds of strikers and family members were shot or beaten to death during this barbaric period in America's labor history. Dynamite, sticks, clubs, knives and sometimes firearms were used by strikers in retaliation for the brutal attacks as the number of deaths continued to increase throughout the final decade of the 19th century.

In the beginning, workers in the United States worked long difficult hours with low pay, with absolutely no retirement or health benefits of any kind. Safety in most work places was at best an afterthought issue and many a worker of the time suffered major injuries and if they couldn't work, they were simply left to fend for themselves.

The toll of human suffering continued through the early 20th century as business continued to operate in unfair and unsafe fashion. The most poorly regulated business and usually the occupations with the highest death toll as well as injury were the mining industry and manufacturing companies. The work was hard, dirty, stinky and dangerous with possible injury around every bend or corner in the work place.

American business has always operated on a "bottom line mentality," cut every corner that was possible in that pursuit. In many cases, the welfare of the worker was sacrificed to gain an edge in production, after all, "it was just the workers," and they could be replaced.

Many a strike was called not over pay issues, rather worker safety during the formative years of labor relations in the early years of organization of unions. Workers used to stage "wildcat" strikes to voice their grievances, there simply was no other way, and there weren't unions, leaving labor with no choice but to lay down their tools and walk off the job.

The National Labor Relations Act, known as the Wagner Act of 1935 was passed by the federal government, establishing the right of all workers to organize and to elect their representatives for collective bargaining. This act, which is still in force today, would take several years before it would be enforced.

The lead up to the Wagner Act was a most bloody period in American history, with union officials being jailed, beaten or shot to death, and the common worker attacked, killed or worse, maimed to the point that he couldn't work. Business used every available weapon hand to thwart labor, even the President of the United States.

There has never been a time in American labor when either labor or management hasn't been actively attempting to gain an edge on the other. Business has now openly involved politicians to do their bidding. Lobbyists, money, greed and power now rule the American labor-scape, as they always have.

Labor has been its own worst enemy, protecting unfit or unproductive workers, demanding unrealistic benefits which were unattainable, and wallowing in the depths of organized crime. Business went right along with the outrageous activity by giving in to the demands, all the while knowing that the demands would be the undoing of the unions.

However, it must be noted that without unions in America, the workplace would be unbearable for many a worker. Government does not need to be business friendly for the country to prosper, they simply need to use common sense, and realize that business, first and foremost is in it for themselves and not their employees. Otherwise, why have there been so many labor laws that have been passed through the years to protect the laborer.

THE WRONG DIRECTION!

THE WRONG DIRECTION! (Frazer Chronicle)

After all the rhetoric, after all the posturing, after all the deaths, injuries, the collateral damage, and after all the billions and billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers money that have been spent, the people of the United States are left with one undeniable truth, few citizens feel absolutely comfortable with the stated reasons behind the reasons for going to war in Iraq.

In Afghanistan, the U.S's longest war continues with only a glimmer of hope that things there will continue towards a victory and a better way of life for the country's citizens. The war there, since October 7, 2001, is limping into its 11th year, and all indicators point to a victory being no closer than 1 or 2 years ago.

Iraq, with a huge American "foot-print" intact is heading for troop removal in "Iraq proper” by December 31st of this year. I say "Iraq proper" for a very good reason, a reason that might reject what the President has been saying for the past several months, "that American is leaving Iraq." If you call at least 16,000 staff-members at the biggest conciliate that the United States has....."in the world," and thousands of troops just outside the Iraqi boarders, "chomping at the bit," ready for any kind of action, then ya, the Iraq war is over.

Afghanistan is different than Iraq, as many people have said, "there might be under a hundred Taliban left in the country," that would seem a good sign. I however do have one question that nobody seems to be able to answer, "if the Taliban membership is so low," then who is shooting at American soldiers" and "who are we shooting at"; I don't get it.

Obama yesterday welcomed home around 3000 troops from Iraq, saying "he was proud to welcome them home," after an "extraordinary achievement." The closure of dozens of military bases, "turned over to the Iraqi troops, "cha-ching " leads people to believe that the war is over, the loss of more than 4000 people, and the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians.

People can now walk down any street at high noon in Baghdad, or any other major city and not worry about getting their head blown off, or carried off to some ally and beaten, usually to death by an enemy that, according to President Obama and the military chiefs "on the ground" say doesn't exist and have been vanquished.

After the loss of some 4000 troops, sacrificed by a faulty Bush administration and a hungry power grab, with murder going on every day, bombings and kidnappings pretty much the norm, what part of the word "victory" is not understood. The President referred to U.S. troops closing down and leaving Iraq with their heads held high. For that statement I have just one word of warning.....DUCK.

Clearly the United States, under the Bush regime entered Iraq for one reason, oil, even high ranking officials in the Bush administration have finally said as much. The United States took over Iraq for one simple reason, to nation build.....in our own image. The Americans were never interested in upholding human rights, or breaking Saddam Hussein, that could have been done at any time. The U.S. wanted the country's oil, plain and simple.

IS THE UNITED STATES WINNING IN AFGHANISTAN.

Well, eh, ah.....well.....no, not exactly, but things are getting better every day, if you don't believe me, just ask Leon Panetta, U.S. Defense Secretary. As the U.S. readies to withdraw 33,000 troops by December 31st. 2012, Panetta points to "sure signs" of victory.

It must be something about the yearend air that prompts American military to "draw-down" troops, December 31st. 2011, December 31st. 2012, is there a connection there? Victory in Afghanistan is as questionable as is Iraq's. The Afghan war is now all a question about "foot-prints" and the possible exploration of struggling nation’s mineral riches that is untapped.

Military experts talk about staying past 2024, making the Afghan war more than twice as long as any war the United States has been in. I would be 81 by that time, and hopefully dead, I have no inclination to stay around and watch the stupidity of Americans manifest itself in a silly war of "foot-printing."

DON'T YOU DARE "FRACK" ON MY PARADE.

DON'T YOU DARE "FRACK" ON MY PARADE (Frazer Chronicle)

I am mortified by what the Environmental Protection Agency is alleging with regards to how natural gas and some oil have been taken from the ground for the past 20 years or so. The process, referred to as "Fracking," has been in use for years and involves injecting liquid into a drill hole that can be as deep as 5 or 6 thousand feet.

The "Fracking" liquid actually forces either oil, or natural gas, or in some cases both out of the ground and into a tank for storage and transportation to a refining facility where a usable product is refined.....and I get paid. ....that's right, "I get paid."

You see, my wonderful in laws retained the mineral rights to around 80 acres, when their house was sold. My two brother-in-laws, "both wonderful men" and my lovely wife retained these mineral rights even after my Father-in-law passed, and my dear, dear Mother-in-law was laid to rest several years later.

"Spearheading" the family drive to become petroleum (moguls) is my crafty business-man brother-in-law, Pat, who I must add makes a nifty trailer at his ship. Trailers by Kelley is in the Traverse City, Michigan phone book, "yellow pages," if you need a trailer.....call him.

My brother-in-laws, Mike and Pat, and my wife leased our mineral rights to a development company for three years, and they in turn are contacting drilling companies for the purpose of drilling for oil and gas. The measure is simple, when they make a strike, the family; "my business partners" get every 8th barrel of product.

I am personally hoping for a "gusher" a big strike, maybe the biggest in the United States, or the world. Fracking be damned, I want my part of the American dream. I want a Cadillac, an S.U.V. a pick-up and Hummer parked my drive, "which will have to be enlarged."

I want money in the bank; have to hire an accountant, a lawyer and a "polish man," "you know....a guy who just polishes your car 5 days a week." I also want a maid, one of those women with great legs who can't speak English.

I want to live where it never snows again.....year round and the temperature doesn't ever see the bottom side of 60 degrees. Ah yes, warm in the winter, warm in the summer, you can't beat that. There are so many things that I want, every time I stop to think about it, I have been told that my eyes fog over and I kinda drool at the sides of my mouth.

Independent wealth is what I want, it's what I need and it's what I desire. I swear to God that I will do good things with some of the money, honest I will. Foundations, free clinics and scholarship funds for under privileged kids, I'll do it all.

I only have one rule that I have established for my impending wealth, it "wealth" has to be enough or I won't be able to do my good work. A big gusher would take care of all my philanthropic plans, I could do so many good things, and even I can't believe it.

So.....let’s make it a gusher, a "cap blower" the biggest strike in American history. Fracking is good, fracking is great, fracking is even healthy, and the Federal Government doesn't know a thing about the effects of the process.

"Wish us luck," maybe the company should be called 'Kelley Wells', a division of the "Frazer Chronicle," that sounds nice, who knows, I could even be President.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP. (Frazer Chronicle)
Thank God, in just 24 hours the landscape of the country's financial outlook turned 360 degrees and like the song says, "Happy days are here again." It is amazing how the "worm turns" in our country today, how attitudes can change and how hopes can sore from day to day.

What am I talking about, the signing of Albert Pujols by the Los Angeles Angels baseball club of course. If the Angels can afford to pay "Sir Albert" $254 million over the next 10 years, it means that the United States is truly coming out of its financial doldrums, "Thank you Albert."

Pujols is a 1st. baseman by trade, hits lots of home runs, scores his share of runs, and bats in his team mates in prodigious numbers. Pujols played the first 11 years of his professional baseball career for the St. Louis Cardinals and was an institution in that city.

Now he will field ground balls, catch throws from his infield mates and knock the cover off the ball in sunny California for the baseball Angeles. Is Albert worth a bit more than $25 million a year, by today's standards of remuneration for ball players.....I guess so. I do know this, I sure would like 1 or 2 percent of his gross yearly salary, and I’d be on sleazy street.

Pujols has been an all star, an M.V.P. a gold glove fielder and has won numerous other individual awards as well as helping the St. Louis club to two World Series championships in 2 chances. Needless to say he is a great individual player as well as a team player, but $25 million a year.

As far as I'm concerned, every professional athlete is worth whatever his team’s owner or organization is willing to pay. I never asked for a raise in pay during my working life, I always felt my work would to my talking. I must not have been a very good worker because I didn't get many raises.
Anyways my point is simple, it's not Albert Pujol's fault that the Los Angeles are paying him such an outrages salary to run around, chasing a little what ball and once he gets hold of it, he throws the dam thing away. Or he hits the ball thrown his way and then, dawned in pajama pants and shirt, runs like hell to a white square in the dirt.

As I've said many times, "baseball is a simple game; you hit the ball and run like hell." Of course when this phrase was first used, few ball players understood the entertainment factor involved with "their" game. Today, however things are quite different and everybody realizes the entertainment dollar that exists and works whatever way is necessary to "corral" as many dollars as possible.

Sir Albert is no doubt worth every dollar that he is being paid, the baseball fans will flock to the stadium to watch him and his team mates make a run at a world championship ring. Boys, fathers and men will emulate Pujols exploits on the field through their games of catch, or on the softball or baseball fields throughout the country.

Left in the dust are those folks that simply can't afford to lay out $200, $300, or $400 dollars that will now be necessary to attend an Angels' ball game with their families. Baseball is a unique game; it's slow, so slow that a father and son can actually carry on a conversation between pitches. The pace of the game is what makes baseball such a special process, an almost rite of passage for father, son, friends together, or a man.

I do hope that very important aspect of the game is not buried by the dollar signs that sometimes cloud what games like baseball are really all about. Baseball really is a part of what America is all about..... Spending time.

  

"IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY."

"IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY." (Frazer Chronicle)

I watched with much interest a Military History channel presentation the other night that was a 3 part documentary on the Nazi SS and, although I was never involved with any part of that history of our world, I non-the-less felt revulsion, anger, a sense of how unbelievable the entire period of world history during the 1930's and 1940's was. It was like a perfect storm during the period, a catalyst, "Adolph Hitler" and all the parts surrounding him that were necessary to form what became World War II.

The gathering storm clouds of the 2rd. World War begin at the end of World War I, in the early summer of 1919, when the treaty of Versailles was pushed on Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria by the allied forces of Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Russia and the United States. The estimated loss of life during the entirety of hostilities was 750,000 by Britain, France, more than a million, Belgium, 50,000, Italy, 600,000, Russia, more than 1.7 million and the United States, 116,000.

Germany lost more than 2,000,000, Austria-Hungary, 1.2 million, Turkey 325,000 and Bulgaria 100,000. Distrust, hatred and revenge were on the minds of almost every European. For the United States, the war effort had lasted less than 2 years, however, for the European countries; the war had surged for well over 5 years and had galvanized feelings towards the belligerents.

The Versailles Treaty was signed on June 28th. 1919 between the parties, in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, and proved a crushing economic blow to the defeated nations, especially Germany. Land was taken, 8 different territories, military size were reduced to 100,000 men, there was to be no air force, nor armament. The consequences of such an unfair and poorly orchestrated treaty should have been obvious to all concerned, but politics, a revenge factor and the possible poor health of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson clouded those in attendance.

There was more than just the Treaty of Versailles that was factored into the official end of World War I. Austria signed the Treaty of Saint Germain, Hungary, the Treaty of Trainon, Bulgaria, the Treaty of Neuilly, and Turkey, or the Turkish Empire, the Treaty of Sevres. Each treaty dealt with war reparations, the exchange of financial considerations and differing sizes of military resources.

At the end of the day, when everything was signed, sealed and delivered, the French delegate, Georges Clemenceau, walked out of the hall and was heard to remark that "it is a beautiful day." The biggest lesson of World War I had not yet been learned by the warring nations, and would take another world wide conflict to graphically illustrate a rather cumbersome reality of war, "you break it, you buy it."

Defeated countries are in no position to repair the devastation that war brings, to repair their infrastructure, to rebuild their industry, to re-employ their populous, to care for the people, and least of all, to pay reparation. Wars of the 20th century were unlike any others in the history of mankind, they were messy, the horrific carnage was unlike any other period, and relative new rules would be needed.

We now find ourselves in the 21st. century, making the same simple minded mistakes of the past. The amount of money that has been spent and the number of dead that has resulted is really unacceptable, or should be. Republican, Democrat, Green Party, Libertarian or whatever, you all believe in war, war that is fueled by a greed for financial gain through accusation.

The history lesson serves nothing more then to show how entrenched we are as a people, all people, white, black, yellow, red or henna color. We want to be at the top of the food chain and are basically willing to do whatever it takes to get there and to remain there.

The United States is now leaving Iraq by the end of this month, December 31st. 2011, more than 8 years after the first bomb was dropped, and the first civilian was killed. Iraq was, and is a country that is, compared to the United States, a backward third world banana empire that was ran by a pint sized dictator who was a clown.

We are leaving after more than 5000 deaths, trillions of dollars spent, a shot to our reputation that may never be repaired, but with a "footprint" in an oil rich country, the biggest embassy on the face of the planet and countless thousands of private contractors. Iraq.....what shape is Iraq in.....worse than when we arrived on that long ago March night in 2003. At least the people of Iraq knew what their dictator was, what he offered and what he took.

At least we are leaving without the burden of some illicit, ill conceived treaty that requires reparation, although we will be paying long after most that read this are dead. War is hell, and practiced only by those that remain behind the front lines.....like across the ocean. Yes, "it is a beautiful day."