This is the short and to the point Tuesday, March 18, 2008 article titled "Is It a Recession? Or a Depression? Shocking New Gallup Poll..." by Richard Blair.
The questions in the title are very good questions.
They inspire a review of what has taken place in the seven years of the fascist Bush regime. To start, early in the first term of the fascist Bush regime there was a serious recession. For political reasons the fascist Bush regime aborted that recession. As a result, many economically unjustifiable investments that should have been purged from the American capitalist economic system at that time were not.
Had they allowed that recession to run its course many of those economically unjustifiable investments could have been purged from our economic system with just a recession. As a result, we have all of those economically unjustifiable investments that were never purged, plus a considerable number more that have accumulated because of seven years of gross mismanagement of American capitalism by the Bush regime.
Bottom Line No. 1: A short-and-sweet recession at this time may not be enough to effectively remove all of the accumulated economically unjustifiable investments in our economic system. This is because there are so many economically unjustifiable investments that it may very well require a full-blown depression to remove them all.
Bottom Line No. 2: If we do have a depression, millions of working class Americans will lose there jobs, homes, cars, all sorts of expensive toys, investments of all sorts, pension funds will go bankrupt, self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts(IRAs) will be devastated, etc., etc., etc.
Bottom Line No. 3: The good news is that millions of working class Americans will have the freedom to start all over at the absolute bottom of the economic ladder in the corporatist economic system. They will then have the wonderful opportunity to scratch and claw there way up the economic ladder in an economic system that is so enormously stacked against them.
Bottom Line No. 4: A few will make it up the economic ladder. The news media will present them as success stories that could only happen in our vaunted economic system. Most will never make it up the ladder, and what little wealth they do accumulate will be at risk of being wiped-out in the next recession or depression.
Bottom Line No. 5: The "good news" is American corporatism will survive intact. Its "viability" assured and its "useful" life extended.
'A Rank Falsehood' - published in the Washington Post - was a propaganda piece by Charles Krauthammer to minimize McCain's statement on TV that he "didn't care if we were in Iraq 100 years".
Charles Krauthammer's attempt to soften the meaning of McCain's statement about Iraq ignores another famous little bit of banter by McCain, "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Iran". Charles is not your " Just the facts" Joe Friday type reporter. But I suppose that I don't need to tell you that. Over the years Krauthammer has proven himself to be a shill for Israel, Republicans, and the NeoCons, in that order.
In the Washington Post Article he wimps for McCain claiming:
"The Annenberg Political Fact Check Center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, says: It's a rank falsehood for the DNC to accuse McCain of wanting to wage 'endless war' based on his support for a presence in Iraq something like the U.S. role in South Korea."
And here I thought we were talking about our presence in Iraq. Krauthammer goes on to use that quote as proof positive that McCain didn't really mean what he said on TV and the Annenberg Center, in representing themselves as "Paragons' of virtue and truth", seem to be asking you to quit listening to your lying ears.
I can not state factually that the APPC is a Republican bastion of whatever, but I will admit that my research about APPC does find them to be on the side of Republican politics in general. I found that most of their Buildings, Foundations, Schools, and such, seem to be named for former Republican dignitaries. I Don't know if that implies anything, just pointing it out.
But back to McCain and the Krauthammer Article. Now I personally saw McCain make the "100 year" statement on TV. I also saw him sing the little ditty, "Bomb, Bomb, Iran" on TV. And I'm sure that millions of others did too.
But many have already forgotten those utterances. And probably nearly everyone has forgotten that John McCain is one of the Keating Five (See Dan Nowicki and Bill Muller, Profile of John McCain, Chapter VII: The Keating Five), the five Senators who helped the Keating group force on the American public the most egregious Savings & Loan Corporate scandal in American history.
Billions of dollars were stolen from unsuspecting investors and hundreds of thousands of Americans lost their life savings in this fraud, one that makes Enron seem like a miniscule event. And yes this scandal came during another Bush Presidency. Later McCain would apologize to America, using ignorance of the situation, for his involvement in the scandal as his excuse.
He claimed he was misled.
What the forgetful McCain didn't remember to tell the public was his family's financial involvement with Keating. I'm speaking of his wife and her father and their business dealings with the man. When a reporter suggested more involvement with Keating than McCain was admitting to, he was called a liar by McCain, but when presented proof of his wife's involvement with Keating, McCain blew his cool and told the reporter "That's a spouse's involvement, you idiot, you do understand English, don't you?"
Once again McCain failed to remember he also benefited by his wife's arrangement with Keating to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars. Possibly chicken feed to some Senators, but not to me, your lowly citizen reporter.
Ignorance of the fraud. Didn't remember to confess that he, his wife, and her father received gratuities from Keating amounting to several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hmmmm. A man running for President who claims that he is the most likely Candidate to make proper decisions. The Chutzpah of it all, no, this use of the word is not an accident.
The political leanings of Krauthammer, Annenberg, Weingarten, you think might favor another political group, or do I need to continue? There are those, myself included, that believe the Israeli Lobby is much too powerful in American politics. And Bush and his buddies, and this does include McCain, seem eager to please those who help bring Republicans to power and who furnish financial rewards to the corrupted.
A warning here: Electing McCain would be bringing back the Bushies...as in Dejavu. America does not need another Bush disciple for President. But, Krauthammer, Annenberg, etc. would have you believe otherwise.
They know where their loyalty lies and whom they have corrupted. Just look at the hypocrisy of what is McCain's platform - honesty in Government - of all things.
And what does that say of Krauthammer? I'll bet he saw McCain make those statements on TV, just like you and I did.
Now he's trying to tell you and me that what we heard was not what McCain said.
There are many reasons given to the decline in Bees, but one argument that matters most is the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and "Terminator Seeds" that are presently being endorsed by governments and forcefully utilized as our primary agricultural needs of survival. I will argue what is publicized and covered by the media is in actuality masking the real forces at work, namely the impact of genetically modified seeds on the reproduction of bee colonies across North America
Business as usual as long as the profits continue to roll in to the agra-giants, I guess.
Thursday was an interesting day on TV. Watching C-Span with a guest who was a spokesman for the Social Security Administration, I noticed that he was preparing us all for the day when our SS benefits would be cut or ended.
A call in stated that he had heard that there were people drawing Social Security benefits who had never worked even one day in the United States and he asked the question if there were any such people. The Spokesman looked straight into the and with a straight face said "no".
Mr. Spokesman, I know two people who have never worked one day in the United States, or for any United States Company, and I know absolutely for a fact that they draw Social Security benefits.
So Mr. Spokesman, since I'm pretty sure you know there are such people, and since I really don't think these two are the only two people in the United States who meet the description, Mr. Spokesman, my question is - Why did you lie about it?
Anybody out there besides me who know for absolutely certain any people who have never worked a day in the United States who draw Social Security benefits? Let me know.
The other biggie was on The Situation Room where Glenn Beck came on as Wolf's Guest to inform us all that there was a $53 Trillion Asteroid approaching Earth and no one was paying attention. In a way he's correct.
Comptroller General of the United States David Walker has been warning about it for the last two years. And I have written some articles about the United States Accrued Liabilities (I call that debt) the last one being "The Financial Cost of the Bush Administration".
Beck stated that when Bush came into office, the Accrued Liabilities were at $20 Trillion. The $53 Trillion, Mr. Beck, is the Debt Accrued up to September 1, 2007. I'll bet its bumping up to $60 Trillion today. Can anyone tell me if that $60 Trillion is the current figure?
If memory serves, the Savings and Loan scandal many years ago was the same thing.
Crooks manipulated loans and laundered money through their pet Savings and Loans until they had stolen millions and the S&L's failed.
We the People paid the Executives and CEO's so they wouldn't have any losses, from our tax money!
Of course, many of the "little people" lost their life savings and retirement. They got to settle for a few cents on the dollar after years of litigation.
That's the way our government works, folks. Change it, or get used to it.
They tell us fellow patriots, that we are weak, unable to resist their accumulated power. Will we get stronger or will we choose to surrender to their usurpation of our liberties and freedoms? Shall we succumb to the implantation of their RFID chip into the body of every man, women and child? Will we resist the installation of a surveillance device in every room of our homes?
Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we surrender our constitutional right to be effectively armed to protect our lives and our sacred honor to be free? Shall we acquire the means of an effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs hugging the delusive phantom of hope, while our enemies shackle us hand and foot with debt or prison?
From the hallowed halls of the structures our founders built along the banks of the Potomac, our fathers erected likenesses of our patriotic founders and preserved the documents which testified of their noble efforts to secure and perpetuate our liberties and freedoms! Over the years, we have become so passively content that we have rested on the laurels of their sacrifice and efforts. Never have we been alerted to the possibility that diabolical politicians with a clandestine agenda were making mockery or our heritage and the dedicated resolve of our founding fathers.
While we have been in an anesthetized state of slumber, our vigilance has not been disturbed . There has been no galloping horseman with a couple of lanterns shouting, "The tyrants are coming"! Our trust in the integrity of the so-called "free press" funded by our onetime "free independent states", has now become allocated to a small group of profiteers. While they are hawking the wares of their advertisers (who add all their cost to the products we purchase), they are propagandizing our slumbering neighbors into believing it is more "socially acceptable" to exchange our Constitutional Republic and our Freedoms [for] a Fascists styled so-called "democracy".
Perhaps Patrick Henry would conclude this observation with a paraphrase of his eloquent words:
We have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is too late to retire from this contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! There clanking may be heard on the banks of the Potomac and on the Hudson. The confrontation between the International cartel headquartered in DC and the people of the Republic is inevitable---let it come! I repeat Sir, let it come!!
Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!!!
The terms progressive and open society have two completely different meanings depending on how applied. Add to that the words freedom and liberty. These words, when applied to an America respecting individual freedom, individual liberty and a right to pursue individual legitimate self-interests, take on the meaning for which we are most familiar.
To try to convince all Americans they are patriotic, the Hillaryland people alter the meanings by limiting them only to the group, society and community. Only community is important to them. Community, society and the group can never possess values, interests or aspirations, except those given to them by such leaders as Hillary.
To speak of the freedom, the liberty, progressive or even open society as it applies to community, is to destroy government of, by and for the people.
It finally boils down to which you believe is most important; community interests, which means ruler-interests, or legitimate self-interests. Once you have made that decision, you can interpret words like progressive, open society, liberty and freedom to suit, then vote to keep one or get the other.
In spite of the elite having little respect for your choices, this one they will give you as long as it supports Hillary's choices.
On the Iraq war, neither Clinton nor the so-called anti-war Obama really get the point, says Jacob Hornberger. And what's the root of the problem? Well, it all starts with the Constitution and the separation of powers.
Both Obama and Clinton miss the real point, however - the Constitution, and specifically that portion of the Constitution relating to the powers to declare war and wage war.
We should remind ourselves, first and foremost, what the Constitution actually is. The Constitution is a set of rules that the American citizenry have imposed on the federal government (and the state governments). Just as federal officials impose laws on us, we have imposed a law on them, which is the Constitution. Just as we are expected to obey their laws, they are expected to obey our law.
In addition to setting up the federal government, the Constitution establishes the powers that can be exercised by each of the three branches of government. The Constitution enumerates the powers for each branch. If a power isn't enumerated, then it cannot legally be exercised.
By the same token, a power delegated to one branch of government cannot be delegated to another branch of government. The power belongs only to the branch of government to which it has been delegated in the Constitution.
With respect to war, the Constitution delegates to the president the power to wage war. However, it delegates to Congress the power to declare war.
So, while both candidates are complaining about the war in Iraq - they're both still off base. This wasn't about bad judgement, lies, WMD's or anything of the like. It's been an exercise in power - an unconstitutional exercise of power by the executive branch.
Obama's beef is that the president exercised bad judgment in going to war on Iraq. Clinton's response is that she didn't realize that the president would exercise bad judgment after she authorized him to exercise his judgment. What neither of them get is that under our system of government, the issue of going to war against Iraq does not depend on the judgment of the president but rather on the judgment of Congress. This is where Obama, Clinton, McCain, and other members of Congress failed America.
The decision of war is not one that is to be left to the judgement of the President - for such great power in the hands of just one person is far too dangerous, indeed. That's why the founders intended to leave the question of war in the hands of the People...through their representatives in Congress.
James Madison made this quite clear when he said:
"The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war."
Presidential orders, even those issued as commander-in-chief, are subject to restrictions imposed by Congress. A Congressional declaration of war, for example, limits Presidential powers, narrows the focus of the action, and implies, or clearly stipulates, a precise end-point to the conflict.
Like it or not, the Constitution is clear, and the only way it can be changed is through the procedure for amendments as outlined in the Constitution.
All Presidents that have waged war without a Congressional declaration, including Presidents Truman, Johnson, Clinton and Bush, have broken the law; the law specifically stated in the Constitution; thereby conducting themselves like dictators, albeit democratically elected, in order to determine the future of foreign people and nations.
Sadly, it doesn't seem like any of the 2008 frontrunners will change this trend.
Why.? Hard working honest citizens (especially new immigrants) are fooled by smart con artists. Bankers and "investors" are convincing them that gambling is the only way to get ahead.
Hard working honest citizens are really deserving much much more.they can feel it but they are confused by the media propaganda and con artists that in this banksters' run World only gambling can give them a better life.
The Klaxon sounds and they scramble They close the hatches, take their station As they hear the order, "Dive, dive, dive!" And do! Down into the cold dark, ocean.
The bow planes turning downward Aiming the Boat into the deep Toward ol' Davy Jones' Locker Where lost Sailors lie in endless sleep.
They know not if they will return To the surface and the light It all depends, how well they hide And, how well they fare in the fight.
Fifty-two of our Submarines More than thirty-five hundred souls Whose families grieved the loss And for whom the death bell tolls.
One was the SS218, the USS Albacore With it's brave eighty-six Sailors, lost Heros of the Second World War Part of that terrible, deadly cost.
She had served Her Country well Sinking thirteen Japanese ships And She had damaged several more On Her eleven Combat Patrol trips.
She was presumed sunk near Hokkaido By a mine in November, Forty-four She had sailed from Midway in October To be heard from, nevermore.
Now, remembrance in a Memorial To Honor Her and Her stalwart Crew So we don't forget those lost to war It's the very least, that we can do!
I got this video from a friend. Thought it was well worth the watching.
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
We definitely need new insights in dealing with this world. Perhaps this is one, if not new, at least worth cultivating.
Five years into the war in Iraq, the nation awaits the day of reckoning for the enormous cost of this misbegotten adventure, conceived in ignorance, conducted in arrogance and staining our democracy. The saddest costs are suffered by American soldiers, 4000 deaths and 40,000 wounded; the millions of Iraqis killed or wounded or displaced; and the monetary cost to the U.S. taxpayer now estimated at $3 trillion.
But there are many other hidden costs damaging to our nation that President Bush ignores when he describes this cruel war as "noble, necessary, and just", contrary to world opinion, contrary to friend and foe.
The Costs Ignored:
U.S. intelligence has been discredited as inaccurate and politicized
U.S. Is known worldwide as a nation that uses torture as an instrument of policy
The war has increased the military power and political influence of Iran
The war has put internal and external pressure on key U.S. allies, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan
The war has affected Israel by weakening the governments of Egypt and Jordan which have peace treaties with Israel
The war has diminished the reputation of the U.S. in every country and dramatically increased hostility to the U.S. in the Muslim world, affecting the sales of American products
The war has driven up the cost of oil
The war has indicated the vulnerability of the U.S. military to guerrilla strategy and tactics
The war cost is curtailing our country's ability to solve urgent domestic problems of infrastructure, healthcare, education, etc...
The war in Iraq is a costly failure at every level. It must be ended at the earliest possible time to save lives and money in order to establish a sane and sensible foreign policy that will truly protect our country and rebuild U.S. relationships and reputation.
It won't be easy for the U.S. to leave Iraq. Resistance will come from imperial ambition, domestic political advantage, and oil business interests.. The argument will be made that withdrawal from Iraq without victory might stimulate similar demands in the 130 countries where the U.S. has a total of 737 bases.
And finally, we should remember the experience of other great powers. From 1882 until 1922, the British promised the international community 66 times that they would leave Egypt, but they never did until they were forced out.
A friend sent me this article from Robert Parry. It was written back in 2000, and it's definitely worth reading.
Here's an excerpt:
While the Clinton-Gore record on openness has been mixed, the administration has given Americans back important chapters of their recent history. The record of a second Bush administration could be quite different.
George W. Bush could be faced with choices early in his administration about releasing additional CIA records that could implicate his father in activities surrounding a double homicide.
The potential for other new disclosures about crimes - from the 1980 October Surprise operations to contra-drug trafficking to Iraqgate seem unlikely, too - since they would cast a negative light on the Bush family legacy.
The inclusion of Cheney on the Bush ticket further suggests that continuation of Cold War cover-ups will be a hallmark of a Bush II administration.
Cheney proved his mettle with the Bush family by protecting the elder George Bush during the Iran-contra troubles. He demonstrated his commitment to secrecy again by overseeing the destruction of historical records from Project X.
Given the Bush family's success in containing unpleasant secrets from the past quarter century, it also might be easier to understand why George W. Bush has taken chances hiding his own personal indiscretions, as the recent disclosure of a driving-under-the-influence arrest has shown.
Far more often than not, the Bushes have prevailed in keeping their secrets - and keeping a truthful historical record - from the American people.
I try to be an informed and responsible citizen by keeping abreast of all the news from as many sources as possible. But the more I hear, the more I find myself intensely frustrated and angry at my seeming inability to contribute to the solution of these problems.
In a world of six billion people, it's hard not to feel insignificant and simply give in to cynicism.
In my frustration, I turn to our leaders, hoping that they will have the answers and the influence to solve problems that are beyond the control of the individual citizen. However, our presidential elections (with one notable exception) vividly illustrate that there is a dearth of solid, principle-based leadership in this country.
Our political contests have been reduced to forcing us to choose not the best candidate, but the lesser of two evils. Are we to choose the tyranny of forced universal health care, or the tyranny of inflation-ridded empire? Should we simply vote along party lines? Wait a minute-where are those lines drawn anyway?
The more I look outward, the more I am convinced that the answers do not lie outside of myself. John Adams wrote that "If worthless men are sometimes at the head of affairs, it is because worthless men are at the tail, and the middle."
In other words, our political leaders are mere reflections of our citizens. If we want our leaders to change, we have to change.
Meaningful and lasting national and global change must be enacted from the inside out, not the outside in, and it starts not with the community or even the family; it starts with the individual.
Gandhi taught, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
If I want to see a peaceful world, then I must pursue peace within myself, with my spouse, my children, and my extended family. If I want to see a better system of education in America, then I must take initiative and responsibility to educate myself and my children.
Instead of focusing on what I can't do, I'm learning to focus instead on what I can do. I can't pay off the national debt, but I can pay off my debt and balance my home budget. I can't solve America's health care problems, but I can live a healthy lifestyle. I can't stop corporations from dumping environmental waste in our rivers, but I can maintain a clean home environment.
The reformation begins with me. As I change myself, it inspires others around me to change, spreading from my family, to my community, to my state, to my nation, and ultimately to the entire globe.
Call me naive and idealistic if you must, but I won't pay attention; I'm busy changing the world.
As most of you know, Aaron Russo passed away a few months ago. Most all of the people who had the opportunity to attend the showing of his film recognized that the information he revealed in the movie was potentiality devastating to our American way of life.
His film, AMERICA; from Freedom to Fascism has done more to awaken our slumbering American citizens to the reality of our imminent dangers than anything else in the contemporary history of our America.
To many of us, he was a deja-vu of Patrick Henry who was known as the "spark-plug of the American Revolution. When he was in Denver, we had the opportunity to tell him that he was who the people were looking to for truth and leadership and that he was the 21st Century's version of Mr. Henry.
He was embarrassed by the comment, but now Mr. Henry can assure Aaron that his efforts were not in vain and that they will lead and inspire our American people to a new birth of freedom and liberty.
This 39-minute interview was one of the last he gave for us to view his motives. The Yannone organization is to be commended for sharing it with us.
Almost four thousand lost, Heroes And thirty thousand wounded, more Countless civilians and innocents Have been killed in this damned war.
The World, been made no safer No matter, what the spinners say More enemies who want to kill us Because, we want to change, their way.
We just give them more excuses The longer, in their sacred land They don't want us over there It's not that hard, to understand.
Their forces are already here They just cross our open borders Laying low, until that time They receive their marching orders,
Our Troops should be here in our Homeland Where the next war might be fought If you think we stop them, in Iraq Then, you believe an ignorant, thought.
We spend, our Soldiers precious blood And waste, the treasure of us all Just so we could have, the claim to fame We made one lone, evil, tyrant fall.
In amongst, those Islam extremists There's always one to take his place Who hates the "infidel" as much As all those, history, can trace.
Our politics and our promises Don't mean a thing to all those tribes To them, talk about our democracy Are just lies and empty, diatribes.
The common people may want freedom But so far, it's not done them, much good Some even say, they'd prefer Saddam And would have him back, if they could.
They will spend us down, over there Until wealth and Soldiers, spread so thin Can't protect our own Nation's shores Because of this war, we'll never win.
They've been at this a thousand years And they have, nothing, but time Think, it's a privilege for them, dying For the death, of yours and mine.
When, those radicals knock at your door And, cut your head off in the street When they overrun us here at Home Now, that's the true meaning of, defeat.
An open letter to Senator Webb on ending the war in Iraq.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008, tragically marked the beginning of the 6th year of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
The already staggering death toll among Iraqi civilians continues to rise. According to the prestigious British polling agency, Opinion Research Business, over 1 million Iraqis have been killed violently since March 2003. And the U.S. military death toll in Iraq is rapidly approaching 4,000.
The alarming humanitarian crisis in Iraq - a direct result of the occupation - will only worsen. UN figures show that over 2 million Iraqis are internally displaced and another 2 million have fled the country.
Money that could otherwise be spent rebuilding the country that we have destroyed, as well as caring for our veterans, is instead poured into the efforts of a blatantly failed policy. Current U.S. spending levels are estimated at $400 million per day, while Iraqis continue to live without basic services such as clean water and electricity, suffering the consequences of a 60-70% unemployment rate and a general lack of security.
I am calling on you to use your assigned powers as US Senator to lead a filibuster to end this war, not next year, not next month - but today. With just 41 votes in the Senate, a filibuster could prevent funding requests from the Bush administration needed to continue the occupation from ever coming to a vote. Only those bills that limit funds to bringing all U.S. forces home quickly and safely should ever see the light of the Senate.
Your Republican colleagues across the aisle have very successfully used this tactic to avoid voting on amendments calling for timetables on withdrawal as well as non-binding resolutions condemning the so-called "surge". Why not use it now to cut off funding for the war? Without a veto-proof majority of 2/3 in the Senate, the filibuster remains the best chance to end this war.
I urge you to please lead a filibuster effort to stop this war, to help end the ongoing, tragic loss of life and treasure, and bring our troops home.
".We can end the privately owned Federal Reserve and establish a constitutional currency. We must deport the illegals for the same reasons that Presidents Hoover and Eisenhower did it, and use whatever military force is required to keep them out. There is nothing racist about telling the truth, Illegals are profitable slaves for corporations, but the most deadly and costly enemy "We the people" have ever faced in loss of life, pain, suffering, property, living standards and almost everything else of value. The terrorists are a second class enemy when compared to illegals and the CTT who are destroying our country."
I agree with ending privately owned Federal Reserve but deporting already working illegals with families is totally unacceptable...or I use a stronger word: It is extremely cruel.
".The terrorists are a second class enemy when compared to illegals.?
This exaggeration is totally baseless.
Illegals are not the root problem and any attack against them is following banking cartel scapegoat agenda.
I think that Andrew C. Wallace is introducing the banking cartel's old tactic divide and rule.
There is only one deadly enemy - the obscenely rich group of beasts that are the owners of the Federal Reserve Bank.
The message the fascist Bush regime is sending to the Third World, particularly the Arab and Moslem worlds is this: If you resist American imperialism, the brutal fascist American war machine will destroy you as a nation, a culture, and a people.
This is exactly the same message fascist Nazi Germany sent to every nation in Europe with its Blitzkrieg of Poland, France and the Soviet Union. This message fell apart in the brutal war of attrition on the Russian Front.
This is something for the American people, that are so impressed with the fascist American war machine, to ponder. Fascists keep expanding their power until they are militarily over-extended and then eventually, they are militarily crushed.
Are the thoroughly duped American people about to experience an American Russian front halfway around the world with a war in Iran? How about an American Dunkirk in Iraq? How about an American Stalingrad in Kabul?
The original definition of fascism by Giovanni Gentile is as follows:
Fascism, a system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism.
Giovanni Gentile's definition of fascism was the source for the definition of fascism in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language which is as follows:
Fascism, a philosophy or system of government that advocates or exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with an ideology of belligerent nationalism.
The definition of fascist in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is as follows:
a person who advocates or practices fascism.
In my opinion, the way the Bush regime has operated for over seven years perfectly fits the definition of fascism. Also, in my opinion, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Attorney General Michael Mukasey perfectly fit the definition of fascists.
They have killed over 1,000,000 people in Iraq to date with their illegal war. Approximately 4,000,000 Iraqi's are refugees, hundreds of thousands have been tortured, wounded, or maimed.
This week I witnessed a great speech from Senator Obama, and it gave me some hope that finally a voice of reason could be heard above the clamor of politics. It was a chilling reminder to me as I'm old enough to remember the Civil Rights Movement, and the changes those days brought to America. Our society is made better by the honest discussion of race in politics, and in the heartland of America.
In many ways the door has been opened, and it remains to be seen if America is truly ready to walk through it, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans. We either rise together or sink together as we deal with the challenges of our generation. We face untold challenges in the coming days and months ahead, with an economy spiraling close to the brink of a catastrophic disaster. Meanwhile the terrorist's in our midst's and abroad cheerfully and gleefully watch as we struggle to fix a broken corrupted system. How do we fix the system to make it work for all Americans?
The challenges for us is fundamentally the question of who do we believe? We fall into the time tested battle ground of red vs blue, and black vs white. How is it working for us? The ideal of perfection is just a notion, that no one believes is attainable. Just as the Founding Fathers sought to create in a new Government a set of ideas that it's laws should respect as divine a man's right to live a full and satisfying life free from the tyrrany of government and religious oppression. Just as the ten commandments have been described as a perfect set of laws, the Constitution with the Bill of Rights have been authored to give us the best chance for a Government that is for the people, and by the people.
What wonderful resounding words...
"We the People" of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
In the coming days ahead "We the People" need to ask ourselves this question... Have we fully lived up to the measure of the gift that has been given to us? I hope as we move forward we can as a nation strive to regain some of this nations noble idea's and make them truly our own.
Cliff, my only additional thought on your response to my antiwar/troops post - is that I believe, morally, people are responsible for their own actions.
Plain and simple.
We're going to continue seeing war and death until we get past this notion that people can commit heinous crimes and get away with them just because some politician told them to.
Is a person innocent of grave crimes because they believed they were doing something good?
Nope, not unless you work for the US government.
That's the problem we face. Without personal responsibility, we'll never see the kind of mass resistance in the military to unconstitutional wars that's needed to prevent or stop them.
War, death, destruction of property, torture and the like. And how about confiscating guns in New Orleans after Katrina? They're all just taking orders, trying to do something good, right?
The troops take an oath to support and defend the constitution - and every single war since WWII has been in violation to the Constitution.
This is why I agree with Mickey Z's comment of "don't support the troops. inform them."
".Since summer 2006, hundreds of thousands of homeowners, many forced by foreclosure, have moved out of single-family homes into rental housing, creating an excess of approximately 600,000 vacant, largely investor-owned single-family units for sale. Homebuilders caught by the market's rapid contraction have involuntarily added an additional 200,000 newly built homes to the "empty-house-for-sale" market."
Hundreds of thousands voluntary slaves to banks' mortgages are forced to moved out. They have never been homeowners.but they needed homes for families.
Alan Greenspan:
".The crisis will leave many casualties. Particularly hard hit will be much of today's financial risk-valuation system, significant parts of which failed under stress."
Particularly hard hit will be families extracted from "homeownership" not a financial risk-valuation system.
Here it's very clearly visible who this creature Alan Greenspan is. It's a purely money driven beast that should be tried and punished together with Nick Rockefeller, Bush and Cheney at the front of the White House.
Michael, you have written a superb post - Can You be Anti-War and Pro Troops? - but permit me to disagree with your premise, and the mirror premise of Mickey Z.
If I understand you correctly, you have two complaints: The Iraq War and the Soldiers who perform to the orders of their commanders.
I agree that the Iraq War is immoral and I would agree that the instigators of the war should be impeached, arrested, tried, and if found guilty, persecuted for their war crimes. I have written several articles condemning the war and those who brought it about.
I agree with Micky Z that it was all about petroleum, or to be more specific the control of the Mid-East Oil. It was a war started by criminals and abetted by Party loyalists. I agree that there are soldiers who are as cruel and immoral as the instigators of the War. But at this juncture I will have to begin my rationale for disagreement with the premise.
Micky Z lumped the Militarists with the Military. But he is wrong.
Many soldiers think they are Patriotic and sincerely believe they are protecting their country. The cry "Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here" is one rallying cry for the misled. I wrote an article "In Remembrance of Jonathan", a kid I personally knew who was absolutely taken in by the lies of the Administration.
He sincerely believed that it was his duty to sign up and go to battle to protect America. No one could shake his faith in the honesty of the President. For this deception alone, Bush and Cheney should be tried as War Criminals.
The difference, Michael and Micky Z, between Jonathan and the Bush/Cheney Cabal was knowledge of the facts. Bush/Cheney knew they were about to undertake the death and destruction of a people, Jonathan knew only that his country needed him.
Jonathan was a true American. Bush, Cheney, and their minions are not.
Bush and his gang knew that the Iraqi people were no threat to America and couldn't have cared less, there would be blood but there was booty to be had and they knew this was an opportunity to seize. Jonathan and others like him were duped by our leaders and went to their fate, death in Jonathan's case, for the simple reasonof a belief that they were protecting their country from the evil Terrorists. They knew no better.
I will always support the soldier who is pressed to risk life and limb for their duty. I thoroughly condemn the War Mongers who undertake the letting of blood for profit. The Mercenaries fit this mold and I include them as Bush minions.
They kill and destroy for profit much the same as Bush and gang. The Patriotic soldier risks his lfe only for moral right.
I can be for the soldier by demanding their return to the safety of home, and at the same time call for the war criminals to be impeached and tried for the crimes that the majority of the American people know they have committed.
Did you know that on March 19, 1831, the first bank robbery in America was reported with the City Bank of New York City losing $245,000 in the heist?
Probably not. But who does?
Did you know that on March 19, 1920, the U.S. Senate rejected for the second time the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 49-35, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval?
No? Eh, that's all right.
Did you know that on March 19, 2003 (U.S. time), George W. Bush announced the start of his war against Iraq?
Well, one out of three is probably better than the average fifth grader.
A lot of the "antiwar" movement - possibly to keep some sort of credibility with mainstream politicians, media, and bureaucrats - continually repeat the mantra that they're somehow anti-war and pro-troops at the same time.
Personally, I'm anti-war, and anti-troops at the same time. I don't care what the reason given is - there is no justification, whatsoever, for stompin' around the world, invading countries, imposing regime change, and killing people.
Period.
Does that make me some kind of radical? Sure. Fine. I'm comfortable with that.
But guess what. This ain't Prussia, and I don't have a duty to worship the military.
With all the war and death that's ordered by our politicians, and carried out by everyday people in the military - I think we'd be better off without the institution altogether. But, that's an entirely different discussion - feel free to read more on that here.
There are two powerful myths/ironies propping up the "support the troops" premise. The first involves what they are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first place. I can't tell you how many e-mails I've received over the years that read something like this: "While you sit at home in your luxurious apartment, making money off your writing (insert laugh track here), those brave men and women are putting their asses on the line to fight for your freedom to write your anti-American garbage.
I say: Bullshit.
The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are not fighting for my freedom. They are fighting to keep the world safe for petroleum. If anything, since 9/11, our freedom has been slowly eroded and the presence of the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan makes it harder for anyone to speak up in dissent. If I were in an airport, and I spoke aloud what I've written in this article, I'd likely be detained or arrested.
Guess what? I say Bullshit too. And kudos to you, Mickey, for standing up against militarism in one of the most militarist societies in history.
The troops swear an oath to protect and defend the constitution - not the US government. It's a shame that our education system trains us to believe that the two are one in the same.
You recall that over 70,000 of our brave and honorable United States troops and veterans have received and are involuntarily complying with their "stop-loss-orders", which extended their "tours of duty" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their leaves, vacations, week-end passes, and even their discharges, have all been postponed so that they could remain on duty.
It is immoral for Congress to go on vacation and take breaks while they are making American troops involuntarily extend their tours!
By order of a true majority of the peace and freedom loving American people, who are demanding an end to the immoral, illegal, brutal, forced occupation of Iraq, and having been duly served with your "STOP-LOSS-ORDER" by the brave and honorable "Iraq Veterans Against the War", you, Honorable Senator James Webb, distinguished and honored United States Marine Corps veteran, are called upon to involuntarily comply with your orders by remaining steadfast at your post until every soldier and contractor are Out of Iraq.
All Vacations and Breaks scheduled for the 110th Democratic Congress, who have been enabling, supporting, and financing the killing, suffering, destruction, and carnage in Iraq, have all been postponed, effective immediately. You are expected to remain on your job working diligently until the occupation of Iraq has ended.
Semper Fi Marine,
Sincerely, Lance Ciepiela USMC Viet Nam Era Vet
References:
1. A COWARDLY LEGEND of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her band of pansies has spread far and wide, even across the oceans to Europe, Asia, and beyond
2. "Iraq War Crimes Report" is fully documented, distributed worldwide, translated into Arabic, describes the war crimes committed in Iraq and proposes a "mechanism for accountability"
3. A NUREMBERG CHIEF PROSECUTOR says "there is a case" for trying Bush for "the supreme crime against humanity, an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation"
Test time. Clear your desks and get out your pens and pencils. Each question counts for 10 points. Who said the following and where and when?
1. "As never before does the keeping of our economic machine in tune depend upon wise policies in the administrative side of the government."
2. "Prosperity is no idle expression. It is a job for every worker; it is the safety and safeguard of very business and every home. A continuation of the policies of the Republican party is fundamentally necessary to the future advancement of this progress and to the further building up of this prosperity."
3. "Any lack of confidence in the economic future or the basic strength of business in the United States is foolish."
4. "I am convinced we have now passed the worst and with continued unity of effort we shall rapidly recover. There is one certainty of the future of a people of the resources, intelligence and character of the people of the United States - that is, prosperity."
5. "During the past year you have carried the credit system of the nation safely through a most difficult crisis. In this success you have demonstrated not alone the soundness of the credit system, but also the capacity of the bankers in emergency."
6. "This economy of ours is on a solid foundation, but we can't take economic growth for granted. And there are signs that will cause us to be ever more diligent and to make sure that good policies come out of Washington."
7. "There's some uncertainty in the economy. But in the long run you've got to be confident about your economy. Inflation is down, interest rates are low, productivity is high. Our economy is flexible, it is resilient."
8. "In a free market, there's going to be good times and bad times. That's how markets work. There will be ups and downs."
9. "Fortunately, we recognized the slowdown early and took action. And it was decisive action, in the form of policies that will spur growth."
10. "So, I'm coming to you as an optimistic fellow. I've seen what happens when America deals with difficulty. I believe that we're a resilient economy, and I believe that the ingenuity and resolve of the American people is what helps us deal with these issues. And it's going to happen again."
For extra credit -- "Economic growth is healthy, and just yesterday we learned that our economy grew at a strong rate of 4 percent in the second quarter of this year. Wages are rising, unemployment is low, exports are up, and steady job creation continues."
For double extra credit -- "You work three jobs? . . . Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that. Get any sleep?"
ANSWERS --
1. Herbert Hoover, from his campaign address, Elizabethtown, Tenn., October 6, 1928
2. Herbert Hoover, from his campaign address, Madison Square Garden, New York City, October 22, 1928
3. Herbert Hoover, from his announcement following meeting with business and government officials, Washington, D.C., November 15, 1929
4. Herbert Hoover, from his address at annual dinner of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington, D.C., May 1, 1930
5. Herbert Hoover, from his address before the annual convention of The American Bankers Association, Cleveland, October 2, 1930
6. George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his statement following meeting of the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, Washington D.C., January 4, 2008
7. George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his speech in Torrance, Calif., January 30, 2008
8. George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his remarks on the economy to the Economic Club of New York, New York City, March 14, 2008
9. George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his remarks on the economy to the Economic Club of New York, New York City, March 14, 2008
10. George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his remarks on the economy to the Economic Club of New York, New York City, March 14, 2008
Extra credit -- George W. Hoover -- er, Bush, from his White House Rose Garden speech on the sub-prime mortgage crisis, Washington, D.C., August 31, 2007
Double extra credit -- George W. Hoover -- er, Bush from his exchange with Mary Mornin, a divorced mother of three, including a 'mentally challenged' son, at event at which Bush was promoting his version of Social Security reform, Omaha, Neb., February 4, 2005
NOTE: Any person who passed the test either cheated or needs to get a life.
I wonder how many people around the world actually consider members of the US military as "hardened terrorists" these days. It would seem to me that any group of people carrying rifles, shouting orders, and killing people in, say, Fargo, ND would be hunted like a criminal, wouldn't they?
Terrorism is far more than just a word - or an action. It's perception.
Robert Fantina touched on just this kind of issue in his recent CounterPunch column, "In Torture We Trust"
Here's an excerpt:
while the U.S. has never been a moral leader it has been perceived as such, at least by Americans, and that illusion is now shattered forever. A nation that not only condones torture, but actually practices it, cannot possibly be seen as anything but renegade, to be shunned by all civilized societies except in the context of what kind of danger it might present to the world.
I think it's clear at this point that the US is little more than a renegade nation - terrorizing people the world over.
Does that make me part of the "blame America first" crowd? Absolutely. So, what?
As long as this country continues to wage aggressive wars, support coups and regime changes, and props up nasty dictators with billions and billions of our money - then I'll continue to be part of that "blame America first" crowd.
It is interesting how many just shrug when you bring GPS tracking technologies up. I found this link on GPS locating through your cell phone. As most people seem to be either physically or psychically connected to their cells, they are never parted.
I wonder if, technology being what it is, your phone has to be actually turned on to track it. Also, what other software may be embedded, for instance, to listen on command?
We are getting so used to being spied upon that we just take it for granted.
Some people say it is a wonderful thing because if you get in trouble, they'll have no problem finding you.
My question is, what happens if Big Brother decides you are trouble?
Anyway, I hope you find this link thought provoking.
Most current-model cell phones now include Global Positioning System (GPS) chips, which can determine your coordinates by connecting to satellites. It is likely that the trend of including location-tracking components will continue as cell phone manufacturers comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Enhanced 911 (E911) rule.
The FCC's E911 initiative requires cell phone carriers to be able to track and pinpoint their customers' location within 100 meters, so emergency responders can reach them in a crisis. However, phones with GPS chips can actually find you within a few feet.
In a key scene in a famous movie, "The Graduate", the young Dustin Hoffman is cornered at the graduation party by an older man who whispers enigmatically, "plastics", a hot business of that decade. Ten years ago the same bore would have whispered "Real Estate." Welcome to our world of capitalism, where boom and bust often alternate, where the quickest make a killing and the slower have trouble sleeping.
Subprime lending on mortgages with little or no money down followed by securitization of debt in derivatives was born out of the illusion of permanent high demand. The housing industry was overbought and oversold and of course would never collapse - until it did.
The banks and financial institutions that invested in this "sure thing" were gambling with OPM, Other People's Money. They couldn't lose: if the market turned they were too big to fail, they would be bailed out by the government, then after a few years the gambling would begin again. Not protected were the consumers who signed the mortgages, nor the small businesses affected by the decline in trade. Only the big boys: heads they win, tails, the taxpayers lose.
Now the White House offers a plan to resolve the growing credit crisis made worse by eroding home prices. The plan relies on the same banks and mortgage brokers and Wall Street firms that are to blame for the current crisis. Yet there is no plan to prevent a recurrence in the future. No significant regulation is provided and the federal government has only a limited role in the regulation. The plan is to leave regulation to the states. We know how that has worked out on other issues such as taxation: the states compete with each other awarding breaks to the businesses in order to attract or keep them.
There is a larger question. If banks and financial institutions are so important to economic life that they need to be rescued repeatedly from their own mistakes, they become virtually a public utility that ought to receive a certain guaranteed profit but be barred from speculative investments. That was once the law under the Glass-Steagall Act enacted under the New Deal in 1933 after the stock market crash of 1929 but repealed in 1980. If we want to keep the bankers conservative and protect the depositors, perhaps Glass-Steagall should be reenacted to limit our worries and our losses.
The announcement was an implicit admission of a looming credit crisis of monumental proportions: an unprecedented write-down of bank assets. Why? Because these assets, rated AAA by the big three ratings agencies, are nowhere near AAA. Banks are facing new rules on financial reporting: mark to market, meaning the end of the book value (face value) game that they have played for decades. This is the Financial Accounting Standards Board Rule 157. It goes into effect for banks this quarter, which ends on March 31.
Things seem pretty bad in the economy these days, and it looks like this is just the beginning - North feels like it's "going to get much worse."
We are in the early stages of a write-down of assets not seen since the Great Depression. This is going to go into the history textbooks.
If the economy keeps tanking, and the dollar continues to devalue, maybe we'll see something good rise up - like principle. Hopefully more and more people will start realizing that the centralization of money and credit in the hands of just a few people (at the federal reserve), can only lead to economic destruction.
Has the day come when we recognize the "Federal Reserve note" for only the piece of paper that it is?
What will the total devaluation of the federal reserve notes (which we use as money) mean to you and your family?
The only person running for President in 2008 talking about this reality, has for the past twenty years, been trying to persuade both the (D)emocrats and (R)epublicans that the imminent crash of our economy is inevitable.
He spoke this past week to them again. It now appears that they may be listening
Watch it:
Have you ever wondered why the media have taken such a "fearful" position on what he might accomplish by restoring our Constitution which guarantees our personal liberties and freedoms?
Please listen to his plea before our U.S. Congress, then determine for yourself: do we want a person like him to be our President?
Listen carefully, and yes, take notes. The American concept belongs to all of us; we [all] must do our part to perpetuate her beacon of Liberty and Freedom to the World.
Our leaders should ask one question before voting on any legislation, and that one question should be, What does the constitution, that I swore to uphold, have to say about this?
Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate that that actually bases his decisions on Constitutional Law.
That is why he hasn't any hope in hell of being elected, but is also why he is the best candidate.
You've heard the old analogy. The lion sits there on the mountain top and says " Here I am! " The ostrich sticks its head in the ground and whispers " Here I'm not. " Around March of ' 03 there were many lions that came out of their dens. Since that time, they have stood for something so important to not just themselves, but to all good souls.
The US invasion and occupation of Iraq will go down in the history books as perhaps the single most terrible act committed by our country. The lions throughout America felt it before, during and after that March 19th, 2003 day of shock and awe . On street corners in countless towns and cities of America, lions came out, and still come out, week after week, to stand together in protest. Remembering the adage " Silence in the face of tyranny gives it license " , these brave souls have stood, some for 5 years straight, in peaceful protest. Lions!
In my little corner of the world, Port Orange, I could name quite a few of these folks. Allow me to focus on three such good and brave souls.
First, we have Walt DeYoung, a man who has dedicated most of his adult life to activism. Now in his late 70s and ailing, Walt can look to our Creator and smile for all the wonderful things he has ( literally ) stood for. During the 1950s, Walt, a white man, worked with the early civil rights movement in Maryland. He encountered the KKK and its minions, faced danger and ridicule for believing that color of skin betrayed not character. During the 60s, Walt marched for an end to the Vietnam War. He was a union organizer in New Jersey and faced the goons and gangsters. In the 1980s he took on special interests in Minnesota to help save our environment. Presently, Walt DeYoung and his wife Fran, as hobbled as they are, still attend meetings, stand on street corners and organize singalongs for peace and justice.
Next to Walt stands Donatella Young, an author and a 1970s women's rights activist. Donatella marched for peace and justice and still managed to raise two daughters. Currently, she visits and counsels convicts and finds the time to stand on street corners in Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach. Says she'll continue to protest until this mess in Iraq is resolved.
Finally, we come to Charles Barcelo, another 70 something gentleman who remains active in our community. Charlie's resume is thick with good deeds and good intentions. He marched for civil rights in Daytona Beach when it was downright dangerous for a white man to walk in solidarity with black folks during the Jim Crow 60s. Charlie was a builder, ' turning the other cheek ' when many refused to hire him because of his ideals. He was there against the Vietnam War and is there on the street corners throughout Volusia County to voice his dissent against the Iraq occupation. Charlie Barcelo, when other seniors his age are on golf courses or tennis courts, attends weekly interdenominational peace group meetings and still finds time to help feed the homeless in our area. He too is a lion of his community.
As one who can sometimes lose his patience at the apathy of our community, the above three friends of mine stand as examples for us all. They take the jeers and the middle fingers of those who still fail to see the error and evil intent of current US foreign policy.
All three remain as patient as possible during these uncertain times of strife and economic downturn. Yes, they do feel anger and frustration when they see hypocrisy and greed in our leaders. However, like the lions on the mountain top, they stand regal and majestic in their nobility of purpose.
Will their good example of conscience be an influence to the ostriches in our community? You know, it really is never too late to pull out of the ground and transform oneself.
Unfortunately, the real problem in the United States is not the fact that Cheney/Bush are running a fascist takeover of the United States Government. The real problem is that the Legislative Branch is letting them do it, over the protests of We the People.
With a rubber stamp Reichstag as a legislative body, I fear we have no more hope than did the Weimar Republic when Hitler assumed power.
We have it all.
Concentration Camps, modern versions of the SS and Gestapo, mass arrests are on the nearing horizon, Constitutional rights and freedoms have become bitter history.
You draw the conclusions.
The American "Sheeple" haven't the guts to revolt, so we shall most likely just continue the slide into oblivion, dragging hundreds of millions with us around the world.
Anthony Gregory at LewRockwell.com asks a question that really needs to be in the minds of more and more people - What Has Been Learned After Five Years? The war in Iraq rages on, but have we really learned the right lessons?
I thought of a few questions along this line too...
Did we learn that Bush, or the Republicans aren't trustworthy? Or, did we learn that we shouldn't trust any politician with such great power?
Did we learn that this war was based on lies, or that all wars are based on lies?
Did we learn that using force to change the government in Iraq was a huge mistake, or did we learn that the use of aggressive force is always bad?
I'm assuming the latter is generally not the answer in any of these questions. Why? Well, we have 3 major candidates still in the race for president - one would be happy with a 100 year occupation of Iraq, another 5 years or so - and maybe a war with Iran, or some other country. And get this, the so-called "antiwar" candidate will only be withdrawing combat brigades over a 16 month period - in a "best case scenario."
Somehow, even the "antiwar" choice will give us war in Iraq at least until mid 2010. How is war for 2+ years now considered antiwar?
I can only assume that the people of this country haven't really learned their lesson. They didn't after Korea, or Vietnam, or Panama, or Chile, or 9-11, or anything else. They still find force, war, and intervention to be acceptable policies.
Here's how Anthony Gregory sees it:
If...we want a world more peaceful than a slightly tamed down orgy of carnage in the Middle East, if we truly want a future brighter for our country and humankind, we need to learn two important lessons from this war as well as others past: Imperialism runs against the human nature of free will and the yearning to breathe free, and its aggressive nature thus renders it an inappropriate and ineffective means to bring about liberty; and, even more fundamental, the act of mass murder is not made any the less immoral and destructive to civilization simply because it is ordered by presidents and generals and carried out under the guise of flag and uniform.
That's the real issue here. We need an entirely new foreign policy - and until that happens, we'll continue to see more war, more mass murder, more terrorist attacks, more violations of liberty, and more economic ruin.
I hope we change our way of thinking before it destroys us.
My recent piece, "Telecom Immunity--Barebones Congressional Felony" has been widely criticized as not allowing for laws of pardon, amnesty, or the repeal of earlier criminal law. Some critics have insisted that I am ignorant of the technical meanings of ex post facto, as given by Justice Chase in the long standing SCOTUS decision in Calder v. Bull, 1798.
However, my critics apparently have not considered the nature of 'immunity'. (I've no reason yet to alter any of my positions in "Barebones".)
Immunity is quite different from pardon or amnesty. Webster gives the legal senses of 'immunity' as --
1. Exemption from any natural or usual liability; 2. exemption from obligation, service, duty, or liability to taxation, jurisdiction, etc., 3. special privilege.
The law that would establish retroactive and on-going immunity from the crimes committed by the telecom corporations in the past or in the future, in their illegal wiretaps, would not repeal or lessen the laws that make unwarranted wiretaps illegal. And the immunity law would certainly not be able to mollify the many facets of Constitutional law on which unwarranted wiretaps become illegal. No federal statute law can alter the Constitution.
What telecom immunity law would do is to establish special privilege for the telecom corporations. It would set them above the law. And that would be unjust and oppressive, as are all ex post facto laws.
No one is above the law -- not King John of Magna Carta times, not GW Bush, and not the telecom giants who broke our laws pertaining to wiretaps.
In Calder v Bull, Justice Chase gives four categories of law as the meaning of ex post facto. Retroactive telecom immunity does not fit into any of those four categories. However, retroactive telecom immunity is caught by Justice Chase's caveat -- "All these, and similar cases, are manifestly unjust and oppressive."
Any law creating retroactive and ongoing special privilege above the law for telecom corporations would have to be included in Justice Chase's galaxy of unjust and oppressive laws.
And so I hold to my basic positions as given in "Barebones".
"There is no such thing as legal retroactive immunity for crimes already committed."
"Any and all retroactive immunity for crimes already committed would require ex post facto law. And ex post facto law is unconstitutional, anti-Constitutional, and blatantly illegal. No ifs, ands, or buts."
"Because of the Constitutional provision, "No ex post facto law ... shall be passed", the people have a Constitutional right to be governed by law that is not ex post facto."
"The moment that Congress passes an ex post facto law, every Member and Senator voting AYE has committed a felony. Felony forfeits legislative immunity, as in the Constitutional provision, "... They shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest. ..."
"The felony they've committed is defined in the federal statute, Title 18, US Code, Section 241 -- conspiracy against rights. It's a short, tough law."
"Now we have a felony conspiracy against rights, in violation of 18 USC 241, done by a majority of the United States Congress and the leader of the free world -- fascist slug that he is. But here comes the newly regained Constitution. The whole pack of fascist thugs are criminally prosecuted, convicted, fined 10 years of salary, and imprisoned for ten years."
I am in full agreement that the statement you quote, Michael, is not only a bit odd, it is fairly scary.
The California Court of Appeals (.pdf) gave us a pretty interesting perspective on what the "primary purpose" of the education system really is:
"to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare."
However, it does raise a question as to what type of relationships we, as citizens, should assume to the State?
Certainly, a democracy involves more than a loyality to the State. Rather, the relationship should be agonistic; where one's loyality to the State is always counterbalanced by his skepticism of State policy and his ensuing reluctance to ever submit too completely or too submissively to State authority.
There always needs to be a tussle between the dynamic of individual autonomy and the compulsion of group collectivity that is organized under a governing structure; or else, there would be no space for the critical dialogue to take shape, which informs democratic decision-making by challenging the current policies and posture of the State.
As a side note, public education should be concerned with simply teaching civics without subjecting the kids to the additional indoctrination into some unseemly type of statism.
White House spokesperson, Dana Perino, has made it clear that she is under strict instructions to never discuss the weakness of the US dollar. This is especially "interesting" after OPEC has made a correct statement as to why the price of oil is now well-over $100/barrel.
And why is that? Because the dollar is worth less and less every single day. As I mentioned in a recent post, as the value of the dollar goes down, everything (and I mean everything) costs more.
OPEC is a pretty nasty cartel that likes to squeeze out competition to keep its profits high, but even that isn't enough to give them control over their own prices. The Federal Reserve does plenty to inflate the money supply, devalue the dollar, and drive up prices of everything.
Here's the exchange with Perino:
Q I'd like to follow up on their refusal to talk about the dollar, if I could. I mean, we're in a kind of a bad situation here, when OPEC says the reason for $105 or $106 a barrel of oil is the falling value of the dollar - and you won't address that issue. Where do we go to find out who is right?
MS. PERINO: Well, as he just said, the Treasury Secretary is where you go to talk about the dollar. It's a longstanding policy that predates this administration, and I'm not going to change it today. But Treasury can talk about it.
Q I don't expect you to change it, but I do expect you to be able to say whether OPEC is completely wrong about this, or whether there is at least something to their claim that the dollar is responsible for the high price of oil right now.
MS. PERINO: Wendell, I'm under strict instructions, and have been from the beginning, to not talk about the dollar, and I'm not going to get fired to satisfy your question.
Somehow, I seem to be on the White House mailing list. I got the following press release some time ago, and it made me a bit ill. I won't include the entire release, though I will forward it to anyone who is interested.
Of course our interest, or lack thereof, has been due to the fact that the Sudan is rich in oil.
I felt that the second bullet about the world's responsibility needed a rewrite, which I have included below.
Fighting Genocide In Darfur
President Bush Announces Increased Sanctions Against The Government Of Sudan
Today, President Bush Announced The Expansion And Tightening Of Economic Sanctions Against The Government Of Sudan. The United States is now taking the steps the President outlined last month because the government of Sudan continues to violate its numerous commitments to stop the violence and suffering in Darfur.
President Bush Announced These Steps Last Month In A Speech At The U.S. Holocaust Museum. The U.S. held off on implementing them because the United Nations believed President Bashir should be given a "last chance" to meet his obligations to stop the killing. It is now clear that he has continued to break his word.
The World Has A Responsibility To Help Put An End To The Genocide In Darfur. The people of Darfur have suffered for too long at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent civilians. The Bush administration has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide.
I think that second bullet should say:
The World Has A Responsibility To Help Put An End To The Genocide In Iraq and Afghanistan. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered for too long at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent civilians. The whole world has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide.
How we can point fingers at other people while oppressing and slaughtering, wholesale? How we can argue or threaten any foreign power who is helping the Iraqis try to expel foreign invaders from half way around the world, who just want their oil and to use their country as a jumping off place for further wars?
Hypocrites, hypocrites, hypocrites. I think the people in our government all use electric razors to shave because they must have a terrible time looking in a mirror.
I received an email from Fred Wulff at my local county assembly - explaining how Republican party resolutions passed here "will not proceed to the State Convention." Here's his brief note:
John, The Resolutions passed at the County Assembly will not proceed to the State convention. Resolutions to the State convention will need to be presented to the State Officers for the State Assembly. For guidance to present to State, contact: Dick Wadhams - State Chariman 303-758-3333 dickwadhams@yahoo.com Success. Fred Wulff
This email letter from Fred Wulff clearly identifies the ultimate control of the selected few politicians who are not interested in the desires of the constituents.
In the days of Patrick Henry, they were confronted by these same adversaries. He addressed these black-guards...
"They tell us that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when will we be stronger? Will it be the next week? Or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when the enemy shall have stationed a guard in every home?" (Note: In the 21st Century's vernacular, this could be a micro chip and a surveillance camera)
Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of an effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? WE are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means the God of Nature hath placed in our power. Millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us"
Today, we too stand on the banks of a Rubicon. Our strength and victory are imbedded in our resolve to force our minds and sinews to serve their turn in these troubling hours.
".Amanda Jordan, whose Marine husband was killed three days into the war, says she doesn't know what bothers her more - the days that go by when no one speaks of the war, or the punditry. At a local diner she frequents with her 11-year-old son near their home in Enfield, Conn., she's contemplated standing up and leaving so he doesn't hear when people say Iraq was unnecessarily invaded.
"This is like my life. You're saying my spouse, my child's father, is dead for no reason," says Jordan, a 39-year-old former paralegal who is studying to be a therapist specializing in grief. "That's a pretty harsh thing to hear all the time."."
".Marine Gunnery Sgt. Phillip Jordan of Enfield, a Texas native based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He died March 23, 2003 in a battle in Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was 42 years old."
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Phillip Jordan did not die for no reason. He just was misled by Bush henchmen. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Phillip Jordan thought that he (as US Marines in the Second World War) was fighting for another nation's freedom - misled by the name "the Operation Iraqi Freedom".
Saying that Iraq was unnecessarily invaded and doing nothing about it, is making those talkers responsible for the unnecessary death of Sgt. Phillip Jordan - and other Marines.
It did happen after the Vietnam War when nothing was done to Lyndon Johnson and his henchmen.
Terrorist Lyndon sent 58,226 American soldiers to die in Vietnam and nothing happened to him. Lyndon Johnson died from heart attack?
Now you know why former alcoholic Bush is so arrogant. H killed only around 9,000 Americans in 9/11 and the Iraq war.
Uncountedis an explosive documentary movie that shows how the election fraud that changed the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 - and now looms as an unbridled threat to the outcome of the 2008 election. This controversial film examines in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S.
Uncounted is a wakeup call to all Americans. It will change how you feel about elections in America.
At the end is my favorite historian, Howard Zinn on Election Madness. He keeps the people's history in our minds. And, I like what he says:
"Our objective should be to build, painstakingly, patiently but energetically, a movement that, when it reaches a certain critical mass, would shake whoever is in the White House, in Congress, into changing national policy on matters of war and social justice."
The California Court of Appeals (.pdf) gave us a pretty interesting perspective on what the "primary purpose" of the education system really is:
"to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare."
Primary purpose is loyalty to the state? Hmmm, sounds more like indoctrination than education to me. Just another reason to completely abolish involuntary "public education."
Reading and watching daily media accounts of what is spun as news, I sometimes wonder what motivates the average American citizen like me to continue to punish myself every day to do the same old routine. Am I looking for things to disagree with, or am I looking for something that might be insightful and educational, possibly something that might inspire me?
Above the fold are three leaders: Obama wins Wyoming, Limits on CIA tactics vetoed, and Senators seek audit on money Iraq spent.
The Obama story was expected - no real news there, and the Bush veto of a Congressional effort to limit torture is somewhat typical of the daily spin. In this post from Washington the word "Torture" is not used in the article except when a verbatim statement by Senator Dianne Feinstein is reprinted, even though that is what the article is supposedly about - Torture. Most of the time it is referred to as "enhanced interrogation techniques".
And at one spot in the article, there is a claim that waterboarding has only been used three times. There was no mention of any detainee being tortured to death, although over one hundred cases are publicly documented of detainee deaths. Of course if the deaths are not mentioned, there is no need to note what method of torture they died from.
On the money spent in Iraq by Iraq, a reader will find out that the United States General Accounting Office oversees the spending of Iraqi money by Iraq. The story is about how the GAO is assessing how much money ( or how little of their money ) they are appending on reconstructing their country.
We determine how they will spend their money, then complain that they are not spending enough of their money to reconstruct what we destroyed.
Now ain't that a kick. Is that ingratitude or what?
We destroyed, it's their responsibility to spend their money to rebuild. The article goes on to say that the United States has spent about $50 Billion on reconstruction since we invaded. The original Interstate System in America cost about $100 Billion. Yet the supposed $50 Billion has not been able to even return Iraq to its pre-invasion infastructure lrevel.
The PPJ Hero of the Month for March, 2008, is Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer for his courageous stand in rejecting the Real ID. If you have not heard him give Homeland Security a piece of his mind, here is the LINK.
Montana Governor, Brian Schweitzer
Quote: "Thanks for playing, Montana's not in."
Thank you, Governor Schweitzer, for telling it like it is, and standing up for what is right. We the people salute you!
15 August, 1945 and the world went wild! The insanity that had begun in 1939 was over. Imperial Japan had surrendered, its one wish granted. Few knew it had been trying to surrender for months, Asking only to keep its Emperor, but no one would listen, Except a small group who wondered why.
We had a lesson to teach, to Japan and the world at large. On 16 July, 1945, in the American desert, Trinity was detonated. Far more powerful than expected, the super weapon worked! Horrified, many scientists said, "It must never be used." The war department said, "Just what we need." Intelligence said, "They're trying to surrender."
"Bomb an offshore deserted island," the scientists said. "Maybe it won't go off," the military said, "we'd look foolish." "Destroying a city without warning is barbaric," said the diplomats. "They really want to surrender," said intelligence. "We'll call the city a military target," said Truman, "The Russians will get a big surprise."
6 August 1945, an elderly gardener looked up from his spade Admiring the silver plane flying far above. His shadow remains etched in the concrete wall behind him. Schoolchildren, housewives, tradesmen Blown to rags of flesh or vaporized, the lucky ones. Thousands of others doomed to slow death and disease.
"They keep asking for someone to take their surrender," said intelligence, "Can't we at least talk to them?" "They have to be taught a lesson and the world must see our power," "Besides, we have to test the second bomb,"said the military. And so the wheels were set in motion for the second demonstration Of Hell on earth.
9 August 1945, above the city of Kokura, the Gods of Chance roll the dice. A hundred thousand or more go about their business, Unsuspecting of the doom flying above the thick cloud cover. In Nagasaki, the people enjoyed the sunshine as the cloud cover broke. "Secondary target is clear," and their world suddenly ended in fire and shock And radiation sleeting through their bodies.
"Now let them surrender," said the military, "The test is completed." Two cities vaporized, two hundred thousand dead, Survivors to suffer, some for days, some for decades, And the nuclear arms race begun. "By golly, we sure showed them!" "We'll let them keep their Emperor."
15 August, 1945 and the world went wild! The end of the war and of war itself! There was dancing in the streets and love in the parks, The blackouts ended in the streets and the homes. Japan and Germany licked their wounds and hoped to recover. In Washington, and the Kremlin, midnight oil was burning.
15 August 2005, nations have risen and fallen; War and genocide again ravage the world. Treaties made by thoughtful men have been discarded In the name of profit and greed; nuclear horror again hovers Over a world exhausted by war, famine and disease. Only the aging survivors remember the bloody lesson, taught so long ago.
The FBI acknowledged Wednesday it improperly accessed Americans' telephone records, credit reports and Internet traffic in 2006, the fourth straight year of privacy abuses resulting from investigations aimed at tracking terrorists and spies.
Of course, they claim that the "breaches" came before "reforms" were instituted. So, we're supposed to believe that it won't be happening anymore, right?
I wonder if they are going to indict any of their own people for breaking the law. I seriously doubt it.
If you break the law - the FBI wouldn't ever have any qualms about putting you behind bars - or shooting you while apprehending you, if they felt it was "necessary."
On the other hand, though, when a part of "your" government - the FBI - breaks its own laws...repeatedly ... for four years, no one gets punished.
Personally, I look at this kind of one-way "justice" as nothing less than tyranny.
You might say that complete tyranny would never happen in America.
Never say never.
You already see around arrogance and lack of compassion (on smaller scale) covered by a donations by obscenely rich philanthropists and you know it will not solve the poverty. >
The feudalistic democracy can not exist without poverty. Fueled by usury the arrogance, lack of compassion will grow exponentially as interest on money in a bank.
The recent events in Latin America - including cross-border violence and war tensions - are a natural result of US drug policy and interventionism in the region.
In the late-1990's, the US Government launched "Plan Colombia," which aimed to curb drug smuggling by providing financial and military "aid."
Since its inception, billions have been sent to the Colombian government - with a large majority of that in the form of "military and police" support.
Plan Colombia is seen as part of the "war on drugs." This never-ending "war" has been used as an excuse to violate your rights - and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of non-violent offenders being sent to prison here in the U.S. In Colombia, we were told that this plan would put an end to the drug trafficking of rebel groups such as FARC. But, years later, the rebels are stronger than ever, and the civil war rages on with no end in sight.
Our expanded interventionism in Colombia over the past few years is called "counterterrorism," but no one has even attempted to demonstrate that Colombia's civil war poses even a remote terrorist threat to the United States. The drugs continue to flow, the violence keeps escalating, and it's now beginning to expand into a larger, regional issue as well. Plan Colombia is a complete and utter failure.
The continuation of this policy can only lead to an even further escalation in violence and hatred. It's time to end not only Plan Colombia, but the entire war on drugs.
There is nothing, whatsoever, in the US Constitution, which authorizes such activities. You should not be forced to support, with your hard-earned income, any side of a civil war. If you choose to donate your money to the Colombian government or to the FARC rebels - or to your own savings account instead - you should be free to do so.
Sadly, in America, you are not truly free. Instead, the government dictates to you who you will and will not support.
The Federal Reserve holds the primary blame for the housing bubble - and the resulting explosion in foreclosures around the country.
Intervention in the economy by the Fed, through the manipulation of interest rates and the expansion of the money supply, caused an artificial boom in mortgage lending.
Since the early 1990's, the Federal Reserve has increased the amount of US dollars and credit in circulation by nearly 300%. Because of this, borrowing money became cheap - and easy - which caused a massive increase in demand for homes, and thus - a dramatic rise in home prices. But, this kind of boom never lasts. Eventually the markets go through a "correction" which is nothing more than a collapse. The longer and greater the boom period, the harder and deeper the crash. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's going to be a quick turnaround.
In order to truly get out of this mess and prevent it from happening again in the future, we need to understand the cause of the problem. Spending time and energy on anything but the root of the problem will only ensure that we see this cycle repeated.
Thus, calls for legislation against lenders, while often driven by good intentions, are really missing the mark. Some lenders clearly made unethical or even fraudulent loans, and they must be held accountable, but attacking the entire industry is hardly the right answer.
It must be recognized that everyone really does play a part in this - the mortgage companies made bad loans to reckless applications, and people may not have been so eager to borrow (many times beyond their means), if the interest rates weren't so low. And, the only reason they were low is because the Federal Reserve forced them to be that way.
The subprime lending madness we've seen is nothing more than a symptom of the housing bubble (caused by the policies of the Fed), and not the cause of it.
When the Federal Reserve makes credit artificially cheap, it drives lenders to loan more recklessly - often times to people who normally wouldn't qualify. On top of this, people tend to borrow more with low interest rates, and they don't expect rates to go back up anytime soon.
Why is the Fed to blame for the housing bubble? In short, because it is a bubble. That means the boom was false, and the wealth that people thought was being created through inflated home prices was really just an illusion. Who or what has the power to create illusory wealth? The Federal Reserve - through the artificial lowering of interest rates - which results in loads of credit and an increase of the money supply. (and rising prices, too)
The only way to ensure a stable economy for our future is to stop the Federal Reserve from artificially inflating the money supply and creating periods of false growth that can never be sustained. It's time to end this "boom and bust" cycle that has plagued us for far too long.
The Crisis in Gaza The Populist Party opposes the recent passage of House Resolution 951, which condemns Palestinian rocket attacks but includes a strongly worded defense of recent aggressive Israeli tactics in the Gaza strip.
The U.S. should do now what it should have been doing in the Middle East (and the entire world) all along: strive for commercial relations with everyone, without attempting to manage the entire world political scene.
The use of force in American foreign policy never seems to give the results that the politicians promise us. Using force to take sides only encourages the opposition to do whatever it takes to gain power and use that same force for their political purposes.
It's time for each American to be given the freedom to support whatever side they want to - or to take no side at all.
One of my favorite quotes - seems to fit quite well along with all the power that we're ceding to the executive branch these days (and in the next administration, too!)
"You can't give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad - in fact, to do anything it wants." --Harry Browne
What amazed me about the things I ran across while checking out the Cordesman story was the links between many of the Think Tanks and their funding sources. They all seem to be interconnected. I think these comprise a part of the Shadow Government participants that I have spoken of in the past.
They all seem to be former Congress people, former Military Leaders, Representatives of Big Business, and all seem to have an agenda that leads in a maze to a "One World Government" run by the United States and friends.
This is bound to anger other Nations around the world and guarantee us all the enemies that those "Neo-Cons" need to have in order to protect the people thru fear. And unfortunately, as with most Oligarchies, they must be in control - of everything ultimately.
Why does this mirror the Hitler rise? Because the modern version of Dictatorship is "Shadow Government".
As long as there is a Patriotic American, we will defend America, but the above people would have us believe that the only Nationals who are worthy of patriotism are American Patriots. Any other nationality determined to resist domination by American Empire are deemed by our Shadow Government to be - you guessed it - terrorists. And we have a hot war going on against - "terrorists."
It will last as long as the Shadow Government can fool enough of the people. Or just possibly as long as it takes to gain complete domination of the American people to a point where they cannot resist without revolution.
There are clouds gathering over the horizon. If the gathering storm doesn't dissipate, we need to get ready for the onslaught.
As to whether the people are waking up to the oncoming "time of trial", I'm not sure if it's that, or if the Economy ( Gas, Groceries, Government taking ) are driving us to the protest. Until a crescendo is raised to "punish the war criminals" and we surely know who they are, I'm voting on the economy as the current driver.
WOODINVILLE, Wash. - Three seven-figure dream homes went up in flames early Monday in a Seattle suburb, apparently set by eco-terrorists who left a sign mocking the builders' claims that the 4,000-plus-square-foot houses were environmentally friendly.
The sign - a sheet marked with spray paint - bore the initials ELF, for Earth Liberation Front, a loose collection of radical environmentalists that has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks since the 1990s.
In my opinion it is miniature provocation orchestrated by Bush's henchmen (same ones who orchestrated 9/11) that will escalate gradually to burning expensive houses with people.
It will maximally outrage ordinary citizens and "give moral OK" for hunting down all radical (against any government policies) organizations members with declaration of The Martial Law in some States and exercise this:
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10990 allows the government to take over all modes of transportation and control of highways and seaports.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10995 allows the government to seize and control the communication media.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10997 allows the government to take over all electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11000 allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades under government supervision.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11001 allows the government to take over all health, education and welfare functions.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11002 designates the Postmaster General to operate a national registration of all persons.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11003 allows the government to take over all airports and aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11004 allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate communities, build new housing with public funds, designate areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11921 allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12148 created the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that is to interface with the Department of Defense for civil defense planning and funding. An "emergency czar" was appointed. FEMA has only spent about 6 percent of its budget on national emergencies, the bulk of their funding has been used for the construction of secret underground facilities to assure continuity of government in case of a major emergency, foreign or domestic.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12656 appointed the National Security Council as the principal body that should consider emergency powers. This allows the government to increase domestic intelligence and surveillance of U.S. citizens and would restrict the freedom of movement within the United States and granted the government the right to isolate large groups of civilians. The National Guard could be federalized to seal all borders and take control of U.S. air space and all ports of entry. Many of the figures in the Iran-Contra scandal were part of this emergency contingent, including Marine Colonel Oliver North.
With Pennsylvania the last big test of the Democratic primary season, we can expect to see some ugly campaigning.
Already, the desperate Hillary Clinton campaign has been turning to racial politics, appealing to Hispanics in order to counter the built-in advantage Barack Obama has with black voters.
What makes this strategy dangerous and ugly is that Pennsylvania, with 10.7 percent African-Americans and 4.2 percent Hispanics in its population mix, is ripe for this kind of racially divisive political strategy. Worse yet, outside several major urban areas, and especially the Philadelphia region, the state is largely white, and largely arch-conservative--so much so that the large swath of the state that lies between Philadelphia in the southeast and Pittsburgh in the far west, is frequently called the Alabama of the north.
Actually, that's a misnomer, though, because in Alabama, you have a large African-American population. In central rural Pennsylvania, all you have, pretty much, is white folks. We're talking about a region where innocent blacks were shot during a riot, and where a school district tried to mandate the teaching of creationism (that would be York, PA).
It doesn't bode well for the Obama campaign heading into the April 24 primary that Gov. Ed Rendell, a Clinton supporter, has openly predicted that many of the state's white voters will not vote for a black candidate.
Clinton, whose own staff has played the race card in multiple ways (one ranking staffer asserted that Hispanics don't like voting for black candidates), including trying to paint Obama as a black candidate in the South Carolina and Georgia primaries, is likely to go full out with this divide-and-conquer strategy in Pennsylvania, in an effort to head into the convention with the last large state on the primary list added to her camp.
It's a terrible strategy--one that betrays the party's basic premise of being the working people's party--and it dooms the party's presidential candidate in the November election if it succeeds in winning the nomination for Clinton.
Obama, if he is to avoid the same fate his campaign suffered in Ohio (where he was trounced by Clinton as white voters voted for her in droves), or in Texas (where he lost in a squeaker because Hispanics went heavily with Clinton), will have to combat Clinton's strategy with a two-fold, almost self-contradictory effort: one, he must encourage massive turnout and support by black voters, especially in the Philadelphia area, , and two, he must run his state-wide campaign on a rigorously non-racial basis, so as to minimize his losses in the conservative middle reaches of the state.
An additional problem for Obama: Pennsylvania's primary is Democrats only. Obama has been appealing to independents, but any independent who might want to vote for him here would have to be reached before the March 24 deadline for changing one's party affiliation with the Board of Elections.
Those are all tough hurdles. If Obama cannot jump them, my guess is Pennsylvania will go the way of Ohio. Then Clinton will pull out the stops to convince the super delegates to give her the nomination. If she succeeds at that, having first played the race card, and then the political insider card, the election in November will be Republican John McCain's to lose.
"A man is none the less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years."
The principle of liberty is not eternally tied to the ability to vote. Simply being given an option of one master or another is not the definition of freedom.
Sadly, though, that's all the choice we really ever get.
In reality, I think we'd actually be better off without a "President" at all. Personally, I have no use for a "public servant" that lies, spies, wages wars, destroys the environment, and uses signing statements to virtually rise above the law that governs the government - the Constitution.
For a little more on the inherent evil that the US Presidency has become, "Populist #21" is fairly good read. Here's an excerpt:
The executive branch has shown us, over the years, that it has massive power. Presidents have bribed foreign leaders, overthrown governments, used all sorts of inhumane weapons, silenced and kidnapped their enemies, authorized the torture of prisoners, engaged in espionage, imposed crippling embargoes, pillaged our resources, taken our property, and destroyed our economy and our environment. Throughout history, even kings and queens have often failed to survive such disastrous acts; but, in "free" America, the major parties that produce all our presidents today continue to receive our approval through millions of votes. It should be painfully clear to all of us by now, that voting for the lesser of two evils still gives us massive amounts of evil.
By the way, if you've never read anything by Spooner, "No Treason" is a great place to start.
On March 19, the World Can't Wait, along with other organizations, plans to disrupt business as usual in Washington, D.C. Come to the home of the criminals! Events are happening all day sponsored by many groups.
World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime - calls on you to gather in Lafayette Park at 1:30 pm with people in a sea of orange jumpsuits, in solidarity with and representing those that are being tortured in Guantanamo Bay Prison, Abu Ghraib, Bagram in Afghanistan, and CIA "black sites" around the globe.
A demonstration showing that waterboarding is torture is planned directly in front of the residence of the biggest war criminal in history. Join in acts of creative non-violent civil resistance!
The Park will become a rallying point for those determined to put an end to this illegitimate and immoral war, and who demand justice by driving the war criminals from Office now, not waiting until 2009! We are done with secret renditions, spying on people, lying to the public, using hundreds of signing statements to disobey laws, rounding up immigrants and detaining them in facilities still being built.
Register here to let us know you're coming. Legal observers and jail support is planned for all protesters who need it. World Can' t Wait and the Washington Peace Center are providing permitted space for those won't be risking arrest.
There are effective ways for everyone to join the protest.
I just read "Saddam was Right and Bush was Wrong" and have to say it's absolutely right. Unfortunately, the people of our United States will do nothing about it.
I would ask that you read an excellent and informative article on the surge by Nir Rosen. You can find it here: "The Myth of the Surge"
It is very long, but this writer has been in the Dora District of Baghdad since the start of the surge. What he says is very interesting.
My Grandson's Mother in Law, Batool Mustafa, lived in Iraq before the First Gulf War, left because of Saddam coming to power, returned to bargain with him for the confiscated property belonging to her and her husband, Kadheim, and finally returned after the invasion of Iraq to get as many of her family out of Iraq as possible.
She came back empty handed on all trips, but wiser.
Nir Rosen echoed many things that she has told me.
I once wrote an article, "The Immorality of the War in Iraq," where my Uncle Glynn and I were discussing the children who died in Iraq as a result of Gulf War 1. The daily bombing of Iraq for ten years by the coalition took more of Batool's family than Saddam killed during their struggle to stop him from coming to power.
Not so many years ago, if you wanted to sell your fruitless gold mine to some unsuspecting investors, you would put gold specs in a shotgun shell and blast them onto the wall of the mine. When the potential investors see the embedded specs, they are stimulated to put their money into development of the mine.
This is what is suggested today for an economic stimulus.
Con the people who can easily be conned into believing a short-term stimulus is the best cure for what ails us. After all, the election is more important than the nation.
We have two choices as to what makes a stimulus. The first choice, the political one, is to throw crumbs to prospective voters. This is salting the political mine. It will make voters believe the politician really wants to give them a boost, as phony, empty and temporary as it is.
In fact, all it will do is exacerbate the problem and make it worse. The other choice is to grease the skids for business to increase their productivity and employment here in America, by releasing the taxing and regulatory stranglehold of government over them. It means lowering punitive taxes so popular with the easily conned masses.
It is high, selective, punitive taxes by governments at all levels forcing American manufacturing companies to flee America and take jobs abroad in the first place. Government at all levels is strangling freedom and free enterprise in America to suit the demands of those who just want to split the spoils.
Depleted Uranium, the new panacea The Arms Maker's choice with a half-life of only 4.5 billion years. Workers in DU must wear exposure suits and respirators Just a creative use of atomic leftovers.
Dense, hard, it punches through armor like tissue, Vaporizes and fragments into dust and tiny chunks. Dust to be breathed and chunks to be imbedded As shrapnel or become buried in earth.
Battle tested in Desert Storm and Kosovo, Now everyone is making them, and selling them, To armies around the globe, eager for the latest thing. Meanwhile, the Iraqi desert and Kosovo are laden with tons.
Pay no attention to the sick and the dying. The Government says it is anything but DU. Agent Orange was all in the mind, too. Birth defects and cancer are coincidence in Govspeak.
A hundred or a thousand years from now, When Hussein and Imperial America are long forgotten, Or are but spooky tales told around the campfire, As a new civilization tries to grow.
Peasants, trying to coax food from the ground will stir up clouds of dust. They, their children and their animals will slowly sicken and die, And they will know not why. Just collateral damage from a weapon long ago.
Freedom, they tell us, isn't free. The cost of freedom isn't cheap; it's shock and awe aggression, it's proud of it's country right or wrong, it's unquestioning -- it follows orders, from the president, to the governor, to the local cop, while giving orders to the rest of the world -- dominating, hard-bitten, hard-nosed, decisive.
Troop surges and civilian casualties are the cost of freedom; violence, bloodshed, death, destruction, genocide, torture, incarceration of evildoers...
Challenging this suspiciously heinous conception of patriotism, novelist Mike Palecek began gathering stories from activists across the United States, asking their perspective on the "cost of freedom." He found accomplices in Whitney Trettien, an MIT graduate student, and Michael Annis, an independent publisher.
Together, the three of them assembled contributions from activists who knew that America was losing her Constitution to liars, murderers, and thieves.
The resulting letters, articles, sentencing statements, songs, poems, collages and photos are Cost of Freedom.
From a grandmother's stay at Camp Casey to a young man's counter-inauguration protest (and subsequent run-in with the FBI), Cost of Freedom documents the everyday revolutionary acts of over 75 courageous men and women -- common citizens with an uncommon resolve and mission in life for peace, truth, and liberty, oftentimes at their personal expense.
To stand as one against tyranny...Cost of Freedom celebrates that.
The chance to undo the Bush, neo-Nazi power grab is lost since congress, fearful of being thought unpatriotic, has not undone any of the many, many encroachments on liberty. And, once a new president is in power, any one of the three contenders, he/she will keep these for his/her own protection and authority.
9/11??? The comparison with the Reichstag (sp) fire that brought Hitler to power is self evident.
Nobody seems to have pointed out Billary's money grab for the campaign from the military industrial complex. Her submission to the Israeli lobby, virtually guarantees no change if she is president. But then, we know which lobby controls the media.
On leaving power, Eisenhower said: "I hope nobody takes over this office who knows less about the military industrial complex than I do."
That was the question that led Bob Herbert's commentary about the Democratic presidential primary which was in the March 1 issue of The New York Times.
Herbert's own answer to his own question? It was "For the Democrats, perhaps on Tuesday." That's Tuesday, March 4, and especially as possibly caused by the results of the Ohio primary election and the primary/caucus to-do in Texas where they do things in a big way. At least in a complicated way.
In other words, if Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama come out of the March 4 primaries, which also will be taking place in Rhode Island and Vermont, with close to the same number of delegates and without Obama wrapping up the nomination, the crap could very well be in the fan.
Many Democrats who are more pragmatic than the Clinton and Obama supporters and who can perhaps look beyond the nomination process to the November 8 election and then on to the jobs at home and abroad wish that there were a saga of Richardson and Edwards and Edwards and Richardson. But if wishes were dollars, we'd all be able to afford Republican gasoline.
Octogenarian World War Two veteran Peter Cohen wrote in his recent commentary "We (Democrats) must search vigorously among the candidates for the human being who is right for the job and not be deterred by the celebrity mongering of the corporate media."
However, despite the good sense of that statement, Democrats HAVE been dealt a different hand -- thanks to such celebrity mongering -- and unless something quite unexpected takes place at the Democratic convention, will be playing the hand dealt and trying to win with it. That is, presuming Herbert's "ugly brawl" doesn't result in a damaged candidate of whom the Republican machine will absolutely take advantage.
A friend forwarded this article from the Washington Post to me and I thought it worth passing on. (Been saying the same thing for years, glad to see it in formal print) Here's an excerpt:
Sageman's policy advice is to "take the glory and thrill out of terrorism." Jettison the rhetoric about Muslim extremism -- these leaderless jihadists are barely Muslims. Stop holding news conferences to announce the latest triumphs in the "global war on terror," which only glamorize the struggle. And reduce the U.S. military footprint in Iraq, which fuels the Muslim world's sense of moral outrage.
As some general said a year or so ago, "we are creating terrorists faster than we can kill them."
If we just quit killing and maiming the innocent, the problem will eventually start to dry up. Continual escalation of violence just escalates the response.
A new poll from NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health finds that a whopping 59 percent of Americans support punishing people for choosing to not get health insurance.
When asked whether they would support a broad proposal that would require everyone to get coverage, 59 percent said they would support it. Such a proposal would require employers to provide coverage or pay into a pool. The government would help low-income people get coverage, and insurance companies would be required to take anyone who applies. People who don't get coverage through one of these channels or purchase it themselves would pay a fine.
I can understand the desire to help get everyone covered. It seems to be a good goal (although I generally disagree with the methods proposed), but this is going way to far - and pretty quickly too.
Now we're seeing a shift. It's no longer - "let's help everyone get health insurance" Instead it's become - "Get health insurance, even if you don't want to, or we'll fine you."
And guess what happens if you don't pay your fines?
Right. Jailtime.
I don't have health insurance, and at this point, I don't want any. I choose to self diagnose and care, and do pretty well with that too.
Ask yourself this:
Should I go to jail for making this choice?
Should I go to prison, because I don't want to hand my money over to some corporation that "provides"me something that I don't want?
What next?
Should I be forced to buy a certain car, or some other product or service that the politicians have determined that this disobedient subject must have? Seems to me like that's nothing more than good old fashioned cronyism - forcing us to give even more of our hard-earned incomes to the corporations that the politicians prefer.
Give it time. I'm sure more such tyranny is coming - all with the cloak of legitimacy that "broad support" gives it.
