Forced consumerism brought to you by unregulated capitalism in a militarized state

West Virginia has a chemical spill last week that no one really cares about. But really, the coal mines weren’t involved…well, they were, but we’re going to stress that they weren’t until we can’t anymore. I have a particular kind of loathing for coal companies, not the workers of course.

The chemical, 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, is in fact used by the coal industry and was spilled in the Elk River outside of Charleston, which puts it way closer to my family than I’m comfortable with. The spill triggeres a tap water ban for 300,000 people, which shut down schools, bars, and restaurants, and forced residents to line up for bottled water (coming back to the dystopian future we currently reside in). Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency, “West Virginians in the affected service areas are urged not to use tap water for drinking, cooking, washing or bathing. Right now, our priorities are our hospitals, nursing homes and schools.”

Emergency workers were working on transporting water to distribution centers in the affected counties. Of course, stores ran out quickly of water. Of course, this means some people were able to hoard water and supplies while others (poor people) couldn’t. The spill originated from Freedom Industries, a Charleston company.

The chemical, 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, can have a variety of harmful consequences including it is harmful if swallowed, but also if it has contact with the skin or eyes. Apparently, the authorities were alerted to a strange order, and then discovered the leaking tank. Of course the water is being tested to see the scope of the problem. Freedom Industries is allegedly working with the state and feds to get water access to residents of course they didn’t have a statement.

ThinkProgress had a piece on the chemical spill as well, but their’s focused on the terrifying aspects people aren’t really paying attention to. It was written by Katie Valentine. According to Valentine’s piece, five people were transported to the hospital within hours of the spill and 9-1-1 received more than 1,000 calls within hours.

Valentine wrote about the West Virginia American Water Co. press conference which was on Friday.

Her six points of concern:

• No one knows when the water will be safe enough to drink.
• At this point we don’t know when the leak began and we don’t know how much of the chemical was dumped into the Elk River. At last check at least 5,000 gallons.
• Freedom Industries hasn’t been in communication with the water company. Yep, that’s a thing.
• Apparently, we don’t have a standard process for testing the toxicity of the water. At first the water company was told it was a different chemical than it actually is, and water testing doesn’t usually test for it.
• We’re not really sure how damaging the chemical is when diluted. The reality is they don’t know how dangerous the chemical is, if the water is safe, or not.
• The chemical will leach into the soil. Valentine’s piece says “may”, but anyone who has seen West Virginia’s ecosystem will tell you if that leak has been going (and remember we don’t know how long it has been) then it is already in the soil. Now, we don’t know what that means. I’m not sure what the chemical does in the coal mining process, but I imagine any chemical used for coal mining will have some negative consequences on the environment.  

At the bottom of the post you’ll see a tweet from Monday saying the water is ban has been lifted. I have no information if that means the water is safe to drink or if they still have to boil it.

Now, back to the dystopian future we find ourselves in. Anyone concerned that a corporation leaked a chemical into the ecosystem, lied about chemicals uses and properties; the government put a ban on water, closing school, and many businesses in the process; and resulting in the mass consumption of bottled and distilled water from other corporations (which was overseen by the police)?  This could have been a scene in a dystopian novel on how society looks immediately before the fall. Also, subtext “forced consumerism brought to you by unregulated capitalism in a militarized state.”

Now, this sounds like I’m crazy, I get it. But I’m not trying to sound alarmist, instead I’m trying to point out the impact and consequences of deregulation and the assumptions that corporations will do what is best for society and not themselves. Unregulated corporations regardless of industry being able to influence access to basic human needs (and I believe access to water is a right) is a pretty big price to pay. Also, this wasn’t even intentional.

BREAKING: W.Va. governor says a ban on tap water, after a chemical leaked into river,.has now been lifted for parts of the state.
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 13, 2014

Genetics, Environment, and Politics

Chris Mooney had an article for Mother Jones this week entitled, “Your genes tell you how to vote.” Oh really? Look I’m not a militant nature vs. nurture person. I think it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors. I’m an identical twin for god’s sake. I’ve heard it all, but we don’t share a mind, and we don’t agree politically…well any more than we do with our older sister. So I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at this article. Really, this is news now?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln political scientist John Hibbing, co-author of the book Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences, says “The basic idea of a heritable component to political beliefs has been around for at least a quarter of a century. It’s shown up too many times, in too many different places, with too many samples. So there’s something there.”

Of course, I’m not saying there isn’t. I’ve read the new study out taking about heretical memory. The article notes some studies done on twins (identical compared to fraternal) and as usual says nothing about other siblings. Political tendencies is one of the traits that shows up as identical twins having more in common than fraternal twins. I’m not getting into the studies. I get tired of all things twin all the time. Mostly, I think these studies are looking for the results they want. For every set of identical twins raised apart that share values there are foster siblings raised together that have similar values. Or people who don't know each other that share political ideals. Pass.

The article does note that most twins have a shared environment which would account for similar views as well. The article also notes, “None of this research, to be sure, says that genes determine everything. The ‘environment’ still matters a great deal. Nonetheless, the percentage of total variation in our views attributed to genes is quite substantial.”

The body of evidence suggests that genetics are responsible for between 30 and 40 percent of political views. However, science can’t determine which genes are actually responsible, see my doubt again. One potential gene is DRD4, which is a receptor for neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine also influences schizophrenia and Parkinson’s. This gene isn’t a “political gene”, but instead a gene with political implications in specific context.

The idea is that we inherit core dispositions of how we think the world should be run and work thus how society should be structured. The assumption then becomes people are social creatures; we form groups, and then form society. All this behavior is group-orientated and “natural.” I’m not a huge fan of the words normal and natural. Obviously, they serve a purpose particularly when looking at human development. Regardless, an example and the flaws as I see them, not scientific.

My family is blue collar democrat/liberal (though I’m much farther left than the rest of them), we have been for generations on both sides hailing from coal mines and factories. As mentioned I have an identical twin sister, we are very different aside from appearance, though through the magic of hair dye. J is far more moderate than I am (so is M our older sister). They both show more support for military operations (I say this because I’m so pro-military I think we should end the wars and bring them home), but there are notable differences in the way we approach the military. M and I believe J believed it was necessary to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. So what is different about us? Education, location, spiritual beliefs (J and I are both atheists, but M is a Christian leaning Catholic), personal environmental experiences. Now is anyone in my immediate family a conservative? No, I don’t think my father would allow that in the house so maybe someone is in the closet. I mention religion and education above because studies have been done indicating atheists and people with more formal education are more progressive and liberal than others. They also reside in the Midwest, where moderately left is one step away from dirty hippy…I’m pretty sure I’m a socialist by that metric, but here on the Eastish coast, I’m a left, but there are far more variations among political leanings on the left.

Maybe it is genetic, but maybe genetics are influenced by environment, people evolve and adapt to their conditions and then pass those adaptations to their children. I just don’t see how they can control for the assumptions and assertions they are making. Also, assertions like these can have long reaching consequences for other things like religion, education, etc. Are men genetically predisposed to being better at math and science? Or are they perceived as being better at math and science because as a society we have decided they should be and invest more in their math development? What about people of one race, ethnicity, or hailing from one location? Finally, LGBTQ, particularly the T part: born or conditioned? Obviously, I’m not comfortable with these assertions.

Sequester Time! *shuffle shuffle shuffle*

Does the sequester make anyone else think of the Hunger Games? The White House released state by state reports about the effects of the sequester in presumably the hope of bullying the Republicans into moving on it. The Huffington Post has the full list of all the PDFs, but I’ve pulled all the relevant information for the Nation, Ohio, Maryland, and DC.

Nationwide Impacts:

• Cuts to education. 70,000 children will look Head Start, 10,000 teachers may lose their jobs, funding for 7,200 special needs instructors could be cut. Title I funds for disadvantaged students would be cut.
• Cuts to small biz. The Automatic cuts would reduce loan guarantees to small biz by about $900 million.
• Cuts to food safety. 2,100 fewer food inspections could occur.
• Cuts to research and innovation. Several thousand researchers could lose their jobs and up to 12,000 scientists and students could be impacted. This includes cuts to NIH and NSF research. New drug approvals would experience delays.
• Cuts to mental health. 373,000 mentally ill adults and children could go untreated.
• Cuts to security and safety. The FBI and law enforcement would receive cuts, customs and border patrols would be downsized, aviation safety and security would be on the block, too, and emergency responders would see reduced grants.
• Economic growth would slow. Small business assistance would be cut as mentioned above. Economic development would be restricted and result in fewer jobs and leaving about $50 million in private sector investment untapped. Oil and gas permitting would slow.
• Government services would be impacted. Food safety see above. Vets would suffer because they always suffer. 398 national parks would be partially or fully closed.
• Economic security. Social Security would have to curtail services and reduce program oversight, which is exactly what we need. Senior meals programs might lose funding. WIC would drop 600,000 women and children. 1,600 local jobs would be at risk too. Cuts would leave 30,000 low-income children without childcare subsidies.  Rental assistance would be cut leaving 125,000 families at risk for losing their housing.  Emergency unemployment compensation would be cut by 11%. Homelessness programs would be restricted removing 100,000 from housing and shelter programs.
• Public Health. Mental health and substance abuse services would be cut. 8,900 homeless people with mental illness wouldn’t receive services. AIDS and HIV treatment and prevention would be cut leaving 7,400 patients without access to lifesaving med, and 424,000 fewer HIV tests would be given. Tribal services would provide 3,000 fewer inpatient admissions and 804,000 fewer outpatient visits.

Ohio impacts:

• Teachers and schools. Ohio will lose $25.1 million in funding for education. 350 teachers and aide jobs will be at risk, and 34,000 fewer students could be serves. Students with disabilities would lose 22 million in funds resulting in 270 fewer instructors.
• Work-study jobs. 3,320 fewer low-income students would get aid to finance college. 1,450 fewer students would get work-study jobs.
• Head Start. 2,500 children would lose access to Head Start.
• Protections for clean air and clean water. Ohio would lose $6,865,000 in environmental funding to ensure clean air and water.
• Military readiness. 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed reducing pay by $161.4 million. Army base operating funding would be reduces by 1.9 million. Air Force funding would be cut by $3 million.
• Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution. Ohio will lose $455,000 in Justice Assistance Grants.
• Job search assistance to help those in Ohio find employment and training. Ohio loses $1,786,000 in funding for jobs and helping 57,100 fewer people.
• Child care. 800 disadvantaged children would lose child care.
• Vaccines for children. 5,040 fewer children would be vaccinated because of a $344,000 reduction in funding.
• Public health. Ohio will lose $1,102,000 in funds to upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats. Ohio loses $3,310,000 in grants to prevent and treat substance abuse resulting in 4,200 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. Ohio loses $302,000 reducing HIV testing by 7,600 tests.
• STOP Violence Against Women Program. Ohio would lose $245,000 in funds for services to IPV survivors resulting in 900 fewer people being served.
• Nutrition assistance for seniors. Ohio would lose $823,000 in funds for meals for seniors.

Maryland impacts:

• Teachers and schools. $14.4 million lost for education, putting 200 teachers at risk. 12,000 fewer students will be served. $9.7 million in cuts for children with disabilities leaving 120 instructors at risk.
• Work-study jobs. 770 fewer low-income students would receive aid for college, and 440 fewer students would have work-study.
• Head Start. 800 students would lose Head Start.
• Protections for clean air and clean water. Maryland will lose $3.1 million in environmental funding for clear air and water. They could lose another $467,000 in grants for wildlife protections.
• Military readiness. 46,000 civilian DoD employees would be furloughed reducing pay by $373.7 million. Army base funding would be cut by 495 million. Air Force funding would be cut by $10 million. Navy funding would be cut by $9 million.
• Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution. Maryland will lose $317,000 in Justice Assistance Grants.
• Job Search Assistance to help those in Maryland find employment and training. They lose $66,000 in funds resulting in 9,270 fewer people receiving help.
• Child care. 400 kids will lose access to child care.
• Vaccines for children. 2,050 fewer children will receive vaccines because of reduction in funding of $140,000.
• Public health. Maryland loses $551,000 in funds to upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats. They lose 1.6 million in grants to prevent substance abuse resulting in 2,500 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. Maryland loses $595,000 resulting in 14,900 fewer HIV tests.
• STOP Violence Against Women Program. Maryland loses $124,000 in funds for IPV survivors resulting in 500 fewer being served.
• Nutrition Assistance for Senior. They lose $877,000 for meals for seniors.

DC impacts:

• Teachers and school. DC loses $533,000 in funding for education. 1,000 fewer students will be served. $925,000 lost for education for children with disabilities resulting in fewer instructors.
• Work-study jobs. 500 fewer students will receive aid for college, and 510 will lose work-study.
• Head Start. 200 children loses Head Start.
• Protections for clean air and clean water. DC loses $1 million for clean air and water. DC will also lose $64,000 in grants for wildlife protections.
• Military readiness. 13,000 civilian DoD employees will be furloughed reducing pay by $111.3 million.
• Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution. DC will lose $80,000 in Justice Assistance Grants.
• Job search assistance to help those in DC find employment and training. DC loses $174,000 in funding for job assistance programs resulting in 5,460 fewer people benefiting from them.
• Vaccines for children. 370 fewer children will be vaccinated because of a $25,000 funds reduction.
• Public Health. DC loses $57,000 in funds to upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats. DC loses $330,000 in grants to prevent and treat substance abuse resulting in 500 fewer admissions to programs. DC loses $324,000 resulting in 8,100 fewer HIV tests.
• STOP Violence Against Women Program. DC loses $13,000 for IPV victims.
• Nutrition Assistance for Seniors. DC loses $191,000 in funds for meals for seniors.

As you can see, welfare programs are hit hard, less so in DC and Maryland with their more progressive laws. But childcare in Maryland will be rolled over to subsidize where the TANF block grant falls short. Ohio is going to feel all of this immediately while Gov Kasich is about to issue tax refunds for because we’re in the black after forecasting a huge deficit. They pulled a lot of money out of education, and they have no intention of putting it back. I swear to god this man is just robbing poor children. The job training programs are also associated with welfare because all TANF recipients have to attend job training in order to receive their Cash Assistance, which means fewer programs = more people in each = less effective. Just like overcrowded classrooms in school. Poor people really get the shaft here with these cuts. Every step of the way when I was typing this all I could think was no one is going to care about these if they’re not affected.