Category Archives: Royal Rants: Critiques of the monarchy

EFF: Congress Shamefully Passes CISPA; Stop US Senate

from the Electronic Freedom Foundation

U.S. House of Representatives Shamefully Passes CISPA;

Internet Freedom Advocates Prepare for a Battle in the Senate

CISPA - The solution is the problem
CISPA – The solution is the problem (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

Today, Internet freedom advocates everywhere turned their eyes to the U.S. House of Representatives as that legislative body considered the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.

For the second year in a row,  the House voted to approve CISPA, a bill that would allow companies to bypass all existing privacy law to spy on communications and pass sensitive user data to the government.  EFF condemns the vote in the House and vows to continue the fight in the Senate.

“CISPA is a poorly drafted bill that would provide a gaping exception to bedrock privacy law,” EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl said. “While we all agree that our nation needs to address pressing Internet security issues, this bill sacrifices online privacy while failing to take common-sense steps to improve security.”

The legislation passed 288-127, despite a veto threat from Pres. Barack Obama, who expressed serious concerns about the danger CISPA poses to civil liberties.  Continue reading EFF: Congress Shamefully Passes CISPA; Stop US Senate

PAXi Notes for Monday, July 30, 2012: Peace, Numbers, and the Olympics

The PAXi for Mon.
7/30/12 is:
141

The Daily Peace Culture Index for the United States [DPCIUS], or PAXi, was developed by Peace Couple/Wilderside, Ltd., and begun a little over two weeks ago, on Sunday, July 15, 2012.

The PAXi number is designed to describe the amount of energy and discussion devoted to peace and nonviolence in The United States each day.

We wanted to share some observations made while observing this index for the last couple of weeks. Continue reading PAXi Notes for Monday, July 30, 2012: Peace, Numbers, and the Olympics

For peace and more democracy: An alternative to the royal, Diamond Jubilee

Our humble thoughts as Americans who are peace and justice activists is below.

For those readers who are subjects of the Queen, and/or understand the monarchy better than we do, you may want to attend the Occupy London event on June 3rd, and/or read these articles from the English press:

from The Newser
Anti-Monarchists Gear Up to Derail Queen’s Jubilee

from The Independent UK
The case for a republic is as strong now as it has always been

_________________

On this Diamond Jubilee weekend, the (whimsical) Duke and Duchess of Peace call for an alternative to monarchy

The Peace Couple contemplate The Peace Pole
The Duke and Duchess of Peace

Peace Couple was born partly out of this idea: In our current culture of war and militarism, institutions such as the monarchy are used to gloss over war, and to co-opt the powerful energy of community story-telling towards a constant background banter for accumulated wealth and constant war.

So, while we wish Queen Elizabeth well as a person, we are not excited to see the English Monarchy — an institution of royalty, power, and privilege descending from the happenstance of birth — still existing in our world. Continue reading For peace and more democracy: An alternative to the royal, Diamond Jubilee

Royal Peace Song of The Day: “Little Boxes” made of ticky tacky

Duchess Susanna writes: It amazes me the way that some people will go out and buy exactly the same dress, in exactly the same color, that Duchess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) wore somewhere. For my own sense of independence and dignity, I would at least want to pick a different color. Though, the exact ones modeled by the princess are the exact ones that get sold out and crash websites.

The idea of all of these women strolling around Great Britain and the United States in the same dress reminded me of what my departed friend, Susan Blake, called “the monoculture”. And, it reminded me of the Malvina Reynolds song “Little Boxes”. The song “Little Boxes” is The Royal Peace Song of the Day. It is can be found on page 2 in Rise Up Singing. (Favorite campfire song book of The Duke and Duchess of Peace.) Continue reading Royal Peace Song of The Day: “Little Boxes” made of ticky tacky

Prince William and Duchess Catherine: How the other half live…

Duchess Susanna writes: As someone who values freedom and liberty, I am particularly upset to think that Will and Kate – who are from another country – entered our country without the choice/threat of a full body scanner or an aggressive pat-down by the TSA. I would like to hear more about what kind of measures that they had to endure to travel to The United States, versus what American citizens have to endure when leaving or entering their own country.

On the other hand, I do not wish anyone to have to endure the danger of a dose of radiation administered by a low-level security worker, or a pat-down which is practically sexual abuse. So, I would rather ask that none of us have to endure those bad TSA choices, rather than actually wishing the bad things on Duchess Catherine. Still, that dilemma is part of the problem with politics. If the media and government propagandize certain people to seem like nice, sweet, heroes, then it is hard to wish those people ill, even while their indulgence comes at your expense. Continue reading Prince William and Duchess Catherine: How the other half live…

TSA to Prince William: Boxers or Briefs?

Duke Augustus: The corporate media have been in an absolute tizzy over every stitch of clothing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been wearing while blithely passing along all their military boosterism.  They have even exposed Kate Middleton’s preferred choice of undergarments.

Now we are going to be inundated with more information about Kate & Will’s unmentionables then we would ever want to know.  As Prince William and Duchess Catherine fly into the United States today, they will meet up with this country’s first line of defense, the TSA.

And we are not just talking a cancer-causing full body scan here.  Remember Prince William is not only a foreign national, he is a member of a foreign military.  The military he belongs to has a history of violent attacks upon US citizens and fomenting insurrection within the Unites States.    In addition, Prince William has just spent the last week trolling along the US border, and boasting of his country’s military exploits.

Prince William is a TSA profiler’s dream.  If he, and his entourage, don’t get pulled off the customs line for a full body search, then the whole Homeland Security Department should be fired.

The Royal Baggage

Duchess Susanna writes: Throughout the ages, beautiful women — queens, princesses, and duchesses —  have been used to cover up the ugly side of militarism and nationalism. Couldn’t resist merging two of the photos from the current tour:

The Royal Luggage: A photo merge reveals the true meaning of a princess
The Royal Luggage: A photo merge reveals the true meaning of a princess

Note: Found the photos of Canadian soldiers handling royal luggage at a Canadian newspaper, National Post: here.