Opinion

This article was inspired by a recent visit to a small, old New England town. An older and slightly larger place than here, where long ago the winding streets were laid out on hills for strollers and horse carriages, and everything ran to the sea. Those roads are barely wide enough for bicycles yet here we are in the twenty-first century, most people driving big rigs and SUVS, and many people in a rush all the time. (Saying nothing of the large number on their phones while driving) I did see many occasions of courtesy and an ethos of yielding, but it was hardly a given, and it’s the bad apple that spoils the barrel.

On several instances I witnessed ’accidents’. In these cases, that term is a gross misnomer. They weren’t accidents at all, they were pushy people driving killing machines and for whatever reason, demanded or assumed the right to go first, even if the protocol of the road didn’t warrant that. I see this all the time, especially on my motorcycle, where a larger vehicle will bully me with its mass, saying in effect, my metal is heavier, so back down or pay the price. In psych terms, compensation.

Recently in Brattleboro some “Townie” came up with the idea that trash pick ups will be done bi-weekly rather than weekly (this program, mind you began in the hottest month, July)  But that’s another story…

I think it’s a good idea but why stop there?  Why not cease all trash pick ups?  Forever!  Yes I am serious. 

We have major problems with trash – it pollutes and gathers in gyres in the oceans, now as big as Texas and getting bigger. It breaks down into small pieces and gets ingested by fish which then gets ingested by humans (ha ha – karma)  The population is growing yet we have done barely a thing to address the accumulating build up of trash. Indeed, we have only gotten more wanton.

Kevin Bacon.

Why, oh why, does the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce persist in its effort to entice this actor to come to Brattleboro for a bacon festival? What demographic is this supposed to draw?

Quite possibly, dear reader, you are completely unaware of this marketing effort. That would be forgivable, given that the target of the marketing effort is one potential tourist — Kevin Bacon.

Rather than direct mail, or cold calling, the Chamber seems to be banking on a stealthier approach: social media nagging.

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In 1950, Einstein explained why our civilization continues to be “like an axe in the had of the pathological criminal,”: “Under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control the main sources of information (press, radio, education). Mysteriously, our best independent journalists, top intellectuals and historians, are of no help. Even on RT’s ten more serious shows there is no urging of prosecution for international crimes

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Sen. Clinton voted for an obvious International Crime Against Humanity in Iraq. Prez Candidate Clinton features at her nominating convention a Muslin father, whose son died participating in US crime against Muslim people ranting about what a bad guy her opponent Donald Trump is, though Trump had spoken out against the illegal and criminal invasion of Iraq. Trump also faulted for non-participation in earlier genocidal crime in Vietnam.

Even though money is an abstract and arbitrary construct, the product of which is created from nothing and therefore can be created (again, from nothing) to provide whatever we need or desire, the money people earn and work for is stolen from them to pay for the adventures of lunatics.

Yes this stolen money provides jobs but we need infrastructure upgrades and that would provide jobs too.  Why doesn’t it go to something that benefits the funders (ie: the  taxpayers?)  The likelihood of being killed by a terrorist is equal to being killed by furntiure. Yet we are allowing the money that comes from our toil to go to destructive purposes, since we (erroneously) think that the money has to come from limited revenues. This money is stolen out of the pockets of everyday workers.

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Economic Hegemony Loss to China Looming! Powerful Investors Have Trump Call for an About Face
by jay janson

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The willingness of humanity to continue to accept the white world’s profitable investments in genocide will end in 25 years when world economic power shifts from Europeans, and their descendant nations, to the six sevenths of humanity they plundered. Realizing this, leaders of 1/10th of 1% who rule America have Trump demanding investment in the US instead of in the low wage 3rd World that China will soon lead.

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Our Sick World

I was so proud of our town last night when I saw how many people turned out for the Black Lives Matter rally and march. It was the most diverse group I’ve evr seen gathered in one place in Brattleboro; white people; black people, asian people, students, retirees, families with kids in tow, business owners, farmers, librarians…it was an impressive sight. It was a peaceful and powerful event and the police officers present seemed to understand that it was not – in any way an indictment of them but rather a unified attempt to stop the never ending violence in this country.

Reading the comments in the  article about the same event on the Reformer’s FB page this morning elicited a very differnt feeling in me. While some of the comments were positive, most were displays of blatant, in your face racism, hatred and ignorance. Many commenters called BLM a “terrorist group” like ISIS and said the rally was only meant to be anti police. Horrible cartoons and memes were posted- people seeming quite proud about openly racist and, of course, the inevitable “terrorist” cartoons about our President.