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Written for, Me on Aug 30, 2012.
America’s paranoid feelings related to the prevention of terrorism have already led to a comprehensive surveillance of the internet, mail and telecommunications. From the tracking of what books you check out to data mining, bills such as the Patriot Act imply—big brother is watching.
But the Patriot Act is not alone, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is now another tool for the all seeing eye viewing the American public. The bill was just passed by House of Representatives but has yet to beat the Senate or see Obama’s approval. The passing of CISPA will invoke dark implication; George Orwell’s dystopian reality “1984” is much closer to reality than fiction.
In Orwell’s book, government tracks every part of your life, including your emotions and thoughts.
“It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away,” on page 55 of “1984”.
Although CSIAP is not a fully functional telescreen—a tool used to monitor civilians emotions and thoughts—the bill will defiantly take a step in “Orwellian” direction. It opens the door to a dangerous hall where, the “encouragement” of sharing—Google Documents, instant messaging records and emails—could be later interrupted as, “The Federal Governments and corporations have the right to monitor and act upon, all information stored online.”
“So if they (corporations) see the slightest bit that they think is odd in your email, they can hand it over to the government. And if the government says it has something to do with national security – it is very easy to say that, whether it’s true or not – then the government can study it for any purpose,” Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, said in an RT interview.
The bill reads, information which “degrades or disrupts” government and corporate entities, can be searched, seized, and shared within the “cybersecurity” community. The bills voluntarily statues do not justify America’s loosing their online privacy for “national security.”
President Obama has threatened to veto CISPA if passed by the Senate, but these views do not reflect his pervious decisions such as his renewal of the Patriot Act, which I believe are counterintuitive to civil rights.
ACLU legislative counsel Michelle Richardson stated, “CISPA goes too far for little reason. Cybersecurity does not have to mean (the) abdication of Americans’ online privacy. As we’ve seen repeatedly, once the government gets expansive national security authorities, there’s no going back.”
If the bill is passed by the Senate and The President does not veto it, CISPA will destroy any impression of previously conjured ideas of online confidentiality. It will give the government—including the military—and private companies, comprehensive tools to spy on innocent Americans. We say the terrorist didn’t win, but it sure does seem like their actions are bringing us closer to “1984” and not a prosperous future.
-Thanks again for reading, Bryce Dunham-Zemberi
Written for, Me on May 2, 2012. 
The Boise State Arts and Humanities Institute completed their three part lecture series “Interdisciplinary Explorations-The Idea of Nature Public Lecture Series,” with Kevin Hutching’s presenting; “Romanticism, Blake, and the Politics of Nature.”
From 6 to 7pm Aug. 30, Hutchinson’s presentation reviewed in delicate grace, the “first-eco” movements prevalent within the English Romanticism Literary period; including paranoid schizophrenic ecologist-William Blake and with poise, the politics of preserving nature as life.
Hutchinson is also the Research Chair of the Literature, Culture and Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. His lecture, included three live renditions of Blake’s ecologically-based songs. In between of which, he explained how the first ecological movements expressed their discontent with, “killing of green things that were in the way.” Hutchison’s voice only cracked once, infecting the audience with a nugget of humility.
Politics is a distinctly human activity, we often think of nature as something that exists apart from the political realm, Hutchings said. However, in an era of revolutionary turmoil, William Blake, who championed “England’s green and pleasant land” against industrialism’s “dark Satanic mills,” understood better than any other romantic poet that nature was subject to myriad political uses. By showing how cultural institutions invoke nature to “naturalize” their authority, Blake reveals that nature can be thoroughly political—The Update reports.
It was interesting to hear ecologist from centuries ago discus the dark implications of capitalism. Writers such as Blake, express the importance of considering ecology as “political” movement and not just as an un-popular green philosophy. Blake believed that man belonged to nature and not nature belonging to man. He argued against the “Satanic Mills,” destroying the English country side during the Romantics-areas industrial revolution. During this time period, and todays, trees are considered “green objects that simply get in the way of man.” It is important for ideals like these to be addressed, because if we don’t, the globe will ruin the opportunity to create a sustainable future viable for later generations.
Written May 6th, 2012
-Thanks again for reading, Bryce Dunham-Zemberi
Written for, Me on May 1, 2012.
Boise State University College Republicans (BSUCR) attends the 39th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. on the second weekend of February 2012. The College Republicans meeting at CPAC, combined conservative logic with a gay faction of the Republican party and a surprise visit from Occupy D.C.
According to sophomore, Dominic Gelsomino, “(CPAC) signifies a call to action,” said the Idaho College Republican Chairman.
This, “call to action” is focused on reforming the Grand Old Party (GOP) back to, “the original platform of the Republican.” According to the Boise State College Republicans (BSCRs) the yearly conservative convention assembly was initiated by, a conservative “youth-activism” group founded in 1960.
At the first CPAC convention, “Grand Master Republican” Roland Regan spoke. Later assemblies (such as the one in 2012) included, Former Arkansas Gov.—Mike Huckabee, Texas Gov.—Rick Perry and Republican Sen. From South Carolina—Jim DeMint.
According to Gelsomino, todays, “Young Republican Convention” focused on; limited government which uses lower taxes and regulation to promote business growth and free market economics. Gelsomino added this campaign was prominently based around “Goldwater and Regan” economics.
Some of this year’s, “economic” speakers included, Wayne LaPierre—CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Herman Cain— from Godfather Pizza. The convention that was planned to foster young-conservative values also attracted the members of the Lesbian, Gay and Bi-Sexual political community—The Log Cabin Republicans (LCR).
According to the LCR website, the party works to build a stronger, more inclusive Republican Party by promoting the core values of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets and a strong national defense while advocating for the freedom and equality of gay and lesbian Americans.
When asked, “If the Log Cabin Republicans had, a candidate at the convention running for presidential election?” The Idaho College Republican Chairmen responded candidly, “Yes they do, they have Fred Karger, the first openly gay presidential-candidate to run in the Republican Party.”
This year’s CPAC held the biggest gathering of young conservatives in its history. The group was also visited by a slightly less popular group-Occupy D.C. According to Gelsomino, this newly-young concentration of conservatism attracted guests what were, “escorted out of the building” by security.
The Huffington Post reports, “(CPAC) drew crowds of protesters on (Feb. 10), as members of the Occupy Wall Street movement and labor groups demonstrated against the annual confab as, “a powwow for the 1 percent.”
The D.C Occupiers attend CPAC, bringing their fight against the one percent with them. The Idaho College Republican Chairmen explained that some of the protesters broke in and chanted, “CPAC you have been “occupied” while releasing balloons and “glitter-bombs.”
The interesting thing about the protesters presence at CPAC—is that, their presence is somewhat appropriate considering the theory of some republican authors mentioned by Gelsomino, mainly Goldwater.
Goldwater is very consistent conservative writer ran against Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 Republican Primary. His book, “The Conscience of a Conservative” expresses some of the most core Republican values: small government, freedom and locally controlled politics. Within—Goldwaters philosophy—in the context of labor unions and corporations—is that piles of money designed to make more money should not have the right to dominate politics, exactly what some of D.C. protesters are trying to prove.
“I see no reason for labor unions—and corporations—to participate in politics. Both their activities should be restricted accordingly,” Goldwater, page 55.
The protesters presence at CPAC means that there is some validity in a connection between the GOP and the Occupy Together (including Occupy D.C.) movement. At some point in time, one conservative political philosopher—Goldwater –spoke very loudly against lobbying and so did the protesters at CPAC.
In the end the protesters where, “boo-ed” out of the convention by a unified, “Go get a job” cheer on behalf of young conservatives everywhere, College Republican, Gelsomino said.
For more information about CPAC and the conservative party, visit their website.
-Thank you for reading, Bryce Dunham-Zemberi
The Intrepid, a second on-campus newspaper I started in 2012, became created on the premise of Open Journalism — even though I had no clue that idea already existed. I knew the masses — or, simply, the consumers — had more journalistic power than ever in the 21st century.
But most…
(Source: sheckii)
Pew: 17% of Americans get no news daily | Poynter. -
17 percent of all Americans get no news every day. Strangely, that’s the same percentage of Americans who read a newspaper every day. The statistic’s even starker for certain age groups: 31 percent of people ages 18-24 get no news on an average day, and 22 percent of 30-34-year-olds get none either.
(via bohemiansouth)
uncutting asked: Yeah, I mean I think the ideal body image for EVERYONE is inaccurate. But yeah, the ideal body image for men certainly has its problems just as the ideal for women does too. I think it's problematic for any ideal body image to require hours of time at the gym, or excessive dieting, etc. Though of course, I don't see the need for an ideal in the first place- people should look however, without being held to some standard of what's "best"
True story, thank you.
sillystupidthoughts-deactivated asked: Thank you for the reblog on the pasty tax, muchly appreciated
Thanks for being active in your government!
I should have known, coming here from so far away, there is no “Z” is “Boy-cee.”
See the thing is—that where I come from, saying something differently does not define you as inadequate. It defines you as, “original” and, “a necessary element” of participating in a functioning environment. “Sandy Diego” would not be “San De Eggo” if, there weren’t any tourists or Ron Burgundy’s around.
Students who argue, that there is a, “Z” in, “Boy-cee,” are intrinsically valuable to every publication within the city of Boise, Idaho. See the thing people who say it, “Boy-zie” have some level of understanding that is different from those of the norm. They observe things that the traditional resident does not.
Things such as socially sourced manacles that do not encourage collaborative work. Editors from, “Boy-cee” are economically struggling when they are not able to help junior writers develop content. O how did I learn a lesson: do not expect, “Boyzians” to collaboratively work with, “Boyceeians” on an article.
The way I see it-is that my expectation of collaborative writing and social customs are different. You are from, “Boy-cee” and I just recently moved to, “Boy-zie.” But just because I will not work for student media, does not mean I will leave journalism. In fact, I now have a reason to compete.
See you in the Fall future Arbiter Staff, I can’t wait to see what the first article looks like. I’ll be writing right along side with—how do you say it out hear “ya’ll?”
-Thank you for reading, Bryce Dunham-Zemberi
AARRRRRGGHHH PASTY TAX!!!
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!!
BUT STOP AND SIGN THIS PETITION FIRST PLEASE
https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32044