Americans can no longer travel to Canada, Mexico, or on cruises without passports. The
Real ID Act will kick in this year. Over a million dead Iraqis lie in our wake in Iraq, and 3 million more are refugees, with the rest prisoners in their own country.
All this, we are told, is because the "terrorists" are out to get us. They hate us for our freedoms (so shouldn't we be in less danger now?), and our way of life (ditto).
The official story of 9-11 is that the "terrorists" were Arabs and they paid for their mission with money from Saudi Arabia. Where does Saudi Arabia get money? Why from Americans buying gas, of course.
So, if the official story was true, as the corporate media insists, then what would be the patriotic response to the oil rich people who hate us?
It is blindingly obvious that the solution would be to stop buying and using so much oil. We went through a situation in the 1970s where the OPEC countries cut off our oil and Americans were told that we had to use less. The speed limit was dropped to save gas, the auto manufacturers were told to produce cars with better mileage, we were told to save electricity and turn down the thermostat.
If the "terrorist" threat were real, the 1970s response would have been a good start for 2001. And yet, even those mini-solutions were not tried. Instead, we were told to go shopping and to Disney World, and Hummer buyers were given a tax credit. SUVs continued to be pushed. Business went on as usual.
This is SUSPICIOUS. Even if you knew nothing else of this administration's actions and illegalities, you should be able to see that something is rotten with this response.
Either there is no real threat from external terrorists, or the people in charge of our government are traitors! From the federal government refusing to change oil policy, to state and local governments that continue, 6 years later, to push car based transportation, with continual road building and subsidizing of urban sprawl, the actions of our rulers guide and force Americans to rely on oil for the activities of daily living.
So they are either lying to us, or pushing us into unwise oil use that makes us unsafe. They have destroyed the Bill of Rights, and they are moving right along to the day when we have to show our "papers" to authorities, the hallmark of a police state. They are traitors. I am daring to call it treason.
"Treason doth never prosper. What's the reason? If it prosper, none dare call it treason"
Monday, January 7, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Is It Fascism Yet?
Many Americans appear to believe that if they personally are not in a concentration camp, then we don't live in a fascist society. But, of course,very few Germans ended up in concentration camps. Most of them were fine with fascism as long as they personally were OK. I read a book called They Thought They Were Free, where an American went to Germany after WW2 and interviewed Germans who had joined the Nazi Party. The title says it all. Not really. there was much more. But, basically, the only problem they had with Hitler is that he started the war- which got them bombed. Only one person that he interviewed opposed Hitler at the beginning. But this person had no backup, so he went along with it also.
We have the benefit of learning from the past. Unfortunately, we have been taught that if there is no Hitler, there is no fascism. So the lesson we have learned from the past is worthless. Especially when our ruling class uses Hitler as the handy dandy shortcut to demonization of any fallen-out-of-favor dictator they wish to depose.
Of course, the word fascist has been used loosely in the past. But if you take Mussolini's definition, (and why shouldn't you, since he helped popularize it), fascism is the state merged with the corporations. And other people have further refined the definition.
I heard Ralph Nader call Washington "corporate occupied territory". Clever. And accurate. So our government has merged with the corporations to the extent that we now think it's normal to have our politicians bought and paid for (and if they're not, they're "non-viable"), to have our laws written by lobbyists, our public servants coming from corporations and returning there when their terms are up, the giving of corporate welfare rampant from the federal to the local governments, and the health of the corporations used as a barometer of the health of the US economy. Our civil liberties and right of privacy are almost gone. The government openly imprisons people without charges, or trials, and it is accepted. The appointed president brags about torture, and it is accepted.
But I'm not in a concentration camp, so it's OK. We must be free.
We have the benefit of learning from the past. Unfortunately, we have been taught that if there is no Hitler, there is no fascism. So the lesson we have learned from the past is worthless. Especially when our ruling class uses Hitler as the handy dandy shortcut to demonization of any fallen-out-of-favor dictator they wish to depose.
Of course, the word fascist has been used loosely in the past. But if you take Mussolini's definition, (and why shouldn't you, since he helped popularize it), fascism is the state merged with the corporations. And other people have further refined the definition.
I heard Ralph Nader call Washington "corporate occupied territory". Clever. And accurate. So our government has merged with the corporations to the extent that we now think it's normal to have our politicians bought and paid for (and if they're not, they're "non-viable"), to have our laws written by lobbyists, our public servants coming from corporations and returning there when their terms are up, the giving of corporate welfare rampant from the federal to the local governments, and the health of the corporations used as a barometer of the health of the US economy. Our civil liberties and right of privacy are almost gone. The government openly imprisons people without charges, or trials, and it is accepted. The appointed president brags about torture, and it is accepted.
But I'm not in a concentration camp, so it's OK. We must be free.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Dictator Remains in Control of Nuclear Power
A concerned world watches in horror as a religious fundamentalist who seized power in a judicial coup 8 years ago remains in control of the largest store of WMDs on the planet. It has been reported that he believes that God talks to him, and tells him to smite his enemies. He is already responsible for the deaths of over one million people and seems determined to kill more.
"It is concerning that a dictator who seems to have no effective opposition in his country could have nuclear weapons at his disposal" states an unnamed diplomat from an undisclosed coutry. "There are no checks and balances to make sure that if he desires to bring about Armageddon, as is written in his religious book, that he won't use the thousands of nuclear weapons that his country has stockpiled to bring about an end to life on this planet. This kind of unlimited power should not be allowed."
The dictator's subjects seem paralyzed by indecision on how best to confront his rule. Early in his reign, iconic buildings in the country were exploded, with many dying, and the pro-government media blanketed the airwaves with announcements that the junta in charge at the time of the attack were the only ones able to prevent further attacks. Opposition media is small,ineffective and easily intimidated by those in power.
The dictator's consolidation of power was opposed at first by a few individuals in the weak legislature, but they were stopped by a biological weapon attack. A newspaper was also targeted in this attack. A convienent plane crash took the life of another opposition figure, and the legislature soon rubber-stamped all moves by the dictator to oppress his subjects and attack other countries.
Occasionally the citizens protest in an orderly fashion, hemmed in by police in riot gear, and unreported by the media. There are lawyers who have protested by filing lawsuits against the widespread imprisonment and torture of people swept up in dragnets and thrown into the gulag of prisons maintained by the empire around the world, but the verdicts of the courts are ignored by the junta.
Most of the citizens of the nuclear armed country believe that the only way to change the direction of the country is to participate in a quadrennial ritual in which they line up and push a button for one of two people who have been presented to them to choose. That person is then placed in charge of an enormous nuclear arsenal and everyone hopes that they are sane.
Responsible nations of the world must stand opposed to this rogue nation! Sanctions should be imposed until there is regime change. An unstable nuclear country should not be allowed to run rampant across the globe. The Security Council must stand up and take action.
"It is concerning that a dictator who seems to have no effective opposition in his country could have nuclear weapons at his disposal" states an unnamed diplomat from an undisclosed coutry. "There are no checks and balances to make sure that if he desires to bring about Armageddon, as is written in his religious book, that he won't use the thousands of nuclear weapons that his country has stockpiled to bring about an end to life on this planet. This kind of unlimited power should not be allowed."
The dictator's subjects seem paralyzed by indecision on how best to confront his rule. Early in his reign, iconic buildings in the country were exploded, with many dying, and the pro-government media blanketed the airwaves with announcements that the junta in charge at the time of the attack were the only ones able to prevent further attacks. Opposition media is small,ineffective and easily intimidated by those in power.
The dictator's consolidation of power was opposed at first by a few individuals in the weak legislature, but they were stopped by a biological weapon attack. A newspaper was also targeted in this attack. A convienent plane crash took the life of another opposition figure, and the legislature soon rubber-stamped all moves by the dictator to oppress his subjects and attack other countries.
Occasionally the citizens protest in an orderly fashion, hemmed in by police in riot gear, and unreported by the media. There are lawyers who have protested by filing lawsuits against the widespread imprisonment and torture of people swept up in dragnets and thrown into the gulag of prisons maintained by the empire around the world, but the verdicts of the courts are ignored by the junta.
Most of the citizens of the nuclear armed country believe that the only way to change the direction of the country is to participate in a quadrennial ritual in which they line up and push a button for one of two people who have been presented to them to choose. That person is then placed in charge of an enormous nuclear arsenal and everyone hopes that they are sane.
Responsible nations of the world must stand opposed to this rogue nation! Sanctions should be imposed until there is regime change. An unstable nuclear country should not be allowed to run rampant across the globe. The Security Council must stand up and take action.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Conversation with a new recruit
My young co-worker has joined the Army, because they are giving him $30,000 and promising him that they will send him to nursing school for 2 years.
The workplace is divided between those who wave the flag and tell him how proud they are and those who are concerned that he will be killed in Iraq. (No one but he thinks that he is going to nursing school instead of Iraq).
I thought that if I explained that he was going to be used as a storm trooper for imperialism, he would reconsider. He's a very sweet boy, but not too bright, so the co-workers on my side didn't think he would understand the concept. Here's how it went.
Me: "Do you realize that you live in an Empire? And life is sweet, because you are here. Do you know that Americans are 5% of the world's population and use 25% of the world's resources?"
Recruit: "So? You live here too".
Me: "But what if some people don't want to give us their resources?"
Recruit: "Then we kill them."
Me: "Yes. And that's what they want you to do".
Recruit: "That's OK. If you don't like it, then go move to another country."
My friend, who was listening to the exchange, looked at me and said, "I guess he does understand".
The workplace is divided between those who wave the flag and tell him how proud they are and those who are concerned that he will be killed in Iraq. (No one but he thinks that he is going to nursing school instead of Iraq).
I thought that if I explained that he was going to be used as a storm trooper for imperialism, he would reconsider. He's a very sweet boy, but not too bright, so the co-workers on my side didn't think he would understand the concept. Here's how it went.
Me: "Do you realize that you live in an Empire? And life is sweet, because you are here. Do you know that Americans are 5% of the world's population and use 25% of the world's resources?"
Recruit: "So? You live here too".
Me: "But what if some people don't want to give us their resources?"
Recruit: "Then we kill them."
Me: "Yes. And that's what they want you to do".
Recruit: "That's OK. If you don't like it, then go move to another country."
My friend, who was listening to the exchange, looked at me and said, "I guess he does understand".
Monday, December 24, 2007
We Know How This Movie Turned Out
Is this some sort of test? Are they experimenting with how much propaganda we can swallow without summoning up from the memory hole a sense of cognitive dissonance?
The corporate media is hawking the new movie "Charlie Wilson's War". I have seen print and TV reviews. They have gone back in time - to the days when the "Islamo-Fascists" were the "Afghan Freedom Fighters"! Don't they realize that we all know now how it all turned out?
Sure, Americans don't care that when the Afghan muhjadeen and their Arab supporters won the war, the progressive Afghan government that had been trying to modernize Afghanistan,( including improving the lives of its women), fell to warlords and fundamentalist Muslims that took Afghanistan back to the 16th century.
Sure, Americans don't care that when the USSR collapsed, its people's lives became poor and miserable, their life expectancy dropped, infant mortality soared, orphans multiplied, homelessness increased, women and girls were sold into sex slavery, and their natural resources and industry were sold off cheap. Americans have been conditioned to cheer that "we won" the cold war, and to celebrate the misfortune of the people we spent 50 years being conditioned to fear and hate. Never mind that as it turned out, they never did a thing to harm us. We still dance the victory celebration in the rubble of their lives.
But, come on, for six years now, Americans have been told that the Afghan government that emerged protected the Arab "freedom fighters" that turned against the USA. The propaganda has switched from fear of communists to fear of Muslims. How dare they go back to a time when the US was spending millions to support and arm the muhjadeen and present it as a wonderful thing! How stupid do they think we are? It is amazing to me that they would even try this.
That's why I think this may be a test. They are trying to see how stupid we are and how deep the memory hole is. The corporate media must be in on the test, because I haven't yet seen one review bring up the fact that Charlie Wilson's boys are the ones we are now being taught to hate and fear.
As Lily Tomlin said, "No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up".
The corporate media is hawking the new movie "Charlie Wilson's War". I have seen print and TV reviews. They have gone back in time - to the days when the "Islamo-Fascists" were the "Afghan Freedom Fighters"! Don't they realize that we all know now how it all turned out?
Sure, Americans don't care that when the Afghan muhjadeen and their Arab supporters won the war, the progressive Afghan government that had been trying to modernize Afghanistan,( including improving the lives of its women), fell to warlords and fundamentalist Muslims that took Afghanistan back to the 16th century.
Sure, Americans don't care that when the USSR collapsed, its people's lives became poor and miserable, their life expectancy dropped, infant mortality soared, orphans multiplied, homelessness increased, women and girls were sold into sex slavery, and their natural resources and industry were sold off cheap. Americans have been conditioned to cheer that "we won" the cold war, and to celebrate the misfortune of the people we spent 50 years being conditioned to fear and hate. Never mind that as it turned out, they never did a thing to harm us. We still dance the victory celebration in the rubble of their lives.
But, come on, for six years now, Americans have been told that the Afghan government that emerged protected the Arab "freedom fighters" that turned against the USA. The propaganda has switched from fear of communists to fear of Muslims. How dare they go back to a time when the US was spending millions to support and arm the muhjadeen and present it as a wonderful thing! How stupid do they think we are? It is amazing to me that they would even try this.
That's why I think this may be a test. They are trying to see how stupid we are and how deep the memory hole is. The corporate media must be in on the test, because I haven't yet seen one review bring up the fact that Charlie Wilson's boys are the ones we are now being taught to hate and fear.
As Lily Tomlin said, "No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up".
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Gore Vidal on Kucinich
Gore Vidal has weighed on the Kucinich dissing, much more eloquently than I could, so I'm linking to it (on Truthdig.com)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christmas blessings
This is the one time of the year that Americans are allowed to wish for peace on earth, goodwill to all men - without being called a communist. In the interests of peace and goodwill, let me suggest the following.
As you string lights to celebrate the season, remember that in Iraq, electrical grids were targeted by American bombs during the invasion, and still are not completely repaired.
As you tuck your children into bed at night, be thankful that you do not have to worry about armed gunmen kicking in your door in the middle of the night, terrifying your children and possibly hauling you away to prison for unspecified crimes.
Be thankful that you still have your children, and they have you, unlike countless (because not deemed worthy of counting) children in Iraq who are orphans, and countless parents who have lost their children.
Be thankful that you still have a house to live in, unlike an estimated 3,000,000 Iraqis who are now refuges, both inside the country and in nearby countries, such as Syria.
As you give your dollar to St Jude's to help sick American children who need medical care, remember that in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, children are being maimed by mines, and leukemia and birth defects have skyrocketed since America dropped tons of depleted uranium on those countries. Doctors in Iraq have fled the violence, and those remaining struggle without proper supplies or facilities.
As you complain about the traffic to the mall, be thankful that you don't have to deal with roadblocks manned by armed military who don't speak your language, but demand your compliance anyway. Be glad that you don't have mercenaries allowed to careen through your streets shooting at will, without sanctions to compel them to obey the laws.
Celebrate your good fortune at being born in America, God's favorite country. Your are blessed above all the other 5 1/2 billion people on this planet and God wants you to kill any of the rest who interfere with your lifestyle. And God wants all other beings on this planet to exist simply to serve your needs and supply you with goods and services. It is written in the Bible. Ask Pat Robertson.
Amen. Merry Christmas.
As you string lights to celebrate the season, remember that in Iraq, electrical grids were targeted by American bombs during the invasion, and still are not completely repaired.
As you tuck your children into bed at night, be thankful that you do not have to worry about armed gunmen kicking in your door in the middle of the night, terrifying your children and possibly hauling you away to prison for unspecified crimes.
Be thankful that you still have your children, and they have you, unlike countless (because not deemed worthy of counting) children in Iraq who are orphans, and countless parents who have lost their children.
Be thankful that you still have a house to live in, unlike an estimated 3,000,000 Iraqis who are now refuges, both inside the country and in nearby countries, such as Syria.
As you give your dollar to St Jude's to help sick American children who need medical care, remember that in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, children are being maimed by mines, and leukemia and birth defects have skyrocketed since America dropped tons of depleted uranium on those countries. Doctors in Iraq have fled the violence, and those remaining struggle without proper supplies or facilities.
As you complain about the traffic to the mall, be thankful that you don't have to deal with roadblocks manned by armed military who don't speak your language, but demand your compliance anyway. Be glad that you don't have mercenaries allowed to careen through your streets shooting at will, without sanctions to compel them to obey the laws.
Celebrate your good fortune at being born in America, God's favorite country. Your are blessed above all the other 5 1/2 billion people on this planet and God wants you to kill any of the rest who interfere with your lifestyle. And God wants all other beings on this planet to exist simply to serve your needs and supply you with goods and services. It is written in the Bible. Ask Pat Robertson.
Amen. Merry Christmas.
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