Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Archive for September 2013

How North Korea Fell Behind South Korea, Part 1

This is the first part of two posts examining how North Korea fell behind South Korea. The second part can be found here.

The story of the two Koreas is a common American tale amongst the educated classes. As the fairy tale goes, once upon a time there was one Korea. By chance, one day this Korea was divided amongst the communists and the capitalists. The communist Korea fell into chaos and poverty. The capitalist Korea became rich and a democracy. Beware communism!

The general thrust of this tale is true. But there are some interesting complexities behind how North Korea and South Korea became the way that they are. After the Korean War, it wasn’t as if South Korea immediately began pulling ahead. For a long time it wasn’t obvious which Korea was doing better.

This is what happened:

The 1940s

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More below.

A Coalition of the Caring

This week Congress will vote on the Food Stamps (SNAP) part of the farm bill, the piece split off from the regular farm bill a couple of months ago because it was not mean enough for teaparty Republicans.

So this new bill is meaner than the old bill in the hopes that will pick up the votes needed to pass it. Sigh.

The Daily F Bomb, Wednesday 9/18/13

Interrogatories

Are you fond of jewelry? Do you (or spouse/partner) have any nice or interesting pieces?

Did any of your ancestors own slaves? Or conversely, were any slaves?

What is the most important or valuable thing you ever lost?

Have you ever lived through a serious drought? Did you ever have to ration water?

The Twitter Emitter

Wednesday Watering Hole: Check In & Hangout for the Herd

Good morning, Moosekind. Don’t forget to let your peeps know where to find you.


  PLEASE Do Not Recommend the check-in diary! 

        Recs on the weather jar comment are still welcome.

The common Moose, Alces alces, unlike other members of the deer family, is a solitary animal that doesn’t form herds. Not so its rarer but nearest relative, Alces purplius, the Motley Moose. Though sometimes solitary, the Motley Moose herds in ever shifting groups at the local watering hole to exchange news and just pass the time.

photo moosewater_zps7351cbaf.jpg

But I Still Don’t Get the Giant Puppets

Edited to add:  I didn’t mean to do it!  I didn’t uncheck the box that says put this on the front page and OMG look where it wound up!  Please, someone who can, move it over to the sidebar where it belongs!

Over at Booman Tribune I got linked into this happy story at Huffpo:  

White House Brings Minimum Wage, Overtime Protections To 2 Million Home Care Workers

It’s definitely a BFD for the many hard-working, unappreciated, peon-wages-paid folks who take care of the most vulnerable among us.  As the article says,

In a move that will change working conditions for two million Americans, the Labor Department announced Tuesday the enactment of a new rule that will extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers, one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country.

As of Jan. 1, 2015, the long-awaited change will end a 38-year-old carveout that excluded workers who attend to the elderly and disabled in their homes from the basic labor protections enjoyed by most Americans.

“Now, waitaminnit”, I hear you say, “just where do the giant puppets come into this?”  Thusly:

Change the Mascot




Change the Mascot photo ChangetheMascot_zps32c430ef.jpg

Casual racism surrounds us. Yes, we have made strides addressing it, but the battle is far from won. Just read through the comment sections of any online news source and you will have waded through a sewer of racist bilge. But major campaigns by black civil rights groups have made changes over the years. No more “Sambo’s” restaurants spread through our cities. The use of blackface has been condemned and censured.

We have addressed the use of the ‘N-word’ in numerous forums, and there is no black person in America that fails to recognize that some white person screaming ‘N-r’ at them isn’t doing it with love.

As communities of color gain political clout, and a certain critical mass, we have launched campaigns to address racist language and imagery, along with legislation and social policy. The entire civil rights movement, which continues to battle (the war is far from won) is a testimony to this. As the Latino community (the group most often targeted as “illegal”) grows in numbers and strength we have seen recent campaigns like “Drop the I word“.    

The one community of color that does not have strength in either numbers or political clout, that does not have the benefit of a mass civil rights movement are our brothers and sisters who are Native Americans. It therefore becomes the responsibility for those of us who have been the victims and targets of racist epithets that are clearly dubbed unacceptable to fight against them when applied to other groups. That goes for the LBGT community who have fought against pejoratives like ‘f-t’ and the feminist community who have stopped the casual use of words like ‘c-t’ to denigrate women.

The Oneida Nation has just stepped up the pressure.

The Oneida Nation launched a new radio ad that began airing in the D.C. market on Sunday ahead of Monday night’s game between the Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. “That word, Redskins, is not a harmless term,” Halbritter says in the ad. “We do not deserve to be called Redskins. We deserve to be treated as what we are: Americans.”

The Daily F Bomb, Tuesday 9/17/13

Interrogatories

What are your favorite and least favorite constitutional amendments?

How good a typist are you? Do you have to look at the keys, or hunt and peck? Do you use all of your fingers?

Are you a good swimmer? Can you dive?

How is the view from your bedroom window? Kitchen? Living room?

The Twitter Emitter

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