Kudos Greece!

Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images

So Greece has gone the way of Hungary and Slovakia and bucked the EU oppression! Super for them, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel now. I can only hope that others such as Spain and Portugal and Ireland take note and that Serbia, Bosnia and even Ukraine rethink their current paths!
The EU is not the paradise they present themselves as and they are not the solution to the problems in your individual countries. Oh, certainly the EU has contributed and exacerbated issues that were in place in countries so as to put themselves in the position to conquer these countries in a manner that presented them as saviors. I have said before and I will say again..with VERY FEW exceptions...NO ONE outside your country will care more for you and your nation than you will! The struggle will be hard but it will be worth it as it will be YOUR success, YOUR goals, YOUR gains, YOUR home!

Let me ask you a simple question.....what are your priorities and how do they stack up? For most people it starts with home and family and works out from there....that is true pretty much everywhere and with everyone. So if that is the case, please tell me why you would EVER believe that some politician in Brussels would put your little country first????

Syriza made recent history with their almost majority win and is a very logical reaction to the over-bearing strong arm tactics of the EU and IMF in the attempt to destroy Greece to such a degree as for her to not be able to recover in the foreseeable future. And Syriza's decision to try to work a coalition with just Independent Greeks, whom won 13 seats would make their ability to move forward possible.

The reaction from Brussels is typical and focuses on the money only; “Grexit is unthinkable,” said a second senior Brussels policymaker involved in the negotiations. “It would be extremely bad. Europe is about irreversibility. If you start doubting that, you start pricing in the risk of fragmentation and soon you have no monetary union...." Think really hard about the part in bold...."Europe is about irreversibility" it sounds more like getting your beat down into a street gang....the only way out is by dying!!! And Brussels treatment of Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and others is very reminiscent of mafia intimidation.

There is hope that change is afoot...This is not a knee-jerk reaction, "It is, instead, testimony to three things: the strategic crisis of the eurozone, the determination of the Greek elite to cling to systemic corruption, and a new way of thinking among the young." The first 2 of these reasons are intrinsically entwined. It is the systemic corruption of the oligarchs and their misuse of the duties placed on them by the public that have created an unsolvable problem with them, but hope without them.

In that hope has sprung up Solidarity for All, a movement that encompasses many ways that average, everyday Greeks are doing their best to help their country, from free clinics to legal aid to kitchen distribution centers and they are making a difference that others should take notice of...“almost a different sense of what politics should be – a politics from the bottom up, that starts with real people’s needs." The basis for what REAL politics should be, the taking care of the community as a whole; not the taking from the community what you can and claim you deserve!

There are no better closing words than those of  Theano Fotiou, “The only real way out of this crisis is people doing it for themselves,” she said. “If people don’t participate, we will be lost as a country."

Listen to her, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal....

Words, Words, and More Words

Free Speech Movement at Berkeley

While the world is screaming over WORDS, violence is continuing non-stop.

via cathollic.org

While the civilized first world inhabitants are lamenting over the attack that left 12 to 20 people dead in France, thousands were slaughtered by Boko Haram. And NO ONE marched!

via iranware.com

While the civilized first world are lamenting over the incidents in Belgium, hundreds are enslaved by Islamic State. And NO ONE marched!

via washingtontimes.com

While the civilized are lamenting over 'home-grown' terrorism, the illegal Ukraine government is bombing its own citizens. And NO ONE marched!









While the civilized leaders are arguing about their own accolades and slamming others' short-comings, they are ALL still funding and arming the violent. And NO ONE marched!

How many that support #BlackLivesMatter, are rioting over the murder of 'good young black men' being murdered in village after village in Nigeria? Where is the anger over those black lives?

How many feminists and #nomeansno supporters are blogging and tweeting about the girls and women of Syria and Iraq being kidnapped and sold as wives and sexual objects? Where is the Rape Culture outrage? Remember one of the reasons we funded, supported and armed the 'freedom fighters' were the allegations of rape of Syrian women!! #RapeCultureIsWhen you claim it is wrong in your town but remain silent about someone else's town!!!

Better Words......

Lots of times what others say is so much better than whatever I manage; and today I want to share someone else's much better words......

From the inspiring and provocative mind of Immortal Technique......

I haven't really spoken on this before but I will now. My father was a hard man. He was really tough on me, physical training, mental exercises, not being able to offer up unsophisticated excuses for what I did wrong. Those of you who know me personal know that the old Colonel was no joke. One day when I was a very young man he pulled me aside, and he said to me sternly, "Don't ever be a coward my son." I looked up at him confused at first, but I just listened. He said, "the definition of a coward is a man who is disrespected at the workplace, laughed at in the street, and walked over by the world. But instead of confronting those things, instead of confronting those people. He goes home and takes it out on the one person who is closest to him. That is not a warrior. That is not a man. He has not vanquished a worthy foe. He is a fuckin' coward. Don't you ever be a coward my son." My father doesn't really curse so to hear him talk like that left me with a strong impression of what it was to be a man. It is not just great strength that guides us, but great wisdom and great love. I have worked funding lots of programs and shelters over the years. Please remember, if you have a problem, you have a problem. However if you have a problem and you don't tell anyone then you have a really big problem. Talk to a friend. Tell someone you trust. Call a hotline. Remove the cancer. Peace ‪#‎ImmortalTechnique‬ ‪#‎domesticabuse‬ ‪#‎tellsomeone‬ ‪#‎warrior‬ ‪#‎father‬

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS THE MOST BASIC RIGHT IN A DEVELOPED WORLD

There are a lot of skeptics out there that are saying Freedom of Speech is being too simple in the Charlie Hebdo attacks.....I disagree!

Freedom of Speech is the basis of the story! There are people that say Freedom of Speech does not give you the right to insult people or say things of 'hate'! I say, who decides what is insulting or hateful? Censorship by ANY outside force is destructive and NEVER the enlightened or intelligent or real way to handle discourse that is uncomfortable.
If you think it is black and white to determine what can be said and what can't be said.....If you think that insulting and hateful are easily defined terms that 'any fool should know' by your own arrogance you have violated your own black and white rule!!!

EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT! NO ONE HAS THE 'HIGHER RIGHT' TO TAKE THAT RIGHT AWAY FROM ANYONE!

We have seen these hashtag wars in social media about 'black lives matter', 'blue lives matter', 'je suis charlie' ..... every group wants their group to matter more, but you are missing the HUGE picture!!!
 We are all people...we all matter!

Coercion is not conversion!!! (Anyone know whom spoke that truth???)

And it is true....you cannot force a person to feel or believe or want or think something ..... and forcing them to be silent for fear of violence against them is not being civilized or responsible or multi-cultural.....that is being immature and ignorant and hateful and rude and a bully!!!!

We have become a world filled with over grown toddlers in constant temper-tantrum mode cause the whole world isn't meeting all our demands instantly!!! GROW UP!!!
If you do not like how a country exists...then do not go to that country....there are plenty of countries in the world that function from absolutely NO freedoms to having immense freedom and everything in between....you do not want freedom then move to a country that does not allow freedom. It really isn't that hard to figure out!

If you do not like what someone says then do not listen to them. If you do not like what someone writes then do not read their work. If you do not like the art that someone creates then do not purchase it. If you do not like what is being said or shown on TV then change the channel or better yet turn it off. In general, in the world you are not forced to listen to what someone says so why think you have the right to force them to speak only what you want to hear?
What makes you more valuable than the other person?
What makes your life matter more than mine?
What makes your feelings more significant than a stranger?
What makes your thoughts more right than the hater?
What makes your opinions better than the poor man's?
What makes you anything that elevates you above anyone else?

NOTHING!!!! You are not better than anyone else, so stop trying to pretend you are cause you are missing something inside that no amount of will bending in others will fulfill.

Yes, most of us are broken as humans! We see everything that someone says or does as some attack on us and we get mad and upset. We have no real faith in anything that keeps up grounded or humane. We see others only in what have they, what they are or what might they do for me; or I better get them before they get me. We have lost our sense of connection. There is nothing more lonely than feeling alone surrounded by a million people......except for when those million people are your 'friends and family'.
Why do we feel so alone? Cause we have lost the connection. We no longer value lasting relationships. We no longer value the character of an individual. When we 'judge' someone we do not ask about their honor or heart or mind.....we ask about their income, their 'schooling', their house, their car, their things.
But a million dollars does not buy kindness. A Ph.D. does not ensure understanding. A mansion isn't built with compassion. A Ferrari does not purr mercy. And things do not provide love!!

If you want less hate and more understanding...then stop forcing others to do what you want and start listening to them with understanding and compassion. If you want people to stop insulting and hating then speak with kindness and intelligence. If you want less violence and pain then show more mercy and patience.

It isn't Freedom of Speech that is broken....it is the people speaking and no law can force morals, compassion, understanding or intelligence into them. And NO ONE deserves to die for words!!!

Al Jezeera Journalists held in Egypt

The example of people that have been jailed, punished, tortured, and killed for exercising their basic right of Free Speech can go on and on....
how does this make us civilized that we are so barbaric that we are afraid of words!!!!

We must protect EVERYONE'S right to speak without fear of violence or criminal action!

Jihadist, Just Another Word For COWARD!!!

via OnIslam.net

When your only reaction to someone that speaks differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that thinks differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that acts differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that believes differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that worships differently than you is to kill...YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that dresses differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When your only reaction to someone that loves differently than you is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

When you only reaction is to kill....YOU ARE A COWARD!

via nypost.com and AP

The cruel attack on the Paris Office of Charlie Hebdo was the act of COWARDS pure and simple. If you know your path is the best path, if you know you are the most righteous, then you do not have to KILL those you disagree with. For if you were so pure and righteous and just then you would have your acts and deeds and your faith and your belief and the power of your words to defend your path against ALL attacks. If you were strong in your faith and your path and sure of the rightness of your beliefs then you would not be angered or insulted or offended by the words of those you call lesser than you. Of course, if you were so righteous and holy you would not call anyone lesser than yourself.

The fact that you are WRONG in your beliefs and thus cruel and evil in your deeds is a blight on all that claim the path of Islam. However, the fact that 'moderate' Muslims, as the politically correct call them, do not rise up and speak out against the acts of the evil nor do they put the effort into correcting the wrongs of those leaders that have corrupted the young followers by doing nothing are showing support for and approving of the evil carried out in the name of their religion. And the weak claim that they are not acting as true Muslims and thus in our eyes are not Muslims and we need not say anything about it are in effect offending and insulting the innocent victims of each act of evil carried out in the name of Islam and Allah. These moderate Muslims are also neglecting their duties as 'real and true' followers by not protecting the life of innocent. Allah states clearly and plainly that ALL human life is sacred and valued and is not to be taken!

Whosoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if be had killed all mankind, and whoso saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.  (Al-Ma’idah 5: 32)