NSA Spying

Some of my thoughts on this issue.  First, a question.  How does a political conservative-one who distrusts big government-not then oppose a big government program to massively spy on ordinary Americans phone, e-mail and other means of communication?  This is what the NSA surveillance program is and I don't see how liberals and conservatives would not both be opposed.  Second is a position taken by congressman John Boehner on a radio talk show the other day.  He said that the individual who leaked this info-one Snowden-committed a "giant violation of the law" by doing so.  But how is the spying itself not a giant violation of the law.

Military Spending

Near the end of February of this year the Pentagon announced that they were "grounding: the new jet fighter fleet-the F-35-due to a "cracked engine blade".  That's 51 planes.   I can picture the scene in the war room.  One general turns to another and says, "do you know what this means?".  "It means the fucking thing doesn't work", as Christopher Lloyd said in the movie Back to the Future.  This "is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program at a cost of nearly $ 400 billion".  I wonder what we could have gotten with $ 400 billion?  Maybe some classrooms and teachers for them, or hospitals in inner cities, or road construction and bridge repair, maybe more police or more libraries.  No.  Instead we got zilch, nada, bupkis, squat, zero.  But you can bet  some CEO's walked away with millions in bonus money or stock options.  

(Source:  "Pentagon Grounds Fighters: in The Record on 2/23/13)

Tea Party, the IRS and Tax Exemption

Since this issue came up I have tried to get a feel for the issue of tax exemption.  What kind of group can claim such a status and how it might impact the taxes an organization owes (if any).

A site called fgfservices.com noted on 5/20/13 that the IRS has revoked tax exempt status of 275,000 organizations due to failure to file annual information forms.  It also seems that these type of organizations-or some of them-are referred to as 501c3 organizations.

Ask.com on the same date stated "tax exempt organizations may endorse candidates for public office w/o losing tax exempt status (according to) the type of organization it is".  This seems to mean that some such organizations don't qualify for the exemption.

Ask.com on 5/20/13 and I asked if the ACLU qualified for the exemption.  The answer was "yes".  This site also noted that the organization must be "non-partisan" to get the exemption".  This site also said that there is a limit a tax exempt organization can spend on lobbying.

More research will be needed.

Plutocrats

I read recently on NPR that Apple company CEO-Tim Cook-was holding a charity auction with the prize being an hour with him over a cup of coffee.  It also appears that the cafeteria at Apple serves a type of coffee called "poop coffee".  This is coffee made from beans that have passed thru the "digestive system of animals" must likely something called a civet or sometimes an elephant.  When I last read of this-a few days ago-an offer had been made for $ 600,000 for that one hour drink of poop coffee.  The beans themselves are suppose to be worth $ 50,000.  I went online to at NPR and found an article titled "Two way breaking news from NPR" by Bill Chapell on 4/27/13. 

Could this be true?  Or maybe they are shitting me.

US Arms Sales

The Virginian Pilot on 4/20/13 reported on an arms deal the US has made with Israel, Saudi Arabia and he United Arab Emirates that is worth $ 10 billion.  I wonder if we loaned them the money to buy the weapons from US arms makers?  It seems part of the reason for the deal was because of the growing military power of Iran (before Iran it was Iraq, before Iraq it was Libya).  The article notes that "the offer is meant to ensure Israel's military edge in the region in light of arms sales the US is advancing in Saudi Arabia and the UAR".  Please tell me we are not giving arms to two Arab countries in order for us to we give more arms to Israel?  But it does sound like US foreign policy.  

US and Human Rights

John Kerry and the State Department issued a statement of human rights in the world stating that the "see little progress on global human rights".  I find this interesting in light of the recent US government study making clear the US policy to use torture against suspected terror suspects.  The report notes that no useful information ever came from torture that could not have been obtained by more humane means.  The report notes the wrongs of the Bush I admin in the commission of these abuses and the Obama admin in doing about them when they took office.  I wonder how much credibility the Kerry statement got in countries around the world.  The Virginian Pilot on 4/20/13 had a short article on the Kerry statement.

Boston Bombing

Yesterday two bombs went off at the finish line for the Boston Marathon.  Three people were killed and a lot of others were injured and maimed, some losing legs.  The date for the Marathon is Patriots Day in Massachusetts that marks the beginning battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord; April 15th.  No one has claimed "credit" or issued prior warnings as is the case in many terror attacks of this kind. I am thinking that the key here is the date not the place of the bombing.  Domestic militia groups and others who think the US government is "treading" on our rights and acting like the English kings of old seem to see themselves of modern day "patriots" fighting for freedom against a tyrannical central government.  If my guess is right then this terror bombing is an act of a domestic terrorist group and not an al-Qaeda type group.