Here is a picture of the waiting area of the Honda dealership I was last week to get my car fixed as part of the giant airbag recall. 

Airbags in millions of cars sold to consumers all over the world in recent years are defective. If they go off, they may well shoot shrapnel into your body.

If this had been a government screw-up, you'd never hear the end of it all. 

The private sector makes defective products all the time. The private sector cheats hard-working people out of fair wages all the time.

Folks can keep on bashing government for everything in our society, but in so many cases if were not for government oversight and regulations we would be even more powerless in the face of big money than we are at the moment.

The work of asking for something better is up to each of us. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

October 16, 2014 is the 8th annual Blog Action Day.

The theme this year is inequality. 

It is good to see this yearly blog effort because bloggers around the world are everyday people who do the work of freedom. 

Some bloggers brave substantial risk to offer their viewpoints in the places they live and to the entire world.

As awful as the state government of Texas is, I don't face the risks bloggers in even more repressive parts of the world confront. So I'm glad to be a small part of a global effort with such good colleagues. 

(My friend Perry Dorrell at Brains & Eggs is also taking part in Blogger Action Day.)  

Wealth is increasingly concentrated across the world. 

In the United States, what is left of the middle class is economically worse off then 25 years ago.

Our global economic systems, which all lead to the rule of just a few elites whether it be in China or Russia or the United States, are accelerating climate change and making sure that the most powerful remain in power with the use of constant surveillance and militarized police.   

There are other ways to live other than feeling our lives and our fates are tied to systems that don't pay fair wages for our work, pit us against each other, offer us junk to eat and destroy the planet. 

These efforts begin with each of us as individuals and as people coming together to demand something better.  

We all have the capacity to fight back. Fast food workers in the United States have been striking for higher wages. We all have the power to fight back individually and collectively.

Here is a list of ideas for everyday resistance. 

Your thoughts and ideas on better ways to live and ways to resist the greed and violence of everyday life are welcome. Please leave a comment or e-mail me at naa618@att.net. 

Good and hopeful things happen all the time in life. Let's bring about a better way of living. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

There is no conflict between doing something to support a conventional Democrat running for office on one hand, and being supportive of more unconventional events such as the recent People's Climate March in New York City on the other hand. 

Election results matter even if we are justly skeptical of the process.

Yet also, we clearly see that the traditional political process is failing in many important ways.

Saying that challenges to establishment Democrats will lead to Republican victories or to some sort of mob rule, is asking us to place our bets on a system that is not working and is asking us to ignore theefforts of hopeful and energetic movements that are making a difference.

At the same time, saying there is no difference between the two parties is blind to obvious facts.  Such a view also ignores thew fact that rank-and-file Democrats are good people proud of accomplishments such as Social Security, Health Care Reform and progress in Civil Rights. 

It is impossible to know where the fast and changing course of current events will take the nation and world. Our best bet is to be intellectually open to all the many interesting and positive trends and movements taking place even in these hard times. 

Here is a list of ideas for everyday resistance to this often violent and greedy society.   

The work of freedom is up to each of us. With hard work, imagination and adaptability, we can meet the many challenges of these times.

Please read all of NeilAquino.com 

Beyond his indictment on two counts of abuse of power, Governor Rick Perry of Texas should be charged and sent to an international tribunal for signing the forced sonogram law which is nothing more than state-mandated rape. 

Though how the elite of the Democratic Party can make that case as they coalesce behind the Clintons who backed the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that led to the Hobby Lobby Decision and then also the Iraq War is not clear.

While differences between the two major parties are real and merit consideration, the work of freedom and creating a better everyday culture is up to each of us.

Here are ideas for everyday resistance to our often violent and greedy culture. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

Below are observations about ongoing events in Ferguson, Missouri as our militarized police attack people protesting yet another police killing of an unarmed Black person. 

Above is a picture of the militarized police in Ferguson. 

1. Offering people health care is government tyranny that will lead to death panels, but camoflaugedmilitarized police with war weapons blocking off an American city is law and order. 

2. The conduct of the militarized camouflage-wearing police in Ferguson, Missouri along with the silence of the government bashers over such conduct is enough to make a loyal American liberal consider buying a gun for simple self-defense. And then also is the silence of so many fellow liberals.

3. The silence of libertarians about the militarized camouflage-wearing police in Ferguson, Missouri clues you into the fact that they are the very same racist states-rights disloyal folks you imagined they were.And that is damned well what Rand Paul is as well.

4. Hillary Clinton can play off the animus towards our Black President by criticizing him on the central issues of the day, but she can't say a word about events in Ferguson, Missouri that are of such import to the most loyal Democrats of all?

5. Race remains the central issue in American political and social life as it has been since the first time a European met a Native American.

6. Here is the Twitter feed from Ferguson, Missouri tonight detailing the actions of our violent militarized police in a state with a Democratic Governor.  

Read about it all for yourself. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

I've made a small donation to UNICEF to assist in the Ebola outbreak going on in parts of Africa. 

There is so much taking place in our nation and in the world, that we can lose sight of people having a hard time in a rough part of our shared earth. 

Here is a story about the current outbreak from The New York Times.

Here are facts about Ebola.

Here is the link to UNICEF.

Here is the link to Doctors Without Borders. 

In the short span of our lives, we can make individual effort to assist larger structures capable of addressing problems we cannot solve on our own.
Government can often be part of the solutions we need to solve big problems.


Please read all of NeilAquino.com 
 

Peace to the memory of former Ronald Reagan Press Secretary James Brady.  

Mr. Brady died today at age 73.

Mr. Brady was shot and severely injured in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan. 

(Above is a picture from the assassination attempt.)  

Despite his longterm injuries, Mr. Brady and his wife never gave up on gun control.

On gun control and on whatever issues are of value to each of  us, we should follow the example of Mr. Brady and never give up.

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The New York City Medical examiner has reached the conclusion that Eric Garner died on Staten Island due to a chokehold placed on him by a New York City police officer.

Mr. Garner was selling untaxed cigarettes out on the street when approached by police.  

Here is the video of Mr. Garner's chokehold death.  

Chokeholds are banned for use by New York City police.

I don't want to be a reflexive basher of police. We've got to take every person as an individual.  

There are times in life when you need a cop. 

But it is also so that sometimes that police can kill for no good reason and get away with the crime. 

There cannot be justice in America until all people--including police officers-- are treated justly under the law.  

Please read all of NeilAquino.com.