It's all about selling SOAP?

In July 2011, Sarah Palin's documentary The Undefeated opened to an empty theater in Orange County (READ MORE). While on the surface, the movie's box office failure was rather humorous, unfortunately, a majority of journalists missed the point on why the film was released in the first place. It's the same reason why Newt Gingrich, despite getting destroyed at the ballot box, stayed in the race. 

When this blogger lived and worked in the People's Republic of China, I discovered that cigarettes and alcohol were used to bribe government officials. Indeed, the central government actually monitors the sell of expensive cigarettes to gauge the level of corruption in different cities. While the average price per pack was LESS than a dollar, several brands from Yunnan Province cost more than $110s a cartoon. 

Why? Well, cigarettes are a form of hard currency which cannot be individually traced by the government. Thus, local officials accept cartoons of cigarettes, as bribes, without drawing the attention of the central government. 

Economic crimes, such as tax fraud and corruption, routinely appear among the criminal dockets of those given the death penalty READ MORE...

Intead of cigarettes, in the United States, 527 special interest groups purchase books and DVDs (in bulk) to support politicians and so-called journalists who support their specific agenda. For example, the reason Sarah Palin toured Iowa during the primary season was to SELL books and DVDs. She earns more than six figures a year giving speeches. As long as she remains a political celebrity, she'll continue selling SOAP. While this blogger respects Senator John McCain, somebody spiked his political Kool-Aid in 2008.

Suggested Reading:
Money Unlimited ~ How Chief Justice John Roberts orchestrated the Citizens United decision.
Read More...
Covert Operations ~ The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama.
Read More...

Sometimes 'FAIR' and 'BALANCED'?

People filter information based on their own belief system. For example, people who watch Faux News on a regular basis tend to be more conservative in their political beliefs. No problem (it is what it is).

However, despite it's political flavor (along with the countless number of daily editorial decisions supporting a specific agenda), should a media corporation (radio, television or print) be allowed to make direct campaign contributions? Could this sea of corporate money interfere with the political process? Do unlimited 527 campaign donations to a specific candidate endanger the foundations of a Free Society? Do you ever ask yourself, "why do I believe what I believe?" And yes, Karl Rove is on the payroll of Faux News.

"My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference."
~ Harry S. Truman
Fox News Reporting: The Right, All Along. The Rise, Fall & Future of Conservatism (DVD)

Where is K Street?

"Power is crack. Money buys crack." ~ Self


Congress approves wide-ranging ethics rule?
Read More...

#Occupy Wukan?

Violent political clashes in Egypt? London burning? A nuclear crisis in Japan? Military tanks crushing government protesters in Syria while American troops leave Iraq? The Libyan people rising up against Muammar Gaddafi? #Occupy Wall Street protests in every major American city? Russians marching again on the streets of Moscow?

And the year 2011 is not quite finished...


Analysis: Democracy is like a rice cooker. When too much pressure builds up inside, excess steam is released so the cooker (i.e. society) doesn't EXPLODE. How strong or mature is a government which is afraid of the peaceful words and ideas of one man?
Read More...

Update:
Wukan protesters end action after Chinese government offers concessions
December 21, 2011
Read More...

Newt Gringrich for President?

Seriously? Really? Could General Ripper's conspiracy theory linking "fluoridated water" with a Communist plot to weaken American society be true? Every time this blogger reads about the candidate's recent surge in the polls, a single rhetorical cliché best describes my thoughts regarding Newt's book selling run for the White House:

Can you say "Lipstick on a Pig"?

Despite Newt's well-documented, extremely checkered political record, a growing number of Republicans actually believe he's the best candidate to beat President Obama in 2012.

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who's NOT known for her intellectual prowess or problem solving skills, put it best. On CBS' Face the Nation, Bachmann stated, "He's the 'King of K Street. For a person who's been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington, D.C. - to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider, when he is the consummate establishment insider?"

Hopefully, between now and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, GOP voters will WAKE UP and take another look at Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer. Otherwise, Republican voters should be prepared for the GOP to suffer its biggest Presidential defeat in its long, proud history. In terms of Jon Huntsman, he has an extremely strong foreign policy background (which during the Cold War actually meant something with Republican voters). As far as supporting a candidate like Buddy Roemer, well, GOP voters could walk away from a 2012 defeat with dignity and some glimmer of hope for the Party's political future.

Political Quote of the Week:
"If a corporation is a person, I can't wait until they get drafted in the next war."
~ Buddy Roemer on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show
December 8, 2011



Photo Credit: Peter Rimar's wife in an art gallery located in Beijing's 798 District (May 2008).
Reference Links:
Lipstick on a Pig
Dr. Strangelove

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to visit Myanmar?

FACT: 14 countries physically border the People Republic of China.

Most Americans are unaware of China's unresolved border dispute with India and how this specific issue continues to impact the balance of power in Asia. Read More...

Additionally, in the view of this blogger (shared by an army of journalists and diplomats who actively pay attention to the extremely diverse regional dynamics of Asia), two of those countries, the DPRK (North Korea) and Myanmar are PROXY states of the CCP and the PLA. Any serious discussion or analysis regarding the economic or political future of Burma begins and ends within the gates of power in Beijing.
Read More...

While Clinton's upcoming diplomatic mission to this isolated state is a positive regional development, folks need to remember that in 2000, then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright undertook a similar, unsuccessful journey to Pyongyang. With that said, unlike the DPRK, the people of Burma actually hold a wild card in the geopolitical game.

Her name is Aung San Suu Kyi.

‎"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it."~ Aung San Suu Kyi
Letters from Burma


State Visit Update:
(December 3, 2011)
Clinton allowed to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi
Read More...

...perspective...

Image from interview on CCTV 9 (September 2008).

The Former King of K Street Speaks Out?

"Our system is flawed and needs to be fixed."
~ Jack Abramoff
60 Minutes
November 6, 2011



According to the Center for Responsive Politics (based on data collected from the Senate Office of Public Records), in 2010, 12,951 lobbyists worked the corridors of power in Washington D.C. on behalf of a long list of corporate clients. Read More...

If you think corporate influence on the democratic process is limited to just the White House and Capital Hill, think again.

The residents of quiet North Dakota, a state rarely mentioned in the national media, got an education on the real workings of crony capitalism. Earlier this year, the former Republican Governor personally lobbied the state's representatives in Bismarck to lower the tax rates for oil companies. As a thank you, one extremely grateful oil company gift wrapped a new job title and 11,945 shares of its own stock (worth over $770,000) to Ed Schafer.
Read More...
No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington ~ Condoleezza Rice (Hardcover)

Starbucks CEO pledges to stop political contributions until bipartisan bickering in Washington ends?

Just a few weeks before the grassroots efforts of a few people started #Occupy Wall Street (OWS), Howard Schultz attempted to jump start a national debate concerning the corrupting influence of corporate money on the hostile political environment on Capital Hill. It's this continued, uncompromising gridlock in Washington D.C. which is contributing to the economic uncertainty in consumer confidence and the broader financial markets.

He has a simple message:
"We deserve better".
For those who complain that Occupy Movement itself lacks anointed leaders or that business people outside the movement don't understand the serious political issues facing this country, well, it's just not true:


Here's a link which illustrates how this one CEO is translating his words and ideas into real economic action: Create Jobs For USA.

Considering his corporation has helped make Coffee popular in a 5,0000 year old, tea drinking culture, maybe this guy actually knows what he's talking about...

Starbucks Coffee Shop, Guangzhou, PRC July (2008)

Occupy Wall Street T-shirt - Black, XXXX-Large

Iraq is a Sovereign State?

Despite Mitt Romney's condemnation of President's Obama decision to remove U.S. troops from Iraq before December 31st (a deadline originally negotiated by the Bush Administration), the fact remains, Iraq's economic and political future rests with it own people. 

What was the original mission in the region? The search for W-M-D? Please. It was to remove Saddam Hussein from power (spelled O-I-L). Period. It's a little late in the geopolitical game to armchair quarterback this country's inevitable withdrawal from Iraq. What part of IRAQ is NOT our country that this candidate doesn't understand?
Read More...
Photo of Iraqi Soldiers training in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005) by Peter Rimar.

USA Today
Two arrests in hit-and-run death
of Chinese toddler
Read More...

Will this security camera video footage of a toddler left for dead 
actually change China? Doubtful. However, considering the CCP filters and controls the internet, beyond the painfully, gut-wrenching nature of the story itself, it's curious that the leaders in Beijing have allowed this tragedy to be part of a much broader, national debate:

Warning: This video contains extremely graphic images of the girl's injuries:

Should politicians wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers to identify their corporate sponsors?

The following is a man-on-the-street interview about the 
Occupy Wall Street Movement 
that DID NOT make it on Faux News:


Onion News: 
Rumors that Rick Perry invited Dick Cheney to go hunting are untrue?

Bachmann Update: 
Candidate runs out-of-gas in Iowa?
Read More...

Class Warfare Update: 
Buddy Roemer is the first & only GOP Presidential candidate to issue a statement offering his support for the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
Read More...

Happy World Teachers' Day!

Photo of Chinese Classroom in Changsha, PRC by Peter Rimar (July 2009).

$1,000,000 Peccadilloes Bounty?

In case you missed it, Larry Flynt (a.k.a. Mr. Hustler Magazine) has offered a seven figure payday for anyone with sexually unsavory information involving the current GOP front runner for El Presidente. The following is a digital copy of a full-page paid advertisement which appeared in the Austin Chronicle (August 19th, 2011):

If the Koch Brothers can quietly spend over $100,000,000 marketing a repackaged brand of Libertarian soap, this blogger has no problem with Mr. Flynt offering $1,000,000 of his own money to uncover hidden dirt on the Texas Governor.

Why?

Honestly, I'm less concern with Perry's private life and more alarmed by the cozy business connections he's fostered as Governor of Texas. For this blogger, while most journalists focused on Perry's poor performance during the recent debates, considering Gary Johnson was allowed to join the GOP's Florida Beach Party, I questioned why Buddy Roemer was once again kept off the debate schedule:

Until the voters in this country demand real campaign finance reform, laws which actually limit the power of corporate money and influence, the politically-motivated pornographic paralysis being played out in Washington D.C. will continue.

After cutting taxes in 2001 and then spending $1.3 trillion for two ongoing wars, the GOP threatened to shut down the government over $3.65 billion designated for disaster relief? Playing politics with people struggling to rebuild their lives is just plain WRONG!

Observation: It appears that Karl Rove's GOP campaign strategy for the 2012 Election is to STOP the government from functioning while slowly driving the economy off yet ANOTHER financial cliff.
Read More...

The Psycho Talk Express Runs Out Of $2 Gas?

Ann Coulter called Ed Rollins. 
She wants her crazy-right-wingnut title back.

Actually, this particular POST is not about Minister Michele Bachmann's recent crash landing in various national polls. Yes, less than a month ago, she captured the Iowa Straw Poll. However, once Texas Governor Rick Perry stampeded his 527 herd into the race, even the early financial affection of the Koch Brothers couldn't save her campaign.

Also, this POST is not about praying for $2 gasoline or the record number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States (highest level since 1987). The oil companies are pumping MORE American crude than before Bush senior's administration (but let's not allow silly facts to get in the way of the GOP's talking points).

Last night on MSNBC (September 6, 2011), Rachael Maddox interviewed Buddy Roemer. Who is Buddy Roemer? Twenty-five years ago, there was this term widely used in the media to describe a specific group of below the Mason-Dixon Line politicians. They were called Southern Democrats. Basically, this wing of the Democratic Party identified themselves as foreign policy hawks and fiscal conservatives. After President Ronald Reagan, many of these Southern Democrats switched over to the Republican Party.

Despite being out of politics for almost 20 years, Buddy Roemer, one of these former Southern Democrats turned Republican, is running for President on the GOP ticket.

Why?

This man knows he has a better chance of landing on the moon than winning the nomination. So, why should folks listen to his thoughts about the current State of this Polarized Union? Well, instead of putting words into his mouth or trying to loosely paraphrase his remarks, here's an extended excerpt from that interview:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In fairness to Comedy Central's Steven Colbert, the comedian has been working to educate Americans on the corrupting power of special interest money. In the case of Buddy Roemer, if given the opportunity, his campaign has the potential to expose the political onion to a wider audience. This blogger wonders if the American people are ready to listen?

“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.” ~ Mark Twain

Photo by Peter Rimar. Changsha, P.R.C. (October 2008).
Hostile Takeover:
How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government
And How We Take It Back (Paperback)

Can you spell "hypocrisy"?

The NCAA makes BILLIONS upon BILLIONS of dollars off student athletes. What's the "CRIME" if a couple students trade a few football jerseys for some silly body art? IF an NCAA student gets hurt ON the playing field, a university is under no financial or MORAL obligation to continue awarding that student an athletic scholarship.
NCAA Florida Gators Infant Bib

Canada Grapples with Controversy Over Chinese Espionage?

Spy Boss Faces Fallout from Foreign Influence Remarks
By Matthew Little
Epoch Times Staff
July 6, 2010

 "OTTAWA, Canada—Canadians should be wondering why their elected officials are not asking the nation's spy boss about the dangers of foreign regimes controlling their politicians."
Read More...



The following comment was posted by a businessman living in Beijing on a friend's Facebook. While these are not my words, during my time living and working in the People's Republic of China, I reached the same conclusion:

"All of the recent Chinese immigrants I know have been brainwashed by too many years listening to CCP propaganda. I suspect some might also be actively collecting intelligence for Beijing. The Chinese student organizations here are riddled with spies and most of our most sensitive technological and research projects include team members who are more than sympathetic to the CCP regime. If we applied the same rules about 'foreigners' that the Public Security Bureau does in China, tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants here would be out of work tomorrow. A sizable majority of the country is outraged over illegal immigration from Mexico. They're looking in the wrong direction."