Freedom of Speech: Imagined, or Real?

In nature, few elements exist in a pure state. The rest are altered at will by other "elements" depending upon "conditions".        That got me thinking about life, language itself, and speech. 

Freedom of Speech.

 

                     Freedom of speech seldom exists in a "Pure" State. 
Pun intended.  
Is freedom of speech imagined, or real?  Does it even exist?  Is  it secure? 

 Politically-cantankerous, unsettled Iran is testing it's own "Halal" internet system  (that's the Official Shut-off system) to prevent access to the outside world and control, limit or remove freedom of speech inside the restless country.  
Shall we hypothesize that the "global" Internet within Iran shall be simultaneously shut down and freedom of speech shall cease to exist?
Perhaps it is both logical  reasonable to assume Iranian bureaucrats, madmen and Mullah's alike  will attempt to do so.  They don't like riots and protest much.  Will they be successful?  Only time will tell, --but while we wait and see, let us look closer to home.

Is the North American Internet,  --that would be the one you hook onto if you want to talk to your uncle in Great Britain, Australia, or Japan, yes that one,  the  Internet  reaching  around the globe.   Is it any more secure here than in Iran ?  
  Here at Incoming Bytes  I believe the question must be asked:
At what point do power-hungry and devious politicians, bureaucrats and corporate North America decide "they" will determine which information, global transfer of data and  daily communications shall be available to you, the  brave reader of Incoming Bytes who dares to think, and the average citizen,  collectively known as the apathetic, reality-show T.V. loving 'masses?' 
In return for campfire-loving demonstrators "Occupying this" and that in the last few months, (a.k.a. setting up colourful tents and stinky biffies where they're not wanted ) can there be retribution,  even punitive action? 

Will Corporate/Political  North  America, like Iran, also  decide to limit free speech and even move to "occupy" the minds of society in it's entirety? 
Take a deep breath. Think clearly.
.......Let us not panic,  be naive or silly.  How else would we know  when to spend, spend, spend  at 'the big sales" down at the  Sanctuary Mall? 
Fear not; the self-declared pure and self-righteous shall guide you in times of uncertainty.    "Big Money" will help "Big Brother" set you on the path to righteousness and purity and profit and big-screen television -in 3D.  Don't forget to put on the "special  blinders glasses"....  
"Big Brother" knows what's best for You.... 
After all, freedom of speech seldom exists in a "pure"  state"....



That's my story and I'm sticking to it

Achievements 2011: Were we successful?

The Age of Light is upon us

 
It happens every 12 months.  It's the end of the year, and 2011  got used up pretty quickly, didn't it?   
In looking back it is natural to ask what we achieved --whether it be articles written, books published,  service to others, for personal satisfaction,  entertainment, discussion or persuasive argument.  No matter.
  One might be tempted to procrastinate and reserve judgment until January 1st, but no,  at Incoming Bytes we profess to be  fearless  with an eye open to improvement.  Constant re-evaluation  and questioning is the name of the game. 
During 2011 we touched on many things.

• Was the reader encouraged to pursue further action, pursue life pro actively in their own environment --and face serious issues head-on?  

• Were novice writers encouraged to at least study 'Terms of Service'  and think carefully before submitting their valuable work the rapidly-changing world of  word mills?  

• Did anyone think twice about the endangered sea turtles of Costa Rica?  

• Have any unhappy couples concerned themselves with the need for a quantum change in their own, and  society's collective  lax  attitude toward abusive relationships?

• Has anyone recognized the tendency of the west to promote the proliferation of Democracy in the middle East countries for economic benefit, while diminishing it's worth at home with increasingly-repressive legislation put forth under the guise of 'national security' ?

• Did anyone read 'Occupy this'  twice  and wonder why bureaucracy worldwide, but especially in North America, is in such a hurry to shut down reasonable protest by ordinary  people trying to better our world.

• How about the political gamesmanship with the Keystone Pipeline,  and rejection  of the Kyoto accord by both the US and Canada  in preference for dirty oil of the Athabasca oil sands to feed yet more wealth to powerful international petroleum companies?

• Was anyone convinced we should be asking VERY  pointed questions about the very future of energy itself when CLEAN ENERGY is already  being produced with the new technology of the  Rossi E-cat,   Apparently our politicians are not paying attention. Read this again and weep. 

• Why is the nuclear energy sector still planning to build more nukes after the nuclear disasters in Fukushima, Japan and Chernobyl?  Have any of our readers been convinced it is time to encourage our leaders to   declare war on nuclear power?

• How many snowmobile enthusiasts will have saved their own lives by reading  about one aspect of their   'sport',  the  exciting, but  dangerous and foolish practice of  'Snowmobile high-marking' which, all too often, causes fatal avalanches?   
• *We fondly hope that article and this reminder will save even ONE life this year and many more in years to come.

*We believe that if we have adequately convinced even ONE  snowmobile enthusiast  to avoid 'high-marking' and their understanding of the danger saves ONE life--we will have succeeded. 
  At Incoming Bytes we ask:  

1. How can we continue to improve our own lives? 
2. How can we begin improving society by quantum leaps? 
3. How can we encourage  society to entertain complete change, endorse clean energy, and create a kinder, gentler society that is responsible and sustainable?
4. How can we encourage civilization to allow the Age of Light to begin? An age of  intelligent social construction,  common sense, logic, protracted thought, and cooperation?

 Perhaps  that's a little much to ask of our greedy, profit-oriented, power-hungry,  hedonistic, selfish, arrogant and stiff-necked retail-blinded shopping society so soon.  
No matter. We shall persist. 
  Back to the original question.  Have we persuaded even one person such a quantum change is necessary?   I believe so. That is only one of many worthy achievements.
  It seems to me it's logical to  continue to stay on track, stay informed, use common sense, and explore the mundane, the unknown, the interesting, the challenging,  and the universe itself-- with open minds.  

For 2012:
Let us challenge wrongs and insist upon change with conscience; 
Let us not shirk our duty to ourselves and humanity ; 
Let us continue facing the future and building it better--  for with faith and perseverance, we CAN do it.
The Age of Light is upon us.
  
Think about it if you dare.  Happy New Year!


That's my story and I'm sticking to it 

Occupy this! Democracy under Attack

It must dawn upon us...Occupy this...

The global  'Occupy Everything' movement has generated a lot of attention over the last few  months.  
In North America the occupation of parks, streets, and other public areas by campers and  demonstrators of all descriptions was  intended to bring the insatiable  greed  of Corporate North America and the questionable economic policies of less than stellar financial institutions and  government to the attention of you, the reader.

The coloured tents, signs, unshaven occupants, endless speeches, chanting and impromptu arrests  became  both  fascinating and annoying to some, an unattractive blight on an otherwise 'pristine' urban landscape to some observers, --but a logical demonstration, a virile seed,  and a powerful inspiration to others. The movement grew exponentially. Why would it not?
  Brought to the attention of big government, not coincidentally under fire by the same protestors,  the lackadaisical occupiers, in-the-park campers,  "obstructing the public spaces of  holiday shufflers and shoppers  alike" also raised the ire of 'one or more'  'directly-affected' slightly miffed local governments and stuffy officials across Canada. 
Authorities disapproved of  colourful tent cities, odoriferous portable toilets, the occasional campfire, burning tents, and the  'unauthorized'  occupation of so-called 'public spaces' by 'demonstrating rabble'.  
The Occupy Toronto encampment was disassembled, and  as of this date, police are moving in to remove the Occupy Montreal site. The Occupy Edmonton site was also "encouraged to disappear" overnight by "authorities".  At 4:00am yet.  How convenient to keep their actions out of the scrutiny of the public.


At Incoming Bytes we can easily observe that local 'authority' figures, bureaucrats,   and officials "occupying the halls of power"  once more  purport to  know what is best for all of society. 

   It should be no surprise that  the people demonstrating, encamping, and speaking up may also NOT know what is best for our society;  Babies and Grade II students do not know what is best for our society, seniors do not necessarily know what is best for our society and neither do campers and demonstrators necessarily  --clearly so--but what they DO  know is what is unjust, what is hypocrisy,  and what has been damaging society.


  --And just what might the 'real best for society " actually be?  Guess.
The freedom to freely demonstrate. The freedom to free association with others that also believe in alternatives.   The freedom to speak up and identify bureaucratic abuse without fear. The freedom to speak out without fear when abuse of authority is recorded.  The freedom to speak out when governments waste tax dollars endlessly, without thought, while failing to feed children, seniors, and the homeless.  The freedom to speak out when war is declared  at the cost of trillions of dollars --not by the people, but by a few hawkish international policy-makers, self-aggrandizing   politicians and military leaders  cheered on by the petroleum and  armaments industry in the name of profit.   
That's not ALL.
The freedom to speak out against obscene corporate profits garnered without morals on the backs of the working poor. The freedom to speak out when corporations outsource jobs to China,  slash North American jobs, and simultaneously pay  CEO's bonuses of  tens of millions of dollars each year for such stellar performance . The power to speak out against the pervasive ROT that is endlessly observed in government.  Fake lakes. Billion-dollar political-pork-barreling.   Glorious half-million-dollar CF18 Fly-byes  to stroke the ego of  militarists and politicians  to make themselves feel good about spending billions on WAR. 
The power to speak out when financial institutions gut the financial sector, threaten bankruptcy  to political allies, who bail them out with hard-earned tax-payer dollars.  


All freedom-loving people should be giving notice.  
Occupy this concept: 
  Right is right. 
 
The practice of ethics, fairness, and justice  in governance, bureaucracy and industry is not only required, it is demanded by any democracy, it is demanded by the people of Canada. 
Canada  IS a democracy, or was.
Is democracy now under attack by our own governments?

Our government  purports to "wish democracy" upon places like LIBYA. We spent BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars interfering in the political process in that country, "supposedly" to depose a dictator.  Free the people and all that.
Was it hypocrisy, a bid for control over oil, or just more playing "puppet"  while filling huge and profitable contracts for the defense industry? 
 ALL people interested in justice, fairness, reason, and freedom globally should OCCUPY THIS concept: in a democracy, people have a RIGHT to demonstrate and speak up....or have our "authorities" conveniently forgotten that?


 Is the  official action now being taken to disassemble and quell the "uprisings of peasants" in Canadian cities merely  an indication of how close government is bedded with big business, or is  the apparent disapproval of freedom of expression throughout North America  a harbinger of fascism and dictatorships being established?  

We have to wonder.
The recent highly-publicized  American image of a uniformed officer CASUALLY strolling down a row of seated, quiet demonstrators, heavily pepper-spraying them ---is  a clear message of a TOTAL lack of  respect for civilians, inexcusable arrogance and a brutal abuse of power. The authorities responsible for this response to civil demonstration should be ashamed of themselves.
Why should concerned citizens not be allowed to voice an opinion, and demonstrate? 
At Incoming Bytes, the question of the day must be:
"How long does the existing political-corporate system in North America think it will be occupying the halls of power with the increasing abuse of authority?" The reader is encouraged to think independently. 
We suspect:  "Not long".   Ho hum....




that's my story and I'm sticking to it.