-"Sometimes the criminal Justice system gets it wrong." Harriot Herman. She said this during a panel for the BBC on capital punishment. It seems a bit strange to hear this. That our justice system can sometimes miss judge a case like Troy Davis. In today's society, there are over 93 countries that practice the justice of Capital Punishment on those who have committed unforgivable offenses. In countries like Afghanistan, even young children who commit small crimes are executed. Since 1978, the amount of support that capital punishment has decreased by 19 percent. Even so the measure continues. Those who support it.... Those who don't....There are those who support Capital Punishment and those who don't. It is an extreme form of punishment that is economically costly. Also, if you can tell from the top left image, the justice system has blood on it's hands as well. So what exactly should you believe in?
Capital Punishment does not have an exact history or specific place of origin. In most countries and society's, the form of Capital Punishment, or commonly known as the death penalty, has been used in cultures and societies for thousands of years as a means of executing those who have committed unlawful activities. Methods like the chopping of the head, hanging, firing squad, electric chair and lethal injection, just to name a few, have been evils made to combat crime. It has been an evil that has been viewed to many, according to the week news, as a proportional punishment. But what does this mean exactly? Well it is closely related to the biblical term, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Or Karma. What you have done, whether good or bad, will be returned to you in some form.
In terms of economic it has taken a very hefty toll.Economically it has taken a chunk of the budget in states who chose to use the death penalty. In states like California, the annual cost for Capital Punishment systems are at least $308 million a year and the average cost for a lethal injection is $86 per shot. And with all that money spent, what is gained? Morally, it has not proven a thing. The fact that we take lives to bring comfort to another is not morally just. Taking a violent life does not create peace. It only begets violence. At the same time, our public safety is key to protect society.
According to The Amnesty International project, the death penalty has very little effect on outside society. What this means is that if an individual is executed for murder, and the idea of the death penalty is to exemplify a point, it fails to do so. The supporters of capital punishment argue that it sets an example for future offenders. Conservatives like Priti Vatel argue that capital punishment in itself is the only form of justice preventing criminals like rapists from returning to the streets. But the Amnesty United Project argues the death penalty does not put a strain on crime or decrease it.
The system of capital punishment has taken a great toll on who we are as a country and as a people. this point is bought up primarily due to the execution of an innocent inmate who was wrongfully accused and put to death. Troy Davis was convicted of murder in 1989, for the murder of an off duty police officer. During most of the 1990's, he gained favorable support from the public for his release, for 64 to 80%, he was inevitably executed. Several years later, the witness testimony's that landed him in prison, later say that they were persuaded into testifying against Davis.
This fact brings us to an important question. In knowing what we know now, should the death penalty be banned? Or is it an appropriate tool to deter violence? The answer for both is no. The death penalty has not proven to ease a crime wave in any form in the past 20 or so years. As a matter of fact 153 have since then banned capital punishment, claiming it is a method that rips away our moral character. If there is one thing life has taught me, killing someone else dose not mean justice. If anything the death penalty is just a way for countries to get away with murder on a massive scale. You may have notice the image with a famous phrase from the Sex Pistols saying No Future. In truth, if we don't change our way of punishment, then we have no future as a civilized society.
-A name alone can cause an uproar given the proper situation. Names like Hitler, Osama, and Bush bring to mind the malign histories and less than reputable pasts. Now here is a name that most of our nation, at this point should be familiar are with. Global warming. What is global warming. Today's media groups whether Liberal or Conservatives wage social wars between one another due to the theory of "the earth warming up." As early as the 1880's and as recently as 2012, scientists have begun to notice an alarming rise in Global (land and oceanic environments) temperatures. Evidently millions are on an uncertain terms with the issue of Global Warming. Scientist and engineers are coming together and discovering new alternative of energies. But in the end the general public is still unclear what this all means.
In today's energy market, the most conventional forms of energy are narrowed down to Fossil Fuels; Oil, Coal, and a new energy source, Natural gas. Oil which the U.S. imports from primarily Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Fossil Fuels which are the burning of microorganisms and dead organism, such as animals. Coal, which is mined from areas of the United States and Natural gas which is hidden deep in geological earth. The alarming rise in carbon dioxide has reached it's highest rate in 20 years, but in bring up an interesting point. Scientist argue that the new levels have become a hazard and some scientist like Roy W. Spencer argue that here are alternative motives to Global Warming. But in order to understand the arguments, we first need to know what exactly Global Warming is.
What is Global Warming?
Really what is Global Warming? According to sites like Wikapedia Global Warming was coined to describe the earth's atmosphere and Ocean levels rising due to rising temperatures. But you may think so what, the earth is getting a little hotter. The issue is that "YES THE EARTH IS GETTING HOTTER"!!!! According to The New York Times, emissions causing Global warming or Co2 are caused by primarily coal and oil. Political uproar has been called about this. Many Politicians like Congress Woman Michelle Bochman argue that Co2 is a product of nature.(comment about Co2) Watch the video bellow.
With the damage that is being brought on by using the traditional methods, power companies are trying to find brand new ways to produce energy. The most recent one involes using Natural Gas. The gas is hidden in pocket in the geological earth(usualy underneath towns) The methods in which is gas is captures is called Fracking, and no, not the Battle Star Gallatica kind.
According to the BBC documentary, Fracking 101, fracking involves drilling deep into the earths surface and using the water in the pipeline that breaks these pocket and relases the gas into the water along with added chemicals. It sound like a miracle product. Offering a new efficient form of energy and creating new job opportunities for stuggiling homes and families. The fact is that natural gas is unethical. As you can see from the NBC news report, a Colorado Husband and Wife's tap water is bursting into flames. But why? For the simple reason that "Fracking is Fracking dangerous. Here are the facts.
The chemicals used to abstract the gas come from a water supply that has harmful chemicals in it.
The gas begins to migrate to other sources, like town water supplies, causeing the water to become contaminated by methane gas.
EPA investigaions could not come under way because of funding, and federal investigations are just beging.
In 2005 when George W. Bush signed for companies to begin extracting gas, he also signed that gas companies did not have to commply with the "Safe Water Drinking Act."
The cost of the expenses in terms of the types of energy usage fluctuates in the millions. But the cost of environmental damage can be permanent. As the events of the BP oil spill have shown, the effects of drilling and mining for energy can leave permanent damages to our environment. But can we establish alternetives forms of energy usage? According to Roy W. Spencer, it is actually much more expensive and the energy made from renewable energy come up for only 8% of the nation energy.(Such as Windmills and Watermills)
In the end, we are left with one question. Is global warming man made? Yes. Co2, while it is a natural product of nature, our coal and oil usage have multiplied the amount of carbon dioxide in 2010, according to the week news. Do we have a solution? Well according to Roy W. Spencer, we can not change our method in a snap. The amount of energy needed to use the energy we use today with coal is not sufficient and only makes up 8% of our nation. So what can we do, well for now, we can only do small thing. Unplugging electronics when not in use, walking instead of driving and just keep thinking of the bigger picture.
-We live in a society today were information we revive is told to be endless. We use social media to keep us informed on daily occurrences that affect the lives of millions daily. But here is a question that is posed. What if you are not receiving all of the information? In other words, what if you were being censored from events that took place in the world. Today we live in a very secretive society. With private Military groups and covert missions, we as as people are never told about these occurrences. You would think that we as a people would be able to grasp it, but need to say that we are on a need to know basis. But in early October 6, 2006 a site merely know as Wikileaks was born.
But in the past year seven or so years, Wikileaks and it's founder have been under more fire that Coldplays new album Mylo Xyloto. Wikileaks and its founder have been the public enemy of State and governments around the globe. In an interview with 60 minutes Assange has said he has made many enemy's. He says that Vice President Joe Biden refers to him as a "high tech terrorist." Senator Sarah Pailin says that Assange and members of Wikileaks should "Be dealt with like Al Queda. It's bizarre though. Why is it this site and founder have earned so much attention? Well first we need to know what is Wikileaks.
What is Wikileaks
The essential concept surrounding Wikileaks is this. If offers user to upload information into their drop box were is is look at by the 4 members of Wikileaks and is then published to the site and emphasizes freedom of press. The site has been take down, but Assange and his team team of wolverines have formed allies with various sites and news networks. So even if their website were to be shut down, they have other server awaiting to be opened.
With the "whistle blowing" come the information provided. Some of the information released to the site has been deemed classified by not only the United States State Department, but also various nations like Tunisa and London. In Theweek.com an interesting article reviles that Wikileaks has reallead thousand top secret information.
76,000 classified reports on U.S. operations in Afghanistan
400,000 files reviled about the actual civilian death poll in Iraq
Thousands of state department files were released about backroom diplomacy
It brings up an interesting idea. Wikileaks is no different then a common newspaper, but many are arguing that it has no right revealing state secrets. So should we as a people be allowed access all information, the way Wikileaks believe? Or do State and Government have the right to hide information.
In the United States, our first Amendment is our most sacred. I allows anyone to voice his or her political opinion. We as a people are also in titled to be told about what is going on in this country and outside. We are having or information censored from us. American Politicians claim that he is an Anarchist and anti-American. In the interview with 60 Minutes, he has said that if anything, "Wikileaks and it's ideas have more in common with the American Revolution. He feels it is a right for people to know what their Government is doing.
- Here is a satire on Wikileaks whistle blowing
There have been argument made toward Wikileaks from the State Department claiming that the information Wikileaks exposes is potentially putting the live of thousands in danger. Julian Assange has assured that in the information Wikileaks has released, he and his staff have taken all measure to protect the people.
Since then Wikileaks has taken a turn for the worst and the video below explains. With multiple law suits, pay pal system cutting them, Julian Assange facing trials in Sweden for two counts of rape(though he say this is a smear campaign against him), U.S. wishing to exodite him for a violation of the espionage act and he and his employees have received various death threats. Wikileaks has been crucified in the public and political eye.
Julian Assange and his crackpot team are not trying to overthrow nations or destroy them. They merely want the public to know everything. A man merely know a V once said that "People shouldn't be afraid of their government, government should be afraid of their people." People Don't need to be afraid of their government to demand the truth. It is their constitutional right. And Wikileaks allows the people of all nations to know information that is vital to bring the people closer and have more control of their government.
"September 11th is the day that never ends" Richard Cohen.
-It has been eleven years. It has been eleven years since the fateful morning of September 11th 2001. On that morning, America had been attacked by a group of religious fundamentalist known as Al Queda. Not since Pearl Harbor has the United States been attack by a foreign power. In that single moment, we as a people grew together as one and had now found a common enemy.
In the months that followed, President George W. Bush had initiated a invasion of Iraq to combat the Al Queda threat. In that time we attacked a nation that had absolutely nothing to do with the attack on the nation, thousands of young men and woman died in combat and the economy declined drastically.
-our economy effect on others
It brings up an interesting point. With the Patriot act, it allowed the federal government to, set up surveillance teams, wire tap phone and electronic messages to listen in to someones conversation and it allowed illegal interrogations of people viewed to be a part of Al Queda.
Was the U.S. overreacting to the event of 9/11? Or was it going to necessary lengths to defend the nation? Let us look at (some) the facts.
Thousands ( 109,032 ) of Young American men and women had died in the chaos
The Patriot Act had allowed the Federal Government to invade people's privacy and form investigations around "Suspected terrorist threats". (including people who speak ill of their government, such as a peace group)
In 2003 the U.S. had begun a bombing raids in Baghdad that caused hundreds of civilian deaths.
al Queda has alienated itself from modern Arab and muslim directions (Yale)
Have we had any attacks at home?
Other than 9/11, we have had groups and idididuals try to attack the nation, with an efficase on the word try. Because we ave funded for better secerity of airports and highted eyes on the city(cameras) the chances of an attack comencing are very slim considering. But it dose host an issue of anyone could be a terrorist, even americans civillians who have no offiliation with Al Queda.
How does losing lives abroad differ from losing lives on home soil?
The troubling thing is that when it comes to lives lost in another contry than here, people generally feel more comfortaed. People want the comfort of knowing that the enemy cannot harm the people they hold so dear to them. The idea that there is a battle in another country and not own make americans feel safe. But in reality it is all hogwash. It fed a psycological need for us to know that we as a people could be assures that our families and loved ones were safe here at home. At the end of the day, we were just looking for someone to point the finger at. We never needed to go to war with Iraq. We never had reason to invade Iraq. If you watch Farenhight 9/11, you will see that in the first week or so after the events of 9/11, we knew where Osama Bin Laden was. He was in Afganistan. Not Iraq.
"Killing Bin Laden..." proposes 4 different answers to the question of whether we are safer after Bin Laden's assassination, The Week points out that depending on who you are and what political agenda you believe will determine how you answer that question. In the end it's an article that shows how unsure we are about our future.
Civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering the consequences of our actions. With the bombing raids harming thousand of civillians, we have made this country hate the very foundations of americas rocky house. When the people begin to revolt against the fondations the army has esablished in Iraq, the media begins to spew noncence about the "Enemy". The thing to be aware of is that the american government began this by attacking a naton that had nothing to do with the attacks. They call them the enemy when we are the enemy.
But for me personally I see myself as a moderate and in terms of the final equation we just don't know if we are safer. We just don't know. It's an uncertain future for the U.S.A. but the only certanty is that we can rest today, but we need to be aware of tomorrow.
-This month has been one of a trial and error sort of ititerary. The Patriots lost the super bowl, Russia is in a turmoil, and our Republican Presidential Canidates are more rilled up then bloggers on youtube talking about the new face book template. This month highlites a 3rd straight win for the Republican Moderate, Mitt Romney. With a succesful win in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Nevada seems in the bag for Rommney. But that is not to say that his rivals in this race are deturd to turn the other cheek. Newt Gingrich is in second place with a strong campaign, but is begining to lose his edge due to his agressive smear campaigns. In Third place we had Rick Santourum, who has still managed to stay in the race regaurdless of his the loss in New Hampshire ans South Carolina. And Finally, we have Ron Paul who's campaign at this point is uncertain. In terms of policies, each canidate has different views on sperate policies. For now it is working in this manner. Each canidate wants to
Reapel Obama Care.
Each Canidate has their own method on how to handle the increase in taxes.
Saving Job Creators
The roal of the united states government is to do just that. "Govern The People". But it seems as though voices are going unheard in the mist of a debt crisis among other things. Liberals and Democrats have one common understanding. This country is in trouble and we need the proper solution, but when there are two sides to the same coin, it is hard to see the other side of things. The small differences between the two are something like this. Liberals view government as a good thing that can be used for every possibility to help the people. Democrats fear the increase of government seeing it as a threat to the nation.
But it brings up another interesting subject on weather or not President Obama deserves another term in the white house. Well let us look at his politics. He is a Democrat in favor of a universal heath care bill affordable for all Americans, he has made plans to quarantine the gun control issue to minimize the amount of fire arms making it out into the streets among so many other issues. The nature of this reality is that due to the republican run senate, the idea of a universal heath care or marijuana law seems impossible. Many of his policies have been shut down by members of the senate like Scott Brown, who don't want the wealthy to pay a dime out of pocket for energy efficient wind mill or the vast dream of health care. He continues to speak and be unheard. The one candidate this year who has a chance of beating him in this election is Mitt Romney, but at the same the issue rising from the campaigns is the constant attack on Romney being a Moderate. So at this point it is draw into limbo as to who should run. At this point, it is entirely up to the american people on who will be our president. Take a look at this video round table with CBS discussing the race.
2012 has a stigma to it's name. It is meant to mark the end of the world. In the case of the united states, who we elect into the white house, senate and so on, will effect the future of this nation. I love this nation and wouldn't think of any other place to live. But it is on us, the blogger, the activist, and patriots to make the write choice. We are the future so let us make a better one.
-Hi there everyone. My name is Peter Thiago Rodrigues. Sorry if i'm not clear on presenting myself, but I'm sort of new to this. I'm just an average persom who likes to talk about both political and social issues that ouccur in our daily live.I also love to act, play a instrument and get to know people. I am a journalist outside of school for a public accesses channel and a helping hand.
I grew up in Cambridge Massachusetts. Growing up, I never understood much about polotics. To me, it just appeared to be two sides yelling about who was wrong and who was right, but as I got older, I started looking into politics more. Trying to understand a current issue whether it be in my own city or abroad and finding sources to help me understand what was going on.
Polotics are a tricky game. I am a liberal, but don't plan on just posting just my own point of view. In todays polotics, it is necessary for you to hear both sides of the story in a clear fashion, so that you understand what the arguments and the bickering are about.
John Lydon once said, "Don't accept the old order, get rid of it." He made a valid point. If we as a people are going to change the out come of the future, then we must plan for a better tomorrow. I hope you will all continue you follow the politics of today and I will do my part to keep you posted and I hope anyone who uses this site has a better understanding of an issue.
-Live Forever
Peter Thiago Rodrigues
-Here are an arrange of links I use to keep me updated on political subjects:
-Hi there everyone. My name is Peter Thiago Rodrigues. Sorry if i'm not clear on presenting myself, but I'm sort of new to this. I'm just an average persom who likes to talk about both political and social issues that ouccur in our daily live.I also love to act, play a instrument and get to know people. I am a journalist outside of school for a public accesses channel and a helping hand.