Today is busy for me. I'll be off teaching before too long and won't be back til late afternoon. At least it will be sunny for those out doing Christmas shopping.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:20 (average 5:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes
CBC — A Muslim group in Peterborough, Ont., will kneel and pray today at a local synagogue, where they will be welcomed after their own mosque was damaged in an arson attack earlier this month that police are investigating as a hate crime.
"As Canadians we have to stick together," said Larry Gillman, president of the Beth Israel Synagogue, in an interview on CBC's Metro Morning today. "It's not about religion, it's not about race. Canadians do this."
Click through for the rest. In a post Paris tragedy, the Masjid al-Salaam mosque in Peterborough, Ont was burned. But the Beth Israel synagogue extended a hand in friendship and now, both Muslims and Jews are using the same space for worship. Kenzu Abdella of the Masjid al-Salaam mosque said "At the end of the day, it's a house of God." Amen!
Alternet — And he said quite clearly that he believes,
“we’re going to have to do things that we never did before. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule… And so we’re going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago…”
Does that add up to fascism? Yeah, pretty much. In his book, “Rush, Newspeak and Fascism” David Neiwert explained that the dictionary definition of the word often leaves out the most important characteristics of the philosophy, which are “its claims to represent the “true character” of the respective national identities among which it arises; and its mythic core of national rebirth — not to mention its corporatist component, its anti-liberalism, its glorification of violence and its contempt for weakness.” If that’s not Donald Trump I don’t know what is.
Facism is like a contagious disease . . . it keeps on infecting. It's not new, but the current crop of Republicans and Tea Partiers sure seem into ensuring its survival. Dump Trump.
The Nation — China Labor Watch’s (CLW) report on China’s toy industry is a seasonal reminder of how American families’ appetite for cheap toys is fed by not-so-fun factory jobs, in which workers struggle to sustain their own families on pennies an hour. The advocacy group reports:
In workshops that are hazardous to their health, millions of workers toil under cruel management, 11 hours a day, six days per week. Over the course of a year, a toy worker may only be able to see her parents and children one time.
In low-wage factories that bring Star Wars andFrozen toys to big-box shelves, field researchers reported observing up to 80-hour workweeks, widespread wage theft, and apparent violations of both corporate ethical sourcing codes and Chinese labor law—including age-discriminatory hiring, nonpayment of mandatory social insurance, and inadequate safety training. For example, at two suppliers, Winson and Jetta, employers reportedly “diverted” overtime hours to discount weekend work. As a result, CLW claims, “employing up to 11,000 workers, the two companies may be cheating workers out of $1 to 2 million a year.”
Click through fore more. How willing are consumers willing to finance the oppression of workers in other countries? If these were American workers, would consumers still finance the oppression? Given what happens with Walmart employees and with the media, the conditions would be more noticeable. But overseas, out of sight, out of mind.
My Universe — TGIF!!! Getting ready for the weekend!
14 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 27/11/2015”
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5:57
Kudos to Rabbi Glickman!
Fascism is a Republican disease!
Perhaps it's time for a boycott on all Chinese goods.
TC Yoga is best when I have gas,
3:52 Lynn took all my favorites and I had to search to find good ones.
CBC: "At the end of the day, it's a House of God". So nice to read a good story of embracing another's religion and welcoming them after the tragedy at their mosque.
AlterNet: Liked the short simple phrase: "Dump Trump", good one!!
The Nation: I've encouraged family members not to buy any high end shirts/pants @the mall(s), and I've really not shopped at Dollar General, overstocked stuff. Dollar Tree has a lot of items that are made in China, as is Walmart's stuff. I don't shop at any of those stores, anyway. I'm passing this info on to friends too.
My Universe: Exercising hard for their naps. LOL.
Hope you have a good day, enjoy your evening, thanks, Lynn.
Thanks Pat. Being aware is the first step and taking action the next big step.
Thanks for posting on such a busy day, Lynn. I hope nothing untoward will happen to one of the children of your pupil this time, making your days even longer an busier than it normally is.
CBC: What a wonderful gesture from both sides, sharing the synagogue's space for their worship. As Da'esh and the arson attack on the Masjid al-Salaam mosque try to make terrorism about religion, there's nothing better than Jews and Muslims diffusing it again by sharing the same space for their different worship. The Peterborough community is a shining example for all of us.
Alternet: I've had it with Trump, he's scum and what comes out of his mouth is fascist. The media shouldn't give this excuse for a human being a platform to propagate his filth. The only thing that makes him different from the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin or Pol Pot is that at least they had an ideology, a decrepit one, but an ideology no less. Trump doesn't have an ideology, he doesn't have a vision or a plan, he doesn't have ideas, he only brags in Republican sound bites.
"It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
The Nation: Isn't it strange how our compassion ends at the border? Of course many do not know about the way Chinese workers in the toy industry are exploited, how they're worked as slaves, but it's doubtful that many would take it to heart when they knew, paid attention to the brands and boycotted those brands that were known for exploitation. And let's be honest, many Republicans aren't bothered when it is happening within the borders, so what else can you expect?
My Universe: It'll always amaze me that all the stiffness of a winter full of sleep disappears with one good stretch. If you're a cat, that is.
The biggest fear that Daesh must have I suppose is co-existence between all peoples no matter religion, race, ethnicity. If there is nothing to divide, there is nothing to use to sew division.
CBC: I have never cried over an piece of international news, until now. I've been trying to figure out if it is in response to the rampant idiocy of the arsonist(s), or the beauty of Gillman and the synagogue's response. Real sanity on the North American continent, again.
And, in contrast, we have the example of an virulent inflamer of hate, in Trumphole! Lona got him pegged to a tee.
The Nation: "In workshops that are hazardous to their health, millions of workers toil under cruel management, 11 hours a day, six days per week. Over the course of a year, a toy worker may only be able to see her parents and children one time." And who is funding this horror? All the toy manufacturers who shipped ot their work to China, putting how many Americans out of work, for the sake of "More!"
Money is NOT the source of evil, rather it is the craving for MORE money. Oh, does that make the Donald, and the Koch boys the source of evil? Whod'a thunk?
Get the hankies out because I'm sure you will need them again.
6:13 (5:29) Too many windows open probably. That's OK, I didn't want to eat anyway.
CBC – As much as that is the way churches and religions are SUPPOSED to behave, it is always deeply touching to see it done. Bravi to all in both congregations. The rest of us have a way to go.
AlterNet – I wonder whether the 0.01 percent learned from Hitler that when someone is as far out in right field as The Donald, even they with all their money will not be able to control him if they let him in. We'll see.
The Nation – And SUCH awful toys! Did everyone see the TOADY award nominees for this year? Surveillance, sexuality and apps for ever younger children.
Universe – Glad they are not trying to do the Downward Facing Dog.
Too many will be in their counting rooms counting all their gold to notice the poverty of Trump's ideas.
CBC: This is how it should be, the different faiths can work together and should. A local mosque in Lexington, Ky. got a hate threat today and the local government responded immediately. I am so glad they did. The hatred and xenophobia has to stop!
Alternet: The scariest part of this is that I find otherwise sane people agreeing. They have forgotten or do not know about Hitler and WW2! I shared this on FB and I hope some of my red friends read it.
The Nation: Yet another reason NOT to shop at Wal Mart. These are real human beings who are being forced into virtual slave labor so we can save a few pennies. Not right, and should not be allowed.
My Universe: Love it. These kittens look like two of those I fostered last fall.
Edie, during Canada's last election, there was a teacher I think that did not know about the Nazi death camps. The beginning of WWII was only 75 years ago and she said she didn't know about the death camps. Astounding! She was a Conservative.
Thanks all!