Banks are not for the poor.

Bank of America, for example, requires one to have at least $750.00 in a checking account, or $1,500.00 in a savings account in order to avoid fees. If one does not maintain a minimum of 750.00 in their checking account, even if it slips under for one day, they will charge between 10.00 and 12.00 dollars.

Now, in my personal experience, as much as I tried to persuade them to see my side of the story (moving to a new apartment and misplacing my checks for ONE DAY), they refuse to cut me any slack, stating that the "fee was correctly applied." Then they told me if I put $1,500.00 in my savings account, I could avoid the fee. Where the hell do they expect me to find that money if I cannot even afford to keep a checking account open?

I do not care how "correctly" their fee was applied... it is the fact that it exists which is outrageous. Why should there be a penalty for not having a certain amount of money in one's account? Why shall the poor continue to be punished? For me, $10.00 is a bag of potatoes, 5lbs of rice and a gallon of gas. To them, it is nothing. These thieves are making money off other people's hard earned wages because they made up a silly rule.

But does this not sound familiar? Think of income taxes, tariffs, lab fees (for those in college), interest on loans, tolls, stamps, and the list goes on. It is the American Capitalist way: those on top will make money with little to no effort, stealing the wages of the poor (and middle class) through their laws and rules. Not to mention the international atrocities committed by the the World Bank and IMF...

Yet, their rules are only suggestions and they are definitely not carved into stone. We must think of clever ways to defy their system and protect ourselves and our means of survival. I have a long list, but for the sake of my privacy (and possibly freedom) I will not list them here at this time.

Start to think of your own tactics and perhaps one day we can share them.

Missing In Action

Artist M.I.A. is a Sri Lankan refuge, daughter of a freedom-fighter and an outspoken activist for the poor, the indigenous, immigrants and independent women everywhere. She has two albums out, Arular (2005) and Kala (2007). She is the exact kind of role model needed by the young girls/women in American (you know, as opposed to the stick thin, bleach blond, plastic, no talent, unintelligent ideal upheld as of yet).

Here is an interview with M.I.A. worth reading:

Part 1

Part 2

And a few video links:

Bird Flu

Sunshowers

Paper Planes

Well said.

What the authors of (White) American History books so often forget:

Subliminal or "Superliminal" Message?

A quick, almost undetectable flash of John McCain in the opening logo for Fox News
courtesy of youtube


If news reporting was truthful and accurate, tactics like these would not be necessary.

If the government trusted its people to make the right decisions, there would be no need for propaganda.




Considering the two manipulative institutions and methods listed above, the people must push themselves further away from the mainstream and question every bit of information with which they come into contact.

Otherwise, we stand the chance (the very likely chance) of being led astray.

the middle man...

After years of abuse at the hands of record companies and the music industry in general, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has broken away. With control over a number of songs and albums, Reznor has chosen to make his music free for download, directly from his website, including the recently released album, "The Slip."

There is also a new website which allows users to download separate layers of a song, to remix according to their own desire. This has sparked a wave of creativity and communication, as users share and review each other's remixes. A few of these fan-made remixes were even chosen for the remix album of "Year Zero."

While this may not seem like striking news on the surface, it is actually proof of a dying system. Before the internet, record companies could keep a large percent of record sales and have control over the creative content of a record. If musicians wanted to sell their work, they had no choice but to go through the conduit of a record company. With the internet, users and musicians can share their work, experience and opinions freely. The record companies oppose this only because it signifies their end.

But who needs a middle man when you can go directly to the people? Who needs a middle man tell you how to write your songs or edit your message? Who needs a middle man to take a piece of the profit when they have completed none of the work?

I'll tell you who: No one.

And this is the reason that Nine Inch Nails, Saul Williams and Radiohead have released their albums independently, offering their music on a financial sliding scale to their fans.

Another example of the internet is closing the gap between people.