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Gallbladder Disease Forum
Severe heartburn, and gallstones!
April 18th, 2012
I started having severe heartburn for 2 weeks. It got so bad, I ended up in the E.R where they did an ultrasound and found I have lots of gallstones. I also had an endoscopy done, and they found the lining of my stomach was inflamed and red. They said they don't know why my stomach is inflamed? I am now under the care of a doctor who will be taking the gallbladder out. But...they won't take the gallbladder out until my stomach is better. I am on carafate and prilosec and pain meds. The first few days of carafate seemed to help, but now my heartburn is still bad. I eat a very mild diet, staying away from anything acidic or high in fat. Does anyone else suffer from this kind of severe heartburn? What can I do for it?
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Deepak Anvekar
Deepak Anvekar
replied April 21st, 2012
Welcome to e health forum. â
Gastritis pain occurs in the left upper portion of the abdomen and in the back. The pain seems to travel âââââfrom the belly to the back. Other symptoms of gastritis include - Belching, Nausea and vomiting, âââââBloating, Feeling of fullness or burning in the upper part of the belly. â
When the pain increases with food, and causes difficulty to eat and is not helped by regular âmedications, then possibility of ulceration of the gastric or duodenal mucosa and / or chronic H Pylori âinfection needs to be suspected. â
You should consult with a gastroenterologist, who if needed can order barium swallow and / or ââendoscopy which may help to make the proper diagnosis and provide specific treatment. â
For the time being, you may need to avoid foods that are spicy and with high fat content. Avoid foods ââlike - puddings, breads, bagels and pretzels are usually made with white flour and refined sugar â; âââvegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, all kinds of beans and legumes, full fat milk, onions and green âââpeas should be avoided. âCured meats and high fat meat products such as sausages, salami, ham, ââbacon, and Red meats like beef and lambâ should be reduced in consumption or avoided totally. â
Juicy fruits such as pears, oranges, sweet limes, watermelons, cantaloupes etc help a lot to control the âââsymptoms. â
Eat at regular times each day. Divide your food into six small meals unless you have trouble âgetting âenough to eat. Eating too often can increase the acid in your stomach. â
â â
Choose low fat or fat-free dairy foods whenever possible. This will also help control stomach acid ââproduction. â
â â
I hope this helps.â
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I changed my mind
replied May 16th, 2012
Well...I had my gallbladder removed 11 days ago. Still have heartburn like crazy. I have stayed away from caffeine, fat foods, etc. Eating barely anything, and when I do it's bland like brown rice. I feel horrible
My doctor put my on prevacid and pepcid, and is referring me to a gastrologist. Hopefully I can be seen soon!
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replied May 17th, 2012
Experienced User
This is why they wanted to get rid of the heartburn and gastritis before they removed the gallbladder. Many people have gallstones without symptoms and many people have heartburn and gastritis without having gallstones. When they said they didn't know why the stomach was inflamed, most likely they just didn't find H. pylori which is a command and easily treatable cause. Sometimes the heartburn and gastritis may be the result of gallbladder problems such as bile reflux or just general inability to eat a sensible diet with gallstones.
So you may have had surgery for no good reason and you're still sick. Keep with the pills and tests and see if you can cure it or narrow down to a particular cause. PPIs are typically taken for a minimum of a month and sometimes for several months to "cure" gastritis. For that time you are quite likely to have indigestion as a side-effect and might not feel much better until you stop with the pills.
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FarmVille Scam Alert: Stay away from 'Kung Fu Duck' Facebook posts
In fact, FarmVille Freak notices that if you look closely, you'll see that the image is a poor, pixelated copy of the original. Furthermore, the scammers fail to emulate Zynga's signature lines such as "Yeehaw" and use incorrect grammar and punctuation throughout.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen or fell victim to this scam? What other scams have you noticed in Zynga's games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm havin so much trouble describing Damon in words! Especially the sinisterly (is that even a word?) adorable expressions on Ian's face. I so love it when he widens his eyes to stress on words or when he's being sarcastic. But what do you call that thing he does which is like half a scowl or half a smirk or something? Like when he squints and half his face kinda scrunches up, just the one cheek, and just for a second? Maybe I'm just drawing a complete and total blank so any help would be truly appreciated!! One word... all I need is the one word.
Ooh and if you're interested, here's my collection of Ian's photos I started back when he was on Lost.. clickie
Thanks much! :)
( 8 comments — Leave a comment )
I'm not sure what word you're after but I find his facial expressions 'snarky' a lot if the time, it's one word but not the right one!!! x
Hi you! Snarky is definitely a good word actually, not the one I was looking for but I should work it in anyway :D Thanks hon!! Maybe its just a lopsided smirk.. *squints* aw hell. Epic thesaurus fail seriously :)
Mmmm... Such lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing. :) I loved him as Boone too, but I have to say I like the character Damon better.
Sorry, I have no descriptive words for you. :(
Sorry, I have no descriptive words for you. :(
You're very welcome sweetie :) And yeah don't worry about the word.. its probably just like.. a sneer only with like half a face.. ugh that sounds so lame but whatever hehe.. never mind :D
Aw I like the 'snarky' too. But that kinda describes him in all huh? XP I know what face you're talking about though, and I think it's cute as hell. ;D
Hehe yeah, Damon is snark personified!! :P
you're hook! not that i blame you! :)
OMG I so am hooked! Totally enjoying it so far tho. Wonder when this show starts to disappoint me but until that happens... :)


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Boss of £1m firm will give it away to be a full-time dad
The leader of a global PR firm, which represented the Dalai Lama and the Prince of Wales, is giving his company, worth up to £1m, away.
Simon Cohen said he wanted to focus on his family as he thought "jet-setting around the world" as head of Global Tolerance was missing the point.
He will hand over 95% of the company, with £10,000, and 10 years' worth of business contacts, he said.
Mr Cohen said he will stay on to mentor the new boss for a year.
The application process is "open to all", said the 34-year-old entrepreneur, adding he does not mind if a "starry-eyed graduate" or a "well-seasoned" executive wants to apply.
He said he hopes other leaders will follow his innovative succession plan.
"Most of the exit strategies seem to centre around how the leader can extract as much money as possible. Lots of businesses end up in a corporate graveyard because of this," he said.
Mr Cohen said he realised when visiting India during a sabbatical that while he was flying around the world with his business, he was missing his "pregnant wife's embrace".
He said: "I am giving up 95% of the shares in a successful company, worth between £500,000 and £1m. In that sense you could say I am giving up a lot of money. It is scary.
"But I think about value in a slightly different way."
Changing values
In a move he says was unprecedented, Mr Cohen put Global Tolerance on a year-long sabbatical last April to coincide with the birth of his first daughter.
The company did not trade and its seven full-time staff were laid off, but were encouraged to take on Global Tolerance's clients, which included TED (Technology Entertainment and Design), as freelances.
Staff will not be rehired next month so the new head can start with a clean slate and no overhead costs, Mr Cohen said.
"The sum of £10,000 is not £1m, it is a modest sum. I want someone to come in with their own vision - not mine. The only way it is going to succeed is if it is not my vision. Companies need to change," he said.
Mr Cohen said he is now writing a book, and focusing on being a stay-at-home father.
"For me that is worth more than a million," he said.
He said he has "a little bit saved" to live off, but hopes to sign a book deal, and is doing some consulting work with a Buddhist leader in India to supplement his income.
New star
Mr Cohen said he is looking for someone with an "authentic social vision" who is not just paying "lip service" to the idea in order to make money, as he said was often the case with corporate social responsibility campaigns.
"I will also be looking for someone with strong financial and business acumen, as this is an area where I have fallen short," said Mr Cohen.
Finding a new person will be a five-step process, he said, including tweeting about what leadership means to them, filling in an application, submitting a business plan and attending an evaluation day.


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Monday, January 25, 2016
HUGE Teacher Supply Giveaway!
Hello, everyone! This is Kelsey from Wife Teacher Mommy! I'm excited to announce that I am hosting a giveaway this week. I will be giving away $50 in teaching supplies! I am celebrating my new blog design and a goal I've met on TpT! Click here to enter the giveaway!
I have also added a new FREEBIE to my TpT store which will also be featured on the Teachers pay Teachers Facebook page this week. The link to this freebie is in the same blog post as the giveaway! Click here to enter the giveaway and grab your freebie!
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to our wonderful followers!
I know many of you are getting ready to head back to work tomorrow. I thought I'd make your Monday a little easier by highlighting a few of my newer freebies can print and use this week!
You can head to my blog to read all about these.
See you there!
Friday, January 1, 2016
Happy New Year 2016!
I'm Laura from Tchr888, and I just want to wish you all a fabulous and wonderful 2016! The Best is Yet to come! To kick off our year, head on over to my blog to find out what I'm currently doing and grab some amazing freebies. Did I mention a $30 TpT giveaway?
Happy New Year and may your year be merry!
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Twenty years ago, I was just a boy with a crazy dream of building stochastic models of the noise affecting the expression of genes in living cells.
Back in the 90s this idea sounded like an heresy. The dominant paradigm of the time was to consider that gene regulation was a qualitative and deterministic process that could be best represented using Boolean models. Yet a number of theoretical considerations led a few people to predict that the small volume of living cells and the large size of the macromolecules involved in gene regulation processes should result in a noisy dynamics that would be best represented by stochastic models. This argument was first developed by Erwin Shrodinger in "What is life?", a little gem of scientific literature.
The first article I published as an independent investigator was a very simple model of gene expression entitled "Markovian Modeling of Gene Product Synthesis". My collaborator Bernard Ycart suggested that we sent the manuscript to an obscure journal that I had never heard of, Theoretical Population Biology. This article got pretty much ignored for 10 years but lately it has been picking up some steam. It finished 2015 with more citations than in any other year before and I am wondering when this article will peak.
Adam Arkin, Mike Elowitz, and others have done much more than me to characterize the noise affecting gene expression mechanisms. Still I am proud to have anticipated this upcoming change of scientific paradigm and I am happy to have the resources to combine experimental and computational efforts to better understand the physiology of noise in the control of cell division through our collaboration with John Tyson.


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"Negroes with Guns" is an interesting book that anti gun rights people like Jessie Jackson really should read:
First published in 1962, the book "Negroes with Guns" is the story of a southern black community's struggle to arm itself in self-defense against the Ku Klux Klan and other racist groups. Frustrated and angered by violence condoned or abetted by the local authorities against African Americans, the town of Monroe, North Carolina, brought the issue of armed self-defense to the forefront of the civil rights movement. These African Americans were able to defend themselves against racist hate groups through gun ownership.
Once again, gun control is racist. The earliest gun control laws were designed to keep guns out of the hands of recently freed slaves, so that they would defenseless. Nowadays, gun control has a disproportionate effect upon minorities, who are more likely to live in cities with draconian gun restriction. The result is suffering by the innocent and unarmed victims, while only those willing to break the law can defend themselves.
I wish that more of my fellow African Americans would read books like "Negroes with Guns", stop fasely calling the NRA racist, and recognize that gun control is not the answer to inner city crime.
Tags for this article: 2nd Amendment, bias, Criminal, Gun Ban, Gun Control, Gun Rights, Home Defense, NRA, RKBA, Safety, Self Defense, Victim
Related Articles:
- "No Guns for Negroes" Video Clip Part 2 of 2
- "No Guns for Negroes" Video Clip Part 1 of 2
- "Junk Guns" are in the Eye of the Beholder
- "Junk Guns" and the Racist History of Gun Control Laws
- Making Guns Taboo Won't Reduce Violence
- College Football Coach Bans Players From Owning Guns Off Campus In Their Private Homes
- The Second Amendment Doesn't Just Protect "Sporting" Guns
- Guns Deter Crime – An often overlooked fact
- Washington Times Editorial: "Guns needed to stop Chicago murders"
- If There Were No Guns Allowed in America…


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OSCommerce Product Manager 0.1.2.436
Size: 2.03MB
License: FREEWARE
Publisher: Publisher | Listed Programs
Release Date: 2005-11-19
Submit Date: 2005-11-23
OS: Win 9x/ME/NT/2K/XP/2K3
Downloads: 8545
(6 Votes)
Software Product Description
OSCPMWin is an multilanguage Windows application to manage the products of your osCommerce virtual store. You can add, delete and update your products, categories, and manufacturers; copy, paste, and move products between categories, upload product images with automatic resize and conversion, change the prices, quantities, availability, etc. for several products at once, backup your database, and much more. All this from your desktop computer. Available in Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.
Reviewer: -sree
Review Date: 2007-10-11
Pros: None
Cons: None
Other Thoughts: Good
(6 Votes)


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Ebony hails Caribbean poets
Noted African-American glossy Ebony has named six Caribbean writers to watch this summer.
Published in its June edition, the magazine listed four Jamaicans -- Poet Laureate professor Mervyn Morris, Beverley East, Ann Margaret Lim and Roland Watson-Grant, along with Andrea Stuart from Barbados and the United States Virgin Islands' Tiphanie Yanique, as scribes readers should take the time to discover.
Ebony found these writers at this year's Calabash
Literary Festival, held in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth in May.
The magazine noted that in the presence of celebrated authors including Salman Rushdie, regional writers held their own.
"Equally thrilling though, was thepresence of literary voices from the Caribbean; writers that weave together tales of their homeland with precision and colorful narratives."
Ebony described Morris as "a master of evoking personal memories with wit and sentimentality. He is also not afraid to shift from
English to patois, exhibiting the complex history of the country."
East was praised for her work, Bat Mitzvah Girl, which chronicles her life in London, where she was raised by her parents and four Jewish women who were neighbours.
Of Lim, the magazine declared: "Lim's name is sure to be one that gains more attention in the coming years." And noted that Watson Grant's writing demonstrates how "how prose could both sting and elate all at once."
The detail of Stuart's writing, and a listing of Yanique's works capped the Calabash exposé in Ebony.
Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaperlive
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Gilt Groupe will be laying off 50 or 60 people within the next week or so, a source close to the company confirms.
Betabeat first reported the rumor at a higher number, up to 170 employees, this morning.
The source says 5-6% of the company will be let go in a number of its departments so the company can get to cash-flow break-even by the second quarter of this year.
The move is the result of a new focus on efficiency and profitability. Previously, the company has emphasized growth--a strategy that allowed it to amass $500+ million in revenue and a $1+ billion valuation in only a few years.
Our source explained that it takes more people to set up new departments than it does to keep them running. Now that Gilt has established a number of businesses, like Park & Bond and Gilt Man, the hard work is complete. Also, the recently-acquired BuyWithMe has now been fully incorporated with Gilt City, Gilt's high-end Groupon-like coupon business; that business can now be sustained with fewer people.
Even though Gilt is planning layoffs in some areas, it will continue to hire. Gilt will end this quarter with more employees than it started with, says the source.
Disclosure: Gilt Groupe's CEO and founder, Kevin Ryan, is also the chairman of Business Insider.


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After taking the Pledge, 2,000 Days will provide ongoing tips, suggestions and information that helps families maximize their time with their children. The information is designed to require no money and no additional time.
Simple activities can make a big difference including singing ABC's during bath time, counting in the car and reading before bed. These little differences can have a dramatic effect on kindergarten preparedness and how well a child performs throughout school.
It's never too late to start. Every child before age five can benefit from this support. Families face many choices during this time – small and large – all of which affect a child's development and preparation for school.
Research shows that 90 percent of a child's brain develops within the first 2,000 days of life.
Through a better understanding of early childhood development and learning, 2,000 Days helps families understand ways to prepare their child for greater success in school and life.
Beginning from day one of a child's life, every little experience that can stimulate and challenge a young mind will have life-long results.


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Robin pulled the gun from underneath her grandfather's mattress with shaking hands. It was an old German Reuger 22. Not well-kept, the barrel a bit rusty looking. She was sure it still worked, though. Well, pretty sure. Placing the gun on her grandfather's night stand she reached back under the mattress and pulled out the magazine. It was full of bullets.
Good! she thought. At least I don't have to look for ammunition.
Now that she had what she'd been after she paused. Was she really going to do this – really go kill her step-father? Really? Why not? I'm a pretty decent shot..That may well be, Rob, but do you have the courage to do this?
She sat down on the edge of her grandfather's bed, staring at the gun and the bullets, and thought over everything that had happened…
The names he had called her mother. Horrible names, so horrible that her mind shied away from repeating them.
The times he had beat her mother – at least the ones about which she was aware. Beating her head into the floor. Kicking her when she was pregnant, causing a miscarriage. Breaking her finger, her ribs, her spirit. Knocking her down the stairs. Demeaning her, slapping her, stealing from her…Destroying what little bit of peace there had been in their home. Breaking them all down emotionally.
The times he had hit her, Robin…times when she, overwhelmed by the violence going on in front of her, had pulled on him or hit him in an attempt to divert his attention. It had worked all too well. The first time, he had punched her in the face with his open fist, knocking her into the closet door against which she had crumpled like an accordion. Another time, exhausted from lack of sleep due to the constant tension and fighting, she had run up the stairs only to find him beating her mother's head against the wooden floor of the bedroom while simultaneously punching her in the face. Robin stood in the doorway, horrified, knowing she had to do something but not sure what that something was. Until she saw the 2×2 lying there, miraculously, it seemed. She picked it up and swung it like a baseball bat, hitting him across the shoulder blades. It didn't even faze him. So she did it again, and again, and again, using the flat side of the piece of wood to beat repeatedly on his back. Finally he dropped her mother to the floor and turned on her. She raised the wood again but he snatched it from her — he was over six feet tall, by the way — and advanced on her. Robin didn't care as long as he left her mother alone.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, you little bitch???" he screamed at her, spittle shooting out of his mouth with each word.
"Leave my fucking mother alone!" she screamed.
He swung the 2×2 in her direction, laughing. "Shut the fuck up you little whore! You bitch!" He kept moving towards her and she continued to back away – in her mind leading him away from her mother. She was also afraid, though, if she was honest.
He laughed, a creepy, wheezy, evil-accented laugh as he swung at her again. "Oh, I'll leave her alone until I am done with you, you bitch!"
Robin moved back further then realized she was at the top of the stairs with nowhere to go but down. He realized that, too, and smiled at her wickedly.
From inside the bedroom she heard her mom call pleadingly, "Go downstairs, Robin. Just GO!"
"Listen to your momma, little girl. Get the fuck outta here!!!" He screamed the last words as he lunged at her one more time. Robin tried to turn away but the corner of the 2×2 caught her shoulder and she fell down the stairs. For a moment she thought her leg was broken…he stood at the top of the stairs laughing at her then threw the piece of wood down on top of her, where it bounced off her shoulder. She lay there crying as she heard the bedroom door slam shut and the fighting begin anew.
Too many times she had failed her mother. And if he had hit them, soon enough he would move on to her little sister. She couldn't be there to protect them every minute of every day; couldn't stand to see her mother kicked across the front yard like a futbol by this horrible man; couldn't stand the thought of him harming her little sister. One day, she just knew it, he would kill her mother and then it would be too late.
No one helped them. Not any of the so-called "men" who were their friends. When things happened they all somehow just disappeared and when they returned they pretended nothing had occurred. Her mother wouldn't call the police. Robin had tried, had spoken to a detective. But when he came to the house her mother told him that Robin was just having a difficult time adjusting to the new marriage, and, "Oh, of course he never hits me!"
The police believed her. No one believed Robin – or her sister – and even if they knew the truth, they pretended not to. Well, Robin could no longer pretend. She just couldn't. Besides, she had just turned seventeen. If she did this she would probably be prosecuted as a minor and then be done with it all by the time she turned eighteen. She could live with that if it meant they would all be safe from the man made of sticks…Could live with it even if it meant a life-time in jail. As long as he was dead and her mother and sister were safe…
Nodding, she picked up the gun and the magazine, ensuring that the safety was on. She picked up her purse and found the extra set of keys to her grandmother's old car. Her grandfather was out of town for the weekend visiting his youngest daughter. Her grandmother, well, she was dead now. Had she still been alive she would have taken care of them, Robin knew it; but since she was not, it was up to her now.
Slowly she drove to her mother's house in the dark winter night. In the silence of the blue Volvo she contemplated what she was about to do. A part of her mind knew that to kill anyone, no matter how foul, was wrong; wrong as could be – and the thought of what she was planning to do made her shudder in fear and in shame. A larger part of her, however, saw this as the only way to protect her family, to ensure that they escaped this monster. Still an argument raged on in her brain, almost causing her to miss a red light. Slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting a black pick-up truck with out of state plates, she gripped the wheel and tried to calm herself. Wait, out of state plates, could it be…? No, her angel had abandoned her – if he ever existed at all – and no one, no one, was coming to save them. By the time she turned onto the dark country road that lead to her mother's house, she had convinced herself that she no longer had any options. Protecting her family was, as always, her prime directive, and she would do it.
As she approached the house she turned off the headlights. The moon was full and she didn't need them to guide her through the familiar yard. Despite her resolve, by the time she parked the car in front of the house, she was shaking again.
Get hold of yourself, girl! She said to herself. You know you are doing the right thing!
Nodding to herself, she picked up the gun where it lay on the passenger seat and exited the car. The house was quiet, it seemed. She wondered how she would kill him. Would she wait until he came down the stairs in the morning? She knew she needed to avoid her mother because she would stop her from completing this mission. This thought caused her to pause for a moment on the front porch. Why would her mother stop her? To protect him? To protect her? Robin no longer knew – nor cared. She knew what was best for her family: to end the nightmare their lives had become.
Very quietly she unlocked and opened the front door. Stepping inside she listened for a moment. Ah, there was a noise in the kitchen. Slowly she made her way to that room, gun loaded, cocked, and ready. She peered around the corner of the door jamb and saw her mother at the kitchen stove, her right arm in a sling, multiple bruises on her arms, one on her face. That did it. A radio was playing softly in the kitchen as her mother attempted to make food for the monster – a common occurrence after a beating. Anything to placate him. Robin's stomach did somersaults as she turned towards the stairs, towards the lair of the monster.
Carefully she climbed those stairs and approached the closed door to her mother's room, knowing he was there.
She was never exactly sure how the events of the next minute or so actually unfolded, could only remember opening the door and seeing him lying back in the bed, one arm folded behind his head, the other holding a cigarette to his lips, his eyes fixed on the television. Hearing the door he turned, saw Robin, laughed, then turned back to the television, his cigarette moving back towards his mouth.
Robin called his name and raised the gun. The next thing she knew, her ears were ringing and he was slumped over in the bed, cigarette on the floor, blood covering his chest. She was amazed at how calm she felt as she went to pick up the cigarette before it could burn a hole in the rug. She was also surprised to realize that the gun was totally empty – she would have sworn she had only fired once. She leaned over and poked him to be sure he was dead, called him an asshole and a dick. No response, so she must have been successful.
Then she heard the screams coming up the stairs. She moved away from the bed to make room for her mother. She entered the room, eyes wild, screeching, "Robin!?? What have you done??? Oh my God!!" She cried out his name and flung herself on top of him. But it was too late.
Robin reached into her own pocket and pulled out a cigarette. She lit it then picked up the phone. She dialed zero for the operator, and over the sound of her mother's screams, she said, "Please connect me to the police. I'd like to report a murder." As she waited and smoked, she smiled. It was done. They were safe.
Mission complete.


text:
What's the Truth About Communism and Capitalism?
By Dennis Loo (4/10/14)
New material at the end added 4/11/14
Second Addendum added 4/12/14
Third Addendum added 4/14/14
Fourth Addendum added 4/24/14
Last night at Cal Poly Pomona, Raymond Lotta spoke about his just released eBook You Don't Know What You Think You "Know" About . . . The Communist Revolution and the REAL Path to Emancipation: Its History and Our Future.
For those of you who were unable to attend the talk in person, a video is being prepared of the talk and I will notify you as soon as it becomes available.
Lotta's talk introduced a new generation to a completely different view of communist revolutions and communism than what almost everyone has been previously been told is the truth.
"Everyone knows," as so many people today in the US would say, "that communism has been a disaster."
"Everyone knows that 'human nature' means that exploitation and ruthless competition shall always exist."
"Everyone knows that the whole world wants to live like middle-class Americans," even if that means that four more planet Earths would be needed to handle the gigantic resulting carbon footprint.
As a way to broaden and deepen the conversation and level of engagement in pursuit of what is true, we are starting a comments thread about his talk. Since this website is devoted to the pursuit and propagation of what is true, this topic is especially useful and the stakes, as I said last night, could not be any higher: the very viability of this planet is at stake.
We are interested in any and all sincere sentiments, whether in agreement or disagreement. The way to the truth is through contention and via a spirit of open-minded exploration.
Here are questions you might find useful as prompts. Feel free to respond to them or to approach it from whatever angle you would like. We look forward greatly to the unfolding interactions.
*What did you think of the way that Lotta discussed the failures and injustices of capitalism?
*Did his talk stimulate you to "re-think" what you had previously understood about communism and its history?
*Was there any information that you found especially interesting, that you want to learn more about?
*Were there particular points that you strongly disagreed with?
*If there was one question you would like to ask Lotta, now that you thought more about the presentation and discussion, what would it be?
Lotta will respond personally to specific questions and comments.
As a point of general orientation to the discussion and debate about these questions: a sure sign that someone is trying to fool you is if they tell you that the answer to any political question is simple. For example, if someone says that "communism is bad" and "capitalism is good," they are trying to get you to stop thinking.
Similarly, anyone who says that public policy and systems are what they are because of "human nature" has either never studied anthropology or sociology or if they did study them, they did not grasp the fundamental principle that makes both anthropology and sociology sciences. Anthropology and Sociology are, after all, the only two disciplines that are exclusively devoted to studying and understanding human society.
What is this fundamental principle? Societies do not take on their character because of the individual personalities, attitudes, values, and behaviors of individuals within them. Societies are collectivities of individuals and groups that function according to logic and rules that are independent of and stand above that of the individuals within them. System logic overall dictates how people will behave within those systems. That is why they are called systems. To further illustrate this point: throughout some 95% of the approximately 200,000 years that human societies have existed, social classes did not exist. The very word, let alone the idea of, individualism, has existed in the English language for less than two hundred years. It first appeared in 1830 as a pejorative term.
The truth is something that is not something you can just hand someone and they can pick up that truth the way you can pick up a tool and forever more that tool will do whatever you need it to do. If someone hands you a sword - I'm a big fan of Game of Thrones so I'm using a sword analogy here - and says to you: "This sword is magnificent and you can slay all of your enemies with it. You don't even have to learn how to use it nor do you have to practice all of the time and train really hard. You can drink all the beer you want and be as lazy as you want. Just carry the sword around with you and it will do everything for you." Even if the person giving you this sword was right that it was a magnificent sword, the fact that he's telling you that you don't have to train incessantly with it would be a clue that you were being misled. What would happen to you the very first time you were challenged and had to use that magnificent sword if you didn't train constantly with it?
There wouldn't be another time for us to even speculate about beyond that first encounter.
So, too, anyone who tells you things like the following is trying to fool you: your vote is what puts you, the people, in charge. You get to do it every four years and in the meantime you can just go back to sleep, as the people you vote for will take care of everything. We'll wake you up every four years from your political slumber so you can exercise your political powers again. In the meantime, it's best that you concern yourself with personal consumption and not worry your head about big questions. Lucky you live in America!
The official rhetoric about the nature of "democracy" in America is clearly fraudulent if you probe it and are not satisfied with repeating unthinkingly the familiar nostrums about it being the best of all possible worlds. In order not to be fooled you have to think all the time and analyze things – under any system. Anyone who tells you that you don't have to do these things is misleading you. Anyone, on the other hand, who informs you that you need to stay alert all of the time, to make a concrete analysis of concrete conditions, emphasizes the importance of paying attention to evidence rather than just listening to authorities and what "everyone knows," and that there is no "magic bullet" that will forever guarantee that things will be fine, is telling you things that are true and things that you need to know. Life is not like the big red EASY button that Staples advertises.
What follows isn't going to be simple. Elegance exists in the world but elegance isn't the same thing as simple. E = MC2 is elegant but it isn't simple.
Politics is complex. Life in general is complicated so there is no reason why we should expect politics to be straightforward. Politics is not, however, obscure and impossible to grasp, even though it is complex. There are certain principles and there is science and theory that allow us to penetrate beneath the surface phenomena to the essence of things.
In evaluating different political and economic systems the first point to keep always in mind is that all social groupings are systems. All of the individuals within those systems are subject to system logic in that they cannot, even if they want to, simply by dint of their will, change the system. The only way to change a system is to get rid of the system and replace it through conscious collective action expressly aimed at destroying the existing system and installing a different system governed by a very different system logic.
Social psychological studies and the study of human history indisputably prove that humans are first and foremost social beings and that even societies such as capitalism that celebrate individualism and competition actually rest upon a foundation of cooperation without which they could not exist. If workers, for example, whose labor enriches that of the capitalists, behaved as bourgeois ideology claims that they should given "human nature" - as selfish, uncooperative individualists - they could not and would not produce the goods and services that characterize capitalist society. Assembly-line production, for instance, requires a great deal of cooperation to function. Without it as their foundation, assembly lines would fall apart immediately. Likewise, athletic and games competitions require as their sine qua non that people adhere to certain ground rules for those games, otherwise the competitions could not occur. If people did not cooperate first and foremost in order to carry out competition, then no competition on a sustained basis could occur. Those individuals who refused to cooperate by the rules of the competitions would be ejected from the group and forced to live and "play" alone. Fighting within families occurs because family members are strongly bonded to each other and those strong bonds include at times and under fairly common conditions, friction, but that friction occurs upon a foundation of a tacit agreement to stay together in order to continue to argue with each other.
The preceding goes to the first question in the following comments thread about the notion that many people have that the one thing that they can do is live a good life and raise good children. Revolutionary change and revolutionary movements, by comparison, seem to many to be too abstract and difficult. Here is the first problem with that well-meaning but mistaken perspective: it does not take into account the fact that we all are always inextricably connected to forces larger than ourselves as individuals and small groups. We are all parts of larger social and economic systems and those systems operate according to system logic that, as a whole, sets the stage for and the parameters of the dynamics that operate on the micro-scale of individuals and small groups such as families and couples. In other words, even if you are a "good" person, if you are living within an imperialist country like the US, you are participating wittingly or not in a system that is not "good." Merely by living in this society, one cannot help but participate in systems of exploitation and degradation of others. Buying an iPad, for example, involves us in the system of terrible suffering for Chinese workers in the subcontractor factories that churn out those iPads everyday and that leads so many of them to commit suicide or suffer and die from diseases like cancer caused by working with benzene.
We might be a "good" person and might not do anything evil to those who we come in direct contact with everyday, but we are nonetheless involved in exploitation. This is not something that by refusing to buy products frees us from responsibility since it is impossible not to buy things, including food, clothing, energy, and so on. Buying "fair trade" goods doesn't really change the system of imperialism. Imperialism is destroying the planet, and I'm not speaking figuratively here, and by modifying our buying habits we are not changing the nature of the overall system. That requires overthrowing imperialism. That is what one has to contribute to doing if you're going to really be doing something effective and worthwhile. And in that struggle there are many different tasks and ways to contribute, such as doing things through one's speech, writing, monetary contributions, and actions – through fiction, through art, through music, through letters to the editor, in comments threads and Tweets, etc. - that expose the true nature of imperialism and the nature of capitalist exploitation so that others can be woken up to those realities so that they in turn can wake up others and help to build a revolutionary movement.
More will be posted here, particularly when Lotta has lengthier responses to questions and comments posted in the comments thread, so please check back.
Addendum #2:
How does a socialist revolution avoid becoming at some point a system with a new set of oppressors?
This question has a number of different facets to it and an honest answer to it requires an extensive response. I am going to offer some observations about it myself and I fully expect Lotta to expand further on this in his own way.
Since I believe in trying to give the essence of an answer to a question in as brief a way as possible so that when you get into the details of it in the longer explanation, you can better understand the overall picture, this is what I would say to start with. It's in two parts and the longer answer to this very important question will follow later on when I can finish composing a fuller response.
First, as long as there are still social classes and various other related forms of inequality such as male supremacy, racial and ethnic privilege, rich nations and poor nations, and so on, there will always be a material basis for capitalist relations of exploitation to emerge. You cannot abolish these differences in one fell swoop. The only way to get rid of this is by progressively "eating" it up through bridging and eventually eliminating these material differences over an extended period of time (i.e., over decades and generations). The gap that now exists between social classes, between mental and manual labor, between town and country, between men and women, etc., forms the material foundation for inequality and exploitation to occur. These differences and forms of exploitation cannot be eliminated or even significantly ameliorated under the current system of capitalism-imperialism because this system can only survive based upon exploitative relations among people and between people and the environment. So this system itself in its material relations and in the ideas that flow from those material relations must be overthrown for humanity to be able to begin fully addressing these core inequalities.
Second, to provide a proper sense of proportion here and underscore the urgency and necessity of the circumstances humanity finds itself in now, it is in fact the case that the planet's very viability is in grave danger now through the ordinary functioning of capitalism-imperialism and that saving humanity and protecting and rescuing the planet from catastrophe confronts humanity as an emergency here and now in a very literal sense. Capitalism-imperialism is recklessly, heedlessly, and implacably destroying the planet itself because of its very nature as a system based upon the relentless and endless pursuit of profit. Even if it were the case, in other words, for the sake of argument, that one could hypothetically prognosticate with absolute certainty that a successful communist led socialist revolution in the US that overthrew imperialism was to go bad several decades down the road and a new set of exploiters were to emerge to reverse many of the gains accomplished by that revolution, it would still have been absolutely necessary to have had that revolution to prevent the near-term catastrophe of climate change and the literal destruction of the oceans as sources of life and oxygen and so on. The positive consequences in terms of that and the likely hundreds of millions of lives saved because of that revolution would outweigh even the most pessimistic scenario of a subsequent capitalist restoration.
Addendum #3:
This is an excerpt from Reading Notes on Chapter One of Globalization and the Demolition of Society. To see the whole thing, see here. They were written by a team of students in consultation with Dennis Loo.
The most common response of those who recognize the U.S.'s growing inequities and problems is that the solution is to control capitalism through regulation rather than conclude that there is something fundamentally wrong with capitalism as a system. Many people, for example, advocate a return to the New Deal economics of the F.D.R. years in which the government "provided a safety net for those that capitalism had temporarily or permanently cast off by supplying unemployment compensation, social security, welfare and so on." (p. 31)
In response to that view Loo points out:
All systems have rules and inherent logic. You do not change those systems by putting different individuals in charge of them. Systems do not operate the way that they do primarily because of the nature of the people who occupy them. In the Stanford Prison Experiment, for example, the "guards" and "inmates" were all Stanford students. Yet they one and all readily and quickly adopted roles that eerily mimicked real prisons' occupants and repressive atmosphere. To stop the Stanford students from behaving like prison guards and prisoners, Philip Zimbardo, the experiment's lead investigator, brought an early end to the simulated prison. You change system outcomes, in short, by changing the system. (p. 31)
What is this system's logic?
"Capitalism," he states, "is a system whose governing logic is the pursuit of profit. Neoliberals and libertarians can speak of 'freedom' and 'liberty' all they want, but profit as the economic system's cardinal goal inevitably produces certain outcomes." (p. 31)
Loo thus puts these issues into the overall framework of a systemic problem, governed by system logic, and not one that can be fixed by simply electing the right people or imposing term limits. This is in line with sociology's and anthropology's premise that social structures and social context determine people's actions more than individuals' personal values, attitudes, and choices. (In sociology this is reflected, for example, in Emile Durkheim's term "social facts" and in American sociologist C. Wright Mills' "sociological imagination.") This is certainly not the argument one generally hears in major media, in most books, or even in much of higher education.
As central as this perspective is to social science, even among many social scientists there is a tendency to be inconsistent about this when social scientists address themselves to public policy questions. Even most of those in the U.S. who express great misgivings about the direction of political and economic policy and who suggest change as a solution to that, tend to do so by seeking solutions within electoral politics.
When you think about it, it is not surprising that most people, wherever they live, will spontaneously tend to suggest reforms of the existing systems rather than revolutionary changes. It's much easier, for one thing, to envision small changes rather than big changes and to believe that small changes are more "realistic."
Events and conditions in the nation and the world, however, are propelling increasing numbers of people in the direction of seeking deeper answers and grappling with why things are the way that they are. This book is specifically designed to give people the level of understanding that they need in order to act effectively rather than acting based on the conventional and mistaken views about how economics, politics, and social dynamics operate.
Does the advice we get on health care over the mainstream media give us enough scope, depth and detail to allow us to treat ourselves and be our own physicians? Certainly not. Why would political advice dispensed via mainstream media and existing governmental institutions be any better? Is it reasonable to expect that reliance upon the major parties' campaign pitches and the injunction "just vote" could possibly be all you need to know to change society? The richest 497 individuals in the world have more wealth than the bottom fifty percent of the world's population. If you had such extreme wealth and power and enjoyed your luxuries more than justice, would you let your possessions be subject to the whims of the principle of "one person, one vote?" Would you let your extraordinary wealth be outvoted? You would be crazy to do so. (Pp. 23-24)
Following this prelude, Loo evaluates neoliberalism's theoretical godfather Frederick Hayek's reasoning. Loo demonstrates that Hayek's theory's central premise is fatally flawed because Hayek negates the very notion of society, treating it as a hindrance to liberty rather than the foundation for human life, and because Hayek in a more general sense spurns objective necessity's reality.
In the second part of the chapter, Loo illustrates some of neoliberalism's devastating impacts upon society and the environment.
Neoliberalism stems from the same tenets advocated by economist Adam Smith (i.e., laissez-faire and the invisible hand). Society is better off, Smith argued, when each individual pursues his or her individual business interests unfettered by any regulatory agency such as government. The theory of neoliberalism introduced by Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek in the 1930s is largely based on Smith's theory but brings it to another level.
Hayek argued that human rights are commensurate with property rights. He further argued that liberty means that one should be free to act according to his or her will with nobody, e.g., the government or other people, getting in his or her way. If only those who own "property rights" are entitled to "human rights," however, then obviously not everybody is entitled to the right of liberty. Only those who have capital can be free; the others will be restricted in their ability to follow the course of action they strive for by their restrictive material conditions.
Loo also points out that Hayek's logic is flawed at another level. Hayekian logic is based on the premise that all that matters in life is what one wants, regardless of whether or not it reflects objective reality or violates the community's interests and needs and the common good. Objective reality, however, is something that one cannot simply dismiss. Objective reality compels us to distinguish between what is true and false. We are surrounded by examples that reflect the fact that human beings make decisions, not solely on the basis of our own desires, but also on the basis of objective reality. Loo writes:
If objective reality does in fact exist, and if science, medicine, navigation, exploration, and technology all rely upon objective reality's existence to work (a fact evident to anyone using a car or airplane, for instance), then the ongoing effect to determine at any given time in society what the best ideas are … it not merely an idle intellectual exercise but one with powerful material consequences. … If what matters more than anything, on the other hand, is that individuals should have the right to pursue their ideas and plans based on their "own" ideas, then the question of what is true and its impact on the whole of society becomes moot. (Pp. 35-36.)
Objective reality must be considered before one can attempt to fulfill one's desires, Loo argues. Necessity is one component of objective reality that must be taken into account. For instance, wishing that gravity did not exist so one could fly is not a sufficient condition for one to be able to fly. Similarly, the fact that one needs water and food to survive is not a sufficient condition for one to be able to drink and eat, for the water and the food must be available. Based upon first recognizing necessity and objective reality, humans have been able to create more freedom such as the ability to fly, but only because humans recognized that gravity exists, studied animals and insects that do fly, and developed the science and technical innovations that made human flight possible.
Another component of objective reality is that we are also social beings. Loo illustrates this as follows:
Individuals … can only exist because of groups .… We become human through this socialization process and we become individuals. Becoming human isn't something that happens by our simply being alive. We do not become humans solely or principally because of our DNA. We become human through our interaction with other humans. (p. 36)
If we look at the course of history, Loo argues, it is obvious that individuals often have to bypass their individual desires and adapt to the group desires/needs in order to survive. If individuals had not learned to pool their efforts towards the group's needs, our species would not have survived, and all the amazing scientific achievements that we take for granted would have never occurred. This further illustrates the fact that, contrary to what Hayek argues, necessities are rarely created by individuals' desires alone, but rather by necessities inherent in the fact that individuals are social human beings and the fact that we live in a world that is not the Garden of Eden but one in which objective laws, objective realities, and necessities exist.
The interaction between the individual and the group is "organic," Loo argues. It is comparable to the interaction between a tree and its leaves: the tree needs leaves to remain alive, and the leaves need to remain attached to the tree in order to survive. Likewise, the individual and the group need one another to survive and function as a society. Even the most successful individuals within our society utilize and need the group to some degree. For instance, a leader (a legitimate leader) is appointed by a group of people to represent the group's interests. A leader can have tremendous power, but his/her power is only as good as long as the group is satisfied with how s/he represents the group's interests. The leader is not free to act solely upon his/her own personal desires because s/he is accountable for the group, and his/her legitimacy is based upon him/her fulfilling the role of leader. The group needs its leaders just as much as itself, Loo argues, for it "needs its leaders to protect, sustain, and retain them. Without leaders a group cannot organize itself and it cannot act" (p. 39)
As long as there will be (and must be) social groups, Loo asserts, the individual and the group will remain part of the same dynamic/dialectic, and so will freedom and coercion:
"It is impossible, for one thing, to have unanimity, and where there is disagreement, some people's opinions and preferences must perforce be subordinated to the opinion that holds the day, if people are to remain in groups at all." (p. 41)
If one accepts this premise as true, then one can no longer presume, as Hayek does, that the group has no influence on an individual's action, and that the individual is entirely free to act according to his or her own desires. Yet, many act as if this premise does not hold true. Neoliberals are among those people. Thatcher and Reagan were the first major national leaders to implement neoliberalism for they were both fervent Hayekians. (Chile's fascist leader Gen. August Pinochet was the first to implement neoliberal policies after his CIA-backed coup over the first elected socialist, Dr. Salvador Allende on 9/11/73).
As Loo points out, both Republicans and Democrats have embraced neoliberalism since the 1980s and this has been the trend internationally.
Neoliberalism's advocates re-define government's role as that of supporting market policies at all costs. Loo summarizes the role of government under the rule of neoliberals as follows:
According to neoliberalism's proponents, government's role … isn't to support and safeguard people, unless, of course, you are already one of the elect, in which case government's role is to protect you at all costs. It is a free market for everyone except those who are already monopolists. For the monopolists, government's role is to facilitate and protect your privileges rather than to regulate or curb your power, all the while invoking the name of the free market." (Pp. 47, 48) … Since the 1980s, governments in the advanced capitalist centers have obliged the interests of globalization, vigorously carrying out successive waves of deregulation and privatization, shredding the social safety net, and opening the floodgates to merger mania. (p. 50)Those who most benefit from neoliberal policies are the "super wealthy," aka the elite or 1%.
This should not come as a surprise, Loo points out, considering the fact the political candidates and the political arena depend heavily upon society's elite members' funding and that the very existence of government itself indicates that class divisions and class conflict exist. Loo further notes that neoliberal economic policies have widened the disparity between the rich and the poor to unprecedented levels. According to Loo, globalization, which is neoliberalism' political expression, is the main culprit. It compels workers (from the working and middle classes) to work harder for less, while bestowing the elite with an ever increasing amount of wealth and power.
Loo further adds that the level of insecurity and coercion has reached unprecedented levels in the U.S., but also around the world. Loo argues that coercion, or what Max Weber refers to as the "means of legitimate violence," must be utilized more heavily and widely by neoliberals because neoliberal policies are systematically undercutting the people's living conditions and political rights. Force must, therefore, be used to contain the resistance and suppress uprisings.
In contrast to neoliberal rhetoric that claims that it promotes prosperity for all, neoliberal policies are driven by the logic of dispossessing wider and wider swaths of the people and therefore promote growing insecurity by their very nature and intention.
Globalization and neoliberalism's mantra is to privatize that which has been public; outsource that which has been in-house and in-nation; deregulate so that the "free market" may be unfettered; ceaselessly downsize the workforce, cutting payroll and reducing benefits, making job security and a secure, guaranteed retirement things of the past. Not surprisingly, the inevitable outcome of these measures means that insecurity—the more, the better—is the ineluctable, inevitable, desired outcome. From the standpoint of corporations, the more perilous the jobs and the economic status of the labor force overall the better, since this will compel employees to accept less in return for working ever harder and longer. (Pp. 52-53)
This is also the institutional and organizational level foundation for the "war on terror." In other words, neoliberalism's intensification of insecurity in the domestic arena is directly related to its actually stoking the danger of anti-state terrorist attacks. Loo points out, for example, that several Republican public officials (such as former Senator Rick Santorum) have publicly welcomed the idea of another devastating terrrorist attack on the U.S. because it would reaffirm the value of the Patriot Act and other measures instituted in the name of the "war on terror." Neoliberalism is the greatest source of instability in the world. This is a theme that the book develops even further in Chapters Three and Four.
Loo notes that with the rise of neoliberalism, the funding of programs that support coercion and social control have taken precedence over the funding of social and public safety programs, not fundamentally as a choice but out of necessity given the nature of neoliberalism's undercutting of the basis for the public's willing co-operation. The level of funding for the criminal justice system in comparison to the level of funding for the educational system over the past decades is a prime example of that. The grievous mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina, both before the disaster and in its aftermath, also illustrates this point, as do many other examples he lays out in the book, including the numerous wars the U.S. has launched and continues.
Since the basis for people to cooperate, to behave normatively (for example, to abide by the law) is constantly and deliberately undermined under neoliberal regimes, and since, for the most dispossessed, even less of what was available to them in welfare states with Keynesian economic policies is now offered, governments must increasingly rely upon coercive means with spending on "security" (law enforcement, military, immigration control, prisons, surveillance and so on) rising inexorably. This point bears underscoring: more repression and more coercive means of social control are not principally a policy choice in the sense that people might think of the GOP favoring more coercion and the Democrats less. The overall direction of neoliberal regimes dictates that more coercion will be required, regardless of the party in power and the individuals in office. (Pp. 53-54)
In a passage that reads as if it's a description of how the Occupy Movement got underway (but was written before Occupy appeared), Loo describes the effects of neoliberal policies on the various strata:
The net results under neoliberalism are extraordinary increases in wealth for the upper class, a shrinking middle class, and swelling ranks of the working class (who in turn find it harder and harder to find work) and of the indigent. As outsourcing of work continues apace, and in recent years as even intellectual and white-collar labor is now being exported to places like India, reversing the long-standing brain drain to the US from elsewhere (notice where people live who are giving you most of your technical support now days), the middle class finds itself under siege in ways unprecedented in US history.
Social order in neoliberal regimes becomes more precarious because the guarantee or at least reasonable assurance of work at livable wages for people becomes more and more elusive since those jobs are increasingly disappearing. Persuasion based on actual rewards for going along consequently becomes less and less of a practical tool. Neoliberalism and globalization dictate that positive incentives will be systematically whittled away to make the workforce more adaptable and more "flexible." (Pp. 63-64)
Fourth Addendum
Raymond Lotta writes:
A number of students asked if Cuba is a socialist society. It is not socialist, and here is why.
Between 1898 and 1959, Cuba had been under the thumb of U.S. imperialism. Its economy was geared to sugar production for export. U.S. companies and banks dominated key economic sectors. Cuba was a "playground for the rich."
In 1959, Fidel Castro led a mass and just revolutionary uprising that overthrew a terribly oppressive regime propped up by the U.S. But Castro was not guided by the communist vision and scientific outlook of overcoming the division of society and the world into classes and mobilizing and unleashing the masses to make a "total revolution": in economics, politics, social relations, culture, ideas, and values.
Cuba needed to diversify the economy and create the foundations for a sustainable economy that could achieve food security. Instead, the Castro government simply instituted state ownership of sugar production and turned to the Soviet Union (which was no longer socialist) to buy the sugar crop.
So sugar remained the anchor of the economy. This perpetuated Cuba's dependency on the imperialist world economy. It perpetuated Cuba's distorted economic-social structure. Most importantly, it meant that the energy and creativity of the masses of people—workers, agricultural laborers, professionals, and others—were subordinated to the capitalist logic of sugar and more sugar production.
The Castro leadership did not unfold a profound social revolution. For instance, equal rights and opportunities for women were legally recognized. But oppressive social-ideological relations--like the whole macho outlook, beauty ideals, and women's role in the family were not radically challenged. Today, prostitution is spreading--catering to tourism that the Cuban leadership is promoting as a "quick fix" for the economy
After 1959, there were great improvements in education and health care for the Cuban people. But this is a top-down "welfare state" where the masses are kept powerless and passive. This is not genuine socialism.
Political life
In Cuba, political life is extremely constricted, the government keeps tight control on things, and dissent is treated harshly.
*A genuine socialist society moving towards communism would be opening up and drawing people into great debate over the big questions of society and the world. It is a society where revolutionary leadership is mobilizing the masses to carry forward the radical transformation of society and their own thinking, and to take increasing responsibility for the direction of society. This is what happened during the Cultural Revolution in China from 1966-76.
*A genuine socialist society would welcome and foster dissent, even views and platforms opposing socialism. Dissent contributes to the struggle to discover deeper truths about society and the world—and to the critical spirit. This understanding is a vital element of Bob Avakian's new synthesis of communism, learning from the shortcomings and problems of the Soviet and Chinese socialist revolutions.
To learn more about why countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea are not socialist and what genuine socialism is, people should look at "Three Alternative Worlds" by Bob Avakian: www.revcom.us/a/071/ba-threeworlds-en.html.
One last point: the U.S. embargo on Cuba and its attempts to weaken or overthrow the Cuban government are totally unjust and must be resolutely opposed.
Some say that a huge revolutionary movement is such an abstract idea that it's unlikely to even happen, so they would rather do as much "good" in their smaller communities. What can be said to defend the communist movement and revolution in this way?
I was very happy with all the knowledge I learned... My question would be this, From a society like the united states that racism is so embedded within our history and society, what would be the first steps to address that so the morality of everyone within matches up, in order to successfully start a socialist movement? If everyone has the same goal towards socialism, will it be easier to deal with inequalities?
it would be hard for the majority of US citizens to want to change the system because they lack care and consideration for the people struggling in other countries.
what exactly can we do to "train people to see things in terms of humanity as a whole first and not their own personal interests as paramount"? I feel like there is only so much that can be verbally said to sway peoples' values. Americans are such an individualistic society that if it does not affect the person directly, they won't care.
This gov't that you and many others think is untouchable is not in fact untouchable. If it were so untouchable then pols would not be telling us the specific lies they're telling us. The fact that they have to lie is a sign that speaks volumes if you know how to interpret it. They'd tell us that "might makes right" and dare us to do anything about it if they were in fact untouchable. It indicates that they rely a great deal upon the allegiance of the public to them which rests upon the public's misperception that the gov't is doing the right things for the right reasons. The gov't has to lie constantly in spectacular ways and they're vulnerable to facts and the truth. You might say, but they're getting away with it, aren't they? Why, if most peo are so content, did a majority (cont.)people would rather try to change status than to touch the seemingly untouchable government... people have to be drastically discontent in their personal lives
we have never had true communism. Cuba is socialist at best.
we are becoming aware of the reality that has been hidden from our eyes and ears but it is very difficult to actually get up and do something about it instead of just saying that it is a very sad situation-and that includes myself. We become aware but [what] are we doing with that information?
imperialism is out, now what? What replaces it? How does society go about living? Will the revolutionists who led the movement become the new governors of the group? Wouldn't that mean the people would be governed by the few?...again?
The revolution begins now in the sense that what you do now and going forward is part of that process and crucial to making it happen. I am not just saying this as hype; it literally is true. Revolutions to be successful need a very involved period of preparation and building. Lotta quoted the RCP's slogan on this: Prepare Minds, Fight the Power...I hope to someday be a part of the change I see in the world as well.
we need to think about the common good and not just our individual desires. However, I do believe in individuality and although we should not be so unequal, I believe everyone should still be able to have their own ideas and opinions.
How do I become an emancipator of humanity? If capitalism is global, how can we as a society change the views of the people deeply embedded in this?
I don't see why the only way to change the system is to get rid of it or replace it entirely?
What caused you to re-examine what you had not seen before? I bet it wasn't because you finally "care[d] enough to actually look." I'd bet that it had to do with your being shown certain things and having certain taken-for-grant ed, everyday things presented in a different light. If that's true of you, why isn't that true of others? Why describe the problem as their being too distractable and narcissistic?When I finally realized what was happening in this country, and in this world, which was very recently, I was very pissed off. It took me a long time to accept it but I finally did. ... We just need to care enough to actually look.
Capitalism is a beast, yes, but every system will have its flaws.
Although it would be cool to be apart of, I just do not see it. There are too many people that will not actually take action and protest. We talk the talk, but don't walk the walk.
Elaine Brower of World Can't Wait speaking at the NYC Stop the War on Iran rally 2/4/12


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Vans Authentic Logo Pop Checkerboard Skate Shoe - Baby / Toddler
Style #: 99499349
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Our mission is to provide a great experience for our customers, and deliver the best results for their desired project/s. We specialise in all aspects of landscaping.
PatioCustomer in Epsom, 17 July 2019
Landscaping – re turfing and filling in a well.Customer in Ashtead, 23 May 2019
Brick wallCustomer in Chessington, 24 July 2019
G D Construction have over 27 Years offering quality advice and services in the some of the following areas:Brickwork/Concrete Structural repairsBrickwork/pointing, claddingExtent...
Enlarged an opening for window and installed...Customer in Dorking, 9 August 2019
New Kitchen, patio and miscellaneous house related...Customer in Dorking, 21 June 2019
Groundworks and patio laidCustomer in Dorking, 24 June 2019
Golden Eagle Ltd is a family run business for over 6 years now. We offer a creative and personal bespoke design and build service, utilising a range of budgets. Working with the client from...
DrivewayCustomer in Leatherhead, 1 July 2019
Patio and roof workCustomer in Leatherhead, 16 July 2018
DrivewayCustomer in London, 14 August 2018
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Raised beds built in the garden - new fences and...Customer in Teddington, 1 April 2019
New patio.Customer in Purley, 31 May 2019
Our expert knowledge in garden and driveway makeovers spans from over 10 years industry experience.
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New patio and removal of old patioCustomer in Crawley, 31 July 2019
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We are here to help you gain more time, time with your friends & time with your family so that you can enjoy your garden home and environment, without having to get your hands dirty.
New paved drivewayCustomer in Leatherhead, 6 August 2019
New gate and front fence.Customer in Leatherhead, 1 July 2019
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Specialists in: Driveways, Block Paving, Patios, Paths, Shingle, Tarmac, Resin Bonding, Fencing, Turfing, Landscaping, Walling, Forecourts, Carparks, footings, Slab Laying & Shed Bases.
Refurbish and extension to front drive, plus erect...Customer in Ashtead, 25 July 2019
Front drive.Customer in Leatherhead, 13 September 2018
Replacement and enlargement of driveway.Customer in Epsom, 16 January 2019
We are a well established family run firm priding ourselves on good quality workmanship and service. We have a great team dedicated to dealing with our customers individual needs.
Block paved drivewayCustomer in Leatherhead, 3 July 2019
Garden completely transformed with patio spaceCustomer in Carshalton, 18 July 2019
New PatioCustomer in Redhill, 17 June 2019
I am a local fencing contractor with over 10 years' experience in the supply and install of various fencing, posts, sleepers, decking, gates and repairs. I also specialise in Patios...
New trellis and deckingCustomer in Reigate, 31 July 2019
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Fencing replaced.Customer in Redhill, 18 July 2019
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New patio design, new paving, wall, steps and...Customer in Epsom, 25 June 2019
Driveway and patio in back and front.Customer in Leatherhead, 10 July 2019
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Redesign and refurbish driveCustomer in Crawley, 19 July 2019
TTS Surfacing Ltd has been operating in the South East & Home counties for over 15 years. TTS Surfacing Ltd specialises in hand & machine-laid tarmacadam/asphalt, tar &
New parking spaceCustomer in Crawley, 21 August 2019
Tarmacing a small area of road& laying curbstone,...Customer in Esher, 22 July 2019
Car Park new surfaceCustomer in Teddington, 7 August 2019
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A new resin bound driveway and with block paved...Customer in Guildford, 9 August 2019
Laid block stone pathCustomer in Guildford, 13 August 2019
New block paving drivewayCustomer in Guildford, 17 June 2019
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Level and clear. Construct block wall. Lay...Customer in Dorking, 15 July 2019
To dig out concrete posts and replace. Fit fence...Customer in Dorking, 15 July 2019
Patio and terraceCustomer in Dorking, 6 June 2019
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New retaining walls. Tarmac driveway drainage and...Customer in Redhill, 20 July 2019
New shared block paved driveway including drainage...Customer in Redhill, 26 July 2019
New driveway and drainageCustomer in Horley, 15 April 2019
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Composite decking installationCustomer in Esher, 15 April 2019
Block paved driveCustomer in surrey, 20 August 2019
New Patio and garden pathCustomer in Walton-on-Thames, 20 May 2019
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New fencing x 2, area of decking, raised bedsCustomer in Horley, 19 August 2019
Patio laid in back garden, with fencingCustomer in Lingfield, 29 May 2019
Artificial grass fitted in rear garden.Customer in Horley, 2 May 2019
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8 bays of close board fencing sing concrete post...Customer in Guildford, 16 August 2019
Turfed back gardenCustomer in Guildford, 2 August 2019
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Zombie Hand Garden art.
Manufactured from 3mm mild steel and sprayed with peroxide to start the rusting process.
Zombie Hand is welded onto a spike so it stands up in the grass ect.. easily
150mm wide
300mm tall
Would look great in your garden:
Around your pond area
Breaking out of your lawn
Among your flowers/vegetables
Endless options for your Zombie Hand to stand out and be part of your garden.
***Not the size or style you need*** I can do custom orders please contact me for details
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Please be aware that shipping charges are for shipping only. Your country may charge additional taxes, duties or customs fees that YOU will be responsible for.


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So, I know a lot of people do these lists, but I honestly feel as if I have valuable input when it comes to this subject. While not all of these tips will work for everyone, I really hope that you can either adapt them to fit your individual needs, or that you will at least attempt them. Thanks for checking this out, and I really hope it helps
- After every lecture, take time to review and clarify your notes that you take. This is a great way to utilize time in between classes (rather than napping, like I sometimes do).
- Now a word on notes… Consider handwriting your notes. While this tip may not apply to all classes or to every student, there is scientific research that claims that handwriting notes will help you remember them better. (http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=177291)
- Colour code everything! I have a system, while it may seem a tad bit OCD, I highly recommend it. At the beginning of the quarter, I assign each class a colour. When I hand write notes, I use that specific pen; when I do homework, I use coloured mechanical pencils (that don't write in colour). Basically, everything having to do with that class involves that colour. For example, if I write in my agenda, I just write the assignment in that classes colour.
- Always keep an agenda! Even if it is just on your phone. However, I highly recommend having an agenda that you can write stuff down in. Since cheap agendas don't last me that long, and I love being able to customize my things, I usually splurge and buy from May Books. I even have a workout/diet journal from them that I love. (http://www.maydesigns.com/)
- Going back to notes, if you do type notes, consider the app "Evernote". It keeps everything updated between multiple devices, and organize notes into notebooks. It is awesome! (http://evernote.com/)
- Make To-Do Lists! If you are anything like me, you break down projects into smaller, more manageable steps. I love the website and app "Todoist". I also utilize the Mac app for my laptop. I love how you can organize everything into projects, or subjects, colour-code these projects, and you get karma points for checking things off your to-do list! (https://todoist.com/)
- If you are a visual person, this should work for you! Before each exam I like to make what I call cheat sheets. These are visual pages that utilize the "mind-mapping" techniques for note-taking. It's a great visual "fact sheet" of all the things you need to remember for an exam. This may
not work for everyone, but I find that if I colour-code my cheat sheet, even the most overwhelming of subjects seems easier.
Now on to my favorite ap
- Evernote, which I have mentioned above. (http://evernote.com/)
- Todoist, which I have mentioned above. ((https://todoist.com/)
- Figure 1, which is like an instagram for those in medical professions. If you do choose to download this app, make sure you read the FAQ's and don't violate any rights of the people posting, or of the patients they are posting for. (https://figure1.com/)
- StudyBlue, a flashcard app that I love. You can make your own flashcards, and you can also look at others who have had your same class, and you can even narrow it down to the same professor. (http://www.studyblue.com/)
- Songza, I love the type of playlists you can find on Songza, and how you can find the perfect playlist based on your mood, or activities. Because, sometimes I get tired of listening to my iTunes library, and I like some new music to shake things up a bit. (http://songza.com/)
- Timetable is an awesome app that lets you put in your class schedule, including the room number, professor, time, and you can even colour-code it. This allows me to have a visual reminder of how logn each class is, and rather than carrying a schedule around my college campus the first week of classes, I can just look at my phone to find out where my classes are. I also like how you can put reminders for assignments and exams for each subject. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gabrielittner.timetable)
- TED, do I really have to go into a detailed explanation? This app is what I like to call "productive procrastination". If you want to watch videos, watch them on a subject you are interested in (I love the medical and psychology TED talks), or maybe even look up talks on subject material you are learning. So while you may not be studying, you actually are learning. (https://www.ted.com/)
- Dropbox is an app, so that you can keep documents in the cloud. I love this because one time after my laptop crashed, the only way I had access to assignments and papers was because I had saved copies of them on my dropbox, which I could access from any other computer, and my phone! This app saved my life. (https://www.dropbox.com/)
- Groupon is an awesome coupon like app. It's hard to explain, but the basis is that you can find cheap deals on basically everything; fitness classes, clothes, accessories, programs, restaurants, the list goes on and on. Check it out, and love it as much as I do! (http://www.groupon.com/app)
Thanks again for checking out this post! I plan on doing a post about my favorite school supplies soon, so stay tuned for that! If you have any questions, comments, suggestion, just let me know! I love positive feedback, and I love to learn more about what works for other people. Best of luck!


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We've even made some patio purchases in anticipation of the finished product!
Now, this first purchase was an exercise in proper marital compromise. Scott is a total audio-geek, and he really wanted speakers for the back patio. I wasn't thrilled about having two big black speakers hanging from our roof. We were able to compromise with this lovely speaker from Amazon.com:
Cool, right? We haven't received it yet so I'll let you know about sound quality and all that when we finally put it to use. Scott is excited because it is wireless, and he should be able to control it with his iPhone from anywhere near the house.
Then I ordered my lovely lounger from Walmart:
I see sunbathing in my future (with SPF protection, of course)...
Lastly, we ordered these solar string lights from Target. I'm a little on the fence about them because I don't usually like the white/blue light that a solar light fixture gives off. Maybe this will be more of the warm color that I really like. These are great for us because our outdoor outlets don't work and we didn't want cords running all over the place. We plan to string these through the tree about the outdoor eating area... can't wait!
Want to see what else I have in mind for the patio? Come visit me at Pinterest to see my patio inspiration board.
Scott is off from work for the Easter holiday starting tomorrow, so I think we can make a lot of progress this weekend! I'm just hoping the weather cooperates because there is a 30-60% chance of rain all weekend. That would really be a bummer because we have totally reserved this weekend for the patio project and have my parents coming up to provide extra hands.
Of course, we're going to celebrate Easter as well, so if it rains we'll just enjoy church and family time.
* it's raining, it's pouring...*


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New into Backstitch this week is Kate Spain's Sunnyside line so you might want to use your 10% for that.
Alice also has a competition running through to the end of the month. One entry for each order placed via a customer account (as opposed to via guest checkout) within the month of October. You can enter as many times as you like into the draw. Once the competition closes, at Midnight GMT on Sunday 31 October 2013, Alice will pick one entry for each prize at random from all valid entries.
- 1st Prize: £50 off first order and 20% off all subsequent orders for a whole year;
- 2nd Prize: £25 off first order and 15% off all subsequent orders for six months; and
- 3rd prize: £10 off first order and 15% off all subsequent orders for three months.


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Belkin Names Pipkin President/CEO
Playa Vista, Calif. - Belkin announced that Mark Reynoso has stepped down as president and CEO.
He will be replaced by Chet Pipkin, Belkin's founder and chairman of the board. Reynoso has also vacated his position on Belkin's board of directors.
A reason for Reynoso's departure wasn't given, and Belkin didn't respond to TWICE inquiries as of this posting.
Belkin said Pipkin is not "an interim caretaker" and will lead the company in the long term. He was president and CEO until 2010 when Reynoso, then president, was promoted.
"I want to thank Mark for his visionary leadership that has been integral to our growth since joining Belkin in a product management role in 1996," Pipkin said in a statement. "I am excited about rejoining the business on a day-to-day basis, rolling up my sleeves, and seeing to it that Belkin maintains momentum in numerous markets in which we have long been respected and successful."


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The Upcycled Sweater Bag
Everyone has a perfectly functional but less than stellar handbag (or three) lurking at the back of the closet and a sweater or two that just don't make it into rotation anymore so why not combine them into a stylin' new accessory?
Raid your wardrobe and follow my quick and easy tute to create your own upcycled sweater bag!
Grab a handbag and a sweater that coordinates well with the straps.
Pop the sweater over the bag and ensure that the the straps and opening fit through the sweater neckline and allow easy access to the bag contents.
Flip the sweater inside out, place the bag on top with the opening lined up with the neckline and trace out the basic shape onto the sweater.
Stitch over your traced lines.
Chop off the excess fabric.
Pop the sweater over the bag with the wrong side facing out and mark out the top edges of the bag onto the sweater.
Stitch over the marks, trim off the excess fabric and zigzag over the seams to prevent fraying.
Flip the sweater right side out and pop it over the bag.
Snag some embroidery thread and use a simple running stitch to secure the sweater neckline to the top of the handbag.
Load up your fabulous new bag, throw on a fab refashioned dress and head out!
For more funky DIYs take a peek at my tutorial index and always remember to keep up your Passion for Refashion!


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Emergency help during flood or storms
ACT Fire & Rescue and the ACT Rural Fire Service is working to extinguish a grass fire burning at Uriarra Road.
The Bushfire Alert and Warning Level for this fire has been set at ADVICE.
ACT Fire & Rescue and the ACT Rural Fire Service has 19 units on scene with a waterbombing helicopter. Helicopter is continuing with waterbombing operations to assist ground crews and extinguishing hot spots.
The fire is located near Uriarra Crossing.
The fire is approximately six to seven hectares in size and is being controlled.
The fire is burning at a slow rate and is heading in a easterly direction.
At the current fire danger level of high fires can be controlled.
There is little to no risk to life and property from this fire.


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When I started this journey six weeks ago, I said I wasn't going to divulge my weight. I feared the mere act of reading the number might send you into convulsions from the shock because, trust me, it was (and still is) a shockingly high number. My mother just about fell off my couch when I told her what it was.
However, in order to fully and properly gloat about my current acheivement, I must break my vow of silence. So, please brace yourself. Also, bear in mind that any mocking, cruel words, or shaming will not be tolerated and I will be forced to come and sit on you. Which will be fun for me but might require the hiring of a chiropractor for you. You have been warned.
6 weeks ago, I walked into my first NZ Weight Watchers meeting with a tummy full of huge ass butterflies (or maybe moths, I haven't quite figured that out yet) and waddled up to the scale. I just about cried when the woman wrote down my weight. And yet, it wasn't as high as I was expecting.
158.6 kgs
(pause for dramatic effect and picking up of jaws off dust covered floor)
I'll admit I was sorely tempted to just say "Screw this" and walk away. Right then. Right there.
I lost 600 grams (1.32 lbs) this week.
My total weight loss for six weeks? 8.1 kgs !!!! (17.82 lbs)
1) A bunch of us have decided to sign up for the local half marathon. Feel free to die on my behalf, I'll wait. Done? Ok. Yeah. I agreed to do it, but only if I could walk the whole way. Which, YAY, is totally possible. I have until May 8th to be able to walk 21kms without (a) dying and (b) well, that was about it.
2) A few of us are also going to do the triathlon at the end of 2010. This is a far more achievable goal as far as I'm concerned. I'll likely also end up walking part of that too. I'm never going to be much of a runner.
Goals. Important, yes? Potentially death inducing? Yup. But I'm still gonna do it.


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