Dr. Musacco is a therapist and an organizational psychologist who worked for the United States Postal Service for thirty years:

Another USPS Workplace Tragedy
by
Dr. Steve Musacco
*
On the morning of June 2, 2009, a city letter carrier went to work and reportedly fatally shot himself in the head in the locker room at a postal facility in Gastonia, North Carolina. The Gaston Gazette online news report stated that the “Gastonia Police are investigating an apparent suicide this morning at the post office. . . . One of the employees is inside dead from a gunshot wound.”
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BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

President Obama: Why Are You Allowing Your Postmaster General to Run a Plantation? The United States Postal Service is running a latter-day plantation. It's been documented by members of congress, and arbitrators, that the postal service is routinely falsifying employee clock rings, subjecting its employees to harassment, intimidation, and abuse, and forcing many of its employees to work between four and six hours a day without pay. Then, even though the Inspector General has documentation of the commission of a federal crimes in hand, the perpetrators are being allowed to walk away with impunity, and even being promoted.

Why are you allowing this to happen, Mr. President? Don't you know that this sort of thing more than offset all the good that you're trying to do? While the corporate media hasn't taken an interest in this issue yet, this kind of blatant worker abuse isn't taking place in a vacuum. The United States Postal Service is the second largest civilian employer in America. It employs over 600,000 people, and they all know what you're allowing to happen to them, and so do their family and friends. That's a lot of people - and a lot of votes.

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IS WALL STREET INVESTING IN THE SABOTAGE OF AMERICA?

Consider the following question: Is it possible that Wall Street is investing in the sabotage of America?

Even after the American people saved Wall Street from a self-inflicted wound to the tune of $800 billion dollars, now that they're back on their feet, and back to passing themselves out obscenely unconscionable bonuses even as America starves, why are they refusing to show their appreciation to the American people by investing in American jobs - or at the very least, making loans to small businesses?   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

The "Me-First" Attitude of American Politicians is Trashing the U.S. Constitution

The founding fathers understood the dangers of vacillating public sentiment, so they established the United States Constitution to protect America from the ebb and flow of public opinion. The Constitution was designed to set in place a set of American values from which the nation should never deviate in response to public sentiment.

But the GOP and the Democratic Party are working hand-in-hand to undermine those standards - first, the GOP creates a toxic political environment to circumvent the people's common sense, then instead of defending the Constitution, the weak-kneed Democratic Party simply goes along in order to protect their political interest. This unholy alliance has been going on for nearly forty years now, and America has been racing downhill every since. The primary victim of this unholy alliance, is the rule of law - the very foundation of the Constitution.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN · ERIC L. WATTREE

The Religious Right: A Threat to America (Reprise)

When I became of age one of the first things I did was to reassess all of my previous beliefs and attitudes. Thereafter, I discarded as invalid anything that didn't stand up to logical and objective scrutiny, because even at that young age, I'd lived long enough to recognize that most of the problems in this world are a direct result of our failure to re-examine our illogical views of reality. Most religious zealots not only fail to go through that process, but refuse to as a matter of religious doctrine. It is due to that kind of zealotry, along with their doctrinal obligation against even considering the fact that they just might be zealots, that makes the religious right a clear and present danger to both the United States, and the world. Now, I don't have anything against religious people, per se - I was raised by Christians, and they were wonderful and loving people. In fact, I'm very spiritual myself. But if you show me a man who believes that Moses parted the Red Sea, I'll show you a man whose logical assessment of reality cannot be relied upon.

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BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

If the U.S. Postal Service Really Want to Honor Black People, Try Emancipating Them.



On July 10, 2010 The United States Postal Service issued two 44-cent postage stamps honoring the Negro Baseball League. During the ceremony held in Kansas City, MO, Thurgood Marshall Jr., vice chairman of the Postal Service's Board of Governors, spoke on behalf of the postal service. While the issuance of the stamps was a laudable gesture, the gesture and the ceremony itself was fraught with irony.

Considering the postal service's abysmal record of employee abuse, the gesture was nothing less than a slap in the face to both the Negro Baseball League, whose members were the victims of the worst kind of discrimination, and to Thurgood Marshall Sr., who dedicated his life to the struggle for human rights. The ceremony was perfectly akin to having the first born of Frederick Douglass honoring the work ethic of former slaves at a Sons of the Confederacy convention.   Read More »

TEA PARTY COMMUNIQUE
30 July 2010
RE: RACISM AND HATE SPEECH ONLINE

Honorable Tea Party Members:

In response to several member inquiries about our official policy on racism and hate speech online we submit the following 10-point guideline for your approval and use:

1. We will pay any T-Party/Republican member in good standing one dollar per comment on selected news stories. Hateful and/or racist, and/or idiotic one-liners preferred (all three is even better), or you can simply copy/paste any number of our approved "canned" lists. See T-Party web site for: "Joe vs. Jose" or our sentimental, yet very popular, "When you cross the border in other countries".

2. A $100 bonus will be paid to any member who attains the top "favorite" "liked" or "thumbs-up" status on any news web site (except FOX News of course...come-on, that's like shooting fish in a barrel). We encourage all members to "favorite" each others' posts as it gives the impression that real people are actually reading them.

3. We feel emphatically that spelling and grammar errors give your post that "down-home" feel, popular with the less-educated Tea Party members (87.7% of our ranks) so please feel free NOT to use spelling or grammar checkers before posting.

4. Racial and ethnic slurs should be limited to those groups on our approved list. Here is a partial list of who we hate:
Mexicans, Canadians, Guatamalans, Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, Peruvians (we REALLY hate Peruvians, all high and mighty with their Japanese ancestors), Ecuadorans, Paraguayans, Brazilians, Chileans...basically ALL of North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean Island nations, Asia, Africa, Europe (except the white ones...well, we're not too happy with Denmark or Sweden with their "holier than thou" successful socialized healthcare either but...), Australia and New Zealand (with their cute British-like accents...up yours Mel Gibson!) Ok, let's make this simple...we hate everyone, period...black, brown, yellow, and white-racists (yes, we even hate ourselves)...so OPEN SEASON on the human race basically.

5. Specific Issues: Please avoid comments on specific points on specific issues unless you are getting your information, quotes and opinions directly from an authoritative source...namely FOX News, and particularly Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, or Bill O'Reilly. We have serious reservations as to whether Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs are "true" patriotic Americans so we will not pay for posts based on their blabbering. Laura Ingram? She's supposedly a woman...'nuff said?

6. CAUTION: We have just learned that those dirty-rat liberal Democrats didn't repeal the Patriot Act yet! So be careful, your posts are being monitored and screened. Avoid word combinations like "federal building bombing" and "kill all the Hispanics and Blacks" and "I love sex with farm animals" (not to alientate our base, but we MUST be careful) at least until they repeal that blasted thing! Did I just say "blasted?" Don't say that either.

7. Our polling suggests that retirees and children are reading our posts more and more, so please try to shock and scare them with references to dirty bombs, child molesters, evil clowns, and violence directed at "Chuck E. Cheeses" and "Hometown Buffet" patrons. You know the drill...scare 'em young, scare 'em old, scare 'em often!

8. ACTING INSANE: We strongly encourage the use of incoherent, random and loosely-connected inflammatory words and phrases but, while this strategy can be quite effective, let's be quite clear: The Tea Party itself stands firmly and unequivocally AGAINST ALL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES!!! Shoot, if folks actually got help with their mental health, addiction and anger-management issues we would lose 90% of our membership!

9. POSTS BY WOMEN: We do not openly "restrict" postings by our female members who now number 37 (mostly in the Cheyenne, Wyoming and Dubuque, Iowa areas for some unknown reason) however, our broads should realize that they have a genetic predisposition toward reason and sanity, and that we-just-cannot-tolerate. If you females must post online, please just copy/paste a comment from a male member and then say how much you hate those liberal "Feminazis" in the Democratic Party (a golden-oldie from Uncle Rush...but it still resonates with our base).

10. MOST IMPORTANT!!! Reference "The Bill of Rights" and "The Constitution" in all of your posts! This is critical. We understand that none of you have ever read either document (who has?), but we know that it is important to the evil liberal Democrats, so we like to act like we actually know what we are talking about....but again, use caution. DO NOT respond to any specific questions or issues ESPECIALLY about laws or Congress or government or social justice...these are all just way too confusing for us.

When in doubt, just act INSANELY ANGRY at everyone and everything and you are "good to go." A well placed "SCR*W YOU MEXICANS" can take the place of actual thinking.

We may have to destroy the entire United States to win this battle, but we believe the fine info-tainers at FOX NEWS will rise from the ashes and lead us Tea Party members to the right-white, impotent, male domination that we so crave.

KEEP FLOODING THOSE COMMENT BOARDS T-BAGGERS!!! CHA-CHING$$$, CHA-CHING$$$, CHA-CHING$$$

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Let Us Put an End to Poor and Middle-Class Abuse



A journalist should never get personally involved in a story. He should simply record the facts, or in my case, comment on what is taking place. But what if he's covering a story and observe a child drowning, do journalistic ethics require him to just stand there and record the event? I don't think so. Well, as I see it, American workers are drowning, and I have no intention of just standing by and watching it happen.   Read More »

New partybuilder group: Crafting Our Message 2010

Dear Partybuilder People,

As the November 2010 Midterm Elections draw near, it is more important than ever that we work together to get people to the polls and to vote Democrat.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Republicans have been *very* much in power for the last 2 years. They have obstructed an historic amount of business during a time when our country needs us to act. One of these important bills blocked by the Republican Party is a much needed Jobs bill. Now the Republicans want voters to give them even more power.

Our country needs to get back to work, and while Democrats put in long hours to pass solutions for America, Republicans have stood on the sidelines jeering. All they have to offer is a "No," and their only solution is that voters should give them *more* power so they can return things to the way they were under Bush & Cheney.

Do we want a return to Bush economics that brought on the financial disaster? Or do we want to elect responsible people who are willing to make the tough decisions necessary to put our economy back on track?

The choice in November will be determined by how many voters we can make feel the urgency of this situation, and how well we get our message across.

Many of us do not have time to write blogs full-time, but occasionally we see news stories that make us say "Hey, why don't the Democrats say it like ______?"

I created this new Partybuilder group as a place where I hope people can post ideas for talking points, or quick thoughts about crafting our message in 2010. This group is intended for posts that deal with talking points, that will get people to the polls and vote Democrat in the November 2010 mid-term elections.

You do not need to write a formal introduction or proper grammar - heck feel free to post your blog as a note. Just get that talking point out and share it with the rest of us.

So, I hope you will join this group and post some talking points on the 2010 Mid-term Elections to it.


Thanks,
D. Tree

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Maybe I'm Dumb, but Could Somebody Please Tell Me the Difference Between Zionism and Racism?

I'm about to do something that I generally make it a point to avoid - discuss the collective nature of White folks. The reason I make it a point to avoid this subject is because I don't want to add to the disinformation disseminated by many Black racists (oh yes, racists come in Black too) that there is something more intrinsically evil in White people than there is any other racial group.

The fact is, as humans, just as intellect is distributed equally across our species, so is malevolence. We all have a tendency to be self-serving and corrupt given half a chance. The only difference between White people and any other group is that they have the power, thus opportunity, to reflect that side of their nature - and to anyone who wants to challenge my assertion in that regard, I invite you to witness the Black-on-Black mayhem that's currently taking place on the continent of Africa. Or take the police out of the Black communities of America and see the level of enlightenment that prevails - it would be the survival of the fittest within a week.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class Abuse(CARMA)
It's Time to Fight Back



It is time for poor and Middle-class workers to start fighting back. The corporate community has become increasingly prone to take shortcuts on safety, create hostile work environments, undercutting and even stealing wages from gainfully employed workers in the name of grossly obscene profits.

These unconscionable practices in the name of ever more profits are not only having a negative impact on the quality of life of the poor and middle-class, but often, literally, sacrifice their very lives, as we've seen in an increasing number of cases, as in the coal mine disaster in Kentucky that took the lives of 29 coal miners, and the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico less than a month later, that took the lives of 11 oil workers. Both of these "accidents" were avoidable, and due to reckless penny-pinching by the corporations.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Wake up, Mr. President - The GOP has Launched a Jihad Against America



We all know you're a nice guy, Mr. President, but this is a seminal moment in American history. The Republican Party has revealed themselves to be the American Taliban. They're inciting insurrection, protecting corporate corruption, denying unemployed Americans subsistence, and they threaten to cripple the nation as a whole with their irresponsible use of the filibuster. The Republican agenda is to keep America ignorant and miserable at any cost. So at this point we don't need nice, we don't need bipartisanship, and we don't need a diplomat. What we need at this point in our history is a Commander-in-Chief to lead us in the fight against Republican tyranny. So it's time to suck it up and "fix bayonets," sir.   Read More »

I totally wish that someone within the DNC, or the Obama Administration would communicate to the American public the reality of the federal budget process. We keep hearing from media pundits that this administration cannot continue to place accountability on the past administration for our economic woes, and how this administration has ballooned the budget deficit.
The fact is that the 2009 budget was already allocated before Barack Obama was sworn into office, and the 2010 budget was already in the track for projections by February 2008. The first budget the the Obama Administration has the sole responsibility for developing is 2011!
The federal government works simultaneously on three budgets annually. The first budget is the current year in which all funds have been appropriated; the second year is the process of appropriating funds for the next fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30); and the third year is working through all of the government departments and agencies to create budget projections for the year after next.
The first two years this administration has worked through their predecessors budgetary process. Everybody should think about that, but unfortunately this information never makes it into the main stream media. Why??

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE





GOP Stumbles Over 'Homeboy' Steele - Again


The national media has seized upon yet another Michael Steele gaffe. This time he's caught on camera suggesting that the war in Afghanistan is now President Obama's war. The statement is troubling for the GOP on so many levels that it would take an entire article just to explain it, but that's not the point of this article.

This is a reprise of an earlier article, which refers to yet a previous article regarding the Republican party'stroubles with the illustrious Michael Steele, the conservative Snoop Dog. Now the GOP desperately wants to find a graceful way to get rid of him, but to put it in Brother Steele's vernacular, 'We don't roll like that, Dawg' - and further, he doesn't have sense enough to resign. Why should he when he gets to 'boogie-down' on the world stage? 'This is better than being on Soul Train, my man.'   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Fourth of July Message to America: The Lady Wears Shackles

For over a hundred and twenty years the Statue of Liberty has greeted immigrants to these shores with open arms and the promise of the kind of freedom that they had never known. As a result, that towering, stately, and majestic lady has come to represent the quintessential symbol of freedom, liberty, and justice for people all over the world. Just the sight of her brought hope and inspiration to millions of European immigrants as they entered New York Harbor, and that initial vision sustained them as they started their new lives in America.

The scene must have seemed surreal as their boats slowly moved past her in the harbor. Oceans of tears must have flowed as the immigrants stared in awe at this magnificent lady. In her right hand she held the burning flame of passion and enlightenment - outstretched and high, as though reaching for the very face of God. In her left arm she held the tablet that represents the rule of law, and the guarantee of equal justice for all, and on her right foot, the broken shackle of a freed slave. That's right–millions of European immigrants were welcomed to America by the statue of a freed slave.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Democrats: I'll Resume My Donations When You Resume Fighting Republican Trickery?

The one factor that contributed most to the downfall of the Democratic Party during the seventies and eighties was allowing conservative Republicans to seize control of the political rhetoric. The Democrats simply sat back and allowed themselves, their constituency and their agenda to be redefined in the eyes of the American people by conservative "spin doctors" without rebuttal. As a direct result, they've allowed the term "liberal" to become a bad word in the political lexicon.

When you consider how methodically the conservatives went about mounting their assault on the liberal agenda you can't help but recognize that it was a stroke of genius. Ironically, the conservatives took the Democratic Party's strength and made it a political liability. First they took the party's penchant for being concern with the plight of the downtrodden and coined phrases such as "bleeding heart liberals" and "tax and spend Democrats." They then played on the frustration of the middle class by tying civil rights legislation, welfare, and crime into one neat bundle as the source of middle class woes; then they attributed all of these problems to what they called the Democrat's tendency to be " bleeding heart liberals". Once the connection was made between minorities, welfare, crime, and the liberal agenda, it was just a matter of repeatedly hammering the message home.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Little Tough Love for the People

This past Friday, June 25, 2010, I attended a breakfast at the Regency West in Leimert Park. The Breakfest was given by The Urban Issues Forum of Greater Los Angeles. It was hosted by Dr. Anthony A. Samad, coordinated by Ms. Arnetta White Mack, and the principal speaker was Minister Keith Muhammad, of Mosque 26B in Oakland, Ca.

Right off the bat the event was unusual in that they fed the participants breakfast at the forum's own expense. The only thing they wanted in return was the chance to educate the people. There was no grandstanding, and no self-serving commercials, only facts, which I took the time to verify thoroughly - I'm something of a cynical sort.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Postal Service Employee Abuse Spur Call for Citizen Action Group

Do you know the names of any of the 29 coal miners who died in Montcoal, West Virginia on April 5, 2010, or what has happened to their families since that needless tragedy? Can you tell me the names or condition of the families of the 11 oil workers who were vaporized during the explosion of the oil rig in the Gulf on April 20? Can you give me just one name of the many innocent postal workers who have been killed, maimed, or disabled due to irresponsible postal management over the past several years?

Of course you can't, because the limitless greed of the corporate community - including much of the corporate press - has relegated these poor and middle-class workers to the wastebin of 'unfortunate collateral damage' in their blind pursuit of the dollar. As a direct result, a citizen's action group has been proposed to address the diminishing quality of life of America's poor and middle-class workers.   Read More »

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Is the Government Putting Something in the Water?

When I was a teenager my grandfather once told me that when you start thinking that everyone else is crazy it's time to look in the mirror. Well, it must be my time, because this country is looking more and more like a Stepford society to me every day.

It must be something in the water, because every since the Reagan era the American people seem to be walking in their sleep, allowing the government and multinational corporations to cut their throats at will.   Read More »